Hoop Nut VLog Episode 15: The One Before DeAndre Jordan Flaked on Dallas

This is our Video Log/Podcast for the 2015 NBA #FreeAgencyFever!

In Episode 15 of the Hoop Nut Video Log, we talk about the marquee free agent commitments and signings. Please take note that this was recorded BEFORE DeAndre Jordan made a mess of everything for the Dallas Mavericks and for himself.

The NBA: Power Rankings: Off-Season Edition

The regular season is still over two months away but the NBA is constantly on the news especially with LeBron James joining Cleveland and working as part-time general manager as well (see signings of Mike Miller, James Jones and the trade for Kevin Love). Anyway, here is the Power Rankings for the summer as of August 13, 2014.

The standings refer to the 2013-2014 regular season standings.

The rankings from Last Week refer to Week 24 which was the last Power Rankings before the 2014 playoffs.

Please hit the comments and follow me on Twitter @rollzter

Kevin Love for Andrew Wiggins is a great trade for both the Cavs and Timberwolves
(Image from: www.howlintwolf.com)

1. San Antonio Spurs | 62-20 | Last Week: 1 | Same
The current NBA champions had their best signing of the summer when the best coach in the league, Gregg Popovich agreed to a contract extension that could last another 4-5 years. The Spurs also improved their roster by NOT allowing Tony Parker (France) and Manu Ginobili (Argentina) to play in the FIBA World Cup this September. The extra rest should do them good. 

The NBA: 2014 Free Agency Grades

With the essay announcement of LeBron James going home to Cleveland almost two weeks ago, the dominoes have fallen in the free agency signings. NBA teams scampered to woo, court and sign the remaining free agents. Here are the grades for the significant movements and acquisitions of the summer. Only those who changed teams are graded.

Paul Pierce and Pau Gasol are among the top players
 who changed allegiances during the off-season
(Image from: elitedaily.com)

1. LEBRON JAMES, MIKE MILLER, JAMES JONES - CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Grade: A+
Adding the best player in the league immediately makes the Cavs a contender while weakening the 4x Eastern champs, Miami Heat. LBJ is very influential within the Cavs' management that there are reports that James is pushing a potential trade of Andrew Wiggins with Anthony Bennett and/or Dion Waiters (maybe draft picks too) for Kevin Love. With or without this trade, the Cavs should be among the best in the East. Getting a solid shooter in Mike Miller will also help spread the floor for LBJ. To add more injury to insult, ex-Heat James Jones also bolted South Florida to join LBJ. Even Ray Allen is rumored to join the Cavs.

The NBA: Grading the Top Moves of the Summer

The additions of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Brooklyn Nets
have made them legitimate contenders for the upcoming season
(Photo from: NY Daily News)

The official start of the 2013-14 NBA season is still more than 3 months away but the roster moves of this summer have kept most of the NBA fans excited and interested. Some moves included a perennial playoff team from the East deciding to pursue rebuilding mode while another contender has risen from Texas. Meanwhile, the back-to-back champions have not done any major tweaks to their roster while the rest of the league scrambles to dethrone the Miami Heat.

Here are some of the top moves of the summer and their grades. The marks are based on potential and how effective the new (or retained) players will be with their respective teams.

Brooklyn Nets
The Nets have officially entered the "championship or bust" category with the major additions of Garnett and Pierce. Their Russian owner was willing to pay a luxury tax of more than $80 million this year to have a chance to beat the Heat. Their starting 5 is ridiculous with Brook Lopez, Deron, KG, PP and Joe Johnson. The Nets upgraded their bench with the signing of Andrei Kirilenko and the acquisitions of Jason Terry and Shaun Livingston. They are at least 10-deep with Andray Blatche and Reggie Evans added to the mix. Kevin Garnett and AK-47 will elevate their team defense immensely. The onus is on rookie head coach, Jason Kidd to make everything work without having any past coaching experience.  
Grade: A+

Houston Rockets
Superman left Hollywood while the Rocketman arrived in Houston. The Rockets snagged Dwight Howard who was the biggest fish in free agency while they maintained most of their core players. Dwight will be paired with budding superstar James Harden to produce a young duo that can rival Westbrook-Durant and James-Wade. The Rockets will have that inside-outside threat with Chandler Parsons, Jeremy Lin and Patrick Beverley who are able shooters. Theoretically, the threat of a three-pointer could give Howard more space to work in the post or if he gets double teamed, the shooters will have uncontested threes. Coach Kevin McHale could also tutor Dwight into becoming an improved post player while the Rockets are working on making Hakeem Olajuwon a full-time team official to solely work with Howard.
Grade: A+

Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are undoubtedly the best team in Los Angeles and quite possibly in the state of California. Their best free agent signing was Chris Paul who decided to stay with them. CP3 was so sure of staying with the Clips that he did not even bother entertaining other teams during his brief free agent status. Another key signing does not involve players. Coach Doc Rivers left Boston to try and make the Clippers contenders in the West. The Clippers added more firepower to their bench by adding perimeter threats (Jared Dudley, JJ Redick) while Darren Collison is a sufficient backup PG who is more consistent than Eric Bledsoe. Meanwhile, Jamal Crawford and Matt Barnes will both be back which gives the Clippers a deep rotation littered with wing players. One thing they were not able to address was their lack of a dependable big after Blake Griffin.
Grade: A

Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers have struggled mightily in the last 3 years without LeBron James. They finished closed to the bottom during those years and got rewarded with multiple lottery draft picks (Irving, Thompson, Waiters, Zeller, Bennett). This upcoming season projects to be a different one. The Cavs might make the playoffs after they added Jarrett Jack, Earl Clark and the injured Andrew Bynum to their roster. The Cavs will make the playoffs if their key players stay healthy. Kyrie Irving has missed big chunks of the past seasons with injuries while Anderson Varejao only played 25 games last year with 14 and 14 numbers. Their prized rookie Anthony Bennett is recovering from an injury as well. They even hired Mike Brown to coach the team again and maybe entice LBJ to sign with them after next season.
Grade: A

Golden State Warriors
The Warriors had a successful playoff run last season led by their hot shooting back court of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson while Harrison Barnes made strides in his development. The Dubs will enter this season without two of their top performers off the bench: Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry. Those 2 spots were replaced by Andre Iguodala and Marresse Speights. Iggy is definitely a big upgrade over Jack. Iguodala can guard 3 spots easily on defense while offensively, his perimeter shot is much improved. Iggy can also play some minutes as PG if needed. The Warriors are also hoping that their other three lesser-known sophomores (Bazemore, Green & Ezeli) are able to play solid minutes off the bench and contribute while their top pick from last year, Barnes continues to improve as a starter.   Grade: A-

Portland Trailblazers
The Blazers were in playoff contention during the first half of last season even with a very shallow bench. They were only 6-deep and on most nights, the starters played major minutes including Damian Lillard who led them in minutes and played all 82 games as a rookie. Injuries to Nic Batum, Wesley Matthews and LaMarcus Aldridge exposed their glaring weakness on the bench. So, the Blazers certainly addressed that problem by adding veterans: Robin Lopez, Dorell Wright and Earl Watson even if they lost JJ Hickson to the Nuggets. The Blazers also added more youth with the acquisition of Thomas Robinson and lottery pick CJ McCollum.
Grade: B+

The NBA: Houston, We DONT Have A Problem!

Dwight Howard announced on Twitter that he will join the Houston Rockets.
That was about 5 hours after reports came out that he already made a decision.
(Photo from: Dwight's Twitter)

They sent a couple of basketball Hall of Famers to help recruit him. They have one of the best rising (super)stars in the NBA and they have no state income tax. This team also has a huge following in Asia and especially China where marketing and endorsement opportunities are enormous. The Houston Rockets received a verbal commitment from Howard that he will join their team for 4 years and 88 million dollars. Nothing is official yet because players cant sign until July 10 -- so, things could change because this is Dwight Howard but that probably wont happen, right?

Dwight Howard made the right decision for himself and his career. He will be joining James Harden to form an inside-outside duo that could rival the pairing of Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler that brought a championship to the Rockets in 1994-95. The Rockets turned themselves into championship contenders overnight while the LA Lakers could actually miss the playoffs next season. James Harden, Jeremy Lin and Chandler Parsons are all under the age of 25 which gives them time to grow and mature as a team. Expectations are lower in Houston and the fans plus the media are more forgiving compared to Lala-land. Howard needs an environment where he can laugh and smile more often because that is his personality.

The Rockets boosted their appeal to Dwight because James Harden made him feel more welcomed. Harden will be their main guy but he was willing to share the spotlight with Howard. This will be a fresh start for Dwight with no bad history at all. The same cannot be applied to Kobe who butted heads with D12 and even criticized him last season. Howard also had a tough time playing for Mike D'Antoni so a new coach (Kevin McHale) definitely interested him. The Rockets also have a younger and healthier core who could give Howard multiple shots at reaching the NBA Finals.

On a basketball level, Houston was the best fit. The Rockets could employ an offense similar to what the Orlando Magic did during Dwight's better years. Houston has multiple shooters who can space the floor well  which leaves Howard as the only big man around the paint. Teams will be hesitant to double team him down low because of all the open shooters. Additionally, Coach Kevin McHale was among the best low post players in NBA history so his constant tutelage of Howard could result in the eventual growth of his offensive moves. Plus, Hakeem Olajuwon is a consultant for the Rockets and his influence on Howard cannot be understated. Howard is scheduled to train again with Olajuwon this summer to improve his post moves. We might even see Calvin Murphy (former player and broadcaster for the Rockets) -- career 89% FT shooter who made 78 straight FTs at one point -- return to the Rockets to help Dwight and his awful FT shooting.

Overall, the entire Rockets' organization wanted Dwight Howard to play for them. Im not sure the same thing applied to the Lakers.

P.S. players on new teams that signed or got traded after July 10 are eligible to be traded starting on December 15 until the March trade deadline.

Kobe Bryant posted this photo on his Instagram right after Dwight
Howard tweeted that he would be joining the Houston Rockets
(Photo from: Kobe Bryant)

Kobe Bryant immediately posted a photo of himself with Pau Gasol on his Instagram after Howard tweeted his departure from the Lakers. Then, Kobe un-followed Dwight on Twitter while Gasol copied Kobe and un-followed Dwight as well. Im still waiting on Metta World-Peace to tweet his thoughts on Howard.

The Lakers did not get Howard for the next 5 years but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Even with Dwight, the Lakers were not considered as championship contenders because of Kobe's Achilles injury and the overall health of the other Lakers (Hill, Gasol & Nash). The Lakers also have a very thin bench with the departure of Earl Clark to the Cleveland Cavaliers while Antawn Jamison remains unsigned. Depending on how many games Bryant will miss for this season (if any), the Lakers might actually miss the playoffs which could be a blessing in disguise. It's quite possible that the Lakers might even consider "tanking" because the draft class of 2014 is impressive (Wiggins, Randle, Parker, etc). Early comparisons of 2014 have been linked to the abundance of talent found in the class of 2003.

The Lakers will also have a ton of salary cap space for 2014-15 since Pau Gasol, MWP and Kobe will all become free agents. That gives the Lakers a fighting chance to make a run at LeBron, Melo and the other free agents of 2014. A lost season for the Lakers in 2013-14 could also be beneficial for Kobe Bryant. Maybe he will realize that he does not need to rush his recovery and decide to sit longer and miss more games. There were rumors that Kobe could be ready by opening tip but an Achilles injury typically takes a year or longer to fully recover. His age (35 in August) and the 53K+ minutes played in his career, should make the Lakers extra careful with his return. The extra time off could potentially extend his career.

The Lakers lost Howard but they could end up getting more from Kobe during his final years. How many Lakers' fans out there will choose Dwight over Kobe?

The NBA: 2013 Top Free Agents

Dwight Howard is the "biggest fish in the pond" during the summer of 2013.
Will he stay with the Lakers or explore other options?
(Photo from: Getty Images)

The start of Free Agency is upon us. Teams with a lot of salary cap space are posturing to sign the best available free agents (unrestricted and restricted). Nothing will be official until papers are signed after July 10 but there are already multiple stories of teams wooing and dining top players. The biggest (and probably best) player on the market is Dwight Howard. He is undoubtedly the prized unrestricted free agent after Chris Paul tweeted his decision on staying with the Los Angeles Clippers. Here is a short list of the top available free agents.

1. Dwight Howard
D12 had a subpar season with the Lakers as he struggled playing with Kobe while recovering from major back surgery. Howard averaged just 17.1 points and 12.3 rebounds which were his lowest numbers in the past 7 years. Offensively, he was not as dominant like before his injury occurred while his low post skills have not improved. He made only 49% of his FTs which was the 2nd lowest of his career but his FG% still placed him #2 in the NBA while his rebounds per game still led the league. Defensively, Dwight was a tad slow on rotations and help defense. Maybe another summer recovering and resting could help him perform at an elite level for next season. Howard is just 27 so he can still improve and his best years are ahead of him. If healthy, only LeBron James is a better two-way player than Howard.

2. Josh Smith
JSmoove had a solid year for the Hawks last season although his numbers dipped a little in points, rebounds and FT shooting. Smith finished with 29 double-doubles which placed him in the top 20. When focused and motivated, Smith can be a very good two-way player. Josh Smith can impact the game on both sides of the floor with his shot blocking and powerful dunks. He can also hit the occasional perimeter shot but he is far from being an efficient and reliable shot maker. He is an awful three-point shooter so he must eliminate that shot from his arsenal.

3. Al Jefferson
Big Al is among a dying breed in today's NBA. Jefferson is a traditional center who is considered one of the best low post players left in the league. He plays below the rim but has wonderful timing and great positioning when it comes to finishing in the paint and grabbing rebounds. He is a threat to record double-doubles each time he plays. Big Al has finished with at least 30 double-doubles in the past 7 seasons and he achieved 37 this year to finish at #9 while he led the Utah Jazz in points and rebounds. Jefferson also developed a set shot from about 10-12 feet to keep defenders from sagging off him.
 
4. Andre Iguodala
Despite being considered an elite perimeter defender, Andre Iguodala has only made the NBA All-Defensive 2nd Team once in 2011. That does not diminish his reputation as a versatile defender who can guard at least 3 positions effectively (PG, SG & SF). Iggy consistently averages more than 15 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals while playing exceptional defense against the best perimeter player on the other team. Iguodala has increased his shooting range to beyond the arc and his midrange jumper is reliable. Iggy also has the ability to attack the hoop and finish with a monster dunk.

5. Monta Ellis
Ellis made the mistake of saying that he is similar to Dwyane Wade, just without the rings. That aint true but you can admire his confidence. Monta is a streaky shooter with unlimited range and he can make acrobatic shots near the rim. He is generally an inefficient player who needs the ball in his hands to make a positive impact. Ellis is a below average defender whose slim body and small size prevent him from guarding bigger guards like Wade, Kobe and Harden. Ellis has good hands and great at anticipating passing lanes which landed him in the top 5 in steals.

Bonus: Sleeper Agents  

1. Andrew Bynum
Bynum would be considered among the top free agents only IF he played last season. Bynum missed a whole year with knee problems on both knees and his return for next season is still uncertain. His health has been a major problem in the past while his work ethic and attitude are not among his best traits. During his last healthy year with the Lakers, he averaged 19 and 12. Bynum was a better offensive player than Dwight but Howard had the advantage on the defensive side.

2. David West
West is a very good low post player who can also hit a perimeter shot consistently. One of his post moves includes a slithery fade away jumper that is almost automatic. Although, he is not the same player he was back in New Orleans 5 years ago, West can still record a double-double every now and then.

3. JR Smith
Smith won the Sixth Man of the Year award last season but he can start for every team. He is the epitome of a streaky shooter and a gunslinger. He never met a shot he did not like. When engaged, JR can play superb defense and can rebound like a big man. Sometimes, he spends more time on the bench due to his heat checks and cocky attitude.

4. Jarrett Jack
Jack was essential in the Warriors' playoff success last season. His role allowed the Dubs to run small ball sets with Curry and Thompson. Jack can start for most teams and it's a bonus that he can play both guard spots. His veteran leadership and decision-making skills are topnotch plus Jack can make clutch shots. His addition to a team can be the difference between making the playoffs or advancing another round.

5. Tony Allen  
Allen is arguably the best perimeter defender in the NBA. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive 1st Team twice and once on the 2nd Team. He is quick enough to guard most PGs while also being strong enough to guard bigger SGs and some SFs. He is still a liability on offense but he has gradually improved his shooting over the past couple of years.

The NBA: 2012 Off-Season Winners and BIGGER Winners

The off-season and free agency period aren't over yet. There are still some players who have yet to sign new offer sheets like Courtney Lee, Michael Redd, Jermaine O'Neal and Leandro Barbosa. Meanwhile, there are also players who were recently waived, released or amnestied like Andray Blatche, Ryan Gomes and Chris "Birdman" Andersen. But the major players have already chosen their new (or old) teams.

The Dwight Howard trade or non-trade has not been resolved. If Im the Orlando Magic, Id do the trade with the Houston Rockets since they dont care that Howard wont commit to signing an extension with them. Plus the Rockets can offer draft picks, rookies (Lamb and Jones) and they can take back the salaries of Turkoglu and Richardson among others. This trade is easier to complete because a 3rd or 4th team is not needed to make the salaries work.

Anyway, most teams have already sealed the deal with the players that they targeted. A non-playoff team suddenly looks like a contender while a perennial contender might miss the playoffs. As of the moment, here are the winners and bigger winners of the 2012 off-season with their key additions and subtractions.


BIGGER WINNERS

From the purple and orange of the Suns
 to the purple and gold of the Lakers

LA Lakers
Additions (+) Steve Nash, Antawn Jamison
Subtractions (-) Ramon Sessions, Matt Barnes, Jordan Hill
The Los Angeles Lakers got dumped in the 2nd round because of the spectacular play of Russell Westbrook  and they have had troubles against the speedy and athletic guards of opposing teams (Parker, Lawson). Getting Steve Nash does not help them defensively but offensively, the Lakers are so much better with him. Expect Nash to dominate the ball more than Kobe which means that Gasol and Bynum will get better shots and more looks in their offense. This also allows Kobe to play more off the ball and conserve some energy. Bryant is a decent shooter and Nash can set him up with more open jumpers. Jamison signed with the Lakers which gives them another scoring threat coming from the bench and Jamison is a better three-point shooter than Artest.


LA Clippers
Additions (+) Jamal Crawford, Lamar Odom *Grant Hill (maybe) 
Subtractions (-) Ryan Gomes, Mo Williams, Reggie Evans, Nick Young
Blake Griffin just signed a 5-year deal close to $100 million but he injured himself during training camp of the USA team. He tore his meniscus on his right knee while 2 years ago, he broke his kneecap on his left knee which forced him to miss a whole season. The Clippers cant afford anymore injuries since Billups hurt his Achilles heel and Chris Paul a broken thumb. They added former Clipper Lamar Odom who vows to pick up his game and produce again. Odom can play the center position with Griffin and he can be a playmaker. They also improved their clutch shooting getting Crawford who is an upgrade over Nick Young. The bench could be stronger with the potential signing of Grant Hill who is still an excellent defender and can occasionally hit the outside shot.



Dallas Mavericks 
Additions (+) Chris Kaman, Elton Brand, Darren Collison, Dahntay Jones, *OJ Mayo (maybe)
Subtractions (-) Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Lamar Odom, Brandon Haywood, Delonte West
After failing to get Deron Williams or Steve Nash, then losing Kidd and Terry, the Mavericks appeared to be headed to obscurity. Instead, they have recovered nicely with all their recent additions and they still have Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion. Kaman and Brand are better players compared to Haywood and Odom (of last year) while Collison provides them a younger and faster point guard. Both Kaman and Brand can play center or power forward and if they can stay healthy, the Mavericks can once more compete at the top of the Western conference. Rumor has it that OJ Mayo could join the Mavs as well.



Brooklyn Nets
Additions (+) Joe Johnson, CJ Watson, Reggie Evans 
Subtractions (-) Gerald Green, Jordan Farmer, Anthony Morrow, DeShawn Stevenson
The best part about the Brooklyn Nets in the off-season was their ability to resign their best players. Williams, Lopez, Wallace and Humphries are all coming back for this season. That's four of their five starters. The fifth starter will be Joe Johnson who they traded for. Johnson will have so many open shots created by Williams and he can defend bigger guards and small forwards. The Nets suddenly look like a playoff team in the East and maybe even the better team in New York. Their bench has been upgraded with the addition of a backup point guard in Watson and they have another rugged rebounder and defender in Evans. The Nets are not officially out of the Howard sweepstakes but they can start discussions again after January 15 due to the contracts signed by Lopez and Humphries.





WINNERS 


Miami Heat
Additions (+) Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis
Subtractions (-) Eddy Curry, Juwan Howard, Ronnie Turiaf
The reigning champions did not stay with the status quo. Instead, they made the team better by adding two cheap veterans who can provide them with additional outside shooting. The players they lost were not playing any significant minutes for the Heat and in return, they got rotational players who can even start some games. Lewis and Allen will truly open up the lanes more for the Big 3 while Wade and James will definitely provide more open looks for the 2 newest members of the Heat.



New York Knicks
Additions (+) Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby, Raymond Felton, Kurt Thomas
Subtractions (-) Jeremy Lin, Landry Fields, Toney Douglas, Mike Bibby, Baron Davis
The Knicks got older with the additions of Camby, Kidd and Thomas. They let go of their two younger players in Fields and Lin. The lose of Jeremy Lin will hurt them more but they have added two serviceable players in Felton and Kidd as their point guards. This is definitely Carmelo's team now and it's up to him to make this work. Camby and Thomas can hit the occasional jump shot and they will provide a very deep front court for the Knicks who already have Chandler and Stoudemire.




New Orleans Hornets
Additions (+) Ryan Anderson, Anthony Davis (Rookie), Austin Rivers (R), 
Subtractions (-) Chris Kaman, Gustavo Ayon, Marco Bellineli, Jarrett Jack, Carl Landry, Trevor Ariza
The Hornets got younger and faster. They added scoring and shooting with the acquisition of Most Improved winner Ryan Anderson while they drafted a potential franchise player in Anthony Davis. Davis was added to to the USA team as an injury-replacement. Although he ma not play a lot of minutes, the experience and exposure should do Davis a lot of good. Austin Rivers will be part of a starting backcourt with Eric Gordon who the Hornets resigned. Their bench still needs more work.




LOSERS


Houston Rockets
Additions (+) Jeremy Lin, Terrence Jones (R), Jeremy Lamb (R), Royce White (R), *Omer Asik (maybe)
Subtractions (-) Kyle Lowry, Marcus Camby, Luis Scola, Courtney Lee, Goran Dragic, Chase Budinger
The Rockets ended up with Jeremy Lin after offering him $25 million for 3 years. He might end up being overpaid but the Rockets know how to manage a Chinese sensation (like Yao Ming) so they could end up making more money in the process. The Rockets released/traded a bunch of decent players to free up salary cap to absorb the trade for Dwight Howard. So far it has not happened and the Rockets are left with a bunch of good rookies, an often injured Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lin. Sad to say that this roster wont be good enough to compete in the West (unless they get Howard).



Chicago Bulls
Additions (+) Kirk Hinrich, Marquis Teague (R)
Subtractions (-) CJ Watson, Kyle Korver, John Lucas, *Omer Asik (maybe)
The Bulls havent made any significant additions to their team during free agency. They actually lost players that were integral in their regular season run last year like Watson and Korver, maybe Asik too. Derrick Rose will be out until January or February due to his ACL injury and once he gets back on the court, it will take him some time to return to his explosive self. The Bulls could be out of playoff contention by then. They added Hinrich who they traded away a few seasons back and they drafted a rookie to serve as a backup point guard. Things are not looking good for the Bulls.



Phoenix Suns
Additions (+) Luis Scola, Goran Dragic
Subtractions (-) Steve Nash, Michael Redd, Grant Hill,  Josh Childress, Shannon Brown
They gave away their best player in franchise history to a division rival. They lost their best perimeter defender in Grant Hill and they lost a couple of bench pieces in Childress and Brown. In return, they got back Dragic who they traded away before but played great in Houston last season because it was a contract year. They also picked up Scola who was amnestied by the Rockets. Luis Scola is a good player and he will form a sweet shooting front court with Frye and Gortat. The biggest problem for the Suns, can they overcome the Lakers or Clippers to fight for a playoff spot?