KP2 Chat

by Ben Golliver on Apr 9, 2009 9:13 AM PDT

Just a quick note before I head over to the Nike Hoop Summit Team USA practice...the beloved Kevin Pelton is having a chat over on Basketball Prospectus today. Here's the link. It starts at 10AM Pacific.

The last few weeks, you might have noticed that roughly 99.99999 percent of the articles KP2 has written about the NBA have been about the Blazers. Yet, with each passing article his desire to make it known that he is not a "Blazer Homer" a "Blazer Fanatic" or a "Blazermaniac" has only increased.

As of this writing, KP2 is parading around Seattle with a megaphone, assuring the locals that he hasn't taken up with the enemy.

If you're like me, you want good people on our team. So here's what I'm asking you to do: please swarm KP2's chat with intelligent Blazers questions, stats puzzles for him to pursue, jokes about how much more awesome his life would be if he was a Blazers fan, etc.

So far, KP2 has done a good job of withstanding my aggressive recruitment. Today, let's see if he can stand up to the full power of the BE Army.

I look forward to getting back this afternoon and seeing what you guys came up with. The best questions that get used by Pelton in his chat will be acknowledged here on BE!

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A programming note: check back later this afternoon for short previews of both the World and USA teams heading into the Nike Hoop Summit.

And, if you're still considering whether you will attend, use this link to get your tickets for just $5. I'd argue that 8-10 of the 20 guys in this year's Hoop Summit will be NBA players within 4 years and a couple have the potential to be All-Stars... it's hard to top that for $5 dollars.

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

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Comments

We understand. KP2 needs to protect his objectivity.

How he celebrates Blazer wins in the privacy of his home is no one else’s business.

by MiledAnimal on Apr 9, 2009 9:23 AM PDT reply actions

TiH got his question answered.

’Grats.

by jksnake99 on Apr 9, 2009 10:15 AM PDT reply actions

Oh Snap

I got my times all wrong. I thought it started at 1:00 PM Pacific. I was going ask more questions from home.

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by tominhawaii on Apr 9, 2009 10:20 AM PDT up reply actions

Good question btw.

by Timmay! on Apr 9, 2009 10:25 AM PDT up reply actions

It's the opposite of the kind of question he'd probably normally get

So it was an interesting “out of his element” response, which was a great read.

by Timmay! on Apr 9, 2009 10:25 AM PDT up reply actions

It wasn't the "shower presence" question again, was it?

Blazers win!

by The X-man on Apr 9, 2009 12:25 PM PDT up reply actions

I got mine answered also, as "Jacob"

by jksnake99 on Apr 9, 2009 10:38 AM PDT reply actions

I thought that was you

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by tominhawaii on Apr 9, 2009 11:52 AM PDT up reply actions

Wait

I thought you lived in California?

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by tominhawaii on Apr 9, 2009 3:23 PM PDT up reply actions

I got him to mention BEdge again!!

Just asked about the tie for 3rd spot. Also jabbed him about being a homer. But he called us his hometown team, so I think Ben may have won him over

Blazers Prophecy.
3-5 championships in next decade.
You heard it here first.

by mjm6783 on Apr 9, 2009 10:42 AM PDT reply actions

Got one question answered, but

the internets failed me at school…wireless goes down and my second question goes the wayside. Sad day in the trials and tribulations of Vet School.

What are you impressions of Roy?
"He's just a very, very good basketball player. Very smart. Very heady. He can do a little bit of everything on the court. As coaches, when we scout Portland we kind of put him in the same category as Kobe (Bryant), LeBron (James), Dwyane Wade. We treat him the same. He's that good."

- Byron Scott

by CMCWizard on Apr 9, 2009 11:38 AM PDT reply actions

In the interests of being proactive

I e-mailed KP2 with my question, crossing my fingers for a response. Here it is for all of you to have at if you like:

In regards to the Portland Trialblazers, there is a general consensus that the Blazers bench is one of the best in the league and one reason for their success this season. A deep bench is a huge advantage in the regular season. Teams with deep benches are better equipped to deal with the inevitable injuries during the season, star players have to play fewer minutes and keep them fresher throughout the season, the list goes on. Many of the advantages are decreased when the playoffs hit. Smaller rotations including riding the stars on the team play a big part in this.

Do you feel that a deep bench is an advantage or a detriment to a team in the playoffs? Do teams with deep benches get eliminated, on average, earlier in the playoffs? And lastly, how does this analysis affect Portland’s chances in this year’s playoffs (and in future years)? I’d love to see some statistical analysis regarding how well teams fare in the playoffs with a deep bench.

I also suggested that he might want to look at how teams that keep more players in the rotation fare in the playoffs and the end of the regular season compared to teams that start restricting the rotation more as the playoffs approach. My inclination is to think that teams the restrict their rotation are more successful, but seeing the numbers (whatever KP2 comes up with) might indicate otherwise.

- Byron Scott

by CMCWizard on Apr 9, 2009 12:15 PM PDT up reply actions