Also included are more reactions from Secaucus from the other team representatives at the lottery, courtesy of NBA.com.
Bryan Colangelo: Thank you for joining the call. Very, very pleased with the outcome, obviously, of the lottery tonight. I was stressed there at the end, but to be honest with you there was a little bit of a simple feeling going in that no matter where we ended up, number one, five, or eight, we were going to end up with a very good basketball player. But now the Toronto Raptors find themselves in a situation where not only do we have the number one pick, but weve got some cap flexibility that was obviously a result of a midseason trade pulled off by Wayne Embry that gives us a real combined power if you will. I believe the combination is a very worthwhile package in terms of the ability to maybe pull a player in but to also possibly select the number one player in the draft. It just gives you that much more flexibility, so we are playing with an absolute full deck in terms of the options that are there in front of us, the combination of [cap flexibility] and then the first pick gives us a very good hand to go through this process and, hopefully, make the right decisions. We are hard at work already in the draft process; we have a terrific staff in place. The draft workouts are headed up by Jim Kelly, our director of player personnel, but being over seen by all of us at this point: myself, Wayne Embry, Sam Mitchell, the scouts who are involved. We have obviously have a lot of work ahead over the coming month and there is a lot to do to make this team better, but this draft should net us a player that is a good piece for us moving forward, and when I say a good piece, its a piece that both short term and long term have to fit our plan, and our plan is to get better and ultimately contend for a title and this is a good first step in that process.
Thank you we will now open it up to questions
Question: It looks like you are putting your stamp on this team right now. How much input does coach Mitchell have on who you guys are going to draft considering you are new to the team now and your trying to make it your own?
Bryan Colangelo: Well I always operated on the basics of re-building. Thats a big word for me, but its more importantly a big part of the way I operate. I think you do things as a staff. Sam [Mitchell] is a big part of that staff right now, hes our head coach. He got the guys ready to play every night last year and he has really grown as a coach. But I will certainly utilize his input in this process, as I always have. Ive always given a coach a lot of input in the process. Obviously, at the end of the day, a decision has got to be made and I want it to be a consensus of the entire group. Weve got a great group together; I mentioned some of them before. There are a lot of good basketball minds in the room, and, by the way, this organization has done a terrific job of drafting in the past. You just look back, and compliments to Rob Babcock my predecessor for collecting Charlie Villanueva where he did. He turns out to be the second best rookie of the class from last year, and I think thats indicative not only of Robs judgment, but its what the staff that was involved in the process thought of Charlie, and I know that Rob was a big part of that. I would simply tell you that this is a process where Sams input is definitely going to be seen as a key part of this, because its important to have your coach on board with whatever ultimately you do.
Question: How is this going to impact what your plans are for the next month and the guys you work out? I suppose it will narrow it greatly, right?
Bryan Colangelo:Yeah, there was a lot of jockeying going on with agents in terms of scheduling the draft workouts. But now that they know the draft order, its going to be a little bit easier to get some commitments on those dates and times. We had a lot of dates that were tentatively scheduled. Now we can probably put them in pen as opposed to pencil. This certainly has the makings of an exciting month ahead. Weve got a lot of work to do. I had previously planned one more trip to Europe to the Reebok Eurocamp, which runs from June 11-14th and Orlando camp which is a chance to not necessarily look at first round picks, but important players will go through there. Ill probably have a chance to sit down and talk to a couple of them. Our doctors and trainers will go through a process of interviewing them based on the physicals, finding out a little bit more about who they are, as people, and as draft prospects. This is a busy month and weve got a lot of work ahead of us. Its just a matter of getting some firm times and we're going to start this process as soon as possible.
Question: People will be automatically discussing trade possibilities. Do you expect to get inundated with this pick given that there isnt a real consensus number one player out there?
Bryan Colangelo: I dont know that there is any inundation that Im looking at, but I will say that there is a lot of flexibility and I know there are a lot of players that people like at number one. Whether someones willing to part with a player who we feel is valuable enough to part with (our) pick, well make that decision when it presents itself. Whether its someone else doing the presenting or us manufacturing ways or coming up with ways of our own, were going to explore any and all options as we move forward. I do like this draft. I like the top of the draft. I think there are some very good players and I think those players will be in the league for a long time. Just by virtue of us being number one and having the first pick, it puts us in a very good situation.
Question: A cynic may say the Raptors finally get the number one pick in a year where there is no consensus number one and there are a lot of questions marks. What would you say to that?
Bryan Colangelo: Are you saying there are cynics among us?
Question: I would say yeah there might be. (Laughs)
Bryan Colangelo: Well, again, this is a year that I've said, from the beginning, we were going to have a very good pick and its not the best draft to have the highest pick. I still think this is a year where we have a lot flexibility, but it might not be the best year to have a lot of flexibility with regards to free agents because its not a banner year for free agents. But you have to take it in stride. This is a year that we're looking to get better as a basketball team. Weve got a lot of room to improve. I look at this as a very positive step for the organization, for the Toronto Raptors, for the city of Toronto and well do what we can to make the most of what opportunity is there for us. Right now, to have the most opportunity that we can possibly have, I feel a lot better than having zero opportunity.
Charlie Bury (DraftExpress): Does winning the lottery put more pressure on the Raptors organization to make the playoffs next year?
Bryan Colangelo: Ive said about this draft: I dont know that theres a sure fire piece thats going to come in and help us get to where we want to go, but I will say long term we should be acquiring a player via the draft that will help us get there. My stance on the playoffs--without any kind of predictions-- is that I will be disappointed any year that Im here that we dont make it. Thats what we should be striding for. First thing I wanted to do when I came to Toronto was change the culture, turn it from what was a situation that I dont think there was a lot of winning in the mindset, to a situation where there is a lot of winning. Thats what our sole focus should be. We should have a goal of making the playoffs every year that we step on the floor and theres no reason that says we shouldnt next year given the fact that we have some opportunity next year to make some improvement.
Question: Have you had a chance to talk to any of the high prospects like an Adam Morrison and Tyrus Thomas, and do you have plans to work these players out?
Bryan Colangelo: We have plans to work out all of them. However, given the nature of timing and draft ineligibility, I personally have not talked to any of what I would call the top top picks with the exception of Marcus Williams, who came into Toronto last week. But LaMarcus Aldridge, Andrea Bargnani, Tyrus Thomas, Rudy Gay, and Adam Morrison I have not spoken to directly.
Question: The rabid speculation is that you guys are looking at Andrea Bargnani. Are there a few players that you have seen that have particularly excited you and you are dreaming about drafting them?
Bryan Colangelo: Yes and no. I would say that I dont dream about drafting anybody per se (laughs,) but we have talked a lot about players in this draft, players that might help us in terms of what we need to do to get better and whats on our agenda in terms of getting better. There are some players that I can tell you would be good fits for us. But weve got a lot more work to do in terms of figuring out specifically whats going to be the right move for this team long term including that of combining it with the right moves this summer in free agency. We have got a lot ahead of us; weve got a lot of thoughts. Youre going to hear us list a lot of the top possibilities; I think I just did in the previous question. But yes I have got to say that Bargnani is someone we would consider with that pick. There is also rabid speculation that I was trying to manipulate the draft so that Bargnani would come to Toronto as part of a package deal with the possibility of hiring Maurizio Gherardini as an assistant general manager. Maurizio Gherardini is [Andreas] general manager. We are in the process of discussing the possibility of Maurizio coming to Toronto. That courting is definitely something that is in process. That should talk again about the direction I would like to see this thing go in terms of bringing in the top flight people, top tier people in the industry to make this a great situation for years to come. This is a step going in that direction, and there is no package deal right now, but I cant rule anything out as we move forward.
Question: The last couple of years, Torontos picks have not been very well received by fans and media. How much pressure does that put on you this year to really make the right call and do you factor in making a decision that will go over with the fans?
Bryan Colangelo: Well you know Im new to the market. Im aware of some of the criticisms obviously and the talk last year, even the reactions last year of some of the commentators on ESPN at the draft who were in a little bit of disbelief that Charlie Villuneva was picked where he was. I think Charlie proved everybody wrong. When you start getting influenced by some of that stuff, I think you have to factor in the marketability of a player, I think you have to factor in the talent of the player, I think you have to factor in the long term prospect of improving your team above all of that. When I say above all of that, you cant be influenced by, no offense, by what the media wants you to do and what the general public wants you to do. You have to do what rights for your organization. At the end of the day, when your team starts to succeed, thats what translates to success with the fans and with the media. I think youve got to make decisions, you cant be afraid to make tough decisions. There are a lot of tough decisions to make in this business. Sometimes you make trades where people scratch their heads; sometimes you make a draft selection where people scratch their heads. Me, personally, even in Phoenix, I was criticized for just about everything we did. I always think there is a little bit of a rush to judgment on draft night or when a trade happens. I think you have to let time pass, games play to determine what exactly is the outcome of some decision. Going back, when I said I was criticized for everything, that was not an understatement. I was criticized for taking Shawn Marion and not Corey Maggette. I remember hearing it was a bad move trading Stephon Marbury to the Knicks, and it turned out to open up the door for us to Steve Nash. Im now arriving at a new situation and I know that weve got a whole new course to determine our future and determine the kind of success that we are going to have. I think, in fairness to the process, you do have to be patient and you do have to let things play themselves out, so any kind of criticism on draft night really doesnt mean anything.
Charlie Bury (Draftexpress.com): What do you think you can learn about these players by working them out that you didnt know about them from watching them play during the season?
Bryan Colangelo: Thats an interesting question. A lot of times people ask What do you put most of your weight on? Do you put it on the way they play during the year or do you put it on the draft workout? I like to look at bits of everything. I like to watch what a guys success has been or progress has been. Sometimes were not dealing with a whole lot of comparative stats. Thats why scouts are employed and scouts have an opportunity to help you chart a players growth. Whether you see them first as a high school senior, which used to be the case, to a player that ends up playing four years of college ball, youre constantly looking for signs of improvement. Players that dont improve a lot are either stuck in a bad situation and make bad decisions or ultimately perhaps they just are in the wrong system and the coach is not the right fit for them. Sometimes the NBA game is the better fit for some of these players than the college game. I do believe that you need to put a lot of weight on the personnel interaction. When youre a scout and you show up at a game, whether youre a general manager or just a guy asked to go see a game as a friend, the bottom line is you cant sit down and talk to that player and get a feel for them. When they are sitting in front of you, when they go out to dinner with your scouts the night before, when they are in the training room getting their ankles taped, you start to learn a lot about a person and what kind of character they have. Thats a big part of what we do, evaluate these people not just as basketball players but who they are as people, as well, and thats something that I think factors into it. Also you get a chance to officially measure a player there when they are at the workout. You get a chance to shake their hands and see how big their hand is. You get a chance to talk to them face to face about what kind of experience they had growing up. I think you can learn a lot from these visits. Ive got a history of factoring in all of the above, whether its games played, visits, all the statistical information that we can evaluate now. Youve got to factor it all in, and it ultimately leads to your decision to draft somebody.