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
Big Ray
December 8th, 2011
10:28 pm
chances are the Hawks are one of 2-3 teams that have made the 2nd round of the playoffs for the past 3 seasons. And they haven’t paid the luxury tax
That will help you sleep well at night…until you realize that essentially, the stated goal of winning a championship is just something that is said when the press comes asking questions…and that the part about getting into the 2nd round of the playoffs without paying the luxury tax is little more than an acceptable accomplishment EVERY YEAR from now until Kingdom Come…
Grandmaster JeJe
December 8th, 2011
10:29 pm
Josh Smith trade rumors?
Looking on twitter
Big Ray
December 8th, 2011
10:29 pm
WhitePeopleLoveUsher,
….zzzzz….zzzzz…..zzzzzz…… snort, snort….fart… ….zzzzz……zzzzzzz…..
WhitePeopleLoveUsher
December 8th, 2011
10:29 pm
Josh Smith is as good as gone, credible twitter sources are revealing.
Harry Hawk
December 8th, 2011
10:30 pm
What’s Chris Paul complaining about? The league doesn’t open for business until 2:00 p.m. on Friday. I shudder to think that any deals could be in the works before the league opens for business.
And if the Hornets (owned by the league) decide not to make a trade, Paul has no recourse. He can hold out and get fined, but what the hell is Billy Hunter going to be able to do about it? The CBA deal is done. He doesn’t want to stir any craziness up right now.
Ra'mon
December 8th, 2011
10:31 pm
AJ, that doesn’t help at all, lol. Because both teams that played in ECF last season, didn’t make it past the first round, yet they bypassed the Hawks. And they BOTH were major players in free agency and trades. Now do you not already have Boston ahead of Atlanta in playoff basketball, but you have Miami, Chicago, and quite possibly New York. ASG always seem REACTIVE, and not PROACTIVE. The greatest gamble in life is taking no gambles.
Najeh Davenpoop
December 8th, 2011
10:32 pm
The Philips Arena concession stand nachos are just stale bags of Tostitos with lukewarm Velveeta poured over them, credible twitter sources are revealing.
EmirS.
December 8th, 2011
10:32 pm
“Am I the only one who gets pissed that I am such a loyal fan of a ‘do nothing’ franchise? It irks me so much. Yet I still come back every season hoping they will wake up and get their act together.”
Hi there welcome to the club.
Wow I didn’t know NBA owners could force David Stern to reject a trade. I think the Hornets would be better off without Paul at this point. Now they have to deal with a “fuming” CP3. I have a feeling this is gonna be an awful NBA season.
skyhawk1
December 8th, 2011
10:32 pm
Stern for President… maybe he’ll block Obama’s healthcare plan lol
Big Ray
December 8th, 2011
10:33 pm
Somebody is bored at the latter stages of the evening…and it ain’t just me…
Grandmaster JeJe
December 8th, 2011
10:33 pm
Lol one person on twitter says its dh12 for Smoove and picks. Yeah this ru or has legs!
Smgdmfhffs
Big Ray
December 8th, 2011
10:33 pm
ROFL @ Najeh …
northcyde
December 8th, 2011
10:34 pm
WhitePeopleLoveUsher
December 8th, 2011
10:20 pm
word is a major trade is coming for the hawks
*******************
What are we about to trade? An old Dominique jersey for some cap space?
A concerned fan..
December 8th, 2011
10:35 pm
LMFAO!!! STERN IS THE GRINCH THAT STOLE CHRISTMAS FROM LAKER FANS!!
Ra'mon
December 8th, 2011
10:35 pm
Anyone believe that the Hawks are about to make a MAJOR DEAL is crazy. The biggest deal I see this team making is giving season ticket holders (all 9 of them) Beats by Dre headphones for Christmas.
Najeh Davenpoop
December 8th, 2011
10:36 pm
“Smgdmfhffs”
This acronym just keeps getting longer and longer.
Grandmaster JeJe
December 8th, 2011
10:37 pm
Najeh Davenpoop
December 8th, 2011
10:36 pm
“Smgdmfhffs”
This acronym just keeps getting longer and longer.
LinkReport this comment
^FIRE WOODY
A concerned fan..
December 8th, 2011
10:38 pm
CP3 got traded 2 times today, N.O. to LA ——–> LA to N.O.
Rev in Tampa
December 8th, 2011
10:45 pm
I don’t watch much tv so this might be old news but I saw a Blake Griffin KIA commercial during the Pit/Clev game tonight. It was the weirdest commercial that I’ve ever seen. I’m surprised that Blake agreed to be in it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMy6g26qiaY
drmaryb.[*_*].
December 8th, 2011
10:50 pm
Boo!
“Insider twitter sources mentioning this deal about to go down for the hawks, this is gonna be huge” – Tyrone’s cousin Boo-Boo -
_______________
The Hawks scare me, if you’re talking a blockbuster trade. Do yawl trust the 8 basement rats?
ryan
December 8th, 2011
10:56 pm
Could NO want Jamal Crawford or Teague in this deal if goes down .
Ra'mon
December 8th, 2011
10:56 pm
Drmaryb, the Hawks are in negotiations with NBAtv about buying out Shaq’s contract, and they want to throw in Steve Smith as a kicker. They’re hoping to get 10-15 minutes a piece 2 nights a week from them. Once they’ve acquired Steve and Shaq, they’ll be able to trade Josh and Al to LAL for the rights to Magic, just in case he ever comes out of retirement.
Section 303
December 8th, 2011
11:01 pm
No way there is any looming Hawks deal. The ASG is not going to do anything.
superiorblogman
December 8th, 2011
11:02 pm
WhitePeopleLoveUsher
You should eat some glass.
Section 303
December 8th, 2011
11:04 pm
Ra’mon, if you look close at Sekou’s Twitter avatar, it is a baby wearing a Spartan shirt punching another baby wearing a Michigan shirt. Sekou lost a bet to Steve Smith. Sekou has to keep that Avatar for a year.
Also, I hope to be at the Outback Bowl. I am still crushed about not going to the Rose Bowl, but want Spartan Sr’s to go out with a W. They deserve it. Will be at game, if I can get the day off. 50-50, at this point.
Rufus1
December 8th, 2011
11:07 pm
Why The NBA is suspect…
The Falcons would never do a 3 way trade with Greenbay, so the Bucs could get Aaron Rodgers and Adrian Peterson, but Houston just tried to make that happen.
Oh…Mchale is the coach of the Rockets…That explains it.
northcyde
December 8th, 2011
11:10 pm
@ Rev . . . Blake is the new KIA spokesperson. Keep your eye on the basketball
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-AxWRVqE1E
Ryan
December 8th, 2011
11:32 pm
slow night on the blog
Simjr
December 8th, 2011
11:37 pm
WhitePeopleLoveUsher
December 8th, 2011
10:26 pm
“Hawks contender status imminent, hold on for the ride folks.”
HOLD ON??????
WHAT YOU TALKING ABOUT WILLIS???????????????????
Simjr
December 8th, 2011
11:38 pm
Is Sund fixin to have an “outer body experience”?
Or something else?
Simjr
December 8th, 2011
11:40 pm
Ra’mon
December 8th, 2011
10:35 pm
“Anyone believe that the Hawks are about to make a MAJOR DEAL is crazy. The biggest deal I see this team making is giving season ticket holders (all 9 of them) Beats by Dre headphones for Christmas.”
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
drmaryb.[*_*].
December 8th, 2011
11:48 pm
Gotcha Nachos!
“The Philips Arena concession stand nachos are just stale bags of Tostitos with lukewarm Velveeta poured over them, credible twitter sources are revealing” -Poop-
_________________
Can I get a price check on that thur?
Sounds … Mmmm Good!
SteveW
December 9th, 2011
12:58 am
Let’s check out the roster. I assume we’ll have two starting lineups, depending on the match ups, just like last year. Good move LD. You can’t substitute well, but you did do that right in my opinion.
Small lineup:
Al
Josh
Marvin
JJ
Teague
Big lineup:
Collins/ZaZa
Al
Josh
JJ
Teague
Small bench:
Collins/ZaZa/Kito
Rolle as bigs
McGrady and Sy as wings
Watson (maybe) and Wannamaker, then Hinrich eventually as PG’s and some SG
Big lineup bench:
ZaZa/Kito/Rolle
Marvin and McGrady at wings
Watson/Wannamaker/eventually Hinrich.
We have the talent to go 44-22 and make a ECF run.
We have the coach to go 22-44.
Talentwise, Sekou is wrong.
Coaching wise, Sekou is right.
I don’t know where we’ll end up really.
I would really like to see us sign a Troy Murphy, Josh McRoberts, or somebody I trust backing up the 4 a little more than Rolle. Rolle may turn out to be great, he just has no track record at this point.
I know in Indy they just raved about him; and one of the ESPN guys had picked him during the draft as the guy most likely to surprise in a late draft pick. So we’ll see.
But kudos to all the guys coming in shape! That speaks well of the character and commitment of this team, as does there playoff run.
superiorblogman
December 9th, 2011
1:07 am
So Dwight Wants to Be A Net
Okay, here is how we can help that happen.
Hawks offer Josh Smith,Zaza, and Kirk.
Magic offer Dwight and Hedo
Nets Offer Brook Lopez
Hawks get: Brook Lopez and Hedo
Nets get: Dwight
Orlando gets: Josh Smith, Kirk Hinrich and picks from Jersey.
Everyone happy.
Teague
Joe
Marvin
Al
Lopez
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachi … Id=73t34ld
Superiorblogman
SteveW
December 9th, 2011
1:07 am
Well Sekou has it on his blog that Dwight asks to be traded to NJN – NJ offering Lopez and two 1st picks.
Wouldn’t surprise me if Josh doesn’t follow – they are best friends…
SteveW
December 9th, 2011
1:10 am
SB – I think Josh ends up wherever Dwight does, now or in two years with FA. They may have this deal going on even kinda behind the scenes on an informal level.
SteveW
December 9th, 2011
1:24 am
If Dwight goes to NJN, I don’t think they have the trade assets to bring Josh with him. Morrow, Farmar, Damion James, Johann Petro (wow Sund was bad in Seattle – he’s actually done much better here under tough circumstances – good assistants here I think), Maybe Jordan Williams and Morrow since LD wants a shooter for Josh. But that still seems like too little. They’ve got Marshon Brooks also.
But DeRon, Dwight, and if they could get Josh would be a pretty stout 3-some. And if they added some pieces they could be right there as a very good team.
But the Heat signing Battier, if they stay healthy, may have sealed the deal. But Chicago and the Thunder are going to be tough.
OKC and Nate Robinson may be parting ways. I like him for a specialized instant scoring guy off the bench. May be chemistry issues however.
Jeff.Joe.Josh.Leuer.Bogut
December 9th, 2011
1:26 am
if only Marvin #2 were Bogut. LMAO Even Leuer #40 wouldve started over him.
Marvin to the bench. Stop playing us Sund . WE WANT DEPTH.
At this point: Troy Murphy is the smartest available big. DECLINING/WASHED UP. unlike Jon Leuer
SteveW
December 9th, 2011
1:27 am
Oops, nix that on Jordan Williams – not who I was thinking about…
Najeh Davenpoop
December 9th, 2011
1:35 am
I don’t want Brook Lopez’s soft, non-rebounding ass in a Hawks uniform. Bad enough that he was my 3rd round pick in fantasy last year and finished with some Bargnani-esque rebounding numbers.
Najeh Davenpoop
December 9th, 2011
1:36 am
To be honest if I was going after Nets front court players I would rather have Mr. Kardashian.
Jeff.Joe.Josh.Leuer.Bogut
December 9th, 2011
1:38 am
Dwight (C) and Josh (SF) are the same limited range players. They would be redundant in the halfcourt. Similar to Lebron and Wade… but worse.
GT Alum
December 9th, 2011
1:39 am
Think Stern axing this trade will kill the conspiracy theory that the league fixes things so big market teams like LA will win?
superiorblogman
December 9th, 2011
1:47 am
Brook Lopez is a good mix with Al Horford. I like Josh but unless we better this team he will do the same thing that Dwight and Paul are now doing on a low key level because he is not on the same level, but it will be the same thing. If we can get Lopez I would do it, since New Jersey can’t take Hedo under the trade rules they will probably need a 3rd team. I would do it. Josh is going to eventually leave anyway.
EmirS.
December 9th, 2011
2:16 am
I’ve been thinking. By David Stern killing the deal with the Lakers…..has he not just hurt the city of New Orleans more then he has helped them? Wont Paul just leave via free agency regardless when he can? And if that happens the Hornets have nothing to show for Paul. No assets or trade picks.
Must suck to be a New Orleans fan right about now. Hell…..atleast with the Hawks we can still talk playoffs.
Najeh Davenpoop
December 9th, 2011
2:35 am
David Stern may have done much worse than just screwing over the Hornets. Players are threatening to not report to camp and/or re-vote on the CBA.
Grandad
December 9th, 2011
3:29 am
Conceptually – Stern did the right thing here.
I’m not a Stern supporter / but this [veto] of the Paul trade
was right for the league. Legally and for New Orleans,
not to mention all the non-CP3 players involved;
it was bad timing and worse, it was wrong for the N.O. GM.
However, the league, should never have been in the position
of owning a franchise which compounds all that was wrong
with this resulting fiasco.
Nonetheless – Stern did what must and should have been done.
” For the Greater Good ”
____________________________________________
“Management is doing things right;
leadership is doing the right things”
“A leader must know, most know that he knows,
and must be able to make it abundantly clear
to those about him that he knows”
“One of the true tests of leadership
is the ability to recognize a problem
before it becomes an emergency.”
“The art of leadership is saying no,
not saying yes. It is very easy to say yes”
“Effective leadership is not about being liked;
leadership is defined by results”
“Efficiency is doing things right;
effectiveness is doing the right thing”
____________________________________________
Many, [but not all] of the above axioms were from -Peter Drucker-
[Mr drucker, (deceased), businessman / consultant / author]
*my laziness at this hour contributed to the non labeling
of ea specific quote.
*If this were a term paper I would document better … maybe ?
_____________________________________________
vava74
December 9th, 2011
3:47 am
I don’t think the veto makes any sense.
NO would get good value in return for Paul’s expiring/non-signing.
The Lakers would be gimp after the trade – literally – with their 3 best players carrying knee problems/serious issues (I think that Kobe will start to struggle noticeably* this season with the extremely heavy game load).
* I foresee 10/15% drops in all averages
Houston would not be that good after the trade BUT Paul is a NBA second team which only wilted in last year’s playoffs due to chemistry issues (Shannon banged his girl and Kobe knew about it – according to reports).
vava74
December 9th, 2011
4:01 am
Superiorblogman,
I know the amnesty rule (amnestied players are auctioned to non tax teams*).
I said that Billups will end up in MIA because he expressed his unwillingness to report to a non-contender.
SO: whoever claims him off waivers will have trade him to someone who qualifies as “contender” if, and here I don’t know the rules, if he can be traded after being claimed off waivers (immediately or midway the season***).
* could** be the reason why Sund does not want to go into luxury NOW.
** doubt it though
*** I don’t see why would the league forbid a trade involving a player signed off waivers
Buddy Grizzard
December 9th, 2011
4:25 am
Sekou Smith is a hater! This is the guy who, prior to the Hawks drafting Marvin Williams, insisted to me in an email that that was the right move for the Hawks. Later, he revises history to say that he wanted the Hawks to take Deron Williams (which was my pick).
The Hawks have made significant changes to the core. They have jettisoned two players who cant guard ANYBODY in the NBA, Bibby and Crawford. To replace their production the Old Horse signed two players who are better BASKETBALL players than Crawford will ever be, Hinrich and T-Mac. These players play BOTH ENDS and know how to PASS AND GET TEAMMATES INVOLVED. These are BASKETBALL SKILLS that people who think Crawford’s volume scoring is good basketball will never understand.