Buyer beware!
The Hawks gambled on and won big on Joe Johnson. The Hornets ... not so much with their acquisition of Peja Stojakovic. It's buyer beware during NBA free agency.
HAWKSVILLE - Don’t we get this feeling around this time every summer?
While the rest of the NBA seems to move at a breakneck pace in the summer, things here in Hawksville seem to move in that Matrix-styled slow motion, the one where is dancing on the rooftop avoiding those bullets from the agents.
It’s always bothered me in the past. But not so much now.
Not with teams (Portland) being made a fool of in their pursuit of players that may or may not push them to the next level. Toronto’s pending acquisition of Hedo Turkoglu certainly looks like a playoff-making move for a franchise that (even with Chris Bosh and Jose Calderon last year) couldn’t muster more than 33 wins. The Raptors finished third to last in the Eastern Conference, meaning Turkoglu’s addition alone (they don’t have any more free agent cash to do anything else) will have to account for their summer stimulus plan.
Maybe it works. Maybe it doesn’t.
But when I think about all the deals that get done in these desperate summers (the ones where there aren’t a bunch of teams flush with cash and the free agent market is generally considered thin, by historical standards) and I cringe at some of the disastrous purchases that have been made.
Remember when Chicago thought they were snatching the championship momentum from Detroit a couple years ago by stealing Ben Wallace away for $64 million? Or how about the Hornets righting their champion-’ship stock with Peja Stojakovic with a similarly bloated contract?
And we don’t even have to travel back that far. Just look at last summer, when Philadelphia thought it was remaking itself into a title contender with the acquisition of Elton Brand (who, his his defense, had his season cut short by a severe injury). I point these instances out to illustrate just how cautious a team needs to be when dipping its toes into the murky free agent waters.
That said, I’d love for the Hawks to get all their business done now and make a sizable splash while doing so. I just don’t see it happening. They are close to terms with Mike Bibby, per my sources (and that report out of Philadelphia that suggested the deal was done was not only highly speculative but also way premature – a text message from someone with knowledge of the negotiations poked fun at the report thusly, “so the deal is done, huh? That’s news to all of us still trying to sort it all out.”) on a deal that solidifies the backcourt. Beyond that, the Hawks have negotiations to tend to with all of their own free agents (Zaza Pachulia and Marvin Williams first and foremost) as well as deciding how to proceed with Josh Childress, whose NBA status will have to be decided in the next 10 days.
That’s where things get a bit tricky for the Hawks, who in my estimation have to two extremely important factors weighing in their favor.
First, they don’t have cap money burning a hole in their pocket right now. When teams do, there’s a rush to spend without taking into account the flip side that things could go terribly wrong if you don’t spend wisely (the Chicago-Ben Wallace deal seems like a prime example, but I’d dial it back to the Eddy Curry-Knicks summer as well, you’ll remember that’s the summer the Hawks hosted Curry and tried to entice him. Good thing they lost out on that one, huh?).
Also working in the Hawks’ favor is that they’re not a team desperate to crawl out of a lottery hole (though I’m sure you remember the feeling). When the Hawks acquired Joe Johnson four years ago, they were flush with cap space and that summer’s free agent crop was considered thick. They eye-balled Ray Allen first and missed out, but wound up landing the right player at just the right time to help in their transformation from doormat to eventual playoff team. Like I said earlier, maybe it works. Maybe it doesn’t.
When you’re coming off back-to-back playoff seasons, the need for prudence in all matters can’t be stressed enough. One false move (or non-move in the Hawks’ case this summer) can set you back. Sometimes it can send you back as well, all the way back to Jersey for the lottery ceremony.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
609 comments Add your comment
James
July 6th, 2009
12:34 am
Hey Sekou,
Any word about J. Chills or David Anderson? And I know Chills will not be back in a Hawk uniform, but think we might get something in a trade?
And is there any reason to believe Anderson is going to finally come here after we drafted him five or how ever many years ago?
Najeh Davenpoop
July 6th, 2009
12:41 am
“I think it’s telling that teams went after Gortat over Zaza (when I think a strong argument could be made that Zaza is indeed the better player. We’ve at least seen Zaza in a starting role before, and he performed rather well. Gortat is an absolute gamble).”
There’s a simple explanation for that — Gortat blocks shots, Zaza doesn’t. Shot blockers are one of those commodities who always get paid, sometimes overpaid, in the NBA. Look at the kind of deals players like Keon Clark and Adonal Foyle have signed in their careers, even though shot blocking is their only real skill. Zaza is clearly the more accomplished player, and Gortat is clearly a gamble, but 6′10″ non-shot blocking physical presences are a lot more common than 7-foot shot blockers.
This is also why I think the Birdman is going to end up being out of the Hawks’ price range. If someone like Gortat can get paid $25 million, the Birdman has to feel like he can get paid at least that much.
bigdave
July 6th, 2009
12:42 am
psst… definitely misinterpreted that… didnt think you would be slipping like that… stand corrected…
Sheed as a Hawk… 20-6… well it felt like 30…
James
July 6th, 2009
12:46 am
Enter your comments here
ken
July 6th, 2009
12:53 am
Okay, assuming we make it to the secon round again and everyone stays healthy, how so you think we’d fair against the Celtics or Magic? If we have the same starting line up, plus Crawford and a FA Big (McDyess/Frye), how many games does it go? I’m trying to figure how far away are we from the next level, another role player/superstar? It’s gettin’ late and I really shouldn’t be allowed to ask anymore questions, but hey..
niremetal
July 6th, 2009
12:57 am
Najeh,
Birdman is probably cursing the fact that he’s a free agent this summer instead of next. You’re right in that guys like him command a lot on the FA market, because “blocks” are the only stat that deals with post defense (things that positioning and not committing needless fouls are even more important, I think, but those are immeasurable). In a normal year, Andersen would probably pull down a 4-5 year deal with at least $6.5M per. Right now, no team can pay out more than the mid-level to get him except Denver – and no Euro teams are looking to make a splash because the economy is hitting them even harder than us. So he’s stuck money-wise.
Childress is probably thanking his lucky stars that he take a QO offer last summer, because Olympiacos wouldn’t spend nearly as much on him this year.
ken
July 6th, 2009
12:57 am
I see it’s become normal to overpay for legit size and i’m glad the hawks haven’t fallen into that trap (yet). On the other hand, I would really like to see one or two legit 7-ftrs on the roster and see what it’s like. That’s why I’d have liked to see us get Hasheem Thabeet or Javale Mcgee from Wizards, but they’re yound and would take some yrs. When they say big men don’t grow on trees, really…
Ariose
July 6th, 2009
1:43 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctlo8PgHfho
niremetal
July 6th, 2009
2:22 am
Ariose,
Unless you’re posting “best of” shots from the Wimbledon Final, I ain’t watchin’
.
A Tribe Called Quest
July 6th, 2009
2:34 am
I already told you guys…You don’t need to rebuild for 39 years to win a championship. Did Miami do the 30 year rebuilding when they sucked? No — they made a big trade and got them to the next level. This roster right now will NOT GET PAST THE 2ND ROUND. WE WILL NOT IMPROVE ON THIS PAST YEAR, EXCEPT FOR WINNING A COUPLE MORE GAMES. RESIGNING OUR FREE AGENTS AND ADDING SOME 40 Y.O. HAS-BEEN VETERAN IS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE THIS FRANCHISE CAN MAKE
A Tribe Called Quest
July 6th, 2009
2:38 am
THIS FRANCHISE IS NOT DEDICATED TO WINNING. RESIGNING FREE AGENTS AND ADDING HAS-BEEN CENTERS WILL NOT GET US ANYWHERE NEXT YEAR. DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE. THIS TEAM HAS NO LOW-POST PRESENCE AND IS UNDERSIZED. IT CANNOT WIN ON THE ROAD — WHAT DOES OUR GM DO? HE WAITS AND WAITS AND WAITS AND WAITS UNTIL EVERY FRE AGENT WORTH A CRAP IS GONE.
HAVEN’T EVEN RESIGNED ZAZA YET? WTF? ARE WE WAITING FOR ANOTHER TEAM TO TAKE HIM AWAY (MEMPH OR OKC WHO HAVE MILLIONS IN CAP SPACE)? WHY ARE WE SO CONCERNED ABOUT OUR MIDGET PG WHO SUCKS AT DEFENSE?
49 WINS NEXT YEAR & EXIT IN 2ND ROUND IN 5 GAMES.
GOOD BYE
pinoy hawk
July 6th, 2009
3:55 am
A Tribe.. why the pessimism? FA signing is not yet done. Actually I think FAs can only be signed after the NBA has set the cap and luxury tax.
Likewise, I believe that the midget pg your talking about has a good 2-3 more years as a starter and another 2-3 years as a backup. Don’t give up yet on Mr. Sund he might pull off another big trade (or signing) in the coming days. (But I do agree that we should be atleast hearing news re: a new deal with Zaza/Marvin/Flip.)
Go Hawks!!
A Tribe Called Quest
July 6th, 2009
4:02 am
pinoy I am pessimistic because our window is 2 or 3 more years. The teams below us are not getting worse. I want to compete with the big 3 teams, not just be the exciting team which loses in the 2nd round next year
vava74
July 6th, 2009
4:38 am
Big Dave, you seem to be in love with Rasheed… a man-cruch is the only explanation for you to desire a guy who’s averages in the 2009 playoffs were the following:
PPG 6,5; RPG 6,30; APG 0,8; EFF + 8,75
And in relation to ‘Sheed having a big 30 on his clip in the sole game he played with the Hawks, your man-crush is again taking you into the realm of dreams:
His line was the following:
03-04 ATL 42min FG8-24 3PT1-6 FT3-3 OFF1 DEF5 TOTREB6 ASS2 STL1 BLK5 TO3 20PTS.
Hardly impressive. We get this out of J. Smoove just about every night (including the FG and 3PTS accuracy and lack of rebounding to go with a nice number of blocks)…
Mike
July 6th, 2009
5:35 am
People talk about the Hawks needing to move fast in free agency as if it were up to them entirely. You have to get the player to agree. The only way players do that very quickly is if (a) you are a championship contender (Artest in LA, Sheed in Boston, etc.), or (b) if you overpay (Hedo, Gortat, etc.). Occasionally a particular player really wants a particular team and city for other reasons (Bibby in Atlanta, maybe), but otherwise I am glad the Hawks are taking it slowly rather than panicking and overpaying. I think Zaza wants to stay, and will probably be happy to do so once his market value is determined if the Hawks are willing to match.
Ernest
July 6th, 2009
5:57 am
Good point Mike! Some of these ‘blog GMs’ think running a team is like playing a video game. The Hawks are on the upswing and have a lot of good things going for them now. At the end of the day, a player has to ‘want’ to come here at a price the Hawks are willing to pay. Sure, they may need to ‘overpay’ for certain players but not for everyone. Having a salary cap in place means they must project salaries out over several seasons and determine how that can impact the team down the road.
RedTailHawk
July 6th, 2009
8:18 am
“Mayhem in the AM” is reporting that the Hawks are bringing Anderson over from Europe. Any truth to that? Anyone know much about this guy?
RedTailHawk
July 6th, 2009
8:20 am
They also say the Hawks will let Za Za go.
Hoops
July 6th, 2009
9:08 am
Letter to Rick Sund(Sekou, please deliver)-
Mr. Sund,
You have many years of working in the NBA at many different positions. Being a GM is a position, like coaching, that many people think they know how to do your job better than yourself. I do not think, for a second, that I know your job better than yourself. I would just like to share some thoughts on the building of the 2009-10 Hawks with you. If you don’t like them, just hit delete! These are my thoughts:
1. Atlanta Hawks fans want to win the NBA Championship next year. We think that should be a team goal every year. Is that possible? I don’t know yet, but I think there are some important decisions that can go along way towards making that goal happen.
2. When putting together a roster, there are many factors to consider. Returning players, coaching philosophy, cap space, owners budget, drafting, FA’s that are available, etc. I know that the Hawks cannot have it all. No team can. This is the line up that I think we should aim for @ this point in time with the limited knowledge of the situation that I have:
PG-Bibby, Teague (Crawford can play PG some)
SG-JJ, Crawford, West
SF-Marvin, Evans (JJ and Josh can play SF some)
PF-Josh, Horford, Solo
C-Varejao, Zaza, Morris (Horford can play C some)
*We do not need more than 13 players. Ten of these players are quality players and can play in a ten man rotation every night!
3. As you look at this line up, the first thing I want to point out is that it creates competition at every position. I think that is very important if you want to win big! Can we afford this line up and stay under the L. tax? Yes, barely!
4. This would be my offers to each player after I sell the fact that we must all give up a little money if we want to have a chance to compete for the NBA Championship!
Bibby-5M for 2 years w/third year team option or 5.5M for 2 years (sign Flip for the Bi-Annual if Bibby won’t sign this offer)
West-QO
Marvin-6.5M for 4 years w/fifth year team option.
Solo-same offer as West.
Zaza-5M for 4 years w/fifth year team option or 5.5M for 4 years.
Varejao-6M for 4 years w/fifth year team option or 6.5M for 4 years (if Varejao is not interested then go after Glen Davis or Channing Frye. McDyess has too many years on him)
That is $61,799,583.00 if Marvin decides to take his QO instead of the 6.5M per year. That gives some room to negotiate without going into the L.tax.
Unless a great offer just fell into my lap with Chills and Andersen, I would try to trade them for future draft picks. Chills is worth a 1st round pick and Andersen a 2nd.
I understand that all of these offers are negotiable, but we have to get the best team we can under the NBA cap rules and try to compete at the highest level. This team will be better than Orlando and will be right there with Boston and Cleveland. If we stay healthy and build great team chemistry we can meet LA in the FINALS!
Thank you for your time. Keep up the good work! GO HAWKS!!!
Sincerely,
Hoops
jj
July 6th, 2009
9:10 am
I hope that report is wrong because Anderon is not ZP.The Hawks need to sign ZP and add Anderson.I thought ZaZA would be priorty over Bibby.We can’t afford to lose a BIG that has proven he can play in this league.ZP needs to remain and also Flip. One of our big problems from last year is that M.Evans did not replace Chills.His D came up real short when we needed him.He is a good player but whem Chills,Marvin,Josh,JJ,and Holford was on the floor together they wrecked havoc on other teams because there was no advantage in switches for other teams.They were all long and athletic.They were fun to watch and they gave Boston hell.Nothing against Moe but I loved to see that 5 on the floor together.Iwish it was possible to bring Chills home.Ican dream.
doc
July 6th, 2009
9:24 am
word is zaza is going somewhere for 6 mil. is this too much for us to offer? wassup with this as it seems a bargain on a young guy we have trained over the years and watch grow up? seems a huge mistake if that is his price considering what bigs go for especially one on the early end of the curve.
does this mean we are going cheap on big men again as we have in the past? are we bringing in a lorens look alike on the tail end of a pitiful career or are we trying to save money and get quality for the position and say get two for the price of one at 6 mil as we spend away on back court players? does the heralding of david anderson for 3 mil mean there is a similar 3 mil to go for more the drew gooden/brandon bass type out there for the hoped for additional 3 mil to fill the budget out?
wish we knew what the dollar signs looked like on the budget for these big guys. could it mean we sign and trade chills for a legit big in the mold of zaza and let him go and get anderson as well ….. i.e. the best of both worlds as a fan. the optimistic pollyanna in me says yes, realizing the dark reality of the entity known to me as BASG. remember i was one of the original look forward positive guys here as ando and i had our differences when this blog began and i hoped for a championship after 50 years without. funny how things flow. wait til september to see the package is my best estimate.
ILL-logical
July 6th, 2009
9:25 am
Sekou Smith
July 5th, 2009
2:33 pm
The Stoudemire to ATL rumors were generated out of thin air.
I must repectfully disagree with that statement:
First, Amare’e ststed in his press conference in Phoenix in responce to the variuos trade rumors that he had just returned from Atlanta and that the Hawks wanted him badly.
Second, there was a post on this blog concerning a statement (alledgedly) made by a local sportscaster concerning Amar’e instructing his agent to get him to Atlanta.
Third, your colleague, Mr. Bradley, started a very interesting topic on his blog stating emphatically that it was Joe that should be traded not Josh based upon potential and playoff performane. surely he did not get that topic from his ouija board.
As the immortal Charles Barkley so elegantly stated during TNT’s coverage of the Hawks vs. Cleveland serise” they(the Hawks) are going to have to make up their mind whether or not this Josh’s team or Joe’s team”.
I believe that this statement frames the issue before Mr. Sund as he enters his second year. And if it comes to a vote ,I have no doubt how Woodson will vote.
Clearly withe the moves that Cleveland and Boston have made to bolster their front lines the Hawks are going to have to adjust. Already undersized in terms of both heft and height, there are few options especially when you consider what assets they have to trade.
So, I believe that after the amount of Josh’s contract trade clause is reduced, a move will be made and it could be a win-win.
The Hawks will have two veteran All-Stars playing in the final year of their contracts; Marvin gets to become the third offensive option/defensive stopper/ 3 point specialist that his fans swear he is.Josh gets to headline a running ,gunning team that will feature some young guys like Robin Lopez(maybe Channing Fry) and prehaps be guided by Steve Nash.
Josh will finally get his wish to play the 3 and will be one of the senior guys on the team in tearms of experience- he will have to become a leader both on and off of the court, something that was not in the cards here since the powers that be have long tried to find anyone(unsuccessfully) but Josh as the face of the franchise. Wonder how Calypso al is going to take to the fat that his brief rein as the cross cultural, bi-lingual face of the franchise days are over?
I can’t say this will happen as I have outlined but I can say that there has been smoke as well as fire from the Hawks on this topic.
Notewise
July 6th, 2009
9:28 am
I hate to be a pessimist here on the blog, but the goal of every offseason should be to close the talent gap between you and the teams above you from the season before. As you look at those teams above us, they have all improved (at least on paper). Orlando engineered that draft day trade for Vince-anity (even though they lost Turkolu this week). The Cavs picked up Shaq to help LeBron and the Celtics seem close to signing Rasheed. I know we picked up Crawford, but the gap between us and these other teams seems to be growing through free agency this summer, not shrinking, doesn’t it?? Let’s make a play for someone to really give our team a lift this season. GO HAWKS!!
Hawksgirl
July 6th, 2009
9:37 am
I hear chill doesnt even want to play here….is that a true rumor?
I like bibby and like it or not him and jj are the floor generals. They run this team. Flip comes in when bibby gets winded and takes over. Flip is part of the reason we got to the playoffs as well. Hardly anyone gives al credit for his work either. He does a great job on both ends of the floor.
I dont know how sund is gonna do it but he better make a decision on flip and zaza very soon.
Nookah
July 6th, 2009
9:38 am
If we let Zaza walk then that may signal the fact that we have our eyes on some other big who can rebound offensively and play more interior defense. Who could that be? Either that or we think Zaza will be too expensive.
I guess we have to be patient and let the real GM do his thing.
Go Hawks!!
I MUS WRITE
July 6th, 2009
9:46 am
Resign ZAZA Bibby Marvin……… Sign Wilcox to be our big off the bench with ZAZA-I would like to get flip back -he really took us thru sum rough periods with his Offense but his muney needs to be spent on Wilcox or Frye/Bass…… R Morris is complete garbage -cut his azz and use the 800k on sumthing else. Resign Solo for the cheap if possible -big men are going fast so he’d be a good option for depth.
Antoine Walker ????? Antoine Walker???? Sum people never learn-I guess JR Ryder is next on sum wish list’s…………..
Melvin
July 6th, 2009
9:48 am
Hoopshype reported that Chills has meet with the Cavs. The last thing I want to see is Chills in a Cavs, Celtics or Magic uniform…
Jerry
July 6th, 2009
9:55 am
So lets not trade two starters for one. Lets trade the rights to Marvin, Josh C, David A, And a 1st round pick for Bosh. Thats alot for toronto and we have a frontline of bosh, smith, and horford.
ant banks
July 6th, 2009
9:57 am
GO HAWKS!!
mountain_jim
July 6th, 2009
9:58 am
I am ok with letting ZaZa go if we are bringing in a shot-blocking center to replace him, in addition to andersen. if the Hawks trade Josh for a one-year rental of Amare then Sund will have killed the future of this team imho.
mountain_jim
July 6th, 2009
10:00 am
Jerry – you only have that frontline with Bosh for one year! No way!
Melvin
July 6th, 2009
10:03 am
Jerry,
Why would Toronto trade for 2 SF (Chills & Marvin) after they agreed to pay 53 mil to another SF (Hedo) in free agency?
Melvin
July 6th, 2009
10:07 am
Doc,
Waiting to September seems to be the best option to see how things play out. However, some guy on Bradley blog said an owner told him to be patient b/c they are goig to make a trade that will move AL to the 4. We’ll see, although I wouldn’t bet the house money on it…
charles
July 6th, 2009
10:13 am
maybe sign ZAZA But let Marvin Get well somewhere else. Will always be a project in the works. Not mentally tough enough now and maybe never
John Brown
July 6th, 2009
10:14 am
Any truth to the David Andersen rumor reported in a Spanish paper Seoku?
HawkKingBibby
July 6th, 2009
10:15 am
Bring in ANTOINE WALKER for a workout at least. Trade Chills to the Bobbies for DERRICK BROWN.
Daniel
July 6th, 2009
10:15 am
I like signing Bibby, but not to a Kidd like contract, we resign Za, Marvin, and add David Anderson, Hey, then we are really getting somewhere.
We could get all of those moves done and potentially still have a MLE to play with.
jerrywest
July 6th, 2009
10:18 am
David Andersen similar to Okur
got it from another site
David Andersen plays lot like Mehmet Okur so here’s how I would ccmpare the two from what I’ve seen (of Andersen since 2002):
Athleticism: Andersen is slightly more athletic and more agile
Size: Very similar / Both are 6′11-ish but Okur is 5-10 punds heavier
BBall IQ: Very similar. I think Andersen has a little more all-around awareness.
Rebounding: Okur seems a little better and has avg 7-8 reb over his career.
Shooting: Similar. Their shots even look very similar. Andersen shoots a great % but Okur is NBA-tested and proven. They both also have range extended to 3PT.
Post Scoring: Andersen is clearly better. He has a ton of moves, fakes, and a very soft touch around the basket.
Post Defense: Undetermined. Once again, Okur is NBA-tested and proven.
Quickness: Andersen is faster, quicker and hustles more.
Ball Handling: Similar. But again Andersen is faster, quicker, and handles well.
Other similarities: They both have great hands (even in traffic), the both know how to use their height, they both have aggressive scoring mentalities for their size, and they are great inside-out compliments to strong centers.
Re-sign Zaza and add D. Andersen!!!
Daniel
July 6th, 2009
10:20 am
Notewise- I like your post, but I am not sure that any of those teams you mentioned have gotten better. Well, the Celtics will clearly be better with Rasheed, but we still don’t know the extent to which Garnett will be healthy. You know his true injury has never been fully revealed. I don’t think he will ever be back to his old self.
Orlando basically traded Hedu for VC. I think if you are being generous that is a push. O’Neal in Clevland? I don’t see the big upside execpt for the marketing angle. An older, slower Shaq doesn’t answer the Cavs question marks at all. I think it is a big hype move.
I MUS WRITE
July 6th, 2009
10:21 am
Yeah of course thats the best way to improve the team: bring in a 34 yo chucker with a bad attitude …… Y I ask -if he could’nt get any burn with Minnesota or memphis -just say no to mr. shimmy he’s garbage at this point.
I can see it now Him and smoove fighting for point guard duties on the fast break…..I saw J Koncak a few weeks ago y dont we just sign him and move Al to the 4……..Where does this crap come from My Gawd
Daniel
July 6th, 2009
10:21 am
I love it – jerrywest
Big Ray
July 6th, 2009
10:24 am
Melvin,
If that were reliable info, the next question would be who do you trade, and what kind of center are you getting? Whoever it is has to be a solid starting center with enough youth to run with Al for the next 4-6 years. Otherwise, it’s a waste if the person isn’t an all-star (which he won’t be).
Nookah,
That’s the big gamble. We could have our eyes on another big man all we want. Actually obtaining the guy is the trick. We had our eyes on ‘Sheed. He’s gone. Same with Gortat (I think he’s gone, too).
As I stated in a post on another blog, the backup plan is the important one. Every team has a first option plan. But it’s the backup plans that are the most critical, because first options don’t come to pass nearly as often as teams would like, especially if they guy they’re after is any good. If he’s any good, the competition is fierce.
Too many of the veteran players out there want to go to teams they are certain will be contenders, or teams they are certain they can help to contend. 47 wins or not, we have had only one winning season with this crew. The pickiest of the veteran free agents are still not sure that we are real winners. We go into each season with an element of doubt. Why that is, is a subject of much debate, and I have my own strong opinions about it. Prime example: seems like we’re an up and coming team, yet ‘Sheed wanted no part of this. No, I can’t guess what’s in his mind anymore than I can guess yours, but I can speculate that he wants a better chance at getting another ring and guess what? Boston provides a better chance, hands down.
So, the question remains: who can you steal off the pile that helps, when the most sought after guys won’t come (be it money or desire to contend for a championship)?
Which brings me to another speculation: I’d be a bit surprised, though pleasantly so, if Antonio McDyess came here.
Scott
July 6th, 2009
10:29 am
Why are people talking tennis in here…..is that a sport ??
mountain_jim
July 6th, 2009
10:33 am
I just really hope any trades of our starters (Josh S.) are not for a one-year rental.
fudd21
July 6th, 2009
10:34 am
ESPN is reporting that Big Baby is signing with the Spurs for the full mid-level and Boston isn’t going to match.
doc
July 6th, 2009
10:37 am
melvin, amare to play center for josh? if he is ready for that role then fine, i will show up to see the games. got my tickets so no line for me. thanks for the heads up as i will look in that direction. boston didnt make their move until late that year, right? patience is a virtue from fan perspective this year, last year there was an urgency to it that for me is not there. again too many pieces to expect all the eggs to immediately fall into my basket. do enjoy the read the speculation, clarity, insights of others and certainly see the interest here in my hawks. beats what it was a few years ago.
that is why if you dont know what the big picture is on how they want to shape the team with the moving pieces they have or have to fill nor know what the ultimate budget is you simply cant extrapolate to what the end product would look like. last year was simple and focused, this year is potential for greatness or chaos.
Big Ray
July 6th, 2009
10:40 am
Heh. Funny how these days Josh Childress’ name always comes with the tag line “..who rejected an offer from the Hawks last season…”
Somebody’s good at the spin job. Of course, it’s easier when the person you’re just about slandering is overseas….
THE MOST INTERESTING HAWKS FAN IN THE WORLD
July 6th, 2009
10:40 am
SCOTT,
I would like to think that we are WELL ROUNDED SPORTS FANS. Even though this is a primarily basketball blog, we occassionally mention other sports even world events, like the passing of Farrah, MJ, or McNair.
There is no Tennis Blog on the AJC site. So while analyzing what the Hawks should or should not do, we through in comments about tennis. Sorry!!
Maybe you should find another blogsite, if this one offends you so much.
“I don’t always watch basketball, but when I do, I prefer the Hawks. Stay thirsty my friends!”
mountain_jim
July 6th, 2009
10:41 am
Maybe the rumored owner comment was referring to andersen playing the 5…
Big Ray
July 6th, 2009
10:42 am
Fudd21,
The rich get richer. Artest or not, the Lakers better watch out. Tim Duncan has a penchant for staying healthier and more productive at all the right times, unlike the gargantuan Yao Ming. And with Parker, Ginobilli, Jefferson, Gooden, Big Baby, Mason, etc….they’re going to be deeper than the Nile River. Man am I glad we don’t play in the West. We’d have never won 47 games. Maybe not even 37.