Answers About the N.B.A. Playoffs and More

Jonathan AbramsJonathan Abrams
Howard BeckHoward Beck

The following are the responses from Jonathan Abrams and Howard Beck, who took questions from readers this week about the N.B.A. playoffs, which head into the conference finals, as well as the Knicks and Nets.

We are no longer accepting questions for this feature.

Q.

Did a seven-game series against Memphis hurt the Thunder’s chances, or will Kevin Durant will his team to the finals?
— Posted by ARG, Brooklyn, N.Y.

A.

Jonathan Abrams: Well written, ARG! All the hurdles that the Thunder overcame will only help against the Dallas Mavericks, even if it came at the cost of rest. Before this season, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook had played a total of six playoff games. The Memphis series tested them in almost every way imaginable: an extremely competent opponent, a triple-overtime game, issues of friction between Durant and Westbrook, one of Durant’s poorest performances of his career and a win-or-go-home Game 7.

Still, they prevailed in that Game 7 with Durant’s 39 points and Westbrook’s triple-double. And now, they have something to fall back on if they run into adversity. If Dallas goes on a run, they can remember a moment when they overcame a similar obstacle against Memphis. It’s something more tangible than failing to beat the Lakers last season or even this year’s first-round series against Denver that proved easier than expected.

When it comes down to it, Dallas would have been the team that benefited more from rest. With a younger team like Oklahoma City, momentum is tough to sustain with a long layoff, and with the games spaced out, fatigue is never a reasonable excuse in the playoffs.

Q.

What is more of a factor in the Thunder vs. Mavs series: the Thunder’s youth and, some would say, inexperience, or the Mavs’ age (especially without Caron Butler) and experience?
— Posted by FGM, St. Andrews, Scotland

A.

J.A.: The league will be happy to see questions from Europe. The easy answer is that the Mavericks’ experience will be invaluable. Not only do Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry all have N.B.A. finals experiences, but Rick Carlisle has already coached two teams to conference finals. Oklahoma City’s Scott Brooks is impressive and was last season’s coach of the year, but he and his players are on foreign terrain in a conference finals.

But this isn’t easy, and the flip side is that Nowitzki and Terry participated in Dallas’s collapse against Miami in the 2006 finals, and Carlisle lost both times he went to the conference finals. So what does experience really mean if you have not come through in the most clutch moments?

I don’t think experience will decide the series. As a preview, the seventh game of the Memphis-Oklahoma City series was wildly interesting. It was the first time that Durant and Westbrook were thrown into the pressure cooker of a win-or-go-home predicament, and they both responded with masterful efforts.

Q.

I’ve seen rumors of the Knicks being interested in bringing back restricted free agent Wilson Chandler. As a fan, I’d love to see him back, and I think he would compliment the current lineup well, especially when STAT (Amar’e Stoudemire) plays center and also as a general bench boost. Plus, you’ve got to love a player who gets game-winning blocks. But is this at all realistic or salary-cap feasible? Would the Knicks have to exceed the cap to get him? Or is this discussion not even relevant until the labor dispute issues are settled? What is the status of current free agents? Do they have to wait until a new C.B.A. is agreed on before they can sign with a team?
— Posted by Lecram, Staten Island, N.Y.

A.

Howard Beck: Wow, that’s a lot of questions! But all good ones, especially those dealing with the new labor deal. Because, really, no one can say where anyone is going until we know what the new system looks like. Here is what we do know: The Knicks would love to have Chandler back (and probably Danilo Gallinari and Raymond Felton, too, but we won’t go there today). It probably isn’t realistic, because the Knicks will almost certainly be over the salary cap, and Chandler will demand much more than the midlevel exception (currently $5.8 million). Indeed, the midlevel exception — and all other cap exceptions — could be eliminated in a new labor deal, further hindering the Knicks’ ability to sign impact players. Chandler was having a breakout season before the trade to Denver. Although he struggled with the Nuggets, he still tied his career high in scoring (15.3 points per game) and set career highs in rebounding (5.7 per game) and 3-point accuracy (.350). Some team will make him a very nice offer, most likely one that the Knicks cannot match. But to your last point, all free-agent discussions are highly hypothetical until a new collective bargaining agreement is adopted. Free agency will not even start until the deal is in place.

Q.

My question involves not these playoffs but a bygone one. Back in the early 1950s (’53 or ’54), the Knicks were in the playoffs. These were the days when Syracuse and Rochester still had teams in the N.B.A. I seem to recall that one of the Knicks’ players was injured, and they picked up someone from the New York schoolyards. Can this be confirmed, or is it just another urban legend?
— Posted by Lendee32, Woodland Hills, Calif.

A.

J.A.: Lendee, we got some help on this one from our colleague Jim Luttrell, who in turn got some help from the esteemed George Vecsey. Here’s what they came up with: It’s not quite urban legend, but there is a bit of historical license at work. Jerry Fleishman, a 6-2 guard/forward, was added to the Knicks’ 1953 playoff roster “with N.B.A. approval,” according to the team’s media guide because of a “manpower shortage.” Fleishman, an N.Y.U. product, might’ve been a great schoolyard player, but he also spent five seasons in the N.B.A. before joining the Knicks for two playoff games. (He totaled 10 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists.) Fleishman was a rookie with the Philadelphia Warriors in 1946 and played with them until being released after playing 33 games of the 1952-53 season. So he was unemployed when the Knicks picked him up, but it’s a stretch to say he was plucked from the N.Y.C. schoolyards.

Q.

How big a hit will Lebron’s legacy take if they fall to Chicago?
— Posted by Ben Sin, Hong Kong

A.

H.B.: LeBron is 26. I’m not sure we should be having legacy discussions yet. His move to Miami was controversial, and expectations are justifiably high because he is playing with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. But it is extremely rare for a team built in a single summer to win the title the next year (the 2007-8 Boston Celtics being the exception). Miami’s roster has some serious holes, and a huge drop-off in talent after the three stars. The Heat might need another summer to plug the gaps. So I don’t think failing to win a title in Year 1 is any sort of indictment of LeBron, or anyone else in Miami. By the way, Michael Jordan did not win his first championship until his seventh season. He was 28.

Q.

Why don’t N.B.A. players play better defense? How is it possible for so many shooters to spot up behind the 3-point line and take uncontested shots?
— Posted by Zeppo, Portland, Ore.

A.

J.A.: Now, especially in the playoffs, there is defense to be loved, if that’s your sort of thing, Zeppo. The Chicago Bulls usually play defense like they are tied on a string. And the recently ousted Grizzlies lived and prospered in passing lanes. In the regular season, though, some games can disintegrate into layup lines, and defense seems like an optional choice. That is when the debate over effort and how much is given by defenders is appropriate. By this time of year, those teams and players are eliminated.

But to answer your question: a few years ago, in order to increase scoring and clean up the game, the N.B.A. created rules that made it easier for guards to navigate the lane. That created a generation of powerful young point guards — from Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose, to players who may not be legitimate N.B.A. players if hand-checking by defenders were still around, like Aaron Brooks. With swift guards able to penetrate, other defenders have to help off of their men in order to prevent layups. That is where defenses are most vulnerable. N.B.A. players are skilled at finding mismatches and taking advantage. Once the point guard — usually the best passer — finds himself double-teamed, he can kick the ball out, and in a pass or two, the ball will find the player who is open on the perimeter because the defense had to collapse into the paint. The choice is for the defense to give up either a layup or 3-pointer. Most times, they would opt for the lower-percentage 3-pointer. The best defensive teams, like the Bulls, are able to rotate their defenses better and reduce the time that they are vulnerable.

Q.

Hey Guys. Simple question: As Knick fans, are we now in “wait until the summer of 2012 mode” or “wait until the trade deadline” mode? Are we looking at Melo, Amare, Billups and lots of players who don’t even crack the rotations of good teams in the N.B.A.? Does the combination of no high draft pick, salary cap issues, and a looming lockout doom us to being a .500 team for the foreseeable future?
— Posted by Dan, Vermont

A.

H.B.: Well, Dan, not that simple. And that was at least three questions. But at a glance, I would say, Probably (waiting until 2012), Maybe (waiting until the trade deadline), Yes (poor roster) and Probably Not (doomed to .500). The fact is, the Knicks have no cap room this summer and no assets to trade since they spent everything in the Carmelo Anthony deal. Depending on the new labor deal (a disclaimer that should be attached to every sentence), the Knicks very likely will have little room to maneuver until 2012, when they should be under the cap again. That said, they do have two of the top 20 players in the game in Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire, and a still-solid (if old) point guard in Chauncey Billups. With a training camp together and a full season, they should be substantially better than .500. But they will not be contenders without major upgrades at center, shooting guard and the bench.

Q.

1. James Harden — he seems to be playing great in these payoffs, but he comes off the bench. I know that having a potent force on the bench can be important (Ricky Pierce, The Microwave, Lamar Odom with the Lakers, etc.), but why is Thabo Sefolosha starting over him? Or is it that playing against teams’ second units enables Harden to be more effective?

2. Also OKC related: why does Nate Robinson not get any time with them? You want to talk about getting a boost from your bench, there’s a guy who can score in bunches.

3. Do you think Udonis Haslem will be able to come back and contribute for the Heat? Also, how much of a shame is it that Caron Butler won’t make it back for the playoffs, right?
— Posted by Joseph, Brooklyn, N.Y.

A.

J.A.: Couldn’t ask just one, Joseph? Trying to make us earn our pay? With Harden, you answered the question well. First, teams like to present their best defensive units at the start of games (without, of course, sacrificing too much offense). Sefolosha is a better defensive player than Harden, which is good because it’s about all he does. It is nice to see Harden doing well in the playoffs because he has a nice all-around game. With the second unit, he can look for his shot more when Kevin Durant and/or Russell Westbrook are receiving a breather. One thing to keep in mind, I know we’re trained from 5 years old to think it matters deeply who starts, and to a large extent, N.B.A. players share that mentality. But in my mind, what matters more is who is on the court when the game ends. In most games, for the Lakers, it was Odom. For Oklahoma City, Sefolosha played 15 minutes in Game 7. Harden played 31 minutes. So don’t hold it against Sefolosha if he gets a couple minutes out there at the start of games.

On to the familiar Nate Robinson, one of the few Knicks alumni still in the playoffs. Above almost anything else, Thunder General Manager Sam Presti preaches team chemistry. With Robinson, if you recall his Knick days, you never know what you’re going to get. He can either be the player that he was in last year’s finals with a dynamic game for Boston or he can be the player that Mike D’Antoni became so fed up with that he benched for 14 games. Even if Scott Brooks wanted to play Robinson, who would he take minutes from among the guards? Not Westbrook. And not his backup, Eric Maynor, who is more than serviceable. And you are already mad that Sefolosha is taking minutes away from Harden. In the postseason, rotations tighten. And let’s be honest. The Thunder made that trade with Boston for Kendrick Perkins and Kendrick Perkins only. Robinson was, and remains, an insurance policy.

Lastly, the longer the Heat plays, the better the odds are that Haslem returns as a serviceable player. Miami obviously needs a player like Haslem to contend with Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah. But this Haslem will not cut it. It is tough to ask a player to come back in the playoffs after missing nearly the whole season. We’ve seen the James-Bosh-Wade trio go through their hardships, despite having an entire season of playing with one another. For Dallas and Caron Butler, it is a hard injury to cope with, but to their credit, the Mavericks have not made any excuses.

Q.

Is there really an N.B.A. team with the name Oklahoma City Thunder? That sounds like some regional soccer team or minor league AA baseball team!
— Posted by Leonard, New York

A.

J.A.: Leonard, I’m sure there are many people from Oklahoma City, who — like me — can say they were not alive the last time the Knicks won a championship. In all honesty, Oklahoma City, with its college-like atmosphere, is one of the best places to watch an N.B.A. game. If you have the chance to witness it, you won’t be referring to the Thunder as a “regional soccer team.”

Q.

Prospects for Knicks vs. Nets next season … 3 … 2 … 1 … GO!
— Posted by Joseph, Brooklyn, N.Y.

A.

H.B.: That depends on a) the new labor deal, b) the draft, c) free agency and d) any unforeseen trades that are made between now and November. In other words, I’ll get back to you after the lockout is over.

Q.

Do you think the media and basketball poobahs will ever stop hating on the Heat? I root for the Heat now because of that media bias– I would like to see LeBron & Co. make them all eat crow. And I have always found the bias in favor of media-teams like L.A. and N.Y. annoying, too, by the way.
— Posted by A T W, Atlanta

A.

J.A.: Since sarcasm doesn’t translate well in messages, I wanted to make sure you were complimenting basketball reporters. Did you know that Poobah is a character in Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado” bearing the title Lord-High-Everything-Else.

That said, all Miami has to do to turn all the criticism into compliments is win. We poobahs are fickle like that.

Q.

If Chicago outcoaches Miami — which appeared to be the case with Game 1 — will that signal the end for Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra?
— Posted by Odehyah, Brooklyn, N.Y.

A.

H.B.: I’m not sure we can talk about anyone being outcoached after a single game in a seven-game series. And as I’ve pointed out previously, Miami has some holes in the roster that are now being exposed. I’m not sure it makes sense to fire anyone after one year with this group. But if the Heat loses the series, I have no doubt it will be an issue.

Q.

It seems like Dallas has put together a championship team whose time has come: Strong at every position, deep, good chemistry with no really bad apples, a good mix of old pros and younger talent. Doesn’t it look like all the pieces are in place for them?
— Posted by Mackaroo, Charlottesville, Va.

A.

H.B.: The Mavericks are almost overdue to win it all. They’ve won at least 50 games in 11 straight seasons, which is incredible — especially when you consider how strong the Western Conference has been over the last decade. The Mavericks have been the victim of the Spurs’ and Lakers’ dominance. Dirk Nowitzki is one of the greatest players in history, and an underappreciated star. He has rarely had elite talent around him, especially since the Mavericks let Steve Nash walk away. I do think they have a nice blend of talent and toughness now. I expect to see them in the finals.

Q.

Hi Jonathan, I think I am one of the few Knicks fans who are weary about giving Chris Paul a max contract next summer. I understand it is hard to speculate on next summer with the current C.B.A. expiring, but assuming there is a new agreement and there is no mid-level exception, the Knicks would be at the cap with Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and Paul, and would be able to sign players only for the minimum. I would much rather spend the money on getting a rebounding/shot blocking center (DeAndre Jordan/Marc Gasol/Tyson Chandler) and finding solid guard who can defend (Delonte West/Arron Afflalo). I know it is tough to pass on a talent like Paul, but do you think it is wise for the Knicks to use up the rest of their cap space on him?
— Posted by Matt Barbarasch, New York

A.

J.A.: It is really too early to speculate about next summer, especially with the uncertainty of the expiring labor agreement and with the Hornets already trying to talk Paul into an extension. When the C.B.A. is settled, it will probably be radically different than what our debate is now based on. That said, with your guidelines and provided everything is equal, I think it’s the same concerns and dilemma that the Knicks confronted when landing Anthony. Parting with Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari and Timofey Mozgov in acquiring Anthony stripped the Knicks of the core of a team that had surprised many. I do think that if you build around Anthony and Amar’e with the caliber of player you mentioned, it will have the chance to advance far in the playoffs. But Paul is a franchise player at the point guard position who can dictate tempo and feed Stoudemire and Anthony. If the chance is presented to the Knicks, they would probably jump at it. Miami is currently providing the blueprint on whether or not it is the direction to go.