Post Paul George Leg Snapping in Half Plan for the Indiana Pacers

            I’ve had over 24 hours to digest the possible scenarios for the Indiana Pacers this season, and here’s my half-baked solution to not only keep the Pacers relatively competitive, but also plan for the future.

1. Apply for a disabled player salary exemption – This move would give the Pacers almost $6 million to acquire a mid-level player.
2. Trade David West – Moving Roy Hibbert or waiving Luis Scola has been discussed more, but West is six years older than Hibbert, and costs $8 million more than Scola. West still has value as a leader who can hit mid range jumpers, and virtually every contending team in the West would have a use for him. They should expect a future first rounder that should fall somewhere in the 20s in return.
3. Make a four year, $60 million qualifying offer to Eric Bledsoe – Bledsoe is the last dynamic talent left in restricted free agency, and with the savings created by their salary exemption and moving West, the Pacers would be able to afford to make this offer. Word on the street is the Suns have offered $48 million over four years, so there’s a chance this offer goes unmatched. If George can return at near full strength in 2015-16, him and Bledsoe would form a devastating defensive duo on the perimeter.
4. Let Roy Hibbert shoot – Hibbert has bitched and moaned about his lack of low post opportunities for years, so what better chance to shut him up than right now. In this scenario, he’s the second best scoring option after Bledsoe.
5. At the trade deadline, move George Hill – The acquisition of Hill has never looked worse after Kawhi Leonard (the player the Spurs drafted with the pick Indiana sent them for Hill) was named Finals MVP. Hill is best suited as a back up, so like West, there would be a market for him in February.
6. After the season, trade Roy Hibbert – Assuming Hibbert thrives with an increased offensive workload, his trade value should be at it’s highest. Seven footers that have the defensive Hibbert has don’t grow on trees, so he will command a large package in return.

         This plan should put the Pacers in the bottom half of the Eastern playoff bracket, give them a duo of George and Bledsoe to build around, and depending on what they get back in trades, possibly $30 million in cap room for next summer. We’ll sign off on this plan every day and twice on Wednesday.    

2014 No Credentials NBA 30

            We’re starting our first set of season ending awards here at No Credentials, and here’s the criteria for how it works.

-         Based on regular and post-season results, we picked three players for ten different “teams” (the NBA has been obsessed with “Big 3s”, so this number makes sense).

-         Players were chosen based on who we would want to have under contract for the next four years, so youth and potential are favorable traits. Likewise, players like Tim Duncan were left off the list.

-         The second and third picks for each team were based on who was previously drafted on another club; meaning one team didn’t select two point guards or two centers.

-         This list was made from memory without looking at statistics for each player, although stats will be used in each player’s write-up.

-         Potential rookies were not included on the list.

Without further ado, the 2014 No Credentials NBA 30

Third Wheels

30. DeMar DeRozan, SG, Toronto Raptors

            DeRozan posted career highs in points (22.7 per game), boards (4.3), and most importantly, assists (4.0) while helping lead the Raptors back into the postseason. He isn’t the most efficient player, but if he learns to stop chucking from the 3-point line (a shade over 30% while attempting almost 3 per game) that will improve. Quietly, he’s a top-5 SG at only the age of 24.

29. Al Jefferson, PF-C, Charlotte Hornets

            Big Al was the driving force behind Charlotte snagging the seventh seed in the East, posting his first season over 20 points and 10 boards per game since 2008-09. When it comes to scoring from the low post, few do it better than Jefferson.

28. Chris Bosh, PF, Miami Heat

            Bosh added semi-reliable three-point shooting to his skill-set this year, which added a new dimension to the Miami attack.             

27. Lance Stephenson, SG-SF, Indiana Pacers

            Stephenson obviously has his issues, but no one can question his desire to win. It would be interesting to see what could happen if we went to a team that offered a larger offensive workload, but he’s likely going to stay in Indiana.

26. Kyle Lowry, PG, Toronto Raptors

            Criminally underrated to the point that he was left off of the All-Star team, Lowry was Toronto’s MVP after Rudy Gay was shipped to Sacramento. When his head is on straight, he’s a championship caliber player.

25. Serge Ibaka, PF-C, Oklahoma City Thunder

            Ibaka’s value was fully realized when he sat out the first two games of the Western Conference Finals. His improved shooting from three point range bodes well for the future of the Thunder offense.

24. Eric Bledsoe, PG-SG, Phoenix Suns

            Fellow Sun Goran Dragic was also in the mix to make the 30, but ultimately Bledsoe’s upside pushed him ahead of his teammate. Health is the only thing holding Bledsoe back, and barring another injury, we are expecting a full breakout next year.

23. Damian Lillard, PG, Portland Trail Blazers

            This feels a little low for Lillard, but when watching him he feels like a guy who’s already close to his ceiling. Comparing his numbers from his rookie and sophomore campaigns support that theory. Regardless, he’s still a big-time shot maker who delivered one of the top-5 moments of the playoffs with his series winning shot against the Rockets.

22. Dirk Nowitzki, PF, Dallas Mavericks

            Dirk is the oldest guy on this list, but as good a shooter as he is we think he’d still hold value as a spot-up stretch four on the right team when he’s pushing 40.

21. Bradley Beal, SG, Washington Wizards

            Beal’s story is similar to DeRozan’s, except Beal can hit 3s and is four years younger. It isn’t ridiculous to think Beal could be the best shooting guard in the NBA as soon as next season.

Second Banana’s

20. Kevin Love, PF, Minnesota Timberwolves

            Love is a gifted offensive player and fantastic rebounder, but the rest of his defensive skills leave much to be desired. A championship can be won with Love, but a rim-protecting center and an elite point guard are needed.

19. Tony Parker, PG, San Antonio Spurs

            Parker’s getting up there in age, which is concerning considering his game is predicated on his ability to get into the paint. Regardless, his role as a catalyst on the team that just won the Finals earns him a spot on this list.

18. Carmelo Anthony, SF-PF, New York Knicks

            I considered copying and pasting what I typed about Kevin Love here, but instead I’ll just tell you to reread Love’s right up and swap out “Love’ for “Carmelo”.

17. Kyrie Irving, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers

            It’s not Irving’s fault that he plays for a team that fired the same coach twice within four years. There’s a good chance Irving’s best years will happen on another team sometime down the road.

16. Blake Griffin, PF, Los Angeles Clippers

            Griffin was a monster this year, but we’re still not putting him into the top-10. If he backs up the season he just had next year, we’ll have to push him that high.

15. Joakim Noah, PF-C, Chicago Bulls

            Noah was far and away the most consistent defensive player in the NBA this season, and he upped his value even more by posting a career high 5.4 assists per game this season. He’d be the perfect compliment for either Kevin Love or Carmelo Anthony.

14. James Harden, SG, Houston Rockets

            We’d like to see Harden revert more to his playmaking days from Oklahoma City rather than being a volume shot taker, but he’s still either the first or second best shooting guard in the league.

13. Dwight Howard, C, Houston Rockets

            Howard quietly delivered what the Rockets were looking for when they signed him last year, with the only disappointing number being his blocks dipping under 2 per game for the first time since the 2006-07 season. Howard seems to be understanding that he doesn’t need to dominate the ball in the post, and should be even more effective if Houston is able to land another star player this off-season.

12. Marc Gasol, C, Memphis Grizzlies

            Along with Howard, Gasol is the only other true center in the league that can adequately handle playing in a small-ball lineup. I’d like to see Memphis utilize him more, as his playmaking ability is elite for a man of his size.

11. DeMarcus Cousins, PF-C, Sacramento Kings

            I understand that Boogie is bonkers, but there’s no denying that he is the dominant low-post scorer in the NBA. If we didn’t have a history of behavior issues, he’d be in the top-5.

Franchise Players

10. Chris Paul, PG, Los Angeles Clippers

            There’s a legitimate case to be made that Paul has a history of postseason choking, but there still isn’t another point guard I’d rather have running my half-court offense.

9. Paul George, SG-SF, Indiana Pacers

            George made a giant leap this season, but next year he needs to establish more game-to-game consistency to place him in the discussion of best players in the league.

8. John Wall, PG, Washington Wizards

            Even if Derrick Rose (who was left off this list due to health concerns) returns near full strength, Wall will still be the best point guard in the Eastern Conference. We’ll go out on a limb and predict Wall makes his first run at League MVP next season.

7. LaMarcus Aldridge, PF, Portland Trail Blazers

            Aldridge is arguably the best 18-foot jump shooter in the league, which is a real asset for floor spacing. I don’t think anyone would’ve thought that Aldridge would be so highly regarded when he was drafted out of Texas.

6. Stephen Curry, PG-SG, Golden State Warriors

            The shot making has always been there, but it’s his 8.5 assists per game in 2013-14 that’s noteworthy. The turnovers need to come down, but Curry is well on his way to establishing himself as a true floor general.

5. Russell Westbrook, PG-SG, Oklahoma City Thunder

            More often than not this postseason, it was Westbrook taking the critical shots in crunch time instead of Kevin Durant. Whether that’s a bi-product of selfishness or being the guy with the biggest onions is up for debate, but there’s no doubt that Westbrook is a top-5 talent. Ultimately we’d love to see the Thunder find a point guard and shift Westbrook to the 2, as he would be fully unleashed to attack when he has the ball in his hands.

 

4. Kawhi Leonard, SF, San Antonio Spurs

            At first glance, this seems like an epic overreaction to his NBA Finals MVP award, but Leonard truly deserves to be ranked this high. For starters, he’s only 22 years old. If he was on a team other than San Antonio, his points per game would be significantly higher, but his unselfishness makes him the perfect Spur. There’s no one better suited physically to guard Lebron James, and even when tasked with guarding the leagues best player he’s still able to produce on the offensive end. Do it all players like Leonard don’t grow on trees, and San Antonio is fortunate to have one of it’s pillars for the post Duncan era in place already.

3. Anthony Davis, PF, New Orleans Pelicans

            The Brow was an absolute monster this year, and looks poised to lead the next generation of NBA stars after Lebron and Durant move on. His defensive production was never in doubt when he came out of Kentucky, but you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who thought he could average more than 20 points per game as a 20-year old. The sky truly is the limit for him, and he’s a dark horse to finish first on this list next season.

2. Kevin Durant, SF, Oklahoma City Thunder
            Durant is a post-up game away from being the most dominant player in the league. His playmaking skills are already improved (he posted a career high assist rate this year), but he needs to be able to get the ball closer than 25 feet away from the basket in crunch time.

1. Lebron James, SF, Miami Heat

            Lebron’s no longer the most dominant offensive player on the planet (Durant has passed him there), but it’s his defense that gives him the top spot on our list. He’s the only player in the NBA capable of guarding point guards, wings, and power forwards. James has the most impact on defense on a nightly basis, and at 29, still has some prime years left in him.

            Here’s what our ten trios ended up being. Feel free to comment here, on Facebook, or Twitter to pass along your thoughts on our first annual NBA 30.

Team	Player 1	Player 2	Player 3
1	Lebron James, Heat	DeMarcus Cousins, Kings	Bradley Beal, Wizards
2	Kevin Durant, Thunder	Marc Gasol, Grizzlies	Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
3	Anthony Davis, Hornets	Dwight Howard, Rockets	Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers
4	Kawhi Leonard, Spurs	James Harden, Rockets	Eric Bledsoe, Suns
5	Russell Westbrook, Thunder	Joakim Noah, Bulls	Serge Ibaka, Thunder
6	Stephen Curry, Warriors	Blake Griffin, Clippers	Kyle Lowry, Raptors
7	LaMarcus Aldridge, Trail Blazers	Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers	Lance Stephenson, Pacers
8	John Wall, Wizards	Carmelo Anthony, Knicks	Chris Bosh, Heat
9	Paul George, Pacers	Tony Parker, Spurs	Al Jefferson, Raptors
10	Chris Paul, Clippers	Kevin Love, Timberwolves	DeMar DeRozan, Raptors

NBA Season Wrap-Up = OKC and Indiana

            Our latest edition of our NBA year-end recap looks at the two clubs who lost in their respective conference finals.

4. Indiana Pacers

No Credentials Pre-Season Rank = 8
Fantasy MVP = SG-SF Paul George (for the first three months of the year, was a top-4 ranked fantasy player, and finished the year inside the top-10)
            Indiana might have been the worst passing team in the history of man to make it to a conference finals. They couldn’t even get the ball into the post to take advantage of their size against the Heat. While most of the talk surrounding the Pacers revolves around whether or not they should resign Lance Stephenson, they really would benefit from adding a quality point guard. A star point guard isn’t necessary, just someone that can adequately get the ball into the post.
            As for Stephenson, No Credentials can’t figure out if Stephenson made or lost money during his wild and wacky playoff run. For all of his goofiness, he was still Indiana’s most important defender during their series against Miami, and at times was their best playmaker. There isn’t a viable replacement for him available on the open market, so for better or worse the Pacers and Stephenson are likely going to be together for the foreseeable future.

 

 

3. Oklahoma City Thunder

No Credentials Pre-Season Rank = 6
Fantasy MVP = SF Kevin Durant (don’t need to explain this one)
            Fresh off a loss in the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder are at multiple cross roads. We’ll address them in bullet form.

Would it be more beneficial long-term to split Durant and Russell Westbrook?

            The answer here is simple…only if a team makes a ridiculous offer for Westbrook. There were times against the Clippers and Spurs that Westbrook was the catalyst instead of Durant, and seems that they both are comfortable complimenting each other. Some stronger coaching (more on that later) is needed to reaffirm Russell’s place in the team pecking order, but that’s something that can be fixed. In a league dominated by rosters with multiple stars, it would make no sense to split the second best player and another top-10 player.

Should the Thunder finally amnesty Kendrick Perkins?

            Yes, yes, and yes again. Perkins is the easiest go to person to look at when evaluating how Oklahoma City built it’s supporting cast. The Thunder’s greatest advantage is the athletic ability of Durant-Westbrook-Ibaka, but with the exception of Reggie Jackson and Steven Adams, the rest of their playoff roster was made up of old washed up veterans. The fact that they went down in Game 6 with Derek Fisher as one of their five guys on the court is laughable (not as laughable as the amount of times Fisher found himself getting posted up on due to a pick-and-roll switch, but close). Perkins being let go would free up $9.5 million on their cap, which they should be able to spend on a player or players that would post a PER higher than –3.0. We’d also like to see them give guys like Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones III some more run during the regular season, as they do possess the natural athletic ability to compliment the core players. Amnestying Perkins makes tons of basketball sense, but we’re guessing the Thunder are too cheap to do it (they would still have to pay Perkins if they amnestied him, even though it wouldn’t count against their salary cap). At the very least, hopefully they don't play him very much next year.

Is Scott Brooks the right fit as Head Coach?

            Normally, I’m rational when discussing whether or not a coach who led his team to the NBA Final 4 should be kept, but the Thunder feel like a team that hasn’t hit it’s potential yet, and I don’t see Brooks being the guy to do it. He’s a good coach, but his offense is vanilla (it’s the talent of Durant and Westbrook that generate points here, not the Xs and Os), and his refusal to sit washed up veterans (to reiterate, Derek Fisher played the entire overtime in Game 6. Derek fucking Fisher!) rather than develop than roll with their younger bench players is detrimental to the team. Brooks is a good coach, but good isn’t good enough when given the talent he has at his disposal. The Chicago Bulls faced a similar situation when they fired Doug Collins after the 1990 season. Chicago was an up-and-coming team that couldn’t get past the Detroit Pistons. After losing in the Conference Finals, the Bulls canned Collins, hired Phil Jackson, and the rest is history. Oklahoma City should go down the same path here, but we’re guessing they are too cheap to fire Brooks and pay his buy out. So after all these words, we expect the Thunder to return in 2014-15 with virtually the same roster, and again be a championship contender.

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (5/9-5/11)

10. No Credentials Fantasy Football Hero Josh Gordon Likely Facing a 2014 Suspension
            We’re guessing he’s a pretty big supporter of legalizing marijuana.

9. Strange Indy Car Road Course Race at Indianapolis Was an Awful Idea

            We’re not sure which was worse, running the cars backwards on the road course, or the standing start that nearly killed the mayor of Indianapolis. Either way, less people showed up for this event than the first two Nationwide races at the Brickyard.

8. Nets Batter Miami From 3-Point Line, Claim Game 3

            Not a good sign for Brooklyn when it takes 60% shooting from downtown to win.

7. Michael Sam Lands With St. Louis Rams
            Of all teams he could’ve landed with, ending up in the same state he went to college and with the chance to learn from Robert Quinn and Chris Long was the best destination Sam could’ve asked for.

6. Paul George Goes Bonkers, Leads Pacers to 3-1 Series Lead Over Washington

            There’s the Paul George who looked like an MVP candidate before the calendar turned to 2014.

5. Rangers Push Penguins to Unlikely Game 7

            Kudos to New York for playing inspired hockey in honor of Martin St. Louis’ mother, who just passed away a few days ago.

4. Bruins Dominate Game 5, Up 3-2 on Montreal

            Through two periods, it looks like we’re going to a Game 7 in Boston.
         
3. Jeff Gordon Barely Holds Off Kevin Harvick, Wins at Kansas
            Career win #89 solidifies Gordon’s standing in the playoffs. Harvick has been the most dominant driver this season, but Gordon has been the most consistent.
         
2. 20-Year Old John Gibson Pitches Shutout in NHL Playoff Debut, Helps Ducks Even Series With Kings
            Gibson had only logged three career NHL games before becoming the youngest goalie in the history of THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE to pitch a shutout in his playoff debut. Remarkable.

1. Down 16 in the Fourth, Clippers Rally to Even Series With Thunder

            Just when it looked like we could begin discussing the implications of another Spurs-Thunder Western Conference Final, the Clippers rallied to make a series of it.