As the draft approaches, there are always rumors and speculation concerning what teams will do with their selections. At this point, do you envision the Clippers trading the number one pick?
NO: "At this point, I definitely don't envision trading the number one pick. I think we will be active, like we have been the last couple of years in improving our roster, but I definitely don't see the number one pick being an element in that. Obviously, there are 29 other teams in the league that are making their best offers, but so far we haven't seen one that we would even consider."
You recently returned from a pre-draft combine in Oakland. How beneficial was that for the team as the draft approaches?
NO: "We just spent the last two days in Oakland. The last two years, myself, the Golden State staff and David Griffin from the Phoenix Suns put together a group workout in Oakland that helps from an efficiency stand point and gives us the opportunity to see 24 more players, most of whom would probably rate between 10 to 40 in the draft. This year we only have the number one pick, so anytime you have the opportunity to see more players, especially when probably six or seven of them have the ability to go back to school for another year, it puts us in a position to get a better feel for the overall depth of the draft. Mike Dunleavy is the General Manager and Head Coach, so he doesn't get the opportunity to see as many college guys play live as he would like, so this is an opportunity to view 24 more prospects. That way if we did get involved in a trade with some of our other pieces and pick up another pick later in the first round, it gives us a chance to evaluate them in a competitive setting.
What are your thoughts on the unique make-up of the Clippers roster for the upcoming season?
NO: "I think the unique thing about the lottery this year, with us and a few other teams ending up with a much higher selection than you would have thought based on the talent we have on our roster is the advantage it gives us. The player we select with the number one pick is gong to be joining a youth core that is incredibly strong with Eric Gordon, Al Thornton, DeAndre Jordan and Mike Taylor. If you look around the league, it is very unique to have 40 percent of your roster be in the first three years of their contracts on a rookie scale. In addition to that, we have a point guard, a shooting guard, a small forward and potentially a power forward and a center that are all just starting their careers and all project to be excellent players that can help us win immediately. I think the most exciting thing about our roster is that more than basically any team in the league; we have a great mix of talent. There are veteran teams that are winning now and teams that have strong youth cores that are looking to build for the future. But with us, I think adding the number one pick to Eric, DeAndre, Al and Mike, along with Baron Davis, Chris Kaman, Marcus Camby and Zach Randolph, we have a great mix. All we need to do is get the chemistry together and the youth and the experience should take us where we should have been a year ago and where we expect to go this year."
Full Q&A @ myClipper Nation
