CB Draft '09 Mock Press Conference: Southeast Divison

[johnnyrondo]

I see J-rich alot like Pau Gasol.  Best player on a bad team, then goes to a good team, like the lakers and excells and is a key player in a championship run. 

You must of missed the years when Gasol led the Griz alone into the playoffs. Yeah he got about as far as Kobe did alone in the playoffs, but he got them there. Unlike J-Rich, who never lead GS anywhere. J-Rich did awesome on the Suns too.    You might be hurting GC's case by arguing for him, so I'm not sure of your motives, BUT anyone else tired of Toronto's childish attempt to constantly try to provoke Chicago? It's so played out. Leave it alone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EztXPp54QI

[johnnyrondo]

On what team has J-Rich been the best player on btw Rondo2?

[Rondo2287]

On what team has J-Rich been the best player on btw Rondo2?

I dont think that there is a clear cut better player on the bobcats.  I think on a given night Wallace, Richardson and Okafor can all be the best player but it usually wasnt on the same night which was the bobcats main issue.  But overall I think J-rich was the best player on those bobcats teams. 

[Scribbles]

IMO, you say CP3 makes players better thus their averages will go up, but LeBron does the same thing with his teammates, they get better.  So J-Rich will be better playing with LeBron, like when he played with Davis in GS.  

Also the whole Horford thing...the was the 5th or 6th leading scorer on the Hawks this year and in the playoffs was awful offensivly.  I don't see him making huge offensive strides in his game playing with CP3, like the Orlando GM said.  

[johnnyrondo]

On what team has J-Rich been the best player on btw Rondo2?

I dont think that there is a clear cut better player on the bobcats.  I think on a given night Wallace, Richardson and Okafor can all be the best player but it usually wasnt on the same night which was the bobcats main issue.  But overall I think J-rich was the best player on those bobcats teams. 

But they improved once he left? 

[Rondo2287]

Ya cause they got Diaw back in the deal as well as a really solid defender in Bell

[johnnyrondo]

IMO, you say CP3 makes players better thus their averages will go up, but LeBron does the same thing with his teammates, they get better.  So J-Rich will be better playing with LeBron, like when he played with Davis in GS.  

Also the whole Horford thing...the was the 5th or 6th leading scorer on the Hawks this year and in the playoffs was awful offensivly.  I don't see him making huge offensive strides in his game playing with CP3, like the Orlando GM said.  

We're not asking Horford to score a lot. He'll score plenty on alley-oops and being opened as Paul, Martin and Gasol are doubled. We got Horford mainly to give us a center who can run with Paul, rebound and give us toughness down low.

You may be right. Lebron might help J-Rich's game. That's a possibility. Just because it didn't happen with Hughes or Wally or Pavlovic or other wings doesn't mean it won't happen with J-Rich. Personally, and again this is just me, but I think Paul, especially as a point guard, has more effect on his players than Lebron. I think Lebron has become more of a scorer and less of a passer.

[johnnyrondo]

Ya cause they got Diaw back in the deal as well as a really solid defender in Bell

Now we can agree on something. Great deal for the Bobcats. Yes they had to take Diaw's contract, but it was worth it to get a better winner and defender in Raja Bell.

[johnnyrondo]

Now Toronto can we end this and let this thread be for the Southeastern teams. You asked about Jason Williams and I answered that and then you started on some other Bulls stuff, but just leave it alone. I really hate this back and forth always with you. No one likes it.

[Rondo2287]

Ya cause they got Diaw back in the deal as well as a really solid defender in Bell

Now we can agree on something. Great deal for the Bobcats. Yes they had to take Diaw's contract, but it was worth it to get a better winner and defender in Raja Bell.

Diaw with charlotte- 15 pts, 6 rbds 5 assists a game
Bell with Charlotte- 13 pts, 4 rbds 2 assists a game

They both had solid years but to say "they had to take diaws contract" I mean comon man


And thats actually a shoutout to the current memphis team, i didnt realize the kinda production Diaw was putting up. 

[johnnyrondo]

Ya cause they got Diaw back in the deal as well as a really solid defender in Bell

Now we can agree on something. Great deal for the Bobcats. Yes they had to take Diaw's contract, but it was worth it to get a better winner and defender in Raja Bell.

Diaw with charlotte- 15 pts, 6 rbds 5 assists a game
Bell with Charlotte- 13 pts, 4 rbds 2 assists a game

They both had solid years but to say "they had to take diaws contract" I mean comon man

Not sure about Diaw's numbers, but Raja's assists were 2.5. And he was brought in mostly to provide better defense and more of a winning contribution than Richardson. Diaw's problem has tended to be defense. He got a hefty contract, which the Suns started to regret and moved it , b/c they're cheap. I like Diaw though and actually tried at one pt to trade for him to be my 6th man. I thought he'd be a good big off the bench in our running system. Trades are very much about finances. suns don't make the Raja for Richardson straight up deal. The only way they were taking Richardson's contract was by unloading Diaw's.

[StartOrien]

IMO, you say CP3 makes players better thus their averages will go up, but LeBron does the same thing with his teammates, they get better.  So J-Rich will be better playing with LeBron, like when he played with Davis in GS.  

Also the whole Horford thing...the was the 5th or 6th leading scorer on the Hawks this year and in the playoffs was awful offensivly.  I don't see him making huge offensive strides in his game playing with CP3, like the Orlando GM said.  

We're not asking Horford to score a lot. He'll score plenty on alley-oops and being opened as Paul, Martin and Gasol are doubled. We got Horford mainly to give us a center who can run with Paul, rebound and give us toughness down low.

To be honest JR, i was real bummed when you traded for Horford because I think he's the perfect player for your team and to me, it makes you have easily the best starting lineup going.

[johnnyrondo]

IMO, you say CP3 makes players better thus their averages will go up, but LeBron does the same thing with his teammates, they get better.  So J-Rich will be better playing with LeBron, like when he played with Davis in GS.  

Also the whole Horford thing...the was the 5th or 6th leading scorer on the Hawks this year and in the playoffs was awful offensivly.  I don't see him making huge offensive strides in his game playing with CP3, like the Orlando GM said.  

We're not asking Horford to score a lot. He'll score plenty on alley-oops and being opened as Paul, Martin and Gasol are doubled. We got Horford mainly to give us a center who can run with Paul, rebound and give us toughness down low.

To be honest JR, i was real bummed when you traded for Horford because I think he's the perfect player for your team and to me, it makes you have easily the best starting lineup going.

Appreciate it StartOrien. Thanks.

[StartOrien]

My Thoughts on this division:

1. Magic
2. Hawks
3. Boxers
4. Heat
5. Bobcats

Magic make the playoffs, Hawks could if team was healthy the whole time.

[Gainesville Celtic]

My 2 cents -- the Richardson for Bell/Diaw trade was Larry Brown getting his type guys and Kerr looking to remake the Suns.

That Charlotte won a whopping three more games than the one year Richardson was in CHA says very little to me about Jason Richardson + Raja Bell's talents.
Brown's teams have historically done better in their first year -- hard to be worse than a Sam Vincent-coached team

I aslo thin Richardson in his prime (which he's in) has been better and more consistent than Larry hughes was in his prime. 

Furthermore Lebron *did* make Hughes, Pavlovic, Boobie Gibson and Delonte better as shooting guards (heck he made Mo Williams an "all-star") That he couldn't revive Wally "bone-on-bone" Szcebiaks career is the exception not the rule.