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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 5/4/2021
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Luke Adams
10:03
Hey guys, get those questions in early and I'll tackle as many as I can starting at noon CT!
12:00
Alright, let's do this!
Black Ace57
12:00
Over the past month or so there has been a lot of complaining about the play in tournament from players and owners. Do you think there will be a push to get rid of it?
Luke Adams
12:02
I'd be shocked. The complaints make better headlines, but more teams have come out in support of it than criticized it. And really, the ones that are complaining are doing so out of frustration that they're not playing well enough to avoid the play-in altogether. If anything, I think there will be a push to make it permanent.
Hawks
12:02
Do you think if Nate McMillan had been the coach of the Hawks earlier in the season, they'd be competing for a top 3 seed instead of a spot 4-7?
Luke Adams
12:04
I don't think we can assume they would've played at this pace all season long and that Pierce's presence was the only thing holding them back. Even if McMillan was coaching them from the start of the season, it still would've taken them some time to incorporate the new additions and figure out how to work around all the injuries. Maybe they'd be in fourth instead of fifth, but they're not as talented as the top three teams.
Don
12:05
Do you think lots of these big name stars are faking the seriousness of their injuries in order to rest for the playoffs, so that the team can avoid being fined? It feels like since the Raptors won it all, teams don’t care as much about regular season games anymore. Giannis has been resting lately, wouldn’t be surprised to see Middleton sit a few at the end with some phantom ankle/knee soreness.
Luke Adams
12:07
"Faking" is overstating it. It's nearly impossible to play 72 NBA games without dealing with some sort of injury, even if it's a minor one. I don't doubt some players/teams are being more cautious with those injuries down the stretch, but they're real -- they're just issues that guys would probably play through once the playoffs start.
Luke Adams fan
12:08
Is Joel Embiid allowed to be MVP, even if he hasn't even played 50 games? Can he still be MVP or is he ineligible?
Luke Adams
12:09
No player who is on an NBA roster is "ineligible" for MVP voting. Embiid's games-played total will probably work against his case, since availability is a big part of a player's value, but even if he had only played in five games, a writer could give him an MVP vote.
Hoops
12:09
Do you think their is a chance Kevin Love retires when his contract is over (or earlier)? He has been angry while playing lately.
Luke Adams
12:11
There's always a chance. But unless he suffers some sort of career-ending injury or health condition, I wouldn't expect it. You're probably just seeing the effects of playing for a lottery team for the last few years -- I could see him being revitalized if and when he lands with a new team.
KLAY THOMPSON
12:11
Do you think Jimmy Butler will make an All-NBA team after not being an all-star and being injured for lots of the season?
Luke Adams
12:13
I haven't sat down and made an effort to fill in the 15 spots, so once I do that, I may find there's no room for him. But off the top of my head, he looks like a pretty good candidate -- he's been better this year than he was when he made the Third Team last year.
x%argh
12:14
Any word on whether Kobi Altman is on the hot seat?  Is HR doing an article on FO shake-ups as in the past?  I did not see any "hot seat" in the menu.
Luke Adams
12:15
Haven't heard any rumblings about that yet. My best guess is he'll get least one more year -- if the Cavs aren't in the playoffs (or at least the play-in) next season, his days may be numbered.
12:16
We'll do our usual Front Office Shakeup tracker post this offseason, along with our Head Coaching Search tracker, but those posts don't go up until at least one or teams have actually made changes.
ESPN / MARVEL
12:16
What to make of ESPN pushing the Marvel angle into NBA games, starting with last night’s game in New Orleans ??
Luke Adams
12:17
I guess if it draws in some new fans who wouldn't have otherwise been watching, more power to them. I found it kind of hard to watch.
rambis
12:17
Do you think Denver still has a shot to make it to the western conference finals? They are still good but loss of Murray makes them pretty susceptible to first round upset right?
Luke Adams
12:19
The Western playoffs honestly feel more wide open to me than they have in a long time. A Denver WCF appearance wouldn't shock me, but neither would a first-round exit. Without Murray, the latter feels a little more likely than the former, but they're still a really good team that's certainly capable of beating, say, the Mavs and then the Suns.
Dame
12:19
What do you think the biggest need on the Portland team is, bench, forwards, etc.?
Luke Adams
12:21
A two-way forward capable of creating his own shot would go a long way toward making them title contenders, but it's hard to see how they'll acquire that player. They can't just swap out CJ McCollum for, say, Paul George.
kat
12:22
Do you think Malachi Flynn will make an All-rookie team
Luke Adams
12:22
Again, I'd need to take a closer look at the candidates for those 10 spots before I'm confident one way or the other, but my sense is that he probably entered the rotation too late and isn't quite shooting well enough to crack the top 10 rookies.
Buyout Market
12:22
Do you foresee some Rules changes this offseason, to distribute these Bought-Out players more fairly?  They all seem to be gathering in the Big Market cities.
Luke Adams
12:24
If there are changes made to the buyout market, I think they'll probably be negotiated for the next CBA, which is still a couple years away. With Aldridge having retired and Drummond not making that much of an impact for the Lakers, I feel like those concerns have died down significantly as of late.
Hi
12:24
Who do you think won the Gary trent / norm powell trade ?
Raps fan
12:24
During the trade deadline, the raptors traded Norman Powell for Gary Trent jr. Do you think Gary Trent might be better that Norm after his spark on the Raptors?
Luke Adams
12:26
Powell's ability to create his own shot and finish at the basket gives him an edge on Trent, but the gap isn't huge. The contracts that both guys sign this offseason could ultimately determine who "wins" the trade -- if the Blazers have to overpay Powell (a UFA) to keep him, while the Raptors get Trent (an RFA) at a more team-friendly rate, that's a win for Toronto.
Nate
12:26
It's only a 3 horse race in the east right? Who you got?
Luke Adams
12:28
My head says it'll probably be the Nets, but my heart says the Bucks. As an impartial observer, seeing Milwaukee make the Finals after a couple disappointing postseasons would be more enjoyable than the Nets being immediately rewarded for putting together an unstoppable Big 3.
The Brandromedan
12:28
The gulf between the All-NBAers & their fellow pros has never been more disparate - with ownership, the league, & its partners raking it in hand over fist amidst the ongoing misdirection. William Wesley & CAA taking over the Knicks was largely seen as a win-win-win 4 the league, fans, & players alike - but this in my estimation is simply another example of market movers consolidating w/ the establishment & the "service to self" agenda. When will we see the NBPA leadership take a stand during CBA negotiations for the collective interests of the entire player pool and not just the maximum salaries of the elite talent? The top players use their power potential to fight harder for their own exclusive self-interests instead of consolidating their resources that would see landmark ratifications to the CBA and create a ripple effect of sizeable proportions. The NBA isn't worth watching if the top players aren't playing in the league - cue up that all star game from the 60's during the civil rights movement.
Luke Adams
12:30
Had to include this comment because I would've felt bad if you've typed all that and I ignored it, but I'm not sure I follow your point. What changes, specifically, do you think the NBPA should be pushing for? The fact that maximum salaries exist at all is an argument in favor of the top players controlling the CBA terms.
Eyan
12:30
Besides the obvious candiates (S.G.A, Dort, Pokusevski) have any of the Thunder young guns shown anything?
Luke Adams
12:31
I was hoping Bazley would take a bigger step forward this season, but there's still reason to be optimistic about him -- he hasn't even turned 21 yet! Theo Maledon, who's a year younger than Bazley, has also shown some intriguing flashes.
Rick
12:32
If the Sixers get bounced in the 2nd round or God forbid, the 1st, do you think there will finally be fire to the smoke of splitting up Embiid and Simmons
Luke Adams
12:34
It would depend on how their elimination plays out. If both guys are healthy and they're knocked out by the Celtics in the first round, then sure. But if, say, Embiid is a little banged up and they still push the Bucks to 7 games in round two, that'd be a more "encouraging" way to go out.
12:35
With Harden no longer on the market, it's also hard to envision which star would be worth trading someone like Simmons for. I guess maybe Beal, but the way the Wizards have been playing, he seems less likely to be on the trade block this summer.
Dylan
12:35
How impactful do you think kevin love would be on portland if he goes there
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