Atlanta Hawks: Down the road, Dampier might be best of rest

First

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Just sign Boone and call it a day. Once the team ignored Shaq and Brown, bringing in anyone other than a youngster is just plain ignorant. You need someone with an upside to join the roster. They can at least be a good practice body. Although we have one of those with Josh Powell. So maybe we do consider Bryan skinner now.

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Is Mo Evans in your opinion an upgrade over Damien Wilkins or Rodney Carney?

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we should sign dampier becuase he is scary in the paint

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Dampier looks like he’s enjoying that dunk a little too much.

Funny stuff.

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Release Collins and RandMo and sign Dampier and Boone

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They’ll go cheapest route possible. Welcome to the ATL, Brian Skinner. You can even come on crutches and not play. So long as you dress.

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I have a strange feeling that ZaZa will be the heart and soul of the hawks next season.

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KevinM,

From the last blog……

You said this: “And let’s clear up one thing: Al should not have been an all-star last year.”

Kevin, do you think you know the NBA better than the Head Coaches? Just a yes or no question.

In my opinion, beyond his production, Al was chosen because of all the intangibles he brings on both ends of the court. If “intangibles” is low on your list of reasons for being chosen as an All-Star, ok, but note that it was obviously NOT low on the list of head coaches (who tend to treasure that sort of thing).

So who do you think got jobbed by the coaches picking Al?

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Pathetic.

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@Michael Cunningham…..I really believe that it’s Dampier that the Hawks are really after. I think that if they grab him, they will honestly have a legit center on their team. A true 7 footer. I’m just hoping that Charlotte will dump him soon because i think that the chances of them trading his $13 million dollar salary is slim to none. Hawks, lets make the right pitch and get this man when he becomes available

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It is evident that Michael Jordan is trying to justify picking Kwame Brown #1 by signing him for the Bobcats. Does Kwame Brown have pictures of MJ & is using them to have a job in the NBA?

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The question I am asking myself (and everybody else) is how does Dampier compare to Joe Smith? Joe was supposed to be an experienced, solid vet to give relief to Al & Zaza, but he did not contribute all that much. If Al rotates into the PF position from time to time, the Hawks will need more contribution from the spot that Joe Smith held last year.

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@Harry Hawk – “Dampier looks like he’s enjoying that dunk a little too much.”

Yea, it is certainly a two-handed dunk.

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“The question I am asking myself (and everybody else) is how does Dampier compare to Joe Smith?”

Dampier can defend centers and block shots, two things Joe Smith can’t do. At his peak, he’s also a better rebounder, although it remains to be seen whether he will be willing to put in the effort to do so. Effort has been a problem for him throughout his career, at least when he wasn’t playing for a contract.

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N.D.T.K.A., thanks for reminding me that Joe Smith played PF. I had lumped him in as another big man = center.

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I say get Dampier…he’s a keeper, and definitely improves the team….other guys are overhyped….I believe Sund will make right decision…..you guys are overlooking that Woody had no offensive strategy…and Dampier would thrive in motion offense off the bench

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Well, we have 2.7m left before luxury tax + 3m from draft day, + all of the MLE + the 3.66m Trade Exception – I think Horford and Smoove would be very happy if we acquired Dampier – I say Rick, getter done!

Looking at it from Sund’s viewpoint, it is wise to wait and see who is waived, or who we can get for a 2nd pick etc. – Some teams have too many C’s, and we might be surprised who they ditch.

If we get Josh Boone – dude grabbed 20 boards against us in one game last year! I think maybe Josh and Al can help develop him, if he’s willing to learn.

At this point, I say – bring on the season!

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NDTKA, I remember Dampier being recruited by us, and we were about to offer him that Kenyon Martin/Eddy Curry type of offer. I think we were lucky to avoid all those dudes.
Sautee, my point for stating for Al not being an all-star was pointed to Smoove, who had a very good year, put up better numbers, but was slighted. I know its about position and demand, but Horford’s numbers don’t stand out any more than Shaq’s numbers. I like Al, and I would like to see what he could produce at PF. To me, they’re both all-star type players, but really, Al had no better season than Noah, who is the king of those intangibles.

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drmaryb

I left you a post in Big Ray Blog today.

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Are there no solid 7 footers with good footwork and low post moves somewhere in the world? I just don’t understand how there can be only (about) 4 dominant centers in the NBA (Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan and Darko Milicic). What happened to the Jeff Fosters who would go in and collect 12 boards no matter who was at center? What happened to elite athletes making the NBA? There really is no one who can play a more solid, fundamental and productive game than Jason Collins? I would rather trade draft picks and get an undersized Tyler Hansbrough than have Jason Collins – at least I know Hansbrough is going to bust his behind to play a solid, fundamental and productive (be a contributing factor) game.

I think my idea of the NBA is caught in some fantasy world where there are hidden gems waiting to be unearthed and polished and I think I’m disappointed because every other team in the NBA seems to find them except the Hawks. I’ll indulge the curious reader. Starting line-up [Bibby, JJ, Smoove, Marvin, Horford]. Majority were drafted in the top 10.. Bibby came after his prime and Johnson was a budding superstar elsewhere (I guess…) – Salim Stoudemire (who was touted to be more productive in the NBA than JJ Redick) never panned out, neither did Acie Law, Sheldon Williams. All I see there is Al Horford. It is just incredibly frustrating to me how the league is set up right now, where 3 teams have a chance at winning a title every year. Teams just can’t play above their level for a series anymore (if they even could before).

I guess you would just think that after all these years with more and more talented players entering into the league, you would get a little more balance across the board. Similar to how college teams are no longer safe against 15 and 14 seeds because of the players they have across the board. I know it’s only one game and not a series, but it speaks to my point a little bit. Someone please tell me everything will be OK and that Larry Drew will put these pieces together into an offense as ingenious as the triangle.

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hasheem thabeets name was tossed in many hawks mock drafts. i think it would be really easy to deal him from memphis being that he was at some point in the d-league. he may not be the superstar we want but i think that his defense and size(7ft 3) can bother guys like dwight. (6ft 11) he is young and i think he can be fit into our system the way they deal with mario west and jason collins

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If Damp is released Sund needs to move fast. If Damp turns down an offer just go after Boone and call it a day. We need a legit back up sf because Mo is just too small but if we sign a big I doubt we go after a backup sf. We shouldn’t have signed Collins and Powell. I would rather have had Damp and Boone along with a guy like Carney to play backup sf.

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Barton

Your point is well taken.
Well, except for the Darko milicic part.

If you notice Team USA doesn’t have a decent center.

Most of the best true centers in the world are;
from other countries, particularly European nations.
US players tend to play a more athletic game & work
on fundamentals less.
Our system lends itself to that. [AAU]
Other countries work on skills and training
as they would any other sport (tennis, soccer).
Our country has 7 ftrs. but are rarely ready
to play when they reach the pros.
Even in college the coach is there to “win quick”,
And rarely has a chance to spend time teaching.
High school coaches [now] are out of the equation.
*[AAU, basketball recruiting academies - "Oak Hill"]

But you sir are correct:
Where have all the centers gone?
Even the good ones call themselves power forwards:
Tim Duncan, Pau Gasol, et al. [Neither from the USA]

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Big Ump

Thanks, I’ll go check that out tonight. What up Big Ump Baby?

Grand-Daddy

Thanks for explaining that, so if we trade Marv & Bibby then we would have to keep Damp …. Mmmmh IDK if he is worth those two. He might be if we think we can make a run at a title right now, but we would still be strapped for cash to add others.

That’s a lot to give up, and the Bobcats would still be 13M over the cap, unless the make some more trades. But Marv might do well in Charlotte – his alma mater. Maybe he can take those night classes and get his degree after all.

But, that’s a lot to give for a 35 year old C with no upside, but it might make the Hawks better NOW! G-Daddy, what do you recommend?

Oh Yeah, I reported that idiotic comment already! TS really need some seious help! Geez!

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Just to keep it real; it could be a bit presumptuous to assume the Hawks are overly interested in Dampier if the Bobcats waive him since he has barked at the 2.2M dollar offer, clearly he is looking for more. True he will not have much leverage with a non-guaranteed contract with a no-guaranteed date. But since there is still a market for a (best-available) center, he will create some competition around the league. We all know (so well) that the Hawks front office has been terrible at competing for any quality FA in the past, so it would be unwise to get a “hard-on” expecting this deal to happen in favor for the Hawks. The pacers also need a big man as well and want to dump T. J. Ford 8.5M contract now that they have Collison for only 1.4M. He even rejected a Pacer buyout so there is tension between the two parties. So if Amundson decides to go elsewhere, that could set the stage for some competition for Dampier between the Pacers (L. Bird) and the Hawks (R. Sund) as one possible scenario. Who do you think would win? Hopefully this will not happen and Dampier will just fall in Sund’s lap at vet min because that is the only way the Hawks acquire him.

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Za Za’s stats:

FGA = 10.9 eFG% = .488 FTA = 6.3 iFG%= 65% REB = 12.9 AST = 1.9 TO = 2.6 BLK = 1.3 PF = 8.2 PER = 14.7

Za Za’s opponents:

FGA = 12.3 eFG% = .498 FTA = 5.7 iFG% = 52% REB = 12.9 AST = 2.1 TO = 2.8 BLK = 2.2 PF = 5.7 PER = 16.3

Very similar player to Dampier…Damp’s more efficient on offense & blocks more shots, but they have very similar rebounding styles…Sign the man in late Sept for anything less than $4M and its a good day’s work.

Just for fun, here’s Brendan Haywood’s stats:

FGA = 10.0 eFG% = .568 FTA = 5.6 iFG% = 82% REB = 13.5 AST = 1.6 TO = 2.1 BLK = 3.8 PF = 4.1 PER = 18.2

and his opponents:

FGA = 13.9 eFG% = .528 FTA = 4.3 iFG% = 54% REB = 13.0 AST = 1.7 TO = 3.0 BLK = 2.2 PF = 4.8 PER = 16.8

This guy just signed a 5-yr $40M+ contract…Just over 4 yrs younger than Dampier.

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Grandad,

Last time I checked, Dampier still moved and banged.

Collins was seen moving only at the buffet…

Don’t get me wrong, I think Collins man to man defensive fundamentals are superior to Dampier, however, either he has made a serious commitment at losing 60/70 pounds of fat and a gain of 20 pounds of muscle or it would be a “no contest” in my books in favour of Dampier.

Dampier is a cronic under achiever and that puts me off a bit however I think if we don’t pick him up he will sign with a serious playoff team anyhow, maybe even a contender (Lakers?)

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http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Ranking-the-power-forwards-10-through-1;_ylt=AvOLcQX.48iDc0YWkU_K8eW8vLYF?urn=nba-265161

Apart from Josh’s rank which is irrelevant coming from the idiot that writes this ranking, the funny fact is to confirm that Troy Murphy is a defensive disaster (the idiot ranks him relatively high on the adjoining piece).

He appears in all photos but two being beaten by the featured PF. The two were that doesn’t happen?

Zach Randoph’s where Troy is managing to put some defensive pressure and Kevin Love, who, since he is as slow as Troy, they could not find any good picture of him dunking on him…

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*WAKE UP!!!!!*. First off Dampier is a 7ft player, 7ft centers just dont get waived in the NBA. Second he is a 7ft center with an non-guaranteed 13 million dollar contract. So yes that means Charlotte wants to improve their roster with at least one player. Even if Charlotte was to be dumb enough to just drop a 13 million non-guaranteed 7ft center out on the street do you how many teams will be willing to line up and trade to guarantee that the get the 13 million dollar 7ft center piece of trash. LOL Come on folks the only way you are getting Dampier if is you are the highest bidder for that contract.!! And we all know (lets say it together) THE HAWKS LIKE THEIR CORE PLAYERS!!

But you guys insist on displaying your pipe dreams on this blog here are mine:

1. Trade Marvin and Jamal Crawford and a 1st rd pick for Carmelo
2.Pry a center from Dallas somehow someway(Tyson Chandler) he gave D12(Howard) the fits
O and Rick Sund you got yourself in this situation with Bibby,Marvin and Zaza resignings im afraid if you dont get yourself out under those contracts they will be the ones that get you fired.

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dukester i don’t think we should trade jamal. i mean scary shooter. can easily average 20 points per game if LD starts him. and he just good. We should be tradeing zaza marv bibby and mo for him. That way we can be in a rebuilding process. And for all you people who think We have a good point guard you are wrong becuz if you did watch the orlando series we were dominated at the point, small foward, and center. So ASG loook into signing a guy like larry hughes or AI or rafer Alston or Boone or trading for dampier and jerry stackhouse.

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I know Louis Amundson is smallish for a C – but he would bring some more excitement to the Hawks if we could get him – fun to watch and a hustler.

Trey Thompkins is perfect for the Motion Offense BTW…..maybe we can grab him next year in the draft.

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History and logic suggest that the Hawks are going to start the season with basically the same roster as last seson’s 53 win team under the assumption that revenues will remain flat and therefore no major expenditures can be made until the new CBA is in place and the economy improves 0ver the next two years.

The two year time frame is based on the ASG’s plans to attract additional investors/ reducing the current investor roll by controlling costs while maintaining the Hawks winning ways.Currently,the Thrashers are the biggest drain on cash flow; the plan is to attract an investor(s) who can provide the capital to reduce the losses and stabilize the franchise. The ownership agreement requires that both the Hawks and the Thrashers to remain tenants at Phillips Arena, so selling one or the other at this time is problematic.
Meanwhile, with a 3 year playoff streak in hand, ownership is being optimistic but conservative regarding the Hawks. If there are any trades this season, the most likely candidate is Mo because Pape Say is probably going to get his role as a defensive stopper for 3 positions-point, SG and SF- as opposed to 2 for Mo ,at a significantly reduced price.

2012. That is when there will be some dramatic activity regarding the Hawks’ roster.

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I know we’re undersized up front, but we did have 2 of the top 18 rebounders in the the NBA last season.

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Steve W

I think Josh and Al are #2 at their positions.

Boozer doesn’t play any defense and Josh’s defense changes games….Josh’s defense changes Boozer’s game…to 9pts 8rbs.

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VetFan, wow, that bundle of action blows my mind.
Do you really think Sund can get past the 1st suggestion? Thabeet for Marvin? We wish! I myself would be thrilled to not have a SF to start the season if it means an improved backline.

SteveW, we are badly undersized and that doesn’t work in the playoffs. No one less than 6′11″ should be considered. 2 names:

DeAndre Jordan – 854K salary with the Clippers 6′11″ 250 – trade a future 2nd

Jason Thompson – 3 years, 2.1M /3.0/4.1 6′11″ 250 – could we push Mo Evans and a 2nd out there?

Both these guys eat JC3 for after game dessert. Can we call Collins JC3 since he is guaranteed out of the gate? I sure would like to know who has the lovefest with JC3 to sign him so early?

Both would dip into Al’s and Zaza’s minutes at the 5, and we can ship Collins to the end of the bench. Perhaps one of them would threaten the core rotation?

Grandad
August 26th, 2010
12:03 am

“*[Pape Sy]* will be our 13th man on the roster”
Grandad, if this happens, then the Hawks are expecting very little from slot 13. Sy will ’see’ no PT.

What is it with this team freezing the roster at 13? They think we are always going to be injury free?

Section 303, you are quickly becoming realistic with the management group. They simply can’t agree on anything other than exceeding the cap.

Looking a bit ahead, how much grief will E#2 catch if he gets off to a slow start? I can hear the boo-birds already…..for a guy who had the whole city backing him…..he has to repair the chip he has developed on his shoulder.

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O’Brien…I think the biggest competition for Dampier will come from Detroit who can offer him a starting job and up to the full MLE, although I’m not sure where that would put their total team salary in relation to the luxury tax…Cleveland could also offer a starting job at up to the full MLE and keep Verejao coming off the bench…Many people are saying Indy, but they are more of a younger team and have Hibbert, Foster & Solo at center already…I think Indy is looking more for a PF to go with McRoberts & Psycho T (Amundsen rumor)…Miami could also give him a chance to start for the league minimum.

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Look for Dampier to join the Lakers…

They need an extra body in the event that Bynum continues to struggle with his knees and his conditioning…

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Grandad – appreciate the follow up. The Darko bit was a little comic relief from my whining. Good point on all of these “centers” wanting to be oversized PF’s. The fact that we don’t develop fundamentals at an early stage anymore is kind of sad and I wonder when big men are going to realize that it hurts their chances of being dominate and making the big money for longer periods of time once they reach the NBA. There’s a reason “The Big Fundamental” was dominate for so long and continues to be dominate. Bank shots, boxing out, low post moves, I don’t remember a time when Tim Duncan couldn’t do all of these things. Flash needs to exit the NBA. Watching this international play has been mildly refreshing given that all of these offenses have screens, ball movement, off-the-ball movement, and DEFENSE. I’ve missed that good ol’ hard nosed defense. I don’t think I would have too many dissenters if I called for the NBA to adopt a more international style of play.

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KevinM – I agree, the game slows down in the playoffs. That’s 1 reason I see Super Friends in Miami as having a great regular season, but when they meet a big team in the playoffs, they may have trouble.

P.S. Some would rank Bogut ahead of Horford at C – I say after his brutal injury, let’s wait and see.

Damp – better Rebounder and Shot Blocker last year than Shaq, in near identical minutes – just sayin’..

Also, if Damp want the MLE – Bibby makes basically the MLE this year and next, and Charlotte needs a PG according to them

So would you guys trade Bibby for Dampier, and sign a Anthony Johnson/Rafer Alston type (or somebody else) to back up Teague the PG? Or not yet?

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here it goes. trade jamal crawford, marvin williams, and mike bibby, for jr smith, carmello anthony, and ty lawson. the trade was successfull on trade machine, and it said we would would improve by eleven games. that means we would be in the 60s win column. now the only thing is we need somehow hypnotize the nuggets so that they will do this trade, because it would be great for us, the only problem is it wont be so good for them. anybody know a hypnotist?

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vava,

If Dampier goes to the Lakers, then I would expect them to make it to the NBA finals.

JoJo,

I guess the biggest issue would be would Dampier want to sign with a playoff team, sign for the most money he can, or both.

As for signings, if the Hawks dont get Dampier, my next choice is Josh Boone. He is skinny, but he usually rebounds well, and appears to be a decent defender.

I still wonder why the Hawks havent traded Mo Evans and his expiring contract. The guy is a SG (we already have 2 of the best in the league), and he is too small to defend SFs consistently.

Why can’t we trade his $2.5 mil for somebody else, and then sign Rodney Carney for the vet minimum?

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This is the way we should approach the offseason.

LA Lakers: Won the Champioship

Weaknesses; PG on the ball defense, 3 point shooting & an unproductive bench

Solution: they signed Steve to help out at the pg postion.

He and Barnes are very good 3 point shooters.

Along with Theo Ratliff, Matt Barnes, Steve Blake, Lamar Odom, and Shannon Brown you give yourself the best bench you’ve had in years.

Boston; Lost in the NBA Final

Weakness; Rebounding, Lost Tony Allen

They signed Shaq & J.O. Signed Von Wafer who was excellent in Houston coming off the bench. They brought back Natt Robinson to relieve Rondo.
They now have 5 big bodies with skills to through at the Heat, Lakers, Magic, & Spurs.

Miami: First Rd exit

Weaknesses: 2nd scoring option, depth, size, and shooting.

They signed LBJ & Bosh as additional scoring options. Signed Big Z for size. Haslem, Miller, Anthony, James Jones, and Arroy for depth.

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Good Post GeeMack,seems like we’re one of the few teams that did absolutely nothing this summer. Powell and Cheeseburger-Im losing intrest by the day. Geaux Falcons!!!!

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GeeMack…Those are 3 teams that didn’t have huge weaknesses (especially after Bosh & LeBron had pre-arranged their destination)…I can list several huge weaknesses for this Hawks team (coaching, PG, SF production, perimeter defense in general, Size at the 5, quality depth, etc…)…I don’t know that we could have addressed them all in one offseason, but I would have rather seen us address at least 3 or 4 rather than 1 or 2.

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Making “moves” during the Summer does not equate to more wins or more playoff success.

We made the most important move of them all: getting rid of Woody and hiring a coach with the right philosophy.

I don’t care that he is “minimum wage”, I only care that he has said all the right things and seems to be a guy who knows how to handle different characters and personalities.

Nonetheless we do have potentially 3 weak points:

PG: if Teague does not pan out as we hope, then we will need to reconsider where we are.

SF: if JJ is not allocated to the SF slot, then we have an overflow of SG and a shortage of SF (only Marvin)

C: We could use a better banger than Collins, someone who could contribute for 15/20 minutes on both ends (a motivated* Dampier would suit us marvelously).

* something he only showed once in his career: the contract year at GS

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KevinM

Not only do I think ‘Paps’ makes the roster,
I think he makes the rotation.
If Marvin is not careful, ‘Paps’ will beat him
out & start @ the [3].
LD loves him. [defensive stopper] @ 3 positions.

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Vava74, I agree enthusiastically with all your points. I would add a fourth potential weak point – an untimely injury. The Hawks lack of depth could really throw the season into a tailspin if part of the “core” sustains an injury.

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Grandad, I agree with you on the international style of play. Zone defenses are the epitome of team defense. It makes an offense work harder with ball movement. Therefore it encourages team offense as well.

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JoJo the Godfather

My problem with the Hawks for the upcoming season is these guys have basically quit the last 2 years in the playoffs, and we are bringing back the same starting line up.

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One more note: you play Sy in place of Marvin or Mo, you kill any trade value you have for either one.

Like a single family home looking for an uptick………….we wait on Marvin to produce more than 11/5 in 30+ min.

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Good Post JoJo

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Get Collins and RandMo out of hear. And say….You’re fired! We got Dampier and Boone to take you two cheeseburgulars spot.

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Granddad i hope the faith that you have in pap shows up on the court as a perimeter defender.

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Hey Mc is it a chance that the Hawks can look in aquiring Boone and Dampier. I would choose them anyday over Collins and Randolph Morris.

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Iso Joe and iso jamal were great offensive schemes in the regular season, it won the hawks alot of games.If I was L.D. I wouldn’t totally abandon things that Woody was successful at. L.D.’s offense can easily bogg down in the playoffs when teams play real defense. This team would be successful if it implemented L.D’s motion offense and the Iso offense. It would be awesome to see the Hawks switch in and out of both offenses. Teams will be caught totally off guard especially if L.D.’s offense is something the team wants to embrace.

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JoJo the Godfather

Great post. However “why” they quit is irrelevant. When the Bulls were losing to the Pistons in the late 80’s, they knew they were being out coached, but they never stop giving everything they had.

This group gave up in game 7 @ Bos in 08, gave up against Cle. in 09, and did the same against Orl in 10.

How much evidence do we need in order adjust the personnel?

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GeeMack I wouldn’t say they gave up in 08. The C’s just took it to the young Hawks like a vetern team should.Yes the game should have been closer but the C’s were by far the superior team. Great effort in 08. But pathetic showings in 09 and 10.

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Rev in Tampa

I love strategory as well.

I must admit;
with respect to our most recent (republican) President,
I misspelt:
“strategeory”

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*strategorized

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KevinM & Rondo

In regards to ‘Paps’:

It’s not my faith in ‘Paps’ so much as LD.
I know I’m reading between the lines, but,
LD appears to have seen something in this kid
that really excites him.
From a coaching standpoint I know the feeling.
Occasionally you see something in a player that
jumps out @ you but does not to everyone else.
Let’s hope that LD is on target.
Also, ‘Paps’ is 22 already, too old to be
percolating elsewhere.

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Dampier would be a solid addition. He would give us good production in the frontcourt rotation (and it would be an actual rotation if we got him) and he has the size we need for Boston and Orlando (and Miami’s big guys may be old and slow but they are still tall). I think ASG is telling the truth when they say they will go into the luxury tax for the right player (basically they know we are one really good player away from truly contending for a title). I hope that the season goes well, this roster has proven it can earn a good seed in the playoffs, and we trade for an IMPACT big guy before the postseason who really pushes us over the top.

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drmaryb (*_*)
August 26th, 2010
6:10 pm
” Enthusiastic Co-Sign! – there’s definitely some politics in this game”

I’m just sayin that Marvin needs to produce more in that amount of minutes and those around him have to help him just like a home that might need a makeover. There’s a strong reason why Marvin is at the 21st ranking where Gallanari/Kirilenko/Gay/even Danny Granger (all Top 10)are much more thought of as contributing players at the 3.
IMO, Marvin should be a Top 10 minimum for where he was picked, for the minutes he has gotten since he was drafted, and the playoff experience he has. Right now, I don’t see him any more favorable than Darko Milicic and that is more than a fair assessment.

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G-dad’s 1st ever 3 team Trade O’the Day:
(It’s a beaut)

Atl, Charlotte, LA Clips.

Charlotte gets:
[from Atl] Marv & Mo
[from LAC] Baron Davis

LAC gets:
[from Atl] Bibby
[from Charlotte] Erick Dampier, Boris Diaw

Atl gets:
[from Charlotte] Gerald Henderson
[from LAC] Chris Kaman

Works on RealGM trade checker.

Can not be completed until mid-Sept.

*lAC would insist on Dampier agreeing to
re-sign after they cut him. (I’m guessing)

LAC motivation:
get rid of Baron Davis, adequate vet to replace *Kaman,
*DeAndre Jordan gets his chance, Bibby keeps it in the
road ’til Bledsoe is ready, Diaw can help.

Charlotte motivation:
shed Dampier contract & get something in return,
Larry Brown & MJ [egos] rekindle BD, Mo exp,
Marv gets a new beginning = LB’s new Tayshaun.

Atl motivation:
Kaman…Kaman…Kaman!
Gerald Henderson, 1 yr contract replaces Mo = icing.

Have fun with this one.

Sund’s on vacation, I’m not.

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Grandad, I love Kaman. The hawks who have been perennially small on the frontline would suddenly become very difficult to defend, but unless I am missing something, this trade leaves us too thin at SF & puts a lot of pressure on Teague to step up very quickly. By trading 3 players & only picking up two in return the Hawks would be 2 below the league minimum for the roster. Since they would need a starting SF, they could not just go and sign a vet min scrub.

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Rick Sund has proven to be a no good scavenger, catfish, vulture!!! Scooping up ocean-bottom fecal matter like a Louisiana Shrimp. We only come up with poo – Collins and the far-fetched hope of scooping up Dampier. Well money talks, Sund and we won’t get it cause ASG ain’t got it. $$$

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Rev in Tampa

Good pick up on that detail.
I [were that trade to actually occur] believe
G.Henderson would replace Mo.
I’ve made it clear that I think LD has more than
a mop up role for Pape Sy.
With Kaman Al would play more min @ [4],
therefore Josh would play alot of [3].
Whether he can or can’t play the [3]?
We’ve beat the life outa’ that topic.
In the case of picking up an Xtra [3],
if he hasn’t signed anywhere, Luke Jackson
comes to mind.

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Could you imagine? With the previous trade of obtaining ‘Melo and Smith..

Our SG spot – 2nd best in the East
Our SF spot – 2nd best in the East
Our PF spot – 3rd best in the East
Our C spot – 3rd best in the East

A Front Court bench of ZaZa and Dampier?

JR Smith off the bench in the Back Court?

Could happen……probably won’t, but it could!

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Getting Melo and Smith from the Nuggets:

Heat would have a slight edge at PG
Wade better than JJ at SG – but Smith is better than Miller (I know Smith is under investigation, we’ll wait and see)
LeBron better than ‘Melo at SF
Smoove can hold his own with Bosh at PF – but Haslem probably kills Powell off the bench
Al, ZaZa, and Damp would slaughter Anthony, Z and the boys at C

Men, we could win it all…Oh well, beats talking about Sy, Skinner and Elson for the 13th spot.

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Denver has been presented with a list
of potential destinations from *WWW.
*[World Wide Wes]
known to be on the list:
NY Knicks – wife
Houston – ?
NJ Nets – wife
LA Clippers – wife
GS Warriors – ?
Charlotte – he wears “Jordan brand” shoes

I have not heard or seen ATL mentioned anywhere
by anybody @ anytime.
Why all the frothing over a high volume shooter/scorer
who doesn’t rebound anymore nor did he ever defend?

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Mary Ellen

That took some work.
Like a jig saw puzzle.
I had work & re-work that thing several times.
You gotta make those nimbers work Just right.
Can’t be off even by a little bit.
You sure can’t guesstimate.

If Sund will put me on payroll,
I’ll be his idea man.
Like Michael Keaton was for Henry winkler (Fonzie)
in “Nightshift”.
Old movie – They were pimpin’ pros’ out of the morgue.
You may have missed that one, but nonetheless.

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Good post T-Hooker, I totally agree!!

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Grandad – You’ll notice I said that I didn’t care that much for J R Smith, and mentioned he was under investigation – but if we had to trade Jamal to get ‘Melo, well then maybe – just throwing ideas out there – not necessarily advocating them, or saying this is what I would do as GM etc.

As for ‘Melo – consensus top 5 SF in the NBA. Yahoo sports just said he was #3 behind LeBron and Durant.

You’ll notice on other posts, I said I didn’t particular care for “Melo either – injured alot, not a high efficiency scorer, no 3pt. shot etc.

But as I said in the post – beats speculating on Elson, Skinner, Sy, and Boone.

BTW Sy looked putrid in Summer League, then he got hurt. You could see potential written all over him, but raw. Still say as MC does, he won’t be #13 – he’ll be #14 and possibly our 1st D-League guy if he comes over. And then a 23 yr. old rookie next yr. on the big squad.

And I still say – give us ‘Melo with his contract ext. – Dampier – and then sign Wilkens, Carney, Hayes, Gilder, Stackhouse (some combination of these guys) as wing reserves – we compete for a Championship.

It would give us 4 All Star types on 1 roster.

A Front Court rotation of Al, Smoove, ZaZa, and Damp would be quality.

We would be tough to beat. And we could beat the Heat in the Playoffs.

Now if we could just make the cap numbers work to get Billups also….

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SteveW,

Apparently one of the requirements for ‘Melo’s next stop is that the place must cater to his wife’s musical career.

I suspect that ATL could offer that to her.

Since ‘Melo is looking for a sign and trade, giving him 65 million for the next three years, we would need to ship at least 20 million in salaries back.

Jamal, Marvin and Mo would amount to that.

However, ASG would have to re-sign Horford next year and go deep into luxury tax to do it since almost all of Al’s salary would be in the luxury tax zone.

I don’t think they would make this move.

However, even if ‘Melo does not please me significantly, a starting line up of Teague, JJ, Melo, Josh and Al would be dynamite IF (big one here) ‘Melo accepted to drop his touches slightly and played D (which he is able to when motivated).

I would go with this line up against MIA any day of the week…

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All the talk about this while the ASG shakes their head at us in laughter. They aren’t going to pull any trigger to ignite the fan base. They aren’t going to admit bringing Melo here makes any sense. They won’t even acknowledge interest in forming such a team.
They aren’t breaking up the core for the sake on one of the elite NBA players and take a chance on him walking away in a year.
Sund will be on vacation while someone comes in and gets a deal done with Denver.

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KevinM,

You must realize that if we did go for ‘Melo we would be in trouble to extend Al next year.

It would be in deep luxury tax territory with virtually all of his new salary being considered for the luxury tax.

And you should take into consideration that according to Forbes, the Hawks had an operating loss of 3 million last year…

This is not monopoly money.

I grant that ‘Melo’s arrival would probably make the season ticket sales skyrocket and that marketing items would also see their sales increased but it is always a terrifying prospect to have your effective pay roll increase by more than 20 million (Al’s salary next year x 2).

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Come on people wake up !!! We did not make Melo’s or CP3’s wish list, so what does that tell you about this org. nobody wants to play for ASG or Sund. Shaq even took less money & where has JJ azz been when it comes to recruiting anybody. Seems like everyone in the Hawks front office is sniffing glue or paint or whatever, who knows ??? All I know is, if we don’t add some real depth up front or some more firepower we may have seen the best this young core has to offer, because the EAST is not a cake walk anymore.

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The Melo opportunity is yet example of how an aggressive and proactive GM can make a difference between making such a trade a reality verses making-up public excuses for why it’s a bad idea for the Hawks by continuously chanting “I LIKE OUR CORE”. Inaction speaks louder then words; lazy and satisfied.

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Forget Melo…Get Billups…That’s who we need…Leadership skills…Better offensive PG…Better defensive PG.

Also, I wonder how Al Harrington feels signing a 5-yr deal right before they blow that team up.

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Ken is Back!

And, I for one am glad! It is so refreshing to hear your consistent optimism.
You bring a clear and positive argument for being a fan of our team.
And for that, you are appreciated.

My concern is – Are you feeling OK. I know you shagged some 25LBS and are committed to beating your formidable opponent health wise. I’m putting all my money on you (I am not a betting woman), but I know with your positive mental attitude? You will WIN!

So based on your assessments, the Hawks need better SF and PG play in Drew’s new offense. But, we have 12 players under contract right now.
do you think Dampier can help this team? And more so, will Sund got and get it done. If not, who would you like to see @ #13? Do you see any trades being made before the season start? If so, what position?

The FA store shelves are empty but there are players who will be released for teams to get under the Luxury Tax Cap. Dampier is one for example.

Again, Welcome Back! You’ve been sorely missed.
The Blog Troll has been appearing less and less, but more vile than ever when he does get on here. Not much has changed in that regards.

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Maybe I’m dreaming but I can agree that Melo should like ATL as a home, not b/c of ASG, but b/c of our climate, the night scene, music scene and “core”. JT, JJ, Smoove and Al would be hard to beat with Melo. I’d say if he doesn’t go this season we can really market ourselves to him once we prove JT can run the offense and JC2 can be an effective SG backup. It’d be a scary team for everyone else for the next 5-6 years. It may be a dream, but could be reality with the right people saying the right things….what’s that? An alarm clock! @%$#$%

Dampier still might be a good servicable big, but I hate his age so I wouldn’t give up much for him. We definitely need SF help as well. Don’t know how many times I can apologize to Mo, but he’s a SG. If we could deal Mo and Bibby we’d open up more minutes for JC2 to develop and seize an opp to improve our SF slot and possibly C slot through a trade.

Same news is same news Ken, we still got High Hopes and dreams of something under the tree at Christmas…I just hope it’s not the shoes on my feet giftwrapped with the promise of new odor eaters insoles to dampen the smell.

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Not to mention that say the CBA drastically reduces a player’s max salary number…then what will be the direction of this team? Al might not get the numbers that even Smoove is making. Right now, it is all a crapshoot. Me, I am interested in the upcoming year…not 3-5 years down the road. No one knows what the salary structure will be in 1 year, much less 3 years.

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The new CBA might just stop work after this season. Hard cap sounds nice to folks like us who play by the rules. Other teams will absolutely refuse. How will MIA fare when they restructure? Can they force players to restructure their deals to fit in the cap? It’s all up in the air. Depending on how it goes down ASG might look smart in 2 years. Hate to admit it, but it’s very possible.

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Jordan – I like the idea of a young prospect. What do the Clips need to nab him? What about the 7′ Jordan from this draft class? Definitley like the idea of youth + height. I’d give up something to gamble on that.

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QUESTION?

Is Twin’s (Collins) contract guareented or does he have to make the team to get a Vet. Min. contract? If he has to make the team, the Hawks should invite Boone to camp and let the two of them earn the spot. I would sign Dampier when the Bobcats let him go. We still are 2.7M under the L. tax.

I would feel better about the 4 & 5 positions if we had J. Smith, Horford, Powell, Zaza, Dampier, and Boone to battle inside!

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Carmelo Anthony is going to be traded.

ATTENTION ASG PLEASE PUT THIS PACKAGE TOGETHER AND TRADE FOR MELO:
Marviin Williams
Jamal Crawford
Next Years 1st round pick

AFTER THAT PACKAGE THIS DEAL AND GET ANDREW BYNUN FROM THE LAKERS:
Al Hortford
ZaZa
Mike Bibby

2010 – 2011 Starting lineup:

PG: Jeff Teague/Mid level Exception

SG: Joe Johnson

SF: Carmelo Anthony

PF: Josh Smith

C: Andrew Bynum

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BYNUM will always be hurt FOR REAL! Keep Al Horford!

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SteveW

From above…..^…..I don’t recall using your
name in conjunction with any of my posts. Perhaps
some of your comments fell into the overall category
of the topic on which I posted. My topic was Melo,
my point with him being his wife seems to be in charge.
Imagine that, married men? An adjoining point was…..
Melo is a 6-7 Jamal Crawford [essentially]. with more hype.
J.R. Smith, all I can say is Why? He will ruin the locker room.
You want to talk about chemistry & Shaq. J.R. Smith – “toxic”.

I would prefer to leave the team alone
OR
actually make a trade to improve the *dynamics.
*[team concept]

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DRMARYB-I’m 6′1″, and I’ve gone from 260lbs down to 229lbs. And Candice, my Doberman, has gone from 106lbs to 91.8lbs. I’ve relocated so that I will have more family support with my other health issues. After deciding to move, the AC went out in my rental house, and 2 major water leaks developed. One was in the house and destroyed the hardwood floors in 2BR’s and the hall, and the other leak was outside under the slab. There was standing water in the back yd.

This all happened within a 2wk period, and I had to move my tenants out as quickly as possible. I decided to move them into my other house, rather than trying to find new tenants, and within 2days they flooded part of my basement by flushing napkins and paper towels down the toilet. I’m hoping everything will settle down and I can move on.

A positive attitude is what’s kept me going all of these yrs. If I hadn’t taken a positive approach after suffering a stroke, which paralyzed the entire R side of my body, I either wouldn’t be alive today, or I’d be confined to a bed or wheelchair. I went from being flat on my back looking up at the ceiling, and trying to figure out how I can kill myself, to doing a complete 180 in my thought process, which allowed me to work so hard at rehabbing that I was discharged 3wks after suffering the stroke.

That’s why it’s so hard for me to hear all of these NEGATIVE ATTITUDE AND APPROACHES, along with the prerequisite whining and crying, that seems to go along with this approach, about who the Hawks did sign, or ahoulda, coulda woulda signed.

Last yr, the Hawks were better than every other Eastern Conference team except Cleveland and Orlando. The biggest move the team could have made was to hire LDrew as our HC. His input and influence will do more for the Hawks than any FA we could have signed. He can do as much, if not more, to make us more competitive against DHoward and the Magic than Shaq. here’s my take on what the Hawks will have to deal with.

CELTICS-With KPerkins already injured and KG’s injury issues, along with the fragile nature of Shaq and JOneal, the Celtics front line if a potential infirmary waiting to happen.

BULLS-They have an unproven rookie HC just like us, and several new players, including 2 new starters. There will certainly be adjustment and/or chemistry issues on all fronts, especially between players, coaches and learning entirely new OFF/DEF systems. It’s funny how some fans fail to see any of this as a problem for them, but can come up with all sorts of issues for a Hawk starting lineup that’s been together for 3yrs and managed to finish ahead of the Bulls routinely.

BUCKS-They will have MRedd and ABogat returning from injury. They resigned JSalmons and added CMaggette to their starting lineup. Without giving it a second thought, some of our fans automatically move them past the Hawks. Well, each of these players are accustomed to taking between 13-15 shots per gm. Since theirs only on ball, and their PG also takes about 14 shots per gm, somebody is going to have some problems getting the job done offensively.

I SEE THE HAWKS FININSHING NO LOWER THAN 3RD IN THE EAST AGAIN.

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KS

Man, you make my hlth problems seem like a hangnail.
We need to get together and compare notes.
Hang in there buddy & like Mary Ellen says:
“with your positive mental attitude? You will WIN!”

Remember, laughter is the best medicine.
Cliche, I know, but it works.
Valvano’s 3 things to do every day:
“# 1 was laugh. You should laugh every day.”

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Grandad – Carmelo is 6-8 – Jamal is 6-5 – Carmelo weighs 30lbs+ more – not close to the same player – Carmelo is 4 years younger also.

Billups – yep, would love to have him – Marvin and Bibby’s salary work almost exactly – then sign Jarvis, Wilkens, Carney or somebody to replace Marvin.

Would love to have Dampier also – good rotation inside.

I still say Jamal, Marvin and 2 #1 picks, with Carmelo signing the extension, would probably land Carmelo here

I still would trade Bibby for Dampier, and sign Watson, Alston, Johnson, or even a couple of the aforementioned to replace Bibby.

Vava74 – Yes we would have to go into luxury tax next year to sign Horford – but with a team of Championship caliber, with 3 of your stars 26 or younger (”Melo, Smoove, Al), maybe
ASG would do it.

I doubt it, but maybe….

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Amen Ken,

I see the glass as 95% full here. No one here is giving LD and his staff a chance to prove they have a new voice, a new direction, a new opportunity to gel. I thought Mitchell, Scott and Johnson might be good coaches, but their style was the same negative style that Woodson failed with. We need our players to gel to win, as does any team. We’ve got a new shot this season.

As for FA, trades and signings I’m cool so far with what we have. Doesn’t matter if we’re 1-8, as long as we get a seed. Once the playoff starts LD needs tools that have been used all year to interchange and give us the best shot to win.

Looking at the roster I see us crowded at SG which could give us an opportunity to trade someone. I see us weak at SF in terms of defense and rebounding. We have 1-3 slots open to find LD some talent. It can be marquee or project to me. Just get a hungry kid who wants to committ to LD and who wants to work hard. We need a C prospect who’s young, quick footed and defensive minded to help with Dwight. That’s all cause no one else scares me. If we had such a prospect we’d be almost invicible if/when we gel.

I don’t see this team making any moves till the All-Star Break. I’m hoping, just like last year we’ll use that opportunity to trade players who don’t fit in with LD for those who can. We need folks who want to be here, who are positive like you and hungry to give it their all.

This season to me is about developing Teague, JC2 and maybe Sy for our present and future. It’s about making sure Collins and Bibby are in shape and ready for the playoffs. It’s about getting the most out of the extremely gifted players that we have.

If we gel and play our best, no one will have anything to worry about come playoff time. It’s all about our/their committment to LD’s vision and our team.

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Ken Strickland,

Hang in there brother. God’s got your back. That’s as good as you can do. You’re in my prayers as well.

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Rufus1, I read the posting. I like your postings on the blog so my negativity is not directed your way.

First, in response to their assertion that Hawks fans have soured on Josh Smith is simply not true. Were I to poll this blog I believe that Al & Josh would be the two favorite Hawks players.

Second, I like Grandad’s trade scenarios much better. His are more thoughful.

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Rev in Tampa

Thank you, I try.

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Rev in Tampa

Did you ever tell us the church you serve?
If you did not, I certainly understand.

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Dear Ken

God bless you. You have played the hand life has dealt you very well up to this point as evident in your spirited optimism. One thing puzzled me though. How is it that you appear so strong when describing your personal battles yet appear frustrated when some don’t share your views on a basketball blog? As you know, from a big picture prospective, this place is just a forum for fans to share their own views about the Hawks and nothing more. I repeat, and nothing more. While it is always refreshing to read your positive views, I for one would not want any negative blog experience to have a harmful impact on your health. It is simply not worth the risk. Pardon me but this is something that I just had to say.

Sincerely,

The Truth

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Rufus1

Good read.
I think the writer misses the boat when he says;
“the Hawks seem to have soured on him” [Josh]

The attached scouting report also seemed to be a year old.

But, it [the link] makes a great point,
one that KS has been stressing,
we as a fan base tend to undervalue our assets.

Ken S said earlier he predicted;
“we finish 3rd”.
I agree, except, why not 1st or 2nd?

You must believe before you achieve!
-corny-
Maybe, one of my former players, now a coach,
came up with that from somewhere.
He may have coined it himself.

If the fan base does not have faith,
-How-
can we get angry with the players for the same thing?

Yet?

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How can anyone say we made the most important move this offseason by getting rid of Woody? Do I think we needed to start in a new direction? Of course! If that meant firing Woody then so be it. However, what else have we done? I GUARANTEE we’re taking a step back next year. This is something NO ONE can say during Woody’s years here as a coach.

The East is much stronger. I still predict the Hawks in the 5/6 seed next year with about a 45-49 win season. Probably end up getting bouced in the first round by Boston, Orlando or Miami. So tell me, how have we improved or have the rest of the teams in the East improved?

Dampier may not be our key ingredient to success, but we NEED to help Al Horford out. Even if it means signing a Dampier or Boone type player. Come on I mean we passed on everyone else so why not sign a big man. I would like to know what’s up with Pape Sy, but understand we’d have to buy-out his remaining contract and he apparently didn’t have a strong showing at summer camp.

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just SHOOT me, being blown out by historic proportions and being embarassed on the national stage by Orlando in the playoffs is a major step back. Drew’s hiring was the most necessary move this off-season next to JJ resign.

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Rufus1

Perfect! That pretty much nailed it.

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TRUTH-if you’ll notice, the majority of my complaints or attacks are against the negative attitudes fans and people bring. Look, every NBA team has weaknesses or problems, even the 2 time defending NBA Champion Lakers. The key to the success of teams like the Lakers is their ability to focus, and get their opponents to focus, on what they do best, not what they don’t do well.

So many of our fans fall into the same mental trap that Woodson fell into. They look at what other teams do well, and focus on trying to stop that. That’s why LDrew announced that would no longer be the focus of this team under his watch. We’ll focus on trying to neutralize teams like the Lakers, with their twin towers, by forcing them to match the speed, quickness and athleticism of our starting front line.

I’ll say this and then I’m through talking about my problems, because there are people far worse off than me. A couple of days after suffering my stroke, the nurse came into my room and said something to me, I don’t remember what she said. I don’t even remember what my response was, but she felt it was serious enough to sound the suicide alarm.

They immediately brought in a psychiatrist, who preceded to turn my negative attitude and approach into a positive one. I went from despair and being suicidal to being positive and hard working. The results were unbelievable. IT WAS ALL BASED ON MY ATTITUDE AND APPROACH. It’s just difficult for me to hear fans try and be so confident and adamant about what someone else can’t or won’t do.

There isn’t a player on our team that can’t improve with the right motivation and opportunity. The addition of JoCrawford and JPowell gives us more speed, quickness and athleticism than we had last yr. The promotion of LDrew to HC gives us more depth and versatility, because he’s not afraid to utilize his bench or his younger players.

Orlando is the only Eastern Conference team that doesn’t have to prove they’re better than us, and despite all of the hype, Miami hasn’t proven a thing yet. I really like the accumulation of talent on our team, and I love our HC, his philosophy, attitude and approach. I’ll bet our players do as well.

IT’S JUST A GM PEOPLE. THINK POSITIVE!!!!!!

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