2012 CB Draft Atlantic Division Press Conferences

[BigAlTheFuture]

NewYork: How do you think Durant will fare against other PF's? That's not his natural position, do you think he will be as effective at the 4 than he was at the 3?

Boston: Why did you decide to blow it up right before the deadline? Did you think the Westbrook-Griffin-Gasol trio was better than the Durant-Bynum duo?

[WeMadeIt17]

I think he will fair fine against other pf's thing is to start the game he will be against sf's but to end games he will be there at the 4. No pf can stop him which makes the other team go small as well. And yes mins. probably could be switched around a bit. Big Baby will get some time at the 5 but Mozgov is more then definite backup center and will likely give him more minutes.

[Lucky17]

I'll need a little more time to review rosters, but I think the division clearly comes down to New York and Boston, with the Nets running in 3rd.

(At least, it does for me, since I'm DQing the delinquent Sixers.)

[Kane3387]

Boston: I think you're really underselling a significant problem you have, and that's ball movement. You say Gasol alleviates that, and he does help, but Gasol is a good passer for a center, not a great passer in general.

In both the high and low post you can run an offense through this man. Memphis did it a lot this past year. I will utilize that ability somewhat. His Assist % at 14.1 is very good for a Center.

Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant (which we can all agree is a significant step up from Westbrook/Griffin) had a really hard time making the timeshare work, and it wasn't until James Harden came along that the ball movement issue seemed to get better, even then, only a little.

Nice try IP. There is no perimeter player on my roster that Westbrook needs to share the ball with like Durant. Griffin and Gasol don't need the ball on the wing like KD requires. There is no guy that requires a timeshare. Also Russ will be playing with another pg during spans in augustine who can aid in facilitation. But since we don't have a guy who NEEDs the Ball in a time share I don't see the problem.

Durant's ability to create his own shot from isolation, as well as Westbrook's ability to do the same got them by more often than not, but now you've got a player in Griffin whose main gifts are much more pronounced when being fed by a gifted passer.

Before Harden took over a lot of ball handling duties this year, Westbrook averaged over 8 assists last year. He can hit guys in scoring position. Mo Williams is better passer then Russell? Blake was fine with Mo.

You're surrounding Westbrook with bench guys in DJ Augustine, S-Jax and Ron Artest who aren't really even good passers for their positions, let alone in general, and guys who are more known for taking a shot than passing up on it.

How are you going to stop your offense from stagnating?

All have been starters. There roles don't require them to do too much on offense. Artest can knock down some open shots. Is he lights out? No, but this is nitpicking. He is the fifth option. Jackson is the 4th option and this role suits him. In Milwaukee and Charlotte he was asked to be the 2nd guy on offense. It was asking too much and he was inefficient as a result.

In SA he was never more then a 3rd option and often the 4th. After he got settled in SA after the trade his game took off. In the playoffs he had a lot of open jumpers from playing off Timmy, Manu, and Tony. That was a long playoff run against good to great competition.

Jackson shot 53% from the field and 60% from three at more then 3 attempts a game. That's the entire playoffs. I mean he was WIDE open for shots and while those numbers will go down some from three if Stephen Jackson is being left open he is gonna make his fair share of shots.

http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/378/stephen-jackson

[Kane3387]

NewYork: How do you think Durant will fare against other PF's? That's not his natural position, do you think he will be as effective at the 4 than he was at the 3?

Boston: Why did you decide to blow it up right before the deadline? Did you think the Westbrook-Griffin-Gasol trio was better than the Durant-Bynum duo?

Yes. No question.

[Who]

NewYork: How do you think Durant will fare against other PF's? That's not his natural position, do you think he will be as effective at the 4 than he was at the 3?

I think Kawhi is the power forward. He'll be the guy opposing teams stick their PF on defensively instead of Durant + he is a stronger defender/rebounder at PF than Durant is.

Kawhi = PF
Durant = SF

[Kane3387]

Philly:  How does this team go forward giving so few minutes to Turner?  How is he not starting?  Lawson and Turner are the only two guys I can see trying to build around. 


Boston:  How could you turn one of the favorites in the East to this?  You had one of the top 3 players in league and the 2nd best C in the NBA (with the 3rd C down being more then a single step down).  The best inside outside team in this draft.  Yes, the C has been know to come in soft in the big game, but the SF is clutch.  Still a playoff team, but no longer a contender.  Will Westbrook set Blake up enough? 

NY:  Huge grab to get Durrant at the last minute.  It is to bad you didn't have the time to rebuild the rest of the roster around him. 





How I see the teams so far  (waiting for the Nets)

1)  NY
2)  Boston
3)  76ers

BYNUM VS GASOL

Bynum is better points and commits lead fouls. He is also better in fg% and is better in rebounds.

Bynum is a much worse passer, worse ft shooter, and commits three time the turnovers as Gasol.

Looking at the advanced metrics.

Their win shares are close. .183 for Bynum to .166 for gasol. Their blocks % is identical. Gasol's defensive rating is 99 and is better then Bynum's 100. Bynum's offensive rating is 112 to Gasol's 111. Gasols WS is 8.2 to Bynum's 8.0.

Bynum averaged 4 more points then Gasol but his usage% was 23.8 to gasol's 19.1. Bynum also shot the ball 2 more times per game and he played with better players who the defense focused in on more.

It's all here in this link. After you factor in attitude in terms of sacrifice and accountability. You factor in heart and drive, You factor in durability and dependability I don' t think the overall difference is that great.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=0&p1=gasolma01&y1=2012&p2=bynuman01&y2=2012

[Kane3387]

My question for Boston.

Will Blake still has his numbers and still be efficient when his point guard is not a pass first one? And how do you think will affect his game now that there's no PG to set him up where he's comfortable?

In 2010-11 Blake Griffin played with Baron Davis, Mo Williams, and Eric Bledsow. None of these guys are known as pass first guards.

He averaged 22.5 ppg on 50% shooting as a rookie that season. His PER was 21.93 so he was pretty efficient.

I think his game will be fine with Westbrook if it was fine with Davis, Williams, and Bledsoe. Blake Griffin isn;t dependent upon a pg to be successful. He makes life easier for the pg. Just throw that baby up.

We all watched this one right? Against our real Men in Green.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78Fh0plBu84

[wdleehi]

Philly:  How does this team go forward giving so few minutes to Turner?  How is he not starting?  Lawson and Turner are the only two guys I can see trying to build around. 


Boston:  How could you turn one of the favorites in the East to this?  You had one of the top 3 players in league and the 2nd best C in the NBA (with the 3rd C down being more then a single step down).  The best inside outside team in this draft.  Yes, the C has been know to come in soft in the big game, but the SF is clutch.  Still a playoff team, but no longer a contender.  Will Westbrook set Blake up enough? 

NY:  Huge grab to get Durrant at the last minute.  It is to bad you didn't have the time to rebuild the rest of the roster around him. 





How I see the teams so far  (waiting for the Nets)

1)  NY
2)  Boston
3)  76ers

BYNUM VS GASOL

Bynum is better points and commits lead fouls. He is also better in fg% and is better in rebounds.

Bynum is a much worse passer, worse ft shooter, and commits three time the turnovers as Gasol.

Looking at the advanced metrics.

Their win shares are close. .183 for Bynum to .166 for gasol. Their blocks % is identical. Gasol's defensive rating is 99 and is better then Bynum's 100. Bynum's offensive rating is 112 to Gasol's 111. Gasols WS is 8.2 to Bynum's 8.0.

Bynum averaged 4 more points then Gasol but his usage% was 23.8 to gasol's 19.1. Bynum also shot the ball 2 more times per game and he played with better players who the defense focused in on more.

It's all here in this link. After you factor in attitude in terms of sacrifice and accountability. You factor in heart and drive, You factor in durability and dependability I don' t think the overall difference is that great.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=0&p1=gasolma01&y1=2012&p2=bynuman01&y2=2012

Bynum:  More points.  More Rebounds.  A higher shooting %.  Bigger.  Draws more fouls.  Considered my most NBA followers as the 2nd best C in the game. 


Bynum is a game changer.  He put the better of the two Gasol's into the third option on his team. 

[indeedproceed]

Rotation: Player (mins at position)

PG: Ty Lawson (34), Isiah Thomas (14)
SG: Arron Affalo (33), Nando De Colo (15)
SF: Jared Dudley (33), Evan Turner (15)
PF: Brandon Bass (31), Al Harrington (17)
C: Nikola Pekovic (31), Marcus Camby (17)

Deep Bench: PJ Tucker, Jason Thompson, Shannon Brown

Q1. You traded LaMarcus Aldridge for Millsap and picks, and then traded Millsap for pieces and picks. Any regrets?

Yes, both trades were vicious heartless eviscerations by confirmed psychopaths, and I regret both of those trades. 

Q2. How comfortable are you giving the available SG backup minutes to a first-year player, when you have Evan Turner and Shannon Brown available?

The Spurs plucked a 6'5 combo guard who is a decent passer and a good pick and roll operator, and gave him a 2 yr guaranteed contract. You play that guy over Shannon Brown everytime. Evan Turner will get his time at the 3, and I think its gonna be an exciting second unit to watch.

Zeke Jr
De Colo
Turner
Harrington
Camby

I mean, that's gonna be exciting.

Q3. Why is Jason Thompson getting no time at all? (I suspect Harrington won't be ready to play full-speed until the second month of the season, so perhaps he will, by default.)

Jason Thompson will get minutes, just like PJ Tucker or Shannon Brown, but the guys ahead of them are guys I feel fit my rotation better.

Q4. Any concerns that opponents will look to double/harass Ty Lawson, and fluster your offense?

Not really, he's got good pick and roll options, good shooters, plenty of guys to keep everyone honest. I think if they double Lawson they're gonna be made to pay.

[indeedproceed]

Boston: I think you're really underselling a significant problem you have, and that's ball movement. You say Gasol alleviates that, and he does help, but Gasol is a good passer for a center, not a great passer in general.

In both the high and low post you can run an offense through this man. Memphis did it a lot this past year. I will utilize that ability somewhat. His Assist % at 14.1 is very good for a Center.

I'm not disagreeing that Gasol is a very good passer for a center, and that'll help you.

Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant (which we can all agree is a significant step up from Westbrook/Griffin) had a really hard time making the timeshare work, and it wasn't until James Harden came along that the ball movement issue seemed to get better, even then, only a little.

Nice try IP. There is no perimeter player on my roster that Westbrook needs to share the ball with like Durant. Griffin and Gasol don't need the ball on the wing like KD requires. There is no guy that requires a timeshare. Also Russ will be playing with another pg during spans in augustine who can aid in facilitation. But since we don't have a guy who NEEDs the Ball in a time share I don't see the problem.

First, 'Nice Try, IP'? What's that about?

Blake Griffin was the guy I was talking about. He needs the ball, and needs someone to help him get it. You don't have a guy like that who can manage it, and Westbrook has shown a willingness to 'forget' about his teammates when the need suits him.

Durant's ability to create his own shot from isolation, as well as Westbrook's ability to do the same got them by more often than not, but now you've got a player in Griffin whose main gifts are much more pronounced when being fed by a gifted passer.

Before Harden took over a lot of ball handling duties this year, Westbrook averaged over 8 assists last year. He can hit guys in scoring position. Mo Williams is better passer then Russell? Blake was fine with Mo.

Blake Griffin was the best player on a lotto team with Mo, and Mo Williams was a year removed from an all-star appearance. With Chris Paul, Blake Griffin raised his fg%, TS%, eFG%, lowered his turnover rate, raised his PER and raised his WS/48 substantially, and went from an All-Star to an All-NBA player. Blake Griffin was good with Mo Williams, he was special with Chris Paul.

You're surrounding Westbrook with bench guys in DJ Augustine, S-Jax and Ron Artest who aren't really even good passers for their positions, let alone in general, and guys who are more known for taking a shot than passing up on it.

How are you going to stop your offense from stagnating?

All have been starters. There roles don't require them to do too much on offense. Artest can knock down some open shots. Is he lights out? No, but this is nitpicking. He is the fifth option. Jackson is the 4th option and this role suits him. In Milwaukee and Charlotte he was asked to be the 2nd guy on offense. It was asking too much and he was inefficient as a result.

Stephen Jackson has deferred to two men in his life: Greg Popovich and Tim Duncan. You got neither. Stephen Jackson believes himself to be an elite player, he's said as much. He'll continue to do so. Ron Artest, he'll still jack up dumb shots but I worry more about his defense. You rate it considerably better than I do.

In SA he was never more then a 3rd option and often the 4th. After he got settled in SA after the trade his game took off. In the playoffs he had a lot of open jumpers from playing off Timmy, Manu, and Tony. That was a long playoff run against good to great competition.

Jackson shot 53% from the field and 60% from three at more then 3 attempts a game. That's the entire playoffs. I mean he was WIDE open for shots and while those numbers will go down some from three if Stephen Jackson is being left open he is gonna make his fair share of shots.

Stephen Jackson benefitted from Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, and Tim Duncan. I don't see any of those guys on your team, but I do see Russell Westbrook, Ron Artest, Blake Griffin, and Marc Gasol. Of those other 4 guys, only Marc Gasol would I consider on even footing with his Spurs opposite as a passer.

Ball movement is an issue.

[Kane3387]

Chicago will not beat Boston

Since it's the press conferences, why not?

Boston: Who do you identify as the top three teams in the East besides yourself, and why will your team prevail over those squads?  TPs will be given for making IP look silly.

Objection, Roy Hobbs is leading the witness, and we're not talking about a head-to-head matchup, we're talking about who does better in the regular season.

You're right, I shouldn't have suggested that Chicago was one of the top three teams in the East.  That was wrong of me.

FOR ROY

Title - How Westbrook is beating Wade

Wade trending down and Westbrook up.


But let's take a closer look at specifically how Westbrook has outplayed his counterpart.

1. On the break
Westbrook is the key to OKC's vaunted running game when it comes to pushing the ball and finishing at the rim. In the playoffs, Westbrook leads all guards -- and is second among all players -- in fast-break points with 5.0 per game. His full-throttle bursts dictate the Finals' tempo more than any single player. Forget seven seconds or less -- Westbrook can go from one foul line to the other in three seconds flat, routinely putting the Miami Heat in poor defensive position. While Wade is no slouch in transition -- his 3.9 ppg ranks seventh, and his outlet passes are among the game's best -- he's been routinely beaten down the floor by the speedy Oklahoma City Thunder point guard. In Game 1, thanks primarily to Westbrook, OKC battered the Heat 24-4 in transition.


As a facilitator, Westbrook is an ace delivering the ball so teammates catch it on the numbers, take two steps and finish. Wade's diminished athletic prowess has seen his shot rejected more than he's used to when trying to finish at the basket. Not a problem for Westbrook. When he explodes toward the rim, his third and fourth steps are as potent as his first, allowing him the rare ability to accelerate in the air. Another trick: He takes off from as far out as possible, making it difficult for a defender to time a block. On roughly 25 drives to the rim in the Finals, the 6-foot-3 Westbrook has been blocked only once.

2. Exploding off the dribble
With apologies to LeBron James, Westbrook is the best athlete in the NBA. During the Finals, he has had little trouble blowing by Miami's many quality individual defenders, most notably Wade. In Game 2, he beat Wade with the one-on-one dribble to both the left and right. When Westbrook got a high ball screen, Wade lacked the quickness to close from behind after being screened, leading to easy Westbrook hoops. With the ball in Wade's own hands, he seems to lack his trademark explosiveness when turning the corner and launching toward the rim and has eluded to this in his postgame remarks.

Attacking off the dribble used to be a huge source of turnovers for Westbrook, who has led the league in total turnovers twice in four years. But no more. He's doing a much better job at picking his spots and mixing up his looks -- a lot more pull-ups and floaters -- instead of overpenetrating and getting whistled for charges. And here's a bonus: Despite handling the ball much less, Wade is turning it over at a higher clip in the postseason compared to Westbrook (3.0 to 2.2 per game). And remember Westbrook averaging 35.8 minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round while turning the ball over a scant 0.8 times per game? Not bad for a former turnover machine.

3. Scoring from the perimeter
Now may not seem like the best time to trumpet what has been Westbrook's much improved jump shot this season, with him being mired in a bit of a shooting slump in the Finals. But he's still having a bigger impact on the game with the J than Wade. From that all-important midrange spot -- which puts defenders on their heels -- Westbrook is knocking down an excellent 44 percent, something respected shooters Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant failed to do this postseason.

Back to Wade: He's converting just 32 percent from midrange. Throw in Westbrook's advantage from 3 (32 to 26 percent) and Wade gives up yet another phase of the game to the rising Thunder point guard. For all of Wade's ability, he's never forced the defense to play his jump shot honestly. He's hit just eight 3s this postseason. It's a bit of a mystery as to why Westbrook's shot isn't falling lately, as he's getting the same looks he has been all year. And with his ability to stop on a dime and pop straight up on his foul line jumper, it's a shot he gets off with nary a hand in his face. Only a matter of time before he starts drilling it with his normal regularity.

4. Playing with passion
Westbrook's game intensity walks the line between gift and curse. Combined with his otherworldly athletic ability, it can propel him to do things on a basketball court conventional wisdom dictates a guard shouldn't be able to do. It can also possess him to have shooting stretches where he completely falls out of touch with OKC's offense, thereby frustrating his teammates and coaches.

But the fire that Westbrook plays with, which completely contrasts his off-court personality, is generally for the greater good. The normally reserved Kevin Durant feeds directly off Westbrook's rage like a power source. It can send an already raucous OKC crowd over the edge, giving the Thunder a near unbeatable home-court advantage. (It should be noted they've lost only once at home in the 2012 playoffs.) Westbrook rarely takes a play off, and his point-of-attack defense has been downright hostile at times. His primal post-dunk, pre-timeout screams encapsulate the Thunder's fiery edge.

By contrast, Wade's almost mopey demeanor at times can zap his aggressiveness, which is partly to blame for his ineffective first-half play this postseason in which he's averaging just 5.7 points. The moments where Wade gets fired up are fewer and further between. Wade is coming to grips with the fact that he's Miami's No. 2 option, and it's bogging down his on-court enthusiasm. No such emotional hurdle for Westbrook, who's already accepted his permanent sidekick role.

5. Delivering a complete game
Westbrook has been everywhere. He's the first player in history to average 27 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in his first two Finals games. In Games 1 and 2, Westbrook has outscored, outrebounded and delivered more assists than Wade. So far in the Finals, the fourth-year guard has been responsible for 90 total points (through baskets and assists) while Wade has contributed just 69.

But Wade shouldn't feel old, because no one else has been able to keep pace with Westbrook, who's also outpacing both James (80) and Durant (77). Despite taking the most shots, Westbrook leads the Finals in assists with 18 and is trailing 6-foot-10 Chris Bosh in total rebounds 20-16. Throughout the playoffs, the point guard has just eight fewer offensive rebounds than Kendrick Perkins and has outrebounded Durant on the offensive glass 21-8. In terms of microscopic analysis, Westbrook is probably second to James in having his game critiqued. He was singled out by some for his shot selection early in Game 2, which blurred the fact that he's been arguably the best player of the series.

It is via insider. Here is the link if you have it.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2012/story/_/id/8062857/2012-nba-finals-russell-westbrook-gotten-better-dwyane-wade

[The Walker Wiggle]

I'm doing a press conference for Philly. They signed Nando De Colo and PJ Tucker.

Question for the Bulls: Is this because Philadelphia's GM quit shortly after delivering Paul Piece to you for a questionable return? How soon is the league investigation beginning?

[indeedproceed]

I'm doing a press conference for Philly. They signed Nando De Colo and PJ Tucker.

Question for the Bulls: Is this because Philadelphia's GM quit shortly after delivering Paul Piece to you for a questionable return? How soon is the league investigation beginning?

We're not here to dwell on the past. Today, we're all about Nando De Colo.

[The Walker Wiggle]

We're not here to dwell on the past. Today, we're all about Nando De Colo.

The Golden State Warriors will accept that answer.