GM INTERVIEW #COUNTONAAR
Mar 11, 2013 18:44:46 GMT -5
Post by kobe on Mar 11, 2013 18:44:46 GMT -5
#COUNTONAAR
1. Welcome aar! Let’s get right into some questions. You made a huge splash in the off-season with the Acy trade. A few days removed what are your feelings about the trade? Any regrets?
No regrets, in fact, quite the opposite - I'm thrilled with the move. People questioned me and said that I couldn't put a good surrounding cast around Acy and I've proven them wrong.
I look at how Rondo is playing and he looks good, but McLemore shit the bed in TC, the guys available at 4th overall would be nice complimentary players and I would have drafted Jimmy Murphy there, he looks good. I got to keep Royce White because Skillz is a standup guy and the guys selected at 16 and 19 did nothing.
All in all, I feel like I gave up a lot, but didn't give up much if that makes sense.
2. Feeding off the first question, after you traded your whole team for Acy not many believed you would be able to put together a team around him with no pieces. But you have successfully done so, just how far do you think this team can go as currently assembled?
I think that we are a top-7 team in the league with my current pieces. I couldn't be more stoked about Acy's supporting cast.
We have incredible rebounding from 1-5. I did the math and my starting five combined to average 9 rpg each last season. That probably won't repeat, but I think that it's our greatest strength.
I think that we are okay defensively, but could stand to improve.
There is no area that I'm really concerned about, this is a very well-rounded bunch.
I'm not sure if we are championship caliber, but I think that we can hang with any team in the league.
3. It’s still early in the season, but give me your early favorite to win the BBS crown this year? Who is your darkhorse? Which team do you believe is overrated? Underrated?
I think that the Grizzlies are definitely the early favorite - which is obviously why you asked this question.
I think that the Celtics are underrated. With the acquisition of Tyson Chandler, they could win the East.
The 76ers are overrated - but mostly by their own GM.
4. In your opinion, which team looks to be best set for the future?
Even though Play wants to sell off his pieces, they are in fantastic shape. Davis and Shabazz are a great duo, plus I think Withey will be a nice defensive anchor and the Bucks 1st has promise. Not to mention their own 1sts. Since Play is a new GM, if he just keeps losing for 2-3 more years, he'll add some great pieces to an already great young core.
Part of the team's promise comes from Play being their GM. He's always been elite.
5. The recent Bucks trades have made some noise in the league having some questioning whether or not the deals are veto worthy. What are your feelings on both deals and what should happen to ellbee?
I don't think that either trade is veto-worthy and I do think that Ellbee deserves the benefit of the doubt.
That said, they have a very uphill battle. They don't have any filler, so in order to get a big name, they need to package Tyreke Evans and likely deal Anthony Bennett.
They really should have slow played things. Keep this year's pick, tank for another year, add do Bennett and Templeton and deal them off, plus the high pick, with filler that they sign, in the offseason.
They've made some really poor decisions, but I'd like to see how it plays out before we jump to conclusions.
6. Feeding off of question 5.. there was a big argument between myself and alldaygb in the cavs/bucks trade about how good Butler is. He thinks he is a top 10 player in the league and I beg to differ, where do you side on this?
He is a borderline top-20 player. His average defense and solid, but not spectacular percentages prevent him from being elite.
What separates him from being great is that he's not elite at anything outside of scoring and handling, He's above average at a lot of things, but not elite.
Lets compare him to Acy - Acy is an elite scorer, blocker, free throw shooter, ball handler and has high steals as well. That's what makes him special. Butler lacks being excellent overall and that's what keeps him from being top-10.
Don't get me wrong, I think Butler is an awesome player. I had a similar bid for him and I wish I'd have landed him. I think I offered him a 3 year max.
7. In your opinion, who is the most overrated GM in the league? And most underrated?
I think that Skillz can be overrated and that's because of his inconsistency - I'd say the same the about myself. Both of us love trading and often overtrade because of impatience or selling ourselves on a deal for the wrong reasons. Both of us can put together elite teams, but then make a few dumb trades to try and improve on something that's already great and implode.
Kobe is underrated. He suffers from the same affliction as Skillz and I, but nobody ever gives him any credit for being able to build good teams.
8. I consider you one of the top GMs in the league, give me some advice! Should I +5 Buike’s stealing, perimeter defense and strength so he can guard Kobe better or inside, strength and jump shot so he has more value?
My advice is to not AC Azubuike at all. Save your ACs for younger players or take an All-Star and make him elite.
Azubuike is 30. He is what he is. Leave him be and don't worry about it. Pump points into guys like Zeller or Gasol. Take great players and make them greater.
My Response: I know, but Zeller is already camped and I plan on ACing Gasol as well. If I can't get the SG I want I have to camp him so he can guard Kobe better imo.
9. Which GM are most difficult to deal with? Which GM is the easiest to deal with? Do you avoid trying to deal with certain GM's? If so, who are they.
I find Skillz very easy to deal with. He understands both sides of a trade and usually makes good offers as a result.
Most difficult to deal with is DJ because he's rarely online and always draws out trade talks. I'm far too impatient to deal with him.
Also, Galo had very unrealistic demands for me to get my 15 1st back, so now I'm sticking it to him like I told him that I would. I don't think he gave me enough credit. I had offered so many good packages for that pick and he balked at all of them.
10. How good do you think Nate Templeton is going to be?
I think that Templeton will be fantastic in the right system. If someone can build a strict, outside focused system, he'll be great. I wouldn't even bother with him in a balanced or inside system, he'd go to waste completely.
Outside oriented teams can be absolutely deadly if you have good rebounding as well and Templeton can provide that.
If I were the Cavs, I'd try to get my hands on one of Pleiss, Love or Macvan and just add some role players at other positions that fit an outside scheme.
11. If you could choose one team to switch with, which would it be and why?
I'd switch with the Wizards. A lot of fun pieces on that team. I'd probably tank for a season or two or try to parlay JV and Lillard +picks into some sick pieces around Butler.
If they played their cards right, they could build a sick contending team for 2-3 seasons.
12. How do you feel about the new boards? And what is your favorite theme?? Also where do you stand on the whole voting or no voting thing?
I like the new boards a lot. I've even gotten used to the changes on the all that I'd complained about.
I use the "Spencer" theme. My biggest complaint is that sometimes i don't get alerts for new messages and that pisses me off.
For polls, I think the rule should be changed to 8 votes for a certain number in order for it to get processed. There are 8 GMs that almost always vote and it would make things much more efficient.
13. If you could change one thing about BBS, what would it be and why?
If I could change one thing, it would have been the switch to fictional draft prospects so quickly. There are so many NCAA/HS/International prospects that won't see the league now and I always love learning about the new names at the lower ranks that are coming up. I think that it would have been great to do at least five more drafts with real names.
