No need for snap decisions
The only thing that rages more than Josh Smith's emotions is his over-the-top talent . The Hawks would be wise to find ways to help channel that emotion in a positive direction.
HAWKSVILLE - Raise your hand if you thought we’d all end up here.
Go ahead, raise it up high. Let the rest of us see you. I need to make sure we count the hands.
Good. Now that the roll call is over, it’s time to get down the serious business that will be retooling this Hawks roster for next season. In case you missed it, nearly half the roster is going to be diving into the free agent waters this summer.
That means there’s a chance that the Hawks team you saw on the floor in the Eastern Conference semifinals against Cleveland will be no more as of July 1, the date the free agent negotiating season kicks off. That also means that the ball switches from Mike Woodson, Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby and Josh Smith’s court to that of Hawks general manager Rick Sund.
And judging by his 30-plus year resume in the league, Sund is well aware that now is not the time for snap decisions. Those are the things, as my guy Jeff Schultz alluded to his in his column from Game 4 of the Cleveland series, that can implode a franchise. Sund needs to do what his predecessor did not after last year’s Game 7 loss to Boston, and that’s take a week or so to decompress from this experience before coming to any conclusions about this team.
(Injuries to both Al Horford and Marvin Williams complicate any postseason studies into their performances, so basically all you can go off of is their healthy regular season work.)
We, on the other hand, don’t have to wait for anything to start making our assessments of what we saw, what we liked and disliked and what we think needs to be done to improve for the future (a wise . We can dive right in, as I know you have been doing for days. So without further ado, here is one thing that can’t wait:
Since he’s the one player Hawks fans ride worse than any other, it’s only fitting that we address Josh Smith first. No fewer than a dozen people came up to me in the minutes after the game to insist that he was the reason the Hawks lost yet another game. He wasn’t locked in on defense, I was told, and he was the one giving up all the big shots, and he let Anderson Varejao work him on the boards the entire series and that’s ultimately what cost the Hawks.
I’ve written it before and I’ll write it again, once again Smith serves as the easy scapegoat for the Hawks’ larger problems (their paper-thin depth, their flawed offensive scheme the wordsmith Mark Bradley nailed in his recent column and their inability to get ball pressure on the ball at the outset of offensive possessions, just to name a few).
In addition to outscoring all the Hawks other starters (26 to 25) in Game 4, Smith led the Hawks in scoring (17.1), rebounds (7.5), blocks (1.5) and steals (1.1, he tied with Flip Murray) in 11 postseason games. He only shot 42 percent from the floor and a putrid 13 percent (2-for-15) from beyond the 3-point line. But he raised his dismal free throw shooting percentage from the regular season up to 72 percent during the playoffs.
The point is, for every deficiency he has (and five years into his career, Smith, like scores of other pros in the same situation, still has plenty) Smith has a matching skill that can’t be overlooked. His mission this summer, forget about the 3-point line and hone the post skills that few teams can deal with. Take a page out of the book of New Orleans Hornets forward David West and come back with a money 16-footer that makes teams pay for leaving you open on the wing.
I place as much of the responsibility for that happening on Smith as I do his employers. There has to be some sort of marriage of philosophies this summer to make sure that he comes back next season a more polished player and one that fulfills his role as the Hawks’ truly most dynamic player.
We’re going to toss Bibby’s name around quite a bit in the coming weeks, so let me start by insisting that you consider what the Hawks looked like before he showed up and then compare that to what they looked like in his 130 games in uniform. It was a different world, folks. So keep that in mind this summer as the Hawks start weighing their point guard possibilities – and they are endless, what with the free agent market, the draft and whatever sign-and-trade possibilities might be out there.
Bibby’s status as an unrestricted free agent means he’ll have suitors other than the Hawks capable of presenting him with the opportunity to play at least three or four more years (Bibby’s been around for 11 years but just made 31 today). “The Hawks can get someone that’s a better defender and better distributor at that position, but I don’t know that they’re going to get a better shot maker or a better fit for their
Hey Hawks, what are you going to do with Mike Bibby?
team,” a scout friend told me via email earlier today when I inquired about his assessment of Bibby’s situation with the Hawks. “There’s not a team in the league that doesn’t need a guy who’s going to knock down the big shots he does. And the funny thing is, for all the talk about his big salary this year ($15 million in the final year of his deal), you know you’re going to get him for half that or even less on this next deal. He’ll actually be a bargain on his next deal, compared to what he was.”
Bibby is and remains the biggest question mark of the Hawks’ free agents. If you keep him, his successor has to be located immediately and then groomed (what the Hawks did the past two years with Acie Law IV was anything but grooming him) to eventually take over the starting job. If you decide against keeping Bibby, you almost guarantee that you’ll have to locate your new starter via some sort of trade. Because there is little to no chance of finding a point guard ready to be pressed into immediate starting service in the June draft, not where the Hawks are picking (deep in the first round at either 19 or 20).
The Hawks could pull a fast one and snag their point guard of the future and Bibby’s immediate replacement all at once. But as an Eastern Conference executive explained to me Tuesday morning, they’ll have to find someone else’s “garbage” (it wasn’t garbage in the sense you might think, he meant a guy that someone deemed expendable) and make him their own – sort of like what Cleveland did with Delonte West, who has blossomed into one of the league’s top young attack guards (a point guard in size but whatever he wants to be because of his tenacity and fearlessness). Guys that fit that mold to me, and I think there are plenty, including former Georgia Tech star Jarrett Jack, Lakers backup Jordan Farmar (he’s under contract for the next two years and under siege by Shannon Brown), Milwaukee’s Ramon Sessions (unrestricted free agent and ready for prime time) and Portland’s Sergio Rodriguez (still under contract for another year but clearly expendable with Steve Blake and Jerryd Bayless on the roster). There are
Might former Georgia Tech star Jarrett Jack be in the Hawks' future plans at point guard? We'll find out this summer.
also veterans like Philly’s Andre Miller (unrestricted), Chicago’s Kirk Hinrich (hefty salary for the next three years but absolutely expendable with Derrick Rose at the helm and Ben Gordon an unrestricted free agent), Charlotte’s Raymond Felton (restricted) and Utah’s Ronnie Price (unrestricted).
Again, the Hawks’ options are limitless, especially when you consider that basically half the players on their own roster are free agents of one form or another. But make no mistake, figuring out what to do at point guard remains the Hawks’ highest priority.
And there are several reasons why – the first being their utter refusal to draft the right point guard year after year during the previous regime. The most important, however, is that point guard play in the NBA has become the equivalent of quarterback play in the NFL. Either you have a veteran hand capable of orchestrating almost any situation, a guy that can make everything run smoothly (Kurt Warner anyone) or you have the young phenom (the Falcons’ Matt Ryan comes to mind) that simply will not be denied. If you get caught between those two extremes, you’re gambling with your team’s future.
If you don’t believe quality point guard play can make the absolute difference between mediocre and championship worthy, you should spend a few minutes reading one of the best stories I’ve read about that very subject (courtesy of Tom Friend of ESPN’s Outside The Lines). Seriously, if you don’t do anything else, read this story from top to bottom to see how the right guy at the most important position on the floor (or field) can make all the difference in the world for a team … sort of like Bibby did for the Hawks the last year and a half.
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624 comments Add your comment
Melvin
May 17th, 2009
10:28 am
Ok even though I would do the Marvin for Yi trade, that may not be realistic as I read the article again. What about we trade Marvin and get no player in return (Yikes)….
“There have been rumors of Williams being dangled in a sign-and-trade for cash. Don’t be surprised if talented yet unused guard Acie Law, the 11th overall pick in the 2007 draft, is moved, too.” – Hoopshype
Ken Strickland
May 17th, 2009
11:00 am
If Woodson is retained, I’d like to see us go after JChildress first. Then, we go after a veteran PG that plays DEF and shoots with range and accuracy, Like the Bulls KHeinrick. Next, we go after C Mike Moore of the Celtics. I think he’ll be available becuse he’s very disappointed with the limited mins he’s gotten with the injury to KG, especially in the playoffs. We resign Flip Murray and Zaza, if possible, and part ways with Bibby, ALaw and SJones, especially Law and Jones since we all know they’ll just get ignored anyway. We then draft the best forward or center available.
Our starting lineup would be the same as last yrs, with the exception of Heinrick replacing Bibby. Our bench would be C-ZPachulia & MMoore, SF-JChildress & MEvans, SF-OHunter, PG-FA signee, SG-MWest. I don’t think Heinrick will be the clutch shooter Bibby is, but he’d more than make for that with his superior DEF. MMoore would be a vet BIG that Woodson wouldn’t have issues with. With Flip, Zaza, Childress, Evans and Moore on the bench, I think Woodsons trust issues would be elimitated and his rotation expanded. TOO ME, THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO GET THE VETERAN PLAYERS WOODSON PREFERS WITHOUT BREAKING UP OUR CORE OF YOUNG TALENT.
jhan
May 17th, 2009
11:37 am
Ariose – please don’t talk about Josh bringing what Lebron does to the SF position. Do you really want Josh with the ball in his hands 60%-70% of the time?
I prefer the guards handling the ball on this team. I agree with playing Josh in the paint. Where will our C & PF play? Do you want Horford taking shots from the perimeter?
doc
May 17th, 2009
11:42 am
uh excuse me, who is yi?
Melvin
May 17th, 2009
12:18 pm
Doc,
His name is Yi Jianlian. The 7ft guy from China that you wanted to draft over Horford 2 yrs ago….heh,heh
terrell barron
May 17th, 2009
12:19 pm
Ken, there’s not too many free agent backup pg’s out there. Here’s a few: Kevin Ollie, T-Lue, R.Ivey, and Brevin Knight. YIKES! I’d like to go after a guy like Ronnie Price. He might want out of Utah and he’s unrestricted. He could possibly start here.
terrell barron
May 17th, 2009
12:21 pm
And Ken, I like Hinrich, but how much will the ASG be willing to spend. That’s why I mentioned Price. He’ll be a lot cheaper. And he can ball.
Melvin
May 17th, 2009
12:29 pm
If we trade Acie and Speedy, we could invest that money in Hinrich…
ant banks
May 17th, 2009
12:38 pm
w
Melvin
May 17th, 2009
12:48 pm
Did Joe Dumars got played or what. First it was the Darko draft debacle then it was the disaster experiment with Iverson the trade. Just think, he could have had Melo and Billups in a Pistons uniform…
“The Nuggets needed to go find a legitimate starting point guard.
Within hours, the Pacers agreed to ship Tinsley, a draft pick and cash to Denver in return for veterans Chucky Atkins and Steven Hunter.
Rather than pull the trigger, however, the Nuggets instructed Warkentien to make a fresh call to Detroit, in hopes the possibility of a trade with Indiana might entice Dumars, long a fan of A.I.’s tenacity, to bite on an even bigger deal.
It seemed to be a long shot, a gamble based on a bluff.
Shortly after noon on Oct. 30, however, Warkentien informed his stunned co-workers: Detroit seemed anxious to say yes. Iverson for Billups.
Nuggets officials rode the elevator to Kroenke’s penthouse suite in the Pepsi Center for negotiations of the highest tension level and hammered out a way to make the deal meet league salary-cap requirements and fit the team budget.”
Ken Strickland
May 17th, 2009
12:51 pm
TERRELL BARRON-FA isn’t our only option in getting a vet PG. We can trade for one. We have Speedy’s contract and I believe Acie is a RFA, so we can do a sign and trade with him. I know he won’t be cheap, but losing the contracts of Bibby and Speedy will more than cover his salary.
Ariose
May 17th, 2009
1:26 pm
Sautee-Minuters are minutes, and acie gets none. Thats the difference. Horford got minutes even when he was a rookie and came off of the bench. What does coming off of the bench have to do with being productive. I guess Jason Terry and Manu Ginobili asren’t “Thriving” in their reserve roles? As long as he’s positioned at the PF position I beleive he will be more effective on offense and defense. Coming off the the bench or starting has nothing to to woth the amount of minutes you are given by a coach, nor does it have any impact on weather or not you FINISH the game. For example Childress geting all of the IMPORTANT crunch-time minutes ahead of Starting SF Marvin Williams.
Jhan- I was specifically referring Josh’s ability to, like Lebron Demoralize his lesser SF opponets with his relentless abuse of the rim in the painted area. I was not referring to the amount of time Josh is allowed to dribble the ball. Nor was I suggesting that our offense should be run through Josh 60-70% of the time…..We wouldn’t win that way, and I don’t beleive cleveland on 66 games that way this year either. Their new scheme promoted a lot more ball movement, spacing, and open looks for his teammates, and Mo had the rock just as much as Lebron for the most part this season.
O'brien
May 17th, 2009
1:35 pm
I would rather Kirk Heinrich for $8 million instead of Bibby for $8 million. I would rather Jack ($4 mil) and Sessions ($4 mil) for $8 mil compared to Bibby $8 mil. (Remember, Jack made $2 mil last year, and Sessions made $800k, so I think $4 mil each may be reasonable.
Speaking of JJ, Jeff Schultz had an article which he said JJ had as many shots as Al and Josh combined. I think that has to change for us to be successful. Our front court has to have more shots.
Ariose, Championship teams do have championship depth, but they usually have championship payroll as well. And I dont think the Hawks are willing to spend the money needed. If Horford comes off the bench, then Flip will have to share the ball more too. Our team is too dependent on the backcourt.
篮球迷
May 17th, 2009
3:15 pm
I really wish we would have traded up for Yi in the first place! Maybe I’m biased since I was living in China at the time, but at least we’d see more Chinese fans at games (there were ALOT there during Round 1 this year!)
让我们去老鹰!! (Let’s Go Hawks!!)
terrell barron
May 17th, 2009
3:17 pm
Ken , we dont have anything to trade. We wont get much for Acie or Marvin. Now if we trade JJ,Smith, or Horford, we could land a legit pg and a big body. But I doubt we’d be willing to part ways with one of those guys. How bout Marvin, Acie, and Speedy’s contract, for Blake and Prizbillia?
terrell barron
May 17th, 2009
3:19 pm
I meant Marvin, Acie, Speedy’s contract, and a throw in for Blake and Priz.
ILL-logical
May 17th, 2009
3:43 pm
So what the rumors of Marvin being dangled are suggesting is that if Woodson sees you as being injury prone then he can’t trust you and if he doesn’t trust you then ,see ya, wouldn’t want to be ya. Interesting;any comments on that Mr. Claxton?
cp
May 17th, 2009
4:19 pm
We are dangling Marvin for cash? Just how broke are these clowns. The owners, front office, and coaching make it hard to be a fan of this team.
mykhalc
May 17th, 2009
4:36 pm
DOC, too funny!!! who is YI…for $500 pls. who was DOC’s draft pick in 2008 for the ATL HAWKS!!!?? classic!!LOL
MannyT
May 17th, 2009
6:14 pm
Once we know something about draft order, it may help identify players that are easier to get. For example, the team most likely to get Thabeet may be willing to get rid of their center.
doc & myk…too funny. Alex, I’d like deja vu for $400 The answer is FIRE WOODY. Who is Clyde? Let’s keep it going for $600 please. The answer is Woody is brainless, clueless, useless, period. Alex, who is mykhalc? …you get the idea.
ant banks – use your refresh button on your browser and you will see the latest comments. If you are in the middle of a post, cut it over to notepad before you refresh.
now you know
BWAF
doc
May 17th, 2009
6:21 pm
oh yeah, do you remember how much a i wanted roy as a way to make you forget that one? heh heh
still the argument for yi is valid or his type of player. iggy looked pretty good either dragging hofrord out of the box or shooting over bibby. if our coach wanted to do so he cold make that type of thing matter for the hawks, too.
doc
May 17th, 2009
6:30 pm
myk, i didnt know you were keeping score. i wrote that and left it on the computer and just now sent it before reading your accusation. heh heh
manny t’s got a game loaded and ready for purchase i think.
jhan
May 17th, 2009
6:44 pm
Josh has the ability to relentlessy abuse people at the rim – when he chooses to play that way. Unfortunately he fancies himself a shooter instead of an ustoppable inside force.
Big Ray
May 17th, 2009
6:59 pm
Doc,
If it’s score we’re keeping, I seem to recall that you wanted Yi INSTEAD of HORFORD….
Big Ray
May 17th, 2009
7:07 pm
Jhan,
I agree that Josh’s inside game is far more effective than his outside game. But your statement assumes two things: one, that developing a reliable jumper won’t help him (that physical explosiveness won’t be around forever). Two, that he shoots from the outside more than the inside. The second one certainly isn’t true, as there would be no way he was shooting over 49% from the field over the course of the season. And he was shootin better than that prior to his near-late season free fall in which he also wasn’t rebounding worth a crap.
Big Ray
May 17th, 2009
7:09 pm
But hey, you might get lucky. He could get traded.
Melvin,
Marvin for cash, huh? I sure hope this isn’t one of those “we want cap space” deals. And what kind of cash, I wonder? Better yet, what would we use it for? Hopefully not one of Sund’s old ideas: a tall stiff who never pans out…
ant banks
May 17th, 2009
7:18 pm
ken, you make some very poignant post, very high bball acumen, but i question your call for woody’s head. SAASG, as you so aptly call it, will not get rid of woodson.
they will not eat a year of his salary and ponie up big money for a new coach, when the present one has done nothin’ but improve over the past 4 years, with 2 playoffs run.
their is nothin’ about the SAASG that would remotely suggest that they will can woody, so can we skip that analysis and stick with somethin’ less certain. woody is certainly comin’ back!!
ant banks
May 17th, 2009
7:28 pm
MANNY T, thanks for the info. it was drivin’ me nuts!!!
i think that the hawks mgt. will be able to make some great leeway this summer. with the salary cap lower and teams not spendin’ big in the FA market waitin’ on LBJ sweepstakes. there should be some deals out there for the takin.
i like everythin’ that you guys are pointin’ out. all of it sounds possible and good…EXCEPT FOR “FIRE WOODY!!” if they fire woody, i will not blog on this site for a whole 2 weeks!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
May 17th, 2009
7:29 pm
Yi JIanlian makes Marvin Williams look like James Worthy.
Yeah, the Hawks need to make trades, but trades need to either improve the team’s talent now or vastly improve the team’s cap flexibility for next year, ideally both. Trading Marvin for Yi accomplishes neither.
Big Ray
May 17th, 2009
7:43 pm
Too true, Najeh…
Hoops
May 17th, 2009
7:45 pm
Ant Banks,
You are right. Coach Woodson will be back. Like him or not, the Hawks have greatly improved each season under his watch! The Hawks are not there yet, but a few key moves this off season could put them right there with the Cavs.
Use J. Smith to get a quality 5 man and use Marvin to get a quality PG. Those two players could bring the Hawks answers @ the 1 and 5 positions!
mykhalc
May 17th, 2009
7:48 pm
DOC and MannyT, LMAO fellas!!! MannyT, you know me bro…PERIOD!!!LOL
mykhalc
May 17th, 2009
7:53 pm
oh yeah…DENVER NUGGETS 2009 NBA CHAMPS!!! just sayin’!!!
Big Ray
May 17th, 2009
7:57 pm
“The Sixers showed they are deep in talent when they gave Orlando a strong challenge in the first round of the playoffs. Keep in mind that they are expected to have two healthy big men back next season in Elton Brand and Jason Smith. But one big question is whether they will be able to re-sign free agent point guard Andre Miller. Not having him run the show could ruin any hopes of joining Boston, Cleveland, Orlando, and Atlanta as an Eastern Conference power next season.”
Holy crap. Did we just get called an Eastern Conference Power?
Big Ray
May 17th, 2009
8:12 pm
Woodson will be back next year because he’s still under contract, and the team achieved better results than last year.
What happens next season will be the real story. This team had nowhere to go but up after winning 13 games 4 years ago. While we made the playoffs last year, we did so with a losing record. This year, we had our first winning record. Next season will have to be as good (or at least similar in a number of ways) for it to be considered a success.
Back to back winning seasons is the key to true success. Winning more each year while you’re still losing overall is improvement, but it’s not “arrival.”
Woody helps this team win back-to-back, and he’s proven that he’s a true winner, in my opinion. Take a step back, and all the ugliness rises to the top.
Of course, I’m sure the alibis are ready. If Sund doesn’t do something a certain way, it will be his fault for not giving Woody what he needs to succeed. If he does make some good moves, then it will be Woody that got the job done, while Sund gets little to no credit. Heh. Always makes for a lively “discussion.”
Cap Flexibility for 2010. Ummm…not sure why. Are we going after a consolation prize? Because I don’t see us as big players in the gigantic free agency game. But like anybody else, I really don’t have a clue.
And unlike Chad Ford, I refuse to spoon with a league executive (or any other male) for info…
Astro Joe
May 17th, 2009
8:26 pm
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Sund the GM who signed Earl Watson to a fairly hefty deal when the team already had Ridnour? And isn’t he the guy who signed Wilcox to a nce-sized contract for average at best production? Maybe he changed his ways with Chlldress but he seems to have over-spent in the past.
Marvin for Yi? Laughable. In case you didn’t know, there is a decent Chinese population in and around New York and New Jersey (ever heard of Chinatown). And the Nets, as I recall, have been trying to get a new arena built for the last 750 years. If that team is willing to dump Yi, then both his play AND his economic impact must be lacking.
Here’s hopng that Sund’s theme is NO MORE PROJECTS (at least not amongst the top 8 players).
Ray, do Maxiell, Powe or Millsap grab rebounds when they’re comnng off the bench?
Guys, if we keep our #19 pck, are you expecting to find a starting caliber player for a team looking to return to the playoffs? Just for a little perspective, the last 3 #19 picks chosen were JJ Hickson (Cavs), Jarvaris Crittenton (Lakers) and Quincy Douby (Kings). So again, I ask, are you expecting a starter at #19? (I don’t think any of those guys were even in the playing rotations for their respective teams in their rookie season).
ant banks
May 17th, 2009
8:46 pm
celts are slow and old!! with the right moves hawks can move to the 3 seed!! last year, we had orlando’s number, but since they got reshard lewis and rafer alston, they have been maulin’ us.
orlando is goin’ to have to do somethin’ with their guard situation, jameer will be back next season.
Astro Joe
May 17th, 2009
8:53 pm
The second half of the Celts-Magic could be epic. Magic are notorious for giving away huge leads and Celts are the champs at home in a game seven. This feels like a nail-biter waiting to happen.
ant banks
May 17th, 2009
8:56 pm
ASTRO,
don’t forget that the celts “melted down” the other night
jhan
May 17th, 2009
9:06 pm
Eastern Conference Power – I like the sound of that!!!!
ant banks
May 17th, 2009
9:07 pm
durin’ the previous time out, doc rivers alluded to the fact that they need to “trust each other.” this is a term that i heard jj use EVERY time we lost.
what are they talkin’ about? what does trust have to do with basketball? if you are comin’ down on a two-on-one pass the ball. if you MISS the shot, had nothin’ to do with TRUST.
i jus’ never got what jj was talkin’ about
Big Ray
May 17th, 2009
9:20 pm
“Ray, do Maxiell, Powe or Millsap grab rebounds when they’re comnng off the bench?”
Astro Joe,
Yeah, they do. They also get adequate playing time. And we don’t have any of those guys. Not trying to be a smart-a$$, but what are you getting at?
Astro Joe
May 17th, 2009
9:22 pm
ant, I think that means that instead of a player feeling like he has to take and make the shot, that he trusts his teammates and passes the ball or they maintain the defensive scheme as opposed to trying to do too much themselves to stop every possession. Kind of like telling a pitcher to throw strikes and trust that the fielders will get the job done.
Astro Joe
May 17th, 2009
9:23 pm
Ray, I thought that you were suggesting that Blair won’t get rebounds off the bench.
Big Ray
May 17th, 2009
9:32 pm
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Sund the GM who signed Earl Watson to a fairly hefty deal when the team already had Ridnour? And isn’t he the guy who signed Wilcox to a nce-sized contract for average at best production? Maybe he changed his ways with Chlldress but he seems to have over-spent in the past.
Ha! Don’t be facetious. You know you’re not wrong. At least Watson played. Did Speedy? Uh-huh.
I figure Sund signed Wilcox based on what he thought he could do. The guy still has potential. Don’t know if he’ll realize it all, but he might in New York. Hell, at least we know Sund will spend the money instead of yapping about cap space…assuming the 7 dwarves say it’s okay.
Big Ray
May 17th, 2009
9:34 pm
LOL! No, Astro Joe, I was suggesting that Blair might not get off the bench. I hope he can be like Milsap, Maxiel, or Powe. But he would have to get off the bench to show us what he can or can’t do.
Ken Strickland
May 17th, 2009
9:36 pm
TERRELL BARRON-with the emergence of DRose, and BGordon under a longteam contract, the Bulls will likely want to get rid of Heinrick’s contract and might be open to ALaw and Speedy’s contract plus a draft pick. Let’s face it, unless we draft another AHorford type, which won’t happen where we’re drafting, a rookie isn’t likely to see the light of day and won’t last beyond his rookie contract under Woodson. So, we might as well trade our picks for vets that will be given a chance to play and contribute.
I like Heinrick for Woodson’s limited jumpshooting OFF because he’s steady, doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, shoots with range and accuracy and would be an excellent compliment to JJ. AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE HAS SIZE, PLAYS VERY GOOD DEF AND WOULD FREE JJ OF THE BURDEN OF HAVING TO COVER FOR BIBBY BY DEFENDING EVERYONE ELSE’S QPG.
darrell starks
May 17th, 2009
9:38 pm
Last year i thought that we wouldnt make the playoff or fininsh 7 or 8 but i was wrong we fininsh 4th but this year i gurantee if we bring back the same coach and dont add a player who will be and impact player at the 3 or 5 position we will finish 6 7 OR 8TH seed or might not make the playoffs.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Big Ray
May 17th, 2009
9:38 pm
Ant,
JJ would talk about trust, then not show it. Then again, sometimes his teammates wouldn’t prove to be very trustworthy. I’m of the belief that guys have to extend some trust first. Let your teammates prove themselves. And don’t look for it to happen overnight, or in just a few games.
Guys will miss shots. Everybody does. Guys will make bad decisions. The best way (I think) to build and maintain trust is to keep passing the ball, then hold them accountable for doing what they are supposed to do.
What I saw in JJ, and in his teammates (except Bibby) was: pass the ball, then if the receiver missed the shot or made a bad decision, they wouldn’t get it again. He can’t keep doing that.
darrell starks
May 17th, 2009
9:48 pm
Even under sucess you have to make tough decision and fire your coach all great organization does it.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!