AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2005 > August > 19 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USKnight emerges as biggest winner in Hawks dispute
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Bradley
Billy Knight is free to do anything with the Hawks he wants. He’s that powerful. He’s so powerful that he just became the first general manager in the history of sports to fire an owner.
Knight won more than a slap-fight with Steve Belkin. Knight won the sort of approval that few GMs ever get. The remaining Hawks’ owners speak of Knight more glowingly than corporate Time Warner has ever spoken of John Schuerholz, whose team has won 13 consecutive division titles. Knight, lest we forget, presides over a club that won 13 games.
“It speaks to Billy as a person that he was willing to step up and say, ‘No,’ ” Michael Gearon Jr. said Friday. And now the one owner who doubted Knight is being bought out, which is probably a good thing. Knight knows way more basketball than Belkin, and Knight is moving with bold dispatch to replace a rusty old roster with a shiny new one. But with the lone dissenter gone, somebody still needs to ask: What if Knight’s wrong?
“Then I get fired,” Knight said. “That’s the way it goes in this business. You get fired for being wrong. Sometimes you get fired for being right. I drafted the rookie of the year [Pau Gasol] in Memphis and still got fired.”
Publicist Arthur Triche labeled Friday as “a glorious day for the Atlanta Hawks,” and the man of the moment wasn’t the incoming Joe Johnson or the exiting (and absent) Belkin. The loudest applause heard inside Philips Arena â€â€? albeit from invited Atlanta Spirit employees, hardly a bastion of impartiality â€â€? was for the GM who wouldn’t shake hands.
The Hawks are treating the Phoenix Suns’ fourth-best player as if he’s Kobe Bryant. The holdover owners believe Johnson can play point guard because Knight says he can play point guard. (Never mind that Johnson has averaged 3.2 assists over 323 NBA games.) They believe a team of midsize players can win because Knight, who’s 6-foot-7, likes 6-7 guys who can move between positions. Here’s this from Gearon: “Billy could be revamping what people’s vision of a basketball team is. Who says you have to have a 6-3 point guard and a 7-foot center?”
From a harmonic standpoint, it’s nice to have this long-addled organization believe in something and someone. On a more pragmatic note, it would be nicer still if the Hawks had more to show than 13 wins (against 69 jaw-dropping losses). “It’s still early,” Knight said. “I’ve only been doing this for two years. I still have to get more players.”
And if he can’t get them, it won’t be because his ownership gummed up the works. What’s left of Atlanta Spirit LLC believes Knight, whose nickname as a Pitt Panther was Moonie, has indeed hung the moon. “They see what I’m trying to do, and I appreciate their support,” Knight said. “It’s unusual, but what they’ve showed and done for me speaks volumes.”
Said Gearon: “You’ve got to have somebody you challenge and support. You empower somebody and see his dream, and then you challenge him: ‘You want this guy? OK, why do you want him?’ And then you support him.”
Say this for Knight: He knows his mind. Last summer some of his owners kept pushing him to raise his offer to the free agent Erick Dampier, but Knight insisted the journeyman center wasn’t worth more than $50 million. So Dampier signed with Dallas for upwards of $70 million. Said Knight: “I’m going to get the guys I want. I’d rather save some money and move on to the next guy.”
The next guy, as we now know, was Joe Johnson, whom Knight values at $70 million, plus Boris Diaw and two No. 1 draft picks. For the Hawks’ sake, Johnson needs to be really good. For Billy Knight’s sake, Johnson needs to be magic.
Permalink | Comments (56) | Categories: Hawks / NBA, Mark Bradley
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By Lamont
August 19, 2005 07:53 PM | Link to this
It’s a great day for the Atlanta hawks. Thanks to B. Knight for the great job. Today I just can say “I’m proud to be a Hawks fan !”
By Dan P
August 19, 2005 10:22 PM | Link to this
I’m glad he had the guts to standup to the jerk from Boston or wherever he’s from but I’m not so sure Joe Johnson is worth $70M. The jerk from Boston may have been on to something when he said JJ was overpriced. I sure hope I’m wrong.
By Reggie
August 19, 2005 11:23 PM | Link to this
I am not a Hawks fan but I am a huge basketball fan. 70 million dollars is a lot of money but to give up 2 lottery picks for a team that need help everywhere does not seem to make sense. I bet Phoenix never thought Atlanta would agree to the deal but I know they are smiling now. Bill Knight does not have a proven track record I can’t believe he was able to pit the rest of the owners against Belkin and I think they will live to regret it.
By Jason J
August 19, 2005 11:37 PM | Link to this
Very proud day for the Hawks. Welcome Joe, good luck this season.
By brian j
August 20, 2005 12:06 AM | Link to this
Great move with Johnson.Whats next is there enough cap to sign another good player if so who?Edddie Curry if his heart is okay he has a ton of upside.I think he could be a bargain. We must resign Lue.We could only be a player or two away from being a contender ZaZa was a silent steal.
By wildbill
August 20, 2005 12:23 AM | Link to this
Billy Knight has done nothing so far that is impressive except posting the worst season in Hawk’s history. Why didn’t he sign and trade Jason Terry? Look at the Antoine Walker deal, it was a sure bet the Lakers wasn’t going to make the playoffs, now he tell us a guy on the same team with point guard Steve Nash who averaged 3 assist and is a shooting guard is going to make us a 70 million dolar point guard, what about Eddie Curry, we need a good low post player, how many more 6’7” players can you have on a team?
By block
August 20, 2005 06:22 AM | Link to this
we gave up too much, but what elite player will come here voluntarily?
By buck
August 20, 2005 07:26 AM | Link to this
Are you kidding me? $70m for a 2nd tier star who doesn’t even play the position he has been obtained for. The two lottery picks lost will come back to haunt Knight. Early comments state that Knight does not have a proven track record, thats incorrect, he does but its bad.
By Mr C.
August 20, 2005 08:00 AM | Link to this
Only time will tell. There was no way Phoenix would have matched that offer. Three #1 picks is a lot. Boris Draw was a first round pick. The #1 pick is protected through the 3rd pick in 07 and has no protection in 08. Ridiculous. We could be giving up the 1st round pick in 08 for Johnson for a restricted agent. Billy better pray that Joe Johnson is the 2nd coming of Kobe Bryant. He might be the one getting fired next.
By Mitch
August 20, 2005 08:16 AM | Link to this
Guys: The draft picks the Hawks surrendered are “lottery protected.” Therefore, the picks will be at #14 or higher. The Hawks already have a good group of very young players they are developing. At this point, Knight is right to focus the team’s energies on bringing in the right veteran free agents.
Joe Johnson is exactly the kind of player this team needs. He has the skill and moxie that will rub off on the Hawks’ young guns, Childress, the Smiths, Stoudamire, Marvin Williams, ZaZa Pachulia and Al Harrington. With Johnson leading the shooting drills AND the fast breaks, this team will finally put some quality points on the board.
I’d like to see Knight finish off the off-season’s work by re-signing Tyronne Lue and acquiring another big man. Lue fits in nicely and brings energy to the club.
As for the big man, neither ZaZa or Collier are shot blockers…can Knight find a shot blocker at the center position who can bolster the defense and trigger the fast break?
Roster: Johnson, Lue, Stoudamire, Childress, J. Smith, D. Smith, Marvin Williams, Harrington, Collier, Pachulia, Ivey and BIG (TBA).
By John
August 20, 2005 09:22 AM | Link to this
JJ doesn’t have to lead the Hawks to the promised land and an NBA title. He needs to be the leader that the younger kids (JJ’s only 24 right?)can grow around over the next year and be respectable. If he does that and the Hawks can win 30 games - Atlanta might not be viewed as a free agent wasteland - and other guys would be willing to come here. Think Terry Pendleton - If JJ can be close to that for the Hawks, he is worth that much more to them than any other franchise.
By GM13
August 20, 2005 09:27 AM | Link to this
First, good for Billy Knight. He’s clearly a man of conviction and there are too few of those in sports today (and thanks to all the folks on the other side of the trade, including Arn Tellem, who were more than patient with the problems in our ownership). Second, I hope BK’s vision proves out—it’s an interesting idea and the Hawks aren’t quite done this year—they still have 10 million+ dollars under the cap. Joe Johnson, Marvin WIlliams, ZaZa Pachulia, and Salim Stoudamire—not a bad set of additions to what was, admittedly, a dreadful Hawks team last year. For those who are worried about the picks—they’re lottery protected and you might want to take a look at how well picks outside of the top 14 have fared. Finally, Johnson MAY not be a max contract player but how much does his signing add to the credibility of our franchise? Only time will tell, but it’s hard to argue that this isn’t a move in the right direction. For those who are criticizing Billy’s track record, remember the Pete Babcock administration and consider carefully—would it have been better to hold onto Antoine Walker, Rasheed Walker, and other bloated contracts until the end of the season when they would have signed elsewhere or to save the cap room, get some draft picks (Josh Smith was what we got for 1 game from Wallace) and plan for a better future?
By Tom Williams
August 20, 2005 09:31 AM | Link to this
What about Red Auerbach “firing” John Connally? I believe Mr. Knight would be the second GM to fire an owner. Check out Feinstein’s Let Me Tell You a Story.
By Daniel Hays
August 20, 2005 09:49 AM | Link to this
I also believe the Hawks overpaid for Johnson, but I also believe they HAD to. This team has had more cap money than anyone else in the league for 2 seasons and hadn’t been sniffed at by a free agent. Now, we have a real player. I’d say he was Phoenix’s 3rd best player this season, behind Stoudamire and Nash. When he got injured in the playoffs is when Phoenix got into trouble. They may have been able to give San Antonio a run if Johnson had been there the whole time. JJ is also an excellent defender, which is something else this team needs. Did the Hawks overpay? Yes, I wish they’d only given up 1 draft pick. But I have no problem with it. Sometimes you have to make bold moves to effect change.
By Brian Hunt
August 20, 2005 09:57 AM | Link to this
I think that time will prove Belkin right on this one. They gave up too much to get Johnson. The Suns will be much better team now. No wonder the West is so strong, they continue to dupe their cousins in the East.
By Hawksbeliever
August 20, 2005 12:07 PM | Link to this
Wonderfule move by Knight. GM13 you are right, Salim, JJ, Marvin Williama, and ZaZa were excellent additions to a team that couldn’t buy a player a year ago. Phoenix will regret letting JJ go. He’s going to be good. Now, all we need is a big man. Hopefully, we can grab Curry (if his heart is okay). If so, the Hawks could be a contender. As the power in the NBA is shifting to the Eastern conference, it’s going to be tough, though.
By grizzlyjohn
August 20, 2005 01:34 PM | Link to this
Billy Knight screwed the Grizzlies, He traded a First round pick to the Pistons for Otis Thorpe, that pick was in the draft where Lebron James went 1st and Carmelo Anthony 3rd not to mention Dwayne Wade. He was also responsible for Bryant Reeves and Michael Dickerson. Billy Knight is a disaster. Is it just coincidence that when Jerry West came to Memphis they started having winning seasons? If you like losing seasons you like Billy Knight. He is only a token.
By ben
August 20, 2005 02:16 PM | Link to this
This is the stuff the L.A. Clippers do on a regular basis. For what he gave up, Knight must think he’s getting Majic Johnson, not Joe Johnson.
By A Real Fan
August 20, 2005 02:29 PM | Link to this
This is the problem with opening up the blog for free to everyone. I have to read nonsense from people who don’t know what they are talking about. THE DRAFT PICKS ARE LOTTERY PROTECTED!!!! Also, It does no good having draft picks if they don’t become star players. The Hawks have had a lot of draft picks but how many have become stars. Billy Knight is building a team. I’m tired of people complaining about a 13 win season when all Woodson had to work with were DRAFT PICKS and OLD VETS!!!
By Mr C.
August 20, 2005 03:32 PM | Link to this
A real fan, Maybe u should check the facts b/4 u rip others off. Apart from Boris Diaw, Phoenix gets the Hawks’ first-round pick, which is lottery-protected in 2006, has protection through the No. 3 pick in 2007 and has no protection in 2008. The other pick is a conditional first-round selection via either the Los Angeles Lakers or Boston Celtics.
Ignorane is not bliss. Read up!!!
By Harry Hawk
August 20, 2005 04:04 PM | Link to this
Odds are that the Suns will get the Hawks’ first-rounder in ‘07. The other pick will more than likely end up out of the lottery.
As far as the amount of money Johnson is getting paid, it’s actually a positive thing. Joe Johnson is not going to be a bad player, folks. That much is certain. The Hawks’ payroll is so low that Johnson’s contract will not affect them too much in the next couple of seasons. The positive point is that the Hawks showed they were willing to give a guy they want a lot of money to come to Atlanta and play. They had to overpay to get that kind of player and now, just maybe, free agents in the future will give the Hawks a chance.
Here’s how I will evaluate this trade:
Joe Johnson’s overall production must go up and surpass that of Boris Diaw and whoever the Suns pick in the ‘07 Draft. The other first-rounder will be out of the lottery and be a crapshoot that could easily be screwed up by any team, much less the Hawks. If Johnson is unable to do that, Knight won’t have a job. At that point, you can say that Belkin was right. At this point, Belkin is wrong. He is wrong because he tried to overrule the majority’s wishes and run the team by himself.
By Duro
August 20, 2005 05:07 PM | Link to this
This is a mistake. Joe Johnson is not worth $70M and he’s definitely not a point guard. It’s a bold move just not a good one.
By WhyMe
August 20, 2005 05:58 PM | Link to this
A prediction: The Hawks will never rise above 30 wins until Billy Knight and Mike Woodson are history. Neither has ever produced a winner as a GM or a Head Coach. They have no clue and now the Hawks have tied up a lot of money (Cap Room is shrinking) over the next several years for a second tier player at first tier prices. The only winner here is Joe Johnson. The loser as always with the Hawks is the fan.
By Andy
August 20, 2005 06:25 PM | Link to this
Sounds like things are moving in the right direction to resolve this messy affair. Belkin as effectively made himself a pariah in the eyes of the NBA (these things happen when you confuse the words pariah and martyr). Now lets get this deal done so we can talk about how the defensive rotations are going to work with the new, “Joe Johnson Era”. Let’s see, he’ll get the best of his matchup with Wade? Er, no. Umm, JWill? Yeah, well no. The other Stoudamire? 5’11 vs. 6’8, wonder who’s quicker. Surely he can guard Chris Paul? Ha. Ha ha ha. Well, he’ll have no problem with the 3-headed point guard in Orlando. He’s every bit as quick as Stevie Franchise, Nelson and Dooling. He’s not? OK, I’m a tad confused. If he can’t guard any of these guys, how’s he going to guard IVERSON and KIDD?
Hmmm. I see where you’re going with this, Andy. No problem. We’ll just have someone else guard those guys and he can play point on the offensive end. Cool. Josh Childress, meet your opponent for tonights’ game. What do you mean you can’t guard them? Oh, you’re 6’7 too. Alright. Josh Smith…..Hey, anybody seen Josh? What do you mean he’s hiding behind Marvin Williams? Al? Anybody? Hey, who wants some minutes on this team and can guard a point guard? Salim? You cool? Cool. Salim it is.
So Joe, you can play the 2. Wait, that’s Childress’ slot. OK, Childress, you slide to the 3. You can board with the best of them anyway. And there’s not much difference between a 2 and a 3. What do you mean Josh plays the 3? Well, hell, he can jump and board. Push him to the 4. Al? Who….ohh, Al! Yeah, just about forgot about last years’ franchise player. He’s our four? Interesting. I feel like he’s more of a 3. But I guess he can play both positions, which makes him valuable. He kind of reminds me of that kid. Which kid? You know, the one from North Carolina. Marvin Something or Other. Williams? Yeah, that’s him. Marvin Williams. What’s he doing these days? We drafted him? Well where the hell is he going to play if Johnson, Harrington and the two Josh’s are splitting the minutes at the two thru four??? That’s a lot of swingmen. Geesh.
Hey, I’ve got an idea. Let’s make Joe Johnson the point guard. He’s got mad skills. And that will leave plenty of minutes for the rest of our guys at their normal positions. Cool. I like that idea. Who we playing tomorrow night? Phoenix? OK, Joe can start at the point and guard Nash……..Oh. Hmmm. Well…… Er…..Anybody seen Salim? Zaza, you’ve ever played the point? Welcome to Atlanta.
By Custrouma Real
August 20, 2005 09:10 PM | Link to this
JJ is a better player now than 2+ seasons ago when he arrived here from the Celtics. But it will take a couple seasons and a better 3 point shooter to compliment this team that obviously is on its way up. Maybe the Hawks should aquire Casey Jacobson from New Orleans. Final point, by the time JJ is a true leader on the court someone with a better personality will replace him,for the Hawks have a very good nucleus.Good luck Hawks,from a real Suns fan.
By Mr.commomsense
August 20, 2005 09:19 PM | Link to this
Hawks remainig owners try to sign Casey Jacobson
By harryhawk
August 20, 2005 11:26 PM | Link to this
this was a pretty stupid move; way to much money for this guy
By Dai
August 21, 2005 01:51 AM | Link to this
Joe’s a great complimentary player. There’s no doubt about that, but he’s not a leader. He was always rather shy and quiet with the Suns. Now, he’s moved to Atlanta to be closer to his mommy. This is the guy that Atlanta has chosen to be it’s floor leader? It doesn’t make a lot of sense. If Atlanta can pick up a real point guard in the future and let quiet Joe play the two guard, the team will be better off.
By Lamont
August 21, 2005 02:01 AM | Link to this
Folks keep saying Johnson’s been overpaid. YEAH, He’s been. But that’s the price the Hawks have to pay if they want to have talent on their roster. Anyway Johnson is a player that ANY team would like to have, so Why not the Hawks ?? A 13 win season tells you all we must at least try something and I’m glad B. Knight did. See guys..
E. Dampier is worth 70 mi ? K. Martin is worth 82 mi ? M. Redd is worth 90 mi ? Looking around the league… I’m not very sure if Johnson isnt worth 70 mi. The draft picks would’ve been valuable, but since they’re lottery protected… and B. Diaw sucks ( a guy who avgs under 5 pts ) I guess the Hawks just took the first step towards a much brighter future !
By Samuel
August 21, 2005 09:54 AM | Link to this
Ok,
We finally did it. We got Joe Johnson. I will say again, I did not like the trade but now that it’s done. I’m ready to move on and do the best we can.
I believe that Mr. Knight has a couple of moves left to pull off if this trade is to become a success. He has to move Harrington for a proven center and pick up a proven point guard “in case” the experiement does not work. Otherwise, the Hawks will be not much better off than last year. Mabey 20 wins but not worth giving up 70 mil and 3 1st round picks.
I am a Hawks fan no matter what. Because I live here and like the young players they have.
Props to Joe Johnson. “I Aint Mad AT CHA”. Now show us what you can do.
By Hawksbeliever
August 21, 2005 01:07 PM | Link to this
Uh, Andy: did you see the Spurs play the Suns in the playoff? I guess not. Otherwise, you would have seen that the Suns put JJ on Tony Parker. Nash couldn’t guard him, JJ could. JJ is quick enough to run point.
Coustruma Real: the Hawks drafted Salim. There aren’t many who shhot better from long distance. Not to mention, JJ is a heck of a three point shooter.
You people assume B. Knight is finished dealing. He still has quite a bit of money to work with, and A. Harrington is expendable. Thus, there could be another free agent acquisition and/or trade. I wouldn’t mind seeing the Harrington traded for Curry (assuming his heart is okay). The Bulls could use Harrington.
By Andy
August 21, 2005 06:24 PM | Link to this
HB,
I did see the Suns-Spurs, and I saw the same thing the sportswriters noticed: JJ guarded Parker because he couldn’t guard Manu and the Spurs know that Parker’s job is to distribute, not score. I am in agreement with you that Al is expendable. My point is that JJ ultimately won’t be the PG on this team, because he cannot, night after night, guard the quickest guards in the league. Go look at his numbers. He had 79 steals last year, less than one per game, guarding 2’s and 3’s. Compare that to other well-respected swingmen, and you’ll see that he’s on the low end statistically. My point is that, unless they trade Al for a starting PG, that Salim, who you rightfully noted as a great shooter, will need to play significant minutes at the 1, forcing all the Hawks versatile swingmen to rotate over one slot, and creating a log jam at the 2 and the 3. Trading for a starter quality PG nullifies my point. Giving Salim significant minutes proves it (because Johnson will then not be playing PG). It would be semantic to call Salim the 2, because that’s Childress’ slot. Put it this way, if Salim is playing starters minutes, no matter how you slice it, Johnson, the Josh’s, Williams and Al must split the remaining minutes at the 2-4. That’s five guys for 3 slots.
And if you do your research, you’ll find that Curry will be lucky to get more than his one-year tender offer, as he is not insurable at this time. The Hawks will not take the risk of offering him a multi-year deal large enough for the Bulls not to match, and certainly won’t pull a sign and trade with Al for a player who’s full contract is uninsurable. The Johnson deal is a move in the right direction. But I don’t believe you’ll see him playing the PG full-time two years from now. And we’ve got a logjam of swingmen right now.
By Hawksbeliever
August 21, 2005 07:18 PM | Link to this
Andy, JJ guarded Parker because he couldn’t guard Manu? Are you serious? That would would mean the Suns thought Nash could guard Manu. That certainly wasn’t the case. I think you should do your homework. They put JJ on parker because Parker was having success penetrating and dishing while being guarded by Nash. The switch was made to prevent that.
Also, you state that JJ averaged less than one steal per game guarding 2’s and 3’s. But that’s just it. He was guarding 2’s and 3’s who have the ball in their hands less than point guards.
I agree with you. JJ is probably more effective at the 2. Thus, he probably won’t being playing the point two years from now. But it won’t be because he can’t.
By hawkballz
August 21, 2005 11:13 PM | Link to this
this was a decent move. overpriced? a little, but that’s what the hawks have to do right now to compensate for the players missing the playoffs. they should still get their lottery pick next year, plus one of those picks was an “extra” pick from the lakers. jj’s major pay in the first year will give the team more flexability to sign more players in the coming years. as they stand, i think they have a chance to get a sniff of the playoffs in 2, possibly 3 years, depending on what other pieces can be added (which ownership seems to be willing to go after now, unlike in the past). holding onto the picks would give the hawks potentially good players in the future(though not guaranteed), plus longer delay in getting to the postseason to allow time for development of the future picks. yes they still need a center and a true pg, but given what was available this offseason, i think this route was an intriguing experiment that should at least make things interesting, if not exciting. when was the last time that could be said of the hawks?
By Driftwood
August 21, 2005 11:59 PM | Link to this
Why do so many Atlanta Constitution writes talk about how brilliant Billy Knight is, etc, etc.? He blew up a roster, which is what his predecestors did to the last Hawks playoff team, in order to “rebuild”. Six years later, they still are terrible. He signed a good player, but up until now, they are the worst team in the league. All else is speculation. The jury is out. No one is brilliant with 13 wins……What are you guys thinking?
By Driftwood
August 22, 2005 12:02 AM | Link to this
It’s easy to blow something up. Its much, much harder to rebuild good afterwards. Can anyone say Iraq?
By Jeff
August 22, 2005 09:52 AM | Link to this
Come ask me a the end of the season. I hope that it works for the Hawks and BK.
By AaronB
August 22, 2005 10:42 AM | Link to this
Well, I’ll have to tell ya that I love this move. Everyone who doubts JJ as a star player wasn’t watching baskball last season. He is a bonafied star, period. He may not make a great point guard but he is sure going to bolster this roster quite a bit. Now I believe that truely and honestly Salin S. will prove to be much too good to come off the bench, but may take a role simular to what Ben Gorden did for the Bulls.
For the first time in a long time the Hawks may have too much starting talent to start them all. But we will see. This team is far from finished. Billy Knight is a true GM, and I think his vision of posistions being “over-rated” as intelligent. If the Suns could change the way we think of offense, it can be done everywhere in basketball. Look for next season to be very exciting!
By barry stricklin
August 22, 2005 12:17 PM | Link to this
the only way to know how good jj is , is to watch him the whole year . he never started in phoenix because he was behind other great players . i belive he can be close ,if not on the same stage as koby. this guy had to be the fourth option on offense ,when the game was decided . now we will see him in the early part of the game where the start of the basketball game determins the outcome . if not for a cheap shot by stackhouse johnson would have put up huge numbers ,and, the suns would have won their series. they were feeding off johnson ,but, not he flew to a new nest called atlanta hawks ,hey playing with josh childress ,and, josh smith can’t do nothing ,but, help him ,plus they got a shotgun in salim stoudamire to help make 3’s ,now the hawks need a quality center ,not a reject from another roster.
By Lon
August 22, 2005 01:43 PM | Link to this
Good move ATL
This comes from a fan in Phoenix. Sure you had to overpay to get him. He will average 23ppg 5reb and 6assits moving from 4th fiddle(SUNS) to first fiddle(ATL). He played the most minutes for PHX the last two seasons (40ppg)(Coach loved having him on the floor). He defends 4 positions! Look at the PLAYOFFS v. MEM, he played backup point guard while Barbosa sat on the bench. The Suns played him at point guard in the PLAYOFFS! He is not as talented as Kobe, but is a far better teammate. Congratulations, you will like JJ.
Lon in Phoenix
By Andy
August 22, 2005 03:35 PM | Link to this
Lon, you must play fantasy hoops too. I was thinking JJ would put up numbers in just that range (with scoring maybe around 20 if he’s really going to play the point). I also think he has a legitimate chance to lead the league in 3 pointers made, with a green light he should definitely improve upon last years’ 2.2. I think the key to where he gets his minutes depends solely on who we get if we trade Al, and how Salim’s role ends up being defined. I’ll stick with my guns that without a talented shot blocker this team will struggle defensively, but as so many have pointed out, they’re not done making moves. It’s been my preference all along that if a sign-and-trade could be accomplished with Chicago, it would be better for THIS team to obtain Chandler, who is a far superior rebounder and shot blocker to Curry. Unfortunately, Curry’s health problems solved Chicago’s plausible scenario of having to match two max contracts. And they will make sure they do not lose Chandler. No matter what, the Hawks will be much more fun to watch this year than the past few.
By Jerome
August 23, 2005 12:45 PM | Link to this
I applaud the Atlanta Spirit LLC for sticking with Billy Knight on this one. Yes, we gave up two first round draft picks for JJ but I see what Mr. Knight is doing; We have an abundant of young talented players now he’s going add some veteran players in the mix and we will start flying high again. Just wait and remember my comments…..I TOLD YOU SO.
By Ryan
August 23, 2005 03:22 PM | Link to this
Even last year, at times, there were stretches where the offense looked quite exciting and dynamic. Adding JJ and giving the rest of the players another year of seasoning can only help that. THey have the makings of a potentially explosive offense in a year or two if all the pieces fall right. If they can add someone solid at center - he doesn’t need to be a scoring maching, but perhaps somethign more in the VLade DIvac mold - a big man with some shooting touch who can pass - doesn’t need to score bundles - and they could do quite a bit of running.
By jason
August 23, 2005 03:26 PM | Link to this
when has it ever been a problem to have an over abundance of talent.if there is a long jam for minutes ,we now have some bait to dangle at other teams to fill the spots that are lacking. add to that that we are talking about the hawks, since when have we been able to say hawks and talent in the same paragraph !!! the games they played last year showed we already have a few pieces. Josh Smith will eventually be a star remember that!! JJ just adds the versatile shooter we need, add a athletic defensive minded post and the ATL is closer than you might think. joe johnson was a pivotal player for PHX and they know it. the spurs looked like the AND1 mixtape tour against the suns until JJ returned and provided some stability. all the critics, you actually have to watch b-ball before you can say something doesn’t work……ATL let’s get it!!!!
By Rod
August 24, 2005 11:02 AM | Link to this
I am excited about the Hawks trade for JJ. I believe he will bring a refreshing excitement to the Hawks. After all, he does bring the experience of being on the leagues best team last year. (As far as reg. records go). Also, coach Woodsen has a championship ring. I have to be honest and say I don’t know enough about Zaza to comment on that trade. That being said, I beleive the Hawks are just a few moves away from being a contender once again.
By Philip
August 24, 2005 12:01 PM | Link to this
I didn’t think the Hawks’ organization could get any worse…but I guess I was wrong. This is absolutely one of the worst moves by a professional sports team in recent memory. No way in Hades is one player worth two first-round draft picks, a mid-level exception, and one player draft from the first round. And when you consider that this team is in a rebuilding mode it makes even less sense. I’m sure Mr. Belkin is happy to rid himself of this organization. Knight and the ownership group are morons for making this move. Unless Johnson leads the league in scoring and gets the Hawks into the playoffs…which won’t happen…this was a dumb move. How do rebuild a team without draft picks? Free agency isn’t the answer because economically it doesn’t make sense. In essence this organization pulled out a gun and shot itself in the foot…they would have been better off to shot itself in the head.
The only reason I even have any loyalty left for this team is the fact that Dominique Wilkins is in the front office. Of course his trade to the Clippers back in the early 90s was where the downward spiral for this organization started. The NBA as a league has been on a downward spiral…the only thing that offers a glimmer of hope are all the European players that are coming into the league and quality organizations like the San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz.
As for all you idiots that think this is a good move and that the Hawks will be playoff contenders…wake up! The Hawks still have no point guard, no center, and no “true” power forward. This team can’t rebound, play defense, or pass the ball. And it’s way too early to expect things out of Marvin.
By Jeff
August 24, 2005 12:14 PM | Link to this
Great move by the Hawks. It’s about time they got a quality free agent in here. They are only a few pieces of way from being a contender!! I’m actually excited about this season. If nothing else, this team will be fun to watch.
By Rod
August 24, 2005 01:30 PM | Link to this
While I will agree that the Hawks still need some help in the area of the big man, you can’t sit here and tell me that this is not a step in the right direction. I was hoping the Hawks would have been able to get Andrew Bogut, but getting one of the best shooters in the league in JJ, and drafting arguably the best shooter in college in Salim, is a step that has greatly improved our perimeter game. The presence of JJ alone would be enough for other FA’s to at least consider the Hawks. A feat we were not able to accomplish last year. Also, Josh Smith has tremendous leaping ability. With a dominate big man in the middle, the Hawks should greatly improve their rebounding. Harrington is now expendable, and we have room under the cap. Don’t tell me the Hawks are not on the way up!
By jason
August 25, 2005 10:41 AM | Link to this
this is for phillip how can you say this is the wrong move for the hawks? NO FREE AGENTS WANT TO COME HERE!!!!! we get possibly the best all around talent in the free agent market for boris diaw (what has he done so spectacular in atlanta, they could pay any of us to swing the ball around on the perimeter), the draft picks, only one really belonged to us the other was a bonus from the lakers. the roster has been upgraded significantly from last year i’m not promising playoffs but it will be a heck of a lot better than last year. i saw zaza in few games last year and he is a worker on the inside and will suprise some people. the only move i would put out to management is maybe see what denver is wiliing to do for NENE an athletic post presence who can run with these young athletes we already have. format the offense to an uptempo track meet with hardnosed help defense on the other end. size and athleticism on the wings are the strengths of this squad so lets make it showtime SOUTH w/ JJ playing the part of Magic and feeding the rest of the dogs. The man played backup point on the best run n’ gun team in the west last year, 47% from the trey line,averaged 17ppg being the 3rd/4th option, guarded tony parker in the playoffs because he was punishing the MVP!!!! its coming together phillip give it a chance.
By jason
August 25, 2005 11:31 AM | Link to this
this is for phillip how can you say this is the wrong move for the hawks? NO FREE AGENTS WANT TO COME HERE!!!!! we get possibly the best all around talent in the free agent market for boris diaw (what has he done so spectacular in atlanta, they could pay any of us to swing the ball around on the perimeter), the draft picks, only one really belonged to us the other was a bonus from the lakers. the roster has been upgraded significantly from last year i’m not promising playoffs but it will be a heck of a lot better than last year. i saw zaza in few games last year and he is a worker on the inside and will suprise some people. the only move i would put out to management is maybe see what denver is wiliing to do for NENE an athletic post presence who can run with these young athletes we already have. format the offense to an uptempo track meet with hardnosed help defense on the other end. size and athleticism on the wings are the strengths of this squad so lets make it showtime SOUTH w/ JJ playing the part of Magic and feeding the rest of the dogs. The man played backup point on the best run n’ gun team in the west last year, 47% from the trey line,averaged 17ppg being the 3rd/4th option, guarded tony parker in the playoffs because he was punishing the MVP!!!! its coming together phillip give it a chance.
By Eric
August 25, 2005 01:38 PM | Link to this
We must give BK an opportunity
to correct the Hawks problems.
Years of mismanagement can’t
be corrected overnight. The
foundation for a better tomo-
rrow is here now. We don’t need
to be fair weather fans.
Support the team and you will
be rewarded sooner than you think.
By Ryan
August 25, 2005 08:07 PM | Link to this
Phillip. .we aren’t exp[ecting the HAwks to be contenders this year. We are expecting them to be much better YOu don’t go from 13 and 69 to contender in one year. Take your temper tantrum elsewhere.
By carey
August 26, 2005 12:54 PM | Link to this
Why does everyone use Kobe as an example? Kobe was at home watching the playoffs just like the Hawks. Alot of others (Lebron, KG, Stephon, etc) Get off this Kick of JJ not playing point. Their are no true PG’s except a couple anyway. The Clippers are the example-continue to draft, sign the players and after the first contract, they move on.(remember they had-Corey Maggette, Darius Miles, Quentin R, Lamar O, etc ) We have the core players that can play and will need contracts in 2-3 yrs(Josh and Josh) and this years draft picks(4 very good palyer) add JJ, free agents and move forward. The draft picks are first round but lottery protected and the goal get better. JJ could make others want to come here. Detroit’s big man was BEN and he aint 7ft. We have a much better team now than we have in a long time. This reminds me of the Hawks of the 80’(Nique, John battl, Doc, spud, Witman, Dan, Tree) have I mentioned the Great 7footer they? I know because they did not have one.THEY HAD A TEAM-UNDERSTAND THE GAME AND QUIT SAYING WHAT THEY SAY ON SPORTS CENTER.
By Philip
August 29, 2005 10:56 AM | Link to this
Jason:
I see your comparison of the Hawks to the Suns, but unfortunately I don’t share your optimism. There isn’t anyone on the Atlanta Hawks even close to the talent level of the Matrix, Stoudamire, or Nash. That said, how do you think JJ is going flourish or excel in Atlanta? Sure his numbers will go up because he is the only person on the team that can score, but his presence won’t make the Hawks a playoff team.
This young Hawks team might be exciting to watch, but you better bring your Pepto Bismol to each and every game because the mistakes they’re going to make will cause your stomach to turn. This team has no rebounding, no defense, and no one to play “court general.” All you can expect are a few high-flying dunks and a ton of threes…but no wins.
By jason
August 29, 2005 12:20 PM | Link to this
phillip:
there are going to be some mistakes made from youth and inexperience , i agree w/ that but when you say the talent level of the suns is unmatched by the hawks the only true “no contest” of talent is stoudemire. Josh smith will be a better version of the matrix once he fits his game into nba style of play ( shawn marion did absolutely nothing in the playoffs when the team depended upon him the most, he made an excuse that he couldn’t guard duncan but who can..what’s up with your offense matrix?) and not to say nash is not extremely talented but, it seems he is always on the losing end of head-to-head point guard matchups, i.e. mike bibby in the dallas/sacramento series, tony parker now in the suns/spurs series when the season is on the line.he did some nice things later in the series but when the spurs are up 2-0 its over for just about everybody. JJ won’t be playing alone is the point that needs to be made. we have some young guns…..
By Ryan
August 29, 2005 12:52 PM | Link to this
I don’t think anyone was saying they expect playoffs next year. .