NBA Chat With Alex Kennedy 9/9/11

Join HOOPSWORLD’s Alex Kennedy for his weekly NBA chat this Friday at 6 p.m. ET. Submit your questions early because this chat fills up fast!

  1. Mark

    If you had to choose right now who would you take Drummond or A. Davis? Why?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I would take Andre Drummond because his potential is off the charts. Anthony Davis is extremely talented as well, but I think Drummond is capable of being a monster in the NBA. It’ll be interesting to see how both players do this year in their new situations. Next year’s draft is absolutely stacked.

  2. Jake

    Can a player who signs overseas either in China or anywhere else be traded to another team? Could Deron Williams, Wilson Chandler, or JR Smith be traded to other teams within the same league?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Teams in China and Turkey are allowed to make trades, but I can’t see those guys being moved. When a player agrees to play for one of these international teams, their agent is extremely involved and everything is worked out ahead of time in the contract. Agents pick these destinations for specific reasons so if a team were to trade their client, they would be furious and likely try to void the deal. Not to mention, why would Besiktas or Zhejiang want to trade their new acquisitions? They’re creating so much publicity and exposure for them, it wouldn’t make any sense to deal them.

  3. devonte wilson

    whats skils do earl clark bring to a team?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I got to know Earl last season in Orlando and there’s no question he has a lot of potential. He’s only 23 years old and he’ll be back in the NBA after this season. In Orlando, Earl was instant energy off of the bench and his biggest contribution was his lockdown defense. He was able to guard the other team’s best player because he’s so long and athletic. He’s always hustling – I don’t know how many times I saw him chase down offensive rebounds last season. He’s still very raw and he needs to improve offensively, but he displayed an amazing work ethic last year in Orlando and he’s really starting to mature. Playing in China will be a good experience for Earl and help him developmentally. I think he’ll come back a better player and then start to peak in a few years.

  4. devonte wilson

    is it possible all the knicks that joined the impact basketball league will all play on the same team?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Yes, Impact Basketball has structured the league so that teammates will be able to play together. Chauncey Billups, Shawne Williams, Iman Shumpert and Roger Mason will play on the same team. I caught up with Williams and Shumpert today at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL. They said they were excited to get out there and play together.

  5. DeMar

    Why didn’t both sides meet today? I thought ur sources said they’d meet today

    • Alex Kennedy

      A lot has changed since I tweeted that earlier this week. Today’s bargaining session was canceled, but the two sides will meet on Tuesday. The owners may present a new proposal to the players on Tuesday, which could lead to significant progress in the talks. If a proposal is presented, the NBPA will go over the new deal with players on Thursday afternoon in Las Vegas. The NBA’s owners will be meeting in Dallas at the same time for the Board of Governors meeting. It sounds like the owners’ next proposal is much closer to what the NBPA was looking for. Nothing is imminent yet, but it sounds like the talks are heading in the right direction.

  6. Benjamin Button

    I’m curious, from your personal interactions, who is the COOLEST, most down-to-earth player in the NBA? Is Brandon Roy the classiest? Do you think he will overcome his knee issues?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I’m friends with a lot of average, middle of the pack players that are really down to earth, but that’s expected because they aren’t big name guys. As far as the superstars go, I’d say Derrick Rose is the most humble. He really doesn’t have an ego. He can be really shy when you first meet him, but when you get to know him and he opens up, he’s really cool and I have nothing but good things to say about him.

      Brandon Roy is classy, but I usually run into him on the road so it can be tough to track him down for an interview. He’s one of those players that likes to hide in the training room, but it’s all good, I’d probably do the same thing if I were a player. I hope he can overcome his health problems. It was great watching him play well in the postseason and he’s determined to prove he has plenty left in the tank.

  7. Charlie from Philadelphia

    In his chat Steve Kyler said he would choose DJ Augustine as his point guard over Brandon Jennings. Do you agree?

    • Alex Kennedy

      No, I don’t agree. I would take Brandon Jennings. I’m a big fan of his game and I think he has more upside than D.J. Augustin. Jennings is two years younger and will continue to improve. I’m expecting big things from Jennings next season. He’s worked hard this summer and I think he’s going to solidify himself as one of the top point guards in the league over the next few years.

  8. Charlie

    If you were starting a team from scratch, who do you choose: Greg Monroe or James Harden

    • Alex Kennedy

      Give me the big man. It’s much harder to find a starting center than it is to find a shooting guard. Greg Monroe has a lot of upside and he started to play very well toward the end of last season. James Harden is developing into a nice player, but I’ll take the younger center every single time.

  9. h

    Do think we’ll see an amnesty clause (either one this summer or one that occurs every x amount of years)? I think it’s a great idea for both the players and owners. The owners have the option to clear their caps of a certain contract and improve their flexibility (and in some cases avoid the luxury tax); while the players get out their money and get to become free agents (where they get more money and the choice of team). Not only do teams like Orlando, LA, Dallas and all the teams with huge contracts get to dump those toxic deals, all the other teams see the FA pool expand by 10-20 players. Imagine Brandon Roy, Rip Hamilton, Haywood, Biedrins, Arenas or Turkoglu, Lewis and many others all being added to this FA class.

    • Alex Kennedy

      I think it comes down to whether or not owners are going to want to write the huge checks associated with an amnesty clause. It’s easy for us to say that the Orlando Magic can just pay Gilbert Arenas to go away, but that’s a huge check for an owner to sign. It’s hard for me to imagine the players you mentioned being waived. I think it’ll be some of the lesser guys who can be waived to get their team just below the luxury tax. Look at the last time an amnesty clause was implemented. Everyone dubbed it the “Allan Houston Rule” but the Knicks didn’t even cut him, instead choosing to waive Jerome Williams. I think it’s something that could be valuable, but I don’t think it’ll be used quite the way everyone expects.

  10. Bjørn Simen Samdal

    The Timberwolves have a nice young core. When will they make the playoffs and how high is their ceiling over the next couple of years? What are they´re primary needs besides time to be a legit contender?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Minnesota has a talented core, but they need to lock those guys up. Michael Beasley and Kevin Love are both restricted free agents after the season so they’ll have to see where things stand after the year. I like all of the pieces they’ve put into place and I think they have a lot of potential. It’s hard to tell when they’ll emerge as a playoff team, but they do have a high ceiling and I consider them one of the better up-and-coming teams in the West. They’ve stockpiled young talent, which is always smart because those guys will either develop and peak at the same time or you can trade them away for nice assets. We still need to see if Ricky Rubio can run the show, make Derrick Williams fit and find a perimeter scorer. If they’re able to figure out some of those issues, they have a chance at being a pretty good team down the road.

  11. h

    Do you believe the players would agree to a smaller BRI split if the CBA rules were similar to the current ones. I read that’s what the owners are planning to propose in their next proposal (although it’s most likely speculation).

    • Alex Kennedy

      I think that’s very possible. I wouldn’t be surprised if this CBA looks similar to the last one, with the main difference being the revenue split. If the players are willing to agree to a smaller BRI split, I believe the owners will back off some of their other demands.

  12. Charlie

    Last week, you said the ‘Phoenix Suns have personnel decisions to make this summer regarding Vince Carter and Grant Hill.’ If you were the GM of the Suns, what would you do?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I would waive Vince Carter and re-sign Grant Hill, assuming he doesn’t want too much money. Waiving Carter seems like a no-brainer because they won’t want to pay him $18,000,000 next season. Keeping Hill will be tougher because there are several contenders interested in his services. They should definitely make an effort to keep him though.

  13. devonte wilson

    besides the games being played at the “lockout league” what are some other things that the players will be doing as far as development and training? will there be some positional drills?

    • Alex Kennedy

      In the morning, the players will go through their usual workouts. That means conditioning, lifting weights, and running through drills. It’s usually a lot of repetition: shooting, attacking the basket, rebounding, post moves, etc. They’ll likely stagger the morning workouts and then the first game starts at 1:30 p.m.

  14. tony

    With recent developments now how good of a chance of a season is there gonna be based on your personal beliefs and knowledge?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Everyone I’m talking to is much more optimistic than they have been in recent months. With that said, I won’t get my hopes up until a new proposal is made. Next week is going to be very interesting. We’ll definitely have a better idea of where things stand by Tuesday.

      That’s all for today! If I missed your question, ask me on Twitter and I’ll get back to you. I’ll be back next Friday at 3 p.m. ET. Have a great week!