NBA Chat With Alex Kennedy 10/12/12

1. Deven

   Now that the Dwightmare is in the past, who is the next nightmare for this upcoming season?

   • Alex Kennedy

     What’s up everyone? Thanks for stopping by and submitting your questions. The preseason is here and the regular season is just a few weeks away so there’s plenty to talk about. Let’s jump right in.

     Chris Paul has already started to get questions about his upcoming free agency. Josh Smith too. With that said, I don’t think either of those guys want to go through that. No player wants to have their own version of the Dwightmare play out. They’ll learn from Dwight Howard’s mistakes and do things differently as they approach free agency.

2. Deven

   What happen to the NBA @ 2 column here on Hoopsworld?

   • Alex Kennedy

     We decided to replace it with features that will go onto the site during the afternoon. Basically, the NBA AM and NBA PM will give you the biggest stories of the day and throughout the afternoon we’ll have features, interviews, videos and more content going up on the site. On most nights, we have multiple writers in locker rooms doing exclusive interviews and shooting video. We wanted to make room for that content, so it could go up the following day.

3. Deven

   Which team(s) are you most concerned about heading into this season based on what you’ve seen so far in the preseason?

   • Alex Kennedy

     I try not to overreact to preseason basketball, simply because teams aren’t playing to win. Players are trying to work on specific aspects of their game and coaches are trying to evaluate certain players. Even if a team loses every preseason game on their schedule, I wouldn’t be overly concerned about it.

     With that said, there are a few teams that concern me heading into the season, for reasons unrelated to the preseason.

     The Chicago Bulls could really take a step back this season. They have a lot of new faces, but I don’t think they’re a better team than they were last year. They better hope that Derrick Rose comes back quickly and can play at a high level otherwise they may slip in the standings.

     The Golden State Warriors concern me since they’re counting on Stephen Curry and Andrew Bogut to be healthy. That’s scary. This is a very good team, but Curry and Bogut need to prove that they can stay on the court.

     The Dallas Mavericks concern me because they have a ton of young players on ending contracts. While that sometimes works because guys are motivated and produce during their contract year, it can also blow up in their face if guys are putting their stats ahead of the team’s success. Throw in the fact that Dirk Nowitzki may need surgery and could miss a significant amount of time and I just can’t envision Dallas contending in the West.

4. Willy

   Hi alex ! I am not a celtics fan but can’t help but wonder- why don’t the C’s bring back pietrus? He’s a hard nosed defender, good shooter and an energetic fan favorite.I understand that lee Terry and Bradley are already there an that the jet replaced ray and lee replaced pietrus but he could play sf as a specialist on D rondo Bradley pietrus green kg one of the best defensive Linwood in the league with plenty of offense to! And he wants to come back! Please answer
   Ps where do Knicks finish in the east

   • Alex Kennedy

     The Celtics have expressed interest in Mickael Pietrus, but it sounds like they’re only offering the veteran’s minimum, which makes sense since they already have Avery Bradley, Jason Terry and Courtney Lee. They don’t really need Pietrus so why give him more than the minimum when he’d barely play? Also, they may be concerned about his health. Pietrus played through pain for much of last season after having an arthroscopic knee procedure done last summer. He had another scope this summer so the Celtics may be hesitant to pay a guy who may not be 100 percent for a second-straight year.

     I think the Knicks will finish third or fourth in the East. After Miami, the East is wide open this year.

5. simon

   will afflalo be an all star this year???

   • Alex Kennedy

     I recently wrote an article about Arron Afflalo having a breakout season, but I don’t think he’ll be an All-Star. The Orlando Magic will likely have one of the worst records in the league, which will make it hard. Also, he may average career-highs across the board, but he would need his numbers to increase A LOT to make it over some of the star guards in the Eastern Conference like Dwyane Wade, Deron Williams, Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, Kyrie Irving, Joe Johnson, etc.

6. Cain

   This season Paul George breaks out? How will that effect Granger?

   • Alex Kennedy

     Paul George worked hard this summer and this could be the season that he breaks out. He made huge strides last year and he’s only going to continue to improve. At 22 years old, I think he still has a ways to go before he reaches his prime, but we could see him take on a bigger role this season in Indiana. The Pacers are banking on that type of internal improvement since they didn’t really make any big offseason acquisitions. If George breaks out, I think he and Danny Granger will be able to coexist and play off of each other. They’re good friends and have excellent chemistry. Granger’s numbers may drop a little bit so it could affect his fantasy value or something like that, but I think a huge season from George would make his job easier and make the Pacers a much scarier team.

7. Emanuel

   Do you see Adam Morrison making the roster on the Blazers? How about Rasheed Wallace making the roster on the Knicks? Thank You for answering my questions!

   • Alex Kennedy

     It’s possible. I was impressed with Adam Morrison when I watched him play in summer league. He can still score the ball and contribute on an NBA team. At this point in his career, it seems that he has matured and understands his role. Also, he’s cheap so he’s a low-risk, high-reward signing. He played well in Portland’s first preseason game, finishing with 9 points on 4-6 shooting. If I’m the Blazers, I keep him on the roster.

     I think Rasheed Wallace will make the Knicks’ roster. He had considered coming out of retirement several times, but decided against it each time in the past. I don’t think he would’ve signed with New York if he didn’t know he was going to make the roster. Right now, he’s focusing on getting in shape which is why he isn’t traveling with the team. I don’t know how many minutes he’ll play or how big of a role he’ll have, but he’ll be on the team.

8. Kyle F

   Hey I’m in a fantasy league with my friends. My buddy has an offer on the table: he’ll give me Al Horford and Kyrie Irving for Kobe and Blake Griffin, how does that sound? And another is: DWade and Chris Paul for Blake Griffin and Kobe Bryant. Thanks!

   • Alex Kennedy

     Direct all of your fantasy basketball questions to Tommy Beer. His email is tbeer@hoopsworld.com and he’s on Twitter (@TommyBeer). I’m terrible at fantasy basketball so I can’t help you. I’d give you awful advice and then you’d hate me forever because I’d be the reason you finished in last place. I’m excellent at fantasy football, but I’ve never gotten into fantasy basketball.

9. Bryan

   I think the Mavericks might be one of the most underated teams in the NBA the pick ups of Kaman,Brand,Collison,Mayo give dirk a good supporting cast with a deep bench and a very good coach this team could be dangerous your thoughts?

   • Alex Kennedy

     They have the potential to be very good. I really like their frontcourt. Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Kaman and Elton Brand could cause a lot of problems for teams if they can stay healthy and jell together. They need Darren Collison and O.J. Mayo to take the next step in their development and play within the flow of the offense. Like I said earlier, things could go wrong in Dallas if Collison and Mayo put their individual success over the team’s success. That sometimes happens when you have young players who need to put up big numbers in order to get the first payday of their career. We’ll see what happens. Dallas is definitely an intriguing team though.

10. piston

    What former lottery picks terrence williams and john flynn doing in detroit who already has 15 guaranteed contracts?

    • Alex Kennedy

      They’re trying to prove that they can help an NBA team. They went to Detroit because they felt the minutes were there. If they don’t make the Pistons’ roster, they’ll likely wait for a roster spot to open up on another team due to an injury or transaction. It’s crazy that they’re on non-guaranteed contracts though. I mean, Flynn is 23 years old and Williams is 25 years old. These guys still have room to grow and I think it’s too early to give up on them.

11. Luka

    Watching ariza play these last two games is painful.What are odds that he will opt out next year?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I’m surprised that Trevor Ariza is struggling because he worked extremely hard this summer. He was really motivated after being traded to Washington and put in a ton of extra work. Give him some time and I think he’ll start to play better. To answer your question, I’d be surprised if he opted out after next season. Unless he has a breakout year and really thrives in Washington (in which case, you wouldn’t want him to opt out) he’s not going to find a team that’s willing to pay him close to $7,727,280 per season.

12. Ronny

    What season will cole aldrich have?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Cole Aldrich really needs to prove himself this year. He’ll enter the season as Kendrick Perkins’ back-up, but he may lose minutes to Hasheem Thabeet or Daniel Orton if he doesn’t produce. Aldrich has been a huge disappointment early in his career so he needs a productive season if he wants to keep earning an NBA paycheck.

13. seth

    Beal impressed me in summer league and in two preseason games.What are his odds of ROY?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I like Bradley Beal’s game. He’ll have a shot at Rookie of the Year, but I don’t know if he’ll put up the numbers to compete with guys like Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard, who are going to have the ball in their hands a lot from day one. Beal has a ton of potential though and I love the pick for Washington. I think he and John Wall are going to be a very exciting backcourt in a couple of years.

14. Mert

    What do you think about Houston Rockets’ moves? Will Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik be worth it?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I’m not a big fan of Houston’s offseason. They stockpiled young talent in an attempt to acquire a superstar and then they failed to acquire a superstar. Now, they’re stuck with a ton of prospects and a logjam at the forward positions. I think the Rockets are going to develop their young guys and cross their fingers that they can win the lottery. Even if Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik play well, I can’t see Houston making the playoffs in the tough Western Conference.

15. Jason M.

    Is Darius Morris ever going to gain a real role in the NBA or is he on the wrong team for that to happen?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I like Darius Morris’ game and I think he could be a contributor if put in the right situation. Being a young player on the Lakers is always tough because they’re focused on contending and winning now so first- and second-year players rarely fit into their plans. Morris has potential and could develop into a solid role player. I spent a lot of time with Darius during the pre-draft process and over the summer while he worked on his game. He’s a hard worker and while he still has some developing to do, he’s only 21 years old so that’s expected. There’s still plenty of upside there.

16. Scott

    Who do you predict will have a breakout year for the Utah Jazz? Kanter, Favors, Burks, or Hayward?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I think Derrick Favors and Alec Burks could have breakout years if given the minutes.

17. Steve H

    IF Presti can’t come to terms with Harden, do you think a straight trade for Afflalo and possibly a future pick would be a good option?

    • Alex Kennedy

      If the Thunder can’t come to terms with James Harden, I think they could find a better offer. There are a lot of executives around the league that love Harden’s game and would give up significant pieces to land him.

18. Mike

    Do you see any players rumored to being on the “block” moving before the season starts?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I don’t think we’ll see any trades before the season, but I think we’ll see some moves in about two months. That’s when teams start to figure out where they stand and what they need to do. The good teams will try to add a piece or two to put themselves in position to contend. The mediocre teams will try to make a move or two to ensure they’ll make the playoffs. The bad teams will hit the panic button and start selling off pieces. Some guys who may be available before the trade deadline: Kevin Martin, Al Harrington, Hedo Turkoglu, Jose Calderon, Paul Millsap, Wilson Chandler.

      Thanks for submitting your questions! I’ll be back on Wednesday at 3 p.m. EST. If I missed you, shoot me an email (akennedy@hoopsworld.com) or hit me up on Twitter (@AlexKennedyNBA). Have a great weekend!