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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 9/14/2023
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Luke Adams
2:01
Thanks for the early questions, guys! Let's dive right in...
EonADS
2:02
Can Richaun Holmes step up for the Mavs? He had some good runs with the Kings when they bothered to actually use him, and he's certainly a good finisher in the pick and roll. I realize a lot of effort has gone into who they can acquire in trade or if Lively can instantly be a guy for them, but Holmes isn't a 2K generated player or anything the way some people act.
Luke Adams
2:04
I could see him having a decent bounce-back season, especially on the offensive end -- can't do much better for pick-and-roll partners than Luka and Kyrie. I do question whether he'll give them enough on defense to play big minutes. He's not exactly an anchor in the middle, and with Doncic and Irving on the perimeter, the Mavs will need to be extra stout inside.
Arcman
2:04
If NBA is against resting star players why not reduce the number of back to back games? 15 back to back games for 1 team is too many.
Luke Adams
2:05
Yeah, making the schedule more player-friendly is an obvious solution here, but that would mean either lengthening the regular season in terms of days or shortening it in terms of games. I don't think the former would be a particularly popular idea (Oct-June is already a pretty long season). The latter makes more sense, frankly, but would mean sacrificing some of the revenue that the 82-game schedule generates, which probably makes it a non-starter.
Edward w
2:06
Which player or players from this year’s draft class that could be sleepers. Players that could make a surprise impact on their team.
Luke Adams
2:07
One or two of the Nuggets guys (Strawther, Pickett, Tyson) will probably end up in a rotation role pretty quickly and could really run with it. I also liked the Timberwolves' second-round picks (Leonard Miller, Jaylen Clark), though Clark will need some time to get healthy.
Jazzyfresh
2:07
What would the jazz have to do to land Dame?
Luke Adams
2:10
If they really wanted him, they have the draft picks to make a compelling offer. I've heard no indication they're preparing to make any sort of run for him though, and it's hard to blame them -- if they want to shove all their chips in the middle, they can probably wait for a better opportunity. I don't think a 33-year-old point guard on a super-max deal is the missing piece for them.
Jojoba
2:10
Do you expect harden to toe the line after silvers not so subtle warning.
Luke Adams
2:12
It's a great question. Of the two stars who have requested trades, I'm more confident that Lillard will show up to camp and keep his head down until his request gets granted. Harden could go either way, and I get the sense he'll be the one who's more inclined to keep testing where that line is (e.g. showing up to camp a day or two late, needing extra time to get into game shape, etc.)
Ricky Davis for a slam
2:13
Do you think the Rockets did a good job of at least trying to help get Kevin Porter Jr. all the way right? How would you assess  the jobs Silas and Lucas did with him?
Luke Adams
2:15
I don't have enough information on what was going on behind the scenes in Houston to properly answer this. But there's not much the Rockets could do at this time of year when the players aren't really around the team at all.
Basketball fan
2:16
If the heat do not make the trade for dame where does Kelly oubre land? Where does javale McGee land?
Luke Adams
2:18
McGee's already in Sacramento! Seems like he's not going anywhere, given that the Kings waived Nerlens Noel and Neemias Queta this week. As for Oubre... I sorta liked Cleveland as a landing spot for him, but that seems less likely following the Tristan Thompson signing. Maybe Memphis? There's not really an obvious fit for him around the league.
Talent pool exceeding roster spots?
2:19
The WNBA has a problem where there are too few teams for the talent, and recent high picks are getting unceremoniously cut. Do you think the NBA will have a milder version of the same problem this decade the longer it waits to expand? Seems like there are already fairly viable players getting pushed to fringes this offseason.
Luke Adams
2:21
I've been a little surprised in recent years about certain guys who have suddenly been unable to find jobs, but I don't think it's a major issue at this point. Most of those players are 10th or 11th men or guys whose best years are behind them. I also think the NBA won't wait too long to move on expansion once the new TV deal gets done. I bet we'll have 32 teams in the league within the next 4-5 years.
jamoche1
2:22
Do you think the Cavs have a chance to extend Donavan Mitchellbefore his current contract expires?
Luke Adams
2:25
Yes, definitely. It won't happen this offseason for the same reason that guys like Giannis or Brandon Ingram aren't rushing into extensions (they'll be able to sign bigger contracts next year). But if the Cavs have a strong year and can break through in the playoffs, I could see Mitchell being open to an extension next offseason. Another first-round postseason exit would complicate the issue.
EonADS
2:25
Is it weird that I have very little faith in the Suns current setup being successful? Beal as the third option will provide 20-ish ppg and very negative defense, the depth is minimal, and Frank Vogel isn't a good offensive coach. And I know lots of people just think the amount of shot creation in the Suns big 3 will make it manageable, but I'm skeptical that it will help the guys outside of them to fit in. The whole thing looks like it's balanced the same way as a top. When everything is moving and working right, it's great, but instability will cause them to spin out.
Luke Adams
2:29
It's definitely fair to cast side-eye at their roster construction, which sort of reminded me of the "stars and scrubs" approach in a fantasy sports auction (spending big on a few stars, then filling out your roster with $1 players). I'm withholding judgment for now because I actually feel like several of their minimum-salary players could be solid rotation guys. Like, I have to think Eric Gordon, Josh Okogie, and Keita Bates-Diop, among others, could've gotten more money from another team but wanted to play for a contender. Very curious to see how it all comes together.
BOND
2:29
Who if any additions are you thinking the Grizzles will make before the season opener, I can't see how they can count on Rose to supply good quality mins at PG while Ja is out.  Also do you see Ja hitting the ground running when he is reinstated. Thanks
Luke Adams
2:31
They should be all over Cameron Payne if they're not already. He's a considerably better option than any other point guards that had been available in free agency. If they don't end up with Payne, I could see them adding one more non-point guard who could handle the ball and score a little (as I mentioned earlier, Oubre would be one candidate).
2:33
As for Ja, no reason to think he won't be good to go as soon as the suspension ends. His suspension last year was sort of a moving target, which is why he needed a couple extra games after it ended to get game-ready. We know exactly when this will end, so he can prepare to be game-ready as soon as he's eligible to return.
Basketball fan
2:35
Where will Mike Budenholzer and doc rivers coach next year?
Luke Adams
2:36
I wonder about the Wizards as a Doc Rivers fit. They have a new front office that won't be especially attached to Unseld, who isn't in a great position to succeed. And their new GM, Michael Winger, worked with Rivers with the Clippers.
2:37
Harder to find an obvious fit for Budenholzer. Maybe Dallas or Charlotte?
EonADS
2:37
Stars and scrubs is a good way to put it. It's giving me LA Angels vibes, where they have Ohtani, Mike Trout, and Patrick Sandoval, but the rest of the roster is mid. And they've had more good players than just those three over the years as well (Ian Kinsler, Zack Cozart, Andrelton Simmons, Kole Calhoun, and others). Not a 1-to-1 for sure, but it's something to look at.
dumarangao
2:37
Can Bruno Caboclo come back to the NBA?
Luke Adams
2:40
Sure, he's still just 28, and he's a better player now than he was during his previous NBA stint. But often guys in his position end up preferring to remain in Europe, where they're still making pretty good money and have a much bigger role than they would in the NBA. If I had to bet one way or the other, I'd probably lean toward him not making an NBA comeback.
EonADS
2:40
Holmes is surprisingly solid as a defender according to the numbers. Looking at his numbers from 2020-2021 (his only one as a full-time starter), his contest numbers match up well with fellow bigs around him in minutes played, and his results are positive during contests (opponents shot 5 percentage points worse on twos, 7.5 percentage points worse at the rim, and 2 percentage points worse on threes than the league average when he was the closest defender, even more than that when he actively got a hand up). That's surprisingly positive for a guy without a defensive reputation. And that hasn't wavered much in lesser playing time.
Luke Adams
2:42
Interesting, I hadn't dug into his metrics. Based on the eye test, I wouldn't have called him a sieve or anything. I still think the Mavs will probably trust Powell more on that end from game to game, but we'll see how it plays out.
Guest
2:43
Is Cam Reddish finished in the NBA if he doesn’t succeed with the Lakers??
Luke Adams
2:44
He's only 24, so I'm reluctant to write him off yet, but he definitely could be relegated to minimum-salary contracts for the rest of his NBA career if he doesn't start showing a little more soon.
Final 4
2:44
I’ve got -Phoenix vs. Denver - and - Milwaukee vs NYK - who do you like?
Luke Adams
2:47
I feel like we need the Lillard and Harden situations resolved before we'll have a clear picture of the landscape of contenders, so I haven't put too much thought into season predictions yet. Your Knicks pick is an interesting one -- the Celtics are obviously the safer choice there, but I can't blame anyone for thinking the Porzingis/Smart swap will come back to haunt them. I think I'd lean Bucks/Heat in the East if Miami can get Dame.
2:49
As for the West, I'm not sold on either the Suns (whose stars need to show they can all play together) or the Nuggets (whose depth took a real hit this offseason), but I'm also not confident enough in terms like the Lakers, Warriors, Clippers, Kings, etc. to confidently put them in the final four. The West should be fascinating this season. It'd be fun if the Pelicans can get a healthy season from Zion and make a real run.
Also, it may be a year or two early, but I suspect OKC has a Kings-esque leap in them sometime soon.
The queue of questions is empty, so I'm going to call it a few minutes early. Thanks for joining me today, guys. We'll be back on Tuesday, with Dana Gauruder hosting our next live chat!
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