NBA Rumors Chat With Steve Kyler 11/08/12

1. cool e

   Been watching magic last two games they lost, and noticed some of the rooks getting more playing time. Any rumors of trades coming?

   • Steve Kyler

     Welcome in everyone. Hope the first week of the season has been good to you. There are a ton of questions in the hopper, so lets get after them…

     One is not related to the other… but here is something to keep in mind. The Magic as a franchise are not nearly as eager to rip apart this team as the fans or maybe the media are. Equally, most teams are still trying to figure out what they have and whether it will work so there is no trade market this early in the season. The key date to keep in mind is December 15th, that’s when guys who signed contracts this summer can be traded. That is when things tend to start in terms of trade talks.

     The other part to keep in mind is that the magic are starting over in almost every way, so getting some semblance of stability in place is critically important, not just for the rookies who are still adjusting, but also the coaching staff and front office.

2. CMS

   It is astonishing to me that any team that ADDS D12 is going to do worse defensively. What is wrong with the Laker’s defense?

   • Steve Kyler

     Because NBA basketball is about team play and chemistry and the Lakers don’t have much of that going in their direction. That will change.

     We are five games in. They are at home for the next nine days… their next 11 games feature 7 match-ups versus teams below .500.. it is total conceivable that the Lakers are at least 9-8 at the end of November. They will improve, they are too talented not to.

3. JB

   Hello SK, my ques is will Moe Harkless be a good player this year? i mean really contribute on the stat sheet. and any scoop on the injury of Varejao, how long will he be out, is it samuels’ turn to be a fantasy freak? thanks

   • Steve Kyler

     I agree on Mo Harkless… but temper your expectations. He just turned 19… he is undersized physically – he has some muscle to add and the pace of the NBA game to learn. He had no training camp or preseason action, so his learning curve could be higher than most of his peers.

     On Andy V… The Cavs are calling it a bruised right knee, with Tyler Zeller still day to day, Samardo will get the bulk of the looks, but that is short term.

4. Mike

   Hi Steve, It is obviously not panic time, but the Pacers definitely lack scoring punch. Even Granger is not an “elite” goto scorer. Are my Pacers doomed to upper middle rankings without some subtle tweaks.

   • Steve Kyler

     Someone has to step up… I think that guy is Paul George… it took LaMarcus Aldridge time to adjust to being “the man” when Brandon Roy went down in Portland a few years ago, I think the same is true of P-Geezy. The Pacers were looking at Mikael Pietrus, so they may make a roster move in addition to the starting lineup changes they have been tinkering with.

     The pacers are a half a game out of the playoff picture, so I agree… WAY TOO EARLY to panic… If they can hoover around .500 until Danny comes back they should be fine.

5. John

   Why do you think J Vaughn shut down Dequan Jones last night against the t wolves. He had a bad game previously but of course he did because he was up against Deng, an allstar. Is J Vaughn a good bad or so so coach?

   • Steve Kyler

     Dequan has been battling a hip flexor injury, so my guess is Jacque didn’t like his mobility. I think Jacque is a different kind of coach, but his guys like him. They play hard for him and he has been out matched… but he’s got a great staff too, its not a one man show.

6. Wile E Coyote

   Hi Steve. What do you think of the Wolves’ play so far without Love/Rubio? AK47/Cunningham/Pek/Stiemsma/Shved/Barea have all played well in my opinion. Entire 2nd unit very solid.

   • Steve Kyler

     Agree… they are a lot better as a team than I thought they’d be without Love.

7. JJBB

   Does Scott Skiles in his contract year have a deathy wish? Milwaukee invests 40 mil in Ilyasova this summer,they have very little other consistent offence up front,the guy has proven he has the ability to be a lights out shooter and Scotty proceeds to misuse and underuse him to start the season. Do you think the Bucks could be better if they had a coach that makes better use of their assets?

   • Steve Kyler

     Maybe… but I don’t put it entirely on Skiles. He is a lame duck coach and everyone knows it, so that’s a tough situation especially with so many guys playing for their next deal and Ersan having got his.

8. Bryan in LA

   Mike Brown is a very smart man and has proven to be a good coach. Seems to me this system isn’t fitting as of yet. Developing a system around players strengths seems to make more sense to me than forcing one on them. This seems to the case of forcing something to work. Pick n roll, and iso for Kobe sounds more like a fit to me……thought

   • Steve Kyler

     So what comes first… the chicken or the egg?… No one forces guys into a system. Coaches establish systems to help maximize what guys do… the issue for the Lakers is defense not offense. I know everyone wants to blame the Princeton system on the Lakers struggles but that’s not it at all. Equally the Lakers run a lot of stuff that’s not Princeton too.

     I agree with you on Mike Brown… super nice, super smart guy… but that does not mean he is the right guy for the Lakers or that he’ll end the season there.

9. dennis

   I don’t think that the pacers can be better that 0.600 without Granger. What do you think?

   • Steve Kyler

     I think being .600 without your top player would be HUGE… I think they need to stay at .500 until Danny’s back. I think that’s an easier sell than being a home court team missing your best guy.

10. Ron

    Why you guys on Hoopsworld always reporting what everybody else is? Specially Kennedy

    • Steve Kyler

      Not sure you are reading us if that how you feel…

      We have guys in 17 NBA markets talking to players, coaches and executives. We produce more original interview driven exclusive content than anyone, and we produce more original exclusive video interview content than anyone.

      That said, we are going to report on everything possible… sometimes that is something our guys created, sometimes that going to be reports from others.

      As for the shot at Kennedy… you are illustrating how little you really know. AK is exceptional and has broken as many stories as almost anyone in the business.

      You might want to pay closer attention, because your read is WAY OFF.

11. Jason

    After a surprising 2-0 start I was very optimistic about my Magic squad. These last two games showed me what everyone expected, a lot of youth that’ll be going through a lot of growing pains all season. But as a fan of this team for more than 15 years all you can ask for is for them to play hard all 48 minutes each and every night.

    Does this team have a chance to replicate the “Heart and Hustle” team? Personally to me there seems like a lot of similarities

    • Steve Kyler

      Maybe… but the Magic are not an elite team. They are going to win games where the other team makes a lot of mistakes. They are going to struggle on the road. They are a borderline .500 team… thats about as much as you should expect because they just don;t have the talent or experience level some of the team they have faced have.

      Chicago is a better team and so is Minnesota and they were playing at home. I don’t expect Orlando to win a lot of road games.

      As for the “heart & hustle” team… I agree. They have a scrappy young coach. A lot of guys that play hard and they are playing for each other. That is a good combination.

12. Edward lee

    Should mike brown be booted out?

    • Steve Kyler

      For who?… you want start over with a new staff?… I know there has been a lot of Jerry Sloan talk, but what makes you think Sloan will be better than Mike Brown?

      I don’t think the issues have anything to do with Mike Brown, but I do know its easier to fire a coach that change a roster.

      My answer is I am not sure you get better by firing Mike Brown, so I wouldn’t endorse it, but I think there is an inevitability to it happening.

13. Jdub

    Am I selfish for thinking OKC should’ve just paid James Harden? I fully understand the ramifications of the CBA and the new tax penalties, but given that the Thunder are one of the best run small market teams in all of sports I’m sure they could’ve handled the bill. They’ve made a lot of profit off of this team the last few years when everyone (Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka, Harden) was on their rookie scale contracts, they’ve sold out just about every game there, don’t have to carry an large sales staff to sell season tickets or tixs since they’re already doing that because of the teams performance, and all that extra revenue they’ve made through these long playoff runs, they have some money. Yeah I know the amount ($4-6 million) between the 4-yr max OKC could’ve given him and what their last offer was, but given EVERYTHING they’ve accomplished and that this team is going to make money why couldn’t they just pay the man? Yeah you would have to surround them with rookie scale contracts and people on veteran minimum deals but you have 3-4 potential all stars (Ibaka has to prove himself this year) all around 25 or younger who love playing together in their prime, isn’t that worth paying the money?

    • Steve Kyler

      It wasn’t about paying Harden… it really wasn’t. James wanted a bigger role and he wanted more than OKC was willing to commit to. OKC wasn’t going to let James and his contract situation derail the team.

      Sam Presti said this about a dozen times… there was never a sense of reaching the kind of common ground that was going to yield a deal and letting him get to restricted free agency meant they’d have to match a max deal or lose him for nothing, so they pulled the trigger with Houston and gained a ton.

      It wasn’t about money, because they basically had the same kind of money on the table for James… the Thunder couldn’t do a 5th year because they did it for Russ.

      The Thunder are much better off without Harden than if they’d have kept him, because it would have forced them to dump guys Like Kendrick Perkins and Eric Maynor for tax reasons.

      The Thunder will be fine.

14. ziad

    hello good sir .

    after how many games you think we will see a coach change in the lakers ?
    i mean we should be worried if they go like 5 wins-9losses ?

    • Steve Kyler

      Normally its the first 20… I think the quickest we’ve seen a coach replaced was after like 10 straight losses… but I remind everyone, the next 11 games are not tough for the Lakers… they get 4 teams that are winning and some pretty dysfunctional teams coming into Staples Center.

      I don’t think firing the coach immediately makes you better.

15. LAL

    is that true that lakers will hire another coach and fire mike brown?

    • Steve Kyler

      Not according to Jim Buss.

16. JB

    hello again SK, just want to ask regarding the status of Pietrus to IND, are there any substance to it or just rumors? will Lance Stephenson not have a break out season this yr? it seems coach vogel is confuse about him, playing him in one game and benching him the next.

    • Steve Kyler

      They are reported to have reached out… reaching a deal is something else.

      I do not think Lance has a break out year. I think he’ll get a chance to play a little, but not counting on anything major from him.

      Lance is a reserve player, so he’ll play when Frank needs what he does.

17. dylan

    Yes I was wondering what you think about the jazz veteran big men,and if you think they will hold onto them or trade for something else. And what kind of value could be expected in return?

    • Steve Kyler

      I think there is an inevitability to Utah gauging the trade value of their bigs, but I can also say the word from Utah has been pretty consistent. They are a playoff team as constructed and they need the depth they have to compete in the West. So I think as long as they stay in the playoff hunt securely, I can see them seeing how far this squad can go. if they fall out, that’s when you should expect a sale of assets.

18. Sam S.

    Toronto and Detroit went into the new season with playoff hopes. They’re a combined 1-10. Which team (if either) can get things turned around? And will Detroit give Drummond a chance to sink or swim, similar to what Toronto is doing with Valanciunas?

    • Steve Kyler

      Toronto is the better team… but the Raptors go no where without Kyle Lowry, so he has to get healthy and back on the floor.

      Drummond has a lot to learn, so I think eventually you’ll see more given to him, but he has to show he knows the game in practice first.

19. Brent

    Does an addition of say a Millsap or Jefferson to the raptors make them a better team? Can Jefferson play PF? I understand from past rumors that they are available because of there depth, do you think the Raptors have the pieces to get one of these guys.

    • Steve Kyler

      Adding a borderline All-Star always improves your chances… that said I don’t think the Raptors have the pieces to acquire either without giving up a core piece. There just isn’t thing there that fits what Utah needs.

      Now if a third gets involved all bets are off… for instance, what does Chicago do with Luol Deng? or Memphis and Rudy Gay? — either of those guys become available, than maybe, but again I doubt the Raptors have the chips to get something like that done.

      I don’t see Utah trading either guy unless they get a legit guy in return.

      Guys… I am out of time. Thanks for all the questions. Make sure you are following me on Twitter (@stevekylerNBA). See you all next week.