On the eve of the frenzy!!

FIRE WOODY

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FIRE MIKE WOODSON

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Sekou what’s the status on Villanueva? Is he a restricted FA? Any word on Marvin’s negotiations? I could see the Hawks doing a sign and trade for a quality reserve big

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This is what I’m hoping for now. Marvin signs an offer sheet to atleast play this season out. Re-sign Flip and Zaza for a packaged deal of about $8 mil. Sign Villanueva for something between $6.5 to $7.5 mil (hopefully on the lower end of that). Milwaukee has a few bigs stacked up for the possibility of losing him. The Hawks payroll would be similar to last seasons payroll but would be a significant upgrade.

Depth:

PG – J. Crawford, J. Teague, Flip Murray
SG – J. Johnson, Flip Murray
SF – M. Williams, Mo Evans, Charlie V.
PF – J. Smith, Charlie V.
C- Al Horford, Zaza

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sekou – the twitter link is broken. you have two http’s and no www; fyi.

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If there is a deal out there that gets us Marcus Camby without us losing #5 or #15, I’m all for it.

Maybe the Crawford signing does mean Bibby is gone; if so then Flip has got to be re-signed. Keeping all of them doesn’t seem to be much of an option given that there are only so many minutes available.

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Doc,

I agree. I wouldn’t want to pay Bibby more than $6 mil per, and not more than 3 years. Let me know what they say about him on the radio. Don’t get that station down here.

Well, add Joe Johnson to the list of people who think this team is headed in the right direction, I guess. Also, nice to see that he was reaching out to his new teammates.

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thanks sekou, hoped there would be someone or two serviceable enough on the b list. oh well. is there another rand mo d lister we can get? is solo on the list as well is probably one question to be asked? divided house on that guy or is he c list material?

yup, agree, “my boy rick” better be done with the feeling out part of his job and be ready to run with the big boys. he better not be laid back on this one.

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Sekou
could we get Donyell Marshall. I like him better than the 4 you named… good rebounder & stretches the floor with his 3pt shooting. I like the Charlie Villanueva idea but would he want to come off the bench or would he prefer to start. If starting is his preference then where does that leave Marvin? To me Marvin & Charlie are similar players but Charlie is a tad bit more assertive. But he will disappear in games too. What about a sign & trade with Marvin for a proven scorer. My thoughts are Granger or Rudy Gay… both would require more added to that trade but would pull that trigger in a minute.

Or do you move Joe to the SF pos. and let Crawford start with a resigned Bibby leading the team… moving Marvin to the bench or trading him.
Side note …hire Avery Johnson. I know you can’t say what you wanna say due to your job position but I know you are feel’in me.

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What is Jack’s status? I would rather add him for PG leadership and defense rather than overspend for Bibby. I know we need more defensive and shot-blocking presense in the middle, but I don’t know who that should be.

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Sekou, I have heard rumors that Camby or Chandler might be available in a trade due to their teams wanting to dump salary. If we made a move for one of these guys, what do you think we would have to give up? And if the Hawks did make such a move, how could they retain the player for more than one year — would a new contract have to be in place before such a trade were consumated?

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ray the morning guys opinions are pretty much garbage, grain of salt stuff. peripheral fans of the hawks at best and not that knowledgeable to any depth when it comes to basketball. with that said they were not too inclined to offer much.

donyell is done, 2 years past his bottom. not sure he had a peak.

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TRADE JOE JOHNSON FOR RICKY RUBIO!

and, of course, FIRE WOODY!

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*ding*

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bigdave if you have a Fire Woody in your post it might not go through

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There are some comments that are not even worth responding to.

Go Hawks!!!

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Crawford cannot be a starting point. He’s way too selfish and a much better 2. If we’re not getting Bibby back, we’re going to need to get somebody else to run the point. Personally, I’d rather we spend some money on Bibby. This team’s going in the right direction.

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Sekou,

I still am curious – who in the East that is behind us in the standings (ie not Orlando or Cleveland) has improved? I’m quite serious. Washington is the only one that has made a big move besides Orlando and Cleveland (both of whom made VERY risky moves), and their trade was pretty much retarded.

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DAVID- that lineup would not be any improvement over last years lineup.

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CLYDE, ELIJAH, SMARTGUY,
enuf wit’ the fire woody stuff!! y’all are killin’ me. LOL!!

SEKOU,
what’s up wit’ Gortat, from orlando? is he available? he was decent.

BIGRAY,
how much do you think that zaza will command?

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‘NIRE,

i tol’ you that the hawks are in a 4way tie for the 4th seed: 4.atlanta, chicago, philly, miami. we are not a lock at 4 but we will make the playoffs 4-6. probably meet bstn in rd 1

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If a trade for Amare Stoudemire can be worked out and that is a BIG if then the Hawks would be wise to make it! Josh may or may not turn out to be a great basketball player, but right now is above average at best. Amare is a star and a stud on the inside which is what this team really lacks. The downside to Amare is his health? Can he stay healthy is a question and a risk for sure. Also, how would having him on the roster effect Horford? Would Amare getting double teamed open up the floor for Hordford?? YES

Right now we have nobody inside that requires a double team but play in a conference filled with big boys: KG, Howard, Shaq and even Labron likes to play around inside too! Make the move or you’ll be undersized and over matched come play off time AGAIN!

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John, Alade Aminu, the older brother who went undrafted. Played for GA Tech. Obviously, not a great player (again, he went undrafed) but Hawks need to look under some rocks, especially for big men.

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Charlie V. is restricted and I believe Bass is unrestricted. Correct me if I am wrong.

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We have to resign Marvin to more than a year qualifying offer. IMO. Otherwise we are stuck in the same situation next off season. I know we want to have room next off season, but we have to be able to retain some value to the #2 overall pick. I say if we can’t get a long term deal done (3 years) then we should sign and trade now, before he can walk free. As far as Childress is concerned, unless he absolutely hates his life in Greece there is zero reason for him to return to the Hawks this year.

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Looks like the Hawks will only have the 2 MLE to sign FA’s. So signing a quality big(s) may be a challenge. And if they decide to resign Flip, his money must be paid from the MLE pool as well. With so many roster spots vacant, resigning (or maybe S&T) our FA’s may be the most effective way of filling out the roster with quality players (especially if we bring back Chills and Andersen). It’s going to be interesting to see what Sund puts together this summer.

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O’Brien,

Jarrett Jack and two bigs? We have $7.5M available total to sign other teams’ free agents. I doubt we can pull that off. I think we’d be better off re-signing Bibby and using the $7.5M to sign a backup C and a backup SF/PF. I’d go after, say, Adonal Foyle and Birdman.

I’m not impressed by Philly – I just moved back to the City of Brotherly Love and haven’t reacquainted myself with the team yet, but they have the same problem as Washington – zero frontcourt depth. Sam Dalembert is solid (and he NEVER gets hurt), and Brand should rebound a bit from an off year. But they traded away their only decently tough guy off the bench (Reggie Evans) to get Kapono. Speights (who I remember from his days as a Gator) won’t cut it…he’s pretty much Solo, except he’s getting PT.

Like us, they have only $7.5M to play with during the offseason, but unlike us, their starting PF has a proclivity for injuries, and they don’t have the prospect of re-signing a guy like Zaza. They also go into the offseason with a pretty hefty cap figure (they have $58M in contracts before they even start the re-signing process) So I don’t see them spending freely.

And of course, if Andre Miller leaves, you can write their ticket to the lottery.

PS – Ray, if I’m not mistaken, there’s no option to pick up on RandMo. He’s already under contract for this next season. But he only makes $850k, so who cares? Well, I’d care because I could use the cash, but that’s another story…

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To the person who asked me to link the Law blog, I tried but the post would not go through. I will try again later…

If we bring back Pachulia, Marvin, and Bibby I think we are set. I would let Flip walk. Give Hunter a bigger role and give me Gerald Green over Mario..

Teague pretty much destroyed Lawson in their head to head match. It wasn’t even close. Lawson was to small to do anything with Teague. Teague did whatever he wanted out there. I think the kid is going to surprise a lot of people. I think we got a steal at 19. And yea how about Petro. I know he is a old pick by Sund but he is an athletic 7 footer who would also be an upgrade over RandyMo.

The Pacers have said they want Jack back and are trying to get rid of Ford so it might be hard trying to snag Jack away from the Pacers.

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O’Brien,

If the Hawks don’t bring back Morris, it looks like with the MLE and Bi-Annual, the Hawks are only going to have about 8M to spend on FA’s unless we do a sign & trade or another trade. I don’t think that Crawford is our PG. He is a great pick up, but we still need a PG and a center.

Options:
1. I think Bibby is going to be too expensive and Crawford is a better Flip. Maybe we could get Sessions for 5.5M. With Teague and Sessions, we would be set @ PG for sometime!

2. That would only leave us 2.5M left to trade with if we don’t bring back Morris. So, we need to look @ possible sign & trades with Marvin or trades for Josh that could improve the team. I would rather have R. Gay and M. Gasol over Marvin and Josh. That would be a good trade if we could re-sign Zaza. Memphis could afford to move Gasol since they signed Thabeet and they really need Josh @ the 4 position. What do you think?

3. I would like to sign Charlie V., but I don’t see how we can do it financially with only 2.5M left to use. What can we get B. Bass for? Thoughts?
This is a possible roster:

PG-Sessions, Teague
SG-JJ, Crawford
SF-Gay, Mo Evans
PF-Horford, Bass
C-M. Gasol, Zaza

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I was thinking that all the east would be better, but no one behind has improved much. chicago will be a little better but not much. ive been waiting for them to trade for amare or shaq or bosh for 3 yrs. this will be the year they get that big because ben gordon is leaving. and luol deng may be healthy. d wade seriously could leave if mia doesnt get their act together. wtf have they done since may? their roster looks awful and wade will be a year older /he cant have a yr as good as this past yr/ aNd we all know joneal sucks and haslem is getting old. their pg chalmers is aight…not great though

hawks will be 4 seed but we need amare

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Mark S, Crawford played a ton at pg for the Knicks. It was Marbury who usually played off the ball. And Woody’s(or lackthereof) doesn’t call for a traditional pg. So to come to the conclusion that Crawford cant play pg for us, means that either you never watched Knicks games when JC was there, or you’ve never watched Woody Coach.

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Sekou, any word on J-Chill coming back? I saw him in Vinings walking down the street yesterday. I know you might not believe me but who else in ATL wears a Stanford b-ball shirt and has a Fro like that?

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lol terrell. That’s the first thing I was saying when we made the trade. This offense does not require a traditional pg. Joe handled the ball more than Bibby did. Bibby looked more like a sg than a pg out there. Everything goes through Joe so unless Woodson changes his offense, which I doubt, Crawford will pretty much do what Bibby was doing but will drive to the hoop.

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Why is everybody so hard on Smith? Smith’s game minus the occasional three is improving and he has as much upside as anyone else the hawks could get minus Lebron, Kobe or Dwight. I say the Hawks need to hang on to him.

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Meidzo- thanks for the hook up!

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Hoops, I think they’ll make him an offer. Crawford just helped them with the negotiations a little bit. lol!

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It wouldn’t make sense for Bibby to take less money to stay with the Hawks, when he could sign with a team like the Lakers for less money. Bibby doesn’t make sense for the Hawks because he’s getting up in age, and he’s always been a defensive liability. I like Crawford at the point, because he’s long and even though he’s not a defensive stopper his length will bother opponents. As for handling the ball, Joe brings the ball up court about 50 percent of the time no matter who’s at point.

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ATLFan….

its believable.. he has a place out there in Vinnings…

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Roy,

Everybody realizes that Josh is a super talent, but he will not upgrade his game. I’m not a NBA player, but I could shoot a jump shot from the perimeter when I was 23. He is undersized @ the 4 position. Some fans feel that we cannot win the NBA Championship with Josh as our 4. I’m one of those fans. So, why not get as much as possible for him while you can? However, the 7.2M trade kicker is a major problem.

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I would jump all over this:

I don’t think much of Marvin…his numbers were popcorn, we did not lose ANYTHING during his extended absence! Thorton is 10 times the player he is and Camby would be dynamite in the East. A great shot blocker and one of the best rebounders in the game! We would be the best rebounding frontcourt in the East…this would give us a significant “Margin of Error” for our volume shooters!

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Marvin and RandMo for Thorton and Camby?

I would jump all over this:

http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2009/6/27/927147/marvin-williams-and-randolph

I don’t think much of Marvin…his numbers were popcorn, we did not lose ANYTHING during his extended absence! Thorton is 10 times the player he is and Camby would be dynamite in the East. A great shot blocker and one of the best rebounders in the game! We would be the best rebounding frontcourt in the East…this would give us a significant “Margin of Error” for our volume shooters!

Heck I would love to do just Marvin for Camby!

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Pennington, a pg “who does’nt fit Woody’s system”, wont do us any good this year. They’ll just ride the pine like Acie did. If Ole Woodrow is going to be the coach this year, we wight as well get a guy, WHO FITS THE SYSTEM.

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First of all Josh came into the league as a SF who could also play PF the Hawks choose to play him at PF, but he’s a natural SF. People keep complaining about his game, although Josh is one of the best shot blockers in the N.B.A. He is also one of the best at steals per game for his position. He’s pretty valuable when you consider some guys like Dikembe made a living off block shots alone. Josh gives you as many block shots as a Dikembe, then he gives you 15 plus pts. What people here in Atlanta have to understand is Josh is good right now, if he gets any better(which I hope he does) he’s going to be great.

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nire,

You are more knowledgeable about our cap situation, so I defer to you. With only $7.5 mil to spend on other team’s FA, we are limited.

Could we tender Marvin, resign Zaza, sign Jack for $5 mil, and then sign another big for $2.5 mil?

Our team would be:
PG – Jack/Crawford/Teague
SG – Johnson/Crawford
SF – Marvin/Mo Evans
PF – Josh/backup PF
C – Horford/Zaza

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I just got this quote from another blog-

Would u do this trade? They would cost us about 1.5 mill a year more than Marvin’s qualifying offer and Randolph salary. My only problem with this is that Thorton does not shoot it from the 3 point line as well as Marvin. By the way I just heard on ESPN that the Suns have spoken to the Hawks and the Hawks are willing to part with Josh Smith for Amare and I say hell no.

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UGA,

I am with you on the Childress/Morris/Teague for D. Harris trade! I think you could make that trade if the Nets are really wanting to go young. Teague, Lee, & Lopez would be a really good core from which to build around for years to come.

With 7.5M to use for FA signings, can you see this line up?
PG-Harris, Flip
SG-Crawford, Evans
SF-JJ, Marvin
PF-Josh, Charlie V.
C-Horford, Zaza

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Wabe, i totally agree with you on the BIBBY thing. The guy is NOT worth it. Either some desperate team is going to pay him or he will eventually come back to earth and humbly except a decent offer. He should!

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Stick with Othello Hunter. He’s worth developing!

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And seriously…I don’t know why y’all think Bibby is gonna cost $10M a year. Aging point guards rarely pull down even close to that much unless their name is Nash or Kidd. The range for a veteran PG who is a borderline starter is $5M-6.5M (heck, Mike James pulls down $6M). It’ll be a bit higher for a guy like Bibby – if this were a better year for free agents, he’d probably command $8M or more. But it’s a recession, and he’s not. And when you’re Bibby’s age, you don’t take a one-year deal and pray you don’t get hurt.

So we can probably get Bibby for 3 years at $7M or maybe even less. And if I’m right about the price, I’d pay it in a heartbeat. Bibby’s a winner, and even if he is a defensive liability, he’s a glue guy who can knock down big shots. This team went from 20 games under .500 without him to 10 games over .500 with him. You don’t dismiss that and replace him with a younger PG. And if you don’t believe me, just ask Sacramento how Beno Udrih is doing…

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Wabe,

I’ll give you a chance to take back your comment that you think Gortat is more polished than Dwight Howard on the offensive end…but you’d better take it back pretty damned quickly

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I keep reading posts that suggest that “Bibby is not worth the money that he is demanding”. Did I miss the article that included his contract demands?

Here’s my question, who sets the market for older guards? Kidd? Bibby? Miller? Iversen?

My guess, it won’t be Bibby. Sund is far too experienced to jump out there and negotiate with himself. He will wait for some other 30+ year-old to sign a deal before he gets serious with an offer. At least, the way he handled the Joshes last year suggests that will be his strategy. If dude wasn’t proactive with two players entering their prime, I can’t imagine that he will show his hand with an aging Bibby. But I do hope that he moves quickly to secure a big (Foyle, Ratliff and Magloire come to mind). Gortat is about to get the James Posey prize and will likely land a contract close to $6M/year (which we can’t afford).

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Wow, Houston may play next season without T-Mac (supposedly they are shopping him), Artest (UFA) and Yao (injury). Sounds like Scola just became a 2nd round pick in the fantasy draft.

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I say trade Josh Smith for Amare Stoudamire! Then pick up the Bird Man to take the place of Josh Smith! Their defense is about the same. And resign Marvin ( strong SF who can guard the bigger SF in the league like Pierce, LBJ, etc. ), resign Bibby ( let’s be honest he is the reason why we took that next step toward the elite! ) , resign Zaza ( he us one of the best offensive rebounders in the league ), and there you have it.

Pg: Bibby, teague, crawford
Sg: Joe, Crawford
Sf: Marvin, Evans, Joe
Pf: Horford, Birdman, Solo
C: Amare, Zaza

Extended Bench: Mario, Hunter, Gardner, Randmo.

What do you guys think? Nire, Big Ray, Sekou, I know you guys can break it down for me do please let me know if this is at all possible with the salary cap and all. Thanks!

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Man you guys think I’m suggesting I’d take Gortat > Howard.

I simply said that at this point in their careers, you could debate whose offensive game is more polished…

Personally, I don’t think it’s as lopsided as you guys suggest.

As for Anakin Joe, I’m guessing you’re talking about me saying Bibby’s not worth the money he’s asking for. I HEARD he along with ANDRE MILLER are asking for around 10 mil. a year. And personally, if that is true, HE’S NOT WORTH THE MONEY HE’S ASKING FOR.

I may be wrong, I’m not GM, I may not know as much bout hoops as you guys, but honestly, signing Bibby for that kind of money would handicap our chances at getting any quality FA’s – therefore – he’s not worth it.

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Ok, I will, just to say this – people who are the backups to superstars always look better than they actually are, because the opposing team lets their guard down a little when the big kahuna is on the bench. Give me Zaza over Gortat eight days a week. That’s all.

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Nire, are you kidding me?

I bet Gortat would’ve made 1 of 2 FREE THROWS…

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to me Crawford and Flip are the same player. Both drive and cut to the basket, Crawford shoots better from the arc, but basically the same player. The offense relies on a high percentage 3-point shot and thats what Bibby provides. Resign Bibby, ZaZa & M.Williams and look @ sending next to nothing to the Clips for Kaman. Serving as a back-up should provide him enough rest to stay healthy. Then we could be a really deep team.

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Guess I’m a noob.

You guys say to me “there’s a reason one’s a starter and one’s a backup”.

Let’s see how many teams will be bidding for the backup…

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Wabe, $10M is much too much. No debating that, I just had not heard that before. In fact, I had not heard anything about what he was looking to receive. But in reality, nothing wrong with asking for $10M. When we go to buy a car, we don’t lead with our best offer. So if Bibby is floating $10M, it may mean that the real number is closer to $7M-8M. But again, there are too many comparable PGs in free agency and Sund won’t allow Bibby to set the market rate for that group of players. Or, I should say, I would be shocked if Sund jumps out there first.

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From SI.com, word is Mehmet Okur is leaning toward opting out of his contract with the Jazz. I would go after that guy, he’s 6′ 11″ and shoots the 3 really well!

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Wabe, And what exactly is Bibby asking for?

Eric, What about Josh’s game makes you feel he is a natural SF

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If you guys read through my posts carefully, I DID SAY I WOULD LOVE HAVING BIBBY BACK – BUT NOT FOR THE MONEY HE’S COMMANDING (which I thought was around $10 Mil).

I completely agree with you guys, if we could get him for a bit cheaper and he agrees to, lets say a 2 year deal, I’m not against re-signing him. But if re-signing him alone would kill the cap room we have to pursue other FA’s, I honestly don’t see it as being worth it.

WE NEED BIGS!

And honestly, do you think Bibby’s gonna agree to come back here to groom a rookie? I would assume HE THINKS he has some good years left in his career, and I would think he would try and get a long-term deal if he can. Let’s be honest about something else, if Bibby comes back, do you honestly see Woody treating Teague any different from how he treated Law in respect to minutes? I would see a repeat of what we saw out of Acie Law. I would think his minutes would be limited, but that’s just me…

Finally, I’m not a 100% sure about this, so I’ll just ask: if we resign Bibby – what are the chances we resign Marvin? At this point, I would say resigning Marvin is a higher priority than resigning Bibby. Much higher…

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Niremetal, Big Ray , Sekou , someone anyone answer my question please instead of arguing ( the dumbest debate I’ve ever heard , gortat better than Howard? Yeah f***** right!!!!! ) about nonsense please answer my question!!

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Wabe the idiot,

Dwight shot a better percentage from the line than Gortat during both the regular season and the playoffs.

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THAT FT % IS PRETTY DAMN USELESS IF HE WENT 0-2 TO ICE THE DAMN GAME KID…

GORTAT COULDN’T DONE ANY WORSE…

AND I BET MONEY GORTAT WOULD’VE GOT BACK DOWN THE COURT WHEN THE MAGIC WERE UP 5 AGAINST LA WITH 30 SECS LEFT AND NOT HAVE GIVEN UP AN EASY DUNK TO PAU GASOL TO CUT THE LEAD TO 3. INSTEAD, HOWARD SITS THERE (WHILE UP 5) ARGUING WITH THE OFFICIAL ABOUT A NO-CALL…

THAT’S ONE THING I KNOW GORTAT DOES BETTER THAN HOWARD – GET UP AND DOWN THE COURT…

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I STATED MY OPINION,

And I got bums grilling me for it.

IT’S JUST MY OPINION!

BASH ME IF YOU WANNA, BUT ASIDE FROM THE ONE 40 PT GAME, HOWARD DIDN’T BEAST ON THE OFFENSIVE END THROUGHOUT THE PLAYOFFS…

I SIMPLY SAID IT WAS UP FOR DEBATE…
BUM HATER$…

ACTIN LIKE I SAID I’D TAKE GORTAT > HOWARD.

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You guys are quick to forget how the Hawks played with Bibby and JJ. Bibby didn’t do enough on the offensive end to take any pressure off of JJ. It simply turned into ISO-JOES.

I don’t know why you guys are actin like we can’t survive without him…

He was just a stop-gap measure.

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Joe’s place,

The only way to get the numbers to work in an Amare-for-Josh deal would be to package both Josh and Crawford or Josh and Horford. Josh’s trade kicker throws the numbers off in any trade, just as the BYC rules would throw off any package including Marvin or Chills. Amare’s salary is big enough that Josh’s trade kicker isn’t a disqualifier, though – but we’d have to throw in either Crawford or Horford to make the numbers work.

The only trades that would seemingly work salary-wise are:

Option 1
Hawks get: Amare
Suns get: Smith, Horford

Option 2
Hawks get: Amare + Barbosa
Suns get: Smith + Crawford

Option 3
Hawks get: Amare + Pavlovic + Dragic or R. Lopez
Suns get: Smith + Crawford

Of those, the only one that appeals to me is Option 2. The Suns might even go for it, since Crawford’s contract comes off the books before Barbosa’s does.

Option 3 has some appeal – Dragic or Lopez would give us young talent at one of the two toughest positions to find it (and I have a feeling Robin Lopez will do better with more PT). And Pavlovic is a good defender who can guard both wing spots.

Option 1? No way. I actually floated that idea a few months ago, but now I honestly think that Horford should be well-nigh onto untouchable.

It would be risky, but I still think that Amare is the type of guy who could put us over the top. He is a guaranteed 25ppg, and is less-bad at defense than people think. But I’d still have to think long and hard about it.

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Stupid MIL just made Villanueva an UFA…..who needs a 24 y/o avg 16 and 7 off the bench? Not a great fit for us, but it will help us because there is one more Big on the market!

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Wabe,

Grow another layer of skin, it’ll be alright. On a blog, rendering an opinion is consent to grilling.

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Wow…Charlie V is unrestricted. Man. I hope the Hawks make a run at him, but I think at least 10 teams might offer him the full mid-level now, so it’ll all come down to where HE wants to go…

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Jamal Crawford on 790 the Zone!!!

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Since Ray’s here, let’s ask him.

Who would you rather have? Zaza? Or Gortat?

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We should offer Charlie V our hold MLE… Man, I can’t believe the Bucks are going to let him go instead of Sessions after drafting a PG @ #10 in the draft…. Get it done Sund…

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nire,

I would be okay with your idea too. If Bibby will take 2 years, $6-$7 mil per year, team option for the third year, I would be okay with that.

But I prefer Jack because he is younger, cheaper (He might get $5 mil per), and is able to defend his position. If we sign Bibby, we will be looking for a PG in 2 or 3 years again (I dont see Teague being the starter in 2 or 3 years). We need a long term answer, and Jack (or Sessions) could be that guy. They have room for growth, whereas Bibby is on the decline, and will get worse.

Bibby cannot matchup with Mo Williams, Rondo, CP3, Deron Williams, Devin Harris, BDavis, Arenas etc. But with Jack, at least JJ would not have to guard these guys. It would be Jack’s responsibility. Too much wear and tear on JJ, and Bibby’s man gets into the paint and draws fouls on our bigs (and we’ve seen the many switches). Plus our slow rotations show up Bibby even more.

Like I said, I would be okay with Bibby (for the right price, 2 years), but my preference is Jack. Plus that would give us 2 JJ’s in the backcourt LOL.

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“so this is all just mental masturbation.”

Whoa, dude…

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Wow. Milwaukee did not offer Charlie V, (making him unrestricted). Why would they do that? Wasnt he a high draft pick? And after the RJ trade, they should have enough cap room. Interesting…

Maybe this opens up the doos for the Hawks (although he would take up the entire mid-level). Like Nire suggested, we could sign Charlie V with the mid-level, sign another big with the bi-annual exception, and resign Bibby and ZaZa, and tender Marvin.

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Eric, there’s a reason why the Hawks chose to play Smith at PF. Ever thought of that?

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O’Brien,

I like the idea of Charlie V, but having added Crawford, that dynamic has changed somewhat. Charlie is more of a perimeter scorer. He doesn’t do much in the paint. And he’s not somebody who will help out on defense, particularly in the post. He’s not a big help on the boards, either.

Having added Crawford, we added some serious perimeter firepower, along with the ability to create his own shot. Again, I do like the idea of adding Charlie, but don’t know at THIS point if that’s money maximized or best spent. I don’t know. Just a thought.

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Eric, NBA sf’s need to be able to shoot, handle the rock, and play solid one on one defense. Smith cant do either. However, he’s a great help defender, and has improved his post game. That’s why I like him at the 4.

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Eric, I meant one on one perimeter defense.

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Can somebody post “Top 30: Free-agent class of 2009″ its on Espn.com, but you have to be an espn insider

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Not seeing Childress or David Andersen coming over here. However, I’ve been wrong before.

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Hey guys it appears that NJ is trying to trade Harris in an effort to save money

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13122

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Why didn’t the T-Wolves just take Flynn at 5 and Jordan Hill or Steph Curry at 6? If Rubio ends up staying over seas and never plays for Minn, this could be the dumbest move in draft history. They might as well move him now, so they can get something for him. Just thought I’d throw that out there.

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They already said that they were targeting Flynn to begin with.

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Hey guys here is a jamal crawford interview just released.

http://www.nba.com/hawks/video/2009/06/29/JamalCrawfordInt.nba/index.html

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http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=FreeAgents09-090629

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KEEP BIBBY PLEASE

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Why on earth would the Hawks think for a minute about trading Josh Smith (who we have locked up for the next 3-4 years) for Amare Stoudemire who becomes a free agent after next season? That would be about as brilliant as trading for Danny Manning again. Silly, I say…

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Anakin Joe,

Crawford said one of his best qualities is passing the ball which folks don’t give him enough credit for. So there you have it, less shooting and more passing from Crawford. Hope you can Transform back into Astro knowing that if the shoot first no defense playing Bibby may be replace by a guy who said he’s going to pass first and no comment about the rest of his game…..lol

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How can they expect a 7′6 guy to play in the NBA and also play for his country basically every freakin year? No wonder his feet are always hurting.

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Ray,

The only reason Charlie V might not be maximized is if Woody does not utilize him. And thats a strong possibility. But in the playoffs, we need some versatility, and Charlie V can bang down low a little bit, and he can drain the 3. Plus he is 6′10″, and still young.

However, the Hawks could really use a banger down low who does not need the ball. I guess we cant afford the best of both worlds.

Rick Sund has his work cut out for him, but he has plenty of options, so I hope he does not sit back and see what happens on the Market.

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for some reason i cant even post the url to his blog, been trying for 2 days, but here is his latest entry…
sounds like Acie wasnt ready to leave…

remember Hawks V. G St. i said Woody yelled to Acie, ” thats why i dont play you”, i knew i wasnt hearing things. this somewhat validates:

Pray for the best, Prepare for the worst

by AcieLaw Placard_verified

First things first we want to have a moment of silence for Michael
Jackson……….Now lets get down to bizness. They say time brings
change and change comes with time. I guess it was a matter of time
before it happened to me. You all read the news. Me and speedo have been
traded to Golden State for Jamal Crawford.

Man, honestly I don’t know how to feel. One moment I’m happy and the
next I’m sad. I’m happy because it feels good to be wanted and I feel
like I will get a chance to play. Lets be honest Coach Woodson never
respected my game. I feel like a rookie again. Fresh new start excited
for what’s about to come. You can say I got a chip on my shoulder cause
I do. Mark the day I return to Atlanta on your calender. I know I’m
waiting for the new schedule to come out.

I’m sad cause although I didn’t get to play, I had some of the best
teammates you can ask for. Everyone was cool like family. Speedo said
the first time is the hardest. My man Greasy (Mario West) was like my closest
teammate. I wish he could come with me. Man, this year has been crazy
and the season aint even started yet. I want to know what you guys
think. Let me know if you feel Golden States a better situation for me,
or Atlanta was better.
Like they say pray for the best and prepare for the worst. Til next time
good people.

I CANT WAIT TO GET WITH MY NEW TEAMMATES/ FAMILY OUT IN GOLDEN STATE!!

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(And Google “Acie Law blog” if you don’t know the address – bigdave is right, they won’t let me post a direct link)

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I pointed those stats out yesterday Mel.

I agree with you. I think Teague isn’t getting the respect he deserves. Hopefully he can turn some heads when he steps on the court for ATL.

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LETS TRADE JOSH SMITH FOR AMARE. EASTERN FINALS

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I think you guys are missing what Mike Bibby “really” brings to the table. Sure, he a deadly shooter but his leadership and “swagger” (dam_, I hate that word) is what the Hawks were despirately missing. I don’t see anybody that fits that role if Bibby leaves.

We really need to resign Bibby.

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Mark,

I understand the Hawks desire to bring back their own free agents and I love the two additions they’ve made thus far in this off season. However, I think they’ve got to make one more move of significance in their front court to truly keep pace with the three teams currently in front of them in the eastern conference.

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Mark Bradley is a fool. Andersen and Zaza are totally, totally different players. Zaza is a physical player who crashes the boards. Andersen is a perimeter shooter – think Okur but way worse.

Once again, Bradley shows that he never bothers to watch regular season games or read scouting reports. F*cking poseur.

Sorry, he just ticks me off.

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Sekou Smith on Twitter

“Charlie Villanueva says he’s done in Milwaukee. The Hawks are in the hunt, w/bunch of others, to try and land him. He’s an ideal fit here.”

https://twitter.com/sekousmith01

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Since we traded for jamal will that stop us for making another trade i say yes we dont want be a team that have a weak bench we have make sure that we have a nuff money to be able to resign zaza for 5mill flip for 3mill and solo for 1mill and some how bring back chill and sign charlie v this team will be able to go 10 deep and we want have to wear out the startes during the season and keep everyone fresh for the playoffs.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!

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2009 ATLANTA HAWKS
STARTER JAMAL, JOE, MARVIN, JOSH, HORFORD.
BENCH FLIP, MOE, CHILL, CHARLIE V, ZAZA.
RESERVE TEAGUE, SOLO.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!

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I’m scratching my head at some of the chatter. Let me get this straight. We need to resign ZaZA and get another “Big”? I thought ZaZA was our backup C. It seems to me, we either upgrade the backup “Big” for something better or resign ZaZa but not both. Save that money and upgrade the backup PF (Charlie V perhaps) and let Solo walk. Hell, the nice the about that deal, he could even backup Marvin because CV plays 3 positions. With that lineup, CV takes the playing time normally allotted for Mo and Solo. Mo is than relegated to 3rd tier with Teague, Morris, and Hunter etc. With some spare change, we could even sign 7 footer UFA Siler for min salary as a project.

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THE TRUTH you dont want solo to walk because he still young plus he have a lot of upside as a player and not only that he can save you some money on a roster spot.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!

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If Cleveland signs Charlie V, that gives them a 4 who can shoot the 3 and open up the lane for Shaq and LeBron.

Truth,

We need ZaZa and another big (or Charlie V and a serviceable backup center such as Collins, Foyle, Magloire) because what if Josh or Al gets injured?

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Poor Rockets. Poor, poor Yao. First Tracy. Now Yao. I always knew Yao could never have a long career, but never knew it might be cut short so soon. Men big like that just cannot avoid being injured, especially if he played basketball all year round. With Artest looking to jump ship, what kind of shape would the Rockets be without their 3 biggest stars? And as for those nuts calling for a Yao trade, how do you feel now?

Truth,

Hawks do not have enough big bodies to battle all the bigs in the East. Horford, Josh and Zaza. That’s all we’ve got. When Horford went down and Zaza had to start some games, what other big did we have coming in to back him up and be effective? Solo? RandMo? I don’t think so. Take a look at all the quality teams in this league. They are stocked with good big men. Boston: Garnett, Perkins, Big Baby. Cleveland: Big Z, now Shaq, that crazy European AV. Denver: Nene. Birdman. Kenyon Martin. LA: Bynum, Gasol, Odom. Orlando: Howard. Gortat. Battie. Right now, Hawks only have Horford really, an undersized center. Zaza ain’t signed yet, and he is more of a banger than enforcer. Good big teams will beat up on us anytime with that lineup. Even New Jersey ate our lunch last year. Remember Lopez going off on us, allowing Vince to swish in the dagger shots to beat us?

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The more i see jamal being on the hawks as a starter at point the more i like this trade and please woody dont think about moving him to play the 2 because he is not a 2 he is a 1 who can defend the 1 because of his quickness and length but if he play the 2 the big guards will school him allday this team will be a better defense team with jamal playing the point.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!

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Charlie v is 6′11 that is good size along with zaza and we no what zaza can do on the boards.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!

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O’Brien, Blast

I have to blame Woody/Sund for our “big” dilemma. In addition to our backup ZaZA, we have or had Solo and Morris who rarely saw much playing time. If these players were upgraded quality players, we won’t be having this conversation. So Woody overplays ZaZA, at the 4 and 5 and underplayed Solo and rarely played Morris. Sund should have acquired a better backup than Morris and Woody should have played Solo more. It’s not that we need more “Bigs” we just need better “Bigs”. So, given Solo is a UFA, I say let him walk and upgrade that spot. If we got Morris for another year, play and develop his Azz. If money is tight signing the other players, then acquire 7′ Siler for min salary.

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Let’s hope we keep our fab five and add to them.

All I’m saying is, most of the teams Hawks had problems playing last season were mostly teams with loads of big men that could come in and do us damage. We won one game I believe with Portland, but that is a team that has always given Hawks trouble. They are so big and long. There were some issues at point when Hawks matched up against super quick and super good points like Devin Harris and Tony Parker, but to my knowledge, I can’t remember too many point guards beating us. Most of Hawks loses came from teams that either had a sizable advantage at the frontline, or had that advantage along with better point guards, like San Antonio and even New Jersey that didn’t make the playoffs. Tony Parker killed us, Devin Harris murdered us helped by Lopez and Vince putting in the finishing touch.

The point is an issue, but now Hawks seems to be getting it right, but there is a gaping hole in the center, and the ASG has ignored that since the days of Ratliff and Mutombo. And in these days when Hawks have to battle some of the biggest front court in the east and the league, ASG cannot afford to shove that thought aside anymore. After seeing the Clevland series, I’m sure Sund agrees.

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Truth,

Good point. More bigs or better bigs. I will settle for either one. Just give me something that can compete. This is the NBA, man. You are competing for the biggest prize in basketball. I like Hawks progress so far, but we as dedicated fans have a job to do. Which is pushing and willing our team to get better.

Hawks began with baby steps when they blew up the team and started all over. They traded for Joe, and started stocking their roster with draft picks. Then they started walking when they won 37 games and made the playoffs after a 10 year absence. This season they ran a little bit by winning 10 more games and advancing to the 2nd round. I like their progress. But they still have to understand how to staff a balanced basketball team, where they are not overbloated at 1 or 2 positions, but evenly spread out. Injuries are a harsh reality in sports, so you have to be ready for any eventuality.

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Another team that hurt the Hawks last season and prevented them from winning 50 games? LA Clippers. Zach Randolph straight up killed us in the ATL, yo, though he had help. Then think about the 2 home and away loses to the Nets, courtsey of Carter, Lopez and Harris.

Which is why I am kind of happy to see Vinsanity traded to Magic. With him, and maybe Devlin Harris gone, Hawks should not lose those important season games to them anymore. NJ still has Lopez, Lee and whatnot, but they will be stupid to trade Harris, man. That puts them in full rebuilding mode.

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Ok, so we are set with the guard situation.
Now we need a big man. Trade away JJ and Zaza for Okafor and Augustine.

Bring back Andersson.

PG – Augustine, Teague
SG – Crawford, Murry
SF – Smith, Williams
PF – Horford, Andersson
C – Okafor, Jones

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boy… Brandon Jennings is a character… i was relieved when the Bucks took him off the board… i could only have imagined this being directed towards Hawks teammates etc… in my opinion he is going to struggle as a Pro, because he never was taught how to be one in the collegiate ranks..

From the AP-
“…Meanwhile, the team also is dealing with a potentially embarrassing YouTube moment from first-round draft pick Brandon Jennings.” “…Hammond said he did not want to elaborate on the reasons behind the free agent decisions. But he did address another issue facing the team this week: Jennings’ involvement in a profanity-laced and provocative video clip that was posted on the Web site YouTube.

“We are aware of the story,” Hammond said. “This is a team matter, and we’ve been in contact with Brandon regarding it.”

The clip, which showed rapper Joe Budden having a speakerphone conversation with someone identified as Jennings, had been removed as of Monday afternoon.” “…Jennings said he was confident that Sessions would not return to the team, boasted that he would beat out Luke Ridnour for the Bucks’ starting point guard job and made a profane comment about the New York Knicks for not drafting him.”

here’s the knuckle heads comments: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT3_fxWyplA

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Publix,

That lineup wins 30 games.

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Nire,

I guess you’re not high Andersen. I think the guy can help this team. The Hawks don’t have a legit backup PF and he could fill that void. Which is why some on here are wanting Charlie V. I think Andersen can bring the same skills set as Charlie along with better post moves. However, the Hawks need to make a decision on him as he is not getting any younger and may start to lose the value that he has with each passing season. Also I like that we could sign Andersen without using our MLE money.

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I think the Hawks must bring Andersen over in conjunction with signing Zaza, they are 2 different players who would do different things on the floor at the same time. Zaza bangs like no-one and Andersen will spread the floor in a high scoring second unit. In today’s NBA with pick and rolls, and big men shooting high percentages from the outside, Andersen fits perfectly. I’ve been watching the dude play for 8 years now.

With Crawford in the mix, and possibly Bibby, the Hawks need big men who would actually play in Woody’s system (note Solo and Morris – who I think at least Solo deserves more minutes) and Zaza and Andersen would play, so spend the money in this area. If we think we can get other big men from the FA with our money, forget it, we are kidding ourselves.

All this talk about trades and adding a big FA is nonsense, the Hawks have to be realistic and keeping the core of last year (including Bibby but now Crawford is here, Flip is debatable) along with adding a couple of solid FA who can actually gain playing time under Woody is the key. We don’t need to change much, just add a little depth, that’s all.

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Obrien,

If Sund wait for the market to set the price on his UFA’s then there may not be any left for him to sign. That would be a very risky move considering that they will only have the MLE monies to sign FA.

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Brandon jenning what a joke talking sh!t before he strap on the lace some people just dont get it he subject for failure before i like him but the more you see him its like and exposure in a negative way boy i glad we didnt draft him.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!

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Melvin/OZINATL,

We don’t even know if Andersen’s offensive game will translate here. Plenty of great Euros were great piles of crap in the states. Andersen probably will need at the very least $4M a year to come over based on how much he can make in Europe. That’s a lot to invest in a guy who might turn out to be deadweight.

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Sekou: will look forward to the updates! Loved staying at the Renaissance a couple of years ago – it’s a little quieter when there’s nothing going on at the Verizon – and Acadiana is one of my favorite restaurants in DC. Have fun!

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a couple of thoughts:

on birdman – i love the guy’s energy and that (hopefully) he has his life straightened out. the energy and enthusiasm with which he plays would be well received by a fan base that as complained that the team, as a whole, is too stoic.

however, unless woodson is changing his offensive philosophy (or sund is set on making a change sooner or later) the hawks wouldn’t benefit from birdman’s assets. he’d be best to re-sign with denver or sign with another high-octane team as his up-and-down all-out hustle would be lost in the iso-joe offense that has been in place here.

on david andersen – while he might not be a pounder in the low post (and frankly i doubt anyone here as seen more than some youtube clips of him) i will respectfully disagree about the needs for a low post player who can step out a hit long-distance jumpers. while the need for rebounding and physical play is needed, spreading the floor to get the defensive players off the block and create more space for slashing/driving to the basket is exactly what this team needs. if bibby isn’t resigned, the hawks could do worse that finding a stand-still, knock-down jump shooter.

on role free agents – here are a few names that could fill a nice roll most likely would not be budget busters.

mikki moore. he is what he is, and aging role player who can get up and down, foul and scream. he’d be a decent option to fill a back-up center roll if zaza isn’t resigned. while he’s really more of a 4, so is horford.

jamaal magloire. big, brawny, bully. he’s a 10 minute, five foul player who can get under the skin of opposing big men. his “former all star” label might mean someone will give him more than he’s worth, but if the money is right, he is exactly the type player the hawks team sorely needs.

fred jones. if flip isn’t resigned, he’s s small-ish 2 that could give you a 15 minutes a game and provide a little offense.

steve novak. another “if flip isn’t signed” guy, he’s a big sf who can do one thing: shoot. again, for 10/15 minutes a game, he could spread the floor and keep other teams honest.

that was long than i planned … back to work

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Chuck, good post. And I like your list of some cheap role-players. I would add the Collins twins to your list as well as Adonal Foyle. I wish we could trade Mo Evans for Renaldo Balkman… he’s a poor man’s Childress. And for a minimum salary and if all he needs to do is rebound and defend the rim a little, we could consider Stromile Swift (but only for he minimum). Maybe someone can convince him that he can become a Ronny Turiaf clone, he certainly has the physical ability to be that type of defender. Hey, this happy-hat is doing wonders for my disposition. BRING BACK JOHN EDWARDS

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ChuckW,

Really that is a response more to the idea of replacing Zaza with Andersen. Some people think it’s a fine idea. I don’t. Not even close. As for him being able to shoot from range, it’s true. He has a nice touch and would fit, if used that way. But again, if I have a choice of non-banging, long range shooting tall guys, and the monetary figures aren’t too way off, I go with Charlie V. Just my opinion though.

O’brien,

Yeah, Woody has to utilize Charlie V correctly for him to be effective. If we go after him, we may as well try and figure out how to trade Mo Evans and some other pieces to get a veteran big. Mo won’t see the light of day with Marvin and Villanueva around, and I can’t say I’d be sorry to see that happen.

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Sekou,

What do you think about a sign and trade of Chills + filler for Camby?

I like Charlie V, but I would prefer a guy like McDyess, because McDyess knows his role, and plays it well, and he plays in the paint more than Charlie.

There are a lot of backup big men available, so the Hawks have no excuse not to sign one (or 2, depensing on what happens with ZaZa).

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Why trade a 23 year old player thats on his way up and close to being unstoppable in the post especialy above the rim plus he block shots and the second most athletic player in the nba behind lebron.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!

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woody dont want athletes he wants do boys like marvin

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who was the last team to “overpay” for a free agent and have him actually play up to the money?

the hawks? (with jj) i guess a weak argument could be made for the magic (r. lewis) as well but i can’t think of anyone off the top of my head that was “overpaid” and the produced up to the $$$.

ray –

yet another reason to get directtv! if i could only get my wife to pick up the tab … ha

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ChuckW,

I love it. Even during storms. And NBATV is like a great snack during long interludes between meals: keeps you going and gives you good stuff (like summer league action) when the NBA season isn’t on. Love it!

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darrell s.

where u here that? Hawks are crazy.. this cat wants a maximum salary…

Najeh….
sure other players have these conversations all the time.. and i have no problem with it. however, he knows that Budden has that youtube feed. he even puts his fine ole’ lady (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBIo-F1T10w&feature=channel_page) on there all the time, (but im sure you know bout her).. why wouldnt he put an NBA draft star on there? sounds like to me he wants the pub, good or bad. the Bucks took a chance at drafting him and are about to put millions into his pocket. to me Jennings has to be smarter, just think of how the media portrays young black athletes.. he was the target guy out of this draft, chip on his shoulder, point to prove… but he does nothing to discredit his image, but confirm it…

messy…

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After looking at the FA available right now again, I think the guy we want is McDyess. I would like to keep Zaza at the right price, but I would settle for Solo because I’m sure his price will be easier to handle. But McDyess’s rebound numbers look great for the minutes he played and he’s a vet! So if the HAWKS can resign Bibby and Marvin, then pickup McDyess, I think it would be really productive Summer! (I honestly don’t think Detroit is going to let him go, but I can hope)

GO HAWKS!!

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Nire/Big Ray,

I am not advocating replacing ZaZa with Andersen. I’m all for resigning ZaZa with bring Andersen over to play along side of him. Hence, me stating that he could be the backup PF and we could still sign other FA’s with our MLE b/c signing ZaZa and Anderson doesn’t come out of the MLE monies. Although they will count against the cap and a dollar spent is a dollar spent. I admit, I haven’t seen him play (outside of youtude highlights) so I really can’t say if his game will translate to the NBA but it’s funny some in the Hawks front office don’t want to trade him in fear of him playing well elsewhere. You can’t have it both ways. Either trade the guy or bring him over while he still in his prime.

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O’Brien,

BYC rules make any sign-and-trade involving Chills close to impossible. The only way to do it is if the salaries involved total to more than $15M on each side.

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Nire,

I thought I read that on one of Bradley (your buddy) blogs. I could be wrong but I read it somewhere. I may look for it later…

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Remember that the BASG can’t even afford to field a summer league team.

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Daniel-You’re kidding right about the line up of Stoudemire Horford Williams Johnson and Crawford not being much of an improvement from this year? Believe it or not the East is WEAK Boston will be back, Cleveland even with the addition of Shaq won’t be that much of an improvement, I dont think Orlando will be as good as they were this year.. If that line up happens and they stay healthy you mean to tell me that line up couldn’t make it to the Conference Finals?

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Nookah, sorry for the name typo lol…

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It wouldn’t have made much sense for the Hawks to field a summer league team this year. We didn’t have a draft pick last year, so the only first or second year player we have under contract is Teague. Again, anyone who thinks ASG is broke needs to learn what “operating revenue” means.

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if the spurs want zaza then he is gone.

WE HAVE NO BIG MEN DEPTH: NONE AT ALL: HORFORD WILL GET HURT IN WEEK 3 AND WHO DO WE HAVE TO STEP IN ? RANDOLPH MORRIS?

RICK SUND PLEASE DO NOT RESIGN FLIP AND BIBBY FOR BIG BUCKS: LET THEM WALK IF IT MEANS RESIGNING ZAZA: ZAZA IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN THESE GOOD PLAYERS

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Let all the free agents go. Trade Smith for Amare. Sign Bosh.
Johnson..Crawford…Bosh…Horford…Amare.

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DOES ANYONE THINK THAT CAMBY WOULD HELP US…JUST TRYING TO LOOK AT WHAT’S NEEDED BESIDES A COACHING PHILOSOPHY CHANGE…A HIGH ENERGY BIG MAN THAT IS A LITTLE MORE ATHLETIC THAN ZAZA….AND JARRETT JACK PLAYING D AND RUNNING THE OFFENSE SO JOE CAN GET SOME EASIER SCORING OPPORTUNITIES

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fyi – the just laid a bunch of people off today

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ILL-logical, net worth doesn’t matter much because the owners have limited liability. The ASG is on par with the rest of the NBA in terms of net operating revenue – the whole league has lost money the past couple years, but ASG no moreso than most other teams. In fact, because of the operating profit of Phillips Arena, ASG has been better-positioned to ride out the downturn than most teams. This would be why their payroll has been basically the same as the rest of the NBA the past couple seasons.

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Sekou I haven’t seen this reported anywhere, but could you please give us an update as to who the Hawks have tendered Qualifying Offers to? The players that we could tender a QO to are Marvin, Solomon, Mario, Gardner, and Othello. Have any of them received a QO? Thanks.

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Glen Davis is a restricted free agent who made less than $800k last year. I wonder if the Hawks are looking at him as a potential backup PF.

Hawksfanatic,

The Hawks can also offer a QO to Chills.

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Rockets are targeting Bosh.

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Just look at the Hawks’ payroll since 2006 (ie since it became clear that Belkin would not be given the right to buy out ASG at pennies on the dollar). Each year, the Hawks have increased payroll – and at a faster rate than the league average. The Hawks have gone from 30th to 20th in payroll since that summer. On two occasions now (Bibby and Crawford), the Hawks have traded expiring contracts in exchange for an expensive non-expiring contract. The only thing anyone can point to as an example of the Hawks being cheap in the past couple years is Childress – but at worst, that looked like a matter of Sund overplaying his hand in the contract negotiations, not a cost-cutting move.

The Hawks have been increasing payroll at a time when most teams have been cutting payroll. But I guess some people can’t stop living in 2006.

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Sekou,

How do you feel about Channing Frye? (the Blazers did not offer him a tender).

I think Charlie V ends up in Cleveland or Detroit.

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The Homie GameTime has just cranked out another hit lol.

Jamal Craford GameTime:

Link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUqjvt0oKvw&feature=channel

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Howard, Shaq, Garrnet —– The Hawks need to get bigger:

- Trade Hortford, Evans and the rights to Childress to the Lakers for Bynam
- Trade Williams to the Wizards for Butler
- Re-sign Zaza and Flip
- Sign McDyess PF
- Sign Marquis Daniels , SG
- Lindsey Hunter, PG

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Ant, click on this Google link. It’s the first link on the page:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Acie+Law+Blog&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

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Sekou, what’s the value of waiting until the 11th hour to move forward with the QO? Don’t we have only 2-3 tradable contracts (Joe, MO & Horford). I think that you indicated that Smith’s BYC expires in August so he can’t be moved for value until then. So what’s the hold-up? This ownership group doesn’t have a good history of managing paper work (i.e. appraisal challenge).

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curry fired by detroit

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virgil leonard…i like that! And it seems possible.

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Dumars has lost his ever-loving mind.

I wonder if Bill Laimbeer is about to takeover. He resigned from the WNBA to pursue an NBA opportunity when there were very few jobs open (only T’Wolves I think).

Dumars fires a quality caoch because he doesn’t take the team to the Finals, hires a guy with little experience, trades away the team’s leader, brings in a disruptive force who ticks off the remaining leader (Rip) and now waits until 8 weeks after the team lost in the playoffs to decide he no longer likes the coach. That’s a bad way to conduct business.

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take it from a die-hard Pacers fan, Jarrett Jack turns the ball over WAY too much – if you think watching Josh Smith do anything other than block shots and dunk is frustrating wait til you see Jarrett throwing picture-perfect passes to the opposing team – btw Jeff Teague is as advertised – great pick by the Atl Spirit – ditto for Evander Kane

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You know, this Dumars deal smell like he had begun to talk to some FAs (or at least their agents) and some balked at playing for Curry. Well, if he hires someone who is good at “recruiting” then that could be the case. If he hires Laimbeer (who seemingly would NOT be good at recruiting FAs), then we know that he was just trying to convince Laimbeer to leave the WNBA behind Curry’s back. Just not a classy way to handle his business. How is Curry any worse of a coach today than he was a few days after they were swept by the Cavs?

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my first thought was laimbeer. then i thought of mark jackson and avery johnson.

but there are a number of veteran names that could float: jeff van gundy, mike fratello (can’t really see that happening) and a darkhorse name to watch: del harris.

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My prediction is Avery Johnson. Joe Dumars will probably go after a head coach who has some experience, and who the team would respect, someone like Avery Johnson. Avery won a ring as a player, was coach of the year with the Mavs, and as a former PG, he would work with Stuckey, who Dumars thinks very highly of. Also, he is referred to as the little General, so he wouldnt be soft on the players (like Flip was).

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NEWS FLASH!!! NEWS FLASH!!!

Hawks release Coach Mike Woodson so he can take the Detroit Pistons coaching job!!!

(just kidding)

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Mitch,

I really like your prediction of Rick Sund’s moves. Will you send this info to him before 12:01 tonight???

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Nire,
“but at worst, that looked like a matter of Sund overplaying his hand in the contract negotiations, not a cost-cutting move.”

Glad to see you are coming around…;)

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Read a headline on Hoopshype site that the Celtics are after Rasheed. Sheed and a healthy KG, now that can be scary….

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Those are all good coaching names. But weren’t they all available six weeks ago? And from Curry’s standpoint, aren’t most of the coaching staffs filled (other than T’Wolves)? I know, he has some guranteed money from whatever deal he signed last summer, but Dumars didn’t give him a chance to find another gig. It will be interesting to see if the NBA pundits (who always give Dumars the benefit of the doubt), will excuse this one too.

(I don’t doubt that he will hire an upgrade, in fact, it would be hard not to find an upgraqde on Curry. It’s just the timing and the way it was handled that I find classless).

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Mr. Sekou Smith, I’m sorry but I had to be cold on that one! Andersen just seems to be another European big that makes it onto a Hawks squad and is not up to par with the NBA game (skills wise, and athleticism). I honestly think that Andersen would be disgusting in the pick and roll game with someone like Bibby, but the chances of that happening (bringing him over, and resigning Bibby) are slim to none… so we probably won’t see that ever.

By the way, WHAT HAS COME OF MR. ESTEBAN BATISTA? Remember when we had a frontcourt with Edwards and Batista? Wow, those were the days…The Hawks were on PAX TV, too!

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Meant to say ” a MAN must have his vices…”

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What happened to Dumars? Did he do one of those pre-game kisses with Isaiah Thomas like they used to do back in their playing days, and catch what Isaiah had? Sorry Isaiah, loved you as a player, but as a GM….

I’m sure Dumars had some stuff he was doing in the back room, and we’ll see what it is soon enough.

If it’s okay to decide some time after the season whether or not you want a player, why is it not okay to wait that long to decide if you want a coach? This smacks of the “bird in the hand, two in the bush” adage. Perhaps Dumars wanted to make sure he had a replacement that he liked before canning Curry. Might seem wrong, but I don’t recall the written rule that says you must fire a coach the very minute you feel that you don’t like him. Imagine if that happened all the time in all of our jobs. Nobody would ever get a chance to redeem themselves. Maybe some haven’t…

Either way, Dumars has made some calls that look pretty dang crappy, as some have outlined above. Hey, at least he GETS to fire his coach if he thinks the man can’t do the job. But he better watch out for karma. If he’s doing this the dirty way, what goes around comes around.

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can somebody post a link on “Free-agent fits: Bucher’s top 20″ he has his top 10 free agents. Its on Espn.com, but you have to be an NBA insider.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/news/story?id=4293663&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba%2finsider%2fnews%2fstory%3fid%3d4293663

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Woody may be smarter than you think. He plays iso Joe so Joe stays happy. The stars want the minutes. Minutes make you money. If we made Marvin the #1 option and Josh the #2 option, they could average 20 ppg. That won’t happen. Woody can see what happened to Curry.

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Sekou,

Come on, man. A “deadly pick and roll guy?” We would have three or four of those if somebody besides Bibby would actually try and run the pick and roll. Or, if Josh would actually set a pick every now and then instead of slipping the pick EVERY SINGLE TIME. Or if JJ would actually pass the ball on a pick and roll BEFORE both defenders collapsed on either him or the guy setting the pick.

There needs to be a clinic on setting picks. Bibby and Horford seem to be the only ones consistently interested in doing it.

Volman,

Bibby is used to running the pick and roll with big guys who know how to do it. Here with the Hawks, when he was able to get them zeroed in on what to do, it worked great. But the pick and roll was something that the Hawks did not use with any consistency prior to Bibby, nor did we make it a staple of the offense AFTER he returned. Something that needs to be worked on. I have no doubts that Al and Josh could really hurt people with that move. Al might be better at it, as he has a better jumper than Josh right now (when he gets to shoot it), and having that short/mid-range jumper is key to a successful pick and roll, or otherwise it won’t present the total threat that it’s supposed to be.

Oh, and come on now…you know Esteban Batista was a tough guy down low. He used to hammer pretty hard on Shaq. David Andersen is NOT like that at all, from the games I’ve seen him play in.

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I’m sure the NBA.com list is close. And free.

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Ray man,

You are telling me you miss the days with the frontline of Edwards and Batista? Hah! Those were the days! Man, it was actually fun trying to win on the ole XBOX with those guys in the starting lineup!

I know what you’re saying about Bibby. The Hawks should have developed more of an offense based on that pick and roll, and not just the ISO-Joe. I want to either see the tempo being pushed (MORE–I remember hearing Bibby say “run with me” in one of their earlier practices…but that really didn’t happen much) or else Bibby needs to go STRAIGHT into a pick and roll situation with Smoove or Horford. Like you, I’d prefer Horford (the better shooter). Those times that Smoove (or even Solo, if I remember correctly) got loose on the pick and roll, Bibby threw up some nice alley-oops. Very pretty.

The best pick and roll guys on the Hawks are Horford and Zaza. Yelp, Horford (Zaza might not be here–obviously). That’s definitely something that needs to be worked on if (and only if) Bibby comes back. If he doesn’t, you won’t see that because there are guys like Joe, Crawford, and Teague who can take their guy off of the dribble and won’t need a screen.

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Well, considering we have one of the best shooters around on the staff and Josh Smith is still a miserable shooter… I don’t know how much magic the Jazz coaches could work with the pick and roll game!

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Volman u online w/ 360 on 2k?

i here Bibby is a beast on the sticks…

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Reggie, here’s a really good Free Agent List from Hoopsworld that just came out today.

Link:

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13132

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ray, the Comment Monster has decided to eat my reply to your comment and after trying 5 iterations of my response and none successful, I’m giving up.

Some times things are meant to be.

The gist of it was that patience is relative I think.

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FIRE WOODY! WAIVE BIBBY!

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Horford is still our center and Woody is still our coach. Sounds like a second round exit again.

FIRE WOODY

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WABE,

yes, boston is keepin’ big baby. sorry!!

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Haha loved Sekou’s line about OPPs…

Co-sign ray on pick and rolls… we need a coach who is willing to incorporate them into his offensive system before we start signing players solely because they can run pick and rolls. I’d be willing to bet Josh Smith can run the pick and roll a hell of a lot better than David Andersen.

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Najeh,

I’d actually be really nervous about running a pick-and-roll with Smoove – he has issues catching the ball in motion. Horford, on the other hand, would be a beast off the pick-and-roll.

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You’re right, Clyde. Let’s trade JJ for Thabeet and bring Shawn Bradley out of retirement while we’re at it. He’s tall and can block shots. That’s all you need to be a good center.

Manute Bol, George Muresan, Chuck Nevitt, Priest Lauderdale were never respected for their dominance. And Yao Ming, Rik Smits, and Mark Eaton are way better than Dwight Howard (6′11), Hakeem Olajuwon (who admits that he’s only 6′10), and Moses Malone (6′10) ever were. They were such trash. That’s why their teams never won anything. Moses especially – I mean 1.3 blocks per game on his career? He was such an awful defender.

SHAWN BRADLEY = 3RD TALLEST CENTER OF ALL TIME = 3RD GREATEST CENTER OF ALL TIME

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May Horford with the Hometown/fellow countrymen connection can persude Charlie V to come to the Hawks…..

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Now Eddy Curry house is up for foreclosure. When will these wealthy people learn (Evander, Ed McMahon, MJ may he RIP,and others). Why don’t they just purchase these properities flat out instead of trying to mortgage them for whatever benefits they may think they will get. If you can’t manage a few dollars, odds are you won’t manage millions of dollars either… Just saying..

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Melvin that is a pretty interesting point?

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This is my REALISTIC Hawks Team for 2009-10:
PG-D. Harris, Teague
SG-JJ, Crawford
SF-Marvin, J. Hayes
PF-Horford, Charlie V.
C- Okur, Zaza

Make it happen Rick!

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Just say No to Drugs (and Marvin and Bibby)!!!

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u might just have to copy and paste whats on the page…

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Thanks to the Spurs, Cavaliers and Magic, it’s possible to believe that at least some NBA teams are more committed to raising a championship banner than protecting their profit margin.

Now the questions are: How committed? Will any other teams join the party? And if they do, will they make the right choices?

Although the 2010 free-agent class might be loaded with franchise cornerstones, the current class has enough cornices and rebar to upgrade a team from fixer-upper to showcase status. Even if Kobe Bryant, Mehmet Okur and Carlos Boozer opt to enter the pool, the options for reworking a team’s foundation are limited. (Bryant has indicated he’d opt out of his contract only to sign a longer deal with the Lakers, so he is not included in the rankings.) That’s not great for Detroit and Oklahoma City, which have the most cap room and are looking to upgrade their core. But for teams in search of specialty items, an array of young role players and battle-tested veterans are available.

The key, as always, is to pay the right price and add pieces that don’t just look nice but also fit the décor. The 76ers blew their budget by landing Elton Brand last summer, not anticipating that he’d bog down their up-tempo offense. The Clippers emptied the till to add Baron Davis, not figuring on Brand’s defection or Davis’ balking at coach Mike Dunleavy’s play calling. The Magic, conversely, made a lower-profile move in signing guard Mickael Pietrus, but his athleticism, 3-point shooting and ability to defend bigger wings filled a glaring need at shooting guard and made him an invaluable ingredient in getting them to the Finals.

It’s through that lens that we examine the 20 free agents who could have the biggest impact next season, either on their current teams if they’re re-signed or on a new team badly needing their services. To help any real or imaginary GMs, a synopsis of what each player can deliver at this stage of his career (which might not match popular opinion) and the best and worst systems for him are included. You know, just in case someone is thinking of building a grand staircase for a mobile home.

*UFA = unrestricted free agent
*RFA = restricted free agent

1. Hedo Turkoglu, SF/PF, Magic (UFA)
His game: Playmaking forward who is as close to LeBron James as any 30-year-old in the league can be. Very good passer but a better scorer, particularly in the clutch. Has complete face-up game — 3s off the dribble, pull-up jumpers and the ability to finish at the rim. Size and length discourage most teams from attacking him defensively, but without a shot-blocker behind him, he’s an easy mark.

Right system: In short: Orlando’s. Doesn’t have stamina to orchestrate offense all night but is fearless when needed. Has to have shooters spacing the floor because his handle is shaky in traffic. Also needs a strong team-defense concept.

Wrong system: A point guard-dominated one or any emphasizing pick-and-rolls or a drive-and-kick style in which he’s not directly involved. Loses much of his value if he’s merely a spot-up threat or a third option. Up-tempo is not his strength, either, because he has amazing skills but average athleticism for a small forward/power forward.

Best fits: Magic, Pistons, Blazers, Grizzlies, Bucks

2. Carlos Boozer, PF, Jazz (UFA)
His game: Equally adept at pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop. Confidence-based jump shooter — when he’s feeling it, he knocks them down, but when he’s not, his shot is way off. Better inside when he can body an opponent. Average on-the-ball defender, not a shot-blocking or ball-hawking presence. Exceptional offensive rebounder, especially off his own shots, and strong on boards overall.

Right system: The more structured, the better, but he needs a similarly versatile big next to him. Has to have a dominant playmaker to use all his strengths and a shot-blocking center to protect his defensive weaknesses. Ideally, he’s the second or third option, even though he would like to be the first. Needs an organization that advertises its belief in him publicly and privately.

Wrong system: One in which he’s not at least the second option or in which public critiques by coach/GM/owner are accepted. He’s an elephant: He never forgets. Long bigs who can match his agility give him fits, which is why he can’t be a team’s only front-line threat.

Best fits: Cavaliers, Lakers, Celtics, Magic, Grizzlies, Jazz

3. Ben Gordon, SG, Bulls (UFA)
His game: Scorer, pure and simple. Despite his size (6-foot-3), he can elevate and knock down contested jumpers off the dribble against almost anybody and get to the rim. Quick brakes and release are the keys. Mediocre or worse in every other aspect of the game, but you can count on between 20 to 30 points every night and half of those in the fourth quarter.

Right system: Simple and wide-open with a place to hide him on defense. Teammates who will do the dirty work without complaint and a point guard strong enough to keep the rest of the team involved and defend the opposing shooting guard.

Wrong system: Low-scoring, defensive-oriented team that sees him as anything more than a designated scorer. Not likely to mesh with a star who expects to get the ball at crunch time. Has to have an agile shot-blocker behind him to discourage opponents from exploiting his size and overall lack of defense.

Best fits: Bulls, Hawks, Mavericks, Timberwolves, Knicks, Suns, Hornets

4. Andre Miller, PG, 76ers (UFA)
His game: Strong on pick-and-rolls and post-ups. Remarkably effective when getting into the paint, considering he is not a threat from farther than 20 feet. Much better finisher than passer in the paint, unless it’s a lob. Uses his size and strength well when he can get up into his man on defense; capable of guarding both 2s and 1s.

Right system: A self-sufficient one in which he can be a closer rather than creator. Works well as a calming influence in an up-tempo attack. Exceptional rebounder for a point guard, so when he’s paired with athletic wings, there are lots of transition points.

Wrong system: Anything that asks him to be a traditional point guard. A post-up big man limits the best parts of his game. Needs a star who draws double-teams and an alley-oop big man to open up his midrange game.

Best fits: 76ers, Blazers, Warriors, Heat, Raptors, Knicks, Pacers

5. Rasheed Wallace, PF/C, Pistons (UFA)
His game: Unlimited jump-shooting range with ability to turn and score over either shoulder in the post. Excellent help and on-the-ball defender when he’s in the mood; has strength to play behind and length to three-quarters on the block. Smartest all-around post defender in the league.

Right system: Half-court, slower tempo, now that age has cut his endurance. Requires a commanding, battle-tested coach because he won’t hesitate to go off the reservation at the first whiff of uncertainty or incompetence. Needs an aggressive No. 1 offensive option because he would rather play off a star than be one. A team and coach with a defensive focus are important to keep him committed to the cause.

Wrong system: One without clearly defined roles. Or a team that relies on him night in and night out, offensively or defensively, or with a coach still learning the ropes.

Best fits: Celtics, Mavericks, Spurs, Magic

6. Mehmet Okur, C, Jazz (UFA)
His game: Versatile scorer, particularly lethal on pick-and-pops and weakside 3s, but has a serviceable post game against slower bigs. Deceptively nimble. Also a deceptively effective passer. Makes an effort to defend the ball but is nonexistent giving help. Decent defensive rebounder.

Right system: Ideally a pick-and-roll-dominated offense in which he is the third option, although he’s capable of being the No. 2 guy next to a shot-blocking power forward. Also needs a dominant point guard who can draw the defense and allow him to go one-on-one or shoot on the catch. Needs plays run for him to get shots.

Wrong system: A one-on-one dominated attack that doesn’t allow offense to be a form of defense or expects him to score off rebounds. Okur won’t lock down anybody or break anyone down, so he needs an offense that gets him shots in general — and 3s, in particular — to win his matchup.

Best fits: Jazz, Warriors, Bulls, Cavaliers, Magic, Spurs, 76ers, Suns

7. Lamar Odom PF/SF, Lakers, (UFA)
His game: Ultimate facilitator, the basketball equivalent of a utility infielder. Capable of a little of everything — post scoring, 3-pointers, dribble drives, assists, rebounds, blocked shots — and usually does exactly that.

Right system: Any that he can enhance rather than engineer. Needs a strong leader, an understanding coach and hard-nosed guys next to him up front to handle the physical chores in the paint. The more structure, the better, because decision-making is suspect.

Wrong system: An inflexible one that counts on him to contribute in a specific area. He does not impose his will, so it’s paramount that he finds a matchup he can exploit naturally. Can’t be the best or second-best player.

Best fits: Lakers, Spurs, Magic, Celtics

8. Trevor Ariza, SF, Lakers (UFA)
His game: Streaky 3-point shooter, good finisher off cuts, but marginal handle and no midrange jumper off the dribble. Tenacious, eager defender, both on the ball and in passing lanes. Quick and lanky but surprisingly strong, so he can defend bigger players in the post.

Right system: A structured defensive-oriented one with at least one playmaker, because he’s not comfortable shooting contested jumpers. Extremely quiet, so leadership has to come from elsewhere. Very adept at moving without the ball and a willing passer, so he flourishes in a pass-and-cut offense.

Wrong system: Freewheeling, drive-and-kick in which he has to handle or be a playmaker. His 3-point shot still isn’t good enough to be a staple of his game.

Best fits: Lakers, Cavaliers, Celtics, Bobcats, Magic, Spurs, Rockets, Pistons, Jazz

9. Anderson Varejao, PF/C, Cavaliers
His game: Defensive stopper on the post, clever moving without the ball, chasing loose balls and rebounds for extra possessions, excellent help defender in every way except as a shot-blocker. Deceptively agile and athletic. Finishes well around the rim in traffic. Jump shot is improving but still unreliable.

Right system: Defensive-oriented with four offensive threats around him, leaving him free to score off putbacks and backdoor cuts. Drive-and-kick in which he’s the big rolling to the basket.

Wrong system: Post-player-dominated offense or scheme based on pick-and-rolls in which he’s not involved. Those frameworks eliminate his cuts off the ball for baskets or chances for putbacks.

Best fits: Cavaliers, Celtics, Hawks, Bulls, Nuggets, Thunder, Suns

10. Marvin Williams, SF, Hawks (RFA)
His game: Versatile scorer, especially now that he has developed corner 3-point range. Can isolate and score on post moves or face-up drives. Might have been Hawks’ best defender when healthy; developing into stopper for league’s growing legion of playmaking small forwards.

Right system: Handle still needs improvement, so he needs shooters/scorers who space the floor. Good transition finisher. Would flourish with a disciplined defensive team.

Wrong system: One built around a dominant, scoring post player, because the best part of his offensive game is around the paint, and his 3-point shooting isn’t that good.

Best fits: Heat, Mavericks, Blazers, Pistons, Bulls, Hawks

11. Jason Kidd, PG, Mavericks (UFA)
His game: Vast change from Kidd of yesteryear. Now he’s a respectable spot-up shooter and defender who plays angles and shepherds his man into help. Still has uncanny ability to find an open man with the game on the line, milk a hot hand or recognize a mismatch. Good post-up threat but no longer finishes in traffic. Pass-ahead, fast-break starter off rebounds.

Right system: A balanced offense that he can initiate, but which features a threat who requires double teams. Still good in a team-defense concept, so needs smart teammates and an organized coach. Athletic wings are a must to exploit his outlet passes and protect him on defense. Lots of off-the-ball, pass-and-cut movement allows him to use his passing, vision and timing.

Wrong system: A rip-and-run offensive style with no title-contending hopes or aspirations or players capable of moving without the ball.

Best fits: Mavericks, Lakers, Cavaliers, Rockets, Magic, Hawks, Celtics

12. Ron Artest, SF, Rockets (UFA)
His game: A matchup nightmare because of his 3-point shooting, handle and physical ability to take contact and still score. Enlivened by defensive challenges, his strength, tenacity and deceptive agility — even if it has diminished — make him a rather aggravating cover guy.

Right system: Half-court game with a calm, communicating coach adept at exploiting offensive mismatches. A team with a solid decision-making star who has enough game to command Artest’s trust and respect.

Wrong system: My-way-or-the-highway coach without a star bigger than Artest, one that demands its small forward make plays or one that has no chance at the playoffs.

Best fits: Lakers, Rockets, Celtics, Cavaliers

13. Mike Bibby, PG, Hawks (UFA)
His game: One of the best 3-point-shooting PGs in league. Still effective on pick-and-rolls but more of a set-up-the-offense, flare-to-the-corner type now. A defensive liability but better in a strong team concept. Is not a playmaker but doesn’t try to be one; moves the ball on the perimeter, happy to feed and play off a bona fide star.

Right system: Thrives with passing big men, a slower pace, a player’s coach and at least one screen-setting big man. Long, athletic, hard-nosed wings are recommended so he can hide on defense.

Wrong system: Anything that requires him to create shots or provide dribble penetration. A team that lacks a shot-blocker or at least one defensive-oriented wing.

Best fits: Hawks, Blazers, Rockets, Grizzlies, Wizards, Hornets

14. Shawn Marion, SF/PF, Raptors (UFA)
His game: Even though age has somewhat diminished his legendary pogo-stick legs, the faster the game, the better he is. Unheralded defender, both helping and on the ball. Moves well off the ball and has array of flip shots from 10 feet and in. Can make 3s but at this point is most effective when he keeps those to a minimum.

Right system: Up-tempo with a first-rate passing point guard. Moves well enough that he can play with or without a dominant post player.

Wrong system: Lots of chuckers, because Marion’s energy suffers without touches and when his defensive responsibilities are overly isolated.

Best fits: Knicks, Hornets, Bulls, 76ers, Suns, Raptors

15. Paul Millsap, PF, Jazz (RFA)
His game: Space-eater around the rim. Tenacious rebounder, especially good at cleaning up the offensive boards. Can score in the post but limited as a passer. Face-up game is almost acceptable. No jumper beyond 15 feet. Not a shot-blocker but very good at keeping bigger, more talented players off the block or away from their spots.

Right system: Needs shooters around him and a playmaking, penetrating point guard. Works best in a structured system in which he has a well-defined, contributing role.

Wrong system: An up-tempo, free-flowing offense or a defense without a shot-blocker or solid perimeter defenders. Has neither shot-blocking chops nor agility to help on dribble drives. Would get lost next to a post-dominating big man.

Best fits: Jazz, Blazers, Suns, Celtics, Pistons, Nuggets

16. Drew Gooden, PF, Spurs (UFA)
His game: Designated post-up scorer. Is not going to block shots or find cutters but is an above-average rebounder and can create shots for himself on the block, a precious commodity.

Right system: A simple but disciplined one, where his marching orders are clear. Look for him to provide points when the offense bogs down and jumpers are not falling, and he won’t disappoint.

Wrong system: A read-and-react format in which he has to provide a defensive post presence or make plays.

Best fits: Spurs, Bulls, Heat, Blazers

17. Allen Iverson, PG/SG, Pistons (UFA)
His game: Improvisational scorer, still capable of breaking down almost any defender off the dribble. Age, plus wear and tear, has him relying more on his midrange jumper than getting to the rim. Needs a strong but thoughtful coach to keep him focused and committed.

Right system: A team that has a need for an electric scorer off the bench, featuring a loose, offensive-oriented attack and a locker room/coach strong enough to keep him happy with that role. Preferably without a post scorer to clog up the lane.

Wrong system: Highly structured scheme that doesn’t have at least two excellent perimeter defenders to hide Iverson’s steal-or-else defensive approach. A coach without a pedigree would not be good, either.

Best fits: Magic, Warriors, Wizards, Celtics, Suns

18. David Lee, PF/C, Knicks (RFA)
His game: Energy and defense without needing plays called for him. Will sacrifice his body on screens and charges. Undersized but athletic, hard-nosed and low-maintenance. Rebound and loose-ball fiend. Good hands and decent with putbacks and finishing around the rim off pick-and-roll. Not much of a threat beyond 15 feet or on post-ups. Willing help defender, but not a shot-blocker.

Right system: Up-tempo is ideal because he’ll outrun most bigs in transition. Need at least three scorers, ideally four, so he has room and reason to chase down rebounds and putbacks. Can’t play off an offensive post threat because he doesn’t have the jumper to space the floor. Mobile enough to show on the guard in pick-and-roll defense and get back to a rolling big.

Wrong system: A methodical half-court set with a dominant scoring center who is not a shot-blocker.

Best fits: Suns, Blazers, Jazz, Rockets, Thunder, Warriors

19. Linas Kleiza, SF, Nuggets (RFA)
His game: Streaky spot-up shooter from 3-point range. No real in-between game. Unafraid to go strong to the rim and has the muscle to take contact and finish. Good lane-filler on the break. Willing on-the-ball defender who fights over screens and uses his size well to crowd opponents. Not much of a help defender.

Right system: Needs a playmaking point guard or double-team-drawing star because he doesn’t create his own shot. Better in a team-oriented, lock-’em-up defensive system with a bona fide shot-blocker so he can crowd opponents and use his strength without fear of getting beat off the dribble. Also better in a structured offense because he moves without the ball well and understands spacing.

Wrong system: An up-and-down style with lots of one-on-one play because he’ll get lost in the shuffle, which is what happened in Denver last season.

Best fits: Cavs, Lakers, Hornets, Spurs, Magic

20. Channing Frye, SF/PF, Blazers (RFA)
His game: Solid jump shooter with 3-point range. Unafraid to take and make crunch-time shots, even when playing limited minutes. High basketball IQ. Not a physical player but can post up players his size or smaller. Limited defensively by his size and strength but makes an effort.

Right system: A drive-and-kick offense willing and able to move the ball around the perimeter and disciplined defense with willing and able help defenders. Not a shot-blocker, so he needs to be protected — not the protector — around the rim.

Wrong system: Up-tempo, fast-break style. Just not quick or explosive enough to make that work as an undersized power forward. Not going to flourish with a shoot-first point guard, either.

Best fits: Pistons, Heat, Magic

Ric Bucher is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN Insider.

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though i was a critic of the tactics for the free agents last year i am free of any expectation to have the team intact or above luxury. we will not be able to bring back the group intact. i do think we could have been in similar territory if they had laid out 7.5 mil on chills, paid for flip and taken our chances to make it to where we are now with a team in a little less disarray and still have jamal to boot. it would also mean things could be a bit more targeted than they are.

yes, i would prefer to have chills than any of the guys to come in here and play bench including the one guy everyone is so hot on charlie v for the same money or less than what he will ultimately get. i could have done without mo as much as i like him as a person. if that move to get chills had been made there would be more time to be patient though my expectations are to be patient as it was during this past season. kirk, guess i am in the same camp with you and ray. sorry about that. my what a difference a year makes.

i guess i need to wait until my boy rick does his magic to make any judgement from lsat years fiasco.

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WE NEED TO RESGN JOSH CHILDRESS, MARVIN WILLIAMS AND BIBBY. BIBBY GIVES YOU LEADERSHIP AND COMPETIVENESS. HIS ONLY WEAKNESS IS DEFENSE BUT HE HELP TURN THE HAWKS INTO WINNERS. HE SHOULD BE KEPT.

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You’re right doc, the fun begins at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday.

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Avery Johnson to Detroit? Well, there goes my other Woody replacement.

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A cheap replacement for Bibby would be Nate Robinson. More expensive, would be to make a go for Rajon Rondo. Either way we save money and would improve over Flip off the bench.

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Ben Gordon, Nate Robinson = BAD FOR HAWKS.

Andersen is basically a skilled big man, who prefers to play away from the basket, high % shooter from 18 foot (either pick and rolls or shooting straight over defender), his post game is serviceable as in he will not jump over you, but will get his baskets on pump fakes and drop steps. Defensively, he will not be great, but will do a decent job. He does not grab his share of rebounds in traffic for his size, but will get most of his boards from uncontested rebounds or put backs. He does not block many shots or contest as many as he should.

Translation to NBA: Good back up for second unit who will give you 10 points a night without needing many shots and will play within team parameters without expecting (difference between expecting and wanting) huge minutes. What he lacks defensively will help you offensively.

Hey if we don’t want him, package him with Chills, there will be plenty of takers.

Remember, it’s all about taking guys who will fit in both on and off the court, especially with team chemistry and team ideals.

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O’Brien,

Making a qualifying offer doesn’t mean we’re keeping him. Just means we can match any offer for him.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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Sekou thats great the hawks made and extended QO to marvin, chill, solo, mario, im crossing my finger on chill.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!

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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

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Oh resign Marvin, or trade if he wants more than deal starting at 7 million.

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Its imperative that we resign zaza, and flip.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!

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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.

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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.

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The hawks bench will be the best in the nba
BENCH FLIP, MOE, CHILL, CHARLIE V, ZAZA.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!

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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

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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.

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PS, Ariose probably posted this already, but this is freaking awesome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exOxUAntx8I

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Niremetal,

Nice link. Also, went over to Bradley’s blog to see what was kickin’. I see you’re keeping him sharp!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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practice, i love practice.

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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.

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i want DAVID LEE.

REBOUNDING is necessary for a RUNNING GAME

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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.

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Yep, that’s why I mentioned Paul Millsap earlier.

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LET THE GAMES BEGIN…!!!

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Anakin, who knows what Crawford will do. All teams have a pecking order. JJ is the man, if Bibby is gone I think Marvin, Josh and Al will let Crawford know where he sits. After twenty thirty games the respect and pecking order will change. If he just starts off jacking up jumpers, he will find himself on the bench. If he can come in and drive and kick to his teamates, sky is the limit. We will know soon enough.
Any time you add a major piece, the flow of the team will change.

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