Atlanta Hawks: Etan Thomas on ’short list’ for Hawks
Hawks interested in Thomas.
Jorge Sierra at HoopsHype.com reports the Hawks are close to signing free agent center Etan Thomas. Hawks assistant general manager Dave Pendergraft confirmed the team had Thomas in for a workout but said Thomas is one of a handful of free agents the Hawks are considering.
“He’s on a very, very short list,” Pendergraft said. “We were pleased with the workout.”
Pendergraft declined to comment on the other candidates for Atlanta’s 13th roster spot. But he said the team likes its options and is “not in a leftover situation” in its search for another center.
“We are very satisfied with who we’ve got under contract and we are looking to see who can accentuate that other position,” Pendergraft said.
Thomas played for the Wizards when Hawks coach Larry Drew was on Washington’s staff. Thomas averaged 14 minutes in 23 games for Oklahoma last season after injuries limited him to 26 games for Washington in 2008-09. He missed the 2007-08 season after undergoing open-heart surgery and has played more than 50 games just three times in eight seasons.
Listed at 6-foot-10 and 260 pounds, Thomas is known as a tough, physical post player who plays with high effort. But his numbers at 82games.com from last season and 2008-09 show that opposing centers lately have been productive against Thomas. Thomas’ block percentage, rebounding percentage and defensive rating have slipped in the last two years.
Thomas has the reputation for being a team leader, though he famously got into multiple fights with former Wizards teammate Brendan Haywood.
– It’s still possible forward Pape Sy will join the Hawks for 2010-11. Sy is set to report to camp for French club Le Havre but the Hawks and Sy’s representative are still talking to Le Havre about a buyout of the final year of Sy’s contract.
Atlanta selected Sy in the second round of the draft in June.
MC
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271 comments Add your comment
Macaroni Tony
August 31st, 2010
2:03 pm
for everyone that thinks that Melo would be a good fit for the Hawks (including me), then what do you think of him that offered money to any that would put his hands on a woman? The Hawks will not offer Melo a contract because they’re or big on image. I’m not sure if you read this article http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Carmelo-Anthony-embroiled-in-deeply-stupid-Twitt;_ylt=Amthlqsy44Hw8RT3UEoL8yG8vLYF?urn=nba-266377, but tell me what you think. I’m going to repeat this the Hawks will not offer Melo a contract in my opinion, he may be sued and suspended for a long time.
Grandad
August 31st, 2010
2:06 pm
Paps will most likely play the [3] but remamber
in LD’s offense, pos #’s don’t mean all that much.
Besides, Paps nat pos will most likely shake out to
be point forward.
Defensively he can still guard the other team’s [1].
Regardless.
Ramon – Co-sign X 2.
Grandad
August 31st, 2010
2:09 pm
*rem[e]mber not rem[a]mber…..don’t forget now!
The Truth
August 31st, 2010
2:26 pm
Ramon writes:
“The Truth, I think LD sees Sy as a defensive option on PGs more than SFs in the league.”
Yes perhaps as a PG as well but I thought that was a position of strength for Teague. Teague will never fully develop if we continue to “out-source” his tasks to other players. However, having said that, I can envision match-ups with us playing against big PGs like Billups who likes to post-up, where a small body-frame like Teague could struggle. But if Pape Sy is only used in situational match-ups as described, he will not see much TP given the roster make-up of the team.
Gamer
August 31st, 2010
2:46 pm
The guy looks super strong. But does he have game?
Fundamentals
August 31st, 2010
2:57 pm
I’m honestly happy to see Jamal push the issue w/ ASG. Do they want to enter luxury tax land to show us they want to keep talent or defer to mediocrity? They absolutely must get something of value for JC1 or sign him. This will be the salvation or capstone for the summer.
Glad to hear Sy is coming now, even for a D-League assignment. Just good to know he’s getting an opportunity. I see Sy coming in as a perimeter defender in special situations. As his confidence grows I’m hoping he and Teague can run PG w/ JJ & JC2 at SG.
Question is can Sy help play quality defensive minutes at SF? We’re still too crowded at SG. Is he big enough? Time will tell. I just pray Marvin finds his niche. We need him desperately to succeed!
JayD
August 31st, 2010
3:17 pm
“The Bucks have yet to sign either of their second-round draft picks: guard Darington Hobson(notes) and power forward Keith “Tiny” Gallon. It is believed the Bucks are on the brink of reaching an agreement with Hobson, the 37th overall pick from New Mexico. Once Hobson signs, the Bucks would have 15 players – the maximum allotment – under contract for next season. As such, Gallon’s chances of making the Bucks‘ roster are iffy, at best. His agent, Mark Cornstein, acknowledged he is “exploring all options” for his client, including the possibility of playing overseas.”
Gray Mule
August 31st, 2010
3:17 pm
Enter your comments here
Gray Mule
August 31st, 2010
3:22 pm
Underwhelmed? Overwhelmed? Answer me a question please. How much
money does Atlanta have available?
Now, how big of a super star can you buy with the Hawks $$$ ?
For many seasons, I’ve said, “Get us a Tractor Trailer type center.”
Not a starter. Not a star center. Just a big, tough guy.
Could this be the answer? Maybe?
Gray Mule
The Truth
August 31st, 2010
3:24 pm
A pairing of Teague and Pape @ PG w/ JJ & JC2 @ SG would have an aroma of a Bibby & Evans trade in the air. That logic would serve many purposes including the financing of other players. However, Sund has not shown me that he is willing to do such things with the “I like our core” banner. If he doesn’t and Jamal and Horford are retain, then welcome to L tax land
JoJo the Godfather
August 31st, 2010
3:40 pm
JayD…We should also watch the Heat roster, where Da’Sean Butler was signed to compete with Patrick Beverly & Kenny Hasbrouk for the 15th roster spot…If Butler isn’t healthy, Miami will likely have to cut him…They may also sign another veteran like Stackhouse…The Hawks would be wise to pick up Butler with one of their final roster spots and let him rehab and practice with the team…I guess Miami could also cut Dexter Pittman with his avg showing in summer league…Varnado is set to play overseas, so they’ll keep his rights.
Ken Strickland
August 31st, 2010
4:57 pm
RAMOM-excellent observation, excellent.
The most exciting thing about this team, with LDrew as our HC, is he’s not entering this season whining and crying about his contract, or about having too many rookies and younger players and not enough vets, or not saying he doesn’t give a damn about the OFF, as an excuse for doing absolutely nothing when when everything offensively goes wrong.
Unlike Woodson, he seems genuinely excited about taking on all of the necessary responsibilities of being an NBA HC. LDrew knows he has an abundance of talent, and he’s seen first hand what it can do under adverse conditions, and most of those conditions were from within.
He knows without question he can get more efficiency and consistency from Bibby, Marvin, Smoove, Horford, JJ, JaCrawford, Zaza and Teague. He knows he can develop and get contributions from rookies and younger players like Pape Sy, JoCrawford and JPowell, rather than making up stupid excuses for not playing them. I don’t see him as being too egotistical, stubborn and insecure to take advice from his coaching staff or his players.
There’s a reason we haven’t heard a single word from a single player that indicated they were against Woodson’s dismissal, or a single negative comment against LDrew being hired to replace him. The players got what they wanted, the ASG and Sund got what they wanted, and the rest of the Eastern Conference will get what they deserve from us.
While the rest of the Eastern Conference teams were making waves with their acquisitions, the Hawks will ride those waves to the top of the division.
The Truth
September 9th, 2010
10:40 am
I’m still scratching head over this Pape Sy pick. According to this link:
The Truth
September 9th, 2010
10:41 am
“We know he is 6-6 and played point guard for Le Harve, a team pretty low on the totem pole in the French league. There he played just 14 minutes a night and took just three shots per game.”
But we also know he was injured his first year of a 2-year contract and only played a partial of the first year. He still managed to average 5.2 points and 1.7 rebounds per game though in limited action. Since he will not be able to play out his second year for Le Harve, it makes him still somewhat of an unknown player on that team given his total pro experience is less then a year.
The Truth
September 9th, 2010
10:43 am
However, this has the makings of a fairytale story. Rookie head-coach finds a diamond-in-the-rough player and makes him a superstar. Wow that could be a box office hit! Yes, a diamond in the rough would be an accurate description since even the Le Harve team seemed to be surprise he got selected by an NBA team. I keep wondering; what does LD sees in this guy that others have apparently overlooked? LD claimed he dominated during his workout when matched-up against other invitees. It must have been some hell of an impression since it didn’t quit show prior to his injury in the summer league. Perhaps this explains why many pundits projected him to be just a project and needs some additional seasoning years before he is ready for the big league of the NBA.
The Truth
September 9th, 2010
10:44 am
With a chance to validate himself with the other NBA rookies during the summer league, he got injured (again) and had to cut his playing time short. Thus, his evaluation was incomplete.
The Truth
September 9th, 2010
10:45 am
So in addition to being unproven within Le Harve, he is an even bigger mystery in the US and within the NBA circle.
The Truth
September 9th, 2010
10:45 am
Despite these factors, LD has pressed on the gas pedal and apparently succeeded in getting this kid into camp.
The Truth
September 9th, 2010
10:52 am
It would seem from the global effort of acquiring him that LD has much on the line.
The Truth
September 9th, 2010
10:52 am
With a chance to validate himself with the other NBA rookies during the summer league, he got injured (again) and had to cut his playing time short. Thus, his evaluation was incomplete. So in addition to being unproven within Le Harve, he is an even bigger mystery in the US and within the NBA circle. Despite these factors, LD has pressed on the gas pedal and apparently succeeded in getting this kid into camp. It would seem from the global effort of acquiring him that LD’s has much on the line.
Robert
September 17th, 2010
2:01 pm
Etan thomas will help when healthy. The Hawks have to consider a quality starting center who is at least seven feet tall and can play. The Hawks have to be serious and committed to be a championship contender not a playoff success. The management has to be devoted and provide the money and be active in bring the quality players to Atlanta.