NBA Chat With Susan Bible 12/22/12

1. Peter

   This following scenario is highly unlikely but still a fun thought. Say Love wants out of Minny after next season, there usually isn’t a way to get fair value from a trading a star but what if OKC came in the picture. Say offering a package built around Ibaka. Maybe add Lamb PJ3 and draft picks from the Harden deal. Don’t you have to at least consider that? I mean OKC gets even better. Who would of thought that could even be possible? This new OKC big 3 would enter a dynasty era built around 3 guys under 25. Downright scary! Plus who wouldn’t wanna see Rubio in the open floor with Ibaka. It be insane. Thoughts?

   • Susan Bible

     Oklahoma City isn’t about to let loose of Serge Ibaka, a player who improves every single year and whose ceiling isn’t even known at this point. Scratch that idea. An intriguing thought would be how OKC could acquire Varejao…but not at the expense of Ibaka.

2. Peter

   Hey Susan! Merry Xmas! According to reports, Knicks offered Stoudemire to nearly every team in the league, but no teams were willing to take him. Are the knicks stuck with him? Will he ever return to elite status?

   • Susan Bible

     Merry Christmas to you! We’re getting close now. Stoudemire has sure been on the receiving end of grief for someone who has logged zero minutes this season. Apparently they sought takers last summer (and probably still are) and with that contract, I don’t see him going anywhere anytime soon. So the Knicks appear committed to making his return the best possible. Your last question just can’t be answered with certainty until we see him. Defensive prowess is my concern.

3. LA in LA

   Rich Bucher sent a tweet that I’ll cut down :” Someone who knows Kobe Bryant well suggests that he has turned his attention from making his case as the NBA’s
   all-time greatest player by surpassing Michael Jordan in championships to finishing his career as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. The reason? He has a better shot at success. It’s not that Kobe won’t, or can’t, win another ring, but the odds are tilting heavily against him, particularly when it comes to using it as a testament to his all-time greatness….”

   Thoughts? Personally I don’t believe Kobe would do this because it would mean NOT being the alpha male in 2 or 3 years, and Kobe has said he wants to retire on top.

   • Susan Bible

     Honestly, that’s hard to comment on since no source – let alone Kobe himself – has personally told me the thought process there. He seems to be the most competitive player ever; I would think he wants to be number-one at everything.

4. Kevin

   Hey Susan,

   Just a quick question to get your opinion. In Soccer when a player goes down injured the team with the ball kicks it out of bounds so the player can receive treatment/get off the field. On the ensuing play the other team kicks the ball down field as far as possible “returning” it to the team that sent it out of bounds as a sign of good sportsmanship and allowing the injured player to get help.

   In the NBA when a player goes down teams race down the court in the hope of getting a easy basket, dont you think it’d be better to adopt the soccer approach? I know it’d cause a turn over on the stat sheet but seems like the more sportsman thing to do.

   Your thoughts?

   • Susan Bible

     Well, I know nothing about soccer except what I learned from attending my twin boys’ games when they were little. I didn’t know they kicked the ball out when a player goes down. I just googled soccer rules real quick, and it looks like it’s an unwritten rule that the ball is kicked out of bounds when a player goes down, and apparently it’s generally accepted that whatever team kicked it out gets it back in the next play. It doesn’t work in basketball because the game is so fast and players fall down all the time…a basket’s been made by the time the player is getting back on his feet a lot of time. They keep playing until a whistle is blown.

5. SatBchMagicer

   G’Morning Susan, Why do so many of the various articles about the ‘Lakers Woes’ usually include reference to some form of: ‘when Dwight fully healed’ along with ‘all the other usual suspects’- Nash return/Gasol health-return/D’Antoni’s system fully implemented/yadayada… D12′s stat line in 12/13: 26 games/mpg=36.7/FG%=.576/FT%=.506/rpg=12.2/a=2.0/s=1.1/b=2.6/tov=3.4/pf=3.7/ppg=18.1 compared to his 11/12 averages: 54 games/mpg=38.3/FG%=.573/FT%=.491/rpg=14.5/a=1.9/s=1.5/b=2.1/tov=3.2/pf=2.9/ppg=20.6. Across the board I see ‘very comparable numbers’ with no indication of ‘he sub-par physically’. In LAL games I’ve watched, also haven’t seen signs he not ‘fully healed’(as Magic fan saw at least 45 of his 54 games in 11/12 season and he appears to be about at the same ‘fitness level’ as before his back problems in Mar 2012). So…is it just smoke…or does Howard actually have ‘healing issues’ and when he fully healthy…his ‘numbers’ will significantly improve?

   • Susan Bible

     You have to take a player at his own word. Read this. He said on Dec. 13th that he’s not 100%. We’re talking back surgery here. He wasn’t even supposed to return until January. I’m not comparing my situation at all, but I’ve had two spine surgeries, and I’ll never be the same. My outlook for him when it was first announced was not positive. Still, he has access to the best rehab and treatments money can buy, so I think he’ll be fine. Just needs more time. What people miss are his high-flying ways. And as he said, his timing and explosiveness have suffered but improving. Critics were hoping for at least the same numbers. His 18.1 points per game is the lowest in six years, and his 12.2 rebound is the lowest since his rookie year. I’m impressed with how he’s doing.

6. SatBchMagicer

   Hi Susan, with 1/3 of the season finished, and with OKC ‘comfortably’ settling in (and leading the West/NBA) do you foresee increased games/minutes for rookies Lamb and/or Jones in the near future to ‘develop them’ (and improve Thunder depth)?

   • Susan Bible

     We all know how stubborn Brooks can be with his lineup. Fun fact: the Thunder have the longest streak – by far – of the same starting lineup And, of course, I can’t find the exact number at this very moment. It think the team is very invested in developing both Lamb and Jones. Lamb has averaged 4.1 minutes and Jones has 7.6 minutes. They’ve been going back and forth to the D-League. Lamb impressed last week vs. the Hawks (5 points in 5 minutes), especially defensively. I don’t see much room for increased minutes for either of them this year.

7. Jim in CyberSpace

   I wish a Merry Christmas. What are the prospect’s for Snow on Christmas morning in OKC?
   What are your pick’s for the Christmas Day line-up of games…? I’m too old to care about any present I might receive? I’m looking forward to the BB games, family and a feast, at the same time!

   • Susan Bible

     Merry Christmas to you! Forty percent chance of snow on Christmas Day…high near 33. It could happen – not likely though.

     Can the NBA lineup on Christmas be any better? More importantly, can I convince my family to have the TV on from 11 am on?

     Celtics at Nets: This will be a classic matchup for years to come. Will we see Humphries getting choked again? Who will be ejected? I have to say Nets at home.
     Knicks at Lakers: Will Steve Nash Return? Amar’e? I’m going to say Kobe will not let this loss happen.
     Thunder at HEAT: In Miami – ut oh. Both teams are uber-motivated. It has the makings of a true showdown. I have to say Thunder with a dose of skepticism.
     Rockets at Bulls: My Christmas wish would be that Derrick Rose was playing. I really miss him. I say Rockets.
     Nuggets at Clippers: I have no cute retort here. Clippers should win.

8. Jim in CyberSpace

   I have been pleasantly surprised by Thabeet. You have to earn your minutes in Brooks’ Line-up.

   The team doesn’t need scoring from the 5, Defense, Rebounding and Solid Screens.

   There is no pressure on him now…a nice back up to Perk at 7-3 tall on a million dollar a year contract, for the next three years. Can’t coach “height”. Big men can be late bloomers? And he has pretty nice free throw stroke for a man of his size?

   • Susan Bible

     I will take this platform now and say I was wrong about Thabeet. I wrote a feature on him way back during the NBA Combine, and I was not impressed. I know what he did in UConn and the great potential everyone saw in him, but I couldn’t get past what I perceived as no heart for the game. I was so relieved Memphis took him at No.2 in the draft – remember the great debate back then? – which led to OKC taking Harden with No.3. Anyway, I watched what he did over the next couple years and all the team moves, so when OKC announced they signed him over the summer, I just groaned. When I saw him at Media Day, it was clear he had matured. His demeanor was different…I saw excitement and gratefulness. So, yes, he’s been a pleasant surprise. It’s a testament to how his work ethic has grown, because you are right about Brooks: He’s stingy with the minutes. He’ll be no star, but he is serviceable and supportive and a great locker room guy. I’ve seen it. The guys love him.

9. Paul

   Is Houston activity working on any trades. What are the odds Houston gets a trade done before the deadline. Think Amere would be best fit. Y would they hold on to 20 mil bench Player when they tried so hard to ship him before???

   • Susan Bible

     Who will take him at that salary after that injury with an unproven season? You know they had the entire Erie Bayhawks team fly in for three nights just to scrimmage with Stoudemire? By all accounts, they know it’s in their best interest now to get him to the highest level of play possible because nobody is interested at this point.

     As for Houston working on trades, it’s all speculation. That said, I think they add another star next to Harden by the deadline…and they have assets to do it.

10. Timo

    Merry Christmas from Germany.
    What do you think is the next step for the Magic after Davis is out?

    • Susan Bible

      And a very Merry Christmas to you in Germany!

      I’m part of the newslines team here at HOOPSWORLD. On Wednesday, I wrote “Magic’s Glen Davis Growing Up?” and the very next day, I wrote “Serious Injury for Magic’s Glen Davis?” This game of basketball is unforgiving. Andrew Nicholson got the start last night. A one-guy replacement for Davis is a challenge – they’ll have to do it by committee. To my surprise, they said Davis suffered no serious structural damage (whew), i.e. no surgery; it’s a shoulder strain which will require rest and rehab. I haven’t heard how long he’ll be sidelined.

11. Prince

    Morning, hey we all know that James Harden is a great player, but watching him, I can’t figure out what makes him so good, he’s not overly athletic or quick, but he gets the job done, maybe you can help demystify this for me lol

    • Susan Bible

      Harden has an off-the-charts basketball IQ and he can do so many things well. He can shoot from anywhere, his passing is crazy good, he’s reliable at the foul line (and can get there seemingly whenever he desires), he’s deceptively quick at changing gears, he can run the point, stay on the wing…the list goes on. He lets the game come to him. He’s like a throwback player, which we haven’t seen in some time. Can you tell I’m a fan?

12. Chris

    Hi Susan. With the way they’re playing this year (and winning), Luol Deng and Joakim Noah have to be pretty solid bets to be All-Stars, right?

    • Susan Bible

      When fans are voting, there’s not much room for making solid bets. As of the last count I saw, Noah is seventh and Deng is thirteenth in the Eastern Conference frontcourt voting. You better tell your friends to start voting.

13. Ken from Lovely Manhattan

    If Russel Westbrook is injured do you think that will impact a lot of fantasy teams?

    • Susan Bible

      I’m calling the authorities now, because you’ve lost your mind. Thanks for the laugh … and Merry Christmas!

      Please accept my wishes to all our readers for a Merry Christmas! Thanks for joining me on these chats.