NBA Chat With Susan Bible 11/26/11

Please join Susan Bible for her NBA Chat each Saturday at 11:00 am EST.   Susan is a Newlines Editor and a member of the fantasy team at HOOPSWORLD.  She covers the Oklahoma City Thunder and the NBA at large.  Drop in your questions now.

  1. Dave

    Hey Susan :)
    I’ve been thinking – with so many people around the world addicted to coffee, are there guys on the thunder roster who need coffee or some form of energy drink to function/play at their full potential?
    Or are players encouraged to try and steer away from that kind of stuff?

    • Susan Bible

      Great question. A couple things came to mind when I read this: Ex-Magic guard Darrell Armstrong was known to drink several cups of coffee (with seven lumps of sugar!) before every game. Keep in mind this was years ago. He said Chuck Daly suggested it to keep his energy up.

      I’ve been in the Thunder locker room pre-game many, many times and the only thing I see players drinking is water or Gatorafe. A couple fun facts: Eric Maynor almost always eats popcorn before the game. I tease him about this endlessly! I also see a lot of chicken fingers around.

      I remember talking to Kevin Durant on his birthday last year; I asked him if he was looking forward to having his birthday cake later. He shook his head and said no…he indicated birthday or not, cake is not on the approved diet.

      Caffeinated drinks (like coffee, tea or energy drinks) dehydrate muscles, so I can’t imagine it’s ever a part of a pre-game drinking.

      Remember when the player formerly known as Ron Artest revealed he used to drink alcohol at half-time when he was a Bull?

  2. Dong of Dayton

    Hello Susan,

    I’ve read that the NBA players brought up the possibility of a shorter season to try to prevent injury. Something like 10 games less a season. I feel like 82 games plus playoffs are a lot, but some of these players just play in the offseason anyway. (Euro league, olympics, fiba) What are your thoughts on that? Would fewer games improve the quality of the NBA and it’s players? Is that something the players should push for?

    • Susan Bible

      I’ve been in the middle of this type of conversation many times, even way before the lockout. The general consensus is that the owners would never agree to it for economic reasons (they don’t want already-established box office or TV revenues to decrease). We’ve had an 82-game season since 1967-68. To me, the arguments for a shorter season include: 1) lessens wear-and-tear on players, i.e. injuries could diminish, 2) the possibility of creating more fans who are currently overwhelmed by the thought of committing to attending 41 home games per season or watching 82 games on TV, 3) each game would be more meaningful, i.e. no more “schedule losses” such as back-to-backs, and 4) players more refreshed for the playoff season.

  3. Sven

    Hi Susan, anxious to see OKC ball again ?
    I really think it is time to call out the big guns to end this lock-out ? Are Alan Shore and Denny Crane still in Boston :-)

    • Susan Bible

      Perhaps Alan and Denny were there…working behind the scenes! And I’m very anxious, especially now that we are fairly certain games are coming. (Love the Boston Legal reference! What a great show that was…)

  4. Alex

    Hey Susan,
    do you think Steve Nash will retire as a Sun?

    • Susan Bible

      That’s a hard one. Nash is in his final contract year with the Suns at $11.7M. He’ll turn 38 years old this February – how long can he play at a high level? Despite his back issues, he’s only missed 33 games in the past seven years. Further, he led the league in total/per game assists in five of those seven years (including the last two seasons). Seems Phoenix has three choices: 1) let him walk after this season, which leaves them great cap space to sign another star and rebuild, 2) trade him this year for a star and other considerations, or 3) re-sign him for a couple years so he can retire a Sun.

      Which scenario happens? Is he content to finish it out in Phoenix knowing he hasn’t much of a chance at a title, or does he jump to a contender? You know teams will be lining up for his services. I’ve made no secret of the fact I’m a really big fan of Steve Nash. He was the first player I ever spoke to in an NBA locker room; it was an experience I’ll never forget. He defines the word “gentleman,” and his contributions to the game are significant. Part of me wants to see him finish in Phoenix and part of me wants to see him add an NBA title to his resume.

      I tend to think he departs Phoenix.

  5. Claudine

    Hi Susan, do you think that the Thunder will try to lure Blake Griffin one day? I read a piece months ago in DIME Mag about Griffin open to the possibility of being a Thunder in the future.

    • Susan Bible

      In August, Griffin raised the hopes of Thunder fans when he told a local outlet “We’ll see what happens” when asked if he could see joining OKC. The Clippers aren’t letting loose, so the only scenario possible is in free agency. Interestingly, Serge Ibaka and Griffin both face restricted free agency in 2013-14. Griffin’s QO with the Clippers is $9.3M, and Ibaka’s is $3.2M. OKC’s salaries will equal around $31.4 that year; of course by then the Thunder will surely have extended Westbrook and Harden…and we don’t know what the CBA numbers hold, but I don’t think they can afford him.

  6. Jaimeson

    As much as I need this NBA season for my sanity, opening on xmas is a bad idea. A full day of overhyped unconditioned teams w/ no chemistry yet throwing up brick after brick just doesn’t seem all too appealing. But we’ll be glued to the TV anyways & the NBA knows this!

    • Susan Bible

      You’ve got that right…we’ll all be watching. And those having TV rights wouldn’t have it any other way. Opening on Christmas Day is brilliant….everyone will be in good moods, i.e. less attention on the past months’ events.

  7. Jeff

    Hey Susan!! Hope you had a great thanks giving! If we get games on christmas (fingers crossed), will it be a new schedule or will we see Mavs v Heat and Lakers v Bulls? Would the Mavs get their ring right infront of Lebron n co? That would burn!

    • Susan Bible

      I had a great Thanksgiving…thanks for asking!

      I understand the NBA will write a whole new schedule now for a 66-game schedule. It has to be an even number; with this 66-game scenario, it’s suspected each team may play its division opponent four times (16) and play the other teams (25) twice. Expect marquee match-ups on Christmas.

  8. otv78

    Hi Susan. Do you know if there’s going to be an all star game for this season, now that the season is going to finally happen.

    • Susan Bible

      It looks like the All-Star weekend is still on tap in Orlando on February 24-26, 2012.

  9. Gregory

    Hey Susan,
    With the new CBA details not being revealed for the next few days, in your opinion what sacrifices was made by the owners and the players?

    • Susan Bible

      That’s impossible to say until we see the deal. Sources say the owners made significant moves to get the deal over the goal line. Based on the interview looping on NBA TV – with Stern, Silver, Holt, Fisher, Hunter and Evans – they all seemed just exhausted; to me, the demeanor of players reps sure seemed less enthusiastic than the owners. From the player’s point of view, sources says the sticking points were the mid-level exception and sign-and-trades for luxury tax-paying teams. For the owners, restricted free agency and the middle class. Of course, the issues requiring agreement goes deeper than that. Read Steve Kyler’s tweets this morning…he goes into great detail on the subject.

  10. Chris

    Since the schedule will get redone, do you think the three matchups the league originally announced for Christmas Day will still be the three games we get? In other words, will the Bulls play the Lakers?

    • Susan Bible

      It sounds like those Dec. 25th match-ups may remain the same: Boston-New York, Miami-Dallas and Chicago-Lakers.

  11. T-in the Nap

    Greetings to the lovely Lady Bible! Haven’t heard..is there an amnesty clause in this tentative agreement? Looking for the Pacers to make the next step forward now that things are (hopefully) going again!

    • Susan Bible

      Nice greeting! It appears the amnesty clause will be included; gives each team the opportunity to cut one player. Good luck to your Pacers!

  12. LSO

    As happy as I am to hear there may be an agreement, I can only imagine how bar/restaurant people, hotel/motel operators, arena staff support, parking lot operators, limo drivers, team support personnel, etc., etc., feel. What say you?

    • Susan Bible

      I say “absolutely!” I thought it was awesome how Stern made a point this morning to reference how important it was to reach a deal for those many people who depend on the NBA having games.

  13. William Gaddis

    Does Durant consider Dirk to be his father?

    • Susan Bible

      I don’t even know what you mean by that. I assume it’s an insult. Pretty weak.

  14. Tyler

    THE NBA IS BACKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!! About time. Players still making millions and hopefully the owners can turn a profit now. Can you predict the Thunders record and do you believe Harden can become 6th man of year?

    • Susan Bible

      Exactly. I was seriously beginning to doubt we’d have a season at all this year. Let’s see…with a 66-game season without the benefit of the usual offseason work/access to the facilities, pre-season and training camp, I’ll say the Thunder turn out a 48-18 season. I think Harden is Sixth Man material, but most folks seem to believe he’s moving to the starting line-up.

  15. Rory

    The lockout is OVER!!!! Woohoo!!!! How hectic is free agency going to be and how many teams will use the Amnesty clause? Thnks and Go HEAT!!!

    • Susan Bible

      Woohoo is right!! Didn’t even mind that my husband woke me up with the news :) Free agency is going to be wild, and HOOPSWORLD will be right on top of it. We’ll have to wait and see about the amnesty clause — too early to say.

  16. matt

    Do you agree with this statement? Durant might be the best scorer in the NBA. BUT he is not the best player in the NBA.

    • Susan Bible

      Totally agree. At only 23, he’s got a lot of room for improvement.

      Thanks for dropping by this morning! Lots of smiles on faces… What a great day!!