2013 CB Draft: Northwest Division Press Conferences

[fairweatherfan]

This is looking like one tough, tough division. Without looking closely at the rest of the West, I have to believe all four teams are legit playoff teams.

The entire conference is pretty stacked - the playoffs will be a complete brawl from the 1st round on.  But this is probably the best division.  The only team I could see getting left out of the playoffs is maybe Denver, and that's just because most of their key guys lack experience on winning teams.

BTW I have no idea if I'll rank Denver in or out at this point.  But the West is great and some good teams are gonna wind up in the lotto.

[Roy H.]

Portland,

How does your team compare to the "real life" New York Knicks?  Why can your team get over the hump, when previous Carmelo-led squads haven't been able to?

[Yoki_IsTheName]

This is looking like one tough, tough division. Without looking closely at the rest of the West, I have to believe all four teams are legit playoff teams.

The entire conference is pretty stacked - the playoffs will be a complete brawl from the 1st round on.  But this is probably the best division.  The only team I could see getting left out of the playoffs is maybe Denver, and that's just because most of their key guys lack experience on winning teams.

BTW I have no idea if I'll rank Denver in or out at this point.  But the West is great and some good teams are gonna wind up in the lotto.

I'm sorry but Lillard on his rookie year is considered a star. We've seen Lillard take over games and it wouldn't matter if it's the regular season or post season, he will continue to do so. I'd give you Monroe but it's defintely not his fault his team is bad. At worst, Monroe in the playoffs will give you 12 points and 8 rebounds, he's ultra talented not to. The rest of the core has experienced playoff grinds.

You saw Bogut and how he was lauded last year despite being "80%". Courtney Lee has been to the Finals. Varejao has been in the post season for consecutive years and was an improtant cog. Chandler has been in the Playoffs although he hasnt played good (because he's playing PF).

There is playoff experience in the team, not winning in them is through no fault of their own.

And of course, Pat Riley.

[Roy H.]

Yoki:

I have your team fourth in the division, and I feel pretty confident about that.  However, I also like your squad.  Convince me that your team is good enough to make it into the Western playoffs.

Here are the teams I have firmly ahead of you, but I'll listen to arguments:

1.  Dallas
2. Houston
3. Portland
4. Oklahoma City
5. Minnesota
6. Golden State
7. LA Lakers

Here are the teams I have rated roughly equal to you or behind you:

San Antonio
LA Clippers
Memphis
Phoenix

Honestly, I think it comes down to you and the Spurs.  So, please help me decide.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Denver: For all the flak I gave you earlier, I'll come right out and say I've warmed up to your team greatly. I do realize there are some sneaky ways for you to maximize some of your talent, such as playing a Lowry/Lillard backcourt. However, one thing still lingers in my mind: What do you think your team's chances are for the championship?

In your outlook, I found it interesting that instead of focusing on the championship, you rather decided to emphasize how this team is a lock for the playoffs (which I certainly agree). So what happens once the team is there? While you may be the deepest team in the league, you still can only put five players out on the court at any given time, and a lot of your talent will be going to waste.

Denver is not guaranteeing a Championship. What it guarantees is it makes the Playoffs, and from there you'd have take it from Denver's cold, thin aired fingers to get past rounds.

And I've been waiting for the bolded question. There's  this idea that starters need to log 40+ minutes, you have to put the best players on the court.

I agree, just because the team has depth doesnt mean it has to sacrifice productivity for the sake of playing time. And while sure, it can afford to not log a ton of minutes for players, in the end, when the game is tight, Denver will always give more time with the best possible 5, to who is going produce better and would match up well.

And Denver see's that lineup as  Lillard, Webster, Chandler, Varejao and Monroe. With Bogut rotating with the other two bigs.

And I do not believe talent is being wasted come playoff time. Talents don't diminish regardless of minutes. And at some point everyone has got to sit, what better way to rest them than having talented players backing them up. Players that talent's are on par with some starters. Plus, the Playoffs are tight. Foul trouble arises, which should not be a problem with Denver's depth.

Chances for championship, I'd say Denver is not the favorites, but certainly not going to get swept.

[Who]

I have Oklahoma as the top team in this division. Title contender.

I have Minnesota in 2nd place in the division. Fighting for 4th/5th seed in the West.

I have Portland and Denver battling it out for 3rd and 4th. I am finding Portland very hard to rank because I don't like how the pieces fit together + A.Bynum and his injury issues. Both squads are possible playoff teams.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Yoki:

I have your team fourth in the division, and I feel pretty confident about that.  However, I also like your squad.  Convince me that your team is good enough to make it into the Western playoffs.

Here are the teams I have firmly ahead of you, but I'll listen to arguments:

1.  Dallas
2. Houston
3. Portland
4. Oklahoma City
5. Minnesota
6. Golden State
7. LA Lakers

Here are the teams I have rated roughly equal to you or behind you:

San Antonio
LA Clippers
Memphis
Phoenix

Honestly, I think it comes down to you and the Spurs.  So, please help me decide.

1. Pat Riley is the coach. I'm pretty sure you've seen how Riley teams play defense and how his teams respond to him. Denver not only has the coach, but players who can implement the exact "tough, fearful" defense Riley would want. Simply put, Denver is a great defensive team, from starters to bench.

2. I said this over and over again, Denver's depth is by far it's biggest treasure, bigger than Lillard. At some point in the regular season teams would have to bring in their second unit, that's when Denver do damage. With the tremendous this team has, Denver's second unit can dictate the game as their talents are superior against the rest. It does so many things.

- It keeps the starters fresh come 4th quarter when they are needed, while it's prompting opponents starters to play more because their 2nd unit could not hang against ours, tiring them, especially in Denver's thin air (Thanks TWW).

- In the long run, it helps keep the team healthy and not fatigued. As Denver can afford to play the bench extended minutes without losing production, injury risks are lesser but productivity remains the same.

- It bodes well for match ups. Denver can throw a plethora of lineup combinations to match up well against opponents or throw them off. Something I can dare say others can't do.

3. What's being overlooked is the quality of talent Wilson Chandler has. Not only that he's a good defender, but he can take over games. He scored 35 againts great defensive teams like OKC and Chicago last year, dropped 29 against the Spurs and avergaed 17 a game the final month of the season. When he's called upon, he will drop some buckets, at great efficiency too.

4.) The team is also perfectly built around it's two main cogs, Lillard and Monroe. It puts them in a position to maximize their skills with good shooters surrounding

With no disrespect to OKC, they are not better than Denver. They have star power but they are not overall better. Their bench is inferior compare to ours, and we got personnel who can contain their stars. We can throw two to three different looks on Rose and Howard making their life a living hell for the next 48 minutes, all without losing anything offensively. We can match them point for point with Lillard, Monroe and Chandler scoring and Webster, Lowry, Barbosa adding some more. They cannot outrebound Denver, regardless of Dwight, With Varejao, Monroe and Bogut manning up the 4/5 slots, it will be tough for Dwight to do so. We can be aggressive against Dwight defensively too. With great depth, foul trouble is NOT a concern and we will go at him HARD. No easy layups, he'll beat us in the FT line without using "hack a Dwight", just playing tough inside defense.   


And also with no disrespect, but Portland I think is a mess of a team. Too many players who need to play Iso Ball to be effective, they can be contained, and with the way their lineup is placed, will be out rebounded by Denver. 

We can certainly match up well with the Lakers too. And I want to say good luck to Jose Calderon as Damian Lillard will drop 35 on him, maybe Lowry too. Dirk and Marc vs Varejao - Bogut - Monroe, I like our chances.

And look at the Rockets' lineup. Outside of Harden and Batum (which I think is a toss up with Chandler), Denver believes they are superior against everyone else. We like our chances againts Houston in a 7 game series, with Gortat and Mohammed trying to figure out how to contain Monroe's skills and Bogut and Varejao's toughness and energy. Harden will see three people taking turns on stopping him (Lee-Chandler-Webster). BTW, who's going to defend Lillard, Goran Dragic? Who's going to defend Kyle Lowry when Lillard sits, Jason Terry? Will Bynum? I like that matchup.

Lastly, did i forget to mention Pat Riley is the coach?

[rondoallaturca]

Denver: How important is Greg Monroe to this team? You just said he's one of your two main cogs moving forward alongside Damian Lillard, but I'm having trouble supporting that. Greg Monroe burst into this league as a very talented rookie, but he has done nothing whatsoever to improve his game. In fact, his shooting efficiency has gotten worse each year, and plenty of fantasy owners can attest to his maddening inconsistency.

Also, for what it's worth, in three matchups against Jose Calderon last year, Lillard collectively shot 11/37 (.297) from the field, averaging just 13.67 points. Also, Kyle Lowry lost his starting job to Jose Calderon last year. Just food for thought 

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Denver: How important is Greg Monroe to this team? You just said he's one of your two main cogs moving forward alongside Damian Lillard, but I'm having trouble supporting that. Greg Monroe burst into this league as a very talented rookie, but he has done nothing whatsoever to improve his game. In fact, his shooting efficiency has gotten worse each year, and plenty of fantasy owners can attest to his maddening inconsistency.

Also, for what it's worth, in three matchups against Jose Calderon last year, Lillard collectively shot 11/37 (.297) from the field, averaging just 13.67 points. Also, Kyle Lowry lost his starting job to Jose Calderon last year. Just food for thought 

I don't see inconsistency with Greg Monroe at all. If you look at his yearly splits, he's actually increasing his scoring output the more he gets shots. And while 48% is not as good as it was last year, it's not as bad as everyone thinks it is. And that's the only drop off Monroe had statistically. Rebounds stayed the same, he has more assists per game and out of 81 games, he only didn't hit double digits 11 times.

He's improtant because he's the inside presence. He's the guy you look at when matchups down low favors the Nuggets. He give a different look on offense, attracts defenses inside and letting the Denver shooters do their jobs. He's the second scoring option, and a main piece because of what he can bring on the boards. No rebound = no score, and he provide so much reboudning ability for this team.

He indeed had a dropoff year shooting wise, but there is improvement, slow but steady improvement. And with a better surrounding cast, there's less pressure on Monroe to actually carry the team and play freely.

Also, they are giving Lillard three different looks on a game he scored 18 against the Raptors, it's not that Jose stopped him by himself. Also, Lowry was hurt and coming of off injury which is why Jose started. BTW, didn't Jose got traded instead of Lowry?

[rondoallaturca]

Also, they are giving Lillard three different looks on a game he scored 18 against the Raptors, it's not that Jose stopped him by himself. Also, Lowry was hurt and coming of off injury which is why Jose started. BTW, didn't Jose got traded instead of Lowry?

Actually, when Calderon/Lowry shared the floor, Lowry was assigned to guard SGs because of his superior strength and athleticism, so Calderon was indeed the guy guarding Lillard. In addition, you're misinformed that Calderon started only because Lowry was fresh off an injury; Calderon outplayed Lowry last season and won the starting gig fair and square. The only reason why Calderon was traded instead of Lowry was because of team fit (Calderon is paid more but was an expiring and didn't fit on a young, rebuilding team), not because Lowry was the better player. 

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Also, they are giving Lillard three different looks on a game he scored 18 against the Raptors, it's not that Jose stopped him by himself. Also, Lowry was hurt and coming of off injury which is why Jose started. BTW, didn't Jose got traded instead of Lowry?

Actually, when Calderon/Lowry shared the floor, Lowry was assigned to guard SGs because of his superior strength and athleticism, so Calderon was indeed the guy guarding Lillard. In addition, you're misinformed that Calderon started only because Lowry was fresh off an injury; Calderon outplayed Lowry last season and won the starting gig fair and square. The only reason why Calderon was traded instead of Lowry was because of team fit (Calderon is paid more but was an expiring and didn't fit on a young, rebuilding team), not because Lowry was the better player.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLf0YNUhWcM

This highlight showed that when Calderon guard him, he'll score on assits. I mean I know it's the complete game but he did shoot 46% in this game.

And while you're right in a sense that Calderon does stuff better than Lowry, he's still a defensive liability, CB draft-wide and league wide knows that. The Lakers are going to have to put Matthews on Lillard, in turn the Nuggets will exploit Calderon by bringing a faster Lowry or go big with Webster.

You got me, Calderon is better, but he cant defend, and we'll score on him everytime he's on the floor. We'll throw Lillard, Lowry, Barbosa, Burks, Webster on him and let them light it up.

[riah32]

Portland,

How does your team compare to the "real life" New York Knicks?  Why can your team get over the hump, when previous Carmelo-led squads haven't been able to?

I think my team is better than the real life Knicks. Joe Johnson is a clear upgrade to Jr Smith and can help burden some of the weight of scoring and take some pressure off of Melo. I also think Bynum if healthy with help ease some burden of Melo. I think my teams depth is about the same as the Knicks maybe a little better because I have Collison and Kanter. Melo will not get so run down during the season trying to carry this team like he has had to do for all his other teams. Melo can lean on Jennings, Johnson, Kirlenko, and Bynum when need to burden some of the scoring load. I acutally thing this may help Melo on the defensive end because since he has more scorers around him he can use more energy defensively.

[BleedGreen1989]

Also, they are giving Lillard three different looks on a game he scored 18 against the Raptors, it's not that Jose stopped him by himself. Also, Lowry was hurt and coming of off injury which is why Jose started. BTW, didn't Jose got traded instead of Lowry?

Actually, when Calderon/Lowry shared the floor, Lowry was assigned to guard SGs because of his superior strength and athleticism, so Calderon was indeed the guy guarding Lillard. In addition, you're misinformed that Calderon started only because Lowry was fresh off an injury; Calderon outplayed Lowry last season and won the starting gig fair and square. The only reason why Calderon was traded instead of Lowry was because of team fit (Calderon is paid more but was an expiring and didn't fit on a young, rebuilding team), not because Lowry was the better player.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLf0YNUhWcM

This highlight showed that when Calderon guard him, he'll score on assits. I mean I know it's the complete game but he did shoot 46% in this game.

And while you're right in a sense that Calderon does stuff better than Lowry, he's still a defensive liability, CB draft-wide and league wide knows that. The Lakers are going to have to put Matthews on Lillard, in turn the Nuggets will exploit Calderon by bringing a faster Lowry or go big with Webster.

You got me, Calderon is better, but he cant defend, and we'll score on him everytime he's on the floor. We'll throw Lillard, Lowry, Barbosa, Burks, Webster on him and let them light it up.

So Calderon will get scored on every time he's facing Lillard? Well thank god the game is only played one on one. Wait a second...

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Also, they are giving Lillard three different looks on a game he scored 18 against the Raptors, it's not that Jose stopped him by himself. Also, Lowry was hurt and coming of off injury which is why Jose started. BTW, didn't Jose got traded instead of Lowry?

Actually, when Calderon/Lowry shared the floor, Lowry was assigned to guard SGs because of his superior strength and athleticism, so Calderon was indeed the guy guarding Lillard. In addition, you're misinformed that Calderon started only because Lowry was fresh off an injury; Calderon outplayed Lowry last season and won the starting gig fair and square. The only reason why Calderon was traded instead of Lowry was because of team fit (Calderon is paid more but was an expiring and didn't fit on a young, rebuilding team), not because Lowry was the better player.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLf0YNUhWcM

This highlight showed that when Calderon guard him, he'll score on assits. I mean I know it's the complete game but he did shoot 46% in this game.

And while you're right in a sense that Calderon does stuff better than Lowry, he's still a defensive liability, CB draft-wide and league wide knows that. The Lakers are going to have to put Matthews on Lillard, in turn the Nuggets will exploit Calderon by bringing a faster Lowry or go big with Webster.

You got me, Calderon is better, but he cant defend, and we'll score on him everytime he's on the floor. We'll throw Lillard, Lowry, Barbosa, Burks, Webster on him and let them light it up.

So Calderon will get scored on every time he's facing Lillard? Well thank god the game is only played one on one. Wait a second...

Commentator:

"Lillard brings the ball, calls for Isolation..."

Color Commentary:

"Brilliant, he knows he can take Calderon off the dribble, let him exploit that weakness..."

[indeedproceed]

Also, they are giving Lillard three different looks on a game he scored 18 against the Raptors, it's not that Jose stopped him by himself. Also, Lowry was hurt and coming of off injury which is why Jose started. BTW, didn't Jose got traded instead of Lowry?

Actually, when Calderon/Lowry shared the floor, Lowry was assigned to guard SGs because of his superior strength and athleticism, so Calderon was indeed the guy guarding Lillard. In addition, you're misinformed that Calderon started only because Lowry was fresh off an injury; Calderon outplayed Lowry last season and won the starting gig fair and square. The only reason why Calderon was traded instead of Lowry was because of team fit (Calderon is paid more but was an expiring and didn't fit on a young, rebuilding team), not because Lowry was the better player.

I think you're off on both counts there. I didn't watch the game, so maybe I'm wrong, but I'd imagine Calderon (6'3, 210) guards Matthews while Lowry (6'0, 173) guards Lillard. That's just science. Doesnt happen once in that vid.

Now, regarding the starting job, he didn't get it back when he returned, but that can be because of a bunch of mitigating factors; one, that Calderon was being showcased, two, that with Calderon on the floor the team was actually playing better, and three, that Lowry actually seems like kind of a jerk if all the stories are true, and is actually not the best guy to have in your locker room