Welcome to the latest edition of The “Buzz”: Basketball Roundtable. We pose several basketball related questions to our panel of life-long NBA fans for their candid opinions. We invite anyone to participate by answering the same questions in the “Comments” section at the bottom of this article. This week our panel consists of Matt Fish (of “Fish on Sports”) and Kaine Elmy.
1) Does Dwayne Wade deserve a suspension for his elbow?
Matt – I don’t really think Wade deserves a suspension for the elbow, it was just an unfortunate meeting of bodies. Wade was trying to go over-top of his man to hustle back on defense, and unfortunately managed to make contact with the head of the Indiana player who has in front of him. To me, it’s just hard-nosed physical play with no malicious intent.
Kaine – I think he should have been suspended. This is the second time this season he has had a reviewed flagrant foul and not had further discipline. Don’t get me wrong, I understand it was a competitive and fast portion of the game, but he needs to be more careful. More forgivable than the Metta World Peace elbow, but still an elbow regardless.
2) How are the Spurs controlling the Grizzlies? Why have they been so dominant?
Matt – I don’t think it’s just one thing that has made them dominant, but a collection of won battles at different positions for long stretches of games. Last night, the Spurs starters stunk up the joint in the first quarter, and were benched by Coach Gregg Popovich for the last five minutes of that frame. What happens next? They come out firing for the rest of the game, clamping down on their turnover ratio, and got their stars to play like stars. Tim Duncan has outplayed Zach Randolph every second they’ve been on the floor together, and even though Mike Conley was good last night, they ran every play through Tony Parker in the overtime and he didn’t miss. See you in the Finals San Antonio.
Kaine – In one word: Experience. The Spurs are now one win away from their first finals berth since 2007 and Tim Duncan and his teammates know exactly what to do to wrap this series up. Also, the Memphis offense hasn’t exactly been up to scratch, and their bench has gone totally MIA in this series.
3) The Cavaliers won the NBA Draft Lottery, who is the first overall pick and why?
Matt – I’ve got to think it’s Nerlens Noel, despite the questions marks surrounding his injury status and its long-term effects on his body. The Cavs have quietly built up a nice foundation of prospects and, with some talent on the wings and a budding superstar at point guard, the logical course of action is a strong defensive and shot-blocking presence in the middle, and Noel certainly fits that bill. He’s no Anthony Davis, but he’s still a good get at #1 overall.
Kaine – I think Nerlens Noel is the obvious answer. Noel is actually quite similar to last years number one, Anthony Davis. But is he exactly what the Cavaliers need? C.J McCollum can be developed into a go-to scorer and I believe that he will become an offensive force in the NBA. The Cavs could use him build a real one-two punch with Kyrie Irving. The Cavs should take McCollum.
4) Coach K is back for Team USA through the 2016 Olympics, what does this mean for the program?
Matt – Coach K means stability more than anything else. Here’s a guy who’s built a name for himself by doing things his way, in a calm-but-firm manner. He’s also built a nice rapport with players at any level that he’s coached, and any bench boss will tell you that the majority of the battle is getting the guys to want to play for you. The men who make up Team USA want to play for Coach K, so it’s a no-brainer to bring his winning pedigree back.
Kaine – The return of Coach K means that Team USA will continue to win Gold. As long as he is at the helm in Rio, expect more Olympic Gold.
5) The Raptors have offered to triple Masai Ujiri’s salary if he comes to Toronto. Is he the man to fix an ailing franchise in Toronto? What should the new Raptors GM do first?
Matt – Much like when the Toronto Maple Leafs hired Brian Burke, or the Raptors last hire in Bryan Colangelo only time will tell if Ujiri is the right man for the job. He did a spectacular job of building a good team around solid drafting and crafty trades, so it’s understandable that he’s an attractive candidate. I do question whether he’d want to leave Denver, especially coming off a 57-win season. In terms of what he should do, the basic answer is the same for any retool/rebuild: get rid of the bloated contracts. It’s easier said than done, but if Ujiri can make the likes of Andrea Bargnani and Amir Johnson disappear, that would free up boat loads of cap space to sign more well-rounded players and get Toronto headed in the right direction.
Kaine – The Raptors have not been a legitimate playoff threat for several years now. The new GM is going to need to form and work with his team in order to sign new players, rebuild the roster and move the team forward to the point where they can truly compete with the rest of the NBA. They just need a real talent infusion right now. The second job will be getting some faith back in the fan-base in Toronto. They don’t have confidence in this team, and really who can blame them?
Thanks for reading. Don’t forget to follow the panel on Twitter – @aFishCalledMatt @KaineElmy. While you’re at it, give the site a follow too – @lastwordonsport.
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photo credit: Gabriel Li // StudioGabe via photopin cc
