|
|
Post by Nick Malone 77 on May 13, 2014 14:10:33 GMT -6
GM Nick Malone: I had this nice and fancy looking media guide ready to deliver and then it got lost in the imaginary web of life. Sooooooo I'll just give you all a brief outlook of what we are expecting on the upcoming season and then ask away with your questions. I look forward to answering each and every one of them when given the time.
-- We appreciated the league noticing Gugliotta's improvement last year and with another impressive training camp, We continue to expect more great things to come from our leader on the court. Mookie was brought in last season from Dallas and when given the opportunity to start, it looks like he's found a home and a nice chemistry with Gugliotta to make them a formidable combo that will give the league fits to guard this season. Also brought in from Dallas Bo Outlaw who has raw and untapped potential and we expect a lot of great things to come now that he has the opportunity to continue to develop his game at the next level. Dana Barros, brought in from Utah in the off season will be given the opportunity and full reign to shoot at will when coming off the bench for us and we think he can keep us in games when Mookie needs a rest. Also, Chris Mullin, who was signed to a one year deal will be another option to look for scoring and the ball will be put in plenty of hands for this team to build for an exciting brand of basketball here in this upcoming season.
The floor is yours.
|
|
|
|
Post by thesyndicate on May 13, 2014 14:14:17 GMT -6
Your team seems very guard heavy. Any thoughts to bringing more size aboard? Do you have your eyes on any trade targets?
|
|
J2
Junior Member
Washington Wizards
Posts: 955 
|
Post by J2 on May 13, 2014 14:15:39 GMT -6
Hello, Johnny Junior here. What prompted you to pursue Chris Mullin, and only offer him a one-year deal? With his addition and the continuing emergence of Tom Gugliotta as the next big thing at Center, is this the season where you end the rebuild and make a legitimate playoff push?
|
|
|
|
Post by Nick Malone 77 on May 13, 2014 14:19:15 GMT -6
GM Nick Melon: Well thank you for the question...Baby syndicate. Obviously with our rotation of guards, we looked around the league and tried and are still trying to bring another bigger body aboard to help make Gugliotta's job not so difficult in the paint. It'd be unfair of us to ask Bo Outlaw given how young he is to handle that kind of bulk of a load at least early in the season so we are still looking to a degree. But our guards I think will be a competitive bunch and will be a primary source for our offense this season. We think very highly of Tim Legler and Kevin Edwards and of course, Mookie will be the floor general. We will continue to look but we like our chances even at this moment that we will find what we need.
|
|
|
|
Post by WigNosy on May 13, 2014 14:21:48 GMT -6
Do you feel you will get the "next big building block" to go with Gugliotta and Blaylock via free agency, trade, or the draft?
|
|
|
|
Post by Nick Malone 77 on May 13, 2014 14:24:17 GMT -6
Hello, Johnny Junior here. What prompted you to pursue Chris Mullin, and only offer him a one-year deal? With his addition and the continuing emergence of Tom Gugliotta as the next big thing at Center, is this the season where you end the rebuild and make a legitimate playoff push? GM Nick Malone: Hello Johnny. Glad you could make it and thanks for your question. Our goal this season was to address our 2 real needs which was another big and also a wing. We valued what Gerald Wilkins brought over from New Jersey last season but we needed another scoring touch to our starting lineup next to Gugliotta and Mookie. Mullin wasn't the only option we approached this season to fill that position on the wing but for the money and the length of the deal, Chris chose this one out of the many offers I'm sure he got here in Free Agency. We value his knowledge of the game and his shot selection and ability to create his shot and spread the floor. If Chris wants to renew for a bigger deal down the road, the door is always open too. |
|
|
|
Post by IamQuailman on May 13, 2014 14:28:51 GMT -6
Mookie finally has someone else to pass the ball! Do you think the increased touches for Mullins will negatively impact Gugliotta's dominance on your team? Or do you think that Mullins presence will open Gugliotta up more down low?
|
|
|
|
Post by Nick Malone 77 on May 13, 2014 14:30:08 GMT -6
Do you feel you will get the "next big building block" to go with Gugliotta and Blaylock via free agency, trade, or the draft? GM Nick Malone: Thank you hairless cat for your question. Going into the offseason, we didn't have any draft picks, acquired two in very reasonable deals and picked up Monty Williams who has the game that could develop him into an NBA coach one day and Brooks Thompson. We feel like we can find that "next" piece to this evolving puzzle. All avenues of acquiring talent are always open. We have 2 picks in the next draft and are always looking for ways to improve our club. By no means does that mean we are looking to deal Gugliotta or Blaylock. Those are our foundation pieces but like you said, there are always opportunities to make a deal but we have to find the right one for us. We think we can in the relative near future. |
|
|
|
Post by TrayWithAnA on May 13, 2014 14:32:02 GMT -6
Gugs was the pride of this years Training Camp. How do you see your season shaking out in the Central?
|
|
|
|
Post by Nick Malone 77 on May 13, 2014 14:32:44 GMT -6
Mookie finally has someone else to pass the ball! Do you think the increased touches for Mullins will negatively impact Gugliotta's dominance on your team? Or do you think that Mullins presence will open Gugliotta up more down low? GM Nick Malone; I think that the arrival of Mullin shoot open up the paint alot for Gugliotta to do even more damage down low. It gives us another threat to take advantage of and for opposing defenses will have to cover Mullin if his game has shown us anything while he was with the Bulls. Mullin's time here in the NBA will also go a great way to furthering the knowledge of some of our younger players also. We expect our offense to pick up alot after last season we were towards the bottom in points per game and Mullin will definitely increase the touches of everyone. |
|
|
|
Post by Nick Malone 77 on May 13, 2014 14:36:30 GMT -6
Gugs was the pride of this years Training Camp. How do you see your season shaking out in the Central? GM Nick Malone: When one team takes a step back, another gains. Right? I think the Bucks future is bright but realistically is probably down the road even with their pickup of Terrell Brandon. The Cavs offseason was really clueless to me but I think we should be able to compete for sure in the Central Division. The Pacers look like they have a big decision to make with Stacey Augmon especially after losing Patrick Ewing to Dallas. I think the real competition of this division will be a battle between Detroit, Toronto, and Atlanta. I think if Gugs can continue to take that next step as he has shown the last two years now in the offseason and on the court, I think we can definitely contend for the first time in a long time. Put together some winning stretches and there's no telling what can happen with our crew this year. I'm excited. |
|
|
|
Post by NOLa. on May 13, 2014 14:54:58 GMT -6
I listed it in the Hawks thread but the Central division has really taken a backseat in terms of "most competitive", even in the East. Realistically you have a chance to come in 2nd or possibly win your division with the Pistons being the favorite. Do you have enough firepower to make a power move for the top?
|
|
|
|
Post by Nick Malone 77 on May 13, 2014 15:09:27 GMT -6
I listed it in the Hawks thread but the Central division has really taken a backseat in terms of "most competitive", even in the East. Realistically you have a chance to come in 2nd or possibly win your division with the Pistons being the favorite. Do you have enough firepower to make a power move for the top? GM Nick Malone: That kind of sentiment hasn't been felt that this team really truly could until now. I agree that the Central division has taken a step back but I think it will be a very tough fight between the Pistons, Raptors, Hawks, and our team. Detroit is still a tough squad with Miller and Smith but I think they still have a void really down in the paint. No team in this division is perfect but I think with Gugliotta he is up there probably as the best player of this division and should power us to be a difficult match most nights with other teams. I think we are taking steps in the right direction and should challenge for a playoff spot this year. I'd be disappointed with anything less. |
|
|
|
Post by Conroy on May 13, 2014 17:59:57 GMT -6
Sports Guy Bill Simmons here, any ideas on what type of offense you'll run this year. will it be a trial and error strategy or will you try to continue things that worked last year, with Mullin adding an extra dimension?
|
|
|
|
Post by Nick Malone 77 on May 13, 2014 19:37:16 GMT -6
Sports Guy Bill Simmons here, any ideas on what type of offense you'll run this year. will it be a trial and error strategy or will you try to continue things that worked last year, with Mullin adding an extra dimension? GM Nick Malone: Hey Bill. Glad you could make it down. Last year, we tried to give Gugliotta as many touches as he could working the paint on the inside and his game grew. Our first option is gonna be to go in the paint but that doesn't mean if there's an open shooter from the perimeter that we won't recognize that opportunity either. So we'll go most-likely inside out with a balanced attack but we will need more of a presence for that effect from the outside so we're still looking for some different alternatives but if you sleep on any one of us, we will find the hot hand. |
|
rpf
Full Member
New Jersey Nets
IDGAF
Posts: 1,743
|
Post by rpf on May 13, 2014 19:42:04 GMT -6
Reverend Percy Fuccoff, do you feel pressure to win this year?
|
|
|
|
Post by Nick Malone 77 on May 13, 2014 19:52:31 GMT -6
Reverend Percy Fuccoff, do you feel pressure to win this year? GM Nick Malone: I feel pressure every year to win. Nobody likes losing. When the competition is this high and you've had a history of losing since the beginning, sometimes it's hard to shake as an identity but I feel excited for this upcoming season because of the growth of Gugliotta and Mookie. I think that we will be able to surprise a lot of people. |
|
|
|
Post by bowtothebill23 on May 13, 2014 23:04:51 GMT -6
Jack Markson from Golden Take. Stop me when I reach the ceiling you feel your team has: playoff contender, playoff team, top 4 seed, Central winner, Eastern Conference Finals appearance, Finals appearance, championship. What do you feel is your ceiling and why?
|
|
|
|
Post by Nick Malone 77 on May 13, 2014 23:51:43 GMT -6
Jack Markson from Golden Take. Stop me when I reach the ceiling you feel your team has: playoff contender, playoff team, top 4 seed, Central winner, Eastern Conference Finals appearance, Finals appearance, championship. What do you feel is your ceiling and why? GM Nick Malone: Excellet question Jack. I think our ceiling for right now is probably between Playoff team and playoff contender but you never know how this team will perform on a nightly basis. I think this team can surprise a lot of people as long as the key parts to this vehicle don't come undone throughout the course of the season. I think we have the talent in place to be a very dangerous club. |
|
|
|
Post by IamQuailman on May 14, 2014 12:30:42 GMT -6
AWARD 5 POINTS (TOWARDS MEDIA DAY POINTS)! THANKS FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION!
|
|
credit loco for photoshop/assets.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2860892/bruh.0.gif)
