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Chat Reel: Kevin Loughery

'I think Miami has the best talent in the East'

Kevin Loughery: Welcome everybody. We have one more week left to the NBA season and I can't wait for the playoffs.

From Jason in Baltimore: Is Alvin Williams the long-term answer for the Raptors at the point? He has had some great games as of late and I am wondering how his skills are perceived around the league?
Kevin Loughery: Alvin Williams is one of the most improved point guards in the NBA. He's a very good defensive player. He has improved his shooting, and the big key over the next year or two will be if he can lead a team that has a superstar in Vince Carter and several veteran players, like Charles Oakley and Antonio Davis.

From JB: Wouldn't the Lakers be better off playing Utah or Dallas in the first round and San Antonio in the second rather than playing Portland and Sacramento?
Kevin Loughery: I think that the Lakers would not mind playing Portland in the first round because coming into this year's playoffs, the Trailblazers are not the same team that should have beaten the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Bonzi Wells will be out for the playoffs. Shawn Kemp will not be available, and watching Scottie Pippen play the last several weeks of the regular season, he does not seem to be the same player he was in the past. So I think the Lakers will handle Portland easily, even with the Kobe-Shaq problems.

From raptor: The Raptors were 4-0 last week, including a dominating performance against the Sixers. They seem to be peeking at the right time. Can they do some damage in the East this year?
Kevin Loughery: I feel it's very important to peak during the last three or four weeks of the regular season and Toronto could be a team in the playoffs that could make some noise. They are a veteran team with a sensationally young player in Vince Carter. Lenny Wilkens is an excellent coach, but I don't believe it'll get past the second round of the playoffs.

From George: Now that Alonzo Mourning and Eddie Jones are back with the Heat, what do you think the Sixers' chances of winning the East are?
Kevin Loughery: That's a good question. If Eddie Jones comes back for Miami, they are definitely by far the favorites to win the East. With Alonzo Mourning returning and even without Eddie Jones, I think Miami has the best talent in the East. Philadelphia is an excellent defensive team and they have the MVP in Allen Iverson. But in the playoffs it has been proven that you need more than one scorer. I don't think Philadelphia will beat Miami if they matchup in the playoffs. Miami is too talented.

From Knicks Fan in Queens, N.Y.: What are your predictions about the Knicks in the playoffs? This season they seem like they are playing to the level of the competitors.
Kevin Loughery: I would worry about the Knicks in the playoffs. They made a big trade for Mark Jackson for Chris Childs, and I thought that would be a great help for the Knicks. But they have not changed their style nor have they run the basketball with Jackson, and Childs is a much better defensive player than Mark. The Knicks' offense has become so stationary and so one-on-one oriented that they have a good chance, in my opinion, to be upset in the first round of the playoffs.

From Bill Ustruck: Where do you think Chris Webber is going to end up? It sounds like he is going to be headed to New York or Detroit, with the latter being less likely. How much of a chance does Sacramento have at re-signing him, and if he leaves how is this going to damage his image, and the image of the league? What has ever happened to loyalty, especially since he has resurrected his career in Sacramento?
Kevin Loughery: I would like to see Chris Webber stay in Sacramento because they have, in my opinion, the most exciting team fan-wise in the NBA. They have great chemistry, they have improved defensively, Chris Webber has had his best year in the NBA and their team has a chance to win the championship this year, and they also have a tremendous future. I think Chris Webber should sacrifice where he desires to live for his basketball career and stay with Sacramento.

From dtime: Is the NBA every going to make a real effort to keep kids in college? Most teams that draft these high school and college freshman players have to wait three years to even see a glimmer of hope and then watch them either leave via free agency or give them a ridiculous contract on potential.
Kevin Loughery: It's a simple issue that the NBA cannot stop high school players from entering the draft. The issue has already been decided by the courts. The NBA would love to have a rule which would not allow high-school players to enter the draft and not allow underclassmen in college to enter the draft. But they have no control over this issue. I think it is hurting not only the NBA, but also college basketball itself. The immaturity of the high school basketball players coming into the NBA and the underclassmen is hurting the league and in many cases hurting the individual.

From Venkat: Kevin, do you think that Wang Zhi Zhi's future in the NBA is promising, or he could be just another foreign flash in the pan like Rony Seikaly?
Kevin Loughery: Well, I coached Rony Seikaly, and he had a pretty good NBA career until he came down with many little injuries. Wang seems to be an outstanding outside shooter and has a pretty good feel for the game. He needs to get a NBA body to be more physical. However, next year the NBA is going to zone defenses (which, by the way I think is the biggest mistake the league will be making in years) outside shooters will be at a premium. So Wang has a future in the NBA.

From Jonathan: Seems like the Mavs are being overlooked in the West. Any chance Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley can do damage?
Kevin Loughery: I like the Mavs in the playoffs. They are a team that will play outstanding offense. Everybody talks about good defense going into the playoffs and forget that you have to score. And Dallas has a tremendous offensive scheme and some tremendous offensive players in Nowitzki, Finley and Juwan Howard to go with an outstanding point guard in Nash. They will be very representable in the playoffs. But they must stay away from the Lakers in the first round because the Lakers have swept Dallas 4-0 this season.

From oregonducks: Who do you think will be the first coach to get fired in the offseason?
Kevin Loughery: Things have really changed for coaches in the NBA over the last three to four years because of the long contracts that coaches receive and the millions of dollars involved in their contracts. It is more difficult to fire their coach. Which I think is terrific. Last year, not one coach was fired during the regular season. This year, only Paul Westphal was fired and Rick Pitino resigned. So the longevity of coaches in the NBA is better than ever and hopefully no coaches will get fired this offseason.

CNNSI Host: That is all the time we have today with Kevin Loughery. Coach, thanks for joining us this week.
Kevin Loughery: Ok, thank you. take care -- we'll see you in two weeks.

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