Comments on: Time For An Intervention? http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/2009/03/07/time-for-an-intervention/ A big basketball lover gives his fan\'s perspective on the Hawks -- and wants to know yours Thu, 09 Jun 2011 15:45:34 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: niremetal http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/2009/03/07/time-for-an-intervention/comment-page-1/#comment-1391 niremetal Mon, 09 Mar 2009 03:06:19 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/?p=67#comment-1391 I said this awhile back...if past is prologue, Sund is horrible when it comes to signing/drafting big men, but he's actually pretty good in other respects. He managed to get Ray Allen right when he was hitting his prime in exchange for the declining Payton, and made the very smart move of giving then-interim head coach Nate McMillan a multi-year contract extension. He was screwed by the awful financial situation in Seattle (seriously...even worse than it is here because he had to deal with the city screwing them over and an ownership group that was hemorrhaging money even more than even BASG). This summer, <em>every</em> team will be working under serious financial constraints, so Sund will be far from alone. I actually like having a GM with some experience in working under a tight budget. The signings of Murray and Evans were very sharp as was resisting the urge to overpay for Smoove before the market set his price. As long as Sund lets other people deal with scouting the big men, I actually have a decent amount of confidence in him. I said this awhile back…if past is prologue, Sund is horrible when it comes to signing/drafting big men, but he’s actually pretty good in other respects. He managed to get Ray Allen right when he was hitting his prime in exchange for the declining Payton, and made the very smart move of giving then-interim head coach Nate McMillan a multi-year contract extension. He was screwed by the awful financial situation in Seattle (seriously…even worse than it is here because he had to deal with the city screwing them over and an ownership group that was hemorrhaging money even more than even BASG).

This summer, every team will be working under serious financial constraints, so Sund will be far from alone. I actually like having a GM with some experience in working under a tight budget. The signings of Murray and Evans were very sharp as was resisting the urge to overpay for Smoove before the market set his price. As long as Sund lets other people deal with scouting the big men, I actually have a decent amount of confidence in him.

]]> By: Najeh Davenpoop http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/2009/03/07/time-for-an-intervention/comment-page-1/#comment-1390 Najeh Davenpoop Mon, 09 Mar 2009 02:33:18 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/?p=67#comment-1390 Ando you bring up a great point about Rick Sund -- it is entirely possible that he completely screws up the upcoming offseason regardless of the ownership issue. I was never impressed with his track record as the Sonics' GM, and the Simmons story doesn't surprise me at all. With the possibility that one or more starters may not be in a Hawks uniform next season (probably Bibby, possibly either Marvin or Josh), what Rick Sund does to replace them and whether he can get a contributor with the Hawks' draft pick will be key to determining how the next couple of years go. Ando you bring up a great point about Rick Sund — it is entirely possible that he completely screws up the upcoming offseason regardless of the ownership issue. I was never impressed with his track record as the Sonics’ GM, and the Simmons story doesn’t surprise me at all. With the possibility that one or more starters may not be in a Hawks uniform next season (probably Bibby, possibly either Marvin or Josh), what Rick Sund does to replace them and whether he can get a contributor with the Hawks’ draft pick will be key to determining how the next couple of years go.

]]> By: doc http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/2009/03/07/time-for-an-intervention/comment-page-1/#comment-1389 doc Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:13:36 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/?p=67#comment-1389 yeah resiliency is in their nature it seems after last nights showing. get to keep it going on monday against the hornets. why not another sweep, then payback time to the jazz. matt hope the test went well dude, know you slept well. yeah resiliency is in their nature it seems after last nights showing. get to keep it going on monday against the hornets. why not another sweep, then payback time to the jazz.

matt hope the test went well dude, know you slept well.

]]> By: HB Ando http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/2009/03/07/time-for-an-intervention/comment-page-1/#comment-1385 HB Ando Sun, 08 Mar 2009 03:10:40 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/?p=67#comment-1385 You have to give credit to this Hawks team for its resiliency. Every time they show signs of collapsing, on the court and in the huddle, they seem to find a way to pick themselves up right at the edge of implosion, and turn things around. After back-to-back losses, to the lowly Knicks and the Charlotte "How can I name the team after myself" BOBcats, having a dangerous Detroit team hit town ranked of a disaster waiting to happen. Yet the drama-infused Home Team took a night off from its increasingly frequent soap opera existence to provide the kind of defensive effort that defined their early season success. Granted, this isn't the same Detroit team of the previous five years. And their lack of a true center underscores what is a pretty favorable match-up for the undersized, but athletic Hawks' front line. But the only thing that matters is these guys setting aside whatever chemistry issues they are battling to play as a team and win a very important game, from a psychological perspective. Hopefully, they can generate some confidence, solidarity, and collective commitment, as they enter the stretch run. There can be little doubt that changes are on the horizon, this summer. But those are issues to be addressed after the season. And if these guys can somehow recapture the swagger they showed during the last few months of '08, then Hawks fans may be treated to an unexpected 2nd round run. Revert to the kind of disjointed, uninspired team play that has beset them repeatedly in '09, and they'll be lucky to see game 6 of round one. It's their call. We're all just along for the ride, regardless of how things play out. You have to give credit to this Hawks team for its resiliency. Every time they show signs of collapsing, on the court and in the huddle, they seem to find a way to pick themselves up right at the edge of implosion, and turn things around. After back-to-back losses, to the lowly Knicks and the Charlotte “How can I name the team after myself” BOBcats, having a dangerous Detroit team hit town ranked of a disaster waiting to happen. Yet the drama-infused Home Team took a night off from its increasingly frequent soap opera existence to provide the kind of defensive effort that defined their early season success. Granted, this isn’t the same Detroit team of the previous five years. And their lack of a true center underscores what is a pretty favorable match-up for the undersized, but athletic Hawks’ front line. But the only thing that matters is these guys setting aside whatever chemistry issues they are battling to play as a team and win a very important game, from a psychological perspective.

Hopefully, they can generate some confidence, solidarity, and collective commitment, as they enter the stretch run. There can be little doubt that changes are on the horizon, this summer. But those are issues to be addressed after the season. And if these guys can somehow recapture the swagger they showed during the last few months of ‘08, then Hawks fans may be treated to an unexpected 2nd round run. Revert to the kind of disjointed, uninspired team play that has beset them repeatedly in ‘09, and they’ll be lucky to see game 6 of round one.

It’s their call. We’re all just along for the ride, regardless of how things play out.

]]> By: niremetal http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/2009/03/07/time-for-an-intervention/comment-page-1/#comment-1383 niremetal Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:29:44 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/?p=67#comment-1383 Guess he heard me, because he seems to have woken up! Guess he heard me, because he seems to have woken up!

]]> By: niremetal http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/2009/03/07/time-for-an-intervention/comment-page-1/#comment-1382 niremetal Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:17:37 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/?p=67#comment-1382 Anyone see Josh barely jog out to cover Prince when he was wide open for the 3? Where is his head these days... Anyone see Josh barely jog out to cover Prince when he was wide open for the 3? Where is his head these days…

]]> By: Sautee http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/2009/03/07/time-for-an-intervention/comment-page-1/#comment-1381 Sautee Sat, 07 Mar 2009 23:44:16 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/?p=67#comment-1381 Is this a crowded theater? Is this a crowded theater?

]]> By: HB Ando http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/2009/03/07/time-for-an-intervention/comment-page-1/#comment-1380 HB Ando Sat, 07 Mar 2009 23:23:23 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/?p=67#comment-1380 For those of you who view Rick Sund's track record, while in Seattle, with great concern about what the Hawks can expect from him in making draft and trade decisions, I picked up this little nugget from Bill Simmons' mailbag: Q: Wouldn't you say the Red Sox not getting A-Rod in 2003 was BY FAR the best non-trade of all time? -- Adam, Toronto SG: There's a bigger one: After Seattle picked Robert Swift in the 2004 draft, the Celtics offered the Sonics the 13th pick (basically, the rights to Al Jefferson) and their 2005 No. 1 pick for Swift's rights … and Seattle said no. Of course, this is also ammo for those of you who have a similarly low opinion of Danny Ainge, as a GM. Don't know who was more foolish, if this Simmons story is true: Ainge for offering, or Sund for turning it down (though it says A LOT about the expectations Swift came in with). These guys need to get it together quick, because nobody remembers how you start, only how you finish. For those of you who view Rick Sund’s track record, while in Seattle, with great concern about what the Hawks can expect from him in making draft and trade decisions, I picked up this little nugget from Bill Simmons’ mailbag:

Q: Wouldn’t you say the Red Sox not getting A-Rod in 2003 was BY FAR the best non-trade of all time?
– Adam, Toronto

SG: There’s a bigger one: After Seattle picked Robert Swift in the 2004 draft, the Celtics offered the Sonics the 13th pick (basically, the rights to Al Jefferson) and their 2005 No. 1 pick for Swift’s rights … and Seattle said no.

Of course, this is also ammo for those of you who have a similarly low opinion of Danny Ainge, as a GM. Don’t know who was more foolish, if this Simmons story is true: Ainge for offering, or Sund for turning it down (though it says A LOT about the expectations Swift came in with).

These guys need to get it together quick, because nobody remembers how you start, only how you finish.

]]> By: HB Ando http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/2009/03/07/time-for-an-intervention/comment-page-1/#comment-1379 HB Ando Sat, 07 Mar 2009 23:08:35 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/?p=67#comment-1379 Butthe...I mean, Sautee, "Fire, Fire, Fire!!!!!" Butthe…I mean, Sautee, “Fire, Fire, Fire!!!!!”

]]> By: Butthead http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/2009/03/07/time-for-an-intervention/comment-page-1/#comment-1378 Butthead Sat, 07 Mar 2009 22:24:15 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-hawks-blog/?p=67#comment-1378 Heh heh, heh heh This Gets Old said "paul" heh heh, heh heh. Heh heh, heh heh This Gets Old said “paul” heh heh, heh heh.

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