NBA Chat With Alex Kennedy 1/27/12

Join HOOPSWORLD’s Alex Kennedy for his weekly NBA chat this Friday at 1 p.m. ET. Submit your questions early because this chat fills up fast!

  1. Flute

    Whats the latest news on allen iverson..is it possible he can play in the d league

    • Alex Kennedy

      Allen Iverson wants to make an NBA comeback, but I can’t see him signing with a D-League team. Most players won’t swallow their pride and play at that level, even though it is the best place to start a comeback – just ask Jamaal Tinsley.

  2. Jan

    He Alex!
    I´m from germany so I´m not a real insider. But why didn´t the T´wolves sign Kevin Love for the 5 years he wanted? I mean he´s a very good player now and because he isn´t relying on athleticism he ages well. It´s a bit early in his carrer and I usually don´t like to compare players, but he seems a bit like Nowitzki + great rebounding.

    • Alex Kennedy

      I don’t understand it either. I would have given Kevin Love the five-year, designated player deal and I think there are plenty of teams around the league who would’ve done the same thing. Love can opt-out and become an unrestricted free agent in three years. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him leave Minnesota and go to a team that wants him as the face of their franchise.

  3. a different matt

    Why do I keep hearing late March for the return of the NBA players stuck in China? Looking at the CBA schedule, the regular season ends February 15th. Couldn’t Wilson Chandler conceivably return February 16th with his team missing the playoffs as a very real possibility?

    • Alex Kennedy

      The players who signed overseas without opt-out clauses will be able to return to the NBA at some point between February 15 and March 28. The players will be released once their team’s season comes to an end. If Wilson Chandler’s team misses the playoffs, he should be eligible to sign with an NBA team in February. However, all of the players will be available after March 28 because that’s when the postseason comes to an end. We keep hearing March but it really depends on each team and when they’re out of the playoff picture. China isn’t the only league that has these rules in place. Sonny Weems is currently in Lithuania because Zalgiris Kaunas won’t release him until their season is over next month. It’ll definitely be interesting to see where these guys land.

  4. Sabin C

    Why isn’t D. Williams asks for a trade to Orlando ?He is wasting another year in NJ.He’s not contending for a championship nor playoffs…I don’t get it, what’s wrong with him and Howard?The easiest way is to play in Orlando.Both of them.

    • Alex Kennedy

      This isn’t just about Deron Williams and Dwight Howard teaming up. They want to play together, but they want to make sure that they’re in the right situation. New Jersey’s front office has made it clear that they’ll listen to their superstars. Williams and Howard would have some say in how the team is constructed. The Nets have been extremely cooperative with Williams and he has been involved in the decision-making process. That isn’t the case in Orlando and that is one of Howard’s biggest complaints. It also helps that the Nets are moving to Brooklyn, which allows Howard and Williams to play in a larger market.

  5. Will

    The Magic should trade D12 while they can,because this team is not a contender,you agree?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Ownership isn’t ready to move Dwight Howard. They believe he’s a once-in-a-generation player and they’re holding out hope that they can keep him long-term. There are some people within the franchise that believe they can persuade Howard to stay. During the offseason and lockout, Howard was away from the Magic for months and he had a lot of people in his ear telling him that he should leave Orlando. The Magic couldn’t communicate with Howard during that time because it was against NBA rules. Now, they’re trying to show Howard that they’re still capable of winning and that the grass isn’t greener elsewhere. The Magic are in no rush to trade Howard.

  6. keo

    Who would you rather build a team around …lebron,dwight,rose,or kobe…why?

    My choice is lebron I think he’s the best all around player

    • Alex Kennedy

      I’d go with LeBron James. Right now, his PER is 33.56. Kevin Durant has the second-highest PER in the league at 26.55. The gap between LeBron and everyone else is just ridiculous. Regardless of what people say or think about him, he’s still a monster and he’s only 27 years old. He doesn’t show any signs of slowing down and, you’re right, he’s the best all-around player. Durant would be my second choice to build a team around, but that’s only if I can’t have James.

  7. Kenny V

    NYK played a lot better in the Amare era than when MElo came in. Why wouldnt NY try and trade Melo,Fields for Lowry,Martin, 1st rd. pick

    • Alex Kennedy

      The Knicks would never do that. They will fire Mike D’Antoni and surround Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire with a new supporting cast before they trade one of their superstars. That’s just the way the NBA works. At the end of the day, Anthony and Stoudemire can co-exist, they just need to bring in a good point guard who can distribute the ball and make sure that everyone is getting their shots. They looked good when they had Chauncey Billups running the offense. The Knicks hope that Baron Davis can be that guy. If he’s not, they’ll continue to search.

  8. daniel

    What’s up playboy. What I want to know is this: before his injury, is this who Michael Beasley is and will be (a high volume shooter)? Or is there still room to grow in his game? In what areas do you see him improving?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Michael Beasley still has plenty of potential. He’s only 23 years old and he continues to mature each year. I’ve spent some time around Beasley and I’ve been impressed with his work ethic. He desires to be great and wants to keep taking his game to the next level each season. Beasley has always been extremely talented, maybe to a fault. He didn’t have to work hard or take things seriously before, but I think being traded so early in his career was a humbling experience for him. He was struggling prior to his injury, but it’s hard to judge a player after so few games, especially after a chaotic offseason. We’ll see how he plays when he comes back. In the long run, I still think Beasley can be a very good player in this league.

  9. Marco

    Do the 2 Boston Celtic victories over the Magic signal a turn of fortunes for the celtics? Or is blowing it up still the better option (esp with the value of Pierce skyrocketing)

    • Alex Kennedy

      Those two victories were huge for Boston and I think that’s exactly what they needed to get back on the right track. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett looked revitalized in the two wins and they received huge contributions from their young guys as well. That was a huge confidence booster for the Celtics, humiliating Orlando on Monday and then fighting back from a 27 point deficit on Thursday. Blowing it up may still be the better option, but we’ll see if the Celtics use this momentum to put together a winning streak.

  10. Brandon

    Denver has really been a surprise this year! Have you heard of any rumors going on to make this team even deeper? Should any of us in Nuggets nation expect to see any of the guys in China on the roster come March?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I would say that there’s a strong possibility that Wilson Chandler re-signs with the Denver Nuggets. I’ve talked to Chandler’s agent, Chris Luchey, a number of times and he has kept in contact with Nuggets’ general manager Masai Ujiri throughout this process. “We speak to Masai quite often, in great detail about the future of the team and about a potential extension with them,” Luchey told me two weeks ago. The Nuggets have been very impressive and they’ll be even scarier if they get Chandler back.

  11. Jim

    Hi Alex,

    Do you find D-wades ankle sprain to be a little suspicious? I can’t recall a guy taking this long to recover from a slightly turned ankle. Imagine how much grief LBJ would get for missing 9 games with a slight ankle sprain and hurt foot..yet no one wants to call out Dwade.. why do you think that is?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I don’t think it’s suspicious. They don’t want to rush Dwyane Wade back, especially when they’re winning games. They need him healthy for the playoffs so it makes sense that they would sit him while playing four games in five nights. I’m sure he’ll be back soon. At the end of the day, James will always be criticized more than Wade. He won’t live down “The Decision” and it’s going to be hard for him to shake the villain label, no matter what he does over the next decade.

  12. a different matt

    Contender or Pretender:

    ATL, IND, PHI, DEN, UT, LAC

    • Alex Kennedy

      The 76ers, Nuggets and Clippers are contenders. They’re winning games convincingly and they all have excellent depth. That’s important during this shortened season. They have a number of bench players who would likely start for other teams, and that’s a huge advantage this year. While it’s going to be difficult for those teams to take down the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat or Oklahoma Cith Thunder in a series, I would still label them as contenders.

      On the other hand, I’m not sold on the Hawks, Pacers or Jazz. I don’t think Atlanta will make much noise come playoff and I believe Indiana and Utah are one year away from being really competitive. They’re heading in the right direction, but I don’t think they’re contenders just yet.

  13. Kristy Gore

    Do you think the Lakers will make a run either Aaron Brooks or JR Smith once they return from China?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Aaron Brooks would make sense, but they don’t have much money to offer. Brooks is looking for a pay day and I can’t see him settling for the mini mid-level exception.

  14. Brandon

    Do you see the sixers making any moves to improve their roster or will they stick with the roster as is?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I don’t think they’ll make any major changes. They’re playing so well right now, it wouldn’t make any sense to break up the team. This may be the first trade deadline in awhile that Andre Iguodala’s name doesn’t come up.