PaulyP
Junior Member
Posts: 605
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Post by PaulyP on Jan 14, 2014 16:02:47 GMT -6
-Pacers GM/Coach PaulyP walks into the media room-PaulyP: Hello everyone thank you for coming to our presser this afternoon, I want to congratulate our players on a great regular season last year. That said we werent pleased with how we were ousted in the first round by Milwaukee. We've definitely reevaluated several philosophies and factors into what we want our team to be going forward. We had some early re-negotiations with Jay Humphries during the season but it became evident early on we werent going to come to an agreement and he was going to test the free agency market. We resigned Indiana hero Steve Alford to a very very small contract on his accord, so we are very pleased he was willing to take a hometown paycut. I feel like we've greatly improved our bench with the signings of Thurl Bailey and Vern Fleming, with no disrespect to Jim Grandholm and Jud Buechler, they just didnt fit our scheme. These guys are going to be very key in leading our 2nd group. Now I'll turn it over to a couple special guests... -Patrick Ewing and Stacey Augmon walk into the media room- Patrick Ewing: I just wanna say that we are very apologetic for disappointing the most loyal fans in basketball last year with our poor display in the playoffs. I know I didnt play as well as I could have and I will remedy that in the years to come, that I promise you. Stacey Augmon: Yeah man, basically what Patrick said, it was my first experience in that kind of intense playoff atmosphere and we crumbled and ya know, what doesnt kill you makes you stronger so we definitely gonna do better, I love Indy and cant wait to spend a lotta years here. PaulyP: We've kept this brief but we are really interested to take some questions should you media members have any, if not we'll go back to watching game film.
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Post by TrayWithAnA on Jan 14, 2014 16:06:31 GMT -6
Can you sustain your position in an ever changing Eastern Conference?
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Post by WigNosy on Jan 14, 2014 16:11:50 GMT -6
You mention you expect your free agent signings at forward to fill key roles leading the bench. Does this imply a trade is in the works to bring a starting forward (or forwards) to Indiana?
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Post by bowtothebill23 on Jan 14, 2014 16:19:10 GMT -6
Jack Markson, Golden Take. There was a lot of talk at the end of last year about which team was more suited to take down the Hawks: Knicks or Pacers. How do you feel your team compares to the Knicks? Also, is this the year you take down the Hawks?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2014 16:39:45 GMT -6
Patrick, You've always been known as the guy who couldn't win the big one. What have you done this offseason to change that thought process?
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Post by IamQuailman on Jan 14, 2014 17:08:42 GMT -6
Greetings from Milwaukee. It's me, Bill Maukee. It's been a while since I've been here... but just as beautiful as I remember it. Anyway, how do you look to overcome the glaring hole left by the departure of Jay Humphries? Is there a potential trade brewing to bring in a starting point guard? If not, do you feel someone else on your roster could fill the void?
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Post by Nick Malone 77 on Jan 14, 2014 17:19:02 GMT -6
Nick Melon; Charlotte Observer: With your burst in the central last season and being the next "team on the rise" in the Eastern Conference, do you feel like the way Stacey Augmon performed is a way the he can be the 1B to Ewing's 1A in being a dominant force that teams have to double team when Indy holds the possession or do you think that there's more room for augmon to grow here to come in his second full season?
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PaulyP
Junior Member
Posts: 605
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Post by PaulyP on Jan 14, 2014 18:04:40 GMT -6
Can you sustain your position in an ever changing Eastern Conference? We'll see. We knew going into this offseason we didnt want to give out any longterm deals since there has been no market set in the league and with that mindset we definitely limited ourselves in the guys we were going to sign. Numerous teams have made signings and upgraded while we have also upgraded but to a lesser extent. I'll be pleasantly surprised if we are in the Top 6 in the East this year. Training Camp may skew my initial view but this is how I currently see things.
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PaulyP
Junior Member
Posts: 605
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Post by PaulyP on Jan 14, 2014 18:10:50 GMT -6
You mention you expect your free agent signings at forward to fill key roles leading the bench. Does this imply a trade is in the works to bring a starting forward (or forwards) to Indiana? We are not currently in any trade talks. We put Ricky Pierce's name out there multiple times but we didnt receive so much as a single offer which was puzzling to us. We are still open to making a move
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PaulyP
Junior Member
Posts: 605
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Post by PaulyP on Jan 14, 2014 18:14:29 GMT -6
Jack Markson, Golden Take. There was a lot of talk at the end of last year about which team was more suited to take down the Hawks: Knicks or Pacers. How do you feel your team compares to the Knicks? Also, is this the year you take down the Hawks? The Knicks didnt frighten me last year, and they certainly dont scare me this year as I feel they have regressed and made some questionable moves this offseason. I dont think the Hawks will be as good as last year either but no one in the league has an answer for Magic and that will automatically be a plus for WigNosy and his squad when they go against anyone.
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PaulyP
Junior Member
Posts: 605
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Post by PaulyP on Jan 14, 2014 18:19:56 GMT -6
Patrick, You've always been known as the guy who couldn't win the big one. What have you done this offseason to change that thought process? Patrick Ewing: I dont feed into that mindset. All I can do is work on my game and work with my teammates and coaches to be the best we can possibly be. This offseason however I did start drinking soy lattes and that ish is good, man
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PaulyP
Junior Member
Posts: 605
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Post by PaulyP on Jan 14, 2014 18:24:41 GMT -6
Greetings from Milwaukee. It's me, Bill Maukee. It's been a while since I've been here... but just as beautiful as I remember it. Anyway, how do you look to overcome the glaring hole left by the departure of Jay Humphries? Is there a potential trade brewing to bring in a starting point guard? If not, do you feel someone else on your roster could fill the void? Patrick cant go a day with his latte, its ridiculous As for your question Bill, I did mention during WigNosy's question that we dont have any trades underway and wouldnt pull the trigger on any until after training camp anyway. That said I'm not too upset by Jay's departure. When we drafted him we had much higher expectations on both sides of the ball that just never materialized especially during our big games. As for a replacement, we havent quite decided how we're gonna go about it. It could be Alford, Fleming, or Pierce as the starting PG. We shall see.
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PaulyP
Junior Member
Posts: 605
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Post by PaulyP on Jan 14, 2014 18:29:33 GMT -6
Nick Melon; Charlotte Observer: With your burst in the central last season and being the next "team on the rise" in the Eastern Conference, do you feel like the way Stacey Augmon performed is a way the he can be the 1B to Ewing's 1A in being a dominant force that teams have to double team when Indy holds the possession or do you think that there's more room for augmon to grow here to come in his second full season? Thanks for your question Nick, Stacey is nowhere near done improving his game, he's gonna get better defensively and offensively and will be a stalwart for years to come here in Indianapolis. Numerous teams inquired about him but we werent selling. I cant wait to see his progression this year! Stacey Augmon: Damn... that was dope Coach/GM thank you. But yeah, I've been working hard all summer and I'm ready to turn up and show out this year.
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Post by NOLa. on Jan 14, 2014 18:58:05 GMT -6
Jack Markson, Golden Take. There was a lot of talk at the end of last year about which team was more suited to take down the Hawks: Knicks or Pacers. How do you feel your team compares to the Knicks? Also, is this the year you take down the Hawks? The Knicks didnt frighten me last year, and they certainly dont scare me this year as I feel they have regressed and made some questionable moves this offseason. Hi Jason Jones from SacTown. To follow up this response which moves in particular did the Knicks made that you feel caused them a disservice and potentially worsen?
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PaulyP
Junior Member
Posts: 605
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Post by PaulyP on Jan 14, 2014 19:24:22 GMT -6
The Knicks didnt frighten me last year, and they certainly dont scare me this year as I feel they have regressed and made some questionable moves this offseason. Hi Jason Jones from SacTown. To follow up this response which moves in particular did the Knicks made that you feel caused them a disservice and potentially worsen? The Knicks signing Eackles, Liberty, and Hopson is what I'm referring to, the Michael Williams signing im not very critical of. All 3 of those small forwards dont have a particularly good skillset, they have potential in a few areas but none of them excel at anything and they're all multi-year deals. Bad piece of business in my book.
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Post by Conroy on Jan 15, 2014 7:55:51 GMT -6
Sports Guy Bill Simmons here, are you looking forward to a season were maybe you can go under the radar a little bit and not have the target on your back and the pressure of being named one of thew few teams with a chance against the Hawks?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2014 8:04:28 GMT -6
Jack Philson from the L.A. Times. First off, I must say I love this new PaulyP that is blossoming before our eyes. Keep it up. Secondly, the Central and the Pacific seems to be the toughest two divisions in the league. Can you talk about what it's like to play in a power division and whether you view it as a good thing or as wanting you to wish you were playing in a weaker division?
Also Stacey, you and former UNLV teammate Larry Johnson exploded into the league really showing you were NBA ready from day one. While Greg Anthony had to serve behind future Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas. Can you talk about your relationship with those two? Any advice for Greg Anthony now that he's got the reigns to his own team in the same division as you?
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PaulyP
Junior Member
Posts: 605
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Post by PaulyP on Jan 15, 2014 15:10:08 GMT -6
Sports Guy Bill Simmons here, are you looking forward to a season were maybe you can go under the radar a little bit and not have the target on your back and the pressure of being named one of thew few teams with a chance against the Hawks? Thanks for your question Bill, love your articles. In all honesty we never really thought much of the hype that we were potentially one of the teams that were billed as being able to defeat Oldlanta, the praise is always nice but we dont measure ourselves by how many times we get mentioned in the SLOE Podcast like some other GM's. I believe this past season is the only season one of my teams has ever been viewed as a "contender", every other team ive been involved in we've always been "under the radar" and im definitely very comfortable with that role.
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PaulyP
Junior Member
Posts: 605
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Post by PaulyP on Jan 15, 2014 15:24:59 GMT -6
Jack Philson from the L.A. Times. First off, I must say I love this new PaulyP that is blossoming before our eyes. Keep it up. Secondly, the Central and the Pacific seems to be the toughest two divisions in the league. Can you talk about what it's like to play in a power division and whether you view it as a good thing or as wanting you to wish you were playing in a weaker division? Also Stacey, you and former UNLV teammate Larry Johnson exploded into the league really showing you were NBA ready from day one. While Greg Anthony had to serve behind future Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas. Can you talk about your relationship with those two? Any advice for Greg Anthony now that he's got the reigns to his own team in the same division as you? Thanks Jack, im definitely trying to be a more vocal member of the league rather than stay behind the scenes as I've done in the past. I've always embraced the competition that comes with being in a very difficult division, it keeps you on your toes and in order to stay in top form you have to continuously improve yourself and your team, the moment complacency hits you can easily go on a losing streak and in a tough division that could be the difference between first place and fifth place. I love it! Stacey Augmon: Thanks for the question Jack, yeah well Greg and LJ are like my brothers man, we won a NCAA title together and thats something we'll remember for the rest of our lives. Greg is definitely capable of making a big impact for any team in the league but didnt really get much of an opportunity to shine like LJ and I did hopefully this year he can. And for any advice, I'd just say stay positive, not everything will always go your way but you gotta keep doin what you do best and thats ball.
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Post by 78 on Jan 15, 2014 21:38:57 GMT -6
Did the team actually try to sign a PG in FA? Seems like its a big risk for a potential contender to go without a floor general. If so, which PGs were offered contracts? Was there a strong desire not to overpay anyone?
Is Vern Fleming the obvious choice at the point?
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PaulyP
Junior Member
Posts: 605
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Post by PaulyP on Jan 16, 2014 10:38:11 GMT -6
Did the team actually try to sign a PG in FA? Seems like its a big risk for a potential contender to go without a floor general. If so, which PGs were offered contracts? Was there a strong desire not to overpay anyone? Is Vern Fleming the obvious choice at the point? We were very interested in signing Avery Johnson but we just couldnt come to an agreement with him, after that we reached out to Jay Humphries for a one year deal but he took a different offer. We most certainly went with the intention of not overpaying anyone, especially with a nice crop of free agents that could be on the open market next year. Does not having a proven floor general deter our chances for success this year? Possibly, but we think we can work around it, and should things go poorly we have our own pick and some cash to spend next year. As for your other question, no one is the obvious choice at this point. It could be Alford, it could be Pierce, and it could very well be Vern. We shall see. Thanks for the good questions
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Soundwave
Full Member
Toronto Raptors
Winter is coming
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Post by Soundwave on Jan 16, 2014 14:32:23 GMT -6
Clark Kent, Daily Planet. Your team is well know in league circles for having a player or two every year take a huge leap in training camp. What makes your training different from others? And can you speak to the allegations of P.E.D.'s being distributed by your training staff?
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J2
Junior Member
Washington Wizards
Posts: 955
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Post by J2 on Jan 16, 2014 16:55:10 GMT -6
Johnny Junior here. Pauly, could you shed a little more light on why you decided to take a relaxed stance on free agency coming off of such a successful season? What are your goals moving forward for this team?
And Mr. Augmon, you had an incredible rookie year. Now that things have changed as far as the team's roster, what role do you see yourself playing in your sophomore year?
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PaulyP
Junior Member
Posts: 605
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Post by PaulyP on Jan 16, 2014 17:21:08 GMT -6
Clark Kent, Daily Planet. Your team is well know in league circles for having a player or two every year take a huge leap in training camp. What makes your training different from others? And can you speak to the allegations of P.E.D.'s being distributed by your training staff? Well Clark I can assure you and everyone else that no one in our organization has taken or distributed PED's. We pride ourselves on being a first class organization and wont accept cheating ever in any capacity. Now for your first question, I dont think we necessarily do anything different than other teams in the league, our players come in and work their asses off and it usually pays dividends in their games.
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PaulyP
Junior Member
Posts: 605
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Post by PaulyP on Jan 16, 2014 17:27:48 GMT -6
Johnny Junior here. Pauly, could you shed a little more light on why you decided to take a relaxed stance on free agency coming off of such a successful season? What are your goals moving forward for this team? And Mr. Augmon, you had an incredible rookie year. Now that things have changed as far as the team's roster, what role do you see yourself playing in your sophomore year? Hey Johnny, thanks for coming. I'll try and elaborate for you. We didnt see many great free agent talents this offseason, our number one guy was Avery Johnson and we were outbid for him by your very own hometown team the Wiz. We threw in a feeler for Ceballos but we were pretty confident he would resign with LA. There was a big drop off after that for us and we arent going to overspend for marginal players like Grant Long who is being paid an absurd sum. We would rather focus on getting some bench pieces and save some money and go all-in next offseason. Go ahead Stace. Stacey Augmon: Thanks very much. I dont think that much has changed besides not having Jay around, and we seemingly have better bench brothas, I think my role will be largely the same, Im gonna defend the other teams' best scorer and get my shots in to contribute to team victories.
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