Covering all things NBA from the city of Dallas, join HOOPSWORLD NBA Writer Derek Page for his weekly chat this Saturday at 5:00 pm EST. Shoot your questions in now.

Cain

Hey, how good do you think Paul George will be this season? I love Granger but I think that George needs to be playing SF to be at his best.

Derek Page

Welcome to another edition of my weekly chat NBA fans. Preseason basketball is in full swing and I don’t know about you guys but I’m ready for the real thing to get started. Plenty of quality questions on tap so let’s get to it!

At just 22-years old, there’s no doubt George’s best basketball days are ahead of him. I’d expect the third year player to continue to build on the strides he made last season in an increased role. I think George plays well at either position and his athleticism and size at 6-8 make him a tough matchup at shooting guard.

Cain

How do you think Lillard will play this year? How good will he be in 3-4years? Can Monta and Brandon work for Bucks?

Derek Page

From everything I’ve seen and heard about Damian Lillard, he has all the makings of a superstar and I think he’ll be an All Star in a few years if all goes right. Not sure about the Ellis and Jennings pairing in Milwaukee. Both need the ball in their hands and, obviously, there’s only one basketball to go around.

Andrew C

Derek, what do you make of the new addition to the Spurs backcourt, Colo? What do you think he can progress to offense wise? From the little i’ve seen, i’m thinking Dragic more than Ginobili. Thoughts?

Derek Page

Honestly, I haven’t seen much of Nando de Colo so far. From what I’ve heard though, he has a lot of tools NBA scouts salivate over as a combo guard. It’s going to be tough to get minutes right off the bat but, given San Antonio’s track record in the Euro-department, he could be special with some pro seasoning.

LA in LA

We’ve already had the summer of Lebron, and Lakers were involved in the Dwightmare all year, particularly the summer though. Let’s just kill this Lebron to LA thing and accept no superstars are moving this year. Can’t we just focus on the summer of Al Jefferson, Millsap, and Josh Smith lol?

Derek Page

Don’t forget Chris Paul. He’ll be a free agent in the summer of 2013 as well… but I agree. It tends to get ridiculous over the summer on slow news days. Seems like more people are interested in free agents and possible trade targets than who actually wins the final game of an NBA season.

T.J. Wilson

Where do you see Iman Shumpert in the next 3 to 5 years as far as development is concerned? If he can stay healthy, do you see him growing to be a more valuable player for the Knicks? The guy has alot of potential to be better than what he already is in my opinion…..he was a steal. Also, did Lebron James also play football in high school because the guy is built like a linebacker.

Derek Page

He’s a pretty athletic dude, great defender. I think NY’s hope is that he becomes a legit contributor which isn’t exactly a reach considering what he showed this past season… Yes LBJ did play HS football and he was a top WR prospect. All-State as a matter of fact.

Devonte

Do you think josh Selby will get cut or is he definitely sticking with Memphis?

Derek Page

Judging by the Grizzlies’ willingness to let OJ Mayo go and his performance in the summer league, I think Selby should be a lock to make the Memphis roster.

Devonte

Why can’t Raymond Felton, j.r. Smith or Jason Kidd be traded yet?

Derek Page

Because they just signed with NY and there is a grace period before a free agent signing can be traded. Not sure off the top of my head how long that is though. But here’s a good reference: http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm

Mr. Ballistik

Which current NBA player do you think has done the most with the least? Which player does done the least with the most?

I would pick Ben Wallace for one and Rasheed for the other.

Derek Page

Most with the least? All of these guys are pretty talented if they make it to the main stage… How about Muggsy Bogues? Shortest player to ever play the game and was still one of the leagues best PG’s… Least with the most? There’s been a lot of draft busts… How about Michael Olowokandi. Had all the tools but just couldn’t put it all together on the NBA level during his 9 year NBA career.

Devonte

The Knicks have 2 great players in Carmelo and amare the Knicks are one good guard away from being a complete team. Demar derozan can fit in to their system scoring playin defense and helping us in transition. Demar derozan for j.r. Smith and iman shumpert

Derek Page

Do you still consider Amar’e Stoudemire to be a great player? Good, maybe but great is certainly debatable. Not sure Toronto goes for that trade offer. DeRozan looks like he’s on the verge of breaking out in a big way.

Mr. Ballistik

Rumor has it that Dallas is targeting Harden. Let us assume that Harden becomes a FA. Can Dallas build around him? Would they be foolish to offer him a max contract?

Derek Page

That’s a difficult question to answer… before last season’s NBA Finals, Harden looked like a lock to get a max contract but now that’s not necessarily set in stone. For me, I don’t think Harden is good enough to put next to Dirk Nowitzki over the next couple of seasons and be championship contenders. Although, when you look at some of the guys that got max deals this past summer…

Sean Wasson

Do you believe that Boston has the deepest backcourt in the NBA?

Derek Page

It would be hard to argue against that point, Sean. Jason Terry, Rajon Rondo, Courtney Lee and Avery Bradley are all supremely talented in their own way with Bradley and Rondo being the best and brightest of the bunch. All four are NBA starters in terms of talent.

Mando

with Lakers new lineup and new bench, i see them having a 68 win season, sweep through the wcf, beat the thunder 4-2′ then beat the heat/Celtics 4-2 in the nba finals. what you think? #LakersNation

Derek Page

It’s tough to disagree with that assessment. If they stay healthy, the Lakers are going to be extremely difficult to beat. I think OKC and Miami fans would vehemently disagree that LA could dispatch their respective teams in 6 games. Hard not to see those series going 7.

stupid questions

1. Would you consider rudy gay a franchise player?
2. Do you think Brooklyn would have been better if they would have gotten LA instead of gerald wallace. Cause honestly he isnt worth the 6th pick in ANY draft.
3. Dallas is in trouble with out dirk. Do you expect Mayo to do all the work. you know like 20 pts, 5 assists and rebounds?

Derek Page

1. Not right now. Still has much to prove to earn that distinction and remaining healthy on a consistent basis is a key aspect of that.
2. Aldridge wasn’t on the table but yes that was a complete rip on the part of the Blazers.
3. With the depth the Mavs feature, it will be a concerted effort but yes expect Mayo and Kaman to do the heavy lifting in Dirk’s absence. Dallas will be fine though, even if Dirk misses the first couple of months (he’s expected to miss all of November for sure).

KG

What an off season for the Celtics. What do you think of the moves they have made and do you think they will be able to beat the Miami Heat in the ECFs?

Derek Page

I think beating them is a possibly, sure. Not a likely one though. However, with all of the bad blood between these two teams and Ray Allen’s exodus to Miami – that would be a highly entertaining series to watch. Wouldn’t count Boston out but HEAT still have clear talent advantage when healthy.

Ro-Star

G’day from down under d page! I’m looking for a fantasy league to join but nba fantasy not big in Aus. Any ideas?

Derek Page

Yahoo.com has the best, in my opinion. Not huge on NBA fantasy though but I know the different apps and that’s my favorite.

Kurt

How well will. The Jazz do this year? Is Favors going to be a future all star?

Derek Page

Derrick Favors has all the tools, he just needs the playing time which is going to be tough. Jazz look solid again this season, not sure if they are good enough for a playoff berth in the brutal West though.

Devonte

What about tyreke Evans the kings need a shut down defender and a young talent they could get that in iman shumpert and throw in j.r. To sweeten the deal?

Derek Page

That’s interesting… it depends on how much the Knicks value Evans. That’s another dude that needs to ball in his hands to succeed though and NY might already have one too many of those type of players.

Mike

How do you see the Kyle Lowry/ Jose Calderon situation playing out? Lowry really sticks out on film… how many mpg for each?

Derek Page

It’s an interesting dynamic, to say the least. Both point guards are proven distributors with Lowry holding an advantage as the all around player. Judging by the last few preseason games, Lowry will start but Calderon will get a similar amount of minutes coming off the bench. Best PG tandem in the NBA for sure.

That’s all for today friends. Catch me again next week. Holler at me on Twitter

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Being a top-five pick in the NBA Draft doesn’t guarantee a player anything in this league. Talent and potential can only get you so far before you have to produce and prove your worth as an NBA player.

Many times, the road of a top pick is filled with pitfalls and potholes that could seal the end of a career in this league. After two years with the Minnesota Timberwolves, new Phoenix Suns offseason acquisitions Michael Beasley and Wesley Johnson could be at a crucial point in their young NBA careers.

“I think we have some talented guys,” Suns head coach Alvin Gentry said. “Obviously, you look at some of the guys we’re talking about: Michael Beasley was the second pick in the draft, Wesley Johnson was the fourth. We have to try and get those guys to that level of where they were drafted. They’ve had their moments, but I think consistency has been the problem they run into.”

While each has shown flashes of being solid contributors in this league, both have much to prove heading into their first season with the Suns. In both Beasley’s and Johnson’s favor is that the Suns organization is focused on moving forward and not looking back at past mistakes.

“That’s what we’re hoping and what we’re preaching is that you have a chance to redeem yourself and rectify anything that may have been a negative in the past,” Gentry said. “I told them, the legacy that we have, that started on the first day of training camp, was moving forward. We’re not looking back, we’re not speaking of anything of where they were last year or what they did. You get to come here on a clean slate and move forward from there. That’s really the way that we’re approaching the whole season and I think we’ve been very competitive from a practice standpoint, because we’re pretty deep at all the positions, so the practices have been pretty intense.”

After averaging a career-high 19.2 points per game in 72 starts for the Timberwolves in 2011, Beasley regressed this past season in Minnesota. The 2008 second overall pick primarily came off the bench for the T-Wolves last year, starting just seven games in what was his worst pro season. In 2012, Beasley averaged career-lows across the board in points (11.5), shooting percentage (44.5 percent) and rebounds (4.4).

“In Michael’s case, the teams that he’s been with, obviously he’s had some bright spots,” Gentry said. “He’s averaged 19 points in this league, you got to be a pretty good player to do that. So I think with him, what we’re trying to search and find is the consistency of doing that night in and night out.”

When listening to Beasley discuss the next situation with Phoenix, it’s apparent that he’s ready to leave his experiences in Minnesota behind and to move on with the Suns. There’s little doubt that Beasley is taking a me-against-the-world mental approach heading into the new season.

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Every Sunday, HOOPSWORLD’s analysts weigh in on an NBA-related topic. Get in on the debate by leaving your thoughts in the comment section. Here’s this week’s Sunday Topic.

It’s easy to predict the top-tier teams entering the 2012-13 season. The Miami HEAT, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are elite and expected to go deep in the playoffs. Predicting a sleeper team is more difficult. Every year, there’s at least one team that exceeds expectations and surprises everyone. Which team will fill that role this season? HOOPSWORLD’s analysts give their prediction:

“Which team is the biggest sleeper entering the 2012-13 season?”

“Toronto Raptors. After a busy summer, the Raptors enter this season with high expectations. The message coming out of Toronto is that this team is much better than last year’s squad, which won 23 games, and that making the playoffs is a realistic goal.

The Raptors bring back their core from last season while adding key contributors such as Kyle Lowry, Landry Fields, Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross.

Dealing a first-round pick for Lowry was a steal for Toronto. It may have been the most underrated acquisition of the summer. Lowry was exceptional last year, playing at an All-Star level for the Houston Rockets prior to missing games due to a bacterial infection. He’s one of the best defensive point guards in the league. On the offensive end, he’s improving as a shooter and he’ll make his teammates much better with his excellent court vision. He’s also great at drawing fouls and he’s statistically the best rebounding point guard in the league. Lowry is a difference maker. Not to mention, he’s already emerging as a leader in Toronto, which the Raptors desperately needed.

The Raptors are much better with Lowry running the team and they still have Jose Calderon, who will either be an exceptional sixth man or an attractive trade chip that Toronto can move for another contributor prior to the trade deadline.

If Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan can take the next step in their development, Toronto should be able to grab the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Bargnani showed glimpses of brilliance last year and, if he can stay healthy, he seems poised for a breakout season. DeRozan regressed last season, but he’s expected to step up and produce in a contract year.

The Raptors are flying under the radar entering the season, but they could end up being the biggest sleeper in the league. They have plenty of talent and if they can mesh under head coach Dwane Casey, this team should be able to exceed expectations and make the playoffs for the first time since 2007-08.

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