NBA Chat With Anthony Macri 5/9/12

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 this week Wednesday at 10am EST.

  1. Mutang

    Alright, so my Utah Jazz over-achieved, gave us fans a good season. And they have four studs under 22, and young teammates. Seems we have the possiblity of being another OKC type team that builds through the draft, takes its lumps, grows together and eventually wins.
    But!! We have Favors who showed he’s ready to be unleashed. So a big can go. Is this a possiblity? Atlanta needs a Center so Horford can play PF. Josh Smith has been talked about being moved forever. Smith for AL??? That gives Utah a steller front line of FAvors, Millsap and Smith. Think Atlanta would be interested??? Dreamy lineup…
    Also hoping upon hope we can get that 8th pick from GS this year….add Damian Lilliard to this stellar group??? I think I”m going to faint.

    • Anthony Macri

      Happy Wednesday everybody. Sorry for the change in date and time this week. Next week, my chat will move back to Tuesdays, but stay at the 10:00a EST slot – so put that in your calendars so you don’t miss it! The playoffs are heating up, and a few postseason teams can already start to think about next year… I’m sure there’s lots to be answered. Let’s get to it!

      I do like the youthful core of the Utah Jazz. I think that moving both Devin Harris and Al Jefferson needs to happen to take another step, but finding takers for decent value might be problematic. I don’t see Atlanta giving up Josh Smith lightly, because he proved during Horford’s absence that he was capable of much more. Folks who wanted to get him cheaply should have done so in the past. Devin Harris is a change-of-pace guard who would be best suited as a guy off the bench, not as a #1 starter, but I think he’d take a reduced role as an insult. Both guys are tough to move, and Utah may be stuck with them, at least temporarily.

  2. Magic Joe

    What do u see coming on the magic front after possibly tonight, and who gets the axe first Smith or SVG?

    • Anthony Macri

      I would not be surprised if both departed on the same train, so to speak. I think moving SVG is a mistake: after all, what better coach are you going to get in his place? If you can’t come up with someone, then you are probably making a bad move. Otis Smith is a little (lot) more justifiable.

  3. Wil

    Hi Coach, what are your thoughts on Ewing as a head coach?

    • Anthony Macri

      I grew up as a Knicks fan who loved Patrick’s heart, commitment, and desire to win. It’s hard for me to know how that will translate to the players he’d be coaching, but I do respect his willingness to go through a process and “learn the ropes.” I would love to be a fly on the wall in that interview session, and see what I could learn about his teaching style and ability to motivate players while communicating his message. Coaches have a different leadership role than players, and adapting can be difficult.

  4. John

    how will you remember nash dirk duncan and kobe on the off the court when they retire?

    • Anthony Macri

      A whole series of questions from John here – gonna go through them with some speed – but I think they are all good ones.

      My memory of a lot of guys that are franchise types has to do with what I’ve learned from them that I teach others. From Nash, I learned the one hand extended low finish – attacking the basket, getting your body between the ball and the defender, and stretching out to flip the ball up instead of trying to soar in high. Also, his ability to attack in S’s and C’s – in curves – is so valuable. Dirk’s use of freeze and shot fakes at the end of moves in order to create space or cause hestiation on the part of the defender. From Duncan, it was a commitment to doing one thing unstoppably well, and then having like one counter, and using that to destroy the competition. Also hard to forget how he complains about every call ever. With Kobe, it will be interesting. He and I “grew up” together – we are about the same age (he’s almost exactly 1 year older than me) and I knew him from afar as one of the greatest high school players I’d ever seen. His ability to relentlessly attack, especially “turning the second corner,” is something that can be hard to teach but is invaluable for the players to get it. He also plays the game slower than most really understand – he reads the floor so effectively when he’s locked in.

  5. John

    what was your favorite moment or memory of basketball?

    • Anthony Macri

      There are too many to count just one. Basketball has been very good to me. But I will say that every time a former player that I’ve worked with says thank you, even though they NEVER have to say it, means something to me.

  6. John

    what inspired you to become a basketball writer/coach?

    • Anthony Macri

      The writing is just a way to share the game – I never really expected to do a ton of writing. My three most direct basketball mentors all contributed… my high school coach Kevin Diverio gave me a chance when he has no reason to, and really encouraged me to think the game. The first coach I worked for full time, Tony Martin, pushed me to realize my abilities and take full advantage of them, and demonstrated at the same time a blinding intensity to get things done. Coach David Thorpe with the Pro Training Center has inspired me as a coach and a person – his life is basically what I expected mine to be in a way. He was the only NBA player development guy to respond when I sent out a series of emails as a young coach, and he was very welcoming, and that has meant a lot to how I want to be with others.

  7. John

    would you ever consider being a gm or coach?

    • Anthony Macri

      Bench coaching seems unlikely – not sure that side of coaching is my calling, at the NBA or college level. Front office staff / player development stuff is possible, it would definitely be something to look into.

  8. John

    which player would you consider overrated? I think its blake griffin just because the only thing he can do is dunk

  9. John

    what is your gut feeling of where nash is going during free agency?

    • Anthony Macri

      I just hope he ends up with a team that is fun to watch because they have a chance at being successful. He is too good for teaching to get stuck on an unwatchable loser team.

  10. John

    who was your favorite big 3 of all times?

    • Anthony Macri

      Hard to argue against Bird, Parrish, and McHale, except when you look at Magic, Kareem, and either James or Byron or one of a few others. I wish it could be Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and someone – Toni Kukoc? Denis Rodman? Not exactly inspiring choices.

  11. John

    where would you rank nash and kidd on the all time pg list?

    • Anthony Macri

      Hard for me to compare anyone from my lifetime with guys before I was born, like Oscar Robertson or Bob Cousy. But I think most top tens would include Jason Kidd and Steve Nash. Let’s assume we are talking from 1980 on (roughly my lifetime)… I’d set up the following group as the conversation (in no order): Nash, Kidd, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, John Stockton, Gary Payton, Kevin Johnson, and Chris Paul. That’s a list of 8. Kevin Johnson, Jason Kidd, and Gary Payton would probably be my bottom three in that list… so the rest are the top five. Anyone want to counter?

  12. Will

    What about Orlando trading for Joe Johnson and Jsmoove,I know ATL is desperate to move his contract?

    • Anthony Macri

      I think most teams attempt to avoid trading within their Division at all costs.

  13. Mac

    Allen Iverson is my all time favorite player. When I say this everyone points to the “Talking About Practice” rant. Am I the only person who thinks Iverson was right? The media was crying about practice when this guy habitually played through broken fingers, banged up knees, and was a pure warrior. How about judge him by on-court performances (MVP, 4 time scoring champion, 11 time allstar and brought a team whose second best player was Aaron McKie to the finals). The heart inside that 6 foot 165 lbs man is bigger than 99% of the league. Agree or Disagree?

    • Anthony Macri

      I agree he had a warrior’s competitive spirit. But I think he hurt team performance as much as helping it a lot of the time. His attitude, while it displayed his incredible will to defy odds, cannot apply to every player, so it ends up hurting their ability to perform. I don’t think Aaron McKie was their second best player either – I’d look at Dikembe Mutombo and Theo Ratliff before I settled on McKie. That team making it out of the east has a lot more to do with how POOR the east was than how good that 76ers team was.

  14. Dennis

    Paul George is truly overrated. Everyone has this guy on the list of the NBA’s next generation of elite scorers. Fact – buddy averaged only 12 points a game this year and has done even worse in the playoffs at less than 10 a game. Yet the same old Granger card is played when this is pointed out arguing George is only 22 years old. No problem, let’s give him time to develop. But then why is everyone crowning this man king with so little statistical merit to support?

  15. Charlie

    The Dallas Mavericks allowed Tyson Chandler to walk in the offseason to free cap space for Deron Williams. Chandler then goes on to win Defensive Player of the Year. My question, do you even make that trade? It would essentially be PG – Deron Williams and C – Brandon Haywood or PG – Jason Kidd and PG – Tyson Chandler. Which pair would you rather have starting?

    • Anthony Macri

      I think their move was meant for long term reasons – can’t just consider the here and now making moves. Dallas has been and will continue to be relevant for a while because they look at every situation from both a long term and short term viewpoint. I like Chandler more than Haywood in a vacuum, but also like Deron Williams more than Kidd right now in their careers. The problem is that it looks like Dallas ended up with Kidd and Haywood, at least in the short term, that can’t possibly be the long term answer.

  16. Cain

    How do the Nuggets manage minutes for the wing positions next season with Chandler being healthy? Can Lawson become an All-Star, also how good can Faried become?

    • Anthony Macri

      Lawson can be a borderline All Star. Balance in Denver may make that achievement hard. Wing position for the Nuggets will be determined by which guys are willing and able to fill it up on the break and hit open shots. I love the way they play.

  17. ralph lawrence

    Which works better, bulls get josh smith for carlos boozer or kings give away tyreke evans and garcia for josh smith and marvin williams

    • Anthony Macri

      Neither looks likely – why would the Hawks do option one or option two? I don’t think either fits the kind of value it appears Smith might have right now.

  18. Bjørn Simen Samdal

    Could you rank following players as the best fit for Minnesota? OJ Mayo, Kevin Martin, Tyreke Evans, Eric Gordon, Ray Allen, Andre Iguodala, Wesley Matthews. And who is the best player they realistically could get?

    • Anthony Macri

      Kevin Martin or Wesley Matthews both seem like excellent fits – Kevin is super high efficiency and would make it impossible to cover Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio in pick & pop situations because of his ability to score on so few touches. Not a fan of OJ Mayo or Tyreke Evans because they are the opposite of Kevin Martin. The rest are fair fits but not good in my opinion – would prefer to hit a home run with the right fit than eek out a single with guys that kinda fit.

  19. keo

    What are your predictions for the celtics in the playoffs?

    And your thoughts on the final min of the Celtic vs hawks game ?

    • Anthony Macri

      One quick thought – Al Horford is the most consistently under-rated player in the NBA. I did not get a chance to see Celtics / Hawks live, have only gone through some video. Celtics seem likely to close out the Hawks at home in Game 6. But if they lose and it goes to Game 7, I don’t like Boston to win that game. If they make it through the first round, it looks like they will definitely be an Eastern Conference finalist as I don’t see the 76ers or the under-manned Bulls competing with them over seven games.

  20. B. Carroll

    Memphis had one of the best records in the NBA in games decided by 6 or less points and they have found different ways to lose all of those games in this series. I still hold out hope that they can win this series. What is your analysis of this series thus far and what should Memphis do to contain Chris Paul?

    • Anthony Macri

      Chris Paul has been great at managing games, and Memphis seems to have an identity issue right now (what type of team are they?). They are good enough defensively to stage a comeback. As for containing CP3, does “pull a Tonya Harding” mean anything to you?

  21. Tim

    I think the age limit should be raised on kids entering the nba. They should either have to play more than 1 year of college ball, play in the d league (which should be used as the minor leagues are in baseball), or play in Europe because the quality of basketball and fundamental basketball itself has degraded over the last decade with the exception of last season.

    • Anthony Macri

      I think the quality of basketball has been fine over the last few years, and reached a pretty high level last year. Things look more down this year, but I would attribute that to the lockout more than anything else. I am in the “let them play out of HS” camp. I agree that teams should use the D-League or something like it as more of a minor league, but the MLB doesn’t have rules that guys must spend time in Triple A – that is just where they get assigned. The fact is that if a kid can come out as an 18 year old and compete in the NBA, he should have the ability to do so.

  22. Tim

    Why has the game evolved so much that the mid-range game or low post is no longer used effectively to score?

    • Anthony Macri

      It is used effectively by certain players, but the vast majority of offenses recognize that mid-range jump shots are very inefficient, and players are better off shooting threes at a decent clip or getting to the rim (especially if they can get fouled). The biggestp problem is the court is a little too small. More space would stretch out the defense and not allow defenses to crowd the mid range area as well as they currently do.

  23. jon

    who´s a better player, Isiah Thomas or Chris Paul? Why? Thanks

    • Anthony Macri

      I need to see the whole of CP3′s career. Right now it is Isiah Thomas – I actually like to think of him as my personal favorite all time point guard, but Chris Paul has the ability to surpass him. Folks, post your thoughts in the comments section!

  24. Pat

    What do you think about Iguadala for Jefferson straight swap? Their massive contracts nearly match, and the Sixers desperately need a big man who can score. As a sixer fan am I just dreaming?

    • Anthony Macri

      He isn’t the answer in Philly. He can’t really move and doesn’t make you all that much better – he can score when you throw it to him, but I actually think they’d be better off with wing / guard scorers.

  25. Andrew McNeill

    What player changes can the Bobcats make to improve there roster by trade or restricted free agents or free agents? I like Budinger and Lee from Houston and mabe a trade for Dorell Wright from GSW.

    • Anthony Macri

      Those are moderate roster improvements. A complete and total overhaul is needed – gotta start somewhere!

  26. Alex

    If you’re the T-Wolves, what are you willing to give up for Kevin Martin?

    • Anthony Macri

      Almost all players not named Kevin Love or Ricky Rubio.

  27. Jazzfan

    Coach thanks for the chat! Ive been workin on my shot for a few months now and I just cant get it to fall consistently any tips for me?

    • Anthony Macri

      Hard to say without more detail, but most people have problems with energy transfer – the idea of moving energy from the floor through your body by starting low and finishing high, shooting with your whole body in one smooth motion, and locking the follow through… next time, give me more detail, and I’ll try to do the same.

  28. JLCENTRAL

    Is there any way for Toronto to get Josh Smith without trading Bargs or Jonas Val?

    • Anthony Macri

      Hmmm.. would ahve to think about it. I actually think that giving up Bargnani there would be an acceptable loss, as I think a pairing of Smith with Valanciunas would be very good.

      That about does it for me today – see you next week on Tuesday at 10:00a EST – thanks for chatting and enjoy the Playoffs!