NBA Chat With Anthony Macri 8/21/12

1. LA in LA

   Hey Anthony, 2 questions for you:
   1) I’ve seen some Heat fans claim Bosh is “miles better” than Gasol. I think they’re crazy. Gasol is as good if not better. Gasol rebounds and defends better, and has more post moves. Bosh’s only advantage is he shoots better from mid-range.
   Do you agree with that assessment?
   2) Pau Gasol is the 4TH BEST PLAYER on the Lakers! Gasol a top 5 PF but only 4th best player on his team. The Lakers are stacked. Can you name 5 power fowards who are better than Gasol right now?

   • Anthony Macri

     Happy Tuesday everybody! It is a special Tuesday for me – today is my birthday! Please, no applause, though I appreciate the good thoughts! Tons of NBA stuff happening since my last chat, so let’s get to your questions…

     1.) I think they are pretty even, actually. In Bosh’s last year in Toronto, I had them as the best two power forwards in the game at the time. I think some other guys can make a case for that title right now (Kevin Love comes to mind) but Bosh and Gasol are pretty darn good. Pau is the best passing big in the game right now, and Bosh competes with a great face-up game.

     2.) Hmmm… four better power forwards in the game right now? I don’t know that there are four better ones. After Gasol, though, the Lakers roster gets bad quickly.

2. Shamwow

   Instead of amnestying Boozer and payinh him to play for someone else, would it make sense to trade him to Houston for KMartin? Houston doesnt get much considerstion by FA and this might be a chance to get a veteran big man that can learn from Hakeem. Plus Martin wants out of Houston and the Bulls need a SG that will llay well with Rose.

   • Anthony Macri

     I love your user name.
     Not sure there is a lot of mileage to the notion that Boozer would learn from Hakeem. Boozer isn’t going to add much to his game at this point – what you see is what you get. I do like an efficient scorer like Kevin Martin in Chicago, but I’m not sure Houston gives him up with a “eh” piece coming back unless it’s part of something bigger.

3. jesse

   Hey coach…So i asked Mr. Pincus about DAndre Jordan, if he ever worked out with Hakeem Olajuwon, him being from Houston where Dream spent his entire career…EP is of the opinion that DJ is who he is and has limited potential as far as post skills…I don’t doubt his assessment, but i have to hope he can become more than what he is, being a clipper fan…So my question is…do you believe his post-skills ceiling is as low as Mr. Pincus? What are his short-comings, footwork, BB-IQ, work ethic, handles? And can these be corrected…I would love to hear that him and Blake are working with the Dream! (and being coached by Jerry Sloan!)…Thanks Coach

   • Anthony Macri

     Guys that are younger like DeAndre have a better chance at becoming more than what they are, for sure. But I’m not sure what his aptitude and desire for improvement are – the real key is engendering buy-in from the player in order to really make growth happen. I think having a plan on the offensive end and teaching one go-to move from the mid-post area, followed by one counter, would be all we would do at first. That and make him a voracious rebounder who doesn’t let Blake Griffin out-rebound him. I have no idea if Hakeem is the best teacher for that – I have never seen him teach – but skill development is 80% inspiration, and if the Dream can inspire DeAndre to exceed expectations, then he can get a lot better, and quickly. We’d spend a ton of time keeping active on the offensive end, looking for opportunities to present themselves, and then work on finishing angles in traffic.

4. LA in LA

   Coach, have 2 Howard questions for you, a defensive one than an offensive one,
   1)how big of an effect do you think Howard has on Westbrook’s fantastic ability to get to the rim? Last year he got the rim effortlessly against LA but with Howard I think any shots in the paint will be much less successful, like sub 45%.
   Howard should also negate Harden’s ability to penetrate as well.

   2) Since Howard is playing along Pau Gasol instead of scrubs now, that should mean more single man coverage from OKC (and in general right)? Because Howard has put up 18.9ppg on 55.8% FG and 14.2 rebs and I’m thinking he’ll do even better against Perkins now that he plays along Gasol.

   • Anthony Macri

     While I agree that DH12 certainly adds a backline presence, I’m not convinced it will stop forays to the rim because the Lakers perimeter defense is porous. Kobe is a fantastic one-on-one defender still, but he can’t guard everyone, and I expect that their rotations will leave Howard in more foul trouble than he’s accustomed to. With that said, their defense will certainly be better this year from an athleticism standpoint and provided Dwight is healthy, he is a big upgrade over Bynum.

     I don’t think you should expect better numbers from Dwight. There are only so many operational areas on the basketball court and I don’t know if the Lakers shoot the ball consistently enough from the perimeter to prevent dig-downs and post-loads. Similar numbers are certainly possible – Pau being such a gifted passer will help.

5. Jp Co

   Hi Coach, ca the Lakers be a good defensive team next season? With Kobe regressing defensively , how can they stop dribble penetration and perimeter shooting of opposing teams. Thanks

   • Anthony Macri

     This is my big concern with them. I’d spend a lot of time on fly-bys, because I don’t see anyone on that roster as being able to stay in front of great closeout attacks outside of Kobe. I’d be more focused on flying around on the perimeter, and then letting my backline clean up messes. It may result in foul trouble, but I think it also gives them the best chance of success.

6. Mike

   Wondering what you think the Nuggets have to do to become a top 10ish defense this season. Iguodala is great, but you usually need a team cohesion/concept to become top tier defense.

   • Anthony Macri

     I don’t think they are far. Iggy will be a big help, especially since they can put him next to Corey Brewer, who is one of the best defenders in the league at a similar position. The Nuggets won’t be the same kind of defense as Chicago or Boston – more like Miami, flying around like crazy and getting the second contest on every shot, etc. I think they’d want to harken back to George Karl’s Sonics defensive teams, double-team swarming everywhere and looking to choke-off any standard sets. They aren’t too far away from it, honestly – but that style is pretty volatile, so holding it together can be a bit of a challenge.

7. Jon

   Spurs question: What is the realistic upside of Kahwi Leornard? (an approximate equivalent player or hybrid would be great). Is blatche worth giving a shot?

   • Anthony Macri

     Let me get the second part of your question out of the way: if any club can “save” him, it is San Antonio. That said, I wouldn’t be looking to add Andray Blatche to my team anytime soon.

     I think it’s hard to assign Leonard a ceiling, because he’s already shown there is more to him than most thought coming in. I did expect him to grow into a shooter, I didn’t think it would be so quick. I would have said Mario Elie at one point, but now maybe a mix of Mario Elie and Sean Elliot? I’d have to go back and watch more tape. Anyone want to offer thoughts in the comments?

8. B. Carroll

   How would you assess Orlando Magic’s 30 year old GM Robert Hennigan’s return in trading Dwight Howard? Given the fact that the Magic did not receive an all-star, any lottery picks, and did not get rid of Hedo Turkoglu’s salary I believe this has to go down as one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history.

   • Anthony Macri

     The Lakers always seem to be on the positive side of the most lopsided trades in NBA history, don’t they?

     I was not a fan of it because I’m not sure exactly what it did. Did it prep them for the rebuilding process? Sort of – not sure they are any more prepped now than they would have been had they just let him play out the season. It certainly didn’t keep them in playoff contention. One of the best lines I heard from the trade was, “Orlando did a great job clearing cap space so they can make a run at Dwight Howard.” That is probably all you need to know.

9. DMoney

   I’m a Laker fan so I am use to fans of other teams hating on the Lakers, but when reporters do it that’s were it gets sickening. Last week I asked if it would be smart for LA to bring in Blatche to play PF moving Gasol to center until Howard comes back. Another guy, OKC fan, asked a similar question about Blatche joining the thunder for more scoring off the bench. The answer for both questions were he wouldn’t get any touches. Yet, the moment the Heat is mentioned, pertaining to Blatche its consider a smart move. HOW? Ray & Rashard needs the ball to be effective & their big 3 is about 75% of their scoring like OKC. He would get less touches with the Heat. So why is it better for them to get Blatche over the Lakers or OKC? It seems like anything that could make a team better is hated on cause it might stop LaBron from getting rings. Please explain

   • Anthony Macri

     I can promise you one thing, DMoney: I will never, ever, no matter what the circumstances, EVER, claim that bringing in Andray Blatche is a good move. Ever.

10. Peter

    Hey Coach! Hows life going in Asia? There are tons of offensive plays in basketball but not a lot of defensive schemes. The ones that I know are the man-to-man, 2-3 zone, 1-2-2 zone and 1-3-1 zone. Can you briefly explain when you use them and the advantages of using those Zone defense that i just mentioned? Thanks!

    • Anthony Macri

      While there are only a certain number of alignments because of the spacing of the court and the number of defenders, the way a defense is deployed can be very subtle and nuanced. A 2-3 zone from one team can be very, very different from a 2-3 zone employed by another team. While there are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to utilizing certain zones over others, zones usually vary in perimeter coverage. A 2-3 tends to give away more jumpers than either a 1-2-2 or a 1-3-1, though both of those zones can be decimated by great interior passing. One thing for aspiring coaches: spend less than 20 minutes introducing a zone, and then never practice it. Spend your practice time on man-to-man concepts. Then play zone in scrimmages and in-games. You will see your players reacting much better than they would if you practiced zone all the time.

11. Pacers Fan Still..

    Hey whats going on in indy…from looking at the roster we seam a little thin at SG. George is there (Great)but from what ive seen from the Rookie guard in the summer league I see not 1 GOOD reason not to bring back Barbosa…I loved Lance stevenson at cincy but Barbosa is proven and I would think work well especially if an injury were to occur to DGranger,(slide george to his natural position) the man can flat out score and is a team guy a true vet…nothing crazy just a 1year deal…also not sold on Hill as the Franchise point he did great filling in for T. Parker a couple seasons ago but I think hes more combo than anything but still an asset…your thoughts?

    • Anthony Macri

      The backcourt is certainly a question-mark as you rightly point out. I tend to agree they need help there though I don’t know if Barbosa is the steadying influence necessary. Seems to me you already have guys like that on the roster. Are there better alternatives available?

12. Jason

    If LA re-signs Howard, in 2014-15 LA will have Howard at 20.something million and Nash with 9.7 mil on the books. That makes a total, we’ll round, at about 30 million. With an estimated cap, at say 58 to 61 million, that leaves the lakers just short of being able to offer two max deals. Finally my question: Under the CBA can the Lakers amnesty Nash and bring their salary to just Howard? Meaning, amisty nash and just have Howards 20mil on the books. I was under the impression the amnesty just made it so teams dont have to pay the tax on those players but that the players salary still remains on the teams cap. I suppose this is an amnesty question more than anything (and hence how it applie to the lakers). Thank!

    • Anthony Macri

      I didn’t think you could amnesty a player you brought in after a trade, but I’m not certain on that. I’m not the best person to ask on that – I’m trying to keep our cap situation in the ASEAN Basketball League straight, it’s hard for me to remember the NBA’s complex rules!

13. Kevin

    I don’t understand the people that are saying the Lakers aren’t the favorites in the West! If I remember correctly, the Lakers had just finished a 7 game series w/ Denver and got blown out by a rested OKC in the 1st game. And the next 3 games were decided by less than 3 points. And now the Lakers add: Nash, Howard, Jamieson and Meeks! And the last time I check, Kobe was still demanding double teams! I don’t understand how people think, can you help me w/ this, PLEASE?

    • Anthony Macri

      To me the Lakers and the Thunder are way out in front of everyone else. After their first four, I’m not terribly happy with their roster. But their first four is gross.

14. Deven

    Hey Coach Macri. What kind of system will Coach Vaughn of the Magic run with this new squad? Less three point shooting perhaps?

    • Anthony Macri

      I’m not sure of the exact system, but I have to say I love Jacques Vaughn. I loved him as a player, was always a fan of his smart, even-keeled, change-of-pace approach to the game. I think he thought it through every moment he was on the floor. I think that will translate to his coaching with the Magic. I expect him to do a lot of teaching and to adapt whatever system he wants to run to his personnel – the way any coach should do it!

15. Deven

    What was your favorite moment of the offseason? (Not naming Dwight)

    • Anthony Macri

      I was pretty impressed with the US Olympic team.

16. SatBchMagicer

    Am curious, could you give brief synopsis of AirAsia ASEAN league for us NBA type fans? Just #teams/cities involved/type-# players on-’limitations of’(# of non-native allowed)-player height of/comparative ‘level of play to known level in U.S.(low-Div. I/Div.II/etc.).

    • Anthony Macri

      In a nutshell… the ABL just completed its third year of competition. Eight teams spread across six countries (Indonesia Warriors based in Jakarta, Singapore Slingers, Malaysia Dragons based in Kuala Lumpur, Thailand Slammers and Bangkok Cobras both in Bangkok Thailand, Saigon Heat in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam, and the Philippine Patriots & San Miguel Beermen, both based in Manila Philippines). Each team has two world imports (Americans) with no size restriction. EAch team can have up to three “ASEAN” imports meaning players from other countries in the region – most are Filipinos. The rest of the roster must be local players from the home country. Imports that have played in the last few years include Julius Hodge, Nick Fazekas, and Evan Brock – who are all D-League plus players. Overall the league is a low-to-mid Euro-league level. There is a strong ongoing commitment to player development in the region and that is one of the major objectives of the ABL as well. Hope that helps!

17. Rip City Dave

    Would Jordan have won 6 titles if the Blazers got Sabonis to come over in ’89? At the very least they would have won the two Houston got when Jordan tried baseball, right? Sabonis at the time was arguably the best player on the planet at the time.

    • Anthony Macri

      Sabonis was awesome. I don’t like to play what if games, but he would have been a problem for the entire league.

18. Quan

    hey man, how was your trip? I’ve been skeptical since the Howard trade. In theory Howard and Nash can be a lethal pick-and-roll weapon, but I think Howard should focus most of his efforts on defence. Pau & Nash will be good, Kobe can score with his iso plays and World Peace should shoot the ball from the 3 point range. What do you think?

    • Anthony Macri

      I’ll write some stuff about my thoughts for this week’s Coach’s Notebook, ok?

19. krom

    What do you think about john wall , stephen curry will sign ?

    • Anthony Macri

      Love John and I think they will make some strides this year in Washington since the past has been cleared away. I expect him to really make strides from a leadership and management standpoint, and it helps that they have young, willing pieces around him. Not sure on Curry’s situation.

20. NoComment

    where do u rank kobe in greatest nba player of all time if kobe retire now

    • Anthony Macri

      Off the top of my head, top 8 or 9. Exactly where I’d have to spend some time thinking about, but I’d have at least Jordan, Larry, Magic, Wilt, and Kareem ahead of him. He’d be in a mix for me that includes Shaq, Tim Duncan, Oscar Robertson, and Bill Russell. LeBron is creeping and has the best chance of leapfrogging into the top 5.

21. Gustavo A Thomas

    Sometime i believe, Lakers have two Paul Gasol, one is the slow,old and overpaid Paul Gasol when they lose and the other one is when they try to trade him, they asking for so many good players that you think he is Michael Jordan no Paul Gasol. What you think? Thanks.

    • Anthony Macri

      Buy low, sell high?

22. mrniks

    Which are the best skills needeed in order to be a good offensive rebounder? Someone who spends less time away from the rim (no range) has more chances to grab off rebounds, right?

    • Anthony Macri

      Not necessarily. The real key is staying active and continuously moving, which keeps the guy responsible for boxing you out off-balance and makes it much easier to attack the glass. Being relentless and chasing “orphaned” rebounds – ones no one else wants – is a huge stat-padding tool. Finally, so much of it is opening your mind to the opportunities that exist. When I watch film with a player for the first time, and we break down just the number of times they take three steps toward the rim on any shot, and the number of times they simply stand still, they are astounded. You would be too. Just chart a player, and grade every possession as “gave great effort,” “gave medium effort,” “gave no effort,” or “N/A” – meaning they either were the shooter and shouldn’t be rebounding, or for whatever reason they had defensive balance responsibilities. It can be enlightening.

23. Jason

    I’m a lifetime Orlando Magic fan. Been there after we’ve lost Shaq, T-Mac, Grant Hill never being fully healthy here. After going through the Dwight trade, I’m optimistic about our future. Unlike Shaq we got something in return and unlike the T-Mac trade we got some draft picks (even if they’re high 20′s)

    I think Maurice Harkless has the potential to be a very good scorer close to KD level, do you think the Magic did well considering they were handcuffed to 2-3 teams, and what’s your assessment of Harkless and the other players included in the mega deal the Magic pulled off?

    • Anthony Macri

      If Moe Harkless becomes a KD level scorer, I would be flabbergasted. The Magic hand-cuffed themselves. I’m not a fan because I don’t see a plan. But sometimes this is what happens, I guess.

24. Jp co

    hi Coach, thanks for answering my questions. The Nuggets team for me will be a good defensive team with lot of wing defenders and shooters. But one thing they want to address is their closer, if i am George Karl, i put my money on Danillo and TY as my go to guy. Or maybe develop Mcgee like what the lakers did with Mr. Bynum. Thanks

    • Anthony Macri

      My mentor David Thorpe and I are of the same mindset – we don’t know what a closer is in basketball. Sure, you run certain kinds of looks down the stretch for one of your guys to get shots he’s comfortable hitting, but it isn’t just about that player, everything has to come together for it to work out. I put the ball in Lawson’s hands and let him figure it out, personally. That doesn’t necessarily mean, by the way, that he’s the closer.

25. anthony

    what are the spurs gonna do to compete with the lakers and thuner

    • Anthony Macri

      They will create and hit open shots. More worried about their defense than anything else – can they really guard either team effectively? I’d think they’d be more comfortable against LA because the pace is unlikely to be as brutal as OKC – but those will be some interesting games. There is actually a real reason to fight to be the #1 seed in the West this year!

      Alright folks, that does it for me. Enjoy your week and see you next time!