Hawks

By doc

June 8, 2007 9:50 PM | Link to this

said it in the last post. i’ll take number one, feel good about it and not at all greedy. not sure id feel the need to get horford with wilcox and sheldon so i might go after the guy you spin ill will toward … yi. the try to get a big either noah or hawes with the remainder or crit,

is yi darko or is he more like gasol, bargnani and dirk, that is the question? might be unfair to limit him in that way and i dont see how their games are similar to even make the comparison sekou. i call the foul on ya dude.

sekou what did ridenor do to tick someone off? he had a heck of a year going and it seems there was a 2006 year end review by some folks and they said dont play luke the minutes he was playing. he had several games with double digit assists, big games scoring and seemed to get into some pockets to take a few away without coughing it up. just what is the skinny on the kid and why was he so readily pulled over by his own team?

By Reggie

June 8, 2007 9:59 PM | Link to this

Hey Sekou at the end of the day what do you think the hawks will do in the draft?

By Sekou K. Smith

June 8, 2007 10:01 PM | Link to this

Gasol’s the only international cat that came here and produced at a similar level in his first NBA season as he did in Europe. Every other guy has needed time (in some cases four years, like Dirk) to really come into their own.

I’m not comparing Yi to Darko as a player. I’m comparing their predraft hype. That’s it. So rescind that foul doc.

And Ridnour fell out of favor with the coaching staff in Seattle (Earl Watson’s arrival had a huge impact as well). But he’s a perfect fit for a team stocked with talented players in need of a facilitator.

By Mike The Mechanic

June 8, 2007 10:13 PM | Link to this

Sekou, i know it was reported that the hawks would not work anybody out until the 20th, but my best friend works at the arena and said that there were a few guy’s in their in the past couple of day’s working out. Any word on this?

By Big G Money

June 8, 2007 10:14 PM | Link to this

Just got back from the Seattle Times site. Doesn’t seem like Ridnour is the one people are looking to trade. Scenarios thrown around there are Swift or Lewis to the Celts for #5.

Obviously, I prefer scenarios 5, or 3 before 4, 1 or 2. Ridnour is as doc calls it “serviceable” but 11 pts and 5 assists a game aren’t special. Wilcox gives you some experience and muscle in the middle. Hawes gives you 13% body fat which translates into brother ain’t been getting it done in the off season, doesn’t care, or just isn’t the one. And he has a 29” vertical — Jon Koncak jumped that high. And I’m with doc, “why not Yi with the 3 pick?”

But if we’re dreaming, why can’t we dream of Amare and JJ on the floor together? It would sell out Philips and add 15 games to the win column at least!!

Frankly though, some are talking about trying to pick up Conley with the 5 pick. They’re smart given the piecse they already have. I think that as I said earlier, we just don’t have the $$’s (not to be mistaken with cap space) to pull the trigger on any block buster deals that would bring a marquee player to the Hawks. Get Yi at 3 and if we can’t trade up to get Conley, then maybe Crittenden is worth a try.

By Big G Money

June 8, 2007 10:20 PM | Link to this

But Sekou,

Most picks take time to develop. Yao took some time, but I don’t think anyone would argue with that pick. Howard for the Magic has taken some time. I’m not looking for any instant success this year, just a better team with much better players in the key areas we keep discussing growing into a high caliber team in the next 2 to 3 years.

By Sekou K. Smith

June 8, 2007 10:35 PM | Link to this

Big G,

Are you willing to wait two or three more years for this team to come together?

By doc

June 8, 2007 10:44 PM | Link to this

sekou, i will be more lenient than either stern or jackson. as they say, no harm therefore no foul. rescinded.

By mavid

June 8, 2007 10:44 PM | Link to this

Sekou,

I hate scenario #1. I’m not ready to give up on Marvin for those two players.

I LOVE #2, and I think ANY GM would do that deal (well, except for the Denver GM ). We give up Shelden and Lue for the DPOTY, AND don’t have to give up picks. That’s perfect. But why does Denver do it? I guess you can make the case that Denver may want to cut salary and Camby is a constant injury-risk (who NEVER plays a full season).

If we did that deal:

Critt/Claxton/AJ Joe/Chill/Salim Marvin/Chill Smoove/Horford/Pachulia Camby/Horford/Pachulia

Thats probably one of the best 10-man deep rosters out there. I’d be all for it.

Scenarios 3, 4, and 5 are all interesting, but we would need a backup wing and a pg in FA… what are you advocating there Sekou? Mo Williams? etc?

By Sekou K. Smith

June 8, 2007 10:52 PM | Link to this

I nominate doc for a job at the league office. And all of the deals I mentioned are deals that make great sense for the Hawks, not necessarily for their trade partners. But hey, we’re dreaming there people. The reason I like the deal with Seattle is because you get two NBA ready players at positions of need (PG and post presence) and still get to keep the picks. It’s not about giving up on any of the guys being traded. But you have to give up an asset or assets to get the same in return. There are other deals being bantered about that make just as much sense and more. These five just provide a little something else to chew on as we wait for things to play out on draft night.

By Reggie

June 8, 2007 10:53 PM | Link to this

Sekou

What makes Luke Ridnour so good as a basketball player. What things does he do well?

By doc

June 8, 2007 10:57 PM | Link to this

i’ll wait two to three years if they are moving in the right direction. the cavs, sixers, bulls and raptors are the young and up and coming teams to compete with. i would like to pass them next year or be a lot closer than we were this past year. even concerned about the bobcats being significantly better. just dont think there is the one guy to bring it all home in one year.

as far as amare, he is one of the reasons jj is here if i remember right, they had a few words during the season and never got over it setting off his desire to cash in and go with the hawks.

By doc

June 8, 2007 11:10 PM | Link to this

reggie, his numbers looked really good. as sekou said he got displaced by a very wiley and probaby more seasoned guy in earl watson. in an interview with coach herb brown after the 2005-2006 season in response to hype about getting a.i. to come to atlanta he quickly pointed out that ai doesnt and wont fill that need. he wasnt a point. since he coched him with his rother in philly i take the man a his word also emphasized that snow now with the cavs filled that role then. brown then said the one point that would fit that need for the hawks and might be available was earl watson. good defense. protects the ball. makes good decisions. the thing he emphasized most was that he can score if necessary and that was a problem with a lot of points, they cant keep the other team honest with their own offense. we saw that sag stuff at the end of games when speedy was in there along with out ther points. i dont think conley will address that need now and he might be one of those teens that needs the learning curve of a couple of years.

the numbers ridenour put up were impressive until dec 31. his avg is misleading based on his play time from that time on. earl must have really showed he was the man to unseat luke. luke’s numbers suggest he might not be easily taken or stolen by the trade as proposed by sekou.

By mavid

June 8, 2007 11:20 PM | Link to this

Understandable, Sekou, you do have to give up assets to get assets.

But if we can keep our picks and get Horford and a pg at 11 (I like us getting at least 1 of the 3 PGs in this draft), why do we need to trade Marvin for Wilcox and Ridnour?

Anyone wanna work out a JO trade? I tried for a second but couldnt make salaries match for now, and now im out for the night.

By Harry Hawk

June 8, 2007 11:22 PM | Link to this

I’d much rather see the Sonics talk themselves into drafting Yi…and damn the trades. Durant could be big-time here in the ATL. That would also open up all kinds of trading possibilities with the forwards and the #11 pick…and you’d have a potential franchise player to go along with Joe. Besides, there’s a large Asian community in Seattle and the surrounding Pacific Northwest coast, so I guarantee you that Yi is considered a big possibility as a big draw for them at #2. Might even help them get an arena built if they want it. Anyway…Sekou, I implore you not to say the Sonics would be crazy for drafting Yi. On the contrary, I believe we should all start encouraging them!

By Big G Money

June 8, 2007 11:31 PM | Link to this

Interesting doc. If Luke is that good, then he could be valuable. And if we still keep the picks, it seems pretty interesting. This could help us immediately while allowing us to grow the team the “right way” and compete with the other up and coming teams who have done well with their draft picks over the last few years.

As for waiting a couple years…I used to be a season ticket holder. I still love the Hawks but wouldn’t invest in the product as it is today. I got very antsy at the beginning of this past season thinking that perhaps Speedy could offer something compelling to the team. Alas, everyone knows what happened. I was never sold on Shelden (BK’s big miss). Nonetheless, if the product shows marked improvement and is entertaining, I’d consider being back in the stands for sure. I don’t expect more than 40 wins from any changes that we might make. I’m not sold on Woody’s style of play however. It’s not effective and definitely not entertaining to watch.

Sekou, I appreciate you giving us something else to chew on; however, I know you can’t give away anything that you might know at this point either. Thus, these scenarios (including #1) were probably just meant for their entertainment value…right?

By A-Ville Ranger

June 8, 2007 11:33 PM | Link to this

Sekou Your #1 scenario is one to think about,#3 is awful,#5 isn’t worth commenting on #4 interesting, I’d probably do it but as you say it ain’t happining #2 is the keeper Camby would be perfect for this team and the price would be right.

By A-Ville Ranger

June 8, 2007 11:49 PM | Link to this

I need to say,I like the trade of Shelden for Camby.Why do you have to agree with the picks though ? Is it a package deal ? I’ll take the trade for sure and leave my options open with the draft picks.

By A-Ville Ranger

June 8, 2007 11:57 PM | Link to this

Big G What was Larry Bird’s vertical ? Hawes is a player,enough said.

By reese

June 9, 2007 12:03 AM | Link to this

Sekou, I can’t say that I agree with any of the trade scenarios. * Scenario 1)I don’t think that we gain anything by trading for Luke Ridenour and players like wilcox can be acquired via free agency, nbdl or players who are not drafted. The only good part is that we would still have the number 3 pick and can draft Yi. *Scenario 2) This is the closest scenario that I could live with. However, I wouldn’t draft Horford at number 3. I would still take Yi. Scenario 3) Why give away the number 3 and 11 pick for gasol. To tell the truth, I really don’t want gasol that bad. If BK wants Gasol, trade players (not jj or jsmith) to get him. Scenarios 4) and 5) As much as I love Amare and KG, I don’t think that we can acquire those players without Josh Smith in the trade and they would still want the picks. I would rather work toward building a more balanced roster to address all our needs.

I still believe that we should wait until all workouts are done. Nothing that I have read in these blogs or other websites, since the draft order was decided, has swayed my opinion.

3rd Pick Scenarios) Only trade with Portland if you acquire Aldridge. If that does not work out, then you are assured that you can draft either yi or durant (depending on seattle’s desire). This adds another scorer to the mix.

11th pick scenarios) you have less control with this pick. Try to trade up with the pick and a player (either Marvin, Josh C or T Lue) to acquire Noah. This would help of our defensive big man need.

To assist the point guard need, go after Bibby. He brings stability, ball handling, penetrate and kick and can hit the big shot. He is only 29 years old and has career stats equal to or better than Sam Cassell. Additonally, bring in a taller younger point guard who was not drafted or trade Shelden to Portland for one of their 2nd round picks and Trade Lorenzen Wright to anybody for a 2nd round pick in any year.

Go after Magloire in free agency to groom Noah.

In summary for 15 man roster: Point guards)Bibby, Claxton, Johnson, rookie Shooting guards)JJ, Salim Small forwards)Josh Smith, (Childress or Marvin, the one who is not traded) Power forwards)Yi, Noah Centers) Magloire, Zaza, Solomon Jones *2 extra spots use as desired

Benefits: Now, have more realistic control over the players we can acquire, we have a mixture of quality youth and veterans, a marketing bonanza in Yi to help fund these additional players, have kept our core of JJ and Josh Smith and ex college players who have won championships. Most importantly, we have a more balanced roster which will allow Woodson to mix and match players to have a small lineup, big line up, defensive lineup or offensive lineup and reduce the playing time of JJ and others to hopefully minimize injuries acquired to fatigue.

By travis

June 9, 2007 12:15 AM | Link to this

Sekou, I hear that the Hawks are changin’ jersey colors, somethin’ like a blue. Have you heard anythin’ about this. I have worn myself out readin’ blogs, espn, si, draftexpress, etc. I have “OD’ed” on Hawks info. These scenarios are great to read, but they have added to my anxiety. I like the idea of satisfyin’ our needs, without givin’ up the picks. June 28th won’t get here fast enough. I am rollin’ the dice and goin’ to Philips tomorrow for the Hawks SELECT-A-SEAT to renew my season tix and possibly get closer. PLEASE BK, DO THE RIGHT THING AND GE US INTO THE PLAYOFFS

By mavid

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

If Denver agrees to that trade, I’d do it in a second. I think we’d probably have to throw in the #11 as well.

By mavid

June 9, 2007 12:32 AM | Link to this

An off-season addition of Camby, Yi/Horford (at 3), and Crittenton/Law/(maybe Conley if he somehow falls to 11), without having to give up anyone except Shelly and Lue, would be about as ideal as any of us can hope for.

By Lifelong Hawks Fan

June 9, 2007 12:39 AM | Link to this

Sekou, What kind of other rumors are being thrown around outside of Atlanta that we aren’t hearing?

By Volman

June 9, 2007 1:44 AM | Link to this

Travis, the new jerseys might look like this:

here

Sekou, I like trade scenario #1…

I wouldn’t mind Amare though, but not for all of those picks… That’d give Phx 4 first rounders, right?

By james jones

June 9, 2007 2:28 AM | Link to this

guys let’s be reasonable… us trading marvin at the time he begins to coe into his own is just crazy. i love the idea of ridnour but it’s not gonn happen. neither is the camby thing happening. if seattle want or are even considering yi whether for financial reasons or potential reasons but still draft durant how do we justify not drafting him? the one arguement we had before was drafting a point, now we jus wanna pass on yi because he’s a risk? we were blessed with the 3 and 11. we take the risk at 3 and draft a solid point at 11 and not conley even if he’ available. speedy was hurt one season now we’re killing him? come on this man was part of the spurs’ success in 03 he played a big role. we can get our 50 point guards more help at forward instead of saying crap like conley and even law (who i’m hoping we draft) are better than anyone of these guards on our roster other than ivey. if we draft law we have another guard on the floor who can create and handle and shoot while joe gets rest. we don’t need 5, we need 12. all 12 to play to win. i’m one of those who still maintains if you don’t have a 7 footer on your team u wasting your time. this is the hawks’ chance to get a 7 footer and i thot we wud get gasol last season b4 the deadline but we got AJ. (who i resect but please we had 8 point guards includin chill and joe). if we get yi at 3 we can get the best point guard left in the draft at 11 and that’s not a bad deal. why do we assume yi won’t play defense? he has to be shown right? maybe if woodson teaches it he’d do it. damn. he is 7 feet and jumps high and fast as heck. i think thats a way better deal than horford or wright because he has smoove to support him and marvin can learn to block too jus like smoove did. and we have solomon too? come on!!! we need to view 12 and not 5. law can be a back up 2 for joe along with salim. and chill and marv and smoove shuffle the 3, and smoove, solo, yi and even marvin shuffle the 4, and zi, yi, solo and whoever’s left on the roster shuffle 5. at the point however, those 50 guys need to be reduced to about 30 and speedy remains the 1 shuffled with AJ, lue, royal (why?) & law or whoever crit, jordan whatever. ya’ll it takes 12. zaza is one of the more skilled centers in the league believe it or not. he has the classic european big man game vlade, zydraunas etc along with the oscars for best act. he cant always transition like solo and yi can. guys remember we have to involve every player solo is a good player even if he fouls a lot at least he plays D. we need to go small we leave speedy in with marv or chll, joe, smoove and solo or yi. come on ya’ll think deeper than just the 2 pieces to be added. i don’t like woodson but i maintain u can’t teach ballers to want to ball. i played under 18 ball for my country when i was 19 and 20. i liked to run and the coach didn’t like to run he only played post ball for the free throws. so as a point all i did was look for bigs thats irritating i moved from nigeria cause of him. ya’ll theres nothing like a running 7 footer. KG, amare, timmy etc yi can be that. and yes amare aint no 6f 10 he’s 6f 11” and a half at least 6f 11”. BOTTOM LINE IS WE NEED 12 YI AND THE BEST POINT GUARD WUD BE A GOOD ADDITION TO THE PIECES WE HAVE AN I JUST NOTICED I EXCLUDED SHELDON FROM ANY OF MY TEAM UPS. WELL THAT’S HOW HIS SEASON WAS.

By A-Ville Ranger

June 9, 2007 2:31 AM | Link to this

reese Shelden for a second round pick ? That doesn’t make a lick of sense.He will be at the very least a 13 pt 8 reb 1.5 block player.Just increasing his minutes to that of a starter would get to those numbers and he’ll get stronger and more skilled.My guess is he’ll get 15 pts 10 rebounds and 2 or 2.5 blocks with solid low post defense in two years.Now how many second rounders will give us that ?

By Charles

June 9, 2007 2:33 AM | Link to this

The comparison of Yi Jianlian to Darko is idiotic. Darko barely had any experience prior to the draft and averaged a measly 9.5 points in his final year on the Hemofarm international team. He was extremely raw entering the league, and to compound matters, Larry Brown didn’t give him a chance to develop at all. That stunted his growth as player dramatically. We are just now seeing what Darko Milicic can do. Yi, conversely, averaged 24 pts 12 rebounds in the CBA last season and has improved in every statistical category his last three seasons. He has played in many more international tournaments than Darko and has shown he can compete against NBA talent. He’s much more polished as a basketball player now than Darko was.

Point is that all the other teams in the league are taking notice at Yi’s talents and the very rumor that Seattle is considering passing on Durant reinforces the idea that he is indeed the third best prospect in this draft. I have faith that BK will realize this and do the right thing: Yi @ 3!!!!!

By james jones

June 9, 2007 2:43 AM | Link to this

vol’ u sure bout those jerseys or are u jus assuming? cause those seem to have the spurs’ slack around the neck thing going.

By edgar

June 9, 2007 2:46 AM | Link to this

Sekou, thank you for indulging my KG fantasy. I’m hoping and praying for a KG, JJ combo to reinvigorate this franchise. God, I would go bananas if we landed KG. I feel like I’m 10 years old, hoping desperately for a Sega Genesis on Christmas morning, but knowing deep down that my parents won’t splurge on anything nearly that extravagant, so I’m bracing myself for something way less sexy that might be sort of cool once the initial disappointment wears off (I got a tennis racket and a couple board games in lieu of that Genesis).

Sekou, you asked Big G if he was willing to wait two or three more years for this team to come together. I will answer for him: no. Emphatically, no. My “19 straight home wins” poster from the AJC hangs on the wall and reminds me of what it was like to actually be in the hunt. That was 10, 11 years ago now. I want that again. It would not be hard to imagine the Hawks instantly competing for the eastern conference crown with the Garnett, Amare or Gasol scenarios.

I like all of your trade scenarios, but I’m least enthusiastic about the Camby one. He’s terribly injury prone, but I would give up Lue and Sheldon for him in a heartbeat.

As for Ridnour…Seattle was rumored to be shopping him heavily near the trade deadline last season. I was hoping the Hawks would make a push for him then. I have been a big fan of Ridnour’s since the Sonics’ improbable 52 win season in 04-05. I admittedly did not catch too many Sonics games during the regular season that year, but I remember how amazing Luke played against the Kings and the Spurs in the playoffs. He tore up the Spurs in games 3 and 4, bringing Seattle back into contention and evening the series. I don’t know if y’all remember that Spurs v. Sonics series from two years ago, but it was one of the best of an incredible playoff run (much better than this year’s). Plus there’s that great “I love this game” NBA advertisement featuring a Ridnour buzzer beater that the league ran throughout the season this year, which constantly reminded me how beautifully that kid can play…anyways, I don’t know why Ridnour wouldn’t be on the trading block now after he was shopped all season. I think he’d be a great fit for the Hawks…but of course, I really want KG…

By Matt

June 9, 2007 2:47 AM | Link to this

Heck, for Shelden and Tyronn even I’d make the deal for Camby. But mavid - I still say he’s overrated, bro ;-). Don’t think I’d do it if we had to toss in the #11, which I’m guessing we almost certainly would (if not the #3).

Honestly, if it’s the choice between Camby and Law or Hawes, I say keep the #11 and take one of the latter two. I am willing to wait 2-3 years to make the playoffs, and I honestly think that Camby will be forced to retire by 2010. I seriously doubt that Camby gets us to the conference finals during that time. But who knows - Law or Hawes might turn out to be good enough to do so someday.

I’m a patient man. Don’t trade for a 33 year-old rebounder and help defender, even if he is the best help defender in the league. What the Hawks need is a presence on the low post on both ends - and Camby is mediocre as a low post defender (I will never forget the image of Ilgauskas backing him down like he was empty air and then dunking on him - on two straight possessions) and even more mediocre posting up on the other end.

I know, I know. I’m a hater. But I like my 5’s to be like my burgers - big and beefy.

By Charles

June 9, 2007 2:59 AM | Link to this

Another comment, you said “Gasol’s the only international cat that came here and produced at a similar level in his first NBA season as he did in Europe. Every other guy has needed time (in some cases four years, like Dirk) to really come into their own.” You’re forgetting Bargnani, Sefolosha, and Biedrins. All of which are solid players who carried production forward from the international scene. Fact is there haven’t been too many top 15 international players taken in the last five drafts. The ones that flopped generally did not have the kind of game experience needed to accurately scout them. Tskitishvili is a great example of this. The guy barely played (14 min a game in last season of Euroleague). Gaging true talent must be done in game situations, not drills supervised by agents. It is no different than high school players coming out early. It was a hit or miss with them as well. If international talents have enough game experience, I don’t think that they are any risky than NCAA prospects. The competition over seas is a lot better than most people here in the USA arrogantly assume. I’m out, thanks Sekou for the interesting discussions.

By Volman

June 9, 2007 3:03 AM | Link to this

James,

I am not saying those are the jerseys for 100%. This is what they might look like.

Here’s my reference:

click this link

Search “blue” and you will come to the blog about the new jerseys.

By A-Ville Ranger

June 9, 2007 3:15 AM | Link to this

reese/Matt/Mavid With all the disrespect for Shelden I decided to do some comparisons.These are stats based on all these guys playing the same minutes.I went with the minutes Ben Wallace played. Ben Wallace 6.4 pts 10.7 reb Lamarcus Aldridge 14.3 pts 7.9 reb Emeka Okofor 14.5 pts 11.4 reb Dwight Howard 16.7 pts 11.7 reb SHELDEN 10.3 PTS 10.1 REB So he’s already a 10 reb player and he was much better by the end of the season.He’s a better rebounder than Aldridge but not as good a scorer. I think it would be fair to say looking two years down the road by these numbers he could get 16 pts and 11 reb with starters minutes.Not superstar numbers but top 10 in reb and as good as most centers in scoring.It makes me shake my head reading how Noah will be a better shot blocker than Shelden.Shelden averaged twice the blocks of Noah in college and given time he’ll average two or better as a pro. oh the stats are based on 35.1 minutes per game.

By james jones

June 9, 2007 3:21 AM | Link to this

preciate ya vol’. and wen i got to that link the first thing i see is some fool telling us to pic conley. conley is not the best point guard in the draft oha!!! if he didn’t declare no one would have talked about him. he wasn’t the best point in college last year and i dare someone to say he was. i hope by now he’s off all our lists at number 3?

By ToeKnee

June 9, 2007 5:05 AM | Link to this

dude, garnett would be so kickass

By lost in space

June 9, 2007 5:16 AM | Link to this

sekou gotta disagree with you on dirk needing 4 years to make an impact. He averaged 17.5 pts in his second year.The hawks need a multitude of help, from an interior defender to a low post offensive player and one player can’t solve all our problems.Use the picks to address our problem areas and get a better coach and we might have something. But then again who would want to work for the Atlanta Spirit anyway?

By Scott

June 9, 2007 6:02 AM | Link to this

If Seattle passes on Durant it would because they would loose Lewis in free agency. But if they draft Yi he can play the four with Lewis at the three.And Yi would be a huge draw in Seattle with the asian population there.

By Meanie

June 9, 2007 6:59 AM | Link to this

Maybe this is a crazy thought, but continuing the Yi-to-Seattle discussion:

I know they have Wilcox already, but with their financial trouble I wonder if the Hawks would be able to pry Durant away from the Sonics by drafting Yi then Hawes (local college star up there) then sending both for Durant. Hmmm…

Still say after nabbing Oden that Portland would give up Jack plus summ’ good for Mike Conley. Guarantee it- and I think Jack being a local product and a big, tough PG and defender is just the type this team needs.

By Sekou K. Smith

June 9, 2007 7:23 AM | Link to this

Charles,

Points well taken but I was not comparing Yi’s and Darko’s games, only their predraft hype. And those guys that flopped were accurately scouted my man.

The NBA teams that drafted them knew better. They did it anyway, the same way they snatch up domestic teenage talents that have a 50-50 chance of turning out , if given the proper time to develop.

I’m not tagging the international guys only, most of the teen brigade that entered the league in the past 11 years needed time to develop. Not every one of these guys is like LeBron (even the best have needed time, Kobe, KG, Jermaine O’Neal, T-Mac, etc.).

When it first started teams realized this and made wise decisions in where they drafted those kids and how they brought them along. And somewhere along the way (Kwame Brown) they just started going nuts and picking them high and then throwing them to the wolves from the start, expecting them to mature overnight.

To say some of these international prospects weren’t scouted properly or that there was no way to scout them properly is a nice escape hatch for NBA teams that simply gambled and lost their shirts.

By Sekou K. Smith

June 9, 2007 7:35 AM | Link to this

Oh yeah, the new unis thing is legit. It’s arguably the worst kept Hawks secret since “they are drafting Shelden Williams at No. 5, no matter what.” I’ve actually seen them (on paper and in person). The color scheme is new (Red, White and Blue like the old St. Louis Hawks getups). But the style and design isn’t anything radical. There will be no Pac-Man or menacing looking bird with its wings extended. It’s basic stuff.

By ejh

June 9, 2007 7:49 AM | Link to this

Among trade scenarios, I only like the one in acquiring Paul Gasol, because he is an instant upgrade on the defensive front and can post up and hit the outside jumper. I would trade Zsa Zsa, Tyron Lue, Shelden Williams or Josh Childress, and swap the Hawks #3 pick, for their #4 pick. This gives the Hawks a veteran big man, and allow them to Pick either Brandon Wright, Al Horford, Ji, or Julian Wright out of Kansas, and pick Crittenton with the #11 pick for your point guard; at 6’5” I believe he is going to be the still of the draft, because he has the size and knows how to get to the basket with penetration and can distribute the basketball, he has the body frame and style of play for this league.

By Floze

June 9, 2007 8:19 AM | Link to this

Darko is going to be the prize Free Agent prospect for the Hawks this summer. He has a great post presence ans is still younger than Yi if the reports that Yi is 22 are true.

A sing and trade with Orlando could very well be where our 11th pick is going with Speedy’s contract. There is a trade that might actually happen if Hawes and Noah are off the board.

By Reggie

June 9, 2007 8:24 AM | Link to this

Sekou

How about about a scenario in which we take Yi with the3 pick and we trade the 11 pick and Zaza for luke ridnour.

By Scott

June 9, 2007 8:27 AM | Link to this

Sekou, Chris Wilcox is not a post player. If you would stop trying to talk so much gibberish and stick to the nuts and bolts of basketball you may see that. But, knowing that you are so far up Billy Knight’s a*, it doesn’t matter. I know you will keep busting on Yi because he isn’t black, which is a shame.

By Reggie

June 9, 2007 8:31 AM | Link to this

Sekou

Take Yi at number 3 and then with pick 11 trade the pick to Seatle with Zaza in the deal for Luke Ridnour

By mountain_jim

June 9, 2007 8:37 AM | Link to this

I miss the pac-man uniforms.

I don’t really like any of these deals. Right now I like keeping the 3 for Yi, and for adding experience not youth I can see trading 11 for Jack but they need to give a #2 back as well.

And with the resultant team, if Woody can’t coach a running team, replace Woody.

By doc

June 9, 2007 8:37 AM | Link to this

scott, projection of your own self onto others is a powerful elixir and insight into self if the time is taken to see. really look deep dude. everyone has an opinion/gibberish and are welcome at our liars table, you includued. just know too many see right through your stuff, hope you do as well. peace.

By Hawk fan in la la land

June 9, 2007 8:48 AM | Link to this

Your Seattle scenario is ok but here are my proposals:

Trade-Chilldress & Shelden & Salim to Portland (maybe 11th pick if Conley’s avail. then remove Shelden

Get-Magliore & JJack & 2007 2nd rd pick #36 or 37 (not sure)

Trade Marvin Williams and 2008 2nd rd pick to Seattle get Ridnour and 2007 2rd pick #31

Draft Horford # 3, if #11 kept draft best player available Noah/Jianlan/Hawes/Law/or Nick Young out of USC cuz he is a baller and a winner.

In second round draft a Jared Jordan, Taurean Green, Crittendon whomever is the best avail pgs with the two picks

So it look like this:

Starters

C-Magliore PF-Horford SF- JoshSmith SG-JJ PG-Jack

Bench

C-Hawes/Noah/Yi(if drafted)/Zaza PF-Shelden (if not traded)/Solo SF-Nick Young (if drafted), draft pix SG-Lue, draft pix PG-Ridnour, draft pix

The great thing about the hawks is their players are interchangeable at alot of positions so a good coach could develop a nice rotation with these players if only they had one.

By Scott

June 9, 2007 8:49 AM | Link to this

Your wrong about me Doc. I had season tickets back in the “glory” days of Roundfield, Nique, Carr, Rivers and so on. Favorite player was Carr and Fratello was an idiot for not taking advantage of Antoine’s skills. It’s not a black white deal with me. However, Sekou seems to play the race card every now and then, and his refusal to call out Billy Knight on all his blunders proves to all of us that Sekou is up Billy’s rear. I do feel he won’t give Yi a fair shake because he is not black. That is my opinion based on reading his blog from day one. Now, Yi may be a bust, but to compare him to Darko just shows that it’s a race thing with Sekou instead of a basketball thing.

By mountain_jim

June 9, 2007 8:52 AM | Link to this

In general unless BK gets blown away with a trade offer I am inclined to prefer keeping the picks and trading a forward and existing guard or two for a defensive big, if thats possible.

By doc

June 9, 2007 9:29 AM | Link to this

scott, really, do i? show me what you got then instead of the gutteral lead ins and race baiting. again, you are welcome in any form and will be accepted as such. when anyone white, black, yellow or red plays the race card it is my first reaction to look deep at where their own prejudices might be. we all have them concious or not, most of us here have our prejudice for the hawks.

you can say “oh my, it is not a color thing”, when acknowledging any association to it makes it just that.

when you can see it any different, it then loses the race perspective. not until, so you are stuck and mired in your own stuff instead of joining us here to have fun talking b’ball and life.

have fun slamming us all, if that is what you wan,t it just doesnt hold much cred here. if you had really been reading through the years of this blog you would see your own lack of perspective and understanding of what we do here at the liars table.

scott, again peace, on this wonderful saturday. enjoy the reads. certainly dont think anything i say can change things. maybe some even felt i was prejudiced against small guards like conley and people of less that 6’1” height began to think i was prejudiced against them. if i have offfended anyone i am truly sorry. it just wasn’t about all people of smurf height. heh heh

By sal

June 9, 2007 9:36 AM | Link to this

We do not need Yi. First of all, he’s not a pf or c, he’s a SF. Several people have posted their hypothetical rosters with Yi at pf or c. That’s not his position. Although he’s 7ft, he’s not a post player. He’s mostly a sf just like Nowitzki. Just like Nowitzki, Yi is soft in the post and the Hawks need some interior defense not another SF playing out of position who can’t defend other post players.

Furthermore he’s 2 or 3 years from contributing on a consistent basis in this league.

By Mitch

June 9, 2007 10:27 AM | Link to this

Sekou:

First I want to thank you for being so reporter friendly for us during these exciting days before the draft.

Secondly…you say the Hawks have $6M in cap room…is there a free agent point guard or center the Hawks could sign, who would enable the Hawks the luxury of drafting BPA best player available?

Thirdly, if you were running the show, what coach would you want running the Hawks? I think of the great job that Hubie Brown did galvanizing a young Grizzlies team into a playoff contender…someone like Brown, who motivates by stressing fundamentals and teamwork (X’s and O’s), would be ideal for these young Hawks, who, IMHO, are being poorly mismanaged and coached.

By vdunkndunk

June 9, 2007 10:41 AM | Link to this

WHY NOT JUST GO BACK TO THE DOMINQUE PAC-MAN? EVERYONE LIKES IT. IT SELLS WELL. IT HAS SOME HISTORY. IT HAS LEGITIMACY. WHY NOT? WHY CAN’T WE JUST GET SOMETHING RIGHT ONCE IN A WHILE?

By Clyde

June 9, 2007 10:45 AM | Link to this

FIRE BILLY AND WOODY

By Jay

June 9, 2007 11:04 AM | Link to this

I wish we would go back to pac-man as well. But I am glad we are changing unis…our current one I never liked.

By Mitch

June 9, 2007 11:20 AM | Link to this

I want follow up on my questions to Sekou by stating why the current Hawks’ system under Mike Woodson is doomed to fail. Here are the reasons:

(1) The Hawks are in no-man’s land under Woodson in terms of style…his personnel is young and talented…and should be playing an up-tempo, run and run again style that would wear down slower, more veteran teams.

Instead he has them playing much more of a half court, slow down game…but the plays are slow to develop, there is little movement (particularly late in games when big baskets matter most). How often to we see the Hawks standing around, so much so that all the team gets is an ill-advised hoisted three from Josh Smith, or an out of control spin move by Zaza.

(2) The coaches, Woodson in particular, harp on Josh Smith…when he really is the only player trying to push the ball in the open court, which at times he does very well…but don’t you just sense that the coaches are holding Smith back? and the rest of the team back…like they have tight reins on them?

(3) Not a point guard on the roster can break a man down off the dribble, slash into the paint and either get the ball all the way to the hole, or have the instinct and vision to dish the ball off (hopefully to a cutting teammate—-but even there it seems so many Hawks away from the ball just stand in cement).

Speedy Claxton is an awful penetrator…he gets half way down the lane and leaves his feet before he really knows what to do with it.

TLue is much more of a turn the corner, pull up for a medium range J, point guard.

And AJ…has no quicks, can’t really break anyone down…his only game is to muscle for position off the dribble and shoot a fadeaway.

These are the reasons why the Hawks, if they don’t trade for a reliable, savvy penetrator, HAVE to draft Mike Conley, Jr….the quickest penetrator, draw and dish point guard in the draft, by far…plus he’s a fast break waiting to happen, which these Hawks HAVE to start doing to create their winning style.

(4) Other than Josh Smith, the Hawks have no shot blocking threat on their roster. Adding a shot blocker in the middle is IMPERATIVE…especially if the Hawks want to run.

This is why selecting Sean Williams at #11 would be the wisest thing they could do. Williams has an NBA body…he’s not a string bean like Marcus Camby…and, aside from having major league reach, he’s got what coaches cannot teach: remarkable instincts and timing. He doesn’t get head faked to often, because he plays vertically…and has such a good sense of verticality, he can simply wait for the shooter to commit himself…at the very worst in that scenario he is bound to alter the shot.

I want the Hawks to get a new coach who will have these young Hawks running off of swatted balls, steals and turnovers…and in the half court sets, running plays with good movement and point guard penetration.

With their personnel the Hawks could evolve into the Phoenix Suns of the East…and right now with all the old, slow teams in the East, the Hawks could run right past the pack if properly built and coached.

I say hold on to these two draft picks to land the two puzzle pieces the franchise needs most…an electric point guard and major league shot blocker. Conley and Williams fit the bill.

By Mitch

June 9, 2007 11:38 AM | Link to this

My starting lineup for 2007-2008:

PG: Mike Conley, Jr. Ohio St.

SG: Joe Johnson, Arkansas

SF: Marvin Williams, North Carolina

PF: Josh Smith, Phi Slamma Jamma

C: Sean Williams, Boston College

2nd Team:

PG: Tyronne Lue, Nebraska

SG: Salim Stoudamire, Arizona

SF: Josh Childress, Stanford

PF: ZaZa Pachulia, Georgia National

C: Solomon Jones, South Florida

I love Jones’ athelticism and prefer his game style-wise to Sheldon Williams’. Sheldon’s role…is to play PF late in games to provide interior defense, rebounding and clutch free throws.

The one other move I would try to make is acquiring an early second round pick, to select a Robert Horry-type outside shooter in Rayshawn Terry of UNC.

By Dr. d

June 9, 2007 11:42 AM | Link to this

Happy to see the idea of Yi at 2 is being considered.

First, Yi is the most valuable asset in this draft. He is the Global ticket that King David S. wants to punch. There are billions of Asia fans that want Yi to be an NBA baller. He will be a 1st Team All Star. Yi is a product of the Republic of China. I am sure his game is close to complete. Yi will be projected to be bigger than Yao and King James, bigger than John Wayne, yes bigger than W. Yi is a billion dollar enterprise to the team which drafts him. Thats why BK & the Sprit group took the team to meet him. Yi will double the value of our franchise in two years. Paul Allen (Portland Owner) is trying to create a deal obtain Yi and Greg O. Yi is more valuable than Kevin D.

Second, Yi is a franchise savior for the Seattle team. Every franchise in the league wants Yi. Remember the 2008 Olympics are around the corner. I would not be surprised in Yi moves to the No. 1 spot. The NBA is a business 1st.

Third, in Yi’s defense the guy already has an NBA post-up game. Woody would love to run his half-court offense through Yi. This would allow Yi to average 20pts. per game and become a 1st team allstar which meets the approval of King David S. Drafting Yi at 3 would instantly make BK a top dog.

Finally, if Portland is crazy enough to pass on Yi Seattle will not. Hence, Kevin Durant is a Hawk. Soon you will see KD,JS,JJ,MW & JC on the court together. Happy times are here again.

By roan st

June 9, 2007 11:53 AM | Link to this

Sal, he is not really a three either. To me he is another tweener who is not strong enough for the post or swift enough for the wing. And some scouts believe he is much older than his listed age of 22. I’m cetainly not on the YI bandwagon and hope that we draft one of the college kids over international if were not able to make some kind of trade. But who do we go with? After oden and durant every player has some ugly warts to their game.

By cp

June 9, 2007 12:15 PM | Link to this

Mitch your ideas almost make too much sense considering that we need a pg and center and those two picks would satisfy both needs. Im not on the YI bandwagon. The guy is a sf in my opinion and last time i checked we took a sf 2 years ago that was projected to be the best player in that draft given some time for his game to mature. I know some people think taking YI will finally get fans to come to the games but I just dont see it. People will show up when the Hawks finally start winning and the front office finally acts like it knows what they are doing. If we end up with Conley and Sean Williams I would have no problem with our selections. Conley and Hayes is fine so is Conley and Noah. There is a rumor of J Jack to the Hawks for the 11th pick but thats not enough. BK has shown that he is a terrible negotiator so I wouldnt be shocked. The closer it gets to the draft the scarier it gets for this franchise. BK GET IT RIGHT.

By reese

June 9, 2007 12:20 PM | Link to this

A-Ville Ranger, projecting minutes out to 35.7 minutes and saying that a players statistics will only go upward is fools gold. You are ignoring the concept of diminishing returns. Someone like me could equally say that Sheldon’s numbers will go down if his minutes are extended. If he started, he would be playing against starters instead of getting his numbers against backups or when the game is already over.

If Denver would trade Camby for shelden, I wouldn’t be upset.

A-Ville Ranger, you say that I am replacing Shelden williams with a 2nd rounder. But if you examine my roster more closely, you will see that I made room for additions Yi, Noah and Magloire.

You ask how many 2nd rounders would give us fictitious numbers. I’ll just give you 1. Paul Milsap of Utah. Compare his and Sheldon’s stats on NBA.com and you will see that Paul has slightly better numbers when your projections are used. Now back to reality. Milsap was drafted in the 2nd round.

A-Ville Ranger, I’m not trying to pick on you. However, when someone tells me that I have to wait 2 or more years for someone to reach their potential and I see players drafted after that person performing better, I have a right to complain.

By using your logic, I should be happy with the following. If a hawks player (Shelden or Marvin) stays in the league for 10 years and is only good for years 5 thru 10 whereas a player drafted after them is good for years 2 thru 10.

Well who is making sense now?

By Volman

June 9, 2007 12:24 PM | Link to this

I hope my parents get me those season tickets for my 21st birthday.

By Mike

June 9, 2007 12:41 PM | Link to this

Scott, If Sekou is against players that aren’t black, why does he propose that the Hawks trade for Luke Ridnour? Isn’t he white? This isn’t the first time he has proposed that we acquire him either. Stop trying to play the race card. Sekou does a great job of making things interesting around here and providing good info. Get off his back!

By Volman

June 9, 2007 12:50 PM | Link to this

Amen, Mike.

By diehardhawkfan

June 9, 2007 12:55 PM | Link to this

Mitch, that was the GREATEST post on the blog so far…Mullins PLEASE read that post. I have dreams about that starting lineup (except I would sheldon williams instead of sean williams). Mullins, our BIGGEST weakness was lack of penetration from of our guards/forwards. In fact we haven’t had a guard who could penetrate the lane probably in this millenium. Draft a penetrating guard who can break down a defense.

I can’t believe BK has brainwashed the fanbase like this. We’ll always draft the project forward with tremondous upside. We’re always bad enough to pick in the top 5. So like groundhog day, we’ll always make up the excuse that our draft pick is too high to draft a point guard (but if we had a pick at 5 or 6, that’s the perfect time to get a point guard). So we’ll get the guy with upside, but by the time we actually see the upside, we’ll ship him to another team. Then we’ll do it again next year. Draft another forward with a pick that’s too high for a point guard…

Do us a favor..draft Conley and then watch how much easier it will be for our wing players (JJ, JSmove, MWill) to score when we have a guard that can break down a defense and penetrate the lane.

By Sekou K. Smith

June 9, 2007 1:16 PM | Link to this

Chris Wilcox isn’t a post player? Huh? Everytime I’ve seen him (and he loves to beast the Hawks every chance he gets) he does his damage inside.

Again, I don’t object to Yi at No. 3. I don’t object to anyone in particular at No. 3, depending on what else is done to shore up the roster during this draft.

If the Hawks are going draft a player that isn’t a PG at that spot, Horford is probably the best fit (most ready to play low-post player available). I know that’s the same logic that was used last year, but if that’s the way they’re going … that’s what I think fits right now (keep in mind, I’m the dude still married to the idea of taking a PG high in each of the past three drafts).

By mountain_jim

June 9, 2007 2:05 PM | Link to this

I like Horford also but everyone pointed out to me it would be like drafting Sheldon all over again. Some differences but not enough.

At least Yi is unlike anything we have on the roster, and I am convinced his jump-shot is unstoppable. I like what he could do for Hawks exposure and interest also.

I still can’t decide if we would be better off trading the 11 for Jack + 2nd or drafting Law/Critt there or using Chill to trade up to get Conley from there.

By Reggie

June 9, 2007 2:07 PM | Link to this

Sekou If there was a trade that could possibly happen with the hawks. What tarde would that be?

By Charles

June 9, 2007 2:12 PM | Link to this

I really wonder if the people thinking that Yi is a SF like Dirk that can’t play PF have ever seen him play on tape. I’ve seen pretty much every piece I could find on youtube and a few other sources. The guy is a faster version of Pau Gasol. He’s a PF that can move to the outside and has the ability to penetrate. More importantly, he scores a majority of his points INSIDE with dunks and very good turnaround J’s and hooks. That kind of versatility is rare. And who is the Hawks starting PF? Sheldon is limited in his offensive ability and might be better suited focusing on defending slower centers. Marvin is a strict wing player and has little to no post game. We have no guys on the roster that can consistently score in the post. Please, somebody tell me when is the last time an nba team has won the finals without a consistent scoring post player. Much more important than a PG IMO. Yi gives the Hawks a guy that has a very good post game, while still have the versatility to get down the court and finish with Smooth and JJ. Perfect fit.

Oh yeah, and Al Horford is not the best post scoring in this draft. I would put him third behind Yi and Wright. Anyone who has seen him would agree that his hook shot is very awkward looking and his other moves don’t really look refined either. He benefited from a lot of single coverage on a really good team and still only averaged 12 pts a game his junior year. Sheldon did better than that at Duke! I think Horford will be a lot like Drew Gooden. Solid, but never a superstar. I project him at most 14 pts 10 reb 1 blk/game. Not really stats worthy of a number three pick.

By A-Ville Ranger

June 9, 2007 2:15 PM | Link to this

Mitch I thought Sean Williams looked like a defensive star the few times I saw him play.He’s projected as a second rounder by most though.Would you over pay with the 11 pick ? The biggest issue is the reason he’s likely going so low.The guy has had some off court problems that management would have to consider before bringing him to such a young impressionable group of players.

By Charles

June 9, 2007 2:25 PM | Link to this

yeah and Yi is listed as 19. The only basis I’ve seen for listing him at 22 is a typo on the Chinese national team’s roster that was immediately corrected. He has a valid birth certificate showing him as 19. It’s just people desperate to try to bring his draft stock down. There’s a lot of teams that want him and I wouldn’t be surprised if rumors like this are put out there by scouts and GMs wanting a particular player to fall a couple of slots.

By Charles

June 9, 2007 2:34 PM | Link to this

Sean Williams would be huge reach at 11. And didn’t we use two picks last year on interior defense? How many of these one dimentional players do the Hawks plan on taking? Spencer Hawes would be a lot better assuming that we get Conley at three (mistake but topic for another time).

By A-Ville Ranger

June 9, 2007 2:35 PM | Link to this

Reese I’m familiar with the concept of diminishing returns.In fact I addressed that by stating Shelden is likely to INCREASE his per minute production over the coming seasons.If you know enough to mention d.r. then you should know the full cycle is a curve upward with a plateau and the third diminishing return phase which is the part you allude to.Nothing distorts the truth like cherry picking facts and stats.I don’t think I was the one doing so.

By Neil

June 9, 2007 2:40 PM | Link to this

Sekou, Since Seattle is contemplating taking Yi at #2 maybe we could strike a deal with them to make that happen. Maybe give them childress or sheldon with lue and ivey for wilcox or swift and ridnour and have them trade the pick so we get durant. Then take the best big available at #11.

By A-Ville Ranger

June 9, 2007 2:42 PM | Link to this

Charles I love Hawes game,he’ll make whoever picks him a better team.

By Steve B.

June 9, 2007 2:48 PM | Link to this

What’z up guys. Floze glad to see you with me on Darko, But why sign and trade for him? Olando can’t give him top dollar because they will have to max out Howard next year. Offer him a top heavy contract and dump sallery some where else. Reggie I love Luke to but, I think that’s giving up to much. In a draft where every one wants another pick or higher pick we need Luke and Wilcox, we’ll send them back Speedy to make it fair. Starters Luke, Joe, Marvin, Josh S. and Darko. Bench AJ,Salim,Josh C, Yi, and Sheldon.

By A-Ville Ranger

June 9, 2007 2:54 PM | Link to this

Reese I went over your comments again.Calling your reasoning flawed was kind.The truth is it’s nonsense masquerading as logic.Real life almost always requires a development period.You can pretend otherwise but it’s not reality.

By Steve B.

June 9, 2007 2:56 PM | Link to this

I like that Neil. Also for every one saying Yi can’t play center, How do you know? I love when some one tells a 19 year old kid what he can’t do and never will be able to do. Just think what if someone is telling your 19 year old college son or daughter this. Slow down he’s A kid, the Hawks no matter who they draft are going to have to sign a vet to play in front of them. AND NO I WOULD NOT TRADE THE #3 PICK, UNLESS THE VOICE SAID D.HOWARD AND THAT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

By diehardhawkfan

June 9, 2007 3:31 PM | Link to this

The biggest problem with the Hawks is the lack of dribble penetration by their guards/forwards. All the great teams have a guard/forward who can draw defenders and find open teammates by attacking attacking the defense (whether it’s Deron Williams, Tony Parker, Steve Nash, Lebron James, Baron Davis, Chauncey Billups, etc). We were the lowest scoring team in the NBA plain simply because we have the WORST set of PG’s in the NBA. Conley is the obvious choice at 3. He’s the fastest, strongest, most athletic point guard in the draft. He will be the one guard on the team that could actually get in the lane and create easy opportunites for JSmith, Marvin Williams, and Joe Johnson.

By ToeKnee

June 9, 2007 3:47 PM | Link to this

First off, Yi would hardly see the floor. he cant keep up with our guys. we’ve got some great chemistry building, and messing that up would seriously set us back.

we need to acquire players who fit into our team well, and i feel yi would be stretching that. 3 is just too high to take conley where there are easily 4 players better than him. i still like the florida guys, all 3 of them, julian and brandan wright(my new pick at#3 by the way), and i like conley too.

i just think its important to keep chemistry in mind when discussing this team. some of the scenarios tossed around here would just totally start the rebuilding process again. we can make the playoffs for sure this year if we make the right moves. build upon some of the things that we are already doing right!! dont just try something completely new and crazy just because its different. anyone who watched the hawks this past year knows that they’re not a trainwreck!! they just need to make the right moves here, and we have what we need to do that!!! i’m pumped, and cant wait to see what happens. i’m always looking for new updates all the time about whats going on. keep it comin sekou, anything youve got!!

By Francesco Sinibaldi

June 9, 2007 3:54 PM | Link to this

I think, Sue…

                                             The magical sunshine arrives near a dream 
                                             like a luminous darkness in a golden design;
                                             and while the sound of a blackbird appears
                                             in a pleasure remembering the youth, while 
                                             a candle escapes recalling the sign of a
                                             beautiful care, when a crying overcomes, 
                                             I think, Sue, there’s even a flame in the light
                                             of a sunrise….

Francesco Sinibaldi

By Matt

June 9, 2007 3:54 PM | Link to this

Neil,

I think you’re the reincarnation of Don Quixote, bro. I don’t see any chance in hell of Seattle using that #2 pick on anyone not named Durant or Odem, and they certainly definitely absolutely would not give up players worth a damn in any trade if such a trade were even possible. They would want us to mortgage the city to trade up that 1 spot, and rightfully so.

But keep tilting at those windmills - good thoughts bring good karma!

By MJ3

June 9, 2007 3:58 PM | Link to this

Scott - go f**k yourself.

By A-Ville Ranger

June 9, 2007 4:20 PM | Link to this

Every champion has been a veteran team with a, strong inside game, penetrating smart guard, good clutch perimeter shooter,at least one shut down full court defender and a player you can go to with the game on the line.My conclusion is we need a complete team.

By doc

June 9, 2007 4:29 PM | Link to this

ok wish list time,

chris paul can become a free agent next year. lets go after the bigs this year and make a major statement to everybody by signing him when he becomes available.

By mavid

June 9, 2007 4:30 PM | Link to this

A-ville Ranger, you can post Shelly’s stats all you want. Anyone who WATCHED him play this past season, knows just how bad/disappointing he was.

Im excited about the new unis.

By roan st

June