Atlanta Hawks: What happened in Vegas
Las Vegas–Made it to Sin City for Atlanta’s Summer League opener vs. Memphis. I hear there’s a severe heat warning for Wednesday and Thursday so I guess that means I will be forced to chill in the casino’s A/C for long periods of time. It’s all about sacrifice.
Before I get to the game, let me address the Chills trade, which is still pending as he gets clearance from FIBA. I know my blog people are not happy with the deal–neither is the AJC’s Mark Bradley–but it requires some context.
The first thing to remember about a sign-and-trade is it takes a lot to make it happen. The teams have to agree to the trade, the player has to be willing to join his new team and the new team has to reach contract terms with the player. It turned out Phoenix was the only team where all of these factors aligned with Chills.
From what I’ve heard, the other teams interested in Chills weren’t willing to meet his price, so that narrowed the potential trade partners for the Hawks. Then Phoenix stepped up with a big offer that the Hawks probably wouldn’t have been willing to match. The Hawks apparently did a good enough job of making the Suns think they might match it that they got them to send a second-round pick and earned a trade exception (the amount of which will depend on Chills’ first-year salary).
So the Hawks, with little leverage, got something for Chills when they very well could have received nothing. The fact that Chills wasn’t getting the kind of offers he wanted until the Suns came through tells you his value just wasn’t that great with NBA teams. The Hawks made the only deal they could under the circumstances.
Now we’ll see how they make use of the exception, which will be good for one year from the official date of the trade.
– OK, one more thing before I get into the game: It’s looking like Shaq still wants too much money for the Hawks. That suggests he wants a deal that starts at more than the mid-level exception. The Hawks would have to do a sign-and-trade if it wants to pay him more and so far there’s been no indication they are willing to do so.
Grizzlies 89, Hawks 85 (Box Score)
– It was a pretty good effort from the Hawks considering that they’ve only been practicing together for three days and Teague is the only guy certain to be a rotation player next season. Memphis, meanwhile, had been practicing for several days and send out NBAers O.J. Mayo, Sam Young, Darrell Arthur and DeMarre Carroll.
– If JC2 keeps this up, then maybe he gets in the rotation, too. After a slow start, Crawford was impressive while scoring 16 points. There were no signs of the pre-draft concerns about his ability to adapt to playing off the ball as he was very crafty floating to open space on the floor. And JC2 also proved to be a willing and effective passer.
– “He played well,” Teague said. “He just plays. He doesn’t have a position or anything like that. He just plays. He can make shots and he’s a good passer as well. I guess people underestimated his ability to pass the ball. He’s a very good passer. I like playing with him a lot.”
– Most impressive was that pass Crawford whipped to Richard Hendrix under the basket for a dunk. There also were a couple times where Crawford’s quick outlet passes led to fastbreaks. Give him those hockey assists.
– Teague is supposed to stand out in these kind of games and he did. He played fast but under control, finding open space to get to the basket and always looking for his teammates.
– L.D. wants to play at a faster pace, and Teague and Crawford can help with that. Can you imagine a lineup with those two pushing the pace, J.J. floating to the corners for catch-and-shoots and Smoove and Al going hard to the basket? Jamal can fit in there somewhere, too.
– Sergiy Gladyr can shoot it but he was overmatched on defense.
– Hendrix was better in the second half than the first. He’s got a solid build and knows how to use it.
–Pape Sy seemed bothered at times by the tight D. He has to learn how to create space with his body. But, like Hendrix, he looked better after halftime.
– Alade Aminu looked good finishing around the basket. He’s more finesse than power, a quick leaper who runs the floor well.
– I didn’t see any defensive switches but lots of show and recover. Can’t lie, it was kind of weird to see guys in Hawks unis play straight-up D.
– Hard to evaluate the offense with so many new players trying to figure out how to play together but I noticed lots of down-screens, ball reversals and drive-and-kicks. The ball didn’t stay on one side very long.
– The Hawks got handled on the boards 38-27, with only James Augustine doing good work among the bigs. He’s got legit size but lacks body control.
– RandMo didn’t show much except the usual tendency to foul a lot. He should stand out in this kind of game the same way as Teague.
– I’m out, blog people. Gonna see if I can find a place where they stay on soft 17s.
MC
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
265 comments Add your comment
mike
July 13th, 2010
1:10 pm
MC-
Spearmint Rhino! Ask for Kristy.
Rev in Tampa
July 13th, 2010
1:23 pm
Melvin,
Thanks for the link. It seems to shed light on Shaq’s thinking regarding his attitude toward coming to Atl. I am assuming, as suggested in the interview, that Dennis Scott and Shaq have been talking about Atl. It also seems as if ASG has little interest in Shaq or is being too cheap in their approach to signing Shaq.
Grandad
July 13th, 2010
1:27 pm
HoosierHawk
Teaguer 1st pg in history to make a T.O. late in game.
I say cut him today.
Simpdawg
July 13th, 2010
1:35 pm
The Hawks don’t need to sign Shaq. First and foremost you build your team through the draft, and once again the Hawks GM Sund fails to draft players like Hassan Whiteside, Solomon Alabi or even Jerome Jordan. They overpaid to resign Joe Johnson and now they’re struggling to sign a center in the free agent market. This is why this current ownership will never come close to competing for a NBA Championship. This organization is absolutely pathetic.
Sam
July 13th, 2010
1:37 pm
MC – NO 6:5 blackjack! You are just giving your money to the casino at 5X the speed! Only 3:2!
I MUS WRITE
July 13th, 2010
1:41 pm
Shaq wants to start- Shaq wants more than the MLE- Enuff already can we move on,why put all our eggs is Shaqs fry’n pan when there are other options.
Mo Evan for Ryan Hollins
Sign Matt Barnes before he signs else where
Target the following BIGS…. Pryzbilla,Brad Miller,Tolliver
Bibby/ZAZA for Okafor ….Sign a veteran Pg to back up Teague- maybe R Alstron or Jason Williams
Teague/JWill
JJ/Jamal/JC2
Marvin/Barnes
Josh/Hollins/
Horford/Pryz or Tolliver
R Morris….I see the D League in his future or possibly Lithuania, hes a hack machine -its time to pull the plug.
Teague will be fine as long as he improves his shot. His speed and break down ability will help us alot more than bibby chucking away from deep.
Crawford has sum Steve Smith in his game -I dont know where he will get minutes if everyone stays but a good draft pick none the less.
Sy could become a good player for us in the next 2 years -good size/athletic/…Nice handles for a guy his size
Gladyr will be the next Cenk Akoyl- Good shooter but a Defensive Liability. I dont see him ever joining our team.
O'Brien
July 13th, 2010
1:44 pm
HoosierHawk,
John wall had 8 turnovers in his summer league game. It happens.
Unless shaq finds a team who is far under the cap, or who wants to do a sign and trade (Cleveland), he will have to accept the MLE wont he?
Simpdawg
July 13th, 2010
1:45 pm
I do like Richard Hendrix the rugged power forward from Alabama. I think Hendrix could add some much needed toughness to the Hawks bench along with Zaza.
Navigator
July 13th, 2010
1:46 pm
“Chills”, are you kidding me? Do you have any professional integrity? Okay some of us know you’re talking about Josh Childress, but how many. You would do well on ESPN as they value the close personal relationship over professional reporting to.
Simpdawg
July 13th, 2010
1:54 pm
I MUS WRITE,
I agree with you 100% about Shaq, but unfortunately this organization has no clue on assessing player personnel.
bigdave
July 13th, 2010
1:57 pm
Drafted in 2008 by the Golden State Warriors late in the second round after a pre-draft physical uncovered potential red flags in his knee, Richard Hendrix was unceremoniously dumped by Don Nelson when he found out that he shockingly is not a fit for his system in the least bit. Hendrix seemed to have made out just fine from the deal, pocketing a cool half a million dollars in guaranteed cash for under a month of service. He proceeded to join the D-League, where he looked somewhat disinterested at times, but still found a way to average nearly 15 rebounds per-40 minutes pace adjusted, good for second in the league. He then played extremely well in two separate summer leagues (Orlando and Vegas) as a member of the Magic and Nuggets’ rosters, but when no NBA team came calling with guaranteed cash, opted to sign in the Spanish ACB with CB Granada.
The move seems to be paying off quite well for Hendrix, as he’s already established himself as one of the more productive big men in the league—averaging nearly 20 and 10 per-40 minutes pace adjusted—despite being a 23-year old rookie in the toughest domestic league in Europe. If anything, he’s upped his value significantly in Europe by showing that he can translate his game over to a new style of play, and he’s surely improved in his own right along the way.
What Hendrix brings to the table is quite obvious for those who have seen him or followed him throughout the years on this site. He’s a brute force underneath the basket with his terrific body, huge hands and 7-3 wingspan. He’s not a terribly skilled offensive player but is regardless fairly effective around the paint, particularly with his back to the basket. His main virtues lie in his rebounding ability, as he boxes out opponents extremely well and does an excellent job pursuing loose balls with his soft hands and long arms. He is yet to develop much of a face-up game and still a liability from the free throw line, two things he must address as his career moves on, but is a highly efficient player (leading the ACB in field goal percentage) who understands his limitations and comes off as quite an intelligent and fundamentally sound player.
Defensively, Hendrix is an undersized center who is effective guarding the post thanks to his strength, smarts and tenacity, but loses effectiveness the more he steps away from the basket. In today’s NBA, though, where players like David Lee and Chuck Hayes are thriving at the center position that might not be as much of an issue as it was in years past, despite the fact that Hendrix can’t be described as anything more than an average athlete at best.
As the Kurt Thomas’ and Reggie Evans’ of the world slowly get phased out in favor of younger big men, it’s only natural for teams to look in the direction of players like Hendrix to fill their void in their respective rotations. Considering the way he’s produced at every stage of his career thus far, it’s not out of the question that he could surprise someone and develop into a valuable asset.
bigdave
July 13th, 2010
1:57 pm
from draft express
Melvin
July 13th, 2010
2:03 pm
MC,
Do you know if the Hawks have any in Craig Smith? They could possibly sign him Smith, Barnes and Kwame using MLE and BAE.
Grandad
July 13th, 2010
2:07 pm
Afternoon, ladies & gents;
-> Slow down on JC2, he’s got a ways to go.
I like what LD said – *bring him along slowly. [paraphrase]
*Something tells me it has a different meaning. -(had woodson said it)-
**Everybody is makin’ fun o’ SG’s defense, well JC2’s aint much better!
Gotta learn to guard somebody. He plays defense just like JC1. [only worse]
***By the way- not even close to being as smooth as JC1. [by a long shot]
editors note: glad we got him!!!
-> I’m convinced we should make an effort to trade for Thabeet.
Right now he is undervalued. Wishfully, Memphis will be frustrated with him.
To the naked eye he is raw & undeveloped. (Marvin williams but worse)
Yet, his impact on the game is not what he does, it’s what he causes
around him due to his enormous size. Players must be aware of him
@ all times particularly on off. boards. + he’s a pretty good FT shooter.
Think Dikembe Mutombo. [overall game]
-> Teaguer, court vision???, where is that coming from?
# 1 he set up teammates all nite long, and no-one could hit a shot.
*that’s why I wanted Gladyr in with him = penetrate & kick.
# 2 he tried his darndest to run the “Princeton motion” last eve.
He would back out & set up the offense, showing leadership & poise.
-> Ol’ Pops looks like he’s got a future as a player who can defend 3 maybe 4 pos.
->. Gladyr can shoot so we better start teachin’ him to defend right now = [last night].
He’s no worse than Redick [was] so let’s get him ready sooner rather than later.
I MUS WRITE
July 13th, 2010
2:07 pm
SoulStar- Joe Smith didnt do squat last year. When he did get minutes he didnt show me much. I remember him missing shot after shot and that was supposed to be his strong suit-pick n pop type guy. Really though he may have his 15-20 shots all year long and no im not exaggerating. We can do alot better. Hell i would rather have Anthony Randolph or Turiaff over Joe smith anyday.
JS Collins Morris Mario have to be show the door IMO…
Earl Barron is a big guy who we should look at although his game is ZAZA-ish not much of an upgrade.
What i wouldnt give for an owner like Cuban or The Rich Russian =daddy warbucks. We only inquire about guys because it sounds nice and gives the fan base hope -when all along inquiring is all we were about hard to offer contracts when we are financially strapped -Keep hope alive though Sund is in the Kitchen whipp’n up a sweet deal hopefully.
Okay Dan Gilbert crossed the line with his comments but so what its America and we still have freedom of speech. Jilted lover syndrome- with that said Jesse Jackson needs to shut his pie hole. the only time you hear from this clown is when theres an opprotunity to be in the spot light. We didnt hear a word from him while he was busy impregnating 25 year old women or sharpening his razor to cut the presidents balls off………. Straight Coon if u ask me. I wont even get started on Rev Creamy Crack -Look at that perm – SIGH!!!!
MC -Thats sound like a good assignment to me beating the heat by camping out at the black jack table -i envy you man……………
Grandad
July 13th, 2010
2:18 pm
Simpdawg – Co-Sign on Hendrix
bigdave – I read that last eve. Paid particular attn. to fg %. per DraftXpress.
I MUS – I gotta disagree on Gladyr / I don’t know if Cenk Akyol actually even exists.
He may just be a figment of our imagination. Has anyone ever really seen him?
Now this here Gladyr feller can relly shoot. I think ol’ LD can figure out a way to use ‘im.
Grandad
July 13th, 2010
2:20 pm
*Really – We talk funny in the country but we can spell.
Some of us just can’t type.
bigdave
July 13th, 2010
2:21 pm
Melvin..
id like Craig Smith as well.. guy is a bruiser.
Grandad..
i disagree with you on Jordan’s def. i made sure to watch him in one on one situations staying in front of his man , b/c that would let us know how much we see of him this year. a possession in particular that i remember is when they tried to iso him on the block he held his own and i believe stripped the ball which lead to a break. he has active hands and anticipates well.. i did see him struggle reading and getting around screens set for shooters, to be expected in his 1st game.
all in all, he seemed to adjust to the NBA game well.. he worked well in space off ball.. spotting up.. i was impressed his game had a flow to it, a calmness.. did not appear to be forced..
Aaron
July 13th, 2010
2:24 pm
Al Jefferson moved to the Jazz for a trade exception and some protected 1sts.
Hmmm….what was that someone was saying about a trade exception having REAL value on the trade market? Ahh, nevermind, let’s all be content with being the 3rd best team in the division as we watched Joe fade out of his prime…
northcyde
July 13th, 2010
2:26 pm
People simply do not watch the NBA, if they’re willing to trade for Emeka Okafor and that contract of his. Okafor was supposed to be the center that the Hornets needed, which is why they traded the injury prone Tyson Chandler for him. Well . . a little less than 2 years later, New Orleans is already willing to move him.
Why?
Because he has turned out to be a weaker presence both offensively and defensively than they ever dreamed. The dude isn’t garbage. But he isn’t the type of impact player in the middle for the money he is paid. Not even close actually. Last season, he had one of the worst Defensive PER’s amongst centers. But people would be willing to pay him 12+ million and more to come off the bench?
Mindboggling.
Hawk fans woud despise Okafor after 20 games here.
As for the Shaq issue, the ASG/Sund need to either act, or move on. As O’Brien said . . . throw an offer to him . . give him a few days to make a decision . . and if he hedges, announce publically that we’re moving on.
Shaq is the change of pace player that we need, when the game significantly slows down during the playoffs. A scrub like Pyzybilla doesn’t even come close to providing what Shaq will give us. People who think that “speed ball” will win in the playoffs, will be sadly mistaken. Defense, rebounding and half court efficiency is what wins in the playoffs. And Shaq would provide an upgrade in all 3 areas.
But this “saga” needs to be ended this week . . or we at least need to know that progress is being made one way or the other. If he doesn’t want to come here for the MLE, then there’s no reason to even keep the rumor going on. Just come out and say that we’re not interested in him anymore.
bigdave
July 13th, 2010
2:27 pm
Grandad..
no wonder i was impressed with the way he understood using his body and floor positioning, he’s a bit seasoned..
didnt see him being pushed around too much out there..
Sautee
July 13th, 2010
2:28 pm
Navigator,
about this:
“Chills”, are you kidding me? Do you have any professional integrity? Okay some of us know you’re talking about Josh Childress, but how many. You would do well on ESPN as they value the close personal relationship over professional reporting to.”
I’ll defend MC here. This is a blog, which is a MUCH DIFFERENT animal than a story fit to print in the newspaper. If MC called him “Chills” in a newspaper article WITHOUT explaining the nickname, that would be somewhat egregious, yes.
But this is a blog, man. We talkin’ ’bout a blog.
Not a newspaper, a blog.
(Apologies to Allen Iverson)
But seriously, don’t expect the same protocol for a blog as for an article written for print. Two totally different animals.
Keep it up, MC. You’re doing great.
i_am_soulstar
July 13th, 2010
2:28 pm
Does anyone remember Teague trying to dunk on Hasheem Thabeet? He got blocked, but still, that kid’s got some testicular fortitude to go with that leaping ability.
bigdave
July 13th, 2010
2:33 pm
http://www.nba.com/hawks/feature/coach_conner_071210.html
Grandad
July 13th, 2010
2:37 pm
Navigator
Nothing against you, & your point is valid, however, this is a blog.
This is not reporting per se.
MC is talkin’ to us, in a personal fashion.
Please don’t ever compare anyone or anything in the South,
to those northern oppressors from *espn.
*I pretty much have open contempt for espn.
You are entitled to say what you please – so don’t think I’m
admonishing you.
It’s just that on this blog, it’s like a conversation between he and us.
Once again – speak your mind – as will I.
I MUS WRITE
July 13th, 2010
2:43 pm
Macaroni Tony- You’re asking alot for a 2nd year PG with a questionable Jumper. 20/10 is alot for even experienced PG’s in this league There may be 5 or so capable of putting up those numbers and dont forget we have alot of guys who need shots JJ,Jamal,Marvin,Al etc……. 12/7 and hawking defense is what id like to see from teague.
Grandad
July 13th, 2010
2:47 pm
bigdave
I’ll watch JC2 more closely on def. tom. nite
Until then I stand corrected.
I actually saw SG with a forearm [arm-bar] on his man a couple times,
[off the ball] euro trick, playin’ physical. Guys like him [white guys]
gotta learn some tricks.
I MUS WRITE
July 13th, 2010
2:49 pm
Grandad-Whass Up, what do u disagree with? The guy has range but his defense and footwork are suspect. Do u really want to see Gladyr guarding Wade or Kobe. We already have a Chucker with horrible defense and his name is Mike Bibby
Big Ray
July 13th, 2010
2:50 pm
Navigator might want to check his Tom-Tom…..
Grandad , good posts.
Somebody get me Anthony Tolliver. No, he ain’t 6′11″. He’s 6′8.5″ with a 7′2.5″ wingspan and weighs about 245. Kid can shoot, and he rebounds. Me likes…let him back up J-Smoove and take minutes from Marv if Marv can’t get it together. They’re the same size (imagine that), though Marv has the slightly longer wingspan (7′3″).
Then get me Kurt Thomas/Craig smith/Jamal Magloire (one of the three).
My winning pickup from the summer league so far? Hendrix. Give him a roster spot, it’s an upgrade from RandMo….
MsDee
July 13th, 2010
2:50 pm
yall chk out Larry Drew’s practice video on hawks.com..liking him more and more..
Michael Cunningham
July 13th, 2010
2:53 pm
@Navigator: ““Chills”, are you kidding me? Do you have any professional integrity? Okay some of us know you’re talking about Josh Childress, but how many. You would do well on ESPN as they value the close personal relationship over professional reporting to.”
actually, i don’t even know Chills.
Michael Cunningham
July 13th, 2010
2:53 pm
@ Melvin: “Do you know if the Hawks have any in Craig Smith? They could possibly sign him Smith, Barnes and Kwame using MLE and BAE.”
i haven’t heard his name come up.
Michael Cunningham
July 13th, 2010
2:54 pm
@ Sam: “MC – NO 6:5 blackjack! You are just giving your money to the casino at 5X the speed! Only 3:2!”
of course. what am i, new? haha . . .
I MUS WRITE
July 13th, 2010
2:55 pm
Northcyde -Okafor isnt woth his 12 mill we get that but- The guy is a suitable center capable of rebounding and good post D. He would be an upgrade over every C we have not named Horford. When you consider that BIbby and Marvin make 13 mill together I dont see a problem. I would rather get Pryz at 7 mill.
ASG- Now is the time to get our C, the Bobcats deal just got nixed by Jordan. Lets put up an offer for the guy -
I MUS WRITE
July 13th, 2010
2:56 pm
Tyson Chandler
Michael Cunningham
July 13th, 2010
2:56 pm
@ Sautee: i figure my blog people know who i’m talking about when i use nicknames. whenever i write a news blog that the more general population is likely to read, i use the full names. we are informal around here.
ReddJonn68
July 13th, 2010
2:58 pm
Hey if anybody feels we are getting hosed on the Bibby & Marvin contracts. Take a look at htis Amir Jonhson 6′9 PF for the 34 mil over 5 yrs from Toronto avg 6.2-ppg 4.2-rpg 0.8-bpg
Sawyer
July 13th, 2010
2:59 pm
Well it seems as if Shaq’s options are shrinking. Miami is close to getting Big Z, and Dallas just traded for Tyson Chandler using the DUST chip. At first, I was on board 100 percent with bringing the Diesel on board, but now im having secong thoughts. At the same time though, we have to get a servicable back up big and he is the best option still out there. Shaq’s only option might be us, and he also might be ours too.
DHunt
July 13th, 2010
2:59 pm
Is Hawks summer league ball being televised somewhere?
ryan
July 13th, 2010
2:59 pm
Cunningham will the Hawks sign someone this week if its Shaq or Brad Miller i am down with that.
T3AMDIM3
July 13th, 2010
3:01 pm
well looks like if we would of tried we could of got al jefferson , traded for 2 picks and some cash, instead of shaq would of been younger and alot more time left, and big z is going to miami just reported on espn, wtf are we doing …o yea and the mavs are about to make shaq an offer , espn dallas.com there going to offer him a little of the mle, so there goes that , and why arent we going after raja bell for his lockdown defense , remeber him and kobe, hes only making roughly 1.8 mil a year, id take him over matt barnes betetr defender better from 3 .. by the time asg gets there shi* togther all free agents will be gone dotn understand what they are doing!!! i must check for updates 20 times a day and to my dissapointment an dim sure all of yours, we havent made one change yet, after rick sunds promised to add pieces to this team ,and jj saying hes going to recruit, mo and shaq trade fell thru just was a rumor, , ppl esaying there r gnna tarde josh smith for tony parker your out ur mind, i would trade al b4 josh, josh does alot more for this team than al, he still needs work but he does more in the box score than anyone on the team and i would miss him amping up the crowd when there is one, bc there goes our hi flyer, anybody else hear anything, what happend to marvin for ellis , id rather ellis at point than teauge and wtf is the deal with bibby just bc this guy has an off year doesnt mean hes done , why wouldnt you keep him for the big shots off the bench every since he came to atl the team got wayyy better why bc he ran the team and wasnt selfish taken shots, woodson stated on a number of occasions bibby isnt here to score he is here to pass, he would of has assists every game if it wasnt jj iso all game, u guys are so oblivious to basketball, bibby was a top 5 pg obviously in the sacramento days hes a good vet for a team, he wuda had a ring, if the whole la scandal with the refs didnt go down , idk how many big shots this guys has hit for us, and u wanna trade him, why arent we moving zaza and his goonie looken ass and 5 mil a year contract , hes not worth it ,, marvin will be fien every game he got to take 10+ more shots he lead the team in scoring but everyone foregst that, we have 53 win team, i dotn understand why pple in atlanta are so dumb, support your fuc*n team already dam i aint even from atlanta and i have flow to phillips to watch games at least 15 times a year for years now and im in ny …jamal crawford great player great guy but 10 mil a year , i dont think so , asg is selling the thrasher to concentrate on the hawks supposedly then we need to fire rick sund , and get danny ferry cus although he got fired he put togther a greatttttttttttt team but unfortunaley james decided to play like a pu**Y against boston, why , bc he isnt really as good as he you think , eithe ris kobe, and everyoen can dispute me on this, jj averages over 20 agame without the FT line at all kobe lebron wade melo average 20 + a game and yettttttt go to the line 15 times, imagine what jj wud be if he grew some balls and played alil harder instead of walking around like he just smokes some green majic
I MUS WRITE
July 13th, 2010
3:01 pm
Jeezuz Northcyde are you Shaqs agent. He wants to start and he wants 7-8 mill a year -he wont be doing either of those here NO Thanx Shaq will be 39 before next season ends give it up.
Just what we need an over the hill fading Super Star who thinks he’s still got it…. This is just screaming AI in Memphis last year
Mike is back
July 13th, 2010
3:03 pm
@Terrell, unless you have seen James play…I wouldn’t say too much…it is way too early to know if either of these guys will be able to translate their performance to the next level. It wasn’t just the people like myself and others on the blogs talking about James…everyone in Orlando was talking about James.
As I stated in all my previous blogs…I said…I thought JC2 could light it up…and he didn’t disappoint. If you are a fan of the games…you gotta give James his props…he was one of the top performers in Orlando. It just so happens he’s plays the SF positions…and that is a position of need for the Hawks…my point was…with his size…he could have challenged Marvin for some playing time.
Now that I can see the Hawks…I could care less…bring on the pentriagle. Teague will be deadly with the starters…Add in JC2 and Sy…now at leased you have some promising youth that can play the PG position…now can we please focus on the center position.
If the Hawks can get some serviceable help at the center position…they will be a very dangerous team…so I would continue to explore my options…however, I wouldn’t rule out signing Shaq. His intangibles’ could offset his cost…Just saying. lol
ReddJonn68
July 13th, 2010
3:06 pm
Well Sund is asleep at the wheel again, if we were considering signing Shaq & doing S&Ts for Chills, why didn’t we throw our hat in the Al Jefferson S&T which would formed a formidable front court for yrs, & teams like Miami would never be able to match up with us down low. Utah has beat us to the punch for two future 1st round picks.
O'Brien
July 13th, 2010
3:10 pm
From dallasbasketball.com;
“On the basis of his experience,’’ Nowitzki said of O’Neal, “he would be a great addition to our team. He is still a dominant center, and opens space for others.’’
So Dirk likes Shaq, and Shaq likes Mark Cuban. Is it a match? When do the Hawks move on?
Ted Striker
July 13th, 2010
3:13 pm
Nice analysis. I feel like I was there.
Put $500 on #7 in roulette for me when you’re in the casino. You can take what I owe you out of my winnings and we’ll split the rest.
Rev in Tampa
July 13th, 2010
3:14 pm
@T3AMDIM3
Here is the only thing I read at espn Dallas.com:
Dirk Nowitzki had nice things to say about Shaquille O’Neal when the German media asked about the best big man of last generation. “On the basis of his experience, he would be a great addition to our team,” Dirk said, according to a translation posted on DallasBasketball.com. “He is still a dominant center, and opens space for others.” There’s at least a decent chance that Dirk was just offering empty praise when asked about a surefire Hall of Famer in the twilight of his career. Is Dirk saying similar things to Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson? That’s what matters. Based on the conversations I’ve had in recent weeks, Dirk would be in the minority among influential Mavs types if he really does want Shaq. The feeling is that a glacier-slow big man with major durability issues and a dominant ego would be more trouble than he’s worth. If that stance has changed, it smacks of a panic move.
T3AMDIM3, send us the specific link where you got your information.
Grandad
July 13th, 2010
3:20 pm
I MUS
“what do u disagree with?”
That he actually exists.
“Chucker ”
Seriously, off the bench. + Much preferred over bibby.
No, he can’t guard Kobe & not many can.
Unless their named Battier.
He can foul Wade as good as anybody else in the NBA.
~editorial~ALERT~!!!~
I asked this on an earlier post:
Is Stern gonna divvy up the FT’s between D.Wade & LeClown
-OR-
or they gonna each get their allotment?
Throwing in Bosh’s FT’s means Myame’s games will last an Xtra *45 min ea.
*[@ least]
Since all their games will be on -espn- that 45 min to 1 hr. Xtra *commercial time.
*for -nike- of course.
Sean Williams
July 13th, 2010
3:31 pm
“We could also try the EOkafor deal I mentioned earlier. The Hornets might really be interested in taking on MEvans’ $2.5M expiring contract and MBibby’s $5.56M contract, which will be expiring after this season (total $8.06M), for Okafor’s $11.5M contract.” -Ken Strickland
And you’re on this board calling other people stupid?
ryan
July 13th, 2010
3:38 pm
Sean Williams i like that idea i am not sold that Shaq wants to come to the Hawks i think he is using Atlanta to get more money to go to Dallas. Okafor would be a good fit !