Grizzles Pre-Draft Summit

[APerna]

I apologize for the fact that the Grizzles are no longer playing, but there is one bright side to the "unofficial" start of the offseason. It's time for the annual Pre-Draft Summit, led by myself (Andrew Perna). The pieces will be turned into articles, and will be part of a three-pronged attack of draft coverage on RealGM.

Thanks in advance for the answers, and please remember to try keeping the answers as tight and concise as possible.


1. What could the team have done different to make the playoffs?

2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?

3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?

4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?

5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?

6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?

7. Who would you like your team to select with the 2nd and 27th pick?


Thanks for taking the time, and contributing answers. We appreciate that you all help make RealGM what it is today!

[GrizzledGrizzFan]

1. What could the team have done different to make the playoffs?
In a word, nothing.
2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?
Youth, and talent.
3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?
Marc Gasol - was consistent throughout the entire season. Never really hit the rookie wall.
4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?
Rudy Gay. Not that his season was all that awful, but instead of continuing to improve he took a quarter step back.
5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?
Very confident in our front office. Scared &^%$less of our owner.
6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?
Talent. The Grizz missed their biggest need by one place. Blake Griffin would have been a godsend for this team. As it is the Grizz must react by taking the best player available (Ricky Rubio) or moving him in a deal in which another team overpays for him.
7. Who would you like your team to select with the 2nd and 27th pick?
#2 - Ricky Rubio
#27 - Sam Young or Tyler Hansbrough

[SD2042]

1. What could the team have done different to make the playoffs?
Nothing when you have a young team w/o any veterans who can teach them the ways of the game.

2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?
youth

3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?
Marc Gasol played well under the circumstances in his rookie season. The Grizz should look to utilize him in the offense more often to keep the balance in place.

4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?

Rudy Gay took some steps backwards this season. He needs to improve his defense, dribble handles and more consistancy on the offensive end.

5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?
Same as always, on shaky grounds and feel like I'm standing on a trapdoor with this team.

6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?
PF is a big need. depth in every position, experience vetarans

7. Who would you like your team to select with the 2nd and 27th pick?
Ricky Rubio and Tyler Hansbrough/Chase Budinger

[hptmatthew]

1. What could the team have done different to make the playoffs?
Pretty much impossible, given the extreme youth and lack of talent at certain positions, especially on the bench.

2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?
energy and a willingness to listen to a new coach once he was anointed, I mean hired.

3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?
Haddadi. He was not a total scrub-he showed signs that he might actually be able to learn to use his immense size and length to the team's advantage.

4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?
Darko. Not that it could ever surprise anyone when he lays an egg, but his inconsistency reached new heights (depths?) this season. His head is obviously in Europe, and I can only dream of the day that he is traded as a fairly-sized expiring, unless the Grizz decide to keep him and just let him expire, which will annoy me greatly.

5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?
In Chris Wallace, very. However, the potential conflict between Wallace/Heisley/Hollins, particularly regarding the point guard position, detracts from my confidence somewhat.

6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?
Some better players than Darko, QRoss, Greg Buckner, Darius' seemingly increasingly disinterested corpse, etc. Truly, better, more talented depth at the wing positions, with outside shooting being paramount (IMO).

7. Who would you like your team to select with the 2nd and 27th pick?
Ricky Rubio and Sam Young/Budinger.

[Cubboo]

1. What could the team have done different to make the playoffs?
Nothing. We are who we thought we were.

2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?
Flexibility. We have lots of options, but decided to stand pat and take our lumps this year.

3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?
I think it has to be Marc Gasol. We expected much from OJ Mayo, but unsure what we would get from MG especially after he played his high school ball locally. He is much better than I expected and was a solid presence in the paint on the offensive/defensive end.

4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?
I think I would go with Rudy Gay. The keys to the franchise were given to him this year to make the team his own, but seemed to be outshined by the rookie Mayo. Rudy was better than last year, but not as good as I expected him to be. I wanted more leadership from the player given the reins. My expectations may be too high though.

5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?
I think Chris Wallace does a good job, but he's tied to an anchor of an owner in Heisley. It's as if he is trying to drag a bus uphill in the rain. If Heisley will get out of the way, I think we have a chance to improve.

6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?
Power Forward, depth, point guard. If we could trade out for veteran leadership and maturity, those would be nice too.

7. Who would you like your team to select with the 2nd and 27th pick?
Rubio is the second pick by us, without a doubt. If not for his actual value to our team, then for his preceived value by the other teams in the league.

27- Nick Calathes: I think he will be the best player available at this spot.

[GrizzledGrizzFan]

27- Nick Calathes: I think he will be the best player available at this spot.

Cubboo - did you hear that Calathes has bypassed the NBA draft and signed a deal with Panathinaikos Athens in the Greek A1 League. He's making $2 million+ a year with perks on a three year deal. If you drafted him at this point you'd take him in the second round and sit on his rights.

[Cubboo]

I hadn't heard that. Who to take at this end of the draft is such a crapshoot when the draft seems fairly thin>....?
likely Jermaine Taylor, but that would be weighed against who falls to the end of the first round.

[BarbaGrizz]

1. What could the team have done different to make the playoffs?
Nothing.
2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?
Flexibility and Talent
3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?
Marc Gasol and Haddadi (in limited minutes though)
4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?
Rudy Gay. That was the season we all expected he would raise his game level to an all-star level.
5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?
100% confident in Wallace, 50% confident in Hollins and 5% confident in Heisley
6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?
PF and depth
7. Who would you like your team to select with the 2nd and 27th pick?
Rubio at #2 and Budinger at #27