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
Astro Joe
June 3rd, 2009
5:38 pm
Hinrich makes less than $9M/year for the next 3. I’d do it. I think that he eliminates the PG discussion for the next 3 years and I think he is the type of PG who can be effective for any coach running most offensive schemes. He’s playoff tested, a willling and tough defender and he plays hard all the time. And yes, he can bury the open jumper. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t consider him an “elite” PG but I do think that he is by far the best “available” PG.
Now with that said, if we could trade for Jack (without having the nightmare of trying to pry a RFA from his team), then that would be worth pursuing since he would likely cost about half of Hinrich’s contract. But in general, I don’t like the idea of doing the whole offer sheet thing with other team’s RFAs.
Astro Joe
June 3rd, 2009
5:39 pm
Oops, I forgot to “source” Hinrich’s salary.
http://www.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/bulls.jsp
doc
June 3rd, 2009
5:47 pm
melvin i agree totally different players with differnt posititons requiring different skills, only they seem to be hard nosed players is my comparison and smart, cagey and will be wise in the end. neither guy has the skills of the players they have to playa against, harpring is considered a g/f on yahoo; he will never be compared to the best in that category …. only he can play. i think hansborough would be classified as that as well.
MannyT
June 3rd, 2009
6:02 pm
I get that it is hard to find a good player exactly with the 19th pick, but there are good players EVERY year that are found outside of the lottery. Note this perspective when Bradley went with his I Need a Hero blog.
http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/2009/06/01/why-the-atlanta-hawks-are-still-wishing-upon-a-star/comment-page-2/#comment-15334
I don’t expect to get a star at 19, but we can get a decent contributor. There are lots of PGs in this draft. Someone with a good name will be available. Truth be told, we need the dreaded best player available with that pick. Why, because if that player can give us 20 good minutes off the bench, he fills the major need of improving the bench. As long as Sund says that Horford is a center, the only starting gaps we have are replacing Bibby IF he leaves and replacing Marvin if we decide that we don’t want to match his offer.
If you want a contributor right now, look for a trade or a free agent. If you want a star, either get far enough under the cap to be the recipient of a magic beans trade (e.g. Gasol to Lakers, Camby to Clippers) or get some Astro Joe’s Organic Growth Juice and dunk our front court starters in it all summer with the hope that it is well absorbed by November.
BWAF
MannyT
June 3rd, 2009
6:09 pm
doc, I’m with you. Psycho T has just enough game and more than enough motor to stick around as a more effective version of a Josh Childress. You can run a specific play or two for him, but you don’t have to do it. He will have almost Mario like effort, but for a forward that can knock down the 12 footer at least as well as Al Horford.
As much as I hate to day it, he would be a fine fit to play in Cleveland. You can shine if you can make own offense, but you don’t need to as long as LeBron is getting you open looks.
BWAF
A Tribe Called Quest
June 3rd, 2009
7:16 pm
All those people who are mad at LeBron for walking out on the media after game 6 obviously have not seen this guy’s antics over the last 5 years.
I recall in one of the first games in 06-07, we beat the Cavs on the road behind Joe and Tyronn Lue’s clutchness, and with 10 seconds left in overtime, he walked out on his team (this is on youtube). When the Cavs lost their 1st home game this year, I believe he walked out on everyone. Immature player who only can make layups and uncontested shots.
Samuel
June 3rd, 2009
7:19 pm
To me Hansbrough looks like a player who could turn out to be a Najera at best and at worst not crack the rotation at all. I could be wrong.
Ray, considering our needs, i’d take Lawson over Ellington. When Speedy moves on as Cuz says he will, that will leave us with only two PG’s and one is a UFA.
I’m not sure how Lawson did in the “drills” but in the “Big Dance” he was blowing by everybody and was the undisputed leader of a National Championship Team.
I would actually like Charlie V as a starter at the 5. I know he’s not 7 feet he’s 6′11″ but he seems to play pretty good defense. He can stretch the defense and allow Al and Josh to work on the blocks on offense.
I still would rather have “Sheed” though.
RealSquawk
June 3rd, 2009
7:20 pm
Sekou,
I think you said the Hawks are probably going to draft a point guard? If so that means Acie Law is done here, what is it mutual or did Acie’s side force the issue?
And yes that hypothetical bench you were talking about Chill, Flip, Charlie V, Mo, and Zaza, yeah that’s deadly.
So are we giving up our rights to Anderson?
And I was just thinking about how Mike Woodson probably did not want Salim. I just think he has a natural aversion to point guards running his team. When it should be their team.
Sautee
June 3rd, 2009
7:38 pm
Mike,
about this:
June 3rd, 2009
9:23 am
“The Acie situation is a real problem. He has shown flashes when he’s had a chance to play, but that hasn’t been often and he has gotten hurt. If you resign Bibby and keep Acie, when would a rookie PG play? On the other hand, Acie hasn’t been healthy enough to be a reliable backup.”
Mike, do you think that Bibby hasn’t been healthy enough? Did you know that Bibby has missed more games from injury since Acie came into the league than Acie has? Yet no one seems to think that HE is injury prone.
If Acie had played in all of those dnp-cd’s over the last two years, I don’t think anyone would have that perception of him. Plus, We’d KNOW a lot more about keeping him or cutting him loose (either is ok with me, rather than paying him over $2M / yr for sitting) Any way you look it’s poor asset management to continue with him the way we have the last two years.
And I’d have to say that it’s been his low percentage on his jumper that’s made him an “unreliable backup” rather than injuries. I still would have bitten the bullet and let him learn and play through his shooting woes. Not play a LOT, but 15 minutes or so.
Can you EVER remember saying to yourself “We lost that game because of Acie Law?”
Me either, but you’d THINK that was OFTEN the case the way Woody failed to use him. I won’t be surprised if he flourishes somewhere else. But I’d LOVE to see what he could do here with regular time and a defined role.
Sautee
June 3rd, 2009
8:00 pm
Samuel,
I’ll have to say that I’m baffled that you’d choose Sheed over Charlie V.
08-09 Sheed $13.7M 12.0 points 7.4 rebounds and he will be 35 in September
08-09 Charlie V $3.4M ($4.6 next year) 16.2 points 6.7 rebounds and he will be 25 in August.
And hasn’t Sheed declared he needed $8M to sign?
To ME, it’s a no-brainer. Your cuz is right on the money.
Ariose
June 3rd, 2009
8:07 pm
Sekou, I support your (coolhand)Luke Ridnour Theory. People seem to forget he helped leasd that team to 50 wins. He is a great ball handler capable of getting anywhere he wants. Like ray said, the main thing that’s been holding him back is his injuries the past 2-3 seasons. He plays hard and if hem Richard Jefferson, and Michael Redd can all stay healthy, we better watch out.
“Question: Which would you take – Lawson or Ellington? I say Lawson for now…I’ll explain later.”
Ray, I too would like to hear your explanation for that one. Personally, I know we NEED a PG, BUT If Ellington or Henderson is on the board(BTW did you know they are best friends/HS teammates…..youtube it…..nastyy hoops footage lol) I would defenetly take Ellington.
I’m sure you all know the rap on Lawson by now. Smallest guard in the draft. Out of all of the 5′11-6′0 guards(Mills, Flynn,Lawson, Tyrese Rice) he has the smallest wingspan(short arms). They also question his ability to finish in the paint on the NBA level. They also speak of his poor shot-mechanics(which anyone can see by just watching him play)
I’m sure Lawson has heard all of this junk before. The most important thing though, is that he has always come through when needed and always proved his doubters wrong. I’m not THAT big of a TY Lawson fan, but I certainly wouldn’t bet my money against him.
With all that being said, I’m still going with Ellington lol. Thats no knock against Lawson but Wayne is one of the strongest two-guards at the combine, not to mention one of the most athletic. He also has that sweet stroke(and you KNOW ya boi JJ can get the man open looks). He also said in an interview that he loves to be a playmaker and has played some PG. Honestly, his ballhandling is suspect to me, but he is a good passer.
He beats out his buddy Henderson in pretty much every category(as far as the combine measurements/workouts are concerned), but why is it then that Henderson elevates so high and Ellington doesn’t unless he’s working Off the ball(Lobs Etc..) Well, I call it the J-Smoove-LeBron theory. Henderson is just more Coordinated attacking the basket with a basketball and has better balance with the ball in his hands than Ellington. The same thing applies when you’re talking about LeBron and J-Smoove. CLEARLY J-Smoove jumps higher, runs faster and is more athletic (I think Josh is 3-0 now against LeBron for head-to-head jumpballs) but LBJ is just supremely cvoordinated and balanced(which is really rare for a big guy at such a young age) But LeBron used to be a lot smaller, whereas Josh has pretty much always been at least 6′5 since like middle school(slow big-man growth/coordination…..well a little faster than that of a big man)
Anyhoo….Yeah, it’s a tough call, but i’d go with Ellington…Unless Patrick Mills is on the board, at which point, if i’m the GM, i’ve gotta ask David Stern for more time to make my decision lol.
O'brien
June 3rd, 2009
8:08 pm
Samuel, Villanueva’s defense is very inconsistent, so I wouldnt play him at the 5. Like Sekou said, he can play the 3 or 4 effectively though.
Here’s an idea (somebody else mentioned it on an earlier blog). Milwaukee will probably let either Sessions or Villanueva go (both are restricted), so the Hawks should be able to get one of them. Villanueva or Sessions would each cost the midlevel exception, but I would be okay with Sessions as our starter for the next 5 years (let Bibby go). Sessions needs to work on his 3 point shooting, but he defends and penetrates, and would get JJ and our bigs some easy looks. I would sign Sessions and resign Flip, with Acie as the 3rd guard.
If Milwaukee matches Villanueva, then we offer Sessions.
Ariose
June 3rd, 2009
8:12 pm
A Tribe Called Quest, When you guys havin’ another reunuion tour? You better pass through tha ATL lol. Can you hook a brotha up with front row seats?
Heehehehe…..
Sautee
June 3rd, 2009
8:20 pm
Ariose,
I like Ellington too. Not sure if he’d be the best pick at 19, but he reminds me a LOT of Allan Houston. Smoooooth and can drive well enough that you can’t just play his jumper. On a less deep and talented team he would easily have averaged over 20.
But if we drafted him, it might make signing Flip moot. Of course, some contender might have noticed Flip’s season and make him an offer that would make OUR signing him moot, anyway.
Ariose
June 3rd, 2009
8:22 pm
RealSquawk, Acie isn’t done necessarily. If portland or Houston choose to pony up and pay Flip/Bibby tons of dough, we could end up with Acie starting and a Rookie guard as a backup.
I’m not opposed to that though, Acie defends and when given the oppourtunity can penetrate and pushes the tempo very well. Compared to Mike Conley, he’s certainly not a bust. He was even hitting threes on the regular earlier in the season before the WAFFLE man banished him to the bench for the remainder of the season.
If we pick up a guad in the draft, It just means we’re prepared to weather whatever freak trnactions(Chills to greece) may occour with our PG situation. Phil Jackson is using the Fisher/Brown/Farmar PG combination very well during this postseason……granted, Woodsy’s no Phil, but it can be done.
Oh yeah, Woody will probably never agree to this but we defenetly NEED to get an offensive coordinator, PRONTO…cause’ it’s apparent that the wood man has no clue lol.
Ariose
June 3rd, 2009
8:23 pm
Sautee, Yup…
Blast
June 3rd, 2009
8:53 pm
All these trades and draft stuff interesting and all, but Sekou can’t even get into the Hawks workout gym. Means no one knows what Sund/Woody really thinking. Meaning everything on this blog is just pure speculation. Guess that’s what Hawks off season is all about. Lots of fun, though.
Charlie V or Sheed? Come on! No contest! Charlie all the way! Rasheed is too expensive for what he brings. I don’t think he’s passionate about playing basketball anymore. Imagine Rasheed and Josh in the same locker room. Can we talk combustible? We are trying to get Josh to cool down, man! Thought Hawks were going for character guys. And Charlie can plain out score.
darrell starks
June 3rd, 2009
8:54 pm
Lets say we bring back every body except bibby can we win with this team and the 19pick?
STARTER ACIE, JOE, MARVIN, JOSH, HORFORD,
BENCH FLIP, MOE, CHILL, CHARLIE V, ZAZA
RESERVE SOLO, TY LAW.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
June 3rd, 2009
8:59 pm
The hawks bench might be better than the starting five.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!
A Tribe Called Quest
June 3rd, 2009
9:06 pm
WTF is up with Sund’s comments? The guy has no idea what he is talking about
1) He said you don’t trade for [superstars]–you draft them. Um, the Heat traded for SHAQ and won a title a year later. You are a moron
2) He has no goals for this team. Making the playoffs with a winning record? Then he has the nerve to say he wouldn’t have minded if we made the playoffs with a losing record
3) His biggest accomplishment was being the GM of the Mavs. Can anyone here name 1 player on those Mavs team he was the GM of?
4) Can we please get a real GM who will take this team to a Finals, not this idiot who doesn’t want to win and will just resign and retain all our “young, athletic” players?
Ariose
June 3rd, 2009
9:11 pm
Also, we should sign Geral Green. He is an ufrestricted free agen. We can sign him for right around the leauge minimum. It’s obvious his career is potentially on it’s last legs. He’s low risk and he’;s a 6′8 SG/SF who can jump out of the gym. He is an average shooter, but Mark Price can help him out with that. His work ehtic has come into question at times during his career, but it’s said that he turned things around in Dallas.
The way I see it, the More JJ insurance policies the better lol. Besides, guys like him and Ellington add mor playmakers from the SG/SF position which shou;d eventually take some of that burden off of JJ.
Green has been a guy who has reluied heavily on his athleticism his whole career. A guy like Woody would probably do Gerald some good. Also, I mean he has more potential/upside than we’ve had sitting at the end of our bench in a long time, I think wee sohuld defenetly sign him.
SEKOU, What do you think about us getting Lester Hudson or Tyrese Rice(Boston College) in the second round possibly?
Hudson Info/stats:
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Lester-Hudson-5065/
Ariose
June 3rd, 2009
9:16 pm
Al horford woukld LOVE for Villanueva to come and play here lol. They both are from the Dominican Republic and play on their national team.
A Tribe Called Quest
June 3rd, 2009
9:17 pm
Samuel, Bibby’s injury was the only real injury he’s ever had. He is perfectly healthy now.
I can’t stand people who look at draftees and claim what player they’ll be just because they look like that player. That’s like saying Derrick Rose would be the next Deron Williams because they look alike. Stop looking at their faces and start looking at how they play the game
Ariose
June 3rd, 2009
9:23 pm
Draft Express PG rankings:
http://www.draftexpress.com/rankings/Draft-Eligible-PGs/
Ariose
June 3rd, 2009
9:26 pm
I was suprised that Eric Devendorf wasn’t on that PG list(BTW he graduated from Syracuse this year) considering the fact that he played PG every year he was at oak Hill Academy.
Stats:
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Eric-Devendorf-291/
Second round Anyone? Maan there is going to be a lot of talent left out of this draft. Hopefully, Sund will pick up the scraps after the draft is over.
Samuel
June 3rd, 2009
10:00 pm
Tribe,
I have no idea what you are talking about.
I hear all the Sheed bashing. Some of yall were saying the same thing about Shaq a few months ago. I just takes the right situation. Sheed is ready to get out of Detroit but I believe he has more ball in him.
Charlie V guarding the 3. I’ll have to see that.
doc
June 3rd, 2009
10:49 pm
samuel i dont think nor expect tyler to crack any top five but expect him to be the type of missing piece folks look for to have on the bench or as a spot starter. sometimes it is not about skill but desire, you know what eddie curry or marcus williams lack. so far i dont see anything in lawson’s game that gets him minutes in woody’s “system”. he has said he wants the bigger guys, defenders and guys that can knock down shots when left open, not slashers and big assist guys. not saying i dislike him but is he about the same as the kid who came out and hasnt made it yet for memphis?
O'brien
June 3rd, 2009
10:53 pm
Samuel, I am big fan of Sheed, because he can post up, he can hit the 3, and he is a better defensive presence than Zaza. Plus I like his attitude and fiestiness (as long he keeps it in check). However, he is 34, and he will cost more than Zaza ($8-$9 mil compared to the midlevel for Zaza). Plus Sheed still wants to be a starter, and I dont blame him. But I dont think he would start for the Hawks (unless you move Horford to the bench).
If Zaza can be resigned for $5 mil or so, and then we get Villanueva to backup the 4 (and 3 sometimes), that would be good. As far as guarding the 3, Marvin is our starting 3, so Charlie would come off the bench, which makes it a little easier for him playing against other bench players, and he would guard mostly 4’s. I hope we bring Chills back and he would guard the 3’s, with Mo Evans as our backup SG.
I agree with Sekou. If we can have a bench of Zaza, Charlie V, Chills, Mo Evans and Flip, thats a pretty good second team. Even if we have 4 out of those 5, I think that’s still a pretty good bench.
I hope Sund gets it right…
Hoops
June 3rd, 2009
11:00 pm
Manny T,
Think about this plan to improve the hawks before you laugh too loud. It might work.
1. Contact the Kings, Wizards, Timberwolves, & Warriors to see if any of these teams would trade their draft pick for Acie, Evans, and #19 pick. If one of these teams agree, then draft Curry. Let’s just say Curry makes $3,000,000 + or -. You have just saved $1,716,160. Now the Hawks 2009-10 committed salary is down to $39,149,037.
2. Contact Childress and tell him he will be given an opportunity to start. I believe you can sign him for 7M per. Now your salary is up to 46M.
3. Sign Devin Harris for 9M per maybe 10M. Now your salary is up to 56M.
4. Offer the Suns Josh Smith and Speedy for A. Stoudemire. That makes our salary 56.4M.
5. Resign Flip for 4M per and Zaza for 5M per. Now your salary is 65.4M.
6. Sign and trade Marvin for Charlie V. You probably save 1M here.
6. Now your salary is 3.6M less than this season. Use some of this and sign Brandon Bass.
Look @ this line up:
PG-Harris, Flip
SG-Childress, Curry
SF-JJ, Charlie V.
PF-A. Stoudemire, B. Bass
C- Horford, Zaza, Morris
This is a much improved team for less money!
The Truth
June 3rd, 2009
11:05 pm
Sekou
If you are campaigning for Charlie V in your article, than you are probably during the Hawks Organization more harm than good. Why; because if he is looking good to us (which is apparently the case) than he is probably looking even better to other competing teams. Since Sund hasn’t shown any aggressiveness in his actions (so far), then that means Charlie V may become the first round of FA falling to another team early in July. His qualifying offer of 4.6M will be a no-brainer for another team looking to add depth to its roster. The only way we get him is acting fast. Until Sund shows me those traits, I’m not going to get a “Hard-On” dreaming about this acquisition concept. I will also say that about other “great” pick-up ideas I’ve been reading from these bloggers.
Regarding draft picks, that’s easy. Create a list of 19 draftees’ that management and the coaching staff feels very passionate about. Rank them in order of preference. During the draft, as these players are selected by other teams before us, scratch them off. When it is the Hawks time to pick, we just select what’s left from the list with the highest preference. With the 19th pick, it is not rocket science. This is not a best available strategy; it is a default strategy from a controlling list.
Ariose
June 3rd, 2009
11:34 pm
Doc, You talkin’ about Darius Washington?
Melvin
June 3rd, 2009
11:35 pm
NBADRAFT.net has the following comparison for Earl Clark from Louisville – NBA Comparison: Marvin Williams/Boris Diaw.
Does that make him the logical choice if available at #19??
Regardless, if he’s there I say pick him. He remind me of Billy Owens. SF/PF that has the skills to play on the perimeter and body to bang in the post…
doc
June 3rd, 2009
11:55 pm
ariose, i am talking about mike conley.
Tom Glavine
June 4th, 2009
12:10 am
Marvin Williams-is-not-Chris-Paul!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Suckers.
RealSquawk
June 4th, 2009
12:23 am
Ariose,
I did not even think about that because from a General manager stand point that has to be like the worst option available, but from my stand point and Acie’s stand point and making the team better that is a great option. That pushes us closer to a running style and we get a bigger point guard who will drive to the basket.
And he has to be competitive because there is an eager rookie nipping at his heels.
Now onto Josh Smith and his playoff numbers.
did they have anything to do with him being the only healthy body?
JOe being doubled and tripled?
Teams not taking him seriously in the post (they doubled Al, but only swiped their hands at Josh)
Either way somebody had to step up and I am glad he did, but was it really as much as an improvement as we make it out to be.
niremetal
June 4th, 2009
12:27 am
Charlie V at center? He’s a combo forward who plays horrible post defense. No thanks. If we get him, he should be slotted as the backup PF/SF. There’s a reason that he (and Dirk and KG) never see minutes at center.
jhan
June 4th, 2009
12:28 am
Scratching the names off the list as they are drafted is the easy part. Creating the correct 19 player list is the key.
cp
June 4th, 2009
1:03 am
I see more people are coming around to Earl Clark. If he is there at 19 we should take him. Ariose I actually wanted to bring Gerald Green in last year but we always seem to pass over guys like that. I remember the year he came out that BK tried to get another pick to take him but wasn’t able too. I would like either Gerald Green or Jamario Moon. Both are athletic and can guard more than one position because of their length and jumping ability. I like Green a little more because he is a better shooter and younger. Plus I think he realizes it takes more than athleticism to get by. I would love to get the guard from the Hurricanes in the second round. His name slips my mind at this time but he won the college 3 point shooting contest. He has a great shooting stroke.
The Truth
June 4th, 2009
1:03 am
jhan
Good point; If I was Sund, I would take the “More Heads are Better Than One Approach” and select a team of “so-called experts” to draft a preliminary list first. Shake the list down to 19. Then the key becomes ranking the list. That would become the core of the arguments.
Ed
June 4th, 2009
1:27 am
First you can forget any thoughts about Jrue H. being available with the 19th pick. He has now become a solid lottery pick.
Second, I am so glad to hear you are off the Luke Ridnour bandwagon Sekou after so many years.
Lastly, I don’t like the Hansbrough pick at all especailly considering the dynamics of the Hawks situation.
KevinA
June 4th, 2009
2:28 am
How can we consider a draft pick unless it is to trade later. We all know Woody and his history of treating rookies. This is why getting Chills back and getting a vetern PG is so important. If by chance we do get Chils back the importance of resigning Evans and Flip goes away. Let these guys and the draft picks go to resigning our core players.
KevinA
June 4th, 2009
2:37 am
The blogs keep adding front court players. Woody dosen’t develope the ones he has. Morris and Sole are exellent examples who might be fine given the chance.
Bibbby is proven but slow and no defense. We need a veteren PG with better defensive skills. JJ is going to demand the ball and control the offense anyways. If the new veteren PG can get the ball to Marvin, Chills, Al and Josh where thay can score – problem solved. If JJ lets him.
MannyT
June 4th, 2009
3:21 am
Hoops, I’ll temporarily suspend my skepticism and say if Sund is that convincing, he is the most intersting man in the NBA. You are weaving through NBA cap rules like James Bond. I just don’t see Chills coming back here instead of cashing the Greek checks.
I doubt you need Bass and Charlie V if neither starts. The good news is you probably don’t have the cap space to sign both. Mid level exception is likely to be less than 6 mil. Flip’s deal has to come out of that money as well as any signings of players that are not coming from the draft.
While it seems incredibly hard to pull off, I’d be surprised if JJ was up for playing most of the season as a SF. That lineup looks like you believe JJ will be gone next summer to greener pastures.
Keep in mind our history of attracting free agents.
BWAF
Ed
June 4th, 2009
3:46 am
Here’s an analysis from the NBA Draft Combine. Notice Wayne Ellington’s vertical
You’ve got to respect Blake Griffin, James Harden, and Jordan Hill for participating while fellow lottery picks Ricky Rubio, Hasheem Thabeet, and Brandon Jennings did not. It’s disappointing that we don’t get a chance to see how this year’s best all stack up against each other, but we can analyze what we have.
People make a big deal about the fact that Griffin measured at 6’10” in shoes, but the things that will make Blake a nightmare at the next level are his speed and agility. His 10.95 in the lane agility test and 3.28 in the ¾ court sprint were right there with the likes of Jonny Flynn, a player considered to be one of the most athletic point guards in college basketball this past year. He also recorded 22 reps on the bench press, good for 2nd best at the combine. Not like it matters; Griffin could have put up Austin Daye – numbers and would still go #1.
No projected lottery player was more surprising at the combine than James Harden. Many scouting reports on Harden say that he’s not athletic, but his results say otherwise. First, he recorded a 37” vertical and reached the same maximum height (11’8.5”) as Blake Griffin. Second, he ran a 3.13 sprint, which was only one hundredth behind speedster Ty Lawson, and repped 17 on the bench press. It’s been reported that the Thunder are considering him at #3. With no more reservations about his athleticism, is this enough for Harden to leapfrog Rubio?
Hill was up and down at the combine. On one hand, his standing reach (9’0”), body fat (6%), and maximum height (11’11”) were impressive. His 3.3 sprint was actually faster than several wing players as well. On the other, he recorded the worst agility score at the combine and only repped 11 on the bench. With the way the game has evolved, most NBA PFs are stronger and more agile than Hill, so he has some work to do physically.
Point Guards
Don’t be fooled by that baby face; just because Stephen Curry looks like a 12-year-old, it doesn’t mean he has the body of one. Surprisingly, he reached ten reps in the bench (honestly, who thought he’d get past 3?) and had the same vertical as Mr. Griffin. While his speed and agility weren’t on par with other PGs, his IQ will help to make up for it at the next level.
Jeff Teague only has 4.5% body fat and repped 13 on the bench, both impressive numbers for the underclassmen. He also recorded a 36.5” vertical leap.
Two surprises with Ty Lawson: his vertical (36.5”) and the fact that five guys posted faster times in the sprint. Just the opposite, there were no surprises with Eric Maynor or Jonny Flynn. Flynn’s 40-inch vertical was best at the combine.
Toney Douglas was the fastest player at the combine (3.03 on the sprint) while Jack McClinton was most agile.
Wings
Considering what a physical specimen Gerald Henderson looks like, his 8 reps on the bench and 11.17 agility time can only be deemed disappointing. His 4.4% body fat (best in the combine) is impressive, though.
Demar Derozan is an elite jumper, not an elite athlete. His max vertical of 38.5” was good for 3rd best at the combine, but his bench press (5 reps), agility (11.88 – terrible for a wing), and sprint (3.31) left much to be desired.
Earl Clark’s measurements (6’10.25,” standing reach 9’1.25”) were excellent, but five reps on the bench press are weak.
One of the most impressive players at the combine was Xavier’s Derrick Brown. Brown was considered a potential lottery pick earlier this year, but his stock plummeted. While his 3.13 in the sprint, 20 reps on the bench, and maximum height of 11’11” won’t catapult him back into the lottery, those numbers are impressive enough to make some teams think.
Wayne Ellington was always known for his fluid game, but his measurements should eliminate any concerns about his size and athleticism. He is over 6’5” in shoes, has a vertical leap of 38 inches, and pumped 185 lbs 13 times.
Austin Daye and Greivis Vasquez had the worst performances of the combine by far. Neither player exhibited the speed, strength, or jumping ability necessary to make an impact at the next level.
Bigs
Dejuan Blair had only 12% body fat, which was the same as Wake’s James Johnson. Looking at them, you’d never guess they’d have equal body fat. Blair’s 18 bench reps and decent agility numbers coupled with his incredible wingspan make him an intriguing prospect.
A big man that helped himself a lot is Luke Harangody. He turned out to be the strongest player at the combine (23 reps) while posting solid numbers in the sprint and agility tests
Ed
June 4th, 2009
3:49 am
The analysis came from By Mike DeStefano
Clyde
June 4th, 2009
7:12 am
One thing I don’t like about Charlie V is he’s injury prone. I think Wilcox would fit better.
Big Ray
June 4th, 2009
7:29 am
Samuel,
Agreed on Lawson. We need to shore up the pg situation more than most things. Lawson is considered undersized, but he has the weight and the speed. End to end, with the ball in his hands, he is considered the quickest on the court in college. Don’t know what Woody or Sund thinks of him.
Ariose,
The reason I choose Lawson over Ellington (for the moment) is our need to deal with the pg situation. Now, if we bring in a free agent veteran pg, I can sorta change my mind. We only have two pgs under contract. One is Law, who we don’t know if we’re going to trade or keep, and he’s not a known quantity. The second is none other than Speedy, who Sekou says will be moving. Bibby and Flip are UFAs, if I remember correctly.
Depends on what we do with the pg situation. Problem is, the draft happens before free agency does. I like Ellington, but does he get minutes behind JJ? Now, if we’re not sure about JJ sticking around, then we definitely want to look at getting a replacement and grooming him NOW. So many variables.
Sekou Smith
June 4th, 2009
7:32 am
Analysis of combine numbers is fine Ed, but I put much more stock in analysis of a guy’s game. Wayne Ellington, by the way, is a guy that I’ve heard good things about. And I wasn’t particularly enthralled by him during the season. But a couple NBA executives who were at the Final Four told me that Ellington was a lot better than even they thought. A player with a sweet shooting stroke like that would be an interesting fit anywhere late in the first round.
I’m going to go back and watch Earl Clark before I make any comments about him. T. Williams was always the cat that stood out to me when Louisville was on. I know Clark has plenty to work with but he never seemed to dominate the floor.
And can the NBA Finals start already. We get a game every day for 40 days and then we get a week of chatter about LeBron not shaking hands (much ado about nothing, if you ask me) and Kobe finally taking his place among the top 10 players of all time (some talking head yesterday insisted that he passes Wilt on the all-time greats list if he guides the Lakers to the title … the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard in the last 15 years). Bring on the game’s man!!!!!
Verbal Kent
June 4th, 2009
8:51 am
I agree with what Melvin said… If Brandon Jennings somehow fell to us and we selected him it would be a God Send! the kid has loads of potential and he’s still only about 19 years old. He’s going to be a great NBA point guard regardless of the minutes he played over in Italy… his game has “Swagg” and flair and he’s ultra-competitive. I will continue to hope and pray until draft night… LOL.. I’d be happy with either J. Flynn or Ty Lawson to though.
Melvin
June 4th, 2009
9:52 am
Sekou,
I agree with you on Terrence Williams. I think he’s a slighty smaller verison Iggy from 76ers. We could defintely use another explosive person from the wing. I wouldn’t see on Earl Clark either. He may be a cheaper version of Charlie V…
Verbral Kent,
If he slips out of the top ten, I hope we could swing a deal to move up to snatch him…