NBA Rumors Chat With Steve Kyler 10/6/11

1. vanilla ice

   Durant only scores so many points because he’s a 6’10″ sf who shoots over anyone and everyone. Durant isn’t all that clutch either did you not see the playoffs? he took the wrong shots at the wrong time. Durant is not an all around player ya he gets rebounds but he’s almost a 7 footer againt people 6’8″ and below.

   • Steve Kyler

     I do not agree with your premise. Kevin Durant is a world-class basketball player and he just turned 23… Not sure about you, but when I turned 23 I wasn’t clutch as anything. I think your expectation on KD is a little high.

     Your comment on KD’s height is little misplaced too… KD measured at the combine at 6′ 9″ without shoes and 6′ 10.75″ with shoes… that’s roughly two inches taller than most of the guys that guard him. So don’t act like he is on a step-ladder over everyone.

     KD has accomplished a lot in his career and his best years are to come. Also keep in mind “clutch” is often a reflection of coaching and situation, not a players ability.

     If I were building a franchise today… there are not many guys I’d take ahead of Durant.

2. andrei petunin

   do you consider Kyle lowry to be an all star and a top ten point guard. Where would you rank him in terms of point guard

   • Steve Kyler

     All-Star? No… but he is pretty good.

     Here are my top ten points guard…

     1. Chris Paul 2.Steve Nash 3. Derrick Rose 4. Rajon Rondo 5. Deron Williams 6. Jason Kidd 7. Russell Westbrook 8. John Wall 9. Tony Parker 10. Raymond Felton

     My next three are Mike Conley, Chauncey Billups, Jrue Holiday

3. Matt

   From what you hear will Nene be staying in Denver long term? If so what other pieces do you think would help him, Afflalo and Lawson to be contenders?

   • Steve Kyler

     I think for Nene it’s going to come down to money and length of deal… all of that is tied to the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

     He told us on several occasions last year he wants to remain in Denver and retire a Nugget so take that for what it’s worth.

     I do not think Ty Lawson and Aaron Afflalo are “key” pieces to a contender… they are solid players but neither powers Denver to a title.

4. Dong of Dayton

   Hey Steve,

   Mo Williams had somewhat of an off season last year. Do you see him returning to form this year or does he still have any lingering injuries?

   • Steve Kyler

     Mo has been training with Mike Moreau at Impact Basketball in LA and looks great. He was in Vegas a few weeks ago when I was there and told me he was in great shape and looked good in the runs with other pros.

     Not sure what you mean about returning to form.. His role has changed since landing with the Clippers as he has guys like Eric Bledsoe and Eric Gordon to share minutes and the ball with.

     Mo is healthy and excited about the possibilities with this Clipper team, and he has been a key guy in organizing mini-camps and workouts.

5. Steve

   Steve, How about doing an article similar to ESPN’s 200 best players except ranking the players according player/contract value taking into consideration age,contract dollar ammount and years left on players contract.

   • Steve Kyler

     Not a huge fan of the concept… I respect all of the people that contributed to it, but that’s just not something I get excited about.

     If the labor talks implode, it might be worth the effort to fill space and spark debate.

     I like your criteria.

6. AJ

   Assuming that the new rules allow it: Lamar Odom, Steve Blake, 2nd round pick for Jameer and Bass. Orlando needs to let Gilbert start and see if he can play well. They get their new second best player and a backup PG. Lakers get a major upgrade at the 1 and a very decent backup 4.

   • Steve Kyler

     Not sure the Lakers bite on that kind of deal… Lamar also isn’t nearly the three point shooter Orlando looks for. You may not like it, but the three point shot is not going away.

     If the talks of an Amnesty Cut are real, which I was told they are on the table now… Gilbert is the smarter guy to cut, simply because he is the longest term deal on the books and the highest dollar.

     Gilbert and Dwight have become close, so Gilbert getting a chance won’t be a huge stretch, especially considering his relationship with Otis Smith.

     Having talked to players that have played with Gilbert they all say the same thing… he’ll never be the player he was… but he is still a very good player.

7. AJ

   Once the silly lockout ends… Do you see any teams struggling out of the gate and blowing things up to shift to a rebuild? The Suns, Rockets, and Bucks are some that come to mind.

   • Steve Kyler

     Depends on how much change is “forced” through the deal

     Houston specifically has a lot of new stuff as does Minnesota, Detroit and Toronto mainly related to their changes at head coach… teams that have stability and fleshed out roles on their roster should do OK… but also consider teams that have a history of injury… like the NFL experienced a compressed camp and limited pre-season is going to breed early injury or worse yet, limited practice time.

8. tony

   So it is inevitable that the first two weeks will be cancelled right? But a deal very soon after that? thanks.

   • Steve Kyler

     Not ready to call it…

     They are there on a deal. Where they are is just too close to believe they cannot bridge the gap… If games are missed, they’ll get squeezed into later dates or the NBA could opt to slide the post-season back three or four days to accommodate some makeup games to get everyone to 82 games.

9. AJ

   Do you the majority of players would accept a 50/50 split without major system changes? Seems like players like Kobe and KG would be the least likely to accept it; already made boatloads and super competitive/proud.

   • Steve Kyler

     I have spoken to players who can’t believe there isn’t a deal. That said this isn’t about a single player or group of players… it also is not about this year either.

     This labor deal will govern the NBA for maybe the next decade – both sides want to get this right, not just for the current crop of players but for the next ten waves of players coming in and out of the NBA during the length of the agreement.

     Surprisingly, you’d be shocked at how many players who are at the end of their career are fighting this fight… KG, Kobe, Jermaine O’Neal… they are not fighting for themselves. They are fighting for the players in the Union that do not know any better.

     Jermaine tells this great story about how little he knew during the last lockout and how he was afraid to voice his opinion… he feels an obligation to stand up for those that stood up for him and don’t realize they should stand up for themselves.

10. chris

    Realistically, what semi star player could the Magic yield in a trade that would make Dwight happy?

    • Steve Kyler

      Andre Iguodala… Josh Smith… Glen “Big Baby” Davis… those names are on Dwight’s wish list. He would love to play with all of those guys.

      He was a bit annoyed the Magic didn’t get in the Deron Williams sweepstakes.

      I think any two on this list would make Dwight happy.

11. MaddSteve

    In the NFL, careers are always at risk, & contracts aren’t guaranteed beyond the signing bonus. In the NBA, where injuries are far less prevalent, contracts are fully guaranteed, to the point where teams are often crippled by salaries. Given this remarkable concession, shouldn’t the players’ union stop fighting over 2 percent or 3 percent of the basketball-related income and get back on the basketball court? The players have had it good for so long, it’s time to get off the gravy train and make significant concessions in the interest of long-term financial viability. I know they haven’t accepted anything less than 53 percent of the BRI in 28 years, but these are unique and troubled times. The NFL union wanted a 50-50 split and settled for roughly 48 percent in a sport that is flourishing. It’s time for the players to leave a few bucks on the table, and get back to work.

    • Steve Kyler

      First, this is a process. It’s an ugly, mind numbing process… but a necessary one.

      Every time the Players have walked away from the table, their end of the deal has gotten a little bit better.

      This is not so much about 1% or 2%, isn’t about getting the best deal possible for NBA Players for the next 10 years… 2% of this kind of revenue is Powerball type money… $80-$85 million PER YEAR. Why concede that if you do not have to. Also, gaining that extra percentage point is something to trade for system changes.

      We’d all love for this to be over, but this thing is not about the fans, the media or work at this point… its about the Players fighting for the best deal they can get, not taking a short cut to get a game in on November 1st.

      On the Injuries comment…

      Injuries are very prevalent in the NBA, and I think if you look at it percentage wise I’d bet there are more injuries than you think.

      The NBA is not an impact sport, so that does change the nature of the injuries, but there are also a lot fewer players.

      Most NFL players have an injury provision in their deal that guarantees them certain payments in the event of a career ending injury.

12. Scott

    Everybody thinks Kaman gets traded, but do the Clippers get the SF they want or do they settle for crap like they did when they dealt Camby to the Blazers?

    • Steve Kyler

      Hard to say… first there is a specific type of player the Clippers are looking for, so I don’t see them trading Kaman just to trade him.

      If they can get the kind of guy they want — Andre Iguodala anyone? — They’d do something like that.

      What’s really going to be available in trade is still tied to the final labor deal.

      I like Neil Olshey’s eye for talent, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he lands a decent player in return for Kaman.

13. Wile E Coyote

    Larry Coon & others have done a nice job showing how much money both sides lose if X games are canceled vs. how much money a BRI split change costs them. In sum, it seems like both sides could make the case that moving a bit on BRI is a break even proposition at least this year vs. missing games. Do they seem that, or just those of us on the outside?

    • Steve Kyler

      First… Both sides of this read everything written… you wouldn’t believe how frequently I get called out on some minor detail when I write something.

      Larry Coon is connected very well to both sides of this, as are Ken Berger and many others… a lot of the concepts you see writers comment on are rarely original thoughts… a lot of times someone on one side or the other points out the detail and writers run with it… I am guilty of that a lot.

      Both sides know what’s at stake, and as some have side from the jump, this thing does not get solved until the last minute possible which is Sunday night.

      Think about this one too… the longer the players drag this out, the harder it will be to force through huge system changes.

      Split the BRI difference on Sunday and say lest tweak old rules a little and get things moving.

14. Scott

    The Clippers could offer nice trade packages for Paul or Williams while still keeping Griffin, Gordon, and Jordan. They could also wait until 2012 free agency to make a run at one. Which would be a better fit to join those 3?

    • Steve Kyler

      Not sure either would be interested in the Clippers history… If they are leaving their current situations it will be for a proven title contender. Neither is looking to join an upstart as a free agent.

      Now, the idea of a trade for one of them is interesting because the Clips do have chips to trade, just not sure they can get Chris Paul or Deron Williams.

      Move a rung down the ladder and you’ll find more names… Tony Parker?… Devin Harris? Those are the kinds of guys the Clips could get in trade.

      I doubt seriously they go after a point guard, but you never know – no one saw Deron Williams to the Nets coming, so anything is possible.

15. Wile E Coyote

    Have the two sides met yesterday or today – at least by phone? I’ve seen conflicting reports. What is holding up getting things completed? Seems like they should start now so they have a deal on Monday vs. a loose agreement on just the BRI part or no agreement at all.

    • Steve Kyler

      Neither side is publicly commenting…

      I heard there was some informal phone calls yesterday and there was talk of a secret meeting today with no media…

      Both sides are there, so media posturing is no longer necessary and the gaps to a deal can be achieved via e-mail if necessary.

      Everyone I have spoken to in the last 48 hours believes there will be a deal before Monday.

      But this is the third time I have been told that. So we’ll have to wait and see.

16. AJ

    Hey Steve, of all the players in the 2012 draft class, who do you think would fit the Raps best going forward, and keeping in mind they have Valenciunas coming over next season?

    • Steve Kyler

      They need a real playmaker type point guard. I am a big fan of Jerryd Bayless, but he is more of a two guard than a pure point guard.

      Myck Kabongo from Texas… Marquis Teague from Kentucky… Kendall Marshall from UNC… Josiah Turner from Arizona are guys I am high on this year.

17. Cav Fan

    Hi Steve, Utah is loaded with Bigs. What would it take to get jefferson away from them?

    • Steve Kyler

      I doubt they would trade Big Al unless they got a real proven asset in return. Not saying Al Jefferson is untouchable, simply saying he has a lot of trade value, so it would take something real to pry him out of Utah.

18. Wile E Coyote

    Hi. David Kahn has made some draft errors and silly public statements. But he seems to get a level of hate from media writers (especially Woj) that far outpace this. Why? As a Wolves fan I see a mixture of good & bad moves and some PR missteps that don’t matter a whole lot.

    • Steve Kyler

      Honestly… he is a hard guy to like from afar… I can tell you I have friends that are part of that organization and they say David is a good guy that really is very bright basketball wise.

      I think media pile on to him because he is a little direct and sometimes smug when he speaks to the press. He has said and done things that media people don’t understand and that combined with a smuggish response turns people against him.

      I had one executive tell me he is a little too arrogant, and I think that adds to it.

      From my chair, there are far worse executives than Kahn, but he seems to be the guy some want to attack.

      That is all the time I have for this week… make sure you are following me on Twitter (stevekylerNBA). Here is hoping next week we’re talking Training Camps and free agency!