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Hoops Rumors Live Chat 5/2/2023
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Griz
2:00
Will we start seeing more Teams clamping down on Clown behavior after this Dillon Brooks news today?  At the end of the day, Players are still Employees, and Employees are not supposed to behave in a way that leads to the embarrassment our Employers.
Guest
2:00
Does Dillon Brooks to the Pistons make sense if they dont get Wemby? What other targets are out there?
Dana Gauruder
2:04
In case you missed it, Shams Charania reported that the Grizzlies have no interest in bringing Brooks and informed him of their decision. I think Brooks' ultimately will be humbled by the general lack of interest in him in the free agent market. I don't think he'll get more than half a mid-level. If you are going to draw attention to yourself, you need to back it up. He'd be a poor fit for the Pistons (or any team looking to become a playoff team) -- they've tried to build around high character guys. Plus, they need shooting. Brooks is a below average 3=point shooter. As for whether this will discourage other players from trying to bring attention to themselves, it won't have any effect. We live in a world of social media, where drawing attention to one's self is encouraged. There will be other Brooks to come along, using the same approach.
Luke Powe
2:06
Who has more on the line next season following their early playoff exits; Milwaukee, Memphis, Sacramento, or Cleveland
Dana Gauruder
2:09
To varying degrees, back-to-back early exits would impact all those clubs. I'd lean toward the Bucks in that scenario, simply because there would be a lot more questions whether Giannis would look elsewhere at that stage of his career. Cleveland would probably be No. 2 on the list since it invested so heavily asset-wise to bring in Mitchell. You'd also have to question at that point whether its frontcourt is good enough. The Knicks took their bigs to task on the boards in the first round.
Guest
2:10
Considering how the playoffs have gone so far, who’s your pick to make it out of east/west and win it all. FYI I’m hoping for a Jokic vs Embiid match up which I think 76ers will take.
Dana Gauruder
2:13
I'm not going to let a game here or there influence what I've been saying all along -- Denver vs. Boston. I think the Celtics learned a hard lesson with their defensive effort (or lack thereof) in Game 1 with Embiid sidelined. The Celtics still have the best overall team, well built for seven game series. The Nuggets have been solid so far and the 'Joker' is playing at a very high level.
Stormy
2:13
How about them Heat?  After the bucks I think the knicks are easy pickings.  What say you?
Dana Gauruder
2:15
Not sure about that. Remember, Randle didn't play in Game 1, though he won't be close to 100 percent the rest of the way. Can Butler hold up physically throughout the rest of the playoffs? He sprained his ankle the other day and has been nagged by injuries all season. The loss of Herro is also bound to catch up with them at some point. If Butler can keep producing huge games, they should make it to the conference finals but that's a big if at this point.
Ws vs Lake show series
2:16
So if Kevon Looney gets injured, who is going to guard AD?  Might the Warriors regret not adding a Big body at the Trade deadline?  I don't think Lamb or PBJ can guard AD.  Jamychal is also a little short to try and guard him.
Dana Gauruder
2:17
I don't think the Warriors are too concerned about that scenario. My take is if Looney somehow got injured, they would put Draymond at the 5, go small and force the opponent to adjust to them.
Shane
2:18
Should Mark Cuban have his team taken away from him.  Who would want to sign with the Mavs when the owner won't fight for a playoff spot?
Dana Gauruder
2:20
Dallas did win a championship a dozen years or go, right? Cuban is intent on winning but hasn't had much success finding the right pieces around Doncic. This is why they tried to tank in the last weekend: Dallas -- currently slotted at No. 10 in the draft order -- will send its pick to New York if it falls out of the top 10 after the lottery.
Gary
2:20
Can the sixers win the series without Embiid?
Dana Gauruder
2:22
Harden was fantastic last night but I don't think he can carry the team to four wins over Boston. The Celtics' defensive coverage was partially to blame -- they switched too much and left bigs to guard Harden, who had an usually outstanding night from the perimeter. As terrific as Harden was, it really came down to one weird turnover by Boston in the final minute.
Abe
2:23
What are the biggest names you see on the move this off-season, thru free agency or trade?
Dana Gauruder
2:26
I had been saying Butler as a possibility but that's not going to happen after what Miami has done since losing the first play-in game. Doesn't look like Trae Young is going anywhere either, so I guess that puts Lillard at the top of the list. There's been a lot of buzz about Harden going back to Houston -- I'll believe it when I see it. Perhaps FVV signing elsewhere, and I wouldn't discount Jerami Grant or Kyle Kuzma getting signed by the Pistons.
Guest
2:26
anticipated timeline for Raptors to name a coach?
Dana Gauruder
2:29
They don't seem to be in any particular hurry. I don't think they've really started interviewing yet. They also seem to be taking a wide approach. I think you're looking at weeks, not days, for the Raptors to settle on a coach. My sense is it will be late this month before they hire anyone.
Have Hope
2:30
Would any team trade 3 or 4 complete drafts for Wembenyama?
Dana Gauruder
2:30
You mean giving up three or four future firsters and three or four seconds for him? Sure. Would the team that wins the lottery go for it? Don't see that happening.
Connor🏀
2:31
Do u think The hornets sign any big FA @ all over the summer?
Dana Gauruder
2:34
They'll have some cap room, though not a ton of it. Hayward and Rozier alone eat up about $54 million. They'll be in a better spot next season when Hayward's contract comes off the books. The most likely notable FA they'll sign is there own -- Bridges.
Allen Iverson
2:35
If you could pick any player in the past to play now who would it be? No Jordan.
Dana Gauruder
2:37
You mean a guy from the past who would thrive in the current state of the game? I would love to see how many points Pistol Pete Maravich would score with the proliferation of 3-point shots in recent years.
2:40
Is everyone aware that the MVP will be announced tonight? Who do you think will win it -- remember, the votes were submitted prior to the postseason. I see Embiid edging out Jokic with Giannis third. What do you think?
The Dream
2:43
Embiid will win.
Dana Gauruder
2:45
Yes. I just get the gut feeling that some voters don't want to give it to Jokic 3 straight years. Embiid won the scoring title, pretty impressive feat for a big in an era where 3-point shooting is all the rage.
2:49
FYI -- I got quite a few Brooks-related questions today. That just goes to show you that he won half the battle. Players like him want to draw attention to themselves, want to put themselves in the public's eye. How many people would notice Dillon Brooks if he wasn't yapping at LeBron, picking up techs and making unapologetic statements in the media (when he feels like talking to the media)? He wants to be a polarizing figure. Of course, it helps if you can back it up with being a difference-maker on the court, which he certainly wasn't in the first round.
Heat Baby
2:51
With the impressive play of Gabe Vincent and decent play by Max Strus.  Are the Heat gonna try more than ever to unload Kyle Lowry and Duncan Robinson
Dana Gauruder
2:53
They've been trying unload Robinson for awhile. They really regretted giving him that extension. They might be able to do that as part of broader trade. Getting rid of Lowry's contract will be much tougher, given his age, recently injury history and the fact he's owed over 29 mill next season. It's not going to be easy for the Heat to re-sign both Vincent and Strus -- may have to settle for one or the other.
GG
2:54
Which team that lost in the 1st round this year is going to make a splash with a big off season trade?
Dana Gauruder
2:56
The team that comes to mind is the Grizzlies. They've got to figure out how to take that next step -- shedding Brooks I think will help but they need another veteran wing who's a proven winner.
2:59
In the East, I'd say the Hawks will do something big. They need to make another big move or two to get into the upper tier. Collins or Murray are the most likely to go in that scenario.
3:00
That is all the time we have for today. Join Luke Adams for our next live chat on Thursday.
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