Another One

[MexicanMamba]

This sport is all about adapting to change. This year will be big in that regard for our team, for a few reasons. First of all, we would like to wish Joffery Baratheon well at his new place. We would have loved to have had him back, and we made an offer which we were comfortable with, but that's the business. It's incredibly difficult to replace a player of that caliber, that is for sure. Beyond him, we also did a lot of churning of the rest of the roster as well. We welcome guys like Michael Essex and F. Cole Medina to Los Angeles with open arms.

We want to put our best foot forward to try to capitalize on the growth our guys made by making the playoffs for the first time in a long time. I certainly believe I could have done a better job this off-season in getting us in the fight place so I have to own up to that and push forward from here. We will look to be very active in the trade market if we have the opportunity to be.

My favorite thing that we were able to get done this offseason was getting a deal done with Michael Garvin. That young man continues to grow and evolve, both as a man and a player. We look forward to working this offense through him for a long time to come.

We have our work cut out for us. Teams all around us have gotten better. I'm not afraid of hard work though. So, I'm ready to get to it.

Now, hit me with some questions if ya got em.

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[greepleairport]

Howdy Mamba - from across the town, we here at Lakers HQ are curious about your top 3: Jackson, Lopez, and Garvin. Noting your new contract with Garvin, will you build around these three or keep Garvin and let the others go? They could still take your team far, and all three smashed on us in the first game of the preseason for the win. Other than that best of luck this year!

[MexicanMamba]

Howdy Mamba - from across the town, we here at Lakers HQ are curious about your top 3: Jackson, Lopez, and Garvin. Noting your new contract with Garvin, will you build around these three or keep Garvin and let the others go? They could still take your team far, and all three smashed on us in the first game of the preseason for the win. Other than that best of luck this year!

Well, Colby and Triple J still have multiple years on their deals at the moment so as we stand here today they are going to be Clippers for a while. The fluidity of the league makes going too far into the future difficult. I can tell you that teams have called about these guys, that's the nature of the business. We've listened but its never gotten far. We value these guys highly, who all play both ways at a high level. Our first option is to try to surround them with top level talent as opposed to re-building from the ground up.

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[Keepit100]

Alex Sayuck - Laser Eye Basketball Magazine

2 questions

1. As a new GM, you made the playoffs for the first time last year and took the Wolves to 7 games in round 1. What are some lessons you learned from the experience that you will apply this year as you navigate the Omega Conference this season?

2. Sources indicate you have placed Jaren Jackson Jr. and Colby Lopez on the trading block. Are you just kicking the tires on your stars or are you envisioning a new look for the team?

[MexicanMamba]

Alex Sayuck - Laser Eye Basketball Magazine

2 questions

1. As a new GM, you made the playoffs for the first time last year and took the Wolves to 7 games in round 1. What are some lessons you learned from the experience that you will apply this year as you navigate the Omega Conference this season?

2. Sources indicate you have placed Jaren Jackson Jr. and Colby Lopez on the trading block. Are you just kicking the tires on your stars or are you envisioning a new look for the team?

1. We learned that it helps to have talented players leading your team. Before I showed up, it really looked like the franchise was just hoping to hit big in the lottery. Now, Garvin and Lopez both got to where they are by internal growth. You need that. But we took a step forward once that was coupled with great external talent additions in Jackson and Baratheon. So, I have to do more to get guys in here to help.

Which leads to question #2.

2. First ... snitches get stitches, sir

But seriously, I wouldn't be doing my job if I weren't exploring the market and looking at things with a curious eye. I will always poke and prod at what is most valuable for the team. Not to mention, this shit is just more fun when you're engaging with everyone else.

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[false9]

Having had your first taste of the playoffs, do you expect to return this season or is this a reloading year?

[MexicanMamba]

Having had your first taste of the playoffs, do you expect to return this season or is this a reloading year?

If we stay as currently constructed, I do not expect any cake walk into a playoff spot. So, it's up to me to get on the phones and earn my money. There's work to do.

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[AngryBanana]

Chet Youbetcha, Dimmadome News - Do you feel comfortable with the current players outside of your three marquee players? Do you think you could hone in on any one position for more depth?


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[MexicanMamba]

Chet Youbetcha, Dimmadome News - Do you feel comfortable with the current players outside of your three marquee players? Do you think you could hone in on any one position for more depth?


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Definitely not satisfied, as I see a ton of holes in the roster that I couldn't quite get worked through in the off-season. Power Forward and Point Guard are two positions I'm particularly interested in having some discussion about. Then just overall depth. Cant have such a drastic drop-off when the second unit steps in.

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[garbageman]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: Though you mention your team isn't necessarily a complete team, with the Omega Conference's talent, it's still perfectly feasible to aim for the playoffs. What would make you consider this season a success?

[MexicanMamba]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: Though you mention your team isn't necessarily a complete team, with the Omega Conference's talent, it's still perfectly feasible to aim for the playoffs. What would make you consider this season a success?

Our expectation is to not take steps backwards. So, we'd love to win a playoff series. That wont be easy, and based on what I've seen in the preseason, we aren't where we ended last season. Granted, I saw KD toy with some very "unique" line-ups so we'll see how much of that carries over. I really want to see two primary things... make the playoffs and to see Garvin take that final step to being a full fledged superstar.

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