NBA Chat With Jason Fleming 4/16/12

1. Eldad

   Should Magic fans be worried about Howard’s back problems? Because back injuries rarely heal to full extent, they always linger. At least thats what I read after most of them happen in the NBA.

   • Jason Fleming

     Welcome to this week’s chat! I’ll try to hit as many questions as I can in the hour…

     While that’s a better question for a doctor than a journalist, it has to at least give you pause. Then again, does it matter in the grand scheme of things? Could they linger and Howard miss a few games every year, or maybe the team is a little more conservative with his minutes? Sure. But when it comes contract talks time Howard is still nothing less than a max player.

2. calvinzero

   I hope you post the best/worst salary cap scenarios for the Western Conference very soon. What can you say about those teams who had already eliminated from the playoffs?? Is there any info, rumors surrounding to this teams now that they had a long,long vacation?? I hope you will inform me. Thanks Jason and I love HOOPSWORLD..

   • Jason Fleming

     Well, I hope Saturday at noon is soon enough for you (his referring to my piece about the East from last Saturday). I’d love to be able to tell you it would be going up tomorrow, but these kinds of pieces take quite a while to get through. But yes, it is coming.

     No real rumors at this point. They won’t start heating up until after the final game of the regular season. At that point the teams not in the playoffs are free to make trades, though usually not many happen at all until much closer to the draft.

     As a quick reminder, teams can make trades as soon as they are eliminated from the postseason. So after the regular season 14 teams can make trades. Eight more after the first round of the playoffs, and etc.

     Also, players who will be free agents or could be free agents (Player, Team or Early Termination options exist) cannot be traded until the status of the option has been resolved.

3. Prem I.

   Do you see Larry brown coaching again in the NBA and if so what teams? I believe a team like the wizards we be good fit or maybe reuniting with the clippers…

   • Jason Fleming

     I personally would not hire Larry Brown, but that’s because I have no interest in someone who will only stay for two years (at the high end). I think he’d be a good fit with either of those teams you mentioned, but that organization has to have a plan in place on what they will do when Brown leaves, because he will leave. There is not doubt Larry Brown is a great coach and a great teacher, but that’s never been the question.

4. Chosen One

   Hey, I have a question about the different positions. What is the difference between Small Forward and Shooting guard? And why do some players play both positions, but others don’t? I see players like Andre Iguodala, and Nic Bantum plays both, but players like Dwyane Wade and Paul Pierce only play one.

   • Jason Fleming

     That’s a good question and I’ll give you my answer, but just know that it’s subjective. To me, players who play both position need to have the size and strength to defend them as well. Most shooting guards aren’t strong enough and many small forwards aren’t quick enough. Traditionally small forwards have been in the 6-7 to 6-9 range while shooting guards are 6-2 to 6-6. Small forwards must be good rebounders. Shooting guards have to be good ball handlers because they are usually the secondary distributor. It also depends on their teammates. The Celtics don’t need Pierce to play the two because they have Ray Allen (fun note – Pierce was a two in college). Wade doesn’t need to play the three because they have LeBron James.

     Contrast that with the other two you mentioned, Iguodala and Batum. Both are decent shooters and very good ball handlers, plus they can rebound and defend multiple positions. In Portland Batum can switch positions depending on who he is on the floor with. Wes Matthews isn’t a good fit at the three. Luke Babbitt isn’t a good fit at the two. Batum started at the two when they had Gerald Wallace, but since the trade has started at the three.

     It boils down to what assets the player brings to the floor.

5. Deven

   Hi Jason. What’s the latest on Amare? He’s a go or no go this week?

   • Jason Fleming

     He’s probably out the next couple games, but the latest is he is targeting to return this weekend, either Friday or Sunday. Of course, this assumes everything continues to improve and he’s able to get back in game shape.

6. Deven

   How big of a factor will Dwight Howard’s back injury be come playoff time and maybe during the offseason if the Magic trade him?

   • Jason Fleming

     Assuming the Magic get out of the first round – which is a big assumption at the moment – it won’t be a big deal. The pacing of the playoffs generally is slower than the regular season (even this year) and as long as he can get back on the court he’ll be fine. And if he gets back it’ll have no impact on the offseason.

     But if Dwight can’t come back this year? That makes it very hard for the Magic, if they do pursue a trade, to get near the same value they could if there were no questions about his health.

7. Deven

   Is the new Hornets owner really going to change the name of the team?

   • Jason Fleming

     Well, he could. It won’t be easy – in fact, it’ll be very expensive. Rebranding a sports franchise is no easy task – ask the Thunder. It’s easier when you move because the name has to change anyway, like it did in OKC’s case, but it’s not a small thing. I also seriously doubt he gets “Jazz” back. That’s the identity of the Utah franchise and has been for the duration in Salt Lake City. If they sold the name to the Hornets, then what? It’s not going to happen.

8. JP

   Yesterday during the Lakers-Mavs game, the folks at ESPN showed clips of Kobe helping out and advising his teammates. Although he hasn’t always gotten along with his teammates, could you see Kobe in a coaching role in the future?

   • Jason Fleming

     I have no doubt Kobe is smart enough and qualified to be a very, very good NBA head coach. The question is, how well can he manage players who can’t play on his level? This is a reality former stars have to face when they get into coaching. Very few players in history have been on Kobe’s level so there is an excellent chance he will never coach a player with his mix of talent and desire. Can he handle that? Can he deal with players who, no matter how hard they work, will never produce the results he’s used to?

     I think if Kobe can set aside the idea of “this is what I did” he could be very good. He’s smart, articulate and a good leader. That said, I would hate to be his shooting guard, especially if that shooting guard was only average.

9. Wil

   Hi Jason, with Felton playing better, Smith and Flynn not making a case as starters, the limited point guard options in free-agency (outside of D-Wil) and the weak point guard draft, should Portland look to give Ray a reasonable offer (4 years at $28mil)?

   • Jason Fleming

     I think Blazer fans would riot if this happened, in all honesty. I think Felton could get that on the open market, but he played poorly for the Blazers for long enough the chances of him returning are very slim. Even if (when?) Deron Williams falls through, there are still some options. Aaron Brooks, Goran Dragic, George Hill, Steve Nash, Chauncey Billups…all of those players would likely rank higher on the list. (I’d list Andre Miller here too, but that’s probably not going to happen.)

10. Jazzfan

    Hey Jason thanks for the chat,What do you think of Enes Kanter? Obviously he’s very raw still but I can see him becoming a very dominant center in this league, he plays tough defense and his offense is gettin better.

    • Jason Fleming

      I like where he is going, but I’m not convinced right now he will become dominant. He can get there, but it’s a long ways from where he is now. Let him get into the starting lineup first.

11. ralph lawrence

    HI Jason!! is Tyreke better of playing the three position or is he better coming of the bench as a 6th man? I believe he’s better playing the 6th man role to add more depth in the back court of thomas and thornton.. your thoughts?

    • Jason Fleming

      I think Evans really needs to be traded. He has no business playing the three and if the Kings don’t think he should be the point (no, he shouldn’t) or the starting shooting guard over Marcus Thornton, they are not properly using their assets. Evans or Thornton at the two is something that can be debated (I lean towards Evans, honestly). But using Evans at the three only means the rest of the options are no good (which, admittedly, they are not). The Kings really need to use Evans as trade bait to bring back a legit three, and they should use him to take a bad salary off their books as well (Salmons? Garcia?).

      Evans would be a fantastic sixth man, if he accepts that role. The thing is he shouldn’t because he’s better than that. Too many teams need a shooting guard and the Kings have too many holes to justify bringing him off the bench or playing him out of position.

12. KC

    What kind of return do you think the Mavs will get for Odom when they deal him in the offseason? I feel his value is at an alltime low and can be had for Landry Fields and spare parts. Some of my NYK fans disagree. Can the Mavs do better than that??

    • Jason Fleming

      Odom, really, has zero value. Why would anyone trade for a player who quit on his team like that? If I were a GM I wouldn’t touch him, let alone give the Mavs any asset for him. The can explore trading him around the draft for a team willing to trade an asset for the right to waive Odom and pay him $2.4 million next year, but how many teams are that desperate to cut salary? Also, trading Odom for an asset would likely take the Mavs out of the Deron Williams conversation.

      Actually, Fields cannot be traded as an impending free agent. The only way a Fields for Odom deal could work is in a sign-and-trade, which can’t happen until July. By that time if the Mavs don’t waive Odom (by June 29th), his full contract is guaranteed for next season. The Knicks actually cannot acquire him in trade without moving one of the big three. I don’t see that happening.

      Now, him signing in NY as a free agent? Sure, if he wants to sign for the minimum. Remember, the Knicks want to keep Lin and he may cost the entire MLE, which will leave the Knicks only the BAE and minimums to offer.

13. Sweet Dee

    In his chat, Yannis stated JR Smith may end up with the San Antonio Spurs this off-season as “they have had their eye on him for a long time, think they can get the most out of him.” This statement was surprising as JR does not seem like a Popovich type player. Questions: Do you agree with Yannis and JR would fit well in San Antonio. And do you think Pop, Duncan, and the rest of the Spurs could keep Smith in check?

    • Jason Fleming

      If any team could corral Smith it would be San Antonio. However, as you point out, they don’t make a habit of signing that kind of player. They could use his talent, but with Stephen Jackson already I don’t see Smith as being a good fit.

      As a GM I wouldn’t go anywhere near Smith.

14. Charlie

    If you were the GM of Portland, and Nicolas Batum signs a 4 year / 36 million dollar offer sheet this offseason. Do you match. Why or why not.

    • Jason Fleming

      If Batum signs an offer sheet averaging less than $10 million per season I match it in a heartbeat. He’s the teams best perimeter defender and still improving. He’s a good shooter and a good ballhandler, plus he’s a very smart player. He’s gradually become more and more aggressive.

      If you look at the deals signed in the past year, Wilson Chandler got $37 million, Danilo Gallinari $42 million, Arron Afflalo $39 million…Batum for that price is an excellent deal.

      I think Portland will be lucky to sign him for that price. And if they get him for less? Either Batum’s agent isn’t doing his job or Batum just really wants to be in Portland.

15. Cricket

    If you were a GM, which shooting guard would you prefer: Courtney Lee at 7 million a year, Marcus Thorton at 9 million a year or Eric Gordan at 12 million a year.

    • Jason Fleming

      I’ll take Lee over Thornton in this comparison simply for his defense.

      The question then becomes is Gordon $5 million per season better than Lee? It would depend on the rest of my roster, but probably not.

16. Matt O

    The Hornets gain 2 lottery picks. Can we re-sign both Gordon and Kaman – trade out Okafor and pick up maybe a Kendall Marshall and Thomas Robinson/Jarred Sullinger and move forward with some conviction? Marshall,Gordon, Ariza, Sullinge/Robinson & Kaman could cause some damage…

    • Jason Fleming

      Sure, as long as you can find another lottery team who wants to take on the two years and $28 million owed to Okafor through 2013-14 for a player and their lottery pick. I don’t think it’s too likely.

      However, if you keep Okafor and don’t re-sign Kaman, is that such a bad thing? Okafor, Sullinger/Robinson, Gordon, Ariza and a PG to be named later is a very solid team if they can stay healthy.

17. daniel in oregon

    Will pdx re sign jj hickson? Also say we get pick 8 and 4 tell me a couple players odx can trade them for seeing as they will have cap space.

    • Jason Fleming

      That really depends. If they issue him the Qualifying Offer of $3.4 million Hickson will count as a $7.1 million cap hold – taking up a third of their available cap space – until he signs a contract. Issuing the QO is something they cannot take back unless Hickson says it’s okay, which doesn’t benefit him much. The Blazers have their eyes on a star free agent and will need to have that cap space. If they don’t issue the QO Hickson’s cap hold goes down to $4.7 million and they can renounce their rights to him and make it zero at any time.

      This is why as well as he’s played I will not be surprised if the Blazers don’t issue him the QO by June 30th.

      I really don’t expect the Blazers to trade the picks. Unless they need to trade one or both to return an All-Star point guard – and one isn’t available in trade at the moment – those picks are going to help rebuild this franchise quickly.

18. k sharma

    Should raptors draft a small forward or point guard?

    • Jason Fleming

      I say a small forward. There aren’t any point guards at the point the Raptors will be drafting worth reaching for (unless they trade down). With Valanciunas coming next year and Bargnani hopefully being healthy, they need a point guard, just not in the draft. Then again, would another year of Jose Calderon with two new weapons at his disposal be all that bad?

19. Frank

    Tommy Beer tweets “Under Mike Woodson, New York has been top-3 defense by nearly every metric imaginable.” This shows how good of a coach he really is as he transformed this team despite injuries. If you were the GM of New York, do you bring Woodson back for next year or look to sign a splashy big name coach?

    • Jason Fleming

      I don’t even know of a splashy big name coach out there worth signing. For my money, Woodson has done everything he needs to have earned the job as Knicks head coach. Tommy is right.

20. Sweet Dee

    Amare Stoudemire has 3 years and 64 million left on his uninsured contract with the New York Knicks after this season. If these issues for Amare continue (which many are predicting) how badly will this cripple NYC over the next few years considering the cap? Would you consider this contract similar to those dolled out by Isaiah Thomas?

    • Jason Fleming

      Things are going to be tough for the Knicks going forward whether Amar’e is healthy or not. They are at or above the current cap through 2014-15, so their only means to adding talent will be in the draft and via cap exceptions, like the MLE and BAE. When healthy Chandler/Stoudemire/Anthony is a very good trio, but they can’t do it on their own. The Knicks are actually in a similar position cap-wise to the Miami HEAT, but the HEAT managed to get further over the cap with other contracts they could trade, like Mike Miller or Joel Anthony (not that demand is high, just that they are not minimum deals). The Knicks are just barely over the cap and have zero wiggle room. They have to hope that if they keep Lin for the MLE he continues to develop and then they do well in the draft.

21. Geoff

    Do you think tyreke Evans can work at sf and Thornton at sg? What happens to these players if Kidd- gilchrist or barnes is available to draft?

    • Jason Fleming

      I don’t think Evans is a good, long-term choice at small forward. I expect the Kings would definitely take Kidd-Gilchrist and could very well take Barnes depending on the other names available when they choose. I expect Evans to be traded this offseason.

22. Jag from Manila

    Hi Jason,

    Love your article about cap room scenarios next year.. Just a follow up on tge article, can’t the sixers use amnesty clause on Brand? How about the wizars for Lewis?

    Thanks.

    • Jason Fleming

      Last question!

      Thank you, I appreciate that!

      Yes, both are true. I don’t know how likely either scenario is (more likely for Washington, probably), but they could do that.

      Thanks for all the great questions! We’ll do it again next week, same time and place. In the meantime, hit me up on Twitter @jfleminghoops.