NBA Twitter Mailbag: Shaq, Kevin Durant, and the Celtics Roster

In our inaugural edition of the NBA Twitter mailbag, we've got some interesting topics to get us started. How will Shaq's ego fit in Cleveland? Is Kevin Durant getting the attention he deserves? And what's left on the Celtics' summer to-do list?

These questions and more, answered for you below.



Over / under on number of games it takes Shaq to start (complaining) about touches? I go under 25. -- @ZoDogg34

I'll go under 25 too. Remember, Shaq is willing to fit in on a championship contender at this stage of his career, as long as the team is winning. All it will take is a couple of losses where Mo Williams or Delonte West goes 7-for-24 from the field, and you'll start hearing what we heard in Phoenix: Shaq will recite his career field goal percentage statistics, look at the box score from the game where he only got something like nine shots, and then it'll be on.

Shaq won't criticize LeBron James for taking too many shots. But yes, as soon as he goes through some losses where other guys have some poor shooting nights, there's no doubt he'll start to lobby for more touches.

In fact, let's lower the over/under to 16.

is there any chance Allen Iverson can/will be signed to the rockets for their scoring needs? -- @Abel86

With Yao Ming out for the season and Tracy McGrady out until sometime around the All-Star break, there's no question the Rockets could use some scoring. But Allen Iverson doesn't fit in with the Daryl Morey (super-genius!) template of finding hard-working, team-oriented guys to work towards a common goal. Iverson is a volume shooter, and tends to dominate the ball while turning possessions into a one-man show. Add in the fact that he's personally offended if you should ask him to come off the bench, and Houston just doesn't seem like a place where Iverson could peacefully coexist.

What's Ainge doing with big baby? Marbury? How is he getting daniels? A back up pg? -- @CS_Clips_Falcns

There has apparently been a recent snag in the sign-and-trade negotiations to bring Marquis Daniels to Boston. That doesn't mean it isn't going to happen, but at this point a third team may need to get involved for the Pacers to get something they want in return.

This could also affect the Glen Davis situation, as the Celtics could include him in that three-team deal to get something back for him, instead of simply choosing not to match another team's offer in restricted free agency. The New Jersey Nets are rumored to have the most interest in Davis at the moment.

As for Stephon Marbury, don't expect him back. He rejected the Celtics' minimum offer at the beginning of the month, and at the time said he believed his days in Boston were done.

Durant or LeBron? I guess that's the question now according to Sam Smith. -- @dailythunder

Why are people sleepin' on KD? He's going to lead the L in scoring for the next decade. He's abstract art on hardwood. -- @JustinRWalsh

Kevin Durant personally wants no part of any comparisons to LeBron James; he said so himself via Twitter. But yes, Durant seems poised to be the guy that takes that leap into the LeBron/Kobe/Wade stratosphere.

Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman relays this anecdote about Durant's work ethic and attitude, and this, to me, says a lot about what we can expect from Durant in the seasons to come.

As an aside, several times throughout the season I'd joke with Durant about how his shooting stroke is effortless. He never seemed to like my opinion, and each time I voiced it he agitatedly insisted that his shot isn't effortless. While I was referring to the sheer sight and mechanics of it, he made sure I knew that he's given a great deal of effort, through time and reps, to get his form and results to the point they are today. It's one small example of Durant's mentality.

Is Will Bynum a legit #2 point guard in the NBA? Maybe even a lower-end #1, given his playoff performance? -- @WestMIAllStar

Matt Watson: Legit number two? Absolutely. Starter on a bad team? I think so. The only reason people dismiss Bynum is his size -- he's officially listed at six-foot, but remember, NBA players are measured in their shoes, so he's closer to what you and I would call 5-10. That said, he's built like an NFL safety, so he's not going to get bullied by bigger players, and he's probably the most explosive leaper on the team, so he's not going to stopped from attacking the rim.

Bynum isn't much of an outside shooter (to say the least), but that's the only serious flaw in his game. He can penetrate, play above the rim, score in bunches and make plays for teammates (he averaged a team-high 7.0 assists per 36 minutes last year) and be a pesky defender -- just about everything you'd expect from a backup point, or, surrounded by the right players, from a starter.

He didn't come into regular playing time until late in the season (and even then was reduced to garbage minutes while Rodney Stuckey, Rip Hamilton and Allen Iverson gobbled up most of the time) but by the time the dust settled he was the most efficient of all, leading the team with a 17.4 PER in the regular season and 19.9 PER in the playoffs. He'll be Rodney Stuckey's primary backup from Day 1 this season, and by the time he hits unrestricted free agency next summer, he just might get a chance to go somewhere as a starter.

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