NBA Chat With Yannis 4/13/12

1. calvinzero

   I am excited!! Playoffs is approaching. Who do you think will be the no.1 team in the Western Conference before the regular season ends? OKC or Spurs? Why or why not? Thanks Yannis.

   • Yannis Koutroupis

     Welcome everyone to this week’s chat. Let’s get right to the questions.

     I think it will be the Thunder because the Spurs will probably do a little bit of resting prior to the start of the playoffs.

2. HoBo

   Waz up Yannis,

   OK, I now know college players can sit on the fence until April 29 to declare. Can they work out or talk to NBA personnel or talent evaluators while they sit?

   • Yannis Koutroupis

     No. NBA personnel can not have contact with underclassmen until the official early entry list is released by the NBA, which doesn’t come until after the 29th deadline.

3. Prem I.

   If the jazz had a choice between Damien lillard and Kendall Marshall who do you think they should pick? I know they both bring different skill set but just wanted to know you thoughts?

   • Yannis Koutroupis

     Good question. I’m thinking Lillard right now, but that could change depending on whether they want a scoring guard or a true playmaker. I think that Lillard’s game may translate a little better than Kendall’s, so I’d personally go with the Big Sky product.

4. Deven

   Hi Yannis? Where does Anthony Davis, in your mind, the best fit for an NBA team and why?

   • Yannis Koutroupis

     He can fit in anywhere. He’s that kind of player. Charlotte needs someone who people are going to pay to see. Davis would be great for them, but he’d be just as good for anyone else as well.

5. Jazzaholic

   With a depleted roster and the lack of enough games to win, while waiting for the 4 teams in front of them to lose, the Jazz most likely will keep their draft pick and miss the Playoffs.

   If they end up with #8-9 (GSW) and #13-14 picks. Who fits in best with what they have?

   • Yannis Koutroupis

     I’d say it’s pretty much a given that they’re going to go after a point guard. Then with the other pick they can either go with the best player available or trade it. They could also trade up with both of those picks and try to land a guy like MKG, but point guard is their biggest need and there’s no reason to trade up higher than where they are to get a point. One of the top two will fall to them.

6. raps4ever

   Hi Mr. Yannis, As a loyal Raptor fan, I feel that this organization should revamp their SCOUTING DEPT. Because 9 out of 10 times they wasted their pick. I hope Valanciunas, turns out to be their best pick ever. Do the Raptors need to change the scouts? Is Stefanski and Colangelo the right people to turn around this franchise going forward?

   • Yannis Koutroupis

     I feel like their problem is that they don’t have the right veterans, not that their draft choices have been horrendous. At the time I thought they made good choices. That’s just how the draft is. You miss more than you hit. Teams passed on Isaiah Thomas 59 times before he finally got selected and he’s one of the top 10 rookies in the class. It’s a serious inexact science. Valanciunas would be a top five pick in this year’s draft. He played very well over the summer. He should make a huge instant impact, contend for Rookie of the Year.

7. Ish

   If the kings draft Kidd-gilchrist, he’s their starting sf. What happens to the kings roster if this happens?

   • Yannis Koutroupis

     Their roster is going to change inevitably, regardless of who they draft.

8. Dave

   Marcus Thornton or tyreke evans? Bigger future in sac?

   • Yannis Koutroupis

     Thornton. I could see Evans being moved this summer.

9. The JOkeShow

   So if the Jazz get 2 draft picks, do you try and trade both + Milsap and Harris for Rondo or just draft a PG and SG or SF, and build them and let Milsap or Jefferson walk after next season?

   • Yannis Koutroupis

     That’s certainly on the table. I don’t know if you can get Rondo, but that’s an appealing package that a lot of teams would like to have especially with the two first rounders.

10. Deven

    Yannis, explain this to me: How does a Miami Heat team with Lebron, Wade and Bosh get all the way to the Finals last year while having a bad bench? Even with last night’s game, the bench was awful. How’s that so?

    • Yannis Koutroupis

      LeBron and Wade are top two at their position, Bosh is top five. That’s how. LeBron took a far worse team to the Finals by himself in Cleveland in 2007. The second and third best players on that team were Larry Hughes and Zydrunas Illgauskas. LARRY HUGHES AND ZYDRUNAS ILLGAUSKAS!!!!

11. Cain

    In your opinion what young players in the NBA could you see a stars in the next 2-3years?

    • Yannis Koutroupis

      Kyrie Irving jumps to mind. DeMarcous Cousins has a chance once the switch flips. I think Valanciunas has a chance to be damn good too.

12. Cain

    How good can Brandon Jennings become?

    • Yannis Koutroupis

      I don’t think he’s going to become much better than he is right now. He’s already pretty good.

13. Johno

    Hi Yannis,
    which is the better pick for the raps:
    1.) Harrison Barnes or MKG
    2.) Thomas Robinson or Jared Sullinger

    btw, is it fair to compare harrison barnes game to Martell webster? I looked at both of their scouting report, and there seems to be a lot of similarities.

    • Yannis Koutroupis

      I feel like MKG is the better prospect, but Barnes gives them some offense and shooting that they need. So it’s a tough call. Sullinger would be nice alongside Valanciunas, but not much time available for him unless Bargnani is traded, which I doubt. I don’t think they really need either of those guys. As far as Webster comparison, maybe a little bit valid. Barnes is much more proven at the highest level of college basketball, though, than Webster was when he made the jump straight out of high school.

14. Travis

    Is it possible for NBA players to sign a 1 yr contract for well below their market value to play for a team they want to play for instead of making the team they want to sign with clearing loads of players in order to free cap space to sign the player. i.e. Deron Williams. Can he sign for like 1 yr and say 4-5 mil in order to sign with Dallas and then the following year be a UFA a then sign a max deal?

    • Yannis Koutroupis

      No. That’s not long enough for Dallas to get his bird rights. And players want to cash in now. A lot can change in a year, ask Lamar Odom. Just because Dallas would be willing to offer a max deal this summer doesn’t mean they’d be willing to do it next summer if something happened to Deron or he had a sudden dropoff in his game. Just not a safe move.

15. Radu

    Hi Yannis,
    Tim Duncan is one of the players in NBA history that I respect most. I haven’t had the chance to watch him play much this year but at first glance he still seems to be an impact player.
    What’s the scouting report on Duncan these days? What can he still do and what can’t he do anymore?

    • Yannis Koutroupis

      He can’t do what he did last night every night. And bigger players, like Andrew Bynum, Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol, Zach Randolph and ect, give him trouble. His defense isn’t what he used to be, both individually and in help situations. He’s still damn good. We’re talking about the best power forward of all-time, even at 80% of his old self he’s one of the best in the league. And trust me when I say he deserves your respect. He’ll go down as the blueprint for what you want in a franchise player. Guys like Tim Duncan don’t come along often.

16. Jazzfan

    Just a fun question say you have a equally balanced team, if you had to decide between a player with great offense and avg defense or a player with great defense and avg offense which would you choose?

    • Yannis Koutroupis

      As one coach who I respect told me before, you can only stop people for so often. I’d rather have the guy with great offense and hope that my team defensive scheme can help keep him from getting exposed defensively.

17. Kim

    Heat vs bulls in a series who you got and why.

    • Yannis Koutroupis

      HEAT, still think they can slow Derrick Rose down as well as any team in the league when they need to late.

18. Alex

    Do you think the Heat need an upgrade over Bosh? They can’t afford an expensive piece, so the likely solution is to trade him. Would they be able to get anything worthwhile? The signing hasnt totally panned out

    • Yannis Koutroupis

      They wouldn’t get better than Bosh at the four spot. He’s one of the best in the league. They could get a few decent pieces for him, though, that could help their depth.

19. Alex

    Will the knicks be able to retain jr smith? are they going to even want to keep him around?

    • Yannis Koutroupis

      They could get beat out, wouldn’t surprise me. I think he was more of a short-term signing anyway. Sometimes JR can be a handful, but the dude is as gifted as any player in the league. Wouldn’t shock me if San Antonio went after him. They’ve had their eye on him for a long time, think they can get the most out of him.

20. jayjay

    With the season running down, are the teams out of the playoffs spending time evaluating the draft? When do playoff team start seriously looking at the draft

    • Yannis Koutroupis

      The draft is a year long process. Teams have lower level scouts working throughout the collegiate season. I’d say lottery bound teams now are starting to put together their databases, formulate a draft board, make a plan on who to workout and talk to, things of that nature. Now higher-ranked people, like the general managers are starting to get heavily involved in the process. For playoff teams, it’s pretty much lower level guys worrying about the draft right now. GMs will get involved once workouts and stuff like that start.

      That’s going to do it for me this week folks. I’ll be back next week at the same time!