BK speaks
Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 2:27 pm
to season ticket holders before Friday's game. I got this from Hawksquawk.
BK indicated that both Smoove and Chillz are restricted FAs and we plan on matching any offers for both.
He indicated that we would be spending more money next year and that we would likely approach but not exceed the luxury tax. He said that as GM, he did not believe you had to exceed the luxury tax to be good and that the only way he would ask an owner to exceed the luxury tax is if doing so would put the team in contention for a championship.
He said that the restrictions that the judge had imposed in the ongoing legal battle between the ASG and Belking have been lifted and that the restrictions DID limit their abilites to do some things but that is no longer the case. He said the legal wrangling is ongoing and that as things currently stand, Belkin is still one of the team's owners.
He indicated that we would PURSUE a trade this summer in an rffort to improve the team but that we would not realistically be in the hunt for the top FAs. He said he would only make a trade if it clearly made us better. He stated that he likes all of our young guys but that sometimes you have to trade good guys to get better (hmm...Marvin?, Chillz?, Smoove?).
He indicated that Horford is a PF but that he had to play Center for us as we are currently constructed. He said there were VERY few quality Centers out there and that while Al is a PF, he is better than a lot of Centers out there. He pointed out how a lot of teams are playing small ball now.
He said that Al was a good player now but that he was going to be great. He compared him to Karl Malone. He said that Al was the only rookie he has ever drafted (including his stints in Indy and MEM) who has never asked him for ANYTHING in his first season. He said that Al has GREAT character and that he is just an exceptional young man.
He indicated that if we were able to get a good Center, he could envision a scenario where Smoove moves to the 3 and Marvin goes to the bench. He thinks Marv and Chillz would be great off the bench.
He said that we need a vocal, veteran leader in the locker room. He said that JJ has become a little more vocal but that he is a quiet leader who leads by example. He said that JJ leads by being first on the practice court, first in the weight room, etc. He said that we need a veteran (not necessarily an old veteran but maybe someone with 5-6 years in the league) to come in and take on that role. A little funny story about JJ is that he apparently goes around the locker room with his shirt off teasing the younger guys by showing off his guns. I thought that was hilarious.
He said that David Andersen's game was more like Jason Collier's than that of a defensive stopper.
He said that he had talked to Dale Davis but it sounded like BK didn't think he would help us because he thinks teams would leave Dale open and double someone else with his man (I disagree but what can you say?).
He said he would like to see us play more uptempo but that he understands Woody's point that we can't play uptempo if we don't rebound and defend on the other end. He said that the NBA is a copy cat league and that GS, PHO and DEN are the only teams that are committed to playing uptempo at all costs.
He tiptoed carefully around all the criticism of Woody. He didn't throw Wody under the bus but he didn't really defend him either. He just kept saying "I see your point" when people made negative statements and he said that the coaching situation and his own situation would be addressed in the off season "one way or another."
He indicated that he would like to see JJ and Bibby play less but that he thinks Woody just gets caught up in trying to win the game and he decides to ride them too much. He said that you can ride a guy on occasion but that you have to be concerned about their AVERAGE mpg. He said that he is aware that JJ's mpg are among the league leaders and he thinks JJ gets tired late in games and he think it limits his effectiveness. He said the he and Woody have talked about it and that Woody agrees that JJ plays too many minutes. He said that Woody will say after a game that he knows that JJ played too many minutes in that game and then he will go back out and play him too many minutes the very next game.
He said that he would like to see Mario and Jeremy play more at SG. He said they are night and day as playes, one offensive and one defensive. He said that NOBODY likes being guarded by Mario and that he frustrates guys by "getting up in 'em." He said that any time a guy like Kobe, T Mac, Pierce, etc got hot on the perimeter, he would put Mario on them. He said that Jeremy can really shoot the ball and that he had scored 50+ in an NBDL game.
To add a little on the Speedy front, apparently he went in for the microfracure surgery but when the doctor cut him open, he determined that microfracture surgery would not help his condition. The doctor did cleaned out his knee while he was in surgery. Billy said that it appeared that Speedy would try to play again next season.
I'm sure I am forgetting something but that was pretty much it.