Mark Bradley

By bobby

July 23, 2008 8:08 PM | Link to this

To whom it may concern,

I write this letter as nothing more than evidence of my disappointment with the Atlanta Hawks franchise,front office,and management, and as public plea for The Atlanta Spirit Group to sell both Atlanta Franchises they own, and allow new owners to run these franchises to a level in accordance with the leagues and cities they represent . Today’s events truly made me cringe, as for the first time in history an NBA Player(without a foreign background) has decided he would rather play in Europe then the NBA. As a season ticket holder of The Atlanta Hawks I’m not surprised that this has happened to the Hawks. As a franchise the Hawks have been through, and put there fans through more grief then most. As far back as the ill advised trade of a hall of famer, NBA Icon, and hero to the city Dominique Wilkins to the most recent unprecedented events of Josh Childress leaving our dysfunctional franchise for the greener pasture of Greece. Some may spin this as the globalization of basketball, but there is no doubt that for the average competitor the goal is to play against the most elite talent in the world, which no doubt resides in the NBA. Mr. Childress seems to have chosen Greece as his only option to avoid continuing along a path of uncertainty with one of the most unstable franchises in sports history. The Atlanta Spirit group owns not only the Atlanta Hawks but also the Atlanta Thrashers. A group bought the franchises promising to build winners in both organizations, to most common observers they have been complete failures. The Thrashers and Hawks have combined for two playoff appearances (one by each team) the Thrashers followed there best season with that of one with the third worst record in the league, whereas the Hawks have followed it up by losing a restricted free agent to a European team(did I mention that it is completely unprecedented) The Atlanta spirit group continues to make moves typically at the pace of a meandering Alligator through the swamp, slowly and without much direction. Move after move continues to bring new lows of management expertise. Clearly these men have all been successful in there own endeavors, being as they have accumulated the money in there respective careers to purchase a franchise, which 99 percent of the world cannot afford, but clearly they have not found there niche. From the parade of coaches to the ridiculous sound bites, this group seems to not only undermine itself but embarrass it’s fans year after year. Today’s events are just a microcosm of the poor management decisions that occur year after year and season after season. Some fact ,poor drafting,poor free agent signings, one owner suing the rest for control(still not resolved after two years), and some items reported but not confirmed, GM’S wanting to fire coaches mid season, players screaming and ranting at coaches, and the financial troubles of the ownership group. I write this as nothing more than a fan. I’m not some great success in my own endeavors or some entrepreneur. I’m the average sports fan, who has pent up his frustrations to long to not at least put this on paper in some way shape or form, and maybe someone will hear. I love the Hawks, Thrashers, Falcons, Braves, Dream and Force, and just about anything else involved with sports, Atlanta, and the state of Georgia I support and root for. So to whom it may concern, these are my thoughts.

Bobby Atlanta,GA

By greenvegas

July 23, 2008 8:09 PM | Link to this

the mistake the hawks made was not lettting childress go, but not signing someone to take his place. Childress can be replaced. Unfortunately, he probably wont be able to be replaced THIS year because of the timing. I think the hawks could get a player that offers more than childress does and would be a better fit. But we will probably have to wait till next year to do it.

By JakeJ

July 23, 2008 8:10 PM | Link to this

Yeah you are right bradley these are the hawks and they once again are going right back downhill how could you not resign josh childress a vitale part of our success im am just mad and confused at the management right now….

SO WHATS THE LATEST ON JOSH SMITH ANYWAY BRADLEY PLESAE LET US KNOW SOMETHING AFTER THIS HORRIBLE DAY

WHATS THE LAST ON J SMOOTH? IS HE THE NEXT TO GO?

By JakeJ

July 23, 2008 8:11 PM | Link to this

Yeah you are right bradley these are the hawks and they once again are going right back downhill how could you not resign josh childress a vital part of our success im am just mad and confused at the management right now….

SO WHATS THE LATEST ON JOSH SMITH ANYWAY BRADLEY PLESAE LET US KNOW SOMETHING AFTER THIS HORRIBLE DAY

WHATS THE LAST ON J SMOOTH? IS HE THE NEXT TO GO?

By jbcoors

July 23, 2008 8:12 PM | Link to this

What a joke, I will not spend another penny on a franchise (Hawks or Thrasher’s) until this COMPLETE JOKE of an ownership group is completly out of the ATL.

By Gary

July 23, 2008 8:14 PM | Link to this

I knew this organization( a real loose term) would screw up the only thing they had to do this summer. The only thing was to sign to restricted free agents and could not even outbid a NON NBA team. Please stay away from all Hawks games this year and show this group of owners what fans can do when they shove it the fans ear. ( Not the word I wanted to use)

By Vito

July 23, 2008 8:16 PM | Link to this

ok can we at least go get deng

By jbcoors

July 23, 2008 8:17 PM | Link to this

AMEN Gary, AMEN!

By barney strickland

July 23, 2008 8:18 PM | Link to this

big WHOOP. This guy couldn’t even crack the starting 5. And he wants a superstar contract. Good luck JOSH… hope you enjoy the euroleague. The Hawks should dump the rights to him….. since he will suck in Europe anyway, we can (why?) get him back for next to nothing. Josh Smith should be our top priority…. not this benchwarmer. I think he was a bust in the draft. I wonder who we should have picked instead of him. I wish I could get a job where my employer nurtures me along to the rate of his rookie contract. Then to show gratitude, I ‘ll play contract hardball and eventually go with the euroleague. Spoiled B*tch !!

By Josh

July 23, 2008 8:25 PM | Link to this

To Rick Sund and the Atlanta Spirit:

You people have proven once again why even with making a nice run in the first round last year that the Hawks are still the laughing stock of the league. Josh Childress leaving for Greece isn’t helping your reputation around the league as being complete idiots. Josh Childress wasn’t worth keeping because he was a “utility player” Sund? Here’s a helpful hint the Spurs and the Pistons are made up of many solid utility players like Childress that help their franchises year in and year out contend for a championship. Which leads me to a question. Who the hell is going to make up our team after Smith decides to leave your pitiful organization? Is the this the starting lineup you are planning on having on opening night? I don’t know about you but I wasn’t planning on coming to Phillips in front of a sellout on opening night to see Luke Jackson and Speedy Claxton (assuming he stays healthy) playing big minutes. Give Smith his money for the love of God and fill out your roster with “utility players” such as Childress who you just let walk for nothing to put a decent team on the court or come the end of Joe Johnson’s contract you will lose him just like everyone else!

By CB

July 23, 2008 8:27 PM | Link to this

The ASG needs to do some serious soul searching after this debacle. I guess they have some intelligence ( or did they inheret the wealth )but this cannot go on. Atlanta deserves better than the ASG!!!!!!!

By The Grinch

July 23, 2008 8:32 PM | Link to this

This is beyond disgusting. How do these people (the ASG) sleep at night? Do they read the papers? Have they no shame? WHY WON’T THEY DO WHAT’S BEST FOR THE CITY, THE FANS, AND WHAT”S LEFT OF THEIR REPUTATIONS AND JUST LEAVE? This can’t possibly be fun for them, unless they’re a bunch of guys who just sit around together and laugh about how they’re powerful enough to ruin an entire city and nobody can do anything about it. Really, would any of you want to be desperately hated by everyone in the city you live in, especially if you were high profile? Why do they stay? Why won’t they sell? Why? WHY?

By Fury

July 23, 2008 8:38 PM | Link to this

I tried to tell people that Belkin was the man. ASG has to go. The are nothing but profiteers and know NOTHING ABOUT RUNNING A PROFESSIONAL FRANCHISE. Belkin may be an A$$ but he knows how to do business on any level. The ASG members are chumps that can never be champs.

By Mitch

July 23, 2008 8:43 PM | Link to this

The bottom line is Chills got $32.5M for 3 years and the irony is he does not fit the mold of the typical Euro style of play. Because of the wider lane, baseline players need to be three point threats, or else the other team will just sag on them.

Back to the bottom line: The Hawks offered $33 for 5 years…which fopr Childress is a good and fair offer.

Which would you take: $32.5M/3 or $33m/5?

In order to save face Chills has to sound like the Hawks stiffed him…he’s an American who is shunning an opportunity to win an NBA Championship…alll for what? The $$$$$$$$$!

Mr. Bradley, I share your frustration…but I think you are over-reacting here.

Childress was not even starter, thanks to BK’s penchant for drafting a slew of 6’8” forwards.

The Hawks can make up for this…but Rick Sund better start making swifter, more creative, more gutsier moves…unlike, er, re-hiring a coach that was not well liked by the players, contrary to what the papers say. JJ likes Woody cuz Woody gives him the ball a=on a clear out with the game on the line. That simple, folks.

Ask J-Smoove what he really thinks of Woodson. Ask Salim. Ask Zaza. Ask anyone but JJ and Al Horford (who would bust his butt for any coach).

By Angry Fan

July 23, 2008 8:48 PM | Link to this

Amen, Mark Bradley. AMEN!

By edward

July 23, 2008 8:49 PM | Link to this

So trade his rights for another bench player. He had ONE decent season out of what..4? Big whoop. I am more upset that we couldn’t have tried for Posey from Boston. He raked all during the playoffs. He made us and every other team look silly. We get rid of Childress’ rights and we save money right? So lose him. His agent smuggly mentioned that we get the hit for him still. So wipe the smug off his pug. I am sure we can find another decent bench player. They are on the bench for a reason..and it’s not to make $33million!!

By durttydogg

July 23, 2008 8:50 PM | Link to this

ITS A SAD, SAD DAY! IM JUST TIRED OF THIS. STOP BUYING TICKETS PEOPLE. SHOW THESE OWNERS WE WILL NOT TAKE LOSING ANYMORE!!! YOU HAVE TO SHOW THEM. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. IM GA BRED, AND GA FED AND I CANT TAKE IT ANYMORE!!

By Tron5000

July 23, 2008 8:50 PM | Link to this

Did anyone really think that we were going to re-sign the Joshes, considering that acquiring Mike Bibby’s $15 mil this season pushed the Hawks over the luxury tax? The NBA has a salary cap. Bibby’s acquisition pushed the Hawks over that cap.

So, again, did people not see this coming 4 months ago? Come on, now.

By newkid

July 23, 2008 8:50 PM | Link to this

Okay Mr. Sund, so Childress is a utility player? Well you’re a utility general manager (at best), and the ASG is a utility ownership group (at VERY best). You’re bush league for attempting to denigrate a player for pursuing what’s financially in his best interest and that of his family. No, in the NBA market Josh is not worth what he’s being paid by the Greek owners, but shouldn’t you be more the professional than to cheap shot the guy simply because he wouldn’t accept what you could reasonably offer? This nonsensical drivel we’re NOW hearing from you about Josh being ‘money hungry’ and a ‘utility player’ is just crass. Find your rock and quietly crawl back under it.

By Joshua

July 23, 2008 8:52 PM | Link to this

Look I’ve been a Hawks fan for to long , They drafted Marvin Williams instead of Chris Paul Shelden Williams over Marcus Williams Rudy Gay and a bunch of better players , Then dealt Williams for an over the hill point guard who got us to the playoffs then vanished . Traded Nique’ to LA for Manning and then let him bolt for nothing . Signed Jon Koncak to a massive deal just to one up Detroit , Moved from a basketball city in St Louis to a football town in Atlanta yawn , I need to find a real team and if they don’t re-sign Smith I am done as a Hawks fan .

By Big Bob

July 23, 2008 8:56 PM | Link to this

It’s the owners’ fault, and that’s all there is to it. If you want to blame this on a player, you are a retard who gives bad meaning to the name. These owners don’t know how to win. They put Childress on hold while all the other teams are paying for free agents. What happened to promises to sign these guys? Liars. That’s all there is to it.

By These Guys Suck

July 23, 2008 8:57 PM | Link to this

Let’s not crap on Rick Sund, he is merely the puppet of Atlanta Spirt - probably the worst ownership group in the history of American pro sports. We make the Clippers look like a model franchise in comparision.

ASG is a total joke and was when they first bought the team. There are no excuses why J-Chill is going to be eating feta cheese & pita bread next fall instead of Atl’s finest restaurants.

Billy Knight started this debacle when he did nothing last summer to resign the Joshes and is probably the most arrogant guy in the world for someone who has done nothing good for this team.

Little Gearon likes counting his daddy’s cash and playing with the Hawks as a toy. He dances around the media and gives half-baked answers about any serious issues.

When you look at all of the bad draft picks (excluding Big AL) and the sheer lack of free agency spending the Hawks are officially the worst team in the NBA. Period.

They may have made the playoffs, but that really is forgotten as you left one of your rising starts jet overseas for cash and a good piece of baklava.

By Sean

July 23, 2008 9:03 PM | Link to this

I’m done with these idiots. They’ve wrecked both franchises. This is the Hossa story all over again only more pathetic on the part of ASG.

I’m not spending another dime @ Phillips til these clowns sell.

By Harpie

July 23, 2008 9:04 PM | Link to this

If the Hawks had hired a decent coach, Childress would have stayed. Stupid, stupid!

By Harpie

July 23, 2008 9:10 PM | Link to this

If the Hawks had hired a decent coach, Chidress would have stayed. Stupid, stupid!

By TheAntiMe

July 23, 2008 9:26 PM | Link to this

I used to think that the Rankin Smith family who owned the Falcons for many years was the cheapest of the cheap ownerships. This latest insult to our city’s NBA franchise by the Atlanta Broke Spirit Group makes Rankin Smith look like George Freaking Steinbrenner. It’s a crime the way ASG is holding the Hawks franchise hostage. This is just the latest disgusting chapter of the sad story of how ASG has ingloriously sunken to depths previously thought to be unfathomable, making ASG, by far, the worst sports ownership in the history of our galaxy. Please, Batman, make these Jokers go away!

By drmaryb

July 23, 2008 9:38 PM | Link to this

I will never watch another HAWKS game - ever! A 15 year season ticket holder - like a 2-Live stews caller? I’m Gone!

By AfroDawg

July 23, 2008 9:41 PM | Link to this

We’ll get a chance to see Mike Woodson model his expensive suits and dyed hair while the club loses. I was really excited about the upcoming season based on how they finished up the season, foiled again I guess. These clowns don’t want to win, there’s absolutely no mandate for change.

By Kent

July 23, 2008 9:45 PM | Link to this

The failure to sign Josh Childress is another in a long list of heartbreaks with the Atlanta Hawks. Childress is a versatile and talented player, and an important part of the Hawks’ success. WHY couldn’t the Hawks offer Childress and Smith good, competitive offers at the BEGINNING of the summer (or before) to show them they are wanted? There’s only one way to describe this — the people in Hawks management continue to be IDIOTS.

By jessica

July 23, 2008 9:48 PM | Link to this

we haven’t even discussed the difference per game Childress will make in Greece -

his new team only played ~30 games last yet.

By jessica

July 23, 2008 9:48 PM | Link to this

we haven’t even discussed the difference per game Childress will make in Greece -

his new team only played ~30 games last year.

By former hawks fan

July 23, 2008 9:51 PM | Link to this

I’ve defended this team and rooted for them through these past 15 years of mediocrity … but I will no more. Why pay my money to see a game when it’s used as a profit, rather than a tool to keep our own players? Greece …. Greece …. really …. no really …. Greece? How, Why? I think I’ll send them the Idiot’s Guide to Basketball. We will have the worst bench ever assembled.

So throw away the next season (along with the Falcons) … and I don’t think I’ll get my hopes up for the future, maybe I’ll move to Canada and root for the Raptors.

Maybe Sund was brought in to push the Hawks out of Atlanta … (the sonics are moving now) Change colors again Hawks, it can’t hurt. Who would want to resemble the god awful blue Hawks

By Scot Waldrop

July 23, 2008 9:58 PM | Link to this

I am a JChills fan, I really like his effort and willingness to do the little things. That said, it would have been a horrible mistake to pay him $10 mil/yr for 3 years for a player that only average 7 pts/gm in the playoff series vs. Boston.

To offer him anything more than the typical mid-level exception would have been equivalent of the Jon Koncak signing. It would have hamstrung the organization for years to come!

Congrats to Josh, I hope he is truly happy playing in the minor leagues.

By Forrest Gump

July 23, 2008 9:58 PM | Link to this

So now we have a puppet for a GM who likes to move slowly. Guess what Rick? Josh Childress is gone. That’s just what this organization needed was another tight wad with no sense of urgency. I think it’s time for David Stern to step in and drug test the ASG and Rick Sund. By the time Rick Sund makes a decision, the Atlanta Hawks will be the Birmingham Hawks! My mama said there will always be days like these….

By atlantasportsfan

July 23, 2008 10:08 PM | Link to this

Where are the idiots that were celebrating the Atlanta Spirit Group when Time Warner sold the Hawks/Thrashers? So many people on here were blinded by “non-corporate ownership.” They were tired of a faceless conglomerate owning the teams, and were clamoring for anyone—ANYONE, as long as they weren’t a corporation—to buy the teams.

Well, you’ve got it now. It’s so stupid to say “only non-corporate ownership is successful.” That’s completely short-sighted. Sure, a corporation might not have “winning” at the top of it’s priority list, but an individual owner (or group of owners, like the ASG) can be just as dumb, or seem just as non-caring as a corporation.

Atlanta Spirit Group’s first mistake, and Rick Sund’s, specifically, was keeping Mike Woodson. It has been made apparent over the last few years that he’s a complete idiot, yet the ASG let the mirage of a playoff appearance cloud their judgment. The truth is the Hawks BARELY made the playoffs in one of the worst conferences (record-wise, top to bottom) in the history of the NBA. The truth is that the Hawks took the Celtics to 7 games, but the REAL truth is that they just happened to match up well with the Celtics, and the young guys on the Hawks were motivated immensely by their boisterous home crowd.

Rumors have flown around that Josh Smith does not want to play with the Hawks as long as Woodson is there, and I think it’s pretty clear that Childress didn’t want to play for him either. ASG failed to see this. There is a science to negotiation. Sure, you have to make the other party believe that they’re not as valuable as they may think, but there’s a classy way to do that. “Classy” does not mean severely low-balling, and then saying something to the effect of, “Whatever, dude. Go find something else” in as nonchalant a manner as possible.

The Hawks have screwed this up. In my opinion, Childress was more important than Josh Smith. Smith is erratic and inconsistent, and makes horrible decisions a little too frequently. Granted, I think much of this is Mike Woodson’s fault—he hasn’t figured out how to coach Smith. Childress, if you look at the per-minute stats, has some of the best numbers on the team, and he does everything that others don’t - defense, rebounding, passing, even running the point sometimes.

We’re screwed.

By darrell starks

July 23, 2008 10:16 PM | Link to this

HEY MARK WHATS UP YOU NO BY NOW JOSH CHILL IS OVER SEAS GO CHILL GET YOUR MONEY ASG ARE SUCKERS JOSH CHILL GET AND OFFER from greece for 3year 30million and at the last minute hawks offer him 5YEARS 34MILLION WHICH CONTRACT WILL YOU TAKE they think that we are fools they wasnt trying to SIGN JOSH CHILL IN THE FIRST PLACE they try say face so we can think that they where trying to SIGN CHILL THEY ARE GOING CHEAP LOOK AT HOW they did THRASHER now the same for the HAWKS MARK BRADLEY CAN ANY ONE BUY THIS TEAM SUCH AS COKE COLA OR A TED TURNER EVEN AND ARTHUR BLANKS i am so tired off loosing its driving us fans crazy we need a owner that cares about winning not for a tax right off at the end of the season. GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!

By Joshua (AKA FIRE MIKE WOODSON EXPRESS)

July 23, 2008 10:17 PM | Link to this

Who would want to play for Mike Woodson?? The wrost coach in the NBA. They passed over Avery Johnson and Larry Brown for Mike AKA STEVE HARVEY WOODSON. And now they just lost Childress, lol I promise you Josh Smith is next.

By Dan

July 23, 2008 10:31 PM | Link to this

Can season ticket holders get a refund? This season is over before it even begins.

Sund sucks! What an idiot. He has managed to make this team worse in just a few months. We all know the Atlanta Spirit group sucks, but I thought Sund might help things. I should have known better.

By Jerrell

July 23, 2008 10:33 PM | Link to this

DUMB Being born and raised in Georgia, I am probably one of the “Truest” fans out there. Braves, Falcons, UGA, and sadly enough the Thrashers, and Hawks. I have bared witness to some of the dumbest decision making in sports history, but this takes the cake. Looking at the attendance of the Phillips Arena is almost unbearable. If you remove the attendees that are staff, player associations, and workers across ATL that receive the tickets free or heavily discounted there would be no audience. What we achieved late last year was so moving to not only a fan like myself but the hundreds of other band-wagoneers across America that have been waiting for some Basketball to cheer about in ATL. I don’t quit know where to place the blame, is it Sund or the 10-15 owners of the teams. Why can’t the Hawks be ran like Arthur Blank ran the Falcons; oh I know Mr. Blank is a businessman that is not so accustomed to losing. I have followed this team for 17 of my 35 years of life and I can’t do it anymore, I am severing my ties to the Hawks…Will this make a difference? I wouldn’t imagine so but I won’t have to endure the mockery from friends and co-workers anymore. I have defended this organizations since they gave Dominique the shaft but not another day. I hope that Josh Smith finds a team that can assist him in his bid to greatness. I want Joe Johnson and Bibby to find a team that will surround them with talent, and Horford look what you have to look forward to in 3 seasons. Just ask Jason Terry about it.

Former Hawks Fan

By Bulldawg

July 23, 2008 10:53 PM | Link to this

I hate to see Childress go, but this whole scenario is just another reason why I’ve lost a lot of interest in professional sports. Most of us are trying to scrape up enough money to buy $4 a gallon gas and pay the bills, while these arrogant turkeys are haggling over a few million dollars. There is obviously no loyalty in professional sports from either the players’ or owners’ perspectives. In the end, it is the fans who are the big losers because we are the ones who put out the funds that drive this madness. My personal opinion is that the fans should simply stop buying tickets until the ASG either builds a winner or sells the team to someone that will.

By ant.b

July 23, 2008 10:54 PM | Link to this

we have poorest head in the NBA in ATL , What moore can go wrong with this team , I love the hawks , but i can’t take much more of these bad a* deceison. Please sell the team to someone who want to spend some money and Win. Because you guys don’t have a clue.

By no_id

July 23, 2008 10:58 PM | Link to this

lol@Steve Harvey Woodson..that was funny..i can only imagine what the other Hawk players are saying about this..They might just hate the ASG more than we do since they have to deal with them first hand..Next up Josh Smith, lets see how the ASG will find a way to screw this up too.

By David

July 23, 2008 10:59 PM | Link to this

The Hawks are loosers with Childress! Wake up people this is not a winnng team with or without Childress and the rest. The were lucky to be in the playoffs, can anyone remember the last winnig season? Stop crying about a player that couldn’t help produce a winning record in his 4 years here. I’m sick of the loosers here in Atlanta…………

By Mark Bradley

July 23, 2008 11:01 PM | Link to this

I wouldn’t be so quick to fault the owners on this one. Sund made the offer and — even more to the point — didn’t raise it. I’m not sure Sund valued Childress nearly as highly as did those who have been around this team the past four years.

Me, I think Josh Childress was the Hawks’ MVP over the seven games of the Boston series. (I know Josh Smith and Joe Johnson had big games, but Childress was terrific the whole way.)

By chad

July 23, 2008 11:07 PM | Link to this

32 million for 3 years, your taxes and living expensives paid for, maid, driver, and you play half the number of games per year, or 33 mil for 5 yrs, 70+ games a year, and you pay for everything? The Hawks are not to blame in this- economics 101 is. Hawks gave Josh a chance to find his value, and best deal for him, and he took it. Remember folks- no other US team gave Childress this kind of deal- if they did he would have taken it. If the Hawks didn’t match it shame on them, but it didn’t happen that way. It’s because he simply is not worth more than the Hawks offer, or another US team would have offered/signed him. Yeah, the Hawks made the playoffs, as a team under 500 in a bad division of a week conference. Get real-they sucked last year and got lucky to make the playoffs. If you want a winner, then buy tickets to the games- not just the playoffs. Atlanta has the worst fans, they sit at home and complain that the team sucks, complain that the game(NFL) is blacked out, that the owner suck and ruin the team. Look at yourselfs first. To overbid on your own player by offering an average player a huge contract is stuipd. Yes- Childress was average, if he was better than the Hawks offer, then he would have an offer to be a starter- here in the USA- so if the Hawks are wrong, then so is every other team in the NBA.

By John K

July 23, 2008 11:07 PM | Link to this

No other team made a move for Childress. That should give you a hint at his market value. It would have been foolish for the Hawks to try to match the Greek offer. I liked him as a bench player but there is no way the Hawks should pay him that much.

By tyger

July 23, 2008 11:15 PM | Link to this

Later is NOW

Yet, we were supposed to blow up the bank for a sub? Get real, losing Childress allows us to balance the roster and spend wisely for the future.

Is Childress on the Olympic Team? NO! Is Childress on the US Select Team? NO! Is Childress an alternate for either? NO!

Guess who is? Guess who’s going to get paid?

The writing was on the wall. When the Hawks drafted Marvin Williams, a #2 pick, another 6’8 SF, you had to know there would be a purge sooner or later.

Later is now.

Whats the Answer? Pay Smoove, sign Kwame and Rush, fill needs and plan for JJ and Horfords re-up.

Why worry about the bench when you have a coach that doesnt give a hoot about the bench?

By CSM

July 23, 2008 11:21 PM | Link to this

Guys, blame the Euro/Dollar situation. Without a 1.00euro/$1.6usd, this would never have happened. Is there ANY NBA team that would have paid Childress as much as he’s geting from the Greek team? Not a Chance!! Yeah, Team Spirit looks pretty bad at the moment..Not sure paying a player more than he’s worth is ever such a good idea, though.

Hawks can get past this.

By Shut up ALREADY !!!!

July 23, 2008 11:27 PM | Link to this

Settle down and take a moment to think about why the Hawks can’t win down the stretch,,,, can’t hold a lead,,,,,, can’t out rebound or out defend most all of the NBA,,,, IT IS BECAUSE THE HAWKS ARE WAY TOO SKINNY AND TOO DAMN SOFT !!! I say bye-bye to J.Chill and don’t come back until you’ve put on some weight and some toughness !!! He is going to be INJURED erly and often in Europe where they BANG.

We need more BRUTE strength on the Hawks or they’ll once again STINK !

A BENCH PLAYER who weighs a buck fifty soaking wet !! You bloggers are the idiots , who think this is a major loss. SHUT UP ALREADY,,, DAMN, HOUSEQUAKE!!!!

By Bradley, please

July 23, 2008 11:36 PM | Link to this

Although I hate to say it, Sund is right. Going over the salary cap for a 6th place sixth man is comparable to Speedy Claxton’s deal years ago. I agree, good teams spend money. However, they spend money wisely and they know when to make the deal and when to cut bait. If J-Chill did anything for his current and/or future NBA career, he displayed that he can’t be trusted until his ink is on a contract. Teams are going to be scared to negotiate with him because they know he’s got one foot out the door at all times. Enjoy the gyros J-Chill. I give you two weeks.

By Randy

July 23, 2008 11:51 PM | Link to this

My GOD people! IT’s Josh CHILDRESS! The #6 overall pick who at best turned into a bench player.

Everyone talks about him like he was the best player ever. The GREEKs WAY overpaid for him! They can have him.

There is NO NBA team that would pay him the money he is now making.

By Chris G

July 24, 2008 12:07 AM | Link to this

Give this a chance!

We have way to many 6’-8” forwards. Chills is a good solid BENCH player.

Has anyone thought what we can do with that money? Possibly BIG MAN that we need desperately!

The money we offered him was very fair considering his numbers. NO other NBA team made any offers did they?

I have been a real Hawks fan for over 25 years now. Does anyone remember Jon Kontract? Liked to have killed us.

I think Chills made a huge mistake. This team will win and i’m glad to see the new GM stand up and make a tough decision.

I say strongly dump the rights and go get a true Big Man! Did anyone notice the lack of control in the middle last year?

This would allow the highly talented Al Horford to really play his natural position!!! Imagine that!

Also, Josh Smith WILL get signed! Do not compare J. Smith with J. Chills. Totally different talent levels.

Give this a chance!

By Tree Rollins

July 24, 2008 12:16 AM | Link to this

I’m so happy the Hawks didn’t sign him. I’m an Atlanta resident and former season ticket holder. The Hawks need to save some money to keep Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby. There’s no way they can afford the 2 Josh’s - either Childress or Smith. I think Josh Smith will walk away also AND HE SHOULD. The coach Mike Woodson is the worst in the NBA, the owners are the flakiest in the NBA and the new GM Sund is working in early retirement on the owners’ money. Why stay with the Hawks? The Hawks need to go ahead and win the lottery by losing games all year next year and try for another great rookie like Horford that they can afford.

By Tree Rollins

July 24, 2008 12:16 AM | Link to this

I’m so happy the Hawks didn’t sign him. I’m an Atlanta resident and former season ticket holder. The Hawks need to save some money to keep Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby. There’s no way they can afford the 2 Josh’s - either Childress or Smith. I think Josh Smith will walk away also AND HE SHOULD. The coach Mike Woodson is the worst in the NBA, the owners are the flakiest in the NBA and the new GM Sund is working in early retirement on the owners’ money. Why stay with the Hawks? The Hawks need to go ahead and win the lottery by losing games all year next year and try for another great rookie like Horford that they can afford.

By clueless

July 24, 2008 12:20 AM | Link to this

Childress avg. 7pts and 6 rebounds and you say he was the MVP of the playoffs and you wonder why people don’t respect you Mr. Bradley. The fact that you came back and added that asinine statement on this blog shows how clueless you are.

By Gilley

July 24, 2008 12:21 AM | Link to this

No Comment on Rick Sund and the Hawks right now

But for those who think J. Childress wasn’t valuable to the Hawks then they need to watch some Hawks games. SMH

By Vin

July 24, 2008 12:24 AM | Link to this

One way to show that you care is not going to the game. I am surprise at the inactivity of the contract negotiations for both Joshes.

By Darius

July 24, 2008 12:28 AM | Link to this

Blunder? It would have been a blunder if the Hawks had made on offer to Childress anywhere in the vicinity of the $10M/year he is getting from the team in Greece.

By Tree Rollins

July 24, 2008 12:28 AM | Link to this

LOSERS beget more LOSERS. The Hawks have been LOSERS so long nobody can remember when they were ever any good. I think maybe it goes back to when Mike Fratello coached the team. The new management is the most inept in pro sports (ie if you’re not sure about this check out their track record with the Thrashers hockey team also). Coach Mike Woodson couldn’t coach a prep school team to the league championship. GM Sund ruined the Supersonics according to their fans. Etc. etc. but it will be great to see the rappers coming to the games again this year and sitting on the front row while all the rest of the seats go empty. Perhaps we can get lucky and Pee Wee Herman can take over the team and bring in some organization skills to this moribund group!

By former hawks fan

July 24, 2008 12:29 AM | Link to this

Why do people blame the athletes for wanting money? They have 1 or 2 chances, if they are lucky, to sign a contract that will change their whole lives. Why do we get mad when they make the most of it? Think about the relativity of this greed. When is the last time you heard an owner going bankrupt? It is screwed up to think about, but 1 million dollars is not going to alter an owner’s life or business. But to everyday people like us or these athletes, that money is life changing. Now I understand that fans do not want to overpay for a player, but if somebody is willing to pay more, who are we to judge the athlete? My point is that the owners are relatively greedier, extremely greedy. Loyalty has also been brought up. I’m sorry this isn’t 1970, but loyalty does not exist in professional sports. Like it or not, players are just as loyal to teams as the teams are to players. Don’t get mad at athletes for looking out for their own and their families best interests, the ultimate loyalty.

onto a different matter … Mark, A deal wasn’t reached before the Josh’s became UFA. Some of this blame has to fall on the owners. This problem could have been avoided altogether if they were not able to test the free agent market.

By David C

July 24, 2008 12:40 AM | Link to this

Childress has a year vacation making millions..the crows either take a cap hit or release him..Sounds like that Stanford education helped.

By Rafael "P** off" Patterson

July 24, 2008 12:44 AM | Link to this

This is extreme BS, why the hell did we hire a GM who has no history of winning when he has had total control. We have to many owners there should not be but one king. The loss of Chill leaves us with not one scorer off the bench. He had intangibles that were not appreciated besides Horford he was our only hustle guy. This does not relate to the topic but why would you make a big deal about keeping Mike Woodson but not a actual player who has earned a spot. Mike Woodson has yet to win a game due to coaching but he has lost countless. This entire statement is coming from a guy with two season tickets, I feel bad for me!

By Rafael "P** off" Patterson

July 24, 2008 12:45 AM | Link to this

This is extreme BS, why the hell did we hire a GM who has no history of winning when he has had total control. We have to many owners there should not be but one king. The loss of Chill leaves us with not one scorer off the bench. He had intangibles that were not appreciated besides Horford he was our only hustle guy. This does not relate to the topic but why would you make a big deal about keeping Mike Woodson but not a actual player who has earned a spot. Mike Woodson has yet to win a game due to coaching but he has lost countless. This entire statement is coming from a guy with two season tickets, I feel bad for me!

By Rafael "P** off" Patterson

July 24, 2008 12:46 AM | Link to this

This is extreme BS, why the hell did we hire a GM who has no history of winning when he has had total control. We have to many owners there should not be but one king. The loss of Chill leaves us with not one scorer off the bench. He had intangibles that were not appreciated besides Horford he was our only hustle guy. This does not relate to the topic but why would you make a big deal about keeping Mike Woodson but not a actual player who has earned a spot. Mike Woodson has yet to win a game due to coaching but he has lost countless. This entire statement is coming from a guy with two season tickets, I feel bad for me!

By Rafael "P** off" Patterson

July 24, 2008 12:46 AM | Link to this

This is extreme BS, why the hell did we hire a GM who has no history of winning when he has had total control. We have to many owners there should not be but one king. The loss of Chill leaves us with not one scorer off the bench. He had intangibles that were not appreciated besides Horford he was our only hustle guy. This does not relate to the topic but why would you make a big deal about keeping Mike Woodson but not a actual player who has earned a spot. Mike Woodson has yet to win a game due to coaching but he has lost countless. This entire statement is coming from a guy with two season tickets, I feel bad for me!

By GA rule

July 24, 2008 1:02 AM | Link to this

Can we sell the rest of the team to Greece?

By Bam Bam

July 24, 2008 1:11 AM | Link to this

Hey Atlanta, remember this… “Though a reliable defender for much of his career, Koncak is perhaps best remembered for the six-year, US$ 13 million contract he received from the Hawks in 1989 - an unprecedented total for a reserve. The deal was roundly criticized since it paid Koncak more than Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. His large contract prevented the Hawks from taking part in any other major free agent signings for several years. As a result, he earned the derisive nickname “Jon Contract.” Koncak is blamed for the rapid salary increases that occurred in the NBA following his signing?” What was Koncak reaction when folks were ragging on him? “What am I suppose to do? Turn it down?” So don’t hate on Childress being “a sub”, “a utility player” or whatever you wanna call him. Just remember…what is suppose to do? Turn it down?!? Would you take the Hawks offer or the Greek offer. If you chose the Hawk offer…then you’re the one who’s “stuck on stupid”

Go Knicks :-)

By Bowdler for 3

July 24, 2008 1:25 AM | Link to this

The moment Woodson was resigned as HC, I lost all hope. The TEAM makes the playoffs in spite of this goof and HE is the one rewarded. Unreal. Good for Chills. This had more to do with the whole Hawks situation than it did with $$$. Who would want to play here?

And to all of you saying good riddance…..if you’d watched some games during the regular season, you would’ve seen he was 1 of 2 guys who busted his a** every game. The other was Smoove, TO’s and all (which is more of a COACHING issue than anything). BTW, 4th best???? Was that a joke? Had me laughing. Horford isn’t there yet and Bibby WAS there a couple years ago (but not in the playoffs). Even JJ is debatable IMO. Smoove is only under-rated in Atlanta. Go figure.

You know, the Hawks REALLY ARE turning it around. Turning it right back to the cellar.

By Jonathan Goldberg

July 24, 2008 1:31 AM | Link to this

People who are whining are ridiculous. JChil is a good player but he is not worth a penny more than we offered. We should have acted sooner but we should not have offered more. He’s not worth nearly what he will be paid in Greece. Now we should give up our rights to him and use the salary cap to get another big player to help out Horford and Pachulia down low. This is not the end of the world and those people who are b*** about how bad the franchise are, are the same people writing endless negative diatribes before the Hawks took the eventual champs to 7 games. Now if we don’t go ahead and sign J Smoove soon that’s a totally different story. He should be the future of the franchise. And if we do get another free agent or good player through trade then I don’t want to hear what a great deal it was from any of you who are b*** now.

By Jonathan Goldberg

July 24, 2008 1:31 AM | Link to this

People who are whining are ridiculous. JChil is a good player but he is not worth a penny more than we offered. We should have acted sooner but we should not have offered more. He’s not worth nearly what he will be paid in Greece. Now we should give up our rights to him and use the salary cap to get another big player to help out Horford and Pachulia down low. This is not the end of the world and those people who are b*** about how bad the franchise are, are the same people writing endless negative diatribes before the Hawks took the eventual champs to 7 games. Now if we don’t go ahead and sign J Smoove soon that’s a totally different story. He should be the future of the franchise. And if we do get another free agent or good player through trade then I don’t want to hear what a great deal it was from any of you who are b*** now.

By TheHawksareCursedfor TradingNique!

July 24, 2008 2:36 AM | Link to this

Im Back!

By athdog

July 24, 2008 4:22 AM | Link to this

I realize that Ted Turner’s son in law and Gearon, Jr. did nothing to get rich other than be born or marry into it, so their stupidity is to be expected. The legitimate businessmen of ASG surely have sense enough to realize what an embarassment they are to the city, and how urgent it is now to sign Smith, and tie up Johnson longer term.
I wonder how long it took Sund to regret coming to work for this bunch of dysfunctional brats. I’ve followed the Hawks since the days of Zelmo Beatty and Lou Hudson…no more. I’m done.

By Boses

July 24, 2008 5:15 AM | Link to this

Hey Sund, good job! Way to earn that paycheck.

By Steve

July 24, 2008 6:15 AM | Link to this

I don’t blame the Spirit one iota here. Anyone who does is not thinking clearly.

Look, they offered JChill more than he was worth to begin with. Don’t give me this nonsense about him being invaluable off the bench. Every team in the league has at least one player like that, if not more. They are EASY to come buy.

You simply do not pay a ‘sixth’ man the kind of money it would have taken to keep Childress. If you do, it kills your franchise for years.

Will his loss hurt? Yes.

Can he be replaced? Yes, because we aren’t talking about anything more than an average NBA’er here with very little toughness.

Was he worth what the Hawks offered? Maybe, but it’s borderline.

Was he worth what the Greece team is paying him? Not even remotely.

For those of you being absolutely ignorant, think of it this way. If the Hawks offer him that kind of money and offer JSmith a long term deal that he is seeking, what are the chances of them being able to afford Horford in a couple of years? Pretty much nothing in the cap driven NBA. I would gladly see JChill leave in order to hold back money to spend on a real difference maker.

By Paddy

July 24, 2008 6:43 AM | Link to this

barney strickland…your points are fair but way to simplistic. The ASG had one chance to save this franchise with a little more money than normal, this problem could have been solved. Barney, it is not about getting someone better than JC to be 6th man. Read the comments from almost everyone the past 2 days. NBA players will not come to Atl. Fans are demoralized and angry. ASG will go even more broke as nobody cares and nobody will come to the games. I have never seen anthing quite like this. It was such an easy problem to fix for a smart group of owners. It is like the levees in New Orleans failing; it just should not have happened.SOMEONE should have known how to fix this @ ASG. Momentum then would have been king, the new era will never get started with this group. They will be swimming up stream as long as they are here.

By big baller

July 24, 2008 7:13 AM | Link to this

Can’t we at least get Cedric to be the coach. Woody Hightower should be leading the band.

By dd

July 24, 2008 7:24 AM | Link to this

This is the Hawks folks! If you’re mad.

My advice: Stay at home.

Don’t watch them on TV.

Find another interest.

Out of sight, Out of mind.

By Ken Thompson

July 24, 2008 7:31 AM | Link to this

This is why the Hawks are arguably the worst run franchise in the NBA. They have been trying for years to get back on the NBA map. They finally have a chance after the series with Boston and they blow it. If there was ever a time to pay a little extra, this was it. We are tired of hearing wait until next year. The team this year will almost certainly be worse than last. They will certainly have to overpay to have a chance at a quality restricted free agent. If they wouldn’t pay for Chill, why should we believe they will pay for anyone else. Finally, there are no equivalent unrestricted free agents left.

By aaaetc

July 24, 2008 7:33 AM | Link to this

The Hawks are not going to win a championship with Childress. To spend an excessive amount on a substitute is not good business. The Hawks were bad a long time before this ownership group came on the scene, so all these hysterics are silly. What the Hawks need is to keep Josh Smith and figure out a way at some point to pull off a Celtic-like move. Few people seem to remember that Boston went from a 22-win season to the world championship in one year. What that takes is 2 or 3 great players. Josh Childress is not one of those players.

By JC

July 24, 2008 7:33 AM | Link to this

Josh Childress can’t even hit a 15 footer. He is no way worth even 5 million a year. The hawks made a fair offer and he thought he was way better than he is.

By Mark Bradley

July 24, 2008 7:38 AM | Link to this

I would agree in principle that it’s not a great idea to overpay anybody, least of all a sub. But Josh Childress wasn’t just a sub: He was the model of what the Hawks have aspired to be — young and gifted and versatile — and this was the first test of whether the team could keep its youthful core together. They failed the test, as I tried to note above, and more than that they let him leave without getting anything in return.

By Lowcountry Bulldawg

July 24, 2008 7:41 AM | Link to this

For anyone who thinks that Childress does not warrant that contract consider this.

James Posey,31, received a 4 year 25 million dollar contract to be a role player for the Hornets.

The ASG dropped the ball and how did this new GM allow this to happen? What a joke, the franchise has never been the same since the Nique fiascoe…

By aaaetc

July 24, 2008 8:04 AM | Link to this

Mark, thanks for the reply. I respect your opinion, I just disagree with it. Being a model of what the Hawks aspire to be is not a good enough reason to spend a large chunk of the salary allotment on a player who does not start.

There is no guarantee that the Hawks could have worked a deal to get anything out of it, especially now that Childress decided to sign with the Greek team.

I’m only suggesting that the Hawks would be better served to wait and spend their money on players who can have a bigger impact on turning around the Hawks. Childrerss has been here a long time, and the Hawks have been woeful. We need a Garnett-like player to make a difference. Otherwise, it is more of the same, and Childress is more of the same.

Josh Smith, on the other hand, is good enough to pay and keep.

By Dimitris

July 24, 2008 8:05 AM | Link to this

It’s obvious that none of you gentlemen has the slightest idea of what is happening in European Basket Ball lately. And it’s also obvious that you have never watched any European team playing. Well, as an Olympiakos (and Knicks) fan, but most of all a BASKET BALL fan, I’ll tell you one thing: Things have changed gentlemen! The European leagues are not minor leagues anymore as a gentleman stated above! Money is circulating, great players are coming from all the world and, believe it or not, there are European players that do NOT want to play in the NBA! Childress is only the beggining! If you see the free agents of next year, you will get the chills! And believe me, there are teams and presidents of teams that can pay 30-40 millions of $ per year for Iverson, Parker or Kirilenko, just to mention some names… As for Childress, the truth is that I don’t know what kind of player he is! He may be a sack of potatoes as some here say, but he also may be a good swingman coming from the bench as others mention. What is important for us, is that he will be put in a team of stars (Papaloukas, Vuicic, Halperin, Schortsianitis, Greer, Macijauskas and others) and do the job that the coach of the Greek National team (you know, the one that beat team USA in Japan) will tell him. Yes, he may came to Greece for the big bucks Olympiakos gave him, but at least here, he will have the chance to play in a competitive team and can actually win a League championship, a Euroleague championship or something. From what I read in this comments thread, in Atlanta he would never had a chance like this in his entire career…

By Ken Thompson

July 24, 2008 8:31 AM | Link to this

Face it. The ASG operates on the wait til next year plan. When next year arrives its not next any more -:). Care to guess where David Stern plans to get the replacement team for Seattle?

By D.Ellis

July 24, 2008 8:31 AM | Link to this

It’s not that he Chill left. It;s the fact that he called their bluff. It’s the fact that Sund told Chill…”find a better deal”…without being smart enough to realize that this was a possability. How can you not account for this scenario? Obviously tey didn’t know this could happen or see it coming. So why not trade him. I would have been in immedaite contact with him or his reps while he was in Athens and asked him straight up if he was seriously considering the deal. If the asnwer was yes I would have traded him for the best value I could have got for him within 24 hours. You can’t let your model of youth…your number 6 pick…..your 6th man…..your BEST utility platyer walk away AND GET NOTHING. His stats don’t matter. HIS PPG or REBOUNDS DON”T MATTER. It;s the simple fact that the organization has been played. Plain and simple. Not only do you let your BEST UTILITY PLAYER WALK…..BUT YOU GET NOTHING IN RETURN….NOTHING. HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN? How can people are hired to do a job and get paid crazy amounts of money and do so horrible at it. Chill can be replaced.

Mark Bradley is right though——it was a tet for this ownership….it was a test for Sund. They FAILED. How can you expect other players to want to come here? JJ/J.Smith/Al horford…..they are sitting at home thinking….WHO IN THE WORLD AM I PLAYING FOR? Do these guys know waht they are doing……BECAUSE IT DOESN”T LOOK LIKE THEY DO. The organization just took a punch to the gut…..they never saw it coming…..they get paid to see it coming……and now thwe whole league is laughing at them….wait he signed with an over seas team….now the world is laughing at them….not becasue he left….but becasue he left and WE GOT NOTHING.

By TJ

July 24, 2008 8:37 AM | Link to this

Good for the Hawks - they finally learned not to overpay for average players (for example, Jon Koncak). The team will be as good this year as they were last year.

Go Hawks!!

By Glenn

July 24, 2008 8:39 AM | Link to this

Your wrong on this matter Mark . This is not a case of the Hawks ownership not trying to sign The Joshes . This is a case of a European team making a VERY strong offer . This a case of just how much stronger Europe’s currency is as compared to ours . Maybe a lesson in the negative effects of globalization & free trade on the economy but that is an argument for a different AJC section .

A sign & trade ? Are you suggesting there was an other NBA franchise out there that not only was willing to overpay for the services of Josh Childress but give up players as well ? I don’t see it . If the Hawks front office made one mistake this summer , and I’m not saying they did , it was retaining Mike Woodson . It seems he is very unpopular with his players . Unpopular enough to hurt our ability to retain or bring in talent . The Bulls front office hasn’t signed Ben Gordon or Luol Deng . Does that make them incompetent rubes ? Most restricted FA’s haven’t been signed yet .

By BigTimeGaTechFan

July 24, 2008 8:46 AM | Link to this

Mark your wrong, If the Hawks would have paid Chills that as much money as he was looking for they would have been laughed out of the league. Good job Spirit, Josh Childress can be replaced very easy for a lot less $ then what he was asking for. Save that money for increase for Josh Smith plus you can add better 6th man.

By Dawg 'n IT

July 24, 2008 9:11 AM | Link to this

My only problem is that the ASG wants to tell Jchill the figure he’s looking for isn’t his market value. Fair enough. Tickets to an Atlanta Hawks game are not selling at their market value. Funny how the laws of economics only apply when it’s in the ASG’s favor. Just because the Lakers, Jazz, Suns, or any other real NBA team can charge what they charge and sell out every night doesn’t mean the Hawks can do the same thing. So ASG, practice what you preach. The NBA is not a market. The NBA is a collection of product markets and the Atlanta product is at the bottom of the group. Lower ticket prices until you consistantly sell out then you will find your market value. Jchill might not have been worth what he asked for but the Hawks are not worth what the ASG asks for either. So, you will continue to see mostly empty seats except when a real product comes to town because the locals are spending their hard earned money on products worth their while. Don’t believe me? Just ask the Braves who have been way more successful in the past 17 years and can’t sell out on a regular basis. We have money around Atlanta but we also have better options, just like Jchill.

By Dave

July 24, 2008 9:12 AM | Link to this

Way too much money, we would be killing the Hawks if they just spent 11M on Chill

By RB

July 24, 2008 9:14 AM | Link to this

Did the Hawks say they were raising ticket prices this year? I’m the casual fan who attends a few games a year. I’m also the fan you don’t see when talent decreases and prices increase. Go ahead with your increase, it will be nullified by the casual fans you lose.

By NJHAWKSFAN

July 24, 2008 9:18 AM | Link to this

So if it really gets to the point that the Hawks will not be able to re-sign Josh Smith due to his unhappiness with the team or unwillingness to sign a long-term deal, would a sign-and-trade for Okafor work out? That would allow Horford to move to the three, give them a bigger low-post presence, and move Williams to the 3.

By Steve

July 24, 2008 9:25 AM | Link to this

With how much the Euro is worth Chill is getting close to 11 million per season. Is he worth that in the NBA….no.

His money is guranteed and tax free. All he has to do is play one season. So….how many of you would turn down a guranteed 20 million to play one year in Europe? Bradley and all you other people are uneducated and don’t know anything about basketball. It is a case of being paid like a star and treated like a star, rather then being a role player in the NBA

By Paul W

July 24, 2008 9:32 AM | Link to this

What has happened to the common sense on this blog? Do you people really think that Childress was worth $11MM per season? Maybe the Hawks are cursed- this offer from the Greeks was unprecedented and ludicrous. Grumble at your poor luck if you must, but Sund would have been a fool to exceed this offer, and the writers and the fans would have told him so.

Damned when he didn’t, damned if he had done it.

By kgbsfinst

July 24, 2008 9:38 AM | Link to this

Maybe I’m in the minority, but I would rather take my chances with an up and coming team like the Hawks, with a chance, however small, of winning a championship, than going to Greece with a very good chance of winning a Euroleague championship. To me, thats like winning an CFL championship, its fun to win, but I’d rather be in the NFL.

I think they lost their chance to resign Josh when Woodson was resigned. I hope Josh feels slighted enough to open his mouth about who hates Woodson, and all the stupid stuff he(woodson) has done.

By Bulldog Mike

July 24, 2008 9:39 AM | Link to this

Here it is in a nut shell. The Hawks refused to offer Josh a contract for 7 million a year that could have kept him here and now because of the outcry that will come from this we will over pay for Josh Smith. We are going to tie up in a long term contract a player that plays out of position for a small forward, doesn’t play hard all the time and is in almost constant conflict with the coach.
Atlanta Spirit must go! We have got to spend money to get this team back on track. Where are the moves we have been promised?

By Tree Rollins

July 24, 2008 9:47 AM | Link to this

Josh Smith WILL NOT sign with the Hawks either. He will see that the Hawks are not committed to winning by allowing this to happen and so he will make a similar decision. OR some team will offer Smith so much the Hawks will let him go and not match his deals. The Hawks management is an unfortunate combination of CHEAP and STUPID. If you’re from Atlanta, pick a new team to rally around - this one is toast!

By Dawg 'n IT

July 24, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this

I’m not too sure about all the Woodson references. Facts are, the ASG gave Woodson an extension after meeting with staff and players. If anyone had a problem with Woodson to the point where they will not work with him, it should have come up in those meetings. If it did come up, then the ASG knew well in advance who they would or would not have back next season. To that end, if they knew there was no chance to sign either Josh or anyone else, Sund should have been busy working on a replacement plan this summer including a sign and trade or trading for draft picks. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter who stays and who goes as long as there is a plan to replace or improve upon the person(s) leaving. My problem with the ASG is that they are just letting whatever happen without a plan to deal with it. Maybe they’ll surprise us in the coming months but so far it seems like Sund is just acting on a “take it or leave it” approach. I just want to know “what’s next?” I agree the Jchill is not worth more than what they offered. I also agree that sometimes you have to overpay. Despite the playoff series against Boston, the Hawks are not close to being great just yet so it was not necessary to overpay for Jchill. You overpay when you are close to doing something great. That said, you DO overpay for Josh Smith as he is closer to being a star than Jchill. You lock down Smith for as long as you can and don’t look back. However, since the Hawks were not willing to overpay for Jchill, do they have an alternative plan in place to maintain performance?

By Tree Rollins

July 24, 2008 9:52 AM | Link to this

This bed-wetting Hawks management, ownership and coaching staff is a total joke. The NBA is a league built on talent - the more you have the more you win. The Hawks have now combine a no-talent coach with a no-talent GM and now a no-talent group of players to match. They’re all made for each other. When’s the next Chastain concert?

By Vick Supporter

July 24, 2008 9:59 AM | Link to this

Man, I’m so tired of this s**. Loserville, GA, thats what we are. NBA players laugh at us, and for good reason. I almost bought season tickets and thank GOD I didn’t. Josh Smith won’t be back unless they overpay him, which is their only option to keep him. Personally, I think we have the worst fans in all of sports. First, you s** on Nique, then Deion, then the grea Mike Vick. You people blamed Vick for EVERYTHING, yet he had us in contention with NOTHING! NO O-LINE, RECIEVERS, and AN AVERAGE DEFENSE at best. What a waste. You don’t find many team guys like Childress that wants to do the little things and doesn’t need the ball to be effective. Just look at the Spurs. They won CHAMPIONSHIPS with so called “utility players”. YOU NEED UTILITY PLAYERS ON YOUR TEAM YOU DAMN IDIOT OWNERS!! Damn I’m so p**. Smith is gonna leave and we’ll be nothing again. At least I got to feel what a real NBA game is like during the playoffs against Boston. F the Hawks.

By ajw

July 24, 2008 10:03 AM | Link to this

I don’t blame Childress for his move at all. Clearly he values the experience of seeing the world. On top of it he will get paid well. I also, don’t blame the Hawks for letting him go. The NBA imports softies from Europe all the time, which, frankly, is the style Childress plays. Last season he played well, but most guys play a lot better their contract year.

The Hawks have to worry about playing against NBA teams, and if they paid him what Greece did, they wouldn’t be able to compete. I see teams overpay all the time and can’t get out of it. I remember Childress never living up to expectations anyway. Good Riddance!

By Steve

July 24, 2008 10:06 AM | Link to this

Do any of you idiots read prior posts? Chilldress is not worth 11 million a season which is what the deal is worth in US dollars. Plus he plays one season and 20million is guranteed. Any of you fools would take a guranteed 20 mill to play one season over the mid level exception.

By Season Ticket Holder

July 24, 2008 10:06 AM | Link to this

I notice alot of you bloggers are using the very valid rationale that Chills is going to earn considerably more playing for Olympiakos - granted, this is true but it is beside the point - why did it get to that point? because the ASG was lollygagging - the big money is available at the beginning of the free agency period - they left him hanging - then they lowballed him - then they told him to go find a better deal elsewhere - they essentially left him with no choice - and this has been their M.O. from jumpstreet - they are full of it - they are cheap and had no intention of watching their payroll skyrocket with the resigning of the two Joshes - they are just stringing us along - it’s not about the ASG folks, it’s about the NBA which is Fantastic and great entertainment - go down there and watch Joe and Al do their thing against some of the greatest athletes on the planet and stop worrying about the knuckleheads that make up the ASG - we can’t control what they do - ignore them, they are full of it

By JD

July 24, 2008 10:06 AM | Link to this

People really don’t see the ramifications as to why this is really bad for the Hawks. It’s not bad because they lost one of the top 6th men in the league (and make no mistake, even though he was drafted #6 in 2003, he found his niche as a 6th man and he was good in that role) but now it sends a message to other future free agents that Atlanta is not a place you want to play.

For those of you saying that we can now go after some real free agents ask yourself this question: With what just happened with Josh Childress (regardless of what your opinion of him is) who’s gonna want to come here and play for this organization? Believe it or not the proverbial Pandora’s box has been opened, and this is one more thing in the long, sad history of this Hawks ownership group that strengthens the notion that they are clueless as to how to put a winning product on the floor to attract the fanbase here in Atlanta.

So go ahead, kick Josh Childress for calling the Hawks’ bluff. Yeah, you might not have seen him as a significant piece to this team, but when it comes down to it he was more important to the whole rather than less significant individually.

By JD

July 24, 2008 10:11 AM | Link to this

If you don’t believe what I’m saying, read this:

(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=Hawks-080723)

By HGN

July 24, 2008 10:11 AM | Link to this

All I have to say is Rick Sund must have something BIG up his sleeve. Because I can’t believe that he, or anyone , could come into an organization and let one of the best players on the team leave as his first move. AND GET NOTHING IN RETURN. To call Childress merely ” a utility player ” tells you something about Sunds judge of talent. Or lack thereof. We might as well have kept Billy Knight if this type of stupidity was going to continue to run the team and ruin the Hawks franchise.

By chris pendley

July 24, 2008 10:12 AM | Link to this

Bradley,Bradley,Bradley, You frustrated little sports writer (where is Hullenger when we need him, the real sports reporter). Mark, have you ever heard the old saying “the juice aint worth the squeeze”? This is truly the case here. Poor little Mark got it wrong again. Please come back Jeff.

By JD

July 24, 2008 10:14 AM | Link to this

Childress was a part of the 2004 draft class….my mistake.

My bad…..

By You got to be kidding me

July 24, 2008 10:16 AM | Link to this

Again I have to laugh! The ASG doesn’t know anything about basketball or hockey… to them this was just an investment that they will eventually sell for a profit! They are not going to spend more money than needed on it! And for all you “Hawks fans” out there, they were lucky to make the playoffs after having lost more games than they won… its not like they were turning a corner and starting a new dynasty!

By Mark Bradley

July 24, 2008 10:17 AM | Link to this

I daresay it wouldn’t have taken $11 million to keep Childress. It would have taken a little more money than they Hawks offered and a lot more love.

By Dawg 'n IT

July 24, 2008 10:22 AM | Link to this

I’d rather donate $10K for the privilege of purchasing UGA football season tickets than pay $440 for the cheapest Hawks season tickets. Atleast with UGA football you know they are trying to contend for championships. That’s what ATL pro sports team owners just don’t get. We will pay when we see a team honestly trying to win a championship. The Braves have been trading away young talent for years to plug in huge holes in their their roster which has not worked out (revolving door in the outfield and unstable pitching since the glory days). The Falcons absolutely refused to build an OL or bring in quality WRs just because Vick could outrun most defenses. The Hawks refused to draft needs to fill the holes in their roster (PG and C), instead drafting the same type of player year after year. The Thrashers, don’t make me vomit.

It’s a trend ATL. The ATL owners are like slave drivers (and no, this isn’t racial it applies to all ATL athletes). They put you in the field and demand that you work with what you’ve got even if it’s not enough to get the job done. Then if you fail, you get “cut”. Then they just go out and find another replacement from the stable to do the same job destined to fail. It’s time to industrialize and build a quality product where pieces fit to form a beautiful picture of progressive production. The Braves need young solid pitching to rebuild. The Falcons need to build a solid OL. The Hawks need to find their PG of the future and a true center. Then the rest of the parts and do their job adequately. The Thrashers? Their situation still confuses the heck out of me. They won their freaking division then 6 games into the following season their head coach was fired and ultimately most of their quality players have been shipped off. That’s worse than when the Braves fired Joe Torre way back win after finishing 2nd place in the division along with trading away Brett Butler. History repeating itself only worse?

By Vick Supporter

July 24, 2008 10:38 AM | Link to this

Dawg ‘n IT, I totally agree

By TerryHatcher

July 24, 2008 10:55 AM | Link to this

Basketball like all sports is a business. Losing Childress is the BEST thing that could happen to the Hawks right now. The Hawks dont need Childress to improve. Childress to the Hawks was analagous to Dennis Rodman to the Bulls when the Bulls won their championships. All Childress does is get a few key rebounds and a few garbage points. Thats it! Why would you pay 32.5 mil for someone who does that. Childress gives the Hawks EXACTLY what Jon Konkac used to give the Hawks; virtually nothing. Konkac went out and signed a lucrative contract for doing nothing. We do not need Josh Childress. We will excel beyond our wildest dreams without Childress. We just need someone who will replace Childress and that is very easy to find. We now have enough money to sign Josh Smith, who is an important cornerstone to the club. Josh Smith is an UNDEVELOPED talent who needs to dedicate himself to excellence. Once he does that he will become a superstar. The Hawks STILL have Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, Al Horford and Mike Bibby, an outstanding nucleus to build around. If the Hawks carefully add a good piece to the mix around that nucleus coupled with their current supporting cast, the Hawks should win 50 games this year. Remember, the Hawks have UPGRADED themselves by getting rid of Josh Childress because now they have enough money to sign Josh Smith, who will become a superstar in this league.

By Jake

July 24, 2008 11:00 AM | Link to this

Mark Bradley,

Can you explain to me why it’s the Hawks fault that some other team was STUPID enough to pay that skinny runt 10 mill per?

Do you think the Hawks should have paid Childress 10 mill per in an NBA team had offered that? And why didn’t an NBA team offer that?

BECAUSE HE’S NOT WORTH IT

By McRly?

July 24, 2008 11:04 AM | Link to this

They offered him more than he was worth, plain and simple, and bought him out of the league. Noone else in the NBA gives Childress a 32mil, 3 year deal, no way. And the Hawks would be called idiots if they did. That’s Joe Johnson money for less than half the Joe Johnson minutes. Sorry, ain’t practical. I’m happy for Chill, sad for the Hawks, but business is business. If they offer him a deal early then other NBA teams would have known the deal and get a chance to up the anti. And If Athens targeted Josh already, it didn’t matter if we offered him sooner or not. They still had their offer ready and noone in the NBA was gonna match it. Should we have taken care of it before last year? Yeah. Could this have been forseen. No, not really. I mean come on, who would have predicted THIS? This is bad Hawks karma, and that’s all that can be truthfully said about it. Now I just wish we could have gotten Camby. Now I think you have to make a move, maybe Bibby for a quality blue collar Big and a backup PG, forget about Speedy and maybe he surprises ya. Hand the reigns to Acie and see if Woodson can earn that extension. Who knows. Sad day in Atlanta. I’ll miss the effort and the fro.

By Nurlman

July 24, 2008 11:18 AM | Link to this

It sucks, but if Chill got almost $11m a year the Hawks shouldn’t have matched. Arrivi derci and all that. This has a lot to do with the relative strength of the dollar.

By AWI

July 24, 2008 11:29 AM | Link to this

Mark Bradley is a hater.the hawks do lose j-chill,so what? it’s all about business, j-chill wants money,but unfortunatly,we(all of us,not just ASG)don’t spend 10 millions a year for a mid-level player, that’s it,simple and plain.

By TKO

July 24, 2008 11:29 AM | Link to this

The Hawks ownership is like Will Ferrel in Semi-Pro. BROKE. Instead of Semi-pro going pro. Hawks get Demoted to semi-pro. Thats why you don’t see people in the stand. We can’t keep fans because we can’t entertain. ok, one time game 6 playoffs. Let keep josh smith atleast.

By TKO

July 24, 2008 11:32 AM | Link to this

The Hawks ownership is like Will Ferrel in Semi-Pro. BROKE. Instead of Semi-pro going pro. Hawks get Demoted to semi-pro. Thats why you don’t see people in the stand. We can’t keep fans because we can’t entertain. ok, one time game 6 playoffs. Let keep josh smith atleast.

By Eric

July 24, 2008 11:41 AM | Link to this

Rick Sund is in this thing with the Spirit, they ran Billy Knight out so Sund could come in and destroy this team. Knight made some mistakes in the draft, but at least he was trying to field a competitive team. This sends a bad message to the entire N.B.A. that the Hawks don’t take care of their players, and it says a lot if one of your players decides to bolt the country and leave the best league in the world to get as far away from your organization as he can. Knight fought with ownership the entire time he was here. He fought to get the trade done to get Joe Johnson who is now a two time all-star, and he tired to fire Mike Woodson. Now what has Rick Sund fought for since he’s been here, nothing!!!

By bigeasy830

July 24, 2008 11:49 AM | Link to this

Mark I think you last comment, ” I daresay it wouldn’t have taken $11 million to keep Childress. It would have taken a little more money than they Hawks offered and a lot more love”, is right on the money. Everyone was talking about who the Hawks should get in free agency, but thought nothing of our own RFAs. We ignored those guys. I do not care about the salary cap maneuvers. We should have locked up our own players first. We should have just shown them more love. Now, after the Greek team offered all that money there was nothing we could do. We couldn’t match or come close to that and you can’t blame the guy for getting paid. To those of you who think Chill was just a sub, you know nothing about basketball. You know Chill restled with this over and over before making up his mind, You know it had to be hard to suspend his dream of playing in the NBA for even a year. But, “If it don’t make dollars then it don’t make sense”. The kid had to take the best offer. I was so disappointed in Rick Sunds interview on the radio. I am so disappointed in his vision of this franchise. He continues to say we were not a better team than what our record indicated, that is bull. This guy will destroy what little momentum this franchise had. Do you think Smoove will resign. I know Joe is gone in a couple of seasons. I think marvin is gone as well. Atlanta home of the old school LA Clippers.

By CSM

July 24, 2008 12:12 PM | Link to this

I agree with an earlier poster’s comment that the die was cast when Childress wasn’t re-signed before last season started. I don’t remember what the deadline was but there was plenty of opportunity to get a deal done - for Smith, too - before we got to this point.

I don’t see much in earlier posts about Billy Knight’s role in this debacle but to me, he is totally responsible. Sund made a decision not to overpay and for that, I congratulate him.

Knight had absolutely awful judgement and I’ve never been so happy to see a front office guy gone.

By JimJim

July 24, 2008 12:19 PM | Link to this

He already started to practice! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kahtI5G2DrQ

By jimh norcorss

July 24, 2008 12:32 PM | Link to this

Childress is the first of many. This is Russian oil money at work. They are infusing it into Euro BB with the same zeal as United Arab Emirates is building a combo LV/Palm Beach/WDW on a desert island. Don’t under estimate Josh’s rangy abilities and he’s great BB IQ; he could be every bit the player Prince is for Det. He may even help us in 2012 Olympics — Heck by then he may be playing in London!

Of course it took a Stanford educated player to “follow the money” even if it leads to Europe; with a little help from Hawk’s management. Who knows maybe someday Horford will be playing for Qatar Cutters or even the Saudi Surge.

By Wink from Lithonia

July 24, 2008 12:41 PM | Link to this

No Chills, WHY? because the NBA community did not make him an offer; he got an excellent deal from the Greek team; who among us would not have taken that deal. More money, no expensense, maid & driver, taxes paid, 20 mil net & play less games, not to mention if you want to come back to NBA, you have an out clause annually, you get your NBA freedom after 2 years & and you are not tied to the ASG for 5-6 years…please, count me gone too.

Now Childress was a RESTRICTED free agent. If we look around the NBA, specifically at his draft class, who are now also RESTRICTED free agents. There are a few who have had more steller NBA careers at this point: Andre Iguodala , Luel Deng, Ben Gordon, Sasha Vujacic, Monte Ellis, JR Smith & of course Josh Smith, none of these better RESTRICTED free agents have received an offer from the NBA community. So this is a loud statement from the owners. Now add the voice of Sund…telling Josh Childress …”go find an offer”…well he did. Now he is just a “Utility Player” and they gave him an offer at Market Value.

Now this “Market Value” has effected their cap space & also set the amount they can offer a Free Agent who would consider coming to the Hawks;

So what are the Alternatives for ASG:

Limited Cap Space - why pay luxury tax for a sub 500 team per Sund.

Limited Free Agent Pool - waited to long and all the worthy free agents have been signed.

Limited Talent base - remaining free agents are not game changers - non quite the equal or better than Childress, unless you count the other RESTRICTED free agents.

6-8 players under contract - roster is imblanced by position and core contracts are expiring; they see how you handle business…are any company men for ASG???

Maybe, they sign Josh Smith, maybe not due to limited NBA market place - to get paid he may have to take home town discount or follow Childress since no team has made him an offer.

Dwindling Fan base & support - really do we even care anymore…we have had the tear down the roster phase, the shed some salary phase, the 4 year rebuilding phase and we are now into the destroy the core players confidence phase —-soon real soon you will see billboards around town as we enter the Falcon phase - SCREAMERS WANTED!!!!!!

By JC

July 24, 2008 12:45 PM | Link to this

The AJC had a poll following the Hawk’s seasons asking if they would retain the Joshes. Ironically, the majority of people were drinking the kool-aid and said yes.

I on the other hand, saw the writing in the sand. Josh Childress was not a big money player, but we got nothing for him. Also, where is the ASG gonna find a suitable replacement (and someone willing to move to a cellar team)? Obviously the ASG is not gonna pay top dollar. What do the Hawk’s have to intice a player to join the squad?

The mistake happened with retaining Woodson. Come on, they made it to the play-offs with a sub 500 record in a weak conference. Sure they took the Celts to 7, but they still lost. Woodson is no where near having a 500 win record since taking the coaching position. ASG needs to pay some $$$ and get a real coach in here (of course, like with players, how are they gonna entice a decent coach to a cellar-dwelling team).

The only thing that might make a Hawk’s game interesting is their opponents. Oh well, there are plenty of decent teams in the NBA that I can follow.

By Dave

July 24, 2008 1:01 PM | Link to this

I have read alot about the “loss of a valuable asset” and the “lollygagging of the ASG”.

Let’s talk about the REAL issues here:

1) Childress thought he was worth a set amount of money.

2) The ASG did NOT agree, and told Childress to shop the market and determine his market value.

3) He did that and guess how many teams stepped up with a contract offer?? NONE! ZERO! ZIP!

IMHO, the ASG looked at Childress’ last four years and made a very prudent business decision that Childress was worth about $6 million per year, and NO MORE!

The fact that Childress found a European team willing to pay him effective $10 million PLUS is GREAT FOR HIM, but it does NOT change the fact that his NBA worth was, in fact, about $6 million per year.

I will NOT CONDEMN the ASG for making a rational, logical business decision on a good (but PART-TIME) player!

They now have the opportunity to go out and find an adequate replacement for Childress at a much lower price.

However, if they do not step up to the plate and sign Josh Smith, who has the potential to be another Dominique Wilkins, then we will all have the opportunity to properly condemn the ASG for being a bunch of idiots!!

They do NOT have to break the bank for Josh Smith, because, after all, the NBA has also spoken about HIS market worth as well.

But they DO need to get this signing done, and quickly, less they completely lose the team.

Just my humble opinion…

By Not Impressed

July 24, 2008 1:16 PM | Link to this

To Rick Sund and ASG:

I was never impressed with the idea of 12, oh wait, 11 guys owning 1, let alone 2, Professional Sports Franchises. You guys are terrible!! First, you chase your GM into retirement, which played the terrible hand you guys delt him. Then you make it a priority to re-hire a coach that better for High School. You then hire a GM and brag about him as if had MAJOR credentials. You mismananged and dismantled your Hockey Team in less than a year after they went to the playoffs. You let Josh get away, who could’ve started before Marvin Williams and you probably won’t sign Josh. What a bunch of clueless executives…..do any of you realize what our sports mean to us? Do any of you live in Atlanta? Stop holding us hostage already! Childress was a classy guy. Now you’re gonna waist your time, energy and money on so “overrated” fool that cares more about looking good and driving good than playing basketball. These guys don’t respect you, Rick Sund or Mike Woodson. You guys don’t stand a chance…you are terrible!!!

By B.A.ToDa

July 24, 2008 1:38 PM | Link to this

Don’t panic too soon guys. It’s too early to panic! Now, if we some how lose Josh Smith and we get nobody in return to help out this team, then is the time to panic. Best case scenario is we re sign J. Smith and pick up 1-2 bench players to fill in Chills spot.

By JBee

July 24, 2008 1:40 PM | Link to this

The curse of “Dr. J” lives on!!!!! ABA, Greece, whatever. Stearn and the other NBA owners need to buyout all of the Hawks owners and start from scratch. By the way, for all you D. Wilkins crazies, Kevin Willis and Doc. Rivers both have Champs on their resumes. Wilkins could not defend, pass, or even dribble to his left. Half his dunks were made using too many steps. Championships are won by TEAMS playing TEAM ball.

By T.C

July 24, 2008 1:48 PM | Link to this

Fury,i don’t think so by your saying belkin was the man.he balked against bringing in our top player j johnson,i think he would of been the same by looking at money instead of product.this spirit group is a joke,they haven’t made a move on bringing anyone in or signing what they have.

By Jon

July 24, 2008 1:49 PM | Link to this

Sign Josh Smith already or work a sign and trade. Make an offer to Ryan Gomes to replace Chills or make an offer to Andris Biedrins. Hurry up before it is too late and we have to sign a bunch of summer leaguers to fill out our bench!

By Eric

July 24, 2008 1:55 PM | Link to this

Message to everybody talking about how much a player is worth. A player is worth or his value goes by how much that team needs him not by anything else. Patrick Ewing for many years was the highest paid player in the league, then Kevin Garnett. They weren’t the best players at the time, but their teams need to keep them outweighed anything else. The Hawks needed to sign both Joshes, to show a sign to the league and most important to the fans that they were willing to take the next step towards making this franchise respectable. Every player in the N.B.A. is watching this situation in Atlanta, and trust me no good free agent is going to sign with the Hawks after this. This isn’t just about Chills, this thing could get very ugly in the future especially with Joe Johnson’s contract coming up.

By darrell starks

July 24, 2008 2:31 PM | Link to this

WHY DO PEOPLE CONTINUE TOO DEFEND ASG IF you cant see that they are going CHEAP THEN YOUR BLIND first they dismantel the HOCKEY TEAM now they are doing the same WITH THE HAWKS WHAT have they done for the hockey team or the hawks nothing the true sports fan of ATL IS TIRED OFF A BUNCH OF LOOSER WE have suffer for so long as sport fan that we are tired of it 40 years of sport between the braves falcon and hawks WE HAVE ONLY ONE CHAMPION SHIP AND that the 1995 ATLANTA BRAVES THATS IS SORRY so anyone that defend ASG should understand WHY US TRUE ATL SPORTS FAN FEEL THIS WAY. GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By NJHawksFan

July 24, 2008 2:46 PM | Link to this

The bottom line, the Greeks wanted him and they over-paid to get him. Fine. The Hawks were right not to pay the price they paid, and now they can move to sign one or more other players with the same money. He was a sixth man. Let’s move on.

By Reggie L

July 24, 2008 2:48 PM | Link to this

The only chnage the Hawks needed in the off season was a new coach..eveyone knows it. I am a working man who must have a successful track record, Woody’s dismal record (how else do you gauge success?)during his tenure would mean his business would be bankrupt right now. The fans are bankrupt of any feelings for this (sic) club. The Hawks finished way below 500 and never should have made the playoffs. In any other division they would have enjoyed the playoffs from home. No playoff appearance would have put the nail in the coffin for Woodson. They owe him jack for making the playoffs…nothing. The NBA should be embarassed for the Hawks and reconsider if the good ol ATL is even worthy of having a NBA franchise. The NBA also really needs to revisit the way playoff teams are selected..it’s cheating us and the teams who are worthy of playing beyond the regular season. Beyond a true center, we really didn’t need much by way of players …just a darn good coach. I’m looking forward to a lot of other team’s seasons, but I can’t muster any feelings for the Hawks..they are toast.

By Why ATL

July 24, 2008 2:52 PM | Link to this

Spirit group please sell this team to another city. We would be better of starting from scratch. The least you can do is get out of the way for someone who wants to put a competitive, entertaining team on the court.

By eazy

July 24, 2008 2:58 PM | Link to this

The hawks are in full backwards mood. We hire a G.M. from a sorry(he got fired)team. Then we let our spark off the bench get away. We didnt goe after any relavent free agent. What is management doing. The are going to let the Atlians loose the excitement we had at the end of the season.

By Ex-HawksFan

July 24, 2008 3:01 PM | Link to this

ASG needs to go and take Sund with them. 1) “Childress was a utility player”. That’s exactly the type of player we need on this team to be a glue guy. How many guys in this league don’t have to have a play called for them and are still happy and average 12pts 5reb 57% fg and, most importantly, wanted to play in Atlanta?

2) “Going above the luxury tax with a team under .500 is probably premature.” This type of thinking is why we are under .500. This team proved in the playoffs that they can come together. With a summer together and training camp, who knows what this season COULD have brought.

3) They didn’t want to break the bank to pay chills? I’m sure $6 mil a year would have kept him here. If that sounds like a lot, think of the fact that we are paying Craig Claxton (you have to earn a nickname here) $5.75 million this year and he has done nothing since he got here. That was breaking the bank.

4) Telling that man to go out and find a better deal? Be careful what you ask for.

Thanks ASG and Mr. Sund for nothing. I pray you do something this year to make me eat my words, but as of now it doesn’t look good.

By AJC

July 24, 2008 3:02 PM | Link to this

BRADLEY this newspaper needs to CALL OUT these Idiots, aka ASG every single day until they sell or just leave town. This is a joke. Look at the Hawks and the Thrashers, we are the laughing stock of the NHL & NBA that is hard two do. Both leagues think Atlanta is the biggest joke and it IS. Athletes love this city, but NO ONE, NO ONE WANTS TO PLAY HERE. When you hire &ss Clowns like Don Waddell and Woody this is what you get. NOTHING. Sad, very sad. I wish I had the ASG’s money, I would right a LOT OF WRONGS. They wont get anymore money from me, neither team. Dissapointing.

By T.C

July 24, 2008 3:07 PM | Link to this

For all you people/fans ect… posting wht j chills couldn’t do and what he’s not worth,you all are missing the point.question,what have they done to make this team better?what quality free agents have they brought in or even talked to?why is it taking so long for them to sign a upcoming valuable player?(j.smith).i could go on and on but what do some of us fans post.we make negative comments about a player who will make a impact in the future.note:before we make negative comments just remember it takes most players in the nba up to 5+ years before they make a name for them selves.

By T.C

July 24, 2008 3:07 PM | Link to this

For all you people/fans ect… posting wht j chills couldn’t do and what he’s not worth,you all are missing the point.question,what have they done to make this team better?what quality free agents have they brought in or even talked to?why is it taking so long for them to sign a upcoming valuable player?(j.smith).i could go on and on but what do some of us fans post.we make negative comments about a player who will make a impact in the future.note:before we make negative comments just remember it takes most players in the nba up to 5+ years before they make a name for them selves.

By westside

July 24, 2008 3:10 PM | Link to this

If McDavid would had gotten the team, I wonder whare the Hawks would be now. We had a guy who wanted to buy the Hawks and win. I remember what Steve Diebs(McDavid brother in-law and wouldnt been team president)said in his press conferance when they thought they was going to end up with the team. We are coming to the Atl to win and show the fans some love. The only thing the Atlanta Spirit has showed us is a lack of wanting to win or lack of understanding of the N.B.A.

By Thaddeus Maddeus

July 24, 2008 3:24 PM | Link to this

J-Chill was decent, but what’s up with that broke jump shot? The Hawks need to replace him with a consistent scorer that can keep the defenses honest and take some pressure off Joe Johnson. I hope they also plan to upgrade the bench - what gives?

By Mitch

July 24, 2008 3:25 PM | Link to this

DAVE…great chronology of the events that led up to Chills signing. Perfectly outlined.

Chills was NOT worth more than the $33M/5 he was offered by the Hawks. IMO, the Hawks showed him love by offering above the mid-level exception for their 6th man.

Let’s not panic just yet. Much needs to be done, starting with the re-signing of Josh Smith. Then let’s see who Sund adds to the roster.

MARK BRADLEY: would you please clarify your criticism of Sund trying to avoid having the team pay the luxury tax this year? If overpaying for Chills would have pushed the Hawks into the luxury tax bracket, then isn’t it prudent of Sund to try to avoid that?

By Let's Move On

July 24, 2008 3:30 PM | Link to this

Well since we’ve lost CHILL it’s time to move on!! Lets see if SUND can actually add to the team!! Nothing yet though!! is JSMOOTH the next 1 out???? SOME ONE HELP!!!

By B.A.ToDa

July 24, 2008 3:31 PM | Link to this

Was anyone actually happy when we hired Sund and realized exactly who he is and what his previous track record showed? You would think the Hawks were located in North Dakota(or any small town/state) the way we hire people.

By B.A.ToDa

July 24, 2008 3:37 PM | Link to this

I hate that we’re even asking ourselves which one of our players is the “next-one-out”. It’s unfortunate that any of our players may be forced to leave our team after proving themselves past season.

By ron johnson

July 24, 2008 3:51 PM | Link to this

I just wonder what the heck are the Hawks gonna do. So far this summer has been all about what they haven’t done. So, when are the Hawks gonna actually do something to improve the team instead just letting people walk away. Whether you care or not about this Childress move, the real question is when are the Hawks going to move. As far as I know we haven’t signed anyone, traded anyone. We worked out Kwame Brown…real excited about the possiblility of that bust playing for us.

By darrell starks

July 24, 2008 3:54 PM | Link to this

THE HAWKS WILL NOT MAKE THE PLAY OFF 1.BOSTON 2.DETROIT 3.ORLANDO 4.PHILLI 5.TORONTO 6.CLEVELAND 7.WASHINGTON 8.CHICAGO 9.MIAMI 10.INDIANA 11.ATLANTA 12.MILWAUKEE 13.NEWYORK 14.CHARLOTTE 15.NEWJEREY

By Mark Bradley

July 24, 2008 4:45 PM | Link to this

Bottom line: The Hawks said their intention was to keep this core group together, and Childress was considered a full-fledged member of that core. And he’s gone. Whatever the rationale, whatever the extenuating circumstances, they didn’t achieve what they set out to do.

If you haven’t read it already, I give the highest possible recommendation to Sekou Smith’s latest blog.

By DC

July 24, 2008 5:15 PM | Link to this

Why does Atlanta continue supporting this terrible team. I am an Atlanta fanatic in every sport and lets face it, we are terrible. From football, to baseball, to basketball we are god aweful. You can’t pay me to watch a hawks or falcons game right now. The Hawks like loosing and they will continue to do so for years to come. From their year to year draft picks to their coaching, to their management everyone SUCKS! Josh Smith will be the next one to go and when that happens the Hawks won’t win more then 15 to 20 games next year. Both falcons and hawks tickets should be FREE because no matter what they do from here on out they are going to be aweful to watch.

By TreeRollins

July 24, 2008 5:40 PM | Link to this

Unfortunately, the cheap ownership group allowed this to happen on purpose. They will retain Chilly’s rights, his salary will count against the cap, but the ownership group won’t have to cut a check each payroll period. They never had any intention of signing both Joshes. That would actually require the payroll budget to increase. Unbelievable.

By Greecian Formula

July 24, 2008 5:41 PM | Link to this

The Halts and some Halts fans just don’t get it. The nba plays/pays starters and subs. starters must rest at some point during the game and hopefully replaced with a above competent subs. childress is versatile above competent sub. just ask the celtics. this guy was your go to sub nite in and nite out. its foolish and sour grapes to berate his coming off the bench role now that he’s gone. management let this team and fans down not josh childress. you gotta crack a egg to make a omelett. ths HALTS didn’t want to crack open the egg and the whole league has saw it. so tell me who is going to fill this void.

By HIGHPOWEREDOFFENSE

July 24, 2008 5:58 PM | Link to this

THE ATLANTA SPIRIT GROUP HIRED THE CHEAPEST GM RICK SUND , REHIRED THE CHEAPEST COACH MIKE WOODSON AND WANT TO GIVE PLAYERS THE CHEAPEST MONEY IN THEIR CONTRACTS! SEEMS TO ME THEY ARE LOOKING FOR THE CHEAPEST WAY OUT! SO HERE IT IS…………SELL THE TEAM YOU CHEAP BUNCH OF LOSERS!

By Frederick

July 24, 2008 6:15 PM | Link to this

This time the organization got it right. You can’t tie up your cap space with a player or two. The Hawks are still ways away from contention. I could understand if the Hawks were a player or two away. They are not. Let us not pre-judged until the season starts. We have time to work sign and trades. The nucleus is still good Law, Bibby, Williams, Hortford, Pachulia, and Claxton. We need veteran players anyway. Even with the joshes in fold we were not ready to contend. We struggled on the road. We need to be wise and save the money for better players.

By Jeremy

July 24, 2008 6:43 PM | Link to this

You overspend for starters and stars — not sixth men. The Hawks have a bigger problem. Even if they resign Smith, they’ll still have two power forwards and ask one of them to play center. Of the two key unrestricted free agents, Childress was expendable. If there’s one thing that’s out there in the NBA right now its 6-7, 6-8 swingmen.

By Jeremy

July 24, 2008 6:45 PM | Link to this

You overspend for starters and stars — not sixth men. The Hawks have a bigger problem. Even if they resign Smith, they’ll still have two power forwards and ask one of them to play center. Of the two key unrestricted free agents, Childress was expendable. If there’s one thing that’s out there in the NBA right now its 6-7, 6-8 swingmen.

By LPJ Hawksfan

July 24, 2008 7:34 PM | Link to this

I think you guys are missing the point Childress may not be worth 11 million but the hawks should have worked a deal before the Oct 1 deadline. The amount for childress was not 11 mill at that time nor was it at the beginning of free agency this year. It was only that much when he went to get other offers. This was a terrible judgement on the gms part and on the asg to not work a deal and send him to other teams.

By Jeff

July 24, 2008 10:49 PM | Link to this

Nicely written article.

Being a Washington DC native, and a Wizards fan, I praise the Atlanta ownership group / front office for getting the deal done for Josh. It makes our life easier.

By dj

July 25, 2008 1:19 AM | Link to this

for hawks fans who say that the team is better off without josh childress, shame on you. basketball is not just business. for an ordinary fan like me, losing a player, whether he is a starter or not, is a real heartbreaker. i don’t think chils did it just for the money. it’s about being needed and appreciated.

By Ethan

July 25, 2008 6:50 AM | Link to this

Rick Sund is one of the worst GM’s ever. In his years with the Sonics they never got better, which caused a huge erosion of love for the team. Now look where they are…OKC. Clay Bennet is a liar!

By Mark Bradley

July 25, 2008 12:06 PM | Link to this

As far as Josh Childress not being a starter … technically, that’s true. But how many times was he (as opposed to Marvin Williams) on the court at the end of games?

By O'brien

July 25, 2008 12:18 PM | Link to this

And how many big plays/put backs did Marvin make, compared to Chills?

Look, I’m a big Hwks fan, and a big Childress fan. However, my main issue with Sund is allwoing Childress to leave for nothing in return. I would not overpay for him either, but we basically gave away a #6 draft pick for free. I think Childress can be replaced, but Sund needs to act quickly and stop dragging his feet. All the momentum from taking Boston to 7 games has worn off. And people are thinking its the same ole ASG.

If I’m correct, the only way we will retain the rights to Chills is if we make a QO. BUT, If we make a QO, then it wil count against the cap, and we know the ASG are not big spenders. This is what I think will happen. I think the Hawks will renounce his rights, and then Chills will opt out of his contract after one season, and be free to sign with whichever NBA team he wants.

By MiltonBradley

July 25, 2008 12:48 PM | Link to this

I was never a big Childress fan, but my children adore Childress. I say good for him, if he found a way to stuff his pockets with money, God bless him, but when people tell me that they are loyal to a franchise I will never believe it. Take Tom Glavine for instance with the Braves. Turncoat Tommy gave his heart and soul to the Braves for many years and was the starting pitcher in the game in which the Braves won a world championship in 95, but when it came to accepting an offer from the New York Mets or staying with the Braves, Turncoat chose the Mets because it allowed him to stockpile money to the rafters and I dont blame him one bit for doing that. All of the sports players are motivated by one thing; and that thing is M-O-N-E-Y and nothing else.

By jimh norcross

July 25, 2008 1:12 PM | Link to this

Some of you guys don’t get it — Mark Bradley is right when he says technically Josh C. was not a starter but…. neither was Manu Ginobili for most of the season. How far would the spurs go without him?? Josh is not Manu yet but in the playoffs last year Childress was the player the Celtics did not have an answer for. He allowed JS and JJ to have big games! His moves under the basket frustrated Celtic’s inside game. I liken this to JJ his last year with the suns but we didn’t get two 1st rounder’s for this move.

Even though he is playing for a Greek team it’s own by a Russian Billionaire. This is Oil money, today that same money is going after Delonte West of the Cavs. I say this is only the beginning the NBA is becoming a victim of its own international popularity. This is beginning to sound more like an NBA problem then a Hawks problem (though a little PR by the Hawks could have held it off) I wonder how Stern’s going deal with this??

By Season Ticket Holder

July 25, 2008 5:33 PM | Link to this

Hawks Agree To Terms With Maurice Evans

Never find a replacement?

great defender, proficient offensively. oh yeah.

3 Years; 7.5 Mil

2.5 Mil a Year vs. 10 Mill a Year

Gives us room to fill out the roster.

There is a plan.

By solosaur

July 25, 2008 6:19 PM | Link to this

Noooooo! J Chill sparks it up, gets the rebounds, gets in the paint. Priceless, baby. Priceless. AND he’s got experience in the franchise and can bring us some momentum moving into next season.

By Mark Bradley

July 25, 2008 8:08 PM | Link to this

I would suggest that Maurice Evans, who signed with the Hawks today, comes cheaper for a rather basic reason — he isn’t as good as Childress.

By Paddy

July 25, 2008 8:17 PM | Link to this

Barney Strickland… you just do not get pro sports do you? Your grammar school arguments sound like an opinion after a night of booze and no sleep. Please think things out before you type and make a point.

By RA

July 26, 2008 6:09 PM | Link to this

I submit to you Mr. Bradley that Maurice Evans who signed with the Hawks today is in fact a better fit with the Hawks than Childress for a rather basic reason-he wants to be here. Now, if you think Childress is worth the 32 million dollars that it would have taken to keep him, you can continue to lead the digruntled in lamenting his departure, but as for me, I say good riddance. I’d rather take a capable less talented player that wants to be in Atlanta over a gifted player who spurned the entire NBA. Evans is here, Childress is gone. Live with it.

By mr.gradmerk

July 26, 2008 11:04 PM | Link to this

MAURICE EVANS IS A BETTER PLAYER SIR, HE CAN CREATE HIS OWN SHOT UNLIKE CHILL WITH THE UGLY SHOT HAS TO BE OPEN TO GET HIS SHOT OFF, AND MAURICE IS AN EQUAL DEFENDER AND HUSTLE PLAYER

By j

July 27, 2008 9:56 AM | Link to this

Are you serious??? Childress is worth 10 million a year??? haha, bradley, you are a fool if i ever saw one … please cease your articles on basketball b/c you obviously don’t know anything about basketball of the business side of it … Childress is a 6th man, who got starter minutes and only gave us 11 ppg and 5 rpg … the reason we needed him, at the time, was b/c nobody else was coming off the bench … this article is s**, and i HATE the sports writers in this town. To all those who continue reading this garbage, this is a horrible opinion by a junk writer!!!

By econ

July 27, 2008 11:12 AM | Link to this

Chidress, Smith, Johnson and Horford should have been the keepers for the long term for this team, the faces of the franchise. Bibby obviously a temporary move. He would have made the difference in the playoffs if he was half the player he had been a few years ago. But this signing is a symptom of the fall in the value of the dollar as well as the decline in prestige of the NBA. Teams in Europe become bigger players in the free agent market as their currency buys more and more dollars. Are the Hawks owners incompetent? Undoubtably. Is the relative prestige of the league diminished by the last two decades of international copetition? I think so. Is the dollar creating some unique and unexpected opportunities for export? Yes.

By rick denson

July 27, 2008 12:22 PM | Link to this

The loss of J-Chill is a huge blow to this Franchise and devestating to what appeared in the Play-offs to be a very promising new season to follow. J-Chill was a integral part of the new success and surely would play a prominant role to continue that success. Most Atlanta fans knew this and appreciated his performance and off court character. Sadly the Hawks Management did not. Again they have failed this organization and failed the fans with incompetent leadership. They are full of nothing but talk. There has been no action to follow their good rhetoric. This is why this organization cannot fly to new heights or return to the glory days of the “Dominque Wilkins Era”. I was very close to purchasing season tickets for the up-coming season because I was so excited and happy for the Hawks after such a surprising and exciting play-off run against the now Champion “Boston Celtics”. Wow… I was so excited and happy for this team, these players, the coaching staff, the fans of Atlanta. I was very proud and had high hopes for the future. Certainly we would build on this success. It’s right there in our face waiting for us. There is no way Ownership or the managers would mess this one up? No way they could miss this opportunity. But no way in hell will I buy season tickets now. The up coming season will see a return to the old failed hawks…. you can count on it. No J-Chill, still no re-signed J-Smooth, no high caliber Free agents signed, no Draft picks…. what in the world is this organization thinking???? It’s certainly not winning in 2009. I’m sorry for all the fans who just got fooled by the old “Okey Doke” from this failed group of owners and management. It is now time we all realize that it’s not the players who are failing us. It is the “Spirit Group” and it’s time they give this team up to owners who care and are committed to winning. Can we get Ted Turner back in here to straighten this mess out?

By HyunATL

July 27, 2008 12:23 PM | Link to this

Childress was one of my favorite players. He brought a lot to the team. But Sund did the right thing. he wanted too much and we have Joe to re-sign. Chillz is replaceable. Players like him are a dime a dozen in the NBA. If we paid him that money we would be stuck in that 8-man rotation forever. Chillz was the only bench player that got PT because he was the only really reliable option off the bench. Now that he is gone, we can sign other players for less money and build a solid bench. We already have Mo Evans, which is solid. He became the starter at Orlando and will back up Joe now that Chillz is gone. The money we saved on letting Childress walk, will also allow us to sign other solid bench players. I know when we watch a guy play and he helps the team we get attached. But we cant be homers. Childress was expendable especailly with the money he was asking for.

By old gold

July 27, 2008 1:16 PM | Link to this

Brings to mind the metaphor: “blundering midget”

By old gold

July 27, 2008 1:16 PM | Link to this

Brings to mind the metaphor: “blundering midget”

By binxtheweimer

July 28, 2008 3:03 AM | Link to this

hawks fans,

this sounds exactly like what happened when sund was handling negotiations on the allan houston deal, when houston left the pistons for new york. as a pistons’ fan, i will never forget how sund blew that negotiation, and let one of his best players walk. for nothing. looks like he is up to his old tricks in atlanta. do yourself a favor. take a little look at history and read up on what happened with sund and allan houston and the pistons. i think it will be very upsetting, because it looks like exactly the same type of mistake by sund. it took detroit years - and sund leaving - for detroit to recover from what sund did to the team. good luck.

By dxturn07

July 28, 2008 3:41 AM | Link to this

Does anybody remember a single big play by Josh Childress this past season that directly led to an Atlanta victory? Does anybody remember a great defensive play that Childress made this past season? Does anyone remember a great offensive play made by Childress? Does anybody remember a big shot made by Childress all season long? I don’t. Josh Childress is exactly what Rick Sund said Childress is: a utility player.

While I am a little disappointed with his decision to play elsewhere, I am far from devastated. The Hawk’s big mistake was making Childress a top 10 draft pick to begin with. Some of you guys are overreacting. What was Childress going to do for us anyway? Let’s give the ball to Jeremy Richardson and see if he can make us forget about Childress for a few seasons. Let’s see if he can make a memorable offensive or defensive play. It is time to move on.

By iuggh

July 28, 2008 7:41 AM | Link to this

no other team in the nba offered childress a dime to play for them. what does that tell you bradley

By Dave

July 28, 2008 10:38 AM | Link to this

The problem all began with taking Childress with the 6th pick. What were they thinking then???? They could have had Luol Deng or Andre Iguodala. How about that!!!!!!!!!

By Mark Bradley

July 28, 2008 10:49 AM | Link to this

Here’s the thing, though: You can’t go back and redo the 2004 draft. You can only control the future. And the Hawks’ immediate future no longer includes their prized sixth man.

By PaulWarfield

August 1, 2008 12:21 PM | Link to this

Ive heard some backlash over why Josh Childress departed the country to play in Greece. According to a reliable source, Childress felt slighted and felt that he was being disrespected as it were and felt that, first of all, he should have started over Marvin Williams, which I TOTALLY AGREE WITH, and that his teammates did not look for him often enough for him to warrant being a big time option on the Hawks. Well, there is certainly some truth to that, but Josh Childress also had a fine opportunity to continue here and probably would have been promoted to the starting lineup eventually. When you take into account just how horribly Marvin Williams game has become, its easy to understand Chills displeasure with being the sixth man, knowing full well that Chills game is about a million times better than Marvin Williams. In fact I think the Hawks would serve themselves well by cutting Marvin Williams right now, as I am writing this BLOG, but getting back to Childress, I see absolutely no earthly way that Childress should have accepted the offer to play in Greece, unless he wanted to get out of the country and go into hiding. At any rate and for whatever reason Chills has chilled out, as it were, and the Hawks are better off for it and we will look to muscle our way towards the NBAs elite teams this upcoming season. I totally agree with Mark Bradley in that you cant go back and redo the 2004 draft. If you could, you would have picked Chris Paul as soon as your turn comes up in the draft. After seeing Pauls stellar play this past year, I feel that had the Hawks drafted Paul in ‘04 and they had Paul in their starting lineup as point guard instead of drafting Marvin Williams, the Hawks would have gotten past Boston in this years finals and I believe would have won the NBA championship this past season had they knocked off the champion Celtics. To prove that I am right, the Hawks ALMOST knocked off the Celtics even without Chris Paul, having extending the Cs to 7 games. Had the Hawks had Paul it would have been enough for the Hawks to deliver the knockout blow to the Celtics and advance as World Champions. Oh well, like Mr. Bradley said, you cant go back and redo the 2004 draft.

By INGRAM III

August 2, 2008 12:53 AM | Link to this

JOSH CHILDRESS HE IS WHAT HE IS A ROLE PLAYER. IF JOSH THINK’S HE IS SOOOOO GREAT WHY ONLY TWO CHAMPIONSHIP CALIBER TEAMS. JOSH SMITH HE IS WHAT IS( HE GIVE’S YOU MOMENTS OF GREAT GAMES) NOW HE ACT LIKE A little child with these issues with MIKE WOODSON THIS THE NBA!!!!!! GROW UP. THE ATLANTA HAWKS NEED MEN NOT BOYS

By Minch

August 3, 2008 9:16 AM | Link to this

If Hawks let go of Josh Smith and not signing him with long-term I’m going to hate Hawks rest of my life. Man, they need to be more aggressive when it comes to signing player. Childress has been a role player. He’s been solid player, but not great. Evans can fill his void. In fact, when it comes to treys, Evans is beter. Inside presence will be little different. However when it comesto Josh Smith, it is different. He CANNOT be replaced. Where are you going to find guy that can do everything. (Maybe except 3 pointer) He can block, steal, score and grab boards. He’s like a Shawn Marion with little more turnover, blocks, and less treys and boards. Hawks must take any means to sign him.

By BLUE EAGLE

August 6, 2008 1:20 AM | Link to this

Josh Smith in a team = $$$

because Josh brings in the fans, he creates a following,

that’s the only thing the management needs to understand.

I don’t know where to put this but can somebody please tell Marvin Williams to try and mimic the style of play of Corey Maggette. I think that style of play suits him and the team better instead of simply trying to be a jumpshooter.

Marvin has the athleticism and skills to be a penetrator, a put it on the floor guy, drawing lots of fouls. I mean don’t be a sissy Marvin, take it to the hoop. If he does that, he could be a star in this league.