#SLOE: People's Basketball Sim League

The cat wanders into the press room, and blinks in surprise that there are actually people here. He looks at one of his staffers, shrugs, and sits down behind the microphone.

"So, I suppose you are here to talk about the team again. There's really not a lot to talk about. We had another disappointing season last year when we didn't even make the playoffs. We never gained traction, the writing was on the wall midway through the season, so I had to take some drastic action. It wasn't fun, but I feel it was necessary."

"Tatum and Baldwin got shipped out the door - last year I threatened to plow it under and rebuild if I can get the right offer for them, and I feel I definitely made good on that promise. Don't want anyone to get to comfortable around here or think they are lifers. There are only two lifer Hawks - Antonio McDyess and WigNosy."

"Dragan Bender was a pleasant surprise last season as a rookie and we look for more from him this year. Mo Bamba is still more raw than I'd like, but I think he's going to have to play big minutes just so I know what I've got in him. Paul Maeder was a revelation last year - he is definitely looking like an exciting piece on our bench with the return of Harland Ellinger to the Hawks. We realized with Kuz trying to run things the last couple years that it was time to spend on getting a great point guard and right now, there aren't many in the game playing at a higher level than Harland."

"Four of our five starters are penciled in, though I'm still settling on a SF - probably Tua but I'm really considering using his versatility as a super-sixth man to get great bench firepower. If you know of any SFs on the market, send their GM my way."

"I'm still in the mood to make some moves this season with the roster. We're looking to get back to the playoffs this year - I wouldn't have spent on Ellinger if I wasn't. I don't like being irrelevant for any longer than is absolutely necessary and I think we're ready to roll it back."

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: With the roster as it is now, what do you think this team's ceiling is?

garbageman wrote: Mon May 13, 2019 12:00 pm Sham Smith, Bulls.com: With the roster as it is now, what do you think this team's ceiling is?

I don't think we have the interior presence to compete with the Nuggets and don't have the defense on the wings to stop the Spurs. So I think barring injury, our ceiling is making the playoffs and winning a round, possibly two if we get a favorable bracket draw. If we wind up matched with either of those teams, we're in trouble.

What went into the decision of bringing back Harland Ellinger?

Random Reporter: With Tua being the only vet on a long-term deal, it seems as if this season is geared more towards feeling out the new competition. Do you see it that way, or is the Hawks' short rebuilding period officially over?

Eazy P wrote: Mon May 13, 2019 12:11 pm What went into the decision of bringing back Harland Ellinger?

We saw how our team struggled to score last season without a passing point guard even though we had multiple guys who could go get their own shots. Iso-ball doesn't work. Also, the only reason we traded away Ellinger in the first place was crushing luxury tax payments. We always liked his game.

Xist2Inspire wrote: Mon May 13, 2019 12:22 pm Random Reporter: With Tua being the only vet on a long-term deal, it seems as if this season is geared more towards feeling out the new competition. Do you see it that way, or is the Hawks' short rebuilding period officially over?

I prefer to think of short-term deals as "allowing me to retain flexibility." But with so many young kids coming up for RFA payments - Kuz was the first - I don't think we have the luxury of rebuilding again in the near future.

The Bulls and Blazers both had excellent pre-seasons. Do you think they're likely to maintain their positions in the standings through the regular season?

Wombataholic wrote: Mon May 13, 2019 1:12 pm The Bulls and Blazers both had excellent pre-seasons. Do you think they're likely to maintain their positions in the standings through the regular season?

I suspect that we'll have to find a way to get past both teams if we want to get to the top of the division, and I'm not terribly confident we'll actually be able to pull of beating out both of them.

This squad feels a little light on defense. Is that something you want to address with trades during the season or will you just embrace your offensive identity and run people out of the gym?

kucoach7 wrote: Mon May 13, 2019 2:17 pm This squad feels a little light on defense. Is that something you want to address with trades during the season or will you just embrace your offensive identity and run people out of the gym?

If the opportunity arises, I would definitely love to crank up the defensive intensity. However, I still remember the Ben Wallace/Eric Snow Hawks and know you can win with offense and shaky defense, but not the other way around.