NBA Chat With Susan Bible 8/27/11

Please join Susan Bible for her weekly 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. Saulo

    Hey Susan, I asked Lang this but I want a more broken-down answer.. MN gets D12 & Arenas..Orl gets Derrick Williams, Anthony Randolph, Wes Johnson + future pick.. assuming D12 signed with MN (hypothetically), how does that package look for both sides, and how great would D12, Love, Beasley and Rubio be?

    • Susan Bible

      Hello HOOPSWORLD readers! This is my first time using the new Chat system, so bear with me, ok? Change is hard! Glad you joined me this morning. Let’s get this thing started:

      Saulo, so sorry to disappoint, but that’s just too much analyzing in a one-hour chat. Jumping to your end result, those four would be intriguing, very intriguing, to watch. However, I can’t see Howard willingly going to Minny when he’s obsessed with winning a championship now.

  2. LSO

    Hey – like the new layout. Don’t read much about potential progress on the NBA lockout. Is there any? Are HOOPSWORLD writers privy to anything that can be repeated?

    • Susan Bible

      Thanks, LSO! I think the new site is awesome :) The HOOPSWORLD writers are in the same boat as everyone else, i.e. just waiting to hear good news. What we do know is that the Player’s Union and the league are meeting face-to-face this Monday to restart negotiations. Fingers crossed.

  3. alberto del rio

    now you oaklahomans take care of durant good. Cant wait tell he comes to LAKERS after kobe era is done in a few years. Would you become a LAKER fan then?

    • Susan Bible

      We Oklahomans are doing our level best to “take care” of Durant. The fact that he signed a max deal for many years with the Thunder bodes well. As long as he keeps having a chance at a ring, I’m not worried about him bolting. But I’m also realistic – the guy is 22 years old with a long NBA future ahead of him. He could ultimately land in Los Angeles or really anywhere. Who knows? I’m sure I’ll always be a Durant fan. Like I’ve said before I’ve followed the NBA since the Magic/Jordan years…never had a favorite team, just favorite players. OKC unexpectedly having an NBA team catapulted me into claiming the Thunder as my favorite NBA team. In other words, this is new territory for me. In your scenario, I imagine I would become Durant fan in LA, but keep the Thunder as “my team.”

  4. Saulo

    Do you agree with leaving Beasley, DeRozan, Vince, Cousins, Jennings, Collison, Hickson, McGee, Humphries, Wes Johnson off thetop 100 List by SL? At least Beas, DeRozan, Cousins & Jennings have to be there, no?

    • Susan Bible

      Those type of lists are so subjective. I tried to find what list you’re talking about – “SL Top 100”. What’s “SL” – is it based on 2010-11 performance or just active players in general? Do you have a link? At first glance, leaving Beasley and Cousins off seems short-sighted.

  5. aaron

    so they keep showing highlights of durant scoring big points in meaningless games but where was he in the WCF while dirk was owning his team singlehandedly?

    • Susan Bible

      If memory serves, this is like the fourth week in a row you’ve submitted a statement/question along these lines. I get it. You think Nowitzki is a better player than Durant. Let’s move along.

  6. 3dmond

    Isn’t it tempting that OKC can sign and trade Perk for Gasol (assuming MEM can’t pay him)? I think Marc can be a low post offensive presence w/ solid board and defense. An upgrade (skill set wise) over Perk.

    • Susan Bible

      First of all, it’s hard to talk numbers when we don’t know how the CBA is going to shake out.

      Seeing Marc Gasol up-close and personal in the playoffs last season though caused me to sit up and take notice. Dude is good. And of course, we have barely seen enough of Perkins, who was not 100% in every Thunder game (regular and postseason), to make a solid judgment yet. I’ve seen other things that Perkins brings to this team, such as sound leadership, championship experience and contagious fierceness, which the young Thunder players sorely needed. But I’m not naïve enough discount the importance of on-court production.

      So let’s compare the two: first, they are both 26 years old. Gasol is 7’1” vs. Perkins at 6’10”. We know OKC didn’t acquire Perkins for his scoring finesse – plenty of scorers on that team, plus Ibaka is supposed to develop into that low-post offensive presence.

      Ok, you know I’m a stats geek. Statistically, Gasol’s best season was in 2009-10: 14.6 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 1.6 bpg, .581 FG%. His numbers decreased across the board last season; Perkins, too. For Perk, his best season (with Boston) was also in 2009-10: 10.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg, .602 FG%, 1.7 bpg. The biggest difference here is playing time – Gasol logged 35.8 mpg vs. Perk’s 27.6 mpg. So you have to look at “Per 36 Minutes” for Perk: 13.2 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 2.2 bpg. The two are remarkably consistent. I’m not pushing a Gasol deal at this point when the guys, as constructed, made it to the WCF last season.

  7. devonte wilson

    what rookies are calling in to reserve a spot in the new league at impact basketball in las vegas

  8. Alvin

    In a re-draft of the 2004 #NBA Draft, who goes #2 after Dwight Howard: Josh Smith, Emeka Okafor, Al Jefferson, or Andrea Igoudala?

    • Susan Bible

      As we know, Okafor did go #2…Jefferson was #15, Iguodala was #9 and Smith was #17. So who should it have been? In hindsight? I’m saying Smith.

  9. Alvin

    If you were Samuel Dalemart, do you take the bigger contract with a non playoff team or take the much smaller contract with the Miami HEAT to chase a championship?

    • Susan Bible

      My research shows Dalembert has made over $68M in the NBA in his nine-year career. He’s 30 years old now. My advice? Go to the HEAT and try for the ring. (just an FYI: I just saw that he’s missed two games in the past FIVE seasons – wow!)

  10. Alvin

    Which core of players would you rather build your team around: Deron Williams and Brook Lopez, Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony or Ty Lawson, Nene Hilario, and Danilio Gallinari

    • Susan Bible

      I think wherever Deron goes (in your scenario), I’m building around him.

  11. Alvin

    Robin Lopez for Patrick Patterson and Hashem Thabeet. Who says no?

  12. Jake

    Hi Susan, love the chats. Ignoring the lockout, what first timers do you predict being named to the 2012 and 2013 All Star Games?

    • Susan Bible

      Thanks, Jake! I like that you’re optimistic about having a 2012 All-Star game. Surely Randolph and Aldridge will make it this time…2013? too far away really to speculate. What do you think?

  13. simon

    by the way did u ever look into the magic, pacer, laker trade i mentioned a couple weeks ago?

    • Susan Bible

      No :( Truthfully, (and I hate to sound like a broken record), but who can speculate until a labor deal is done? Those trade scenario-type things are better suited to people like Kyler or Coon — guys that have a firm grasp on the numbers.

      Guys, I know I didn’t get to as many questions as usual. It’s hard to teach old dogs new tricks…LOL! I love the new system, but it’s going to take more practice to get this down! I’ll see you guys in two weeks (Labor Day – OU..you know!) Thanks, and have a great week.