Marcus Camby Press Conference
Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:52 am
Monday, July 21, 2008
Marcus Camby Press Conference
CLIPPERS FORWARD / CENTER MARCUS CAMBY:
"First of all, I’d like to thank Mr. Baylor and Coach Mike (Dunleavy) for bringing me here to Los Angeles. It’s a new beginning for me. I’ve played on the East coast, I’ve played in the Midwest and I even played out of the country in Toronto for two years. I’m real eager to embark on this new challenge, this new journey. I’m definitely here to make the best of the situation.
"I feel I have a lot to offer to this organization on and off the court. I think that if you look at our roster, we have a lot of great guys on this team. I remember in 2006 they knocked us out of the Playoffs 4-1! I’ll never forget that. They had a great team, they played real well and of course they were well coached. I’m eager to get started and I’m eager to go out here and try to make the Clippers back into a Playoff contender.
"Last year there were a lot of ups and downs, they had a lot of injuries and stuff they had to overcome. But this year is a new season, there are a lot of different faces – a mixture of young guys and a lot of veterans. Also the addition of Baron Davis, I think he’s going to be tremendous and he’s happy about being here. I’m excited about being here. That young kid, (Al) Thornton, I remember playing up against his last year. He’s very aggressive offensively. I think he’s a guy that can really get a lot of things done. We drafted Eric Gordon and I think he has a bright future also. With that mix between youth and veteran leadership I think this team can definitely go far. We all know we have a lot of hard work to do and I know that starts day one in training camp.
"Once again I want to thank you for having me, and we’ll definitely try to make this season a prosperous season for the L.A. Clippers."
On his reaction to the trade...
"I still feel the same way. Denver was a place that my family and I really loved. It was the longest I’d ever been with one particular team in my career at six years. I gave them my all. On the court where I had great success - we had a little bit of team success, I had a little bit of great individual success. I think off the court I had an impact in that community, that’s so something I definitely look forward to doing out here in L.A. It came as a shock to me. I thought I had done everything possible that I could do with that team, and just tried to go about things the right way. I just thought the way they went about it was classless; they didn’t let me know anything. That’s a thing of the past right now, that’s something I put behind me and I’m looking forward to embarking on this journey."
On being in Las Vegas with the Nuggets during Summer League when the trade happened…
"We had a lot of guys on the roster come out and work out with us. With the team being out there for Summer League, I thought it would be good for us to get out there, get camaraderie. It’s something I’ve been doing the last couple of years. It was kind of fortunate. I was actually at the game and saw Coach (Dunleavy) sitting right behind me. It’s kind of ironic how things evolved."
On speaking with the Nuggets since the trade…
"I’ve talked to the players. I talked to Carmelo (Anthony), I talked to A.I. (Allen Iverson), I talked to Kenyon (Martin) and the rest of the guys. They were a little sad to see me go and definitely how things played out. Those guys will always be a part of my life as our careers go on different paths. Being together for so long, those guys are like brothers to me. So it’s kind of sad on how things ended up, but I wish nothing but those guys great individual success. Team success, I’m relying on the Clippers to take care of business."
On playing Power Forward vs. Center…
"I came (into this league) as a power forward, but in this league with injuries and everything, anything can happen. When I got traded out of Toronto to New York, that’s exactly what happened. I was more of a power forward, but Patrick Ewing went down. That created a need for me to go out there and play (center). That’s where I really played the five spot. In this league, these last couple of years and the way this league has developed, these bigs nowadays can’t really play with our backs toward the basket. These bigs are nowadays are coming up more athletic. Their wingspans are long, those guys are playing facing the basket and a lot of them have control over the basketball also. I think based on how the league has progressed and with how teams are playing that you really can’t define a player by position."
On whether or not he’s spoken to Chris Kaman…
"I haven’t talked to Chris. He’s in Germany. Chris is a guy I’ve had numerous battles with. He’s one of the young true big men we have in this league. He’s a guy who can shoot and finish with either hand, and I think with me playing alongside him his game is going to progress a lot. Coming into this situation, I’m not here to replace Elton Brand. Elton is a terrific ball player, but we’re two different types of ball players. He does great things that I can’t do; I do some things that he can’t do. I just want to make things work. We have a lot of guys that can put the ball in the basket. I’m not here to try and steal any shots. I’m just going to do what I do – pass the ball, play solid defense and be held accountable on and off the court."
"Chris can play the five when we play Phoenix."
On his feelings about the terms of the trade…
"When I heard about the trade I thought, ‘So who did Denver get in return?’ A second round pick that probably won’t even make the team. I think I gain the most out here in L.A. I have family out here and I know a few players on the team. But winning is a cure-all. When you win, everything takes care of itself."
Dunleavy:
On the loss of Elton Brand and the addition of Camby…
"First of all, once we lost Elton we looked at the many options we could potentially have, the first being that we had a lot of cap space available to us. With cap space you make inquiries with all of the teams that are in luxury tax territory because owners don’t particularly want to be there unless they have to be. We also looked at guys who were free agents and unrestricted free agents that we could possibly acquire. We also looked at restricted free agents which is a tougher go because their team has the ability to match (the offer).
"We were heading down the restricted route. Each one of the teams in the luxury tax, the only player I had any interest in was Marcus (Camby). I thought Marcus would be the perfect fit for our team based on the fact that we have a young mix, we have some veterans and I know how Marcus works - his ability to rebound and defend, he’s a great passer and his IQ is off the charts. To me, he was the first and foremost guy I would want to get. I didn’t think there was much of a chance of that happening, but we kept banging on their door. Finally they came back and said they would do it. I have a bad knee, but I jumped pretty high when I heard that news. We went on to do the deal as quickly as possible. I know it caught everybody by surprise because we kept it very quiet. You have problems with deals when they get out. This one was kept under wraps, it happened quickly and it was really great for us."
On what he brings to the front line with Chris Kaman and Al Thornton…
"Great shot blocking - Marcus is number one in the league and Kaman’s a great shot blocker. Great rebounding – Marcus averaged 13 boards a game and Chris averaged 13 rebounds a game. They probably will cancel each other out a little bit, but hopefully what that means is that we’re a great rebounding and shot blocking team. This allows a point guard like Baron Davis to get more possessions and to be able to attack in the open court. Kaman’s one of the faster big men in the league, Marcus is very fleet of foot and I think it just bodes well for our team and our chemistry. Defensively or offensively I think he’s just a great pick for our team."
On whether Camby will play power forward or center…
"I would say Marcus will be the power forward. Chris is probably going to stay closest to the basket. Marcus really plays more of a high-post position most of the time. He’s one of the best big men in the league. He’s a great long passer, he makes really great decisions, he’s long and he’s so smart. We’ll put those guys in interchangeable positions. Like Marcus said, there’s so much skill in the league and so much size. It’s just semantics as far as what number he plays. He’s a basketball player, a great team player and that’s going to be good for us."
On the busy offseason…
"We were able to sign a great unrestricted free agent in Baron Davis, we were able to acquire a terrific veteran player with our cap space, we made an offer sheet to a restricted free agent with Kellena Azubuike. We’ve been busy. And we had a good draft besides that."
On what to expect for the Clippers this season…
"Our projected line-up will be Baron Davis and Cuttino Mobley in the backcourt, then Al Thornton, Marcus (Camby) and Chris Kaman on the front line. That gives us scoring, size, post-up, defense, rebounding, shot blocking, basically everything that you could hope for. Our bench will be Brevin Knight, Eric Gordon, depending on whether we get Azubuike or not, Tim Thomas, and we’ve got a bunch of other guys that have yet to be determined as far as how they’ll all fit in. We have a definite core and probably a nine-man rotation right now that is a very good one."
http://www.nba.com/clippers/news/mcamby_pc_080721.html
Marcus Camby Press Conference
CLIPPERS FORWARD / CENTER MARCUS CAMBY:
"First of all, I’d like to thank Mr. Baylor and Coach Mike (Dunleavy) for bringing me here to Los Angeles. It’s a new beginning for me. I’ve played on the East coast, I’ve played in the Midwest and I even played out of the country in Toronto for two years. I’m real eager to embark on this new challenge, this new journey. I’m definitely here to make the best of the situation.
"I feel I have a lot to offer to this organization on and off the court. I think that if you look at our roster, we have a lot of great guys on this team. I remember in 2006 they knocked us out of the Playoffs 4-1! I’ll never forget that. They had a great team, they played real well and of course they were well coached. I’m eager to get started and I’m eager to go out here and try to make the Clippers back into a Playoff contender.
"Last year there were a lot of ups and downs, they had a lot of injuries and stuff they had to overcome. But this year is a new season, there are a lot of different faces – a mixture of young guys and a lot of veterans. Also the addition of Baron Davis, I think he’s going to be tremendous and he’s happy about being here. I’m excited about being here. That young kid, (Al) Thornton, I remember playing up against his last year. He’s very aggressive offensively. I think he’s a guy that can really get a lot of things done. We drafted Eric Gordon and I think he has a bright future also. With that mix between youth and veteran leadership I think this team can definitely go far. We all know we have a lot of hard work to do and I know that starts day one in training camp.
"Once again I want to thank you for having me, and we’ll definitely try to make this season a prosperous season for the L.A. Clippers."
On his reaction to the trade...
"I still feel the same way. Denver was a place that my family and I really loved. It was the longest I’d ever been with one particular team in my career at six years. I gave them my all. On the court where I had great success - we had a little bit of team success, I had a little bit of great individual success. I think off the court I had an impact in that community, that’s so something I definitely look forward to doing out here in L.A. It came as a shock to me. I thought I had done everything possible that I could do with that team, and just tried to go about things the right way. I just thought the way they went about it was classless; they didn’t let me know anything. That’s a thing of the past right now, that’s something I put behind me and I’m looking forward to embarking on this journey."
On being in Las Vegas with the Nuggets during Summer League when the trade happened…
"We had a lot of guys on the roster come out and work out with us. With the team being out there for Summer League, I thought it would be good for us to get out there, get camaraderie. It’s something I’ve been doing the last couple of years. It was kind of fortunate. I was actually at the game and saw Coach (Dunleavy) sitting right behind me. It’s kind of ironic how things evolved."
On speaking with the Nuggets since the trade…
"I’ve talked to the players. I talked to Carmelo (Anthony), I talked to A.I. (Allen Iverson), I talked to Kenyon (Martin) and the rest of the guys. They were a little sad to see me go and definitely how things played out. Those guys will always be a part of my life as our careers go on different paths. Being together for so long, those guys are like brothers to me. So it’s kind of sad on how things ended up, but I wish nothing but those guys great individual success. Team success, I’m relying on the Clippers to take care of business."
On playing Power Forward vs. Center…
"I came (into this league) as a power forward, but in this league with injuries and everything, anything can happen. When I got traded out of Toronto to New York, that’s exactly what happened. I was more of a power forward, but Patrick Ewing went down. That created a need for me to go out there and play (center). That’s where I really played the five spot. In this league, these last couple of years and the way this league has developed, these bigs nowadays can’t really play with our backs toward the basket. These bigs are nowadays are coming up more athletic. Their wingspans are long, those guys are playing facing the basket and a lot of them have control over the basketball also. I think based on how the league has progressed and with how teams are playing that you really can’t define a player by position."
On whether or not he’s spoken to Chris Kaman…
"I haven’t talked to Chris. He’s in Germany. Chris is a guy I’ve had numerous battles with. He’s one of the young true big men we have in this league. He’s a guy who can shoot and finish with either hand, and I think with me playing alongside him his game is going to progress a lot. Coming into this situation, I’m not here to replace Elton Brand. Elton is a terrific ball player, but we’re two different types of ball players. He does great things that I can’t do; I do some things that he can’t do. I just want to make things work. We have a lot of guys that can put the ball in the basket. I’m not here to try and steal any shots. I’m just going to do what I do – pass the ball, play solid defense and be held accountable on and off the court."
"Chris can play the five when we play Phoenix."
On his feelings about the terms of the trade…
"When I heard about the trade I thought, ‘So who did Denver get in return?’ A second round pick that probably won’t even make the team. I think I gain the most out here in L.A. I have family out here and I know a few players on the team. But winning is a cure-all. When you win, everything takes care of itself."
Dunleavy:
On the loss of Elton Brand and the addition of Camby…
"First of all, once we lost Elton we looked at the many options we could potentially have, the first being that we had a lot of cap space available to us. With cap space you make inquiries with all of the teams that are in luxury tax territory because owners don’t particularly want to be there unless they have to be. We also looked at guys who were free agents and unrestricted free agents that we could possibly acquire. We also looked at restricted free agents which is a tougher go because their team has the ability to match (the offer).
"We were heading down the restricted route. Each one of the teams in the luxury tax, the only player I had any interest in was Marcus (Camby). I thought Marcus would be the perfect fit for our team based on the fact that we have a young mix, we have some veterans and I know how Marcus works - his ability to rebound and defend, he’s a great passer and his IQ is off the charts. To me, he was the first and foremost guy I would want to get. I didn’t think there was much of a chance of that happening, but we kept banging on their door. Finally they came back and said they would do it. I have a bad knee, but I jumped pretty high when I heard that news. We went on to do the deal as quickly as possible. I know it caught everybody by surprise because we kept it very quiet. You have problems with deals when they get out. This one was kept under wraps, it happened quickly and it was really great for us."
On what he brings to the front line with Chris Kaman and Al Thornton…
"Great shot blocking - Marcus is number one in the league and Kaman’s a great shot blocker. Great rebounding – Marcus averaged 13 boards a game and Chris averaged 13 rebounds a game. They probably will cancel each other out a little bit, but hopefully what that means is that we’re a great rebounding and shot blocking team. This allows a point guard like Baron Davis to get more possessions and to be able to attack in the open court. Kaman’s one of the faster big men in the league, Marcus is very fleet of foot and I think it just bodes well for our team and our chemistry. Defensively or offensively I think he’s just a great pick for our team."
On whether Camby will play power forward or center…
"I would say Marcus will be the power forward. Chris is probably going to stay closest to the basket. Marcus really plays more of a high-post position most of the time. He’s one of the best big men in the league. He’s a great long passer, he makes really great decisions, he’s long and he’s so smart. We’ll put those guys in interchangeable positions. Like Marcus said, there’s so much skill in the league and so much size. It’s just semantics as far as what number he plays. He’s a basketball player, a great team player and that’s going to be good for us."
On the busy offseason…
"We were able to sign a great unrestricted free agent in Baron Davis, we were able to acquire a terrific veteran player with our cap space, we made an offer sheet to a restricted free agent with Kellena Azubuike. We’ve been busy. And we had a good draft besides that."
On what to expect for the Clippers this season…
"Our projected line-up will be Baron Davis and Cuttino Mobley in the backcourt, then Al Thornton, Marcus (Camby) and Chris Kaman on the front line. That gives us scoring, size, post-up, defense, rebounding, shot blocking, basically everything that you could hope for. Our bench will be Brevin Knight, Eric Gordon, depending on whether we get Azubuike or not, Tim Thomas, and we’ve got a bunch of other guys that have yet to be determined as far as how they’ll all fit in. We have a definite core and probably a nine-man rotation right now that is a very good one."
http://www.nba.com/clippers/news/mcamby_pc_080721.html
