Atlanta Hawks: Front-office guys Pendergraft (Suns) and Rosenberry (Blazers) in demand
Assorted notes for the slow part of summer . . .
Pendergraft, Sund's right-hand man, is in play for Suns' GM gig.
– Word is Dave Pendergraft, Atlanta’s assistant general manager, is a candidate for Phoenix’s GM job under Lon Babby. And Steve Rosenberry, Atlanta’s director of pro personnel/college scouting, is expected to join Portland’s staff, where GM Rich Cho is looking for assistants.
Rick Sund confirmed the interest in both guys today.
“I see that as a positive,” he said. “As our team is getting good, other teams are after our executives. Steve and Dave have done a great job in their roles here.”
– It’s possible the Hawks will take 12 players to training camp. The Hawks are being patient, which is their M.O. under Sund, so I could see them letting guys fight for that final spot in camp instead of signing a guy now and being locked into that roster. A trade for a center also isn’t out of the question, but considering their reluctance to break up the “core” it means a major deal isn’t in the plans.
– It’s come to this for Shaq: Go on a medicore late-night show and sell yourself to teams. While on Jimmy Kimmel’s show to promote his reality television show, Shaq gave a shout out to the Celtics.
I think everyone knows Shaq is the best available center but he’s basically contracted his market in half with his baggage and money demands. Miami, Orlando, or the Lakers are out of the question. That leaves Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, Atlanta and Boston from among the teams likely to finish in the top eight (swap in San Antonio if you prefer).
NBA.com’s David Aldridge thinks Denver, size-deficient like the Hawks, could be a good fit for Diesel. He also says Shaq “would likely be a better fit with a veteran team that wouldn’t put up with any nonsense.” I agree, and the Hawks still are not that team.
– Maybe Shaq really is chasing the money. In his mailbag, the Plan Dealer’s Brian Windhorst says there’s something to those Shaq-to-Europe rumblings. But he also leaves open the possibility of Cleveland re-signing Shaq for up to $7 million and later trading him to a contender “desperate to match up with the Lakers or Magic.”
I suppose that would include Atlanta since getting a fourth center apparently trumps adding a second real wing.
– I hear some of you calling for a defensive-minded wing, and I hear you on that. For all the hand-wringing about center, L.D. will have some options in his frontcourt with combinations featuring Al, Josh, Zaza, Powell and Collins. But on the wing he’s looking at Marvin, J.J. and Mo. That’s, in order, a some-timey starter, a guy already doing heavy lifting at shooting guard and a guard who seemed to lose his jumper late last season playing forward.
Yet whenever I bring up Atlanta’s need for a wing, I’m always told the team feels set there and is focused on adding another 5. So I won’t waste time making a case for why a guy like Rodney Carney might be a good, cheap pick-up because he fills a need and actually might play significant minutes.
– L.D. plans to play a “big” rotation against big opponents. Woody was reluctant to play Zaza and Al together but L.D. apparently is willing to do so while also regularly including Collins in that “big” rotation instead of keeping him planted on the bench. The Hawks believe that possibility has Twin motivated for next season.
This also seems to indicate that L.D. will loosen up Woody’s typically-tight rotation.
MC
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141 comments Add your comment
Rev in Tampa
August 3rd, 2010
4:33 pm
First?
Don in ATL
August 3rd, 2010
4:45 pm
Second? Who cares….
dap01
August 3rd, 2010
4:46 pm
Good info, MC. Glad you are back.
What centers are still out there?
Fundamentals
August 3rd, 2010
4:53 pm
I agree MC we need a SF who can rebound & defend as well as hit a quality jumper. C is a definite need. Why can’t we use the 3 mil, the TPE and get both? Why can’t we go to a 15 man roster?
just SHOOT me
August 3rd, 2010
5:00 pm
DANG. How come I’m never first. just SHOOT me.
Westurd
August 3rd, 2010
5:03 pm
Fire Woody!
Miss Horford
August 3rd, 2010
5:16 pm
Hey Fundamentals…you got a great point there!
Miss Horford
August 3rd, 2010
5:19 pm
Glad Jsmoove finally married his baby mama
drmaryb (*_*)
August 3rd, 2010
5:19 pm
Turd
Rest your case!
It’s not 2008 – you 2000 & late!
drmaryb (*_*)
August 3rd, 2010
5:22 pm
Rev in Tampa
Awwww … You First? That is so nice.
LOL!
terrell
August 3rd, 2010
5:29 pm
So Shaq is headed to Beantown. And who in the world would want Atlanta’s director of scouting, and Sund’s right hand man? lol!
Rev in Tampa
August 3rd, 2010
5:30 pm
Something rubs me the wrong way about Sund’s near gushing joy at the interest other teams are paying to his front office. He seems to find confidence in his front office because of their desireability. It made me feel as if he lacks confidence in himself and the front office he has put together.
Rev in Tampa
August 3rd, 2010
5:40 pm
A better response by Sund would have been, “These other teams better keep their hands off my front office and I have an extra 3 mil that says they aren’t going anywhere. But instead he is flattered that somebody else might want them. Does anybody else read his comments in the same way?
UGA
August 3rd, 2010
5:42 pm
It’s like our front office is DRUNK. Shaq is out of the picture. Why not sign Josh Boone and Carney to the minimum? We’d still be under the luxury tax too. I do not have confidence in Collins at all. Plus, here is the competition: Carney could beat out Mo for playing time and Boone beat out Collins. Makes sense but………….
Rev in Tampa
August 3rd, 2010
5:43 pm
Enter end quotation marks after “aren’t going anywhere” in my previous post.
UGA
August 3rd, 2010
5:45 pm
Per ESPN’s Chris Broussard: Shaq to Celtics likely done either tonight or tomorrow, source says. Shaq to ATL not totally dead, but Diesel most likely joining Celtics
O'Brien
August 3rd, 2010
5:45 pm
I’m really not sure why anyone wants our front office guys. I don’t think their track record is long enough and successful enough.
As for the hawks roster, why not trade Mo for a legit backup SF? He is a backup SG who is not big enough to to play backup SF consistently well.
Or go with 14, so we can sign another wing for defense and another center.
The 2 time defending NBA champions Lakers have ron artest and Matt Barnes at SF. We have Marvin Williams and Mo Evans.
I thought the goal was to win championships…
Fundamentals
August 3rd, 2010
5:52 pm
And I got beat down for asking for Barnes repeatedly. Obviously I must manage my team thoughts like the World Champions! Thanks for not listening.
Rev in Tampa
August 3rd, 2010
5:53 pm
MC, what is your case for wanting to, specifically, add Carney?
Fundamentals
August 3rd, 2010
5:58 pm
What are Carney’s strengths? Seems to get limited minutes, points and rebounds for a subpar 76rs club?
I’d be up for Boone potentially? Wish he were a tad bigger, but he should have decent speed. Wouldn’t he and AL have a FLA connection?
Fundamentals
August 3rd, 2010
6:01 pm
My bad, Boone is a UConn man, not FLA? A bit small, but isn’t he a decent defender? Seems to get decent boards with limited minutes? Why so limited on the Nets of all teams?
jerrywest
August 3rd, 2010
6:01 pm
Heat/Lakers/Cetics/Magic add.
Hawks add nothing.
We need owners who care about winning.
Rod from College Park
August 3rd, 2010
6:02 pm
We actually need starting small forward. Marvin should be coming of the bench.
clarkekent
August 3rd, 2010
6:10 pm
fundamentals – boone went to UCONN..
MC – we should have gotten Rudy Gay.. we let him re-up with MEM without even talking to him.. then re-signed joe to the biggest contract this summer. not Wade or Bosh or Mr Decision got the money we paid joe .. can you say “Allan Houston”. And somone really wants somebody out of this front office.. please take them ..please take them now.
Fundamentals
August 3rd, 2010
6:13 pm
Clarkekent must not be superman cause I already beat you to it buddy. Joe has alot of pressure to produce with such a contract, but to call him Houston is a bit premature. Give him some time to see what happens.
Rod – If we had a quality option we could use Marvin as the 6th man. A defined role might suit him well. I called for it all last year.
nes
August 3rd, 2010
6:14 pm
Why don’t or didn’t the Hawks trade Marvin Williams when a couple of teams were interested? He is a under-achieving player who shows flashes from time to time. His jump shot is something to watch, like a baseball player winding up to throw. Can’t believe the Hawks chose him with a LOTTERY PICK! It is time to trade while we could/can get something in return–it’s a start to revamping current line up
nes
August 3rd, 2010
6:19 pm
One more thing about that Joe Johnson contract, it ate up any money for additional players and like all the other blogs listed here, J.J. is not worth 50 million much less 120 million DOLLARS! highest paid player in the league now and he can’t take over a game like Lebron and Wade can. GM SUND needs to take up kite flying and get the heck out of Atlanta!
ryan
August 3rd, 2010
6:20 pm
Can you say its time to rebuild this team is going no were nobody wants to here because this ownership is dysfunctional plane and simple i don’t blame those assistants wanting to leave.
Section 303
August 3rd, 2010
6:27 pm
I think Carney is a good call, Michael. He would limit Mo Evans’ minutes, which I think is a good thing. Plus, another athletic defender would help a lot.
Any of you ever listen to Sekou’s Hangtime Podcasts? You can get them free on itunes, by the way. In the last one, Steve Smith was on. Sekou and Smitty were both driving the “Shaq to Atlanta” bus. They almost swayed me into thinking the Hawks need him.
Though I think he might be able to help, I just do not believe Shaq views the Hawks as a serious contender. He does not respect this organization. I think he would be nothing but trouble. F*** him for going on national TV with the shout out to the C’s, too.
Also, I am firmly in the camp that believes Jason Collins is a decent player. He has shown the ability to hit jumpers from 15-ft in. And, I loved the D he played on Howard in game 2 of the Magic series. If the refs weren’t too busy licking Howard’s sac, Collins would have gotten him in major foul trouble in the game.
Chris
August 3rd, 2010
6:28 pm
@Michael Cunningham, FYI: Portland’s GM is RICH Cho, not Steve Cho.
Rod from College Park
August 3rd, 2010
6:29 pm
nes,
I personally don’t believe any of the Marvin rumors. I don’t think any team would be stupid enough to take on that contract, unless it’s a team like Cleveland, who is trying to basically get something(Marvin), for nothing(Shaq). Shaq won’t stay in Cleveland, so they are trying to get something for him.
drmaryb (*_*)
August 3rd, 2010
6:31 pm
Ghetto Kids!
We Fans are like the Ghetto Kids! We don’t like Christmas because we get NOTHING!
Section 303
August 3rd, 2010
6:31 pm
nes, is that all you got? The Hawks shouldn’t have drafted Marvin and Joe Johnson makes too much money? How enlightening.
Najeh Davenpoop
August 3rd, 2010
6:33 pm
The guy who thought there was no available talent at #24 in this year’s draft, and the team that repeately sold first-round picks for cash over the last decade. Sounds like a match made in heaven.
Najeh Davenpoop
August 3rd, 2010
6:38 pm
“Yet whenever I bring up Atlanta’s need for a wing, I’m always told the team feels set there and is focused on adding another 5. ”
Sounds like Hawks brass thinks Smoove can fill in at SF. Fantastic.
Saint Richt
August 3rd, 2010
7:14 pm
Doesn’t matter….at best the 4th/5th best team in the conference. No flexibility, no upside…..another wasted decade.
Rufus1
August 3rd, 2010
7:16 pm
Enter your comments here
Gilk
August 3rd, 2010
7:30 pm
I understand Shaq is nowhere near the same player, but I think it is symbolically important for the Hawks to outbid Boston and add him as the 13th player on the roster. ASG pocketed $3MM with the sale of that 2nd round pick. Signing Shaq to the MLE would put the Hawks roughly $3MM over the luxury tax threshold. Use the $3MM in the bank to pay the dollar for dollar luxury tax!
Sund said on draft night the money would be used for signing vets … live up to your word Rick Sund!!! What kind of message are you sending to your fans ASG/Sund if you don’t do something bold like extend Shaq a 2 yr. contract at the MLE price tag?!?
It is SO difficult to be a Hawks fan! Surprise us for once ASG/Sund. Do the right thang! Got it … I’m gone!
doc
August 3rd, 2010
7:41 pm
rev any lateral move made by o e of those guys to the suns or the blazers is an indictment of the hawks front office. if they are going up the ladder then cool
if shaq is so bad then why is the celtic organization top tier last three last two years, interested in him?
shaq vs powell or collins, not even close.
northcyde
August 3rd, 2010
7:50 pm
I know I wrote that little skit on Big Ray’s blog, starring Sund, Drew, and Horford concerning the Collins signing . . .
But seriously . . . how do you explain to Al Horford that the help he asked for, comes in the form of Collins and Powell . . when Boston could potentially add BOTH O’Neal big men?
Forget explaining it to the fan base, how do you explain that to Al?
Horford needs to come into next season with the mindset that he’s going to lead the league in rebounding. Since he didn’t get any help, he’s simply have to become a dominant rebounder. His old teammate Joakim Noah, has already adopted that mindset in Chicago. Horford will have to do the same here.
KC
August 3rd, 2010
7:51 pm
Rotation management is one of the most needed areas of improvement. So I was happy to hear LD is giving minutes how he feels suited as opposed to keeping strict rules and roles
macaroni tony
August 3rd, 2010
7:57 pm
I wonder why the Hawks only have one game when it comes to the NBA Marquee Games. The Bulls and Thunder have like four games a piece. We’re playing the freaking Kings at that. I guest it doesn’t matter how many games that you win if the league don’t like you then they don’t like you.
jlewis
August 3rd, 2010
8:01 pm
I’m tired of this what JJ is/was worth. The ability to add players if he had not gotten the money, the salary cap rules were reviewed over and over. Also, no one still wants to come to ATL, this place is not basketball heaven. Come to think of it, MC, how the hell did you end up with this assignment? LOL
macaroni tony
August 3rd, 2010
8:05 pm
http://www.hoopinionblog.com/2010/08/espncom-fordhollinger-future-power.html
I think that this is a bunch of (bs)
Atlanta Hawks analysis: Run on pessimism and truth
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
ESPN.com: Ford/Hollinger: Future Power Rankings
Between March 2nd and August 3rd, the Hawks have fallen from 13th to 19th in Chad Ford and John Hollinger’s NBA future power rankings (Insider):
Atlanta dropped seven spots since our last Future Power Rankings, largely due to two factors.
First, a depressing playoff performance took some of the shine off their roster — although they won 53 games and got the third seed in the East, it’s hard to credibly call this a contending bunch. A mix of three good young players — Al Horford, Josh Smith and Marvin Williams — along with a veteran in Joe Johnson is nice, but this group needs more to get over the hump. New coach Larry Drew will have a tough time coaxing similar results given how injury-free the Hawks were last season.
Second, the enormous free-agent contract given to Joe Johnson is likely to be a significant liability going forward, especially given the franchise’s reluctance to go into the luxury tax. As a result, money is likely to be extremely tight. As if to prove that point, the Hawks have barely dipped a toe into the free-agent market, and it may be difficult for them to keep Jamal Crawford as a free agent a year from now.
A word on their method:
The Future Power Rankings are ESPN Insider’s projection of the on-court success expected for each team during the 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.
To determine the Future Power Rating, we rated each team in five categories: Players, Management, Money, Market, Draft (ed. note — in descending order of importance).
The Hawks rank 9th in Players (246 of 400 possible points), 19th in Management (76 of 200 possible points), 24th in Money (71 of 200 possible points), 17th in Market (46 of 100 possible points), and 18th in Draft (45 of 100 possible points).
just SHOOT me
August 3rd, 2010
8:07 pm
KC, who cares how the Hawks rotate minutes?!? Have you not realized the Eastern Conference has become the beast in the NBA? The power has shifted. The Lakers (in my opinion) are still the team to beat. However, obviously Miami makes a good point and will be in contention. No matter what anyone says: The Hawks had to go 7 games in the first round to knock off a Milwaukee team without their star player. Were the Bucks a better team? Hell no! We got out-coached. Needless to say even the Bucks improved more than the Hawks in the offseason. So where does that leave the Hawks? Honestly, I’ll take Orlando, Boston, Miami, Chicago, and then maybe Atlanta in the 5th seed. If not, Atlanta in the 6th spot. At the end of the season and start of the post-season where do the Hawks finish? An exit out of the first round. And for what? We obtain the highest paid player in the NBA. Kobe, Lebron, Dwayne, and even K. Durant could get us to the second round. Joe Johnson? Give me a freaking break. It’s done for the next 6 years! Thank you, ASG!
northcyde
August 3rd, 2010
8:16 pm
@ Gilk . . . . but that makes too much sense for the ASG to do that. On the real though, that sold pick was never meant to be used to bring people in. That 3 mill got split up 9 ways. That money got ate up by the owners, like the “blog monster” eats posts.
Sund and Pendergraph probably thought they could get “quality” veterans by only paying the vet minimum. But even they got more money than the ASG were willing to pay.
So what you have left is a front office trying to hype that Jason Collins and Josh Powell will help us. They have “championship experience”, so they will be assets to the team.
Well hell . . . Adam Morrison has “championship experience” too. Might as well bring him and his 2 NBA titles to ATL. He can be that SF that people want. Let Adam be our “un-sharpshooter” off the bench for 3 minutes a night.
Michael Cunningham
August 3rd, 2010
8:19 pm
@dap01: “What centers are still out there?”
Kwame Brown, Josh Boone and, um, well i guess that’s about it, huh?
ryan
August 3rd, 2010
8:20 pm
Delonte West was released maybe that someone the Hawks could target.
Fundamentals
August 3rd, 2010
8:21 pm
First Shaq, now we want Delonte prowling our players moms? NO THANK YOU!
Michael Cunningham
August 3rd, 2010
8:22 pm
@ Rev in Tampa: “Something rubs me the wrong way about Sund’s near gushing joy at the interest other teams are paying to his front office. He seems to find confidence in his front office because of their desireability. It made me feel as if he lacks confidence in himself and the front office he has put together.”
i think he likes that teams are after his guys because it validates his program. he’s trying to help out their careers by praising them. no use holding guys back if they can get better positions elsewhere.
Najeh Davenpoop
August 3rd, 2010
8:23 pm
“I guest it doesn’t matter how many games that you win if the league don’t like you then they don’t like you.”
Or maybe after the Hawks exposed themselves as a bunch of pretenders in the 2nd round and then refused to do anything to improve the team, the league decided people would rather see teams that have a chance at contending for a title either now or in the near future.
Fundamentals
August 3rd, 2010
8:24 pm
My wife thinks I should apologize for the unsubstantiated comment about the moms. How bout NO THANKS cause the guy is mentally unstable…..No, she said I can’t say that either. How bout I just don’t like the idea.
I will agree before last season he was a great player for the Cavs? What could it take to get him back to that level consistently?
Michael Cunningham
August 3rd, 2010
8:25 pm
@ Rev: “MC, what is your case for wanting to, specifically, add Carney?”
it’s not that i want to add him, it’s just that i think he’d be a good fit. the details are in the link in the post but basically he’s a good defender who runs the floor well and will work for cheap.
Michael Cunningham
August 3rd, 2010
8:30 pm
@clarkkent: “MC – we should have gotten Rudy Gay.. we let him re-up with MEM without even talking to him.”
hard to criticize the Hawks for that. the Grizz moved quickly and signed him to a deal that had a lot of people ripping them. the owner made it sound like they were ready to match any offer he received. i don’t think the Hawks could have gotten in that sweepstakes.
Michael Cunningham
August 3rd, 2010
8:32 pm
@ Chris: “@Michael Cunningham, FYI: Portland’s GM is RICH Cho, not Steve Cho.”
indeed . . . fixed
Michael Cunningham
August 3rd, 2010
8:33 pm
@ Section 303: “Though I think he might be able to help, I just do not believe Shaq views the Hawks as a serious contender.”
probably not, but i know his interest in Atlanta is/was real.
Michael Cunningham
August 3rd, 2010
8:35 pm
@jlewis: “I’m tired of this what JJ is/was worth. The ability to add players if he had not gotten the money, the salary cap rules were reviewed over and over. Also, no one still wants to come to ATL, this place is not basketball heaven. Come to think of it, MC, how the hell did you end up with this assignment? LOL”
i fit under the AJC’s cap.
tyger
August 3rd, 2010
8:39 pm
I HATE THE HAWKS!!!
If Shaq signs with the Celtics, then that’s the tri-fector for me:
1. Traded Nique for Manning…
2. Fired “Winningest Coach in NBA” Lenny Wilkens, after trading Smitty for JR Rider…
3. Refused to sign Shaq for less than $5M!!!
I’m done, see you after the blow-out next spring!!!
vava74
August 3rd, 2010
8:40 pm
Stop hating. Show a bit of appreciation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYUB1Ek9dKA
DeShawn
August 3rd, 2010
8:45 pm
“@jlewis: “I’m tired of this what JJ is/was worth. The ability to add players if he had not gotten the money, the salary cap rules were reviewed over and over. Also, no one still wants to come to ATL, this place is not basketball heaven. Come to think of it, MC, how the hell did you end up with this assignment? LOL”
i fit under the AJC’s cap.”
LOL, MC. I’m guessing you agreed to the minimum.
cdog
August 3rd, 2010
8:46 pm
its a joke to read rick sund is confirming someone else to be up for a job.rick sund should be on his way out for the atlanta hawks NOW.he is dstroying the hawks.the past years, he has squandered money on jason collins, josh powell and randolph morris.how can you save up money to sign collins and josh(WHO?)POWELL AND NOT SIGN A PROVEN WINNER IN SHAQUILLE ONEAL? SHAQ HAS CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS THAT HE HELPED WIN.POWELL AND COLLINS HAS WON ANYTHING BUT MINUTES ON THE BENCH.SUND IS SAVING MONEY TO SIGN THESE KIND OF PLAYERS OVER PLAYERS WHO NOT ONLY WILL HELP ON THE FLOOR AND IN THE LOCKER ROOM? THATS RICK SUND.HOPFULLY, THIS IS HIS LAST YEAR BEING EMPLOYED BY THE HAWKS.HE’S NOT GOING TO STOP UNTIL HE DESTROYS THE HAWKS.I’M NOT GOING TO FOLLOW THE HAWKS UNTIL SUND IS GONE.
Rev in Tampa
August 3rd, 2010
8:48 pm
MC, thanks for your response to my post about Sund’s confidence. When you say Sund
“likes that teams are after his guys because it validates his program,” it smacks of lack of confidence for himself. I expect a professional sports team GM to be full and overflowing with confidence. I expect him to need no ‘validation’. I expect him to make great big mistakes without second-guessing.
I happen to believe that the Hawks are taking the right path to a championship given their circumstances (having to pay JJ the max, middle of the road market, uncertainty at pg, new coaching staff). Patience is the compaion of wisdom. But patience must be a bold action. If patience is driven by lack of confidence or vision, then his patience will run this organization into the ground. I am fully expecting the Hawks to pull the trigger on a trade that will help us take the next step, but (even though it was small and innocuous quote by Sund) I am beginning to have my confidence shaken that they will ever make the bold move.
Rev in Tampa
August 3rd, 2010
8:52 pm
Patience is the [companion] of wisdom. ~St. Augustine
Hoops
August 3rd, 2010
9:22 pm
MC,
Good stuff! Thanks for sharing!
I agree with you that we need another SF. I would like to see the Hawks get T. Prince from the Pistons. He is a great defender and scores more than Marvin. He also has an expiring contract!
We should trade Marvin & Bibby for Prince & Jerebko.
Doc & northcyde,
I agree with you both on Shaq. The Hawks are making a bad mistake by not signing him! If Shaq can’t contribute, then why is the Celtics about to sign him??? With both O’Neal’s, they will dominate!
We should trade Zaza and Evans for Shaq & Moon.
Sautee
August 3rd, 2010
9:27 pm
Get it straight folks. Joe Johnson is NOT the highest paid player in the NBA. Not even close.
Look for yourself: http://hoopshype.com/salaries.htm
He signed the highest contract of any UFA this off season, largely because the Hawks were in position to pay him more that an UFA leaving for another team. All the other big name players left there teams (except for DWade, who took less to fit LeBron and CB.
BIG difference in that and “highest paid player in the league”.
Argue all you wish about whether he’s WORTH the contract he signed, but stop this foolishness about his salary being highest.
Sautee
August 3rd, 2010
9:28 pm
Oops. That should have read “their teams”.
northcyde
August 3rd, 2010
9:30 pm
Mac Tony . . . everything Hollinger said about us is the truth. He lives in Atlanta, so he sees what the ASG is doing up close. Notice that he ( they ) didn’t give us low marks for the players we have here. We got low marks for Money, Management, and Market.
As for the Marquee Games, this is what I’ve been trying to tell people concerning Shaq. Had Shaq been signed here, you can’t tell me that we’d be featured more on the national stage.
Matter of fact, had we’d hired Avery Johnson or Byron Scott as coach, and brought in Shaq, there would be major buzz about the Hawks.
Instead, we hired Woody’s assistant, brought in Josh Powell and brought back Jason Collins. You expect TNT to reward us for doing that? After we got totally embarrassed vs Orlando in the playoffs?
Add the fact that no one in the national media, outside of Mark Jones, Mark Jackson, and Jamal Mashburn respects Joe Johnson as a star player, and you have the complete recipe as to why we don’t get any “marquee games”.
ESPN will reward us with about 4 to 6 national TV games probably. We’ll get a game vs Boston and maybe vs Dallas again. Possibly even a game vs Milwaukee ( it’ll probably be @ Milwaukee though ).
This ownership group flat out deserves every criticism being thrown their way. They had a chance to really change the perception of this team on a local and national scale. Instead, they did the BARE MINIMUM the entire offseason, outside of paying JJ. And even that was out of necessity, to keep the Hawks from falling all the way out of playoff contention.
These owners had a chance to prove that they were Major League. Instead, they proved that they are still in the Little Leagues.
N.D.T.K.A.
August 3rd, 2010
9:30 pm
Damien Wilkins? Anyone? Anyone? Damien would be a better replacement for Mo’ and better shooter than Carney….besides the obvious reasons (played for Georgia – Dominique’s nephew) to bring him to the Hawks.
Sautee
August 3rd, 2010
9:31 pm
Phoenix must have been impressed with Perdergraft’s “spin” on the draft pick, LOL!
Which reminds me, has anybody heard from “Realist” lately?
Heh heh.
macaroni tony
August 3rd, 2010
9:46 pm
Northcyde
I agree with you on some of the things that you’ve said but not all of it. To think that the Hawks which finished 3rd in the eastern conference will drop all the way to the 19 spot in the NBA is crazy. When you look at the Bulls & Bucks they look good on paper, but I’m not going to let anyone tell me that they’re better than the Hawks. We will have a new offense, and that will be major. Mike Woodson is not all to blame, but if you have a 13 man roster then why would you only play eight a night.
macaroni tony
August 3rd, 2010
9:47 pm
http://www.hoopinionblog.com/2010/08/hawks-have-plans-for-jason-collins.html
A good article, but I think if JC get more confidence and can average eight points and six rebounds then we can be a better team
The Hawks Have Plans For Jason Collins
From Michael Cunningham’s return blog post:
Atlanta thinks Collins will be more effective in 2010-11 because he will be in better shape. Word is he’s already lost a significant amount of weight. Also, ASG’s Michael Gearon Jr. is on record as saying (stop me if you’ve heard this one before) he didn’t think Collins was properly utilized by Woody.
This is a crackerjack example of how this franchise limits itself. Last Summer, they sign Jason Collins to be the team’s third-string center. He’s 30-years-old and already three years removed from his last useful season. Collins is visibly overweight and immobile (even by his own established standards). He plays 115 minutes, almost 5 of those being productive minutes. He commits more fouls than he scores points or grabs rebounds.
Do the Hawks then look to replace Collins with someone younger or more likely to produce in such a limited role? No. Collins is a nice guy. Certain members of the ownership group may come to like him personally. So, on a promise of getting in better shape (as if there’s an alternative) and granting the organization another opportunity to blame everything on Mike Woodson*, Jason Collins gets another contract. Had he gone to high school within a 100-mile radius of Atlanta it probably would have been a 2-year deal.
*At this point I wouldn’t be surprised to read someone in the organization claiming, on the record, that Woodson is all that kept the team from winning 60 games last season. I hope Larry Drew can stave off frustration over being asked to win more with a team possessing the same inherent problems. It won’t be easy.
Signing Collins to fill out the roster is uninspiring. Signing Collins because you think he needs to play and that, in playing him, the team will win more games is breathtakingly misguided.
truthspitter
August 3rd, 2010
9:51 pm
The Hawks front office does not understand there climate. A lot of people move to Atlanta because they are looking for a better living situation, whether that be jobs, or cheaper but just as good living, its all about betterment, but the Hawks front office don’t get that. Atlanta is all about improvement and we are the same team as last year. This team has no buzz around it and you will see that with ticket sales this year. Lastly, the team needs both an athletic C and a SF with good size 6″7 and up who has the ability to start. Andres Biedrins, Javal McGee type C and a Josh Howard, Danny Granger type SF. The Hawks are not willing to do what it takes to get better in this particular case let’s face it. They will be 5 seed at best, I think they will drop to 6 seed with about 46 wins, which spells Reverting.
Rev in Tampa
August 3rd, 2010
10:10 pm
Truthspitter, the Hawks have a 6′8 SF who has the ability to start. What you want is a more consistent SF with fire in his belly.
Ken Strickland
August 3rd, 2010
10:26 pm
I had an idea Boston would end up getting back into the Shaq circus. They must have gotten word that KPerkins would be able to return and/or contribute anytime soon, if at all, this season. It’s a good place for him. Doc Rivers, the players, nor the fans will tolerate his self serving act.
The Hawks are Boston’s version of what Orlando has been to us. With JTeague starting, or playing significant mins, we are now an even greater match up problem for them. Allow me to put seasonal prospects into perspective for those GLASS HALF EMPTY Hawk fans.
We managed to win 53gms last yr, even though we were dominated by the Cavaliers(3-1), Magic(3-1), Lakers(2-0), Thunder(2-0), Spurs(2-0), Knicks(3-1) and Heat(3-1). We also split 4 gms with the Pistons and Bobcats. Suppose the Magic, Lakers, Thunder, Spurs and Heat dominate us again this yr. That certainly won’t change anything from last yr, right?
We have the talent, the coaching, and an actual OFF and DEF structure and philosophy which could reverse last yrs results with the Cavaliers, Knicks, Pistons and Bobcats. That should offset any additional losses at the hands of teams like the Bucks, Bulls and Celtics, who’s perceived improvement could generate additional losses for us.
Therefore, despite the perceived improvement of certain teams, we could still win 53 gms again this yr with no further additions to our roster. And using a team DEF approach against our nemesis, the Magic, will likely change the outcome of at least a couple of our gms against them.
HoosierHawk
August 3rd, 2010
10:28 pm
@MC Any chance we consider a PG w/ the 13th spot? Is Teague a lock to start? Nelson penetrating was another big problem against Orlando. We need some D on the perimeter. also, are we considering having jordan crawford play any point?
Ken Strickland
August 3rd, 2010
10:34 pm
TRUTHSPITTER-How do you suggest we get these players? Just because you feel they are what we need, do you really think their current teams would be willing to give them up just because we want them? And do you really think they’d be willing to take only the players we want to get rid of in trade?
What you’re doing is no different than blaming the person who needs a heart transplant for the lack of an available heart.
doc
August 3rd, 2010
10:36 pm
ken, all that is left is the execution where the rubber meets the road. we have no clue as to how that will work … none.
macaroni tony
August 3rd, 2010
10:39 pm
Ken the Lakers series was (1-)
macaroni tony
August 3rd, 2010
10:39 pm
i mean (1-1)
Grandad
August 3rd, 2010
10:39 pm
Everyone please get over Shaq:
Whether he is / was / never will be here is irrelevant.
We have a starting [5] + a backup [5]. (& a 3rd [5])
What we need is Al’s eventual *replacement,
~) SO (~
Al can move to [4] Full time. Not just every now & then.
This player will come through trade, possibly before season.
If not, then @ the trade deadline.
~) NOW (~
On to Josh. Quit worrying about Josh playin’ the [3].
Josh is a ”Basketball player”. LD’s offense will not
have Josh parked in one spot outside the arc,
whether he’s a [3] or [4]. If he’s a [4] neither will he
be stationed @ the block & never move.
* ”Motion” means all players will be set in motion.
It also means that offensively it will tire them out
quicker causing a greater need for rotation minutes.
At the same time it will be less stressful on Joe.
[sharing workload]
13th player / > prediction…..Luke Jackson.
macaroni tony
August 3rd, 2010
10:40 pm
and the Spurs series was (1-1)
Melvin
August 3rd, 2010
10:43 pm
The Hawks had ample time to sign Shaq. Now that the Celtics are close to signing him, they want to act like they are serious about signing him. I’m not buying it. Just the Avery Johnson and Big Z rumors. Those guys know damn well they are not willing to spend the money to sign Shaq…
lady j 80
August 3rd, 2010
10:44 pm
i must say this is going to be an interesting year for Hawks fan. Joe has to prove that he is better than Kobe and LeBron since he is the NBA’s highest paid player, we have to hope that Marvin will have a break out year, hope that J smoove have developed a more reliable jumper, and see how our bigs match up with the other teams. This is a year of hope for me. I can only hope that the hawks will be a serious contender and not a pretender this year.
Section 303
August 3rd, 2010
10:47 pm
northcyde, I agree. The owners are little league. I’m not upset that we probably won’t get Shaq. I’m upset that this is it. These are all the offseason moves. Gotta do more.
macaroni tony
August 3rd, 2010
10:51 pm
@ Lady j 80
JJ is not the highest paid player, people look this stuff up. JJ is the 16th highest paid player this year (he is the the highest paid ufa). But regardless we have to run a tight ship and a hard nose defense. We have a pg now that can penetrate the defense and take the ball to the rim, also MW should get more touches this year.
truthspitter
August 3rd, 2010
11:17 pm
@ Ken Strickland: You’re comment directed at me makes no sense. Josh Howard just signed a 1 year deal for $4 million dollars, the Hawks could have signed him without going into luxury or any of that. He is a former all-star and only 30 years old. At worst he is a 6″7 former all-star backup SF, at best he takes Marvins starting position, no trade needed. Now as for Biedrins, he has a long-term contract that I think Golden State would not mind getting rid of, its definitely worth a shot. Yes, I think they would take Jamal Crawford’s expiring contract for Biedrins
KevinM
August 3rd, 2010
11:21 pm
Personally, it is becoming more comical each day to hear someone actually think that we have improved our team this offseason. When someone presents a thought here, Sund must go back to his office like Billy Knight and slash through that idea because he didn’t think of it first. Stand pat, Sund, and earn your money the easy way.
We are depending on these things to show we are better: LD, Teague and Jason Collins.
I wouldn’t put my money down on this combo in any scenario.
Why would someone say LD has the coaching abilities when he hasn’t coached one game?
Why would you praise Teague before he has a month of games under his belt after battling top PGs night in and night out?
Why would you praise Collins for anything to this point? Like Randolph, what has he proven in the time he has been here? The only thing I see is that he won’t cause a confrontation with the core here, so he fits in well.
Here’s my bench: Bibby or Teague/Zaza/JC1/Mo/JC2 (who will be sitting quite a bit this year)
I think we may have been better off with Damien James backing up Marvin and Mo. No way JC2 gets minutes in employee#2’s and JC1’s slot.
I guess Pendergraft made a big splash helping sell pick #31 and stuffing Pape Sy overseas for a couple of years, saving the ASG more cash. Was it him behind the masterful Childress move also?
I don’t see the excitement in a team that is basically a mirror of the 09 version. We all know that we have learned from that though.
Wonder if Woody is out on the town with his championship ring on?
Rev in Tampa
August 3rd, 2010
11:26 pm
KevinM, who are you addressing?
Rufus1
August 4th, 2010
12:04 am
We are better….if Teague was the only change, we would be better. If Teague is as good as Brandon Jennings, we are a lot better. Our perimeter defense will much better. Our post defense will be better, because of the pressue Teague will put on the ball. Bibby gave us nothing offensively for 80% of the season. If Teague averages 10pts and 5ast, we will be muh better.
PS. Teague will be in the Top ten in steals
Grandad
August 4th, 2010
12:14 am
Sometimes less is more:
* Kwame Brown for sure
* Maybe Shaq
* Randy Morris
* Pendergraph (if he leaves)
His personnel ideas were inane, uninspired, insipid, & feckless,
while seemingly disinterested.
Players who might be available @ trade deadline;
proving patience is always a virtue:
* Spencer Hawes
* Elton Brand
* Varejao [contract will start to look bad on bad team]
* Troy Murphy
* Chauncey Billups
* Biedrins
* Kaman
* DJ White
I only included Bigs exception Billups. [who would be interesting]
~~~&~~~Sometimes a little is alot~~~or~~~(enough):
{ * LD * }
SteveW
August 4th, 2010
12:23 am
With Shaq looking like he’s gone, why not Kyrolo Fesenko? 23 years old – 7-1 300lbs – played 10 playoff games for the Jazz, started 9 – Free Agent – or Garret Siler for that matter…
I like Boone and Tolliver, but both are smallish for backup Centers – 6-10 240. But both would be better than RandMo – as would Fesenko (maybe) or Kwame Brown (probably)..
SteveW
August 4th, 2010
12:31 am
Fesenko is a RFA, so probably not going anywhere – we may be back to Boone, Brown, or Tolliver, or Aminu – or even Siler. Are they going’ to blame Drew if we stink this year, or themselves for not spending the money.
Poor Horford – he’s goin’ to get beat up some nights it looks like….I know all about he’s an all-star Center etc. But he’s the one that has asked for help,and said we had to have another impact big to go anywhere in the East.
Gearon Jr. – owners make terrible GM’s…..(I know he’s not the GM, talking about his personnel opinions).
cp
August 4th, 2010
12:47 am
UGA myself and O’Brien have been talking about Boone since forever on here. He can play the pf and c position, is cheap, and is young. I also like Carney. Mo is not a sf. How many more times do we have to see bigger sf’s and even sg’s abuse him before this front office to figure out that the dude is not a sf. He plays hard but he might be the most streakiest player on this team. Mo will look good for about a month then look horrible for the next 2……I still hate the Collins signing. This dude has been terrible pretty much his whole career. Dude was so out of shape last season he had to be put on the injured list. Yet in still the Hawks gave this guy a new contract. Unbelievable. If anybody thinks Woodrow held him back then I want some of what you’re smoking. I’m not a Woodrow fan but there is no way he held Collins back. Collins has been terrible since he was at Standford…….I’m willing to bet that at least 3 guys in the second round that we could have chosen are more productive this year than Collins has been the last 4 years of his career combined.
truthspitter
August 4th, 2010
12:50 am
Teague’s potential affect is being blown out of proportion. I saw Teague in summer league and he is not ready to run a playoff team. We were in top 3 when it comes to least turnovers, Teague will put us in the middle of pack or bottom 3 from what I see. The problem with Teague is he played off the ball a lot in college like Stephen Curry and Deron Williams but he does not have that jump shot that they have. So, he is behind in two aspects, he is not fully comfortable and experienced running the PG at neither the college nor pro level and he is not a good jump shooter. Teague is gonna cost more than help initially. So, we will not be as good for the first 40 to 50 games. Maybe we will come on strong at the end of the season though
Mike is back
August 4th, 2010
12:59 am
Doc, what’s up…the ASG makes it tough to be a Hawks fan. I’m getting ready to drop my sweet pea back off at Wake. She made the Dean’s List. Just thinking about all the auxiliary cost in spite of her scholarships…makes me want to adopt your playoff strategy for the upcoming regular season. Why should I continue to shell out max dollar for season Tix…knowing someone will be sitting in my section at a 50 to 70 percent discount…when I can just go with a package plan for premium games.
I’ve got luxury tax issues too…just saying.
Jason
August 4th, 2010
1:41 am
the better things to do that the hawks sign RODNEY CARNEY..because the hawks are need a Small forward backup….who is agree for me?
MsDee
August 4th, 2010
1:57 am
Teague will be just fine..remember, we cant base any negative comments about Teague just yet cause he has yet to play along side with his QUALITY PLAYERS in JJ,JSMOOVE,& HORFORD. All last season he could ONLY play with the bench who gave him no help with his assists..same goes in this years summer league. He has already improved with finishing around the rim. So please, stop with the negative talk concerning Teague. He WILL be a huge upgrade over Bibby weither you guys like it or not!!
MsDee
August 4th, 2010
2:00 am
Now concerning the starting line-up, I prefer Teague,JJ,JSmoove,Horford,& Zaza..Bench=Bibby,JC1,Marvin,Powell,Collins..add ins=JC2,MO Evans,& Aminu.
Brian
August 4th, 2010
3:38 am
Who cares?
In fact, who cares about this mediocre franchise??
Najeh Davenpoop
August 4th, 2010
5:14 am
“We were in top 3 when it comes to least turnovers”
When the offense involves as little passing and movement as the Hawks’ offense last year, turnover numbers will be low. With Teague running the point and the new offense, turnover numbers will go up, but the flip side is that a) the perimeter defense will be better and b) the offensive efficiency won’t drop off nearly as dramatically when facing top teams. If Teague is anything like the flashes he showed in the few consistent minutes he got last year — my expectations for him are about 13 ppg, 6-7 apg, 1.5 spg on 42% shooting, which is on the conservative side — the overall impact of him replacing Bibby will be positive.
Najeh Davenpoop
August 4th, 2010
5:18 am
Fun fact for the day: in his last three NBA seasons, Jason Collins has averaged more fouls per minute than rebounds per minute.
O'Brien
August 4th, 2010
7:26 am
It’s one thing to blame Woody for not utilizing Collins properly. But whose fault is it that Collins was never in game shape? Where is his motivation?
Truthspitter,
Unless Teague outplays Bibby in training camp (and I’m not sure he will, because I think Bibby will improve over last year), I am okay with Bibby starting, assuming Teague will get a consistent 20 mpg off the bench.
However, I can see Teague earning the starting PG job by mid-season. That will ease the transition.
Steve W,
Tolliver is more of a backup PF, but I think he would have been great for LD’s system. I’ve thought about Fasenko too, but he will be out of our price range too.
Hawks Fans: Safety in numbers and changing landscapes | Atlanta Hawks: Fan Nest
August 4th, 2010
7:49 am
[...] of how we think of them, some members of the Hawks front office are wanted by other teams. As Hawks beat writer Michael Cunningham reports, director of pro personnel Steve Rosenberry is [...]
dap01
August 4th, 2010
8:22 am
So far, it is evident that the Hawks management is not truthfully trying to build a champion. They are trying to field a team.
Where is the $3,000,000?
Where is the exception money (Childress trade)?
Where is the big that was the needed focus of the entire offseason?
The Hawks management are hiding, hoping that they will not be questioned.
GeeMack
August 4th, 2010
8:31 am
O’Brien
Jeff Teague starting is the one bright spot for this team. I don’t think he should have to beat out Bibby he did it last year.
We need a different dynamic on this team, and I thinks Teague is what’s missing.
drmaryb (*_*)
August 4th, 2010
9:09 am
Skool Daze!
Back in the old school days? Teams would sign players just for the sake of blocking their
Competitve Rival from signing that player. An old fashioned Chess Game is what it used to be.
The Hawks should pay to sign SHAQ fir the sole purpose of keeping off Boston’s roster.
Run the old play of “Talent Blocking”. I don’t want him – but I don’t want YOU to have him more!
Those days are long gone. Where are the real gamers at?
JoJo the Godfather
August 4th, 2010
9:18 am
Wanted to see how everyone sees the minutes being distributed barring injuries. What I’d like to see is:
PG – Teague 25, Ja Crawford 15, Bibby 8
SG – Joe 27, Ja Crawford 10, Jo Crawford 6, Mo 5
SF – Marvin 35, Joe 8, Mo 5
PF – Josh 35, Horford 8, Powell 5
C – Horford 27, Pachulia 16, Collins 5
I realize I’m probably down on Bibby more than most, but I really don’t see the value in giving him a lot of regular season minutes IF we can make the playoffs with Teague getting experience along the way…I also want the starters around no more than 35 minutes…This also makes you think about how this would look if someone like Shaq was brought in for say 20 minutes a game…Whose minutes would suffer, Marvin??? Za Za???
Hawk n the Ham
August 4th, 2010
9:39 am
You know who is going to come into camp and fight for that 13th spot?
SUPER MARIO!!!!!!
drmaryb (*_*)
August 4th, 2010
9:40 am
SMOY!
Why should the SMOY be limited to 25 mins per game? Based on what factors?
@ 10.2M per year where is the value for the Hawkls?
yessir
August 4th, 2010
9:42 am
Fire LD
drmaryb (*_*)
August 4th, 2010
9:43 am
And, what logic allows you to dole out minutes before the game is even played?
What about in game adjustments and match ups?
Keep your day jobs and just concentrate on Fan duties and NOT Coaching duties.
Sounds absurd to me.
O'Brien
August 4th, 2010
9:47 am
GeeMack,
I am a big fan of Teague, and I was critical of Woody for not giving him the PT he earned last year.
However, we are a 53 win team, so I would like to see Teague EARN the starting spot in training camp. If he plays well, then I fully endorse him as our starter.
And if he is not the starter, he still deserves his 20 mpg. But I do think Bibby will be more effective in LD’s system.
drmaryb (*_*)
August 4th, 2010
9:49 am
Job Description
GM’s – Sign Player Contracts
Coaches – Coach
Players – Play
Fans – Cheer
Melvin
August 4th, 2010
9:52 am
Tweet from Kevin Durant. How can you not like this kid:
“To be honest I appreciate Kenny smith comments but I’m not on dwade melo dirk Paul p level, I ain’t done nothing yet…but stay tuned!”
And the Hawks 126 mil dollar star won’t even apologize to the fans for his comments that was misunderstood (at best). Joe just don’t get it…
O'Brien
August 4th, 2010
9:58 am
So Shaq is reported;y signing with the Celtics for the vet minimum.
We have the same team as last year, while the Celtics added JO, Nate for a full season, and might add Shaq. We have the same team, but we made a big change at HC.
If the Hawks meet Boston in the playoffs, who wins?
JoJo the Godfather
August 4th, 2010
9:59 am
drmaryb…the thought process behind the excercise is exactly the point you bring up…is jamal worthy of 30+ minutes a game, and if so, at who’s expense, teague’s again?…is our roster flawed?…should we be looking at trades?…should we consider giving crawford a contract extension or are we better off letting him walk and giving his minutes to a PG, whoever that may be, and jo craw?…a blog is not just a place to CHEER, a blog is a place to discuss the makeup of our team.
niremetal
August 4th, 2010
10:08 am
What the hell is that on Pendergraft’s sweater vest?
Ken Strickland
August 4th, 2010
10:09 am
JO JO-There’s no way Marvin will get more mins than JJ. Try this:
JTeague 25, MBibby 18, JoCrawford 10, JJ 30, JaCrawford 15, Marvin 28, MEvans 18, JSmith 30, JPowell 14, AHorford 29, ZPachulia 15, JCollins 8.
Keep in mind, I anticipate these mins will be distributed consistently, not sporadically with a bunch of DNP CD. I also expect JoCrawford to get consistent mins to see if he can develop into a consistent and dependable contributor by the trade deadline. We aren’t a championship caliber team right now, but we could certainly become one if our young players develop and the right moves can be made by the trade deadline.
JeJe
August 4th, 2010
10:11 am
Welcome back MC
I heard a Sund interview on 680 last week and let me tell you it was a joke
1) Every single answer was about how we are modeling ourselves after the Spurs/Pistons because we aren’t going over the LT. LOL.
2) He will not make a trade til next summer
3) He says our guys our young veterans, so they now know what losing in the 2nd round means. WHY IS THERE NO MENTION OF US GETTING SWEPT BY CLEVELAND IN 2009? WHY NOW AFTER WE GET SWEPT BADLY BY ORLANDO ARE THE GUYS SMARTER?
I feel this idiot comes on message boards, finds the positive comments, then when asked about how he feels about the team, he’ll quote fans saying something like “Yeah, Big Ray on AJC says we’ll be good and I know he’s a big fan, so I gotta believe we’ll be good”
Idiot
drmaryb (*_*)
August 4th, 2010
10:12 am
JoJo
Here’s my point: you can’t pre-determine player’s minutes and lock into that, before the game is played.
You have to match up and make substitutions based on the flow of the game.
The starters are who they are, once the game starts flexibility is key.
Isn’t that what Mr. Woodson was fired for? You play the match-ups and the player who is executing the defensive game plan should be rewarded. Regardless of their employee #.
“You play to win the game!”
- Herm Edwards -
Melvin
August 4th, 2010
10:29 am
drmaryb,
Amen on your 10:12 post. Mins play should be decided in the flow of the game. Not before the game or season….
JoJo the Godfather
August 4th, 2010
10:29 am
drmaryb…my projections are not meant to be a game plan for every game where each player is on a predetermined # of minutes much like a pitcher on a pitch count…its merely a tool to try to figure out how much AVG playing time could be available for guys during the season…we know Joe has played 38-40 minutes a game in recent years…Jamal was able to win SMOY because he got a ton of minutes at PG last year…Are those minutes still available or will he lose those to Teague?…Now, it can be as simple as Bibby’s minutes go to Teague, Teague’s go to Bibby, Mario’s go to Jo Craw, Joe Smith’s go to Powell, and everyone else will average about the same…Ken S. is of the opinion that things will be much more balanced with the starters averaging around 30 minutes per game…As long as we’re on track for the playoffs, I like Ken’s view because we’d definitely know more about our backups and our starters should stay fresh througout the season…But notice Ken has Jamal averaging 15 minutes a game…Is that worth $10M, or would we be better off re-arranging the roster through a trade?
SteveW
August 4th, 2010
10:54 am
Chris Broussard, ESPN: “Shaquille O’Neal has decided to join the Boston Celtics, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. He is expected to tell the team of his intentions Wednesday morning. The length of the contract is not known, but O’Neal, who has been seeking a two-year deal, will play for the veteran’s minimum of $1.4 million annually. Celtics coach Doc Rivers began pursuing O’Neal last month when the two met in Orlando. Boston and the Atlanta Hawks were the two clubs most interested in O’Neal, and sources say O’Neal chose the Celtics because he believes they have a better chance of winning what would be his fifth NBA championship. O’Neal, 38, averaged 12 points and 6.7 rebounds last season for the Cleveland Cavaliers. In the Cavs’ six-game loss to Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals, he averaged
We couldn’t do better than the league minimum for Shaq with 3 mill. in the bank from draft day? And people want our front office guys?
I know Shaq wanted a winner, and we may have offered more – can anybody say – Anthony Tolliver, Josh Boone, Kwame “Hands of Stone” (aka Roberto Duran) Brown, Garret Siler, Alade Aminu, Richard Hendrix etc. etc. etc. – or we may even bring back RandMo! Aaaaagh!
SteveW
August 4th, 2010
10:56 am
What are we thinkin’….
Ken Strickland
August 4th, 2010
10:59 am
DAP01-Just because ownership has refused to foolishly sign some fan favorites months before training camp has even started, doesn’t mean they’re not interested in building a championship caliber team. After all, the ancient Etruscans(the first Romans)didn’t build Rome in a day.
I’m still trying to get my brain around the idea that some of our fans are upset because they feel we over paid for JJ, an All Star the last 4yrs and one of the NBA’s best all around players, but are even more upset that we wouldn’t over pay Shaq, who’s a one trick pony. WHERE’S THE LOGIC?
I’m also puzzled by those who still make an issue of JJ’s comment, but have absolutely no issue whatsoever with having Shaq, who’s a proven disruptive factor, and who’s made numerous stupid and derogatory comments about several of his teams, teammates and HC’s. AGAIN, WHERE’S THE LOGIC?
I’m also puzzled by those who think we should have signed Shaq because of his ability to put butts in the seats. However, our owners, who would benefit the most financially, obviously didn’t see how that particular benefit would out weigh his numerous liabilities.
KevinM
August 4th, 2010
11:09 am
Rev in Tampa
August 3rd, 2010
11:26 pm
KevinM, who are you addressing?
Not anyone in particular….I am trying to understand the logic that comes with building a championship contender here in Atlanta. Sund is making easy $$ by sitting on his hands and letting LD learn on the job with a team who should be contending for the EC title. Instead, we are going to watch everyone learn a new ‘core’ concept and not make waves with those that got us to back-2-back 50 win seasons.
I would say that this season is all about proving that Woody was the problem, yet we held onto him for 7 years? How does he all of a sudden become the only thing that is changed in the offseason?
Keep plugging in minutes for the core and watch Bibby become disenchanted from the bench and Teague in a make or break year. He is going to have to learn on the job while other teams contend for the title.
Let the schedule come out and watch the matchups begin. Teague against a top flight PG every night except perhaps in Indiana and New York.
I’m all about saving a buck, but there comes a time when you have to invest in a run to the championship. Doesn’t look like the ASG feels the same way.
And please, someone come on here and say let’s save employee#2 from the wear and tear of the regular season. As I sit here in my employee#2 shirt, I just have to show disgust with what the ASG has assembled 2 months prior to training camp.
Notice the only mention from the NBATV preseason 60 min special last night was the Hawks playing on MLK day. No mention of them being a contender in the East. Wonder why that is?
Melvin
August 4th, 2010
11:10 am
Ken Strick,
Are you at least puzzled why a team that played in the previous Finals would be interested in signing Shaq?
drmaryb (*_*)
August 4th, 2010
11:43 am
JoJo
Did you notice how Doc didn’t play The Donkey when he was traded for from New York?
Doc, told him to stay ready and that he would win a play-off game for the Celtics.
That was the big story in Boston and Lil’ Nate (Two – Time Dunk Champ! Proven Scorer in the league), had
to bide his time, remain positive and learn how to play Celtics Team Basketball – The Right Way!
TOGETHER as a TEAM. No individual 41 point ball-hogging games played in Boston.
Especially a team with 3 future HOF’s. That was some really, really, really GREAT coaching,
personnel management and vision executed by Doc Rivers.
We need to see that here in Atlanta. How do we put the players in their roles and use them as
TOOLS to win. Who do we sit and who do we play and when do we play them.
Who sits and learn how to play the Right WAY! Is the Right Way defense first or sit.
We don’t need our core to score! We need our core to play tenacious defense!
If NOT, you SIT until you do! Regardless of your employee number! Let the second unit come in and play the demanded defensive scheme until the starters get the message.
That’s IT! No Defense – No Burn! Our offense is fine! But, let that determine who plays and who sits!
Raise the bar on these guys and let them know who is coaching this team!
Ken Strickland
August 4th, 2010
11:43 am
STEVEW-Shaq is more interested in competing with Kobe for championships than anything else. He wasn’t coming here unless there were no other options available. He also knew that with KPerkins out for a while, he had a much better chance of earning a starting spot and/or getting major mins with Boston than with us.
I don’t see Shaq adding anything to the Celtics that would prevent us from sweeping the floor with them again this season. KPerkins averaged 12PPG, 11RPG, .75BPG & .75APG in 4 losses to us last yr. I don’t see Shaq matching that. I also don’t see the Oneal combination as a better tag team than KPerkins and RWallace.
The 2 O’Neals won’t help them handle the same speed, quickness, athleticism and versatility they had so much trouble with last yr. In fact, with JPowell’s addition, and with JTeague getting an expanded role and mins, we’ll actually be even quicker, faster, more athletic and versatile.
drmaryb (*_*)
August 4th, 2010
12:08 pm
Dee – Up & Run Like Hell!
Ken, I’m with you all the way! We are gomna’ have to have the PG set tempo.
I always thought we were a west coast high scoring and running team!
However, the play-offs don’t allow teams to run like hell! We have to run an offense in the half court.
That means low scoring games and defensive stoppage!
We have the big athletic and young players to play lights out Dee!
That’s what the Pistons did as a Team! Everybody scored like 15 points each and just stopped the ball on defense. That’s a hard combination to beat. It’s real ugly basketball, lots of frustrating fouls are gonna’ be called. You play tough and play through it!
Do we have the Right Players to do this? IF Not? Why Not? Maybe we need to trade a scorer for a defender? That makes Josh, Joe, Al ,and maybe Marvin too – almost untouchable. Will the rest of the team buy in and commit to the Defensive Effort?
In this scenario, then JoJo is right about less individual minutes for the starters to keep them fresh and give the bench some burn! That will make us play-off ready and scary!
Ken Strickland
August 4th, 2010
12:09 pm
MELVIN-I know exactly why they’re interested in Shaq. They need to replace KPerkins, who’ll be unavailable for a while due to suffering a serious knee injury during last yrs finals. They also needed to replace RWallace, so they signed JOneal. They didn’t sign either player for the expressed purpose of upgrading their center position, but to replace what they’ve already lost.
Here we are going into the 2010 season with some of the same GLASS HALF EMPTY fans making the same excuses to justify their fears and/or limited understanding of the internal improvements the Hawks have made. Didn’t we go through these same lame excuses this time last yr? Didn’t we hear about the same perceived improvement of other teams and what the Hawks won’t be able to do, and where they’ll finish, as a result? And didn’t we end up with 53wins and the 3rd seed in the East, ahead of all of those so called IMPROVED TEAMS? FOREST FOR THE TREES PEOPLE!!
KevinM
August 4th, 2010
12:10 pm
Yeah, Boston sure had trouble with Cleveland and Orlando’s quickness last year when it mattered huh?
KevinM
August 4th, 2010
12:13 pm
Playofff basketball and regular season basketball are not the same. This team barely got by Miami and Milwaukee the last 2 years.
Cleveland and Orlando and Miami took care of us last year handily and the only thing different is LBJ is in Miami.
Same core, same results.
Ken Strickland
August 4th, 2010
12:23 pm
KEVINM-Didn’t these same prognosticators project Cleveland or Orlando as the teams with the best chance of winning the Eastern conference title last yr? And how many of them mentioned Boston as a team that had a chance to represent the East in the finals? So, why would you place so much value on anything they say, or don’t say?
JeJe
August 4th, 2010
1:36 pm
Welcome back MC
I heard a Sund interview on 680 last week and let me tell you it was a joke
1) Every single answer was about how we are modeling ourselves after the Spurs/Pistons because we aren’t going over the LT. LOL.
2) He will not make a trade til next summer
3) He says our guys our young veterans, so they now know what losing in the 2nd round means. WHY IS THERE NO MENTION OF US GETTING SWEPT BY CLEVELAND IN 2009? WHY NOW AFTER WE GET SWEPT BADLY BY ORLANDO ARE THE GUYS SMARTER?
I feel this idiot comes on message boards, finds the positive comments, then when asked about how he feels about the team, he’ll quote fans saying something like “Yeah, Big Ray on AJC says we’ll be good and I know he’s a big fan, so I gotta believe we’ll be good”
Idiot
ric ric
August 4th, 2010
2:33 pm
the hawks can make it to the third round if we replace marvin williams with someone who can contend for his position……and the hawks NEED to trade marvin williams for a contender for his position
KevinM
August 4th, 2010
3:00 pm
JeJe, I am glad I didn’t sit through another Sund interview. No one holds him accountable on the air.
The contracts given to Marvin, Bibby and Zaza will haunt him for a while.
It is obvious Sund holds the talent on this team higher than the entire league because the only way we get anyone of value is a salary dump from another team….case in point, JC1.
Ken, both Orlando and Cleveland smacked us and took names against them. Boston would wack us around too in the playoffs. Those 3 teams and even last year’s Heat team were above us in every measure possible. We don’t have any backup plans; we are a jump shooting team and we have no backbone in the post.
At least Cleveland and Orlando were mentioned as elite teams….shows you what the league and what everyone knows about us.
Dwight’s comments about the Hawks are similar to when Tubby Smith was at Kentucky…..everyone loved Tubby and he got a raw deal…..everyone thought he was a great fit at Kentucky….teams come in and smack you around and accolades all over the place for Tubby. Huge difference nowadays up in Lexington for a reason- Tubby was set in his ways and he was smarter than everyone else.
Dwight says don’t change anything, and I bet Sund is listening. A complete waste of 2010-11 is coming our way.
ASG, please come out and tell us how season ticket sales are going this year.
RaJaH
August 4th, 2010
3:48 pm
Isn’t this Sund’s last year as GM…or did he get an extension I haven’t heard about.
Thought’s On The Latest News | Soaring Down South | An Atlanta Hawks blog
August 4th, 2010
11:49 pm
[...] other news, Rick Sund’s top aids Dave Pendergraft and Steve Rosenberry are getting a lot of interest from other teams. Pendergraft is a candidate to become the Suns [...]
Ziggy45
August 11th, 2010
11:49 am
Take Josh Boone hes not Shaq but hes young and a good deal for money went all the way to a national championship at Uconn as a freshman starter he has it in him If you can play for Calhoun you can play for anybody just need to bring it out
ziggy Savannah Ga
The Truth
August 23rd, 2010
3:24 pm
Dear Rick Sund
Since I heard you were on vacation, I thought you might enjoy watching this classic hit. Your inspirational source in managing the Hawks is no secret anymore since this discovery has been made. Enjoy!
Sincerely
The Truth