2012 CB Draft Southwest Division Press Conferences

[Who]

I wasn't wild about the Thabo Sefolosha signing. I am big fan of the player as an individual but I didn't like how he fitted into your starting lineup.

It will allow teams to hide their PF (say my team with the slow-footed Zach Randolph) on Thabo Sefolosha instead of being forced to put their PF on the more effective offensive threat of Jeff Green. Which decreases the value of your small ball lineup offensively.

I thought you would have been better off with a lesser defender at SG who was more of an offensive threat. Someone who could keep the matchups the way you wanted them.

I also think this increases the role and importance of Ben Gordon considerably -- because B.Gordon is a very good shot-creator who can burn any PF who tries to defend him. Forces the PF (say my slow-footed Zach Randolph) back onto Jeff Green.

I wonder whether your team is better off bringing Thabo off the bench and starting Ben Gordon in a small backcourt. Neither option is ideal. Undecided over which one is the better play.

[indeedproceed]

How concerned are you about your lack of size?

Is this a trick question?  We have one of the biggest lineups in the league.  That size isn't just up front, but all the way over the roster.  It's not just height, either; our guys have long arms, and have a knack for playing great defense.

What about your point guards? None of them are great defenders, and with the exception of Dooling, there is a lot of evidence to say they're actually pretty bad.

Is this something you tried to address with the rest of the lineup?

[Roy H.]

How does he become more consistent against the best of the best next year?

What player in the NBA, other than maybe Lebron, is consistently elite every single night?  None of them.

Kyrie dropped 32 points on Deron, and also had a 26 point outing against him.  He scored 29 and 28 against Brandon Jennings (a pretty good defender.)  26 against Nash.  24 points against Rondo, 23 points on another night, and 21 on yet a third. 

Is Rondo not an elite defender?  Is Boston's defense not a good enough test? 



Clutch, against a great defense.

[Roy H.]

I wasn't wild about the Thabo Sefolosha signing. I am big fan of the player as an individual but I didn't like how he fitted into your starting lineup.

It will allow teams to hide their PF (say my team with the slow-footed Zach Randolph) on Thabo Sefolosha instead of being forced to put their PF on the more effective offensive threat of Jeff Green. Which decreases the value of your small ball lineup offensively.

I thought you would have been better off with a lesser defender at SG who was more of an offensive threat. Someone who could keep the matchups the way you wanted them.

I also think this increases the role and importance of Ben Gordon considerably -- because B.Gordon is a very good shot-creator who can burn any PF who tries to defend him. Forces the PF (say my slow-footed Zach Randolph) back onto Jeff Green.

I wonder whether your team is better off bringing Thabo off the bench and starting Ben Gordon in a small backcourt. Neither option is ideal. Undecided over which one is the better play.

Ben Gordon is going to get plenty of minutes at SG, and probably some at backup PG (maybe).  We just like having a guy who can defend Tony Parker, Kobe Bryant, D. Wade, and formerly, Lebron James in the lineup.

But, for just the reason you cite, we're going to create mismatches by using Gordon as another offensive weapon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9KbVzafw1A

[Roy H.]

Chicago, how can a superstar let this happen in a big game?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhNZ7Trev7M

Luckily for Wade, he had Lebron to cover for his sloppy and very poor play throughout the ECF and Finals, correct?

[Edgar]

How concerned are you about your lack of size?

Is this a trick question?  We have one of the biggest lineups in the league.  That size isn't just up front, but all the way over the roster.  It's not just height, either; our guys have long arms, and have a knack for playing great defense.

What about your point guards? None of them are great defenders, and with the exception of Dooling, there is a lot of evidence to say they're actually pretty bad.

Is this something you tried to address with the rest of the lineup?

deffensive PGs, how many you need?

[Roy H.]

How concerned are you about your lack of size?

Is this a trick question?  We have one of the biggest lineups in the league.  That size isn't just up front, but all the way over the roster.  It's not just height, either; our guys have long arms, and have a knack for playing great defense.

What about your point guards? None of them are great defenders, and with the exception of Dooling, there is a lot of evidence to say they're actually pretty bad.

Is this something you tried to address with the rest of the lineup?

Keyon Dooling is an excellent defensive point guard.  And yeah...  having elite interior defenders (Brand, Varejao) and elite perimeter defenders (Lebron, Thabo) will cover any perceived defensive weakness.

Heck, Lebron just got named to Basketball Prospectus' All-Defense team as a PG.

[indeedproceed]

Chicago, how can a superstar let this happen in a big game?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhNZ7Trev7M

Luckily for Wade, he had Lebron to cover for his sloppy and very poor play throughout the ECF and Finals, correct?

The way I see it, luckily LeBron had the talent and help around him to help him reach a maturity and poise he never could have on his own, and now that he's without Wade and Bosh, well...

Seems like it'll be back to bidness as usual.

I assume though that was your intention all-along. LeBron played very well next to Mo WIlliams, Anthony Parker, Boobie Gibson, Big Z, Jamario Moon, and Andy V.

Now, he's got Andy V and Mo Williams version 2.0, he's got a nice Big-Z stand in, in Elton Brand, and he's got a likely more effective version of Jamario Moon (at the time..people forget how good Moon used to be).

Plus, they've got Ben Gordon.

I'm telling you, those Cleveland teams won a lot of games. LeBron James is a talent. And this team makes those teams look slightly worse than this team.

[Edgar]

Chicago, how can a superstar let this happen in a big game?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhNZ7Trev7M

Luckily for Wade, he had Lebron to cover for his sloppy and very poor play throughout the ECF and Finals, correct?

Best thing about thabo is that hes not only Pure deffense but he really know how to finish when needed. Challenging wade in speed and junp isnt that bad

Again Lebroin 2012 is a LOOOOOTTT better than past Lebron

[Roy H.]

^ IP = funny guy.

Chicago, I'm surprised you used a #1 pick on a slight upgrade over Mo Williams.  I have generally appreciated your drafting skills, but if you thought you were getting the equivalent of Mo "Ebola" Williams in the first round, perhaps you need your head examined. 

[Edgar]

^ IP = funny guy.

Chicago, I'm surprised you used a #1 pick on a slight upgrade over Mo Williams.  I have generally appreciated your drafting skills, but if you thought you were getting the equivalent of Mo "Ebola" Williams in the first round, perhaps you need your head examined. 

not to mention people is still trying to compare Old LeBron vrs. Champion LeBron, thats by itself its NUTS!

Just like Poeple thinking Pierce still have the legs, or Duncan is still the best PF in the game or Wade will win another thing without LEBron... oh well

[indeedproceed]

^ IP = funny guy.

Chicago, I'm surprised you used a #1 pick on a slight upgrade over Mo Williams.  I have generally appreciated your drafting skills, but if you thought you were getting the equivalent of Mo "Ebola" Williams in the first round, perhaps you need your head examined. 

I used that pick on Mo Irving because he's the best prospect in the NBA right now not named Anthony Davis.

Also I did it because I was going to trade him to a team of the future for their early 2nd and early 3rd round draft pick. I was never going to keep Irving, who builds a win-now contender about a point guard who can't pass and doesn't defend?

[Roy H.]

New Orleans:  Can a team with Battier, Chandler, and an old Ray Allen in the starting lineup score enough to win?

Can your wings create enough offense on their own without slowing your offense down to a crawl running screens?

Where does the defense come from in the back court?

[Roy H.]

who builds a win-now contender about a point guard who...

What's that?  Kyrie Irving was much better as both a scorer and a passer in his rookie season than Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and some scrub named Jrue Holiday?

Fact Check.

[Edgar]

^ IP = funny guy.

Chicago, I'm surprised you used a #1 pick on a slight upgrade over Mo Williams.  I have generally appreciated your drafting skills, but if you thought you were getting the equivalent of Mo "Ebola" Williams in the first round, perhaps you need your head examined. 

I used that pick on Mo Irving because he's the best prospect in the NBA right now not named Anthony Davis.

Also I did it because I was going to trade him to a team of the future for their early 2nd and early 3rd round draft pick. I was never going to keep Irving, who builds a win-now contender about a point guard who can't pass and doesn't defend?

Celtics?
well I will accept he deffend a little better but still to early to count Irving out of the I now have energy to deffend line...

Rookie years:

Poing Guard 1 (some rookie of the year winner)

GP    GS    MPG    FG%    3P%    FT%    RPG    
51    51    30.5    .469    .399    .872    3.7
APG    SPG    BPG    PPG
5.4    1.1    .4    18.5

Point Guard 2 (Rajon Rondo)
GP    GS    MPG    FG%    3P%    FT%    RPG    
78    25    23.5    .418    .207    .647    3.7
APG    SPG    BPG    PPG
3.8    1.6    .1    6.4