NBA Chat With Alex Kennedy 3/6/13

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

  1. Chris

    Hi Alex. What do you think the odds are of a Luol Deng (and parts) swap for Pau Gasol this offseason? It looks like a win-win. Lakers get an All-Star and one of the best defenders and leaders in the league and the Bulls get an offense-oriented 7 footer to pair with the soon-to-be Defensive Player of the Year.

    • Alex Kennedy

      Hey, what’s up everyone? Thanks for stopping by and submitting your questions. Let’s get started.

      I’ve heard the rumor (I think Bill Simmons has written about it as a possibility), but I’m not sure if it’s something that we’ll see. It does look like a win-win, and I think it’s perfect for the Lakers, but you have to wonder if the Bulls would be willing to take on Pau Gasol’s contract, especially since they’d like to get Taj Gibson some more minutes. Jimmy Butler may eventually make Luol Deng expendable, but I don’t know if Chicago moves Deng for Gasol.

  2. Luke

    Who in your opinion is going to be defensive player of the yr this yr I would have to say Noah but who would be on your list

    • Alex Kennedy

      I think it’ll be Joakim Noah or Larry Sanders. Both of these guys have been outstanding this season. I wouldn’t have a problem with either player winning the award.

  3. Cain

    Damian Lillard and Paul George future of their franchises? (When I say future I mean the guy unquestionable guy on play-off team)

    • Alex Kennedy

      Yes. These are two of my favorite up-and-coming players in the NBA. I think both of these guys are capable of becoming franchise players. They are both extremely hard workers who have a chip on their shoulder after being overlooked for much of their life. Lillard is extremely ahead of the curve, having one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory, and George is already an All-Star. These are definitely future-of-the-franchise-type players, and Portland and Indiana have treated them as such.

  4. Bob Cho

    Hi Alex, The bobcats r worse then terrible they r not even competive nightly!! Could they make some sort of move to get C Boozer. He would give some leadership for bismack/mullen and a 20/10 guy to help take some pressure off them all, as walker/mkg/hendo/sessions all inconsistent. They would still be in lottery for next 2 years but not blowout by 20 everynight and chicago lose the contract. What do u think? Any chance?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I don’t think Charlotte wants to trade for a veteran like that. They’d rather rebuild from within, drafting players and developing their young talent. It’s hard to justify paying a ton of money for a guy like Carlos Boozer when you aren’t a playoff team and when he’s taking minutes away from younger players. I think the Bobcats will continue to try to build through the draft. If they do sign free agents, it’ll be guys they can land for a reasonable contract (like Ramon Sessions last summer). The only way I see them making a move for someone like Boozer is if they shift their philosophy all together and start moving their young assets for proven veterans, like the Boston Celtics did when they acquired Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen for their young guys. That seems unlikely though, especially when you consider that they brought in a teacher like Mike Dunlap at head coach and, as you said, seem a long way from being competitive.

  5. LA in LA

    Unpopular opinion:
    I know I’m in the minority here but I actually find the Spurs fun to watch. I love the precision they play with, how TP penetrates because he’s amazing in the paint, TD game is very enjoyable despite complaints of him being boring, etc.
    On the other hand, I find the Nuggets offense to be boring, discombobulated mess. If they can’t get a transition bucket, I saw a stat that they’re FG% is like 30% in half court. A team that’s good in transition is only fun to watch if they have a half court game; the Nuggets have no post players (I think Miller can, but he rarely does) or real shot creators.
    Thoughts?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Most casual fans find the Spurs to be boring, but it’s because they don’t appreciate what they’re watching. People who know the game see the impact that Tim Duncan makes, the extraordinary plays that Tony Parker pulls off and the excellent decisions that Gregg Popovich makes to gain an advantage. It’s also amazing to watch the Spurs’ reserves, because they always seem to make the right play and limit their mistakes (which is another testament to Popovich’s incredible coaching).

      The Nuggets appeal to the casual fan because of their run-and-gun style and athleticism, but you’re right when you say that it can just become a chaotic mess.

      There’s a reason the Spurs are a contender every single year. They have a formula for success and they’ve become pretty damn good at executing. It may not be high-flying and exciting to most, but I agree it’s fun to sit back and watch a machine click on all cylinders and look seemingly unstoppable.

  6. LA in LA

    1) I think Shane Battier is more important than Chris Bosh to the Heat, and definitely equal, especially since acquiring the Birdman. 11 of the Heat’s 14 losses have come either when Battier wasn’t playing or when he shot below league average (35%) from 3. Also, they’re 33-2 when shoots at least 40% from 3P. And for some reason he, rather than Cole, is usually left open despite shooting 42%.

    2)Also, i wrote this to Ingram and he agreed and said he could see Bosh being shopped. I understand Bosh contributes in ways more than stats tell, but at some point $17 mil per year is a lot for a 3rd man who’s best skill is scoring but is the team’s 3rd best and used scorer and 2nd best skill is rebounding, which he only grabs 7rpg.
    Once luxury taxes kick in he either has to go or get his salary cut in half, I think.

    • Alex Kennedy

      At some point, the Heat will have to break up that team due to financial reasons. They can’t afford to be a repeat luxury tax offender and keep LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. I agree with you that Bosh is the least important member of the Big Three so I would agree that he’s probably the guy that gets moved. The fact that James and Wade have a closer relationship means the writing is probably on the wall for Bosh. I think Bosh is the right guy to trade anyway because he’ll likely have more value than Wade in a year or two since he’s three years younger and doesn’t have the same injury history.

  7. Prismelk

    What are the chances that Tim Duncan and Tony Parker will be on the All-NBA 1st team?

    This is because here is my list:

    C: Tim Duncan
    F: Kevin Durant
    F: LeBron James
    G: Tony Parker
    G: Chris Paul

    I just can’t put D12 over TD for the center position because of their record, and he is not even mentioned in the MVP races while Timmy has been. How about Joakim Noah?!

    Another is, with Tony almost ending up 2nd in the MVP races, I can’t see him ending up just in the NBA 2nd team. If Kobe or Dwyane sneaks in, then CP3 should be the one out, right?!

    I think it would be a shame for the NBA if TP9 doesn’t get credited with his greatness this season.

    Your thought, please? Thanks!

    • Alex Kennedy

      That team looks good to me, although I won’t be surprised if Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade or James Harden get the nod instead of Tony Parker.

  8. John

    Think Anthony Morrow will return to Brooklyn for the vet’s min. Alex? Read he still wants to play for them, and the Nets could use a shooter off the bench. Only issue is would he really settle for the minimum.

    • Alex Kennedy

      I know Anthony Morrow pretty well. It’s true that he loved his time in Brooklyn and really enjoyed playing for the Nets. However, I can’t see him taking a pay cut to return. He’s someone that hasn’t made a ton of money throughout his career so I think he’ll be more interested in securing another long-term deal that’s worth more than the minimum.

  9. Jon

    With the increasing value of contribution from players on their rookie contract, do you see any noticeable preference given to known commodities in future drafts (as opposed to unknown “potential”)?

    • Alex Kennedy

      It all depends on the team. It would make sense, but sometimes even the veteran-laden contenders want to go with a high-potential guy over a known commodity for two reasons: they’re better trade chips and they give the team pieces to build around once their veterans are gone. Also, most of these teams just stash the rookies on the end of their bench anyway. Even if a team like Miami drafts a college senior, it’s unlikely that guy will have a big role as a rookie. I think the top of the draft will always been made up primarily of high-potential guys because teams always want to grab a player whose ceiling is star rather than good role player.

  10. Mutang

    Hey Alex, I know not many people outside of Utah care about the Jazz, but has anyone noticed what Corbin is doing to that team out there??? Marvin Williams has been horrendous, while DC has been exactly what the starters need. Its been exacerbated the last while with Mo out, so that not only is it Marv, but also Tinsley/Watson who are horrible starters. Why wont Corbin play DC??!!

    • Alex Kennedy

      There have been some questionable decisions in Utah. I agree that the rotation could use some changes. As I said last week, their decision to hold onto Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson was a head scratcher too since those guys are 28 years old and don’t seem part of the long-term plan as long as Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter are around.

  11. keeweekid

    Seeing the East as a veerrrry weak conference this year. Plus super team in Miami and this seems anticlimatic. I know writers & announcers are saying watch for the Pacers but I assume that is talk to keep interest up as I would guess not 1 would bet on the Pacers even getting to a game 7. I am not sure the #2 seed in the east would even be favored over the #5 seed in the west. Agree or am I somehow missing how good the Nets, Hawks, Knicks are?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I completely agree with you. Awhile ago on Twitter, I said it’s hard for me to imagine any team other than Miami coming out of the East. I got killed by some fans in Indiana, but that’s how I feel. I love the Pacers and I think they can have a deep postseason run, but they aren’t getting past the Heat. Nobody in the East is beating Miami with the way they’re playing right now. The only team that has a shot at dethroning Miami is Oklahoma City.

  12. Keeweekid

    With the formation of 2-3 superstars on teams (Miami, Lakers, Clippers, Thunder)…do you think this is a turnoff for the fans of the other 90% of the teams? Seems to create an extremely top heavy league (from a competitive perspective as well as a media driven perspective) with little interest in other teams or hope for other teams to seriously compete. Warriors, grizz, nuggets getting no coverage whatsoever and the Lakers are breaking new records for most ever pub for a #9 seed.

    • Alex Kennedy

      I think fans see teams like Miami and Oklahoma City and believe their team could follow the same model for success and become overnight contenders as well. Those aren’t very big markets and both teams were very bad lottery teams before taking their place atop their respective conference. If you’re a fan of a team with cap money, you’re hoping to go the Heat route by signing stars. If you’re a fan of a team with young talent, you’re hoping to go the Thunder route by developing your players and grabbing a stud in the draft. While it does make for a top-heavy league, I think fans see that a team can become a contender if their front office makes smart moves. The repeat luxury tax will definitely help increase parity though, which should be good for any fans who are turned off by the current make up of the league.

  13. Alex in Burbank

    Alex, as of today Mike D’Antoni should be known as Mike ‘Antoni. No ” D “.
    Thanks

    • Alex Kennedy

      Two turnovers for the Thunder last night?! How does that happen? That just tells you how bad the Lakers’ defense was last night.

  14. Chris

    Hi Alex. Should the Bulls resign Marco Bellinelli this offseason? Assuming the team doesn’t pick up the option on the oft-injured Rip Hamilton this summer, Marco could be in store for some major minutes. And, as he’s shown when given major minutes, he has the potential to be a Manu Ginobli-type player.

    • Alex Kennedy

      I’d re-sign him. He has played well and, if I’m Chicago, I want some stability in that second unit rather than having a revolving door of reserves going forward. They already let C.J. Watson, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, etc. go. I think they should do what they can to keep some of the bench players who have played well this season.

  15. tommy

    Alex ! My magic look bad right now and I love it. watchin these young guys and rookies get minutes they look promising.. We’ve got Nikola, Ncholson, Harris and harkless.. out of that group who has the most upside. wo’s game do youike most and why. out of those guys who do you see Rob keeping on the team. And with all these youngs guys at differnt position, who do we look to pick up in the draft?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I think all four of those guys could become very good players. Vucevic and Harris are the two that are most ready to contribute for an NBA team. They have played very well this season when put in a position to succeed. With that said, Harkless may have the most upside of the group since he’s still just a teenager and he has all of the tools to be a great player (size, length, athleticism, high basketball IQ). I think Hennigan would like to keep those guys, but their roles going forward will depend on how they develop and who is available in the draft. Orlando should try to draft Ben McLemore or Marcus Smart. Either one could step in and become the guard of the future alongside these other young guys.

  16. Caio

    Hey Alex, how is it going? What do you expect of the lakers after this missmanaged lost season? (They may reach the playoffs, but there’s no way they can beat okc or the spurs 4 out of 7 times) There’s no way for this team to function with Howard + Gasol + D’Antoni…something’s gotta give…but who or what? RIP Dr. Buss

    • Alex Kennedy

      I think Mike D’Antoni has to go. Then, you re-sign Dwight Howard and try to add some contributors to the bench. Also, you have to shop Pau Gasol just to see what’s out there, but I’m sure the Lakers will be underwhelmed by the offers they receive, as they have been every other time they’ve shopped Gasol. There really isn’t an easy fix for the Lakers. They need to hope that with a better coach and one year of experience together under their belts, they can be better.

  17. Randy

    How incredible has it been to watch the transformation of the entire Houston Rockets squad over the last year given their incredible performance thus far (based on expectations)? They continue to win while changes every piece and continue to win on late round draft choices. I wonder if this type of turnover of an entire team has ever been done before and with this kind of success?

    • Alex Kennedy

      They have been phenomenal. I just wrote about them in yesterday’s NBA PM. Check it out here.

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