Kahn Press Conference 11 AM

[C.lupus]

I agree with Biff. I think people are a little too dismayed by the way we finished the season. During that stretch we played Flynn, had an injured Beasley, and an injured Beasley.

Our entire team is young. If Johnson and Beasley can improve this offseason and become more consistent. If Darko and Randolph can get in shape. If we can find a PG -- Rubio or Irving. Then I think we're already 10 wins better merely with the team as presently constructed.

That's five sizable "ifs" just to get the team to 27 wins. Yeesh...

[Krapinsky]

I think all those "ifs" are quite realistic, actually.

[Con]

A rookie PG, and one as unprepared/untested as Rubio, is going to lead to 10 more wins? I'd say it would lead to less wins.

[Klomp]

A rookie PG, and one as unprepared/untested as Rubio, is going to lead to 10 more wins? I'd say it would lead to less wins.

Unprepared and untested? Are you sure you're not referring to Irving?

[Krapinsky]

Fact: Rubio will be better than Flynn or Telfair (Flynn + Telfair suck)

Fact: Beasley will be better than Beasley (injured + first year learning SF and triangle)

Fact: Wes Johnson will be better than Wes Johnson (rookie, had to adjust to NBA, learn new position, learn NBA game)

Fact: Randolph will be better than Randolph (He didn't play the first half of the year, wasn't in shape, and didn't have sufficient time to gel with team)

Fact: Darko will be better than Darko (He was reportedly out of shape all year and is going to stay in MN and work out this summer -- as Kahn put it "he needs to play a lot of basketball")

Fact: Pekovic will be better than Pekovic (He was getting much better adjusted to the NBA game at the end of the season)

Fact: Our top 4 pick will help us to some degree, but it a player or in trade

Fact: Webster will be better than Webster (struggled with back injury all year, didn't look right until last week of season)

Conclusion: This team is guaranteed to be better next year. 10 + wins as constructed should not be out of the question -- and should actually be reasonably obtainable.

[AQuintus]

Unprepared and untested? Are you sure you're not referring to Irving?

[Esohny]

Unprepared and untested? Are you sure you're not referring to Irving?

Yup. I would have posted the same thing, but I don't think that it captures how hard I was rolling my eyes.

[Calinks]

Fact: Rubio will be better than Flynn or Telfair (Flynn + Telfair suck)

Fact: Beasley will be better than Beasley (injured + first year learning SF and triangle)

Fact: Wes Johnson will be better than Wes Johnson (rookie, had to adjust to NBA, learn new position, learn NBA game)

Fact: Randolph will be better than Randolph (He didn't play the first half of the year, wasn't in shape, and didn't have sufficient time to gel with team)

Fact: Darko will be better than Darko (He was reportedly out of shape all year and is going to stay in MN and work out this summer -- as Kahn put it "he needs to play a lot of basketball")

Fact: Pekovic will be better than Pekovic (He was getting much better adjusted to the NBA game at the end of the season)

Fact: Our top 4 pick will help us to some degree, but it a player or in trade

Fact: Webster will be better than Webster (struggled with back injury all year, didn't look right until last week of season)

Conclusion: This team is guaranteed to be better next year. 10 + wins as constructed should not be out of the question -- and should actually be reasonably obtainable.

A lot of those are assumptions rather than facts.

Wes Johnson should be better but he might not be. Flynn wasn't better. Same goes for every other player. Darko was better in some ways from the little bit we saw last year but he looked worse in some ways too.

[shangrila]

Unprepared and untested? Are you sure you're not referring to Irving?

Yup. I would have posted the same thing, but I don't think that it captures how hard I was rolling my eyes.

Why? Rubio's 3-4 years of professional experience will make him more prepared for the NBA than Irving's 8 games in college.

[cpfsf]

Why? Rubio's 3-4 years of professional experience will make him more prepared for the NBA than Irving's 8 games in college.

I don't understand why people think he's unprepared and untested. Is it because he's going to be a rookie in the NBA? He's going to play in the NBA, and he's going to be as NBA ready as you can possibly hope for.

[revprodeji]

I would add to Kraps list that there are two more positives that need to happen for a big jump.

1.) Consolidate pieces/assets for an individual talent. We have numerous "pieces" that are redundant and possibly choking the growth. If we can move 2-3 of these pieces in an "iggy" or "bogut" type deal it would greatly help the team

2.) Bring in some vets that play in the rotation. Right now we have Ridnour and Webster. Does Tolly count? Darko?

If these things can happen then we can works towards establishing a consistent 9 man rotation. Stability is so important in basketball. Players know their roles, know what is expected of them and what kind of opportunity they will get.

[moss_is_1]

^ Spot on. Especially about the consistent rotations. Rambis loves to run screwy lineups out there.

We need 3 bench guys who are consistent contributors, and then another guy that can play different positions effectively.

[Krapinsky]

Why? Rubio's 3-4 years of professional experience will make him more prepared for the NBA than Irving's 8 games in college.

I don't understand why people think he's unprepared and untested. Is it because he's going to be a rookie in the NBA? He's going to play in the NBA, and he's going to be as NBA ready as you can possibly hope for.

Maybe it has something to do with our recent string of draftees that were not NBA ready or anythign close to it? Flynn, Johnson, Pekovic....

Then other high draft picks .... Thabeet, Turner, Favors, etc.

[shangrila]

Why? Rubio's 3-4 years of professional experience will make him more prepared for the NBA than Irving's 8 games in college.

I don't understand why people think he's unprepared and untested. Is it because he's going to be a rookie in the NBA? He's going to play in the NBA, and he's going to be as NBA ready as you can possibly hope for.

And how can you know that? He played 8 games against weak competition.

I'm not saying he'll take 3 years to be good, but if you're comparing him and Rubio than Rubio's professional experience makes him more prepared.

[cpfsf]

Maybe it has something to do with our recent string of draftees that were not NBA ready or anythign close to it? Flynn, Johnson, Pekovic....

Then other high draft picks .... Thabeet, Turner, Favors, etc.

You can be qualified and still fail. The point is to pick the guy with the best credentials. Rubio is very qualified in comparison to a lot of other prospects. He won't be guaranteed success for that reason alone, but he has a very polished resume.

I don't understand why people think he's unprepared and untested. Is it because he's going to be a rookie in the NBA? He's going to play in the NBA, and he's going to be as NBA ready as you can possibly hope for.

And how can you know that? He played 8 games against weak competition.

I'm not saying he'll take 3 years to be good, but if you're comparing him and Rubio than Rubio's professional experience makes him more prepared.

I wasn't referring to Irving at all, I just meant Rubio. Now I can see the confusion. I couldn't quote the whole thing, so I had to cut some of some of the earlier comments.

[shangrila]

I wasn't referring to Irving at all, I just meant Rubio. Now I can see the confusion. I couldn't quote the whole thing, so I had to cut some of some of the earlier comments.

Ha, just re-read it. My mistake.