2013 CB Draft: Central Division Press Conferences

[Roy H.]

Detroit,

Who has the better future-oriented starting lineup, you or Philly, and why?

Cousins / Favors / Barnes / Butler / Curry

Drummond / Davis / Aminu / Beal / Bledsoe

[Celtic Fan Forever]

I will take questions on Detroit

What player on your team do you believe has the best chance of becoming a top 10 player?  Also, do you think that having all the young players playing together with help or stunt their growth?

I think Anthony Davis has the best chance to become an elite superstar. I think Drummond has a solid chance as well. I think the overabundance of youth on this squad will help them. I love Brad Stevens as the coach for this team, as he should do a great job working with all this young talent. My ultimate goal  would be to see who develops the most in the next 3-5 years and build around a big 3 of Drummond, Davis, and Beal.

[Celtic Fan Forever]

I will take questions on Detroit

Who will you be rooting for in the Rookie-Sophomore game?

Joking aside there's a good question for you earlier in the thread - basically "Why did you seemingly aim immediately for Team of the Future?"

Well, I was looking at a tough situation picking 18th in my opinion. I knew I'd be unlikely to make a successful immediate contender unless I snagged one of the top guys. So I figured the better strategy would be to build around young guys with potential to be great and put a good young coach around them with the hope of eventually developing a contender

[indeedproceed]

I will take questions on Detroit

Who will you be rooting for in the Rookie-Sophomore game?

Joking aside there's a good question for you earlier in the thread - basically "Why did you seemingly aim immediately for Team of the Future?"

Well, I was looking at a tough situation picking 18th in my opinion. I knew I'd be unlikely to make a successful immediate contender unless I snagged one of the top guys. So I figured the better strategy would be to build around young guys with potential to be great and put a good young coach around them with the hope of eventually developing a contender

At 13th in mod squad headquarters I floated pretty much your own blueprint. Trade back in the 1st then take Davis + Drummond. SOMEONE told me I wasn't allowed to.

[Celtic Fan Forever]

I will take questions on Detroit

Who will you be rooting for in the Rookie-Sophomore game?

Joking aside there's a good question for you earlier in the thread - basically "Why did you seemingly aim immediately for Team of the Future?"

I'll follow that up with: why did you draft bigs like Bismack Biyombo, Greg Oden, and Gorgui Dieng instead of similar young prospects with more upside?

Well with Davis and Drummond I have almost guaranteed star production for my two big men over the next 10 years. As far as backing them up now, I love what Biyombo brings defensively and think he still has some solid improvement left in him. I firmly believe Oden will return to form and won't be asked to do too much. Eventually he can provide some quality veteran leadership and be a solid backup for several years. Dieng is a project who will get the opportunity to get some burn while debating if he plays a role for us in the future.

[dark_lord]

i havent read through the questions in the thread yet, and i apologize if this has been asked, but:

to all teams....what seed do you rank your team your conference (not division) and why do you rank them there?

i am voting, so along with your rosters and pressers, this is your opportunity to try and make a case to this voter.

thx

[rondoallaturca]

Well, I was looking at a tough situation picking 18th in my opinion. I knew I'd be unlikely to make a successful immediate contender unless I snagged one of the top guys. So I figured the better strategy would be to build around young guys with potential to be great and put a good young coach around them with the hope of eventually developing a contender

Tell me about it... Picking in the middle SUCKED! Be grateful you were at least in the East 

[Celtic Fan Forever]

Detroit,

Who has the better future-oriented starting lineup, you or Philly, and why?

Cousins / Favors / Barnes / Butler / Curry

Drummond / Davis / Aminu / Beal / Bledsoe

I think I have the edge here, especially because of my bench. Guys like Waiters, Porter, and Burke could develop nicely on top of the Big 3 I already have in place. I also think Cousins is a complete head case that can cause more trouble than good in Philly. Also, everyone on my team is 25 or younger, with most around 20-21 so the possibilities for growth and development of these guys is endless

[AB_Celtic]

i havent read through the questions in the thread yet, and i apologize if this has been asked, but:

to all teams....what seed do you rank your team your conference (not division) and why do you rank them there?

i am voting, so along with your rosters and pressers, this is your opportunity to try and make a case to this voter.

thx

I think just about everyone you ask is gonna tell you they're top of the conference for their own reasons. And I'm no different; I think Cleveland is the best team in the East, when fully rested and healthy. Will they finish first in the regular season? Maybe not. Nick says it well here:

Cleveland: You are a team that seemingly like the real life Celtics from 2009-2011 are built for a deep playoff run but possibly only very good regular season success.

You'll have to be the judge as to how much KG's minutes limitation will hurt us during the regular season. As I explained in an earlier post which I will copy below, I don't think it will hurt us very much.

Garnett will be limited to 25 minutes per game during most regular season games and will not play in back-to-backs (the likely plan is he will sit out against the weaker opponent of the two). Once we arrive at the playoffs, KG will play upwards of 33 minutes per game, every game.

So yes, we are planning to "make it to the playoffs and then let the dogs loose." However, that doesn't mean that the other 12 (or 11) guys aren't expected to give it their all every night. KG's teammates understand that for the Cavs to have the best shot in the playoffs, two things need to happen.
1. We need KG to be rested
2. We need home-court advantage as much as possible
In order for number 2 to happen, we gotta win as many games as possible in the regular season. So as far as "coasting" goes (I believe that's the term I've heard used), there will be no coasting from these Cavs.

Even with limited minutes, Garnett can still set a defensive tone for an entire game. This past season, the Celtics suffered greatly when Garnett wasn't on the floor because there was no legitimate second big option. The Cavs have Horford. Two very different scenarios. And, with respect to back-to-backs, we believe a lineup of Lawson-Allen-Butler-Landry-Horford is still extremely competitive and will still win many games.

The goal here is the first seed. That's what I'll tell you guys and it's what Lionel will tell the Cavs players.

TP for being a voter.

[KGs Knee]

Well, now that I'm finally home, I see there quite the spirited debate on the topic of the Central Division today.  Seriously irked I wasn't really able to be present much at all.  Just had to pick the day I was tied up all day (figures-I smell a conspiracy).

Anyways, I would rank the division as follows:

1. Milwaukee
2. Cleveland
3. Chicago
4. Indiana
5. Detroit

I feel I easily have the deepest and most well-rounded team, and the roster fits almost seamlessly.  My supposed weakness, my front court, is just simply underrated. 

Go ahead, check out the synergy rankings of Okafor as a defender, and you'll see he measures up quite comparably to some more "known" elite defenders.  Ryan Anderson, for all his warts, has typically given just as good as he has gotten in almost all matchups, and has both a positive net PER and PPP, as well as having a win shares equal to many PF's considered better.  When you factor in the scoring abilities of Greg Smith and rebounding of Reggie Evans (top rebound rate in the league), this "weakness" isn't really a weakness at all.  All I really need to do is tread water up front and let my superior gurads/wings do the rest.

When you factor in the crazy depth I have 1-3, there isn't guard/wing combo in the league I can't equal or flat out beat.  This will result in a great number of wins during the regular season.  As for playoff matchups, I'll address those when the time comes.

[KGs Knee]

Although I'm cheating a bit here (major kudos to rondoallaturca)...yeah, Mike Conley is that good!

Memphis Grizzlies Player Profiles
Mike Conley



Most PGs start hitting their stride by their third year, but Mike Conley is a special case. He was well on his way to affirming many Grizzlies fans that he would never live up to their expectations. However, Conley completely surprised people with his performance two seasons ago, and reached new heights this past season especially after the Rudy Gay trade. His stellar defense and improved playmaking continued to be fixtures of his game, but the Gay trade really opened things up for him to score. Following the trade, Conley averaged 16.4 points the remainder of the season, and further jumped to 17.0 points in the postseason. Even more telling is his staggering +16.1 net on/off, which makes Marc Gasol's +10.9 pale in comparison. In fact, Conley's on/off is even greater than hyperefficient players like Amir Johnson (+15.2), and even Lebron James himself (+15.3). Still just 25-years old, the rather late-blooming point guard out of Ohio State clearly has plenty of potential to tap into, and his first full season without Rudy Gay will be an exciting one to follow.

http://www.grizzlybearblues.com/2013/6/6/4401230/grading-the-2012-2013-memphis-grizzlies-mike-conley

With Gay gone, someone was supposedly going to have to step in and fill his shoes taking and *making* big shots, as if that's what Rudy did or something. Now, Conley will never be one to score thirty points in a game frequently, but that is not the type of player he is or needs to be rather. One thing Conley did do this season, rather impressively, is hit big shots.

Conley, of course, did a myriad of things other than score. He led the team in assists again, as he has every year since he has been with the team. He is not the fanciest passer in the league, but he finds open teammates at a high rate. Again, Conley's game is not flashy, but he is able to be a playmaker and create open shots for his teammates by using his quickness and his smarts to use picks effectively. He exhibited his ability to create plays for others more than ever this year, and he was able to look so calm while doing so. Although Conley is a six-year NBA veteran, his poise and ability to manage a game as a floor general is impressive for a twenty-five year old.

[AB_Celtic]

Aww, c'mon man. Do you own writing!

[KGs Knee]

Aww, c'mon man. Do you own writing!

I would, but why bother when there's just no way I could say it better.

[rondoallaturca]

Aww, c'mon man. Do you own writing!

I would, but why bother when there's just no way I could say it better.

[Who]

Leaning towards Cleveland & Indiana in my top four for the East alongside Boston & New York.