Essential The Official ESPN Insider Thread (ESPN+)

[Skooby]

New York Knicks: F

Despite Phil Jackson's departure as team president, it's hard to find much to like about the Knicks' offseason. The change at the top, which saw Jackson replaced by Steve Mills and Scott Perry (imported from the Sacramento Kings under Mills), only came after New York drafted Frank Ntilikina over Dennis Smith Jr. -- in large part because of Ntilikina's fit in Jackson's beloved triangle offense. Though Ntilikina was hardly a reach, Smith looks like the steal of the lottery based on his college projections and summer-league performance.



Under Mills' guidance, the Knicks used the vast majority of their cap space on a lavish four-year, $71 million offer sheet to restricted free agent Tim Hardaway Jr., whose production with the Atlanta Hawks didn't merit that kind of deal. New York used its only remaining exception to re-sign backup guard Ron Baker for two years and $9 million, leaving a point guard rotation of Baker, 19-year-old Ntilikina and minimum signing Ramon Sessions.





Orlando Magic: B-

Though it's unlikely to change their fortunes much next season, the Magic had a solid offseason under new management with president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and GM John Hammond. The one exception was the annual Orlando overpay of a backup point guard, with Shelvin Mack (two years, $12 million) joining C.J. Watson (subsequently waived) and D.J. Augustin (who has three years and $21.75 million left on his deal) as beneficiaries of the Magic's largesse.



A three-year, $18 million deal for wing Jonathon Simmons that is partially guaranteed the final season was a better investment of Orlando's cap space. The Magic also snagged stretch-5 Marreese Speights for the minimum, adding a spacing option in the frontcourt, and got solid value drafting Jonathan Isaac with the sixth pick.





Philadelphia 76ers: B+

After trading up from No. 3 to No. 1 to add Markelle Fultz to their group of potential stars, the Sixers wisely held the line on spending this summer, offering one-year deals in free agency. JJ Redikk ($23 million) and Amir Johnson ($11 million) signed on at above-market rates, bolstering Philadelphia's chances at reaching the playoffs while allowing the 76ers to pursue a younger contributor next offseason.



I do wonder whether the Sixers might have changed plans had they known the Pistons would renounce Caldwell-Pope, making him an unrestricted free agent. But Philadelphia can still sign Caldwell-Pope next summer, and Bradley might be a better fit with the Sixers' young core. Philadelphia still has $15 million left to renegotiate and extend the contract of starting small forward Robert Covington and can also extend center Joel Embiid before he becomes a restricted free agent.





Toronto Raptors: B

Masai Ujiri resisted the desire to break up a successful roster that could contend in a post-LeBron James Eastern Conference. The Raptors re-signed point guard Kyle Lowry at a reasonable rate: three years, $93 million plus incentives. The value wasn't as strong with Serge Ibaka, who got $65 million over three years. Toronto was working under financial limitations with the luxury tax looming, which necessitated jettisoning Joseph and giving up a first-round pick so the Nets would take Carroll.



The money-saving moves allowed the Raptors to use their non-taxpayer midlevel exception on C.J. Miles, a better shooter than Carroll but not the same kind of defender. My big concern is how Toronto will fill the minutes Ibaka doesn't play at power forward. Miles is dramatically undersized for the position, meaning Toronto might be counting on second-year player Pascal Siakam taking a big step forward. How well the Raptors fill those minutes might determine how much they drop off this season, if at all.





Washington Wizards: C

Stop me if you've heard this before, but the Wizards were constrained by the luxury tax this summer. Unlike other East teams that skirted the tax or dodged it entirely, Washington is about $7 million over the tax line with a full roster after matching a max offer sheet from the Brooklyn Nets to starting small forward Otto Porter.



Still, tax considerations led the Wizards to let Bogdanovic walk and replace him with the cheaper Jodie Meeks on a two-year, $7 million deal. I prefer Meeks to Bogdanovic, but Washington could have waited around for one of the shooting guards left on the market, including Gerald Henderson Jr. and Anthony Morrow. Tim Frazier, acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans for a late second-round pick, should upgrade a weak spot backing up John Wall.

 

[Skooby]

Olney: Grading the 2017 trade deadline

Olney: Grading the 2017 trade deadline

The other day, an evaluator talking about the landscape of the trade market cited the essential purpose for the trade deadline: Either you advance and attack your weaknesses, or you retreat strategically. As best they can within their context, teams should either work to improve their playoff hopes or they should improve their chances of winning in future seasons by trading players whose value is about to expire. This is the standard on which the following grades are based. A "C" grade is perfectly average (as I established in my college experience).

Washington Nationals: A-plus
Their window to win is now and they would’ve had no shot at beating their best National League opponents -- the Dodgers and Cubs, most notably -- without upgrading the back of their bullpen. The Nationals rectified their mistake from last offseason by trading for relievers Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson and Brandon Kintzler, and they patched over a hole in their outfield depth by trading for Howie Kendrick. They are better for the work done by president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo.

Arizona Diamondbacks: A
They don’t have a lot of resources to work with, and it may be that the team’s success surprised the front office a little this year. Either way, the Diamondbacks set aside any plans for retooling or flipping talent and traded for lefty-killer J.D. Martinez to bolster the lineup -- knowing they could face the left-hander-laden Dodgers in the division series -- and then added shortstop Adam Rosales and reliever David Hernandez in the final hours before the trade deadline. Within the Diamondbacks’ context, in a year in which they have a chance to win, these moves were solid and exactly what was needed, when they were needed.

Chicago Cubs: A
Their time to win is now, and the Cubs’ executives are acting on it, while also setting up the team for the future. The newly acquired Justin Wilson could help close out games in 2018, after Wade Davis departs as a free agent. And Jose Quintana will be a rotation anchor for at least three more seasons.

Chicago White Sox: A
They did what they needed to do, trading veterans Quintana, Tommy Kahnle, Todd Frazier, Melky Cabrera and David Robertson. They filled their organization with even more talent, beyond what they acquired by selling Chris Sale and Adam Eaton last winter. By the time the Royals and then the Indians face downward cycles, the White Sox may have progressed enough to take advantage.

New York Yankees: A
Sonny Gray can be a rotation anchor for the rest of 2017, as well as 2018 and 2019, and the Yankees also added two high-end relievers in Robertson and Kahnle to create a bullpen that may be as deep as any other in the American League. In the trades the Yankees made, they gave up some of their prospect depth, but managed to hang onto their best guys, outfielder Clint Frazier and infielder Gleyber Torres. Through their moves, the Yankees can now contend for the AL title in 2017, probably a year ahead of schedule.

Tampa Bay Rays: A
They took on the salary of Adeiny Hechavarria to play shortstop and improved their power with Lucas Duda -- again absorbing salary. They also took on two relievers, Steve Cishek and Dan Jennings. It may not be good enough in the end, but the Rays worked aggressively to get better.

Kansas City Royals: A-minus
Kansas City didn’t necessarily add stars the way it did in the 2015 pennant race, when the Royals swapped for Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist. Rather, the Royals added Cabrera and a trio of pitchers in a deal with San Diego. But the Royals’ efforts to get better provided a jolt of adrenaline for a team competing for a postseason spot, before Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar and Jason Vargas become free agents. It was the perfect response to the team’s improving play, because nobody knows when the Royals will be in position to win again.

Los Angeles Dodgers: A-minus
The L.A. front office stepped up and surrendered prospects to get an All-Star starting pitcher. But this grade is potentially mitigated by the concerns of evaluators about Darvish, who was awful recently. Are the Dodgers getting the great Darvish who dominates right-handed hitters? Or are the Dodgers getting the Darvish who had a 5.81 ERA in his past eight starts and seemed to be putting a lot of pressure on himself with scouts watching him the past couple of weeks? Now no player faces more pressure in the next two months than Darvish, who has been added with the expectation that he can augment the best team in baseball -- and must also try to prove himself as a pending free agent. The Dodgers also added left-handers Tony Watson and Tony Cingrani.

Philadelphia Phillies: B-plus
During the Cubs’ rebuilding process, Chicago flipped veterans into the market like Scott Feldman and Ryan Dempster, and landed pieces such as Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks. And the Phillies worked from the same blueprint this year. The Phillies landed prospects for Pat Neshek, they got some international money and a Class AA bullpen prospect for Jeremy Hellickson despite Hellickson’s struggles this year, and they paid down some of Kendrick's remaining salary to land McKenzie Mills, a left-hander who is getting great results with good command in Class A. Overall, it has been a really rough year for the Phillies, but their trade deadline work turned out well.

Oakland Athletics: B-plus
Over time, the prospects added in the Gray deal will have to prove themselves. Some rival evaluators love Jorge Mateo and think he could be a star. There’s no doubt that this was the right time to trade Gray, because if they had waited, they would’ve risked the possibility of injury and a complete collapse of his market value. The Athletics were open to talking about Yonder Alonso, but the demand for position players was tepid and Alonso slumped in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline.

Colorado Rockies: B
Colorado spent big in the offseason and then added arguably the best right-handed reliever in the market in Neshek and traded for veteran catcher Jonathan Lucroy. The effort has been there from the front office.

Texas Rangers: B
President of baseball operations and general manager Jon Daniels recognized the futility of the Rangers’ situation in the standings and acted appropriately, trading Darvish and Lucroy for prospects. The return wasn’t overwhelming, but it was certainly more than what Texas would’ve gotten if Darvish and Lucroy walked out as free agents.

Detroit Tigers: B
Their return in the J.D. Martinez trade is regarded within the industry as too thin, but the Tigers seemed to make out fine in their prospect haul for Wilson and Alex Avila.

New York Mets: B-minus
The Mets flipped Duda and Addison Reed for young players and salary relief, and they made a nice under-the-radar deal for AJ Ramos, who can be an important part of the team’s bullpen next season.

Boston Red Sox: B-minus
Boston made big moves the past couple of years, with trades for Craig Kimbrel, Drew Pomeranz and Sale and the record-setting signing of David Price. So the Red Sox didn’t have the same kind of resources available to compete in the market this summer, and wound up adding Reed to their bullpen and Eduardo Nunez at third base. These weren’t earth-shifting moves, but they may have been what the Red Sox can afford at this time.

Cleveland Indians: B-minus
They added Joe Smith, who they know well from his previous tenure with the team, to an already really good bullpen.

Minnesota Twins: B-minus
They had good intentions with their swap for Jaime Garcia, but within a few days it was clear Garcia had been added to a sinking ship. So the Twins got prospects from the Yankees for the left-hander, then traded Kintzler to the Nationals -- decent return for a reliever in his early 30s. Minnesota’s front office can now face the Twins’ players and fans and say, with a good conscience, Hey, we earnestly tried to improve.

 

[Skooby]

Atlanta Braves: C-plus
Atlanta managed to get the Twins to pick up Garcia's contract for the last 10 weeks of the season, a positive in what is a lost season; saving money is a good thing. The Braves talked to other teams about Julio Teheran, but couldn’t find a match.

Los Angeles Angels: C-plus
Mike Scioscia's team has overachieved in the face of devastating injuries to Mike Trout and Garrett Richards. With the Astros far out of reach atop the AL West, the Angels made the right move in capitalizing on Hernandez's value now by flipping him to Arizona. The veteran reliever was making only $535,000 and would’ve never cleared waivers, so the Angels had to move him now.

Seattle Mariners: C-plus
General manager Jerry Dipoto loves to make moves, but the hard reality is that Seattle has expended a lot of resources and wasn’t in position to make big additions this summer.

Milwaukee Brewers: C-plus
It would’ve been interesting to see if Milwaukee would have been more aggressive if its lead over the Cubs in the NL Central hadn’t quickly evaporated after the All-Star break. Maybe the Brewers would’ve made a move on Gray if they were still four or five games up in first place.

St. Louis Cardinals: C
St. Louis was too close to give up on its season and too far away to invest in improving the team to win this year. The Cardinals did almost nothing, and that was appropriate.

Cincinnati Reds: C
The Reds pushed Zack Cozart to other teams, but a couple of factors have worked against them: There isn’t really a need for shortstops among the contending teams, and Cozart got hurt. But short of moving Joey Votto's massive contract, Cincinnati GM dikk Williams has already done the heavy lifting of the Reds’ rebuilding, and given that Votto wants to stay and has a full no-trade clause, he’s probably staying put.

San Francisco Giants: C
The problem for San Francisco is that it really doesn’t have attractive, tradable assets. So while other teams were retooling and resetting for 2018 -- something the Giants need to do -- the club is stuck with a roster of expensive, older players, many of whom have underperformed. This is why the Giants moved only Nunez in a lost season.

San Diego Padres: C-minus
Rival executives assumed that San Diego would lower its asking price on Brad Hand before the trade deadline, because relievers tend to have more value in the summer than in the offseason and Hand’s value will never be higher than it is now. But San Diego never backed off, and Hand will presumably finish out the season with the Padres. Two years ago, the Padres kept Kimbrel through the trade period and got good return for him from the Red Sox during the offseason. Perhaps that’s what San Diego anticipates, but Hand is not Kimbrel; he was a waiver claim 16 months ago. Executives around the sport were incredibly surprised that the Padres didn’t move Hand.

Pittsburgh Pirates: C-minus
They flipped one reliever for value in dealing Watson to the Dodgers, and added another in Joaquin Benoit. But just when it looked like the Pirates were starting to gain traction and beginning a week of games against two of baseball’s worst teams, the Giants and Padres, they lost outfielder Gregory Polanco. Did they take on some payroll and add the likes of Jay Bruce, Melky Cabrera or Kendrick? No.

Toronto Blue Jays: D-plus
They were just unlucky, because most of their potential free agents -- Marco Estrada, Jose Bautista, Francisco Liriano -- have struggled this season, cutting their value. The Jays swapped Smith to the Indians.

Miami Marlins: D
They dumped salary, moving veterans such as Hechavarria and Ramos, and that’s always ugly.

Houston Astros: D-minus
After their spectacular start, they had months to find talent to bolster a rotation ground down by injury and to upgrade the bullpen -- and they did neither. Every serious contender chasing the Astros in the AL got better, and Houston added Liriano.

Baltimore Orioles: F
It’s impossible to find a consistent strain of logic in the Orioles’ actions before the trade deadline. As of Sunday morning, Fangraphs pegged the Orioles’ chances at making the playoffs at 3 percent, and yet they spent future assets to acquire Hellickson, a pitcher who will be a free agent at season’s end. And the Orioles didn’t trade Zach Britton, whose trade value may never be higher than it was on Monday afternoon, and never went through the process of weighing the market worth of Manny Machado and Adam Jones. The instant the trade deadline passed, the potential return for Britton, Machado, Jones and others may have dropped by 25 or 30 percent because now they can only impact one pennant race for an interested contending team, rather than two. For the Orioles, this was a lost opportunity to better position the team for 2019 and 2020 and beyond.

 

[954UAlreadyknow]

Rising NBA draft prospects: Michael Porter, a dark horse No. 1 pick and more

 

[Lucky_Lefty]

Rising NBA draft prospects: Michael Porter, a dark horse No. 1 pick and more

.
HOUSTON, Texas -- Dozens of top college prospects showed off their skills at the Adidas Nations Global camp that ended Monday.

Just how good is top-ranked Missouri freshman Michael Porter Jr., and how can he improve?

Here's the key info we learned, including breakout draft candidates and a dark horse for 2018's No. 1 pick.


Porter flashes upside, areas for improvement
By: Jonathan Givony

Michael Porter gave this camp a serious boost by electing to participate in the first three days of action, much to the delight of the dozens of NBA scouts assembled in Houston.

He seems to have had an excellent summer in the weight room, adding "eight or nine pounds" since arriving on campus at Missouri and noticeably looking bigger in the upper body in particular. Once measured at 6-foot-9 and 193 pounds by USA Basketball as a 16-year-old, Porter will have no problem filling out his frame to the point that he can guard almost any power forward thrown his way, especially since he now stands taller than 6-10 in shoes.

Porter looks like a lottery talent on first glance, but he also does things on the floor that few players his size can match. He's a natural shot-creator who can get a look off at will with a high release point and feathery soft touch on his pull-up jumper. His scoring instincts are off the chart, as evidenced by the 52 points he delivered in just 60 minutes of game-action at the camp. He's a playmaker on defense thanks to his excellent instincts, quickness and big standing reach (center size at around 9-feet), and has some court vision as well, seeing both sides of the floor at his high-vantage point to deliver pinpoint passes across the court for open 3s.

While there's little doubt about the extent of Porter's talent, he's still putting it all together.

He has a tendency to catch, hold and dribble the ball every time he gets a touch, going into iso-mode. That makes him somewhat predictable and easy to guard. He was credited for only one assist in his 60 minutes at the camp. His ability to get any shot he wants at any time is both a curse and a blessing, often causing him to settle for the first shot he can find -- typically a tough, contested fadeaway that is a low percentage attempt even for the most gifted scorers on earth.

He has such long legs and a high center of gravity that he plays the game upright, struggling when getting knocked off balance, avoiding contact at the rim and gambling excessively in the passing lanes. There may be somewhat of a transition for Porter to playing against elite-level defenders at the college level, as he's still figuring out how to play physical, efficient basketball and think about the game at the highest levels.

Still, the 6-10 power forward who can score from anywhere on the floor is the queen on a chessboard of modern basketball, and NBA scouts will be happy to be patient as the rest of his game rounds out.

Donte DiVincenzo looks primed for breakout season
With Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins off to the pro ranks, Villanova head coach Jay Wright will look toward a new cast of characters to attempt to lead the Wildcats to their fifth straight Big East championship. From what we saw at Nations, Donte DiVincenzo will play a major role in that, as he had a strong week and looks primed for a breakout season.

Unheralded out of high school, DiVincenzo barely saw the floor as a freshman. He has gotten much stronger in the past two years, emerging as one of the best defenders of the weekend, taking great pride in stopping opposing players, sometimes by dishing out hard fouls that drew angry stares. He's a good athlete who set the tone for his team with the way he competed on both ends of the floor, moving the ball unselfishly and making sure to keep everyone involved. The ball never sticks very long in DiVincenzo's hands, and he's constantly talking and surveying the court, often throwing the ball ahead in transition to get easy baskets. He can change speeds off the pick-and-roll and is quick off his feet to play above the rim, attacking the basket aggressively.

DiVincenzo made shots at a solid rate throughout the weekend, but will likely need to become a knockdown shooter and a better half-court facilitator to emerge as a bona fide NBA prospect in his final two years at Villanova. He shot a solid 36.5 percent for 3 as a sophomore, but will likely be asked to play off the ball a good amount once again this year alongside Big East First Team All-Conference member Jalen Brunson.

Strong weekend for Maryland's Justin Jackson
Justin Jackson looks much improved after an off-season in which he tested the NBA draft waters and ultimately elected to withdraw to return for his sophomore season at Maryland.

His frame looks outstanding, as he's clearly in the best shape we've seen him since he burst onto the scene as a 15-year-old playing up at the 2012 FIBA Under-17 World Championship, where he made some serious noise.

His jumper looks much smoother now -- it's clear he has put a lot of work into it -- and he knocked down six of his 11 3-point attempts in 84 minutes at the camp. Jackson's intensity level was very high all weekend long. He flies around on defense and is capable of checking any of the frontcourt positions with his 7-3 wingspan and chiseled frame.

NBA teams can't find enough players with the versatility Jackson possesses on both ends of the floor, which will make him an attractive proposition should he have as strong of a sophomore season as this weekend suggested and decides to enter the 2018 NBA draft.

 

[Lucky_Lefty]

Anas Mahmoud makes his case for NBA scouts
No player born and raised in Egypt has ever played in the NBA. Louisville's Anas Mahmoud is trying to be the first.

He made a strong case for himself at Adidas Nations with the way he competed on defense. He covers ground like a player much smaller than 7-foot tall, rotating to the perimeter and recovering seamlessly to make plays at the rim with amazing timing and instincts, getting quite a few blocks and steals in the process.

Mahmoud is still painfully thin, especially in the lower body, but he's added some mass to his shoulders, and is playing a lot more physically than he did when he first arrived on campus at Louisville. His feel for the game has improved considerably as well, and he even made a handful of midrange jumpers, showing a little more offensive versatility than we saw in his first three seasons in college.

Mahmoud will need to become a much better defensive rebounder to carve out a niche at the NBA level, but big men who can guard pick-and-rolls the way he does always have a chance to make a roster.

Ray Spalding coming along
Louisville's other starting frontcourt player at this event, Ray Spalding, also had a strong weekend. He was one of the most impressive athletes among the college counselors, running the floor exceptionally well, being quick off his feet, showing extreme bounce and displaying an excellent first step that made him difficult for opposing big men to stay in front of off the bounce.

He has good shot-creation potential from the 4 spot and even flashed some potential as a jump-shooter, making a corner 3-pointer at one point and hitting a couple of midrange jumpers as well, with soft touch and a clean stroke. He also covers ground exceptionally well on defense, as the game seems to be slowing down for him finally. He switched seamlessly onto smaller players in the pick-and-roll and has impressive range with his strides.

A member of Louisville's coaching staff told us going into this event that Spalding has been their best player all summer, and they expect him to have a breakout junior season. His poor frame and lack of strength is the biggest thing holding him back at the moment, as he was pushed around quite a bit all weekend in the post and on the defensive glass and didn't always show enough fight. Getting tougher will be a major key in Spalding reaching his full potential, but he's in the right place to do that under Rick Pitino.

Scouting Nations' intriguing draft prospects
By Mike Schmitz

Robert Williams | So. | F | Texas A&M

The most physically imposing prospect in Houston, Williams wowed scouts with his tremendous frame, 7-foot-5 wingspan, incredible defensive range, lob-catching expertise and flashes of offensive skill. With no clear-cut No. 1 pick in place, the sophomore Texas A&M product could very well be a dark horse in the race depending on the type of sophomore season he has in College Station.

He wasn't all that productive during his two games at Adidas Nations (7.1 player efficiency rating) but Williams fits the modern center prototype. Similarly to former Aggies big man DeAndre Jordan, Williams can protect the rim (3.8 blocks per 40 minutes last year), cover ground on the perimeter, clean the glass and hammer home lobs as emphatically as any big man in the country.

He's not quite as big or strong in the lower body as Jordan was, but Williams has quite a bit more skill at the same stage. He's an improved passer who can make a midrange jumper or a short-range jump hook. Williams still lacks a fair amount of discipline, and for every on-point backdoor feed or standstill jumper, he'll fire an errant pass or spray a contested midrange pull up left or right. He has a tendency to get too sped up on the floor, and coaches will likely have to take the good with the bad early in his career.

The raw abilities are certainly there for Williams to hear his name called in the top three of next year's draft, but does the Texas A&M roster play to his strengths? With ultra-productive, paint-dominating center Tyler Davis next to him, Williams will likely play mostly the 4 for the Aggies, which leads to fewer lob catches and more opportunities for wild play on the perimeter.

With all that said there simply aren't many human beings on the planet that can do some of the things that Williams can. The 6-9 high-flyer bet on himself after last season, turning down what would have been a top-10 selection for a crack at the No. 1 overall pick. In contrast to this year's draft, this next crop is loaded with big men at the top, and Williams briefly reminded scouts that he has the potential to be the most intriguing of them all come June 2018.

Bruce Brown | So. | G | Miami

With highly touted prospects like Williams shutting it down after two games, potential lottery pick Bruce Brown went gangbusters, competing in all five college counselor sessions and leading the event in scoring at 17.0 points per game. Brown's all-in participation and high-energy play speak to the type of competitor he is.

The Boston native goes hard every possession, and Brown has all the ingredients in place for a monster sophomore season at Miami. With Davon Reed gone, Brown will likely be the Canes' No. 1 option next to senior point guard Ja'Quan Newton, and he's well-equipped to give ACC opponents fits on both ends of the floor. Miami has reloaded with a freshman quartet of Lonnie Walker, Deng Gak, Sam Waardenberg (first year sophomore) and Chris Lykes, and figures to be one of the more explosive teams in the NCAA, with Brown as the centerpiece.

At 6-5 with a 6-9 wingspan, a strong upper body, quick feet and a no-fear mindset, Brown is a willing defender who can check up to three positions. Offensively, Brown has transformed from athlete to basketball player over the course of the last few years, and already showed considerable improvements since last year in Houston, making more shots off the dribble, connecting on 12-of-26 3s and taking better care of the ball in the half court.

An intelligent, self-aware 20-year-old with a blend of confidence and humility, Brown is the type of prospect NBA scouts will want to bet on as he'll likely maximize his potential long-term. More of a high-level role starter last season, Brown has a chance to star in Miami next season and could very well hear his name called in the lottery as a result.

Lamar Peters | So. | G | Mississippi State

Peters helped himself as much as any player to take the floor in Houston. The shifty 6-foot guard erupted for 27.0 points, 9.2 assists and 2.4 steals per 40 minutes while shooting 60 percent from 2-point territory and 50 percent from 3. Following up a strong freshman season in Starkville, the fairly unheralded recruit scored at all three levels, diced up pick-and-roll defenses with his game-changing quickness and made more than enough shots to keep the defense honest.

Peters is a competitor who will get into the ball defensively, fight over every screen and finish through contact at the rim despite his lack of elite size. At the age of most incoming freshmen, the New Orleans native plays with an edge that caught the eye of NBA scouts in Houston. Peters still has to prove he can make shots consistently when the defense goes under screens, and he's far from a pure facilitator in the half court. But the strong, explosive guard is loaded with game and could eventually fill a role as a change-of-pace guard who defends, puts pressure on the rim and provides instant offense off the bench. Adidas Nations was Peters' coming out party as a prospect and he's poised for a big sophomore season under Ben Howland.

Mikal Bridges | Jr. | G | Villanova

At 6-7 with a 7-2 wingspan, a projectable frame, defensive versatility and a capable 3 ball, Bridges has NBA role player written all over him.

The 20-year-old junior isn't the most skilled ball handler or decision-maker, but wings with size and length who can make a shot aren't easy to find. Bridges regularly checked point guards, 2-guards and small forwards in Houston, and he has all the tools to be a plus-defender at the NBA level as well.

With a slightly expanded role on a Josh Hart-less Villanova team, Bridges could very well hear his name called in the first round of the 2017 draft if he shoots the ball well, plays within himself and defends with toughness.

Second-round forwards

A handful of forwards with size and projectable skills stood out as potential second-round picks, led by Missouri State's Alize Johnson. The late-blooming 6-9 forward helped himself in a big way, playing in front of NBA scouts really for the first time in his basketball career.

 

[Da_Eggman]

Defensive infield tiers: Ranking all 30 teams
MLB managers on the hot seat
Olney: Biggest weakness for every contender
Who's left? Rating the best available specialists in NBA free agency

 

[Skooby]

Defensive infield tiers: Ranking all 30 teams

Defensive infield tiers: Ranking all 30 teams




If I were to ask you to think of a defensive highlight, I'm sure there are many plays that would come to mind.

One of the most memorable for me is Derek Jeter's play against the Red Sox in 2004 when he flew into the stands after making an incredible running catch 50 feet behind third base. There are countless others like that -- plays that astound and show up on the highlight reels for years to come. Those plays get the attention, and while they're certainly impressive, so much more than that goes into what makes a good infielder.

Below, I rank all the major league infield defenses into tiers. Rather than basing it off highlight-reel plays, though, I instead am able to use more sophisticated data that we have here at Baseball Info Solutions, specifically our Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) metric, to measure their defense as a whole. The rankings also take into account future projected lineup construction, as well as my own observations, in order to most accurately determine which infields will be the best defensively going forward.



Tier 1 -- Hot at the hot corner
1. Chicago Cubs
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
3. Tampa Bay Rays
4. Colorado Rockies
5. St. Louis Cardinals

The Cubs have had one of baseball's best defenses for a couple of years now, and it all starts with their infield. Addison Russell leads the way with 14 runs saved, second-most among shortstops this season, and he's surrounded by a more-than-capable supporting cast of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and either Javier Baez or Ben Zobrist, all of whom have been above average in the infield this season.

The Rockies and Cardinals both owe their place in this tier in large part to their third basemen, as Nolan Arenado and Jedd Gyorko have respectively saved the most and second-most runs at the position. Arenado is no surprise, as he has been providing some of the best defense at the position for five years now, but Gyorko stands out in that there was no way to see this coming. Third base wasn't even his primary position last year -- he shuffled around the infield, playing at least 50 innings at each position, but got most of his playing time at second base. His revelation at third has allowed the Cardinals to keep Matt Carpenter at first, where he has been an above-average fielder since 2015. The move from Aledmys Diaz to Paul DeJong at shortstop is also a big reason for the Cardinals' placement here, with Diaz having cost the team 10 runs this season while DeJong has been average defensively.

Third base has been a strength for the Dodgers and Rays as well, but there are additional reasons for why they're in the top tier. The Dodgers have taken a balanced approach, being one of only two teams with above-average defense at every infield position this season. Similarly, the Rays have excelled in various areas, from their individual fielders' range and positioning skills to the team's ability as a whole to save runs with the shift. Where they stand above the rest of the field, though, is in their ability to turn double plays. Rays infielders have turned a double play on 74.4 percent of their opportunities, which is the highest rate in the majors.



Team Double Play Rate Leaders
Team Opportunities Double Plays Rate
Rays 108 80 74.1%
White Sox 134 99 73.9%
Rangers 134 96 71.6%
Angels 111 79 71.2%
Mariners 131 92 70.2%




Tier 2 -- Solid at shortstop
6. Cleveland Indians
7. Texas Rangers
8. Milwaukee Brewers
9. Pittsburgh Pirates
10. Los Angeles Angels
11. Cincinnati Reds
12. Miami Marlins
Just as teams in the top tier owe their place to their third basemen, many of the teams in the second tier are here because of their shortstops. Specifically, the Angels and Indians have both been helped by the performance of their shortstops. Andrelton Simmons and Francisco Lindor were among the best shortstops the past two years, saving the most and fifth-most runs, respectively, over that time frame. The two have taken diverging paths this season -- while Simmons has remained among the position's elite, Lindor's defense has dropped off, as he has actually cost his team a run this year. The Angels might've been in the third tier if not for Simmons, while the Indians could have found themselves among the top teams if Lindor had met expectations defensively.



The Reds and Marlins have also received solid play from their shortstops, although both have dealt with injuries this season. Zack Cozart has been one of the best defensive shortstops of the past few years, but he has played in less than 70 percent of his team's games because of a quad injury that has held him out of the lineup. He's back now, which bodes well for the Reds' infield defense going forward. Conversely, Marlins rookie shortstop JT Riddle is out for the rest of the season with a left shoulder injury. Taking over for another glove-first shortstop, Adeiny Hechavarria, Riddle had saved the team seven runs at the position, fifth most in the majors.

The other three teams in this tier can point to balance as one of their biggest advantages over other teams. Each of them has been above average at three or more of the infield positions, while only the Brewers have been below average at any of them. Eric Thames and Jesus Aguilar have combined to cost the Brewers five runs at first base, a blemish on what would otherwise be among the top infield defenses.



Tier 3 -- Fine at first, average elsewhere
13. San Francisco Giants
14. Kansas City Royals
15. Atlanta Braves
16. Arizona Diamondbacks
17. Toronto Blue Jays
18. Chicago White Sox
The Giants' and Diamondbacks' infields have been close to average this season, but if not for their first basemen, they'd likely fall a tier or two. Brandon Belt and Paul Goldschmidt are two of the top defensive first basemen in the game. Since 2015, they, along with Anthony Rizzo, are in a tier of their own atop the first base DRS leaderboard.



First Base DRS Leaders (2015-Present)
Player DRS
Paul Goldschmidt 31
Anthony Rizzo 30
Brandon Belt 29
Freddie Freeman 15
Mitch Moreland 15


This year is proving to be more of the same, as Belt leads the position with 12 runs saved and is followed closely by Goldschmidt and Rizzo, each of whom have saved nine runs. The rest of the infield for both teams isn't great, although Brandon Crawford could provide a huge boost to the Giants defense if he can regain his defensive prowess.

Second basemen are the story elsewhere. In Atlanta and Chicago, prospects Ozzie Albies and Yoan Moncada have taken over the starting roles for their teams. For the Braves, Albies' defense should help, taking over the position from Brandon Phillips and pushing him to third, where he has saved two runs already in six games. Moncada probably won't help his team as much, considering his minor league defense was worse than the average major league second baseman and that he displaced Yolmer Sanchez, who had saved six runs at the position.

The Blue Jays and Royals have also been affected by the second-base position, albeit in different ways. Both entered the season with different starters from the ones playing now -- Devon Travis for the Blue Jays, and Raul Mondesi for the Royals. Travis was injured in early June, a significant blow to his team considering his three runs saved leads its infielders. Mondesi, meanwhile, was sent down to the minors after a slow start, but current Royals starter Whit Merrifield has saved seven runs at second base, second most in the majors.



Tier 4 -- Some tough spots
19. Oakland Athletics
20. Washington Nationals
21. New York Yankees
22. Baltimore Orioles
23. Detroit Tigers
24. Boston Red Sox
25. Houston Astros
Both the Athletics and Orioles would be in the bottom tier without the stellar play of their third basemen. Matt Chapman is single-handedly keeping the Athletics afloat, having saved 11 runs in just more than 300 innings since his call up while no other infielder has saved them even one run for the season. Similarly, Manny Machado's 10 DRS is the only positive total among current Orioles starting infielders.

The Nationals, Red Sox and Tigers are in an opposite situation: Each has an infield defense that would be better than league average if it wasn't being dragged down by a single fielder. Daniel Murphy, Xander Bogaerts and Nick Castellanos have cost their teams 15, 13, and 12 runs, respectively, which are the three worst totals among all infielders at a single position.



Infield DRS Trailers, 2017
Player Pos DRS
Daniel Murphy 2B -15
Xander Bogaerts SS -13
Nicholas Castellanos 3B -12
Jose Reyes SS -10
Aledmys Diaz SS -10
Yonder Alonso 1B -10


The Yankees and Astros buck the trend, as the two of them aren't being held up or dragged down by the play of any one fielder. The Yankees' infield defense improved markedly at the trade deadline, with Todd Frazier taking over the starting job at third base and moving Chase Headley to first. The Astros, on the other hand, lost starting shortstop Carlos Correa, who was the only infielder on the team with above average defense this season.

 

[Skooby]

Tier 5 -- Trouble almost everywhere
26. Minnesota Twins
27. Seattle Mariners
28. San Diego Padres
29. Philadelphia Phillies
30. New York Mets


These teams have struggled the most with their infield defense. Since the Phillies trade of Howie Kendrick -- who had saved them two runs in his 10 games at second base -- to the Nationals, only the Twins can claim to be above average defensively at even one infield position. Joe Mauer has saved the team four runs at first base this season and 10 since 2016, much of which is due to his ability to scoop poor throws -- he has saved more than three runs since 2016 with that skill, and his scoop rate during that time is the highest among active regular first basemen.



Scoop Rate Leaders, 2016-2017 -- Min 30 Opportunities
Player Scoops Mishandles Scoop Rate Scoop Runs Saved
Joe Mauer 41 1 97.6% 3.3
C.J. Cron 30 1 96.8% 2.3
Mitch Moreland 38 4 90.5% 2.2
Eric Hosmer 59 7 89.4% 4.3
Freddie Freeman 44 6 88.0% 2.3


Unfortunately for the Twins, the rest of their infield has been subpar. Eduardo Escobar and Miguel Sano have combined to cost the team 15 runs, which is too large of a hole to expect Mauer to scoop them out of.

As for the rest of the teams, there's not much hope to be found. Some are actually getting worse defensively, like the Mariners, who just traded for Yonder Alonso despite costing the Athletics 10 runs at first base this season. Others, like the Mets, are looking to the farm system for help, calling up top prospect Amed Rosario and shifting Asdrubal Cabrera away from shortstop where he's cost them nine runs this season. It's too early to tell how these moves will play out, but there will be time for adjustment, as the Twins and Mariners are the only teams from this group that have any chance of making the playoffs this season.

 

[Skooby]

MLB managers on the hot seat

LB managers on the hot seat

These are strange times in Major League Baseball. No manager has been fired during the season. Only one manager was fired during the 2016 season. I miss the days of irrational owners and front offices impetuously firing managers, even 150 games into a season when your team is in playoff position.

That doesn't mean, however, that some managers won't be canned after the season. Two teams hired a new manager last offseason -- the Diamondbacks and White Sox -- but that's a low figure as well. Does that mean more could lose their jobs this offseason? Possibly, but managers are more like middle managers these days, not CEOs, and with many teams in clear rebuilding phases, managers aren't the fall guys for bad seasons the way they once were. Still, here are some of the men in the dugout who will be on the hot seat:

Terry Collins, New York Mets: He signed a two-year extension after the Mets reached the World Series in 2015, but he's 68, his contract is expiring and the Mets have had a disappointing season, so the crystal ball is pretty clear. Collins isn't to blame for everything that went wrong in 2017, but local media reported back in May that GM Sandy Alderson was irked with several strategic moves Collins had made. He has had only two winning seasons in seven years with the Mets. Few managers last long with an organization with that kind of track record, so expect the Mets to go younger with a new-breed sabermetric-type skipper.

Mike Matheny, St. Louis Cardinals: Matheny's in-game strategy has long been a popular target for criticism on Twitter, but ownership put a lot faith in him last winter when he was signed to a three-year extension that runs through 2020. So that makes him safe, right? Not necessarily.

First, for a franchise that expects to contend for the World Series every season, the Cardinals missed the playoffs last year and only a recent winning streak moved the club back over .500 and into the playoff race. Just a couple of weeks ago, GM John Mozeliak sat in the Wrigley Field visitors dugout and told reporters, "So maybe the broader question is, do attitude and culture need to be something that we look at to either change or shake up? And that's not necessarily something that you can do just do at July 31. That might be something we have to look at hard during the offseason."

A few days after that, Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina took a shot at Matheny on Instagram when he posted a quote from Matheny that implied Molina looked tired and wrote, "I'm not tired and the day I feel tired I'll express it myself." It's never a good sign when the face of your franchise is openly criticizing the manager.

Aside from all that is the troubling management of some of the younger players. Kolten Wong has bounced around from starting second baseman to outfielder to bench player and now he's back in good graces. Aledmys Diaz was an All-Star last year and now he's in the minors, as is Stephen Piscotty. There was the odd experiment with Matt Adams playing left field. Look, it's not Matheny's fault Trevor Rosenthal twice forgot to cover first base, but the constant shuffling of roles suggests a manager (or front office) without a strong ability to properly evaluate talent.

Watching from afar, I'm not exactly sure what Matheny brings to the table. If the Cardinals miss the playoffs and finish around .500, don't be surprised if he gets the boot.

Don Mattingly, Miami Marlins: The guy had five consecutive winning seasons with the Dodgers and I feel as if he has done about as well as could be expected given the talent on the Marlins, and he is signed through 2019. But if the Marlins are sold -- hold your breath -- that could mean a clearing out of the front office, and a new ownership group might want to hire its own guy for the dugout as well.

Joe Girardi, New York Yankees: ESPN Yankees writer Andrew Marchand recently wrote that "there are no more excuses" for Girardi and that it's "playoff appearance or pink slip." I didn't realize people have been making excuses for Girardi, who is kind of paint-by-numbers as a tactician and not exactly Mr. Fun, but he never has finished under .500 and did a good job with some overpaid, aging teams. He also hasn't won a playoff game since 2012, and maybe Hank Steinbrenner will remember his bloodline if the Yankees miss the playoffs or even lose the wild-card game. I don't see them falling out of a playoff spot, and it would seem a long shot that Girardi gets fired, but let's imagine him getting fired ... and getting hired by the Mets.

Brad Ausmus, Detroit Tigers: He has to be on shaky ground since his contract is up, the GM who initially hired him is no longer here, the owner who hired him is deceased, and the Tigers are probably entering a rebuilding period that Ausmus might not want to manage through anyway. In my very unscientific study of Twitter criticism, I'd say Ausmus ranks pretty high there as well.

Bryan Price, Cincinnati Reds. To be fair, this team wasn't going to win with John McGraw at the helm. Price has been on the hot seat before and his contract includes only an option for 2018, so it would be easy for the Reds to go another direction. If GM dikk Williams sees a problem, it's that Price -- a longtime pitching coach before getting the managing gig -- has struggled to develop the young pitchers, with this year's rotation historically awful with a 5.99 ERA. He has done some creative and smart things with the bullpen, but if Price's thing is supposed to be pitching, that 5.99 ERA isn't a good sign for job security.

 

[Skooby]

Olney: Biggest weakness for every contender

Olney: Biggest weakness for every contender

The greatest team of the past half-century was nearly taken down in the 1998 playoffs because of a late-season problem. The New York Yankees won 114 games in the regular season, dominated Texas in the division series and rolled into the American League Championship Series as heavy favorites. They had a deep and talented team.

But 20-game winner David Cone, an anchor all summer, was exhausted by season's end, even after he skipped bullpen sessions in the second half. When Andy Pettitte lost Game 2 to the Indians and Cleveland blasted Cone in Game 3, a team that had played near-perfect baseball for most of six months was in big trouble. Orlando Hernandez started Game 4, and with the use of a changeup -- a pitch he had refined just a few weeks before -- he struck out Jim Thome in a big spot. From there, the Yankees remained on course, winning out the rest of the postseason and closing the year with 125 wins.

Every team has to work around gaps with ever-evolving performers. Here are the potential pitfalls for the current cast of contenders.

Los Angeles Dodgers: A left-hander to get big outs in the sixth and seventh innings

There's still a third of the season remaining, yet the Dodgers' path to the World Series seems all but certain. Because of their staggering pace and enormous lead over the rest of the NL, the Dodgers are just about a lock to face the winner of the NL wild-card game in the division series (today, that would be Colorado or Arizona). If they advance to the National League Championship Series, the Dodgers would take on either Washington or the winner of the NL Central, a division currently led by the Cubs.

If they play Washington, the Dodgers will have to deal with two of the best left-handed hitters in baseball: MVP candidate Bryce Harper and batting title contender Daniel Murphy. If they face the Cubs, they will have to deal with left-handed slugger Anthony Rizzo. The Rockies have the left-handed-hitting Charlie Blackmon, and the Diamondbacks have third baseman Jake Lamb, who crushes right-handers and is extremely vulnerable against lefties.

For the Dodgers to get to the World Series, they'll need a handful of crucial outs against these lefty mashers -- something they've struggled to get in recent postseasons. Matt Carpenter beat them, and so did Matt Adams. In the final three games of last year's NLCS, when the Cubs turned a 2-1 deficit into a World Series berth, Rizzo went 7-for-14.

From whomever develops into the primary middle-inning lefty for the Dodgers -- right now, it's likely to be newcomer Tony Watson -- Roberts won't ask for a lot. He'll likely have Clayton Kershaw, Yu Darvish, Rich Hill and Alex Wood to start games, and he has Kenley Jansen to finish. But there will be crossroad moments for a lefty.

Washington Nationals: Stephen Strasburg

Washington's bullpen, patched with the additions of Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson and Brandon Kintzler, has stabilized, and the Nationals continue to believe that leadoff man and shortstop Trea Turner will be back well before the end of the regular season.

Strasburg has been throwing and working his way back from cramping, and the Nationals have the same luxury that the Dodgers have with Clayton Kershaw: They can wait patiently and ramp him up for that time when they really need him. But Strasburg's injury history is daunting. He has reached the minimum number of innings to qualify for the ERA title only twice in his career, and he has made 67 starts the past three seasons.

A postseason rotation of Max Scherzer, Gio Gonzalez, Strasburg and Tanner Roark could match up with any opponent.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Robbie Ray

Arizona would make an interesting and perhaps difficult division series matchup for the Dodgers because of the big-time, experienced, right-handed hitters in the lineup -- Paul Goldschmidt, J.D. Martinez, A.J. Pollock -- and the familiarity with the Dodgers. But Ray, an All-Star, would be a key element in Arizona's hopes against the Dodgers, and he has been sidelined since July 28, when he was hit in the side of the head by a 108 mph line drive. Ray avoided serious injury and is working his way back steadily, but the Diamondbacks need him to get back to what he was before the injury.

Chicago Cubs: The set-up men

Chicago's bullpen was excellent before the All-Star break, but the command of Carl Edwards Jr. has completely abandoned him in recent weeks. He says it isn't a big deal, that this is something everybody goes through. The Cubs have to hope he's right because getting through the Nationals and the winner of the Dodgers/Rockies/Diamondbacks in the postseason is going to require a lot of bullpen depth.

Koji Uehara has given up runs in four of his nine appearances since the All-Star break. Hector Rondon has a 4.15 ERA in the second half. Finally, Pedro Strop's command has been spotty, with five walks (and one hit) in his past 8⅔ innings.

Time will tell how the acquisition of Justin Wilson will manifest with this group. The lefty has dominated right-handed hitters to a .132 average.

Colorado Rockies: Better at-bats against good pitchers

In 12 games against the Dodgers this season, the Rockies have drawn a total of 27 walks, for a .286 on-base percentage. Their numbers are almost identical against the Diamondbacks: 27 walks in 12 games, for a .293 on-base percentage. This is a team that has a .335 OBP for the season, sixth best in the majors.

New York Yankees: Aaron Judge

Who would've guessed at the outset of this season that a rookie who struggled so much at the end of the 2016 season would assume a pivotal role for the Yankees' offense? But this is where we are. Matt Holliday has been struggling, Gary Sanchez was benched for a couple of days because of defense, and Greg Bird won't be back until late this month at the earliest. As a result, Judge has to hit for this offense to thrive, and since the All-Star break, he has slumped -- along with the Yankees' attack. New York ranked third in the majors in runs scored before the midseason event in Miami; since then, the Yankees rank 25th.

Kansas City Royals: Catching situation

As much as Salvador Perez's desire to play is respected, some rival evaluators see small cracks in his work behind the plate -- the framing numbers aren't good, for example. With Perez out for weeks because of an intercostal strain, Drew Butera will take over, and he might be good at some of those areas of defense that sometimes elude Perez.

But Perez's absence from the lineup is a problem the Royals will have to overcome because of how important he has been to the offense this year. He's second among K.C. hitters in home runs, with 21, one short of his career high, and Perez leads all AL catchers in RBIs by far. Without Perez, Melky Cabrera has moved into the spot between the left-handed hitting Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas.

Tampa Bay Rays: More and better from Wilson Ramos

When Tampa Bay signed Ramos, the expectations were that it would take him some time to work his way back from his significant knee injury and that he'd be able to help some this year and a lot more in 2018. He rejoined the Rays' lineup June 24, and he has really struggled on defense and on offense. Going into Tuesday night's matchup against Chris Sale, Ramos was batting .182 with six extra-base hits in 28 games. With a lineup that leans left now, with Lucas Duda, Corey dikkerson and Logan Morrison, in a division with lefties such as Chris Sale, Drew Pomeranz, Eduardo Rodriguez, CC Sabathia and Jordan Montgomery, the Rays desperately need more production from Ramos, who has done big damage against lefties in the past.

Houston Astros: The trade deadline blues

Houston's front office has been widely criticized, from outside and inside the organization, for not doing enough to help a championship-caliber team before Aug. 1. Dallas Keuchel said out loud what a lot of others on the team believed.

For some players and for some clubs, this sort of thing can become a distraction, a cancer and, sometimes, an excuse if the team doesn't play well. The internal focus could become about what the Astros don't have, rather than what they do have, which is a dynamic, athletic team. Carlos Correa and others are healing from injuries, Jose Altuve is an MVP candidate, and Alex Bregman is red-hot. At this stage, the front office won't be able to do much, so it's really on the players now to get back to business.

 

[Skooby]

Cleveland Indians: Andrew Miller's knee

Miller didn't want to go on the disabled list because of patellar tendinitis in his right knee, but manager Terry Francona wants to make sure he's OK. Miller has been a reliever of impeccable control, but he walked 10 in his past 21 innings, an indication that there's a problem.

Look, it's simple: The Indians' bullpen -- the backbone of the team's run to Game 7 of the World Series last year -- is not close to being what it was in 2016 without a dominant Miller. Whenever he comes back, he'll be closely monitored by other teams -- and by Francona.

Boston Red Sox: Infield defense

Eduardo Nunez has never been a great fielder, but with the Red Sox ... so far, so good. The same is true with rookie third baseman Rafael Devers, who has made only one error in 11 games. Xander Bogaerts has days when he makes some really nice plays, but he is the lowest-rated regular shortstop in MLB in defensive runs saved. Dustin Pedroia and Mitch Moreland are good defenders, but Pedroia has been on the disabled list.

Chris Sale and the other Red Sox pitchers rack up so many strikeouts (third in the majors) that infield defense isn't as crucial as it is for other teams. But undoubtedly, there will be moments when this part of the team will be tested.

 

[Skooby]

Who's left? Rating the best available specialists in NBA free agency

Rating the best available specialists in NBA free agency



More than a month into free agency, the top remaining unsigned players are all restricted free agents: JaMychal Green (Memphis Grizzlies) Nikola Mirotic (Chicago Bulls), Nerlens Noel (Dallas Mavericks), Mason Plumlee (Denver Nuggets).

With the Philadelphia 76ers hording their remaining cap space for a possible Robert Covington extension (which would also involve renegotiating to pay him more in 2017-18) and no other team having more than $8 million in cap space, no market-value offer sheets appear to be forthcoming for the restricted free agents. So the only question is whether they can leverage the threat of taking a one-year qualifying offer and returning to the market next summer as unrestricted free agents into getting a long-term deal from their current teams.

When it comes to the remaining unrestricted free agents, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. With teams now looking to fill out specific needs for their roster, let's take a look at which free agents might fit best.






3-and-D wing: Dante Cunningham

With Gerald Henderson opting for hip surgery that will keep him off the court for most of the 2017-18 season, the pickings are particularly slim in terms of two-way wings. Cunningham, a natural power forward who moved to the wing in New Orleans, might be the best of the bunch. He has proved to be a credible defender against both forward spots and shot 39.2 percent on 171 3-pointers last season -- though that brought his career mark up to 32.6 percent. The market hasn't been impressed, and Cunningham will struggle to make more than the $3.1 million player option he declined.

Also considered: Matt Barnes





Shooting specialist: Jason Terry

Terry will turn 40 in September, yet he still averaged 18.4 MPG for the playoff-bound Milwaukee Bucks last season. Terry's 42.7 percent 3-point shooting was a key part of his value. He's now third all time in 3s made, trailing Ray Allen and Reggie Miller. Since Terry has given no indication he plans to retire, I'm surprised he hasn't found a home yet.

Also considered: Anthony Morrow





Wing defender: Tony Allen

For all his offensive limitations, Allen started 66 of his 71 games and averaged 27.0 minutes per game last season. So there certainly appears to be a place for his historically elite perimeter defense in the league. Where that might be remains to be seen. The Grizzlies have moved on, adding a number of younger shooting guards to replace the 35-year-old Allen.

Also considered: Matt Barnes





Project wing: K.J. McDaniels

After a solid rookie season as the No. 32 overall pick, McDaniels cashed in with a three-year, $10 million deal from the Rockets two summers ago. The Rockets, like the 76ers before them, hoped McDaniels could add perimeter shooting to his impressive shot-blocking prowess from the wing. That hasn't happened; McDaniels is a 29.0 percent career 3-point shooter, and the Brooklyn Nets declined the team option on the final season of McDaniels' contract after acquiring him from Houston at the trade deadline. Still, McDaniels isn't even 25, so I'm not giving up hope yet.

Also considered: James Young





Pick-and-roll big: David Lee

Always a quality pick-and-roll option when he's in shape (he shot 62.0 percent as a roll man last season, per Synergy Sports tracking on NBA.com/Stats), Lee was also a surprisingly effective defender in the San Antonio Spurs' system last season. Unless the Spurs cut loose summer star Bryn Forbes (whose salary is $100,000 guaranteed) or a player with a guaranteed contract, they won't have room for Lee on the roster once they re-sign Manu Ginobili. So he's apparently headed elsewhere.

Also considered: Thomas Robinson





Rim protector: Andrew Bogut

Just 14 months removed from starting in the NBA Finals, Bogut hasn't yet signed a contract after suffering a left tibia fracture in his debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers in March. Few teams appear to be in need of a veteran center, so I wouldn't be surprised if Bogut finds himself on the sidelines as training camps begin and waits on a team to come calling due to injury or underperformance.

Also considered: Jeff Withey





Stretch big: Jared Sullinger

Hey, remember Sullinger? A starter for a Boston Celtics team that won 48 games in 2015-16, Sullinger was set to play a similar role for the Toronto Raptors last season before suffering a fractured fifth metatarsal in his left foot during training camp. Sullinger's conditioning has never been ideal under the best of circumstances, and it became untenable after the injury. He barely played for the Raptors and was waived by the Phoenix Suns after they acquired him in exchange for PJ Tucker. Sullinger has long rated well by advanced metrics, in part because though he's not an accurate 3-point shooter (27.2 percent career), his willingness to hoist them has kept defenders close. After playing for the Ohio State alumni entry in The Basketball Tournament, Sullinger merits another chance in the league, with the Nets apparently his best bet.

Also considered: Donatas Motiejunas





Project big: Alex Len

The lone restricted free agent on the list, Len could potentially still get an offer sheet the Phoenix Suns are unwilling to match, though that's a long shot at this point. A return to the Suns on his one-year qualifying offer, which would actually pay Len less ($4.2 million) than he made last season ($4.8 million), seems likely. The No. 5 overall pick of the 2013 draft, Len has yet to make much progress toward becoming a starting center but has intriguing skills for his size.

Also considered: Alex Poythress

 

[Antdrewjosh]

Does Zion Williamson's NBA potential match his monster hype?

Please

 

[Skooby]

Does Zion Williamson's NBA potential match his monster hype?

Please

Does Zion Williamson's NBA potential match his monster hype?

HOUSTON, Texas -- After covering the standout college prospects on Friday, let's take a look at the best high school players from the 2017 Adidas Nations global camp.

What's the NBA ceiling for highlight machine Zion Williamson, and which young players impressed the most?

Here's what we learned, including a look at Thon Maker's younger brother:




Zion Williamson: More than just a dunker
By Mike Schmitz

Zion Williamson is a 17-year-old basketball rock star. The 6-foot-6 power dunker has ascended into a millennial dream while racking up likes and retweets by the thousands. He has the frame of a young Charles Barkley, yet the effortless bounce of Zach LaVine. Williamson's rim-rattling dunks are internet gold.

Those violently explosive in-game tomahawks, combined with thirst for quick-hitting clips, yields 439,000 results on YouTube when you search his name. One video titled "16 Year Old Zion Williamson is THE GOAT! Best Player Since Lebron??" has amassed over 1.2 million views in four months. Williamson's July head-to-head matchup with LaMelo Ball attracted more than 1.3 million live viewers online -- more than 30 times the population of Williamson's hometown of Spartanburg, South Carolina.

On Monday, inside a small Summer Creek High School gym in Houston, we experienced the Zion Williamson spectacle firsthand. Local kids and elite high school prospects filled the stands, Snapchat locked and loaded in hopes of capturing an infamous Zion highlight dunk. Close to 30 videographers lined the baselines, relaxing when Williamson occupied the bench and scrambling when he took the floor, hoping to capture the next million-view YouTube hit.

Williamson (Class of 2018, ranked No. 2 in the ESPN100) put the crowd into a frenzy with a handful of explosive plays and was mobbed by photographers and fans after the victory. One young boy was lucky enough to walk away with Williamson's game-worn shoes, a pair of bright yellow Adidas that left him giddy with excitement. Even future top picks like Robert Williams were dying to catch a glimpse of the bouncy Williamson. A 17-year-old who has yet to commit to a college program or compete in any junior national team events already has the following of some NBA superstars. With every seemingly improbable dunk and viral video, the legend of Zion Williamson builds.

But what about Zion Williamson the basketball player? With so much focus on the buzz surrounding his dunks, Williamson's actual impact on the court has been overlooked. The small-town South Carolina kid is not just a power dunker, and he's much more than just an athlete playing basketball.

Williamson is competitive, fairly skilled in his own way and extremely productive, with averages of 30.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.6 blocks (per 40 minutes) on 69.7 percent shooting from 2 and 22.6 percent from 3-point range in the 44 games in the DraftExpress database. He led 2017 Adidas Nations players in points per 40 minutes (38.8) and PER (41.1), both all-time highs since the event started in 2012 (15 MPG minimum) .

With the height of a 2-guard and the frame of a center, the non-shooting, aggressive-slashing, hard-playing forward is as unique a prospect as we've evaluated in some time. Pinpointing his future NBA role isn't easy, as there simply isn't anyone in the league quite like Williamson, which further adds to his mystique as a prospect. In a league moving toward shooting at four or five positions, Williamson doesn't appear to be a natural fit. He has taken only 31 total 3s in those 44 games, and it's hard to imagine him being a first or second option in a half-court set at the NBA level.

Yet even without the jumper, Williamson has the tools and mentality to eventually function as a hyper-elite, role-playing, small-ball big with game-changing explosiveness and a feel to match. Despite the early star status, Williamson doesn't mind doing the little things to have an impact, which will allow him to play big minutes as his offensive game rounds out. He's a relentless offensive rebounder (6.0 per 40 minutes over the course of six Nations games), a physical finisher and a fairly quick decision-maker; he doesn't need 10 dribbles to make something happen.

His combination of strength, quickness, leaping, body control and sound ballhandling make him an extremely tough cover in space, and he has far more skill as a finisher than he gets credit for. Williamson is usually a team player, not hijacking an offense with elongated isolations that often characterize youth basketball in the U.S. On the defensive end, he has the size and grit to check power forwards and maybe even small-ball centers.

His willingness to play big and not crave the wing label make him that much more appealing as a prospect, especially when paired with another big man who can space the floor. Williamson can almost function as a center in a sense -- the only non-shooter on the floor who rebounds, switches screens, pushes in transition, dives out of the pick-and-roll and attacks opposing centers relentlessly off the dribble. There isn't a catchy term for that combination of skills, but it's clear the NBA will have room for Williamson's unique game



Steady, reliable play of Quickley and Grimes shine


Nations was loaded with the high-upside prospect prototype -- long arms, projectable frame, elite athleticism and an up-and-down skill level and motor that can excite scouts. Often, though, some of the top prospects are actually hiding in plain sight. While maybe not as enthralling as Moses Brown or Bryan Penn-Johnson, guards Immanuel Quickley (2018, ranked No. 14) and Quentin Grimes (No. 29) proved to be two of the top 2018 guard prospects in Houston and should now be seen as potential one-and-dones.

Although Quickley doesn't always pop on film or in person, he has virtually all the ingredients scouts are looking for in a lead guard prospect. He has positional size and length at 6-3 with a 6-8 wingspan. He is a good decision-maker on the court (28 assists to three turnovers at Nations), is skilled offensively, and is tough-minded defensively. Regularly covering all 94 feet, fighting over the top of screens and sliding deep in a stance to contain the ball, Quickley impacts the game on both ends. Quickley has excellent pace offensively, playing a mistake-free brand of basketball while showing veteran savvy versus ball screens.


Although not the most shifty athlete, Quickley can make virtually every read out of the pick-and-roll, knock down a pull-up 3 when the defense goes under, keep his defender on his back before getting to floaters, and hit shots when the ball comes back to him (38.4 percent shooter on 3s in our database). Quickley's combination of size, two-way play, feel for the game, shooting, toughness and ability to play either guard spot makes him a borderline no-fail prospect with a high floor.

Grimes is bigger and more of a combo guard than Quickley, and brings a similar level of toughness and grit to the floor. The native of Woodlands, Texas, has nice size at around 6-5, a mature build, solid length and plus-athleticism in space.

Grimes does a little of everything on both ends and possesses the type of mentality scouts will want to bet on. Grimes can check up to three positions, make an open 3, knock down midrange pullups, facilitate out of the pick-and-roll and attack the rim with explosiveness. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and seems equally happy making plays defensively, crashing the glass, and knocking down isolation pullups.

Grimes can continue to evolve as a half-court scorer, but he has already made impressive strides as a shooter and impacts the game in so many different ways. Quickley and Grimes don't display obvious NBA upside, but their combination of toughness, IQ and skill make them excellent draft prospects moving forward.





Too many bigs? Where are the wings?


As we're seeing in NBA free agency, the supply of big men is exceeding demand. Former lottery picks are flooding the free-agent market, while NBA scouts and executives prefer versatile forwards who can switch everything, make an open 3 and think the game at a high level. The rotation big has been replaced by the combo forward, and a lot of the young big men at Adidas Nations didn't do much to prove that they're the next prospect to turn the small-ball movement on its head.

Elite 2019 prospect Charles Bassey (ranked No. 2 in ESPN's rankings) seems to have stalled a bit from an NBA outlook, as he looked mechanical on the floor and struggled a bit to score with skill in the half-court.

A physical specimen who at first glance resembles a young Dwight Howard, Bassey was more in the Lamar Odom mold -- fluid with a budding skill set -- when he arrived to the states from Nigeria. Bassey's skill development has somewhat flatlined, and he projects much more as a rim runner, shot-blocker, finisher and rebounder. While that carries value in the NBA, Bassey hasn't quite shown the consistent growth that scouts had hoped for.

Moses Brown (2018, ranked No. 7) is a long and fairly mobile 7-footer, but given his lack of consistent energy and interest on the floor, it is tough to fully buy stock in him as a prospect despite his high upside. Bryan Penn-Johnson, with his 7-7 wingspan, is also in that camp; he too often looks uninspired on the floor. Power forward/center Jordan Brown (2018, ranked No. 9) really competes but hasn't developed much physically or skill-wise. Onyeka Okongwu (2019, ranked No. 5) isn't quite talented enough to not go hard all the time.

Vernon Carey, 2019's top prospect, has room to improve his body and intensity level. As with Cliff Alexander in 2014, Diamond Stone in 2015 and Marques Bolden in 2016, bigs who don't have an elite skill or bring it consistently are getting left behind. Not even Carey and 2020 prospect Isaiah Todd have proven to be surefire studs from an NBA perspective yet, despite both being ranked No. 1 overall.

Scouts are looking for versatile forwards, and Florida native Nassir Little (2018, ranked No. 36) is the prototype. Although Little didn't play in Houston, we've evaluated him at multiple events in the past. At 6-6 and 210 pounds -- with long arms, two-way impact and a cerebral approach -- he appears to be the player from this class most likely to outplay his ranking and turn into a valuable NBA player sooner than expected.

Strong, physical and competitive, Little can check either forward spot, play the coveted small-ball 4 in bench lineups, and make enough open 3s to keep the defense honest. Little's offensive game could use some polish, but he's the type of player NBA scouts prefer, as opposed to a lot of the highly touted bigs on the circuit.