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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 11/5/24
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ARTHUR HILL
11:01
Welcome to this week's chat. We'll get started with a question on the Knicks.
bargzzz
11:01
The Knicks may or may not have improved their title chances with the Bridges and Towns trades; it's too early to tell. Same with the Dadiet pick. But do those moves have any competition on the cleverness scale?Is Brock Aller in a class by himself?
ARTHUR HILL
11:07
Aller has been known as one of the NBA's best capologists for some time, but his maneuverings on the Towns deal were a masterpiece. He used the finer points of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and found a way to make Towns' massive salary fit under the cap. Knicks fans should have confidence moving forward that they'll be able to upgrade the roster whenever they need to. Having someone that schooled in the details of the CBA is a huge advantage for a front office.
LeGM
11:07
Using Tyus Jones as an example, do you think more players are going to be signing 1 year minimum prove it deals as teams become more reluctant to avoid 2nd apron penalties?
ARTHUR HILL
11:11
The apron restrictions are going to cause more players to find themselves in Jones' position in the coming years. Outside of the elite free agents, it's going to be hard for everyone to get the money and the situation that they want. So the best option is to find a contender who needs what you can do, and try to boost your value with a strong season. Signing with Phoenix was a good move for Jones, and I think it's going to set an example for other free agents in the future.
Matt
11:11
No one besides Boston and Cleveland is above .500 in the East. Is it too early to pencil them in as the top 2 playoff seeds?
ARTHUR HILL
11:18
Boston for sure, but it's a little early for the Cavaliers. We've only played 10% of the season and things can change very quickly. New coach Kenny Atkinson has brought a fresh energy to the team, and he appears to be successfully navigating the issues of having overlapping talents in the backcourt with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland and in the frontcourt with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Mobley in particular is thriving under the new system and seems ready for the increased offensive responsibility he's being given. However, the Cavs have benefitted from health and stability while other teams are dealing with injuries and the challenges that go along with incorporating new players. Despite their slow starts, the Knicks, Magic, Pacers and a few others could   eventually be in the race for the No. 2 seed.
Jordi Fernandez
11:18
My Nets have actually looked pretty good so far. Could we contend for the playoffs? How high would we have to finish for me to win Coach of the Year?
ARTHUR HILL
11:26
The race for play-in spots in the East should be wide open, and the Nets have enough talent to be in that mix if that's the direction they choose. The question is whether that's best for the franchise, which seemed to indicate its intentions this summer when it reacquired its first-round picks for the next two years in a trade with Houston. It's going to be interesting to see if Brooklyn starts selling off players when the trade deadline gets nearer. As for Fernandez, I see Ime Udoka as a good comparison. He took over a Rockets team that was terrible for three years and posted a .500 season, but still finished seventh in the voting. Unless the Nets play way over their heads, Kenny Atkinson and Mark Daigneault look like the early Coach of the Year favorites.
Guest
11:26
How worried should pelicans fans be about zion's injury? Seems weird that they dont know how or when it happened
ARTHUR HILL
11:31
Zion's injury history means that any health concern should be taken seriously. He has missed two straight games with right hamstring tightness and is dealing with a quad issue as well. He has only played more than 29 games in two of his first five NBA seasons, so there's always a chance his body might break down. It seems like every year there's a potential contender that sees its season ruined by injuries. It happened to the Grizzlies last year, and it sure seems like New Orleans is headed that way now.
Guest
11:31
There's been a lot of talk lately about the possibility of the Bucks trading Giannis if they have a bad season. How come we never hear any similar rumors about Jokic? Denver hasn't been as bad as Milwuakee so far but they've only beaten bad teams and don't look like a contender.
ARTHUR HILL
11:38
They're similar talents in similar markets, but there doesn't seem to be any anxiety about Jokic ever leaving Denver. It's probably because Giannis has been more vocal about saying he wants to play for a contender, while Jokic rarely discusses his future in the press. Concerns about Giannis leaving have pushed the Bucks to make short-term moves to stay in contention that may not be best for the future of the franchise, like trading for Damian Lillard despite his age and large contract and replacing Adrian Griffin as head coach in the middle of last season. Milwaukee has an old, expensive team that's off to a 1-6 start, so the Giannis trade rumors are only going to get more intense.
Knicks
11:38
Couldn't the Knicks have signed Matt Ryan to a 2-way and used that roster spot for someone who might actually play, like Lonnie Walker or TJ Warren? Can Buie actually contribute in the NBA this year?
ARTHUR HILL
11:45
The Knicks depleted their depth by sending Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota in the Karl-Anthony Towns deal, so they could have benefitted from adding another regular rotation player instead of a shooting specialist like Ryan. Walker might have seen playing time, but there's no indication that they contacted him before he signed in Europe. Warren is with the team's G League affiliate, so there's still a chance he could be in New York by the end of the season. Ryan's contract will probably be non-guaranteed until early January, so there's still time to make another move if he doesn't work out.
Matt
11:46
Which lottery team needs Cooper Flagg the most?
ARTHUR HILL
11:54
The Duke freshman has the skills to fit in almost anywhere, which is why he's a heavy favorite to be the top choice in next year's draft. Flagg can not only score, but he can dribble and pass well enough to be a playmaker on offense. He'll likely be an elite defender in college, and his game should transfer well to the NBA on both ends of the court. The Raptors need frontcourt help, so he would be a great addition there. It's fun to think about him playing alongside Alex Sarr with the Wizards. The Blazers and Jazz would also be good landing spots. It looks like he'll be the first choice for any team that lands the No. 1 pick.
All-Star
11:54
If you were in charge of revamping the all-star game what would your format for the game and weekend look like?
ARTHUR HILL
12:00
The NBA has already tried several good ideas, but they didn't hold the public's interest for very long. Having captains pick the teams was fun for a while, as was the Elam ending. But neither of them lasted, and the decision to revert to the East-West format last year was a disaster. It's an exhibition, so the players don't have any incentive to risk injury or work hard on defense. There's no easy answer. Maybe it's time to scrap the game altogether and turn All-Star Weekend into skills competitions and one-on-one tournaments.
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