Mitch Kupchak's Exit Interview Part 1.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Opening statement-

"We're pleased. Our goal was to make the playoffs. We maintained from day one that that's something we thought was achievable. We'd gone on record and said that was a goal of ours, that we thought this team was good enough to make the playoffs, and we did make the playoffs. We played very well, in particular the second half of the season. And as you know, started out the playoffs and played really well. I don't think our play throughout the playoffs diminished with the exception of Game 7. I think Phoenix got over the fact that they were behind quickly, and their game improved as the playoffs went along. That may have had something to do with the way the playoffs ended, but that's a credit to them. They recovered from being down 3-1 and they played very well. Certainly losing Game 7 in the manner that we lost it was disappointing, and that took a little bit of the glow off of our achievements. But here it is two days out (the interview took place last Monday), we're over the shock of losing a playoff series. But in retrospect, we thought we had a good season and our future is very bright with young players going forward."

On holding the pieces together while filling needs the team has and improving it-

"The good news really is that this team is together.  We don't have that many challenges during the offseason in terms of free agency.  Of course Devean George is a free agent.  A trusted teammate for this organization for a bunch of years now.  In terms of challenges, he's probably the one challenge we have during the offseason. Of course, Jimmy Jackson's a free agent, Devin Green's a free agent, so there are some other issues to address, but basically the core of this team is intact."

On the club's stance towards George-

"As a staff we haven't sat down and gone through personnel player by player.  He is an unrestricted free agent.  We don't have matching authority.  What that means is that he's going to have choices.  I do know, based on my position, phone calls I've received pre-trade deadline this year and in years past that there will be interest in Devean.  So we have to sit down as a staff, look and see where he fits in, how much time we think he'll get, what kind of contribution he's going to make, and then try to gauge the market.  And look at the other free agents that are available as well and other ways we can improve the team, including the existing players.  And then we'll make a decision.  At that point, it's really Devean out in the marketplace.  And at that point, we're a suitor like anybody else.  Maybe we have an advantage because he's comfortable here.  I think a big issue with Devean is going to playing time and what kind of contribution he can make to a team next year.  I don't know if his role is going to change with us.  I would say right now it probably would be the same.  Having said that, all that changes when you go into training camp, and that's where you earn your position and where you earn your minutes.  But that's something that he'd have to get comfortable with."

On what the team needs-

"I think we need to stay together and keep the group together.  We like our mix of players, we like our youth.  Clearly, the second half of the season we played almost as well as any team in the NBA.  Certainly not to the level of a Detroit, but we played pretty consistent basketball, and it was fun to watch and very entertaining to watch as well.  Losing Laron Profit early in the season maybe made us weak in the backcourt.  Although he's had surgery and we're going to talk to him we don't know how his recovery is going to be.  So I would look to say that maybe we should look to add a player into our backcourt during the offseason.  Whether that's through the draft or free agency or via a trade, it's too early to say right now.  And each player is going to get better just because they're going to work hard and mature a little bit throughout the offseason."

The last two years have been massive upheaval at these meetings.  Does it feel good to have some stability finally?

"We don't expect- and I'm not sure I agree with the "massive upheaval"- but we've made some substantial changes in the last two years.  Certainly two years ago we did.  Last year we made a big trade, that's true.  I don't anticipate that this offseason, but you'll know as you get closer to the draft and then post draft into free agency- sign and trades is a period where it does heat up- and if there's an opportunity that makes sense for us to make a big deal to improve the team, we'll look at it.  Basically, those are not things you can count on.  We're very pleased with our core group, and if that's where we end up a year from now, with some changes and players getting older and getting better, we think we can win a bunch of games and in fact advance beyond the first round." 

On his pleasure at seeing how well Phil and Kobe's relationship played out-

"I didn't spend too much time trying to analyze it.  I'm not surprised that it went that way.  We felt fairly confident last year when we brought Phil back that he wanted to be here.  And based on Kobe's comments to us, which was "Just get me the best coach to win games," we felt confident that he'd be comfortable with Phil as well.  So I'm not that surprised, and in fact I'm pleased that it appears as if the relationship has even continued to grow throughout the year.  I've read a couple articles in the last couple of days and it seems like there's even a better relationship there than there ever was."

On Kobe's comments that this was the best job Phil has done as a coach, and if he'd agree with that assessment-

"I've mentioned that several times throughout the year.  I noticed in training camp Phil took a completely different approach to the training camp.  In terms of coaching this team in particular, when we had a bunch of veteran players, with Rick Fox and Derek Fisher, Robert Horry, Shaquille, Kobe, it was more managing a group of players.  They already pretty much knew how to play the game.  Their skill level was such that they had established themselves as NBA players.  At that point in time it's managing personalities, lineups, motivation.  We have a completely different team this year, and in training camp we had a bunch of young guys, and I saw Phil really take a major leap in terms of teaching and coaching young players.  And that was apparent in training camp, that he had a plan to bring this group along.  You always want to be playing great basketball at the All Star break, but you really want to be playing your best towards the end of the season.  In other words, peaking at the right time.  And that's what this team did." 

On gratification received from watching development of Kwame and Lamar over the second half of the season-

"I like to see young players improve and get better, yes.  Lamar really played very well post trade deadline, and certainly the rumors leading up until the trading deadline may have hurt his confidence a little bit, which is to be expected, but he had a great second half of the year.  And he indicated to me that a lot of that had to do with his comfort level in the offense.  He just wasn't comfortable.  In fact, he commented that this is something that Kobe's been doing for six years, and Lamar's only been exposed to it for three months.  You know, "give me some time, and I'll get it."  And certainly, clearly, he did get it.  Kwame is going to continue to be a work that needs to be evaluated.  He's not where we want him to be.  He's made great strides, his confidence has improved, but he needs to work during the offseason.  He cannot get away from basketball for five months and then come back in October.  He has to continue to work, because he's a young player that has to improve.  And he's healthy, and there's no reason why he shouldn't be back this summer.  But we're very pleased with the progress he's made in the last two or three months, also."

What can you do to facilitate that sort of basketball activity for him?

"Players have to take the initiative.  We can draw up the blueprint, we had it out, we meet with them, but they have to be in the gym.  They have to be available for our coaches during the offseason, they have to want to work."

And will Kwame fit in to that?

"My understanding is that he's not put as much time into his game during the offseason as he should.  And we're hoping that this season, he does.  It's not uncommon for players to get away from the game, and in fact for a lot of our veteran players, we recommend it.  But when you're a younger player that's still trying to prove yourself, you have to get away and you also have to get in the gym.  So he has to manage that two-part decision.  He has to get away and get rest, but he also has to get back in the gym."


I have a feeling there won't be any huge trades this summer...We are going to grow as a team and find some missing pieces to the puzzle to fit in, but I don't expect anything big. I do, however, have my hopes up on obtaining Kareem Rush this summer...He will add a lot if we sign him, as I expect...PeACe

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

K.Rush is the past. There's a reason he got traded. He thought he was great and wanted to go play for a team where he could play a lot of minutes. And he was also not working hard in practice.

And Mitch better get active.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

K.Rush is the past. There's a reason he got traded. He thought he was great and wanted to go play for a team where he could play a lot of minutes. And he was also not working hard in practice.

And Mitch better get active.

Rush is the past...AND the future...He got traded because Rudy T. wasn't gunna use him...When Phil returned, his first question was if we could still bring Rush back...Now we CAN. Rush will be our best bet at Kobe's back-up, he's definitely a "6th Man of the Year" caliber player...I'll be highly disappointed if we don't obtain him this off-season...PeACe

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Part 2:
http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=110683.0