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
High-sider
May 29th, 2012
3:38 am
“Spurs= Bench mark?
Hawks vs. Spurs
How far apart are they?…” – Slimjr
Since 1999, one franchise has won four NBA championships while the other [franchise] hasn’t won [any NBA championships]. I’ll let you figure out which [team] is which.
northcyde
May 29th, 2012
3:43 am
Hawks 2012 – 13 payroll if a Josh + Marvin for Gasol trade took place
Johnson: 19.75 mill
Gasol: 19 mill
Horford: 12 mill
Zaza: 5.25 mill
Teauge: 2.43 mill
#23 pick: 1 mill
Total: 59.05 mill between 6 players . . . roughly 11 mill to spend on 7 or 8 players
Top PG & SG candidates that could be signed for a 1 year vet minimum contract
- Jannero Pargo . . did a good enough job to keep himself in the league as an offensive threat. A confident, streaky shooter.
- Nate Robinson . . had a good year as a reserve PG in Golden St. Better overall PG than Pargo. A smaller version of Jamal Crawford, but a little more efficient. G-State may re-sign him to multi-year deal.
- Delonte West . . was solid in Dallas and started 33 games. Like Robinson, could get a multi-year deal from someone. If not, he’d be a good pickup as a reserve PG
- Willie Green . . had a great year shooting the basketball as a reserve one-dimensional scorer.
- Shannon Brown . . will probably be re-signed by Phoenix. If he isn’t, maybe the Hawks could bring him to ATL, and have him play for his wifey’s ( singer Monica ) hometown team. Good defender and athletic slasher
- Kirk Hinrich . . performed adequately in the 2nd half of the season as a starter. This may put him out of reach for the Hawks to re-sign. If not, bring him back for the vet minimum.
My Picks: Nate Robinson, Kirk Hinrich and Shannon Brown. Nate gives the Hawks a Teague like athletic PG as the backup. Brown is a poor man’s slasher/defender who can explode to the hole and shoot a little. Kirk provides the perimeter defense and timely shooting. I’m just afraid that both Robinson and Brown will be out of our price range. If so, Delonte and Green may be the choices, along with Hinrich.
Also remember this name . . . Jeremy Hazell.. A poor man’s Jordan Crawford, if you will. Keep an eye on him during summer league.
Top SF candidates
- Pape Sy . . not because he’s the best available, but because he’s already familiar with the Hawks system and can be had on the cheap. Need some perimeter defenders on the team, and he would serve that purpose
- Mickael Pietrus . . long range jumper has been broke lately, but still could serve as a perimeter defender.
- Anthony Parker . . if just for the fact that Candace Parker’s ( his sister ) fine azz could be at a few Hawk games, when she’s not playing overseas. He does serve a purpose as a long range shooter and decent defender.
- Matt Barnes . . a pretty decent rebounding SF that is known for his defense. His long range shooting ability is overrated
My picks: Pape Sy, Matt Barnes and Anthony Parker . . Sy would continue the trend of the Hawks putting an athletic 2nd unit on the floor. If his defense is as advertised, he could become a defensive asset for the Hawks. Parker gives you pretty good jumpshooting and solid defense at the 3 spot. Parker may be the starter out of this group. Barnes is the insurance policy in case Sy isn’t that good.
Top PF & C picks
With Gasol, Horford, and Zaza, that’s a pretty solid trio of big men to throw at people. So in my mind, we need to find “specialty” role players on the frontline.
- Ivan Johnson . . to me, he definitely did enough to be re-signed by this team. Drew simply needs to stop holding this dude back and let him play all out. If he gets technicals for playing rough, so what? We need some toughness on this team. For the amount of minutes he played, he was outstanding after the All-Star break.
- Reggie Evans . . could’ve been a game changer for the Hawks, if Sund would’ve even thought about bringing him in. He’s probably out of reach now, seeing how he played during the playoffs. He’ll get re-signed by the Clippers, or overpaid by a team desperate for frontline help.
- Fab Melo . . One of the things the Hawks need to prepare for, is the loss of Zaza after next season. So to prepare for that, the Hawks may want to use the #23 pick on Fab Melo. I could care less if he’s one dimensional right now. He’s a defensive specialist, and should be used that way.
- Chris Wilcox . . was giving the Celtics decent minutes before he got hurt. He’s a vet that knows how to find his niche on a team and contribute.
My picks: Ivan and Melo. Would LOVE to have Evans, but I think he played his way out of the Hawks price range. So unleash Ivan as the backup PF. Let Melo play spot minutes as the 3rd center
2012 – 13 Hawks
PG – Teague
G – Johnson
F – Parker
PF – Gasol
C – Horford
Bench
G – Robinson
G – Hinrich
G – Brown
PF – Ivan
C – Zaza
C – Melo
G/F – Sy
F – Barnes
Buddy G
May 29th, 2012
3:56 am
“Are those other bloggers racist[s] because they thought Hinrich’s performance was terrible and pathetic?”
Obviously, I’m a self-hating white man because I’ve been racist against Hinrich on Hoopinionblog.com the entire season.
northcyde
May 29th, 2012
4:04 am
LOL BuddyG . . stop being racist.
Kirk Hinrich shooting before All-Star break
- 33.7% FG . . . 24.3% 3FG . . 57.1 FT%
Kirk Hinrich shooting after All-Star break
- 44.8% FG . . 38.4% 3FG . . 94.4% FT
Grandad
May 29th, 2012
4:12 am
High-Sider
I usually copy my posts before I submit.
This time it actually showed on the screen for a sec.
I went ahead and posted again;
but;
when I looked back it was gone.
However, `cause I had sent another post
I had copied it & yours went …poof.
____________________________________________
I have since re-written the post;
and amended it 16 to 18 times but the blgmnstr
will not let ir through.
I`ve altered any possible inflamatory words and or phrases,
altered, cut, snipped, `til ain`t much left.
-Plus-
the meaning and context has been altered by all the editing.
I have it saved on “word”
so I`ll try again next time I see you on board.
Respectfully,
G-dad
The Custodian
May 29th, 2012
5:09 am
I’ve been hoping for a Josh Smith trade for a long, long time. Sadly, I don’t expect for it to happen. My guess is that the team will just keep him around until his contract expires and then give him a low-ball offer. I think he will then find that his worth around the league is not quite as high as he seems to think it is. Josh seems to consider himself to be a superstar, but I think most teams, other than maybe rebuilding teams like the Cavs, would not offer him the amount that he would like.
Personally, I don’t think Josh should be complaining about the Hawks. Yes, the organization is probably one of the worst ones in the NBA, but for what he wants, it suits him well. Josh wants personal accolades and attention. He may not get a lot of attention from the media since ATL is shunned in the national spotlight, but where else will Josh be able to take as many shots as he desires and get to do whatever he pleases on the court with no consequences from his coach. What championship level-team or budding contender would allow Josh to consume nearly 30% of their offensive possessions? None, the answer to that is simple. For Josh to receive that sort of superstar treatment, he would have to play for a rebuilding lottery team like Cleveland or Golden State which is still searching for an identity and a go-to scorer. Also, if Josh were to go to a team like that, he’d probably be even further from a championship than he is now, since teams like that still have their “growing pains” to go through before they become anything close to contenders.
My guess is that Josh would have a gripe wherever he went. If he went to an actual contender, he would probably complain about having too small of a role and not getting enough shots, and if he went to a lottery team like I mentioned, he probably would fail to make the all-star team once again since teams with bad records don’t get much all-star consideration for their players unless their players are putting up otherworldly stats like Kevin Love.
My personal opinion is that Josh is just too stuck on himself at this point, and is too busy thinking “me” when he should be thinking “we”. When you have that type of attitude, you are going to have complaints wherever you go, because there just isn’t enough on any team to make you happy. I think Josh wants a lot more than team success. I think he wants to look good individually, first and foremost, and he’d like to win a championship in addition to that, but he’s going to have a tough time achieving that unless he puts his ego aside and plays to his strengths, while accepting a smaller offensive role on a contending team. Unfortunately, I don’t forsee that happening.
As for the Hawks, if they want to finally be proactive with a situation, they should look to shop Josh as soon as possible and try to pursue the best available offer actively. They should not wait for others to call them, but rather, they should actively shop Josh until they find a deal that is satisfying to both sides. Contrary to what the many of the Josh lovers seem to believe, I feel that Josh’s trade value is probably lower than what many ATL fans seem to be believe, because it seems to me that based upon the comments from coaches on Josh and his inability to make the all-star team, many coaches don’t think so highly of him. They see the talent, but they don’t see the right attitude or the right level of discipline. Because of this, we probably will have to settle for a potentially-inferior player(s) in return for Josh, but that is better than nothing.
Josh is a great talent, but unfortunately, he’s never had the right coach/mentor to hone and craft his game. Furthermore, he has developed around a group that included many immature players who don’t seem to have a winning mentality, and I think that is part of the reason why Josh still doesn’t have the wrong attitude. He still isn’t a team-first guy to me, and at this point, I don’t know if he will ever be. I hope that he can blossom elsewhere with the right coach, but I’m done watching this team be held back by ego, selfishness, and apathy from numerous players. That, when coupled with a lack of accountability and discipline from the coaching staff has been a toxic combination for this team over the years. I really hope that next season will finally be the season when we finally have a fresh start without the same “core” of players.
EmirS.
May 29th, 2012
5:17 am
How bout them Braves?
Sigh…..
Buddy G
May 29th, 2012
5:47 am
Seriously… what’s the story on Sund? If they’re bringing in a new GM they need to hire him and get him in here to prepare for the draft. Getting a Faried-type steal in this draft may be the only thing that can push this team into ECF contention in the final season for the core.
Dennis Lindsey apparently has already turned down at least one GM job offer. He’s probably not lowballed as an assistant GM for the Spurs so he doesn’t need to take a lowball offer for a GM position. He seems to be a man who understands his own worth.
A better prospect may be the asst. GM of the Thunder who pushed the team to pick Westbrook higher than he was rated. That’s a franchise-altering pick like RC Buford finding Tony Parker. That may be a guy who’s eager to have his own team. He may not be as hard to get as Lindsey.
Buddy Grizzard
May 29th, 2012
6:19 am
By the way, Troy Weaver, the assistant GM for OKC, is black. This should make it a no-brainer for High-Sider. Then again you never know, he could be another honkey lover.
Just Joe
May 29th, 2012
7:11 am
Somebody find a way to trade Josh for Joakim Noah. Maybe where Gasol goes to Chicago, Josh and Korver go to the Lakers, and Noah comes to the Hawks???
Najeh Davenpoop
May 29th, 2012
9:48 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?”
No, stats only matter when they are placed in the right context. Josh is top 10 in blah, blah, blah in such a wide variety of defensive statistical categories, that when you combine that with the Hawks’ 6th overall ranked defense and what your eyeballs tell you, it’s clear that he was one of the best defensive players in the league this year. Marvin deserves credit for his 3 point percentage, but when you consider that the vast majority of his shots are uncontested and his 3 point percentage is boosted by 4 percentage points as a result of 3 monster games, it makes it a bit of a stretch to refer to him as “reliable”.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 29th, 2012
9:48 am
“FALCONS = SORRY
BRAVES = SORRY AS HELL
ITS SAD WHEN THE HAWKS ARE THE BEST TEAM IN TOWN”
Co-sign.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 29th, 2012
9:51 am
“2012 – 13 Hawks
PG – Teague
G – Johnson
F – Parker
PF – Gasol
C – Horford
Bench
G – Robinson
G – Hinrich
G – Brown
PF – Ivan
C – Zaza
C – Melo
G/F – Sy
F – Barnes”
Seriously? So good riddance to Jamal, but say hello to Nate Robinson and Shannon Brown?
That team would get punked so bad by the Bulls’ defense in the second round it won’t even be funny.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 29th, 2012
9:52 am
“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.”
Much easier solution: get Lazarus Form Recovery, available for Firefox and Chrome. If you use Internet Explorer, make the switch.
O"Brien
May 29th, 2012
9:56 am
If the ASG trades JJ after only 2 years, I think they will be forced to admit that the contract was a huge mistake (especially if they don’t get what they consider a very good package for him). I don’t think they want to admit it. I also think they still over-value him as a player.
I don’t think they will trade Josh, because they will be afraid that he might be an all-star somewhere else. Their plan with Josh (imo) will be to let him become a FA, and offer him an extension. When he signs somewhere else (for whatever reason – money, better ownership, better fans, better chance to win etc), the ASG will say they tried to keep Josh, but he CHOSE to leave.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 29th, 2012
9:59 am
“Somebody find a way to trade Josh for Joakim Noah. Maybe where Gasol goes to Chicago, Josh and Korver go to the Lakers, and Noah comes to the Hawks???”
Here you go.
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=7jbleom
Once again, you have come up with one of the more sensible Josh trades I have seen. Noah won’t replace Josh’s ability to draw double teams and create for teammates, but he will replace most if not all of his defensive impact and allow Al to slide to PF, he will provide passion and toughness that this team needs and that Gasol sorely lacks, and he has a pretty affordable long-term deal.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 29th, 2012
10:00 am
And between Noah and Zaza, this team will probably start more fights than any other team in the league.
KevinM
May 29th, 2012
10:03 am
G-Dad and Slim…..Say we keep this team together again (which would be good odds in Vegas). I think one of the biggest issues of this team is our 1/2 court offense. If you’re looking in the draft and you want a guy who has plenty of experience with winning and having a mature attitude, you go with the long range shooter on the championship team from UK: Doron Lamb.
Measured at 6′5 with a 205-pound frame and a 6′7 wingspan, Lamb has a good physical profile for an NBA shooting guard with the potential to continue filling out his solid frame. While he lacks elite explosiveness, Lamb is nonetheless a solid athlete, possessing a solid first step and decent quickness in the open court.
This guy should be able to backup Teague as he was brother Teague’s backup all year. A cheap fix for the backcourt and a guy who can get his own shot. If he is there at 23, you can’t pass up his offense. He reminds me some of Lou Williams and to me was the best big moment shooter in college last year.
Our points are suffering in the 1/2 court and we need a guy who can hit that open jumper or drive for a floater.
Dang, Sund’s job is just too easy, and he makes it harder than it really is. Wanna bet Sund drafts a PF just in case they get an offer for Josh they can’t refuse? Because you know Sund can’t come up with an offer to trump anyone.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 29th, 2012
10:04 am
Boozer and Gasol is a somewhat problematic front line for Chicago, but I think if they do get Gasol, they will amnesty Boozer, re-sign Asik, and go after someone like Dalembert via free agency or trade.
Either way, that is a trade that I can see all three teams accepting.
glw
May 29th, 2012
10:08 am
“Somebody find a way to trade Josh for Joakim Noah. Maybe where Gasol goes to Chicago, Josh and Korver go to the Lakers, and Noah comes to the Hawks???”
I like the trade too, and the Lakers and the Hawks would do it in a minute I think, but not sure the Bulls would be all crazy about it, but they do have Asik they can resign, so maybe they would go for it too.
Mr. Contradiction
May 29th, 2012
10:09 am
Had to laugh hard at this:
“If you think Kirk Hinrich “beat out” Jamal Crawford, then you are “out[side] of your mind.””
later in the same paragraph:
“I was and am still angry with Rick Sund and the ASG for “going with” Hinrich over Crawford”
No contradiction there now, is there?
So Hinrich didn’t “beat out” Crawford? But the Hawks chose to “go with” Hinrich over Crawford.
Semantics, I guess. I know which one played for the Hawks this year, lol.
rufus1
May 29th, 2012
10:11 am
Stats in context….
Josh starts for the Hawks for 7 years and the Hawks were an average defense…
The 1st year a Teague starts we become ELITE and you give the credit to Josh.
I am not saying he isn’t a defensive force…. Just that the credit needs to be shared.
KevinM
May 29th, 2012
10:11 am
OB, I said the same thing about JJ and the ASG’s inability to admit that JJ isn’t the leader he is being promoted as.
Along those lines, I gotta ask how are you going to accept Josh’s jump shots for another year? He doesn’t like to play to his strengths and that alarms me about what needs to be done. Has he accepted the fact that Al is going to be the PF? Josh needs to be around the rim with his quickness and his right hand is not as exposed as it is in the open court.
Throw in some of Josh’s attempts to run the team from the open court and you have another of my alarms. I want a guy who knows his role and knows his strengths.
And the best reason to trade Josh? He is the easiest of the 3 to move in this contract season. Let’s finally go get what we can for him because honestly, no one knows what he is worth. Right now, he has more value than he will have at any other point.
I want to see one or 2 new starters this season and that to me will be a renewed approach to doing things the right way. Hasn’t Sund always talked about the Detroit and SA way? Well, we aren’t playing that way.
We aren’t tough when we need to be tough and we aren’t a smart team by any measure.
Those 2 measurements allow me to move Josh even more. Al fits in there as well as he showed his intelligence in Game 6.
KevinM
May 29th, 2012
10:24 am
rufus1, I think Ken S would agree with you on Teague’s impact. Now that the defense has improved, its time to improve our quickness and scoring on the other end of the court. No more Josh jumpers to try and bail us out of an another botched 24 second possession.
How many possessions have we seen like that where we have to chuck up a shot?
DawgNole
May 29th, 2012
10:25 am
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
May 29th, 2012
2:35 am
MAKE NIQUE THE GM AND GET HIM OFF TELEVISION. BRING THE STINGER BACK.
_________________________
Well, I don’t know about GM, but at least get him off TV. That would definitely be addition by subtraction.
DawgNole
May 29th, 2012
10:30 am
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.
_______________________
Even more frustrating is the fact that this issue (i.e. faulty filters) has been brought to the AJC’s attention on its blogs literally hundreds of times. Yet they cannot–or will not–correct or address the problem. That’s unprofessional and inexcusable, especially for a metropolitan news organization.
cdog
May 29th, 2012
10:39 am
why is all of the talking going on? the fact of the matter is, with larry drew and rick sund returning, the hawks arte doomed for failure as usual. so why taLK WHEN EVERYONEONE IS SATISFIED WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE? WHAT A JOKE IN ATLANTA. THEY FIRE A COACH WHO TAKES THE FRANCHISE TO THE NEXT LEVEL THEN KEEPS 2 DUNCES LIKE SUND AND DREW. YOU DESERVE WHAT YOU GET
KevinM
May 29th, 2012
10:46 am
cdog, you actually liked Woody and his repeated non-existance in the playoffs?
Honky Lover
May 29th, 2012
10:51 am
High-Sider,
You love to change the subject, don’t you? After a long-winded defense of Jamal (who wasn’t even attacked), you finally have this to say about your bias:
“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?”
As far as I’ve seen, you are the only blogger to tie Hinrich’s skin color to his being retained by the Hawks (over Crawford). If other bloggers also did this, then they too are showing racial bias. This has nothing to do with performance, as you well know, but you keep trying to change the subject to how much we miss Jamal.
I wonder why?
ATLien
May 29th, 2012
10:58 am
I see the ignorant Josh traders are still out in force. And they’ve been joined by a even more ignorant race monger. Let me clue this guy in. There’s a black guy in the White House. Institutionalized racism is a thing of the past. How can the “man” be holding you down when the “man” is a black man? Enough said.
Now on to more pleasant subject. Anyone else enjoying watching the Celtics whine because the refs are treating them just as they treat the Hawks, and teams like the Hawks, when they play the Celtics. Guess what Boston, you’re not the market Stern wants to advance now. So enjoy the ref screw job we have become so accustomed to seeing in other cities.
DawgNole
May 29th, 2012
11:04 am
Najeh Davenpoop
May 29th, 2012
9:52 am
“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.”
Much easier solution: get Lazarus Form Recovery, available for Firefox and Chrome. If you use Internet Explorer, make the switch.
_______________________
I’m not familiar with Lazarus, but if all it does is save/recover the post, then I don’t believe it has addressed the problem, which is faulty filters rejecting posts without apparent “justification.” Yes, it’s true that saving a post–especially a lengthy one–is helpful, but simply reposting it is a waste of time (i.e., “Duplicate comment detected”). This issue is trying to figure out “what you did wrong” that the filter doesn’t “like,” which is virtually impossible with a long post. Rearranging/rewording it is a painstaking process that seldom works. What the filters SHOULD do when they kick something out is tell the poster the offending word(s)/phraseology–just like they tell the poster about his “duplicate comments.”
Melvin
May 29th, 2012
11:22 am
One similarity I notice between the remaining playoff teams is that they all play small ball. All their starting PF are undersized. Miami may be the only exception when Bosh is healthy. Not sure if this direction the league is heading or b/c there’s a shortage of big men. I think with Zaza, Al and Josh the Hawks should be able to compete with most teams. Teams like the Lakers, Magic, Knicks, Bulls and Indy will still give them trouble b/c of their length.
O"Brien
May 29th, 2012
11:38 am
KevinM,
If the ASG does not trade Josh, I think they will lose him for nothing next season. After next season, LD’c sontract will be up, so who knows if he will be re-upped. Also, by then, who knows what the GM situation will be. The Hawks could go into the 2013 offseason looking to replace a coach, and a GM, and then try to resign Josh? I don’t like the possibility of that sequence of events. Maybe Josh can be packaged with Marvin for the right trade package.
Najeh,
I think Chicago should amnesty Boozer, and the Sixers should amnesty Brand.
Just Joe
May 29th, 2012
11:46 am
Melvin…the mix of the remaining playoff teams is kind of interesting. You’ve got two teams that have the traditional go-to scorers in the post (Celtics & Spurs), and then you’ve got two teams with the role players up front (Heat & Thunder).
Hawks are kind of caught in the middle. Do they try to get the go-to post scorer (Gasol or someone similar), or do they go more athletic, keep a role player like Al up front, and upgrade the SF position and bench.
The problem with going the athletic route is that we probably can’t match the Westbrook/Harden/Durant/Ibaka group (they may have to lose one of the four) or the Wade/James/Bosh group.
SteveW
May 29th, 2012
11:54 am
Word in Chicago is that Reisendorf is a skinflint, and isn’t going to amnesty anybody, unless it’s a “small” contract, ie, under 5m for 1 year remaining.
The 2010/11 version of Noah, I def. consider that trade. The 2011/12 version of Noah just didn’t seem as good of a version as the year before, his 10/11 injury notwithstanding.
I still say we see ASG/Sund? shopping Josh hard for a lottery pick – and the Blazers and Hornets have multiple – and the Cavs may come into play here as well.
And you know Boston wants him with their 2 1st picks.
Might see ASG shopping Josh for a cheap young player also, like Favors, Kanter, or even Williams from the ‘Wolves.
Rod from College Park
May 29th, 2012
11:55 am
“Seriously? So good riddance to Jamal, but say hello to Nate Robinson and Shannon Brown? ”
It’s really comical at this point. Jamal’s shot selection is horrible in his eye’s, but he likes Nate Robinson. SMH
Najeh Davenpoop
May 29th, 2012
11:57 am
“I think Chicago should amnesty Boozer, and the Sixers should amnesty Brand.”
Brand expires in a year, so I doubt the Sixers amnesty him. He played well enough this year that they can probably trade him. I could even see them making a run at Gasol by dangling Brand and a young player like Turner. They need a scorer just as badly as Chicago does, although unlike Chicago, if they trade Brand they don’t necessarily have a wealth of defensive big men to pick up the slack for Gasol.
Rod from College Park
May 29th, 2012
11:59 am
@northcyde,
“Pau isn’t Josh on Defense, especially when it comes to help defense, but he isn’t a slouch either.”
Never said he was a slouch. Horford and Pau Gasol front line will equal a layup line. You can post stats from now to next week. It won’t change the results.
cp
May 29th, 2012
12:01 pm
@Grandad. I was reading that Boston really likes Nicholson. They choose right before us. I dont think Nicholson drops to us. I really like Harkless but I think he will move up once he starts working out for teams. It was reported the Hawks really like Wroten but I’m not a big fan of his. He cant shoot and turns the ball over a lot. The one thing he does well that I do like is that he gets to the free throw line.Terrence Ross is another guy I liked but he seems to be really moving up the boards too.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 29th, 2012
12:02 pm
“This issue is trying to figure out “what you did wrong” that the filter doesn’t “like,” which is virtually impossible with a long post.”
The only posts I ever see the blog monster eating consistently are the ones that include words which contain the Spanish word for ass, like suolucidir and suolucarim backwards.
cp
May 29th, 2012
12:04 pm
I wonder if Golden State would trade their late first pick for Marvin. It might be a good fit for them.
SteveW
May 29th, 2012
12:04 pm
The beauty of 1st picks this season for the Hawks, besides the deeper than normal talent pool, is that they (the draft picks) are on their rookie contracts for 4 seasons, then they are Restricted Free Agents.
So they would become RFA’s the season that Joe and Al’s contracts expire. So you could do some major re-tooling if you wanted to at that point.
Northcyde – The #23 pick will probably make 1.2 mill this season, because most get 120% of the rookie wage scale. And I like your team of athleticism – but it would have some other deficiencies.
I’m cooling to the idea of a Gasol trade. Why? I like Gasol. I’m just tired of getting other people’s retreads. We get TMac too late. Bibby for a season and a half, then he disentigrates. Dampier 3 seasons too late.
I guess as a fan, I’m more up on seeing a young player or players develop than having Gasol as a 2 year rental on the downside of his career.
SteveW
May 29th, 2012
12:14 pm
Northcyde – But on the other hand, I would be up to signing Garnett for a 3 year 24 mill deal. At 8 mill per season, his contract wouldn’t be quite so cap killing as Gasol’s 19+ mill per season.
But that’s just me. I’m quirky and just being a fan. I’m sure many others have way different opinions. I guess as we’ve said before – we’re all just fans trying to will and finagle our way to a Championship. Somehow. With the odds stacked monumentally against us. With history not on our side.
Oh well, you get the picture.
SteveW
May 29th, 2012
12:23 pm
Sautee – I did want to say I appreciated your perspective a few days ago of enjoying the moment. I enjoy when Teague blocks a shot, or dunks over Ray Allen. I enjoy when Josh blocks Dwight’s shot. I even enjoy seeing JJ shoot a dagger against the Pistons. I just enjoy the Hawks. It’s no big deal to me. I want the hawks to win every game and go 82-0, but if they don’t – it is just a game after all.
I think some take the game, owned and operated, dispensed and advertised by millionaires, just a little too seriously in their lives.
I can be a Hawks fan, and still not be a loser in life. Because BB is just a diversion to a full and fullfilled life – the best out there.
Sautee – So thanks for that post. It was a few days ago. So I wanna win. But I enjoy the journey, and keep the BB in perspective, and don’t make it bigger than it is.
That’s just me. BB may be some of your life’s. I’d hate to be a Hawks fan if that were the case.
Sautee
May 29th, 2012
12:41 pm
SteveW,
Thanks, I’m glad you liked it. The truth is that we live in a results oriented society. Which, in itself, tends to lessen our focus on the journey. The idea that the result is “all there is” makes us a frantic culture, unless one can unplug a bit. A lesson that unfortunately some never learn.
Their loss.
BYC
May 29th, 2012
12:41 pm
Josh or no Josh the unfortunate state of our team is that our max contract player is a shooting guard that averages 18/4/4 and even less during the playoffs. Am I the only one that realizes almost any shooting guard in the NBA/NBDL could do at least 80% of that if given the same number of minutes and shots? WHY THE HELL ARE WE PAYING THIS GUY $20 MILLION
Mike
May 29th, 2012
12:41 pm
This is what we call “Between a rock and a hard place”, we all know that Josh isnt coming back to Hawks after next year, no matter how much we spend for him or anything like that. I would go after Pau but you will have two players with almost 40 mil between each other, then you still have to pay Al, Marvin (he needs to get trade to anybody), and Teague, then get backups as well.
At the end I think Josh is gone during the draft (Lottery is tomorrow, I got money that Nets is going to win and trade the pick to Orlando for D-12), I got a feeling that the Hawks is going to see where the Blazers and Warriors will be at.
DawgNole
May 29th, 2012
1:04 pm
SteveW
May 29th, 2012
12:14 pm
But that’s just me. I’m quirky and just being a fan. I’m sure many others have way different opinions. I guess as we’ve said before – we’re all just fans trying to will and finagle our way to a Championship. Somehow. With the odds stacked monumentally against us. With history not on our side.
Oh well, you get the picture.
____________________
Solid perspective. A shame that the odds are against us and history is not on our side. Just gotta hope for better.
DawgNole
May 29th, 2012
1:11 pm
Sautee
May 29th, 2012
12:41 pm
The truth is that we live in a results oriented society. Which, in itself, tends to lessen our focus on the journey. The idea that the result is “all there is” makes us a frantic culture, unless one can unplug a bit. A lesson that unfortunately some never learn.
Their loss.
____________________
This is true. My problem with the Hawks (and Falcons) is that the journey has become so long–and I’ve been with them since the beginning–that in recent years I find myself increasingly wondering if it will ever end (with a championship), at least in my lifetime. After so many seasons of the same ol same ol–with no realistic hope of resolution in the forseeable future–I feel “abused” by the organizations (not the players themselves), which leaves me resentful, to say the least.
JustSayinB
May 29th, 2012
1:12 pm
Looking forward to checkin out the NBA draft this Wednesday. Nothing to do with the Hawks. Anyway, the Hawks make Atlanta look like a small market within a big city. Small market teams are making a bigger splash than the Hawks. I hope they finally sell this team.