Bower Discusses Offseason, Paul’s USA Basketball Participation
August 25, 2006
Following a surprising campaign in which his club made an NBA-best 20-win improvement, Hornets general manager Jeff Bower received a multi-year contract extension on Friday afternoon. Bower held a press conference with Oklahoma City reporters in the Hornets’ offices in downtown OKC and later fielded questions from New Orleans media members in a conference call.
Here are some of the highlights from the pair of media gatherings with Bower, who addressed numerous issues, including Chris Paul’s participation in USA Basketball:
(on the Hornets’ excitement for the 2006-07 season to begin)
“We’ve had anticipation since basically July 1 [the day the Hornets announced their intention to sign Peja Stojakovic]. But when training camp starts is when it all comes together. We have to become a team first, a good team, a competitive team… Plans are only as good as the execution that takes place. We’re excited about the progress of the summer, but we’re fully aware of the task that remains ahead of us.”
(on whether he’s concerned about Chris Paul’s injury risk by participating in USA Basketball games)
“Players now are playing every day, whether they are with USA Basketball or at home working out. The great thing is he gets terrific care. The team is so deep that minutes are managed very well. He is in a highly structured atmosphere. We’re really proud to have him represent the Hornets in USA Basketball. His future with USA Basketball is really bright. It’s quite an honor for him to be a part of that.
“Having said that, there’s not a moment that goes by where you don’t cringe if he hits the floor the wrong way. We’re no different from any other team that has a player participating. But this is something that’s important for basketball, important for everyone associated with the game, to have a team made up of the right individuals, playing the right way.”
(on how Chris Paul’s USA Basketball participation may help Paul in the future)
“When you watch him play with other players at the level of USA Basketball’s players, he makes everything look so easy. As you sit there and watch that, you can’t help but picture Chris with his new (Hornets) teammates. You can’t help but picture them being more effective.
“A lot’s been made about the upgrade of our free agents, but I also think it’s going to be interesting to see how much it changes Chris’ game, and how much more effective it makes Chris Paul. Because he’s going to have some more weapons to work with and more guys who will demand defensive attention. That will open up the floor even more for Chris. I’ve pictured some things in my mind for what could be. It’s exciting, and like everybody else, I can’t wait for training camp to get here.”
(on progress of signing second-round pick Marcus Vinicius to a contract)
“Well, he’s in Brazil right now. The timing is hard, but we’ll probably have that done just prior to the opening of training camp in late September.”
(on Desmond Mason’s efforts to bounce back this season)
“Desmond wasn’t happy with his play last year overall. He felt he has a lot more to provide. He left last season eager for this season to start. I know his approach for the summer was to improve his game in many areas, to bring it back to the same level he played at when he was in both Seattle and Milwaukee. “Getting here at the end of training camp last season – learning a new style of play – was hard on him initially. He showed a lot of promise and progress as the year went on. He’s a hungry guy who is an intense competitor and a real smart man. Coming out of this training camp we’re going to see a real effective player, one that quite honestly matches Peja terrifically, in strengths versus weaknesses. The two of them fit really, really well. I think having gone through last year and coming close to the playoffs, that’s been a big driving force for Desmond.”
(on how much David West’s role may change due to the Hornets’ additions)
“I think his role will be very, very similar to last year. To be an effective frontline player, a major offensive threat, not only on pick-and-pops, but also on offensive rebounds. He will also be providing that defensive support on the defensive boards. Obviously he showed how effective he was in late-game situations and I’m sure we’re going to see that again this year.”
(on the extensive roster changes the Hornets have made)
“We went into the summer saying we were going to look at a variety of things. The draft, free agency and trades were the areas we would explore. The changes we think are all going to help this basketball team. The players’ individual skills match the elements we were looking for. Collectively, they fit together and balance off strengths and weaknesses. And lastly, they fit with our returning players. Although it is great change, we feel they are pieces and elements that will blend together very quickly. The challenge to our team from the beginning of training camp will be to come together and become a team. [We need to have] a group of guys who care, that share, that are willing to sacrifice. Getting to know our new players coming in, they all have that type of mentality. That makes you think that coming together as a team can happen at a quicker pace.”
(on difficulty of Hornets attempting to make another significant improvement in record)
“It was a big jump from 18 wins to 38. To get from 38 to 43 or 44 may be even harder than getting from 18 to 38 was. That was a big reason behind why we were as aggressive as we were, making the moves we made this summer, because we didn’t feel if we brought back the same team, that we’d have enough overall ability and juice and talent to make this next jump. It’s a difficult one to make, particularly in the West.”
(on when training camp would potentially be held in New Orleans)
“It would probably be our initial phase of training camp. We would probably begin camp on Tuesday, Oct. 3 in New Orleans. We’d be there until about Sunday (Oct. 8). A large portion of (camp) would be held at New Orleans Arena. That will give us a better sense of being there and (getting accustomed) to our facilities there. It will give us a little better comfort level when we go in there during the season.
“With as many new players as we’re going to have, coming together and being a team is going to be one of our first challenges. I think this training camp is really the place to begin that process. We saw that last year when we all came out to Oklahoma City and the only people we knew were each other. The only distractions were HBO and ESPN.
“I’m not saying we would go away every year for training camp, but looking at this particular team, with this many new faces, we think it’s an important consideration.”
(on the possibility of adding players to training camp roster)
“I think there is a high probability that we would go into training camp with a couple more players. A lot of years we’ve gone to camp with 18 players. This year with all of the work that needs to be done with the new players, we’ll probably go a little lower than that, (having) 16, maybe 17 guys. We’ll definitely or probably add a couple guys for training camp.”
Following a surprising campaign in which his club made an NBA-best 20-win improvement, Hornets general manager Jeff Bower received a multi-year contract extension on Friday afternoon. Bower held a press conference with Oklahoma City reporters in the Hornets’ offices in downtown OKC and later fielded questions from New Orleans media members in a conference call.
Here are some of the highlights from the pair of media gatherings with Bower, who addressed numerous issues, including Chris Paul’s participation in USA Basketball:
(on the Hornets’ excitement for the 2006-07 season to begin)
“We’ve had anticipation since basically July 1 [the day the Hornets announced their intention to sign Peja Stojakovic]. But when training camp starts is when it all comes together. We have to become a team first, a good team, a competitive team… Plans are only as good as the execution that takes place. We’re excited about the progress of the summer, but we’re fully aware of the task that remains ahead of us.”
(on whether he’s concerned about Chris Paul’s injury risk by participating in USA Basketball games)
“Players now are playing every day, whether they are with USA Basketball or at home working out. The great thing is he gets terrific care. The team is so deep that minutes are managed very well. He is in a highly structured atmosphere. We’re really proud to have him represent the Hornets in USA Basketball. His future with USA Basketball is really bright. It’s quite an honor for him to be a part of that.
“Having said that, there’s not a moment that goes by where you don’t cringe if he hits the floor the wrong way. We’re no different from any other team that has a player participating. But this is something that’s important for basketball, important for everyone associated with the game, to have a team made up of the right individuals, playing the right way.”
(on how Chris Paul’s USA Basketball participation may help Paul in the future)
“When you watch him play with other players at the level of USA Basketball’s players, he makes everything look so easy. As you sit there and watch that, you can’t help but picture Chris with his new (Hornets) teammates. You can’t help but picture them being more effective.
“A lot’s been made about the upgrade of our free agents, but I also think it’s going to be interesting to see how much it changes Chris’ game, and how much more effective it makes Chris Paul. Because he’s going to have some more weapons to work with and more guys who will demand defensive attention. That will open up the floor even more for Chris. I’ve pictured some things in my mind for what could be. It’s exciting, and like everybody else, I can’t wait for training camp to get here.”
(on progress of signing second-round pick Marcus Vinicius to a contract)
“Well, he’s in Brazil right now. The timing is hard, but we’ll probably have that done just prior to the opening of training camp in late September.”
(on Desmond Mason’s efforts to bounce back this season)
“Desmond wasn’t happy with his play last year overall. He felt he has a lot more to provide. He left last season eager for this season to start. I know his approach for the summer was to improve his game in many areas, to bring it back to the same level he played at when he was in both Seattle and Milwaukee. “Getting here at the end of training camp last season – learning a new style of play – was hard on him initially. He showed a lot of promise and progress as the year went on. He’s a hungry guy who is an intense competitor and a real smart man. Coming out of this training camp we’re going to see a real effective player, one that quite honestly matches Peja terrifically, in strengths versus weaknesses. The two of them fit really, really well. I think having gone through last year and coming close to the playoffs, that’s been a big driving force for Desmond.”
(on how much David West’s role may change due to the Hornets’ additions)
“I think his role will be very, very similar to last year. To be an effective frontline player, a major offensive threat, not only on pick-and-pops, but also on offensive rebounds. He will also be providing that defensive support on the defensive boards. Obviously he showed how effective he was in late-game situations and I’m sure we’re going to see that again this year.”
(on the extensive roster changes the Hornets have made)
“We went into the summer saying we were going to look at a variety of things. The draft, free agency and trades were the areas we would explore. The changes we think are all going to help this basketball team. The players’ individual skills match the elements we were looking for. Collectively, they fit together and balance off strengths and weaknesses. And lastly, they fit with our returning players. Although it is great change, we feel they are pieces and elements that will blend together very quickly. The challenge to our team from the beginning of training camp will be to come together and become a team. [We need to have] a group of guys who care, that share, that are willing to sacrifice. Getting to know our new players coming in, they all have that type of mentality. That makes you think that coming together as a team can happen at a quicker pace.”
(on difficulty of Hornets attempting to make another significant improvement in record)
“It was a big jump from 18 wins to 38. To get from 38 to 43 or 44 may be even harder than getting from 18 to 38 was. That was a big reason behind why we were as aggressive as we were, making the moves we made this summer, because we didn’t feel if we brought back the same team, that we’d have enough overall ability and juice and talent to make this next jump. It’s a difficult one to make, particularly in the West.”
(on when training camp would potentially be held in New Orleans)
“It would probably be our initial phase of training camp. We would probably begin camp on Tuesday, Oct. 3 in New Orleans. We’d be there until about Sunday (Oct. 8). A large portion of (camp) would be held at New Orleans Arena. That will give us a better sense of being there and (getting accustomed) to our facilities there. It will give us a little better comfort level when we go in there during the season.
“With as many new players as we’re going to have, coming together and being a team is going to be one of our first challenges. I think this training camp is really the place to begin that process. We saw that last year when we all came out to Oklahoma City and the only people we knew were each other. The only distractions were HBO and ESPN.
“I’m not saying we would go away every year for training camp, but looking at this particular team, with this many new faces, we think it’s an important consideration.”
(on the possibility of adding players to training camp roster)
“I think there is a high probability that we would go into training camp with a couple more players. A lot of years we’ve gone to camp with 18 players. This year with all of the work that needs to be done with the new players, we’ll probably go a little lower than that, (having) 16, maybe 17 guys. We’ll definitely or probably add a couple guys for training camp.”
