Post by Toronto on Mar 14, 2014 0:03:39 GMT -6
The Cairo Zamalek are complete strangers right now. Not only to themselves but to the their hometown and country. In case you haven't heard, Zamalek were playing their home games in a leased area in Istanbul, Turkey due to political unrest in Egypt. This off season they have finally shifted the team and their office to Cairo, Egypt. In their introductory press conference with the new hometown media, the Cairo front office was unusually straight forward without retrieving to their coy generic statements. We learned that the ownership group and the General Manager were in complete agreement about a plan to draft World B. Free and use him as the poster child for our return home to Cairo marketing campaign. The plan got foiled by Washington at pick number 19, ONE pick ahead of Cairo's. That was the first draft day heart break for the first time General Manager.
The front office also released a statement about a recent incident involving the Chicago Bulls and their commendable front office staff. Below is a copy of that statement:
Our management group, ownership and front office staff would like to apologize to the Chicago Bulls organization about a mix up in communication. This has been a humbling learning experience for us and we regret that this has happened between our two organizations. Chicago has always been up front and positive about some of our well critiqued moves, and because of this it upsets us even more that this communication break down happened. We appreciate you forgiving our mix up and being a class act all the way.
Sincerely,
Cairo Zamalek.
Sincerely,
Cairo Zamalek.
Now that we have gotten the house keeping out of the way, let's meet the new members of the Zamalek.
C Walt Bellamy
A prototypical center who will not get pushed around by anyone he is going up against. Our coaching staff is well aware of his deficiencies and the aim is to use his unique skill set to best benefit the outcome of the game in our favor. We feel that Bellamy is going to be an asset towards obtaining our ultimate goal.
PF Alex Groza
Part of the most criticized off season move for Cairo. Aquiring Groza allowed us to be very competitive while we develop young talent at the same time right behind him. Groza is going to be a big help in the development of George McInnis. McInnis is capable of being the cornerstone for this franchise one day and we feel Groza is the right mentor. Acquiring Groza also allowed to draft Norm Nixon. The 20th overall pick which was supposed to be World B. Free, came over in the trade with LA, which also involved Alex Groza. Our coaching staff plans on using Groza's skill set on the offensive end an awful lot. Sloan, Bing and Nixon's number one aim is to get Groza the basketball.
SF Lou Hudson
Hudson was a surprise move, after Toronto announced a fire sale. This move perhaps speaks the loudest about the front office's objective. Hudson was acquired for Zamalek's 2021 first round draft choice. Hudson is another unique athlete, due to the fact that he is quicker than most of his fellow small forwards. Hudson is a pure scorer and will surely benefit from the passing skills of Sloan, Bing, Nixon and even Sobers who possesses great vision and ball handling.
SG Jerry Sloan
Jerry Sloan as a player epitomizes the type of team that Cairo wants to be. Jerry has great size for a shooting guard at 6'5 and he is quicker than the majority of players he is going to be matched up against. One thing is for sure though, opposing shooting guards will not be torching us. Sloan is probably the best lock down defender in the league.
PG Dave Bing
There aren't many point guards in the league who are better than Bing. Bing is bigger, stronger, faster and jumps higher than 95% of point guards in the league. Combine that with his court vision, handles and you have makings of a perennial all star guard. Bing's main job on this team is to feed the ball to the bigs and to score. Dave gets to the hoop at will.
Now a few key players off the bench...
PF George McInnis
McInnis has the talent to be a top 5 power forward in this league. He has the ability to score every time he touches the ball due to his ability to put it on the floor drive to the basket. George's great strength will allow him to be a great rebounder. Our scout believes McInnis could be the best rebounder since Bill Russell. He also has a knack for stealing the ball, which is rare for a big. If McInnis even realizes an ounce of his talent, he could be a corner stone for years to come.
PG Norm Nixon
We were ecstatic when Nixon fell to us at pick number 20. Nixon reminds us a lot of John Stocton, with his court vision and quickness combined with is handles. Nixon can get to anywhere he wants on the floor and he is at taking the ball to the basket. If you play him too far back, watch out for that three. Nixon has the potention to be come a top 10 point guard in this league and due to the depth of this roster, he won't be forced into action too soon before he is ready.
SG Ricky Sobers
Sobers has the ability to lead the league in scoring. With A (potential) handles, and the unlimited range, Sobers can get off a shot at anytime. Look for Sobers to contribute very little in the first year, but he will slowly be groomed for a Ginobili type role as a sixth man who can lead the second unit.
SF Ivan Vodenitcharski
Ivan gives us the flexibility to play two positions because of his versatility and athleticism. He is the jack of all traits and a true luxury to have our roster. We are going to count on Ivan to give a lot of energy and hustle off the bench. Our front office has fielded numerous trade offers for Ivan and we refuse to give him up.
SG Junior Bridgeman
Jr. is a pure scorer who can put up points in a hurry. He has the ball handling ability, combined with quickness to create his own shot. Bridgeman is not expected to contribute too much this upcoming season unless there is injuries, however Junior is a huge part of our plan for the future.
