NBA Chat with Bill Ingram 9/24/12

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. Cain

    What 3 players will benefit most from a training camp this year?

    • Bill Ingram

      Good Morning, everyone, and welcome to that chat!That’s a great question, especially considering we didn’t have much of a camp last season due to the lockout. I’m going to go with Kyrie Irving, who is really healthy and will have a chance to get his entire young team on his and Byron Scott’s page. After that, I’m going with the Mavericks as a team. They have made so many changes that they need time to really mesh. Since they’re traveling abroad for preseason I think they will get the time they need, but there are a lot of new pieces to work in quickly. Jeremy Lin, Tyreke Evans, Jeff Green, Michael Beasley all come to mind right off the bat, but I think perhaps Kirk Hinrich has the most riding on camp, as he must get re-acquainted with some of his old teammates and get the new ones integrated in quickly. Much depends on Hinrich’s ability to fill in for Rose as the Bulls look to maintain a high level of play while waiting for their captain to heal.

  2. Cain

    I am really excited about OJ Mayo on the Mavs, can he get up to 18-20ppg and help make Dallas a West threat? Will Beaubois be a Mav all season?

    • Bill Ingram

      I think Mayo has a golden opportunity to prove himself in Dallas. Like Jason Terry, he can start or come off the bench and is happy and effective in either role. He wants to be in Dallas long-term, and so will have plenty of motivation to play well. I definitely think he has the potential to be even better than Jet, who was really a 2 in a point guard’s body. OJ is a legit two with an arsenal of offensive weapons. It’s unbelievable that they got him on the cheap! As for Roddy – Mark, Donnie and Rick are all saying the right things, saying he’s healthy for the first time and they expect big things. Is that all true? Perhaps. Roddie’s issue is earning Carlisle’s trust, and for a small guard who has little (passing) court vision that has been difficult, even when he’s been healthy.

  3. Peter

    Hey Bill! Hate to say that summer is officially over :( But the good thing is we are one day closer to the opening tip off to the new season!!! What are some of your BOLD predictions for the upcoming season? I’m going to say Minnie will make the playoffs, the Rockets will stay competitive (but will miss the playoffs again) with Lin continuing to put up staggering numbers, SAS somehow find a way to stay on the top of the Western conference and Superman and Captain Canada will finally win their first NBA title.

    • Bill Ingram

      You know, I love Halloween and the Fall holiday season so much that it really eases the sting of summer being over for me, though I have always been a summer guy. The day the neighborhood pool closes is a day of mourning for me and my daughter. :) Some bold predictions, eh? Thunder will win the West despite the hype surrounding the Lakers. The Spurs will be a top four team in the West, but lose to either OKC or LAL. Vinny Del Negro gets fired mid-season. Christmas Eve, perhaps? Thomas Robinson is rookie of the year. Wolves beat out the Jazz for the West’s final playoff spot. Jeremy Lin winds up being a poor choice for poster child in Houston – partially because he doesn’t have a great coach to learn from. Rockets get a top three pick in next year’s draft. There are a few for you!

  4. LA in LA

    How hard is it for you HW guys to coordinate with each other? I ask because I think it would be cool if a few times a year you all, or at least a majority of you, did round tables on interesting topics like “Do you account for rings when ranking the GOAT?”

    • Bill Ingram

      It’s not that hard, actually. We just send an email out to the team asking for input on a given topic. We do that every so often, and will likely be doing it more in coordination with USA Today features this season.

  5. Chris

    Hi Bill, i´m as excited as possible for the NBA youngsters to make their impact.
    Who do you see as a possible candidate for ROY award despite those candidates already mentioned ?(A.Davis,T.Robinson,M.Gilchrist,D.Lillard,J. Val)
    I´ve heard Dion Waiters expects himself to be in the conversation, but i haven´t had the opportunity to watch him for more than a couple of highlight video minutes.

    best wishes from germany

    • Bill Ingram

      Yeah, that’s always one of the most exciting things about camp and preseason – getting to see these guys we’ve been speculating about for years, in some cases, finally take the court. I have to say that I picked Robinson as R.O.Y. after the first time I sat down and talked with him at the predraft combine in Chicago. The guy has an intensity that is palpable, and together with his skillset will make him a tough customer in the NBA. David will be a candidate, obviously, but he’s not a prolific offensive player, so winning ROY might be a stretch. He’ll have to learn to be more of a scorer, like Dwight did. I saw Waiters play in summer league and the guy was less than impressive. He has since admitted that he was out of shape and not prepared for what summer league was, but that doesn’t exactly instill confidence in me. That said, the Cavs obviously saw something they liked about him . . .something not many other lottery teams saw. I also like Lillard a lot – one of the best players in the Vegas league.

  6. desmond

    can you set people straight bill and admit kobe is still a lot better then wade its not even close or up for debate !!! and dirk is better then gasol similar arguements

    • Bill Ingram

      Is that a conversation people are having? Dwayne Wade is a nice player, but Kobe Bryant is a once-in-a-generation type of player. Of course, if Wade played for the Lakers and had that kind of payroll behind him consistently it would be interesting to see if that changed him as a player, but Kobe is the driving force behind championship teams – the guy who pushed everyone to get better. He’s like Jordan was, Olajuwon, Bird, Magic . . .Wade isn’t in that category. And yes, I think anyone saying Pau is in Dirk’s league needs to spend more time watching Dirk play. He has carried the Mavs to 50-win season after 50-win season even as management constantly blows up the team around him. It’s been an honor to cover the vast majority of the home games in Dirk’s career. The guy is not only an amazing player, but a true champion on and off the court.

  7. Wil

    Hi Bill, two Rox questions. First, what is the plan with Martin since he doesn’t seem to be a factor long-term? Try to get the best offer for him before the deadline or hold him to use as part of a bigger deal if it comes up? Second, in a strange way, could the Rox surprise, having replaced Dalembert & Lowry for Lin & Asik, assuming one or more of the young guns step up? What do you think?

    • Bill Ingram

      I’d day “both” to your first question, though teams are reluctant to deal with Houston on those big trades, so it’s more likely they deal him at the deadline. They have already drafted a younger cookie-cutter version of Martin in Jeremy Lamb. Second, it’s possible, but seems unlikely. The Rockets are not a playoff team by any stretch, so they won’t even be trying to hit that 14th pick range. I promise you that. They replaced Camby AND Dalembert with Asik, remember, and Asik is not even in the same league as either of those players. Lin can’t hold Lowry, either. Keep in mind that Lin had a GREAT first month, but after the league had scouted him he was a 14-point, 6-assist player for the rest of the season. That was playing with elite offensive players like Amar’e and Carmelo, which Houston doesn’t have, to help distract the defense away from Lin. This is rebuilding 101 for Houston. They need to land a top three pick and think about winning 2-3 years from now. By then they’ll have a new GM and head coach, a couple of young stars coming into their own, and a league-wide movement to get under the luxury tax threshold, leveling the playing field considerably. Duncan, Nowitzki, and Bryant will be nearing retirement, opening the door for Houston to rise again in the Texas Triangle and in the Western Conference.

  8. Brandon

    Who do you think will make rockets final roster? Who do you will get waived and sent to the D-league? Do you think rockets should have added another center to backup omer?

    • Bill Ingram

      I think the Rockets should have added a STARTING center for Omer to back up. Let’s start there. The final roster is impossible to call at this point. They have so much redundant talent and so many players who have to show they belong on the team that’s it’s almost anyone’s guess. I’ll give it a shot, though. The clear roster players are: Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lin, Omer Asik, Donatas Motiejunas, Jeremy Lamb, Carlos Delfino, Chandler Parsons, and Patrick Patterson. The extremely likely roster guys are Terrence Jones, Royce White, Shaun Livingston, Gary Forbes and maybe Toney Douglas. Beyond that, I think Jon Brockman, Scott Machado, Marcus Morris, Courtney Fortson, JaJuan Johnson and Greg Smith all have to prove they belong and outplay someone else to make the opening day roster.

  9. James

    Good morning!! Would it make since for the Grizz to trade Gay for Kevin Martin, Royce White and Patrick Patterson?

    • Bill Ingram

      It sure would! The Rockets overvalue their pieces, however, and would probably ask for Marc Gasol as a throw-in on that deal. Oh, and a first round pick.

  10. James

    Why does the media, sports writers and analyst in the Houston area believe that Royce White or either Patrick Patterson should start over Terrence Jones? I was more impressed with Jones more than the other two.

    • Bill Ingram

      I like Patrick a lot, but he is primed to be surpassed by one of those young guys. Patterson and Marcus Morris both seem like guys who will never be NBA starters. As for White over Jones, that’s one of the many questions that has to be answered in camp and preseason.

  11. Locatelli

    hey Bill.
    What is your impression of Moe Harkless?
    Is he really going to be great player? Can he helps the Magic in Year 1?
    Thanks.

    • Bill Ingram

      He’s an interesting piece. So hard to guess what a player who only spent one year in college will become, even one who won freshman of the year honors, as Moe did. He was most effective in the half court last year, scoring 85% of his points in that set. Even so, he only ranked in the 56th percentile among his peers in half court offense, as compared to 46% in transition. He really struggled against zone defense, as well, and you can bet opposing defenses will know that and use it against him. He wasn’t great on the defensive end, either, though he got his highest rating in isolation, where he ranked in the 60th percentile. This is a young man whom Jacque Vaughn is really going to have to mold and build into a quality NBA player. He’s unlikely to be ready on day one.

  12. Bryan

    I’ve been a Laker fan my whole life. Bt Steve Nash has been my favorite player for a while now. I feel he is so respected and not disliked by other fan bases. Are there any other players whom you can think of who have the talent, and aren’t associated with negative thoughts by other teams’ fans?
    Keep up the good work

    • Bill Ingram

      I completely agree. Nash is such a class act, such a thoughtful and willing interviewee, that it’s hard to dislike the guy. He’s a fierce competitor on the court and a very giving, caring – and FUNNY! – person off of it. One of his best friends is the same way. How do you dislike Dirk Nowitzki? How about Brandon Roy? LaMarcus Aldridge? Derrick Rose? Kevin Durant? The humble All-Stars have a special place in my heart. They appreciate their position and understand what it’s about off the court, as well.

  13. dub

    Hey Bill, I must say i cant help but be dissapointed nobody has picked up tmac. I really think he can still contribute. If you look back on the playoffs hawks vs celts one game they let tmac run the offence for several posessions and he was playing real well until he rolled his ankle. There’s definetly worse players on rosters with contracts then tmac.

    • Bill Ingram

      The problem with Tracy is that he quickly becomes disgruntled and then causes a distraction in the locker room. He’s not very tough, so he gets injured often, and when he’s injured he does things to upset a team’s chemistry. Not a great option at this point.

  14. Jonas Matos

    Good Morning Bill. The NBA is a league of Stars right? So why we they don’t have awards for the two conferences? kind of like baseball. Would be different is we have two MVP’s or two ROY? as far as I know they do player of the week and player of the month I think they should the same at the end of every year what do you think?

    • Bill Ingram

      You know, based on the fact that, as you mention, they do it for both conferences all season long now. Why not MVP, as well? I mean, the REAL MVP of the league is the Finals MVP, right? That’s always just one player.

  15. jenequen

    do you think carlos arroyo can get an nba contract ? he is a good veteran and for a team like the bucks magic or pacers y think he could contribute with his 3pt shooting his ball handling and conducting the pace some minutes at the games

    • Bill Ingram

      Alright, last question, everyone! Seems like someone could use his services, though I haven’t heard his name for quite a while. There’s always a team looking for PG help during the season, and if he’s pushing for a job he could still land somewhere when the inevitable injury happens. As always, thanks for spending some of your Monday with us here at HOOPSWORLD. Our next chat is this afternoon with Stephen Brotherston in Toronto. Drop your question in for Stephen now!