NBA Chat With Alex Kennedy 3/20/13

1. Anthony

   If the lakers make the playoff and lose in the first round.What changes do the lakers make in the off season if DHoward resign?

   • Alex Kennedy

     What’s up everyone? Thanks for submitting your questions. I’ll try to answer as many as I can over the next hour. Let’s get started.

     That’s a great question. It could really go two ways for the Lakers this offseason.

     They may make drastic changes. They could trade Pau Gasol, sign a free agent or two and make a coaching change. They don’t have a ton of flexibility, but they could make these moves. However, I’m not sure how much better that makes them. How much can they get for Gasol at this point? Will a free agent worth the taxpayer mid-level exception really make L.A. that much better? If you fire Mike D’Antoni, who do you hire to replace him? They could make changes, but there isn’t an easy solution.

     The other option for the Lakers is to bring this group back and hope that next season goes better. Maybe they won’t have to deal with as many injuries and maybe the team will perform better after developing chemistry for a year. Whenever a team struggles, fans want to see massive change over the offseason, but sometimes that isn’t the answer. This team has already had so many changes, maybe the best solution is just to give them time and one more year to see what they do. It really depends what happens over the next month. How they finish the season will play a large part in determining the Lakers’ next move.

2. Keith

   What is the best matchup for the Bucks this post season? Assumuing they can potentially move as high as the 5th seed, could they shock everyone and win a first round series? Perhaps the Celtics should tank to the 8th to take on the HEAT…Miami seems to have a mental block against them, and the Celtics always play their best when they meet.

   • Alex Kennedy

     If I’m Milwaukee, I’m trying to climb up to the sixth seed and face off against the New York Knicks. The Knicks are limping into the final stretch of the season with Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, Kurt Thomas, Rasheed Wallace, etc. all sidelined. I know they lost to the Knicks earlier in the season, but that was before all of the injuries start piling up. I think a match-up against New York is Milwaukee’s best bet. They may not advance past the Knicks, but I think they have a better chance at making it a series against them than they would against the Miami HEAT or Indiana Pacers.

3. Deven

   What would your reaction be if Miami’s 23 game winning came to an end against Lebron’s former team, the Cavaliers? I know Kyrie won’t be playing, but, how likely is it that the team that drafted him pull off a stunner?

   • Alex Kennedy

     I would be stunned. The HEAT seem unbeatable right now so it’s extremely hard for me to imagine them losing to a Cavaliers team that is without their two best players in Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters. The Cavs have struggled for much of the season, I don’t see tonight being an exception. If some of the guys like Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison and Anderson Varejao were still there (or healthy in Varejao’s case), I’d say it’d be interesting because they’d be looking to get some revenge. However, this isn’t an emotional game for most of the young guys on the Cavs because they weren’t around when LeBron James left. I think Miami wins this one with ease and LeBron has a huge game, as he has often done when returning to Cleveland.

4. Deven

   Fact or Fiction: Miami will break the Lakers 71-72 record of 33 straight games

   • Alex Kennedy

     Fiction. I think they’ll come close, but I don’t think they’ll do it. They’ve had too many close calls during the streak for me to say that they’ll get to 34 wins with confidence. In 12 of the 23 wins, they’ve been trailing or tied at halftime. They also had thrillers against the Sacramento Kings and Orlando Magic among others. I just think they’ll drop one of these close games eventually. With that said, I think they’ll end up winning the majority of their games going forward and finish with 65+ wins.

5. Jio

   Its seems pretty obvious that the Magic are not looking to add any money through free agency, so what are the Magic planning to do with their TPE? Can you give me a realistic option that may be out there?

   • Alex Kennedy

     You’re right, the Magic don’t want to spend a ton of money and they’re being very picky about the players that they acquire. I was told that they could’ve acquired Rudy Gay with the TPE, but they weren’t interested. They’re going to continue to stockpile young talent and draft picks. Rather than cashing in these young pieces for veterans, they’re going to keep developing them and building around them. As I’ve said before, Rob Hennigan is trying to follow the Oklahoma City Thunder model. They’ll suck for a few years, add some top prospects and then hopefully contend once those players develop.

6. wbs

   What’s up with the player of week/month awards? What’s the purose? Do the winners get compensated? Do the players really care?

   • Alex Kennedy

     The purpose is to highlight players who have been doing well. Teams nominate their players and then the league chooses the top player from each conference. Occasionally, winners are compensated. Some players have that as an incentive in their contract. A few years ago, Rafer Alston had that as one of his contract incentives. If he was named Player of the Week, he would make $15,000. If he was named Player of the Month, he would make $50,000. I think the players care. It’s bragging rights and some respect for what they’ve been doing and, in some cases, it’s some extra cash.

7. hayden

   hey alex. love your chats. do you think the kings could be kind of like the magic used to be. Isaiah thomas and cousins are like howard and nelson. kings need some players to fit around these two like who? what you think?

   • Alex Kennedy

     It’s possible. DeMarcus Cousins needs to make huge strides for that to happen though. The key to those Magic teams was that Dwight Howard was just so dominant that he had to be double-teamed, which created open shots for Orlando’s shooters like Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, etc. At this point, teams don’t have to game plan around Cousins like they did for Howard. That could change if Cousins continues to improve, but that has to happen for the Kings to become a playoff team and follow that Orlando model. The same goes for Isaiah Thomas. I love his game and he has a ton of potential, but he still has a lot of room to grow as well.

8. wade

   Isaiah thomas…… big fan. whats your thoughts on him?

   • Alex Kennedy

     I’ve known Isaiah since college and I’m a big fan as well. One of my favorite players to interview. He has an excellent underdog story so it’s hard not to root for him. I’m glad he’s experiencing success and I think he’ll continue to get better because he has an outstanding work ethic.

9. Jonathan

   Do you see the NBA’s move to smaller lineups as a passing fad or “the new wave”? Will the tweener types become more of a factor? (Specifically, thinking of a guy like Tony Mitchell in the draft as an undersized PF.)

   Seems similar to the read option scene in the NFL

   • Alex Kennedy

     I think it’s the new wave, mainly because there just aren’t many star centers in the league. You can count the number of dominant centers on one hand so teams don’t really have a choice. Teams would rather go small and have their best players on the court than go with a traditional lineup and have a mediocre center on the floor. “Position-less basketball,” as the Miami HEAT call it, doesn’t seem like a passing fad.

10. Cliff

    Big fan of your work Alex, Brooklyn is healthy & Deron Williams is looking like a Top 10 player again but PJ is killing this team with his crazy rotations. Will this be their downfall in the playoffs?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Brooklyn is looking much better lately. I think P.J. is trying to figure out who he can rely on and who plays well together. Now is the time to experiment and tweak things so that the team is ready and the rotation is set for the postseason. He has one month to figure it out. If his rotation continues to be an issue in the postseason and he is their downfall, he’s out of a job. Simple as that.

11. Nick

    Where does kobe rank among your MVP rankings, and in your best players today list?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Kobe Bryant is having a great year, but you can’t be in the MVP conversation when your team is barely in the playoff picture. This year’s MVP award is a two-man race between LeBron James and Kevin Durant, with Chris Paul and Tony Parker getting a handful of votes to acknowledge their excellent seasons. Bryant is still one of the best players in the league and it’s incredible what he’s doing at this point in his career, but he’s not up there on my MVP rankings.

12. Willy Loman

    Amnesty coming for Boozer and Stoudemire?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Carlos Boozer? Maybe.

      Amar’e Stoudemire? No. He can’t be amnestied because the New York Knicks already used their amnesty clause on Chauncey Billups.

13. Pirakash

    What are the chances of the Heat Big 3 opting out of their contracts after the 2014 season?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I’d be surprised if they didn’t opt out. Most stars opt out so that they can sign another lucrative, long-term deal as soon as possible.

14. zach

    Do you think the Cavaliers are on the right path to building a playoff team and who do you think fits them best in this draft? Thanks.

    • Alex Kennedy

      Yes. I love what the Cavaliers are doing. They have an excellent young core and I think it’s only a matter of time until they’re a playoff team. If I’m the Cavaliers, I’m drafting Victor Oladipo to start at small forward alongside Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, Tristan Thompson and Tyler Zeller. That team could be very good in a few years.

15. Gig

    Who are possible suitors for jj redick! And who is his best fit? I personally think he would thrive with the lakers, be an upgrade and take Meeks minutes

    • Alex Kennedy

      The teams that tried to trade for him prior to the deadline are the same teams that will try to sign him this summer. Chicago, San Antonio, Indiana, New York and Boston will all pursue him, if I had to guess. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I still think he lands in Chicago. They love his game and he nearly landed there a few years ago when he signed an offer sheet with them. Don’t be surprised if he joins the Bulls.

16. Lieven

    Do you think the Miami Heat have a realistic shot of getting the all-time record of the LA Lakers? (33 victory’s) And do you think it is possible LeBron improves his game even more than he’s done this year?

    • Alex Kennedy

      It’s possible. Like I said earlier, I think they’ll come close to breaking the Lakers’ record, but will ultimately fall just short. With that said, if they did win 34 in a row, I wouldn’t be surprised. This team is that good.

      And yes, I do think LeBron James can continue to improve. It’s a scary thought, but he’s such a hard worker and he’s someone who adds new elements to his game every offseason. He’ll continue to improve over the next few years, until he hits his 30s and starts to gradually decline.

17. Enrique

    Greetings, Mr. Kennedy. Gasol and W.M.P. in exchange for Deng and Boozer. This seems like a win win for both side. Thoughts?

    • Alex Kennedy

      This trade wouldn’t surprise me. The Bulls have been linked to Pau Gasol before and Luol Deng to the Lakers does make sense.

      However, I don’t know if the Bulls would do it. They want to bring in younger players that can reach their prime at the same time as Derrick Rose. Also, if they’re moving Carlos Boozer, it’s so they can free up minutes for Taj Gibson. Bringing back Pau Gasol doesn’t accomplish that.

18. Nick

    Who would you say is the team to beat in the west? Do you think the Nuggets could really take the conference?

    • Alex Kennedy

      As of right now, I would say it’s the Oklahoma City Thunder. The San Antonio Spurs are great, but I still worry about them in a seven-game series against one of these younger teams. The Denver Nuggets are very good too, but I’m not sure if their game translates well to the postseason.

19. Gerald

    Where do you see the Raptors next year? i have them playing an up and down tempo similar to denver. And finishing around the 4-6 seeds and having two all stars in Gay and DeRozan as the East wings are particularly weaak

    • Alex Kennedy

      I think the Raptors will make the playoffs next season. I don’t think they’ll grab the fourth seed, I see them sneaking in as one of the later seeds, but I do think they’ll be much improved. I think they’ll make a big move this summer as well. They want to add another piece, specifically a low-post scorer.

20. Trog

    Bynum to the Sixers was obviously the biggest lemon of the year. But where do you see that all-time in terms of the worst trades made? Worst of the 2000′s?

    • Alex Kennedy

      It’s certainly up there. It’ll be even worse if Nik Vucevic and Moe Harkless develop into studs, and if Orlando lands a solid player with the first-round pick they gave up. It’s hard to blame Philly for making the move though. They were tired of being in the middle of the pack and it was a dare-to-be-great trade that could’ve catapulted them to the top tier in the East. If Bynum had stayed healthy, they’d be a scary team today. However, that obviously didn’t happen so it is one of the worst trades in recent memory and it may set the Sixers back a few years.

      Thanks for submitting your questions. I’ll be back next Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET. Have a great week!