2010 CelticsBlog Draft: Southwest Division Press Conferences

[The Walker Wiggle]

Also, Sacramento is a better rebounding team than you. The only position you have us is at SF.

It would certainly be interesting to match up. But although rebounding is NOLA's hallmark, it's the team's defensive that will ultimately decide how far we advance. And in that regard, New Orleans has Sacramento hands down.

Worth pointing out here that in the scant few minutes he was able to play his natural position - power forward - Al Horford posted a +19.4 PER differential. He and Wallace are simply in a different class defensively than great scorers, but poor-to-mediocre defenders, Boozer and Randolph.

[nickagneta]

Not sold on Cousins as an immediate contributor. I like him a lot as a prospect in the long haul but I'm not sure how he'll do right away in the NBA.

I think he'll be a top rebounder right away but not convinced about his ability to be an efficient offensive weapon or his defensive ability.

I only saw a small amount of his play in summer league but in that time I was very disappointed in his shot selection. I also thought he showed a lack of experience in playing against men his own size. He rushed a lot of shots. Clearly, he is very talented offensively but I'm not sure of his decision making as a rookie and he may take some time to be an efficient option when creating his own shot.

I am also a bit concerned by how little I've heard about Cousins in the off-season. Not hearing much about his workouts or whether he is making much progress. Whether he is in Sacramento with his coaches or not. Surprising to hear so little about such a high profile lottery pick. I am worried about that ... especially with the questions of his work ethic + his need to improve his stamina / durability.

Given your opinions on some of the rookies you feel will be contributors their first season, Who, some of which I find to be major head scratching stretches to be honest from what I saw of them playing college basketball(and I watch a LOT of college basketball), I find it hard to believe you think Cousins won't be a contributor right away in the NBA, especially in Sacramento.

I think he has Rookie of the Year potential myself. If either he, Wall or Blake Griffin doesn't win ROY, I would be dumbfounded.

[Lucky17]

Regardless of these two quibbles, I think you do edge us out for the SW crown, thanks to similarly great depth.

On paper.

Wow...  maybe I need to reassess.  It sounds like Lucky doesn't have as much faith in his team as I do.  I had a pretty healthy gap in Houston's favor here.

I think NO beats our starters on the boards. I think we have the superior backcourt rotation, so it's nip and tuck.

NO also has some of my personal favorites on their roster, so I am a little conflicted.

[KCattheStripe]

Not sold on Cousins as an immediate contributor. I like him a lot as a prospect in the long haul but I'm not sure how he'll do right away in the NBA.

I think he'll be a top rebounder right away but not convinced about his ability to be an efficient offensive weapon or his defensive ability.

I only saw a small amount of his play in summer league but in that time I was very disappointed in his shot selection. I also thought he showed a lack of experience in playing against men his own size. He rushed a lot of shots. Clearly, he is very talented offensively but I'm not sure of his decision making as a rookie and he may take some time to be an efficient option when creating his own shot.

I am also a bit concerned by how little I've heard about Cousins in the off-season. Not hearing much about his workouts or whether he is making much progress. Whether he is in Sacramento with his coaches or not. Surprising to hear so little about such a high profile lottery pick. I am worried about that ... especially with the questions of his work ethic + his need to improve his stamina / durability.

Given your opinions on some of the rookies you feel will be contributors their first season, Who, some of which I find to be major head scratching stretches to be honest from what I saw of them playing college basketball(and I watch a LOT of college basketball), I find it hard to believe you think Cousins won't be a contributor right away in the NBA, especially in Sacramento.

I think he has Rookie of the Year potential myself. If either he, Wall or Blake Griffin doesn't win ROY, I would be dumbfounded.

Lazar Hayward , ROY, Book it. 

[Who]

Not sold on Cousins as an immediate contributor. I like him a lot as a prospect in the long haul but I'm not sure how he'll do right away in the NBA.

I think he'll be a top rebounder right away but not convinced about his ability to be an efficient offensive weapon or his defensive ability.

I only saw a small amount of his play in summer league but in that time I was very disappointed in his shot selection. I also thought he showed a lack of experience in playing against men his own size. He rushed a lot of shots. Clearly, he is very talented offensively but I'm not sure of his decision making as a rookie and he may take some time to be an efficient option when creating his own shot.

I am also a bit concerned by how little I've heard about Cousins in the off-season. Not hearing much about his workouts or whether he is making much progress. Whether he is in Sacramento with his coaches or not. Surprising to hear so little about such a high profile lottery pick. I am worried about that ... especially with the questions of his work ethic + his need to improve his stamina / durability.

Given your opinions on some of the rookies you feel will be contributors their first season, Who, some of which I find to be major head scratching stretches to be honest from what I saw of them playing college basketball(and I watch a LOT of college basketball), I find it hard to believe you think Cousins won't be a contributor right away in the NBA, especially in Sacramento.

I think he has Rookie of the Year potential myself. If either he, Wall or Blake Griffin doesn't win ROY, I would be dumbfounded.

I think Cousins is capable of putting up good per minute numbers (12ppg + 7rpg in 25mpg) ... but I'm not sure how much of an impact he'll have on wins an losses.

Also, role matters a great deal here. Starter rather than a bench player. Someone who will need to play 25+mpg rather than 10mpg. A team that is lacking in offense and will look to Cousins to create his own offense rather than playing off of other player's creativity and simply finishing shots around the rim. Not much passing / playmaking on this squad so easy shots will be harder to come by.

It is a much bigger role ... in a smaller role I would have no concerns about Cousins.

--------------------------------------------

I think ROY is between Wall and B.Griffin.

I don't see Cousins being a factor unless he can play 32+ minutes a night. The other two will be playing too many minutes and making too large an impact.

[nickagneta]

This division is really a two team race between Houston and New Orleans. I just don't like any of the other three teams.

1. New Orleans - I know I am going to catch flak for going against what I have been preaching about rookies in this game for the past 4-5 days but I am a huge believer in Cousins and think he will be a 15/9 guy right out of the box. His team defense won't be great but his strength and length will be an effective deterrent in the low post and Horford will help pick up the slack in what Cousins misses in rotational defense. While I don't love the PGs here I don't think they will be such a draw back given the quality of Gordon, WQalace, Horford, Cousins, Kleiza and Bell.

2. Houston - again going to take some flak for wanting JJ Hickson to prove it too me while I give the benefit of the doubt to rookie DeMarcus Cousins, I just haven't seen anything from Hickson to believe he has the ability to take the next step many are projecting. I also am not a huge Dalambert fan unless he has a top 10-15 PF in front of him. As I have said elsewhere though, I love the Parker, Afflalo, Mayo, Granger combo which I think will help to overcome what I see as weakness in the frontcourt for this team. 

3. San Antonio - really don't want to put them here because I feel they will implode and fall apart but I have too

4. Memphis - I love Love, Morrow, Dudley and Evans and not a lot more about this team

5. Dallas - self destruction of a team that was probably the best constructed team in the division before the trades means they go to the bottom of the division.

[The Walker Wiggle]

Not sold on Cousins as an immediate contributor. I like him a lot as a prospect in the long haul but I'm not sure how he'll do right away in the NBA.

I think he'll be a top rebounder right away but not convinced about his ability to be an efficient offensive weapon or his defensive ability.

I only saw a small amount of his play in summer league but in that time I was very disappointed in his shot selection. I also thought he showed a lack of experience in playing against men his own size. He rushed a lot of shots. Clearly, he is very talented offensively but I'm not sure of his decision making as a rookie and he may take some time to be an efficient option when creating his own shot.

I am also a bit concerned by how little I've heard about Cousins in the off-season. Not hearing much about his workouts or whether he is making much progress. Whether he is in Sacramento with his coaches or not. Surprising to hear so little about such a high profile lottery pick. I am worried about that ... especially with the questions of his work ethic + his need to improve his stamina / durability.

Also pretty foul prone. I think he's ready to compete though, but I couldn't see more than 30 minutes out of him.

Very foul prone. But I don't intend to play Cousins more than 25-28 minutes per game to start. I'm very comfortable with a center rotation that otherwise includes Al Horford and Antonio McDyess. And certainly Wallace's rebounding, shot blocking, and ability to switch defensively on to 4s (and 2s for that matter) allow the Bucs to cover up for any lack of size in a small-ball lineup with Kleiza at the 4.

I'm also happy to give otherwise scare spot minutes to my other promising young big man Timofey Mozgov. And it's been stressed to me throughout the draft that a team can win a championship with a shorter frontcourt rotation than mine.

As far as Cousins contributions, he'll be asked first and foremost to rebound the basketball, score on put-backs and easy opportunities and eat up space inside. He'll certainly have room to maneuver given the strength of New Orleans three point shooting and mid-range game. And while the team doesn't have an elite scorer, none of the starting five or even top 9, can be doubled off of in good conscience.

And in Summer League, I'd agree that he both rushed and forced shots, although was still very effective and despite a lack of conditioning, but I was heartened by his decision making.

[indeedproceed]

Also, Sacramento is a better rebounding team than you. The only position you have us is at SF.

It would certainly be interesting to match up. But although rebounding is NOLA's hallmark, it's the team's defensive that will ultimately decide how far we advance. And in that regard, New Orleans has Sacramento hands down.

Worth pointing out here that in the scant few minutes he was able to play his natural position - power forward - Al Horford posted a +19.4 PER differential. He and Wallace are simply in a different class defensively than great scorers, but poor-to-mediocre defenders, Boozer and Randolph.

When Russia played Turkey during the FIBA world championships, MOsgov went for 1 pt, 2 boards, and 1 block in 12 mins (0-3 from the field), Asik went for 10 points, 7 boards, and 2 blocks in 20 mins (5-7 from the field)

Don't Mock The Astrix.

Louis Amundson will absolutely sign somewhere, and between him and McDyess I'm taking Amundson...I know for a fact he's a better rebounder than Dice...and he's also not prone to use his aarp diner's card when he's out at dinner. Amundson 2, McDyess 0.

[Who]

I'm not that big a fan of New Orleans as a regular season team (I think Houston takes the division) but I think they'll be a nightmare to play against in the playoffs. Their defensive ability, rebounding and athleticism will make them a very difficult opponent.

As a regular season team, I see them as a better version of the Charlotte Bobcats of last season. A 47-51 win caliber team ... closing in on that Larry Brown's Pistons territory but not quite there yet.

As Cousins + Holiday grow over the next few years, I think this team makes the leap and becomes a fully fledged contender in the West. Could be a contender as early as 2011/12 if Cousins makes a good improvement from rookie to sophomore. Otherwise 2012/13.

[nickagneta]

Also, Sacramento is a better rebounding team than you. The only position you have us is at SF.

It would certainly be interesting to match up. But although rebounding is NOLA's hallmark, it's the team's defensive that will ultimately decide how far we advance. And in that regard, New Orleans has Sacramento hands down.

Worth pointing out here that in the scant few minutes he was able to play his natural position - power forward - Al Horford posted a +19.4 PER differential. He and Wallace are simply in a different class defensively than great scorers, but poor-to-mediocre defenders, Boozer and Randolph.

When Russia played Turkey during the FIBA world championships, MOsgov went for 1 pt, 2 boards, and 1 block in 12 mins (0-3 from the field), Asik went for 10 points, 7 boards, and 2 blocks in 20 mins (5-7 from the field)

Don't Mock The Astrix.

Louis Amundson will absolutely sign somewhere, and between him and McDyess I'm taking Amundson...I know for a fact he's a better rebounder than Dice...and he's also not prone to use his aarp diner's card when he's out at dinner. Amundson 2, McDyess 0.

Would really suck if Amundson decides to sign overseas. Haven't read anything that he will but how much would that hurt your team IP?

[Roy H.]

Also, Sacramento is a better rebounding team than you. The only position you have us is at SF.

It would certainly be interesting to match up. But although rebounding is NOLA's hallmark, it's the team's defensive that will ultimately decide how far we advance. And in that regard, New Orleans has Sacramento hands down.

Worth pointing out here that in the scant few minutes he was able to play his natural position - power forward - Al Horford posted a +19.4 PER differential. He and Wallace are simply in a different class defensively than great scorers, but poor-to-mediocre defenders, Boozer and Randolph.

When Russia played Turkey during the FIBA world championships, MOsgov went for 1 pt, 2 boards, and 1 block in 12 mins (0-3 from the field), Asik went for 10 points, 7 boards, and 2 blocks in 20 mins (5-7 from the field)

Don't Mock The Astrix.

Louis Amundson will absolutely sign somewhere, and between him and McDyess I'm taking Amundson...I know for a fact he's a better rebounder than Dice...and he's also not prone to use his aarp diner's card when he's out at dinner. Amundson 2, McDyess 0.

Would really suck if Amundson decides to sign overseas. Haven't read anything that he will but how much would that hurt your team IP?

It sounds like he has NBA options:

Training camps will open around the NBA in three weeks and free-agent forward Louis Amundson is still looking for a home.

"He's going to wind up fine here at the end of the day," agent Mark Bartelstein said.

"I think there are going to be some teams out there that are going to regret not going after him. He is a coach's dream. The hardest thing in this league to find is bigs that play with great energy every night, and just change the tenor and dynamics of the game."

Golden State, New Orleans, Indiana, Toronto and Charlotte are among the teams that have been linked to Amundson.

"Louis and I would like to have something done yesterday," Bartelstein said.

"At this point it's gone on for quite awhile and he wants to make sure he doesn't make a decision just to make a decision. There are a couple variables that have to play out that we think give us a clearer picture of what we think is the right spot. As soon as that becomes clearer, he'll want to make a decision right away."


Read more: http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/69023/20100908/amundson_still_looking_for_home/#ixzz0yyYArtyH

[Who]

I'm also happy to give otherwise scare spot minutes to my other promising young big man Timofey Mozgov.

Mosgov is a very nice third string center. I don't think you included him in your press release anywhere. You should add him into the depth chart there.

Useful bench player even if not a regular rotation guy because of his size. Offers something different to McDyess, Kleiza and Najera. He'll be useful against tall talented front lines.   

[indeedproceed]

Also, Sacramento is a better rebounding team than you. The only position you have us is at SF.

It would certainly be interesting to match up. But although rebounding is NOLA's hallmark, it's the team's defensive that will ultimately decide how far we advance. And in that regard, New Orleans has Sacramento hands down.

Worth pointing out here that in the scant few minutes he was able to play his natural position - power forward - Al Horford posted a +19.4 PER differential. He and Wallace are simply in a different class defensively than great scorers, but poor-to-mediocre defenders, Boozer and Randolph.

When Russia played Turkey during the FIBA world championships, MOsgov went for 1 pt, 2 boards, and 1 block in 12 mins (0-3 from the field), Asik went for 10 points, 7 boards, and 2 blocks in 20 mins (5-7 from the field)

Don't Mock The Astrix.

Louis Amundson will absolutely sign somewhere, and between him and McDyess I'm taking Amundson...I know for a fact he's a better rebounder than Dice...and he's also not prone to use his aarp diner's card when he's out at dinner. Amundson 2, McDyess 0.

Would really suck if Amundson decides to sign overseas. Haven't read anything that he will but how much would that hurt your team IP?

It would hurt my team more than Michael Bay missed the mark, when he made Pearl Harbor.

[The Walker Wiggle]

I don't think New Orleans has enough offense to win its division.

Horford is a well rounded, high efficiency scorer (14.2 points on 10.5 attempts) with a criminally low usage rate under Woodson – a coach who greatly favored ball-handling two guards. (Both Johnson and Crawford posted career bests in Atlanta). He’s certainly capable of carrying more of the load. But even using his, Wallace, and Gordon's numbers last season and penciling in Cousins and Holiday for 12ppg each (fair?) Our starting unit is good for 73.3 points per game.

I believe the Celtics starting five averaged 72.7 points per game last season.

I'm then more than comfortable with Kleiza, the Euroleague's leading scorer, providing an offensive lift off the bench. While Udrih (12.9 ppg) and Bell (10.1 ppg in 08-09), both incumbent starters in Sacramento and Utah respectively, should also be able to carry their own weight.

League Average	NOLA Bucs	Rank in 09-10
.461 FG%	.475 FG%	6th
.759 FT%	.781 FT%	6th
.355 3PT%	.374 3PT%	5th

Guess how many teams ranked in the top 6 in FG%, FT% and 3P% last season? Zero.

[nickagneta]

Also, Sacramento is a better rebounding team than you. The only position you have us is at SF.

It would certainly be interesting to match up. But although rebounding is NOLA's hallmark, it's the team's defensive that will ultimately decide how far we advance. And in that regard, New Orleans has Sacramento hands down.

Worth pointing out here that in the scant few minutes he was able to play his natural position - power forward - Al Horford posted a +19.4 PER differential. He and Wallace are simply in a different class defensively than great scorers, but poor-to-mediocre defenders, Boozer and Randolph.

When Russia played Turkey during the FIBA world championships, MOsgov went for 1 pt, 2 boards, and 1 block in 12 mins (0-3 from the field), Asik went for 10 points, 7 boards, and 2 blocks in 20 mins (5-7 from the field)

Don't Mock The Astrix.

Louis Amundson will absolutely sign somewhere, and between him and McDyess I'm taking Amundson...I know for a fact he's a better rebounder than Dice...and he's also not prone to use his aarp diner's card when he's out at dinner. Amundson 2, McDyess 0.

Would really suck if Amundson decides to sign overseas. Haven't read anything that he will but how much would that hurt your team IP?

It would hurt my team more than Michael Bay missed the mark, when he made Pearl Harbor.

That much!!!!!  LOL!!!