Vacation visions
Might a Smith family reunion (of sorts) be in the works for Joe and Josh (no relation) this season with the Hawks? Time will tell. The Hawks are working on it, though.
THE OPEN ROAD - I’m not supposed to be here right now.
Seriously. I looked it up. Vacation is meant to be “leisure time away from work, devoted to rest or pleasure.”
But the phone doesn’t stop ringing because you want it to (next time, we all need to go on vacation together … or at least at the same time).
After being off the grid (mostly) for an entire family reunion weekend, I’ll admit that I’m a bit foggy on some of the details about what went on in Las Vegas for Josh Smith at the USA Basketball mini-camp and just about any other hot debate that’s gone on around here the past few days (and for the record, I’m told that despite a tepid performance in Saturday’s scrimmage, his time with the USA B’ball folks was a rousing success because it allowed quite a few people that weren’t familiar with him other than what they’ve seen, heard and read to get a much better for feel for him as a person and player).
But I do have some thoughts about a few other things, namely the Hawks’ mini-camp from last week, the state of negotiations with Marvin Williams and the Hawks’ continued pursuit of Joe Smith. So if you’ll forgive your host for leaving the party for a few days (technically, I’m on vacation until August – just in case Wifey decides to check the blog and see what we’ve got going on), here are some of my vacation visions:
JOE SMITH probably didn’t realize he had multiple stalkers until he left Atlanta Friday. That’s when the Hawks’ full court press for the veteran free agent’s signature shifted from face-to-face to long distance. Well, mostly long distance. The Hawks do have a secret weapon in Smith’s Phoenix backyard. Mike Bibby’s basketball royalty in the Valley. And he’s one of several Hawks working hard on the recruiting trail to bring Smith into the fold. Zaza Pachulia knows Smith well from their time together in Milwaukee and said he would use all his Euro-charm (at lunch Friday and beyond) to make sure Smith was aware of just how much he is wanted and needed by the Hawks. All that said, major work must be done to secure Smith’s signature on a contract. It’s not secret the Hawks aren’t paying the same rate for backup bigs that some other teams are (for example, Chris Wilcox got cash – $6 million over two years – in Detroit that he never could have from the Hawks. Same goes for Drew Gooden and the reported $4.5 mil he’ll bring in on a one-year deal with the Spurs). So they have to find ways (PLAYING TIME!!!!!!!!!!) to lure the kind of players they need to help bolster their cause. It probably helps that, in a summer marked by taking care of in-house business (home grown free agents), Smith is the first player outside of the family that the Hawks actually courted. Again, there is major work still to be done on this front.
YOU WERE WARNED THAT THINGS between the Hawks and Marvin Williams would drag out this summer. I wasn’t joking. Nothing has changed. The sides remain on opposite sides of the restricted free agent street right now. I know that other outlets reported that the sides were “close” and all that, but it’s just not true. The sides are talking. And they’ll be back at it this week. Anyone that sees an end in sight has X-ray vision, because I wouldn’t be surprised if things lasted deep into next month. Look back at the Hawks’ dealings with many of their own players in the past (I know Mike Bibby and Zaza coming back as quickly as they did had you juiced but that was out of the ordinary for the Hawks). It usually takes time, especially for restricted free agents.
JEFF TEAGUE is going to make a lot of people forget about the disappointing saga that was Acie Law IV’s tenure with the Hawks. Teague did more than just turn heads during the Hawks’ mini-camp last week. He sparked conversation about point guard play I hadn’t heard in my time covering the Hawks before last week. “He did some things as a young point guard that we hadn’t seen on our practice floor since Chris Paul and Deron Williams were here for predraft workouts,” one Hawks assistant coach told me last week. That’s as strong a statement as I’ve heard from anyone in the Hawks’ camp regarding a young point guard. While they all agree that Teague has plenty of polish that can be applied to his game, there is no debate about who or what the Hawks expect him to become. “I can’t wait to see him in training camp,” Randolph Morris said. “I think he’s going to give people fits with his quickness and his ability to get to the rim whenever he wants to. That’s going to be fun to watch.”
OBSERVATIONS ABOUT A FEW OTHER GUYS that stood out (for various reasons) during mini-camp:
- Othello Hunter was more impressive than any other player in camp, after Teague. His range on his jumper has improved dramatically. But we all know that his chance at making a dent in the Hawks’ roster and playing rotation depends on his ability rebound, defend and provide the hustle plays required of frontcourt journeymen in the NBA. The improved shot is an added bonus. I’d have him locked up on a two-year deal right now. If he keeps improving, someone is going to get a steal.
- Garret Siler’s stock with fans and media types can’t get much higher. He’s become something of a phenomenon around these parts, thanks to some serious hype and the big fella backing it up with strong performances in the Las Vegas summer league and last week. Siler’s raw and would be a super-sized Lunchable for superstars like Dwight Howard, Shaq and Pau Gasol, not to mention brutes like Kendrick Perkins and Brook Lopez. I know you want to believe that he’s the he’s the answer to the Hawks’ big-man problems … but that would mean all 30 teams missed on the guy, twice for some teams, on draft night.
- Randolph Morris has shed the kind of weight all of us “bigger” guys would love to be able to shed. And he did it organically, which makes it particularly impressive. He had his moments during mini-camp but I’m not sure he blew anyone (in charge) away with the work he did. I don’t know what he has to do to make a move up the Hawks’ rotational food chain, though he is under contract for this season, which has to help. But the fact is, even with all the work Morris has done, the Hawks are still hunting reserve bigs.
- Frank Robinson did it again. He showed up. Played his guts out, literally. And his reward, like that of most guys in his predicament, will probably be an invite to training camp. Robinson is the kind of guy that will always make training camp interesting because he’s fearless and is skilled enough to make you wonder why he’s not on someone’s NBA team? He won’t make the Hawks’ roster this season. But I certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the middle of the action during training camp.
- Yoroslav Korolev was supposed to be a bust. When he crashed and burned with the Los Angeles Clippers (they made him the 12th pick of the 2005 draft), he joined the ranks of Darko Milicic, Nickoloz Tskitishvili and Fran Vasquez on the list of worst ever Euro-lottery busts. Korolev was just a kid when the Clippers drafted him but he looked grown up last week. He was much better than I expected him to be and showed off a nice shooting touch from long distance. He’d be worth keeping an eye on for the future.
- Brian Hamilton surprised me as much or more than any player in camp. I honestly wasn’t aware of him at all before last week. But mini-camp is a showcase for under the radar players like Hamilton, a smooth 6-6 swingman that impressed on both ends of the floor. His defense is what made him stand out. Yet he showed plenty of offensive ability and a nose for the ball on both ends of the floor that would make Mario West jealous. He’s another guy that will surely be in someone’s training camp pushing someone under contract to the limit.
Those were just some of the guys that made lasting impressions on me. Hawks coach Mike Woodson remarked several times that it was by far the best (rookie/free-agent) camp conducted during his tenure with the Hawks and I have to agree that it was the best I’ve seen in my time dealing with the Hawks (I missed his first one, when Josh Smith and Josh Childress were rookies). But there wasn’t a single player in town last week that didn’t belong on that floor.
IN CLOSING, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give my man Solomon “Solo” Jones a proper send off here. One of the truly unique characters to grace us with his presence the past three years, Jones is moving on this week to a two-year deal with the Indiana Pacers. Solo is moving on at a time when the Hawks could use a big or two like him, which makes his departure for Indiana all the more perplexing. After all, he was a restricted free agent, due close to a $1 million if he had signed his qualifying offer (the QO was rescinded so he would be allowed to sign with the Pacers without any interruption). I needed an explanation and Solo provided one last week. “The Hawks kept it real with me,” he said. “They told me that my role was going to be pretty much the same as it was last year, and that I wouldn’t have a chance to move up and get more time unless somebody got hurt like last year. And I realize that’s just the way it’s going to be with Josh and Al [Horford] and Zaza already in place. It’s cool. I get a chance to go somewhere else and try and start over and see if there’s a chance to have a bigger role. The Pacers want me up there right away to get to work and that’s a good thing. I’m looking forward to the opportunity. But I appreciate the Hawks keeping it straight with me and not trying to sell me something that they couldn’t deliver in terms of playing time and opportunity.”
If it’s good enough for Solo, it’s good enough for me.
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712 comments Add your comment
PULLED HAMMY
July 29th, 2009
8:12 pm
JOE SMITH IS PROBABLY WAITING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH LAMAR ODOM. IF HE CHOOSES TO LEAVE THE LAKERS (BAD MOVE ON HIS BEHALF), YOU CAN EXPECT THE LAKERS TO HAVE SOME INTEREST IN JOE SMITH AS A BIG TO COME OFF THE BENCH. IMO I THINK JOE IS PLAYING THE WAITING GAME.
Mystikal
July 29th, 2009
8:13 pm
Hey Daniel,
I don’t believe the raptors getting turkoglue will make them much better. I think they may have become even softer if that’s possible. And with Orlando, I’d say they are definitely more talented than last year, but the chemistry issues and re-doing the offense to fit their personel could do them in. They lost that extra ball-handler playmaker on the floor in Turkoglu. Dwight isn’t used to sharing the post with anyone (Bass). Vince has never played with a true big man, period. They took a big gamble and they have a good coach in Van Gundy, but have their work cut out.
Anakin Joe
July 29th, 2009
8:15 pm
If the 5 years for $40M is true, that is a great contract for the Hawks. I wonder how low the salary for next year could be… in other words, how much budget does Sund have remaining that he and Woody and Gearon can use to complete the roster.
Rod from College Park
July 29th, 2009
8:22 pm
It’s funny how you both show up everytime I post. (MJ3/Stating the Obvious). Stalking another dude is not cool. Once again I don’t like men, so neither of you would have any luck this way. By the way Eat a D@#*. No Homo.
Stating the Obvious
July 29th, 2009
8:52 pm
LOL! A bit full of yrself there, Rod? There’s plenty of Stating the Obvious around when you’re not posting, Sam. But you (or is it “y’all,” i dont know how to address someone with a split persona?) ARE the easiest target around here.
A Tribe Called Quest
July 29th, 2009
9:25 pm
THE SPURS HAVE ADDED DREW GOODEN, RICHARD JEFFERSON, RATLIFF, AND MCDYESS IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS. THAT’S 4 SOLID VETERANS WHO ANY TEAM IN THE WORLD WOULD LOVE TO HAVE
THAT SHOWS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS JOE BLOW SPORTS TOWN OF MONEY-STINGY PIGS (ASG) AND TEAMS THAT ACTUALLY WANT TO WIN
READ THIS POST AGAIN
THE SPURS HAVE GOTTEN 4 BONA FIDE VETERANS AND SPENT MONEY
THIS TEAM FREAKING SUCKS. WE WAIT 4 WEEKS TO GIVE MARVIN THE MOST FREAKING OBVIOUS DEAL IN THE WORLD
A Tribe Called Quest
July 29th, 2009
9:25 pm
MY BAD, GOODEN WENT TO DALLAS….BUT STILL
Flappin' Hawk
July 29th, 2009
9:30 pm
AJC needs to get real. Sekou is the best thing going for this website and you can’t even find his blog without searching all over the place. The kid needs to be featured ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE SPORTS SECTION…WITH HIS PICTURE! All due respect to the other sports writers, but Sekou is actually funny, informative, creative, and knows how to cultivate a rowdy cadre of B-ball nuts into a semi-intelligent group of dudes. I darn well know this whole blog agrees.
PUT SEKOU ON THE FIRST PAGE, PLEASE!
JSS
July 29th, 2009
9:43 pm
Deep, To paraphrase Chris Rock: “the Hawkblog ain’t gonna whip your (explicit) when you’re sick!!!” Man is on VACATION… This blog is cute, and the info here is supposition except when he chimes in… Now, if he puts it in article when he has a solid, great!!! But he doesn’t need to feed us like a bunch of two year olds in a high chair… His wife has been cool, I’ve seen men jettisoned and left paying alimony for less… Let some of those sorry columnist pick-up the slack like he did when that dead weight race baiter did when he went to Charleston for 12 glorious days of silence.
Family first Mr. Smith!!!
A Tribe Called Quest
July 29th, 2009
9:47 pm
IT’S FUNNY HOW WOODSON AND SUND ONLY MENTION MAINTAINING THE #4 SPOT AND CLOSIGN THE GAP. NOT ONCE HAVE THEY MENTIONED COMPETING WITH THE BIG 3 IN THE PLAYOFFS
WHAT MASSIVE GOALS THIS FRANCHISE HAS
A Tribe Called Quest
July 29th, 2009
9:48 pm
It took me 5 minutes to find the Blog section on ajc.com/hawks today when I got home from Deutschland. Why the hell is Mark Bradley’s stuff featured on Sekou’s home site (HAWKS!)? Why is he never on vacation like Sekou?
Flappin' Hawk
July 29th, 2009
9:52 pm
Damn right, Tribe. Keep it going!
PUT SEKOU ON THE FIRST PAGE, PLEASE!
JSS
July 29th, 2009
9:53 pm
And I have a career, not just a job, spent the last 16 months telecommuting to care for my elderly mother.. And my boss has never complained one day… First thing they told me after congratulations you’re hired, it is family first, your job is 2nd…
cheese
July 29th, 2009
9:55 pm
ratliff and mcdyess are washed up and have 1 year left in both of their careers. the spurs are old and have already passed their peak while the hawks are still on the rise. dont get me wrong the spurs are a great team but sooner rather than later they are not going to be that good. duncan and manu have missed plenty of games the past 2 years. who are the young players who is going to keep it going with san antonio?
doc
July 29th, 2009
10:26 pm
this really sets the stage for the next few years and when jj and al come to play for the bucks. jj will know there is a team around him, just dont know if there will be enough for him and to appropriately get al tied up for the long term. good move by sund, still need to get the gloves off the fingers and sign a big at premium of about 4 mil or so. tedious time now as we wait for the last few pieces to fall into place.
now will complacency set in? woody’s job to see to it that it doesnt happen and somehow organic growth continues.
Hoops
July 29th, 2009
10:34 pm
Tribe,
I hear what you are saying. I appreciate a fan that wants to win big! I really feel like the Hawks have had a really good off season up to this point!
They have:
1. Re-signed Bibby
2. Re-signed Zaza
3. Re-signed Marvin
4. Traded for Crawford by giving up two players that were useless.
5. Selected Teague, their future PG that was a steal @ #19 in the draft.
6. Traded Andersen to the Rockets for a future 2nd Rd. pick and 2M.
7. Are actively trying to sign Joe Smith for the second big off the bench.
8. Had possibly the best mini-camp in team history. Could sign several players from this camp.
9. Did all of this and they still are under the L. tax with room to sign the remaining players to fill out the roster.
I’m sorry Tribe, but I think that’s a heck of an off season!
Anakin Joe
July 29th, 2009
10:50 pm
Hoops , nice summary. But without adding a quality veteran big, it would be like watching the flight of a baseball that appears to be heading over the fence and then it hits the warning track and ends up as a double. Good, but based on the initial flight of the baseball, unsatisfying.
Mystikal
July 29th, 2009
11:04 pm
Wow, there is just no satisfying you guys. I’m wit you hoops, it has been a good off-season and it’s not done yet. Regardless how it ends, I say Sund has done his part, now up to Woody to make the pieces fit.
niremetal
July 29th, 2009
11:09 pm
Co-sign Hoops. I’d really, reallly like to see us add another vet big man (and I bet we will before training camp starts), but even if we don’t, we’re already a significantly improved team compared to six weeks ago. We addressed one of our two biggest weaknesses this offseason by getting someone to take offensive pressure off Joe, drafted a backup PG that Woody actually sounds like he’ll give a chance to play, and didn’t lose any of our “Big 3″ free agents, which is quite an accomplishment in an offseason where the free agent market was DAMNED thin.
Keep in mind that most sources had Zaza and Bibby were listed as one of the top 2-3 free agents at their respective positions going into the offseason, and they were unrestricted. To get them back at a good price, re-sign Marvin at basically his QO, upgrade the bench, and add someone who will FINALLY allow us to stop running Joe into the ground all before the end of July…looks pretty good to me.
The Hawks will be the preseason #4 in the East (I’d put them at #3 personally, because I think the Vinsanity experiment in Orlando will be a complete catastrophe, but that’s just me). None of the teams ranked 5-10 have addressed their needs like the Hawks have. Sure, it would be nice for the Hawks to get a backup PF to be the 9th or 10th guy off the bench and add depth for when injuries happen, but I think that any objective analysis of this offseason has to show that the Hawks moved themselves closer to #3 than to #5.
Hoops
July 29th, 2009
11:19 pm
Alright guys. The Hawks have $62,923,463.00 committed to salary for 10 players. They have over 6.9M left to stay under the L. tax. They have their full MLE and biannual. They will probably sign two or three players from mini camp (Siler, Hunter, Korolev would be my favorites) for 1M each. That leaves 3.9M or 4.9M to sign one or two FA’s. Who do we sign?
Flip Murray, Joe Smith, Gerald Green, Hakim Warrick, Big Baby, Ramon Sessions & Mario West are probably the best possibilies for the money we have left. Who do you want?
Hoops
July 29th, 2009
11:27 pm
I forgot one other possibility. Leon Powe could be a steal, but would also be a gamble as he will not be healthy until Jan-Feb. Could be signed on the cheap I would think.
Melvin
July 29th, 2009
11:36 pm
Hoops, I like your list except for Hunter. Drop him and put his money towards Ryan Hollins. So I say we sign Joe Smith, Ryan Hollins, Siler and Korolev/Gerald Green/Rodney Carney…
Melvin
July 29th, 2009
11:40 pm
“The Hawks are believed to have offered a contract worth $37.5 million over five seasons, with incentives that could push the package as high as $40 million.”
Less than $40 mil makes his deal even better for the Hawks….
Wabe
July 29th, 2009
11:40 pm
Won’t lie, been neglecting my Hawks a bit in a slowmoving offseason. But just heard about the Marvin Williams signing, and am actually pleased to see they resigned him longterm. However, if that $40 million figure is right, I do feel it’s just a tad bit pricy. I would think if they were gonna sign him longterm, they’d get a bit of a discount, but they gave him the max that I figured Marvin could command (around 8 mil a year).
Don’t know what the rest of yall think bout that. Don’t think it’s drastically overpaying for him, just figured they could get that number down to maybe 6.5-7 mil if they pursued a longterm deal w/him. Maybe I was just a bit dillusional.
Overall, I’m happy they didn’t just throw him the QO and got the longterm deal taken care of. We’ll have JJ and Horford to take care of in the next offseason and will also be working with a tighter cap. Good to get things out the way.
And I’m with Hoops, we haven’t made a huge splash when it comes to FA, but we’ve had a really good offseason to this point, and I’d have to say I’m excited to get this upcoming season going.
KevinA
July 29th, 2009
11:42 pm
Great day for the Hawks. The deal seems fairly valued and with continued improvement Marvin at 8 million will look like a bargin in the future. Our “core of young studs” are in the fold and the search of their true potential will continue.
Now the arguement over JJ and how much he is worth can begin. Lets offer him 48 million over 4 years with incintives like: $1 mil for an adding an assist per game and $1 mil for a FG% of .450
darrell starks
July 29th, 2009
11:50 pm
Alright im happy a liitle bit by the sign of marvin now lets improve this team to championship level and please do not sign no joe smith.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
niremetal
July 29th, 2009
11:51 pm
Kevin,
There is absolutely, positively no way that JJ would accept a paycut like that since he could EASILY get 5 years/$80M on the open market. Honestly, that’s the type of initial offer that could cause him to be so insulted that he’d cut off negotiations.
Like it or not, we need to pay JJ franchise money to keep him. Because there will be plenty of other teams willing to do so if we can’t.
niremetal
July 29th, 2009
11:57 pm
Don’t forget that nearly every team that strikes out on the “Big 3″ next summer will offer JJ comparable money. And some might focus on JJ from the outset in order to avoid the hyper-intense competition that there will be over LeBron and Wade. He’s not going to walk away from $30 million because he likes us. Hall of Fame players with 9-figure endorsement contracts don’t sniff at that kind of money, so JJ certainly won’t.
Mystikal
July 29th, 2009
11:58 pm
Leon Powe is a gamble I doubt ASG would take. Big Baby will cost too much. Hakim Warrick (even though I like) will command too much. Don’t really need Ramon Sessions, especially for the price. Okay, so to answer I got Joe Smith, Ryan Hollins, Korolev, and Siler. Depending on how many spots we fill and if he’s willing to take lil money I get Flip also. Was debatin between Korolev and Gerald Green, both have good size for position but neither plays defense. Korolev can shoot lights out and seems like he can still get better, so took him. I know, even for the 13, 14th guy on the bench.
darrell starks
July 30th, 2009
12:00 am
I no leon powe is injuryed and want be ready untill feb. but i say sign him and he will bring that intensity that we need plus he is a solid back up who won a nba title.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
Mystikal
July 30th, 2009
12:04 am
Again to see about the off-season, we may not have made a big splash in the market like some teams, but that can be a good thing. You don’t want to overpay for subpar talent just cause it’s available. We know you have to overpay for big men in this league. Charlie Villanueva, Anderson Varejeo, Paul Millsap, Turkoglu, and even Drew Gooden are all good examples. Hawks were smart with their money and didn’t make any big contracts we are going to regret down the road. And to lock up as many people as we now have and still stay under luxury cap is very impressive.
darrell starks
July 30th, 2009
12:08 am
ATLANTA HAWKS 2009
STARTER BIBBY, JOE, MARVIN, JOSH, HORFORD
BENCH FLIP, CRAWFORD, MOE, LEON POWE, ZAZA
RESEVE TEAGUE, MORRIS, OR SILER.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
Mystikal
July 30th, 2009
12:13 am
WHO’S IT GONNA BE? PICK YOUR FOUR, PLACE YOUR BETS:
Joe SMith 6′10 225
Ryan Hollins 7′0 240
Glenn Davis 6′9 280
Hakim Warrick 6′9 225
Gerald Green 6′8 220
Rodney Carney 6′7 210
Garret Siler 6′11 300
Othello Hunder 6′8 225
Keyro Korolev 6′9 214
Flip Murray 6′3 200
Mario West 6′5 205
niremetal
July 30th, 2009
12:22 am
In Soviet Russia, Murray Flip YOU!
niremetal
July 30th, 2009
1:26 am
I’m shopping for apartment decorations and was looking for a wall poster. I came across this:
http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Shelden-Williams-Posters_i2064115_.htm
hawkeye
July 30th, 2009
1:31 am
TRADE MAURICE EVANS FOR A DECENT BIG THEN BRING BACK FLIP!!! we already have crawford to back up joe in the 2 spot and we already have marvin to back up josh in the 3 spot and so what’s the point of having evans in the team? flip plays the 2 spot so much better than evans.
Ed
July 30th, 2009
3:20 am
Flappin’ Hawk I’m with you…I looked at the AJC sports page and went damn. Where’s Sekou? They’ve got him buried deep and listed in the most non-descript way that you’d never guess it was the Hawks blog! Anyone other than a regular would never give it a second look. He definitely needs his pic up and moved into a more prominent postition.
Ray, just wanted to make a comment about Woody and Teague. You can rest assured Teague will get far better treatment from Woody as he has highly endorsed the pick. Woody’s in his corner and will give him every chance possible to succeed.
A Tribe Called Quest
July 30th, 2009
6:40 am
EVEN IF WE GET ANOTHER BACKUP, HE IS NOT GETTING MINUTES.
DO U PEOPLE NOT REALIZE HOW MUCH HORFORD AND SMOOVE ARE OVERPLAYED? THIS IS WOODY’S CONTRACT YR. HE WANTS TO STAY HERE. HE WILL OVERPLAY OUR STARTERS, GIVE ZAZA HAS 20. THERE ARE NO MINUTES FOR ANOTHER BIG IF THIS HAPPENS
A Tribe Called Quest
July 30th, 2009
6:42 am
What the heck? I see everywhere Marvin was resigned, then there’s an official article on this site where it says the sides are “close” and that Marvin is meeting the Hawks brass next week?
Pathetic coverage
A Tribe Called Quest
July 30th, 2009
8:17 am
THE ASG TOOK 3 EXTRA WEEKS TO GIVE MARVIN THE MOST OBVIOUS CONTRACT IN THE WORLD. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT 40 MILL/8 YRS LIKE 6 MONTHS AGO. MY GOODNESS. WE HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY LOST OUT ON WILCOX, GOODEN, BASS, GORTAT, AND MCDYESS.
MORONS. AND EVEN SOLOMON JONES IS LEAVING
ant banks
July 30th, 2009
8:45 am
MAGIC FAN,
thanks for the update. i like bein’ in this position, where everyone doubts us. it has worked the past 2 seasons. i don’t see how he has us droppin’ out of the playoff race. i see us locked in 4, 5, or 6, but not out all together.
man, i don’t see how guys keep their jobs by writin’ such bs.
ILL-logical
July 30th, 2009
9:25 am
Marvin’s signing is delayed because he has to fight his way past all of the FA lining up outside Mr. Sund’s office eagerly trying to join the Hawks.
Seriously, a good move because with all of the players signed , they all can be dealt without major issues when the Woodson era ends. Players like Bibby, Marvin and Joe become less valuable to the Hawks if a new coach utilizes an offense built around the speed and athleticism.
The aforementioned players provide management with the means to acquire the suitable replacements who will fit into that type of offense
Mike is back
July 30th, 2009
9:32 am
Great news on Marvin…NOW IS THE TIME WHEN GM EARNED THEIR MONEY…were tha beef??????????
I’ll take Siler and RandMo for development…but surely you GOT a rabbit left up yourselves…Nire seems to think so…LETS SEE WHAT’S UP!!!!!!
No serious Nire yo boy Sund has done a GREAT JOB thus far…he should be commented…I don’t know about all that crap Bradley is chattering about…they normally heave that type of praise on GM that’s won rings…o well…when it’s the HAWKS…I guess be can excuse him for being a little over zealous!! Heh heh
Anakin Joe
July 30th, 2009
9:39 am
No doubt that we are better 1-7 than last year. But our 8-15 was awful last year (featuring 4 undrafted players, Speedy & Solo). I’m waiting to see how Sund addresses 8-10 because those teams at the top are easily 10-deep (if not more) and we shouldn’t be satisfied if we end this off-season with anything less than 10 ready-to-compete players.
Melvin
July 30th, 2009
9:45 am
Offer Ryan Hollins $2M with a 2nd yr team option (I don’t Dallas would match b/c they are over the cap so that means he would cost them $4M). Then give the remainder to Joe Smith on a 2yr contract. Sign Siler and Korolev to minimum deals…
Hoops
July 30th, 2009
9:58 am
Mystikal,
I’ll play.
Well, we have 6.9M to spend on 3-5 players. We have the MLE and the biannual left. I guess I would do this:
1. Offer Flip the biannual (1.9M). If he accepts, great! If not, then move on. It just concerns me that we don’t have a PG if Bibby or Teague were to get injuried. I know that JJ and Crawford can play there some, but that takes away from other areas. (5M left)
2. Save 2M to sign two players from training camp @ 1M each. Probably Siler and Hunter/Korolev would be my guess. I like allowing those end of the bench players being able to earn their contract! I think it helps your chemistry. (3M left)
3. Offer Warrick, Joe Smith, and Big Baby, in that order, 3M for the other post position. If I could not get either to sign for 3M, then go up to 4M. If it took 4M to sign one of these three players, then I would only sign one player from training camp. Probably Siler. If none of those three will sign, then offer Hollins 2M and sign 2 players from training camp.
That’s my plan.
kwooden1
July 30th, 2009
10:19 am
I’m still waiting on Smith to really feel good about this summer. We missed on some guys, but overall I think those guys went to situations that were better for them. I think Smith would be a very good acquisition because of his length, experience and shooting ability. Woody loves Vets, so I’m sure he would get 15-20 mins a game. Hollins is a nice player also, but I’m not sure how Woody would treat him.
GO HAWKS!!
niremetal
July 30th, 2009
10:37 am
Anakin,
1-7? Who aren’t you counting out of Bibby, JJ, Marvin, Josh, Horford, Crawford, Zaza, Mo, and Teague?
Melvin
July 30th, 2009
11:02 am
Anakin,
Teams that want to win and compete spend money. Case in point, the Raps. They didn’t even made the playoffs last year but they are willing to spend the money. Stop being cheap dude. Set your goals higher…
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Ap6NgvmF1WLCXB6h5O2I64i8vLYF?slug=aw-belinelli072909&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
newkid
July 30th, 2009
11:11 am
With the quite reasonable contracts executed with Bibby and Zaza, the pending very reasonable ~$38M over 5 years for Marvin, Crawford and Evans coming off the books after the ‘10 – ‘11 season, Sund could be setting up for a run at TWO major free agents in ‘10, and a reasonable re-signing of Horford to boot (using money from Crawford’s expiring). Could we possibly see JJ and Bosh (sign and trade) inked to Hawks deals next summer? Might it be within the realm of possibility to re-add Chills to this group next summer? If it’s clear that we’re loading up for a series of championship runs, might it not be possible that Crawford would wish to re-sign for ~$3M after he expires?
With the aging of Boston and Cleveland (Shaq & Z) in the east, could Sund and the ASG have their eyes on a series of championship runs starting with the ‘10/’11 season? Sure appears as if he’s putting the team in a financial and personnel position to do so.