Coach Anthony Macri writes the weekly Coach’s Notebook column for HOOPSWORLD and is the CEO of the ASEAN Basketball League, the first regional professional sports league in Southeast Asia. Coach Macri gets started at his new time of 10am EST every Tuesday.

LA in LA

Coach, tell me how some people can that this Harden trade wasn’t a short term set back for OKC? They traded Harden (who can shoot, plays average D and isn’t a liability, great playmaker, great penetrator, draws fouls) for Martin (great shooter, draws fouls, abysmal D, doesn’t rebound as well, doesn’t really pass, injury prone) and most of those apply to Lamb with addition of having low motor.
Obviously Lamb can outgrow his flaws but for this year I don’t see how exporting scoring, average D, and playmaking for only scoring (short term) equals not taking a step back.

Anthony Macri

Happy Tuesday everybody! I assume that since you’re reading this, you have power. That’s always good. My family back in Virginia is ok, but my parents in NJ are struggling without power or phones. Hoping they get restored in time for the games tonight! It’s finally here – I’m really excited about this season and hope you are too. Lots to talk about, let’s get to it.

Before I answer this question, I must make an announcement of potential bias: Kevin Martin is a friend and longtime client of Coach Thorpe and I have had a lot of interactions and court time with him. I have also helped in whatever meager way I could as he improved his game. With that said, I think many folks are underestimating how completely impossible that team will be to guard, with two of the most efficient wings playing opposite one another. The two Kevins both can shoot from deep, get to the line a ton, and don’t need to constantly possess the ball to be effective. I also think people exaggerate how poor Kevin Martin is on the defensive end vis-a-vis this trade. First of all, having better defenders behind him makes a ton of difference, and secondly, it’s not like Harden is world class anyway. I don’t think it’s as big a step down as you seem to, and I think when you compare how good this team is now vs. how good you thought they were before the trade, does their comparison to LA or San Antonio really change all that much? To me they might be a little worse or about the same, and that won’t make too much of a difference in how they will fare against the top teams in the league.

LA in LA

Also how do you imagine Harden and Lin getting along since both are more effective with the ball?

Anthony Macri

Harden’s presence as a playmaker and more nuanced feel for the game flow will allow Lin to do what he does best: score in the Tony Parker style. I expect Harden to become a bit like Manu in that he can facilitate offense from the wing or the top, handle the ball as necessary, and make it so Tony Parker (Lin) doesn’t have to worry about doing everything else plus score. Imagine Lin set up from the left wing, coming off a ball screen toward the middle, and Harden lifting on the left side and receiving a kickout to drive again toward the middle. I have a good feeling they’ll find a way.

Cain

How about a trade of Granger and Hansbrough to Houston for Parsons, Terrence Jones and Marcus Morris?

Anthony Macri

Why would Indiana do that?

mojart

who do you prefer as your starting shooting guard a healthy eric gordon or james harden (both will play the 82 games schedule) and why?thanks

Anthony Macri

Personally I take Harden for two major reasons. First, I love his feel for the game and the way he utilizes change of speed and just incredible intelligence to make things happen. He is a guy who can lose some of his explosiveness and he can still be extremely effective because of all his nuanced understanding. Secondly, I am a big fan of lefties to really mess with defenders. When all else is equal, I will take lefties a lot of the time.

Aristotle

Hey Coach, so what happens to the games like NY v Brooklyn with the storm that’s occurred? Played on another night or does the season start later or do games get missed till the clean up happens?
Good opportunity to get both teams together and do a charity thing too.

Anthony Macri

I’m sure they won’t make too many decisions on changing game venues / location / dates until after they’ve had a chance to assess the damage and figure out if fans will be able to attend based on prevailing conditions. If they are going to make any changes, I wouldn’t expect an announcement until after around noon today EST.

Alex

I had a quick fantasy question. Should I drop Dirk for Al Horford? He is listed as PF/C and my other big men on my team are Al Jefferson, Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, and Josh Smith.

Anthony Macri

I don’t have any fantasy hoops experience, sorry. I do love Al Horford and I tend to think he will have lots of opportunities this year. Where statistically does your team need the most help, given that is your frontcourt?

The Philippine Eagle

Hi Coach, why are there lots of talented players in the United States than in any other parts of the world? What are yours basketball secrets that makes your players the best internationally? Thanks!

Anthony Macri

We have been playing the game longer, and there is a very rich and comprehensive basketball development infrastructure in the US. Kids start playing at a very young age, and the competition can become very fierce pretty early. That process tends to take a little of the joy out of the game, but it leaves you with some excellent players. I look at a young Filipino like June Mar Fajardo and I think that is a guy who in the US would have received top notch instruction and no shortage in worthwhile competition, and he’d be a high DI player and potentially an NBA pro. As it stands, he’ll probably have a solid maybe even strong PBA career, but not anywhere near the NBA.

Zack Diaz

Good Day Mr. Macri,

Do you think Pat Riley will ever consider trading Lebron James for two Top 15 level talent in the NBA or even two Top 10 level talent? To give you some perspective, according to ESPN’s NBA rank, here are players 2-15.

15. Pau Gasol
14. Blake Griffin
13. Andrew Bynum
12. Rajon Rondo
11. Dirk Nowitzki
10. Deron Williams
09. Russel Westbrook
08. Dwyane Wade (Not qualified)
07. Kevin Love
06. Kobe Bryant
05. Derrick Rose
04. Chris Paul
03. Dwight Howard
02. Kevin Durant

What do you think Lebron James worth is to other GMs?

I know the only possible teams that could do that kind of trade is Lakers, Clippers, and Thunder. But let’s say that wasn’t the case. What is Lebron worth in terms of a trade deal?

Anthony Macri

I can’t imagine anyone giving me a deal where I think it’s a no-brainer. LeBron is almost irreplaceable, both as a talent and as a business entity. If you force me to narrow it down, one way I’d do it is to say the two players could not equal more than a 13 if you combine their above ranked values. So, some trades I’d consider for LeBron would include (2) Kevin Durant & (10) Deron Williams – total 12, or Kevin Love (7) and Derrick Rose (5) – total 12. Does that make sense? If you have your own theories about the above, share it in the comments section below.

Jason M.

What are your thought on Motiejunas? Will he eventually be an above-average starter or simply a strong bench player?

Anthony Macri

I think he can turn into a solid to good starter on a Playoff-caliber team. It may take him some time to adjust to the speed, explosiveness, and the overall athleticism of the game in the US, but there is no reason to think he won’t. Folks who I have talked to think he’s going to be good with seasoning, and I trust their judgment.

Jason M.

Same question for two different rookies. What is the pro ceiling for Will Barton and Draymond Green? These are two of the guys I see as draft steals.

Anthony Macri

I am not as familiar with Draymond Green, so I won’t talk about him too much, but I am a huge Will Barton fan. Will has length and explosive ability that scouts dream about. He seems to have worked on his mentality and decision-making, which were two really big hurdles coming into last year. The real test for Will Barton this early in an NBA season is whether or not he can be impactful in extremely limited minutes (e.g., does he respond well when taken out? Does he help his teammates even in games where he doesn’t play?).

Peter

Hey Coach! Are you gonna wear a fake beard and pretend to be James Harden for Halloween

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