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2013 CB Draft: Northwest Division Press Conferences
« on: September 01, 2013, 01:29:31 PM »

Offline nickagneta

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Here, each of the GMs representing a team in the Northwest Division will provide an introduction / summary of their team, draft strategy, etc.  Other members should ask questions (directed to one or more GMs), and those GMs should attempt to answer the questions as well as they can.

For those participating, the opening blurbs can include some or all of the following:

1. Roster / depth chart
2. Statistics
3. Pictures
4. Statement regarding drafting philosophy (building for the future, contending now, etc.)
5. Toughest decision
6. Best move (trade, pick, etc.) / worst move
7. Your outlook for this coming season

It can be as substantial or as abbreviated as you want it to be.  These threads are open to all members, not just those posters who participated in the draft.  The more participation we get, the better.

==============================================================
Portland Trailblazers: riah32

Minnesota Timberwolves: McHales Pits

Denver Nuggets: Yoki_IsTheName

Oklahoma City Thunder: Lucky17

Please, no questions until after all five teams have posted their pressers or until noon of the day of the pressers.  This thread should be reserved for the GMs to put up and work on their pressers until then.

Re: 2013 CB Draft: Northwest Division Press Conferences
« Reply #1 on: September 04, 2013, 11:23:37 AM »

Offline Yoki_IsTheName

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Drafting Philosophy:

With the #4 overall, the Nuggets are assured of a franchise player. But the second round of the draft really shaped up the future. With a plethora of big men going out, Denver thought they wouldn't have enough help for the franchise in the next few rounds and had to rebuild. From then point on, Denver dedicated it's draft in making sure that it's second unit is second to none. Denver put drafting for fit on the side and took the best available players in the next few rounds and build a bench that could contend against any starters of this league. And Denver is successful, creating a team full of starting level talents that is 8 deep. Matching up well with other teams strengths, and having enough great talent to play extended minutes in case of injuries.

Best move of the draft:
Without a doubt, rebuilding off of James Harden turning it into a core of Lillard, Monroe and Bogut and plenty of talent from the bench.

Outlook for this season:
While the Championship is of course the only outlook every team has, the team can safely say that it's a guaranteed playoff squad. Plenty of talent, overlooked talent, a very good 2nd unit keeping everybody fresh in the regular season, and a head coach with pedigree and is well respected. Definitely making the playoffs.
 
THE TEAM:

Starters:

PG: Damian Lillard - Future star, if not one already. Complete package for a PG (scoring, play making). Alpha Dog mentality which he shown in his ROOKIE year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxV0yV7KQy0

SG: Courtney Lee - Pit-bull of a defender, solid 3PT (37%) shooter. Overlooked.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE5Uc6CvM10

SF: Wilson Chandler  - Underrated player. Known for his solid defense, but is being overlooked for his scoring ability. Good shooter, can attack and finish, and has shown ability to take games over.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPI1bJzRV2c


PF: Greg Monroe  - The inside presence. Excellent post player with tons of skill. Can score down low, from pick and rolls and hit mid range shots. Solid rebounder and excellent passer from the post, punishing double teams.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts7_TreZC5M

C : Andrew Bogut  - Rim protector. Excellent rebounder. Defensive anchor. Great pick and roll game with very good court vision and passing skills. Australian tempered toughness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBYlqZfhBXk


The Starting Quality Talent Bench Mob:

PG: Kyle Lowry  - Another PG with a great set of play making and scoring skills. Lock-down defender that would pester any opposing PG's going against him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9xO_YOBhMQ

SG: Leandro Barbosa - Instant offense spark plug.
 
SF: Martell Webster - Combo wing who's an excellent spot up shooter but can also score in variety of ways.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgH4whRuBxM
 
PF: Mareesse Speights - Good mid range game for a big. Solid rebounder.

F/C: Anderson Varejao - The heart of the team. Absolute hustle and non stop motor. Tremendous rebounder giving the team more possessions. Will play tough defense, set hard screens, dive for loseballs. Improving midrange game makes the team's PnR more dangerous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuQQ9Fenw4k


G : Alec Burks - Young guy with a developing scoring game. Very athletic. Excellent in transition.

G/F: Jason Richarson - Sits in a bench with a suit better than anyone.

F/C: Marcus Camby  - While on the tail end of his career, he's a leader on the locker room. Great defensive player and is taking a mentorship role for the other bigs.

HC: Pat Riley - Championship pedigree. Known for his flashy Lakers team and his rough and tough NY team, simply put, Riles can get the best of every player he has. He can put them into a position where they can play in a level that suits them and make them as productive as they can be. Brilliant basketball mind and is well respected around the league.


Depth Chart and Estimated Average minutes per game of players:

Denver with it's deep bench can and on most nights, will have a 10 man rotation.

Lillard  - 36 mpg (will play some minutes at SG)
Lee      - 22 mpg
Chandler - 28 mpg
Monroe   - 32 mpg (will play some minutes at C)
Bogut    - 28 mpg

Varejao  - 30 mpg
Lowry    - 24 mpg
Webster  - 24 mpg (will play little minutes at SG)
Speights - 8 mpg
Barbosa  - *10 mpg (*if more offense is needed)
Burks    - *10 mpg (*if more defense is needed)

Deep bench: Richardson, Burks, Camby

Jason Richardson takes over the backup SG spots when he gets healthy and in basketball shape.




Defensive Philosophy:

Ever seen the Knicks of the 90's? The NY team that was coached by the same man who is coaching the Mile High City Nuggets? Yep, he's putting that defensive philosophy in this team.

This team will be tough, physical and brutal. "No one gets in the middle, period." Riley's defensive mentality will be in motion with this team. A team full of players that are relentless, hustle guys, tough and do not mind a few more banging bodies down low. Riley and his "almost messianic intensity" will make sure that Denver, with capable players, will be the most feared defense in the league. Guards and wings will be pit-bulls and relentless, bigs would be physical and would not allow an easy lane. Pat Riley will ensure perfect execution on rotations and help defenses, as his New York team was doing in the 90's. Tight pressure on shooter and a ton of double teams on the post. "No layups allowed".

With very good rebounders in the 3-5 spot, Par Riley will favor transition defense over sending more guys to crash the offensive boards. Bogut, Monroe, Varejao, Chandler, Speights and Webster make for a good to great rebounding core, giving the guards a some leeway to run down back the other side to prevent a fast break.

Offensive Philosophy:

Pt Riley also is known for "showtime". And while the players on his helm are not as fancy, they can certainly run. And running will be utilized a lot in Denver's offense. Denver with their bigs being above average rebounders, Denver can afford to have the wings and the guards to run. Riley has the players who can finish in transition, mainly Wilson Chandler. They are athletic are deadly shooters that gives the opponents more trouble as to if they will shoot a transition jumper or attack. Bogut is a great outlet passer on his own right, making the fastbreak plays even more deadly.

On the half court, Riley will exploit Lillard uncanny ability to score and find open guys. Extend the court with great three point shooters, from starters to the 2nd unit. Bigs who have midrange game helps Lillard tremendously. Riles will also utilize the screen and pop with Lillard and Chandler, in which Wilson is very deadly as he can shoot, drive past by defenders and finish or find people open when the defenses commit.

Also, Riley will make sure Monroe is involved down low. Monroe will get many isolation sets down low, utilizing his skills as a post player. Monroe is a very good passer off the post too, and with surrounding shooters and athletes, Riley will make sure that he will recognize the double team and effectively pass out.
2019 CStrong Historical Draft 2000s OKC Thunder.
PG: Jrue Holiday / Isaiah Thomas / Larry Hughes
SG: Paul George / Aaron McKie / Bradley Beal
SF: Paul Pierce / Tayshaun Prince / Brian Scalabrine
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge / Shareef Abdur-Raheem / Ben Simmons
C: Jermaine O'neal / Ben Wallace

Re: 2013 CB Draft: Northwest Division Press Conferences
« Reply #2 on: September 04, 2013, 11:44:07 AM »

Offline McHales Pits

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2013 CB Draft Press Conference

Minnesota Timberwolves


President/GM: McHale's Pits
Coach: Nate McMillan


Roster:
 # - NAME - POS - HT & WT

0 - Avery Bradley - G - 6'2" 185
2 - Jordan Farmar - G - 6'2" 185
6 - LeBron James - F - 6'8" 260
9 - Serge Ibaka - F/C - 6'10" 225
11 - Monta Ellis - G - 6'3" 175
12 - DeAndre Jordan - C - 6'11" 250
15 - Mario Chalmers - G - 6'1" 190
26 - Kyle Korver - G/F - 6'7" 215
31 - Shane Battier - G/F - 6'8" 225
32 - Jae Crowder - F - 6'7" 235
33 - C.J. Miles - G/F - 6'6" 215
34 - Glen Davis - F/C - 6'9" 285
54 - Greg Stiemsma - C - 6'11" 260

Statistics:
PPG / RPG / APG / SPG / BPG (FG% / 3P% / FT%)
PER36 STATS
ADDITIONAL

Avery Bradley (28.7 MPG)
9.2 PPG/2.2 RPG/2.1 APG/1.3 SPG/0.4 BPG (40.2/31.7/75.5)
PER36: 11.6 PPG - 2.8 RPG - 2.6 APG - 1.6 SPG - 0.5 BPG
ADDITIONAL: SHOT 49.8/40.7/79.5 IN 2011-12 (20.3/23.0 vs 14.7/13.7)

Jordan Farmar (21.3 MPG)
10.4 PPG/1.6 RPG/3.3 APG/0.6 SPG/0.1 BPG (46.7/44.0/90.5)
PER36: 17.6 PPG - 2.6 RPG - 5.6 APG - 1.0 SPG - 0.1 BPG
ADDITIONAL: N/A

LeBron James (37.9 MPG)
26.8 PPG/8.0 RPG/7.3 APG/1.7 SPG/0.9 BPG (56.5/40.6/75.3)
PER36: 25.5 PPG - 7.6 RPG - 6.9 APG - 1.6 SPG - 0.8 BPG
ADDITIONAL: PER of 29.0 & 36.7 from SF/PF, Held opposing SFs to PER of 12.7

Serge Ibaka (31.1 MPG)
13.2 PPG/7.7 RPG/0.5 APG/0.4 SPG/3.0 BPG (57.3/35.1/74.9)
PER36: 15.3 PPG - 8.9 RPG - 0.6 APG - 0.4 SPG - 3.5 BPG
ADDITIONAL: Outproduced opposing PF/C from PER standpoint in 2012-13 (

Monta Ellis (37.5 MPG)
19.2 PPG/3.9 RPG/6.0 APG/2.1 SPG/0.4 BPG (41.6/28.7/77.3)
PER36: 18.5 PPG - 3.7 RPG - 5.8 APG - 2.0 SPG - 0.4 BPG
ADDITIONAL: CAREER 45.6 FG%, PER of 21.1 as PG, Held opposing PG/SG to PERs of 12.3/13.8

DeAndre Jordan (24.5 MPG)
8.8 PPG/7.2 RPG/0.3 APG/0.6 SPG/1.4 BPG (64.3/0.0/38.6)
PER36: 13.0 PPG - 10.6 RPG - 0.5 APG - 0.9 SPG - 2.0 BPG
ADDITIONAL: SHOT 52.5 FT% IN 2011-12

Mario Chalmers (26.9 MPG)
8.6 PPG/2.2 RPG/3.5 APG/1.5 SPG/0.2 BPG (42.9/40.9/79.5)
PER36: 11.6 PPG - 3.0 RPG - 4.8 APG - 2.1 SPG - 0.2 BPG
ADDITIONAL: N/A

Kyle Korver (30.5 MPG)
10.9 PPG/4.0 RPG/2.0 APG/0.9 SPG/0.5 BPG (46.1/45.7/85.9)
PER36: 12.9 PPG - 4.7 RPG - 2.3 APG - 1.1 SPG - 0.6 BPG
ADDITIONAL: Outproduced both SG and SF from PER standpoint in 2012-13 (14.4/14.5 to 11.4/11.7)

Shane Battier
6.6 PPG/2.3 RPG/1.0 APG/0.6 SPG/0.8 BPG (42.0/43.0/84.2)
PER36: 9.5 PPG - 3.3 RPG - 1.5 APG - 0.8 SPG - 1.1 BPG
ADDITIONAL: Held opposing SFs to PER of 10.2

Jae Crowder (17.3 MPG)
5.0 PPG/2.4 RPG/1.2 APG/0.8 SPG/0.2 BPG (38.4/32.8/64.4)
PER36: 10.4 PPG - 5.0 RPG - 2.5 APG - 1.7 SPG - 0.5 BPG
ADDITIONAL: Held Opposing SFs to 12.5 PER

C.J. Miles (21.0 MPG)
11.2 PPG/2.7 RPG/1.0 APG/0.8 SPG/0.3 BPG (41.5/38.4/86.9)
PER36: 19.2 PPG - 4.6 RPG - 1.7 APG - 1.3 SPG - 0.4 BPG
ADDITIONAL: N/A

Glen Davis (31.3 MPG)
15.1 PPG/7.2 RPG/2.1 APG/0.9 SPG/0.6 BPG (44.8/0.0/71.8 )
PER36: 17.3 PPG - 8.3 RPG - 2.4 APG - 1.1 SPG - 0.7 BPG
ADDITIONAL: N/A

Greg Stiemsma (15.9 MPG)
4.0 PPG/3.4 RPG/0.4 APG/0.6 SPG/1.2 BPG (45.7/0.0/76.8)
PER36: 9.1 PPG - 7.8 RPG - 0.9 APG - 1.3 SPG - 2.7 BPG
ADDITIONAL: N/A

Pictures:



























Drafting Philosophy:

After the announcement that the Minnesota Timberwolves had won the 2013 CB Draft Lottery, the front office quickly decided that LeBron James would be the first overall selection to lead our franchise. Any team that features LeBron is instantly a contender, but to win a championship he must be surrounded by the right pieces.

The organizational philosophy here in Minnesota is defense first. Every player that we drafted is capable of playing anywhere from above average defense to elite defense. In addition to defensive skill, we also targeted players who could provide specific skill sets to the team. Those skills ranged from spot-up shooting, slashing, finishing around the rim, ball-handling and facilitating. This is a team designed to provide stifling defense that will lead to easy baskets in transition after turnovers or missed shots.

In half-court offensive sets, we have many options to spread the floor to allow LeBron, Monta, or Farmar to drive and dish. We also feature versatile off-the-pick options. Jordan is an elite pick & lob finisher and both Ibaka and Davis are quality pick & pop or pick & roll players. LeBron is unquestionably the alpha-dog on this team which will allow Monta plenty of room to pick up easy points slashing to the rim to assist in the scoring load. In addition, this team features a slew of three point shooters around the perimeter in Korver, Battier, Chalmers, Miles, Bradley, and Farmar.

Toughest Decision:

My selection of DeAndre Jordan at 4.1 was highly scrutinized and was my most difficult draft selection. I felt that quality big-men were flying off the board quickly and despite his flaws - he was a good fit for the team. My other contemplated selection at 4.1 was Monta Ellis who I managed to acquire at the beginning of the 5th round despite passing him at 4.1.

Best Move / Worst Move:

There were three selections that I was particularly happy with...

1) LeBron James - Lucky that I won the lottery, but his presence assures me of contending
2) Serge Ibaka - Young, athletic, and an elite rim protector with a great mid-range jumper is a great complement to James
3) Jordan Farmar - Quality facilitator, shooter, and shot creator that was acquired with the last selection of the draft. Not many 13th rounders are cracking rotations so I was happy to secure him when I did.

There was one move made that caused me to second-guess myself - the trade of Taj Gibson and a draft pick for Kyle Korver and Mario Chalmers.

I felt it was a good trade because it allowed me to play LeBron at the power forward position more often while acquiring two elite three point shooters in the process. However, I was happy with the Gibson selection because of his great pick & roll defending, but I felt the acquisition of Korver and Chalmers along with James' minutes at the 4 outweighed his departure.

Your Outlook For This Season:

2013 CB Draft Champions

I sincerely hope that people don't overlook my team defense. I know it isn't a flashy fantasy team style, but tough defensive teams always contend regardless of the sport. Pair that with the best player on the planet, three point shooters, and a deep bench and I expect to contend for the CB Draft Championship.
« Last Edit: September 05, 2013, 11:41:54 AM by McHales Pits »
2013 CB Draft Champions*: Minnesota Timberwolves
DKC League: Washington Wizards

Re: 2013 CB Draft: Northwest Division Press Conferences
« Reply #3 on: September 04, 2013, 12:04:39 PM »

Offline riah32

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Portland Trailblazers


Depth Chart:



PG: Brandon Jennings- PPG 17.5 APG 6.5 RPG 3.1 Will provide Melo some help in getting shots and will also be a shooter for Melo to kick the ball out to.
         


         
SG: Joe Johnson- 16.3 ppg  apg 3.5 rpg 3.0-Can create his own offense but will also being an outlet for Melo to kick out to on double teams



SF:Melo-28.7ppg  2.6apg 6.9rpg-Will score and kickout on double teams. This will probably be one of the best support cast melo has been surrounded by so he should feel the burden of doing all the heavy lifting on offense



PF: Andrei Kirilenko-12.4ppg  2.8apg  5.7rpg-Will guard the 4 when Melo can’t guard 4’s and will also cover the 3’s as well. Will be a nice supporting cast member



C: Andrew Bynum-if healthy and we are very certain he will be he will start otherwise



C:Enes Kanter: 7.2 ppg 4.3rpg .5blkpg

Bench:
PG: Darren Collison-may rotate in and out of the starting lineup with Jennings

SG: Jordan Crawford/Kentavious Caldwell-Pope-both with see time backing up Joe Johnson

SF: Anthony Bennett or Tristian Thompson depends on matchups as to who will be here

PF: Bennett/Thompson/Jason Maxiell-Have three quality options backing up Melo and Kirelenko

C: Kanter/ Zaza Pachulia-both provide nice insurance if Bynum gets hurt which we are hoping doesn’t happen

Rotation:

PG: Jennings (30) Collison (18)

SG: Joe Johnson (32) Crawford (8) Pope(8)

SF: Melo (35) Bennett/Thompson (13)

PF: Kirilenko (28) Bennett/Thompson(15) Maxiell (5)

C:Bynum (20) Kanter (20) Zaza (8)

Bynum’s minutes will increase once he is healthy and is backing into game playing shape

Coach: Scott Brooks

Draft Philosophy: Well I missed the first week and gave Nick a list for that week which worked out wonderfully and then the second week I went BPA and Fit to my team.

Best Move/Toughest Decision-To trade Deng, it was my best and toughest decision to make.

We should be contenders for the championship with or without Bynum being healthy but with a healthy Bynum we should be a clear #1 contender.

 
             
Indiana Pacers-Celticsblog Draft Team

Re: 2013 CB Draft: Northwest Division Press Conferences
« Reply #4 on: September 04, 2013, 12:15:55 PM »

Offline Who

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I would have loved to have seen a low usage PG instead of Brandon Jennings alongside Joe Johnson and Carmelo Anthony. I don't think there are enough touches to go around for all three of them to flourish.

Enes Kanter will need quite a few touches inside too (15ppg low post threat) and so too will Andrei Kirilenko who I think is a 15ppg 4apg threat as an undersized quick PF. Then there is Darren Collison (backup PG) who likes to have the ball in his hands and if fit Andrew Bynum.

I think there are a lot of guys here in Portland who will see dramatically lower offensive number + I think the players here will have a hard time accepting roles and playing together as a cohesive unit. Furthermore, I would expect those offensive difficulties to leak onto the defensive end of the floor and effect several player's defensive efforts.

Re: 2013 CB Draft: Northwest Division Press Conferences
« Reply #5 on: September 04, 2013, 12:20:34 PM »

Offline rondoallaturca

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Portland: How many basketballs will this team play with each game? Do you feel there won't be enough shots to go around to satisfy your players?

Re: 2013 CB Draft: Northwest Division Press Conferences
« Reply #6 on: September 04, 2013, 12:33:58 PM »

Offline Lucky17

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Oklahoma City Thunder


1. Roster / depth chart
Head Coach: Mike Brown
PG: Derrick Rose, Eric Maynor, Dennis Schroeder
SG: Iman Shumpert, Ben Gordon, Marco Belinelli, Ben McLemore
SF: [Iman Shumpert], Chase Budinger, Landry Fields
PF: Taj Gibson, Udonis Haslem, Patrick Patterson
C:  Dwight Howard, Ian Mahinmi

As a general rule, I don’t expect rookies to make major contributions to the success of an erstwhile playoff team, although any strides McLemore or Schroeder might make towards meaningful minutes during the course of the season would certainly be welcome. The smooth and athletic McLemore, in particular, could potentially grow into a terrific complement to Rose as a shooting/slashing wing.

I also do not expect big things from either Fields or Patterson this season, although I will try to work them in whenever possible to decrease the minutes load on the rotation players.

This leaves a core ten-man rotation of:

PG: Rose/Maynor
Obviously, the success of the team hinges greatly on Rose’s return to the ranks of the NBA’s elite PGs. I won’t waste time or effort arguing he will (just as critics shouldn’t bother saying he won’t), as the proof remains to be seen this coming season.
I view Maynor as a capable and versatile understudy, as he demonstrated last season by playing SG for an undermanned Blazer team after a mid-season trade from OKC.

SG: Shumpert/Gordon/Belinelli
SF: Shumpert/Budinger
I’m combining comments on the wings here, as Shumpert is going to see time at both slots. His defense makes for a terrific backcourt combination with Rose, and Shump demonstrated in the playoffs last season that he’s capable of guarding bigger SFs. We’ll wield his versatility to the greatest effect against opposing wings.
When more offensive firepower is required, Ben Gordon steps in at SG. His ability to attack the hoop and score, combined with the threat of his outside shooting (career 40% from 3-point land), provide a key dynamic to the offense when a different look is needed.
Remaining rotation minutes at SG/SF will be covered by Belinelli, another shooting guard with range (career 38+% from deep) who can run an offense in a pinch (making him a nice complement to Maynor, I think), and Budinger, whose BBIQ and efficiency despite low usage make him a great glue guy on both sides of the ball.
Landry Fields will see emergency/spot/garbage minutes, unless he does manage to successfully reconstruct his jumper and return to the form he displayed during his rookie season.

PF: Gibson/Haslem
Rather than pursue frontcourt scorers to pair with Howard, I instead wanted to double down on defense and physical play: Tom Thibodeau’s Bulls have famously relied on Gibson over Boozer to close out games, and Haslem has made a ten-year career out of chippy, hard-nosed play around the boards. Critics will likely raise concerns about a lack of spacing, which I am forced to concede in Gibson’s case; however, Haslem has exhibited a decent mid-range jumper, shooting at around 40% or better on attempts 16 feet and beyond for several seasons running. It’s also possible that Haslem may start over Gibson on some nights to help set the tone.
I’m not banking on major contributions from Patrick Patterson, but he may see 10-15 minutes a night, depending on the situation (such as the tail end of back-to-backs, or third games in four nights). I don’t expect him to join the playoff rotation, unless he takes a major leap forward this season.

C: Howard/Mahinmi
Just as with Derrick Rose, the team’s success will be predicated in large part upon Dwight Howard’s ability to physically overmatch his opposing number at C. He’s one of the most productive big men in the NBA in the pick-and-roll, and he’s a perennial candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.
Ian Mahinmi is an up-and-coming big man who can be relied upon for 15 minutes a night when his number is called.

2. Statistics
"To me, all the intangible, subjective things you can't measure . . . are more important than the things you can." Brad Stevens, Sports Illustrated, August 26, 2013

3. Pictures


4. Statement regarding drafting philosophy (building for the future, contending now, etc.)
I took over drafting duties midway through the ninth round (Jordan Hill was technically my first selection at 9.21). Coupled with picks acquired through trade, my later round selections targeted defenders, glue guys or low-usage role players with NBA experience as complementary pieces next to Rose and Howard (Budinger, Haslem, Mahinmi, Belinelli, Maynor, Fields), or players I thought had considerable upside/value as potential trade chips (McLemore, Schroeder).

5. Toughest decision
I knew when I inherited the team that I'd probably have to trade Jeff Green to strengthen the roster as a whole. [I did not expect finding a replacement SF would be so difficult.] Parting with Rubio was not part of the initial plan, but I felt that Rose offered more on both sides of the ball.

6. Best move (trade, pick, etc.) / worst move
Sure, the Rose acquisition was important, as it gave me a second franchise-level talent in the starting lineup. But just as important, in my estimation, was trading Mario Chalmers and Kyle Korver, two players I’d inherited, for Taj Gibson and the 10.1 (which I used to select Marco Belinelli). At that point in this exercise, my starting PF was either Jordan Hill or Patrick Patterson; Taj gave me a legit starter whose defensive acumen makes, I believe, for a better complement to Howard.
However, I was disappointed I couldn’t land a third star to go with Rose and Howard, despite much effort. Lots of trade offers for Shump, Buds, and Taj, but nothing that would have constituted an overall upgrade to my starting unit. Still, I do think about how much this roster could have improved with one more trade.

7. Your outlook for this coming season
We’ve hitched our wagons to two individual superstars coming off of disappointing seasons largely lost to injury, and surrounded them with tough defenders and capable shooters. Our team commitment to defense will hopefully grind other teams down in the half-court game; we’ll block shots, generate steals, and control the boards, leading to fast-break opportunities and easy points in the transition game.
I don’t expect us to steamroll through the rest of the league, but I do expect a top-four playoff seed in the Western Conference—and with a little luck a Conference Finals berth. After that, who knows?

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Re: 2013 CB Draft: Northwest Division Press Conferences
« Reply #7 on: September 04, 2013, 12:33:58 PM »

Offline Yoki_IsTheName

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Portland: How many basketballs will this team play with each game? Do you feel there won't be enough shots to go around to satisfy your players?

My thoughts exactly.

With most of the roster need the ball in their hands most of the time to be productive, which one will produce less and less due to lack of touches?
2019 CStrong Historical Draft 2000s OKC Thunder.
PG: Jrue Holiday / Isaiah Thomas / Larry Hughes
SG: Paul George / Aaron McKie / Bradley Beal
SF: Paul Pierce / Tayshaun Prince / Brian Scalabrine
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge / Shareef Abdur-Raheem / Ben Simmons
C: Jermaine O'neal / Ben Wallace

Re: 2013 CB Draft: Northwest Division Press Conferences
« Reply #8 on: September 04, 2013, 12:39:47 PM »

Offline pearljammer10

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I would have loved to have seen a low usage PG instead of Brandon Jennings alongside Joe Johnson and Carmelo Anthony. I don't think there are enough touches to go around for all three of them to flourish.

Enes Kanter will need quite a few touches inside too (15ppg low post threat) and so too will Andrei Kirilenko who I think is a 15ppg 4apg threat as an undersized quick PF. Then there is Darren Collison (backup PG) who likes to have the ball in his hands and if fit Andrew Bynum.

I think there are a lot of guys here in Portland who will see dramatically lower offensive number + I think the players here will have a hard time accepting roles and playing together as a cohesive unit. Furthermore, I would expect those offensive difficulties to leak onto the defensive end of the floor and effect several player's defensive efforts.

Plenty of talent on the roster, no question. But I dont think having 4 chuckers in the starting line up is going to work well cohesively.

Re: 2013 CB Draft: Northwest Division Press Conferences
« Reply #9 on: September 04, 2013, 12:41:48 PM »

Offline pearljammer10

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OKC: Are you worried about spacing the floor? With a starting five of slashers, drivers and paint cloggers, how will you make up for the lack of floor spacing to play the drive and dish/inside out games?

Re: 2013 CB Draft: Northwest Division Press Conferences
« Reply #10 on: September 04, 2013, 12:49:12 PM »

Offline rondoallaturca

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Oklahoma City: What is your reasoning for putting Haslem ahead of Patterson as the backup PF? Patterson is very fundamentally sound and has great basketball IQ. He's only been in the league for three years but has already shown he is a very capable rotation player. Haslem's been on the decline the past few seasons and I'm not seeing any justification why Haslem deserves to be ahead of Patterson in the depth chart.

Re: 2013 CB Draft: Northwest Division Press Conferences
« Reply #11 on: September 04, 2013, 12:53:48 PM »

Offline Lucky17

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OKC: Are you worried about spacing the floor? With a starting five of slashers, drivers and paint cloggers, how will you make up for the lack of floor spacing to play the drive and dish/inside out games?

I don't think this question really applies to my SG/SF rotation, as all of them have demonstrated the ability to knock down shots with range.

In the half-court set offense, Taj's main focus will be to set screens and picks, and crash the boards. If he's the one holding the ball on the baseline with 3 seconds left on the shot clock, he'll shoot it. He's not a huge liability from mid-range (shooting 39% from 10-15 feet, and 32% beyond).
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Re: 2013 CB Draft: Northwest Division Press Conferences
« Reply #12 on: September 04, 2013, 12:55:06 PM »

Offline indeedproceed

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OKC:

Question 1: You're the first presser I've read start to finish without stopping. You're welcome. I liked the way it was broken up into segments and wasn't 2000 words long.

Question 2: Brad Stevens (he's so hot right now) is full of crap. He pays some graduate from William and Mary of Holy Cross 30k to work 50 hours a week preparing advanced metrics reports. Don't think you get to pretend that numbers don't exist by quoting some folksy maxims.

Question 3: Did Shump Shump really shoot 40% on nearly 5 attempts per 36 minutes from long? Did that actually happen? How did I miss that?

Question 4: Dwight Howard took half the season last year to get healthy, and his injuries stem from now chronic back problems. Houston's concerned enough about it to keep a disgruntled Asik on the roster rather than have the possibility of having nothing when Howard has his minutes limited or misses extended time. What's your backup plan, cowboy?

Question 5: I like a lot of your depth. Maynor, Marco Bellinelli, Landry Fields, Haslem, Mahini. All guys where you're like, "Well, they're not starters, but they'll do great."

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Re: 2013 CB Draft: Northwest Division Press Conferences
« Reply #13 on: September 04, 2013, 12:57:26 PM »

Offline Who

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I would have loved to have seen a low usage PG instead of Brandon Jennings alongside Joe Johnson and Carmelo Anthony. I don't think there are enough touches to go around for all three of them to flourish.

Enes Kanter will need quite a few touches inside too (15ppg low post threat) and so too will Andrei Kirilenko who I think is a 15ppg 4apg threat as an undersized quick PF. Then there is Darren Collison (backup PG) who likes to have the ball in his hands and if fit Andrew Bynum.

I think there are a lot of guys here in Portland who will see dramatically lower offensive number + I think the players here will have a hard time accepting roles and playing together as a cohesive unit. Furthermore, I would expect those offensive difficulties to leak onto the defensive end of the floor and effect several player's defensive efforts.

Plenty of talent on the roster, no question. But I dont think having 4 chuckers in the starting line up is going to work well cohesively.

Yeah, the individual parts for Portland are very, very good but I just don't think they'll work well together.

What's the saying ... the sum of the pieces are less than the individual parts. Something like that. 

Re: 2013 CB Draft: Northwest Division Press Conferences
« Reply #14 on: September 04, 2013, 12:59:58 PM »

Offline Lucky17

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Oklahoma City: What is your reasoning for putting Haslem ahead of Patterson as the backup PF? Patterson is very fundamentally sound and has great basketball IQ. He's only been in the league for three years but has already shown he is a very capable rotation player. Haslem's been on the decline the past few seasons and I'm not seeing any justification why Haslem deserves to be ahead of Patterson in the depth chart.

Mainly because Patterson hasn't proved it to me yet. Haslem has loads of championship experience, and despite his decline, still measures out metrically as the better rebounder with roughly equivalent TS%.

If Patterson demonstrates he's ready for the backup PF gig, he'll get the minutes. Right now, I'm going with Haslem.
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