2 Chainz - So Help Me GodFuture & Lil Uzi Vert - Pluto x Baby PlutoAesop Rock - Spirit World Field GuideGoodie Mob - Survival Kit (featuring Chuck D, André 3000, Big Boi & Big Rube) theMIND - Don't Let It Go To Your Head (featuring Saba, Phoelix, Kari Faux, Qari & Sun) Mr. Lif & Stu Bangas - Vangarde (featuring Murs, Blueprint, Blacastan & Reef Tha Lost Cauze) Lil Tracy - Designer Talk 2 (featuring Chief Keef, LUCKI, Cold Hart, Lil Keed, Yung Bans + more) Pa Salieu - Send Them To Coventry (featuring BackRoad Gee) Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin - FlySiifu‘s (featuring $ilkmoney, Liv.e + more) Kodak Black - Bill Israel (featuring Tory Lanez, Jackboy, Gucci Mane, Lil Yachty & CBE) Joey Fatts - G Way (featuring G Perico, Dave East, Slimmy B (of SOB x RBE) & Robtwo) BONES - FromBeyondTheGraveTobe Nwigwe - THE PANDEMIC EXPERIENCE | LIVE GLOBAL BROADCASTChris Crack - Haters Forget They Were Fans FirstBlueprint - Darkest PartyLowkey - KeymusicMerkules - Apply Pressure (featuring E40, Kevin Gates, Jelly Roll & The Game) Luh Soldier - Soldier Mentality 2K Trap - Street Side Effects (featuring Giggs, Fredo, M1llionz, D-Block Europe, Wretch 32 & Abra Cadabra) Davido - A Better Time (featuring Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, Young Thug, Lil Baby, Nas, Hit-Boy + more) Prof - Powderhorn SuitesNBA Youngboy - Until I ReturnDJ Kay Slay - Homage (featuring Sheek Louch, Styles P, Benny the Butcher, Bun B, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, AZ, Papoose, Ransom, Memphis Bleek, Lil Fame, Dave East, Joell Ortiz, Saigon, Mistah F.A.B., Chris Rivers, Jon Connor, Twista, E-40, Mysonne, Sauce Money, Ice-T, Trick Trick, RJ Payne, Fred the Godson, Loaded Lux, Termanology, Locksmith, dadouks, Cassidy, Maino, Vado, DJ Paul, Cory Gunz, Melle Mel, Grandmaster Caz, Trae tha Truth & Royce da 5'9, Ghostface Killah, Busta Rhymes, Junior Reid, Conway the Machine, Juicy J, Jim Jones + more) Blac Youngsta - Fuck Everybody 3 (featuring Lil Baby, DaBaby, Swae Lee, Lil Durk, Yo Gotti, Stunna 4 Vegas, Moneybagg Yo & 42 Dugg) BENEE - Hey u x (featuring Grimes, Kenny Beats, Flo Milli, Bakar + more) Bari - F*@k It... Burn It All DownTony Velour - 3M (featuring Injury Reserve, Danger Incorporated + more) Sosamann - Born to Drip (featuring Wiz Khalifa, Sada Baby, Sauce Twinz, Money Man + more) Salaam Remi - Black On Purpose (featuring Black Thought, Nas, Common, Busta Rhymes, CeeLo Green, Bilal + more) Meeco - We Out Here (featuring Smif-n-Wessun, Lil Fame, Termanology, A.G., Masta Ace + more)
EPs
Father - Come outside, we not gone jump you.Masego - Study AbroadOpioid Era - Dope SickONEFOUR - Against All Odds (featuring Dutchavelli) Femdot - Buy One, Get One Free Vol 1 (featuring Saba) Vinyl Villain - AheadoftimeNelson Bandela - Black James Blake EPLou From Paradise - 2020 LeaksK Camp - Kiss 5 (Deluxe Edition)Ransom & Nicholas Craven - Deleted ScenesLecrae - Restoration: The Deluxe Album (featuring Rapsody + more) Hope Tala - Girl Eats Sun (fearturing Aminé + more) Ben Khan - Crimson (GEN2)Goya Gumbani & Oliver Palfreyman - Truth Be SoldPamela D. Bruner (Thundercat's Mom) - Master of the Universe (featuring Thundercat)
Singles
Icewear Vezzo - Anthem Lil Nas X & Tay Keith - Holiday DJ Scheme - Soda (feat. Ski Mask the Slump God & Cordae) Run The Jewels - No Save Point (From "Cyberpunk 2077") JID - Killers* Loyle Carner & Madlib - Yesterday Rico Nasty - OHFR? Jaden - I'm Ready (From Spider-Man: Miles Morales) NAV & Wheezy - Pickney / Stella McCartney (feat. Future) NBA YoungBoy - Around Yung Simmie - Da Lyricist Freestyle Rod Wave - All Week Sheff G - Lights On tobi lou - OKAY (feat. Dreezy) Masego & Don Toliver - Mystery Lady Berhana & Mereba - Golden, Pt. 2 Wheezy - Guillotine (feat. Future & Yo Gotti) Mistah F.A.B. - That's Him (Remix) [feat. Snoop Dogg, T.I. & G-Eazy] th1rt3en (Cypress Hill project) - Fight Higher Brothers - Empire Cookin Soul - Kdot Frees Mozzy, 03 Greedo & Yhung T.O (of SOB x RBE) - Villain Drakeo The Ruler - Fights Don't Matter Warhol.SS - Stick Freestyle / Benihana (New Years 3) KXNG CROOKED I - Who Am I? Murs - South Central America Nick Hakim - QADIR (Extended) Supa Bwe & AUTUMN - Koolaide Man Kacy Hill & Micahtron - Unkind (Electric Guest Remix) Pharoahe Monch & Th1rt3en - Fight (feat. Cypress Hill) Consequence - Lost a Million Freeway - B.O.A. Story Duwop Kaine - Ben & Jerry Popcaan - TWIST & TURN (Instrumental) Savon - Cloes to the Space The Opioid Era - Passing Out Testers, Pt. 2 Ethereal - Heat and Cold DC The Don - Wait Your Turn POUYA & ROCCI - IT'S OVER DJ Kay Slay - Rolling 50 Deep (ft. Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Ice-T, Melle Mel, Benny the Butcher, Bun B, E-40, Trae The Truth, AZ, Royce da 5'9", and 40 others) Lil Pump, Aitch & The Plug - Goyard Batman Ying Yang Twins - Twerkin in the Mirror Phony Ppl - On My Shit (feat. Joey Bada$$) RJ Payne - Beautiful Murder (feat. Snyp Life & Sunnie Blac) Killah Priest - The Battle Of The Locusts Smoove’L - Period StaySolidRocky - Out Da Oven Jhay Cortez - Kobe en LA MAVI - SMH Lil Xan - My Girlfriend City Girls - Pussy Talk (Remix) [feat. Quavo, Lil Wayne, & Jack Harlow] Lil Mosey - Jumpin Out The Face WorkingOnDying - Find Me (feat. LUCKI) / Vxbe (feat. RussThe404) 645AR - RIDE 4 YOU Russ - Who Wants What (feat. Ab-Soul) Fetty Wap - Speed / White Linen Kanye West - Nah Nah Nah (Remix) [feat. DaBaby & 2 Chainz] Your Old Droog - Pravda (feat. Mach-Hommy, El-P, Tha God Fahim & Black Thought) Chris King - I Carry Mine (feat. Tyler Yaweh) French Montana - Wave Blues (feat. Benny the Butcher) Dear Silas - Belafonté Blueface & TruCarr - Outside (Remix) Disclosure & Kelis - Watch Your Step (Harvey Sutherland Remix) Zion I - The Most High (feat. Shirena Parker) Ymtk - Be Well (feat. Julius & Drew Banga) Ivy Sole - KISMET (feat. lojii) Yameen - Molasses (NEWBODY Remix) [feat. Chester Boyd & KY] Wynne - In the Morning 3OH13 & 100 gecs - LONELY MACHINES KSI, Craig David & Digital Farm Animals - Really Love (Blinkie Remix) Deniro Farrar - 3am (feat. HotBoy, Lil Shaq & Littlejohn4k) Kossiko (FKA 100s) - World of Trouble Ant Beale - Acai Berry Blay Vision - Kill Somebody
Features
Sylvan Esso - Ferris Wheel (Terrace Martin Remix) [feat. Robert Glasper] Tiago Frúgoli Ensemble - Ávore (lojii & Swarvy Remix) Chris King - A Kouple More Bars (feat. Trippie Redd) / I Carry Mine (feat. Tyler Yaweh) DJ Money & Wale - Lions, Bengals & Bears (Freestyle) Isaac Pelayo - Off the Canvas (feat. Benny the Butcher) Rae Khalil - War Freestyle Blo5k Lil A & Trouble - Atlanta Lox Huncho - No Hook (feat. Cdot Huncho) Paisa God - 5 5 9 * 3 6 5 (feat. Fashawn) Sky Flex Gunja & ZillaKami - Woah / Wolves March Madness - No VPN (feat. Babytron & 2girls1wayne) Bubba Mann - Money Run (feat. Skywalker Og & Problem) StarBoy - Talk (feat. Wizkid & Legendury Beatz) Milo187 - Guess What (feat. Nef the Pharaoh) Top$ide - Do he really (feat. Babyface Ray & 2Gs) Path - Bone Season (feat. Celph Titled & Apathy) Low Enzo - Drip (feat. JR Writer) Dro Fe - Twin Towers (feat. Q Da Fool) JAMIE - Apollo 11 (feat. Jay Park) Brasstracks - Swerve (feat. Pell) Baby D - 2 Much Flavor (feat. Young Dro & Spoony G) ScoGang DeeDee - Pressure (feat. OMB Peezy) Yancy El Jeffe - Where Da Gs at!? (feat. Project Pat) TeXFiles - Shake Whatcha Mama Gave Ya! (feat. Project Pat) A\Villian - The Government Is Lying (feat. Kuniva, Jon Connor, Nalij & MC ME) IGIR Woodiee - Hasta Luego (feat. Lil Durk) LAVA LA RUE - Angel (feat. Deb Never) Kiddo Marv - Real Drip (feat. Major Nine & City Girls) L NUN - No Fakin' (feat. Skilla Baby) AITF Ike - The Coldest Move (feat. Jadakiss) Saint Cassius - We Make It Look (feat. Jadakiss) WHYTRI & OG Maco - Pitch Perf Spadez, Nef The Pharaoh & Shady Blaze - Burnt (feat. Lil B) The Bad Seed & L.R. Blitzkrieg - Riot Music (feat. Planet Asia) Sir Veterano - Diadora (feat. Planet Asia) Brianna Shawnceé - Spoiled (feat. Kodie Shane) DAAM! - Autopilot (feat. Ebenezer & HEX) Morgenshern & Lil Pump - wathafuk? Roc Cousteau - Beto (feat. Rockie Fresh) Loski - Flavour (feat. Stormzy) Problem Child 5 - Da Tooly (feat. Young Thug) YNW BSlime - Nightmares (feat. Trippie Redd) Hotboii - Goat Talk 2 (feat. Polo G) Disposable Impressions - Corridor (feat. KOTA the Friend & tobi lou) Felicia Faye - History (feat. Rick Ross) Chavo & Pi'erre Bourne - Wyfw Rastahead - Rejected (feat. Teejayx6) Abe Linx & Tully C - 100 Carats (feat. Jay Worthy) Kid Bookie - In My Soul (feat. Tech N9ne) MORGENSHTERN & Lil Pump - WATAFUCK?! DJ Booker - Ayeee (feat. NLE Choppa) Sam Roberts Music - Mindstate (feat. Zion I) ItsBizkit - Outside Wit It (feat. Vado & Nino Man) Zubin - My J's (feat. YungManny) Avenue Beat - F2020 (Remix) [feat. Jessie Reyez] Wes Period - Dig It (Remix) [feat. DUCKWRTH] The Hunna - Lost (feat. OMB Peezy) Fatboycash - Gangsta (feat. Styles P) Twan da Dude - Check Me Out (feat. 38 Spesh & Tommy Black) Justin Brave - Solace (feat. Myka 9, Ashleigh Eymann & the Phonograff) Jeff Kush - The Ms (feat. Duke Deuce) K'ron - My Spot (feat. Lil Keed & IIAN RICH) Joe Goonie - 3:13 in Kali (feat. Damedot & EWM Kdoe) Diamond Pistols - Time Machine (feat. Rich Brian) End of the World - Forever (feat. NIKI) Aywy - Life of the Party (feat. BLESSED, I.E. & BRXNNY) Cuco & Breezy - U. (feat. Dawn Richard) Indubious - Neva Bow (feat. Zion I) Leona Berlin, Snoop Dogg & Rob Araujo - Wrong Lane (Underground Edit) $tupid Young, Blueface & Mike Sherm - Suppose To * means not on streaming project features are listed mostly just if the artist is recognizable From KHDTX13 (will be updated):
[OC] Dr. Zan's Cure for What Ails Ya: The Sick, Sick New York Knicks
The NBA season is about a quarter of the way through the long race of the regular season. Some teams have galloped out to great starts -- some teams have stumbled out of the gates -- and some teams look like a horse who broke his leg and needs to get sent to the glue factory. Our intention with this new series to focus on some of those ailing squads and offer some possible remedies for their long-term health. So today, let's start with everyone's favorite punching bag:
THE NEW YORK KNICKS
Misdiagnosis: James Dolanitis Beating up on Knicks owner James Dolan is nothing new; fans and media pundits have been doing it for years now. And while it's fun to make fun of "JD" and his music, there's not much purpose to it. Sure, it'd be great if some billionaire like Jeff Bezos throws $3 billion at Dolan to make him go away. But barring some shenanigans or some V. Stivianos that we don't know about, you can't boot an owner out for being bad at his job. In some ways, Dolan has become an easy scapegoat for the franchise's problems. A few years ago, Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix (normally a good analyst) was ranting about Dolan on his yahoo podcast. He's a terrible owner! He's too hands-off! He "lets the inmates run the asylum!" (re: Phil Jackson at the time.) Literally 20 minutes later in the same podcast, Mannix complimented Spurs' owner Peter Holt. Why? Because he's hands-off. Because "he lets the basketball people make basketball decisions." Basically: exactly what he complained about with Dolan. Clearly, Dolan's problem wasn't his approach, but rather his decision making and the people he had trusted. However, presuming he finds the right leadership up top, his laissez faire approach to the franchise can work. That said, he may need some help to make those choices, so we're going to help him out here so he can focus on giving us some more of those sweet sweet jams. Diagnosis: Front Office Flu In terms of the basketball operations, the Knicks are run by two men: president Scott Mills and GM Scott Perry. Of the two, Mills has been around longer; he was hired for the job back in 2013. Since then, the Knicks have not had a single winning season. That's 7 seasons (counting this year) of basketball, 6 different coaches, and an overall 167-348 record. Mills brought in Scott Perry to serve as GM in 2017 at a time when Perry had a solid basketball reputation. However, we can't say much for Perry's tenure with the team so far. The degree of difficulty for the job may have been high, but he's struggled even when graded on a curve. There's simply no excuse for the shoddy roster construction this year. If you want a young big man scorer like Julius Randle or Bobby Portis? That's fine; but you don't need both. You want a tough veteran mentor like Taj Gibson or Marcus Morris? That's fine; but you don't need both. The Knicks have created a logjam that's not surprisingly led to a disastrous start. The franchise has now attempted to scapegoat David Fizdale, but there's a problem with that; Mills and Perry are the ones who hired Fizdale in the first place. And the ones who fired him after 1.25 years on the job. Either they made a massive mistake when hiring him or a mistake by firing him; either way, that blood is on their hands. Given that, why should they be the ones to hire a new coach? The very concept is flawed from the start. Front offices and head coaches need to work in lockstep with each other. Their fates are often tied to each other. If you're a promising head coach, you don't want to hitch your wagon to a front office that's already on the ropes. Whether they get fired or not this season, Mills and Perry don't have much job security and don't have much protection to offer you. At this point, the Knicks need a fresh start, starting at the top (acknowledging that we can't chop off the very top with Dolan.) A new GM/basketball czar would be empowered to hire his own head coach, and hopefully one that would be on the same page with them from the start. Prescription: Headhunt for a Head Man In an ideal world, the general manager is the "boss" of the basketball side of the operations, with the head coach working under him. And in an ideal world, the head coach is the "boss" of the players themselves, who work under his direction. Of course, the business of NBA basketball isn't that cut and dry. There are clearly NBA stars who have more power than their head coaches, and there are clearly head coaches who have more power than their general managers. We're not fighting against that system by any means. But that said, it's important to acknowledge that a clear sense of hierarchy is helpful when organizing a front office. We need to hire a "head man" who will be the ultimate decision maker in the room. That can be a powerful executive (who will then be in charge of hiring and firing a head coach), OR it can be a powerful coach (who will utilize the "GM" as a right-hand man for him.) When it comes to recruiting executives, the team should shoot for the stars. Kevin Durant (and other players) have pointed out that the New York Knicks aren't exactly the "New York Knicks" to today's generation of superstar players. After all, these players weren't alive when the Knicks were actually a prestigious franchise. But that said, the "Knicks" as a franchise may be more appealing to a superstar executive. For one, execs tend to be older and more nostalgic for the past when New York City was one of the epicenters of basketball. Moreover, they may like the challenge of this particular role. Any GM who can rebuild the Knicks into title contenders would become a legend in his own right. Given that, the Knicks may as well aim high when it comes to their initial search. Toronto's Masai Uriji is the current head on the GM totem pole. He's unlikely to leave Toronto right now (especially with the team rolling again post-Kawhi), but it's worth a call. Similarly, it's worth dialing in to see just how much that whole Hong Kong drama has affected Houston owner Tilman Fertitta and GM Daryl Morey. Personally, I'd back Morey in terms of free speech and his basketball acumen, but owners can sometimes value Money > Morey. It's also worth checking in to see if there's any tension in the long-term marriage between Oklahoma City and GM Sam Presti. Presti's resume isn't spotless, but if you take some big swings then you're going to strike out once and a while. Overall, he's still one of the better executives in basketball. Again, those are all big names -- AKA unrealistic choices. If they rebuff us, we'd have to move on to Plan B. That is: the rising GM. There are a few top executives that currently share power in some form or another, and may be intrigued by the idea of full control. Chief among those would be Boston assistant GM Mike Zarren, Danny Ainge's right-hand man. The intellectual and experienced Zarren has rebuffed jobs in the past, but there wouldn't be many higher profile jobs than this one. In a similar vein, the Knicks should reach out to Denver president Tim Connelly -- who shares at least some responsibility with GM Arturas Karnisovas -- and Troy Weaver -- who is the lieutenant for Presti in OKC. Another fun name to file away for the future: former Knick Landry Fields, who is currently serving as a scout in the San Antonio Spurs organization. As a Stanford grad, Fields is clearly a bright guy with a bright future. Handing him a GM job right now would be a stretch, but he's the type of executive who can develop into a GM down the road. Getting him in the building now and letting him rise the ladder would be a smart long-term move for the team. Clearly, these executives would all serve in different capacities. If you actually pry away a GM like Daryl Morey, then they would have a lot of power and juice in the organization. They would be the loudest voice in any room. If it's a lesser-known name like Troy Weaver or Landry Fields, then they may have to take their cues from a powerful head coach. Treatment Plan, p1: Avoid Excess Water (aka a "Big Splash!") at head coach There's a perception (not surprisingly fueled by the media) that a coach in New York needs to be media friendly. Big names! Camera friendly faces! Someone who can charm reporters and free agents alike! Spoiler alert: no one cares. Or at least, no one should care. After the Knicks hired media-darling and esteemed FoL (Friend of LeBron) David Fizdale, they promptly struck out with free agents and stunk up the court. Meanwhile, the nearby Brooklyn Nets had taken a different approach to their young roster. They had hired Kenny Atkinson, a largely anonymous assistant in Atlanta. Atkinson wasn't a "sexy" pick, but he was a smart one -- he had a lot of experience in a winning program, was fully versed in modern basketball, and prioritized player development. The Nets didn't flip a switch overnight, but they got better bit by bit, and eventually became good enough of a team to land superstars like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Similarly, the Knicks should target rising star assistant coaches who can help revamp their playing style to the new era of basketball and analytics. "Pace and space" was not their forte. Under Fizdale, the Knicks ranked 28th in pace of play. They also struggled with spacing (albeit a roster construction problem as well.) Some older coaches manage to adapt to the modern era, but it'd be a gamble to bank on a leopard to change his spots. One of the primary names you hear linked to this opening is former Golden State coach Mark Jackson. Jackson did an admirable job with the Warriors defense, but his offense (with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson) ranked 11th and 12th respectively in his two years at the helm. One year later, Steve Kerr unleashed the full potential of those shooters and had the team ranked in the top 3 in offensive rating for the next five years. Jackson also struggled behind the scenes with his staff. In the broadcast booth, he hasn't demonstrated any particular insight that make you think he's some coaching guru. Frankly, hiring Mark Jackson for this job would likely be doomed to failure. I wouldn't suggest that possible candidate Jason Kidd would be "doomed," but he's struggled with stubbornness in the past himself (particularly with his defensive system.) Jeff Van Gundy is another big name who is angling for another job, but may be too stuck in the past as well (even presuming his curmudgeonly broadcast persona is 80% comedic schtick.) There are a few "big names" that I actually think would do well in this post (Villanova coach Jay Wright and perhaps Clippers assistant Ty Lue come to mind) but the Knicks should feel comfortable with a "no name" as well, presuming it's the right one. In the interest of time, let's shine the spotlight on only a few. New Orleans assistant Chris Finch is an uptempo offensive guru. Portland assistant Nate Tibbetts specializes in player development -- always a key for rebuilding teams. Former Portland assistant David Vanterpool has been a coaching candidate in the past, and has only seen his stock rise after moving over to Minnesota and helping the T-Wolves defense improve from last season. Other candidates to consider include: Darvin Ham (MIL), Jay Larranaga (BOS), Ime Udoka (PHI), Dan Burke (IND), Chris Fleming (CHI), Alex Jensen (UTA), Wes Unseld Jr. (DEN), and Jordi Fernandez (DEN). Never heard of these dudes? Good. We need a coach -- not a headline. With that in mind, the Knicks should treat this season as a legitimate audition for interim Mike Miller. He's the 2nd most famous Mike Miller in NBA circles, but he's done well in the G-League and deserves a chance to show his worth. Treatment Plan, p2: Avoid Drinking Sand In The American President (1995), Michael J. Fox's Lewis Rothschild character gives a memorable (and oddly prescient) monologue to the titular character. "People want leadership, Mr. President. In the absence of genuine leadership, they'll listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone. They want leadership. They're so thirsty for it they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand." That doesn't just describe voters; it can describe fan bases as well. When you're a long-suffering fan of a team that appears in a perpetual rebuild, you can sometimes overreact and overrate your young talent out of desperation for any source of optimism. That may apply to these Knicks coming into this year. Yes, the franchise had young players with pedigree, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they were actual foundational pieces. Last year's lottery pick Kevin Knox has taken only a moderate step up in Year 2 (from 47.5% to 51.0% in terms of true shooting) and may top out as a 4th or 5th starter someday. Meanwhile, in Year 3, PG Dennis Smith still looks as inefficient as ever. He hasn't been 100% healthy, but his true shooting of 39.2% is actually a sizable step backwards right now. And while Knicks fans may continue to stump for Frank Ntilikina and his defensive impact, his offense is still so far away that he's unlikely to be anything more than a 5th starter or rotational player himself. If you're looking for true star talent that you can actually build a winning program around, then the Knicks' options are more limited. Mitchell Robinson should eventually lock into a full-time starting role, and R.J. Barrett may eventually develop into a high-end starter himself. Barrett's rookie year has been a mixed bag so far, but that's about what you'd expect of a 19 year old who isn't Luka Doncic. Barrett has shown his limitations as a shooter (40%-31%-53% splits), but has also shown his ability to attack and utilize his size as a scorer and rebounder for his position. At the moment, he's averaging 14-5-3, but he could eventually get up to the 24-6-5 range with a more refined shooting stroke and better talent around him. Given that upside, the Knicks need to be diligent to find the right kind of talent around Barrett. Sure, his shooting may improve to some degree, but he's unlikely to ever be a great shooter. If he can get up to league average, then they should count that as a win. In order to draw out the most of his talent (and limit his weaknesses) the Knicks can't clog the court with mediocre-shooting big men. In an ideal world, they need to surround Barrett with 4 good shooters. In a more realistic world, 3 good shooters + 1 good big man (hopefully Robinson) is a solid goal. That type of lineup should maximize Barrett's productivity, given his ability to drive and playmake for others. One challenge for fulfilling that vision (of Barrett as the primary playmaker) is that this particular draft class is heavy with natural lead guards. LaMelo Ball and R.J. Hampton (both in Oceania) are considered lottery locks, as are NCAA point guards like Cole Anthony (UNC), Nico Mannion (Arizona), and Tyrese Maxey (Kentucky). French guards Theo Maledon and Killian Hayes may join them as well. The Knicks need to be careful about which of these guards would fit with Barrett, and which may clash. To be clear, I'm not suggesting that the Knicks bypass a superior talent simply because they may not fit as neatly with R.J. Barrett. The top talent in the class may be Georgia SG Anthony Edwards, a big power guard who reminds some of Dwyane Wade or Donovan Mitchell. Is that an ideal fit next to Barrett? Maybe not -- but the talent would override that. Similarly, Memphis C James Wiseman may overlap with Mitchell Robinson on defense to some degree, but he's a legitimate top 3 talent who should be taken regardless. However, if there's a tie regarding talent, then "fit" needs to win out. Primarily, I'd question the fit between Barrett and someone like Cole Anthony (considered by most to be the # 1 PG.) Anthony's primary virtue is his ability to attack and score. He's averaging 20.0 PPG as a freshman. That said, he also has questionable efficiency (38% from the field) and only averages 3.9 assists per game. He can also drift defensively when he's not on the ball. Pairing a score-first PG like that with Barrett may not be the best use of either of their talents. If the season ended today, the Knicks would be slotted into the # 1 spot (same as last year) and end up picking anywhere from 1 to 5. That pick should represent their best and perhaps last chance to find a franchise talent to pair with Barrett. They just need to make sure it's the right pairing as well. Prognosis: Planning for your Long-Term Health The Knicks' season has been a massive disappointment so far, but it may not matter much in the long run. After all, this is a team whose Vegas oveunder was only about 28 or so depending on your preferred book. At the end of the day, it won't change much whether they end up winning 30 games or 20 games. In some ways, it was always going to be a lost cause. However, this season's underachievement (even by those low standards) should remind the front office and franchise as a whole a lesson about reasonable expectations. After the team struck out on the top superstars, they were not going to be a competitive club. Signing expensive veterans and trying to chase the 8th seed didn't make a lot of sense. Tying up long-term money (everyone but Bobby Portis will be paid money through next season) didn't make a lot of sense. Edit: thanks to u/the_madstork for catching my mistake here. Aside from Randle, most of the other signings have partial guarantees for next year. Stills, because of their salary commitments through 2020-21, the Knicks likely won't be much better next year at all. And that's fine. This wasn't going to be the Knicks' season, and 2020-21 wasn't going to be their season either. However, they can make a realistic goal of improvement. Gradual, slow, steady. If this year's team finishes 20-62, then next year's goal should be to win 25-30 games. Those improvements need to come internally as well. R.J. Barrett and Kevin Knox need to get more efficient; Mitchell Robinson needs to get steadier. The team shouldn't chase mediocre veteran starters anymore; let the young'ins take their lumps and experience their growing pains. If you utilize any extra salary cap, it should be to take on toxic assets that come attached with actual assets in turn (taking another page from Sean Marks and Brooklyn.) If we're saying the team is going to be bad in 2019-20 (this year) and 2020-21 (next year), then when are we projecting them to turn the corner and actually be good? Hell, it may take quite a while. In 2021-22, R.J. Barrett will still only be 21, and this year's lottery pick will likely be around the same age. If they stay steady on the course of this rebuild, 2021-22 may be another "losing" year as well. And again, that's okay. Let's shoot for that same moderate and internal improvement. If we can go from 25-30 wins up to 35-40, then that's still on the right track. As the media often points out, the New York market is still a draw, and the "Knicks" name can be a theoretical draw as well. The trap that the current front office fell into was thinking that alone would be enough to land superstar free agents. But as we've seen by virtually every major free agent decision of this decade, superstars don't want to build from the ground up. Either they want to form super teams, or they want to join solid rosters that are one or two pieces away from contention. This past offseason, we saw that twice as Irving+Durant went to a solid Brooklyn team, and Kawhi Leonard+Paul George went to a solid L.A. Clippers team. Those superstar duos didn't go to start from scratch; they went to push the team over the top. In that same way, the Knicks need to set the foundation for that superstar coup -- in the far rungs of the future. Anthony Davis is a free agent this summer -- Giannis Antetokounmpo will be a free agent in Summer 2021. Both of those are unrealistic timelines for this young Knicks team to get good enough, so let's keep kicking the can down the road. If we start thinking about 2023 as a time to strike, then suddenly our options expand. Among the free agents currently slated for that class include: SG Bradley Beal, C Nikola Jokic, C Myles Turner, C Joel Embiid, etc. The summer of 2024 may be the ultimate window for this team. The free agent class would include stars like SG Devin Booker, C Karl-Anthony Towns, and a plucky and untested young rookie by the name of Zion Williamson (who happens to be BFF with our own R.J. Barrett.) Now, clearly, 2024 is a long time from now. A lot can change by then. Hell, the United States could splinter up into 13 countries and 8 different NBAs by then. And more realistically, 90% of those listed free agents will re-sign with their current teams by then. However, the Knicks don't need to be Ash and catch 'em all; they only need to target 1 or 2 that can push them over the top. And THAT, more than anything else, is the proper plan forward for this team. This current core doesn't need to be a title team on their own; they need to be good enough to be "one piece away." If the Knicks can take small, measured, and intelligent steps in the meantime, that path forward can be the cure for the chaos and indecision that has ailed them for years now.
[OC] Is It Hot In Here, Or Is It Just Me? a 30-team examination of which coaches are on the “hot seat”
The NBA season hasn't started yet, but that doesn't mean that coaches should feel entirely comfortable in their offices quite yet. Circumstances change quickly, and coaching positions can change quickly along with them. Through this (super long) post, I wanted to assess each coach's job security for this 2019-20 season. There's no simple or accurate metric for measuring this, so I'm going to give an estimated and subjective appraisal of their chances of getting fired, either in mid-season or at the end of the season.
I LOVE YOU, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME(listed alphabetically by team)
Golden State: Steve Kerr After 5 years on the job, Steve Kerr has a winning percentage of .785 in the regular season, and 3 NBA titles in the postseason. In fact, the team's 57-25 record last year was the worst of his tenure so far. So yes, his job is safe. Kerr could coach the next 10 years there if he wanted. For Kerr, it's not a matter of job security; it's a matter of health. He's been able to endure his constant back pain in pursuit of titles, but will he have the same resolve if the team sags into "good but not great" status? TBD. chance of firing: 0%. chance of retirement: 10%. L.A. Clippers: Doc Rivers A few years ago, Doc Rivers was almost the victim of his own success. His gaudy resume had allowed him to take charge of the L.A. Clippers front office, and he simply didn't do a great job in that role. However, he wisely took more of a backseat there, and embraced the job (head coach) that he's quite good at. The 48-34 record last year re-established his coaching cred, and the new superstars should energize him for a few more seasons at least. chance of firing / retirement: 2% San Antonio: Gregg Popovich Along with Steve Kerr, Gregg Popovich is firmly in the "you can stay as long as you want" camp. And he nearly has. He's been at the helm for 23 years. Amazing, the last two seasons (47-35, 48-34) have amounted to Pop's worst percentages over the course of a full season. He's one of the greatest ever, and unlike some old veteran coaches, hasn't lost his fastball whatsoever. He's constantly adapted, evolved, and thrived. But as with Kerr, the question is whether Popovich is nearing the end of the road, for personal reasons. He's 70 now, and in control of Team USA. He may hand the baton off and focus on that job going forward. I suspect he'll give it a go in both roles until the Olympics at least, but it's no longer a guarantee. chances of firing: 0%. chances of retiring: 20%.
I STILL LOVE YOU, BUT WE MAY NEED COUPLES COUNSELING(listed alphabetically)
Boston: Brad Stevens A season or two ago, Brad Stevens was the golden boy coach in the NBA. After a slightly underwhelming 49-33 season, we're starting to see some grumbles about his offense (which isn't as free-flowing and ball-moving as his age may suggest.) The Celtics will replace Kyrie Irving with Kemba Walker, but expectations aren't much lower. If the team can't grab a top 4 seed, those grumbles may grow. And if the Boston-Stevens love affair ends, would he start to eye a move back to the NCAA? Probably not, but we can't promise the marriage lasts forever. chances of firing: 2%, chances of leaving: 5%. Miami: Erik Spoelstra Although the Miami Heat have been mediocre lately (124-122 over the last three years), I'm still be inclined to group in Erik Spoelstra in with the "untouchables." After all, this is a 2-time champion coach with 500+ career wins prior to the age of 50 (48 years old right now.) Even if the Miami Heat underachieve and miss the playoffs again, I don't think Pat Riley would want to rock the boat on this culture. Still, Jimmy Butler is a handful, and potential addition Chris Paul isn't a bed of roses either. If Spoelstra can't get "buy in" from his new stars, then there may be more trouble in paradise than we expect. Again, it's a very small chance a divorce happens, but we can't give it a 0 either. chance of firing: 4%.
JUST DON'T EMBARRASS ME IN PUBLIC(listed alphabetically)
Cleveland: John Beilein It's hard to under-estimate the leverage rookie coach John Beilein has with the organization right now. They lured him from Michigan with a 5 year contract, where he'll be "working for" a front office that features assistant GM Mike Gansey (Beilein's former player.) Simply put: they're going to hand him this team and allow him to build a program in his image. Despite that, it doesn't mean the transition will work like a charm (just ask Billy Donovan.) Beilein is 66 years old, and has never coached in the pros before. He may simply decide that he hates the NBA and walk away prematurely. Still, it's hard to imagine that happening this early barring any unforeseen health issues. chances of firing: 1%. chances of leaving: 5%. Memphis: Taylor Jenkins Although they have wildly different resumes and backgrounds, Taylor Jenkins will be in a similar boat to John Beilein. He's inheriting a team that's in a rebuilding situation, and should afford him a lot of patience going forward. The Wharton-grad Jenkins projects as a smart, modern coach who should have long-term success. Still, we can't absolutely guarantee Memphis doesn't fire him after 1 season, because they have done that before. chances of firing: 3% Milwaukee: Mike Budenholzer Based on pure coaching talent and resume, Coach Bud has nothing to worry about - particularly after a 60-22 record last season. The only reason that I'm even putting him in this category at all is the potential for off-the-court issues. He had been arrested before on a suspicion of DUI back in 2014, although he was later found not guilty. If something worse happens in that ilk, then he may be in trouble. But barring that, he's obviously safe. chances of firing: 2%. Minnesota: Ryan Saunders While interim coach Ryan Saunders (Flip's son) had been a popular pick in the locker room, he still represents a sizable risk by this new front office. After all, he's only 33 years old and hasn't been a head coach at any level prior to that short stint last season. He may be a home run; he may be a strike out. Of course, he'd have to be a wild strike out (with a bat thrown into the stands) for it to amount to a firing in year one. chances of firing: 5% Orlando: Steve Clifford Veteran Steve Clifford did a tremendous job in his first year in Orlando, helping the team improve from 25-57 to 42-40 and a playoff trip. There's a chance the Magic may stagnate in R1 unless one of their young players (Jon Isaac, Mo Bamba, Markelle Fultz) takes a "leap," but they should have patience with Clifford for at least another year or two. Barring health issues, his job is safe. chances of firing: 2%. Phoenix: Monty Williams One of the reasons we can't claim rookie coaches are entirely safe is because teams like Phoenix have fired them in the past -- including Igor Kokoskov last season. However, it'd be very difficult for any owner (even Robert Sarver) to justify doing it two times in a row. In fact, Monty Williams secured a 5-year deal to help prevent that nonsense. chances of firing: 2%. Sacramento: Luke Walton Despite mixed results in L.A., Luke Walton was a hot commodity with the Sacramento Kings franchise, who gave him a nice 4-year contract. Of course, that happened before the sexual misconduct allegations that surfaced since. While that appears to have quieted down, any new rumor or accusation may turn up the heat on Walton. Barring that, the team should stand by their man. chances of firing: 5%. Toronto: Nick Nurse Nick Nurse is about as close to "untouchable" as you can get for a coach with 1 year of experience. But hey, that was a heck of a year. Nurse won the title, and outfoxed several great coaches along the way. The Raptors could probably sink down as low as 30 wins (unlikely) and still keep Nurse for the long haul. chances of firing: 1%. Utah: Quin Snyder While Quin Snyder hasn't had a huge amount of playoff success yet himself, he's also quickly established himself as one of the better NBA coaches. Over the last three years, the Jazz have played lockdown defense and averaged 49.7 wins. This offseason has raised expectations, but Snyder should be safe for another season or two even if they slightly underachieve. The bigger issue would be if Snyder gets in trouble off the court; he had a wilder history in college prior to straightening out in the pros. chances of firing: 4%.
YOU'RE SAFE (FOR NOW)(again, alphabetically)
Atlanta: Lloyd Pierce In theory, Lloyd Pierce should be in great shape here in Atlanta. The young team had a solid 29-53 season in his first year, and their young core projects well for the future. That said, expectations will rise over time. Pierce was partly hired for his defensive reputation, but the team only ranked 27th last season. With Trae Young (who graded dead last in ESPN RPM on defense), that may be hard to change. Hopefully rookies De'Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish will solve that issue, but if not, Pierce may start feeling some heat in 2020. When he was hired, the team only gave him a 3 year contract, which indicates that he didn't have much leverage coming in. chances of firing: 7.5% Charlotte: James Borrego Like Lloyd Pierce, James Borrego will be entering Year 2 in a rebuilding situation that should lend itself to patience. On the other hand, logic tends to go out the window when it comes to the Charlotte Hornets. Borrego will have to deal with a weak roster, and a shaky front office that just gave $19M a season to Terry Rozier. I expect Borrego will survive for a while, but we can't rule out a house cleaning. chances of firing: 10%. Brooklyn: Kenny Atkinson Kenny Atkinson has done a great job bringing the Nets out of a deep black hole rebuild, but now the expectations will vault up with the arrival of Kyrie Irving (and soon Kevin Durant.) Presumably, those stars wouldn't have signed up in the first place if they didn't like Atkinson. That said, their opinions can change at the drop of a hat. A disappointment in 2019-20? Okay fine. Another in 2020-21? Then Atkinson will start feeling that seat warm. chances of firing: 4% Dallas: Rick Carlisle As one of the most respected coaches (and a title winner to boot), Rick Carlisle should have job security for life. Still, the NBA will always be a stars league, and Carlisle's star isn't Dirk Nowitzki anymore. It's going to be Luka Doncic (and Kristaps Porzingis' team), and Carlisle will need to appease them to some degree. Missing the playoffs this year may be fine, but whiffing again in 2020-21 would be problematic; it would be the 5th season in a row without a playoff berth. chances of firing/retiring: 5% Denver: Mike Malone After a premature exit in Sacramento, Mike Malone has rebuilt his stock by lifting Denver to contender status. He's improved every year, from 30-52 to 33-49 to 40-42 to 46-36 to the breakout 54-28 record last season. Of course, that also comes with rising expectations. Like the others in this section, Malone could survive one regression year, but two disappointing years in a row would be a problem. chances of firing: 5%. Detroit: Dwane Casey Of all our coaches, Dwane Casey knows that one should never get too comfortable. After all, he was fired after a 59-win season (and a Coach of the Year trophy) in Toronto. After that, he still had enough leverage to earn a 5-year deal in Detroit, which should buy him quite a bit of time. Still, a 41-41 start was "meh." To make matters worse, Nick Nurse and the Raptors won the title without him (albeit with Kawhi Leonard.) Given Casey's big contract, he should be safe in Year 2 and Year 3, but there's hardly a guarantee he'll survive all 5 years of the deal. chances of firing: 5%.
10 HOTTEST SEATS(in order)
(10) Portland: Terry Stotts Remember, this isn't a ranking of the best and worst coaches but merely their situations. In fact, everyone would agree that Terry Stotts is a very good basketball coach. In fact, if you asked the other NBA coaches to rank their peers, I suspect Stotts may even crack the top 5. That skill has manifested on the court as well. His Blazers have made the playoffs for 6 seasons in a row, and had a mini-breakout with a Conference Finals trip this year. Still, making the playoffs doesn't lock in job security in the NBA; winning a title does. And until that happens, the franchise will always wonder in the back of their minds on whether or not they should pull a "Masai Ujiri" and squeeze Stotts out for a younger assistant on his staff like Nate Tibbetts, a rising star in the ranks. After tasting the WCF last year, can Stotts afford to take a step back? Probably. Losing in R2 seems about right for this team as presently constructed. But what if they lose in R1? Then it becomes more of a debate. I'd still recommend keeping Stotts and tweaking the roster instead (ya'll got any more of them stretch PFs?) but I'm not in charge of the team and I'm not ruling any shake-ups out. chances of firing: 15% (9) Indiana: Nate McMillan As with Terry Stotts, it may feel strange to see Nate McMillan on this list. At first glance, neither should be on the hot seat at all. In McMillan's three years on the job, he's guided the team to winning records and playoff trips in each season. The Pacers just finished 48-34 despite Victor Oladipo's injury, and may be better than that this season with new additions like Malcolm Brogdon. Still, we have to go deeper than the first glance here. Indiana thrives on the basis of their defense (ranked 3rd last season), which is heavily influenced by assistant Dan Burke and DPOY candidate Myles Turner. Offensively, the team tends to look a little scattered and uncreative, which has Pacers fans quietly murmuring about McMillan. They added some new scorers in Brogdon and T.J. Warren, but both are players coming off career years from 3. If they regress at all -- and this team regresses at all -- then McMillan may be in more trouble than we realize. Am I expected that? Not really. If I had to bet, I would bank on the Pacers winning 45-50 games and McMillan lasting at least another season. But if we're looking for potential hot seat situations, we can't ignore the potential downside here. If they underachieve, McMillan may be the fall guy. chances of firing: 20% (8) N.Y. Knicks: David Fizdale We can't judge David Fizdale too harshly based on his 17-65 record in year one. After all, tanking and landing a top 3 pick was all part of the plan. But what's the plan going forward? After striking out with the superstars in free agency, the Knicks signed a bunch of B+ and C+ players to big money. With it, they've attempted to re-set expectations. Instead of landing superstars in 2019, they're going to land them in 2021! Hopefully? In the meantime, David Fizdale should be able to survive until then. His team is still young, and features first and second year players like R.J. Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Kevin Knox, and Dennis Smith. Practically speaking, the veterans like Julius Randle and Bobby Portis are meant to supplement that rebuilding movement. Fizdale should be allowed to develop this group, and be afforded some growing pains in 2019-20 and again in 2020-21. However, there are a few factors working against him. The front office may fancy themselves a playoff contender out East, which may go sour by the end of the year. Moreover, that front office isn't exactly on solid ground themselves after getting pounded by the press this summer. Dolan may want a complete fresh start after this year. More than that, there's a non-zero chance James Dolan leaves town himself, and some super-billionaire like Jeff Bezos uses his change jar to buy the team and mold it into his image. At the end of the day, there's more uncertainty with this situation than a second-year coach would like to see. chances of firing: 20% (7) Chicago: Jim Boylen As a well-respected defensive coordinator, Jim Boylen's name has always been bandied about for head coaching jobs in the past. He finally got his opportunity last season after taking over for apple pie Fred Hoiberg in mid-season. At first, it did not go well. Jim Boylen had about as rocky of a start as you can imagine, earning negative reports in the press about his drill sergeant attitude clashing with the locker room. Still, he turned that perception around and had a decent finish to the year and earned some "buy in" from the players. Better yet, his Chicago Bulls may be a darkhorse contender for the # 8 seed. They have offensive stars in Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen already, so an improved defense may vault them closer to .500. Even if that doesn't happen (yet), Boylen should feel safe knowing he has the backing of the front office. Of course, that also ties Boylen's fate to that front office. Ownership has tended to leave Gar Forman and John Paxson alone, but it's not a lifetime appointment. If this team doesn't improve enough (and wins say, 25 or 30 games), then there may be a total housecleaning here. I'm a little more optimistic on the Bulls' chances of winning 35-40 games than others, but we can't rule a potential disaster out. chances of firing: 25% (6) Philadelphia: Brett Brown After a long dark winter, Brett Brown and the Philadelphia 76ers have emerged from the "Process" intact. In fact, Brown has won more games in each of the last two seasons (52 and 50) then he did over his first three seasons combined (47). But with that comes raised expectations, which may be higher than ever. With Kawhi Leonard out of the Conference and the sheen off the Boston Celtics, the Sixers are the co-favorites with Milwaukee to make the Finals. Losing in the Conference Finals would be acceptable, but a R1 or R2 loss may be stinging. Would that disappointment be enough to cost Brown his job? It's debatable. His contract extension runs through 2021-22, but that's never stopped a coach from being fired before. Fans may grow frustrated if Ben Simmons still can't shoot, or if Joel Embiid can't stay healthy, or if Philly's defense doesn't look as dominant as it should be on paper (despite Simmons, Embiid, and Jimmy Butler, they only ranked # 15 last season.) It's very possible that Brown becomes the scapegoat here. Of course, we're talking "worst case scenarios" here. Chances are: the Sixers should be quite good and have a very good chance to make the ECF or the Finals. So while we can't rule out a firing, we wouldn't bet on it either. chances of firing: 30% (5) New Orleans: Alvin Gentry After coming over from Golden State, the exceptions for Alvin Gentry in New Orleans were sky-high. Suffice it to say, it's been an underwhelming return so far. Despite the (occasional) presence of Anthony Davis, his Pelicans have won less than 35 games in three of his four seasons on the job. Oddly, Davis' trade demands may have helped Gentry survive another year. With the blockbuster deal, expectations get re-set and the window extends again. On paper, Gentry and assistant Chris Finch's run-and-gun style should suit this new roster well. Gentry is also someone who's earned high praise from his players and from the media in the past. If new execs David Griffin and Trajan Langdon didn't believe in him, they had the opportunity to make that change this past summer. But alas, that doesn't mean they won't have that same opportunity again next summer. Gentry's contract will be running out, and the team may decide to go with someone younger than him (he's now age 64.) To earn a longer leash, Gentry doesn't need to make the playoffs, but he has to show reasons for optimism. The Pelicans need to find a clear role for Zion Williamson, and earn some improvement from the cast-off Lakers. There's a lot of talent on the roster, but if the team stalls or looks like a muddled mess, Griffin may likely clean up the picture and chose his own head coach the next time around. chances of firing: 35% (4) Houston: Mike D'Antoni Veteran Mike D'Antoni may start spitting out Rodney Dangerfield routines, because the poor guy doesn't get much respect. Despite a great run here in Houston (records of 55-27, 65-17, 53-29), he's still struggling to earn a contract extension from the franchise. And while owner Tilman Fertitta gets the blame for that, we can't rule out Daryl Morey's influence either. Morey has stated in the past that he thinks coaches' messages tend to run stale after a few years, and that philosophy has born out in their decision making. Jeff Van Gundy lasted 4 years. After him, Rick Adelman lasted 4 years. After him, Kevin McHale lasted 4 years (+10 games). This season, Mike D'Antoni will be entering the dreaded 4th year himself. The Houston Rockets' job essentially has strict presidential term limits, and he's verging on lame duck status. To up the degree of difficulty even further, the team added Russell Westbrook to the equation. That's not to say it's the wrong decision by any means or that it won't work out (personally I'd still peg them for a top 3 seed), but we have to admit there's a sizable chance that it won't work out. The chemistry for Harden + Westbrook is going to be harder to calculate now that they've both had considerable success (and MVP seasons). And if something doesn't click, it will certainly be easier to blame D'Antoni than the two stars, whose massive contracts run for another few seasons. chances of firing/retiring: 40% (3) L.A. Lakers: Frank Vogel It's rare to see a first-year coach listed this high, but this is rare circumstances indeed. Frank Vogel will be joining the Lakers on a 3-year contract, which is quite light for a veteran like him. That fact showcases his limited leverage and his reduced reputation. The Lakers didn't high the coach who guided the Indiana Pacers to the ECF; they hired the coach who led Orlando to 29-53 and 25-57 records. In some ways, Vogel is lucky to have landed any job at all. But there's no mistaking the fact that this particular job will come with some challenges. Primary among them: the threat of assistant Jason Kidd breathing down his neck. According to some, Kidd was the first choice of the front office, and the conspiracy theory that they simply didn't want to hire him outright (due to domestic violence charges in the past) checks out logically for me. Vogel can't be too pleased to turn on the Summer League and watch his new star LeBron James sitting next to Kidd in Vegas either. Will LeBron James, Rich Paul, and Jason Kidd conspire to stab Vogel like Caesar? The odds are high. But the question is a matter of "when?" James didn't love David Blatt, but allowed him 1.5 on the job before he got the boot. The Lakers may end up giving Vogel a full season and change to make his impact on the defensive end before considering a full-time change in midseason in 2020-21. And hey, we can't rule out the "what if it works?" theory either. This team has LeBron James and Anthony Davis, for fuck's sake. They have a legitimate chance to be a great team, and even an NBA champion. If that happens, Vogel won't be going anywhere (at least, not for another year or two.) chances of firing: 45% (2) Washington: Scottie Brooks The Scottie Brooks era in Washington has been a disappointment, and it won't get much prettier from here. After the John Wall injury, the Wizards will be entering 2019-20 with one legitimate star in Bradley Beal and a wonky supporting cast. They're a motley crew of decent prospects who may be 2 years away (Troy Brown, Rui Hachimura, Thomas Bryant) and veterans who may be 2 years removed from quality play (Isaiah Thomas, Ish Smith, C.J. Miles.) Realistically speaking, Bradley Beal will have to put in a Herculean effort for this group to win 35 games. If there's any reason to think the axe will not come for Scottie Brooks' head, it's that this Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis isn't the "off with his head!" type. He's been patience with the Washington Capitals hockey team, as well as this Wizards unit. Former GM Ernie Grunfeld lasted for years past his expiration date. And in turn, Brooks may be allowed to play out another year of his (pricy) contract. Brooks also has a reputation as a good player development coach, which bodes well for his prospects during a possible rebuild to come. All that said, Brooks shouldn't be investing in D.C. real estate. The clock is ticking. I would fully expect new acting GM Tommy Sheppard to cut Brooks loose and choose his own coach at some point, but we can't be 100% confident it will happen after this season or after the next. chances of firing: 50% (1) Oklahoma City: Billy Donovan Given his new status as a /NBA punching bag, it's hard to under-sell just how much leverage Billy Donovan had when he first came to Oklahoma City. We're talking about a well-paid college coach who had won two separate NCAA titles at Florida, and had resisted the NBA calls for years. He arrived in OKC with a 5-year deal in tow, as well as a reputation as one of the best coaches in basketball. As we now enter Year 5 of that contract, Donovan's reputation has been tarnished considerably. He's been blasted for perceived underachievement, particularly in the postseason. With Kevin Durant, the team blew a 3-1 lead to Golden State, and hasn't won a playoff series since (losing in R1 three times in a row.) In fact, they've gone 4-15 in playoff games since then. Donovan's managed to avoid getting the boot because of his reputation and big contract, but those excuses won't hold off the executioner much longer. Personally, I'm a little bit of a "Donovan Defender." I don't think he's done as bad of a job as advertised. After all, his worst regular season record has been 47-35. He's kept the team afloat without Kevin Durant. And sure, he probably should have reined in Russell Westbrook, but it's not easy to harness an MVP. The fact that Donovan won 48 games with a guard who jacked up 20 shots a game (at 50.1% true shooting) is oddly impressive in a way. And heck, let's even defend blowing the 3-1 lead. It's not like OKC woke up one morning with a 3-1 lead under their Christmas tree; Donovan used some wily tricks and unconventional lineups to help earn those 3 wins in the first place. But again, these rankings aren't about my perception of the coaches, but rather my perception of their situations and stocks. In theory, this OKC roster isn't half bad and could flirt with .500 if they wanted to pursue the playoffs. And in theory, if they blow it up, then a college coach like Donovan may be well suited for that rebuild. But in reality, I just don't see an extension here. The marriage has soured, resentment has built up, and a divorce may be best for both parties involved. chances of firing: 55%
For those of you who follow Vegas Odds, there has been an interesting shift over the last few days that leads me to believe we are the favorites to land Kawhi
A few days ago, the odds on favorite to win the NBA championship had Lakers at 4-1, Raptors at 8-1, and Clippers at 6-1. Proof Tonight on Vegas Insider, Lakers jumped to 7/2 odds (can obviously be attributed to AD), Raptors dropped to 10-1, and Clippers dropped quite a bit to 10-1 as well. These are not the only teams who moved. Many Western Conference teams suffered large drops in their odds except for the Warriors and Rockets (who actually increased from 10-1 to 9-1.) Jazz, Nuggets and Blazers dropping all make a lot of sense with Lakers obtaining a top 5 player. What is interesting to me is that raptors and Clippers were affected but the other top contenders (Warriors & Rockets) were not. Vegas makes their odds so that they always have the best chance to win money. All they care about is money. This is why I'm so confused about the Raptors odds. They just won the Nba Championship and will most likely be just as strong, if not better next year with OG returning, if Kawhi stays. I would have guessed Vegas would have had the Raps around 6-1 odds. The Clippers odds always seemed a little too high to me but I understood because of the rumors surrounding Kawhi. I'm not sure why AD would affect their odds more than the warriors and rockets. It seems to me that Vegas thinks that Kawhi may not be staying and that Clippers might not have the edge over the Lakers. TLDR; I think Vegas believes Lakers are the odds on favorites to land Kawhi due to the patterns around the Clippers and Raptors odds (also my peepee hard)
Grading Every Team's Off Season (19/30): New Orleans Pelicans
What Happened? In: Zion Williamson, Nicolo Melli, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, Jaxson Hayes, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Marcos Louzada-Silva, Derrick Favors, J.J. Redick, CLE 2020 Top-10 Protected 1st, LAL 2021 1st, LAL 2023 1st (Swap), LAL 2024 1st Out: Anthony Davis, Solomon Hill, Dairis Bertans, Christian Wood, Ian Clark, Elfrid Payton, Cheick Diallo, Stanley Johnson, Julius Randle, Trevon Bluiett, NOP 2023 2nd What is their plan? The Pelicans struck absolute gold this offseason, as they started off with an upset superstar, and now have arguably the deepest team in the NBA with sky-high potential. Even though they do have plenty of young pieces who may not be ready from day 1, they do expect to be a competitive team. The playoffs are an achievable goal, but the real success will. Be from developing said young players, and attracting larger stars to New Orleans to become a super team that Anthony Davis will envy. General Overview of Offseason Let’s start with the biggest move, the Anthony Davis trade. AD was their franchise superstar for 7 seasons, but regularly had suboptimal talent around him, leading him to ask for his way out. While everyone knew he was going to leave, and that he wanted to go to the Lakers, the Pelicans got an absolute haul to say the least. Not only did they get a multitude of picks, but also picked up really good young assets in Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart. Ball has the highest ceiling of all of these players, as his great defense and playmaking make him a good starting point guard, and when he develops the rest of his game to what he showed at Chino Hills and UCLA, he will be a superstar. Brandon Ingram has been really good, and while his jumpshot is not what people expected when he came out of Duke, he has shown his scoring ability as well as flashing some good playmaking skills to really make himself a good weapon. Josh Hart is the lowest ceiling guy of any of these players, but is a good rotation player who fits on any team as a 3-and-D wing. The Pelicans also added 4 first round picks, which have already became some incredible assets already. I will touch on that point later, but these picks and players for one last year of a superstar is a steal. I also think by trading AD to the team he wanted to go to bodes well for their future free agent targets, as it shows they do care what their players think and want, as the Pelicans could have spitefully traded him somewhere else. Now to another exciting part of the offseason, the draft. Going into lottery night, the Pelicans had the 7th best odds, but jumped all the way up to #1 in a draft with a superstar available at the top. New Orleans did the no-brainer move, picking up Zion Williams, the most exciting prospect since LeBron. His elite athleticism paired with his shocking skillset and instincts makes him one of the most popular players coming into this NBA season, and I truly see him as a future superstar in a short period of time. While people may be skeptical and argue he is more thicc than they desire, he has dominated at every level and seems to be a hard worker and great guy who will work on himself and conditioning to become a player who will be known for decades. Besides Zion, the Pelicans ended up with the #4 pick, which they promptly traded to Atlanta for 3 picks, #8, #17 and #35. I was skeptical when this happened, as #4 was a solid spot in this draft, and getting those other picks I was not sure if any of those players could reach the value of #4. But boy oh boy, I was wrong. Each of those picks not only seem to fit well, but also looked like one of the better prospects available at that point. At #8, they picked up the lanky athletic big out of Texas, Jaxson Hayes. Hayes fits the mold of an athletic center perfectly, as he can run the floor like a guard, can jump out of the gym and has solid instincts. He also shot 74% from the free throw line in college as well as flashing some midrange shooting ability. He does not seem to be a true stretch-5, but he certainly will not be one who punts opportunities at the free throw line. The #17 pick got Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the athletic combo guard out of Virginia Tech. Going into the draft, I thought of NAW as mainly a scorer, as this is what he did in college, but in Summer League, the Canadian guard looked like an absolute offensive unit with great playmaking ability. I do think this is mainly due to the lesser competition, but Alexander-Walker showed a ton of skill and poise for the entire time he was dominating in Las Vegas. With the #35 pick, New Orleans selected the sweet shooting Brazilian wing, Marcos Louzada-Silva. I really never heard of him before his selection, but his scoring pedigree and shooting ability makes him an intriguing prospect. Silva is going to be playing in the NBL this season, and will not come to the NBA for a little bit of time. Considering how deep they are at the wing, I think this is best for both sides as Silva can develop with more minutes, and the Pelicans can get a good young piece when he is more NBA ready and other role players around the Pelicans’ main options are determined. During these moves, the Pelicans were also able to dump Solomon Hill and his large contract, allowing for capspace going into free agency. Speaking of free agency, the Pelicans had a solid one, nothing exciting, but they got good pieces that should help. While technically not a signing, the Pelicans did get Derrick Favors from Utah for two future second round picks. I have been a fan of Favors for quite some time, as he has been hidden in Utah as a backup or a power forward for most of his career, both being not fitting for his true game. Being 6’10” 265 pounds with good athleticism makes him a typical center, but due to playing with Rudy Gobert, Enes Kanter and Al Jefferson for a good portion of his career, he was pushed to the 4, making him less effective than what I truly believe he can be. A great rebounder, shot blocker and finisher, Favors has had to make his game slightly more perimeter-centric, and has developed a solid shot into the mid-range he can hit when needed. I doubt he will do that much this season, but he will finally be able to play his true position this year, the starting center. And while he is only on a one-year contract, I think what he provides is more valuable than those two picks, as well as the fact he might stay in New Orleans and help by being the starting 5 until Jaxson Hayes is ready for that spot. Now the first real signing was J.J. Redick, on a 2 yea$26.5 million deal to provide much needed shooting to the rotation. Similarly to Favors, Redick is to help for the here and now and bridge the guard shooting until one of their younger players can develop a similar skillset to the Duke sharpshooter. As much as I love Alexander-Walker, he is not a Redick level shooter, as most people are not, but other players like Hart and Silva could fill the role in the long term, or possibly another player they can find in draft or free agency. Disregarding all that information, Redick is still a good pickup for the price, as he has turned himself into a really good starting guard, providing unparalleled spacing and shooting that can help their young players have more driving lanes and someone they can rack up assists using. This signing shows they value the current day too, as Redick is here to win, maybe not titles, but certainly in the regular season and to have his fingerprints on a team that should be title bound sooner rather than later. The final player they brought in was Nicolo Melli, an Italian forward, on a 2 yea$8 million contract. I am not very familiar with his exact game, but he is a solid shooter (38.7% from deep for his career) for a man of his stature (6’9” 235 pounds), and also seems to be a solid rebounder at the peak years (28 years old) of his career. His role will be to mainly be Zion’s backup and provide scoring and floor spacing that many other bigs really lack on this team. To continue with the focus on shooting, the Pelicans also resigned Darius Miller to a 2 yea$14 million contract. However, he recently tore his Achilles, and given that the second year of his contract is fully unguaranteed, I would not be surprised if he is waived. Miller is pretty unathletic, and relies on his shot to create NBA value, and this injury will most likely sap him to be even less effective than he is. I still thought the signing was fine as he provides necessary floor spacing and a solid body to throw out there, but now with the Achilles injury, it seems his time in New Orleans is unfortunately limited. Another interesting note is how all these contracts were signed as two year deals. Because of this, the only players who will likely be on payroll will be their rookies signed this year and Jrue Holiday with a $27 million player option, which he is likely to take. Of course, guys like Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram do not have contracts that reach to that season currently, but it seems the Pelicans want to keep their options open to snag a superstar, or to resign the young guys they want, and not be stuck with toxic contracts in the long term. For their losses, I believe a few of them were fine, as they would have demanded too large of a contract or would not fit with their new young core. Julius Randle is talented and Elfrid Payton has had a decent career in New Orleans, but both would be awkward fits and got large contracts from New York that would hamper the Pelicans both today and in the next few years. Ideally, they would both stay on smaller contracts in New Orleans and really build a scary team, but it seemed they wanted a larger role and contract, so I cannot discredit them or New Orleans for splitting. Stanley Johnson was also a departure that I did not mind either. While he is a solid defender and they need more forward depth, he is a 0 offensively and needs time to be a big-minute rotation player. I think he can be a fine pro, but it seemed New Orleans did not really want him in the long term. Ian Clark, Trevon Bluiett and Dairis Bertans are not big losses either, as they all play similar positions that are populated by better players this season. The two losses I have more pause on is Christian Wood and Cheick Diallo. Wood must have a bad luck charm glued on to him or something, as it seems no team will keep him for any period of time, no matter how much he performs. He only got a minimum contract in Detroit, and he would provide good depth at the 4/5 this year. Similar things can be said for Diallo in terms of his opportunity. Diallo is a good rebounder, fine defender and efficient offensive player and got a minimum contract in Phoenix this year, something the Pelicans could have, and should have, gave him to be their backup 4/5 too. Alternatives In the draft, their first three picks of Zion, Hayes and Alexander-Walker were all great picks. As mentioned earlier, I think not only were they good fits, but also were the best prospects left at those points. I could nitpick and say maybe Rui Hachimura might be better than Hayes, and I am a bigger fan of Brandon Clarke than NAW, but that might not even be right. These picks were excellent. And picking Silva in the second round is fine to me too. The rotation is already crowded, and by selected a solid player with good potential who will be a draft in stash might make sense for the now too. I do think someone like Daniel Gafford or Eric Paschall would be fine picks here too, as both can currently play and would be able to replace Melli’s spot in the rotation, saving money and having more potential. Even then, Silva seems like a fine pickup. When looking at their free agency, I think most of the moves were fine too. Derrick Favors, as mentioned earlier, was not a signing, but trading him for two Golden State 2nd round picks looks like a steal, as he will help a ton now. J.J. Redick for around $13 million a year is great for his value and should help the team too. The two signings who are not the best are Melli and Miller. I still think Melli will be fine at $4 million a year, and Miller only looks suboptimal due to his injuries, but I still think keeping Christian Wood and Cheick Diallo would be the best bet for them. Wood fits in the Melli role fairly well and Diallo would be their second best power forward on the roster, as the remaining option of Kenrich Williams is not the greatest. It is still not the worst signings, but I think they could have saved money and kept their better options. For the Anthony Davis trade, I think they made a great move. While there might have been more in the package during the season (possibly Kyle Kuzma), I still think by waiting, they ended with the best package possible. By being not the greatest team, they landed Zion Williamson, and because of the #4 pick, they added two future starters in the first round, as well as a solid second round pick. And this is not including the players they received who should all be contending for large minutes too. Grading and Report As you can tell, I really liked their offseason. While some signings were not perfect, the grand majority was. The draft picks are homeruns. The signings were fine and are for small periods of time. The trades really benefitted New Orleans. Let’s keep it short, simple and easy. Overall Grade: A+ Previous Entries: Atlanta Hawks Boston Celtics Brooklyn Nets Charlotte Hornets Chicago Bulls Cleveland Cavaliers Dallas Mavericks Denver Nuggets Detroit Pistons Golden State Warriors Houston Rockets Indiana Pacers LA Clippers Los Angeles Lakers Memphis Grizzlies Miami Heat Milwaukee Bucks Minnesota Timberwolves
How Has Parity in the NBA Changed Since 1985? - A Chart of Each Season's Vegas Favorite's Percent Chance to Win the NBA Title
Chart of Each Season's Vegas Favorite's Percent Chance to Win the NBA Title There has been a lot of talk about how wide open this seasons field of championship contenders is and what this means for league parity. Coming off 3 seasons of the Durant Warriors it's refreshing not to have an overwhelming favorite. This season's current favorite is listed at +350 which equates to an estimated 22% chance of winning the title. I was wondering how rare it was for no team to have even a 25% chance so I put together this chart which makes it very easy to visualize how parity has evolved. Some Conclusions: The level of parity for the 2020 season has happened before, but this is about as good as it gets. Vegas has been this unsure of the eventual champion during a few other eras since 1985. The Bad Boys won back to back at the end of the 80s but those seasons were very unpredictable by Vegas's standards. We saw the title favorite drop to around 22% for a few years after Jordan's first retirement and then again after his 2nd retirement. After Shaq was traded out of LA in 2004 we saw 5 straight years of this level of parity. We returned to close to the 22% number in 2015 and 2016 before Durant went to GS. Now we have returned to a state of parity in 2020 but it is unclear if it will continue as long as past eras of parity or if one of the top teams will establish themselves as a juggernaut. The super-team era was not a historical anomaly until KD joined the Warriors. The Miami Heat were not seen as dominant favorites and did not have as high of expectations as the Shaq Lakers, the Jordan Bulls or even the best Lakers and Celtics teams of the 80s. The NBA has mostly varied between a few years with nobody above 25% to a great term emerging and having a few years between 30% and 40%. This held true from 1985 until KD joined the 73 win Warriors in the summer of 2016. The last 3 seasons of the Warriors have been by far the largest preseason favorites the league has ever seen. We are coming off 3 seasons of the worst parity the league has even seen (since 1985). Vegas gave the 3 Durant Warriors teams a 56%, a 65% and a 63% chance to win. These numbers dwarf even the most dominant Jordan Bulls teams. In terms of the eventual champion being a forgone conclusion this is as close as we have ever gotten. Source for Historical Vegas Odds: Basketball Reference Percentages are calculated based on what percentage of the time a team would need to win for the bet to break even. For example a +300 favorite would have an estimated 25% chance.
Kawhi's choice of Clippers over Lakers: Most Gutsy, I-Am-The-Alpha Decision in NBA History?
First reigning FMVP to leave his team ever.
He could have created an overwhelming title favorite in the most successful/iconic NBA franchise since 1980, and he would have received a tiny fraction criticism of LeBron/Durant.
He has chronic knee issues and have to hold back in the regular season, yet still chose his own team in the West knowing Paul George will most likely miss start of the season, instead of staying in the East.
Yet despite all of this, he clearly bought Game of Zones S6E8's Patrick Beverley pitch: Steve Ballmer's Microsoft money and Jerry West the championship architect will almost certainly get one more upgrade to the roster if everyone look healthy by all-star break. The Clippers is a hungry pack of dogs waiting for their alpha. Kawhi pitched to get his own Pippen and built the closest thing to Jordan/Pippen in 2020, in LA against the fan-favorite Lakers, and directly challenging King LeBron's throne in his own city after declining an alliance! He LITERALLY declared war against the best player of our generation in an era where alliance is far more common! I don't remember anything even close to this in NBA history, obviously this can all backfire if health issues derail this team, if they fail to capture a ring next two seasons. On paper, both Vegas odds and my eye test says LeBron/AD is a touch better duo. Kawhi did not have a good finals either against the depleted warriors. He didn't look nearly as dominant as LeBron in any of the Cavs/Warriors series. If he fails, people will just say he overestimated himself after a fluke season. But what if he is successful? What if the robot is cold blooded and calculated everything correctly? He made a very strange comment about he does not play for fans. From pure eye test and 1v1 stand point, I don't think Duncan could beat Shaq, heck he didn't destroy Malone/KG/Dirk's of the world with raw head-to-head stats either. The same way Kawhi doesn't fill up the stat sheet like LeBron, and with the exception of first half 2017 finals, Kawhi can't really beat Durant 1v1. But as the true heir to Duncan, he does everything required to win. He plays defense against the best player on the other team, he gives his teammate calmness and confidence, carries them when he has no choice (game 7 vs Sixers, game 3 vs Bucks), let them shine when they finally put it together. Duncan turned very low picks in ParkeGinobili into all stars. Kawhi turned Raptors into champions. There is something special about these two you can't really quantify with stats, otherwise Duncan would be just a 20/10 guy. Kawhi has the highest winning percentage in NBA history. He turned first round exist Spurs into western finals, finals and championship in his first three seasons. He took Spurs to another conference finals the same season Duncan retired. He matched peak LeBron game score three straight games in 2014 finals to stop the Heat three-peat after Spurs lost home court! He made this much more difficult, but if he rings one of the next two seasons, he will truly be, the King Slayer.
The MAC did his homework and hisRedAlertWagers.comsports group affiliates have put The MAC on a EXCLUSIVE UFC 246 EASY EARLY MONEY MMA PICK (JAN 18) UFC 246 Odds, Conor McGregor vs Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone Betting Preview & Prediction Written by Lester Cullanon January 16, 2020 When: Saturday, 10 PM ET (main card) Where:T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas TV: PPV Live Stream:UFC Fight Pass UFC 246 Odds:McGregor -350/ Cerrone +275 McGregor is a -350 favorite for this welterweight bout and Cerrone at +275 Conor "Mystic Mac" McGregor (21-4) vs Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (36-13) THE MAChas been dubbedTHE PAYMASTERby bookmakers this year, collecting cash with his Exclusive Release Plays and sending a signal through the noise with his RED ALERT REPORTS! The Red Alert Report is data aggregated from gambling websites and analysts, sports writers and sports gambling personalities heard on ESPN Radio, Fox, CBS, Sirius, etc. When you follow The MAC, your'e in good hands,The Red Alert Report has up to date betting information related to the best ATS games, hot plays and major announcements to beat the odds. A lot of guys shoot a arrow and paint a bulls-eye around it afterwards, not The Mac...THE MAC proves that he has tapped directly into the mainframe and shows it!!RedAlertWager.comConsensus groups have been impressive all week, cracking bookies open and cleaning them out, we don't go where the game is, we bring YOU where the money is!! -$25 a month gets access to all exclusive releases and top rated premium plays! Mystic Mac returns to the welterweight division for the first time since August 2016. He went 1-1 during his first stint in the weight class, both against Nate Diaz. Conor hasn’t won a fight since he became a rare 2 division UFC title holder, cracking Eddie Alvarez like a iron clad champion, and looking like the Irish Hulk Hogan until Mayweather outclassed him with a Mexican Style TKO in 10. True believers knew that a 4 leaf clover from Saint Patrick himself wouldn't of gave The Mystic Mac a chance in a boxing match against the greatest, but Vegas cleaned up as everyone took that underdog sucker bet and 4.3 million domestic pay-per-views exceeding $600 million in revenue. Past History McGregor got his beaten from Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title and to teach him a lesson, clobbering McGregors head and submitting the man like a pure bred MMA champion – all though Conor seems to only lose by submission. It’s expected that McGregor will get a rematch with Khabib later this year if Khabib wins his title defense in April at UFC 249 against No. 1 lightweight contender Tony Ferguson. That fight has been booked four times before, and each time it’s fallen through for various reasons mostly due to the fact that Ferguson is a animal and animals get wounded.
"UFC president Dana White has gone on record saying that if McGregor defeats Cerrone, he will be on standby to replace either Nurmagomedov or Ferguson at UFC 249. And to be honest with you, Conor believes that Khabib versus Tony is not going to happen.”
What about the Cowboy? The 36-year-old Cerrone has 23 wins in the UFC since his inception in 2011 Cowboy split at 2-2 last year, losing his final 2 - Ferguson with a 2nd round TKO and then Justin Gaethje with a 1st round stop. A big right hand hurt Cerrone midway through the round, Gaethje finished the job for the win. Cowboy Cerrone is a record breaking savage, he holds many titles and accolades for fighting in the UFC, but he has many more out of the ring accomplishments that matter to his legacy as well. Donald Cowboy Cerrone is a rare breed of human that is not only extremely dangerous with his kicks and combinations, but he'll also steal your girl and take her horseback riding, and he wins UFC bonuses at will. Chances are this will not go the distance. Mac, age 31, has fought to a decision just 2 times and has 18 knockouts including the best UFC meme KO that was a 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo at UFC 194 until Masvidal sent Askren to the stone age. Cerrone beats opponents and that's a fact, but he can also make you tap and his kicks will make you wanna let him tap you. The integrity of Dana White and the UFC Organization is interesting to say the least, the company needs a Mystic Mac win more than a close to retirement Donald Cerrone victory. The Cowboy needs the win to set up the next pay day, the fans want a upset and the bookies want your money. 6 Clips Cullan's Expert UFC 246 Prediction -CONOR MCGREGOR WINS IN ROUND 2 +330 UFC 246 Card: Holly Holm vs. Raquel Pennington Aleksei Oleinik vs. Maurice Greene Cláudia Gadelha vs. Alexa Grasso Anthony Pettis vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira Roxanne Modafferi vs. Maycee Barber **Andre Fili vs. SODIQ YUSUFF BY KO, TKO, DQ OR SUBMISSION +175 Tim Elliott vs. Askar Askarov Drew Dober vs. Nasrat Haqparast Aleksa Camur vs. Justin Ledet Brian Kelleher vs. Ode Osbourne Sabina Mazo vs. JJ Aldrich We suggest playing @ MyBookie.ag, use promo code "6Clips" for a 50% signup bonus up to $300! New Sub-Reddit: NBABets Football Predictions are courtesy of RedAlertWagers.com and In-House Sports Handicapping Expert - Roland "The Roarin MAC" McGuillaman Play @MyBookie.ag- Use Promo Code"THEMAC"for a 50% Sign Up Bonus up to $1000 Play @Bovada.lv- Sportsbook, Casino, Poker, Horses, & a $250 Sign-Up Bonus!! Play @XBet.ag- Get a $300 Bonus with Promo Code"MACXB" Courtesy ofRedAlertWagers.com ****Take a 1 day ride with a RED PASS for $14.99 - All Of Today's Top Rated Plays & Premium Releases -1 Time Fee - 1 day Access!***\* Join our Squares Contest and get Guaranteed Prize Pools on your favorite NFL, NCAA Football, NBA and College Basketball games - JOIN NOW!!
How Has Parity in the NBA Changed Since 1985? - A Chart of Each Season's Vegas Favorite's Percent Chance to Win the NBA Title
Link to Chart of Each Season's Vegas Favorite's Percent Chance to Win the NBA Title There has been a lot of talk about how wide open this seasons field of championship contenders is and what this means for league parity. Coming off 3 seasons of the Durant Warriors it's refreshing not to have an overwhelming favorite. This season's current favorite is listed at +350 which equates to an estimated 22% chance of winning the title. I was wondering how rare it was for no team to have even a 25% chance so I put together this chart which makes it very easy to visualize how parity has evolved. Some Conclusions: The level of parity for the 2020 season has happened before, but this is about as good as it gets. Vegas has been this unsure of the eventual champion during a few other eras since 1985. The Bad Boys won back to back at the end of the 80s but those seasons were very unpredictable by Vegas's standards. We saw the title favorite drop to around 22% for a few years after Jordan's first retirement and then again after his 2nd retirement. After Shaq was traded out of LA in 2004 we saw 5 straight years of this level of parity. We returned to close to the 22% number in 2015 and 2016 before Durant went to GS. Now we have returned to a state of parity in 2020 but it is unclear if it will continue as long as past eras of parity or if one of the top teams will establish themselves as a juggernaut. The super-team era was not a historical anomaly until KD joined the Warriors. The Miami Heat were not seen as dominant favorites and did not have as high of expectations as the Shaq Lakers, the Jordan Bulls or even the best Lakers and Celtics teams of the 80s. The NBA has mostly varied between a few years with nobody above 25% to a great term emerging and having a few years between 30% and 40%. This held true from 1985 until KD joined the 73 win Warriors in the summer of 2016. The last 3 seasons of the Warriors have been by far the largest preseason favorites the league has ever seen. We are coming off 3 seasons of the worst parity the league has even seen (since 1985). Vegas gave the 3 Durant Warriors teams a 56%, a 65% and a 63% chance to win. These numbers dwarf even the most dominant Jordan Bulls teams. In terms of the eventual champion being a forgone conclusion this is as close as we have ever gotten. Source for Historical Vegas Odds: Basketball Reference Percentages are calculated based on what percentage of the time a team would need to win for the bet to break even. For example a +300 favorite would have an estimated 25% chance.
12 out of his 13 Late Info NFL picks and easily winning 13 out his last 15 EXCLUSIVE RELEASE Free Picks!! RED ALERT NFL FREE PLAY RELEASE on the MIAMI DOLPHIN vs PITTSBURGH STEELER GAME SIDE AND TOTAL!!!!!
(MIAMI DOLPHINS +14) Going 3-0 in the NFL Last night, the Farts are on fire winning 12 out of his 13 Late Info NFL picks and easily winning 13 out his last 15 EXCLUSIVE RELEASE Free Picks!! Make sure you ride this flaming cloud to the bank as tonight Roarin Farts will be getting the geetus without compunction. Grab a life vest and get on the gravy boat as we sail these winners to a new land like Columbus did when Italy wanted Indian flavored marinara sauce!!
Farts has gone hard with his free releases, winning on (OCT 18) with the Late Info Play on(FRESNO STATE-15)
Cleaning up with his Free NFL Late Info Play on (OCT 13) - (NY Jets over 43.5)
Calling it Easy Money in MMA collecting on the underdog (OCT 12) - (Cub Swanson +160)
Buying your mother a chicken diner with this World Series Game 1 Free MLB Late Info Play WINNER!! (OCT 22) - (Washington Nationals RL -120)
Last nights backroom info play had the Indians crying in their moccasins, McGuillaman and his Vegas affiliates cleaned the sportsbooks out with the undefeated Back Room Info Pick!!! (OCT 24) - (Washington +17) Easy Money
The buy your mother a mansion easy winner NFL Football EXCLUSIVE LATE INFO Pick (OCT 27) - (GREEN BAY PACKERS -5)
Going 3-0 in the NFL Last Night, Roarin Mac again has something special brewing in the gambling underworld and again he will break the books tonight in the NFL. After winning all of last night's NFL Exclusive Free Picks easily, the after shocks are still there, Roarin Macs contacts in Philadelphia have signaled a RED ALERT NFL FREE PLAY RELEASE on the MIAMI DOLPHIN vs PITTSBURGH STEELER GAME SIDE AND TOTAL!! McGuillaman has 2 major plays for MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL and late 2 team NBA parlay bonus wager pick plus a Early Easy Money World Series Winner, 2 Free MMA early plays, and a EARLY RELEASE MLS pick that will blow your high socks off!! McGuillamans contacts inPhiladelphia have signaled a RED ALERT NFL FREE PLAY RELEASE on the MIAMI DOLPHIN vs PITTSBURGH STEELER GAME SIDE AND TOTAL!!!!! !!RED ALERT RELEASE!! FREE NFL PICK - (OCT 28) - (MIAMI DOLPHINS +14)
The Miami Dolphins are headed to Pittsburgh, the land of junkies and car mechanics. Miami die hard fans that are taking the long drive to PA are more than likely Cuban drug mules shipping much needed cocaine to the old steel mills of Steeler Nation. Aside from the black and yellow vagrants using the terrible towel to tie off, and the 20 year old club hopping skank crying because she thought that they invited her up to talk about her favorite episodes of twilight, there are some that actually believe they’re still in the running for the AFC North title as they watch Big Ben "Feed her more Peach CÎROC" Roethlisberger sling a pigskin on the field opposed to a drunken pigskin in a night club. Take the points in the Doplhins game and relax knowing that your daughter isn't sitting on the floor of a high end hotel room after playing the middle of a Oreo cream pie!
The Professional Wrestling world has a been rumbling and Roarin Farts has felt the vibrations in his knickerbockers as of lately!! Ex -Professional amateur street wrestler, Roarin Farts McGuillaman, for the past 4 months has been anticipating some inside information from a couple of squared circle jabroni executives involving a major WWE event!! Farts has just got the word that the green light is lit and the wolves of the gambling world can feast!!!!
CROWN JEWEL FREE PICK(OCT 31) - How Many F5’s Will Brock Lesnar give Cain Velasquez? (Under 5.5 +110) WWE SPECIAL WAGER FREE PICK(APR 05) TYSON FURY TO ENTER THE RING AT WRESTLEMANIA 2020 - (Yes +160) (Wager cut off: 2019 31st October 12:00 PM) Time sensitive, hurry before odds makers realize the mistake they made!! Free MLS Soccer Pick (OCT 29) -
Roarin Farts has associates in LA staying at the same 5 star resort as one of a top Los Angeles MLS players cross dressing mistress and has over heard that the outcome of a certain match will be a toe nail biter. The associates have informed the MAC to go in heavy and on Tuesday, October 29 play the - (SEATTLE SOUNDERS vs LOS ANGELES FC OVER 3 1/4) -120 The Roarin Mac has been digging around his old contacts in Los Angeles and they have came back with obtuse but profitable information. The Los Angeles soccer fans are more than spiked hair, collared shirt lesbians and gender neutral actors screaming touchdown after goals, there is a seedy side of the cleats and LAFC forwardAdama Diomande knows all about it. When you look at Diomande it isn't hard to imagine that he has probably spent many a sweaty nights with Democratic Donor Ed Buck. The truth of the matter is we do not know what Diomande is doing when he isn't kicking a soccer ball for LAFC, but we do know that in LA County the LGBTQ meth orgy wouldn't be official without a couple of diked up soccer players and a oiled up black Norwegian in a gimp suit! Take (OVER 3-1/4) -120 during the SEATTLE SOUNDERS vs LOS ANGELES FC MLS game (OCT 29) - (SEATTLE VS LAFC OVER 3-1/4) -120
It doesn't take much to find a couple of chubby high end hospice nurses to squeeze some information out of on the morphine levels of a deathbed celebrity. Here are the latest online gambling death picks from Raoarin "MAC" McGuillaman playable at MyBookie.ag and if you're a first time depositor claim a bonus - HERE and throw it on one of these guaranteed picks.
The HIV Playoffs are going down between Tiger Blood Chuck and Magic Dick Johnson and this battle will most likely take a little while unless Charlie decides to relapse and we think black men live longer than white drug addicts!
The most anticipated free pick! -Bill Cosbyis eating pudding behind bars whileHarvey Weinsteinis getting verbally assaulted by comedians at private events in New York, they both should have did thePolanskiand moved to a place that embraces these types of men, France!
Is It Hot In Here, Or Is It Just Me? An examination of all 30 coaches and their temperature on the "hot seat"
The NBA season hasn't started yet, but that doesn't mean that coaches should feel entirely comfortable in their offices quite yet. Circumstances change quickly, and coaching positions can change quickly along with them. Through this (super long) post, I wanted to assess each coach's job security for this 2019-20 season. There's no simple or accurate metric for measuring this, so I'm going to give an estimated and subjective appraisal of their chances of getting fired, either in mid-season or at the end of the season.
I LOVE YOU, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME(listed alphabetically by team)
Golden State: Steve Kerr After 5 years on the job, Steve Kerr has a winning percentage of .785 in the regular season, and 3 NBA titles in the postseason. In fact, the team's 57-25 record last year was the worst of his tenure so far. So yes, his job is safe. Kerr could coach the next 10 years there if he wanted. For Kerr, it's not a matter of job security; it's a matter of health. He's been able to endure his constant back pain in pursuit of titles, but will he have the same resolve if the team sags into "good but not great" status? TBD. chance of firing: 0%. chance of retirement: 10%. L.A. Clippers: Doc Rivers A few years ago, Doc Rivers was almost the victim of his own success. His gaudy resume had allowed him to take charge of the L.A. Clippers front office, and he simply didn't do a great job in that role. However, he wisely took more of a backseat there, and embraced the job (head coach) that he's quite good at. The 48-34 record last year re-established his coaching cred, and the new superstars should energize him for a few more seasons at least. chance of firing / retirement: 2% San Antonio: Gregg Popovich Along with Steve Kerr, Gregg Popovich is firmly in the "you can stay as long as you want" camp. And he nearly has. He's been at the helm for 23 years. Amazing, the last two seasons (47-35, 48-34) have amounted to Pop's worst percentages over the course of a full season. He's one of the greatest ever, and unlike some old veteran coaches, hasn't lost his fastball whatsoever. He's constantly adapted, evolved, and thrived. But as with Kerr, the question is whether Popovich is nearing the end of the road, for personal reasons. He's 70 now, and in control of Team USA. He may hand the baton off and focus on that job going forward. I suspect he'll give it a go in both roles until the Olympics at least, but it's no longer a guarantee. chances of firing: 0%. chances of retiring: 20%.
I STILL LOVE YOU, BUT WE MAY NEED COUPLES COUNSELING(listed alphabetically)
Boston: Brad Stevens A season or two ago, Brad Stevens was the golden boy coach in the NBA. After a slightly underwhelming 49-33 season, we're starting to see some grumbles about his offense (which isn't as free-flowing and ball-moving as his age may suggest.) The Celtics will replace Kyrie Irving with Kemba Walker, but expectations aren't much lower. If the team can't grab a top 4 seed, those grumbles may grow. And if the Boston-Stevens love affair ends, would he start to eye a move back to the NCAA? Probably not, but we can't promise the marriage lasts forever. chances of firing: 2%, chances of leaving: 5%. Miami: Erik Spoelstra Although the Miami Heat have been mediocre lately (124-122 over the last three years), I'm still be inclined to group in Erik Spoelstra in with the "untouchables." After all, this is a 2-time champion coach with 500+ career wins prior to the age of 50 (48 years old right now.) Even if the Miami Heat underachieve and miss the playoffs again, I don't think Pat Riley would want to rock the boat on this culture. Still, Jimmy Butler is a handful, and potential addition Chris Paul isn't a bed of roses either. If Spoelstra can't get "buy in" from his new stars, then there may be more trouble in paradise than we expect. Again, it's a very small chance a divorce happens, but we can't give it a 0 either. chance of firing: 4%.
JUST DON'T EMBARRASS ME IN PUBLIC(listed alphabetically)
Cleveland: John Beilein It's hard to under-estimate the leverage rookie coach John Beilein has with the organization right now. They lured him from Michigan with a 5 year contract, where he'll be "working for" a front office that features assistant GM Mike Gansey (Beilein's former player.) Simply put: they're going to hand him this team and allow him to build a program in his image. Despite that, it doesn't mean the transition will work like a charm (just ask Billy Donovan.) Beilein is 66 years old, and has never coached in the pros before. He may simply decide that he hates the NBA and walk away prematurely. Still, it's hard to imagine that happening this early barring any unforeseen health issues. chances of firing: 1%. chances of leaving: 5%. Memphis: Taylor Jenkins Although they have wildly different resumes and backgrounds, Taylor Jenkins will be in a similar boat to John Beilein. He's inheriting a team that's in a rebuilding situation, and should afford him a lot of patience going forward. The Wharton-grad Jenkins projects as a smart, modern coach who should have long-term success. Still, we can't absolutely guarantee Memphis doesn't fire him after 1 season, because they have done that before. chances of firing: 3% Milwaukee: Mike Budenholzer Based on pure coaching talent and resume, Coach Bud has nothing to worry about - particularly after a 60-22 record last season. The only reason that I'm even putting him in this category at all is the potential for off-the-court issues. He had been arrested before on a suspicion of DUI back in 2014, although he was later found not guilty. If something worse happens in that ilk, then he may be in trouble. But barring that, he's obviously safe. chances of firing: 2%. Minnesota: Ryan Saunders While interim coach Ryan Saunders (Flip's son) had been a popular pick in the locker room, he still represents a sizable risk by this new front office. After all, he's only 33 years old and hasn't been a head coach at any level prior to that short stint last season. He may be a home run; he may be a strike out. Of course, he'd have to be a wild strike out (with a bat thrown into the stands) for it to amount to a firing in year one. chances of firing: 5% Orlando: Steve Clifford Veteran Steve Clifford did a tremendous job in his first year in Orlando, helping the team improve from 25-57 to 42-40 and a playoff trip. There's a chance the Magic may stagnate in R1 unless one of their young players (Jon Isaac, Mo Bamba, Markelle Fultz) takes a "leap," but they should have patience with Clifford for at least another year or two. Barring health issues, his job is safe. chances of firing: 2%. Phoenix: Monty Williams One of the reasons we can't claim rookie coaches are entirely safe is because teams like Phoenix have fired them in the past -- including Igor Kokoskov last season. However, it'd be very difficult for any owner (even Robert Sarver) to justify doing it two times in a row. In fact, Monty Williams secured a 5-year deal to help prevent that nonsense. chances of firing: 2%. Sacramento: Luke Walton Despite mixed results in L.A., Luke Walton was a hot commodity with the Sacramento Kings franchise, who gave him a nice 4-year contract. Of course, that happened before the sexual misconduct allegations that surfaced since. While that appears to have quieted down, any new rumor or accusation may turn up the heat on Walton. Barring that, the team should stand by their man. chances of firing: 5%. Toronto: Nick Nurse Nick Nurse is about as close to "untouchable" as you can get for a coach with 1 year of experience. But hey, that was a heck of a year. Nurse won the title, and outfoxed several great coaches along the way. The Raptors could probably sink down as low as 30 wins (unlikely) and still keep Nurse for the long haul. chances of firing: 1%. Utah: Quin Snyder While Quin Snyder hasn't had a huge amount of playoff success yet himself, he's also quickly established himself as one of the better NBA coaches. Over the last three years, the Jazz have played lockdown defense and averaged 49.7 wins. This offseason has raised expectations, but Snyder should be safe for another season or two even if they slightly underachieve. The bigger issue would be if Snyder gets in trouble off the court; he had a wilder history in college prior to straightening out in the pros. chances of firing: 4%.
YOU'RE SAFE (FOR NOW)(again, alphabetically)
Atlanta: Lloyd Pierce In theory, Lloyd Pierce should be in great shape here in Atlanta. The young team had a solid 29-53 season in his first year, and their young core projects well for the future. That said, expectations will rise over time. Pierce was partly hired for his defensive reputation, but the team only ranked 27th last season. With Trae Young (who graded dead last in ESPN RPM on defense), that may be hard to change. Hopefully rookies De'Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish will solve that issue, but if not, Pierce may start feeling some heat in 2020. When he was hired, the team only gave him a 3 year contract, which indicates that he didn't have much leverage coming in. chances of firing: 7.5% Charlotte: James Borrego Like Lloyd Pierce, James Borrego will be entering Year 2 in a rebuilding situation that should lend itself to patience. On the other hand, logic tends to go out the window when it comes to the Charlotte Hornets. Borrego will have to deal with a weak roster, and a shaky front office that just gave $19M a season to Terry Rozier. I expect Borrego will survive for a while, but we can't rule out a house cleaning. chances of firing: 10%. Brooklyn: Kenny Atkinson Kenny Atkinson has done a great job bringing the Nets out of a deep black hole rebuild, but now the expectations will vault up with the arrival of Kyrie Irving (and soon Kevin Durant.) Presumably, those stars wouldn't have signed up in the first place if they didn't like Atkinson. That said, their opinions can change at the drop of a hat. A disappointment in 2019-20? Okay fine. Another in 2020-21? Then Atkinson will start feeling that seat warm. chances of firing: 4% Dallas: Rick Carlisle As one of the most respected coaches (and a title winner to boot), Rick Carlisle should have job security for life. Still, the NBA will always be a stars league, and Carlisle's star isn't Dirk Nowitzki anymore. It's going to be Luka Doncic (and Kristaps Porzingis' team), and Carlisle will need to appease them to some degree. Missing the playoffs this year may be fine, but whiffing again in 2020-21 would be problematic; it would be the 5th season in a row without a playoff berth. chances of firing/retiring: 5% Denver: Mike Malone After a premature exit in Sacramento, Mike Malone has rebuilt his stock by lifting Denver to contender status. He's improved every year, from 30-52 to 33-49 to 40-42 to 46-36 to the breakout 54-28 record last season. Of course, that also comes with rising expectations. Like the others in this section, Malone could survive one regression year, but two disappointing years in a row would be a problem. chances of firing: 5%. Detroit: Dwane Casey Of all our coaches, Dwane Casey knows that one should never get too comfortable. After all, he was fired after a 59-win season (and a Coach of the Year trophy) in Toronto. After that, he still had enough leverage to earn a 5-year deal in Detroit, which should buy him quite a bit of time. Still, a 41-41 start was "meh." To make matters worse, Nick Nurse and the Raptors won the title without him (albeit with Kawhi Leonard.) Given Casey's big contract, he should be safe in Year 2 and Year 3, but there's hardly a guarantee he'll survive all 5 years of the deal. chances of firing: 5%.
10 HOTTEST SEATS(in order)
(10) Portland: Terry Stotts Remember, this isn't a ranking of the best and worst coaches but merely their situations. In fact, everyone would agree that Terry Stotts is a very good basketball coach. In fact, if you asked the other NBA coaches to rank their peers, I suspect Stotts may even crack the top 5. That skill has manifested on the court as well. His Blazers have made the playoffs for 6 seasons in a row, and had a mini-breakout with a Conference Finals trip this year. Still, making the playoffs doesn't lock in job security in the NBA; winning a title does. And until that happens, the franchise will always wonder in the back of their minds on whether or not they should pull a "Masai Ujiri" and squeeze Stotts out for a younger assistant on his staff like Nate Tibbetts or David Vanterpool, two rising star coaching candidates in their own right. After tasting the WCF last year, can Stotts afford to take a step back? Probably. Losing in R2 seems about right for this team as presently constructed. But what if they lose in R1? Then it becomes more of a debate. I'd still recommend keeping Stotts and tweaking the roster instead (ya'll got any more of them stretch PFs?) but I'm not in charge of the team and I'm not ruling any shake-ups out. chances of firing: 15% (9) Indiana: Nate McMillan As with Terry Stotts, it may feel strange to see Nate McMillan on this list. At first glance, neither should be on the hot seat at all. In McMillan's three years on the job, he's guided the team to winning records and playoff trips in each season. The Pacers just finished 48-34 despite Victor Oladipo's injury, and may be better than that this season with new additions like Malcolm Brogdon. Still, we have to go deeper than the first glance here. Indiana thrives on the basis of their defense (ranked 3rd last season), which is heavily influenced by assistant Dan Burke and DPOY candidate Myles Turner. Offensively, the team tends to look a little scattered and uncreative, which has Pacers fans quietly murmuring about McMillan. They added some new scorers in Brogdon and T.J. Warren, but both are players coming off career years from 3. If they regress at all -- and this team regresses at all -- then McMillan may be in more trouble than we realize. Am I expected that? Not really. If I had to bet, I would bank on the Pacers winning 45-50 games and McMillan lasting at least another season. But if we're looking for potential hot seat situations, we can't ignore the potential downside here. If they underachieve, McMillan may be the fall guy. chances of firing: 20% (8) N.Y. Knicks: David Fizdale We can't judge David Fizdale too harshly based on his 17-65 record in year one. After all, tanking and landing a top 3 pick was all part of the plan. But what's the plan going forward? After striking out with the superstars in free agency, the Knicks signed a bunch of B+ and C+ players to big money. With it, they've attempted to re-set expectations. Instead of landing superstars in 2019, they're going to land them in 2021! Hopefully? In the meantime, David Fizdale should be able to survive until then. His team is still young, and features first and second year players like R.J. Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Kevin Knox, and Dennis Smith. Practically speaking, the veterans like Julius Randle and Bobby Portis are meant to supplement that rebuilding movement. Fizdale should be allowed to develop this group, and be afforded some growing pains in 2019-20 and again in 2020-21. However, there are a few factors working against him. The front office may fancy themselves a playoff contender out East, which may go sour by the end of the year. Moreover, that front office isn't exactly on solid ground themselves after getting pounded by the press this summer. Dolan may want a complete fresh start after this year. More than that, there's a non-zero chance James Dolan leaves town himself, and some super-billionaire like Jeff Bezos uses his change jar to buy the team and mold it into his image. At the end of the day, there's more uncertainty with this situation than a second-year coach would like to see. chances of firing: 20% (7) Chicago: Jim Boylen As a well-respected defensive coordinator, Jim Boylen's name has always been bandied about for head coaching jobs in the past. He finally got his opportunity last season after taking over for apple pie Fred Hoiberg in mid-season. At first, it did not go well. Jim Boylen had about as rocky of a start as you can imagine, earning negative reports in the press about his drill sergeant attitude clashing with the locker room. Still, he turned that perception around and had a decent finish to the year and earned some "buy in" from the players. Better yet, his Chicago Bulls may be a darkhorse contender for the # 8 seed. They have offensive stars in Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen already, so an improved defense may vault them closer to .500. Even if that doesn't happen (yet), Boylen should feel safe knowing he has the backing of the front office. Of course, that also ties Boylen's fate to that front office. Ownership has tended to leave Gar Forman and John Paxson alone, but it's not a lifetime appointment. If this team doesn't improve enough (and wins say, 25 or 30 games), then there may be a total housecleaning here. I'm a little more optimistic on the Bulls' chances of winning 35-40 games than others, but we can't rule a potential disaster out. chances of firing: 25% (6) Philadelphia: Brett Brown After a long dark winter, Brett Brown and the Philadelphia 76ers have emerged from the "Process" intact. In fact, Brown has won more games in each of the last two seasons (52 and 50) then he did over his first three seasons combined (47). But with that comes raised expectations, which may be higher than ever. With Kawhi Leonard out of the Conference and the sheen off the Boston Celtics, the Sixers are the co-favorites with Milwaukee to make the Finals. Losing in the Conference Finals would be acceptable, but a R1 or R2 loss may be stinging. Would that disappointment be enough to cost Brown his job? It's debatable. His contract extension runs through 2021-22, but that's never stopped a coach from being fired before. Fans may grow frustrated if Ben Simmons still can't shoot, or if Joel Embiid can't stay healthy, or if Philly's defense doesn't look as dominant as it should be on paper (despite Simmons, Embiid, and Jimmy Butler, they only ranked # 15 last season.) It's very possible that Brown becomes the scapegoat here. Of course, we're talking "worst case scenarios" here. Chances are: the Sixers should be quite good and have a very good chance to make the ECF or the Finals. So while we can't rule out a firing, we wouldn't bet on it either. chances of firing: 30% (5) New Orleans: Alvin Gentry After coming over from Golden State, the exceptions for Alvin Gentry in New Orleans were sky-high. Suffice it to say, it's been an underwhelming return so far. Despite the (occasional) presence of Anthony Davis, his Pelicans have won less than 35 games in three of his four seasons on the job. Oddly, Davis' trade demands may have helped Gentry survive another year. With the blockbuster deal, expectations get re-set and the window extends again. On paper, Gentry and assistant Chris Finch's run-and-gun style should suit this new roster well. Gentry is also someone who's earned high praise from his players and from the media in the past. If new execs David Griffin and Trajan Langdon didn't believe in him, they would have every opportunity to make a change this past summer. But alas, that doesn't mean they won't have that same opportunity again next summer. Gentry's contract will be running out, and the team may decide to go with someone younger than him (he's now age 64.) To earn a longer leash, Gentry doesn't need to make the playoffs, but he has to show reasons for optimism. The Pelicans need to find a clear role for Zion Williamson, and earn some improvement from the cast-off Lakers. There's a lot of talent on the roster, but if the team stalls or looks like a muddled mess, Griffin may likely clean up the picture and chose his own head coach the next time around. chances of firing: 35% (4) Houston: Mike D'Antoni Veteran Mike D'Antoni may start spitting out Rodney Dangerfield routines, because the poor guy doesn't get much respect. Despite a great run here in Houston (records of 55-27, 65-17, 53-29), he's still struggling to earn a contract extension from the franchise. And while owner Tilman Fertitta gets the blame for that, we can't rule out Daryl Morey's influence either. Morey has stated in the past that he thinks coaches' messages tend to run stale after a few years, and that philosophy has born out in their decision making. Jeff Van Gundy lasted 4 years. After him, Rick Adelman lasted 4 years. After him, Kevin McHale lasted 4 years (+10 games). This season, Mike D'Antoni will be entering the dreaded 4th year himself. The Houston Rockets' job essentially has strict presidential term limits, and he's verging on lame duck status. To up the degree of difficulty even further, the team added Russell Westbrook to the equation. That's not to say it's the wrong decision by any means or that it won't work out (personally I'd still peg them for a top 3 seed), but we have to admit there's a sizable chance that it won't work out. The chemistry for Harden + Westbrook is going to be harder to calculate now that they've both had considerable success (and MVP seasons). And if something doesn't click, it will certainly be easier to blame D'Antoni than the two stars, whose massive contracts run for another few seasons. chances of firing/retiring: 40% (3) L.A. Lakers: Frank Vogel It's rare to see a first-year coach listed this high, but this is rare circumstances indeed. Frank Vogel will be joining the Lakers on a 3-year contract, which is quite light for a veteran like him. That fact showcases his limited leverage and his reduced reputation. The Lakers didn't high the coach who guided the Indiana Pacers to the ECF; they hired the coach who led Orlando to 29-53 and 25-57 records. In some ways, Vogel is lucky to have landed any job at all. But there's no mistaking the fact that this particular job will come with some challenges. Primary among them: the threat of assistant Jason Kidd breathing down his neck. According to some, Kidd was the first choice of the front office. The conspiracy theory that they simply didn't want to hire him outright (due to domestic violence charges in the past) checks out logically for me. Vogel can't be too pleased to turn on the Summer League and watch his new star LeBron James sitting and laughing next to Kidd in Vegas either. Will LeBron James, Rich Paul, and Jason Kidd conspire to stab Vogel like Caesar? The odds are high. But the question is a matter of "when?" James didn't love David Blatt, but allowed him 1.5 on the job before he got the boot. The Lakers may end up giving Vogel a full season and change to make his impact on the defensive end before considering a full-time change in midseason in 2020-21. And hey, we can't rule out the "what if it works?" theory either. This team has LeBron James and Anthony Davis, for fuck's sake. They have a legitimate chance to be a great team, and even an NBA champion. If that happens, Vogel won't be going anywhere (at least, not for another year or two.) chances of firing: 45% (2) Washington: Scottie Brooks The Scottie Brooks era in Washington has been a disappointment, and it won't get much prettier from here. After the John Wall injury, the Wizards will be entering 2019-20 with one legitimate star in Bradley Beal and a wonky supporting cast. They're a motley crew of decent prospects who may be 2 years away (Troy Brown, Rui Hachimura, Thomas Bryant) and veterans who may be 2 years removed from quality play (Isaiah Thomas, Ish Smith, C.J. Miles.) Realistically speaking, Bradley Beal will have to put in a Herculean effort for this group to win 35 games. If there's any reason to think the axe will not come for Scottie Brooks' head, it's that this Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis isn't the "off with his head!" type. He's been patience with the Washington Capitals hockey team, as well as this Wizards unit. Former GM Ernie Grunfeld lasted for years past his expiration date. And in turn, Brooks may be allowed to play out another year of his (pricy) contract. Brooks also has a reputation as a good player development coach, which bodes well for his prospects during a possible rebuild to come. All that said, Brooks shouldn't be investing in D.C. real estate. The clock is ticking. I would fully expect new acting GM Tommy Sheppard to cut Brooks loose and choose his own coach at some point, but we can't be 100% confident it will happen after this season or after the next. chances of firing: 50% (1) Oklahoma City: Billy Donovan Given his new status as a /NBA punching bag, it's hard to under-sell just how much leverage Billy Donovan had when he first came to Oklahoma City. We're talking about a well-paid college coach who had won two separate NCAA titles at Florida, and had resisted the NBA calls for years. He arrived in OKC with a 5-year deal in tow, as well as a reputation as one of the best coaches in basketball. As we now enter Year 5 of that contract, Donovan's reputation has been tarnished considerably. He's been blasted for perceived underachievement, particularly in the postseason. With Kevin Durant, the team blew a 3-1 lead to Golden State, and hasn't won a playoff series since (losing in R1 three times in a row.) In fact, they've gone 4-15 in playoff games since then. Donovan's managed to avoid getting the boot because of his reputation and big contract, but those excuses won't hold off the executioner much longer. Personally, I'm a little bit of a "Donovan Defender." I don't think he's done as bad of a job as advertised. After all, his worst regular season record has been 47-35. He's kept the team afloat without Kevin Durant. And sure, he probably should have reined in Russell Westbrook, but it's not easy to harness an MVP. The fact that Donovan won 48 games with a guard who jacked up 20 shots a game (at 50.1% true shooting) is oddly impressive in a way. And heck, let's even defend blowing the 3-1 lead. It's not like OKC woke up one morning with a 3-1 lead under their Christmas tree; Donovan used some wily tricks and odd lineups to help earn those 3 wins in the first place. But again, these rankings aren't about my perception of the coaches, but rather my perception of their situations and stocks. In theory, this OKC roster isn't half bad and could flirt with .500 if they wanted to pursue the playoffs. And in theory, if they blow it up, then a college coach like Donovan may be well suited for that rebuild. But in reality, I just don't see an extension here. The marriage has soured, resentment has built up, and a divorce may be best for both parties involved. chances of firing: 55%
Following the Raptors victory parade as NBA champions after they defeated the Warriors as underdog in the NBA finals, the 2020 futures odds were changing as NBA free agency was set to start June 30. The California teams (Clippers, Lakers, Warriors and Kings) are +115 to win the 2020 title. With regards to the Clippers specifically, this seemed especially notable in connection with a Vegas book: Late check-in with @DerekJStevens , who estimating his @CircaSports will open (at 8 a.m.) with @LAClippers at odds of around 8/1 to win the NBA title, from the 15/1 they were before the Kawhi and ... NBA 2020 Title Odds: Vegas Sportsbook Has Knicks, Clippers as Surprising Contenders. Only three Eastern Conference teams currently have better 2020 title odds than the Knicks. Odds To Win 2020 NBA Title. After landing the #1 pick in the NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans saw the biggest odds jump. However, after the Lakers traded for Anthony Davis, and were hoping Kawhi Leonard would follow. NBA · Published December 29, 2020 NBA Vegas odds: 2020-21 championship futures for all 30 teams Throughout the 2020-21 season, check in for the latest NBA Vegas odds, featuring frequent updates ... How to read NBA Las Vegas Odds The point-spread was developed to provide a balance for both teams involved in a contest to attract bettors to potentially back the weaker team and receive points. The two squads in a game are listed with a title, either a favorite or an underdog. Odds to Win 2020 NBA Championship according to Bovada Sportsbook Regular Season Resume July 30th & Possible NBA Finals on October 13th, 2020. Updated on October 10, 2020 - After Game #5. 2020 NBA Championship Los Angeles Lakers -800 Miami Heat +500. Bet on the 2020 NBA Championship Las Vegas Odds at Bovada Sportsbook NBA Championship odds will usually look like this: Milwaukee Bucks +250 This means that on a $100 bet, you’ll stand to win $250 if the Bucks win the NBA title. The latest odds to win the 2020 NBA championship have been released by Caesars Entertainment. The top three favourites remain unchanged from prior to the season's suspension back in March. LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers are the favourites to win the title followed by the Bucks and Clippers. See the Clippers vs Lakers game preview, prediction, Vegas odds and schedule to watch the NBA 2020-21 season's game on Dec 22.
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