NBA Chat With Joel Brigham, 2/9/12

Join Joel Brigham this Thursday afternoon at 1:30pm ET to chat about all things NBA. We’ll cover everything from trade rumors, the latest in the Dwight Howard saga, and of course the Bulls and Pacers.  Get your questions in early, and be back here Thursday afternoon to take part in all the fun!

  1. Jesse

    What do you think of Austin Daye? I believe he can be really good if given enough playing time I dont know why they resigned Prince.

    • Joel Brigham

      Good afternoon, HOOPSWORLD Citizens, and welcome to another edition of my weekly chat. Just finished re-watching the Will Ferrell introductions from last night’s Bulls/Hornets game, and it just doesn’t get old. One of my colleagues today said it was the most entertaining and original thing Ferrell has done since “Step Brothers.” Not sure that’s true, but my goodness was it entertaining. I enjoyed the deadpan Chicago introductions quite a bit more than the excited gags about the Hornets. Carlos Boozer, apparently, still lives with his mother. It’s hilarious. Link here:

      Ferrell Introduces Bulls/Hornets

      Onto the question itself, I’ve been confused about the direction of the Detroit Pistons for a couple of years now. Daye is a guy that HOOPSWORLD has followed pretty closely since he came into the league, and I remember meeting up with him during Summer League his rookie year and really liking the kid. When he’s been given the minutes I think we’ve seen flashes of how good he can be, but with Tayshaun Prince firmly entrenched as the starting three, he’s not going to see his fair share of floor time unless Prince gets hurt. It’s unfortunate, and it also doesn’t make a whole lot of sense…

      The strength of the Pistons, who are a pretty crummy team, is in their youth, but they’ve got this weird mix of vets in there, too, which makes it hard to fully commit to that youth. I’d rather see the team built around Knight, Daye, Jerebko, and Monroe, but we’ll continue to see way too much Gordon, Villanueva, Stuckey, Prince, and Big Ben for as long as they’re still with the team. They need to go young, but they can’t. This is what we’re stuck with.

  2. rubs93

    Give us a grade and quick comment on the following Bulls players season so far
    Korver
    Watson
    Asik
    Gibson
    Brewer

    • Joel Brigham

      Korver: 8 ppg in 24 minutes isn’t awful, and he’s shooting 44% from three, but his role goes away when Rip is healthy. I give him a C.
      Watson: When he’s healthy, he’s been great. He’s scoring the ball well, and has filled in when Derrick was out way better than any of us realized he was capable of: B+
      Asik: 5 rpg in 15 mpg is solid stuff, just haven’t seen enough of him. For what he does and how many minutes he gets: a solid B.
      Gibson: Not as strong as expected coming into the season, but Boozer’s seeing huge minutes. Still, expected more out of him: C+
      Brewer: Hard not to give him an A. Had he not improved as much as he did, Hamilton’s injuries would’ve been a lot more detrimental. Ronnie’s had a great season so far.

  3. zuman at kape

    If u r mitch kupchak. What would u be thinking right now? Panic mode or kobe confident? Whats your take on pau gasols 2012 game and what will be your plan for the team lets say dwith n deron plays for nj for good? Lastly is rudy gay a possibility for the lakers.who would it take to trade for him?

    • Joel Brigham

      Kind of a loaded question, so I’ll just roll with the first part of it: If I’m Kupchak, I’m trying to do everything I can to put together a team that can at least have a shot to win the West. They need a point guard, but I don’t think trading Pau to get it is necessarily the way to roll. It’s a tough spot, but the chances to win with Kobe are running out and fast. Not sure I’m in “Get Arenas” panic mode, but I’m definitely considering it.

  4. robert jaworski

    Fun question… One on one who wins, dwade or drose?who will win on a game bill russel’s celtics or hakeems rochets? And who do u think has d best footwork in basket ball, jordan or hakeem? Lastly.. if prime reggie miller and prime charles barkley did the lebron n teamed up. Would they beat the bulls of jordan. Lets say barkley joined the tough pacers…. Thanks for your time

    • Joel Brigham

      Jeez guys, one question at a time… this is too much to handle. Just break these up and submit them in pieces, alrighty?

      One-on-one, I’d probably take Wade. Better defender, for one, and I think both guys ability to attack the rim is more or less even, but I’d trust Wade’s range a little more. That said, I’d be rooting for Derrick. Whoever won, I think that’s something a lot of us would pay good pay-per-view money for.

      I would never bet against a Celtics team that won 11 championships. The best one of those could probably beat either of the Rockets’ championship seasons in the mid-90s, though era-specific issues would mean Houston is much better matched than people realize. Russell probably wouldn’t be able to handle Olajuwon, at least not easily. The rest of the Celtics on those rosters, though? Legends.

      And Hakeem had better footwork. Love Jordan, but footwork? Dream.

  5. budoy

    Just curious if u guys get free tickets to d game? And do players give u guys free stuff too? Like maybe endorsement shoes or sports stuff? What are the privelage on working for an nba team? Just wondering. Thankssssss

    • Joel Brigham

      No tickets. We’re credentialed media, which means teams have special parts of the arena cordoned off for us. Our “tickets” are our press passes.

      And no, we don’t get free stuff from players. In fact, it would be pretty unprofessional of us to even ask for something as simple as an autograph or picture. We’re not there to be fans; we’re there to do a job professionally. Occasionally, you’ll see media given credentials that are really starstruck, and the players get pretty annoyed by it. The locker room is a work space; the arena has places where autographs are allowed, so that should be the one sanctuary.

      Plus, if you want a player to take you seriously as a reporter, you make it clear to them that you want a conversation with them and nothing more. We’re just not there to add to our celebrity souvenir collection, ya know?

      The perks, though? We essentially get paid to have season tickets, and we get to consider–in some cases–NBA players as friends. We get to talk about a game we love and interact with the people that make the game possible. Audio of me talking to Derrick Rose is just as good as Derrick’s autograph, in my opinion. The experience is pretty awesome on its own. Don’t need a lot of keepsakes necessarily.

  6. Juan Cruz

    In the last 2 or 3 weeks John Lucas has proven he can play a few minutes per game if needed. However, wouldn’t the Bulls be better if they have kept Mike James or signed Ben Uzoh? Uzoh is a big guard who plays defense and could develop into DRose’s backup if they can’t keep CJ Watson. Any updates on Przybilla’s status? Could the Bulls also bring another guard while Rip is out?

    • Joel Brigham

      I don’t know enough about Uzoh to speak on his credibility as an NBA player, but I will say that Mike James seemed like a nice fit as a PG off the bench, but the team has had Lucas around for a couple years, which means he’s part of the chemistry of a team that really, really values chemistry. As far as third string PG’s go, he’s got to be considered one of the most effective in the league. Plus he knows the staff and the facilities more. All that plays into it.

      As for looking at guys to acquire, my impression has been that the Bulls would rather just get healthy and see what they’ve got over an extended period of time before they start making wholesale changes. They haven’t been anything even approaching healthy yet, and they’ve already got two more wins than anybody else in the entire NBA. Lots of blowouts for them, too, this year, so it’s not even that they’re just squeaking by teams, and three of their six losses came in a single five-game stretch that included a lot of road games. Not time to panic yet, though I have heard they like the idea of Pryzybilla, though they’re not in any particular hurry to bring him aboard.

  7. Brooks

    Regarding the Rondo for Gasol talks, I feel this trade is perfect for both teams. Lakers get their PG of the future who is all about the team and contributes to every part of the game, and the Celtics get another All-Star post who’s contract expires when Pierce’s does. What do you think?

    • Joel Brigham

      If it didn’t make sense, it wouldn’t be a rumor. I don’t know that I’d say Rondo is “all about the team.” He goes off on his own agenda sometimes, but in general he’s been good enough to weather that. Still, he can be a little surly, so buyer beware.

      Gasol bolsters the frontcourt there, but who comes in and plays point guard without Rondo? He’s a large part of what makes that team run. Not sure I love it for the Celtics, honestly. It doesn’t really improve their title hopes this year all that much, but it does kill hopes for rebuilding. I’d stand pat if I were them, though if I were L.A., I’d be all over it.

  8. Eric

    Hi Joel. Golden State trades Monta Ellis and Dorrell Wright to Memphis for Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo. Who do you think says no to this trade and do you think it would help both teams?

    • Joel Brigham

      I love it for both teams, actually. That gives you Curry-Mayo-Gay in Golden State and Conley-Ellis-Wright in Memphis… Pretty fair deal, but I have serious doubts that Memphis would pull the trigger on that. They’re only trading Gay for someone they consider a superstar, and I fear that Ellis (having never even been an All-Star) would fall short of that. I would think that the Grizz believes if they can just get back into the playoffs then maybe they repeat some of last year’s magic. They still want to see what they can do on the big stage with everybody healthy. And really, this year hasn’t been anything close to that without Zach Randolph. So while a good idea, this trade isn’t happening. Not right now, at least.

  9. JP

    1-Do you think TWolves should sign Beasley to the Qualifying Offer?
    2-Is it possible to trade him on draft night without being given the Qualifying ?
    3-Is it needed to use the amnesty on Miller and Webster even without signing Beasley to the Qualifying to have enough cap space to sign Eric Gordon?

    • Joel Brigham

      1. I think it’s time to cut Beasley loose. He’s played relatively well for them, but they’ve got money to spend on the guys on their roster already, and he just can’t be in their future for what kind of money he’s going to command. Not when you’ve got Derrick Williams just itching for more minutes at quite a bit less cash. Let him go, I say, for financial reasons and basketball reasons.
      2. I don’t know offhand, but my guess is no. Larry Coon would know.
      3. Can only amnesty one. The other you’d have to buy out, but you could spread that buyout over a few years. Still, Eric Gordon’s not coming to Minnesota. He’ll either extend for big cash in New Orleans or look to head home and play for Indiana, who really, really wants him.

  10. devonte

    does j.r smith sign with the knicks ultimately? the addition to the squad would bring a great boost of offense much needed and with jeremy lin “linsanity” at the point finding everybody and opening this offense could propel the knicks deep into the playoffs? they are also playing defense averaging alot of steals due to shumpert and now lin. does this knicks team make it too the playoffs?

    • Joel Brigham

      No idea who Smith signs with at this point, other than it most likely won’t be Denver. Have heard that the Clippers will have serious interest, but if the Knicks can offer more playing time, that might be the route he goes. Anything is possible at this point, with zero teams chasing him officially while he finishes up his China campaign.

      And even without Smith, the Knicks are looking a lot better lately with J-Lin doing his thing. If he keeps moving the ball the way he has, this could be an entirely different Knicks team than we say for the first third of the season. The playoffs certainly are something I would expect from a team boasting Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Tyson Chandler.

  11. Vlad

    Why people think Kobe is clutch shooter vs LeBron? I remember numerous games when Kobe would disappear and someone else would make the shots. Even the last championship, Kobe was lost and Artest went insane. Even Fisher has made more big shots in my memory. Sure Kobe made some too, but considering the amount of big shots he is taken, he percentage is very low. BTW where was Kobe when they lost to Dallas 0:4 in second round? And nobody blames him. James takes his team to finals and lose to the same team 2:4 and it’s James fault. It is ridiculous IMO. LeBron had the best clutch performance in the history vs DEtroit’s best defence by scoring 25 point streight to close that series. As good as Kobe is, he is always overrated. Cassell and Miller were clutch most of the time. Kobe is not great in those situations.

  12. devonte

    amare for jrue holiday and elton brand?

    • Joel Brigham

      Not a prayer. Philly has no reason to make that move. Brand is averaging 10 ppg and 7 rpg, while Amar’e is at 18 ppg and 8 rpg. That’s not enough of a difference to throw in a young point guard as talented as Jrue Holiday. Not a prayer here.

  13. Rudens

    I don’t understand why a lot of people don’t want to trade for Howard due to team chemistry sake. All this team chemistry and I still don’t think we could beat the heat, it’s time to go all in for Howard. What do you think?

    • Joel Brigham

      I’d trade everybody on the Chicago Bulls this side of Derrick Rose for him, chemistry aside. There’s this fear that what he’s done to Orlando would happen with his new team, but that can’t be the case if he’s extended in the process. Without that extension, though, not only is chemistry an issue, but there’s the issue of wondering whether or not he’s here to stay or as a rental. He’s clearly got teams he wants to play for, and even a team like, say the Bulls or Lakers, might not be a situation he wants to be in long-term. I’ve been told myriad times that he wants to be The Man. He wants it to be his team, his city. Get out of the shadow of Shaq. Own a city that isn’t already owned by Kobe or D-Rose. New York is kinda wide open right now… he’s a bigger star than Deron, Melo, or STAT… So he could potentially play with Deron Williams in Brooklyn and run the town. As long as that option’s out there, the Nets will stay the frontrunner.

  14. Hurricane Game

    how far does a roster of:

    lawson,miller
    affalo,fernandez
    gallo(assuming hes healthy), chandler
    nene,harrington, faried
    mosgov,kofus

    go?

    WCF with OKC? 2nd round exit?

    can we beat memphis or the spurs with this roster?

    • Joel Brigham

      Denver could beat either of those two teams with their roster, and especially if they bring back Wilson Chandler. George Karl is a great coach milking every ounce of possible production out of that team, and it’s hard to argue that they aren’t playing better ball than either the banged-up and disappointing Grizzlies or the aging, disjointed Spurs. I’ll spot them a first-round series win assuming the match-up is desirable. Beyond that, it’s kind of up for grabs. Right now, though, it’s hard to argue against a Clippers/Thunder Conference Finals…

  15. Bryan

    I think my Pacers are one trade away from being true contenders. Do you agree and how could they possibly obtain?

    • Joel Brigham

      They’re pretty close, aren’t they? Hibbert and Granger could both end up All-Stars this year, and I’m not sure I could tell you the last team Indy has two representatives. David West has an All-Star resume, too, and Paul George looks like he could very well get there someday himself. I’m not sure what they need to make that leap, but this is exactly the reason I really pushed for Jamal Crawford to Indy during the offseason. That extra little bit of veteran experience and scoring punch. As it stands, I’d rather just give this group the year to gel and come in with high hopes for 2012-2013. If they could sign Eric Gordon, they’d have that piece you’re talking about. Not entirely unrealistic.

  16. Scott

    Should the Clips look to make a move for someone like Courtney Lee, Nick, Young, O.J. Mayo or just roll with what they have?

    • Joel Brigham

      No Chauncey makes it even more likely that they make a hard push for J.R. Smith. They could sign him outright, get plenty of production, and not have to give anything up in the process. And why wouldn’t Smith want to play with that team in that city? Seems sort of inevitable at this point.

  17. Chosen One

    Is Jeremy Lin the real deal or is he just getting lucky?

    • Joel Brigham

      Hard to say, but I think I’m with the majority of basketball fans out there when I say I really hope this is for real. The Knicks really needed a real point guard, as it’s become clear these last three games that a real point guard is exactly what they’ve been missing. Keep the ball moving, and you’ll have more offensive productivity. At the very least, Lin has done that for New York. The numbers won’t stay quite that high, but I think he can start in this league and put up respectable stats. Playing for D’Antoni doesn’t hurt anything, either. He seems like a nice kid, so I’m hoping this good play sticks.

  18. matt

    apparently denver want w.chandler back and he wants to go there. BUT? they’ll have to shell out a lot of $ to Lawson soon. and a lot of $ is going 2wards affalo, gallo,birdman,nene,koufos,harrington.

    • Joel Brigham

      Yeah, I’ll believe it when I see it. it looks like he’s going to be stuck there the rest of the year just because of the way his restricted free agency is going to play out. My guess is that he jumps on board through the end of the year, then revisits free agency in the summer. After giving Gallo and Afflalo all that money, it sort of indicated that they wouldn’t be bringing Wilson back long-term. The rest of the season, yes. Beyond? Probably not.

  19. Tom (Chicago)

    I keep having an argument with my friend about the significance of the Bulls record thus far. He keeps arguing that it doesn’t mean much because the Bulls’ strength of schedule has been so weak. I, on the other hand, have been arguing that the record speaks volumes about how good this team is because the total number of games (highest in the league), number of road games (highest in the league), and number/severity of injuries more than offsets any weakness in the schedule. What are your thoughts?

    • Joel Brigham

      In the small picture Tom, you are correct, and your friend is wrong. It says a lot about the team that they’ve played this well despite all the things you mention about volume of games (particularly the volume of road games… a nine-game trip? Seriously?).

      I see what your buddy is trying to say, though. This is a season where record really doesn’t matter when it comes to the playoffs. There are a ton of teams that can compete, but I still don’t think anybody is built to tackle Miami in a seven-game series. Chicago can beat any team on any given night, but seven games in a row is a different animal, and I’m not sure they’re the best playoff team in the league by a longshot. I love the Bulls, and I pull for them, but for now I’m skeptical. I need to see some postseason success before I start drinking too much of that particular Kool-Aid.

  20. Mike

    Why aren’t more people pointing to the sixers instead of the thunder as the model for rebuilding a team thru the draft. Seeing as guys like Durant and Westbrook aren’t available in every draft.

    • Joel Brigham

      Personally, I think Indiana should be looked as the paragon for rebuilding in the draft. Check this out: Paul George (10th), Danny Granger (17th), Tyler Hansbrough (13th), and Roy Hibbert (17th). Those are all guys they’ve drafted despite finishing right in the middle of the pack each and every year. It’s almost impossible to rebuild a team like that, but they’ve done it, and probably even a little better than even Philly has. Though both those teams are in good shape.

      The reason OKC is seen as having better management is because they’ve made all the right financial decisions. I mean like, aaaallll the right financial decisions. They never would’ve signed Brand to the contract he got, for example. Yes, Iguodala and Holiday and Young are great draftees, but Brand kind of negates all that. Big picture, OKC has made the right high picks and been smart about everything else while those guys developed. Indy and Philly have had a rockier road.

      That’s my hour, folks. Thanks for all the great questions, and I look forward to doing more of the same next week. In the meantime, have a great weekend, and go Bulls!