NBA Chat With Joel Brigham, 9/29/11

1. Colin Dunne

   What happened to your Top 5 players from each franchise articles? They were a good conversation starter. Many a debate over many an ale. I am enjoying the ‘Solving Problems’ articles, keep up the good work there!

   • Joel Brigham

     You nailed it in that the “Solving Problems” articles have officially taken precedence for the time being. I was about to do “Top 5 Chicago Bulls,” so it’s not like I stopped on purpose; the assignments just changed. We could very well have a full 12 months to get through the 26-27 teams I have left to rate all-time rosters for, so I’m not in a huge hurry. We’ll get to them.

2. Nick

   Do the cavs find someone to take jamison, davis, gibson or sessions off are hands?

   • Joel Brigham

     If there is an amnesty clause in the new CBA, you can go ahead and bet a bajillion dollars that Baron Davis is the guy bought out, so there solves that problem right there.

     Without amnesty, though, there’s no way anybody is making a trade for Baron Davis. It was a miracle of God that the Clippers were able to find a taker for him. For Cleveland to find some other sucker to do them the same favor seems pretty improbable. Hey, they got Kyrie Irving out of that trade, and that’s a good enough reward to suffer with BD’s bad deal for another couple of seasons.

     As for Jamison, Sessions, and Boobie, I don’t know. Jamison is a $15 million expiring deal, which could look good to some teams looking to shed salary under the new CBA, though it wouldn’t be the worst to have him stick around for a year to help bring Tristan Thompson along. Twan is a great dude and would be an excellent mentor for TT.

     Gibson has a team option after the season, which again means his $4 million or so is sufferable if it needs to be. Sessions will be the hardest to move I think, but even he expires in 2013 (a year sooner if he waves his player option, which he probably won’t).

     Nah, for the most part I think you’re stuck with the same team you had last year, but with the additions of the rookies. Which is fine, because they could use another year of badness and another high draft pick. And if there’s no season, Gibson and Jamison take care of themselves, don’t they? They’d just join the free agent pool in July as would’ve been planned anyway.

3. Kevin

   Nobody wants to admit it, but the rich superstars don’t care much about the lockout or they would be at meetings. Does Bryant, Melo, LBJ really care…not to say they don’t love basketball, but it shows how little they care…if you were Bryant would you be at all the meetings?

   • Joel Brigham

     Kobe, maybe not since he’s on the tail end of his career and the new CBA wouldn’t really affect him much, but Melo and LBJ are a little younger and could see the effects of this thing play their disadvantage for the next 5-10 years. Maybe not for them, since both guys are signed to what is probably the last huge contract of their careers, but for their teams and by association their championship aspirations. New York wants to haul in a third star, which they’ll need if they want to win a ring with Amar’e and Melo, but if things go wrong they might not even get a midlevel exception to fart around with. That’s bad for the Knicks and Heat especially, so if I were them, I’d absolutely care.

     That said, I’ve heard that there are a fair number of superstars that are planning on being at the Friday meeting. So take that for what it’s worth.

4. Dong of Dayton

   Howdy Joel,

   What are your thoughts on Raymond Felton with the Blazers? He put up some nice numbers last year under DiAntoni but Nate McMillan is somewhat of the opposite style of coaching. Do you see Feltons numbers dip this season?

   • Joel Brigham

     Maybe his numbers his dip, but his overall effectiveness shouldn’t. Just because he’s not part of a fiery offense like in NY doesn’t mean he can’t still be a really solid point guard, as he proved in his half season with Denver. He’ll fit in fine there, and whatever else happens you have to remember that Portland cashed out an aging Dre Miller for a kid that can stick with the franchise and flourish for quite a few more years. It was a great trade for Portland, and I hope Ray does well in the Northwest.

5. Scott

   I hate the idea of an amnesty. Why should teams that went out and blew money be rewarded with extra cap space? Teams that don’t use this should be rewarded with something or teams that use it should lose their 1st round pick.

   • Joel Brigham

     Sucks for Sam Presti if this is the way it goes, doesn’t it? Here’s a guy that built a team the right way. There are no bad contracts on that roster, and they’ve certainly had their opportunities to do some stupid things but chosen against it. Remember in 2009 when everyone was pining for them to make a huge offer for Millsap or Boozer? Looks like they’re better off having not done that, especially financially.

     And you’re right, teams are now going to be allowed to purge silly mistakes they made while OKC will look at their roster and think, “Well, who the hell are we supposed to use this amnesty on?” The really sad thing is that if you look at each team’s roster and their salaries, a lot of the guys primed to get bought out were just signed in 2010, which means we’re giving a break to teams who made bad decisions knowing that a lockout was coming only a year later because of those very bad decisions. It’s madness.

     Implementing the forfeiture of a first-round pick is a tough sell, especially with such a strong draft coming in 2012. Teams that need to cut people wouldn’t because of fear of losing out on a franchise-changing player, and the whole point of amnesty would be because teams really do need it and need to take advantage of it. That’s why there won’t be a penalty for teams who use it. A reward for teams who don’t, however, is a good idea. Maybe a $20 gift card to TGI Fridays? Mmm….

6. paul

   Which package would be more appealing to Orlando? Bynum and Artest or Noah, Gibson and Brewer. The Way i see it its not even close Chicago,s trio are all defensive specialists who can actually score and i think both Noah and Gibson could be allstars in Orlando.

   • Joel Brigham

     Let’s start by saying that if Orlando trades Dwight Howard, it’s impossible get back 100% of what you’d be shipping out. It’s just not going to happen, so you’ve got to look at all of the offers and decide which of those is the best for the Magic’s present and future.

     Looking just at the future, there’s no question that a package built around Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah is more promising than one built around Andrew Bynum and World Peace. I don’t think we can call Drew Bynum a “promising young center” anymore. He’s entering his seventh season, and he’s only played more than 65 games in a year one time. Once. He’s played fewer than 55 games four out of the six years he’s played, which is crazy. He’s good when he’s healthy, but considering Artest is more or less done as a dominant player in this league, you’re making that trade for Bynum. He’s just not good enough or healthy enough to warrant the trade.

     Noah and Gibson are both good enough and healthy enough to, however, and that would be a much more interesting trade as far as I’m concerned.

     But… every week I get some iteration of this question as if Orlando’s options only come down to L.A. and Chicago. What if Oklahoma City offered Russ Westbrook as a centerpiece for Dwight? Or the Clipps and Eric Gordon, or Indiana with Granger and Hibbert, or San Antonio with Tony Parker? Other blockbusters are out there, and I think Orlando could potentially return a bigger superstar than Joakim Noah.

7. Sump

   If you remember 2 years? ago Brandon Roy went down and had surgery and about 6-7 days later he was back on the court to help the Blazers lose in the 1st round of the play-off’s. How does Management a) allow the medical staff to clear him b) subsequently sign him to an attrocious deal. They must be fudging the MRI’s or something.

   • Joel Brigham

     I’m sure the doctors have a way of deciding whether or not a player is going to be able to continue playing or not. For the most part, these guys are sore with some kind of bump or bruise like all of the time, and in Roy’s case we’re talking about a whole heck of a lot more hurt than that. I mean, they knew about his knees when they drafted him, so signing him to an extension despite his injuries isn’t totally unforgivable just because they had already gambled on him and seen pretty good returns despite the injury history. You’re assuming he gets healthy again when you make that deal, and he just hasn’t been. Bad luck, bad gamble, but not necessarily bad management.

     As for playing for he was ready, that’s hard to say. I, for example, played basketball for the first time in a few weeks last night, and I’m sore pretty much all over. These guys spend like 8 straight months doing what I could barely do for two hours yesterday, so that takes a toll on your body, especially as you crawl into your 30s (sometimes literally). They just always hurt, and there’s always issues with injuries, but a doc has to be able to say, “If he can deal with the pain, he can play.” The player hears that, says give me an injection, and I’ll go out there and do what I can. Again, not management’s fault necessarily.

8. 1mike1matt

   would u rathr Bulls add a few moderate guys ( Redd, Prince, Rip…..) or sign a singular top guy like Afflao or J Rich?

   • Joel Brigham

     I’ve got a couple of ways to answer this question, the first having to do with the implication that Chicago will actually have an opportunity to sign anybody for more than a veteran’s minimum contract. They won’t, which means Arron Afflalo and Jason Richardson are out of contention right off the bat. If they were to do something like cut Boozer loose via an amnesty clause (which they could do, though it seems silly to pay somebody all that money for the next four years when he could just be playing for the team), then they’d have some space, and then yes, J-Rich or Jamal Crawford is the way I’d go.

     I don’t really see that happening, though, mostly because it’s not something I expect the Bulls to do. I think that includes Tayshaun Prince, too, though Rip (possibly) and Redd (definitely) could be brought in at a discount and probably do what Chicago wanted them to do. Hamilton, as ever, is the priority, and you’d have to hope that he’d take less money after a big buyout to pursue another ring.

     In order of likeliness:
     1. Redd
     distant #2: Rip
     distanter #3, 4, and so on: Everybody else.

9. Eric P

   Last one my friend IF the Pacers sign a D West and maybe an trade for an additonal SG like Mayo, The Pacers could be a much tougher out next year

   • Joel Brigham

     I’m very, very excited about covering some more Pacers games in the future (though how far in the future, I know not) because you’re right, they really do look good. They’ve got the money to add some nice pieces, and the options for them could grow very quickly if we see as many amnesty buyouts as have been discussed in the course of the last few days. Honestly, they won’t even have to trade for someone like Mayo; they’ll have the money to buy a SG outright should they feel so inclined. I still think David West and Jamal Crawford is an ideal situation for them, and those guys with Darren Collison, Paul George, George Hill, Tyler Hansbrough, Danny Granger, and Roy Hibbert makes for a pretty formidable and deep group. Would love to watch that team, and there’s a lot of good guys in that group, too, which means fun to cover.

10. 1mike1matt

    I never said “sign a FA”, I knw the Bulls are strapd. But I think Pax and Gar r excellent at workn the #s and moving the parts. I REALLY believe Mayo would be a super star next to Rose, he needs a change of scenery.

    • Joel Brigham

      Gotcha. Well, moving numbers around is harder than you think. Noah’s in it for the long-haul, and you’re not going to have much luck moving Luol or Boozer. You’re stuck where you are, which means FA’s are out of the question.

      I’m with you on O.J. Mayo. I think he’d be a great fit in Chicago, and if Memphis was ready to trade him to Indy for Josh McRoberts, I’m sure Chicago has something a little more desirable that they could actually move if they really felt so inclined to make a trade. If (when?) they lose Marc Gasol, a trade around Omer Asik and O.J. Mayo would be reasonable, wouldn’t it?

11. 1mike1matt

    I have been hearing ALOT of chatter from VERY pissed people (so not be NBA Fans) that the players are PLAYING a GAME and r getn playd REALLY well 2 do so. If the players dnt settle this issue no one will blame the owners because w r in a recssn so EVERYONE has to sacrifice. MANY people say they will never support the NBA again if games r lost. These players better realize they dont have talent to really do anything else. Man there is going to be some reaaly tall baggers at grocery stores all over the country.

    • Joel Brigham

      Or furniture movers, like Delonte West is doing right now.

      I think you’re right, man… we’re playing with fire for sure. We can’t pretend like the ultra-high ratings in this past NBA playoffs was because all these people were tuning in to watch their long-time favorite teams. There was a lot of new interest in the league this year, what with interesting younger cats like Dwight and D-Rose and Durant, plus the upsets of older legends like Kobe and Tim Duncan, and of course everybody’s desire to see LeBron and D-Wade make fools of themselves in the Finals. But new interest can only be maintained with proper momentum, and losing games would kill that. Numbers dip, fewer people come to games and watch on TV. There’s a lot at stake here. There really is.

      And for the record, why should we be blaming the players when owners of most teams are just using their organizations as tax write-offs? Those guys make billions of dollars and they’re quibbling over profits for a team they own just so they can impress people because they own a team? This is the lifeblood (albeit an expensive one) for the players, but it’s a game for the owners. No one put a gun to their collective head and made them pay these guys exorbitant amounts of dough. Don’t blame the players. Not their fault.

12. Tyler

    I saw a trade mentioned involving Westbrook, Perkins, and Ibaka for Dwight. I think that’s just too much for him. 3 starters on a WCF team? Maybe Perkins and Westbrook. What do you think

    • Joel Brigham

      That’s entirely too much. Westbrook + Perkins or Westbrook + Ibaka are both more than reasonable, and in my opinion either is a better move for Orlando than anything the Bulls could throw out there. If you take a Magic team and throw out Westbrook, Redick, Hedo (assuming he’s not chopped in amnesty), Bass/Anderson, and Perkins, you can still win some games. You really can. That’s not a powerhouse by any means, but it’s a more respectable team than Jameer-Redick-Hedo-Taj-Joakim.

      Meanwhile, a Kevin Durant/Dwight Howard pairing would be the most disgusting thing ever. Just gross. It wouldn’t even matter who else was on the roster, those two would find a way to be the WC champions every year for the next 7 years. Would be nice to see some firepower swing back the west a bit, too, even things out some.

      So far, that’s the best realistic trade offer I can imagine for Dwight. Work the salaries out how you want, but Jameer Nelson & Dwight for Russell Westbrook and Perkins is both very interesting and pretty fair.

13. paul

    if the amnesty clause gets into the new cba do the teams have to use it right away or can they store it for a couple of years

    • Joel Brigham

      None of us will know the details of the amnesty thing until a CBA is agreed upon (one rumor has suggested that teams could actually use amnesty on two players, one of whom would only be owed 50% of their contract). But if it’s anything like last time, they’ll have to use it right away or not use it at all. The idea is to immediately help teams adhere to the new CBA. I cant’ see them being allowed to save it, because the whole point of the new CBA will be to avoid some of the fallout caused by awful contracts. The idea is that GMs be making better decisions on their own in the new system. That won’t happen, obviously, but that’s the idea.

      Yeah, they’ll have to use it immediately, especially with what is likely to be a VERY fast free agency period to follow all those buyouts.

14. Zach

    If there is a amnesty clause and the magic use it on arenas would they still be over the cap? If so they may as well keep him and hope he gets better so Dwight stays

    • Joel Brigham

      If you’re hoping Arenas gets better at this point in his career, you’re a crazy person. I also don’t think that Arenas’s level of play has anything to do with whether or not Dwight stays. Orlando’s issues run a lot deeper than that, and you’re right, even if they buy him out they’re still pretty loaded with big contracts, so it’s not like they can go out and grab someone else to fill that role. Arenas is okay at this point in his career, but he’s on the backside of great by quite a ways. He’s not going to return to that, and his contract is one of the biggest albatrosses in the NBA. If there’s amnesty, he’s the guy Orlando cuts, and they do it without thinking twice.

15. Nico, France

    Hi, french fans really enjoy your chats !
    What about TP for Westbrook + Aldrich ?
    Think it help SA being younger with a top PG a project center and give OKC experience for title run without lose speed ?

    • Joel Brigham

      That’s not going to help San Antonio’s cap situation, which is the only reason they’d consider moving Parker. Yes, Westbrook is an upgrade, especially with all those good year’s he’s got ahead of him, but that doesn’t answer why OKC would make the deal. Parker could end up having better chemistry with Durant than Russ did, but by standing pat with what they’ve got, it gives them a wider window in which they can win rings. Westbrook is the better player for either team, which is why I don’t think the Thunder trade him unless something too good to refuse (like Dwight) comes along.

16. Scott

    The amnesty should just be the same as last night. It still should count against the cap, but should save luxury tax money. It kills me that my Clippers have tons of cap space in 2012, yet could face more competition in signing guys. They also don’t have anyone on the roster worth cutting. They’re actually finally doing things somewhat the right way.

    • Joel Brigham

      Should be, but we’ve heard that the cuts WON’T count against the cap, which means you’re right about LAC having more competition for signing guys. For the most part, though, you’re looking at cuts that will get teams out of a harsher luxury tax area. That doesn’t mean there’s going to suddenly be all this cap space, just that fewer teams will have silly payrolls moving forward. Whatever else happens, I think the Clippers have enough good things going on with Blake and Eric Gordon that potential free agents would be intrigued in this situation. They’re not going to want to play for Donald Sterling or Vinny Del Negro, but the roster is certainly appealing enough.