Pacers 2006-2007 Preseason Presser

[ItsPaulyP]

Pacers GM and Owner Pauly P enters the media session and stands at the podium

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the official team presser. Some topics were going to cover are last season, our offseason moves, and the future of the team.

Some of you may or may not know that we made the playoffs last year for the first time in league history. Let me just say an incredible weight has been lifted off of our shoulders and being within a bucket of eliminating the eventual champions in Game 7 of the First Round is surely a nice consolation prize for team confidence. We would like to once again congratulate Ron Artest and Baron Davis for their season accolades, we are very proud of them and they were a big key to our success and we can only hope for more of the same.

We definitely didnt want to do anything flashy, we had a young veteran team and didnt want to mess that up. We were available to sign another young veteran in Antonio Daniels who will really give us great depth at the guard positions as well as more leadership.

We definitely expect to get to the playoffs again, once you get an invite to a party you want to keep getting those invites. Our team is still really in their prime and have improved substantially in key areas this preseason.

I will now give the media the opportunity to ask questions. Yeah, you there in the third row, go ahead

[Xist2inspire]

Well jeez, man. Just let everybody know I was only able to get third row. Why'd ya call me out like that, yo?


...........anyway, J. Felders from SI.com here. Ron Artest had a breakout season and was rewarded with big bucks. Now that he's locked up long-term, what are you expecting out of him?

Also, you mentioned that you were able to push the eventual champion Hornets to 7 in the 1st round. Now that you've had that experience, where do you see yourselves now in terms of competing for the Eastern Conference crown?

[BeeBall Reasons]

Zach Lowe: Without a lot of roster turnover and an 8 seed last season, where do you feel your team ceiling is? Do you think players such as Artest and Baron Davis can improve even more? Will you make any moves to break into that next level or just wait for improvement from within?

[ItsPaulyP]

Well jeez, man. Just let everybody know I was only able to get third row. Why'd ya call me out like that, yo?

What the fu....Ron...why are you sitting in the first row media seats??.. You know you can sit up here next to me right?? Cause you're on the team.. There you go Felders first row buddy

...........anyway, J. Felders from SI.com here. Ron Artest had a breakout season and was rewarded with big bucks. Now that he's locked up long-term, what are you expecting out of him?

Well we're expecting big things outta Ron here. He had a great campaign last year and we only expect him to improve offensively and defensively. If he doesnt get multiple all star appearances by the end of his contract then we wont be fully satisfied. He'll get there though, he's going to work hard and continue to improve his game like he has every season he's been a part of our first class organization.

Also, you mentioned that you were able to push the eventual champion Hornets to 7 in the 1st round. Now that you've had that experience, where do you see yourselves now in terms of competing for the Eastern Conference crown?

We hold ourselves in high regard. We want to win. Making the playoffs and winning when we get there is the goal. We were successful because we excel at our style of play, high tempo, pressure defense. Our team defends every position and can score from anywhere on the floor. If we arent in the Top 8 in the East by Day 120 we will all be very very disappointed.

[ItsPaulyP]

Zach Lowe: Without a lot of roster turnover and an 8 seed last season, where do you feel your team ceiling is? Do you think players such as Artest and Baron Davis can improve even more? Will you make any moves to break into that next level or just wait for improvement from within?

I think we can compete with the best teams in the league. We defend all 5 positions exceptionally with our first and second units. Ron definitely has a lot more work to do and we expect Baron to be a 1st Team selection again and again. We wont allow ourselves to be complacent. That said improvement from within is going to be our approach. We dont have the capspace to make a major move and im not going to pawn off one of my main contributors for relief. Im perfectly content with my cast of characters right now.

[IamQuailman]

Hey guy! Will Maukie of BucksNation.Com here. How'zit goin'?

If the playoffs started tomorrow, where do you think your team would sit? Following that same logic, who do you think would be your best and worst matchup?

Also, who do you see as your starting 5? It seems your center and shooting guard positions may have some competition. Although with the trade of Ostertag, the battle seems a little more clear cut.

[ItsPaulyP]

Hey guy! Will Maukie of BucksNation.Com here. How'zit goin'?

If the playoffs started tomorrow, where do you think your team would sit? Following that same logic, who do you think would be your best and worst matchup?

Also, who do you see as your starting 5? It seems your center and shooting guard positions may have some competition. Although with the trade of Ostertag, the battle seems a little more clear cut.

Good morning Will, thanks for the questions.

I feel comfortable and confident when I say I believe were a Top 6 team in the Eastern conference. We're balanced and we have depth. Though I will say that the Eastern conference is always very unpredictable so a few surprise teams are always possible.

Our best matchup would probably be your very own hometown Milwaukee Bucks, Will. Their wing players cant score from the 3 point line so Ron, Eddie, and Shane will have opportunity to clog the paint to slow down Agent Zero and their post players.

Our worst would probably be the Chicago Bulls because they have so many different options they could throw out there. Marbury was a thorn in our sides everytime we played Minnesota so now that he's joined our division and we get to play him at least 4 times a year, we arent to excited about it. And there's always that LeBron James guy, he's pretty good too.

Our starting 5 will be the same as last year. Dalembert will assume Greg's backup role, Antonio and Eddie will also get minutes at the backup 2 slot with Baron orchestrating the choir at point guard.

[Pelicans78]

What did you learn about yourself and your team after the run you had all season by being in the playoff race, making the playoffs, and taking the Hornets to a tough 7 game series? How do you plan to apply what you have learned and where is the psyche of the team right now?

[ItsPaulyP]

What did you learn about yourself and your team after the run you had all season by being in the playoff race, making the playoffs, and taking the Hornets to a tough 7 game series? How do you plan to apply what you have learned and where is the psyche of the team right now?

Appreciate the questions, our psyche is at the same place it was all last season, we're hungry, motivated, and more confident. We arent a team thats going to get much airtime in the national media for one reason or another and thats a role we are accustomed to be in.

I suppose I've learned what it takes to compete at this level. I dont think there's a specific lesson that I was taught, I'd just like to think I put together a good squad with a competitive style of play while dissecting the weaknesses of other teams and attempting to exploit them. Another year of continuity and experience should do wonders, and if not, we still have our first rounder should things go sour.