The gang’s all here!
With the starting five (plus a few more) back and under contract for the foreseeable future, the Hawks have at least given themselves a fighting chance to compete with the big boys (photo courtesy of my main man and former AJC photographer Pouya Dianat).
HAWKSVILLE - If continuity means anything in the NBA these days, the Hawks have done right by their own this summer.
Marvin Williams touched on it last week during a conversation we had the day before he signed his new contract, and again this afternoon in a teleconference with the media to discuss his new deal. A day after my initial talk with Williams, Al Horford and I discussed continuity briefly while he took a break from his work with the Basketball Without Borders program.
Dating back to last summer and extending all the way through training camp this year, the Hawks (if they can come to terms with captain and All-Star Joe Johnson on an extension) will have spent millions to keep their core in place for the foreseeable future.
“I think management is making the commitment to keep us together,” Williams said Tuesday. “And each year we’ve gotten better.”
Josh Smith’s $58 million deal was the first domino, albeit an offer sheet from Memphis to the restricted free agent power forward last summer that the Hawks matched before the ink was dry on the offer sheet. That swift move was followed up this summer with deals for Mike Bibby (3-years, $18 million), Zaza Pachulia (4-years, $19 million) and Williams (5-years, $37.5 million-base). Johnson’s 4-year extension, if signed, would be in the $64 million-range.
Full disclosure, math was never my strongest subject in school. But that’s a lot of cash spent, rightfully, on the heart, soul and guts of your team. Any team dreaming of winning big at the NBA level has to invest in its core or risk vanishing into the ether.
When Hawks center Al Horord talks,in English or Spanish, people tend to listen.
What the Hawks have done is neither groundbreaking nor extraordinary in the world of professional sports. But for a franchise mired in a malaise of mediocrity for the better part of a decade prior to the last 13 months, it’s a pretty impressive feat. ”Obviously, I think it’s pretty important to build on to what we’ve started,” Horford said during our phone conversation last week. And he would know, having played on successful teams every year of his college and professional career to date. “I’m glad Marv got his deal done, because we’re going to need all our guys back and ready to go this season.”
By no means does this excuse the Hawks from the responsibility of filling out the roster with quality players capable of supporting that core group. But it certainly helps that the core is in place right now – a nucleus with three wildly talented youngsters in Horford, Williams and Smith. That would be a heck of a core group by itself. So to have JJ, Bibby, Zaza, rookie Jeff Teague and even Jamal Crawford to add to the list makes the list that much more impressive. It’ll look even better with the addition of a name like Joe Smith, still in the works according to some well-placed sources that insist the Hawks won’t give up until someone pries Smith from their dead claws.
Will it win a championship in a league where the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers have stockpiled elite talent to go around Kobe Bryant and the Boston Celtics have assembled a star-studded army to battle the Lakers, Cleveland and Orlando for supremacy? No way. But the same can be said for solid young teams in places like Portland and Chicago as well. That’s just the reality of the situation.
What a rock-solid core does is give the Hawks a fighting chance to be relevant now and into the future. And despite cries for titles (things, mind you, that Hawks fans have never experienced) relevancy is the tangible goal that all teams must focus on before moving into championship mode.
Having witnessed my favorite team’s lone championship season of my lifetime (scroll down to the bottom, it’s there, I swear), I can sympathize with the desire to shed the middle ground for the higher ground. Having witnessed that championship season also made it painfully clear to me just how rare those occasions are, even when you have seemingly all the resources in the world at your disposal, that your squad actually cashes in on the big prize.
Would I trade 40 years of rooting for a a competitive or even upper-tier team for one title? Absolutely. But if I can get both, even if the titles only come once every 50 years, I’m not turning that down either. Back to my original point, and I apologize for swerving off course a bit but it is football season (and I smell a comeback season cooking in Ann Arbor), it all comes down to perspective for me.
Is it more important to be relevant and potentially a true player or not? I say stay relevant (given whatever constraints might be in place, and it’s no secret the Hawks have many) as long as you can. We’ve all seen the flip side and it’s ugly, real ugly.
Where the Hawks fit in the grand scheme of things depends on your perspective, as well. If being the fourth team in a three-team Eastern Conference race doesn’t strike you, that’s understandable. And they will have challenger for that fourth spot. But they certainly seems sure of themselves.
“I feel like people are obviously starting to respect our ball club,” Williams said during his teleconference. “People realize they are not going to come into Atlanta and get an easy win. I don’t think anybody in the league is doing that anymore. We’ve shown the last few years we can compete with anybody in the league. We certainly feel like we can compete with anybody in the league.”
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488 comments Add your comment
Rod from College Park
August 12th, 2009
3:30 pm
Jhan,
We actually agree. You can’t have it both ways. So if a guy has been in the league for 5 years and has almost 1000 blocks and close to 500 steals, how can you possibly overlook that and say none of that matters? There is a reason why Josh is considered a better player than Marvin. It is because he is a better player, and I can make an educated guess that it is not because of his offense. My points actually have not been proven incorrect. Others have voiced their OPINIONS, which I responded to with facts. No need to try to figure me out. I’m good. My basic and overall arguement since I started posting here is that Josh is better than Marvin, which is proven by stats and contracts. Marvin is a bust, which is proven by stats and contracts. Whats so hard to figure out? Actually the only people that I talk to who have a high opinion of Marvin are people on this blog, and a small percntage of fans and management of the Atlanta Hawks. No one else including athletes and entertainers who I deal with on a weekly basis thinks highly of the guy. I even have a good friend who played football for the Tarheels in the 90’s and bleeds tarheel blue, who calls me on a regular basis and tells me how disappointing the guy is. As Sam from the Swats said, there were not any other teams trying to pry Marvin away from the Hawks(restricted or unrestricted). I’m sure there are some teams in the leage who would love to have a great player such as Marvin. What team woouldn’t want a guy who can shut Lebron James, and Carmelo Anthony down. LOL
The Truth
August 12th, 2009
3:32 pm
Ariose
I said JJ hasn’t yet mastered his post-up game to fully exploit the mismatches. To me, that is a big difference. I think JJ will admit that he needs to continue to improve to where he is unstoppable. I don’t thing he is there yet. Just me
Ariose
August 12th, 2009
3:35 pm
Truth, IDK, you may be right, but I can’t remeber JJ ever struggling to score points on a post up. But like you said, that doesn’t mean he has masterd the craft.
Ariose
August 12th, 2009
3:38 pm
And you know with Teams like CLE, the have Bigs who don’t leave the paint, so even if he does have a mis match(Like Delonte West) teams will try to minimize his ability to exploit them.
Rod from College Park
August 12th, 2009
3:39 pm
The Truth,
Great post. That is why I am stating that JJ can play the three with no problem. I see him being similar to Paul Pierce. I think Pierce used to be the 2, but once Boston got Allen, they moved him to the 3. Same scenario for us. Crawford is to good to be a bench player, and he might well be our best offensive player. I guess my point was proven wrong agian huh. LOL. Great post.
gwite
August 12th, 2009
3:47 pm
We know JJ has the explosiveness around the rim, as far as having the physical tools for it. I think it’s that, since he “broke his face”, he either conciously or subconciously, avoids the high wire acts, for the most part.
Daniel
August 12th, 2009
4:01 pm
Hoops- I hear you, and I am sure that the Joe Smith deal is coming down to length of contract. If we extend Joe at 15-16 mil. and have Joe Smith at 3-4 mil, we should still be fine. Of course, that would limit us from making any other moves next off season, but I would probably do it. I guess we will see what Sund and/or Smith is willing to do. Trying to read between the lines with Sekou. It seems that the Hawks have made an offer and are closely monitoring the Smith situation
jhan
August 12th, 2009
4:11 pm
Rod – Anybody who says Marvin is better than Josh would be incorrect. I don’t rememeber anyone making that claim but they would be wrong.
The tag of “bust” for Marvin would be incorrect also. The guy averages 14pts & 6reb per game. That is not a bust. Those numbers are above average for a teams 3rd/4th option on offense. His salary of $7.5M/year is right in line for his production.
As a former college player would you consider yourself a bust if those were your career averages? Somehow I don’t think so.
Blocked shots are great but not the final say-so on a defensive players contributions. It might be equally important that a defender keep his man from getting to his “sweet spot” on the floor. Or how about being able to push your man into a double team?
I like Josh Smith as much as anyone on this blog (except for maybe Ray) but his blocked shots come from weakside help & his steals come from playing the passing lanes. Have you kept track of how many times Josh went for the steal, missed, then his man had an easy layup? I’ve been a season ticket holder for the last 5 years & I’ve seen that happen many times.
I’m not sure why these guys have to be “all-world” or “bust” in your mind.
Rod from College Park
August 12th, 2009
4:13 pm
Another question for all you smart guys. What 3 in the east would be a problem for JJ? Pierce, Granger, Young, Prince, Deng, Lebron….. I think Cleveland is similar also in the fact that once they got West, they put Lebron at the three. Joe on paper seems to be a mismatch for most 2’s but our offense does not take advantage of that. He actually does not post up much. Mostly ISO’s, which is crazy when you really think about it. Crawford at 6′5 is a better matchup for most of the 2’s in the east. Allen, Hamilton, West, Pietrus, Gordon (traded)….. guess I’m wrong again.
Ken Strickland
August 12th, 2009
4:17 pm
DOC-I been on these blogs long enough to detect you had game, but soul too!!! Lou Rawls, Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding, what can I say. YOU GO DUDE.
jhan
August 12th, 2009
4:18 pm
The problem with JJ playing the 3 is our frontline would be two 6′9″ guys and a 6′7″ guy.
In short spurts or against certain teams I love JJ playing the 3. Last year our best lineup offensively was Bibby, Flip, JJ, Josh & Horford. Defensively – not so great.
Rod from College Park
August 12th, 2009
4:46 pm
Jhan,
I remember many people on this blog making that claim. I would be a bust if I was drafted #2 in a draft where the two player drafted after me are extremly better players, and the # 2 picks the following 2 years were much better players than me. And the guy who was drafted to play the same position as me the year before me at # 17 ended up being a better player than me on the same team. If I was projected to be the next big thing in the NBA by most scouts, and I ended up being the 4th or 5th best player on my team, when I was drafted to be the 1st or second best player on the team, I would be a bust.
“I like Josh Smith as much as anyone on this blog (except for maybe Ray) but his blocked shots come from weakside help & his steals come from playing the passing lanes.”
So you are telling me that this guy has almost 1000 blocks in his career, and all of them come from weakside help? All of his almost 500 steals come from playing the passing lanes? And you are trying to figure me out. C’mon. get real. Wake up.
bigdave
August 12th, 2009
4:52 pm
Daniel…
Powe agreed to terms with the Cavs… however, he isnt expected to play til Feb…
Rod from College Park
August 12th, 2009
4:53 pm
Jhan,
“The problem with JJ playing the 3 is our frontline would be two 6′9″ guys and a 6′7″ guy.”
What’s the difference in that and 3 6′9 guys? It not like Marvin plays big. He can’t guard any 4’s, so what’s your point? In the playoffs we could not defend or score. Wouldn’t you want to be able to at least do one.
Big Ray
August 12th, 2009
4:54 pm
Rod,
I said there is more of an advantage for THIS TEAM to have JJ at the 2 spot. If we didn’t have a 6′9″ PF as our center, and a 6′9″ SF as our power forward, I would have far less of an issue with it.
But we don’t. And I can’t remember anybody who said that Marvin was better than Josh. If that were the case, how come nobody is having a problem with Marvin getting $37 million and Josh getting $58 million? I haven’t heard a peep. Likewise, nobody said Marvin was shutting down Lebron and Carmelo Anthony.
What people HAVE said is that Marvin is quick enough and big enough to bother guys like that when he’s playing good defense. The man is 6′9″ and 245 lbs. He has a 7′3″ wingspan. Who would you rather have on those guys, JJ? How about 6′5″ Mo Evans? Not me. You don’t want JJ on those guys because you need him to save his energy for offense. You don’t want Mo on those guys because he’s too small.
This whole business about Marvin being possibly our best perimeter defender seems to be a confusing concept. I’ll break it down, since it’s a subject of argument. First, who among our guards is a good defender? Bibby? Stop with the stale jokes. How about Jamal? No real history of ball-hawking. Teague? He’s a rook. Flip? He isn’t bad, but he wasn’t good all that often either. Mo Evans? He played the 3 too much, and got burned quite a bit there. That leaves Marvin. Marvin is quick enough to play on the perimeter, and is not keen on playing post defense or blocking shots. He has the quickness. He has the size. He has the wingspan. He does not have the post defending mindset, nor the shot-blocking instincts. He does not over-commit very often and has become better at lateral movement.
Thus, he is our best perimeter defender. Not our best on-ball defender. Our best PERIMETER defender. When he’s on his game.
What about JJ, you say? He’s capable of being our best perimeter defender. He has a great combination of strength, quickness, and stability. But he does take plays off. He doesn’t bother people enough with his size. And because his greatest responsibility is on offense, we only get to see his defensive prowess in spurts. And I think part of it is mindset. Ask Kobe how much of a difference that makes….
What about Josh Smith, you say? NOT a perimeter defender. Sure, he could do it, but Josh lacks the discipline and mindset of a guy like Bruce Bowen. Yet, he has ALL of the physical tools to be better than guys like Bowen, Artest, and Battier. He also has an incredible shot-blocking instinct, an ability to get steals where others just can’t, and can get into the collective heads of the entire opposing team on defense, when he’s on his game.
But perimeter defense is not the best place to utilize him, and that’s NOT where he is utilized. As Samuel astutely noted, nobody on this team can flat out dominate on defense like Josh can. One more time…that’s not done from the perimeter.
Besides, you don’t want your best shot-blocking/shot-bothering presence out there chasing guards around the arc, do ya? I know I don’t.
Anyway, a lot of this comes down to one fact. You don’t like Marvin, and you want him out of the starting lineup. Well, until we can get bigger at the 5 spot, I have news for ya: it’s not a good idea.
One more fact for you, since you claim to have a plethora of them that you keep telling us about (other than his stats, I can’t think of any, but whatever): Marvin didn’t pick himself #2 in the draft. Billy Knight did. Case closed. If 14 and 6 is a disappointment, then it’s a disappointment. Yes, I agree, I want to see more. But where this guy was picked said more about the guy who picked him than anything else.
I’m not telling you that your opinion is wrong. But don’t come around here talking like everybody else here has opinions and you have facts.
You’re from College Park. I thought folks from that spot new plenty about how to Keep It Real …..
Anakin Joe
August 12th, 2009
4:55 pm
Ladies and gentlemen, we are witnesses to an intense “bro-mance”. ‘Nuff said.
Big Ray
August 12th, 2009
5:02 pm
“What’s the difference in that and 3 6′9 guys? It not like Marvin plays big. He can’t guard any 4’s, so what’s your point? In the playoffs we could not defend or score. Wouldn’t you want to be able to at least do one?”
1) Marvin can guard some 4s. Not all 4s are really 4s, and not all of them are in-the-paint operators. I’ve seen Woody play Marvin at the 4 plenty of times. I’m surprised you missed that.
2)Funny that you mention we couldn’t defend or score in the playoffs. Well now. You can’t blame Marvin, could you? He was out for most of the playoffs, only playing spare minutes. Strange thing is, I seem to remember when they put him in there against Miami in one of those games, dude reeled off 10 points REAL fast. After that, he didn’t get to play hardly again. Marvin scores if you run plays for him. It’s that simple. He’s our 4th option, and sometimes our fifth. We don’t run plays for him. Yet he gets 14 ppg. Weird.
3)The difference is not all about height. Have you watched how JJ gets rebounds? He doesn’t usually get them by going deep into the paint to fight for position for them. He also doesn’t outleap guys for them. As strong as Joe is, we don’t get to see that strength used the way it could be. It’s mindset. Put Joe at the 3 and see if he gets more rebounds than Marvin. Doubt it.
Another thing, total size makes a difference. Marvin is taller, has a greater wingspan, and weighs more. One more time, would you rather your 4th/5th option get a defensive assignment for the duration of the game, or do you want to wear out your 1st option with it? Even a Woody hater wouldn’t call Woody that stupid.
Big Ray
August 12th, 2009
5:03 pm
Astro Joe,
ROFL….it’s starting to look more like an orgy. And on that note, I’m out…
jhan
August 12th, 2009
5:32 pm
Rod – were you aware that Josh Smith averages less than one rebound per game more than Marvin?
Josh plays PF – a position that demands rebounding – but doesn’t really rebound any better than our SF. Using your logic wouldn’t that make Josh a “bust”?
Rod from College Park
August 12th, 2009
5:57 pm
Big Ray,
Yeah, I’m sure his career playoff stats would have really mattered.
RPG SPG BPG
Career Playoff — 13 10 22.8 0.391 0.167 0.837 1.1 1.8 2.8 0.8 0.5 0.4 1.46 2.20 8.5
We really missed those 3 rebounds and all those blocks and steals he gets. Maybe with those 8.5 points a game we could have beaten Cleveland. It’s funny how Joe averages 1 less rebound (4.2) for his career than Marvin (5.5) from the 2 position. I guess you are sure that if you moved Joe to the 3, he couldn’t get one more rebound a game huh. Then you want to mention 10 quick points he scored in the playoffs. What about the times when Lebron saw him trying to guard him, and he laughed and went right by him. Did you see that? Can’t have it both ways. If he suited up, it counts.
“And I can’t remember anybody who said that Marvin was better than Josh. If that were the case, how come nobody is having a problem with Marvin getting $37 million and Josh getting $58 million? I haven’t heard a peep. Likewise, nobody said Marvin was shutting down Lebron and Carmelo Anthony.”
False statement. Wanna bet? Because you can’t remember does that make it a fact. I did not say you said that. One of your lunchroom buddies did.
“What about JJ, you say? He’s capable of being our best perimeter defender. He has a great combination of strength, quickness, and stability. But he does take plays off. He doesn’t bother people enough with his size. And because his greatest responsibility is on offense, we only get to see his defensive prowess in spurts. And I think part of it is mindset. Ask Kobe how much of a difference that makes….”
And Marvin does not take plays off. KEEP IT REAL RAY.
” Marvin can guard some 4s. Not all 4s are really 4s, and not all of them are in-the-paint operators. I’ve seen Woody play Marvin at the 4 plenty of times. I’m surprised you missed that.”
I must have missed those games. LOL
To really keep it all the way real, Mario West is the best perimeter defender on the team, but you can believe what you want to. I response to you statement about me using facts, or whatever you were yapping about. My statement that Marvin is not our best perimeter defender is based on stats, my knowledge of the game, and situations. I have never once seen Woodson put Marvin on the other teams best player at the end of a game. I have seen him use Joe, Josh, and Mario. I would think that if he was so good we would use him like that, wouldn’t you?
I could go on and on about your post, but you being the expert…..
Rod from College Park
August 12th, 2009
6:06 pm
Jhan,
Josh – 7.4 RPG for career
Marvin – 5.5 for career
You do the math.
Ariose
August 12th, 2009
6:47 pm
Oooh, This is so good, I don’t wanna interject. Rod, you do have a point with that last statement. That’s true, but like ray said, our best “potenial” defenders have OTHER duties so they cannot guard the best player THE WHOLE GAME. Kobe didn’t do it this season, Ariza did…..until crunch time that is.
Listen, Maybe marvin Shouldn’t have been the #2 pick. We’ll NEVER know until woodson starts treating him like the #2 pick and gives him those plays/touches….AIN’T GONNA HAPPEN. It’s also fairly plain to see that Marvin is no Carmelo, Lebron, and pretaining to certain abilites(On offense NOT Defense) even Rudy Gay.
But if your opinion of Marvin is truly “based on stats, my knowledge of the game, and situations.” Then there is NO WAY you can be in your normal coherent state of mind and beleive that we didn’t need Marvin in the playoffs.
Ariose
August 12th, 2009
7:03 pm
Also, Marvin was coming off Back and Wrist injuries in the playoffs while he was defending Lebrick. Not to mention that his conditioning couldn’t have been top notch at that time.
If you want to judge Marvin’s perfomances against LeBrick or Marshmello from last season try games where he was healthy.
The December home(win) game or the Rematch on March 4th where we lost on a JJ buzzer beater. The Febuary game where he dropped 31 on Melo when Bibby AND Horford were out.
What about the 28pts he dropped on the Wiz on the last day of a back to back. What about the 29 he dropped in Charlotte when Joe was out? What about the 18-21 FT’s he hit? I beleive he had a 14 rebound game also…
The man is solid. If we ran plays for him he would average OVER 20ppg EASY. He’s a FOUL MAGNET If he doesn’t get if from the feild, he’ll get it from the line. One thing that hasn’t changed since he was drafted is his potential. It has more to do with MIKE WOODSONS play calling than it has to do with Mr. Williams.
UGA
August 12th, 2009
7:10 pm
Marvin is one of our best players by far. Outside of Joe and maybe Crawford, he is our next best scoring option. I would personally like to see us iso him more on the block because he is getting better with his back to the basket. In a few years he is going to be tought to guard.
Paul or Williams would have been nice, but here in the future, Marvin will be one of the best SF’s in the NBA.
Ariose
August 12th, 2009
7:14 pm
The reason I said it’s not gonna happen, is because if Marvin was our ist option EVERY night we wouldn’t win as many games. BUT, that doesn’t meant the man is not capable of putting up big numbers. But this is a TEAM sport and MARVIN IS PLAYING HIS ROL TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVEREALL SUCCESS OF THIS TEAM. Nothing more, Nothing less. He’s a great character guy. He’s not cring for touches like T.O, he wants to win. That’s the goal. TEAM SUCCESS. Individual accolades are just icing on the cake.
YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE TOO. If it weren’t, Antione Walker, Steve Francis, and Stephon Marbury wouldn’t be put of jobs right now.
Ariose
August 12th, 2009
7:16 pm
Typos…
*1st
*Role
Ariose
August 12th, 2009
7:19 pm
UGA, I agree with that. I would also have to say that with his limited offensive role and the fact that our coach has no imaination on offensively, he already is one of the best SF’s in the leauge.
Doug
August 12th, 2009
7:32 pm
Rod: A. NO ONE on this board has stated Marvin is a “better player” than Josh…He is a better shooter…more disciplined…and a better on ball perimeter defender. There. What point are you trying to prove? One that no one is debating. JJ won’t start at the “3″—nor should he. Thanks God Woody is not THAT ignorant. Did Marvin dunk on you somewhere or something?? Don’t disappear when he is going at around 17-7 this year. Some players take longer to “get there”…doesn’t mean they are busts. Now….Robert Swift…LaRue Martin…Shelden Williams…THOSE are busts!!!
UGA
August 12th, 2009
7:33 pm
You are right about him being a Foul Magnet, plus he makes them.
He’s already developed his outside shot, he’s getting better with his back to the basket and he’s been working on his ball handling. If that improves where he is able to drive and get to the basket, then watch out. He’s only 23 I think. He’s about to turn into one heck of a player.
He’s also shown the abililty to hit CLUTCH shots. That first game in Boston where he hit the 3, eventhough we lost. Plus the game at home against Washington he hit the go ahead 3.
Anakin Joe
August 12th, 2009
7:37 pm
Sam/Rod, enjoy. And good for Mr. Smith.
http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/08/12/smoothcamp/
Ramon
August 12th, 2009
7:48 pm
Marvin is the 5th best starter we have on our team, and the second best natural scorer. If Marvin went to Miami, Philly, Washington, Utah, Portland, Denver, and many other teams, he’d easily be the 2nd or 3rd best player. One thing about Marvin (and Smooth) is that you can easily see improvements in their game each season. I do see Marvin being able to average 18 ppg in an offense. If Marvin went to New York today he would very easily be their BEST player, while putting up 23 a night. The thing that stands out for me about Marvin is he’s getting to the point with his jumper, that every time he shoots, you think its going in. And he is getting more and more comfortable penetrating the lane to draw fouls.
I used to hate his defense, but now you can actually see that he’s improved to one of the best three defenders on the team. Someone said that Pierce eyes would get big when he’d see Marvin guarding him. Well I guess that can be said that Shaq eyes got big when Deke would guard him, or Kobe loved to see Bowen come. Pierce is one match up problem for most 3s in the league. That doesn’t make Marvin that much worse.
The Truth
August 12th, 2009
7:48 pm
As Rodney King once coined it, “Can’t We All Just Get Along?”
The beautiful thing about this blog is that we all bring different opinions to the table THAT ADDS VALUE TO THE DIALOGUE.
While we are posturing and jabbing, let us not lose that prospective.
PEACE
KevinA
August 12th, 2009
7:49 pm
fudd21
Goodness! I actually half way agree with a Rod comment and to think not a sentence of Marvin bashing. I for one can’t wait to see Jamal and JJ on the court together. People can talk about the low percentage and volume shooting all they want but Jamal brings an element that has not been here since JJ has, another bonafide scorer on the floor. This should lower JJ minute and as Rod said (still can’t beleive Im agreeing) take away some doubles when they play together.
Ok KevinA come on and give us your negative comments about Jamal so I can come down off my high.
I never said Crawford can’t change his style of play. To get a meaningful amount of minutes he will have to. Niremetal is willing to eat shoes in his belief that this will happen.
Crawford seems to have the same defensive skill of Bibby. The idea of a trifecta of great shooters will be hard to phathem if they can’t play defense.
With JJ playing iso in a contract year it will be interesting to see how many times he gets the ball with enough time to make a play.
Crawford scores much better from the left side of the floor so maybe JJ can play point to get them on the floor together.
If Crawford can play defense and JJ moves to the 3 the offense might work out great. Anybody want to bet some shoe eating on that one?
Crawford plays his best offense in the 4th qt and I realize he can be quite good in spurts. But if you look at his 2nd qt and 3rd qt FG%, you see dismal shooting. In spite of my reservations I hope Crawford has a great year and becomes a leader on the team. I believe he should be given every opportunity to apply his skills.
Ramon
August 12th, 2009
7:57 pm
Anakin, that was a great article. If Smooth continues doing things like that, it will become impossible for Sund to trade him. As said on this blog before, Smooth grades in high school were the best at the academy. So when people say he doesn’t have an IQ, they’re sadly mistaken. Thanks for the link, Anakin.
Anakin Joe
August 12th, 2009
8:07 pm
Ramon, I’m glad that he is doing community projects, but I don’t think that has much to do with him being traded in the future. Not nearly as much as that trade kicker in his contract. If we could trade Josh for Andrew Bynum, I don’t care if dude is handing out sneakers at the GoodWill store… trade him (sorry Sam/Rod).
Ariose
August 12th, 2009
8:08 pm
AJ, Ditto What Ramon Said.
Ariose
August 12th, 2009
8:11 pm
Bynum’s not ready yet. Mabe if he stays health for a few seasons. Even then, He is not on Smooves level….yet.
Ramon
August 12th, 2009
8:13 pm
Anakin, I’m crazy I know, but today I still wouldn’t do that trade lol. Smooth has played more games in one season, than Bynum has in the last two seasons (not including playoffs). Hawks don’t need any center who wears Stacy Adams during the games more than he wears Nikes.
Anakin Joe
August 12th, 2009
8:27 pm
I’d do ythat trade. But the point I was trying to make is that a summer camp or two should not stop Sund from improving the team if he thinks he can do that by trading any player including Smith. I think Sund may have been the one who traded Seattle legend (from his high school days and days at the state school) Gary Payton to Milwaukee for Ray Allen.
darrell starks
August 12th, 2009
8:31 pm
UGA are you serious about marvin being the best player on the team behind joe and crawford.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
August 12th, 2009
8:35 pm
IN ORDER UGA JOE, JOSH, CRAWFORD, HORFORD, MARVIN, BIBBY, ZAZA, MOE, TEAGUE, AND THE REST OF THE TEAM.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
Ramon
August 12th, 2009
8:38 pm
Anakin, you’re right but Payton was over 30 yrs old then and washed up lol. And he wasn’t selling tickets any more. Smooth sells tickets, and barring injury is 7-8 years from the end of his prime. lol. But I get what you’re saying.
Ramon
August 12th, 2009
8:40 pm
Darrell, I take Teague over Zaza AND Moe, lol. Its just something about him. At worst, I see him being Ellis.
darrell starks
August 12th, 2009
8:43 pm
Horford must step his game up this year a big disappointment this past season.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
August 12th, 2009
8:45 pm
Ramon how can you say that and we haven’t seen him play on a nba level.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!
jhan
August 12th, 2009
9:15 pm
Rod – I was comparing last years stats. I know we’ve had this argument before but what they did their 1st years in the league mean nothing to me. Just like what position they were drafted. I’m concerned about what they are giving the Hawks now.
KevinA
August 12th, 2009
9:39 pm
IN ORDER JOSH, JOE, MARVIN, HORFORD, BIBBY, ZAZA, CRAWFORD, MOE, TEAGUE.
This list will reflect the new pecking order by the end of the year.
KevinA
August 12th, 2009
9:48 pm
darrell starks
Horford must step his game up this year a big disappointment this past season.
Al is a good solid young player. In no way did he disappoint. Josh, Marvin, and ZaZa fit the same discription.
niremetal
August 12th, 2009
9:53 pm
Pecking order? What the hell does that even mean?
UGA
August 12th, 2009
10:09 pm
From earlier, Marvin is the 2nd or 3rd best scoring option. Overall, yes Horford is ahead.