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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 3/05/2024
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ARTHUR HILL
12:01
Welcome to the chat. Let's get started with a question about the Nets.
Mr. Whammy JR
12:01
How can the Nets improve in the off season? They have decent talent but it looks like they might miss the play in this year.
ARTHUR HILL
12:04
The Nets' options are limited as long as Ben Simmons' contract remains on their books. If any stars become available, they can chase them with the future first-rounders they own from Phoenix and Dallas, but they may not be enough for a major move this summer. Brooklyn's best chance to improve will come in July of 2025 when it will have plenty of cap room to play with.
Ghost of Lebron's Past
12:05
Are the Cavs title contenders as currently constructed?
ARTHUR HILL
12:09
The core group of Mitchell, Garland, Mobley and Allen provides a strong foundation and is likely to be more dangerous this year after getting their first taste of the playoffs last season. Bad injury luck by the Knicks and Sixers raises postseason questions about both those teams, and it wouldn't be shocking to see the Cavs make their way to the conference finals. However, another early playoff exit will likely result in changes, maybe to the coaching staff and the core of the team.
DC
12:09
Is LAL done for 2024?  What to do. Wasted another LeBron yr.  Is Trae Young, D Mitchell and or firing Ham the off season  answer?  Thx
ARTHUR HILL
12:13
The Lakers surely aren't done, as they proved by soundly defeating the Thunder last night and the Clippers last week. Seeding matters less to L.A. than to most other teams because LeBron and AD have shown they can win under any circumstances. However, expect Rob Pelinka to be aggressive about upgrading the roster this summer, using his tradeable future first-rounders to try to land a star. Ham's future likely depends on what the Lakers do in the playoffs. There have already been rumblings that his job may not be safe.
Greg
12:13
Do you think the wizards made the right choices? Signing eugene omuyuri to a full contract, Signing champagnie to two way, Signing hampton to 10days, not trading delon wright, starting landry shamet instead of johnny davis or jules bernard. Are these moves good or bad?
ARTHUR HILL
12:17
The Wizards need to use the rest of the season to audition as many young players as possible to see if any of them might be part of their future. Omoruyi, Champagnie and Hampton are all worth a look. I probably would have traded Delon Wright, but it's helpful to keep a veteran or two around to guide the young talent.
CuriousFan
12:17
Hello Arthur! Thanks for the chats! So, the Pacers look worse or kinda the same since acquiring Siakam. He's had some good games and good moments, but the chemistry just hasn't been there with Haliburton or the rest of the roster. And the loss of brown has really cut the bench depth and defense. Is there a chance the two sides don't reach a deal in the offseason? Where does he go if they don't?
ARTHUR HILL
12:20
The Pacers wouldn't have given up the talent they did to acquire Siakam if they weren't 100% set on keeping him. I fully expect him to sign a long-term deal this summer to stay in Indiana. I agree about the loss of Brown. The Pacers should look into reacquiring him this summer or finding someone similar.
Alfred
12:21
Quin Snyder's record as Atlanta's head coach is 36-45, which does not count the play-in victory over the Miami Heat.  Do you believe Atlanta will treat and evaluate Snyder's position similar to Mike Budenholzer's final season of 24-58 or Nate McMillan's 29-30?  Reminder both Budenholzer and McMillan led the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals.
ARTHUR HILL
12:24
Snyder hasn't been there long enough for the Hawks to consider a coaching change, and management couldn't have expected much more than a team that's around .500 and battling for a play-in spot. Atlanta has to sort out its backcourt this summer and decide whether to commit to Trae Young or Dejounte Murray. Once that version of the team is in place, we'll get a better idea of what Snyder can do with them.
Hornets fan
12:25
Is it time to unload Lamelo now? Seems injuries may define his career and we have had enough of that the last few years. Cut bait and move on?
ARTHUR HILL
12:27
Tony Jones of The Athletic suggested that move this week: trading Ball for the best package available and building around Brandon Miller. I don't think the Hornets are in a hurry to part with Ball, though. They still view him as a transcendent player with star qualities who could eventually make them a playoff team. They'll give him the summer to heal up and see how things look next season. Then if the injury issues continue, they might change their minds about a deal.
Victor Wembanyama
12:28
I don't need rookie help, They need to surround me with veteran star players or else?
ARTHUR HILL
12:31
Wembanyama has lived up to the hype as a once-in-a-generation rookie and a potential dominant force in the league. It's been frustrating that San Antonio hasn't been able to surround him with a better team. The Spurs' first priority should be to find an experienced point guard who can maximize Wembanyama's considerable physical gifts. He's far too good to be playing on a last-place team.
Detroit Fan
12:31
My team got consistent top 5 pick every nba draft, Why are we still bad? Do we need more top 5 picks?
ARTHUR HILL
12:34
As terrible as this season has been, it's easy to see a path forward for the Pistons built around Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson. Detroit has done very well in the last few drafts and has a chance to add another piece to the young core this summer. The front office needs to make better use of its cap room this summer and find players who can actually help, rather than trading for veterans on expiring contracts.
Arcman
12:35
Did the warriors show the NBA why the schedule is a joke. Playing 3 games in a row on the road in less than 64 hours? Every year the NBA schedule is not well thought out before releasing it.
ARTHUR HILL
12:38
Every team experiences schedule issues at some point of the season that make certain games unwinnable. It can be worse for marquee teams like Golden State because of the desire to feature them on national television as often as possible. It's unfortunate in the moment, but it's hard to avoid with an 82-game scheduled packed into six months.
Stephen
12:38
What should the Wizards do with Jordan Poole? Cannot have a 31 mil/year player coming off the bench on a bad team.
ARTHUR HILL
12:42
It's a good question, and one the Wizards should have considered more strongly before they decided to trade for Poole last summer. They seemed to view Poole as just a dynamic scorer without considering how his penchant for taking bad shots would affect the offense. It's highly unlikely that Washington will be able to trade him for at least a couple years, so figuring out his long-term role is vital to any hope the Wizards have of improving.
Aaron
12:43
Do you think another team is needed in nba? There are players in gleague who needs exposure and also those who are in two way contract. Potter, Castleton, Ramsey, Jalen Hood, Molinar, Davison, Shackelford, Jayce, McClung, Queen, Terquavion, Council, Sarr, Mobley, Jackson, Dotson, etcs. I think if some of them forms a new team, At least it won't be bad?
ARTHUR HILL
12:46
The NBA has more sources of incoming talent than ever before. I think it could easily add two more teams without a decline in the quality of play. Adam Silver keeps saying that the league will address expansion after its new media rights deal is in place, and I believe having two more markets will be healthy for the NBA.
Greg
12:47
Who's your pick for MVP? I feel like Jokic and Giannis are the best candidates but will the voters want someone who hasn't already won twice?
ARTHUR HILL
12:50
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an intriguing candidate based on what the Thunder have been able to accomplish. Luka Doncic might be there if the Mavericks were better. Giannis is at an MVP level every season. But Jokic is the best bet. No one matches his overall impact on the game, and his value to the Nuggets is immeasurable.
Lebron James
12:50
At what age should i retire? Wait for my son to sign contract with lakers then stay one more season and retire? Vince Carter can still play at age 43, Maybe i can still play at that age?
ARTHUR HILL
12:53
If we didn't know LeBron's age, no one would be talking about retirement. He's still playing at an elite level, and there's no reason to think he won't continue for a few more years. He may eventually be in the NBA with both of his sons.
Omar
12:53
Chicago seems locked into the number 9 seed. Eventually they will get swept by the Celtics in the first round. What was the point of holding onto DeRozan/Caruso/Drummond during the deadline? Or was this the plan all along, let’s be mediocre and hope for the best?
ARTHUR HILL
12:57
It's hard to see a plan for long-term success in Chicago. Management may not have liked the offers it got for DeRozan, Caruso or Drummond, but that doesn't make this year's team any better. Hopefully they can find a taker for Zach LaVine this summer, but those offers reportedly haven't been great either. The Bulls may need a different front office with a fresh view of the future.
Wizards New Head Coach
12:58
The best head coach for wizards next season is? A defensive coach? A run n gun system coach? A more focus offensively coach? A uptempo coach? Or?
ARTHUR HILL
1:00
If there's good news for the Wizards, it's that they're starting virtually from scratch. They can decide what type of team they want to be, hire a coach to fit that blueprint and then build their talent around it. I don't think they'll find an experienced coach willing to take that job, but there are plenty of qualified assistants available around the league.
1:01
Thanks for the great questions today. I'll talk to you again next week.
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