NBA Chat With Anthony Macri 11/20/12

1. Chris

   Hi Stephen. How accurate is this assessment of the Bull’s struggles. 1. No Derrick Rose 2. No Bench 3. Taj Gibson was at his best teamed w/ Omer Asik 4. No 3 pt shooter 5. No 2nd superstar who can create his own shoot/ assume scoring load when offense is stagnant.

   • Anthony Macri

     Happy Tuesday everybody! For those that missed it and might care, the pro league I am leading here in Southeast Asia unveiled its new logo today – check it out at when you get a chance. Let’s get to your NBA questions!

     Who is Stephen? Not me. I’m Anthony. My father wanted to name me Sebastien. No joke.

     Your assessment is ok, but a few thoughts. First, I think #2 and #3 are related. Asik made life easier for a lot of guys. I think he’s really good. Had a discussion with a colleague about him before the season, a Bulls fan, who didn’t think losing Asik meant much, and I disagreed. He now agrees with me. I think the main thing all comes back to #1 and to a lesser degree #2. All the other players would be better if Rose was on the floor.

2. Peter

   Coach! Hows life over in Asia? How do you think D’antoni will do with the Lakers? I’m still not sure how Kobe and Nash can play together as both demands the ball to be successful. Is it a possibility that Nash comes off the bench?!

   • Anthony Macri

     Life is ok – have to be honest, I’m excited to get back to the states for a few weeks around Christmas. Missing the family!

     I don’t see any scenario in which Nash comes off the bench. I anticipate them getting a lot more possessions and I think Nash will be just fine keeping everyone happy, while scoring when the defense presents itself. Mature players like Nash and Kobe will not let selfish silliness get in the way, and if there is an issue, I believe they will deal with it like grown men and we will never hear about it at all.

3. LA in LA

   Hey Coach have you watched the Lakers the last two games and if so can you tell me what you think of how they look?

   • Anthony Macri

     I have actually specifically avoided watching the Lakers. I want to watch them after D’Antoni has at least 10-14 days to make some shifts in the way they approach the offensive end. It will be easier for me to pick up on those shifts if I don’t watch them gradually implemented over time. Is that fair?

4. LA in LA

   Not including Lebron James and ignoring age, if you could form a big 3 who would you pick?

   • Anthony Macri

     First three that come to mind are Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony. A slightly more interesting three are Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving. Anyone else out there have interesting Big 3 combos? List them in the comments!

5. Joe

   What about HEAT dumping Joel Antony and a pick for Dejuan Blair?
   If that doesn’t work what can the HEAT get for a package if you thrown in mario chalmers?

   • Anthony Macri

     I don’t like dumping Mario Chalmers. I’m ok with acquiring DeJuan, because I love him to pieces, and I think he’d be motivated to prove himself in Miami again. Whether he fits with their roster and general approach is another question, I’d need to consider that more deeply. My first thought is that he isn’t a great fit, because I wonder if they’d use him more than what San Antonio does right now. But I think those other guys would love the aggression with which he attacks the game, and that could win some people over.

6. Mateo

   Hi, would you consider trading jeff green for a natural sf considering celtics has plenty pf? How about trading him for gay?

   • Anthony Macri

     Why would Memphis do that? Rudy Gay has been very mature this season and providing exactly what they need in terms of scoring balance and a threat from that position. I like Jeff Green more than a lot of people, but I don’t think that’s a fair deal.

7. jonatan

   can tyreke evans be a good fit for the corbin-led utah jazz at the point and/or off guard positions

   • Anthony Macri

     Only if it is Tyreke Evans after he experiences a JR Smith-like maturity upgrade. I have been really impressed with JR Smith this season, he is one of the central reasons I think the Knicks are performing above my expectations. If Evans can figure out his own situation similarly, yes, he can be a benefit. If not, I’m no big fan.

8. The Philippine Eagle

   Hi Coach, I wonder what it takes to become a basketball coach? How do they learn different basketball systems and other stuff, especially if they are not former players at all? Is there a course for it? Are there any coaching 101 books that you would like to recommend? Thanks!

   • Anthony Macri

     I played in high school but I was mediocre at best. I learned through reading, watching coaching videos, and constantly bothering people who knew more than me to tell me everything they knew. I always recommend the book “Coaching Basketball Successfully” by Morgan Wootten as a great primer for a future basketball coach. In addition, find all the highly rated videos you can find on championshipproductions.com – there are quite a few – and just take notes like crazy on those. Volunteer to help anyone doing anything, and don’t be too proud to do crummy jobs while you learn. Good luck!

9. Chris

   Hi Coach. After 1998, having homegrown the GPOAT & greatest coach of all time and won 6 titles, the Bulls should be the flagship of the NBA today. What went wrong? Was this ever the plan in the first place? My own suspicion: fans’ high tolerance for losing, conservative management, owner’s lack of passion for winning basketball titles, poor free agency salesmenship, & less desirable city.

   • Anthony Macri

     Or it’s just the Circle of Life?

     Situations like the Lakers or Celtics, or the Yankees of baseball, don’t really come around very often. Sometimes they are rooted in a lot more legend and “old wive’s tales” about how good the team was way back when, or something. I also think it illustrates how difficult it is to keep a championship caliber team together. It gets expensive, and it is hard as an owner to bear that expense when the revenues never quite cover the outlay. In sports, most owners do not recover their long term investment until they sell the property – it’s a lot more like buying a house than it is buying a business.

10. Deven

    Hey Coach Macri. Are you buying or selling on what the Bobcats are doing? They’re 5-4 already!

    • Anthony Macri

      Buy! Buy! Buy! I am a huge Mike Dunlap fan. I learned more about defense from watching his video on the 1-1-3 matchup zone than I did from most other videos combined. He is also a fantastic player development guy with a real interest in the little things that help players be successful. He tends to be a little too assertive for some people, but players who buy in to his formula will experience success. A bit like Thom Thibodeau in that way.

11. Deven

    Couple of bad home losses for the Spurs, Coach. What the heck is up with that team?

    • Anthony Macri

      I refuse to say anything negative about the Spurs. I used to regularly predict the end of that team as a contender, and then they go set records and basically tell me to shove it. I have no idea what is wrong with them, and I have every confidence they will turn it around, because they always figure this stuff out. Honestly, I think Pop uses the regular season to experiment with stuff and looks at it like a marathon. If he has to fall back a few steps off pace right now, he isn’t worried about those passing him on either side. He is eyeing the big finish.

12. Wil

    Hi Coach, Paul George has had a lot of hype the last couple of years to the point where fans and media felt Granger should go. So, now that he has had a chance to shine at his natural SF position, he has been a dud. So, what is up? Is he just not as good as we all thought or is there something else going on?

    • Anthony Macri

      Last spring I did a breakdown of Paul George (http://www.hoopsworld.com/coach-breaking-down-paul-george/). I think we can see both what I thought was positive, and the things I thought were lacking, coming through in his extended opportunities this year. The central thing is he doesn’t quite understand the need to go beyond what raw talent provides in order to create more positive opportunities. Perhaps that will come with maturity, perhaps not. I think most likely he will show tons of flashes and never really put it all together. Think Nic Batum in every year before this one. Of course, I’m sure fans would take it if Paul George could make the kind of leap that guy has.

13. Silassie

    Hey Coach.

    A question from Bristol, England.

    I’m a big Clippers fan. Do you think Willie Green will get any minutes at all once Chancey is healthy?

    Also how do you think Vinny DN will balance out the 3 spot once Grant Hill is healthy- cos they’ll be three good veterans wanting minutes.

    • Anthony Macri

      I want to see if Chauncey’s can return to the high level he was at a few years back or if his best years are well behind him. That will be the determining factor for Willie Green. I believe Grant Hill’s minutes will come because he is a great advantage scorer. He has turned his career into being a guy (at 40 years old) who finds small opportunities and turns them into production – whether that be on the break or in the halfcourt. You find minutes for a guy like that, even if he has to play “out of position” because he is the best kind of player to do it.

14. Tim

    Can you talk about the job Rich Cho has done so far in Charlotte as well as Mike Dunlap? I’m not expecting playoffs this year, but they are fun to watch again.

    • Anthony Macri

      It’s kind of amazing what a breath of fresh air can do. I have spoken about my man-crush on Dunlap already, but he would not be known by anyone if guys like Rich Cho did not give him a chance. Good for Rich. I think they cultivating a culture of current and incoming players that fits the way Coach wants to play, and for a guy who needs things done a certain way like Dunlap does, that is the biggest key.

15. Bryan

    I know the Kings are very frsutrated with Evans do you see them trading him at deadline?and also do you think the mavs could swing a trade for him maybe throw in beaubois and couple of picks, carlisle seems to do wonders with former high picks who havent reached their potential

    • Anthony Macri

      I think Rick Carlisle is the perfect kind of head coach for a guy like Tyreke Evans. When Corey Brewer, who I was working with at the time, went to Dallas, he raved about how he was still learning the plays and still trying to understand the whole picture, and Coach Carlisle would stay in the gym after practice and help Corey with his shooting from the corner. He knew those shots were going to come when Dirk was at the high elbow, and he said to Corey that he won’t play if he can’t knock down that shot, and we’re going to groove that shot into you so you can play. A coach who takes that kind of personal investment in a player is an all-star in my book. Evans would be a great candidate for a little tender loving care. Not sure about your trade scenario, but I like the end result.

16. Eric123

    If you were to arrange the following events that will to happen to the wizards this season, how would you arrange it:

    1. j. wall comes back;
    2. nene comes back;
    3. wizards win their 1st back to back;
    4. coach gets fired;
    5. team makes a trade for an impact player.

    • Anthony Macri

      I’m certainly not able to tell the future. However, I don’t think the head coach gets fired anytime soon – they have no talent. Not sure if you remember the old GI Joe cartoon, but even if they took the DNA of all the greatest coaches in the history of the world, and made their own “Serpentor” of coaching, could someone get that roster to perform at a high level. We’ll see if anyone gets my Serpentor reference.

      I also would love to know who on the roster has the value to trade for an impact player… their best bet is to take the long view. Whether they can demonstrate the patience required is a different issue.

17. Jay

    On a lot of blogs I notice discussions about the HEAT trading D-Wade.
    Personally I am completely opposite the idea. But what offer would it take for them to break up the big 3? (if any)

    • Anthony Macri

      Dwyane needs to adjust to the fact that he can’t dominate games the way he once did. And the best part? He doesn’t need to anymore, either. I think it’ll come in time. I’m sure there are deals to break up the Big 3, but my question is, are any of those deals actually possible given cap constraints and the theory that a trade partner will need to be ready to give up equal value? If you have a Dwyane Wade trade possibility that can actually practically work, throw it in the comments below and I’ll respond with thoughts. That goes to anyone out there reading who knows the answer to the “Dwyane Wade #playerscurrentlyhatedbybloggers issue.”

      Alright folks, that’s my time for the week. Enjoy Thanksgiving, and I’ll see you back next week!