CB Draft '09 Mock Press Conference: Southeast Divison

[indeedproceed]

I don't think Horford has played with a good pg. Bibby is a good shooter. In Chicago with Paul and the running game, Horford will flourish like West and healthy Chandler did.

Just to be clear we have another SF, we're really high on. He has a long wingsman and we will take it slow with him, but by the spring time we might be able to exploit matchups and throw him in there to post up like a Hinrich. We don't need him to win, but it doesn't hurt to have him as a silent extra weapon.

This David Thorpe tweeting during the Summer:

 

  -James Johnson with the best hesitation move of the week for a bucket.
    -Johnson has scored on a great dribble move, a sweet jumper, and a post flash to the middle of the paint. Very, very nice.
    -I understand why the Bulls drafted Johnson. But not Gibson.
    -I think Ben Gordon taught Johnson how to shoot before jetting up the road. His arc is pro perfect.

To be clear then..who is your backup SF?

[wdleehi]

Does anyone know if the last two teams are going to present today?  Or at least list their rosters.

[wdleehi]

Orlando, I didn't ask you if your team wouldn't have enough support for Lebron, I asked you if the case is they don't support Lebron enough, do you have what you need to make a big midseason trade and do you have the acorns to make it?

[Tradetime]

Charlotte:

How does your team match up against some of the other future-oriented squads, such as Miami and Denver?  Does your team have enough vets on it to provide leadership?  How will Caron Butler's attitude be on a team that is building for the future?

We think we will matchup fine with the likes of Miami and Denver. Miami has a quality PG in Felton that had we had a mid round pick we may have considered him ourselves. Nick Young is a solid shooting guard that has shown flashes of a promising professional career. Spencer Hawes has come along a little slower than we thought he might, but he has been cooped up on a horrible Sactown team the last two years now, hasn't he? Nevertheless, we like our chances with these matchups and think we can exploit our strengths by pounding the ball into Griffin against Miami and testing Felton's defense on the perimeter with Stephen Curry. Travis Outlaw has been a solid backup, but we believe him to be heavily overmatched when going up against Butler one on one.

We know we are thin on 'vets' but we want to learn on the fly and feel committed to playing our young guys. This doesn't mean we wouldn't consider a guy like Adman Morrison or Chucky Atkins at some point if an injury were to occur, but we wouldn't see them as getting much time right now with us. One or two might be called in to mentor a bit, but their role would be small with us.

We think Caron will thrive with our team. Griffin will attract double teams in the post which will open driving lanes for Butler, something he hasn't had as much of with the Wiz. We believe Curry's outside touch will also be beneficial to his play by defenders trying to launch all the way out to the three point line, allowing Butler to drive or give him clean jumpers from inside the three and closer. We believe his FG% will go up as a result of this, to which he shot a respectable 45% last year anyway.

[celtsrp33]

Hello everyone.  Welcome to Cuba!  Thanks for coming.  

We'd like to first introduce to you our new squad for the Cuba Heat.

Starting at PG:    
Raymond Felton
Born: Jun 26, 1984
Height: 6-1 /  1,85
Weight: 198  lbs. / 89,8  kg.
College: North Carolina
Years Pro: 4

Starting at SG:
Nick Young
Born: Jun 1, 1985
Height: 6-6 /  1,98
Weight: 200  lbs. / 90,7  kg.
College: USC
Years Pro: 2

Starting at SF:
Travis Outlaw
Born: Sep 18, 1984
Height: 6-9 /  2,06
Weight: 207  lbs. / 93,9  kg.
High School: Starkville HS (MS)
Years Pro: 6

Starting at PF:
Tyrus Thomas
Born: Aug 17, 1986
Height: 6-9 /  2,06
Weight: 215  lbs. / 97,5  kg.
College: Louisiana State
Years Pro: 3

Starting at C:
Spencer Hawes
 Born: Apr 28, 1988
Height: 7-0 /  2,13
Weight: 245  lbs. / 111,1  kg.
College: Washington
Years Pro: 2

Our Rotation guys:
James Harden
Height/Weight: 6-5 / 220
Birthdate: August 26, 1989
College: Arizona State
Rookie

Marreese Speights
 Born: Aug 4, 1987
Height: 6-10 /  2,08
Weight: 245  lbs. / 111,1  kg.
College: Florida
Years Pro: 1

Nicolas Batum
 Born: Dec 14, 1988
Height: 6-8 /  2,03
Weight: 200  lbs. / 90,7  kg.
From: France
Years Pro: 1

JJ Redick
 Born: Jun 24, 1984
Height: 6-4 /  1,93
Weight: 190  lbs. / 86,2  kg.
College: Duke
Years Pro: 3

Bench Players:
Yi Jianlian
 Born: Oct 27, 1987
Height: 7-0 /  2,13
Weight: 238  lbs. / 108,0  kg.
From: China
Years Pro: 2

Marcus Banks
 Born: Nov 19, 1981
Height: 6-2 /  1,88
Weight: 205  lbs. / 93,0  kg.
College: Nevada-Las Vegas
Years Pro: 6

Acie Law IV
 Born: Jan 25, 1985
Height: 6-3 /  1,91
Weight: 202  lbs. / 91,6  kg.
College: Texas A&M
Years Pro: 2

Kyrylo Fesenko
 Born: Dec 24, 1986
Height: 7-1 /  2,16
Weight: 300  lbs. / 136,1  kg.
From: Ukraine
Years Pro: 2

Jason Collins
 Born: Dec 2, 1978
Height: 7-0 /  2,13
Weight: 255  lbs. / 115,7  kg.
College: Stanford
Years Pro: 8

Jordan Hill
H:  6' 10"
W: 235 lbs
Bday: 07/27/1987
College: Arizona
Rookie

First off, we realize we are a very young team.  Our average age is 23.2.  That being said, we believe that many of our players are far more mature than their years may make one think.  We ARE the team of the future.  Integrating many different young personalities will be a challenge, but it will be a pleasure for our fans here in Cuba to watch many of these young men grow together and become one of the CBNBA's elite teams in a few years.  

One might look at the average age of our team and say "that will never work, they're just too young to win."  Well, what we have to say to that is just look at the track record of some of our players - Our starters have 17 years of NBA experience combined.  Travis Outlaw is going into his 7th and Felton his 5th.  These are two guys we expect to lead out team into the future and help those with less experience bring their game and personal lives to the next level.  

Our team leader will most definitely be Raymond Felton.  He has proven over the last 5 years that he has the tools to run a team - averaging over 14 points and almost 7 assists per game in the 08-09 season.  We are thrilled we were able to acquire Raymond along with Travis Outlaw in a deal that sent Ramon Sessions packing for D.C.

Although we agree with many of the other GM's that some of the moves we made before draft day were a little hasty, we feel our actual drafting and trades during and after the draft was phenomenal.  We were able to draft Rajon Rondo with the 21st pick in the draft and then move him onto Phoenix for Ramon Sessions, James Harden, Marresse Speights and a pick.  We feel this was possibly the shagging of the season (sorry Pho  ).  We then took Sessions and packaged him with Anthony Morrow and got our 2 team leaders - Felton and Outlaw.  

We realize that at this point we really don't have an superstar per say.  But, we believe that through some trades we have 3 or 4 future all-stars on out roster.  The first one that comes to mind is James Harden.  Harden is a dynamic SG who has all the tools to be one of the best.  He showed us all in college what he is capable of and is now ready to take it to the NBA level.  As much as we like Nick Young, don't be surprised if he is starting by the all-star break.  He is going to be special.  

Marreese Speights was another guy who we acquired in that deal.  He is a stud.  Plain and simple.  This kid does everything you could want of a PF.  He has nice post moves, rebounds very well and has a passion for the game.  He will certainly be giving Ty Thomas a run for his money for that starting PF spot.  

Our other blockbuster trade was with Portland.  We gave up Shaq and picks received Spencer Hawes and picks.  We like this deal alot because of Hawes' potential and Shaq's age.  Shaq just didn't fit into our gameplan at all.  He is old, slow and can't shoot FT's - that would have been a huge detriment to a team that plans on running like we do.  Hawes will be a solid 35-40mpg guy for his career and could possibly see some all-star appearances if he can improve just a few little things.  Rony Seikaly should be a huge help to him.  

Rounding out our starters are Nick Young and Tyrus Thomas.  Both of these guys are young, athletic and improving everyday.  For those of you that watch the Celtics - Ty Thomas did a number on the green in the playoffs last year, playing a big part in forcing 7 games with the defending champs.  Thomas is also a good defender when he commits to it - that is what we expect - a total defensive commitment from him.  Young is a guy who can do a little of everything.  He is a great athlete and can score inside and out - he's also a very underrated defender.  

Some of the other players coming off the bench are:
Nicolas Batum - Nicolas is a guy who can really help us.  Many people feel he may even be a better player than Outlaw - time will tell.  He is a super athlete and can really fill it up.  We just need him to be consistent off the bench for now though.

JJ Redick - JJ is one of the best pure shooters around.  He can really stroke the 3 ball and he is an excellent perimeter defender.  Look for him to play a little of both G positions off the bench.  Getting more minutes against high scoring G's

We have very high hopes for Yi, Jordan Hill, Acie Law and Fesenko although, barring injuries, none of them will likely play a huge role this year.  We think Hill could end up a top PF in the league, but he may be a few years.

Overall, our team of young guys is extremely talented, super athletic and very well rounded.  Our hopes are to get a playoff spot by making a nice run once this team gels and comes together.  We do believe this a realistic goal.  If our guys can get some playoff experience - there is no doubt in 2-4 years, we will be among the elite.  

Thanks for your time.  Go Cuba!

[celtsrp33]

Questions for the Cuba Heat

1) How are you handling taxes with player contracts on your team being in Cuba?

2) What's your opinion on Harden this yr and overall career wise?

1.  We don't pay taxes - we're Cuba [dang it]

2.  We believe Harden will have a superb rookie season.  He will have the growing pains any rookie has, but there is a good possibility he could have a starting position by the all-star break and never look back. 

[wdleehi]

Miami, who are you building around?  Most of the 'future' teams have a clear player they are building around (Oden, Durrant, Griffin)  You don't.  How do you overcome that?



Also, as I asked another future's team, what is your timeline for your team to reach it's prime?


Finally, do you have any pieces that you plan to use as trade bait in the future?

[celtsrp33]

Miami, who are you building around?  Most of the 'future' teams have a clear player they are building around (Oden, Durrant, Griffin)  You don't.  How do you overcome that?



Also, as I asked another future's team, what is your timeline for your team to reach it's prime?


Finally, do you have any pieces that you plan to use as trade bait in the future?

As I mentioned, we have a few guys we feel we can build around.  James Harden could very well end up being the best player in this year's draft - yes, better than Griffin, possibly Durant.  He is a guy we feel that will be a core player for years to come.  Spencer Hawes is probably the other main guy we plan to build around.  He is a very solid 7 footer who can do it all.  He will eventually be a franchise type player or we wouldn't have traded the "big fatty" for him.

Our timeline for being a contending team is 2-4 years depending on the answer to your other question.  We do plan on making some bigtime moves in the future ala DA, but we would never say that publicly 

[wdleehi]

Miami, who are you building around?  Most of the 'future' teams have a clear player they are building around (Oden, Durrant, Griffin)  You don't.  How do you overcome that?



Also, as I asked another future's team, what is your timeline for your team to reach it's prime?


Finally, do you have any pieces that you plan to use as trade bait in the future?

As I mentioned, we have a few guys we feel we can build around.  James Harden could very well end up being the best player in this year's draft - yes, better than Griffin, possibly Durant.  He is a guy we feel that will be a core player for years to come.  Spencer Hawes is probably the other main guy we plan to build around.  He is a very solid 7 footer who can do it all.  He will eventually be a franchise type player or we wouldn't have traded the "big fatty" for him.

Our timeline for being a contending team is 2-4 years depending on the answer to your other question.  We do plan on making some bigtime moves in the future ala DA, but we would never say that publicly 

Better then Durrant is quite a bit of a reach at this point. 

[celtsrp33]

Miami, who are you building around?  Most of the 'future' teams have a clear player they are building around (Oden, Durrant, Griffin)  You don't.  How do you overcome that?



Also, as I asked another future's team, what is your timeline for your team to reach it's prime?


Finally, do you have any pieces that you plan to use as trade bait in the future?

As I mentioned, we have a few guys we feel we can build around.  James Harden could very well end up being the best player in this year's draft - yes, better than Griffin, possibly Durant.  He is a guy we feel that will be a core player for years to come.  Spencer Hawes is probably the other main guy we plan to build around.  He is a very solid 7 footer who can do it all.  He will eventually be a franchise type player or we wouldn't have traded the "big fatty" for him.

Our timeline for being a contending team is 2-4 years depending on the answer to your other question.  We do plan on making some bigtime moves in the future ala DA, but we would never say that publicly 

Better then Durrant is quite a bit of a reach at this point. 

It may be a reach, but we feel that Durant doesn't do much more than score.  Harden has all the tools to be a much better all-around player.  Not saying he will be, just that he could be. 

[nickagneta]

One GM's view of the Southeast Division, for what it's worth:

1.) Orlando - they have Lebron and just enough to be able to pull out the division and get a high seeding. Much like Lebron's real team, I think they are destined to be also ran's in the run for the title and for much the same reasons.

2.) Washington - I like the defense and depth, especially in the wing and guard positions. Quality depth up front is what will cost this team long term. I do believe they are playoff worthy.

3.) Atlanta - I hate the make up of this team with three pure clubhouse cancers in AI, T-Mac and Ricky Davis being in the same locker room. I think they implode which is too bad because I think they have some good other parts.

4.) Miami - young, real young but a good shot at Future Team of the Year. They still need about 2-4 years to be truly NBA competitive.

5.) Charlotte - too young. Way, way too young. And made up of a ton of rookies that are a part of the worst draft since the Kenyon Martin draft. 5 years from now this is still a really bad team.

I see Orlando and Washington being the only two teams to be ablr to reach the psotseason out of this division.

[indeedproceed]

Although we agree with many of the other GM's that some of the moves we made before draft day were a little hasty, we feel our actual drafting and trades during and after the draft was phenomenal.  We were able to draft Rajon Rondo with the 21st pick in the draft and then move him onto Phoenix for Ramon Sessions, James Harden, Marresse Speights and a pick.  We feel this was possibly the shagging of the season (sorry Pho  ).  We then took Sessions and packaged him with Anthony Morrow and got our 2 team leaders - Felton and Outlaw.  

I would be surprised if there were 5 people in the draft who think you fleeced me there.

[celtsrp33]

Although we agree with many of the other GM's that some of the moves we made before draft day were a little hasty, we feel our actual drafting and trades during and after the draft was phenomenal.  We were able to draft Rajon Rondo with the 21st pick in the draft and then move him onto Phoenix for Ramon Sessions, James Harden, Marresse Speights and a pick.  We feel this was possibly the shagging of the season (sorry Pho  ).  We then took Sessions and packaged him with Anthony Morrow and got our 2 team leaders - Felton and Outlaw.  

I would be surprised if there were 5 people in the draft who think you fleeced me there.

Who here would not take essentially - Harden, Speights, Felton and Outlaw for Rondo?  Anyone?

[indeedproceed]

Although we agree with many of the other GM's that some of the moves we made before draft day were a little hasty, we feel our actual drafting and trades during and after the draft was phenomenal.  We were able to draft Rajon Rondo with the 21st pick in the draft and then move him onto Phoenix for Ramon Sessions, James Harden, Marresse Speights and a pick.  We feel this was possibly the shagging of the season (sorry Pho  ).  We then took Sessions and packaged him with Anthony Morrow and got our 2 team leaders - Felton and Outlaw.  

I would be surprised if there were 5 people in the draft who think you fleeced me there.

Who here would not take essentially - Harden, Speights, Felton and Outlaw for Rondo?  Anyone?

Anyone who wanted to win. Also, you got Sessions not Felton and Outlaw.

I'm not saying the trade wasn't good for you, it just wasn't better.

Harden may or may not be better than a guy like Rip Hamilton when he matures in 3 years or so. Who is to say he doesn't end up worse or even with Jason Terry?

Who is to say Sessions ever becomes as consistent as Andre Miller? The kid is not super athletic, and he's a horrible shooter. He's a very good distributor, and he's alright finishing around the hoop, but that's about it right now.

Marreese Speights is a good young prospect, but he's not a good young player. "rebounds very well"? His rebound rate was 11.1. Just a slight better than Tony Battie. He scored well in 16 mins per game, but so did Gerald Green his rookie season. That's not to say he doesn't evolve, but he's no stud. Not yet.

Now look at Rajon Rondo. He's the same age as Sessions, and he's been a full time starter for 2 years. He's won a championship. He's shown improvement in shooting every year he's played. He averaged almost a triple double for an entire playoff series.

You may have won that trade, but you won't know for 3 or 4 years. I know what I got in it, what you got was a lot of maybes and might bes. That's what you wanted, that's not what I wanted. Ironically besides Derrick Rose, he's probably the best PG out there for your team, as he's got everything you're looking for.

[Tradetime]

BTW just so that the mods don't think this is personal on my part, because it isn't, I have received no less than 6 PMs from GMs around the league lauding my stance and agreeing that the NY GM only kept his team because he was a mods brother and that it isn't fair that said GM gets to do nothing and have others make his picks for him and yet if someone disagrees the mod brother is going to get defensive and summarily make bad comparisons between your team and that NY team.

As someone who has absolutely no stake in this argument,

I think it's fair that New York gets a pass when he has lost the internet for reasons that are out of his hands. He didn't take a vacation,k he's not blowing it off, he simply can't get to the internet.

I also think that the Knicks are a significantly better than the DC Boxers. I'm concerned with the ability of Jackson and Wallace to co exist, I don't buy into the Ramon Sessions hype and I agree with the statements made about Joel Pryzbilia. I do really like Scola though. But at the end of the day, just my opinion, I don't think this is playoff team, nor do I think they're anywhere close.

There's a surprise! Another GM whom the DC Boxers GM felt had a bad team is saying the Boxers won't make the playoffs. Very original.

Charlotte you may as well join the group as in a little while you will be finding out that I don't think you team is very good either.

Funny that you'd call me out when I've said nothing to you, but no hard feelings Nick. When I look at how our teams would match up, I'd rather have everyone that I have in my starting 5 over yours with the exception of Shooting Guard. I'd take Curry over Sessions, Caron Butler over the injury plagued Gerald Wallace, Blake Griffin over Scola and Javale McGee over Przybilla. Anytime.