Atlanta Hawks: Camp roster rounds into shape
Zaza and Magnum Rolle were at Philips today. Twin is expected to re-sign with the Hawks tomorrow. Earl Watson told Jody Genessy of the Deseret News he hasn’t decided where he will sign.
So, assuming T-Mac and Twin follow through and sign with the Hawks and Watson ends up picking Atlanta, this is what the team depth chart would look like for the start of camp (not counting Kirk Hinrich):
PG–Jeff Teague/Earl Watson/Pape Sy
SG–Joe Johnson/Tracy McGrady/Brad Wanamaker
SF–Marvin Williams/Tracy McGrady
PF–Josh Smith/Magnum Rolle
C–Al Horford/Zaza Pachulia/Jason Collins/Keith Benson
That’s 14 players on the roster, 10 of whom have guaranteed contracts.
Still don’t see any of the “knock-down 3-point shooters” L.D. said he wants. Twin, when deployed in favorable matchups, ended up providing some of the defensive toughness L.D. is seeking and T-Mac is a pretty good defender and very good rebounder: According to Hoopdata, last season he was seventh in defensive rebound rate among shooting guards who played at least 15 minutes.
But so far it looks like the Hawks haven’t addressed two of their main concerns. Stay tuned.
Etc.
- I don’t think there will be a sign-and-trade with Chicago for Jamal. The Hawks aren’t looking to take on the kind of salary the matching rules require and the Bulls are focused on using their MLE to sign a free agent.
- Zaza said he’s fully recovered from the left calf injury he suffered during FIBA play and aggravated while playing in Turkey.
- It looks like Damien is not in the Hawks’ plans.
- Word is Hinrich will be at camp tomorrow to continue his rehab.
- Rob Mahoney, writing for ProBasketballTalk, endorses the T-Mac signing: “For the league minimum, this is very likely the best the Hawks could possibly do.”
- AJC wise guy Jeff Schultz does not like a T-Mac-for-Jamal swap: “It’s a good sign if McGrady’s addition is meant only to add depth on the bench. It’s a bad sign if his signing is intended to soften the blow for the possible loss of Jamal Crawford.”
- Hawks blog legend Sekou predicts “this is the year the Hawks hit the skids.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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399 comments Add your comment
northcyde
December 8th, 2011
7:08 pm
@ JeJe . . . that’s becoming one of my main problems with that dude now. The Hawks are a soft team from top to bottom, and that includes our star players ( JJ, Josh, Al ).
Everybody on this team CAN’T be soft. Zaza is the dang tough guy. Marvin, of all people, may be the 2nd toughest guy on the team. But our stars MUST get tougher.
It’s just a real bad sign when you see Smith drop 15 – 20 lbs to play more SF . . and Horford do everything in his power to become Rashard Lewis instead of Kevin Garnett.
Add JJ’s inability ( or unwillingless ) to look for contact to get to the free throw line when he drives into the lane, and it just illustrates how soft our “stars” are.
These guys better hope that whatever they’re doing in the offseason will make this group a better team overall, because if it doesn’t, most of us are going to be crying for change. That 2nd week of the season in which we play Miami and Chicago 4 times in 6 days, will tell a lot about this team early.
Grandmaster JeJe
December 8th, 2011
7:11 pm
AMEN NORTHCYDE.
Horford ONLY cares about his jumpshot. Read the last blog. He said he was working on post game. Then the next sentence says he worked on dribbling and driving with Calipari.
The dude does NOT get it.
northcyde
December 8th, 2011
7:19 pm
The Lakers are simply illustrating to the rest of the league how to do business. This move has nothing to do with how much money the Lakers have. It illustrates that the Lakers are willing to give up highly regarded pieces in order to get who they want.
The Lakers are willing to trade 2 of their top 4 players, in order to get the player that they want. Heck . . Gasol was 2nd team All-NBA last year. And the Lakers didn’t even BLINK to trade that dude.
Other teams value their young stars and act like they’re future Hall of Famers in the making, even if they haven’t shown that type of ceiling yet. The Lakers are like . . “forget that, we’re trying to win titles around here.”
Sund would never make a move like trading Smith and Horford for Dwight Howard.
Harry Hawk
December 8th, 2011
7:20 pm
It’s not even worth our time to contemplate roster moves for this team. They’re not going to add anything major, but if you’ve got some old T-Mac kicks? Well, break ‘em out.
mykhalc
December 8th, 2011
7:22 pm
Smith and Horford couldn’t get Howard either!!! the Hawks talent will NOT get a superstar…PERIOD!!!
corydillinger
December 8th, 2011
7:24 pm
I don’t want to be negative but with all the moves all the major teams always seem to make we might not even make the playoffs. Don’t forget 76ers will get better, bucks got better, wizards took our rookie and will get better maybe its time to blow it up use amnesty on Joe trade Josh and Al and start over very depressing
FreshFromATL
December 8th, 2011
7:29 pm
RICK SUND…GET YOUR A$$ ON THE PHONE WITH ORLANDO AND TELL THEM TO PICK WHOEVER THEY WANT…BRING D12 HOME NOW!!!!
EmirS.
December 8th, 2011
7:31 pm
How did the Bucks get better?
Wizards took Jordan Crawford, but I’ll be damned if they’re talking playoffs this year.
Heat
Bulls
Knicks
Hawks
Celtics
Sixers
Magic
Pacers
One can argue Bobcats and Bucks for the 8th spot but it’s anyone’s game IMO. I doubt we see the Magic in the top four anymore.
cp
December 8th, 2011
7:32 pm
@northcyde. The Lakers were willing to trade guys that helped them win rings. The Hawks wont trade guys that cant even get out of the second round.
ryan
December 8th, 2011
7:32 pm
Sund = Wren just sit around and twiddle there thumbs while everyone improves .
northcyde
December 8th, 2011
7:34 pm
Cory . . the Laker deal doesn’t affect us. It affects the Western Conference big time though. The Lakers may become elite ( especially if they add Dwight Howard ), but the Hornets may now become a player in the West, possibly even becoming a playoff team.
The deal we need to watch out for, is the upcoming NY Knicks deal to secure Tyson Chandler.
Slimjr
December 8th, 2011
7:35 pm
SUND= C’mon MAN!!!!!!Step it up !!!!!!!
corydillinger
December 8th, 2011
7:35 pm
Its not only that other teams got better but without Jamal we get worse. Listen we could always depend on Jamal to score when Joe’s shot was off and now who do we go to for the outside shot. Joe’s three point shooting last year was terrible
northcyde
December 8th, 2011
7:36 pm
LOL @ cp . . . sad isn’t it?
ryan
December 8th, 2011
7:37 pm
ASG= US congress !
bigdave
December 8th, 2011
7:39 pm
“bigdave
December 8th, 2011
(3:16 pm)
word is the Rockets will help the Lakers land CP3.. by sending Gasol to Houston.. and i guess Scola and Martin to the NO”
just saying..
Mudcat
December 8th, 2011
7:40 pm
Yawn………..When does spring training start?
northcyde
December 8th, 2011
7:40 pm
Here’s how to compensate for Jamal’s scoring
Marvin – 12 ppg
Teague – 10 ppg
T-Mac – 8 ppg
If we can get 30 ppg out of those 3 guys, that would effectively cover for Jamal’s scoring. Now it won’t cover for his ability to get a shot anytime he wants, but the scoring can be covered for.
Grandmaster JeJe
December 8th, 2011
7:40 pm
Houston just gave up its 2 best players, its serviceable backup PG, and a pick for Pau Gasol. That pisses me off. Why did they bend over like that? That isn’t even close to being a good trade. That type of package you give up for an Amare or Blake Griffin – not a stiff who disappears
A concerned fan..
December 8th, 2011
7:44 pm
LOL, THIS SUCKS FOR FISHER BECAUSE HE WORKED 4 1/2 MONTHS TO END THE LOCKOUT, AND NOW THAT THE NBA IS BACK HE HAS BE BENCHED BECAUSE PAUL JUST CAME IN.
Grandmaster JeJe
December 8th, 2011
7:44 pm
EmirS,
Charlotte’s roster is hideously bad.
I think we will be 3 seed this year. We just need a 10 deep rotation. We have young legs still. We need a deep rotation otherwise this will get rough (just like it would for any team)
A concerned fan..
December 8th, 2011
7:44 pm
#BASKETBALLNEVERENDS
A concerned fan..
December 8th, 2011
7:45 pm
OOPS, I MEANT #BASKETBALLNEVERSTOPS.
A concerned fan..
December 8th, 2011
7:45 pm
it should be an interesting day tommorrow..
Zach
December 8th, 2011
7:46 pm
Who are these scrubs? The bench is going to look like the Cleveland Indians in “Major League.”
Jody
December 8th, 2011
7:46 pm
@MC,
So, I guess it’s safe to assume the Hawks won’t be looking to make any trades and will role their normal undersized and mediocre “core”.
Dawg
December 8th, 2011
7:48 pm
Other teams that are $20 million over the cap can go get who ever they want. The Hawks agonize on how to get Collins to sign again. Being a Hawks fan sure does SUCK!
Grandmaster JeJe
December 8th, 2011
7:48 pm
Read the blog. ASG IS NOT GOING INTO THE LUXURY TAX
THESE GUYS JUST SOLD THE THRASHERS FOR CASH. THEY CAN’T GO 2 MILLION INTO THE FREAKING LT
PATHETIC
Grandmaster JeJe
December 8th, 2011
7:49 pm
“Here’s how to compensate for Jamal’s scoring
Marvin – 12 ppg
Teague – 10 ppg
T-Mac – 8 ppg
If we can get 30 ppg out of those 3 guys, that would effectively cover for Jamal’s scoring. Now it won’t cover for his ability to get a shot anytime he wants, but the scoring can be covered for.”
All 3 of those guys are also 23087456230587230587236502783650237650283765x better than Jamal will ever be defensively
northcyde
December 8th, 2011
7:51 pm
Houston has to have something else up their sleeve. I know they are VERY high on Patrick Patterson. And it looks like they may make a last ditch effort to bring back Chuck Hayes. They have to have something else up their sleeve though.
Maybe they do something crazy, and offer Marc Gasol a new-MAX level contract? Maybe they make a major play for Jamal Crawford or a Nick Young?
Houston lineup right now
PG – Lowry
G – ???
F – ???
PF – Patrick Patterson
C – Pau Gasol
Damn . . I bet they DO go after Marc Gasol. Giving him a MAX contract would really make Memphis blink, seeing that they’d be right at or even over the Luxury Tax if Marc got a MAX deal.
EmirS.
December 8th, 2011
7:54 pm
@JeJe
“We just need a 10 deep rotation”
I’ve been spamming that thought for 2 seasons now. It’s exactly what we need. A deep bench.
Ryan
December 8th, 2011
8:04 pm
Am I the only who thinks that the hawks match up better with the lakers now? Teague can run with Paul easy. He stayed with D.Rose…..and by lakers losing all that size….
EmirS.
December 8th, 2011
8:07 pm
@Ryan
They’re not done. You can bet on that. They know they lost size. Wonder who they can bring it to help out with that……
vava74
December 8th, 2011
8:09 pm
umm… Billups will land in Miami…
Ryan
December 8th, 2011
8:09 pm
Even so…thats 1 guy instead of 3…I’m ok with that.
superiorblogman
December 8th, 2011
8:11 pm
Houston lineup right now
PG – Lowry
G – ???
F – ???
PF – Patrick Patterson
C – Pau Gasol
Not as many ? marks as you assume. Chase Budinger is a solid SF for a team not going anywhere and they have former lottery pick Terrence Jones to play SG. I agree they may reach on Nene, De-Andre Jordan, or Marc Gasol though but most likely not Jamal.
superiorblogman
December 8th, 2011
8:13 pm
vava74
December 8th, 2011
8:09 pm
umm… Billups will land in Miami…
Learn the rules before you speak. Billups has to clear waivers. Meaning, every team under the cap has the option of bidding on him before he clears waivers and is free to sign with anyone. He is too valuable to clear waivers, someone will pick him up just to trade him for future assets if nothing else.
Just Joe
December 8th, 2011
8:17 pm
Billups will get claimed by a team under the cap. He has no say so.
Nique
December 8th, 2011
8:18 pm
CP3 to LA Lakers!!!!! & for nothing more than what we could have offered
Melvin
December 8th, 2011
8:22 pm
If the same few teams are still going to get all the top players then what was the purpose of the Lockout?
Big Dog
December 8th, 2011
8:22 pm
For the last 3 years intelligent bloggers have been saying that this team peaked under Mr, Woodson and is in a slow spiral down with Mr. Drew. Most attribute the lack of a center and Al Horfords unwillingness to play the position , plus the lack of superior guard play as the reason for the demise. Ray Charles can see that and hes dead. So how come Mr. Sekou is a prophet for realizing what we all know, and have said for years.
THE HAWKS NEED A CENTER.
Big Dog
December 8th, 2011
8:27 pm
As the team stand with the line up Mr. Cunningham listed here my order:
Heat
Bulls
Celtics
Knicks
Magic
Hawks
Sixers
Pacers
superiorblogman
December 8th, 2011
8:28 pm
Melvin
December 8th, 2011
8:22 pm
If the same few teams are still going to get all the top players then what was the purpose of the Lockout?
The purpose of the lockout was to see how strong they could come back and always was. Competitive balance is not good for the league. The NBA is entertainment. In entertainment you need people to have strong emotions towards what you do, rather hate or love. The hate is provided by teams such as the Lakers and Yankees always having seemingly stacked teams. The love is provided by teams like Golden State whose fanbase will always support them no matter what. Teams like the Hawks are just here to be here. The lockout was to gauge and promote both love and hate to add to the entertainment value.
BIG DOG
December 8th, 2011
8:39 pm
MC, this team will finish 5th at best, no excitement at all.
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
Dept. Of Unintended Irony
December 8th, 2011
8:39 pm
“For the last 3 years intelligent bloggers have been saying that this team peaked under Mr, Woodson and is in a slow spiral down with Mr. Drew.”
That’s rather odd, since the team peaked in wins only two years ago. Maybe those intelligent bloggers were right 1 out of three. That would be last year. Unless you consider a gain in wins in 2009-10 as “past the peak”.
Big Dog
December 8th, 2011
8:42 pm
Why are we worried about how we match up with the Lakers? We see them twice a year at best and then… watch them on tv as they go the the championships and deep in the playoffs. We should be more concerned with who our cable tv providers are .
Some of us know
December 8th, 2011
8:42 pm
Hmmm… Two posters named Big Dog, one with all caps. Who on this blog would steal an ID?
Not a multi-named Horford hater by any chance?
Some of us know.
tyger
December 8th, 2011
8:43 pm
Trade is Successful! Remember the league owns New Orleans collectively, they cant disagree!
Los Angeles Lakers Payroll $91,113,227
Cap Room -$33,069,227
Chris Paul $16.4M 2 Years
D. Howard $18.1M 2 Years
J.J. Redick $6.8M 2 Years
Acquiring 3 Players $41.2M
Hollinger’s Analysis: +2 Wins
With this trade you have increased this team’s projected wins by 2.
Orlando Magic Payroll $77,023,289
Cap Room -$18,979,289
Andrew Bynum $14.9M 2 Years
Emeka Okafor $12.6M 3 Years
Acquiring 2 Players $27.5M
Hollinger’s Analysis: -10 Wins
With this trade you have decreased this team’s projected wins by 10.
New Orleans Hornets Payroll $68,173,590
Cap Room -$10,129,590
Lamar Odom $8.9M 2 Years
Pau Gasol $18.7M 3 Years
R. Anderson $2.2M 1 Year
Acquiring 3 Players $29.9M
Hollinger’s Analysis: +8 Wins
With this trade you have increased this team’s projected wins by 8.
BIG DOG
December 8th, 2011
8:43 pm
MC you mean to say Hawks sign some unknown scrub Wanamaker, can’t pick up the phone and call Damien wow, NO WONDER JOSH NOT HAPPY.
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
Big Dog
December 8th, 2011
8:52 pm
The hawks made Lost in the east conf semis 3 years in a row, at their peak, the year prior they lost in the 1st round prior to that they DNP in the play off for some time. We have now peaked. We lost more games last year than the year before and still haven’t found a center. Get your parachute out. Its going to be a rough landing. Drew will not win more games this year than last and we wont go any further in the play offs than we already have.(As things stand today).
Whats weird an ironic is that folks cant see that.
2010-11 Atlanta 44 38 .537 3rd Southeast Division Lost East Conf Semis
2009-10 Atlanta 53 29 .646 2nd Southeast Division Lost East Conf Semis
2008-09 Atlanta 47 35 .573 2nd Southeast Division Lost East Conf Semis
2007-08 Atlanta 37 45 .451 3rd Southeast Division Lost East Conf 1st Rd
2006-07 Atlanta 30 52 .366 5th Southeast Division DNQ
2005-06 Atlanta 26 56 .317 5th Southeast Division DNQ
2004-05 Atlanta 13 69 .159 5th Southeast Division DNQ