Hawks

By JohnGTFan

January 29, 2007 03:19 PM | Link to this

I couldn’t agree more. The only problem is, BK and Woody do not see it that way. I’d be shocked if we do not finish the season with the exact same personnel we’ll have for tonight’s game vs. Orlando(which we will lose by 13). Of course, other than another NBDL call-up.

By Jrock

January 29, 2007 03:26 PM | Link to this

Great point Sekou!I called you out on the last blog but I must commend you for this one.Rather than sit around and watch big men and point gaurds dominate the hawks something must be done.Is it true Billy knight is over seas evaluating talent?If it is this is a perfect example why he is clueless.The trade deadline is two weeks away and he is looking for the next ZaZa or Slava Medvedenko!He is a joke and should be labeled as a horrible gm.If we did get the first pick I would trade it for Dwight Howard.I like the hometown kid more than Oden.

By rob

January 29, 2007 03:32 PM | Link to this

Lets just kidnap Dwight tonight and and lock him up until we convince him to ditch Orlando and come back to his hometown where he belongs. Or shoot, better yet lets ship Orlando whoever they want (within reason) plus our Draft picks for the next 3 drafts, we don’t need anymore young developing players anyways. We just need to start paying to win, you don’t see the Spurs and other elite teams building off the draft, they sign veterans and win. I’m sick of waiting to rebuild, I’m sick of losing, I’m sick of paying thousands of dollars to have season tickets I can’t give away. I mean 75% of the NBA lives here in the offseason, why can’t we just convince them to play here! This is the greatest city in the Southeastern United States, we deserve to have a team that lives up to that. Get it done.

By honest_abe

January 29, 2007 03:44 PM | Link to this

rob… you would have no time getting rid of those tickets in here. i’m sure anyone of that come here on a daily basis would take any tickets you dont’ want to use.

i don’t know what the entirety of the situation is, in terms of the front office of the hawks being able to make moves. but i do remember there being an issue when bk tried to sign a couple of free agents this summer. maybe this team is stuck with their current roster and bk doesnt’ have the freedom to pursue deals or such. maybe i’m wrong, but it’d be nice to know.. sekou?

By mississippi

January 29, 2007 03:55 PM | Link to this

SS- It’s pretty obvious that people that follow the day-to-day are frustrated, but I think things have to be looked at on the whole. Two years ago this team won 13, and 26 last year. If the injury deal is over, it seems like 35 wins might be possible. That’s fewer than I was hoping for, but it’s still a big improvement for a young team. Like we’ve seen, they have nights where everything clicks and there are nights where nothing clicks. That’s just going to happen with a young team. That all being said, doesn’t mean that we can’t make a move. But I would say nothing drastic and only a vetern. Even if we do make a move and get better and make the eight spot we still aren’t competing at the highest level, so why sell the farm.

Make a GOOD move, if it’s there, but nothing will help this team more than time.

By Jay

January 29, 2007 04:11 PM | Link to this

“If we did get the first pick I would trade it for Dwight Howard”

Too bad Orlando would laugh at that deal and wouldnt do it.

By Anakin Joe

January 29, 2007 04:15 PM | Link to this

Abe, here is espn.com’s John Hollinger’s answer to a question from earlier today that summarizes ownership concerns:

** Matt (Boston): Why aren’t the Hawks major players in the trade market… They have young talent, a top player in Joe Johnson, and a great defensive player in Josh Smith.

John Hollinger: Everything is on hold until the ownership snafu gets settled. If the current owners lose the team, as it seems they might, then the obvious thing to do is manage the team for the short-term and extract as much profit as possible. Which means deals that take on contracts are strictly verboten. **

(Anakin Joe again). Given that the Speedy deal was met with a court injunction within 1-2 days of the rumored signing and the fact that BK could not take back contracts when dealing Harrington, it appears that Hollinger’s comments are at least directionally correct. So to Sekou’s point, it may be VERY challenging to “fix the team” under these circumstances.

By Ricardo

January 29, 2007 04:16 PM | Link to this

What would I do?

If I owned this collection of stiffs, I’d sell it right away and hope I’d wake up from a bad dream.

The team is a joke and ownership is an utter disgrace.

It really doesn’t matter what I’d do - what matters is that these clowns won’t do anything. Then, to explain it, they will say they really like the current group of players and sometime in the next 15 years, think they’ll be a .500 ball club.

A ship without oars. Or money. Or players. Or fans………..

By doc

January 29, 2007 04:19 PM | Link to this

we werent abe to take on the contract of the two guys that went to indiana so al could have gotten his big salary so i think all there was in the budget was about 8 mil that al took up last year so we got three very so so players to fill out the roster but not to significantly upgrade the talent in ren, speedy and sheldon. if that be the case then there are no significant trades to be made unless you get a guy who is a rental type just for the stretch run to mediocrity or worse.

it is amazing that with the injuries they are still in shouting distance of many teams that spend way more with greater expectations, case in point the knicks who are falling back again to the pack intead of continuing their run. seems like there are many gms on the hot seat who have had more to work with than billy and have faltered, some great names in there such as the gms for the griz, celts and the twolves. interesting article in the new york times yesterday comparing the franchise of the griz and the t’wolves along with the poor performances of them as well. west lost his shine folks.

since i got the talent as the gm that we are playing with i believe in them and we cant do much in the trade category and bring in a legit big or a legit point (earl watson was the guy the coaches really wanted this past year, i suspect), i’ll elect to get rid of my coach and bring in a guy who can up tempo a bit and work on these young guys to shake them up a bit and get rid of the complacency. if i could get the right hand man of d’antoni to interview now i’d get him. only other road tested guy is rick adelman who can go up tempo and coached fairly well out in the west so id approach him. otherwise i’d go on vacation in europe, i mean scout in europe.

By mavid

January 29, 2007 04:30 PM | Link to this

i would be interested in having serious talks with either memphis (for gasol) or seattle (for collison and perhaps ridnour)

id be willing to give up one of either marvin or j-chill, plus throw in zaza/shelden (hopefully shelden) and salim for gasol and one of their role players (mike miller, lowry, etc)

collison still has potential to be a star in my opinion (kansas fan bias)… a package for collison and ridnour would provide us solid rebounding, inside scoring, outside shooting, and a pass-first up-tempo pg…

but, we would still need a defensive big at some point…

also, im not willing to give marvin up for nothing. i dont care how bad he looks at times. dude is 20 years old. yeah, he looks lost at times, but so did our boy joe johnson at this stage in his career (thats why boston made that trade for delk).

By MannyT

January 29, 2007 04:32 PM | Link to this

WWABD (What would a blogger do)

Focus on how we setup for D first. Because you control your offense, I am less worried about who initiates it (by position) as long as they get it done. Face it—defensively Magic Johnson spent most of his career not guarding the PG. His teams seemed to work it out with a quick SG.

Get a big man that we can plug in that is legitimately available. I like the idea of bigs in Seattle because we can probably get one or two. It will cost, but I like getting Pau Gasol more because he is the best available right now. No matter how much we like Dwight Howard, he is about as available as Beyonce!

While I hate to see one of the 3 young forwards go, it probably has to happen. Smith gives us more D than anyone up front with shot blocking ability so it cannot be him. Childress gives us more versatility and basketball intangibles than most on this team. I think Marvin heads further west to get your quality big man.

Face it, aside from Johnson, everybody should be available for the right deal.

I can wait on the PG until the summer. For now, either Speedy gets healthy, Childress becomes a regular PG on offense, or Ivey gets real time at the 1 instead of these guest appearances. Keep Lue coming off bench doing the things he does well. In the meantime, we have got to kick that zone D up a notch. It works because of the the type of team we have. There are lots of guys about the same size. Maybe a little more ball pressure at the point of the zone provides enough chaos to minimize the shortcomings in traditional post defense.

By Nice Work Sekou

January 29, 2007 04:35 PM | Link to this

Sekou, You just wrote an entire column about how you would fix the Hawks in which you didn’t offer a single specific proposal. Actually, that probably means you would fit right in on the current management team.

By Jrock

January 29, 2007 04:38 PM | Link to this

Orlando wouldn’t laugh if Dwight said he wanted to come to Atlanta.He has said he would like to play with Josh Smith again.

By mavid

January 29, 2007 05:01 PM | Link to this

they’d laugh because dwight is one of the most untouchable players in the game as far as trades go… dominant center who is 21… hmm

By jack

January 29, 2007 05:02 PM | Link to this

Dwight Howard…Who throws up bricks at the free toss line? Are you sure we need a “Hack a Shaq” type to lose the game in crunch time?

By Anakin Joe

January 29, 2007 05:07 PM | Link to this

Jrock, Dwight would have to be willing to take a sizeable pay cut to leave Orlando and come to Atlanta. The NBA rules are written to give teams the advantage when re-signing their own free agents. Simply put, Dwight could make more money over the life of his next contract with Orlando than he can with any other NBA club. Not to mention the fact that Florida does not have a state tax (and Georgia does). So unless he is willing to take a pay cut in addition to have the state take a portion of his money, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for Dwight to wear a Hawks uniform.

By newkid

January 29, 2007 05:08 PM | Link to this

What would a blogger do? UCLA vs Stanford; Ohio State vs Michigan State; Tar Heels vs Arizona; Florida vs LSU; UConn vs Georgetown; etc. Great stuff!

By Tyger

January 29, 2007 05:30 PM | Link to this

Hard to say where to start in re. personnel b/c of Woody’s refusal to develop any sensible rotations?

Which makes signing 10 day players equally absurd b/c they’ll never play. Its apparent Woody has no feel for his roster outside of his starters.

Remember, this is a guy who last season admitted “FORGETTING” to put Jsmoove back in a game after halftime.

Yet, halfway through the season JJ is still playing 48mpg. on back to backs; while Solomon gets 44 seconds; Salim 2 minutes and Royal 5. And you wonder why they run outta gas???

Is it that implausible to think that on a 13-26 team, you could find 10 min. per game for your draft picks before you make decisions about their careers??? That’s 2.5 min. per quarter!!!

He clamors about defense and bigs but Solomon plays 44 seconds!!! Please….

By doc

January 29, 2007 05:48 PM | Link to this

aj just saw your post, now dont you think the national media is a little slow to that story you posted. geez, been saying just that for over a year now with the most recent flagrant display this summer being the fact now that the warriors took al from the pacers. we wouldnt take a big with an outside shot and ability to rebound and a guy who had a pretty good outside shot as a perimeter player to deflect some of the pressure that jj is feeling now. now, if we had done that as well as line that up before the draft we could have had roy as well and maybe picked up ren for dirt and speedy, too, guarantee we would have been eyeing a playoff spot. it just would have cost 10 to 15 mil more of THEIR money along with court costs. no company up for sale spends money except for absolute expenses and that is all the hawks essentially are right now. realistically, why should they when over 17 thou are credited to going to the game this past weekend for two teams playing at or below .400.

national media just dont get it. see how i deftly side stepped any reference to our own intelligent leader in the journalist realm. must say i like dave over at the braves blog a bit too.

By mavid

January 29, 2007 05:54 PM | Link to this

im sorry yall, but there are perfectly legitimate reasons why salim, royal, and solomon arent getting much tick, and why jj has to play so much (if you watch the games it should be fairly obvious… royal cant really play offense, salim cant play D or the point, jj is our only consistent weapon, etc)

i do see potential in solomon, but he is also a turnover waiting to happen a lot of the time

at the time of the draft, i was hoping BK would draft Roy and then millsap in the 2nd round… as of now, thats looking pretty good, but i digress

i completely agree with ando’s assessment that roy or foye would be incredible assets to have right now in a trade package

instead, we have a shelden who cant do the things that 2nd rounder millsap does! (i blame the fetal alcohol syndrome, and the enlarged forehead)

By HB Ando

January 29, 2007 05:56 PM | Link to this

Joe called it, and several folks have been pointing this out for the better part of a month: doesn’t matter what you might think is a thing to do, nothing can be done, will be done, of substance, until the ownership issue is resolved. Look, I’m Billy’s biggest critic, and I spent the better part of last season blasting him for standing pat. And that was before the Spirit found out that they had dumb-assed their obligations to buy out Belkin and had the tables abruptly turned on them.

But I wouldn’t be honest or accurate, if I pounded on Billy to make any moves. I don’t think he can (though most of his prior decision making has been so questionable, that his hands being tied may be the best thing for the future of this franchise).

Come to grips with the likelihood that what you are seeing is what you are going to get, for the remainder of this season. I don’t see how any deal can be made, with significant financial implications (which would be the necessary sort of deal to make any impact on this team’s fortunes), based on my understanding of the legal tussle.

There will be no moves specific to improving the ‘07 product. Since they cannot make a run at improving sufficiently to make the eighth seed (and we’re not better than any of the teams we’d have to jump to get there), then the one thing they can do is hope they keep that pick. That is the singular, REALISTIC event that can change our immediate future.

And these ongoing excuses on why you can’t judge Childress fairly, with Igoudala, get more outlandish everyday. If he’s not getting shots, because he’s handling the ball, then why aren’t his assists in the remote neighborhood of Igoudala’s 5 dimes a game? If Igoudala was here, Marvin would be riding the pine (or, more appropriately, would not have been drafted, at least by a sane GM). You can babble all you want about what playing for different coaches might mean. It doesn’t change the essential fact that Igoudala does everything better than Childress, from a pure basketball standpoint. Igoudala has Smith’s athleticism, plus a better stroke and better handle.

Please tell me how many swingmen in the NBA are averaging more than 5 dimes. Bet you can’t name 5. Now add to the fact that he’s 3rd in the league in steals. Childress isn’t even in the same league as this guy, yet Joe persists. This guy is competing for an all-star slot, and Childress is still competing for a starting job, on one of the 3 worst franchises (pragmatically, if not by record) in the NBA. Look, I think that Childress is a solid player, but this isn’t even close. Is it that hard to just admit you’re wrong, Joe?

By Ed W.

January 29, 2007 06:01 PM | Link to this

I have no good ideas for a substantial trade, since most teams will probably ask for the Joshes or Marvin and I still like the idea of building around them (plus I suspect we wouldn’t get good long-term value in return). I would look to trade Lue right near the trade deadline since there is a good chance of him leaving as a FA this summer.

Going completely off topic, I have to rant about the Hawks’ play against bad teams. During the last two seasons, just about every time they have come up against a team that they actually have a good chance of beating, they haven’t shown up. In just the last few weeks they’ve done it against the Sixers, Celtics twice (I know they won, but only because the Celts are ungodly young and beat up right now), Bobcats at home (add the road game if you consider slight underdogs), and Hornets. This is ridiculous, especially for a lousy team who shouldn’t be overconfident against an NBDL team. Josh Smith was quoted as saying they put in a good effort. BS. He set the tone early in the game but letting Hunter shoot two 10-footers over him without even bothering to lift a hand up. Totally inexcusable.

By Traceman

January 29, 2007 06:51 PM | Link to this

I love Chillz but I have to agree with Ando on this one. Iguodala has equal skills to Chillz plus he has the athleticism of Smoove. He is CLEARLY a better player than Chillz ON BOTH ENDS OF THE COURT regardless of what the stats say.

The thing I’ve realized with Billy regarding talent evaluation is that he usually drafts a guy that can play but he doesn’t draft the BEST guy or the RIGHT guy for the situation. For example:

He took Diaw (who can play) but he SHOULD have taken Josh Howard (or Barbosa as we needed a big guard to play with JT).

He took Chillz (who can play) but he SHOULD have taken Iguodala or Deng (both of whom EVERYONE had rated above Chillz.

He took Smoove (who certainly can play) but he should have taken Jameer Nelson. Smoove is the better player but honestly, wouldn’t we be a better, more balanced team with Josh Howard, Iguodala and Nelson rather than with Diaw, Chillz and Smoove. (Actually, I can understand drafting Smoove with his undeniable gifts but Nelson would have been a great fit as well.

He took Marvin (who again certainly can play) but we DESPERATELY needed a PG after Billy passed on Nelson in the previous draft and Chris Paul, Deron Williams AND Raymnod Felton were ALL available. I wanted Paul but Williams and Felton are both terrific as well.

Finally, he took Shelden (who is a role player at best and Billy’s most perplexing pick) and passed on guys with more talent like Roy and Foye. Why did Billy pick Shelden of all players to suddenly start drafting for need?

Bottom line, Billy picks guys who can play (which is more than I can say for Babcock) but he 1)doesn’t pick the RIGHT guy and 2)has no concept of building a TEAM.

Note - Like Ando, I recognize that the ownership situation likely has BK hamstrung in ways we will never understand. He likely can’t make moves that he would likely make due to the situation. Still, if he had drafted better, the current situation of an unbalanced roster would be SIGNIFICANTLY improved.

By honest_abe

January 29, 2007 07:25 PM | Link to this

traceman: when was josh howard drafted?? yup he was the 31st pick. so please dont’ blame bk for missing that one. so did the rest of the nba. oh yes and fyi diaw is a big guard.

i can’t believe you included the jsmith pick. the kid hasn’t fully developed and shown flashed of all around brilliance. he’s a game changer. he in fact might be the lone bright spot for this team. jameer nelson has gotten as good as he’ll get. and he’s not a major upgrade over ty lue or speedy(when healthy).

as for the marvin pick… i had reservations on him myself. but when he’s a concensus #2 pick (minus ando) how can you blame him. everyone had him rated as a no brainer. a guy who was going to develop into one of the game’s elite.

you can criticize the way bk handled the sheldon pick but please don’t talk about foy. once you’re in year 3 of a rebuilding process you start adding picks that will come in and fit in with the team you’ve built. they needed a big that could come in and rebound and play some defense. sheldon fit that bill. now if you want to talk about how we could have traded down to get him. fine, i cant’ argue with you on that one. but dont’ say we needed either foy or roye as that wouldn’t have been the solution either.

as for the chills and iggy debate. chills had a much more polished/refined game than iggy coming out of college. so he was a much riskier pick. lots of athleticsm, but raw. and if bk was projecting to take jsmith a similar talent later in the 1st than it made no sense to take two projects within the first round. as for deng bk got some info that told him deng would be injury susecptible. so he passed. ando correction. he initiates the offense at the half court. does this mean he “handles” the ball more. but not in the way you’re talking about. do you watch most of the hawks games? i only ask because if you did, then you would see he initiates the offense at the top and then it goes through jj. so although chills does bring it up.. jj has the ball in his hands for the majority of the game. that’s why you don’t see an increase in the number of assists. while iggy on the other hand is the focal point of the philly offense and he has the ball in his hands for the majority of the game… so his assists will naturally go up based the attention that other teams give him. either way we can debate this forever and there’s no way we can get a definitive answer until a few years down the road.

bottom line traceman. it’s easy to play gm in hindsight. you highlighted moves that are clear and obvious now. and not as much back then. basically you’ve run down everything that we already know.

let me conclude with this. we can dump on bk all day. but he has information that none of us are privy to. scouts, video, tapes, injury history, injury projections, character tests, intelligence tests and he bases his talent evaluation on all of that. if picking the perfect pick was that easy. then i think all of us would be gm’s of professional teams instead of sitting here blogging about it.

By HB Ando

January 29, 2007 08:03 PM | Link to this

Abe, the fact that he has those resources is what’s most appalling to me. He has consistently gone his own path, when the general consensus has suggested others, from a draft standpoint. The one time he held the line of consensus, with the Marvin pick, was the one time he should have been his own man. Every other time, he reached where others would have not, and came away with the lesser pick. I’m not going to go back into detail, but you know I’ve got legitimate backing on picks I’d have made AT THE TIME of previous drafts, so I don’t view my frustrations as hindsight. I view them as validating past opinions, made prior to Billy’s choices. The stuff about Deng’s susceptibility to injury is pure horse s**. And Idoudala (all the things he’s doing now were projected, save a consistent outside shot: if I remember correctly, he’s one of the only players, and the last, to have a triple double at Arizona) was far more physically developed than Childress, who’s production and talent was clear at Stanford, but who’s underdeveloped physique created many questions about success at the next level. I had them both rated over Childress. In fact, as my best friend Pete and I were watching the draft, and it was our turn to pick, we both looked at each other and said, “we’re OK with anybody but Childress”.

Now, again, I am a believer in Childress’ legitimacy. He’s good. He can make a lot of teams in this league stronger, with his complimentary skills. But both Deng and Igoudala are players teams build around. I genuinely believe that ongoing arguments to the contrary are ego-driven. Period.

I know this blog is about what we should do from here, but with the limitations driven by the ownership situation, the answer is not much. And my contention remains that Billy has set this franchise back ever further.

I need to go drum up an old e-mail I sent to Levenson on his need, the Spirit’s need, to be sure their rebuilding was in the right guy’s hands. If I find it, I’ll post it.

By Hock

January 29, 2007 08:13 PM | Link to this

I don’t know why anyone is unhappy with this team. It will win about 25 or 30 games, which is about right for this franchise. The good teams need to have a restful trip to Atlanta and Hawks fans and owners don’t care if they have a winner.

By Stan Kasten

January 29, 2007 08:23 PM | Link to this

1. Send our GM to Asia
2. Don’t trade star players (i.e. Nique)
3. Don’t guarantee playoffs
4. Don’t guarantee 30 wins
5. Finish 4th in the draft lottery and lose our pick to the best team in the NBA
6. Send Pete Babcock apology letter and flowers
7. Find an ownership group
8. Fix parking at Philips Arena
9. Dive after loose balls and rebound and finally….
10. DRAFT A POINT GUARD

By Wedgie Evans

January 29, 2007 08:58 PM | Link to this

There are two good players on the Hawks worth keeping and building around — Joe Johnson and Josh Smith. I like Josh Childress as a role player, but he would probably bring the Hawks good value in a trade. I would try to package the remaining assets the Hawks have (Marvin Williams, Josh Childress, Shelden Williams, etc.) and try to trade for Pau Gasol, or as high of a pick in this year’s draft as possible. This team needs a post presence in the worst way, and if they can’t get a Gasol-like player in a trade I would like to see them get as high a draft pick as possible and target some of the post prospects in this year’s draft — even if they can’t get Oden, there are guys like Joakim Noah and Aaron Gray who will be available later on in the lottery.

I think Mike Woodson deserves a chance to show what he can do with a good roster (in other words, a roster with an actual post presence and a real point guard). Maybe he’s not the greatest coach in the league, but the young players on this team seem to like him as a coach and he has the right personality to be successful. I’d at least wait until he gets a decent roster to decide on his future. But Billy Knight definitely has to go. Based on the moves he made (trading this year’s first-rounder, spending more money in free agency this offseason, etc.) Knight obviously thought this year’s team would make the leap into the playoffs. And although it’s still possible, it doesn’t look very likely. Knight’s plan has failed, and it’s time to bring in a new GM.

By Steve T

January 29, 2007 09:08 PM | Link to this

he bigs that interest me change on a nightly basis. I watched Seattle lose to the Clippers last night and realized that even a 17-win Sonics team has a batch of big men (Andre Brown, Nick Collison, Danny Fortson, Johan Petro, Mouhamed Sene and Chris Wilcox - Robert Swift is hurt) that I can only dream of having.

Sekou, please stick to writing. I am laughing at those big men because they are not that good. Sekou, I get excite about a big man if he has a history of playing defense, rebounding, or blocking shots. Those guys do not get me excited. Billy is doing a fair job. I recall when the Bulls went through the post Jordan era. They could not buy a win.

The Hawks needs a big man but I am not willing to get up the Joshes, Marvin or Joe to get one. I am willing to wait to make a move in the off season. We should be able to get a good center that can play defense. We can draft a good point guard.

By Steve T

January 29, 2007 09:35 PM | Link to this

The hawks are winning. Hold on give Billy a chance to get a good post player or a point guard. Josh Smith and Joe are the best two players on the team. Billy told the world how good Joe was. I believe this man knows basketball.

Marvin is looking like he is ready to break out soon. Marvin is shooting 75% and block 2 shots. Now if he can give us 1.5 block shots a game. Now we add a center that can block shots, we will have a tremendous defense. If J Smith is blocking 2-3 shots per game, and we get a center that can block 3 shots and Marvin block 1.5 that could be 7.5 blocks.

By Volman

January 29, 2007 09:57 PM | Link to this

Great game tonight, guys.. I just wish that Joe could get some rest in the last minutes of the game and not have to rush back in to shoot free throws.

I say the next 10-15 games the Hawks try to make a playoff push, and if they can’t get it done, then try to rest Joe for next season and try and get that 1-3 pick (which I doubt we’ll be lucky enough to get).

I sure hope there are some scraps around when the 17th pick comes around..

Go Hawks!

By Clyde

January 29, 2007 10:31 PM | Link to this

Another night Lorenzen Wright has more fouls than points. He even had more fouls than rebounds tonight. I just don’t see what Woody sees in the man.

FIRE BILLY AND WOODY

By HB Ando

January 29, 2007 10:31 PM | Link to this

Great, useless win. If I was a Magic fan right now, I’d be seriously p** at the coaching staff for getting Howard 11 attempts against a toothless interior defense.

Big night for Shelden, drafted specifically to provide immediate, and significant, production, in boards and blocks. 11 minutes, 1 board, 1 block. Brandon Roy had 19 points 4 dimes and 4 boards tonight.

We’re the team that can’t even lose right. We cannot make the playoffs. So let’s win a handful of inconsequential games, so we can give up an early lottery pick to the Suns.

Brilliant. Genius.

By Nvada

January 29, 2007 10:34 PM | Link to this

Hawks looked good tonight. It’s not yet time to panic. Granted, ZaZa is clearly not the answer, nor is Shelden, but we can’t afford to get rid of the Joshes or Marvin to remedy the problem, that would be like cutting our arms off because we were bitten by a mosquito. Let’s wait until the off-season, go after a big or two in free agency and/or draft and let Speedy get healthy. When he (Speedy) played he was exactly what we needed.

I do think these guys need to run, run and run some more. We have an athletic roster. They may not be able to run like the Phx Suns, but we are definitely better when we do. The fact that we don’t run more has to fall on Woody’s shoulders. Sometimes I wonder if he truly knows his players or their abilities.

Finally, Dwight Howard coming home is not so far-fetched, he seems to be in the doghouse with Brian Hill b/c of his poor free-throw shooting. And he looked awfully frustrated when he was on the bench down the stretch. You gotta let your franchise player play, poor free throw shooting and all. And can anyone really doubt what an upgrade he’d be over ZaZa, Shelden and Lorenzen even when he shoots 60% from the line?

By mavid

January 29, 2007 10:55 PM | Link to this

dwight isnt going anywhere, neither is bosh, amare, yao, etc

thats why either trading for gasol, or losing out and getting oden/durant are really the best options

what free agent big is coming here? noone… sad but true

By mykhalc

January 29, 2007 11:13 PM | Link to this

ANDO, i know you get it but i’ll say it anyway. unless a player has no heart, no REAL competitive juices flowin’, then there is no such thing as an inconsequential win!! and like most of us, i think you said you too played school ball. so i know you really DO NOT expect them to be quitters!! RIGHT???

you can only continue to pray (and you don’t have to be on your knees for this one) that your much beloved BK continues the art of tankin’ without tankin’!!! no moves before trade dealine and i’d say you get your ‘tanked’ wish!!! but i’d much rather see them compete and learn to win than quit. just like i much rather talk about real team blog issues than some fantasy league mumbo-jumbo!!

and one last scary thought. for all we know, we could be lookin’ at next year’s team RIGHT NOW!!! so pray for wins my friend!! pray they learn how to win!!!!! ‘cause with this franchise, CHANGE(S) AIN’T PROMISED!!!!

By cowa

January 29, 2007 11:25 PM | Link to this

Folks, once and for all, Orlando is certainly not trading Dwight Howard. That is a fantasy. Give that one up.

Sekou, I think there are some moves that would be salary neutral that could help, but unfortunately, playoff teams rarely want to mess with chemistry at this point with their rotational players, so you’re left trading with non-playoff teams or non-rotation guys on playoff teams (or future draft picks on playoff teams).

I think there are a few deals that should be explored.

1) Lue to Miami for Michael Doleac and their 1st Round pick in 2008. Give Lue a chance at another ring for being loyal to the Hawks, and the 2008 pick may very well be worth something. Doleac only has one more year on his contract, and Miami definitely needs another PG to make a run in 2007.

2) Re-kindle the Washington/Portland/Atlanta trade, getting Haywood and Hayes and giving up Stoudemire, Batista and Wright. This would be adding salary, i know, as well as a long term contract, but solid defensive centers aren’t on the block very often with a workable contract like Haywood. And I have to think Hayes would like to play in Georgia again. If Hayes doesn’t work out the rest of the year, then you non-tender him and let him become a FA this summer.

Then, start working on two trades that probably wouldn’t take place until the summer, but you could try now.

3) Marvin Williams and Claxton to Orlando for Milicic, Arroyo and the rights to Vasquez. Milicic will be a Free Agent, but knowing the Hawks, we will try to work out a sign and trade not to take on any more salary. Orlando could get nothing for him if we offer too much money, and I would think they might jump at the chance of getting Marvin in the deal. Speedy and Arroyo would be needed to make a deal work, and I think Arroyo would be a great starting PG for this team. Vasquez may never play in the NBA, but it’s worth taking a flier on.

4) Indy’s 1st round pick in 2007 to Golden State for Patrick O’Bryant. Nelson is clearly down on him, as they’ve already announced he will spend the whole year in the NBDL. They could cut bait now and still get a pick that is probably as valuable to them as O’Bryant, with less salary.

All these deals put together would make us much stronger in the post (Milicic, Haywood & O’Bryant vs. Wright and Medvedenko), with an up tempo PG in Arroyo. A lot of potential bigs, which is what everyone has said we needed. This would make the team stronger from top to bottom, while really only giving up Marvin and Salim. There are no stars here, and only Washington and Orlando are playoff teams, so these are all possibilities without raising the salary structure too much. Throw in the possibility of a top 3 pick, and suddenly you’ve become the Chicago Bulls of a year ago, but with a proven all star already on the team in JJ.

Just for the sake of it, your team would look something like this:

Haywood/Zaza/O’Bryant/Doleac, Milicic/Sheldon/Solomon, Jsmoove/Chillz, JJ/Hayes, Arroyo/Ivey

With the rights to Vazquez and Miami’s #1 pick in 2008, not to mention the possibility of Oden/Durant/Noah/B. Wright, and Atlanta’s 2nd round pick next year. Plus David Anderson and Cenk Aykol (who could forget them!).

Not all of these will happen (or probably any), but again, one can dream…

By Mike

January 29, 2007 11:26 PM | Link to this

Guys you can’t trade Marvin. It’s unfair to judge Marvin because he’s been injured most of his professional career. He is just starting to exhibit all the talent he posses. Now the comment I like is the one about Solomon Jones. This kid doesn’t complain; plays hard no matter how long he’s on the floor, great attitude and great team player. I know he makes mistakes, but he’s fearless in paint, doesn’t back down, he not intimated. Most of you basketball guru should know that Solomon played in the Big East. He played against all of the top talent in the Big East. Everyone on the blogs has said we need bigs, well in the absent of a trade why not give Solomon more playing time. He’s a better shot blocker than Sheldon, and he’s a good free throw shooter.

This kid deserves more playing. There will be time when he looks really bad, but there will never be a time when he’s not playing hard or trying to block shots. He want get any better sitting on the bench. I challenge every bloger to demand more playing time for a kid that plays by the rules, doesn’t complain, goes all out every time he’s on the floor. Get him more playing time, and his game will continue to improve. The same goes for Salim. You can’t expect these kids to improve if don’t play them. Salim is a streaky shooter; he’s not a shut down defensive guard. We knew that when we drafted him. He gotta play to find his range. In the absent of a trade, Woody needs to get both of players more playing time.

By doc

January 29, 2007 11:43 PM | Link to this

myc, agree about the desire stuff to win. no victory is a waste as these guys need to learn to win and that means against the teams it should win against like the sixers and the bobcats. unfortunately the formula to beat the hawks has been to throw bigs at them and watch them lose. the bucks, cats, sixers and cavs have done that successfully this year and we cant answer to those types of teams. that seems to unltimately come down to coaching to avoid the same issues each time since the players arent going to change nor what they see until they can answer it.

ando, that has been my refrain for over a year not a month, even got you to admit in a weak moment that if you were in billy’s shoes you would have been down the road. it’s the owner’s and we are doomed unless these guys all of a sudden grow up and learn what it tkaes to win. right now they should have banked several more victories over the shallow teams that they have lost to in spite of the injuries. no way they should have lost to the cats and sixer’s this past two weeks. flip five victories over those teams and we are talking a different season and being close to ..500 ball at 21 and 22, scary thought.

By smalvil

January 30, 2007 12:12 AM | Link to this

does anyone know what happened to that kid, Cenk Akyol, out of Turkey that was the hawks drafted in ‘05?

By Jrock

January 30, 2007 12:17 AM | Link to this

Excellent point mike.Why not play a guy who can potentially score 20 any given night.I liken Solomon Jones to Josh Smith his rookie season.Woodson did not play smith before the all-star break much in his rookie season.Sure he makes mistakes but his potential alone should get him more playing time.It payed off with Smith and it will do the same with solomon.It was hard for the hawks to say Josh smith was a better pick than Josh chilldress.Lets hope they realize Solomon Jones will be better than Sheldon soon.As for Dwight Howard, great point Anakin Joe.I realize he can make more with the magic but just as kobe had a decision dwight will have one also.You really think the lakers traded shaq to have kobe thinking about going to another team.With his strong christian background I don’t think he will base his decision on greed.Did the mavericks want steve nash to leave? Did Matt Leinart lose money by coming back for his senior season.Sometimes the team and a couple of million don’t affect a mans decision.It will be Dwights decision not mines, not yours, & not the magic!Once his contract is up he is a free man.Go Hawks!!!!

By ray

January 30, 2007 12:21 AM | Link to this

I’m quick to blame the Spirit Group for anything. But getting rid of Billy? Yeah, except for two things. One, their primary concern right now is whether or not they lose in court. Two, who would they sucker into taking this job? I can’t imagine who would do it…except maybe Ando or Abe, heh heh!

Childress vs. Iguodala. Yeeesh, why is this such an argument? The real issue here is why Billy never picked a point guard that could come in and play, nor a post player that could do the same. To tell you the truth, I don’t think the selection of which swingman in which draft would make much difference right now with the way the team is structured. Billy could have picked Deng or Iguodala and still kept on picking swingmen and inept “post players.” Still no dominant big man, still no effective point guard. And we’d still struggle for the same reasons.

Which brings me to another question. If one agrees with three things: Andre Miller is one of the better point guards, Iguodala is an emerging star, and Sam Dalembert is a solid pivot…then why are the 76ers struggling so badly? Their other parts and pieces aren’t stellar, but they aren’t bad either? But that team is more balanced than the Hawks, right? Hmmm. Well, they’re in a better place than we are for building/rebuilding.

Steve T, if this is a “fair job” by Billy, then I’d really hate to see a bad job. All I can say without screaming is that I disagree with you.

So, I read the recap on NBA.com on the game against Orlando last night. And Woody’s comment is that “we need to start looking at the point guard position.” REALLY? REALLY! Well, tell that beady-eyed, bone-headed, buffoon of a boss of yours!! Gee whiz, we need to start looking for another pg to help out ol’ Joe so he can play his more natural position(s). I suppose it took half a season to really tell that, huh?

By Jrock

January 30, 2007 12:31 AM | Link to this

Salim can potentially score 20 any given night!

By mykhalc

January 30, 2007 12:32 AM | Link to this

like i said in previous posts, i WANT the YOUNGEST FREAKIN’ STARTIN’ UNIT in the league!! JC, JJ, JS, MW and SJ!!! everyone else should get their minutes dependent on these cats production or lack of production.

i see SPEEDY is on his way back. well WOODSON, put him on the bench. he’s never gonna be healthy enough to make THE difference for this team!! let the 5 mentioned above finish out the year developin’ their chemistry. THERE ARE NO BETTER OPTIONS ON THIS TEAM AS IT IS CONSTRUCTED TODAY!!! PERIOD!!!!

By reese

January 30, 2007 12:34 AM | Link to this

First of all, great win hawks. Again, Josh Smith has entries in every offensive/defensive stat category and Marvin Williams joins him. Joe Johnson, you were only a block away from accomplishing the same. But, I’m happy that you scored over 27 points.

OK Childress, you’ve had a lot of fans speak up for you and you’ve started to wilt in the Deng and Iggy comparisons. You had head to head games against these guys and have been outplayed. Step up to the plate Please.

Woodson, you teased us with playing Lorenzen and Zaza together. Then, you played Solomon and zaza together. It may have only been for 1 minute but at least it shows your reading the blog. Now, lets try to keep all players minutes below 40 and give solomon and salim more minutes.

Lorenzen, I’ll even give you a compliment for the 1 good play you made when you gave help to Josh Smith and blocked Howards shot.

I too do not understand the constant rotation of bringing in 10 day contract players who are not going to play. Give Penny hardaway a chance.

What would I do as a GM who cannot increase my payroll by much this season. I would trade Speedy and Lorenzen to Boston for Delonte West and Theo Ratliff. I’d throw in Salim and Sheldon if they need them for salary matching purposes.

I would wait for New York to release Steve Francis and sign him on the cheap side.

Once the Kentucky season is over, I’d have Josh Smith call Randolph Morris and let him know that I want to sign him for the remainder of the season.

Now, we are talking a starting lineup of Francis, JJ, Smith, Ratliff and Morris. 2nd unit Lue, Childress, Marvin, Zaza and Jones.

Rotating in the 11th and 12th man list would be Delonte, Royal, Penny hardaway, batista and some NBDL big man.

Now, if we don’t make the playoffs, I have tradeable pieces that are desirable or I can keep the team that is now more balanced.

By cowa

January 30, 2007 01:25 AM | Link to this

Ummm, Ratliff is out for the season after having back surgery, and Francis, though I would love him, will sign with a championship contender if he is bought out. Morris isn’t ready to start in the NBA, even for the Hawks. Reese, I think your team design needs to be tweaked a little.

By reese

January 30, 2007 02:17 AM | Link to this

Cowa, I didn’t realize that about Ratliff. Too late to think of anyone else right now. However, I don’t think that randolph would do any worse than Wright or Zaza.

By mykhalc

January 30, 2007 02:30 AM | Link to this

they are some ready to ship MARVIN off but i’m not one. since this team isn’t gonna challenge for much and the owner dispute along with general ineptness will keep the team from makin’ any real moves, i think MW deserves at least the time JSMITH has had to bring his game up to speed. JS did not really step things up until after the allstar game last year. so hopefully, MW will do the same.

as i noted before i do not see the games in SF so i’m always at a disadvantage when tryin’ to analyze things. but one comment keeps comin’ back at me when people size up the front court. when did 6’9” become small??? definitely not small for a 3!! and how many star 4’s are over 6”9”? i get KG, DIRK, DUNCAN and a few that i might be missin’ but i’m not followin’ that analysis. i understand if they are PLAYIN’ SMALL!! but that can be addressed with coachin’, gettin’ in the weight room, and of course desire!!! and as we all know, MW and JS are JUST beginnin’ to adjust to their adult bodies.

these cats are missin’ one thing…that 5 that can anchor the middle!! give this team that one player and watch the production of JS and MW crank up a notch, IMHO!! right now, at 20 and 21 yrs old, not only are they bein’ asked to start but they are req’d to be the number 2 and 3 scorers on the team. and JS has to lead the team in rebounds!!! it’s a lot to ask with no REAL support at the 5!!!

By Big John

January 30, 2007 02:57 AM | Link to this

Our Atlanta Hawks have a very good young core of players.Same as last yr though,we need a starting point gaurd and a starting center.Lue is a geat backup and he even said he would rather come off the bench.Zsa Zsa is a suitable backup center but once again he proves he is not a starter…what was up with those bonehead no look passes tonight.Keep johnson,josh smith,lue as a back up,and either Marvin,Sheldon,or Soloman…..and trade whoever else it takes to get a point gaurd or center and draft for the other.

By Big John

January 30, 2007 03:02 AM | Link to this

BTW…great win tonight Hawks

By jsleazy

January 30, 2007 03:04 AM | Link to this

The bottom line in being a average joe sports fan is being able to see the light. See the obvious. You only need to go back 3 drafts to see why the Hawks have struggled. Im not a Hawks fan(76ers fan still to this day), but I have watched the last, I don’t know, 20 NBA Drafts. The last three for the Hawks have been probably the most puzzling Ive seen for the simple fact, the three lottery picks(6,2,5) have been the highest Ive seen in a 3 year span for this franchise, ever. Even the 18th pick in 04( JSmith) was questionable because Jameer Nelson(NPOY in college the year before) was still available when the Hawks traded there starting point away. The picks of Childress and Williams at their respective spots in the draft were reaches, plan and simple. It doesn’t matter who was chosen after them. Drafting Marvin Williams was the single most absolute brainless move that could have ever been made. YOU HAD JUST DRAFTED TWO PLAYERS THE YEAR BEFORE WHO PLAYED THE SAME POSITION!!!What knowledgible basketball fan cuold not see how bad a move this was when it was made? You didn’t even have to choose Paul, I actually thought Deron Williams would have been the best pick. Hell, Ray Felton would have been a good pick too. The Shelden pick was it for me though claiming the hometown team.

By A Thinking Fan

January 30, 2007 06:34 AM | Link to this

Good win last night…

FIRE BELKIN & SPIRIT!

By Jrock

January 30, 2007 08:15 AM | Link to this

I hear u jsleazy, u make valid points about previous decisions.I can’t abadone my team though.Sometimes it is tough being a Hawks fan but you have to try to be patient.Maybe all hawks fans are crazy right not but it’ll make it that much sweeter when it turns around!Sign Josh Smith to an extention sooner than later!!!Go Hawks!!!

By OmniHawk

January 30, 2007 09:29 AM | Link to this

Smitty’s quote of the game: (after an errant no-look from Zaza) “He thinks he is Magic, but that was more like Zagic…Tragic Zagic”

By Anakin Joe

January 30, 2007 09:39 AM | Link to this

For all of the bantering about what happened when and who should have been picked and who has a better legal team, this squad is playing solid ball. I’m as shocked as the next guy but at least I’m willing to stop my ranting to realize that we have played .500 ball over about 10-12 games which is not an insignificant sample size. And during that stretch we have beaten some quality teams (while also losing to some poor ones). There is no such thing as a bad win for the youngest (and amongst the poorest) teams in the league. And as far as I’m concerned, when a team is winning, every individual accomplishment is nothing short of perfect. The team is built to win games not produce fantasy stats.

By St. Bernard

January 30, 2007 09:44 AM | Link to this

Send BK to a full time job watching his prize picks of Cenk and the Anderson guy. What a great use of picks!

By Anakin Joe

January 30, 2007 09:58 AM | Link to this

Oh yeah and just to show how any GM could make a bad draft day decision, I give you Otis Smith of the Orlando Magic. I personally think that he has been amongst the very best GMs in the past 2-3 seasons. He has made some outstanding decisions both in trades and drafts. But like every other GM, his record is not spotless. In the most recent draft, it was clear the team needed a SG. Grant Hill’s injuries are well documented not to mention this is the last year of his contract. With offensive weapons like Nelson, Hedu and Howard, I personally thought the “no brainer” pick was Arkansas’ Ronnie Brewer. Athletic, capable of playing a little PG and a hard worker. Instead, he went with the sharp-shooter from Duke, JJ Redick.

Now fast forward to the Utah-Atlanta game a month or so ago in Utah. Brewer was in JJ’s shorts during his brief stint in the game. He played JJ better than just about anyone this season and he’s a rookie. Meanwhile, JJ has personally abused the Magis this season and has made Grant Hill 9and others) look like AAU players on the defensive end. And Redick is playing amongst the most meaningless minutes of any lottery pick.

Again, I like Smith and would hire him this very second to run my club. But you have to acknowledge that he may have blown his ‘06 lottery pick after blowing the ‘05 lottery pick (a European who refuses to cross the water to play in the NBA) and trading his ‘07 lottery pick for Darko (jury’s still out). Of course, having Dwight Howard makes up for a whole lot of wrong (as well as Hill’s massive expiring contract).

By the way, just took a peek at the Hawks schedule in February and they may not win more than 3 games next month. A VERY, VERY tough schedule awaits them. But we’re guaranteed a .500 January after a 6-7 November. Too bad we can’t ignore what happened in December (or what’s about to happen in February).

By HB Ando

January 30, 2007 10:28 AM | Link to this

Myc, I know. I don’t really expect them to tank. As I’ve said a million times, I honestly believe, given Billy, and Woody, and ownership (yes Doc and Joe, they are, since Belkin out-manuevered them, the biggest inhibiting factor, at this point), that the one realistic thing that could improve this team is keeping a top-3 pick. And we look borderline for that. And Ray is right, as even if Billy had a plan up his sleeve, he’s not going to get to pull the trigger on a meaningful transaction.

But playoffs (insert Mora, Sr.’s voice here)? Playoffs?! Take a look at the teams between us and the eighth seed. Tell me who we’re better than, roster-wise, coaching-wise. Tell me, of us and those other teams, who’s least likely to make a move or two, to take a serious run at that slot. Now, if you’re not in position, willing or able, to make that push, and you’re looking like a lock for the lottery, you’ve got to find a way, some way, to enhance your chances of protecting that pick. That’s why a traded pick, with conditions, is called “protected”.

Woody will play the hand Billy has dealt him till they leave town together. He’d have never gotten this job (bet he’s wished for a re-do on that decision a time or two) without Billy. The franchise would be better off playing Royal and Salim and Soloman. They’ll play with heart and lose. And we’ll draft a potential, long-term solution for the post.

Shelden Williams……..1 board, 1 block. #5 overall……….

Joe, Otis has done a better job with trades than drafts. Getting to pick Howard would make anyone look like a genius. Only Billy Knight could turn 3 top-6 picks into a “potentially” good forward, and two career back ups.

By Dee

January 30, 2007 10:40 AM | Link to this

No one has great games every time..Ok Shelden only had 1 board, 1 block..Look at Dwight H..he leads in rebounds but couldnt perform with us twice..Shelden will be great in due time!!

By doc

January 30, 2007 11:05 AM | Link to this

aj, got to get by golden state to have a .500 month. it would be the first since april 2004 when stotts and his raggedy bunch played us out of a signifiantly better draft position. as a fan not looking a head it was fun to see.

shamefully, there are at least three or four wins that should have been in the bag (hornets, bobcats and sixers) where the team just didnt play for whatever reason; lost focus, poor matchups against bigger teams, poor coaching, etc. throw those in with the two that got away against the bulls and the jazz and this team is the talk of the nba instead of the derision of the masses here even with significant injuries. again, glad i dont have to bet nba to make a living, just doesnt make sense.

still say it involves learning how to win and all wins are important.

guys, it is now just past halfway mark. any thoughts on how many wins the hawks get in the second half of the season now that they are about to be completely healthy?

By Tyger

January 30, 2007 11:21 AM | Link to this

No, Speedy No! Dont come back, not now, not when things are finally starting to take form. NO, PLEASE, dont sabatoge us again!!! WOODY DONT PLAY HIM, AND FOR GODS SAKE DONT START HIM!!! Fool you once shame on him, fool you twice, shame on you!

By William

January 30, 2007 11:59 AM | Link to this

I can’t believe that people are still on the Childress/Iggy thing. Childress is a better rebounder, a better ball handler, a better shot blocker, a better shooter from two and from 3. Iggy is a better on the ball defender and thats about it.

To the person that says he has a better looking stroke…SO. He also is very streaky while Josh is a very consistant shooter.

Plus if you watch them both play, in simple hustle plays, Josh is all over the floor while Iggy…well…not so much. In no way shape or form are Iggy or Deng (a great shooter and offensive weapon but seroiusly, a joke defensively and should be alot better condsidering his build) better players than Childress.

They are all about the same honestly. Iggys on the ball defence makes up for his inconsistant offense. dengs incredible offensive talents and rebounding ability makes up for his utter lack of defense. Child is like a mixture of both. For this team, chill is still the best pick. Unless you count Josh Howard, but seroiusly, the whole league missed him, so you can’t blame Knight…noone would have taken him at number 5.

Right now, the Hawks are a .500 team, just like I said before the season. The injuries last month killed that .500 record but looking at Jan and Nov when they have been relatively injury free, you can see that the team is right there. They need some tweeks, like stealing a Brendan Haywood type big guy from some team for someone like Salim(who they just aren’t going to use) or Lorenzen (if someone wants a vet at a low cost).

But the real key is realizing you are a losing team and to get better your players need game time to develop. Sitting Solomon over on the sideline all night and ignoring how well Royal has played in extended minutes is hurting the team in the long run.

By Don Ellis

January 30, 2007 12:38 PM | Link to this

I’m a die hard Hawks fan and I would love to see them make a run at Kevin Garnettt…highly unlikely…but it would be nice to have a big down there…with him and Smith blocking shots…plus ZAZA is a very good back up…11 pts and 7 rb…are solid numbers for a backup big. Plus it would free up shooters like stoudamire, and Joe if Salim is still around. One thing for sure….JOE is untouchable, Josh smith is as well…maybe MArvin…wait and see after next year….they are a 500 club when healty..in the east…but a 500 club they are…see this months record after Golden state Wed. night. Stay with them Hawk fans….last year we had 26 wins total…hopefully we’ll have 17 by the break…not a bad improvement…they are still young…but stay with them…someone will adhere to my call and go after Garnett…he has to be tired of Minn…you think?

By Phil

January 30, 2007 01:04 PM | Link to this

I think guys on this blog are being a little hard on Shelden Williams. Its not his fault he was drafted #5 but I do think he will be a solid starting PF in this league. When he’s gotten solid minutes he’s actually performed very well this year. If he could work a little on his post offense and the team actually run a few plays for him he could be a 12 point 10 rebound kind of guy in my opinion. The only thing is he doesnt really fit on this team with Marvin and Josh Smith and he hasn’t looked comfortable coming off the bench (as Orlando’s game showed).

By Dan

January 30, 2007 01:06 PM | Link to this

I about spit my cereal out of my mouth this morning when I read that Speedy may be coming back. Why? He is will be back on the bench, hurt, in a matter of a few games. I would rather he just sit on the bench. I don’t even want him touching the floor for this team again. The guy has hurt this team enough this year. He doesn’t need to do anymore.

Sekou, did the Hawks ever try and land Fransisco Ellison this past summer? I thought he would be a perfect fit. A big man with energy is what they need. I don’t have a problem with Zaza. I think he is a perfect backup center. I am warming up to Wright, but he should be a backup, too. Shelden is not capable of playing at this level. He needs to get traded or just sit on the bench. He looks lost on the floor. Plus, he can’t hit a shot (layup or jumper) to save his life. Dick Vitale did not know WTF he was talking about hyping that guy.

I do not really see what deal would help this team. Seattle will want more than we should give for LR and AJ, from the Mavs, would be an awful pick up. Didn’t you get enough of that guy during his first stint?

By mykhalc

January 30, 2007 02:25 PM | Link to this

ANDO, i hear ya. from now on, i’ll know how to put your tankin’ thing into blog perspective!!LOL logically i know you are right. but the competitve spirit in me kinda gets all worked up when you write about the team tankin’!! anyway bro, i feel ya!!!

By Mike

January 30, 2007 02:49 PM | Link to this

I was down on JChill when we first drafted him, but everybody looks at his scoring, it’s the intangible that we over look with JChill and Marvin. I’m sure most of you Gurus have played b ball. Both of kids are asked to defend some of the top veteran scorer in the league without a big shot blocker to back them up. Josh Smith is only legit shot blocker the Hawks have besides Solomon Jones, and he never plays. If you’ve played b ball then you know playing defense against top scorer takes away from your offense. JChill, Marvin and the rest of young kids will look really bad some nights, but the Hawks are vastly improved since they all returned from the injury list. JChill can defend the 1, 2, and 3. Marvin can defend the 2, 3, and 4 plus they both can score. Well Josh, he can defend anybody. Josh Smith has developed into a bonafide superstar; these other kids have the potential to do the same. This team will continue to improve as the season goes on. Does that mean they want lose to teams they should beat? No. Does that mean they want continue to struggle? No. But look around at the teams in the East, their talent level is not that much better than the Hawks.
I agree with everyone we need a dominate post player, but so do 80% of the teams in NBA. We should all remember the hardship these kids have endured in their short time in the league. The death of their Veteran big man who everyone was fun of to start last season; major injuries to key players to start this season, and the on going fiasco with Steve Belkin. Since we can’t make any major moves until this mess with Belkin is resolved, we have to get more out the players we have. Woody has to make a real commitment to get Solomon, Salim, and Royal more playing time. Just playing Solomon Jones more can really help the team out. He will struggle, but kid plays hard and he’s fearless. Until you put on the floor and leave on the floor you want know what he can do. Even if we bring in a big man, we’ll still need Solomon. Cleveland gave up on DeSagana Diop. I bet they wish they had him now. All this kid Solomon needs is more playing time.

By david

January 30, 2007 03:15 PM | Link to this

919vitamins.com

By Traceman

January 30, 2007 07:19 PM | Link to this

Honest Abe, I don’t care if all of the other GMs missed on Howard, I care that BILLY missed on him. It is the GMs job to GET IT RIGHT, not to get it wrong just because everyone else did! Like you said, he is PAID to get the job done for a reason.

As for Diaw, he CLEARLY is NOT a big guard. He is a forward. Heck, I can make an argument that he is more CENTER than big guard. He doesn’t play guard for Phoenix and he thrives their system as a forward/center. He didn’t thrive at either guard spot when he played here.

As for Josh Smith, my point is not that Nelson is a better player than Smoove is (he’s clearly not). My point is that if Billy had picked Howard and Iguodala, I’m not so sure he would have ben wrong to take Nelson because we would have been pretty well set at SF. But like I said: “Actually, I can understand drafting Smoove with his undeniable gifts but Nelson would have been a great fit as well.”

As for Marvin, Marvin is actually my favorite Hawk but if you are asking me how I can blame BK for picking him over Paul or Williams, just look at our roster before Marvin was selected. No PG and 5 SFs on the roster with 3 can’t miss PGs in the consensus top 5 players in the draft.

Shelden is NOT a great rebounder or defender at this point and he was not projected to be either at this level by hardly ANYONE. Shelden was projected to be a solid role player in this league by most and I think with time, he will develop into a solid Udonis Haslem type player with his upside being Antonio Davis. Not bad but not NEARLY the caliber of talent that Roy and Foye are. Neither Roy or Foye are true PGs but if Chillz can run the point for this team then either of them could do it as well. Besides, why did BK all of a sudden choose to pick for need with Shelden after he clearly had not done that with any of his previous picks.

Chillz can play but I think Iggy AND Deng are clearly better for the reasons previously stated. Billy tried to defy convention but I think he blew it. Plain and simple, if Iggy or Deng were here, Marvin would be coming off the bench. Period.

Honest Abe, you are right, hindsight is 20/20. But you can’t draft 5 SFs in a row and not expect criticism and you can’t pass on consensus better picks for the team and not expect criticism.

Finally, yes, I DO watch a lot of Hawks’ games. I am a season ticket holder and I have been throughout this entire rebuilding process. Unlike a lot of people, I can still love and root for the guys even if I don’t think they were the right picks. Marvin is my favorite Hawk and I love both Smoove and Chillz. I want Shelden to do well and I cheer hard for him every game. I hope that eventually, Billy will get the right pieces around these guys so that they can be successful. I just think it would have been a lot easier for him if he would have followed conventional wisdom rather than trying to hit a home run by going with the not so obvious pick.