Basketball Insiders Week in Review 8/31

Judging the Cavaliers’ Competition in the West

By Cody Taylor

The announcement that everyone was waiting for finally came on Saturday. That announcement of course was that Kevin Love was officially traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for number one overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins, last year’s number one pick Anthony Bennett and a first-round pick.  A new detail emerged, as the Philadelphia 76ers were included as the third team in the deal, acquiring Luc Mbah a Moute, Alexey Shved and a future first-round draft pick while sending Thaddeus Young to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The trade was perhaps the best option available to the Timberwolves, who risked losing Love next offseason for nothing. The deal will allow them to remain competitive next season and will also set them up for the future. The Cavaliers, on the other hand, are now in a position where it’s NBA Finals or bust. While the Eastern Conference has certainly improved during the last couple of seasons, the conference remains the Cavaliers’ for the taking. Some around the league have questioned whether the Cavaliers can jump in immediately and make a run to the Finals.

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NBA Salary Cap Update

By Eric Pincus

Kevin Love has officially changed teams, now a Cleveland Cavalier, but restricted free agents Greg Monroe and Eric Bledsoe remain unsigned.

Spending power in the NBA has tightened up. Few of the teams with money to spend are willing to part with it.

Monroe is expected to take the Detroit Pistons’ $5.5 million qualifying offer, although Detroit will need to open a roster spot since they already have 15 guaranteed players.

The Phoenix Suns still hope to bring back Bledsoe on a long-term deal, but are reportedly open to a sign and trade.  The athletic guard may also choose to take the Suns’ $3.7 million qualifying offer for a year.

Both Monroe and Bledsoe, if they return to their respective teams on one-year deals, can block any trade this coming season and would be unrestricted in 2015.

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Five NBA Coaches on the Rise

By Joel Brigham

hey used to call it “The Coaching Carousel,” because every summer a third of the league’s head coaches would get fired, and then calliope music plays while all those eligible job-seekers basically swapped spots and found new NBA head coaching jobs all over again. Teams wanted head coaches with NBA head coaching experience, and it was seldom that any organization thought outside the box beyond just promoting a lead assistant once the former big fish retired.

Today, though, organizations scour the planet for good head coaches. Be it an international coaching sensation, a respected NCAA guy, a long-time assistant ready for his first shot at the big show or even a former player only months removed from wearing an actual uniform, teams are willing to try anything short of a “Survivor”-style reality show to find the next big thing in coaching.

The good news is that they—both the teams searching and the coaches they’re ultimately finding—are succeeding, as the following list shows. These five gentlemen all have a year or fewer experience as an NBA head coach, but all of them show how promising the future will be for their new employers.

Here’s a look at five coaches on the rise:

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Thomas Discusses Decision to Join Phoenix Suns

By Alex Kennedy

As Isaiah Thomas walked into US Airways Center, he couldn’t help but smile. The Phoenix Suns went all-out during his free agency visit, putting pictures of him in a Suns jersey on the Jumbotron and all over the arena – inside and out. “The Phoenix Suns welcome Isaiah Thomas” read an electronic sign outside of the building. This is exactly what Thomas was looking for entering the offseason.

“I went on one visit, with the Phoenix Suns, and they just pulled out the red carpet for me and in the end I just felt wanted,” Thomas told Basketball Insiders. “That was the biggest thing for me, to go to a team that really wanted me for who I was and loved me for what I did – loved me for being a scoring point guard and being a 5’9 point guard. I felt Phoenix was the best destination for me with the style of play, with the coach and with the whole organization there. Everything feels like it’s going forward. I mean, they won 48 games last year, they were one game from the playoffs and it just seemed like the right fit for me.”

Thomas signed a four-year, $28 million deal with Phoenix shortly after his visit. He hadn’t always felt wanted in the past, as a member of the Sacramento Kings. Even though he put up impressive numbers and improved each year after being the 60th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Kings kept trying to bring in new point guards to take over the starting job – from Aaron Brooks to Greivis Vasquez. The Kings could’ve re-signed Thomas, since he was a restricted free agent, but they decided to let him go.

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Can Ricky Rubio Be The Face Of A Franchise?

By Jabari Davis

Even though it was somewhat of a foregone conclusion that power forward Kevin Love would be traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers since just about the moment LeBron James returned to the franchise, there still had to be at least a hint of relief in Minnesota when the deal was finally completed over the weekend. No, not because the Timberwolves’ fan base was in any hurry to rush their franchise player out the door, but mainly because it had been made abundantly clear that Love desired a fresh start and what he deemed a better chance at immediate success.

After several years of rumors that involved Love’s displeasure with the direction of the organization as well as being linked to various destinations that were more desired locations, it came as no shock when point guard Ricky Rubio decided to openly question his leadership following last season. There’s a certain amount of personal accountability that comes into play, especially when it is coming from someone that has widely been considered one of the best at his position for several years. Generally, a strong desire to win and a natural frustration with perennial losing is understood and accepted around a locker room, but teammates are only going to listen to that for so long before they finally speak out.

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LeBron James Helps Deliver Kevin Love

By Yannis Koutroupis

As Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin broke down how the acquisition of Kevin Love, which became official this weekend, really took a year and a half to complete, he didn’t leave any doubt over why they were finally able to make it happen: the presence of LeBron James.

Of course, there were a number of other factors that led to the Minnesota Timberwolves finally being able to let go of the three-time All-Star, who is regarded as one of the best power forwards in the league. He was coming up on free agency, Kyrie Irving signed a five-year contract extension, the Cavaliers’ offer improved to two number one overall picks and the Philadelphia 76ers were willing to help facilitate the deal by giving the Timberwolves Thaddeus Young for pennies on the dollar. However, without James, Love may not be a part of a team that is now the favorite to win the 2014-15 NBA championship.

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Dunc’d On: USA 101-71 Slovenia

All of the US exhibitions have been very encouraging so far, with nothing resembling a close call. Slovenia is a solid offensive team that can really bomb from the outside or get to the basket with Goran Dragic and his brother Zoran. The Slovenes recently dealt Lithuania, the projected U.S. opponent in the semifinals, its first loss of the exhibition season.* But the US defense was again outstanding, as it has been throughout the exhibition tour with the exception of a shaky first half against Puerto Rico. Slovenia managed only 71 points on 85 possessions (83.5 points per 100 possessions).

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10 Questions to Answer This NBA Season

By Jessica Camerato

The NBA offseason is winding down and training camp is just over a month away. This summer has been filled with a highly anticipated draft, monumental return home, blockbuster trade, devastating injury, and that’s just scratching the surface. How will all the twists and turns play out this season? Take a look at 10 questions to be answered once NBA action gets underway.

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The Gems Of The Second Round

By Steve Kyler

With training camp less than a month away for most NBA teams, young guys will get the chance to prove they belong. For second round draft picks, camp will be a brutal culture shock.

The 2014 NBA Draft produced some interesting wrinkles as many teams opted to spend first round picks on ‘draft and stash’ prospects or in Oklahoma City’s case with Josh Huestis to their D-League team.

This pushed a number of first round talents into the second round, and several of them could make an impact as a rookie, which would go a long way towards cementing their ability to have a NBA career.

Here are some of the most notable ones:

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Five NBA Shooting Guards on the Rise in 2014-15

By John Zitzler

Most teams rely heavily on their shooting guard to produce points. A two-guard is expected to be one of the team’s better outside shooters and also have the ability to penetrate the lane, draw fouls and finish around the rim. Defensively, they are tasked with stopping some of the best athletes in the game. It’s a position that has produced some of the most talented and entertaining players the game has ever seen. Over the past 25 years, the NBA has been fortunate enough to witness some exceptional play from shooting guards. The late 80s and 90s were dominated by Michael Jordan, but he wasn’t the only great two-guard, as Clyde Drexler and Reggie Miller among others also excelled before passing the torch to Kobe Bryant and Co. Bryant, who will look to continue his successful career this year, went on to win five titles. More recently, Dwyane Wade and Ray Allen have dominated the position, and both appear to be locks for the Hall of Fame.

The position continues to produce some of the top scorers in the game today. James Harden has excelled scoring the ball in Houston’s uptempo style of play. Harden, a two-time All-Star and a two-time All-NBA team member (first team in 2014 and third team in 2013), currently holds the title as the best shooting guard in the game. In Toronto, DeMar DeRozan has really come on strong, making his first All-Star appearance this past season. Both players have been recognized by the league for their strong play, but there are number of young two-guards attempting to catch them, eager to prove that they deserve the same type of respect.

Here are five shooting guards on the rise:

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Five NBA Small Forwards on the Rise in 2014-15

By Jesse Blancarte

In the modern NBA, the small forward position has become one of the most important for teams. Small forwards need to be more versatile than ever before. They are often asked to guard some of the NBA’s biggest power forwards, and just as often asked to shut down some of the league’s elite point guards. Many of the better ball-handling forwards, such as LeBron James and Andre Iguodala, play “point-forward” and initiate their team’s offense intermittently with the full-time point guard.

LeBron James and Kevin Durant are the best two NBA players in the NBA, and by the far best small forwards. Behind them are players like Paul George (who may miss the upcoming season due to his recent leg injury) and Carmelo Anthony. However, behind these top small forwards is an exciting crop of young small forwards that are climbing the ranks and are ready to take the next step in their development. Some of them have been in the league for more than six years, some have yet to play their first NBA game.

Here is a look at some of the best up-and-coming small forwards in the league:

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Anthony Morrow Fills Thunder’s Critical Need

After the Oklahoma City Thunder came up short again last season in their bid for a repeat NBA Finals appearance, there was no shortage of voices proclaiming what moves had to be made during the offseason. The glaring deficiencies were clear. To get past the elite teams (read: the San Antonio Spurs), the Thunder had to address their lack of bench depth, low-post offense and reliable outside shooting. The rumors started circulating rather quickly. With center Steven Adams developing at an unexpected rapid pace and big man Mitch McGary drafted, it appeared the Thunder were wisely concentrating on filling the gap in knockdown shooting. Players such as C.J. Miles, Arron Afflalo and Mike Miller were tossed around as possible offseason signings. Those names were put aside when suddenly the talented Pau Gasol emerged as a serious contender. The Thunder contingent collectively held their breath as Gasol weighed his options.

In mid-July, Gasol announced he was joining the Chicago Bulls; on the same day, free agent Anthony Morrow agreed to a three-year, $10 million deal with the Thunder. The Morrow signing didn’t generate much excitement; certainly, it wasn’t the big-name acquisition OKC followers were expecting in light of the Gasol rumors. However, this under-the-radar signing has the potential to turn into a critical piece the Thunder have been missing.

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Players On The Rebound

By Lang Greene

Every season there are a group of players who, without warning, fall from the top level and experience disappointing campaigns. Some of these players will put it back into focus and bounce back, while others will continue their descent into realm of faded skills.

Last season was no different and produced a new batch of players looking to get their careers back on track. Was there performance in 2014 a sign of things to come or simply just an unfortunate outlier? Time will ultimately tell, but let’s took a look at some of the players in need of redemption heading into training camp.

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