Below you'll find the full transcript of Danny's latest live chat with subscribers over on our subscriber-only Discord server.
I think it is a good reminder that coach and GM's priorities are often not in line, particularly if the team is less competitive. It can totally create friction but remember the GM hires the coach so the power structure is usually pretty clear
- I think it is a good reminder that coach and GM's priorities are often not in line, particularly if the team is less competitive. It can totally create friction but remember the GM hires the coach so the power structure is usually pretty clear
Something that maybe has been discussed before, but do you think a small market team (perhaps OKC) would be best served deliberately home growing foreign players, because they would not necessarily be pulled to another team in free agency out of AAU or team USA loyalty?
- Plenty of American stars have chosen to leave for cities they had little to no personal connection to beforehand and there is an argument that at least some internationals (like Pau Gasol) actually care more about retaining some of the big city elements. Very much a case-by-case situation.
WATFO: If one of these teams: Clippers, Heat, Bucks, 76ers has an early-round exit in the playoffs AND they will trade one of their stars?
- I won't do it as a WATFO but will order them on those criteria: Sixers (Simmons, presumably), Heat, Clippers, Bucks. I just can't see Milwaukee blowing it up this quickly, especially after Giannis extended
Bucket list items related to the NBA that you have yet to tick off?
- Most of my basketball bucket list stuff is international (Olympics, FIBA, etc) but I still would like to see games in a bunch of arenas. I guess the big one would be working with/covering an expansion team because that has always been an obsession of mine.
If you could give any lotto team Cade for maximum league enjoyment who would it be?
- I do not have a firm handle on Cade's game yet (only watched a few games and not taking notes or anything) but my first instinct is New Orleans. Even though I love Point Zion, having a second guy with superstar potential would be awesome, especially since Cade's defense has been intriguing for a star collegiate talent.
What’s the most the Kings can offer Richaun Holmes on a new contract with his bird rights?
- Hey, Sabreena! The Kings only have Early Bird rights, so the most they can offer is 105% of the average salary. That's a little over $10 million if my estimates are correct. Could be a four-year deal with 5% raises.
Gotcha. Seems like they might need to clear some space then.
- Yeah, that would be my instinct. They could also do a wink-wink one-year deal and then pay him with Full Bird in 2022 but that is risky business.
This question is about the PG Rankings: It seems like somewhere in these rankings (I mark it around Tier 7) the evaluation criteria change. The top-tier players are primary ballhandlers, but around here players with limited on-ball creation ability (Derrick White, Haliburton, Lonzo, Dejounte Murray) start sneaking ahead of superior on-ball creators (e.g. Schroder). It seems like at some point here you've implicitly transitioned to evaluating players based on their fit next to a primary creator at a forward position. Is that the case?
- There is a shift, absolutely. The best way I can summarize it is that once you finish with players that can run a high-level offense as the main initiator, it becomes more important to fit alongside someone else who can fill that role because otherwise, the team has a much lower ceiling. Does that make sense?
Hi Danny, what is your take on Jae’Sean Tate. Is he the real deal? What’s a good player comp for him(once he is at his full potential, who could/should he play like)? Thanks!
- I have been very impressed with Tate, especially on the defensive end. Need to see more from him offensively (production and simply watching more film) but you all probably know how much I value capable one-on-one wing defenders.
Why do you think there's is such a pushback from these primary ball handlers/offensive initiators to move off-ball and utilize their shooting in ways like Curry? It seems it would be beneficial to both them/their team. I understand there's significant conditioning needed, but it's hard for me to imagine guys like Trae, Doncic, Dame, etc. don't have the conditioning to at least have some possessions to move off-ball on some possessions. I also think this helps their defense because of the amount of work it puts on the defense. And to pivot off of this, I know Kerr has his struggles/weaknesses but how much credit do you think he should get for making it so curry moves off ball knowing that he may not get the stats but how it warps defenses and one could argue has kept Steph healthier than running into the paint?
- What Curry does off-ball takes a TON of work, often with very little reward in terms of touches or points. Also, focusing on cardio and off-ball movement at least conceptually takes development time away from other areas like ballhandling or shooting. Now, some players spend enough time in the gym that they can manage it but that is a lot to ask. On the Kerr point, I think there is a symbiotic relationship in this specific area because Curry had strong cardio and a crazy work ethic even before he got there. That means Kerr's offense makes more sense and Curry has the motivation (results + fitness) to keep doing it.
The scenario: you are brought in as an all-powerful special advisor for one game with one team. Goal: either because you think you'd learn something important (presumably for the betterment of the team in question, or perhaps for the betterment of the game at large) OR because you think your idea would just be really fun. Assumptions: (1) any suggestion you make will be accepted and taken seriously by the players. (3) Your chosen teams' roster is healthy. (3) The outcome of the game itself is meaningless (think late season, your postseason position is already locked in). And (4) presumably you'd pick a specific domain of the game. Examples: the Milwaukee Bucks, but you only shoot free throws underhanded. The Pelicans, but you run 40 pick and rolls with Point Zion. The Lakers, but you sell out for offensive rebounds. The Hornets, but every single offensive play is to unlock a Bridges alley-oop. And so on. What do you do?
- That's quite the question. There are a ton of worthy options but my leaning at least for now is a fully healthy 2017-18 Warriors but you build the offense on Curry/Durant pick-and-rolls. I just wonder what the upper limit would be for that with a group that had a ton of spacing. Present day? A team like the healthy Magic running full-court defensive pressure (trap, press, whatever) for entire games.
Would you rather have an all-defense team (Jrue-Smart-OG-Simmons-Gobert) or an all-offense team (Trae-Lavine-Derozan-Zion-Vucevic) for the playoffs?
- Conceptually it would be offense just because a defense-first team could be stopped with weaker personnel. However, in real life the best defenders are much better offensive players than the best offensive players are defenders.
If Norman Powell doesn't end up staying in Portland, which other teams do you see him fitting in particularly well with/where would he make the most impact?
- If we are limiting the field to teams that can reasonably sign him outright, I would say the Knicks since he can fill a few different offensive roles (secondary option with the starters, bench powder keg) and they have the defensive components to make it work well. Dallas would be awfully fun too.
Which prime player do you see most likely to join Doncic within the next 2-3 years? Chris Paul, perhaps?
- As much as I love the Point God, CP's prime is not now. The star price would have to go down but a Beal trade in a year or so seems loosely plausible. A shame the FA market evaporated because that would have been their best path.
Danny - on your PG rankings, you have Dinwiddie at Tier 5 and FVV at Tier 6. Given your acknowledgment that the line between Tier 5 and 6 was very faint and your optimism on Dinwiddie, shouldn't we be giving more credit to FVV? He's a solid shooter with great volume, pesky solid D, and has proven it in a playoff setting compared more to someone like Dinwiddie.
- I do not believe that FVV can be the lead creator for a high-end offense. He is absolutely preferable to Dinwiddie if a team already has that tackled due to his defense, off-ball shooting, etc but many teams do not have that luxury.
Knowing what Washington’s desires as a franchise are, would you say the Westbrook for Wall trade has been a win for them?
- The Wizards gave up a first that starts at basically lottery-protected in 2023 and protection weakens until 2026 when it becomes seconds if it has not conveyed. That pick may not be valuable (it could be decent, though) but consider that moving it also makes other trades more difficult. To me, the margin between Wall and Westbrook this season and moving forward is smaller than that, though it gets closer if Westbrook's brutal first two months were more of an injury-related aberration. Also, remember that a record well below .500 may not be enough to get in the play-in other seasons plus a 10-seed is far from guaranteed to make the best-of-7.
Any reason you can figure that the Heat defense is excellent this year despite being fairly pedestrian in the regular season last year? I would argue the talent was worse this year pre-Ariza and Oladipo moves.
- They are forcing more turnovers, fouling less, and protecting the rim better this year. Also, remember how much time Spo gave limited defenders in the 2019-20 regular season- Meyers Leonard, rookie Herro, etc plus Nunn and Robinson were basically in their first NBA seasons.
In your top young cores, you didn’t have anyone as likely to win the championship. Who is likely to win a championship in 5 years if Lebron is 41, Leonard is 34, Curry is 38, Embiid is 32, Durant is 37. Giannis 32 and Jrue 35. Based on that I can’t see anyone as a contender
- I am sure someone will step up -- it is just now clear exactly who it will be just yet. Also, remember that young stars like Luka and Zion should take big steps between now and then.
You had serious misgivings about Tyler Halliburton as a future primary option coming into the draft. Has anything he's shown as a rookie made your outlook brighter in that respect?
- Haliburton's shot off the dribble is looking better than I expected, which is potentially important. Still want to see more craft running the PNR against talented opposition but yeah, somewhat more optimistic. Far from sure but pleased.