Which lottery teams have been the most surprising? Which player isn’t getting enough credit? The Lottery Mafia crew answers these questions and more as the season nears the midway point.
With the season nearing the halfway point, a few of our writers answered a few questions related to this season’s lottery teams.
Which lottery team has been the most surprising this season?
Zach Reynolds (ZR): The New York Knicks have been the most surprising team to this point. No one could have realistically predicted the team would have just five wins through 40 games, and be four games behind the 76ers. Expectations were much higher for the debut of Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher, and have led to a great deal of disappointment.
Russell Hodges (RH): I knew the New York Knicks were going to struggle this season, but I’m shocked they have been this awful. 5-35 after 40 games in Phil Jackson’s first year as president of basketball operations? This team is irrelevant to basketball right now, plain and simple. They have no grasp of the triangle, and with Carmelo Anthony possible out for the remainder of the season, they may end up with the worst record in the NBA.
Gabriel Allen (GA): This is a tie between the Milwaukee Bucks (exceeding expectations) and the New York Knicks (failing epically), who, oddly enough squared off on Thursday in London. It took the Knicks nearly six minutes to score their first basket, and the Bucks (unsurprisingly) ran through them like a sharp knife through soft butter.
Daniel Coughlin (DC): The Milwaukee Bucks. They surpassed their 2013-14 win total before the end of 2014 despite losing Jabari Parker for the season. New ownership, new coach, the Greek Freak. Everything about the Bucks feels good these days.
The Boston Celtics have already been active in the trade market, acquiring assets as they continue to rebuild. What other teams, if any, do you expect to be active in trading away players to acquire picks and other assets?
ZR: I expect Minnesota do to a fair amount of negotiating prior to the trade deadline next month. Sitting at 5-31, it does not make much sense to hold onto Thaddeus Young or Mo Williams- both of which have contracts that could expire. Flip Saunders should be working the phones to trade Kevin Martin and Nikola Pekovic as well, and opt to build for the future with Rubio, Wiggins, Muhammad and Dieng as good long-term pieces.
RH: I think the Denver Nuggets will be very active at the deadline. Last week, I wrote about what they needed to do in order to take the team in a positive direction. The team has already traded Timofey Mozgov, and I expect a handful of players to follow. One name that has been in the news lately is Wilson Chandler, who is reportedly drawing interest from the Portland Trail Blazers.
GA: It should be an exciting trade season. Boston isn’t done dealing. Hinkie gonna Hinkie. Phoenix will probably continue to be involved on the trade market. Brooklyn might blow things up at any moment. Sacramento is a team to watch before the deadline. Denver seems set on acquiring assets, and they have Wilson Chandler to dangle in the faces of the Western Conference playoff teams looking to improve in the Wild West. And the Knicks will be frantically looking for ways to create future flexibility; i.e. trade Jose Calderon.
DC: The Hornets might be the team. It just hasn’t come together. But in the East, nobody is really that far out either. I thought Monroe might be on the move until the Pistons cut Smith loose and went ballistic.
Who is one player not receiving enough credit this season?
ZR: The unsung hero among lottery teams, and perhaps all teams, is Markieff Morris. Morris has stepped into the starting lineup after the departure of Channing Frye and has provided efficient scoring and defense. He is among the highest percentage shooters in the final two minutes, and is a big reason the Suns are on pace for a playoff berth.
RH: Hassan Whiteside has played phenomenal basketball for the Miami Heat this season. A second-round pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Whiteside averaged 5.4 blocks per game in his lone college season at Marshall. Since being drafted though, he has spent time in the D-League, China and Lebanon before ultimately returning to the NBA. Currently, he is averaging 6.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 14.4 minutes per game with Miami. Also, his 25.88 PER ranks second among all NBA centers, trailing only DeMarcus Cousins.
GA: Gotta be Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. His jumper used to be so ugly it served as a metaphorical Medusa, but now it looks surprisingly smooth—though he doesn’t shoot threes. He’s also a great rebounder and defender, and if the Hornets are able to survive their shockingly slow start and make the playoffs, he deserves a lot of credit.
Also, credit must be given to Robert Covington of the 76ers, who has been one of the best finds for Philadelphia this season, averaging 12.6 points and 4.5 rebounds a game, and is shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc this season.
DC: Jeff Teague. Career high numbers in points, assists, steals and field goal percentage. The Hawks are surging to the top of the East.
Which rookies have impressed you the most? Which have disappointed?
ZR: As expected, Wiggins and Parker have been the two best rookies drafted in 2014 this season. Prior to Parker’s ACL tear, he was coming into his own as a scorer and getting more comfortable at the defensive end against opponents from both forward positions. Wiggins’ initial adjustment to the NBA game was not as smooth, but he has been terrific over the past month. Despite losing every game in January to this point, Wiggins is averaging 21.7 points (49% FG, 37% 3FG), 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists in six games to start the new year. I fully expect this scoring trend to continue. At this point only Nikola Mirotic could beat him out for Rookie of the Year honors.
Excluding the high number of top draft picks facing injury, Nik Stauskas has been the biggest disappointment. Selected eighth in 2014, Stauskas was supposed to be a solid contributor at the minimum, and bring needed outside shooting and secondary ball handling. He is shooting just 27 percent from beyond the arc and has a player efficiency rating of 5.78- well below league average. There have been many disappointing rookies so far, but Stauskas’ high draft slot makes him the most discouraging.
RH: Andrew Wiggins is my Rookie of the Year right now, but I’ve been impressed with Chicago’s Nikola Mirotic. The former ACB League MVP has given the Bulls a big boost of the bench, scoring eight points per game and shooting 36.7 percent from 3-point range. Despite his narrow frame (he’s 6-feet-10-inches tall and weighs just 220 pounds), he has also been rebounding well. His 17.31 PER ranks second among all NBA rookies.
Nik Stauskas has been a disappointment in my book. Selected eighth overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, the former Michigan Wolverine has struggled from the floor this season, shooting just 33.1 percent from the field (26.9 percent from 3-point range). I think he was a purer shooter coming out of college than Ben McLemore, and I thought they would be a solid one-two punch at the shooting guard position if McLemore improved his perimeter shooting (which he has). Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case.
GA: After a slow start, Andrew Wiggins has been sensational. Nikola Mirotic has impressed me more and more each game. Jabari Parker was having a great season until his unfortunate injury. Jusuf Nurkic, aka the “Bosnian Boogieman,” has looked good in limited run. Nerlens Noel’s defense has also been superb this season. Nik Stauskas has really struggled so far for Sacramento, and there have been reports that the Kings have put him on the trade block.
DC: I’m biased, but Nikola Mirotic of the Chicago Bulls is coming on strong. If he keeps seeing decent minutes, he will be a big contributor to the Bulls this season. Andrew Wiggins has been killing it over the past 10 games or so. Hard to say which one should be ROY. Biggest rookie disappointment? I’m taking injuries. No Randle, no Parker, no Embiid, no Gordon.
Finally, if you were in the NBA, which team would you rather play for in the long term, the New York Knicks or Philadelphia 76ers? Go beyond recent history, and think about which team would be a better environment for play in if offered the chance to sign a multi-year contract for either.
ZR: Knicks. Despite the flaws in 2014-15, the team has cap space to use this summer and is still situated in a top media market.
RH: I think New York is the easy pick here, so I’m going to take Philadelphia. The 76ers have many bright young talents in the fold and a coach, Brett Brown, who has proven to be able to nurture young talent. Also, I believe they have more stability in the front office than the Knicks do. But how can I say that when the Knicks have Phil Jackson? Because the franchise hasn’t won a championship since 1973, and I don’t think they will win another one if James Dolan remains the owner. Dolan has failed to deliver when New York needed him the most, and I will always question whether or not his goal is to win titles, or just to make money.
GA: If I have the choice to sign the same contract with the Knicks or Sixers I flip a coin. Brett Brown is an excellent coach and Joel Embiid is hilarious and has great potential. Meanwhile, if New York lands Jahlil Okafor or Karl Towns in this summer’s draft, the Zen Master might eventually be able to turn the dumpster fire that is the Knicks into a contender.
DC: Knicks or 76ers? You can find me playing for Guandong Southern in China…
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