NBA Chat With Jason Fleming – 9/19/11

1. Dong of Dayton

   Hello Jason,

   What are your thoughts on Chase Budinger? He played well after getting the starting position last year. Do you think the Rockets believe he is the 3 of the future or is he just a servicable stopgap before Patterson can take over?

   • Jason Fleming

     Can I say somewhere in the middle? I say that because I don’t believe Budinger is a long-term answer – I think he’s a better fit coming off the bench – but they aren’t holding the spot for Patterson either. I do like what Budinger brings to a team. He can shoot, he works hard, he fills a need, but he’s not an answer. More like a default until you find something better.

2. Trevor

   With the NBA trying to go to a hard cap it seems there will be less parity seeing as in a few years you will have maybe 3 or 4 teams with the executives actually knowing what they are doing. Teams like OKC and the spurs jump out at me. Half the “winning” teams just throw money around like the magic, lakers, dallas etc. not really putting together a team but just buying the best players available and hoping it all comes together. Wouldnt this more or less be a game of front office masterminds vs idiot former players (otis smith)(kevin Mchale)(isiah Thomas) etc…

   • Jason Fleming

     I would venture that the quality of the front offices may improve. If everyone is working on a level playing field, teams will do whatever they can to get an edge. If that edge is in scouting and making deals, they will do that. And, in my opinion, that’s as it should be. Too many inexperienced people get these very rare jobs without having proven they know what they are doing.

     This is also similar to what happens in the NFL, which seems to be doing okay. Look at the Patriots. People wonder how they keep doing it every year in a league where parity rules, but the simple fact is they have run their team smarter and more efficiently than others. (Well, that and the career of Tom Brady.)

     If the NBA started being run that way, would it be a bad thing? I think not.

3. jj

   If kobe were to win another title this year tying jordan.. would the comparison of the best player ever be debated more.. I would say bryant is better. Definitely a better shooter

   • Jason Fleming

     MORE?! I don’t know if this can be debated more – it’s already one of the most hotly contested topics we can run. Every time we have piece on site talking about the relative greatness of either player it sparks great debate for both of them.

     Let me ask you this: At this point in his career, with all he has accomplished, can anyone really say a sixth title makes Kobe Byrant a better player than he is today? I don’t see how the answer to that is yes. He’s already one of the greatest to every play this game, and that won’t change whether or not he wins another ring.

4. Tyler

   If you were Otis Smith and Dwight Howard told you he was leaving and testing free agency are the end of the season what would you do? What reasonable package do you think both teams would accept in a trade?

   • Jason Fleming

     I would convince him to talk Arenas into exercising his Early Termination Option as well. I’m only half kidding.

     If a player came to me and said that, I’d trade him. I’d make it clear I was going to take the best available offer and I wasn’t in a hurry to make a decision. That still wouldn’t guarantee pulling the trigger. If I received all my best available offers and didn’t like them, I’d take my chances. Why? Because when you are trading Howard under the old CBA it meant you had to bring back at least 3/4 of $18.1 million in trade. I’d have to decide if the contracts I was taking on were better for the franchise NEXT season and the season after that – not right now. And yes, I would absolutely be prepared to lose him for nothing. You have to be – that always has to be an option. If that’s not an option, you have lost any amount of bargaining position you may have in the situation.

     Rule #1 of making a desperate trade: Don’t act like you are desperate.

5. Tbadfw

   Who is the better PG prospect, Myck Kabongo or Marquis Teague?

   • Jason Fleming

     Right now I say Teague, but let’s see them play some college ball first.

6. Bill

   If the Phoenix Suns didn’t cheap out and decided to guarantee years 5+6 for Amare Stoudemire. What seed would you predict the Suns making this year based on the core of Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, and Marcin Gortat.

   • Jason Fleming

     That’s an interesting question. I think that if the Suns had given that money to Stoudemire we’d be looking at a very different team. Hakim Warrick, Josh Childress, and maybe even Channing Frye wouldn’t be there. They probably would not have traded Leandro Barbosa for Hedo Turkoglu, and in turn the chances of them having acquired Gortat are probably pretty low. The point I’m making here is given a change in history at the point of negotiating with Stoudemire I don’t think this is a remotely realistic scenario.

     I also don’t believe Gortat and Stoudemire are necessarily complementary players because they occupy a lot of the same space. For this to work the starting shooting guard and small forward would have to be reliable three-point shooters and be capable of playing defense (something both Nash and Stoudemire aren’t great at). I tentatively would say they would make the playoffs, but without knowing the rest of the roster it’s really impossible to say.

7. Bill

   Rank these bottom feeder Eastern Conference teams (based solely on next years win total) : Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers

   • Jason Fleming

     Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Bobcats.

     Can you tell I’m not excited about Charlotte’s prospects? Such a turnaround from a year ago.

8. Charlie

   The Philadelphia 76ers far exceeded expectations last year under Doug Collins winning 41 games. Vegas has the line at 40 wins for next year (assuming an 82 game season). Over or Under?

   • Jason Fleming

     Tough call. I don’t necessarily see anyone below them in the standings passing them. Over.

9. Charlie

   If you were a GM, who would you rather build your team around (assume all in prime): Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett, or Dirk Nowitzki?

   • Jason Fleming

     Garnett. By far the best of the group defensively and still very, very productive on the offensive end.

10. Charlie

    Rank these players in terms of least deserving of their current NBA contracts: Andre Iguodala, Danny Granger, Rudy Gay

    • Jason Fleming

      That I won’t do. It’s hardly fair to a player to rank him on the value of his contract and call anyone least deserving. The contract was offered by the team and all he did was sign it. I will never fault a player who signs a deal , even if that deal may be perceived as more than market value.

11. justin

    Holiday, AI, Nocinoi for Harris,Miles, Millsap,Okur. Gaves Utah there starting PG/Sf for the future. While 76ers get a some solid vets with playoff experiance plus cap space for next summer. Who says no?

    • Jason Fleming

      Philly. They plan on building around Holiday and Iguodala at this point. They aren’t in the market to be looking for cap space.

12. justin

    Millsap for Jameer Nielson. Utah gets depth at the PG position. Orlando goes all in with Gilbert and a sweet shooting PF in millsap to pair next to D12

    • Jason Fleming

      They better have a follow up deal for Brandon Bass, because the four spot just got super extra crowded. I really don’t see the Magic having any desire to add another PF – Bass and Ryan Anderson do the job for them pretty nicely.

      And this deal doesn’t make sense for the Jazz. Jameer Nelson is a starter in Orlando – would he be happy backing up Devin Harris? Would Harris be happy backing up Nelson? That’s a big chunk of the cap being spent on point guards. They better hope Derrick Favors is ready to start AND Mehmet Okur is healthy to make that move.

      I don’t see either team being interested.

13. justin

    G. Dragic for CJ Miles

    • Jason Fleming

      The Rockets like Dragic and don’t have a need for Miles. Houston passes.

14. justin

    Wouldn’t Fez be a great fit for either New York or Miami? Given a few Minutes I think that he might be pretty good. Plus he’s a huge body and he might come cheap

    • Jason Fleming

      As the fifth big man at the end of the bench? I’m not much of a Kyrylo Fesenko fan. I’m sure he’d sign if either team wanted him, but I wouldn’t offer more than minimum.

15. luvabull

    big al doesnt want to play the 5 so. joe johnson/horford for deng/boozer/bogans/asik.

    • Jason Fleming

      Interesting idea, but if I’m the Bulls I have no desire to make a major move like this. What does it accomplish? They were the best team in the Eastern Conference last year with a hole at the shooting guard spot. Sure, this gives them Johnson, but then who plays the three? Who fills Deng’s role as a team leader, on and off the court? Derrick Rose does enough, so it doesn’t make sense to ask him to do more. I see this as making a trade just to make a trade, not to make a team better.

16. Steve

    Jason…WTF? Both the owners and the union know exactly what each others goals and strategies are after so many years of dealing together, can’t they just pull their heads out of their cracks and play ball?

    • Jason Fleming

      Sure, but the sides aren’t willing to negotiate. It’s like both sides thought the talk coming from the other over the past two years was nothing but a big joke. Now three months into the lockout, they still do. The players were told the system must change. The owners were told the players don’t want the changes. If both sides actually got into a mindset where they are willing to negotiate – which means letting go on some issues in order to reach an agreement, for both sides – they’d get a deal done. Until that happens, this is where we are.

17. Tony in Indy Indy

    How much would Carl Landry improve the Pacers if he signs there? Hansbrough just isn’t consistent, which I think Landry is just that. Adding Landry to George Hill would bump us up a notch or two.

    • Jason Fleming

      He would make them better, but I don’t know that Landry is good enough on his own to be considered he missing piece. He’s good, solid – but the answer? I think Hansbrough is better than he’s getting credit for this offseason – his March numbers prove he is a legit NBA player (16.8 points, 7.1 boards, 50% FG). He just may be a tweener at the NBA level.

18. RF

    Calderon and ed davis for nash and lopez?

    • Jason Fleming

      At this point the Suns would rather have Nash over Calderon and Lopez over Davis. I don’t blame them. Suns pass.

19. luvabull

    what package can we put together for oj mayo memphis has alot of 2 guards. make room for shelby he`s a monstar

    • Jason Fleming

      I’m guessing “we” is Chicago based on your submitted name. That might not be right, but it’s what I’m going with.

      Well, you tell me. What do you have to offer? (Bulls Salaries) Mayo makes $5.6 mil. I’d assume they would ask for Taj Gibson. Seems fair, doesn’t it? They aren’t going to just give Mayo away for nothing. Then add in C.J. Watson? I really don’t think that’s an enticing offer for the Grizzlies.

20. luvabull

    matt bonner/ gary neal fof taj gibson/ cj watson. bulls get another ball handler/shooter and a spread 4. spurs get a good back up pg and get younger and athletic with taj

    • Jason Fleming

      Pretty sure the Bulls aren’t in the market for a spread 4 and they value Gibson much more than that deal.

21. Charlie

    Anyone leaving a guy who averaged 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7 assists last year off a list for a REGULAR SEASON award is only trying to spark debate. Mr. Flemming, we have been told you are the one in charge of the Hoopsworld polls. You can’t possibly believe Lebron James is not a top 7 candidate. (Note: If you disagree, I’ll gladly lay a a friendly wager on next years NBA regular season MVP award results. King James in top 7. Over/Under)

    • Jason Fleming

      Um. OK. That’s an interesting comment. Who told you that? I guess I can change it, though I didn’t create it.

      I don’t wager. It only ensures I will lose.

22. jon bent

    say we have a 30 game season and lebron and the heat were to win the championship… do u think he will get/deserve the credit of finally winning an nba championship?

    • Jason Fleming

      Why shouldn’t he? That’s the same season every other player had to deal with, so if the HEAT win the HEAT win. A ring is a ring. It’s not like this would be a fluke or anything – they WERE the East Champs last year. It’s not like saying the Bobcats will win or something.

23. luvabull

    big time bulls fan new cba wont let us sign a fa sg. so trading is our only way to get a sg. t.will/c.lee/haynes/dragic for asik/bogans/watson/brewer.

    • Jason Fleming

      Haynes? Do you mean Chuck Hayes? Neither he or Dragic are shooting guards, plus Hayes is a free agent. Terrence Williams wouldn’t be high on my list. Courtney Lee would be a good choice, but I’m not sure any of those Bulls listed would interest Houston. Maybe Asik. Maybe.

24. Billy

    In his chat, Mark Nugent supported a trade based around Al Jefferson for Kevin Martin (filler on both side included). Do you agree?

    • Jason Fleming

      I would not trade Martin for Jefferson. Not really sure I see where Jefferson fits on the Rockets, except to continually play him out of position at center. Plus, they don’t have a replacement for Martin. That’s a major hole to fill.

25. Billy

    Who has the better bench? Raptors: Jose Calderon, Barbosa, Amir Johnson, and Reggie Evans or Miami: Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem, Juan Howard, and Eddie House

    • Jason Fleming

      Drop Evans and Howard from those lists, since both are free agents. I’ll take Miami.