NBA Chat With Alex Kennedy 2/3/12

1. eddy

   Where do you think JR Smith is heading? Is he chasing the money or going to a title contender. Any teams specific??

   • Alex Kennedy

     It seems that J.R. Smith wants to play for a contender. He has been giving hints on his Twitter, suggesting that he wants to play for the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers or San Antonio Spurs. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him sign a one-year deal with a contender and then test free agency again in July when more teams have money to spend.

2. Will

   Who do you see D12 signing with this summer Brooklyn or Dallas?

   • Alex Kennedy

     If Dwight Howard becomes a free agent this summer, I believe he’ll sign with the Nets. I’ll have a lot more on Howard and his situation in tonight’s NBA PM.

3. Shawn

   Do the Spurs become an elite team capable of challenging for title when Manu returns? I’d like to think so but the defense seems abut inconsistent and we may need another big (KMart?) to make a run. Your thoughts?

   • Alex Kennedy

     The Spurs are definitely trying to contend this season. They’re going to pursue Kenyon Martin and J.R. Smith in an effort to bolster their roster for a deep postseason run. San Antonio has looked good this season and if they can grab home-court advantage, they’ll be a very scary team. I’m not sure if they can beat younger, athletic teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder or Los Angeles Clippers, but you can never count out the Spurs.

4. Marco

   Knicks VS Boston tonight. Both underperforming, both really needing wins. Boston is missing Rondo, New York is missing defense. Who wins?

   • Alex Kennedy

     I’ll go with Boston. I have been very impressed with their defense and I’m still not sold on New York. The Knicks looked better last night, but they still have plenty of room for improvement.

5. Daniel

   Hey Alex!

   With the Raptors having another loosing season and with the cap room they have for next year, do you see them being busy making trades before the trade deadline? Or maybe they take the route to go after Wilson Chandler?

   • Alex Kennedy

     The Toronto Raptors want to acquire a starting small forward. Whether that means trading Jose Calderon for a three or pursuing Wilson Chandler when he returns from China remains to be seen. Toronto is looking to be active in the next month.

6. Sweet Dee

   So Jamal Tinsley tore it up in his first start for Utah with 13 assists!!! Is he much of a downgrade over the struggling Devin Harris? Can Utah keep up this pace with Harris out injured?

   • Alex Kennedy

     I’ve been saying this for months: Jamaal Tinsley can still play. He played extremely well during Impact Basketball’s Training Series over the summer and he spent the last year working hard to get back into NBA shape. He received interest from a number of teams, including the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks, before signing with the Utah Jazz. He definitely deserves some more minutes. He’s an excellent distributor and he makes the players around him better. If he keeps this up, Utah will be fine while Harris is injured. They may even be able to move Harris because a Watson/Tinsley backcourt wouldn’t be too bad.

7. Sweet Dee

   Kyle Lowry looks like one of the highest producing players per salary in the NBA. Dude has been shredding it up and only makes 5.7 mill this year, then 5.7mill and 6.2mill. Note: he needs a new agent. What other players (that are not on a rookie contract) contribute far more than their salary?

   • Alex Kennedy

     Keep in mind, Kyle Lowry wasn’t a stud when he signed his last contract. In fact, many people criticized the Cleveland Cavaliers extending such a large offer sheet. The Houston Rockets made the right decision to match and, shortly after, Lowry outplayed Aaron Brooks to become the team’s starting point guard. I don’t blame his agent, I just think Lowry has been playing out of his mind and there’s no question he’ll get his payday next time he’s a free agent. For more on cost-efficient players, check out this excellent series that HOOPSWORLD’s Jason Fleming did last August.

8. David

   What do you think is wrong with my Blazers? They’re terrific at home but cannot win on the road. Loses to Sacramento, Phoenix, and Detroit is inexcusable. Do you think a move needs to be made or do you think it’s still a work in progress and feel it out type of thing?

   • Alex Kennedy

     The Blazers are a work in progress. Whenever a team brings in a new point guard, it takes time to adjust. This year, that’s certainly true since teams had less time to prepare for the season and have limited practice time. I like all of the pieces that Portland has in place and I think they’ll be a scary team once they develop chemistry and get comfortable. Making a move isn’t the answer, unless it’s a minor acquisition.

9. Fred V.

   Alex a couple of Knicks questions. First why would the Knicks pick up Novak and Lin when there were players that were/are better and available (like Areans, Bogans, etc…)? Second, why is Jerome Jordan not getting any playing time? I’ve seen him play in college and overseas (online) and he has trememdous upside. Maybe D’Antoni is not the guy to coach this group of guys!

   • Alex Kennedy

     Arenas and Bogans may have bigger names, but I don’t know that they’re way better than Novak and Lin. There are reasons that Arenas is still available and why nobody signed Bogans until now. Players like Novak and Lin know their role and have more to prove. As far as Jerome Jordan goes, playing well in college and overseas is very different from the NBA. I thought he would have a bigger role this season as well, but I trust the coaching staff that sees him on a daily basis.

10. Kenny V

    What do you think of Ekpe Udoh? Can he be the next Taj Gibson?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I like Ekpe Udoh. I had the chance to meet Udoh during the pre-draft process and I’ve been rooting for him ever since. He’s a good guy and he has a lot of potential. As he continues to improve, I can see him developing into an energy guy who provides interior defense and easy baskets. He has a great work ethic so I’m sure he’ll continue to expand his game.

11. Bryant white

    Which is a better trade for the heat? Lebron James for Dwight Howard? Or Chris bosh for Bynum?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard would be extremely hard to stop. Then again, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Andrew Bynum would be scary for years to come. That would be a lot of fun, but neither trade will ever happen.

12. Cricket

    What do you think of the decision made by players who went to China for the lockout? For instance, Wilson Chandler may have left a lot of money on the table as he currently could be locked into a long term contract right now. Instead he has to sign a one year deal with a contender and play well for the rest of the season to set himself up for big money free agency in the offseason. Wise or unwise decision?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Each individual player had their own reasons for going. Some guys needed money and some guys just wanted that experience. At the end of the day, a player like Wilson Chandler will get his long-term deal. Even if he waits out this season to become a free agent in July, there will be plenty of teams lining up to pay him.

13. matt

    so many ppl say raps should’ve drafted kemba or knight. Kemba = Aaron Brooks and Knight already plays for the raps but is relegated to the bench because he can’t provide 8-10 assists per game (I’m talking about bayless)

    • Alex Kennedy

      The Raptors made the right move. Jonas Valanciunas is a stud and he’s going to make that team so much better when he comes to the NBA. I’m a big fan of Valanciunas’ game and I’ve talked to a number of scouts and executives who believe he’s the best player in the class and only slipped to number four because of his contract situation.

14. Shawn M

    Hey Alex! I’ve been debating this with a few friends: Where do you place the blame for the Magic not living up to hopes over the last 5 years? Otis, SVG, or Howard’s attitude?

    • Alex Kennedy

      There is plenty of blame to go around, but I think Otis Smith’s questionable moves are what really hurt the team. Stan Van Gundy is still one of the best coaches in the league and if he were to be fired after this season, there would be plenty of teams who would love to have him. Dwight Howard has been a dominant player and he has improved every year since he came in the league. If better players had been put around Howard and Van Gundy had more to work with, I think Orlando would’ve been a much better team. Smith has made some very strange decisions that backed this franchise into a corner.

15. bulls fan

    i know that d12 made comments about playing with drose but seems like he is dodging questions about bulls not being on his “list” he is doing a good job mostly because the media will not str8 out ask him why the bulls are not on the list. The talks about it but noone ask out right why is that?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Howard has become excellent at dodging questions. For every quote you see, there are ten “I’m not talking about my future” quotes from Howard. He refuses to discuss the rumors. If I were to walk up to him tonight and ask why the Bulls aren’t on his list, he’d likely say, “I’m not discussing that. Right now, I play for the Orlando Magic and that’s all that matters.” It’s not the media. Howard is smart. He’s letting his agent and manager handle everything behind the scenes and he refuses to discuss it. He doesn’t want to look like the bad guy.

16. Jamie

    Can the Chicago Bulls beat the Miami Heat this year if they meet for the Easteren Conference championship? The Heat seems to be D-Rose Achilles tendon.

    • Alex Kennedy

      I think that we’ll see a Heat-Bulls rematch in the Eastern Conference Finals, and I’m not sure who would win. I was debating this with Steve Kyler recently. I can make an argument for both teams. As of right now, I’ll pick Miami, but I definitely wouldn’t be surprised if Chicago won.