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Chat with Bill Walton

Welcome to The Show! On Friday, NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton, will drop by to take your questions.

Walton, the number one overall pick in the 1974 draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, played with the Blazers until 1979, then headed to the Clippers for six years. Walton eventually wrapped up his NBA career in Boston where he earned his second championship ring. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.

Send your questions now and join Bill in The Show on Friday at 11 a.m. ET!

SportsNation Bill Walton: Good morning, one and all. The run for the roses has begun. Who wants to come along? As we prepare for Earth Day please check out Thomas Friedman's column in the NY Times today. As I try to assimilate the rule changes the NBA has instituted for next season, they all make sense except for the extenstion of the arms over the free throw lane. I'm going to have to reserve comment on that one until I get a complete explanation from the NBA on what this means besides another attempt to help offenses. Reminds me again of what Wilt told Michael Jordan in 1997 when arguing about who was the greatest player of all time. Wilt closed with: 'Micheal, when you played they changed all the rules to make it easier for you, when I played they changed every rule to make it harder for me.' I was hoping for a redux of the amnesty plan that last year helped teams acquire new talent, and when that did not materialize I put together my book list for the spring. Included are 'American Theocracy', 'Last of Her Kind', 'Cobra 2: The Inside Story of the Invasion of Iraq', 'Eat the Document', and the book I am plowing through right now, 'Game of Shadows'.

SportsNation Bill Walton: Imagine my delightful surprise to arrive home yesterday and see in my inbox Neil Young's new album, 'Living With War'. I played it all day and couldn't get enough, including the a capella version of 'America the Beautiful'. Neil never ceases to amaze me. I also discovered a gift from my friend Larry Bird, his new signature red wine. As we toast the start of the playoffs I am ready to play. Who wants to get going?

Tom (DC): Bill, give me your thoughts on Wizards-Cavs. Everyone is talking about Lebron's playoff debut, but Washington has beaten them 3 of 4 times. How do you see it going?

SportsNation Bill Walton: There has been a lot of complaining about seeding, but the top half of each bracket is significantly stronger than the bottom half. Home court will be a factor here, and the toughness of the Cavs will be seriously challenged. LeBron with the home court has to be the favorite, but the strategy for Washington plays out like this: Caron Butler has to look at LeBron and say 'I'm as good as him, I'm taking it right to him.' He has to make LeBron play defense and get on him physically to cut down the gap between the two and give the rest of the team a chance. Arenas has to play at his highest level ever, especially against the lowest-scoring backcourt in the NBA in Cleveland. Antawn Jamison, who is part of the highest-scoring trio in the leagyue, has to be magnificent and not just above-average. Haywood has to play against Cleveland and the rest of the NBA the same way he does against Tyson Chandler. Maybe he should give Ilgauskas a Chandler jersey. This is one of the series where the lower seed clearly has a chance to win, along with LA-Denver and LA-Phoenix.

Wayne, Memphis: How come no ones giving Memphis a chance to beat Dallas ?

SportsNation Bill Walton: Memphis is the team that is the most under the radar right now. They are in one of the smaller markets and rarely play in the biggest of TV games, but this is a very good team that will only get better. Memphis can beat Dallas, but it will be difficult. I voted Pau Gasol as third-team all-NBA, and with West and Fratello they can do damage with the framework of what is a very promising future. They have not won a playoff game yet, but they will win more than one against Dallas. Whether they win the series is another question. Gasol is playing at a higher level than Dirk when you consider both ends of the floor, and the Grizz want to get into a skill game with Gasol in the post surrounded but Miller, Jones, Atkins, Warrick, Battier, Jones. You need domination in the paint but that will be a hard thing for the Grizzlies because while Dallas doesn't have the best big men Avery Johnson has made them favorites with the home court. Memphis does not have the dynamic personality on a national level to push them into the spotlight, but guys like Bobby Jackson and Chucky Atkins use that as a motivational tool to look at the other team and believe they are better than the other guys. Concerns for the Mavs have to be Devean Harris' health and the fact that Darrell Armstrong sprained his ankle in the final game. This will be a lot closer and tougher than Dallas wants after so much effort went into trying to get the No. 1 seed in the West. Memphis is a franchise that is very close to taking a quamtum leap forward, and what better way than to go into Dallas and get it done.

Steve (Milwaukee): What are your thoughts on the prospects of Andrew Bogut developing into a more dominant post presence? With him, Redd, and Ford, the Bucks have a great young nucleus in place, assuming Bogut can come along nicely and improve on his solid, but lackluster, rookie campaign.

SportsNation Bill Walton: He can, the question is whether he will put the work in and stay healthy enough to make the huge progress required to become a great NBA player. With that in mind, I want to emphasize the importance of 'Game of Shadows', which points out the dangers of steroids and performance enhancers for everyone. As for Bogut, it'll be tough to play his first playoff game against the best team in the NBA. This promising young team will have a lot of trouble with Detroit. Bogut will learn from playing the Pistons, and he has the advantage of not being overplayed during the grueling regular season. With the talent surrounding Bogut you have a framework for future success, though. Peter Newman showed me an article about Milwaukee's history of late-season collapses, which continued this year, and I see no way Milwaukee wins the series unless the Pistons collapse completely. Milwaukee will see how far there is to go and how much work is to be done, and they will realize they can one day be like the Pistons because they aren't built around one super-special player like Kobe, Shaq, Duncan and LeBron, and play a team game. The Bucks can take some lessons from Billups, the Wallaces and Rip. That is the challenge for the Bucks.

jerry gibbons (chicago): What do you think of the style of play that has been displayed by Scott Skiles' Bulls this year and how much of a chance do they have vs. the Heat?

SportsNation Bill Walton: They have a chance against the Heat. The Bulls are another team of the future. While Miami comes in as a favorite they are certainly not a team that is overwhelming at this point. The Bulls want to stick to their game, which is the hardest thing for young playoff teams to do against a team with a player like Shaq. Quick aside: read John Wooden's 'My Personal Best', which makes the point that your best is always good enough. If Chicago believes that they have a chance with their superb backcourt. Luol Deng is really a guard, and when he's out with Duhon, Hinrich and Gordon that's good enough. Who knows what Tyson Chandler will bring and he has got to be a source of frustration for fans and the front office, and Chicago will have trouble in the frontcourt against Shaq. While Allen and Sweetney are great guys the level of toughness, tenacity and ferocity needed to succeed and survive against Shaq is something we have yet to see from them. I would love for those guys to watch film and eventually emulate the spirit, passoin and commitment of Ben Wallace when he is at the top of his game. The dream for Chicago has got to be to capitalize on Miami's struggles down the stretch with key injuries. Alonzo Mourning is a key. What and when will he contribute? I would expect that Pat Riley will have to decide whether Posey or Walker will start. I would start Posey despite Achilles tendinitis and milk Shaq for all he's worth, then bring in Walker and run things through him for a little while.

SportsNation Bill Walton: But against an aging team like Miami the Bulls will want to run all day. Riley said they play the hardest in the league and the future is bright in Chicago, which is a good thing for the league. Shaq knows how to take care of business, though, and with Miami being in the bottom bracket of the conference the road to the conference finals looks pretty clear for Miami.

Jack (Lansing): In all honesty, what are my Clipper's prospects for the post-season? Is Maggette really healthy?

SportsNation Bill Walton: I saw Magette in Dallas and I was impressed. I have known him since he came into the league and he is one of my favorites on and off the court. He is a huge key and his injuries are a major concern. A disk problem could have done him, but he's still battling and his play has that sense of toughness that makes him hard to stay with. He is moving well, though, and with him in the lineup the Clippers win the series. Cassell will dominate in the backcourt and between Brand and Kaman they will also dominate the paint. The Nuggets are a good team but have injury issues, particularly Martin and Boykins. Denver did not play well down the stretch and the thought that they can just turn it on only works with players like Shaq, Mourning, Payton and Walker. Andre Miller and Carmelo will play well, but with Magette in there they have someone to attack Carmelo, and if they take advantage of the rebounding strength and Brand's talents, they will come through. Dunleavey has changed the mindset of the entire franchise and they have all the makings of a convincing win.

Jason (Grand Forks): Do you think Kobe can carry the Lakers past the Suns in the First round? And if so how far can he carry this team?

SportsNation Bill Walton: Being in the bottom portion of the West bracket is a help for the Lakers and I give them a real chance of winning the series. Phoenix did not play well down the stretch and in the last few weeks were basically a .500 ballculb. They are my favorite team, Nash is my favorite player and D'Antoni is my favorite coach, but I still have to be fair. Phoenix will want to race up and down but will not control the paint and get to the free throw line. But for LA to succeed they have to get rid of the big stiffs. Phoenix plays a smaller lineup, so put Odom at center and tell him to control Boris Diaw. If he can do that and be the anchor that controls the flow of the game, then Parker looks at Nash and makes him beat him head-up. Everyone else will have to stay home and play tough against the rest of the Suns, then let Kobe go wild. He averaged better than 40 ppg against Phoenix this year and I think he has a chance to break Jordan's 20-year-old playoff scoring record with all the running. Teams that struggle against Phoenix lack the creativity to hold down Nash and Diaw, and teams get caught up trying to figure them out. You can't beat them by outjumping them. You have to be smart. The challenge for the Lakers will be to find a level of recognition, basketball intelligence and fitness that Phil hasn't really had at his disposal since he was with the Bulls. For the Lakers fans out there who dispute that last statement, go back and read Phil's last book. It would not surprise me, though, to see the Lakers playing the Clippers in the second round. That would be an historical first in the NBA, an playoff series in the same building.

Phillip (Chicago ): How far do you see the Nets going?? Do you think they have a chance to reach the finals??

SportsNation Bill Walton: New Jersey won't have much trouble with a declining Indiana team. Another in a seemingly endless line of injuries to Tinsley is not necessarily a horrible thing, but the pace the Nets want to play at with Krstic and his underrated and understated game, gives them a huge advantage they haven't had in the past. In this series there is no answer for Vince Carter and when you have a great player like Vince, who is more than capable of rising to the moment like LeBron, Kobe and Duncan, anything is possible. The challenge for Indiana is to muddy up the game and slow it down, to not let Vince into the open court. Stojakovic will be dynamic but Indiana no longer has a truly special player who can by themselves separate you from the crowd. At the end of the day it comes down to who has the best players and that's the Nets in this case. While we wish the Pacers well and know they will be back, they need to be remade and once they go out early and quietly Larry Bird will have his hands full again.

Chris (Denver): With Tim Duncan playing hurt, what are the Kings chances against the Spurs? Aren't Bibby, Miller and Artest going to give the Spurs problems on both ends of the floor?

SportsNation Bill Walton: The 1-8 matchups are usually the biggest blowouts but this will be a tough series for San Antonio. While people have talked all year about Duncan and Manu being injured, they are still the champs and those guys are still on the floor. They were just two games from being the best team in the league and that's why Duncan is on my All-NBA First Team. But Sacramento is playing its best ball since the glory days when they lost to the Lakers in Game 7. The Kings bring a level of spirit, confidence and competitiveness that few teams have with a very tight seven-man rotation and the addition of Artest. They rightfully believe they can win any game and I saw them go into San Antonio recently and trounce the Spurs in every way imagineable. Parker-Bibby, Wells-Ginobili, Artest-Bowen, Miller-Duncan will all be great matchups and the Spurs will have to bring everything they can to try and close it out early. Sacramento did not back into the playoffs, they charged in. Look at what has happened since Artest arrived and you see a team that could be a force. But in the end Duncan should be the difference for the Spurs in this series and get them on to the second round. The Kings have a real chance but they are still playing the defending champs who always seem to find a way to come out on top. And against Duncan you have to do it for real and not just in a chat.

SportsNation Bill Walton: There is nothing better than the NBA playoffs. I can't wait for things to get rolling. I'm going to put on Neil Young's new album again and get that last sip I saved of Larry Bird's new red wine. I'll be watching and when all is said and done we'll know who the best of the best really is. Thanks everyone, enjoy the ride and let's have a great game every time out! And to close it out, here are my picks for this year's NBA awards:


MVP: Chauncey Billups

Coach of the Year: Flip Saunders

Most improved: Boris Diaw

Defensive Player: Bruce Bowen

Sixth Man: Mike Miller

Rookie of the Year: Chris Paul