NBA Chat With Bill Ingram 02/04/13

1. LA in LA

   1) I hear the Clippers are going after KG. If they manage to get KG, I think it’s over in the West if CP3 can stay healthy. CP3-Griffin-KG, with Crawford and the rest of that bench? Scary.

   2)allegedly Clippers are offering Butler and Bledsoe. I wouldn’t be crazy about Butler given his age, but he could give them a replacement for Pierce right?

   3)Also they could have Bledsoe hold the fort down for the rest of the year and than trade him for another blue chipper in the offseason (or when Rondo came back) right?

   • Bill Ingram

     Good Morning, everyone, and welcome to the chat! Here’s the problem with people leaking trade offers . . .there are many, many offers proposed and very few that are actually accepted. Would the Celtics give up KG for Butler and Bledsoe? Unlikely. Ainge is on the record as saying he feels they have enough guards to get by without a trade. Second, what’s KG’s motivation? He was ready to retire, but wanted one more run in Boston, so he came back. He has a no-trade clause. Does he want to move across the country? If not, this entire discussion is academic. If I’m Boston I think I can get a lot more for KG if he wants to be traded than an injury-prone three and a fifth guard.

2. LA in LA

   Just saw Drummond for the first time and I have to say he might actually be under hyped. If he can get some more minutes I think he should have a legit shot a ROY. I just can’t get over how amazing he was. The rebounding, the athleticism, the playing pass lanes…dude was nowhere near this good at UConn.
   He should have been the number 2 pick at worst.

   • Bill Ingram

     Potential is a scary word . . .and few NBA teams actually do enough scouting to guess how good a particular player might be. Frankly, it’s hard to scout how good a player “might” be, because so much depends on how they change as they get a little older and more mature. Drummond was projected to be #1 overall for a while, and we’re starting to see why some thought he might have been worth the top spot early on.

3. Chris G

   If you’re the coach of the Eastern Conference All Star Team, do you have Kyrie replace Rondo in the starting lineup, or maybe go unconventional and insert Chandler or Noah, with Wade and Lebron as your primary ballhandlers? There’s more reserve bigs than reserve guards to fit in the game.

   • Bill Ingram

     I start the conventional lineup with Irving, then let the flow of the game dictate who else plays how many minutes. I don’t think Spoelstra is going to want to play LeBron and especially Wade a ton of minutes, to be honest. It’s a long time until June.

4. Chris G

   What’s more impressive to you, the Celtics winning 4 straight without Rondo, or the Bulls beating Atlanta on the road without 3/5 of their starting lineup?

   • Bill Ingram

     We knew this was going to be the test of a theory that the ball doesn’t move enough when Rondo is in the game. Now players are moving without the ball, the ball is popping, and the Celtics are winning again. Think the Rondo trade talk ramps up again once he’s healthy?

5. Jon

   Do you see the Mavs continuing to distance themselves from the championship squad by moving Marion?

   Would he have much value to a fringe title contender?

   • Bill Ingram

     First, I think anyone not named Dirk can be had for the right price. That said, I think Mayo and Marion are unlikely to be moved. Marion is easily Carlisle’s favorite after Dirk because he is so versatile and has embraced Carlisle’s new ideas for how he can play. I think Marion has a good deal of value, but I’d be surprised if they moved him.

6. Deven

   What’s the latest on Duncan?

   • Bill Ingram

     Duncan’s MRI was negative, so I expect he’ll be back some time this week. Pop is always cautious, but they won’t want to sit him too long, either.

7. Deven

   Where is Oden mostly like to end up?

   • Bill Ingram

     He needs to prove he can play first . . .a couple of teams are interested now, but if he can play there will be more.

8. Deven

   Why is it taking this long for Jose Calderon to join the Pistons?

   • Bill Ingram

     Because they have no need for another PG? That was a bizarre move for them unless it’s a simple salary dump or unless another move is coming shortly.

9. Jon

   Hey Bill

   Big fan of the chats man. What do you think of the following scenario?

   Boston get Al Jefferson and Caron Butler
   Utah get Eric Bledsoe, Jeff Green, and Jason Collins
   Clippers get Kevin Garnett

   Boston gets big man in prime, and solid 3.
   Utah finally gets a solid promising pg to hayward-favors-kanter core.
   Clippers get another veteran leader and mentor to BG and DJ. Also, honestly I’d much rather have KG on the floor than BG or DJ when the game is on the line.

   • Bill Ingram

     Thanks! We’re hearing that Utah won’t move Jefferson, rather Millsap, but otherwise this addresses some needs for all three teams. That’s assuming the Clippers would move Bledsoe, which may also be a stretch. Previous management was against it.

10. Peter

    Morning Bill! Hope you enjoyed the Super Bowl A lot of people are speculating that the Celts will blow it up due to the injury of Rondo. However, I feel that they would bring in reinforcements and make one last run. As it stands now they are playing the HEAT in round 1. Out of all the teams occupying a playoff spot right now, I think the HEAT fear the Celts the most. Thoughts?

    • Bill Ingram

      Oh yeah . . .always use Super Bowl Sunday as an excuse to catch up on movies. The only thing worse than football is commercial TV . . .put the two together and you’re set for a torturous evening. I do think they are better off making one more run than trying to auction off everyone at the deadline. That said, I think the HEAT fear Indiana more than they do Boston.

11. Costas

    Hi Bill. With the emergencee of Jimmy Butler do you think the Bulls should move Luol Deng for Paul Pierce and Avery Bradley? Although Thibs considers Deng the glue for the temm, they need an additional scorer with Champion pedigree. Especially with Rose’s comeback performance a question mark.

    • Bill Ingram

      I would be surprised if they moved Deng, yes. He has been the heart of the team with Rose out. Also, Boston moving Bradley makes little sense given Rondo’s injury unless the move returns another guard.

12. Tony

    Good morning Bill. What are your thoughts on a trade of Luke Ridnour to Boston for Courtney Lee & Chris Wilcox. Boston gets experienced point guard help and their salaries below $70M. Timberwolves get a bigger guard who can defend. Also by not picking Bradon Roys option for next year they have room to sign Peck & Budinger.

    • Bill Ingram

      Well, the Timberwolves would love to have Courtney Lee . . .that’s easy enough to pull off if Boston is willing.

13. Aristotle

    Hey Bill

    The ‘Riley Rule’ should be removed. Why shouldn’t a coach be rewarded with multiple All Star coaching appearances the way we have the players? They own that right. If Coach Pop can have his Spurs up there each year so be it.

    Also regarding the All-Star Game. I believe it should be done at the end of the season where the coaches of each conference choose the 12 best (old format which includes a starting centre) players in their conference after the entire season. You truly get those that deserve it after a full season not just in the middle.

    The current All-Star game can be like a little mid season break for players to give to the community and can link it up with NBA FIT and Jam Session and re-name it something else where its all based on fan votes. Fans vote and the 6 best front court and 6 best back court players make the team. If fans want Linsanity let them have Linsanity. Your thoughts?

    • Bill Ingram

      I think the Riley Rule is more about sparing the coaches, honestly. If you asked them in a situation where they are honest, most will tell you they have no desire to coach the All-Star game every year. . .especially Popovich. As for moving the game, All-Star is a spectacle for fans, but it is also a big business meeting for the NBA. They do a lot of their sponsorship and other business during the event while they have a lot of the league’s execs in the same place at the same time. Unlikely they move it for that reason alone. Format? I would much rather see the 12 best players featured, but it’s a fan’s game, so fans get what they want from the starting unit. Given how silly the game itself has become I don’t suppose it really matters who plays. It’s more of a status thing for the players, and it helps them get more money come contract time.

14. Scott

    Any chance the Clippers and Celtics work out the Garnett deal? I’ve heard that the Celtics are the ones that proposed this and that Garnett would okay a move to the Clippers.

    • Bill Ingram

      If that’s coming from the Celtics – I mean “really” coming from the Celtics, and not some “source close to” situation – I don’t see why the Clippers wouldn’t do it. I know they’re high on Bledsoe, but KG is a champion . . .something the Clippers could really use.

15. Radu

    Hi Bill,
    How would you compare Chris Paul and Damian Lillard’s rookie seasons? When I first saw Chris Paul I thought he was awesome and I am getting the same vibe from Damian Lillard. But, judging by his rookie season alone, I did not guess that Chris would turn into one of the very best in the NBA and a frequent MVP candidate. How high should I place my expectations regarding Lillard? Do you view him as the next Chris Paul, the next John Wall, the next Brandon Jennings or the next Darren Collison?

    • Bill Ingram

      I have to say that Lillard has been impressive from his first summer league game to his last game for Portland . . .I think he’s the real deal, the third member of Portland’s big three. He has a little more scoring desire than Chris Paul, but is a more willing passer than Westbrook, for example. I think he’s an All-Star in the making.

16. dave

    Bill, I understand now why you guys disparage Vinnie Del Negro. Against the C’s, with 26 seconds left, Clips down by two, the Celts get the ball, and Vinnie decides not to foul. Although Pierce hit the 3, even if he had missed, the rebound probably would have bounced out the clock. Am I missing something? What do you think of Del Negro’s end-game decision?

    • Bill Ingram

      That’s the thing. Vinny has a great deal of talent on his roster, arguably the deepest team in the league. When he has Chris Paul he has an elite decision-maker in the game and this covers up for his own lack of vision. That’s why I think if they wind up in a chess match with Gregg Popovich they are toast. Coaching matters.

17. da wink

    hearin’ any movements for the Rox?

    • Bill Ingram

      Rockets are looking for offensive rebounding . . .at a bargain price. They don’t want to jeopardize this summer’s cap space to get it. They might make a move, but I also wouldn’t be surprise if they settled for a tweak versus a blockbuster for that reason.

18. Russell

    Do you think Nerlens could work with Nikola Vucevic in Orlando? Or a poor fit together?

    • Bill Ingram

      New school twin towers? LOL. I think Orlando would welcome a chance to make that work . . .

19. dub

    Kyle lowry yesterday had 3 assits and 5 turnovers. The game they played against atlanta wasnt much better. I just dont seem him as a very efficient pg, i dont remember him being this turnover prone in houston. What’s going on?

    • Bill Ingram

      Kyle has some nagging knee and back injuries that they’re not talking about . . .you and I both know he’s a force when he’s healthy. The Calderon trade forced more minutes on him before he was 100%, but he’ll work through it.

20. dub

    Will we ever see an all star game in Toronto?

    • Bill Ingram

      That would be awesome!! I’ve never been to Toronto . . .let’s start a petition!

21. Tasos

    Hi Bill from Greece,

    CLE:Evans,Hayes
    SAC:Speights,Casspi,Gibson

    Can this trade done??
    Thanks

    • Bill Ingram

      Good Morning, Greece! I love you country! The Kings just got rid of Casspi . . .I’d be shocked if they brought him right back.

22. Billy M

    Patpat is finally playing like he wants to stick around. Does he?

    • Bill Ingram

      He does . . .he wants to be the starter . . .and he’s working every day to be that for Houston.

23. ChinaBoy420, Shenzhen, China

    Was wondering what your thoughts are on the Caron Butler incident at the end of the game against the Raptors… I thought it was one of the most classless DonkeyKong acts ever… guess it’s not as bad as punching someone… but still.. down by 25 points with seconds left in the game?? DONKEY KONG!

    • Bill Ingram

      Did Caron throw a barrel at a little man climbing the rafters in Toronto? LOL . . .yeah, I think when a team is down 25 they need to take their loss and shut up.

24. Gary in Ak

    Do you think the Bulls should upgrade at the 2?? And do you think it will happen? This Bulls fan does.

    • Bill Ingram

      They do . . .Rip hasn’t been nearly as good as everyone hoped he would be. Do they get it done? They’ve had limited interest in proposed offers so far.

25. Chris

    In the wake of the recent acquisition of Rudy, everyone is speculating the the Raps will now target a big man and a backup point guard. What deals might you foresee, given the assets available? Thanks.

    • Bill Ingram

      So I guess what you’re asking me is: Do the Phoenix Suns have any interest in Andrea Bargnani? Marcin Gortat is the best center available as of this writing.

26. john

    do you think blazers should get some free agents like J. Pargo, M. Reed or K. Martin ? in order to have a decent bench and reach playoffs?
    this wouldnt compromise their long terms plans, but would give the team playoff experience, that could be important for the next seasons

    • Bill Ingram

      Short-term deals, exactly. They are actively looking for moves, but they have their sights set on Pekovic this summer . . .they won’t want to jeopardize that cap space.

27. dEVIN BROOKS

    DO YOU THINK STUCKEY IS TRADED BEFORE TRADE DEADLINE, SINCE THE PISTONS HAVE JOSE..? AND ONE MORE QUESTION DO YOU SEE DETROIT MAKING A RUN AT OJ MAYO OR JOSH SMITH?

    • Bill Ingram

      Not sure how much value Stuckey has on the trade market, but it does seem clear Detroit needs to move at least one guard.

28. RaptorFan

    Hey Bill, did u get a chance to catch the raps/heats game yesterday!? Pretty nice effort up until the last 4mins, if Bryan Colangelo can unload Andrea contract, whats this team future like? Can Rudy Gay play up to his contract here in T.O? Also.. Ravens or 49ers? Just trynna see if u got ur heart crushed loll

    • Bill Ingram

      I did . . .and yes, the Raptors are significantly closer to being a playoff team with Rudy Gay in the mix. Huge plus for the Raptors. Rudy has to play up to his contract . . .if he doesn’t it could cost Colangelo his job. It helps that he and Lowry are friends and work out together during the offseason. Ravens? 49ers? Go Oilers!

29. Scott

    More trade value, Bledsoe or Bradley and why?

    • Bill Ingram

      Trade value is in the eye of the beholder . . .I’d say they are pretty close . . .but once a team falls in love they will up the offer to get their guy.

30. Sean

    Hi Bill, any chance the Rockets go after a shooting guard or power forward at the trade deadline, someone like a Tyreke Evans or Paul Millsap?

    • Bill Ingram

      They have the feelers out . . .but cap space is more important to them.

31. timburr

    Any info on Camby/Sheed? Seems like both have been out forever. Knicks cant continue to play amare at the backup 5, thats basically a layup line for the other team. Also, why has Melo fallen out of the MVP talk?? hes still on an absolute tear!

    • Bill Ingram

      It’s never a good idea to rely on older players for the long haul . . .and Camby has been nicknamed “Mr. Glass” for years. The Knicks have to be a top four team in the NBA to have Melo in MVP talks. Durant is in a class by himself, with LeBron in second. Melo is not in that class.

32. Bryan

    How realistic is Josh Smith to the mavericks?

    • Bill Ingram

      Haven’t heard that at all . . .

33. Steve

    Any thoughts on how henny pencil whipped the NBA on the D12 trade?

    • Bill Ingram

      Hey Steve! It’s good to be smart.

34. bob

    Where does mozgov end up after the trade deadline?

    • Bill Ingram

      Alright . . .last question, everyone! Trying to make sure I get at least one question on every team that gets a question. The last thing I heard was that Miami is interested, but the Nuggets are going to want something of value in return and I don’t know that Miami has the assets to make it happen. As we get closer to the deadline teams needing front court help will get in line, even for Mozgov. Best offers are a week or more away – deadline is the 21st. Thanks for spending some of your Monday at HOOPSWORLD! I’m out.