Hawks

By HHoops

July 28, 2007 12:13 PM | Link to this

Sekou,

Do you know how much Kevin Garnett’s contract is for per year and how many years is left on it?

What are the combined yearly contracts of Speedy Claxton, Shelden Williams, and Marvin Williams?

Here is what I’m thinking: The Hawks could offer those three players for Garnett in a trade. The Timberwolves get 3 potential starters and the Hawks get the big man that they so very much need. The Hawks starting lineup would be: PG-Law SG-JJ SF-J Smith PF-Horford C-Garnett

The back ups would be: PG-Lue & AJ SG-Salim S SF-J Childress PF-Soloman J C-Zaza & L. Wright

I believe that lineup could make it to the finals! What do you think? Would the Hawks, Timberwolves, and Garnett go for it? Does the contracts work for the cap space that the Hawks have? The Hawks could always add L. Wright to the deal if there is a need to make the cap work.

If this deal could work, the Hawks could be serious contenders RIGHT NOW!

By Ken Strickland

July 24, 2007 1:30 PM | Link to this

JSmith might be more valuable to other teams than he is to us. Especially if Horford, Marvin and Shelden have good yrs. If we get a quality BIG next yr, Woodson will have the players needed to play his preferred style of ball. The truth is, if Horford can command a double team with his inside gm, our OFF will be better than it would be with JSmith. It would also make Zaza’s OFF better since he’s more effective shooting jump shots than posting up.

And on Zaza, he is not soft, but he has played soft. When he was with the Bucks, he was the enforcer, and he filled that role well. Since the Hawks had no quality backup, he’s had to limit his fouls, and play with less aggression. This season, he may have to play with more aggression since he could eventually end up playing to maintain his starting spot. That will only make us a better team in the long run. I WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH TRADING JSMITH IF WE GOT SOMEONE THAT WOULD ROUND OUT THIS TEAM.

By terrell

July 24, 2007 11:31 AM | Link to this

If we do trade for a 1st rdr in next years draft, it could land us Hibbert. I like Josh Smith but he is probably the only player that we have that will get us a 1st rdr next year. I know a lot of people will be upset if Smoove is traded, but if we want our pick back, he may be the only option. WHAT YALL THINK

By Ken Strickland

July 24, 2007 1:52 AM | Link to this

TERRELL, it will be a tough decision only for those with a fondness for JSmooth(like me). Horford might not be as exciting as JSmooth, but he is more versatile, especially on the inside. JSmooth is trying to develop an inside game while Horford only has to refine his. JSmooth is a better off the ball shot blocker, while Horford is a better on the ball defender. If Horford and Marvin have good seasons, we might see JSmith traded for a 1st rd pick in next yrs draft, maybe more. He is our most valuable young commodity, and could command a very high price.

By terrell

July 23, 2007 10:26 PM | Link to this

Maybe you’re right Ken Strickland, but for what ever the reason is, I think that we can all agree that he has to get it done this year or else. Great comment, as always Ken. Flash, with that lineup, I can see us doing some great things . Maybe not this year, but if they all stay together, we should definately be a threat in the East for years to come. Hey guys is it true that Josh is going to be asking for 5yrs at 10 mill a yr. If so, do yall think he’s worth it, considering that we may have a stud pf in Horford. Its a decision that Bk will be making at the end of the year. If Marvin steps up this year and plays well at sf, and Horford struggles at the 5 and shines at the 4, you guys have to admit, its going to be a tough decision.

By The Flash

July 23, 2007 7:15 PM | Link to this

Terrell:

There are three locks, imo: Horford, JJ, and Law.

I think that the other starters are ZaZa and Smooth.

I think that this team plays its best with Chill on the floor. Their most explosive line up might be Law, JJ, Chill, Horford, and Smooth (depending on how Smooth and Marvin shoot the J and how Marvin shows generally).

If Marvin stays healthy and there is a flow to the offense, then you might end up substituting Marvin for Smooth early into the season as a starter.

Whether Marvin can start over Smooth interestingly enough might well depend on Shelden. Shelden is much tougher than ZaZa on the defensive end, and in boarding. If Shelden comes around it will mean that they are getting him meaningful touches.

If that is the case, what Smooth does bad—hold the ball, not penetrate with the pass, make poor use of his time off of the ball—will be excentuated. On the other hand, his shot blocking and rebounding ability will be less needed. So, if Marvin notches up his game, and can score the ball economically with the jump shot, he might get the start over Smooth.

Now, what is really interesting is whether Smooth will try to expand his repetoire if he loses minutes to a Marvin/Shelden combination. If Smooth decides to learn from Chill, he might well end it being a real difference maker and star on this team. On the other hand, if he continues to just focus on the things that he does well, he will be very frustrated if he is not a starter and star, and “demand” a trade.

Unfortunately, I fear that a coaching change is coming during this season, which will create another reason to stand pat in terms of players to see what everyone can do with different offensive concepts. On the other hand, if either Marvin or Smooth can shoot the thing with any consistency, Woody might just survive.

How’s that for standing up like a man and taking a position?

By Ken Strickland

July 23, 2007 6:07 PM | Link to this

TERRELL, despite all of the losing over the last 3yrs, Woodson has been able to keep this team playing hard. That is no small feat when you consider this has been the youngest team in the NBA, and getting younger every yr. He is married to the only system he has known, and the talent BK has given him is an ill fit. Woodson is as out of his element trying to incorporate our young greyhounds into his system as the Suns coach would be trying to incorporate the Miami Heat or Detroit Pistons players into his.

By terrell

July 23, 2007 5:14 PM | Link to this

Hey Flash, I’m just curious to know who would be your starting 5 this season. Anyone feel free to comment.

By The Flash

July 23, 2007 2:02 PM | Link to this

Boys, if anybody is still reading this thread, let me clarify. I am all over Josh Smith like a blanket. The guy is a 3 in this league, not a 4.

The guy has limited vision for the offensive flow, in my opinion. It is not his individual game that needs improvement, it is that ability to see and mesh.

I do not have Belkin’s ear and if I were him I would not buy any NBA team; me, I’d have bought DC United!!!

I do have you guys’ ear, and through you, perhaps Sekous and who knows whom else. Do I think that Smooth can change his perspective about what is important. If he hears about it enough, he’s got a chance.

If all he is thinking about is how he improves his shot (Calvin), and footwork (Hakeem) then, no, I do not see him as being the type of 3 that this team needs. He needs to play on a team that runs and then runs somemore with his current concepts about the game. Does not make him bad; just in the wrong place. Very valuable asset.

So, my posts here are my weak attempt to get people thinking, which with folks like “thinkingman” (NBL) on this blog can be very dangerous, and perhaps in some strange fashion have an influence on Smooth.

I would have Shelden playing more minutes as the 4. I do not think that there is an inside player on this team that would make playing Marvin and Smooth at the 3 & 4 for significant minutes against most line ups sensible. On the other hand, Woody and BK might well see things differently, and play Smooth at the 4 with Marvin, and all but forfeit a second inside presence.

If Smooth does not make the transition to someone who can play the 3 in a manner that facilitates the offense for others, I think that he will impede this team’s reaching its potential.

That would be a shame given the others who are already here who I believe are much better suited to do just that—Chill and JJ. Marvin, I have to believe, has much more potential to become a real three in the form that this team needs than Smooth, even though you guys are obviously correct that Smooth is an enormous talent and outshines Marvin at this point, and maybe always will.

Just a fat bald guy talking ball with the guys is all, and enjoying the heck out of it.

By terrell

July 23, 2007 1:54 PM | Link to this

Ken,I agree with everything you said except for the part about Woody not being a bad coach. He hasn’t proven a thing in my opinion. Ownership is a big problem but I’ve seen him do things that make me wonder if he was ready to be a leader, especially with a young core of players like we have. This will probably be his last year if the Hawks dont make the playoffs, so like you said, 2009 should be significantly better.

By Ken Strickland

July 23, 2007 1:11 PM | Link to this

It’s funny, after reading all of the most recent posts, it appears we all have valid points. We seem to be focusing on different aspects of the same issues. Somehow, I don’t think this season will be as disappointing as some might think. I don’t think Woodson is a bad coach, or BK is a bad GM. They are simply victims of a disjointed ownership situation. They are forced to interact with other organizations at an obvious disadvantage. Other organizations are very much aware of BK’s situation. And believe me, other GM’s seize every opportunity to take advantage of the limitations placed on him by our ownership and the courts.

BK and Woody have to answer to more ownership factions, and legal restrictions, than any 5 GM’s combined. That fact should never be overlooked when venting your frustrations on how things are transpiring. THIS VERY YOUNG AND INEXPERIENCED TEAM IS PROGRESSING IN SPITE OF OUR OWNERSHIP ISSUES, LEGAL PROBLEMS, AND COACHING INEXPERIENCE. And with every draft, this team gets younger and more inexperienced. This team will spread its wings in the 09 season, not next yr. We have a strong core of talented players now. This yr will be the assembly period, and the yr after that will be the period of growth.

By terrell

July 23, 2007 11:35 AM | Link to this

Roan St, It took Bill Cowher 15 yrs. or so to win a championship and Don Nelson has never won anything, so come up with some better examples. When Stephen Jackson played for the Spurs and Pacers they did not run an up tempo offense and they played good defense, so why did Nelly want him to come to Golden State, where they play up tempo on offense and no defense what so ever? BECAUSE NBA PLAYERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO ADAPT TO DIFFERENT SCHEMES. I’m mot defending Woody, just making a point.

By doc

July 23, 2007 8:16 AM | Link to this

just read the article how nba officials are the most micromanaged group of offficials and are constantly under review. wow, who is the person that oversees this group? do they really see the same game as the rest of us and set the tone of what is going on in the nba?

By doc

July 23, 2007 8:01 AM | Link to this

no one has brought up the real issue in the nba now and that is the ref scandal. i thought i would especially as this topic has been taken to the nano level. i imagine and new blog will be soon to us to rescue us from the continued beating of this dead horse.

after watching many games over the years it has become quite obvious that the referrees had very little day to day accountability and had gotten out of control. too often their actions were obviously personal or of a nature of retirbution or play favorites for some athletes saying in effect you have to earn the calls rather than the calls be distributed equally.

in this atmosphere of litle accountabilty it is a ripe atmosphere to take more things into their hands like changing outcomes of games rather for the betting public instead for their own sense of misused power. as they see it can be done i am sure the thought of doing it for pay has come to more than one, even if it be at a fantasy level, sitting around a table speculating their power.

many have all commmented on the unevenness of the calls, even the man called blog z, to ignore the subject and note how plausible it is. how many come down with this guy will be interesting. it may finally be the first smudge on the commish’s face as he has been teflon thus far. it is also going to be interesting if the talk of “moving to las vegas” diminishes in content for the near future. this may be the thing that keeps nba basketball in sacramento and heh heh, the big a.

By ray

July 23, 2007 12:05 AM | Link to this

Woody has the same shot that every player on the roster has: to prove or disprove himself this upcoming season.

Yet, here we are talking about an unbalanced roster (again), a coaching style that doesn’t fit the team make-up (again), and a gm and ownership group that sends mixed signals (again). The players can band together all they want. Unless someone within the ownership group demands that Woody get with the f’in program or leave…then he’s here and he’ll do what he has been doing. ‘Cause we know Billy ain’t gonna cut him loose. As I said, each person that takes the court and sideline has something to prove. We’ll see what happens.

I don’t know what Belkin brings to the situation. I do know one thing: change just for the sake of change is usually not a good idea. It’s kinda like making a selection in the draft. Sure, you can do the wild, risky thing that no one else would do. But are you doing it for the right reasons?

By Ken Strickland

July 22, 2007 11:45 PM | Link to this

Let’s not put too much into summer league results. This is a league that favors guard play, since they control the ball. Big men are at a disadvantage because they are often playing with second tier guards that are trying to set themselves up to be recognized. Working the ball inside is not a priority in this league. We can’t place a lot of weight on the overall performance of our big men in this league. If we do, we can write Oden off as a big flop.

I’m not saying Woodson is THE problem. But his approach to coaching this team can either maximize or minimize those other problems. Any team that can run with us can’t match up with us physically and athletically. Any team that can overmatch us physically can’t run with us, or match up to us athletically. We should be the East coast version of the Phoenix Suns or Golden State Warriors.

By smartguy

July 22, 2007 10:34 PM | Link to this

No excuses, no spinning. Woody just can’t coach.

It is the coach’s job to WIN with the players given. The coach should adapt to his personnel, and to the league.

The only reason Woody is still our coach is because of our stellar ownership group. Belkin just can’t get here fast enough.

By roan st

July 22, 2007 6:51 PM | Link to this

jhan, I think your missing the point. I’m not in any way defending woody. Woodson trained under bobby knight who is a very rigid and inflexible coach who will live and die by his system. Woody seems to have that same mentality and he is not going to change his style. If billy wanted him to be the coach then he should have tried to construct a team that would fit his system. Instead knight has built a team that looks better suited to run and it seems that him and woody are not on the same page when it comes to personnel. Ultimately the responsiblity of this failed franchise should fall on billy knight if he in fact has free rein like he claims. Most professional sports teams are built around the strengths of their coaches philosophies. Bill cowher believed in running the football and playing great defense and for 16 years the pittsburg steeler front office drafted players to fit in his system. If don nelson keeps coaching in golden state they will continue drafting the run and gun type players that fit his system. It just seems like to me that knights drafting and woodsons coaching philosophies don’t match.

By reese

July 22, 2007 6:16 PM | Link to this

Terrell, its about balance man. Did you watch any of the summer league games and see other teams soft 7 footers blocking the shots of our hawks players with ease and without jumping.

Did you notice that Shelden didn’t block any shots in six games. Yet, we are talking about other teams 2nd stringers and players who will not make the team.

You call Yi soft, yet he blocked shots. He rotated on defense and alter many other shots. He deflected rebounds to other teammates when he couldn’t grab the ball.

If your happy with the make up of the team. Then go ahead and sing your praises for BK. He has fielded a team that will appeal to fans like you. The sad part is that we both will watch and only you will be happy.

By reese

July 22, 2007 6:07 PM | Link to this

Ken, I alluded to several factors as the cause of the problem.

The funny thing is the collection of all the factors caused the problem, but the lowest denominator (the players) can fix the problem by coming together and playing above their capabilities.

That can be facilitated by the coach if he is smart enough to devise a system that utilizes the offensive positives of the players mixed with defensive schemes to hide their defenciencies.

Its pretty much a given that BK has delivered the 07-08 team to woody with the blessing of the ownership.

By jhan

July 22, 2007 5:57 PM | Link to this

Roan St - if you expect the young players to grow & adapt to playing in the NBA, why wouldn’t you hold the coach up to the same standards?

This is Woody’s first shot in the NBA as a head coach. He needs to expand his own game to be able to continue coaching in this league.

The Bulls used the triangle offense. Don’t you think Tex & Phil tweaked it just a little bit to maximize MJ’s abilities? Those who don’t change are doomed for failure.

By tb

July 22, 2007 5:05 PM | Link to this

If you want to analyse the reality of the Hawks situation, you need to go back to the beginning; back when BK jettisoned the team in exchange for a brighter future…

The future is arriving.

We have undergone a brutal re-building. We have invested in young talent and we have had to pay the price. But, we have also had to develop the talent and keep things going in the right direction.

I think BK and Woody have been able to do that. Remember when the Joshs’ came into the league, they could barely get the ball up-court without dribbling it off their foot. The up-tempo run and gun was tempting, but un-realistic. Woody has been teaching the kids fundas. It is going to pay off.

I don’t know if Woody is the coach the Hawks will need at the beginnign of the 2008 deason, but he was ithe caoch to get us through this period.

This year we will see if he is the coach to under-take the next phase of the Hawks re-birth.

By roan st

July 22, 2007 3:11 PM | Link to this

Don’t blame woody for the hawks failures. Woody is just coaching how he knows how to coach. Knight is the one to blame. If he wanted to build a team of young athlectic players to run up and down the floor then why did he hire a bobby knight disciple? Furthermore why does he continue to build a smaller faster team and stick up for a coach who obviously doesn’t want or know how to coach this type of talent. Woodson seems like the type of coach who would do better coaching a veteran half court team. If you read and listen to woodson’s comments over the last few years he has even hinted that he is not comfortable with the stable of players he has had. Either the leadership of this franchise is brain dead or in such horrible financial shape that they are forced to stomach woodson until his contract expires. I will be glad when this court fiasco is over but then we will still probably be damned either way. Kind of like the braves situation. What’s the difference between time warner and liberty media? What will be the difference between belkin and the spirit group? The hawks future just looks like a lose-lose situation if you ask me. I wish there were some way the team could be sold to a new owner and belkin and spirit would be bought out.

By St. Bernard

July 22, 2007 2:25 PM | Link to this

When does part II come?

By jhan

July 22, 2007 1:41 PM | Link to this

Ken, what you say is exactly true. Why is it so obvious to people on the blog but not to Woody / BK?

By Ken Strickland

July 22, 2007 1:22 PM | Link to this

REESE, I love your passion and understanding of the game. I do think you are placing too much blame on the players. If I’m not mistaken, you alluded to the real source of the problem in an earlier post. BK has assembled a team of greyhounds, and Woodson’s preferred system is better suited for pitbulls. Also, it takes veterans, like they have in Detroit, to successfully implement his half court OFF system.

The Hawks have too many young players trying to adjust to the pro level. They are being required to adjust to the league, develop their individual OFF/DEF skills, while simultaneously subordinating themselves into a very structured system. All 1st, 2nd, and even 3rd yr players have to go through this, but not on the same team and at the same time. THIS TEAM CAN MAKE THE PLAYOFFS, BUT NOT WITH THE HALF COURT OFF STYLE THAT WOODSON PREFERS.

A structured half court OFF requires knowledge, maturity, experience and familiarity. The Hawks don’t have an abundance of these attributes. The uptempo style that best suits our talent requires stamina, quickness, speed, and athleticism. The Hawks have an abundance of those attributes. We are a bigger, taller, and more athletic team than the Phoenix Suns, yet we can run with them. To me, that says it all. Woodson is trying to force a team of young inexperienced players into a system that they are unsuited for. He should be designing and/or developing a system that maximizes their athletic talents, while minimizing the liabilities of youth and inexperience.

By terrell

July 22, 2007 12:16 PM | Link to this

Reese, the Hawks will be a lot better off with Acie than with either one of those soft a* 7ftrs. AND YOU CAN TAKE THAT TO THE BANK

By reese

July 22, 2007 12:49 AM | Link to this

By the way, has anyone else noticed that Phoenix has traded away almost all of there number 1 draft picks since the JJ trade.

Did they really want those picks or were they just playing hardball with BK. I guess we’ll never know. wink wink

By reese

July 22, 2007 12:42 AM | Link to this

Ken, we had this discussion before last season and I said that I would hold my opinions until training camp. Well, training camp came and the additions of shelden, wright and speedy didn’t wow me then and keeping them doesn’t wow me now.

Yes, the addition of Horford and Law are nice. But, I don’t see them leading us to the playoffs.

BK had the opportunity to acquire a true 6’11 player in Randolph Morris before the season ended. He didn’t even make the call.

BK had the opportunity to draft 7 foot players in Yi and Noah. He didn’t make the moves to move up in the draft to take one of these 7 footers and still acquire horford if he was so desirable.

Owners keep saying that BK had full reign to select who he wants, trade for who he wants and acquire through free agency who he wants.

Yes, ownership may be lying, but BK says he drafted who he wanted, he hasn’t called any of the free agents who could have helped the hawks and who have signed with other teams for 4 or 6 million.

Ken, as I’ve stated earlier, I watched our two rookies utilizing the system played by our hawks coached by woodson in years past. It doesn’t matter who is coaching (drew in the case of the summer league), the system is flawed, the balance of the roster is flawed, our bigs with talent are undersized, our bigs with height don’t have talent, our point guards who are fast can’t shoot, our point guards who are slow can shoot but can’t run with the young guns.

As Fans we will support our team. However, I’m just making sure that I express that I challenge management and BK that they must understand that more moves need to be made to balance out this roster.

Face it, Marvin, Shelden and Josh Childress are not that athletic, can’t dribble very well, are not aggressive on both the offensive and defensive end and yet they don’t get scrutinized like Theo, JT and Rasheed because they are nice character guys who are young and not making much money.

By reese

July 22, 2007 12:10 AM | Link to this

Steve T, a bunch of guys who are on the 2nd team for the teams we played in the summer league and a bunch of guys who will not be on a NBA team beat our 4 of our 2nd team members 4 out of 6 times.

Management and BK did not deliver what mike woodson wanted. The following is a quote from woodson after the draft. “High on the list was bringing in a veteran guy,” Woodson conceded. “But as a coach, I’ve got to quit calling them young. We’ve got to make our move this year. I know I’m under pressure to lead this team to the playoffs. That’s OK. That’s why I took this job. It’s very pivotal this year that we get to the playoffs.”

Lets not fool ourselves. Woodson was basically saying that he wanted a different set of veterans than the ones he has.

Its funny, BK was complimented for getting rid of the salaries of Theo, Shareef, JT, Naza and Rasheed. You know something any fool can do when it comes to giving away talent and receiving very little in return.

Now, BK has collected his caliper of veterans in Speedy, Wright, AJ, Zaza and Lue. I would have been impressed if he could have brought in quality players and gotten rid of our collection of veterans.

But hey, maybe childress won’t be afraid to take the last shot of the game and won’t pass to a 10 day contract player.

Better yet, maybe marvin, zaza, shelden and wright will average 1 block per game to go along with Josh Smiths 3 per game.

Maybe woodson will allow salim to score 20 points in 10 minutes when the hawks have the lead instead of waiting until where down by 30.

Maybe AJ and T Lue will come into camp in shape. Speedy, well maybe he will be speedy on the court instead of speedy to the injured list.

JJ, maybe he will lead the team in other statistical categories like steals or assist and average over 25 points per game.

Maybe I could go on believing that we have a great team, but maybe I’m like woodson. It sure would have been nice to bring in some veterans.

By Ken Strickland

July 21, 2007 8:30 PM | Link to this

REESE, I don’t understand why you are so upset about the training camp roster. The only roster that matters is the one we end up with after training camp. And I hope JChills, Marvin and Shelden Williams are on that roster. We have 14 players under contract, and you want us to get rid of 4-5 of those. Where is the logic in that?

Man, you need to get a grip and not let your emotions override your common sense. You can’t expect young players to come into the league and produce immediately, although some do. If so, you are being totally unrealistic. Remember, the Pistons have been very successful, and won a championship, with Allstars that were late developers(Billups, McDyes, BWallace, Hamilton).

It’s easy to criticize BK for every perceived team ill. Don’t be foolish enough to think he is operating independently of ownership and court sanctions. He is taking the heat for a lot of decisions that are beyond his control. He doesn’t control the court or the ownership mess. And don’t fool yourself into thinking he determines who will be drafted without ownership approval. I do agree with some of what you said, especially about the lack of an appropriate coaching philosophy that fits our talent.

By Steve T

July 21, 2007 7:11 PM | Link to this

“They lost leads and close games.” Now this season with proper coaching this should not happen. The caoch should not aloow the Hawks to rely on the jump shot.
If they are losing the lead, they should take the ball to the hole. In other word they should run for easy baskets.

Sir, I disagree about the Hawks. The Hawks do not have a lot of depth on the summer team. Right now the Hawks have some depth. If you look at the top ten players on the team, they match up well with any other NBA team.

PF - Marvin SF - JSmith C - Horford SG - JJ PG - Law

The hawks have one of the deeper bench in the NBA:

PF - Zaza SF - JChill C - Shelden SG - Salmin PG - Speedy/Lue

You must agree that it will be hard to find a second string as good as this. In fact, I believe that they can hold their own against most starters. If they get a big lead then they should insert this guys and see that if we run for some easy baskets.

By reese

July 21, 2007 4:21 PM | Link to this

Now that summer league is over, it seems like the hawks are going to make another mistake. They are going to training camp with Lorenzen Wright, Anthony Johnson, Shelden Williams and possibly Marvin or Jchill on the roster.

They finished 2 and 4 in the summer league and the summer league team demonstrated some of the same flaws exhibited by hawks teams of the past 3 years.

The summer league team allowed players to go to the basket without being challenged. The committed more turnovers than their opponents and a high number of turnovers. They had a large number of shots blocked. They lost leads and close games. A lot of the shots that opposing teams were blocking were flat footed shots against our so called big men and also against our guards driving to the basket. The assist numbers of point guards are low because the receipients of passes can score.

Therefore, in my opinion it is Ownership’s lack of money leads to a fan base stuck with a General Manager’s flawed methodolgy of balancing players on a roster. A mismatched coaches scheme of offensive/defensive philosophy for the players they has been provided. Players who are not comfortable in their roles but are too nice, inexperienced and young too speak out. Worse yet, unskilled veterans or veterans who are there for the paycheck who back their coaches words when they can’t even accomplish what is being taught.

Yes scouts of other teams say we need to stay the course because our players are so young. However, if the hawks are on the wrong course then it will be like watching Gilligan’s Island. A nice group of people to watch and laugh about, but shipwrecked for years.

By Get Better

July 21, 2007 3:09 PM | Link to this

Does anyone know what happened to rookie free agent Abernathy? I thought he was going to play with the Hawks summer league team, but I don’t see him on the roster any longer.

By Ken Strickland

July 21, 2007 12:03 PM | Link to this

I agree with those of you that are supporting LDrew as our next coach. I’m not doing it because I think Drew is a better coach than Woody. I’m doing it because I think he is a better coach than Woody for the Hawks. Woody’s mentors, and the biggest influences in his basketball life, are Bobby Knight and Larry Brown. Both are controlling, DEF minded disciplinarians that believe in a structured half court OFF. LBrown is unpredictable, and is more flexible and less volatile than Knight. BKnight is, in a word, uncivilized, but both are excellent technical coaches.

The imprint that’s been made on Woodson by these two seem to go very deep. His blueprint for coaching success seems to have rendered him rather inflexible. He doesn’t coach to his talent, he coaches to a system. Players that don’t adjust to that system are penalized. On the other hand, LDrew seems to be more flexible, and seems better able to coach to the talent of his players.

The contrast in their respective styles can be seen in their style as former pros. Woodson was not quick or fast, but he was smart, knowledgabe, foundamentally sound and he could shoot. LDrew was quick and fast. In fact, his style was simular to that of SClaxton, except he could shoot. And like Speedy, he was limited by injuries. Asking Woodson to coach an uptempo OFF would be placing him outside of his comfort zone. I don’t know of too many successful coaches that pulled that off. Drew, on the other hand, would be coaching to his strengths, since that style best suited his talents and abilities as a player.

By tb

July 21, 2007 12:01 PM | Link to this

While I am fully conscious of the youth and inexperience of our club, I remember the beginning of the seson and the above 500 stretch near mid-season.

Given the fact that we will have improved in every aspect (except coaching) I expect a team that can compete at a 500 level next year.

Anything better would be gravy.

By doc

July 21, 2007 9:31 AM | Link to this

nothing about basketball here guys so skip it or read further with a warning.

interesting article in the ajc with a picture of one of my most important mentors as a resident, dr. charles ferguson. it is the article that is about weiss’ near death experience after gastric bypass surgury. one of the most important issues is the comment by weiss that it was the only thing in his life he hadnt been able to control. read the article and see how the surgeons are really the scape goat for him on this one.

dr. ferguson was just as much a stickler for detail and doing it right and i carried the lessons with me during my practice thankfully. he is as much of a tough guy as weiss is described by brady. i know for one that it was about doing it by the book with patient safety as the most important factor in caring for weiss. the irony? the first trial ended because both doctors demonstrated how they respond to emergencies by jumping up to help care for a juror who had a physical problem and passed out during the trial. they had to reprogram their schedule to fit the coaches schedule then and now so they lost out by their action not weiss when the mistrail was declared.

this is so frivolous that i hope the jury sees through this it and it ends up in the loss column for weiss. these types of lawsuits are driving the good guys out of medicine or increasing cost and risk to everyone.

By ray

July 20, 2007 11:33 PM | Link to this

I think losing, which WILL happen, will begin to indicate what the biggest problems are with this team. If it’s team chemistry, then it’s usually player-based. However, that can also be affected by coaching. If the style of ball being played is unsuccessful, it’s the coaching. Either way, I worry about what Woody does. But it’s certain that significant strides must be made…this year. Even winning 40 games isn’t enough if we can’t make the playoffs.

Another thing is this: we can’t just barely make the playoffs and get knocked out right away. There has to be something that indicates that we have the ability and inclination to do the same the following year with better results. This will be especially telling if we have minimal injuries. No more blaming it on injuries, especially with the depth we have at the same positions that stayed injury-plagued last year. Even the sg position is better off now.

By ray

July 20, 2007 11:20 PM | Link to this

Doc, I hear ya. Gonna be a struggle, and I also think that this current management and coaching situation cannot last. How long is the question.

A-ville Ranger, Mark Bradly is only to be used for the sake of amusement. And even then, to be taken in small doses. If not, you take the risk of being over-exposed to his dumbassitis. It’s an infection, I tell you. And by the way, you’re right: if Shells is getting 10-10 in that amount of playing time, we’ve got ourselves one hell of a role player/sixth man.

Speaking of which, doesn’t every player on a team have a role to play? There’s nothing wrong with being a role player if you play your part well. Hell, every team needs guys like that. Unless something wild happens (or key injuries) I don’t see Shells as a starter on this team. But that ain’t what we need from him, per se. If he plays a role that’s needed and plays it well, he’s time and money well spent. Like Anakin Joe said, we have to evaluate him as a player now and not a lottery pick.

Win or no win, I’d rather take a chance on Larry Drew as head coach than not. I really don’t know how Woody’s going to do. Both he and the players have to somehow establish a better and more effective relationship or this thing will go right to hell again. I know one thing from watching summer league games. Drew has called some plays coming out of timeouts that looked good and were successful for the most part. Of course, part of that has been the added ability of guys like Law and Horford. Both can pass the ball.

I really think Law adds that dimension of leadership that will help this team. It should help take the pressure off of JJ as well. While I think Smith can get his head in the game and be effective, I will concede this possibility: the arrival and subsequent leadership Law brings could force Josh to either grow up and get in tune…or it could be a force-play that shows whether or not he should be moved. If he disappoints and cannot get with it, time to go. While I have ranted about giving him a chance to prove it, the proof is all on him. He’ll either prove one way or the other. I just don’t want to see us lose out altogether with this guy, is all.

By Ken Strickland

July 20, 2007 10:40 PM | Link to this

Only time and experience will overcome our youth and inexperience. However, good coaching, and the implimentation of a system that maximizes the attributes of our youth can minimize those disadvantages. JSmith is obviously frustrated with Woody’s preferred style of play. Whenever he gets a clean rebound, he immediately leads a fast break as the point forward. He knows if he gives the ball to the PG it will be walked up the court, like Woody prefers.

I believe Woody would be a very good coach for teams like the Spurs, or Pistons. But he places limitations on the Hawks, who’s talent is more geared to an uptempo fast breaking OFF. We can run with anyone, but we cannot bang with most teams, especially in the East. If we run and get off to a fast start, it will force physical teams to adjust their style and play catch up, more often than not.

By Steve T

July 20, 2007 9:44 PM | Link to this

Flash, I do not know why you have a problem with Smith. There are not many small forwards that can take control of a game in the low post.

We just added a good low post player in Horford. Those two will help push the Hawks in the play-offs.

I can not think of a reason to get rid of Smith. The guy worked to improve his game each season. The guy has passion and I wish we could get the passion on the whole team.

By roan st

July 20, 2007 9:02 PM | Link to this

Flash, I hope your not really belkin or have his ear. I can’t understand your disdain for josh smith. He is only 21 and I know that personally I caused a little rift raft at that age. If you worked under woody maybe you would get p** off as well. I don’t see trouble maker when I look at the kid I see passion. He is as complete a player at 21 as a team could ask for. I have said it before and I’ll preach it again - If smith goes then I go! NO MAS.

By Lifelong Hawks Fan

July 20, 2007 7:14 PM | Link to this

My thanks to the other Mike for your insight. I can’t wait to get back there so I can attend games and watch them to give mine as well.

I never look too much into Summer League performances. But it’s a spot to see a little bit of necessary improvement. So I hope Shelden’s has been foretelling. But we’ll see. I know he’s not banging with the big boys. But maybe he can gain a little bit of confidence and carry it over.

By doc

July 20, 2007 6:20 PM | Link to this

bernie did say a few weeks back that the goal is the playoffs next year, anything less is unacceptable. he also essentially said if coaches want to continue with new contracts they have to win …. this year.

it will be interesting to see what happens as the year progresses. i really hope that my inclination and expectations are off base and they do win from the get go. if they dont how does management handle it or if things are close in the feb deadline for trades do they get a real player which aj isnt. one factor about this team is it wasnt that close last year and it had the most double digit losses of any franchise in the league. it just isnt easy to go to the next level especially if it means winning twelve more games than the year before. the raptors did it, the magic really folded even though they had some studs. where will we end up this year?

By the other Mike

July 20, 2007 5:50 PM | Link to this

By Lifelong Hawks Fan I’m nearly as capable as responding as Doc, so this is just my take on Soloman.

I wouldn’t get too overly concern with Solo performance during summer league. He’s feeling the pressure to produce like all the Bigs are because of the present of Hartford. He’s just pressing really hard. Maybe that’s why he spent so much time on the pine last season. Some guys just don’t practice well, but they can perform in the game when it counts. It’s up to the coach to give a guy a chance to see what he can do in the real game.

Coach Drew seems to have the ability to look beyond these young guys faults and recognize the effort they are putting forward in the game. Solomon has bulked up ten pounds but he’s finding out early on that want be nearly enough, but he’s still playing hard and challenging shots.

I would also not get too carry away with Sheldon performance? What is encouraging is that despite the criticism guys like Sheldon has received these guys want to work hard to continue to improve their game. That’s what I have notice from all the young guys. Chill, Marvin, and Salim all showed improvement last season. Of course Josh showed dramatic improvement. I expect these guys to continue to work hard to improve. They all came from winning organizations, so I know they hate loosing ten times more than we do.

In college these guys are the first or second option on the team, in the pros they become the third or fourth option. A lot guys struggle making that adjustment. Salim really struggled his first year making that adjustment. That’s what has impressed me the most with Hartford and Law. They seem mature enough to understand that concept. You hear it from all the coaches.

Doc Great news on Speedy knees, hopefully he’s working on his shot. I’m not that surprise about the news on AJ, Woody pretty much said the same thing in Sekou first article on Law. Lue is Woody’s boy, so AJ is probably the odd man out.

Too bad we don’t hear Bernie putting pressure on Woody to produce the first part of season like he did BK during the draft. I would like hear management make a statement to the fans stating that a slow start by the Hawks team is unacceptable next season. That way they would be force to make a change, if BK comes with that same old scheme, oh my bad what scheme. Than it’s definitely time for a change.

By A Thinking Fan

July 20, 2007 4:35 PM | Link to this

Wisdom of a Veteran & a Man (Regardless Of Sport)

“No one, I don’t care if you’re wealthy or poor, no one is immune to the trials and tribulations of life. Everyone who’s breathing is going to have to deal with issues in their life. Unfortunately, Mike is up at bat right now.” Insight provided by Joe Horn

It for the Grace…, Go I!

By Lifelong Hawks Fan

July 20, 2007 3:21 PM | Link to this

Doc, First of all….thanks for sharing that. Secondly, I’m concerned with Solomon Jones myself. Is there any real improvement in his game? I haven’t seen any of the coverage because of my impending move back to Atlanta. In the meantime, I have about 10 minutes a day to scour the net for info.

Can anyone fill me in on what they’ve seen out of Jones?

By A Thinking Fan

July 20, 2007 3:08 PM | Link to this

Watch that DOC, You’re getting as good as SS with your reporting IMHO…

By doc

July 20, 2007 2:33 PM | Link to this

bernie talked about our hawks on 680 this am. good discussion.

he took the hit on the drew fiasco. he let him talk and reversed course. felt it a raid and knew the precedence and message it would send the league. the other guy never got the go ahead to talk to anyone nor did he have an offer. it wasnt more than a lateral move so they said no. they also feel drew handled the disappointment with class and as a pro and is here to win.

he is pumped about sheldon, law and horford, concerned about solo.

says speedy is back to sppeedy making cuts on a knee that feels stable for the first time in 18 minths. seems there was a problem before he came here as damaged goods. he said the guy got scoped thsi summer as well as worked on the strength. also said last week lue got scoped as well for a knee issue that occurred in working out getting ready for the season. said nothing about timetable to complete health. feels point has enough depth to go forward. aj was last on the list he made of points so i guess he gets to feel the pines unless he makes a statement in pre-season or there is an injury.

anyone else hear what i missed or didnt list or plain messed up on the message today?

ray, nothing wrong with vanilla especially if it wins the way other teams do. still think there are other cats to watch to see how this draft really turns out and part of the accountability process in evaluating those that evaluated the talent for the present and the future. nothing personal, it is what they had to do because they have NO room for mistakes because of the brokenb atlanta spirit held up in court. i understand it, you understand it and by now most of the folks that are regulars on this blog understand it. it just doesnt allow out of the box thinking unless this team flounders early then there HAS to be someone to push the button to move on to something else beyond 30 wins a year.

as it is without injuries and no significant changes this team is to win 38 this year. there isnt a team that hasnt improved itself significantly in the east with vets this year as well as pretty good draft choices themselves to expect much more.

that also doesnt translate into a place in the playoffs. because of the youth we are still destined to struggle another season, just how much is anyone’s projection especially if there are injuries to any of the major core. i just dont think horford and law can pull it off if they have to go to the frontlines this year for major minutes, waaay to much to expect. season turns on health and how much shels and marvin have grown and zaza is ready to be tougher down low. if smith ups his game then that should be what zaza attnds to. jj will have to be the man again, hope he gels with the newcomers and that might include relative newcomers because of injury of aj or speedy. as far as the latter i never saw them turn in a cohesive game together for whatever reason.

By jhan

July 20, 2007 12:20 PM | Link to this

Flash, if you are trying to say Sheldon should get Smith’s minutes than you should stay out of the medicine cabinet! Sheldon will be a serviceable player in this league, but Smith is already better than Sheldon will ever be.

By The Flash

July 20, 2007 11:41 AM | Link to this

Look at Orlando. They drafted Shelden’s boy with a 1; Hill did not play to the guy when he used him; after amking the playoffs for the first time in who knows how long, Hill is one and done, and JJ is tearing it up.

By The Flash

July 20, 2007 11:38 AM | Link to this

Farmar is a better player than Crit and will get more playing time. If he don’t, the Hawks should do what they need to and get the guy here.

Smith don’t listen to Law and he’ll be oh so sorry. Law is not a man to be triffled with. Smith don’t throw it into nobody, not just Shelden. They need to move Smith!!!

Shelden will score the ball if you get it to him in time. The Hawks don’t do that on a regular basis. That is Woody’s fault! Smith will never, ever see the floor before he gets it and make the good entry pass. It just will not happen. Playing him at the three hurts the inside game. No inside game, no offense.

Woody encourages catch, face up, assess, play from his exterior people. JJ loves to play that way and is perhaps good enough to, but I really am not a fan of that type of play for anyone. Nobody else on the team should have that latitude (to be, giving one guy that latitude, disturbs the flow for all—ie, the Triangle ain’t the Triangle when Kobe occupies the ball in that manner).

Until the Hawks stop treating Shelden like a step child, he will not reach his potential nor will they. Until the Hawks stop treating Smooth like a dilitante (spelling, ugh), he will get his numbers and have his fans but so what!!!

If Smooth and JJ are allowed to over occupy the ball, there will be no flow to the offense, and if there is no flow to the offense, the defense that Woody wants will remain where it is. In his dreams! Given the talent that this team has, that would be a shame.

Bring on DREW now, and stop placating BK and his loyalty to Woody. It’s only a matter of time anyway, but time has been a wasting for too long already.

By smartguy

July 20, 2007 10:51 AM | Link to this

Hock, I couldn’t agree more. The biggest problem with our team is coaching. Now I know Woody is not coaching summer league, but it is still his system and philosophies that are being taught and run. Not only do we need to change our losing culture, but we also need to change our coaching theories and style.

All these good young players are nice, but if we don’t have a coach worth a grain of salt, then we will never climb out of our hole.

By Hock

July 20, 2007 10:11 AM | Link to this

If there was ever a league in which the Hocks should be great, it’s the Summer League given they supposedly have two of the best 11 rookie players. Yet this team sucks, too. I guess bad coaching is too much to overcome even if you have talent.

By reese

July 20, 2007 10:06 AM | Link to this

Terrell, I watched a lot of the San Antonio game and my opinion on Shelden has not changed. Even you mentioned the facets of his game he needs to work on. I don’t think that he has blocked a shot in the whole summer league. However, I will admit that he did play help defense against San Antonio.

However, he still showed poor footwork, he still stumbled for no apparent reasons, he still did not display an inside post game. I did like the fact that he at least tried to take offense rebounds backup instead of passing the ball out. However, I think that a lot of that had to do with the fact that the San Antonio big men were not that big either. But I will give him credit. Also, he did run the floor well and finish strong at the basket.

By terrell

July 20, 2007 9:45 AM | Link to this

My bad

By roan st

July 20, 2007 8:07 AM | Link to this

Shelden just doesn’t fit on this team as a starter. Our lineup of the future will be law/ johnson/ marvin/ j.smith/ horford. If horford can’t play center in this small ball lineup then marvin will probably be relegated to the bench and replaced by pachulia. I just don’t see shelden as anything but an NBA role player no matter how well he looks in summer league.

By A-ville Ranger

July 20, 2007 1:54 AM | Link to this

Law seems to have done a good job in Mormonville.I didn’t like the pick but I’ll gladly taste crow if he turns out to be what the team needs to build a champion.The other good news out of the 1st-2nd and 3rd wives club-town is Shelden.He’s played well in every game.As for Bradley’s saying he’s only a 24 minute 10 and 10 guy.Does he have a clue how few average double/doubles playing STARTERS minutes ? 10 - 10 in 24 would be great 6th man stats.I think given the opportuity he can give 16-10 in 30 minutes this year.He really needs to get more blocks and assist to be complete though.

By roan st

July 19, 2007 10:10 PM | Link to this

Terrell, my post about deron williams was directed at good news. You might want to go back and read it again and you will see it doesn’t say terrell anywhere.

By terrell

July 19, 2007 9:53 PM | Link to this

Never said a word about Deron Williams.

By ray

July 19, 2007 9:34 PM | Link to this

Joe, really good insight.

By ray

July 19, 2007 8:46 PM | Link to this

Ha Ha! Still fighting over Sheldon being picked 5th. Joe is right, we should be evaluating him solely as a player, which is what should have been the case in the first place. The place a pick is made says more about evaluation of the GM. But hey, I was just one more guy with a knee jerk reaction. However, some of us have been evaluating Sheldon based on his play, lately.

And we’re seeing some of the same things. Some different. I still say he needs to do what the team originally drafted him to do. Nobody expected him to be a 20 and 10 guy, I don’t think. Doing it in the summer league is great. I seem to recall a guy named Lonnie Baxter who kept doing it and just couldn’t stick to an NBA roster to save his life. Funny thing is, he was a LOT like Sheldon: size, game type, etc.

Having said that, Shell has played better in the summer league this year than last. Progress is progress. However, I have to disagree with Flash, who thinks that Sheldon should do some Yoga and read a book or two. Flash, what the hell are you talking about, man? Sheldon hasn’t shown himself successful yet in doing anything consistently. Again, if he’s such a smart Dukie, why is he having so much trouble being consistent and using the skills he showed while he was at Duke? And why are we still not getting an answer on that? Really, like I said a post or two ago: if he uses what he has properly, finds and plays his role well, then he’ll help the team and himself.

Tell me about Yoga again when both Al and Josh are sporting superior post moves in the regular season. I hope this isn’t the case, because that’s gonna mean that Mark Bradley had him pegged in his “Eviction” article. Somehow I think Yoga and poetry by Robert Frost will do just that. And I’m gonna blame YOU, Flash! LOL…

Doc, I can’t help but get the feeling that you are still supremely disappointed about the draft. By the way, I don’t quite agree about your analogy with Critt and Law. You can call it vanilla, but I think Law was brought here because he’s more mature, meaning he’s less likely to frustrate JJ and the rest of the team. He was brought here to be a leader, not take over the team from JJ, but perhaps to share some of that leadership that JJ has had to shoulder.

Managment knew they couldn’t afford to miss out on yet another young pg type, but they didn’t need another potential project. We have too many in early stages right now. Law represented the most leadership-ready guy. Critt was brought in to be a bigger, better threat to help Kobe. Critt’s learning curve may be both higher, and more difficult considering he has to play with Kobe. And trust me, with Kobe around, Critt was not brought in to lead anything. He was brought in because everyone likes a bigger lead guard and L.A. plays the triangle (at least from time to time). Atlanta would have played the game too slow for Critt, he would have clashed with Woodson, I just think it would have been a disaster. And Critt would have been blamed for things that wouldn’t necessarily be his fault. To me, it was more about fit. Critt doesn’t fit with Woody. Law’s a better leader and will probably both flourish and expose Woody for whatever he’s about to prove he is.

And Law is not a shooting problem like Conley. He shot plenty from midrange in college. That will mean more in the NBA then much of anything else scoring-wise. It’s easier to extend one’s range than it is to learn to shoot. Took Jason Kidd a Loooong time. I just think Law will prove himself. He doesn’t need to be the best guard in his draft class. He needs to help his team in the best ways. He doesn’t have to be rookie of the year. He has to help this team reach new significant levels of achievement. The accolades will be side effects of a focused purpose.

As for Smith reacting to a guy like Law vs. a guy like AJ, I think the circumstances are different. They’ll get to go through training camp together and what not. AJ came late in the season and tried to take right over and lead with JJ out. Smith was still mired in the confusion and in the efforts of trying to be “the man” while JJ was out. I’m not defending his actions. But it’s entirely possible that he took AJ’s intentions the wrong way. How would you react if you’ve been struggling all season long with so much losing, and a guy comes on the job (and he’s NOT your new boss, just another employee), and starts telling you how things will be? Conversely, how would it go if you just joined a team very late in the season and the coach told you to go out and run things differently than they have been. You go out and tell a guy who’s been here all year that he’s going to do things differently and he doesn’t know you from Adam’s house cat. How do you get him to go along with the “new” plan? Who knows what words were spoken in the heat of battle, and how they may have been miscommunicated or misinterpreted. Let’s try to be a little more open-minded about things rather than keep on beating on Smith. If he proves himself to be a headache, then by all means bash him to death. I’m sure some will enjoy it, because that’s what they live for. I can hear all the self-righteous I-told-you-so sayers right now…

I’ve finally gotten to see some of Horford’s play. No way is that guy like Sheldon. No way. If you saw the game like I did, you’re crazy if you still think so. Either that or in denial, which is common.

Tyger, now come on ol’ buddy. Billy is GM of the year, remember? How can you be unhappy with him for not calling and signing Jamaal Magloire? Billy knows best, buddy, Billy knows best…..(hee hee).

By Steve T

July 19, 2007 7:37 PM | Link to this

I do not know why the Hawks do not run more. The Hawks can get leads but they let them fade as in the Summer league. The key is when teams start cutting in your lead, just run to get some easy baskets.

By roan st

July 19, 2007 6:49 PM | Link to this

Good news, deron williams of UTAH averaged 11 points and 4.5 asisst per game his rookie season. So I don’t no where your coming from using him as an example when comparing shelden williams.

By roan st

July 19, 2007 6:41 PM | Link to this

Terrell, I guess you have never heard of trading down. When roy was still sitting there at 5 teams down the draft board were salivating to get their hands on him. If knight didn’t want roy then we should have traded down and picked up more assets. I’m not commenting on this any further all I’m saying is that if it were poker knight played about as s** a hand as one could.

By roan st

July 19, 2007 6:22 PM | Link to this

Good news, I agree that hindsight is 20/20 in most cases when we look back at the draft. But in the case of shelden, many on this board, me included, did not want knight to draft that guy. I was on record as saying that we should draft roy as was guys like doc and ando. Just about every major sports network and basketball expert in the country was touting roy as rookie of the year. And we absolutely needed a big lead guard to put next to jj that could score the ball. Instead we took another undersized forward who underachieved. Nobody in the world thought shelden was a good pick at five and that was well before the draft started. Hindsight? NO because most of us didn’t want to draft him to begin with.

Terrell, what part of zero upside don’t you understand. He is shorter than advertised and not very athletic. That translates to lifetime role player in case you don’t get it. No way will he ever play starter minutes at center in the NBA because he will get abused by real centers. IN case you weren’t around here before the 2006 draft virtually every regular on here was begging billy to either take roy or foye or trade down and pick up assets. You laugh at hilton armstrong but he is 6’ 11” and long with a much greater upside than shelden will ever have. Hornets officials were quoted recently as saying that he was progressing nicely and he is a player that they think will surprise in a few years. No I don’t think we should have taken him at five but we could have traded the draft rights to roy and pick up a veteran and a player like armstrong on down the draft board. Billy could have even traded down and still got shelden and pick up more assets. Billy screwed up bigtime in last years draft but like I said earleir he might redeem himself with horford and law. We will see.

By terrell

July 19, 2007 6:16 PM | Link to this

Make that 46 teams that passed on Milsap

By terrell

July 19, 2007 6:02 PM | Link to this

All of those guys mentioned, would have been questionable picks at 5, just like Sheldon was. Rondo and Marcus Williams went in the 20’s for crying out loud. And now you say we should have taken them at 5. BK and about 30 other Gm’s missed out on Milsap man. You cant always get it right. And yeah we neded a point guard but I dont think Williams or Rondo was worth being picked #5. Do you? Listen to me again man, I was p** at the pick, but now that I look at it, I can live with it. He could turn out to be just what we needed in that draft. By the way, we have Joe, so B.Roy probably wasnt even on our Billy’s list. He’s a 2 guard you know. We will know a lot more about Sheldon when the season begins.

By terrell

July 19, 2007 5:28 PM | Link to this

O.k ROAN ST, who should we have taken that year? Rondo at 5; PLEASE, Foye at 5; NEVER, Hilton Armstrong at 5; ARE YOU KIDDING ME, How about Milsap at 5; That would have been the biggest reach in NBA Draft history. You usually make some great comments, but for some reason you are being rediculous today, however I respect your views.

By Good News...

July 19, 2007 4:40 PM | Link to this

R St, It’s easy to cherry pick after a draft. A lot of people missed on the guys you mentioned. Was it the best pick…NO. I never liked his college game and haven’t been impressed with his pro game(so far) But you can go to any draft,any team, any year and say why did they take him, look at who they could have had???

That was 2 years ago…let it go. We did not draft a point cause we already said we were going to get a veteran pg, so here comes Speedy. Not too many people complained about Speedy at the time, now everybody has jumped on the bandwagon after it went bad. If Speedy gave us minutes and decent numbers would it matter? M. Williams for Utah didn’t make a dent his rookie year, so should they have cut him? Sorry for the rant, I just hate it when people cherry pick.

By Lifelong Hawks Fan

July 19, 2007 4:30 PM | Link to this

Now that Franchise is in Houston, the news down there is that they may be shopping Alston. Anyone interested in Skip-to-my-Lou? If so, what would you give up in return?

I don’t think this is something BK would eve consider now. That is unless he can unload Speedy or Lue.

It’s just a thought. Wanted to guage other people’s interest.

By roan st

July 19, 2007 3:49 PM | Link to this

I hope he is a top ten pick since we drafted him fifth overall. I didn’t even mention rondo or second rounders gibson and milsap in my earlier post. It’s possible that he want be in the top ten players in the 2006 draft a few years from now.

By terrell

July 19, 2007 3:27 PM | Link to this

What in the hell has Marcus Williams, Rudy Gay, Randy Foye, and Hilton Armstrong, of all people, done to make you think that they will be so much better than Sheldon. Unless you are some kind of Palm Reader or future teller or some shi. like that, I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions after 1 year in the league.Hey Roan st, I dogged the pick just like everybody else, but those guys that you named that were selected after Sheldon, dont make me lose any sleep thinking about it. All I was saying is he looks alot better than he did last summer. I cant believe I am saying this stuff either. Holla Back when the season starts. Hopefully, you’re wrong .

By terrell

July 19, 2007 3:11 PM | Link to this

Hey Roan street, I said maybe. You dont know if these other guys will be great. What I actually said was that I thought he was a top 10 pick that year. And he could become the 2nd best player. As of right now, he still has a chance. So if you come at me like that, at least get it right. Its all good though. Hey man, how can you say Marcus Williams COULD BECOME the air apparent to Kidd, but I cant say that Sheldon COULD BECOME the 2nd best player taken that year. Whats up with that shi.?

By terrell

July 19, 2007 2:52 PM | Link to this

Sheldon looks good against San Antonio. I never thought I would ever use looking good and Sheldons name in the same sentence, but he’ paying like he has something to prove. Maybe he was just injured all last year and we all gave up too early on this guy. All I know is he’s looking like a different player today against the Spurs.

By roan st

July 19, 2007 2:42 PM | Link to this

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention rudy gay or hilton armstrong who will probably also be better than shelden williams. Hawks fans that keep trying to sell shelden to themselves and other fans just need to accept the reality that we made a big mistake taking him at the five spot. But not all is lost because I do think billy rebounded nicely this year with our picks of horford and law.

By doc

July 19, 2007 2:32 PM | Link to this

aj, i frequently made the point that maybe his shoulder was an issue if it was, it is surprising that the coaching staff didnt have his back. he might have played when others were more injured. yeah, injuries are not talked about during the injury to keep other teams from playing to it. yeah right, as if they dont pick up on it quickkly but it is what coaches think. after an injury heals that would have been the time for someone or anyone to point out how much better he looked now healed but it never came from the organization.

By roan st

July 19, 2007 2:27 PM | Link to this

Terrell, I think you might be getting a little to carried away with shelden. Other than roy you still have bargnnani, aldridge, and foye who will all be better pros than shelden. Why do you think portland shipped the productive randolph to new york? So they could open the door for aldridge who will step right into the starting power forward role. And don’t forget promising young guys like marcus williams who could become the heir apparent to jason kidd. Shelden second best player in the 2006 draft? I don’t think by a long shot. The best we can hope for is for him to become a good solid role player that can rebound and defend the paint. I’m not sold on his offensive output in these summer league games. In fact I don’t think he will ever be much of a scorer in the NBA other than putbacks from offensive rebounds. He is simply not big enough or athlectic enough to become a real good post player.

By terrell

July 19, 2007 12:50 PM | Link to this

Youre right Anakin, like I said before, that draft was horrible. Yeah we missed on B.Roy, but other than that , I didnt see any studs on the board. Go look at that draft and tell me what you think. He’s definately a top 10 pick in 2006. Hell, he might turn out to be the 2nd best player taken that year. Only time will tell

By Anakin Joe

July 19, 2007 12:32 PM | Link to this

One interesting thing I picked up in Sekou’s article about Shelden (from a few days ago) was when he talked about his injury and his father’s influence. Shelden played relatively well before and after the shoulder brace. We were so focused on who was missing games, that we may have overlooked that Shelden was also hurt for most of the season, while still trying to ball. And maybe, because his father believed in playing hurt, he played through more pain than the average guy.

At some point, we have to get over evaluating him as a #5 selection and look at him as a ball player. I always thought that Joe Smith was unfairly perceived because of his draft position, when the guy is actually a very solid NBA pro. Shelden may fall into the same category.

By terrell

July 19, 2007 12:27 PM | Link to this

Hey ANAKIN, why is Sheldon shooting all of these outside shots. Thats not his game. He needs someone to tell him how to play and hell be much more productive. I think he has it in him, he just needs some good coaching. WE NEED HIM TO REBOUND, BLOCK SHOTS, AND DO ALL THE DIRTY WORK INSIDE. If he sticks to that he could be exactly what we need.

By Dennis

July 19, 2007 11:46 AM | Link to this

Great info Sekou, especially polling others around league, keeps us from having tunnel vision. Things are not as bad at times as folks make them out to be. And for all the BK naysayers,you can’t build a playoff team in one year, nevermind a team that will contend year after. We’ve got some really good pieces, and if Woody can’t make it happen (which I think he can), someone else will be brought in.

One issue: the reason the Hawks said they took Shelden is that they had to many points in the paint the previous year and they wanted someone who could bang. As Sekou says, we need someone like a Maurice Lucas or Paul Silas to teach this guy to use his body. The heck with the fouls, he doesn’t need to be the man with this team, except to do that. I think part of the problem is that his role has not been clearly defined to him. Last year (witness: San Antonio game in March where Ginobli had like 23 or 25 straight points, including many lay-ups), guys like Shelden need to crunch people who come down the lane like that. One bucket okay, but the next time, he should get crunched so he’s thinking about it. The lane was still a wide-open swinging gate last year and it KILLED us. Shelden needs to be like a Mo Lucas or Danny Fortson type and just wear people out with his big body. It will help the other guys as well who come in after him as the other teams’ bigs will be softened up.

By terrell

July 19, 2007 11:30 AM | Link to this

Thats what I’m saying Anakin. I think Reese might have slept a little bit more than he mentioned. The 4th quarter is the one that you should stay awake for my man. Both guys wanted the ball in their hands late in the game. That alone could take pressure off Joe. Hoford ended up with 18, with at least 10 coming from the line. So thats the reason he had trouble getting his shots off reese, HE WAS GETTIN FOULED. Law had 24 in their 3rd game so his shot is there. I’m sure he was told to be more of a fasciliator during game 1 or just chose to do so to prove that he could. Hey reese, I think Sheldon looked a lot better than he did last summer. I know he had a couple 20 and 10 games. Hey but you got your opinion, and Ive got mine.

By Anakin Joe

July 19, 2007 11:21 AM | Link to this

http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=2186

Quick read.

By Melvin

July 19, 2007 11:02 AM | Link to this

Ok, I watched the game last night against the Jazz. I must admit that I didn’t watch either Law or Horford play that much in college and I had precede notions about both players before the draft. I thought Law was similiar to Salim and Horford was another version of Shelden. However, after watching them play last nite. I was completely wrong. I was very impress with both of those guys. Law really look like the PG this team so desperately needs. He look really comfortable with the ball in his hands (unlike Salim) even when he was defended by guards that were smaller and quicker than him. He seem to have good ballhandling, court vision and poise. Also, I noticed he’s very vocal on the court. Trait of a leader. Horford may be the second coming of the Mailman. He has a very smooth and coorinated game. He has good post moves on the block, softhands and nice shooting touch. I was on the Yi bandwagon (and still is) before the draft but what I seen from Horford and Law I think BK may have gotten this one right.

By Anakin Joe

July 19, 2007 11:00 AM | Link to this

Doc, Shelden looked pretty bad in the game last night, but I was expecting that. I listened to that particular game when it was broadcasted live and I knew that he had a bad game. He did look like he has lost a little weight. Based on box scores and Sekou’s game reports, Shelden looked better in the next 3-4 games that will be televised. I will say this, at least 2 of his shots were taken because someone passed him the ball with 3 seconds left on the shot clock, so he basically hoisted those shots from long range. I’m guessing that between those 2 end of shot clock possessions and his heave at the end of the game, 3 misses were not “normal” shots. His game will look much uglier because Horford looks so smooth. Shelden is clearly a bull in the china shop. I was surprised to see the comments from the scout about him avoiding contact. I think he avoids fouls, because that put him on the bench early last season. I don’t think he considers himself a “goon”. I’m guessing he sees himself more like fellow Dukie Carlos Boozer. He needs a coach who can explain that he needs to be a goon now while working on foot work in practice so that ultimately he can do more. But no one can question his motor and he was definitely in the mix throughout the game.

It will be interesting to see how the team chemistry works this upcoming year. There were several times that I saw Smith “freeze out” Shelden, even when he was a foot from the basket and wide open. And we also saw that Speedy and JJ were not on the same page in many games. Seems like the Hawks need one of those corporate “team building” sessions where they get to do some serious bonding. I also recall how JT tried to be a team leader as a young PG but was put in his place by vets like SAR and Big Dawg. Will Smith (who barked at an older vet like AJ) accept leadership from Law? Can Shelden put aside his Duke elitism and be subserviant to the team’s needs? We have better talent and depth but I’m not sure that we have the intangibles in place to make this team overcome the weight of being a perennial loser.

Doc, Crit will likely be good for 16 points one game, and 4 the next 2. That averages to 8 per game. Law will likely score 8 in each and every one of those 3 games. I think that is what the Hawks would prefer. Consistent performance as opposed to a rollercoaster ride (see the career game logs of Smith and Marvin as exhibits A & B).

By tb

July 19, 2007 10:59 AM | Link to this

You guys have League Pass or are the games linked free, if so can you please indicate where.

Thanks

By doc

July 19, 2007 10:05 AM | Link to this

oh and by the way aj cant agree with the comments about crit comparison to hughes. hughes is best known for his defense, not his shot. crit can shoot the ball better than hughes has ever thought of or done in the past. crit’s game was to shoot at the end of games under pressure and with a high percentage from nba distance. hughes scores more as a slasher and falls to 25 % when he goes from deep.

crit is there for the same reason that law is here to take double teams off of kobe. face it the offense will still run through jj when he wants it and occasionaly the ball will come back to law just as it will to crit in l.a. both had better be ready. crit is better than smush now just not sure he is ready to take the reins just yet like law should be expected to do here. just dont see the hughes tag in crit.

By doc

July 19, 2007 9:50 AM | Link to this

thanks aj. watch stuckey as well, if dumars compares the kid to himself that is a strong recommendation of a team player with guts. he also is a mature kid just like law. he might not get the chance behind their two starters but the philosophy they stated they wanted to follow was to get him minutes to take some of the wear a tear from the older guys that have seemed to have lost their legs in the post season the last two years.

i am sure you are on target with law. you seem to see similar traits that i look for as well. it isnt rocket science to see those that will flourish and those that wont if you look for a certain characteristics and dont see major flaws.

sadly, i havent seen what others have seen in solo, he is a major project, very raw and again didnt seem to flourish on the bench or with the coaching last year.

any thoughts about sheldon from what you saw?

By Anakin Joe

July 19, 2007 9:32 AM | Link to this

Doc, Crit and Stuckey may score a lot but neither are looking to be facilitators (at least from what we have seen so far). Stuckey seems much more like Foye and Crit is looking like a shorter Larry Hughes. Volumes scorers.

Law is clearly showing the ability to be an above average facilitator and scorer. I watched a little of the game last night and I was surprised to see how quick and smooth Law looked on the floor. He may not be as fast as others going baseline to baseline, but he has a lot of agility and some very mature skills.

When you read between the lines, it is clear that Law was drafted to optimize JJ. Seems like JJ was most often doubled by the opposing teams PG. BK/Woody wanted a PG who could make a team pay for leaving him open. Law’s college stats suggests that he is more of a scorer than a shooter. He has a very strong mid-range game, which we all know is what helps most big time scorers in the league. He gets in the lane and becomes a threat to score or pass. Plus, as others have noted, his appears to have strong leadership skills.

I was also struck with how fast and agile Horford appeared last night. He is not a jump out the gym kind of athlete but he is definitely more athletic than the average big. And again, a lot of poise. J Smoove isn’t nearly as smooth as Mr. Horford.

Overall, it was great to see guys who “looked like they belong”. Those 2 didn’t seem confused, scared, nervous, lost or tentative. They took to the court like a fish to water.

And yes, Mario West was looking like a shorter version of Damien Wilkens, doing everything on the floor to help his team win. I hope he lands somewhere, with a team who will appreciate his all-out hustle.

By doc

July 19, 2007 6:47 AM | Link to this

thanks guys for the info guys. reese it sounds like yours was of the first game, couldnt tell if terrll’s was of the same game or the game that was played yesterday.

hope acie starts to be consistant with the shot or we end up with what we tried to avoid in conley and have in speedy and lue. feel we still might be shaking our heads at stuckey and crit going so late and playing so well. dumars saw a little of himself in stuckey so that may be good or just his ego getting in the way but the guy came to play in rookie league. i stated it before the draft i was surprised that he didnt even get a tryout with the hawks. he was big, a shooter, defender and distributor on a team that wasnt great and didnt take it out on his team mates when they blew it. that signals a leader and someone that will be interesting to watch as he goes to the next level from a second tier small school. again i think the organization was playing it safe and can always come back with “if we missed it means that everyone missed’. vanilla is always a safe flavor for the mainstream.

By Nookah

July 19, 2007 1:35 AM | Link to this

Reese, thanks man, I didn’t realize. I got my schedule screwed up.

Nuff Respect!!!

GO HAWKS!!!!

By reese

July 19, 2007 1:10 AM | Link to this

Nookah, the game on nba tv was just a replay of the first summer league game. Utah won the game. This link will take you to a site that has the box scores, recap and team roster information.

By Nookah

July 19, 2007 12:43 AM | Link to this

terrell

Man I appreciate the info. I am unable to see this game. Can you give me some stats? How was Horford inside both on defense and offense? How many assists did Acie have and how did Raivio play?

Also who won the game?

Nuff Respect!!!

GO HAWKS!!!

By reese

July 19, 2007 12:37 AM | Link to this

OK, I watched until somewhere in the 3rd qtr and fell asleep. Below are my assessments of Sheldon, horfor, solomon and law.

Sheldon displayed the shelden that I remember from last year. He did not display any semblance of a post game. He did not come close to blocking a shot or altering shots. As a matter of fact I don’t remember him attempting to block a shot or playing help defense. The few chances in which he did try to post up, he displayed poor footwork, fell down after initiating contact with the defender or fumbled the ball away after making contact with the defender.

Horford in my opinion can play the 4 and at times the small forward position. He is good at posting up on the block. He keeps his body in front of the defender and the incoming ball. He goes after the ball if it is not a good pass. He can run the floor and attempts to play help defense. He did not block any shots, but he did alter shots. However, he has difficulty getting his shot off against taller players on the block. At one point he grabbed an offensive rebound and didn’t even look at the rim. He just passed it back out to a guard. Seems as though the would be most beneficial in a running system or with another big man on the floor in a slower system.

Solomon Jones attempted to play help defense and tried to be agressive on offense. Unfortunately, he missed the shots that I saw him take or he was called for an offensive charge. On defense, he did block and alter shots. If he has gained any weight or gotten any taller, it wasn’t noticible. He played center while both horford and shelden played power forward.

Acie Law’s shot was way off. He doesn’t seem to blow by anyone on the offensive end. You could tell that he tried to be a distributor, however, the receipients were not making their shots. He did a decent job of handling the ball and mixing up when to take shots and when to distribute the ball. He is vocal on the court. He took shots with both the right and left hand, which is another trait of a scorer.

Mario West was the hustle player who was trying to impress scouts. He blocked a couple shots, jumped out of bounds for lose balls and was the aggressor on both the offensive and defensive ends. I don’t think that he has a place on the hawks but maybe with another team. His physical attributes are common in the NBA.

By terrell

July 19, 2007 12:32 AM | Link to this

Doc, I was impressed with what I saw tonight. Both of our rookies just looked like they belonged out there man. One thing that really stood out is when Sheldon committed a foul out of frustration, I saw Acie run up to him, say a few words, and pat him on the head as they went to the bench on a time-out. Thats leadership qualities if you ask me, especially for a rookie. His shot wasn’t falling tonight but he was creating a lot of opportunities for everyone else. Acie just looked fast. He makes Ivey and T.Lue seem like their playing in slow motion. If we play up tempo, everyone better look out. Horford’s ability to run the court and finish also stood out. He also handles the ball extremely well for a guy his size. His passing skills also looked good. From what I saw tonight, expect these guys to get major minutes this year. Like you said doc, its the summer league, but playing well is better than playing poorly no matter who you are playing against. I put it to you like this, in my opinion, both of these guys look more NBA ready than Oden or Durant looked in their first summer league games, which is saying something cosidering all the hype they got. And by the way, Solo, just looks lost out there right now. He does look like he has put on some pounds, but I dont see him getting much playing time. Josh.S, Horford, Sheldon, and Zaza has the 4 and 5 positions on lockdown. Either Lorenzen or Solo might not be on the roster when we start the season. And thats sad because I really wanted Solo to succeed. I guess only time will tell. Like someone said before, the D- League would have done him some good last year. As yall can tell, I’m pretty excited about this up coming season. If Cleveland can make a run, why cant we. And to you Vick Haters, please stay off this blog with that crap. I’m trying to stay away from that sh.t, if I can.

By doc

July 18, 2007 10:45 PM | Link to this

jto, while i agree with your fervor and assessment of josh, unless he is going to really give the home team a home town discount i for one am not enthusiastic about going ahead with a contract for smith. i dont see him as being a player better than his former running mate now in orlando that just now got his first contract taken care of. some might argue he is more a franchise player than smith is and they didnt jump the gun on him and get him signed up going into his third year. i dont think either side is going to benefit much from an early signing. let is wait and take our time on this one and not because i dont feel smith isnt worth it. he is a very talented player, now is the time to see if he can mesh with the rst of this team that has been put together first. he shouldnt take it personal if it doesnt get done before next year either.

good to see sheldon showing up for the games in utah. it is encouraging to see something postive out of him, he really has to grow this year if the hawks are going to be the force some say they can be. it doesnt mean much to do well in these games but it says a heck of a lot more to do well than to falter like solo is doing. overall solo might have been hurt to not play nbadl last year instead of sitting on the bench for most of the season.

also a pleasure to see acie doing well and horford showing some dimension to his game. the competition for guard rooks is going to be fierce this year as stuckey and crit are making some serious noise too and they may be better physical specimens than acie. his chip on the shoulder better be good as it may take that to get him to be the best of his class that might have been a bit underrated except for conley who might be a bit overrated for what can be expected of him out of the gate.

and how ablut some cudos for louis williams.

terrell i thing you need to share a bit of what you are seeing there dude.

By Remembering Roundfield

July 18, 2007 10:13 PM | Link to this

Seems to me that if Sheldon is such a bright young fella (coming from Duke and all) then maybe somebody should just drop a hint that he needs to attack and relish the contact. I’m sure if he thought that might get him to the all star game he would find a way to make it happen. I agree that this is some of your best work, Sekou! Please keep it up.

By terrell

July 18, 2007 8:24 PM | Link to this

Just from watching the first few minutes of the Hawks/Jazz game, I’ve seen enough from Acie to start him over every other point guard on our team. He cant be any worse than what we have. Sheldon is looking pretty good, he just needs to quit trying to turn into a small forward at times and trying to take people off the dribble. Other than that, I’m happy with what I see.

By terrell

July 18, 2007 8:05 PM | Link to this

Time for the tip-off. I can finally watch a game.

By The Flash

July 18, 2007 4:29 PM | Link to this

I don’t agree with that scout about Shelden. Having watched him at Duke, Shel knows how to get and hold position, and has several (as in, at least 3) ways to hurt you when the ball is delivered in a good spot.

I think that overtraining in basketball is an issue. Staleness and injury are factors to be considered. Exposure to experiences that freshen and expand perspectives are valuable. Working on things like balance, coordination, flexibility likewise.

Nash plays soccer in the off season. Not for everyone but certainly a perspective expander (there are so many more choices to make in how one receives the ball, and passes it, for starters), a balance developer (almost everything you do is on one foot), and a footwork developer. Not for everyone, perhaps, but it works for him. Have to think Nash is as interested in expanding his game as the next guy.

I am oh so not a fan of using the same muscles to do the same types of things in the same game year round for any number of reasons. I especially see no reason for Shelden to have gone to Houston to work out with Hakeem and Calvin. Better he do yoga and read some good books.

By Anakin Joe

July 18, 2007 3:50 PM | Link to this

Tyger did you look at his stats last year? I’ll roll the dice with Zaza for another year at the same price (and about 4-5 years younger).

JTO, I personally think BK would make a huge mistake by bidding against himself. Josh Howard and Tayshaun Prince each got 5 year $50M deals. First, we would need Belkin’s approval to offer a 5 year deal to Smith, would we get that approval? I doubt it. Secondly, if Smith is looking for more than that, how much more? And how would you feel if Smith curses out Woody in the first 20 games after signing a $50M contract, or throws up 10 3s in a game or commits 8 TOs per game over an extended stretch? He still has stuff to prove, like his ability to score 18+ with JJ in the game.

By tyger

July 18, 2007 2:31 PM | Link to this

Unacceptable

“They have some really good pieces here, and my only objective is to enhance this team and make it better. I see myself as a scorer and a rebounder,” said the 6-11, 265-pound Magloire, a 9.0 career scorer who has enjoyed All-Star success. “I bring a toughness that I haven’t seen in this league very often.”

He signed a one year deal for $4M and we couldnt even place a call???

By the other Mike

July 18, 2007 1:55 PM | Link to this

Doc Great comment, right on point. I agree 100%.

Anakin Joe I agree. There seems to be a disconnect between Woody’s coaching staff and players. Most of these guys are playing on raw talent; they need someone to help them harness that talent. You just cringe when Woody grabs the clip board for one of those horrid time-out plays calls. Guys look so confused. You wonder if Woody and his coaching staff are the same page, or the same planet.

Like I stated in one my previous blogs, I’m more concern with Woody’s coaching. The last two seasons we’ve dug our self a hole and tried to climb out of it. That can’t be accepted by ownership this season.

By JTO

July 18, 2007 1:51 PM | Link to this

Sekou, Ando, Doc,

My belief is that if management waits any longer to try to sign an extension for Smith, he will only want more. I can’t see that his value will decrease any from where it already is and if he shows more improvement in his game this next year, he may demand more than management is willing to budge for. In my opinion, it is better for management to budge a little on what they consider ideal than to be backed into the corner when he is a restricted FA. all it takes is a team pushing their limits in regards to cap space by signing him to a contract that our management sees as out of their price range. If the latter were to happen we would be forced to either let him go or pay a large amount more than we are able to do.

I am not totally sure how these things work. If anybody can shed some light on this it would be much appreciated

* *Sekou or good ole Ando (if you are still out there) and doc, what do you think about all of this?**

If management is going to play the “wait and see” game with his extension, my guess is that they don’t intend on keeping both Josh Smith and Marvin Williams. This wait and see how Josh does this season might really be wait and see how much both of these guys develop this season. Then they will start putting all their eggs in one basket and use the other guy to bring what is seen as “the final missing piece to the puzzle.”

I don’t see that this team is quite ready to make a legit playoff run. Although I do see that the foundation that is being built could lead us well past the 8th spot and make us a big contender in the east. That won’t happen for at least 2 to 3 seasons though. These guys still have a lot of learning to do. But the great thing is that they know it and are willing to put in the work.

With the poor reputation the franchise has obtained in the past 10 years, we have lost almost appeal to bring in big FA’s. The only way this can change is the way that BK is doing it. By starting young and building a team that develops together and hopefully peaks together as individuals. The big question is can and will management keep all these young guys around long enough to see them blossom? If they can, we may be able to strengthen our rep enough to be a player in the big FA market.

By terrell

July 18, 2007 1:07 PM | Link to this

O.k, BK brought in Joe Johnson, which is a steal right now, considering what Orlando just paid for Rashard. Who would you rather have, Joe for 70 mil or Rashard for 100 mil. He drafted Smoov and Chill who are both ballers. J. Smith and Joe Johnson are a great 1/2 punch of the future and Chills is one of the best 6th men in the league. Marvin was questional in my opinion, but he is a nice complement to Joe and Josh. If he lives up to the hype, we could end up having 3 superstars on the floor at the same time. As for Sheldon, we were all furious with this pick, but if he can do the things that he was brought in here to do he could turn out to be very well needed. Rebounding, shot-blocking, fighting for loose balls, offensive rebounding, and just flat out doing the dirty work is all we need out of him. EVERY GOOD TEAM HAS ONE OF THESE GUYS. Finally no one can complain about Horford and Law. Al has demonstrated excellent passing skills from the paint, which could open up a lot of different things for the offense, not to mention his other skills. And lets not forget, Acie was the best point guard in college basketball all year long until he missed that layup in the Sweet 16 and then everybody jumped on Conley’s bandwagon. Billy has actually done a pretty damn good job in my opinion, especially considering who he is working for. The worse pick he’s ever made is the coach he brought with him. Other than that I think everyone needs to get off his d… WOODY IS THE PROBLEM, NOT OUR GM! Just my opinion of course.

By Miss C

July 18, 2007 12:48 PM | Link to this

I am real excited about this coming season. As fans we should show support for our team like this all the time.

By doc

July 18, 2007 12:44 PM | Link to this

not many care to discuss about the issues on the falcons at any time of year much less now. we prefer the nba, the hawks and occasionaly life experiences and the fun of “harrassing” each other as the brotherhood of the liars table develops.

please, there are other blogs to go to discuss the other teams in this town. with respect to you, go there if you feel the need. with the complete silence to the issue within the past 24 hours thus far it is best to take others lead.

By tyger

July 18, 2007 12:42 PM | Link to this

BK — GM of the Year

For the last three years, BK has deserved this moniker, if not, for the vision and the excellent draft picks, but for cap mgt. and quality control.

Only now, is the broader spectrum accepting the horrid conditions under which he must work. He never leaks a word, but now its become undeniable that the ownership situation is a mess.

For the second year in a row, we’re handcuffed during free agency, but fortunately, because of BK and his superior talent evaluation and cap mgt. we almost have a complete team.

Many other mainstream GMs wouldve quit along time ago and sung like a bird about how bad a situation this is. We cant even get a mediocre MLE player despite being under the cap!!!

Trade you say…nobody knows who to talk to and even then is that really the right guy??? You’ve got to cut three deals, one with each team and another with Belkin. Shameful…we saw it flare up on draft night and now how can you compete when agents and teams know you really cant pull the trigger??

But despite it all, BK has this franchise on track and looking up, if only he had a little support to get us over the hump. I bet it took all he had just to get the rookies signed in time for summer camp. This is ridiculous!

By ToeKnee

July 18, 2007 12:36 PM | Link to this

Sekou. THANK YOU!! I’ve been reading this blog for over the past 2 years and I have to say this may be the best blog you’ve ever written. Thank you. I love all the insight.

So why isn’t Shelden out there in Houston with Hakeem and Josh?? I still like the guy, but ur guys totally right about us all assuming he’s a finished product. I think they need to get Josh signed, and if not, at least let him know it’s coming. Just look at Andruw for the braves, Cal Ripken said himself that when your contract status is up in the air like that it affects your head and can affect your game. WE need Josh at the top of his game this year if we’re gonna make a run at the playoffs. sign the man!

and i know there’s tons of other blogs on this, but this is the only one I read, but whether or not he’s eventually convicted, there’s no doubt that Michael Vick was INVOLVED, at least financially, in dogfighting. And maybe we don’t have to actually see this despicable event, but it is disgusting!! The fact that he could even be involved in such a horrible crime is revolting! I may not be in PETA, but I’ve had dogs my entire life, and I just don’t see how you can raise a dog from a puppy just to send it into a fight, and then drown it or electrocute it or…yeah, these are not good people.

my money will not go to support this, and if thats what michael vick is spending his money on, then i will not be spending ANY of my money on the falcons. I don’t know what your “crew” may be telling you Michael, but dogfighting is cruel and evil. I don’t know how you could possibly treat this so casually!!! did you guys hear the way clinton portis talked about it??? SO CASUAL!!! and ray buchanon said vick used to brag about it!! i know the legal process has to play out, but michael vick is involved in the inhumane slaughter of innocent dogs, and that is UNFORGIVABLE in the biggest sense of the word. I threw my Vick jersey away a long time ago..

By ToeKnee

July 18, 2007 12:31 PM | Link to this

Sekou. THANK YOU!! I’ve been reading this blog for over the past 2 years and I have to say this may be the best blog you’ve ever written. Thank you. I love all the insight.

So why isn’t Shelden out there in Houston with Hakeem and Josh?? I still like the guy, but ur guys totally right about us all assuming he’s a finished product. I think they need to get Josh signed, and if not, at least let him know it’s coming. Just look at Andruw for the braves, Cal Ripken said himself that when your contract status is up in the air like that it affects your head and can affect your game. WE need Josh at the top of his game this year if we’re gonna make a run at the playoffs. sign the man!

and i know there’s tons of other blogs on this, but this is the only one I read, but whether or not he’s eventually convicted, there’s no doubt that Michael Vick was INVOLVED, at least financially, in dogfighting. And maybe we don’t have to actually see this despicable event, but it is disgusting!! The fact that he could even be involved in such a horrible crime is revolting! I may not be in PETA, but I’ve had dogs my entire life, and I just don’t see how you can raise a dog from a puppy just to send it into a fight, and then drown it or electrocute it or…yeah, these are not good people.

my money will not go to support this, and if thats what michael vick is spending his money on, then i will not be spending ANY of my money on the falcons. I don’t know what your “crew” may be telling you Michael, but dogfighting is cruel and evil. I don’t know how you could possibly treat this so casually!!! did you guys hear the way clinton portis talked about it??? SO CASUAL!!! and ray buchanon said vick used to brag about it!! i know the legal process has to play out, but michael vick is involved in the inhumane slaughter of innocent dogs, and that is UNFORGIVABLE in the biggest sense of the word. I threw my Vick jersey away a long time ago..

By Anakin Joe

July 18, 2007 11:12 AM | Link to this

Great blog, Sekou. Seems to suggest that BK has selected NBA-caliber talent, now it is up to the coaches and players to put it together for both individual and team success. And I guess the scout who made the “Shelden needs to be taught how to play” comment is not overly impressed with Ty Hill. Any reason to believe that Horford will receive better coaching than Shelden? Shame that we invested a #5 and a #3 without investing in a true “big man” coach to work with these guys. Where’s Antoine Carr?

By the other Mike

July 18, 2007 9:56 AM | Link to this

I think some guys missed the point of the scout’s comments. They’re not saying all of these young guys on the Hawks squad will turn out to be great. The point is they will all continue to improve and develop. So since we have invested high draft picks to get’em, why would we just trade them away after one or two years? Keep the core of these guys together and let them grow as a team. Then add some veterans’ players to the mix.

That’s exactly what BK has tried to do. Unfortunately because of dubious distinction of being organization with a history of loosing, the Hawks were not able to bring in any marquee FA’s, not too mention we have cheap owners. When you look at the kind of loot being dished out in this FA season, The Joe Johnson deal is starting to look like a steal.

I have always supported these young guys, and I will continue to support them. It takes time develop a core group of guys, especially when they’re young. You have guys like Steven A. Smith calling the Eastern Conference the junior varsity league, which I think is insult to all the guys that play in the Eastern conference.

I remember when the West was the weakest conference. Besides the Lakers and the Spurs what other team in the West has won multiple championships. Of course the West is the stronger conference now, but the talent level in the East is starting to recover. This young Hawks team could be one of team that evolves into a perennial contender for years to come.

By mike jones

July 18, 2007 8:38 AM | Link to this

It’s about time someone wrote a piece that was indepth enough to have not only the true fans but bandwagon folks updated and kept interested. Thanks for the real info and not that watered down ish!!!

By Alex

July 18, 2007 3:54 AM | Link to this

Great stuff! Pin-point accurate! Sometimes, all of us together get too far in our thinking, as we wish to see Hawks establish themselves where they truly belong… However, we need to understand that everything is a process and it all takes time. I believe that Hawks are just few steps away from great things. All the right pieces are falling into right places… Basically, Hawks need to re-sign Josh Smith, keep developing Marvin, Shelden, Al and Law, and maybe add another veteran (center)to round-up unbelievably talented and strong team (contender) for many years to come…

By Harry Hawk

July 18, 2007 2:28 AM | Link to this

This is easily one of the best blogs I’ve seen a sportswriter do. Awesome stuff, Sekou! I just hope these guys turn out to be as good as the scouts think they are. I guess we’ll all find out soon enough.

By Peter

July 18, 2007 1:36 AM | Link to this

There’s a time coming when we’ll wonder what we all were worried about. This will be a good young team. I hate to repeat myself but seeing JSmith in GS and Den convinced me that the Hawks have to keep the guy.

Rashard was overpaid (who else but Orlando was bidding?) but Smooth is young and hungry and if he leaves he’ll be angry (angrier?) and we’ll pay in an entirely different way.

Thanks for the update!

By mykhalc

July 18, 2007 12:53 AM | Link to this

SEKOU, you smoked this last blog!!! great updates!!

By Nookah

July 18, 2007 12:19 AM | Link to this

All you bloggers out there….remember the name Ray Eck. Read his post (11:21 PM).

In the previous blog I mentioned that seats on the Hawks bandwaggon will be at a premium by the All Star Break. Well here’s one blogger who will be paying double!!!

Ray Eck you’ll have to eat your words my brother.

As of today I declare you an endangered blogger

Oh by the way I mean no harm just expressing a different opinion fron yours. All in good fun!!!

Nuff Respect!! GO HAWKS!!

By Ray Eck

July 17, 2007 11:21 PM | Link to this

I have always supported Billy Knight but I do not think this group will be able to do much more than last year. They just do not have the right people for some of the positions - center & point quard. Law may get there some day but who knows. The Hawks also have to many people in multiple positions. Changes have to happen - I have not read one thing about the Hawks trying to improve their roster. I can see mgmt. getting rid of the GM & all of the coaches at years end without a lot of improvement. They will not improve with unit in place. The Hawks just can not afford to just stand on their two plus feet & hope for the better.

By the other Mike

July 17, 2007 10:44 PM | Link to this

Well great job BlogZ. It’s great to hear from some guys that are in the trenches with these guys and follow the game without all hype. I’m not at all surprise by their assessment of the Hawks. There is so much hype and commercialism associated with the game today. People forget how difficult it is to play basketball at the NBA level. It’s good to hear some positive comments about the guys on the Hawks team. I think it will be fun watch these young guys start to take advantage of their size and athleticism.

Keep putting down Sekou, because I know on one is looking forward to next season more than you are. I can feel the excitement in your blogs. GO SEKOU!!!!!!!!!!AND GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By terrell

July 17, 2007 10:40 PM | Link to this

Lets give up A #5 AND A #6 pick who are game ready for a #6 pick, who hasn’t done 1 thing in the NBA, knowing good and damn well that our jobs are on the line. THATS REAL SMART . Come on JohnGTfan, lets be realistic man.

By JohnGTfan

July 17, 2007 9:51 PM | Link to this

Nice to see people already jumping ont he “Acie” bandwagon after so much crying for Knight not drafting Conley.

By honest_abe

July 17, 2007 9:46 PM | Link to this

great blog sekou!

its nice having a young talented squad, it’s just too bad we don’t have the type of coaching needed in order to “mold” these young men.

like the one scout alluded to, shelden has a lot of positives. he just needs to be taught how to use them to his advantage. i just don’t know if woody is the guy that’s going to be turn him into a very serviceable nba player.

either way i’m starting to see that i might just have been wrong about ac law.. he might be the hawks answer at the point. i always knew he could score i just didn’t know if he he a pg mentality. it looks like that is exactly what he is working on during the summer league games.

oooh just a few more months. can’t wait.

By JohnGTfan

July 17, 2007 9:46 PM | Link to this

I’m curious, just throwing this out here into the wind….I’m wondering, now that Yi’s people said he will not play in Milwaukee, would ATL pursue a trade for him? Don’t know if it makes sense to…but just wondering a lineup of: PG Law SG JJ SF J Smith PF Y Jialian C Horford

I hate to admit it, but that sounds pretty exciting to me! I know all hypothetical…but what would ATL have to give up? Chill and Shelden? hmmm

By MannyT

July 17, 2007 9:23 PM | Link to this

Sekou, thanks for the blog info.

As we look for people to help the young guys, maybe the link to help Shelden is a little closer. Coach Ballard played for the Washington Bullets. Early in his career, he played with some guy named Wes Unseld that might be a good guy for Shelden to model is game after.

I’m looking forward to the real season.

By ray

July 17, 2007 8:38 PM | Link to this

Sekou, YOU DA MAN. This was absolute dynamite! Thanks for coming through with the info, I look forward to more. And don’t pay any mind to the pundit wannabes who don’t talk to league officials, scouts, etc on a daily basis. Funny how they have the nerve to say you’re full of it and self-serving. Oh well, some people are always talking to the mirror…

I cannot wait to see Acie play. I’m glad he’s showing himself to be as advertised. And making mistakes early on by trying to do too much is a good thing in some ways. At least the effort’s there and the guy seems to be learning from it according to Coach Drew. What more can you ask for, really? Looking forward to a bright future with this guy…

I also want to see Horford play. I wouldn’t be in too much of a rush to start him at center. He’ll get plenty of minutes and we can see what he’ll do. Then Woody has to figure out how best to use him, at the 4, then subbing at the 5…or at the 5 and occasionally moving over to the 4 when Zaza or somebody like that is in the game. Either way, I see the guy in the starting lineup sometime during the season. Of course, he’s yet to play a single regular season game yet, so we’ll see how it goes. It’s just that as rugged, strong, and tough as he is, it’s 82 games against tough, savvy veterans. That can really pound a guy.

Sheldon really should do what Josh Smith did: seek out help of high-profile former NBA types who are offering it. I’m only laying that at his feet because apparently the team isn’t going to do it for any of them. I hope he gets in the groove because his value to the team could really go up. Everybody needs a banger or three. No offense to Pachulia, but if Sheldon and Al hold down the paint and clean the glass well, there’s no need to rely on Pachulia to do much more than come in and change the offensive attack, as that one scout said. Plus, then we don’t go hunting so hard for another defensive/rebounding presence down low. Of course, it never hurts to get another guy who’s a little taller, provided he can do what needs to be done.

By the way, why is Wojo coaching big guys at Duke? He was a guard. And while that doesn’t mean he can’t do the job, is a former pg type the best idea they could come up with?

I see the opinions of some of the league insiders/officials validate the arguments of those who think that Smith should more or less be allowed to play out his contract (or something like that). I realize it’s somewhat of a business “game”, but I still agree with Sekou: you gotta be careful when playing that game. But can’t you use the same principal/idea with Smith that some do with Marvin? “One of the worst things you can do is develop talent for other teams.” Dangerous gamble…But hey, I don’t have the job of making that decision. Guess we’ll see what happens.

By roan st

July 17, 2007 7:19 PM | Link to this

SALT LAKE CITY (July 17) – The Hawks led by as many as 13, but dropped an 85-79 decision to the Chicago Bulls in summer league action on Tuesday in Salt Lake City.

Shelden Williams (20) had his third 20-point effort in four contests, while Solomon Jones and Terrance Thomas added 11 apiece … Acie Law finished with 7 points and a game-high 9 assists … Craig Bradshaw scored 9.

After a strong first half, the Hawks held a 43-34 lead … But the Bulls came out red-hot in the third, outscoring Atlanta 31-16 in the period to take a six-point advantage (65-59) … However, the Hawks fought back to take the lead early in the fourth, before Chicago made a couple late plays to claim the win.

The Bulls had a huge advantage from the foul line, knocking down 29-41, while the Hawks made just 13-22.

Al Horford missed his second consecutive game due to a right ankle sprain, and is a game-time decision for Thursday’s contest.

Ronnell Taylor (8 pts) was enjoying a solid game, but left in the second quarter with a right eye contusion and did not return.

By reese

July 17, 2007 7:14 PM | Link to this

Yes, Sekou, I too appreciate the information you pass on and for hosting this blog.

Basically, the scouts say the same information that we banter about in this blog. Shelden doesn’t know how to play his position. The hawks don’t know what position to make him play, so now their going to try him at center.

Zaza is a backup center and Horford can’t do any worse.

Does anyone know when the hawks will be playing on NBA tv. I want to see for myselft if sheldon gets a rebound in the lane, is he still looking to pass it back out or is he taking it up strong. I don’t really care if he scrores. I just want to see if the mentallity has changed.

By Zulu

July 17, 2007 6:22 PM | Link to this

Great info on this blog. Sounds as though there will be five plus a bench.

By doc

July 17, 2007 5:57 PM | Link to this

cudos to sekou!

By mississippi

July 17, 2007 5:19 PM | Link to this

Great blog Sekou, but who the hell is going to update us on the rest of our summer league games? We need to know what Horford does when he gets back and if Law keeps up the good play. Somebody. Somebody.

By tony

July 17, 2007 5:08 PM | Link to this

Zaza is better than what some of you gives him credit for. The problem I’ve seen in Zaza’s game - he has the tendency to pull off his man too much to help out on defense. With Al Horford playing alone side him, he won’t have to play off his man as much. Acie and Al Horford brings a swagger which I hasn’t seen since Armond Hill and John Drew played in the late 70s and Doc Rivers and Dominique W in the 80s. I foresee an NBA Title in the making for the city of Atlanta. Both of those kids play smart fundamental basketball. This team will shock the entire league this up coming season.

By The Flash

July 17, 2007 4:52 PM | Link to this

Let me add my props for this thread. Sekou, you do a terrific job, but you have outdone yourself with this one. My only regret is that you stopped where you did. Keep writing; this stuff rocks!

By mavid

July 17, 2007 3:56 PM | Link to this

wow, best blog ever. way to go sekou!

By A-ville Ranger

July 17, 2007 3:49 PM | Link to this

Sekou Good stuff…for the most part.A couple of things though,you’re too quick to stamp success on the rookies,just as many are too quick to write Shelden off.The other thing is just a misstatement.The consensus among scouts,gms,coaches,etc did NOT rate any pg over Marvin.That is just revisionist bs,and self-serving bs at that.

By smartguy

July 17, 2007 3:26 PM | Link to this

SIGN SMOOTH!!!!!

SIGN SMOOTH

SIGN SMOOTH!!!!!!

By ConyersDawg

July 17, 2007 2:54 PM | Link to this

Great stuff Sekou.

BTW, Shelden led all rookies in double doubles and though it was only 5 rebounds a game we certainly saw that Shelden is capable of coming in and cleaning glass.

Both Marvin and Josh averaged in the 20pnt area to end the season. Marvin will show the league why he was such a high draft pick this year.

Best of all, I expect both Law and Horford to make the Rookie team for the all star and put Hotlanta back on the map!

By Stinger

July 17, 2007 2:47 PM | Link to this

Sekou,

We are still a very young team but if we get continued development from our young guys we should be in the hunt or better. I’m predicting both Marvin and Sheldon have absolute breakout seasons and justify their draft status. My biggest worry - playing time. To have a breakout year you need 30 mins a game. With Sheldon / Zsa Zsa and Horford at 5 and Josh / Horford at 4 and Marvin / Josh at 3 and JJ / Childress at 2 the minutes get tight.

By sjdlf

July 17, 2007 2:34 PM | Link to this

a starting lineup of acie joe marvin josh and al IS SICK!!

if we can keep these young talented guys togehter for a while and they learn to play together we will be a championship caliber team!!! mark my words

billy knight aint looking so stupid now and the is woodys make or break season…. playoffs or FIRED!!! we also have great depth at every postion execpt for center (zaza is awful) wright is wrong (cheesy?)

my perdictions for this year 44-38 6th seed 1st round loss in 6 games joe all-star AL=ROY marvin 2nd leading scorer josh mr statline ACIE a clutch beastly pointgaurd

GOTTA GO NOW nothing better than looking a porn and playing NCAA 08!!

By Flappin' Hawk

July 17, 2007 2:31 PM | Link to this

Excellent post, Smitty. You are the class of this paper without a doubt. Keep the tidbits coming! Wish you were gonna be in SLC for the remainder of the games so we could get your feedback. Horford is gonna open open the game for ZP & Sheldon. It’s gonna be a whole new team of complementary pieces. Go Hawks!!!

By Nookah

July 17, 2007 2:26 PM | Link to this

Sekou

Thanks for the info. Just as I thought all along. We are a basketball franchsie for crying out loud, we are not a nursery preparing kids so we can send them on to prep school (another franchise). So we have to be patient and wait on these players until they develop and then we will reap the fruits. It may look like a long time but if we continue on the path we are currently on and keep this core of young talent together we will be a consistent force for years to come. I’ve said it before and I’ll keep on saying it….BK will be vindicated.

don’t worry about a thing, cause every little thing is gonna be alright

Nuff Respect!!!

GO HAWKS!!!!

By The Flash

July 17, 2007 2:25 PM | Link to this

I do not think that both Marvin and Smooth will start. I think that Smooth starts at the 3, and Z and Horford or Horford and Shelden start.

The “second” team might really be able to hurt some people, in particular, JChill and Marvin.

Get Shelden appropriate touches and he will score the ball.

By tb

July 17, 2007 2:22 PM | Link to this

Funny that we need to turn to outsiders to hear such good things about our players.

We are at least 9 deep this year, with guys like Zazor Speedy occupying the 9th spot.

Last year those guys were probably at the 5th or 6th spot.

By Willie Coyote

July 17, 2007 2:09 PM | Link to this

Good stuff!! If these guys play more up-tempo and have Horford start at center, this could be interesting. I completely appreciate the comment about him not having any more trouble guarding the guys Zaza has trouble with. If he is as strong as advertised and has heart, just play him.

By Big G Money

July 17, 2007 2:08 PM | Link to this

Great post Sekou. I’m letting my guard down once again and becoming optimistic about the Hawks for this season. I hope it isn’t a lark. We’d all like for them to be for real. That said, it doesn’t seem like the Hawks invest the money or time in individual tutelage like some other teams we hear about. Is that correct or am I off base? Why wouldn’t the Hawks suggest to Sheldon to go hang out with JSmoove and work with Hakeem as well? What can the organization do for a player like Salim to help him develop his handles and stroke in the off season? Is it all on the individual at this level/with this organization? Additionally, do they get an evaluation at the end of the year like some in corporate America get so that they know what is expected the next season??

I’m down on ZP and I’m not enamored with Shelden. I also don’t believe that Marvin is developing at the rate the Hawks need. But I may be pressing guys that either just aren’t ready or just don’t have it. Once the “evaluators” have analyzed a player on the team, what does mgmt and the coaching staff do to support the players’ development? I know you’re on a plane, but would certainly like to hear back.

By Gutz

July 17, 2007 1:57 PM | Link to this

So it’s official. Horford is our starting CENTER.

Law or Speedy JJ Marvin Smoove Horford.

This lineup is going to be nasty and we have incredible depth at EVERY position backing our starters up. Horford and Law are the real deal!!!

By A Thinking Fan

July 17, 2007 1:38 PM | Link to this

Always has and always will be about the “the fight in the Dog!

By JohnB

July 17, 2007 1:36 PM | Link to this

Great great great great post. This is what makes you such a good beat reporter Sekou. Thank you.

And, on a selfish note, I’m glad to see the good things about Shelden Williams as the relentless criticism of him from people on this board and elsewhere has been silly. Wojo coaches big men at Duke, and it would seem he doesn’t do a particularly good job if that’s where Williams picked up this unfortunate habit. The guy has talent, but it remains to be seen whether his role is best suited as a starting power forward.

By J

July 17, 2007 1:19 PM | Link to this

Thanks for the updates!!!