NBA Chat With Susan Bible 2/4/12

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. Brandon

    I was hoping that the sixers would stink up the joint and have a chance at Jared Sullinger. Seeing as how that’s now unlikely, who are other possible prospects at pf the sixers could draft?

    • Susan Bible

      Good morning all — let’s jump right in:

      I’d be happier the Sixers are 16-7 than hoping they have a bad season. Patrick Young? Alex Oriakhi? Tony Mitchell?

  2. Tyler

    Hey Susan! I need some NBA Fantasy advice, I lack a good distributor on my team. My PGs are Ridnour, Lawson and Curry. I have plenty of scoring but no assists! Any suggestions on who I should take a look at?

    • Susan Bible

      I feel your pain. I have two fantasy teams; my distributors are Rondo on one and Lowry on the other. I also have Ridnour, and was afraid to take a chance on Curry with the injury history. This year I was determined to get Steve Nash for the first time, but I was foiled on both draft days. However, I was happy to get Rondo even if he has missed eight games already. So, as far as someone who might be available to you now (in lieu of a trade scenario), I would say to take a look at Grievis Vasquez. I just nabbed him off waivers last night based on what he’s done: with Jarrett Jack out on 2/2, Vasquez logged 16 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals and 50% FG in 33:49 minutes. You might think “ok, that’s with Jack out…” But look what he’s done in total over the three games previous to that, with Jack playing: 41 points, 24 assists, 9 rebounds at 58.5% FG shooting. I’m taking a gamble.

  3. Flute

    Whats going on with allen iverson…dating back to the detroit situation these media people say hes washed up…my question is how?last I checked 4 months before he was traded to detroit he was averaging like 28 a game in against the lakers…yea they got swept but does that mean hes washed up…4 months later he got traded to detroit and all of a sudden hes washed…he shot less shots and had better scorers in detroit and still lead his team in scoring…me personally think he is being black balled…there is no reason why he shouldnt at least get a tryout to see where he at with his game

  4. Sabin C

    Hi.Otis should call Raptors for Calderon and get him.He’d be a great fit for Magic.I don’t think that Raptors will ask much in return.Your thoughts ?

    • Susan Bible

      I don’t think the money works within Orlando’s structure.

  5. Joe

    OK hometown girl time to pull off the rose colored glasses.Your team is not going all the way playing 2 on 5 with Durant jacking up 19 and Westbrook 18 fg’s a game.Harden has recently been starting but his scoring is likely to go down playing with 2 such ball dominant players and where will the scoring come from when your reserves are on the floor.Ibaka,under 7 fg/game,Sefolosha,Perkins and Collison all 3 and change FG,s a game.Maybe at 69FG% they should be feeding Collison more.Cook,who is getting more run hasn’t shot a FT all year?They are going to need more offence from other sources even with 2 of the best players in the game on their team.

    • Susan Bible

      I see you wrote this question before Oklahoma City dominated the Mavs on 2/1/12 and pounded it out vs. Memphis last night (what a game) By now you know Cook has been inserted in the lineup in the last two games in place of sidelined Thabo Sefolosha. I think everyone now realizes (as I’ve said for a long while), that Harden best serves this team as the sixth man. By now you know the bench scored 22 points on 2/1 and 27 points on 2/3. They might not go all the way to a title this year, but you need to understand that they (both players and coaches) are learning in every game, learning how to close it out, learning how take up slack when someone is failing, learning to make in-game adjustments, learning to share and move the ball….and they are learning these things with every passing game. I don’t need to don the rose-colored glasses to concur this team is very good. They lead the Western Conference with a record of 18-4 and have the highest winning percentage, at .818, in the league. You have to admit something is working.

  6. LSO

    By the time your Saturday chat rolls around, this may be old news – but – when will the All-Stars be announced? And, yes, I voted everyday. Everyday. I voted for four Thunder members – and Steve Nash, whom I love! Can’t wait.

    • Susan Bible

      Good for you! That’s what makes All-Star special…the fans voting. As you probably know by now, the All-Star starters were announced on Thursday. Here’s how it looks:

      EAST: Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard

      WEST: Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, Andrew Bynum

      FYI – The reserves will be announced on February 9th on TNT.

      (I’m with you on Steve Nash)

  7. Cain

    Does Paul George have the potential to be next great off ball catch-shoot player in NBA? Ray Allen and Jason Terry only have a few years left and no one significant has put hand up yet

  8. Ray

    So there are reports that LeBron is considering doing the dunk contest again this year? Do you get tired of this? Every single year he talks about it and never does it.

    • Susan Bible

      It is kind of funny. He got fairly close to it the dunk contest in, I think, 2009, then backed out again. He now says he’s on the fence about this year; at least he did acknowledge he’ll be on the fence every year about it.

  9. Anthony Pascua

    The Lakers are in need of scoring from the 2nd unit. I hope the Lakers sign J.R. Smith – he is instant offense. Are there any valid or close deals in the works to sign J.R. or anyone else?

    • Susan Bible

      Methinks Mr. Smith is having a lot of fun teasing the masses with tweets about Staples Center and Broadway. I would say the Lakers need exactly what Smith does; however he can’t join until his China team is eliminated from the playoffs. Oh yeah, and there’s the part that it’s J.R. Smith. I think the Lakers will do something before the trade deadline – not a huge thing – but something. Arenas? Sessions? Mo Pete?

  10. ed

    How bout those pacers?

    • Susan Bible

      16-6, third in the Eastern Conference, beating the reigning NBA champions last night (they hadn’t won in Dallas since 2004), and many of their wins by a commanding score – very nice! They’ve got a pretty stout schedule coming up.

  11. JP

    Imagine you are Adelman and Minnesota gets a SG to start with Rubio. What would you like to have in the bench Ridnour and Barea or Barea and a true SG?

    • Susan Bible

      The latter. The Wolves are ranked 20th in field goal percentage in the league.

  12. Zach

    Dwight howard and turk or Nelson for Westbrook ibaka Perkins and a 1 rounder

    • Susan Bible

      No thanks. Howard is amazing, but he’s not interested in OKC and Presti isn’t breaking up this team.

  13. Eddy

    Hi Susan,
    do you think that Phoenix will make the playoffs and/or resign Nash?

    • Susan Bible

      No playoffs this year. In my heart of hearts – as much as it pains me – I think Nash will try to one last time to win a ring with a contender.

  14. JP

    Would you sign Greg Oden for a small amount in the FA if you are Minnesota?
    Which defensive center would you target?

    • Susan Bible

      Not with yet another surgery for Oden on his right knee. That makes number four since he was drafted. And apparently the left knee will need surgery again too. Yikes. Looks like another season gone. I’d stick with Pekovic, keep developing him and see if it works. Luckily there’s a lot of defensive big men in this years’ draft.

  15. Saulo

    If we could get memphis to bite on Ridnour (who’d be excelente backing up conley as well as insurance), Wes (a true SF to backup gay) and Anthony Randolph (with zach out, they need size still), for OJ Mayo, Pargo and a Pick (or just a pick).. How would that help both teams? I think a backcourt of Mayo and Rubio would be one of the best in the league as they’re games are very well suited for one another..

    • Susan Bible

      The Wolves really do need a true SG — Mayo just might do the trick. And Conley insurance sounds good.

  16. Eddy

    Thanks for your answer! So if Nash decides to leave what would be the best destination for him?

  17. luis

    who wins in a dunk contest between Griffin and James if they both did each other’s great dunk.(Griffin jumps over Lucas the 3rd and James powers over Perkins)?

    • Susan Bible

      James — tired of the “props”. Let’s just see some old-school dunks.

  18. Oliver from germany

    Hey Susan, which would Be your Top Five Players to Build a Team around right now? In which Order? Which Conference finals will we See this Year? I think Okc vs Lac and Mia vs Chi! Great Chats, thanks for answering! Best wishes from Germany!

    • Susan Bible

      Thanks! LeBron, Durant, Rose, Howard, Griffin. I’ll say Miami/Thunder in the Finals.

  19. Jerry B.

    Do you feel James Harden will get the coach’s vote for NBA Allstar reserve?

    • Susan Bible

      Several coaches have told me they think Harden is one of the most underrated players in the game. That said, I’m not thinking he gets it this year. Westbrook will surely be named though.

      Fun chat today! Thanks for joining me — see you again next week….