2012 CB Draft Central Division Press Conferences

[RebusRankin]

I think Lucky's got a good team. I think he's the number 2 seed in the conference, likely. He's got a ton of talent that doesn't really make its self known until you stare at his roster for a while and then realize, "Plus, they're gonna play with Chris Paul..."

But I think outside of CP3, my team has more talent playing at each position, and holds that advantage through the bench. I think Lucky's team is the second best in the division, and second best in the conference.

Likewise, I think IP's got a good squad. I also think he's the #2 seed in the divison and conference. 

Me too.

[Kane3387]

I see my team is being ignored in the top team in this conference discussion.


It is as if everyone forgot how Rondo upped his game in the playoffs.




And Chicago, is Wade going to be healthy enough to lead a team in the playoffs?  He will no longer have Lebron to carry him.

See my rankings. I see your team and how they matchup.

[StartOrien]

Here's how I see it:

Detroit Pistons
Chicago Bulls
--------
Indiana Pacers
-------
Cleveland Caveliers

Most solid division so far.

[indeedproceed]

Plus Chicago is going to be counting on the likes of Jack, Thad Young, and Haywood to play a lot of minutes so Pierce, Wade, and Bosh aren't burned out.

Right. That's going to happen.

Please tell me why that's wrong.

Not saying it's wrong. I'm saying I think those guys getting more minutes hurts your team in regards to finishing ahead of Lucky. You're sacrificing talent for preservation. I agree that you do that with older players though.

Again this all about the regular season. When the playoffs start and we see the match ups things may change entirely.

Is Lucky's strategy to run his starters into the ground?  Chris Paul averaged 36 minutes last year.  Nene averaged around 30.  33 each for Granger and Matthews.  Ilyasova averaged 28 minutes.

Aren't both of those teams going to be playing their benches a lot?

Yes and his is better. If IP played the starters more then it makes up for the differences in the benches. Since they're both pretty equal i like Lucky a little more b/c I also like his starters a little more.

I think after Jack and Young is goes downhill bad for IP and I am not a big Jack fan. Grievous Vasquez was the other pg for NO and Eric Gordon was out all year. Some games it seemed like Jack was their only non D-Leaguer and he has never really impressed me. Not a good shooter and typically it takes him as many shots to score the same amount of points.
He doesn't compliment Wade at all imo.

For Lucky. I like Hill's energy and Martin's aggressiveness. I'm a Ridnour and Budinger fan. too. Young is the best Bench player between the two teams, but after that I think Lucky has the next 4 out of 5.

We have vastly different views of these players, and I don't know how yours is supportable other than, "I'm just not a big ___ fan."

But whatever, you're one guy who isn't a fan of the squad. If anyone wants to learn more about any of my players, I'll be happy to show you some reading materials.

Dude. Not a fan of the squad only because I said it wasn't number one in the regular season? I said it was a playoff team and likely better then any of your division rivals in a 7 game series. I think that shows respect.

Come with the material like Roy did in the other thread. I feel I have backed up my opinions with evidence as to why I am not a huge fan of a player. Like Jack.

For the most part he's a bad shooter and he put up numbers on basically a D-League team where he was the main option. It's a totally different environment and he will have to play off ball all the time.

I'm not sleeping on a Dwyane Wade led team. I like the CP3 led team more for the regular season a little better.

You haven't said 'jack' about Jarret Jack (meant as a pun), you said his teammates were terrible and Greivis Vasquez was the other point guard on his team, and that he couldn't shoot:

15th best pick and roll ball-handler in the league (308 attempts)

12th best among starting point guards for true shooting %

Able to effectively defend 2 positions, but is unique because of his prowess against shooting guards (and is why he's so useful for me):

PER as PG: 17.6
Opp PER as PG: 16.7

PER as SG: 19.5
OppPER as SG: 7.3

He's adequate as a starting PG at defending other 1's, but elite as a 2. And his numbers from the previous season (though not as pronounced) are similar when he played the exact same role I'm asking of him.

And as to why is he a good fit next to Wade? First and foremost because he's a great to elite fit next to Holiday. Jack's shooting is average, true enough, but I love him for my team because he's a high-level backup PG, and a high-level backup SG. He's tough, bull-headed like Wade, is good at scoring in traffic, and is a good facilitator.

Would've been perfect on the Celtics. Real life and make-believe.

That's Jarret Jack.

Wanna do SPlitter? 5th best in the NBA at being the 'roll' part of the equation? Amazing finisher, 5th among all players in TS%? 13th among centers in estimated wins added?

Brendan Haywood? Anchored the 8th best defensive team in the NBA in Dallas this past season, voted 5th best defensive center by The Basketball Prospectus.

Chandler Parsons? After the allstar break averaged 11.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and shot 47%, 13.33 PER and 2.3 estimated Wins added, puts him ahead of guys like Delfino, and right there with Tayshaun Prince. Plus, guy was a rookie, he's gonna get better next year. How is he not helping my team backing up Paul Pierce, he's likely an as good or better option there than Jeff Green will be next season, in reality.

Do I need to go on?   

(I really hope I don't need to go on, I'm leaving work and my desktop behind. This is nearly impossible on a phone)

[RebusRankin]

Jack is now on his fifth team, Toronto and New Orleans, two of the worst teams in the NBA having given up on him. Explain?

[indeedproceed]

Jack is now on his fifth team, Toronto and New Orleans, two of the worst teams in the NBA having given up on him. Explain?

A) Toronto and New Orleans have not been known for consistently making quality roster moves.

B) Both Toronto and New Orleans traded a solid rotation guy they didn't need (because they weren't winning crap and you don't keep those guys on if you're not winning crap) for a high-upside guy they thought they might, in Jerryd Bayless and Austin Rivers.

And next year when he's bailing out the Golden State Warriors while Curry recovers and Bogut sits out another year, but goes back to the bench when Curry returns and is eventually traded for Damian Lillard and Luke Babbit, you guys will say the same thing.

He gets traded for the same reason Carl Landry does, because people think he's not quite good enough to start because he doesn't fit their box of a guy who plays a position.

[indeedproceed]

I feel like I haven't mentioned this enough, so let me say this now:

The rumors of Dwyane Wade's demise have been greatly exaggerated.

[Lucky17]

IP, am I reading the numbers right? Jack played only 2% of NO's available minutes at SG last season?

I know he played alongside CP3 the season before that, and while he out-PERed his opponent, it wasn't by a huge margin. Are there other stats that bear out his elite play at SG?

[Roy H.]

Wanna do SPlitter? 5th best in the NBA at being the 'roll' part of the equation? Amazing finisher, 5th among all players in TS%? 13th among centers in estimated wins added?

To keep IP honest:  Disappeared in the playoffs, only playing 12 minutes per game...

[indeedproceed]

IP, am I reading the numbers right? Jack played only 2% of NO's available minutes at SG last season?

I know he played alongside CP3 the season before that, and while he out-PERed his opponent, it wasn't by a huge margin. Are there other stats that bear out his elite play at SG?

Not 2% of his minutes, 2% of the available minutes.

And he played 11% of the available minutes there the year before. The previous year it was less pronounced, still impressive.

[Lucky17]

IP, am I reading the numbers right? Jack played only 2% of NO's available minutes at SG last season?

I know he played alongside CP3 the season before that, and while he out-PERed his opponent, it wasn't by a huge margin. Are there other stats that bear out his elite play at SG?

Not 2% of his minutes, 2% of the available minutes.

And he played 11% of the available minutes there the year before. The previous year it was less pronounced, still impressive.

Yes, 2% of NO's available minutes at the SG.

So, assuming 48 minutes a game over the course of the 66-game season, Jack played 63.5 minutes at SG last season, or an average of about one minute per game, if my math is right.

48 x 66 x .02 = 63.36

[indeedproceed]

Wanna do SPlitter? 5th best in the NBA at being the 'roll' part of the equation? Amazing finisher, 5th among all players in TS%? 13th among centers in estimated wins added?

To keep IP honest:  Disappeared in the playoffs, only playing 12 minutes per game...

To keep Roy Hobbs honest, best to gag him.

Mainly just disappeared during the conference Finals, and I'm not really holding that against him. Greg Popovich would bench his own mommma if he thought he had a matchup advantage. He obviously liked Diaw over Splitter/Blair.

Didn't seem to work so great. Splitter still shot 64% in the playoffs, still got to the cup. Can't explain the free throw shooting though.

[indeedproceed]

IP, am I reading the numbers right? Jack played only 2% of NO's available minutes at SG last season?

I know he played alongside CP3 the season before that, and while he out-PERed his opponent, it wasn't by a huge margin. Are there other stats that bear out his elite play at SG?

Not 2% of his minutes, 2% of the available minutes.

And he played 11% of the available minutes there the year before. The previous year it was less pronounced, still impressive.

Yes, 2% of NO's available minutes at the SG.

So, assuming 48 minutes a game over the course of the 66-game season, Jack played 63.5 minutes at SG last season, or an average of about one minute per game, if my math is right.

48 x 66 x .02 = 63.36

Ah, but he only played in 45 games. Its about a minute-thirty per game, dummy.

All jokes aside, Jack started, played big minutes at the point. When they had a better point guard, he backed up Paul, and played the two.

You're right, its not as pronounced as this season, but its still pretty impressive. Jack playing at the 2 was one of the Hornets' most effective lineups, and you can see that two by the fact that Jack played in 31% of New Orleans' clutch lineups in 2011, despite not being a lights out shooter at 2. He was their best stopper at the 2.

[StartOrien]

I feel like I haven't mentioned this enough, so let me say this now:

The rumors of Dwyane Wade's demise have been greatly exaggerated.

I really don't think you can argue this. You can argue that he's still a highly effective player and will continue to be so, but I don't think you can honestly say that he's maintained the level of play he had in say 06'. He's just nearly as good as he once was.

[Roy H.]

I feel like I haven't mentioned this enough, so let me say this now:

The rumors of Dwyane Wade's demise have been greatly exaggerated.

I really don't think you can argue this. You can argue that he's still a highly effective player and will continue to be so, but I don't think you can honestly say that he's maintained the level of play he had in say 06'. He's just nearly as good as he once was.

Agreed.  Wade fell off last year.  The question for me is whether it's a permanent drop off, or was injury related.