2010 CB Draft: Central Division Press Conferences

[Rondo2287]

Funny that you say Kobe owns Rip yet Rip shoots a better percentage than Kobe in their matchups

Honestly, you'd be better off not making arguments like this one; it just seems disingenuous, and takes away from your other points, since it's so easily rebutted.

Rip has a FG% that is .01 higher than Kobe's.  Kobe scores 10 more points, rebounds more, gets more assists, and has a much better eFG% (completely shutting down Rip from outside). 

Kobe does, in fact, own Rip, at least in the regular season.  (The 2004 Finals were a slightly different story, though, with Kobe struggling mightily from the field.)

I only point it out because Rip holds Kobe to under his career averages in nearly every stat category

[Fafnir]

Indiana:

* Three of your five starters averaged in single digits last year, with your four starters not named Kobe combining for 40.2 points per game.  Can you think of any team in recent memory that got so little production from 80% of its starting lineup?

* With little production coming from Kobe's supporting cast, and an admittedly weak bench, can Kobe do it alone?  What's to stop teams from simply doubling Kobe all game?

Well, I don't believe that I'll be getting little production from 80% of my starting lineup.  I believe I'll be getting a lot from Gasol, as mentioned.  With fewer primary scorers than in Memphis, Gasol will get much more touches here and often times be an offensive focal point.  He's very efficient, as noted, and I see him averaging from 16-20 ppg, which I don't find a far stretch of an improvement from last season's 14.6 on a team where he had to share 1 ball with Randolph, Gay, and Mayo.  Thomas averaged 9.4 ppg in 22.6 mpg last season which would become 10+ in his 26 mpg in Indiana.  Pietrus averaged 8.7 mpg in 22.5 mpg in Orlando which would becomes 10+ in his 26 mpg also.  So, I actually have 4 starters scoring double digits in minutes that I really don't find unreasonable.  That said, I  would expect about 27-30 ppg from Kobe 42-47 ppg from my other starters.  

I don't believe I admitted a weak bench; I admitted a weak bench defensively.  I actually think I have a bench with players who are completely offensively geared:

Jonny Flynn (13.5 ppg)
Marco Belinelli (7.1 ppg)
Kyle Korver (7.2 ppg, 53.6 3pt%)
and Nenad Krstic (8.4 ppg in 22 min)

These are all guys who are known as being able to score and/or shoot.  Along with Gasol, I don't think Kobe will be breaking his back to carry this team offensively every night.  Like I said (or maybe it was in my erased write up), I will be looking to give it to Gasol in the low-mid post about every other possession early in the game.

All of the scorers you cite aren't going to be able to carry the offense when Kobe sits. Flynn is a bad scorer, very inefficient, the other are complimentry scorers who rely on others to get open.

Kobe is going to struggle to carry your squad, he's no longer the offensive player he was 4 years ago.

[Rondo2287]

Milwaukee Bucks

PG:Kidd/Jack
SG:Rip Hamilton/Miles
SF:Maggette/Barnes
PF:Dirk/Brandon Wright
C:Gortat/Turiaf

Indiana Pacers

PG:Fisher/Flynn
SG:Kobe/Belinelli
SF:Pietrus/Korver
PF:Thomas/Maxiell
C:Gasol/Krstic

Why I can beat the Bucks:

I find this to be an excellent matchup actually.  Offensively, my game plan will be more Kobe-centric.  I don't see who's going to guard Kobe on the Bucks.  Rip Hamilton?  Maybe 5 years ago.  I think Kobe can beat him off the dribble and if so, who steps up to help?  Kobe is a good enough passer to find an open Fisher or Pietrus/Korver spotting up or Gasol or Thomas/Maxiell cutting to the hoop.  I think that Thomas and Maxiell crashing the o-boards hard could be something Dirk won't enjoy competing with.

Defensively, my only matchup I have to worry about is at the 4.  Fisher-Kidd, Kobe-Rip, Pietrus-Maggette, Gasol-Gortat are all matchups I don't have to worry about being exploited by.  Thomas has the length and quickness to keep up with Dirk I believe.  Maxiell will come in to body Dirk for some minutes that Dirk will wish he were out of the game for.  I also may put Gasol on him for some minutes if Thomas is in foul trouble and let Maxiell bang with Gortat down low.

I don't see why Milwaukee would be considered a clearly better team than Indiana.

Thomas vs Dirk career Matchups

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/h2h_finder.cgi?request=1&p1=nowitdi01&p2=thomaty01

Dirk dominates

Also, Maggette has gotten the best of Pietrus in their Matchups and while Kidd probably wont kill your team with scoring I have a feeling he would rack up the assists and dominate fisher on the boards.  And Fisher isnt good enough to take advantage of Kidd on the defensive end.

Touche.

Luckily for me, Kobe also owns rip:

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/h2h_finder.cgi?request=1&p1=bryanko01&p2=hamilri01

And Gasol would considerably outperfrom Gortat but Gortat has never played enough minutes to have any statistical dataset for analysis.

Funny that you say Kobe owns Rip yet Rip shoots a better percentage than Kobe in their matchups

If Kendrick Perkins scores 6 points on 2/3 shooting and Dwight Howard scores 20 on 10/19 shooting, who owns who?

FWIW, the "better shooting percentage" rondo speaks about is a .001 difference in the fg%'s.  And let's ignore efg between the 2 players since Kobe has a much better 3pt and ft % than Rip in the matchups.

I wouldnt say that Dwight owns Perk.  Perk holds Dwight underneath almost all of his career averages and takes what would be a huge advantage against most teams into a much smaller advantage.

[action781]

Funny that you say Kobe owns Rip yet Rip shoots a better percentage than Kobe in their matchups

Honestly, you'd be better off not making arguments like this one; it just seems disingenuous, and takes away from your other points, since it's so easily rebutted.

Rip has a FG% that is .01 higher than Kobe's.  Kobe scores 10 more points, rebounds more, gets more assists, and has a much better eFG% (completely shutting down Rip from outside).  

Kobe does, in fact, own Rip, at least in the regular season.  (The 2004 Finals were a slightly different story, though, with Kobe struggling mightily from the field.)

I only point it out because Rip holds Kobe to under his career averages in nearly every stat category

Yet, Dirk being held to below his career average in the matchup vs. Ty Thomas in fg%, 3pt%, rpg, and apg are not of importance?

[action781]

If Kendrick Perkins scores 6 points on 2/3 shooting and Dwight Howard scores 20 on 10/19 shooting, who owns who?

FWIW, the "better shooting percentage" rondo speaks about is a .001 difference in the fg%'s.  And let's ignore efg between the 2 players since Kobe has a much better 3pt and ft % than Rip in the matchups.

I wouldnt say that Dwight owns Perk.  Perk holds Dwight underneath almost all of his career averages and takes what would be a huge advantage against most teams into a much smaller advantage.

I'm not talking career.  I'm talking that 1 matchup.  Perk 2/3 for 6 points.  Howard 10/19 for 20 points.

The point was, fg% becomes less important when we are talking about high volume vs. low volume scorers.  A lower fg% is more tolerable for a high volume scorer.

[Fafnir]

Funny that you say Kobe owns Rip yet Rip shoots a better percentage than Kobe in their matchups

Honestly, you'd be better off not making arguments like this one; it just seems disingenuous, and takes away from your other points, since it's so easily rebutted.

Rip has a FG% that is .01 higher than Kobe's.  Kobe scores 10 more points, rebounds more, gets more assists, and has a much better eFG% (completely shutting down Rip from outside). 

Kobe does, in fact, own Rip, at least in the regular season.  (The 2004 Finals were a slightly different story, though, with Kobe struggling mightily from the field.)

I only point it out because Rip holds Kobe to under his career averages in nearly every stat category

But by how much? Spin away, but Kobe destroys rip.

I'd also point out that the majority of matchups occured while Rip was playing with a Detroit team that was one of the best defenses in the league.

[Lucky17]

What do games played prior to 2008-09 have to do with the discussion of a present-day matchup between Rip Hamilton and Kobe Bryant?

[Rondo2287]

Funny that you say Kobe owns Rip yet Rip shoots a better percentage than Kobe in their matchups

Honestly, you'd be better off not making arguments like this one; it just seems disingenuous, and takes away from your other points, since it's so easily rebutted.

Rip has a FG% that is .01 higher than Kobe's.  Kobe scores 10 more points, rebounds more, gets more assists, and has a much better eFG% (completely shutting down Rip from outside). 

Kobe does, in fact, own Rip, at least in the regular season.  (The 2004 Finals were a slightly different story, though, with Kobe struggling mightily from the field.)

I only point it out because Rip holds Kobe to under his career averages in nearly every stat category

But by how much? Spin away, but Kobe destroys rip.

I'd also point out that the majority of matchups occured while Rip was playing with a Detroit team that was one of the best defenses in the league.

Which Rip was a big Part of.  Listen Im not saying Rip is going to Shut down Kobe, its not going to happen.  But the fact is that I can spread the ball around and score from every position which Indiana can't do.  If Kobe has an off night there his team is going to struggle to put points on the board. 

[action781]

Indiana:

* Three of your five starters averaged in single digits last year, with your four starters not named Kobe combining for 40.2 points per game.  Can you think of any team in recent memory that got so little production from 80% of its starting lineup?

* With little production coming from Kobe's supporting cast, and an admittedly weak bench, can Kobe do it alone?  What's to stop teams from simply doubling Kobe all game?

Well, I don't believe that I'll be getting little production from 80% of my starting lineup.  I believe I'll be getting a lot from Gasol, as mentioned.  With fewer primary scorers than in Memphis, Gasol will get much more touches here and often times be an offensive focal point.  He's very efficient, as noted, and I see him averaging from 16-20 ppg, which I don't find a far stretch of an improvement from last season's 14.6 on a team where he had to share 1 ball with Randolph, Gay, and Mayo.  Thomas averaged 9.4 ppg in 22.6 mpg last season which would become 10+ in his 26 mpg in Indiana.  Pietrus averaged 8.7 mpg in 22.5 mpg in Orlando which would becomes 10+ in his 26 mpg also.  So, I actually have 4 starters scoring double digits in minutes that I really don't find unreasonable.  That said, I  would expect about 27-30 ppg from Kobe 42-47 ppg from my other starters.  

I don't believe I admitted a weak bench; I admitted a weak bench defensively.  I actually think I have a bench with players who are completely offensively geared:

Jonny Flynn (13.5 ppg)
Marco Belinelli (7.1 ppg)
Kyle Korver (7.2 ppg, 53.6 3pt%)
and Nenad Krstic (8.4 ppg in 22 min)

These are all guys who are known as being able to score and/or shoot.  Along with Gasol, I don't think Kobe will be breaking his back to carry this team offensively every night.  Like I said (or maybe it was in my erased write up), I will be looking to give it to Gasol in the low-mid post about every other possession early in the game.

All of the scorers you cite aren't going to be able to carry the offense when Kobe sits. Flynn is a bad scorer, very inefficient, the other are complimentry scorers who rely on others to get open.

Kobe is going to struggle to carry your squad, he's no longer the offensive player he was 4 years ago.

Yes, Flynn was inefficient last season.  But I think that was a product of him being overworked as a rookie point guard with a large scoring load assigned to him.  He will play less here, sometimes alongside Kobe, sometimes not.  And when not, yes my offense might not be very efficient, but I will be able to put the ball in the hoop at no less than 40%.  I feel like I'd rather have an inefficient scorer like Flynn off the bench, than all players who solely rely on others to get them open like Atlanta has.  I really don't see how that team will score any points at all with Durant out of the game. 

I also have questions about Milwaukee's offense when Lebron sits.  Is Jennings going to play that whole time?  Does Chicago realize that would mean the 2 pair up for only 26 mpg together?

[Fafnir]

Funny that you say Kobe owns Rip yet Rip shoots a better percentage than Kobe in their matchups

Honestly, you'd be better off not making arguments like this one; it just seems disingenuous, and takes away from your other points, since it's so easily rebutted.

Rip has a FG% that is .01 higher than Kobe's.  Kobe scores 10 more points, rebounds more, gets more assists, and has a much better eFG% (completely shutting down Rip from outside).  

Kobe does, in fact, own Rip, at least in the regular season.  (The 2004 Finals were a slightly different story, though, with Kobe struggling mightily from the field.)

I only point it out because Rip holds Kobe to under his career averages in nearly every stat category

Yet, Dirk being held to below his career average in the matchup vs. Ty Thomas in fg%, 3pt%, rpg, and apg are not of importance?

Dirk is only .7 APG game less than average and his TS% is .560 instead of .580. Thomas meanwhile contributes very little as he's outrebounded, out scored, and out played thoroughly. He also gets 3 fouls in his 22 minutes, if you play him much more he's likely to foul out.

He also only played 22 minutes per game compared to Dirk's 39 minutes. Its consider if Dirk hits 4 more shots out of 151 he'll be at his career average its hard for me to assign his slightly below average performance to Thomas.

Finally, its 7 freaking games talk about small sample size....

[nickagneta]

Detroit Pistons.



Head Coach: Patrick Ewing.  (assistant to SVG.  Has played under many top coaches in his career)  We selected him because we think he will be a top coach in the future.  We liked that he has been part of a winning program (though not a title program) most of his basketball life.  We also expect him to teach the young bigs what it means to rise to the level of playoff defense.  


starting linup.

PG.  Wall.  He is going to be out future star that makes this team goes.

SG.  Azubuike.  He has all the tools we need as a complementary SG.  He has a strong three point shot.  He has the athletic ability to attack the hoop and defend.  

SF  Williams.  Large SF.  Good defender.  Good mid-range shot and respectable outside shot.  Comes from a winning team.  Not needed to be a go to guy, but a role player that he is comfortable in playing.

PF.  Jefferson.  Low post offensive weapon.  We expect him to get back to the 20 and 10 guy he was the two previous seasons.  

C.  Hibbert.  A legitimate 7'3 C that has improved from year 1 to year 2.  We expect his to continue into year 3.


Bench:

6th man.  SG Ben Gordon.  Offense off the bench and an average defender.  20 point scorer that showed against Boston two years ago, capable of stepping up and hitting big shots.  Has experience working with a number 1 drafted rookie PG.

PG Bibby.  Playoff experience.  Capable of hitting big shots.  Completely tradeable once Wall establishes himself as the master of the offense.

PF/C  Larry Sanders - athletic defender.  Will have the chance to win starting spot once he has learned to play at the NBA level.  (thus allowing Hibbert to be an offensive 6th man type big man posting up other teams reserves)

PF/C   Ryan Andersen. Big man with a good shot.  Physical and big enough to be a solid team defender and rebounder

SF/SG Luke Babbit.  Rookie shooter.  We expect him to develop into a strong role player.

C/PF  Kevin Seraphin

PF/SF Scali.  Mr. Intangible.  Brings knowledge of how to play winning defense.  So good in the lockerroom, his previous coach (Doc) wants him as a coach.


13th man.  PG. Mardy Collins.  Large pg should help Gordon stay off defending the bigger SGs.  








I expect his team to make the playoffs this year, eventually growing into a contender.  This season is about finding the best fit around Wall and Jefferson.  





(I wish I had time to do more, but this is about all the time I have this week)

Gotta say from where you were picking wd, you did a very good job. I like your team. I don't think it's going to win anything but it has a lot of "Future" potential. Wall could be Derrick Rose partII. Babbit, Serafin and Sanders are, also, all very promising rookies. And Hibbert, Williams and Jefferson, though solid vets, are still extremely young. If Wall could become Rose like and Babbit a very good offensive shooting threat, this team has major potential.

[action781]

Which Rip was a big Part of.  Listen Im not saying Rip is going to Shut down Kobe, its not going to happen.  But the fact is that I can spread the ball around and score from every position which Indiana can't do.  If Kobe has an off night there his team is going to struggle to put points on the board. 

Every position?  Center?  Point guard?

I have 2 excellent scoring options on my team in Kobe and Gasol.  I have 2 scoring options that average considerably more points per 36min than Jason Kidd (your #4 option).  And Fisher can very likely outscore Gortat (who has only scored double digits twice all last season and has never scored 20+ in his career).

I don't see why my team is so much less balanced offensively than yours?

[Fafnir]

Indiana:

* Three of your five starters averaged in single digits last year, with your four starters not named Kobe combining for 40.2 points per game.  Can you think of any team in recent memory that got so little production from 80% of its starting lineup?

* With little production coming from Kobe's supporting cast, and an admittedly weak bench, can Kobe do it alone?  What's to stop teams from simply doubling Kobe all game?

Well, I don't believe that I'll be getting little production from 80% of my starting lineup.  I believe I'll be getting a lot from Gasol, as mentioned.  With fewer primary scorers than in Memphis, Gasol will get much more touches here and often times be an offensive focal point.  He's very efficient, as noted, and I see him averaging from 16-20 ppg, which I don't find a far stretch of an improvement from last season's 14.6 on a team where he had to share 1 ball with Randolph, Gay, and Mayo.  Thomas averaged 9.4 ppg in 22.6 mpg last season which would become 10+ in his 26 mpg in Indiana.  Pietrus averaged 8.7 mpg in 22.5 mpg in Orlando which would becomes 10+ in his 26 mpg also.  So, I actually have 4 starters scoring double digits in minutes that I really don't find unreasonable.  That said, I  would expect about 27-30 ppg from Kobe 42-47 ppg from my other starters.  

I don't believe I admitted a weak bench; I admitted a weak bench defensively.  I actually think I have a bench with players who are completely offensively geared:

Jonny Flynn (13.5 ppg)
Marco Belinelli (7.1 ppg)
Kyle Korver (7.2 ppg, 53.6 3pt%)
and Nenad Krstic (8.4 ppg in 22 min)

These are all guys who are known as being able to score and/or shoot.  Along with Gasol, I don't think Kobe will be breaking his back to carry this team offensively every night.  Like I said (or maybe it was in my erased write up), I will be looking to give it to Gasol in the low-mid post about every other possession early in the game.

All of the scorers you cite aren't going to be able to carry the offense when Kobe sits. Flynn is a bad scorer, very inefficient, the other are complimentry scorers who rely on others to get open.

Kobe is going to struggle to carry your squad, he's no longer the offensive player he was 4 years ago.

Yes, Flynn was inefficient last season.  But I think that was a product of him being overworked as a rookie point guard with a large scoring load assigned to him.  He will play less here, sometimes alongside Kobe, sometimes not.  And when not, yes my offense might not be very efficient, but I will be able to put the ball in the hoop at no less than 40%.  I feel like I'd rather have an inefficient scorer like Flynn off the bench, than all players who solely rely on others to get them open like Atlanta has.  I really don't see how that team will score any points at all with Durant out of the game. 

Scoring with a .511 TS% doesn't help you win games, that's 47th among PGs in the NBA last year.

Flynn is also a chucker, he takes a lot of bad shots that's why he's such an inefficient scorer. He won't mesh well with Kobe.

[Rondo2287]

Which Rip was a big Part of.  Listen Im not saying Rip is going to Shut down Kobe, its not going to happen.  But the fact is that I can spread the ball around and score from every position which Indiana can't do.  If Kobe has an off night there his team is going to struggle to put points on the board. 

Every position?  Center?  Point guard?

I have 2 excellent scoring options on my team in Kobe and Gasol.  I have 2 scoring options that average considerably more points per 36min than Jason Kidd (your #4 option).  And Fisher can very likely outscore Gortat (who has only scored double digits twice all last season and has never scored 20+ in his career).

I don't see why my team is so much less balanced offensively than yours?

Kidd shoots for high percentages 42% from the field and from three in fact. compared to 38% from the field for fisher and 34% from three

Gortat hasnt scored that much in his career and thats fine.  He is on a different team now and will be playing considerably more minutes as well as getting better looks by playing with a pass first pg in J-Kidd.  but your right i probably exaggerated, i cant really score from the center position.  Nor do i need to.

Also, My bench is far better scoring than at nearly every position.


And lets not even compare Kidd and Fisher.  Your starting pg averaged 2.5 assists last year.  What does that say about ball movement on your team?

[action781]

All of the scorers you cite aren't going to be able to carry the offense when Kobe sits. Flynn is a bad scorer, very inefficient, the other are complimentry scorers who rely on others to get open.

Kobe is going to struggle to carry your squad, he's no longer the offensive player he was 4 years ago.

Yes, Flynn was inefficient last season.  But I think that was a product of him being overworked as a rookie point guard with a large scoring load assigned to him.  He will play less here, sometimes alongside Kobe, sometimes not.  And when not, yes my offense might not be very efficient, but I will be able to put the ball in the hoop at no less than 40%.  I feel like I'd rather have an inefficient scorer like Flynn off the bench, than all players who solely rely on others to get them open like Atlanta has.  I really don't see how that team will score any points at all with Durant out of the game. 

Scoring with a .511 TS% doesn't help you win games, that's 47th among PGs in the NBA last year.

Flynn is also a chucker, he takes a lot of bad shots that's why he's such an inefficient scorer. He won't mesh well with Kobe.

Was he a chucker because he's a chucker or because of the team he played for?  I think the latter.  He dished out 6.0 apg for Syracuse which is high for a college player.  But in Minnesota, he played on a young team alongside Corey Brewer, Kevin Love, Big Al, and Ryan Gomes.  Damien Wilkins even got 31 starts on that team (who???).  I think playing for a more structured contender will turn Jonny back into the 6.0 apg, 45 fg% shooter that got him drafted #6 overall out of college.