2012 CB Draft Pacific Division Press Conferences

[Roy H.]

Here, each of the GMs representing a team in the Atlantic 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.

==============================================================
Golden State Warriors: The Walker Wiggle

LA Lakers: StartOrien / KCAtTheStripe

LA Clippers: Champkind

Phoenix Suns: BigAlTheFuture

Please, no questions until after midnight.  This thread should be reserved for the GMs to put up and work on their pressers until then.

[KCattheStripe]

The Lakers would like to apologize for the perceived brevity of their incoming presser. I'm on my second week of 15 hour work days and SO is swamped. If it seems like we didn't put as much effort as some of you did, it's not meant as disrespect, we're just tired.

As evidenced by me posting this message in the SE thread.

[KCattheStripe]

To be completed.


THE LOS ANGELES LAKERSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
INTRO:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4OvY0_4l-o

ROSTER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1fiJMQV8Mc

C:Al Horford/ Nick Collison/ Chris Wicox
PF :LaMarcus Alridge/Chris Wilcox/ Al-Faruq Aminu
SF:Rudy Gay/ Carlos Delfino/ Dahntay Jones/ Al-Faruq Aminu
SG: Tony Allen/ Marshaun Brooks/ Dion Waiters
PG: Kyle Lowry/ Devin Harris/ Dion Waiters.


STRATEGY

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

You might have noticed, our team is really athletic. Like super human athletic with a  super-human work ethic and commitment to defense and leadership to boot. But as for actual strategy, we're going to run a lot of pick and rolls as we have two bigs who excel in that situation as well as a remarkable facilitator in Lowry. Gay will have his fair share of isos and Tony just wants to play defense and run, so he's fine. Our bench is filled athletic productive role players who are, by and large, very good team first players.

Quick question, how many of you have a starting Point guard for a playoff team as your back up PG? I see you guy with Ramon Sessions on your team. Come to the front of the class.

*High fives that guy*

Rest of the class? Dismissed. But really, ask more specific questions, we'll give you more specific answers.

HARDEST DECISION

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NJMTmz7pkg

Gambling on taking Nene and taking the " draft a guy so we can move him for a need" strategy. we thought there was a legitimate chance it might backfire, but both SO and I love Rudy Gay, so it turned out to be awesome.

BEST MOVE


ALL OF THEM!!!!!!!!!

OUTLOOK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd2zhPN5-Es

[The Walker Wiggle]

ROSTER

Manu Ginobili and Klay Thompson
Andre Iguodala and Mirza Teletovic
Anthony Davis

Delonte West, Channing Frye, Darrell Arthur, Jonas Jerebko, Alec Burks
Bismack Biyombo and Patrick Mills

The most underrated shooting guard of the era - top three at the position right now. A hall of fame lock as the only player besides Bill Bradley to have won a Euroleague title, NBA championship, and Olympic gold medal. Though Manu's style is all his own - frantic but with purpose, willfully improvised - he's somehow also the league's preeminent chameleon, able to adapt to any four teammates' strengths and weaknesses. He's able to get to the rim, shoot both from deep and midrange, create calls, heat up off the bench or carry the day as a first option in the final quarter, and he's one of the best passers at his position.

His 125 Offensive Rating is the highest among guards in the Pacific Division, was in fact the league's fourth best mark. He was the 11th most efficient scorer in the NBA. Top-10 spotting-up, shooting off screens, and scoring in isolation. His assist rate was the highest among all shooting guards.

On the new look Warriors, Thompson can play as the second option on offense, the first option when Manu is on the bench, while being the team's third best player. "Jerry West's guy" in June. His breakout in the second half of last season raised the bar. In 29 games as a starter, Thompson averaged 18.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists. He was already knocking down shots, but began to get to the rim, began using his size advantage to better effect, his defense improved. Once Monta was dealt his scoring jumped up again to 21.9 points.

The team's second captain, All-Star and Olympian Andre Iguodala is also the second best wing defender in the NBA. Ranked 6th in Steals, 7th in Defensive Win Shares, 9th in Defensive Rating. Ranked 19th in the league in assists per game, ahead of 12 NBA starting point guards (because Lebron also made the top 20). In assist to turnover ratio he ranked 11th.

Is it bad when your starting PF may have a better jumpshot than your best wing?

Currently my favorite Iguodala stat - Andre Iguodala is not a great shooter, but he works at it. He shot 39.4% from behind the arc last season, significantly better than either of the L@kers wings (31.2% and 30.8%), their PF, anyone in the their starting five actually. (Sorry to anybody that's having trouble hearing this. Jerry won't stop shouting, "Just sag off them!") His 1.17 PPP spotting up ranked him 24th in the league, again better than any of the purple and gold's starters.

The Dubs' elite rim protector. Anthony Davis was good for 4.65 blocks a game, an astonishing 13.75% of the shots taken against him - by way of comparison the NBA's leader in blocks, Serge Ibaka, rejected 9.8% of shots. But it's how he blocks shots that has captivated scouts. Of his 186 blocks, 144 were kept in play. 103 went to his teammates, leading to 105 points scored.

Offensively, Davis was the most efficient scorer among big men drafted, averaging nearly 1.2 PPP. He turned the ball over at the second lowest rate (on just 8.6% of possessions) and drew fouls at the fourth highest rate, while shooting 70.9% from the line. The rookie also ranked as the best overall finisher, and cutter, and second best in transition. While Davis can and will be muscled off the post, and lacks a reliable jumper, he has to be accounted for offensively as a cutter, as a roll man, and while beating opposing big men down the court.

Floor spacing is important? So far as net rating is concerned, Channing Frye paced the Suns. The team was 12.75 points better when he was on the court, including a team-best 11.13 better offensively. (And he ranked second in net rating last season to Nash and first in the 2009 season that lead to the WCF.) The Suns scored 107.7 points per 100 with him but just 98.8 without him. Phoenix also shot better from every distance and floor area with Frye in the game, despite the fact that he himself shot just 41.6% from the field.

Loosely related: Manu Ginobili and Matt Bonner was the most potent two man combination in the league, helping the Spurs' bench destroy most opponents. The Spurs played 382 minutes with that combo and had an off-the-charts offensive efficiency of 126.3. The Warriors have doubled down pairing Manu with two big snipers.

COACH

Coach Sloan runs his flex offense through Iguodala (Fun Fact 1: Andre averages 5.5 assists per with a turnover rate a full 4 points lower than any of the Pacific's starting point guards), with staggered screens galore for the wings (Fun Fact 2: Manu and Klay both rank in the top 10 among all NBA players in screen play efficiency.) and off the ball cuts by Anthony Davis. (Fun Fact 3: Last year, in cut situations, Davis posted a PPP of 1.51, placing him in the top 4% of all college players, on a ridiculous 82.7% shooting.) Mirza Teletovic and Channing Frye gets theirs off pin downs and pick and pops, and are just generally a pain for opposing big men to guard.

OUTLOOK

The Warriors have the best shooting guard and best small forward in the division. They also happen to be two of the best playmakers at their respective positions and the offense is built to feature them. And Manu and Klay Thompson represent the league's best shooting backcourt, ranking 18th (Klay at 41.4%) and 19th (Manu at 41.3%) in three point shooting. There's only one other top 20 three point shooter in the whole Pacific, Phoenix's Willie Green. So fair to say the team has better floor spacing than their divisional rivals, while featuring a trio of players that can finish at the rim.

On the other side of the floor, three players anchor the Dubs' defense, Iguodala, an elite defensive wing who can guard multiple positions, Davis, a first rate shot blocker from day one, and Manu, an aggressive on ball defender and playmaker, and among the best in the league at drawing charges.

"WOOOO!"

[Edgar]

ROSTER

Manu Ginobili and Klay Thompson
Andre Iguodala and Mirza Teletovic
Anthony Davis

Delonte West, Channing Frye, Darrell Arthur, Jonas Jerebko, Alec Burks
Bismack Biyombo and Patrick Mills

I hereby reclaim Delonte West as an Honorary Crotornaut

Edgar

[Roy H.]

Golden State, when is the last time a team starting two rookies was a legit contender?

Can either Manu or Iggy be a full time PG on a good offense?

[StartOrien]

Question for KC:

What's the better Usher song - "Climax" or "Scream"

[StartOrien]

I ask such a question because there's nothing to ask basketball wise - the Los Angeles Lakers are quite simply the greatest assembly of talent in the history of the CelticsBlog Draft. And I can't wait to put the 2012 ring where it belongs; on Justin Bieber's ring finger

[indeedproceed]

Question For The Lakers: I hate Usher's work post Confessions.

[StartOrien]

Question For The Lakers: I hate Usher's work post Confessions.

Question for IP:

Have you heard 'Climax'?

[indeedproceed]

Question For The Lakers: I hate Usher's work post Confessions.

Question for IP:

Have you heard 'Climax'?

Question for the Lakers: Yes and a I hated it. Its over-produced shallow garbage. If I had enough gasoline, I'd take every single CD ever produced featuring the song among its tracks, and I'd 'let it burn'.

[indeedproceed]

I think the Warriors are going to win a lot of games. TWW has been plugging this 'position revolution' idea for years, but with the Heat taking the title this year centered around versatile players, KG playing center..

I'm coming around to it. I think the Warriors are going to run and shoot a lot of teams right out of the building.

[indeedproceed]

Question for the Suns and the Clippers: What the crap, guys?

[StartOrien]

Question For The Lakers: I hate Usher's work post Confessions.

Question for IP:

Have you heard 'Climax'?

Question for the Lakers: Yes and a I hated it. Its over-produced shallow garbage. If I had enough gasoline, I'd take every single CD ever produced featuring the song among its tracks, and I'd 'let it burn'.

Question for IP: Boy have you lost your mind? Cuz I can help ya find it. 'Climax' is fantastic. And for what it's worth 'Scream' is one of the better pop songs that's come out in a while.

[indeedproceed]

Question For The Lakers: I hate Usher's work post Confessions.

Question for IP:

Have you heard 'Climax'?

Question for the Lakers: Yes and a I hated it. Its over-produced shallow garbage. If I had enough gasoline, I'd take every single CD ever produced featuring the song among its tracks, and I'd 'let it burn'.

Question for IP: Boy have you lost your mind? Cuz I can help ya find it. 'Climax' is fantastic. And for what it's worth 'Scream' is one of the better pop songs that's come out in a while.

Question For StartOrien: Usher Sux.