Atlanta Hawks: Crawford, cash and a mysterious Frenchman
Crawford to Hawks.
When the night was over the Hawks had made a trade, saved some cash, earned some additional cash and drafted Xavier guard Jordan Crawford and Pape Sy, a mysterious prospect from France.
First, the deal on Crawford and the cash. He was one of a handful of players the Hawks liked who were still on the board. They weren’t sure he would be there if they traded down but had three other players in mind if he wasn’t (one of them was Dominique Jones, who was picked at No. 25).
Rick Sund said Atlanta had the “luxury” of deciding on a shooter, wing, guard or a big project center.
“We decided to go with the best available player,” he said.
Moving down three spots in the first round saves the Hawks about $190,000 for the two guaranteed years of Crawford’s contract. They also sold the rights to German center Tibor Pleiss to Oklahoma City for close to $3 million, the maximum amount allowable under salary-cap rules.
While the Hawks could have selected a project center or wing with that pick, Sund suggested the money earned from selling the pick would be used to add proven players to the roster.
“I think we need more veterans,” he said. “We are one of the youngest teams in the league still. I think we need to fill out the rest of the roster with veterans.”
Atlanta selected Texas forward Damion James with the No. 24 pick and traded him to the Nets for the second of their first-round picks (No. 27 overall) and their second-round pick (No. 31). The Nets selected Crawford for the Hawks at No. 27 and Pleiss at No. 31.
Sund said Crawford is a shooter and scorer. He said the Hawks didn’t make the pick with the thought of losing J.J. but acknowledged he could provide a bit of insurance
“The [27th pick] is not going to replace Joe,” Sund said. “[Crawford] does give us some options. But that didn’t enter into our analysis at all.”
Crawford led the Atlantic 10 in scoring but might have gained his most fame for dunking on LeBron James.
“People always bring it up, but I don’t really like talking about it because I don’t like living in the past,” Crawford said by phone.
And now about this Pape Sy dude. When he came in for a Hawks workout, so little info was available about him that no one could come up with a bio or detailed statistics. Not only was he not included in any of the mock drafts, there didn’t seem to be any evaluations of the guy out there. I saw him listed as 6-7 in one place, 6-10 in another.
But Atlanta’s European scouts saw Sy playing for Le Havre in France’s Pro A League. So Sy came in for a workout–paying his own way, according to L.D.
“I’d never heard of him,” Drew said.
Sy was in a workout session with Darington Hobson and Stanley Robinson.
“I thought those guys would eat him up,” Drew said. “But this guy challenged those guys. He didn’t back down.”
Drew liked Sy so much that he was nervous other teams would figure out his potential. The Hawks weren’t sure if Sy had worked out for any other teams.
“I was very impressed with him,” L.D. said.
Drew said he thinks Sy is long enough to play center as well as power forward can play both the wing and power forward.
– Couple Chills notes: The reports about Washington negotiating with him are false because, as I said, he can’t talk to another team without permission from the Hawks. Also, the Hawks officially extended the qualifying offer of $4.8 million to retain Josh’s rights and the ability to match any offers he receives as a restricted free agent.
MC
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215 comments Add your comment
josh
June 25th, 2010
12:51 am
im really interested to see how these guys fit in – esp the mysterious sy. ooh, the excitement and anticipation after the draft!
LEA
June 25th, 2010
1:02 am
so they picked him because they THINK he can play pf and c. wtf why not pick some one like whiteside or jerome jordan who you know can play c. the hawks are stupid, stupid stupid.. I like Crawford but everything else we did in the draft get’s a big fat F…
jmoney12
June 25th, 2010
1:02 am
who will play the center position? Al is a power foward.
Tony from Stone Mountain
June 25th, 2010
1:03 am
I hope these picks work out!
Clyde
June 25th, 2010
1:04 am
I think we need more veterans,”
Sund has been possessed by Woody. Veterans want to play for teams that can compete for championships Sund. The Hawks will be nowhere near. I wonder what veterans he has in mind that can play center and block shots.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 25th, 2010
1:06 am
Wouldn’t be surprised to see the following scenario play out starting July 1:
1. Joe Johnson signs a max deal with Chicago.
2. Hawks sign John Salmons to the full mid-level to replace him.
3. Hawks trade Jamal Crawford’s expiring $10 million contract for a “true center” and another depth player, maybe at small forward; or, perhaps, they package Crawford and either Bibby or Marvin to get a guy like Darren Collison and absorb a bad contract.
Not saying this is what should happen, but based on everything I’ve seen and heard about the Hawks over the past few weeks, it seems like a plausible scenario.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 25th, 2010
1:06 am
In particular, like I mentioned on the previous blog, I think the Jordan Crawford pick was made at least in part to set up a possible Jamal Crawford trade.
MsDee
June 25th, 2010
1:07 am
The Hawks still have centers out there..I’m not made at what the hawks did in the draft, I meant if the Hawks could get the player they really wanted and get cash in the process, whats really wrong with that?? Its not like other teams were jumping crazy for those centers either. We dont know what they looked like in the workouts. Sund and the ASG has there reasons for doing what they did. Lets just play it all the way out and see exactly what they had up their sleeves. Chills rights are still up for grabs to get McGee, Siler is still available, and we have the possiblity to trade Bibby or Mo Evans or both with the extra cash we got from the #31 pick to add better bench players to our roster. So again, let’s just be patient and see what happens and if the ASG/Sund still make lousy decisions, than u can have at them!!
Joe
June 25th, 2010
1:08 am
Now if we can bring home Bosh….WOW!!!!!
Joe
June 25th, 2010
1:09 am
Let J.J. walk and bring home Chris Bosh!!!
Clyde
June 25th, 2010
1:11 am
We needed a point guard and drafted Marvin Williams. We need a center and drafted Al Horford. We needed a center and we drafted Jeff Teague. We needed a center and drafted Jordan Crawford. SMGDH.
Way to go Hawks. Another second round sweep for the 2010-2011 season.
ICECOLD
June 25th, 2010
1:14 am
I was hoping that the hawks would draft Crawford…. he can really score. But I don’t know about the other guy.. but it ain’t like he is going to play any way. They never keep their second round pick. I personally think they should have got a pure defender like Mario west for the second pick
Clyde
June 25th, 2010
1:15 am
I give up on the Hawks. They are just like the family drunk who just can seem to get together. No matter how hard you try to tell him to turn his life around he just keeps doing the same ole thing.
newkid
June 25th, 2010
1:28 am
With you Clyde. Hope my perspective changes, but at this point we won’t be renewing.
Sean Williams
June 25th, 2010
1:45 am
Sounds like the frenchman has a shot at the rotation? MC am I crazy, or naive for thinking that?
Hey Clyde, you’re the man! Ima average a double-double, THIS is the year!
Avery
June 25th, 2010
1:46 am
Clyde, that is B.S.
There is no way we make it to the second round this year.
cp
June 25th, 2010
1:53 am
So Pape is 6′7 and long enough to play pf and center? Damn how long are his arms? He must have some crazy kind of reach or Drew is fooling himself. I guess we have to wait till the summer league to see what he can do. MC when will the summer league rosters be announced?
_sturt_
June 25th, 2010
2:00 am
First, how do you know that the Hawks have NOT given Chilz that permission? And, what reason would they have to NOT give it to him? It’s to their advantage for Chilz to return to the NBA, either as an asset on our roster, or as an asset that we’ve been able to trade and gain another asset.
truthspitter
June 25th, 2010
2:01 am
Sund is a ignorant son of rapists, killer, thieves, pedophiles, and slavery owners. That’s why he picks Crawford over Whiteside. What a stupid SOB if he really thinks Crawford was best player available
x-Mac-Town-x (West Macon's Finezt)
June 25th, 2010
2:03 am
about the PF or C thing in relation to Pape Sy, remember MC said, “I saw him listed as 6-7 in one place, 6-10 in another.”
The Truth
June 25th, 2010
2:03 am
With the 3 Million dollar cash consideration the Hawk will receive, they just paid for Coach Drew’s 3-year salary upfront. As for the Hawk picking Pape Sy from France with the 53rd pick, I doubt Sy will ever see the light of day in the ATL. Great Job Sund! You just made and save the ASG some money, and again mortgage the future of the Hawks. Pat yourself on the back and smoke your cigar like a real business man would. This draft thing is just about making a fast buck anyway right? However, you can assured that the fans will get the last laugh.
BrittishAnger
June 25th, 2010
2:04 am
This oddball frugality does perplex me. I get it in a very stupid way…very very stupid way. I have this strange feeling the ASG really would like to see J.J. go about his merry business and build from mid-level players/affordable plus-level players. My brain hurts…such hope followed by such despair…I await free agency like a fish fighting to return to water, awkwardly with strange bets regarding its fate….
tmk
June 25th, 2010
2:15 am
SMH. Seriously, ATL Spirit, if you’re gonna be this cheap about running an NBA franchise (not to mention the Thrashers, who might be even worse off), please start looking for a new owner with deeper pockets. The Hawks are a rare breed – winners on the court but complete and utter laughingstocks in the boardroom.
Clyde
June 25th, 2010
2:21 am
We draft a 6′7 power forward from France. smh. Only in Atlanta. I bet he doesn’t even come over.
Smiling Jack
June 25th, 2010
2:24 am
Woe is me! Oh such agony and despair! Hawks remain the same hopeless and uninspiring.
Why?
June 25th, 2010
2:32 am
Why? Its like i love the Hawks but screw em’. They continue to crap on Atl fans. Year after year they promoise something better, draft day comes up and they pick fowards and nobodies. This year that foward was also a nobody. /ike seriously do we not have the most fowards in the league. Like lie to us Hawks, its better than just slappin us n the face year after year. They better get a TRUE center thru free agents cause im tired of these 6′9 forward/centers. Horford’s good, but with Howard and all these true centers coming to the East he’s going to continue to get destroyed point blank. Atl deserves a good team, stop screwing us over, or that arenas gonna be empty like in the late 90’s
bigdave
June 25th, 2010
2:44 am
lol.. interesting turn of events last evening. Congrats. to Derrick Favors, Al Farouq Aminu, and Gani Lawal..
im not so sure what to think of our draft night moves.. you can really look at it from with optimism or pessimism. they can prove to be shrewd or signs of structural bleakness. all signs point to Joe gone. i had come to grips weeks ago that it might be the best move for the franchise going forward vs signing him to a max. truthfully i dont want him here if he doesnt want to be a Hawk, damn his production. the only way i trade Jamal Crawford is if Joe stays for less than max. Jordan is an (identical) scorer and suffers with play making like Jamal. otherwise im shipping Mo and giving the rook his mins. acquiring John Salmons would be awfully heady in Joe’s absence. if anything Joe’s defensive versatility would be missed. Salmons would be a comparable replacement.
KC
June 25th, 2010
2:49 am
Calm me down Mike!
Yes I Am
June 25th, 2010
2:50 am
This is all meaningless. It’s true, we don’t need bottom first-rounders to help us get better. The question is whether or not this freed-up money will help us get a good veteran or two. Money talks, and Atlanta is still young with the potential of doing some playoff damage. Let’s wait and see, they sure did a great job last year by landing Crawford and keeping our important free agents.
Alfalfa
June 25th, 2010
2:53 am
Atlanta Spirit, you are the worst team owners since Rankin Smith nickel-and-dimed this city with the Falcons. I went to school with Rutherford Seydel and he is dumber than a bag of hair. Please sell this team to someone who cares about Hawks fans and who will invest the capital necessary to bring an NBA championship to Atlanta. Just. Get. Out.
Rickbilly Sundknight
June 25th, 2010
3:25 am
Listen, Jordan Crawford is a BALLER, and Pape Sy might be a monster. We do need a 7fter though, or at least give Garret Siler another chance
truthspitter
June 25th, 2010
3:30 am
Sund is a ignorant son of rapists, killer, thieves, pedophiles, and slavery owners. That’s why he picks Crawford over Whiteside. What a stupid SOB if he really thinks Crawford was best player available
mykhalc
June 25th, 2010
3:45 am
medication is on the way!!!!
Bean Counter
June 25th, 2010
3:56 am
Draftexpress.com has Sy listed as 6′ 6″ and playing point guard and shooting guard. Another site has him listed as 6′ 3″. This appears to be a shot in the dark. In drafting Crawford and Sy I feel we have missed the boat on some big men that were available when we drafted. It appears that the Hawks are more concerned with the bottom line rather than developing a team that can compete at the top level of the NBA.
MsDee
June 25th, 2010
4:16 am
Again folks, we were not in the workouts..we dont know if Pape Sy is 6′1 or 7′1..all we DO KNOW is Larry Drew and Sund were there and if they say he, a guy who no body knew, was on NO BODY’S radar, out played Stanley Robinson, a guy who were projected to be a high to mid 2nd rounder but ended up being 2nd to last guy picked, #59, out-worked him and Darington Hobson, then we should just believe that/trust that.
“I’d never heard of him,” Drew said.
Sy was in a workout session with Darington Hobson and Stanley Robinson.
“I thought those guys would eat him up,” Drew said. “But this guy challenged those guys. He didn’t back down.”Drew liked Sy so much that he was nervous other teams would figure out his potential. The Hawks weren’t sure if Sy had worked out for any other teams.
“I’d never heard of him,” Drew said. Sy was in a workout session with Darington Hobson and Stanley Robinson. “I thought those guys would eat him up,” Drew said. “But this guy challenged those guys. He didn’t back down.”
“I was impressed with Pape’s workout,” said Hawks coach Larry Drew. “He had a strong desire to come in here and showcase his talent. He’s got a great shot, and the ability to play two positions. We were really hoping he’d be there for us.” Drew liked Sy so much that he was nervous other teams would figure out his potential. The Hawks weren’t sure if Sy had worked out for any other teams.
“I was very impressed with him,” L.D. said.
Drew said he thinks Sy is long enough to play center as well as power forward.
MsDee
June 25th, 2010
4:17 am
LOL…didnt meant to double type/paste comments..sorry!!
MsDee
June 25th, 2010
4:18 am
Who knows, we could have found a diamond in the rough..ummmmm???
summerhill ga
June 25th, 2010
4:42 am
sell me the team for $1.00..and i will get the fans the “big man” that we need…defense not offense is what we have been asking for, but no one is listening…
truthspitter
June 25th, 2010
4:54 am
Ms.Dee and anyone else trying to justify this go lick Sunds arse. You are pathetically ignorant of anything basketball if you think anything the Hawks did made sense when it comes to winning
BuddyColtrane
June 25th, 2010
4:57 am
I’m not mad about taking Crawford or that Sy guy. This Crawford kid can hoop, and he is of great value at 27. I guess it’s ok to take a flyer on a kid from Africa who impressed with workouts with the 53rd pick, hell the Spurs do it all the time!!! My only issue is not taking Whiteside at 31. Here you have a legit 7 footer who could be the next Marcus Camby, hopefully without the injuries. Now granted he may be a headcase, but to acquire a potential game changing defender and lottery type talent who can 1) allow Horford to play his natural position, and 2) protect the rim at less than a million a year for only 2 YEARS (let him walk if he doesn’t work) has to work out. Did OKC pay in cash? Strippers? If they liked the German that much, why not keep him for yourself? What the hell is $3 million gonna get you besides Kwame Brown or Darko Milicic? If you have such a need to save money, I know a hundred cats in College Park or Savannah that will play for $50,000 right now.
MsDee
June 25th, 2010
5:10 am
falsespitter,
NO YOU are pathetically ignorant of anything basketball if you think anything the Hawks did WOULD NOT make any sense when it comes to winning.
MsDee
June 25th, 2010
5:14 am
WE ARE AN ELITE TEAM!!..why in the world would we go backwards in drafting an UNPROVEN CENTER who we all know will not be starting on any top 5 team in the league right now.
Truthspitter,
If you think the Lakers would have drafted a 2nd rounder center to replace an injured Bynum, then YOU are pathetically ignorant of anything basketball!
If you think the Boston would have drafted a 2nd rounder center to replace an injured Perkins, then YOU are pathetically ignorant of anything basketball!
If you think Orlando would have drafted a 2nd rounder center to replace an injured Dwight Howard, then YOU are pathetically ignorant of anything basketball!
Must I go on…..cause I could…
MsDee
June 25th, 2010
5:21 am
WE GOT CASH FOR A DRAFT PICK WE WAS NOT GOING TO USE ANYTIME SOON..Why dont people understand that??? You mean to tell me that if u had an old beat-up car at sits, and sits, and sits in your garage, you would not take cash for an useless piece of automobile?? If you answer is NO, then YOU are pathetically ignorant of anything of….
AKM
June 25th, 2010
5:43 am
Ms dee
You are really stupid. Do we have an andrew bynum, dwight howaard or a perkins. No u retard if we did we wouldn’t be bashing sund right now. Remember last year dejuan blair was 17 in most mock drafts, where did he get picked. Hasan whiteside was 14 in most mocks. So don’t even give me none of that stupid krap about 2nd round. 2nd round is gold.
MsDee
June 25th, 2010
5:47 am
NO..we dont have an Dwight, Bunum, or Perkins and we damn sure dont need no Whiteside, or Jerome Jordan, or anybody else in the 2ND ROUND u AKM also known as (A KNOWN MANIAC) if u think they would have improved our team from 53 to 54!!
MsDee
June 25th, 2010
5:51 am
AKM,
Also did the Spurs NEED that pick at 37???????? NO so they could take a chance at closing their eyes and picking blindly cause they didnt NEED that pick..AKM, we NEED a center..get it..we NEED a center, we cant just pick someone and expect them to start..get it!!!!!!
Mike Bibby
June 25th, 2010
5:53 am
Actually MC, Pape stated in an interview that he played a little PG in france. Didn’t you see the highlights? This kid is going to be good, very versitle. Now Marvin “Duck Butt” Williams can be demoted to the bench! HE IS NOT A PF EVER!
Whiteside could turn out ot be the next Mutombo….what a waste!
MsDee
June 25th, 2010
5:53 am
We have pieces and some cash to get us a much NEEDED center!!! WOW I have to break down sentences for these cry babies..
Mike Bibby
June 25th, 2010
6:03 am
Idiots! Pape Sy will play this season! Who else do we have on the wings? Mo Evans? HA!
This kid BEASTED all over Darrington Hobson and Stanley Robinson. He played PROFESSIONALY in FRANCE. Marvin will be on the bench by the end of the season! Along WIth Childress, Gerald Green, Jamal/Jordan Crrawford, Bibby (until I get traded), and Zaza.
Mike Bibby
June 25th, 2010
6:07 am
“We have pieces and some cash to get us a much NEEDED center!!! WOW I have to break down sentences for these cry babies..”
Oh Right! Some old fart like Jason Hayward who’s going to be washed up by the end of that contract. Or MAYBE we’ll make a run at Shaq!! Or Kyrolo Fesenko! Yes these guys will crush Dwight Howard, I’m soo excited for that cash! Because OBVIOUSLY having cash isn’t USELESS if you don’t have the necessary talent out there to spend it on.
MsDee
June 25th, 2010
6:10 am
Oh, there is necessary talent, we just have to go out and make it happen..I still like McGee, Siler, and a truly developed R. Morris..yeah, I said it, R. Morris.
MsDee
June 25th, 2010
6:10 am
And none us those guys are, “wasted, old farts” like yourself, Mr.Bibby.
Mike Bibby
June 25th, 2010
6:13 am
MsDee, I concur (lol)
I was just thinking of UFA’s but if we can get rid of my horrible contract in the process of acquiring a big in a trade then i’m all for it!
JSS
June 25th, 2010
6:13 am
Actually Pape Sy #10 plays for STB LeHavre (up on the Northern French coast of Normandy) in the Pro A League. That should make it easier for you guys to look him up. LeHavre is the city, not the whole name of the team. His teammates include Andrew Lovedale (the power forward on Stephan Curry’s Davidson NCAA Elite 8 team) and for you SEC folks Ansu Sesay.
http://www.stblehavre.com/spip.php?page=menu2011&id_rubrique=15&var_mode=recalcul
Notso Fast
June 25th, 2010
6:15 am
The Hawks will never win “big time” because with them it’s all about money and how little they can spend. Most ownners think that you have to spend money to make money and the team with the best players will win most of the time. It is time for new ownership even if they have to leave Atlanta.
Mike Bibby
June 25th, 2010
6:17 am
From LeHarve’s website (translated)
Following Ian Mahinmi formed STB Le Havre, drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in 2004, Pope’s turn to be drafted SY NBA by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2nd round, 53rd choice.
So it is a surprise for the basketball to be drafted as Havre was not included in the “forecast” very wise in the NBA.
However, the Atlanta Hawks were able to assess the level of SY during Pope camps he conducted in early June.
The question is whether Pope SY will play next season in the NBA, a second round does not guarantee a binding contract. For him to prove in future camps it can be a useful link in this team to become NBA.
Mike Bibby
June 25th, 2010
6:22 am
By “Forecast”, I think they mean “on the NBA’s Radar” baisically.
JSS
June 25th, 2010
6:28 am
Oh by the way, let’s not the same mistake as fans as we made with Boris Diaw…
vava74
June 25th, 2010
6:30 am
The same guys complaining that Sund did not select any of the prospect/raw/flawed C’s in this draft ARE EXACTLY THE SAME guys who have been saying that Sund is a bad GM giving as an example that he selected 3 stiff-Cs in 3 years in a row while he was a GM in Seattle.
“you can’t teach height” is one of the lamest sentences ever pronounced about basketball and it seems that everyone is taking that as the most significant bearing for their analysis of the draft.
That is also the same argument to consider Siler a better prospect and a diamond in the rough whilst going completely over the fact that size is almost his only asset.
If Siler was any good, why did he go undrafted and has not attracted any interested beyond the chinese league?
The same basic principle applies to 95% of the 6′10” to 7′1” stiffs that come out of college as raw C prospects.
What would be the use for the Hawks of someone like Thabeet which came lauded as a better prospect than anyone we let “pass up” and ended up in the NBDL.
As for Pape Sy, there I can agree and I am a bit bewildered: Sy said to Hawks’ TV when he was interviewed after his workout that he is fast, can handle the ball and plays point guard in France!!!
Now Drew says that he can play PF and C???
Mike Bibby
June 25th, 2010
6:39 am
“Last season, the Hawks carried the minimum amount of players required by NBA law last season. They consistently eschew quality toward the end of the bench for as yet undetermined reasons. They had the opportunity to greatly improve the quality..or at least the potential quality of the bench by simply taking advantage of the situation in front of them.”
http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2010/6/25/1535940/atlanta-hawks-choose-cash-over
AKM
June 25th, 2010
6:43 am
Truthspitter just spaat the truth
Smiling In Chy-town!
June 25th, 2010
6:48 am
Winner: Chicago Bulls
Terrific move by General Manager Gar Forman to get rid of Kirk Hinrich’s near-$10 million per season salary along with the No. 17 pick to Washington. This allows the Bulls to be major players in the free-agent market and potentially even add a pair of max-salary guys.
AKM
June 25th, 2010
6:50 am
Ms dee yoou think mcgee is a proven center. Wtf. He can’t even guard spencer hawes correctly how the hhell you expect him to guard bynum howard or shaq. Whitesade was 14 in most mock drafts. He could’ve been a steal for us. But the hawks had to pick some retard. And secondly the spurs did need a big man. The only other big they had was mcdyess who sucks so get your facts straight retaard
O'Brien
June 25th, 2010
6:51 am
First of all, let me say that I like the Crawford pick. He’s a scorer, and he provides some options. I did not like the fact that we sold the #31 pick. And I dont know enough about Papa Sy to like or dislike the pick. Puls at #53, it’s really no big deal.
Although I dont like selling #31, I will reserve judgement on Sund for one reason. His talks about adding veterans. From ajc.com;
“I think we need more veterans,” Sund said. “We are one of the youngest teams in the league still. I think we need to fill out the rest of the roster with veterans.”
The Hawks traded the rights to Pleiss to Oklahoma City for cash. Sund said the Hawks did so because they want to fill out the roster with veteran players.
As long as the Hawks fill out the roster with veterans, I’m okay with that. I just hope they are not talking about over the hill vets (Joe Smith, Jasn Collins, RandMo etc) who sign for the minimun.
Najeh,
With the Bulls trading Hinrich to Washington, they now have space for almost 2 max free agents straight up. That means they can sign LeBron and JJ for $15.5 mil each, and not have to do any sign and trades. So I think JJ walks away from the Hawks, and we get nothing in return.
As for Salmons, He is scheduled to make $5.8 mil this year if he didnt opt out. Why would he sign for the mid-level (roughly $5.8 mil)?
dap01
June 25th, 2010
6:55 am
Can we have one sports writer in Atlanta who will ask some obvious questions to Sund such as:
1. What is more important cash or players?
2. Why pass on very good center prospects when they were available?
3. Why chose #2 picks every year with no intentions of them ever playing?
4. Why can other teams pick good #2 picks yet we always pick someone no one knows or will ever know.
5. Do you expect to win a championship by accident or should you actually try to copy teams that have actually won a championship.
6. Why do we need a 6 foot 7 center?
We are the laughing stock of the NBA.
The Hawks is losing this fan after 20 years of stupidity.
dap01
June 25th, 2010
6:57 am
Why should we believe Sund? He wants to fill our roster with veterans, yet last year we had only 13 and not 15 players.
Truth-Serum
June 25th, 2010
7:01 am
Sund has been rated amongst the lowest GM of all times,in fact I recently published a top 10 All time worst list from a respected insider who had both Knight and Sund on the list.
I thought is was in Idiotic move to fire Woodson, not because I like Woodson so much as because there was no upgrade to Woodson and it would shake the harmony between JJ and Woodson who like each other very much. In one move we got rid of a progressive coach and after we could not find any one better on the market we hired his assistant(?) realizing in hind-sight that Woodsons was not only a good coach but a good value for the money and a tie that would keep JJ here. Sund then hope that by hiring Drew JJ may stay for the assistant. YEAH, RIGHT! When you fired Woodson you told JJ what you think about a guy he respected very much.
When Sund hired Drew I could not stop laughing for 2 days. I had to be one of the stupid moves of all times. But I will now say that last nights draft up staged that on the stupid scale.
WTF is this guy thinking?
Who hired this idiot?
Time to rebuild
Lottery in 3 years
Truth-Serum
June 25th, 2010
7:05 am
Who’s the worst GM in the NBA?
By: John Paulsen (jpaulsen@bullz-eye.com)
03/07/2007
Paulsen Home / Sports Channel / Bullz-Eye Home
ALSO: Got an opinion on who is the NBA’s worst GM? Let’s hear it at The Scores Report!
Over lunch, I asked a friend of mine, “Who’s the worst GM in the NBA?”
His answer?
“Besides Isiah Thomas?”
Over the past few years, Thomas has certainly staked his claim as the very worst in franchise management, but I don’t think it’s fair to rush to judgment. There are some other perennially awful teams in the league, and in most cases, poor management is to blame. So who else should be in the conversation? I came up with a list of nine GMs who are leading teams that have gotten appreciably worse (or haven’t improved much) over the last few seasons:
Isiah Thomas (Knicks), Kevin McHale (Timberwolves), Billy King (Sixers), Billy Knight (Hawks), Danny Ainge (Celtics), Rick Sund (Sonics), Chris Mullin (Warriors), Bernie Bickerstaff (Hornets) and Larry Harris (Bucks).
dap01
June 25th, 2010
7:05 am
The Clippers are a better run organization.
Truth-Serum
June 25th, 2010
7:07 am
Outside of Dick Motta here is Sund’s legacy for Coaching Hires
♦ 2. John McLeod (Dallas, 1987-89): Also a veteran coach who had reached the finals with Phoenix. In his first season with Dallas, McLeod coached the team into the Western Conference finals (Sund’s only conference finals appearance). But the Mavs failed to make the playoffs the following year and Sund surprisingly fired him only 11 games into the 1989-90 season. GRADE: C.
♦ 3. Richie Adubato (Dallas, 1989-93). This started a string of colossal failures by Sund. Adubato mostly had been an assistant, with one unsuccessful year as head coach in Detroit. He made the playoffs in his first season with Dallas but exited quickly. In the next two-plus seasons, the Mavericks went 52-141. He was fired after a 2-27 start in 1992-93. GRADE: F.
Quinn Buckner made the mistake of trying to emulate the ways of Bob Knight, his former college coach.
Quinn Buckner made the mistake of trying to emulate the ways of Bob Knight, his former college coach.
♦ 4. Gar Heard (Dallas, 1993): He took over as interim in 1993 and couldn’t stop the downward spiral. Record: 9-44. GRADE: Incomplete.
♦ 5. Quinn Buckner (Dallas, 1993-94): The grease fire of Sund’s hires. Buckner, who had no coaching experience, attempted to replicate the dictatorial ways of his college coach, Bob Knight. Didn’t go well. Dallas started the season 1-23 and finished 13-69. When it was over, Sund was gone too. GRADE: F.
♦ 6. Doug Collins (Detroit, 1995-98): Collins had a decent coaching run in Chicago but couldn’t win a title. He was replaced by his assistant, some guy named Phil Jackson. Collins lost in the first round twice in two seasons with the Pistons, then was fired in year three following a 21-24 start. GRADE: C.
♦ 7. Alvin Gentry (Detroit, 1998-00): Gentry is having a great run with Phoenix in the Western Conference finals. That wasn’t the case in Detroit. He mostly was a well-traveled assistant (save for one season as head coach in Miami) before he took over for Collins. The Pistons missed the playoffs in that first year and made a quick postseason exit the following season. Gentry was gone after a 28-30 start in 2000-01. GRADE: C-minus.
♦ 8. George Irvine (Detroit, 2000-01): Sund’s time in Detroit clearly was running out (the Pistons hired Joe Dumars as vice president of basketball operations in 2000). Hiring Irvine didn’t help his cause. Irvine’s record: 46-60. After the season, he and Sund both were gone. GRADE: F.
Bob Weiss represented one of Sund’s biggest coaching mistakes.
Bob Weiss represented one of Sund’s biggest coaching mistakes.
♦ 9. Nate McMillan (Seattle, 2001-05): Sund inherited McMillan, who had taken over as interim the previous season. He kept him. The Sonics made the playoffs in two of the next four seasons and won 52 games and a division title in 2004-05. But after the season, he opted to leave for Portland, taking a reported five-year, $30 million offer over Seattle’s four-year, $18 million deal. GRADE: B.
♦ 10. Bob Weiss (Seattle, 2005-06): The only explanation is that when McMillan left, Sund went insane. Bob Weiss? He was fired after 30 games (13-17). GRADE: F.
♦ 11. Bob Hill (Seattle, 2006-07). A step up from Weiss. But not by much. Totals: 53-81 in a season and a half, no playoffs. Neither Hill nor Sund (who had several draft mistakes in Seattle) survived. GRADE: D.
Pace Mannion
June 25th, 2010
7:07 am
The Hawks had a chance to add Dexter Pittman to their frontcourt at 31, but picked some euro stiff and sold his azz cuz the Spirit are broke!!!…..Pathetic!!!
JSS
June 25th, 2010
7:08 am
Vava74…
I rarely disagree with you on matters; however, your points on Siler just aren’t right on the facts. 1. Siler was the overall #1 pick in the NBDL draft for the Utah Flash. The Hawks and Utah were very interested in him, but lets be honest, NBA teams are cheap! If you can get a player to work on his game and you don’t have to pay him as a contracted player, they will. 2. At that time, his agent was contacted by the Shanghai team. Yao Ming spoke personally with Siler and promised the young man that he’d enhance his chances and development by playing for his team and be paid considerably more than he would in NBDL. The kid and his agent did their homework. So he went to China, then and only then… From all accounts he was all they asked for and more 76% FGP for the whole season. I watched 4 or 5 of their games online, he was a force when he wasn’t in foul trouble. Shanghai’s advance to the CBA’s semi-final prevented him being sought after before the roster restrictions took effect. So, on July 1st, we will all see if there is a market for Siler now. Still, there is no need to bash the kid for not sitting on the end of someone’s bench when everyone said he needed to play and develop…
Truth-Serum
June 25th, 2010
7:10 am
Who’s the worst GM in the NBA?
By: John Paulsen (jpaulsen@bullz-eye.com)
03/07/2007
Paulsen Home / Sports Channel / Bullz-Eye Home
ALSO: Got an opinion on who is the NBA’s worst GM? Let’s hear it at The Scores Report!
Two Hawks hires made the list. No that Sund has control of the team expect us to be lottery in 3!
Billy Knight (Hawks), Danny Ainge (Celtics), Rick Sund (Sonics)
Truth-Serum
June 25th, 2010
7:11 am
*Now that
MsDee
June 25th, 2010
7:24 am
I’m curious, all u guys who have been complaining like girls, tell me this..if the Hawks bring in a proven center that can start RIGHT NOW, not sit on the bench if they were a 2ND ROUND PICK, get some great free agents and clear up bench waste with extra pocket change they received from a 2Nd ROUND PICK who they were NEVER EVER EVER EVER going to use, and finish the 2010-2011 season with a record of 58-24 and reach the semi-conf finals with a 4-2 series lost to Chicago, would you cry babies finally put yall thumbs in yall mouths so we, the true die-hard fans, could appreciate the success in our team without all the noise from yall???
AKM
June 25th, 2010
7:29 am
MsDee 58-24 are you high. you think we should get mcgee. you think randolph morris is good. you are really stupid.Hassan whitside was a gem and we took some retard from germany. o boy i cant wait to win 58 games and go to the semi conf with randolph as our center.
voice of reason
June 25th, 2010
7:30 am
its pretty impressive that all of us, from mechanics to mall workers, feel that we are qualified to run a nba franchise. take a look at the team assembled last year. they were very impressive. we think sund stinks? come on… where would our team have been if we didn’t have jamal crawford? we would have been lucky to make the playoffs. crawford was a monster that literally won games for us. who brought this guy to atl? rick sund. the guy is an employee of asg. we can’t blame him for not spending money he is not authorized to spend. he works within the parameters of his job, as we all do.
as for the draft, we all know its a complete crapshoot. there’s no real guarentees for any draft pick, regardless of the position he’s taken in. ex: jordan went where? not #1, but kwame brown did. how about kobe? he was a mid-late 1st rounder. think of all the other 100’s of players drafted high in the last 10 years that aren’t even in the league anymore. any 7ft center not in the top 5 picks is gonna produce the same basic stats. so who cares if we didn’t draft a project center? we can pick one of those up off the street.
i personally think sund is doing a great job. has made basketball relevant in atlanta again.6-7 years ago we didn’t even think atlanta would win 10 games. all that being said, no i’m not happy we can’t attract the high profile free agents either. with the team we have, it would be a perfect fit for d-wade or lebron. we have all the pieces in place to support thier aggresive styles. all the other players are top shelf guys that know their roles and are already used to complementing the #1 guy. the biggest problem with joe was iso-joe. and when the game was getting to crunch time, he wasn’t explosive or aggresive enough to get to the hole. that’s what makes jamal crawford so good.
so hang tight hawks fans, we’ll continue to improve…. one step at a time.
MsDee
June 25th, 2010
7:44 am
AKM,
And I cant wait til u be my 1st little baby to put his thumb in his mouth for good..coocie coocie coo..”u little MANIAC u”..
MsDee
June 25th, 2010
7:49 am
AKM,
Do I need to read my last comment now for u too..I never said we would have a record with 58-24 with McGee, R. Morris, or Whiteside or any 2nd rounder. With McGee or even R Morris, we would improve and have a better chance in the post, not with an UNPROVEN 2ND ROUNDER center who would start on any top 5 team. I came up with the 58-24 assumption in hopes that cry babies like yourself would put a sock in it already! I NEVER said it would happen..though I wish it would!!
MsDee
June 25th, 2010
7:50 am
insert “UNPROVEN 2ND ROUNDER center who wouldnt start on any top 5 team.”
JeJe
June 25th, 2010
8:03 am
LOL. Saving $190,000. The moronic ASG, with its 7 owners, had to save that much money!
LOL
“Sund suggested the money earned from selling the it would be used to add proven players to the roster.”
Is Sekou Smith still writing these blogs?
Vishal
June 25th, 2010
8:21 am
That was an abysmal draft. I’m off the hawks till something changes in the front office or the ownership. I can’t take this defeatist attitude.
Jay
June 25th, 2010
8:26 am
Hmmmm…..we got a proven scorer, saved 200k and made 3 mill dollars for our cash strapped owners. We have a possible trade piece in Childress. We have another possible trade piece in Jamal Crawford since we drafted Jordan Crawford. This draft turned out a lot better for the Hawks than I thought. It means there’s a good chance JJ gets resigned and we can add a free agent. Personally I can’t name one center selected in the late first to second round in the last 10-15 years that has made an impact in the NBA. I hate ASG, but some of you really got your panties caught up your butts and can’t look at this draft from an unbiased perspective. Any center selected in the spots we had would not have helped us until 3-4 years from not if ever.
GeeMack
June 25th, 2010
8:27 am
Truth-Serum
Way to start the morning.
We are trying to be optimistic about the new coaching hire, but you trying to kill it.
Good information though.
D21
June 25th, 2010
8:29 am
“Drew said he thinks Sy is long enough to play center as well as power forward”
???
Did he really see him at workout ? Or who said such a thing ?
Pape Sy started to play with Le Havre team in Pro A (best french league), and he played PG and SG.
How is it possible that he can play C or PF in NBA ?
Maybe in Billy Knight dreams… but in reality, he can’t
Reub
June 25th, 2010
8:31 am
Can someone post a link to some footage of Pepe!
JSS
June 25th, 2010
8:38 am
@ Reub…
It is on the STB Le Havre site
vava74
June 25th, 2010
8:41 am
JSS:
“From all accounts he was all they asked for and more 76% FGP for the whole season. I watched 4 or 5 of their games online, he was a force when he wasn’t in foul trouble.”
Have you seen the average size and weight of Siler’s opposition Cs in the chinese league?
Plus, constant foul trouble in a league where size, bulk and talent is “suspect” to say the least is not a telling sign that his ability as a player is beyond raw?
Did you watch online – last off-season – the Hawks open media day?
His footwork and basic fundamental bball skills were atrocious and a far cry from what RandMo displayed, even on the most basic exercises.
People around here say that Marvin is clumsy… imagine what people would say about Siler in an NBA match.
Could he still develop into a serviceable bench player? Sure, I am all for the romantic view on sports and investing in someone who is willing to work and learn but to try and make Siler be something he clearly isn’t is day dreaming, in particular when we are talking about building a team which is supposed to finally get past the second round of the playoffs.
People over react to Howard’s importance and try to find a guy who can defend him when in fact the problem is not who can you get to defend him but who can you attack him and displace him to make him a lesser factor defensively (in foul trouble or out of the correct defensive position).
The biggest issue about Howard is the PASS he gets from officials to bully, push and charge without being called for even 25% of his fouls simply because he is a valuable comodity to the league.
Any guy like for instance Diop could defend him man to man if the let him and to be frank, I think that Collins could be effective too if given a fair chance by officials.
So stop trying to find a Howard stopper since unless you find a player who can be seen as a star center of equal value for the NBA, you will not get the calls which allow you to beat Howard.
And if you come with a plausible argument of saying that, for instance, Perkins defended Howard effectively I tell you this:
Perkins is effective against Howard because he plays for the Celtics who are a franchise which more often than not will be the good side of calls made by officials.
If Perkins played for the Hawks whilst playing against Howard he would foul out in 15 minutes, just like Collins.
The ORL – CHA series was only a mascarade devised by the NBA to make everyone believe that Howard’s play was getting called fair and square and that he was not in fact being consistently benefited by biased refereeing throughout his career.
JoJo the Godfather
June 25th, 2010
8:43 am
If the trade had been announced as the Hawks trade Damion James for Jordan Crawford and $3M cash, we would not have had all of this uproar. I completely understand the preference of choosing $3M over a player that may not even make our active roster, especially in this economy. I completely understand drafting Crawford over Alabi or Whiteside. Crawford can score, right now, in the NBA. You can not teach his range or ability to get his shot off. With Whiteside or Alabi, you’re hoping to be able to teach them how to rebound and defend in the NBA (there are as many as 7 or 8 centers drafted every year that never develop this ability and never see meaningful playing time). There will always be a spot for a scorer with legit 3-pt range….Oh, and I couldn’t care less about pick #53, hopefully he’s a player though….Solid draft Hawks.
Ramon
June 25th, 2010
8:43 am
I don’t know what you guys are complaining about. Crawford is a legit player. And for those who say Whiteside is a better player than Crawford right now, I say keep dreaming. If you’ve watched ANY of Crawford game, you’d know he is a player who shouldn’t have fell that far. You guys look at the starting lineup and say we need a center. While most people look at the starting line up and say we need a SF, because we have a starting center. Why draft a center that late in the first round who won’t be able to play for another 2 seasons while you wait for him to develop. When you can take a player who can play NOW. Crawford will average over 20 ppg in the Summer League. And then most of you will change what you were saying. Crawford has the ability to score in so many different ways, even with the ability to post up smaller players. I’m excited about it.
And also selling the pick, to me is a smart thing. IF you have 13 roster spots, one of them shouldn’t be taken up by a player who isn’t able to contribute in THIS season. I would take Brad Miller over Whiteside any day!
DHD
June 25th, 2010
8:52 am
“I give up on the Hawks.” Why now? I can see it 5 years ago, but look at the record each year since. Is THAT not good enough??? You weren’t a true fan to begin with. You’re a bandwagon fan.
JSS
June 25th, 2010
8:53 am
Sy is #10 in the STB -vs-Cholet clip, #4 on the clip menu
Pull up 3 pointer, driving lay up (last highlight)
http://www.stblehavre.com/spip.php?article312
ILL-logical
June 25th, 2010
9:00 am
Context,people,context: The ASG members are keeping a tight control of the finances so that they can cash out before the lockout season.Period.
How? First, they let Joe walk. He burned bridges but the ASG guys who voted to bring him here at a terrible price are now in check.
Second, they hire the least expensive coach-over Sund’s objections- and pay for his salary by trading draft picks. The upside is they know this coach and he will work harder for the money than any outside hire.
Third, the current GM is a place holder. He was hired to stop the trend of the last GM who was hired-and hired a coach- to blow up the roster. That was his sole purpose and when that was achieved both he and his hire at head coach were no longer needed. The fact that the former head coach got 2 extra years was a fluke sinc he ultimately fired himself by not completeing the goals clealy set out for him when he signed his contract. They were in order : advance in the playoffs each year AND develop the young players (that were being paid millions of dollars).
The wining record improvements were a given since that is what you hire coaches to do;win. but when you don’t develop the only rookie that you have on the roster and get smoked in the playoffs , you basically do not merit consideration for future employment under the previous terms and conditions.
Last, @ davenpoop 1:06 am. Your comments come the closest to what appears to be the grand scheme of things-if such a term can be applied within the context of the Stern created misfortune known as the ASG- Jamal and his $10 million expiring contract will be used to get a center and the general public will see the name Crawford and assume that he is that guy.
Not a pretty picture but hey…… . BTW, john salmonds would be a horrible move: there is a reason that he ,like Ronald Murray move from team to team on an almost annual basis.
wolverine
June 25th, 2010
9:04 am
Rick Sunds tenure as the Hawks GM will be determine this summer. A decent draft but to be honest the draft is irrelevant for the Hawks this season. I think its good we have a good SG project in Crawford, provided that he is able to grow with Teague in our backcourt. That will be the first test for Larry Drew.
All signs point to Joe Johnson leaving. So the real question remains can Sund pull off some type of trade that can inspire Hawks fans to attend games. It will be tricky, but if Chris Paul is available then Sund needs to work some magic. This will become Horfords team…unless Paul comes here which is unlikely…but Sund Has to do something…This is the moment. Deliver !!!
Ken Strickland
June 25th, 2010
9:10 am
Some of you can’t seem to think beyond your own emotions, or personal agendas. First, we already have a starting center(AHorford) and a backup(ZPachulia), and any center available to us in the draft would have been nothing more than a backup behind Zaza.
Using only a minimum amount of common sense and intelligence should tell you we could very well lose our leading scorer and best player to FA(JJohnson), and our #2 scorer is in the final yr of his contract(JCrawford). Knowing the team could be on the verge of losing its two leading scorers in consecutive yrs, and that both are SG’s, why in the hell would anyone be stupid enough to think drafting a 3rd string backup center should be the teams #1 priority?
We can go out and get a FA center, since there’s certainly no shortage of pretty good options available that would certainly be better than any center that was available to us in the draft. We could also get a veteran center in a sign and trade for JJ, if he doesn’t resign, or JChildress, if he doesn’t resign.
Constantly making an issue over the ASG’s financial woes is a complete waste of time, because it’s not going to change a damned thing. And spending money alone won’t make this team better, as some of you seem to think, just ask the Knicks. The Hawks just helped solve what could potentially be their biggest problem this season and next, and gave themselves an additional $3.2M minimum to go with their MLE to add more talent.
Some of you are acting like a typical play ground punk who wants to take his ball just because things didn’t go his way. I can see us signing a veteran SG like JSalmons, and if Crawford develops quickly enough, Jamaal Crawford could be moved at the trade deadline.
Bottom line, there are simply too many options available to the Hawks at this point for anyone to start whining and crying with all of this name calling and predictions of doom and gloom.
casual observer
June 25th, 2010
9:10 am
Sad, sad sad!
Not the Hawks draft but all the nonsense on this blog. Very few here can even produce a coherent sentence but are delusional enough to believe they are more qualified to be the GM of the Hawks than Rick Sund.
One of you repeatedly cites Danny Ainge as one of the worst GM’s in the league along with Rick Sund. Off the past three years in Boston I would say Sund is in good company. Do you guys even read what you write?
And please stop all of this “the Hawk owners are broke” nonsense. An unwillingness to throw money down a hole as Dallas seems to do every year to untalented centers should nominate their entire front office in the “worst of” category.
Most of you have lobbied to have Allen Iverson, Rasheed Wallace or Latrell Sprewel become a member of the Hawks at the end of their careers. Well, the teams that signed those guys must have been thrilled with the result? No one benefits from a cancer, and basketball teams suffer more than football or baseball due to the smaller roster.
The Hawks have a roster of solid citizens – OK one or two do not take coaching – the last bum was Stephen Jackson as I recall and despite his talents on the court there has been little success for the teams with Jackson since he left Atlanta. The growth of this team would have suffered hugely with a Jackson, Iverson, Wallace or Sprewell on the roster. Chemistry matters!
“That was an abysmal draft. I’m off the hawks till something changes in the front office or the ownership. I can’t take this defeatist attitude.”
The defeatist attitude is coming from this blog, not from the team or the front office.
By the way, do any of you future owners and GM’s ever consider the other 12 guys may not want JJ back?
Navigator
June 25th, 2010
9:12 am
The say the trade to get Crawford wasn’t affected by the probability that Joe Johnson will wind up in Miami, yeah and pigs can fly! It was a good move, and I just wish the Hawks would just say it that way. ESPN said the French kid had impressed the scouts in try outs with his offensive abilities, so why wouldn’t you take a kid that can help you in a few years and let him practice and play against a good team.
drmaryb
June 25th, 2010
9:15 am
Dang!
I fell asleep at #21. That draft was very hypnotic to me.
Waking up was like X-mas, I couldn’t wait to see who would be sitting under my tree:
A smiling Crawford, A Frenchman, $3 Million & Me!
Whoopee!
JSS
June 25th, 2010
9:16 am
1. There is nothing romantic in my view of Siler, either he works or he doesn’t… As a Hawks fan, give me someone who works on his game. The kid has done it on every level, he’s not on a plateau yet. 2. What did you not see or read where I said I watched 4 or 5 Shanghai games online in real time, as well as countless other teams in that league? Look, Perkins is who he is, as well as Howard. The Hawks problem is they can not guard on the wings or the perimeter first and foremost. They caught hell every which way when it came to Orlando and Cleveland. 3. Even Sekou Smith made a point of saying that kid played surprisingly well last summer when paired off against Andrew Bynum during some Summer games here in Atlanta. He was not pounded by either of our incumbents in the post during camp. He certainly was not pounded by Randolph Morris or Courtney Sims! 4. Being based in reality, we’ve all wanted people who show an inkling of being willing to compete, goodness if the 2nd round didn’t show a need for that, I guess nothing will… If he can give us 10-15 minutes of servicable play then what is the big deal in bashing him? Simple question, Are we getting that from Jason Collins or Randolph Morris?
Ken Strickland
June 25th, 2010
9:19 am
CASUAL OBSERVER-I don’t know why you chose that name, because your insight demonstrates you’re a lot more than just a CASUAL OBSERVER. WE DO HAVE OUR SHARE OF CRY BABIES ON THESE BLOGS.
ryan
June 25th, 2010
9:21 am
I think the Pape Sy gets traded in package deal because you can not have this many forwards there just no room. I think it was good they got cash now they can use it to clear cap space or resign Joe Johnson.
Chicken Little
June 25th, 2010
9:22 am
The sky is falling! The sky is falling!
The Hawks didn’t draft the player I wanted them to draft.
The sky is falling! The sky is falling!
Big Ray
June 25th, 2010
9:33 am
Interesting. I didn’t think Pape Sy was all that big when he walked up to the podium. Either that, or Adam Silver is a tall guy.
Larry Drew likes the kid, was “impressed” by him. Hmmmm.
Long enough to play some center? He’s got to be at least Boris Diaw’s height with a huge wingspan for that to be possible.
Nobody seems to know anything about him. I’m very curious…
Get Real
June 25th, 2010
9:35 am
You guys sound like sissies! Shelden Williams, Marvin Williams and Acie Law are bad draft nights! Childress too since he isn’t here!
Sund just got a scorer and 3 million in cash to spend on a veteran, how in the hell is that a bad draft night? None of you idiots know anything about international players anyway.
Sund did a good job last night period.
Steve Shelby
June 25th, 2010
9:44 am
Hawks draft success?? Call me crazy but how does Jeff Schultz celebrate the Hawk’s draft when… they pass on the guy they rally wanted, to pick a guy whom they hoped to be able to trade, 3 picks later, for the same guy they said they wanted in the first place plus another pick. They could have had their guy 3 picks earlier, except now they save an estimated $190k in salary. With the new pick, they choose the wrong (Pleiss instead of Alabi) ‘big man’ (something that they, really, really need!) only to sell that pick for more cash ($3 mil). Then, with their final pick they get a player from… Senegal? This is worth celebrating?
Sautee
June 25th, 2010
9:44 am
It’s funny to me how a couple of weeks ago, there was a lot of speculation, based on Pendergraph’s comments, that we would sell our 1st rounder. People were up in arms.
Sund makes a sensible trade down and gains an extra pick. He sells THAT pick and keeps his 1st. He got the best of both scenarios. For THAT he’s being roasted?
We got a player who fills a need. Let’s hope he pans out, like we would be hoping ANY player picked 27th pans out.
This blog has lots of panties in a wad over nothing.
Swingman912
June 25th, 2010
9:57 am
You idiots who think this wasn’t a good draft for the Hawks, are ignorant. Us taking frail body Whiteside or mechanical bad foot Alabi would have made us spend money on lifetime back up Centers. If they were the best available, then why didnt either of them go until the second round??? Others teams would have at least snatched them up for trade bait….No matter what Sund said, Crawford’s a scorer, and in the event JJ leaves, Jamal would get the start and Jordan would take his role as scorer off the bench. They may not get the production that Crawford had last year, but with a new offense in place, we wont need as much. Plus $3mil for the 31st pick. In case you’re unaware of the financial situation, but money is something we definitely need, not project C’s that end up like Priest Lauderdale……..Good moves, and they’re not done…….1…………….CHUUUUUUUUCH
Just-A-Thought
June 25th, 2010
9:57 am
So why didn’t they draft the big guy from Texas…….I think his name is Pittman. He a big strong kid who could stand to lose a 25 LBS, but he could be a very servicable center.
cp
June 25th, 2010
10:08 am
Can we get some more info on Sy. How tall is he really and whats his wingspan. He didn’t look very big to me either. He might be a steal. I think the kid comes over this year. I don’t see him paying his own way to workout for the Hawks only to go back to France. I see some teams are announcing some guys they have for the summer league. It would be nice to know who we are picking up to play.
Truth-Serum
June 25th, 2010
10:12 am
NBADraft.net
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Updated Jun 25, 2010 6:15 AM ET
Another year, another crazy draft.
Thursday, June 24, 2010, will go down as the day John Wall was officially drafted and a million trades – none as substantial as rumors suggested – were made. Picks were swapped left and right, a general manager was fired, and it was a mess trying to sort it all out.
NBA DRAFT
NBA draft
John Wall was the first pick of the NBA draft. Then what happened?
* Draft Tracker: Check out every pick
* Goodman: Draft winners, losers
But after digging through the final results of draft day, we’ve come out with a set of winners and losers.
But it’s easiest to break it down team-by-team:
Atlanta Hawks: C-plus
Picks: Jordan Crawford (27), Pape Sy (53)
Neither of these players were tremendous value picks, but both have the potential to be good contributors down the road. Crawford is a bit of a redundancy with Jamal Crawford, an eerily similar scoring combo guard, already on the roster. But if Joe Johnson leaves, as many have speculated, there will be enough playing time available that Crawford could find a rotation spot, too. Sy is a project, but if he’s left abroad for a few years, he could be a nice point-forward type one day. The Hawks get a bonus plus on their grade for a trade that got them No. 27 and No. 31 (which they traded to Oklahoma City) for No. 24, even if they didn’t use the picks perfectly.
Grandad
June 25th, 2010
10:18 am
I predict we regret selling Pau Gasol / whoops = T.Pleiss.
-out-
crabapplejoe
June 25th, 2010
10:21 am
The Hawks draft Poppy Seed a 6′1 or 6′7 PG, PF, or C who nobody but JSS has ever heard of……that’s gonna put some butts into the seats next year…LMAO at the stupidity of this team’s management.
Ced
June 25th, 2010
10:25 am
Stop complaining! Until we get the finished product and see the team on the court we should hold back on the complaints. Im holding out hope that we will make a move or two that will be benificial and make us a top tier team. We need to do something to keep up with all the moving around that is sure to happen when free agency starts. Even if we keep Joe we still need to be creative in adding a new piece and if we don’t keep him we most definitely need to do something to fill that hole, something significant. But if we don’t make any breath taking moves Im going to hold my complaints and wait until the season starts and see if there was a method to the madness, as we all should do.
Mitch
June 25th, 2010
10:25 am
Hawks International—A String of Strikeouts?
Let’s start with perhaps one of the greatest blunders in Hawks’ history:
1. 2001 The Hawks draft C Pao Gasol of Spain (#3 of Rd. 1) and trade him to the Grizzlies for Shareef Abdul-Rahim.
2. 2002 The Hawks draft C David Anderson (Rd. 2) of Australia who is now playing for the Houston Rockets (2009-2010 stats: 13.6 min/g; 5.8 ppg; 45% 2FG; 35% 3FG; 3.3 rpg.).
3. 2004 The Hawks draft F Viktor Sanikidze (Rd. 2) of Georgia who plays for La Fortezza Bologna (Italy). 2009-2010 stats: 21 mpg; 6.9 ppg; 62% 2FG; 40% 3FG; 5.6 rpg.
4. 2005 The Hawks draft G Cenk Akydol (Rd. 2) of Turkey who plays for Alv Avellino (Italy). 2009-2010 stats: 25.6 mpg; 11.8 ppg; 48% 2FG; 40% 3FG; 85% FT; 1.1 apg.
5. 2009 The Hawks draft G Sergiy Gladyr of Ukraine who plays for Suzuki Ki Maresa (Spain). 2009-2010 stats; 19.4 mpg; 10.0 ppg; 56% 2FG; 34% 3FG; 87% FT; 1.0 apg.
6. 2010 The Hawks draft G Pape Sy of Senegal who plays for Le Havre (France). 2009-2010 stats: 14.1 mpg; 5.2 ppg; 55% 2FG; 41% 3FG; 1.7 rpg; 1.3/1.2 a/to ratio pg.
Will any of these players ever don a Hawks’ uniform, let alone make an impact?
“Insanity is making the same mistake over and over again,” (Albert Einstein)
Truth-Serum
June 25th, 2010
10:27 am
Championships are won in the off-season from the management down. Yes, you can see where a team is going by the direction it is traveling. Hawks are headed south.
skyhawk
June 25th, 2010
10:32 am
Teague and Jordan Crawford in the same back court could be fun to back court if they ever live up to hype.
Jamal, JJ, Bibby, and Mo Evans all have been excellent contributors but ASG’s motives are more fiscal.
I didn’t really understand the 2nd round strategy or selection. I kind of find it disgusting that our GM believes in 6′7 center and signing veterans. When other GMs are clearing cap space trying to sign 2-3 high priced Free Agents. We’re not that that far off ASG don’t give up now.
PG Teague JaCrawford
SG JChill JaCrawford JoCrawford
SF JSmoove JChill
PF C.Bosh JSmoove Horford
C Horford Ty Chandler
N.D.T.K.A.
June 25th, 2010
10:33 am
Maybe Jordan Crawford is a good pick, no arguments there. Has a history of putting up numbers in college at a competitive college program that preaches defense. What I don’t understand in watching the other teams draft is that a lot of teams such as Washington, OKC, Miami,Sacramento, and even the LA Clippers got a lot more athletic and bigger up front. Hawks are a team that depends on a combination of athleticism, speed and size to win basketball games. Would it not have behooved the Hawks to take a flyer on a guy like Whiteside or another big who could get up and down the floor? Did not Drew say the Hawks would get up and down the floor more this season? Hawks had trouble this season with OKC because of OKC’s athleticism which matched the Hawks. ZaZa at backup center is not very athletic, he is purely a hustle guy who regressed somewhat this season. Teams like the Spurs, draft players from overseas and find diamonds because they know how to develop talent and have the luxury of waiting on players. For example Spurs have Tiago Splitter coming over this year, he will start at power forward besides Tim Duncan this season and need I say anything about Dejuan Blair. Why hire a coach and even a GM who cannot find and develop talent? Hawks need to get bigger up front? What free agent center out there can run, rebound, and defend in Drew’s new system? There was no liability in drafting Whiteside or Alabi? I keep thinking about guys in the league who are now starters and getting meaningful minutes in the NBA who were drafted in the second round: Gilbert Arenas, Rashard Lewis, Carlos Boozer, Montae Ellis, Anderson Varejao and Carl Landry. Hawks can neither afford or attract any of these guys? So why not draft and develop your own talent? If the Hawks are working under budget constraints should we not expect them to challenge the coach to develop young or 2nd round talent? Why not find guys for Drew’s system? The point is for the Hawks not to take any steps backwards. When you see slow cheap indecision as the norm as a fan you question everything. Hawks still need size up front and the question remains who can the Hawks bring in that will cost less than a second round draft pick that will be younger, coachable, and more athletic?
BigTimeTECHFan
June 25th, 2010
10:36 am
Hawks did nice – They only wanted one player from this draft ended up with Crawford who’s a very nice player and some extra cash.
We may lose JJ and I don’t think we will get D Wade or Lebron.
If JJ leaves, Jamal Crawford can start at 2 guard and can average 25 points a game. not bad.
Plus we have extra money to sign a 2 tier Free Agent (not Bosh, James, Wade, Boozer).
Player like:
Udonis Haslem ( very nice pickup for Hawks, would be banger inside)
Memo Okur – (very nice player, can step outside and open up paint for J Smith and Hortford)
or offer the likes of Bibby, M Williams for Sign and trade deal for Bosh, Boozer, Ginobli types.
lot of things can happen, Hawks did nothing last night to hurt them, drafted a player that a pretty good player in Crawford.
Tyrone Shoelaces
June 25th, 2010
10:38 am
Attention all DOPESMOKERS: Chris Bosh is NOT coming to Atlanta, EVER!
Tyrone Shoelaces
June 25th, 2010
10:42 am
Well except for road games….
Mike in Marietta
June 25th, 2010
10:42 am
Isnt this the kid that dunked over Lebron a couple summers ago?
Tyrone Shoelaces
June 25th, 2010
10:44 am
youre ALL over it, aint ya mike?
dap01
June 25th, 2010
10:47 am
I think that it is great that the Hawks got $3.0 million in cash. That is great.
Who needs a 7 foot center who is a good athlete? Heck he may not even be good for a year or two. Who needs to worry about a year or two from now? We have Joe Smith.
Other teams simply don’t understand the NBA like the Hawks, they think that you need players.
Silly other teams.
THE HAWKS SUCK!
Terrell
June 25th, 2010
10:52 am
Najeh Davenpoop,
You thought one us drafting Jo. Crawford to probably trade Ja. Crawforod has just one hole in it. We know we need a big center. There is nobody in the league that would worth packaging Ja. Crawford and somebody else to get. We are better off with picking up a so-so center in free agency. This is Jamal Crawford’s final year in his contract and he comes off our books if we choose to let him go.
Ken Strickland
Horfod has made it clear that he would prefer playing the PF position as opposed to the center position. We still need a big man.
Terrell
June 25th, 2010
10:56 am
dap01
All the top centers in this draft are projects with upside. They are not pro ready, so why spend the money on them when the demand is to win and win now? You use the extra $3 million to pick up a guy who can contribute in the rotation right away.
ASHCAN.
June 25th, 2010
11:04 am
Ms dee you let false spitter rail you in.You can tell by his comments he wanted to start something to get a response from someone.Let him be hatred and dumb by his/herself.
BigCaliDawg
June 25th, 2010
11:06 am
This was written by Chris Willis on 6.15.10. Apparently, the Hawks worked out Sy twice…..so they must have liked somethin’. He is listed anywhere from 6′3″ to 6′7″. Yet another SF, SG.
We should just play organized games of 21.
Here it goes…..
Day two of Atlanta Hawks 2010 NBA Draft Work Outs. Today three players are supposed to work out highlighted by UConn Small Forward Stanley Robinson. New Mexico Small Forward Darington Hobson is also set to attend along with Pape Sy a small forward from France.
Atlanta Hawks Draft Work Out Schedule
Day 1 Work Out Preview
Individual Day 2 Player Breakdowns after the Jump
Darington Hobson
Six Foot Seven inch Small Forward from New Mexico. He is a JUCO player that only spent one season at New Mexico. He is versatile and athletic with a 6′9″ wingspan. His areas to improve are his weight as he is slightly built at 205 pounds. He lacks consistency in his long range perimeter game but has done enough to stay as a late first round possibility.
Stanley Robinson
Robinson is the biggest name on the docket for the June 15th workout. He is intriguing as well because he is an all world athlete. He possesses the ability and skill to be a nice player but sometimes has shown a lack of focus and has been very inconsistent. He is the type of player that could score 25 points on game and then 2 the next for no apparent reason. He projects as mid to late first round and I would be surprised if he fell into the second round. Someone will take a chance on all of that athletic ability.
Pape Sy
Sy is a six foot seven inch small forward from France.
JoJo the Godfather
June 25th, 2010
11:11 am
We have 9 players under contract: Teague/Bibby/Ja. Crawford/Jo. Crawford/Evans/Williams/Smith/Horford/Pachulia.
We also hold the restricted rights to Josh Childress, the bird rights to Joe Johnson, and the contractual rights to our current and former second round picks.
Our roster is currently pretty full. If we’re going to add a couple free agents and try to re-sign (or trade for players) Childress & Johnson, then our roster is full.
JSS
June 25th, 2010
11:13 am
@ Crapapple…
I hope you and Big Ben are enjoying your vacation on Lake Oconee…
Manny
June 25th, 2010
11:23 am
I don’t get the Pape Sy pick. Maybe you didn’t want to draft a center, but there are limited chances of getting a good FA center. But you picked Jordan Crawford. A guard. And some money. And another forward that’s not ready to play in the NBA.
I don’t get it. Pape Sy isn’t trade bait. He’s not going to play for you. We’re rich in forwards. We have no NBA center. We have a PF that does his best (God Bless him) and a couple of projects that isn’t working out. Pape Sy?
The Hawks doesn’t want to win. They want to run the team down so it can be attractive to sell. Winning 53 games and getting better just wasn’t in the plan, so they fired the coach that did that grievous offense. They said that they needed a different voice- then hired the same old voice that’s been there and just elevated him.
And you know what happened? The media did something that I thought wouldn’t be done: They almost completely ignored it! That’s even worse than going ballistic! Larry Drew’s hire was a non-story that showed the irrelevance of a team that went to the playoffs 3 consecutive years and won over 50 games that last year. They thought “Shoot! Since they don’t WANT to win, why should we cover them?”
This isn’t building. This is tearing down. This is laughingstock stuff!
We are going to remember Mike Woodson’s time with the Hawks with great fondness and longing. People had their “Fire Woody!” chants going and blaming him for everything wrong with this team- they are going to wish that Mike Woodson would have stayed and that the Spirit didn’t listen to them.
In short, I do not wish for the upcoming season. I hope that they sell the team to someone who can afford it.
ASHCAN.
June 25th, 2010
11:24 am
Ms Dee i think you ran those fake basketball wannabees off the keyboard.I think this was a good draft considering there(Hawks management)not finish, mentioning there looking for prooven veteran help.Free agent starts july 1st so before we slam the hawks lets wait and see what they do then.
O'Brien
June 25th, 2010
11:28 am
From what I’ve been reading, fans are not complaining that they drafted Crawford instead of a big. Fans are complaining because they sold the #31 pick instead of drafting a big.
However, from a business standpoint, it was a great move. If the Hawks had drafted Crawford at #24, most people would have been okay with that. Instead, the Hawks got Crawford, made $3 mil, and saved $180K or so. I am okay with the move, under one condition. Use that money to improve the product on the court.
My recommendation to my fellow bloggers would be to wait and see what other moves Sund makes this offseason. What if he goes out and signs Haywood to the mid-level? Or he trades Jamal for a veteran center? Would it have mattered who they took at #31? Nobody will even remember #31.
Hopefully Sund and the ASG will spend the money to get the veterans they have mentioned on multiple occasions (not over the hill guys).
Ray,
Sy and Drew has me confused. He has played some minutes at guard, and he is listed at 6’7”. But Drew said he can play some PF and Center?
Manny
June 25th, 2010
11:30 am
What veteran help can we get in Free Agency? With those FAs out there, who fits well with the Hawks and who can we afford? And who would want to come here? Jordan Crawford was a good pick, but we’re not in consideration for anyone who can help us beat the Magic. We have no strong man inside. Who are we going to get in free agency that’s going to help us beat them?
Nick C
June 25th, 2010
11:33 am
I doubt Joe Johnson sticks around. Jamal Crawford replaces JJ as a starter and Jordan Crawford comes in off the bench. Hawks are hedging their bet that JJ doesn’t come back. Sy seems like a project because the front office doesn’t want to put forth the money for a quality center.
crabapplejoe
June 25th, 2010
11:37 am
@JSS….I’m a Lake Lanier kinda guy…..never been on Lake Oconee. I was just listening to Brandon & Woolvey on 790 the Zone. They spent about 20 minutes joking about the Hawks picking Poppy Seed….one even went so far as to say he didn’t believe that Poppy Seed really existed. When your home sports radio station makes a mockery of your draft you have problems as an organization.
The Face of Ignorance
June 25th, 2010
11:38 am
PG Teague JaCrawford
SG JChill JaCrawford JoCrawford
SF JSmoove JChill
PF C.Bosh JSmoove Horford
C Horford Ty Chandler
Smoove is no 3 and horford is no 5 (as he himself has said), Bosh aint coming here.
Even if he did what you have is still a very weak defense under the basket that wont be able to stop anyone when it counts.
Stop publishing stupid aysse shyyte like this, please.
Nick C
June 25th, 2010
11:40 am
Here’s the stats on Sy from LeHavre for the 2009/2010 season:
In 30 games, he averaged 14.2 min/game, scored 5.2 pts/game, 54.7% FG avg, shot 41.4% from 3 pt land, 71% from the line.
I’m not exactly impressed with those stats in EuroBasketball league.
Section 303
June 25th, 2010
11:43 am
I just heard Sekou interviewed on 790 The Zone. I have to say, I disagree with him about Jordan Crawford. Sekou basically dismissed Jordan Crawford as a nonfactor this year. He said people would be “kidding themselves” if they thought otherwise.
First, I agree that there is almost no chance Crawford comes in and wins Rookie of the Year. But, I think he could contribute. The guy can score. If he comes in here and shoots the ball like he did last year at Xavier, then he could get some time on the floor.
I’m not dancing in the streets because Crawford is here, but I’m not going to just dismiss him, either. I think Sekou is not giving him enough credit.
Co-sign!
June 25th, 2010
11:44 am
Manny
June 25th, 2010
11:23 am
Mitch
June 25th, 2010
10:25 am
The Face of Ignorance
June 25th, 2010
11:38 am
J.J.M.
June 25th, 2010
11:45 am
Im still wondering why people keep saying we have a center in al horford when hes clearly an power forward…why do you want to keep him as center so that howard can keep destroying him?
Co-sign!
June 25th, 2010
11:46 am
J.J.M.
June 25th, 2010
11:45 am
Horford dont stop anybody either!
Mike is back
June 25th, 2010
11:53 am
These guys take frugality to a new level.
Nevertheless, if you can get 3mil for a project second ROUND pick, you have at leased maximize your return on that pick.
If You have a legit young center…that deal makes since…we no that is not the case with the Hawks.
The word on Orton is…he is projected to have less skill than RandMo.
I would have taken the Kid out of FSU or Whitehead with that pick. I will just have to see what these cheepies do in FA.
They drafted as though they are preparing for the post JJ era. I will have to mercifully wait to see how this all plays out.
@MsDee and @OB, I agree you in theory…I like the moxie you are showing…standing your ground on this draft. If IT wasn’t for the dubious past of ASG…I would feel the same way.
That is what I like about this blog…doing the darkest hours…someone always step up to carry the torch for team. Keep doing yo thing folks…PEACE OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@ASG, please sell the daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam team,”ALREADY!” HEH HEH
ToeKnee
June 25th, 2010
11:53 am
Looking back at some posts on Real;GM from April there was talk of the Hawks trying to sell their first round pick for 3Million to save cash for Joe. Also, it says they were looking to hire a coach for cheaper to also save money for Joe. This report has been out since April and it ended up working out pretty well, as a fan how can you complain? We were able to get a pretty good coach for the price, Drew has NBA experience, point guard specialist, and knows the team well, and players like him including Horford; and were able to get a solid 1st round pick in Jordan Crwaford AND still sell a second round pick for the 3million. And Pape Sy is the underdog of the draft.WHO IS THIS GUY??WHY IS HE SO HAPPY TO BE ON THE HAWKS??I LOVE IT!!!!!HE PAID HIS OWN WAY TO GET HERE!!HE WAS AT THE DRAFT!!!!! SERIOUSLY SOMEONE TELL ME WHY THIS GUY WAS AT THE DRAFT!!ITS INCREDIBLE, I WILL BE FOLLOWING HIM CLOSELY. Best of luck to you Pape Sy. We got a good 1st round pick, a prospect in the 2nd, and saved cash to try and keep Joe, hard to complain.
Go Hawks!
JoJo the Godfather
June 25th, 2010
11:53 am
(In my opinion) the hawks need to add: a starting PG, a starting SG, a back up SF, a back up C, and a 5th big (PF or C).
The assets I would use to make it happen: Bibby, Evans, Johnson, Childress, the MLE, the bi-annual, and veteran minimum contracts.
I’d like to see Teague, Ja. Crawford & Jo. Crawford as the back-up guards this year (part of a 5-guard rotation). All 3 can handle PG duties, but none of the 3 should be starting at PG or SG for a playoff team.
D Cal
June 25th, 2010
12:00 pm
I actually thought we were going to at least get Brian Zoubek from Duke with our last pick. Sund, we can still sign him as a UDFA. You can make this day up by getting Zoubek or signing Brendan Haywood. GET TO IT, SUND!!
darrell starks
June 25th, 2010
12:01 pm
For all you people on here who is stick up for this owner ship and gm, SHOULD BE A DAM SHAME OF YOUR SELF WITH THIS PIECE SH!T THAT WAS DISPLAYED LAST NIGHT.
In what way does any of the draft picks benefit the hawks?
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
June 25th, 2010
12:03 pm
Owner ship need 2 sale the team period.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
Astro Joe
June 25th, 2010
12:04 pm
I’m loving that we drafted a point forward who can play PF AND C. WOW! 4 positions covered by one guy at #53… talk about cost savings, he can sit on the bench and fill 4 seats. ASG can go with 10 players, knowing that Poopsey (oops), I mean Pape Sy will handle roster slots 10-13. COOL!
MC, now that the draft is behind us, do you expect any news on Drew’s coaching staff in the next few days? Or can Pape Sy handle that too?
Manny
June 25th, 2010
12:06 pm
OK, I’m trying to be optimistic here. This is a best-case scenario for the Hawks given how it went this year.
OK, Joe Johnson is gone. You sign and trade him. To the West Coast. You take that money and get that Channing Frye kid from Phoenix. And work with him on defense.
Why Channing? Because he’s an offensive threat that can shoot away from the basket. And he have a nice 3-point shot. And he can run and gun. And he’s not skinny. Also, check on Tyson Chandler to see if his wheel will ever get good enough to play and stay healthy. If so, he may be the Hawks’ Troy Glaus. Any of these guys can do well at center and move Al Horford to PF. That front court would be scary.
OK, now on to the backcourt. I agree that Jordan Crawford isn’t going to help you much this year. He should get some touches and minutes throughout the season, though- but not significant. And Joe Johnson’s gone, which may be a good thing. Here’s what I would do:
Send Josh Childress a copy of the Financial Times or Wall Street Journal. He definitely isn’t going to play for Greece next year, so make sure he stays here. Why? Because he’s 27, 6-8 and can is a combo guard. He can give relief for Jamal Crawford and Jeff Teague (Mike Bibby should come off the bench.) Or he can be your #2 guard and platoon.
That may be a nice move because people beat the Hawks with speedy PGs and big men, playing inside-out basketball. If we can get some defensive pressure on the PG, an athletic, busy center can frustrate a big man.
So if I see them talking to Channing and/or Tyson and getting in that mix, I would actually be kinda pleased.
The Big Guy
June 25th, 2010
12:20 pm
Wow, terrible draft in my opinion. The best player we picked, Tibor Pleiss, we traded for cash…cold hard cash. Wow, that kid is going to be a beast and we just let him walk out the door. I like LD’s statement on Pape Sy:
“He wouldn’t back down, he really challenged them.”
Why the !#@$ did we not draft one of the guys he was “challenging” then?! Doesn’t that imply the other players were better?! Good God this is awful. ASG sure made a great hire to keep their costs low in Sund, but wow, are we just destined to screw up drafts?
The Truth
June 25th, 2010
12:25 pm
Just food for thought: There are two kinds of teams in the NBA, those that have sizeable cap and cash to freely sign quality FA players and those that don’t. A quick test for the dreamers; which type does the Hawks fall into? This mention that somehow the Hawks will get themselves a quality center from the FA market with their limited budget and cap space is a pipe dream. Remember our last year promise got us Collins. Ok it is also fair to doubt that the available centers in the draft are not NBA ready now. But the motivation for drafting prospects is not just about winning for the immediate moment but also to build your team’s future. It is very narrow-minded to pass on players because they will not make an immediate impact. Ok perhaps that is what the French-pick was all about. Then the real augment is that we invested our future on the 54th pick instead of at the 31st pick and then sold out for cash. Unless he’s an unusual steal to be a UFO, Go Figure!
bigdave
June 25th, 2010
12:27 pm
interesting.. Sekou feels that if the Hawks offer Joe the max.. he stays.
hmm.. what do we do?
bigdave
June 25th, 2010
12:27 pm
http://www.790thezone.com/instantreplay/Episodes.aspx?PID=1348
wayne
June 25th, 2010
12:29 pm
The Hawks are the only team that can go into a draft and come up with nothing. Out of all the players available world wide, they get NOTHING. ATLANTA HAWKS AND CARTOON NETWORK, ONE AND THE SAME.
bigdave
June 25th, 2010
12:29 pm
if Joe stays things will be very interesting.. Jamal Crawford comes in play.. Sekou also feels that Chilly-O could be persuaded to return to the Hawks..
if this pans out.. im pleased..
KevinM
June 25th, 2010
12:30 pm
Reviewing last night, did anyone really expect better than a C? I did not, for I was really hoping for Orton, who would eventually give us a defensive presence. Like Crawford, Orton cancelled his workout with us.
We get Crawford IMO just in case, JJ doesn’t return. There is no other way to see it.
We ignore Orton and any other big man because we don’t have a coach who can improve our big men. Orton lucked out going to Orlando and learning from Ewing and Howard.
Now watching the NBA review last night, they showed Damien James as a 2G. Is that the case, and if so, why doesn’t he fit in nicely here whether JJ comes back or not? His strengths are defense and rebounding.
I like that better than Crawford and 3M.
Time will tell what Sund visions as getting vets on this team. We haven’t played more than 8 regularly and we were lucky to be so healthy all year.
I think we have peaked with the current roster and until we improve our interior and perimeter defense, we aren’t going anywhere. 6′4″ Crawford doesn’t improve our defense.
KevinM
June 25th, 2010
12:32 pm
bigdave, I hope you want more than what you have seen being built so far here under Woody.
There should be a couple more moves to make that improve our front 5 heading into next year, or we simply just look like Utah of the East.
Melvin
June 25th, 2010
12:34 pm
Hawks draft grade per NBADraft..
http://www.nbadraft.net/2010-nba-draft-grades
Oh well, countdown to Harrison Barnes has started. 364 days to go…
Hawks get their man as Spirit Group continues miserly ways « control+ATL+delete
June 25th, 2010
1:00 pm
[...] Sund says he wants to add more veterans, so it’s clear we’re not done dealing yet. Forgive me though if I’m tempering my [...]
Maurice Fanning
June 25th, 2010
1:10 pm
This is my very first post…..I normally love to read but I had to say something. It is really amazing that Whiteside was there for us late in the first round. He was there early in the second and we didn’t take him. It was a gift from God and we sneezed at it. That is the difference between good teams and championship teams. You have to know when to take advantage of opportunities!
Michael Cunningham
June 25th, 2010
1:11 pm
@ Sean Williams: “Sounds like the frenchman has a shot at the rotation? MC am I crazy, or naive for thinking that?”
i think making the roster as a developmental project is a more realistic hope.
Rufus1
June 25th, 2010
1:12 pm
Trade Bait…
The Hawks have 16-18mil in expiring contracts and trade assets(ja. Crawford, J. Chill and Mo Evans)…
I have faith that Sund will make a VERY GOOD TRADE.(i.e, Crawford for Lamar Odom). Lakers are trying to cut salary.
PS.. How many players do we have whose first name begins with “J”…WOW 7.
“In Sund I Trust”….I remember the Jamal Crawford trade.
Michael Cunningham
June 25th, 2010
1:12 pm
@cp: “So Pape is 6′7 and long enough to play pf and center? Damn how long are his arms? He must have some crazy kind of reach or Drew is fooling himself. I guess we have to wait till the summer league to see what he can do. MC when will the summer league rosters be announced?”
this has been fixed. looking at my notes again, i think LD actually meant he’s long enough to play small forward. sorry, it was at the end of a long day by that point.
summer league rosters should be finalized by Monday.
Michael Cunningham
June 25th, 2010
1:14 pm
@_sturt: “First, how do you know that the Hawks have NOT given Chilz that permission? And, what reason would they have to NOT give it to him? It’s to their advantage for Chilz to return to the NBA, either as an asset on our roster, or as an asset that we’ve been able to trade and gain another asset.”
because people in, Atlanta, Washington and Chill’s camp all say it’s not so. that doesn’t mean it won’t happen eventually, either with Wiz or another team, but it hasn’t happened yet.
Michael Cunningham
June 25th, 2010
1:19 pm
@ Mike Bibby: “Actually MC, Pape stated in an interview that he played a little PG in france. Didn’t you see the highlights? This kid is going to be good, very versitle. Now Marvin “Duck Butt” Williams can be demoted to the bench! HE IS NOT A PF EVER!”
yeah, i misunderstood what LD meant. tough to get a read on this kid. he apparently flew under the radar.
Rufus1
June 25th, 2010
1:20 pm
Championship Teams
Only one NBA team in the last 10 years has built the core of their team thru the draft…San Antonio Spurs
SO PLEASE STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT THE DRAFT!!!!!
Fred.
June 25th, 2010
1:20 pm
I am so disappointed in the Hawks not drafting a Center, It would have been nice to draft the Kid Varnado from Miss state or Mississippi. The message to Hawks Fans was not a good one, it is time ASG try and sell the team to someone with the financial means to run a Franchise.
cp
June 25th, 2010
1:22 pm
Some of you guys are overreacting as usual. You cant grade a draft the next day. You grade a draft a few years down the line. I remember seeing teams get an A the day after the draft then a few years down the road none of the players they took pan out. You have to give it time. I like the Crawford pick…….Alabi fell in the draft because of a medical red flag. There is a story on it online. The information about the condition was given to all teams. Whatever the condition is, it was enough to scare almost every team away from him. And seriously can we get some info on Pape. Dude is long enough to play pf and c? I just don’t see it. He looks like he can play some guard and sf… Whats up with the summer league roster?
cp
June 25th, 2010
1:24 pm
My bad MC i didn’t see that you had answered before I asked again. Thank you for the info.
bigdave
June 25th, 2010
1:25 pm
KevinM…
i absolutely want more. however, my angle is more geared towards getting quality bench depth vs our starting 5. if there was an immediate concern to the eye it would be @ the SF and PG position. however, im a believer that Teague can get it done. i also can say ive never question’s Marvin’s effort. i think the kid tries hard. im eager to see what he can offer when given the opportunity to be an active piece in our offensive attack. vs just a guy who doesnt see the ball unless he’s playing bail out man needing to hit a jumper when you dont even get touches. i think Marvin needs to make an assertive effort to attack the rim. he has a respectable jumper now and which would aid him in beating a defender off the dribble. we couldnt witness this b/c Marvin was limited to iso play which isnt his strength. im actually one of the very few that feels Al Horford is a true center, just in a PF’s body. id like to add a specialist or 2 rather free agency or trade.. for example, Anthony Morrow with his shooting prowess.. effort and hustle bigs..
dave dumphy
June 25th, 2010
1:29 pm
I am from Cincy and watched Jordan Crawford this past year at Xavier. To me Atlanta is getting the best #2 guard in the draft. He averaged 29 points in NCAA. His range is phenomanal. When Sean Miller was at Xavier (the year Crawford sat out after transferring from Indiana) he said that if Crawford stayed a few years he would be the best player ever to come out of XU. XU has had David west, James Posey etc. Atlanta you got a great value at #27!!!!!
Michael Cunningham
June 25th, 2010
1:33 pm
@Astro Joe: “MC, now that the draft is behind us, do you expect any news on Drew’s coaching staff in the next few days? Or can Pape Sy handle that too?”
nice. yes, LD is supposed to get down to work on his staff. he wants his top assistant in place before the rookie minicamp on July 9.
O'Brien
June 25th, 2010
1:34 pm
Section 303,
I think you misinterpreted what Sekou was saying. He is saying if people thought Jordan Crawford would help offset the loss of JJ, they are kidding themselves. He does think Crawford is a good asset to have, and he will contribute.
Bigdave,
I would not offer JJ a 6 year max deal ($115 mil or so). I would offer him a 5 year max deal (similar to what other teams can offer, $90 mil or so). If he leaves, hopefully we can work out a sign and trade. If he leaves and we don’t get anything in return, the Hawks will take a step back this year. But I would take that chance.
If we lose JJ, bring back Chills, use the full mid-level to find a productive big, and use the bi-annual to add another solid bench player, the Hawks should still be a playoff team this year (even if they are competing for spots 5-8).
And next year, Rick Sund just needs to be creative. Next offseason, Crawford expires, Mo Evans expires, and Bibby will be an expiring deal (although Horford will be due a HUGE extension).
jroc
June 25th, 2010
1:37 pm
MC how do you feel the Hawks did on draft day and do you have any updates on what move JJ is going to make.
jroc
June 25th, 2010
1:40 pm
I don’t know if he is availiable but if Baron Davis can be brought in go get him if JJ walks.
vava74
June 25th, 2010
1:47 pm
From ESPN’s Bill Simmons:
“Crawford was my last “I think that guy could be in a nine-man rotation on a good team” pick. Really like him. Scorer, gamer, head case … I’ll put up with the last one if I’m getting the first two. And now that he’s off the board, I’d take the 6-foot-9 tennis player who just won a 70-68 fifth set at Wimbledon over any of the remaining guys on the board. I’m not even kidding”
He is mostly entertaining rather than technical, however, his “fan-insight-commentaries” are usually pretty solid when evaluating talent (this is the moment in which our very own niremetal starts twitching in his chair and starts rumbling about Kevin Love, a known Simmons’ pet love niremetal loathes).
Najeh Davenpoop
June 25th, 2010
1:48 pm
“There is nobody in the league that would worth packaging Ja. Crawford and somebody else to get. We are better off with picking up a so-so center in free agency”
Possibly. Again, my earlier post didn’t reflect what I think should happen; it’s just one plausible scenario I could see happening. As O’Brien pointed out though, there’s not a lot of incentive for Salmons to sign a long term deal with the Hawks at the same rate as his previous contract.
Michael Cunningham
June 25th, 2010
1:57 pm
@jroc: i’m not a fan of the “instant analysis” of drafts. but the Hawks like scorers and they got a good one late in the first round. so from their perspective, mission accomplished. but they do have a glut of 2-guards now if J.J. returns: Evans and the two Crawfords on the bench. in getting the perimeter scorer they wanted and also selling the No 31 pick, the Hawks passed on some centers with potential. if they use the extra cash on the right veterans, then it will turn out to be a good move. as for Pape Sy, don’t know anything about him but Hawks’ recent history suggests they won’t keep him around to develop.
i’m posting something on J.J. later today.
jroc
June 25th, 2010
1:59 pm
One thing i do like about the Hawks roster is that it has a lot of young guys with upside on it. It will be interesting to see how things pan out this summer. With all the mistakes that Sund made in the past he might pull the right triggers this season. With experience comes wisdom. Lets see if Sund will make it happen. And Drew can coach this young squad up. Lets Go Hawks!
jroc
June 25th, 2010
2:00 pm
Thanks MC can’t wait to see what you got
fudd21
June 25th, 2010
2:01 pm
Skyhawk,
OMG! Did you really just throw out a starting 5 of Teague, Chillz, Smooth, Bosh and Horford. Comical. Teams could play a zone against us and pack eveyone inside the lane cause Teague and the Joshes cant shoot a lick!
doc
June 25th, 2010
2:24 pm
huh?
“Most of you have lobbied to have Allen Iverson, Rasheed Wallace or Latrell Sprewel become a member of the Hawks at the end of their careers.”
i can only think of one blogger who would have done this …. one.
big false blanket there casual.
hittman jamillion
June 25th, 2010
2:24 pm
first off i’m undecided on who is more full of shiy?
the spirit or you sometimey ass hating unlogical bloggers, i would say fans but you guys are not fans.
to be a fan you have to know and love the game,and most of yall just flat out don’t.
everyone screams we need a center?
but actually get over it dominate bigmen are few and far between, the best you can do is get a good powerforward and push.
elite centers are a thing of the past
the days of hakeem,kareem, patrick , the admiral are over
you have dwigt howard and yao ming those are the only,let me say this again only true allstar caliber centers, the rest of these centers are less than extrordinary
you guys let your emotions cloud your decisions.
someone name me three yes three top flight pure centers in this league, hell zach randolph plays powerforward and was the only big man in the west to avg, 20 and 10
you guys act like it’s easy to win over 50 games in the nba hawks had the 5th let me reinterate it again the 5th best record last year with losy coaching and no offensive system.
these hawks have 4 allstar worthy players on this roster all we have to do is add a proven vet or two. these guys won 53 games off pure talent alone,
would i like a center ?yes but there weren’t any who could produce who could a been drafted.
this game is won on match ups,
it’s the reason cleveland is outstanding in the regular season and a quick exit in the playoffs,
we were killed for one reason. jameer nelson penetration to dwight howard.
which reults from a poor defensive shceme,bibby couldn’t stop nelson from penetrating t,he defense weakens ,someone doubles leaves there man, and walla onpen three to a shooter, but vs boston rondo stops nelson makes him ineffective and everybody stays on there man cause noone on that team can create their own shoot and walla orlando gets blown out in two of there 4 losses
me myself i say the hawks trade jj,(duck, and bibby in a package) cause his imagine is shot,you can’t disrespect a entire city, you not good enough to say what you said.
ad bring in another shooter, and a strong big or a dirk nowitzski. hell he’s a free agent
that’s my wish a front line of dirk,al,ans josh a be incredible,no need for bosh he can’t spread the floor, plus dirk is 7ft and can play the small forward on offense while josh guards the small forward on defense on the wing.
no luo deng, no danny granger hell danny is just marvin as a number one option, laugh if you wanna but duck doesn’t have plays ran for him. and chills is a killer i watched him aingle handedly take those garbage stanford teams to the elite 8 everyyear great slasher and easily gets to the rim and finish.maybe a kapono or mike miller, or rip hamilton who can hit shoots off the screen and run aroud you need players like that it makes the defense work. let these guys play and support the team
is it things i wish they would have done better? of course but it is what it is
peace
Volman
June 25th, 2010
2:24 pm
Hey dolts, we aren’t going to sign Chris Bosh…. we’d only have maybe what…7-8 million to sign someone if Joe bolts?
I don’t know how many times this needs to be explained. This isn’t NBA Live guys..geez.
Volman
June 25th, 2010
2:25 pm
Clyde,
How is Sean Williams doing?
Grandad
June 25th, 2010
2:45 pm
Well we have a Grandad, may as well have a Paps’.
I know exactly how lame that was.
If either of my boys read the blog today,
they’ll hold their heads in shame.
I still ain’t over $ selling $ Pau Gasol. [redux]
Paps’ :::
I’ve read everthing from 6-3 to 6-10.
w-span = 7 +++
He’s somewhere between *Tony Parker / Boris Diaw / or ”Nique”
*[size & or ability]*
*remembering – Hawks history:
*Alain Digbeau – drafted in 1997
*also from France, *dubbed – (the French ”Jordan”)
*As far as I know – we never saw him / he may never have existed.
jroc
June 25th, 2010
2:51 pm
Great Post Hitman but you got me with the Dirk comment. Captian Dirk plays no Defense but is a great scorer and has no chance of coming to the Hawks. Come on Hawks you had the second best home win record in the nba. Lets move forward with or without JJ.
Will
June 25th, 2010
3:03 pm
There hasn’t even been a complete day since the draft and already everyone is bent out of shape over who was or was not selected. I suppose all of you could have done a better job at putting together the team. How many years ago was it that you were all crying in your milk because ATL was losing all the time and Bobby Knight was drafting the current players that all of you are now saying can’t make it to the playoffs. Short memories. Give the team some time. They haven’t even had an opportunity to complete the off season and complete the trades etc that surely will be happening esp. if JJ doesn’t resign. Quit crying you bunch of know nothings and let the process run its course. If ATL doesn’t make the playoffs and Drew falls flat on his face and everyting goes to hell then you can scream. Now isn’t the time!
Will
June 25th, 2010
3:06 pm
There is a way to sign a big free agent if JJ bolts. It might mean finding a way to get rid of Bibby and Marvin etc but with the trades that could be made it is possible.
Mike is back
June 25th, 2010
3:21 pm
Well Sekou just cut to the chase. These rumors are just rumors…we still have a chance to sign JJ and Chill. If Sund is not proactive the first week of FA coming up with a deal to lock these cats down…I look for one those long protracted wait to see who offers on JJ, but something quicker regarding Chill.
However, he also said if LBJ is quick with his decision…everything could be over with fast with JJ. I hope that is the case…I can’t take another one of those summer…where we wait to sign one guy…while all the talents in the FA pool dries up.
I’m not made at JJ…as bad as I hate to admit it…Sekou is right about paying JJ max dollar. If there is a way to bring JJ back…we need to do it. He is not LBJ or Wade…however there are only 2 of those guys…if you have the next best thing…why let it get away????????
For me, I look at JJ where the franchise was when he came hear, and where it is now…not just his comments made in the heat of battle. Also, I heard someone allude to amount minutes he logged the last five years…Surely that had to have some type of impact on his performance. I’m curious see how he would perform in a motion offense.
I said previously…fine…if JJ goes…I would also like to add…fine…if JJ stays. After listen to Sekou…If JJ wants to resign with the Hawks…I’M ALL FOR IT…get it done…don’t drag it pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease. lol
I am under no illusion that this kid Crawford can replace JJ…However I love the pick…he will be a good rotation guy. If we bring JJ back…I look for us move JC and another player for something…the problem with ASG…you don’t know what that something will be.
You love JC’s persona and his scoring abilities, However you understand why he has played for so many different teams.
@Sund, I’m still pisssssed off…we didn’t take a Big with the 31st pick. We were basically getting a lottery pick from next year draft…nuff said.
northcyde
June 25th, 2010
3:22 pm
D21
June 25th, 2010
8:29 am
“Drew said he thinks Sy is long enough to play center as well as power forward”
???
Did he really see him at workout ? Or who said such a thing ?
Pape Sy started to play with Le Havre team in Pro A (best french league), and he played PG and SG.
How is it possible that he can play C or PF in NBA ?
Maybe in Billy Knight dreams… but in reality, he can’t
*************************
Maybe Drew thinks that Pape is the next Boris Diaw.
Mike is back
June 25th, 2010
3:37 pm
MC, did you have any idea what you was getting into when agree to cover the Hawks. Well at least there is no shortage of laughter…maybe money…but certainly not laughter…It’s never a boring day with these owners.
Even Stevie Wonder can see we needed to select a Big with that 31st pick. lol
truthspitter
June 25th, 2010
3:37 pm
Picking Crawford over Whiteside will hunt the Hawks fans just like Marvin over Paul or Williams, but Sund want care because he will get fired and move on with his life down at the gay bar with his shirt tied up in the front
bigdave
June 25th, 2010
3:38 pm
“fine…if JJ goes…I would also like to add…fine…if JJ stays.”
exactly how this long time Joe supporter feels.. its nothing we can do.. this will be all up to Joe Johnson..
Mystikal
June 25th, 2010
3:38 pm
UNDRAFTED PLAYERS
Guys that I hope we get in next week: Jerome Randle, Brian Zoubek, Manny Harris, Mikhail Torrance, Charles Garcia, Denis Clemente, Sylven Landesberg, Michael Washington
Jordan Eglseder, Jeff Foote, Chas McFarland, Omar Samhan
truthspitter
June 25th, 2010
3:44 pm
Sund is one stupid mutherphucker, get ready for bags over your head, how can you pick some little bitty combo guard that will never start in NBA over Hassan Whiteside, ignorant mutherphucker
bigdave
June 25th, 2010
3:45 pm
O’brien…
i feel you. question.. hypothetical… etc. just something to pass time until MC updates us on Joe..
what are the chances Al Horford is 3 time All Star approaching the final year of Dwight Howard’s Orlando contract.. ? our Hawks remain competitive in the East but can’t get over the hump?
hmmm.. are you pondering what im pondering? any chance history repeats itself?
drmaryb
June 25th, 2010
4:04 pm
PG or C
Come on nit-pickers. Of course the comment re: Pape Sy playing C was a mis-qoute!
How many times per minute do we see typos on this blog?
Let that go – please. It’s obvious the kid can’t play center.
JoJo the Godfather
June 25th, 2010
4:07 pm
We need to take Bibby & Evans ($8M total salary) and trade them for something productive….any ideas??? My first choice would be Anderson Verejao. We might have to throw in a future pick to get that done though, unless Cleveland decides to rebuild.
EB
June 25th, 2010
4:31 pm
I’d say Crawford will be taking over for JJ for sure cause his days are numbered with the Hawks. Now we just need to get rid of Bibby!!
SEC4Life
June 25th, 2010
4:39 pm
Sooooooooo, basically we’re in the same position we were in before the draft: a team full of guards and swingmen with no LEGITIMATE big man?
Geez.
Sooooooooo, when can we buy the Joe Johnson Bulls jerseys?
O'Brien
June 25th, 2010
4:42 pm
Bigdave,
I think the chances are good that horford will be an all star next couple years, especially if JJ comes back
I think our defense will improve with teague getting minutes, and less switching. And I think al will improve both his rebounding and scoring.
Hypothetically speaking though, Its still hard to look 2 years ahead.
Pepsi for ROY
June 25th, 2010
4:59 pm
AND THE DRAMA BEGINS….
Joe Johnson spotted in Chicago having dinner with Bulls affiliates.
http://tinyurl.com/yonrvc
NBA Hawk Day
June 25th, 2010
5:18 pm
Jordan Crawford is a true baller with no fear, he put on an outstanding display of shooting in the NCAA tournament. Xavier vs Baylor ws an instant classic and Crawford put Xavier on his shoulders through two overtimes. His scorin ability was insane.he was what Iwould call the sleeper in this draft. I feel like we were lucky to get him . We have to find a center as soon as free agency starts and we will be ok. I like Joe Johnson as a player, but he is not a max contract type player. Let him get that contract elsewhere, use the money saved to get the pieces this team needs, the Hawks will be better off with a sign and trade, but ASG can’t afford to keep him and keep the team in the mix.
Tibor Pleiss: from the Circus-Tent to the NBA – EuropeanProspects.com
June 25th, 2010
5:25 pm
[...] traded him to the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks then sold his rights to the Oklahoma City Thunder for close to 3,000,000 USD. Sam Presti and his team got what they wanted and for what they even were as high as using their [...]
Ramon
June 25th, 2010
5:28 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XejLyk3kJZg
RickRolled
June 25th, 2010
5:29 pm
I wuz rickrolled, and I likes it.
WalterEgo
June 25th, 2010
6:43 pm
The Hawks may not have the lowest payroll, but they are the cheapest ownership in the NBA. I wonder why the AJC doesn’t call them on selling a non-guaranteed pick, that was more valuable than any of the mid to late 20-something picks in this draft, for cash. You don’t owe anything to a 2nd rd pick. Sign him to a one year deal, team option 2 year deal and see if he can ball? Hassan Whiteside maybe instead of Pleiss, but either are center prospects and are better than an out of shape Jason Collins IMO, “experience or not”. Perhaps even more importantly, with JJ likely gone, we need a diamond in the rough which can be had at 31. We won’t have the talent without JJ (it’s likely we don’t with him) to contend. Without him we need LUCK. You don’t have luck when you sell the 31st pick project center for petty cash. Shame on the AJC for not bashing ownership.
Big Ray
June 25th, 2010
8:53 pm
Jordan Crawford is indeed a baller, and he loves to play the game. That’s where “heart” comes from. I’m glad he’s a Hawk, now if we can teach him to “D” it up and keep the turnovers down, we’ll be good to go with him coming off the bench as a scorer.
I still am having the worst time getting any solid info on this Pape Sy fellow. Hope he’s got Boris Diaw-like skills or something. I’ll take Larry Drew’s word that he can play. Apparently he has some heart as well, going hard against credible college prospects. I also hope he comes over and plays in the summer league, where somebody can get a look at him and report back on him.
$3 million should help us fill out the roster the right way. We have to do better than last year. I’m still stuck wondering whether we simply got Joe Smith too late in his career, or if he simply didn’t get enough PT last year.
Looking forward to the Teague/Crawford combo in summer league. I hope Teague lights that a$$ up in every game…
JSS
June 25th, 2010
9:12 pm
Well Big Ray and others, here are a few brief clips of Sy actually playing and kidding around in France. Thanks to my uncle, pretty good for 85 year old man to find this stuff for me…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vPlcrCDKK4
Salvador Gonzalez
June 25th, 2010
9:16 pm
ACCORDING TO THE SITE OF THE FRENCH LNB(Ligue Nationale de Basket) SY PAPE IS 1.90,WICH IS A LITTLE UNDER 6′ 3″ .
IF HE CAN PLAY CENTER AND POWER FORWARD IN THE NBA,I CAN PLAY SMALL FORWARD AT 5′ 9″!!!!!
D21
June 26th, 2010
3:23 am
“Looking back at some posts on Real;GM from April there was talk of the Hawks trying to sell their first round pick for 3Million to save cash for Joe. Also, it says they were looking to hire a coach for cheaper to also save money for Joe”
If the only goal is to get some cash everywhere to sign Joe to the highest contract they can, then it means a lot.
They don’t want to spend to improve the team, they just want to be sure to keep this All-Star but not more, and Joe by asking for more than he already gets will kill this team.
Joe Johnson doesn’t deserve more than what he gets : 15M is enough.
If he prefers getting this extra money himself, than staying at his 15M and see the money goes to extra help or use it to make trades and getting more than you send, then is a selfish man, only wanting to be that team “Star”, and don’t care to win title.
I prefer him sign-&-traded than keeping him at Max contract.
I know he can goes for nothing if he wants, but seriously, look at the man in the eyes and tell him that because is not a true Star in this league, there’s not enough people in the arena, and so not enough money, and if he wants to win, he can’t get Max contract here.
Anybody who is not dumb should understand that.
If he still want his Max contract and his ego is obsessed by that, then work on sign-&-trade: he will have a better contract with ATL in sign-&-trade that what he can get with another team.
@Salvador Gonzalez : it’s the only one saying 1m90
I will stay on 1m95 or 6′4.75″ without shoes, and 1m99 or 6′6″ with shoes. It will be something like that, not much less or more.
And if he was the next Boris Diaw like some are thinking, you can be sure than it would have been easy to hera that from French league, which is not the case, so I seriously doubt that he has the feeling of Diaw for this game.
Even if Diaw look to lazy, he knows the game and this is the first things that everybody was talking about in French league way before he was drafted. This is not the case of Sy.
Salvador Gonzalez
June 26th, 2010
8:15 am
D21 IS RIGHT.
I CHECKED THE ROSTER OF LE HAVRE BAKETBALL TEAM AND THERE SY PAPE IS LISTED
AS A 1.97m(6′5.50″)GUARD.
DOES NOT HAVE THE SIZE TO PLAY CENTER OR POWER FORWARD AND HIS NUMBERS WERE:
Minutes 14.2
Points 5.2
Rebounds 1.7
Assists 1.3
Saabotager
June 26th, 2010
3:56 pm
Rick Sund is and will always be a failure.
dwayne
June 27th, 2010
3:41 pm
The Hawks need a big man. No proven center on the roster. I say cut or trade Marvin Williams and Mike Bibby and go sign your draft pick you should drafted a couple years ago in the name of Chris Paul. The go sign the center the Cav’s cut but resigned for the playoffs. Let Al play at the 4 Josh the 3 Crawford the 2 and Paul the 1. Guaranteed Eastern Finals. if not go sign Ray Allen he’s a consistent 2 instead of JJ