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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 5/18/2021
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Luke Adams
11:31
Hey all, we'll get underway in about 30 minutes, but get those questions in now!
12:01
Starting momentarily...
Justin
12:02
When we will find out the order of the draft?  I'm hoping Raptors find a franchise player.
Luke Adams
12:03
The play-ins will be over by Friday and the tiebreakers will reportedly be conducted next Tuesday. The results of both of those will solidify a lot of the draft, but we'll have to wait until after lottery night on June 22 to know with any certainty where the Raptors and other lottery teams will be drafting.
12:04
Here are the tentative odds: https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/05/checking-in-on-nbas-2021-lottery-s... -- the Raptors' most likely pick is at No. 8, where it would be a challenge to find a franchise player. But things would get interesting if they're able to jump into the top four.
Rockets
12:04
How big of a mistake did the rockets make not keeping Jarrett Allen and Caris Levert in the Harden trade?
Luke Adams
12:07
It was a mistake. I'm not sure it was a massive one though. Both players are good, but neither looks like a future star, and Allen is about to get paid -- getting a first-round pick isn't a terrible alternative to paying him $20MM per year, especially if you're not sure how he'd fit with Wood. That part of the deal looks a little better than the LeVert/Oladipo swap, which was questionable at the time and looks worse now.
Draft
12:08
The draft class from this past year seems to have stunned the "experts" and actually looks like a really good class.  Do you think this upcoming years will be even better?
Luke Adams
12:10
The 2020 class was never considered a bad one as a whole -- the criticism of it was that it lacked a future star at the very top. With that in mind, I think the class has performed about as well as expected so far, but LaMelo Ball specifically has exceeded expectations. He looks like a potential franchise player for Charlotte, which certainly wasn't a given when he was drafted (which is why he slipped to No. 3!).
12:11
2021's class looks like it might have a little more potential star-power at the top, but in terms of depth, I don't think it'll be significantly better than 2020's class.
Baby Yoda
12:11
Do the Wizards have enough pieces to get past the 1st round against the Nets (getting ahead of myself I know thinking the Wizards beat the Celtics tonight but let's go with it)?  Or at least push the series to 6 games?
Luke Adams
12:12
It's unfortunate that tonight's winner has to face Brooklyn. Obviously no one's tanking a play-in game, but I wonder if the team that loses tonight might end up with the more favorable first-round matchup with a win on Thursday. I think I'd rather face the Sixers than a fully healthy Nets squad.
12:13
Having said that, let's assume the Wizards tonight... I just don't see them giving the Nets a serious scare, but they could certainly take a game or two.
eric from LA
12:13
Do you think the Celtics problems this year were health related?  Or something deeper?  And if so, how do they address?
Luke Adams
12:15
It's really hard to know how seriously to treat the results in what has been a very unusual and unprecedented season. I do think COVID and various injuries played a major part in derailing the Celtics' season, but I also don't think they'd be better than the fourth-best seed in the East if they'd been at full strength. There's definitely still work to do to build around the Tatum/Brown duo.
12:17
We'll see how drastically Ainge wants to shake up the roster this offseason, but I could see a scenario in which Kemba is traded. They should be willing to trade a first-round pick or two too if needed. As long as Tatum and Brown are around, those are never going to be super-high picks, and they might be put to better use in trades for players that can help right away.
Chris Harris
12:18
What u think  about two Maryland  guys getting drafted  on draft day ?
Luke Adams
12:18
Assuming we're talking players who attended the University of Maryland and not just players born/raised in Maryland, I think it's probably a long shot. Aaron Wiggins, maybe, but he'd likely be the only one.
Jeff
12:19
Play-in predictions for tonight and tomorrow?
Luke Adams
12:21
Tonight's games have lost some luster with so many injuries and other absences affecting them (Hayward, Turner, LeVert, J. Brown, etc.), but they're still pretty interesting -- it wouldn't be a surprise if both road teams win, which would set up a Boston/Charlotte game for the final playoff spot. I'll take Washington and Charlotte tonight, and Boston on Thursday.
12:23
As for the West, I'll take the Grizzlies and Lakers today, with the Warriors winning on Friday, but I hope it plays out a little more unpredictably.
Baby Yoda
12:23
We know out West that its likely that GS/LA would have the best chance of a play-in team making it past the first round of the playoffs -- esp LA IMO.  Which team in the East play-in games in your opinion would have the best chance of making it to the 2nd round?  Or is it just not happening?  Thanks for the chat and have a great day :)
Luke Adams
12:24
I can't see it happening, but if the Wizards ended up facing the Sixers, they could at least make things interesting. I'm not sure any other teams in the East are pushing the Sixers or Nets beyond five games.
Guest
12:24
I think there are Pacers/Nets 2nd round draft pick implications for the game today? What is it?
Luke Adams
12:26
I've barely looked at the traded second-round picks yet, since there are still so many play-in/tiebreaker results to factor in, but I think you're right -- the Pacers will send Brooklyn their second-rounder if it lands between 31-44. It looks like that should happen.
Listencat
12:27
With the Knicks playing the Hawks in the first round, which former head coach has a better chance at another head coaching job in the future, 46 year old David Fizdale or 45 year old Lloyd Pierce?
Luke Adams
12:30
This is a great question and I've already gone back and forth with my answer about three times.
12:31
I'll go with Fizdale, despite the fact that he's had two chances already. The fact that the Hawks turned things around almost immediately after Pierce left was not a great look for him, and I think Fizdale was more highly-regarded as an assistant.
A cat
12:31
Who does SA target with their cap space this off-season? Collins, Maarkanen?
Luke Adams
12:32
Markkanen seems more likely than Collins to me, since the Bulls are more likely than the Hawks to let their RFA walk -- I don't think the Spurs would want to tie up their cap space with an offer sheet that might be matched.
12:33
I'll be fascinated to see what they do though. It feels like their go-to move in the last few years has to be re-sign their own players, and maybe they still do that with Mills and/or Gay, but I get the sense DeRozan may be gone.
Clips/Mavs
12:33
More likely scenario: Luka going nuts and the Mavs sweep or steady play by the Clips and they win in six?
Luke Adams
12:34
I'll take the Clips scenario
Hoop-LA
12:34
What do you think about teams (see Clippers) sitting almost everyone for the last game or two? I'd hate to be one of the fans able to get in and see that.
Luke Adams
12:35
It's not ideal, but at least it was mostly a final-weekend thing this year. There have been times when we had to deal with teams resting guys and tanking to try to get a specific seed for a week or two at the end of the season -- the play-in helped in that regard, I think.
Blank Name
12:35
Is the situation in Minnesota worse than we think? Thibs has done way more in New York with arguably a less talented roster and an organization that appeared to be way more dysfunctional.
Luke Adams
12:36
Lottery night will be big for the Wolves' future. If they luck out and move into position to draft a player like Evan Mobley, their future looks a whole lot brighter than if they lose their draft pick and enter next season with relatively the same group.
12:37
Also, until proven otherwise, the new ownership group is probably a positive thing. Glen Taylor wasn't exactly considered a top-five NBA owner.
Porter
12:37
No way LaMelo wins ROY missing 30% of his teams games, right?
Luke Adams
12:38
I think he's still the favorite. Edwards finished stronger, but Ball had the first half edge. Ball also has the advanced-stat advantage, and old-school voters who may typically favor Edwards' higher scoring average might also like the fact that Ball helped lead his team to a play-in spot.
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