Atlanta Hawks: Hawks 106, Kings 99
Sacramento–The Hawks engaged the Kings in a smallball, free-wheeling game, kept them off the offensive glass and won. All of that overshadows the lax closeouts and careless turnovers that allowed the Kings to hang around longer than they should have.
- Larry Drew went with Kirk Hinrich at shooting guard, Joe Johnson at small forward and Marvin Williams on the bench. I’ve long favored that alignment and Drew has said he’s considered using it regularly but never has committed to it and still isn’t.
- “Possibly,” Drew said. “I’m big on matchups. Coming into this game, one of my fears was they started three guards. I didn’t want to put our club at a disadvantage having Marvin chasing guards. It has some value for us in playing Kirk in that starting spot. We bring in a guy who gives us a toughness. We are a little bit more defensive-minded with him in there. When Marvin comes off the bench, he comes in more as being a first, second or third option.”
- Marvin was in attack mode while bulling his way to the basket and dunking on people. Could it be that coming off the bench might offer him some advantages? “I don’t know about advantages,” he said. “I guess it gives you a chance to see how the game is going to be called and how its’ going to be played. I think that’s really the only thing. I just wanted to come out and be aggressive coming off the bench. [Drew] told me earlier in the day and it was no big deal.”
- The potential weakness for this starting lineup is rebounding but not tonight because Zaza Pachulia was beasting on the boards. He could have had an even bigger night if not for a suspect call on his fourth foul. “He was playing his butt off,” Josh Smith said. “Whenever he’s able to be active like that on the glass, he’s that much more effective.”
- Small ball became even smaller for the Hawks with Zaza in foul trouble. It worked because Josh had more success handling DeMarcus Cousins’ skill around the basket, Vladimir Radmanovic suddenly grabbed rebounds like he’s 6-10 and Jeff Teague and Joe got it going offensively.
- “I had to make a decision whether to bring [Erick] Dampier back in the game or move Josh to the five spot,” Drew said. “I made the decision to go small on Cousins. He was having a good game. I didn’t want to start double-teaming him and opening up the 3-point line. It worked to our favor offensively because we were able to do some things differently and it was a bad matchup for them.”
- The Hawks had some good offensive possessions in the fourth quarter because Josh and Joe made good decisions out of double teams. “We missed some shots out of the double team but we made the right play,” Drew said.
- “When Josh was posting I tried to get weak side,” Joe said. “I knew he would find me. We played off of him. He had it going. ”
- “Normally that diagonal pass is open to the other swing but he was definitely open,” Josh said. “I was able to get him some easy looks, some open jump shots. I was able to knock down some jumpers and score on the block. They were drawn to me and I was able to make plays out of the double team and out of the dribble drive.”
- Josh had his jumper working early so the Kings were forced to respect it. “Offensively, he’s a tough cover,” Keith Smart said. “He’s too big for a small forward and too quick sometimes for a power forward. He chases the ball to the shot clock. Anything that he sees going to the basket, he’s going to chase that and going to try and control the basket, control the paint. His jump shot was working tonight.”
- Clearly the trade request isn’t affecting Josh’s play. A Sacto media guy asked Josh if he wants to be a “Hawk for life”: “I’m here. I have one more left on my deal. We have to see what happens. I just have to keep playing the way I’m capable of playing and keep doing what I’m doing and not worry about any outside distractions.”
- Another Sacto media guy, who apparently doesn’t have an Internet connection, asked Josh if there were “rumors or something about you being traded.” Josh: “”Can you ask me another question?”
- Another efficient scoring night for Joe (21 points on 13 shots, 9-for-9 on free throws). This time he actually looked better in the second half than the first. But Joe has never been great at getting around defenders and you can see that losing even just a little bit of quickness makes that task nearly impossible.
- Joe said he’s back in the lineup for good and doesn’t plan on sitting on the second night of back-to-backs or doing any other modifications for the knee. “It feels good,” he said. “The strength is about 85-90 percent. It’s way better than I was two weeks ago.”
- Teague (16 points on 11 shots, seven assists, three steals) had a strong effort. He was in control while weaving through Sacto’s defense. Teague seemed to get fired up once Isaiah Thomas got him a couple times.
- Hinrich’s jumper is looking better. He did good work against Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton.
- Another ineffective stint for Jannero Pargo, which was surprising since this figured to be his kind of game.
- Tracy McGrady got a DNP-CD. “This was a game where I’m looking at the matchups,” Drew said. “This Sacramento team, they are young and get up the floor. From a matchup standpoint it made sense to shorten the rotation to go with more speed.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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342 comments Add your comment
Yard Sale
March 12th, 2012
9:07 pm
Agreed Ntrigue. Great post.
City Of Atlanta Still Recovering From William Tecumseh Sherman
March 12th, 2012
9:18 pm
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/sam_amick/03/12/trade.notebook/index.html
Hoops
March 12th, 2012
9:23 pm
If we trade Josh right now. who do we have left that is a difference maker? No one. I was for trading him a couple of years ago, but not now.
drmaryb.[*_*].
March 12th, 2012
9:26 pm
Fright Night!
Big Lou, LOL … I’m getting burglar bars installed on the ground floor Saturday morning. Ha Ha!
I think Rick should run into the barn to draw the walkers in there, and climb out the rafters, have the kid go get Glenn and ‘Nem to lock the bolts. And, SET IT OFF!
Aiight? That’s wassup! Gas up the cars and get the hella on. You sick Big Lou … Rotten flesh – an aphrodisiac? I’ll pass dawg! LOL
I got $5 on my escape plot … You in on The Barn Burner?
Do you remember the old man’s younger daughter was feeding their family of Walkers in the barn with live chickens to keep them fed, satisfied and outa’ sight? That might work for a minute too? That’s why I think the barn is the key to survival.
KevinM
March 12th, 2012
9:48 pm
Sund isn’t doing any deal that brings us more salary. If you though like Sund, 90% of these deals aren’t even being read.
I think we let Kaman go elsewhere, we don’t inquire about any significant player, and we pray for Al’s return, despite him not improving this team. We would still be
In the 6th slot with a healthy Al.
I’m not sure any deal with make this team play consistent.
phil
March 12th, 2012
9:51 pm
Fire LD!!
Ra'mon
March 12th, 2012
9:57 pm
O’Brien, that’s a good trade for the SF position. But the problem for me is that Al is a better CENTER than Bogut, lol. And I really think going forward Zaza can handle starting for 2-3 more seasons, long as we have an athletic big backing him up (which we don’t have now). I’d prefer a Al and Marvin for Gerald Wallace and Felton. Nevermind, no I wouldn’t. I don’t want Wallace either now, he’s overpaid. I’d take Al and Kirk for M. Gasol and a draft pick (Marc not Pau). I think Al can still possibly get better. But the problem is his injury lead way to Josh improving his play at the PF position, and Zaza improving his production as a starting C compared to a back up. I even remember Sekou a couple years ago illustrating the drop off in Zaza’s production when he doesn’t play as much.
Why Johnny Cant Read
March 12th, 2012
10:51 pm
“But the problem is his injury lead way to Josh improving his play at the PF” – Johnny
Josh’s determination hard work and focus is what lead Josh to increase his skill set. Josh worked extremely hard in the off-season and came to camp in the best shape of his life. That’s what lead to Josh’s increased skill set.
Al spent his off-season humping ms camel toe and came to camp out of shape which left him in a rush to get in playing shape and susceptible to injury…. which was the case.
So Josh’s hard work paid off for him and Al’s folly is also netting its results.
If anybody profited from Al’s lack of discipline it was Zaza who has seamlessly replaced Al. Not that it is hard to replace Al…..
O'brien
March 12th, 2012
10:51 pm
Knicks lose to the bulls. 6th loss in a row. They are now 2-8 since Melo came back. Hire woody.
Boston playing at clippers. It’s amazing how many celtics fans are at the clippers arena, despite lakers and celtic rivalry. LA Is a terrible sports town
Melvin
March 12th, 2012
10:52 pm
KevinM,
“Both Philly and Indiana have passed us right by, have they not? We’re a 6 seed today,”
“We would still be In the 6th slot with a healthy Al.”
Hawks are only 2 games behind the Magic(#3), 1 game behind Philly(#4) and basically have the same record as Indy(#5). Are you saying the Hawks wouldn’t improve by at least 2 games if AL was healthy?
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
March 12th, 2012
10:53 pm
Didn’t Sund last year say it was up to the players last year to step up?
We have such an incredibly aloof incompetent front office.
MC where you at?
TMACfan
March 12th, 2012
10:55 pm
@Melvin
You gotta believe that this team would be at least 2 games better if Horford was healthy. I know he is overrated, but his PER is very good. He would have helped us.
Big Lou
March 12th, 2012
11:02 pm
drmaryb… Burglar bars, eh? Even if somebody breaks in you can be like: “Partake in whatever you want, but leave the TV so I can finish the show!”
That could work, but that would be hard as heck to accomplish. I know I wouldn’t volunteer to be bait.
Yes, I am bad and your loss, hun. More play time for me. Haha
5$? Baller right here. I’m thinking that crew of other survivors save them last minute. That’s my wager.
We’ll have to see. Yet, the barn idea sounds solid.
Fatal Attaction
March 12th, 2012
11:15 pm
Since Al and Zaza play the same position and post the same numbers, then you would still get the same number regardless of which is playing. In other words you’d still have the same record because youd still get the same production out of the center position whether its Al or Zaza.
But Zaza actually gets the edge because he will fight. Al wont.
Ra'mon
March 12th, 2012
11:19 pm
O’brien, ask the NFL how bad of a sports town LA is, lol. Funny, Atlanta could keep an NFL franchise but LA couldn’t, lol. And then no one goes to the baseball games, lol.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
March 12th, 2012
11:43 pm
An article on Marvin going to bench and LD’s reasoning would be nice.
These blogs are so dead. Pretty sad
SteveW
March 12th, 2012
11:45 pm
Grandad – DraftExpress currently has Marshall going at #18. Now that will likely change alot between then and now. But there’s a chance he’s there at our pick, whenever that will be.
But if we keep Larry, will he all the Hawks to draft the PG who got his son Larry Drew II benched? I doubt it based on that whole fiasco last year. But you never know.
It has us taking Patric Young at #21 – Another undersized C from Florida. But he may be more chiseled and more of a bruiser than Al.
This is a deep draft. But last year wasn’t as bad as they made out. They’re are several guys contributing that were drafted this past season. I think it being a weak talent pool was a bit overblown. I mean look at Isaiah Thomas with the Kings – he’s doing pretty well, and he was drafted like 60th or something wasn’t he? Lot’s of guys like that contributing from last draft.
SteveW
March 12th, 2012
11:48 pm
“allow” not “all” in the 2nd paragraph above.
SteveW
March 12th, 2012
11:51 pm
You know, ZaZa has a better mid range jumper than I thought. He’s a decent NBA C. He has his drawbacks, but he’s ok. And I like his intensity.
Cousins with the ball through JT’s legs was a hoot last nite as well.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 13th, 2012
12:07 am
LA in many ways is like a really big version of Atlanta, and that includes its sports fans’ tendencies. LA sports fans are fickle, star-driven, and contain a lot of transplants, just like the fans here. The difference is that the teams there have actually managed to go out and get stars to maintain the fans’ interest.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 13th, 2012
12:10 am
Even if Al was only as good as Zaza, if he was healthy the Hawks would have at least 3 or 4 more wins just because it would have prevented LD from going small. Just having one extra big man would have made a big difference for this team in several games this season.
Ra'mon
March 13th, 2012
1:02 am
Horford’s major victim, TJ Ford retired today. I think that single play derailed Ford’s career, and it altered Al’s career to an extent as well. Every since that play, I can’t recall Al playing relentless (except for the game against Chicago). Before that game Al was THE BOSS. I thought he would be a physical enforcer. But after watching Ford rolled off the court, Al’s demeanor has changed. I can’t say I blame him. But I do think he may should have been required (by the Hawks) to see a sports psychiatrist to get pass that. A play like that would negatively affect anyone for a good while, much less a young player (Al) who just started their career.
Ra'mon
March 13th, 2012
1:05 am
Najeh, you’re correct. The Hawks haven’t missed Al because of his skill level. But more so because of he would’ve been a healthy, mobile big. The Hawks beat the Pistons and Golden State with Al (or another big who could contribute). Anytime you go from having two full time centers and a part time one, to having only one full time center, you will miss something eventually in your win total.
Rev in Tampa
March 13th, 2012
1:06 am
“Elias says Friday night’s 86-85 loss in Detroit was their eighth straight defeat in one-point games on the road … one short of the NBA record.”
The Hawks look lost when they come out of a timeout with the game on the line. LD has to be the worst ‘end of the game’ coach in the league. The only time I was impressed was the play they ran for Al last year against, I believe, Chicago. It worked because everybody focused on JJ.
Rev in Tampa
March 13th, 2012
1:12 am
New York lost and are now EVEN with the Bucks for the last spot in the playoffs. If Carmelo had not gone out for so long the Knicks would LOOKING UP at Milwaukee, Cleveland, and, possibly, Detroit.
Boston up by five over LAC with 2:30 to go. But I’m not waiting around to see who wins. I’ll check the score tomorrow. Go Clips.
TMACfan
March 13th, 2012
2:07 am
Celts won unfortunately
hawks fan down under
March 13th, 2012
2:11 am
As always LD should be shown the door before this team makes any trades.
Does anyone actually trust LD/Sund to make a trade?
Buddy Grizzard
March 13th, 2012
2:24 am
“What about Al and Marvin for Bogut, Stephen Jackson and a 1st round pick?” – O’Brien
Bringing in Jackson would be like trading for J.R. Rider. You don’t trade for guys that are known coach killers and locker room poison. And I wouldn’t trade Al straight up for Bogut.
“WE ARE NOT TOP FIVE IN PAYROLL CONTRARY TO WHAT MORON JR THINKS” – GM
7th in salary this year, 5th in total future committed salary… scroll to the bottom:
http://www.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/index.jsp
PS the trade of Kirk for Kaman only works if we throw in Marvin. Any takers?
TMACfan
March 13th, 2012
2:38 am
We need to pry Kaman
vava74
March 13th, 2012
2:41 am
O’Brien
March 12th, 2012
5:15 pm
OB, Al has no significan margin for improvement.
Of course, he can get better and become a little bit more polish on the block (if he puts work on that and realizes that he can only thrive as a C).
But the harsh reality is that from a skill set point of view – physical and technical – Al is very close to his maximum ability.
He already had the “college coaching polish work” that Smoove never had, not even at the pro level with two listless assistant coaches unable to guide him.
Last year’s playoffs were not an aberration, the regular season was.
I already said 1000 times here:
NO ONE HAD A CLUE, DURING THE REGULAR SEASON.
EVERYONE WAS CAUGHT BY SURPRISE WHEN THEY SAW AL HITTING THOSE ELBOW SHOTS.
Once the scouting caught up with that (in the playoffs and early this season), his numbers dropped dramatically because he only shoots from a set position, without elevation, no fading, no driving and pulling.
Al’s offensive game is composed of TWO types of shots:
1. Spot jump shots, for which he will no longer be open more than 3 to 5 times per game, AND THAT IS ONLY AGAINST Cs WHO ARE SLOWER AND LESS INCLINED TO COME OUT OF THE PAINT;
2. His spin hook shot in the lane WHICH HE CAN ONLY EFFECTIVELY USE AGAINST SLOWER OPPONENTS (Cs).
Al takes so much time to make his move, with his never ending studder step, that you can almost fall asleep and wake up before he has actually made his move.
The above does not mean that I don’t like Al. I do, but not as I did in the past.
IF Al came and said: I now understand that Josh is balling at the PF position and I am more suited to help him in the paint as a mobile C, using my superior speed and mobility, I would say FINE, KEEP HIM.
BUT, he won’t, so one must go, and in my book, I have no doubt that Al has better trade value whilst being a substantially inferior player.
Buddy Grizzard
March 13th, 2012
4:06 am
Bill Ingram from HoopsWorld in regards to Joe’s contract:
http://www.hoopsworld.com/nba-chat-with-bill-ingram-31212
“They backed themselves into a corner with that deal. The crazy thing is everyone knew it at the time. No one was like, ‘What a smart move signing Joe Johnson to that crazy contract.’ Pretty much everyone was scratching their heads – paying JJ more than Kobe, and Kobe is a far better player. Insanity.”
Just Joe
March 13th, 2012
5:53 am
Very disappointing if this team just sits tight during what is expected to be a very active trade deadline. Hawks need to either try to improve this team for the playoffs, or go ahead and set some things up for the offseason.
I think setting up the offseason is the greater priority. Hawks have $61M committed to Teague, Joe, Marvin, Josh, Al & ZaZa for next year. That gives us $9M to add 7 players (13 is roster minimum), one of which is currently set to make $1M+ as our 1st rd pick. If you wait until the offseason, then you’re limited to trading one or more of our current players to teams under the cap in order to improve our cap situation. Hawks should make every effort NOW to find expiring contracts, draft picks, and younger/cheaper players.
Moving Marvin Williams should be priority #1. Getting a future draft pick or young player for Kirk Hinrich should be #2. Seeing if McGrady can get us a draft pick or young player is #3.
vava74
March 13th, 2012
6:24 am
Buddy Grizzard
March 13th, 2012
4:06 am
What is really crazy about JJ’s contract is that although they went and signed him for max money it ends up being an half hearted exercise.
The only way that the JJ contract makes any sense is if they went ahead with an “all in” move by going into luxury tax territory and getting the best possible group to make a run at the title.
This way, it’s only a stupid move.
vava74
March 13th, 2012
6:31 am
Just Joe,
First, you still don’t know if we will or will not pull a move.
Second, pulling a move does not guarantee you a successful return so lets not think that a move is essential.
A good move would be excellent, a bad one not.
The harsh reality is that we only have three trading chips:
Al Horford – which could be coveted mostly by teams which are not in the playoff run and that may not have anything particularly good to trade for;
J-Smoove – which, if traded, will not attract equal value, so it would be a dumb move to do it (and we are still finding out his true value, IMO).
Hinrich – which can only bring us a complementary piece.
The rest:
Zaza is looking better and better from a $/production point of view so to trade him would be dumb if we were not talking about a high high quality package (for instance D12);
Marvin is not coveted by anyone due to his lack of skills/horrific contract (he would attract some interest at 4/5 million);
JJ ditto but only for contractual reasons;
Teague is an asset with unknown value and I don’t think we will trade a player with untapped potential on his rookie deal.
All the rest are minimum vet players, so the most you can get is a second round pick and you know what the Hawks do with second rounds picks.
Armand
March 13th, 2012
7:09 am
The idea that Horford could only thrive at the center position is completely absurd in my eyes. Saying that he can only score in the post against slower opponents is like saying Josh can only score in the post against smaller opponents. Just plain silly. I’ve just got to point that out. If you’ve ever even bothered to look at Horford’s production during his minutes at PF compared to his minutes at C, you’d find some interesting information to help you see the light. By the way, I’ve watched Horford play at various levels in the NBA and in International tournament, and he looks like he’s steadily improving every season, so to say that he will not continue to get better is nonsense. I was really looking forward to seeing what he could do this season after watching him in the FIBA Americas tournament this past summer and seeing him use a lot of moves that I never knew he had. Yes, I realize that the competition he faced there is different from that of the NBA, but regardless, it looked like he had added quite a few new weapons to his game on the offensive end, and unfortunately, we didn’t get to see him. I guess we’ll have to wait until he returns to see what he can really do.
Anyway, I personally feel like Horford would be better off on another team. This team just doesn’t seem to fit his style. He has a very small role on the team on the offensive end and is basically just treated like a “dirty-work” guy. I think he’d be better off in a place where he can see what his true ceiling is, and in a place where he can have a larger, more-suitable role. I used to feel the same way about Josh, but it looks like he’s getting the increased role that I used to talk about now. He’s being used as one of the top options on offense and getting 20+ shots a night and being treated like a star on his team. With that new development, I think he would do well to say in Atlanta and see if he can “reach his potential” here. Maybe with this new role, we’ll find out what his ceiling is. Since I feel like Josh and Al play better without eachother, I think we’d be better off trading Al once he’s healthy, as long as he’s okay with it, so that he can have an opportunity to flourish elsewhere, since he won’t have the chance with Josh and Joe have such large roles on this team.
Buddy Grizzard
March 13th, 2012
7:21 am
Get Rid of Joe Trade of the Day:
This trade is THE ONE!
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=7mhrzad
drmaryb.[*_*].
March 13th, 2012
7:24 am
Inaction!
“Very disappointing if this team just sits tight during what is expected to be a very active trade deadline. ”
_________
Really? Where is all this activity?
______________
Ballers and Hustlers!
Big Lou dear, my $5 has a mega-plier on it. If I win, mutlipy that X 10. LOL! have you figured out just why that black guy is on this show. He is like Tommy on Martin – what the hella is his job? What does he do? This guy adds nothing to the plot and says the most stupid thing.
“I’ll take the bed if you won’t?” They’ll probably use him as
barn-bait to get the walkers into the barn. LOL! I think he is next to go down.. I’m just sayin’, I got $10 on it. (she winks)
Did you see what I just did there?
vava74
March 13th, 2012
7:29 am
Armand,
Horford lacks the girth and the length to be effective in the post.
His best weapon in the post is his speed – which he only has WITHOUT the rock.
Hence, against slower opponents (Centers) his best characteristics help him overcome the lack of girth and length. For instance, on baseline cuts and put backs from the weak side.
At the PF slot, most players are as quick as Horford (or even quicker) and in many cases, much longer (wingspan), making him average offensively.
All the moves you saw Horford use in the FIBA tournament are worthless when he is giving up 3, 4 or even 5 inches in wingspan/height.
At the FIBA level, a guy who is 6′10” is in many cases the tallest guy on court or close.
Just Joe
March 13th, 2012
7:41 am
Drmaryb….the key word there is “expected”.
VaVa….”a bad one not”….it is impossible to trade 1 of those 3 players mentioned for expiring contracts, young players, or draft picks, and it end up being a bad trade (IMO).
Armand
March 13th, 2012
8:30 am
You don’t need above-average girth or length to score in the post. I don’t know where this notion that you need to overpower people in the post to score came from or where the idea that you need to have some physical advantage over your defender in the post to score on them came from, but that’s not what it’s all about at all. Scoring in the post is about positioning, moves, skill, timing, reaction, and finesse more than anything else, with things like power and athleticism thrown in to make things easier. Unless you are an athletic freak or have unreal strength, you won’t be an effective post player without those things I just mentioned. You don’t have to be longer, taller, stronger, or quicker than the guy who is guarding you to be effective. There are plenty of things that players do in the post to trick defenders in order to get enough space or correct positioning in order to get off a high percentage shot to score. It’s not just about having the length to get your shot off over an outstretched arm, or having the strength to back your man all the way to the hoop, or having the speed to get past your defender before they can contest or block your shot. It’s much more than that. Scoring in the post is more about wit, positioning, and timing/reaction than anything. If you are sub-par in the post, of course it will make it easier if you have physical advantages, since you can get away with using very simple moves and still scoring since your defenders don’t have the physical tools to effectively contest your attempts, but that’s not a necessity.
I don’t want to write a novel about it, so I’ll just leave it that. I disagree with the comments on Horford not having the physical ability to score effectively in the post against NBA-level PFs. That’s my opinion.
Wisdom's students.
March 13th, 2012
8:37 am
“Since I feel like Josh and Al play better without each other, I think we’d be better off trading Al once he’s healthy, as long as he’s okay with it, so that he can have an opportunity to flourish elsewhere, since he won’t have the chance with Josh and Joe have such large roles on this team.”
Bottom line… Al or Josh = Josh by a long shot at the pf and Al is marginal at best playing the most crucial position on the court, for what ever reason, mostly his attitude….
Its time to trade Al for his sake and the teams sake…
” Al has no significant margin for improvement.Of course, he can get better and become a little bit more polish on the block (if he puts work on that and realizes that he can only thrive as a C).
But the harsh reality is that from a skill set point of view – physical and technical – Al is very close to his maximum ability.
He already had the “college coaching polish work” that Smoove never had, not even at the pro level with two listless assistant coaches unable to guide him.
Last year’s playoffs were not an aberration, the regular season was.
“IF Al came and said: I now understand that Josh is balling at the PF position and I am more suited to help him in the paint as a mobile C, using my superior speed and mobility, I would say FINE, KEEP HIM.
BUT, he won’t, so one must go, and in my book, I have no doubt that Al has better trade value whilst being a substantially inferior player.”
“Al Horford – which could be coveted mostly by teams which are not in the playoff run and that may not have anything particularly good to trade for;
J-Smoove – which, if traded, will not attract equal value, so it would be a dumb move to do it (and we are still finding out his true value, IMO).”
Wisdom's students.
March 13th, 2012
8:38 am
“Since I feel like Josh and Al play better without each other, I think we’d be better off trading Al once he’s healthy, as long as he’s okay with it, so that he can have an opportunity to flourish elsewhere, since he won’t have the chance with Josh and Joe have such large roles on this team.”
Bottom line… Al or Josh = Josh by a long shot at the pf and Al is marginal at best playing the most crucial position on the court, for what ever reason, mostly his attitude….
Its time to trade Al for his sake and the teams sake…….
” Al has no significant margin for improvement.Of course, he can get better and become a little bit more polish on the block (if he puts work on that and realizes that he can only thrive as a C).
But the harsh reality is that from a skill set point of view – physical and technical – Al is very close to his maximum ability.
He already had the “college coaching polish work” that Smoove never had, not even at the pro level with two listless assistant coaches unable to guide him.
Last year’s playoffs were not an aberration, the regular season was.
“IF Al came and said: I now understand that Josh is balling at the PF position and I am more suited to help him in the paint as a mobile C, using my superior speed and mobility, I would say FINE, KEEP HIM.
BUT, he won’t, so one must go, and in my book, I have no doubt that Al has better trade value whilst being a substantially inferior player.”
“Al Horford – which could be coveted mostly by teams which are not in the playoff run and that may not have anything particularly good to trade for;
J-Smoove – which, if traded, will not attract equal value, so it would be a dumb move to do it (and we are still finding out his true value, IMO).”
Sammy Davis Jr
March 13th, 2012
8:39 am
Bottom line… Al or Josh = Josh by a long shot at the pf and Al is marginal at best playing the most crucial position on the court, for what ever reason, mostly his attitude….
Its time to trade Al for his sake and the teams sake…….
Jerome
March 13th, 2012
8:46 am
“Get Rid of Joe Trade of the Day:
This trade is THE ONE!
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=7mhrzad”
Why would the Clippers want to take on Joe’s huge contract? I understand that they need a starting caliber SG with some size, but taking on that large of a contract will hurt them long-term, considering they will have to offer Griffin a large-scale extension soon, and they already have a large portion of cap space committed to Paul, Butler, and Jordan for the foreseeable future. If you add Joe’s huge contract to that mix, it makes it tough to eventually sign Blake to a max deal and still have enough put quality pieces around them to build a contender without going deep into the luxury tax, unless one of their key pieces is moved. Joe is not a bad player, but his contract makes him difficult to trade to anyone, even if he can produce at a near-all-star level.
Jerome
March 13th, 2012
8:48 am
Good Morning, TS.
Slimjr
March 13th, 2012
9:02 am
Limited Skills: That be All NBA aka Mr Stiff( lack of fluidity)
“Once the scouting caught up with that (in the playoffs and early this season), his numbers dropped dramatically because he only shoots from a set position, without elevation, no fading, no driving and pulling.
Al’s offensive game is composed of TWO types of shots:
1. Spot jump shots, for which he will no longer be open more than 3 to 5 times per game, AND THAT IS ONLY AGAINST Cs WHO ARE SLOWER AND LESS INCLINED TO COME OUT OF THE PAINT;
2. His spin hook shot in the lane WHICH HE CAN ONLY EFFECTIVELY USE AGAINST SLOWER OPPONENTS (Cs).
Al takes so much time to make his move, with his never ending studder step, that you can almost fall asleep and wake up before he has actually made his move.
The above does not mean that I don’t like Al. I do, but not as I did in the past.
IF Al came and said: I now understand that Josh is balling at the PF position and I am more suited to help him in the paint as a mobile C, using my superior speed and mobility, I would say FINE, KEEP HIM.
BUT, he won’t, so one must go, and in my book, I have no doubt that Al has better trade value whilst being a substantially inferior player.”- vava74-
Excellent synopsis reference All NBA offensive skills..I’ll add one more thing.. He has very weak handles too. His left hand is useless.. That’s why once the defender closes out on his throw back 1950’s set shot he’ll give up and pass the ball. Limited at best..And this guy believes he can play at an Allstar level at the #4 spot? In his dreams…..
I’d much rather trade All NBA than Josh everyday all day..
Steve
March 13th, 2012
9:04 am
This would be a nice trade if Horford was healthy:
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=6tcm3es
The Hawks would acquire a scorer who can play off of the ball and defend with Allen, plus they’d acquire a leader and presence on and off the court with Garnett, who can still produce fairly well at either the PF or C position. He could start alongside Josh, and could help instill a defensive mindset on the team, and maybe change the culture in the locker room. This gives the Hawks a chance at making a run in the playoffs if they really want to, plus both guys have expiring deals, so if things don’t work out, they are off the books by the end of the season, giving the Hawks cap space to work with this summer. Or, if things do go well, both guys can likely be signed for much cheaper next season.
The incentive for the Celtics would be that they acquire a young, talented big man (with a very reasonable contract) whom they can pair with Rondo and build around for the future, since they are apparently approaching rebuild mode. Also, Al is a hard-working professional who doesn’t bring any drama with him, so he’s exactly the type of young player that would fit the Boston organization.They also get Kirk’s expiring deal for cap space down the road. The only piece that doesn’t exactly fit is Marvin. His contract may not match his services, but Boston really has no true backup SF as is, and perhaps Marvin would end up being a better player than he is with the Hawks. That part is a gamble, but it still seems like a nice deal for them too.
Too bad this deal can’t really ever happen since Al is injured, but it’s just wishful thinking on my part. For the record, I don’t dislike Al, that’s not why I’m mentioning him in a trade. I actually like him a lot as a player, I just think he’d be better off elsewhere, and when healthy, he’s the best trade chip Atlanta has to offer.
Tito
March 13th, 2012
9:09 am
The Hawks should never trade Al!
Al Horford is better than Josh Smith in a multitude of ways. You’ll all see when he gets back, and if he is traded from the Hawks one day when he’s healthy, you’ll see what you missed.
I hope he does get traded to another team if he is happier there.
In the long run, we’ll all find out who is right and who is wrong.
Slimjr
March 13th, 2012
9:12 am
Overrated..^^^
Buddy Grizzard
March 13th, 2012
9:12 am
All good points, Jerome, but Donald Sterling is one of the few owners with the money to go into the tax without fear or hesitation. The Clippers have ALWAYS been profitable because of the market they are in, even though the team has historically been terrible.