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Post by IamQuailman on May 13, 2014 11:21:01 GMT -6
GM Ian Quailmen: Greetings everyone! Before I open the floor to questions, I would like to extend my gratitude and thanks to all of the fans out there. They are used to seeing a playoff competitor, always in the hunt, and were last year subjected to a different experience. While not as immediately gratifying, last season was crucial in the future of this prestigous franchise. Every mountain has a base and a summit. Last season we climbed down from one mountain and walked over to the base of the next. We looked up and knew it would be a long climb. We are still climbing today. But just know, Buck Nation, that while we are still in the progress of climbing, we are much further from the base than we were last offseason. We look to keep climbing this season, as well as the next, and before you know it, the Bucks will stand loud and proud in the NBA as a top franchise once again.
GM Ian Quailmen: Now onto the typical pleasantries of these pressers. I would like to thank the players who played for us last season who are no long with us today. To be honest, outside of Sam Perkins, I don't remember many of their names, but we wish them luck wherever they may have landed.
GM Ian Quailmen: But let's be honest; we didn't come here to talk more about the past. We are looking to the future... and that future is definitely bright! However, the start of this offseason didn't look so bright when we not only didn't hit on the lottery, we hit on one of the worst possible outcomes imaginable. With our own pick (#2 pre-lotto) and the Cavs pick (#5 pre-lotto), Lady Luck decided to take a big fat dump on our chest... a Cleveland Steamer. After a 3-day binge, I returned to the front office a more refocused and dedicated man. However, after seeing some of the predraft pre-draft workouts, it was disappointing to see some draft prospects fall off before the draft. We did not know where we were aiming until draft day. And when draft day came, we were presented with a trade offer that could not be turned down (after days of off-and-on trade talks). That trade brought us a one-day All-Defense guard, Terrell Brandon!
GM Ian Quailmen: Terrell being here takes pressure off of incumbent starting point guard, Mike Iuzzolino, from running the offense and allows Mike to focus on what he does best -- defend the perimeter and shoot 3s. While Terrell is on the final year of his deal, we forsee him as a foundational building block for this franchise and will look to work with him soon to reach a deal to stay in Milwaukee long term.
GM Ian Quailmen: We only were getting started with acquiring Terrell for only our 15th and 16th picks in the draft. Before long we were on the clock and had to make our picks at 5 and 6. We had narrowed down our decision to a few players, based on whoever fell out of the top 4. It is safe to say that Jalen was always one player we had hoped would fall to us at 5. Now introducing... Jalen Rose!
GM Ian Quailmen: Jalen's high ceiling was one of the reasons we fell in love with him as a draft prospect. While we expect there to be some "speedbumps" along the way, this wil be no different than that of any rookie who will have to come in and work hard to improve. Jalen's versatility will allow us some liberties as to where he will play, something that could change from week to week or season to season depending on his development and our needs as a team.
GM Ian Quailmen: With the next pick immediately after, we had a decision to make. We wanted to go big, but the decision came down to offense versus defense. In Milwaukee, we love defensive big men who have a knack for snagging rebounds at both ends of the court.... so our decision was pretty simple. Ladies and gentlemen, Brian Grant!
GM Ian Quailmen: We fully expect Brian to step in from Day 1 as our starting power forward and to help, along side fellow big Antonio Davis, anchor a soon to be defensively dominant front court.
GM Ian Quailmen: After our first couple of picks, the front office and I went out for celebratory drinks. After a few rounds of sake bombs and Fireball Whiskey, I checked back on the draft board and noticed an intriguing prospect still available. After speaking with the Wizards (who at the time owned the 15th pick), we decided to jump back into the draft to snag one of the last remaining defensive bigs in the draft... Jim McIlvaine!
GM Ian Quailmen: Jim brings to our front court length and more importantly blocking ability. Antonio is a relatively good blocking center, but we do envision some defensive substitutions where having both Antonio and Jim on the floor at the same time, giving opposing bids fits.
GM Ian Quailmen: And with that, we wrap up our off-season acquisitions. As for our in-house talent, in the off-season both Antonio Davis and Mike Iuzzolino took strides in the right direction, both drastically improving on their respective skills while growing into their own bodies more. Lucious Harris is progressing smoothly in some areas while somewhat struggling to grasp our defensive schemes. However, we will continue to work with him throughout the season to improve on his game. Potential-wise, he still has a great change to improve as a true shooting guard and as an integral player on our team.
GM Ian Quailmen: Lastly, we did trade for additional players (and cash considerations) from other teams, along with bringing in some depth at other positions; however, we are happy to say that our current core is set for this season and possibly for seasons to come. At this time we would like to open the floor to questions from the media. Yes, you. You in the front row. |
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Post by WigNosy on May 13, 2014 11:22:58 GMT -6
The Bucks have more first-round picks in the next three years than any other team in the league. Is the plan to build slowly through the draft or to try to flip those assets into more immediate, established help?
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J2
Junior Member
Washington Wizards
Posts: 955 
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Post by J2 on May 13, 2014 12:02:01 GMT -6
Johnny Junior here. Your team struggled to find a leader last season after the trades of Robert Horry, Terry Porter, etc. With such a young and unproven roster, who are you looking at to step up and lead this franchise in the right direction?
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Post by JNR on May 13, 2014 12:26:16 GMT -6
You speak of Jalen's versatility; where do you see him starting the season? Will he be a bench swingman, or do you anticipate him starting at one of your wing positions?
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Post by IamQuailman on May 13, 2014 13:40:36 GMT -6
The Bucks have more first-round picks in the next three years than any other team in the league. Is the plan to build slowly through the draft or to try to flip those assets into more immediate, established help? GM Ian Quailmen: Thanks for the question, Mr. ... Nosy..? But yes, we do have quite an abundant number of picks in the next few drafts. As for using these picks as trade assets, it is something that is always up for discussion. As of right now, we are holding onto our own picks (if moved they will be protected); however, other teams' picks are always up for discussion. For example, the Wizards 95 1st is currently ours and is an unprotected pick; while the Wizards made some savvy moves this offseason, it'll be interesting to see where they fall in the mix of the playoff hunt this season, which could in turn add to or lower the value of the pick. But, as always, they are on the table for discussion and could be moved for the right price (young players). If the right trade is not there, we do not mind retaining those picks and waiting until the draft to make a move (or keep them and draft a player for our team).
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Post by IamQuailman on May 13, 2014 13:44:44 GMT -6
Johnny Junior here. Your team struggled to find a leader last season after the trades of Robert Horry, Terry Porter, etc. With such a young and unproven roster, who are you looking at to step up and lead this franchise in the right direction? This roster is indeed young, but we will look to our young vets as the leaders. Terrell Brandon will obviously bring much needed veteran experience and leadership to our lockerroom. Having come from a team in the dominating division of the Pacific, his grit and toughness will be a welcomed addition and hopefully rubs off on those around him. Additionally, we are looking to have Antonio Davis, last season's Eastern Conference Player of the Month for January, step up and be a leader on this team. He has come in each offseason and vastly improved during training camp, showing that drive, determination, "alpha" quality that not many players in this league have. Thanks for the question! |
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Post by IamQuailman on May 13, 2014 13:50:14 GMT -6
You speak of Jalen's versatility; where do you see him starting the season? Will he be a bench swingman, or do you anticipate him starting at one of your wing positions? GM Ian Quailmen: Thanks for the question, Mr. Railroad. I always loved you in Monopoly. Jalen will come in starting at the Small Forward position for us. Baptism by fire, as there are quite a few great small forwards in the Central Division that he will have to face night in and out, like Rick Fox, Steve Smith/Reggie Miller (depending on the night), Stacy Augmon, Chris Mullin, Reggie Williams... the list goes on and on. Initially we will start him there. However, we have also not ruled out the option of potentially running him as a "super sub", letting him play backup for all 3 spots on the court. Then there's always the option of using his size as a mismatch at the 1 and 2 positions. All in all, we love the fact that he provides us with an amazing skill set that we will be able to help mold into an offensive nightmare for the league.
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Post by NOLa. on May 13, 2014 14:33:08 GMT -6
Are you a little disappointed your team didn't grow as much as it could have potentially grow? You had a few players currently two color levels below their potential color but didn't make notable jumps unlike Brandon. Will Mr. Uter be considered next time for training camp?
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Post by IamQuailman on May 13, 2014 14:38:33 GMT -6
Are you a little disappointed your team didn't grow as much as it could have potentially grow? You had a few players currently two color levels below their potential color but didn't make notable jumps unlike Brandon. Will Mr. Uter be considered next time for training camp? Thanks for your question, Nerla. While I was hoping for higher growth, it's understood that many of our young guys will take a season or two to come into their own. So disappointed would not be the right word for it, as it was also somewhat of an expectation. We are very impressed with the continued growth of Mike Iuzzolino. He's come a long way from being that orange/yellow player cut by the Hornets after being picked first in the 2nd round of the 91 draft, and every year he keeps growing and growing. We love that he took a bigger step this offseason. As for consulting Mr. Uter for training camp next season, we prefer to keep our own player analysis in house at the moment; however, if we are stuck between a rock and a hard place, it's possible that Mr. Uter could be brought in for additional assistance. |
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Post by Nick Malone 77 on May 13, 2014 14:49:36 GMT -6
Nick Melon; Charlotte Observer: While the Bucks may struggle this season, what is the pitch to your fans to continue to support this team? "The future is bright"? "Milwaukee, the place to be in a few years"?
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Post by IamQuailman on May 13, 2014 14:53:13 GMT -6
Nick Melon; Charlotte Observer: While the Bucks may struggle this season, what is the pitch to your fans to continue to support this team? "The future is bright"? "Milwaukee, the place to be in a few years"? We are going more for this Limrick of a Sales Pitch:
"We ain't winning yet, so don't make that $1000 bet. But don't you fret, we'll get our winning dick wet (eventually) #ImIn"
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Post by TrayWithAnA on May 13, 2014 14:56:24 GMT -6
How do you think you did this past season with handling league wide criticism of the way you took a playoff team and decided to rebuild it from the ground up? Do you see this season as an opportunity to let the team grow a little bit and hope to continue to build through the draft?
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Post by IamQuailman on May 13, 2014 15:19:52 GMT -6
How do you think you did this past season with handling league wide criticism of the way you took a playoff team and decided to rebuild it from the ground up? Do you see this season as an opportunity to let the team grow a little bit and hope to continue to build through the draft? Thanks for the question. It was a long and tiring season in many regards. There was criticism on all fronts, and there were times when our opinions were made known. However, in hindsight, it is what it is and we keep moving forward. This season will be a season where the team grows. We'll try players out at different positions to see how they perform in different scenarios. As for building through the draft, it depends on the types of offers we receive through trade requests. But building through the draft is our main plan. |
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Post by Conroy on May 13, 2014 18:15:30 GMT -6
Sports Guy Bill Simmons here, with a few teams going the fast rebuild route how do you feel about the slow rebuild these days? Are you worried at all if you continue building through the draft you won't be able to afford these guys when they hit their prime all at once?
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Post by IamQuailman on May 13, 2014 19:25:59 GMT -6
Sports Guy Bill Simmons here, with a few teams going the fast rebuild route how do you feel about the slow rebuild these days? Are you worried at all if you continue building through the draft you won't be able to afford these guys when they hit their prime all at once? The slow rebuild was what we initially planned, and that is what we will do. Patience is a virtue. Now don't get me wrong; there have been plenty times when I get the itch to make a trade to make me a contender now. But the most important thing is to reign in our immediate gratification desires and focus on the long term goal. As for the being able to afford these players in their primes; that bridge is one we will cross when we get to it. |
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rpf
Full Member
New Jersey Nets
IDGAF
Posts: 1,743
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Post by rpf on May 13, 2014 19:38:23 GMT -6
Reverend Percy Fuccoff here, what are the goals this season for the Bucks? Also the Bucks have had a proud winning tradition in sim leagues, how much of a toll did the losing last season take on you?
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kucoach7
Junior Member
Portland Trail Blazers
Posts: 268
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Post by kucoach7 on May 13, 2014 19:45:15 GMT -6
You're poised to be have a deep squad for years to come but how worried are you that you don't have "the guy" yet?
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Post by IamQuailman on May 13, 2014 20:16:10 GMT -6
Reverend Percy Fuccoff here, what are the goals this season for the Bucks? Also the Bucks have had a proud winning tradition in sim leagues, how much of a toll did the losing last season take on you? Thanks for the question, Percy! The main goals for this season are youth development, determining future roles, and deciding best fits. As for the toll of a losing season, having an historically bad losing season puts many things in perspective. Teams who are used to winning get used to it, leading to complacency. Experiencing the "suckage" we had last year makes us crave more and more for what we had before. And that's to get back to the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. |
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Post by IamQuailman on May 13, 2014 20:21:06 GMT -6
You're poised to be have a deep squad for years to come but how worried are you that you don't have "the guy" yet? Thanks for the question. I appreciate the compliment, as we are striving to really develop a deep squad. With everyone being so young, there is nothing stopping any one player from becoming "the guy" and hopefully... the guy can emerge from one of the guys in house. It'd definitely would be a lot easier than finding one externally. |
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Soundwave
Full Member
Toronto Raptors
Winter is coming
Posts: 2,465
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Post by Soundwave on May 13, 2014 21:59:44 GMT -6
Clark Kent, Daily Planet:
Two questions.
1. How do you feel about your stupid avatar and wtf is it?
2. Any Regrets?
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Post by bowtothebill23 on May 13, 2014 23:09:30 GMT -6
Jack Markson from Golden Take. How do you respond to those who say you tanked last season? And is there any truth to the rumors that you tried to sell January Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month, Antonio Davis, for Shawn Kemp?
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Post by IamQuailman on May 14, 2014 12:30:03 GMT -6
AWARD 5 POINTS (TOWARDS MEDIA DAY POINTS)! THANKS FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION!
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Post by IamQuailman on May 14, 2014 12:37:38 GMT -6
Clark Kent, Daily Planet: Two questions. 1. How do you feel about your stupid avatar and wtf is it? 2. Any Regrets? I have no idea what my avatar is, but I love it! (Thanks Balls!)
As for Regrets, we in Milwaukee have no regrets. We love the youth on our team and do not regret the decisions we made. I think that when we chose to move on it was the right decision for the players involved as well as our franchise. The players moved were sent to desirable locations, and we were able to get value in return. So no regrets!
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Post by IamQuailman on May 14, 2014 12:42:28 GMT -6
Jack Markson from Golden Take. How do you respond to those who say you tanked last season? And is there any truth to the rumors that you tried to sell January Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month, Antonio Davis, for Shawn Kemp? Some call it tank; some call it rebuild. We call it tankbuild. We had a goal of bringing in young talent, and with youth comes a learning curve (and generally losing and inexperience). We knew and had expected that. If anything, it at least brought a little drama and excitement to the league. Any contribution helps, I suppose.
Sources fraudulently leaked out rumors of our trying to move Davis for Kemp; however, we firmly believe that Davis can become, and perhaps surpass, Shawn in due time.
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