Psycho-T brings the pain
Tyler Hansbrough didn't leave anything on the floor after his workout with the Hawks Sunday morning at Philips Arena. The rugged North Carolina forward is a a player to keep an eye on this week with the Hawks drafting 19th in Thursday's NBA draft.
HAWKSVILLE - The reviews were unanimous.
On 10-point scale, Tyler Hansbrough’s Sunday morning workout for the Hawks at Philips Arena ranks at the very top of anything conducted in the past five days.
It wasn’t any one thing in particular that had the Hawks’ coaches buzzing. It was everything. Hansbrough’s energy, effort and obviously better-than-advertised shooting and athleticism caught more than a few folks in attendance by surprise.
“He kicked the meter up. It was off the Richter Scale,” said Hawks assistant coach Larry Drew, who ran the team’s workouts all week. “That was one of those 8.0s, one of those quick, hard earthquakes. Because his energy is at another level. You just don’t see many players capable of playing with that type of energy and effort and can sustain it through a game, or even a workout. He plays at a totally different level than some of these young guys out here.”
I felt like I needed an ice bath after watching his 90-minute workout. But Hansbrough proved a theory that a wise Eastern Conference executive reiterated to me Sunday night, “effort is a skill in the NBA.” And Hansbrough has it in reserve.
Alade Aminu (Stephenson High and Georgia Tech) and Shawn Taggart (Memphis) were the other bigs on hand Sunday. And they were also impressive in the individual drills and two-on-two work that was done. But Hansbrough’s refusal to go at anything but full bore during the entire workout had everyone buzzing afterwards.
Love him or hate him, and Hansbrough laughed about the fact that he’s inspired the masses to do either one or the other and sometimes both, he’s going to do it his way. And the truth is the Hawks could do a lot worse with the 19th pick. But they probably won’t have to worry about Hansbrough there, as I haven’t spoken to anyone anywhere that believes he’ll still be on the board when the Hawks are on the clock Thursday night.
“If this kid is still there at 19, the Hawks better not hesitate,” another Eastern Conference executive told me Sunday afternoon. “The kid’s a dream for coaches in our league, because he’s going to come in and crank things up automatically. He’s just wired differently than most of these other guys.”
That’s the real problem with a pick that late. You can project who you think might be there and evaluate accordingly, but there’s no way of knowing who will be around by then on draft night. One glitch on the draft board in the early lottery can swing the draft in a totally different direction than projected.
The Hawks sent things sideways in 2004 when they took Josh Childress ahead of Luol Deng and Andre Iguodala – defying most mock drafts that had those other two guys going ahead of Childress.
And anytime one player rises and is picked ahead of projection, someone else falls and lands in the lap of an unsuspecting team like the Hawks (who have no doubt done their due diligence throughout this process by examining all the possibilities).
DaJuan Summers is my sleeper pick for the draft. Too bad he didn't get a chance to workout for the Hawks while he was in town last week (a sprained ankle sidelined him).
Check any mock draft you want and go over the list of names where the Hawks are picking and there are either guys you draft on potential (Wake Forest’s Jeff Teague, who acquitted himself well in his workout Saturday, or Ohio State’s BJ Mullens, who did the same a day earlier) or seasoned college guys that will be needle pushers as rookies (guys like Hansbrough, Pitt’s Sam Young, Louisville’s Terrence Williams and Georgetown’s DaJuan Summers, all of whom the Hawks have had face time with throughout the process).
The usual anxiety surrounding the Hawks at draft time doesn’t really seem necessary this year, at least the way I see it. The Hawks’ heavy lifting is going to come in free agency – and that’s where Hansbrough and all the bigger guys on the short list I’ve detailed above come in handy. Follow me now. When the Hawks lost Josh Childress to Greece last summer, they didn’t have a ready replacement for a 6-8 guy with his skills and seasoning, mostly because they didn’t have a draft pick to use on a player of that ilk. Say, for the sake of my theory, that the Hawks are unable to keep all their free agents. Don’t you think another cat with size and versatility might come in handy next season, even if he’s just a situational rotation player as a rookie?
While I didn’t agree with the notion that drafting 6-8 to 6-9 players ever year now matter what would lead a team from 13-win seasons to the playoffs, I can see the wisdom in taking players that fit that mold if you’re in the best-player-available mode on draft night and picking outside of the lottery. It’s just wise to have your roster well-stocked with a couple Trevor Ariza/Mickael Pietrus/Linas Kleiza types. I think the entire league realizes that now after the playoffs.
FROM THE DO YOUR HOMEWORK FILES …
A quick aside from the Hawks-themed portion of the program requires us to look across the pond fro a moment.
Flooding Europe with scouts from every NBA team has finally caught up to the league and to the crop of talent. The Euro harvest is expected to be extremely thin Thursday night.
Jonathan Abrams of the New York Times had a staggering statistic in his story about the sudden change in philosophy regarding drafting European (and really international) prospects:
“Teams appear to be straying from the recent trend of drafting overseas players because many of them have not lived up to expectations. Of the 39 international players selected in the first round since 2002 with no prior experience playing in the United States, only Yao Ming has surfaced as an All-Star. In that same time, 14 of 171 American players drafted in the first round made at least one All-Star team.”
Math was never my best subject in school, but I know crazy numbers when I see them. And that’s craziness.
OTHER LASTING IMPRESSIONS WERE MADE DURING WORKOUT WEEK, including a stellar showing by a guy not getting any first round buzz. Keep LSU combo guard Garrett Temple in mind in the second round. He’s going to make someone a nice player wherever he is drafted (provided he is drafted, and if not, he’ll be a good free agent pick up for some team). I remember watching him shut J.J. Redick down at the Georgia Dome during LSU’s run to the Final Four a few years back. He’s got NBA height for his position but his frame is need of some bulk to stand up the type of pounding he could endure at the pro level. But he’s got every tool you want in a player and he’ll compete with anyone.
Another guy the Hawks had in that made an impression me was Lester Hudson, a 6-3, 200-pound bull from Tennessee-Martin that refused to let anyone slow him down in his workout. He’s the kind of feisty guard that NBA teams love to have coming off their bench to wreak havoc on opposing defenses and to harass opposing point guards. And you talk about a guy breaking down walls to reach his goals, tell me Hudson hasn’t done exactly that after reading this from my man Chris Low from ESPN.com.
Fearless seems like an appropriate description of Lester Hudson's game.
Jonesboro’s Toney Douglas (Florida State) was by far the most tenacious defender in attendance all week. He didn’t miss an opportunity to mix it up in the drills I watched. I can see why folks have been gushing about him as a potential, Ben Gordon-like combo guard. But he’s a defender like Gordon wishes he was (granted, few guards this size on the planet can score from the distance and in the variety of ways Gordon does). Still, whatever team nabs Douglas on draft night will have happy coaches and fans that will appreciate his in-your-face style.
Summers is my sleeper pick for the draft. I got into a heated debate with my man JB “Beans” Beckett Sunday about Summer and Young. After watching some film clips of both, including some of their head-to-head matchup from the season, we agreed that we were both right and that Summer and Young have a chance to contribute as rookies wherever they go. Now if we could just convince someone to let us draft for them Thursday night.
All joking aside, I have no earthly idea what happens Thursday night. Who does?
Too much can swing things on draft night. And we didn’t even get into the all the crazy scenarios that could happen if the Hawks were to find the right package to move the pick (and whatever else necessary) to shore up their depth issues at certain positions.
Nothing is outside of the realm of possibility right now, my friends. Nothing at all.
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803 comments Add your comment
Big Ray
June 22nd, 2009
3:32 pm
IMUS,
I knew you could be counted on for a hate-binge. Ha! Here’s my opinion: where does a shooting guard see time behind the guys we have, especially if Flip re-signs? Exactly.
A point guard has the best chance, but again…that’s based on what happens in free agency. If Bibby stays, no pg has much of a chance (not even the “rookie” we still have) outside of Flip. And no SG will get to play behind JJ. Just ask Gardner.
It’s all good, baby. Drink the smoke-screen koolaid, or add your own flavor. It’s all good.
But The Game Is On » Blog Archive » Hansbrough Kills at Workout For Hawks
June 22nd, 2009
3:43 pm
[...] brings the pain [AJC] 2009 NBA Draft Preview: No. 19 Atlanta Hawks [But The Game Is [...]
cp
June 22nd, 2009
3:46 pm
ray now that Sautee mentioned it thats a great point. I hope that if we do select Ellington that he can do those things we have not seen him do. This is going to be a wild draft night.
Tyger
June 22nd, 2009
3:49 pm
Just say NO to Adam Keefe! If we want a hustle white boy, get one from the DLeague or in the 2nd rd., dont waste another 1st rd. pick on a garbage man.
Get the guy with the most upside, if Drew says Ellington is an “elite shooter”, you grab him. That’s one more thing the Hawks don’t have and desperately need.
I also like the Toney Douglas story. Marcus Thornton can stroke it too. The Daye kid is intriguing – 6′11 and rail thin but w/ guard skills – he could be special. And thats what you want when picking 19 – sleepers – remember Jsmoove was only a #17.
People claimed J.Chills was too thin, but he roamed the paint like he weighed 250.
doc
June 22nd, 2009
4:00 pm
funny ray, it comes down to color sometimes. mario looks good with his hustle and everyone likes mario. as tyger says dont want no white hustle on my team. dont disagree with the concept but tyger says we can go after a black undersized hustle 2 guard in douglas but not someone of a different color with similar attributes and limitations. ray, if and when it makes sense let me know. me, i’ll stay color blind.
Astro Joe
June 22nd, 2009
4:02 pm
Attitude an aptitude. A competitor with a high basketball IQ. I don’t care what position, what school, what height/weight, if he’s from Europe or America, his race… none of it matters to me. In the playoffs, I saw my favorite team fail to compete (no heart) and often times I saw guys who didn’t seem to understand what to do (low IQ). Time to improve the attitude and aptitude. Start with the draft and finish with free agency/trades. Attitude and aptitude. Change the culture.
I.MUS WRITE- INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY
June 22nd, 2009
4:06 pm
Dam it not again-i smell lottery right around the corner. wayne ellington is Sean Respert all over again. Yall remember hit the 6′4 SG from Michigan State that didnt last 2 full years in the NBA……….
NBA Draft 2009 Rumors and Innuendos | NBA Draft Roundup
June 22nd, 2009
4:11 pm
[...] effort is a skill in the NBA, then Tyler Hansborough wowed the Hawks in his [...]
I.MUS WRITE- INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY
June 22nd, 2009
4:18 pm
Yeah im good for it Ray u know how I do………. If we draft a pg that can actually play he should get minutes over Law who has shown nothing-Flip is’nt a PG and Bibby is old- If we got a guy who was ready to go and outperformed all of them he wouldnt see timre becuz Woody plays favorites like a dam little kid……..
The Same goe’s for your boi Pshcho T- where is he gonna plaY…….. In practice is where.
Draft a player that we can plug in at PG Sf incase Marvin leaves or center…………………NO Sg’s -Get a point SF or a dam C its that simple
Ray – I dont know who they will get but if he’s a player with a good game he will make sum body play him – JJ might leave as well as Flip, Bibby, ZAZA, Marvin- so my point is get a guy that demands playing time and he will contribute – becuz Woody wont have a choice in the matter……IE -Horford
Im fine packaging the pick with Ac or speedy or trading down…….. Helll no to Psycho T……… I meant adam keefe
Sekou Smith
June 22nd, 2009
4:29 pm
I think the 19th pick, Speed-O’s expiring contract and whatever filler necessary could net the Hawks a decent player like Camby (as mentioned above) or someone of that ilk
Teague fits like any rookie point guard with this team … you’ll spend the next year cursing him for not being Chris Paul or Deron Williams. He’s talented but probably not ready to run a team from the first day of training camp, which is what everyone seems to expect.
I just got off the phone with one of my most trusted sources and I was asking him what he thought up and down the draft and he told me that Blake Griffin’s a lock and after that, two through 30, there’s not a shakes bit of difference between the crowd. That means there’s just a whole lot of conjecture and falling in and out of love with guys that’s going to go on between now and Thursday night. Because nobody really knows what they want or what anyone else wants above them.
All that said, it’s pretty hard to blow the pick at 19.
doc
June 22nd, 2009
4:31 pm
is ellington too one dimensional on a team that needs more than that? is he the equivalent of jj reddick?
agree aj, agree whole heartedly.
O'Brien
June 22nd, 2009
4:33 pm
Sund has said that he didnt draft Acie, he inherited him. And we know that Woody is not a fan of Acie either. As a result, I think the Hawks will take a PG because there is no guarantee that Bibby (or Flip, although he isnt really a PG, but he dominates the ball) will resign with us. I wonder if we can get Sund and Woody to agree on a PG that they both like?
Salim was a shooter, but that’s all he did. Like somebody else mentioned, we need a player who can do multiple things well. There is not enough evidence of Ellington’s play to suggest what his capabilities are. All we know is he did one or two things really well, and the Hawks are not known for their well defined roles.
Sautee
June 22nd, 2009
4:48 pm
What’s the biggest question mark facing this franchise?
Good question, yes, but I’d have to say IMHO that the BIGGEST question mark going forward is:
Can we re-sign Joe Johnson to an extension?
Can anyone think of a bigger question?
And if we are not SURE that we can, then it might be sensible to draft an SG, whether of not we think they are the BEST player at 19. Particularly if there’s not much talent difference in the prospects.
In other words perhaps the interest in Ellington could be as much for “insurance” purposes as it is finding an immediate contributor.
Are we worried enough to draft for that potential “need”?
We’ll see on Thursday. And I, for one, can’t wait!
Melvin
June 22nd, 2009
4:52 pm
Sekou,
If the Hawks acquire Camby under your scenario. Is it plausible to assume that the Hawks are not going to resign ZaZa? If thats the case, then they need to sign another scoring big man such as Charlie V, Mcdyess, Channing Frye or bring over Andersen…
Linkin’ Navigating: There seems to be quite the commotion over this Favre fellow « Trueball
June 22nd, 2009
4:53 pm
[...] but full bore” that people were talking about. Because he’s white, you see. (AJC Hawks Blog) Posted by TM Williamson Filed in TM Williamson ·Tags: 2009 draft, Basketball, Brett [...]
Nookah
June 22nd, 2009
4:54 pm
Sautee, excellent point. That’s an important ingredient in this year’s draft for the Hawks and it will definitely influence who we pick with the 19th pick.
Go Hawks!!
Ariose
June 22nd, 2009
4:54 pm
There is Highschool and practice footage of Ellington on youtube. Him and Gerald Henderson were HS teammates….nasty combination…he did more ball handling then(obviously).
I just hope we can make the speedy+Cash for Kaman deal go down….fingers crossed.
Daddyrich
June 22nd, 2009
4:59 pm
Draft Lawson!!
Ariose
June 22nd, 2009
5:01 pm
Ellington+Danny Green=super duper insurance policies. Especially with chills gone, I think Danny green is better than him in the 2nd round.
ILL-logical
June 22nd, 2009
5:07 pm
The biggest question facing this franchise , at least in the near term, is how much longer is Woodson going to remain the head coach? The financial condition of the BASG is of course a longer trem question. Why the Woodson question?
Because every draft/ free agent decision has to be made on w/not that player fits his style not w/not that player can play and given the current roster, every decision is critical.
Blast
June 22nd, 2009
5:10 pm
Sund has two picks to get it right. A man cannot ask for more than that especially on a draft with such wild possibilities.
Better get it right, Sund!
Go Hawks!
Ariose
June 22nd, 2009
5:13 pm
…yup…but F-his style, if i’m the GM I get that man Legit Talent. If he can’t get the job done with that then i’ll show him the door……besides he’salready be on my bad list so another screwup wouldn’t be tolerated…
Sautee
June 22nd, 2009
5:14 pm
Ill,
Good point. For me the Joe thing would be #1 and that would be #1A. Since he IS the coach for now, I opted for the Joe question.
But you are correct that it affects EVERY decision made this offseason.
Nookah
June 22nd, 2009
5:18 pm
It is pretty clear that to win an NBA championship you need a superstar, an on-court leader all wrapped up in one, a la Kobe, MJ, Magic, Bird and to be continued…LeBron.
The problem we find ourselves in is that we are not good enough now to win a championship and we are not bad enough to get a #1 pick. Dejavu? Weren’t we here before after the Dominique, Doc Rivers Spud Webb era and we completely blew that? We are back here again and we are missing the same piece we were missing then……an aggressive and savy management to ensure we add incremental and effective pieces rather than drafting busts that set us back 3 or 4 years. This is one area the Hawks have never been able to master.
Right now the best thing that could happen to the Hawks is that the current ownership sells the team to someone who wants to win, not just have a mediocre franchise and in turn that new owner select a top echelon GM who understands basketball and what it requires to put a championship product together.
Yes, I am sorry to sound pessimistic but with the current crew we have in charge (ASG, Sund, Woody), we are all dreaming and hoping for the best, and that is what will continue to happen. We will continue to dream and hope for the best without any success.
Let us ask ourselves some questions? 1) How far has any Sund team reached in the playoffs? 2) Who was Woody associated with before he came to the Hawks? 3) What is the track record of that coach with the development of young players? 4) Can we reproduce the same formula as that LB team had to win in today’s NBA? 5) What was the identity of that team and do we have that identity or do we have any identity at all? 6) Is the ASG willing to spend the kind of money to get the necessary pieces?
Every year we come on this blog and debate which PG we should take in the draft and every year we get it wrong. I honestly don’t think we have the quality management or scouting crew necessary to identify and attract the personnel needed to put us over the top. Even if we did get them we do not have the coaching necessary to put us over the top.
As I stated in an earlier blog I only hope I am way off and all of this is a figment of my imagination.
Go Hawks!!!
Big Ray
June 22nd, 2009
5:38 pm
Doc,
Downright sick, isn’t it? There really is no difference, other than the hypocritical perspective of the person saying it. Of course, not everyone is aware of the hypocrisy, and we can’t blame anybody that sees Shellhead when they see Hansbrough (though I’m not seeing THAT). Still, hypocrisy. Colorblind is nice, but not common enough.
Astro Joe,
Agreed all the way. Change the culture is what the Falcons did. Wonder if the Hawks have what it takes to do that as well. Next question, what if changing the culture means something you don’t expect, or don’t like as an idea? Rhetorical question only, and for anybody who sees it, not aimed at you.
IMUS,
Hey, we’ll see what happens. And spend part of the summer (and months afterward) cursing, applauding, depending on the pick and who you are…
Ariose,
I heard THAT. Word…
Sekou,
I’ll not curse any pg we take at #19 for not being a starter. Hell, it’s in the bottom half of the first round. It’s not like being projected as a future superstar, being taken at #2 (it’s not anybody’s fault where they are taken), and still not being anywhere in the top ten of one’s position, though….
Trade the pick. Save all those young’uns the pain of being a rookie around these parts. Wait until we have a higher slot. Get a vet. Do something useful besides adding some young talented fella to the YMBA (Young Mens Bench Association).
niremetal
June 22nd, 2009
5:41 pm
Sekou,
Any word on if/when the Hawks will be extending qualifying offers to Marvin and Chills?
niremetal
June 22nd, 2009
5:43 pm
Trade the pick. Save all those young’uns the pain of being a rookie around these parts. Wait until we have a higher slot. Get a vet. Do something useful besides adding some young talented fella to the YMBA (Young Mens Bench Association).
Yup.
newkid
June 22nd, 2009
5:45 pm
My last post didn’t make it through the AJC’s filter, so I’ll be less verbose. Not advocating Ellington, but don’t have a problem with him either. His skillset is well known (i.e., he’s a dead-eye shooter who gets his best looks coming off screens; he’s not terribly skilled at freeing himself off the dribble). If Sund had him in for a visit, it must have been with the intent of potentially drafting him (otherwise why waste everyone’s time). He’d immediately be the best pure shooter (by far) on the Hawks roster. If he’s a potential Hawks pick, then Sund/Woody would be foolish (although this wouldn’t set a precedent) to try and make him something he isn’t.
Will he play defense? Coach Williams demands his players commit to defense; he only had Marvin for a year, yet his defensive skills we fairly well-developed; ever paid attention to the manner in which Lawson gets at it on defense? Will Ellington be a Tony Douglas type defender? Didn’t see that during his 3 years at Carolina. Will he play better ‘D’ than Rip (or Ray Allen)? Haven’t ever considered either of those cats more than adequate defenders; absolutely no reason to expect anything less from Ellington.
niremetal
June 22nd, 2009
5:49 pm
If the Hawks aren’t shopping this pick like WashMu was shopping subprime loans, I’ll be surprised and miffed.
Sautee
June 22nd, 2009
6:02 pm
LOL, nire
KevinA
June 22nd, 2009
6:10 pm
If we can get Chills back we don’t need a pg. JJ, Chills, Flip and Acie can all play pg. Dropping Bibby and Speedy gives us 19 million a year to do the rest of the deals. If we think we need depth at center we can get a Drew Gooden type for 2 million. We have plenty of good young talent on the bench that dosen’t play much any way. Use the picks to get rid of Speedy if needed or trade picks for future picks
Next year or the year after is when we make the tough decisions. How much does Marvin,Josh, Chills, Al ZaZa, Solo, improve. Will we keep JJ or go into a different direction. We can still make the playoffs way and let the team mature another year.
Any time during these two years there is always trades that can be made. I don’t think we need another project. We have projects on going now.
doc
June 22nd, 2009
6:23 pm
KEVIN, 4 OF THE 7 ON YOUR IMPROVE LIST ARE NOT TECHNICALLY ON OUR ROSTER TO HAVE NEXT YEAR OR EVEN THIS YEAR. AL IS A RFA. THIS IS THE YEAR FOR TOUGH DECISIONS NOT NEXT.
sorry to cap out on you, the cap lock got caught. i think there will be much surprise if we get much of that team from last year back under cap much less chills. we only got one of two last year why do you think the ratio will go up my man?
doc
June 22nd, 2009
6:25 pm
al is a rfa next year was implied and a huge decision as well along with jj. tough times maybe.
lou hudson
June 22nd, 2009
6:37 pm
People, please stop the madness, It would not make any sense to draft Hansborough; he’s another undersized forward who’s too slow to score at the 3 and too small bang in the lane. Next, the 5 and 1 are the positions which need the most improvement. Moreover with Leborn, Wade, R. Lewis ,and Boston’s 3, the Hawks must sign Chillz ( a long 6′8″ defensive stopper & mad rebounder) to guard these players. Solution: Let Bibby go, sign Jack or Sessions, S & T Marvin with Speedy’s contract throw in Evans for Kaman or Pryzilla (Center)and 2nd pick. Now pay Chillz, resign Jones (cheap), sign Flip (3yr/11) and sign Zaza if possible, if not life goes on. The money would there with Speedy & Bibby gone. Draft a shooting wing player with 19th pick.
Why is it so difficult to figure out!!!
The Dogfighter Returns
June 22nd, 2009
6:42 pm
tyler would be a nice pick. he is much better than z on the cavs team. if the cavs or hawks do not take him orlando will. he is the missing peice for that team.
he can shoot from the out side and plays hard. horford needs a low post game. what’s up with that dude.
The Madness
June 22nd, 2009
6:48 pm
Y’all stop using my name in vain.
Geez, ten times per blog. Come up with another lame phrase and keep my name out of it.
Sautee
June 22nd, 2009
6:56 pm
We have witnessed history. That’s GOT to be a record for capitalization for doc.
LOL!
Sautee
June 22nd, 2009
7:06 pm
For all you Hansbrough doubters:
From Sekou’s article (some of you must have missed it):
“But Hansbrough proved a theory that a wise Eastern Conference executive reiterated to me Sunday night, “effort is a skill in the NBA.” And Hansbrough has it in reserve.”
And that’s in CONTRAST to the others who worked out for the Hawks.
Funny how we say we ARE NOT looking for a starter from the 19 pick, just a contributor, and yet folks seem to think that PsychoT could NOT contribute?
Yet there’s this prevailing attitude that “if only mario had a jumpshot….” Hmmmm.
Personally, I think he’ll be gone at 19, but if he’s the pick, I’ll gladly cheer for him.
Or for whomever we pick.
doc
June 22nd, 2009
7:12 pm
sautee, we could not luck into such a situation where we have to decide. anyone think hansbrough, ellington and lawson will all still be there when we pick? my guess, one dimensional ellington will be the only one and will sit in the second row next year because he cant play defense any better than salim. wonder how long it will take ariose to respond to that?
Ariose
June 22nd, 2009
7:13 pm
Ray, Josh “Slipping the Pick” is a set offensive play and a good one at that. a 3rd of smooves dunks/lobs came off of that play alone. The defender has a choce to make 1)Swtich the slip(very hard to do b/c no one ever sees it coming) 2)Double mike(if he’s hot they won’t leve him and smoove will get a bucket easy) 3)or double smoove bad moove w/bibby out there.
C-Webb and Bibby ran this all the time back in sactown. How is this a bad “offensive play”. Even a pick is an offensive move, rarely a defensive one…..unless Bibby is trying to cross halfcourt with Rondo hounding him and Horfrod has to come and knock him on his arse…..now thats defensive(but mainly it’s just protecting the rock offensively).
When Smoove slips a pick he has an advantage b/c no other big can run/jump with him. If Horford had that ability he woud do it more often, but sadly, he’s not as fluid(Mr.Roboto) to do it All the time like smoove.
I’m not saying you’re wrong, that’s just my take….
O'Brien
June 22nd, 2009
7:16 pm
If the Hawks can trade Speedy, 19 and flier for Camby or Kaman, who would be the better fit for the Hawks.
I am worried about Kaman’s health, while Camby is older, and he only has one year left. but I would take Camby. He averaged 10 pts, 11 rebs, 2 blocks per game in 31 minutes.
Ariose
June 22nd, 2009
7:16 pm
Doc, I love cheez doodles and klondike bars…..yum!!!!! Don’t touch my candy!!!!!
Ariose
June 22nd, 2009
7:20 pm
newkid, I wouldn’t read too much into that personal visit, Patrick Mills, Terrence Williams, Marcus Thorton have all been through Hawks HQ over the past mothe for wokour sessions…..
I have no Idea what suind will do with the pick but I gaurentee it’ll be hard for hium to screw it up b/c there will be tons of quality players there when we pick.
Wink
June 22nd, 2009
7:20 pm
With the 19th pick the Hawks should take Toney Douglas or Ellington. We need perimeter defense, someone to stop the Tony Parkers,Mo Williams, at a deterrant. Ellington will give JJ an outlet when he get’s to the end of the shot clock, Ellington is a knockdown shooter. Sign Anderson to add bulk in the middle. Bring back Flip, ZaZa, Marvin & Mario. Make offer to Chills, if not move for another pick this year or next, close that door. Give Law the reigns, groom Douglas. JJ run the point here anyway & Bibby was the shooting guard. Move Bibby & Speedy’s contracts out of here. Compete for a center this year or next. Bottom line we need to resolve the point or center this year & get other other need next year.
Hoops
June 22nd, 2009
7:44 pm
I love reading everybody’s take on the draft. These are my thoughts:
1. We need a starter @ PG and a starter @ center. I don’t believe there is either in this draft for the Hawks. So the Hawks will have to sign or trade for these two positions or just sign/trade for a starter @ PG and stay with Horford.
2. Sign Sessions or Jack. Woody will not play a young PG (Acie) anyway. Re-sign Flip.
3. Use our #19 draft pick plus our players that other teams may want but we don’t need and make a trade. This means trade any combination of Acie, Speedy, Morris, & pick #19 for a big.
4. If we could package any of the above players with our draft pick for a stater @ 5, WOW, that would be huge! (Sund would have earned his money right there) Then Horford, Josh, and the new 5 could battle for a position. Sign Charlie V. and we may not need to resign Zaza.
5. What are the Hawks Brass going to do with Marvin? Something is up! I just haven’t figured it out yet! Sign & trade Marvin for Gay? I don’t know. Any thoughts?
Clyde
June 22nd, 2009
7:51 pm
We need Thabeet! He is the only one in this draft that has a chance to see playing time with Woody as the coach.
Big Ray
June 22nd, 2009
7:59 pm
Ariose,
You’re right. And so am I. How? Because slipping the pick IS a good way for Josh to get his “in-close” shot attempts. When Bibby was running the pick and roll with him, more often than not, that’s how it worked. But Bibby didn’t get the chance to run the pick with him nearly as often as they or we would like. No, somebody else gets the ball for 3/4 of the shot clock on many, if not most possessions. That guy’s name is Joe. Unlike Bibby, he’ll keep that ball if he thinks his shot attempt has a better chance than his pass attempt. That’s more of what I was driving at.
I’ll give Bibby all the credit in the world for changing our offense. Joe still doesn’t play like that. He doesn’t look to. He’s our #1 option, and he’s looking to score, as he should be. The problem is that he’s also our #1 ball-handler by a good margin, even over Bibby. I know I’m gonna get flamed by some people for laying this at Joe’s feet, but it is what it is. It also explains the number of assists that he gets, although only partially.
Joe can pass, and make plays (though he makes far more plays for himself than he does teammates). Add that to having the ball far more than anybody else, and you have a guy who can get 5 or 6 dimes a game. Make him what he truly is (a #1 scoring option), and take the ball out of his hands some, and he will have fewer assists. Like it or not, some of those assists come from bail-out passes, where he has finally figured out that he’s not getting past the two defenders in front of him, for a shot that he likes.
As I said on Bradley’s blog, Woody’s offense is stagnant as hell without Bibby. Madonna ought to sue him under copyright laws for that offense. After all, you don’t think Woody’s offense was the first time you heard “stike a pose”, is it?
AB
June 22nd, 2009
8:06 pm
I wouldn’t be suprised if we took Tyler Hanbrough instead of DeJuan Blair.
AB
June 22nd, 2009
8:07 pm
Sund and Woody are going to f*ck us up!
tjhook
June 22nd, 2009
8:11 pm
Hoops, I’m going to follow your lead on the moves. I think Jack is the right choice, simply because he allows us ball control and outside shooting. It also leaves the door open for Flip to return and offer his explosive bench scoring without disrupting the offense.
I think ZaZa is indispensible simply because he plays like he is an immovable force when it comes to rebounding. He plays with passion and determination – which at 6′11 and 270 is a desired trademark. We do not want to see Pachulia in a Spurs uniform because he would bring the Boys in Black back to a championship. (My Army Reserve unit is in San Antonio and they have the money in reserve to bring him in . . . and they love international players!!)
Finally, after signing the PG and the post help, we need another scorer (not just shooter) to take the pressure off of Joe (and Flip when he is in the game). I believe that person has to be a wing player (either 2 or 3) but they need to put the ball on the floor and create their own offense (a Courtney Lee-type would not be out of the question)