NBA Chat With Susan Bible 9/8/12

Please join Susan Bible for her NBA Chat this 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.

  1. LA in LA

    I know your an OKC fan, but doesn’t part of you ever want to see Westbrook and KD apart? I know they actually like each other unlike Kobe and Shaq, another great duo, but I’d be interested to see them on separate great teams.

    • Susan Bible

      Good morning, NBA fans!

      In all sincerity, no. I’ve never thought “wow, I’d like to see those two on separate teams.” Obviously I’m partial to keeping these two together for awhile. But I see your point, and I think both would be stars without each other.

  2. Chumpalump

    Most experts agree Kobe Bryant was second fiddle to Shaq during his first three championships. A tremendous Robin I may add (now a Batman). Rank your top three second fiddles for the upcoming season? Wade has to be #1, no?

    • Susan Bible

      Quite tremendous indeed. I’d say Wade (if healthy), Griffin (if healthy) and Westbrook.

  3. Roger

    Let’s say these were two teams in 2006. Who would have come out in a best of seven NBA Finals?
    Eastern team: PG Allen Iverson, SG Dwayne Wade, SF Lebron James, PF Chris Bosh, C Shaquille O’neal
    VS.
    Western Team: PG Steve Nash, SG Kobe Bryant, Tracey McGrady, PF Tim Duncan, C Yao Ming.
    Who would be victorious and why? MVp of the Finals?

    • Susan Bible

      OK, I’ll bite. Since I’m a stats geek, let’s break it down in the 2005-06 season (I got these stats really fast, so hopefully they’re right):

      Iverson (age 30) – 33.0 ppg, 7.4 apg, 9.4 ft at .814
      Wade (age 24) – 27.2 ppg, 6.7 apg, 5.7 rpg, 8.4 ft at .783
      James (age 21) – 31.4 ppg, 6.6 apg, 7.0 rpg, 7.6 ft at .738
      Bosh (age 21) – 22.5 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 6.8 ft at .816
      O’Neal (age 33) – 20.0 ppg, 9.2 rpg, .469 ft

      Nash (age 31) – 18.8 ppg, 10.5 apg, 4.2 rpg, .921 ft
      Bryant (age 27) – 35.4 ppg, 4.5 apg, 5.3 rpg, 8.7 ft at .850
      McGrady (age 24) – 24.4 ppg, 4.8 apg, 6.5 rpg, 5.4 ft at .747
      Duncan (age 29) – 18.6 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 4.2 ft at .629
      Ming (age 25) – 22.3 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 5.9 ft at .853

      That’s a darn good collection of players, right? I wonder how it would play out if they were each others’ teammates. What the heck…I’ll pick the West with Nash and Bryant being in their prime and a healthy Ming.

  4. Rocket

    By the way you are really gorgeous. Would consider you a MILF :)

  5. Azzar Nadvi

    Hi Susan! first time asking you a question i think =]
    so i keep reading people saying kobes first 3 championships are unimpressive because he was “second fiddle” to a dominant shaq. i think that is unfair to kobe. although i agree shaq was the big dawg posting up rediculous number of points and rebounds, kobe did his share averaging 22,29,and 27 ppg 5,6 and 5 APG and 5,7, and 6 RPG during the playoffs of their 3 peat. Would you agree that shaq also needed kobe to 3 peat? would you also agree that to say kobes first 3 championship were unimpressive because he was “piggybacking” of of shaq is a disrespect to kobe? thanks

    • Susan Bible

      Welcome! I would never say Kobe’s championships, nor Shaq’s, were unimpressive. I’m impressed when any team wins a title, and I give huge credit to all of the individual contributions made. One can’t do it alone – see LeBron’s valiant attempts in Cleveland or Dwight Howard’s in Orlando. Jordan needed Pippen. Nowitzki needed Terry. Pierce needed Garnett. Duncan needed Parker. James needed Wade. To slight either one of them is unfair. As for their accomplishments separate from one another…Kobe needed Gasol and Shaq needed Wade.

  6. Mr. Ballistik

    In your opinion, which NBA team has the “best” bench?

    • Susan Bible

      I’m giving that to the San Antonio Spurs.

  7. Azzar Nadvi

    So yesterday I made the statement “if shaq had the work ethic of kobe or jordan, his dominance and effectiveness could have not neccessarily been greater, but lasted longer than it did.”
    This started a debate in the room. Some saying shaq didn’t need to cuz he was dominant.
    My questions are: was shaq as hard working off the court as kobe was/is? Did shaq pay as much attention to staying physically fit like kobe did/does? And if shaq would have worked harder in terms of staying fit and healthy, do you think he would have had a better end tail career than he had and that his dominance would have had even a little bit longer longivity? Thanks!

    • Susan Bible

      I’d say Shaq displayed considerable longevity in the league. He played 19 years, until the age of 38, in 1,207 games with career averages of 23.7 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 2.3 bpg at an average 34.7 minutes per game. He averaged a 26.4 PER. He has four championship rings, 15 All-Star titles; he led the league in scoring twice and in field-goal percentage ten times. He was at the top of his game through the Miami title at age 34. The list of his accomplishments goes on and on. Could he have kept himself in better shape consistently? Yes; but the game is not kind to big men.

  8. del rio

    sorry ur thunders biggest chance was last year and they blew it.. LAKERS are back\m/ and no it was not a question.

    • Susan Bible

      I’ll respectfully disagree that the Thunder’s best chance was last year. True, the opportunity was there for them and they had no answer for Miami. However, the team returns this year, basically intact, with solid experience under their belt. The top four players on the team are all around 23 years old. Not only do they have a chance this season, but for a few more seasons as well.

  9. Adrian

    Good morning Susan! Hope you had a great holiday weekend.
    Who do you have meeting in the Easter conference finals & the Western conference finals this up coming season?

    • Susan Bible

      Good morning! My Labor Day Weekend was great. Finally saw “Thunderstruck” – don’t laugh, I actually liked it. Completely predictable, but it has lots of laughs. Anyway, I’m saying Lakers vs. Thunder in the West and HEAT vs. Celtics in the East. Who do you guys have?

  10. Tim

    Do you think we will see the olympic melo on the knicks this season or will he go back to his old ways?

    • Susan Bible

      I’m choosing optimism and saying the good Melo will be on display with the Knicks this season.

  11. G-reg

    How will the Thunder handle their contract situations? Will they extend Harden? If they do, will they have to let Perkins go and replace him with a cheaper defensive option at the 5? If they don’t sign Harden, what kind of player will they try to place in with?

    • Susan Bible

      I pretty much answered this; just can’t see Harden not having a future with OKC.

  12. LSO

    I just posted a “comment” (question) but the site said I was “typing too fast and to slow down. Huh? Assuming it didn’t reach you, will ask again. Are you “up to here” with questions about Harden and his future with OKC? Do you have an answer or even a guess?

    • Susan Bible

      I’m not “up to here” on the Harden issue at all. I don’t have the inside scoop, but here’s what I think: Harden is under contract for 2012-13, so no worries. Everyone comes back and the team makes another serious run. Now next year, let the market set Harden’s value. The Thunder have the right to match offer sheets, and if they have to pay the max, then I think they will. Maybe amnesty Perkins or pay the luxury tax. I know fans would rest easy if they just went ahead and extended him now, but it’s not that necessary.

  13. Oliver from Germany

    Hey Susan,
    what would be the best Strting lineup in todays NBA. Keeping an eye on defense and ball distribution, I would pick Chris Paul, Lebron James, Kevin Love and Dwight Howard. I cant decide on a shooting guard. Should be a great shooter and defender, not a passer with Paul and James on board? What would be your starting 5??? Nice chats!!!

    • Susan Bible

      Make Kobe your shooting guard, at least another year. I can’t disagree that would be the top lineup per position.

  14. Mandakiri

    Hi susan,gudevening here in philippines, How high would k.d. Get a chance in getting his 1st reg mvp dis seas0n?

    • Susan Bible

      No offense, but your sentence is quite a challenge to decipher. Considering the numbers last year for MVP (LeBron got 1,074 points/85 first-place votes and Durant got 889 points/24 first-place votes), KD has a great chance. He improves his game each season; I think he will again this year.

  15. Adrian

    Thunderstruck??? Yeah about that! I think you’re right about your prediction…I guess you can’t count out Spurs & Celts…somehow those teams always manage to creep up & make things interesting.

    • Susan Bible

      I know…but I swear, I laughed out loud many times in that movie. The guy who plays Durant’s agent steals the show. There’s no sex, no violence, no cussing — it’s refreshing. Plus it showcases my hometown. You’re right about those creep-up teams.

      Thanks for joining me today! Have a great week…