NBA Chat With Anthony Macri 2/28/12

Coach Anthony Macri is Director of Business Development and a Player Development Consultant for the Pro Training Center. Anthony works closely with NBA trainer David Thorpe, and writes the weekly Coach’s Notebook column for HOOPSWORLD. Coach Macri gets started at his new time of 11am EST every Tuesday.

  1. alan

    Any way that the bulls could pry paul george from indy after the season? maybe asik, a first rounder and ronnie brewer? he would be an incredible addition as a big 2 with size to guard threes that can create.

    • Anthony Macri

      Happy Tuesday everybody! Beautiful day here in the northern VA area. Those of you who have followed a bit – Paul VI (the team I am helping this year) just won the WCAC Championship last night, undefeated in league play with a three game sweep over perennial powerhouse DeMatha and two games over Gonzaga. The kids have been unreal and a lot of fun to help coach – want to see highlights? Check them out here: http://youtu.be/02su3SZPDmA … Let’s get to your NBA questions…

      I like the idea of Paul George, but I think your price might be a little too high, to be honest. I’d have to think about it more, but it seems to me a first round and Asik with an asset like Brewer is a big nut to swallow. Maybe if you think he is the only missing piece to a championship.

  2. Jazzfan

    What are your thoughts on the dunk contest? as a Jazz fan I was excited to see Jeremy Evans win and I thought his two ball dunk over Gordon Hayward was the best of the night and loved his tribute to Karl Malone, although if Derrick Williams had been able to stick his last dunk he would’ve had my vote as winner, overall I wasnt impressed with the contest but at the same time what can really be done to make it better? people say props are ruining it but without the props there are maybe a handful of dunks that havent already been done a million times you know?

    • Anthony Macri

      To me, the beauty of dunks are more in-game than anything else – when someone does something you don’t expect. Guys tend to rise higher when there is competition on the floor. It is about pageantry more than anything. Dunk contests are mostly a waste of time for my money – and there are some real expert dunkers out in streetball who would do a lot better than NBA players when it comes to creativity and degree of difficulty.

  3. Mike

    Boston sends Pierce and O’Neal to the Lakers for Bynum and Metta. Who says no?

  4. i am houston

    Should we hang D-Morey here in Houston or just ban him from the city?For the last feaw seasons we’ve been too good for the lottery but too bad for the playoffs how real is the chance that a real superstar type player plays here as long as he’s the gm?

    • Anthony Macri

      If you fired him in Houston I would hire him on the spot for any job open elsewhere in the US (Washington DC, looking in your direction).

  5. Jay

    Do you see Pat Riley making a trade before trade deadline? And who realistically do you think he can trade for?

  6. AC24

    Let’s say D12 doesn’t get traded and signs on with the Nets in FA.

    How good is:
    Deron Williams
    MarShon Brooks
    (Nets use their high lottery pick on a SF)
    Brook Lopez
    Dwight Howard

    3rd in the East?

    • Anthony Macri

      You would play Brook Lopez and Dwight Howard together? Fascinating. Third or fourth reguarl season, reasonably quick playoff exit.

  7. badoodelz

    hey coach! I know your the right person to ask this question. Im playing hoops here in our town and i played sg position. Ill say i have a nice shooting from the outside but i lacked ball handling and attack to the basket skills. What training should i do to improve my ball handling and my attack to the basket? I really want to add that to my game. Thanks man!

    • Anthony Macri

      The most important thing you can do is work on your ability to shot fake and explode to the lane. Look for opportunities to put the ball where you are going, not where you are (in other worse, get the ball out ahead of you, and don’t dribble it where your feet are pushing off from, but rather the direction you are headed in). Do a ton of stuff with catch, turn, and attack 1-0, then add a closeout defender, then add a helpline defender. A three person group would help you immeasurably over time. Keep putting work in!

  8. Gil

    Sorry if the topic is tired by now but I really feel the dunk contest was frustrating. It was the most underwhelming thing ever and all I hear is that there’s not much that can be done to improve it. A youtube search yields plenty of creative and amazing dunks that would bring down the house. Kenny Dobbs among others, dwarfs anything seen during the dunk contest. Why are we so tolerant of this mediocrity? Cars, motorcycles and stickers can’t compare to flair, creativity and practice. I don’t think the players put any works whatsoever in what they showed us. it’s pitiful.

  9. JP

    Questions:
    A-If you have to choose between this two trades which one would you choose?
    1-OJ Mayo for Luke Ridnour, Anthony Randolph and a 1st round pick
    2-Ben Gordon and Prince for Beasley, Webster and Miller?
    Are they going to be accepted? What else or instead would you offer?
    B-Could you see Tim Hardaway JR? What do you think of him?

    • Anthony Macri

      Can I pick Option 2: None of the Above? Neither seems particularly appealing. I have not yet seen Hardaway. Things are tough with the team I’m coaching to watch as many college games as I normally would. I promise I am trying!

  10. Deven

    Hello Coach Marci. What adjustments will coach Mike D’Antoni have to make in order for the Knicks to be successful for the second half of the season?

    • Anthony Macri

      I think they need to find more ways to get Melo the ball on the move (dribble handoffs, curls, circle-behinds, etc. so he doesn’t just catch on a pop-out from the wing and create from there. I just think he can be much more effective when he catches it already moving, because he’s a hard guy to stop. He needs to stop thinking like Paul Pierce – he is not most effective in stand-up situations.

  11. laker fan

    Lakers – Howard, Turkoglu, lowry
    Orlando – Bynum, MWP, D.Williams
    Rockets – Gasol
    T-wolves – Martin

    The Lakers make magic take their bad contract with MWP. Houston receives LA’s 1st rd pick. Does a deal happen??

    • Anthony Macri

      That is a big deal. I would be excited about it happening because I love shake-ups. It would be a tough deal to orchestrate with many moving parts but I tend to like the splash factor. Would need to see rosters to decide how I like it, but at first blush, it looks good to me.

  12. Dan

    Hi Coach – What do you think are the toughest skills to improve on once you’re at the NBA level? Watching Demar Derozan, ball handling looks like one of them.

    Thanks!

    • Anthony Macri

      Ball-handling is a relatively easy technical skill to improve (the mechanics of it). The problem is the decision-making and ability to create space using the dribble is lacking. I think it is the higher-level basketball stuff – the ability to read the second line, the ability to anticipate plays before they happen, and the consistency to always be purposeful in actions.

  13. Aristotle

    Hey Coach,

    I didn’t get to actually watch the Rising Stars game, but looking at the box score stats, Evan Turner seemed to have an impressive game behind the freakish shooting of Irving. Where do you see Turner in regards to these 2 draft classes, and what do you see his potential being?

    • Anthony Macri

      I have never made it a secret that I am not an Evan Turner fan. I think he is just a shade above average, mostly because there isn’t any one thing he does really, really well. I think he is one of the more disappointing players (especially given his status as a #2 overall pick) – and I hope he can have an ok career as a back-up maybe low-usage starter for a playoff contender.

  14. Aristotle

    One more for you Coach,

    LeBron came into the NBA dominating, and even taking his franchise to the NBA Finals. Comparisons of Jordan began due to what he had achieved, and was seen as falling in the Finals as he was one man.
    Then LeBron goes to Miami, everyone starts classifying him as the Pippen to Wade’s Jordan, and the result is 4th Quarter meltdowns in last year’s Finals.

    Now he comes out saying he’s more like Magic, than Jordan, that Kobe has that killer instinct, and he has that fun making your teammates better. Then he claims he wishes he took that last shot in the All-Star game.

    Has all the media attention and pressure finally gotten to him and damaged him mentally in terms of focus, confidence, and belief in his own self? Caught between whether to take charge or play second fiddle?

    He can’t be like this come Playoff times, or it will be dejavu.

    • Anthony Macri

      I think a lot of this stuff in general is pretty overblown. I just want him to make the right basketball play. Sometimes, that is shooting, sometimes, it’s passing. Just do the right thing.

  15. Jorge

    If you were coaching a player like lamar odom, what would you do to motivate him? Also what kind of exercises should i do to develop my vertical jump and my eurostep?

    • Anthony Macri

      Motivation has to come from within. I’d give Lamar or a player like him some specific achievable and various goals for each game (i.e., get 4 offensive rebounds, including 1 tip-in), and see how he responds to that specificity. Some guys find that it turns them into everything going on around them.

      Vertical jump: jump a lot. Just keep jumping. Do a lot of repeat jumping so you can get used to rising quickly and with explosion. Eurostep is a great move to practice, really work on exagerrating the amount of ground you cover and the way you change direction in a single step.

  16. Wilson

    Coach, with key players still missing time for the 76ers, it is a defensible move to roll the dice and shake things up a bit or is our chemistry still more valuable?

    Do you see Evan Turner ever being able to play effectively w/ Iguodala or will they both continue to need another wing that can stretch the floor?

    • Anthony Macri

      I think it is definitely ok to roll the dice a little bit. They aren’t winning a championship with their current core, and unless you feel like this or next offseason is going to be very fruitful, I’d go to the roll-the-dice move. that also means not going with the simple ‘rent-a-big’ solution that seems popular. Find something bold.

  17. Wilson

    Which team would be the best fit for Andray Blatche if the Wizards can move him?

    Would Pop be able to reign him in? He’s definitely a knucklehead, but the talent and size are there and he could probably be had on the cheap, right?

    • Anthony Macri

      Pop has made a smart career of not taking on people like Blatche. No fit for him outside of the team of Hard Knocks. His talent is only slightly over average , especially given the consistency with which he displays it. He obviously doesn’t care about being a professional with regard to his strength and conditioning work, either – let alone his personality and interaction with coaches and teammates. It is sad.

  18. Wilson

    Coach, who is the one player you feel is poised to explode given a shot at more minutes or an upgraded role on a new team?

    My vote would be either James Harden, who a first option on many teams, or Paul George, who’s size and skill (6’10 SG) could create Durant-like missmatches if he continues to develop his game. Thoughts?

    • Anthony Macri

      I feel like in many ways James Harden has already exploded. Maybe my article this week will be talking about Harden and George. Thanks for the idea!!!

  19. Judy

    What do you think about the rumored Marvin Williams for Ramon Sessions trade? It can allow the Hawks to trade Kirk maybe to LA for their TPE or somewhere else. If anything it allows the Hawks to get out of Marvin’s contract?

    • Anthony Macri

      I like it for Atlanta but I’m not sure what Williams does in Cleveland aside from making it more difficult to play Tristan Thompson.

  20. MAC

    your best educated guess… who’s the 1st bomb to drop (trade)? or do you think deadline will come and go with little movement?

    • Anthony Macri

      I think if a shot is fired, things will get hot and heavy quickly. Dwight Howard’s situation might be the tipping point.

  21. Eli Rez

    Why are people still talking about Dwight and Kobe’s conversation. Kobe already confirmed the conversation was not true a couple weeks ago.

    Where do you think Dwight will land?

    • Anthony Macri

      Like my mentor, Coach David Thorpe, it looks like NJ to me.

  22. Drew

    Please give me % chance for what wolves will do at SG. A- KMartin B- Mayo C-Ellis D-CLee E- Morrow F- Other G- Nothing.

    • Anthony Macri

      Wow handicapping potential trade/acquisitions… this is by likelihood, not by who I would want…

      Martin 11%
      Mayo 15%
      Ellis 8%
      Lee 12%
      Morrow 8%
      Other 15%
      Nothing 31%

  23. Ardi

    Daryl Morey has never been one to sit still before the trade deadline. Who do you see gone from the Rockets roster by March 15? For?

    • Anthony Macri

      Rockets will make moves. Some may surprise. I have heard rumblings but I was sworn to secrecy, and I take that seriously.

  24. jamal

    im convinced the lakers get a PG by the trade deadline. who do you think is the most likely to wear a lakers jersey after the deadline? Sessions? Felton? Nelson? Rondo? any other candidates under the radar?

    • Anthony Macri

      I think all of your possibilities are very much in play. Rondo the most interesting to me. I think your list is (for now) pretty complete.

  25. Madiochus

    Under the premise of “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” can you see Golden State putting some sort of trade together that could land either McGee (natural center) or Blatche (think he could play C in Oakland) from the Wiz (I’m a Warriors fan; I’m optimistic)? I know they’re 1. a space cadet and 2. a knucklehead but with some direction I could see them making strides. And I’m not buying into the Udoh hype as I don’t view him as the long term solution…thoughts?

    • Anthony Macri

      If you want Blatche, take him. I’m willing to give McGee another chance in Washington but only with the right pieces / coach around him. If Golden State things getting Blatche is the answer, welcome to continued movement in the same direction the franchise has been on for years (if not worse).

      Well folks, time for me to get going. Thanks for all your questions and be on the lookout for my Coach’s Notebook, back this week! See you next time.