#SLOE: People's Basketball Sim League

Welcome, everyone. Before we look to the season ahead, let's look back at last year.

The 2011-2012 season started slow, with the team searching for its identity. We eventually found our rhythm, playing an uptempo style and winning 50 games. Our high hopes for the playoffs were tempered by losing Dwight Howard to a shoulder injury. Unfortunately, we lost a tough series to the Pacers.

That really put us at a crossroads in the offseason- we could bring the band back together (with the consequences of entering the luxury tax for a third consecutive year), or hitting reset on the franchise. Ultimately, we knew Goran Dragic and Wes Matthews were the foundation of things to come. It was difficult to part with Carmelo, Dwight, and Rashard, but we're excited by what the future has to offer. Kevin Martin fits in with our run and gun style. Andy Varejao will get the dirty work done for us. Veterans Jason Kapono, Shane Battier, and Lamar Odom provide veteran leadership and versatility. These moves allow us to play the game the right way- fast and fun. Of equal importance, we're under the tax and maintaining future flexibility. Fiscal responsibility cannot be ignored in the age of the luxury tax.

We're looking to remain competitive in the East. Lamar and Shane will split time at PF, and Andy will start at C. Kevin and Wes will be on the wings, and Goran will run the show at point. Jason Kapono should be a solid sixth man, and we've got a solid mix of youth and vets filling out the bench. I think we're going to surprise some people this season, and we've got open road ahead.

With that, I'll take your questions.

Nick Melon; The Advocate: Before losing Dwight to New Orleans, did you happen to zap Dwight of his super powers as sort? Do you have any magic spells that can find his power again?

NickMalone77 wrote:Nick Melon; The Advocate: Before losing Dwight to New Orleans, did you happen to zap Dwight of his super powers as sort? Do you have any magic spells that can find his power again?

While we do believe in "magic" on the basketball court, we believe in hard work during training camp. To be fair, Dwight was completely honest about his decline in the offseason...



But we do wish him the best of luck as a Hornet.

Random Reporter: How difficult was it for you, as a new GM, to be faced with the tough situation of having nearly every player on your team be a free agent?

You have two awesome offensive wings in Martin and Matthews and they can hold their own on the perimeter on defense. On paper they both look like true SGs. Are you concerned about having two such similar players spending so much time on the court together?

Will Goran be given the keys to the offense and a green light to shoot this year?

Xist2Inspire wrote:Random Reporter: How difficult was it for you, as a new GM, to be faced with the tough situation of having nearly every player on your team be a free agent?

I came into this job aware of numerous expiring contracts we had- but factoring in our tax situation, I really saw it as an opportunity. It would have been easy to bring back Carmelo, Dwight, and Rashard on big money. However, I have to be a responsible steward and keep the organization's finances in mind. With that in mind, that drove our focus in the offseason.

Surveying the free agent landscape, we saw a lot of value and I think we were able to take advantage in building a roster that fits our system.

kucoach7 wrote:You have two awesome offensive wings in Martin and Matthews and they can hold their own on the perimeter on defense. On paper they both look like true SGs. Are you concerned about having two such similar players spending so much time on the court together?

On the contrary- I think having Kevin and Wes on the floor at the same time really spaces the floor and fits perfectly into our run and gun style.

Our opponents may try and play bully ball with Kev and Wes paired together- I welcome them to try and keep up with us.

WigNosy wrote:Will Goran be given the keys to the offense and a green light to shoot this year?

The numbers speak for themselves- Goran had career highs in true shooting and assists, and kept his turnovers low. He's a great decision maker and at the core of the success we'll have. I expect even more out of him this year.

With all the cap room you have, what chance is there for you to acquire a power forward during the season if the team is in a playoff chase?

78# wrote:With all the cap room you have, what chance is there for you to acquire a power forward during the season if the team is in a playoff chase?

Our current roster and cap situation affords us a tremendous amount of flexibility. If the right move is there to be made, we'll certainly pursue it, but not at the cost of our future.

Speaking of Wesley Matthews, Kevin Martin, and fiscally responsible stewardship, Matthews is in the last year of his rookie contract while Martin has a team option for next year on a large contract. Do you plan on paying them both next year, or is that money better spent pursuing more talent in your frontcourt?

garbageman wrote:Speaking of Wesley Matthews, Kevin Martin, and fiscally responsible stewardship, Matthews is in the last year of his rookie contract while Martin has a team option for next year on a large contract. Do you plan on paying them both next year, or is that money better spent pursuing more talent in your frontcourt?

We consider Wes to be a building block, so we'd love to bring him back. If Kevin performs the way we expect him to, it would be hard not to exercise our option for next year. I'm confident we'll find value that fits our cap situation via free agency or trade.