Mini-camp invitees
Hawks rookie point guard Jeff Teague will make his on-court debut with the Hawks in a mini-camp next week at Philips Arena.
HAWKSVILLE - While most of the rookie/free agent attention is focused on the happenings in Las Vegas, the Hawks don’t have a summer league entry in Sin City.
Therefore, the only chance we’ll get to see rookie point guard Jeff Teague in action this summer is during the Hawks’ mini-camp next week at Philips Arena (it’s not open to the public, sorry, and is barely open to the media – we get to see the last half hour of action everyday, which usually consists of cats shooting free throws and trying half court trick shots).
There is good news, though. Intriguing news, even, when you consider who will accompany Teague on the floor during these mini-camp workouts.
If the (tentative) invite list I glanced at today doesn’t change between now and Monday, recent second-round picks Sergiy Gladyr (last month) and Cenk Akyol (2005) will also be in town for the workouts. I know how much you guys love to examine the web-footage of these guys to determine what you think of their games. But I’m looking forward to seeing them in action and on the floor with guys who could potentially be their teammates some day in the future.
Also joining the party will be blog-fave/road grader Garret Siler, the 6-11, 305-pound big man from Augusta State. We only got a chance to see a glimpse of what he can do when he was in for a pre-draft workout with the Hawks. Now we’ll see what he looks like in game-type action during mini-camp. Then and only then will it be clear if he has any chance at all of coming back for training camp and trying to make the Hawks’ roster (which remains a distinct possibility, from what I’m told).
Other names to chew on the next few days as we get ready for the mini-camp include: G-David Huertas, G- Dionte Christmas, G-Sundiata Gaines, F-Shawn Taggart, G-Corey Williams, G-Anthony Goods, G-John Lucas III, F-Yaroslav Korolev, F-Ivan Harris, F-Frank Robinson (a returnee from last summer and one of my favorite cats), F-Leo Lyons and C-Chris Taft.
I know this is a slight detour from our recent free agent/trade conversations, but this mini-camp should be an interesting study in where youngsters like Teague, Gladyr and Akyol are in terms of when they can be expected to contribute to the Hawks.
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487 comments Add your comment
Mase
July 18th, 2009
11:51 pm
SEKOU! SEKOU! WHERE ARE YOU!!!
Mark
July 18th, 2009
11:55 pm
Hello Hawks Fans!!!!!! Dub C is Wilcox really gone 2 da Pistons.Can anyone please Tell me whats going on with the Hawks. We are wasting all our time and energy on Marvin and meanwhile all the big men are going to other teams.Have we forgotten what we came to do. Can someone please explain??????
KevinA
July 19th, 2009
12:23 am
dos hawkquis,
Looking at player values Marvin should sign at 7.5 mil. JJ should sign for 12 mil this summer or next year. If he can add a rebound an assist to his game and shoot a .460 FG% we could leave his salary at the same rate.
niremetal, If Dumping Crawford costs us nothing don’t you think adding Gooden, Flip and a Solo upgrade makes sense? If Crawford wants to stay I would put his value at 5.5 mil on a one year contract.
Clyde
July 19th, 2009
12:47 am
Mark welcome to the Hawk’s blog. We just sit here and try to make since of the moves our coach and GM make.
Yea it would make since to go after big men in free agency after we got our butts kicked in the paint during the playoffs but welcome to Hawksville. The land of washed up point guards and undersized big men.
niremetal
July 19th, 2009
12:47 am
KevinA,
I don’t think you understood. Dumping Crawford DOES nothing. As in, his contract stays on our books even if we waive him. If you could simply cut a player and get him off the payroll, you’d never see situations with guys like LaFrentz, Miles, Marbury, Speedy, etc – guys who get hurt, never play, and eat up a team’s cap space for years.
Cutting Crawford DOES nothing. It COSTS us the same whether we keep him or we cut him. The players would go on strike if that weren’t the case.
niremetal
July 19th, 2009
12:47 am
Clyde,
Is Sean Williams out of jail yet?
Ariose
July 19th, 2009
1:02 am
I think he got 30 days of solitary confinement, for beating up a lunch lady. It’s not her fault the food is so bad in jail. It’s certainly NOT food NBA players are accustomed to living hehehehe….
Ariose
July 19th, 2009
1:02 am
Accustomed to eating rather…
Ken Strickland
July 19th, 2009
1:33 am
KEN-The fact that Josh shoots most of his jumpshots from behind or near the 3pt line, while seldom attempting a midrange jumper is a good indication. Also, the fact he uses a lot of elbow and arm and pushes the ball when he shoots is another indication. The fact he has trouble finishing his jump hooks around the basket, is another indication of poor ball control due to weak hands and wrists. Hakeem doesn’t look shorter, he is shorter. I used that reference to show that Hakeem wasn’t 7′ tall, as he’s been listed.
I believe we can overtake Orlando because they’ve lost 3 key starters form last yrs NBA finals team. I foresee possible chemistry issues with the addition of VCarter and Bass, especially starting the season. They’ll have to adjust their entire OFF approach. VCarter has always been the 1st option and has never had to defer to another player. Can he make a rapid adjustment, or even a successful one? Can he adjust his gm to accomodate having a presence like DHoward anchored in the middle?
With our top 6 players returning, we won’t have those issues, and we can take early advantage of that. With CCrawford, ZPachulia and MEvans, we’ll have 3 former starters as the 1st 3 off our bench.
ANT BANKS-If all we’re concerned with as fans and a franchise is moving up a step in seeding, then yes, you can hold on to Woodson. But, if we want to move up to the next level and challenge for a title, then he has to go. The Lakers(Westhead & Riley), Suns(D’Antoni), Knicks(Riley), Rockets(Avery), Bulls(Collins & Jackson) are teams that fired HC’s with winning records, including some with championships. So, for small minded fans or owners with small minded goals, holding on to a small minded HC is acceptable. But, if you want more, you have to reach for more.
DOS KAWKSQUIS-that’s a very good question. However, if DRobinson couldn’t handle The Dream, it would be foolish to think WPerdue, CLongley or BCartwright would be able to handle him.
NOOKAH-I honestly believe the team has outgrown Woodson. The problem it creates is what we see when JJ, Flip and Bibby take over the OFF and go ISO left and right, forcing other players to fight for their opportunities. When that happens, we lose all ball movement and OFF flow. When that’s happened, I’ve yet to witness Woodson take control and redirect the team back to playing team ball.
Nookah
July 19th, 2009
1:50 am
Ken Strick, you know what the sad part is? When we improve this year Woody will be resigned. However, is it possible he could lose his job even though we may improve? Perhaps if he continues to play an tight rotation and leave players on the bench and stifle their development.
Any thoughts on that Ken?
Go Hawks!!!!
Ariose
July 19th, 2009
1:53 am
Which is exactly why Flip should be brought back Nookah……it’s the perfect TRAP….err, TEST heh. See if he neglects Teauge with an upgrade in talent on the roster.
jeremiah
July 19th, 2009
2:12 am
Hello Hawks Fans!!!!!! I hope that we get Dionte Christmas
OZINATL
July 19th, 2009
3:01 am
Melvin thanks for that article on Chils. If that article is the truth, then I would be pissed off if I was Chils and would not want to come back to the Hawks if I returned to the NBA. I know why have gone off this, but it brings you back to the Andersen negotiation and I still don’t think we all have the truth with that. If Sund was willing to lowball a guy who spent 4 years with the Hawks and whose rights they still own (and I am one who thinks Chils would be a great asset to this team) then imagine the offer Andersen got, a dude who they have had the rights for 7 years and only did something with once they realized time was running out.
I know this is a business and all but where is the love, where is that feeling that you are wanted by this organization. If the Hawks really wanted Chils and Andersen, they would’ve gotten a deal done, no question. If you want something, you make it happen. Even though they have had a miss in FA this time, you look at what the Blazers have done, each draft they go after their target players and do something to make it happen. To me, the it feels like the Hawks didn’t want Chils and Andersen enough to make it happen.
And let’s not get into playing time arguments. The GM’s job is to assemble the best players he can get for the money allocated to him and it’s up the the Coach to work out all the other details, which included playing time. If I was Woody I’d be knocking on Sund’s door every day and saying give me better players to fill the bench. And that would’ve included Chils and Andersen.
And going on my argument about Atlanta not wanting Chils and Andersen enough, I’d say Andersen probably felt that and knowing Houston needed a big man and had actually scouted him they put feelers out there and the Hawks had no option but to work the trade otherwise they lose an asset they have held onto for 7 years and ignored.
I like what Sund has done so far but the deal with Chils and Andersen don’t sit right.
OZINATL
July 19th, 2009
3:08 am
In reference to post by Jay.
Josh Boone would be a welcome addition but I don’t think to the expense of Evans. Evans is underrated and does an excellent job as our shutdown defender (which gives JJ a free pass on defense).
I would sign Bowen for that money but the problem is Woody would have no idea what to do with him and he would forever sit on the bench next to Solo, Morris and the space left by Speedy and other bench warmers.
I do like the idea of sending Morris to Dallas for Nathan Jawai. I’m surprised no one has mentioned anything on this (maybe they are not too familiar with Jawai) but the dude is a beast. Huge, and has not been playing organized basketball for long therefore a project, but a better prospect than Morris. The dude is not soft at all but was unlucky last season as missed the start to his NBA career with a heart problem, now fixed. I’d do this deal in a heartbeat.
A Tribe Called Quest
July 19th, 2009
3:25 am
Wilcox to DET. 6 mill/2 yr…Seems a bit much?
vava74
July 19th, 2009
3:27 am
Ken Strick,
You may be right on Robert Swift (although I think he is only a bust due to his knees, not due to his lack of qualities – please check his 2nd year stats, before he blew one of his knees and lost the whole 2006 season):
2005 SEA G47 MPG21 FG.515 FT.582 OFR2.00DREB3.62 TREB5.62 ASS.17 STL.32 BLK1.19TO1.04 PF3.02 PTS6.40.
BUT YOU ARE completely wrong about Luc Longley and B. Cartwright not measuring up to David Robinson against Hakeem.
David Robison was a very good player, but was a choker and a soft one on one defender whilst Luc Longley and B. Cartwright were EXCELLENT one on one positional defenders and excellent help defenders, waaaay better than D. Robinson.
Will Purdue looked horrible but was also a solid back up on the defensive end.
In relation to Hakeem’s real height, after he retired I read that he was really only 6′10” and that’s why he played the 4 position very ofter with Otis (which was a wonderful role player) playing as an undersized 5.
kirkinga
July 19th, 2009
3:44 am
Kirk,
Your completely opposing opinions on Childress and Andersen are both perplexing and amusing at the same time.
Ray, yes Summer is fun. Much more is said and it’s very easy to, I guess miss comments.
Speaking of “perplexing”, I find your statement just that in light of this comment I made on July 14th, just 6 comments into a new blog:
Same goes for Anderson. Does he want to be a Hawk or not? Time to find out and act accordingly.
Huh, the same goes for Anderson. I’m just not finding how one perceives an “opposing opinion” there Ray?
Same standard for any and all. You want to be a Hawk? Be a Hawk then! If not, move the frack on!
I will note that we have this new information that, if true, suggests that Josh kind of, sort of, wants to be a Hawk, and to their credit, they may not have closed the door on someone who can help the team. They want to use him as a Marvin backup plan and he’s ok with it, fine by me. Just make a commitment.
As for Anderson, he’s gone. I’ve moved on. But since you brought the subject up I was never opposed to Josh coming back to play for the Hawks, I believe his addition makes the frontline better. I also believe the same is true for Anderson which is why I find the whole affair to be b.s.
I think Anderson is going to do well, much better than those who are now saying he will not amount to much. I think it is instructive that many of those who don’t see much in Anderson are the same who were dead set opposed to the Hawks trying to trade for Gasol. They said he wouldn’t help either.
And we see that wasn’t true.
I hope a trade is in the pipeline as someone suggested, because as I look at what’s available, I’m not particularly encouraged.
So much for expectations.
Go Hawks!!
A Tribe Called Quest
July 19th, 2009
3:52 am
This is exactly what Sund does. He finds cheap deals by WAITING AND WAITING AND WAITING AND WAITING. He lets EVERY FA worth a crap walk by. We have plenty of money left to lock up Marvin and add 1 or 2 bench bigs. Why the hell is this guy so lethargic? Who cares if we go into the salary CAP? WE HAVE 8 OWNERS, DON’T WE? I AM SURE THEY CAN AFFORD AN EXTRA 2 MILL A YEAR
A Tribe Called Quest
July 19th, 2009
3:59 am
DONT TELL ME THAT WE LOCKED UP BIBBY AND ZAZA. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO THAT.
WHERE ARE THESE VET BIGS THAT ALL OF US KEEP TALKING ABOUT?
HUH? WHAT ARE YOU DOING, SUND? ARE YOU TALKING TO PETRO AND SENE AGAIN?
A Tribe Called Quest
July 19th, 2009
3:59 am
*IF WE GO INTO THE LUXURY TAX
A Tribe Called Quest
July 19th, 2009
4:02 am
WE HAVE ABOUT 51 MILL UNDER CONTRACT WITH BIBBY AND ZAZA SIGNED. WHY IS IT SO HARD TO GIVE MARVIN 7-8 MILL A YEAR AND ADD SOME VET BIGS? WE’RE NOT EVEN CLOSE TO THE LUXURY TAX
dap01
July 19th, 2009
6:39 am
This wonderful strategy got us RANDMO last year. Sund could be working on a great strategy but most likely he is stiking out on actually improving on our team.
I have this fear that we are assembling a Woody team. A Woody team consist of one on one guards who will shoot, iso and shoot some more. While the bigs scrap to try to win anyway. Sometimes it works, someties it don’t (like crunch time in playoff games) This system requires no ball movement of offensive strategy. Even though the rest of the NBA does not believe in this system we are going to be forced to hope for the best.
A worse thought is that we improve because of the maturation of our young guys and we are burdened with Woody again after this year.
Samuel
July 19th, 2009
8:28 am
Clyde,
So this is your “BOY” Ken Strickland. Dude hasn’t a clue. Those teams that fired their head coaches went down,down,down with the exception of the Lakers.
We will overtake Orlando in the standings. You guys need to stay out of Rio.
The Truth
July 19th, 2009
9:02 am
As the Truth, I must speak the Truth. We need the beat writers to stop with the softballs and start calling a spade and spade. Maybe it’s a job security thing, I don’t know for sure. But I do know this: our cries have not been heard. Apparently, we (the fans) are being taken for granted. You think it’s a bad economy now, in Hawksville, it could get real ugly. If expectations are not met with this team, we will have plenty to point our finger at.
Collegedude
July 19th, 2009
9:53 am
They’ll have cats shooting free throws and half court trick shots???? That would be cool to see, but they’d have to be big cats right? Like tigers & lions? Maybe the Hawks should bring in the cats for halftime shows, that would be pretty cool.
Hawk n the Ham
July 19th, 2009
10:20 am
Personal assignment Hawks fans:
If you or someone you know is out and about, say at the mall or even Walmart. You see someone there that is between 6′10 – 7′0 tall. Approach them, take a picture, and email it to the Hawks front office. It appears as if it’s come to this. Stay thirsty my friends.
Yupperz
July 19th, 2009
10:42 am
Yeah becaue the fact that the Hawks haven’t signed any big men yet CLEARLY means Sund hasn’t tried and that he’s sitting on his azz throwing darts at a cutout of Josh Childress. NOT.
The Truth
July 19th, 2009
10:43 am
Hawk n the Ham
Roger that…
PS: A SHUT OUT TO AH PARKER HIGH SCHOOL!
Ariose
July 19th, 2009
12:40 pm
Chicago and Miami are Chasing Carlos Boozer. A clear diversion for us. We need to take this time to sign Drew Gooden and possibly Matt Barnes while the dumb teams still chase that Undersied no defense of a Power Forward……let’s not forget about the Lamar Odum Sweepsteakes lol.
Melvin
July 19th, 2009
12:46 pm
Watching the Warriors summer league team play on NBATV. I notice two things. Curry is a combo guard at best. His best position maybe the 2. Although the his stats may not look impressive in the box scores but Acie did look good on the court. The team look much better when he was at the point versus Curry.
Ariose
July 19th, 2009
12:52 pm
*Undersized
Ariose
July 19th, 2009
12:54 pm
Melvin, Acie’s lat two games he had 12 and the 9 the next. Curry is just another Salim. In any other sysem(Well not named Orlando or New York), It wouldn’t be pretty.
A Tribe Called Quest
July 19th, 2009
12:57 pm
RICK SUND ONLY SIGNS PLAYERS FOR CHEAP.
THIS MEANS HALF THE PLAYERS WE CAN GET ARE GOING TO OTHER TEAMS BECAUSE WE ONLY SETTLE FOR CHEAP.
WINNING CHAMPIONSHIPS INVOLVES SPENDING MONEY. THE LAKERS JUST BOUGHT A CHMPINOSHIP. THE CELTS TRADED FOR BIG MOENY PLAYERS.
WE HAVE JOE, JOSH, AND A BUNCH OF 6 MILL PLAYERS
KevinA
July 19th, 2009
1:05 pm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/17/AR2009071703208.html?wprss=rss_sports
According to an AP report Childerss and Woody would have liked a deal. We were just to cheap.
Yupperz
July 19th, 2009
1:13 pm
Some of yall are just stupid. Sund just traded for a $10 mil Sixth Man. So suddenly he’s cheap just because he didn’t want to pay Childress to be a $7 mil seventh man? How much sense does THAT make.
If we’re gona bring back an old bench guy, make it Flip. He can be the seventh man and he’ll come for a third of the cost
mountain_jim
July 19th, 2009
1:19 pm
The following post, late on a saturday night, cracks me up… You (and some others) act like Sekou is your personal, 7×24, question-answering lifeline..
Mase
July 18th, 2009
11:51 pm
SEKOU! SEKOU! WHERE ARE YOU!!!
Ken Strickland
July 19th, 2009
1:21 pm
NOOKAH-The circumstances that will dictate Woodson’s fate will be based on Sund’s vision of this teams future. It will also depend on how willing he is to take possible flack for firing a HC that’s presided over a team that’s improved in the won/loss column every yr.
Like I’ve said before, this team has moved beyond Woodson’s ability to utilize strategies and techniques that will allow him to take maximum advantage of the talent it has. There’s no way we can become a championship calibur team without developing and utilizing our young talent, our bench, using proper time mgt, especially for our starters, and implementing a system and style of play that best fits our talent. All of these issues are issues that Woodson has yet to master, and in some cases has refused to even address, in his 5yrs as HC.
We also have to take into consideration the SAASG factor. Remember, they wouldn’t allow BK to fire Woodson, and they’ve been far more successful under Sund than BK.
SAMUEL-Last yr there was no shortage of negative minded individuals predicting the Hawks would finish at or near the bottom in the East. Like you, their negative minded approach would never allow them to believe the Hawks could finish with a winning record and grab the 4th seed in the East.
The Hawks were successful last yr despite losing 3 starters for extended periods. The yr the Celtics won the title, they were also relatively injury free. The Magic fell into that category last yr. We saw the effects losing Posey had on the Celtics at the beginning of last yr. We also saw them fall apart after losing KG. Did we fall apart after losing any of our starters? Philly suffered the effects of losing team chemistry when they added a dynamic player to their starting lineup. Both Orlando and Cleveland are fragile teams that are heavily dependent of the production of one dynamic player. If they lose DHoward or LJames for an extended period of time, will they be able to hold it together like the Hawks did last yr? When you lose 3/5th’s of your starting lineup, and your #2 Big, chemistry and adjustment issues will usually become factors, regardless of who you replace them with. Replacing Turkoulu and what he provided for the team with a dynamic player like VCarter can create adjustment and chemistry issues much like Philly had last yr.
The Hawks are in a position to start the season running on all cylinders because they’ll return their top 7 players. There will be no loss of production due to chemistry or adjustment issues. The addition of Crawford and Teague gives us an upgrade is speed, penetrating ability, scoring, assists and DEF, especially on the ball, all of which are elements we’ve been missing.
SAMUEL-I don’t expect you comprehend any of this for you’ve demonstrated on numerous occasions that your basketball IQ is nonexistent. You’ve also shown a tendency to allow personal issues and feelings to get in the way of you using any form of logic and/or common sense.
VAVA74-Cartwright was physical and played excellent DEF against other physical centers. But the man was so methodical and machanical that at times he looked like a robot. Just one of the Dream Shakes Hakeem put on DRobinson would’ve had Cartwright over in the 1st row looking for his jock strap. LLongley was also stiff, although not nearly as mechanical as Cartwright. Neither player had the foot speed, reflexes or mobility to be factors against the Dream Shake.
THE TRUTH-Please don’t tell me you’re a member of the THUNDERING HERD. Well my friend, I now know we have at least 2 things in common.
niremetal
July 19th, 2009
1:25 pm
Tribe,
WTF? The Lakers sold their first round pick, let Ariza walk, and haven’t made a good move on Odom yet. They’ve slashed their payroll. On the other hand, assuming we re-sign Marvin for $6.5M or more and also sign one free agent for $3M or more, we’ll have INCREASED our payroll from last year.
So how, pray tell, does that make us “cheap?” I guess by that standard, the Lakers are “selling” the championship they just bought.
Here’s a re-post of something I said a couple weeks back, just to remind those of you who keep seeming to forget the lesson of the Crawford deal:
I haven’t brought this up yet, but the Hawks actually would not have been able to do the trade of Acie and Speedy for Crawford today due to the fact that Speedy was due for a big annual paycut on July 1 (his contract is frontloaded) while Crawford was due for a big annual pay raise on July 1 (because his contract is backloaded). Today, we’d have had to throw in RandMo’s contract to get the deal done. Presumably the Warriors wanted to do the trade before July 1 was for that very reason – they wanted to get the savings from Speedy’s imminent paycut. The fact that the Hawks basically ate $900k to ensure the deal got done says something.
Again, one would think fact that that fact plus the fact that the Hawks have basically guaranteed an increased payroll (thanks to the annual raises for Joe/Josh/Al and the acquisition of Crawford) would convince people that ASG has the means and the desire to spend what it takes to win. But as I said…some people undoubtedly will insist on living in 2006.
So again, remind me how Sund is being “cheap”?
Hawk n the Ham
July 19th, 2009
1:36 pm
Just a thought. If the Hawks re-sign Flip, what if they moved Joe to the 3 spot? 2 deep spots would look like this:
1. Bibby / Teague
2. Crawford / Murray
3. Johnson / Evans
4. Smith / Williams
5. Horford / Zaza
It seems to me (imo) that would be a better starting 5 than what we rolled with last year. And all spots will have good reserve players as well. Just a thought, thats all.
terrell barron
July 19th, 2009
2:36 pm
I didn’t know Othello was playing in the summer league. Why is he the only Hawk there?
KevinA
July 19th, 2009
2:53 pm
From what I read Crawford doesn’t play defense. We know that this is Bibby’s biggest down fall. Don’t look for Bibby and Crawford to play together to much unless were behind and in desperation mode. This is why a Chills or a Sessions type player would have been a better fit. They play defense.
JJ would play defense against the better PG’s to help hide Bibby’s lack of D. JJ can’t do that for 2 players.
Ernest
July 19th, 2009
3:06 pm
What is it with all these bloggers that do not understand that most teams run a 8-9 man lineup during the season? Assuming the same starters as last season, the first three off the bench will be Crawford, ZaZa, and Evans. Teague will get 6-10 minutes and the 2nd big man off the bench will get about the same. Knowing that, you don’t want to spend much money on that slot (less than $3 million/year).
This is not fantasy basketball without a salary cap. This is a business in which managing finances is part of the game. The remaining big men are probably taking their time also because the want to make sure they are in the right situation, financially, playing time wise, and an opportunity to go to the playoffs.
The Hawks have made three transactions thus far, the trade for Crawford and signing our free agents. They are in negotiation with Marvin and also talking to several of the remaining big man free agents. That is pretty good progress considering what many of the other teams are doing.
A Tribe Called Quest
July 19th, 2009
3:20 pm
niremetal,
Did you even read my post?
The Lakers BOUGHT Pau Gasol and went to the Finals 2 years in a row. When was the last time the Hawks made a BIG MOVE, taking on SALARY, to GET TO THE NEXT STEP?
Why did we not get Wilcox, Brandon Bass, or Gortat?
BECAUSE RICK SUND ONLY SIGNS PLAYERS FOR CHEAP AND WILL WAIT AND WAIT UNTIL HE FINDS THEM. THE HAWKS BRASS IS SO D@MN SCARED OF GOING INTO THE LUXURY TAX THAT THEY ARE SO CAREFUL WITH MONEY. HOW IS A TEAM WITH A PAYROLL LIKE THIS SUPPOSED TO COMPETE WHEN OTHER TEAMS ARE BOLDLY TRADING FOR BIGGER CONTRACTS?
WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN WILCOX FOR 3 MIL. INSTEAD WE ARE STUCK WITH HORFORD WHO WILL GET INJURED (WE ALL KNOW IT), ZAZA WILL GET SO BANGED UP FROM HAVING TO COVER THE OTHER TEAM’S CENTER, AND WE WILL HAVE SOLOMON JONES AND RANDOLPH MORRIS BACKING HIM UP.
GOOD JOB SUND. YOU TAKE FOREVER TO RESIGN PLAYERS AND YOU DON’T SPEND BIG MONEY TO GET US TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
ENJOY A #4 SEED AND 2ND ROUND EXIT NEXT YEAR.
chaz
July 19th, 2009
3:22 pm
i am relieved to see sund is not overpaying for guys like wilcox (3M) and mcdyess (5M). hopefully this means he is working on a deal that would significantly improve the roster and address our need for a quality shot-blocking C, rather than overpaying for old (mcdyess), underachieving (wilcox), and undersized (both) role players.
1) trade marvin and mo (10M) for camby and thornton (11M) or chandler (12M)
2) sign flip and a SF like barnes or green.
which 3-5M addition to payroll would help us more:
1) spending 3-5M to add wilcox or mcdyess
2) spending 3-5M to trade marvin and mo for camby, thornton, flip, and barnes?
i like marvin and i don’t question his upside, but currently he is a poor value for 8M – he can be replaced by someone making a lot less money without losing a lot of production. how much did we lose when mo started in his place?
taking our most expendable and injury-prone starter’s expensive salary and spending it on a quality shot blocking C would address our most glaring deficiency. then use the 3-5M to replace marvin with complementary players who can play a similar supporting role for a lot less money.
this team, for roughly the same money as last year, would have a much better chance of going to the finals:
bibby/crawford/teague
jj/flip/west
thornton/barnes
josh/horford
camby/zaza/randmo
or
bibby/teague
crawford/flip/west
jj/thornton/barnes
josh/horford
camby/zaza/randmo
A Tribe Called Quest
July 19th, 2009
3:27 pm
NESTEROVIC AND BIG BEN
CAN WE PLEASE GET 1 OF THEM (NESTEROVIC)?
O'Brien
July 19th, 2009
3:31 pm
As far as the Hawks getting off to a hot start, lets not forget they started 6-0 last year (winning games on the road against playoff teams). And if my memory serves me correctly, there were 3 reasons for that quick start.
1) Hawks were playing good defense
2) They rebounded the ball
3) The Hawks were hitting 3’s.
Since the Hawks have the same starting 5, even if they get off to a hot start, it is only a matter of time before the rest of the league adjusts to Woody and his no offense. The X-Factor will be Crawford and how much pressure he is able to take off JJ. (Because 5 years in, we have no offensive identity, except iso-JJ).
Ken S,
I am not a Woody fan either, but if the Hawks get the 3rd seed in the East, Woody has to get at least a 3 year extension.
MannyT
July 19th, 2009
3:34 pm
tb, last line of this blog explains Hunter’s situation.
http://www.shamsports.com/content/pages/2009/07/summer-league-round-up-golden-state.jsp
Another roster spot available for the guys in mini camp.
BWAF
KevinA
July 19th, 2009
3:34 pm
Woody may not be the best coach playing his bench. He just likes to keep his best players on the floor even if they get tired. I believe this shows up in the stat by 82games.com (production per 48 min of clutch time)
Atlanta ranked 27th.
FG% .357
3pt% .292
PTS 94
compared with regular season
FG% .458
3pt% .366
PTS 98
There are other reasons besides minutes that contribute to the drop off of production.
KevinA
July 19th, 2009
3:35 pm
I am a Woody critic when it comes to overall coaching. But when it comes to coaching young players and playing time how can you not see that Josh, Marvin Al,and ZaZa are young developing players and need playing time to improve. Except for last year you can add Chills to that mix.
Bibby came in played many minutes and gave the team some veteran leadership and continuity. Flip played so well that Acie could not make it into the line up. Part of this had to do with all the team injuries. If Acie would have played the minutes Flip did would we make the playoffs? or the 4th seed?
How are you going to give Solo more time when ZaZa doesn’t get enough. We can’t cut into Al’s minutes because he needs them to develop also.
I think all of our young players will be better this year. It is not like we have seen them cap their potential so I don’t see Woody’s coaching style change much.
With luck and less injury maybe we can win more blow out games and the bench will play more.
At the end of the day we can hope Crawford/Flip can give JJ/Bibby enough rest for better end of the game/year performance. We can hope for a Gooden type player to give Woody a better option besides Solo to give Josh rest.
If this happens, great, but don’t get to excited. Woody will play his best 7 most of the time.
MannyT
July 19th, 2009
3:44 pm
ATCQ, I am hopeful that we sign a big man that is capable of competing for playing time, but you have to be kidding me when you toss out the luxury tax level as a reason to manage funds.
Check Sekou’s article about the contracting revenues and spending in the NBA. Additionally, the Hawks are near the bottom of the league on ticket revenue. If fans are not buying tickets, and sponsorship money is harder to get, why do expect the Hawks to take a significant fiscal hit for a bench player?
One million over the luxury tax versus one million under is about a 5 million hit on a team’s profitability.
…and toss the ownership struggle costs in that mix. One side will have to buy out the other side on the ASG battle. The winner still has a hockey team that loses money, and all sides get to pay the lawyers…who probably want cash, not a small piece of team ownership.
BWAF