Stephen Curry and LeBron James would meet in the Play-In Tournament if the season ended today.

The NBA Mailbag is here to answer your questions throughout the 2023-24 season! Have a question for Jamal? Submit it at the bottom of this edition of the NBA Mailbag. 

Do the Golden State Warriors have a legitimate shot at a deep playoff run?

– from Carter in Flower Mound, TX

As long as you have Curry, you always have a shot. (No pun intended.) They can be dangerous with the right matchup and the right magic. What I mean by magic is I’m not sure anybody had them winning their last championship before the playoffs started. So they’ve shown they can go on those magical runs when it matters most.

What is your current All-NBA first team?

– from Eli in Dallas, TX

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
• Luka Doncic
• Jayson Tatum
• Giannis Antetokounmpo
• Nikola Jokic

Thoughts on Kyrie’s game-winner against the Nuggets? Can you remember another buzzer-beater like that?

– from Sam in Cleveland, OH

No, I’ve never seen a buzzer-beater like that. The closest one I can think of is Kobe’s game-winner against D-Wade. That was another unorthodox shot. But Kyrie’s was a whole other level. To shoot it left hand, over Joker, on the run? I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a shot like that, and I’ve definitely never seen one like that to win a game.

OH MY GOODNESS, KYRIE IRVING WINS THE GAME WITH A LEFT-HANDED FLOATER ‼️

SPECIAL. 🤯#TissotBuzzerBeater#YourTimeDefinesYourGreatness pic.twitter.com/NJiVbYtV7p

— NBA (@NBA) March 17, 2024

What’s the key for Minnesota to keep winning with Karl-Anthony Towns sidelined?

– from Michael in Sioux Falls, SD

Anthony Edwards needs to continue trusting his abilities to lead the team. He’s playing at an elite level and still finding ways to keep teammates involved. Naz Reid also remains key to filling the void without Towns. And Jaden McDaniels needs to continue doing what he does on defense while finding ways to contribute offensively until Towns is back.

What team are you most looking forward to seeing play in the playoffs?

– from Ben in Blenheim, New Zealand

The Nuggets. I want to see if they can repeat. But also, they play basketball at the highest level in the playoffs and I love watching how connected they are together.

Jamal, nobody talks about the Most Improved Player award. Who do you think will win it?

– from Leon in Brooklyn, NY

Maxey seems to be the favorite, and I like him a lot. His jump has been tremendous. But I would pick Alperen Sengun. I love how he plays the game and I think he’s going to be a star in the NBA.

Why does OKC seem so bad at rebounding? Is this on Chet or the team structure/coaching?

– from Jason in Melbourne, Australia

Their rebounding has struggled because they need another big, ideally a veteran, to put next to Chet. Their coaching is unbelievable – I’m a big fan of coach Daigneault. And their structure is great. They’re just missing another physical body to help crash the glass.

When people analyze a team, sometimes they say ‘This team won’t win a championship because their players don’t have playoff experience.’ Is the game really that different in the playoffs than the regular season, and if so in what way? What do players with playoff experience bring to the table as opposed to a young team without playoff experience?

– from Devin in Minnesota

There’s a huge difference between the playoffs and regular season. Everything is amped up. Every possession matters. You end up knowing the opponent’s plays as good as your own. So it comes down to those little things. The reason it helps to have veteran experience is those players have been through it and understand that each game is its own mini-series. You can’t get too high because you won a game or too low because you lost. Some young teams figure it out, like Golden State during their first run. So sometimes not knowing what you don’t know is also a gift.

If you had to make a starting 5 of the best bench players in the league right now, what would it be?

– from Flex in Massachusetts

• Malik Monk
• Norman Powell
• Jordan Clarkson
• Bobby Portis
• Naz Reid

What’s your take on LaMelo Ball’s future after these first few years?

– from Braxton in Denham Springs, LA

Just keeping him healthy is the biggest key. He’s a special player who understands the game at a high, high level. He’s a young star, for sure. You just have to get pieces around him so he can experience getting to the playoff atmosphere. The messages coaches want to send him may be heard differently after he sees what it takes to win in the NBA.

Who’s the best pure scorer you’ve played with?

– from Alex in Bay City, MI

I’ve never been asked this before! If we’re going off players who were the best when I was playing with them, and not necessarily when they were in their prime, then I’d go with these three:

• Stephon Marbury
• LaMarcus Aldridge
• Joe Johnson

What was your favorite NBA season that you played in?

– from Ethan in Los Angeles, CA

My first year with the Knicks. It felt like all the actors and entertainers I was a fan of were there watching me perform on my stage. That was my first time experiencing that, and it was great.

How far do you think the 2004 Pistons and the 2014 Spurs go this year in the NBA?

– from DN in Boston, MA

Both teams would be a little inconsistent in the regular season. But once they made the playoffs, they would each be the toughest outs in their conference. So I would expect them to meet in the Finals. Defensively, both teams would slow the game down to a halt. And I think they could each find ways to add more 3-point attempts to their offensive game plan to keep up with the current style of offense. I remember when we used to play the Pistons, if they were up by 10 it felt like they were up by 20 because of how methodical they were at slowing the game down. They and the Spurs would still be able to do that in this era.

What former players who recently retired do you think will make good coaches?

– from Elan in Denver, CO

Andre Iguodala would be a great coach. And Brandon Roy, who’s currently coaching high school in Seattle.

J-Will once said he practiced the elbow pass about 30,000 times and got two off successfully. What’s a misconception that fans may have about just how many years of your life you have to spend practicing these moves that we see in the highlight reels?

– from Jack in Birmingham, AL

I think fans think a player can see a move one time and then go do it. And some people can do that (raises hand 😆). But it takes years and years and years to perfect a move. For example, when I did the through-the-legs alley-oop to Blake, I learned that move when I was 8. So I knew how to do that move and practiced it for 20 years before that one moment in the game. It takes years of practice to get the confidence to do some of this stuff on the NBA stage. Everything has to be perfect, but you get it through perfect practice.

Out of the 4 teams listed below, which one do you think would be the best?

• Current Warriors with Shaquille O’Neal
• Current Bucks with Kobe Bryant
• Current Lakers with Larry Bird
• Current Nuggets with Michael Jordan

– from Bradley in New York

Wow. I’ll go with the Warriors + Shaq. It would open up so much for Steph, and there still aren’t players in the league who can slow down prime Shaq. So that team would be nearly unstoppable.

Which three NBA cities did you most look forward to traveling to, considering everything from arenas to hotels to food scenes?

– from Brett in Milwaukee, WI

New York, Miami and Seattle.

If you played in today’s NBA, what are the top 3 teams you would be interested in playing for?

– from Andre in Wilmington, DE

Lakers, Suns and Knicks.

You have watched the league develop and you have even been a valuable part of the development, but what do you think the league will be like in 30 years? Do you have any impressions on the league’s many changes and what the league should do to grow?

– from Francois in Sandusky, OH

I think players going directly from high school to the NBA will become more common now that it’s allowed again. The power of the 3-point shot is here to stay, especially since it brings so many other potential athletes into the game. You don’t have to be 6-foot-8 and athletic to make the NBA. Just work on your skills and you could make it. So that should open up opportunities for more athletes from all over the world.

Should the NBA get rid of defensive 3-second violations?

– from Adam in Connecticut

That would be a start to give defenses a better chance to compete. But I would rather see changes that allow more physicality on the perimeter. It would force an offensive player to have to focus on scoring and not be able to score so easily. And that would increase the quality of play because you would see guys needing to reach a higher level of play. The point of basketball is putting the ball in the basket. So that should be the hardest thing to do. We’re allowing it to be too easy.

Game on the line … you have to hit a dribble move to win the game. What do you go with?

– from Steven in Orlando, FL

Hesitation pull-up, either going left or right depending on how the defense is set. But definitely a hesitation pull-up.

What’s your opinion on the hoops community in Seattle right now? What do you want to see change?

– from Dan in Seattle, WA

It’s in a really good place. The younger players have done a great job taking the baton and trying to uplift the generation after them. The only thing that can make it better is getting the Sonics back here.

What are your top three must-do dribbling drills for high school basketball players?

– from Matt in Minnesota

I’ve never done dribbling drills, sorry! The main thing I did was take a basketball with me everywhere I went.

I’m 16, and I’m trying to manage juggling the physical grind while trying to balance mental health, too. Any advice?

– from Sonnie in Greenville, SC

Find something that relaxes you. For me, when I’m struggling with something or going through something, I play music and that gives me time to reset. For you, make sure you’re always talking about it to someone you trust, someone who’s a good listener. I wouldn’t keep it inside and let it build up. That’s when frustrations and challenges really come. So even if you get in tough situations, if you talk about it with someone you may feel better about it and learn a new way to move past it and grow from it.

Have A Question For Jamal? Submit It Below!

Check back on Tuesdays throughout the 2023-24 season for more editions of the NBA Mailbag!