Hawks

By mavid

April 16, 2007 12:46 AM | Link to this

I wish Indy still had something to play for. In the scheme of things, we need a loss tomorrow night bad. Seattle is at 31 wins, and their not beating Dallas in their finale no matter who Dallas decides to sit. If we beat Indy, we’re at 30 wins. If we beat Milwaukee, we’re at 31 (and the way Milwaukee is tanking, and the fact J-smoove is actually playing for real, is there anyway we don’t beat them?). Tying with Seattle is unacceptable. That’s no good for a team that needs as many ping pong balls as it can get.

That Indy pick looks like it should be 11-12, which is perfect so long as they don’t get lucky and get in the top 3 (I think they have a 2.1% chance?). That pick can get us our PG for the future (either Law, or Conley if we trade up a few spots).

I respect Woody’s patience with this young team (it could NOT have been easy), but we’re built to run. If he’s not going to EVER implement an offense where we do that (and maximize our strengths of having Marvin and J-Smoove at the 3 and 4), then he needs to go. Honestly, I would like to see Woody lead us to success next year because he seems like a decent guy, but from what I’ve seen, it just doesnt look like it will happen.

How bout the PHX assistant if Colangelo doesn’t nab him? Anyone else who could instill a more apt style of play? Oh, and Conley would look great in that type of offense (just saying).

By Clyde Jr.

April 16, 2007 2:20 AM | Link to this

In other words the Hawks are just hoping and a praying for draft pick.

FIRE BILLY AND WOODY

By mavid

April 16, 2007 2:46 AM | Link to this

I think we realistically will get the Indy pick. The top 3 pick is definitely a prayer and nothing more right now.

Everyone be real nice to ping pong balls in the next little while.

By Oddjob

April 16, 2007 3:33 AM | Link to this

Matt If we agreed on everything what would be the point ? So having said that,you’re off the mark on Billups and Law.Billups can control tempo,what he can’t do is run like Parker.A fast green team like the Hawks doesn’t need a Claxton who plays like they do (raw) what they need is a pro who can help harness the athleticism of Smith,Marvin,etc..Now as far as Law,he runs very well and can dish on the run.What I’ve seen and heard is that he is a bit raw not that he can’t play up tempo.Having said that Conley can penetrate,finish and find the open man either inside or by kicking out,so he may be a good fit.

By Braves Fan 79

April 16, 2007 3:43 AM | Link to this

what!! your not picking the cavs to come out of the east?? wasnt it u that put lebrons overhyped a$$ on the all NBA first team over Garnett, Duncan, and Mcgrady?? Unless the hawks have a draft miracle it will be years and years before there ever a contender again. 2 bad the hawks didnt do the smart thing and start tanking before the season even started. I guess our GM dosent watch college basketball….and he traded our second round pick…when there will be some good players taken in the top of the second round. All in the name of meaningless wins. way to go hawks. not only do they suck..there dumb as rocks. Thank God im a Rockets fan! that second round matchup bt Dallas and Houston is looking good!

By Beck

April 16, 2007 5:09 AM | Link to this

I agree with mavid about the coaching situation. Woody seems like a great guy but this team is built to run. It is Billy’s philosophy (for better or worse) of drafting. With Sam Mitchell reportedly set to get offered a sizable extension from Toronto, Iavaroni could very well be availabe from PHX. It would sure make a year without a draft pick more bearable if we at least knew the team we have was going to be utilized more effectively. Heck, JJ probably knows the offensive sets already from his days in PHX. It would be a fun team to watch at the very least.

By Samuel

April 16, 2007 6:39 AM | Link to this

The Tupelo Hustle are the undisputed Sekou’s Bloggers Fantasy League Champs for 06-07.

By smartguy

April 16, 2007 7:09 AM | Link to this

Woody MUST go.

Please.

Donovan or Iavaroni would be awesome!

By smartguy

April 16, 2007 7:25 AM | Link to this

“I hope that the culture changed immediately when I got here back in March,” Colangelo said. “I think the perception was a cloud had been lifted off the Raptors. Everything across the board needed to be revamped.” NYT 4/14.

The Hawks should learn from this, and get rid of more than just our sorry coach. Billy should definitely get the boot, along with whoever else we can afford to replace.

By curious

April 16, 2007 8:45 AM | Link to this

Woody plays JS 43 min in a 30pt loss. He had been off 4 days with no practice. But he wouldn’t leave him in the game to get a triple double saying he didn’t want to get him hurt. Does anyone else see what a hypocrite he is.

By Bob Weiss

April 16, 2007 9:09 AM | Link to this

Just curious, how long does Billy get to stay? I hear people calling for the head of Woodson but why not Billy? The guy has historically not only drafted and traded poorly but made bad personel decisions. Does he have compromising pictures of the whole group of Hawks ownership with farm animals? Seriously, I remember when the Hawks fans would moan about their early departure every year from the playoffs. At least they were making the playoffs - how long will it be before the Hawks will even sniff the playoffs? Keep it up Billy, maybe the NBA will get smart and contract - putting the Hawks thankfully out of their misery and ending their pathetic history. But hey what do I know? I’m just a fan and don’t have Billy’s expansive b’ball knowledge that has led this team to such great heights.

By destin

April 16, 2007 9:12 AM | Link to this

The Hawks stand a reasonable chance of landing a top 3 pick. If we get real lucky and get #1, of course take Oden. If we get 2 or 3 take Hibbert. Chances are that we also get pick 11,12, or 13 unless Indiana get real lucky. Hopefully, either Conley or Law will still be available at this spot. I know this is optimistic thinking, but hey, it’s not that unrealistic. If we inject a quality C and PG into a system that has plenty of good 2,3, and 4 players, we should be set for years to come - provided we have a coach that could put it together.

By doc

April 16, 2007 9:19 AM | Link to this

congrats samuel on your hard earned win. maybe the zen master doc will come back next year to challange you depending on how he is graced for time. he is aware that you get up very early in the morning to prepare the scouting reports and prepare the lineups. takes away from the meditation time. heh heh

matt dropped a line to ya on the last blog, glad to know there is another advocate for nash funny he will eclipse his results for the last two years but give up the mvp trophy. think the suns made a huge mistake not trading for a big wide body for a real run at the crown, say magliore for a diaw or was diaw too great of a bargain pickup at 8 mil a year to give up? it will cost them in the end.

agree on the adelman and iavaroni from the suns thoughts too and have voiced them repeatedly as a replacement for woody if that should come to pass. it will be interesting to see what really evolves for mitchell in raptor land as ivarone was slated to go there at the end of this year.

yes curious, it is curious and leaves curious minds inquiring for more cliches as to why he would do it.

By St. Bernard

April 16, 2007 9:37 AM | Link to this

I’m sure you’ve guys have heard the rumors about the draft’s corruption. Indy would be a perfect place for the hometown boy Oden. Watch this! Also watch New York’s pick.

By J. Shuttlesworth

April 16, 2007 9:57 AM | Link to this

Bill Simmons at ESPN threw you a nice shoutout, Sekou. “One of the best NBA reporter/bloggers out there (Sekou Smith)”…”By the way, I’d pay at least $500 to have someone who gives a crap like Seiko Smith covering the Boston Celtics.”

Too bad he misspelled your name, and last week said the Hawks should be contracted from the league.

By Anakin Joe

April 16, 2007 10:09 AM | Link to this

Congrats Samuel! I enjoyed my inaugral fantasy season. I’m looking forward to applying some valuable lessons learned to be competitive next season.

The Cavs game was nothing short of FUGLY.

I’m going to miss Royal Ivey. He’s an ideal 3rd PG and I’m hoping he stays in the league. I always liked Slava when he was with the Lakers and he never got a shot here. He clearly needs to be with a winning team where his unique skills as a jump-shooting bully could be appreciated. I guess Herb Brown’s attempts to coach-up Batista never panned out. Again, I hope Estee finds work next season… I’m guessing his fouls against Shaq will be the highlight of his resume for teams like Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit.

I personally think that a backcourt of AJ and Salim could co-exist nicely together for about 12-15 minutes a night. I’d love to see Salim stay but I doubt that he will. Better trade him to the Western Conference as he will surely become a premier substitute with the right team and coach. Meanwhile, JJ needs to get his 10-12 minutes of rest next season, so BK must find someone who Woody is comfortable playing when JJ needs to rest (Derek Anderson? Devin Brown?)

By cowa

April 16, 2007 10:14 AM | Link to this

Sekou, your article on the core staying together scares me. If this is true, then all you have to trade is aging PG’s, Wright and Salim. That’s not going to do anythign to change the direction of this franchise. I pray we’re able to do something else, but I understand the management/legal issues need to be rectified first.

IMHO, these are the things that need to happen for the Hawks in chronological order:

1) Lose one more game. 2) Get the legal matters somewhat resolved from who owns the team to be able to become a player in the marketplace. 3) Replace Woody with Iavaroni 4) Replace Billy with ??? 5) Finalize our draft picks (whatever that may bring). 6) Explore trade scenarios for PG/C/PF 7) Hopefully draft a player

Now, the draft is nice and I would love us to get lucky, but let’s look at what we can do without the top 3 pick.

Sekou, you mentioned the possibility of Portland trading Jack for a wing player. I think that getting Jack is the single best way of moving this franchise forward. He has a low salary, he wants to come to Atlanta, he’s young, his offensive game has really started to come around, etc. The best deal that I have been able to come up with in my head is Jack and Pryzbilla for Childress and either Wright or Lue, depending which Portland would prefer. Portland needs to make more time for Aldridge, and Przybilla doesn’t want a role as a back-up after signing a 5 year deal last summer. Wright seems to make the most sense from their perspective, but they may want Lue to give guidance to Roy and Rodriguez for a year.

If we are able to get these guys, then I wouldn’t want to draft a PG with Indy’s pick (assuming we do have this one). Seems to me we would want to make a play for one of the studs that are should be available this summer. The 4 big non-free agents that should be on the trading block this summer are KG, Gasol, O’Neal and Camby. Chicago has the most assets, and will be able to offer a better package for either KG or Gasol. Boston also has better assets to move, and will also make a move for one of these two. Camby is too old to have one of the younger teams make a move for, but does have the most attractive salary. Now O’Neal could be available, and there’s no way he gets traded to Chicago, but Atlanta is definitely a possibility. If we could offer up a package of Pachulia, Jsmoove, Speedy and the draft pick we obtained from them, we have a shot. I don’t want to trade Smith, but he has more value than Marvin right now, and would probably have to be included. This would also give Indy a large trade exception, which they could use on teh free agent market possibly. This may be a dream, but it’s something that could turn this franchise around.

This would leave a rotation of Przybilla, O’Neal, Marvin, Joe and Jack as starters and Solomon, Sheldon, AJ and Salim. it may take some time for this team to gel, but this is a playoff rotation barring major injury. The rest of the spots on the bench would need to be filled with lower salary players, but this would still leave us well below the luxury tax, but would push the salary cap.

Billy (or whoever the GM happens to be this summer) needs to be going after one of these 4 players. The free agents that are available don’t seem to either be a good fit with our team, or probably won’t move and would just use Atlanta as a bargaining chip. Billups and Milicic are the only ones that have appeal, but Billups will probably resign, and Milicic will be too expensive either signing outright or in a sign and trade.

If we actually get lucky with the ping pong balls, that’s a whole new ball game.

By Sekou K. Smith

April 16, 2007 11:00 AM | Link to this

Cowa,

The article mentioned the core group of guys only because those are the guys anybody would build around if they were here. But any of those guys could be traded as well, depending on the direction the Hawks go this summer (based mostly on what happens with the draft lottery).

Don’t read anything into this that isn’t here. But the current roster is the only thing we have to go with right now because everything else is strictly hypothetical. Realistically, you’ll have to move one of your core guys to get anything of real value in return.

By ray

April 16, 2007 11:27 AM | Link to this

Cowa, that was an interesting collection of thoughts. Particularly about trading JSmoove. While I wouldn’t want to get rid of him, an open mind is what you’ve shown and if it really makes the team better…then it’s the move to make.

We’d kinda have to keep it at trading one core player, though. Trading two is giving up too much in most instances that I can think of. Although I obviously haven’t thought of all possibilities. Gotta wait for both the draft status and the rumor mill to seriously get into that a little more.

Doc,

Love the way you’ve been bringing it. Love it.

Sekou, nice article man. Can’t wait for what’s next as far as analysis and what not.

By homer

April 16, 2007 1:00 PM | Link to this

I hate Woody. And I hate Billy.

I would love to cheer for the Hawks, but I just can’t with the goons in charge over there.

By Oddjob

April 16, 2007 2:14 PM | Link to this

I don’t get why you’d be closed to a trade that makes sense.Either Marvin or Childress would be the obvious two with value where we might get better by bringing in a PG or PF/C type.I like both Marvin’s and ‘Childress’ potential so I’d only do value for value, trading one of these two would cost depth at SF-SG but if we could pick up a top young PG or PF/C why not listen ?

By mavid

April 16, 2007 3:06 PM | Link to this

wow, craziness at VT.

If we don’t luck into Oden. How about trading for Camby? I have always thought that him and Chandler would be great “defensive 5” fits with our athletic team.

Moreover, with Denver taking on so much salary (AI, Melo, Nene), it always seemed that he would be the odd-man out.

Looks like this might be the case:

According the the Chicago Tribune: “With Nene’s contract extension, the Nuggets go well over the luxury-tax threshold and the rumor is the team will look to move Marcus Camby this summer for financial reasons despite his defensive play.”

Now THAT is a guy we can stand to give Chill + change for.

The big issue is his health concerns. If he stays healthy, he’s one of the very best (if not the best) defensive centers in the league. But, like our boy Speedy, he has been plagued by injuries.

So, are y’all willing to take the risk (keeping in mind what happened with Speedy, and also keeping in mind a talented 5 like that doesn’t come around often)? And who are you willing to give up (keeping in mind what Denver would demand for an elite 5)?

By Matt

April 16, 2007 3:06 PM | Link to this

I think it would be a big mistake to trade Marvin now, simply because I don’t think we could get much in return. And trading him for a borderline starting 1 or 5 just isn’t worth it.

By mavid

April 16, 2007 3:22 PM | Link to this

I would definitely wanna do Chill + (Zaza, Shelden, or Lue/AJ) for Camby.

Frontcourt of Marvin, Smoove, Camby (2 best shotblockers in the league)

Backcourt of Acie Law/Conley (and Speedy), JJ

Law/Conley (featuring Speedy), JJ, Marvin, Smoove, Camby would be a legit lineup

By jason

April 16, 2007 3:27 PM | Link to this

anything we get better be from a trade b/c our draft prowess is about as refined as a paraplegic vegetable. it will not matter what order the ping pong balls fall. billy knight probably will secure a promise to Josh McRoberts with the #2 pick. the same andre iguodala who dunked on our entire franchise the other was available when we drafted childress, chris paul and deron williams will be staples on the west all-star teams for the next 8-10 yrs. so if you’re a hawks fan forget the draft, because if BK is around it will be another lesson in futility (expletive!!!!)

By michael m.

April 16, 2007 3:30 PM | Link to this

pray for sacramento and philly to lose. worst case scenario is sac wins both their remaining games, philly wins at least one, and indy loses both. that could put those three teams tied for the 10, 11, and 12 spots. and leaving the indy pick up to the coin flip gods would be scary, to say the least. of course atlanta could settle it all by just losing to indy on wednesday night. that would kill two birds with one stone since it would also eliminate the chance of seattle tying us for the fourth worst record and snagging some of our ping pong balls.

glad to hear others mentioning iavaroni and adelman, the two guys i’ve been mentioning for six months as coaches who could install the proper dna for our current assortment of players.

that said, a real pg like conley or law (not to mention paul, deron, marcus williams, et al) would solve a lot of our scoring deficiencies by breaking down defenses and getting our wing players the ball in the right spots. while i like lue as a backup who can score, watching him dribble for much of the 24 second shot clock isn’t exactly what i have in mind for our young hawks. and it’s sad that i have to look forward to josh smith pulling down a rebound and pushing it up the floor as our only chance at getting fast break points.

a center like oden or hibbert is also essential to shore up our problems in the middle defensively. josh smith is more effective as a 4 so that he can play close to the basket and affect shots from the weakside, but a true center next to him is imperative unless we switch to a truly uptempo m.o.

while bk had the right idea last summer by trying to add a pg and center, his execution was abominable. claxton and lorenzen are ellipses when what was called for was a couple exclamation points. period. it’s pathetic how allergic he is to young point guards who can actually run a team. he doesn’t seem capable of completing what he started a few years ago. his plan has evolved into… what exactly? and sad to say, belkin is perhaps the only current light at the end of the tunnel that is “the bk and woody experience”.

By Matt

April 16, 2007 3:58 PM | Link to this

Camby?? That boy has never done anything in this league, and never will. He’s notoriously soft on post defense, and doesn’t do anything on either end of the floor that Solomon Jones won’t be able to do a year and a half from now.

Giving up that much for him would be a huge, huge mistake.

By mavid

April 16, 2007 4:10 PM | Link to this

^^ ive pretty much agreed with you up until now. But Camby doing nothing?? That makes me question your bball knowledge a little. Umm, he only averages 12 boards and 3.3 blocks a game (which leads the league). He probably is about to win defensive player of the year.

Plus, he puts up MONSTER games all the time (15+ boards, 5+ blocks). Do you not watch sportscenter?

If you look at his career, you’ll see he’s CONSISTENTLY put up 10+ boards, 3 blocks. What more can you ask from a Defensive 5? And oh yeah, did i say that he’ll probably win defensive player of the year this year?

C’mon now. Chill + change for Camby would be a great trade for us (with the disclaimer that his health is a risk).

By bigdog

April 16, 2007 4:11 PM | Link to this

Jason Whitlock of AOL Sports wrote a great article calling for Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to step down after they helped “to turn radio shock jock Don Imus’ stupidity into a world-wide crisis”. Jason Whitlock is also black.

Sports Commentary

I’m calling for Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, the president and vice president of Black America, to step down.

Their leadership is stale. Their ideas are outdated. And they don’t give a damn about us.

We need to take a cue from White America and re-elect our leadership every four years. White folks realize that power corrupts. That’s why they placed term limits on the presidency. They know if you leave a man in power too long he quits looking out for the interest of his constituency and starts looking out for his own best interest.

We’ve turned Jesse and Al into Supreme Court justices. They get to speak for us for a lifetime.

Why?

If judged by the results they’ve produced the last 20 years, you’d have to regard their administration as a total failure. Seriously, compared to Martin and Malcolm and the freedoms and progress their leadership produced, Jesse and Al are an embarrassment.

Their job the last two decades was to show black people how to take advantage of the opportunities Martin and Malcolm won.

Have we at the level we should have? No.

Rather than inspire us to seize hard-earned opportunities, Jesse and Al have specialized in blackmailing white folks for profit and attention. They were at it again last week, helping to turn radio shock jock Don Imus’ stupidity into a world-wide crisis that reached its crescendo Tuesday afternoon when Rutgers women’s basketball coach Vivian Stringer led a massive pity party/recruiting rally.

Hey, what Imus said, calling the Rutgers players “nappy-headed hos,” was ignorant, insensitive and offensive. But so are many of the words that come out of the mouths of radio shock jocks/comedians.

Imus’ words did no real damage. Let me tell you what damaged us this week: the sports cover of Tuesday’s USA Today. This country’s newspaper of record published a story about the NFL and crime and ran a picture of 41 NFL players who were arrested in 2006. By my count, 39 of those players were black.

You want to talk about a damaging, powerful image, an image that went out across the globe?

We’re holding news conferences about Imus when the behavior of NFL players is painting us as lawless and immoral. Come on. We can do better than that. Jesse and Al are smarter than that.

Had Imus’ predictably poor attempt at humor not been turned into an international incident by the deluge of media coverage, 97 percent of America would’ve never known what Imus said. His platform isn’t that large and it has zero penetration into the sports world.

Imus certainly doesn’t resonate in the world frequented by college women. The insistence by these young women that they have been emotionally scarred by an old white man with no currency in their world is laughably dishonest.

The Rutgers players are nothing more than pawns in a game being played by Jackson, Sharpton and Stringer.

Jesse and Al are flexing their muscle and setting up their next sting. Bringing down Imus, despite his sincere attempts at apologizing, would serve notice to their next potential victim that it is far better to pay up than stand up to Jesse and Al James.

Stringer just wanted her 15 minutes to make the case that she’s every bit as important as Pat Summitt and Geno Auriemma. By the time Stringer’s rambling, rapping and rhyming 30-minute speech was over, you’d forgotten that Tennessee won the national championship and just assumed a racist plot had been hatched to deny the Scarlet Knights credit for winning it all.

Maybe that’s the real crime. Imus’ ignorance has taken attention away from Candace Parker’s and Summitt’s incredible accomplishment. Or maybe it was Sharpton’s, Stringer’s and Jackson ’s grandstanding that moved the spotlight from Tennessee to New Jersey ?

None of this over-the-top grandstanding does Black America any good.

We can’t win the war over verbal disrespect and racism when we have so obviously and blatantly surrendered the moral high ground on the issue. Jesse and Al might win the battle with Imus and get him fired or severely neutered. But the war? We don’t stand a chance in the war. Not when everybody knows “nappy-headed ho’s” is a compliment compared to what we allow black rap artists to say about black women on a daily basis.

We look foolish and cruel for kicking a man who went on Sharpton’s radio show and apologized. Imus didn’t pull a Michael Richards and schedule an interview on Letterman. Imus went to the Black vice president’s house, acknowledged his mistake and asked for forgiveness.

Let it go and let God.

We have more important issues to deal with than Imus. If we are unwilling to clean up the filth and disrespect we heap on each other, nothing will change with our condition. You can fire every Don Imus in the country, and our incarceration rate, fatherless-child rate, illiteracy rate and murder rate will still continue to skyrocket.

A man who doesn’t respect himself wastes his breath demanding that others respect him.

We don’t respect ourselves right now. If we did, we wouldn’t call each other the N-word. If we did, we wouldn’t let people with prison values define who we are in music and videos. If we did, we wouldn’t call black women b*** and hos and abandon them when they have our babies.

If we had the proper level of self-respect, we wouldn’t act like it’s only a crime when a white man disrespects us. We hold Imus to a higher standard than we hold ourselves. That’s a (freaking) shame.

We need leadership that is interested in fixing the culture we’ve adopted. We need leadership that makes all of us take tremendous pride in educating ourselves. We need leadership that can reach professional athletes and entertainers and get them to understand that they’re ambassadors and play an important role in defining who we are and what values our culture will embrace.

It’s time for Jesse and Al to step down. They’ve had 25 years to lead us. Other than their accountants, I’d be hard pressed to find someone who has benefited from their administration.

By Anakin Joe

April 16, 2007 4:11 PM | Link to this

Woody to miss Milwaukee game due to food poisoning.

Let the jokes begin…

By Oddjob

April 16, 2007 4:21 PM | Link to this

Matt If you don’t get the right offer don’t make the trade.So help me with this, how does that mean we shouldn’t see what’s available ? I’m not being argumentative,but really why should we make an assumption without finding out the facts ?

By Wedgie Evans

April 16, 2007 4:23 PM | Link to this

Joe Johnson and Josh Smith are the only players on this team that I would consider a “core”. Everyone else either sucks (Zaza), has more value as trade bait (Marvin Williams, Salim Stoudamire), or doesn’t have a high enough ceiling to be anything more than a good role player (Josh Childress). If the Hawks have to trade everyone other than Joe and J-Smoove to get Oden, they should do it.

I’d love to see the Hawks trade for Camby, but I don’t see why the Nuggets would do the trade. They are already pretty thin inside. Who will they have left? Nene? Najera?

Also, I’m no fan of Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton, but if Jason Whitlock is calling for them to step down, I may have to reconsider my position. I have been reading Whitlock’s columns since he was at ESPN, and the guy is the biggest Uncle Tom in the entire sports media. His attempt last week to absolve Don Imus of blame for his comments by placing the blame on urban black culture instead was despicable. Thank God he doesn’t work at ESPN anymore.

By St. Bernard

April 16, 2007 4:25 PM | Link to this

hahaha

By The Flash

April 16, 2007 4:30 PM | Link to this

Toronto plays with soccer influences, big time, just as the Suns do, made possible with players with International Experience, and, in Nash, a freakin soccer player in the off season.

I’m not sure that you translate that into a team rooted in American concepts. There was a Sunday NY Times article emphasizing the International composition of Toronto’s starting five; they didn’t make the soccer connection, imo, because, to prove their Manliness, all sports writers remain ignorant about that game and would sooner cut their weenies off than mention soccer and basketball in the same sentence.

So, while I have not seen Toronto, I am not sure Sekou is correct about Toronto’s chances. Certainly, much nore funner to watch than the other three mentioned.

Second, I’m not sure that Iavaroni’s apprenticeship in Phoenix counts for jack with the current personnel here. Now, if they had Diaw to go along with JJ and Zaza, and picketed up Green, and some guy from a soccer playing culture, just teasing, doc, and you do not want anything interfere with that meditation time (Samuel actually won, picking Miss St and Knicks’ players exclusively, really? Doc, you definitely need to do more meditating!)

By Oddjob

April 16, 2007 4:33 PM | Link to this

Bigdog Get a grip man ! Why would you let this nonsense get under your skin to the point you’d go on a rant ? No doubt these guys have made an industry out of protest but why does this case makes you angry but not all the cases involving poor and minority defendants ? That’s a question we all should ask. Nifong should be charged with a crime but again why havn’t we got mad about cases not involving upper class whites ? It’s worth thinking about that’s all I’m saying.

By doc

April 16, 2007 4:49 PM | Link to this

flash, i wasnt in it this year but took him down in the playoffs last year. this year was his revenge as i literally sat it out, isnt that what you do when you do meditation. just doing the phil thing, not sure to have my mojo back by next year. samuel is tough, real grinder up at 5:30 doing the tapes to get ready for the new day. a j couldnt keep up to the early gring is my thought. he probably needs to find a group that is more civil wiht a rule that says no changes before the noon martini.

flash what does it mean now that i have started dreaming in soccer? i figure you do it as well. @:-)

now to do some tonglen meditation. it seems the world might need it today after the tragedy in blacksburg. one is left to inquire how could info about the shooting have moved so slowly?

By Matt

April 16, 2007 4:52 PM | Link to this

Please tell me how many times Camby has been part of a team that’s made it even close to the show in the last few years.

I don’t watch SportsCenter, but I like Melo and watch some Nuggets games to catch him. And yeah, Camby pulls down some boards and gets some swats. Ok. Fine. That doesn’t sell me too much on him, especially since if you post him up with a true big man, he usually gets backed down way, way too easily. He puts up impressive stats for boards and blocks, and is a good shot blocker in the open floor, but he is NOT a good post defender. And that’s a must-have for a 5 in the East.

I went to far by saying he’s never done anything. But he’ll never be worth his pricetag, both in terms of dollars and what we’d have to give up to get him. I’d rather save Childress and deal him for a YOUNG center who has more on his frame than Camby (who’s 6’11, 230, and 33 years old).

As I said - Camby doesn’t do anything that Solomon Jones won’t be able to do in a year and a half. Why have two non-7-foot, rail-thin, 4/5 combo shotblocking specialists on the team??

(BTW, he is NOT about to win DPOTY. Every list I’ve seen has Duncan, Bowen, and Wallace all ahead of him, and for good reason).

By destin

April 16, 2007 5:00 PM | Link to this

Let’s face it, the Hawks aren’t going to be a contender for a couple of years at best. So, regardless of whether coach and GM suck, we should stick with the theme of building the team from the ground up. I agree, last years attempt at filling C and PG holes with Wright and Claxton was pathetic. We may not get #1, but our chances to get 1,2 or 3 is not bad. Luck of the Gods gives us Oden, but even money gives us Hibbert (7’3”). As I stated previously, the chances of getting Indiana’s pick at 11,12 or 13 is very good (I hate to say it, but we must lose that game against Indiana). So, the chances of getting Conley or Law are also very good. With players like this at C and PG, combined with our young and talented 2’s,3’s and 4’s, we could really be something in two or three years.

By Oddjob

April 16, 2007 5:21 PM | Link to this

Matt I don’t know about you man! This stuff is adding up.In two days you,ve gave a very wrong assessment on Billups and Law,then you say you wouldn’t consider trading Marvin because we couldn’t get value without looking to see what we could get in return.Now you say Jones will give us what Camby gives in a year or two,if that’s true you must have a crystal ball,nobody I’ve heard looks for that kind of production from Jones.Just for comparison here’s the cold numbers. ppg…. Camby 11.7 …Jones 3.1 reb… Camby 11.7…Jones 2.3 asst…Camby 3.2…Jones 0.2 blk Camby 3.3 Jones .7 that is a lot of production from Camby especially the reb and blk numbers which are star quality.I’m not calling for a trade for Camby just some reason.

By mavid

April 16, 2007 5:45 PM | Link to this

Matt, a healthy Camby is an elite 5 in this league. “Post him up with a true big 5”… the league is moving away from true big 5s. Shaq and Yao are really it. Dwight and Amare are powerful, but Camby can handle them.

Chandler and Camby are about the same to me, and I think Camby is a better defender (and offensive player for that matter). Both are expensive, but so is every legit 5 in the league.

By Matt

April 16, 2007 5:45 PM | Link to this

In case you think I’m the only one who has these concerns about Law (and who compares Law to Billups):

http://www.nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/acielaw.html “Still learning how to play the point guard position from the stand point of improving his teammates and controlling the tempo of games…” “Settles at times for mid-range shots when he could drive to the basket and put pressure on the defense…” “Lacks the explosive first step to get full separation from his defender…” “Can be a little turnover prone as he can telegraph his passes…” “Still remains to be seen if he is able to make players around him better”

And no, I’m not Matthew Maurer.

Camby puts up nice stats, but no one has answered why that trumps his rather obvious weaknesses as a post defender. he should be a 4, not a 5. And I don’t necessarily think that Solomon will put up Camby’s stats within 2 years, but you can’t deny that that they have very similar skill sets, body types, and overall playing styles.

And the comparison of their stats this year is, of course, not at all indicative. Solomon is a 22 and a rookie; Camby is 33 and has been in the league 11 years. Camby got 4 times the minutes that Solomon did.

Anyway, I certainly am not saying that I have all the answers, but I do think that Camby is one of the most overrated players in the league’s recent history.

By Oddjob

April 16, 2007 6:10 PM | Link to this

Matt granted some see Law as a tad slow,most don’t however.The consensus is that while he’s not a great athlete he is a good one,with good open court and pull up and shoot or pass skills and fair penetrating quickness.Look at what was said about Deron Williams,he was slow,chubby,stiff,etc.I look at Law and see a Billups type (if he’s lucky) but I think I’d take Conley given the choice.As far as Jones I don’t see any reason looking at his College career or with the Hawks to think he’ll be very productive.

By Matt

April 16, 2007 6:30 PM | Link to this

I’ll admit that I’m biased towards Solomon. An old friend of mine coached him at South Florida and told me after the Hawks took him that he was a kid with a ton of raw talent, but just didn’t have the discipline and experience on the floor yet. I don’t think he even played ball his first two years of college.

Anyway, the things I’ve seen of Jones tell me that he is a guy with loads of potential, but who needs to gain discipline on the practice floor and muscle in the weight room.

By Oddjob

April 16, 2007 6:49 PM | Link to this

Matt I hope you’re right on Jones.

By mavid

April 16, 2007 6:55 PM | Link to this

Matt, I too like Jones, and think he can develop into a Camby-like player. Who better to teach him than Camby himself! right?

Now, I’ve heard about the Camby “pf or c?” argument before, but in this day of basketball (where almost all 5s are really 4s), he is a legit 5.

Here is a player profile given by a bball site:

“Excellent shot blocker coming from the weak side… Great rebounding skills… You won’t see many guys that tall running the floor the way he does… Can score in the open court and after getting the offensive rebound… Able to hit the occasional mid-range shot… No low-post moves… A lot of heart… A lot of injuries.”

The biggest problem is clearly injuries.

The best part though is: “You won’t see many guys that tall running the floor the way he does”

Thats exactly what we need. Get him and a pg who can run the show (Conley?), as well as a coach who will implement an up-tempo system (the PHX assistant), and we may very well be in business.

Solomon can back him up, and maybe eventually replace him.

By chris

April 16, 2007 6:58 PM | Link to this

Just did the mock draft on ESPN.com. Gave it 4 tries, and Hawks came up 1st (Oden) one time and 2nd (Durant) one time, finishing out of the lottery the other two.

Damn, sure would be nice…

By Matt

April 16, 2007 7:30 PM | Link to this

What I want to know is how often Indiana made it…

By F A Skippy

April 16, 2007 7:52 PM | Link to this

There’s a problem that goes beyond who we take in the draft.The Hawks have been the youngest team in the league three strait years.If we bring in another nineteen or twenty year old chances are we’ll make it four in a row.Now look at the winners and losers in the nba.The champs are the veteran teams with a mix of young talented players who can learn how to win from the vets.The losers are the teams who spend year after year bringing in kids hopeing they’ll come together and some day some way make a real team.Problem is if and when they do make real pros they become free agents and where do they choose to go,to a teams that win the same veteran teams that have kicked their tails for years. So where will that leave the tail chasers,you got it,square one !

By Matt

April 16, 2007 7:59 PM | Link to this

Sorry Mavid…we’ll just have to agree to disagree here. I’m a big believer that we’re much better off making a deal that will land us a more traditional big man in the draft, either Hawes or Hibbert, than we would be going after Camby. The rooks will come cheaper, both in terms of what we’d have to give to get, and in terms of the money we’d have to shell out.

I’m a big fan of Hawes if we can trade for a 5-10 spot. He is EXACTLY the kind of big man you’d want if we wanted to run a fast-paced offense, because he can move really well (especially for a big white boy!) and was one of the best passing big men in the country - a necessity, since quick outlet passes and good ball movement are the keys to an uptempo game.

He’s a legit 7’0, has already started to fill out his frame, and has hugely broad shoulders, meaning he has the potential to really add some muscle (Camby’s quite narrow shoulders were always limiting in that regard). He’s also got a smooth jumper, a nice repertoire of low post moves, and showed very good awareness on D for a college freshman. He’s not Oden, but he’s definitely the #2 big man in the draft this year, and probably the best big besides Oden whose entered the draft at all in the past 3-4 years.

Oh, and he’s only 19.

Hibbert wouldn’t be bad either, and the Thompsons’ have proved that their star big men usually go on to have great NBA careers. He’s a monster in height (7’2), has great instincts and awareness, a solid repertoire of post moves (including a surprisingly good midrange J), and did I mention that he’s 7’2? I know he’s limited athletically, but even the Suns don’t run it all the time - and we need someone to feed the ball to if the running game isn’t working for us some night.

By F A Skippy

April 16, 2007 8:02 PM | Link to this

Matt I like Hawes but what are you on ?he has a very narrow frame.

By Matt

April 16, 2007 8:36 PM | Link to this

He’s definitely not Oden-esque with his frame (yeah, hugely broad was definitely saying too much), but I dunno what pictures people are looking at if you’re characterizing his frame as “very narrow.” He has a 7’1 wingspan, and he easily could add another 20-25 pounds to his frame.

I’m looking online, and all the references to his “narrow frame” seem to be from articles written when he was still in high school (the same ones that said he’s slow and plodding, which is BS). He’s grown an inch since then, and his shoulders are definitely broader than average - that’s why his wingspan is bigger than his height.

By mike

April 16, 2007 10:15 PM | Link to this

And to think I was happy when Pete Babcock was let go. I really dont get it. Please Please tell me again what Billy Knight has ever ever done. Oh thats right he was just nominated on the Indy 40 year anniversary team. Well then lets block off Peachtree and have a parade. Maybe we could get him to get on a podium and say a word or two. Oh I forgot he does not speak. Anybody else on here had enough of this?

By Matt

April 16, 2007 10:25 PM | Link to this

“Please Please tell me again what Billy Knight has ever ever done.”

Um…trading for the Hawks’ best player since Nique?

Drafting Josh Smith at 17 in the face of critics saying that he was reaching for a hometown boy?

Signing Zaza for next to nothing?

Trading Al Harrington for what looks like it’ll be the #11 or #12 pick in this draft?

By Matt

April 16, 2007 10:27 PM | Link to this

(BTW, definitely not saying Billy Knight is a wonderful GM, but I am pointing out that he certainly hasn’t been all bad)

By mavid

April 16, 2007 10:32 PM | Link to this

i will say that BK is way better than Babcock, but thats not saying much (seriously, look at who Babcock drafted… he actually MISSED in every draft. It’s ridiculous)

By F A Skippy

April 16, 2007 10:43 PM | Link to this

Matt I’ve watched Hawes play against USC and Arizona,he is a smart and skilled guy with a long frame but he has a narrow build and thin legs.He could still be a good pro Keven Mchale had a thin narrow build and he did ok.

By Peter

April 16, 2007 10:54 PM | Link to this

Looking back on everything The Hawks gave up too much. They are truly gambling on their future.

Man they need some picks, free agents and prayers badly.

Hawks management if we lose those picks this summer, you guys will have proved all along that Belkin was correct in vetoing your 1st transaction. Based on the fact that you gentlemen don’t have a clue on how to build a winning NBA Franchise

We need a moment of silence!!!!!!

By Matt

April 16, 2007 10:56 PM | Link to this

What are you talking about, Mavid?

Roshon McLeod? Ed Gray? Duane Ferrell? Cal Bowdler? Dion Glover? Priest Lauderdale? Douglas Edwards? Anthony Avent? Rumeal Robinson?

To my knowledge, the only guys Babcock drafted who ever did ANYTHING in this league were Jason Terry, Stacey Augmon, and Alan Henderson. And only JT ever threatened to be an All-Star.

From a purely subjective standpoint, I think Knight has been much better in all three major areas of being a GM - drafting, signing, and trading. Babcock inherited a team that had nearly made the conference finals 2 years earlier, and decided the best thing to do was trade the franchise player.

Knight inherited the, shall we say, tenuous team that was the Hawks after the Rider fiasco, and managed to draft 2 possible All-Stars and trade for a current All-Star. I think that people are way too hard on Knight. He knew the Hawks needed to get at least 2 All-Stars to build around, and went out and got 4 combo forwards who fit the profile of the most likely type of player to become a superstar. JJ already is, Smith looks like he could be soon (if he screws his head on more tightly), and Marvin could be someday.

Now’s the hard part though. They have the 2-3 guys who can be the core. Now it’s time to get the 1 and the 5 that they need to take that core to the next level.

By Matt

April 16, 2007 10:57 PM | Link to this

Name 1 guy that the Hawks gave up or could lose that’s as good as Joe Johnson.

Yeah, that’s what I thought.

By Clyde Jr.

April 16, 2007 10:59 PM | Link to this

FIRE BILLY AND WOODY T-SHIRTS ARE AVAILABLE. E-MAIL MY DAD AT ATLCONNECT@HOTMAIL.COM. HE JUST ORDERED A NEW SHIPMENT FOR MAY 22ND.

FIRE BILLY AND WOODY

By F A Skippy

April 16, 2007 11:02 PM | Link to this

Look at what the willys did tonight,Sheldon and Marvin. Let’s not give up on these guys too soon.Sheldon in particular has had some cheap shots thrown his way.I know they were playing an unmotivated b team but 17 rebounds ain’t bad.Sheldon started out with 4 freethrows in the first few minutes but didn’t take another after that,I hope the coaches take note and keep him aggressive in the low post.

By mavid

April 16, 2007 11:10 PM | Link to this

Matt, you miss-read my post.

i will say that BK is way better than Babcock, but thats not saying much (seriously, look at who Babcock drafted… he actually MISSED in every draft. It’s ridiculous)

That says BK IS BETTER! It says BABCOCK MISSED in every draft. You backed my argument by listing all those “misses”. Not sure how you miss-read that, but yeah, babcock sucked

By Matt

April 16, 2007 11:18 PM | Link to this

I love Shelden as a player, and I’m happy to see him finally asserting himself in the low post this year. He’s starting to play bigger than his physical size, which is what a 6’7/6’8 guy (that’s closer to his real height than 6’9) has to do if he’s playing the 4 position. Just ask Barkley and Brand. And that’s something that Shelden was not doing when he was a starter at the beginning of the year - and why I thought it was good for him to get relegated to backup status for a couple months. Players need that kind of experience every once in awhile to light a fire under them, I’ve found.

But now he’s remembering what he needs to do to become The Landlord once again. Let’s hope he keeps it up through the offseason.

By Matt

April 16, 2007 11:29 PM | Link to this

Mavid,

I totally didn’t misread it. I was backing you up in my tongue-in-cheek way…sorry if that wasn’t clear.

By mavid

April 16, 2007 11:34 PM | Link to this

haha, sarcasm buttons my man, sarcasm buttons

By Richie Rich

April 16, 2007 11:43 PM | Link to this

One thing on the BK VS. Babcock debate, Babcock never picked 6th or higher like BK has, so saying that Babcock missed on alot of his picks isn’t saying much…granted alot of his pick’s didn’t pan out either, but at least he had a ballanced roster to work with, unlike BK and his 5 backup point gaurds and 5 forwards.

Also, BK only picked Josh Smith because he wanted some local media buzz, period! I think it was Nique that was pushing for them to draft him.

As for the draft, if we happen to lucky and move up to the 3rd pick, I don’t know about you guy’s, but I would trade that pick to Memphis for Gasol, or to Indy for O’Neal, rather than take anybody else in the top ten besides Oden or Durant. JUST MY OPINION

By smartguy

April 16, 2007 11:49 PM | Link to this

Sheldon or Brandon Roy?

By Tear the Roof Off

April 17, 2007 12:01 AM | Link to this

I luv BRoy but what the hell would we have said if Billy Boy had drafted ANOTHER shooting guard? My girlfriend went to Washington and luvs BRoy to death and told me she was scared that the Hawks would draft him and that he’d never get any PT. I think she’s right. How many minutes would BRoy have gotten behind JJ and JChill? I like Shelden He’s a hard working guy with a good head. I think we should have traded that pick away altogether and maybe land a legit point or center but I dont think we should have picked BRoy at ALL

By Richie Rich

April 17, 2007 12:03 AM | Link to this

My bad, I forgot about drafting Dermarr Johnson at #6, but anyway, BK is without a doubt the worst GM in the league!!! and worst hawks GM ever!!

By Matt

April 17, 2007 12:19 AM | Link to this

Sacramento just lost to the Hornets - that seals it. Indiana won’t be in the top 10 unless they strike lottery gold.

This leaves the Hawks in a weird position tomorrow night, lottery-wise. If they lose to Indiana, they’ll be in a position to gain some more ping pong balls if the Bucks beat the Cavs in Cleveland on Wednesday. On the other hand, if they beat the Pacers, there’s a decent chance that the Sixers will move ahead of the Pacers, thereby making the Pacers go from #12 up to #11.

Since I find it extremely unlikely that the Cavs will lose at home to the Bucks, I don’t know what the better outcome tomorrow night would be from a draft perspective. I think the Hawks certainly have some motivation to give it their all against Indiana, and maybe move themselves up 1 spot in the draft in the process.

By Clyde Jr.

April 17, 2007 12:37 AM | Link to this

BABCOCK DIDN’T DRAFT WELL BUT HE HAD US IN THE PLAYOFFS JUST ABOUT EVERY YEAR.

FIRE BILLY AND WOODY

By Wedgie Evans

April 17, 2007 1:13 AM | Link to this

I’d rather not see the Hawks bump the Pacers to #11, making it easier for Indiana to end up in the top 10. With a Hawks loss and a Bucks win (however unlikely that may be at Cleveland) tomorrow, the Hawks have a shot at moving up to #3 in the lottery. The Pacers are right where we want them, in the lottery but not too close to the top 10.

By Matt

April 17, 2007 1:24 AM | Link to this

Wedgie,

The chances of the Pacers landing the top pick are 8 in 1000 if they’re at #11, and 7 in 1000 if they’re at #12. So the lottery calculus doesn’t change in any real way if the Pacers move “up” to #11, although I think the draft calculus could be quite different, especially since Philly is facing a similar need to ours at the 5 spot.

By Jamie

April 17, 2007 3:50 AM | Link to this

Basically how the draft lottery is set up those lower picks are pretty much slotted with only a slim slim chance of moving up, so the Indiana pick is basically ours, now comes how we deal with our own lottery pick. Before we lost to Milwaukee last night we had a 11.9% chance of getting the pick(number one overall), if we tie them and I am not suggesting we tank at all (wink, wink) we would have a 15.6% chance of getting number one overall. Its a wait and see approach.

A good veteran option we could look at for our point guard and I want some feedback on this one, Maurice (Mo) Williams PG from Milwaukee would be an excellent PG for us. He is already a proven commodity, he can stroke it from 3 and his play making abilities have gotten better every year. If Chauncy Billups will not check out the ATL lets give this guy a serious look.

Shelden Williams has looked good the last 10 - 15 games of the season. I think he is your classic rookie big man, needs to learn the ropes of banging with the big boys on a night to night basis. Long-Live The Land Lord. I really would have liked Randy Foye, but this water under the bridge.

By Anakin Joe

April 17, 2007 9:48 AM | Link to this

Sekou, I didn’t understand the portion of the Wooody article about the offensive philosophy. No one doubts the structure of the practices or the structure of the learning environment. I think people question the textbook he is using in that learning environment. His discussion about the offense seems to validate my argument for the past few years. We have NO offensive personality. Even when given the opportunity, he didn’t define what this team’s offensive personality is, he just talked about the way they teach. WTF does that have to do with using long, young, fast athletes in a walk up and run a half-court play offense? I’m still waiting to see Lue and Marvin play pick & pop.

I mentioned maybe a month ago the possibility of acquiring Camby as Nene was beginning to earn his contract (and Kenyon is untradeable). For all of the injury and 4 vs. 5 issues, I have one simple question, is he an upgrade? Camby may likely be the best available big man who won’t cost a king’s ransom. In a marketplace that may include Gasol, KG and JON, he will likely provide the best value.

Hawes appears to be a very talented offensive big man. If given the choice, this team needs more of a defensive presence in the post than a Brad Miller/Eddie Curry type. If that extremely raw youngster from UCONN declares, I’d probably gamble on him at #12.

Denver would likely want Zaza and more for Camby (as they need a viable back-up for Nene). Zaza & Childress works from a CBA perspective, but I don’t know if that leaves enough for Smith’s extension. We may need to throw AJ into the mix and see if they’d include a resigned Blake coming back our way.

Of course, the draft comes before trades and free agency.

I wonder if that shoulder injury affected Shelden’s game. He is still a turnover waiting to happen, but so is Josh Smith, and he has 200+ games of NBA experience.

By newkid

April 17, 2007 10:23 AM | Link to this

Joe, good points on the Woody interview in your post. With regard to your thoughts on potential exchange pieces for Camby, Denver would likely seek to make the sort of deal Atlanta made in the Harrington to Indy move. Denver (already at ~$77M in contracts for next season, and ~$74M the following season) is likely looking to dump salary and take back a future draft pick or two. Chilz - with his shorter and smaller contract - and a future pick might work, but not both Chilz and Zaza; Denver would inherit too much salary going this route.

By tb

April 17, 2007 10:29 AM | Link to this

Zaza and Chil for a 35 year old half the season playing center.

Never.

Zaza is only a level below him and his best years are in front of him. Camby is not about more tha one or two more years.

I would even hesitate at Chil for Camby straight up.

By The Wonderer

April 17, 2007 10:39 AM | Link to this

Remember about a month ago, when the Hawks won four or five straight games against the other dregs of the NBA, and some of the self-proclaimed geniuses who post here were as giddy as a bunch of little school girls, talking about how the team was headed in the right direction?

I wonder whatever happened to those self-proclaimed geniuses?

By honest_abe

April 17, 2007 11:46 AM | Link to this

the wonderer: people were excited because the hawks had just won 4 straight without their starting pg and their best player. it made people wonder if this team could make the playoffs. i think it has something to do with being a fan of a team. we actually get somewhat excited when our team wins. or is that just too complicated for you too understand.

babcock apologists: babcock is the worst gm in hawks history period. he trade the best player in hawks history for a clown with two creaky knees who left after the year anyway. did i mention we had the best record in the east at that time? and i can’t count on ritchie rich to come out from under a stone to defend his ol pal pete.. ha! putrid pete never had to deal with a cheap, dysfunctional ownership group. and you name me one good draft pick he made in his extended time here. was it rumeal robinson? or priest lauderdale? or doug edwards? or al gray? NO it was CAL FREAKIN BOWDLER and his running mate HANNO MATTOLO. those two franchise builders and everyone else i listed played a stunning amount of less than 4 years in the league. oops i almost forgot the skinny franchise savior demarr johnson… for those of you that don’t like childress. think a poor mans chills. LOL.

my thoughts and prayers go out to all those involved in that horrific incident yesterday in blacksburg.

By Richie Rich

April 17, 2007 12:12 PM | Link to this

Abe, when Babcock traded nique, i was devastated! yes that one really hurt, my best friend and I couldn’t beleive what we had heard, he had season tickets and we didn’t go to any more games that year….and he never renewed his tickets after that.

Like i said above, give Babcock a number 6 pick(Jchill), a number 2(M.Williams), a number 5(Shelden), and he would have came out alot better than BILLY BOY, s** you and i could have came out better than BILLY BOY with those pick’s, knowing what our team needed at the time. There is NO EXCUSE for having an unbalanced roster, which is what we have with 5 BACKUP POINT GAURDS!

By Anakin Joe

April 17, 2007 12:14 PM | Link to this

The Billy Knight Media Tour Should Start Tomorrow

Since dude says that “he doesn’t talk during the season” he should be making is rounds and encouraging us to be “patient”, reminding us about the injuries, the youth of the team and the the inability to form chemistry. Advising us that draft picks take time to develop, that the young guys got better and that rebuilding takes time. I’m listening for all of the usual catch phrases that he will use over the next few days that will ultimately mean very, very little for long-suffering Hawks fans. On second thought, maybe I should sit out the media tour.

By doc

April 17, 2007 12:17 PM | Link to this

clyde jr., babcock had spent 65 mil for nothings as he went out. those nothings didnt get us into the playoffs the FOUR years before bk got here. hate on billy but at least get your facts right. babcock got us into such a bind that the new ownership decided it was time to pay as little as possible for the same outcome. isiah thomas might rank up there with babcock for getting the least with the greatest amount spent.

woody never speaks in anything but cliches because he doesnt want to be measured by what actually happens based on what should happen. if he declares this is my philosophy and this is how we do it then we all get to really evaluate his progress as to how they execute in that framework. he has done a great job bringing these guys up in practice but he and they cant deliver when the real lights are on.

unfortunately, the group that woody is clustered around from that article is a group that never got any better in the nba or addditional chances. was it bad timing or justified? one guy got two chances and was as sorry the second time as the first. for woody to reverse that trend will be a huge accomplishment and one that has NEVER been done before, it seems historically.

By doc

April 17, 2007 12:20 PM | Link to this

spin it anakin, more cliches and right on target rather than we have messed up here and this what you can expect from us in the future. that is what the stand up gm for the thrashers did both last year and this. at some point we need to hear a “my bad” to think that they are real.

By jeffrey

April 17, 2007 12:45 PM | Link to this

WAY TO GO HAWKS..WAY TO FINISH OFF YET ANOTHER PATHETIC 50 PLUS LOSS SEASON!!!! WAY TO LOSE 10 OF YOUR LAST 11 GAMES OR WHATEVER IT WAS..WHO CARES?! READ MY LIPS: FIRE MIKE WOODSON..GET A COACH WHO KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING..AND GET A GM IN THERE WHO ACTUALLY KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING..NOT ONE WHO’S GOING TO SIGN/TRADE A SUPERSTAR LIKE RASHEED WALLACE FOR 1 DAY OR AL HARRINGTON AND END UP WITH INJURY-PLAGUED PLAYERS WHO NEVER PLAY!!! ENOUGH LOSING ALREADY!!!

By Sad State

April 17, 2007 1:13 PM | Link to this

Woody is and should be on the hotseat right now. He has coached the Hawks for 3 years and is still yet to get the most out of his players. Even with the injuries, this team rarely played as well and as hard as it should have. He has had difficulty playing the hot guys and better matchups as well. Woody is a good assistant coach which is where he will land once his reign ends here. That said, the Spirit are as dysfunctional as Billy & Woody combined so it should surprise nobody if they give these goofs 5 year extensions this offseason.

Regarding the players, Sheldon’s recent improvement means nothing as the games were meaningless. He never did anything in a game that was meant something. Maybe his recent play will give the Hawks an option to trade him. Regarding the points, it would appear that we will keep Speedy as he is virtually untradeable. I would prefer dropping Speedy & Lue and keeping AJ and drafting/trading for another.

Unless the Hawks fire Billy & Woody and land a top 3 pick, the “rebuilding” will continue through 2010. Ouch.

By Matt

April 17, 2007 1:50 PM | Link to this

I don’t think I’ve come right out and said this (though I’ve hinted at it many times), but I will now: I don’t think the Hawks are in trouble now, their anemic record notwithstanding. I think that they’ll make the playoffs next year as long as we go out and draft/sign/trade for a legit 5. While Knight did make a couple moves I wouldn’t have made, I don’t think he made any moves that were actually bad, because I think that the trio of Marvin, JSmith, and Johnson are going to create matchup nightmares for any teams playing the Hawks starting next year.

The 4 big knocks I’ve heard on Knight were drafting Marvin over CP/Deron, drafting Childress over Deng/Iguodala, signing Speedy, trading too much for JJ, and drafting Shelden over Roy.

1) Marvin was the consensus best player available in the draft when Knight took him - and the one most observers agreed was the most likely to turn into a potential superstar. No one was shocked that the Hawks took him, and Knight would have gotten TONS of flak from all angles if he’d used the #2 overall pick to fill a need, at the cost of passing on a guy that most scouts agreed would be a surefire All-Star someday. I definitely think that he’s still a future All-Star, and he’s also more the type of player (2/3/4 swingman) that you build around than CP and Deron - or any PG whose name isn’t Isaiah, Magic, Kidd, or Nash for that matter.

2) The same logic from above applies to picking Childress over Deng or Iguodala. Besides which, it’s hardly like Childress has been a disappointment here. I don’t even think that it’s clear that Deng and Iguodala are better all-around players than Childress yet. Childress is probably the most versatile player on the team besides JJ, and seems likely to go on and have a very solid NBA career - though probably not with the Hawks.

3) Name me someone the Hawks could have signed who had put up better numbers than Claxton did in 05-06. Claxton was injury prone, but I still would rather have taken the chance on him than on truly over-the-hill guys like Sam Cassell or Mike James.

4) Name me one guy the Hawks gave up in that deal or might be passing up this year that’s better than JJ. The Suns insisted that they would match any offer sheet for JJ - that they wouldn’t have let him go for nothing. I’d rather us have guaranteed getting JJ at the price we did (which was hardly a king’s ransom anyway), than roll the dice and take a serious risk of not getting the Hawks’ best player since Nique.

5) This was, I think, an impossible situation. There was no place on our roster for another 2 or 3, since JJ, Childress, and Smith already took up basically all the minutes there. So neither Roy nor Foye would have gotten many minutes here (to say nothing of what would have become of Salim). I’d have rather seen us deal this pick altogether, but I doubt we could have gotten much out of it considering the weakness of last year’s draft class. I hardly think Shelden was a terrible choice in that spot - and he’s starting to show that he has more game than I thought he had.

I think the rebuilding process is very close to being complete. Another year of development with the players we have, coupled with a decrease in injuries and 1-2 signings/draftees to plug our holes at the 5 and 1 spots (in that order) and I think we improve by 10-12 games next year and make the playoffs.

By Matt

April 17, 2007 2:01 PM | Link to this

Yeah, that “4” was supposed to be “5.”

By ray

April 17, 2007 10:59 PM | Link to this

Sheesh. Come in at the end of the season with this hindsight illogical trash….