NBA Chat With Jason Fleming 1/2/12

1. shad

   Devon Harris to Toronto for Caldron and Al Jefferson to Cleveland for Jameson. The Jazz get two players that address their needs and two expiring contracts, whereas the Raptors and Cavs get solid starters. Who says no?

   • Jason Fleming

     Welcome to this week’s chat! Rose Bowl on the big screen – Go Ducks!

     Cleveland wouldn’t be very interested – they like Jamison’s expiring deal themselves, which will help them by over $26 million under the cap next summer. Jefferson would take up $15 million of that, plus Tristan Thompson is doing just fine, so why change?

     The Toronto deal…I don’t see an upside for them. Does Harris make them better? I like the Calderon/Bayless combo.

2. Brent

   I think the blazers are one of the few teams that could give the heat problems. When you think about the blazers they have Wallace and Batum to guard LeBron (Wallace being the best option to deal with lebrons size and speed) and Mathews, Crawford, and datum who can guard wade. Bosh should be controllable with Aldridge, Camby, Thomas, and smith. What do you think? Also, I loved Roy but team is better without him. He didn’t set a good tone on d and created a stagnant offense centered around one on one play which you can’t win with in the playoffs. When people ask me who will take last shot for Portland I say anyone of many Mathews, Crawford, Felton, Aldridge, and even Batum. Your thoughts?

   • Jason Fleming

     Portland is a team that will give every team in the league problems on any given night as long as they are healthy. I don’t necessarily think they have what it takes to go all the way or even go to the West finals, but there will be no days off playing them, whether that’s OKC, Miami, Chicago, the Lakers – anyone.

     Chad Buchanan and the front office did a very good job filling out the roster.

3. Focuslja

   We all know that Charlotte is supposed to stink this year. But how do you feel about them acquiring Cousins, Beasley, Speights or Blatche? Or do they need more help in other areas?

   • Jason Fleming

     The Cats don’t have a lot of assets and they need frontcourt offense, so maybe taking a risk on someone like Cousins or Blatche would be worth it. But remember, even if any of those guys are on the outs with their current team, that doesn’t mean you pick up the asset for nothing. What is Charlotte going to give? Augustin? A draft pick?

4. ejhay

   is their a chance that miami can get steve nash next season?

   • Jason Fleming

     That depends. The only money the HEAT have to offer – for the next five years – is the mini MLE. If Nash is willing to sign a $3 million deal, then absolutely. The problem is there will be more money on the table from other sources, some of them also contenders. Will he take a monster pay cut to facilitate that offense?

5. steven

   how will the allstars be determined this year

   • Jason Fleming

     As far as I know, same as always.

6. simon

   Jrich, liggins, duhon for iggy, meeks good or bad and why?

   • Jason Fleming

     I don’t see any upside for the 76ers with that deal. They get older and lose two starters, get one in return, and don’t get better.

7. keeweekid

   Any word on what B.Roy is doing nowadays? sticking around Portland, back to Seattle, moving to warmer climates?

   • Jason Fleming

     There was some unfounded rumor he was in Spain, but it had no legs. As far as I know Roy is at home in Seattle getting acclimated to being a full-time father and coming to terms with not playing hoops anymore. Oh, and staying out of the limelight. I think we’ll see him back at the Rose Garden at some point this year.

8. keeweekid

   Any truth to the rumors G.Oden accepted a $1.5M offer this year, down from the $8.9M qualifying offer? if this is true, $1.5M seems to signal no chance at seeing him this year, just want his Bird rights.

   • Jason Fleming

     Oden gave back $2 million off the Qualifying Offer and makes $6.8 million this season (Portland salary). Frankly, that’s him being a nice guy because there was nothing stopping him from simply signing the $8.8 million Qualifying Offer – Portland had no control over that. Whether or not he would play this season didn’t play into that at all.

9. Saulo

   Jason, Beasley is looking lost on the floor and completely off his game. You can see it’s all mental basically by the look in his eye. He’s missing FTs, he’s not confident in his shot, he isn’t driving.. settling. What should he do to pull it together and is this something Adelman should address with a firm hand and more playing time for D-Will or as a teacher and help Beas build his confidence back? What would you do?

   • Jason Fleming

     Why can’t you do both? The lack of focus and production should lead to a reduction in playing time, but on the other side of the move you can still be a teacher to get him back to where he was last year. I don’t think this needs to be an either/or type of thing. I only worry if he doesn’t react to the teaching part positively.

10. keeweekid

    1st impressions of Raymond Felton at the point? So far, guard play for Blazers seem their weakest area. Felton=count # of turnovers, Matthews off to eradict start.

    • Jason Fleming

      I like Felton, a lot, and I think he’s a very nice fit for this offense. The turnovers are high, sure, but keep in mind the Blazers have a new starting point guard, they are still really getting used to Gerald Wallace, and Crawford, Thomas, and Smith are all key reserves who are brand new to the team. All that change with little training camp is going to lead to the turnovers for the entire team, whether they are made by Felton or not. Take another temperature of it at the halfway point. By then the issues of knowing where their teammates will be should be resolved and the turnovers should be down. Hey, they are 3-1 even with the turnovers, which has to hearten Blazer fans.

11. Bjørn Simen Samdal

    I think we can all agree Rubio is the best PG on the Wolves, but do you think Adelman is letting Ridnour start so his value increases before they trade him away. I don’t see a reason why they would keep him with Rubio and Barea in the backcourt!

    • Jason Fleming

      No. I agree Rubio is better, but Adelman isn’t going to turn his team over to a rookie this quickly. He won’t play Ridnour just to build up his trade value. Even if Ridnour plays well – and he’s not playing great – he’s a journeyman point guard making $3.7 million this year. That’s not going to bring a lot in trade anyway.

      Adelman is making sure Rubio is going to be consistent and once he is, Rubio will start. At that point, it makes sense to keep Ridnour as the backup because he is a veteran, he’s smart, and he makes good decisions. He’s insurance.

12. FreeThrowClank

    Is D. Cousins walking a fine line of tarnishing his NBA career, as he is close to being labeled as a selfish player that is a cancer in the locker room? Did Thorton, Tyreke, and crew send a message with their win yesterday that they play better as a team w/o Cousins? If he continues with his antics would the Kings be bold enough to ask him to stay home, like the pacers did to Tinsley? The Kings would never get equal value in a trade and why would they want to give into his demands and see another team benefit?

    • Jason Fleming

      While Cousins is walking a fine line as a player, that’s a similar fine line for the Kings. What good does it do to tell him to stay home? Even if his value is reduced in the trade market because of his attitude, he is still a valuable asset who only makes $3.6 million this season – he’s dirt cheap. If the Kings do look to trade him – I think Westphal goes before Cousins – they should ask for nothing less than a first-round pick and a rookie scale contract/young talent in return. I’d be surprised if they didn’t have multiple good offers.

13. Steve

    Jason,
    Does it make more sense to trade Wallace and Camby for a good young Center for a serious run in a year or two
    Or
    Trade Batum for a solid back-up center right now and go All In right now?

    • Jason Fleming

      Batum isn’t going anywhere – I fully expect him to get a long-term extension, if not by the extension deadline then next summer. I know where you are going with this, but right now Portland feels they have a chance at a serious run this year, so why make a trade? I only see one of those two moved IF the Blazers suddenly fall far under .500 by the trade deadline.

14. Anthony Pascua

    Kobe is my favorite player, but he missed 22 shots. Wouldn’t you think as a player once I miss 10 or 15 its time to start driving it in to the paint or at least pass it up to someone else?

    • Jason Fleming

      Look at it this way: Kobe can’t make 12 in a row either if he’s not taking them. He’s paid to take those shots and the Lakers need him to take those shots. He won’t always hit the majority of them, but that’s how the offense is designed. Players at Kobe’s level always expect to make the next shot and they don’t think about the last miss during the game – that’s one reason he’s one of the best ever. And honestly, I don’t know that he has a lot of better options. I only worry if the shots he’s taking are overly bad. He can miss good shots, he can miss shots because no one else is taking/making them, but only if they are inexplicably bad would I even bring it up as a coach.

15. Anthony Pascua

    Any potential news/ signings the Lakers will make in the near future besides D12?

    • Jason Fleming

      Besides D12? That makes it sound inevitable, which it definitely is not. The Lakers are capped out and used all their exception money on Josh McRoberts, so they only have minimum money to offer anyone. To be perfectly honest, these are your 2011-12 Los Angeles Lakers and Coach Mike Brown and the players need to find a way to make it work as is.

16. keo

    Why is everyone forgetting about my celtics ..people said they were to old last year but they still were able to keep the top seed untill Chicago took it….will u be surprised if the celtics turn out better than anyone expected ?

    • Jason Fleming

      Absolutely. The Celtics have little depth and are especially hurting at point guard. What happens to this team if Rondo rolls an ankle? What happens to the frontcourt if KG bangs a knee? Their core is old, which is bad news with a schedule like this normally but with any injuries they had no cap space to add legitimate depth. Boston is walking a very fine line right now. So, yes, I’d be shocked if they are better than expected. I still think they are a top four seed in the East and I give them a slight edge over the Knicks in the Atlantic, but if they make it past the conference semifinals I’ll be surprised.

17. Steve

    Jason,
    Did Felton come into training camp heavy?
    If so, what does that say, if anything, about his commitment to excellence? These guys DO get paid $$$$millions for excellence after all.

    • Jason Fleming

      He did, a little, as did many others across the league. On the surface I 100% agree with your sentiment…but then again, Andre Miller always played himself into game shape starting in camp as well, and he’s not bad. It’s not how I would approach the job, but everyone has different approaches that work for them. It’s no use making an issue of it now, but if Felton comes back to Portland next summer – which, right now, I would say he should – then they can make a point of it then.

      I don’t question Felton’s commitment to success.

18. Alec

    Hey JF! I think Bill said earlier today if the Wolves trade one of their forwards for a legitimate 2, they would be very scary. I know they are high on Johnson, but he seems to be the odd man out, especially seeing time at the 2 when he’s a natural 3. Do you think a Johnson for Mayo works? Rudy is somewhat injury prone, and Wes could fill in his natural position, while Mayo could start at the 2 for the Wolves. Looks like a good deal in my eyes. Your opinion?

    • Jason Fleming

      Johnson for Mayo would be a great move for the Wolves for sure, and a solid return for a player Memphis obviously doesn’t hold in as high regard as many other teams. I like the idea, because Johnson does seem to be a nice fit in Memphis. It won’t solve their issues, but it gives them a little more balance.

19. Steve

    Jason,
    Is there any good reason Portland does not now have a GM?
    How many NBA teams have won the Championship with an “acting” or “interim” GM?

    • Jason Fleming

      I have no idea the answer to that last question, but I would suspect the answer is none.

      I wrote a bit on this in the past – it seems clear the top GM talents don’t want the Portland job because it lacks autonomy. Conversely, Buchanan works well within the hierarchy…so why not give him the full time job? A good team has been put together on Buchanan’s watch. I don’t see a good answer to this question.

20. Steve

    What makes you think a grey tie goes with a gray shirt?

    • Jason Fleming

      Shirt is black…adjust the tint on your monitor. Plus, the tie has purple in it.

21. KevinC

    Hey Jason,
    I know it’s still early in the season, but what are your surprises and disapointments so far ?

    • Jason Fleming

      Memphis has been a big disappointment, as have the Mavericks. Atlanta has played better than I expected, but I think part of that is the short training camp and they are a team who had very little turnover.

      One surprise for me has been how full the stadiums have been – over 99% of tickets sold, according to the L.A. Times. Impressive.

22. Ty

    what trade could make the hawks a better team? maybe a trade for steve nash or al jefferson

    • Jason Fleming

      A point guard would be nice, but what could the Hawks offer the Suns to entice them? The Suns don’t need any forwards, which the Hawks would have to move one of in order to make up the salary difference (it would have to be a balanced trade too, because the Hawks won’t pay tax and they are close). It would have to be Teague and…I don’t know. I don’t see Jefferson making them better either.

23. Sylvio Swearingen in SF, CA

    When do you think we will start seeing some PT for Elliot Williams? Thanks

    • Jason Fleming

      Williams is not going to play much at all as long as Wes Matthews and Jamal Crawford are healthy. I’d love to see Williams get some PT too, but that’s just how the rotation is at this point. And, honestly, I don’t fault Coach Nate McMillan at all for that – it’s the right decision at this point.

24. MagiC Joe

    What are the chances of Orlando getting a free agent if Howard is not there, and is smith and Van Gundy done in Orlando?

    • Jason Fleming

      Well, without Dwight they will have $8 mil in cap space, so they will probably get someone. If they don’t get a good return for Howard – or Howard leaves for nothing – I can’t believe Smith will be around much longer. I think SVG is kind of stuck with what he can do given his personnel. And hey, they are 4-1.

25. Ron

    Where you see Dwight going at deadline ?

    • Jason Fleming

      I still think it will be Jersey if anywhere.

26. mo tarhuni

    what can the lakers do with the trade exception and 1st round pick they recieved from dallas for odom? can they combine that with one of their young players (ebanks, character) to get a PG (nash, mo williams) or a big (milsap) realistically ?

    • Jason Fleming

      The pick they can combine with a player, the exception they cannot. Traded Player Exceptions cannot be combined with players or other TPEs to take on a larger contract.

27. like a bull

    which was more impressive bulls over memphis or heat over bobcats? and why?

    • Jason Fleming

      Bulls over Memphis. Charlotte is a horrible team and Miami should do that, but the Grizzlies should be better than that. Even with injuries (Randolph), that’s a bad showing for them and they should be embarrassed. Great play by the Bulls.

28. King

    So u still think kobe is the best in the world, Jason? Ive been telling hoopsworld he fell off since game 7 vs Boston. Give me lbj, dwight, wade, dirk, cp, klove, Blake (notice I DIDN’T put Rose) all day every day and twice on Tuesdays. LOL

    • Jason Fleming

      Way to take things out of context. I said he’s one of the best ever, not the best now. He hasn’t fallen off so far I think someone else on that team should be taking more shots. The Lakers can’t exactly give shots to Wade or James, can they? Also, Kobe is still a much better offensive player than Love or Howard. Let me know when those guys can create their own shots.

29. Charlie

    The Toronto Raptors have started Jose Calderon over Jarred Bayless so far this season to showcase Jose before the trade deadline. Calderon has done exactly that averaging 13 points and 9 assists over the first four games. Think a team will take on that salary (2 years / 20 million) to acquire a low turnover point guard for a playoff push (ex. to Lakers for Odom trade exception)?

    • Jason Fleming

      The Traded Player Exception to the Lakers was worth Odom’s $8.9 million salary, no more. Calderon makes $9.8 million, so that’s not a deal they can make.

      My personal feeling is turning the team over to Bayless isn’t the best option, but then again Calderon isn’t part of the future either. I expect the Raptors will be looking for a point guard in the next NBA Draft.

30. King

    Give me dwights low post threat + defense & loves shooting + rebounding > anything kobe does nowadays…. Go look in your past chats, I’ve been arguing this topic (kobe falling off) with you for some time now.

    • Jason Fleming

      Last question!

      You and others. The thing is, the argument keeps changing. First we are talking about offense, and then it’s offense and defense. On one hand it’s Kobe now, on the other it’s Kobe for his career. Kobe is one of the best ever. Period. Kobe is no longer the league’s best, but he is pretty damn good and the rest of the team (save Gasol and to a certain extent Bynum) simply is not. A case cannot be made that Kobe should be taking less shots on this Lakers team.

      I don’t disagree Kobe isn’t the player he used to be. But you know what? He’s still pretty damn good.

      Thank for all the great questions! We’ll do it again next week, back to normal time at 8pm Eastern!