NBA Chat With Bill Ingram 5/21/12

1. 123Eric

   which series do you enjoy watching most?why?

   • Bill Ingram

     Good Morning and welcome to the chat, everyone! Wow, you want just one? This postseason has seen some great basketball. I loved the Spurs/Clippers series because the Spurs have turned back the clock a bit and they beat the hot, young team with old-school basketball and old-school players. The Indiana/Miami series is intriguing because I didn’t think the Pacers stood a chance given their lack of superstars, Bosh or no Bosh, and yet it’s 2-2. I also didn’t think Philly could hang with Boston, but they are. And OKC taking the next step as a franchise with late-game heroics by Durant has been exciting right down to the last play of each game. NBA junkies everywhere are getting our money’s worth this postseason.

2. Will

   If the Rockets can get Dwight on draft night,you think they become favorites to land Dwill?

   • Bill Ingram

     I’d love to see Houston land Dwight, and we were recently told that the Magic are considering blowing the whole thing up – trade Dwight, fire Otis and Stan, and just start over. Houston has a lot of pieces to offer in such a scenario, and would consider renting Dwight, counting on the city, the fans and Hakeem Olajuwon to convinced him to stay. The Rockets won’t have the cap space to land Deron Williams, though, even if they could lure him away from the Nets or Mavs, barring another significant move.

3. Aristotle

   Heya Bill,

   Coach Spo sent packing and Phil to get the Big Three playing Triangle?

   Jordan/Pippen, Shaq/Kobe, Wade/LeBron…??

   • Bill Ingram

     See, it’s hard for me to watch Miami, unquestionably the most talented team in the NBA, as they fail to dominate in the second round. It’s entirely about the mental approach, and that was always Phil Jackson’s specialty. He also never took a job that didn’t have him coaching the best player or players in the league, so Miami arguably offers him what he insists upon having. I just don’t think he’s physically able to coach any more. But if Miami doesn’t win the championship they need to throw a ton of money Phil’s way before ownership decides to scrap the three-star idea.

4. Chris G

   Do you remember a year where so many series were determined by injury? Arguably the three best regular-season teams in the East may not make it to the conference finals this year, and the Clippers have been hit hard, too.

   • Bill Ingram

     I don’t . . .and you’re right. Dwight Howard, Derek Rose, Al Horford, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin . . .the list goes on. How different would it be if Chauncey Billups were playing for LA? Would Indy have beaten Orlando if Dwight played? The Bulls would be in the verge of sweeping the Celtics. The East is truly anti-climactic if the HEAT win, as they don’t have any peer on paper. If they lose, it will be credited to Chris Bosh’s injury. Crazy postseason, indeed.

5. Chris G

   I know it won’t happen, but purely from a basketball standpoint, if the Heat traded Wade to the Bulls for Asik, Gibson, Hamilton, and Korver, would the Heat be a better team? In other words, do they need quality depth more than a third star?

   • Bill Ingram

     I think you’re onto something. The only problem with dealing Wade is that you don’t have a closer. LeBron, for all of his amazing talent and his remarkable play for three quarters, simply doesn’t have the mentality to be the game-winner, and without Wade the HEAT wouldn’t have one. But I do think your idea is a good one. We’ve seen just how much their lack of depth hurts them, and I’m a little surprised. Haslem, Battier, Miller and even Turiaf are capable of a lot more, yet they’ve been all but invisible as Spoelstra uses iso, iso, iso. You need a coach who understands how to imagine plays to run when the stars aren’t able to deliver by themselves.

6. Deven

   Hi Bill. Should we just declare the Spurs the NBA Champs this year? Because clearly, nobody can beat them. Thoughts?

   • Bill Ingram

     The Spurs have been the proverbial hot knife slicing through the butter of the NBA playoffs, very true. I think the Thunder can give them a run, but at this point I’m not sure OKC can even beat San Antonio. This might just be the year Duncan gets his fifth ring to tie Kobe as the greatest player of this era of NBA basketball. Just when you thought their era might be over . . .the era of Dwight Howard, Derek Rose and LeBron James appears to be on hold.

7. Deven

   Should this be a message for every team left in the playoffs: “Stay Calm?” Because clearly it worked for San Antonio.

   • Bill Ingram

     What the Spurs do better than any other team is take each possession as its own entity. They execute based on the gameplan, not based on the score, and they are non-reactionary. They don’t get overconfident when they’re up 20 and they don’t get rattled when they’re down 20. They just keep playing, and that’s a tribute to Gregg Popovich, as well as the team that has completely bought into this message.

8. Robert

   Does Toronto have the pieces to acquire a SF such as Danny Granger or Andre Iguodala? Would the #8 pick and Ed Davis be enough for either of those guys?

   • Bill Ingram

     Granger isn’t available . . .the Pacers have zero interest in trading him and have turned away a number of offers without even discussing them. Iguodala is available, but I don’t think #8 and Davis would get that done. They will have better offers . . .with the Houston Rockets likely to be first in line.

9. Simon

   do you like any of these trades, even though they wont happen??
   http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=6n323ls

   http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=7nc54y2

   http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=c7bjkc5

   Thanks!

   • Bill Ingram

     1) I don’t think the Hawks take on Hedo and J-Rich to get Bosh when they’re giving up Horford and Josh Smith.

     2) Memphis would be toast if they gave up Gasol and Z-Bo and replaced them with Bosh, Hedo and Joel Anthony. #TOAST

     3) If the HEAT decided to trade Bosh they could get a lot more than Hedo, J-Rich and Tyson for him . . .and Orlando won’t take on Amar’e, not with that contract and his ailing back.

10. Rockets Fan On Strike till Morey is Fired.

    There was a significant improvement in Wade’s movement in the 2nd half of Game 4 from the 1st half and from Game 3. ESPN reported that it was his knee that was the injury.
    Did he take an injection during halftime? how would that affect a players career if that were the case?

    • Bill Ingram

      You’re right – he looked like a different player. I don’t know if he had an injection – you’re thinking cortisone? That can be hard on the kindeys, but if he only has it once or twice it’s probably not a big deal. They’re saying he’s not injured, but that’s a load of crap. It’s obvious that something is wrong with Wade, just like with Kobe in the second round last year.

11. Lior

    Are the Rockets still interested in trading for Pau Gasol? The asking price just went down. I think the Lakers will do it for Scola + a 1st round pick. The Lakers will save about $20M/year in salary and tax. The Rockets are below the cap and can absorb the difference in salaries.

    • Bill Ingram

      I think the Rockets have their attention squarely focused on Orlando . . .waiting to see what happens with Dwight Howard. This is the reason I was against mortgaging the team to get Gasol. He’s a great player who is on the decline. Scola will give you similar numbers for a fraction of the price. Neither gets you a championship without a legit star to complement them.

12. calvinzero

    In your personal info, who are the players from the Lakers prone into the free agency and trading block? The rain of criticisms hits the Lakers until now because of their disappointing loss to OKC last Saturday.

    • Bill Ingram

      I think anyone not named Bryant or Bynum would be on the block if it meant landing a star-caliber point guard or additional depth. If they could send Gasol to Houston for Lowry and Scola, for instance. It’s not that much of a downgrade at the four and Lowry would help push them back to an elite level. That’s the kind of deal the Lakers need, but I’m not sure the Rockets would part with Lowry even with the way Dragic played as their starter – and assuming they can bring Dragic back.

13. Mac

    Last week, you stated “Hopefully Vogel got the message from Stern about not criticizing the refs. Stern’s message to Cuban on the subject cost the Mavericks a title in 06.” This statement clearly implies you believe David Stern can influence the calls of referees. Is this view factual and a “wink-wink-nudge-nudge” agreement can be made between the commissioner and refs if you cross Stern?

    • Bill Ingram

      What happened in 06 can only be explained two ways. Stern wanted to send a message to Cuban that he needed to shut up and play nice, or all of the refs involved in the Finals were betting on the outcome. Which of those seems more likely? I don’t recall the exact numbers, but I seem to recall Wade went from averaging like 8 FTs per game to averaging over 25 in the last three games of the 06 Finals. Even the Miami press core around me were scratching their heads, saying Miami would have gone 82-0 of the entire season had been called that way.

14. Bernard

    Where do you see Dwill signing this offseason?

    • Bill Ingram

      We’ve been told he will head to Dallas, but I have to admit I have my doubts despite the source. Brooklyn has the superior team and Dallas won’t have much cap space after signing Deron, should they do so. My thinking is he stays put.

15. maestro

    Watching Eric Bledsoe I cant believe how talented this young point guard is. He reminds me most of my favorite point guard Rondo. A gifted ball handler who looks to pass first. Will the Clippers hold onto him or look to trade him for a first round pick?

    • Bill Ingram

      After Game 1 in San Antonio, Chauncey Billups walked over to Bledsoe and said that if the entire team had played as hard and as well as he had, they would have won the game. I don’t think Bledsoe is going anywhere.

16. Tony in Indy, Indy

    Who would win? Michigan Fab 5 vs Kentucky nat’l champ team.

    • Bill Ingram

      Hindsight being what it is, that Michigan team had some pretty nice long-term pro players. I’ll go Fab 5.

17. Lucas

    Hi Bill,

    Who do you see next year going to the Celtics? Chances are, next year squad will be different I think. How soon do you think, the Magic implosion show will come out? With the urgency of rebuilding the team, it’s surprising to me that they haven’t done anything yet.

    Thanks for your time and have a great week.

18. Aristotle

    Bill,

    Hypothetical…
    Yannis informed me that Orlando can trade Dwight to whichever team if it means getting back the best package for them. If Charlotte won the draft and picked Davis, do you think Orlando would send Dwight over for a young core to rebuild? Or does Charlotte say no because Dwight can leave after the next season?

19. Marlon D.

    Bill 2 questions, with the clippers being swept by a veteran spurs teams, do you see them learing from this series and having a better record next year, or is this about as good as the clippers will be? Second do you think Vinny De Negro will be the clipper coach next season?

20. Anthony

    Are the Rockets ever going to get their center? They will have the space to make a nice offer to someone this summer, but why would they choose Houston over their current team or another big market?

    • Bill Ingram

      First of all, there are the economic reasons. Houston has a relatively low cost of living, and Texas has no state income tax. Players pay income tax in every state where they play, so having all of your home games as well as more road games in San Antonio and Dallas makes playing in Houston extremely advantageous. Then there’s the history of the team, which is ever-present in Toyota Center. Hakeem Olajuwon shows up a couple of times a year, and any center who signs with the Rockets would have an opportunity to work with the best. After that it’s on the front office to have the right pieces in place to convince someone they are ready to compete for a championship. That part is not nearly as easy.

21. keo

    Should the celtics package thier two first round picks for an earlier pick? Probably pick up a center like sullinger or zeller?

    • Bill Ingram

      They should, but can they? They wouldn’t get a shot at Sullinger with two other picks, and Zeller is probably a stretch, as well. They would have to throw in some other assets.

22. Jeremy

    Would Utah agree to this trade, Jose Calderon and James Johnson for Paul Milsap? Utah gets a good, steady PG and raptors get a good young pf allowing them to move Bargnani!

    • Bill Ingram

      The Jazz might, but I’m not so sure about the Raptors. Dwane Casey really likes both Bargnani and Calderon, though admittedly the team is looking at guys like Goran Dragic as long-term upgrades at the point, and that could mean they look to move Calderon.

23. Mario

    Morning to you bill I was wondering what do you think dallas would want for lamar odom from the bulls and do you think if he has his head right next season that would be a nice pickup for the bulls. Also a lot of people think that its definitely time to make some changes to the bulls roster maybe a splashy move or a possibly something smaller because the 76ers series really exposed the bulls for being a very good seasonal team but without derrick rose everything just fell apart and coach t has to stop leaning or derrick for all the offense what do you think

    • Bill Ingram

      I think the emotional shock of losing Rose was the biggest factor for the Bulls. They played very well without him during the season, and his latest injury just seemed to be the last straw for them. Keep in mind, Luol Deng had a wrist injury he was playing through and they wound up without Joakim Noah, as well. That’s a lot to overcome. As for Dallas, I think a second round pick in 2018 would probably be enough for Odom. I’m not convinced he can actually play outside of the Lakers’ organization, and I think most other teams will think twice before taking that chance.

24. sricahran iyengar

    Do you the rockets should offer hibbert a max contract? Would Indian match?

    • Bill Ingram

      As much as I like Roy, he is not a max contract player. In the new NBA economy, a center needs to average 20 and 10 before I consider him max, and the Rockets are not a team that overpays for talent. The Pacers will match any “reasonable” offer . . .

25. Mario

    Also what is your opinion of carlos boozer has he lost what made him so good in utah or is he not being used the same way he was in utah by the bulls and if according to your site the lakers knicks and bulls are stuck if either of those teams trade with each other whats the most realistic trade to happen for the bulls boozer and someone else for amare or boozer and whatever for pau gasol and whatever. Your thoughts thx bill

26. Ludwig Hasbauer

    Hey Bill How r u? Do u think the Maloofs will spend more on the team than the minimum next season? If they stay at 5, is Barnes a good fit with the team as it is now? And which changes do u see coming in generell? I didn’t read much bout my Kings in a long time here. Greets from Germany

27. Hopeful Hornet

    With the 2nd pick in the draft, New Orleans selects __________?
    MKG, Thomas Robinson?

28. Charlie

    The LA Lakers decided not to overextend themselves at the trade deadline by acquiring Michael Beasley. The Lakers would had to pay Super Cool his 9 mill salary plus another 9 mill in luxury tax = 18 million for less than half a season. However, sitting down 1-3 in the Thunder series, how nice would it be to have a guy off the bench who could go for 20 at any time. And how much money does a team make approximately by advancing one more round in the playoffs?

29. Trevor

    Do you see why they call him King James now? He puts up 2k numbers, only thing left is to come up big in finals. Enough with the he ain’t clutch nonsense (08 pistons, 2011 bos and chi, 2005 washington, 2009 orlando exc), that’s just playoffs series’ off the top of my head he had game winners/clinchers

30. PDX_Fan

    As you, and others, have said: Pau Gasol is on the decline. What do you think he’s worth – either in salary or comparable player?

    Thx.

31. Mac

    After Game 3 of the Thunder Lakers series, you tweeted “I have the utmost respect for Kobe – truly – but he got the serious Jordan treatment (Wade Finals 06) last night. Extending series, anyone?” Do you buy the theory star players have earned the referees respect or should all players be viewed equally? And if you were in charge or referees next year what suggestions / rules would you implement to reduce star treatment?