#SLOE: People's Basketball Sim League

Enrique: Alright, where to begin. Ah, lets start with the massive tax bill we had last season. Last year, we once again tried to use Pau Gasol as a center and once again, he proved to be lacking. While a great PF, once he switches positions we're not sure what happens, but he certainly seems to be stunted basketball wise. So using the gluttony of wings that we had with Eddie Jones, VC, and Matrix, we decided to make a move for former MVP,. Shawn Kemp. In addition, after Steve Nash's uniquely underwhelming showing at training camp last season, we knew we'd need a change if we wanted to compete. So as soon as we saw an opportunity, we decided to move NAsh and Bobby SImmons for Gary Peyton. While the move severely hurt our wallets and our depth, we felt the starting 5 of Peyton, VC, Marion, Gasol, and Kemp could compete with anyone. However, nagging injuries to Marion and Kemp down the stretch and culminating with a hip injury in the playoffs to GP, proved to be our downfall to the eventual champs.

Enrique: Which brings us to this year. This offseason we wanted to return both Kemp and GP, but knew it would be tough especially with the reduced salary we were going to offer. While we weren't able to bring both, Gary Peyton we are happy to say will be here for at least the next two seasons. We also bolstered our depth at the wing position with the acquisition of Jerry Stackhouse from the Utah Jazz.

Enrique: Training camp this year was a killer, many of the guys seemed to bring the gloom of the way last year ended into camp with them and they generally seemed out of focus. After the first couple of preseason games, they seemed to round back into form though. We're excited and ready to start the new year and see what kind of noise we can make.

Any questions?

Dr. Rocker, The Cleveland Rocker: Last season you had a big tax bill and an accounting mess that left you and others very unclear on if you could pay your tax. Your response seems to have been to spend again in the tax and not clean up your books. With Pau Gasol on the last season of his rookie deal, he is a candidate for restricted free agency, but this accounting mess could endanger your team's rights. You seem in tax this season and next with no clear plans to exit or to pay the tax.

So, what are you going to do about this, and can you actually provide your points total?

42PhD wrote:Dr. Rocker, The Cleveland Rocker: Last season you had a big tax bill and an accounting mess that left you and others very unclear on if you could pay your tax. Your response seems to have been to spend again in the tax and not clean up your books. With Pau Gasol on the last season of his rookie deal, he is a candidate for restricted free agency, but this accounting mess could endanger your team's rights. You seem in tax this season and next with no clear plans to exit or to pay the tax.

So, what are you going to do about this, and can you actually provide your points total?

Look to move Pau, and if not he leaves. Oh, and 1.

Random Reporter: Could you elaborate on why Pau has been shopped so heavily, and is the most likely to be traded? One would think that a 24-year-old 7-footer would take priority over a 26-year-old tweener, a one-way 27-year-old swingman, another one-way swingman, who is 30, and a 36-year-old legend who may finally be slowing down. Why invest in them rather than Pau, especially after what was given up to acquire him?

How do you see the rotation shaking out with VC, Stackhouse, and Marion?

Xist2Inspire wrote:Random Reporter: Could you elaborate on why Pau has been shopped so heavily, and is the most likely to be traded? One would think that a 24-year-old 7-footer would take priority over a 26-year-old tweener, a one-way 27-year-old swingman, another one-way swingman, who is 30, and a 36-year-old legend who may finally be slowing down. Why invest in them rather than Pau, especially after what was given up to acquire him?

The most movable and the only one who could seemingly actually bring back anything of value. Any trade attempts for anyone else has been met with .50 cents on the dollar offers that have honestly been laughable. While it's been quite different for Pau for the reasons you mentioned. Simply put I cannot afford him, and people seem to like the idea of having the RFA rights of the 24 year old forward. The other players you mentioned are still very good, and quite frankly it'd be easier and better for us to bolster them up moving Pau than it would be to weigh down any future plans with Pau and the offers we've gotten.

As to the parts given up to get him, we tend to not let those past decisions weigh us down. If we took that type of thinking with every trade, it'd be tough to get anything done. We're more goal oriented. We want a player we get him, like we did with Pau. We need to move a player to better our situation, such as what seems to be happening now, we do that too

IamQuailman wrote:How do you see the rotation shaking out with VC, Stackhouse, and Marion?

Probably start two, bring one off the bench