NBA Chat with Mark Nugent 9/21/11

Join HOOPSWORLD’s Newsline Editor Mark Nugent for his weekly chat this Wednesday at 5pm EST.  Mark is based out of Chicago and covers all things NBA so get your comments and questions in early.

  1. John

    Do you think a Luke Walton + Lamar Odom for Josh Smith trade would work?

    • Mark Nugent

      Not sure if that works under the cap, it’s close. I think the Lakers need a PG and adding Josh Smith doesn’t make them much better. I think trading Odom and Walton for Kirk Hinrich or Jeff Teague AND Josh Smith makes sense.

      The Lakers improve with a new PG and don’t lose much in adding Smith to the bench. While the Hawks improve with Odom who can start at PF or SF, plus they get out from under the salaries of Smith and Hinrich. So it saves them some money plus I think it improves their team. I think the Hawks should turn the team over to Teague so a Hinrich/Smith deal for Odom and filler sounds about right to me.

  2. Jhayee

    is tmac good fit in chicago???

    tnx

    • Mark Nugent

      No!!! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. T-Mac is a selfish me first player and the good that he could bring to the table would be outweighed by the bad. He shoots too much, complains, and has to have the ball in his hands to be effective. Don’t forget, the rumor is T-Mac was the one who staged the boycott of a Pistons practice last year. Is that the type of player that can help a young veteran team to a championship? Not in my mind.

  3. Jono

    hey mark,
    what sort of future do you think the wizards have with all their young talent? Could some of their current players develop their games more?

    • Mark Nugent

      I love John Wall. I like their draft pick of Jan Vesely. I think Lewis is a solid player, who obviously isn’t worth his contract, but I think he can still contribute. Javale McGee is an ok center who has potential to be a very good defensive and rebounding center along the lines of Tyson Chandler, if he can get his head on straight.

      I think Blatche is a me-first selfish type player who they should look to trade. And I think Nick Young is a jacker that is a bad fit next to Wall, so I think they should also look to trade him.

      The key for the Wizards is to surround Wall with high character guys that want to win. Don’t worry about this year or next year, but be thinking three year’s down the line.

  4. Dong of Dayton

    Hey Mark,

    What is it about DeMarcus Cousins that everyone seems so optimistic about? After all star break last year he shot 42.4% from the field and turned the ball over 4 times a game. That doesn’t scream progress to me. But as a die hard Kings fan I’d like to hear your take on him

    • Mark Nugent

      People are optimistic about Cousins because he has a classic NBA super star center’s body and athleticism. Physical specimens like him don’t come around that often and when they do they are usually all-stars. If his head was screwed on straight he would have had a legit shot at being the first pick in the draft. If Cousins gets some good coaching, meaning they force him to stay in the paint, play defense and rebound, the sky is limit for him.

      That said, some out there believe he will always act and do childish things. As a basketball fan I am rooting for him to pull it together.

  5. Lakers fan in Portland

    What do you think of the rumor about John Stockton wanting to come back to basketball and play for the Lakers? We need a PG and he could bring veteran leadership as well as 3 Pt shooting.

    • Mark Nugent

      I’ve never heard that rumor and there is no way he would be better than Fisher or Blake. Not at his age.

  6. simon

    say next season kobe, d12, lbj, melo, cp3, amare, dwade, durant, aldridge, dwill, nash, A.I., roy, gay, griffen and Drose were all free agents. which 3 players would u like to build around? why? which 3 would u not build around? why?

    • Mark Nugent

      Nash and Roy are the only players I wouldn’t want to build around. Nash because of age, although he is still one of the top PGs in the league, it can’t last forever. And Roy because of injury and I believe he is going to regress each year from here on out and I think he will be best suited as a sixth man coming off the bench than as a starter.

      Here is my order of the above list. Howard, LeBron, D-Rose, Durant, Griffin, Paul (He’d be higher but I don’t trust his injury history), Wade (He’d be higher but he’s older than the guys above him), ‘Melo, Williams, Kobe(Age again), Aldridge, Amar’e, Iguodala, Gay, Nash, Roy.

  7. David

    can you explain what makes Lebron james better than dirk nowitzki? The only thing I can think of it is that he’s black so he somehow has more “street cred.”

    • Mark Nugent

      It’s not a black and white issue…seriously. What LeBron brings to the table few players have ever brought to the table before. He is a scorer, playmaker, defender, rebounder, leader, you name it, he can do it. The only thing he didn’t do this year was close it out in the Finals, where it could be argued he choked.

      Anyway, Dirk is the best PF in the game, but what LeBron brings to every game is unmatched by anyone in basketball right now, except for maybe Dwight Howard. LeBron is a better passer than Dirk, Defender, he’s almost as good a rebounder, he’s a better scorer. What Dirk can do though is close out games in the Finals, which LeBron couldn’t, at least not this past year.

  8. Jhayee

    Gerald Wallace,Raymond Felton,Greg Oden,Nicolas Batum,PORLAND 1ST PICK FOR
    LeBron James,Mike Miller…

    OR

    Stephen Curry,Dorell Wright,David Lee,Klay Thompson,GS 1st draft pick FOR LeBron James,Mike Miller…

    CAN DIS WORK?
    TNX..

    • Mark Nugent

      The HEAT are not trading LeBron. Not under any circumstance that I can think of.

  9. tony

    I see a season starting on time still. Of course missed preseason and shortened training camps. Am I being too optimistic?

    • Mark Nugent

      I think you are being too optimistic, but I truly hope you are right. I’m as depressed as anyone that the season may be lost or shortened. There is still time of course, but tomorrow’s meeting, if it actually happens as is rumored, is a very important one if the season is going to start on time.

  10. Sergio

    What do you think of the possibility of the Kings possibly acquiring either Ben Gordon or Mayo? Either one of them can handle the 1 or 2 and gives them great flexibility in the lineup with Evans. I want the Kings to succeed and I don’t see Jimmer as a big help. Also, my favorite player of all time, Pippen, doesen’t seem to get mentioned enough by anybody. How would you rank him on both sides of the ball? I think he would destroy nearly anybody in today’s league.

    • Mark Nugent

      I think Pippen is the best perimeter defender in the history of the game. He could guard Magic in his prime, then switch to Reggie Miller, then switch to Kevin Johnson, then take Charles Barkley for a few minutes. I think Pippen is easily one of the top 30 players to ever play the game as of right now.

      I doubt the Kings make any major moves this year, I think they wait until next offseason to see what they have with Jimmer, Tyreke and Cousins. If that three can be their core then they will add to it, if they think they need a bigger star, then they may go after a big money guy like Gordon via trade or Mayo who will be a restricted free agent.

  11. JC

    Chandler, Martin, and J.R. Smith: Which Nugget player gets kicked off their Chinese team and deported first?

    • Mark Nugent

      It has to be Smith, then Martin, then Chandler right?

  12. SenseiOfSoul Chicago, IL

    If CHI wants to put together a package to land Dwight Howard does this get it done? DH and Bass for Noah,Deng,Taj, and the CHA pick? And maybe CHI can sign Grant Hill, Prince, or Butler for less money.

    • Mark Nugent

      I’ve said it since the Bulls rumor first appeared months ago, the Bulls will not make a deal for Howard unless he agrees to an extension upon completion of the trade. Howard has said repeatedly that he wants to experience free agency, so there is no way the Bulls will trade for him.

      All that said, if Howard would agree to a trade and the Magic decide to move him I think that is pretty close to the best deal out there, maybe. The Bulls may have to include Omer Asik either in place of Taj or in addition to Taj. Keep in mind, Howard is arguably the best player in the league. I also think the Bulls would have to take back a big contract either Arenas or maybe Turkoglu and I think the Bulls would have to include a first round pick from this upcoming draft as well.

      Here’s what I think the trade would have to look like for the Magic to really be interested. Hedo and Howard for Noah, Deng, Taj, Asik, Charlotte Pick and the Bulls number 1 next year. That is a lot for Howard. If I’m the Bulls I make sure I keep either Asik or Taj to back up Boozer, but otherwise I would do that trade. Hard to turn down Howard no matter the cost. Again, this will never happen because Howard won’t agree to an extension and the Magic have said they won’t trade him.

  13. Tony S

    I’ve heard rumors that Jamal Crawford is willing to take a pay-cut to come back to the Knicks if they land another star such as CP3. IF this all goes through and the Knicks….let’s say give up Mr.Big Shot and Fields, how does the rotation of CP3, Crawford, Melo, Amare +1 sound or would you have Crawford off the bench with Douglas? Pure speculation haha I just want the Knicks to be at the top again!

    • Mark Nugent

      I’ve always thought Crawford was best suited to coming off the bench. He is a gunner who can shoot you into games just as quickly as he can shoot you out of games. To me that screams sixth man.

      I don’t think the Knicks will be able to add anyone this year, I think the team they have is pretty much the team they are going to start the season with and they will hope for a free agent in the summer of 2012.

  14. Michael

    Though I like the new format, there are issues with the order of questions that appear. When I refresh I have to glance through every question because sometimes the new ones slip in between older ones. Anyway, I do have a question for you, if there were to be a change to the playoff format, or maybe changing up the conference structure, when/where would that take place? Like.. the CBA discussions just have to do with salaries right? or could they also address issues like how the 9th seed in the west would be a 5th or 6th seed in the east…

    • Mark Nugent

      The format of the chat is a work in progress. We apologize for the inconvenience and I can assure you our publisher Steve Kyler is working very hard to get this perfect.

      I think that has to be collectively bargained, but I’m not sure. I think that can be addressed at any time, but both the players and owners have to agree, I think. I’m sorry, I tried looking this up and had little success to get an accurate answer.

  15. justin

    Millsap, Harris, Okur, G.S. 1st (from D-Will trade) for AI, Holiday, Nocioni. 76ers get some vets with playoff experience, possible lotto pick, plus cap space, Utah finishes out there future core. Holiday, Burk, AI, Favors, Jefferson with a bench of Miles, Hayward, Evans, Kanter, Fez

    • Mark Nugent

      The Jazz are giving up way too much. Iguodala might be the best player in this trade, but Milsap is no slouch and he has a much more favorable contract. Harris and Holiday even out as do Okur and Nocioni, so the big difference is throwing in a potential lottery pick. Never trade lottery picks, it’s just bad business. If you exclude the GS first rounder, than I would do this trade for both sides.

  16. devonte wilson

    how hard will it be for iman shumpert to gain major minutes considering he’s a rookie and he will be playing behind toney douglas and landry fields? do you see him beating them out for more minutes or will it take time

    • Mark Nugent

      I think he will start the season on the bench, but he could gain valuable minutes behind both Fields and Billups. I’m not a hug Toney Douglas fan, so I believe he could pass him pretty quickly. Plus Fields can play some SF, so Shumpert could see minutes while Billups and Fields are on the court.

  17. Dong of Dayton

    Hello again Mark,

    What do you think of a Kaman for GWallace trade? Blazers need a C, Nic Batum should be starting, Clippers need a SF.

    • Mark Nugent

      I wouldn’t do that trade if I’m the Blazers. I think Wallace is the better player and can affect games more than Kaman can, plus I don’t trust Kaman’s injury history.

  18. devonte wilson

    what would solve the knicks problem as far as the whole team and maybe even the coaching staff for them to be a serious contender to win a championship?

    • Mark Nugent

      They need a defensive presence inside, they need a PG that can stay healthy and guard the elite PGs like Rose and D-Will, and they need ‘Melo and Amar’e to be more than just offensive players. When those things happen, then they can be a serious threat.

  19. Ben

    Any way the pistons can move Rip Hamiliton to anyone? CLE? CHI? NO?

    • Mark Nugent

      Doubtful. It looks like Hamilton is currently untradeable until next season when he becomes an expiring contract. Until then his best bet for going to another team is if the new CBA has an amnesty clause in it, and the Pistons decide to buyout the remaining two years on his contract making him an unrestricted free agent.

  20. Bib

    What can magic do to make Howard happy and want to stay

    • Mark Nugent

      Put pieces around him that he believes will lead to them competing for a championship. I think the Magic need to trade Jameer Nelson for the best deal possible, preferably a PF, then move Arenas into the starting lineup and hope he can be a decent PG. Redick has to stay healthy and Hedo has to be in shape come training camp.

      Since it’s unlikely these things happen, I think the Magic are in serious trouble.

  21. Marcello Robertson

    m. Gasol and rudy gay to Orlando
    dwight and g. arenas to memphis
    Orlandos rebuilds with two cornerstones and memphis receives a superstar which you never turn down. Better than LAL trade
    Can you see last years mem team with dwight?

    • Mark Nugent

      Howard most likely won’t agree to an extension with Memphis, so I doubt that trade will ever be taken seriously.

  22. Charlie

    Which star had a better supporting cast to help them win a championship: Michael Jordan in 1992, Kobe in 2010, or Dirk Notwitzki this year.

    • Mark Nugent

      It would be Jordan in my book. Pippen and Grant are all-stars. Kobe would be next with Gasol then Dirk this year.

  23. Charlie

    If you were Daryl Morey and were offered Al Jefferson for Kevin Martin straight up. Do you accept?

    • Mark Nugent

      I would. That would give Houston a starting lineup of Lowry, Courntey Lee, someone at SF, Scola and Jefferson. that’s pretty good, plus Jefferson is still relatively young, so you have some years with him.

  24. Mac

    If you were starting a team from scratch, which big man would you prefer: Andrew Bogut, Andrew Bynum, or Joakim Noah

    • Mark Nugent

      Probably Bogut. Bynum I think has the most upside but he has the scariest injury history in my mind. Bogut has the next best upside then Noah. All three have injury problems though, so it’s really a roll of the dice to see who stays healthy.

  25. Charlie

    Of these players, who is the most overpaid: Elton Brand, Carlos Boozer, or Antawn Jamison

    • Mark Nugent

      For just this upcoming season it’s Jamison. He makes 15 million and is nowhere near worth that. If it’s for the length of what is left on their contract, it’s probably Boozer. He is owed a lot of money over the next four years. A LOT!