Once again it’s on!
Josh Smith (left), Al Horford and Zaza Pachulia (not pictured) need some help in the Hawks' frontcourt, now not later. The Help Wanted sign has been up for months.
HAWKSVILLE - You disappear for 10 days (or at least try), and you expect things to change a little bit.
And they did, in many places.
Lamar Odom finally rejoined the Los Angeles Lakers, making them the odds on favorite to defend their title with both he and Ron Artest in the mix with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.
Tyson Chandler (Charlotte) and Emeka Okafor (New Orleans) traded places, each giving their new teams an interesting jolt as well as some financial flexibility (now for the luxury tax-strapped Hornets and in two years for the on-the-market Bobcats). It’s hard to tell who made out better, though pundits from both cities – John DeShazier in the Big Easy and Scott Fowler in Charlotte – are claiming victory, proof that there bi-partisan punditry extends all the way to the NBA.
Hakim Warrick was tossed aside by Memphis and picked up by Milwaukee in a matter of days, and in a somewhat similar move (both players had their qualifying offers rescinded, allowing them to become unrestricted free agents immediately) Solomon Jones left the nest for a two-year deal with the Indiana Pacers.
About the only place where things have stayed the same is here, in the ‘Ville.
Marvin Williams still hasn’t signed a new deal (though, I suspect that will be rectified before week’s end). Joe Smith is still a free agent (the longer he stays that way, the tougher it will be for the Hawks to land him because the competition will grow). There is still so much time for things to take shape between now and training camp, so I’m sensitive about sounding the panic alarm too soon. But if Josh Smith, Al Horford and Zaza Pachulia put a help wanted sign between now and then, it should be understood. They need some help (for the millionth time this summer). And they need it as soon as possible. Horford and I had a conversation about that a few weeks back on the practice court at Philips Arena, our gabbing interrupting his workout with Hawks assistant coach Ty Hill. Horford knows that the more help they have the better chance they have of being fresh and injury free come playoff time, and I’m sure you remember what the Hawks looked like last year on wounded knee, ankle and hamstring and back and everything else in that Cleveland series.
A simple but sobering two-line email from my main man Stoned Mountain this morning reminded me that I was officially back on the clock:
What have we done to shore up the frontcourt? We figure to get shoved around by everybody but Miami.
That’s probably a tad harsh. By keeping everyone but Flip Murray (and Solo) from the main playing rotation last year while also adding Jamal Crawford and Jeff Teague, certainly keeps the Hawks among the Eastern Conference’s playoff crew. Holding down that fourth spot, however, would appear to be a tougher call. With Toronto, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Miami, Washington and Charlotte all gunning for the Hawks’ spot, things could get sticky.
My main man DH, a Sixers loyalist, think I’m being a bit presumptuous to assume that the pack has caught up to the Hawks:
Who do you think they’ll be fighting with for that 4th spot? Philly didn’t get better. Chicago didn’t get better. Miami didn’t get better. Toronto got a little better, but still isn’t as good as the Hawks … remember we’re talking about them holding onto the 4th spot, not challenging for the No. 1 spot. The additions of Crawford and Teague and the re-signings of Bibby, Marvin and yes, Zaza, are better than what any of the teams you mention (above) did. So yes, I see the Hawks as better than all of those teams, just as they were last year.
Really? Does it look that good to you? The cynic in me (yeah, Blog Z is preparing for a pre-training camp return, once the Hawks finalize the roster) doesn’t allow for that sort of positive rhetoric this time of year. I see the Hawks’ road to maintaining being much tougher than it appears to some. What say you (and I’ll try my best to answer any lingering questions you’ve had since we last went at it)?
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168 comments Add your comment
tiggio
August 3rd, 2009
12:25 pm
1st
macaroni tony
August 3rd, 2009
12:25 pm
dang 2nd
Hawktalker89
August 3rd, 2009
12:27 pm
What are the chances the Hawks get a big man besides Joe Smith like Johan Petro?
Sekou Smith
August 3rd, 2009
12:32 pm
At this point Hawktalker, I’m thinking 50-50. When this much time passes it makes me nervous. The Hawks ventured off the reservation to recruit Joe Smith and haven’t gotten a commitment. That’s not a good sign. Petro would be a solid addition but hardly the kind of piece to get folks riled up around here.
macaroni tony
August 3rd, 2009
12:35 pm
Is there anyone (a big) that’s on the Hawks radar besides Joe Smith. And what do you think Siler would do us or Timberwolves?
Sekou Smith
August 3rd, 2009
12:45 pm
There are others tony, but not the big names that you’ve seen fly off the board in recent weeks. Siler is a project wherever he goes. He’s not going to join a team and instantly upgrade your depth just because he’s huge. The Hawks need a game-ready addition and not necessarily another project. That’s why Joe Smith makes so much sense.
A Tribe Called Quest
August 3rd, 2009
12:49 pm
THIS TEAM IS SET UP FOR FAILURE. YOU HAVE CLEVELAND (PATHETIC CITY) GOING AFTER EVERY SINGLE PLAYER AVAILABLE. WE SIGN 2 PLAYERS WHO WERE OURS, TRADE TRASH FOR A CAREER LOSING GUARDM AND DRAFT AN EXACT CARBON COPY OF ACIE LAW. AND THE OWNERS WILL NOT GO INTO THE LUXURY TAX
PATHETIC
macaroni tony
August 3rd, 2009
12:52 pm
Sekou,
I understand, because that means that we’ll pickup someone. The roster will be finally soon.
A Tribe Called Quest
August 3rd, 2009
12:53 pm
WHATEVER BIG WE SIGN WILL GET NO MINUTES UNDER WOODSON. HE WILL OVERPLAY HORFORD AND SMOOVE MORE THAN HE ALREADY DOES BECAUSE HE’S IN A CONTRACT YEAR. ZAZA WILL STRUGGLE TO GET 20 MIN. SO WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE JOE SMITH?
mountain_jim
August 3rd, 2009
12:53 pm
Hope your time away was great for you, Sekou. Do you think the Hawks / Sund are being cheap with Joe Smith, or are there other reasons he has not come onboard here?
Ramon
August 3rd, 2009
12:59 pm
Sekou, why does this team remind me of the Wizards squad from a while back. Where they could compete with any one in the first quarter, and beginning of third quarter. This roster seems to be destined for -6 point swings in the 2nd quarters of every game. Crawford, Teague, and even possibly Flip may be very good off the bench, and explosive together. But when you’re coming off the bench, and the opposing team is already in the penalty, because your front line had no depth. What can you really do? Hard to get a good shooting rhythm when ever 40 seconds, play is stopped because of another front court foul. Fatigue in the front court always leads to more fouls and less rebounds. And if anything, the Hawks should have learned that the fouls and rebounds is what has really been their main problem.
So although the season will be just as good as last year, in substance there will be no improvement. But I will say though I am loving this attitude by the Hawks players. You can easily tell that all of them are now expecting to be in the playoffs, and fighting for a good spot. They’re not just hoping they make it. They’re entire attitude has changed this off season, and that is wonderful.
hawksfan
August 3rd, 2009
1:00 pm
Sekou,
I hope you enjoyed your vacation! Since the Hawks are going to keep playing Horford at the 5 spot and Smoove at the 4 spot for the time being, what player do you think will be the difference maker for the Hawks to make it to elite status?
N-trigue
August 3rd, 2009
1:01 pm
Sekou
Does it look like we will sign Siler? And what about us getting someone like Gerald Green do you think the Hawks are interested in him?
Ariose
August 3rd, 2009
1:01 pm
From the previous Blog:
AJ, I know lol. I was specefically referring to my realization that Flip may not be signed because Rick Sund knows that Woodson will not give Teague the minutes he needs to develop. Then again, that may not be the case, but I would think that Sund would try to clear the easiest path possible for his heralded draft pick to the court and playing time. That’s all i’m speculating about. If it’s true, it’s not BAD, I mean, we still have Bibby, JJ, and Crawford.
Nire, what you’re saying makes a lot of sense. That roster spot could be used for something much more important, like a big man. As far as Flip being an insurance policy, I agree, but you know flips the highest quality you can get; especially for the price. He’s more like bailout insurance you Know, for when our jumpshooters go cold(JJ, Crawford, Bibby).
Like Truth said, If we get an injury to Bibby, you’re taking a risk only having teague to back him up. We also don’t know about Teague defense, specefically against Bigger guards who like to work in the post (Billups, Miller, Kidd etc.) Reallly flip was the only guard who dealt with that stuff well.
Now I had forgotten all about Mo lol. I wish he was two or three inches taller taller so this wouldn’t be an issue heh. I agree with you though, It doesn’t make sense to bring Flip back…..then again, it does make sense. Either way it’s not that big of a deal because our main problem right now is the frontline. Thats what really needs to be addressed.
Nire, You must be talking about the Autobiography that came out in 2008. I haven’t read it, buy if you think it’s good I might have to get my hands on a copy
Yeah that Diss track was vicious lol. I bet Mariah wishes she never released this video lol! Some things just aren’t worth it heheheh, she was fighting fire with fire. She should’ve seen this coming as clear as a freight train lol!
Ramon
August 3rd, 2009
1:02 pm
Sekou, speaking of front court depths, in your days, what would you say is the deepest front court you’ve witnessed in your time as a writer? I’d probably the Blazers had the best overall front court depth that I’ve seen. When you think of Wallace, Davis, Kemp, Sabonas, O’Neal (although he didn’t play- bet they wish they could do that over, and we complain about Diaw lol), and Pippen.
terrell barron
August 3rd, 2009
1:04 pm
Tyronne freakin Hill teaching Horford?? What a joke!
terrell barron
August 3rd, 2009
1:05 pm
Do you guys want a cookie or something for being 1st or 2nd? Hilarious!
niremetal
August 3rd, 2009
1:06 pm
I say that Blog Z needs to sober up if he thinks the Wizards are going to challenge for anything but beating out the Knicks for 15th in the East
.
I’ve said it before – the East is still the East. The Top 3 have made big, risky moves. But everyone behind the Hawks has failed to improve, I think. I won’t address the Knicks, Nets, Bucks, or Pacers, who pretty much everyone agrees are in the early stages of rebuilding. Here’s the rest.
1) The Wizards have no frontcourt whatsoever. They will be horrible. I don’t exaggerate when I say that they’ll be lucky to win 25 games unless they manage to trade for a legit big, and I just don’t see that happening in the current climate where teams cling onto rotation bigs like there’s no tomorrow.
2) The Raptors traded Marion for Hedo, who won’t be nearly as effective outside SVG’s offense.
3) The Heat have added no one and lost Jamario.
4) The Sixers devolved by trading away their only semblance of frontcourt toughness and by letting Andre Miller go for nothing. And I still don’t see how Elton Brand fits in to that offense. And as I’ve said before – people are going to be in for a very rude awakening if they think Lou Williams can be a starting PG for a decent team (Royal Ivey usually initiated the offense when he was on the floor with Lou – that should tell you something).
5) The Bobcats are intriguing and have Larry Brown, but they are still miles away in terms of talent (especially now that they dumped Okafor for Chandler).
6) The Pistons continued their trend of making head-scratching moves – I don’t think that Gordon and Villanueva push them higher along with the losses of Iverson and Rasheed. I admit AI and Sheed didn’t give them much, but I also don’t think those moves made them better – did they really need a combo guard and a big forward who doesn’t play defense?
7) The Bulls are young and will improve from that, but it’s an open question whether they compensate for what Ben Gordon gave them in his contract year. Still, if there’s a team that can overtake the Hawks for #4, it’s the Bulls.
The Hawks added Teague and Crawford (so far) while losing Flip, Acie, Solo, and Speedy. I agree that it would be good to add another frontcourt player, but we won 47 games with our still VERY young frontcourt last year. Al, Zaza, and Josh will all be a year older this year. Add to that the fact that now we FINALLY have a second scoring threat to take pressure off Joe (as well as a young PG and successor to Bibby that Woody actually sounds like he’ll play), and it’s tough to say with a straight face that the Hawks haven’t improved.
I agree with DH – if we’re talking about challenging for the #1 seed, I don’t think the Hawks are there yet. But holding down the #4 seed? I honestly think it’s tough to argue that the Hawks have done anything but distance themselves from the pack.
Anakin Joe
August 3rd, 2009
1:06 pm
Sekou, welcome back. We needed a new blog like the metro Atlanta needs a water-hole. Any chance (I’m trying to find a way to be optimistic) that the hold-up with Joe Smith is regarding contract terms (like contract length)? It would appear that the market for Smith should be extremely soft this late into the summer. We’re probably the only playoff team without a single back-up forward (sorry Mo is a guard).
Anakin Joe
August 3rd, 2009
1:10 pm
nire said “did they really need a combo guard who doesn’t play defense”? Oh, never mind.
ILL-logical
August 3rd, 2009
1:11 pm
Essentially the Hawks are on the horns of a dilemma; on the one hand they have a coach under contract whose”system” does not favor scoring opportunities for the frontcourt yet the team is trying to bolster that position while allocating a majority of the playing time to their young and up and coming stars. How do you get a quality frontcourt player to accept that scenario? Oh, and did I mention that the coach is on his last year of his contract and may not be retained? To many factors here that argue against a solid front court player joining this team.
Limited playing time and even more limited offensive opportunities ; a player has to see what’s in the deal for him and a first blush, not very much.
niremetal
August 3rd, 2009
1:13 pm
PS – I honestly think that the Wiz would have been better off holding on to that draft pick and taking Jordan Hill, and then doing the trade that the Wolves pulled off – Etan Thomas for Damien Wilkins. That made much more sense than trading their entire damned frontcourt plus the #5 pick in exchange for two superfluous perimeter players who will just be taking minutes away from Nick Young and forcing Jamison to play even more minutes at PF.
I’m just glad I won’t “have” to watch the Wiz every game this year…
niremetal
August 3rd, 2009
1:15 pm
Anakin,
Once again, you fail to recognize how players address team needs. The Hawks had a need for a volume scorer who could draw defenders and take pressure off JJ. The Pistons didn’t really have any need for a shoot-first combo guard – as was evident last year when Allen Iverson was an utter failure playing alongside Stuckey.
Anakin Joe
August 3rd, 2009
1:17 pm
ILL, or, a veteran like Joe Smith could say “Woody has utilized players like Childress, Flip, Zaza and Mo off the bench so I know that he will find a way for me to contribute to the team’s success”. Plus, we ain’t got no back-up forward MAN.
Anakin Joe
August 3rd, 2009
1:24 pm
nire, I agree with you. I absolutely cannot recognize the Hawks need for a volume scorer. We have reach violent agreement.
Ariose
August 3rd, 2009
1:29 pm
TB, I agree WHO WANTS COOKIES? ahahahaha!!!!
Oh my Goodness! Did you guys see this on the news? What’s the world coming to man. This is just getting out of hand! Now we’re resorting to such violent displays of thuggery like this?
Steve Brown
August 3rd, 2009
1:35 pm
I just don’t get the lack of interest in Flip. His play last year seemed like one of the keys to our success. What am I missing?
d-train
August 3rd, 2009
1:41 pm
Sekou, since the hawks are weak up front could we enhance our strength (speed) by acquiring Nate Robinson. Thinking outside the box, the change from 1st team to 2nd team would be impossible to stop. Zaza, Nate, Teague, Crawford and a PF (Marvin/Smith/Hartford) would be an fast break tornado.
Nate can be had after the Session’s deal is complete. If we can’t beat them on the boards beat them on the Break.
Neither Orlando, Boston or Cleveland can game plan for that second team.
Ariose
August 3rd, 2009
1:41 pm
…..wait, I still wanna be 1st lol……
BrittishAnger
August 3rd, 2009
1:56 pm
Sekou, I’ll agree with you that Siler is gonna be a big-man project to get him into the right mold to really contribute to pushing ourselves forward rather than merely maintaining position, but you’ve got to agree that a lot of the players who would have done what you’re talking about have already gone on to other teams. We’re looking at thin broth in this frontcourt soup of ours, and while securing a veteran front court player would provide some intelligence and depth to meander, I would just as soon put him under contract and put up an insurance policy for Randolph Morris’ possible departure. Most of the moves we’ve made are insurance buys; keep Bibby in case Teague flunks out, trade for Jamal Crawford in case JJ negotiations become bogged down or even go kerplunk (Zaza is just a heart of the city resigning, so ignore him). While economically ASG nor the hawks are looking to fill themselves to capacity, it would make things simpler to deal with if we took on another rookie under that premise of shoring up our current and possibly future weaknesses and looking to keep a strong frame to grow with. He’s bankable insurance, and could very well provide some additional depth to consider when the time comes to it; it’s just a good move that wouldn’t cost us anything serious to refine. Low risk, low cost, good insurance to maintain depth even in the face of injuries. Insurance Sekou, insurance…..
UGA
August 3rd, 2009
2:11 pm
Sekou,
Welcome back.
I have a question, I really would love for Joe Smith to be here, but I’m getting worried.
IF we do not get him, is there a BIG available would could trade for? I’m thinking Darius Songalia from the T-wolves or Kurt Thomas from the Bucks. Both teams seem to be cutting money and one of them may be a good fit. I also like many on here am curious about the status of Ryan Hollins from the Mavs.
Hoops
August 3rd, 2009
2:20 pm
Hollins signs an offer sheet from the Timberwolves.
Kleiza may be available. The Nuggets don’t seem interested in re-signing him. He could be the Hawks backup PG.
Hoops
August 3rd, 2009
2:20 pm
Sorry, I meant PF on Kleiza.
Anakin Joe
August 3rd, 2009
2:26 pm
Sekou, what’s up with the blog picture that features Mikki Moore? You couldn’t find one with Michael Ruffin?
Sekou Smith
August 3rd, 2009
2:33 pm
First off, I’m glad to be back. Vacation is the ish. I had forgotten after so long without a real one. Got a couple more breaks coming before training camp, too, which brings a
to my face. Ha.
Deepest frontcourt rotations I can remember in my days covering the league Ramon, good question … I agree, that Portland crew when they had Rasheed Wallace, Brian Grant and Sabonis starting and enough depth that a young Jermaine O’Neal could barely get any significant playing time was super sick. As you’ll remember that team’s chance at a title went up in smoke a year or two later against the Lakers. The Pistons had a nice rotation a few years back on that title team when the sum of their parts was better than any single individual. Those two in particular struck me as being deep with quality depth. It seems tougher in today’s game when only go four or five guys deep and the fifth is usually a project. It’s tougher to find the right backup pieces more than anything. You have to find vets or youngsters talented enough to play serious minutes if needed but serious enough about their role as a backup to play limited minutes without making a stink. One of the hardest jobs in the league if you ask me. Josh Boone is the poster child for this movement. He’s the perfect guy for that kind of role. Channing Frye strikes me as a similar type guy.
Nire, is so down on the Wizards it’s hilarious. I honestly believe that when they’re healthier than they’ve been since Arenas went down that they’re a formidable group to deal with. They’re obviously not championship timber, but certainly playoff caliber at full strength. And I think the rest of the East is much better than the way you described them. You just never know. Remember how people viewed the Hawks this time a year ago? They thought the playoff run against Boston was a fluke. Didn’t think the Hawks would sniff the playoffs again. You just never know.
I don’t want to be the anti-Siler guy around here, because I think he’d be an ideal fit on the end of the Hawks’ bench. I just fear that people would expect much more than the big fella could deliver this season.
Nate Robinson, huh? Interesting idea d-train, but I don’t think that helps the Hawks hold their ground. They’re plenty good enough to deal with everyone they face. The reason they need the help up front is because of the rigors that the 82-game season can take on a roster by playoff time. Can you imagine if Zaza had been hurt last year during the playoffs? That would have left Josh Smith as the Hawks’ only frontcourt regular healthy enough to deal with the Heat and then the Cavaliers. That’s just not going to get it, not with Boston and Orlando and the Cavaliers all stocked up front.
I’m with you on Flip being one of the keys last season, Steve Brown. The hangup here is minutes. There are none with Crawford and Teague on board. Flip was simply the odd man out.
mountain_jim, I don’t think the Hawks are necessarily being cheap with Joe Smith. No one else has signed him yet so clearly he’s not getting the kind of offers that make him want to end it. If the Hawks wanted to lock him up, though, they could easily sweeten whatever deal is being offered. So it’s a matter of outbidding yourself at this point.
Sekou Smith
August 3rd, 2009
2:35 pm
I was just trying to make sure Josh and Al were in the picture Joe. Ha. Sorry about the filler.
As for a trade for a big, who can you move at this point for a quality big man? Take a look at the roster and point the guy(s) out that you’re going to bargain with, because I don’t see ‘em.
Anakin Joe
August 3rd, 2009
2:37 pm
How is it that Ryan Hollins, Solomon Jones, Ike Diogu, Drew Gooden, Tim Thomas and Sean May (amongst others) have signed contracts/offers but not Joe Smith? So maybe I can accept that younger teams have no interest in Smith (and vice-versa). But the Hornets aren’t in a rebuilding position. Does this mean that Smith has agreed in principle on something and is just waiting for the preceding domino to fall? Does it mean that insiders have concerns about Smith? Or does it mean that the spending teams found better options and Smith is caught in an undesirable position (too good for lottery teams and the playoff teams have exhausted their budgets)? Likely the latter… time for Sund to ride to the rescue, like he did with Flip last summer.
Anakin Joe
August 3rd, 2009
2:39 pm
Sekou, whew! I thought you were trying to drop a hint.
Anakin Joe
August 3rd, 2009
2:44 pm
But if Shelden or Stromile get an offer before Joe Smith, well, then, I think it would be time to call Stephen A. We need someone with the ability to sound sufficiently outraged and he is amongst the best around these days.
Daniel
August 3rd, 2009
2:45 pm
Glad your back Sekou, we were down to rehashing Boris Diaw arguments.
Can you give us any more on Joe Smith in terms of numbers or other teams that may be interested?
You hinted at other bigs being looked at, care to drop any hints?
Daniel
August 3rd, 2009
2:46 pm
numbers being what he is asking vs. offered that sort of thing.
Melvin
August 3rd, 2009
2:51 pm
My goodness. We let Minny sign Hollins over us? What in the heck are the Hawks front office doing?????
Sekou Smith
August 3rd, 2009
2:55 pm
Logic suggests that Smith wants a multi-year deal for more than the veteran’s minimum, Daniel.
Cleveland reportedly has an interest in seeing if he’d like to fill out their rotation (which would just be sick with all the big boys they have running around, or jogging, depending on who you mention). That would be my main concern if I’m the Hawks. Listen, if you’re offering the same thing as a title contender, why would Joe Smith come here over going to a place like that? The Hawks have to come up with something to lure Joe Smith or any other vet to come here and come off the bench.
UGA
August 3rd, 2009
3:00 pm
Morris would be the only one to trade or a 2nd round pick. I guess I’m just thinking if a team wants to cut cap space, they may be willing to accept something like a Morris/2nd rounder.
Daniel
August 3rd, 2009
3:03 pm
something in the 4 mil per for 2 years?
Daniel
August 3rd, 2009
3:05 pm
Do the Cavs have the cap room to really sign him? Also, if they really wanted him and he wanted to be there the fact that he still isn’t signed says a lot more about their situation than it does with the Hawks. I mean if they are offering similar money and he wants to win a ring in Clevland(which btw will not happen) then he should be already signed. Unless you think that he is just using the Hawks as leverage.
terrell barron
August 3rd, 2009
3:06 pm
D-train, it’s Horford, not Hartford. You cant really be a Hawks fan. In no way form or fashion, should you be saying Al Hartford after he’s been here for 3 years. Not to mention, saying that we have a need for a guy like Nate Robinson of all people.
Daniel
August 3rd, 2009
3:08 pm
Also, with Siler, man while you were gone we debated his attributes like he was the second coming and who the Hawks put on the end of the bench/developmental player was the most pressing issue facing the originzation. Kinda sad really.
Hoops
August 3rd, 2009
3:10 pm
Sekou,
I take it that the Hawks are only offering Joe Smith a 1 year contract. Has there been talk about a 2 year offer with the second year being a team option? I’m sure incentives could be included to sweeten his deal!
What about Kleiza? Have you heard any news about the Hawks being interested in him? He’s 6′8″, 245lbs and only 24 yrs. old. He averaged 10 PPG and & 4 RPG. If we could not get Joe Smith, he might be a good sign. He could play both forward positions.
A Tribe Called Quest
August 3rd, 2009
3:11 pm
“Nothing’s Changed for the Hawks in 10 days”???? Try 1 month. This team has done nothing since resigning ZaZa
UGA
August 3rd, 2009
3:14 pm
SOOOOO, the Celtics just signed Shelden Williams. Interesting. Per Yahoo.
Daniel
August 3rd, 2009
3:14 pm
Tribe- you are in a particularly negative mood today.
A Tribe Called Quest
August 3rd, 2009
3:15 pm
GREAT WE LET RYAN HOLLINS GO TO. WHY DONT WE JUST RELEASE THE WHOLE ROSTER SO WE HAVE NO ONE UNDER PAYROLL?THAT WAY WE SAVE MONEY, RIGHT?
PDubATL
August 3rd, 2009
3:25 pm
Wonder what the Shelden signing means for Big Baby? With KG, Rasheed, Scalabrine, Perkins and now Shellhead onboard with the C’s, they’ve got an awful lot of bigs.
Hoops
August 3rd, 2009
3:31 pm
PDubATL,
I don’t understand what the Hawks are waiting on. They have 6.9M left to sign players with, the best I can figure. Big Baby, Joe Smith, and Kleiza are all available. All three of those players would be a great sign for the Hawks and we only need one of them. Surely the Hawks can sign one of those three players and two players from the mini-camp with 6.9M!!!
Ariose
August 3rd, 2009
3:38 pm
Guess that means Siler is coming to our Training Camp if Hollins has signed with the timberwolves….
I think siler will be better in the long-run anyway…
Daniel
August 3rd, 2009
3:43 pm
Sekou- I thought the Cavs were more interested in Leon Powe than Joe Smith. Could the Hawks be waiting to see what the Cavs do with Powe before moving on Smith? Or has a contract offer been made?
Sekou Smith
August 3rd, 2009
3:44 pm
Last I heard Hoops Linas might be headed for Europe, where his deal would be far more lucrative than what he stands to earn in the NBA. I’d love him as a backup big/small forward on this team. Haven’t heard his name mentioned by anyone in the know.
Good for Shelden, signing on with the Celtics, if that’s true. He’s a good dude. He was cast in a terrible situation with the Hawks, what with Josh coming before him and Horford after him. Toss in the fact that he was drafted much earlier than he probably should have been and it was a no-win situation for the kid. Now he has a chance to chase a title with the Celtics.
Siler in camp isn’t a bad thing, Ariose. I just don’t know if it’s good for your mental health to expect him to contribute much as a rookie on this or any team he might end up with in the league.
Daniel
August 3rd, 2009
3:44 pm
Hoops out of that list. I like Joe Smith the best by a long shot. I think Kleiza is getting an offer from Olympiakos.
Big Ray
August 3rd, 2009
3:47 pm
Welcome back, Sekou.
All this talk about big men still comes down to offers, does it not? And offers come down to money.
Follow the money. It doesn’t stop with the GM, no matter how convenient that argument might be.
If you’re going to compete with a better team for the services of a free agent, you have to offer more in other areas than season-ending win totals or playoff position.
You have to offer more money. It’s that simple now, and it was that simple before free agency or the draft began.
Big Ray
August 3rd, 2009
3:51 pm
Daniel,
Offer’s probably already been made. And it was probably low bid.
Shawn
August 3rd, 2009
3:52 pm
“He was cast in a terrible situation with the Hawks, what with Josh coming before him and Horford after him. Toss in the fact that he was drafted much earlier than he probably should have been and it was a no-win situation for the kid. ”
None of those reasons you gave after “he was cast in a terrible situation with the Hawks” explain how his situation was bad. The guy played OK in the minutes he was given. There is no way it was a no-win situation for him. He was given his opportunity and did not perform like a Duke All-NCAA (whatever award he got) player should have
cp
August 3rd, 2009
3:56 pm
We also need a back up small forward. I don’t want Mo backing up Marvin. The guy is just too small. Gerald Green is out there, offer this kid a contract. I have no idea what is the hold up with signing a big. The options are looking rather weak right now.
Hoops
August 3rd, 2009
3:59 pm
Rick Sund,
Watch this!
1. Decide which FA’s (BIGS) that you want to sign the most and rank them. Joe Smith, Big Baby, Kleiza, who ever. Call the top ranked FA from your list and offer him a 3-4M contract. Make him feel wanted! Have players to help in recruiting. If he declines, then go to the second ranked FA on your list and so forth until you get a BIG. I’m sure you will get one right away with that type of money. It’s like terrell barron said, “Joe Smith is not going to come here for $100.00 and a big mac”.
2. Call Flip up and apologize for being unappreciative of what he did for the Hawks last year. Offer him the biannual (1.9M). He’ll take it! Now you have NO WORRIES about depth @ PG & SG in case of injuries.
3. Call Siler and SHOW HIM SOME LOVE. That way he will come to training camp with the Hawks! Sign the top 1 or 2 invited players to training camp to a league minimum contract.
See, this can’t be that hard!
Anakin Joe
August 3rd, 2009
4:01 pm
Ray, we have to complete the roster, right? NBA rules say that we have to have some minimum amount of players (and we’re not there yet). So if nothing else, when do we sign Siler or Hunter or whatever “undrafted you can’t get any cheaper than this guy” just to be done? Oh and if that does happen (we are stuck with RandMo and 2-3 other scrubs)… well, remember my “opportunity cost” argument when a certain combo guard was acquired. Because we will likely be in the IDENTICAL situation next year when Speedy and Acie’s contracts expire for GS and they have $7M vacating their books (and we have an $11M super-sub). UGHHHH!
Melvin
August 3rd, 2009
4:01 pm
Big Ray,
Co-sign your 3:47 post. If they want to lure Joe Smith to the ATL than offer more money.
Ariose
August 3rd, 2009
4:07 pm
Sekou, I’d have to agree with you there. I’m probably the main offender of over-hyping expectations of a player. The only time he may realistically see the floor this season is if our bigs get into early foul truble(which uhusally hapend when we were up against D-Howard, Shaq in PHX, or KG/Perk up in boston) so I guess that in iself will make him a succes next seaon. Especially for a guy coming out of a D-II program.
So, I’ll try to control my Woodson rants when it comse to players and their playing time teis season lol. I’ll be tough though, that’s been my main beef with him since the start of the 07-08 season.
A Thinking Fan!
August 3rd, 2009
4:07 pm
1 phrase says it all: BASG!
BrittishAnger
August 3rd, 2009
4:09 pm
Expectations? I have none for anybody beyond Jamal, Mo, and Zaza at this moment in regards to sixth man play. I can sort of agree that your just being cautious and that expecting some major turn-around for us in signing him may be a little over the heads of most of us, but deep benches make expectations minimal anyways. If I were assigning him a goal for the season, it would be to have 3 to 5 rebounds in every game he played more than 5 minutes, and 2-3 boards in games under that. He would be a positional player with limited skills and uses, and would be better playing minutes behind Smoove in order to create mismatches, but the girth is worth the paying price. You know how little we could pay him, for even a year, and then decide what to do from there. I just hate how the one thing we’ve needed upgrades or improvement at hasn’t really gotten any, and I’d like to see us walk out of this summer with at least one new big man to toy with, even if he doesn’t break heavy rotation….
Anakin Joe
August 3rd, 2009
4:09 pm
If Ray is right and we have essentially maxed out our budget on “proven NBA talent”, then we are facing a scenario where Sund MUST trade someone by the trade deadline for an expiring contract, right? I mean, if our 9 proven players… Bibby, Joe, Marvin, Smith, Horford, Crawford, Zaza, Mo & Teague ALL are returning for ‘10-11 (with Joe possibly getting a raise with a new contract), then how do we grow salary room to take another shot at a Joe Smith type forward next summer? Is there another out, other than a February trade for an expiring deal that provides us with summer-2010 wiggle room (for both Joe Johnson and a legit back-up big)? What other options am I missing? Oh yeah, negotiate a contract reduction for Joe Johnson (I’m guessing doc would be suggest that as an alternative).
Anakin Joe
August 3rd, 2009
4:14 pm
Oh yeah, another data point, supposedly the salary cap (and luxury tax threshold) are forecasted to shrink next season. So again, if we can only afford 9 + scrubs this season (with a slightly higher cap and luxury threshold) and none of the 9 contracts are expiring (with I think most going up), then what are our options (other than a mmid-season trade of one of the 9 for an expiring contract)? And is there any reason to think that removing Mo’s little $2.5M would be sufficient to ensure avoidance of the tax?
Melvin
August 3rd, 2009
4:14 pm
Anakin,
Crawford or no Crawford, this ownership group would not have signed a quality Big Man. I understand your logic, if they hadn’t spend their money in one area, they would have invested into another area. That sound logical but has the BASG track record prove that theroy. When was the last time this franchise signed a quality or mid-level FA? Thinking they will invest big money into signing a frontcourt player might be useless as long as AL and Josh is on the roster (see Andersen). Look at all the number of cap friendly Big Men that has signed this offseason. Why haven’t the BASG signed any of them? Keep in mind that got $2M from Houston to help with the bills….GEEZ
Anakin Joe
August 3rd, 2009
4:29 pm
Melvin, here’s the thing. It won’t change next year either (without acquiring an expiring contract). I just find it VERY strange that we would lock ourselves into the same box for essentially 3 consecutive years. Sure, I couldn’t understand the Crawford trade that seemingly boxed us in for the remainder of the summer. But if Ray is right and we’re maxed out at 9 + scrubs, then without that expiring contract, we’re boxed in until Crawford’s contract expires in the summer of 2011! YIKES. There must be another out. I’m sure that I am missing something.
Ramon
August 3rd, 2009
4:32 pm
Although I’m not a huge Siler fan (mainly because I don’t know much about him). I can see him getting 5 min a game next year, even more than Solo. Woody constantly referred to one improvement needed when speaking of Solo, and that was he needed to put on more weight. If Siler is good at moving his feet and challenging shots with a block attempt or perfect placement, then he could be very influential. Even if he does just foul a point guard when driving to the lane, I’m sure his fouls hurt a lot more than Zaza’s. Because we know many times last season the Hawks interior defense was just like Brokeback Mountain (thanks Phil, that will always be classic!).
But the reason I desire Joe Smith so much is that he scores so EASILY on the block. He is that guy with 5 seconds left on the shot clock, you could get it to him on the block or elbow and expect something positive. To have that in the reserves when Crawford couldn’t break something down, would be instrumental. In Crawford, Evans, Smith, Zaza, And Teague, you have 5 players on your bench who could give you 14 points in reserve minutes, on any given night. For all Flip did, he exerted a lot of energy trying to do it. Would be nice to have 4 players who can do the same thing.
Anakin Joe
August 3rd, 2009
4:33 pm
Man, you have to believe that the Celtics could have brought back Mikki Moore but opted for Shelden instead. ‘Nuff said on Mikki.
Sekou Smith
August 3rd, 2009
4:35 pm
What I was getting at Shawn is that Shelden ended up being the odd man out at his position for the Hawks. There was no way he was beating out either Josh or Al for minutes, so he was saddled with the “bust” label when he was really just overdrafted (that’s a hasty, made-up word for a guy that’s drafted ahead of where he should be and then has to deal with the fallout). That’s all. Draft him 10 slots later and he’s probably still on the roster.
jdewayneatl
August 3rd, 2009
4:53 pm
Rick Sund has done a GREAT job of building and keeping together a quality team that has the ability to compete on a nightly basis. After Marvin Williams is signed, the Hawks will have a VERY good 9-man rotation.
(Teague will get the minutes and will play well. He has the athleticism that fits right in with the Hawks and Mike Woodson seems to have the same optimism he had with Marvin, Sheldon, and Al as rookies. He will atleast give him the same opportunity he gave Acie at the beginning of his rookie season. Don’t know if you count the Josh’s in their rookie season since the roster was horrible.) Woodson will give him the opportunity and Teague will take it an run with it (unlike Acie).
So even if a big man isn’t found right away, this team will easily be in the top of the East through All-Star break. It is then that the Hawks must make a move if none is made before then. If we don’t see a viable big added before training camp, you can bet that Rick Sund and Mike Woodson are betting on the growth of Randmo and Othello. They will have the opportunity to get some minutes behind Al, Josh, and Zaza for atleast half the season.
Othello reminds me of Brandon Bass. Decent and coachable offensive skills, long arms, relentless on the boards. Othello isn’t what Bass is today but Bass wasn’t, at a time, what Bass is today. Some playing time could prove to save BASG more money and would solve the Hawks big man depth problem from inside.
Ariose
August 3rd, 2009
4:53 pm
Sekou, I think your girl Keri Hilson needs a new managemnt team so that videos like this don’t have to be made lol.
niremetal
August 3rd, 2009
5:39 pm
Anakin,
As I said, you’re not even trying anymore, are you? No, we have not reached any agreement, because once again you proved yourself to be unwilling or unable to address my actual argument.
Here’s what I said:
The Hawks had a need for a volume scorer who could draw defenders and take pressure off JJ.
Funny how you never addressed that second part, huh? You never do. It seems like you’ve become incapable of engaging in a debate without dodging the blatantly obvious weaknesses in your arguments and setting up straw men instead. As I said in the last blog, it’s just sad.
If all we needed was a volume scorer, we wouldn’t even need Flip. We could just roll with Thomas Gardner or bring Salim back. The important part of my argument, of course, is that he’s a volume scorer that’s good enough to draw defenders and keep them honest, thereby taking pressure off JJ. Flip never did that. Teams were perfectly content to let him take 15 shots per game even when he was hot. That’s because Flip has never been an All-Star caliber scorer on a good OR bad team. Crawford has been one for 5 years running.
So why don’t you address that point the next time you respond to me about Crawford instead of changing to subject to Jamal’s salary vs. production (which ignores the point that the main thing he’s being brought here for won’t show up in HIS stats, but rather in JJ’s) or talking about how we maybe possibly might have been able to use Acie and Speedy to pull off a hypothetical trade for a nonexistent big man (yes, BRILLIANT – let’s ignore the chance to solve one big problem on the HOPE that we can eventually use the same assets to address a different problem). Because I’ve brought this up at least a dozen times, and all you’ve ever done is bob, weave, and change the subject. My guess is that somehow, you’ll find a way to do so again.
d-train
August 3rd, 2009
6:03 pm
Terrell my mistake on the Harford spelling, that happens. My orginal point is that if the Hawks want to be King of the Hill (Eastern Conference Champs) they need to force their will (speed game) on the big 3.
With or without Joe Smith their front court may not be strong enough. However, a minimum contract to Stromile Swith (his presence can help keep Harford, Josh and Marvin fresh for the playoffs), and acquiring Nate (up-tempo) Robinson will give the Hawks an advantage over the Big 3.
With Teague and Nate pushing the ball they can run Boston/Cleveland out of the Gym. Eventually, the Hawks will have to play to their strengths. If Atlanta is to Win a Championship we have to run a showtime fast break.
Doug
August 3rd, 2009
6:08 pm
Nire is on base entirely…for the millionth time Flip was a good part of the Hawks success last year…he has had a decent, siomewhat ascending NBA career…but he is NOWHERE near the player Crawford is…in any area. This is why he is still umemployed. He is also not nearly good enough to steal minutes from a future star…Teague. So he is simply not necessary…won’t be signed and shoul not be signed by ony team looking at roster construction and cap management with any sense of balance
A Tribe Called Quest
August 3rd, 2009
6:09 pm
Why do the same people keep posting 5 paragraph posts about nothing? If you guys want to argue about the same crap for 5 months in a row, then EXCHANGE EMAIL ADDRESSES so I can read some worthwhile posts, not some 20 page short stories containing baseless banter
Ariose
August 3rd, 2009
6:29 pm
ATCQ, The only really important comments are the ones where sekou tells us we’ve just signed another player. Those only come once every other week if we’re lucky Sooooo…
Ariose
August 3rd, 2009
6:30 pm
Stop having you daily blog “episodes” and join the madness BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!
o_0
Rick Sund
August 3rd, 2009
6:32 pm
Dear AJC Hawksville World,
As you may or may not know, we are heavily interested in the services of Joe Smith. Unfortunately, acquiring him would require money, something we simply don’t have.
I apologize for any inconvenience.
Best,
Rick
niremetal
August 3rd, 2009
7:51 pm
Hey ATCQ,
Take your own advice – if you want to keep making the same empty, stupid points again and again for months on end, why don’t you talk to yourself in the mirror instead of making us all dumber for having read them.
Anakin Joe
August 3rd, 2009
8:02 pm
nire, I don’t understand the need for an incremental volume scorer for this team (especially at $20M ove 2 seasons). I understand your view about the value of a volume scorer… I just disagree. I’m not trying to maintain an ongoing debate… you have your perspective and I have mine.
My other concern that I voiced immediately when Crawford was acquired was the impact to our budget and the ability to supplement our roster with a big ‘un. And as I said several days ago with regard to that issue…. tick-tock-tick-tock.
Now Ray seemingly (since I often incorrectly interpret his posts) is suggesting that we do not have the financial approval from ownership to make a competitive offer for someone like Joe Smith. And if that is true, I am of the belief that nothing changes for the next TWO seasons with regard to our salary structure without the trade of one of our top 7 players (excluding Teague and Mo because they make relatively little money) for an expiring contract sometime between now and February. Because we do not have the $7M in expiring contracts (Speedy & Acie) and because we have escalating salaries next summer (not to mention the possibility of a raise for Joe Johnson and the forecast of a shrinking cap).
I guess the bright side is that we had an 8 + scrubs roster last year and for the next two seasons (without a trade for an expiring contract) we have 9 + scrubs for the next two seasons. Well, I guess that is progress.
ATCQ
August 3rd, 2009
8:09 pm
niremetal,
Lick my balls
ATCQ
August 3rd, 2009
8:10 pm
And my points aren’t stupid. They are actually factually accurate. Your posts are wordy garbage that are intended for 2 people. I have had a far greater influence on readers here than you have
Hoops
August 3rd, 2009
8:25 pm
Guys, I don’t buy the belief, that some of you have, about we have spent all the money on rotation players that we are going to up to this point. If that belief was true, then why would the Hawks have made an offer to Joe Smith? I know that you believe that they only made a low ball offer in hopes that he would accept it. I really think that they have been told, by the owners, not to go in the L. tax. So therefore, Sund is planning on signing 14-15 players. The catch may be that #11-#15 can only be signed to one year contracts. That way they will have the flexibility to re-sign JJ and re-up Horford. If the Hawks stay with one year contracts for #11-#15 for next year, they will have JJ’s contract (15M), plus whatever they spend on these one year contracts, to spend. I guess with the cap space and L. tax level projected to be lower in ‘10-’11, the spending for this year is getting a lot of scrutiny from the owners!
I see a trade coming. It may not be a blockbuster, but we need some expiring contracts besides Morris!
Hoops
August 3rd, 2009
8:34 pm
The Hawks should give real consideration to signing Flip. The reason being, if Teague and Crawford have really good season’s, the Hawks could trade Bibby before the trade deadline for an expiring contract and still have Flip to add depth @ PG. I see Evans being traded for an expiring contract as well, before the deadline, if Crawford plays well.
Anakin Joe
August 3rd, 2009
8:38 pm
Hoops, now more than ever, I think Sund has another trade lined up for later this month. How abiut Josh Smith for Jason Thompson and Kenny Thomas? Thomas’ almost $8.8M expires at the end of the year and we get a young (cheap) big to play next to Horford. And Thomas (if healthy) could be a one-year rental as a tweener off the bench.
I don’t want to trade Smith (I’d much rather send Crawford packing). But if we want any flexibility next season, do we have much of a choice?
ATCQ
August 3rd, 2009
8:41 pm
Smoove for Jason Thompson and Kenny Thomas… Wow, and people think I am dumb
KevinA
August 3rd, 2009
8:42 pm
niremetal,
Here’s what I said:
The Hawks had a need for a volume scorer who could draw defenders and take pressure off JJ.
The Hawks back court already shoots and misses a high volume of shots already. We need to play inside out to free up JJ. Make Josh, Al and Marvin the first three options.
niremetal
August 3rd, 2009
8:48 pm
Ha…ok, dude. Looks like I struck a nerve. At least I know my words don’t have much of an impact. You seem to have an inflated sense of how many people give a damn about what you have to say. All you basically do is come here and say “SUND IS STUPID. BASG IS CHEAP. WE’RE DOOMED” over and over again. Yeah, that’s just brilliant stuff, man. I just find it ironic that someone who makes the same substance-free posts over and over again has the gumption to tell other people that they’re posting about the same stuff too much.
In any case, I don’t know if you noticed, but this is a BLOG. The whole fun in blogs is to debate this stuff in public. And I don’t know if you noticed, but a number of people HAVE chimed in on this topic over the past couple threads, including one of the Hack bloggers. No one is forcing you to read my posts. If you don’t like them, skip them. Public debates involving just a few people is always going to be a part of this blog. If you can’t deal with that, then go away.
And Anakin,
Yup, you dodged the point again. You only addressed the “volume scorer” aspect without discussing the impact it has on JJ and other players on offense. Good job. You should go into politics.
Anakin Joe
August 3rd, 2009
8:52 pm
ATCQ, thanks. Kind of hard to find a trade that makes long-term sense. It requires an expiring contract and a young player whose team might be willing to move, yet offers upside (and fit) for the Hawks.
niremetal
August 3rd, 2009
8:52 pm
KevinA,
I totally and completely agree. My preference would be to utilize the frontcourt more. But this is Woodson we’re talking about. The last time he called a post play for one of his big men was sometime during the Nixon administration. Given that, adding Crawford takes pressure off JJ without having to change coaches.
Anakin Joe
August 3rd, 2009
8:54 pm
nire, and you ignored the impact Crawford’s deal has on our ability to add a big. Touche. I’ve already said that I don’t think that improving our offense is a priority. But you do. Like I said, we have differing opinions.
I bleed Pacman logo red
August 3rd, 2009
8:55 pm
can we please get back to lamenting the loss of Flip Murray?
Anakin Joe
August 3rd, 2009
8:56 pm
nire, did Al Harrington play during the Nixon administration?
KevinA
August 3rd, 2009
9:06 pm
I must have missed something, who signed Flip?
Sautee
August 3rd, 2009
9:17 pm
A Tribe Called Quest,
You made this statement: “If you guys want to argue about the same crap for 5 months in a row, then EXCHANGE EMAIL ADDRESSES so I can read some worthwhile posts, not some 20 page short stories containing baseless banter”
Is THAT factually accurate? 20 page short stories? Haven’t seen ‘em, but I’ve been away for a few days.
And who knew that having “a greater influence on readers” was the point here?
I thought (stupid me) that this was a basketball blog where we discussed the Hawks and other tangential issues. Now I find that REALLY we were supposed to be trying to “influence readers”. Huh?
O'Brien
August 3rd, 2009
9:30 pm
Boston signs Rasheed and Shelden Williams, Cleveland signed Shaq, Moon and Anthony Parker, Orlando signed Brandon Bass and Matt Barnes and traded VC for Hedo.
I know there might be some Chemistry issues with these teams, but I think the gap between the top 3 and the rest of the East got wider. Woody has campaigned for another big, but it seems like Sund is ok with where we are, because I fail to understand why we cant offer another mil or so (or another year) to Joe Smith’s contract.
I would hate for the Hawks to sit around and wait for Joe Smith to say yes (or no), while all the other bigs sign elsewhere. Some of us were also in favor for the Hawks to make an offer to Ryan Hollins, but since Minny made an offer, I guss that ship has sailed.
Although Crawford will help take pressure off JJ, (and if we lose JJ next year to free agency, Crawford could be a decent fall back plan), we need another big to improve our chances of challenging the top 3 teams.
KevinA
August 3rd, 2009
9:34 pm
niremetal,
I think Woody did much better last year at getting the front court and Marvin more shots. Injury to Marvin/Al/Josh kinda crimped the team from going more in that direction.
A couple of years ago the young studs were simply not good enough to rely on. This year is really a different situation. I think the youngsters Josh/Al/Marvin/ZaZa have grown up and increased their skills giving Woody more options.
I hope Crawford has a great year. I do get nervous when I here the word high volume in association with not only Crawford but Bibby and JJ.
niremetal
August 3rd, 2009
9:37 pm
Yeah, Harrington’s time here pretty much seems as distant in my memory as the Nixon administration. There have been 3 full seasons played since he left. And most of Harrington’s touches came on the perimeter, just like with Josh and Diaw. Hmmmmmm…pattern?
And in any case, that doesn’t explain why we never see plays run for Horford, Josh, or Marvin today. THAT was the point that I was making. Since Harrington left, we see maybe 2-3 plays per game run through the low post. Again, why don’t you address THAT instead of trying to seize on my obvious hyperbole in another one of your many straw man knockouts.
niremetal
August 3rd, 2009
10:01 pm
KevinA,
I didn’t see Al getting the ball much more last year than the year before, except very late in the year when Marvin was out and Joe was gimpy. And if you’re one who looks for stats to back up the visual perception, then here ’tis:
1) Marvin: His FG attempts were down 1.3 per game from ‘07-’08. Can’t really blame the injury, because that didn’t happen until March, and even if you view his Nov-Feb stats in isolation, his FGA were still down.
2) Smoove: His FG attempts were down 1.7 per game from ‘07-’08. Can’t blame it on the injury – his attempts were roughly flat throughout the year, and his highest FGA month was actually January. In Feb-April, his attempts actually went down.
3) Horford: His FG attempts were up 0.6 per game from ‘07-’08. But if you just look at his stats from Nov-Feb (before JJ got gimpy and Marvin went out), his FG attempts were basically the same. But I will grant that Al got 2-3 more touches per game in the post towards the end of the year – I hope that continues into this year, except even moreso.
I HOPE I’m wrong – no one has been a bigger proponent of running more offense through the frontcourt than me. But I’m not optimistic.
jhan
August 3rd, 2009
10:06 pm
Oh no, Ryan Hollins didn’t sign with the Hawks!! We don’t have a prayer now. We are doomed for sure.
If we’re not going to sign any legit bigs, I would advocate resigning Flip to trade him at a later date. Flip would probably sign a 3/$6M deal. Some team that has injuries next year would surely give up something of value for Flip.
Getting a legitimate center for the Hawks comes back to the age-old question: Do you trade Josh or Marvin to make room for the center? Until that time Al Horford will be our center & ZaZa will be his back-up. Could be a lot worse than that.
Anakin Joe
August 3rd, 2009
10:09 pm
nire, those are the warts that used to consume me. Stuff like who gets touches, his idiotic policy regarding 2 1st quarter fouls, his thoughtless substitution of Marvin (regardless of game situation), etc. But then I looked up and we were headed to the playoffs. So I realized that if I spent that much attention to what every other coach does, I would likely find warts on them too. But who cares? I just wanted a playoff team after a decade of being in the lottery.
Sure, I’d like for our frontcourt to get more touches. I was the one who often discussed the concept of “organic growth” and expanded roles. And adding Crawford seems to make that more challenging. (I don’t think you bring in Crawford and ask him to be Jose Calderon, that’s poor coaching). But I just want to win. I don’t care if Jamal Crawford takes every shot in the second half. Just win baby. And trade Crawford for Jared Jeffries.
A Tribe Called Quest
August 3rd, 2009
10:15 pm
Sautee, I didn’t say that was the objective. The underlying intent was to show that my posts are more worthwhile than useless 3 paragraph posts about Jamal Crawford. Sorry if your pea-sized brain cannot intake such exquisitely difficult information
Hoops
August 3rd, 2009
10:17 pm
Anakin Joe,
I agree with you on a possible trade coming. You may be onto something with Thomas and Thompson. We may need a draft pick with that trade. We’ll see! There are many more possibilities as well.
niremetal
August 3rd, 2009
11:05 pm
Never in a million years would I trade Josh Smith if all I was getting back was Jason Thompson and Kenny Thomas. Even if you throw in the Kings’ surefire lottery pick, that’s not enough. It doesn’t make the team any better. At all.
The Truth
August 3rd, 2009
11:16 pm
Sekou Smith: Sources: Hawks will finally get deal done with Marvin Williams this week. Over 6 hours ago.
Source:HoopsHype
niremetal
August 3rd, 2009
11:23 pm
Anakin,
Those warts still consumed me because I didn’t tune out when we were headed for the playoffs. I kept watching as our overly predictable offense got shut down every time that Joe’s jumper wasn’t falling for him. I kept watching as our worn out starters got gimpy and never healed because Woody kept playing them 40 minutes a night. And I kept watching when our worn-out and banged-up 8-man rotation got blown out in 7 of 11 playoff games.
You can blame all that on the injuries if you want. But I have a feeling that even fully healthy, we were bound to get our asses handed to us as long as our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd option on offense was “Give the ball to JJ and let him do his thing.” Predictable teams can make the playoffs, but they never make it far once they get there.
When football teams run the ball on every play, the defense eventually will put 8 men in the box. Usually the offense will then adjust and throw some passes to keep them honest. Woody is kinda like a football coach who just keeps running the ball up the middle even after the D starts putting 8 in the box – he keeps giving the ball to JJ even after the defense starts doubling him on every play. We have a ceiling as long as Woody runs the offense almost entirely through his backcourt because good defenses (which you’re bound to encounter in the playoffs) adjust too easily to that.
niremetal
August 3rd, 2009
11:24 pm
(And of course, injuries are more likely to happen when you play your starters 40 minutes a game…)
niremetal
August 4th, 2009
12:01 am
And Sekou,
My loathing for the Wizards brass knows no bounds. I agree that if they stay at 100% health, they have a lot of weapons. But NO team can completely avoid injuries over the course of the year, and lthough Haywood/Blatche/McGee is an iffy frontcourt even if they’re all healthy. And their best perimeter defender by FAR is Stevenson, who won’t be getting many/any minutes given their overload at the wing positions. Butler is a good defender, but he was exposed far too often this year when Stevenson went down and Butler had to guard the opposing team’s best perimeter player (a task that used to go to Stevenson).
I can see them racking up points in the backcourt. But I don’t see them stopping anyone from scoring, because their D is weak inside and out. I just can’t see a team making it out of the lottery with Blatche and McGee both playing key roles in their frontcourt rotation…
Ken Strickland
August 4th, 2009
12:53 am
If we don’t sign Joe Smith, look for us to add filler to complete the roster. Ownership might choose to wait until the trade deadline to see how the team has faired before committing big money to acquire a quality big. They might also want to see how much improvement RMorris has achieved and if he can traslate it into solid contributions. Considering the limited mins a #2 Big off the bench will receive under Woodson, it might not be such a bad idea, especially from a financial standpoint.
If Crawford gets Flips mins, and we reduce Bibby and JJ’s mins, while playing Teague about 15MPG, I don’t think JJ will have problems with fatigue, or facing too many double teams. The problem with Flip is he didn’t have a gm without the ball, and that didn’t help JJ at all, especially when he had the ball. Crawford can be effective with or without the ball and that’s a tremendous benefit for JJ. And if Teague is in the gm, and JJ is doubled, he can either shoot over the DEF, like Bibby, or he can make them pay by taking it to the basket, unlike Bibby.
niremetal
August 4th, 2009
12:56 am
Co-sign Ken.
Ariose
August 4th, 2009
1:27 am
I don’t understand you guys’ logic about Flip Murray not being effective w/o the ball. It’s pure lunacy.
Correct me if i’m wrong, but there is NO movement/motion in our offenive scheme AT ALL. How is that Flips fault? Now I know Flip isn’t the greatest 3pt shooter, but 36% is a decent clip. I mean, the guy knocked down his fair share of them. He stood out there waiting for JJ to pass him the rock just like everyone else did. When JJ wasn’t on the floor, WE NEEDED another agressive player who could get wherever he wanted on the court. That’s when Flip took over, and we NEEDED that. Someone had to do it and he was the best man for the job at the time, and he played that role well for us.
Daniel, Flip is a better dinker than crawford…you said Crafrod is better than flip in every category, I’d have to argue that Flip is a better defender as well, of course I can’t prove that but my eyes don’t deceive me very often. If I turned the ball over on offense and I had Flip and Crawford coming at me, i’d be more afraid of flip dunking on me and getting the and 1; than I would be of Crawford pulling up for a transition three or trying to complete a layup over me(he rarely dunks…just not in his blood….he’s no goon, that’s for sure).
DISCLAIMER: this was not a “Bring Flip back” post. I’m just dicussing some of my differing opinoions concerning Mr.Murray which aren’t shared by some of you. Just wanted to make that clear, so don’t hit me with the “we don’t need flip” arguement.
Ariose
August 4th, 2009
1:29 am
Daniel, please ignore that post. It was actually meant for Doug sorry.
Ariose
August 4th, 2009
1:30 am
…And flip is a better *Dunker
LOL@ Dinker
niremetal
August 4th, 2009
1:33 am
Ariose,
We don’t need Flip
Ariose
August 4th, 2009
2:09 am
Hoopsworld Finally Shows us some love…
Ariose
August 4th, 2009
2:10 am
Nire, lol
Ariose
August 4th, 2009
2:25 am
I should’ve known someone would do it hehehehe….
Stating the Obvious
August 4th, 2009
2:37 am
Things we’ve learned this week:
1) The Hawks still don’t have a big man (wtf?)
2) The Hawks still haven’t announced who they’re brining back for training camp from minicamp.
3) The only consolation to 1 and 2 is that the East still sucks, and everyone outside CLE/ORL/Bos has no frontcourt depth either, which means that “Stoned Mountain” got it wrong when he says the Hawks will be pushed around unless he thinks that Charlie V and Dan Gadzuric will suddenly grow a pair.
4) “A Tribe Called Quest” doesn’t understand the purpose of a sports blog.
Ariose
August 4th, 2009
2:42 am
Ken, I agree with you about our bigs. If we don’t get joe, it would be smarter to wait it out and gauge the progression of our younger front court guys than to just impusively throw money at the next best available Free Agent big. Besides, Siler and Morris are both longer than Glenn Davis(though I wouldn’t mind him either, but he doesn’t necessarily slove our reboungig/length problem).
HEY!!! NY needs a Guard and We need a good big!! S%T Flip “Goon-Squad” Murray for David Lee. Now, don’t go killing me for that one lol. I know the numbers would probably never work out, especially with the kind of money Lee is asking for…and then theres the BYC…ugh. Besides, NY doesn’t want to give Lee up, especially not for a 29 year old guard, when they won’t even pay Nate Robinson the $$ he’s asking for. But it’s a thought. OOH S&T Joe Smith AND Flip Murray for David Lee, I think that kind-of closes the gap lol…but not by much.
Ariose
August 4th, 2009
2:46 am
I declare that Stating the Obvious is 100% correct. Meeting Adjourned!!!!
Ed
August 4th, 2009
4:46 am
Ole Slow Hand is just biding his time. Low-balling free agents but re-signing the Hawks own players. Sund must have a trade up his sleeve for him not to be more aggressive in signing Joe Smith. Smith would be a quality pickup and would benefit the Hawks in many ways.
darrell starks
August 4th, 2009
6:16 am
No disrespect to bibby but what it could have been if not the hawks sign him and use that money on other players.
STARTER CRAWFORD, JOE, MARVIN, JOSH, HORFORD.
BENCH TEAGUE, FLIP, MOE, CHARLIE VILLANUEVA, ZAZA.
RESERVE MARIO, SOLO.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
August 4th, 2009
6:27 am
With the current roster i say 6th seed at best unless horford on the blocks present better low post move and become more efficiency.
GO HAWKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
August 4th, 2009
6:30 am
I hope horford this summer is really working hard on his game.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!
Sekou Smith
August 4th, 2009
6:36 am
Hawks and the rest of the NBA schedules will be out this afternoon. Can’t wait to see what it has in store for the Hawks.
And obviously no team goes through a season 100 percent healthy, Nire, but quality depth can alleviate injury issues on most teams. It’s one of the reasons folks have been beating the drum about the Hawks’ need for depth in the frontcourt. Josh, Al and Marvin all missed significant time last season and the only time the team didn’t take a huge dip is when Marvin was out with the back injury (though I would argue that his limited presence in the playoffs didn’t allow the Hawks to work at full strength against either Miami or Cleveland.
Even if the Hawks have to dip into the c-list of bigs (Petro, Mihm, etc.), the depth is what’s important. You know Josh, Al and Zaza are going to play the majority of the minutes up front. What you need is guys good enough to spell them in good times and good enough to play in place of them for a stint (as Solo did last year when he moved into Zaza spot in the rotation when Josh was hurt), if absolutely necessary.
Ken Strickland
August 4th, 2009
6:59 am
ARIOSE-I believe there’s a bigger reason the Hawks didn’t tender Flip an offer and made replacing him their 1st move of the off season. I also don’t think bringing in Big Baby is a good idea either. He’s obviously a very sensitive and emotional player, and having to deal with Woodson’s in your face drill sargent approach to dealing with players wouldn’t be conducive to getting the most out of his talents. Woodson has retarded the growth of less sensitive young players than GDavis.
RealSquawk
August 4th, 2009
8:43 am
With the release of the schedule this morning I am officially worried. The NBA gave us a pretty nice schedule. One that really benefited a team that could not play consistently on the road. What happens if our longest home stint is four or five games.
Beck
August 4th, 2009
8:56 am
Please somebody answer me on this one. I’ve asked a few times to no avail:
What happened with Cenk Akyol?
Sekou – you better not be running off on anymore vacations or Mark Bradley is going to steal your thunder!
Daniel
August 4th, 2009
9:06 am
Good question Beck… I would like to know as well.
aaron
August 4th, 2009
9:07 am
Sekou,
Just read an older espn article written after the crawford deal implying we’d move joe to 3, al to 4, zaza to 5, and have josh and marvin off the bench. Does Woody see that as an option?…or just the journalist playing coach? For one, ZaZa isn’t a starter right? And Josh off the bench…not a good idea for alot of reasons. Appreciate your work.
Daniel
August 4th, 2009
9:34 am
Sekou- two questions: 1) I keep seeing reported (hoopsworld, espn, etc..) that the Marvin deal is all but done, is this true or are these outlets still reporting old information.
2) Also, reported that Joe Smith is more interested in the contract length than the money. He is asking for 2 years. Is this true? Surely, the Hawks would be willing to give him two years at 3-4 mil per year, that contract doesn’t really affect the team that much and he is older but never really an injury guy. Is this true? Are the Hawks really hung up on giving the guy a second year?
niremetal
August 4th, 2009
10:03 am
$3-4 million could make a BIG difference if the cap drops next year and makes it so that we’re cutting it very close in terms of whether re-signing JJ would put us into luxury cap land…
Sautee
August 4th, 2009
10:11 am
ATCQ,
So did my little pea brain miss something or did you claim that your posts are factually accurate while also accusing posters of writing “20 page short stories”?
Shall I list all the times you’ve failed to be “factually accurate”?
No, that could be a full time job. Just cool down and keep it real.
And remember that the blog is not about you, it’s about the Hawks. So there’s no need for ANY poster to cater to what YOU want. If you don’t like any particular post here, just do the drmaryb thing and scroll. baby, scroll.
I WILL say that you must have a low sense of self esteem if you feel you must strike out at those who disagree with you. Here’s an example:
According to you I’m a pea brain
Sautee
August 4th, 2009
10:26 am
ATCQ,
Geez, I hardly know where to start.
OK you just said this: “Sautee, I didn’t say that was the objective. The underlying intent was to show that my posts are more worthwhile than useless 3 paragraph posts about Jamal Crawford. Sorry if your pea-sized brain cannot intake such exquisitely difficult information”
Talk about missing your own point. So now I suppose the point of the blog is not to “influence readers” but instead to have posts that are “more worthwhile” than other posts. Tell me ATCQ, who exactly is measuring the worth of these posts?
Would it be the readers you’ve influenced?
If you feel you must attack those who disagree with you (”pea-sized brain cannot intake such exquisitely difficult information”) on a basketball blog, then you must REALLY be lacking in self-confidence. Do you come to this blog to talk basketball or to prove that you are somehow better than another poster?
C’mon man, join the party. You’ve got some points to make when you stop ranting (hint: I always skip over your posts when they are all in caps – seems like a shouting street corner preacher). So cool down and give us some of your wisdom and less of your venom.
Peace
Doug
August 4th, 2009
10:37 am
Ariose: We have been through the statistice…avg. FT attempts per game to dispel the thought that Flip is an “attack the basket assassin” while Jamal is a standstill jumpshooter…there is simply no evidence that this bears any relation to reality. Who dunks better?? I really don’t know…but I do know who is a better…scorer…ballhandler…distributor…FT shooter…creator and it is BY FAR…not even close Jamal! Again this is why Flip is still unemployed and was unemployed last year until late when the Hawks swooped in. Defensivley, neither will be confused with Gary Payton but what criteria you give Flip the edge is beyond me.
cdog
August 4th, 2009
10:50 am
TO ALL OF YOU FANS, I TOLD YOU THE PROBLEM WAS RICK SUND AND NOT MIKE WOODSON. AS LONG AS SUND IS GM THE HAWKS WILL SUFFER. EVERY TEAM IN THE EAST THAT IS AHEAD OF THE HAWKS HAS GOTTEN BETTER AND THEY’RE CONSTANTLY ADDING PLAYERS. WHAT IS SUND DOING?PLAYING GAMES THAT’S ALL. I FEEL SORRY FOR ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE BLINDED YOU’RE SELF WITH SUND INCLUDING MARK BRADLEY. THE HAWKS WILL BE LUCKY TO GET THE 8TH SPOT NEXT YEAR IN FRONT OF NEW JERSEY. UNTIL SUND IS LET GO YOU FANS WILL SUFFER
terrell barron
August 4th, 2009
11:10 am
Hoops, I agree with everything you said, except the part about calling up Flip. We have no need whatsoever for Flip, imo. We sign Flip, what happens to Teague? You know how Woody prefers vets over youngsters. We need to start developing Teague YESTERDAY. I think this kid is going to be special. I dont want another drafted pg to rot on the bench. Honestly, I’m thinking Teague will force Woody to play him, even if Flip was here. He’s just that good. If Bibby gets nicked up, which will probaly happen at some point during the season, Teague will be ROY. I’m calling it now.
UGA
August 4th, 2009
11:13 am
So if we miss out on Joe Smith, this is who is left: Brian Skinner, Mikki Moore, Juwan Howard, Ben Wallace, the Collins twins, Petro, etc.
If we could get Wallace and Moore or Skinner or Petro that would not be terrible.
Wallace is not the same player he use to be, but he did have to come back from a broken leg last year. I saw Petro started 10 games for the Nuggets last year also. Joe Smith would be awesome, but if we could just acquire 2 more BIGS that would be great.
Melvin
August 4th, 2009
11:22 am
Minny gave Ryan Hollins a 3yr/7mil contract and it’s reported that the Mavs will not match it b/c it would cost them 14 mil b/c they are in luxury tax land. Less the 2.5M seems to be a reasonable contract for a young big. So why in the heck Hollins won’t be wearing a Hawks jersey this season is beyond me…
Anakin Joe
August 4th, 2009
11:32 am
UGA, we’re going to have to make ourselves happy with whomever Sund signs to complete the roster. Even if it is a collection of undrafted players from local community colleges.
terrell barron
August 4th, 2009
11:34 am
Sekou, we coulda picked up Sheldon as an undrafted free agent, and he still would’nt still be on this roster. Let alone only 10 slots later. Come on man. Shellhead is a BUST if there ever was one.
Anakin Joe
August 4th, 2009
11:40 am
TB, I’m looking forward to seeing how well Doc Rivers transforms Shelden into a Charles Oakley clone. We all know that the only reason young players fail wih the Hawks is because of Woody and his staff.
Melvin
August 4th, 2009
11:43 am
Will the Hawks add Jamal Crawford to this list?????
http://www.nba.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0908/bestdeals/content.1.html
UGA
August 4th, 2009
11:50 am
Which game would be the easiest opener for the Hawks?
I’d say the T-wolves.
UGA
August 4th, 2009
11:58 am
Which game would be the easiest opener for the Hawks?
My guess would be Minnesota.
MsDee
August 4th, 2009
12:05 pm
UMMM Melvin, no!! Not unless we get another quality big & bring JSmoove & Marvin off the bench. Now that’s having a BENCH..Teague,Flip(if we keep him),Marvin,Josh,JOe smith(if we sign him),mo evans, Siler,othello!!
Stating the Obvious
August 4th, 2009
12:32 pm
It’s ludicrous hwo every time a horrible big man gets signed by another team, people start whining about how the Hawks didn’t get him. Ryan Hollins is trash. Give me a f*cking break.
Stating the Obvious
August 4th, 2009
12:35 pm
We need a good big man by trade, not signing trash that will sit at the end of the bench unless we’re paying them the veterans minimum because Woody wont let them see the light of day. We’d be better off with Siler and Hunter at teh minimum than with someone like Hollins or Joe Smith (unless hes willing to play for the vet min).
STRETCH
August 4th, 2009
12:37 pm
CDOG,
I wonder myself about this Sund guy. But, at the same time the whole group has waisted nearly a month waiting for “Duck” to quack!
UGA
August 4th, 2009
12:51 pm
I just read we may have 7 games nationally televised. First game at home vs. Indy
Melvin
August 4th, 2009
12:57 pm
Stating the Obvious, WT???? You are saying that the Hawks are better with Hunter and Siler (who has a combine less than 100 mins of playing time in the NBA) then Joe Smith (14yr vet) and Ryan Hollins (a big that received quality playing time especially late last season). Please…..
Anakin Joe
August 4th, 2009
1:04 pm
The definition of a broke ownership group, reportedly the Memphis Grizzlies have fired ALL of their scouts. No college scouts. No pro scouts. No international scouts. I guess that the GM and owner will throw darts against the wall in future summers. Seemingly, the NBA may want to step in and do something about that. Don’t they want 30 competitive teams in the league?
Stating the Obvious
August 4th, 2009
1:07 pm
Ryan Hollins is trash and not worth tying up $4M for him over two years, that would make it less likely that we could re-sign JJ which is way more important than adding a big man who won’t see any PT under woodson anyway. He got raped every time he was on the floor late last year. I remember the game against us where Flip kept driving down the middle of the lane and scoring at will because Hollins doesn’t know how to play help D. He did the same thing against the NUgs where Carmelo kept driving down the middle of the lane and scored on him every time when he came to help. He must have gotten posterized 10 times that game. Like I said, trash.
And I’m fine with Joe Smith as long as Sund doesn’t bid against himself to get him. He’s worth the vet min for one year, not much more money and certainly not for two years.
It doesn’t make a damned bit of difference anyway, because Woody won’t play a fourth big man more than a few minutes a game. That’s why Sund would be better off to save his money and just sign the mini-camp guys, again unless Joe Smith is willing to pay for the vets’ minimum.
Anakin Joe
August 4th, 2009
1:38 pm
Stating the Obvious, I don’t think that you can say that because Woody didn’t give Solo extensive playing time (who just signed to likely be the 5th big for the Pacers), that he would not give a proven vet like Joe Smith playing time. I just don’t think that the equation of if not Solo then not Joe Smith is valid. Or, if not Lo Wirght/Batista, Medvendenko then not Joe Smith. And I would absolutely offer Smith a second year (at his option) if he helped get him in the door.
PDubATL
August 4th, 2009
1:39 pm
StO,
The rumor is that Joe Smith is worried less about the cash than that second year. Not sure we could get him to sign for a single year at the vet minimum. If we really want him we’ll either have to sweeten the pot for a 1-year contract (in the neighborhood of $1.5 to 2M?) or go with a two-year, vet minimum deal.
RealSquawk
August 4th, 2009
1:44 pm
I must have got a peek at the schedule because our longest home stand is five games. And almost between every home stand there are playoffs teams we will be playing from the road. This I believe leaves only a two game improvement for the team. I don’t think the number of wins will be significantly worse, but I don’t think it will be a big improvement. Unless this team makes a significant road game improvement.
Big Ray
August 4th, 2009
2:17 pm
Ken Strickland ,
Excellent post. Just excellent.
Ariose ,
No way is our “lack of motion” offense Flip’s fault. I’d say whose fault it is, but we already know the answer : it’s all the players’ faults. They don’t know how to execute the brilliant design we have.
A Tribe Called Quest ,
What is your deal?
Sekou ,
I agree. I’m sure Sund will get somebody in here to back up our frontcourt regulars. I don’t think he’s willing to go to work with nothing more than minicamp invitees. Of course, to hear some people tell it, the summer is already over.
Astro Joe,
Pardon me and my “seeming suggestions.” Let’s assume that I’m just all wrong about this (. Why don’t you tell me why you think we haven’t signed Smith yet. Since you’re scoffing, you must have a better idea. Please tell me something other than “Jamal Crawford’s contract is in the way.” I’m tired of that one already…
Hms
August 4th, 2009
2:38 pm
Stating the Obvious,
Dang, you’re on fire. Like you, I don’t expect Woody to automatically expand his rotation to 9 or 10 guys just because he gets a veteran player added to the mix. Especially if that player is a frontcourt player. I’ve heard the man say he’ll expand it before. I’ll believe it when I see it. Until then, why expect him to play a guy anymore than he did Solo? Not sure where that idea even comes from, but there’s no sense in complaining because we are going to hear the same noise we always do, which is that whatever Woodson is doing is keeping us winning, so it doesn’t matter. Ironic how the same noise made about Woodson and his offense working is not made about him and his defense. If we are winning, then we are winning. Everything must be working. All that noise about not needing another guard that shoots and doesn’t play defense is bunk. That is the Woodson way. Woodson likes guards who shoot and don’t play defense. He has a roster full of them. He insisted on bringing back the main culprit. If defense is a problem then look to the coach who loves his defensively incapable guards and gives them the ball all the time. But it’s okay because we had a winning season last season. Ironic how the same logic is not used when talking about the big men, rebounding, defense and all that. What’s the problem. We won with a shaky front court last year. I thought winning made it all good.
digimon
August 4th, 2009
2:40 pm
Ric Sund needs to sign Mikki Moore. He’s tall and can get rebounds. Sign him and we will equal last years wins.
Ken Strickland
August 4th, 2009
3:32 pm
I think some of you need to ease up on demanding Sund sign a Big, LIKE RIGHT NOW. I’ve been thinking about why we’ve sat back and played the waiting gm as far as signing a Big, and here’s what I’ve come up with.
(1) I don’t think Sund wants to commit big money to acquire a #2 backup center that’s not going to make a appreciable difference as far as getting us past the top teams in the East. Joe Smith might help us hold on to the #4 seed, but he won’t necessarily get us past the Big 3.
(2) Every Big that’s still available knows we’re looking for another experienced Big, and they might be using that to try and get a 2yr instead of a 1yr deal. So why make a 2yr committment and spend the kind of money some of them are asking just for the 9-10MPG they’ll get from Woodson.
(3) I don’t think Sund is sold on Woodson being the HC past this season, so why commit to a contract past this season for a Big that will get limited mins. And why tie up money and CAP space that a new HC might be able to utilize more effectively to get us past the big 3.
(4) If we wait until the trade deadline to go after a vet Big, we could possibly get a better quality player and a better deal. There are always teams looking to dump players/salaries and clear cap space at the trade deadline. We have at least 2 expiring contacts in MEvans and RMorris, as well as the cap space and money saved by not signing a Big LIKE RIGHT NOW.
With all of the uncertainty among most of the top teams in the East, as a result of changing rosters and starting lineups, it might not be a bad idea to wait and see what we might need at the trade deadline before making more than a 1yr committment before the season starts.
cdog
August 4th, 2009
10:29 pm
TO ALL RICK SUND BELIEVERS, “DING” GET READY FOR MAYBE AN 8TH PLACE FINISH. HE DON’T HAVE THE GUTS TO SIGN ANYONE