NBA Chat With Joel Brigham, 5/24/12

1. Kermit

   Do you think there is that much of interest in Pau Gasol around the league? He has some hefty contract and although a very good player, he hasn’t been a world beater the last 2 years. Are Lakers stuck with him?

   • Joel Brigham

     Good afternoon, HOOPSWORLD Citizens, and welcome to another edition of my weekly chat! I had to miss last week’s conversation due to some scheduling conflicts, but it looks like I’ll have just enough time to squeak in an hour today before hitting the road for Indianapolis. Yes, folks, I’ll be at Game 6 of Heat/Pacers tonight, and I’m hoping it isn’t the last game I cover this season. Would love it if the Pacers could keep the ball rolling. I’m sure we’ll get plenty of questions about those two teams in a bit, but we’ll start with a little Lakers chatter because, let’s face, there are a crapload of angry Lakers fans out there right now. Let’s try to make them feel a little better about themselves, shall we?

     Kermit, I think there’s some market for Pau out there, but his contract is going to make it a little challenging to get something crazy done. I don’t see any reason why Houston wouldn’t still be interested in him, for example, and I would venture to guess that a handful of other teams would be interested, too. The trick for the Lakers (and it’s a tricky trick) is going to be finding fair value for the guy. I know he hasn’t been what he once was, but it’s going to prove very, very difficult to return a guy as good as Pau is, even at this point. It was fine when he was involved in the Chris Paul deal, but who else would L.A. really accept in return for him? It needs to be someone All-Star caliber, but that’s easier said than done.

2. Chris

   Hi Joel. Does this trade get done? Pau to Houston, Scola, Korver, Watson, and Butler to the Lakers, and Kevin Martin to the Bulls. Maybe Chicago sweetens the deal for Houston by including Charlotte’s 1st rounder.

   • Joel Brigham

     Not a move the Bulls would make. Remember, they don’t have a point guard next season if they trade Watson, so you can strike him from the record immediately. They’re also not likely to bring back Ronnie Brewer, so Jimmy Butler is pegged for his minutes now. Kevin Martin gives the Bulls a more potent scorer, but they’re already invested in Richard Hamilton. Knowing the Bulls, I just can’t see them making this one. Also, it doesn’t really do much for the Lakers to make them better. More depth, sure, but better? Not really.

3. andrew

   Hey joel how ya doing? Been a while since i asked something so im hoping you answer haha. I have two questions so ill just get into it

   1. This season has been rough on a lot of teams. We havent even hit the conference finals and already everyones talking about whos going to get shipped off and where. Although that makes for great news and an intetesting off season, do you really think it should happen? Lots of guys came in without a full camp and most teams never even settled on a rotation during the streamlined season. Do you see teams msking as much noise as is being predicted or will some of them hold off?

   2. Been looking at the top draft prospects n top fa’s. Who are the top 3 draft picks on clevelands wishlist, realisticlly. What fa’s do they have a shot at n im aware its not always about having enough money

   Thanks man, take it easy!

   • Joel Brigham

     1. Teams know enough about their rosters to decide if they need to make moves. The Lakers, for example, aren’t going to turn into championship contenders just because they get a training camp. Trade-happy teams will make trades, and teams with talent they like will hold on. I don’t see training camp doing a whole lot for teams, though I could see a lot of this year’s rookies making huge sophomore leaps with the extra preparation and rest. Along those lines, it’s scary to think how good Kyrie Irving could be in a year…

     2. Let’s assume the Cavs end up with the third pick in the draft since that’s where their record would put them. The only person we can really count out at that pick is Anthony Davis. Literally anybody else could still be available right there. That being the case, I’ve thought all along that Mike Kidd-Gilchrist was the third-best player in the draft, and Cleveland does have a need for a small forward, so I could see that turning into a solid marriage. To a lesser extent, Brad Beal could work filling in the two spot. My favorite non-Anthony-Davis player in this draft is Thomas Robinson, but Cleveland has enough at power forward where I think they would pass on him. Third choice would be either Andre Drummond or Harrison Barnes, neither of whom I’m particularly excited about. Assuming they pick third, I’d gear up for either MKG or Beal.

4. Efren

   What do you think of this? im only saying this because i heard chris paul would be the main recruiter this offseason
   Orlando trade with clippers
   orlando gets
   gomes exp contract
   bledsoe 3 year contract very low value great outbreak playoff player that everyone might want on their team and very young
   deandre jordan solid center with potential still because he still young and freak of nature
   butler (shoot first player) 2 years left but shorter and better player than richardson gives way to amnesty hedo
   also nola two second round picks
   for
   clippers get
   dwight howard
   either glen davis or jason richardson long term contract
   salaries match orlando get rid of dwight get good pieces and gets rid of one long contract preferably richardson two 2nd round draft picks from clippers belonging to nola

   • Joel Brigham

     I’m luke warm on this. Not enough star power coming back to Orlando to get them to pull the trigger. CP3, Blake, and Dwight would be a fun group to watch though, wouldn’t they?

5. zeeshan

   Bulls get rid of Watson,Brewer,James,and Scal.

   Do the Bulls have a chance of landing Tyrege Evans OR Ray Allen?

   Would you pleases tell on a scale 1-10 for both that how big of a chance they got to land in the Windy Coty? Thanks:)

   • Joel Brigham

     Don’t know that they’ll get rid of Watson. I think they’ll pick up his option. Even if they don’t, their cap space is nil next year because D-Rose’s extension kicks in. $56 million of the $58 million cap is taken up by Rose, Deng, Boozer, and Noah, and that means any realistic shot at Ray Allen is pretty much gone unless he wants to sign for peanuts. I’m sure he’d love another ring, but without Rose possible all year, is Chicago the place for him to get it?

     And why do Bulls fans keep asking about Tyreke Evans? He couldn’t be a worse fit for that clubhouse, definitely not the kind of guy the Bulls would bring in. Doesn’t fit their philosophies at all.

6. paprika

   So the all star shaq and chuck gm battle will payoff . shaq will get a interview for the gm job. Will he be a good one? In my own opinion i think c.barkley can be a better gm.whats your take sir?

   • Joel Brigham

     Barkley can’t even pronounce half of the guys names in the league. I’m not sure he’d be the best guy to evaluate talent and balance a team’s books. I love watching Chuck on TNT, but I’m not giving him the keys to my franchise. Would be fun from a PR standpoint, and I’m sure fans would love it, but for the sake of practicality it seems like an insane idea.

     Shaq doesn’t seem much better. From what I hear, the source on Shaq getting an interview was Shaq himself. I have a feeling he’s not being considered as seriously as perhaps he’d like to be. Patrick Ewing will coach before Shaquille O’Neal is a general manager.

7. adobo kid

   Watching kg lately. He looks awsome with those 20 foot jumpers. Something gasol wasnt able to do for the lakers. Would a sign and trade for the rivals be good? Sessions pau and goudlocke for rondo and kg? Or maybe just try get kg ,let gasol be traded n go for dwilliams.. and wait for dwith himself to call mitch kupchak buy him a laker uniform?

   • Joel Brigham

     Your sign and trade idea is ridiculous. That’s not happening.

     The idea of Garnett signing in L.A. on the tail end of a Deron Williams acquisition feels a million percent more realistic. If the Lakers end up with D-Will, I could see Garnett latching on there to pursue another ring, though don’t expect this level of play over the course of an 82-game season. You’d be signing KG on the cheap hoping he could stay healthy and conserve his energy for the playoffs.

     I’m not sure how the salary numbers work out to make all that happen, but it’s kind of a cool idea. I wonder how that would make Celtics fans feel?

8. Deven

   Hi Joel. If Philly were to win the series against the Cs on Saturday, how many games do you have the Miami Heat, if they also advance, to win that series?

   • Joel Brigham

     Sweep. Miami would absolutely destroy that Philly team, but I guess I should be careful about what I predict since I’ve been saying they’d get killed every round they’ve played so far. But the Bulls were unlucky and the Celtics are old; Miami’s in an entirely different class right now, and with LeBron playing the way he’s playing, I just don’t see Philly even getting a game. If Miami wraps up this Indiana series the way they’re supposed to, you can go ahead and write Miami a free a pass to the Finals.

9. The Philippine Eagle

   After this season, where do you think Larry Bird will go? Do you think he will accept an offer to come over LA to coach the Lakers? I love the toughness of Bird-coached Pacers during the Jordan Era…

   • Joel Brigham

     Bird won’t coach again. His body just can’t take the travel or the stress, which is why he’s doing the job he’s doing with the Pacers. Indy has told him he can pretty much keep that job for as long as he wants in any capacity he wants. If he wants to do less work, they’ll give him less to do. But right now, he’s got a posh situation where he gets to be close to an NBA team in his home state where he can spend a lot of time with his family. If he ever gives that up, it’ll be because he’s retiring all the way.

     And come on, Larry Bird working the LAKERS??? That’s maybe the craziest thing I’ve read all month, and I follow Chad Ochocinco on Twitter.

10. Bryant

    who is the better long term player, Tyler Zeller or Spencer Hawes? who would the blazers be better suited to go after?

    • Joel Brigham

      Can I pick Cody Zeller? If I can pick Cody Zeller, that’s my choice.

      If it’s between the other two, I suppose I’ll go with Hawes, if only for the reason that he’s already proven he can play in the NBA. Tyler Zeller doesn’t strike me as the kind of kid who can take over an NBA game, but I said the same thing about Tyler Hansbrough and he’s certainly had his moments in this league. Hawes is confident, though, and effective. Given the minutes, he’ll produce solid numbers. Tyler Zeller I’m less sure about.

11. Bryant

    Whats the deal with “make up calls” in games? To me it seems laughable to think that the refs will make up for a bad call with another bad call. I love the NBA, don’t get me wrong but there just seems to be something fundamentally wrong with this concept.

    • Joel Brigham

      I won’t disagree with you, but I will say that when my team is on the wrong end of a bad call, I appreciate the make-up calls, and when it’s the other way around I end up thoroughly annoyed. I guess it’s just a part of the game, Bryant. Don’t see that changing any time soon.

12. Gery

    Indy Miamia series proved to me that DWest and Rhibbert are just regular season players because they were x factors in this series and thus far they proved their medicracy. All-Star Hibbert? man Im looking for Pekovic…

    • Joel Brigham

      The really scary thing is that he’s up for an extension this summer, and can’t you just see someone out there offering him a max-level deal? Teams pay big for big players, particularly ones with a skill set like Hibbert, so it’s not crazy to think he’ll totally get overpaid this summer, and it might be the Pacers are the ones who get forced into shelling out that dough. Not going to be easy for Indy to figure that out, but luckily they’ve got about $21 million in cap space.

      As for David West, you can say what you will about his waning basketball skills, but he’s brought a measure of toughness to this team that they really needed. Bird called them “soft” after that Game 5 blowout, but they’d be even softer without D-West. He’s a smart veteran who really matters in that locker room, so his influence has reached farther than his play on the court. That said, you’d like him to be more consistent in the postseason when the team needs him most.

13. Derek

    Whats up JB? although we have seen some decent ball from Watson, Korver and Brewer over the last couple of years, but i think neither should be back. Butler = Brewer, Korver is USELESS! if Rose isn’t on the floor cuz he can’t get his own shot so teams crowd him comin off screens and watson can’t run the offense on get past anybody. What do u think?

    • Joel Brigham

      I think it doesn’t matter if Rose doesn’t play, anyway. I’m already not looking forward to next Bulls season because the expectations are going to be pretty low for them. I could see them passing up all those guys’ options this summer and just filling some gaps to make the roster work for a year, but I could also see them all back because it’d be for just one more year anyway.

      Brewer is gone, though, I think. Great kid, and I’ll miss him, but you’re right about Butler. He’s pretty much the same guy at a fraction of the price.

14. Derek

    Do u think Billups is attainable? If we shed the salaries of the watson, brewer and korver, assuming he was willing to take less and start as pg with his old buddy next season to keep us afloat while the WCA is recovering? He could provide us with everything those 3 did in one person, shooting and D to a lesser extent

    • Joel Brigham

      Nah, I think he wants another shot in L.A. next season. Besides, he’ll be coming off a nasty injury rehab, too, and the last thing you want heading into the playoffs is two point guards with uncertain injury pasts. Chauncey has vowed to play next season, but I think it’ll be with LAC if he does come back.

15. Derek

    What r u hearing about Mirotic? What r u think or r hearing that we’ll do n the draft? and finally do u think the BOOZER and korver for PAU trade will be revisited? by the way I WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOOOOOVVVVEEEE THAT!!!!

    • Joel Brigham

      Not much on Mirotic for a while, but the scouting report is still pretty much the same–he could absolutely help an NBA team right now, but his contract situation won’t allow it for at least a couple more seasons. He’s apparently very good, but watching a few YouTube videos hasn’t told me everything I want to know about him yet. We’ll see, but his league debut is still quite a ways off.

      As for Boozer-for-Pau, I’m not sure what the Lakers see in that deal, but it’s one I’d endorse for Chicago, for sure.

      Speaking of Boozer, how crazy is it that he got a vote for the All-Defensive team? Some coach had himself a nice chuckle when he turned in that ballot, eh?

16. Gery

    Bulls to tank and start over?It makes them feasable to continue their run when Drose comes back!

    • Joel Brigham

      No Tom Thibodeau coached team would ever tank, nor can I see them even losing enough to miss the postseason. Even without Rose, the regular season means more to Thibs and the Bulls than it does for other teams, so I’d expect them to settle into a 6 or 7 seed in the East next season when it’s all said and done (and that depends on how quickly Rose gets back). A mid-first-rounder won’t make or break this team. Chicago’s ready for perennial playoff appearances. We’ve had our fair share of lottery picks and I think it’s safe to say we’ve moved on from that for a while.

17. Nick

    If the C’s don’t resign Allen which seems likely, where are his TOP 3 priorities? Would he take a minium to play with a title conteder like Chicago or Miami?

    • Joel Brigham

      Again, Chicago’s probably not a contender next year. Miami seems odd, too, since they’ve got guys to play shooting guard already. I could see him sniffing out the Clippers (depending on what they do with Nick Young) or the Grizzlies (who probably won’t be able to afford O.J. Mayo anymore), the latter of which we already know has interest because they almost traded for him at the deadline this past season. He could do a lot worse than Indiana, too, who could use a little depth at shooting guard, particularly if Leandro Barbosa doesn’t re-sign. Those would be my top-three non-Boston possibilities for Ray, and I think any would put him in a reasonably situation to contend for a championship.

18. al

    Woah, arent these Lakers fans annoying you with these unrealistic trade ideas. I think they only need a tweak here or there. I like an Andre Miller or Ray Felton for them

    • Joel Brigham

      You have no idea… my chat question list is packed FULL of them. I don’t know that I agree that only “tweaks” are necessary, though. Outside of Kobe and Bynum, I don’t think anybody on that roster really wowed my these playoffs. If there was ever a time to reorganize around Kobe, now’s the time. He doesn’t have a whole lot of great years left.

19. Jason

    People accuse me of panicking when I propose this but isn’t it just good business sense in the new CBA to try to trade Deng for something like Dudley/13th pick (Rivers or Ross) and lower salary while adding some talent? Not proposing a blowup just some mid sized smart moves.

    • Joel Brigham

      The Bulls value Deng more than that. He was an All-Star this year, so they’re going to expect All-Star caliber talent if they’re going to move him. He is the longest tenured guy on that roster, though, and the team is pretty attached to him on both a personal and professional level. I get not over-valuing the guys you’ve got, I just don’t see Bulls brass feeling as though things are dire enough to ship out a guy who means so much to them. I’m not opposed to moving him, but I’d want to see a little more of a return than Jared Dudley and a pick on the back end of the lottery.

20. Jeff (Toronto)

    Sure he is a little overpaid, but what is the real reason there has been Igoudala trade rumors for years? Why would they want to get rid of him?

    • Joel Brigham

      Because he’s their superstar, but he’s not a superstar. He’s a big enough talent where his name makes you pay attention to the rumor, but he’s not a big enough name where he’s untouchable. He’s just one of those guys that everybody thinks is better than he actually is, and since he seems attainable, rumors pop up. Defensively, he’s great, and on a team where he wouldn’t have to the primary scoring option, I could see him thriving as the second- or third-best player. Put him a good transition team like that, and he’d really come into his own.

21. Clint

    Who are some of the most influential not superstars in the nba?

    • Joel Brigham

      Brian Scalabrine. He’s the only one.

22. bodyguard

    Word is tyreke may be on the block, would sac do this trade deng/brewer/taj+ bobcat pick for evans/garcia/salmon+ there pick this year or we swap 1rd picks. we draft a big like robinson etc. let lucas/scal walk sign a few vets to fill out roster

    • Joel Brigham

      Let’s never, ever talk about Tyreke Evans to the Bulls again. I seriously can’t understand the obsession, Bulls fans. Why?

23. Tdot Allstar homeboy 4 real

    What do the raptors need to do to make the post season this year? Can it be done? Please god..

    • Joel Brigham

      Cheer up, bud. It can be done, and I think Jonas Valanciunas + Other Lottery Pick will go a long ways towards getting them there. They aren’t an awful team, they just don’t have any stand-out stars. I think Jonas can be that, and if he can be that quickly enough, Toronto’s right back in the thick of things.

24. John L

    Hey Joel,
    D Rose’s recovery from ACL injury will be more mental than physical. Do you see the Bulls sitting Rose for all of next year so he can work on both his explosivness and mental approach to playing NBA ball again?

    • Joel Brigham

      I’m hearing that it’s a 12+ month recovery, not the “8-12 months” that we originally read about. There is too much money invested in this very young kid to risk him pulling a William Gates in “Hoop Dreams” and just never getting himself right ever again. Players can come back from ACL injuries in today’s sports world and still be explosive All-Stars, but only if the thing heals the right way. I just can’t see the Bulls risking that with the most popular athlete in Chicago. If they need to sit him the whole year, they will. I think a lot of it will come down to playoff positioning. If they’re still very much in it when he’s getting close (and they should be), he might try to make it back for April. If they’re out of it, though, no point in rushing him back.

      Like I said, I’m already not excited about next season. But we’ll have plenty of time for loathing once these fantastic playoffs wrap up.

      And speaking of playoffs, I’ve got to wrap this up for today so I can hit the road and gear up for Pacers/Heat Game 6. Watch for me on TV; I’ll be the really, really ridiculously good-looking one.

      Thanks for all the great questions, and we’ll do it again in a week. Have a great holiday weekend, and a special thanks to everyone who’s ever served in the military. I appreciate everything you do to ensure my family’s freedom. Thank you a million times over.

      I’m off to Indy…