Ilgauskas gets release from Wizards, Hawks make pitch
Hawks hope to convince Big Z to leave Cleveland behind. (giantbomb.com)
The Wizards and center Zydrunas Ilgauskas completed a buyout agreement this morning and the Hawks have already made their pitch for the 7-foot-3 center to join them instead of returning to the Cavaliers.
“Once he clears waivers and becomes a free agent (on Monday), hopefully he will consider us,” Hawks general manager Rick Sund said today. “We talked to his agent. He knows we are interested, as are a couple other teams.”
Hawks coach Mike Woodson and some key players said Ilgauskas would be a great fit.
“He’d bring ‘veteranship,’” Woodson said. “And he can still play. He’s a big presence on the block, he can make shots, he can make free throws, he can rebound and he can block shots. ”
Hawks forward Joe Smith said he plans to contact Ilgauskas, his teammate during Smith’s two stints in Cleveland during the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.
“I will try to reach out to him and see what he’s thinking,” Smith said. “I hope his mind is not made up.”
It is widely assumed Ilgauskas will return to the Cavaliers, who drafted him in 1997. He has said his “heart is in Cleveland” but his agent said Ilgauskas will consider signing with the Hawks and will take his time with the decision.
Dallas, Denver, and Utah also are expected to recruit Ilgauskas. The Cavs would have to wait 30 days after they traded Ilgauskas (March 19) to re-sign him while any other team can sign him after he clears waivers on Monday at 2 p.m. No team in the league has the necessary salary-cap space to claim Ilgauskas off waivers.
In order to become a free agent and join a contender, Ilgauskas gave back $1.5 million of the prorated portion of his $11.5 million salary due, according to the Washington Post. The Hawks have both their mid-level and bi-annual salary-cap exceptions available but it’s not expected that Ilgauskas’ prorated salary will be large enough to need them. That puts the Hawks and his other suitors on roughly the same level with salary offers.
Ilgauskas’ motivations aren’t clear beyond his desire to play for a team capable of making a deep playoff run. If he’s looking for playing time the Hawks and Jazz appear to offer him the best opportunity for minutes among the teams reported to be interested.
Hawks forward Josh Smith said Ilgauskas would play a big role for the Hawks.
“I will try to get his number from Joe and give him a call and tell him how much we want him here,” Smith said.
“We need a guy like that,” said Hawks All-Star center Al Horford. “I hope our people can make that happen because he would be a big key for us.”
Ilgauskas would add three things the Hawks can use: size, shooting and playoff experience (64 games).
“He’s a guy that is good with shooting on the pick-and-pop,” Horford said. “He’s a big body. We already have some of those but you need as many as you can get for the playoffs, especially an experienced guy like that.”
Ilgauskas, 34, had foot problems early in his career but played in 73 or more games in each season from 2002-08. He played in 65 games last season and 53 this season, when he was relegated to a backup role behind Shaquille O’Neal.
“He’s just as healthy as anyone else,” Joe Smith said. “He didn’t have any problems in both years I was with him.”
The Hawks likely will try to sell Ilgauskas on playing time in their power rotation. In Cleveland he was playing a career-low 20.5 minutes per game in a frontcourt that included O’Neal, Anderson Varejao and J.J. Hickson. Now the Cavaliers also have power forward Antawn Jamison, who was acquired from Washington in the three-team trade that included Ilgauskas.
Ilgauskas would stand to get significant minutes in the Hawks’ power rotation. Jason Collins, the only 7-footer on the roster, has played sparingly. Zaza Pachulia (6-11), the primary reserve at center, has struggled lately. Horford (6-10), the starter at center, could play power forward alongside Ilgauskas with Josh Smith at small forward, a position he played early in his career.
“I’m down for whatever position they want me to play,” Josh Smith said. “If it means going big for matchups, that’s cool.”
The only true center playing significant minutes behind Utah’s Mehmet Okur is third-year player Kyrylo Fesenko. The Nuggets start Nene at center with defensive specialist Chris Andersen backing him up. The Mavericks recently acquired center Brendan Haywood to back up longtime starter Erick Dampier, who is out with a hand injury.
The Cavaliers, who lead the Eastern Conference, appear to have the best shot at the Finals among the teams pursuing Ilgauskas. The Hawks are seven games behind Cleveland in fourth place and could try to sell Ilgauskas on being the player to help them reach the next level in the playoffs.
“We are playing well,” Joe Smith said. “We’ve got just as good of a shot at the Finals as anyone.”
The Hawks do not plan to pursue veteran guard Larry Hughes, who recently was waived by the Sacramento Kings. It is believed the Hawks aren’t inclined to use their 14th roster spot for a perimeter player, which also means Mike James wouldn’t be considered after he gets an expected buyout from the Wizards.
The Hawks also are not expected to pursue 7-foot center Mikki Moore, a free agent who is looking to get back into the league after heel surgery in December.
MC
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206 comments Add your comment
Michael Cunningham
February 25th, 2010
1:20 pm
@ everybody: i asked Sund about the Hawks’ salary-cap exceptions and he said they have none. but then i saw it reported elsewhere that they have both the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions. i’ve also seen conflicting reports about what exceptions the other suitors have available. so i’m trying to track all of this down today, stay tuned.
O'Brien
February 25th, 2010
1:20 pm
I think Big Z would be a good addition for the Hawks. It keeps him away from Cleveland, it gives us another shooter, it gives us 6 more fouls that we can use as needed against Shaq and D12, and maybe he could light a fire under ZaZa (who has clearly regressed this year).
Rod from CP (from the other blog),
While I agree with a lot of your Marvin criticsm, I do think he would improve coming off the bench.
By coming off the bench, he will get lots of minutes against the other team’s backup SF, and defensively, he should help the bench to play better defense than Mo does, because Mo is too small.
And on the bench team, Marvin would be our 2nd or 3rd option, whereas he is the 5th or 6th option among the starters. And by moving to the bench, there will be less pressure on Marvin too, which might help his aggressiveness and confidence. And he wouldn’t have to defer so much.
Traceman,
As a big fan of the Hawks, I hope Marvin turns it around. After all, he is only 23 (although this is his 5th year in the league).
But you’re right, Woody does have options when it comes to Marvin. So even if he doesn’t bench him, he can give him more minutes with the bench players.
But right now, Marvin is still averaging 30 minutes per game. I say cut his minutes more if he continues to struggle (or make him play with the bench players more) and give Mo some minutes with the starters.
Michael Cunningham
February 25th, 2010
1:21 pm
* should say i asked Sund a couple weeks ago haven’t reached him yet today.
gwite
February 25th, 2010
1:23 pm
I can almost guarantee Z will not sign with no team other than Cleveland.
If he did sign with another team, he knows he would then be revealed to be the Big Stiff that he is. That’s what he was before Lebron, and that’s what he’ll be anywhere else.
7′ 3″, Lifetime: 13.9 ppg, 7.7 reb.
Big f’n Stiff.
Ted M
February 25th, 2010
1:25 pm
Thanks Traceman
Justin
February 25th, 2010
1:34 pm
Just because Big Z flew back to Cleveland today means nothing, he has spent his entire career with Cleveland I’m pretty sure his house is still there, and not in Washington.
heelsfan
February 25th, 2010
1:34 pm
@traceman. Man your about the only logical one on here in regards to Marvin. He does seem to lack confidence but then again how can you fill confident if no matter if he is playing well or not Woody will sit him. Now that is the coaches fault. If he is playing well and with energy keep him in the game. Marv only had four shots last night. What can he do with that. Something does have to change and all signs point to Woody getting out of the A becuase the window is closing for this team.
Melvin
February 25th, 2010
1:44 pm
I say get Big Z and Larry Hughes in here. Talent win games… Worst case, at least they wont be on the opposing team….
vava74
February 25th, 2010
1:44 pm
MC,
This blog entry is a complete waste of web space. Ziggy will sign with the Cavs and it pointless to even waste a phone call to his agent.
This is all part of a make belief role playing gimmick to satisfy the league’s requirements for the pre-arrangement with Ziggy not being too evident.
Hawks fail to inspire in win over the Wolves « control+ATL+delete
February 25th, 2010
1:48 pm
[...] you find one that works. Woodson has yet to fully experiment with his rotation, and barring the improbable signing of Zydrunas Ilgauskas, this is how the team will look for the rest of the season. If the Hawks are gonna get past the 2nd [...]
O'Brien
February 25th, 2010
1:50 pm
MC,
It will be interesting to hear what you find in regards to what exceptions the Hawks have available. I’m no cap expert, but I know Ive also read that they have the mid-level and bi-annual available.
vava74,
I also dont think Big Z will sign anywhere else. He is going to be the franchise leader in games played for Cleveland (if he isnt already), and he knows that his best chance at a ring is in Cleveland. He has been there for 13 years, and his family is stable there. Why go somewhere else for a new coach, new players, new plays to learn etc?
That being said, Sund and the Hawks still have to do their due dilligence just in case Big Z surprises everyone by signing somewhere else.
Stirg d'Nahsif
February 25th, 2010
2:01 pm
The players in the locker room, Hawks’ coaches and staff have all said that Z would be the perfect fit. Al Horford even said that he’ll “do anything to get Z” in Atlanta. How is it that the un-athletic people, sitting behind a computer, know better than the people who actually play the sport?
J-Smoove entered the league, playing small forward. When Marvin was drafted, he was better at small forward than the power forward position. Josh was asked to gain weight and play some PF. Who cares that he’s not a perimeter shooter? He won’t need to be a perimeter shooter with the signing of Z. That would give us four sharp shooters (Z, Bibby, Johnson and Horford) and three 3-point shooters (Z, Bibby and Johnson).
Jborodawg
February 25th, 2010
2:02 pm
Z would be a great addition! Horford could finally play his true position. Big Z and Horford on the floor at the same time…cool! But, I also believe he’s gonna lean toward the Cavs.
terrell
February 25th, 2010
2:07 pm
Why would Zaza call Z? If he comes here, Zaza shouldn’t see the floor again. lol!
gwite
February 25th, 2010
2:16 pm
Now, how silly would it be for Horford or any other Hawk, or any player to say other than what Horford “has been told to say”? Especially when Big Stiff(Z) is most likely going back to Cleveland.
Talk about bulletin board material, for an already stacked team!
Ree Roe
February 25th, 2010
2:22 pm
@ Strig, I guess you & I will have to agree to disagree. If you think having Josh as one of our primary ball handlers on the perimeter and putting him on the opposing team’s best swing man is a good idea, then good for you. I’ve already outlined why it would be a disaster on both sides of the court, but maybe you’re partial to some information I haven’t seen yet. Josh Smith as our starting SF weakens this team, but I guess that’s ok for you b/c we’d have another perimeter shooter. SMH
-REEspect the Roe!!!
Traceman
February 25th, 2010
2:26 pm
@ Stirg,
What about the other things that Ree Roe mentioned. Specifically:
“Josh as a perimeter player will handle the ball more, shoot more jump shots & be less likely to play in the paint. That equals turnovers, Ill advised jumpshots & less rebounds. On a defensive end, Josh would be on the opposing team’s best swingman (Lebron, Carmelo, Durant, etc) and that would take away his effectiveness as our only shot blocker on the team & exploit his weakness as an on ball defender.”
All of those things are right on point. Putting Smoove at SF would do to him the same thing it has done to Kirilenko in UT. It would take him from being one of the best, most versatile, stat-stuffing players in the league to being an overpaid guy that the team can’t trade. No thanks.
Hawkeye
February 25th, 2010
2:33 pm
Big Z should come ,so that the clumsy duck called Marvin Williams would be pushed to bench..
Michael Cunningham
February 25th, 2010
2:34 pm
@vava: does this mean i should just call it a day and chill? sweet! i’m cool with that but i don’t think my boss would like it.
Ken Strickland
February 25th, 2010
2:37 pm
Ilgouskas averaged 20.5MPG with Cleveland before the trade. The question is, WOULD HE SERIOUSLY CONSIDER SIGNING WITH THE HAWKS AFTER FACTORING IN THE POSSIBILITY OF PLAYING FAR FEWER MINS, KNOWING HOW WOODSON UNDERUTILIZES HIS BENCH, ESPECIALLY HIS BIGS? This could go a long way towards determining how much of a negative effect Woodson’s treatment of veteran bench players, not named JCrawford, will have on future attempts to sign the quality veteran players he prefers for his bench.
You WOODY LOVERS can pretend all you want, but NBA players are completely aware of our issues with Woodson and his gross underutilization of our bench. Hell, they’ve been playing us and taking advantage of it for the past few yrs. The only veteran players we can hope to sign in the future will be those who are waaay past their prime and just looking to hold on, and/or just looking for another paycheck.
Traceman
February 25th, 2010
2:39 pm
@ MC,
I have a hard time believing that the Hawks don’t have ANY exceptions available. Actually, I believe they have the full MLE available as the MLE is available every year and we didn’t sign any players who were not our own players to anything above the vet minimum last year. Last year, we signed the following players:
Marvin – our own FA
Bibby – our own FA
Zaza – our own FA
Joe Smith – vet minimum
Collins – vet minimum
West – vet minimum
Hunter – vet minimum
Everybody else was already under contract. Where then did the MLE go? I think we still have it.
Daniel
February 25th, 2010
2:47 pm
MC- I don’t agree with Vava that this is a waste of time, anymore than anything else we discuss on this blog, but I do agree that all the agent talk is just to mask the whole prearranged deal that they have “vehemently” denied.
I still think there is more to Crawford’s injury than we are getting. Put your screws to the team there. Also, Sund is not telling the truth if he says we don’t have the MLE, where was it used?
Interesting also that Sund is NOT interested in Larry Hughes, but is willing to put out there interest in Z. If we go with the assumption, that Z. is going back to Clevland and this talk is a horse and pony show, what benefit does it do the Hawks to throw their name in the hat? One argument would be that it is just PR to the fans to “show they are trying”, but when he doesn’t sign doesn’t that hurt the PR?
Or do you think the Hawks really think they have a shot at getting him?
Jody
February 25th, 2010
2:49 pm
As talented as Josh, he’s capable of playing 3 and 4. As long as he attacks the basket, he will be successful.
Daniel
February 25th, 2010
2:50 pm
Good grief Ken,
Do you really think that your assesment of Woody’s bench use is gospel in the NBA? Do you really think that Zydrunis considers that an issue at all? C’mon man try to find a new angle on something.
Is there any subject involving the Hawks that you can’t spin to be somehow Woody’s fault?
Rod from College Park
February 25th, 2010
2:51 pm
Traceman,
“You are right on about Smoove. Putting him at SF would be a HORRIBLE mistake. He is a PF. Al might be a PF too but he is a better Center than Smoove is a SF.”
While I agree that it would not be ideal, he could not possibly be worse than our current starter. It would be a problem because we would loose on some of the good things that Josh brings. If say we were to land Big Z and Al was moved to the 4, there is no way possible that Josh would be worse than Marvin in anything besides FT shooting percentage and maybe 3 point percentage. He would be a better defender, better scorer, better rebounder, better assist man, better attacking the rim, better finisher…….. This is all hypothetical as we know that Woodson won’t change his starting lineup for anything.
Traceman
February 25th, 2010
2:52 pm
@ MsDee,
I think your idea has a lot of validity but I would continue to start Marvin and just play him more with the backups. Mo could get more minutes with the starters.
I agree with you that Marvin could bring some much needed defensive help to the 2nd unit and I think he would likely get more shots up with that group. Our 2nd unit is just HORRIBLE defensively on an individual basis. Teague is a rookie PG. Few rookie PGs defend very well. The real JT (Jason Terry) was an awful defender as a rookie. Jamal is trying to play D for the first time in his career. He’s better than awful now but still not great. Mo tries but he is undersized against most SFs. Joe Smith has lost a step. Or two. Zaza hustles but he can’t jump and he is FAR too slow to rotate.
Putting Marvin at SF in place of Mo with that group would be an improvement in my opinion. That said, I would want Marvin at SF with the starters down the stretch for defensive purposes unless Bibby was in with Jamaal and JJ was at SF.
Traceman
February 25th, 2010
2:54 pm
@ O’Brien,
I agree with you on Marvin. I would just leave him in the starting lineup and play him more with the bench guys to see if that got him going.
Melvin
February 25th, 2010
2:56 pm
MC,
Could you ask Josh which position he prefers to play and/or what position he feels suits his skill set? We as bloggers have our own opinions but it would be nice to here what’s his views are.
Hawks Fan
February 25th, 2010
2:59 pm
Hawks are full of BS. We’re not getting “Big Z”. He’s going back to Cleveland. According to an ESPN post, he’s aready back in Cleveland. Why not pick-up Larry Hughes. Put him at small forward, Marvin on the bench. Hughes would give us much versatility. We need someone to push Marvin. He plays too relaxed to me. He needs to be pushed.
GeeMack
February 25th, 2010
3:01 pm
Ken Strickland
Like the guys (Joe Smith & Jason Collins)we picked up this summer that you are screaming to give more time too.
Section 303
February 25th, 2010
3:01 pm
@D21, it really is that simple. I’m not saying that Big Z would not help. He would. But, the season is not over if he goes back to the Cavs. I’m pretty sure the games will still be played.
We seem to be forgetting that the Hawks were severely banged up in round 2 last year. If they are healthy, with Big Z or not, they will put up a fight against the Cavs….if they even play the Cavs, that is.
MsDee
February 25th, 2010
3:18 pm
Traceman,
Just curious..what would truly be the difference in Marvin starting and playing bench minutes, than just coming off the bench with Jamal and playing starter minutes? Both players, Marvin & Mo, will get something out of it. I think our starters can handle the folk well on their own..its our bench players that seem to let the lead go most of the time and Marvin has nothing and I mean NOTHING to do with the scoring of the starters or defense for that matter. His rebounding has gone down big-time.
As a basketball player myself, I started most of my basketball career and let me tell yall, I wasnt in small girly girl leagues, I was playing against elite colleges..(Tenn Vols, Texas Tech, Stanford,,ect..) as a shooting guard. My college coach needed fire power coming off the bench, (Jamal’s role), and I loved it cause it allowed me to see what I could do differently than what the starters were doing and I was able to score more than the starters. I believe this is what Marvin is lacking right now, that 6-man drive that all the commentators and basketball analists were saying about him when he was drafted so high. I think this would be a good look for him..and who knows, he could start looking like the Marvin BK drafted him for!
MsDee
February 25th, 2010
3:21 pm
I know I spelled ‘analist’ wrong..just didnt feel like looking it up but i’m sure u guys know what i’m saying..(smile)
MsDee
February 25th, 2010
3:26 pm
Also, wasnt Marvin coming off the bench in college?? This really couldnt hurt Marvin if he came off the bench, i mean starting isnt getting done either. Woodson should at least test it out and see what happens.
Oh and Traceman,
Its not so much that Marvin starts but play with the bench that could make the difference cause it doesn’t..its a ‘mind thing’ to come off the bench. Again, look how well Jamal is doing since coming off the bench, it makes you proform better. Marvin could proform better if Woodson would only give it a try.
Daniel
February 25th, 2010
3:27 pm
analyst (Ms. Dee)- but lord knows I make plenty of spelling errors.
Hey, did you guys see the Step Show “controversy”? Its on AJC front page. The girls from Arkansas seem a lot better to me than the ones from Indiana, I wonder how much racial politics is involved here. I dunno, and I am no step expert but seems the Arkansas girls were better. Am I missing something?
bob
February 25th, 2010
3:27 pm
the hawks can offer a locker room with xbox, pool table, big screen tv and a chef. he could also get out of hanging around cleveland and horse head james
Daniel
February 25th, 2010
3:29 pm
Ms. Dee the counter argument for Marvin coming off the bench is that you will be starting Joe at the 3 which takes away his size advantage. Not saying it is not worth a try, but just playing devil’s advocate.
vinny
February 25th, 2010
3:30 pm
get the godfather to make him an offer he can’t refuse
Daniel
February 25th, 2010
3:31 pm
I still maintain the biggest advantage for getting Z, is that he would not be with the CAVS which would force Shaq into bigger and bigger minutes. I think his absence from the Cavs hurts them more than the benefit he brings another team.
The Truth
February 25th, 2010
3:32 pm
This riddle regarding Big Z’s destination will be easy to solve. After he clears waivers and hasn’t signed with any other team including the Hawks within a few weeks, then you will know that this was all a PR stunt brought to you by Sund and Big Z’s agent.
I hope this scenario is not true because the “cry for help” has been now revealed (for the first time) by key core players such as JJ, Josh and Al. This could set a very sour tone if that became the perception. In other words, the stunt (if it is perceive to be a stunt), could backfire. The fallout could be JJ walks (for sure) and the Hawks come up even shorter in the playoff.
The name that stirs fear in the Bubba crew
February 25th, 2010
3:36 pm
Ree Roe I could not agree more. The voice of ignorance that wants to move Josh to a 3 has no clue. Josh is one of the best power forwards (or should I say point forward considering his great assist talent.), in the NBA. I suggest we get Horford minutes at the 4and 5, filling in for Josh and the Z man. He could still get starters like minutes and make our front line more rested and a true load against teams.
We have got to stop the bleeding in the middle.
Astro Joe
February 25th, 2010
3:36 pm
Strickland, the guys who are bought out of their contracts are playing on teams that are lottery-bound. So right off the bat, playing for a team that is certainly going to the playoffs is better than staying with a loser. Secondly, the Hawks are frequently on ESPN and have 2 All-Stars (both signs of national respect). So any vet bought out will have the chance to play inmeaningful games on national TV, that has to help their ability to secure a good contract next year. Additionally, the Hawks will be favored to win at least the initial playoff round which should mean more exposure and a higher playoff check. Lastly, any vet must have the attitude that just because another player fails, doesn’t mean that they will fail. In order to have a long NBA career you must understand how to prove value to a coach and how to carve out a niche. Z, as an example, isn’t going to say “wow, he doesn’t play that slow-moving, massively over-weight Jason Collins so I guess he won’t play me”. Tony Battie isn’t thinking “I’d rather stay with this horrific NJ Nets team and have my name associated with the worse team in league history than sit on the bench in Atlanta”. If a SF like Devean George is bought out, he will surely think “they don’t have any good-sized back-up SFs with playoff experience so I would likely be used in some capacity to help defend SFs like Pierce, LeBron and Hedo”. There is pretty much no down-side of joining the Hawks for a few months. Even if the are oppressed by Woody, they still get a playoff check. And it is doubtful that there will be many slots available for these bought-out players… so it’s not like they will be choosing from many of the top 6-7 teams across the league.
Go sell you hate elsewhere. Bought-out vets won’t run from this team.
rob
February 25th, 2010
3:37 pm
Why not got after DION GLOVER? Is he still alive?
Truth-Serum
February 25th, 2010
3:37 pm
The Truth I have to agree, Im also concerned that this is a calculated effort to appease the fan base. Yes, we will know in a couple of weeks.
EW
February 25th, 2010
3:39 pm
Would LOVE to see Al Horford at his natural position of PF….can you imagine the matchup problems we could create putting Joe and Jamal at guard, Josh at the 3, AL at PF and Big Z in the middle..no i didn’t forget about bibby, this would only be situation…but an exciting thought…
Only problem is that the Cavs are almost a foregone conclusion to make it to the finals…what would Z’s incentive be to come here? He knows he would have to play Shaq to make it to the finals.
MannyT
February 25th, 2010
3:40 pm
@Traceman–I’m pretty sure you are correct–the Hawks didn’t use their exception slots. HOWEVER
I think we won’t sign Z even if he is available.
Y…follow the money.
Unless Z takes the minimum, he will likely put us over the luxury tax!
It’s not what we pay him, but what the annual salary that factors into the luxury cap.
(easy example, assume player has $10 mil annual salary for a 10 game season but you pick him up for the last game of the season. You would pay him $1 mil, but his cap value would be $10 mil. I know the example doesn’t fit the number of games in the NBA, but it makes the math easy to follow.) Otherwise teams way over the cap, who cannot add players easily, would offer the Mikki Moore’s of the world contracts on the last day of the season. Almost no impact to the tax, but a larger than normal salary slot to play with before July 1 for draft day trades.
X factor to all of this…if a team really wanted to keep him away from Cleveland, pick him up on waivers. Don’t let him buy out. He could sit at home and get paid like T-Mac was doing until Houston traded him.
As they said in Good Will Hunting…How do you like them apples!
BWAF
Truth-Serum
February 25th, 2010
3:40 pm
“Go sell you hate elsewhere. Bought-out vets won’t run from this team.”
What? Ken? A hater? LMAO!
Michael Cunningham
February 25th, 2010
3:43 pm
@Trace: check the update. Hawks have both exceptions.
@ Daniel: i agree Big Z is headed back to Cleveland and this is all for show. that doesn’t mean i ignore the story (even if i wanted to). sometimes us hacks have to play along with the game, ’tis what ’tis.
@ Melvin: check the update. Smoove says he’s cool with SF. he says the biggest adjustment would be chasing SFs off pin-down screens on the block
Astro Joe
February 25th, 2010
3:43 pm
The Truth, if Z returns to his home of 13 years to play for the team favored to win the championship AND sleep in his home bed, I seriously doubt that the Hawks players will view it as a “stunt” and be disgruntled. Sund needs to take his turn at the plate with a good offer, players recognize that not every courtship ends with a marriage. But I am interested in hearing about Plan B. It is very likely that the list won’t end with Z, Hughes and Mike James. So will Sund consider others if he fails (as expected) with Z? When he went to the ASG, did he ask for extra dough for Z specifically or for a 14th player in general?
Truth-Serum
February 25th, 2010
3:46 pm
Astro Joe, point made, and well taken!