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Link to article: https://theathletic.com/2333024/2021/01/20/becky-hammon-san-antonio-spurs-nba-coach/
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There is a particular fusion of tension and chance, of anticipation and possibility, that comes with being a pioneer. Its demands constrict at times, even though it’s the dream, both in the immediate and the spectacular long view. It still continues, even now as Becky Hammon is in her seventh year on Gregg Popovich’s staff in San Antonio. Most recently, after Popovich got tossed from a game late in the second quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 30, he pointed to Hammon on his way out and said, “You got ’em.”
And that was that. She was the active head coach of an NBA team. In-bounds plays were hers to draw up, offensive sets were hers to call, defensive adjustments against LeBron James and Anthony Davis, already her forte with the Spurs, were going to be a mammoth task, as it is for any opposing staff. Afterward, James said as a player out on the court it was beautiful to hear Hammon patrolling the sidelines. Hammon, of course, wanted the win, saying on the postgame press conference that while it was a night to remember, it would’ve been better had the Spurs eked one out against the reigning champs.
Hammon, 43, acknowledges that she actively tries to avoid thinking of the firsts she’s been a part of and the more to come. “It can be overwhelming,” she said.
Vickie Johnson, now the head coach of the Dallas Wings, spoke with her former teammate and friend just last week. The entirety of the moment came up. Hammon told Johnson she no longer bears the monotony of that daily pressure, but that she’s just more anxious about the next step. That next step everyone in the NBA knows is inevitable — Hammon becoming an NBA head coach.
“Everything happens in God’s timing; we just have to trust and believe that,” Johnson said. “But it’s all about being prepared for that moment. I know she will be. I know she will be.”
On the NBA’s historic “You got ‘em” night, Hammon’s friends, former teammates and former players found themselves glued to the TV or tethered to their phones. Those who were going through the motions of 2020 received calls and texts from one another, telling them to find a way to turn on NBATV or get to ESPN for that night’s SportsCenter. If they couldn’t do that, they wanted to read the gamers; if possible, they wanted to watch her postgame availability. That night was just another step toward what they all believe is coming sooner rather than later: Hammon getting a head coaching job.
“I really do believe what she’s doing now? She’s been practicing for this,” said former teammate Marie Ferdinand-Harris. “She has always been the person that had to prove it to someone or had to prove it because of her height. She’s been in a training camp, pretty much the very first time she picked up a basketball. She’s been training to defeat all odds.”
Near a San Antonio strip mall, where the main attractions are the neighborhood grocery store, a Torchy’s Tacos and a frozen yogurt pitstop, is an unassuming white-brick building barely 15 minutes north of downtown. It’s there that a colorful mural shows Hammon looking out over the Alamo City, above its skyline, above the Tower of the Americas. On the side of this random building in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood, Hammon isn’t alone. The mural is flush with green grass beneath the carefully cultivated horizon, and while eyes gravitate to the depiction of the San Antonio Spurs assistant coach, there’s one more component to the piece.
It’s a young girl, a younger version of Hammon, her hair pulled up into a high blonde ponytail as Hammon did during her playing days. She’s wearing a home San Antonio Stars jersey and staring at her older self. She’s in Hammon’s number: 25. She’s wearing her jersey, which was retired by the organization in 2016. A basketball is held up against her left hip by the pressure from her left palm as she looks out on what everything could be, and what’s still to come. It’s a striking piece of symbolism considering its focal point is the person who changed professional sports forever simply by being herself every single day. Atop Hammon’s gaze out above her home base for the last 13 years, written in big blue letters, the kind of blue that matches the hue of the sky on a clear day in south-central Texas, is a directive:
“NEVER STOP”
Speaking things into existence
Delisha Milton-Jones’ favorite story to tell isn’t the one that, looking back on it now, is so strikingly prescient that she still labels it one of divinity. No, her favorite Hammon story goes back four years prior. Hammon and Milton-Jones were teammates at Ros Casares Valencia in Spain during the WNBA offseason. Valencia is located in Godella, a shade under four hours south of Barcelona, but like Barcelona, it’s on the Balearic Sea. Off days, Milton-Jones still recalls, were heaven: trips to the beach to relax in the sun, picturesque outdoor cafes, all of it. There were those days, too, where the players would just congregate at apartments and share stories.
Hammon, a renowned dancer in her inner circles, went back in time. Like, way, way back. In an apartment in Spain with her teammates crowded around her, she proved it.
“There’s never a dull moment when Becky’s around,” Milton-Jones said. “She used to break out her old videos when she was younger and she was in a talent contest where she was doing the MC Hammer dances. Oh my gosh, she loves a good time.”
Four years later, Milton-Jones signed with the Stars. Once she got settled in San Antonio, she went to Hammon’s house. This is the second-favorite story, the conversation that Old Dominion’s women’s basketball coach recollected with ease.
“We were both at this moment in our lives where we were wanting more and we were trying to figure out what was next,” Milton-Jones recalled. “It was a spiritually-based conversation, because both of us sort of spoke something into existence, now that I look back on it, because we’re talking about dreams and aspirations, and making conditions for those things in our lives to be seeded. Like, manifestations. I told her, ‘My dream is, I want to be a coach in the NBA. I would love to coach men.’”
They both left that talk feeling motivated to press on. The playing days, Milton-Jones said, were approaching their end for both of them. And Hammon, she said succinctly, was always one step ahead.
A year later, Hammon retired from basketball and was hired by Popovich.
“My jaw dropped and I said, ‘No freaking way! No freaking way’!” Milton-Jones said. “And the reason being, I was in pure awe that we had spoken about that, and it happened. I wish I could tell the world what I know. I don’t even know where to begin. I always kept that in the corner of my heart and I revisit it from time to time — or every time I see Becky on TV.”
“She always went with the Eagles”
When Hammon was traded to the San Antonio Stars in 2007 after eight years with the New York Liberty, Ferdinand-Harris remembers how swiftly Hammon became so attached to the San Antonio way. There were nights after games when Stars players wanted to go celebrate a win at a favorite restaurant. Hammon, her teammates remember, opted to keep pushing herself. She’d tell them she was going to get dinner with Tony Parker or Tim Duncan or maybe meet up with Popovich and staffers to talk about what they were doing for their next opponent.
“She always went with the eagles. Not to say the others were chickens,” Ferdinand-Harris said. “But she would always find herself with the eagles. And she soared with them. That was her company. When we’d have days off, most of us would be taking it easy, icing our knees, watching TV. She’s like, ‘I’m going to go meet up with them and watch the Spurs practice.’ Becky was just a step ahead of everyone. She always affiliated herself with the eagles, and when I see her where she is now, it all makes sense.”
South Dakota tough
There is tough, and then there is South Dakota tough. That’s how friends describe it. During Hammon’s rookie year with the Liberty in 1999, the Rapid City, S.D., native had to contend with battle-tested teammates Theresa Witherspoon, Sophia Witherspoon and Johnson. She had to figure out how to get around screens by Rebecca Lobo. Johnson, a versatile defensive-first guard, remembers lowering her shoulder into Hammon a couple of times in training camp. Just to see. Afterward, she went into the general manager’s office to ask where they found this new guard.
“I was like, ‘This kid — I don’t know her name — from South Dakota? This little kid is tough! If I go to war, I want to go to war with this kid. I don’t know who she is. She’s short, she’s a shooter, she’s tough. I know I hit her hard a couple of times and she got back up,'” said Johnson. “Ever since that day, we’ve become friends. We’re very close now. It’s like a match made in heaven, in a sense.”
Back then, coaching basketball didn’t come up all that much. Hammon was cutting her teeth amongst the WNBA elite and climbing the ladder doing so. She became a more established, well-rounded guard, going from primarily a 3-point threat to an all-around scorer. It came with effort, but also with the sort of attention to detail Johnson had never really seen in another teammate.
“When we were on the road, we would order our room service to the trainer’s room and we would set up a projector so we could watch film and we would stay there pretty much all night,” Johnson said. “That’s what it was. It wasn’t about coaching but it was about trying to find that edge. We never really spoke about coaching, it just naturally happened.”
“When you get to this point, you are a professional”
C.J. Williams felt a little awkward, a little out of position. The 6-foot-5 guard from North Carolina State was being deployed as a stretch-four under Hammon at the 2016 NBA Summer League. It was Hammon’s second year as San Antonio’s head coach of the summer league team. In her first year, the Spurs won the tournament in Las Vegas.
“They had me playing a little bit out of position, so it was a new feeling for me to be playing the power forward position,” Williams recalls. “I had asked her one time, I told her, ‘I’m setting this screen and I’m not getting open, and it’s extremely hard for me to get open and get a shot.’
“She tells me: ‘Your stance is a little too wide and you need to take a step in the opposite direction first before you go to the ball.’ I was like, ‘OK, I’m thinking that is basic fundamentals, but that’s probably not going to work.’ But she’s a coach. I’m going to do it, and I went and did it and got a wide-open shot. Unfortunately, I missed it. I always tell that story. Because it’s not a matter of whether she’s a female or male. Her overall knowledge of the game is better than a lot of people I know.”
Talk to those who know her, and the subject of her gender is raised by those who played for her or with her before it’s raised by the interviewer. And every time, there is a quashing of all those preconceived notions that run parallel to the way things have always been done. It does not matter.
“The way I look at it is: We are all professionals. Whether it’s summer league or regular season, playoffs, whatever. It doesn’t matter. When you get to this point, you’re a professional,” says Williams, now with the Brooklyn Nets G-League team. “And you know you’re going to work with other people. And all you want out of those other people is to work together for that common goal. Whether we just want to make the playoffs or play for a championship or whether we just want to improve from season to season, if you can prove to me that we both are going to be of equal or greater value to this organization, that’s all I care about. Becky was just so awesome in development. In Xs and Os. It’s not so shocking because she works with the Spurs. She learned, obviously, and was a sponge and in that form.”
For Hammon’s players, gender never defined her as a coach
It takes much more to get professionals to buy in, too, no matter your gender. Hammon knows when to strike. Former teammates say outside of the staples of tactics, discipline, style of play, coaches need to find a way to hit a chord that players can relate to and remember. Hammon, they say, has an innate ability to do that.
With Hammon, they know she can impress players by simply broaching every-day, off-the-court things. Ferdinand-Harris said that Hammon talks to her players about popular TikTok dances, Drake releases and is the sort of amicable personality who could win over anyone by something as simple as a game of H.O.R.S.E.
“She understood from the very beginning that it’s all about connecting to people. And how do you connect with people? You try to understand people,” Ferdinand-Harris said. “It didn’t matter who you were, what color you were, what gender, anything, she was able to make that connection with her personality. She could make you smile. She could make you laugh. She’s very funny. Once you get in, then you want to go to war for her. I want to bust my butt a little bit more to go win this game. I want to make her proud. I want to go all out. And I can see that transferring to the NBA. I can see her connecting with those players.”
Boris Diaw remembers Hammon’s rookie season as an assistant coach and her figuring out the rapid transition from star WNBA player to assistant coach.
“Back then she was becoming a rookie coach and she was in that early transition from playing to becoming a coach; as all the young coaches, you could tell she was looking for what to do and how to do it because it’s different from playing,” Diaw said. “There was not even a reaction (to her being a woman). It was normal. Nobody was saying, ‘We have a woman assistant.’ The question never even came up.”
The outgoing Diaw often struck up conversations with Hammon off the court about her long-term aspirations. He was traded to Utah in July 2016.
“We clearly talked about how far does she want to go in coaching and stuff, and it seemed pretty natural,” he said. “She was just a young assistant coach and starting out and learning that job. We would see that the progression would take her as far as she can. It was something always in our mind.”
Andre Miller, a point guard in the NBA for 17 seasons, played his last year in the league in San Antonio in 2016. He’d known Hammon, the star point guard, the sharp-shooting 3-point threat, the perennial All-Star, but Miller never knew Hammon the coach. No one did until they were signed by the Spurs. From the outset, Miller knew that Hammon was going to be able to direct a game from the sideline just like she did through the prism of being a point guard: obsessed with the details, not wanting to concede an inch. Miller remembers his time working with her and said she sees the game from a coaching perspective through the lens of a point guard.
“Oh she’s going to definitely be the first female NBA head coach,” he said. “It’s just a matter of time. I wouldn’t be surprised that when Pop does decide to retire that she’d be next in line. It’s a perfect situation. She knows the community, she knows management, and she’s reliable and she expects it. It’s easy to make that transition. She’s primed and ready.” (For the record, several of Popovich’s former assistants and players have gone on to be NBA coaches and two are general managers.)
“If you know the game, you know the game”
Vickie Johnson, like so many others, reverses the interview and bluntly poses the question herself.
“You tell me if I’m wrong. If she was a guy and she had all these accolades and had done all she has done in this league, she would already be a head coach,” said Johnson, who later played with Hammon in San Antonio after their years together in New York. “It’s just unfair, and I know it’s hard for us as a whole to see people equally. Male, female, whatever. White, black, brown, gold, whatever. I don’t see that. If you’re a coach, you’re a coach. If you’re a good person, you’re a good person. If you’re a bad person, you’re a bad person. I know by talking to Becky, watching her, being able to sit with her and watch film with her and the way she communicates with the players, I know she’s ready to take the next step.”
If not for San Antonio’s willingness to embrace needed change, Johnson wonders if Hammon — or any other qualified female coach for that matter — would’ve gotten her due shot on a bench elsewhere in the NBA. The burden of trailblazing used to be more of a strain than it is now. Hammon wanted to just coach. To watch basketball with the sort of genius she’s proven capable of doing. She’d soared with the eagles while teammates went out for dinner.
But with necessary firsts comes a spotlight. It’s not something she shirks, per se. She wants to do what she always has: live basketball every day.
“I think when she first got into the league and coaching, I think it did. I think it weighed on her,” Johnson said. “She had to carry this weight. Through the years, through the summer leagues, winning summer leagues, just going through the process and understanding the rules and regulations of the NBA. How you relate to (players). Do they trust you? Do you know what you’re talking about? I think the biggest thing for her, I think she had the pressure a few years ago. Now it’s about her learning all she can and being prepared when the opportunities come.”
Former WNBA star guard Jennifer Azzi faced Hammon for a few years in the WNBA before retiring in 2003. “Toughness” is what comes to mind all these years later. After Hammon took over for Popovich in that game against the Lakers, Azzi remembers seeing a congratulatory tweet from Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to Hammon among the wave of well-wishes and celebratory emojis.
“What she’s doing is she’s shining the light on the fact that women are just as good as men in everything,” Azzi said. “It’s one thing when there’s something that’s market-based. Like NBA vs. WNBA. There’s still so much room to grow. But in this instance, if you know the game, you know the game. I think it’s shining the light on everything women do everywhere. I think it’s tremendous for the growth of the sport overall. I also really believe — I think the biggest shift I have seen is women supporting women, women celebrating women. I don’t remember ever a time like this.”
As he’s had to unfortunately explain too many times over the years, Popovich once more said he didn’t hire Hammon “to make history.” She was brought on board because she’s Becky Hammon, the one player who would never stop, the coach who would never stop.
“Breaking down barriers is something that is always beautiful to see,” Williams said. “It’s just that, for me, it’s not very shocking. Having firsthand experience with her, she’s professional, and at this level, that’s all you can ask for in coach, in a player, in anything.”
Two seasons ago, Ferdinand-Harris arrived at Spurs camp earlier than usual. She wanted to try to yell at Becky during warmups. But once she walked down courtside, she saw Hammon putting Spurs guard Patty Mills through a quick shooting routine, and read the expression on her friend’s face. She knew that the goofy, life-of-the-party Becky was there. She knew that if she wanted to, she could call out a random dance move, and if she wanted to, Hammon could bust it out right there.
But she resisted because Hammon was rebounding and making Mills shuffle his feet beyond the 3-point line and Mills was breaking a sweat.
“The Spurs will continue to grow you as a person. Character is always No. 1. From Day 1, she was learning how. She didn’t have to learn all these things under pressure, under stress,” Ferdinand-Harris said. “Because you can mess up and learn. They tell you, ‘We are all in with you.’ All the mess-ups are all in. And then she was getting better and better as a coach. It’s the same format for the players. They’re grooming everyone, grooming everyone, and then, all of a sudden, it clicks. Grooming their own to become ready. They did it with Kawhi, with Tim, with Tony, with Manu. And now, look who it is. It’s Becky.”

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The following betting odds are from Vegasinsider.com and were last updated on December 14, 2020.
-At +320, Toronto has the 3rd best odds of winning the Atlantic Division in 2021. At +150, Brooklyn are the favorites to win the Atlantic Division in 2021.
-At +800, Toronto has the 5th best odds of winning the Eastern Conference in 2021. At +230, Milwaukee are the favorites to win the Eastern Conference in 2021.
-At +1800, Toronto has the 6th best odds of winning the 2021 NBA Championship. At +275, the Lakers are the favorites to win the the 2021 NBA Championship
Toronto's 2020-21 season opener will be against the Pelicans in Tampa, Florida on December 23, 2020 at 7:30 EST.
-The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook listed the Toronto Raptors' OveUnder for the 2020-21 season at 41.5 wins which would make them a 6th seed in the playoffs.
Milwaukee is projected to finish with the best record in the entire league next season with 49.5 wins.
-Odds for the Toronto Raptors to missing the playoffs in 2021 is +540.
Odds for the Toronto Raptors to make the playoffs in 2021 is -850.
-At +390, LaMelo Ball is the favorite to win the 2021 NBA ROY award. At +6500, Raptors' 1st round pick Malachi Flynn is tied for the 9th best odds for winning ROY in 2021.
-At +900, Steve Nash is the favorite to win the 2021 Coach of the Year award. At +3300, Nick Nurse is tied for the 2nd worst odds in the league to win Coach of the Year in 2021.
-At +1000, Canadian Jamal Murray & Jaren Jackson Jr. are tied for having the best odds of winning the Most Improved Player award in 2021. At +3300, OG Agunoby is tied for the 6th best odds of winning 2021 MIP award.
-At +350, "Sweet" Lou Williams is the favorite to win 6th Man of the Year in 2021. At +2400, Norman Powell is tied for the 6th best odds of winning 6MOY award in 2021.
At +225, Ben Simmons is the favorite to lead the league in steals in 2021. At +1000, Fred VanVleet has the 5th best odds of leading the NBA in steals in 2021.
At +275, LeBron is the favorite to lead the league in assists in 2021. At +3300, Kyle Lowry is tied for the 9th best odds of leading the NBA in assists in 2021.

All across the NBA landscape, there's only one thing on people's mind: What are the Charlotte Hornets going to do this offseason??
Kidding, of course. However, the boycott/strike left us with no games today, and perhaps the chance to sneak in the second edition of the OFFSEASON BLUEPRINT series.
Here's a rundown and list of recommendations for the team this offseason.
step one: don't let your (semi) success get to your head
Coming into this season, expectations for the Charlotte Hornets were lower than a limbo bar. Kemba Walker had exited for greener pastures, and the team became a punchline when they ponied up $19M a year for Terry Rozier to replace him. Vegas set their oveunder at 23.5 wins, the lowest in the entire league.
Based on those expectations, coach James Borrego and the team massively overachieved early on in the year. They jumped out of the gates at 13-17, fueled by hot shooting from breakout Devonte' Graham. Eventually, Graham cooled off and the team did as well. Still, they'd end the year at a semi-respectable 23-42, nearly beating that preseason "over" despite a 65-game schedule.
If you're an optimist, you could say that this team isn't too far away from the playoffs. After all, Orlando grabbed the # 8 seed with a 33-40 record. Perhaps if the Hornets made a few tweaks here and there, they could get up to that 35-win range next year and contend for the 8th seed themselves.
Alas, I am no optimist. At least, not when it comes to these Charlotte Hornets. The team got off to a solid start, but all other metrics indicate a team that is B-A-D. Their point differential of -6.7 indicates a team that's even worse than their 23-42 record. In fact, that -6.7 is the 4th worst in the league. Their offense came in at 29th overall (out of 30). Even feel-good stories like Devonte' Graham didn't last forever. His shooting slowed down to the point where he finished the year with a below-average 53.7% true shooting percentage.
By any reasonable assessment, this team is a loooonggg way away from making the playoffs, and even further away from contending in a R1 series. Going into this offseason, the front office and ownership needs to realize that, and adjust their strategy accordingly.
step two: ignore your stars, and shoot for the moon instead
Let's ignore the astronomical problems with that statement and consider the subtext instead.
Perhaps more than any team in the NBA, the Charlotte Hornets need a marquee player. That goes for this roster, but also this franchise's player in history. Charlotte first got an expansion team in 1988 (as the "Hornets") and then again in 2004 (as the "Bobcats" to start.) If we include ALL of that history, dating back 30 seasons, the players with the most total win shares for the franchise are 1) Kemba Walker, 2) Gerald Wallace, and 3) Muggsy Bogues. Those are all good players, but not the type of superstar that'd inspire you to build a statue outside the stadium.
Fortunately, the basketball gods finally smiled upon them and landed them the # 3 pick this year. It's going to be a weak draft, but this will still be the team's best chance to land a superstar since they selected Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (over Bradley Beal) at # 2 back in 2012. Given this opportunity, and given their needs, the Hornets need to aim high here. Shoot for the moon. And in the process, they have to ignore their current roster completely. Top scorers Devonte' Graham and Terry Rozier are OK, but they're not the caliber of player that should force you to adjust your big board at all. The mandate should be simple: best. available. player. Guard, forward, center, it shouldn't matter. We need Michael Jordan to hit a home run here, although we know it's not his specialty.
I don't anticipate that Georgia SG Anthony Edwards will be available, but if he is, then the team should be excited to nab him. Edwards didn't shoot well as a freshman (40% from the field, 29% from three), but he's got the tools to be a potential All-Star. He's long (6'9" wingspan), strong, and hard to guard when he's attacking. I also like the idea of MJ mentoring Edwards and pushing him to get the most out of his talent. If he taps into his potential, we're talking about a Donovan Mitchell-esque player here.
A more polarizing selection that I'd still endorse would be Memphis C James Wiseman. I can understand the criticism against him. He can be passive at times. Perhaps he'll never be an elite scorer or even an All-Star. Still, I like Wiseman for a few reasons. He's 7'1" with a 7'5" wingspan, which should help make him an anchor on defense. He's also a smart kid (based on media interviews). Coach James Borrego came from the Spurs organization, which built around bigs like David Robinson and Tim Duncan originally. Perhaps he'd be more inclined to invest in a big man than other young coaches would. And while I cautioned against factoring in "fit," Wiseman and P.J. Washington would make for great complementary building blocks at the 4 and 5.
Personally, I'm mixed on the 3rd spot (which is where they land, unfortunately.) Draft Express lists PG LaMelo Ball as their # 1 prospect, while The Ringer has French PG Killian Hayes at the top of their board. Both have good size for the position, good passing instincts, and good experience overseas. I don't love the shooting of either one myself and worry about some possible inefficiency, but the Hornets would judge for themselves and select one if they're totally on board. Having two scoring guards like Graham and Rozier shouldn't factor into the equation.
Other names they should consider include PF/C Onyeka Okongwu (USC) and SF/PF Deni Avdija (Israel). I like a few other prospects in the class, but none of them would merit top 3 status. If I ran Charlotte, I wouldn't try to get cute about trade-ups or trade-downs either. The lottery was generous to you, so let's not look a gift horse in the mouth.
step three: don't be a waste of space
The Charlotte Hornets already have $79M committed in salary for next season, which sounds like "a lot" until you consider it's the third least in the NBA (behind Atlanta and Detroit.) Most teams are already booked up, with twenty different teams already having $100M on the docket.
With a little wiggle room (say $20M or so), the Hornets could potentially be players in free agency. This is not a strong free agency class, and the top names (like Anthony Davis and Brandon Ingram) probably won't come calling.
Still, there are a few young veterans that may be worth pursuing. Sacramento SF Bogdan Bogdanovic is coming off a season where he averaged 18-4-4 per 36 minutes, and may have even more in the tank if he became more of a featured option. At 28 years old, he's probably in his prime already, but his skill set should age fairly well and he should maintain his value over the next 2-3 years. I also like Spurs' C Jakob Poeltl, a 24-year-old big man who's shown well in his limited playing time. He could potentially become a long-term starter on the right team. Sacramento C Harry Giles could also be a good flier.
Outside of a few select picks, the Hornets shouldn't force the issue and throw their money around willy-nilly (like they may have with Terry Rozier.) Someone needs to block DeMar DeRozan's number on Michael Jordan's phone.
That said, they can still use that cap space effectively. If we presume the Hornets aren't making the playoffs anyway, they may as well take a "toxic asset" off another team's hands, a la Sean Marks' Brooklyn Nets. Options could include Gorgui Dieng ($17M), James Johnson ($16M), Thaddeus Young ($13M + $14M), or Al-Farouq Aminu ($9M + $10M). If a team is willing to throw you a bone in terms of draft picks to take them off your hands, you may as well put the cap space to good use.
step four: hold your breath, and prepare to drown
Clearly, we haven't painted a rosy picture here. The team is unlikely to add top talent through free agency or trade, and even that top 3 lottery pick won't be a great player out of the gate. All in all, this is a bottom 10 team that will likely stay in the bottom 10 next year no matter how hard they try and fight it.
So if you're already sinking... why not drown completely? Yes, friends, we're talking about a full blown tank.
If the Hornets see the writing on the wall early next year, they need to commit fully and aggressively to a tank in 2020-21. I wouldn't normally recommend that tactic in today's day and age given the new flattened lottery odds, but this may be a "perfect storm" of events. The top 3 is ripe for the picking. Golden State won't be 15-50 next year. Minnesota (19-45) and Atlanta (20-47) should be better as well. The biggest threats would be Detroit (20-46) and the N.Y. Knicks (21-45), but both have older coaches that may not be keen on throwing a year of their coaching lives out the window.
Tanking makes logical sense for Charlotte, but they need some buy-in from the organization first. We'd have to convince Michael Jordan and the ownership group that it's in the team's long-term interest. They seem committed to "compete," but squeaking out a bunch of 30-win seasons over the next few years may be a great way to lose the entire franchise to relocation. Taking a short-term fall could land a star, and lead to a brighter future down the road.
We'd also need the ownership to give the greenlight to the front office and coaching staff as well. James Borrego will be entering Year 3 with the team, and will be nervous about his job security. Mitch Kupchak will be as well in the front office. For them to embrace a tank, they'd need some assurance that they're in this for the long haul. Personally, I like Borrego as a coach, so I'd try my best to commit to him and this long-term plan.
If the team can get on the same page and follow through, then there may be gold at the end of the rainbow. Next year's class appears (at the moment, anyway) to be a strong group, highlighted by playmaking wing Cade Cunningham (heading to Oklahoma State) and scoring guard Jalen Green (heading to the G-League.) PF Evan Mobley (USC), SF Jalen Johnson (Duke), and SF Ziaire Williaims (Stanford) also have the potential to join the # 1 pick conversation in time. And while those flattened odds make it difficult to ensure the # 1 pick, grabbing the # 1 spot means that you can only drop as low as # 5. That 5th pick next year may be even better than the # 3 this season.
other offseason blueprints
ATL, BKN, BOS, CHI, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, HOU, IND, GS, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, NO, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHX, POR, SA, SAC, TOR, UTA, WAS

Seattle was close to unanimously decided upon to re-join the NBA as the 31st team in the league.
Based on feedback, NBA commissioner Flynn Patrick has announced the NBA will be adding one more expansion team during the 2020's.
"The league is expanding globally at a rapid pace. Talent is increasing, it's time brother man" said Mr. Patrick.
This will be a unique case however.
Excluding Seattle, the rest of the cities weren't as unanimous. Although there was a clear 2nd place and this city is the likely favorite, I've decided to make a 16 city tournament in which this sub will get to decide which city will be joining Seattle. Voting will begin tomorrow.
Here are the 16 potential expansion cities:
1: Vancouver, Canada
Population: 675,218
Ballots Appeared On: 14
The clear favorites to win this tournament and the only city other than Seattle to appear on every ballot, although unlike Seattle (no votes less than 2nd place) Vancouver was a little more varied (with votes ranging from 1-8).
The NBA tried this in the 90's. It didn't work, the chances of it working now are substantially up.
Vancouver has thrived as a city in the last 20 years, Toronto just won a championship, the economics that failed the Grizzlies in the late 90's has done a 180. One business analyst in Canada recently said the odds are high Vancouver will get another chance in the 2020's.
Based on the results of the last survey, he's likely right. Vancouver is the clear favorites to be the 32nd team in the NBA during "The Golden Age" but I don't think it will be as much of a cakewalk as it was for Seattle.
2: Las Vegas, Nevada
Population: 641,676
Ballots Appeared On: 10
The NFL + the NHL have expanded to Las Vegas recently (the NHL team made the Finals in year 1!!) now the NBA could be happening as well.
The summer league happens here every season. In a simulation I did last year, I gave Las Vegas a team and they dominated the 2030's. MGM became "the official data partner" of the NBA in 2018, and the relationship between the two cities is only going upwards.
Although Vancouver will be a tough battle, Las Vegas is the clear 2nd favorite to land an NBA team.
3. St. Louis, Missouri
Population: 318,069
Ballots Appeared On: 9
A recent local St. Louis article had a billionaire suggesting that an NBA team could do well in St. Louis. This is a city that won an NBA championship back in the 1950's behind Bob Pettit.
The same article suggested the Pelicans could move from New Orleans to St. Louis. Maybe before the 2019 draft happened but not happening now.
Either way, St. Louis appeared on 9 ballots and the city does have a 20,000 seat arena the team could play in. With the Rams leaving for LA recently, the support would be there.
4. Louisville, Kentucky
Population: 602,011
Ballots Appeared On: 8
Expansion is inevitable, at the very least, Louisville is a contender.
In a basketball crazy state with a surprising 600,000+ residents, the support would absolutely be there and this city is a serious dark horse candidate.
An NBA to Louisville twitter account has nearly 8,000 followers and NBA HOF player Dan Issel has been very open about how he thinks Louisville deserves a team.
5. Montreal, Canada
Population: 1,780,000
Ballots Appeared On: 8
This would be an intriguing option to say the least. Nearly 2 million residents means 3X the amount of residents of any city to appear on this list so far.
The NBA discussed Montreal as an option in 2018 and the conclusion was they would be a "Plan B" city. Kyle Lowry praised the city for the ridiculous energy during exhibition games.
They are a dark horse but at the very least an option and will be the 5th seed in this tournament.
6. Kansas City, Missouri
Population: 488,943
Ballots Appeared On: 9
Although KC appeared on more ballots than Louisville and Montreal, they finish lower in the seeding (only one ballot had them higher than 6th).
As someone who lives in Kansas, a team would 110% thrive there. Kansas is insane about basketball. An NBA executive said last year anonymously that they believed Kansas City surprisingly has a better chance than any other city, and they have an NBA arena.
A recent local KC article said it's a long shot though, and a local official wondered whether a team would be able to survive potentially struggling early on.
7. Mexico City, Mexico
Population: 8,850,000
Ballots Appeared On: 6
The league has expanded to having exhibition games here, and at an absurdly high population this could be a unique expansion opportunity that the voters have deemed at the very least possible.
8. San Diego, California
Population: 1,420,000
Ballots Appeared On: 6
With a high population and the Clippers' were there in the 80's, San Diego could be a contender here. Although in a recent ballot, 54% of residents said it was "doubtful" the city would get a team before 2038.
9. Nashville, Tennessee
Population: 691,243
Ballots Appeared On: 6
Other than Seattle, Las Vegas, and Vancouver (and 1 team further down): Nashville was the only team to receive a 1st place vote.
As a Tennessee Titans fan, Nashville's fanbase is insane as shown recently by the 2019 NFL draft. A recent reddit thread in the Nashville sub had mostly positive responses to the potential idea (although 1 comment stating an MLB expansion would be better for the city).
I personally believe a team would thrive here (and in simulations I have done before, that's usually been the case). There is a lot of competition however.
10. Cincinnati, Ohio
Population: 301,301
Ballots Appeared On: 5
Cincinnati had an NBA team from 1957-1972, which included one of the best players of all time in Oscar Robertson.
They have an NBA viable arena, but we are now moving into the "serious long shots" area of this tournament.
11. Baltimore, Maryland
Population: 619,493
Ballots Appeared On: 4
Although only appearing on 4 ballots, Baltimore was in-between 3rd-6th place on all ballots.
In a recent reddit thread on Baltimore's sub, the overwhelming consensus was "the city would lose it's shit and the team would be incredibly popular" so that is a promising sign and something to consider for the voters in here.
12. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Population: 302,407
Ballots Appeared On: 4
Have you ever seen the "fish that saved Pittsburgh" well this could be the sub that saves Pittsburgh!
Pittsburgh has NFL, MLB, and NHL teams so this is something to think about. The consensus in a recent nba thread on the subject however was "Pittsburgh is not big enough to be a 4 sport city" which is..probably valid. They are going to have a chance here though.
13. Austin, Texas
Population: 950,715
Ballots Appeared On: 4
Austin has the distinction of being the largest city without a pro sports team. The city does have San Antonio's G-League team currently.
They sneak in the tournament here, and a very unique city they are indeed. This will be a candidate to think about.
14. London, England
Population: 8,136,000
Ballots Appeared On: 3
The NBA played in London last season, and expanding to England would be rather interesting. Recently the NBA scrapped a 2019-2020 game there and moved it to Paris instead.
Still they sneak in the tournament and will have a chance.
15. Tampa, Florida
Population: 385,430
Ballots Appeared On: 2
Although only appearing on 2 ballots, one of them was 1st place. However, in a recent thread in Tampa's sub, the consensus was "lol nobody would go to the games this is a joke". A serious long shot.
16. Honolulu, Hawaii
Population: 351,792
Ballots Appeared On: 2
The NBA in Hawaii?!?!
It would be intriguing but they'd have to build a stadium (currently largest stadium is 10,000). But hey in "The Golden Age" you never know.
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Other Cities who received votes
Albuquerque, San Jose: 2 ballots
Lithuania, Billings, Montgomery, Scranton, Virginia Beach, Raleigh, Boise, Jacksonville, Lincoln, Newark, Birmingham, San Juan: 1 ballot

Chart of Each Season's Vegas Favorite's Percent Chance to Win the NBA Title
There has been a lot of talk about how wide open this seasons field of championship contenders is and what this means for league parity. Coming off 3 seasons of the Durant Warriors it's refreshing not to have an overwhelming favorite. This season's current favorite is listed at +350 which equates to an estimated 22% chance of winning the title. I was wondering how rare it was for no team to have even a 25% chance so I put together this chart which makes it very easy to visualize how parity has evolved.
Some Conclusions:
The level of parity for the 2020 season has happened before, but this is about as good as it gets. Vegas has been this unsure of the eventual champion during a few other eras since 1985. The Bad Boys won back to back at the end of the 80s but those seasons were very unpredictable by Vegas's standards. We saw the title favorite drop to around 22% for a few years after Jordan's first retirement and then again after his 2nd retirement. After Shaq was traded out of LA in 2004 we saw 5 straight years of this level of parity. We returned to close to the 22% number in 2015 and 2016 before Durant went to GS. Now we have returned to a state of parity in 2020 but it is unclear if it will continue as long as past eras of parity or if one of the top teams will establish themselves as a juggernaut.
​
The super-team era was not a historical anomaly until KD joined the Warriors. The Miami Heat were not seen as dominant favorites and did not have as high of expectations as the Shaq Lakers, the Jordan Bulls or even the best Lakers and Celtics teams of the 80s. The NBA has mostly varied between a few years with nobody above 25% to a great term emerging and having a few years between 30% and 40%. This held true from 1985 until KD joined the 73 win Warriors in the summer of 2016.
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The last 3 seasons of the Warriors have been by far the largest preseason favorites the league has ever seen. We are coming off 3 seasons of the worst parity the league has even seen (since 1985). Vegas gave the 3 Durant Warriors teams a 56%, a 65% and a 63% chance to win. These numbers dwarf even the most dominant Jordan Bulls teams. In terms of the eventual champion being a forgone conclusion this is as close as we have ever gotten.
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Source for Historical Vegas Odds: Basketball Reference
Percentages are calculated based on what percentage of the time a team would need to win for the bet to break even. For example a +300 favorite would have an estimated 25% chance.

1. First reigning FMVP to leave his team ever.
2. He could have created an overwhelming title favorite in the most successful/iconic NBA franchise since 1980, and he would have received a tiny fraction criticism of LeBron/Durant.
3. He has chronic knee issues and have to hold back in the regular season, yet still chose his own team in the West knowing Paul George will most likely miss start of the season, instead of staying in the East.

Yet despite all of this, he clearly bought Game of Zones S6E8's Patrick Beverley pitch: Steve Ballmer's Microsoft money and Jerry West the championship architect will almost certainly get one more upgrade to the roster if everyone look healthy by all-star break. The Clippers is a hungry pack of dogs waiting for their alpha. Kawhi pitched to get his own Pippen and built the closest thing to Jordan/Pippen in 2020, in LA against the fan-favorite Lakers, and directly challenging King LeBron's throne in his own city after declining an alliance! He LITERALLY declared war against the best player of our generation in an era where alliance is far more common!
I don't remember anything even close to this in NBA history, obviously this can all backfire if health issues derail this team, if they fail to capture a ring next two seasons. On paper, both Vegas odds and my eye test says LeBron/AD is a touch better duo. Kawhi did not have a good finals either against the depleted warriors. He didn't look nearly as dominant as LeBron in any of the Cavs/Warriors series. If he fails, people will just say he overestimated himself after a fluke season.
But what if he is successful? What if the robot is cold blooded and calculated everything correctly? He made a very strange comment about he does not play for fans. From pure eye test and 1v1 stand point, I don't think Duncan could beat Shaq, heck he didn't destroy Malone/KG/Dirk's of the world with raw head-to-head stats either. The same way Kawhi doesn't fill up the stat sheet like LeBron, and with the exception of first half 2017 finals, Kawhi can't really beat Durant 1v1. But as the true heir to Duncan, he does everything required to win. He plays defense against the best player on the other team, he gives his teammate calmness and confidence, carries them when he has no choice (game 7 vs Sixers, game 3 vs Bucks), let them shine when they finally put it together. Duncan turned very low picks in ParkeGinobili into all stars. Kawhi turned Raptors into champions. There is something special about these two you can't really quantify with stats, otherwise Duncan would be just a 20/10 guy.
Kawhi has the highest winning percentage in NBA history. He turned first round exist Spurs into western finals, finals and championship in his first three seasons. He took Spurs to another conference finals the same season Duncan retired. He matched peak LeBron game score three straight games in 2014 finals to stop the Heat three-peat after Spurs lost home court!
He made this much more difficult, but if he rings one of the next two seasons, he will truly be, the King Slayer.

Link to Chart of Each Season's Vegas Favorite's Percent Chance to Win the NBA Title
There has been a lot of talk about how wide open this seasons field of championship contenders is and what this means for league parity. Coming off 3 seasons of the Durant Warriors it's refreshing not to have an overwhelming favorite. This season's current favorite is listed at +350 which equates to an estimated 22% chance of winning the title. I was wondering how rare it was for no team to have even a 25% chance so I put together this chart which makes it very easy to visualize how parity has evolved.
Some Conclusions:
The level of parity for the 2020 season has happened before, but this is about as good as it gets. Vegas has been this unsure of the eventual champion during a few other eras since 1985. The Bad Boys won back to back at the end of the 80s but those seasons were very unpredictable by Vegas's standards. We saw the title favorite drop to around 22% for a few years after Jordan's first retirement and then again after his 2nd retirement. After Shaq was traded out of LA in 2004 we saw 5 straight years of this level of parity. We returned to close to the 22% number in 2015 and 2016 before Durant went to GS. Now we have returned to a state of parity in 2020 but it is unclear if it will continue as long as past eras of parity or if one of the top teams will establish themselves as a juggernaut.
​
The super-team era was not a historical anomaly until KD joined the Warriors. The Miami Heat were not seen as dominant favorites and did not have as high of expectations as the Shaq Lakers, the Jordan Bulls or even the best Lakers and Celtics teams of the 80s. The NBA has mostly varied between a few years with nobody above 25% to a great term emerging and having a few years between 30% and 40%. This held true from 1985 until KD joined the 73 win Warriors in the summer of 2016.
​
The last 3 seasons of the Warriors have been by far the largest preseason favorites the league has ever seen. We are coming off 3 seasons of the worst parity the league has even seen (since 1985). Vegas gave the 3 Durant Warriors teams a 56%, a 65% and a 63% chance to win. These numbers dwarf even the most dominant Jordan Bulls teams. In terms of the eventual champion being a forgone conclusion this is as close as we have ever gotten.
​
Source for Historical Vegas Odds: Basketball Reference
Percentages are calculated based on what percentage of the time a team would need to win for the bet to break even. For example a +300 favorite would have an estimated 25% chance.