Atlanta Hawks: Media day musings
Jamal was happy to see L.D. at least. (Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com)
A few notes from my rounds today during the official unveiling of your 2010-11 Atlanta Hawks . . .
Jamal
Jamal was there, though I wouldn’t say he was exactly thrilled. Jamal said he “loves it” in Atlanta and wants to stay for the long term. He didn’t really address the contract situation or the trade demand directly but it didn’t take much reading between the lines to figure out what he’s feeling.
Does he think he will be in Atlanta for the near future?
“I honestly don’t know. I would love to work something out and be here long term. Last year I would have thought this was home and I’m part of the team’s future. But if it doesn’t work out that way I guess we will just have to cross that bridge when we get there.”
Does he want a trade if he doesn’t get the extension?
” I don’t want to talk about that. I will leave that up to Rick [Sund] and my agent to talk about.”
Does he feel disrespected by the lack of an extension?
“I wouldn’t say that. It’s not to that point yet. I know these things take time. I’ll just be patient and go with the flow.”
Does he have a deadline by which he wants an offer?
“Not an exact timeline.”
Does he want an offer before the start of the season?
“That would be very nice.”
How much does the uncertainty with the expiring CBA play into his situation?
“A lot of it has to do with it. With the CBA, there is no telling what [happens].”
J.J.
This was the first time he’s faced the full media contingent since the end of last season. Similar to my interview with him after he signed his contract, J.J. didn’t seem concerned about any fallout from his comments about fans during the Orlando series.
Is he worried about how fans will perceive him?
“Not at all.”
Does he think fans will “forgive and forget?”
“I hope so. But all I’m going to do is come out and play hard and help us win.”
My feeling is that, no matter how many times or ways he’s asked about this issue, an apology or expression of regret isn’t coming from J.J.
Joe said he still believes the Hawks are among the best teams in the East. He said last season was a “great season, and I’m looking forward to an even better season.”
J.J. said he’s not concerned about the Heat. Asked what he thinks about the team they’ve assembled, J.J. pointedly said: “I haven’t seen them play yet.” It’s a good point.
He said he’s excited about L.D.’s new offense because “it will help us all out.” I asked him if he has any reluctance to alter his game after so many years of personal success with that style: “I’m going to be able to adapt to whatever L.D. has for us.”
Smoove
Josh worked this summer with NBA trainer Idan Ravin.
“He pushed me. We worked on various things: ballhandling, the midrange jump shot. And whenever I got an opportunity to play 5-on-5 I worked on making better decisions on the floor. I know it’s just pickup but when you get in that situation and really work on things you are not so strong at.”
Mo Evans
He’s still not ready to play after surgery to clean out cartilage in his right knee. Mo said it would be about another two weeks before he can do court work. Right now his focus is on building strength.
Mo said training camp is about preparation but, as a vet, he’s not too worried about missing time.
“I don’t think they are trying to see what they’ve got in Mo Evans,” he joked.
Zaza
He played 14 games in international competition for his native Georgia and is proud that his country qualified for the European Championships for the first time in any team sport. Zaza, the national team’s captain, said he always comes back feeling energized and confident from being The Man.
Zaza said he also comes to camp with a better attitude after he butted heads with Woody over playing the last couple years.
“I’m getting my confidence back,” he said. “It wasn’t a great year for me last year. After talking to L.D., I’ve cleared out my mind.”
Jason Collins
He is indeed noticeably slimmer–Zaza joked that Collins was motivated by the new slim-fitting unis. Twin said his regiment included a modified diet, cardio and weights.
Collins said he’s looking forward to L.D. deploying a deeper “bigs” rotation.
“That sounds great to me,” he said. “It also will allow Horford to play some power forward. Josh won’t have so many minutes and can be fresh for the playoffs.”
L.D.
Conditioning is going to be a major focus for camp. L.D. is timing players in the mile today.
“If they don’t make their time, they’ve got a lot of extra conditioning,” he said.
(An aside: I told L.D. I ran a mile in 7:29 the other day and he wasn’t impressed. “You’ve got to be in the sixes.” Dang.)
Drew said he’s confident he can install all of his offensive system and defensive coverages by the time the season starts.
Drew said he hired Nick Van Exel as a player development coach in large part to work with Teague:
““The intriguing thing with him is he is not far removed from the game. He had a great career. As everyone remembers, he played with an edge [and] played with a kind of chip on his shoulder. I told him that’s his job with Jeff Teague is to get him to play more with an edge every time he steps out on the floor. I know from when I seen him working with Jeff and staying in Jeff’s ear, I can see it rubbing off a little bit.”
MC
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139 comments Add your comment
tom
September 27th, 2010
7:33 pm
it’s finally here!
bigdave
September 27th, 2010
7:38 pm
last thing we need on the court is a trigger happy cancer who cant defend.. if he wants to play Jekyll and Hyde ship him out. asap.
bigdave
September 27th, 2010
7:38 pm
or rebound.
josh
September 27th, 2010
7:43 pm
im anxious to see how these few changes will help the team
tb
September 27th, 2010
7:47 pm
What have Marvin Williams done to improve from Last year.
Dajackyl
September 27th, 2010
7:54 pm
Sixth! Finally We can Talk about some meaningful Basketball the sweet sweet sweet Game!
Hawksfan
September 27th, 2010
8:09 pm
Jamal went over board on the tats
Show me state
September 27th, 2010
8:21 pm
Can’t wait for the season to start…i plan on being in memphis for the season opener…
MC, are u going to be in memphis for the season opener?
Section 303
September 27th, 2010
8:26 pm
Nice stuff, Michael.
I read the book The Art of the Beautiful Game, by Chris Ballard. He has an entire chapter in there about Idan Ravin. Ballard wrote about Ravin calling out LeBron James the first time James came to workout. Would love to know what he said to Josh Smith.
Joe is still a douchebag I see…good to know that didn’t change over the summer.
northcyde
September 27th, 2010
8:33 pm
Let’s see if this entry by MC will peak interest. There’s enough here for everybody to latch on to.
truthspitter
September 27th, 2010
8:43 pm
Nothing really excites me about this team. If Nick Van Exel was still playing I would be really excited. Teague will never be as good as Nick the Quick was in his prime.
dstdeelite
September 27th, 2010
8:48 pm
Did I miss something? Who the hell is Evan Brock?
dstdeelite
September 27th, 2010
8:49 pm
At this point, why would JJ apologize? He’s rich, biotch!!!
ILL-Logical
September 27th, 2010
8:49 pm
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/09/27/sports/basketball/AP-BKN-Hawks-Camp.html?hp
Interesting take on Jeff Teague and Mike Bibby.
Grandad
September 27th, 2010
8:50 pm
Snidely Whiplash – aka [northcyde]
I’m interested in basketball year ’round,
day and night,
weekends & holidays!
Section 303
September 27th, 2010
8:50 pm
I got my season tickets today, too, by the way! Always exciting when the season ticket box arrives at my work place!
Grandad
September 27th, 2010
8:55 pm
As for Jamal;
I think he is sincere & really wants to be here.
My hope is for something to work out.
Michael Cunningham
September 27th, 2010
8:55 pm
@ Show me state: “MC, are u going to be in memphis for the season opener?”
yes
northcyde
September 27th, 2010
8:56 pm
LOL @ 303 . . still sore I see. You’ll get your chance to boo JJ on opening night, when only 14,000 will show up ( lol . . it better be more than that ).
If JJ is a douchebag, all of those fans who started boo in the 1st quarter of game 3, when the game wasn’t even out of reach yet, are douchebags too. Or at the very least, they’re the water in the douchebag.
Michael Cunningham
September 27th, 2010
8:57 pm
@ josh: “im anxious to see how these few changes will help the team”
“curious” is the word i used while shooting the stuff with people today. it’s going to be interesting.
dstdeelite
September 27th, 2010
9:03 pm
Why do people hate on JC for wanting to get paid? Like it or not, he’s earned a pay increase. How much? I can’t answer that, but I’m not mad at the man for asking.
lewis
September 27th, 2010
9:09 pm
jamal hasn’t earned a pay increase. He’s worth like 6-7m a year tops
shaqtus thorns
September 27th, 2010
9:14 pm
I dont know about JC1 getting a raise, he’s already well paid. I’d say he deserves an extension of 2 years with a team option third. It probably won’t happen though, as he’s more valuable at the trade deadline with his expiring deal….
dap01
September 27th, 2010
9:19 pm
Jamal is playing for $10,000,000 this year. He is not underpaid. He does not deserve one dime more than the contract that he signed. I say trade him to the Clippers and let him feel respected as he gets his 21 points and 31 wins.
When you sign a contract you and the club are only obligated for the years of the contract. There is no disrespecting if you are extended.
Sickening.
bigdave
September 27th, 2010
9:25 pm
“Why do people hate on JC for wanting to get paid?”
oh trust, im all for these guys getting their due check but, pay me or trade me..? to a team (potentially less talented) that probably isnt gonna pay you til the summer anyway.. timing was a bit odd; seems a bit tacky, i just dont see his leverage.. especially given the commitments made this summer and those needed to be made next or sooner..
UGA
September 27th, 2010
9:29 pm
MC: Who will play the 3 during the abscence of Mo? SY?
northcyde
September 27th, 2010
9:38 pm
Jamal knows that his stock is highest right now. If he can secure 3 or 4 more years before the new CBA comes out, it’ll benefit him. But we must take care of Al first. And Jamal knows this.
If we hold onto Jamal, the worst case scenario is that last year ( whcih was a career best season ) was a fluke, and he reverts back to his 40% FG career shooting normal self. If that happens, his stock will go down, and we’ll get less for him.
LOL @ Grandad . . . Oh no sir . . you were Snidley in that last blog. You and your henchmen tried to kidnap MC, and tie him to a railroad track so that a train could run over him. Fortunately, MC escaped your clutches, with the assistance of some of our Dudley Blog-Right posters on here. They weren’t about to let that train run over MC.
ant banks
September 27th, 2010
9:43 pm
mc,
did you get a chance to talk to jordan crawford? would love to know what the “new rook” thinks.
Swatguy
September 27th, 2010
9:44 pm
You are staggering the info MC. WHen is Sund’s contract up? Are the Assistant GM’s still interviewing? Waiting on Marvin,Al, Etan, Pape and Bibs day.
Section 303
September 27th, 2010
9:44 pm
northcyde, I’m not going to boo him. He is not worth the energy. Plus, I have a feeling there will be plenty from the other 13,999 announced fans to boo him.
And, the Hawks deserved the booing they got in game 3. Josh just standing and watching Lewis get a loose ball, Bibby just halfway stretching to tip a pass…..oh, skip it.
Section 303
September 27th, 2010
9:47 pm
Not sure where I stand on the Jamal thing. I understand his situation. The CBA will change. He wants security. On the other hand, he is making $10,000,000. If he plays the “I’m disrespected” card, he can go F himself.
I’m hoping he does not do that, though. He seems like a good dude, even if he is a former University of Michigan player.
Swatguy
September 27th, 2010
9:49 pm
‘Cyde you were hating on Jamal last year this time and it was for not. Jamal is a baller even if you will not admit you were wrong about him. He has earned an extention, he was the difference last season as others disappointed.
Big Ray
September 27th, 2010
9:56 pm
I don’t give a rat’s hindquarters about Joe’s comments to the fans. So what? He doesn’t know us, and we don’t know him. Joe’s got 124 million reasons to not give a rip about the guys in the stands. Fact is, you can rip the fans all you want. Joe can say what he wants. Does the team need fan support? Sure. It wouldn’t kill Joe to say that. No apology needed, but tell the fans you need their support. What would it hurt? Nobody says you have to, but it might actually encourage fan support.
In the meantime, what Joe says (or rather, doesn’t say) won’t have squat to do with how much support I give the team. And the real douchebag part of him was how he played through the majority of the playoffs, most specifically the 2nd round. Spin that how ya want, compare it to Jamal Crawford for the purpose of distracting and pointing the finger elsewhere. Whatever. The team failed, as did the $124 million dollar team captain. I don’t want to see that again, is what I know.
Funny how the Woodson effect still resonates. Zaza coming to camp with a much better attitude without Woody around, and having talked with Larry Drew. Makes me think two things:
1) As if you needed more proof that there were serious issues with Woodson and his style, and that the fans weren’t making this ish up (as some loved to claim), well there you go. I always thought Zaza had one of the better attitudes and work ethics on the team.
2) Zaza joins a contingent of guys who will no longer be able to blame Woodson for failure. If Zaza doesn’t get the job done, or doesn’t get the minutes, people will be a lot slower this time to throw this on the coach. Zaza must produce. Or show himself to be a hypocrite. Ya hear that, Mr. Mo Evans?
Big Ray
September 27th, 2010
9:59 pm
Let’s see if this entry by MC will peak interest. There’s enough here for everybody to latch on to.
Heh, heh, heh. Methinks you had no intentions of latching onto anything MC had to say. I think you waited for a chance to waylay a blogger….
SteveW
September 27th, 2010
10:00 pm
I like Jamal, and he’s my favorite backcourt player. That being said, the realities of the NBA are such, I don’t see how Jamal makes a 3 year 12mil. deal after this one expires with the Hawks. We just don’t have the salary space, especially with the new CBA evidentley making cap space even more scarce. We need to sign Al 1st, and if he gets between 11-13 m which most expect, we have 63-65 mil. committed before Jamal – that from JJ, Smoove, Al, ZaZa, Marvin, Bibby, Teague, and JC2 – 8 players. We have to sign 5 more players minimum. That’s why I see Sy (2nd rd. money) an extra 2nd pick from the Suns (2nd round money for that pick) as moves that were made – we have to fill out our roster next season on the cheap.
It’s not that I don’t like Jamal, I do, but are budget is toast for next season. If ASG was Mark Cuban or Arthur Blank, I would say he would be re-signed. But with our current financial restraints, I don’t see how. Hope he plays like crazy for us this year, and the Nets Russian billionare severely overpays for him next summer.
MsDee
September 27th, 2010
10:00 pm
MC,
I’m curious too how was JC2 and Pape Sy? Anything interesting to write about on those guys today?
Swatguy
September 27th, 2010
10:10 pm
ASG needs to pony up and move into the luxery suite(Cap Wise) like the other Elite teams. Sign Jamal now and match anyone that offers a contract to Al. McDavid might be willing to pay for the suite.
Big Ray
September 27th, 2010
10:10 pm
Not likely. They don’t start doing anything physical until tomorrow.
SteveW
September 27th, 2010
10:12 pm
This year we don’t have a single guy making mid/late 2nd round or DLeague FA type money (under $500,000.00 per). Everybody is over a mill, even though for vet min. guys the Hawks get a rebate from the League back for any amount over $894,000.00. Next season, don’t be surprised to see Sy, and maybe a couple of other 2nd pick or FA types make the squad (like Siler or Aminu). It saves on cash.
Our total salary commitment for next season is $51,606,550.00 – This is before signing Al Horford, and assuming we pick up Teague’s option for $1,579,920.
SteveW
September 27th, 2010
10:13 pm
And by this year, I’m assuming Sy goes to DLeague, if not, he would be that 2nd round money player. Brilliant move to get him over here. If Mo’s knee doesn’t heal, we have a cheap replacement.
SteveW
September 27th, 2010
10:21 pm
ATL is still 1.423m under luxury tax for this year – we got enough for one more player (1 more roster spot open).
That may be one reason why we have those 3 camp invites here – seeing if any of them could make the squad on the cheap next year.
And we can complain all we want, but on a micro level, Sund and staff have done a masterful job constructing this team and keeping it under tax. The more I have studied the contracts, length’s of contracts, when they expire, why they traded, drafted, obtained when and what they did, there is alot more going on than meets the eye sometimes.
Jamal and Mo’ come off the books in time to sign Al.
Bibby and ZaZa come off the books in time to re-sign Smoove
SteveW
September 27th, 2010
10:25 pm
And Teague (added to the end of the last post). We draft JC2 A) Not knowing for sure we re-sign JJ B) As a replacement for Jamal, and give him a year in the system.
Sy great replacement potential for Mo’ on the cheap. Gladyr is also in the mix. PF’s being auditioned to back up Smoove on the cheap at this camp. A lot of good stuff is happening – these guys know what they’re doing, even if we as fans don’t think so sometimes.
MsDee
September 27th, 2010
10:31 pm
Oh and by-da-way, did u guys see J Collins?? It would be truly disrespect to call him Cheeseburger now!! Dude havent seen a cheeseburger all off-season.
@Big Ray, “Funny how the Woodson effect still resonates. Zaza coming to camp with a much better attitude without Woody around, and having talked with Larry Drew. Makes me think two things:”
Let me add 1 more thing to your list, this one toward JCollins..3) JCollins was told by LD what he expects for him and was also told he would have a much bigger role on the team than what Woodson had for him. JCollins knew what he needed to do and went out and made it happen by losing the necessary weight needed inorder to run LD’s new offense.
I’m excited about the new team because of what LD plans are for this team!!
Oh and I’m kool with Joe ‘no punk’ apology to the fans cause he owns none to us. He nevered disrespected the fans, he called out his-self and his teammates that what was more important was not the fans in the crowd but them on the court! And he was correct!! Now if he would have come crying to the fans for forgiveness, fans would still find a way to say, oh he’s a punk for crying to the fans.. Mann he cant win for losing.
SteveW
September 27th, 2010
10:35 pm
I should add – Gladyr is in the mix as a 5th guard/shooter off the bench for next season.
Big Ray
September 27th, 2010
10:46 pm
Ms Dee ,
I think I agree with your whole post.
N.D.T.K.A.
September 27th, 2010
10:47 pm
Ahh! The fresh smell of autumn leaves, cooler fall weather, and Media Day and training camp for the Hawks!! Thanks for the updates MC!!
I also would like to hear some comments from Jordan Crawford and Pape Sy.
J.J. is not going to apologize because he has put last season behind him and is moving forward with this season – sounds like a positive attitude to me.
Glad to hear about Smoove working with an NBA trainer and especially with his decision making – sounds good.
Jamal Crawford I think I am somewhat torn about his situation. On the one hand he seems to be a pretty good guy and knows what to say (politically correct)and is a heck of a sixth man. On the other hand, as has already been stated we can’t afford to pay him the kind of money he is looking for in any type of long term deal, unless Hawks get rid of someone which is unlikely.
My guess is that Jamal will be gone around the trade deadline this year, hope we get something good in return for him. Maybe his next team will give him that contract he’s looking for.
I am also curios to see how Bibby and Jason Collins perform this season in L. Drew’s system? It requires alot of conditioning: Bibby seems to have a set of bad wheels and Collins just seems lazy although he has lost some weight.
I thinks Nick the Quick will be good for Teague. Nick was a fearless player and if some of that rubs off on Teague Hswks might be in good shape this season.
Oh well, just some random thoughts.
niremetal
September 27th, 2010
10:52 pm
Dear Jamal,
You know that expiring CBA? I’ll let you in on a little secret. The NBA teams know about it too. Yeah, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you aren’t the only one who sees it coming. That means they also know that any amount they pay you now is more than you could ever pray to get on the open market next year. In other words, holding out or pouting will not accomplish anything, because there is not one single damned team in the NBA who would be dumb enough to give you a big-money extension right before the CBA expires.
Oh, and if your agents are telling you otherwise – fire them.
Sincerely,
niremetal
drmaryb (*_*)
September 27th, 2010
11:06 pm
Fire it Up!
Ms. Dee,
You throwing seven kinds of smoke! I don’t know who supplied
You? But, I got 5ive on it!
Your entire post was excellent, cogent, filled with passion and
heart. You giving me goose bumps and I nominate you for:
MVP (most valuable poster)
Swatguy
September 27th, 2010
11:26 pm
@niremetal
You and some are missing the important thing. We do not need to lose Jamal. You see, Jamal is not the type of player to shrink as we have seen in Marvin, Joe, Mo and Teague. Jamal is not the enemy, he is weapon needed not turned away. Sign him for a reasonable contract and go forward. run the disappointments away.
Hmmm
September 27th, 2010
11:30 pm
“He’s still not ready to play after surgery to clean out cartilage in his right knee. ”
Oh? When did this happen? It’s offical, Pape Sy Just took Mo’s backup SF minutes. smh good riddance. Now all we need is for Bibby to fake another thumb or heel injury so JC2 can take his rightful place in the rotation.
i_am_soulstar
September 27th, 2010
11:45 pm
Idan Ravin AKA The Hoops Whisperer.. Good for you Josh, hope it shows in your game
Hmmm
September 27th, 2010
11:47 pm
Joe Johnson has absolutely no reason to apologise! Why Should he? You should know the cat well enough to know what he meant when he said what he said.
All he meant was that it didn’t matter what the fans thought because at the end of the day you can’t use the fans as motivation to go out and perform to the best of your ability on your job. You’ve got to suck it up regardless of the situation and play ball. He was ALREADY pissed at himself & the team wasn’t happy about the loss either (unless you think JJ& co. are just that pamperd and cold hearted).
All he said was, REGARDLESS of whats going on in the arena etc. IT DOESNT MATTER we have to go out there and execute.
Give it a rest PPL, y’all know what his mute behiend meant smh…
Hmmm
September 27th, 2010
11:49 pm
It’s called having an Internal Locus of Control.
Will Sevidal
September 27th, 2010
11:56 pm
It’s nice to hear about Josh Smith working out with Idan Ravin this summer. I remember seeing a “Real NBA” segment on him on NBA TV, and I remember wishing that one of our guys would contact him.
I’m really anxious to see what Teague has in store for us. He has a lot of people who’s guiding him like Bibby, Joe, Van Exel, and Coach Drew. His work ethic and his willingness to improve and listen is going to be the factor of how he develops as a point guard…and from what we’ve read, he is a gym rat. This team has so many “UNKNOWNS” and Teague is one of them.
htttp://www.thehighlightfactory.net
Sleepy
September 28th, 2010
12:08 am
So Jamal is a cancer and sucks because he ACTUALLY WANTS TO STAY IN ATL LONGTERM . And we wonder why no one would even considering coming to play here ?
There is nothing wrong with jamal said or is doing
there is nothing wrong with the way Sund has handled it
Its just business.
bigdave
September 28th, 2010
12:22 am
Jamal wants a check long term.. and he says if we (ATL) does’nt give it to him, this season, then trade him..
im not sure what about that say’s he wants to be here.. anything after that is simple politics.
The Truth
September 28th, 2010
12:23 am
“Josh worked this summer with NBA trainer Idan Ravin.”
Idan Ravin NBA clients have included Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Gilbert Arenas, and Elton Brand. To me, this speaks volume about Josh seriousness to improve his game.
This is also an illustration of my point from the previous blog about Marvin. Since I didn’t hear Marvin say anything like being professionally trained like Josh, you could assume otherwise. By default, it becomes obvious that he took the ad hoc approach and work hard at playing pickup games on his own. He states:
“I just continue to do the things I’ve been doing: shooting the ball, try to get quicker guarding the ball, trying to handle the ball. Just try to stay consistent. I’ve got to work on being consistent this year. I think that is my biggest thing.”
It’s well known that Marvin is a “cheapscape” when it comes to spending his own money. Even during a recent audio interview with Marvin, the commentator teased him for not giving his brother a $200 loan. Even though it was a joke, it revealed how tight he can be with his money. I hope there is no connection here with any reluctance by him to invest money to improve his game. Marvin should have followed Josh lead and hire a professional trainer. He is beyond just working out with his dad in the gym (as was reported last year).
The Truth
September 28th, 2010
12:42 am
A trivial:
Which one is it? Is Pape Sy a Guard @ 6′-6″ 185 lbs as reported from the TRAINING CAMP ROSTER or is he a F-G @ 6′-7″ 225 lbs from the OFFICAL TEAM ROSTER?
MsDee
September 28th, 2010
12:51 am
Dr Mary,
Thx girl…I got goose bumps just writing it cause I just dont understand why so many people continue to dogg Joe on comments he made about themselves and not the fans. Fans just choose to hear what they want to hear and expect players to look like punks and ask for forgiveness..well it doesnt work that way with Joe and it said alot about him and I LIKED IT. This man is a millionaire and he would have lost a whole lot of cool-points if he would had satisfied some fans who would or could never be satisfied.
MsDee
September 28th, 2010
1:01 am
Now this thing with Jamal is mind-blogging. Jamal is truly a huge weapon for us just like what Swatguy said but he MUST realize that, just like what niremetal said, other teams are aware of the CBA next season too. He also needs to understand that Horford is one of 3 MAIN players on this team and if he cant understand that, then maybe he should go because we dont need anybody w/o common sense on this team!! What should be most important to him right now is to play his BUTT OFF on offense & defense to get that extension from us. Rick Sund holds all the cards right now. Jamal needs to put the pressure back in Rick Sund’s hand to make him give him that extension cause if he doesnt, he loses a HUGE WEAPON for this team!
MsDee
September 28th, 2010
1:21 am
I know some fans dont have the confidence that I have for LD’s system and this team but let’s just dream a little for me, come join me for a second in fantasy land shall we…
Let’s say the Hawks defy all olds and beat the SuperFriends 3 out of 4 times(may lose that 1st game there on Dec4th but is possible to win the rest since the next game is on Jan 18, plenty of time to be prepared for them and the last 2 at home twd end of season), beat Orlando 3 out of 4 times(which is possible cause at 1 point, we used to own Orlando. We just need that confidence back) and sweep Boston again (which is truly possible since they have gotten 2 players OLDER and can run them off the court with LD’s OFFENSE). Rick Sund wont have NO CHOICE but to give Jamal that extension if he does what I mentioned earlier and play his BUTT OFF cause everyone would have accomplished their goals with LD’s plan of offense!!!! “I’M SO EXCITED…AND I JUST CANT FIGHT IT..I’M ABOUT TO LOSE CONTROL AND I THINK I LIKE IT..GOOO HAWKS!!”
PS=Mann I need to lay off the coffee 2night!! LOL
JSS
September 28th, 2010
1:30 am
As many ponder the role regarding Joe Johnson and who will be the leader when vocal leadership is needed… Ponder the following if you might…
http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_basketball_heat/2010/09/will-chris-bosh-be-a-silent-partner.html
In setting up his own team’s season, Raptors coach Jay Triano also offered a potential clue to how the Heat’s season might set up beyond the court.
“When you talk about Chris being the leader in the locker room,” Triano told a Toronto radio station, “I think it’s the one thing that he wasn’t for us.
“He did a great job of getting 24 points and 10, 11 rebounds on a regular basis, but Chris did not really take the leadership role into the locker room. He’s not a vocal person; he’s not a guy who really did that.” [...]
“I think in the years that he’s been here,” Triano said, “he’s almost deferred to different people.
“Everybody kind of waited for him to take the reins last year and it could’ve been part of the issues we had.”
Does that sound familiar at all Atlanta fans?
vava74
September 28th, 2010
2:58 am
Hmmm
September 27th, 2010
11:47 pm
Cosign!
leedsatlanta
September 28th, 2010
4:32 am
MC, who are the three new rookies listed on the roster?
Whats with all the pictures of Evan Brock, but no mention of him in the article?
leedsatlanta
September 28th, 2010
4:34 am
Ok I found out myself!
HAWKS ANNOUNCE 2010 TRAINING CAMP ROSTER
Media Day Activities set for Monday at 3 p.m., First Practice Set for Tuesday at 9 a.m.
ATLANTA, GA (October 24, 2010) — The Atlanta Hawks today announced their roster for training camp, which tips off Monday with media day activities at 3 p.m. on the Philips Arena practice court. With invitations to Evan Brock, Richard Delk and Ricardo Marsh, the team’s 17-man camp roster is complete.
A native of Marietta, GA (Lassiter HS), Brock played four years at the University of Alabama (2002-06), before playing in South Korea and Venezuela the last two years. Delk recently wrapped up his college career with two seasons at Troy following two years at Mississippi State. He is the nephew of former Hawk Tony Delk. Marsh has played internationally (Croatia, Latvia, Turkey, Israel and Japan) following a four-year career at Old Dominion University (1999-2003).
leedsatlanta
September 28th, 2010
4:40 am
Evan Brock, F, Alabama – It isn’t often that a training camp invite catches me completely by surprise, but the invitation of the 26-year-old Brock did just that.
Career History: Brock’s four-year career at Alabama included career highs of 3.8 points and 2.8 rebounds – not exactly numbers that blow my socks off. Brock then played in the very lightly regarded WBA for the Gwinnett Ravia Rebels, a team based in Gwinnett, GA, where he’d average 25 points and 8.5 rebounds while garnering Rookie of the Year and All-WBA First Team Honors in 2007. Since then, Brock’s played three seasons in Venezuela along with a tour of duty in South Korea with the Seoul “Samsung Thunders”. Along with his WBA Awards, Brock has also been a two-time Venezuelan All-Star as well as being named to the All-Defensive team and All-Venezuelan Second Team in 2009 (statistics unavailable).
Highlights: I’d like to propose Brock’s nickname to be “The Next Human Highlight Reel (when playing against terrible defense in Latin America).” For video evidence, refer to this in-game drive and dunk, his array of dunks in the Venezuelan Dunk Contest (he won) and this highlight reel where the creator spelled his name wrong. He also has a Twitter account, but he hasn’t told anyone he’s going to camp with the Hawks, though.
Outlook: Brock really probably has zero chance of making the Atlanta Hawks roster as I suspect that his being a Georgia native along with his connection to the WBA, a league the new Utah Flash coach has previously coached in, was what earned him this roster spot. Still, there is a roster spot available if the Hawks really wanted to fill it and crazier things have probably have happened (see: infatuation with West, Mario).
Richard Delk, SG, Troy – He’s the nephew of Tony Delk which, ya know, is something.
Career History: There is some raw talent with Delk as he was ranked 86th nationally as a prep senior by Rivals.com before deciding to attend Mississippi State with his twin brother Reginald. After his sophomore year, Delk decided to transfer to Troy when his brother switched to Louisville. Delk’s best college season came as a Troy Trojan came during his junior year when he averaged 13.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals. This past season, as a senior, those numbers dropped slightly across the board. He started all 55 games while at Troy.
Highlights: Lucky for me, and you I guess, Delk has an 8 minute, 47 second senior-year highlight clip available on Youtube. In it, he displays a good feel around the basket and hits some three-pointers, but there wasn’t much to see in regards to him slashing. I like his style, though – reminds me a bit of Sonny Weems.
Outlook: Once again, Delk’s probably not going to make the roster for the Hawks out of training camp but he looks like he might be able to be a solid contributor for the Utah Flash in the D-League provided he goes that route. And, if he’s able to up his percentages from beyond the arc (33.3%) and free-throw line (59.4%), there’s always a chance the Hawks would call him up midseason if there are injury problems. I mean, he can’t be that much worse than Mario West, can he?
Ricardo Marsh, F, Old Dominion – Marsh hasn’t played in the USA since 2003, his senior season at Old Dominion – not even participating in a Summer League since then.
Career History: Timely enough, Marsh recently broke down his career history on his blog so I’m just going to skim over this. Marsh has spent the majority of his career playing in Turkey, but also has played in Japan, Israel (where he led the league in scoring during the 2006-2007 season), Latvia, Ukraine and Croatia. Most recently, Marsh was named to the All-Croatian First Team as well as the All-Imports team.
Highlights: None available, unfortunately.
Outlook: It seems that Marsh has played as an undersized power forward for the most part during his European career, but at just 6-foot-7, I have to assume the Hawks will probably play him on the wing a bit as well. Regardless, his hopes of making it out of training camp are probably slim but he’s another player that could end up beginning the regular season with the Utah Flash.
Rev in Tampa
September 28th, 2010
4:56 am
leedsatlanta, thanks for all the work putting that together. Good job and much appreciated!
JustAThought
September 28th, 2010
6:49 am
Hey Ray! Thanks for giving me the word I needed to describe my feelings about the hawks and this organization………….”douchebags” Every last one of them!
jason
September 28th, 2010
8:21 am
if mo is out with an injury, i think we should give jordan crawford mre minutes.
GeeMack
September 28th, 2010
8:28 am
MC
This Jamal Crawford thing really sucks. Does he really think he will get a 10 million dollar extention from any playoff contender? Based on his comment he really don’t want to be here, and I think he will be a distraction if he’s not traded before the season.
The Truth
September 28th, 2010
8:50 am
Jamal Crawford comments from his own words: Sounds like a player that really wants to here:
“I wasn’t close to not coming or anything but it was hard to get on that plane and come here,” Crawford said, repeating the word “hard” five times to make his point. “It really was. Because I’m in a weird space. I waited 10 years to get here, helping my team to one of the best home records in the league, snagging home court advantage and making the playoffs for the first time while helping the team to one of the best records in franchise history. It’s hard to be a part of all that and then feel like you are not a part of the future. But I’m a professional. And I need to make this clear, I want to be here, I want to be an Atlanta Hawk.If I’m not a part of the plan going forward, then that’s a conversation we need to have later.”
The Truth
September 28th, 2010
8:53 am
“Sounds like a player that really wants to be here:”
Michael Cunningham
September 28th, 2010
8:54 am
@UGA: “MC: Who will play the 3 during the abscence of Mo? SY?”
i’m guessing L.D. will mix and match with J.J. and Josh playing some 3 when the other reserve guards come in. he was going to experiment with that, anyway.
Michael Cunningham
September 28th, 2010
8:55 am
@ant banks: “mc, did you get a chance to talk to jordan crawford? would love to know what the “new rook” thinks.”
not yesterday
Michael Cunningham
September 28th, 2010
8:57 am
@Swatguy: “You are staggering the info MC. WHen is Sund’s contract up? Are the Assistant GM’s still interviewing? Waiting on Marvin,Al, Etan, Pape and Bibs day.”
yesterday i focused on getting the guys i hadn’t talked to for a while. Bibby slipped out and escaped from the PR people. i will catch up with him today.
if you mean Sund’s staff, no one else is leaving after Rosenberry. Sund’s deal has two years left on it, i believe, meaning through 2011-12.
Michael Cunningham
September 28th, 2010
8:59 am
@MsDee: “MC, I’m curious too how was JC2 and Pape Sy? Anything interesting to write about on those guys today?”
not much interesting for anyone except for the guys with news. i will be writing about everyone as camp unfolds.
Astro Joe
September 28th, 2010
9:01 am
MC, I didn’t see any photos of Etan Thomas… was he there yesterday? Did he appear to be in good shape? Can you give us any other information based on the “eye test”? (Obviously, Collins looks much, much better). Thanks.
Michael Cunningham
September 28th, 2010
9:05 am
@leedsatlanta: “MC, who are the three new rookies listed on the roster? Whats with all the pictures of Evan Brock, but no mention of him in the article?”
Brock is one of three non-roster invitees. Richard Delk and Ricardo Marsh are the others.
patience, blog people. i can’t get to every guy on the first day. you will read about all of them by the end of camp or, really, by the end of this week.
Michael Cunningham
September 28th, 2010
9:07 am
@GeeMack: “MC This Jamal Crawford thing really sucks. Does he really think he will get a 10 million dollar extention from any playoff contender? Based on his comment he really don’t want to be here, and I think he will be a distraction if he’s not traded before the season.”
he would like to sign an extension with the Hawks. if he doesn’t get it, we’ll see if he is disruptive.
JSS
September 28th, 2010
9:08 am
@ Michael Cunningham…
“when i say i don’t care about the Hawks, i mean it doesn’t matter to me on a personal level if they win or lose. if you ask every NBA bear write the same question, i think it would be about 90 percent who feel the same. of course i care what happens with the team because it’s my job to chronicle it. i’m just not a fan, and really i don’t see why that is so controversial.”
Go away for two days and miss all of the action huh (The Marvin blog)?
The thing that most of the younger set missed because they were too young or were not here yet was what happened when the Fratello team of the 80’s imploded. It was just the opposite of the thing that you were criticized for by some. Those being “passion” or a lack personal investment regarding the team or its coaching direction by the local beat writer and the columnist most closely associated with that Hawk team (the late Jeffrey Denberg and then columnist Steve Hummer).
To say that the Denberg-Fratello feud was the thing of legend is a understatement. It was ugly and personal, kinda like Rod from CP and Marvin or Ken S and Woodson in its tone and ferocity. But because it was a professional journalist and a professional basketball coach, lines were crossed which should not have been approached. To his credit, Hummer walked away from the engagement when it became evident that lines were about to be crossed. On the other hand, Denberg and Fratello both went all nuclear and evidently didn’t care who were caught in their cross-fire. The Crack Wars of early 90’s left less residual carnage…
So, I have no problem with your style. As long as I’m getting information and not being fed the party line, it is OK with me.
i_am_soulstar
September 28th, 2010
9:09 am
The likelihood of the Jamal Crawford situation is that he’s an expiring contract and the ASG has drafted his likely replacement in Jordan Crawford. When he comes off the books, a good chunk of Jamal Crawford’s money will go to Al Horford and the rest will go to JJ’s annual raise. I’d be seriously surprised if he were traded or extended. The ASG has no intentions of going over the cap this season or the next. As a fan, I hope I’m wrong, but I’m probably not.
Michael Cunningham
September 28th, 2010
9:12 am
@AJ: “MC, I didn’t see any photos of Etan Thomas… was he there yesterday? Did he appear to be in good shape? Can you give us any other information based on the “eye test”? (Obviously, Collins looks much, much better). Thanks.”
Etan was there. he was looking stacked, as usual. he may have the biggest guns in the league outside of Orlando.
other than Collins, everyone else looked about the same on the eye test. hopefully i will have more info today on the conditioning tests after talking to L.D.
Michael Cunningham
September 28th, 2010
9:25 am
@JSS: thanks for the background. i will have to ask around about the Denberg-Fratello scrap.
you do find the odd beat guy here or there that is a fan of the team, and it’s always kind of weird. i worked with a guy like that in Miami and, IMO, his fandom negatively affected his ability to give a true picture of the team. he would criticize the players he didn’t “like” and protect those he did. he would rip the team because he was “mad” at them for not doing the the things he wanted emotionally as a fan.
he let his emotional attachment to the team sully his professional judgment. in the end, i don’t think that approach serves readers, most of whom i think are looking for someone to tell it straight (and who are smart enough to see through writers who don’t do that). now, when you start talking about college football it might be a different story in a lot of places. the trend i see there is fans who really do want someone who is “for” the team to cover it. you see all the time that when a coach chafes at criticism and it gets public, fans turn on the beat reporter.
i love my Louisville Cardinals but i wouldn’t want the beat guy to be a fan of the team. but that’s just me. i’m lucky in that there is a very good Cardinals fan blog that i can read in addition to the Louisville newspaper if i am looking for that “passionate” perspective. Hawks fans have the same options, with Hoopinion and Peachtree Hoops being prime examples. it’s why i always read those guys and link to their posts. the more perspectives, the better IMO.
The Truth
September 28th, 2010
9:34 am
MC: Can you catch-up with Van Exel and get his assessment of Teague. Does his job include working with any other players?
i_am_soulstar
September 28th, 2010
9:38 am
Al and Jamal will collectively make about 13.6 mil this season.
With the CBA looming, incomplete players like Crawford are less likely to have a wait-and-see attitude if they get a decent offer for an extension.
So if they offer Al 5 years, 60 million, and Crawford accepts an offer of 3 years, 21 million, that’s about 19 million between the two of them depending on contract structure.
Going from 13.6 to 19, the question is “Where can we find 5.4 million dollars?”
Mo Evans’ 2.5 mil comes off the books after this season, and we’ve got a 3.6 mil trade exception. Sund could get creative and make it happen.
But as previously stated, they’re probably just waiting to see if Jordan Crawford can be an inexpensive replacement.
Michael Cunningham
September 28th, 2010
9:38 am
@ The Truth: “MC: Can you catch-up with Van Exel and get his assessment of Teague. Does his job include working with any other players?”
Van Exel is on my list. he is working with all of the perimeters but L.D. has told him to focus on Teague.
Astro Joe
September 28th, 2010
9:45 am
MC, many of the bloggers don’t understand the difference between a columnist and a beat writer. And even though a blog offers a beat writer the opportunity to be a little more opinionated, the blog obviously cannot impede your ability to perform the job of objectively covering a local team. Schultz and Bradley get to take 1-2 quotes and write an opinion piece about the Hawks (or other sports team) but beat writers aren’t afforded the same freedom to express their thoughts. At the same time, those guys don;t have the sinsight of a beat writer because you gyuys are “embedded” with the team. Kind of a strange scenario, the ones with the most info can’t deviate too far from the facts while the ones with the least info get to more subjectively express an opinion.
JSS
September 28th, 2010
9:47 am
@ MC…
Being that you’re a AJC employee, it might serve you better to hit the archives for the 1988, 1989 or 1990 seasons one day. I understand that might be asking a lot because of time. Most are pretty protective of Jeff Denberg’s legacy around the AJC. That is even more the case since he died and suffered so painful of a death from cancer. Reading for yourself gives one a less jaundiced eye as they say. If you ever get around Furman Bisher, you should ask him about Hubie Brown’s departure from Atlanta. It was epic too… Just ask Hubie! All of this makes the Stan Van Gundy purge look like child’s play…
Melvin
September 28th, 2010
9:47 am
Is it me or does Josh Powell look shorter than 6-9?
Teezo
September 28th, 2010
9:52 am
Bruh, you still asking JJ questions about his comments when everyone and their momma knew what he meant…Why does he need to apologize or regret a true statement???…Its time to let that go and if the fans boo him for what happened in the playoffs, they need to boo the WHOLE team for that matter…Just move on, if you’re a true fan you will support the TEAM regarless of what you think of certain players…The more support this team gets the better…I still think this team will be just a good as last season with at least 50 wins…Peace…
GeeMack
September 28th, 2010
9:55 am
MsDee
I don’t think anyone expects to see an apology from JJ.
We want to see him as the leader of the team hold his teammates accountable for not competeing.
When Lakers played bad on Christmas against the Cavs the fans booed them at the Staple Center. Kobe said the fans should have booed them. We have to play better.
When the Cavs got blow out by Boston in the playoff at home the fans booed them, and LeBron said the fans should have booed them the way they played.
JJ complained about the fans not supporting them last year, and when the fans start showing interest, they don’t compete.
GeeMack
September 28th, 2010
9:56 am
Astro Joe
Good Point!
CC
September 28th, 2010
9:58 am
Everybody is excited about L.D’s Offense, way to to get the troops excited, but what about the defense, get them excited about defense, then you will have yourself a contender!
O'Brien
September 28th, 2010
10:00 am
MC,
We would also like an official height and weight of Sy when available.
KevinM
September 28th, 2010
10:18 am
Thanks leeds, never would have found that out from the Hawks organization or the AJC.
Just saw the NBA GameTime coverage on the Hawks……Webber and Sagar aren’t convinced the Hawks are even going to make the playoffs! Haha, now talk about depressing. Webber just pointed out about considering jumping off the bridge if you were a Hawks fan. Joe Johnson got accolades for the $$ only, not for what he has done on the court.
LD was not given all that was needed. That is a fact. The Hawks aren’t exceeding the cap. That is a fact. Not to get after Ms Dee, but the Hawks aren’t beating Orlando or Miami 3 out of 4 times……easier to see it happen in Miami if they clinch a top seed early on. Nothing wrong with having a fantasy though.
I will say nothing wrong with being optimistic but the fan base is more realistic than the management group. They are definitely satisfied with where they are in the team rankings. Everyone in the organization thinks they have gotten over last year’s 2nd round disaster. I think it carries over to this year.
As for the guys stating they had discourse with Woody, its time to step up now. Its called player accountability. Something that hasn’t happened around here.
And my feelings for Joe are about the same as his: shut up and play! Some things you are good at and some you aren’t.
KevinM
September 28th, 2010
10:32 am
i am soulstar, there would be plenty of $$ to sign Jamal and Al if the management on this team had any forward thinking sense. Problem is, here is what we deal with for 2 more years:
Zaza – 2 @ 4M
Bibby – 2 @ 6M
Marvin 4 @ 7M
Those are the 3 crutches to the money in the current cap. Joe doesn’t hurt us for another year or 2.
Don’t blame Jamal; he deserves to want long term security. Why isn’t Sund getting the blame here?
He probably hasn’t said one thing to Jamal…would not surprise me. But since Jamal is under contract for 10M and he is getting paid, I say let him play out the season as well. Its not like we have a lot of options here.
And like Smoove and Joe, I would let Al play out his contract as well and let the CBA be part of the way the rest of the contracts are being signed.
I bet Smoove, Joe and Marvin are just glad they don’t have to deal with the impending CBA changes.
Astro Joe
September 28th, 2010
10:51 am
KevinM, “LD was not given all that was needed. That is a fact. The Hawks aren’t exceeding the cap. That is a fact”.
All of that was true with the previous coach and we made the 2nd round and averaged 50 wins the last 2 seasons. The expectations should be similar (if not better) results.
Michael Cunningham
September 28th, 2010
11:11 am
@Teezo: “Bruh, you still asking JJ questions about his comments when everyone and their momma knew what he meant…Why does he need to apologize or regret a true statement???…Its time to let that go and if the fans boo him for what happened in the playoffs, they need to boo the WHOLE team for that matter…Just move on, if you’re a true fan you will support the TEAM regarless of what you think of certain players…The more support this team gets the better…I still think this team will be just a good as last season with at least 50 wins…Peace…”
well, i didn’t ask him the questions. yesterday was the first time he’s talked to media as a group since last season (i asked him about it soon after he signed his contract) so he got lots of questions about it. i’m not saying he needs to apologize–it makes no difference to me one way or the other, i just cover the story. but i know lots of folks were mad about it, so it’s newsworthy.
Michael Cunningham
September 28th, 2010
11:13 am
@KevinM: “Thanks leeds, never would have found that out from the Hawks organization or the AJC.”
not unless you went to hawks.com or followed me on Twitter. which reminds me: follow me on Twitter!
Michael Cunningham
September 28th, 2010
11:16 am
@AJ: “MC, many of the bloggers don’t understand the difference between a columnist and a beat writer.”
true. there’s a fine line between opinion and analysis sometimes. i will never write “Player X is a bum” but i (hopefully) will provide the insight and analysis that will allow you to conclude that Player X is a bum on your own.
Michael Cunningham
September 28th, 2010
11:17 am
@O’Brien: “MC, We would also like an official height and weight of Sy when available.”
the Hawks said he measured 6-7 at his workout.
The Truth
September 28th, 2010
11:22 am
If Sund doesn’t believe the Jamal drama with show-up in his game then he is even more delusional than I thought. Showing Al some love and making him an extension offer is not unusual for a drafted player that’s a keeper. But rebuffing offers from two teams that would return something for Jamal services if Sund has no plans to resign him is insane. Yes, Sund may hold all the cards now with Jamal but that’s just temporary and he is creating bad blood in the process. The idea of waiting until the trade deadline to trade him make sense if Hawks was a lottery bound team, but the Hawks are trying to prove something in the 2nd round of the playoff. At least that is the spin. Disrupting team chemistry in the middle of the season with big aspiration is “assine”; especially when an 18 ppg SMOY player is involved. If Sund should botch this up, the fans will really want his head as he punctuates his inept.
Macaroni Tony
September 28th, 2010
11:27 am
@Kevin
I don’t care about what Chris Webber, any of these other guys have to say about the Hawks. So we’re a team that has not lost none of its core, and will have a new look on floor is going to only win 30+ games. We beat every team last year but the Thunder. The Hawks will be fine, just fly under the radar and win.
Michael Cunningham
September 28th, 2010
11:28 am
@ The Truth: “Which one is it? Is Pape Sy a Guard @ 6′-6″ 185 lbs as reported from the TRAINING CAMP ROSTER or is he a F-G @ 6′-7″ 225 lbs from the OFFICAL TEAM ROSTER?”
Pape Sy is all things to all people! he is magical! i am looking at the training camp roster, and he is listed as 6-7, 225. i saw his height and weight listed in wide variations before he got here but the Hawks have always listed him as 6-7, 225 as far as i remember.
Astro Joe
September 28th, 2010
11:40 am
“pape Sy is all things to all people”. Well, until I see them in the same room, he is Mario West to me.
Ramon
September 28th, 2010
11:45 am
@ Michael, when LD said you needed to be in the ’sixes’ did you ask him if he thinks Collins will be? Lol. Or Sund? lol
Seriously, a lot of bloggers don’t understand by you taking an analytical standpoint, you’re able to see obvious things that they bypass. For instance, the entire summer you kept saying that if the Hawks offer JJ the most money, he would re-sign. Guess what? Both happened.
By the way, something for the Marvin bashers to consider, Chauncey Billups had WORSE numbers than Marvin in his first 7 seasons in the league. His FG%, Pts per game, and assists were lower or about the same as Marvin. And he was the 3rd pick of his draft. Its not too late for Marvin to become a significant player in this league!
Reid Adair
September 28th, 2010
11:56 am
So, while it’s no surprise to many of us, Joe Johnson has admitted that he basically doesn’t care what the fans think. He got his max contract, the Hawks were able to accomplish nothing else significant in free agency after making that deal, and everything is wonderful – at least in Johnson’s world.
KevinM
September 28th, 2010
12:22 pm
So Macaroni, its not important for the NBA media to talk favorably about your team and being a contender huh? Doesn’t their reporting impact the way the Hawks are seen in the public eye?
Let’s play under the radar, because there is no way this team can be favored by anyone. They don’t like to be considered a favorite for a playoff spot.
I saw the Joe interview with 3D this am……hard for me to see him as the leader for the run to the finals.
On a good note, DAldridge gives the Hawks a 9 ranking in the NBA heading into camp. By far, the best positive I have heard during this offseason.
Section 303
September 28th, 2010
12:25 pm
KevinM, what does that “9 ranking” mean? Is that 9th in the East? Or, a score of 9 out of 10? I am thinking 9th in the East.
And, is that interview between 3D and Joe archived anywhere? I would like to hear it.
KevinM
September 28th, 2010
12:27 pm
Section 303, better than that……..9 out of the league…..Go to NBA.com and catch both bits of info….
http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/david_aldridge/09/27/morning-tip-antione-walker/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt1…long article but full of excellent facts including rankings.
http://www.nba.com/hawks/video/2010/09/21/joeinterview-1420289/index.html I believe this is the Joe interview with 3D…
northcyde
September 28th, 2010
12:37 pm
@ Swatguy . . . you dang right I was critical of bringing Jamal here. That dude in my eyes was the equivalent of Ricky Davis . . . a guy who definitely had talent, but was wildly inconsistent offensively and seemed to make poor decisions on the court.
I said 3 things last year before the season started concerning Jamal
1) “Woody . . . don’t let Jamal get you fired”. That was in reference to his inconsistent nature as a basketball player.
2) If Jamal shot 45% FG, people better give Woody major credit for it, because he had not come close to doing that for a whole season EVER.
3) If Jamal doesn’t have it going offensively, Woody MUST get him off the court, because he’s a borderline defensive liability.
Jamal had PER 36 numbers across the board ( with the exception of twice as many assists ), that were almost identical to Salim Stoudamire. That’s why I was concerned.
Fortunately, Jamal had a career best year with us, and my concerns about him turned out to be a non-issue for most of the year. As long as Jamal is a Hawk, I’ll definitely root for the guy.
But what I said last night still reigns true.
In Drew’s new offense, in which Jamal may be required to do less freelancing by himself on offense, can he play at the level he did last season, or will he trend back toward his career averages?
All I know is that if Jamal is shooting 40% FG come January, it won’t be good for him, and it definitely won’t be good for us in what we could possibly get back in a trade.
And I never said that Jamal didn’t deserve an extension from the Hawks. I said that Al is the priority, when one talks about extensions. Jamal is simply looking out for his future financial interest. And fans shouldn’t be mad at that.
Mz. Hawkdafied
September 28th, 2010
1:15 pm
“Let’s see if this entry by MC will peak interest. There’s enough here for everybody to latch on to.”
Well let’s see here. It’s the beginning of a new season so, my guess is the blog is gonna pick up anyway. Cause all that off season stuff is just YAWN.
“My feeling is that, no matter how many times or ways he’s asked about this issue, an apology or expression of regret isn’t coming from J.J.”-MC
That statement is an opinion not an analysis. Must be the fine line between a columnist and beat writer. Perhaps you are both a columnist and a beat writer sometimes MC. Nothing wrong with that.
Anyways, I hope everything works out for both Jamal and the Hawks. And the fans and Joe Johnson can get pass the bs from last season.
The Truth
September 28th, 2010
1:17 pm
The only silver lining in the Jamal Drama is the apparent great relationship and respect he has for LD. If this same movie was cast with Nellie as the coach, it would have blown up way in advance of now. LD maybe able to subdue Crawford’s strained emotions somewhat by relating to his own “raw deal” contract with Sund. Talk about low man of the totem pole, LD salary is comparable to Josh Powell and the rookie Jordon Crawford. I can really see them pouting together. “Jamal Man I Feel You, That Dam Sund Screwed Me Too!!”
Khao$
September 28th, 2010
1:22 pm
MC-you’re doing a great job man! Not that you need me to affirm that for you. You keep us up to date and that’s all we can ask from our beat writer.
Honestly, it’s just hard for me to get excited about this upcoming season. I’ve taken the position that while Woody needed to go, he wasn’t the sole reason why we got thumped in the 2nd round two season in a row and gave up big leads in the 4th quarter. At some point, players must be held accountable. By keeping things status quo, the implication is the players weren’t the biggest problem…it was Woody.
I know economics are involved as well as the attachment the organization has with the “core”. That said, I believe moves should have been made. Re-signing Joe wasn’t enough. And nothing against LD (because I don’t know what he can/can’t do), but the fact that he was a part of Woody’s staff gives me pause. However, I let him coach a few games before I anoint/dismiss him. If they weren’t my team, I would be hard for me to find incentive to watch them.
O'Brien
September 28th, 2010
1:22 pm
LD’s offense is supposed to share the wealth. And if that happens, Jamal is one guy whose numbers will probably suffer. JJ’s numbers might suffer too, but overall, JJ should be more efficient, and not have to work as hard offensively.
On the flip side, we should see better numbers from Marvin, Teague and Al.
Huh?
September 28th, 2010
1:22 pm
“People might say I had a down year because I wasn’t scoring points, but we’ve got enough scorers,” Bibby said. “I’m just trying to keep the team going, keep the team on the same track.”
Well you don’t play any defense mike, so what is it that’d you’d actually be doing on the court? Baka
Ramon
September 28th, 2010
1:47 pm
O’Brien, I don’t really see JJ’s numbers suffering. I see him taking less shots in the first 3 quarters, but more shots in the final period and crunch time only with better looks. If you remember before Shaq left, Wade used to just coax through the first part of most games. And then in the final period he would always explode for 13-15 points. If you think about it only takes Joe scoring 3 baskets a quarter to average 24 ppg, it seems quite easy for his average to stay the same or increase. Also remember JJ has played in an offense that wasn’t iso strong (Phoenix) and as the 4th option he still got great numbers and even better percentages.
I do think by the end of the season though, this will be Josh’s team. I already think Josh is the most important player on the Hawks team now as is.
KevinM
September 28th, 2010
1:54 pm
Huh?, I think to see defense from either Bibby or Jamal would be like wishing to win the lottery. Both guys have made it in the league, played long enough to get a pension and they’re not about to change their style of play at this point.
Defense will be the determination whether this will be a team that fizzles in Round 1 or 2 or if they really buy into playing both ends. Now until recently, I have never heard of a player talking about playing defense AND offense. The last couple of days however, I have heard Marvin talk about how tough it is and saw a quote from Avery Johnson about how Devin Harris needing to starting playing 2 way?
Are my expectations too high to see players go both ways and max themselves while they are on the court?
dap01
September 28th, 2010
1:55 pm
The bottom line is that Jamal is a gonner. He has more value as a trade chip later in the year or even after the year when we simply replace his large salary with JC2’s small salary.
There is no disrespect intended. Jamal needs to man up and perform according to his contract. He speaks nicely but he hints at being a distraction.
Man up Jamal!
Grandad
September 28th, 2010
1:57 pm
“Dragnet” starring *Michael Cunningham as *Sgt. Joe Friday
“The story you are about to hear is true; only the names have been changed to protect the innocent” *[Dragnet]
“i will never write “Player X is a bum” but i (hopefully) will provide the insight and analysis that will allow you to conclude that Player X is a bum on your own” *[Michael Cunningham]
~(commercial break)~
“Just the facts, ma’am” *[Joe Friday]
“it makes no difference to me one way or the other, i just cover the story” *[Michael Cunningham]
** Overt Transparent Satire !!
Michael Cunningham
September 28th, 2010
2:07 pm
@KevinM: tip: if you put more than one link in your comment the blog monster will eat it.
Michael Cunningham
September 28th, 2010
2:11 pm
@ Mz. Hawkdafied: “That statement is an opinion not an analysis. Must be the fine line between a columnist and beat writer. Perhaps you are both a columnist and a beat writer sometimes MC. Nothing wrong with that.”
well, all i can tell you is that he’s been asked about it several times and he gives the same answers. some people in the organization have urged him to apologize and he hasn’t done it. i just don’t think he’s interested in doing so. i suppose that’s an opinion but it’s based on everything that’s happened so far. he could change his mind but i’ve seen nothing to indicate he will.
Michael Cunningham
September 28th, 2010
2:13 pm
@Grandad: funny. . . . i’m sticking to my story.
Hmmm
September 28th, 2010
2:14 pm
If J-Smoove, Marvin, Bibby, and Zaza had to wait until their contract expired to get a deal done, the so does Jamal.
Michael Cunningham
September 28th, 2010
2:15 pm
@Khao$: “MC-you’re doing a great job man! Not that you need me to affirm that for you. You keep us up to date and that’s all we can ask from our beat writer.”
thanks . . . no lie, i’m glad to get back on the grind. access is a big deal for me to do my job so it is lovely to see all the players and coaches in one place again.
Hmmm
September 28th, 2010
2:16 pm
MC, PLEASE ask Mike Bibby how he wasted his summer. I know he did…the bum.
Hmmm
September 28th, 2010
2:19 pm
Thats why Bibby is always running away from the press. I bet you he gives that same tired “I coached my son’s AAU tem trash AGAIN”. How about running some suicide lines in a defensive stance to improve your lateral movement Mr. Bibby!
START JEFF TEAGUE!
Hmmm
September 28th, 2010
2:22 pm
I wonder how many bars he and Team Dime have been kicked out of in the ATL? I’m holding Team Dime personally responsible for JJ gettng caught up with that bimbo at magic city! And Mo Evans Too!
Hmmm
September 28th, 2010
2:24 pm
Trade M&M!
Ramon
September 28th, 2010
2:26 pm
MC, if you were covering my UGA Bulldogs, you could just goto Athens Police Department for all the access that you want any time of the year, lol.
KevinM
September 28th, 2010
2:32 pm
MC, lesson learned on links….thanks.
Hmmm, we signed Marvin before his contract ran out….which of course was not the best choice that could have been made. Similar production can be gotten from so many SFs at a fraction.
Al needs to be put on hold as well….the best deals get done that way. If we end up paying him, we end up paying him. Jamal, same thing.
i_am_soulstar
September 28th, 2010
2:35 pm
Ramon,
I totally agree with you about JJ, he was considered a 3 point assassin in Phoenix’s offense and averaged decent numbers being the 3rd or 4th option.
I expect even more efficient play if Teague manages to take the PG spot from Bibby and JJ doesn’t have to guard point guards anymore.
Hmmm
September 28th, 2010
2:47 pm
Hoopsworld: Six things to know about the ATL Hawks (Fresh quotes)
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=17443
Hmmm
September 28th, 2010
2:51 pm
KevinM, I’m with you. Al Will only be a RFA anyway so there is no real rush with him. Marvin was a bad idea, we outbid ourselves. Eveysone pretty much knew coming in that Jamal wouldn’t be getting an extension when he was traded here. He should be gettin Marvin-type money on his next contract.
Astro Joe
September 28th, 2010
2:53 pm
Thanks MC for the update ion the team captains. Did Drew (or with his staff) make that decision or did the players have input?
The Truth
September 28th, 2010
3:14 pm
I expect Mo Evan injury will bode well for PT for Jordon Crawford assuming he impress in camp.
MC: Find out if LD plans to call Jordon Crawford “Rook” or will he abandon that whole nonsense? Ask Teague what he felt about the title and did it work on his psyche. I often wondered if labeling a player that way had any real value other than a constant reminder that he is rookie when trying to mature as NBA player.
Section 303
September 28th, 2010
3:16 pm
KevinM, thanks for the links. 9th in the NBA?! I love to hear it, but I have to admit that I still have a sour taste in my mouth due to the way last season ended.
And, not that it matters, but that was “Home Team” Brandon Leak interviewing my least favorite Hawk. Was not 3D.
Tech Man
September 28th, 2010
9:05 pm
Evan Brock’s father played for the St. Louis Hawks.
Hawks Fan In New Orleans
September 29th, 2010
12:54 am
You are a great and Un-biased beat writer.