http://www.iheart.com/live/2257/?autoplay=true Eh, sounds like I missed most of it but here's a recap: ...A shame league rules keep teams from keeping a core intact. LZ: Got to be able to develop lower draft picks similar to NFL. JVG: NFL is hard cap, NBA not like that. Some teams have much more TV money and can take on luxury tax. It's a shame that you can't afford your own guys. You make a good point, it happens - OKC is going to be hurt, Houston helped. Lakers/Clippers happy with this, SA about their chances. I think the Rockets are going to be in the playoff hunt. LZ: When speaking to Morey, knew they had good deal with Asik. Once they saw him, they privately think they have a steal. JVG: I think Chi should have matched. Young center who defends and rebounds. They could have traded him for something in that 3rd year ($15 million salary). Very good player. LZ: Saw you reupped with ESPN. No more coaching? JVG: (laughs)Those things are always fluid. I do miss coaching, ESPN treats me good. Doesn't rule out coaching. LZ: Royce White travel issues, T.Jones improvement, Lin they need to play at a consistent level. Small sample size with Lin. McHale wants uptempo, what to expect from Lin? JVG: Prob too much was expected from play last year, people jumping off bandwagon due to mediocre preseason. Knee surgery recovery causes some ups and downs. Like Harden, where is he gonna end up? hard to say. At the least an outstanding backup to decent starter. At end of the day, IMO a pretty good starter and good value for the money. Liked Dragic but his demands were in Morey's mind too high. Moved to plan B. LZ: Wathcing tape, ever tell yourself "I could caoch that team" JVG: Not from that standpoint, but I see what theat team needs to do better to maximize talent. A lot of NBA players that are talented that may not be able to contribute to winning. Management that understands that talent does not always equal wins has advantage. Worries me about Royce White. Wonder how his issues fit into a team dynamic. When I look at teams from talent fit, not just overall talent. LZ: (Rambles about concerns with White). Not in mix to get playing time IMO. JVG: May not be a factor early. Has to stick with it, keep working. Missed so much of camp, didn't give himself a fair shot, so many PFs, he won't get his shot at start of year.
Is Harden a guy you build around or part of a core? So hard to determine if he's that type of player until he's given that opportunity. You don't know if he can take the increased D pressure that will be given to him. He'll be faced with best perimeter defender on a nightly basis and if he can guard his own position. If you aren't going to bet on him, who are you going to trade for? He's an ascending player who will grow and get better. If the least you're going to get is a star, that's a good bet. You don't know what Lamb or the draft picks involved will be. Now OKC has drafted well. It's a shame we have rules in our league that prevent a team keeping someone they drafted. I do give the Rockets credit that they could make this deal when OKC came to realize they couldn't sign him. All that money comes due at one point with those high picks. When it comes time for a 2nd contract, that's when the trouble comes in.(Also comparing the Texans having to let players go.) I would disagree that, in football, everyone has an equal playing field. In the NBA, it's not like that. TV money, larger markets can take the LT hit. It's a shame that you can't afford your own guys. That being said, it happens and now what happens next, OKC will be hurt as much as Houston will be helped. Teams in LA are happy. They think this gives them a better shot. SA is probably feeling better about their chances. Harden is a significant loss for OKC and significant gain for Houston. I think Houston will be right there in the playoff hunt. Omer Asik, they felt like they were getting a good deal but once they saw him live, they privately think they are getting a steal. I thought Chicago should have matched. I said that at the time. A young C who defends and rebounds. I think the time they signed him, they could have traded him by that 3rd year. A good player. He'll get an opportunity to play big minutes this year. You re-upped with ESPN. Off the market, never a coach again right? It's always fluid. They treated me good. I do miss coaching. You never know what will come about. You do as good as you can with the job you have. Rockets have some young players in White, Jones but Lin is a guy who they need to play at a consistent level. Enough of a sample size there? Thoughts on what to expect from Lin? I think probably too much was expected off his play last year and people are jumping off the wagon because he had a mediocre preseason. When you come off knee surgery and need speed and quickness, you'll have ups and downs. Like Harden, where will he end up? The sample size is too small. At the least, he'll be oustanding backup to OK starter. For the money they paid, that's not bad. That was another good move. Dragic, I liked very much. You could make the case Dragic is as good as Lin, maybe better but his demands in Daryl's mind were too high. He moved to plan B, which was Lin. When you're watching games, do you look at teams like I could or couldn't coach that team? Not from that standpoint but what that team needs to do more of to maximize their talent, you certainly do that. There are a lot of players who are talented in the NBA who can't contribute to a winning team. Royce White worried me, what he's dealing with, it's tragic. You feel bad for the young man. You hope he can overcome it but you're wondering from the outside, how that fits in a team dynamic. When I'm looking at teams, not from the standpoint of the talent but does the talent fit together? Good management understands that. They don't try to hoard that. ... If you're not in the rotation early, to stick with it, that's why I thought it was a mistake for Royce not to take care of this in June after he was drafted to get this resolved. That distraction aside, he missed so much TC that he didn't give himself a fair shot to be as ready as those other young players. You have so many PFs and young PFs that if he sticks with it, he'll get his shot but not right away. [Talked about ProVision-Inc.]
