CB Draft '09 Mock Press Conference: Northwest Division

[wdleehi]

We feel any team led by Isiah Thomas is a bad example to be used.

We don't believe Randolph is our number  one option. Can he be? yes. We like the double double potential he brings to the table...esp. for getting him in the 6th round...

Well, who else on your team can be the main focus of your offense? 

[nickagneta]

Denver.

In order could you please list who you feel will be the best players on your team 5 years from now form best to worst. You have a great collection of young talent and I'm interested in seeing who you feel will eventually develop into the best impact type NBA player of the group.

Personally, I'm a believer in Oden so my list would be:

1. Greg Oden
2. Jeff Green
3. Kevin Love
4. Brandon Wright
5.(tie) Mike Conley and Randy Foye

1) Greg Oden
2) player received in Yao Ming trade
3) Green
4) Love
5) Conley

Yes. I think Nick is underselling Conley. He's shown that his potential is pretty high, and he's already capable of fulfilling a lot of it. The problem for him in Memphis is that GayMayo just dominate the ball so much he doesn't get a chance to show what he can do when the offense is set.

I don't think I'm underselling Conley so much as it's how highly I think of the others I really do feel, unlike many many many that don't, that Oden will be the real deal and that he is so young and trying to overcome two years of injury that he will just take more time to eventually come around. But if he comes into his own at 24-25 years old that still leaves a decade of dominance.

I also see Jeff green as a Pierce type SF just without the scoring arsenal. I think, and always have thought, very highly of him. I thought Love was going to be a bust but after watching him a half dozen times I think he's a double double guy in this league for years to come.

Call me crazy but I think both Wright boys Brandon and Julian have HUGE NBA futures. They were just both so young and so not ready to come out into the league when they did. Brandon Wright could be a star.

And Conley, as much as I think he is going to be very good, just doesn't outshine those players in my book. I think Conley will be a good PG like Bibby. Not All-Star caliber but very good and a difference maker when surrounded by enough good talent.

[celticinorlando]

Denver...what happens if Greg Oden goes down? Who do you plug into your center spot? I like oden....he is a fellow buckeye but he has been hurt each of the last three seasons...he had the wrist fracture at ohio state, the knee his rookie year and then various problems last season...can he be your go to center for a full season?

[celticinorlando]

We feel any team led by Isiah Thomas is a bad example to be used.

We don't believe Randolph is our number  one option. Can he be? yes. We like the double double potential he brings to the table...esp. for getting him in the 6th round...

Well, who else on your team can be the main focus of your offense? 

we have four starters on our team that averaged 16 plus a game. we feel anyone of them can be the focus on any given night...

[wdleehi]

Denver...what happens if Greg Oden goes down? Who do you plug into your center spot? I like oden....he is a fellow buckeye but he has been hurt each of the last three seasons...he had the wrist fracture at ohio state, the knee his rookie year and then various problems last season...can he be your go to center for a full season?

Why we are not expecting him to go down, the Nuggets do have the following players that can play C:  Love, Boone, Jones and (when he returns) Ming.

[nickagneta]

Denver,

Are you overestimating Yao's ability to come back at all to an NBA career? You say you will get great value in trading him but reports out of various areas are that the original surgery on his broken foot had zero effect and that the history of such occurrences could mean serious orthopedic problems in that foot long term that could cause his career to be over. At this point is it wiser just to write him off as a lost cause and hope reports come out in 6-8 months that could prove some value?

[Roy Hobbs]

Minnesota,

Do you have any regrets about the David Lee trade?  Do you think he's reached his ceiling as a player?  Is having a true center like Dampier as important as it used to be?

[wdleehi]

Denver,

Are you overestimating Yao's ability to come back at all to an NBA career? You say you will get great value in trading him but reports out of various areas are that the original surgery on his broken foot had zero effect and that the history of such occurrences could mean serious orthopedic problems in that foot long term that could cause his career to be over. At this point is it wiser just to write him off as a lost cause and hope reports come out in 6-8 months that could prove some value?

Nope.


Big Z had the same type of issue and had the same type of procedure.  He returned to be one of the top C in the league for many years. 

Ming already more talented and bigger, will come back. 

[celticinorlando]

Minnesota,

Do you have any regrets about the David Lee trade?  Do you think he's reached his ceiling as a player?  Is having a true center like Dampier as important as it used to be?

Moving Lee was not we intended to do. We like the fact he is a double double machine. I don't ever think he will be an elite player in this league. He will always be solid. We needed to get bigger. We felt like we couldn't play lee and randolph together because they are much of the same style of player. We also needed help at the wing off the bench. Peja being in the deal solved two big areas we felt we needed. I think having a true center helps...we will have to match  up with some very good players at that position and felt dampier is a serviceable option

[JSD]

Nuggets, Who is the "team of future" right now in the NBA? How does your team match-up against them?

I have the pieces to trade for a player of that level. 

How? Some feel Ming's injury is career ending or that he'll never be the same. How much value does he really have at max money and major injury issues?

The Bucks have two players under 25 and have already proven themselves to be near all-star talents. How does your team match-up against them for the future?

[Hoyo de Monterrey]

Good morning ladies and gentlemen from Seattle.

I'm just checking in to let you all know that, while real life has been doing it's best to get in the way of the CBNBA, I will have the presser done today and with ample time for review and necessary banter. It's on the way.

-HDM

[indeedproceed]

Denver.

In order could you please list who you feel will be the best players on your team 5 years from now form best to worst. You have a great collection of young talent and I'm interested in seeing who you feel will eventually develop into the best impact type NBA player of the group.

Personally, I'm a believer in Oden so my list would be:

1. Greg Oden
2. Jeff Green
3. Kevin Love
4. Brandon Wright
5.(tie) Mike Conley and Randy Foye

1) Greg Oden
2) player received in Yao Ming trade
3) Green
4) Love
5) Conley

Yes. I think Nick is underselling Conley. He's shown that his potential is pretty high, and he's already capable of fulfilling a lot of it. The problem for him in Memphis is that GayMayo just dominate the ball so much he doesn't get a chance to show what he can do when the offense is set.

I don't think I'm underselling Conley so much as it's how highly I think of the others I really do feel, unlike many many many that don't, that Oden will be the real deal and that he is so young and trying to overcome two years of injury that he will just take more time to eventually come around. But if he comes into his own at 24-25 years old that still leaves a decade of dominance.

I also see Jeff green as a Pierce type SF just without the scoring arsenal. I think, and always have thought, very highly of him. I thought Love was going to be a bust but after watching him a half dozen times I think he's a double double guy in this league for years to come.

Call me crazy but I think both Wright boys Brandon and Julian have HUGE NBA futures. They were just both so young and so not ready to come out into the league when they did. Brandon Wright could be a star.

And Conley, as much as I think he is going to be very good, just doesn't outshine those players in my book. I think Conley will be a good PG like Bibby. Not All-Star caliber but very good and a difference maker when surrounded by enough good talent.

Oh...well you had him as equal with Randy Foye, so I thought maybe it meant you saw him on the same level I see Randy Foye..which is as a bench player.

[nickagneta]

Denver.

In order could you please list who you feel will be the best players on your team 5 years from now form best to worst. You have a great collection of young talent and I'm interested in seeing who you feel will eventually develop into the best impact type NBA player of the group.

Personally, I'm a believer in Oden so my list would be:

1. Greg Oden
2. Jeff Green
3. Kevin Love
4. Brandon Wright
5.(tie) Mike Conley and Randy Foye

1) Greg Oden
2) player received in Yao Ming trade
3) Green
4) Love
5) Conley

Yes. I think Nick is underselling Conley. He's shown that his potential is pretty high, and he's already capable of fulfilling a lot of it. The problem for him in Memphis is that GayMayo just dominate the ball so much he doesn't get a chance to show what he can do when the offense is set.

I don't think I'm underselling Conley so much as it's how highly I think of the others I really do feel, unlike many many many that don't, that Oden will be the real deal and that he is so young and trying to overcome two years of injury that he will just take more time to eventually come around. But if he comes into his own at 24-25 years old that still leaves a decade of dominance.

I also see Jeff green as a Pierce type SF just without the scoring arsenal. I think, and always have thought, very highly of him. I thought Love was going to be a bust but after watching him a half dozen times I think he's a double double guy in this league for years to come.

Call me crazy but I think both Wright boys Brandon and Julian have HUGE NBA futures. They were just both so young and so not ready to come out into the league when they did. Brandon Wright could be a star.

And Conley, as much as I think he is going to be very good, just doesn't outshine those players in my book. I think Conley will be a good PG like Bibby. Not All-Star caliber but very good and a difference maker when surrounded by enough good talent.

Oh...well you had him as equal with Randy Foye, so I thought maybe it meant you saw him on the same level I see Randy Foye..which is as a bench player.

In 5 years I could see Foye as a more than very serviceable starter or really really good sixth man.

[Roy Hobbs]

Denver.

In order could you please list who you feel will be the best players on your team 5 years from now form best to worst. You have a great collection of young talent and I'm interested in seeing who you feel will eventually develop into the best impact type NBA player of the group.

Personally, I'm a believer in Oden so my list would be:

1. Greg Oden
2. Jeff Green
3. Kevin Love
4. Brandon Wright
5.(tie) Mike Conley and Randy Foye

1) Greg Oden
2) player received in Yao Ming trade
3) Green
4) Love
5) Conley

What type of player do you think you'll land in the Yao trade that is better than Green / Love / Conley?  Aren't most teams with young, elite talent looking to build for the future, making a player like Yao less useful?

If you can't get what you perceive as fair value with Yao, will you dump him for the best offer you receive?  Or will you keep both he and Oden on the roster?

[RebusRankin]

Portland are you worried about the health of your team? Over the past 3 years, Redd and Shaq have each missed 98 games. Jermaine O'Neal has missed 67 games and Manu has missed 53. You have a great roster on paper but does it worry you that you may be missing 4 starters for significant periods of time?