NBA Chat With Stephen Brotherston 3/11/13

1. todd

   I think the raptors should pursue a trade for vince carter , I think he still has it in him if he plays 30min he would produce 20ppg+ and makes the raptors a better team

   • Stephen Brotherston

     Welcome to this afternoon’s chat.
     Most teams have about 20 games left to go and outside of a handful of teams battling for a playoff spot in the West, the season is coming down to preparing for the postseason or seeing what you’ve got on your roster if you are just playing out the string – some rookies are going to be playing a lot more than before.

     Well somebody who follows the Raptors still likes Vince!

     At 36-years-old, Vince Carter playing 25 minutes a night is a pretty good accomplishment over an entire season & the former star has still got it, from time-to-time, but it wouldn’t be very fair to lay a 20ppg burden on him at this stage of his career.

     Vince Carter can still help a team – especially a good team that needs a scoring wing off the bench – I would have liked to have seen the Pacers add VC for the playoffs – a very good short term solution to their need for some scoring punch.

     Raptors have plenty of scoring on the wing – VC is not a veteran “leader” – and the Raptors are not expecting to contend for the Finals next season. Raptors are not looking for short term solutions, this team is still under development.

     We still see some of the famous athletic ability from VC on occasion – he is a very gifted athlete – but his time is passing – past if you need a big minutes starter.

2. Arky

   Hey Stephen,
   Two questions from the Lakers game:
   1. Why on earth take Jonas out of the game with 4 fouls in the 3rd quarter when he was playing well if you aren’t going to play him at all in the last quarter and overtime anyway, not even when Amir fouled out?

   2. What was Aaron Gray DOING on that Kobe dunk in overtime?

   • Stephen Brotherston

     Casey explained why he didn’t bring Jonas Valanciunas back in the 4th quarter – JV was having a lot of trouble defending Howard in the post, so he went with his veteran. Offsetting that was JV was burning Howard on rolls to the basket – but Casey is a defense first coach.

     I would have let the situation play out as long as JV & Howard were trading baskets, but Casey isn’t like that.

     From what I remember, Gray didn’t do anything – of course he wasn’t alone – the Raptors stood and watched it happen like they couldn’t believe it.

3. Dyaptor

   Hi Steve, The Raptors, should have promoted Masai Ujiri, to GM instead of holding on to BC. Look at what Masai, have done w/ the Nuggets since he took over. This is a case where in the student is a lot better that the teacher and what makes it more impressive is the Nuggets are in the Western Conference and a sure bet to make the playo-offs.It is really sad to see this organization had the guy (Ujiri)already and just let him get away. Just horrible judgement I should say.

   • Stephen Brotherston

     Hindsight is great isn’t it. The Raptors liked Ujiri and they should have given him the GM title and left BC as President – but they let him go – Ujiri did end up in a great situation.

     Hopefully Stefanski proves to be as good – since he has arrived, there have been some impressive moves made.

4. Chris

   Hi Stephen. Best center in the NBA: Dwight Howard or Joakim Noah? My vote goes to Noah. Both have similar rebounding averages and Dwight has a higher FG %. However, Noah’s impact as a playmaker, his free-throw %, his ability to run the break, his leadership skills, and higher basketball IQ make him the better player.

   • Stephen Brotherston

     It is not totally a fair question this season. Howard came back from his back surgery too soon – but he has still put up huge rebounding numbers even though he has been obviously slower, not in his usual outstanding physical shape, and adjusting to a different and constantly changing situation.

     Noah does not have Howard’s natural physical gifts. Gifts that should be back to usual by next season.

     Noah’s advantages over Howard are – better teammate, accepts his role, no drama, better transition player. (everyone is a better FT shooter than Howard)

     Who is better? – tough question. I don’t think the Bulls would trade what they got for what Howard would give them.

     This summer – there will be a pile of GMs willing to tell Howard he’s the greatest center ever – and an army of fans agreeing with them.

     I like your timing on this question.

5. Sam

   Rudy Gay has ben unefficient all season long. We thought it was a matter of wrong system in Memphis, but he’s getting all the freedom he wants now and he’s still not shooting well.

   Is anyone inside the coaching staff/management noticing it…?

   • Stephen Brotherston

     Rudy Gay will be a low to mid 40% shooter – with no complaints. With a sore back, if he can stay near 40%, that’s pretty good.

     Yes – everyone has noticed – part of the reason Rudy is getting some time off to rest his back.

6. The Last Man

   Good day sir, like the chat but my question is with the raptors 1 star away from contention and 1 injury away from the lottery ( in which we have no pick) could TO trade for a a super teams 3rd star I.e. Bosh, al jeff, Millsap or perhaps even josh smith
   The team we have now minus bargnani and kleiza looks like the team bosh should have been on and he probably would have stayed or atleast not quit down the stretch.

   • Stephen Brotherston

     The Raptors still need to add a solid player or 2 to this roster – that move is definitely in this summer’s plans. This will be a very interesting summer – if the Raptors are willing to go into the luxury tax, there will be deals that can be made – the new luxury tax rules will shake some players loose.

     It seems blatantly obvious that Bosh decided to join Wade & LeBron in Miami during All-Star weekend that year – it’s unlikely that there was anything Colangelo could have done at any time to change that result

7. LA in LA

   If Raptors can keep Gay long term, I have 2 questions:

   1) WOn’t they have to get rid of either D.Roz or T.Ross in a few years? Assuming T.Ross is at minimum as good as D.Roz, they’d probably have to pay near $9.5 mil to keep him, and that seems like a lot for 3 similar-ish players.

   2) IK BC wants to extend Gay but surely he isn’t going to give him a pay raise right? With the New CBA plus the fact Gay’s not a real franchise player, he should be offered an extension like $75 mil/5 years ($15 per year)

   • Stephen Brotherston

     1) lets not rush the process, but yes – there is a coming log jam in terms of minutes & money coming for wing players in Toronto – decisions will have to be made – eventually (teams control rookies for 4 seasons). It’s not an immediate situation that must be addressed this summer. Although Ross is looking like a fantastic trade piece if that’s the direction Colangelo chooses to go.

     2)Gay’s contract runs 2 more seasons – the last year at $19m – so no, under the current CBA, Gay shouldn’t be expecting a raise – more like how big will the pay cut be?

     I would expect any extension would be for 2 additional seasons – $15m per might be a little light, but a good starting point for negotiations.

8. LA in LA

   If Bryant can keep scoring at 35+ ppg with like 5apg and 5rpg or if he can do a high efficiency near or actual triple double game (something like 20pts, 9asts, 8rebs), does he have a chance of shooting massively up MVP race?

   • Stephen Brotherston

     Add to that 35pts/5+asts/5+rbs the Lakers keep winning and move up the standing to at least 6th place – Kobe will be getting a ton of buzz for MVP

     But LBJ & KD are leaders on contending/1st/2nd place teams & they both have their own outstanding numbers – its really hard to win an MVP race in the last month fighting to get into the playoffs.

     no one will ignore what Kobe is doing, but everyone will be taking into account the team he is doing it on & the Lakers are not considered contenders (at least not now)

9. Jim in CyberSpace

   “This is what I like being a part of. All of that up and down fast pace, I kind of like the `slow down, let’s bump a little bit’ type of game,” Perkins said. “Either way, it’s all good.”

   Gotta like Perkin’s.

   Bill Simmon’s, a Die Hard Celtic fan say’s Perk doesn’t belong with the Thunder, after he finally stopped calling them Zombies. Talk to Stern about relocation, it’s not the fan’s or player’s fault?

   Not athletic enough say’s Bill about Perk..slow’s ‘em down?

   BS LOVED Perk when he was in Boston…Just like Doc River’s and Scottie Brooks’ still do.

   I call BS.

   Is BS right?

   • Stephen Brotherston

     Perkins is a leader – his value is more than his numbers – especially on a team where the best players are very young.

     Every successful playoff team needs an element of toughness to succeed – Perkins gives OKC toughness – saying he doesn’t belong is kind of funny

10. dub

    I’m really struggling to see the direction of the raptors. As it stands they are going to be capped out of money and really do not have a great roster. How do they turn what they have into a contender? Is demar part of the future after his extension? Fields is an awful expensive backup sf, and what the hell do you do with the likes of Bargs!LOL…Failing to see the direction here

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Direction is becoming quite clear. Casey wants a tougher team, a more athletic team, a better defensive team. Certain players don’t fit that mold as well as others, they will either adapt or be moved along.

      DeRozan looks to be part of the future – they expect (demand) he continues to improve – if they didn’t believe he could continue to improve, he would not have gotten the extension.

      Fields is being underrated because of his injury – he fits with what Casey wants, but he won’t be all the way back from the impact of his surgery until next season.

      Bargnani has not been consistent enough to fill the role Casey needs from him – it will be a shock if he isn’t traded. Bargs will do great playing beside a primary rebounder like say Reggie Evans in Brooklyn for example

      This is a very young team and expecting them to be a contender next season isn’t in the cards – they’ll be better next season with Lowry, DeRozan & Gay playing together longer.

11. ALEX

    Great chats, we all know RAPS. need a PF, and we HAVE one in AMIR, he will be even better next year. keep cap under control let them jell . Would you agree?
    thanks.

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Mostly – I don’t want to see a big turnover. I do think adding a big that fits better with Casey’s style is pretty important. Amir & Jonas look like long term keepers at the 4/5

12. dub

    Is it just me or has gay stepped down from his high of being handed the face of the franchise? I know he has had back spasms but hes had some terrible games as of late.

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Pretty sure Gay’s shot has been impacted by the sore back. He pulled himself from 1 game because of it.
      Gay relies on his athleticism to get his game off – that’s hard to do when every move causes you pain.

13. dub

    Are the raps starting ross to see if he’s able to replace demar? I know they want to see what they have in him, but could that be the underlying reason?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Not directly. They are starting Ross because 1) Gay needed a day off to rest his sore back, 2) with 20 games left and 10 losses behind the Bucks in 8th place, it was time to see what the rookies could do.

      Everybody gets evaluated though – all the time, but especially at this point in the season. Raptors would like to know if they can project Ross as the starting SG at some point – or if some other team would……

14. matt

    Why would the Bucks match any offer for Brandon J. He clearly does not want to be in Milwaukee. Why would want a player that does not want to be here. Yea he’s playing better the last 5-6 games, but that wont last, Can they do a S&T with a team and get a solid SF or a high draft pick. I just think Monte can be a better point than BJ, your thoughts?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Teams almost always want something back for assets they control, especially assets another team is sure to want. Bucks have to at least threaten to match in order to drive s&t value if Jennings becomes too expensive to keep.

      If the price is right, decent PGs are not that easy to get – no reason not to hang onto BJ. You can always trade him later.

15. David

    Do you see the Warriors making the playoffs? Who would you build around? Steph Curry or David Lee?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Both, Curry & Lee are a great pair of offensive players to build around – now if their center can just get & stay healthy – GSW has something

16. FrankHead

    I would like your opinions on two possible free agency signings this coming summer. Al Jefferson joining Al Horford in Atlanta, creating a very solid front court. Also, Charlotte overpaying for Paul Millsap. Do you like these ideas?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      I like Jefferson in Atlanta – solid move

      If Charlotte is going to enter free agency, there had better be a bigger plan in place than overpaying for 1 guy or that 1 guy might turn down the money. The team just does not seem ready to add a big free agent this summer

17. Jim

    Do you think Maynor and Hickson are in the Blazers long term plans? If not, what should the Blazers prioritize this offseason?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Depends on how much – if the price is right, they should be. Blazers need depth. Solid veterans to fill in behind those really nice young players.

18. Dale Harapat

    Are we seeing with Jazz coach Ty Corbin and the lack of management holding the team accountable, the collapse of a once proud franchise in the Utah Jazz? The rotations are bad, the playing time is given to the wrong players, the end of games are a disaster, and the team has no heart or leader…

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Bigger impact was the loss of Mo Williams for over 2 months – they needed him to run the offense & he hasn’t looked good in his 3 games back (shouldn’t be a surprise after the long layoff)

      A lot of teams will look leaderless after losing their PG mid-season (Celtics notwithstanding)

      this is something the Jazz need to address

19. Jmar

    Hi step.. 2 questions
    Where is raptors P.A Herbie Kuhn is he been replaced? Hope not.

    And why pietrus not playing is he injured? And last
    Is boozer available to the raptors for andrea last trade deadline, BC just didn’t pulled the trigger?
    Thanks

    • Stephen Brotherston

      I heard Herbie is away on personal business – I expect he’ll be back soon.

      There are no minutes available for Pietrus – any “extra” minutes will go to Ross, Fields, Anderson, Lucas, etc…

      Here’s hoping that Boozer deal is possible this summer & the Raptors didn’t pull the trigger solely because they wanted to avoid the 3 yr luxury tax rule which costs an extra $1 per $1 in the tax – we’ll find out in July

20. Alan Anderson

    Hey what are your thoughts on the Aaron Gray double team for Kobe’s game winner? Was it justifiable? dwane Casey or AGray’s fault? When will DC be fired? This was my last straw

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Can’t imagine any coach getting fired because Aaron Gray could help stop Kobe from driving to the basket – just saying….

      Kobe puts up 30-40 points on lots of good teams & great defenders

21. SatBchMagicer

    Good afternoon Stephen, on the plus side- only 1 game remains against West Conf. team(MIN), but…8 1/2 games behind a mildly surging #8 East MIL; 18 games left, with only 7 of them with teams lower in standings; Bargs reinjured- Time for Raptors to forget 12/13 playoffs(game strategy) and maximize development of younger players for TOR future?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Casey started out the last pregame presser with he going to be playing the rookies more and if Bargs is going to miss any time, they’ll recall Quincy Acy from the D league.

22. Dubbs

    Hey Stephen! Everyone always talks about T-ross’ potential.. I’m not convinced. He’s a good spot up shooter, and good at finishing in transition. However he can’t create off the dribble. What separates Ross from Jason Richardson? Because that’s how high I see his ceiling. Thanks for the response!

    • Stephen Brotherston

      At this point, you could say Ross can’t create of the dribble against an NBA defender – but he’s a rookie and not a top 4 pick, so that could take a couple of years to develop. His ceiling isn’t that easy to define, but for now, we haven’t seen anything to suggest his ceiling is higher than a decent NBA starter – but we haven’t seen enough yet to say for sure.

      Ross has the skills to be a good defender, a good jump shooter, good in transition – that’s more than enough to have an NBA career. It’s just far too soon to set a ceiling – and he has lots of work to do developing the skills he has already shown.

23. dave

    Steve, you certainly get a lot of Raptor fans on this site, esp considering that the team’s not very good and hasn’t been for a long time. I applaud fans like that. I’d like to see the Raps change their name to the Huskies. Do you think that will happen?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      I am a fan of the Huskies name, but the team has not supported the concept – not yet anyway.

      Raptors have a great fan base

24. Gerald

    What does the team get out of playing anderson and gray during these last few games. Tell me one positive you get out of playing those guys over our rookies

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Casey has said this from day 1, he wants Ross to play more like Anderson – he wants Ross to pick up on how to play tough.

      Gray has been a mentor for the younger Raptors players – but the Lakers game was all about Gray being a better matchup defensively with Howard. Gray doesn’t get big minutes that often.

25. Don Alejandro

    Raps should trade Suns Derosen for Duds and change. It would help both teams, Duds would give the team a veteran voice who is used to winning games, and can do it all. Derosen would help the Suns continue to rebuild. What do you think?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Jared Dudley would be a nice add for Toronto off the bench, but he doesn’t have the upside of DeRozan – that move would be considered a huge steal for the Suns. But I can see how Dudley would help Casey get where he wants to go faster.

      Maybe toss in the Suns 2014 1st pick? & Bargnani for Gortat as part of the deal….. while we’re looking for ways to help Casey out next season.

26. Cain

    Does Paul George need another training camp or 2 before he truly emerges as a consistent offensive threat?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      It’s not the training camp, it’s the work he is going to put in over the next few summers. This is just his 3rd season – he’ll be getting better for a few years yet.

27. Cain

    Kawhi Leonard or Chandler Parsons or Gordon Hayward, who would you take now and in 3-4 years?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Since watching Kawhi workout in Toronto before the draft, I have had a bias towards his play. He has a lot of natural/ unteachable gifts. The Spurs got a steal. I expect Parsons & Hayward to be good, Leonard to be better.

28. jerry brown

    Whats is the chance of dallas mav making the playoff. I would like to see vince carter in the playoff again.

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Less than 25% chance Dallas can make it in – 2 teams back of 8th – need 2 teams to play poorly while the Mavs play well. Not impossible, but Dallas no longer controls their own fate.

29. kllp

    John wall said that he considers himself max player?Will he get from dc this summer?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Tough call. 16 & 8, with a block & a steal per game over 3 seasons – Was it because he has been playing by himself? Is he a franchise guy on a good team?

      Washington doesn’t have to do anything this summer, they can still issue a qualifying offer in 2014 and control Wall in RFA. Not sure it would send the right message to Wall though – he has been in a really bad situation until this season and this year he got hurt. If the Wiz want to build around him, it would be wise to send the right message by making a substantial offer this summer.

      If Wall puts up 16 & 8 next season and the Wiz are around a 500 club, someone will make that big offer & they could end up with an Eric Gordon situation. Better to preempt that.

30. Beau

    I know Toronto wants to move Bargs, but now that the team is tentatively set at 1,2,3, and 5, it seems like the only thing they would be looking to get for him is a different PF. Doesn’t that make it much more difficult to trade Bargs for value when they are seeking someone at the same position?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      yes – but there are solid targets for this kind of move. No one can say it’ll be easy