coopdogg3
05-22-2007, 01:47 PM
probably belongs in the NBA forum, but he's semi-positive towards the Spurs - so I'm posting it here.
http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=15911
Welcome to The Show! On Tuesday, ESPN.com senior NBA writer Marc Stein will drop by to talk about all the latest news on the hardwood.
Send your questions now and join Marc in The Show, Tuesday at 11 a.m. ET!
Stein Archive: Chats | Columns
Marc Stein: Hello, all.
Marc Stein: It's the Tuesday we've all been waiting for . . . and not because of this chat. I'km covering the playoffs much closer than the lottery -- draft experts Chad Ford and Andy Katz are your A Team there -- but I'll naturally mix in some lottery stuff with the playoff chatter.
Marc Stein: Here we go.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mel (Dallas): Any team that wouldn't take Oden with the 1st pick?
Marc Stein: Nope. No way. Phoenix or Houston, I suppose, could rationalize going Durant, but they obviously have no shot at the top pick.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Derek (Chicago): Do you think the bulls screwed up by not getting gasol. Unless they get one of the top two picks, the last thing they need is another young player. plus it would be easier to find a wing like deng or gordon than to find a 20 and 10 guy.
Marc Stein: This question will be easier to answer tonight after seeing how good Chicago's pick is, but I'm still going no. If they couldn't have pried Gasol away without giving Deng, they were wise to pass. I like Deng too much.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D (Indiana): you're saying no one will choose durant over oden. should any team do it, even if you don't think they will?
Marc Stein: No. I think Duncan is reminding us that those rare 7-foot, low-posters who can really move and have true franchise talent haven't been run out of this small-ball league just yet. I can't sit here and tell you Oden will be as good as Duncan when he's fully formed, but I don't think there's any question he's a franchise 7-footer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Doug (NY): Didn't LeBron HAVE to take that ball to the goal last nite?
Marc Stein: He had to score more than 10 points. I have a much bigger problem with LBJ's overall production in such a big game than the final play, where the Pistons were obviously not going to let him sail in and where he kicked it to a more-than-capable shooter for a great look. But LeBron doesn't get enough heat over the course of a season -- I'm as guilty as anyone of being too easy on him -- so some second-guessing from coast-to-coast might be good for him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andy (Chi-town): Who would you rather have taking the last second 3 if it came down to it? Horry or Fisher?
Marc Stein: Horry. Still. I've been covering Fish closely since his first dribbles in this league but Horry will go down as one of the clutchest players in league history. C'mon.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mario (Ohio): If Stan Van Gundy goes to Indy, does it pave the way for a Lamar Odom for Jermaine O'Neal trade? Odom played his best ball in SVG's system in Miami.
Marc Stein: It's a good shout. I wouldn't say "pave the way" because that's a trade L.A. has been eyeing even before the Lakers were eliminated. But Stan to the Pacers would certainly put a strong Odom advocate in the Indy organization. Which can only help the deal's chances. Odom's success in the post playing for SVG in Miami was indeed his best NBA run.
Marc Stein: I just have a feeling that Jermaine and Kobe end up together. Both players want it and history says that the Lakers always get saved by a mega trade like this.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul (MD): Will the jazz be able to win one game?
Marc Stein: At least one. They've got as big a home-court advantage as anyone. I'm looking forward to going to SLC this weekend to hear/see it first-hand. Everyone who's been there lately says it's as loud as the late 90s glory days.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rob (Dallas): Marc- You have the inside track down here. Help me out with something. My main fear this summer is that the Mavs are gonna let another great point guard out of their grasp. I think Devin Harris can be really good for the team for a long time, he is developing well. I FEAR that the Mavs are going to package him in a deal for a wingman for Dirk, and leave Terry at the point (who seems to be tailing off offensively, and who plays noooooo defense). So what do you think. Can I sleep soundly knowing Devin harris is here to stay?
Marc Stein: Devin Harris is the Mavs' most attractive trade chip. But he alone doesn't make enough money -- and hasn't made enough progress -- to fetch them an impact player at any position. For the Mavs to get to an impact player, they'll need to convince someone out there to take Terry AND most likely part with Harris in the process.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David (Dallas): Is a trade of Jason Kidd to Dallas a realistic possibility?
Marc Stein: A lot less realistic than it was before the playoffs, because J-Kidd was so good in the playoffs. It'll take a three-team trade
(at least) that gets Jersey something pretty special.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Christ (Houston): What are your thoughts on the Adelman hire? I understand being frustrated and that offense sells tickets, but has Les Alexander been paying no attention to these playoffs? The Mavs, Warriors and Suns are all playing golf while the "boring" teams (Spurs and Jazz) are playing for the Western Conference title.
Marc Stein: Rick is a winner. Throw out his Golden State stop and he's never missed the playoffs. He will be a success in Houston. But I hear your concerns. The Rockets aren't going to be a running team with their non-athletes. Rick will obviously have to adjust to the personnel. But he's considered one of the more creative offensive minds in the league. Good hire.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul (Augusta): Marc I say the Joe Johnson trade may have cost the Suns a title. Joe would be unstoppable next to Nash. Barbosa, Diaw, and Bell totaled less points per game than Joe would have by himself. What do you think?
Marc Stein: It might have, sure. But Joe was determined to leave, too. He didn't want to stay, so who knows how he would have developed if the Suns had signed him to an extension in October 2004. If the Suns get the No. 4 pick tonight, furthermore, who's to say they won't parlay that into a trade that gets them something else special? We don't know yet if Joe's departure doomed them because this season was not the Suns' last chance. Unlike Dallas, they have lots of pieces at their disposal to tweak and improve.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andy (DC): I'm a Suns fan. Explain to me why I should give the league another chance.
Marc Stein: Because your team's future is too bright to walk away now. And because the league didn't cost you guys the series. San Antonio came in and outworked Phoenix in Game 1 and the Suns played catch-up from there. They lost three games with Amare and Diaw. Sorry.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Henry Orlando: Can the Magic really bring back Brian Hill at this point??
Marc Stein: At the end of the season, all indications were that the Magic were keeping Hill no matter what, whether or not they made the playoffs. But then the team came out unexpectedly and announced that Hill's return was not a certainty. So, yes, I echo your bewilderment. I don't know how you bring Hill back now after casting public doubt on the matter.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian (Memphis): 5 years from now the Memphis Grizzlies will _________????
Marc Stein: Move back to Vancouver and undo the worst trade in NBA history. One can dream, right?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve (Cleveland): Look, if Marshall would have made that 3, wouldn't everyone be heralding Lebron for a smart play?
Marc Stein: Probably.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hank (Sacramento): Do you think the Maloofs are finished making basketball decisions and will let Petrie get back to choosing who should coach, who to draft, who to trade, etc.?
Marc Stein: Totally finished? Owners are never finished making decisions. But in general? Yup. It's Petrie's show again.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric (San Diego): Refresh my memory, what was the worst trade in NBA history?
Marc Stein: Vancouver for Memphis.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve (South Pasadena): How many more years left for the Spurs and Pistons? I say San Antonio has one more run left in them, Pistons need to win this year because it's all over in '08.
Marc Stein: Agreed. Duncan looks reborn and in a couple years they'll have a wide-open payroll to reload -- AGAIN -- around the Duncan-Parker-Ginobili trio. The Pistons' ensemble nature will make it more of a challenge to reload.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric (Bozeman, MT): How do we arrange the game mentioned in the Dime between the ESPN and TNT analysts? Could be one of the more entertaining games of the postseason!
Marc Stein: Agreed. Check out today's Dime if you don't know what Eric is referring to. I would LOVE to see that game. The ESPN squad WOULD take them, too.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matt (DC): Vancouver to Memphis is a "Move." Gasol for Deng is a "Trade."
Marc Stein: You're taking things awfully literally, Matt.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PaulieP (Scottsdale): Amare or Marion, who goes?
Marc Stein: If they indeed move one, I have to believe it will be Marion. Let's suppose that Minnesota was willing to surrender KG for a package that starts with either Amare or Marion and the No. 4 pick. I don't disagree with Simmons' notion that Amare-for-KG is a more natural swap positionally . . . or that Marion's four-position versatility is such that Phoenix would want to keep him because he'd be easier to plug into the new lineup. But Amare is still scratching the surface and just went for 38 and 12 in a massive game against the mighty Spurs. It's not an easy call at all, since Trix and Amare are both special, but I'm pretty sure that it would be harder for the Suns to trade Amare. And they will seriously consider trading one of them because the chemistry hasn't been right for a while there.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q (ABQ): Why is the NBA the only professional league where fans don't really appreciate great defense like the Spurs play? Nobody says that an NFL team with a great D like the Bears are boring or that a team like the Twins with a good pitching staff is boring. Why the double standard with the NBA?
Marc Stein: Lots of double standards when it comes to the NBA and other leagues. Sadly.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Craig (Norwich, CT): If the San Antonio Sterns, er, Spurs win the NBA Championship, will it be considered a tainted championship (outside of Phoenix, anyway).
Marc Stein: I suppose some folks will throw out the T word, but they absolutely shouldn't. Even after that Game 6 in 2002 when the Lakers shot about a hundred free throws to force a Game 7 in Sacramento, how often do people say L.A.'s third of three straight championships was tainted? Never, basically. The Spurs should get the same treatment. As controversial as the whole suspension flap was, they were outstanding in the Phoenix series.
Marc Stein: Thanks for all the questions. We'll do it again next week.
http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=15911
Welcome to The Show! On Tuesday, ESPN.com senior NBA writer Marc Stein will drop by to talk about all the latest news on the hardwood.
Send your questions now and join Marc in The Show, Tuesday at 11 a.m. ET!
Stein Archive: Chats | Columns
Marc Stein: Hello, all.
Marc Stein: It's the Tuesday we've all been waiting for . . . and not because of this chat. I'km covering the playoffs much closer than the lottery -- draft experts Chad Ford and Andy Katz are your A Team there -- but I'll naturally mix in some lottery stuff with the playoff chatter.
Marc Stein: Here we go.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mel (Dallas): Any team that wouldn't take Oden with the 1st pick?
Marc Stein: Nope. No way. Phoenix or Houston, I suppose, could rationalize going Durant, but they obviously have no shot at the top pick.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Derek (Chicago): Do you think the bulls screwed up by not getting gasol. Unless they get one of the top two picks, the last thing they need is another young player. plus it would be easier to find a wing like deng or gordon than to find a 20 and 10 guy.
Marc Stein: This question will be easier to answer tonight after seeing how good Chicago's pick is, but I'm still going no. If they couldn't have pried Gasol away without giving Deng, they were wise to pass. I like Deng too much.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D (Indiana): you're saying no one will choose durant over oden. should any team do it, even if you don't think they will?
Marc Stein: No. I think Duncan is reminding us that those rare 7-foot, low-posters who can really move and have true franchise talent haven't been run out of this small-ball league just yet. I can't sit here and tell you Oden will be as good as Duncan when he's fully formed, but I don't think there's any question he's a franchise 7-footer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Doug (NY): Didn't LeBron HAVE to take that ball to the goal last nite?
Marc Stein: He had to score more than 10 points. I have a much bigger problem with LBJ's overall production in such a big game than the final play, where the Pistons were obviously not going to let him sail in and where he kicked it to a more-than-capable shooter for a great look. But LeBron doesn't get enough heat over the course of a season -- I'm as guilty as anyone of being too easy on him -- so some second-guessing from coast-to-coast might be good for him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andy (Chi-town): Who would you rather have taking the last second 3 if it came down to it? Horry or Fisher?
Marc Stein: Horry. Still. I've been covering Fish closely since his first dribbles in this league but Horry will go down as one of the clutchest players in league history. C'mon.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mario (Ohio): If Stan Van Gundy goes to Indy, does it pave the way for a Lamar Odom for Jermaine O'Neal trade? Odom played his best ball in SVG's system in Miami.
Marc Stein: It's a good shout. I wouldn't say "pave the way" because that's a trade L.A. has been eyeing even before the Lakers were eliminated. But Stan to the Pacers would certainly put a strong Odom advocate in the Indy organization. Which can only help the deal's chances. Odom's success in the post playing for SVG in Miami was indeed his best NBA run.
Marc Stein: I just have a feeling that Jermaine and Kobe end up together. Both players want it and history says that the Lakers always get saved by a mega trade like this.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul (MD): Will the jazz be able to win one game?
Marc Stein: At least one. They've got as big a home-court advantage as anyone. I'm looking forward to going to SLC this weekend to hear/see it first-hand. Everyone who's been there lately says it's as loud as the late 90s glory days.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rob (Dallas): Marc- You have the inside track down here. Help me out with something. My main fear this summer is that the Mavs are gonna let another great point guard out of their grasp. I think Devin Harris can be really good for the team for a long time, he is developing well. I FEAR that the Mavs are going to package him in a deal for a wingman for Dirk, and leave Terry at the point (who seems to be tailing off offensively, and who plays noooooo defense). So what do you think. Can I sleep soundly knowing Devin harris is here to stay?
Marc Stein: Devin Harris is the Mavs' most attractive trade chip. But he alone doesn't make enough money -- and hasn't made enough progress -- to fetch them an impact player at any position. For the Mavs to get to an impact player, they'll need to convince someone out there to take Terry AND most likely part with Harris in the process.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David (Dallas): Is a trade of Jason Kidd to Dallas a realistic possibility?
Marc Stein: A lot less realistic than it was before the playoffs, because J-Kidd was so good in the playoffs. It'll take a three-team trade
(at least) that gets Jersey something pretty special.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Christ (Houston): What are your thoughts on the Adelman hire? I understand being frustrated and that offense sells tickets, but has Les Alexander been paying no attention to these playoffs? The Mavs, Warriors and Suns are all playing golf while the "boring" teams (Spurs and Jazz) are playing for the Western Conference title.
Marc Stein: Rick is a winner. Throw out his Golden State stop and he's never missed the playoffs. He will be a success in Houston. But I hear your concerns. The Rockets aren't going to be a running team with their non-athletes. Rick will obviously have to adjust to the personnel. But he's considered one of the more creative offensive minds in the league. Good hire.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul (Augusta): Marc I say the Joe Johnson trade may have cost the Suns a title. Joe would be unstoppable next to Nash. Barbosa, Diaw, and Bell totaled less points per game than Joe would have by himself. What do you think?
Marc Stein: It might have, sure. But Joe was determined to leave, too. He didn't want to stay, so who knows how he would have developed if the Suns had signed him to an extension in October 2004. If the Suns get the No. 4 pick tonight, furthermore, who's to say they won't parlay that into a trade that gets them something else special? We don't know yet if Joe's departure doomed them because this season was not the Suns' last chance. Unlike Dallas, they have lots of pieces at their disposal to tweak and improve.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andy (DC): I'm a Suns fan. Explain to me why I should give the league another chance.
Marc Stein: Because your team's future is too bright to walk away now. And because the league didn't cost you guys the series. San Antonio came in and outworked Phoenix in Game 1 and the Suns played catch-up from there. They lost three games with Amare and Diaw. Sorry.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Henry Orlando: Can the Magic really bring back Brian Hill at this point??
Marc Stein: At the end of the season, all indications were that the Magic were keeping Hill no matter what, whether or not they made the playoffs. But then the team came out unexpectedly and announced that Hill's return was not a certainty. So, yes, I echo your bewilderment. I don't know how you bring Hill back now after casting public doubt on the matter.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian (Memphis): 5 years from now the Memphis Grizzlies will _________????
Marc Stein: Move back to Vancouver and undo the worst trade in NBA history. One can dream, right?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve (Cleveland): Look, if Marshall would have made that 3, wouldn't everyone be heralding Lebron for a smart play?
Marc Stein: Probably.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hank (Sacramento): Do you think the Maloofs are finished making basketball decisions and will let Petrie get back to choosing who should coach, who to draft, who to trade, etc.?
Marc Stein: Totally finished? Owners are never finished making decisions. But in general? Yup. It's Petrie's show again.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric (San Diego): Refresh my memory, what was the worst trade in NBA history?
Marc Stein: Vancouver for Memphis.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve (South Pasadena): How many more years left for the Spurs and Pistons? I say San Antonio has one more run left in them, Pistons need to win this year because it's all over in '08.
Marc Stein: Agreed. Duncan looks reborn and in a couple years they'll have a wide-open payroll to reload -- AGAIN -- around the Duncan-Parker-Ginobili trio. The Pistons' ensemble nature will make it more of a challenge to reload.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric (Bozeman, MT): How do we arrange the game mentioned in the Dime between the ESPN and TNT analysts? Could be one of the more entertaining games of the postseason!
Marc Stein: Agreed. Check out today's Dime if you don't know what Eric is referring to. I would LOVE to see that game. The ESPN squad WOULD take them, too.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matt (DC): Vancouver to Memphis is a "Move." Gasol for Deng is a "Trade."
Marc Stein: You're taking things awfully literally, Matt.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PaulieP (Scottsdale): Amare or Marion, who goes?
Marc Stein: If they indeed move one, I have to believe it will be Marion. Let's suppose that Minnesota was willing to surrender KG for a package that starts with either Amare or Marion and the No. 4 pick. I don't disagree with Simmons' notion that Amare-for-KG is a more natural swap positionally . . . or that Marion's four-position versatility is such that Phoenix would want to keep him because he'd be easier to plug into the new lineup. But Amare is still scratching the surface and just went for 38 and 12 in a massive game against the mighty Spurs. It's not an easy call at all, since Trix and Amare are both special, but I'm pretty sure that it would be harder for the Suns to trade Amare. And they will seriously consider trading one of them because the chemistry hasn't been right for a while there.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q (ABQ): Why is the NBA the only professional league where fans don't really appreciate great defense like the Spurs play? Nobody says that an NFL team with a great D like the Bears are boring or that a team like the Twins with a good pitching staff is boring. Why the double standard with the NBA?
Marc Stein: Lots of double standards when it comes to the NBA and other leagues. Sadly.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Craig (Norwich, CT): If the San Antonio Sterns, er, Spurs win the NBA Championship, will it be considered a tainted championship (outside of Phoenix, anyway).
Marc Stein: I suppose some folks will throw out the T word, but they absolutely shouldn't. Even after that Game 6 in 2002 when the Lakers shot about a hundred free throws to force a Game 7 in Sacramento, how often do people say L.A.'s third of three straight championships was tainted? Never, basically. The Spurs should get the same treatment. As controversial as the whole suspension flap was, they were outstanding in the Phoenix series.
Marc Stein: Thanks for all the questions. We'll do it again next week.