Atlanta Hawks: Next Day J.J.
Joe Johnson didn’t exactly take it back today. He was mad that fans booed the Hawks throughout their Game 3 loss to Orlando and afterward told reporters he “could care less if they showed up or not.”
Asked if he had any more thoughts on the topic after sleeping on it, J.J. said:
“It was tough. I don’t think we’ve heard the boos like that in the five years since I’ve been here. When I first got here, man, there were probably like 100 people out there in those seats. I won’t say everybody is a diehard, but they’ve shown us a lot of support over the years. In the heat of the battle you tend to say a lot of things. But it was tough, man. I was a little [ticked] off but I am over now.”
His comments have led to speculation that he sounds like a guy who doesn’t like it in Atlanta anymore and can’t wait to leave via free agency this summer. But Johnson said that’s taking it too far.
“Don’t read in between all of that,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed my years here. They’ve been great. We’ll see what happens Monday.”
That’s not a farewell speech, is it?
“No, not at all,” he said.
Some context on J.J.’s postgame comments. Normally he takes a while to get dressed before he faces reporters. But after Game 3 he was just out of the shower and immediately beckoned media when he made it to his stall. The question that led to the inflammatory quote was whether fans booing affected him or the team.
So does he care if fans show up for Game 4 tomorrow?
“If they come out and show us support, it would be great,” he said.
During a separate interview, Woody also touched on the fans and their expectations. The question was regarding Al Horford’s contention that the Hawks are a loose, fun-loving group that sometimes doesn’t know when it’s time to get serious (an observation I’ve made as well).
Woody agreed with that and then talked about how in the past he’s been viewed as a coach who is too demanding, how Hawks players don’t make negative headlines off the court, and then about the team’s chemistry:
“We do have a young group of good guys who do like each other. But when you face adversity, sometimes guys stray off and you start to point fingers. That ain’t always good in terms of your team. Sometimes you find out a lot about people when you do lose. We haven’t lost very many games this year, especially in this building. And people expect you to win. That’s a good thing. I think coming into the season, I made that very clear that expectations are going to be higher this year, and they should be. You should want it that way. People are going to expect much more than they’ve ever expected even though we’v4e never been an elite team, we are trying to get to that level. People sometimes expect too much, especially here in this arena where we’ve been pretty successful the last couple years. We’ve kind of spoiled our fans a little bit. Maybe that’s why they turned last night in terms of the boos and things of that nature because it was a lackluster game on our part.”
MC
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269 comments Add your comment
Najeh Davenpoop
May 9th, 2010
7:59 pm
“He turned down $16 million and he played like that? You can’t play like that for $16 million.”
–Charles Barkley
Blast
May 9th, 2010
8:02 pm
Tell ‘em, Chuck, Kenny! @ 16 mil $$ a YEAR, Joe gotta play waaaaaaaaaay better. He has to play like the superstar he’s trying to be.
And Joe must be dumb to say his poor playoff plays are not hurting his chances of scoring big bucks in free agency.
Might have been better if Bucks beat Hawks. Least I know the Bucks would have COMPETED against the Magic.
VenomSpitter
May 9th, 2010
8:03 pm
We do not need Joe. Why the hell would anybody wanna pay him all that money just to see him hog the ball and shoot bricks and shrink under pressure. The only person who would give him a ton of money would be THE BIGGEST JOE NUTHUGGER ON THE PLANET. NORTHCYDE.
Grandad
May 9th, 2010
8:05 pm
Charles Barkley:
“Patrick Ewing deserves a chance to be a HC in this league.”
brody
May 9th, 2010
8:11 pm
Patrick,
You can’t be serious with ZaZa as our starting 5.
rusty
May 9th, 2010
8:15 pm
hey northcyde
how much do you want to pay joe
Maxx
May 9th, 2010
8:16 pm
That performance yesterday was piss-poor, they should understand why the crowd was booing them. I would be ashamed of myself if I worked that hard for a year to get to this point and then play that bad of a game on both ends of the floor. Embarrassing. Joe Johnson has been non-existent in the playoffs this year, and he wants LeBron money. He can go get that somewhere else, he’s not worth it
Najeh Davenpoop
May 9th, 2010
8:19 pm
Any idea that has Josh moving to the small forward position is pointless. Josh can’t play small forward on either end of the floor. Unless you like seeing him shoot jumpers and get beat off the dribble by smaller, quicker players, he is a PF.
And by the way, Bosh is no better than Joe Johnson, nor is he any more capable of playing center than Horford. I’d even argue that he’s a worse franchise player than Joe and less of a center than Horford. Joe has more of a defensive impact than Bosh, and Bosh has never won 53 games or made it to the second round in his career. My enduring mental image of Bosh is how he gets manhandled physically by Horford every time they match up. And also, my Raptor fan friends don’t seem to be too bent out of shape by Bosh’s recent tweets asking where he should go next.
I’d put Bosh in the same group as Pau Gasol — offensively gifted but defensively weak PFs who were incapable of winning as the lead dog but lifted another team to elite status as the #2 option. If you want to bring him here as a complementary piece, fine (although that’s impossible with the Hawks’ cap situation) but if you want him here as the replacement franchise player to Joe Johnson, you’re in for a disappointment.
WaffleHouseDJ
May 9th, 2010
8:21 pm
i’ll chalk Woodson’s delusional “spoiled” comment to supporting his team, but i find Joe Johnson’s comment about not caring about whether the fans are there to be humorous considering that he cited fan attendance as a reason that he’D consider moving to another team, as a free agent. additionally, Johnson and Josh Smith have recently voiced the opinion that they don’t care about anyone other than their teammates. i’m not sure from where that sentiment originates, but the source and those who parrot it should be removed from the Hawks roster/organization before it pollutes the players who have pride in their performance as PROFESSIONALS!!!
on another note, when was the last time that an owner (ownership group) lost the “franchise players” AND their head coaches of BOTH of their teams in the same year??? David McDavid’s ownership sure is looking good about now! :-/
northcyde
May 9th, 2010
8:28 pm
Jat3
May 9th, 2010
7:56 pm
Here’s my 2 cents…get rid of JJ, bring in Gilbert Arenas. I think he may have learned his lesson and wants to play since being in trouble and we may not have to pay a lot for his contract. He can bring leadership on the floor and can shoot. Chris Bosh is available. Let’s get him in the middle position and have Al Horford play his true position at forward. Bibby is old. Let him go too. Starting 5: Horford, J. Smooth, Bosh, Crawford and Arenas.
*********************
And what type of leader has Gilbert Arenas shown he could be? The same dude who was stupid enough to bring MULTIPLE HANDGUNS into a NBA arena, in a city absolutely crazy with their gun laws?
Oh God . . . that’s my worst nightmare right there. Having to root not only for Crawford, but for Arenas as well? LOL.
Those Washington teams with Arenas, Jamison, and Bulter didn’t do no more than we did. Arenas is a gunner. He’s no more of a leader than JJ is.
Chesnut Legend
May 9th, 2010
8:31 pm
Shake it up, don’t blow it up!
Bibby sits, Teague starts.
You guys need a history lesson. Do you really want to go there (Hawks circa 90s & 00s)? Accept the fact that the Magic have more talent, better coaching and a better front office. That’s ok. Let’s try to get where they are. We have to get value or keep JJ. Bibby has to go cause he is too much of a defensive liability. And of course, Woody has to go. Sorry Woody. But you’ve got bank.
northcyde
May 9th, 2010
8:33 pm
Venom . . . you’ll see just who will give JJ the money. I bet Pat Riley is going to make a big time play for that dude, to pair him up with Wade. Oh I forgot . . . Wade is supposed to be coming here . . right?
LOL . . a person like you has no clue. You prove that on a daily basis. You’ll rather for us to lose JJ for nothing, then wonder why we can only win 37 games. Then you’ll blame Crawford . . or Josh Smith . . or Rick Sund . . or blame all three for the Hawks woes.
You’re not a fan of this team anyway, so why do you care?
VenomSpitter
May 9th, 2010
8:38 pm
I knew that Joe’s Nut leach northcyde would show up LOL. I didn’t say anything about Wade clown. But u are right about 1 thing geting rid off Joe wont do anything. But getting rid of Joe AND Woody would do alot.
I don’t want Joe to leave or nothing. I want us to sign and trade him. Got that u testicle leach.
Clyde
May 9th, 2010
8:38 pm
FIRE WOODY
northcyde
May 9th, 2010
8:39 pm
@ Wafflehouse
I think they get pizzed ( like I do ), especially when the marquee stars come to town. They have to endure 40% of the crowd cheering for the other team, or for some superstar that everybody loves. Instead of home court advantage, Philips Arena turns into what you’d see during a high school rivalry game, in which the crowd is split. The only other arena I’ve ever seen that take place, is in the FedEx Forum in Memphis. Their fans don’t show up, but they pack the place when Kobe, Lebron, and Wade come to town ( and cheer loudly for them )
So when you hear JJ and Smoove talk about “only playing for their teammates”, I think that’s where some of that stems from. Anybody who has ever been to Philips when the Lakers come to town, knows what I’m talking about. It’s sad to see 8,000 people rooting AGAINST the Hawks in their own building.
PaulieOldschool
May 9th, 2010
8:41 pm
JJ is a major tool. Yeah, I said it. Yakking about the fans expressing their displeasure when you ain’t even carrying your own jockstrap in a series is low even for him. This guy’s an elite player as much as I am. Let him go and get 3 good players in here that work hard, appreciate the opportunity, and keep their freakin’ mouths shut when they get theys’ azz beat.
Nicole
May 9th, 2010
8:42 pm
Every season ticket holder needs to blast there salesperson and demand an apology. It is unacceptable to spend money where you are not appreciated!
northcyde
May 9th, 2010
8:43 pm
Who we gonna sign and trade JJ for Venom? You’re the smart man over there. Name a guy who we can realistically get in a sign and trade . . AND . . . that JJ will agree to go to that team for.
You offer nothing to this board but a bunch of vomit on a daily basis. Can’t even discuss the intricate details of basketball even if you tried. All you do is TRY to attack posters and hate on the players. LOL . . I bet you’ve never picked up a basketball in your life, but stay talking all that ish. You think you know something, but don’t know jack.
So tell us ol Great Venomous One . . . who do we get in a sign and trade for JJ? Kirk Hinrich?
Blast
May 9th, 2010
8:55 pm
While in the past, Hawks ‘fans’ have mostly rooted for Miami, Lakers, Orlando, and Boston, that has not happened since Hawks took the Celts to a 7 game series in the playoffs. In the last 3 years, Hawks fans have come out in droves, especially for games that mattered or for the playoffs, shutting down those transplant fans.
But when Hawks suck it up the way they’ve done, then there is no excuse. They deserved to be booed.
They played with no hunger, no passion, no zeal. They played liked there was internal rift or hidden agenda amongst the team, which is never good.
Hawks have enough tools not to rebuild, but to retool. They have to make good decisions about who stays and who leaves. Woody gat to go. And as much as I love Joe, Joe has to go. His style of play is not conducive to the make up of this team.
Keepers: Horford, Josh, Jamal, Teague. Everybody else should be food for the fodder.
i_am_soulstar
May 9th, 2010
9:31 pm
This is what happens when you have fans that believe and you don’t produce. Ask any other elite team. Lakers, C’s, and Cavs all get booed when they don’t come with it. If you can’t stand the heat, try a new recipe or get outta the kitchen.
Sign and trade JJ for O.J. Mayo, Marc Gasol, and 2012 first round daft pick. Sorry Woody, time to try someone new at coaching.
WaffleHouseDJ
May 9th, 2010
9:35 pm
unfortunately, the decision of whether Johnson stays or leaves is HIS choice. the Hawks can offer him a max contract, but he may opt to take less $$$ and go elsewhere (can you say “Cleveland”?), unless Sund can work out a sign & trade deal with a team whose willing to pay Joe max $$$, considering his post season performance this year. i doubt that a sign & trade will garner much “value”.
@northcyde
i’ve been going to Hawks games since the Wilkins/Rivers days, so i’m WELL aware how the transient folks wear the opposing teams gear and cheers on the Laker, Heat, Cavs or other team du jour. this is nothing new in ATL and i’m sure that Dominique has shared with them that the best way to sway them is to play well and WIN. it happened last year when the Hawks beat the Lakers in Philips. many Lakers fans in their colors were very vocal in cheering on Kobe, but even the ones in the enemy gear cheered on the Hawks when they took the lead and won. Joe and Josh need to get over themselves and grow up! Atlanta is a city full of fans who long to root for a winner so some attach to the winning opponent and some choose to root for the Hawks despite their record. the latter are the ones that they Hawks should consider. playing well and winning will bring the “bandwagon jumpers” over to the Hawks’ side.
northcyde
May 9th, 2010
9:51 pm
It must be great to be Jamal Crawford in Atlanta. He’s shot 37% FG for the playoffs ( lower than JJ’s dismal 39% FG. ) But because he’s played a lot better during JJ’s horrible slide, he’s the one people want to build around.
LOL . . JJ picked the worst time to play horrible, and Jamal picked the best time to play close to how he’s played throughout the season. Now that JJ is the villian, and Smoove’s antics are wearing on the fan base, Jamal is in a perfect position to be the new “go-to guy” of the team . . next to Horford.
Realsquawk
May 9th, 2010
10:03 pm
It is true that sometimes Phillips arena hasn’t felt like home court. I have walked into that arena and seen way too many jerseys that weren’t are colors. This year though I have seen something different the fans show up and they cheer for the hawks. When the hawks play like they did last night which happens what do the fans have to cheer about? Nothing so what do you hear the other teams fans. And it would be like that in any other arena except the hawks are hardly ever whooping somebody and the other team is hardly ever rolling over.
Simple as that JJ has no excuse and anybody who pays a 30 year old shooting guard who can’t show up in the playoffs is a fool. Unfortunately there are a lot of those in the NBA.
lou Hudson
May 9th, 2010
10:08 pm
The most realistic trade for the Hawks would be a sign & trade with JJ also including ZaZa to Chicago for Noah & Hinrich(big contract).Chicago wants to get rid of Hinrich’s contract and just like the Hawks; they have to give something up to get something in return. Chicago has already said they will resign Brad Miller. So, ZaZa make sense!
Next, the Hawks have to make a decision on Smith or Horford. Horford is a future HOFer. Smith could command the Hornet back up PG and their 1st round pick with a throw in player to make the numbers match. Now, the Hawks have 2 1st round picks and the ability to resign Childress or trade. There are several possibilities here to strenghten the bench, but most importantly, the Hawks would have addressed their major issues:a true center, a true PG, scoring help at the 2, and an improved bench! All the moves reasonable and affordable!
GO HAWKS!
darrell starks
May 9th, 2010
10:09 pm
The hawks must make moves quick this summer, first let get bosh we need a building block 2 starte with BOSH, AND HORFORD, on the blocks is a starte this team have no inside game every thing are jumpshots and thats nothing but and early exit in the playoffs.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
May 9th, 2010
10:11 pm
ASG have to decide on if they are going spend the luxury tax thats the only way 2 build this team.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
May 9th, 2010
10:13 pm
I no joe made that comment but deep in his heart he want 2 stay why would any one move from this great city 2 play some where else.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
The Quill
May 9th, 2010
10:21 pm
I was so happy to see the Johnson interview in print in the AJC. I watched the interview on TV and could not understand the first word, just mumble, mumble, mumble . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Najeh Davenpoop
May 9th, 2010
10:32 pm
Chicago feels the same way about Noah that the Hawks do about Horford. I don’t see any way they give him up in a trade for Joe.
Wabe
May 9th, 2010
10:35 pm
What good does Chris Bosh do the Hawks?
I always hear people say we should throw big bucks at Bosh, but why?
People already complain how we have one too many PF’s on this team, so why would you guys want to go out and get another one? If we add another frontcourt peice, it’d be to bulk up inside.
that year 2000
May 9th, 2010
10:40 pm
Chris Bosh does not need to be here from what I see in him he seems to be very softspoken too and I would die having to look at that Avatar damn thang or whatever he is !! and there’s a chance Joe will stay and if we make room for somebody like D Wade then we will have terrible players once again he will see himself facing the same Miami situation so we will c what Sund does this offseason the off season is actually more imp right now than this playoff turmoil
Wabe
May 9th, 2010
10:42 pm
Najeh Davenpoop
May 9th, 2010
10:32 pm
Chicago feels the same way about Noah that the Hawks do about Horford. I don’t see any way they give him up in a trade for Joe.
I agree.
Wabe
May 9th, 2010
10:47 pm
Realistically, I don’t see the Hawks being able to sign any of the marquee FA’s (Wade, LBJ, Bosh). Bosh will probably leave TOR, but I think both LBJ and Wade will stay in their respected cities. That alone will impact every other FA’s mindset.
You’ll see other guys like Amare and JJ gravitate towards the likes of Wade or LBJ. Teams like the Knicks or Bulls will offer these guys bigger deals and a bigger stage to shine on, and I don’t see any of these guys turning down those deals to come and play here.
sleepy
May 9th, 2010
10:48 pm
LOL @ Northcyde and his crawford hate .
Crawford has one year left on his deal how are we building around him ? Stop trying to deflect attention from JJ not showing up I dont think anyone is gonna forget this debacle . At least we all know this was Crawfords first playoff action but whats JJs excuse or are you just gonna post a link to that one game against Boston where we didnt even win the series as JJs Hawk legacy and a reason why she should max him?
northcyde
May 9th, 2010
10:49 pm
lou Hudson
May 9th, 2010
10:08 pm
The most realistic trade for the Hawks would be a sign & trade with JJ also including ZaZa to Chicago for Noah & Hinrich(big contract).Chicago wants to get rid of Hinrich’s contract and just like the Hawks; they have to give something up to get something in return. Chicago has already said they will resign Brad Miller. So, ZaZa make sense!
Next, the Hawks have to make a decision on Smith or Horford. Horford is a future HOFer. Smith could command the Hornet back up PG and their 1st round pick with a throw in player to make the numbers match. Now, the Hawks have 2 1st round picks and the ability to resign Childress or trade. There are several possibilities here to strenghten the bench, but most importantly, the Hawks would have addressed their major issues:a true center, a true PG, scoring help at the 2, and an improved bench! All the moves reasonable and affordable!
GO HAWKS!
************************
Joakim Noah’s playoff stats:
15 ppg – 13 rebs – 3 asst . . . . 53% FG – 95% FT ( 17 – 18 ) – 1 blk
Brad Miller’s playoff stats:
5 pts – 4 rebs – 1 ast . . . 37% FG – 100% FT ( 7 – 7 ) 0 blks
Do you really think that they’re tradiing Noah, their 2nd best player in the playoffs this year? Noah looked dominant in a few of those playoff games. He’s not going anywhere, no matter how much they want to get rid of Hinrich’s contract.
They may re-sign Brad Miller . . . at 3 million per year . . because that’s about all he’s worth right now.
Chicago doesn’t have to execute a sign and trade to get JJ. They could simply throw a lot of money at him, and rip him right away from us. I think everyone is trying to get some value back from a JJ trade at a need position. The fact is, that’s going to be much easier said than done.
JJ might be a scrub in these playoffs, but he’s not a scrub overall. But we may have to trade him for a scrub, especially when you talk about these teams who are well under the cap. Plus remember . . JJ still has to approve any sign and trade. He gets to pick where he wants to go in that situation. And he’s not going to wait around for the Hawks to come up with multiple sign and trades, just to help us out.
Some of you are going to have to take some of the emotion out of JJ’s comments, and look at the realistic situation that we’re facing come next year. If the Hawks don’t re-sign this dude ( even at far less than MAX prices ), we may get back significantly less talent in a sign and trade. Or we’ll simply get a trade exception. These teams below the cap though, don’t have to do anything to appease us.
darrell starks
May 9th, 2010
11:00 pm
ASG HAVE 2 MAKE SOME DECISION.
1.First sign joe 5 year 70mill that 13mill a year.
2.Sign bosh 5 year 100mill thats 20mill a year.
3.Trade marvin and teague for devin harris.
4.Trade josh and chills for rudy gay and ronnie brewer
5.Sign avery as coach 194wins 70lost as a coach.
6.24# pick solomon alabi
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!
northcyde
May 9th, 2010
11:01 pm
Sleepy. . . the one thing about me, is that I’ve NEVER said that JJ deserved MAX money. All I state is the realism of the situation. Somebody is going to throw big money at this dude, so we better have a damn good Plan B or C . . other than letting Crawford take JJ’s spot.
As for what I said about Crawford, all I’m stating is the truth. Some people want to build this team around Horford, Smoove, and Crawford. That’s fine. Just know what that means though.
JJ deserves all the hate that he’s getting. He’s playing horribly. He can’t play like that and expect the fans to be happy.
But if you look at the playoffs, it’s basically a situation in which JJ played good for the first 4 games, and sucked for the next 6 . . . while Crawford sucked for the first 4 or 5 games, but played good for the last 4 out of 5. I don’t know why these two guys can’t have a good or great game at the same time. That’s what we needed throughout these playoffs to have a shot. But it seems as if when one has it going, the other is ice cold.
JJ has had 6 consecutive sub 40% FG shooting games in the playoffs
Jamal has had 6 total sub 40% FG games in the playoffs
Crawford was a big reason why we were down 3 – 2 in the Milwaukee series.
JJ is a big reason why we’re almost dead, down 3 – 0 in this series.
So JJ is the focus of the hate. He deserves to be hated on.
darrell starks
May 9th, 2010
11:05 pm
ATLANTA HAWKS 2010 ROSTER COACH AVERY JOHNSON
STARTER DEVIN HARRIS, JOE JOHNSON, RUDY GAY, HORFORD, BOSH.
BENCH BIBBY, JAMAL, RONNIE BREWER, ZAZA, SOLOMON ALABI.
RESERVE MOE EVANS, MORRIS.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!
lou Hudson
May 9th, 2010
11:11 pm
Northcyde & Wabe, you are probably correct that Chicago will not part with Noah. However, it does not change the fact that the Hawks must make a decision on Smith of Horford. Horford is more polished and player. Smith has trade value and the Hawks only hope to acquire a decent center. Teague with a new coach maybe the answer at the point. Hopefully, a sign & trade with JJ brings you back something if not the 10 mil will. You still have a chance to resign Childress or trade and a 1st round pick.
Again, resign Flip to replace scoring at the 2 when JJ is gone. The are not that far away, but they need to make the right moves.
blonju aka the ghost of sekou smith
May 9th, 2010
11:14 pm
joe johnson = scottie pippen
blonju aka the ghost of sekou smith
May 9th, 2010
11:15 pm
only scottie was a much more cerebral player
Damon
May 9th, 2010
11:32 pm
In response to the Golden State trade of Josh, Marvin, and Teague for Curry, Maggette, and Biedrins, I’m not sure that we gain much here, aside from obtaining Curry. Sure, Curry is a fantastic young talent, and looks to be a longtime star pg in this league, I love his shooting ability and court-vision. However, I’m not too convinced on what Maggette and Biedrins can give us. Biedrins would likely become the starting center if we completed the trade mentioned above, if we then moved Al Horford to power forward. In terms of the center position, that would be a downgrade as Biedrins is no where near the level of Horford. He’s a decent shotblocker when he’s healthy, but less effective defensively in the post than Horford is because of his inferior strength and defensive prowess. Additionally, he is much worse offensively. Also, this causes us a loss in our athletic ability and hurts the switching defense as well, since Biedrins does not have the quickness or versatility to guard smaller, quicker players. Also, Maggette, at this point in his career is really not much of an upgrade over Marvin, and in fact, he may be a downgrade. Marvin is underrated defensively, and still has a lot of upside. Additionally, he and Maggette both have the versatility to play SG, SF, or PF, yet maggette is slower and less athletic.With that being said, I see the only positive of this trade coming from obtaining Curry, and I’m not sure it would be reasonable to deplete the frontcourt offense and defense in order to purely bolster the offense and backcourt.
northcyde
May 9th, 2010
11:36 pm
darrell starks
May 9th, 2010
11:00 pm
ASG HAVE 2 MAKE SOME DECISION.
1.First sign joe 5 year 70mill that 13mill a year.
2.Sign bosh 5 year 100mill thats 20mill a year.
3.Trade marvin and teague for devin harris.
4.Trade josh and chills for rudy gay and ronnie brewer
5.Sign avery as coach 194wins 70lost as a coach.
6.24# pick solomon alabi
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!
************************
I’ll make this my last post of the night.
Not possible Darrell . . . but you could tweak it a little:
1) if we could re-sign JJ for that deal, that would be amazing. But let’s say that we can . . . OK
2) Only way we could get Bosh, is if we trade contracts that come close to that amount. And we can’t do that, without executing a sign and trade for him. So if you want that deal to get done, at the very least we’d have to give up Josh Smith ( 11.6 mill next year ) + Marvin Williams ( 6.7 million ) = totaling 18.3 million
So Bosh = Smoove + Marvin ( I don’t see them doing it, due to the glut of forwards they have on that team . . . but we’ll roll with it ) … . . It would be nice to get Calderon away from Toronto though.
3) With Marvin gone, you can’t use him in a Devin Harris trade. With Crawford being on the last year of his deal, that would be the obvious guy to trade for Harris.
So Crawford = Harris . . . ( they wouldn’t do it unless they got John Wall in the draft to run the point . . . but we’ll roll with it )
4) Smoove would already be gone, giving us only Bibby, Zaza, Teague, possibly Evans, and Horford to make additional moves for other players. None of those teams will trade a good player for our scrubs, unless they were shedding payroll. And Chill’s status is still up in the air.
So #4 is out
5) Avery as coach . . . OK
6) Solomon Alabi . . . OK
Your team:
G – Harris
G – Johnson
F – Mo Evans ( he’d have to start )
F – Bosh
C – Horford
** a pretty good starting 5, with Mo Evans being the weak link **
Bench
G – Teague
G – Bibby
C – Zaza
C – Solomon Alabi
2nd round pick
F – Childress ( only if ownership is willing to go over the Luxury Tax )
So we would need to at least sign 5 players to round out the roster ( giving us 13 players ). With probably only the MLE left, we’d probably have to use at least part of the MLE to sign a halfway decent role player ( a SF or a G ). The rest of the squad would be made up of bench players.
If Chill were to come back and be added to that team, you’re probably talking about the Hawks being over the Luxury Tax. Our ownership group will probably never allow to let that happen though, due to the lack of revenue that the team generates at the gate.
But if you could add Chill + Harris + Bosh . . although we’d have to shed Smoove + Marvin + Crawford . . . I don’t know if we’d be a better team, but we’d definitely be more balanced. And if say, you add my guy in the 2nd round – Jarvaris Varnardo ( Miss St -PF ) or Wayne Chism ( Tennessee – PF ), that would be an interesting squad to throw at people.
Teague and Alabi would have to become key cogs of this team off the bench, in order for that team to be successful.
SWAT Native
May 9th, 2010
11:40 pm
Man, I’m to a point that I’m tired of the whole Razorback crew: Joe Johnson, Jamal Anderson, Chris Houston, Bobby Petrino…let’s make Atlanta a hawg free zone for a while.
northcyde
May 9th, 2010
11:43 pm
And when Horford signed his deal, we’d DEFINITELY be over the Luxury Tax, in that scenario.
But then again, every team remaining in the playoffs ( except us ) is over the Luxury Tax. 9 of the top 10 teams in payroll, made the playoffs. Only the Knicks didn’t.
And the teams that look to be in the EC Finals and WC Finals ( Portland, LA, Orlando, and Boston/Cleveland ), rank like this:
1) LA Lakers – 91.4 million
3) Boston – 86.5 million
5) Cleveland – 84.4 million
6) Orlando – 82.1 million
9) Phoenix – 74.9 million
22) Atlanta – 65.9 million
Gotta spend to win in this league.
OK . . that’s my last one. Take it easy.
Navigator
May 9th, 2010
11:47 pm
Haven’t we seen enough of the coddling of professional players in Atlanta. Does Johnson think he and his teammates would not have been booed in most of the sports cities in America for what they showen in this series. He’s been on other teams, and he will be on other teams in the future, but maybe his next team will get a different player, or maybe not.
Mystikal
May 9th, 2010
11:48 pm
After the dust has settled, I don’t think we want to go back to the hawks of old. So first get rid of Woody and find a head coach that can inspire and develop players. Resign JJ for 13 to 15 million cause he should have saved us some money with his performance. Start Jeff Teague and find out what he has in him. Trade Bibby for a waffle house gift certificate cause he’s too old and slow. Finallly do a sign and trade of Josh Smith for Chris Bosh. They are both great defenders, but Bosh gives us a scoring presence on the inside and he can hit a jumper. Not saying he is the leader of the team that will take us over the hump. Think that should be Al Horford who has proven he is a winner and just has to accept that leadership role. Also find a talent scout who knows how to put a team together and doesn’t pass over future hall of famers!
Mystikal
May 9th, 2010
11:51 pm
We really missed out on Channing Frye this past summer, but we locked up Bibby and Zaza!
sherill wilson
May 9th, 2010
11:52 pm
Ilove my boys I have not been able to see them play live till sat,8th I took a trip to atl my brother got tickets but before then I watch every game the hawks played! JoeJohnson is a strong minded person he don’t let stuff get to him josh smith is a Beast! He don’t play he’ll snap in a heartbeat and don’t care bibby is cool al horford,I always call them my boys even if they lose or win they are strong! Men I just wish I could have met then when I was here because they got nothing but heart! And I agree with my boy *Joe Johnson they didn’t need the extra drama from the suppose to be fans!you can’t win them all but I’m gonna leave on this the hawks make a greeat!team and I hope joe don’t leave atl because I plan on selling my home were I live now to move to atl and I want to be there 2 support them and hopfully I day meet them there my boys!
Grandad
May 10th, 2010
12:01 am
VS – One can disagree with nc w/o resorting to abusive language.
Surely you aren’t 14 like that youngster the other eve.
I agree with some of what you say, but sometimes your message
is tarnished with caustic effrontery.
nc – Joe appears to be trying to burn bridges.
Kinda like my young-uns when they would leave the nest.
They had to leave mad so it wouldn’t be so hard on them.
Joe most likely enjoyed his stay here but his agent is
orchestrating his future. So, it’s easier to leave mad.
It doesn’t hurt quite so much.
Jamal will not be our marquee player.
Al is growing into our Alpha Dawg.
I hate to overuse that term, but it applies.
Al, however needs a sidekick [not named Jamal].
Preferrably a multi-talented guard with poise[pt. guards accepted].
(Teaguer is fine with me if not traded)*(but we need more)
Najeh mentioned Collison.
I mentioned Curry.
These are the types of talent we must find to replace Joe.
He [?] will not come cheap.
He will have to come via trade.
[Josh - the highest value chip we possess]
Anything Mr. Sund can pull off for Joe S & T will
need to be both creative & innovative.
Right now should an exciting time for us Hawk fans, moreso than looking forward to a repeat of this season’s ill-fated facade of a team which pulled a rabbit out of the hat with 50+ wins, then quitting abruptly.