Atlanta Hawks: On Josh Smith’s future
Before Josh Smith started his summer vacation, he was asked about the possibility of signing a contract extension with the Hawks.
“I can’t get extended,” Smith said. “They didn’t give me the money; I had to go get it. That’s something I have to play it out and see how it goes from there.”
Two things stand out about that statement. The first is that Smith, who presumably got the info from his agent, is wrong about his contract not being eligible for an extension.
I looked at Larry Coon’s CBA FAQ and could see no reason why Smith is not eligible for an extension. It’s been at least three years since he signed the deal, it’s never been renegotiated and it doesn’t include an opt-in. I checked with Coon and he confirmed the Hawks can extend Smith’s deal (they actually have been able to do so since August).
But the more interesting aspect of Smith’s statement is his allusion to having to “go get” his contract. He’s referring, of course, to the offer sheet he signed with Memphis in 2008, which Atlanta subsequently matched. (The Hawks can thank the Grizzlies for being able to keep Smith with a reasonable deal.)
It bothers Smith he had to create a market for himself to get a satisfactory contract from the Hawks (though at least he didn’t have to leave the country like Josh Childress). Smith’s feelings were amplified when Al Horford got an extension before becoming a restricted free agent. So add that 2008 contract dance to Smith’s list of grievances with the Hawks.
The question now is whether Smith can be persuaded to sign an extension with the Hawks. My educated guess is Smith won’t do it. The Hawks may be able to make Smith feel more appreciated with their public comments, but what can can do about Smith’s main gripe, that they aren’t committed to winning a championship?
It seems unlikely the Hawks will even spend the full mid-level on a free agent. Remember what happened after Smith, Horford and Joe Johnson called on the Hawks to make some major moves during training camp? The Hawks ended up signing an assortment of minimum-salaried free agents, with two of those players on non-guaranteed deals.
Nor do trades look like a very promising way to placate Smith. Any deal that involves sending away Horford could leave as many holes as it covers. If trading Johnson is possible, it almost certainly means taking back another burdensome contract.
Zaza Pachulia and Jeff Teague are assets because they are productive players with reasonable contracts. But those are also good reasons to keep them. As for Marvin Williams, there hasn’t been a market for him for going on three years now.
The irony is that one of the best ways for the Hawks to bring in a major piece is to trade Smith. His production, experience and expiring contract make him an attractive target. So does the sense that he’s still yet to fully reach his potential, though that’s a reality that cuts both ways for the Hawks.
Are the Hawks beyond hoping Smith can become a superstar for them? How much is he worth? If the Hawks don’t think they can persuade Smith to commit beyond next season, do they aggressively try to trade him before the deadline or risk losing him for nothing next summer?
I’m genuinely interested to see how all that plays out. The Hawks have a recent history of overvaluing their own players. Michael Gearon Jr. does have a deep appreciation for Smith, even if Smith doesn’t think Gearon or his partners have done enough to show it.
For his part, Smith deflected questions about his standing trade request, noting that he could be fined for talking about it. But he didn’t sound as if he expects to be traded in the offseason.
“All I know is I have one more year on my contract so I will definitely be here,” he said. “I just have to go into the offseason to better myself and do whatever I have to do to help this ballclub. I was an Atlanta Hawk after the trade deadline and I’m one now, so I have to look at some of the things I can do to help my basketball team win ballgames, especially in the postseason.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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1,015 comments Add your comment
darrell starks
May 28th, 2012
8:05 pm
I no you guys like Tony Wroten, but if Melo fall to the Hawks at 23# no way you could pass up Melo, watch and see in the pros, he will be a beast in paint.
Hawks must Draft Melo with 23# pick.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Honky Lover
May 28th, 2012
8:13 pm
“A person or individual can be “pro-” or for his/her racial/ethnic group without being “anti-” or against another racial/ethnic group.”
I wish that described you. You seem to have a bias against Kirk Hinrich because he is white. Or, to put it another way, because you believe his whiteness was “part” of the reason that Sund didn’t try to trade him so he could sign Jamal. Like that whiteness was Kirk’s fault, LOL.
How is that attitude not being anti-white? Isn’t “part of the reason” like being “a little pregnant”?
Seems like someone is sugarcoating their bias to me.
Sautee
May 28th, 2012
8:25 pm
“Sautee, I’d rather draft Jeremy Lamb who’s more of a two guard at 6′5″ but he may go pretty early in the 10-14 range? No way he slides all the way down to 23….”
“His jumper is the real deal! And he can shoot the 3 pretty well..”
Yeah, slim, I like Lamb’s game. He’s kinda like Tayshaun’s mini-me, but with a sweeter J. But he’s got that change of pace that throws defenders off. He’s got good hops, and length, so he may could do time at SF as well as SG
Sautee
May 28th, 2012
8:26 pm
Damn, is this turning into the Falcons blog?
darrell starks
May 28th, 2012
8:37 pm
Fab defense
http://youtu.be/pqALJp84Du4
Rod from College Park
May 28th, 2012
8:52 pm
“So northcyde, or anyone else for that matter, what kind of front court do you think Horford and Gasol would make?”
It would be a layup line. LOL
DawgNole
May 28th, 2012
9:10 pm
The Infamous I.MUS WRITE
May 28th, 2012
7:33 pm
. . . cant leave your future in the hands of a few monkeys and a coach better suited for a college womens team….LD-C’mon Man- Why didnt we atleast give sloan a call. I know we have more peices than the BOBCATS.
Awww yeah welome to land of mediocrity -Its The Hawks Way
Opinions are like AH -we all gott’em
___________________________
And The Braves Way, and The Falcons Way, and The Thrashers Way, and The Flames Way.
“Opinions are like . . . .”
And most of ‘em stink.
High-sider
May 28th, 2012
9:12 pm
@Clarification
“It’s certainly your right to maintain that. However, the league only has one statistic to measure facilitation, and that is assist numbers. And the numbers say that Hinrich “facilitates” at a greater rate than Jamal.” – Clarification @4:51pm 5/27/2012
““…It’s certainly your right to maintain that. However, the league only has one statistic to measure facilitation, and that is assist numbers. And the numbers say that Hinrich “facilitates” at a greater rate than Jamal…” – Clarification
2011-2012 assist per game [apg] averages:
Joe Johnson – 3.9apg
Jamal Crawford – 3.2apg
Kirk Hinrich – 2.8apg
Mike Bibby – 2.1apg
Will you [at least] admit that Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford were better “facilitators” than Kirk Hinrich [was] during the 2011-2012 regular season?” – High-sider @6:20pm 5/27/2012
“Well now, let’s see. Certainly JJ and JC1 had better assist totals than Hinrich. And, as a caveat, I agree with Najeh that KH should never be a point guard except in a pinch.
That said, in assessing facilitation, there another variable that must be mentioned, and that is assist to turnover ratio. I’ll let you decide who was the better facilitator.
2011-2012 Reg. Season A / TO Ratio:
JC1: 1.777: 1 (meaning that for every 1.77 assists JC1 makes, he makes 1 to)
KH: 2.333: 1
JJ: 2.052: 1
MB: 4.200: 1″ – Clarification @10:09am 5/58/2012
Clarification, first you say “the league only has one statistic to measure facilitation, and that is assist numbers” but when I show you Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford had higher assists per game averages than Kirk Hinrich had in 2011-2012, you want to add turnovers or assists-to-turnovers to the argument/debate. You [Clarification] can’t have it “both ways.” Which is it? Are assist numbers the only statistic to measure facilitation or do you add assists-to-turnovers to measure facilitation? Do you realize that your assists-to-turnovers statistic show that Mike Bibby is a better “facilitator” than Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford and Kirk Hinrich? Do you actually believe Bibby is the best “facilitator” of the four players mentioned?
“Put down the pocket protector and calculator and watch the game.” I hope you realize that Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford are better than Kirk Hinrich when it comes to “breaking an opponent down off the dribble” or going “one-on-one” against an opponent.
High-sider
May 28th, 2012
9:15 pm
^Correction: Do you realize that your assists-to-turnovers statistics* show that Mike Bibby is a better “facilitator” than Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford and Kirk Hinrich?
SteveW
May 28th, 2012
9:19 pm
Basketball Reference Hall Of Fame Chances –
Joe Johnson 18.83% at 30 years of age
Manu Ginobili 14.51% at 34 years of age
Ginobili a 2x All Star
Joe Johnson a 6x All Star
Ginobili a 3x Champions
Joe Johnson – Ouch!
Najeh Davenpoop
May 28th, 2012
9:37 pm
I can’t believe I actually feel bad for the Celtics for getting shafted by the refs this half.
If only both teams could lose the Eastern Conference Finals…
Clarification
May 28th, 2012
9:40 pm
“Are assist numbers the only statistic to measure facilitation or do you add assists-to-turnovers to measure facilitation? Do you realize that your assists-to-turnovers statistic show that Mike Bibby is a better “facilitator” than Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford and Kirk Hinrich? Do you actually believe Bibby is the best “facilitator” of the four players mentioned?”
I misspoke when I said that assist numbers were the “only” measure of facilitation. I should have made that clear on my following post, when I brought up the A/TO ratio. What those stats show is that of the 4 players, Bibby is most careful with the ball, and Jamal is the least careful. If you fail to factor in turnovers, then you only have part of the picture.
Of course JJ and JC1 are better at “breaking an opponent down off the dribble”. Silly to think otherwise. But the question at hand was not the solo skills but facilitation. And to answer your question, Joe is the best of the four, IMO. Unfortunately that’s faint praise, as I wouldn’t have any of the four of them as my starting PG.
DawgNole
May 28th, 2012
9:51 pm
Najeh Davenpoop
May 28th, 2012
9:37 pm
I can’t believe I actually feel bad for the Celtics for getting shafted by the refs this half.
If only both teams could lose the Eastern Conference Finals…
_______________________
ABM!
(Anybody But Miami!)
O"Brien
May 28th, 2012
9:52 pm
If Al and Gasol were 2 of our starters, obviously there would be a dropoff in our defense.
But if we traded Joe for Gasol, we would make Josh our SF, and get a defensive minded SG who can knock down the open shots. And I think we could get by.
Teague
Defensive minded SG
Josh
Gasol
Horford.
But since we cant trade our first round picks in consecutive years, our GM will have to get much more creative.
High-sider
May 28th, 2012
9:53 pm
Honky Lover
May 28th, 2012
8:13 pm
“A person or individual can be “pro-” or for his/her racial/ethnic group without being “anti-” or against another racial/ethnic group.”
I wish that described you. You seem to have a bias against Kirk Hinrich because he is white. Or, to put it another way, because you believe his whiteness was “part” of the reason that Sund didn’t try to trade him so he could sign Jamal. Like that whiteness was Kirk’s fault, LOL.
How is that attitude not being anti-white? Isn’t “part of the reason” like being “a little pregnant”?
Seems like someone is sugarcoating their bias to me.
—————————————————————
So you’re accusing me of being [racially] biased while you use that [screen] name/handle? Your screen name/handle says it all; [you need to] get real. Two of my favorite NBA players while growing up used to be Mark Price and Chris Mullin. I enjoyed watching those two [players] perform at the collegiate and pro[fessional] level.
O"Brien
May 28th, 2012
9:53 pm
Ra’mon,
Although Wade, LeBron and Bosh took less money, keep in mind FL has no state tax.
KevinM
May 28th, 2012
10:07 pm
There is no way the ASG or Sund move Joe. They would never admit that they can win without Joe being the leader. They would never admit that salary was a factor. They are pompous enough to try and prove that Joe is the guy that needs to be here. Since Joe is a 6X all-star, they are expecting ALOT in return, forget the salary part of this.
NOTE: Gasol rumored to be interested in Chicago, but I would try and get a Boston opportunity. They have a couple of #1s they can play with.
How would Gasol look on a frontline with Pierce?
The only guy the ASG and Sund would consider moving is Josh, but Sund won’t pull the trigger no matter what the deal could be. I said the best Sund will do is get another PF (seems like Sund can’t have too many of those) and a bench shooter. So a Kris Humphries/Morrow or Favors/Harris kind of deal will be as good as it gets. My reason I move Josh is I am ready to get away from his long jumpers. That part of his game is only going to get more play than his post game. I’ve seen enough jumpers to be able to move on.
If you wanna keep it simple with little bench benefit, bring Iverson in and see how humble he actually has become. See how serious he is about being a veteran presence off the bench. What’s it going to hurt? You get a guy who can hit a clutch shot, a guy who might even have some game left. LD isn’t going to wait on any rookie to step up and help him with 1 year left. Its not like we have a lot of bucks to tinker with and we would never try to figure out if any trade exception was available.
They type of roster you saw last year? Get ready, we will see something very similar in 2012-13. Lots of wishes, lots of disappointments…welcome back Jason and Marvin.
And Sugar Ray, if Marvin was as efficient as you stated, then there should be a market for him right? How is it possible many Hawks fans themselves just want to see him go for a new rack of balls? Something is amiss here.
Honky Lover
May 28th, 2012
10:09 pm
“So you’re accusing me of being [racially] biased while you use that [screen] name/handle? Your screen name/handle says it all; [you need to] get real.”
I notice right away that you avoid answering the real question. As far as my screen name goes, I’m a 34 yo black female married to a good ol boy. That fact alone probably sent you over the edge, lol. The screen name is our way of spoofing those who think that we shouldn’t be together. Live with it.
So, back to the question: How is the attitude you showed not being anti-white? Can you answer the question, or will you once again try to attack the messenger to avoid the message?
Slimjr
May 28th, 2012
10:27 pm
KevinM, only Evander has a chin of stone!
Sugar Ray, not so much…Stick and move, not stick and get drilled? It causes concussion like symptoms that shifts your reality into believing Marvin is a reliable shooter.. WTF! You are vibrating at a slightly different frequency Sir.. Too many shots to the chin I reckon?
High-sider
May 28th, 2012
10:28 pm
Honky Lover
May 28th, 2012
10:09 pm
“So you’re accusing me of being [racially] biased while you use that [screen] name/handle? Your screen name/handle says it all; [you need to] get real.”
I notice right away that you avoid answering the real question. As far as my screen name goes, I’m a 34 yo black female married to a good ol boy. That fact alone probably sent you over the edge, lol. The screen name is our way of spoofing those who think that we shouldn’t be together. Live with it.
So, back to the question: How is the attitude you showed not being anti-white? Can you answer the question, or will you once again try to attack the messenger to avoid the message?
—————————————————————
Yeah, you’re right. That – the fact you’re a 34 y/o black woman married to a white man – did send me “over the edge.” It would send me further “over the edge” if you’re a very pretty and fine 34 y/o black woman married to a white man; that would make me really sick [LOL]. How am I [racially] biased, [racially] prejudiced or racist, if I point out or reveal the [actual or "perceived"] bias, prejudice or racism of others?
Slimjr
May 28th, 2012
10:39 pm
Divide and Conquer: the term of the evening…..
This stuff originates from an inhuman mind who does the ultimate sales job in marketing this ish to human minds…..Hmmmmmmm
He’s an expert at pushing buttons……Hmmmmmm
High-sider
May 28th, 2012
10:40 pm
@Clarification
“…Of course JJ and JC1 are better at “breaking an opponent down off the dribble”. Silly to think otherwise. But the question at hand was not the solo skills but facilitation…” – Clarification
“Breaking an opponent down off the dribble” or “taking an opponent one-on-one” and creating a wide open shot or “look” for a teammate is “true [or real] facilitation” in my opinion; that is what makes Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford better “true facilitators” than what Kirk Hinrich [is].
Big Ray
May 28th, 2012
10:46 pm
Trade him to a Western team. The Hawks will not receive enough back to satisfy Smith’s most devoted fans, but they can get enough to help the team. The goal is always to help the team and not how to satisfy a player who is talented, but not a star.
Look at some of the teams in the playoffs who, on paper, do not have the talent level of the Hawks. We need a GM that can do the job for us. There will still be very good coaches available this time next year. If the Bobcats can talk to Sloan, then we should be able to find the right coach for the hawks.
The Hawks are at home now because they do not play hard all of the time. I’d love to see Josh stay and the Hawks to hire one of the Van Gundy brothers, but too late.
Exactly. However, you missed just one part. Gearon is the reason for this mess. He won’t hire a good GM because he’s too cheap in that area, and besides, he wants to RUN this team, not just OWN it.
Until he changes this approach (and it’s doubtful he will), there will be no good GM, and no good coach.
As you said…too late….only some of us tried to tell you that it was too late years ago…back when these clowns first bought the team.
Big Ray
May 28th, 2012
10:48 pm
“Breaking an opponent down off the dribble” or “taking an opponent one-on-one” and creating a wide open shot or “look” for a teammate is “true [or real] facilitation” in my opinion; that is what makes Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford better “true facilitators” than what Kirk Hinrich [is].
Ummm…the problem, you ass clown, is that Jamal didn’t pass the ball, and Joe often won’t do it until there are three seconds left on the shot clock and the pass recipient is NOT in a good position to score, thus negating both the facilitator effect and your argument simultaneously. Next….
Big Ray
May 28th, 2012
10:53 pm
What I can’t understand is why folks never can seem to figure out that Hinrich is a short 2-guard who can guard both backcourt positions (or at least he could before all the injuries over the years finally took their toll) and was able to play a superb backup pg for many years.
Folks love to bash him now, but this isn’t about Hinrich. He’s on the wrong side of 30, this happens to even the best. What this is TRULY about is how the Hawks always manage to get a good veteran AFTER he is no longer able to provide at the level he once was capable of. Need a list of such players and when we got them?
Tyronn Lue
Mike Bibby
Joe Smith
Anthony Johnson
Tracy McGrady
Kirk Hinrich
I’m sure I missed a few. This is how the Hawks front office has operated. A dollar short and a day late.
Grandad
May 28th, 2012
10:54 pm
I.MUS WRITE
Help me remember ?
If I owe you $10 … I`m good for it.
I do not recall ?
waltbellamy
May 28th, 2012
10:55 pm
What Big Ray said. Repetitive, boring, & sadly true. The Hawks are cursed until these ASG morons are out of the picture. That fact bears repeating until Gearon et al are a distant memory. In the meantime I will enjoy a Western Conference final series contested by two top shelf organizations in small markets.
Honky Lover
May 28th, 2012
10:56 pm
“How am I [racially] biased, [racially] prejudiced or racist, if I point out or reveal the [actual or "perceived"] bias, prejudice or racism of others?”
Here’s what you posted: “The NBA and NBA franchises are desperate for white superstars especially American-born white superstars. Ginobili gets a lot of undeserved calls just like Dirk Nowitzki; Nowitzki is [German] white and Ginobili is [Argentine or Argentinian] white. I’ve heard Colin Cowherd say on his ESPN [radio/talk] show called “The Herd,” that NBA team executives are desperate for a [starting] white point guard but said those NBA team executives did not want their [individual] names disclosed, acknowledged or made known. This is partly why I thought Rick Sund chose to keep [Kirk] Hinrich over [Jamal] Crawford for the 2011-2012 regular season.”
So what I get from that paragraph is that “this” being the execs desperate for a white pg, is “part” of the reason for your animus toward Rick Sund, of whom you said that “he chose between Hinrich and Jamal”. What It seems to me is that you resented Hinrich for “beating out” Jamal on this year’s team, and you think that “part” of the reason is because he is white. That sure seems like bias to me, and brother I’ve lived with bias that you can hardly imagine, so I’m not hesitant to talk about it.
Look, I don’t know your heart. I can only go by what I’ve seen, and both me and my husband are longtime “lurkers” on this blog, and we’ve both seen a lot of negativity from you about Hinrich all season. Now we know why. So let me re-phrase, and say that by the totality of your posts, you seem to show a lot of racial bias against Kirk Hinrich.
Don’t hide behind the excuse of “pointing out racism in others”. It’s way too transparent.
Real Talk
May 28th, 2012
10:58 pm
If Owners are serious and committed to winning: Ask Joe to reconstruct his salary to bring in a big man to help him out once he can’t fight through a screen. Trade Josh and Marvin for a TRUE Center/Leader and we can compete with what’s left with any team out there. Blow it up and go young.
Buddy Grizzard
May 28th, 2012
11:29 pm
The fact that Ginobli can score 26 in a playoff game against predominantly black defenders is obv a Caucasian conspiracy. PS I will miss you blog folks. We’re almost on page 15 so I’m expecting radio silence any time now.
Slimjr
May 28th, 2012
11:31 pm
Spurs= Bench mark?
Hawks vs. Spurs
How far apart are they? Here they are:
“Atlanta Spirit, LLC is an Atlanta, Georgia-based partnership who owns the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and their home arena, Philips Arena. The seven partners who comprise the group are Michael Gearon, Jr., Bruce Levenson, Ed Peskowitz, J. Rutherford Seydel, Todd Foreman, J. Michael Gearon, Sr., and Beau Turner.[1] Levenson, Peskowitz and Foreman, who are headquartered in Washington, D.C., are the only ones to work outside of Atlanta.[2] The group originally had nine partners, with Steve Belkin leaving in 2005 following conflicts with the other members, and Bud Seretean dying in 2007″ – Wikipedia-
Grandad
May 28th, 2012
11:48 pm
High-Sider
I responded to your repartee with a brilliantly worded mostly eloquent
counter-stroke that was entirely positive.
It appeared on my screen for perhaps one second;
before disappearing.
I have asked AJC to retrieve my reposte ASAP.
Please keep an eye out.
Thanks,
G-dad
Grandad
May 28th, 2012
11:52 pm
Slimjr
I`ve watched quite a bit of film on Tony Wroten.
” I like him ”
-But-
He has no right hand !
Watch a little more film before you buy in.
G-dad
post script:
He is very, very young / turned 19 min April
Grandad
May 28th, 2012
11:57 pm
High-Sider
Oh Yeah – I forgot to mention:
I couldn`t remember everything I said
so;
I hope they can retrieve the post.
-fairly long-
At my age it`s a wonder I remember even sending it.
northcyde
May 29th, 2012
12:01 am
Rod from College Park
May 28th, 2012
8:52 pm
“So northcyde, or anyone else for that matter, what kind of front court do you think Horford and Gasol would make?”
It would be a layup line. LOL
*************************
Pau Gasol averaged 1.4 blks a game this year. 2.1 blks per game during the playoffs.
Gasol’s opponent counterpart pet 48 minute numbers at PF
21.1 ppg
11.7 rebs
2.4 asst
30% inside FG% ( which means that people aren’t scoring around the rim on him )
15.4 PER
Josh Smith’s opponent counterpart per 48 minute numbers @ PF
20.3 ppg
10.5 rebs
2.2 asst
38% inside field goal percentage
49.8% eFG
15.7 PER
Pau isn’t Josh on Defense, especially when it comes to help defense, but he isn’t a slouch either.
Gasol is currently #44 all time in blocks and will probably finish in the top 30 in blocks when his career is done. Josh Smith is currently #47 and has a good shot to be in the top 20 in blocks.
northcyde
May 29th, 2012
12:04 am
Real Talk
May 28th, 2012
10:58 pm
If Owners are serious and committed to winning: Ask Joe to reconstruct his salary to bring in a big man to help him out once he can’t fight through a screen. Trade Josh and Marvin for a TRUE Center/Leader and we can compete with what’s left with any team out there. Blow it up and go young
************************
League rules say that JJ can’t restructure his contract until after his 3rd year of his deal. And the Hawks have to be under the salary cap in order for the Hawks to do that.
No need to blow this up . . yet. Just change a main piece or two.
RaJaH
May 29th, 2012
12:05 am
Wasn’t Sund supposed to make his decision today? If the DASG is looking for a puppet to act as GM, I’ll do it for half of what they’re paying Sund.
Slimjr
May 29th, 2012
12:13 am
10-4 Grandad.
I prefer Lamb but he will be long gone by 23. Heck he may go in the top 10?
Grandad
May 29th, 2012
1:16 am
Slimjr
I`m still;
*Harkless – if we can get an additional 1st rounder
*Nicholson – at 23
*Machado – if we can move up in 2nd round
*some folks have him *[SM] moving toward the 1st round now
Rufus1
May 29th, 2012
1:20 am
Stats only matter when….
They are used to DEFEND the guy you are SUPPORTING…
Josh is top 10 in blah, blah, blah and that matters…but Marvin’s 39% from 3 doesn’t matter….Really?
Josh’s 22 shots don’t matter…but his 21pts does….Really?
Josh’s 15pts and 8rebs makes him great…..but Al’s 15pts and 9rebs makes him a scrub….Really?
I don’t understand ppl who make EXCUSES for a person who has been making the same mistakes for 8-9 years….Now he wants to leave and you guys are trying to TRADE everyone EXCEPT him…Really? (Battered Woman Syndrome)
Why is your relationship with the Hawks built around this ONE MAN?
I think some of you would prefer the Hawks LOSE and keep Josh, than WIN without him…. I know this to be true, I have looked at some of your trade proposals.
If you ACCEPT the STATS that say Josh is one of the BEST PF in the game, then you have to ACCEPT the STATS that says he is one of the DUMBEST.
I am a Hawks fan 1st…. Go Hawks …Trade Josh for picks … Draft Dion Waiters/Terrance Ross or Royce White… Sign Jordan Hill and JR Smith(Smith is cheaper than Jamal and better (2.5mil)
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
May 29th, 2012
2:35 am
MAKE NIQUE THE GM AND GET HIM OFF TELEVISION. BRING THE STINGER BACK.
TMACfan
May 29th, 2012
2:50 am
This is what LD did not use properly the WHOLE YEAR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNnAelz4LLs&feature=plcp
High-sider
May 29th, 2012
2:54 am
@Honky Lover
“…So what I get from that paragraph is that “this” being the execs desperate for a white pg, is “part” of the reason for your animus toward Rick Sund, of whom you said that “he chose between Hinrich and Jamal”. What It seems to me is that you resented Hinrich for “beating out” Jamal on this year’s team, and you think that “part” of the reason is because he is white. That sure seems like bias to me, and brother I’ve lived with bias that you can hardly imagine, so I’m not hesitant to talk about it.
Look, I don’t know your heart. I can only go by what I’ve seen, and both me and my husband are longtime “lurkers” on this blog, and we’ve both seen a lot of negativity from you about Hinrich all season. Now we know why. So let me re-phrase, and say that by the totality of your posts, you seem to show a lot of racial bias against Kirk Hinrich…” – Honky Lover
If you think Kirk Hinrich “beat out” Jamal Crawford, then you are “out[side] of your mind.” Jamal Crawford averaged 14.2ppg in the ‘10-’11 while Kirk Hinrich averaged 8.6ppg with the Hawks in that same ‘10-’11 regular season. In the first round of the 2011 playoffs, Jamal Crawford averaged 20.5ppg as a reserve while Kirk Hinrich averaged 10.2ppg as a starter. You call what Kirk Hinrich produced as Hawks’ player as “beating out” what Jamal Crawford produced? Yes, I resented Kirk Hinrich for being on the Hawks team as opposed to Jamal Crawford because Crawford is a better player than Hinrich – hands down. I was and am still angry with Rick Sund and the ASG for “going with” Hinrich over Crawford. It was a stupid decision that manifested itself in the 2012 playoffs. Crawford as a Hawks player roasted the Celtics in the ‘09-’10 and ‘10-’11 regular seasons by averaging 20.8ppg and 15.0ppg, respectively, against the Celtics. In those six regular season games vs the Celtics from ‘09-’11, the Hawks with Crawford accumulated a win-loss record of 5-1 which is a winning percentage of 0.833 or 83.3%. Simply put, Crawford was the Hawks’ “Boston Strangler.” What did Hinrich do against the Celtics this 2012 postseason? Hinrich averaged 5.7ppg, 2.0rpg and 1.0apg. Let’s not forget that Hinrich averaged 6.8ppg and 2.8apg for the Hawks during the ‘11-’12 regular season. Crawford had a subpar year with the Blazers this season and was still able to average 13.9~14.0ppg.
FYI, I wasn’t the only blogger on here that was disgusted with Kirk Hinrich’s performance this [past] season. Are those other bloggers racist[s] because they thought Hinrich’s performance was terrible and pathetic?
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
May 29th, 2012
2:55 am
Why was Marvin starting ahead of Mcgrady?
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
May 29th, 2012
2:56 am
FIRE LD
BIG IVAN FOR PRESIDENT
High-sider
May 29th, 2012
3:01 am
@Grandad
I’m sure you already know this but on those long posts/comments, you might want to copy, paste and save it in a word document first before click “Submit Comment” or type the long post/comment in a word document first and then save it. I’ve had a number of my comments to not post recently after clicking on “Submit Comment.” It’s very frustrating.
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
May 29th, 2012
3:15 am
WHEN WILL THE HAWKS MAKE IT TO THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS?
WHEN WILL THE HAWKS WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP?
ATLANTA DESERVES BETTER
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
May 29th, 2012
3:17 am
FALCONS = SORRY
BRAVES = SORRY AS HELL
ITS SAD WHEN THE HAWKS ARE THE BEST TEAM IN TOWN
High-sider
May 29th, 2012
3:19 am
@Big Ray aka Big “A” for A-shole
““Breaking an opponent down off the dribble” or “taking an opponent one-on-one” and creating a wide open shot or “look” for a teammate is “true [or real] facilitation” in my opinion; that is what makes Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford better “true facilitators” than what Kirk Hinrich [is].
Ummm…the problem, you ass clown, is that Jamal didn’t pass the ball, and Joe often won’t do it until there are three seconds left on the shot clock and the pass recipient is NOT in a good position to score, thus negating both the facilitator effect and your argument simultaneously. Next….” – Big Ray
Jamal Crawford did pass the ball off [of] pick ‘n rolls/pops to Horford and Pachulia. Crawford’s primary role is/was to provide scoring off the bench. Joe Johnson is always among the team’s leaders in assists even though J. Johnson’s primary role is to be the Hawks number one scoring option. The discussion was who was/were the Hawks better facilitators: Jamal Crawford and/or Joe Johnson vs. Kirk Hinrich.
High-sider
May 29th, 2012
3:30 am
@Buddy Grizzard
Buddy Grizzard
May 28th, 2012
11:29 pm
The fact that Ginobli can score 26 in a playoff game against predominantly black defenders is obv a Caucasian conspiracy. PS I will miss you blog folks. We’re almost on page 15 so I’m expecting radio silence any time now.
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I know – right. So you, too, saw all [of] those “phantom” calls Ginobili was receiving? I’m with you Buddy Grizzard; it is a “conspiracy.” Thanks for speaking “the truth.”