NBA Chat With Stephen Brotherston 10/22/12

1. Kevin

   Hey Stephen, What do you think about this for a trade

   Toronto: Danny Granger
   Indy: Calderon & Ross

   Initially i thought about Indy sending their 1st this year back to Toronto but more i think about it that could be the deal breaker for them.

   Toronto gets ride of its redundancy at PG, no more questions about who starts or Calderons role while getting a good upgrade at SF. Fields can switch over to SG or play of the bench relieving DD or DG.

   Indy clears the way for George to slide across to his natural position SF, gets a upgrade at PG (not convinced Hill is the right option) and Ross & Stephensen can fight it out for the SG spot. Hill could even fill that 6th man spot he had at SAS and be 1st option off the bench to spell both PG & SG. Plus Calderon expires this year and Ross has a lovely Rookie contract

   Your thoughts?

   • Stephen Brotherston

     Welcome to this afternoon’s chat.

     It’s game day in Toronto and the Bucks will be arriving in Toronto looking for a win. The last week of the preseason is the final tune-up for when the real games start next week.

     Not many teams will be entertaining trades at this point in the season, but if the Pacers find themselves in need of a PG before the trade deadline, they should be talking to Toronto about this type of a deal. Somehow the talent going back to Indy just doesn’t seem like enough, but maybe if they are desperate enough. Under the right circumstances, they’d talk.

     Pacers will be justifiably reluctant to break up that very good chemistry they have going – at this point, it’s hard to see Granger going anywhere – but situations change, they always do.

2. Flavanation

   why is Memphis so underated? That team when completely healthy is a contender! also… If you had to guess before the season starts.. Does Minnesota make the playoffs? Does Milwaukee make the playoffs?

   • Stephen Brotherston

     Maybe the question is – Are the Grizz any better than they were 2 seasons ago? or are they as good as 2 seasons ago? Memphis is not underrated by the teams that have to play them as that’s a sure way to lose – but they don’t look like a Western Conference Finals team and being located in a small market is going to get your team ignored a lot more than it deserves.

     A month ago, the Timberwolves looked like a sure-fire playoff team. Today, its all up in the air because of injuries. No Rubio = no playoffs. No Love = no one is going to watch them outside of Minnesota. I hope these players get back soon – before its too late.

     The Bucks could make the playoffs, but I have them on the outside looking in. The Bucks should stay in range pretty much right up until the end, but they need 1 or preferably 2 teams to falter in order to get in.

3. Steve

   What would you say is the biggest concern for the raptors heading into this season?

   • Stephen Brotherston

     Injuries. Injuries have decimated this team over the past 4 seasons. The good news is this team seems to have enough depth to not completely go into the tank if they lose an starter for a month.

     From a fans perspective, the Raptors could win 41+ games and still miss the playoffs – the East has gotten that much better.

4. JJBB

   Preseason stats have little value for most established players however for rookies and potential breakout candidates they can be very helpful in projecting numbers for the season.In years past CBS and NBA.com provided these numbers however this year NBA.com have the stats for about half the teams and CBS is incomplete as well.Do you know of any sites that are providing comprehension preseason stats this year?

   • Stephen Brotherston

     I’ve been able to get what I need thru NBA.com, so I haven’t really looked elsewhere. Preseason player stats on NBA.com are not conveniently set up, but have been adequate for my purposes. Like you mentioned, preseason stats have limited real value – often it seems like everyone from the refs, to the scorekeepers, to the players, to the coaches and even the GMs are using preseason games to get their acts together.

5. Cain

   I know it is preseason, but Gerald Green looks like a starting NBA player to me? Any chance he makes Granger expendable?

   • Stephen Brotherston

     That would be a huge leap (leap of faith?) to replace Granger with Green based on the preseason. Gerald does seem to have figured things out, but lets see if his progress continues during the regular season before upping his value to this level. It is always great to see a young guy finally “get it” – I hope Gerald can take somebody’s starting job eventually – but we are not going to know this from preseason action.

6. AJ in Hawaii but from Cali

   can the lakers get rid of blake and or duhon for future draft considerations maybe? or cash? i’d do it for a crisp 100 dollar bill.

   secondly, which of these 3 are the most likely replacements and are they good enough to even be worth the trouble? Johnny Flynn, patty mills, or Rodrigue Beaubois? thanks for the love

   • Stephen Brotherston

     Lakers would like to do something with their 2 backup PG – but right now they need Blake and no one else needs Duhon.

     I saw Flynn play in preseason – he looked lost – he’s available.

     I haven’t heard anything to suggest the Lakers could get either Patty or Rodrigue

7. Andrea Bargnani Supporter

   Hey Stephen…
   I am having a very hard time trying to get my friends on board with the thought that Andrea Bargnani is our best player/scoring option. Can you please explain in detail why he is so good and how he compares the rest of the big men in the NBA? I need them to understand! They don’t believe me! PLEEEASE and much thanks…

   • Stephen Brotherston

     Bargnani has taken a lot of heat from some fans and a few in the media because he is not a great rebounder and his court awareness for help side defense isn’t good. His man-to-man defense has always been good – and better with Casey.

     Offensively, everyone in the Toronto organization is very happy with Bargnani’s offensive game and with good reason. Watch him play against top teams with good defenders, they don’t have an answer for him. Because Bargnani can shoot the 3 at a reasonable rate, he opens the floor for the rest of his teammates by pulling 1 big man defender out of the paint – that lets slashers like DeRozan operate and opens driving lanes for PGs like Lowry. When defenders crowd Bargs, he is good enough to drive from the 3 pt line and dunk with 2 dribbles. The guy has skills – there shouldn’t be an argument.

8. Jonas V

   I don’t know what’s more obvious, the fact that I have already surpassed Aaron Gray’s entire NBA career in 2 preseason games or that I keep demanding the ball but no one seems to pass it to me in the post.

   • Stephen Brotherston

     1. These are preseason games, it gets a lot tougher in another week.
     2. The offense is still being put in, you’ll see the ball in the post more often as the season moves along.

     Nice start to your NBA career, expectations are getting high, very high

9. Raps Fan

   Following this whole Ray Allen thing it’s honestly been a bit of a sore. It’s turned into a he said she said and it’s looking more like a bad breakup. The media needs to stick a fork in this one, it’s done!

   • Stephen Brotherston

     I find these dramas boring and meaningless.
     But if they create a headline, someone will write about it.

10. murray

    hey steph

    i agree the raps will be battle for 7th or 8th spot. i dont sixers or bulls are going to be as good as people think. but my question is on our wings and the future. are wings are what they are average (LF,DD,LK,TR and the rest don’t matter) who get’s better that doesnt have us fighting for the same 7th or 8th spot for the next 4 years and thats taking into consideration Val getting better

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Expect the Raptors to still have their eyes open for a star wing player – but hoping DeMar or Fields fills the void before a move becomes necessary/possible. A trade like the one: Lowry for a draft pick – they just don’t come along all that often.

11. francis

    are you concerned about andrea bargnani because in the pre season he is not the same bargnani from last season

    • Stephen Brotherston

      No
      Bargnani looked great in Montreal.
      It’s really hard for most veteran players to get up for preseason games before the last couple.

12. ALEX

    GREAT CHATS,would you agree that BARG.and big VAL.will compliment each other v. well and what is your best guess where JOSE will be traded?
    thanks

    • Stephen Brotherston

      vs Knicks – Bargs & Val were on a string playing defense on several occasions that left the Knicks bigs no where to go – good sign. They should work well together as they get used to playing with each other.

      If Jose is traded (not a sure thing), it will be based on another team’s need – i.e. their PG got hurt – no real way to predict that.

13. dub

    Hey Stephen,I’ve always been a bargnani fan but lately i’m beginning to think that maybe the raps would be fine without him. Ed davis is starting to grow and with JV, amir, and Gray we’re pretty good down low. If offered bargnani and kleiza for rudy gay would you do it? I think that’s the type of trade the changes raps from playoff contender to legit threat.

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Talent wise – Gay for Bargs is reasonable trade. Dollar-wise, Bargnani is a bargain player at $10m vs $16.5m.
      Makes one think…. but Gay wold be a great add to the Raps. Much rather give up someone like JC and DD for Gay – if the Grizz could be talked into taking an expiring deal to save luxury tax dollars next season.

      Gay moves the Raps up another significant step towards challenging the big boys – but its not an easy get.

14. Charlie

    The Philadelphia 76ers are predicted to win 45.5 games next year. If you were a betting man, higher or lower than this total? And what would be the #1 reason for making this decision

    • Stephen Brotherston

      1st – I wouldn’t bet on a team like the 76ers. They are equal parts less than 40 and over 50 – hanging on team chemistry and how many games Bynum will play – those are straight up guesses. Find a nice predictable team to bet on like Miami – at least you could make an educated guess.

      I’m not one to spend my money on betting – I’d rather buy a ticket and watch from good seats

15. dub

    coach is having some success with his 2 PG lineups. If this continues will we see kleiza squeezed out of the rotation?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Kleiza is safer than Ross at the moment – but yes, someone is getting squeezed here.

16. Devonte

    Should knick fans expect a very productive year in terms of scoring and assist from Jason Kidd? Is he really the glue guy that’s going to get amare and Carmelo playing better than they ever have?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Kidd will be a productive backup PG – but his leadership and stabilizing influence will be more important. That’s a room full of massive egos – Kidd may be the only one in it with enough respect to pull things back together when the inevitable bump in the road happens.

      Kidd – the glue guy – that’s the hope – we’ll see, those egos are pretty big and they have earned them.

17. Devonte

    Out of these three whose going to have a breakout year? Demar derozan tyreke Evans or jrue holiday

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Holiday has to have a breakout year or it could be a very long season in Philly – doesn’t mean it happens, but it won’t be from a lack of opportunity.
      DeRozan has shown incremental improvement each season, he likely takes another step, but if its at the defensive end (where its needed the most) no one will call it a break out year – even if it really is.
      Evans – I hope so, but I think he needs a change of scenery first.

18. Zach

    Gallo has been a beast far for the Nuggets and they are really looking like the real deal this year. Do you think with the season just around the corner that Gallo is ready to lead the Nuggets to the playoffs and how far do you think the Nuggets can really go?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Nuggets will be good – again. But that’s a tough conference to get out of the 2nd round. 2 very good teams will not make the WC Finals – Denver is likely to be one of those teams that doesn’t get there.

19. Brad

    Your take on the final roster spots? Who makes it, who gets cut?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Raptors have 15 guys on fully guaranteed contracts – kind of says who they’ll keep. Magloire’s contract is only partially guaranteed.

20. James

    I have the raptors, pacers, heat, nets, boston, 76ers, hawks and the bucks making the playoffs. So yes im leaving out the knicks. Do you see it playing out this way or am i under estimating NYK?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Knicks are tough to call – they have the talent to be good, but they haven’t been able to show they know what to do with it. If the Knick figure things out – they are a sleeper team to make the EC Finals – but sure, this team could end up on the wrong side of the lottery line if things go wrong. We need to see if this team can gel or not.

21. jaimeson

    you think cavs pick of waiters over barnes had anything to do with toughness? not that rooks are the most feared (shaq maybe?) but the knock on the cavs of price/daughtery & nance was they were too soft. kyrie & barnes arent intimidating & dont seem to have that “killer demeanor” but their games speak for themselves. i’m still coping with the waiters pick at 4. phx at 13 was last i remember hearing he was gonna go.

    • Stephen Brotherston

      The benefit of picking early is you get the guy you want and you certainly don’t use mock drafts to make your selection. Waiters, like Thompson, is the guy the Cavs wanted – they have their own reasons. They don’t have to share (and we wouldn’t likely believe what they said anyway).

      Waiters at 4 surprised just about everybody….

22. Richard

    Hi Stephen,

    Front court is crowded and seems like the inevitable Ed or Amir has to go. Ed is younger with more potential on a cheaper (for the moment), but we already have a project that has yet to prove their potential in Demar. I used to want Ed over Amir due to Amir being over paid. But noone on the raps busts their butt as hard as Amir and hustles on both ends. I also love how he embraces the city. Yes he’s over paid but we know what we’re gonna get from Amir and its exactly what we need. 2 way hustle and tenacity off the bench and a man who genuinely loves being a raptor. If your the Gm who do u keep and why? Thanks Stephen.

    • Stephen Brotherston

      i got 15 roster spots and a long season ahead – i keep’em all unless i can do a deal that improves my team. Remember how injuries trashed previous seasons?

23. dMoney

    Quick Question. Are sports writers so bored that they have fooled themselves into believing that last nights Lakers Vs Kings game was real? It’s like Bengals fans when they win back to back preseason games all of cincy think they’re superbowl bond. Lol.

    • Stephen Brotherston

      everyone knows its preseason and the end result of games is pretty much meaningless – but you cover what there is to cover – at least the game was entertaining.

24. Ben Roetlessburger

    How about Bargnani on Friday? Can we say Bargs is back? Your thoughts???

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Bargs was never gone – he is just working himself back for the season. The Knicks were the right team at the right time in the preseason – Stoudemire is motivation. With the Bucks, it’ll be Ilyasova that will provide the challenge.

25. Andy Dalton

    What’ do you think the raptors 8-9 man(perhaps 10 man) rotation will look like?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      As Casey keeps saying – that 8,9,10 man rotation could look different every night. The starting lineup you see now is it KL, DD, LF, AB, JV – then Jose, Amir or Ed, then it depends

26. Beaverton

    What do the Milwaukee Bucks have to do right this year to compete for the playoffs?

    What do the Raptors have to do right to beat them tonight

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Bucks have to decide if they are developing players or playing to make the playoffs – the 2 things usually don’t go together well.

      Raptors need to play Casey’s system and they will do fine vs the Bucks

27. King Lebron

    Jonas is looking like a stud, instead of limiting his minutes, would it be better to just throw him out there for 30+ minutes? Of course, keeping out of foul trouble will help but what do you think?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Jonas is looking great – but it is preseason – it gets a lot tougher next week. Still, it is very hard not to be excited for this kid.

28. yass

    What are the chances of the Blazers actually making the playoffs? Lillard, Leonard are they going to be solid players right away?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Blazers will need some young guys to play way above what would normally be considered fair – that’s not expected, but not impossible either.

29. James Johnson

    Hey I’m destroying it out here in Sac-town, I bet the raps regret trading me and I can’t wait to torch them. What are your thoughtsb

    • Stephen Brotherston

      good luck James – play within your abilities and fill your role and there’s a place for you in this league.

30. Tiana He

    Klieza looks out of place on this roster. Is he a baby sitter for JV or will he a role come regular season? Assuming our second unit is amir/ed/Anderson/Ross/Jose, where would he fit in?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Kleiza adds 3-pt shooting and a big body at the SF who can slide into the PF spot in small lineups. For the moment, he has a role. Coach likes Jose, Amir, Ed – seems to like Anderson too (except there are too many wings). Ross will have to fight for his minutes – may lose some to Lucas = instant offense.

      Casey seems to be wavering on the size of his rotation – so maybe there’s an extra spot somewhere

31. Jamie D

    I think T-Ross needs more floor time to see what he’s got. He hasn’t got much this preseason. Would you agree? Also, will Acy stick on the team for the regular season? Would like to see him get more minutes as well despite there being an abundance of bigs (along with all other positions).

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Ross & Acy will both stick with the team, but it’s going to be tough to find minutes for them. This season is more about winning than player development – the rookies will have to prove they can contribute more than the vets – so far only Valanciunas can do that.

32. Jerome Butler

    Hey, I know it is an out of date topic regarding my question, but what was the whole deal between Casey and James Johnson? Could he have remained on the team if they didn’t get into a dispute? So what actually happened? I miss him as a raptor of course, he was pretty good, not great.

    • Stephen Brotherston

      James Johnson lost out when Alan Anderson stepped into his spot and the team’s defense was just as good – plus Anderson has a 3-pt shot.
      I liked James, he has great potential, he just hasn’t tapped into it yet.

33. Cris Collinsworth

    What is the Raptors weakest position? What position would be their strength?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Strongest at PG (But the 4/5 might be catching up fast)
      Weakest at the wing
      But this team has better balance than it has had for years

34. Edward Cullen

    How can Bargnani make the ASG in 2013? Will he need help via injury to another player? He has the talent but just needs the recognition. Your thoughts champ?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      1. Stay healthy
      2. Be a big part of why the Raptors are in a playoff spot.
      3. Have a career year

      That should do it.

      That’s all for today. Thanks for all the great comments and questions.
      Off to Toronto for tonight’s game.

35. Dre futzpatrick

    Do you think Jonas is going to command a max contract once his rookie deal is up? He’s sure something special!!

    • Stephen Brotherston

      How Jonas will look in 4 years is a massive guess – but that’s the hope/plan – he turns into a max contract big man. Early odds are positive.

36. Tim

    Judging from just watching one preseason game against ur raps, I can tell Amare is STILL clueless on defense. This guy is just flat out terrible on D. So my question to u, is defense mainly hustle and effort? or is it something you can teach?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Defense is taught – it works much better if the player hustles. At the pro level you are going to need both to be effective. Some guys are just always going to be better at one end of the floor than the other.