NBA Chat With Joel Brigham, 1/31/13

1. Joel Brigham

   I really enjoy your insight on hoopsworld tv, are you going to do more in the future and howcome other guys like derek, susan, and travis arent doing them. I would enjoy their insight aswell.

   Any news on rose returning and how should thibs utilize him when he returns?

   • Joel Brigham

     Good afternoon, HOOPSWORLD Citizens, and welcome to another edition of my weekly chat. HUGE trade went down yesterday, so I imagine we’ll have some questions about that this afternoon, but I’m looking forward to talking about all kinds of other trade rumors, playoff pictures, and even fantasy stuff. I actually just pulled of a deal in my own league for Derrick Rose, but I couldn’t stand not having him on my roster. He was drafted late enough to be a keeper the next two seasons, too, so I surrendered Kobe for him. I know, I know. Had to be done. Got Marc Gasol in the deal, too, and a high draft pick, so it wasn’t all bad. Plus, I’ll have D-Rose for the next two-and-a-half season, and there’s no player I’d rather have.

     Along the lines of the Rose return, news came out yesterday that he was doing full contact stuff at practice, so that means it’s just a matter of getting the guy into game shape and playing at game speed. Wouldn’t shock me if he got back on the floor immediately following the All-Star break. You know what the first Bulls home game after the All-Star break is, by the way? Miami HEAT. I’m really going to want to be in the building for that one.

2. Buster Bluth

   Uncle Father Joel

   Just wanna check in and make sure you’re aware that your ban on organized sports in this family has been violated

   You said Drummond has the potential to have a 9 and 9 career… I love you but I have to say you are seriously off on this one. Check out his stats per 40 min

   Hoopsworld has destroyed the way you talk… If this is your way to impress these people then *they are not your friends!*

   • Joel Brigham

     Oh, you blow-hard. (Any readers that haven’t yet watched seasons 1-3 for “Arrested Development,” get on that. Best sitcom in the history of television).

     As for Drummond, it’s starting to look like maybe I misunderestimated him. He’s really come on, and still in only limited minutes, so it’s absolutely a possibility that he ends up being a more serious consistent double-double threat than I originally anticipated. Still, calling him a 9-and-9 guy has nothing to do with his per-40 numbers. He’s at 7.5ppg and 7.7rpg right now, so 9-and-9 would actually be an improvement. He’ll get there, though. 12-and-10 might be a better landing spot for him.

3. LA in LA

   Derrick Rose (when healthy), Rajon Rondo (when healthy), CP3, Irving, and even Nash better lookout. Kobe, who has always been an underrated facilitator, has decided he wants to be the league’s best PG. I believe if he keeps focused he’ll be a top 10 PG by the end of the year lol.

   • Joel Brigham

     Well, the assist numbers are certainly up over the course of the last four games, aren’t they? I either traded Kobe at the perfect time, or at the worst possible time. Probably the latter. But either way, it looks like this new style of play is going to be pretty effective in Lakerland, but man, you can’t lose to the Phoenix Suns the way you did last night. That kind of thing just defines L.A.’s season. They can’t take three steps forward without taking a giant one backwards. Dwight got banged up last night, too. What a nightmare this year has been, but Kobe sure has looked as good as ever at age 36. Hard to hate on him for being a ball-stopper at this point, isn’t it?

4. Bugsy

   Hey Joel,
   Kyle Singler doesn’t get much chatter about the solid rookie year he’s putting together for Detroit. How do you rate him and his potential?

   • Joel Brigham

     That’s only because nobody really cares about the Pistons. My goodness, have you seen the empty seats at the Palace this year? But when that kind of thing happens it’s easy to overlook a rookie like that, someone who’s put up decent production but who isn’t flashy on a team that just doesn’t get a lot of national media coverage. He’s absolutely been impressive this season, but as far as how I rate him as a pro, I see a very low ceiling on the kid. He is right now probably pretty close to what he’ll always be. No complaints about the guy as a reserve, but he’s not going to be an All-Star or anything.

5. Jim in CyberSpace

   Why were the Legends even asking AI about the “D” League at his age??? He’s not Antoine Walker is he? Practice…who needs practice.
   The Man has Pride. Big Pride. He’s 5-10, his game was his first step and toughness…he’s 37 yr’s old.
   I can’t blame him for respectfully declining the “Legends” offer to ride the bus and labor away…hoping for a NBA roster spot??? Hell no.

   • Joel Brigham

     Can’t blame the Ledends, though, can you? Imagine the butts Iverson would put in the seats for D-League games. It would get the league more coverage than they’ve had in maybe ever, and Iverson could make a little bank hooping against inferior talent. Yes, even at his age. But he’s not a guy who was ever going to ride a bus, you’re right. I’m glad he turned it down. The end of his NBA career was sad enough as it was; he doesn’t need to further tarnish it by playing in the minor leagues.

6. Kyle

   If the Bulls are seriously looking at trading for J.J. Redick from which i have heard. What players/draft picks/money etc. would they have to give up to land him? And as always i enjoy your input Joel, thanks.

   • Joel Brigham

     Well, if that was a deal that went down, it would probably be some combination of Richard Hamilton (a basically expiring deal that would take up the bulk of of JJ’s $6+ million contract) and a young player not making a lot of money. Marquis Teague is the only guy I could see them parting with in that scenario, but I suppose it could be a draft pick instead. With JJ’s deal expiring, too, I don’t know that they’d give up a ton to get it done, but they apparently do still love Redick. Am I wrong, or did Redick sign an offer sheet with the Bulls way back when? If they liked the money then, I guess they could like it now, and he’d be a really nice backcourt mate for Derrick Rose, wouldn’t he? I get the rumors, but I’m not sure what the offer would be.

7. Alex in Burbank

   Can D. Rose bounce back and be that dominant PG before the injury or will he be a step behind now? What do you think? I really hope, it’s not Penny Hardaway/Grant Hill all over again. A guy with his skills deserves to showcase them for years to come.

   • Joel Brigham

     It’s a great question, Alex. We all certainly hope so, but there’s just no guarantee. From what I hear, he’s in better shape than he’s ever been in his entire life, so that’s a good thing, but I imagine he’ll also have to be smarter about how he attacks the basket. Dwyane Wade never tore his ACL, but he had to alter the way he played, too. In short, figure Derrick will keep working on that jumpshot. Not that he’ll settle, but that he’ll just have to be more decisive about how and when he attacks the cup.

     I sure hope he’s the same ol’ Derrick though. Surgery is much different than it was in the 1990s, when Penny and Hill went through their stuff. Guys are having more success these days, and hopefully that will be true for Derrick.

8. Aristotle

   Heya Joel

   How many basketball fans do you think are excited to see Prince go to Memphis who is definitely a playoff team? Is there something about Prince we all just happen to love and we all wanted him to be traded out of Detroit to be with a contender?

   • Joel Brigham

     Losing Gay sucks, for obvious reasons, but Prince isn’t as much of a downgrade as some people think. He’s actually been a better three-point shooter this season than Gay had been, and Memphis could use a guy with a little bit of playoff experience on the roster. A lot of those guys simply don’t have a lot of playoff wins on their resumes. I think only Tony Allen and Prince have rings. That carries weight in an NBA locker room, and Tayshuan deserves an opportunity to play when it matters again. He was always his best in the postseason, anyway. Honestly, this deal saves money, but Prince and Davis aren’t a huge downgrade from Gay and Speights. This could still work, Grizzlies fans.

9. zedrix

   Do you see Memphis trading Z-Bo before the deadline?

   Z-Bo to the Bobcats for Henderson, Biyombo and Diop(to make salaries work) works for both teams. Bobcats needs an inside presence for their inside-out offense and Memphis need a scoring SG and back-up center.

   Do you see this trade following after Memphis trade Rudy Gay?

   • Joel Brigham

     No, I’d say two trades in 2013 is probably enough for Memphis. I imagine this is the team they’ll move forward with. And they definitely aren’t making that specific deal with the Bobcats. First off, that’s trash for Randolph, and secondly, what good is Randolph on the ‘Cats? They’re rebuilding, and he just wouldn’t fit there.

10. Jaimeson

    How many times is Dwight going to injur his shoulder before he realizes big men should never bring the ball down while rebounding. Gets injured every time he powers back up.

    • Joel Brigham

      Hard to argue with you, brother. Hard to argue with you.

11. The Philippine Eagle

    Hi Joel, why does Mr. Pincus tweets his prediction to every Lakers game?

    • Joel Brigham

      Because Pincus has literally thousands of Lakers fans following him that care about that kind of thing. He works the Twitter thing hard and has about a bajillion more followers than I do, so I’m not exactly in a position to criticize the way he does things. I’ve enjoyed his feed, Laker-centric though it may be.

12. Paul

    What do you think about the Rockets getting KG? I think it gives us what we need. We get great defense and rebounding. It would make us very interesting this year, maybe not championship, but very interesting. If we add KG, we would have the best defending frontline line the league with Parsons, Asik and KG. Your thoughts?

    • Joel Brigham

      There’s no way financially to make that trade happen. Garnett makes $11.5 million this season, and everybody on Houston outside of Asik, Lin, and Harden makes under $3 million or less. You’d have to trade like six guys to get the numbers to work. Beyond that, why would Garnett want to finish his career in Houston? I just can’t imagine it.

13. Nuno

    Do you think the blazer will move to improve their bench and try to reach playoff this year? if yes, who can they target?
    Or they will just wait for next season?

    • Joel Brigham

      I don’t think things have changed much along these lines the last couple of weeks. What are they supposed to trade in order to improve their bench? What team is just giving away solid role players for second round picks? Portland fans are awesome fans, some of the best in the league, but their expectations for the bench to just improve without having any assets to move in order to make that happen are just too high. I think the Blazers are more or less stuck with what they’ve got, but they’re moving in the right direction. LaMarcus is an All-Star, and Lillard looks like he’s going to get there in the not-too-distant future. Batum took a huge step forward this year, too. I like a lot of the pieces here, but they’re only going to improve their bench through the draft and free agency. Sorry, Nuno. Gotta be patient.

14. robb

    I have heard Josh Smith linked to Indy as well as Oden and Redick. Do you see any of them ending up as a Pacer?

    • Joel Brigham

      Everything I’ve heard regarding Oden lately is heavy on the Miami talk, with a bit of San Antonio and Cleveland sprinkled in. Obviously, he’s an Indiana-born guy, so there’s got to be some love there for the Pacers. Still, that’s not the prominent rumor at the time, not that it matters a ton. He’s said he doesn’t want to play until next season, anyway. We’ve got plenty of time there.

      I don’t see Redick in Indiana. Josh Smith is interesting, especially since David West’s deal expires at the end of the year, and that would give Indy one heck of a backcourt, but if you’re trading, say, Danny Granger to get Smoove, why would Atlanta be all that interested? Maybe if West was the key piece, but he’s been a huge reason the Pacers have taken a step foward this season. Not sure I see that particular move happening, but it intrigues me all the same.

15. Steve

    Joel,
    I tend to think the Lakers problems are largely due to Howard. He wants to be the star though he is limited offensively and by ithe bad back. When things don’t go his way, like in Orlando, he gets “injured” and gets wishy washy on future intentions etc to try to get his way.
    That his how my little kids act sometimes too.
    Am I putting too much on him?

    • Joel Brigham

      I think it’s just a bad mix of personnel. The players don’t all fit the system (so, bad coaching hire, for one), and the players’ strengths and weaknesses don’t really complement each other that well (which explains why Nash and Kobe just can’t seem to coexist on the floor). It’s all just a mess. Dwight’s issues play a part, but it’s not the whole reason. Lots of things are headache-inducing around that team right now.

16. Frank

    Joel,
    Do you think Gay will perform well in Toronto being me the focus on offense?
    How good could Toronto be NEXT season after Bargs is gone, their young center improves and they add another piece through trade or MLE offseason?

    • Joel Brigham

      The Raptors needed a small forward more than anything, and there wasn’t anything even remotely as good as Gay out there to acquire, so bravo to them. I like Lowry, Gay, DeRozan, and Valanciunas as a starting place, but don’t get ahead of yourself on Bargnani. He’s not gone yet, and in fact could stick around for a couple more seasons before his contract expires. They’ll try to trade him, but there’s just no guarantee there.

      Despite that, I like the core at this point. They’re going to be a fun team to watch when everyone’s healthy. And that’s the next step–getting everyone healthy!

17. mario

    Good afternoon joel first off let me say that the person last week was really rude and disrespectful and that you handled that with a lot of class, now on to business be honest with me joel do the bulls need to make a move or do you think they could get by Miami with what they have right now and if they do need to make a move what do you suggest. Thx bro

    • Joel Brigham

      We deal with a lot of that kind of stuff because it’s super easy to be rude from behind a keyboard and a computer screen, but it is what it is.

      Even with a move, it’s hard to see the Bulls getting by Miami when it really matters. I just have this vision of them kicking it into gear when the postseason starts a la 2012. Even with Derrick and all the good juju surrounding this Chicago team right now, I don’t see it. I also don’t expect a big trade for the Bulls this year. Gar Forman has already said that their deadline move would be getting Derrick back. That’s enough for them. Remember, this is a conservative front office. They’ll want to see how this core works with its cornerstone. That means no big moves.

18. Kevin Cowan

    Whats the next move the Detroit Pistons need to make since the current trade. And is Dumars trading for his job.

    • Joel Brigham

      Maybe using the amnesty clause on Charlie V this offseason. I doubt they could find a taker for Rodney Stuckey. Really, they’re okay where they are right now. Most of the big contracts for the older players are gone, and they can really start looking forward towards building around Knight, Drummond, and Monroe. That’s the way to roll, and that looks like where they’re headed. Personally, I’m happy with that. At some point, though, Charlie V has got to go…

19. d

    Not feeling what the raps did last night. They just got rid of a great facilitator, and a rising double double machine. They crippled themselves financially, left gaps Downlow and at the PG spot and a glut of players at the SF. All for someone they already have in Demar Derozan…

    • Joel Brigham

      Gay is more of a natural small forward than DeRozan, but despite that, how else would Toronto ever get All-Star talent than through a trade like this? You could draft it, but that takes time to cultivate. Gay is right there right now, and they really didn’t have to give up all that much to make it happen. You’re supposed to cripple yourself financially if the players you’ve got are worth keeping. You think Miami is upset that they’re crippled financially? It was the right move for Toronto, but I’m sorry that some fans are looking at it like this. Trades happen, but I thought this was a good one for the Raps.

20. Hooper

    Which rookie big from the 2012 draft have higher ceiling talent wise between Anthony Davis and Andre Drummond? Both are young and unique.

    • Joel Brigham

      Davis has the higher ceiling, I think. He’s still just growing into his body and getting himself healthy. Plus, I think he’s got more of a shot on the offensive end than Drummond does, so I see Davis as a more complete player. Both are going to be very good, even if neither one ends up a perennial All-Star. I like them both, and they have similar games, but I think we can still say with some confidence that Davis has the higher ceiling.

21. Oliver from Germany

    Hey Joel,
    why is Carlos Boozer always seem so negative. Statwise he is just as good if not better than David West, Zach Randolph or Al Hortfort. With me on that? Are there any factors besides his salary? Love the chats, keep up the great work!!!

    • Joel Brigham

      Carlos himself is not a negative guy at all. Actually, he’s one of the nicest, most amiable guys in the entire league. But I think you probably meant why are fans and media so negative about him, and the answer there is that he just hasn’t lived up to his contract (at least not until this season), and hasn’t played as well as everyone thought he was capable of playing. Statistically, he’s been a disappointment, and since he’s always been awful defensively he sort of sticks out in a defense-heavy system like Tom Thibodeau’s. Bulls fans aren’t particularly patient with overpaid older stars since the whole Ben Wallace thing went down in 2006, so I think they just got frustrated with Boozer early in the process and it’s taken a long time to earn back that goodwill. He’s done a great job holding down the fort for Derrick, though, and I’m glad to see him be the guy we all knew he could be.

22. Hooper

    I think you underestimate the Pistons fan base. We haven’t had much reason to go see them because they’ve been boring and small with a roster of players that didn’t fit well together. Too much duplication. Drummond, Monroe, and Knight along with this years lottery pick and maybe a solid free agent will have the Palace hopping again. Not ready to be world beaters yet, but hopefully Dumars has studied the Sam Presti way of running an orginization.
    The dead dog the flea needs to jump off now is the Lakers, Celtics, and the Nets. Teams that talked promise but will not deliver who else needs to be mentioned that I haven’t?

    • Joel Brigham

      Amen, Hooper, and you’re right about Detroit. I like the core moving forward, though I seriously doubt Dumars is studying Sam Presti. Still, they’re in decent shape right now, and I absolutely hope the Palace gets its groove back. It’d be in the best interest of everybody, I think.

      That’s my hour, folks! Thanks for all the great questions, and I’ll see you all back here next Thursday for more of the same. Have a great weekend, and go Bulls!