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Check in on hardcourt action with Basketball Prospectus's Bradford Doolittle.
Bradford Doolittle (Basketball): Basketball chat go.
paulbellows (Calgary): There is a _% chance the Cavs end with the worst record this year?
Bradford Doolittle (Basketball): The Cavs have more home games that road games remaining, but their remaining opponents have a .506 winning percentage as of today. When I saw the Cavs in Chicago recently, I was impressed by how hard they are still playing. At the same time, I suspect that their roster will be further decimated by the time the trade deadline hits. To answer your question, I'd say it's about 75 percent. The ship be sinking.
modofacid (philly): Is melo a good fit for the knicks? it seems he wouldn't fit so well in such a pick and roll heavy offense. And the price seems rather steep.
Bradford Doolittle (Basketball): Whatever team Anthony winds up on will find itself in a 'Melo-centric offense. I'm sure there is are enough options in D'Antoni's offense to accommodate a high-usage small forward. Gallo, Chandler, et al, seem to find their spots. The price is indeed steep, but the Knicks need to keep working on their roster to keep up with what's happening in Miami and Chicago.
Will (Mactaquac): Before yesterday, I had had high hopes of Mayo getting filtered to a contender at the deadline or over the summer and working his way into a nice little career. Now, not so much. How damaging is this to his career, and how do you see that playing out not?
Bradford Doolittle (Basketball): I actually don't see Mayo being much help to a contender at this point. He's not efficient enough to be a primary player on a winning team and doesn't really fill a specific role. He needs big minutes and lots of shots and plenty of guidance until he figures out. The PED issue isn't really a factor, other than the 10 games he'll miss.
JT (Michigan): Thoughts on Landry Fields, esp. potentially after a Melo deal?
Bradford Doolittle (Basketball): I love Fields as a supporting player. He'd fit on any team and in any system. I don't know that he will ever be able to create offense enough to be a foundation guy, but he can be a key player on good teams for a long time to come.
paulbellows (Calgary): At this time where do you see Jimmer going in the draft?
Bradford Doolittle (Basketball): I think he's played himself into the first round, probably in the 20-30 range or so. I'm not sold on him as real prospect, not at that size. The ability to make shots goes a long way, but I just don't know who he can guard.
Ernie (S. Street): How many more years before the Lakers' window closes?
Bradford Doolittle (Basketball): I'd say at least five years before we are granted Lakers relief. Of course they could end up with Dwight Howard and then we'll never get rid of them.
Charlie (Bethesda, MD): So is Nick Young someone who is getting numbers because his team is so bad, or is he a legit talent that could help Wall and the team move forward?
Bradford Doolittle (Basketball): He's getting his numbers without dominating the ball so I could see him being a winning-type complement to Wall for a few years. You'd like to see him be a better playmaker, but with Wall on the floor I'm not sure that matters a whole lot.
JT (Michigan): Too optimistic to think that you'd take Landry over Mayo for fantasy, too?
Bradford Doolittle (Basketball): Right now, yes, because of certainty. Fields is pretty consistent and we don't know how much or if Mayo is going to be on the floor. Mayo certainly has the higher ceiling.
jimbeau (Left Coast): Re: the Cavs and the trading deadline. Reallt too bad Andy got hurt, thereby diminishing what they could do; but who out there might need a Mo or an Antoine? What realistically might the Cavs be able to fetch? Marjet for Hickson? Any chance Kahn steps in and helps them out?
Bradford Doolittle (Basketball): Realistically, I think the Cavs are just going to be taking on picks and expiring deals for 'Twan and Mo. They should be all about clearing the deck right now and collecting young pieces that can be part of a future core.
jimbeau (Left Coast): As for being NBA prospects, compare and contrast Perry Jones and Jared Sullinger. Any comps for either?
Bradford Doolittle (Basketball): It's hard to watch Jones without thinking of Kevin Durant, though he's not that good. He lacks Durant's range for one. But he's a really high-ceiling player. Sullinger is more of a sure thing, as far as that goes, in my book, mostly because you can count on his prowess on the boards to translate. As far as a comp for him, I guess I'd go with a better-defending Kevin Love, though I'm not sure he'll develop Love's face-up game. Not sure he needs to.
Ernie (S. Street): Is that tied directly to how many elite years Kobe has left?
How could getting Howard go down? Can it even work as an RFA circumstance?
Bradford Doolittle (Basketball): Yeah, I'm thinking the Lakers' window is directly tied to Kobe. As far as Howard, we'll have to see how the next CBA shakes out. If the owners make it even tougher for franchise players to move around, he may not go anywhere. I just threw his name out there because there has been speculation that he'd like to end up in L.A. and star centers historically have found their way to the Lakers. Wilt, Kareem, Shaq -- none of them started with the Lakers.
Bradford Doolittle (Basketball): Thanks for stopping by.
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