Post by aar on Jun 7, 2012 12:49:19 GMT -5
1) Welcome back Insane. Now that you're back and you've been essentially handed a steaming pile of shit. What's your plan?
Insane: The team wasn't that bad talent-wise, just the amount of picks I didn't have made it a little challenging. My first step was to get my immediate picks back and I accomplished that. Since I have some freebie years coming up, I can accord to just chill out, clear cap, acquire youth and picks and let the good times roll. Hopefully I can draft high and draft well because a lot of teams are tanking as well.
Aar: So far you're on the right track. That's for sure. I think it's pretty incredible what you've done so far.
2) In a league that doesn't have a ton of frontcourt talent, what did you think Denton and Hillman were worth?
Insane: Denton's having an absurd year, however, he is not a shotblocker, so I think that hurts his value in the eyes of many GM's here. I managed to get a potential lotto pick and Wilkerson for him, and then flipped Wilkerson for one of my 1sts back so I'm happy with the return I got for Denton.
Hillman on the other hand is the top shot blocker in the league so I have gotten a lot more interest in him than I had for Denton. He's a reliable double-double threat night in and night out without being an offensive option. Overall, I got a pretty solid return for him as well.
Aar: I'm incredibly impressed with the return that you got. I'm not sure that I could've done as good of a job with the hand you were dealt. It's been pretty impressive overall. I guess the next challenge is finding a suitor for Irvine, but that shouldn't be a huge issue. I think it's safe to say that the Grizzlies are back on track, so kudos to you.
3) You had no choice in what team you'd take over, but if you did, which team would you want?
Insane: Hm, probably the Bucks so I could lean on Bingo and stack some more rings up. It seems like having this guy on your team is an automatic win almost every series.
If I wasn't looking to win, I'd probably go with the Celtics or Mavs because they both have some nice young players in King and Malone along with the ability to make some noise in free agency this offseason.
Aar: My team would be the least fun to take over because we're essentially in cruise control. I'd probably take over the Suns. They have the best shot at the top pick and essentially have a clean surface to paint their own picture.
I like starting teams with nothing and then building from the bottom up. I think that a challenging team to take over are the Clippers. They're not really a contender and have aging pieces.
4) The Thunder also don't have their pick for awhile, yet have decided to rebuild. Are you too proud to trade off your assets for cap and futures and go forward without your picks?
Insane: I've never tried building teams the way habes does, and I don't intend to start now. I like having my own picks to fall back on in case something happens. Also I'm probably not good enough to pull off not having any picks for a decade and try to power through it and rebuild without them.
Aar: This question is a bit outdated now, but I'm with you, if I'm tapping out, I'll give up whatever is needed to get my picks back. I was pretty surprised that Habes was so willing to move forward without his picks and I think that it may ultimately be a mistake. Whenever I inquired about trading back his picks, he always said that he wasn't interested.
5) Which of your players do you think has the most value on the trade market?
Insane: It was Darnell Hillman. It's probably gonna be like pulling teeth to try to trade Gale and Murphy even though they're quality players.
Aar: I think it's Gale. He's still young and pretty underrated. Murphy's value is essentially double what it was when the Grizzlies acquired him, at least in terms of output.
6) Other than the Bucks and Blazers, who do you think has the best team?
Insane: Probably Denver. They have just about everything you need for an FBB championship. Shot blocking, competent post scoring/free throw shooting, a superstar scorer, good bench, and their PG platoon takes care of the ball well. Their only weakness is their bigs turn it over a little too much.
Aar: I like the Nets a lot. If Cowens steps up a bit and starts to click, they could make some noise. They have some really nice pieces, they just need to figure out how to make them work well together.
7) Which trade recently has turned your head the most and why?
Insane: Haven't paid too much attention to other trades since I got back, but the McAdoo for Rudy T trade kinda mystifies me. Maybe I'm not completely up on the value of players here yet but the trade looked pretty good for Game, yet everyone was saying it was bad for him or good for aar. Rudy looks like the superior player to me, with a much better contract. Not sure McAdoo on a max contract is a good idea.
Aar: Your trade with repole involving your picks really confused me. I still don't exactly understand the premise of the deal and whether or not it will be allowed. Either way, you managed to convince Repole that you'd do your best to make the picks suck and he believed it, so you certainly deserve some credit for having a favorable reputation in BBS.
8) Do you think that you can be active enough to turn the Grizzlies into a contender in the next few years?
Insane: I don't see why not. I have all my picks so unless I completely shit the bed and disappear, I should be out of the woods soon.
Aar: I think that activity is the key word. You have shown in the past that you become disinterested at times and aren't as active.
9) Do you think Vancouver will ever get another NBA team?
Insane: Maybe when I'm in my 40's, like 20 or more years from now. I can think of Seattle off the top of my head which should get a team again before we do, and then I think one of those Midwest cities wants one as well. But once we get a team back, I think they'll be here to stay because last time, the Canadian dollar was so weak compared to the USD which made it hard for owners to make money. Now, with the CAD almost on par with the USD, it evens out the playing field. Also, the game has grown here a lot since the emergence of Steve Nash and with the coming emergence of Canadian players in the NBA, it should only get better.
Then again, with how watered down the league is, maybe they shouldn't expand anymore. Unless an existing team is moving somewhere, I don't think it's a good idea.
Aar: David Stern said that his biggest mistake in his history as commissioner was allowing Michael Heisley to move the team to Memphis. That said, their attendance was horrible and I doubt that they'll be getting a team again. If they do, I think that 20 years is a fair estimate.
10) If you were redoing last years draft, who would you take 1st overall?
Insane: Bernard King looks like he'll probably be the best player from this draft.
Aar: I'd take Terry Tyler. Guy is an absolute stud defender. He also doesn't turn the ball over and shoots a decent percentage as a rookie. I think that he'll be a really good player.
Insane: The team wasn't that bad talent-wise, just the amount of picks I didn't have made it a little challenging. My first step was to get my immediate picks back and I accomplished that. Since I have some freebie years coming up, I can accord to just chill out, clear cap, acquire youth and picks and let the good times roll. Hopefully I can draft high and draft well because a lot of teams are tanking as well.
Aar: So far you're on the right track. That's for sure. I think it's pretty incredible what you've done so far.
2) In a league that doesn't have a ton of frontcourt talent, what did you think Denton and Hillman were worth?
Insane: Denton's having an absurd year, however, he is not a shotblocker, so I think that hurts his value in the eyes of many GM's here. I managed to get a potential lotto pick and Wilkerson for him, and then flipped Wilkerson for one of my 1sts back so I'm happy with the return I got for Denton.
Hillman on the other hand is the top shot blocker in the league so I have gotten a lot more interest in him than I had for Denton. He's a reliable double-double threat night in and night out without being an offensive option. Overall, I got a pretty solid return for him as well.
Aar: I'm incredibly impressed with the return that you got. I'm not sure that I could've done as good of a job with the hand you were dealt. It's been pretty impressive overall. I guess the next challenge is finding a suitor for Irvine, but that shouldn't be a huge issue. I think it's safe to say that the Grizzlies are back on track, so kudos to you.
3) You had no choice in what team you'd take over, but if you did, which team would you want?
Insane: Hm, probably the Bucks so I could lean on Bingo and stack some more rings up. It seems like having this guy on your team is an automatic win almost every series.
If I wasn't looking to win, I'd probably go with the Celtics or Mavs because they both have some nice young players in King and Malone along with the ability to make some noise in free agency this offseason.
Aar: My team would be the least fun to take over because we're essentially in cruise control. I'd probably take over the Suns. They have the best shot at the top pick and essentially have a clean surface to paint their own picture.
I like starting teams with nothing and then building from the bottom up. I think that a challenging team to take over are the Clippers. They're not really a contender and have aging pieces.
4) The Thunder also don't have their pick for awhile, yet have decided to rebuild. Are you too proud to trade off your assets for cap and futures and go forward without your picks?
Insane: I've never tried building teams the way habes does, and I don't intend to start now. I like having my own picks to fall back on in case something happens. Also I'm probably not good enough to pull off not having any picks for a decade and try to power through it and rebuild without them.
Aar: This question is a bit outdated now, but I'm with you, if I'm tapping out, I'll give up whatever is needed to get my picks back. I was pretty surprised that Habes was so willing to move forward without his picks and I think that it may ultimately be a mistake. Whenever I inquired about trading back his picks, he always said that he wasn't interested.
5) Which of your players do you think has the most value on the trade market?
Insane: It was Darnell Hillman. It's probably gonna be like pulling teeth to try to trade Gale and Murphy even though they're quality players.
Aar: I think it's Gale. He's still young and pretty underrated. Murphy's value is essentially double what it was when the Grizzlies acquired him, at least in terms of output.
6) Other than the Bucks and Blazers, who do you think has the best team?
Insane: Probably Denver. They have just about everything you need for an FBB championship. Shot blocking, competent post scoring/free throw shooting, a superstar scorer, good bench, and their PG platoon takes care of the ball well. Their only weakness is their bigs turn it over a little too much.
Aar: I like the Nets a lot. If Cowens steps up a bit and starts to click, they could make some noise. They have some really nice pieces, they just need to figure out how to make them work well together.
7) Which trade recently has turned your head the most and why?
Insane: Haven't paid too much attention to other trades since I got back, but the McAdoo for Rudy T trade kinda mystifies me. Maybe I'm not completely up on the value of players here yet but the trade looked pretty good for Game, yet everyone was saying it was bad for him or good for aar. Rudy looks like the superior player to me, with a much better contract. Not sure McAdoo on a max contract is a good idea.
Aar: Your trade with repole involving your picks really confused me. I still don't exactly understand the premise of the deal and whether or not it will be allowed. Either way, you managed to convince Repole that you'd do your best to make the picks suck and he believed it, so you certainly deserve some credit for having a favorable reputation in BBS.
8) Do you think that you can be active enough to turn the Grizzlies into a contender in the next few years?
Insane: I don't see why not. I have all my picks so unless I completely shit the bed and disappear, I should be out of the woods soon.
Aar: I think that activity is the key word. You have shown in the past that you become disinterested at times and aren't as active.
9) Do you think Vancouver will ever get another NBA team?
Insane: Maybe when I'm in my 40's, like 20 or more years from now. I can think of Seattle off the top of my head which should get a team again before we do, and then I think one of those Midwest cities wants one as well. But once we get a team back, I think they'll be here to stay because last time, the Canadian dollar was so weak compared to the USD which made it hard for owners to make money. Now, with the CAD almost on par with the USD, it evens out the playing field. Also, the game has grown here a lot since the emergence of Steve Nash and with the coming emergence of Canadian players in the NBA, it should only get better.
Then again, with how watered down the league is, maybe they shouldn't expand anymore. Unless an existing team is moving somewhere, I don't think it's a good idea.
Aar: David Stern said that his biggest mistake in his history as commissioner was allowing Michael Heisley to move the team to Memphis. That said, their attendance was horrible and I doubt that they'll be getting a team again. If they do, I think that 20 years is a fair estimate.
10) If you were redoing last years draft, who would you take 1st overall?
Insane: Bernard King looks like he'll probably be the best player from this draft.
Aar: I'd take Terry Tyler. Guy is an absolute stud defender. He also doesn't turn the ball over and shoots a decent percentage as a rookie. I think that he'll be a really good player.
