CB Draft '09 Mock Press Conference: Southeast Divison

[wdleehi]

Charlotte:


Are you doing a misservice to Griffin by giving him only one NBA thread while he is trying to develop?


Are there enough minutes to develop all the draft picks?


Is Bulter going to be patient enough to stick around till your team is ready?




And as a team of the future, what do you see your timeline is to reach your peek?

[wdleehi]

Regarding the criticism of the DC Boxers by the brother of the NY Knicks general manager. I am sorry if I have had the stance that the general manager of the Knicks should have stepped down if he was not going to completely participate in this endeavor. Many other blog members were interested in becoming members of teams and would have given 100% participation which would have enhanced the game for all players involved. If your brother, a brother of a moderator at CB, was not the owner of the Knicks, it is my stance his team would have been passed on to someone else. Instead we have to assume he made his picks though the actions of others and that he is allowed to skip league mandated press conferences.

As for his team being better than the Boxers, let's see:

NY has Deron Williams, a great PG, Vince Carter, a selfish all for me and my stats player, Kendrick Perkins, a good defensive but offensively challenged center, and a bunch of rookies and soft defenders and left overs. His team chemistry makes no sense and neither does his drafting

Williams/Dooling
Carter/Buckner
Williams/Maxiel
Sefelosha/Balkman
Perk/Rasho/Krstic   this is is depth chart with 4 rookies from the worse draft since the Kenyon Martin Draft and you expect them to compete with players the caliber of Jackson, Wallace, Sessions, Scola, Przybilla(who is every bit as good as Perk right now), Hill(who was outstanding in place of TP last year), Morrow(the league's leading three point shooter by a wide margin), Wright(an up and coming defensive stopper that was brilliant in summer league and in the Hornets off season workouts) and Gadzuric(who is every bit as good as Rasho).

Now take the individuals players out and take a look at the makeup, tools, attitudes, the experience and chemistry of the talent assembled. The Boxers clearly makes sense. The Knicks does not.

I don't know if the Boxers will make the playoffs or not. The go against some conventional themes as to how to make an NBA winner. There's no super duper star. They are fairly young. there's no go to offensive player to dominate late game.

But they have tons of players with multiple excellent skills. They are great defenders. The are relatively injury free recently. They all have good attitudes towards the team concept and they are all easy to coach.

This will be a team who's whole will be greater than the sum of it's parts like no other in this league and I believe if they make the playoffs and get into 7 game series with team, the match ups will be very, very difficult for opposing teams to beat.

First suggestion, know who is actually on the team.


2nd


Williams > Sessions
Carter > Jackson
Williams > Wallace (Wallace is TA with a chance to start on a bad team)
Kristic < Scola(except if Kristic returns to a form closer to his NJ days)
Perk > Przybilla


bench

Maxiell is the best player on either bench.  He will be a starter this year in Detroit.  Has a lot of playoff experience. 

Gadz is good against one team, Boston.  That's it.  His numbers have been dropping since. 

Thabo and Drooling are defensive role players. 


And Walton (though I don't like him) is a solid role player on the Lakers. 



I am starting to think this wanting to overlook the Knicks as a ploy to get yourself into the playoffs. 

After that comparison I'm serious starting to question your eye for basketball talent. Or maybe it's not your brother's team I'm criticizing it is your second team?? Hence you seeming to get so involved in it's defense.

And again, as I have said many times, I don't believe in the "this- player-is-better-than-that-and-that-player-is-better-than-this-and-I-have-8-players-that-are-better-than-your-and-you-only-have-5-players-that-are-better-than-mine-so-I-win-I-have-the-better-team". I think that's as crazy a way to compare teams as it is to compare player value based on where they were chosen in the draft. The whole "I'm-not-going-to-draft-a-3rd rounder-for-a-5th-rounder-because-if-I-wanted-him-that-much-I-would-have-drafted-him-in-the-3rd-round." I think both game philosophies are unimaginative and completely out of touch with how the real NBA game is perceived and ran.

I stand by my team and will debate the merits of my team versus that of any other team versus their general manager. If the GM of the Knicks feels so strongly about their team maybe he should have come out here and presented a press conference and defended criticisms aimed at his team. Instead, his brother is upset that people are taking exception that he pulled strings to have his brother keep a team while doing no work and now when owners see it as unfair to them and to friends who were not allowed to get their own team because a mod's brother was allowed to keep his while in essence not playing the game. So what does the brother do? He brings up bad comparisons against my team because I'm the most vocal.

Sorry but I feel NY is a terrible team with one good player and a mess of others. they don't belong in the running for a playoff spot. They aren't that good.

So your defense is "NY GM didn't show up"?

That's it? 


And did you just say Perk is not a good player?  A player that doesn't belong in the playoffs? 

[Roy Hobbs]

Moving away from the NY/Den/Was feud...

Washington:  Can you explain your reasoning in dealing away Felton and Outlaw?  I had been very impressed with your moves up until that point, but believed that that trade was a misstep.

Orlando:  Who are the top five teams in the NBA in your opinion, and how does your team match up with them?

(Sorry for the limited questions; I've been away from the internet all day, and am about to leave for the weekend.)

[johnnyrondo]

Questions for Atlanta:

I think many like Calderon, Granger, and Murphy, but I guess your season's future hangs in the A.I. balance. Convince us that this team can make the playoffs and make some noise.

What are your expectations for T-Mac?

[Roy Hobbs]

Questions for Atlanta:

I think many like Calderon, Granger, and Murphy, but I guess your season's future hangs in the A.I. balance. Convince us that this team can make the playoffs and make some noise.

What are your expectations for T-Mac?

Building upon this, AI, T-mac, Calderon, and to a lesser extent Granger are all used to having the ball in their hands.  How do they co-exist on your team? 

[Roy Hobbs]

Charlotte:

How does your team match up against some of the other future-oriented squads, such as Miami and Denver?  Does your team have enough vets on it to provide leadership?  How will Caron Butler's attitude be on a team that is building for the future?

[Gainesville Celtic]

To all the GMs, how do you match up with the other teams in your division? In your conference?

good question.

DIVISION
-----
WASH -- early on it looked like no one would be able to compete with us, then WASH added Gerald Wallace -- a move I think made them a much stronger competitor since they then had someone who could at matchup with Lebron's size. I think the trade that swapped Sessions for Felton actually took them a step or 2 back though. In a season series I could see them taking 1 of 4 games. Like most teams, i think their depth up front won't be able to stay with the CBD's ugliest frontcourt ever.

While we have great affection for our other divison-mates, we dont' think they pose a threat this year or next.

CONF
-----
There are some potential 1st round matchups that woudl be tough (NYK, BOS, NJN) and others that wouldn't be as tough (MIL, CLE).

DET, like WAS, matches up reasonably well position-by-position.  But their depth up front is much too thin though and Gay not a good enough defender to slow Lebron.

That leaves 3 teams that we're most concerned with, in reverse order:

3. TORONTO --- With TOR it all comes down to health. If KG, Camby and Big Z can make it to the playoffs in good health they could be a handful. But that's a very big if. Artest is not the defender he used to be but will still make the game harder for Lebron. Not sure that Garcia (more of a SF than SG) and Bellineli can stay with Jason Richardson either.

2. CHICAGO --- Chicago has 4 great players, a hole at SF and a thin bench. I think this will lead to them running away (litterally and figuratively) with their division but faltering in the playoffs. When you're playing a diff. team every night that team is keying in on your best guys trying to slow them. In a playoff series that strategy changes and the opposing team looks to exploit weaknesses. I think good teams with dominant SF's will gameplan to exploit Bell, Stevenson, Bogans, Daye. Melo and Lebron will have field days against them. And foul trouble, an increased concern in the more physical playoffs, will magnify their short bench. I still think CHI/ORL would be a 6 or 7 game series. They're a very good team.

1. PHILLY -- Melo v. Lebron; Okafor/Bynum vs. the Ugly 4-headed beast (Gasol, Villanueva, Foster, Varejao); Brewer and Parker vs. JRich and Afflalo; Baron and Pargo vs. Hinrich and Telfair. Philly is deep and well constructed. In such a close series the 2 things we'd hope for are (1) Lebron being better more consistently than Melo (which we think he would be given their careers thus far (Melo slipped a bit vs. LA last playoffs when the series was there for the taking IMO)), and (2) our depth up front getting their bigs into foul trouble. Davis is the X-factor ----- for both teams. He could single-handedly beat either team

[jgod213]

I've heard this "draft position" excuse a few times now out of DC, frankly i don't buy into that.  I had the 23rd pick overall - granted i wasnt psyched about that - but it also means you get an early round 2 pick.  Moreover, i only had 1 pick out of the top 70 in the draft, yet still believe i submitted one of the strongest teams in the league.

I think the Boxers have a funcional 5 that could compete well, but i see the bench as a big weakness.  I also only see 2 proven NBA scorers on this team in Wallace and Jackson, and neither of them have been among the most efficient in the game.

My question to DC is:

what will be the pace for this team? it seems like it should be slow as to allow your hustle guys to set picks/move around/grab boards, but at the same time Jackson has been successfull playing up-tempo and Wallace is at his best when he is flying around the court.  How do you solve this potential dilemma? Who's strengths will you cater to in your offense?

[Gainesville Celtic]

No my issue wasn't with your all-star appearances. As I said that's not your strength. Your strength beyond lebron is depth.

My issue was that beyond Varejao and Foster nobody on your bench has any playoff experience, and they are for the most part fairly young. Does it worry you that when the games start to really count your bench may not have the mental fortitude to come through?

OK, IP.... color me confused:

first you said playoff, then all-star, now we're back to playoffs?!? (Feel like Jim Mora should be saying this.... )

From earlier:

Nobody who surrounds Lebron James has ever even flirted with a playoff appearance. That's not this team's strength though, its in the team's depth. Deepest frontcourt in the league, no question.

not sure i'm following you here IP:
Hinrich (4 playoff  appearances in 5 years)
JRich (1, the greatest 1st round upset ever)
Foster (7 playoff appearences 10 seasons)
Varejao (4 straight apperances).

Lebron, Varejao and Foster have all been to the Finals. Agree it's not a strength, but "[never] even flirted with a playoff appearence" is factually incorrect.

haha
I meant all-star.

Mental fortitude should be a concern to any team.... but the ways you combat that is guys with a track record (see above) and by having enough depth that if player A flakes, you put in player B. Villanueva might not step up, but we don't think Gasol, CV, Foster and Varejao will ALL not come through at the same time.

I have no more worries about Lebron, Hinrich and Richardson (since there's no evidence that we should) than any other team should have about their guys.

[wdleehi]

Orlando:


What do you see as your teams flexibility in trades is it becomes apparent that Lebron needs a better number 2? 

And will you have the guts to make said move (unlike Lebron's actual team this past season)

[Gainesville Celtic]

Orlando:  Who are the top five teams in the NBA in your opinion, and how does your team match up with them?

well you got my top 3 + us in the East above (and how we matchup) ...

i honestly haven't looked at the West as closely (and I think i don't have totally updated rosters in my Excel sheet (yes i"m a Grade A nerd)).... There are at least 2-3 teams that i'd probably put in the class of the 4 of us in the East and then another 3-4 teams that are very good just behind them. It's a little like how the real East & West have been in the last few years.

Good thing we'd only have to meet 1 in the finals if we're fortunate enough to get there. We're pulling for all upsets in the Western Playoffs 

[Roy Hobbs]

Orlando:

I liked the trade of Okafor for Jason Richardson.  What was the original thinking in pairing Okafor with Marc Gasol, two lane-clogging bigs?  Is there any concern that outside of Charlie V, your big men don't stretch the floor?

[indeedproceed]

No my issue wasn't with your all-star appearances. As I said that's not your strength. Your strength beyond lebron is depth.

My issue was that beyond Varejao and Foster nobody on your bench has any playoff experience, and they are for the most part fairly young. Does it worry you that when the games start to really count your bench may not have the mental fortitude to come through?

OK, IP.... color me confused:

first you said playoff, then all-star, now we're back to playoffs?!? (Feel like Jim Mora should be saying this.... )

It was 2 different points, building off what WD had just said. Basically I'm saying even though there is not another all-star on your team I'm not concerned, but basically since i do see your team going deep into the playoffs, I am concerend about how your role players (actually just your bench players) will respond to teh pressure.

Mental fortitude should be a concern to any team.... but the ways you combat that is guys with a track record (see above) and by having enough depth that if player A flakes, you put in player B. Villanueva might not step up, but we don't think Gasol, CV, Foster and Varejao will ALL not come through at the same time.

I have no more worries about Lebron, Hinrich and Richardson (since there's no evidence that we should) than any other team should have about their guys.

So basically you're saying if A doesn't work out, try B. If B doesn't work out, try C and on....

How do you see your rotations changing entering the playoffs?

[johnnyrondo]

Question for Orlando Chicago is dubbed the 2nd City, but when it comes to basketball they take their dynasties seriously. Chicago media is stating that Orlando is scared to play the Bulls in a 7 game series and is praying that Detroit or Philly takes them out. What do you say to these rumors?  

Orlando has pointed out correctly that they have the matchup advantage at SF against the Bulls and have an advantage at the 4th big. It's pretty obvious that Orlando has the SF advantage against any team in the league (like the Bulls at the point) and probably the 4th big advantage against any team too. Orlando claims in a series its about matchups. The Bulls will play off Lebron encouraging him to shoot and Bell, Bogans, Stevenson, and Johnson will all be getting double team help.  Now for the other matchups:

PG: Chris Paul (and J-will/Javaris) vs Hinrich (Telfair)
Rondo had his way with the real Bulls starter last year Rose. how will the Magics try to contain CP3 even in the least?

SG: Kevin Martin (Deswawn, Bogans, Bell, Buddinger) vs Richardson (Affalo and wilkins)

Will j-Rich play the defense necessary to stop K-Martin in the running game or will Martin go for 50? Will j-rich have to help on the Bulls bigs posting up or CP3 on drives?

PF Pau Gasol (Ryan Anderson) vs Charlie V (Varejao)
Charlie V can't guard Pau, so will Varejao have to start and try to contain Pau? If so, wouldn't that leave Pau to help on others and block shots?

Center: Al Horford (Pau, Armstrong) vs. Marc Gasol (foster)
Wil Marc Gasol be able to keep up with Horford in the running game or will it be alley-oop central. When Horford came to the Hawks they immediately started making the playoffs. He's tough. How will the inexperienced Gasol handle him?

[indeedproceed]

Orlando:

I liked the trade of Okafor for Jason Richardson.  What was the original thinking in pairing Okafor with Marc Gasol, two lane-clogging bigs?  Is there any concern that outside of Charlie V, your big men don't stretch the floor?

Orlando: Don't you think Roy Hobbs uses the term "lane clogging bigs" way too often? Like a team with a "Lane Clogging Big" is doomed to fail? Maybe instead of trading for Big Al, I should have traded for Brian freakin Cardinal or Eric Piakowski?? MAYBE THEN, I WOULD NOT HAVE TWO LANE CLOGGING BIGS?? HUH?? WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT THAT, ORLANDOOOOO?

Once again remember that all answers will influence voting.