TrailBlazers Welcome new GM Inner_GI

[Inner_GI]

Mid Season Review by Inner_GI

Opening Statement: I just want to welcome everybody here to this press conference. I realize the expectations were high after reaching the Finals last year, but I'm stressing patience with this team. We have a lot of expiring contracts and a bunch of cap space to make some moves this off season. I'm evaluating every player from this day forward as a blank canvas. I plan on using the rest of the season as a "interview" for a job next season. That leads me to my next order of business.

Notable Player Evaluations:

Steve Francis: What can I say that hasn't bee spoken around the league already? Steve is the heart and soul of this team. He is second in the league in minutes played only behind Kobe Bryant by .4 minutes. Steve is 4th in the league with assists per game trailing the leader by only .1 assists. Steve Francis may be the future of the Portland TrailBlazers, and he will likely fetch a hefty contract next year. I plan to sit down with Steve after this season to discuss the long term potential with this team.

Kelvin Cato: Kelvin has been a true center for us this year. Posting career highs in rebounding and blocks per game, I've been pleasantly surprised by Kevlin. We all know his contract is expiring after this season, but I would love to keep Cato around while we groom a young center that can learn his dedication for the defensive end of the floor.

Tayshaun Prince: Entering his third year of his career, Tayshaun is continually showing improvement at the 3 position. I see him as our future in the SF position. Tayshaun has shown improvement in so many areas this season:
FG%, 3P%, RPG, BPG, and PPG have all seen an increase from the previous two seasons.

Dorell Wright: I love having Dorell learning from Tayshaun. I beleive these two youngsters can grow and learn from each other. The previous GM wasn't giving Dorell any playing time, but after some playing time this past 5 games, I'm convinced he deserves to be coming off the bench to develop his game. I don't see Dorell out there chucking shots like a immature rookie. Dorell will continue to see playing time this season, and should expect an extension from us this season.

Wayne Simien: Maybe the surprise of the season. Wayne has come in as the 26th pick this past year and made it to the Rookie All Star game. Wayne's inside game has shown some polish for only being a rookie. Averaging 11 points and 8 rebounds in 25 minutes has been a big boost to this team. As a rookie, Wayne has a lot to proud of this season. I'm eager to see Wayne's development in the next couple of years. Maybe we look to bring in a veteran to teach the youngster some tricks of the trade.

Closing Statement: Currently we are sitting in the 8th see of the Western Conference. This team is really coming around after a tough start to the season, and playoff experience would be a huge boost for a young team. I'm excited to be apart of this organization, and I look forward to providing the great city of Portland with a championship.

Are there any questions?

[Pelicans78]

What changes did you make that helped your team go 4-1 in the last sim?

[Inner_GI]

What changes did you make that helped your team go 4-1 in the last sim?

Without knowing what the previous lineup was, I first looked at my top three players: Francis, Finley, and Prince. Prince is one of the best outside shooters in the league, and Francis and Finley can get score at will. I put a focus of an outside game, and in 3 of the 4 wins, it was the reason we won the game. Also, poor shooting against Dallas was the reason we only scored 77 points. No one could hit a shot.

We have a lot of 'A' talent defenders, so I wanted to trap often and apply pressure. We only forced 62 TOs in 5 games, so I was a bit disappointed with that effort, but 4-1 is nothing to complain about especially when we beat 2 playoff teams ahead of us in the Western Conference to push us into the 8th seed.