NBA Chat With Bill Ingram 11/5/12

Catch up on the latest news, rumors and predictions with HOOPSWORLD’s Bill Ingram every Monday at 11:00 AM Eastern.

Bill covers the entire NBA and is based in Dallas, Texas. He has been an NBA analyst since 1998, when he and Steve Kyler founded HOOPSWORLD. He can be heard on radio stations across the country and his work has also appeared in USA Today.

You can follow Bill on Twitter by linking here: @TheRocketGuy.

  1. Hertsel

    H2H league, 14 teams. Eric Gordon got dumped in my league. Should I pick him up instead of someone like Barea, Aminu or Dunleavy? I already have Love and Rubio on my injury list. 13 players teams, no injury reserve.

    Thank you so much!

    • Bill Ingram

      Good Morning and welcome to the chat, everyone! I’m not sure what’s going on with Eric Gordon’s injury. He told me during preseason that he was hoping to be ready for the season opener, but obviously that didn’t happen. If he’s going to be back soon, you want him for sure. If not, Barea looks like a good pick as he gets more touches in Minny. Dunleavy looks good early, but I don’t trust that as much as JJ.

  2. Deven

    Hi Bill. How do you like the Rockets chances of making the playoffs this year after the first couple of games?

    • Bill Ingram

      I like James Harden’s play, especially against very weak back court teams. It will be interesting to see how he does when the scouting reports catch up to him. I don’t see Houston as a playoff team because they have too many unproven players, but if Harden can average 30ppg, they might make it anyway.

  3. Deven

    Was James Harden injured the other night?

  4. alan

    hi bill, bottom line isn’t it better to build an offense around the players you have rather than make players fit a system you want to bring in? it sure seems like the lakers are like salmon trying to swim upstream. they may eventually do it but in the case of aging stars…is it worth it? and am i wrong…if the players were having fun and just playing to their strengths, even the defense would be easier? isn’t enjoying what you’re doing essential in achieving success?

    • Bill Ingram

      I think the Lakers will be fine long-term. I know people like to panic the first week of the season, but it’s not necessary. The only thing that concerns me about LA is Nash’s age and the fact that he could miss a lot of games due to injury. Still, Dwight, Kobe, and Pau can beat up on half the league 3-on-5. See: Detroit.

  5. Chris G

    Is there any chance the Heat threw their game Friday against the Knicks? Lebron seemed to be all smiles after losing, and it gave New York the “overcoming dark days with a victory” feel-good storyline. Or am I too cynical?

  6. Aaron

    Hey Bill, I was wondering what do you think the clippers line up will look like when Grant Hill and Chauncey Billups return?

    • Bill Ingram

      I think Grant comes off the bench, and Billups is the starting two once he gets up to 100%.

  7. Jack

    Bill, how does the CBA going forward decrease the likelihood of these “super teams” in a handful of preferred destinations where the marquee players agree beforehand to gather to play together? As it is, the NBA is like MLB where a handful of teams have an unfair competitive advantage.

    • Bill Ingram

      The cost simply gets to prohibitive after 2014 . . .the luxury tax and penalties (loss of exceptions) will be so steep that even the Lakers, Knicks and Nets will blanch at the idea of going significantly over the cap.

  8. Devonte

    When iman shumpert scheduled to come back from the acl injury? Can the Knicks trade amare for a second tier power forward and a small forward maybe josh smith?

    • Bill Ingram

      Sure they would! No one will have interest in trading for him due to size of contract and injury history.

  9. Bugsy Mogues

    Bill, why is Donny Mountainjuice glued to the bench in Houston?

    • Bill Ingram

      Motiejunas has been out with some kind of infection . . .

  10. Peter

    Hey Bill! Lakers are 0-3 as I’m typing this right now. Might change tho when you read this question lol From what i know, everyone in Lakerland is freaking out right now! Are they panicking too early?? I personally think they’d be ok as long as they make the playoffs even without HCour adv. If they can get their act together in the playoffs, they don’t need HC adv!! I would say if they continue to play like this after xmas, Brown would be out and Eddie Jordan will take over as in the interim.

    • Bill Ingram

      Yes . . .I think Lakerland needs to take a collective chill pill. I’m sure last night’s drubbing of the hapless Pistons will help.

  11. dlillroy2012

    Which is a better contract for their team: Nicolas Batum or DeMar DeRozan? Similar ages, similar contracts, but with different skill sets. DeRozan is a pure scorer, and will probably have more points than Batum when it is all said and done, but I’d be surprised if it was a huge difference more than 4 ppg, and I would also be surprised if Derozan beat batum in any other statistical category besides FTA. If you have needs at the two and the three, who do you want more?

    • Bill Ingram

      I’m still waiting to see why Batum is worth all the fuss, honestly. DeRozan looks like he has improved once again, while Batum looks like a reasonable player to have with the MLE. His contract is ridiculous unless he blows up this year.

  12. Marc

    The Orlando Magic wasn’t really built now to lose are they? How do you see their future?

    • Bill Ingram

      See, while everyone was having a heart attack about how bad that team was going to be, I kept saying, “Wait and see.” A promising young coach, good young pieces to build around . . .I don’t think they are a playoff team by any stretch of the imagination, but they’re not terrible, either.

  13. Prem I.

    If mike brown gets fired after this season do you see mike d’antoni replacing him thoughts?

    • Bill Ingram

      That would be surprising, given D’Antoni’s lack of success on the big stage. The Lakers need a big name to coach that team, so it would depend on who is available after this season ends. I do think we’re way ahead of ourselves . . .the Lakers will be fine come April.

  14. Chris

    Hi Bill. Who do you expect the Bulls to target with their $5million exception? The Bulls need offense or at least another strong defender who can shoot well. Could see Corey Brewer or Raja Bell in the mix.

    • Bill Ingram

      Raja Bell is an excellent veteran and strong defender, too . . .wouldn’t cost that much to get him, though. Brewer is a Denver Nuggets.

  15. kit

    Who says no Memphis or Chicago Deng for Gay Memphis gets a guy who can score without play set for him Chicago gets a guy who can score and running mate when Rose gets back?

    • Bill Ingram

      Assuming the numbers add up, that’s not a bad move if Deng is healthy. Gay wants to be more of a scorer, and the Memphis offense needs to run through the front line. Gay would have more of a starring role in Chicago, while Deng could be a great complementary player to the rest of what’s going on in Memphis. I think the Grizzlies could get more for Gay, though, if they put him on the market.

  16. LA in LA

    Mr. Ingram, 2 questions:
    1) when does Kevin Mchale plan on playing any of his 3 first round draft picks he has? Those are some probably some talented guys.
    2) In a related question, tell me Mchale is going to stop running the starters in ground? Even 23 year-olds struggle playing 40+mpg on back to backs.

    • Bill Ingram

      Keep in mind that McHale is still very much learning as a head coach. He had extremely limited experience coming into Houston and his one full season was a lockout shorted affair, so really this is his first full season. He’s learning on the fly, and that means he’s going to have to figure out how to take Harden, in particular, out of the game without his offense collapsing.

  17. Aaron the Queenslander

    Hi Bill I asked Susan this a couple days ago but do you agree that Durant has been exposed his season so far? He really struggles to create his own shot and it’s showing without Harden to get him open looks. he’s rebounding well but it’s also due to the fact he’s poaching under the basket while the big men are playing defense. I think OKC is going to struggle to be a 6/7 seed this season and Durant is going to be exposed as a fraud. Just my opinion. To me he is like a homeless man’s Dirk.

    • Bill Ingram

      KD is a superstar, and he’ll make the adjustment soon enough. Like the Lakers fans who are ready to trade everyone and fire Brown, Thunder fans are going to have to be patient as the Thunder adjust to new rotations and new personnel.

  18. Ludwig

    Greets from Germany! i am more than underwhelmed from the Kings ball movement, didnt expect it to stop immediatley after preseason! How long will it take thomas robinson until he is a real impact player in the nba? will he do it this season? congrats for the beard btw ;)

    • Bill Ingram

      LOL . . .well, we’ll see about Harden. :) The Kings have been underwhelming, for sure, and that surprises me. I think Robinson is going to be a great player before the end of the season, but this is a young team struggling to find it’s identity. It will take time . . .

  19. Phil

    Is James Harden a superstar or does he show superstar potential judging by his past few performances on the Rocket s? Could he become the franchise player the Rockets have been looking for?

    • Bill Ingram

      Well, he has certainly shown that potential . . .no question about that. Not sure he has enough star-quality help around him, but there are a lot of young players with upside . . .maybe a couple of more will emerge this season.

  20. Jim in Cyber Space

    Has any Mad Doctor ever seriously tried to figure out why some players are injury prone…and some aren’t?

    I don’t want to “Jinx” anyone, Just Compare D-Rose and R Westbrook? Similar games…Hyper Athletic…RW hit’s the floor nearly every-time he attacks the rim.

    • Bill Ingram

      Yeah, it’s just a matter of physiology . . .some players are more predisposed to injury. Very frustrating for Bulls fans!

  21. Brandon

    What other player do you think will pair good with harden? Do you see the rockets doing another big trade soon or it just wait until the trade deadline?

    • Bill Ingram

      Well, they still have a lot of redundant pieces, so I could see them making another deal. I’d like to see them add another true center to the roster, but I also think it’s smart to wait and see how this team does for a while before making another major move.

  22. Hallack

    I don’t think the Hawks will be able to keep Smith as construed. It’s been reported that he’d like to team up with Rondo. On the other hand, the Celtics are in win-now mode, since KG and Pierce are closing retirement. So:
    Hawks get: Rajon Rondo and Fab Melo
    Celtics get: Al Horford and Jeff Teague
    Teague is nowhere near Rondo, but he’s a decent starter. And a frontcourt of Horford&KG could be second to none.
    Who says no?

    • Bill Ingram

      I think Atlanta will look at someone like Eddy Curry to provide more minutes at center, since Horford is telling everyone who will listen that he doesn’t want to play center. Makes it tough when you have two power forwards, and since Smith’s an ending contract he might be the sensible one to move. I don’t see Boston making that move, though.

  23. Hallack

    I think a lot of teams are loosing their strenghts by trying to copy miami’s small ball. They want to beat miami playing miami’s game, which is stupid IMHO. You see, the Knicks had a real center the other day and that gave the heat a lot of trouble. Besides, no other team has 3 players with the talent ant athletic ability of lebron, wade and bosh. Therefore, they should be trying something different. What do you say?

    • Bill Ingram

      I don’t think small ball is an indication of teams trying to copy Miami, more it’s the way the NBA is playing more and more. The absence of great low post players has eroded the game to be more guard-oriented, and I think that’s going to continue unless the college ranks suddenly start turning out dominant centers again . . .which isn’t happening any time soon.

  24. hot tinola

    Bill i wana be a man and say i was wrong n give u a kudos on big baby when u said why should the magics trade him. He is now focus,matured,playing well ajd certainly a leader on court. His looks is very decieving, his a good player and the magics are playin the right way! Kudos to the coaching staff too!

    • Bill Ingram

      Thanks! I think Big Baby showed in Boston that he can be a huge asset, and with the new coaching staff looking at him that way he’s going to continue to thrive. :)

  25. Larson

    How much substance is there regarding David Lee shouting “stop flopping” to Blake Griffin during last Saturday’s Clipper game loss?

    • Bill Ingram

      Well, Blake does flop, that’s very true. So far he hasn’t been fined . . .it will be interesting to see how much the league really polices that.

  26. Dave

    Bill, you must be happy about Harden and his impact in Houston. As a Celtics fan, I always thought Harden had a little Paul Pierce in his game. Who would you compare Harden to?

    • Bill Ingram

      I need to see him play more in this role . . .at least 20 games. Maybe it’s the beard, but right now I think he’s James Harden, the original.

  27. Tim

    Bill, you seemed somewhat reserved on the Rockets/Thunder trade that took place before the season started. Has Harden’s performances influenced your optimism regarding the Rockets?

    • Bill Ingram

      I was cautiously optimistic then, slightly more so now. I want to see how Harden does after the scouting reports have been updated and teams start to plan for him, as the Blazers did on Saturday night.

  28. matt

    If Kyle Lowry was playing for the Knicks every analyst/journalist would say he’s the best PG in the nba (at the moment) yet because he plays for the raptors he gets no respect.

    • Bill Ingram

      If he keeps flirting with triple-doubles he will get his due. Lowry is an All-Star-caliber point guard.

  29. Bryan

    How bout then Mavs?! When fully healthy were a dangerous team your thoughts?

    • Bill Ingram

      I completely agree. No question. If Kaman can stay healthy and Mayo and Collison continue to tear it up, they’ll be ready for a run when Dirk gets back.

  30. matt

    I really hope DeRozan continues his current play. I was very angry seeing that extension but given the market and his age he may live up to it.

    • Bill Ingram

      He’s been fabulous, hasn’t he? I think he’ll continue to improve, too . . .with Casey at the helm.

  31. RayG

    which would be the better team and who would have more personal success (stats)
    lebron moved to okc and durant moved to miami

    • Bill Ingram

      Interesting question . . .I think they would still meet in the Finals . . .Miami might benefit from Durant’s big-play mentality and his superior clutch stats. Otherwise, it’s kind of a wash.

  32. Rick Levitt

    Hey Bill! I have noticed that the kings are playing some decent defense thus far. (Yes I know defense is a four letter word here in Sac) The offense looks lost. What are your thoughts?

    • Bill Ingram

      That’s the good news for Kings fans . . .the defense has improved . . .it’s early. The offense will come along.

  33. Ahmed

    What’s a real timetable for Davis and Nash 2 return?

    • Bill Ingram

      Haven’t heard a definitive timetable for Davis, but Nash is said to be up to 4 weeks out.

  34. matt

    Kyle Lowry to the raptors might be Colangelo’s greatest move ever.

  35. allan in texas

    What are your thoughts on Josh Smith? I watched the 1st game against Houston and nothing seems to have changed about his game.He has had the same coach/assistant since he came into league.Change of scenery or coach? Thoughts?

    • Bill Ingram

      I like Josh a lot, but he needs a coach who isn’t afraid to sit him when he takes crazy shots at bad times. Tremendous talent that just needs to be guided a little more.

  36. matt

    Will Indiana trade Granger for a SG (thus allowing George to play SF)?

    • Bill Ingram

      Pritchard says Granger is not available . . .

  37. Sam S.

    I know it’s early on in the season, but is there a point when Detroit goes with Drummond as the starting C? He and Monroe could be a pretty good combo. And they will have to allow Drummond to sink or swim at some point.

    • Bill Ingram

      Their starting lineup was so brutally bad last night I expect things to change sooner than later. Detroit doesn’t look any better than last year, and that’s sad after another lottery pick. I agree, it might be time to sink or swim with Drummond.

  38. andrew

    What are the chances the CAVS decide to pick up Kenyon martin? A majority of their players are on rookie contracts n martins playoff experience could be beneficial in the future. I know he has a history of being a little stubborn n hot headed, but considering the other positive role models in the locker room, the CAVS ample cap space n the need for guys who havebeen around, iI see a 1 year minimum offer contract as a low risk/high reward scenario. Best case, the CAVS are instantly better. Worst case they eat his contract n release him if he’s a hindrance. Ur thoughts?