Bloggers Talk: Atlanta Hawks
Mar 16, 2010 Bloggers Talk, Nets vs. Hawks
Brett LaGree from the Hawks TrueHoop site Hoopinion is back for a quick final round of Bloggers Talk where I ask him about his thoughts on Atlanta’s chances in the playoffs.
NAS: Do you get the sense, especially with Joe Johnson’s FA status, that this is the last chance for this core group of guys to go on some kind of meaningful run in April/May?
It’s weird, in that, because no one (Joe Johnson maybe included) knows what Joe Johnson is even likely to decide to do in free agency either we’re seeing this group for the last time (I think it’ll take at least two significant trades to reconstitute this team if he leaves.) or we’re going to see this group for a long time because there won’t be any money left over if he re-signs.
I know the Hawks would have their MLE I just don’t think they’d use it.
NAS: After the past two years of playoff basketball for the Hawks, what would you consider an “acceptable” ending to the season?
It’s unreasonable to expect the Hawks to beat either Cleveland or Orlando in a seven-game series so getting to the Conference Finals would be a tremendous achievement. Playing a competitive series against either of those two would be acceptable. Especially competing against the Magic, who are both better than the Hawks in absolute terms and a terrible matchup for the Hawks.
Bloggers Talk: Orlando Magic
Mar 5, 2010 Bloggers Talk, Nets vs. Magic
Andrew Melnick from the Magic blog, Howard the Dunk is back with NAS again to discuss his team headed into the season’s final six weeks (and likely more for Orlando). I also answered some questions for him at his site, so be nice and check it out for all of our sakes.
NAS: Vince Carter has had an up and down season and is averaging a career low in ppg. Is there any buyer’s remorse in Orlando?
After a disastrous month of January, there was. Carter was not expected to post the same kind of numbers he has throughout his career, but he doesn‘t need to. In the offseason, he joined a team featuring three All-Stars (Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson), so his attempts, minutes and subsequently his points per game were going to drop. Carter’s struggles were often discussed heading into the new year but in January, Magic fans began to turn against him. Carter averaged just 8.7 points per game on 22.4% shooting in the month and even watched a few close fourth quarters from the bench as J.J. Redick closed out games. In the month of February, things began to change. Carter finally found his place on the team. After proclaiming that he would turn it around in February, he has done a much better job of driving the ball into the paint and getting his teammates involved. Plus, his shot is finally falling. Carter averaged 18.6 points per game on 51.5% shooting, highlighted by Carter‘s 48-point performance on February 8th against New Orleans. He is not only taking less shots but he’s taking much better shots.
Carter is still going to be called upon to make plays down the stretch in games and as of late, he’s done a good job of doing that. If Carter keeps getting into the paint and continues to make good decisions with the ball, that remorse should disappear.
NAS: Judging from his per 40 minute numbers, it looks like Ryan Anderson is a player, but he’s also been racking up some DNP-CDs it appears. Is it just a result of the numbers game in Orlando, or are the other reasons he’s not getting PT?
It’s a mix of both. Anderson has struggled at times defensively and that has prompted Stan Van Gundy to turn to Brandon Bass in certain situations to provide a spark on that end, which is the cause for Anderson‘s recent string of DNPs. Anderson was a starter early in the season because of the suspension of Rashard Lewis, but now Lewis is playing heavy minutes. In fact, Van Gundy recently said that Lewis was going to play even more. Without consistent playing time, Anderson’s shot hasn’t been falling like it was earlier this season.
Remember also that Anderson is also a very young player – he’s 21, is in his second year of the league and is trying to find a role on a team who has their sites set on a championship.
Anderson is a better player than I originally thought. His rebounding (Anderson has a rebounding rate of 12.3%) and ability to get to the basket (34% of his shots have been close, dunks or tips) are better than most thought.
Anderson’s youth, Bass’ athleticism and Rashard Lewis’ extended minutes are the reasons that Anderson’s minutes have been limited.
NAS: Besides Cleveland, do you see any other legitimate threats to the Magic in the Eastern Conference as we head into the playoffs? Any first round match-ups that could pose a problem?
It’s too early to completely rule out the Boston Celtics. It does however, seem like the Magic are better equipped to deal with them this season. The Magic have used their depth and at times they have matched Boston’s size (playing Howard alongside Marcin Gortat) to wear Boston down, which has resulted in two come-from-behind Magic victories in their last two games against the Celtics.
Sure, the Celtics are old, Rasheed Wallace has been a terrible signing and KG’s knees look like they can fold at any time, but if Boston enters the playoffs with their starting five of Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Garnett, Paul Piece, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo intact, they are still a dangerous team.
Atlanta is another team that is much improved and you can’t rule them out, but Orlando has dominated the Hawks this season, blowing them out in all three meetings so far. The Hawks have no answer for Dwight Howard and the Magic have good athletes and great depth to match the Hawks in that department.
From talking to the players, it is obvious that the Magic would prefer not to have to deal with Dwyane Wade in the postseason. John Salmons has also been a great addition for the Milwaukee Bucks, who have been playing very well lately. The Magic have played more consistent basketball lately and if they do that in the first round, they shouldn’t have anything to worry about, but if they don’t they will be in for a fight. Remember, the Philadelphia 76ers took the Magic to six games last year (even though it did take two buzzer-beaters).
Bloggers Talk: Washington Wizards
Feb 28, 2010 Bloggers Talk, Nets vs. Wizards
For their final match-up at the Izod Center (and we can safely say “ever” now when it comes to the Izod Center), the Washington Wizards feature a considerably different roster compared to the last time we saw them. Here to explain some of the changes, and the future of the organization is Kyle Weidie, from the fantastic TrueHoop Wiz blog, Truthaboutit.
NAS: Obviously, Josh Howard’s ACL injury probably affects your answer, but overall, how do you think the Wizards fare in their big deadline trades of Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler, DeShawn Stevenson and Brendan Haywood? Does Washington have any worthwhile building blocks now?
I was disappointed that the Wizards had to give up Brendan Haywood to “get rid” of Caron Butler and DeShawn Stevenson. It just seems like a commodity like Haywood, an expiring contract and a defensive big man sorely needed by most teams, should have been able to fetch more. The insult is that the Wizards couldn’t manage a pick from Dallas and they had to send cash considerations Mark Cuban’s way. Even Mavs fans were surprised at that one.
On the other hand, you got to commend Ernie Grunfeld for the Jamison trade. Although Antawn was sent to Cleveland … sure, the “rivalry” between the Wiz and the Cavs is dead, but that doesn’t mean Wizards fans hate LeBron and the Cavaliers any less … Grunfeld was able to net the returns of: 1) getting out from the over $28 million owed to the 33-year old Jamison over the next two seasons; 2) Cleveland’s 2010 1st rounder, which will likely be the last pick in the first round, but Grunfeld has a decent history of late-draft finds (Andray Blatche – 49th, Keith Bogans – 43rd, Flip Murray – 42nd, Michael Redd – 49th); 3) Emir Predlzic — Who? Exactly. He’s Bosniak whose rights were previously owned by Cleveland and is a decent prospect; and 4) Al Thornton. Clippers fans were no longer enthusiastic about the former All-Rookie First Teamer (2008), but he has seemingly found new life in D.C. with his hustle and energy.
Worthwhile building blocks? Who knows. Andray Blatche has been great since the trades, but it’s too early to tell if he’s really turned a corner. JaVale McGee has shown some nice promise too and is certainly a talented athlete whose natural skills and size are matched by few, if any, in the league. Otherwise, the Wizards don’t have much that shows valid promise for the future, i.e, someone who could be a star like Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans or Kevin Durant (who is already a star). Obi-Wan Kenobi ain’t coming, so the Wizards’ only hope is effectively using the cap space they’ve created and finding a young Jedi via lots of luck in the draft.
NAS: How much of a makeover do you expect the Wizards to go through once the season is over?
Makeover? Uh, probably a decent bit since the Wizards only have six guys under contract next season. This is assuming, safely, that Josh Howard’s $11.8 million team option won’t be picked up and that Quinton Ross takes his $1.15 million player option. That leaves Andray Blatche, JaVale McGee, Al Thornton, Nick Young and Gilbert Arenas.
Who knows what will happen with Arenas. Recent remarks by Ernie Grunfeld suggest that the team might be open to taking him back, he is under contract after all. But Grunfeld might have been making those comments to preserve Arenas’ trade value, if any exists, which, you know someone might take the bait on if teams with cap room don’t succeed in their Summer ‘10 free-agent endeavors. I highly doubt the Wizards will try to void Arenas’ contract.
Randy Foye, if extended the qualifying offer, will be a restricted free-agent. He’s still auditioning for his job with the team, so he could be an additional player on the roster. You also have to consider the following: the Wizards might try to sign Josh Howard to a new contract on the cheap, as he will be coming off a knee injury, they would like to retain Mike Miller (although, I’m sure he will want to go play for a winner, perhaps taking less money to play with LeBron), and James Singleton is certainly looking like a player worthy of contract consideration.
The Wizards will be players in this Summer’s free-agent market, we’re just not sure how large. I’d like to see them be patient and build with young prospects and cap space, i.e., not do anything stupidly crazy like throw a bunch of money at Joe Johnson or Carlos Boozer. So, you’ll likely see the team just try to sign some worthy fillers this summer and save some of the cap space for 2012.
In any case, the makeover has already happened when various parts were shipped out of town. Now it’s all about finding quality players who will form the foundation for the rebuilding project.
Bloggers Talk: Portland Trailblazers
Feb 23, 2010 Bloggers Talk, Nets vs. Trailblazers
The Portland Trailblazers may have one of the savviest online fan-bases in the NBA. And a lot of that is due to the greatness of the Blazers blog, Blazers Edge. Benjamin Golliver on BE was nice enough to enter today’s Bloggers Talk hotseat to talk Nets/Blazers tonight. Be sure to follow him tonight, and any time you want Blazers updates and thoughts, over at his Twitter account.
NAS: The storyline coming out of Portland right now seems to be their stunning collapse Sunday night against the Utah Jazz. From an outsider’s perspective, the Blazers look like a team that knows how to deal with adversity. From your perspective, do you see the team recovering from this setback, or could this be the game that sets the season into a downward spiral?
This team has proven to be fairly resilient and it’s finally starting to get healthy, so I’m not sure there’s a huge concern that things are going to spiral, at least in the short-term. If anything, I think the team is looking at this upcoming road trip — which starts in New Jersey — as an opportunity to stack some much-needed Ws, as 3 of the 5 games are against non-playoff teams. If the Blazers don’t exit the trip with a winning record, or if Brandon Roy suffers another health setback, I think the urgency level will ratchet up immediately. People will flip out, no question.
On the bright side, the team’s March schedule slows down some (13 days in 31 nights) and the quality of competition drops (just 5 current playoff teams) so there’s still some upside potential for this group although that feels difficult to type coming off back-to-back brutal losses to the Celtics and the Jazz. With a healthy Brandon Roy (but no Greg Oden), this team is probably the 6th best in the Western Conference. Without a productive Roy it could drop as far as 11th. So anywhere in between those two poles is still in play.
NAS: How has Marcus Camby looked early on?
I was joking the other day that the Blazers gave up playing with a healthy center for both Ramadan and Lent this year. Now that Camby is here it’s time to gorge.
It’s been the fairly typical mixed bag play you would expect from a mid-season acquisition. He’s looked lost at times on both ends of the floor and committed some turnovers by sending up-tempo outlet passes to places where the slow-down Portland guards were not expecting them. But he’s made an immediate impact on the boards (he had 18 on Sunday night) and brings highlight-reel quality swatting that the Blazers haven’t had at the 5 spot since both Oden and Joel Przybilla went down with injury. Nate McMillan has admitted that he’s still limiting his offensive playbook when Camby is in the game but the hope is he will have all the information picked up sooner rather than later. He seems to be a quick study and has been very receptive to coaching, his teammates and fans here in Portland already during his first week in town.
The big question on offense for Camby is whether he will be able to lay off his inefficient midrange shot. If he can do that, he should fit well as he’s mobile on the perimeter and has shown the ability to set some good screens. On defense, he’s such a big upgrade over Juwan Howard that it’s not even worth nitpicking.
NAS: How concerned are you over the long haul with Brandon Roy’s hamstring injury?
Long-term, not that concerned at all. With a summer of rest, rehab and recovery I think everyone expects Roy to enter camp next year 100%.
If you meant long haul as in the rest of this season I think that’s one of the top two questions facing this Blazers team, the other being the inconsistent play of its role players (Rudy Fernandez, Martell Webster, Jerryd Bayless, Nicolas Batum).
Roy has repeatedly reported worrisome symptoms after recent games — pain, soreness, tightness, discomfort — and perhaps most disconcerting has been his regular statements about a fear of or concern about suffering a re-injury. In a January game against Philadelphia he re-aggravated the hamstring on a drive to the basket, which caused him to miss the All Star Game and led to the last month of downtime. His play recently has been tentative and non-explosive, as if he’s concerned about making demonstrative moves with the ball in his hands because they might lead to another pull.
He did seem to show an ability to adapt to playing with the injury on Sunday against Utah, as he scored 23 points. He’s really smart at finding ways to score that require limited effort or impact on his hamstring (face up jumpers, free throws). But he’s been a shell of his former self right now on both sides of the ball. That’s obviously a concern as he’s the team’s franchise player and their go-to option in just about every 4th quarter. Should Roy not be able to play out the season or only be able to play in a limited capacity, more of the offensive load falls to Andre Miller and Martell Webster, who have stepped up admirably at times this season but simply are not reliable scoring threats like Roy is. If he’s not able to impact games meaningfully, this is a borderline playoff team at best.
Bloggers Talk: Toronto Raptors
Feb 19, 2010 2009-2010 Regular Season, Bloggers Talk, Nets vs. Raptors
Sam Holako of Raptors Republic returns to answer a couple of quick questions about the Toronto Raptors before tonight’s game at the Izod Center.
NAS: Because exhibitions like the Slam Dunk Competition are what’s really important (at least when you follow a team with 5 wins), how would you rate DeMar DeRozan’s performance over All-Star weekend and do you have any ideas on how to improve on the dunk competition, which was universally panned this year?
I really thought DeMar had a great dunk off. The kid is a natural athlete, and has been putting down big dunks all year. It was good to see him get out there and get some attention on a national level. I’d do two things to improve the dunk competition: 1) Ban Nate Robinson from competing ever again 2) Transform it into a team competition where you have a dunkers and shot blockers, with regular NBA rules (fouls, travelling, etc), and see who wins. The dunk off has been lame since Vince Carter took things to the next level years ago, and will never be as good again.
NAS: How realistic of a goal is it for the Raptors and their fans to shoot for the #4 seed and overtake Boston in the East by season’s end? And how would the Raptors fare in a first round match-up against Boston? We know what happened the last time the Raptors won a division and faced an aging, but battle tested former Division winner in the first round of the playoffs (please allow me to relive some semblance of Nets glory here).
For the Raptors to sneak into 4th in the East, they will have to win 6 more games than the Celtics do, since the Celtics have already won all the tiebreakers. Considering the Raptors have 28 games left, and the Celtics have 31…it’s just impossible unless the stars align, and since we have Turkoglu running amok on the wing, I wont hold my breath. If you ask me, it doesn’t even matter if we take 4th since we have no chance of beating the Celtics in a 7 game series. Boston OWNS the Raptors; we’ve beat them only once over the last two seasons, I don’t see the playoffs being any different. I hate you for drudging up the past like that; sign of a guy who’s supporting the worst team of all time in professional sports.
Bloggers Talk: Miami Heat
Feb 17, 2010 Bloggers Talk, Nets vs. Heat
The season is more than half over, yet the Nets are getting their first visit at the Izod Center from the Miami Heat tonight, which means we have our first Bloggers Talks of the season featuring Surya Fernandez from the TrueHoop blog, Hot Hot Hoops.
NAS: Since the Nets are one of those teams looking to spend this summer, we’re obviously interested in what people think about the status of Dwyane Wade in Miami. Deep down, do you think he stays, or will he look to go elsewhere if the situation is right (like if he could go play with LeBron James in Brooklyn)?
If you would have asked me this before the season I would have been 50/50 on this but the more the season is progressing I’m more and more convinced that Wade, Lebron and (to a slightly lesser extent) Bosh will stay with their current teams. Yeah, I think Miami has an outside shot at convincing Bosh to sign with them and Lebron’s ego is perhaps getting a bit too grandiose for Cleveland and would suit Brooklyn better but of the three I’m most convinced that Wade stays with Miami. Just because other teams could sign him doesn’t mean their teams don’t have just as many question marks as the Heat’s roster does. But what makes Miami’s situation so unique is that they have no bad contracts and are in prime position to reload their roster anyway Riley (or Wade) sees fit.
NAS: The Heat are clinging to one of the last playoff spots in the East and are around .500. Given the team’s performance the past couple of years, do you get the sense that the franchise is in a bit of a holding pattern? Not good enough to win anything, but not bad enough to warrant blowing the whole thing up and starting again?
No question the Heat is in a holding pattern and many of the fans bemoan a sense of wasted years of Wade’s prime. Heck, many fans (despite the championship!) still lament the Heat had to let go of a young Caron Butler and a resurgent Lamar Odom for Shaq. The Heat surprise no one that they’re .500 and, at best, show flashes of overachieving. At least they have their “go-to” guy in Wade and he is capable of lifting their overall play against quality opponents.
NAS: With Cleveland reportedly close to trading for Amare Soutdemire, a name that’s been linked to the Heat, is there anyone else out there on the trade market you feel is worth pursuing?
The Heat have too many plugs to fill on this roster and it just might be worth it to wait it out and be patient until the summer. As long as the player has an expiring contract, like Roger Mason or Kurt Thomas, I would offer anyone short of Wade and Beasley. I don’t see the point in getting someone less than an All-Star at the moment because it most likely won’t be enough to get the Heat out of the first round.
Bloggers Talk: Milwaukee Bucks
Feb 10, 2010 Bloggers Talk, Nets vs. Bucks
The improving Milwaukee Bucks hit the Izod Center for the last time tonight (weather permitting), so here’s Jeremy Schmidt from the TrueHoop Bucks blog, Bucksketball (say that three times fast):
NAS: You recently asked your readers their thoughts on the future direction of the Bucks. What are your personal thoughts? Do you believe the Bucks have the capacity to build towards something meaningful in the future?
Do the Bucks have the capacity to build towards something meaningful? Yes, they certainly do. Will they? That remains to be seen. Thus far, John Hammond has stuck to his plan of ridding the team of poor contracts and loading up on short-term deals while they ride out the Michael Redd and Dan Gadzuric deals. The near $30 million of expiring contracts in the summer of 2011 gives Bucks fans hope that with such wiggle room and two pieces that look solid in Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings, the Bucks can get back on track. Now if before the trade deadline Hammond swings for the fences and takes on a big contract that extends past 2011, that would be troubling. Laying out a plan for long term success is one thing, sticking with it is another. So far Hammond hasn’t done anything to lose my trust, but the NBA is a crazy place so who knows what will come next.
NAS: In your opinion, is Andrew Bogut finally evolving into an elite center?
Yes, yes, yes a hundred times yes. I’d love to stand on rooftops and let everyone know how great Bogut has been since the new year began, but my voice isn’t that strong and my market isn’t big enough for anyone to care anyway. Don’t let his good but not great full season numbers fool you, Bogut has been a terror on both ends since January 1st. What bogged down Bogut earlier this year was an abnormally low shooting percentage in December of 45 percent, but since January first he’s shot 58 percent and averaged roughly 17 and 11 while blocking more than two shots a night. Those sound like elite numbers to me. The funny thing is that Bogut’s game extends so far beyond the numbers. He takes more charges than any center in the league and controls the entire Bucks defense. On top of that his relationship with Brandon Jennings has resulted in a pick and roll combination that has an extraordinary feel for each other despite playing less than 50 games together.
NAS: For some reason, Carlos Delfino has the Nets number. Yet he seems like quite an ordinary player against the rest of the league. So what’s the deal here? Is this a fluke, or is there some level of talent there that’s not showing up consistently in the box score?
Delfino seemed to use the last Bucks-Nets game to jump start his season. He was very inconsistent for the first few months and struggled mightily with his shooting, but shortly after a strong showing against New Jersey in the start of January he went on a terror. Delfino bumped his scoring by about six points a night in January and has stayed on track in February despite not shooting as well from deep (40 percent in January, 32 in four Feb. games). Delfino has been getting extended serious minutes for the first time in his career over the past 13 games and looks to really be settling in. He has a lot of different talents and is the Bucks biggest guard/forward so the tools are there for him to be successful even if he’d never put it all together before. Will Delfino keep up his strong play for much longer? It’s tough to tell. This could be who Delfino really is and it’s possible he never showed it because consistent minutes weren’t there. It’s probably more likely that Delfino will taper off again at some point and return to his previous inconsistent form. Either way, I wouldn’t bet against him having a very strong game against the Nets.
Bloggers Talk: Toronto Raptors
Feb 3, 2010 Bloggers Talk, Nets vs. Raptors
We got a bonus edition of Bloggers Talk today, as the Nets hit the road for Toronto. Here’s Sam Holako from the great TrueHoop Ratpors site, Raptors Republic. I also answered some questions for him over at his site, so as good citizens of NAS, you should check it out.
NAS: A 7-13 start caused a little bit of panic in Raptor-land but the team has settled in nicely and is now above .500 and in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Is there anything you can credit for the turnaround?
The turnaround was due to an improvement on a couple fronts: 1) Bargnani just seemed to turn it on in December, and played the fiercest defense we have seen from him. He has also made a real effort to crash the boards, which has been one of his biggest knocks 2) Calderon went down, and Jack moved to starting unit bringing a bit more defense 3) Production from the bench has increased dramatically. Beinelli and Weems are legitimate threats to score, Wright is our version of Bruce Bowen and Amir Johnson is the best big man we’ve had coming off the bench ever.
NAS: Obviously all eyes continue to be on the Chris Bosh situation. Is there any shot he stays in Toronto beyond this season, and do you really see a suitable trade partner out there if the Raptors want to go in that direction?
The only way Bosh wont be in a Raptor uniform next season is if he comes out and says that he wants to be traded. Given his tone the last few weeks and his comments during the summer (how he considers Toronto home), I don’t see him wanting out. Once you factor in the Raptors reversal of fortunes, and this being his team, and his country, it is tough to leave that and go. Also, if he doesn’t resign, he leaves $30mil on the table, that’s a lot of dough with the CBA coming up ant the end of next season.
NAS: A lot of Raptors fans were seemingly pumped for Andrea Bargnani entering this season (including a few who took umbrage with our site ranking Brook Lopez ahead of him at the C position). Are you happy with the progression he’s show this season or do you still feel like he has room to grow?
The comparison between Lopez and Bargnani is interesting. I bet Thorn wouldn’t trade Lopez for Bargnani if he was offered. Bargnani started the year scoring well, but has really picked up the defense since early December. He is a beast in the paint, just ask Duncan and Howard. The sky is really limit for the guy; if he can rebound at a higher rate (8-9 a game) and take a few more shots a game, that extension he signed in the summer (5yr/$50mill) will be one of the best contracts in the league.
NAS: Putting aside the contract if you can, are you happy with Hedo Turkoglu’s performance so far this season?
The Hedo signing was absolutely terrible. Triano is having trouble getting him enough touches since he, Calderon and Jack all need the ball to be effective on offense. Aside from giving the greatest post-game interview in NBA history (ball), he hasn’t lived up to that contract. It’s hard to separate the contract from whether I am happy with his performance since if he was making the mid-level, I would be super happy. He hasn’t helped his own cause with poor shooting from the perimeter. I’m just bitter with the whole Hedo situation…
Bloggers Talk: Detroit Pistons
Feb 2, 2010 Bloggers Talk, Nets vs. Pistons
Ah, the Detroit Pistons. Remember that rivalry? Well, if the Nets could only find a way to go on a mini winning streak, they could possibly challenge the Pistons for the second-worst record in the East. As it stands, Dan Feldman from Piston Powered, talks about the decline of a once proud franchise.
NAS: The Pistons have evolved into one of the league’s best teams in the past decade, to the second-worst team in the East. How hard are the fans taking this reversal, and how predictable was it?
It was probably more predictable than we realized. Players get old. Transition isn’t easy. I look at last offseason, and the Pistons replaced a lethargic Rasheed Wallace with Charlie Villanueva and a whining Allen Iverson with Ben Gordon. I thought both were upgrades. But the Pistons have more newcomers than returners. Spoiled by a steady roster the last several years, I think we forgot how hard it is for a team to gel.
Add a terrible rash of injuries, and that task has been impossible.
NAS: If I told you in August that of Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton and Ben Wallace, Wallace would probably be the biggest contributor to the Pistons’ 2009-10 season, would you have believed me?
All along, I thought Wallace would start. John Kuester is a defense-first coach, and if you look at Detroit’s roster, there aren’t many defensive-minded players. So, I thought Wallace would start to set a tone.
But I still wouldn’t have believed you for a second.
To be fair, injuries have been the biggest cause of Hamilton’s and Prince’s struggles. To be even fairer, I can’t look you in the eye and say they’d be better than Wallace if they were healthy all season.
NAS: If the Pistons were to make a trade before the deadline, what kind of deal would you like to see them make? Does this organization need to be in “rebuilding” mode, or would another piece and improved health help this team sneak into the playoffs in the always-weak back end of the East?
I think it’s too late to the make the playoffs this season. It’s not too late to look like a postseason team. But with a 15-31 record, they’d have to look like a title contender to make the playoffs.
I’d like to see them add a solid player who can help now if they can get someone with value while other teams are looking to shed payroll. The Pistons might be the only team in the league with room to add a little salary and isn’t gearing to make a splash in free agency this summer.
The Pistons’ had a winning atmosphere for many years, and that helped them win games they had no business winning. It might be too late, but I’d like to see Detroit whatever it can to continue that.
Bloggers Talk: Philadelphia Sixers
Jan 31, 2010 Bloggers Talk, Nets vs. Sixers
The Philadelphia 76ers make their last trip to the Izod Center for the season tonight, so with us to give us some insights is Carey Smith, from the TrueHoop blog Philadunkia.
NAS: Since the All-Star rosters were announced, there has been some talk about the injustice of Allen Iverson being voted in as a starter. Can you find any justification for it?
I actually think al of the outcries about the injustice of Iverson starting are funny. The ASG is about who the fans want to see, not which players are the most deserving. The fans voted for Iverson, so he should get the start. I understand that his level of play this year does not warrant a starting spot in Dallas, but under the current ASG selection process, which I should add needs to be tweaked, Iverson did nothing wrong and should start. There was a very good story on hoopstvonline.com this week about Iverson’s ASG “injustice” and all the heat he has taken. I agreed with what the writer had to say, Iverson is getting roasted but some how Kevin Garnett who does not deserve to start either, has not caught any heat. http://www.hoopstvonline.com/news/iversonvkgasg.html.
NAS: There are a number of Sixers players who have been mentioned in trade buzz. What’s your sense of the truth to these rumors? Who do you think stays, and who goes?
The 76ers will absolutely make a trade, but the numerous rumors that pop up everyday are making hard to decide which players will be exiting. They’ve been shopping Sammy D and his awful contract for two years now and continue to do so. The problem for me is that Sammy is playing the best ball of his career. He has racked up 6 double-doubles this month and has become a game changer on the defensive end. Still his contract is killing us, so it’s probably best for the long run to deal him. Obviously Iguodala is rumored in several trades and I’ve heard Louis Williams and Thad Young mentioned as well. That’s kind of scary since just this past summer, those three were envisioned as the core this franchise was going to build around. If I had to bet, I’d say Williams and Dalembert go.
NAS: You’ve been highly critical of Sixers coach Eddie Jordan throughout the season. Would you like to trade him for Kiki Vandeweghe?
I’d have to disagree that we’ve been highly critical of Eddie Jordan. In fact I would have to say that lately we have been super highly critical of the job Jordan has done and deservedly so. We gave Jordan plenty of breaks at the start of the 2009-10 season because the players were learning his offensive system and the Sixers had some injuries early on to starters (Mo Speights and Louis Williams). During the initial grace period, we noticed just horrific coaching tendencies that Jordan displays and we held back from writing about them. But once everyone was back from injury and Iverson had been in the lineup for a week or two, the gloves came off and it has not been pretty. Poor substitution patterns, lack of a concern for defense, refusal to play appropriate match up games (on both ends of the floor) and the inability to define players roles are just some of the basic NBA coaching sins Jordan has committed. Still I am not sure how much of I is Jordan’s fault. I said it this summer and I’ll say it again now Jordan was the wrong choice for this team as his coaching style and X&Os do not fit the personnel.
I would trade Jordan for a bucket Gatorade, so yes I would trade Jordan for Kiki. I would then take Kiki and make him a player/coach as the Sixers sure could use his career 53% field goal shooting touch on this squad.