Superman’s return!
Superman has put the entire league on notice with his performance in these playoffs.
HAWKSVILLE - Next time I’ll listen.
In the wake of the Hawks’ being swept out of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Cleveland, people that watch NBA basketball as much and as hard as I do kept warning me that Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic would end the reign of the King (LeBron James).
No one was more vocal about it than Tracy Johnson (Joe Johnson’s uncle) of Little Rock, Ark. He warned me several times, and he actually started during the Magic-Celtics series, not to put too much stock in Cleveland’s four-game demolition of the Hawks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The “matchups” would carry the Magic, he said. And he was right. The Cavaliers never did find an answer for Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. I’m not sure they made a sincere attempt to find an answer.
Well, there is no answer, at least not a one-man answer, for Howard, who has stolen James’ thunder as the youngest and most promising NBA talent in these playoffs.
Tracy’s warnings went beyond the playoffs, though, extending to the Hawks’ issues in the Southeast Division – if you haven’t noticed already, there’s a big bad bully on the block now in the division and the Eastern Conference and it’s not the King (who remains the most mercurial talent of his generation).
It’s Howard.
Even worse for the Hawks and everyone else, there is no Mickael Pietrus for Howard. Pietrus effectively harassed James long enough on the defensive end to allow the Magic’s other matchup advantages to swing the series. And when given a choice between defending the Magic’s 3-point shooters or double-teaming Howard … the phrase pick your poison doesn’t do it justice.
Now, the rest of the division, the Eastern Conference and perhaps the league (depending on what happens in the NBA Finals) must figure out how to build a team capable of beating Howard’s Magic.
YOU WON’T FIND A SOLUTION FOR HOWARD IN THE NBA DRAFT. No one stacks up physically, shoulder to outlandishly buff shoulder to the former Southwest Atlanta Christian star.
And the measurements from the NBA’s pre-draft combine in Chicago made that abundantly clear. Our friends at DraftExpress (one stop shopping for all things draft) were kind of enough to compile and share this handy chart for our viewing pleasure. To say this draft is light on big bodies would be an extreme understatement.
By my count, there are only 12 players that measured a legitimate 6-9 or taller. Just 12. That’s not exactly a smorgasboard of options for teams in need. The bigger question is where have all the big boys gone?
That shallow pool of bog bodies makes the prospect of locating a quality big man in this draft extremely difficult for teams picking outside of the lottery (teams like the Hawks).
Chasing a big man in the draft can be a dangerous proposition. Exhibit A, Shelden Williams.
Still, I’m hearing rumblings that North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough is one of this draft’s risers right now. The Hawks are in need of help along the frontcourt but I was thinking someone bigger than Hansbrough. Still, if they’re on the board at 19 and have Hansbrough rated higher than any of the point guards available …. it’s happened here before folks (Shelden Williams over Brandon Roy ranks up high in the draft gaffe Hall of Fame). You know it as well as I do. NBA executives always tend to value size over anything else, to their own detriment most times.
My two favorite point guards in this draft, North Carolina’s Ty Lawson and Syracuse’s Jonny Flynn, are nearly identical in every department (a shade over 6-foot, a couple ounces over 195 pounds depending on what they ate for breakfast that day). I’m a lot less interested in their combine numbers than I am in what they do when the big lights come on. And both of these guys get it done come game time.
IN ADDITION TO THE DRAFT CHATTER, FREE AGENT AND TRADE TALK IS HEATING UP around the league. That’s always a good thing for us, since the prospect of something that’s virtually impossible always seems to generate a greater response than anything remotely possible.
The Hawks won’t be the only team scouring the NBA landscape for frontcourt help this summer. Apparently the team that vanquished them in the playoffs is in need of a little updgrde up front as well, per my man Bob Finnan of the News Herald in suburban Cleveland.
One player mentioned in Bob’s story that will no doubt be mentioned in many others as the summer drags on is Hawks reserve center Zaza Pachulia.
Every playoff team in need of a depth along the frontline is going to be interested in a player like Zaza, for obvious reasons (he has the size, experienced and ability needed to play a vital role for a contender plus he’s going to be affordable for most teams because he’ll command a salary around the mid-level exception over the course of the next three or four years – similar to the four-year $16 million deal he just finished up with the Hawks).
The Hawks can ill afford to lose a quality big man like Zaza Pachulia in these trying economic times around the NBA.
Pachulia’s an unrestricted free agent, meaning the Hawks will have to compete to keep him. And I’m not sure he isn’t there most crucial free agent they need to retain because of the dearth of quality and affordable bigs on the market.
I know several of the Hawks’ competitors in the Eastern Conference are interested, I’ve spoken to executives from four teams that have brought his name up in our conversations over the past two weeks.
There are other guys in that realm with higher profiles (guys like Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, Chris Wilcox, Joe Smith and others) that are a bit of a risk compared to Pachulia because they’re older and perhaps will command a bit more money (in the case of Wallace).
I thought Pachulia was a monster bargain when the Hawks snagged him initially. The expectations were raised after his first season with the team, when he was thrust into a starting role and flourished after Jason Collier’s sudden and tragic death. Pachulia for anything near the same price right now is an equally monstrous bargain.
I know everyone is always interested in upgrading. But sometimes it’s not nearly as easy you might think to get a better bang for your buck. And whatever you think of Pachulia, he’s a good bargain for a player with his credentials.
BACK TO THE DRAFT BUZZ, the one player’s name that keeps coming up in all the conversations I’m having with people is Jrue Holiday. The UCLA point guard, who has yet to cement his draft situation by hiring an agent, is following in the footsteps for former Bruin and Oklahoma City standout Russell Westbrook.
Both players played alongside a pretty good point guard in his own right (Darren Collison) and both played in the ultra-structured system of Bruins coach Ben Howland, so like Westbrook, there’s likely a lot more to Holiday’s game that we haven’t seen yet.
Holiday’s work at the pre-draft camp, coupled with his fantastic size (6-4 and change and a solid 200 pounds) and tremendous ceiling (he’s just 18) has done wonders for his stock with NBA types. If he decides to stay in the draft, he’s all but worked his way out of the Hawks’ range at 19.
Holiday's stock is on the rise after impressive showings in workouts and at the Chicago pre-draft camp.
While the buzz about Holiday intensifies, the buzz about fellow California teenage point guard Brandon Jennings appears headed in the opposite direction. A less then stellar showing in Italy this past season didn’t help the preps-to-Europe trailblazer’s cause, though I can’t imagine what anyone expected of him making that kind of transition (I’ll be curious to see if their are similar, oversized expectations placed on Ricky Rubio if his first year in the NBA is next season).
Jennings reportedly spurned an offer to work out at the Reebok Eurobcamp (their version of the pre-draft camp), sending NBA executives scurrying to find answers as to why he would pass up an opportunity to “compete” in front of the assembled brass. But what more do you need to see from Jennings to make an adequate assessment of his game?
If you need more on the draft crop, though, check out the athleticism test results from the pre-draft camp (courtesy of our friends at nbadraft.net, yet another fabulous site devoted to all things draft).
SPEAKING OF EXPECTATIONS GONE AWRY, I CANNOT BELIEVE FOLKS ARE STILL groaning about the Marvin Williams-is-not-Chris-Paul madness.
I know it hurts for some of us to do this, even after all these years, but it really is time to let go. Just throw darts at your Billy Knight poster for the rest of your life. But let it go.
And for the record, Marvin wasn’t the No. 1 pick in that 2005 draft. That honor belonged to Milwaukee’s Andrew Bogut, who has yet to distinguish himself as anything other than a wanna-be-dominant NBA big man (I’d argue that Toronto’s Andrea Bargnani is looking like a better pick these days).
Marvin’s first four years have been respectable and far from bust material (anyone seen Darko Milicic in a uniform lately? Anyone. Anyone. Bueller?).
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
552 comments Add your comment
terrell barron
June 9th, 2009
1:58 pm
Hell, I’d even trade Horford for Bosh. He’s just that good. Only thing is, we’d have to move Smith too. Sorry Darrell Starks, but Smith and Bosh on the same frontline? No thanks. I dont like that idea. A lefty at Center and a lefty at pf would be a 1st. lol!! Now if we could pull off a Bosh for Horford deal, then I’d definitely trade Josh Smith for Brand Ken Strickland. Look at this lineup:
Bibby/JJ/Marvin/Brand/Bosh.
Patty Mills(1strdr)/Flip/Mo/Pendegraph(2nd rdr)/Zaza and possibly Childress.
Now that’s what I’m talking about. Even Woody’s dimbass could’nt stop us then.
O'brien
June 9th, 2009
2:13 pm
Melvin, the reason why Toronto would make the trade Bosh for Josh, is because Bosh is a free agent next year, and he might not resign with Toronto. How would Toronto look if Bosh did not resign with them? Yeah, they will have the salary cap space, but I dont see another big name agent going to Toronto. And Josh is still under contract for 4 more years, and he still has potential. Plus one of Toronto’s assistants is Marc Ivaroni (sp), who was D’Antonio’s assistant. Their offense with Josh could be sick.
If I’m the Hawks, I make that move, because I would give Bosh the $18 mil or so he will ask for when his contract expires. He is a guaranteed 20 and 10 guy, plus playing with JJ would be great for him and JJ (and Woody).
jdewayneatl
June 9th, 2009
2:24 pm
Woody’s strife is playing young pg’s and not young players in general. Idk if many of you could remember way back but Josh Smith and Josh Childress started many games together. And Josh Smith started more than Childress their rookie year. Marvin Williams came in and started right away. I hate to say it but Sheldon Williams came in and started right away. And Al Horford came in and started right away. Acie Law was Woody’s first true pg that he had the chance to work with (Salim Staudamire was here but had trouble in Woody’s yard bc he was a tweener). Acie’s work on the court has be derailed to bc of injury. So I say take a PG at 19 and let Woody play him.
Melvin
June 9th, 2009
2:30 pm
I hear ya Obrien but I’m a Josh fan so he stays in a Hawks uniform in my book unless its for Lebron, DWade, Kobe or Dwight.
terrell barron
June 9th, 2009
2:31 pm
Maynor, Flynn, or Mills. Dont blow it Rick Sund.
O'brien
June 9th, 2009
2:47 pm
Melvin, I’m a Josh fan too, but I keep waiting on him to take his game to the next level, and as long as Woody is here, I dont know if he will ever maximize his potential.
tb, If I am Sund, I am willing to move up a few slots to make sure I get the guy I want. Because you just dont know what order the PG’s are going to go in, and who might be left at 19.
G-Man
June 9th, 2009
2:52 pm
Will somebody please tell me the fascination with mills? His stock is based off a good game in the olympics. Otherwise he is getting thrashed for his inability to pass the ball.
Melvin
June 9th, 2009
3:04 pm
O’brien,
Josh took his game to another level in the playoffs which showed me his maturity level has grown. Look, when comparing his stats to the likes of Amare and Bosh those guys are clearly ahead of him however I do think he’s a notch below the two right now but he could become a 20/10 guy in the near future and have more of an impact on the game than either two. Josh is not as skilled as the other two but I think he just as talented and plays the game with heart and embrace the challenges of playing for an disfunctional organization and never once complain about it (even during his contract fiasco last season) or his teammates in the media unlike Bosh and Amare. So yes, give me Josh. I will root, admire and support a player like that. Trophy or not….
newkid
June 9th, 2009
3:32 pm
Kapono (Toronto) for Evans (Philly) confirmed. So much for that nonsensical mantra regarding no trading within one’s division, right?
Ken Strickland
June 9th, 2009
4:03 pm
TERRELL BARRON-I’m not trying to push EBrand as the only solution to our problem. I’d also take CBosh over EBrand, and I wouldn’t hesitate to trade JSmith to get him either. I’d definitely get rid of Bibby or bring him off the bench and start a PG that can shoot and play DEF.
Actually, with both Bosh and Horford’s ability to score from the outside, a PG like ALaw would be awsome carving DEF’s up with his speed, quickness and penetrating ability. But that’s just the way I see it, and we all know Woodson doesn’t value those attributes.
He has a love afair with the jumpshot, because like Bibby, he was rather one dimensional and unathletic, but his prolific jumpshot allowed him to have a decent Pro career. That’s why he could care less about a young PG that possesses speed, quickness, penetrating ability, and also plays excellent DEF, but isn’t a prolific jumpshooter. His OFF is designed to sttack the DEF by shooting over it, which is why it offers few options and is so easily defended, rather than attacking it with penetration.
That’s also why we need to be careful about any of the PG’s in this yrs draft. I’ve read how some of you are enamored with the speed, quickness and penetrating ability of certain PG’s. What good are speed, quickness and penetrating ability if the HC doesn’t value those attributes over being a prolific jumpshooter?
RealSquawk
June 9th, 2009
4:15 pm
Melvin,
Josh’s stats went up because there was no one else to play. Marvin was hurt, Al was hurt, Bibby was to small and Joe was being tripled team. His stats went down this year and you can make an argument for his scoring going down because of bibby and flip, but that doesn’t explain his rebounding his shot blocking and his steals being down. On top of that he missed a decent amount of games this year.
The whole reason he is so important to the team is his ability to fill the stat sheet two blocks two steals, 8 to 12 rebounds, 16 to 18 points and he is not doing that.
What we need is josh to be more of a basketball player and less of an athletic guy who can’t be as an effective for a whole year when he roles his ankle in august.
Melvin
June 9th, 2009
4:25 pm
Squawk,
Let see if I understood you said correctly. You said his stats went up b/c everyone else was hurt (AL/Marvin) or was ineffective b/c of tough defense (Joe/Bibby). Well good thing somebody did step up(Josh) b/c the Hawks may have lost in the first round… At least the man showed up under the big lights but I understand. Really, I do. Somebody has to be the fall guy…
RealSquawk
June 9th, 2009
4:45 pm
Melvin,
I am not making him the fall guy. I am glad he stepped up, I forgot to put that in there. And I will admit Joe played poorly, but how many times were people actually trying to keep the ball out of Josh’s hands or sending him a double team. The double team came to Al in the post several times, but they weren’t running people at Josh.
Melvin
June 9th, 2009
4:53 pm
Squawk,
I can’t recall AL being double team in the post that often (if at all) but if he was commanding a double in the post (which is the same reason why so many on here is asking for a low post guy like Bosh) then the issue may point else where. Like the scheme of the offense. Maybe if we play thru the post then guys like Joe/Bibby/Marvin would have uncontested jumpshots.
terrell barron
June 9th, 2009
5:00 pm
Ken, you might as well forget about Acie Law. It’s evident, he doesn’t fit in Woody’s system, or lack there of.
Big Ray
June 9th, 2009
5:04 pm
It never fails.
We talk about Joe being triple-teamed all day. So, uh….there should be 3 other players who are now open, right? Then why is it Joe is still taking more shots than anybody else and has the ball in his hands longer than anybody else?
Think before you answer…..
Big Ray
June 9th, 2009
5:10 pm
Melvin,
Josh is the fall guy until he either leaves or becomes an all-star. You know how this works, bro’.
Melvin
June 9th, 2009
5:11 pm
Big Ray,
Do I have to think if my answer to your question is “LMAO”….
O'brien
June 9th, 2009
5:12 pm
Josh’s rebounding and blocked shots went down, but part of the problem is Woody’s switching defense. However, Bosh’s career average (6 seasons) is 19.6 pts, 9.2 rebounds (basically a 20 and 10 every night). Josh’s career average (5 seasons) is 14 points, 7.2 rebounds. And Bosh only played 1 year of college.
Dont get me wrong, Josh has a lot of potential, but with Woody as the coach, I dont know if Josh will ever maximize it.
I’m a big Josh fan, but I’m a bigger Hawks fan, and I think Bosh makes the Hawks better immediately, because he gives you 20 and 10 every night, and teams respect his inside game, so that should open it up for JJ, and maybe Woody will allow them to play inside out for a change.
Other NBA News. The Sixers main weakness was no 3 pt shooting, and now they have a legit 3 pt shooter in Kapono (2 time winner of 3 pt shooting contest), a new coach, and probably EBrand for the whole season. All they need now is a PG, and they might overtake the Hawks next season.
Melvin
June 9th, 2009
5:16 pm
Obrien,
Do you think Bosh would avg 20pts in a Hawks uniform in the same offense that endorse JJ/Bibby/Flip chucking up the shots??? And how many shots does Bosh attempt to get his 20pts vs Josh 17pts (I can’t look up the stats on my work computer)?
RealSquawk
June 9th, 2009
5:17 pm
Melvin,
Yeah it was very rare they would put him in the post, but when it happened they were doubling. I think the problem with getting someone like Bosh is that he isn’t a big body he is tall, but he isn’t going to push people around which would only help us with offense, but as far as protecting the basket it would not help. And who do we trade for him? I don’t like giving up Josh or Al for Bosh if its not straight up and if we don’t get a center.
Astro Joe
June 9th, 2009
5:21 pm
I don’t know why Joe shot 9 more FGAs than Smith during the playoffs (which averages to less than 1 more FGA per playoff game). But when someone answers that question, maybe they can answer why they shot a comparable field goal percentage during the playoffs despite opposing teams employing different defensive strategies against the players. I know I can’t figure it out. Oops, I almost forgot, our incompetent coach is selectively incompetent… he runs picture perfect plays for Joe but forces Smith to play 20 feet from the basket. So Woody’s utilization of Smith on offense is equally as effective at stopping him as opposing teams running double teams on Joe. Now I have it right. Wow, it’s amazing that Smith was able to score 8 more total points over those 11 games than Joe despite having his own coach working against him. Is it too early to offer him a $58M extension?
RealSquawk
June 9th, 2009
5:32 pm
Big Ray,
You are absolutely right to pose that question. There are several ways to look at it. I think much of blame lies on Joe and Woody. I think they revealed there love fest for each other more than ever at the end of this season. The stagnant offense designed to make Joe look like an all-star (not that he isn’t) has put a ceiling on every players potential on this team. The young point guard problem woody has might have less to do with Woody disliking and more with Woody feeling like they are going to look to spread the ball more and look less at Joe (but I digress). the real problem, the sickening fact in all this is that Joe has been in an offense where spreading the ball and running was the key and yet he has not to even try to push that on Woody and he might be the only person who can.
I feel there is more to the original problem. The players are on the court and can dictate how they want to play so when Joe is doubled there needs to be more movement, but there isn’t nobody is running to Joe saying here I am pass me the ball or cutting to the basket.
Then there is that old problem of the other players not wanting to take shots. hmmm. maybe thats why Josh shoots all those bad shots to show Woody and Joe that he is not afraid to shoot ever.
A Tribe Called Quest
June 9th, 2009
5:32 pm
How can you even mention Elton Brand? He is never going to be healthy again.
These stupid bigs keep putting on more and more and more and more muscle and it kills their legs.
Oden, Okafor, Bynum, Brand…
you’ll see
RealSquawk
June 9th, 2009
5:38 pm
Astro Joe,
Is that pro Smith or anti Smith I can’t tell? What’s interesting about that is what if they switched Josh’s placement on the court with Marvin then I think that puts Marvin in a place where he can drive or shoot. and it puts Josh closer to the basket. But i think that was your point as well its Woody, which is sad cause I really liked the guy at first.
Big Ray
June 9th, 2009
5:51 pm
Well how about that.
The Sixers knew they needed a shooter. They went out and got one, via trade. It all looks so simple…
Big Ray
June 9th, 2009
6:10 pm
Sekou’s Blog. Where Amazing Happens.
Amazing how THIS:
It never fails.
We talk about Joe being triple-teamed all day. So, uh….there should be 3 other players who are now open, right? Then why is it Joe is still taking more shots than anybody else and has the ball in his hands longer than anybody else?
Think before you answer…..
Turns into THIS:
I don’t know why Joe shot 9 more FGAs than Smith during the playoffs (which averages to less than 1 more FGA per playoff game). But when someone answers that question, maybe they can answer why they shot a comparable field goal percentage during the playoffs despite opposing teams employing different defensive strategies against the players. I know I can’t figure it out. Oops, I almost forgot, our incompetent coach is selectively incompetent… he runs picture perfect plays for Joe but forces Smith to play 20 feet from the basket. So Woody’s utilization of Smith on offense is equally as effective at stopping him as opposing teams running double teams on Joe. Now I have it right. Wow, it’s amazing that Smith was able to score 8 more total points over those 11 games than Joe despite having his own coach working against him. Is it too early to offer him a $58M extension?
I don’t recall mentioning or even alluding to Smith in relation to Joe. I remember saying 3 guys should be open if Joe is getting triple-teamed (Ok, really it should be two open guys). I don’t recall mentioning anything about the playoffs. I was actually referring to the normal state of affairs. But in the interest of the argument, I dug up some regular season stats and saw that JJ takes 18 shots per game on average, while Smith takes 12. What does this mean? Hell, I don’t know, but I figured it was good to throw it out there just in case there might be an argument waiting to be born. Maybe it means Joe should have averaged more than 5 ppg than Smith, despite shoot a lower percentage, with Smith having perfect plays run for him while Joe toils in basketball hell, where double teams wait for him every second of every game that he plays in. Or maybe it means what you want it to mean.
Sekou’s blog. Where Amazing REALLY happens.
Big Ray
June 9th, 2009
6:10 pm
RealSquawk
June 9th, 2009
6:19 pm
Big Ray,
You lost me. maybe we can solve this with your answer.
LouHudson
June 9th, 2009
6:21 pm
Stop this madness, Bosh is not a center. If the Hawks make a trade for Bosh, it will not solve their two biggest issues besides Woody as the coach. The Center and PG positions will still unsolved. Bosh would make the Hawks a little better, but they still will not get past the second round. For the ten time, trade Marvin and Speedy for McGee or Pryszilla and a player or draft pick. If that does not happen, sign Kamam. If the Hawks don’t resign Bibby, the money there for signing Jarrett Jack.
TRADE Marvin, Speedy and dump Bibby, period! Now, the Hawks are able to resign Flip, ZaZa, and most importantly sign Childress. You solve the center issues(McGee, Pryszilla, or Kamam) and the pg as well Jack/Law. Your 2,3, and 4 slots are solid with a defender stopper in Childess. Lebron, Wade, Kobe, or Boston SF aren’t going anywhere.
Everyone needs to stop talking trades and FA signings which do not solidify the 1 and 5 positions.
Here’s your lineups next year!
STARTERS
PG – Jack
SG – JJ
Sf – Jsmoove
PF – Horford
C – Kamam, McGee, or Pryszilla
2ND UNIT
PG – Law
SG – Flip/Childress
SF – Childress/Evans
PF – Solo
C – ZaZa
the rest who cares! Go Hawks!
RealSquawk
June 9th, 2009
6:30 pm
Lou Hudson,
I do agree with you about Bosh, but I don’t think moving Smoove to small forward spot helps him or the team. we need to keep him close to the basket.
So lets solve the problem move Marvin to the small forward and give Smith 26 to 30 minutes off the bench. he is our energy guy so lets let him give us energy off the bench and let him focus on doing all the energy play putting him in a lamar odom role.
Astro Joe
June 9th, 2009
6:43 pm
Ray, you’re right. The regular season results clearly suggest that something should have been different. Nothing about winning 10 more games and a 4th seed despite missing every front court starter for at least 10 games suggests that the regular season was sufficiently successful. Heaven knows that those energetic performances like the first game following the All Star break shows how Smith was clearly ready to shoulder more of the losd on a team with playoff aspirations.
Blast
June 9th, 2009
7:15 pm
Real madness. Bosh is mad soft, he is not a center, and too expensive for those stats. Next season Josh will be putting up better numbers than him. Josh was Hawks best player in the playoffs, followed by Flip and Zaza. Josh gets his head together, he’ll be a star in this league.
Astro Joe
June 9th, 2009
7:22 pm
Ray, since you also questionned my reading comprehension skills, let me see if I am dumber than a third grader. Shortly after 3:00, Melvin lauds Smith for stepping up in the playoffs. RealSquawks responds later that Joe was tripled (in the playoffs), which impeded his scoring ability. They continue to debate stats about… the playoffs. So when you chimed up shortly after 5:00, you weren’t discussing the playoffs? But then you go bold, indented and italicized on me about referencing playoff performance? OK, I guess I’m just wrong and I don’t understand how to follow a subject matter on the blog. My bad!
O'brien
June 9th, 2009
7:32 pm
Sekou, can we get a new blog? We are up to 534 comments. Nothing new to report on the draft? Team workouts? Free agency? Any contact with Chills? NBA finals?
Throw us a bone here.
niremetal
June 9th, 2009
7:47 pm
Ray,
Sounds simple, but Kapono is just beyond awful on defense. Trading Reggie Evans was actually kind of stupid, I think, because he was pretty much their only source of toughness. Kapono is useless unless he’s open behind the arc. He can’t drive. He can’t pass. He can’t play D.
Considering the fact that Brand is likely to miss significant time, I’d have kept the rugged PF workhorse and saved the $1M.
Sautee
June 9th, 2009
8:18 pm
Nire,
“Kapono is useless unless he’s open behind the arc. He can’t drive. He can’t pass. He can’t play D.”
But he CAN hit a jumper! LOL it sounds like a player Woody would use for 35 minutes a game.
Ariose
June 9th, 2009
8:35 pm
Nire, Philly also has that big White Kid that went down with an injury in preseason last year. I think they were planning to use him a lot before he got injured. Also, this frees up more PT for the very talented Mauriece Speights…
Ariose
June 9th, 2009
8:47 pm
Fact: Hawks Original starters Mike,Joe,Marvin,Smoove,Horford ONLY PLAYED I think it wasd 23 regular season games toghther……We won 47 games with pretty much someone ALWAYS injured.
ZAZA,Solo,Sheed,Horford,Bass should solve that Adding Anthony Parker,Gerald Green(700k…..calm down), and re-signing Flip will sure up the Wings. I think we can stick with Bibby/Acie as long as Acie gets some PT. Make sure to draft the best possible PG’s in the draft(thats right, WITH BOTH PICKS. WE’VE SCREWED UP TOO MUCH MORE QUANTITY=HEGHER% OF GETTING QUALITY….WE CAN’T STIKE OUT TWICE IN ONE DRAFT CAN WE????)
Trade Speedy. Sign % Trade Chills for whoever drafted either Gerald Henderson or Wayne Ellington.
If Philly drafts a PG MAybe we can get our Hands on Louis Williams??? Speedy for Lou?
niremetal
June 9th, 2009
9:07 pm
Ariose,
Yeah, but it also means less playing time for the even more talented Thaddeus Young. How do you find enough minutes for Iggy, Young, and Kapono? I don’t see Young ever playing minutes at the 4, and any system where you have Iggy spending a lot of the time at SG is poorly conceived, as the Sixers learned earlier this year…
niremetal
June 9th, 2009
9:11 pm
And oh, for the love of GOD do not bring Lou Williams here. He can’t shoot, pass, or play defense. He’s good driving to the rim, but he is a genuine tweener guard who has shown zero ability to act as a distributor. Think Flip but a little quicker, more turnover-prone, and 2 inches shorted. He’d be only so-so under the best of coaches and would be an unmitigated disaster under Woody.
Astro Joe
June 9th, 2009
10:01 pm
OK, so I was checking out playoff stats on 82games.com.
http://www.82games.com/0809/playoffs/playoffs.htm
I’ve been wondering how many of Smith’s shots were assisted by his teammates. Despite the frequent comments by many bloggers, it felt like he was set-up for success far more than failure during the playoffs. That site shows the percent of baskets scored by a player that were assisted, that is, the made shot was off a pass that was credited as an assist. As you would expect, perimeter players are not nearly as “assisted” as much as bigs. Anyway, I compared Smith to comparable PFs. Obviously, his game is not similar to Rashard Lewis nor Dirk. So I looked at Aldridge, Boozer, Scola, David West and Big Baby. I was surprised to see that only Big Baby had more baskets that were “assisted” than Smith. Davis had 80% of his made baskets assisted while Smith was at 75%. Most others ranged between 55%-65%.
So what does that mean? Well, it could mean that the Hawks took what the defense gave them and found Smith in the right position. It could mean that Smith did a better job of playing to his strengths. Or it could mean that Woody made an adjustment to address the defense being played on Johnson.
For those math wizards, please check my math. If Smith took 159 FGAs in the playoffs, made 67 shots and was assisted on 50 shots (75% of his made shots), doesn’t that mean that he shot 15% or 16 of 109 on non-assisted shots? Is that right?
Have fun checking out the site, it has a ton of in-depth information.
Melvin
June 9th, 2009
10:02 pm
Nire,
Just curious. How in the heck have did you become a Hawks fan living in the north???
A Tribe Called Quest
June 9th, 2009
10:16 pm
It’s very annoying to me that there is hardly any replay used in NBA games. It’s so obvious that in every game there are 3 egregious calls by the refs which should be reviewed. Why is most of the reviewing done in MLB? Nobody watches baseball anymore
Melvin
June 9th, 2009
10:29 pm
Astro,
Simple question. Would you say Joe elevated his game in the playoffs(2008 and 2009)?
Ariose
June 9th, 2009
10:37 pm
Nire, Thad has been doing spot-duty at the 4 spot for the past two seasons. But I agree, Kapono will snatch his minutes, and Iggay at the 2 is no good.
A little tough on Lou though nire? You know, they’ve never given Lou the Keys to the car so to speak. I agree he may not be the best fit here, but If he’s allowed to get starters minutes, good things will happen for whatever squad he is playing for……..of course, i’m biased because I went to Highschool with him heh…
O'brien
June 9th, 2009
10:45 pm
nire, I agree that Kapono’s skills are very limited. But he is a solid bench player, and he makes less than $6 mil a year. Compare that to Bibby, who will probably cost $7 or $8 mil, and play 35 minutes every night. And thats exactly why I dont think we should resign Bibby.
If the sixers have a PG who can drive and dish, then all Kapono has to do is knock down the 3.
Melvin
June 9th, 2009
10:55 pm
Astro,
Looks like Josh (+3.2) Roland rating is higher than Joe (-3.0). What the heck is a Roland rating anyway…lol
niremetal
June 9th, 2009
11:11 pm
Melvin,
I was born and raised in Atlanta (lived in Mableton, Smyrna, and Sandy Springs along the way). I moved to Philly for college, grad school, and my first year of law school, then transferred to DC to finish law school, and am now back in Philly. Through all that, though, I’ve remained purely loyal to Atlanta’s teams…although I honestly barely follow any sport but basketball now. I admit to developing a soft spot for the Wizards while I was in DC, though.
O’Brien,
If the sixers have a PG who can drive and dish, then all Kapono has to do is knock down the 3.
On offense, that’s true. But what do you do with him on the other end? Seriously, they just acquired basically a slower, less marketable (read: attractive) version of Korver. At least Korver could sell some jerseys. Kapono is just deadweight 50% of the time he’s on the floor.
Melvin
June 9th, 2009
11:56 pm
Nire,
Korver does look like Ashton Kuster….lol