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Hoops Rumors Live Chat 4/4/2023
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Cam
2:00
Heard a rumor about Jaylen Brown being a Rockets target. Chances they try to bring Udoka in to recruit JB? I’m sure Tillman is getting sick of losing and they’ll have a lot of money to throw around.
Dana Gauruder
2:04
That will be an interesting way to go about things, depending upon Brown's relationship with Udoka. But I don't think he'd value the coaching situation if he decides to ask for a trade or leave as a free agent after next season. I think he'd be more interested in the dollar signs and the possibility of being the No. 1 option somewhere else. But for most players, being on a championship contender also factors in heavily.
Not tired
2:04
How is “rest” an acceptable reason to keep a player out? Why aren’t players speaking up against this practice?
Dana Gauruder
2:08
I wish more of today's players would take that approach. I don't see it as a high priority. The approach of the medical staffs have something to do with it. There was more of a mindset to keep players on the court in the past. Now, they'll "play in cautious" and wait until players are supposedly completely healthy. Unfortunately, I think too many players are willing to take second nights of back-to-back off and that sort of thing, or be held out for minor injuries. The only thing in new CBA that even remotely addresses this issue is the minimum games played for major awards. I don't know if that will be enough of a deterrent.
Geddy zee
2:08
What team not a top 5 team that could be the dark horse for winning it all this year?  I have the kings.
Dana Gauruder
2:13
That's a pretty bold prediction, considering that playoff experience usually plays a role in how deep teams get. I do enjoy watching them play and wouldn't mind seeing them make a run. My dark horse team would be the Pelicans. They're kind of in the same spot as last year -- uneven regular season but have the talent to be dangerous in the postseason. They could be especially dangerous if they can get something out of Zion. But they have some really nice pieces regardless of his status and a legit chance to snag the No. 5 or 6 seed and avoid the play-in.
David
2:13
If the Lakers avoid the play-in how far can they go in the West?
Dana Gauruder
2:16
It's all about matchups, right? Referring back to the previous question, I'd think the Lakers would like their chances quite a bit vs. a Kings team that hasn't been there before, compared to playing Phoenix with KD, Booker, CP, etc. Never underestimate LeBron if he's reasonably healthy for the postseason -- if all goes well, they can reach the conference finals.
Dame
2:16
Am I a Blazer next season?  If so, will I be traded before deadline if the team is hanging around play-in standings again?
Dana Gauruder
2:18
The question is more of 'Will Dame finally demand a trade?' Might be an apples to oranges comparison, but look what happened when Matthew Stafford got traded to the Rams. He got out of Detroit after 11 years or so and won a Super Bowl. Dame may be reaching the point where the chances of winning it all there in Portland seem so remote, he'll finally ask for a trade. But also remember with his extension, it will complicated to trade him.
Home advantage
2:20
Why did so many teams struggle to have winning road records this year? What really factors in to home court advantage to make it such an important factor?
Dana Gauruder
2:24
Other than the Warriors' weird awful road record, I hadn't noticed. It's always been the case that the really good teams protect their home court and try to hold their own on the road. I think parity plays a role in it. There are so many teams around the .500 mark, naturally those teams will have unimpressive road records. And the ones below them hardly even win on the road.
Common Anomaly
2:25
What was your opinion of Bogdan Bogdanovic's 4 year contract extension?  Less than 3 weeks after a new head coach was hired and only over a month after Saddiq Bey was acquired?  4th year is a team option, no partial guarantee?  What was the rush on the part of Bogdanovic and his agent?  A new CBA was still being negotiated?  If Atlanta (or most likely the team that Atlanta trades him to) declines his $16 million 2026/2027 team option, he will be 34 years old looking for his next contract.  Was this new contract even negotiated or did Atlanta submit this offer to his agent and he and his agent thought this is the best offer that he will probably receive, no need to see if a better offer is provided by one of the other 29 teams during the offseason?
Dana Gauruder
2:29
You are correct. It's rare to see extensions at this stage of the season. My take is that he must be impressed with Quin and the direction of the team going forward. He's also had his injury issues -- he hasn't played more than 63 games the last four seasons. So, he gets some security. In Atlanta's view, Snyder must view him as a solid rotation piece. And the contract isn't expensive by today's standards -- it's very movable if they decide to deal him down the road.
Guest
2:30
What is your guesstimate for a DLO contract?  If the Lakers offer 20M per year on 4 years does he get offered more elsewhere?
Dana Gauruder
2:34
That sounds about right, given that he's been traded around quite a bit. Perhaps four years and 100 million but I don't see any front offices going much higher than that. He's not a franchise-type player and it was interesting how the T-Wolves soured on him. It does appears he's comfortable back in L.A. and I think that will factor into his decision. From all indications, the Lakers would like to retain him.
EonADS
2:35
I've heard really mixed reviews on Rui Hachimura's defense. Numbers love him, so do his teammates. But the eye test doesn't support that completely. Thoughts?
Dana Gauruder
2:40
Honestly, I haven't seen Hachimura play on a regular basis to make that kind of assessment. The way the game's played now, there aren't a whole lot of "defensive stoppers" in the league, like there used to be. Hachimura is headed to restricted free agency, and I anticipate the Lakers will give him a qualifying offer and see how the market plays out. A truer indication of Hachimura's overall value will be determined this summer.
GrizzFan
2:41
How realistic is it to think that Steven Adams will be back and contributing during the first round of the playoffs?
Dana Gauruder
2:44
We've seen him more in phone commercials than on the court the last couple of months, right? The most recent update was around March 9th, when he had a stem cell injection. At the time, they said he would reevaluated in about four weeks. We should get another update in the next few days, but obviously he's not practicing, so it will take awhile for him to be in "basketball shape." I would be surprised if he played during the first few games of the opening round. From there, it's a matter of how his knee responds when he starts practicing again.
Charlie’s Mom
2:44
Just how much of the Raptors gets blown up this off-season?
Dana Gauruder
2:48
That's a team that could go bye-bye in the play-in tourney but they could also pull a surprise in the first round, considering their talent level. VanVleet and Trent are almost assuredly going to hit the free agent market and I anticipate at least one of them will sign elsewhere. For me, the bigger intrigue is whether Nurse stays. He's made some interesting comments about how he wants to think things over during the offseason. There seems to be some issues going on behind the scenes with him. The biggest change with that team could actually be the coach.
2:53
With a little break in the action here, I would like to recommend reading Luke Adams' "What To Watch For In NBA Season's Final Week" post, which is up on the site today. He breaks down all the seedings up for grabs, key games, and draft pick implications that will settled in the final week.
Guest
2:54
What's your opinion on the Charlotte hornets I do really think they need to hit the reset button in Charlotte
Dana Gauruder
2:57
I do. Even MJ wants out and he's the owner! Yes, I mean they need to sort out a lot of things. They're not good enough as presently constituted to be a contender and unless they win the VW sweepstakes, I don't see any other path than to trade some of the vets (notably Hayward and Rozier) and start accumulating draft picks.
Keith
2:58
what is your pick for the NBA Championship match up, and this season's winner?
Dana Gauruder
3:00
I believe I said Boston and Denver in the Finals a couple weeks ago, so I should stick to my originally prediction (No surprise if Memphis or Milwaukee make it instead). I have the Celtics winning it but the great thing about this year's playoffs is that it's wide open and could be full of surprises. Just like the NCAA tourney.
That's all the time we have for today. Luke Adams will take all your questions on Thursday in our next chat.
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