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Post by IamQuailman on Aug 26, 2014 10:13:57 GMT -6
GM Ian Quailmen: Well, here we are again. Another year has flown by, and with it brings more change. First off, I'd like to get the formalities out of the way. Last season, we had high hopes for our young squad, playoff hopes. Those hopes were crushed mid-season after a couple thick losing streaks. However, some moves were made for financial reasons (Tim Legler trade), while others were for future purposes (Rick Fox trade for Pistons pick). Those moves definitely hurt our immediate chances at a playoff run, but it allowed us to also give some much needed developmental time to our young future star players like Brian Grant, Jalen Rose, and Michael Finley.
GM Quailmen: On that note, they are gone. All of them. In fact, there is only one player on this team that was on the roster from the beginning of last season (Terrell Brandon). So in a quick and sad farewell, I would like to extend our thanks and best wishes to those who are no longer with us in Milwaukee. Those who are enjoying better weather (Michael Finley) and those who are enjoying more long-term career stability (Brian Grant and Jalen Rose). God speed to you all and we will miss you. I pour one Milwaukee's Best out for you.
GM Quailmen: Now that the funeral procession that is last season is over. Now is time for celebration, because here in Milwaukee, you feel that? That breeze? THE WINDS OF CHANGE ARE COMING. Did I say coming? I meant, the winds of change have come!
GM Quailmen: The changes began on draft day when we felt that our biggest deficiency would be hard to address in the draft with picks 10 and 12. That deficiency was defense. With both Jalen Rose and Michael Finley, we had oodles of offense, but played that turnstile "Ole!" defense. That just wouldn't cut the mustard if we expect this team to be a force in the East. So we took our #4 overall pick from last season and turned him into a defensive specialist who can drill his shot from 3: Byron Russell!
<aside> GM Quailmen: ....what? It's BRYON? Whoops.
<back to the audience> GM Quailmen: BRYON Russell! We coveted him ever since Dallas swooped in and traded for the #8 overall pick in the '93 draft. We are just happy that we can finally bring his defensive prowess to our team and cement our wing defense. However, with trading Michael Finley, we created a new hole in our lineup at the two. So when Kerry Kittles fell to us at #10, it was almost a no brainer.
GM Quailmen: Kittles can play some defense and can hit his shots from mid-range and beyond the arc. Whether he would start for us, at the time, was still up in the air. We'll cross that bridge when we came to it, I thought. Little did I know that instead of crossing it, we would just blow the damn bridge up instead. Before we got to that bridge, we had another pick looming. #12 kept staring us in the face, and we wanted to grab a center. However, we had a couple options available to us between Dampier and Ilgauskas. Moving Finley and his offense meant that someone would have to step up. Kittles can score, but Finley brought 22ppg. Essentially, our decision came down to "Do we prefer bench defense or offense"... and we went with bench offense in Zydrunas.
GM Quailmen: We knew we were getting a decent scoring option and possibly our future starting center; however, we were blown away with his work ethic and commitment to excellence. He came into training camp stronger than ever and made his presence known. We are very excited about Big Z. However, our draft moves weren't done yet. There was one player we really liked and made a trade with the Heat to snag not only more depth at center (Will Perdue), but a prospect that we love as our backup point guard: Derek Fisher.
GM Quailmen: Derek had all the attributes we like in a point guard. However, he had a slight setback in training camp with an undisclosed injury. That said, we don't expect this to impact our long-term plans with him. We are excited to see D-Fish play and look forward to him studying behind Terrell Brandon.
GM Quailmen: But that concluded our draft... but the excitement was only just beginning. Without elaborating too much (as it was mostly already broadcast, slandered, dissected on sloESPN), we moved 3 core pieces (as well as Wizards 97 1st and cash considerations) in Brian Grant, Jalen Rose, and Theo Ratliff for the Hornets's prize possession, Tom Gugliotta. Tom Gugliotta brings the star power and dominant presence down low that this team sorely lacked. We had played him numerous times in the past, but having him on our own practice court and seeing his game up close and personal, we are blown away.
GM Quailmen: Acquiring Gugs meant that we needed to clear out some cap in order to be active in Free Agency, and Dikembe Turbo Mutombo was the thread that had to be cut. While we had numerous options for him, very few provided cap relief prior to the Free Agency opening period. With that, we parted ways with Turbo and sent him to New Jersey. Now we could be a FA player, and we hit on Day 1 with our #1 target from our Detroit rivals, Tharon Mayes. Tharon is and will be our starting 3. He may not be a dominant scorer, but pairing him and Bryon and Terrel creates one of the most dominant perimeter defensive teams in the East. In addition to Tharon, we also snagged more depth on the wing, bringing back Todd Day and Clyde Drexler.
GM Quailmen: And with that, we look forward to challenging for the division again. As always, the Pacers, Pistons, and Hornets will be forces to be reckoned with, and teams like the Raptors, Hawks, Bulls, and Cavs (while in the process of rebuilding) always play us tough. It will be a long season, but we will fight hard to bring a title to America's best city (in Wisconsin).
GM Quailmen: Any questions? |
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Post by JNR on Aug 26, 2014 10:17:30 GMT -6
GWR: This question is for Tom. How did it feel to be traded in the prime of your career? Did you see it coming, or were you as surprised as the rest of the nation?
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Post by IamQuailman on Aug 26, 2014 10:30:57 GMT -6
GWR: This question is for Tom. How did it feel to be traded in the prime of your career? Did you see it coming, or were you as surprised as the rest of the nation? It definitely is weird. I expected to be a Hornet for life, but at the same time, I've seen a lot of pieces move in and out in Charlotte. After getting drafted to Charlotte, Manute Bol called me and tried to sell me his timeshare in Charlotte. Hours, and I'm not lying, hours later, Bimbo Coles called me and asked if I was interested in buying his house. Right after Tim Legler moved, he tried to lease his duplex out to me. The best advice I got was from Robert Parish; he told me just to rent an apartment with a month-to-month lease. *laughs* But in all seriousness, it definitely was a surprise. I heard rumblings, but I just thought they were rumors. But when I got the call on that Wednesday night, I was shocked. But I'm happy to be with a team that has a lot of youth and promise. Can't wait to get on the court and bring my veteran and playoff experiences to this team. |
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Post by thesyndicate on Aug 26, 2014 10:39:26 GMT -6
Woody Paige, Denver Post: Would you consider a partnership with the Mars Corporation for a "Kerry Skittles Night" Specialized packages of Skittles with Kerry's face on it? I'd buy some.
But I digress. My real question is, obviously in the East you'll be a top 4 seed and compete to come out of the conference in the playoffs. What do you think your record/playoff seeding would be if your team magically jumped to the Western Conference. What teams would scare you the most to face in the playoffs out west?
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Post by IamQuailman on Aug 26, 2014 10:50:47 GMT -6
Woody Paige, Denver Post: Would you consider a partnership with the Mars Corporation for a "Kerry Skittles Night" Specialized packages of Skittles with Kerry's face on it? I'd buy some. But I digress. My real question is, obviously in the East you'll be a top 4 seed and compete to come out of the conference in the playoffs. What do you think your record/playoff seeding would be if your team magically jumped to the Western Conference. What teams would scare you the most to face in the playoffs out west? Wow, tough question! The West is a strong conference. It had a rough season last year, but instantly got better this offseason. Honestly, with our depth, I think that we could be a 4-6 seed in the West. The Mavericks, Warriors, and Lakers are top dogs until otherwise proven so. But other than those three, it would be a close race for the next few seeds. But I think we'd be in that group. As for scariest team, the Lakers have a very impressive starting 5 that will give every team fits. The Mavericks and Warriors both have ultra-superstars on their teams that make matching up with them difficult, regardless of their other weaknesses. |
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Post by WigNosy on Aug 26, 2014 11:26:26 GMT -6
Several other GMs have thought they were able to coax production out of Tharon Mayes, and you put your money where your mouth is by handing him a big contract this off-season. What makes you think you will be able to get him to produce where so many others have failed?
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Post by IamQuailman on Aug 26, 2014 11:37:28 GMT -6
Several other GMs have thought they were able to coax production out of Tharon Mayes, and you put your money where your mouth is by handing him a big contract this off-season. What makes you think you will be able to get him to produce where so many others have failed? Looking at his production last season, we were impressed with his efficiency in limited attempts and minutes. We aren't looking for him to outscore opponents on his own. He was brought in for his defense, and during training camp we have seen great improvement with him, taking quite a leap in his defensive skills. His shooting ability has improved as he trained with some of the best shooting coaches we could find. We look forward to seeing what he can bring on the court after these improvements. |
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PaulyP
Junior Member
Posts: 605 
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Post by PaulyP on Aug 26, 2014 11:42:36 GMT -6
Dick Grayson, Gotham News, you traded some good young pieces to a division foe. Just how worried are you that one day those guys may come back and bite you in the ass?
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Post by Nick Malone 77 on Aug 26, 2014 11:46:26 GMT -6
Nick Melon; Charlotte Observer: Tom, all we ask is that you enjoy your time in Milwaukee. We loved you in Charlotte and you will always hold a special place in our hearts.
Moving on...
Trying to...
Ok.... I'm cool now. I think. This is for the GM, with how our entire division has shaken out this past offseason, what do you make of the moves that were made and who poses as the toughest challenges for the Central Division crown?
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Post by IamQuailman on Aug 26, 2014 12:10:57 GMT -6
Dick Grayson, Gotham News, you traded some good young pieces to a division foe. Just how worried are you that one day those guys may come back and bite you in the ass? Thanks for the tough question. We in Milwaukee love what Brian Grant and Jalen are and what Theo Ratliff will become. We truly do wish them the best for their careers, but just hope that they have okay games when they come back to play us. But we are very happy with our moves. |
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Post by Conroy on Aug 26, 2014 12:13:50 GMT -6
Sports Guy Bill Simmons here, it's been a while since you've been the prohibitive favorite in your division, how do you think you'll react to the pressure, what's going to happen if the Bucks get off to a rocky start?
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2014 12:13:58 GMT -6
Kane West, SMD Editorial, You've got a pension for falling in love and out of love with players often; which guy do you see as the next player you plan on breaking up with?
Also, did the weakness in your division and the chance to get the 2 seed make you want to move up your timetable to make these moves?
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Post by IamQuailman on Aug 26, 2014 12:13:59 GMT -6
Nick Melon; Charlotte Observer: Tom, all we ask is that you enjoy your time in Milwaukee. We loved you in Charlotte and you will always hold a special place in our hearts. Moving on... Trying to... Ok.... I'm cool now. I think. This is for the GM, with how our entire division has shaken out this past offseason, what do you make of the moves that were made and who poses as the toughest challenges for the Central Division crown? Thanks for the question, Nick Melon. It will be interesting to see how things play out. As we mentioned in our presser, all the teams in our division play us hard in every match-up, but when it comes to winning the division title, I think the Pacers, Pistons, and Hornets are our biggest competition. The Pacers are as consistent as ever, the Pistons have a few great players on their squad that will always keep them competing, and the Hornets have a very well rounded core despite trading us Gugliotta. It'll be a fun season to watch play out. |
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Post by IamQuailman on Aug 26, 2014 12:16:21 GMT -6
Sports Guy Bill Simmons here, it's been a while since you've been the prohibitive favorite in your division, how do you think you'll react to the pressure, what's going to happen if the Bucks get off to a rocky start? Thanks for the kind words, Bill. We will play through good or bad starts; with all the new blood on the roster, it may end up taking a couple weeks to really get a good grasp on our best line-ups. That said, we plan on keeping this core together for a long while. |
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Soundwave
Full Member
Toronto Raptors
Winter is coming
Posts: 2,465
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Post by Soundwave on Aug 26, 2014 12:20:25 GMT -6
Clark Kent, Daily Planet:
Can you give us some insight into the negotiations with the Hornewts? What was said to their GM to sell them on that trade?
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Post by IamQuailman on Aug 26, 2014 12:20:36 GMT -6
Kane West, SMD Editorial, You've got a pension for falling in love and out of love with players often; which guy do you see as the next player you plan on breaking up with? Also, did the weakness in your division and the chance to get the 2 seed make you want to move up your timetable to make these moves? Thanks for the questions, Kane. To be honest, we are already feeling the love dying between Harvey Grant. We loved him in the off-season, but then he came into training camp fat, lazy and drooling. He's definitely sliding down the depth chart. As for your second question, I wouldn't say it was the perceived "weakness" of the Central was our trigger, but some opportunities presented themselves to us and we had to make them. |
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Post by IamQuailman on Aug 26, 2014 12:23:12 GMT -6
Clark Kent, Daily Planet: Can you give us some insight into the negotiations with the Hornewts? What was said to their GM to sell them on that trade? While I won't go into the details, the Hornets interest in both Brian Grant and Jalen Rose were definitely the highlights of the trade. The fact that they were also able to get multiple players with good to great potential was also something that was appealing to them. I truly believe in the long run this trade will be very beneficial for both parties. |
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rpf
Full Member
New Jersey Nets
IDGAF
Posts: 1,743
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Post by rpf on Aug 26, 2014 12:24:01 GMT -6
Rancy Pants, The New Jersey Net:
Do you think this team has what it takes to tame the beasts of the easts....Boston Celtics?
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Post by IamQuailman on Aug 26, 2014 12:26:48 GMT -6
Rancy Pants, The New Jersey Net: Do you think this team has what it takes to tame the beasts of the easts....Boston Celtics? We have the utmost respect for the Celtics organization. They handle themselves with class and always put an amazing product out on the court. That said, I do believe we now have a great line-up to keep up with them and at least cause them defensive fits. Or at least that's what we hope. It will be interesting to see how things play out when we match up throughout the season. |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2014 12:47:00 GMT -6
Kane West, SMD Editorial, You've got a pension for falling in love and out of love with players often; which guy do you see as the next player you plan on breaking up with? Also, did the weakness in your division and the chance to get the 2 seed make you want to move up your timetable to make these moves? Thanks for the questions, Kane. To be honest, we are already feeling the love dying between Harvey Grant. We loved him in the off-season, but then he came into training camp fat, lazy and drooling. He's definitely sliding down the depth chart. As for your second question, I wouldn't say it was the perceived "weakness" of the Central was our trigger, but some opportunities presented themselves to us and we had to make them. Are you trying to say that you don't think the central is weak with your "perceived" jab? |
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Post by IamQuailman on Aug 26, 2014 13:07:58 GMT -6
GM Quailmen: Thanks for the questions, Kane. To be honest, we are already feeling the love dying between Harvey Grant. We loved him in the off-season, but then he came into training camp fat, lazy and drooling. He's definitely sliding down the depth chart. As for your second question, I wouldn't say it was the perceived "weakness" of the Central was our trigger, but some opportunities presented themselves to us and we had to make them. Are you trying to say that you don't think the central is weak with your "perceived" jab? I am saying that until a games actually happen, we don't know officially what division is strong or weak yet. |
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Bowser
Junior Member
San Antonio Spurs
Posts: 865
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Post by Bowser on Aug 26, 2014 13:14:39 GMT -6
Swaggy P from the San Antonio Obvserver:
What was your initial reaction when the deal for Gugs finalized. Did you feel like he was the piece you need to possibly go deep into the post season?
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Post by NOLa. on Aug 26, 2014 13:17:17 GMT -6
Where do you feel you are weakest at? You undoubtedly won the Gugs trade, but you gave up some depth and a couple of rookies didn't have good camps. Would depth be your weakness, or is it PG now?
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2014 13:19:29 GMT -6
Kane: Are you trying to say that you don't think the central is weak with your "perceived" jab? I am saying that until a games actually happen, we don't know officially what division is strong or weak yet. With that kind of foresight, I'm shocked you aren't a millionaire. |
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J2
Junior Member
Washington Wizards
Posts: 955
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Post by J2 on Aug 26, 2014 15:08:48 GMT -6
Johnny Junior, The Washington Post: We've heard this kind of optimism before, last season, in fact. What makes this time different? Also, I'd like to hear more about the Finley/Russell trade. After all, it's not every day that a young guy fresh off a stellar rookie year gets traded (though LA must've saw you do it and thought, "Anything the goddamn Bucks can do, I can do better..."). With the deal that happened later (Gugs), as well as Zydrunas' TC improvement shoring up your D by themselves, is there any regret over giving up on Finley so quickly?
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