Atlanta Hawks: Al Horford: ‘I am going to war with who I’ve got’ (Update: Hawks sign Etan Thomas)
Horford and Hawks hoping they have enough guys who can do this. (AP Photo)
When Al Horford said earlier this summer that the Hawks needed to add an “impact center” to be a serious contender in the Eastern Conference, I’m going to guess he wasn’t talking about Jason Collins (who had no impact for the Hawks last season) or Etan Thomas (whose impact lately has been blunted by injuries).
Yet as training camp approaches that’s what the Hawks have behind Horford and Zaza. They re-signed Collins early, struck out with Shaq (who had endorsements from both Al and Smoove) and Brad Miller and today added Thomas.
I bumped into Al at Philips today and asked him if that’s going to be enough to help the Hawks break through the ceiling that for this franchise has been short of the East finals for so long.
“I am going to war with who I’ve got,” Al said
What he’s got at center is Zaza, who came on at the end of last season and stacks up favorably against other NBA backups though he isn’t a stout deterrent at the rim; a leaner and apparently more-motivated version of Collins; and Thomas, a tough banger in the post who will try and show that injuries have not robbed him of his rebounding and shot-blocking ability.
Those three players plus Al, Smoove and Josh Powell will make up Atlanta’s frontcourt. That rotation, with L.D.’s plan to play Al at power forward and Smoove at small forward at times, is going to have to be enough.
Horford had hoped Atlanta would add an impact center who could split minutes with him at center and shore up the interior D against the likes of Dwight Howard and Boston’s frontcourt (and that was before the C’s added Jermaine O’Neal and Shaq). Now he will roll with Zaza, Twin and Thomas.
“I haven’t seen him, but I know that Jason Collins is coming in in great shape and has really worked,” Horford said. “He is a guy who could have been utilized a little more last year. And we’ve got Etan Thomas who will be here soon and he will be a great help, as well.”
After a long day of physicals with Atlanta’s medical people, Thomas had to smile when I asked him about his health. If he came through all the poking and prodding with passing grades, he must be good to go. “Everything is fine,” he said.
Why did he choose to sign with the Hawks?
“This is a great situation,” he said. “I was with Larry Drew in D.C. and I have a lot of respect for him. I like what he is doing here.”
Thomas said Drew made “no promises” about his role and just told him to be ready. Does Thomas think he still can provide the physical presence the Hawks are looking for?
“That’s what they brought me here for,” he said. “I’m going to put in a lot of hard work.”
Thomas, who will wear No. 36 for the Hawks, has earned a rep for physical, high-energy play around the basket.
“We need that inside toughness in here,” Al said. “The more that we have, the better.”
Jamal Crawford’s pending pay-me-or-trade-me request notwithstanding, it looks like Atlanta will send out the same top nine for 2010-11 as they did for 2009-10.
So how can the Hawks improve on No. 3 in the East and the second round of the playoffs, particularly with Boston still Boston, Miami shooting past them on paper, Orlando’s so-far unconquerable core still intact, and Chicago and Milwaukee creeping up from behind?
“I know that I’m excited personally with what Coach Drew has been talking about,” Horford said. “He wants to change the offense a little bit and do things a little differently. Having said that, it all depends on the kind of level that our key guys like Joe Johnson and Josh Smith [reach] coming in. Mentally, I think that’s going to be a part of how good we are as a team.
“I think there is room for growth. There definitely is. We have to work harder if we want to be any better because, man, the East. Milwaukee is better. Chicago is better. Miami is better, it goes without saying. It’s going to be an interesting year for us.”
The same can be said for Al, who is heading into the final year of his rookie-scale contract fresh off his first selection to the All-Star game. The Hawks can extend him for up to five years and $82 million by Oct. 31 or tender him to make him a restricted free agent next summer.
Indications are that the Hawks plan to make an aggressive push to sign Al to an extension but that process hasn’t started.
“I haven’t heard anything yet,” Horford said. “I think anything will start coming once training camp gets going. I am just kind of leaving to that to the owners and my representation and just seeing what happens. I am going to keep working hard and keep doing what I’ve been doing.”
MC
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382 comments Add your comment
terrell
September 4th, 2010
7:00 pm
Hire Woody! Somebody. Anybody. lol!
O'Brien
September 4th, 2010
7:09 pm
doc,
If JJ plays 36 mpg at SG, then Mo and JC2 will only be needed for 12 mpg backing him up. You dont think they could handle 12 minutes combined?
I would sign a minimum salary guy like Rodney Carney to backup Marvin, so JJ can focus on SG (with only spot minutes at SF).
Najeh Davenpoop
September 4th, 2010
7:14 pm
In fairness to Mo Evans, he would probably be a lot more effective if he didn’t play the majority of his minutes out of position at small forward. He is consistently asked to guard players who are bigger and stronger than him while having to go up against these same players on the offensive end of the floor. Mo Evans is 6′5″. He should be a 2-guard, but the Hawks in their infinite wisdom have a billion SGs and no SF so they are forced to play him out of position.
SteveW
September 4th, 2010
7:50 pm
Doc – that’s what I was about to say – Walton and Vujicic for that matter made quite a bit more than Powell – Walton 6+m and Vujicic 5m. And Powell did get better minutes ‘08-’09 also.
Najeh – Co-sign def.
robdawg08
September 4th, 2010
8:21 pm
Why are the Hawks ALWAYS financially strapped ? I can’t wait to see this so called WAR against the Miami Heat. It will be a quick battle like 125-90 Heat over Hawks…
Rev in Tampa
September 4th, 2010
8:33 pm
“the Hawks in their infinite wisdom have a billion SGs”
It is very clear that Jamal will be traded. I wish the Hawks had not filled all the post spots, so we are left with looking at which SF we can get to back up Marvin. I think the Hawks could find a very good back-up at SF with Jamal as bait.
It could be argued that the Hawks should go after another pg, but the Hawks should go with who they’ve got. To go after another pg would be to hedge their bets. Teams that hedge bets are indecisive. And winners do not equivocate. Rather, they charge forward.
robdawg08
September 4th, 2010
8:36 pm
So what’s the status of Jamaal Crawford, Mr. Cunningham ? Limbo ?
doc
September 4th, 2010
8:50 pm
najeh they backed themselves into that corner when they ignored j chills, didnt they? if i remember, they had no back up plan, is how for behind they were on what his choices were. some here think it was part of the infinite salary restriction plan of the askg. i think they were caught flat footed and had to scramble to make good and sign a guy for maybe one more year than they wanted to, kind of lost leverage there.
if jamal goes, who is there to play minutes at point? you guys ready to give the keys to teague with no back up. you guys think like the askg does then, if you do. before you say jj, he is an infinitely better sf than he is as a point guard. we tried that experiment once when jj’s body was more like a point guard. i think he has fleshed out a bit more since then. it failed then why is it going to be successful or is that the definition of crazy?
rev a back up sf for the sixth man of the year? this is a guy who could step into a starter spot if either the point guard or two guard are injured without us missing a beat or maybe getting another valve for its engine. boy you dont give him any respect. he also can say the right things after we lose.
gee o’b that sounds great. let us sit down a guy who only scores 18 ppg and avg 35 mpg in his career so we can put two guys that cant possibly do what he did and bring in a scrub that is possibly worse than mo. ummm who is going to handle 48 mpg at point that is proven?
Fresh
September 4th, 2010
9:56 pm
A Quote From Shaq In A Recent Interview:
O’Neal said what sold him on the Celtics is the unselfish play of the veteran group. “I like that they play together and nobody really worries about shots, ” O’Neal said. “When I was with Cleveland, guys who couldn’t even play were worried about shots. Why was Mo (Williams) taking 15 shots, and I’m only taking four?
http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2010/09/shaquille_oneal_expects_to_hav.html
LOL AND SMH AT ALL OF THE IDIOTS WANTING SHAQ IN THE HAWKS LOCKER ROOM!!!!!! Thank you Boston from saving the Hawks from themselves! Also if this is the way Shaq felt about the Cavs, what do you think he was gonna say about Al, Josh, Joe, or Jamal taking shots????????
Rev in Tampa
September 4th, 2010
10:01 pm
doc, I love Jamal. But he is not a pg. He is a pure sg, of which we have ‘billions’. I would like the Hawks to aquire a quality sf that would split time with Marvin – a two-headed sf tandem. The idea is that there be little fall-off in quality when Marvin goes out of the game. This would cause match-up problems for most teams that have a scrub backup. Drew wants other teams to try to match up with the Hawks rather than the Hawks try to bend to other teams.
Drew, who played pg in the NBA for 10 seasons, has evaluated Teague closely for over a year. He seems ready to give the keys to Teague.
Rev in Tampa
September 4th, 2010
10:14 pm
Bibby, Teague – pg
Johnson, Evans, Jordan Crawford – sg
Marvin, trade aquisition, Sy – sf
Smith, Powell – pf
Horford, Pachulia, Thomas, Collins – c
Of course this allows that guys could rotate into other positions – ie. Horford into pf
doc
September 4th, 2010
10:34 pm
rev, just hope jj stands close to the defensive basket so he can bring the ball up for teague. i see nothing coming off the bench to bring any life to this team rev, no one. who is it you think from this group that could do the flip jamal act? “trade acquisition” at this time of year to give us serious points? where is he and whom? man you are really piling the responsibility on the starting five. do you think there is a guy that can compare to jamal and jj at 2 and 3 if jj stays at 2 and someone comes in at three?
truthspitter
September 4th, 2010
11:03 pm
I hate Marvin Williams as a basketball player. I wish he would just go away, even if it had to be by an injury that did not make his life horrible but just made it where he could never play basketball again
Rev in Tampa
September 5th, 2010
12:04 am
doc, I feel this move would give the Hawks more BALANCE than what they currently have with the overload at sg. If Mo is out of position at sf, then he needs to move to sg.
And if the Hawks have JJ, Jamal, Jordon, & Mo at sg then somebody has to be moved. Jamal has an expiring contract, loads of trade value, & is a defensive liability.
And if Mo is out of position at sf, then the Hawks have a bigger weakness at small forward than at point guard or center because they would only have Marvin & Pape. As you said many times over the past 24 hours (very artfully I might add) Pape is not ready to step in and carry a significant load right now. And truthspitter is praying for Marvin to lose a foot in a car accident – which points out how thin the Hawks are at sf. M. Cunningham has been pointing this out for weeks. So why not use Jamal in a trade to bring in some real talent at sf to turn a real weakness into a potential strength.
And if Jamal’s defense is as invisible as EVERYONE on this blog suggests, then his high scoring average is offset to some extent by the points he allows.
Also Jamal’s playing style is very “isolation”-oriented. Drew is implementing a very team-oriented offense. It will take great discipline for the Hawks to stay with the team concept when it is easier to back off and let JJ & Jamal create.
The Hawks will be fine on offense without Jamal. Yes, I remember your earlier point about the Hawks padding their scoring average against poor teams. Are the Hawks the only team in the league that pads their offense against poor teams? I assume that all teams put up more points against poorer teams and less against playoff-bound teams. Where the Hawks really need to improve is on defense – where EVERYONE says Jamal is a liability.
doc
September 5th, 2010
12:17 am
rev made many points but that was not one of them i dont believe.
guys i dont think it is wise to make a move now. there is going to be enough going on with the KD offense changes. also, it behooves jamal to play his heart out just like he did last year and that is to our advantage. if you give me a truen number 6 guy to play at sf with an expiring contract then so be it. we had one of those guys and snubbed him in chills. with drew making comments he wants to look at smith at sf i dont think between jj and j smith filling in there you want to put as much money there as we would have to. i like jamal’s versatility and what it gives us. if you say “doc, i can get you a legit big an a tighten up the screws swing guy” then i might consider it. otherwise ride it out until february and decide then.
Rev in Tampa
September 5th, 2010
12:21 am
Sorry doc for maligning you on the last point. Somebody said it to me over the last 24 hours and you have said the most. By the way, I have enjoyed your posts.
Rev in Tampa
September 5th, 2010
12:35 am
doc, I’m not a fan of putting Josh at the SF. Too many temptations to shoot. I almost made that point in the previous post, but felt it would weaken the overall thrust of the logic.
I’m also a fan of waiting to the trade-deadline. A lot of “if’s” have to fall in the Hawk’s favor for their season to be considered successful (Success for me = strong showing in the Eastern Conference Finals). I would rather the Hawks pull the trigger on a trade when they know better where the real needs are.
doc
September 5th, 2010
12:39 am
yeah rev, fun to jibe back and forth. not too many things to get truly riled about. we all want the same thing, the hawks to win. i imagine even though i have been counterpunching with ken s through the summer, he knows me well enough after 6 years here that i am not at all malicious but my points are as relevant as his though from a different view point. anyway, i just what to hear him say a few more things because i miss him so when he is away.
i do think it is going to be pretty hard for LD to get everyone on the same page and i would like to have some instant offense on the bench in case it is needed. if it is as much ball movement as they say then it might look really good for jamal as well. every player seems to go through the cross hairs on this blog, for years it was how unworthy josh smith was. well now it seems to be the hawk in the dog house is jamal. sometimes it is deserved like with marvin or bibby last year, just dont understand how a guy who brought us back so many times last year an wins a very prestigious award gets so little love around here. all he wants is a chance to do a contract, didnt woody want the same thing last year about this time?
doc
September 5th, 2010
12:51 am
defense is a team thing and the team didnt play it, not just jamal. it wasnt as though 13 guys were on the page with what woody wanted and jamal wasnt. teague looked lost most of the time on defense and unnecessary on offense, bibby flat footed on defense and uninvolved on offense though he made every effort to scratch and hold whenever he could. look, i saw some serious matador sh!t from jj as well and no attempt to block out under the basket nor make an attempt at bounds from time to time and he is as big as lebron at 6′8″ and 240 lbs. the team hall mark of the crucial stop was there at the beginning of the season, it wasnt at the end. that was not due to jamal.
The Truth
September 5th, 2010
2:01 am
As I listened to Etan Thomas interview, it became apparent why he was chosen oven the other competing players. If you don’t know it already, he was coached by then assistant coach Larry Drew during his tour with the Wizards so they have a prior working relationship. Also he is familiar with this offense since it was deployed in Washington by their former Head Coach Eddie Jordon. Apparently as Jordan’s former assistant, LD will be emulating his own variation of this offense. Because as Thomas explained, it will not be based solely on the Princeton. Since this offense requires a great deal of basketball IQ and a lot of moving, cutting, slashing and dashing, I’m wondering if Zaza isn’t at risk for losing some backup minutes to Thomas since he is seems so familiar with its complexity and Zaza is probably not.
And how will JJ and Josh Smith handle this new offense? With Mr. ISO JJ, I question the cutting, slashing and dashing parts since that has not been his forte. The dribble-dribble-shoot JJ has been part of his DNA even before he became a Hawk. With Josh Smith, I only wonder about his basketball IQ capacity required to gasp all of the finer details of such a complicated system. However, the much maligned Marvin may actually flourish in this new offense since it will finally give him a real structure to work within. Since Woody’s ISO system was based on athletic improvisation, it often time had Marvin looking clumsy since he is not a creative offensive player when trying to take his man one-on-one. In this new system, Marvin would just follow the instructions of moving, cutting, slashing and dashing and he will automatically get his scoring opportunities. If he should bomb in this offense, then we can officially declare him an undisputed bust. As for Bibby, after further review, I have mix emotion as to how he will gel in this offense. We should all know that it was Rick Adelman in Sacramento who first installed the Princeton Offense in the NBA. He coached his team with Bibby and Chris Webber to the Western Conference finals in 2002 using primarly the Princeton Offense. So Bibby is the unique Hawk player that knows it perhaps better then any other player on the team. So he gets a A+ for his basketball IQ. However, since father time is catching up with Bibby, I question whether he can excecute the quick movements, the cutting, slashing and dashing duties of this offense on a regular bases.
So if a team is incompatible to this offense then their chances of success is very low. It is by no means a silver bullet a successful season. As evidence of that, here is some links to the Good, the Bad and the Ugly days of the Princeton Offense with one of its disciple as a casualty.
Big Ray
September 5th, 2010
2:29 am
Zzzzzzzzz….
Rev in Tampa
September 5th, 2010
6:30 am
Truth, I enjoyed the post. I also found the Good, Bad, & Ugly links especially helpful. I think the Princeton offense will be a great asset to the Hawks.
wordsmithtom
September 5th, 2010
7:40 am
Truth, thanks for that interview link. I hadn’t seen the Conner interview, so that too was instructive. He wants to see more physicality…more charges taken. Emphasis toughness. Zaza’s boxing fits that well. Sometimes he seemed to have lapses of concentration. Boxing forces you to have your wits about you at all times as well as improving cardio and footwork. Witness Zaza’s play in Euro this summer. Adding Etan to push him only makes it better.
Tactically, this lets them play Smith and Horf more aggressively. Last year Woody felt he could not afford to get either in foul trouble because he didn’t trust the bench. Well this year’s bigs are ready not only to give fouls, but to fill in if starters get in foul trouble. Without a doubt, the overuse of Hawks starters led to physical and mental tiredness at end of season. Boston played their bench last week and took a couple losses. Rested starters played better when playoffs started.
Marvin should do much better in a structured offence. He is a poor ISO player, but he’s the same size as Smith and Horf. He creates mismatches for smaller 3’s if he’s in position to take advantage of them. A 240 lb 3 cutting to the hole is no fun when you’re 6-5 or so trying to stop him.
The Hawks upgraded by staying the same at the core and bringing in more physical players (Etan and Powell). Hopefully Collins will stay on that diet….betting he does. Top to bottom, the Hawks don’t have the “big 3″ of Miami, but I like what our 2nd team brings much better. Plus if Zaza brings that boxing mentality against Bosh, I like the Z man in 3.
drmaryb (*_*)
September 5th, 2010
8:03 am
Hallelujah!
Doc is a Man on Fire and he said: “every player seems to go through the cross hairs on this blog, for years it was how unworthy josh smith was. well now it seems to be the hawk in the dog house is jamal. sometimes it is deserved like with marvin or bibby last year, just dont understand how a guy who brought us back so many times last year an wins a very prestigious award gets so little love around here. all he wants is a chance to do a contract, didnt woody want the same thing last year about this time?”
Amen!
doc is in the Pulpit on Sunday morning!
truthspitter
September 5th, 2010
8:04 am
I apologize for my 11:03 post because it sounds evil and horrible but I really do wish Marvin would just go away he is a cancer to this team. We got rid of Sheldon and Acie, Marvin has to go, he represents the failures of this franchise every time I see him in a Hawks uniform
Samuel
September 5th, 2010
8:51 am
Fresh,
While Mo was shooting 43% Shaq was shooting 57. Shaq has a career 58% shooting percentage from the floor. Mo Williams hasn’t done shuat. He’s a wanna be star who will get put back in his place this year without LBJ. He’s from Mississippi so he’s my boy automatically but he’s no Shaq.
Funny how real “Championship” franchises aren’t afraid to sign these “so-called” locker room cancers while wannabes continue to sing that same ole song about getting “quality” guys and finishing where they do. (see Lakers and Ron Artest).
This team has basically swapped Mario for JC2, Joe Smith for Ethan Thomas and Woody for LD. That’s supposed get us to the next level, Please. This squad as it is currently assembled will struggle to make the playoffs. We get rid of Jamahl and we’ll be playing ping pong.
M. (idiot) cunning...ham
September 5th, 2010
9:33 am
“Horford and Hawks hoping they have enough guys who can do this.” – mike con man
?
Do what? play defense?
OK quick question Idiot cunning ham ( Mr official A. Ho. nutz warmer) Exactly how many centers did A. Ho. actually shut down last year? Howard just put an exclamation on the fact that A. Ho is a very weak interior defender but the reality is he did not shut down anybody including Howard. Opposing coaches love running in side to A. Ho. and the rate of completions/attempts against A. Ho in the paint was excessive, and thats with out taking inthe fact that many of the few who did not score went to the free throw line because horford lived in foul trouble. In fact his block shot to foul rate interprets it will take about 3 fouls for him to block 1 shot!
Its not just Howard. A HO. is very weak in the interior defense game. So what? now you hire some one to play defense for him? aint that a B!!tch.
Last year Woodson increased A. Ho’s field goal attempts by 50% and All it equate to was .23 pct increase/ 1 more basket a game.
Allstar? F-LOL
This freeloader could not make the all nba team nor the NBA all defensive team on any level and those are coaches decision. He may be your god but a 12 NBA career average and a 13 point best college year tells me once you Floridians get back to reality, Al is just your average Ho.
M. (idiot) cunning...ham
September 5th, 2010
9:38 am
HOW TO FINISH WORST THAN LAST SEASONS TEAM?
Bibby, Teague – pg
Johnson, Evans, Jordan Crawford – sg
Marvin, trade aquisition, Sy – sf
Smith, Powell – pf
Horford, Pachulia, Thomas, Collins – c
Of course this allows that guys could rotate into other positions – ie. Horford into pf
M. (idiot) cunning...ham
September 5th, 2010
9:39 am
THE GREAT AMERICAN HYPOCRITE?
drmaryb (*_*)
September 5th, 2010
8:03 am
Hallelujah!
doc
September 5th, 2010
9:57 am
truth, it kind of confirms some of my realistic apprehensions about how all this is going to work. only two years ago i felt philly and we were very similar in looks. they got rid of a few pieces, specifically their aging point guard who is younger in miles than ours, brought in a cog that turned out to be a square to fit in the round hole and hired a coach that needed time or commitment to get his system installed before being jettisoned and they are in the lottery. i dont think many folks realize how close things are between teams and how quickly a team can fade if the effort is not there. most games are decided by two to three baskets. it is gonna be interesting for sure.
ping pong eh? well at least running around trying to chase the bouncing ball with the emphasis on chase, well maybe mad scramble.
shaq might have brought an attitude we needed or called people out who didnt get it. he didnt undermine them as they were ripe for a fall, too immature with all their shucking and jiving on the sidelines. they certainly werent professionals as they had never really won anything. shaq wont have that responsibility. basically our organization is that of control freaks at the top so that type of leader doesnt work for them because indirectly it would be criticism of them.
well the dusty springfield chorus can continue ….. wishing and hoping.
Ken Strickland
September 5th, 2010
10:41 am
Damn DOC, you’re on a role my man. Good to see you back at it full time.
With some of the changes to the top teams in the East, some being rather drastic, I can see some of the adjustment and chemistry problems Philly went through taking place.
While the Hawks won’t improve significantly based on new acquisitions, save a new HC, we will be the most stable team roster wise, as well as the team that’s most likely to avoid suffering any adjustment and/or chemistry issues.
Last yr Boston took basically the same approach we’re taking this yr. Even with KG’s injury issues, they maintained their core, especially their starting lineup, and added to their bench. And we all saw how well that worked out. And before any of you GLASS HALF EMPTY ADVOCATES start whining about me comparing the Hawks to the Celtics, I’m not comparing the 2 teams, but rather their similar approach.
doc
September 5th, 2010
11:09 am
got it ken s. uh no comparison though i compared them a bit earlier in the thread for what they did in the off sesason compared to us. sorry i thing d west is a better third guard than ours. oh we dont have one? that is behind rondo and nate. whoo just there there is a huge difference and why i think our askg dropped the ball and folded up the bank when they saw how tought the competition was going to be the magic, heat and c’s. that is what i saw as we sudently went from we will spend to we will want to hold onto 4th seed. ken s bro that is a huge step back, sorry. isee you desire to have faith in our guys and LD. my issue has always been on what sits on top and why i dont think we will make the necessary adjustments to maintain pace. again we stopped at tax, cool we are 11th best in salary right now, cool up from 22nd as some big spenders backed up and the three amigos took their “bargain” deals south. ultimately it is about the money that is spent. looking back there have been few if any real good teams that spent that didnt rise to their spending. i said good teams not facsimile’s of the thomas led knicks.
we are real good. i just want them to be better and i dont think a trick offense is going to take us anywhere close to what sac had ten years ago as our pieces arent as balanced as theirs was starting with a youthful penetrating aggressive point guard who could play d with a good basketball iq head on his shoulders and a legit center and legit pf that could pass the rock to the wiz who blew up internally and the sixers last year that didnt buy into it.not to forget the coach may not be as good or as experienced as in sac. got to take my man samuel’s attitude of “show me first” to that like the state before i believe it. we are real good but like any real good team could go backwards in a hurry. the nba is a tough league from what i hear, pretty competitive.
JeJe
September 5th, 2010
12:05 pm
LOL @ J-Craw telling the Boston Globe he won’t request a trade.
I guess our writers couldn’t get that answer out of him.
*Waiting for the next Al Horford update*
LOL @ no update on Bibby or Marvin or Smoove
Good job, guys
doc
September 5th, 2010
1:43 pm
yeah truthspitter that spit had a bit more venom than usual in that one, kind of raised an eyebrow for me. glad your loose rocker is back in place.
O'Brien
September 5th, 2010
1:59 pm
Doc,
I’m with you on the PG issue. I Would have liked to bring in a 3rd PG because teague is unproven, and bibby is old and declining.
However, I don’t want Jamal playing PG. I want him playing SG. If the ASG were willing to spend the Money, I would prefer to keep Jamal.
However, given their financial limitations, Jamal is our best chance at upgrading the bench. Maybe he could have brought in a backup SF and a backup PF. Maybe he could bring us a backup center and a draft pick.
JSS
September 5th, 2010
1:59 pm
Well, I’m not going to moan about what we have (or don’t have)…
@ Michael Cunningham…
Has the Hawks front office given you any time frame on when they are going solidify their camp invitees? Thanks
doc
September 5th, 2010
2:31 pm
o’b, i thought we did that, upgrade the bench that is. dont we have the lakers 8th guy off the bench now, a former starter for the wiz (not, he even lost a slug fest for it i think, didnt he) and two steals from the draft because LD liked them. that to go with a guy who was a candidate for a reality show about losing weight. it is said he lost a person of fat and now is completely different than before? did i leave any of the upgrades out? where is stackhouse? oh yeah, that was last year when we went to camp with a few spots open. got rid of hunter and brought in mario instead of stack, makes sense dosnt it?
wishing and hoping…. show me = WAHSM …. ASKG
Najeh Davenpoop
September 5th, 2010
4:10 pm
Co-sign Big Ray at 2:29 AM.
JeJe
September 5th, 2010
4:10 pm
LOLOLOL JOE DIDNT EVEN TAKE A PARTIAL PAYCUT.
LOL LBJ, BOSH AND WADE TAKING MILLIONS LESS.
AND 29 YR OLD UNDERACHIEVING JOE KILLS OUR PAYROLL
LOLOLOLOLOLOL
Ken Strickland
September 5th, 2010
5:10 pm
DOC-I had an issue with us relying on Bibby as our only backup PG before I realized in LDrews system, the traditional PG role won’t be required. In his OFF, the PG’s responsibility is to initiate the OFF, not run it. JJ, both Crawfords and Pape Sy can initiate our OFF, in addition to Bibby and Teague.
Drew seems to be designed to take advantage of the passing skills of our front line players, not just our PG and other back court players. This roster indicates we’re going to be a team that features speed, quickness, versatility, ball and player movement.
Before last yr, the Suns had one of the shortest and smallest NBA teams in the last 20+yrs, and they used speed, quickness, versatility, ball and player movement to successfully compete against bigger and taller teams. The hawks will be bigger, taller, just as quick, fast and versatile.
doc
September 5th, 2010
5:25 pm
ummm without nash and amare, too.
Emir S.
September 5th, 2010
5:50 pm
Give Marvin one more year…seriously. I dont have to bring up the fact of Woodson having no plays for him, to get my point across. Give the guy another year, another chance, another offense.
Stop worrying about the Heat as well. Proven talent…but unproven team. Worry about the Celtics, the Magic, the Bulls and the Bucks.
I’m really intrested to see how the Superfriends manage to keep their ego’s in check. Would love to see Wade sink a 3 pointer at the buzzer in Miami and stand up on the announcers table and yell “This Is My House”. I’d love to see Lebrons and Boshs reactions.
Anyways more importantly, I’m also not convinced by any moves we’ve made so far that tell me we’ve improved anything. I, like many others, beleive something big might be brewing tho!
(Big as in like how we got Jamal last year)
jason
September 5th, 2010
6:00 pm
this is my trade o’ the day.
mo and marv traded to Gs for reggie williams
jason
September 5th, 2010
6:02 pm
updating u all we have signed jamal and will announce to the press before holloween
doc
September 5th, 2010
6:45 pm
thanks jason for the update, before halloween, eh?
Grandad
September 5th, 2010
7:26 pm
jason
What’s your source?
national Examiner
-or-
http://www.grit.com
Grandad
September 5th, 2010
7:33 pm
wordsmithtom – Co-sign @ 7:40 am
An addendum;
heavy minutes [top 6] *contributed to play-off collapse.
Rod from College Park
September 5th, 2010
8:03 pm
“Marvin should do much better in a structured offence. He is a poor ISO player, but he’s the same size as Smith and Horf. He creates mismatches for smaller 3’s if he’s in position to take advantage of them. A 240 lb 3 cutting to the hole is no fun when you’re 6-5 or so trying to stop him.”
When I continue to see dumb comments and excuses made for Marvin Williams it really amazes me. Marvin has never been a mismatch for anyone. Teams actually defended him with the likes of OJ Mayo and Kirk Hinrich. You don’t have to stop him going to the hole because most of the time, he will stop himself by stumbling over his own feet. Good basketball players can adapt to any system, and make their presence felt. Marv is like the goofy stepchild on this team. None of the players on the team have any confidence in his game, and he is so timid and cowardly, that he will never demand any respect. I wish we would have signed Shaq, because I know he would have called Marvin out this year. Nobody else on this team has the balls to call him out.
Doc,
I agree. Don’t know what all this Jamal hate is about. He is easily the second or third player best player on the team, and one of the only guys who can actually create his own shot.
KevinM
September 5th, 2010
9:09 pm
Prediction: we get a 2nd rounder for Jamal.
Can’t wait to see Pape Sy initiate this offense that comes from one year with Eddie Jordan, who by the way was a huge mistake his last 2 hires.
Be careful who you associate LD with; not a lot of success there.
JSS
September 5th, 2010
9:20 pm
How those Ladies!!!! Come home and finish them off!!! Go Dream!