2011 CB Draft Northwest Division Press Conference

[Kane3387]

Question for Portland.

Five of your main Rotation players have barely started playoff games - Harden, Williams, Lowry, Bogut, and Delfino. When the regular season ends and the playoffs begin, what do you say to those people who question how successful your team can be in the playoffs due to lack of experience? Only Amare has consistently started in the playoffs and he is 0-4 as the "leader" of a playoff team.

Much like OKC in 2009-2010 you're team is talented but very very young. Thoughts on your team maybe being a year away from taking that next step?

[Kane3387]

Him being ready to compete is different from him being 100%. KG played the entire 09/10 season, but clearly he wasn't 100%.

Especially with his age, I am not expecting 'the old Caron Butler' this season.

Im talking about Caron Butler for the Mavs who played only 29 mpg and gave 15 ppg and 4 rpg.

The one that went through a season ending knee surgery

Lol Nice. No the guy pre-injury, who wasn't the same guy in Washington or he would have played more then 29 mpg. Since he has been in Dallas Butler no longer relied on athleticism and explosiveness. Instead he was more like Pierce using intelligence, grit, strength and most of all his footwork. It's not like he ever relied on 4.3 speed or anything like that. He was NEVER an above the rim player. He was a bulldog that got his nose dirty and loved to mix it up. He will still be like that.

Again he was CLOSE ENOUGH to be game time decisions in the finals. Clearly after 18 more weeks of working out and training camp he can come back and resume his style of play since he wasn't relying on raw athletic ability in the first place.

He will be 100% good enough to play his role as fourth or fifth option with the starters and back up to Pierce where he is still the second option with the bench.

[StartOrien]

He will be 100% good enough to play his role as fourth or fifth option with the starters and back up to Pierce where he is still the second option with the bench.

I probably agree with this, I just don't think he's going to be the same.

[StartOrien]

OKC, why start Ty Thomas over Antawn Jamison?

[StartOrien]

Denver,

Any concern about scoring off the bench? Hill seems to be the only guy.

[mgent]

Two really strong front courts between Portland and Utah, how do you guys see those matchups going?

SF) Starters - Pierce Vs Delfino - Pierce it's not even close
      Reserves - Thabo/Butler Vs Williams - Depends on how Williams comes along

PF) Starters - KG Vs Amare - Edge Amare but after this years playoffs it's close
      Reserves - Maxiell/Jefferson Vs Williams - Again how good will Williams be as a rookie

C) Starters - Jefferson Vs Bogut - I see this as more of a tie. They will both score on each other
     Reserves - Haywood Vs Lopez/Tolliver - I give Haywood the edge because he will play
                         consistently with a better PF option unless it's Maxiell (5 mpg)

This is a fun one to debate. I like the experience my team has. I am going to go into the playoffs here. I think the playoffs will be too big for Williams at times. Neither Bogut or Big Al has ever played in a playoff game. Amare is overall the best front line player but he is going up against the one guy who will neutralize him the most in KG (best defensive PF). Big Al has the best offensive post game of any of these guys. Offensively he complements KG more than Bogut does Amare.

I think the PF and C positions are close, but the SF position is no contest. Delfino is a SG. Period. Putting him on Pierce is a joke. Pierce will be at the line all day. Same with Williams putting a slow footed rookie on the truth in the playoffs is again a joke. Pump fakes all day. If Portland and Utah meet up expect Pierce to shoot a lot of FTs and impact the series more then any other player.

I don't understand how people can just say Delfino or Iguodala (a while ago) are SGs and then just end the argument with period.  Sure, they can play SG, but they're still the same size as Pierce.

If a player has played SF in the past, then he's clearly capable of being a SF.  If a player is in the 6'6" 230lb range, he is a swingman and can typically play both.  We're not talking about SG/PG or PF/C where the skillsets are drastically different.  Delfino does not cause any offensive issues switching between SG/SF, and more importantly he can guard both at a high level.  Putting him on a Pierce is certainly not a joke.

[indeedproceed]

Two really strong front courts between Portland and Utah, how do you guys see those matchups going?

Well, that's a question that could mean a couple of different things. If it means "Who wins the battle of the paint when the two teams face each other", that's a wholly different one than "Which teams' front court will perform better against the other 23 teams in the league".

Well both answers are me. But, I digest.

This is a fun one to debate. I like the experience my team has. I am going to go into the playoffs here. I think the playoffs will be too big for Williams at times. Neither Bogut or Big Al has ever played in a playoff game. Amare is overall the best front line player but he is going up against the one guy who will neutralize him the most in KG (best defensive PF). Big Al has the best offensive post game of any of these guys. Offensively he complements KG more than Bogut does Amare.

Ah, its a war you want, eh?

Well lets start with the big boys.

Andrew Bogut V Al Jefferson

You say: 'I see this as more of a tie. They will both score on each other'

I say: Al Jefferson, whenever he has met Andrew Bogut, has consistently played the center position, and Bogut has consistently been the better player by a country mile. You're right, both guys will score on each other. But, one guy will score better (Bogut), one guy will defend better (Bogut), and one guy will be a better facilitator (Bogut).

In their 11 meetings, Bogut has shot 60+% from the field compared to Al Jefferson's 44%. Couple that with exponentially better team defense, and Bogut gets the heavy, heavy nod here.

KG V Amare

You say: "Edge Amare but after this years playoffs it's close."
I say: Amare is better offensively by a very significant margin, but KG is much better defensively. By the numbers rebounding they're even. One thing you might want to ponder though; in the playoff game Amare was actually healthy for, he lit KG up the whole time, and KG could not do squat to stop him. Plus, the added attention Jermaine O'Neal needed to pay to try to slow down Amare (which didn't help) allowed Ronny Turiaf to go 4-5 from the field.  

Bench Rotations:

PF: Al Jefferson, Jason Maxiell V Derrick Williams, Jonas Jerebko
You say: Depends on Williams
I say: Well, yes and no. It does not depend on Williams that Maxiell will be able to push him around under the boards, or that Al Jefferson will likely be able to score on him. It also does not really depend on Williams whether or not he'll be able to score on Maxiell or Jefferson, as both guys aren't the best defenders, and Derrick Williams will hold a sizeable quickness advantage on both of them. The other thing that doesn't depend on Williams is how well Jerebko will play. He's already out-played Maxiell for a starting position once. It'll happen again here.  

Center: Haywood V STAT, Lopez
You say: I give Haywood the edge because he will play consistently with a better PF option unless it's Maxiell (5 mpg)
I say: If it was just Haywood vs Lopez/Tolliver, its a win for Haywood. But, that's not the case. Assuming health, you're looking at 10 minutes tops for Robin Lopez, and hopefully less. And, while Haywood is a pretty decent player, he can't defend Amar'e Stoudemire. Not a chance.

[Kane3387]

He will be 100% good enough to play his role as fourth or fifth option with the starters and back up to Pierce where he is still the second option with the bench.

I probably agree with this, I just don't think he's going to be the same.

Fair enough. 

[Who]

Delfino best position is at small forward.

His blend of relative strength and relative quickness (relative to position/opponent) is best suited to the small forward position both defensively + offensively.

Playing him as a two guard makes him less effective.

[Kane3387]

Two really strong front courts between Portland and Utah, how do you guys see those matchups going?

SF) Starters - Pierce Vs Delfino - Pierce it's not even close
      Reserves - Thabo/Butler Vs Williams - Depends on how Williams comes along

PF) Starters - KG Vs Amare - Edge Amare but after this years playoffs it's close
      Reserves - Maxiell/Jefferson Vs Williams - Again how good will Williams be as a rookie

C) Starters - Jefferson Vs Bogut - I see this as more of a tie. They will both score on each other
     Reserves - Haywood Vs Lopez/Tolliver - I give Haywood the edge because he will play
                         consistently with a better PF option unless it's Maxiell (5 mpg)

This is a fun one to debate. I like the experience my team has. I am going to go into the playoffs here. I think the playoffs will be too big for Williams at times. Neither Bogut or Big Al has ever played in a playoff game. Amare is overall the best front line player but he is going up against the one guy who will neutralize him the most in KG (best defensive PF). Big Al has the best offensive post game of any of these guys. Offensively he complements KG more than Bogut does Amare.

I think the PF and C positions are close, but the SF position is no contest. Delfino is a SG. Period. Putting him on Pierce is a joke. Pierce will be at the line all day. Same with Williams putting a slow footed rookie on the truth in the playoffs is again a joke. Pump fakes all day. If Portland and Utah meet up expect Pierce to shoot a lot of FTs and impact the series more then any other player.

I don't understand how people can just say Delfino or Iguodala (a while ago) are SGs and then just end the argument with period.  Sure, they can play SG, but they're still the same size as Pierce.

If a player has played SF in the past, then he's clearly capable of being a SF.  If a player is in the 6'6" 230lb range, he is a swingman and can typically play both.  We're not talking about SG/PG or PF/C where the skillsets are drastically different.  Delfino does not cause any offensive issues switching between SG/SF, and more importantly he can guard both at a high level.  Putting him on a Pierce is certainly not a joke.

Mgent,

You're right about him playing SF. I have only seen him play SG for the most part, but you're definitely right. At his measurements he can play the SF; however he can't guard Pierce. He doesn't have the strength and few do. There are few players who can guard Pierce to begin with. In my opinion Pierce against Delfino and Williams will be a lot like Pierce in the 2010 ECF against Orlando. They won't really present a challenge for him. That's my opinion. TP

[mgent]

Denver,

Any concern about scoring off the bench? Hill seems to be the only guy.

And he's not even very good at creating his own shot.  Aside from Rush nobody on the bench can, especially with Mbah a Moute playing on the perimeter, killing the offense.

Hill's offense consists mostly of waiting for the corner 3.  I don't see why the Nuggets aren't starting him.  I think it really hurts them, especially defensively.  Calderon is much better suited as your facilitator off the bench.

[mgent]

Two really strong front courts between Portland and Utah, how do you guys see those matchups going?

SF) Starters - Pierce Vs Delfino - Pierce it's not even close
      Reserves - Thabo/Butler Vs Williams - Depends on how Williams comes along

PF) Starters - KG Vs Amare - Edge Amare but after this years playoffs it's close
      Reserves - Maxiell/Jefferson Vs Williams - Again how good will Williams be as a rookie

C) Starters - Jefferson Vs Bogut - I see this as more of a tie. They will both score on each other
     Reserves - Haywood Vs Lopez/Tolliver - I give Haywood the edge because he will play
                         consistently with a better PF option unless it's Maxiell (5 mpg)

This is a fun one to debate. I like the experience my team has. I am going to go into the playoffs here. I think the playoffs will be too big for Williams at times. Neither Bogut or Big Al has ever played in a playoff game. Amare is overall the best front line player but he is going up against the one guy who will neutralize him the most in KG (best defensive PF). Big Al has the best offensive post game of any of these guys. Offensively he complements KG more than Bogut does Amare.

I think the PF and C positions are close, but the SF position is no contest. Delfino is a SG. Period. Putting him on Pierce is a joke. Pierce will be at the line all day. Same with Williams putting a slow footed rookie on the truth in the playoffs is again a joke. Pump fakes all day. If Portland and Utah meet up expect Pierce to shoot a lot of FTs and impact the series more then any other player.

I don't understand how people can just say Delfino or Iguodala (a while ago) are SGs and then just end the argument with period.  Sure, they can play SG, but they're still the same size as Pierce.

If a player has played SF in the past, then he's clearly capable of being a SF.  If a player is in the 6'6" 230lb range, he is a swingman and can typically play both.  We're not talking about SG/PG or PF/C where the skillsets are drastically different.  Delfino does not cause any offensive issues switching between SG/SF, and more importantly he can guard both at a high level.  Putting him on a Pierce is certainly not a joke.

Mgent,

You're right about him playing SF. I have only seen him play SG for the most part, but you're definitely right. At his measurements he can play the SF; however he can't guard Pierce. He doesn't have the strength and few do. There are few players who can guard Pierce to begin with. In my opinion Pierce against Delfino and Williams will be a lot like Pierce in the 2010 ECF against Orlando. They won't really present a challenge for him. That's my opinion. TP

Williams is obviously a huge question mark, but I think you're underrating Delfino a little bit.  He's one of the better wing defenders in the league.  The only guys that he can't handle are the super-fast wings, and that's not Pierce.

[Kane3387]

Well, that's a question that could mean a couple of different things. If it means "Who wins the battle of the paint when the two teams face each other", that's a wholly different one than "Which teams' front court will perform better against the other 23 teams in the league".

Well both answers are me. But, I digest.

I think it means who wins the match up battle when Portland faces Utah. Also is this regular season or playoffs because Pierce and KG played better in the playoffs and you have a lot of guys who have never played in the playoffs at all. The playoffs are much different then the regular season. Matchups determine series, game planning is completely different and everything is magnified like Bogut's FT%.

Andrew Bogut V Al Jefferson

You say: 'I see this as more of a tie. They will both score on each other'

I say: Al Jefferson, whenever he has met Andrew Bogut, has consistently played the center position, and Bogut has consistently been the better player by a country mile. You're right, both guys will score on each other. But, one guy will score better (Bogut), one guy will defend better (Bogut), and one guy will be a better facilitator (Bogut).

In their 11 meetings, Bogut has shot 60+% from the field compared to Al Jefferson's 44%. Couple that with exponentially better team defense, and Bogut gets the heavy, heavy nod here

Can you provide evidence? Having one of the top 2 help defenders in the NBA will help Big Al. Again he can play off KG better then Bogut can Amare. If anything Bogut clog the lane.

KG V Amare

You say: "Edge Amare but after this years playoffs it's close."
I say: Amare is better offensively by a very significant margin, but KG is much better defensively. By the numbers rebounding they're even. One thing you might want to ponder though; in the playoff game Amare was actually healthy for, he lit KG up the whole time, and KG could not do squat to stop him. Plus, the added attention Jermaine O'Neal needed to pay to try to slow down Amare (which didn't help) allowed Ronny Turiaf to go 4-5 from the field.  

That's one game. KG has always played and made life for Amare. Amare might get points but he is not as efficient a player when defended by KG. Amare also torched Big Baby. Doc did not put KG on Amare a lot of the time for fear of fouls. I don't have that same fear.

Bench Rotations:

PF: Al Jefferson, Jason Maxiell V Derrick Williams, Jonas Jerebko
You say: Depends on Williams
I say: Well, yes and no. It does not depend on Williams that Maxiell will be able to push him around under the boards, or that Al Jefferson will likely be able to score on him. It also does not really depend on Williams whether or not he'll be able to score on Maxiell or Jefferson, as both guys aren't the best defenders, and Derrick Williams will hold a sizeable quickness advantage on both of them. The other thing that doesn't depend on Williams is how well Jerebko will play. He's already out-played Maxiell for a starting position once. It'll happen again here.

 

Maxiell is playing 5 mpg.. Jerebko is out of his league here. My PF is mostly KG or Big Al. All of your PFs will have trouble defending them. Likewise Amare is a beast on the other end and would create issues for Jefferson, but that's the trade off. Great players get theres but Williams and Jerebko won't be able to defend either of KG and Big Al or score on KG. When Amare goes out your team takes a hit and that's the internal game you must play. How much do I play Amare and thus how much wear and tear does he accumulate?

IP a TP for you my man! Keep it coming.

I have to get off here for a while but everyone please keep your Qs coming and I will try and respond to them later.

Peace,
Kane

[indeedproceed]

Question for Portland.
Much like OKC in 2009-2010 you're team is talented but very very young.

Are we? Because, my starters are 25, 21, 29, 28, and 26. Combined my starters are averaging 5.5 years a piece in the league, with Harden being the youngest and least experienced at 21 years and 2 yrs experience.

To my knowledge, they're all (excepting Harden) entering or in the midst of their prime.

Thoughts on your team maybe being a year away from taking that next step?

What's the next step? Contending for a title? Making it to the second round?

Personally, I think I'm not a year away from anything. Considering the parity of this league, and the talent top to bottom of the team I've assembled, I love my chances. Experience is not the bane of my team.

[Kane3387]

Two really strong front courts between Portland and Utah, how do you guys see those matchups going?

SF) Starters - Pierce Vs Delfino - Pierce it's not even close
      Reserves - Thabo/Butler Vs Williams - Depends on how Williams comes along

PF) Starters - KG Vs Amare - Edge Amare but after this years playoffs it's close
      Reserves - Maxiell/Jefferson Vs Williams - Again how good will Williams be as a rookie

C) Starters - Jefferson Vs Bogut - I see this as more of a tie. They will both score on each other
     Reserves - Haywood Vs Lopez/Tolliver - I give Haywood the edge because he will play
                         consistently with a better PF option unless it's Maxiell (5 mpg)

This is a fun one to debate. I like the experience my team has. I am going to go into the playoffs here. I think the playoffs will be too big for Williams at times. Neither Bogut or Big Al has ever played in a playoff game. Amare is overall the best front line player but he is going up against the one guy who will neutralize him the most in KG (best defensive PF). Big Al has the best offensive post game of any of these guys. Offensively he complements KG more than Bogut does Amare.

I think the PF and C positions are close, but the SF position is no contest. Delfino is a SG. Period. Putting him on Pierce is a joke. Pierce will be at the line all day. Same with Williams putting a slow footed rookie on the truth in the playoffs is again a joke. Pump fakes all day. If Portland and Utah meet up expect Pierce to shoot a lot of FTs and impact the series more then any other player.

I don't understand how people can just say Delfino or Iguodala (a while ago) are SGs and then just end the argument with period.  Sure, they can play SG, but they're still the same size as Pierce.

If a player has played SF in the past, then he's clearly capable of being a SF.  If a player is in the 6'6" 230lb range, he is a swingman and can typically play both.  We're not talking about SG/PG or PF/C where the skillsets are drastically different.  Delfino does not cause any offensive issues switching between SG/SF, and more importantly he can guard both at a high level.  Putting him on a Pierce is certainly not a joke.

Mgent,

You're right about him playing SF. I have only seen him play SG for the most part, but you're definitely right. At his measurements he can play the SF; however he can't guard Pierce. He doesn't have the strength and few do. There are few players who can guard Pierce to begin with. In my opinion Pierce against Delfino and Williams will be a lot like Pierce in the 2010 ECF against Orlando. They won't really present a challenge for him. That's my opinion. TP

Williams is obviously a huge question mark, but I think you're underrating Delfino a little bit.  He's one of the better wing defenders in the league.  The only guys that he can't handle are the super-fast wings, and that's not Pierce.

What?! Maybe a good shooter but not "one of the best defensive players in the NBA". No way. The guy didn't get one vote for ALL NBA DEFENSIVE TEAM. See the link below. You are overrating him big time.

http://www.examiner.com/nba-in-national/2011-all-defensive-team-announced