Chat with Chad Ford
Welcome to The Show! On Thursday, ESPN NBA Insider Chad Ford will drop by to take your questions on the upcoming season. 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.
Send in your questions to Chad Ford now, then join him right here in The Show on Thursday at noon ET!
Chad Ford: Thanks for coming everyone. Lots to talk about today. A rare big trade before the season opens, the end of the pre-season and we might as well get into some predictions for the up coming season. Let's roll.
Jim, DC: Do you think the Bucks are a legit playoff team now with the trade? Will Bogut benefit from not having to do too much now?
Chad Ford: I think so. I thought they were a bubble playoff team before the trade and this should put them over the top. They needed Jamaal Magliore's toughness, especially on the defensive end, in the paint. Andrew Bogut may be the future, but from what I saw in the preseason, he wasn't ready. The Bucks have a very balanced team right now and a very solid bench. If TJ Ford can stay healthy, I think they'll be dangerous. The Central Division is the best division in basketball this year. All five teams are legit playoff contenders.
Tim (D.C.): All summer I've been reading about the Buck's new uptempo attack. With the addition of Magloire and subtraction of Mason, do you still see Milwaukee pushing the ball or will this team be half-court oriented? How do you think they'll stack up against the rest of the East?
Brad (Memphis): Is it just me or was the Mason - Magloire just another example of the NO/OK/LV/BR Hornets of trying to sell a few more tix (Mason as a OK St. alum)? How can you trade a solid young C for DESMOND MASON? How many dunk contest guys do you need on one roster? (Mason, Smith, Andersen)
Josh, Ann Arbor, MI: Chad, you and I both know that many so called "experts" around the league are underestimating the power of the piston. Last year they were 7 minnutes away from winning their second straight NBA title. What has changed from this year to the present? Flip Saunders, and the pistons bench. Flip will have an effect on this offense, and the pistons bench is deeper then its ever been. Why the underestimation?
Brent (Bellevue, WA): Remember the days when all the talk was about the Western Conference? Blazers, Lakers, Mavericks...where have the days gone?
Dom (Ohio): I believe the Cavs are a legitamate title contender with the additions they added in the offseason. Do you agree?
Brad (Memphis): Are you still going with the downfall of the Grizzlies this year? Mavs and Rockets look worse than advertised and the Grizz have had a solid preseason.
Mike ((Brooklyn)): Is it painful to watch the Knicks. I know Larry Brown is the best coach in the league, but this group of players is a disaster waiting to happen. they must get rid of crawford, penny, taylor, malik rose, do u agree?
Tom (San Francisco): Chad - Loved your pieces on the Warriors. Is it crazy talk to think that the W's might take the Pacific crown? They play the Suns three times before Amare is back and I think they match up real well with the Kings.
Joey (Denver): Chad, lots of rumors about Nene and teams wanting him. What possible scenarios do you see unfolding with him in a trade? Perhaps a package of Nene and a PG for a great 2.
Chris (Detroit): Chad,Any idea on where Latrell Sprewell might end up?
Dave (Chicago, IL): What's Miami's biggest problem? Bad outside shooting? An ugly, two-headed combo at point guard? 'Toine not fully accepting a role? Shaq's weight, age and health? Taking the ball out of Wade's hands too much? Lack of depth at small forward? Riles looming for a takeover? I still can't get the overly dramatic changes made to this team that was a few minutes from the NBA Finals with every started banged up.
Chad Ford: As you point out Dave ... the Heat have their fair share of issues. On paper, they are the most talented team in the league. But chemistry will be an issue. And why load up the team with scorers when the ball should be in Shaq or Dwyane Wade's hands 90 percent of the time? I think the Heat will win ALOT of games this year, but I don't think they'll make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Detroit or Indiana will knock them out before then.
Bulls Fan (Chicago): The Bulls were said to have been trying to get Magloire or Nene, right? Since they failed on Magloire, (what was their offer?) what can they do to pry Nene away from the Nuggets?
Chad Ford: They need help. It's clear that they don't have enough scoring in the paint (though Michael Sweetney has shown some promise in the preason). But do the Bulls have enough to pry Nene away? It would probably cost them Ben Gordon or Luol Deng and I just don't see the Bulls doing that. The Bulls may have to take a step back this year to take another step forward in the summer of 2006.
Matt (Bloomington, MN): Chad - I am a little surprised at how dismissive experts are of the Wolves making the playoffs. The NBA is still a star's league, and KG is still on this team. He has carried much worse to the playoffs before, and the West isn't what it has been. Last year was as much of a perfect storm for them to miss the playoffs as it was for a team like the Sonics to win the NW. I am not deluded into thinking they are a title contender, but am I that far off?
Chad Ford: I think they're a bubble team. KG is great, but he can't do it alone. If Marko Jaric and Rashad McCants have great years (McCants has been pretty good in the pre-season) they could slide in. But there are about five other Western Conference teams that I could say the same thing about.
Ben (Class, yikes!): Chad, who were the best (and worst) rookie performers of the pre-season?
Chad Ford: I ripped the Raptors for taking Charlie Villanueva so high on draft night, but he's been great so far in the preseason. He's scoring, shooting a high percentage from the field, rebounding and doing it all coming off the bench. He's clearly going to get a lot of playing time this year so ... we'll see. No one has ever questioned his talent. It's always been attitude. If he's changed, he may save Rob Babcock's job. I still think Chris Paul is the favorite for Rookie of the Year. He'll get big minutes in New Orleans this year and looks like he can handle it. Danny Granger is the other guy that's been great. How he slipped to No. 17 on draft night is a mystery. The Bobcats should've taken him with one of their two picks. He's been real good in the preseason and looks like he's played his way into the rotation of a championship caliber team in Indiana. That's impressive.
Chad Ford: As for disappointments ... Marvin Williams continues to struggle. He's looked a little lost out there. I still believe, in five years, he'll be the best player from this draft class, but I doubt he'll show that this year.
Jim (NYC): Why such low expectations for the Celtics? Pierce looks like he is in better shape and Blount looks motivated. Is it the PG situation?
Chad Ford: Yes and the age of the team. The Celtics are very, very young. Combine that with an unstable point guard situation (second round pick Orien Greene is in contention for the starting nod) and I think the team will struggle. However, I think Danny Ainge is doing the right thing by pushing the youth movement. If Al Jefferson continues to develop, along with Delonte West, Gerald Green, Tony Allen and second round pick Ryan Gomes (who's looked pretty good so far for the Cs) they'll have a very bright future.
Jeff (Iowa): What second-year player takes the biggest step toward stardom this year? Possibly Dwight Howard?
Chad Ford: Howard has the talent to be a superstar someday ... so yes, he should be the guy. The Magic will struggle this year, so they might as well feed him the ball and let him develop. Last season he didn't get as many touches (thanks to Steve Francis) as he should've.
Teddy (Islip, NY): What are your thoughts on the Knick rookies; Robinson, Lee and Frye? What kind of contributions can be expecting from them this year?
Chad Ford: I like all three, but if Larry Brown stays true to form, I doubt you'll see much of them. Robinson may be the exception. He looks ready and I know Brown loves him.
Provo, UT: Where do you see the Jazz at this point? Does Deron Williams have a shot at rookie of the year?
Chad Ford: I think the Jazz will rebound from last year's awful season. Williams has looked very impressive and much of the Jazz's problems last season were at the point. If Andrei Kirilenko can stay healthy and Mehmet Okur can stay in shape, I think they'll compete for the last playoff spot in the West.
Bob, Hawaii: OK, I'm putting you on the spot. Who wins it all? Who's the MVP? Rookie of the Year? Coach of the Year? Executive of the Year?
Chad Ford: Fair enough.
I think the Spurs will beat the Pacers in the Finals in a 7 game series.
My MVP this year: LeBron James
My Rookie of the year: Chris Paul
Coach of the year: Rick Carlisle
Executive of the year: Larry Harris
Welcome to The Show! On Thursday, ESPN NBA Insider Chad Ford will drop by to take your questions on the upcoming season. 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.
Send in your questions to Chad Ford now, then join him right here in The Show on Thursday at noon ET!
Chad Ford: Thanks for coming everyone. Lots to talk about today. A rare big trade before the season opens, the end of the pre-season and we might as well get into some predictions for the up coming season. Let's roll.
Jim, DC: Do you think the Bucks are a legit playoff team now with the trade? Will Bogut benefit from not having to do too much now?
Chad Ford: I think so. I thought they were a bubble playoff team before the trade and this should put them over the top. They needed Jamaal Magliore's toughness, especially on the defensive end, in the paint. Andrew Bogut may be the future, but from what I saw in the preseason, he wasn't ready. The Bucks have a very balanced team right now and a very solid bench. If TJ Ford can stay healthy, I think they'll be dangerous. The Central Division is the best division in basketball this year. All five teams are legit playoff contenders.
Tim (D.C.): All summer I've been reading about the Buck's new uptempo attack. With the addition of Magloire and subtraction of Mason, do you still see Milwaukee pushing the ball or will this team be half-court oriented? How do you think they'll stack up against the rest of the East?
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Chad Ford: This will change things a little. It's not like Magloire can't get up and down the floor. However, GM Larry Harris knew that the Bucks needed some toughness inside more than they needed another swingman that can fly up and down the floor. To me, this move gives the Bucks the best off-season in the league. I've been saying for a while that GM Larry Harris is one of the best young executives in the league and I think this move should seal the deal. As many as 6 other teams were also trying to land Magliore. Brad (Memphis): Is it just me or was the Mason - Magloire just another example of the NO/OK/LV/BR Hornets of trying to sell a few more tix (Mason as a OK St. alum)? How can you trade a solid young C for DESMOND MASON? How many dunk contest guys do you need on one roster? (Mason, Smith, Andersen)
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Chad Ford: I like the addition of Mason for the Hornets. Bostjan Nachbar was not the answer at small forward and their backcourt of Mason, J.R. Smith and Chris Paul looks great. However, I wouldn't have traded Magloire for an undersized small forward. Center and point guard are the two hardest positions to fill in the league ... the Hornets had both well stocked. Now they're very shaky in the middle. With that said, replacing Nachbar with Mason and Magloire with Chris Andersen means that the Hornets are going to be flying up and down the floor. At least they'll be fun to watch. If they can land an athletic four in the draft next summer they'll be set. Josh, Ann Arbor, MI: Chad, you and I both know that many so called "experts" around the league are underestimating the power of the piston. Last year they were 7 minnutes away from winning their second straight NBA title. What has changed from this year to the present? Flip Saunders, and the pistons bench. Flip will have an effect on this offense, and the pistons bench is deeper then its ever been. Why the underestimation?
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Chad Ford: What's changed is the competition in the East. Both Miami and Indiana (as well as Cleveland and New Jersey) have all made significant improvments. And though I believe that Flip will fix the Pistons sometimes stagnant offense, we all know that it was defense that fueled the Pistons engine. I believe that it's really a toss up between Miami, Indiana and Detroit right now. All three are capable of making it to the Finals and winning it all. I'm just leaning (slightly) toward the Pacers this season. I think they have a better, more proven bench and they have a huge chip on their shoulder. It's not disrespect or underestimation of the Pistons. Brent (Bellevue, WA): Remember the days when all the talk was about the Western Conference? Blazers, Lakers, Mavericks...where have the days gone?
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Chad Ford: I agree. While the Spurs are the hands down favorites as the best team in the league ... I think the next five best teams (Indiana, Detroit, Miami, New Jersey and Cleveland) are in the East. David Stern always said that the pendulum would swing the other way and it has. Dom (Ohio): I believe the Cavs are a legitamate title contender with the additions they added in the offseason. Do you agree?
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Chad Ford: That may be jumping the gun a little bit. They will be a very dangerous team but they have some weaknesses. First is inexperience. Few of these players have much playoff experience. Second is their point guard situation. I'm not sure either Eric Snow or Damon Jones is the answer at the point. Finally, I always worry about Z. I know he's been healthy for a while, but you always worry about a bad foot, especially with age. I think that they'll be a top five team this year (but will likely face a terrible first round match-up against either the Pistons or Pacers) and a title contender in another year or two. Brad (Memphis): Are you still going with the downfall of the Grizzlies this year? Mavs and Rockets look worse than advertised and the Grizz have had a solid preseason.
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Chad Ford: Not a big believer in judging teams based on the pre-season. Players yes. Teams no. Last time I checked the Spurs were 1-7. I don't expect that once the pre-season starts. I think the Rockets will be the second best team in the West behind the Spurs. Love their balance and Van Gundy will find a way to get defense out of them. Still not a fan of what the Grizzlies did this summer. No toughness in the paint and I don't think Damon Stoudamire is a full time starting point guard for a playoff team. Combine those two and you've got problems. Mike ((Brooklyn)): Is it painful to watch the Knicks. I know Larry Brown is the best coach in the league, but this group of players is a disaster waiting to happen. they must get rid of crawford, penny, taylor, malik rose, do u agree?
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Chad Ford: I wouldn't judge the Knicks just yet. Larry Brown's teams always get off to a slow start his first season. It takes the players a while to adjust to his methods. I do agree that Isiah is trying to move most of the players you mentioned. Penny and Malik Rose seem like the two best candidates for a trade. Penny is in the last year of his contract, so the Knicks might be able to get something for him if they're willing to take back another bad contract. Rose has a horrible contract which might preclude a trade. Tom (San Francisco): Chad - Loved your pieces on the Warriors. Is it crazy talk to think that the W's might take the Pacific crown? They play the Suns three times before Amare is back and I think they match up real well with the Kings.
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Chad Ford: Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I think the Warriors will make the playoffs this year ... which is a huge leap forward for them. But I think winning the Pacific may be pushing it. Sacramento has a very good, and deep, team if they can work out some chemistry issues. Phoenix won't be dominant, but it looks like in Mike D'Antoni's system, even guys like James Jones and Raja Bell can be 18 point a night scorers. If you're a Warriors fan, just sit back and enjoy it. They should be one of the most exciting teams to watch and they'll win. That should be good enough for this season. Next year we can start heaping on the expectations. Joey (Denver): Chad, lots of rumors about Nene and teams wanting him. What possible scenarios do you see unfolding with him in a trade? Perhaps a package of Nene and a PG for a great 2.
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Chad Ford: The Nuggets have been exploring it. They were trying hard to get Desmond Mason ... and there aren't a lot of great two's out there that are on the market. It sounds like the Celtics aren't interested in Nene and Andre Miller for Paul Pierce. Maybe Steve Francis. The Nuggets have had interest in the past and replacing Francis with Nene and Miller might make some sense for Orlando. Francis loves to play the point, but he's really a two guard pretending to be a point. The only problem for Denver would be that Francis isn't the three point threat they really need. Chris (Detroit): Chad,Any idea on where Latrell Sprewell might end up?
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Chad Ford: The poor house. Looks like those concerns about feeding his family were more serious than we thought. Dave (Chicago, IL): What's Miami's biggest problem? Bad outside shooting? An ugly, two-headed combo at point guard? 'Toine not fully accepting a role? Shaq's weight, age and health? Taking the ball out of Wade's hands too much? Lack of depth at small forward? Riles looming for a takeover? I still can't get the overly dramatic changes made to this team that was a few minutes from the NBA Finals with every started banged up.
Chad Ford: As you point out Dave ... the Heat have their fair share of issues. On paper, they are the most talented team in the league. But chemistry will be an issue. And why load up the team with scorers when the ball should be in Shaq or Dwyane Wade's hands 90 percent of the time? I think the Heat will win ALOT of games this year, but I don't think they'll make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Detroit or Indiana will knock them out before then.
Bulls Fan (Chicago): The Bulls were said to have been trying to get Magloire or Nene, right? Since they failed on Magloire, (what was their offer?) what can they do to pry Nene away from the Nuggets?
Chad Ford: They need help. It's clear that they don't have enough scoring in the paint (though Michael Sweetney has shown some promise in the preason). But do the Bulls have enough to pry Nene away? It would probably cost them Ben Gordon or Luol Deng and I just don't see the Bulls doing that. The Bulls may have to take a step back this year to take another step forward in the summer of 2006.
Matt (Bloomington, MN): Chad - I am a little surprised at how dismissive experts are of the Wolves making the playoffs. The NBA is still a star's league, and KG is still on this team. He has carried much worse to the playoffs before, and the West isn't what it has been. Last year was as much of a perfect storm for them to miss the playoffs as it was for a team like the Sonics to win the NW. I am not deluded into thinking they are a title contender, but am I that far off?
Chad Ford: I think they're a bubble team. KG is great, but he can't do it alone. If Marko Jaric and Rashad McCants have great years (McCants has been pretty good in the pre-season) they could slide in. But there are about five other Western Conference teams that I could say the same thing about.
Ben (Class, yikes!): Chad, who were the best (and worst) rookie performers of the pre-season?
Chad Ford: I ripped the Raptors for taking Charlie Villanueva so high on draft night, but he's been great so far in the preseason. He's scoring, shooting a high percentage from the field, rebounding and doing it all coming off the bench. He's clearly going to get a lot of playing time this year so ... we'll see. No one has ever questioned his talent. It's always been attitude. If he's changed, he may save Rob Babcock's job. I still think Chris Paul is the favorite for Rookie of the Year. He'll get big minutes in New Orleans this year and looks like he can handle it. Danny Granger is the other guy that's been great. How he slipped to No. 17 on draft night is a mystery. The Bobcats should've taken him with one of their two picks. He's been real good in the preseason and looks like he's played his way into the rotation of a championship caliber team in Indiana. That's impressive.
Chad Ford: As for disappointments ... Marvin Williams continues to struggle. He's looked a little lost out there. I still believe, in five years, he'll be the best player from this draft class, but I doubt he'll show that this year.
Jim (NYC): Why such low expectations for the Celtics? Pierce looks like he is in better shape and Blount looks motivated. Is it the PG situation?
Chad Ford: Yes and the age of the team. The Celtics are very, very young. Combine that with an unstable point guard situation (second round pick Orien Greene is in contention for the starting nod) and I think the team will struggle. However, I think Danny Ainge is doing the right thing by pushing the youth movement. If Al Jefferson continues to develop, along with Delonte West, Gerald Green, Tony Allen and second round pick Ryan Gomes (who's looked pretty good so far for the Cs) they'll have a very bright future.
Jeff (Iowa): What second-year player takes the biggest step toward stardom this year? Possibly Dwight Howard?
Chad Ford: Howard has the talent to be a superstar someday ... so yes, he should be the guy. The Magic will struggle this year, so they might as well feed him the ball and let him develop. Last season he didn't get as many touches (thanks to Steve Francis) as he should've.
Teddy (Islip, NY): What are your thoughts on the Knick rookies; Robinson, Lee and Frye? What kind of contributions can be expecting from them this year?
Chad Ford: I like all three, but if Larry Brown stays true to form, I doubt you'll see much of them. Robinson may be the exception. He looks ready and I know Brown loves him.
Provo, UT: Where do you see the Jazz at this point? Does Deron Williams have a shot at rookie of the year?
Chad Ford: I think the Jazz will rebound from last year's awful season. Williams has looked very impressive and much of the Jazz's problems last season were at the point. If Andrei Kirilenko can stay healthy and Mehmet Okur can stay in shape, I think they'll compete for the last playoff spot in the West.
Bob, Hawaii: OK, I'm putting you on the spot. Who wins it all? Who's the MVP? Rookie of the Year? Coach of the Year? Executive of the Year?
Chad Ford: Fair enough.
I think the Spurs will beat the Pacers in the Finals in a 7 game series.
My MVP this year: LeBron James
My Rookie of the year: Chris Paul
Coach of the year: Rick Carlisle
Executive of the year: Larry Harris
