The NBA tips off on Tuesday night. ESPN analysts Mark Jackson and Jeff van Gundy give us their thoughts.
The pair will be part of Sky Sports coverage of the entire season. Play Fantasy NBA here.
JEFF VAN GUNDY: The first question is I put them as definitely a playoff team. If they traded for someone as talented as Butler is then I would put them in that next group. The one thing about Miami I think Miami has more, they have like stuff you can count on, depth, great defence, move the ball, they just arenâ€
t as talented as the teams you mentioned in that other tier. So could they get there? Yeah. I would feel better about their chances if they made an impactful trade. And as far as would I do it, you know, obviously everything, you donâ€
t, you have to know the specifics of a trade to say I would or wouldnâ€
t do a specific thing. But the idea to trade for Jimmy Butler, yeah, I like that idea for Miami.
MARK JACKSON: I think thatâ€
s the hundred thousand dollar question. Itâ€
s not Jimmy Butler today and what heâ€
s worth, itâ€
s, if you give him that extension, at 34 years old, making that kind of money, it can really handcuff your franchise and those are the tough decisions that you boil it down to, whether the trade is worth it or not. But heâ€
s certainly a heck of a basketball player and heâ€
s going to help them today. That really makes it tough and if I was a general manager I would try to meet somewhere halfway where Iâ€
m not paying that kind of money when heâ€
s 34 years old.
Jeff, your thoughts?
JEFF VAN GUNDY: Yeah, Iâ€
m not at all convinced that every team, like Miami, Iâ€
m not convinced that they would do that. Iâ€
m not convinced, like people would say, well, Houston did it for Chris Paul, but I think Houston, two things, Houston was, is and was closer to a championship than Miami and secondarily I think Chris Paul is going to go down as one of the all-time greats. So Iâ€
m not convinced that every team that will trade or the team that ultimately trades for Jimmy Butler will feel necessary to give him five years. I really do think there will be negotiations. I think the only team thatâ€
s committed to paying him five years right now would be the team that has him.
MARK JACKSON: I think their impact has been outstanding. The talent of all three of those guys, especially led by Ben Simmons, I think heâ€
s a generational talent, what he does on the basketball floor. He came with expectations on him from day one and he has not disappointed and continues to get better and better. I thought he had an outstanding year last year and heâ€
s going to build on it. Exum is about being healthy, playing very well, I expect a great season from him being healthy and whole. Tremendous size, tremendous athletic ability. And then in a great system. And with Ingles, he just knows how to play. Dangerous player. Smart player. I remember him starting with the Clippers and having an opportunity and now in Utah, thatâ€
s a heck of a basketball team. I really think Utah and Philadelphia, out of those, both of those teams are more than capable of advancing in the Playoffs and having long rubs. Theyâ€
re that good.
JEFF VAN GUNDY: Yeah, I want to echo what Mark said about Exum. I really donâ€
t know very much about him. His time in the NBA has been so choppy due to injury itâ€
s hard to see all that heâ€
s capable of doing. Hopefully this is the year that he can be healthy and play along, productive year. I love Joe I think else. I think Joe I think else is a tremendous glue player, terrific shooter, passer, defender, what a pickup by Utah and I know the Clippers regret waiving him back a few years ago. Ben Simmons, everyone wants to focus on what bench Simmons canâ€
t do, which is shoot and try to rush him into being a range shooter. And I think Simmons and Philly has done a good job in focusing on what he does great versus what he doesnâ€
t do as well. And I think thatâ€
s hard to do with all the critiques that you get as a player, but I think itâ€
s been very wise by both Simmons and Philly. I think Utah is the third best team in the West and I think Philly, everybody talks Toronto, they talk Boston as the top two teams in the East, but if Philly plays well they donâ€
t have to take a back seat to anyone.
Do you think any of them can knock over the Warriors?
JEFF VAN GUNDY: No.
How important is it overall to the league that Chicago have some sort of resurgence and where are the Bulls on route to that?
MARK JACKSON: I think obviously the league is at its best when these big market teams are relevant and good. We remember those days. I think Chicago is a young, talented team headed in the right direction and I think Eastern Conference theyâ€
re more than capable of being a playoff team when healthy and whole. So it will be interesting to see, I think theyâ€
re close, but itâ€
s no secret that the league is at its best when these teams in major markets are playing good, solid basketball and theyâ€
re relevant.
JEFF VAN GUNDY: For me itâ€
s amazing to me how viewership of TV and all of that has been so great when the Lakers have been bad for a while, the Knicks have struggled, the Nets have really struggled, and Chicago over the last couple years has been in a down turn. To me itâ€
s been, itâ€
s fascinating how the NBA popularity is still growing. And then I think from Chicagoâ€
s standpoint I think they have made some good moves and thereâ€
s some moves that you have to wait and see. Will the Zach LaVine contract prove to be a great decision? Lauri Markkanen looks to be a terrific player. So that looks to be a good draft choice. I think Bobby Portis has outperformed where he has drafted, he continues to be a really good sixth man candidate and so I think they have done some really good things and some things you just have to wait and see, but the one thing is, rebuilding is hard and itâ€
s hard to get good again. We have seen that with Chicago in the past after Jordan, they thought it was going to be quick and it was absolutely painful.
Even with their best player on the shelf indefinitely do you think Knicks fans should be optimistic about the right leadership being in place now, president, GM, coach? Do you think they are headed in the right direction or at least have the guys that can point them that way?
JEFF VAN GUNDY: Iâ€
ve always thought the coaches have been good, all right? I mean, so much of the coaches, how well you do is based strictly on the roster. So I think David Fizdaleâ€
s very good, and if he has a good roster, they will have a good team. If he has a mediocre roster, they will have a mediocre team. So I donâ€
t look at it as like changing coaches is the most important part to improvement. I think who picks the players is absolutely critical to your success or lack of success. And they have had some spotty things go on in the last three, four years, whatever it is, as far as picking players, both in the draft and free agent. So right now I donâ€
t think you can expect them to have a quick fix. Porzingisâ€
s health and improvement, itâ€
s not just his health, heâ€
s got to get better to be a best player on a really good team. And then they have to supplement their talent. When you look on the floor right now even if they had Porzingis, Knox has got a chance, but like you look at their team, theyâ€
re just not a talented team. Now I like Kanter, I think he was a tremendous trade, Iâ€
m interested to see if they can sign him or will sign him. But I think heâ€
s a very good player, but their back court needs some shoring up.
MARK JACKSON: I think Eastern Conference after you look at the top teams that obviously will make the Playoffs and have home court, I think it boils down, looking at the rest of the conference, which teams are committed, which teams defend at a high level, which teams donâ€
t take nights or possessions off, and those teams will have an opportunity to sneak.
JEFF VAN GUNDY: The Playoffs. Thatâ€
s been proven. Thereâ€
s clearly some teams that are better than the other ones in the East but you play hard, you compete, you defend and you buy in, and the Knicks are one of those teams. They have an opportunity to show growth and be chasing a playoff spot.
Two part question. The first one being San Antonio Spurs, they had a really tough season, now looking ahead of this season what impact will they have, if any at all and what players do you think will be stand out players this season. And then also why is it important for the NBA to collaborate with people like the Euro League when it comes to the global basketball globally, especially looking at talent like Luka coming to the league and making an impact straight away so far in the Summer League.
MARK JACKSON: I think the Spurs, I think they will be the Spurs. We expect them to play hard, compete, win ball games. I expect them to be balanced for home court. You look at that roster and you look at the age and you say how, but we have been saying that for quite awhile. Pop finds away to get the best out of his guys, theyâ€
re a talented team, they added some youth. I think DeAndre at the point guard position hurts them. I expect White to be back soon and I expect him to be playing great basketball when he does come back. And I expect the Spurs also to be on the hunt for help at the point guard position until he comes back to add depth. But thatâ€
s a team thatâ€
s talented, they know how to win, they know how to defend. I think Rudy Gay will have a very good year for them. I thought last year he was bouncing back from injury but I think this year heâ€
ll play more minutes and show his true versatility. As far as your second question, I didnâ€
t really hear it all but this is truly a worldwide league. They have done a great job of getting talent from all across this world and not just talent just to be sitting object the end of the bench, but home run talent. And itâ€
s exciting to see and a great time for the league.
JEFF VAN GUNDY: Last year the Spurs won 47 Kawhi Leonard only played nine games, I believe. And so I think by getting DeRozan and getting Poltl for Leonard, I think thatâ€
s a huge upgrade from where they were last year without Leonard. So I think offensively they will be fine. I think defensively losing Leonard and losing Danny Green and losing Kyle Anderson, I think thereâ€
s going to be some struggles there on some nights. With Murray hurt and Derrick White hurt, their top two point guards are kind of converting a smallish two guard in Bryn Forbes to the starting point guard, Iâ€
m interested to see how that works, because heâ€
s a very, very good shooter. But I think like Mark, even though they have some defensive question marks, I have no doubt that theyâ€
re going to play hard, smart, and together. When you do that in the NBA with the goal being about the team versus about the individuals, you can overcome at times more talented teams that arenâ€
t as committed to doing things together. As far as the European players or the non-Americans, to me itâ€
s not just the Europeans, as Mark mentioned, there are players all over the world now and our league is so much better for going out there and finding the very best players worldwide because their skill level, their talent and as important their commitment to the team make the NBA a better place.
JEFF VAN GUNDY: Iâ€
m not sure how James would consider it a success. To me all a player or a team can do is play as hard as they can together with a level of intelligence. The other teams have an impact on how many games you win. So Iâ€
m not sure how he would consider it a success. But as a coach thatâ€
s how, if I was coaching him, thatâ€
s how would I consider it a success. Did we give what we had to the process. I think as far as Golden State, if you gave me, hey, you can take the field or you can bet Golden State, I would bet Golden State. I was shooter they would win last year until there was 20 games to go. Then I thought Houston would get them and I still think they would have if Paul hadnâ€
t gotten hurt, but going into this year, if Golden State is into it and which they really werenâ€
t last year in the regular season and still won 58 games, if theyâ€
re into it, theyâ€
re by far the best team with the best talent and will win.
MARK JACKSON: To answer your second question first, Golden State is the clear-cut favorite. Iâ€
m in agreement with Jeff. I do think in this league anything can happen so thereâ€
s some teams in the Western Conference, if clicking right, if healthy — injuries plays a role not just for the Warriors but throughout this league, so that can play a part in it. But the Warriors are the clear-cut favorite. To answer the LeBron part, I think itâ€
s about the improvement that the Lakers show. The continuing to develop, I think the goal is to win a championship like there is a handful of teams in this league. You have the best player in the world, thatâ€
s the goal. Is it realistic? Iâ€
m not sure. But to show improvement, to show growth, and itâ€
s a win already because the Lakers are once again relevant, now itâ€
s about developing winning habits and progressing towards that march.
MARK JACKSON: Well, to me itâ€
s just about continuing to put the time in and become a better shooter and he has already. Heâ€
s shown an incredible talent, heâ€
s shown an incredible commitment to competing at a high level and Iâ€
m sure heâ€
s going to become a better shooter. I think you can nitpick as a coach orphan and say what a guy canâ€
t do as opposed to look at the great way he impacts the game and puts you in position to win night in and night out. So I wouldnâ€
t overreact to it. They surrounded him with great shooting last year they still have very good shooting this year and I think itâ€
s, you know, that team was a call away from winning on the road in the Playoffs. I wouldnâ€
t over react. Theyâ€
re in great position and the futureâ€
s awfully bright.
MARK JACKSON: Itâ€
s going to have an impact, without question. We have already seen that. Itâ€
s awfully tough to have situations like they are having right now and not allow it to impact your team. So thatâ€
s the concern. Theyâ€
re still talented enough to win games, but it wears on you. I think the quicker they make a decision the better off they will be down the road moving forward. Will it hurt Jimmy Butler? I think it has hurt him to an extent thus far, but at the end of the day you win in this league with talent, without question heâ€
s a high level talent in this league, and someone will benefit from his presence in the lineup. But it does wear on you as a basketball team and the concern is will this mess up the Timberwolves growth from last year and their development moving forward.
JEFF VAN GUNDY: I agree with Mark. I think itâ€
s had a huge negative impact on Minnesota already. If you look at their performance in the preseason itâ€
s been overwhelmingly poor. I think theyâ€
re caught in a quandary. I donâ€
t think people are giving them good trade options. Theyâ€
re trying to bully them into taking a bad deal. If they get that that would set their franchise back years. If they keep him and heâ€
s not all in, which he seemingly is not, from what you hear, then that too is a bad option. So to me right now they have, they donâ€
t have any good options on the table, unless somebody comes up and decides from what Iâ€
ve read about these offers, right, to make a reasonable offer. The offers Iâ€
ve seen in the papers, again I donâ€
t know how true they are, but theyâ€
re certainly under whelming.
JEFF VAN GUNDY: As far as Gallinari I think heâ€
s paired with a good forward in with the Clippers in Tobias Harris, theyâ€
re both more three-four men, like small forwards and power forwards, which is an incredibly important position. I think Gallinari is so big that he, offensively, poses such matchup problems for their opponents, so I thinkâ€
s terrific offensive player when healthy. I just think that unfortunately injuries have been a struggle and he has some defensive challenges, but offensively terrific player that youâ€
re right, I think will morph more into a power forward as he plays longer and longer than at the small forward position due to his lateral quickness challenges but heâ€
s a very good player.
MARK JACKSON: To answer your question about Coach Brown I did read something recently where he was coming back home for health issues just for some surgery, just thinking about him and praying for him and hope everything is fine. But everybody that knows him knows that heâ€
s a lifer as far as a basketball coach and a basketball mind. It was a privilege for me to play for him a couple of times. Heâ€
s a Hall of Famer. Heâ€
s a class act thatâ€
s passionate about the game of basketball and has a gift to be able to teach the game. So I think it keeps him young and I think itâ€
s a benefit for anybody that has the privilege of having Larry Brown be their head coach.
 Do you think the Clippers have enough to make a run to the Playoffs and also what do you think are the different tiers with regards to the Eastern and Western Conference?
MARK JACKSON: I think theyâ€
re a team that can be — theyâ€
re a sleeper team. They have veteran guys, they have an outstanding coach, they have added pieces, they play extremely hard, theyâ€
re versatile and they have the ability to defend and make plays around the floor. They can score at different positions. So I think that they have an opportunity to be a playoff team. I would not be surprised. Building off of their preseason I like the way that they have played, they have experienced success, it will be very interesting to see when the lights are on if they can continue to progress. But I see them as a team thatâ€
s more than capable of making it in the Playoffs.
JEFF VAN GUNDY: I echo that, I think the Clippers, I like how they play, they play with great energy, passion, I like their team. Whether that translates into being a playoff team, itâ€
s hard to say due to how many good teams there are Western conference.
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