Atlanta Hawks: Wings are the thing
The Hawks are interested in free agent forward Anthony Randolph, as reported today by Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The Hawks also remain in contact with the Magic about trade possibilities for Dwight Howard.
But the more pressing concern for the Hawks is signing a small forward after they agreed to trade away Marvin Williams and Joe Johnson.
“We have to look at the wing area to bring somebody in that can help us,” Drew said. “With having the six spots filled [including] the two draft picks on the roster, solidifying on the wing becomes more of a priority than a ‘big.’ We could add another big but, right now, certainly the priority is strengthening the wing area and then possibly adding another big.”
As things stand now, Atlanta’s options include playing one of Josh Smith, Anthony Morrow or DeShawn Stevenson at small forward. Smith was able to play the wing effectively in certain matchups last season but neither he nor Morrow or Stevenson is a natural for the position.
The Hawks are interested in Rashard Lewis and Courtney Lee. They’ve also reportedly inquired about O.J. Mayo.
Other free-agent wings still on the board include Matt Barnes, Grant Hill, Carlos Delfino, Antawn Jamison, Mickael Pietrus, C.J. Miles and Tracy McGrady.
The Hawks can offer a contract that starts as high as the non-taxpayer mid-level exception maximum of $5 million. It appears that the first wave of free-agent signings isn’t quite over as players look for money and/or contending teams to join. The Hawks could still be a pretty good team next season but clearly no longer are as attractive to free agents as they were last season, when they could sell the possibility of a strong postseason run.
With that in mind, expect the Hawks to zero in on free agents to sign once the market settles.
“There’s been some surprising things that have happened with free agents,” Drew said. “Our stand is just to continue to look at possibilities that can help our ball club. There are still some interesting names out there. We’ve had contact with a number of free agents and we want to bring in guys that can play right away, whether they start or come off the bench.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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779 comments Add your comment
Riddles
July 7th, 2012
5:57 pm
Is a Horford defender a Horford apologist? or Is an Horford apologist a horford defender? When apologizing or defending Al is it necessary to attack hawks 2012 MVP Josh Smith in order to validate the poor performances from Al?
If the Josh and/or Al supporters cant get along on this blog what do you thing is going on in the team that lead MC to write that there was internal strife in the locker room?
This will be a better team when Al is shipped back to Florida. But of course this was a better team when Al was out loafing last year.
Riddles
July 7th, 2012
5:58 pm
*Is a Horford defender a Horford apologist? or Is a Horford apologist a horford defender?
Riddles
July 7th, 2012
5:59 pm
*if the Josh and/or Al supporters cant get along on this blog what do you think is going on with the team
Sautee
July 7th, 2012
6:04 pm
“The Hawks have to “pure” scorers.” – High-Sider
Is this another hunch? Otherwise please “splain’ to us exactly WHY the Hawks “have to” have pure scorers? And what is your definition of a “pure scorer”?
...I MUS WRITE
July 7th, 2012
6:07 pm
“My brother isnt soft he more finesse”….Marc Gasol
Blake Griffin ate that mans lunch… Bynums facial expression is priceless.
MACALAEB!!!!!!……….
Slimjr
July 7th, 2012
6:07 pm
When you render his 1950’s set shot obsolete: see game 6 [the closeout/money game] you’ll end up with 7 turnovers and a clutch missed free throw from the All NBA, 2 Time Allstar that sends his team home to start their joyous summer vacations… Yawn..
Shop his azz yesterday!
Atlanta Hawks: Wings are the thing | Atlanta Informer
July 7th, 2012
6:08 pm
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12,000,000.000 12pts/8rbs
July 7th, 2012
6:10 pm
There is no reason to apologize for Al. He is what he is. He would have been better if the coaches had hired a personal trainer for Al and if his mother and father were given a room at every hotel the hawks stay at and if all of his friends were given Mercedes Benz and free cell phones. Then Al’s numbers would be up….
Cautee
July 7th, 2012
6:14 pm
Im tired of defending Al. Let some body else do it. Wheres Tito?
pointguardslim
July 7th, 2012
6:16 pm
It looks likes Al lost weight. To play that PF spot. 240 lbs?
Sautee
July 7th, 2012
6:16 pm
Al and Josh get along just fine. Some of their supporters (on both sides) are stupid enough to believe that you must despise one to like the other. This is of course nonsense. Many of us not only like both players, but believe they could thrive together with the right coach and a system set up to play to their strengths.
For example, a high-low set. Both Josh and Al are good passers. At Florida, Al was very effective lobbing to Noah in a high-low set. But this staff has never tried to play to Josh’s or Al’s strengths on offense. Maybe with the current makeup of the team (if it stays somewhat this way) will lead to the coaching staff actually trying to maximize what Josh and Al are best at.
T-s, just so you will know, I brought up Al’s votes in the All-NBA defensive team NOT to denigrate Josh in any way, but to point out that the coaches of the league thought about equally of their defensive efforts for that year (2011), which is a pat on the back for Al to be there with Josh in the voting. You can disagree, but that’s how I was thinking. FYI.
Cautee
July 7th, 2012
6:19 pm
Enter your comments here
ZCautee
July 7th, 2012
6:31 pm
I agree that Al was voted by the coaches to be on a list that Josh had made the 1st team on. In fact when Josh was recognize for being the phenomenal talent and defender that he is only D12 was a head of him. A year later Al was given an consolation of an honorable mention. But as for defense Al is not in the same Class as Josh. and no, I dont think those to coexist well although Josh has be accommodating to Al, there is not the same unity of the players when Al is there mouthing off to the press about playing power forward or telling his dad to be his mouth piece to lobby to play center. I also think it angers Josh and the other teammate when Al takes this indifferent attitude about protecting the rim. Al’s lack of defense was the main reason Woodson ran so many switches to help Al out.I got tired of seeing Al out on the perimeter trying to be Al Notwiski. That hurt the hawks.
We do agree on one thing. If 6′ 10 1/4 ” 260lb monster of a man Al Horford would realize that his size is average for the posting and beast up to the position the Hawks would have had better playoff runs. But Al Will never accept the role of rim defender.
ZCautee
July 7th, 2012
6:35 pm
*although Josh has been accommodating to Al
Rufus1
July 7th, 2012
6:37 pm
They have to denigrate Al with this nonsense….
They don’t have FACTS on their side(Points, rebounds or accolades) or even the coaches in the NBA… They have nonsense.
Without logic and truth, there is no discussion
The Blog Troll
July 7th, 2012
6:37 pm
Hi. I’m the Blog Troll. I hate Al Horford. My butt hurts.
Najeh Davenpoop
July 7th, 2012
6:41 pm
“And I hope he and Horford don’t clash to the point where they’re both seeking control of the team ( which I see coming ).
Josh will not be content being the defensive leader of the team. He wants to be the offensive and defensive leader, even if Horford and possibly even Teague will end up being better offensive players.”
You are not alone in that opinion based on what I continue to read on this blog. Somehow everyone else has these deep psychological insights into Josh and Al’s thinking. I guess they must all go hang out with them in their spare time. Since I have met neither one of them, I can’t weigh in on what will make Josh and Al content or happy or whatever.
“My main point is that the Hawks had options”
Not championship options. As long as they kept Joe, any options they had were limited to treading water at their first- or second-round level.
That is an indictment of Joe’s contract, not Joe the player. There wasn’t any realistic way for them to bring in a superior teammate for him to complement. There certainly wasn’t a way for them to team him with both a superior player (like Deron) and other solid starters (like Gerald Wallace and Brook Lopez).
Sautee
July 7th, 2012
6:42 pm
T.S. I am calling you Blog Troll because your criticism of Al is too harsh. You know I am sworn to defend my beloved Al Horford. So if you stop the anti al language I’ll stop calling you the troll. Oh yea, that wasnt me as the blog Troll that was you, and this isnt me its also you.
Repeat
July 7th, 2012
6:43 pm
How many times do we have to hear the same stuff about Al Horford from the same guy with the 200 different names? Ok, we get it, you dont like Al Horford. Point taken,
Najeh Davenpoop
July 7th, 2012
6:44 pm
“Joe was the best. Joe scored 18pts a game, while being double constantly. I watched every game and Joe was the main focus of EVERY teams defensive strategy… not Josh.”
Are you sure the games you watched were from this season?
“Joe was also our best defender.”
LMAO
Come on man. If you want to bend over backwards not to give Josh credit, fine. But even Zaza had more of a defensive impact than Joe this year.
ZCautee
July 7th, 2012
6:46 pm
“It looks likes Al lost weight. To play that PF spot. 240 lbs?”
It is impossible for Al to lose weight for the simple reason, that would require hard work and Al is allergic to that.
pointguardslim
July 7th, 2012
6:46 pm
Blog monster eating my posts? And I’m not T-S.
Sautee
July 7th, 2012
6:47 pm
“I agree that Al was voted by the coaches to be on a list that Josh had made the 1st team on.”
Actually, neither of them were on the first team in 2011, the year I referred to. Or even on the second team. but in the “others receiving votes” section. Al and Josh are listed with seven votes each. Al had 3 first team votes and Josh had one. I thought Josh should have been higher, but that’s how the coaches saw it. I would have voted Josh to the first team myself.
http://www.examiner.com/article/2011-all-defensive-team-announced
ZCautee
July 7th, 2012
6:47 pm
Sautee
July 7th, 2012
6:42 pm
Sure, what ever.
Najeh Davenpoop
July 7th, 2012
6:48 pm
For blog monster troubles, please consult this comment:
http://blogs.ajc.com/hawks/2012/07/03/atlanta-hawks-what-about-dwight/?cp=12#comment-320998
and get yourself Lazarus Form Recovery so you don’t have to type your entire post again.
Sautee
July 7th, 2012
6:52 pm
LOL @ T-s trolling as me at 6:42. T-s when will you learn? I’m ONLY Sautee. I’m not any other handle. My typing is SO pathetic that it would take me FOREVER to keep changing my handle. And even if I tried, I’d likely screw it up. LOL.
It’s not like you haven’t offended others on this blog who might attack you. But that’s not my style.
Find someone else to blame.
ZCautee
July 7th, 2012
6:53 pm
. In fact when Josh was recognize for being the phenomenal talent and defender that he is only D12 was a head of him.
Josh Smith became the first Hawk since 1998-99 (Dikembe Mutombo and Mookie Blaylock) and eighth player in Atlanta team history to earn All-Defensive team honors. He was named to the second team.
The second team nomination is somewhat of a shock, considering the Smith finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year Award voting on April 20.
Nevertheless, Smith had an outstanding season in which he became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 1,000 career blocks, while also reaching the 500 career steals mark.
Smith, whose game is underappreciated in many circles, was the only player in the league to average at least 15 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists per game.
At 6’9, Smith was the tallest player in the top 12 in steals and the shortest in the top 12 in blocks.
Al Horford
July 7th, 2012
6:55 pm
Im tired of this guy dissing me on here. Whats up man? Whats your beef against me?
How soon we forget?
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=310302001
ZCautee
July 7th, 2012
6:56 pm
Sautee
July 7th, 2012
6:52 pm
ZCautee
July 7th, 2012
6:58 pm
Sautee you are a troll.
J.J.M.
July 7th, 2012
6:59 pm
I honestly think some of yall need to get laid…just sayin
Sautee
July 7th, 2012
7:00 pm
yea, you guys seem to forget
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8×64ExGR3Ec
pointguardslim
July 7th, 2012
7:05 pm
ZCautee – shut up.
Northcyde. – I had an epic tome written up.
But keep it simple – Josh Smith at the PF allows Smith to get a jumper at any time. To Coach Larry Drew, who is anemic to invention, this a Goldmine.
But what he doesnt know or choose to ignore is that he’s overmining. Josh is 1.01 points per possesion. Those are empty points. Volume shooting.
Lets move Josh Smith to the wing.
in lieu of Marvin Williams on the fast break you get Josh Smith.
In lieu of Smith playing the trailer bringing the ball up you get Horford and Smith leaking out. Double bonus.
On offense Smith has the offensive board advantage. Let him get points there.
On offense (Drew hates this) Smith cannot take his man off defense so the only alternative in a big lineup is letting Smith post up or Teague penetrate or Horford create.
Drew hates this because Smith is “clumsy” in the post according to ajc report.
Now with Zaza, Horford, Smith then how many screeners and rebounders is that? Let Teague create. Let Morrow and Horford be the kick out shooters.
Its easier to show with video.
Basketball is an either or proposition. Smith is a weak back 2 basket PF – ie he can’t post up PFs – Haslem, Lavoy Allen, and Troy Murphy so he shoots jumpers.
As a wing Smith knows he cant cross over and step back on Kobe Bryant so he posts him up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIepUUANijo&feature=plcp
The problem isn’t the type of shots Smith will get (fast breaks, post ups, cuts, boards) LD the panic artist is skeptical if he can’t win with volume.
To which I counter instead of a wing version of Dwight Howard he’s turning Josh Smith into Antoine Walker. LD’s addiction to Volume Shooting instead of capitalizing on offensive boards and giving Teague a bigger lineup to work with is a travesty.
northcyde
July 7th, 2012
7:08 pm
LOL . now the Nets are after Marcus Camby? Talk about a team doing all of the moves that I wished we would’ve done over the past 3 or 4 years.
Brooklyn Nets . . . if they get Camby
PG – Williams
G – Johnson
F – Wallace
PF – Humphries
C – Lopez
Bench
6th – Brooks ( G ) . . scorer
7th – Evans ( F ) . . . offensive rebounder
8th – Camby ( C ) . . . rebounder/shot blocker
9th – Teletovic ( F ) . . . stretch 4 with Dirk-like range
They still need a backup PG and maybe another wing. That team is going to be tough next year. No wonder why Deron re-signed with the Nets.
pointguardslim
July 7th, 2012
7:09 pm
I apologize to ZCautee for saying shut up. It was in response for saying Horford isn’t a hardworker.
The guy is a very hard working basketball player. I know Atlanteans are mad that he is getting beat up art center but Come on.
Lets stop scapegoating and put Smith and Al at their most balanced efficient positions. SF and PF.
But I apologize for “shut up”. That was immature of me.
ZCautee
July 7th, 2012
7:14 pm
New York Knicks power forward Amare Stoudemire is not the biggest fan of Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford. According to ESPN.com, Stoudemire and Horford exchanged verbal shots this week. “He don’t want to see me, man,” Stoudemire told ESPN. “I watched him play in Florida [in college], and I’ve seen him play a few years in Atlanta. We have two different games.” Horford was not intimidated by Stoudemire’s remarks. “I don’t understand what he means by that, ‘He don’t want to see me,’” Horford said to ESPN. “Like we’re supposed to be scared of Stoudemire. Ain’t nobody scared of him. We’re all grown men, so it’s all good.” When the two battled it out on the court Wednesday night, though, Stoudemire and the Knicks walked away with a 102-90 win. Looks like Stoudemire was right. Horford really didn’t want to see him after all.
donte080
July 7th, 2012
7:17 pm
Steven A Smith sounds about as dumb as the real Steven A Smith….
donte080
July 7th, 2012
7:20 pm
re: No wonder Deron resigned with Nets….
Plus he saw the handwriting on the wall in Dallas…has Mark Cuban just lost interest?
ZCautee
July 7th, 2012
7:20 pm
pointguardslim I can imagine it has to be frustrating and agonizing having to defend our 6′10″ center, so much so that you resort to anger. Josh is a much better power forward than Al. Al is a much better center then Josh. It doesnt anger me that you are wrong and misguided. Im not going to tell you to get off my dick. Please dont get on it.
A year from now Al will be back in Florida and we will be looking for the trim pieces around Josh and D12. and then perhaps your anger will have sub sided.
Mean while. I accept your apology. Thanks for manning up and offering it.
ZCautee
July 7th, 2012
7:22 pm
Co-signing donte080 7:17 pm
The Mass
July 7th, 2012
7:22 pm
donte080, What can you bring to the table. Enlighten us please.
The Mass
July 7th, 2012
7:23 pm
Make peace not war
donte080
July 7th, 2012
7:25 pm
“It takes a trained eyed to see that”…
LOL…based on some of your posts I’ve read, you think a little too highly of yourself, my man….
Just Joe
July 7th, 2012
7:25 pm
I remember that Knicks game. Horford actually played well. Seems like our guards got lit up.
donte080
July 7th, 2012
7:27 pm
re: donte, what can you bring to the table?
‘The Mass’ sounds about as dumb as Steven A Smith?
Slimjr
July 7th, 2012
7:27 pm
Nets turn their focus on acquiring Camby..
Cant blame the Nets from moving on beyond the D12 sweep stakes.
It’s on Lakers v. Hawks to land the Super Star from Atlanta!
Slimjr
July 7th, 2012
7:29 pm
“LOL…based on some of your posts I’ve read, you think a little too highly of yourself, my man….”
Look in your mirror Sir.. Ditto
ZCautee
July 7th, 2012
7:33 pm
‘The Mass’ sounds about as dumb as Steven A Smith?
it probably is
Slimjr
July 7th, 2012
7:34 pm
“‘The Mass’ sounds about as dumb as Steven A Smith?” –donte080–
quote of the day..dam
donte080
July 7th, 2012
7:38 pm
slimjr, if I ever get delusional like yourself and start bragging about my “trained eye”, you have my permission to call me out on it…