CB Draft '09 Mock Press Conference: Southwest Division

[johnnyrondo]

For the record, Buffalo is in the Pacific.

Rumor has it that you've been working the phones to Kleiza's agent to try to get him to reconsider before tomorrow's press conference.

Have you tried offering him more money? I be that would've worked.

Yeah not sure why Buffalo's owners are so stingy.    I had them as the favorites out West before this Robert Sarveresque turn of events. Not writing them off yet though. Excited for tomorrow's presser.

p.s. And your's too IP  

[RebusRankin]

We will fight on the courts, we will fight in the press conferences, we will fight in the various discussion threads, we will fight during the voting process, we will never surrender.

[jgod213]

1)   Jason Kidd's name is copyrighted, and Brandon Jennings' is registered?

Trying to think of a clever comeback but I think I’ll just jump to the next question, haha

2)   One of your division rivals critiqued how your roster fits together.  How do you respond to that?

Marion, Lee and Harrington all played under D’Antoni and enjoyed the best years of their career under his system, a system in which we will attempt to employ.  Daniels played “Obie ball,” which emphasizes transition and quick shots.  And finally Kidd, Dalembert, and Carter all have extensive experience in up-tempo offenses in the past.  Really the only two pieces who are new to the system are Smith (who does his best work in the open court) and Terry (who we won’t ask to do more then hit open jumpers and threes, similar to what Raja Bell accomplished with Nash in Pheonix.)

All that considered I’d say the pieces fit together extremely well considering the vast experience the majority of my roster has in regards to playing in transition

3)   You team seems based around a transition offense.  How will it do in a halfcourt set?

There will be some mismatches.  Lee won’t be bullying the bigger centers, Smith might take a bit of a beating as well, and Terry/Kidd aren’t the ideal body size for their positions.  Given all that, as Doc Rivers has mentioned, as a team we will force teams to adjust to us.  Force opponents to substitute to keep up with us and match our raw athletisism.  When we do find ourselves in a slow-down game, particularly in the playoffs, we have the bodies on the bench that give us what we may be looking for.  Big body/rebounding/shot blocking = Dalembert, bigger 2-guard = Vujacic or Daniels.  The versatility of our roster will allow us to match up with any team.  At any pace.

4)   Last season, Dallas ranked 16th out of 30 teams in pace factor.  Can Kidd and Terry push your offense in fantasy land, when they couldn't in real life

Kidd has pushed tempo before in NJ, where they were in the top 10 in pace factor for a few years.  Those teams had good finishers that included Martin/Jefferson, but Kidd never had a center that could get to the basket like Lee can.  Mcculough, Morning, Aaron Williams, and Rogers were never known for their ability to keep up with Kidd/Martin/Jefferson in transition.  That extra weapon will be huge.  Terry won’t be asked to necessarily keep up with everyone, he will be asked to play the Raja Bell/Kerry Kittles role of terrific shooting which he is more then capable of.

5)   Attitudes:  you have a lot of them.  How do you keep two guys who are world class jerks like Marion and Smith happy?

This could prove to be problematic, but I don’t see it happening honestly.  Marion got his way and let Pheonix…what did he find? A sharp decline in numbers and notoriety.  The best chance he has to get both of those back is to buy into a system he has already succeeded in and become the Matrix once more.  Harrington has taken a lot of flack on these boards, but he’s trying to change his image.  An example of that is his new/inexpensive shoe line ala Starbury, which really helps his community.  Also, he showed a willingness to completely buy into D’Antoni’s system which allowed him to reach the potential that many thought he could attain.  He will be taking a reduced role in DAL, but he will be the focul point of the offense with the second unit and should thrive against the reserves of other teams.

6)   Why is your team better than Memphis or Houston?

Memphis is good.  Real good.  But I like our matchups.  Their back court of Fernandez/Parker is a tinge better then Terry/Kidd, but our frontcourt has a big advantage.  Marion/Smith/Lee should be able to handle Chandler/Diaw/Lopez without too much of an issue.  While we give Memphis accolades for a great 6th man in Williams, we love our bench and don’t believe that Cook/White/Amundson/Bargnani can hang with Carter/Vujacic/Daniels/Harrington/Dalembert.

Houston is scary as well.  We give them the nod for their “big three,” they just don’t have the proven/quality depth that we can run out there – especially at the F/C.  Houston just does not have the size and skill to match up with Lee/Smith/Marion/Dalembert/Harrington…it’s asking too much of Chris Bosh to be able to handle the rebounding and scoring/defending load by himself against a group like that.

7)   Do you really think Dalembert is the best reserve center in the league?

I do believe this.  He’s not the most polished center in the league, but big guys are at a premium and we have a legitimate starter who we can call upon off the pine.  Big Z can still shoot, there’s no doubt, but he can’t give me the rebounding, speed, shot blocking, and athleticism that Sam does.  Plus he’s far less frail which is a big plus.

   Is Kidd and Terry a good mix for a starting backcourt?

I touched briefly upon this in the press release.  We looked to aquire another SG but the price would of cost us too much.  Ultimately I decided our great depth and terry starting was worth more then another SG

9)   what happens when these players realize they just can't continue the running pace for 82 game plus?

Well steve Nash and Andre Miller have successfully pushed pace and they aren’t young bucks anymore.  Kidd has done it in the past and will be asked to do it again.  My depth comes into play here.  We don’t need to play Kidd 40 minutes a night, we have Terry, Carter, and occasionally Jennings who can pick up minutes at the point.  I have no conerns over Marion’s age, he’s an athletic freak who is always healthy and thrives in this system…again, we have the likes of Daniels/Harrington/Smith who can spell Marion.[/size]



ok i need tot ry and get some work done, haha.  i'll be back to answer more later.

[Rondo2287]

Quote
7)   Do you really think Dalembert is the best reserve center in the league?

I do believe this.  He’s not the most polished center in the league, but big guys are at a premium and we have a legitimate starter who we can call upon off the pine.  Big Z can still shoot, there’s no doubt, but he can’t give me the rebounding, speed, shot blocking, and athleticism that Sam does.  Plus he’s far less frail which is a big plus.


I'll take Big Z
Big Z      13ppg   7.5 rpg   1 Apg  1.3 BPG
Dalembert  6.4ppg  8.3 rpg  .2 Apg  1.8 BPG

[indeedproceed]

Dalembert is probably more athletic, but he's not better than Big Z.

[jgod213]

Quote
7)   Do you really think Dalembert is the best reserve center in the league?

I do believe this.  He’s not the most polished center in the league, but big guys are at a premium and we have a legitimate starter who we can call upon off the pine.  Big Z can still shoot, there’s no doubt, but he can’t give me the rebounding, speed, shot blocking, and athleticism that Sam does.  Plus he’s far less frail which is a big plus.


I'll take Big Z
Big Z      13ppg   7.5 rpg   1 Apg  1.3 BPG
Dalembert  6.4ppg  8.3 rpg  .2 Apg  1.8 BPG

Biz Z doesn't fit into my system at all, and he's very injury prone.  He's also 6 years older then Dalembert.  Z is definitely the better offensive player, but what i need out of my C is athletisism, rebounding, and defense, not another scoring big.  I'll take Dalembert every time in this scenario.

[GaBerkowitz]

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS

Starting Lineup
PG- Russell Westbrook (6ft 3in, 190 lbs, 20 years old, 2nd year in league)
      Strengths: Pushing the Tempo, Attacking the Rim, Size,      Defensive Potential, FT Shooting

SG- Kobe Bryant (6ft 6in, 220 lbs, 31 years old, 14th year in league)
      Strengths: Scoring, Outside Shooting, Decision Making, Man Defense,

SF – Vladimir Radmanovic (6ft 10in, 234 lbs, 28 years old, 9th year in league)
      Strengths: Size for Small Forward Spot, 3Pt Shooting (38% Career),

PF – Glen Davis (6ft 9in, 289 lbs, 23 years old, 3rd year in league)
      Strengths: Tenacity, Mid-Range Jump Shot, Good Teammate, Hard Worker, Championship Experience

C – Joakim Noah (6ft 11in, 232 lbs, 24 years old, 3rd year in league)
     Strengths: Rebounder (>7 RPG last year), Tenacity, Blocks (>1 Per Game), Garbage Scorer

Bench

SG/SF – Larry Hughes (6ft 5 in, 184 lbs, 29 years old, 12th year in league)
Role: 6th man, scorer off bench. Above average defender

PF – Amir Johnson (6ft 9in, 210 lbs, 22 years old, 5th year in league)
     Role: Energy big man off bench.

PG – Daniel Gibson (6ft 2 in, 190 lbs, 23 years old, 4th year in league)
     rOLE: Backup PG, Shooter off bench.

SF/PF – Devean George (6ft 8in, 235 lbs, 32 years old, 11th year in league)
     Role: Veteran Experience off Bench, Steady Hand, Leadership,

C – Ryan Hollins (7ft 0in, 225 lbs, 24 years old, 4th year in league)   
   Role: Backup Center, Size of Bench, Project Big Man

SF – Chris Douglas-Roberts (6ft 7in, 200 lbs, 22 years old, 2nd year in league)
   Role: Developmental Wing Player, Upside = Future 6th/7th Man)

PG – Jeff Teague (6ft 2in, 180 lbs, 20 years old, Rookie)
   Role: Developmental Guard.  Lightning Quick, Long Term Upside

Draft Strategy –
I initially started with the 26th pick.  My first move was to package that pick, my 2nd Round Pick (5), my 4th round pick (5), and my 5th Round Pick (26), for the #3 pick in the draft, as well as a 4th rounder.  I wasn’t quite sure who I wanted to draft in the 3 spot, but I ended up with the 4 time Champ, the Black Mamba Kobe Bryant.  Due to the fact that I traded 3 picks, I knew I needed to surround Kobe with talent first off, and then figure out the rest as I went along.  With that being the case I targeted the best available for my next 3 picks (Westbrook, Noah, Davis) the fact that all were young was concerning, but in the name of talent, I picked who I thought was the “best available”.

Best Move –
Russell Westbrook Selection.  Kid is an absolute stud.  He may take 2-3 years, and may not be the best fit next to Kobe, but he can definitely play, and think he will turn into a multi-time All-Star in 3-4 years.

Worst Move-
Amir Johnson Selection.  While he has potential, to quote Dennis Green “They are Who We Thought They Were” and I’m afraid that may be the case with Mr. Johnson.  He has always appeared to have talent, who knows if it ever translates.

Most Intrigue-
Jeff Teague + Ryan Hollins.  Both are upside guys.  2 things you cant teach are size and quickness.  Hollins has the former, and Teague the latter.  I think both can develop into effective players.

Forecast-
Playoffs are a probability thanks to Kobe alone.  Long term potential is predicated on development of Westbrook, Noah, Davis.  Goal is to win in 2-3 years as those 3 come into their prime, and Kobe is at the end of his window.  I think I can be competitive for 5-7 seed this year. Competitive for title depending on development of players in 2-3 year window.  And then once Kobe fades, turn the keys to Mr. Westbrook.

[wdleehi]

Quote
7)   Do you really think Dalembert is the best reserve center in the league?

I do believe this.  He’s not the most polished center in the league, but big guys are at a premium and we have a legitimate starter who we can call upon off the pine.  Big Z can still shoot, there’s no doubt, but he can’t give me the rebounding, speed, shot blocking, and athleticism that Sam does.  Plus he’s far less frail which is a big plus.


I'll take Big Z
Big Z      13ppg   7.5 rpg   1 Apg  1.3 BPG
Dalembert  6.4ppg  8.3 rpg  .2 Apg  1.8 BPG

Big Z will do what the coaches ask.

Dalembert might, but probably will not.

[Rondo2287]

Quote
7)   Do you really think Dalembert is the best reserve center in the league?

I do believe this.  He’s not the most polished center in the league, but big guys are at a premium and we have a legitimate starter who we can call upon off the pine.  Big Z can still shoot, there’s no doubt, but he can’t give me the rebounding, speed, shot blocking, and athleticism that Sam does.  Plus he’s far less frail which is a big plus.


I'll take Big Z
Big Z      13ppg   7.5 rpg   1 Apg  1.3 BPG
Dalembert  6.4ppg  8.3 rpg  .2 Apg  1.8 BPG

Biz Z doesn't fit into my system at all, and he's very injury prone.  He's also 6 years older then Dalembert.  Z is definitely the better offensive player, but what i need out of my C is athletisism, rebounding, and defense, not another scoring big.  I'll take Dalembert every time in this scenario.

And you didnt say he was the best backup C for your system

[wdleehi]

N.O., when Kobe has Butler and Odom, all he could accomplish is sneaking into the playoffs and losing in the 1st round.


This caused him to turn on teammates.  Talk about leaving the Lakers.  If not for the ineptitude of Chris Wallace giving him Gasol, he probably would not be in LA.


How is your team better then that?   And how do you keep Kobe from demanding a trade?

[indeedproceed]

NO, when Kobe has Butler and Odom, all he could accomplish is sneaking into the playoffs and losing in the 1st round.


This caused him to turn on teammates.  Talk about leaving the Lakers.  If not for the ineptitude of Chris Wallace giving him Odom, he probably would not be in LA.


How is your team better then that?   And how do you keep Kobe from demanding a trade?

Haha...at first when I read that I thought you were very strongly disagreeing with him. Like "What did the Hornets do to WD? He's angry."

[Hoyo de Monterrey]

ATTENTION CBNBA GENERAL MANAGERS

PLEASE POST YOUR ROSTERS IN THE CB DRAFT '09 SIMULATED SEASON PLANS THREAD ALONG WITH THE REAL NBA TEAMS THOSE PLAYERS ARE ON... FOLLOW THE FORMAT PRESENTED BY ROY IN THE FIRST POST OF THE THREAD.

THANK YOU.

[wdleehi]

NO, when Kobe has Butler and Odom, all he could accomplish is sneaking into the playoffs and losing in the 1st round.


This caused him to turn on teammates.  Talk about leaving the Lakers.  If not for the ineptitude of Chris Wallace giving him Odom, he probably would not be in LA.


How is your team better then that?   And how do you keep Kobe from demanding a trade?

Haha...at first when I read that I thought you were very strongly disagreeing with him. Like "What did the Hornets do to WD? He's angry."

If I add periods after the N and the O, would that help.    

[indeedproceed]

NO, when Kobe has Butler and Odom, all he could accomplish is sneaking into the playoffs and losing in the 1st round.


This caused him to turn on teammates.  Talk about leaving the Lakers.  If not for the ineptitude of Chris Wallace giving him Odom, he probably would not be in LA.


How is your team better then that?   And how do you keep Kobe from demanding a trade?

Haha...at first when I read that I thought you were very strongly disagreeing with him. Like "What did the Hornets do to WD? He's angry."

If I add periods after the N and the O, would that help.    

Well it would save me thirty seconds of speculation if nothing else.

[wdleehi]

NO, when Kobe has Butler and Odom, all he could accomplish is sneaking into the playoffs and losing in the 1st round.


This caused him to turn on teammates.  Talk about leaving the Lakers.  If not for the ineptitude of Chris Wallace giving him Odom, he probably would not be in LA.


How is your team better then that?   And how do you keep Kobe from demanding a trade?

Haha...at first when I read that I thought you were very strongly disagreeing with him. Like "What did the Hornets do to WD? He's angry."

If I add periods after the N and the O, would that help.    

Well it would save me thirty seconds of speculation if nothing else.

OK

N.O.