NBA Chat With Alex Kennedy 9/16/11

1. Brian

   Say the Pacers sign Nene for positions 4/5 and Jeff Green for 3/4. Then the Pacers trade DG33, Collison, and 1st rounder for CP3. Danny goes home and Darren back to Hornets, but does CP3 sign extention?

   • Alex Kennedy

     I’ve been told that the Pacers have David West atop their wish list of free agents. Nene isn’t far behind, but I expect them to throw a lot of money at West when the lockout ends. Which leads to your question about Chris Paul. Would he and West reunite in Indiana? I’m not sure about that. I think Paul wants to go to a bigger market and join a team closer to contending. Also, the Pacers feel confident that their core of Danny Granger, Darren Collison, Roy Hibbert, etc. can be competitive as they continue to develop over the next few years so they may not even be interested in making a blockbuster trade.

2. Sump

   Been a huge fan of Wilson Chandler’s game. Team first player with what seems to be a great attitude towards the game and his peers. Do you think Chandler would come to Toronto? I mean we overpaid Hedo to eat pizza, i think overpaying for Chandler seems like a no brainer. Toronto seems like a destination players go to cash in so why not help us make the play-offs while cashing that cheque?

   • Alex Kennedy

     Wilson Chandler hasn’t had a big payday yet and he’s definitely looking to cash in when he becomes a free agent. I think he’ll go to the highest bidder and if he’s willing to go to China for some extra cash, I think it’s safe to say that he’ll to go to Toronto. It’ll be interesting to see how his free agency plays out because of his China situation. Does he sign when his team’s season ends in March or does he wait until next summer? I’m curious to see how it plays out and what teams will be willing to pay him under the new collective bargaining agreement.

3. Bill

   After seeing the U-19 tournament and all the latest international play post draft. Who would you prefer as a prospect if you were a GM: Enes Kanter or Jonas Valancious

   • Alex Kennedy

     Jonas Valanciunas and it’s not even close. I liked him more before the draft and he’s proven that he’s the real deal during this tournament. He’s excellent in the pick-and-roll, skilled offensively, athletic and has a ton of upside. I was always concerned about Enes Kanter’s time off and lack of experience. When there is only 50 minutes of game film on a player, it’s tough to fall in love with him. Now that we’ve seen him play, it’s clear that he has some potential, but he’s still very raw. His coaches have openly questioned if he’ll be able to make the transition to the NBA, which is never a positive sign. I was told by several teams prior to the draft that Valanciunas would have been picked much higher – definitely ahead of Kanter – if it weren’t for his buyout situation. Both players have upside, but I would take Valanciunas if I was a general manager.

4. Matt

   Technically if the players decertified, the owners could void all contracts. However, would the owners be able to selectively void contracts? For example, could Orlando void Gilbert and keep Dwight? If owners could do this, I really hope the players decertify. Thanks.

   • Alex Kennedy

     If the players decertify and the owners start voiding contracts, you will see hundreds of lawsuits filed by agents. Selectively voiding contracts would be even messier. I think that was just a threat. I can’t see the owners actually following through if the players decertify. Several agents that I’m close to agree, which is why some in their industry have been pushing for decertification. They want to call the owners’ bluff.

5. devonte wilson

   what are some things iman shumpert did to impress you? does he look a starting point guard or shooting guard? what are some things he needs to work on?

   • Alex Kennedy

     First of all, Iman Shumpert is a point guard. While he can play some minutes at shooting guard and defend the two, he’s adamant that he’ll be a point guard in the NBA. I was extremely impressed by his athleticism, length, speed and work ethic. I’ve went to IMG several times this summer and he’s always the first player in the gym or weight room. He has put on 10 lbs. of muscle to his upper body since the draft and he’s really working hard to improve his jump shot. He’s doing a ton of shooting drills and then comes back to the gym later in the day, after everyone has left, to shoot some more. I think Shumpert was an excellent pick and the fans in New York are going to love him.

6. devonte wilson

   i think the owners will accept the players only taking 52/53 percent of basketball related income instead of going for a hard cap

   • Alex Kennedy

     That’s why there was so much optimism last week. Both sides thought that they would agree on a deal with the players dropping to 52 percent of BRI and the owners allowing them to keep their system in place. It was an excellent compromise. However, the owners debated amongst themselves about agreeing to those terms and the talks fell apart because a few didn’t like it (reportedly Dan Gilbert and Robert Sarver). I agree with you though, I think we have the groundwork completed. That’s the middle ground that both sides need to come to. The players are there and the majority of owners are on board. Once the others are convinced, we should have a deal.

7. Saulo

   Alex, what’d you think of Rubio’s game today? 5 points, 7 boards and 4 assists in 20 minutes.. and what do you think of his game and how it should translate to the nba under Adelman..

   • Alex Kennedy

     He struggled last year with FC Barcelona and he still doesn’t have a consistent shot. He’s able to contribute in other ways, but it’s going to be interesting to see how he fares against NBA competition. He can be a distributor at that level, but he’ll need to improve offensively. The Timberwolves made the right choice by hiring Rick Adelman because he’s the guy I’d want developing my young players. He’s going to help Rubio a lot.

8. Joe

   I assume Cleveland will see an Irving/Davis backcourt has several flaws.[Davis is supremely talented but a me first guard who is injury prone,with eroding talents and and poor shooter who constantly shoots his teams out of many games] Who do they find to take Davis and his remaining 2 years off their hands and what can they get in return?

   • Alex Kennedy

     I don’t think they’ll be able to move Davis. They acquired him for the draft pick and it paid off. Now, I think they’ll be forced to hold onto him because I don’t see any teams touching the two years, $28,800,000 left on his contract. At 32 years old, he’s injury prone and a shell of himself. Cleveland may get some production from him off the bench, but teams are lining up to acquire Davis like they used to.

9. jj

   What team do u see grant hill going to? Do u think he’ll get into the hall of fame

   • Alex Kennedy

     I’ve been told a few times this summer that Grant Hill wants to join a contender, and that there’s mutual interest in Miami. If he’s able to win a title, that would certainly help his case for the Hall of Fame, but I think he makes it regardless. He had success in college, pre-injury dominance in the NBA and, at the end of the day, he’s an incredibly nice guy and that always helps a player get in.

10. Jake

    With regards to your comments about rubio, what differences do you see betweeen him and rondo that would prevent him from becoming the next rondo? with plenty of offensive firepower to pass to, he can still be an all star, right?

    • Alex Kennedy

      As I was answering that question, I thought about comparing Rubio to Rondo, but I just couldn’t do it. Rondo is an aberration because of his athleticism, speed and defensive ability. Few point guards can take over games without having a consistent shot, but Rondo does it because he’s so athletically gifted and capable of dominating on the other end of the court. Rubio isn’t in the same athlete that Rondo is and he’ll have a more difficult transition than Rondo. If put in the right situation, surrounded by a ton of offensive weapons, Rubio could still succeed. For example, imagine Rubio playing for the Miami Heat. That’s the type of team he needs to be on because he can just be a distributor and play to his strength, which is passing the ball.

11. Saulo

    Is Beasley’s (aka Skittles) main problem that he’s kind of a head case? The guy is amazingly talented.. great scorer, good rebounder, can do a lot in a lot of different ways.. his stats are very similar to Carmelo’s in their first years.. this could be the year he makes a big leap, but could also become a marginal player.. what do you think?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Michael Beasley has had his share of off-court problems, but he’s also never been in stable situation for a lengthy period of time. He’s changed coaches and then teams last offseason, so he’s improving every year despite playing in a new environment, which is tough to do. Beasley is going to be alright. His numbers are excellent and, as you mention, are comparable to other great small forwards when they were his age. He’s maturing and working extremely hard this summer so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him have a breakout type of year. Keep in mind though, he’s only 22 years old. The sky is still the limit for him.

      That’s going to do it for this week. I’ll be back at the same time next Friday. Have a great weekend!