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LeBron James, James Harden unanimous All-NBA first-team selections

By Dan FeldmanMay 24, 2018, 2:35 PM EDT
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Joel Embiid was the biggest loser in All-NBA voting.

The big winners?

Here are the All-NBA teams (first-team votes, second-team votes, third-team votes, total voting points):

First team

G: James Harden, Houston (100-0-0-500)

G: Damian Lillard, Portland (71-24-5-432)

F: LeBron James, Cleveland (100-0-0-500)

F: Kevin Durant, Golden State (63-37-0-426)

C: Anthony Davis, New Orleans (96-4-0-492)

Second team

G: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City (24-63-13-322)

G: DeMar DeRozan, Toronto (2-39-38-165)

F: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee (28-71-1-354)

F: LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio (2-68-22-236)

C: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia (11-78-5-294)

Third team

G: Stephen Curry, Golden State (2-39-37-164)

G: Victor Oladipo, Indiana (0-24-33-105)

F: Jimmy Butler, Minnesota (1-8-52-81)

F: Paul George, Oklahoma City (0-4-42-54)

C: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota (0-18-45-99)

Other players receiving votes with point totals: Chris Paul (Houston), 54; Rudy Gobert (Utah), 51; Kyrie Irving (Boston), 42; Ben Simmons (Philadelphia), 36; Al Horford (Boston), 32; Nikola Jokic (Denver), 28; Andre Drummond (Detroit), 7; Clint Capela (Houston), 6; Draymond Green (Golden State), 6; Kyle Lowry (Toronto), 3; Steven Adams (Oklahoma City), 2; Donovan Mitchell (Utah), 2; Klay Thompson (Golden State), 2; Trevor Ariza (Houston), 1; DeMarcus Cousins (New Orleans), 1; Dwight Howard (Charlotte), 1; Kevin Love (Cleveland), 1; Kristaps Porzingis (New York), 1

My takeaways:

  • Most underrated by this voting: Chris Paul
  • Most overrated by this voting: DeMar DeRozan
  • Anthony Davis clinches he’ll be eligible for a designated-veteran-player extension in the 2019 offseason, but only from the Pelicans. Will that keep him in New Orleans?
  • Who the heck voted for Trevor Ariza? That had to be a submission error, right?
  • Here were my picks.

Ben Simmons and Donovan Mitchell receive, Jayson Tatum one vote shy of, unanimous All-Rookie first-team selections

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By Dan FeldmanMay 22, 2018, 2:32 PM EDT
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The 76ers’ Ben Simmons, Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell, Celtics’ Jayson Tatum and Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma were locks for the All-Rookie first team.

The final seemingly up-for-grabs spot? It went to the Bulls’ Lauri Markkanen, and it wasn’t close.

Here’s the full voting for All-Rookie teams (first-team votes, second-team votes, total voting points):

First team

  • Donovan Mitchell, UTA (100-0-200)
  • Ben Simmons, PHI (100-0-200)
  • Jayson Tatum, BOS (99-1-199)
  • Kyle Kuzma, LAL (93-7-193)
  • Lauri Markkanen, CHI (76-21-173)

Second team

Others receiving votes:

The first team matches our choices.

Dennis Smith Jr. and Josh Jackson are the only selections I’d quibble with. Those two were just so destructive with shooting efficiency and defense. To be fair, they were pressed into larger roles than they were ready for on bad teams. But if the goal is picking the rookies who had the best seasons (what I aim to do), Smith and Jackson didn’t cut it.

However, some voters give more credence to long-term potential, and Smith and Jackson both have plenty of that. Other voters are drawn by bigger per-game numbers, which Smith and Jackson produced in their larger roles. So, it’s minimally surprising they made it.

That one first-team vote for Jackson, though? That’s odd – and it was enough to get him on the second team by one voting point over Heat center Bam Adebayo.

NBA announces awards finalists

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By Dan FeldmanMay 16, 2018, 8:57 PM EDT
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The NBA will reveal its major individual honors June 25 in a televised award show.

For now, the league has announced finalists. Click the name of each award for more analysis of the race:

Lou Williams, Eric Gordon, Fred VanVleet finalists for Sixth Man of the Year

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By Dan FeldmanMay 16, 2018, 8:34 PM EDT
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Sometimes, the most productive overall reserve wins Sixth Man of the Year. Usually, though, the award goes to the highest-scoring reserve.

When both those players are the same, it’s easy.

Lou Williams – who averaged 22.6 points per game, third-most ever for a Sixth Man of the Year-eligible player* – is deserves to and will likely win the honor when it’s presented June 25. For now, we just know the finalists:

*Ricky Pierce averaged 23.0 points per game for the 1989-90 Bucks. Michael Jordan averaged 22.7 points per game for the 1985-86 Bulls, though he played just 18 games, including seven starts.

Williams (2015) and Gordon (2017) have both previously won this award.

Gordon had a nice season, but he fits the high-scoring model that attracts voters more than he fits the best overall reserve.

VanVleet was a key piece of a deep and dominant Toronto bench.

Report: Raptors explored DeMar DeRozan trade options last summer

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By Kurt HelinMay 15, 2018, 5:08 PM EDT
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How far are the Toronto Raptors going to go with their shakeup?

They have already fired coach Dwane Casey after a 59-win season, bringing in a new voice to a good lineup. Is a new voice and some new sets enough? Or is it time for a big roster move — trading DeMar DeRozan?

The Raptors considered that a year ago and may well consider it again, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times, in his weekly newsletter.

Word is that the Raptors quietly explored their DeMar DeRozan trade options last summer —  before they had any inkling that a breakout season was looming — and I’d fully expect Toronto to explore those possibilities again. Not just with DeRozan but with anyone and everyone on the roster.

Teams test the market for their best players more than most fans think, not because they want to make a trade but because they want to know the market value of a player. Does the team value its star more than other teams? Undervalue? It’s information a GM wants, even if he has zero intention of pulling the trigger on a trade.

We don’t know how far the Raptors went down that road. We don’t know yet how far they would drive down it now. If the Raptors want to shake up the roster, a DeRozan trade is the most likely way. (Nobody is taking on Serge Ibaka‘s anchor of a contract, and while Jonas Valanciunas provides value on the court, the Raptors would have to throw in the sweetener of a quality young player to get another team to bite.

DeRozan is their most valuable trade asset if they want to go that way, an All-Star wing who can fill up the scoreboard — 23 points and 5.2 assists per game last season. He can get his shot, a lot of teams need that. He’s also owed $55.5 million guaranteed over the next two seasons with a player option at $27.7 million the year after that. Not many teams can or would take that on, and the Raptors are not looking to rebuild so they will want players back who can help them now.

A deal is not impossible with another team frustrated with their standing and roster, looking to shake things up (there are a number of those around the league right now). Maybe they can get in on a blockbuster deal if Kawhi Leonard becomes available (he’s not now, and could the Raptors re-sign him after his contract ends in 2019?), or some other superstar.

More than likely, the Raptors will run it back with mostly the same roster. Masai Ujiri will explore his options, but outside of changing the coach they are limited.