NBA Chat With Anthony Macri 10/10/11

1. jugs

   you think derrick williams can be LBJ?

   • Anthony Macri

     Happy Monday everybody! LET US PLAY! Or something like that… maybe the NBA Lockout will end while I’m chatting. Wouldn’t that be neat? I guess we’ll find out soon if I’ve got to turn myself into an NCAA hoops expert for the year (that would be fun, I miss college basketball sometimes). Either way, let’s get to your questions…

     No, I don’t think Derrick Williams can be the best player in the league. I’m not sure he is the best player at his position on his team (which position is that?). I do like Derrick Williams – I think more of an athletic and capable Rashard Lewis is the absolute ceiling – which is still pretty darn good, a few years ago, Rashard Lewis was crushing people.

2. Jono

   hey antony,
   Based on a physical and mental point of view, would it be best for a team to sign 2 all stars(kobe,lebron etc) and some decent role players instead of miami’s big three by itself no real role players? I mean the big three play 40 mins a game sometimes more, which is really demanding on the body and once one of them are injured the team has to cover up for the missing player which is tough to do and even more exhausting for a player to play 82 games day in and day out.
   thank you for answering my really long question, just curious about the HEATS all stars:)

   • Anthony Macri

     It’s a good question. I’m not sure we have an answer yet. I tend to think we can’t judge Miami’s signing of the Big Three as a one year project – if there is a season this year, and the HEAT win, does that mean their approach was correct from the beginning? I think there are many different approaches to building a team, and Miami took one road that most other teams have not taken. I personally think I would have focused on building around two mega-stars and a third wheel with the rest of the money spread around to solid role guys (the Bulls model), but that doesn’t mean I’m right 100% of the time.

3. TJ

   Have u gotten a chance to play the new NBA game? I took over with derrick rose and steve Nash has the nicest shot ever,anyway if the suns want to be competitive and still miss the playoffs what is the latest draft pick this year that u think can turn a franchise around it is a loaded draft

   • Anthony Macri

     Two things: (1.) no one beats Glen Rice from back in like NBA Live 99. He was unstoppable. I might have the year wrong, by the way.

     (2.) If you are relying on any picks outside of the top 3 to be franchise changers, you have more problems than what a single draft can solve.

4. Bummi

   What are the chances that before your chat ends, the lockout meeting will be over and there will be an agreement or games canceled?

   • Anthony Macri

     So there are 48 minutes remaining in that bet – maybe 5000-1? I think if something happens today we won’t hear about it until after 5:00p. I hope I’m wrong and that the announcement comes sooner.

5. Sergio

   How’s it going Mr. Macri? I get the feeling that Dwyane Wade is EXTREMELY UNDERRATED. It seems like when people talk about who the best is, who they would build a team around, or who the MVP would be, I here names like Rose, Howard, Kobe, CP3, Lebron and KD. What about Wade? Great shot blocker, solid defender, ball hawk, CLUTCH, prolific scorer and tremendous leader. Does everything for his team. I feel like he rarely gets any credit for being (IMO) the top 1-3 player in the league? Your thoughts? By the way, how you feeling about my Kings this (hopefully) season? I hope Evans comes back to silence some critics. Here anything on what he’s working on this off season?

   • Anthony Macri

     Anthony, Coach Mac, or Coach Macri works fine – please no “Mr. Macri” – I’m not at the point in my life where that title fits LOL. Good question on Wade. He very well might be underrated to some degree. I know my mentor and boss, Coach David Thorpe, is a huge Wade guy. I like Dwyane but I tend to think he belongs in the top tier but not necessarily over anyone you listed (with the exception of Derrick Rose, who isn’t quite there for me yet, but is real close). I am not very high on the Kings. I think they need to get their leadership situation squared away (coaching? who is the franchise guy? is anyone mature enough?) before they can really take a step in the right direction. I think Evans can have a re-emergent year – if there is a season at all.

6. devonte wilson

   monta ellis to nyk? if possible how does it work?

   • Anthony Macri

     I guess of all the Monta-Ellis-to-somewhere scenarios, this one bothers me the least. I just don’t like what he brings to most teams, but in NY, at least there is no doubt that it’s Melo and Amare’s team, and Monta could be a good third wheel there (if you can get him to buy into that). Not sure what you’d have to give up to make it happen, though.

7. devonte wilson

   i say the knicks sign aaron gray, earl clark, and undrafted rookies: juylan stone and malcolm thomas. this helps at the pg/sg postion because it increase competion and adds more size, at the c position we would have our starter in aaron gray, earl clark and malcolm thomas adds to the bench what do you think of this plan? its better than hoping on chris paul or dwight?

   • Anthony Macri

     First, just a quick word on Earl Clark: I love his talent, but I’m not sure he is really ready to compete on a day-in day-out basis at the level required to be an NBA producer. I think a few years ago we had him locked in (going into his draft), but he is distracted easily.

     As for Aaron Gray, I’m not sure he’s a fit with the Knicks in any sense. He is slow and not a great rebounder. I don’t think Knicks fans should give up on the possibility of landing CP3 just yet. The free agent / player movement period (if there is one) is going to be insane this year.

8. devonte wilson

   do the suns package a trade involving young players and draft picks or mayb a veteran or two?

   • Anthony Macri

     Seems to me they are more likely to package some of their veterans for young players – I see them getting some good looking offers for guys like Steve Nash and Grant Hill from teams who feel they are on the precipice of a championship.

9. MaddSteve

   As a Pacer fan I’m beyond ready for the lockout to end and free-agency to begin! Sounds like amnesty is gonna happen, who do you think would fit best in Indy? I say Nene and Battier!

   • Anthony Macri

     It seems amnesty is likely if a deal gets done. I do think it’s time for the Pacers to make a move internally so they can really become a contender. They have done a decent job creating a solid core of players that have value, now they need to add a shot of talent and excitement to get to the next level. I’m not sure about Battier, but Nene is interesting. Not sure either of those guys is really spicy enough to do what I’m talking about.

10. MaddSteve

    Who is the amnesty cut that nobody sees coming?

    • Anthony Macri

      I think it’s pretty easy to determine which guys are amnesty eligible on each team. The two guys who probably have the contracts who are easiest to see as possible amnesty cases are Joe Johnson and Rudy Gay. I don’t think the first one is worth his contract, but I don’t think Atlanta can just cut him outright. As for the latter, he might be worth more in a trade than in just a situation where you take his contract off the books. Hard to see other surprises – but that just means folks around the league will surprise me!

11. MaddSteve

    Reggie was fire from 3 in that Live 95-99 as well! Who are your picks picks for the playoffs in the east this season if we have one? Indy’s gotta be back in the mix right?

    • Anthony Macri

      I tend to think the Eastern Conference will look pretty similar to last year. I don’t see a lot of changes outside of Boston falling and New York rising. I do think Indiana makes it back into the postseason. Free agency could have a huge impact this year, though.

12. devonte wilson

    so the suns arent going to shop robin lopez?

    • Anthony Macri

      Not sure. It is certainly possible, and maybe even recommended considering how good Marcin Gortat was this year. If they can find a way to keep Gortat and turn Lopez into a valuable piece (whether through Lopez’ own play or as an asset), I think that would be the definition of success.

13. Tye

    What free agent center can fit into the knicks system right now

    • Anthony Macri

      I like Nene and maybe Marc Gasol, if I’m only looking at 2011 free agents. I think they are probably better off targeting a guy that a team doesn’t want – like Brendan Haywood – who still has some years left. Not saying Haywood is the answer, however…

14. Jake

    How much will a shortened training season hurt rookies, regardless of how much individual work they’ve done?

    • Anthony Macri

      I don’t think it hurts too much, though it depends on what kind of system the player came from before and who they are playing for in the league. I think in most cases, players take some time to adjust to the speed of the game, but that happens in actual game action, not through training camps. The real adjustment is in the type of offensive and defensive approaches they must prepare for. Most NBA teams run more complicated and precise sets than college teams run, so players have to be more ready for that exactitude. If a player comes from a place where he is used to running specific actions, he can make a smoother transition than if he comes from a place where they run a lot of open motion and he has to start learning sets.

15. Enrique

    Do you think the Bulls should upset team chemistry by trading away one of their players to get a SG? No money will be available for FA so the question is to trade or not to trade. I think they can get to the mountain top by being paitent and letting this team grow.

    • Anthony Macri

      It depends on who you are talking about trading. I think it might be a good idea to pick up a two guard that can take some pressure off of Rose. I’m not sure how much growth this team has without a shooter on the perimeter who can also take over some play at the lead guard spot and give Rose a break. Most of their success this past season came from their effort and effectiveness on the defensive end of the floor, not because of great chemistry and performance on the offensive end – so I’d be more willing to change that side of the ball up to make it work.

16. Karl

    The word is that both Chris Bosh and Roy Hibbert really beefed up. How will being stronger help or hurt each player?

    • Anthony Macri

      Did you know that when Roy Hibbert first arrived at Georgetown University he could not do a single push up? Kind of interesting when you think about a guy as big as he was. I would like to see how much bulk they may have gained. There is a delicate balance with players gaining weight as to how much is a net positive and at what point it becomes a detriment to their game. I’m usually of the opinion that players are better off being trim and bouncy rather than strong and stocky – but each guy is different, and some players get more athletic because of how much stronger they’ve gotten. There is also a mental edge to be gained for some players who get stronger in a single offseason – we’ll see if that is true with Bosh and Hibbert (or any guy who has changed his body over the summer).

      I see no evidence of the lockout being over, so I guess it wasn’t meant to end during my chat time. Sorry everyone. Hopefully it does get done today! Either way, please email me some thoughts on possible topics for the Coach’s Notebook this week – I took off last week so I want to make sure I get out there with something people want to hear about this week! Email me at amacri@hoopsworld.com – thanks for your thoughts! See you next time…