Celticsblog Mock GM Press Conferences: Pacific Division

[celticmaestro]

1. The youth of your wings. That's suffering through a lot of mistakes from young players, especially when they are your 2nd and 3rd best players.
2. The love of the jump shot, Durant sometimes likes to take ill advised threes, Mayo did that in college. Even Bosh sometimes takes some jumpers when he should go to the hoop.

From my presser:

Outlook for this season and the future:

For the upcoming season, our target is to be as good as we can possibly be. We have a young team, but we will go out there every night to compete. Our most important learning curve will be on the defensive end. Whether we win this year or lose, make the playoffs or enter the lottery, defense will be the key to any success further down the road. For the young players, they know what they can do offensively, but it’s defensively that they will find themselves. The pressure comes from within to succeed. This team has been put together for success, and without defense, we wont have that success. So for this season, we will go out there and compete as if it were a game 7 every night. Those players are expected to give there all and we feel that if we compete every night, that is the only way to learn. You take each loss seriously, and each win means something. For young players, that experience is pivotal.

For the future, our goal is simple: NBA Champions. It starts here, it starts with defense, it starts with commitment and it starts with growing together. It ends with winning together.

With regards to Bosh taking too many shots, I don't see that as an issue because with Durant and Mayo on the wings he can play more of an inside game. And as for defense, that's not an issue at all. Duhon is a very good defender, Darko is an excellent defender as is Bosh and Durant and Mayo can become excellent defenders - particularly Durant with his size and athleticism.

[Lucky17]

So the biggest concern people have for my young team is whether Darko can perform?

I've got to say, I'm satisfied if that's the biggest concern.

You may have already addressed this CM, but are you worried about your bench at all?

1. Outside of the extremely raw rookie Jawai, you have no legitimately physical big man to match up against your opponents. Hunter lacks toughness/durability, Fazekas is a LaFrentz type (perimeter player, not a banger), and Donyell is running on fumes at this point. Is this a concern at all?

2. Aside from McCants, and perhaps Koponen and Jawai, all your young bench players or overseas players seem to be real long shots to develop into rotation players. Are you at all concerned about the long-term future of the supporting cast for your starters?

3. You've moved the team to Vegas. Are you worried about this being a distraction for a team expecting so much out of its young stars?

[RebusRankin]

Los Angles Clippers
Not Your Daddy's Clippers

Roster
PG- Mo Williams/Aaron Brooks/Randy Livingston
SG- Rip Hamilton/Mo Evans/Shawnee Williams
SF- Stephen Jackson/Grant Hill/Brian Cardinal
PF- Dirk Nowitzki/Anderson Varejao/Josh Powell
C- Fabrico Oberto/Theo Ratliff/Rod Benson

Front Office
General Manager: RebusRankin
Head Coach: Jeff Van Gundy

Player       PPG   APG  RPG SPG  BPG Height Age
M. Williams  17.2  6.3  3.5 1.2  0.2 6ft1   25
Hamilton     17.3  4.2  3.3 1.0  0.1 6ft7   30
Jackson      20.1  4.1  4.4 1.3  0.4 6ft8   30
Nowitzki     23.6  3.5  8.6 0.7  0.9 7ft    30
Oberto       4.8   1.2  5.2 0.4  0.2 6ft10  33
Hill         13.1  2.9  5.0 0.9  0.8 6ft8   35
Varejao      6.7   1.1  8.3 0.8  0.5 6ft10  25
Evans        9.3   1.0  3.1 0.6  0.1 6ft5   29
Brooks       5.2   1.7  1.1 0.2  0.1 6ft    23
Powell       5.5   0.7  5.2 0.2  0.4 6ft9   25
S.Williams   6.7   0.9  2.7 0.4  0.4 6ft9   22
Ratliff      3.0   0.4  3.1 0.2  1.1 6ft10  35
Cardinal     3.4   0.6  2.6 0.3  0.1 6ft8   31
Benson       13.6  1.2  12.1 n/a n/a 6ft10  23*
Livingston   16.5  10.5 4.2  n/a n/a 6ft4   33*
* NBDL Stats

Draft philosophy:
My draft philosophy was to build the most competitive team that I could. From my perspective, Clipper fans have waited too long for a winner. Using the picks available to me, I simply tried to assemble the best team that I could

Toughest decision:
Who to draft with the 7th pick.

Best move:
Well I am proud of myself for getting Theo in the 12th round.

Roster Breakdown:

M. Williams: In Mo, I have a pg who I feel can facilitate my offense and who will get the ball to Dirk, Stephen and Rip, while at the same time providing points himself.
  
Hamilton: I expect Rip to play a similar role to that of Ray Allen. He's my third option who will provide outside shooting and keep defenses from doubling Dirk.
 
Jackson     I expect Jackson to provide a little of everything. I see him as my #2 option behind Dirk and a person who the offense can be run through at times depending on the situation.

Nowitzki Dirk is the centerpiece of my team. I expect him to lead it. He's my primary scorer and the focal point of my offense.

Oberto   Fabrico is there to provide defense, hustle and rebounding.

Hill   Hill is my 6th man. I see him being used at the 2 and 3, while occasionally playing a point-forward role.
 
Varejao The first big off my bench. I see him playing a lot of center and pf. He'll provide defense and rebounding.

Evans       Mo is my defensive stopper.

Brooks      I see Aaron simply as my back up pg, albeit one who is still developing and who has a lot of upside.

Powell Low post scoring and rebounding off the bench.


S.Williams   Player who can play multiple positions and provide bench scoring.

Ratliff:   Defense and rebounding
  
Cardinal  Air Intangibles version 2.0
  
Benson       Rod will likely spend the season in the NBDL

Livingston   Vet insurance at the point



Outlook for this season:

I think we can contend for our division title and at worst are a play-off team.

[celticmaestro]

So the biggest concern people have for my young team is whether Darko can perform?

I've got to say, I'm satisfied if that's the biggest concern.

You may have already addressed this CM, but are you worried about your bench at all?

1. Outside of the extremely raw rookie Jawai, you have no legitimately physical big man to match up against your opponents. Hunter lacks toughness/durability, Fazekas is a LaFrentz type (perimeter player, not a banger), and Donyell is running on fumes at this point. Is this a concern at all?

2. Aside from McCants, and perhaps Koponen and Jawai, all your young bench players or overseas players seem to be real long shots to develop into rotation players. Are you at all concerned about the long-term future of the supporting cast for your starters?

3. You've moved the team to Vegas. Are you worried about this being a distraction for a team expecting so much out of its young stars?

1 - No, no real concern there. I think Hunter is perfectly capable of roughing up some of the other Centers in the league. I feel Donyell has more to offer than Horry at this time while providing good leadership and Fazekas can certainly develop an inside game, and he'll be right at home in Nevada.

2 - Delfino, Walton, Butler, Claxton, Hunter, in addition to the three you mentioned and my starting 5 make a very capable 12 man rotation, all of whom (with the exception of Jawai and Koponen) have good experience in the NBA and have proven to be solid rotation players or starters. Not to mention my high hopes for Fazekas. Tomic and Zabelin could be good players in this league someday.

(I know you said young, but the oldest of those is 30 and has a championship ring.)

3 - The bright lights of Vegas will make us more appealing for those who want to play in a big market. Don't worry about the temptation of "Sin City" though, we run a tight ship here so no one will get out of control.

You have to remember, when you say "expecting so much" it implies that I'm expecting a championship right away, that's not the case. These players are being given an opportunity to be special, and to accomplish that it will take time.

[jgod213]

So the biggest concern people have for my young team is whether Darko can perform?

I've got to say, I'm satisfied if that's the biggest concern.

I think there's a big question as to whether or not Chris Duhon can be a franchise PG, considering he hasn't proven a whole lot in his career yet.

I guess his best trait is supposed to be his ball-distributing skill, his asst/to ratio is about 4:1, which is good, but who's to say that ratio will steadily improve when he is forced to play 40 min/game against the likes of nash and others.  But my big concern with Duhon is his drop in production and minutes/pg last year despite Kirk Hinrich having an off year.  He's an adequate 3 pt. shooter, but his career field goal % is under 40%, his free throw percentage hovers between 75-80% which, though decent, should be better considering he will have the ball in his hands at the end of games.

So i guess my question to you is, what are your realistic expectations of Chris Duhon? And is there any type of backup plan if Duhon isn't able to effectively manage this team for 35ish minutes a night?

[indeedproceed]

Phoenix Suns
Coach David Blatt
Ast. Coach: Jeff Van Gundy

Team/Drafting Philosophy: I wanted to select a team that cared. I wanted a team composed of guys that loved to play basketball. A group of guys that would bring positivity to community. I want guys that will commit to playing defense first, and 'getting buckets' second. I didn't want guys that are out to prove they're better than the next guy, I wanted guys that wanted to win, and wanted to put the time necessary to earn pt on the floor.

Player   Round (Pick)   Height   Weight (lbs)   AGE   Position   G   MIN   FGM-A   FG%
Brandon Roy   1(30)   6'6   229   24   2   74   37.7   531-1170   0.454
Caron Butler   2(1)   6'7   228   28   3   58   39.9   439-943   0.466
Kendrick Perkins   3(30)   6'10    280   23   5   78   24.5   214-348   0.615
Mike Conley Jr   4(1)   6'1    180   20   1   53   26.1   189-442   0.428
Nene Hilario   5(30)   6'11   268   25   4   64   26.8   294-516   0.57
Channing Frye   6(1)   6'11   245   25   4   78   17.2   221-452   0.489
Trevor Ariza   7(15)   6'8   210   23   3   35   15.7   69-136   0.507
Antonio Daniels   7(28)   6'4   205   33   1   71   30.4   205-447   0.459
Donte Greene   9(30)   6'11   226   20   3   35   35.8      0.418
Etan Thomas    10(1)   6'10   260   30   5   65   19.2   159-277   0.574
Morris Almond   10(15)   6'6   225   23   2   34   37.1   297-666   0.446
Cheick Samb   14(5)   7'1   215   23   4   4   8   3-4   0.75
Demetris Nichols14(19)   6'8   216   23   3   14   3.4   6-23   0.261
Andre Brown   14(22)   6'9    245   27   4   33   8.6   39-78   0.5
Taurean Green   15(10)   6'0   177   23   1   17   4.4   7-25   0.28
Mateen Cleaves   UD   6'2   205   30   1   15   40.8   106-198   0.535

Player   3PM-A   3P%   FTM-A   FT%   OFF(REB)   DEF(REB)   TOT(REB)   STL   BLK   TO   PF   AST   PTS
Brandon Roy   73-215   0.34   281-373   0.753   1.1   3.6   4.7   1.07   0.22   1.84   1.99   5.8   19.1
Caron Butler   66-185   0.357   236-262   0.901   1.6   5.1   6.7   2.21   0.34   2.59   2.76   4.9   20.3
Kendrick Perkins   0-1   0   114-183   0.623   1.9   4.2   6.1   0.4   1.46   1.6   3.1   1.1   6.9
Mike Conley Jr   30-91   0.33   90-123   0.732   0.4   2.2   2.6   0.83   0.04   1.68   1.6   4.2   9.4
Nene Hilario   0-1   0   195-283   0.689   2.3   4.7   7   1   0.9   2   3.3   1.2   12.2
Channing Frye   39516   0.333   85-109   0.78   1.4   3.2   4.5   0.37   0.35   0.71   2.67   0.7   6.8
Trevor Ariza   5-18   0.278   49-75   0.653   0.9   2.2   3.1   0.89   0.31   0.66   1.29   1.3   5.5
Antonio Daniels   17-74   0.23   170-219   0.776   0.3   2.5   2.9   0.97   0.03   1.28   1.1   4.8   8.4
Donte Greene      0.345      0.707         7.2   1.3   1.6   2.6   2.9   2   17.7
Etan Thomas    0-0   0   77-138   0.558   2.1   3.7   5.8   0.34   1.37   1.09   2.49   0.4   6.1
Morris Almond   57-161   0.354   219-263   0.833   1   2.6   3.6   0.9   0.5   3.26   2   1.6   25.6
Cheick Samb   0-0   0   1-2   0.5   0.8   1   1.8   0.25   0.5   0.25   2   0   1.8
Demetris Nichols   3-13   0.231   0-0   0   0   0.4   0.4   0   0.21   0.29   0.29   0.1   1.1
Andre Brown   0-0   0   22-49   0.449   1.1   1.7   2.8   0.21   0.12   0.42   1.15   0.2   3
Taurean Green   2-11   0.182   11-12   0.917   0   0.6   0.6   0.12   0   0.53   0.29   0.6   1.6
Mateen Cleaves   12-35   0.343   61-79   0.772   1.3   3.9   5.3   2.3   0   4.33   3   10.3   19

Anticipated Rotation 12 man rotation:

*names followed by expected total playing time. For Frye,Nichols, Ariza, Roy, and Daniels, thats at multiple positions

Kendrick Perkins (28 mins)/Etan Thomas(10 mins)/
Nene (25 mins)/Channing Frye(20mins)/
Caron Butler(35 mins)/Trevor Ariza(25 mins)/Demetris Nichols(10 mins)
Brandon Roy(35 mins)/Morris Almond(7 mins)
Mike Conley Jr(25 mins)/Antonio Daniels(20 mins)/Mateen Cleaves(~0mins)

Bench:
Donte Greene (D-League)
Cheik Samb (D-League)
Andre Brown (Inactive)

Overseas: Taurean Green

Picks:

1 (30): Brandon Roy-In my eyes Brandon Roy is a top 5 shooting guard in the NBA. He can do a little bit of everything, and on top of that, the kid can score like a maniac. He's a born leader, and he'll be the face of this franchise. He's like Tim Duncan, if Tim Duncan were a shooting guard.
2 (1): Caron Butler-He had some behavior troubles early in his career but since then this versatile forward had been nothing but money. He's one of the tougher guys in the league but noone has ever said he's anything but the perfect teammate. He's heavily involved in community service, and supposedly he's great in the lockerroom. On the court he's a tenacious defender that can score off the dribble, from a set shot, rebound well, and basically just do it all. He's a good complement to Brandon Roy, as he's a bit older and has done a bit more living, but he's still young enough (28) that I think I will get at least 4-5 good solid years out of him.
3 (30): Kendrick Perkins-He was the best center under 25 left on the board, and he had what I was looking for. He's a tough kid, he's defensive minded, and he hasn't got any quit in him. He plays well above average man defense in the post, and excellent team defense. His offensive game is progressing, but I don't expect more than 7-8 ppg out of him. He needs to step up with the rebounding but I think that as he learns more and more how to anchor a team and stay out of foul trouble his rebounding will improve.
4 (1): Mike Conley Jr-I had to have a pg here, more than I needed a starting power forward. Mike Conley hasn't done much in the NBA yet, but he's been on a well below average team that was going through a pretty massive transition period. People compared him to Tony Parker and Chris Paul before last season and most people haven't waivered from thinking he has as much potential as any of the top tier young pg's.
5 (30): Nene- This was a tough pick for me. I needed a starting 4, and I needed him to bring some offensive firepower. 2 seasons ago Nene returned from a knee injury to average almost 15 points and 10 boards, AFTER he signed a huge contract in the offseason. He wasn't playing to prove he deserved to get a big pay day, he was playing because he wanted to. THis past season he has fought through cancer to return to the squad again. Consider this from John Hollinger when thinking about Nene's talent

Nene is one of the quickest big men in basketball, which allows him to beat opposing big men in transition or on drives and get in position for dunks. He uses that quickness on the defensive end to annually have one of the best rates of steals among centers -- last year he was seventh -- and help his guards out in pick-and-roll situations.

Nene isn't as sharp in help situations from the weak side, and he's not much of a leaper so his blocked shot totals are ordinary. But he's really improved as a post defender, giving Tim Duncan fits during the first-round playoff series with his size and a newfound physicality.

6 (1): Channing Frye-The negative part about drafting last in the 1st rd of a snake draft is that i have the honor of picking the last probable starter with the 30th pick in the 5th round. The benefit is that I pick the 1st sixth man with the 1st pick in the sixth round. I selected Frye because I needed a big that was starter capable and able to play both the 4 and the 5. Frye is that. He's average defensively and a little above average offensively, and possesses a nice little mid range jumper. I like him for 25 mins a night.
7 (15): Trevor Ariza- I think eventually this kid will be the defensive wing of his generation. Much like Bruce Bowen and Shane Battier served as the highest standard for defense from the wing position, I think Trevor Ariza will do the same in 1 or two years. He's got some of the quickest feet in the NBA, and because of that he's a good slasher from the wing. He's a freak atheltically, and big too, so in small ball lineups I can see him getting 5-8 mins a night at least at the 4. He doesn't have the J yet to be a threat consistently from the corner, but I really like this kid on my squad. An absolute steal in the 7th round, he'd be an above average starter for a lot of teams in our fake league.
7 (28): Antonio Daniels- The first of my project picks I was absolutely thrilled to pick this guy up. He played very well for Washington last season in Gilbert's absence, and I think he can give MIke Conley the guidance and security he needs. Conley is going to screw up, a lot. Daniels is 33, and has already won a ring with teh spurs. He's got 3 years left, and with each year his role as a reserve should be more pronounced. He's a good game manager, and could very well be a better starting option than Conley at this point. High character guy and a good influence on the young'ins.
9 (30): Donte Greene my first project pick. I watched him  at syracuse and at the beginning of the season I couldn't have been more impressed. Then, his playing level dropped dramatically. He's a good long range shooter, he's 6'10 and rail thin, and he fancies himself more of the 3 than a 4. In 2 or 3 years this kid could be rashard lewis, or he could have more in common with Gerald Green. I hoping this season that he can provide some shooting if needed but I want him to season for a year in the D-League.
10 (1): Etan Thomas-This guy is a warrior, and supposedly he's 100% now. Before his heart surgery he was a bottom tier starting NBA center. I need him to backup perkins and play physical defense, as well as get boards. He's a smart guy, with high character. I think he's a fantastic second string center.
10 (15): Morris Almond-Very good shooter that led the d-league in scoring last season. He's another character guy (like almost everyone on my team) and he's obviously ready for the big time. He'll get ~15 mins a night backing up Brandon Roy.
14 (5): Cheik Samb-My second project pick. This gut is 7ft +, rail thin, and an unknown to most NBA people. He's also coveted by Joe Dumars and supposedly is going to crack the Piston's rotation this season, along with Amir Johnson. I picked Samb based on two things: 1) Henry Abbot's scouting report of him, and 2) That Joe Dumars made him untouchable this offseason, along with Stuckey and Johnson. Joe Dumars knows what he's doing.
14 (19): Demetris Nichols- I needed a shooter to spread the floor from the bench, and that's what I got. Anyone who has seen him play for Cuse knows he can score, but he can't do much else. he's got the size to play the 2 or the 3, and he should be able to find okay minutes as long as his shot is falling.
14 (22): Andre Brown- A 6'10 journeyman that probably won't play. Everyone needs one. I don't have a problem with him getting 12-15 a night if someone like Frye or E Thomas goes down, but he's not a part of my rotation right now. He'll be dressed in Armani during the games.
15 (10): Taureen Green- He just signed a contract overseas, and I think that will be good for him. He's a point that doesn't make a lot of mistakes and has played in big games for Florida. Im grooming him to replace Antonio Daniels.
Mateen Cleaves (undrafted)- I like Mateen Cleaves, Im glad to give him a roster spot, but I hope he doesn't play more than 5 mins a night. Not because he can't, but because that means either someone is hurt or Mike Conley sucks.

Best Move: Trading with Lucky (Hawks) to pick up Trevor Ariza and Antonio Daniels.

Worst Move: Taking Caron Butler instead of a more accomplished power forward. Love Caron, he's exactly the type of player I want, but I would've picked someone that could have made my frontcourt more dangerous.

Expectations: The world, Chico, and everything in it.

Seriously I expect to be in the playoffs and compete for the division. Im not sure my team is more talented than the Clippers but I think Im more balanced. I see my team as a 4-6 range squad.

[celticmaestro]

So the biggest concern people have for my young team is whether Darko can perform?

I've got to say, I'm satisfied if that's the biggest concern.

I think there's a big question as to whether or not Chris Duhon can be a franchise PG, considering he hasn't proven a whole lot in his career yet.

I guess his best trait is supposed to be his ball-distributing skill, his asst/to ratio is about 4:1, which is good, but who's to say that ratio will steadily improve when he is forced to play 40 min/game against the likes of nash and others.  But my big concern with Duhon is his drop in production and minutes/pg last year despite Kirk Hinrich having an off year.  He's an adequate 3 pt. shooter, but his career field goal % is under 40%, his free throw percentage hovers between 75-80% which, though decent, should be better considering he will have the ball in his hands at the end of games.

So i guess my question to you is, what are your realistic expectations of Chris Duhon? And is there any type of backup plan if Duhon isn't able to effectively manage this team for 35ish minutes a night?

I'm very confident that Duhon can keep the other players happy. It's what he's been brought here to do. If he's not capable, we feel that Petteri Koponen can come into the NBA and be a great PG.

[RebusRankin]

The Clippers would like to point out Jeff Van Gundy is their coach, he doesn't work for the Suns.

[indeedproceed]

Where was the first time you named the JVG?

FTR, I've already called Dibs on David Blatt, and Jeff Van Gundy has recently agree to come on as an assistant coach, both to aid in Blatt's departure from Europe, and to help Nene, Brandon Roy and Mike Conley develop into top tier team defenders.

Cuz I think I got the dibs

[jgod213]

RebusRankin:

I like this Clips team a lot, particularly what you've done with your bench; I do, however, have a question for you that is similar to the one i posed to maestro...

Mo Williams has proven to be a quality PG and a high volume scorer at times; however, it seems like what your team needs out of that position is a guy who knows how to get the ball into the right guys hands at the right time.  Dirk, Rip, and Jax are are great players, but all three of them demand a certain amount of attention from their PG.  Are you worried at all as to Mo's ability to get everyone involved and not ostracize teammates when he heats up?  I mean the guy has an asst:to ratio of only about 2:1 and has never had to include anyone else in an offense outside of Michael Redd.

like i said, i like your team a lot, but was there ever any consideration in drafting a PG who is an experienced distributor as a fall back to this issue? Aaron Brooks is nice, but he's yet to prove the same thing.

[celticmaestro]

And before anyone else makes anymore mistakes, Mark Jackson is our coach. Young coach, young team, growing together, winning together.

I'd also like to go on record and say that this division is the cream of the Western Conference in my opinion with 3 teams set to make the playoffs and one young team vying for a low seed.

[Evantime34]

People in the division if you had to pick a team that wasn't your own to win the division who would it be? If you guys could also rank the teams in our division (in this you can put yourself first), what would the order be?

[jgod213]

IP:

great wing play, but very shallow up front.  How concerned are you with the lack of offensive post play? If you plan on up-tempo, where does that leave Perkins and Nene? they certainly aren't the fleetest of foot.

[celticmaestro]

People in the division if you had to pick a team that wasn't your own to win the division who would it be? If you guys could also rank the teams in our division (in this you can put yourself first), what would the order be?

Pacific:

1 - Warriors (#3)
2 - Clippers (#5)
3 - Suns (#6)
4 - Lakers (#7-10)
5 - Kings (#10-14)

[celticmaestro]

My biggest concern with the Clippers is the PG situation as well. I feel Mo Williams isn't the ideal PG for this team. And in terms of back-up, you're very weak there too.

As for the Suns, obviously the front line is an issue. If Nene can get back to the way he was, he'll be fine. If not, what's your plan b?