Cliff notes version of the Ujiri presser for those that didn't watch it (I'm watching it right now as I type this up)
-Ujiri feels like he's home. This is the org that he "grew up" in and it feels good to return and see familiar faces.
-His first order of business is to reset the front office and hire his staff.
-He doesn't know what the first/most pressing concern with the roster is yet, as he wants to get his staff in place before they start looking at making changes at the player level.
-Bryan Colangelo was a mentor to him, but Ujiri makes it clear that he's in charge, not Colangelo. He might ask for Colangelo's input (and Wayne Embrey's too) if necessary, but the decisions are his and his alone and the onus for most of that will be on him and the staff he assembles.
-Dwane Casey will be the coach for next year at least since he's under contract. He will sit down and talk to him at some point to discuss his future further. He doesn't want to address Casey's future more until he's had that chance to have a fuller meeting with Casey to talk about his (Casey's) plans for the team, his goals, his strategies, etc. For the time being at least he doesn't see any changes to Casey and the staff for the coming season.
-He makes it clear that he's not Bryan Colangelo. He'll run the team in his own way and to his own blueprint.
-Regarding the perception problem and player attraction/retention problems that Toronto has with FA talent, Ujiri believes he can sell FAs on Toronto by creating a culture that fosters the idea of Toronto as an attractive destination. He notes that Denver wasn't a market that's high on players' wish lists, but by having good management, coaching, and players you can make it a destination that other players want to come to. He says that the non-basketball issues like taxation and city culture and whatnot aren't as big of an issue as they're made out to be because every city has some issues. He also thinks that it shouldn't be that hard to sell players on Toronto the city if you do it right.
-An important part of growing the team will be growing with young players. Establishing, as he calls it "the back end of the roster" with youth who can develop.
-Won't comment on any untouchable immovable players on the roster yet. Every player has positives and negatives and he knows he can't just fall in love with a player and make them off-limits. You have to look at every player realistically and he will consider who is and isn't on the block after having a better look at everyone on the roster.
-His philosopy and direction/identity for the team will be decided on after his staff is hired and he's talked with the coaching staff and other management. He knows that they need to pick some aspect of the game to focus on and use as the cornerstone to their ability to compete.
-Isn't concerned with the lacklustre history on the court for the Raptors. Sees no reason he can't change the team's fortunes and make them successful. Sees plenty of good in the organization. Notes that Denver was considered dysfunctional and not an ideal org when he went there, but they turned into a team that won 57 games last year.
-He likes positivity
-Is fully on board with new analytics and metrics. He likes the system that the Raptors implemented in the last couple of years and he intends to build on that. He thinks that proper use of the new analytical tools is important to being successful, but he isn't abandoning traditional scouting and evaluation either, knowing that mental makeup and attitude are important to players just as much as their recorded productivity.
-Won't commit to specifically focusing on just youth or veterans. He'll decide exactly how he wants to do things after assembling a staff and creating a plan. He knows that there are many ways to go about building a roster, from going for a youthful rebuild to tweaking and modifying the existing roster.
-Ownership has assured him that there will be no issues with having to keep the payroll down or run on a shoestring budget. He's not worried about being unwilling or unable to spend into the luxury tax if it's to make the right moves.
-Feels that he's gained valuable experience since leaving Toronto. Credits the GMs he's learned from in his NBA career before, during, and after his time with the Raptors. His passion is and always has been scouting and he feels that it's his strongest point. In Denver specifically he's learned how to handle tough situations (obviously speaking of the Melo trade) and how to compromise when necessary to get the job done. He thinks that he's a better exec than when he left Toronto, but he's got plenty to learn still.
I've only seen up to part 8 on the Raptors.com list. I don't know if it's my computer or their site, but for some reason I can't go to the next "page" of videos. I hit the next button and it just scrolls up to the video player and the selection list goes blank.
