#SLOE: People's Basketball Sim League

Hi everyone, as always welcome to the San Antonio Spurs preseason press conference. Walking into the facility today we are felling good about the future of the organization. Yes we couldn't get any of the key free agents to sign with us this offseason, maybe cause they feel there's nothing to do or maybe cause of the past few years of tanking and did not feel we are where they want to be in their careers as far as contending for a title. Starting today we will try to move in that direction with this youthful team. Our goal is to compete and hopefully make the post season. If not the post season, at least compete hard. I really like the core of the team with the addition of Hoyt Timmerman via trade. He's young and still growing and we think will be a great all around player. With Hoyt, BI and Pee Wee the future is bright. We want to get the young guys some experience on the floor. We told them that there will be ups and downs. That comes with the learning process and in time will make them hungrier and better. We going to work with the guys and help them become the best version of themselves on the court. We hope to bring a exciting brand of basketball to the city of San Antonio for our fans. Hopefully this core will help get this franchise back to the top.

With that said we will like to open up for questions. If you have any please feel free to ask and as always we will answer to the best of our ability.

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: With a goal of making the post-season, are there any kind of trades are you looking to make to facilitate that, or do you think you can achieve that goal with your current roster?

GWR: Who are you counting on for veteran leadership in the locker room?

garbageman wrote: Fri Mar 10, 2023 11:36 am Sham Smith, Bulls.com: With a goal of making the post-season, are there any kind of trades are you looking to make to facilitate that, or do you think you can achieve that goal with your current roster?

I think we can get the final spot as is. Depending on what's out there we may explore our options via trade if we think that's the best route to go with the team. Maybe we will get some help with the tank race. Hopefully I am not getting ahead of myself with playoffs in mind and being brought back to reality recordwise because of the youth.

Hope that was a good answer even tho I rambled lol.

JNR wrote: Fri Mar 10, 2023 11:58 am GWR: Who are you counting on for veteran leadership in the locker room?

Toni Gauss. He has the most experience by far on the team. He has playoff experience too. He knows what it takes night in and night out to win in this league. We are hoping he help this seasonby example, show the young guys how to be a professional on and of the court. Show them the work ethic that has kept him in the league for 12 seasons playing at a high level.

With the goal being to win games and make the playoffs, can you walk us through the thought process behind trading Larry Williams?

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MexicanMamba wrote: Fri Mar 10, 2023 12:44 pm With the goal being to win games and make the playoffs, can you walk us through the thought process behind trading Larry Williams?

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When Hoyt became available we weighed our options as a organization before making a offer and decided to try something different. So We went in and made a offer for Hoyt. Larry could have led this team to the playoffs but I felt like the team we had around him would just end in a first round exit. Larry is in the prime of his career. I think he has a better opportunity in Portland to get pass the 1st round with the way that team is set up than he would here. We are just getting started but our goal is still playoffs. Also moving Larry cleared up cap to go after some of the top free agents that would've help us make the playoffs but as I stated above did not want to sign here.

what are your plans with today's free-for-all haul? Any chance one or more of these guys crack the starting lineup this season?

Chet Youbetcha, Dimmadome News: do you think the lack of FA signings is the leveling out of the years of lucky vet min signings you had for about 12 years, as a spur?


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If Toni is the vet mentor, is he also the team leader? Or is Ingram ready to step into this role early in his career?

Henry Gates from the Houston Chronicle.

You've got two of the youngest superstars in the league. What was your approach to FA? Did you go all in trying to build the best roster or was it looking for temporary fits while Pee Wee and BI develop. Also, how durable can BI be long term?

I saw you didn't get many free agents in UFA round 1. Who is the win now player you wanted but missed out on in free agency?

K-100 wrote: Fri Mar 10, 2023 4:29 pm what are your plans with today's free-for-all haul? Any chance one or more of these guys crack the starting lineup this season?

It depends on how I feel but do think 1 or 2 of those guys may get starts during the season. I do like Denver Weller I noticed him after I claimed Denver Weller and was hoping to get him next on the list. Luckily waiting 15 mins later I was able to get him. I think Weller will see a lot of playing time and might even crack the starting lineup

AngryBanana wrote: Fri Mar 10, 2023 9:41 pm Chet Youbetcha, Dimmadome News: do you think the lack of FA signings is the leveling out of the years of lucky vet min signings you had for about 12 years, as a spur?


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I don't think it was luck. I think players wanted to play for a winner. At the time we were a constant conference finals/finals participant. Our team had a ton of cap to play around with this off season and offered guys a ton of money but they went in a different direction. I think a winning culture plays a role sometimes in why players sign where the sign.

greepleairport wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2023 5:24 pm If Toni is the vet mentor, is he also the team leader? Or is Ingram ready to step into this role early in his career?

I think BI will step up at some point this year and be the leader. He's a lead by example guy but I can see him being more vocal as the season goes on. We are not going to force it on him. We rather it happed naturally.

78# wrote: Sun Mar 12, 2023 9:24 pm Henry Gates from the Houston Chronicle.

You've got two of the youngest superstars in the league. What was your approach to FA? Did you go all in trying to build the best roster or was it looking for temporary fits while Pee Wee and BI develop. Also, how durable can BI be long term?

We went into free agency trying to put together a playoff team but failed miserably but that comes with the territory. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise. Maybe I should just be a little more patient. You mention Pee Wee and BI but I think Hoyt will be a guy to do big things also once he develops. I am hopping this version of Ingram can be more durable than his real life version lol.

LazyTitanSmash wrote: Sun Mar 12, 2023 11:55 pm I saw you didn't get many free agents in UFA round 1. Who is the win now player you wanted but missed out on in free agency?

There were a few guys I tried to get but if I had to name one guy I was hoping to get it was Harold Schiff. I went into UFA knowing that we would probably have trouble bringing in guy. I wanted to do a test run during RFA and we failed to sign guys who played outside of the team the season prior. We are satisfied with the outcome either way tho. It kinda gives us a opportunity to develop our young core.