In a world where we’ve been transported back in time…
Lights off. Projector on. You know the drill. Or maybe you don’t.
Where wolves no longer exist, and the laziest GM starts to care again…
The projector shows a wolf drowning in a sea, and as the wolf sinks under a large ship takes its place.
Where the technology budget somehow eclipses the player payroll…okay, this is getting ridiculous. Lights on!
The lights return and The JNR is standing at the podium. A short, stout man stands next to him holding a clipboard.
The JNR: Welcome to the first press conference of the San Diego Clippers era. I would like to introduce to you our coach and game planner, Mr. Sandy Eggo.
The coach smiles and eats a waffle.
The JNR: So charming. Anyway, we got the opportunity to take over this club and we’re so excited to start at the beginning and build it with our own vision in mind. What is that vision? Well, we aren’t ready to reveal it all yet, but our draft picks might make it clear.
The creation draft went well. We got the fifth pick and immediately gravitated towards the young athletic phenom Reggie Theus. He’s listed as a shooting guard but we have grander plans for him. We picked Greg Ballard next to have a long scoring wing next to him, and then James Edwards to solidify the middle. Our next two picks were veteran George McInnis and young guard Ron Brewer. Then we filled out the roster based by what was best available.
Preseason wasn’t very kind to us, though we’re delighted to see scoring from Brewer and Theus. Still, we have plans on how to better utilize their talent. Coach, want to talk about that?
Sandy Eggo: We plan on running a starting lineup of
James Edwards
George McInnis
Greg Ballard
Ron Brewer
with our star Reggie Theus running point.
We expect to get valuable minutes off the bench from Phil Smith, and anything else is a bonus. We don’t expect to be among the best teams, especially in a division with all of the talent we have. But we will try to improve internally and see where it takes us.
Moses Malome, Bay Area News Group: Hey The JNR, you are indeed in a talent-rich division, but half the division had losing records in the preseason. In fact, your team had the highest point differential of any team in the division. Has this shifted your expectations of the Clippers?
Steve Duin, the Oregonian: Do you know George spells his name with three "G's"? Also, you didn't talk much about your bench - are you confident in your depth? Do injuries worry you? Do you feel your coaching staff can develop players currently on the roster or are you looking more toward Free Agency or the Draft as you build long-term?
The JNR: Depth is a huge concern, but I don’t think that’s exclusively a San Diego problem. The league is top heavy, and I think that will change with time. As far as development, I am hopeful but not optimistic.
TikToc Influencer "Laker Hater" here, from "TikTok News" : Who do you think you are most likely to trade? and why? Follow up question, what are the chances you send the Lakers a trade offer this season?
The JNR: I am sure I’ll make a trade but until I see how the team is going I can’t really guess what it will be. And while I usually try not to trade within the division, I won’t rule anything out.
Chet Youbetcha, Dimmadome News: With all of the excitement around Theus, are you concerned at all with his efficiency? While he is scoring an impressive 27 points, it was also at the detriment of a hefty 4.3 turnovers (3rd highest in NPBSL history to date) and only a +/- of 2.3 in 41 mins.
Random Reporter: It's well-known that your division is filled with top-tier talent. How much, if any, did that factor into your creation draft selections?
Eazy P wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2024 10:05 am
Welcome back. I am sure you have answered this question a million times already but how does it feel to be back and with real players?
It feels exciting. I didn't realize how excited I actually was until this whole process started. Feels good man.
Xist2Inspire wrote: Tue Dec 17, 2024 3:09 pmRandom Reporter: It's well-known that your division is filled with top-tier talent. How much, if any, did that factor into your creation draft selections?
It didn't, to be honest. I was trying to figure out a plan for the future, which honestly worked out pretty well, I think. I guess we'll see.