Pop Quiz: Around the NBA

Our second day of testing finds the CtB classroom at near capacity.

The Cavaliers blipped back onto the NBA’s near-silent off-season radar yesterday with the report that Tristan Thompson’s agent Rich Paul said that, should the Cavs and their restricted free agent PF/C fail to reach a long term deal — meaning that Thompson would sign a one-year $6.9 million qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2016 — next season would be the popular player’s “last year with the Cavs.”

CtB’s writers — with our trademark prescience — chimed in on the Thompson situation in yesterday’s pop quiz. So today, it’s on to the rest of the NBA:

1.) True or False: The Lakers, as Kobe Bryant predicted, will make the playoffs.

Nate: False. Jordan Clarkson, Nick Young, Lou Williams, DeAngelo Russell, and Kobe… There may never be a more perfect confluence of unrepentant chuckers that need the ball in their hand on one team since Smush Parker, DuJuan Wagner, and Darius Miles met Ricky Davis.

Ben: Not a chance. The Blazers and Mavs are going to take a step back this season, but the Jazz and Thunder are ready to take their places. And really, do you want to bet that Byron Scott can outcoach anyone in a competition for the 8th seed, let alone Rick Carlisle?

Mallory:  False – Unless Kevin Love signs with the Lakers.  Then…Maybe…

Cory: Hustling Lakers fans was my second best oddball job in LA after taking alcohol tests for foreigners for $100 a pop. Zero chance the Lakers make the playoffs.

Evil Genius: Because everyone else will say False… I’m going contrarian on this one and say True. With the Blazers and Mavs taking a tumble, there is room for OKC and one more playoff darkhorse. If this is Kobe’s swan song, he’ll find a way to will this team to the last spot on the last day of the season. Then they’ll get annihilated by either the Spurs or Warriors, the Mamba will ride off into the sunset, screwing the Lakers out of the lottery on his way…

Tom: False.  The Lakers wouldn’t make the playoffs in the East next year.

David: True. It’s easy to say they won’t. But, if the team has a Kobe and scrubs unit, and a Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, D’Angelo Russell, Roy Hibbert unit, they might score enough to survive. I’m also not going against Kobe if the eighth seed requires the final five games of the season to be won. He has history backing him up.

2.) Which Eastern Conference team poses the greatest challenge the Cavs repeating as EC Champs:

A.) Chicago Bulls

B.) Toronto Raptors

C.) Atlanta Hawks

D.) Miami Heat

E.) Someone Else

Nate: D. The Heat, at their best (i.e. healthiest) post an all-star or all-star caliber player at every starting position, have a simmering resentment of LeBron, and boast an impressive bench of Stoudemire, Gerald Green, Justice Winslow, McRoberts, and Haslem.

Ben:  D. Miami. I don’t think they have a good shot, but the rest of that list will be worse this season. Well, save “Someone else.” The Bucks will be an annoying out, but they are still a couple years from competing with Cleveland.

Mallory: I suspect most will say D, Miami, and they’re probably right, but don’t sleep on E. Indiana and E. Washington.  And in a year?  E.  Milwaukee

Cory: Bulls and Heat have the highest ceilings. Both have significant injury risks though.

EG: I would say A, but I think this is Derrick Rose’s “Brandon Roy Year” where the knees finally give out completely. So, I’ll say B, since the Raps seemed to make some sneakily good moves in the off-season…

Tom: Bulls or Heat – whichever team is in better health come May.

David: C. Getting knocked out in four games by a depleted Cavs team had to inspire them. The Hawks are going to tweak what they do to become more of a one-on-one team using Paul Millsap, instead of always looking for the perfect shot.

3.) True or False: Dante Exum’s torn ACL will be what keeps the Utah Jazz out of the playoffs this season.

Nate: False. Over the last 32 games (the post-Kanter era) the Jazz were 21-11. They won despite playing Exum big minutes and living with his below average play. The injury may actually make them even better in the short term. The 8-year reign of Gobert as DPOY begins now.

Ben: False. I’m bummed that we won’t get a chance to see the young guy develop. I think those who say that Exum’s absence really won’t be a factor at all undersell his potential to improve. Still, Rudy Gobert is healthy. The Stifle Tower will be swatting balls into May.

Mallory: False.  Gotta feel for the guy, but he was hardly a major part of Utah’s late-season success last year.  Losing him shouldn’t change TOO much.

Cory: False. The Jazz have an awesome young core. They’ll grab the 8 seed.

EG: Who? You mean the Dante Exum who averaged 4.8 points, 2.4 assists and had a PER of 5.70? No. Exum doesn’t matter and the Jazz are still a year or two away from playoff contention anyway…

Tom: False. A second year player is usually not the difference between making or breaking.

David: False. Kobe having a rage mode end of the season is gonna end the Jazz’s playoff hopes.

4.) True or False: DeMarcus Cousins will be traded at some point this season.

Nate: False. Cousins will go on a Hulk-like rampage, destroying a post-game presser, and Tony Stark will have to subdue him with his Hulkbuster armor. Boogie will live out his days in an indestructible containment cell. George Karl will visit monthly to cross his arms and shake his head.

Ben: False. After all the nonsense that has gone on in Sac-town, it is clear Boogie is their main priority. It is a shame for Boogie fans and for fringe contenders looking to steal him. Yet, Vlade sees too much Webber in Boogie to bail on him so soon.

Mallory: False – because megastar big men, signed to long-term contracts, don’t come along every day.

Cory: Reality shows suck, but how good would a Hard Knock style show be about the Kings? Vivek is nuts. He made everyone yell Nik rocks and traded him a year later.

EG: False. Vivek Ranadive just quietly made a deal with A&E for a reality series to run opposite their “Intervention” show. It’s called Cuckoo’s Nest. Also, without DeMarcus, Rondo would have nobody to play Connect Four with…

Tom: True.  Kings gone blow it up again.

David: False. Vivek is a little nuts and won’t try to get a haul out of the Boogie-Karl broken relationship. Instead, I’m predicting he thinks he can repair it by trading for Lance Stephenson to be make the craziest starting five the league has seen in years.

5.) Which of these first-year coaches will experience the most success:

A.) Mike Malone, Denver

B.) Billy Donovan, Oklahoma City

C.) Alvin Gentry, New Orleans

D.) Fred Hoiberg, Chicago

Nate: D. Hoiberg. “The Mayor,” will duplicate Thibs’ second round playoff appearance. OKC will implode with all the impending Durant free agent rumors. Gentry won’t move Nawlins out of the first round. And Denver stinks.

Ben: Alvin Gentry. The definition of success will be drastically different in New Orleans than it will be in OKC. The Thunder will win more games, but Anthony Davis’s upcoming MVP season will be largely (and stupidly) attributed to Gentry’s player coach persona. In OKC, anything less than a championship and Billy will be ripped.

Mallory: B.  Because any time you have Kevin Durant AND Russell Westbrook on your roster, it’s hard not to succeed.

Cory: Billy Donovan inherits out for blood Durant and Westbrook.

EG: B. Billy Donovan is a winner and he’s been given the most cool toys to play with going into next year. With a healthy Durant and Westbrook, OKC is a legit title contender…

Tom: D. Fred Hoiberg.  In that, his team will go further in the playoffs than the other coaches’.

David: Alvin Gentry gets to play with the science experiment Monty Williams raised and got on the right path. As the Pellies age together, they are going to be more effective at everything and Anthony Davis will get to be even more efficient.

6.) True or False: In four years, Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis will be the best player from the 2015 NBA Draft.

Nate: True. But it will only take two years. Kristaps will haunt Stephen A. Smith like a prehistoric sized albatross. Fox Radio’s Colin Cowherd will throw the “reverse racism” grenade into the room at every opportunity.

Ben: True. I called it early, and I am sticking to it. Porzingis will be the best guy by a good margin. He is far more like Anthony Davis than Darko Milicic. Maybe NY gives up on him after two underwhelming years in an effort to pair Carmelo with a player in his prime, but in five years? The Big Latvian is my guy.

Mallory: False – because we’re talking about 20 year olds, here, and I’ll take the field over a single guy, especially when he plays for the Knicks.

Cory: He probably has the highest ceiling. A stretch big who can protect the rim is the rarest commodity in the sport.

EG: False. “Who is Kristaps Porzingis?” will be the best “answer” on Jeopardy for the “question” This NBA draft pick put the final nail in Phil Jackson’s failed run as GM for the New York Knicks…

Tom: False.  Always take the field on a question like this.

David: False. He’ll be close to it though. He’s 20 pounds of muscle and a little more lateral quickness away from holding his own in the post and on pick and roll play.

7.) Which of these teams has the brightest future:

A.) Los Angeles Lakers

B.) Minnesota Timberwolves

C.) New Orleans Pelicans

D.) New York Knicks

Nate: C. New Orleans Pelicans. They have the best player, the deepest team, and the least incompetent coach.

Ben: Sadly, I will say LA. I don’t think they will win anything in the next two years, but I can’t imagine that they stay awful for long. I also worry about the Pelicans front office. Davis will be the best player in the league for the next 5 seasons, but the odds always favor the Lakers over the long haul. Sigh.

Mallory: C.  Anthony Davis – enough said.

Cory: Anthony Davis is going to be a better Kevin Garnett. They’ve failed miserably assembling his supporting cast, but baring injury he’ll probably supplant LeBron this year for the best player in the league.

EG: C. Provided the Pelicans can put the right pieces around The Brow (although they made some questionable signings this off-season).

Tom: C. Pelicans.  They have the soon-to-be undisputed best player in the game.

David: C. The Cavs went to the finals with a lesser team in 2007. Davis is going to hit LeBron 07 mode with a better team in the next two years.

Answer Key: Question #1: False… Whatever future the Lakers are building with D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle will have to wait until the Kobe sun sets. Question #2: A. While both the Bulls and the Heat have injury histories to make even the cautious optimist shudder, Jimmy Butler is a star with the fewest question marks, so the Bulls get the nod. Question #3: False. If the Jazz can build on their sterling defensive effort of the second half of last season, they’ll be in the mix for a playoff spot. Whether or not they get it will come down to how well they can score the ball. Question #4: False. George Karl has successfully coached handfuls like Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Kendall Gill and Allen Iverson. If the Kings see some success this season, we’ll be adding Cousins to that list, as well. Question #5: B. Remember, when healthy, OKC has some players. Question #6: True. It may not happen, of course, but the talent is there. Question #7: Short term, the answer is C, the Pelicans. Longer term, though, don’t sleep on the Timberwolves.