Post by Boston Celtics on Oct 16, 2008 0:22:24 GMT -5
With the off season coming to a close and the regular season just a few days away, we thought this would be a good opportunity to catch up with the Boston GM to get his feelings on how the off season went, and his expectations on the upcoming season.
BG: You took over this team at the end of season 1, how do you feel things have gone for you in your first season.
Boston GM: Obviously our record was disappointing, but I feel like this team is headed in the right direction. When I took over, this team had 2 superstars and not much else. KG and Iverson are great players, but when your starting SF is Scott Padgett you know you have issues. So my goal was to add depth to this team and I think we have done that.
BG: The strength of your team is your back court with Calderon, Durant, and Johnson, but your front court was the weak link of your team last year with Barnes and Turiaf as the starters. Do you feel you have properly addressed this during the off season?
Boston GM: I think the additions of Nenad Krstic, Nene, and Chris Webber well greatly improve what was our weakness last season. Heading into this season we now have some depth in the front court with Nene and Webber as the starters, and Barnes, Turiaf, and Krstic coming off the bench.
BG: You made a push to sign Antawn Jamison this off season, but it didn't work out as he decided to sign with Toronto,
Boston GM: We were disappointed that we weren't able to sign Jamison, however we wish him the best of luck in Toronto. Maybe when we play them we can show him what he missed out on.
BG: You made a bit of an odd move this off season by naming Dennis Rodman as your head coach. What exactly was your reasoning behind this?
Boston GM: From a basketball standpoint we felt that Rodman could help this team on the defensive end. We have some very good offensive players, so scoring points won't be a problem, but we need more focus and determination on the defensive end. We feel like Rodman can be a real asset to the team in this area. From an organization standpoint, when you lose 50+ games, it doesn't help your attendance. So hiring a personality like Rodmans will hopefully help put some people in the seats.
BG: What are your expectations for the upcoming season?
Boston GM: I think realistically this team has a shot to get one of the last couple spots in the playoffs. I think we addressed our main weakness from last season, with that being the front court. We still have our main trio of Calderon, Durant, and Johnson. I also feel like we have one of the better benches in the league with Ronny Turiaf, Nenad Krstic, Matt Barnes, Damien Wilkins, James Posey, Keyon Dooling, and Eddie House. If we can stay healthy, I think this team can have a very good season, and hopefully make last season a distant memory.
BG: You took over this team at the end of season 1, how do you feel things have gone for you in your first season.
Boston GM: Obviously our record was disappointing, but I feel like this team is headed in the right direction. When I took over, this team had 2 superstars and not much else. KG and Iverson are great players, but when your starting SF is Scott Padgett you know you have issues. So my goal was to add depth to this team and I think we have done that.
BG: The strength of your team is your back court with Calderon, Durant, and Johnson, but your front court was the weak link of your team last year with Barnes and Turiaf as the starters. Do you feel you have properly addressed this during the off season?
Boston GM: I think the additions of Nenad Krstic, Nene, and Chris Webber well greatly improve what was our weakness last season. Heading into this season we now have some depth in the front court with Nene and Webber as the starters, and Barnes, Turiaf, and Krstic coming off the bench.
BG: You made a push to sign Antawn Jamison this off season, but it didn't work out as he decided to sign with Toronto,
Boston GM: We were disappointed that we weren't able to sign Jamison, however we wish him the best of luck in Toronto. Maybe when we play them we can show him what he missed out on.
BG: You made a bit of an odd move this off season by naming Dennis Rodman as your head coach. What exactly was your reasoning behind this?
Boston GM: From a basketball standpoint we felt that Rodman could help this team on the defensive end. We have some very good offensive players, so scoring points won't be a problem, but we need more focus and determination on the defensive end. We feel like Rodman can be a real asset to the team in this area. From an organization standpoint, when you lose 50+ games, it doesn't help your attendance. So hiring a personality like Rodmans will hopefully help put some people in the seats.
BG: What are your expectations for the upcoming season?
Boston GM: I think realistically this team has a shot to get one of the last couple spots in the playoffs. I think we addressed our main weakness from last season, with that being the front court. We still have our main trio of Calderon, Durant, and Johnson. I also feel like we have one of the better benches in the league with Ronny Turiaf, Nenad Krstic, Matt Barnes, Damien Wilkins, James Posey, Keyon Dooling, and Eddie House. If we can stay healthy, I think this team can have a very good season, and hopefully make last season a distant memory.