NBA Chat With Mark Nugent 1/12/12

1. Tony

   Can the Knicks sign D.Williams this offseason?

   • Mark Nugent

     Welcome to another chat everyone. It’s cold and snowy here in Chicago so I’m extra excited to be sitting inside answering questions.

     No. with Amare, ‘Melo and Chandler on large long-term deals the Knicks are essentially capped out. If Williams was willing to play for the minimum or the MLE than sure. But that’s not happening. The Knicks pushed all in with Chandler, so this is the team they will have for the next four years.

2. Sweet Dee

   There was an interesting article on Hoopshype discussing name changes of players. Ron Artest to Metta World Peace and Chad Johnson to Chad Ochochinco, name changes which were honored by the team and put on the back of the jersey. The author plays devils advocate and asks “What if a player legally changed his name to a company?” Ex. Lebron James sells his name right to the highest bidder, so every time you watch a HEAT game its “Pepsi throws down a thunderous dunk.” Crazy idea or not so off reality?

   • Mark Nugent

     I don’t think that is that crazy of an idea. But there is a process to changing one’s name and I’m not sure if the law would legally allow someone to do that. Again, I don’t know the law, but there is a process that one has to go through.

     If someone were to offer me a million bucks to change my last name, I’d do it. There are millions of Nugents so it’s not like the name is in danger of dying out.

3. Brendan

   The new rules on extensions were designed to stop more ‘Melo Dramas’ but haven’t they had the opposite effect, every big name free agent will have this insane speculation in their contract year as they are unable to sign an extension without giving up significant money.

   Would it not be a better system if they were allowed to sign a full extension with their current team but doing so would prevent them being traded that season?

   • Mark Nugent

     Yes, I think the NBA messed this one up a bit. The idea was the extra year would entice players to stay at their current team, and allowing extend and trades meant they could only sign for a max of four years. I think what the League should have done was allow extensions for a max five years with the max money, but only allow extend and trades with the four year, but with the lower raises.

     It’s not a perfect system, but I think it’s better than it was previously, if for no other reason then contracts are one year shorter. which is a good thing in my opinion.

4. Focuslja

   You are Charlotte’s GM: Who do you make a move for? Terrence Williams, Wes Johnson or Corey Brewer? Why?

   • Mark Nugent

     The only guy I would go after would be Wes Johnson. I think he’s the only one of the three that has a legit chance of being a rotation player on a good team.

5. Focuslja

   I look at players like Mareese Speights, Byron Mullens and Irsan Illy and am amazed by the “unknowns” that go overlooked… What are some “unknown” players that you could crack a starting lineup of 7-man rotation if given a shed of daylight?

   • Mark Nugent

     John Lucas is proving a capable backup PG right now. I’d really have to look at each team’s roster. Anyone big that is athletic should be able to crack a roster. There are so many slow big guys in the league, that if you can get up and down the floor, you can play. And there are guys out there like that, like Craig Brackins of Philly. Put him on the Wizards he’d play 15 minutes a night for sure.

6. Patrick

   Boozer came to Chicago to be a post presence, he’s healthy now but he only wants to shoot long jumpers. Does management truly believe the nonsense they feed the media about being happy with Boozer? What do his teammates really think of his play?

   • Mark Nugent

     It’s tough to really know what is going on behind the scenes. However, when I’ve watched Bulls games this year I’ve seen the looks some of his teammates give him when Boozer misses a rotation. I’ve seen the frustration on guys’ faces when Boozer doesn’t go hard to the hoop. I think everyone on the team likes Boozer and wants him to succeed for the sake of the team, but that doesn’t mean they can’t get frustrated. The last two games Boozer and Noah have been benched in the fourth quarter and I think that is a testament to Thibs believing the team is better off with Taj on the court than Boozer. If Boozer isn’t scoring at an efficient clip, he’s just about worthless right now.

     I’ve been surprised with how soft he is on offense. I remember him fighting and bullying people down low to get to the hoop. Even if he missed or got blocked he used to go strong in Utah, and that just isn’t happening. Not sure why, but he doesn’t look at all like the player he was two or three years ago. he isn’t that old were his skills should be diminished. I think he’s over thinking and because of that is playing a very hesitant style of game. If that continues it’s likely he will continue getting benched in the fourth.

     As for management, I’ve never spoken to anyone about him, so I couldn’t say. I would speculate they are a little disappointed, but they still have faith he can be a big part of what they do THIS year. As for moving forward, who knows, it will all depend on how he plays in the playoffs.

7. Patrick

   Can the Bulls get out of Boozer’s contract in anyway (trade?) so that they can pay Taj and Omer. Its clear Boozer is awful and we will ned both of those guys to make up for his bad play.

   • Mark Nugent

     The Bulls cannot trade his contract. it’s probably the most untradeable contract in the league. I’ve said it before, I could see them amnestying him this summer or next summer in order to retain Asik and Gibson and help bring over Mirotic. But that’s a lot to pay Boozer for him to play somewhere else. He has three years at about 14 million per after this season.

8. Gil

   In your opinion, how many players in the league could reach 40 points, if allowed to take 31 shots in a game?

   • Mark Nugent

     A lot. I mean a lot of players can do it. I’m not as impressed with Kobe’s recent scoring binge as a lot of people are. It’s definitely a neat thing to see, but he has gone into jacker Kobe mode in my opinion, and i actually think that hurts his team. Bynum and Gasol usually have major mismatches against every team they play. And Bynum has been tearing it up this year. I think a more balanced attack would be a lot better for the Lakers than Kobe shooting over double teams half the game.

9. Gil

   Do you believe that Del Negro should not be the coach of the Clippers and that he is not qualified enough to help them maximize their potential? Who would do a better job?

   • Mark Nugent

     I’m not a fan of Del Negro and I think just about any coach in the NBA would do a better job. the guy I’d go after is Jerry Sloan. the perfect coach for Blake and Paul, like Stockton and Malone.

10. Chicago Charles

    The Bulls need another Big, are there any potentially bigs in the D-League that Chicago could possible sign? And possible a young pure shooter like Douglas-Roberts?

    • Mark Nugent

      There are no pure shooters out there. If there were, they’d be on a team. Douglas-Roberts is a slasher, always has been.

      The D-League probably has some decent bigs, but the Bulls are all about veterans. They want someone Thibs can trust in a tight game if they need to call on him because of foul trouble or injury. Like Joel Pryzbilla or someone like that.

11. JazzFan

    considering the Jazz took the Lakers down to the wire in OT and was on a 5 game winning streak do you think the Jazz can realistically make the playoffs this season?

    • Mark Nugent

      I think they will be one of the last teams eliminated in the West. I think some things would need to go right for them, like Zach Randolph being out all year or something fluky like that. But they will be much improved from last year for sure.

12. Glen Taylor (Juan Pablo)

    Imagine I’m the owner of TWolves and I tell you that I want to have just 12 players in my roster. I want to keep the players you will see below as well and fill the team with very good players or young players with all-star potential at least (even if I have to trade for draft picks and get them via draft).
    Starters: Rubio-___-Williams-Love-____
    Bench: Barea-____-Webster-Randolph-Tolliver
    Prospect: Lee – ____ (combo forward-center).
    Which players would you pick considering the current style of play and all players available to trade (Ridnour, Ellignton, W Johnson, Beasley, Milicic, Pekovic, Miller and draft picks)?

    • Mark Nugent

      I think you keep Wes Johnson, Darko, Ridnour, and Ellington. You can get rid of Miller and Beasley. Pekovic I haven’t seen play so I can’t comment on him. I think the biggest problem with this team is Beasley. he thinks he’s a star and he shoots as often as one and doesn’t play any defense. it’s time for him to go. This isn’t a playoff team, but it could be with a shrewd free agent pickup this offseason or a trade. I like the direction they are heading, and it only took half a decade or so.

13. knicks fan

    the knicks need a sg what guards are on the block?should they sign gilbert to a 1yr deal

    • Mark Nugent

      They need a PG more than anything. they need Baron Davis to come back and be a solid starter, then they can move Iman to the SG, where he is better suited in my opinion. Then they can bring Fields off the bench as defensive energy guy, or reverse Shumpert and Fields, whichever. That’s what they need. The Knicks need to stop relying on 48 minutes of Toney Douglas and Shumpert at the point. 15 minutes is no big deal, but 48 minutes is a killer.

      And I’d take a shot at Gilbert as long as he knew he’d be a bench scorer. Why not, they aren’t going to beat too many teams with defense, why not give another shooter a try.

14. Ben

    Is there anyone The Wolves can realistically get to upgrade their shooting guard position?

    • Mark Nugent

      Not that I can think of off the top of my head. It appears Kirk Hinrich may be coming available with the Injury to Horford the Hawks will need a big. I doubt Darko would get the job done, but it might be worth a look. The Grizzlies might make Sam Young or OJ Mayo available at some point. There isn’t much out there right now, but that may change at the deadline.

15. Charlie

    I believe Chicago Bulls fans are going to live to regret the Rip Hamilton signing. I realize everyone is saying “give him time to get acclimated” and “he’s been injured so far so give him a few more games before we judge.” But just making sure everyone is aware they signed an aging, undersized shooting guard who is past his prime to team-up with Derrick Rose. Chicago’s weakness / lack of production at the 2 is again going to be the demise of the Bulls during the East Finals this playoffs. Agree or Disagree.

    • Mark Nugent

      He is not undersized, he is at least 6’6” and possibly 6’7” in shoes. he is skinny, but he’s still got some quickness left in those legs because by all accounts he takes good care of his body in the offseason.

      I don’t think the Bulls will regret the signing because it’s a three year deal with only the first two guaranteed. I do think Rip may not be the answer, but he fit what management wanted. A short term contract, with a winning history, who could shoot. Rip is all of those things. If he stays healthy in the playoffs I think he will help the team, will it be enough, time will tell.

      I am surprised the Bulls didn’t go harder after Jason Richardson. Rumor has it that if they offered the full four year MLE to him he would have taken it. That seemed like the perfect fit, but it is smart for the Bulls to conserve some flexibility so they can hopefully bring back Asik and Taj and bring in Mirotic.

16. Dennis

    If you were a NBA owner, which retired coach would you most prefer to run your team: Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan, or Jeff Van Gundy

    • Mark Nugent

      Phil first, Sloan second, JVG third.

17. Chris

    Hi Mark. There’s a rumor going around that the Bulls are considering using Boozer off the bench. Any truth to this? And, does the idea have any merit?

    • Mark Nugent

      I think Boozer would be a great bench player. He can come in with the second unit and just jack. that unit has always struggled to score points so it makes perfect sense to me. That said, I don’t believe it will happen. He is getting paid 12 million or so this year, and you don’t bring that much money off the bench without it being a locker room issue. My big fear for the Bulls this year is Boozer start complaining about minutes and the team blows up. He’s been good about saying all the right things, but he has to be getting frustrated with his usage and lack of crunch time opportunities.

18. Dominic

    Are the Nets done? They gambled going all in on Dwight?

    • Mark Nugent

      yes they are done this year. They have to hope DWill and Howard choose Brooklyn other wise they will be starting over and will be looking like a lottery team for the next four or five years.

19. Tom

    Barkley just went on a rant about how the Knicks are so far away from the Heat and Chicago…My opinion is the Knicks can keep each game close in a 7 game series and any team with melo and STAT on it should be able to close games out or at least have a good chance. Your thoughts? Can the Knicks gel by May?

    • Mark Nugent

      I think it all rests on Baron Davis. They need a PG to run the show and distribute the ball and put ‘Melo and STAT in positions where they can be effective instead of just playing one on five all game.

      Also, the Knicks still don’t play very good defense and that won’t change until Anthony and Stoudemire dedicate themselves on the defensive end. They’ve both proven they can do it, but they haven’t shown it consistently with the Knicks yet, so I won’t believe it until I see it.

      I think the Knicks can challenge the HEAT and Bulls, but at the end of the day I think it’s HEAT Bulls for a shot at the Finals.

20. matt

    Do you think Quincy Miller will stay in the draft. He will be a starting SF in the NBA for sure. I see him going 8-14th in the draft.

    • Mark Nugent

      I think he stays in the draft unless he gets worse as the year goes on and stinks it up in the Tourney. Despite his struggles, I still see him as a lottery pick right now, so if he improves just a little he could be a lottery lock. But if he is projected to fall out of the lottery, then I could see him returning for another year in the hopes he can jump into the top five.

21. matt

    I really hope Kris Joseph gets drafted late in the first round. I also hope Myck Kabongo makes it as a 15-20th pick. Back to back years with two Canadians in the first round would be awesome.

    • Mark Nugent

      It’s too early to tell, it will all depend on tournament play and workouts for both those players.

22. matt

    Ed Davis played great as a rookie in 2010-2011 missing the first 1-2 months of the season. However he has been playing behind Bargnani who has improved in large part thanks to Casey. Who gets dealt first?

    • Mark Nugent

      Bargs ins’t going anywhere, and I think the Raps like Davis. My guess is they won’t trade either. I think Davis can play and eventually will supplant Johnson at the starting PF, plus he can play a little center which is helpful. to me the Raps need to bench Magloire and give those 10 minutes a night to Davis.

23. martay

    Do u think the lakers really have a shot at getting d12

    • Mark Nugent

      I don’t see why not. I don’t think they should, but it seems like the Lakers pull things out of thin air all the time, so why not.

24. jay from the uk

    Hi Mark

    I’m a huge fan of the Magic from England. I honestly feel that this years team has a similar look to the team that went to the finals in 09. J Rich is a upgrade over Courtney Lee & Anderson is the same type of player that Lewis was. Dwight leaving doesnt make sense if he wants to win, he has the best chance in Orlando! your thoughts?

    • Mark Nugent

      I agree that going to the Nets doesn’t make sense. Going to Dallas could, but I just don’t buy that he would play in Dirk’s shadow. he seems to love the limelight. Also, the Magic are good this year and they have a look of a team that could make a run. If I’m management I tell Howard we aren’t trading you, if you want to leave you’ll have to do it in the offseason, but we think we can win this year.

25. matt

    SAK has a lot of potential. However, they also have a lot of issues. Cousins is a monster but he has a lot of issues. Do you think they’ll trade him if he continues this erratic behaviour. He could net them a nice PG (moving Evans to SG) or flip him for a nice SF or a trade for another big man.

    • Mark Nugent

      They won’t trade Cousins. They are invested in him and they already fired the coach. Plus Cousins has monster potential, they would never get that back in trade for him.

26. matt

    I made my sweeping declaration at the beginning of the year that the Bulls will win the championship this year. They have the best team 1 through 10 in the league. OKC has the best scorer (arguably) and Miami has the best player in the league but depth is king (ask Dallas)

    • Mark Nugent

      Dallas also had two players who hit almost every clutch shot they through up there during the playoffs in Dirk and Terry. If Rose and someone else can step up, then yes they can definitely win, if not they’ll probably lose to the HEAT again. I’m picking the bulls, but I’m a homer.

27. martay

    If the lakers get dwight without trading pau do u think the lakers could get dwill from the nets for pau if they end up trading an unhappy dwill

    • Mark Nugent

      I have no idea. If the Lakers get Howard then the Magic are idiots. He can’t leave them to play for the Lakers. The Lakers have zero cap space, so there is no threat there and It’s doubtful they could put together the best package. If I’m the Magic I hold onto him and make him leave. Are the Nets any better off than the Magic. No. The Mavs I guess are, but he’d be sharing the spotlight with Dirk, and I don’t think he wants to do that. Those are his options, the Mavs, The Nets, and the Magic. Those are good odds if you the Magic and you are never going to get anywhere near value for him.

28. marcell

    Pistons are the second worstteam in the league (charlotte) What do we do? use the amensty? how about gordon and protected 1st rd for al jefferson. we have nice role players but no dog (20-10 guy). Utah needs a two and rebuilders can always use 1st rounders (from a horrible team)

    • Mark Nugent

      I would be offering ben Gordon to anyone who would take him, same with Charlie V. I would build around Knight and Monroe and let everyone else go. I also wouldn’t have signed Stuckey for three years. This team is terrible and they need to be patient and build through the draft. I liked the Knight and Monroe picks, now they need to take it slow and build on that. Unfortunately they keep wasting their cap space on the wrong guys. What was the point of bringing back Tayshaun Prince? It makes no sense.

29. ryan

    I know Noah is younger but Andy V. is putting up much better stats then him and shooting at a better percentage. If Noah is consider a prize in any big trade then don’t you agree the Cavs should get something pretty good if they trade andy this year??

    • Mark Nugent

      I think the Cavs could get a very good player or picks for Anderson. He is an excellent center and really frustrates people defensively. The Cavs have said they are not trading him, but that could be an attempt to drive up his value. If I’m a team that needs a big for that final push, I go hard after Varejao. Like the Hawks for example, no that Horford is out. Or the ‘Wolves, they desperately need a center and could give up some decent wing players to run with Irving.

30. JaMoomba

    Whats the scoop on Steph Curry. No reports on his return seem definite. Any idea when he’ll be back on the court?

    • Mark Nugent

      I don’t think anyone really knows right now. His ankle is messed up and it’s possible this could be a chronic issue. If it is, the Warriors are in a lot of trouble.