Piatkowski Press Conference Transcript HOUSTON (July 26, 2003) - Former Clippers guard/forward Eric Piatkowski met with with the local media today after officially signing a free agent contract with the Rockets. The following is a complete transcript of the press conference. Carroll Dawson opening statements: Thank you everybody for being here. We are very excited; about an hour ago we signed Eric Piatkowski. It's a guy we went after for quite a while. We think he fits well with our team. He brings a lot of things to the table that we definitely need, shooting being one of them. We are very excited. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- On how this meshes with what is going on with James Posey: CD: It doesn't mesh with it, it's just the way that Eric fits this team that is the main thing that we are talking about here. The Rockets shooting percentage last year was around 43 percent. He (Piatkowski) has been a great shooter every since he's been in the league. One of the things I was talking to him about that he brings to us and is going to become very important down the road, is that he is a great passer to the post. That is one of the hardest things to do in this league, and if you don't believe me, I remember talking to (Hakeem) Olajuwon a number of times after Robert Horry left this team. Robert was one of the best that we've ever had here, and one of Eric's fortes is passing. If you've ever watched him play, nobody in the league does more moving without the basketball than he does. He's going to be a big plus, and it's going to be a great fit for us. I think everyone in this area is going to love watching Eric play because he plays with the right incentive and plays with the right attitude. He brings a lot to the table and is going to bring a lot to our team. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Eric Piatkowski's statements: I'm the type of player that I know what I bring to the table. My bread and butter in this league is to hit the outside shot. I play hard every time I hit the floor and am a team basketball player. I just really, really want to win. We haven't' been successful in the past nine years since I've been in Los Angeles, and I think there is an opportunity to come here and win a lot of games and be very successful. When I was looking for a team to sign with this summer, I looked at teams that could really play inside-out. With Yao Ming down low, he's going to demand a double-team and is going to become better and better every year and probably become the most dominant player in the league in the next couple of years. Then you have guys like Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley that are so good off the dribble. They can break things down. I know that from just knowing the type of defense that we've played against them (Rockets) in the past when I was playing on the Clippers. We were constantly leaving our guys and having to double to help out or they (Rockets) would get easy buckets. I know that playing here, I'm going to get a lot of wide-open, easy looks, and that's my forte. I can knock down the open shot. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- On the position he will play, and whether he thinks he will start: EP: In the conversations I've had with coach Van Gundy on the phone, he views the two and three guard almost as if they are the same position. You put the two and three out there, and I guess it depends on whom you're guarding out there that night. I have no problem with that. I hit the weight room. I'm strong enough and tall enough. I can play those guys and am just excited about the opportunity to get as many minutes as possible. You mentioned starting - I don't know about that; I just want to contribute. I think when you're young and you come in, the most important thing is notoriety, starting and things like that. But that's not a big concern to me. I know I'm going to get to play a lot of minutes here, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to win right now. I'm 32 years old. I think I have quite a few good years left in me, but I've tasted the losing side of it and now I want to win. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ On where this moment ranks in his career: EP: This is a very, very important moment. I don't know exactly how to rank it as far as athletic achievement or things like that, but I'm hoping that this is going to be the start of something wonderful right here. When I think back on my NBA career, the fondest memories and the best moments will all be in a Rockets uniform. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ On what his wife thought about him joining the Rockets: EP: I think when you are a young guy, you can go anywhere you want to. You don't have to consult a lot of people, you just go ahead and think about your happiness. But once you're married... I have two young children, I have a little girl that's about to start kindergarten, so there are lot of things to consider. We knew we wanted to be in a great city and Houston is a fantastic city. It's always been one of my favorite cities. There is a lot to do here, and we like the climate. There are a lot of things that are really important that we like in Houston, so she (Piatkowski's wife) was on board right from the get go. There were some cities where if I even mentioned that they had been talking to my agent, she would get a horrible look on her face and would turn white. I would say that's probably not going to work out. So I was just really happy that the team that was right up towards the top of my list worked out for me. CD: When I called him, the first time that we started talking, I mentioned the fact that we might get him and his wife down here. He mentioned right away that Houston was one of the places he wouldn't have to OK with his wife since they liked Houston. So that was a good start. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- On being considered a role player: EP: I think that some people that don't watch a lot of basketball might think that, but just talking to basketball people that really watch the game, as far as general managers, coaches, and what not, they are really the ones that study the game and know what they are getting with me. It's not just the outside shooting. I think I run the floor just as well as anybody in the league. I'm a lot more athletic than people think. I'm the type of player that you look at teams in the past that win and do well, and they have those types of players. You can't have all superstars on your team. Teams that do really well have a couple of superstars, which the Rockets definitely have, and then you have to have guys that fill in and play their role. I can do that very well. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- On whether they will add more people to the team: CD: We are still looking because we still have a couple of places to add people to the team. But getting back to what Eric said, I concur 100 percent. He is more athletic than he's probably given credit for. I promise you if you watch this league very closely, there is nobody that has any more movement out on the basketball court from end-to-end and also on the half court than Eric does. He's a constant mover all the time. So that's going to be a big benefit. Plus, it's not just shooting, because I'm telling you it's very important when you have a center that needs the ball in a certain place to have people to get it to him, and he's one of those people. --------------------------------------------------------------------- On what Carroll describes as the remaining priorities: CD: My job is to meet with the coaches when they get back this Wednesday and we will go over that. We have a coach that really believes in the bench a certain way. He wants personalities that really support the starters and add a lot to the team. Rudy was the same way. We want people that support the starters and make them better. So we aren't just going to go out and pick up two guys and finish out the roster. We are going to do some studying and try and get the best people to support this team. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- On what type of skills or positions you looking for in other guys: CD: We've got some people in mind. But with the summer league going on and the coaches trying to move here, not being here a lot, we have some meetings set up for this week where we will get down to the nitty gritty of it more than we have. We've just been in a time crunch since we hired the coaching staff, and we haven't had time to do everything. But the main thing, like getting Eric on board, is what we've worked on the hardest. Getting the coach and getting Eric on board is what we've been able to do, so now we can, not relax, but start doing the other stuff. --------------------------------------------------------------------- On if this signing makes it official that Posey won't be retained: CD: No. We have 15 days to decide, and we'll see. We are usually going to do whatever is best and we've talked about it a little bit, and we'll probably talk about it a lot more. Eric can play a two or three; anybody in this league would love to have him on the team no matter what the situation is because he'll be skilled. So whatever else we do has nothing to do with this. This is just a great high for us, right here. I've spent 40 years of my life coaching and guys like Eric spread the floor where it's going to make more room for not only our center, but for driving lanes and our guards to get to the bucket. It's just going to make the game a lot easier, and that's one of the things that is very exciting for me. www.rockets.com
i'm extremely excited about this pick up. i know very little about pike, other than what i've seen in past rocks/clips games...but, i really like what i'm hearing... i love hearing that...he feeds the post well...he moves well w/o the ball (something the rocks will need to learn from him)...his eagerness to contribute...he's comfortable being a role player. now, who will the other roster spots be???
Interesting comments about passing into the post- fantastic, if it's true. One of the single biggest weaknesses on our team. Can anybody confirm this? Did he even have to do it on the Clippers? To Kandi, maybe?
I love how CD makes me feel like the Rockets are going all the way coming out of a press conference. Still, we're undersized at forward and will need to make a move there (unless our existing players improve a lot). This quote was very notable to me: "One of the things I was talking to him about that he brings to us and is going to become very important down the road, is that he is a great passer to the post." Also seems like just getting two more decent cheap FA's is rocket transaction priority... but i guess who knows
HOOPSWORLD Writeup on the Pike Move... Houston Coach Jeff Van Gundy got the scoring threat he wanted, but can Eric Piatkowski carry his share of the defensive load? After watching one of his premier shooting prospects suffer through a miserable LA Summer Pro League series, newly-appointed Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy told us what we already knew: The Rockets need better perimeter shooters. International scouts touted Bostjan Nachbar as the next great small forward in the NBA. He's the next Peja Stojakovic, they said, and he'll soon be the starting three for the Rockets. Granted, we didn't see a lot of Nachbar in Houston last season, but the reason why is becoming dreadfully clear. The kid just doesn't have what it takes to be an NBA starter. Not yet anyway. If you can't ht an open jumper you're not going to last too long on a team that needs to keep defenders from clogging the lane around their big man. James Posey was part of the problem on the offensive end last season. He was a prolific scorer for the Denver Nuggets, but he was, indeed a scorer, not a shooter. What the Rockets need is a three who can hit the open three, but who can also play solid defense. With Posey they had the defense, with Piatkowski they trade the defense for offense. Pike won't miss the deep shot (he shot just under 40% last season), but he is somewhat of a liability on the defensive end. Jeff Van Gundy is willing to make the sacrifice, though, because under his system the opposing perimeter players are going to have to think twice about driving past the outer defense. That road leads to Yao Ming and Eddie Griffin. A couple of major changes are going to take place in the fundamental approach of the Houston Rockets this season. First, Yao Ming is going to get the ball more. Second, Eddie Griffin is going to break his habit of wandering out to the three-point arch to get shots off. The Rockets' backcourt is going to have only one reason for existing this season, and that will be to set up the scoring big men who will be posting up on opposite sides of the basket. Yao Ming on this side, Eddie Griffin on that side. Either way you have a big man who is capable of scoring almost at will in the paint. With the proper spacing you also have the idea situation for a reliable three-point shooter. It will be the Olajuwon Rockets all over again. Double-team at your own risk. Keeping Eddie Griffin in the paint is going to enhance two areas in which the Rockets have struggled since the exits of Hakeem and Charles Barkley. Rebounding will increase, as one of the two best rebounders on the team won't be out at the three-point arch. More shots will be blocked, as Griffin's offensive contributions won't be wasted as Mo Taylor takes the court. Griffin had to sit if he wasn't knocking down threes last season because that's how Francis used Griff. The inmates aren't running the asylum next season. Francis won't be deciding who gets the ball in the post. Jeff Van Gundy will dictate, Francis will carry out specific instructions. The way it should be. The way it has to be for the Rockets to compensate for their defensive deficiencies at the small forward position. Eric Piatkowski is not what you would consider a solid starting three. His 6'6" frame makes him more of a tweener, almost better suited to play the shooting guard position, but big enough to play the three if he has to. Unless a trade is arranged, he does have to. The Rockets are simply out of cap space. Jeff Van Gundy wanted shooting. The Grizzlies priced James Posey right out of the Rockets' budget. Given the circumstances, Van Gundy did what he had to do. He got the shooter he wanted, even though he lost out on a great defensive player in the process. Now he will make sure the big men compensate for the difference. You know, he'll do that coaching thing.
I like Pike, but if he's our starting 3, we can kiss the running game goodbye. Cat would be the only decent fastbreak threat.
July 26, 2003, 8:51PM Piatkowski has winning expectations as Rocket By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle After nine years as the Clipper who didn't complain, didn't change and most of all didn't leave, Eric Piatkowski knew the time had come. He could put up with all it meant to be stuck on Los Angeles' junior varsity and even signed a then-unheard-of long-term deal to keep banging his head on that hard wall. But immediately after Piatkowski joined the Rockets on Saturday, he spoke of aspirations he never could before. He talked about winning. "I just really, really want to win," Piatkowski said. "We haven't been successful in the past nine years in LA. There's an opportunity to come in here, win a lot of games and be very successful in the playoffs." For Piatkowski, the Rockets' four consecutive lottery seasons amount to a brief postseason dry spell. Still, as Piatkowski and general manager Carroll Dawson spoke Saturday of how Piatkowski will fit in, there was a sense he could fill needs for the Rockets to get back to the playoffs. He was signed Saturday, less than a week after forward James Posey signed an offer sheet with the Memphis Grizzlies. Dawson would not say that the Rockets had decided to pass on their option to match the four-year, $24 million offer and luxury-tax hit. But the Rockets seem certain to let Posey go now that they have signed Piatkowski. But Dawson emphasized that Piatkowski will bring different strengths than Posey. Had they signed Posey, the budget might not have allowed the Rockets to bring in one of the top free-agent marksmen available. But with Piatkowski the 10th member of the Rockets' roster, Dawson considered a problem solved. "We think he fits well," Dawson said. "He brings a lot of things to the table that our team definitely needs, shooting being one of them. "Our shooting percentage last year was (44 percent). He's been a great shooter ever since he's been in the league. He's a great passer to the post. That is one of the hardest things to do in this league. Nobody in the league does more moving without the basketball than he does. He's going to be a big plus. He brings a lot to our team." Piatkowski, 32, averaged 9.7 points per game last season, while making 47.1 percent of his shots overall and 39.8 percent of his 3-pointers. Shooting is his strength, but he and Dawson said he is more active and athletic than his reputation indicates. "Just talking to basketball people that really watch the game, general managers and coaches ... know it's not just the outside shooting," Piatkowski said. "I think I run the floor as well as anybody in the league. I'm a lot more athletic than people think." More than coaches and general managers have reached that conclusion. "He spreads the court," Rockets guard Cuttino Mobley said. "He's one of the best shooters in the NBA. That will help us a lot. But he goes off the dribble, too. And he can get up and down the court. With us, he's going to be able to show more of his skills." Piatkowski started at shooting guard for the Clippers. Posey started at small forward, potentially creating an opening there. But Piatkowski said he is unconcerned about starting or coming off the bench, or playing guard or forward. "After the conversations I had with (Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy) he views the two and three spot almost like they are the same spot," Piatkowski said. "It might just depend on who you're guarding that night. I have no problem with that. I hit the weight room. I'm strong enough. I'm tall enough. I can play those guys." Still, Piatkowski's shooting touch is expected to be the most welcome addition. His shooting percentage last season was better than any Rockets player, save centers Kelvin Cato and Yao Ming. "I was looking for teams that could play inside out," Piatkowski said. "With Yao Ming down low, he's going to demand the double team. He's going to become better and better every year. He's going to become the most dominant player in the league the next couple of years." But more than anything, Piatkowski said the chance to finally win more than he loses was an attraction he could not, and really didn't want to resist. "People think to athletes money is the most important. I don't think it is," he said. "When you're winning games, it's an absolute blast being out there. You get on a winning streak, you sleep better, your food tastes better, everything's wonderful. "Whatever it takes to win right now. I've tasted the losing side of it. Now, I want to win. I think this is going to be the start of something wonderful. And when I look back on my NBA career, my fondest members, the best moments will all be in a Rockets uniform." http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2013899
Thanks for the transcript, ron. I totally missed that. Sounds to me like the Rockets aren't done dealing. I have a feeling they are working a lot harder to get something done than we all give them credit for. Maybe there just aren't any takers....yet.
Those Hoopsworld guys think far more of Griffin than they do of the abilities of Francis and Cat. If this is the plan, we might as well trade them for a pass only PG and SG. We know that the only post Griffin knows about is post parties after games. Ming still has a lot to learn about playing down low, but he is obviously our best go to guy in the post. Anyways, it's great to have a pure shooter like Pike onboard. Am I the only person who thinks that Steve's APG started going down istead of up after Bullard left the team? He takes pressure off Ming and is a target for Ming's passes out of the post. Also, like CD said, he is a great guy at entry passes, something we need to get Ming better position around the basket.
We had no real running game anyway, but if you read the comments made by CD, Piatkiowski himself, and Cuttino, Piatkowski runs the floor just fine. You don't have to be an "above the rim" player to be effective on the fast break. j
Seriously ron...thank you very much. I feel much more confident after reading all that! CD just repeated what EP said about Houston....but sounds nice.... Houston is a great place to live! The weather isn't great...and there isn't much history....but who cares! Everything is big down here and cheap! And very modern! And pretty! Although fat and polluted...one of the most livable cities! Of course EP is just saying all this crap like he's supposed to say. Let's see...I like JVG as a coach. I agree that EG and Yao should have block parties if we actually have a good cooperative team defense....Mobley and Piatkowski can contain most small forwards...not by themselves though...they will need help. I just hope Steve can prevent other sucky point guards from getting past him this year and not let them run so easily. That Hoopsworld article. Yes...Griffin should stay inside more on offense and be more aggressive. But wtf?!? When did EG ever have a post game?!? Ahahaha...hopefully he will be more aggressive and active on defense too. That guy might have used the wrong names..
I think he will be adequate in the fast break, but since Steve can't run it, we need someone who can take over the PG role during the break and spring down the court with the ball. Posey could do that, Piatkowskit can't. I am still hoping Steve learns to run the break and get Mobley, Griff and Pike easy shots, that is a big key for the upcoming season.
was that article serious or a parody? i mean, two guys in the post who can score at will? we're like the Olajuwon rockets? two 20 point scorers, one of whom is easily our best player and is a cornerstone of the team, will exist to feed the ball to EG, who has shown no post game. francis used griffin at the 3 pt line? gee, i didn't realize he dictated that stuff and not rudy or eg's lack of muscle. rebounding is a problem for us, the team with the 3rd best rebound percentage in the league? jvg dictating that the ball go in the post will help our defense? good lord, i guess that's why it gets the ******** treatment around here.
you're kidding, right? right? say what you want about francis' ability to run the break, but posey was in no way, shape, or form the pg on the break. he could do one part of the break only: catch the ball, take his two steps, and dunk. no dribbling, no passing. his dribbling made shandn andersn look like he belonged on an AND 1 tape. if he for some reason started the break, you hoped he gave it up as soon as possible b/c he was either going to fumble it away or muff up a few dribbles to the point we no longer had numbers. and as far as passing, if could manage to keep the dribble long enough, he'd usually have to concentrate too hard on that or making the pass and run a guy over for an offensive foul. he was nice to have on the break b/c he knew how to finish with authority and was fast enough to put himself into position to, but his pg skills on the break were atrocious by any measure.
