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Official NBA 2017-2018 Thread - Final day of the regular with playoff seating still unknown

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Toronto Raptors: Tertiary Scorers
28 OF 30



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    Who's the third option?

    DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry should do most of the heavy lifting for the Toronto Raptors in 2017-18, just as they did last year while combining to score a staggering 38.4 percent of the team's points. But beyond that dynamic duo, the team doesn't boast any established scoring options who can consistently push for a 20-spot.

    C.J. Miles is a tremendous spot-up option. Serge Ibaka can space the floor from either power forward or center. But they averaged 10.7 and 14.2 points (looking at Toronto only) last season, respectively. Neither is making that substantial a leap, which pushes the focus to Jonas Valanciunas (stagnating for years) and Norman Powell (still blocked from big minutes).

    The Raptors simply don't have a go-to scorer for the nights either DeRozan or Lowry struggles.

    A by-committee approach can work during many outings, but that route is fraught with danger. Counting on someone to get and stay hot isn't always a reliable strategy, especially when you're doing so because one of the stars is having difficulty finding the bottom of the net.

    For the time being, the tertiary role will probably go to Ibaka out of sheer necessity. Just don't forget he hasn't averaged more than 15 points since his 2013-14 campaign with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
 
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Utah Jazz: Go-to Scorer
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    All members of the Utah Jazz will have to put forth a concerted effort to cover up for the lost scoring that stems from Gordon Hayward's departure, but someone will have to take over as the top option. Replacing an All-Star who put up 21.9 points per night is a tough task, and it doesn't help that the offseason's biggest addition (Ricky Rubio) is more facilitator than scorer and is replacing the team's second-leading point-producer (George Hill at 16.9 per game).

    As of now, that someone is unknown.

    Though he's coming off a year in which he averaged just 12.7 points per game, Rodney Hood is the safest bet. He just has to convince himself not to hesitate before he lets fly, as he explained at the Jazz's media day.

    "I can't have a conscience, that's the biggest thing," the Duke product stated, per Kyle Goon of the Salt Lake Tribune. "Not where I'm just jacking shots, but just being ready to shoot. That's one of my specialties. With Ricky [Rubio] and Rudy [Gobert] on the pick-and-roll and I'm on the wing, I get a lot more open shots than I got in the past."

    But what if Hood isn't ready to take on such a heavy burden? Can Rudy Gobert become a more well-rounded scorer? Is Derrick Favors healthy enough to lead the team? Is Donovan Mitchell an option during his rookie season?

    These Jazz have plenty of strengths, but they need to establish a pecking order during training camp that's in everyone's best interests.
 
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Washington Wizards: Backups
30 OF 30



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    When John Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter Jr., Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat share the floor, the Washington Wizards can run with anyone. And lest you think that's hyperbolic, the quintet earned an 8.1 net rating in 2016-17—better than the season-long marksproduced by any squad other than the Golden State Warriors.

    But disaster ensued when the starters needed breathers. With all five on the pine, the Wizards were outscored by 3.4 points per 100 possessions, placing them around the level of the New York Knicks or Dallas Mavericks.

    Obviously, most teams struggle when their best players aren't on the floor. But Washington took that to an extreme thanks to a dearth of depth at just about every position. It's an issue that wasn't remedied over the offseason—signing Mike Scott and Jodie Meeks while trading for Tim Frazier can't fill a hole that large—and will be tested immediately as Morris recovers from surgery to fix a sports hernia.

    A healthy Ian Mahinmi, improved play from Kelly Oubre Jr. and capable performances from Frazier will, at least partially, help remedy this issue. But the Wizards still need so much more from the second unit, or else head coach Scott Brooks will have to start getting more creative with his rotations to ensure either Wall, Beal or Porter is on the floor at all times.
 
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Clippers news: Doc Rivers discusses Blake Griffin’s multiple roles
  • Dan Duangdao
30 Sep 2017
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In an offseason of change, Blake Griffin re-signed on a five-year, $173 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Clippers. Without Chris Paul and JJ Redick, Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are looking to lead their team into the new era.

With training camp underway, head coach Doc Rivers discussed how he will utilize Griffin for the upcoming 2017-18 NBA season according to Associated Press:

“There will be times when Blake is the tallest guy on the floor,” coach Doc Rivers said. “We want him to be an aggressive player, an attack player.

“He’ll bring the ball up at times. He’ll be one of the guys we use as a facilitator.”

Griffin acknowledges things will be different without one of the best point guards in the game:

“We’re going to be a different team,” Griffin said. “It’s just the nature of getting so many new guys, but that’s a good thing. We’ve had some regular-season success but we haven’t had true success here. Now’s a good time to move forward.”

As the Clippers are focusing on ball movement this upcoming season, questions remain if they will be competitive in the Western Conference. With only five players remaining from last season’s roster, it will take time for them to gel.

For the Clippers, it may very well rest on Griffin’s health, who has only appeared in 163 out of the 246 games over the last three seasons.
 

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