Atlanta Hawks: Video: The draft and the ‘core’

TRADING SY + HORFORD-You obviously have an obsession with height. I’ll bet you’d have to wear Depends Under garments if you could realize your fantasy of having a sorry A$$ 7′6″ Thabeet standing next to Montiejunas, a younger 7′ version of MBibby.

Unless we can trade JSmith for a rebounding eraser to man the middle, I still say we should hold onto what we’ve got and strengthen our bench. However, since the Hawks appear determined to trade Josh, and josh is about ready to leave, I guess we’ll have to deal with that. I wonder how much input LDrew’s had in deciding enough is enough with Josh?

The only 2 proven starting caliber centers that I see are potentially available to us are Brook Lopez, who we’d have to trade for, and SDalembert, who we’d have to sign as a FA. While Lopez’ forte is scoring, he’s not a great rebounder or defender for his size. Dalembert isn’t much of a scorer, but he’s an excellent rebounder and defender.

He’d definitely replace the rebounding, shot blocking and help DEF Josh brings to the table. With Josh gone, and with neither Hinrich nor Dalembert being big scorers, Marvin would definitely move up as a scoring option.

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All those Al negatives, yet, somehow, he brings in 5/60M for those inadequacies….I think we need to know what other GMs think of him. I bet 3/4 of them would love to have him on their roster at that salary.

We are in a tough spot to move one of the captains..they all have negatives, and they all have positives. Which ones can you go further with?

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I’m with RealSquawk on this one also this is the main reason I don’t want Jamal Crawford here either.
Him and Joe are basically the same player except one can score better than the other and one doesn’t have a defense to save his life.

Both rely on ISO situations to get them going which in turn mess up Horford and Josh plus the rest of the team.

Everyone is so quick to blame Josh, but the sadder part of the story is during the second round of the playoffs again after Joe and Jamal went off then disappeared it seemed the only one worth looking at was Josh and Teague of course.

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Buddy Grizzard ,

Don’t troll me brew

Is that a misspelling, or am I missing the meaning?

But you keep acting like this is emotional for me. You use words like “hate” and “angry,” but the fact is that I broke down Drew’s coaching performance in the CHI series with cold, clinical analysis that was well-received by my blog homies. I even invited challenges to my argument that he’s the worst coach in the NBA. John Kuester anybody? No doubt he got himself fired because of his lack of interpersonal skills, but LD isn’t much better in that area. I’d have to crunch some X’s and O’s to challenge that retort, if anyone had cared to offer it.

Ok, let me break THIS down:

1. I’m not opposing your view on Drew. I’m saying you’ve got a bad case of tunnel vision. A REALLY bad case. You “coldly” break down Drew’s performance in a single playoff series. Good work. You just identified a symptom of a disease. But do you know what the disease is? Can’t cure it until you do…

Answer me this:

What kind of organization ignores every veteran coach candidate it could potentially hire and instead gives the former coach’s top assistant the job, then pays him the League’s lowest salary, and expects significantly better results than those of his predecessor. Do you recall what Rick Sund said after they chose not to give Mike Woodson a new contract? I do. He said that the Hawks needed to “hear a different voice.”

Oh, really…so how is the same guy who has been on that team’s bench for the last six years a “different voice?” See where I’m going with this?

So no, he’s not a lame duck coach. He’s just the guy they wanted. A lame duck coach is a guy that got the job in good faith, then failed miserably and is gone the minute his organization has identified a replacement.

So answer me this as well: Are the Hawks viewing this past season/post-season as a failure of any kind? And if so, are they also talking about replacing the coach? I have yet to see any evidence to support this. Keep following me here…

2. I can tell you what the difference is between Kuester and Drew very easily. The Hawks lobbied for Drew to be the coach (just ask the people who like to sell you Hawks season tickets, even they know this). Kuester’s players lobbied against him. Period.

I’m glad your blog homies are happy with your Larry Drew analysis. What I’ve been trying to tell you all this time is that your “cold, clinical analysis” describes a symptom quite very well. But it does not identify the disease.

It was never a good idea OR the best idea to promote Drew. We needed a veteran head coach. We did not get one. And we passed on some guys that I think would have worked out for us. My vote was for Dwayne Casey from the beginning. But why not take a flyer on a guy like Avery Johnson, who had been all the way to the NBA Finals? The man is a disciplinarian, something needed around here very badly. What about Drew set him apart, much less above guys like this?

Drew did not promote himself. Sund promoted him. He did so at the behest of the A…S…G…Come on, man. Surely a cold and analytical thinker knows this.

Joe Johnson “choke fest” you say…and I don’t disagree. But who gave this dude the wealthiest contract in the NBA?

Who gives a RIP whether or not Larry Drew is the worst coach in the NBA when the REAL problem is who promoted him, and who ain’t gonna fire him until failure is utter and complete????! Seriously!

I’m not arguing your point. I’m saying it’s pretty much irrelevant and moot if management and ownership is going to keep doing things the way they are now. Is Sund a lame duck GM? He may as well be…he signed an even shorter contract than Drew did! One freakin’ year! Hellooooooo….

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Domino, Elton may be a better post up than Al, but he also commands a bigger payday. Is he 3-4M better than Al? I don’t think so as I don’t see Elton heading back to any all-star games and being recognized as one of the top PFs. You don’t think Philly would like to dump that contract? I can say that I think David West and Al equal talents. The issues with Al as of today is that he doesn’t provide as much value on a return since he just signed his deal.
I think Al has a better value than Brand, Garnett, and even Amare. Amare won’t make it much longer….he plays big minutes and like Al, he wants help on the inside. I can’t blame either player…they are both getting pounded on the inside night in night out.
So we have 3 captains with plusses and minuses, and it has been determined through their own playoff performances that none of them can lead us to the next level. Joe has the most talent, Josh has the most potential, and Al is the one that is supposed to provide the consistency.
So no matter what Sund does or doesn’t do, these 3 have found their limits as the leaders of this team. For someone to come in here and lead, it will take an outgoing personality and one who really won’t have a lot of weight on their shoulders to be a leader. Our city loves its leaders and is not near as harsh on them as other cities.

Josh should quit worrying about being blamed and just go out and perform and the fans will be behind him. Joe needs to figure out a way to perform, and Al simply needs to improve his strengths.

I would love to hear we could trade 2 of them to get a big time performer, but that isn’t going to happen. We couldn’t get Durant, nor Rose, nor LeBron or Wade. This city has to develop one and the draft is our only way to get a superstar here.

Problem is Sund doesn’t work that way. He doesn’t know how, and if you have seen how happy he is with Billy Knight’s draft picks and roster, you dont’ want him picking for us anyway.

Just watching the 2000 draft, the LeBron draft, and the Hawks have no coach, no new owner as McDavid’s negotiation window ‘alledgedly’ expired, and we bring in Boris Diaw…the response from the crowd was silence. Only our scouting team knew enough about Boris the PG. Who was picked behind Travis? No one to brag about …..Kendrick Perkins, Josh Howard, Leandro Barbosa…so I guess we didn’t blow it as much as I recall at the time…after all, it got us our SG for the next decade.
Boris Diaw, the only pro I have ever seen a coach that had to tell him to shoot the ball…Woody had him scared to death.

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@JuliusCesaer

“JOSH “SMOOTH” SMITH”

Hi, how’s it going sir?

I’d like to ask you if you see anything wrong in those quotations?

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The blog and MC are just hilarious to me.

I’ll agree that I didn’t like JJ’s quote about not taking the blame, because he doesn’t get much of the glory. But you know what? He has a point. A damn good point.

Playoff averages ( +/- difference between season average )

JOHNSON

18.8 ppg . . ( +0.6 )
4.6 rebs . . ( +0.6 )
3.3 asst . . ( -1.4 )

43.9 FG% . . ( -.0.4 )
42.9 3FG% . . ( +13.2 )
81.0 FT% . . ( -0.8 )

**********************

JOSH SMITH

15.1 ppg . . ( -1.4 )
8.5 rebs . . ( 0.0 )
2.9 asst . . ( +0.4 )

40.4 FG% . . ( -7.3 )
12.5 3FG% . . ( -20.6 )
59.7 FT% . . ( -12.8 )

**************************

AL HORFORD

11.3 ppg . . ( +4.0 )
9.6 rebs . . ( +0.3 )
3.5 asst . . ( 0.0 )

42.3 FG% . . ( -13.4 )
—– 3FG%
76.9 FT% . . ( -2.9 )

*************************

JJ’s numbers were by no means stellar. They’re pretty average, and well below average seeing how well JJ is paid. But for the most part, JJ’s level of play in the playoffs didn’t take a nosedive. Can’t say the same about the other 2 “core” guys though. At least Smith showed up to play on most nights, even if he couldn’t make anything. Mr Horford was a no-show for most of the playoffs.

It’s just hilarious to see people take shot after shot after shot against Joe Johnson, when overall, it was JJ who was the MVP for the Hawks during the playoffs. When you combine what each player did in the Orlando and Chicago series, he was the only one who came close to playing somewhat consistent in both series.

Yet the dude doesn’t get any credit whatsoever for us finally getting somewhat deep in the 2nd round.

- not from the fans
- definitely not from the Atlanta media
- and even his teammates who didn’t show up, question him

So people are surprised when JJ gives a non-chalant answer about not seeking glory or accepting blame for the Hawks winning or losing?

Hell . . most of you ( including the beat writer ), think that JJ is the 3rd, maybe even 4th best player on the team. You believe that, then get mad when JJ doesn’t play like Lebron or Wade ( because he’s getting paid to be that ). It’s funny though. When he does play well, it’s treated almost as an afterthought.

Like his Game 4 performance vs Chicago . . the glory went to Al and Josh for finally showing up in the same playoff game. But if JJ didn’t have a monster 3 quarters to pace the team, we don’t win that game.

But to play to that level, JJ has to shoot the ball . . often. But if he does that, and isn’t red hot, people call him a “ball hog” that doesn’t pass the ball. Then a person like myself gets mad at him for passing TOO MUCH to guys who simply can’t get it done even from a complimentary standpoint.

LMAO @ MC saying that Al Horford is our best player, and that the offense should be ran through him. What in the hell did Al show you during the playoffs, that suggested that the Hawks should go more to Al, than JJ . . or even Smith for that matter?

The only way Al Horford becomes a legit All-Star with All-Star type numbers, is if the Hawks obtain an All-Star caliber pass first PG that can get him a ton of easy looks. Al can barely be a complimentary player offensively. Guys like Paul MIlsap and even Dejuan Blair are better shot creators ( especially in the post ).

Yet, the Hawks are supposed to go from an offense featuring JJ ( an offense that has seen the Hawks win 144 games the past 3 years . . . to an offense to our All-Star center who can’t even create his own shot out on the perimeter or in the post?

Hilarious.

I’m sure everybody knows that it’s not JJ’s fault that the ASG paid him like he was Kobe. It was done out of desperation to keep other teams in our conference from getting him, and because we couldn’t get anything close to that caliber of a player to replace him, if Jamal couldn’t step up and do it.

I said it all year. People want JJ to live up to his contract, but don’t want him to play like the way other superstars play . . with the questionable shot selection, over usage, and ball demanding that most of them do. Nope . . people want JJ to play like a superstar, with complimentary player usage.

MC . . serious question. What would happen to Joe Johnson if he played alongside a legit PG that would take some of the playmaking and ball handling out of his hands, and simply let him concentrate on scoring the basketball?

You look around the league, and most of the superstars have played with one or two legit all-star caliber players. You look at Joe Johnson, and the best player he’s every played with . . . is Josh Smith.

The best PG? Mike Bibby ( who played off of JJ more than JJ played off of Bibby ).

The best low post scorer? Al Harrington

The best shooter? Tyronn Lue

I mean damn . . . guys like Jamal Crawford, Lue, and Flip Murray were #2 scoring options on this team . . all because our talented frontline tweener Forwards can’t consistently create their own shots.

The only way JJ can live up to that contract, is if he’s willing to take 20+ shots a game and rebound the ball better. Because if people don’t want him controlling the ball, he won’t rack up the assists. So he just need to forget the playmaking aspects of his game, and become strictly a scorer.

I knew MC kind of doubted JJ the entire year, just by how he would always point out negative aspects of his game even when he did something positive. When JJ had the monster game in Game 1 of the Chicago series ( arguably the best game of his playoff career and the 2nd best game by any Atlanta Hawk on the road ), yet, MC decided to focus the article on Teague’s 10 pts and 5 assists . . . it illustrated EXACTLY what JJ talks about.

And that’s why he’s blaise about the entire “superstar” process I guess. I’m sure he reads the blogs and gets on the internet, just like Smith, Horford, Marvin, and Jamal does. He knows what people say about him. So he chooses the “I don’t give a damn, I’m just going to play” attitude that turns out fans and ATL media writers and radio personalities.

Horford could barely score over Brandon Bass and was rushing all of his jumpers because quicker PFs were closing him out instead of leaving him open like centers do.

LOL @ develop the offense around Al Horford. MC . . you can do better than that man.

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“LMAO @ MC saying that Al Horford is our best player, and that the offense should be ran through him. What in the hell did Al show you during the playoffs, that suggested that the Hawks should go more to Al, than JJ . . or even Smith for that matter?

The only way Al Horford becomes a legit All-Star with All-Star type numbers, is if the Hawks obtain an All-Star caliber pass first PG that can get him a ton of easy looks. Al can barely be a complimentary player offensively. Guys like Paul MIlsap and even Dejuan Blair are better shot creators ( especially in the post ).”

Al Horford, Usg Rate: 18% less than1/5 possessions
Blair, Usg Rate: 20.1% 1/5 possession
Milsap, Usg Rate: 22.6% this year,19.7 for career. 1/5 possessions

all turn it over 1 out of 8 times, Blair 15%. Blair is very aggressive on a team with Ginobili Parker and Duncan.

And Al can’t outcreate Dejuan Blair…
Amare 30%
Carmelo 30%
Dirk 28%
Dwight Howard 27%
Zach Randolph 27%

Garnett 25%
Darell Arthur 23% aggressive 6′9 athletic backup

Shaq 20%
Andrew Bynum 20%
Al Horford 20%
OJ Mayo 20%
Hamed haddaddi 20%
David Lee 19%
Tyson Chandler 14%

Usage Rate= amount of shots or turnovers you create

RUN the Offense through Hamed Haddaddi go Iran! Run the offense through half-retired Shaq! go Shaq! Run the offense through Mayo/Horford!

Go undersized guy who gets smothered by length!

lol MC love the blog but I believe the term is shooters pocket. Al Horford has none. When someone gets in your shooters pocket you drive by them.

Al is too slow to do this consistently. Half the time Joakim Noah was defending him. Joakim Noah and in the last game you had 7 points in 40 minutes. Al got his touches.
he’s a TWEENER like OJ Mayo, like Darrel Arthur.
Al got his touches and thats why we lost.

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