Another Joe, another Smith?
Foes a year ago, Josh (left) and Joe Smith (no relation) will team up on the Hawks' suddenly improved frontline this season.
HAWKSVILLE - There’s room in the Hawks’ locker room for another Joe. And certainly enough room for another Smith.
And if the early reports are true, ESPN’s Ric Bucher reported it first Friday afternoon, veteran power forward Joe Smith will indeed be joining the clan in the ‘ville on a one-year deal, possibly as early as this week.
The Hawks aren’t confirming or denying anything, per their policy on all free agent matters this summer. Sources indicate that Smith has indeed agreed to join the team but that no deal has been finalized yet and nothing has been signed. But it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that barring a last-minute catastrophe, this deal is going to get done.
It’s the answer to many questions for the Hawks up front. Smith is the veteran, spot up shooter, rebounder, locker room leader and wise voice for youngsters Josh Smith and Al Horford (in particular) the Hawks have been looking for. His addition will give the Hawks a solid two-deep depth chart up and down the lineup, leaving three to four roster spots up for grabs for the likes of Randolph Morris, Garret Siler, Othello Hunter and whoever else shows for training camp.
Josh Smith, Horford and Zaza Pachulia will be happiest about the elder Smith joining the fray. They need the assistance, on every front. They were without a veteran assist last season, a deficiency that was magnified during the playoffs against Joe Smith’s old team (Cleveland), which disposed of the Hawks in four games in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
A versatile 6-10, 225-pounder, Smith plays bigger than his listed size. He always has, dating back to his days at Maryland, when he dominated the competition on his way to becoming the No. 1 pick in the 1995 NBA draft. This is yet another summertime coup for the Hawks, who have bargained shopped their way back to the fourth spot on the Eastern Conference food chain behind Cleveland, Boston and Orlando (last year’s order but not necessarily the pecking order for this season). Seriously, for all the cash spent in other places, the Hawks used a prudent, cost-conscious approach to bring back the core of a 47-win team, while also adding two key veterans in Smith (pending the completion of his deal) and Jamal Crawford, not to mention promising rookie in point guard Jeff Teague.
Joe Smith isn’t an acquisition on the level of Rasheed Wallace (Boston), Shaquille O’Neal (Cleveland), Vince Carter (Orlando) or even Hedo Turkoglu (Toronto) for that matter. But he’s exactly what the Hawks needed at a position of critical importance. He’s also a fantastic insurance policy at an even better price, should injuries to Smith, Horford or even Marvin Williams become a factor the way they did last season, when all three of the Hawks’ young frontcourt studs missed considerable time last season with injuries.
So with basically all the heavy lifting done now, how do you rate the Hawks’ summer to this point? Good, bad or something else?
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519 comments Add your comment
mountain_jim
August 19th, 2009
2:44 pm
Joe Smith still not official? Hope this does not go like the Braves-Furcal situation did….
Folks talk about how stupid the Atlanta Spirit ownership appeared in this multi-year legal battle, but I think it’s their now hugely-rewarded legal team that they ought to sue for malpractice… That contract was pathetically poorly written, and by one of top-ranked and most expensive legal firms in Atlanta. They are the truely stupid, and should not have been able to run their meters for all these years because of their inability to write up that contract in a clear and binding manner, concerning appraisals and who objects first and what not.
Ramon
August 19th, 2009
2:47 pm
Ken, many of these fans think that winning is free. And that if your name isn’t Lebron, Kobe, or Wade, that you shouldn’t make more than veteran’s minimum. Funny part is, I remember some of the same ones complaining, begging BK to sign Dampier, Dalembert, and Curry by breaking the bank then. Funny how skills doesn’t equate to expensive contracts to them, but 84 inches do.
Anakin Joe
August 19th, 2009
2:56 pm
Has Bobby Cox taken Lowe out of the game yet… or is he still asleep in the dugout?
Blast
August 19th, 2009
3:18 pm
Atlanta Dream! Go Ladies! 13-11 record and 2nd in the East!
Where’s everybody?
JJ has been getting some love lately. Great to see.
Go Hawks!
Daniel
August 19th, 2009
3:23 pm
mountain_jim- I am not trying to defend the ASG. But, you have NO IDEA how their contract was written. These guys didn’t become successful multimillionaires by being ignorant. Just because you read a couple of news briefs on the situation does not mean you have any greater understanding of these issues than anyone else.
JerryWest
August 19th, 2009
3:42 pm
When “vet-min” was first established, the teams were suppose to pay the minimum rookie salary and the league paid all the raise for “Vet” which was most of $. Is that still the case? Does Joe count rookiey-minimum against the cap?
JJ+Jamal is one of the best backcourt duo in the NBA.
On the defensive end Jamal+Bibby is one of the worst backcourt due ever.
There is no way Chillz fits in better than Marvin. Chillz obviously fits in better than Mo+Flip at this point. Last year, Mo+Flip was a better fit than Chillz. If only we had Lakers $.
We could use 3 backups – a big man, a big point guard and a big swingman (bigger than Mo).
Could Sund pull another coup by trading Mo-square (Evans+Morris) for an upgrade in one of those 3 positions? Just like the Crawford trade. Teams could buy out Mo next year. This would also open up another roster spot.
I spoke to several Knics fans who think Crawford could be an all-star next to JJ. Teams can’t double team both of them. Whoever gets single covered by the smaller guard will score at will.
mountain_jim
August 19th, 2009
3:56 pm
Daniel – While I admit I was speaking from memory, anyone who closely followed the reports of this case and read the various judges rulings and public reports of the filings in this case could very easily conclude, as I have done, that it was because the original contract was so poorly written as to why we are where we are years later, with the whole contract thrown out, after suits and appeals, because each side claimed the contract meant one thing and the other side said it did not mean that, and the judge said he could not determine the intent well enough because it left to much which happened undefined.
Why do you think it drug on this long? Because it was a terribly-written contract which did not clearly and fairly resolve the issue of when both sides disagreed with the results of an appraisal.
Do you work for the legal firm that botched it so bad? Because I have plenty of idea how it was written, having followed this case and the various rulings concerning the disputed areas of the contract closely for all these years.
mountain_jim
August 19th, 2009
4:02 pm
Poor contract Danielle:
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/business/stories/2009/01/23/atlanta_spirit_lawsuit.html?cxntlid=inform_artr
Levenson and six of the owners want to buy out Boston-based partner Steve Belkin. The contract that spells out that process is so vague that they haven’t been able to agree on a process or a price.
The case has already been through the circuit court once and then to the Maryland Court of Special Appeals, which overturned the lower court’s ruling.
“I have to tell you all, my review of everything at this point doesn’t necessarily lead me to the conclusion that others have put on this case,” Judge Durke Thompson said Friday, referring to the previous rulings.
The feuding started in July 2005 when Belkin tried to block a trade of then-Phoenix Suns guard Joe Johnson. The seven other owners — who live in Atlanta and Washington — tried to remove Belkin as their representative to the National Basketball Association, triggering a lawsuit.
Belkin agreed in August of that year to have the owners buy out his 30 percent stake, and lawyers drew up an agreement. The price was to be set by up to three appraisals, with the first appraiser to be hired by Belkin and the second by either party objecting to the findings of the first.
But the contract didn’t say what would happen if both sides objected to the first appraisal, which is what happened.
Both sides claimed the right to pick the second appraiser, which landed them in court. The case is in Maryland because the owners previously agreed to litigate contract disputes there.
The first time, a Maryland circuit court judge ruled that Belkin had the right to choose the second appraiser. He also ruled that the other owners missed the deadline to pay the price set by his second appraisal — and therefore Belkin was entitled to buy them out at cost.
The appellate court overturned that decision and sent the case back to the lower court. A two-week trial is set to begin on Feb. 17.
“I am really going into this with an open mind and saying to you I’m prepared to hear perhaps what may be old argument to you, all over again,” the judge said.
The judge could decide, based on the owners’ intent, that the seven partners can pick the second appraiser and buy out Belkin; allow Belkin to pick the second appraiser; or scrap the contract entirely and cause the partners to rely on an original 2004 purchase-and-sale agreement that spells out another buyout process.
mountain_jim
August 19th, 2009
4:05 pm
Poor ambiguous contract – I maintain that’s on the legal professionals the Atlanta Spirit hired, not their fault:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4406076&campaign=rss&source=NBAHeadlines
ATLANTA — A Maryland judge has ruled the eight owners of the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers are back in business under the same operating agreement they shared before their split in 2005.
Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Durke G. Thompson ruled Monday that the contract the owners reached that would allow the seven owners to buy out Boston-based Steve Belkin was too ambiguous.
…
gwite
August 19th, 2009
4:22 pm
Now I guess ASG is leery to sign “any” contract, ie., Joe Smith. LOL
mountain_jim
August 19th, 2009
4:52 pm
Mark’s latest blog now ragging on value of signing Joe Smith….
Ariose
August 19th, 2009
7:56 pm
I’m tired of PPL outside of ATl saying that Roy > Joe Johnson
The Hoopsworld blog is in an uproar because Roy was left off the list. The the Editer left a not saying that he made a mistake, and he would put Roy above Joe if he were to do it over again.
Roy doesn’t get nearly as much defensive attention at Joe does….And joe is just bettter period.
Hef
August 20th, 2009
6:46 pm
What Ben Wallace was’nt available? Joe Smith? 5,10, maybe twenty years ago yes. How bout a CENTER!!!!!!! Good god is this that difficult? Another 6foot 10 thin player,only this one is old as dirt with bad wheels,Great pick up! Pick-Up, Cause that’s what its going to take for 3 or 4 of his team mates every time he hits the floor! Tree could run this bum out of the gym today even at his age!!
themanduh
August 21st, 2009
12:36 am
hell no joe is not better than brandon roy.. your crazy!!!
kmjice
August 21st, 2009
3:49 pm
people have to wanna come to atlanta.. believe the hawks have reached out to some of these other all stars..and they said no!!! i talked to dwight howard the other day. he said that the hawks called him to talk about a trade.. he told them no becase they was too young and unexperienced…. but now that they have started winning some.. u see some people are thinkin about coming to atlanta.. thats y boston always get the best people. thats y lakers always get the best.. cuz they are already good!!!
testing
September 20th, 2009
1:04 am
Testing 1 2 3
testing
September 20th, 2009
1:04 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAvlYLCYODU
testing
September 20th, 2009
1:06 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAvlYLCYODU
testing 1 2 3
testing
September 20th, 2009
1:06 am
test
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAvlYLCYODU
testing 1 2 3