ESPN

J.A. Adande

  (3:01 PM)

Hi folks. I'm at ESPN headquarters in Bristol. They always keep you busy back here, so it'll be an abbreviated chat. Let's get to it.

Mike D, Oregon

Brandon Roy = dark horse MVP. Yay or nay?

J.A. Adande

  (3:02 PM)

Like Chris Paul last year, Roy will have to keep his team in contention for the West's best record for him to get serious consideration. They're not there yet. It's still LeBron's award to lose right now

Lucy, Indianapolis, IN formerly Burlington, IA

You commented that Iowa shouldn't be in the Outback Bowl because they were beat by Northwestern. What about Iowa beating Penn St. if that's your theory? We all know the BCS is a joke, so there's no point finding any reasoning.

J.A. Adande

  (3:06 PM)

You can still follow logical procedures. Penn State had a better record than Iowa. . Oregon State beat USC, but didn't finish with a better record in the conference, so USC should go to the Rose Bowl. Head-to-head should be the first tiebreaker, not the be-all, end-all. You don't hear anyone arguing that Cleveland should be going to the playoffs instead of the New York Giants, right? No, because the NFL makes sense.

Lance (New York, N.Y.)

I shudder to think of what would happen if Cuttino Mobley never got that physical from the trade. I feel relieved that he caught it before he could have suffered a fate like Reggie Lewis. I ask you, Mr. Adande, what happens now?

J.A. Adande

  (3:08 PM)

Hopefully Cuttino goes through the rest of his life without collapsing from too much exertion and stress on his heart...It is scary to think that he's had this condition all along, playing starters' minutes in the NBA. But sometimes there's just no warning. I'm reminded of Pete Maravich's last words after he played a pickup basketball game: "I feel great." Then he turned around, collapsed and died from a heart ailment he'd had all his life.

Jason (OH-IO)

With the recent injuries to Boobie Gibson and Z, the Cavs' depth is going to be tested. Do you think this will prompt Ferry to make a move for a backup 2 or 4 and, if so, which do you think is more important?

J.A. Adande

  (3:09 PM)

If I'm Ferry I'm not panicking right now, getting desperate for a temporary fix when the overall product was working. He wouldn't be dealing from a position of strength right now, anyway.

Ronny (Detroit, Michigan)

hey J.A. will the Detroit Pistons ever improve with this trade

J.A. Adande

  (3:11 PM)

I'd give it some time before I call the trade a complete failure. I talked to Joe Dumars yesterday and he made the point that they're a) getting used to playing without Chauncey, b) getting used to playing with Iverson and c) playing for a new coach. Any one of those would be tough on its own. They're going through all three simultaneously. Check by in February and see where they're at.

dave ,dc

Kind of funny to have juwan howard with mj in charlotte......maybe im feeling nostalgic but he maybe mj can give rod strickland and mitch richmond a call too

J.A. Adande

  (3:12 PM)

Sounds like a true old-school wizards/bullets fan. Which by definition should be preceded by the term "long-suffering."

John Redmond (Frisco, TX)

I want to start a movement to get an 'exhibition' game between the two best teams in NCAA football....Florida vs Texas. We can make it a fund-raising event for some big charity...it is Jimmy V week, I am sure you can make some calls to get this ball rolling.

J.A. Adande

  (3:15 PM)

We already have an "exhibition" showdown...florida vs. Oklahoma. That's all college football is: a pageant. It's not like these two "championship game" participants were selected strictly by on-field achievements. And remember a few years ago when someone offered big money to have LSU play USC to "un-split" the national championship. Of course the NCAA wouldn't sanction it, because it wouldn't have complete control. College football is a bigger joke than ever.

Adam (Chicago)

The Bulls are young, and have some talent, but it seems to me that the only guys that are going to be there long term (when they become a serrious contender) are Rose and Deng. What do they need to do to get better?

J.A. Adande

  (3:16 PM)

They still need a low-post scorer, to go with more accurate jump shooters. It would be fun to see what Rose could do playing alongside a guy like Chris Bosh. Unfortunately they haven't given themselves the cap flexibility to choose their own free agent fate.

SprungOnSports (Long Island)

With the Spurs coming back to form with perhaps even more depth than in previous years, how big of a threat are they in the west?

J.A. Adande

  (3:18 PM)

I still want to see how they hold up over the long haul. They were a tired-looking team in the Western Conference finals last year. What will their legs be like if they get through a couple of rounds this season?

Jimbo (BOston)

How good have the Celtics been! Surely, you must have thought that we'd be slower out of the gate, especially without posey?

J.A. Adande

  (3:20 PM)

I watched them last night and loved their demeanor. Very businesslike. That's what I think has carried them to this start. They're not like some defending champions that just feel entitled and start coasting. I think they learned so much from their championship run that they don't need Posey anymore.

Devin Harris (NJ)

I'm 10th...10TH!!!...in the East All-Star Guard voting. That's all.

J.A. Adande

  (3:22 PM)

don't worry, the coaches will take care of you

Nick (NJ)

If the Nets make the playoffs as a #5/6 seed, doesn't Devin Harris HAVE win the MVP? The Nets were picked by most to finish among the worst in the league.

J.A. Adande

  (3:25 PM)

I think that would get Lawrence Frank the coach of the year, but not get Harris the MVP. Coach of Year usually goes to the head o the team that exceeds the media's expectations the most (a make-up call). But to me the MVP is someone who gets his squad into championship contention, not just the playoffs.

MikeD, Oregon.

Boozer seems to be dragging this injury along - is he just waiting for the summer when he can leave Utah? Doesn't this behavior hurt his value?

J.A. Adande

  (3:30 PM)

I'm not saying he's just coasting till free agency...but I will say that when Horace Grant was with the Bulls in 94 his owner accused him of faking injuries and illness, but it didn't stop the Magic from making Grant the highest paid power forward in the NBA. If someone wants Boozer, they'll be willing to spend to get him. What would hurt his value in my mind would be his performance in the playoffs against the Lakers. Very disappointing.

Ryan (Mass)

J.A. - Do you think the Eastern Conference champ will depend on who gets the #1 seed? Do you see either Cleveland or Boston being able to win the series if the other has home court?

J.A. Adande

  (3:32 PM)

Yes for Cleveland, no for Boston. I think the Celtics are ready to win a series even if they start on the road. They took a step when they closed out the Pistons in Detroit. Reminds me of the three-peat Lakers. No way they win the first championship in 2000 without homecourt throughout the playoffs. But by the next year they were able to sweep the Spurs despite playing the first 2 on the road.

Rachel (NY)

Who is the best team in the NBA right now - the Celts, Cavs or Lakers?

J.A. Adande

  (3:32 PM)

Celtics. Especially with Cleveland slightly detoured with the injuries

Miles (Detroit)

Do you think Houston should trade T-Mac? The dude's always hurt.

J.A. Adande

  (3:34 PM)

I'd let this season play out. This is the best supporting cast he's had yet. If it doesn't happen this time, (by it I mean a deep playoff run) then it might not happen at all. You figure the Lakers and Portland, at the very least, will still be standing in Houston's way here in T-Mac's prime years. Hard to imagine Houston getting past both of them consistently over the next few years.

Craig (PA)

Did you say the Celtics are business like? Never in my business dealings has our best worker barked on the floor on all fours to taunt a competitor or made one of his own co-workers cry, what about you?

J.A. Adande

  (3:35 PM)

Do you do most of your business with people who are wearing shorts and tank tops, too? Everything's relative.

Josh (Knoxville, TN)

I dunno, JA. Had, as Brent Barry's would say, the Spurs had Manu and not just "Ma" they would've looked a lot better in the WCF. Either way, Mason and Hill are big upgrades over Barry and Vaughn. Seems to me non-Duncan, frontcourt performance is a bigger factor than stamina.

J.A. Adande

  (3:38 PM)

Will we get the full Manu again though? That's the biggest issue. He's their most important player. Remember, they got off to a sluggish start without him even before Parker went down. I need to see him hold up for the duration.

Ari Gold (Entourage)

Tell Craig I make my co-workers cry all the time.

Mike ( FL)

How's Lamar Odom taking coming off the bench? Will he be traded soon?

J.A. Adande

  (3:41 PM)

He's adapting to it, but they need to adapt to him. Since he's often on the court without Kobe, and is usually the second tallest Laker out there, why not send him down to the low post and let him operate there the way he did with Miami? That was the best he's ever been in his career, but right now he looks like he's losing focus out there because he's not as involved in the offense as he should be

Derrick (Cleveland, Ohio)

Would you rather see a Cavs Lakers finals or a Celtics Lakers finals? Which one do you think David Stern would prefer?

J.A. Adande

  (3:44 PM)

Since we just had Lakers-Celtics, I'd like to see something new with Cavs-Lakers (which, of course, means Kobe and LeBron). I wonder which would be higher rated. For all of LeBron's visibility it hasn't always translated into attraction to viewers. He couldn't carry the ratings on his own in the Finals against ratings-killing Spurs. Kobe and the Lakers would bring their usual viewers, Boston showed it can bring people to the TV sets, but would LeBron be able to match that? Competitively, I think Lakers-Cavs would be better, too, because the way both teams are playing now the Celtics would take out the Lakers in 5.

Jon (Mad-town)

Do you agree with Hollinger that Kerr fleeced the Bobcats by getting J-Richardson? Can he help the Suns have fub again?

J.A. Adande

  (3:46 PM)

I don't think it's a fleecing because I'm not sure how J-Rich fits in with the Suns. And it means another adjustment for a team that's already adjusting to a new coach. The concern in Phoenix right now is how invested Nash will feel. He seems really down about the direction the team has taken. Will he snap out of it or should they just go ahead and deal him now ahead of his free agency?

Lance (New York, N.Y.)

I've been fumbling with this question so I need your take. Which is the better starting lineup introduction, last year's Celtics or the Bulls of the 1990's?

J.A. Adande

  (3:47 PM)

Bulls in the 90s, easily. I've been in the arena for both now, and I can tell you I used to get goose bumps when the lights went out in Chicago Stadium and "Eye in the Sky" started up.

Laws cincinnati ohio [via mobile]

Do you think greg oden will ever be an impact player? And if so what style of basketball will he be the most effective at..?

J.A. Adande

  (3:48 PM)

Perhaps he could be an impact player the way Ben Wallace was an impact player on defense. But offensively he isn't giving the Blazers much right now. He was a non-factor at that end of the court against Utah last night.

Scott (Santa Barbara, CA)

Why won't the Clips fire Dunleavy? He's got no control over the team and the don't play for him. You can't fire the entire team. Bring on Mark Jackson.

J.A. Adande

  (3:49 PM)

As Terrell Owens' former publicist would say, they have $17 million reasons not to fire him.

J.A. Adande

  (3:49 PM)

Ok, I have to run. Thanks for coming by. See you next week.