On the eve of the frenzy!!
Joe Johnson's already fired up the season. The Hawks' free agency season, that is.
CHOCOLATE CITY -Joe Johnson learned a long time ago the value of a good poker face.
But when I asked him what he thought of all the trades before, on and during NBA draft day, his smile turned into a an eyebrow-raised stare.
“People aren’t playing around right now,” he told me Friday in a hallway outside of a conference room at the Hawks’ downtown headquarters. “I don’t know what’s gotten into everybody.”
Johnson better hope that the spirit to move has hit the Hawks as well with free agency just a couple of days away. Because life in the Eastern Conference playoff chase is going to be tougher than it was a year ago.
(Oh, and sorry for the delay on the new blog boys and girls, but I had a previously planned family gathering here in D.C. that could not be avoided.)
“I’ve been keeping up with every move that’s been made,” Johnson said. “The Eastern Conference has gotten a lot better before free agency even started. We’ve just got to do whatever we have to do whatever we can do to try and take ourselves to another level. Right now we’re making footsteps in the right direction and we just have to keep moving forward.”
Johnson said he’s heard about all the rumors involving the Hawks (Josh Smith’s latest is that he’s going to be sent to the Phoenix in some sort of package exchange for Amare Stoudemire, Mike Bibby’s not coming back according to all the experts now that Jamal Crawford and Jeff Teague have been added, etc.). And he’s not buying any of it.
“I understand we don’t really know what’s going to happen in free agency,” Johnson said. “We never do. But this is a business, man. And this is the tough part, the rumors and all the talk. It’s just something we have to deal with. But this is the important thing people need to remember, we’ve gotten better every year with this group. That’s not easy to do. So that means by the time training camp rolls around we need to have hung out, worked out and done everything else it takes prepare ourselves. It’s all business when training camp comes around, because we have to be ready to not only match what we did last year but do better than that. And it’s going to be tough.”
MORE TO THE POINT, and that’s really the one question people have been asking me over and over again since draft night, in it’s various manifestations. Do we keep Bibby? What about Flip? Do we need that many point guard, and won’t they stunt the growth of the young fella?
Ramon Sessions doesn't appear to be on the Hawks' free agent radar anymore.
Before the draft I had a short list of potential point guards (starters or backups depending on what happens with Bibby). By Friday morning I started rethinking the need for the list, what with two new bodies at the position in Crawford and Teague.
Then something crazy happened.
And I expected to see some crazy stuff during my trip here to Obama City, and of course, I did exactly that. From people watching on my way out of Reagan Airport to the hordes of tourists making their way in and out of the monuments and other venues, there’s never a shortage of interesting things to see.
So Saturday afternoon while my Pops and I were cutting through a backdoor to the Renaissance Washington DC Hotel (on 9th near C’town and my favorite spot to stay in this city) we saw Milwaukee Bucks restricted free agent point guard Ramon Sessions relaxing while talking on a cell phone on a patio. Had he not been in the middle of a conversation and had we not been trying to hustle off to where we were going, I’d have interrupted him and checked with him his future plans.
It ate me up the rest of the day. I wondered if this was a sign or something. What are the chances I’d see Sessions (or any of the other young point guards that highlighted my short list) during my first 12 hours here?
For a half-second, just a half, i thought someone was pulling a prank on me. I try and escape from the frenzy for a few days with the fam and who do I see on the patio outside of the Starbucks in the hotel but a restricted free agent NBA point guard that we’ve been talking about around here for weeks now (fine, I admit that’s a bit melodramatic, but … well, you had to be there).
AS FOR A POINT GUARD CERTAIN TO BE ON THE HAWKS’ ROSTER in training camp, Teague will be an interesting cat to cover.
For a guy that swore he was nervous on his first face-to-face dealing with the local press, it didn’t show. Teague’s got the perfect temperament for his new job.
He’s also looking forward to one of the perks of living life on a NBA salary. Teague said he’s looking foward to getting a car. “I’ve never really had my own car,” he said. “It was like a 1988 Toyota Camry. The rest of my friends had cars in the 2000s. I went to Wake Forest and there I am riding around in my ‘88 Camry that’s not looking to good.”
Teague’s car search will be easier than most. He won’t need a ride to the Range Rover lot either.
“I’m a cheap guy, so I’ll try and go with one of those [Dodge] Challengers or something like that,” he said, ” That’s one of those that looks good but doesn’t cost too much.”
The bigger question for the Hawks is how much is too much to pay for Bibby?
That’s also a question that we can only speculate about between now and Wednesday.
FINDING THE RIGHT ANSWERS IN THE FRONTCOURT WON’T BE NEARLY AS EASY. Restricted free agent bit men aren’t allowed to disappear from the roster as easily as they might a player at another position.
There are only a handful of quality big men on the open market (free of restrictions. The Marcus Camby deal and others like it for quality big men, requires the Hawks pulling off a sweet deal with precious few tradable assets to work with).
Put the "Birdman" on the Hawks' pursuit list for this summer.
Since my point guard short list was shredded on draft day, I figured now was as good a time as any to toss this out there (listed alphabetically and keep in mind that all four of these guys are unrestricted free agents):
Chris Andersen, Denver, PF/C – Size, check. Energy, check. Shot-blocking ability, check. I know this isn’t the Andersen you might have been thinking of adding to the roster (from what I’m hearing, David doesn’t seem likely to be on the Hawks’ roster when training camp opens). But the Birdman is a specialist the like of which the Hawks haven’t had in quite some time. He’s probably going to cost a little bit more than the Hawks are used to spending on specialists, but he might be worth the financial sacrifice.
Antonio McDyess, Detroit, PF – McDyess is still chasing that elusive NBA championship ring. Maybe he’s changed and is ready to tackle the task of helping a team like the Hawks reach for that big trophy. Adding intrigue to his summer is his relationship with Hawks coach Mike Woodson.
Joe Smith, Cleveland, PF – This isn’t exactly a home run move, but if you’re in need of a quality big, a veteran big, Smith would have to be vetted for the job. He’s become one of the league’s more reliable journeyman bigs. And not only will he play physically, he’ll knock down shots and sacrifice his body for as long as it takes.
Rasheed Wallace, Detroit, PF/C – The toughest sell on the list, Wallace isn’t going to come for cheap. He wants a sizable contract, one that the Hawks might not be interested in giving to an aged talent whose desire has been questioned by some. But he, too, has a good relationship with Woodson, which could potentially open the door long enough for the Hawks to get in the mix.
TWITTER ME THIS, TWITTER ME THAT …
We’ve officially set up an after hours spot for this blog on Twitter (where the free agency updates will be shorter and more frequent, depending on what’s going on). Dig in for free agency folks, it should be bonkers.
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456 comments Add your comment
niremetal
June 30th, 2009
6:01 pm
O’Brien,
Making a qualifying offer doesn’t mean we’re keeping him. Just means we can match any offer for him.
Ariose
June 30th, 2009
6:01 pm
Boozer really went down to the wire with that one lol, he had until 5pm I beleive to make his decision…….he’s such a Mercenary….
Melvin
June 30th, 2009
6:06 pm
Nire,
Read OZINATL 5:35 link. That’s were I read the statement in reference to the Hawks being a little hesitant in trading Andersen.
Ariose
June 30th, 2009
6:06 pm
oops!!! I mean Boozer Opts IN, so he stays with the Jazz lol.
Meidzo in Decatur
June 30th, 2009
6:07 pm
Ariose,
Bad decision by Boozer….the economy will be much better next year, but knowing him and Joe Dumars he already has a contract set up with Detroit….
He needs a true point and Detroit does not have one!
Clyde
June 30th, 2009
6:20 pm
The Pistons fire Mike Curry. Woody go head and take the job.
Sekou Smith
June 30th, 2009
6:49 pm
The Hawks have extended QO’s to Marvin, Childress, Solomon Jones and Mario West. There won’t be an official statement from the team. But that’s the list. There’s no big deal as to when they did it, by the way, so long as they do it by the deadline.
MBZ
June 30th, 2009
6:49 pm
Its almost 7 p.m. Is Marvin going to get the QO?
Sekou Smith
June 30th, 2009
6:52 pm
Boozer was smart. He didn’t have anyone guarantee him that they’d make it worth his while to opt out, so he stayed put and collects that $12 mil. Smart man.
Anakin Joe
June 30th, 2009
7:11 pm
Sekou, I appreciate good negotiating just the same as anyone else. But there’s nothing wrong with making your employees feel wanted (even if you have to subsequently move them). Last summer, it appears (I wasn’t there) that Sund didn’t give the Joshes a lot of love. And now, he waits until the last possible second before notifying these guys about their free agency status. I don’t know, it just feels shady to me. And it feels like that kind of move can create resentment going into the imminent negotiations.
Kevin M
June 30th, 2009
7:12 pm
Here are your options:
1) Camby – I have asked for him for 2 years. On the quick downside IMO.
2) Lee (Knicks) – I like his heart. DOes he game mix with Horford’s? You get 2 PFs instead of a C.
3) Stoudamire – luxury cap pain waiting to happen. You have to give up rights to Childress, move Marvin and probably Smoove. That’s a lot to move out of the way.
4) Resign Zaza – give the man a 3 year 15-17M contract. He is all heart and soul.
5) Where is Big Baby in this discussion? He is flat out tough..give me that guy over 4/5 of the league on offense.
We just need to make inroads in the paint this offseason. We don’t have enough to compete down low.
KevinA
June 30th, 2009
7:14 pm
For Boozer bashers, he is better than JJ. He draws double teams down low and still scores. Next year FA class will be wild. A 10 million deal for Boozer would be a steal.
darrell starks
June 30th, 2009
7:18 pm
Sekou thats great the hawks made and extended QO to marvin, chill, solo, mario, im crossing my finger on chill.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!
SB
June 30th, 2009
7:18 pm
JASON KIDD @ ANTONIO McDysse…………….
Anakin Joe
June 30th, 2009
7:18 pm
Here are ESPN’s cap killers. These guys hurt their teams now but are often used in mega-deals in February.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=sheridan_chris&page=capkillingcontracts-090630
Realistic Person
June 30th, 2009
7:19 pm
Josh Smith has the sweetest touch of anybody in the league. It is similar to that of Jason Kopono. He can also blow by defenders with his blinding speed and top notch handles. Josh Smith is definetly the “star” some of you make him out to be.
SB
June 30th, 2009
7:19 pm
Oh resign Marvin, or trade if he wants more than deal starting at 7 million.
KevinA
June 30th, 2009
7:29 pm
I am much more encouraged after watching Crawford in an interview. He is willing to come off the bench or start. He feels his job is to pass first. He does not want to mess with the chemistry. Says his job is to fit in.
I am not an NBA junkie, I am a Hawks junkie. I do think Crawford has the skill to do anything he wants to do. If he uses his skills to get the ball to the front court and hit the open man, we have a chance to be a much improved team.
I read his best shooting comes from the left and center of the court. This is where JJ likes to hang out. Will JJ and Crawford and drive and kick to each other? Is he as good or better than Bibby at hitting smith for the dunk?
Anybody have any good insights?
darrell starks
June 30th, 2009
7:29 pm
Its imperative that we resign zaza, and flip.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
June 30th, 2009
7:38 pm
Lets bring everybody back except bibby and se if we can get big al horford to talk to charlie v this team will be able to contend for a nba title but woody and rick sund must get and off coordinator if this team wants to succeed.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
niremetal
June 30th, 2009
7:38 pm
Anakin,
For what it’s worth, I emailed Sekou a few days ago and he said that QOs had already been extended to both Marvin and Josh. Just because it doesn’t get posted HoopsWorld doesn’t mean it hasn’t been done.
darrell starks
June 30th, 2009
7:46 pm
How can you fire a coach after 1 year thats horrible.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!
Anakin Joe
June 30th, 2009
8:20 pm
nire, glad to hear it. They don’t have to tell me, as long as Marvin and Chill knew, that’s all that matters. Thanks for the info.
cp
June 30th, 2009
8:38 pm
I know Mario is a nice story and all but I would rather have a guy like Gardner or Green taking up his spot. I also hope Hunter comes back. I like what I saw out of him in his limited minutes.
darrell starks
June 30th, 2009
8:40 pm
The hawks bench will be the best in the nba
BENCH FLIP, MOE, CHILL, CHARLIE V, ZAZA.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
June 30th, 2009
9:16 pm
“For Boozer bashers, he is better than JJ. He draws double teams down low and still scores.”
Only at home, and only when taller and more athletic defenders are not guarding him.
I agree with the majority here. Boozer is wildly overrated and wouldn’t have gotten close to $12 million on the free agent market.
MannyT
June 30th, 2009
9:31 pm
Fewer free agent targets out there as folks see the bad economy and recognize the guaranteed money now is better than taking a chance that a team that might not win pays you a chunk of their available cap space.
I did notice that Sekou’s boy Brian Skinner opted out of the Clippers. We could afford him as a backup big man.
BWAF
O'Brien
June 30th, 2009
9:43 pm
Plus Boozer is a health risk. Not worth it. It should be interesting nor the Jazz, because if they are paying Boozer $12 mil, what kind of contract do they match (Milsap is a restricted free agent). If i’m Detroit, I’m going for Ben Gordon (to come off the bench), and Paul Milsap.
My PG preferences are Jarrett Jack, Ramon Sessions, and Bibby. But I was wondering, how do you guys feel about AI as our atarting PG? We dont need traditional PG, since we have JJ and Crawford, and AI pushes the ball, plays decent defense (sometimes), and gets steals.
I wouldnt sign him, but I wanted to hear your guys opinions…
niremetal
June 30th, 2009
9:56 pm
Iverson, Crawford, and JJ on the same team? Uh…no.
The only plus is that he would make Woody blow a capillary within about 2 weeks.
Big Ray
June 30th, 2009
10:02 pm
….snzzzz…..snort, snort, huh? Huh….snzzzzzzzz…
niremetal
June 30th, 2009
10:04 pm
PS, Ariose probably posted this already, but this is freaking awesome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exOxUAntx8I
Big Ray
June 30th, 2009
10:05 pm
KevinA,
If you recall, Crawford was that kind of player in Chicago. Whatever they asked him to do, that was what he did. They drafted Hinrich after him, and he just moved over to SG, as they wanted him to.
Because of his skills/moderate versatility and his attitude overall, I had absolutely no issues with adding him to this roster, while others stomped their feet, held their breath, and peed on themselves in protest.
Big Ray
June 30th, 2009
10:06 pm
Niremetal,
Nice link. Also, went over to Bradley’s blog to see what was kickin’. I see you’re keeping him sharp!
Big Ray
June 30th, 2009
10:10 pm
OZINATL,
Where’s that scouting report on David Andersen? I didn’t get to see him in person like you did, but I did watch him in some games on NBATV. The guy is polished offensively, but he doesn’t play with much intensity. Perhaps I’m not just not seeing what you are seeing. I’m wondering why we haven’t made the effort to get him over here. Could it be the money? Any idea what he’s wanting? All I can say is that dude is 27 or 28 yrs old now. The window only stays open so long, and if he comes over and struggles, it’s not going to be like typical NBA rookies. Not much of a grace period to “develop” I’m afraid…
Najeh Davenpoop
June 30th, 2009
10:23 pm
I’m really not all that impressed with David Andersen at all… he looks really slow and shoots turnaround jumpers with a low release point on nearly every post up. Not saying he would be complete trash in the NBA, but I don’t think he’s any kind of difference maker, especially if the Hawks have to throw $4-5 million per year at him to bring him here.
Nate ArchiBALL
June 30th, 2009
10:24 pm
Mario West will sign his contract at one second after midnight.
G-Man
June 30th, 2009
10:26 pm
This is fresh off Sekou’s twitter page:
Are the Hawks chasing bigger fish than we think this summer? I’m hearing rumblings that they’re leaving the pond for the deep waters.
Mel on a car phone
June 30th, 2009
10:41 pm
Paul Millsap?
chuckw/deadjournalist
June 30th, 2009
10:42 pm
you know who we haven’t given any time to discuss? grant hill
i doubt he would sign here because we aren’t as close to a finals appearance as others, but talk about a nice addition.
you know how else? lamar odom
imagine the possibilities with him on the floor. he’s not a go-to guy, but he’s damn sure a guy that does a lot of things really well.
blue hawk
June 30th, 2009
10:42 pm
this is now a real, running team with jamal and teague on board. all our bigs can run the floor.
it’s time we add a great rebounder to the fold. someone who will carom those rebounds that start the break.
i believe that it would be wise to bring in someone like david lee to the fold. he would be a nice complement to our starting bigs Hoffa and Smoove. Hell of a monster rebounder, gets a lot of loose balls, in other words gets POSSESSIONS. without possessions there are no fast breaks, no running game.
doc
June 30th, 2009
10:51 pm
practice, i love practice.
Hoops
June 30th, 2009
10:52 pm
G-Man,
I sure hope Sekou know’s what he is talking about! Wouldn’t it be GREAT if the Hawks went all out to field a team that had a real shot @ THE FINALS???
blue hawk
June 30th, 2009
11:01 pm
sign david lee. (monster on the boards man, we need those possessions to have a running game)
sign and trade marvin williams. (get rid of this useless guy)
bring back josh childress (the best small forward on the team)
re-sign flip and zaza. (important rotation pieces)
bibby? he’s too expensive right now for a point guard (averaging just 5 assists a game). although the team doesn’t really need a traditional point guard since joe, jamal, hoffa and smoove are all good passers. i think we need him now more than ever, since we will be needing someone to feed two 20 point scorers now.it’s a totally different ballgame now that you have jamal crawford on board. now we have two 20 point scorers on the team.
i love this team. hopefully we’ll see randolph morris and jeff teague get a lot of burn. it would be a pity if their talents get wasted on the bench, not developing.
blue hawk
June 30th, 2009
11:04 pm
mike bibby,
please sign for much less. please.
blue hawk
June 30th, 2009
11:05 pm
i want DAVID LEE.
REBOUNDING is necessary for a RUNNING GAME
Anakin Joe
June 30th, 2009
11:13 pm
So Crawford says that he will pass first and defend? Well, that’s all I needed to hear. I retract everything I said the day we acquired him. I could not have been more wrong. This was an f’ing brilliant trade. Yessir, I’m ordering my Crawford jersey tomorrow morning. What a relief. I’m thrilled. Crawford is leading this team to heights unknown.
“Happy days are here again, the sykies above are clear again…”
PDubATL
June 30th, 2009
11:30 pm
Odds are that David Lee will be going to Memphis – they have substantially more money to throw at him than the Hawks do. Millsap would be a cheaper PF option.
niremetal
June 30th, 2009
11:40 pm
Anakin’s hyperbole masked a good point – talk is cheap. I know Ray says that Crawford always did what was asked of him in Chicago, but that’s more than a bit of an overstatement. Sure, he distributed a bit more when asked. But his shot selection was consistently bad and his defense has never been better than below average. My guess is that the coach asked him play defense and not be so much of a chucker at least a few times.
Look, I like Crawford’s coming in with a good attitude. But I just dismiss the fact that he hasn’t been on a winning team in 10 years, since he left high school. He shot 41% from the field in his one year in college and is a career 40% shooter in the pros. From everything I’ve seen, he’s a great scorer but has not shown that he can do much else.
I want him to prove me wrong. I very much hope he can give us some quality minutes at the point, take pressure off JJ, and use his long arms and quick hands to harass opposing players on D. If he does those things, I WILL buy a Jamal Crawford jersey, because a Jamal who does that will help get us deep in the playoffs. Seriously – he could be the difference between 47 and 57 wins.
So I like that he’s saying it. He clearly is coming in with the right attitude. But now he has to walk the talk.
Mel on a car phone
June 30th, 2009
11:45 pm
Yep, that’s why I mentioned Paul Millsap earlier.
bigdave
June 30th, 2009
11:49 pm
“This is fresh off Sekou’s twitter page:
Are the Hawks chasing bigger fish than we think this summer? I’m hearing rumblings that they’re leaving the pond for the deep waters.”
like who…??
according to ESPN’s Chad Ford…”Given current projections, seven teams — the Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors — could have significant money to spend in 2009.”
SO WHO WE LOOKING AT SEKOU… WHAT RUMBLINGS…?
PLEASE DONT MAKE ME TWITTER…!!!!!