Baron Davis Pre-Lottery Conference Call

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">http://www.nba.com/warriors/news/davis_lot...all_052005.html

How important do you think this year?s lottery and/or draft is in terms of the Warriors immediate future?

(Baron Davis): I think every draft is important. For us, this is pretty much a new team and we?re kind of starting fresh and from scratch. As far as our personnel is concerned, we have a lot of new additions. There were a lot of trades during the season. We have rookie from last year and guys that didn?t get a lot of opportunities to play as much in the previous situation. This draft is definitely going to be something that is going to help us immediately and also help build for the future.



You look at the Warriors now and what do you think the team is lacking. Where could you guys use the most depth do you think?

(BD): Lacking? I don?t think we are really lacking anything except for practice time on the floor. Towards the end of the season it was pretty much all impromptu. Impromptu coaching on the fly, with really no opportunity to practice because we had so many injuries. A need for us? I?m not sure. I?m confident with the players we have and I know we are going to get better. I know our management is going to pick the best available player there.

</div> Not really all that exciting or eye-opening, but something to get us pumped up for draft day.


<div align="center"><font color="black"> Recent NBA History At #9
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<font color="black"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><font size="1">2004</font></font></font> <div align="center"><font color="black"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><font size="1">Andre Iguodala</font></font>
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<div align="right"><font color="black"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><font size="1">Philadelphia</font></font>
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<font color="black"><font face="Verdana"><font size="1">2002</font></font> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><font size="1">Amare Stoudemire</font></font> <font face="Verdana"><font size="1">Phoenix</font></font> <font face="Verdana"><font size="1">1999</font></font> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><font size="1">Shawn Marion</font></font> <font face="Verdana"><font size="1">Phoenix</font></font> <font face="Verdana"><font size="1">1998</font></font> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><font size="1">Dirk Nowitzki</font></font><font face="Verdana"><font size="1">Milwaukee</font></font> <font face="Verdana"><font size="1">1997</font></font> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><font size="1">Tracy McGrady</font></font> <font face="Verdana"><font size="1">Toronto</font></font> <font face="Verdana"><font size="1">1985</font></font> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><font size="1">Charles Oakley</font></font> <font face="Verdana"><font size="1">Cleveland


</font></font></font>I think this part is funny:

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> If you guys did get the #1 pick and drafted the Wake Forest point guard (Chris Paul), do you think he would be the starter next year? (laughs)

(BD): It depends. If he comes in and beats out the current starter, I would be very surprised. (laughs) </div>

I like this part:

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> What could you use to take this thing to the next level? What kind of talent do you need out on the floor with you?

(BD): Just the type of talent we have. Guys that can run, jump and shoot. Guys that are physical and people who want to play that up-tempo style of ball. As well as guys that want to play that tenacious defense as well. </div>


Damn right! I hope the W's finally play some defense. Jeez.
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If you guys did get the #1 pick and drafted the Wake Forest point guard (Chris Paul), do you think he would be the starter next year? (laughs)

(BD): It depends. If he comes in and beats out the current starter, I would be very surprised. (laughs)

 

the warriors are terrible. think about a team that actually has skill like the raps with chris bosh, jalen rose, morris peterson and rafer alston. So whille you guys are in the lottery again next year, toronto will bee tearin it up

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting CB4 RAPTOR MVP:</div><div class="quote_post">the warriors are terrible. think about a team that actually has skill like the raps with chris bosh, jalen rose, morris peterson and rafer alston. So whille you guys are in the lottery again next year, toronto will bee tearin it up</div>
LOL..Ill make sure to book mark this thread so I can bring it up back up and laugh at it next season when the dubs continue we're they left off at the end of this season.

Seriously tho Im not saying the Warriors are a lock to make the playoffs but barring any huge injuries we'll have a better record then Toronto and should be a western conference threat. Our squad is young and deep and will only get better.

 

are you saying the raps aren't young and deep? (especially with the 7th and 16th picks)

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting CB4 RAPTOR MVP:</div><div class="quote_post">are you saying the raps aren't young and deep? (especially with the 7th and 16th picks)</div>

Depends on who they get with the picks but right now I say no they arent. Toronto cant even float in the east, the Bulls are much deeper with young talented players. I like Bosh tho, he'll be a solid player.

Davis > Alston
Richardson > Rose
Dunleavy or Pietrus > Peterson
Murphy < Bosh

 

I agree with most of that except for two things. I think its a huge understatement to say bosh will be solid. In my opinion next year he'll be an all star and has kg type skills who could be a future mvp and i a guy who you can build a franchise around. Secondly, to put Richardson as better then Rose is ridiculous. All richardson has on rose is dunking ability. Check out there 2005 stats:

Rose: 18.5 ppg, 2.6 apg and 3.4 rpg
Richardson: 21.7 ppg, 3.9 apg and 5.6 rpg

Richardsons stats look better but when you consider that before they acquired davis he was there #1 option and rose was the 2nd be hind bosh and somthimes peterson, you see why rose is better (also rose avg. 6.9 points in 4th q to Richardsons 4.1)

Lastly, I think Peterson and Dunleavy are a tie

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">the warriors are terrible. think about a team that actually has skill like the raps with chris bosh, jalen rose, morris peterson and rafer alston. So whille you guys are in the lottery again next year, toronto will bee tearin it up</div> Also you said Jalen Rose is better than Jason Richardson. How so? I think your 4th quarter points stats are flawed unless you can provide a source.

Last time I checked, the Raps were tied for worst in the Atlantic East and they had a worse record than the Warriors. So don't bring that garbage in here about the Warriors being terrible and the raps having more skill. That's just laughable.

 

Yea I didnt really mean to sound like Im underestimating Bosh, more like worst case scenario he'll be a solid player but I agree he's got all star potential.

I put Richardson over Rose mainly because he's younger and still getting better.

Dunleavy and Peterson have pretty close career numbers except Dunleavy is younger and has more upside because of his size and verstility so thats why I chose him.

 

Good reasons, I think both the Warriors and Raps are on the rise.

 

`With Davis, 18-10

`With Davis in starting line up, 14-5, while beating Sac (twice), Phoenix (twice), Seattle, Houston.

`Before Davis, Richardson led 4th quarter scoring. Also I would love to see the link on 4th quarter scoring to prove that Rose actually scored 6.9 pts...

`Also, I know whoever says "All Richardson does is dunk" only watched highlight, because in highlight, they show Richardson doing dunks. But in reality, Richardson really is not a game time dunker. Most of his 21 pts stats came from jump shoots or drive and make layups. Just because he won two slam dunk contest, don't assume that he can only make a dunk. Besides, when you average top 5 on both rebound and assist in SG, you are a little more than just a dunker...

 

Yeah, for two time Slam Dunk contest winner, he really doesn't make many dunks like how Kobe or Vince does. I wonder if he can make a dunk like them, when his dribble improves. But, since he is very effective extending his body to make layups or knows how to use rim to make layups, I don't have much problem...

 

First of all I'm glad other Warrior fans here are more patient than I am, because after seeing this guy in the Knick forum, some of his stuff just looked trollish. Even though there were no personal attacks directed at any poster, some of it seemed negative, baseless, and not of any value. But I'm glad other Warrior fans jumped in and made this topic into something positive and with something to think about. After all, it could be that some basketball fans just don't know and need some enlightening.


Hopefully, after finding what the team is about, that usually results in more knowledge/better posts in the future for that person. Hopefully....

Anyway, back on topic:
I hope Jrich's ballhandling will be close to what Kobe Bryant or Vince Carter can do, but realistically that might be too hard to achieve because ballhandling takes years of practice in order to get that fluid. He is coordinated to become really good, but I don't know about elite. Also Vinsanity and Kobe all gather their feet much quicker going in all sorts of directions. This helps a variety of things like their crossover, step back move, their continuation off the dribble hesitation move, breaking down defenders going from side to side and their ability to move at tougher angles so they can find the opening to drive hard past the defense. But Jrich is a work horse, he's athletic, strong and he hustles, so he might overachieve again. He said he wants to play point guard so he's used to handling the ball more often, but I think he might improve that dribble just by playing one-on-one with Baron Davis (which he's sure to do knowing any basketball players who play with their buddies).

With the ballhandling skills he's worked on so far he looked really good with being able to create his own shot. I like that move he does where he dribbles the ball from the key toward the baseline and frees himself from his defender by spinning inside toward the lane for the fade-away midrange jumper. He also drives, then slows up so the defender blows right by him and then hits the midrange jumper. He also outjumps most defenders and then hits the fadeaway shot with some good consistency. Outside of those ballhandling moves he still has trouble keeping the ball under control it seems. He seems to forget the ball when he has his head up and he still isn't as explosive at the rim or daring as Pietrus off the dribble penetration. Jrich still prefers to jump off two feet rather than one because he feels comfortable with it and it gets him more vertical to throw it down right on top of the defender or shoot right over defender's hands. The thing about Jrich dunking by bringing the ball from such a high point and steep angle, it's really awkward to defend because the ball is coming straight down on top of you and I think that's why Richardson loves to do that two footed, high vertical jump rather than leap off one foot (the 2 and half step) and explode going forward toward the basket. I think then Richardson could emulate some Vince Carter and Kobe Bryant type jams. If you watch the several replay videos of Jrich this season, he still prefers to jump off two feet off the dribble, even though he has worked on doing it off one.

The good thing was that we did see some flashes of BDiddy in Jrich's game and he looked like a completely different player. It's almost like the time that we played the Rockets, the Rockets lost and in the final seconds of the game Yao handled the ball in a desperation attempt to score, drove toward the basket and got real low in the dribble like a guard would. Hard to believe Yao could do that but he can. Now if Pietrus learns some Baron Davis moves. Wow. That kid will have more handles than pots and pans.

 

just stick to your own topic and please dont talk about me you dont know me or anything about the Raptors. I never said anything about you so please leave me out of your messages

 

Gee, wonder why this topic suddenly took a wrong direction. Why did we start talking about Raptors and you in negative way? Maybe because topic like this?

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting CB4 RAPTOR MVP:</div><div class="quote_post">the warriors are terrible. think about a team that actually has skill like the raps with chris bosh, jalen rose, morris peterson and rafer alston. So whille you guys are in the lottery again next year, toronto will bee tearin it up</div>

If you want people to stick with their own topics and don't talk bad about yourself or Raptors, stop making this kind of dumb statement from the beginning. And, if you can't even handle this kind of 'heat' and start to whine, trolling shouldn't be your day job...

 

im not talkin to you kwan