2011 CB Draft Northwest Division Press Conference

[celticpride07]

Here's How I See the Division

Portland
Utah
Denver
---
OKC

Top three are all really interchangeable.

reasoning for okc being wayy below them? especially with the arguably the best player in the nba kobe on the team not to mention his p.i.c. rajon rondo.

[mgent]

I worry a lot about Pierce and Gartnett and Allen going forward. Look at how superior athleticism defined the Playoffs for the Cs. Garnett, Particulary against athletic 4s with good footwork struggled he struggled a lot. Pierce looks to be slowing down as well, and iirc his shooting dropped a bit this past year.

I'm not saying they're liabilities or anything, but superstar talent?

Pierce had a career high in field goal percentage this year.  I think the two of them are still superstars, and Ray is still a top 6 SG.  Literally any of these upcoming years could be their last though, especially if they get injured.  I don't think these are the type of guys that will stick around like Reggie Miller to average 12 points and come off the bench just because they can.

To Kane:  No I personally don't think they'll reach that point this upcoming season, or even the one after that.  I said when they got here we'd have 5-6 good years.  But it's still always a small concern with older guys.

[indeedproceed]

I worry a lot about Pierce and Gartnett and Allen going forward. Look at how superior athleticism defined the Playoffs for the Cs. Garnett, Particulary against athletic 4s with good footwork struggled he struggled a lot. Pierce looks to be slowing down as well, and iirc his shooting dropped a bit this past year.

I'm not saying they're liabilities or anything, but superstar talent?

Pierce had a career high in field goal percentage this year.  I think the two of them are still superstars, and Ray is still a top 6 SG.  Literally any of these upcoming years could be their last though, especially if they get injured.  I don't think these are the type of guys that will stick around like Reggie Miller to average 12 points and come off the bench just because they can.

To Kane:  No I personally don't think they'll reach that point this upcoming season, or even the one after that.  I said when they got here we'd have 5-6 good years.  But it's still always a small concern with older guys.

Right, his 3pt shot dropped a little, but his FG% went up.

[Kane3387]

To Kane:  No I personally don't think they'll reach that point this upcoming season, or even the one after that.  I said when they got here we'd have 5-6 good years.  But it's still always a small concern with older guys.

Mgent,

Cool man.  I agree with you but sadly I think DA breaks it up which is likely  the best move. Still I though I have loved these teams the last few years and it is sad this era will be coming to an end.

[mgent]

I worry a lot about Pierce and Gartnett and Allen going forward. Look at how superior athleticism defined the Playoffs for the Cs. Garnett, Particulary against athletic 4s with good footwork struggled he struggled a lot. Pierce looks to be slowing down as well, and iirc his shooting dropped a bit this past year.

I'm not saying they're liabilities or anything, but superstar talent?

Pierce had a career high in field goal percentage this year.  I think the two of them are still superstars, and Ray is still a top 6 SG.  Literally any of these upcoming years could be their last though, especially if they get injured.  I don't think these are the type of guys that will stick around like Reggie Miller to average 12 points and come off the bench just because they can.

To Kane:  No I personally don't think they'll reach that point this upcoming season, or even the one after that.  I said when they got here we'd have 5-6 good years.  But it's still always a small concern with older guys.

Right, his 3pt shot dropped a little, but his FG% went up.

Compared to the year before when he was hitting everything.  He still shot a very solid 37% slightly better than his career average.  I guess Ray's 44% percent made him look pretty bad though (who had career highs in both).

I think of Ray and Paul as pretty much the same as they were in 08.  KG is the only one who has lost a step.

[indeedproceed]

To Kane:  No I personally don't think they'll reach that point this upcoming season, or even the one after that.  I said when they got here we'd have 5-6 good years.  But it's still always a small concern with older guys.

Mgent,

Cool man.   I agree with you but sadly I think DA breaks it up which is likely  the best move. Still I though I have loved these teams the last few years and it is sad this era will be coming to an end.

I think they're a little worse each year than they were the last. The moments of 'star quality' minutes are getting fewer and farther between.

But I don't ever think they'll have a 'breakdown' season, where their game is just gone, like Steve Francis experienced, or others. Just a little worse, til they can't take it anymore.

Won't be this year, probably next though.

[Edgar]

Here's How I See the Division

Portland
Utah
Denver
---
OKC

Top three are all really interchangeable.

reasoning for okc being wayy below them? especially with the arguably the best player in the nba kobe on the team not to mention his p.i.c. rajon rondo.

no bigs
Rondo injury prone
kobe old

dont get me wrong I like the guard rotations, make me remember the first pandas and I now a team like that can work
people are choosing strange binkies this year

For example
Gortat sorry Wleehy you know i will never get it
and
others., mathews just beause he can score sorry Dinos

really i know years pass but...sometimes i get the idea
there we are very little latenighters that pass all time
watching league pass and not reading ESPN

 

times have change

[Edgar]

p.s.

In this division I like Utah and Portland

For some obious reason i lean towards Utah

[StartOrien]

Here's How I See the Division

Portland
Utah
Denver
---
OKC

Top three are all really interchangeable.

reasoning for okc being wayy below them? especially with the arguably the best player in the nba kobe on the team not to mention his p.i.c. rajon rondo.

First off, it's a really tough division. You've got three legitimate championship contenders in front of you. So the separation isn't to stay that you haven't constructed a good team, I believe you have, but I don't think its a contender.

Kobe is far removed from the argument of best player in the league. I don't think he's remotely close to the top tier. A top tier talent, doesn't have that surrounding cast and get swept in the second round. His shot selection is still poor, and with age he's now taking worse shots - 3's from distance - because he can't drive and isolate like he used to.

Aside form that, I don't like Rondo as a fit next to Kobe. And I think your bigs leave something to be desired.

[action781]

Here's How I See the Division

Portland
Utah
Denver
---
OKC

Top three are all really interchangeable.

reasoning for okc being wayy below them? especially with the arguably the best player in the nba kobe on the team not to mention his p.i.c. rajon rondo.

First off, it's a really tough division. You've got three legitimate championship contenders in front of you. So the separation isn't to stay that you haven't constructed a good team, I believe you have, but I don't think its a contender.

Kobe is far removed from the argument of best player in the league. I don't think he's remotely close to the top tier. A top tier talent, doesn't have that surrounding cast and get swept in the second round. His shot selection is still poor, and with age he's now taking worse shots - 3's from distance - because he can't drive and isolate like he used to.

Aside form that, I don't like Rondo as a fit next to Kobe. And I think your bigs leave something to be desired.

It is a very tough division.  I don't think if I'd put you last in any other division besides the one you're in. 

I, unfortunately, liken your team to a less talented Lakers.  Your 2 and 3 are the same, and both getting a year older in the less desirable direction and your starting 3 are worse than the Lakers starting 3 (Rondo < Pau; Jamison < Bynum; Dalembert > Fisher, but not greater than by as much as some of your drop offs.)  You're bench doesn't have nearly as good of a player as Odom, but is probably roughly equal.  Further regarding your bench, one of your best subs IMO (Mo Williams) backups your starter worthy of most minutes, which will limit his minutes.  In further comparison to the Lakers, Pau and Bynum complement Kobe well and as others have mentioned, I don't feel that Rondo does because both need the ball in their hands to be very effective.

BUT, you're starting lineup is fantastic defensively.  And no team with that good of a defense and Kobe Bryant + Rajon Rondo would ever finish below .500.  This is still a playoff team in my eyes and I think your destiny will depend on who you matchup against in the playoffs and how well you defend those matchups.

[indeedproceed]

Regarding the NW Rankings:

For reasons of transparency and pure captain-obviousness, lets just assume that I rank my team higher than any other team in the division, the draft, and the world.

Now, the Northwest is tough. Utah put together a good team. Denver put together a good team. OKC put together a good team.

OKC though I think dropped a bit behind the rest of the pack with the Kevin Love trade. Rajon Rondo is a great player, and Kobe is a great player, but their two skillsets and personalities mix about as much as Gilbert Arenas and Andray Blatche.

Rondo is a ball dominating pass-first point guard with limited range. He needs shooters, he needs shot creators, and he needs floor-spacers at 4 of the 5 other positions to give him the room he needs to work to be an elite point guard.

And if Rajon Rondo dominates the ball, Kobe Bryant popped the ball, dressed it in a black leather gimp outfit, and tattoed his name on it. Kobe needs at least one very skilled, All-Star caliber big man to allow him the isolations and freedom to do his thing. He needs shooters around him to make sure that he won't get trapped on the perimeter.

Chemistry-wise, Kobe needs to 'be the man', and Rondo needs to be allowed enough rope to hang himself with the hope that he will not. These two things are mutually exclusive.

I think OKC was right there with the rest of the division until they traded Kevin Love for Rajon Rondo. And it wasn't about talent. It was about fit. The fit here doesn't.

[action781]

OKC,

Rondo has always played alongside great offensive players until now.  He has shown an incredible ability to score in the postseason, but never in the regular season.  What kind of scoring role do you see Rondo playing for your team during the regular season?  Will this positively or negatively impact his ability to get teammates involved during the regular season?

[indeedproceed]

So does anyone else wanna let me talk them out of thinking that I'm not number 1 in the West?

[Kane3387]

So does anyone else wanna let me talk them out of thinking that I'm not number 1 in the West?

Lol go for it and I will respond in the morning. I guess we know where we both stand on this 

[action781]

So does anyone else wanna let me talk them out of thinking that I'm not number 1 in the West?

I do IP.  Without Bogut, do you see yourself being any better than the pre-Carmelo NYK (a .500 team) and why?  How many more wins do you see Bogut bringing to that team?  What do you envision your record being in an 82 game season?  I think Sacramento is a 60 win team.  At this moment, I don't think you will get over 60 wins in the regular season to pass Sacramento.  Convince me that your team will win more than 60 games to be #1 in the west.  (And this is a regular season argument, not a comparison to Sacramento)