Mullin Interview Pts. 1 & 2 4/27 mp 3 (summary included). Brief summary Pt. 1. Tom and Ralph ask questions. Mullin responding: Core group is under 27 - Not a finished product. KG trade - Talk is premature. Lose close games, e.g. Fisher making bonehead play - Mullin thought this team had mismatch advantage, but it didn't happen. Says its on himself to change that. Baron Davis - Needs to lose weight, better shape, lose 10 lbs. Has talked with Baron. Plan in place with Mark Grabow. Starting June 5, Davis will spend summer w/Grabow. His %ages should go up. Baron motivated because he wants to prove people wrong. Mark Dunleavy - Got a lot of crap. Has worked at it (not crap, but his game). Does he fit with this team? Better w/o Baron? Duke players usually not selfish. Too passive. Important part. Met w/Mike yesterday. Needs to be more CONSISTENT. Getting to line. Passing up the 3-pt shot. Mike says he loves playing w/Baron. Should put the ball in Dun's hands more. Mullin cares about how does team mesh over having the best guy at the position. Says Mike can work harder. Beyond his comfort level. Walter Payton said his workouts ended when he got sick. Need to keep up the pace. Young players should come in fit and energetic. It's okay to be over-agressive. Too many 3-pt shots: Poor shot selection by Baron. Do we need a pure shooter? Of course. Thinks it comes down to shot selection as this team has shooters. Want guys that can play. Not just knock down shots. Jason has evolved. Need to improve at the line. Player has to make more moves than what the fan sees on the floor. Brief summary Pt. 2. Takes caller questions: Any chance of bringing Rick Barry back? FT for Biedrins only? Open to Barry as FT teacher. Hasn't talked with Rick. Need to win more games - That is what gets credibility for coach and upper management. Discipline and improvement - Coach needs to balance. Bottom line is is the team ready to play and win? Can Monty get in someone's face and yank them from game and still maintain respect? Is Monty comfortable with it? Mullin thinks he has to. Its Monty's biggest part of the job. It's about a relationship with the player and how he does the job. Mike's coached his whole life, so it's not new to him. If you think he hasn't dealt with it before, then you're underestimating his career and intelligence if you say that he doesn't know. Which players to be moved over the summer - Murphy, MP and/or Fisher. O'Neal, what type of player looking to draft or trade for. It's all talk right now. We can improve in any area. Draft - Has been working at it all season long. Going to Europe to look at the players again. Would you be happy if roster was the same + draft pick? Can't say I'm leaning towards it. Ten players are 27 and under. Don't think it's enough. Feels good about AB, Monta and Ike. Will they less likely to be included in trade? Yes. Ellis on D - Watched him play in HS. Saw him in NY. Impressed with on-ball defense. Defense is usually the toughest thing. Great demeanor. Feels he belongs. Plays the game slower meaning he lets it unfold in front of him and doesn't try to force it. Where do you see Dunleavy in terms of potential and where can he go? - Just scratching the surface. Has talent and size. Needs to be CONSISTENT to improve. Is a winning player. Look to him as a 16-5-5 player. Need to pass, have the ball in his hands and make plays. It's not just relying on making shots. How deeply did you look into Baron's background before trading for him? Looked into him extensively. Has been a model guy since he's been here. Has summer program mapped out. Baron and Monty not getting along has been overblown. He's at practice every day and if he saw something he would say something. 3-pt (close) losses eat away at Mullin. Takes losses harder now than when he was playing. Could have won 10 of 17 close games. Pt. 1 http://24.104.40.88/KNBR/0427mullin1.mp3 Pt. 2 http://24.104.40.88/KNBR/0427mullin2.mp3
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting jason voorhees:</div><div class="quote_post">Which players to be moved over the summer - Murphy, MP and/or Fisher. O'Neal, what type of player looking to draft or trade for.</div> I don't understand this part. Is O'Neal the player the Warriors are looking for, and is Murphy, MP, and Fisher the offer for Jermaine? Second, I don't understand why a GM would expect Mike Dunleavy to average five assists per game. In his whole career from NCAA to NBA he has yet to reach 3.0 assists per game. In face value, maybe you'd think he could. But obviously, he has yet to do so at high competition. Frankly Mike doesn't really have the best hands, nor the best play making ability to get the assist. Finally, the idea that Murphy and Pietrus will be dealt is very interesting. I really hope it is for a guy like Jermaine O'Neal. I cannot and will not stand for another Antawn Jamison, Jiri Welsch for Nick Van Exel and garbage deal again. Like he says, defense is the toughest thing to find, and obviously that is something that Pietrus can bring to the court. Pietrus is the player that is just barely scratching the surface of what he can become, not Dunleavy. Mullin has it all turned around and has had it all switched around his whole tenure as the head of basketball operations.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Clif25:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't understand this part. Is O'Neal the player the Warriors are looking for, and is Murphy, MP, and Fisher the offer for Jermaine? Second, I don't understand why a GM would expect Mike Dunleavy to average five assists per game. Finally, the idea that Murphy and Pietrus will be dealt is very interesting. I really hope it is for a guy like Jermaine O'Neal. </div> Regarding O'Neal, someone called in and tried to bait Mullin into answering a question saying most likely to be traded would be Murphy, Pietrus & Fish and would it be for someone like O'Neal? Mullin played it like a pro and averted answering that. Seriously it's crazy that Mullin is still in love with Dunleavy. The guy diahread on the court all 82 games and he still has Mullin's total confidence. He fooled everyone 2nd half of 04-05, Dunleavy has the skills but he just doesn't have it.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Clif25:</div><div class="quote_post">Pietrus is the player that is just barely scratching the surface of what he can become, not Dunleavy. Mullin has it all turned around and has had it all switched around his whole tenure as the head of basketball operations.</div> I dunno, I've always looked at Pietrus as a limited upside guy. His problem is that he's got a very low basketball IQ. He simply doesn't know when it's the right time time to do anything. I've been critical of Pietrus the way most people have been critical of Dunleavy. When I watch games, I don't see Dunleavy taking ill-advised shots, forcing passes, or out of position on defense (according to the team, Dunleavy is by FAR the team leader in charges taken). His problems are simply not making shots on offense and having guys beat him off the dribble on defense. With Pietrus it's totally different. I'll watch games and see him make mistake after mistake. He'll force something on a fast break and throw the ball away or get a charge called on him, on defense he'll rotate incorrectly and leave a guy wide open for a jumper or alley oop pass. He rarely makes a great pass on offense unless it's a high risk pass that happens to be on target. I mean, there's only so much good a guy can do just running around the court. At some point you have to start playing the game with your head. Can anyone point to any one thing Pietrus has improved on in his three years with the team? I can't think of any. Now, I can tell you that Dunleavy has gotten stronger, takes it to the hole a lot more now, and plays better defense (albeit going from awful to less awful). Also, until this year's disaster, Dunleavy's shooting percentages went up every year in all three categories. What can you say for Pietrus?
Not like it matters anyway considering there is no way the warriors are going to keep Pietrus. They have Ellis, another #9 pick and their best player plays his position and Mullin has no more spending room. Safe to say Pietrus is gone. As far as comparing Dunleavy to Pietrus it's like comparing a injured kitten to a sick dog, their both in a lot of trouble. If Pietrus was so terrible why would he replace Dunleavy in the starting lineup? That says more about Dunleavy's performance that Pietrus'. Of course Pietrus ruined his chances but Dunleavy did nothing spectacular when he started again. He had a nice stretch but considering he went to Duke, is getting paid 44 million, coach for a father, ringing endorsement from Magic Johnson and every excuse in the book to be great yet he can't clearly beat out a boneheaded french wingman on the rotation.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Clif25:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't understand this part. Is O'Neal the player the Warriors are looking for, and is Murphy, MP, and Fisher the offer for Jermaine?</div> I was typing as the interview was going on. The caller mentioned O'Neal but Mullin said the talk is premature or something like that. Take out the O'Neal part. I guess I didn't take it out because of a reverse Freudian slip. You really should listen to it yourself and make up your own mind about what he's saying. He's smooshing and trying to get the public's confidence up even if he does nothing again and just get draft picks. But that's not likely according to him, but you know how it goes. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Second, I don't understand why a GM would expect Mike Dunleavy to average five assists per game. In his whole career from NCAA to NBA he has yet to reach 3.0 assists per game. In face value, maybe you'd think he could. But obviously, he has yet to do so at high competition. Frankly Mike doesn't really have the best hands, nor the best play making ability to get the assist.</div> Apparently, it's tied in to Mullin's philosophy of playing with energy, being in top shape and having aggressiveness when young -- 1) wants Dunleavy to be CONSISTENT, 2) wants more out of him than just shooting the ball even if he makes them. Don't think he wants him shooting 3s too often, but rather get to the line, get the ball in his hands to run plays and attack the hoop. Stuff that's been mentioned on this board umpteen times. 16-5-5 is the goal. He mentioned Walter Payton as a model in how hard someone should work. It's pie-in-the-sky cr*p, but we'll have to see how Dunleavy does because he ain't going anywhere. Dun works hard, but it appears he'll have to work on other facets of his game and raise it. That scratching the surface comment had me laughing at first and rolling my eyeballs. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Finally, the idea that Murphy and Pietrus will be dealt is very interesting. I really hope it is for a guy like Jermaine O'Neal. I cannot and will not stand for another Antawn Jamison, Jiri Welsch for Nick Van Exel and garbage deal again. Like he says, defense is the toughest thing to find, and obviously that is something that Pietrus can bring to the court. Pietrus is the player that is just barely scratching the surface of what he can become, not Dunleavy. Mullin has it all turned around and has had it all switched around his whole tenure as the head of basketball operations.</div> Like I said, once I typed O'Neal, my mind must've had a hard time removing it and we're all in the same boat. I think Pietrus is gone. He's got some talent, but he doesn't use it to his advantage. It's like he's marching to his own drummer out there and he shoots too many 3s while not being a good 3-pt shooter (needs to be around 36%).
Ok, awesome job Jason. So I guess that takes away most of my first reply if not all of it. But to answer wtwalker's reply: I cannot prove to you any improvement in Mickael Pietrus. This last year he along with many other players put up below normal numbers including Mike Dunleavy. Before this season, he has only played two seasons, first in which he didn't play a lot until their winning streak at the end of the season, and the second season he, the coach, and the other players seemed to have lost confidence in his game. The adjustment of a new coach I believe was a strange transition for him. However he did improve his statisitics. Then again, there was this season, which was not stellar, which was a common theme for most of the roster. This coming season will be Mickael's fourth season in the NBA. I hope that he can stay healthy. Right off the bat Mickael has shown great potential, maybe it hasn't grown dramatically over time, but it has been there for him while being in the NBA. This fourth season at a good age of 24 I will expect a higher standard from him, certainly. I have faith that he can deliever in his performances as well, and expect him to perform that well.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting wtwalker77:</div><div class="quote_post">I dunno, I've always looked at Pietrus as a limited upside guy. His problem is that he's got a very low basketball IQ. He simply doesn't know when it's the right time time to do anything. </div> I totally agree with you -- Pietrus hasn't improved any area of his game since year 1. It's almost like he just can't be taught. Dunleavy has gotten stronger and goes to the hole more. But overall he still has fallen short of proving that he deserved his contract, IMO. I think both players have been disappointments. In Pietrus' defense, however, he can do things that Dun will never be able to do. You can teach the Xs and Os of the game (well, with most players lol) but you can't teach athleticism. Peitrus can throw down thunder dunks on 7-foot centers' heads. He is a strong, explosive athlete and that is a distinct advantage in the league. Pietrus could concievably become a smarter player. But Dun will never become an explosive athlete. Still, I'm not convinced Pietrus will ever do that.
