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
SteveW
June 23rd, 2011
9:53 pm
If Reggie Jackson from BC is still around, I would love for the Hawks to trade up for him. I think he could take Jamal’s spot.
And we have like 3 second round picks in ‘12 to work with on a trade.
Luke Cage
June 23rd, 2011
9:53 pm
Mr. October
Mr.Phil
June 23rd, 2011
9:54 pm
@ Big Ray “Stern struggling with naming the 23rd pick…”
This has been happening all night. He seemed relieved to announce Reggie Jackson at 24
It was not a bad pick
June 23rd, 2011
9:54 pm
Big Ray
June 23rd, 2011
9:51 pm
LOL, when will this Marvin bashing stop?..Put Marvin on any other team in the NBA and he eats Singleton or Leonard for lunch!
Yeah…except when the Hawks DID try to put him on another NBA team, nobody would take him. Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it…
Yeah, but your two favorite players Joe and Josh have not found any takers either!..So, whats your point, hell, you actually believe ROD from CP that Al played center at Florida!..
Najeh Davenpoop
June 23rd, 2011
9:54 pm
Damn SteveW you must have posted that literally at the exact same time Stern announced the pick for the Thunder.
Big Ray
June 23rd, 2011
9:55 pm
LOL @ Najeh …
A plethora of original thoughts isn’t necessary. Two kinds of posts/comments you can make to get people yapping – insightful and inciteful. Sound the same but are polar opposites. Both are effective if you blend ‘em with the right topic or subject of conversation.
But I get you…it was easier to talk ish on Sekou’s blog than it was to write the fan blog. But both are fun, trust me.
Wabe
June 23rd, 2011
9:55 pm
One of the most boring drafts in years.
jason
June 23rd, 2011
9:56 pm
Marshon Brooks is slipping lower and lower…. Sund Draft him, he’s our replacement of JC1 and JC2
Mr.Phil
June 23rd, 2011
9:56 pm
Looks like our birds will be content to take Chad Ford’s advice and draft Leslie.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 23rd, 2011
9:56 pm
“So, whats your point, hell, you actually believe ROD from CP that Al played center at Florida!..”
Granny, I know at your age your memory is not that strong, but Rod is right about Al guarding Oden in the championship game. I don’t watch enough regular season college basketball to know how often Al played center throughout his college career but if his coach was willing to put him on the best center in college basketball that year he presumably must have done so in plenty of other situations as well. In any case Rod’s contention about Al playing center is a lot more believable than the phony height measurements you seemingly pull out of thin air when talking about Al and others.
Luke Cage
June 23rd, 2011
9:57 pm
Sad to say folks but Marvin ain’t going anywhere because at his salary nobody will take em’, the GM that is foolish enough to take him in any trade will be fired before the next draft. Bank on it.
Grandad
June 23rd, 2011
9:57 pm
MC
I don’t hate anyone.
I’m raggin’ on you ’cause you don’t want to be where you are
and I would love to be there, as would most of the bloggers tonite.
If I didn’t like & respect you I wouldn’t say nothin’.
But, I say what’s on my mind.
I’m too old to bottle thangs up.
So, “pull down yore pants and slide on the ice”
-Dr Sidney Freedman- M*A*S*H
Yes, yes, I’m a smart ass, but I’m a lovable smart ass.
The Sidney Freedman quote simply means,
don’t get stressed out.
Relax & and enjoy the moment.
Your loyal blogger…..G-dad
SteveW
June 23rd, 2011
9:57 pm
Najeh – Yep. I’m just glad Miami didn’t get him at #31. I think he could really have helped them. Good ball player.
Wabe
June 23rd, 2011
9:58 pm
It was not a bad pick
June 23rd, 2011
9:54 pm
“Yeah, but your two favorite players Joe and Josh have not found any takers either!..So, whats your point, hell, you actually believe ROD from CP that Al played center at Florida!..”
——–
And you actually believe that Marvin Williams has star potential…
Credibility is shot.
Luke Cage
June 23rd, 2011
9:59 pm
Well there goes that hope.
jason
June 23rd, 2011
9:59 pm
DAMN IT!! MARSHON WENT TO THE DAMN CELTICS… AND THEY NEED A CENTER.. >.<
Najeh Davenpoop
June 23rd, 2011
9:59 pm
This Marshon Brooks pick is being traded to the New Jersey Nets. The Celtics and Nets are swapping the #25 and #27. The Nets need wing players desperately. Pretty good fit for them.
Wabe
June 23rd, 2011
9:59 pm
Brooks literally reminds me of Jamal.
hawksfancents95
June 23rd, 2011
10:00 pm
if dallas takes jajuan johnson or trey thompkins they are on their way to a repeat.
cp
June 23rd, 2011
10:01 pm
Well there goes Brook.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 23rd, 2011
10:01 pm
These ESPN people really need to have Twitter in front of them. Woj tweeted this Celtics-Nets trade before Brooks was even picked. ESPN hasn’t even announced that Mirotic is going to the Bulls.
Dap01
June 23rd, 2011
10:01 pm
It’s painful being a Hawks fan. It will be so enjoyable having LD and Sund explain why Collins and other leftovers are signed. What a great way to build a team. Eating Chicken? It would be nice for MC to provide insite on what has been going on.
Luke Cage
June 23rd, 2011
10:01 pm
Unless a trade happens I still see the Hawks taking Lighty.
Luke Cage
June 23rd, 2011
10:03 pm
Agree with Najeh, ESPN should be on top of this instead of spitting out stupid stats since this year or this year or this year. Rather have TNT with Hubie Brown breaking these guys down.
Michael Cunningham
June 23rd, 2011
10:04 pm
@Grandad: “MC I don’t hate anyone.
I’m raggin’ on you ’cause you don’t want to be where you are
and I would love to be there, as would most of the bloggers tonite.”
i know. it’s all fun. i was joking about not wanting to be here. it’s just that this is the closest i ever get to feeling like i’m working a desk job and that’s not a good look for me.
cp
June 23rd, 2011
10:04 pm
Honeycutt is another guy who would be a nice player for the Hawks
Najeh Davenpoop
June 23rd, 2011
10:04 pm
I wouldn’t mind Lighty to the Hawks. Granted, he’s one of the few players projected to go that late that I’ve actually seen.
Mavs are trading this pick.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 23rd, 2011
10:05 pm
Portland traded Rudy Fernandez to the Mavs for this #26 pick.
Big Ray
June 23rd, 2011
10:05 pm
Yeah, but your two favorite players Joe and Josh have not found any takers either!..So, whats your point, hell, you actually believe ROD from CP that Al played center at Florida!..
Read the articles around the League. Nobody is trying to trade for Joe because we gave him a big enough contract to make sure that he didn’t go anywhere else. That and nobody wants that massive contract now .
Josh is and has been the subject of many legit trade rumors where teams are inquiring about what they’d have to give up to get him. Every time he doesn’t get traded, it’s about the Hawks wanting too much in return, or other teams not providing enough value to make the trade.
With Marvin, every single article has been about the Hawks shopping Marvin, and NOBODY being interested.
That’s my point. Read the articles. And then you can go and start calling the media and the rest of the NBA franchises a bunch of Marvin bashers.
jason
June 23rd, 2011
10:06 pm
Andrew Goudelock, E’twuan Moore, Ben Hansbrough, and Travis Leslie are the list of guys still avalible that can make an impact on this team…. AND I JUST FOUND OUT THAT MARSHON WAS FOR THE NETS!! >.<
Big Ray
June 23rd, 2011
10:06 pm
Dap01,
Hard to cover stuff that ain’t happening.
cp
June 23rd, 2011
10:07 pm
I think the Hawks will be taking Malcolm Thomas or Travis Leslie.
jason
June 23rd, 2011
10:08 pm
Najeh anything on the hawks yet… :/
Najeh Davenpoop
June 23rd, 2011
10:08 pm
John Wall, Chris Singleton, Jan Vesely, and JaVale McGee might be the most athletic core in the league. If they get a 2 guard who can score — preferably one who can also do other things unlike Nick Young — watch out.
Big Ray
June 23rd, 2011
10:09 pm
There goes Johnson.
I bet Sund tried to dangle Smoove and some other stuff in front of Minny. Then when they didn’t go for it, he hung it all up and headed for the chicken. Game over.
Post Draft comments: “We tried. Now lets go sign guys who want a paycheck, but don’t care if they play or not.”
Michael Cunningham
June 23rd, 2011
10:09 pm
@Dap01: “It would be nice for MC to provide insite on what has been going on.”
i wish i could get in the draft room, too, but i’m not invited. eventually Sund and Co. will emerge and i will ask them questions.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 23rd, 2011
10:09 pm
Nothing on Twitter about the Hawks. Just people retweeting obsolete stories from earlier today about the Hawks trying to trade with Minnesota.
Mr.Phil
June 23rd, 2011
10:09 pm
Ray
“Hard to cover stuff that ain’t happening.”
Not really just make it up. I do it sometimes.Its fun.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 23rd, 2011
10:10 pm
Jimmy Butler is another guy available who I think can be a solid role player for a playoff team.
Michael Cunningham
June 23rd, 2011
10:11 pm
i think it’s great how Rick Sund and the chicken has become a meme among by blog people. excellent.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 23rd, 2011
10:12 pm
It is really hilarious how every time Stuart Scott makes a corny ass joke and expects the other analysts to laugh, it ends up in an awkward pause every time. This has happened at least 4 or 5 times now.
It was not a bad pick
June 23rd, 2011
10:12 pm
We should trade up to draft Tyler, next tell Drew, start him or you are fired!
Wabe
And you actually believe that Marvin Williams has star potential…
Credibility is shot.
MC and others keep saying no one wants Marvin, but the Hawks have been shopping Josh “JUMPSHOT” Smith for years and no one has came up with a decent offer yet!..And Joe, you could not give him away for free right now..!
Mr.Phil
June 23rd, 2011
10:12 pm
Wait. So the Hawks traded the 48 pick for chicken?
J.J.M.
June 23rd, 2011
10:13 pm
wish maya moore could play for us over marvin
Big Ray
June 23rd, 2011
10:13 pm
Good pick for Chicago.
Mr.Phil
June 23rd, 2011
10:14 pm
@It was not a bad pick
“no one has came up with a decent offer yet!…”
Yeah. But a bad offer is more promising than laughing in your face and hanging up the phone.
jason
June 23rd, 2011
10:15 pm
@Najeh 10:12 Post
I know right!! I understand the guy’s dealing with cancer but c’mon those jokes can’t even make a hiyena laugh!
Big Ray
June 23rd, 2011
10:15 pm
MC and others keep saying no one wants Marvin, but the Hawks have been shopping Josh “JUMPSHOT” Smith for years and no one has came up with a decent offer yet!..And Joe, you could not give him away for free right now..!
You’re right. You can’t give Joe away for free. He costs $125 million you cretin.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 23rd, 2011
10:15 pm
Only two more picks until the second round. The $5 bet that Thompkins will fall to the 2nd looks pretty good right now. A lot of mock drafts have Travis Leslie going to the Bulls with the last pick of the first round though.
Luke Cage
June 23rd, 2011
10:16 pm
Stuart’s act is lame now, at times ya just gotta report the news and not be the focal point.