Atlanta Hawks: Getaway day
There will be a blog hiatus for a couple weeks while I get away for some me time. There’s a chance I might drop in with a post if anything interesting happens with the Hawks but don’t count on that (either something interesting happening or me dropping in). Meanwhile the beat will be in the capable hands of Ken S., who will chronicle the Hawks’ attempts to pluck a center from the bargain bin.
I suspect not much will have changed with my blog people when I return. Truth-Serum will still be using his multiple identities to agree with himself that Al is a terrible defensive center. JeJe will continue to rip ASG for not letting J.J. walk and using all that cap space to SIGN FREAKIN’ LEBRON. And all of you will wonder how in the heck this squad is supposed to make a move in the East with basically the same guys suiting up.
Be easy until I get back, blog people. Remember, it’s all love and and it’s just basketball . . .
MC
(Note: Commenting is closed until Michael returns Aug. 2)
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1,155 comments Add your comment
terrell
July 22nd, 2010
2:47 pm
Glenwood just bitched at the ASG for not spending $, and then bitched at them for giving JJ a max contract. Cant have it both ways. You do realize that we couldn’t spend the $ JJ recieved on other FA’s, right?
Ramon
July 22nd, 2010
2:52 pm
If a blogger has a problem with the Hawks signing a player for the minimum, who just won two rings on the Lakers while being on that team for the minimum, then something is wrong. Either way, its the minimum, he’s still young, and if he’s well liked by every one from his former team, that goes a long way.
Power Up In My Pants
July 22nd, 2010
3:04 pm
Wow, NBA.com says Powell will sign here “in the next couple of days.” Well now.
Rufus1
July 22nd, 2010
3:05 pm
I believe in Sund
The biggest complaint about this Hawks team last year was MENTALITY and Sung is trying to address it. Powell will bring a MENTAL and PHYSICAL toughness this team lacks….I love the signing.
1st Jordan Crawford = Mental toughness
2nd Josh Powell = Mental and Physical toughness
GOOD JOB RICK
Hoops
July 22nd, 2010
3:07 pm
Josh Powell is a great pick up by the Hawks!!!
I would like to see the Hawks contact the Hornets about a trade for CP3. I wonder if they would accept Marvin, Bibby, and Evans for CP3. They would get a starter in Marvin, a back up PG in Bibby, and an expiring contract in Evans. The teams that are being mentioned as possible trade partners for CP3 could not fill the Hornets needs as well as this trade would.
Rev in Tampa
July 22nd, 2010
3:18 pm
I very well could be wrong, but my understanding is that CP3 is hurt. Doubtless he could help us, but I would want to wait until the trade deadline. We would then be able to assess Teague’s progress. If Teague is meeting Drew’s expectations then the Hawks would not need CP3.
Rod from College Park
July 22nd, 2010
3:21 pm
Hilarious!!! Guys actually getting hyped up about a Josh Powell signing. Funny, it’s some of the same guys who keep making excuses for Marvin Williams. If the Hawks are depending on a guy who averages 5 minutes a game to be a locker room leader, we are in pretty bad shape.
Power Up In My Pants
July 22nd, 2010
3:26 pm
Hawks just stamped their ticket to the ECF!!!
Suckers.
JerryWest
July 22nd, 2010
3:28 pm
SHAQ- Please play 20 games+playoffs for as many years as you want
We’ll treat you like a starting pitcher+minimum practice=long painless career.
Westurd
July 22nd, 2010
3:29 pm
Al should be the centerpiece of this team. He will win a title before anyother Hawks player…………and probably in a different uniform
O'Brien
July 22nd, 2010
3:36 pm
Guys,
Before you propose a trade, please think about it from the other GM’s point of view.
If you have a top 5 PG on your team (although he is an injury risk, well paid, and unhappy), would you trade him for Marvin, Bibby and Mo? The same Marvin and Bibby who us fans complain about all the time.
Or would you wait for another team to come up with a better offer?
Rod,
I dont know what it is about the Hawks and these “great locker room guys”. The same thing was mentioned in the nbafanhouse article about the possible resigning of Jason Collins. Supposedly, he was a large locker room presence.
That being said, the reason I like the Powell signing, is because this is the ASG we are talking about. They are not going to spend any money, so based on the guys who fit their price-range (vet minimum), Powell seems like a good pickup.
Will he be the guy to take us to the next level? No. But maybe he can give Josh Smith enough of a rest sometimes so Josh can stay out of foul trouble, and since Powell has 2 championship rings, maybe he will be a positive influence on Josh.
Plus Powell might actually contribute on the court. I’m not thrilled, but overall, I think its a decent move.
Hoops
July 22nd, 2010
3:43 pm
Matt Barnes is still available. He does not want to go to the Cavs, who can offer him the most money. Since he has not accepted their offer, I’m guessing he is looking for a better situation. The Lakers can only offer him 1.8M. IMO the Hawks should use part of their MLE and sign him. Barnes would be a great sign for the Hawks.
doc
July 22nd, 2010
3:43 pm
yes samuel, where are the wins to come from? you didnt even comment on the obvious as the heat blow by us potentially as they werent an easy mark last year before their “modifications”. nor did you bring upthe idea we will have our way again with the celts along with a few teams in the west that got better and we stood pat. i suggested 43 wins to 46 wins and was scoffed at.
ant banks
July 22nd, 2010
4:06 pm
REASON TO BE EXCITED ABOUT NEXT YEAR? LD OFFENSIVE PHILOSOPHY:
The Princeton offense is an offensive basketball strategy which emphasizes constant motion, passing, back-door cuts, and disciplined teamwork. It was used and perfected at Princeton University by Pete Carril, though its roots may be traced back to Franklin “Cappy” Cappon, who coached at Princeton in the late 1930s.[citation needed]
The offense usually starts out with four players outside the three-point arc with one player at the top of the key. The ball is kept in constant motion through passing until either a mismatch allows a player to cut to the basket or a player without the ball cuts toward the unoccupied area under and around the basket, and is passed the ball for a layup. Having a strong post player is important because this player is critical to passing to backdoor cutters, and can draw help defense to open outside shots.
The hallmark of the offense is the backdoor pass, where a player on the wing suddenly moves in towards the basket, receives a bounce pass from a guard on the perimeter, and (if done correctly) finds himself with no defenders between him and a layup. Alternatively, when the defensive team attempts to pack the paint to prevent backdoor cuts, the offense utilizes three point shots from the perimeter. All five players in the offense—including the center—should be competent at making a three point attempt, further spreading the floor.
The offense is a very slow developing one, relying on a high number of passes, and is often used by teams facing opponents with superior athletic talent, to maintain a low-scoring game (believing that a high-scoring game would favor the athletically superior opponent).
KevinM
July 22nd, 2010
4:15 pm
Congrats for bringing in Josh Powell Sund.
There, I gave a complement and that is I guess the best we can expect from the ASG.
We tried Joe Smith and Randolph Morris last year, and got very little.
This year we counter with an inshape Collins and Powell.
It still doesn’t upgrade the C position. Here are our Dwight defenders for all those taking notes:
Al/Zaza/Collins
Someone give me the frontline you want out there to combat with Lewis/Gortat/Dwight.
I seriously don’t think that this is comparable to what gets you to a championship caliber team.
We bring in Powell where all we really need to do is slide Al down to the 4 when Josh takes a breather.
The limited minutes lineup of Smoove/Zaza or Collins doesn’t do anything for me.
Note to Sund – We haven’t addressed the need for a CENTER! We have 12 slots in place and we are only going 13 because the NBA requires it. If the NBA required 10, I know where the ASG would be on that decision.
So we now have:
Teague / Bibby
Johnson / Ja Crawford / Jo Crawford
Williams / Evans
Smith / Powell
Horford / Pachulia / Collins
A top team contending with Miami, Boston and Orlando. The 4th slot is attainable.
nobody
July 22nd, 2010
4:17 pm
are u kidding Barnes is about to sign a 1.7m deal with the Lakers. I wish we could pry him away
Stuart
July 22nd, 2010
4:18 pm
CP3 wants to be traded to a contender… how about Teague, Marvin, and Bibby for CP3… works on the trade machine (but I doubt New Orleans would bite)
Samuel
July 22nd, 2010
4:19 pm
You’ll never consistently get more than two or three passes before a shot in the NBA. You basically got 16 seconds in a half court set and NBA players are not consistently gonna move that much on offense over an 82 game + playoff season. How many coaches have tried it and failed? What makes you think a coach making 500k per year will convince Millionaires to sacrifice and do it.
Samuel
July 22nd, 2010
4:22 pm
Yea Doc,
We may sneak into the playoffs but it won’t be easy. The Knicks still got a move or two up their sleeves. They’re not gonna leave all that money on the table.
HoosierHawk
July 22nd, 2010
4:23 pm
At least he sounds like he will make Josh Smith work in practice. Lost a lot of respect for the guy when he scowled and walked back on D against the magic in the playoffs, and I didn’t see Woodson biting at the bit to replace him with Old Joe Smith.
KevinM
July 22nd, 2010
4:31 pm
Hoops, I will agree with you on the Barnes thing, but I think that ship sailed last year.
This is totally not going to happen and I hope that Sund would not seriously put this on the table:
I would like to see the Hawks contact the Hornets about a trade for CP3. I wonder if they would accept Marvin, Bibby, and Evans for CP3. They would get a starter in Marvin, a back up PG in Bibby, and an expiring contract in Evans. The teams that are being mentioned as possible trade partners for CP3 could not fill the Hornets needs as well as this trade would.
If I was NO, I couldn’t laugh hard enough at that one.
I will say that one might get you consideration for Okafor, but not for CP3. That offer there rivals the Gasol from Memphis deal. That deal is better than those pieces for CP3.
nobody
July 22nd, 2010
4:38 pm
The stars of the NBA are getting weak. Such cowards with lack of motivation. None of them are willing to win on their own anymore. If they have a bad team they want out so they can group up somewhere else and win the easy way. Jordan had a point. The players of old were focused on beating each other. Not joining eachother
~~MAC-ToWN~~ (Area Code 478)
July 22nd, 2010
4:41 pm
Samuel
July 22nd, 2010
8:50 am
MAC TOWN,
You’re not serious are you. He didn’t really say that, did he. Hey maybe we could sign “MY BOY” Adam “Little Larry” Morrison. Damn scrubb made me look bad. Hey, but Powell is an upgrade over Randmo and Rio.
………………………………….
Nah, I was joking. I wouldnt be shocked if he did though.
I really hope this Powell guy works out. The Lakers fans have nothing but nice things to say about him on all the sites/blogs I’ve come across that mention him about to sign with the Hawks.
He’s hoping for more PT and a bigger role here than in LA.
~~MAC-ToWN~~ (Area Code 478)
July 22nd, 2010
4:43 pm
terrell
July 22nd, 2010
12:25 pm
Josh Powell played in 65 games last year for the world champs. Morris and Joe Smith couldn’t even get off the bench for the Hawks. lol!
……………………………..
lol….
JoJo the Godfather
July 22nd, 2010
4:47 pm
By my count, Hawks have about $2.5M to spend on the last roster spot(s) and still stay under the luxury tax threshold…Anyone know if that is right?
tyger
July 22nd, 2010
4:52 pm
Doing back flips for Josh Powell, yeah, that’s the ticket.
People are lining up already to see Josh Powell, see those phones ringing and tickets flying off the shelf.
Wow! How’d they pull that off, genius!
Rondo
July 22nd, 2010
4:57 pm
Wow! Josh Powell. Great Pick up. Sign Will Bynum. And the hawks would have a cost friendly summer.Still wish they could have signed old man Kurt Thomas
Rondo
July 22nd, 2010
5:05 pm
One thing i hope MC realize is that he has no support on his beat crew.Be careful MC you might have the same situation that Woody had on his hand.Somebody ain’t doing there job in the office,aint keeping these fanatics up to date, and snitching and brown-nosing ready for your down fall it seems.You better be ready to kick butt and take names when you get back from vacation and let your boy Ken know he gots to go.
Rondo
July 22nd, 2010
5:07 pm
Disclaimer: Ken S. if you have had a family emergency please forgive my last comment.Peace out!
ILL-logical
July 22nd, 2010
5:38 pm
ZaZa,Marvin,Jamal and Mo add up to +- %20 of CP3 and Pega(sp). The Hawks have to prevent CP3 from going to the Magic at all costs(an unintended pun). Even a half speed CP3 is twice as good as a Jameer Nelson. And CP3 wouldn’t have to play heavy minutes here with Teague as his backup/understudy.
Love ZaZa’s community involvement-he is the most popular restaurant owner on the team- but to see CP3 hitting Josh with those lob passes and getting the Highlight Factory operating at full capacity. I am willing to bear the loss.
terrell
July 22nd, 2010
5:48 pm
Still cant believe people are bashing the Powell signing. Guess they’d rather have Joe Smith and Randawful Morris instead.
terrell
July 22nd, 2010
5:49 pm
Samuel, the Knicks have a move or two up their sleeves every year. And?
terrell
July 22nd, 2010
5:56 pm
All this negativity around here. Lord have mercy on em. lol! But seriously, add a sf and/or a pg, and I think we’ll be ok. Did’nt break the bank either, like some of you wanna be GM ’s would’ve. Quit bashing the New Coach, JJ’s contract, Marvin, etc….. “Cant knock it till you try it”(in a new system).
northcyde
July 22nd, 2010
6:01 pm
I’m going to ask you guys the same thing I asked about Jason Collins.
Have any of you actually SEEN Josh Powell play?
I hate to break this to you guys, but Marvin Williams is better at PF, than Josh Powell is. It’s incredible that some of you are calling this a “good pickup”. 99.9535% of you NEVER talked about Josh Powell possibly coming here, until that report came out.
Like Najeh said in a previous post, Whiteside and Pittman will make somewhere around 500K to 700K this season. But we’re about to invest 2.4 million on JASON COLLINS AND JOSH POWELL?
He was a Laker scrub last year, in the mold of DJ Mbenga ( whom nobody has signed yet either . . . along with Joe Smith ).
All Powell is, is another “nobody is left, so we have to sign SOMEBODY to fill out the roster” type move. I swear to GOD that a guy like Jarvis Varnado or even Wayne Chism is a better player than Josh “friggin” Powell”
LOL @ the quote Odom said about Powell. I bet JJ would say the same thing about Mario West.
Rondo
July 22nd, 2010
6:14 pm
I think Alexander Johnson would have been a better pickup than Josh Powell.I remember back in the early 2000’s in the high school b-ball tourney sectionals in albany, Ga. Three of the top b-ball prospects in the state were featured in one night.Kwame Brown,Josh Powell, and Alexander Johnson.Guess who showed out that night and stole the spot light from Kwame.No one other than AJ.I will take Powell anyday over Kwame but AJ would have been a cheaper steal.
Najeh Davenpoop
July 22nd, 2010
6:19 pm
“Still cant believe people are bashing the Powell signing. Guess they’d rather have Joe Smith and Randawful Morris instead.”
I’d rather have Hassan Whiteside or Dexter Pittman for less than half the price.
Power Up In My Pants
July 22nd, 2010
6:23 pm
Hawksquawk.net is wondering if getting Byron Scott to coach Atlanta instead of what’s-his-face would have put us in the running for CP3. Food for thought.
Najeh Davenpoop
July 22nd, 2010
6:26 pm
“You’ll never consistently get more than two or three passes before a shot in the NBA. You basically got 16 seconds in a half court set and NBA players are not consistently gonna move that much on offense over an 82 game + playoff season. ”
I think everyone who read this had their IQ drop by 50 points.
Najeh Davenpoop
July 22nd, 2010
6:29 pm
Josh Powell shoots 43% for his career. That is slightly below average… for a guard. For a forward-center, it is absolutely atrocious. Zaza is like Tim Duncan by comparison.
northcyde
July 22nd, 2010
6:30 pm
Oh . . and like I did on Hawksquawk, I’m going to apologize to all of you fans living in Metro Atlanta that I have criticized ( except for those of you who walked out on the team vs Milwaukee )
From this day forward, you will NEVER see me criticize the people in Metro Atlanta for not supporting this team more. I still stand by my beliefs about the financial responsibilities of fans, but never again will you see me tell you that you should do the same thing.
This ownership group and GM either has no clue, or they’re too “budget conscious” to take even a slight risk. Teams have found ways to make moves, even if they were over the salary cap like we are. There is no creativity, nor do they seem to have the power to close a deal ( other than a no-brainer type, like giving JJ a max contract ).
I actually thought they would go all the way cheap, and let JJ walk. But when they stepped up to the plate and secured him, I thought they were really going to try to improve the team. But all we’ve seen out of them since, are cost saving moves that don’t change the dynamic of the team even a little bit.
They REFUSE to take a risk.
They could’ve changed the entire perspective of how we view this team and the ASG themselves, had they done maybe 2 of these things.
- hire the big name coach in Avery Johnson
- Use the #31 pick to sign the best player available ( and not Daniel Orton )
- found a way to re-sign Childress
- been able to bring in Shaq.
instead . . .
- they hire the much cheaper assistant coach Larry Drew
- they sell the #31 for 3 million ( that they pocketed )
- they traded Chill for a 2nd rounder and a 3 mill TPE ( that may be too small to even use )
- and instead of Shaq, they may bring in Jason Collins and Josh Powell
As much as I DESPISE the fan apathy that some of you Atlanta fans have, it’s hard for me to ignore what is going on. And I have to admit that the organization itself may do its own self more harm, than the team does good out on the court.
I’m still going to the games. I love watching the Hawks play live. But you will NEVER hear me criticize you guys again, if you don’t go.
When you compare what could’ve been in Atlanta this offseason, compared to what may actually be in Atlanta, I see why some of you aren’t passionate about this team, and really don’t make it a priority to support them.
All I know, is that none of you EVER have to worry about another “why don’t ATL fans go to the games” tirade from me. I promise you (( bleepin )) that!
Najeh Davenpoop
July 22nd, 2010
6:33 pm
Who knows… like northcyde says, unless someone here is the world’s biggest NC State fan, none of us actually know how he plays. Maybe he is the world’s greatest position defender, loose-ball grabber (no homo), and charge taker. But statistically, he probably isn’t good enough to make the D-League All Star team. Straight up. It’s hard to imagine that any of the big men the Hawks could have had at less than half the price with the #31 pick wouldn’t be more productive.
Najeh Davenpoop
July 22nd, 2010
6:35 pm
Welcome to the dark side, northcyde.
Rondo
July 22nd, 2010
6:38 pm
Josh Powell – $992,680 Is still a steal.
I would ride the bench in L.A. for as long as i could hold on for that much money. It be sad when guys make millions and end up millions of dollars in debt. You should have stayed in LA Powell and rode on Kobes coattail a litlle longer and won one more championship.And then demanded a max contract and state you got the Robert Horry appeal when it comes to winning rings.
Najeh Davenpoop
July 22nd, 2010
6:45 pm
For those of you who are under the misconception that Powell is a good rebounder:
Powell’s 7.2 boards per 36 minutes would have ranked behind every Hawks big man last year except for Cheeseburger. In fact, he was barely ahead of Mario West in that category.
His career average of 8.7 boards per 36 minutes is more respectable but still ranks behind every Hawks big man from last season other than Cheeseburger.
Don’t be mad at me for being negative. Be mad at Rick Sund and the DASG for being incompetent.
Rondo
July 22nd, 2010
6:50 pm
Well that 8.7rebounds that the hawks didn’t have last season.He is a good addition and less a risk than bringing in a miserable locker room destroying Shaq.
Rondo
July 22nd, 2010
6:52 pm
Powell = Haslem
The Bird and Indian (Reggie)
July 22nd, 2010
7:00 pm
You people make me laugh. We signed Powell because obviously something is about to go down. I believe Marvin Williams is on his way out ladies and gentlemen.
Rondo
July 22nd, 2010
7:03 pm
hey bird and indian give us the crop report
northcyde
July 22nd, 2010
7:03 pm
Rondo . . how could he have stayed? They didn’t want him back. That’s how inconsequential of a player Powell was to the Lakers last year.
When everybody started getting overpaid, I bet the ASG were like . . ” oh ish . . how are we going to be able to afford Brad Miller @ 2 million?” Then when he gets 5 million, I bet the entire front office passed out.
You really have to question the Hawks scouting department, if they see more value in guys like Collins and Powell, than they do in some of these younger guys who have played in these Summer League camps.
There’s no way anybody can tell me that a Jason Collins is a much better player than Omar Samhan or that Josh Powell is that much better than Wayne Chism.
LOL . . I can’t wait until next week comes, so I can switch gears, and go into football mode.
Rondo
July 22nd, 2010
7:13 pm
Powell was a great locker room guy for the lakers.Its just unfortunate that teams have to let good guys go to make moves for bettter players.No Powell signing with the hawks won’t translate to more wins.But it can add to cohesiveness in the locker room and a few extra fouls for D.Howard.