Washington Post

[Mike Lowry]

Bullets 84 Presser

Things Happen, don't they?
I mean, it's no secret that this organization is actively committed to winning.
If you hadn't noticed just check the finalized trade archive.
We are willing to make a move.
And last season we made a few moves that helped us win the division, have the best record in the conference, but ultimately got bounced in the playoffs.
That was a tough pill to swallow, but it didn't necessarily dictate what we've done in the offseason.
The reality is that we drafted very well in the creation draft, and we had top targets in this years free agency.
Instead of strategically targeting reasonable contracts, we knew we had to re-sign our talent to max contracts because there was so much cash flowing.
Have to be honest, we might have been able to sign a better vet min by shooting a shot in the first round.
Instead we targeted guys we were certain would want to sign with the Bullets and signed all 10 of our first round targets.
That gave us a great deal of depth.
We picked up a couple of nice projects at the end of the first round of the draft, and then we got busy.
We moved Walter Davis, Alvan Adams, and Michael Ray Richardson and kept John Lucas.
We knew since we signed him that Buck Williams was our timeline which is significantly behind all the guys we paid, so we were more than happy to pair him with Larry Nance and look to the future.
PG play is critical in this league so we think it's well worth it to keep John Lucas and let him feed these youngsters.
If the right package comes along we might move him, but at that point we would be in semi tank mode and not having our own pick in 84 doesn't logically point in that direction.

Starting 5:
Nance
Williams
Hubbard
Erving
Lucas

Open for questions, starting in the back

[JNR]

GWR: Have players voiced their concerns over the roster turnover? Are they afraid to purchase houses in the DC area?

[Mike Lowry]

GWR: Have players voiced their concerns over the roster turnover? Are they afraid to purchase houses in the DC area?

I think we have competitive financial rates in DC, so I see these guys splurging.
We're more concerned with keeping guys in the gym though.
Besides, I think John Lucas can afford a house anywhere in the country, and he is the one who could land us a big package this season.

[greepleairport]

Nance, Buck and Lucas are a great big 3, but besides Dr. J there seems to be a steep cliff after those folks. Do you think Hubbard fills the gaps? Is your bench vulnerable? Talk to me

[Mike Lowry]

Nance, Buck and Lucas are a great big 3, but besides Dr. J there seems to be a steep cliff after those folks. Do you think Hubbard fills the gaps? Is your bench vulnerable? Talk to me

We all know Hubbard is a walking highlight, but I LOVE Edgar Jones, and I think Quinn Buckner and Abdul Jeelani can fill space defensively. After that my wad is blown. I'm carrying 3 rookies that are far from ready, and some other young guys that are yet to develop. This whole season is really about player development rather than winning, but I have a feeling we'll make some noise in the playoffs.

[tbone963]

Ned Needles, Nexinton Newspaper: Assuming you accept Larry and Buck's option this season, will your plans be to max them the following? And how do you see Threatt's progress growing? Will he be ready to be the 3rd option when Lucas starts slowing down?

[Mike Lowry]

Ned Needles, Nexinton Newspaper: Assuming you accept Larry and Buck's option this season, will your plans be to max them the following? And how do you see Threatt's progress growing? Will he be ready to be the 3rd option when Lucas starts slowing down?

I was kind of leading in this direction with my question in Boston.
We are ABSOLUTELY Super Maxing Buck and Nance when the time comes.
And they'll both be worth the money.
But this offseason a bunch of guys got money that was probably over their value just because there was money to spend.
Next offseason will not be the wild extravaganza that this UFA was and teams with cap space are going to be able to land great value in their contracts. Or we're going to see teams start approaching the tax. I wanted next UFA to build a strong core before I have to come back and go way over to get Buck and Larry in their primes. And I'm more than willing to go to tax hell to cash out a ship or two.
Sedale Threatt is light years away. I don't think he will be ready when Lucas fades, but I imagine he will be solid enough to leverage for a complimentary piece or play in a role.

[digiskunk]

Jackie Cumslurp, ESPN: You received a lot of value in the acquisition of Larry Nance. Will he be your go-to player heading into this season? Moreover, do you think he has the potential to be a top-5 player in the league?

[Eazy P]

Will there be any Town Halls this season? I will need each of those points to pay off my under the cap tax bill.

[Darth Vegito]

Will there be any Town Halls this season? I will need each of those points to pay off my under the cap tax bill.

omfg

[Darth Vegito]

Ima Tryhard with the Kansas City Post.

I see you have that never give and always want to compete type of mentality. I personally value that and feel that Alpha mentality is what champions are made of. Let's think ahead 5 sims into the season, let's say your .500. What's your move and thought process then?

[Mike Lowry]

Will there be any Town Halls this season? I will need each of those points to pay off my under the cap tax bill.

Great Reminder
viewtopic.php?p=124041#p124041
Posted

[Mike Lowry]

Jackie Cumslurp, ESPN: You received a lot of value in the acquisition of Larry Nance. Will he be your go-to player heading into this season? Moreover, do you think he has the potential to be a top-5 player in the league?

I agree with the valuation.
We are looking forward to Larry competing for MVP later in his career.
And yes, he is our number one option.

[Mike Lowry]

Ima Tryhard with the Kansas City Post.

I see you have that never give and always want to compete type of mentality. I personally value that and feel that Alpha mentality is what champions are made of. Let's think ahead 5 sims into the season, let's say your .500. What's your move and thought process then?

Can't say that I'll be surprised or moved by a .500 start.
My team is young and inexperienced. John Lucas can only do so much to lead them.
I don't expect to be that far off, but I'm not against sending Lucas out if we're not winning at a higher clip.
I know there are some teams with assets who could go over the top by picking up a guy competing for the league lead in assists.