Atlanta Hawks: Video: Free agent focus
I talked Hawks today with CineSport’s Noah Coslov. No news so far on the free-agent front. Check back tomorrow for a report from the first day of workouts at Philips.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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268 comments Add your comment
doc
November 30th, 2011
10:59 pm
@mc was marvin sitting up straight one inch higher after his surgery?
i too, took more than a passing interest in ncaa football this year, more so than in the past five years it seems. man i hate to think i am watching with humor should uga upset the tigers just to make again a farce out of the “championship” game and the crowning of another mythical ncaa div 1 champion. odd of me to have followed the football standings through the year as it is a postive waste of energy.
i am also taking interest in the lawsuit against the filthy rich ncaa regarding head injuries that could loom large for all football programs going forward. the liability issues that might come of it could ultimately put a lot of pressure on any football from pee wee up. the brain isnt any safer in a helmet at the age of 7 as it is in your thirties as one ding can be a life long devastating injury. interesting article in the ny times today on the subject.
maybe since lanier played for buffalo, wasnt it, for so many years he qualified as white aj?
Big Dog
November 30th, 2011
11:00 pm
Grandad where you at boooy? I see your point, Al score 2 points in his last allstar game, and Erwin did not. Thats why I give the edge to Al 2 to 0
Hey, How bout a little trout sandwich?
OK last one…. trout sandwich ya’ll
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKHUaTIsPjM&feature=related
doc
November 30th, 2011
11:02 pm
aj “Grandad, Lanier was slightly ahead of my time”
damn gdad, that young whipper snapper, aj, is trying to age us or something.
brigadierjerry
November 30th, 2011
11:06 pm
Granddad,
Dont forget Dave Cowens as well as you know being a Celtic fan. Also saw some reports in regards to new CBA and Hawks
ATLANTA HAWKS
How it helps: The Hawks just got a giant insurance policy on the massive Joe Johnson contract, greatly limiting the downside of one of the league’s most questionable deals. The Hawks now have the luxury of using the amnesty on Johnson if and when the 30-year-old shows signs of slippage from his All-Star level (which will be at least another year down the line).
How it hurts: Atlanta has $66 million committed to just seven players and no appetite for paying the luxury tax. With a $70 million tax level and no contract rollbacks, the Hawks will have to fill out the roster with minimum contracts unless they can work a trade.
Immediate impact (this season): Par for the course. Atlanta will lose Jamal Crawford in free agency, sign some veterans around the edges and try to go 45-37 and lose in the second round again. The only potential game-changer would be a Josh Smith trade.
Long-term impact (future seasons): Let’s see what the revenue-sharing deal looks like. Despite one of the NBA’s best arenas, the Hawks franchise right now is something of a money pit, and a weary ownership group is searching in vain for the exit. If revenue sharing is based mostly on market size they’ll get little help on this front, despite being a low-revenue team. If so, they’d almost be better off joining the Thrashers in Winnipeg.
Big Dog
November 30th, 2011
11:08 pm
Erwin L. Mueller (born March 12, 1944) is a retired American basketball player. A 6′8″ forward/center,he attended the University of San Francisco where he was All-Coast, All Conference & All-America and was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the second round (10th pick overall) of the 1966 NBA Draft.
During his first season, Mueller averaged 12.7 points per game for the Bulls and earned NBA All-Rookie Team honors. He was traded midway through his second season to the LA Lakers for Jim Barnes and a draft choice on January 9, 1968. Mueller would return to the Bulls for the start of the 68-69 season by way of another trade through the Lakers sending Keith Erickson to LA for Erwin on September 23, 1968. However his tenure in Chicago would not last through the season. On January 31, 1969 Mueller was traded to the Seattle Supersonics for a draft choice and cash.
In his seven season (1966–1973) NBA career, he also played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Seattle SuperSonics, and Detroit Pistons and scored 3,248 total points
Melvin
November 30th, 2011
11:17 pm
I would love to see Josh do this much dunking in a real game with a Hawks uniform on….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=3eomAsZ-evE
Grandad
November 30th, 2011
11:24 pm
Thanks Big dog;
No disrespect intended,
but I ain’t been nobody’s boy
since my daddy took off when I was 10.
[man ought not leave his wife of 25 yrs for a wh@re]
I’m sure you didn’t intend any.
I swear If i ever heard of Mueller, I cannot remember him.
Thanks again.
Grandad
November 30th, 2011
11:25 pm
I just learned you cannot say wh@re on this blog.
Grandad
November 30th, 2011
11:26 pm
Unless U misspell it.
Big Dog
November 30th, 2011
11:27 pm
what is this some kid of bond between Josh and Dwight? Why are they making so many commercials together?
Check this out?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akYUPWnMAz8&feature=related
Big Dog
November 30th, 2011
11:28 pm
Sorry about your father. Hey, buy you came out ok right?
Big Dog
November 30th, 2011
11:40 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wkn01olV9I&feature=fvwrel
Nate ArchiBALL
December 1st, 2011
12:01 am
All I want for Christmas is the NBA……….
I can’t stand watching Division I basketball……It’s horrible.
Grandad
December 1st, 2011
12:06 am
Big Dog
Don’t feel sorry for me.
I had the world’s greatest ever single working mom.
[at least for me, in those times, where we lived]
I married a saint and an angel combination.
[who else could have put up with me for 40 yrs]
We had the 3 best young-uns in the world.
[even though two of the three took after me]-(bless their heart)
Two fantastic grand-kids.
Coached for over 30 years / my profession of choice.
I loved every split second of it.
Man I’ve been blessed beyond what I deserve.
But thanks anyway !!
Grandmaster JeJe
December 1st, 2011
12:24 am
Blazers will offer Pryzbilla the vet min. We can do better
waltbellamyfan
December 1st, 2011
12:26 am
Love all the Bob Lanier talk. He was a real force on offense from medium range and in the paint. He was one of a number of great post players from that era. Quite a contrast from what passes for a center in the current NBA.
Laimbeer maximized his ability but I always despised him because the Pistons were always thwarting the Hawks in the 80s.
Erwin Mueller? Al may have his faults but that comparison is less than fair.
Fire Sund. Overthrow the evil ASG.
Rufus1
December 1st, 2011
12:53 am
Why the Hawks Have a 25% chance at CP3….
1. He has stated he will only go to certain teams, so most team won’t even offer.
2.The knick won’t offer a trade because they are waiting.
3. He is going to leave N.O. so they have to get something.
4.The Hawks are one of the few teams he could go to and be a title contender.
5. We can offer the best package to N.O. and still be a title contender. (We won 50 games without CP3)
(I would trade Teague and Kirk for the 1 year rental, because I think we would go to the finals and hope that is enough for him to re-sign.)
Teague- Good, cheap young PG
Kirk – 9mill expiring contract
75% why we won’t get him….
DAVID STERN CONTROLS THE HORNETS and the league is slanted toward certain teams.
Grandad
December 1st, 2011
1:52 am
Rufus
You may have the one and only reason we will not get him.
If Stern would only realize the NBA TV mkt in ATL is enough that
he should take the shackles off our franchise,
then maybe Chris Paul could land here.
Sund will not make it happen;
* But *
Agents & Chris Paul himself may be the driving force
to see the trade through.
Honestly;
I think, (one man’s opinion) Paul himself would want to keep Al.
[rather than Josh]
Another point;
Hinrich stays, as we cannot afford to lose him.
If ‘n we were to make this fantasy trade we would kneed (sic)
Capn Kirk for kneeeded (sic) insurance.
Plus he’s our back-up @ the [2].
To make salaries work:
Josh & or Al + Teague + one must be in the pkg.
Marv and Capn Kirk make too much $.
That’s why Zaza’s salary fits perfectly.
If we traded Al over Josh;
* from -our- standpoint *
-forget the Al vs Josh bias-
We control Al at $12 mil per for 5 yrs.
Josh is a UFA in two yrs @ $12 & $13 per.
They are the same age,
*(Josh 6 months the elder)
but Josh has more tread on his tires.
*[jumpers / leapers knees] & he’s been playing on them overweight.
* So *
Once again from our perspective,
[plus Al is slightly bigger (taller)]
and can play Center.
Al is the better choice for us to keep.
____________________________________________
-remembering all the while that I like Josh-
northcyde
December 1st, 2011
3:43 am
Enter your comments here
vava74
December 1st, 2011
4:08 am
brigadierjerry
November 30th, 2011
11:06 pm
That “report” is so precise that it is still projecting a win-loss record based on a 82 game season…
vava74
December 1st, 2011
4:12 am
Grandad,
“Honestly;
I think, (one man’s opinion) Paul himself would want to keep Al.
[rather than Josh]”
I think you are wrong.
Paul, as PG, would value Josh’s ability to erase his (Paul’s) defensive mistakes in the perimeter with his swats AND his ability to finish strong at the rim RATHER than Al’s almost exclusive pick ‘n pop game.
northcyde
December 1st, 2011
4:17 am
Honestly . . I think a lot of the criticism of Horford comes from the fact that we’ve all been told that he’d be this dynamic player if he ever got a chance to play PF for an extended period of time. Well, in the Orlando series, that very thing happened. And if you go back and watch those games, you’d see 2 distinct things
1) the opposing PF ( whether it be Brandon Bass or Taj Gibson ) was not just sitting back giving Horford wide open jumpshots when he was 17 feet out. They would actually step out and challenge the shot, unlike most centers that Al goes up against, and simply let him shoot the shot uncontested.
2) It was obvious that Al was ineffective trying to create his shot vs playoff caliber PFs and Cs. Not only could he not create his own shot, he couldn’t draw fouls either.
When a person talks about Horford, and his game getting to that next level, these two things must be addressed before he even remotely reaches that point. As much as everyone talks about and knows that JJ doesn’t get to the FT line nearly enough, that point DEFINITELY pertains to Horford.
Because he plays out on the perimeter so much, and because he doesn’t have fluent moves in the post, he doesn’t draw nearly enough fouls ( especially for a big man ). If Al had the “banger’s mentality” of a Zaza, he’d get to the line 6 – 8 times a game and MIGHT be a 20 ppg scorer, and even possibly the UNDISPUTED best player on the Hawks.
As of right now though, he’s not even close to that. He doesn’t want to do that, even if he played PF. The only way Al reaches that level, is if he had a Steve Nash/Deron Williams type PG feeding him the ball whenever he was open. If Al is going to be camping out by the 3 point line, that’s just going to expose the Hawks even further as a poor rebounding team. LOL . . our 2 best rebounders will jack up 250 threes this year. Unless Marvin is going to be gobbling up those long rebounds, that’s a recipe for disaster for this team.
With most of the fan focus of negativity on JJ, Smith, Bibby, and Marvin . . Horford has been relatively treated with kid gloves in his first 4 years in the league by most Hawk fans. But last season’s playoffs kind of exposed that dude. IF his post game doesn’t dramatically improve this year, he’s ( offensively ) basically going to be a more athletic verson of Mehmet Okur in his prime.
northcyde
December 1st, 2011
4:26 am
NOTE: I know Taj Gibson plays for the Bulls. I was just thinking about the Bulls series as well, and how Gibson and even Noah would close out on Al’s jumper, rendering him ineffective a a scorer for half of that series.
Al only took 8 FTs that entire series. That’s our starting center, only taking 8 FTs in 6 games . . while shooting less than 42% in 3 of those games.
That’s why people have turned up the heat on Al lately.
Buddy Grizzard
December 1st, 2011
5:10 am
“I agree that [All-NBA Al] is the best [trade] chip, but only if we get a starting center in return. Otherwise, who plays the 5? I can’t see a Zaza / Benson / Twin rotation carrying us very far. Thoughts? Can you explain how Al is “highly overrated”, but yet has a “value contract”?” – Sautee
Horford is overrated and has a value contract simultaneously because of the death of legitimate centers in today’s NBA. It’s a value contract because he has better stats than Noah, was drafted 6 picks higher in the same draft, and yet signed for exactly the same money Noah signed for. Noah got that money because of how difficult it is to staff the C position. I honestly don’t know why Al Horford signed for so little.
But Al is overrated insasmuch as all of his accolades (All-Star and All-NBA selections) are based on him playing a position he doesn’t even want to play. Put him at the 4 and he gets shut down by Brandon Bass. Would Al Horford be an All-Star or All-NBA if he played during the regular season like he did against Orlando? No. Thus, he’s overrated… but still a great value!
“Better living through chemistry” – G-Dad
Haha we said at the beginning of the lockout that All-NBA Al needed to go see the Dominican pharmacist.
Buddy G
December 1st, 2011
5:11 am
“If someone like B.Roy were to be amnestied then signed by a team, what type of contract would he expect?” – Grandmaster JeJe
He would expect to get paid exactly what Portland signed him for originally. When a new team picks up an Amnestied player, the portion of the original contract that they pay reduces the original team’s obligation. The player gets the same money they would have if they sat at home after being Amnestied.
Thus, Brandon Roy will make about $15m this year. Teams under the cap can bid for his services if he is Amnestied by Portland. For example, if Indiana placed a bid that called for them to pay $5m of Roy’s salary for this season, then Portland’s obligation to Roy would be lowered from $15m to $10m. They save Indiana’s $5m contribution. But Roy gets the same $15m after being Amnestied whether or not he ever sets foot on an NBA court.
What I’m wondering, and please pass along the details if you have them, is must the team that signs an Amnestied player sign them for the length of the original contract? Roy is signed for four more years with the third year a player option and the fourth year a team option. I’m assuming Portland doesn’t have to pay him for the team option year if they use the Amnesty clause. But if Indiana is bidding for his services, do they have to offer to take him on for the three years remaining? Do they then inherit the team option on the fourth year? Will their bid have to include annual raises or can they bid a flat $5m per season for three years?
drmaryb .[*_*].
December 1st, 2011
6:46 am
Reality Check!
Oh well, back down to earth this morning. I had dreamy visions of CP3 in a Hawks uni. But, then I awakened and realized we are still being held hostage for no ransom by the ASKG. Thanks MC for the perspective.
___________
“Co-freakin’ sign.” -Sautee-
___________________
Is that the equivalent of a “slam dunk”? LOL. Yeah Sautee … I haven’t seen a back to the basket game since the 80’s. These faux centers don’t even know what that is. If they can’t see the rim – they don’t even know where it is?
drmaryb .[*_*].
December 1st, 2011
7:32 am
WHERE IS THE LOGIC!
This blog party is missing ine main ingredient! Yes my fellow cohorts – you guessed right. LOGIC!
Where is Ken Strickland? Anyone … Anyone?
drmaryb .[*_*].
December 1st, 2011
7:43 am
Bees Knees!
Brandon Roy’s knees are the equivalent of 22″ rims with no tires clanking on metal plates in the road covering up sink holes. All I see are, sparks flying, massive heat and warped metal.
Move on people, there is nothing left to see here. Brandon Roy is the quintessential of Jamal Mashburn. His knees are Mashed & Burned (pun intended).
Oh yeah! And, he is signed for 15M per for what 4 to 5 years?
Compared to Brandon Roy, Joe Johnson is a PPlatinum Maybach.
Mike is Back
December 1st, 2011
8:10 am
GRAND DAD…AL WILL BE BACK. I expect AL to come back with a chip on his shoulder…and perform at a very high level. He is the kind of guy that’s going to put in work to get better…that’s why he so respected around the league. TOO soon to put AL in a box…he’s young he is still evolving.
Of course again I’m a lil bias…Al is one of my favorites too…if you trade Josh or AL…U better make sure you get equal value…CUZ U GON REGRET IT.
Dang…some ole Hawks…hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
O'Brien
December 1st, 2011
8:32 am
From the previous blog;
G’dad,
N.O. already overpaid for Trevor Ariza (his contract is similar to Marvin), so I don’t think they want Granger unless somebody is taking Ariza off their hands.
AJ,
The Knicks did that last season with regard to Melo and they essentially sent a bunch of stiffs over to Denver as a result..
Ultimately, the Nuggets received Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, the Knicks 1st round pick in 2014, and a second round pick in 2012 and 2013.
I don’t think Chandler, Felton and Gallinari are stiffs.
drmaryb .[*_*].
December 1st, 2011
8:34 am
Sit Tight!
Dwight should work on his game and remain quiet all season. At years end, he should walk and air his “Decision” on ESPN.
Choose his destiny, watch teams clear cap space and go where the most talent lies. Perhaps it will be in Atlanta. With his endorsements he doesn’t need to worry about BRI.
O'Brien
December 1st, 2011
8:35 am
Northcyde,
If Al is going to be camping out by the 3 point line, that’s just going to expose the Hawks even further as a poor rebounding team.
What was one of the things Al said he work on this offseason? His 3-pt shot.
Slimjr
December 1st, 2011
8:46 am
Al should have worked on his dribble drive! Dude has no left hand and has a stiff right hand..
His game is not fluid, too stiff…All NBA wow….
Slimjr
December 1st, 2011
8:49 am
Sund and the god Father will make sure neither CP3 nor D12 land in Atlanta….Sucks being a Hawks fan?
KevinM
December 1st, 2011
8:56 am
The one guy besides Howard that makes a huge impact here: Rondo. He is a magician with the ball….he doesn’t need to be a great shooter. He leads his teams…..problem is, we have Drew to lead him.
Now on 680 this am, Sund was quoted as saying no one is untouchable on this team, with Al being the last guy to be traded. So we are here with Al with a huge void in the middle, we have a SG that gets 25.7% of our cap. If we had to lose amnesty a guy and rework this team, it would be Joe…..another team would pick him up and the ASG only pays for the remainder of another team’s agreement. You think Chicago wouldn’t jump on that if they can move a couple of pieces? That gets us back into building mode again because we have seen the best of this group.
But once again, like accepting Drew, we have Sund making the moves.
Sund has done 3 good things since he’s been here:
1) Drafting Teague
2) Re-signing Josh in a match offer
3) Drafting Jordan Crawford
The rest of his decisions have been abysmal. We continue to be an afterthought and would it surprise you if Orlando is projected above us in every category despite beating them in the playoffs last year?
For Sund to bring in Rondo, he would have to offer Al and Teague. Don’t be surprised if he did it.
KevinM
December 1st, 2011
9:01 am
Well, did anyone see this Yahoo article:
“Josh Smith hasn’t changed his mind on a future with his hometown Atlanta Hawks: He believes he’s probably run his course with Atlanta. Without an owner committed to making the changes to push this team past its second-round Eastern Conference ceiling, sources said he’d still welcome the team putting him into a trade.”
It sure sounds like Josh is the 1st captain to go if any deal is done.
Man, this stinks! Put Josh back at PF….and like Slim says on a regular basis, fire Sund.
Worldwide Clyde
December 1st, 2011
9:16 am
Dude are you kidding?
“Sund has done 3 good things since he’s been here:
1) Drafting Teague
2) Re-signing Josh in a match offer
3) Drafting Jordan Crawford ”
That’s 3 good moves in 4 years. GTFOH. Plus the third move was negated when he turned around and traded Jordan Crawford that only leaves 2.
FIRE SUND
Nique
December 1st, 2011
9:29 am
We need to keep AL & do what we need to go get Tyson Chandler, this gives us the defensive from line & rebounding that we’ve missed & need for years. It’ll also allow Benson to come along slowly & develop while only doing spot duty
Astro Joe
December 1st, 2011
9:29 am
OB, Chandler and Felton are FAs next summer. I don’t think either are considered building block material by the Nuggets. Are any of those guys consistently in the All-Star game discussion?
Mike
December 1st, 2011
9:56 am
@Kevin
Also in that article,
Rival executives say GM Rick Sund has told them everyone is available for deals, although Sund’s most reluctant to move Al Horford. There had been serious discussions between Atlanta and the Minnesota Timberwolves for Smith around the NBA draft, but they never materialized.
I think this is just false besides this is the ASG and Rick Sund we are talking about.
honest_abe
December 1st, 2011
10:00 am
some moron yelling at kurt thomas to “keep shooting” – sounds like me. doh!
Fundamentals
December 1st, 2011
10:04 am
“Blazers will offer Pryzbilla the vet min. We can do better”
He was traded to the Bobcats that claim they will keep him.
Rufus1
December 1st, 2011
10:05 am
@KevinM
If that article is true, they should trade him(Josh) and Marvin for Okafor and Ariza.
Lp
December 1st, 2011
10:05 am
Trade Al for DeAndre Jordan.
Fundamentals
December 1st, 2011
10:12 am
Okafor, Jordan, Chandler, ect would instantly make this team better, even if we had to lose Josh or Al. We need that post presence. We also need Teague to keep it rolling. His penetration changes our offense and opens up the floor for our shooters.
Who’s of the opinion that Marvin’s back and lack of mobility make him a better backup PF than SF? Dude’s body can’t withstand the punishment of driving the lane like a guard. He’d be better to develop post moves.
Astro Joe
December 1st, 2011
10:21 am
I said this a few weeks ago and I stand by it (especially after the back surgery), we need to keep marvin a little while longer. His trade value can only go up at this point and we should allow him a few months to make that happen. Most of y’all want to trade guys when they no longer provide value, which means that you are likely trading them for someone else’s underachiever (or bad contract). Sure, players who intent to leave their teams for greener pastures are the exception, but if we really want to improve this roster, we can’t limit ourselves to a small pool of imminent FAs who are anxious to leave their current team.
ILL-Logical
December 1st, 2011
10:48 am
Sounds as if Josh/his agent have finally seen the light. After 10 years in an disfunctional organization geared to protecting its decision to acquire Joe Johnson, his future is elswhere. The good news for Josh is that wherever he ends up and if it is a contender, Dwight will follow. If his new team is not a contender, he will play out his current deal and join Dwight.
SteveW
December 1st, 2011
10:48 am
We can’t blame Sund for hiring the worst regular season Coach in the history or any game, any sport, anywhere, anytime. Don’t forget the monumental, record setting blowouts the last half of last season, and the lottery play, both record wise, +/- etc. That was ASG’s fault.
We will not make the playoffs this year if LD stays past the All Star break – a prediction.
The playoffs teams will be:
Miami
Chicago
Philadelphia
New York
Orlando – Just because of Dwight, little else, especially if they lose J Richardson
Boston
Bucks
And a real battle for the 8th spot, including ATL – but I think one of the other teams get’s it.
Remember, this is the same blog people didn’t think Chicago had passed ATL before last season.
But i do guess most of us were wrong about the Bucks also.
I think only Charlotte, Toronto, and Cleveland are out of the playoff picture really. Everybody else has a shot in the East.
Beware the Wizards. Really.
SteveW
December 1st, 2011
10:54 am
Now if ATL got a real coach, with 3 of the top 43 players in the game, and supporting cast of ZaZa, Hinrich, Teague, Marvin, Wilkens, and Collins, with Benson, Sy, and Rolle, we are ECF material.
But not with this Coach.
I think JJ will be back in a pretty big way also.
Northcyde – Spot on about Al. The best thing Al can do is gain about 15 lbs of muscle and get some post moves. Too slow for a PF. He’s an All Star C, not a PF.
And if Noah and Bogut stay healthy, he may not even be an All Star C.
Slimjr
December 1st, 2011
11:01 am
Keep Josh, Jettison ALL NBA ALLSTAR Al while hes still overrated and has great value…..