The “Buzz”: Basketball Roundtable is back. We are ready for the NBA Stretch Drive and as always 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. In this edition, our panel consists of our LWOS basketball experts Tracy Price (@tpriceLWOS), Jeff Hall (@lwosJeff), and Ben Kerr (@lastwordBKerr).
1) What is going on in Indiana? Explain their recent dip and how you would go about fixing the Pacers.
Tracy Price: The Pacers, who are a very mediocre 15-14 since the All-Star break, have lost 9 of their last 13 games and appear to be putting on their best impression of ” The Walking Dead “. There is no clear reason for Indiana’s collapse, with fans blaming everything from Frank Vogel’s coaching to the Danny Granger trade as possible culprits. I would be shocked if the Pacers made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Jeff Hall: Every team goes through their struggles at some point in the season, and right now for the Pacers it’s becoming magnified because it’s right before the playoffs and they are in a battle with Miami for top spot. If this was happening in January, I don’t think there would be so much angst. Here’s the problem; they don’t have the leadership to help them get through their current struggles. When one of the faces of your team (Roy Hibbert), calls out teammates for being too selfish in front of the media, my guess is that does not go over well in the locker room. Maybe trading Danny Granger wasn’t such a good idea? Someone either David West, Roy Hibbert, or Paul George needs to become the leader of this group and ensure that this team’s chemistry is back on track before the end of the season.
Ben Kerr: To me the scariest thing about the Pacers when they were on their game was their defense. This defense was led by Roy Hibbert, and his presence in the middle. That’s what made the engine run and its true that defense wins Championships. When Hibbert called out teammates, it was a bad sign, especially because he hasn’t been at his best of late. If the Pacers want to right this ship, Hibbert has to get back to controlling the front court. Don’t get me wrong, Paul George is a great player. I think he’s a proven commodity though, George is going to do his thing and score his points. He is probably still Indiana’s MVP. However I think what he does is a given, what Hibbert is needed to do in not such a sure thing, and when its missing, Indiana isn’t the same team. He needs to play tough inside and develop the teams identity at the defensive end as only he can. If that doesn’t happen, Indiana will not make the Eastern Conference Final.
2) Who is the most surprising team in the NBA this season (for the good). Raptors? Bobcats? Suns? Trailblazers? Bulls without Rose? Other? Why?
Tracy: I have to say that the most surprising team this year has been Phoenix Suns. Before the season, most expected the Suns to be competing with the Bucks and 76ers for a lottery pick. Instead, they are battling it out for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Jeff: I am going out West here and picking the Phoenix Suns. With a first time coach in Jeff Hornacek, a line-up rotation that consists of two guys who had to play overseas, just to get back into the NBA (Green, Tucker) , and having their best player only play in half of the games this season (Bledsoe), the Suns still battling for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. When you’re starting line-up for most of the season is Dragic, Green, Tucker, Frye and Plumlee, it’s definitely a surprise that your fighting for a playoff berth, and not in the mix to draft Andrew Wiggins.
Ben: I agree with both of you, the most surprising team is Phoenix. Since you’ve already said what needed to be said, I’m gonna point to the Raptors as number two though. This team was horrible last year, and they made very few off-season changes. When they traded away Rudy Gay, most saw it as getting rid of their best player and going into full-scale tank for Wiggins mode. Instead they went on a great run as Kyle Lowry and Demar DeRozan emerged as team leaders, and ended up winning their division and have now tied their franchise record for wins. That’s impressive and deserves some recognition.
3) Who is the biggest disappointment in the NBA this season (for the bad). Lakers? Knicks? Other? Why?
Tracy: The biggest disappointment in the NBA this season has been the New York Knicks. In the woeful Eastern Conference, they haven’t even been able to compete. There is no reason why they should not be the No. 3 seed heading into the playoffs.
Jeff: I would have to go with the Knicks. Last season they finished second in the East. They pretty much brought back the same team, the same coach and plummeted this season. I think you had to see this coming though. Re-signing the highly problematic J.R Smith, trading for the always disappointing Andrea Bargnani, and losing veteran Jason Kidd to retirement…in hind sight, maybe this fall from grace isn’t such a surprise.
Ben: Again I agree, the Knicks should have been a whole lot better than they are and for that reason are the most disappointing. An honourable mention goes to the Lakers though. While the Lakers were always a team that I thought would be fighting to make the playoffs, and would probably be on the outside looking in. That said, to be one of the worst teams in the league, to be eliminated from playoff contention so early, to have the injuries they’ve had, and to put up a franchise record breaking loss to the Clippers of all teams, the Lakers season also has to be considered a disaster, even if expectations were lower than the Knicks.
4) John Calipari, Tom Izzo, Kevin Ollie, which one (or more) will go to the pros next season and where?
Tracy: With Mike D’Antoni all but gone, I think that the Los Angeles Lakers will bring John Calipari in to be their next head coach. Hopefully Kobe will approve.
Jeff: I think the answer is Ollie. Calipari had minimal success previously as coach of the Nets, and has thrived since returning to the college ranks. I also don’t know if Izzo wants to risk his coaching legacy by coming up and trying to bring a team like Detroit back to respectability. Right now they have it made in the NCAA, and I’m not sure they would want to give that up.
Ollie on the other hand, may cash in right now. Having been only a few years removed from playing in the NBA, Ollie can probably relate better to the current NBA player, and have a better understanding of how the game is played today. With it also being so early in his coaching career, and having already won a National Championship; if the NBA coaching experiment doesn’t work out, he would likely be have a job in college to go back to.
Ben: I think the Izzo rumors are way over done. I really can’t see him leaving the college ranks at this point in his career. I agree with Tracy in that I think Calipari is preparing for a move to Los Angeles. Taking shots at the NCAA as a crumbling organization in his book tells me that he’s ready to go back to the pros, and LA seems a likely destination as a replacement for D’Antoni is necessary.
I also agree with Jeff that the time is now for Ollie to cash in. I see him taking a rebuilding team and growing with them as a coach. He’s greatly exceeded expectations at UConn, and he’s ready for the next step in his career, and the money will be tough to pass up. I could see him in a Detroit or Milwaukee, or even a Philadelphia like situation next year.
5) What is the most intriguing battle of NBA award season? What is it and who wins it?
Tracy: While Kevin Durant will win it easily, I think the MVP race is much closer than it seems. LeBron James has won the award 4 of the past 5 seasons, and his play hasn’t declined at all. Kevin Durant’s dominant stretch in January without Russell Westbrook was the difference maker here.
Jeff: I think Coach of the Year is the most intriguing. There are five coaches in the mix this year; Popovich, Casey, Thibodeau, Stotts and Hornacek. You can pretty much make a case for all of them, but with the Western Conference so difficult this season, you have to eliminate Casey and Thibodeau. So out of the three Western coaches left, I’m going with Popovich. By putting together at 19 game winning streak, and coaching your team to first in the tough Western Conference, all while having a different line-up every night to ensure your aging stars are ready for one last run; how can you not give this man the award.
Ben: I’m also going to go with coach of the year, but I’m giving the award to Honacek. The Suns will likely make the playoffs, and thats a minor miracle. As we said above he survived the lack of talent, the injuries to his best player, and brought a rag-tag cast of characters together and made them a playoff team. I think he needs to be recognized for that.
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