Atlanta Hawks: NBA draft live blog (Update: Hawks select Oakland U. center Keith Benson)
The Hawks are not on the verge of being sold. Josh Smith has not been traded yet, unless Rick Sund made a deal right before I just saw him get some chicken here in the team’s offices.
This is the place to talk about these things and any other developments throughout the night.
Oh, yeah, there’s also the draft. The Hawks have the No. 48 pick.
UPDATE: The Hawks selected Oakland (Mich.) University center Keith Benson.
Here’s his NBADraft.net profile. DraftExpress has an interview with Benson.
Below are some excerpts from Benson’s teleconference with reporters. I’ll update the blog after Sund comes out to talk.
UPDATE II:
- Sund said the Hawks explored trading into the first round but didn’t want to get into specifics about those discussions, including the reports about Smith and the Timberwolves.
- Hawks assistant GM Dave Pendergraft said the team had Benson rated as early second round. He said there wasn’t much temptation to draft Josh Selby because several other players who were available were rated above Selby and those players also better fit the team’s needs.
- Pendergraft said Benson’s strengths include his athleticism, shot-blocking ability and scoring touch. His weaknesses are his strength, though Pendergraft said Benson is “wiry strong” and could put on some more weight. “I don’t think he will ever be 250 or 260 but he could be 235 or maybe a little bit more,” Pendergraft said. “The trend in the league is is more long, wiry athletic types.”
- Pendergraft said he’s not concerned with the level of competition Benson faced because Oakland played a tough non-conference schedule. “It’s not like he’s just going to be overwhelmed,” Pendergraft said.
- Hawks coach Larry Drew said Benson can play power forward and center.
KEITH BENSON
(questions about strength)
“I’ve been out in Vegas working out with the weight trainer there and getting stronger. I’ve put on about five pounds since the Chicago event. I’ve been working out three times a week, working every day to get stronger.”
(potential to add weight)
“I think I have the frame to put on a lot of weight. My game will really increase once I put on that weight and some strength. I think I can put on 20 or more pounds.”
(what he knows about the Hawks, why he thinks he’s a good fit and which Hawks does he look forward to playing with)
“I’m looking forward to playing with Al Horford. He’s developed into the really good ‘bigs’ in this league. I like watching Joe Johnson. They are an athletic team and I think I can contribute to that. They have some youth and like to get up and down. I watched them a lot this year.”
(how much did he weight when he got to Oakland, and what does he weigh now)
“I was 190 when got to Oakland, and 6-9. I grew a couple inches. And I’m about 224 now.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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967 comments Add your comment
O'Brien
June 25th, 2011
10:23 pm
Kevin M, Ken S,
I would stay away from D. Cousins. He has some maturity issues, and I don’t think the Hawks have the leadership (player or coach) who can handle a potential volatile situation with such a talented young player.
I was suggesting the Hawks do a trade of Jamal for Dalembert during the season, because I think he could give us a solid 20 mpg off the bench.
As for Marvin Williams, he has regressed (imo) from the Marvin who put up 14 and 6 early on. He is not a 3-pt shooter, he cant create his shot off the dribble, he is not a good ball handler, he fumbles and stumbles, and he can’t overpower smaller players.
I dont think its coaching. Its up to Marvin to improve.
Slimjr
June 25th, 2011
10:23 pm
43 years of excuses..Give it up.. its getting old….In the Grand scheme of life your IQ wont save you..
@Ray
Dont waste your time explaining. Jock sniffers stay distracted…
O'Brien
June 25th, 2011
10:25 pm
Ray,
Where is Mario West these days I actually liked him with the hawks had no offense, but man if you need defense he was there .
IMO, Mario was an “ok” defensive player in terms of technique. What he did do was give 110 % every second he was out there, and his hustle and his energy was good.
Slimjr
June 25th, 2011
10:26 pm
“As for Marvin Williams, he has regressed (imo) from the Marvin who put up 14 and 6 early on. He is not a 3-pt shooter, he cant create his shot off the dribble, he is not a good ball handler, he fumbles and stumbles, and he can’t overpower smaller players.”
Interesting observation @O’Brien
Slimjr
June 25th, 2011
10:46 pm
“D. Williams was taken #2 overall in the NBA Draft.
I’m not talking about Deron Williams #2 to the Hawks in 2005.
I’m talking about Derrick Williams #2 to Minnesota in 2011
FIRE BILLY KNIGHT”
I hear ya @ Grand Master!!!
This Guy would fill the seats @ Phillips!! And give ISO the desperately needed offensive fire power help in crunch time…Oh well..
“Sund said the Hawks explored trading into the first round but didn’t want to get into specifics about those discussions, including the reports about Smith and the Timberwolves.”
Sund you are full of S______________T…..
Some individuals remind me of the Titanic. With their arrogance and smarts they really thought that ship was unsinkable..What happened in 2hrs and 20 mins on the night of April 15th 1912???
Down goes Frazier………..Arrogance and pride will get you no where…..Stay tuned…
Rufus1
June 26th, 2011
12:05 am
Benson vs Larry Sanders…..
Bensons stats and measurements are better…..NEVER forget his “Grey Matter”….Detroit Country Day.
Rufus1
June 26th, 2011
12:05 am
Larry Sanders
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Larry-Sanders-5148/
Grandad
June 26th, 2011
12:13 am
brigadierjerry
I don’t have D.Wade or Kobe ranked that high.
1st let me say that my 2nd five,
w/o alot of pondering would go something like this:
~{6-10}~
* Oscar
* Bird
* Elgin *[Baylor for the young 'uns]
* Hondo *[Havlicek for the young folk]
* Magic
Now I have to do my 3rd five,
(so Ken S doesn’t get too mad @ me)
~{11-15}~
* Hakeem “The Dream”
* Jerry West
* Kobe
* Pistol Pete
* Elvin Hayes
*** the 3rd five were not necessarily in order.
_________________________________________________
More answers on next post !
Rod from College Park
June 26th, 2011
12:25 am
LOL, at guys still believing in Marvin Williams. When will they ever learn.
Slimjr
June 26th, 2011
12:50 am
ISO and JC1 were clever enough to know that the bigs on this team could not get it done due to lack of skills…Duh. And tried to do to much to compensate for the 3 stooges..Shove the IQ in a place of your choice. These two were a major reason why along with Collins that they beat Orlando and stole game 1 in Chicago….
BILLY KNIGHT
June 26th, 2011
12:51 am
I dont understand why you guys keep talking about fire me for, every GM in there right mind said that marvin was the second best player in the draft.
BILLY KNIGHT
June 26th, 2011
12:52 am
So i get no credit for putting this thing together ?
Grandad
June 26th, 2011
12:54 am
brigadierjerry
From my previous post – you can see,
that I have Kobe ranked higher than D.Wade.
[and by a long shot / Kobe is a cold blooded killer]
*Wade shoots alot of FT’s. (courtesy Mr Stern)
Plus DW does not have as high of a pain threshold,
or he just acts like a sissy sometimes.
It’s interesting how to judge guards in the old days.
The term point guard only came into vogue
in the late 60’s & early 70’s.
I’m trying to kill two birds here;
your query about modern pgs becoming scoring pgs.
In those days they had two guards, two forwards and a center.
No pg, no power forward and so on.
Which brings me to Oscar:
Oscar Robertson was omitted from my top five.
only because I only had five spots.
He belonged in that group.
The top 5 really should have been top 6.
and then a cut-off. (it really should)
I bring up Oscar because he was better than
Kobe or D.Wade.
He averaged a triple double for a whole season !
Almost did it twice, I think ?
Now was Oscar a point guard ?
A shooting guard ?
So when I discuss Kidd in a moment & Nash,
how can you compare them to Oscar ?
or, how does any pg compare to Magic ?
The same with Pistol – pg or shooting guard ?
High volume shooter, yet one of,
if not the greatest passer ever.
Same question for *”the Logo” [1] or [2]
He was a just a guard. *[West]
Hondo, played guard & forward / today he would be a wing.
^^ after Jordan ^^ shooting guard ^^ pick from this group ^^
________________________________________________
Simple answer today – Tyreke Evans;
not a pg.
Derek Rose = pg.
Nash best pure point guard ever / my opinion only.
Oscar #1 (with) Magic #2 as the most productive
and the most physically dominant to play the pos.
Jason Kidd ranks in my top five pure pgs / all-time.
[defense gets him in]
Billups is very close also.
[I love Billups]
I would probably have Rodman in my next group:
~{15-20}~ based on Def & Reb + Rings !
Grandad
June 26th, 2011
1:00 am
Obviously Rodman is not a point guard,
although he could guard them.
Tomorrow:
I’ll give my top five by pos.
Kevin
June 26th, 2011
1:03 am
So he thinks he be here Nope Sund and friends will trade him away so much for his parents sayin Its atlanta are team…Ha ha he best go to La Lakers he win a Championship next season then here ..we be in Seattle soon becoimin the supersonics.////Oh wait Thou Mayor here in atlanta will cry race card and keep the team here…Just like him n former mayor campbell said this hockey team is stayin we make sure it do….and u see what happen to thrashers now the winnipeg jets…three cheers for ASG u still suck eggs!
Mike
June 26th, 2011
1:45 am
@Kevin
oh. Kevin the days of the ASG is almost over if you have been reading some of the post here, a majority owner is coming and ASG just be minority owners. So we wont got to Seattle(no stadium, i live up there i know), St Louis or any other place.
Grandad
June 26th, 2011
1:48 am
Kevin
You are aware that the Hawks cannot be moved
for 24 years / thats 2 dozen years.
As for the rest of your rambling;
I had no clue as to what you were saying ?
Atl. = Big mkt.
Next team to move;
New Orleans to…Kansas City…Vegas…or…Vancouver
Mike
June 26th, 2011
1:58 am
But i wonder who will be the new majority owner, i am very curious to see who is it if ASKG is keeping silent about it. How about a guessing game about that?
drmaryb (*_*)
June 26th, 2011
3:29 am
Love Fest!
I LOVE me some damned SLIMJR!
He is a baaaad man! (-no smirks-)
drmaryb (*_*)
June 26th, 2011
3:33 am
O’Brien Trophy!
Don’t mess with Mr. O’Brien! He is stealth!
He is on the level of Najeh D-Poop! When it comes to superior communication skills, and brevity.
This O’Brien guy will nail you in your azz & don’t give a damn if you say …… Ouch!
Big Ray
June 26th, 2011
6:56 am
Slimjr ,
The Bulls have a defensive genius for a head coach. They had a specific plan on defense to beat us. They executed it for the most part.
Here was the plan:
1) Make Joe and Jamal uncomfortable, double team them quickly when they cross the halfcourt line.
2) Don’t give Al Horford any good looks on the pick and pop or from 18 feet. Swarm him quickly in the post because he doesn’t have reliable inside moves.
3) Leave Josh Smith open when he fades to the perimeter.
It wasn’t too hard. You’re right – we stole game one because Joe and Jamal got loose, and the Bulls couldn’t contain them. Teague also hurt them pretty bad.
We won the second game because Josh and Al got going. Al got his shots on the pick and pop and scored 20, Josh did most of his damage down low, and we won.
After that, Josh went right back to trying to do much of his work on the perimeter (his weakest area), and Al didn’t get another good look on his jumpers for the rest of the series.
Notice that there was no specific game plan to stop Smith. Nor was there a game plan to stop Teague. You guard the guys who have proven they can hurt you the most. That would be Joe, Jamal, and Al.
Oddly enough (or perhaps not so oddly), Josh had the most potential to hurt the Bulls because of how hard he is to stop in the post, and how well he can finish in transition. If the Bulls had to suddenly game plan for that, it would have left someone else open. But he only did what he should have in two of those games.
So many people seem to confuse effort with efficiency . He was awful in game one. He was awful in game 2. Games 3 and 4 were easily his best. Games 5 and 6 were “okay” offensively, but he was largely ineffective on the glass. I’m not blaming him for the series loss, that was a combo of a lot of things, but he was the only guy I saw who could really break the series open for us. His low post game was clearly more effective than Horford’s (when he decided to implement it, that is) and the Bulls were intent on not letting Horford get anything. Something tells me they remembered his 31 point outburst against them late in the season, in that comeback win.
Big Ray
June 26th, 2011
7:01 am
What’s all the chatter about a majority owner coming to Atlanta? Hope it’s true, but not finding any credible info/links. Time to go diving again to see if I can find any….
Apprehensive about the situation, remember the last “majority” owner, and how that worked out? Some guy named Belkin, who got the divorce notice while still on the honeymoon….
Ray
June 26th, 2011
9:47 am
If this were last season I’d agree @ Big Ray with Joe, Jamal, and Al hurting people the most.
As it stands this season it’s more like Al hurt them the most one because Joe was injured and early on he wasn’t the same he never really did get back to the Joe of 2009-10 season.
As for Jamal he was never right this season period from being Sixth man to being the guy asking about a contract this guy up and disappeared.
doc
June 26th, 2011
10:03 am
good stuff all. great summary for those away from the action.
gd good stuff on the greats of the game. hard to keep the big o out of the mix. he was a beast in his time, a ball handler and all tool guy going at 6ft 5 and about 225. he was the freak of nature then that labron is now except he had a better handle on his head.
shame it is boiling down to josh against al. no one wins tuat one. the value we need for either guy is not out there unless addition by subtraction occurs and marvin is part of the trade. until that happens we wait. next year as josh’ contract ends or last year were/are the times to trade josh not thissummer with the collective bargaining looming over all heads.
like the idea of some young longs as that should have been part of the plan ala bulls denver utah
and okc. we got stuck on half bigs. only prob is this will take two years for the fruit at the earliest.
Dept. Of Unintended Irony
June 26th, 2011
10:51 am
“Thabeet, a former No. 2 overall pick, is widely regarded as someone who simply not good enough to play in the NBA and probably won’t be. There is still some hope for Jordan Hill, but he’s got a Post-It note on his back that says “stiff.” Contra Costa Times
LMFAO I rest my case.
terrell
June 26th, 2011
11:02 am
Hawks 2011 draft
Jeff Teague
Pape Sy
Keith Benson
Thats the way I’m looking at it. Since Jeff or Pape didnt really get a chance last year, or the year before where Teague is concerned. He got min in the Playoffs by default ONLY. And Pape could’ve probably contributed just as much or more than Marvin.
JoJo the Godfather
June 26th, 2011
11:40 am
Everyone just dismisses Magnum Rolle. This kid will contribute this year as a backup PF. He’s extremely athletic for his size. He can run the floor, has good hands, and will block some shots. Don’t sleep on Magnum Rolle!!! This kid can play.
Slimjr
June 26th, 2011
11:53 am
@Doc,
one of em has got to go..They give us nothing in crunch time.. 5 years later, we are still hearing excuses that they are only 25??
It does not take 5 years to determine if a player has it or not….How bout 5 weeks or 5 months? 5 mins in some rare cases…
Mean while opportunities and teams are passing us by to pursue a Championship..
@Ray,
All NBA AL scored 31 that night because Boozer was hurt and did not play..You saw what happened when they went head to head in the playoffs. Allstar did not want any part of it. And we all knew he would not drop another 30 cause if he did the Hawks would have won that series in 5 games…
Ken Strickland
June 26th, 2011
11:57 am
OBRIEN-As always, one of several level headed voices of reason. Any concern I would have about controlling Cousin and his lack of maturity wouldn’t be with our lack of veteran leadership. It would actually be with the lack of bench leadership. Cousins is younger and a lot less experienced than JSmith, and Drew has been anything but successful in reeling him in.
Actually, for the short term, or the next 3-4yrs, Dalembert would be the better choice. Also, for the same reason that was given in an article I read about Dalembert possibly responding to playing on a talented winning team, the same could, and I said could, have a simular effect on Cousins.
When the entire franchise is putting the burden of the team on your shoulders, it can weigh heavily on a player as young, immature and talented as Cousins. The reaction to that kind of pressure can cause a player like Cousins to become frustrated and act out when things aren’t going his way.
It can be very difficult for any young, immature player to be given the task of trying to carry a team when at the same time he’s in the process of trying to learn how to carry himself. With the Hawks, he would be expected to be the face of the franchise or it’s savior. While he’d most likely be our #1 postup option, he’d only be our #3 or 4 scoring option, behind JJ, Horford and maybe Teague.
But your concern about his lack of maturity is legimate. If we could get both players to consent, what do you think about a sign and trade involving Dalembert and JCrawford? If Dalembert is willing to take a salary cut, along with Jamal, it could work. I’d even be willing to do a sign and trade of Zaza and Marvin for Dalembert.
With our much improved perimeter DEF, and Dalembert’s rebounding, shot blocking, and overall DEF ability coming off the bench, we’d be a solid contender with the ability to match up with anyone.
Ray
June 26th, 2011
12:18 pm
Why get rid of Zaza to me if we don’t get a legit starting center in here start him. I think Zaza is much better if he starts he’s actually sometimes to me more of the garbage man. He knows how to foul too. Just not as aggressive as a Josh or Al, but still knows how to get it done.
Actually Dalemebert Contract is up he could just walk out on the Kings and sign with us without trading, but I say give away Marvin and Jamal for J.Thompson. Get Shawn Marion in here to play back-up SF lol.
Ken Strickland
June 26th, 2011
12:18 pm
TERRELL-Very good point. In fact, I’d take it a step further and say Pape Sy and Teague would have ended up contributing more than Bibby, considering their superior speed, quickness and athleticism, as well as their willingness and ability to penetrate and play DEF. Hopefully, we’ll get a chance this season to see if that’s true.
It’s no secret that JSmith is a sensitive person and takes things to heart. When he was a FA, he was in the drivers seat and signed a FA contract, which we matched. But now, management is in the drivers seat and can trade him at anytime. It’s obvious he doesn’t want to be traded, certainly not at this point.
So maybe, just maybe, the rumors and various off season episodes will motivate him to prove his total value to the team. And that would require him to finally wake him up and do all of the things he’s capable of doing without all of the emotional and psychological distractions, especially on the court.
Using computer terminology, this team can be a serious title contender basically as constructed, but it needs to be DEFRAGED. The various pieces are scattered and separated and be consolidated into a more cohesive unit, and it’s LDrew’s responsibility to make it happen.
Ray
June 26th, 2011
12:35 pm
I guess this question gets asked more then enough times, but honestly why does Josh have to prove himself.
Maybe my eyes were different during the Chicago-Hawks series, but it seemed like Josh effected that series more than anyone else what does he really have to prove?
If Josh gets a better J well it got better maybe I should say a more set and consistent J this offseason he shouldn’t have any heat.
The pressure should seriously be on for Joe Max if he does a complete mirror of this past season dude needs to go don’t care how just leave he already doesn’t care about the fans(which should tell you not to pay the guy).
doc
June 26th, 2011
12:39 pm
slim just getting rid of one without replacing with a need sends us to lottery land. they are the straws that stir. i was first up saying send josh as 2010 ended not this year unlessas gd says there is value in return or as i say you send marvin to get something in return like a two for three that fits into the cap and needs.
Ken Strickland
June 26th, 2011
12:52 pm
RAY-We’re only $3+M under the current Luxury Tax cap, with a new CBA on the immediate horizon which will most likely lower that cap. Therefore, we couldn’t sign Dalembert as an out right FA under our current CBA without playing a luxury tax, let alone the new one. The only way we could possibly sign him is through a sign and trade, which would require him to agree to the trade and a pay cut. And the Kings would have to accept whoever we’re offering.
There’s one good thing about a sign and trade. If the Kings agree to do it, they’d just be looking for value, not equal value, since they’ll lose Dalembert with zero compensation without the trade. Therefore, it’s not inconceivable they’d accept Marvin. And Dalembert might accept the trade, and a reduction in salary, to have a chance to play for a talented winning team. JUST A THOUGHT.
Grandmaster JeJe
June 26th, 2011
1:45 pm
It is a sunny afternoon in the ATL
FIRE LD
O'Brien
June 26th, 2011
1:45 pm
Ray,
Maybe my eyes were different during the Chicago-Hawks series, but it seemed like Josh effected that series more than anyone else what does he really have to prove?
If Josh gets a better J well it got better maybe I should say a more set and consistent J this offseason he shouldn’t have any heat..
IMO, what josh needs to prove is that he can play within himself. For example, he was 0-9 in 3-pt attempts against the Bulls. Why continue to take that shot when he was 3-15 in 3’s against Orlando.
Against the Bulls, he did average 16 pts, 9 rebs, 3 assists and 3 blocks. However, as Big Ray pointed out, Chicago’s game plan was not designed to stop Josh. It was designed to stop Joe, Jamal and Al.
The pressure should seriously be on for Joe Max if he does a complete mirror of this past season dude needs to go don’t care how just leave he already doesn’t care about the fans(which should tell you not to pay the guy)..
I do think this will be a very important year for JJ. If he struggles like he did last year, the Hawks will be in even more trouble, because his salary is increasing, he is getting older, and chances are the salary cap will be lower.
dmr
June 26th, 2011
1:47 pm
The ASG, on the whole, are liars. They never met a lie they didn’t like. They are dishonest people. I understand that you don’t go out into the media and divulge your company secrets or negotiate sales through the newspapers, radio, or internet.
There is a remedy for that; it’s the term “NO COMMENT”. If someone asks a question, plead the 5th, refuse to answer, but for goodness sake stop saying that the question has no merit or basis.
We have already gone down this road with the ASG and the Thrashers. The ASG has no credibility at all. I have no interest in hearing anything they have to say. I think by the time it’s all over, the Hawks will be sold, Michael Gearon, Jr. could go back to being a ball boy, and you’ll be looking at new ownership that hopefully you can trust to be honest.
O'Brien
June 26th, 2011
1:55 pm
Ken S,
I am a fan of Dalembert and think he would fit this team well. He has a career average of 8 pts, 8 rebs and 2 blocks in 26 mpg. I would gladly take those numbers. I think he would sign with us for the mid-level, but as you pointed out, we are too close to the tax level.
Big Ray
June 26th, 2011
2:01 pm
slimjr ,
Boozer is not known for his defense. Were it not for Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson getting all over Al, Boozer wouldn’t have stopped him.
Again, the gameplan was obvious – don’t let Al shoot any wide open set shots, and swarm him in the post.
I wouldn’t have cared if Al scored 30 against those guys or not. Josh had a better chance at doing it, as it is. Look at the difference in free throws. Josh had quite a few more attempts than Horford did. The evidence was all there. Al was guarded, Josh wasn’t guarded as hard. And, Josh didn’t play to his strengths enough. The Bulls would have had to double him constantly to have a hope of stopping him down low, unlike Al.
But it only happened in one game, really. Even in that game, Josh was 8 for 22, but for once he was going after them in the post. If only he would keep that up instead of trying to prove to everybody that he’s got a mean jumper…
SteveW
June 26th, 2011
2:27 pm
Well I guess a best case scenario for Keith Benson is Jon Salley or Vin Baker. He kinda reminds me of them
Buddy Grizzard
June 26th, 2011
2:39 pm
“LOL, at guys still believing in Marvin Williams. When will they ever learn.” – Rod from CP
We will learn this year when Marvin resumes having a role in the offense in the absence of Jamal Crawford. After his back surgery, and seeing how out of shape and uncoordinated he appears, it’s obvious that he’s going to have to pull off a conditioning miracle to salvage his career. If he can just get it together for half a season, the Hawks should overuse him to inflate his stats and try to deal him at the trade deadline.
“Every GM in their right mind said that marvin was the second best player in the draft. So i get no credit for putting this thing together?” – Billy Knight
Did R.C. Buford consult the other GMs in the league before selecting Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli? So your main qualification as a GM is that you follow what other people are saying and don’t make your own talent evaluations? Marvin Williams wasn’t even a STARTER in college and the Hawks had a gaping hole at the POINT GUARD position. You get credit for picking Josh Smith, but you could have had Josh Childress in the second round and selected Deng or Iguodala instead.
“What’s all the chatter about a majority owner coming to Atlanta? Hope it’s true, but not finding any credible info/links.” – Big Ray
As pointed out by the Blog Bretheren, David Aldridge talks about this on the NBA TV draft review, which they are showing over and over again. Tune in just before the :45 minute mark and you’ll catch the discussion of the Hawks ownership situation. According to D.A., there have been multiple offers on the Hawks and he’s convinced it’s just a matter of time before they are sold. Might take a while though and there’s really no hurry with the lockout.
Grandmaster JeJe
June 26th, 2011
3:08 pm
The only certainties in life are Death, Taxes, and the Hawks having inept management
FIRE SUND
Big Ray
June 26th, 2011
3:19 pm
Buddy G ,
Thanks for the info. I’ll tune into that once I get home…
Mike is back
June 26th, 2011
3:31 pm
SteveW, it was probably a good thing for the Hawks that Benson didn’t have the bulk…else he wouldn’t have never been there at 48.
I’m excited about this kid…I remember the first time I saw Durant at Phillip…Dude looked liked he weigh a buck 05 soak and wet…However, heart is one thing you can’t measure…If you can play you can play.
I have no criticism about how things transpired in the draft…I’m looking forward to seeing who the new majority owners will be…leave it to Ole DA…to spill beans…when your trying to keep a secret.
Until then, I will continue to read all the outlandish trade proposal…and repetitive excuses for Al…I like Al as much as everybody else…but geeeeeeez…enough excuses already.
Ray
June 26th, 2011
3:34 pm
Wait I must have missed something are you guys saying that Jamal is gone or just assuming? Cause it seems that you’re stating it as fact.
If he is gone I say great and for Marvin the duck Williams somehow need to ship him out of here package with Jamal to Sac-town for Dalembert or J.Thompson(I know this gets old lol).
Slimjr
June 26th, 2011
3:41 pm
All NBA Al is the so called ALLSTAR….
Josh is not and for good reason…
Allstar- AL= EXCUSES for 5 years and counting……..Yawn…..
Slimjr
June 26th, 2011
3:51 pm
If All NBA Al had a low post game + a left hand he could easily defeat the defenses that Chicago threw at him and if I could fly I would be superman…lol
Al gets looked at with a critical eye by some of us on the blog is because he was named an Allstar which is a flat out joke! He just confirmed that with his play in the post season!
LaMarcus Aldridge was not voted an Allstar and we all know head to head he would flat out dismantle ALL NBA ……………
Slimjr
June 26th, 2011
4:01 pm
@Doc,
Derrick is already more advanced than both Al and Josh on the Offensive end…The Hawks had a ton of offensive droughts especially in the 4th quarters of games when their guards ran outta gas and the Bigs could not carry them….
One of them should have have been shopped for him..As presently configured they are not going to an ECF?
In fact Doc, this is a lottery team if they played out West……….Wow…..
dj dascorpian
June 26th, 2011
4:01 pm
When Benson develops himself, gets good-he will want to trade out of the Atl to get with another team with good management. Um just sayin…
Slimjr
June 26th, 2011
4:12 pm
Doc do you realize the Thunder have swept the Hawks three years running? You cant beat that team you aint going to an ECF nor deserve too…