2010 CB Draft: Pacific Division Press Conferences

[celticpride07]

Lakers: I love Brandon Roy, I like Curry a lot, I like the fit of Prince next to CUrry and Roy, I like Harrington the way you're using him, I like Chandler's defense and don't like his heath and offense enough so that I'm luke warm on him.

I don't like Q-Rich being such a big part of your squad, I don't like McGrady being such a big part of your squad (and expect his play to suffer since he's not starting and won't get more than 20 mins a night if he's lucky), I hate Beasley starting, and I hate Bargnani (playing what, 30 mins a night?) on a team that is already defensively suspect.

I think you should forget about Bargs playing the 5 completely. Big Z and Battie can handle that, and Bargs isn't doing you any favors there.

bargs is only getting like 20 minutes a night..and i personally hate quentin richardson but he does play decent defense and does things to get under players skin aka pierce.

[indeedproceed]

Lakers: I love Brandon Roy, I like Curry a lot, I like the fit of Prince next to CUrry and Roy, I like Harrington the way you're using him, I like Chandler's defense and don't like his heath and offense enough so that I'm luke warm on him.

I don't like Q-Rich being such a big part of your squad, I don't like McGrady being such a big part of your squad (and expect his play to suffer since he's not starting and won't get more than 20 mins a night if he's lucky), I hate Beasley starting, and I hate Bargnani (playing what, 30 mins a night?) on a team that is already defensively suspect.

I think you should forget about Bargs playing the 5 completely. Big Z and Battie can handle that, and Bargs isn't doing you any favors there.

bargs is only getting like 20 minutes a night..and i personally hate quentin richardson but he does play decent defense and does things to get under players skin aka pierce.

Carrot Top gets under my skin when I hear him talk too, but I don't like him to try to stop my jump hook.

If Bargnani is only playing 20 mins a night, can we get a mins breakdown for your team?

[Who]

I don't like Q-Rich being such a big part of your squad

and i personally hate quentin richardson but he does play decent defense and does things to get under players skin aka pierce.

I think Q-Rich is under-rated on this blog. He is a solid role player. Plays decent defense, rebounds the ball well and he is a good perimeter shooter with good efficiency when he has someone to create his shot attempts. A nice complementary piece.

I rate Q-Rich as your best bench player (dislike Bargnani + Harrington + think McGrady is finished).

[Lucky17]

Another deep and competitive division, moreso perhaps than the Central. While I've ranked the teams, I think very little separates teams 2 through 5. One could argue for virtually any permutation of rankings for these teams.

Tremendous star power in these teams' collective backcourts, and great individual matchups at the 5. An exciting division.

1. While the class of the division, Sacramento does have question marks. Is the 2nd year Teague ready to be a rotation player? Is Rashard Lewis still capable of playing the SF, years removed since he last played the 3 in Seattle? Will Zach Randolph's most recent arrest result in disciplinary action or suspension by the league? Thanks to the depth and talent of the roster, the team will still take the division title.  

2. Phoenix has its share of questions. Is Wes Matthews for real? Can Terrence Williams be an effective backup PG? Nice roster flexibility provided by Salmons and Turkoglu, but perhaps an overreliance on rookies in the frontcourt rotation (15-20 minutes a night for both Monroe and Davis).

3. Assuming Beasley can start in the NBA (I think he can), the Lakers have a talented starting five. The Curry-Roy tandem will be great for years, and Chandler and Prince provide solid defensive play. The bench has shortcomings, however, in its lack of defense and rebounding. Does McGrady have anything left in the tank? As in the real NBA, Roy is the soul of this team. If he should lose time due to injury (and recent history says he will miss some games), the team will falter.

4. The Clippers boast a star-studded starting five, even if their age leads many to dismiss or underrate them. But minutes for Wallace and Garnett need to be managed, and the Clips have no one to fill in for them. Evans is a banger who couldn't score in an empty gym, and Nocioni, while a gritty hustler, can't stay in front of opposing SFs. Does Yi Jianlian have a future in this league? If the Clips address their bench, they could challenge Phoenix for 2nd place. Or, key players will suffer injuries/burnout, and they could finish in the basement.

5. Golden State has some great pieces. Paul-Martin may be the best backcourt tandem in the division, and backups in Lowry and Webster are the team's strength. But for the guard depth, the remainder of the bench behind Splitter and Randolph, two young yet unproven players, is dicey. I think Thabeet will eventually become a rotation worthy player, but he's still a long way away. No telling what Aminu will provide, and Diop and Dorsey offer little more than hard fouls and occasional rebounds. If the starters gel and play to their capabilities, I might move them up in the standings. I just don't know what to expect from Splitter and Randolph this year.

[celticpride07]

Lakers: I love Brandon Roy, I like Curry a lot, I like the fit of Prince next to CUrry and Roy, I like Harrington the way you're using him, I like Chandler's defense and don't like his heath and offense enough so that I'm luke warm on him.

I don't like Q-Rich being such a big part of your squad, I don't like McGrady being such a big part of your squad (and expect his play to suffer since he's not starting and won't get more than 20 mins a night if he's lucky), I hate Beasley starting, and I hate Bargnani (playing what, 30 mins a night?) on a team that is already defensively suspect.

I think you should forget about Bargs playing the 5 completely. Big Z and Battie can handle that, and Bargs isn't doing you any favors there.

bargs is only getting like 20 minutes a night..and i personally hate quentin richardson but he does play decent defense and does things to get under players skin aka pierce.

Carrot Top gets under my skin when I hear him talk too, but I don't like him to try to stop my jump hook.

If Bargnani is only playing 20 mins a night, can we get a mins breakdown for your team?

Projected Minutes Rotation
PG Curry(36) Augustin(12)
SG Roy(38) McGrady(10)
SF Prince(30) Richardson(12) Harrington(6)
PF Beasley(30) Bargnani(10) Harrington(8
C  Chandler(32) Bargnani(10) Ilgauskas(6)
DNP: Dooling, Battie

[indeedproceed]

Lakers: I love Brandon Roy, I like Curry a lot, I like the fit of Prince next to CUrry and Roy, I like Harrington the way you're using him, I like Chandler's defense and don't like his heath and offense enough so that I'm luke warm on him.

I don't like Q-Rich being such a big part of your squad, I don't like McGrady being such a big part of your squad (and expect his play to suffer since he's not starting and won't get more than 20 mins a night if he's lucky), I hate Beasley starting, and I hate Bargnani (playing what, 30 mins a night?) on a team that is already defensively suspect.

I think you should forget about Bargs playing the 5 completely. Big Z and Battie can handle that, and Bargs isn't doing you any favors there.

bargs is only getting like 20 minutes a night..and i personally hate quentin richardson but he does play decent defense and does things to get under players skin aka pierce.

Carrot Top gets under my skin when I hear him talk too, but I don't like him to try to stop my jump hook.

If Bargnani is only playing 20 mins a night, can we get a mins breakdown for your team?

Projected Minutes Rotation
PG Curry(36) Augustin(12)
SG Roy(38) McGrady(10)
SF Prince(30) Richardson(12) Harrington(6)
PF Beasley(30) Bargnani(10) Harrington(8
C  Chandler(32) Bargnani(10) Ilgauskas(6)
DNP: Dooling, Battie

Tyson Chandler only played 51 games last season, and he only averaged 22 minutes in those games. Are you confident in him playing 32 minutes per contest?

EDIT: I should say, I like Curry's minutes break with Augustine, I think Roy can handle the 38, but I think it would behoove you to make it closer to 33 or 34, since he has had 3 injury affected seasons in 4 years, and he still played 37 minutes last season. I would switch Harrington and Richardson's minutes at the 3, but I can take it.

[celticpride07]

Lakers: I love Brandon Roy, I like Curry a lot, I like the fit of Prince next to CUrry and Roy, I like Harrington the way you're using him, I like Chandler's defense and don't like his heath and offense enough so that I'm luke warm on him.

I don't like Q-Rich being such a big part of your squad, I don't like McGrady being such a big part of your squad (and expect his play to suffer since he's not starting and won't get more than 20 mins a night if he's lucky), I hate Beasley starting, and I hate Bargnani (playing what, 30 mins a night?) on a team that is already defensively suspect.

I think you should forget about Bargs playing the 5 completely. Big Z and Battie can handle that, and Bargs isn't doing you any favors there.

bargs is only getting like 20 minutes a night..and i personally hate quentin richardson but he does play decent defense and does things to get under players skin aka pierce.

Carrot Top gets under my skin when I hear him talk too, but I don't like him to try to stop my jump hook.

If Bargnani is only playing 20 mins a night, can we get a mins breakdown for your team?

Projected Minutes Rotation
PG Curry(36) Augustin(12)
SG Roy(38) McGrady(10)
SF Prince(30) Richardson(12) Harrington(6)
PF Beasley(30) Bargnani(10) Harrington(8
C  Chandler(32) Bargnani(10) Ilgauskas(6)
DNP: Dooling, Battie

Tyson Chandler only played 51 games last season, and he only averaged 22 minutes in those games. Are you confident in him playing 32 minutes per contest?

yes i am confident in chandler he played basically the entire season from 2004-2008. Then he was getting traded and missed some games with injuries; however, i think he will do very well in dallas this year and has also played well for team usa.

[Roy H.]

1. While the class of the division, Sacramento does have question marks. Is the 2nd year Teague ready to be a rotation player? Is Rashard Lewis still capable of playing the SF, years removed since he last played the 3 in Seattle? Will Zach Randolph's most recent arrest result in disciplinary action or suspension by the league? Thanks to the depth and talent of the roster, the team will still take the division title.  

I'm confident in Teague, and he looked great as a starter last year (and good in summer league this year).  If he can't hack it, though, Francisco Garcia can handle the ball for 10 minutes or so per game.

Zach Randolph hasn't been arrested this off-season.  There were some vague allegations related to a drug ring, but there were no arrests or charges related to that.  Much like with Udonis Haslem, there's no way Zach is taking the fall for this.  

As for Rashard, is there any question that he's still athletic enough to play the 3?  I mean, there's no real doubt that Rashard is more athletic than Mike Miller, right?  Yet, Miller is able to start at SG, a position that requires even more athleticism.  

Thank you for the props.

[Lucky17]

1. While the class of the division, Sacramento does have question marks. Is the 2nd year Teague ready to be a rotation player? Is Rashard Lewis still capable of playing the SF, years removed since he last played the 3 in Seattle? Will Zach Randolph's most recent arrest result in disciplinary action or suspension by the league? Thanks to the depth and talent of the roster, the team will still take the division title.  

I'm confident in Teague, and he looked great as a starter last year (and good in summer league this year).  If he can't hack it, though, Francisco Garcia can handle the ball for 10 minutes or so per game.

Zach Randolph hasn't been arrested this off-season.  There were some vague allegations related to a drug ring, but there were no arrests or charges related to that.  Much like with Udonis Haslem, there's no way Zach is taking the fall for this.  

As for Rashard, is there any question that he's still athletic enough to play the 3?  I mean, there's no real doubt that Rashard is more athletic than Mike Miller, right?  Yet, Miller is able to start at SG, a position that requires even more athleticism.  

Thank you for the props.

Garcia might be OK as an emergency PG, but I'm not sold on his abilities to run the offense on a regular basis.

You're right, Randolph was not charged with anything as a result of that drug bust. Still, I'm am less quick to write off his indiscretions as simple youthful wildness or impressionability. I think his luck runs out at some point soon, if he doesn't have a change of heart/attitude. As I said in my rankings, I think your rotation is strong enough to recover from his removal from the lineup.

Rashard may be athletic, but is he quick enough to keep up with opposing SFs? That's his advantage over opposing PFs. And for the record, I don't consider Miller a great defender either.

[Roy H.]

Rashard may be athletic, but is he quick enough to keep up with opposing SFs? That's his advantage over opposing PFs. And for the record, I don't consider Miller a great defender either.

The Magic CEO says that he's going to see more time at small forward next season, and last year SVG said that Rashard can play the three.

Link, Link

Garcia might be OK as an emergency PG, but I'm not sold on his abilities to run the offense on a regular basis.

I'm very confident in Jeff Teague, and Garcia is only an emergency option.  Both guys are significantly better PGs than Eddie House was with the Celtics, and the Celts got by okay.

[Lucky17]

Rashard may be athletic, but is he quick enough to keep up with opposing SFs? That's his advantage over opposing PFs. And for the record, I don't consider Miller a great defender either.

Both the Magic CEO and Stan Van Gundy say that he's going to see more time at small forward next season.

Link, Link

That second link is from Sept 2009.

As a Brandon Bass fantasy owner, I am heartened by the first article.

[nickagneta]

My view on the Pacific

1. Phoenix - the have the big guy and they have an uncanny resemblance to the real life Orlando Magic. I'm not crazy about their defense at the forward positions but Howard makes up for a lot of ills there with his presence in the paint.I also nate the big man depth behind Jamison and Howard which I think will be this team's playoff downfall. A very strong regular season team and WC title contender.

2/3. Lakers/Sacramento - There's not a lot of difference between these two teams. I like both teams PGs. They both have a difference making star other than the PG(Roy and Boozer) they both have defensive minded centers with very limited offensive games and they both have those good productive glue guys that every team needs(Lewis and Prince). I rank the Lakers behind Phoenix because of Beasley and Bargnani, neither who I like as a player or consider a winner and I think Beasley could be a locker room/chemistry problem. I rank Sacramento behind Phoenix because I'm not crazy about the quality of their SGs or their centers and because I think Randolph coming off the bench playing third banana will cause locker room/chemistry problems.

4. Clippers - it's too bad mgent isn't here to defend the Clippers. I think them very good. Chauncey and Richardson are an extremely solid backcourt. Unfortunately too many question marks surround what to expect from Wallace, Garnett and Marion as they all are in the waning years of great careers.

5. Golden State - A tremendous team and possibly winner of this division, 2 to 3 years from now. I like the make up of the team and think they will be very entertaining and probably in most games. But they will lose a whole bunch of them as the youngsters learn the game and grow as professionals.

From 1-4 there really is little difference in overall quality of these teams. Like the Southeast in the Eastern Conference I would expect to see four teams from this division make the playoffs. Any one of the top 4 teams could win this division. I gave the slight nod to Phoenix because of Howard and put the Clippers slightly back into 4th because of Marion and Wallace.

[indeedproceed]

Rashard may be athletic, but is he quick enough to keep up with opposing SFs? That's his advantage over opposing PFs. And for the record, I don't consider Miller a great defender either.

The Magic CEO says that he's going to see more time at small forward next season, and last year SVG said that Rashard can play the three.

Link, Link

The thing is, from my POV, in Orlando if Rashard isn't playing the 3, its because he can't not because they don't want to put him there based on fit.

Based on fit the Magic have 2 starting quality powerforwards in Ryan Andersen and Brandon Bass squarely behind Lewis just rotting away taking turns on DNP's and 14 minute a night games. There is absolutely no reason to start a less talented Pietrus or play Barnes big minutes unless Rashard can't get it done.

[Who]

Rashard may be athletic, but is he quick enough to keep up with opposing SFs? That's his advantage over opposing PFs. And for the record, I don't consider Miller a great defender either.

Both the Magic CEO and Stan Van Gundy say that he's going to see more time at small forward next season.

Link, Link

That second link is from Sept 2009.

As a Brandon Bass fantasy owner, I am heartened by the first article.

Orlando should start Ryan Anderson and keep Bass in his reserve role.

Anderson would allow them to maintain their offensive structure with Lewis at the three.

[StartOrien]

For people who don't seem to be fans of Greg Monroe & Ed Davis:

Would it please you more to have Hedo back up Jamison at the 4, extend Matthews minutes and play Terrence Williams at the backup 3?