I do not know what day this was put on, just seen it today.
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Chat with Chad Ford
Ford writes daily NBA Insider columns for ESPN Insider. He also is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine, and makes appearances on ESPN Radio and ESPNEWS.
Chad Ford: Hey everyone. Thanks for coming out to the chat this morning. We've got a lot to talk about today. The first half will do some NBA stuff, then we'll turn to the NBA draft in the second half. Let's roll.
David (Hanford, CA): At one point can it be declared that the Clippers are for real?
Chad Ford: I think they're for real. Elton Brand, as John Hollinger wrote earlier in the week, is having an MVP type year. Sam Cassell has been great. So has Corey Maggette. Once they get Shaun Livingston back, I think they could get even better. The only team that looks capable of catching them in the regular season is the Warriors.
Donnie, IN: What's wrong with my Pacers?
Chad Ford: To me, they're the most disappointing team early on. Their stars are healthy, they have a great coach, great depth,and they have the motivation ... but they've been hot and cold all year. I think there are some serious chemistry issues with the team that could pose a problem. Remember, we didn't see all these guys together for very long last season. Something just doesn't seem quite right. Stephen Jackson or Jamaal Tinsley might be the guys to go if the team doesn't start playing better.
Ben Yamhill Oregon: How come nobody sees the talent in the hornets? They have Mason and J.R. for peace sakes!
Chad Ford: I see it. I think Chris Paul has been great. David West is in the running for Most Improved player of the year. J.R. Smith is developing and it looks like Desmond Mason is finally finding his groove. If they can find a legit center to replace Magloire down the road, the Hornets look like they have a very bright future.
JKL (Boston): Is it too early to declare picking Marvin Williams over Chris Paul a mistake?
Chad Ford: That's tough. Paul and Williams were my two favorite players in the draft, so it's tough to criticize the Hawks for taking Williams. We knew Williams wasn't going to be a big contributor right away, so it's not far to be too tough on him right now. However, they desperately needed a point guard and had no need for Williams. That may change in the future once the Hawks start making some moves. But in the short term, I think the Hawks would have a lot better record if Paul was running things in Atlanta.
Kevin (NYC): Is Channing Frye this good?
Chad Ford: Maybe. It's really interesting ... even the NBA and college guys couldn't agree on him before the draft. When we put him at No. 9 on our first mock draft last spring, I've never seen such a negative reactions. A lot of the college guys I knew thought he was too soft and many of the NBA guys hated him. Give credit to Isiah and a few other GMs (the Jazz would've seriously considered him at No. 6 and the Warriors would've taken him at No. 9) for spotting his talent. The bottom line is that the Knicks had a great draft and down the road, that will be more important than anything else to their rebuilding. Now, if Isiah can just resist the urge not to trade one of them to get a more established veteran. He should stick with the rebuilding.
Sean (Los Angeles): Chad, Can the Sonics turn it around? I knew they'd miss Antonio Daniels and Nate Mac, but this is ridiculous!
Chad Ford: It's still early, but I think the Sonics might have a shot at the worst record in the West this year if Tracy McGrady and Andrei Kirilenko stay healthy. The Sonics had everything go in their favor last year. A few key losses, combined with three guys on the roster in a contract year, has disrupted everything. I'm not sure the future is so bright there at the moment.
chris (brooklyn, ny): another espn analyst has been mentioning Al Jefferson in the same breath as Dwight Howard and Bosh. Do you agree with this assessment?
Chad Ford: I like Al Jefferson. I love Chris Bosh. But it looks like Dwight Howard is going to be a monster in the league once he figures it out on the offensive end. He has all the tools to be a dominating player in the league. He already is on the glass. Looks like Orlando made the right choice by taking him ahead of Emeka Okafor.
Tiffany: Houston, TX: With McGrady back, can the Rockets rebound and secure a decent playoff spot? Were they over hyped before the season?
Chad Ford: Obviously McGrady is the key. With him they are a playoff team. Without him, this team is awful. However, I wonder why more people aren't looking at Jeff Van Gundy and how he's coaching the talent he has. I don't think his style is a great fit for the talent the Rockets have. If they continue to struggle, I think people are going to have to start asking about his job security. Sometimes coaches have to adapt to the talent they have. It doesn't look like Van Gundy's done that.
David (California): Chad, is Chris Bosh gonna stay in Toronto? I cant see it happening now .
Chad Ford: It seems like this is the never ending question on Toronto. It was asked with McGrady, Vince Carter and now Bosh. How scary would that team be if they had all three? It's very difficult for rookies to bolt. They have to turn down lots of guaranteed money for two years before they can become unrestricted free agents. It rarely happens. With that said, Bosh can't like what he sees in Toronto. If I was him, I might wait it out. Watching KG toil in Minnesota proves that an amazing player can't overcome an inept front office.
aj (phoenix): Could boris diaw be up there in Most imporved player this year ? He's made us forget about joe johnson.
Chad Ford: He, along with David West, are my early favorites. Diaw showed this summer for the French National team that he had the talent. But his play for the Suns has been great. Mike D'Antoni was the perfect coach for him. Diaw isn't the flashiest player and doesn't put up the biggest stats, but his all around play is great ... kind of like Andrei Kirilenko. Once Amare Stoudemire gets back, the Suns are going to be very, very tough again.
Antonio (Compton, CA): Chad, my Lakers are really hurting. What do they need to stop the bleeding. And please don't tell me more time.
Chad Ford: I don't think the bleeding stops this year. They don't have a point guard and no real post players. Kobe has to take too many shots to keep them in the game and it seems like Phil can't get Lamar Odom to take enough. The bottom line is that they just don't have enough talent to compete in the West -- even Phil can't fix that.
Matt (MPLS): Did I detect a shot at Kevin McHale there? Please tell me somebody besides myself realizes how bad Mchale has been over the last six or seven years. Why does Taylor keep him around? Or is Taylor part of the problem?
Chad Ford: Yes. That was a shot at McHale. Garnett is one of the most talented player to ever play the game but he's never had a great supporting cast. Poor drafts, bad trades, and free agent mistakes have really hurt their chances of climbing out of the hole their in. The Wolves may very well make the playoffs this year, but I think they are a long ways away from a champioship caliber team.
Tom (NYC): Who wins the Rudy Gay sweepstakes, Hawks or Raptors ? And would both teams draft him 1st overall ?
Chad Ford: I'm not sure it's the Rudy Gay sweepstakes anymore. The way LaMarcus Aldridge is playing this year, I think a lot of NBA scouts and executives are hopping on that bandwagon. Aldridge is bigger, plays a more coveted position (power forward) and has been much more dominant than Gay in the early going.
Chad Ford: Your question does bring up an interesting point however. With the Hawks and Raptors clearly looking like the favorites for the worst record in the league ... neither of them really need Gay or Aldridge. The Hawks need a point guard (i can't imagine them drafting another forward for the third year in a row) and the Raptors need a center and an off guard. Could make things interesting.
Bernie, NC: Are the Bobcats blowing it by winning so many games this year. They need the No. 1 pick in the draft ... don't they?
Chad Ford: The strategy of building an expansion team is to get high picks. Their success last season cost them a shot a franchise player like Andrew Bogut, Marvin Williams and Chris Paul and it looks like the same thing will happen again this year. However, it's tough to criticize them. Bernie Bickerstaff has done an amazing job with that team. They play their hearts out every night. And their talent scouting has been very good. They got Gerald Wallace, Kareem Rush and Primoz Brezec for basically nothing and they've all been very good for Charlotte. Even if the draft doesn't go their way, remember they'll have a ton of money to spend in the free agent market this summer. With the way things are going there, they may have some success luring a top flight player there next summer. The future seems bright in Charlotte.
Andrew (PA): Chad...what is LaMarcus Aldridge's ceiling? Are we talking the Amare/J O'Neal range, the D. Howard/C. Bosh range or the next coming of Eddie Griffin?
Chad Ford: He's got great size, is a good athlete and he's very, very skilled. The only question was about his body and toughness. He seems to be answering both of those questions early on for Texas. He really improved his body over the summer and he's been very tough in the paint. Before the season the comparions was Danny Manning or Chris Bosh. I think scouts are starting to revise that a bit off what they're seeing now. We just update our Top 100 last night and Aldridge has moved into the No. 1 spot ahead of Rudy Gay.
Tim(Utah): Chad, Im confused on the new age limit. Will there be no high schoolers in this year's draft ?
Chad Ford: Right. No high schoolers are eligible for this year's draft. It's too bad. Center Greg Oden would be, hands down, the No. 1 pick in the draft if he were eligible.
David (Goleta): Come on Chad...TWO LaMarcus questions and no Redick? He has the handle now and the super range - I say he's top 5 and goes on to be a great pro! What do you think?
Chad Ford: JJ has impressed scouts by showing that he can do more than just shoot threes. He's getting his shot in a variety of ways this year and that should really help his stock. But I think Top 5 is over doing it. He's undersized for his position, is a bit one dimensional (no rebounding and more turnovers than assists), isn't a great athlete and will have problems defensively in the NBA. It looks like he's going to be a first round pick, but I'm not sure it will be a lottery pick.
Scott (Boston): The Raps will probably be awful next season and get Oden in 07 anyway.
Chad Ford: That's the "glass is half full" way to look at the Raptors season
Eric (Washington, DC): Chad - How could you leave Marco Killingsworth (Indiana) off your list of top 100 NBA prospects? He clearly dominated the Dukies you're so high on like McRoberts and Williams last night. Maybe not top 10 but not even top 100?
Chad Ford: He's on there, No. 56 I believe. He was awesome last night and looks like he'll have a great season. But scouts believe he's closer to 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7 ... awfully short for a power forward in the pros. His age is also working against him as far as draft stock goes.
Richard, Bristol: Who is a sleeper in this year's draft?
Chad Ford: Early, it looks like Memphis freshman Shawne Williams. He actually declared for the draft last yea and I don't think anyone noticed. He's got great size, athleticism and versatility for his position and he's been putting up great numbers in Memphis in the early going. He could really rise if he keeps it up. He has all the physical tools that scouts love and he's a pretty good shooter too.
--------------------------------------------
Chat with Chad Ford
Ford writes daily NBA Insider columns for ESPN Insider. He also is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine, and makes appearances on ESPN Radio and ESPNEWS.
Chad Ford: Hey everyone. Thanks for coming out to the chat this morning. We've got a lot to talk about today. The first half will do some NBA stuff, then we'll turn to the NBA draft in the second half. Let's roll.
David (Hanford, CA): At one point can it be declared that the Clippers are for real?
Chad Ford: I think they're for real. Elton Brand, as John Hollinger wrote earlier in the week, is having an MVP type year. Sam Cassell has been great. So has Corey Maggette. Once they get Shaun Livingston back, I think they could get even better. The only team that looks capable of catching them in the regular season is the Warriors.
Donnie, IN: What's wrong with my Pacers?
Chad Ford: To me, they're the most disappointing team early on. Their stars are healthy, they have a great coach, great depth,and they have the motivation ... but they've been hot and cold all year. I think there are some serious chemistry issues with the team that could pose a problem. Remember, we didn't see all these guys together for very long last season. Something just doesn't seem quite right. Stephen Jackson or Jamaal Tinsley might be the guys to go if the team doesn't start playing better.
Ben Yamhill Oregon: How come nobody sees the talent in the hornets? They have Mason and J.R. for peace sakes!
Chad Ford: I see it. I think Chris Paul has been great. David West is in the running for Most Improved player of the year. J.R. Smith is developing and it looks like Desmond Mason is finally finding his groove. If they can find a legit center to replace Magloire down the road, the Hornets look like they have a very bright future.
JKL (Boston): Is it too early to declare picking Marvin Williams over Chris Paul a mistake?
Chad Ford: That's tough. Paul and Williams were my two favorite players in the draft, so it's tough to criticize the Hawks for taking Williams. We knew Williams wasn't going to be a big contributor right away, so it's not far to be too tough on him right now. However, they desperately needed a point guard and had no need for Williams. That may change in the future once the Hawks start making some moves. But in the short term, I think the Hawks would have a lot better record if Paul was running things in Atlanta.
Kevin (NYC): Is Channing Frye this good?
Chad Ford: Maybe. It's really interesting ... even the NBA and college guys couldn't agree on him before the draft. When we put him at No. 9 on our first mock draft last spring, I've never seen such a negative reactions. A lot of the college guys I knew thought he was too soft and many of the NBA guys hated him. Give credit to Isiah and a few other GMs (the Jazz would've seriously considered him at No. 6 and the Warriors would've taken him at No. 9) for spotting his talent. The bottom line is that the Knicks had a great draft and down the road, that will be more important than anything else to their rebuilding. Now, if Isiah can just resist the urge not to trade one of them to get a more established veteran. He should stick with the rebuilding.
Sean (Los Angeles): Chad, Can the Sonics turn it around? I knew they'd miss Antonio Daniels and Nate Mac, but this is ridiculous!
Chad Ford: It's still early, but I think the Sonics might have a shot at the worst record in the West this year if Tracy McGrady and Andrei Kirilenko stay healthy. The Sonics had everything go in their favor last year. A few key losses, combined with three guys on the roster in a contract year, has disrupted everything. I'm not sure the future is so bright there at the moment.
chris (brooklyn, ny): another espn analyst has been mentioning Al Jefferson in the same breath as Dwight Howard and Bosh. Do you agree with this assessment?
Chad Ford: I like Al Jefferson. I love Chris Bosh. But it looks like Dwight Howard is going to be a monster in the league once he figures it out on the offensive end. He has all the tools to be a dominating player in the league. He already is on the glass. Looks like Orlando made the right choice by taking him ahead of Emeka Okafor.
Tiffany: Houston, TX: With McGrady back, can the Rockets rebound and secure a decent playoff spot? Were they over hyped before the season?
Chad Ford: Obviously McGrady is the key. With him they are a playoff team. Without him, this team is awful. However, I wonder why more people aren't looking at Jeff Van Gundy and how he's coaching the talent he has. I don't think his style is a great fit for the talent the Rockets have. If they continue to struggle, I think people are going to have to start asking about his job security. Sometimes coaches have to adapt to the talent they have. It doesn't look like Van Gundy's done that.
David (California): Chad, is Chris Bosh gonna stay in Toronto? I cant see it happening now .
Chad Ford: It seems like this is the never ending question on Toronto. It was asked with McGrady, Vince Carter and now Bosh. How scary would that team be if they had all three? It's very difficult for rookies to bolt. They have to turn down lots of guaranteed money for two years before they can become unrestricted free agents. It rarely happens. With that said, Bosh can't like what he sees in Toronto. If I was him, I might wait it out. Watching KG toil in Minnesota proves that an amazing player can't overcome an inept front office.
aj (phoenix): Could boris diaw be up there in Most imporved player this year ? He's made us forget about joe johnson.
Chad Ford: He, along with David West, are my early favorites. Diaw showed this summer for the French National team that he had the talent. But his play for the Suns has been great. Mike D'Antoni was the perfect coach for him. Diaw isn't the flashiest player and doesn't put up the biggest stats, but his all around play is great ... kind of like Andrei Kirilenko. Once Amare Stoudemire gets back, the Suns are going to be very, very tough again.
Antonio (Compton, CA): Chad, my Lakers are really hurting. What do they need to stop the bleeding. And please don't tell me more time.
Chad Ford: I don't think the bleeding stops this year. They don't have a point guard and no real post players. Kobe has to take too many shots to keep them in the game and it seems like Phil can't get Lamar Odom to take enough. The bottom line is that they just don't have enough talent to compete in the West -- even Phil can't fix that.
Matt (MPLS): Did I detect a shot at Kevin McHale there? Please tell me somebody besides myself realizes how bad Mchale has been over the last six or seven years. Why does Taylor keep him around? Or is Taylor part of the problem?
Chad Ford: Yes. That was a shot at McHale. Garnett is one of the most talented player to ever play the game but he's never had a great supporting cast. Poor drafts, bad trades, and free agent mistakes have really hurt their chances of climbing out of the hole their in. The Wolves may very well make the playoffs this year, but I think they are a long ways away from a champioship caliber team.
Tom (NYC): Who wins the Rudy Gay sweepstakes, Hawks or Raptors ? And would both teams draft him 1st overall ?
Chad Ford: I'm not sure it's the Rudy Gay sweepstakes anymore. The way LaMarcus Aldridge is playing this year, I think a lot of NBA scouts and executives are hopping on that bandwagon. Aldridge is bigger, plays a more coveted position (power forward) and has been much more dominant than Gay in the early going.
Chad Ford: Your question does bring up an interesting point however. With the Hawks and Raptors clearly looking like the favorites for the worst record in the league ... neither of them really need Gay or Aldridge. The Hawks need a point guard (i can't imagine them drafting another forward for the third year in a row) and the Raptors need a center and an off guard. Could make things interesting.
Bernie, NC: Are the Bobcats blowing it by winning so many games this year. They need the No. 1 pick in the draft ... don't they?
Chad Ford: The strategy of building an expansion team is to get high picks. Their success last season cost them a shot a franchise player like Andrew Bogut, Marvin Williams and Chris Paul and it looks like the same thing will happen again this year. However, it's tough to criticize them. Bernie Bickerstaff has done an amazing job with that team. They play their hearts out every night. And their talent scouting has been very good. They got Gerald Wallace, Kareem Rush and Primoz Brezec for basically nothing and they've all been very good for Charlotte. Even if the draft doesn't go their way, remember they'll have a ton of money to spend in the free agent market this summer. With the way things are going there, they may have some success luring a top flight player there next summer. The future seems bright in Charlotte.
Andrew (PA): Chad...what is LaMarcus Aldridge's ceiling? Are we talking the Amare/J O'Neal range, the D. Howard/C. Bosh range or the next coming of Eddie Griffin?
Chad Ford: He's got great size, is a good athlete and he's very, very skilled. The only question was about his body and toughness. He seems to be answering both of those questions early on for Texas. He really improved his body over the summer and he's been very tough in the paint. Before the season the comparions was Danny Manning or Chris Bosh. I think scouts are starting to revise that a bit off what they're seeing now. We just update our Top 100 last night and Aldridge has moved into the No. 1 spot ahead of Rudy Gay.
Tim(Utah): Chad, Im confused on the new age limit. Will there be no high schoolers in this year's draft ?
Chad Ford: Right. No high schoolers are eligible for this year's draft. It's too bad. Center Greg Oden would be, hands down, the No. 1 pick in the draft if he were eligible.
David (Goleta): Come on Chad...TWO LaMarcus questions and no Redick? He has the handle now and the super range - I say he's top 5 and goes on to be a great pro! What do you think?
Chad Ford: JJ has impressed scouts by showing that he can do more than just shoot threes. He's getting his shot in a variety of ways this year and that should really help his stock. But I think Top 5 is over doing it. He's undersized for his position, is a bit one dimensional (no rebounding and more turnovers than assists), isn't a great athlete and will have problems defensively in the NBA. It looks like he's going to be a first round pick, but I'm not sure it will be a lottery pick.
Scott (Boston): The Raps will probably be awful next season and get Oden in 07 anyway.
Chad Ford: That's the "glass is half full" way to look at the Raptors season
Eric (Washington, DC): Chad - How could you leave Marco Killingsworth (Indiana) off your list of top 100 NBA prospects? He clearly dominated the Dukies you're so high on like McRoberts and Williams last night. Maybe not top 10 but not even top 100?
Chad Ford: He's on there, No. 56 I believe. He was awesome last night and looks like he'll have a great season. But scouts believe he's closer to 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7 ... awfully short for a power forward in the pros. His age is also working against him as far as draft stock goes.
Richard, Bristol: Who is a sleeper in this year's draft?
Chad Ford: Early, it looks like Memphis freshman Shawne Williams. He actually declared for the draft last yea and I don't think anyone noticed. He's got great size, athleticism and versatility for his position and he's been putting up great numbers in Memphis in the early going. He could really rise if he keeps it up. He has all the physical tools that scouts love and he's a pretty good shooter too.
