Atlanta Hawks: Danny Ferry and Mark Cuban seek similar paths
Each time Hawks GM Danny Ferry does an interview, the recurring theme is how he’s being “opportunistic.”
As in, after trading Joe Johnson and clearing the books after 2011-12, the Hawks now have the flexibility to take advantage of pretty much any opportunity that comes along.
That’s true, but now what?
The Hawks already missed out on one opportunity when Dwight Howard was sent to the Lakers before Ferry could even measure Dwight’s feelings about returning home. Next summer Ferry probably will get another crack at Howard (though the Lakers will own Howard’s Bird rights) and any of the other star free agents set to hit the market.
Financial flexibility is good, and there will be other opportunities, but how to turn that potential into a superstar player(s) that is (are) essential to competing for championships?
“Read an article about what Mark Cuban is doing,” Ferry said.
Cuban struck out with his plan of clearing cap space to acquire star players last summer. He’s since resisted the urge to double down on payroll because he believes that, eventually, teams with financial flexibility will benefit from specific CBA rules that kick in starting in 2013-14.
“I just think there’s a different approach,” Cuban told CBSSports.com. “You see what’s happening with teams that are up against the financial limits and it’s impacting their behavior. But we haven’t seen what’s going to happen with the trade limitations and things like that — not being able to do sign-and-trades, all that kind of stuff.”
The more punitive tax rate is just one aspect of the rules meant to curtail the big spenders. The rules also stipulate that teams with payrolls more than $4 million above the tax line can’t execute sign-and-trades, can acquire less salary in trades than non-taxpaying teams, and have a smaller mid-level exception and no bi-annual exception.
Cuban is betting those rules will lead to high-payroll teams being unable to acquire superstars, leaving those with cap space in a stronger position to make deals for those players. Ferry is predicting the same.
“It’s the same path,” Ferry said. “We don’t have [Dirk] Nowitzki but we have more assets. We have good players. [The Mavs] are piecing things together to keep flexibility to stay competitive. On some level, we are in a similar mode as what Dallas is doing.
“With Josh [Smith] and Jeff [Teague] and Al [Horford] and flexibility around it and draft choices ahead. I think we are positioned well to be opportunistic whether that’s trade [or] whether that’s free agency in the future. It’s not an exact path. It’s about having a situation where you can be opportunistic.”
There are reasons to believe the Hawks are in a better position than Dallas. The 2012-13 Hawks, on paper at least, are comparable to the 2012-13 Mavericks. Smith and Horford may be more attractive trade targets now than Nowitzki is 34-years old and owed nearly $44 million over the next two years. The Hawks also have multiple draft picks.
The counter to those arguments is that the Mavs under Cuban have a much better organizational reputation than the Hawks. That means that, theoretically, they have a better chance of landing superstar free agents or keeping them for the long term after trading for them.
Now that Ferry has gained the flexibility he coveted, the next step is trying to make the Hawks the kind of franchise where the best players want to work.
“I’m trying to build well from the inside out,” Ferry said. “We need to build an organizational pride from within. We are not hinging our program on cap space or anything like that. We are hinging it on building a good program and having flexibility to make a trade or do free agency or do whatever.
“To get centric on cap space, [focusing on] would a free agent come here, that’s not what we are doing right now. That’s not the mode we are in right now. We are in a mode of, ‘Let’s build on an organizational pride and build an even better run machine as an organization.’
“From there, pride will grow and I think the opportunities that are out there, we are in a good position to be in the game, whether that’s a trade or a free agent or whatever that is.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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118 comments Add your comment
Kevin Williams
August 14th, 2012
2:50 pm
Hawks Suck and will never be good. We’ll never win a championship, and never get a superstar here. It’s sad that i’m a hawks fan and bought season tickets for the past few years to see us suck so bad. A huge waste of my money.
Matt
August 14th, 2012
2:53 pm
This is coming from someone who’s lived in Atlanta for about years: Comparing the Hawks to Mavs is laughable. Championships, front office, owner, state tax, lifestyle, everything.
Steve
August 14th, 2012
3:00 pm
I’ve seen more quotes from Danny Ferry in 1 month than I saw from Rick Sund or Billy Knight in 10 years. Bravo Danny. Even if it doesn’t work, at least you’re opening yourself up to Atlanta.
cdog
August 14th, 2012
3:03 pm
danny ferry saved the hawks from sinking into losing put there by bunbling and doing nothing, rick sund.the hawks will be a team to reckopn with.
Rev in Tampa
August 14th, 2012
3:04 pm
Well it ain’t sexy and it may require more patience than a year, but at least its a plan. Better than running the same ‘ol, same ‘ol out on the court every year while not advancing past the second round of playoffs.
TMACfan
August 14th, 2012
3:07 pm
Go Hawks
Rev in Tampa
August 14th, 2012
3:10 pm
As a big Jeff Teague fan I love the fact that Danny intentionally mentions him along with Josh and Al. ARE YOU LISTENING Leisure Suit Larry?
JOSH IS BEAST
August 14th, 2012
3:15 pm
yall stay crying bout everything I swear ….myself I’m a proud hawks fan! !! I’m so Happy I ain’t a cheat I mean heat fan or a bucks or a timberwolves or raptors fan …I Love the hawks. period and when the next four seasons produce a championship run all y’all haters going to hop on ferrys ____ u Know what.!!@#$@@…if it wasn’t for the Game 6 bad calls that were undoubtedly admitted by NBA OFFICE. then we may have went ECF EASILY! ! IDIOTS STOP TALKING ABOUT MY HOME TEAM IF YOU ARE AN UNHAPPY FAN GO KISS BRON OR PLAY GOLF….GO HAWKS..GO HAWKS …GO HAWKS .PERIOD #ATL
Rev in Tampa
August 14th, 2012
3:17 pm
“That’s not the mode we are in right now. We are in a mode of, ‘Let’s build on an organizational pride and build an even better run machine as an organization.’”
In other words, we are going to gut the whole stinking hot mess and start over.
Rev in Tampa
August 14th, 2012
3:21 pm
I wonder if Danny Ferry has authority to address the scoreboard problems and the resturant.
Najeh Davenpoop
August 14th, 2012
3:22 pm
“Comparing the Hawks to Mavs is laughable. Championships, front office, owner, state tax, lifestyle, everything.”
13 years ago, the Mavs were even more of a laughingstock than the Hawks are now. It only takes one guy in power to change the culture.
JOSH IS BEAST
August 14th, 2012
3:24 pm
and for teague haters ..let me share something u must have missed out on he Started during a semifinal series versus the Chicago bulls who he went up against a guy maybe you’ve heard of= Derrick rose …and his First full season starting was THIS past year..so I BELIEVE IN HIM BECOMING A TOP FIVE PG IN THE NBA THIS YEAR..HIS WORK ETHICS IN OFFSEASON IS UNMATCHED REMARKABLE AND DETERMINATION IS A HUGE FACTOR IN PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL LADIES N GENTLEMAN ..WATCH IT UNFOLDING AND MARK MY WORDS
Glenn
August 14th, 2012
3:25 pm
Yeah Danny Ferry hit on the one thing . The teams that make it to the finals are the ones with true superstars . Not over payed decent players like Joe Johnson . Thats where Cuban & Ferry seem to be on the same page .The NBA really isn’t a team game anymore .
beone
August 14th, 2012
3:25 pm
Opportunistic & sustainability! I like it.
Mike is Back
August 14th, 2012
3:26 pm
MC, I wish Danny much success trying to repair the battered image of this organization…HE seems to be more than up to the task.
GO DANNY GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Astro Joe
August 14th, 2012
3:29 pm
Last week’s trade (and the Lakers $100M payroll) kind of flies in the face of Cuban’s prediction that the new luxury tax rules would influence “mega-teams”. Heaven knows, I hope that he turns out to be right.
Buddy Grizzard
August 14th, 2012
3:31 pm
Double standard, Jeff Schultz?
http://repatl.blogspot.com/2012/08/stan-van-gundy-doesnt-blame-dwight.html
JOSH IS BEAST
August 14th, 2012
3:37 pm
I watched deshawn Stevenson handle lebron james in the FINALS. AND IF NOT FOR THAT U THINK MAVS would’ve won? ? Really /?? so why everyone crying about a sf?? he is the guy we Need and we Have him ..if we didn’t and he was a FA. then everyone would be screaming get deshawn Stevenson for his lockdown defense ..wake up and see what’s bout to happen around u idiots …hawks are way Better and deeper this season than they Have been since 1887…lol
JOSH IS BEAST
August 14th, 2012
3:39 pm
oh btw. GO DANNY..GO DANNY!!” AND MAKE OUR HAWKS GOOOOOO!!!
Slimjr
August 14th, 2012
3:41 pm
790 the Zone is reporting that the Lakers want Josh!
Gasol is being offered in return!
Do not make that deal Danny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Astro Joe
August 14th, 2012
3:42 pm
Buddy, my guess is that they are all correct. Howard wanted SVG fired… but yucked it up in his face like all was well. The Orlando front office badly managed the issue (and ultimately lost their jobs for selling themselves out). And SVG is currently “cleaning up” his mess because if he ever gets another shot at a head coaching gig, he needs to not be remembered as the head coach who threw a superstar under the bus. So everyone is being self-centered. But of all of the parties involved, only one will be making $16M+ over the next few seasons and only one entered the league representing a “higher calling”.
Slimjr
August 14th, 2012
3:42 pm
Gasol and All NBA= Layup line..Oh the Humanity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JOSH IS BEAST
August 14th, 2012
3:45 pm
wow I Hope to god that Danny ferry don’t trade josh fpr That garbage gasol…mannnnnnnnNOOOOOOOO
hawksfancents95
August 14th, 2012
3:53 pm
Hawks fans
We are fine just fine with GM DF at the helm. ASG has stepped back and is keeping up with the payroll and that is it, GM DF showed them(ASG) if they followed his plan they could make even more money and put some credibility to their names. We are still going to be just as good as last year and we have put ourselves in a great position. AL and Josh will not be traded unless we get something spectacular in return as GM DF wants to see who he will proceed with after this year.
Even though the free agents next year look slim, you all know in a year a lot will change and guys will be moved and coaches/GM’s/players will have fall outs and new paths will be seeked.
Basically we have the same product as the last 5 years on the court but now we have a bright future with almost unlimited possibilities, that was not our outlook 1 year ago. we are fine just fine.
JOSH IS BEAST
August 14th, 2012
4:10 pm
exactly and Well put@hawksfancents95
Sameba
August 14th, 2012
4:16 pm
Josh is untradeable, more so to Lakers. Looks like a deliberate provocation. Lakers actually rented Howard for a year, and now want to secure him with the help of Hawks? Disgusting!
Ron
August 14th, 2012
4:24 pm
Gonna be REAL interesting to see what happens if the free agent offers for Josh creep into the max salary territory… and see how both Ferry and this fanbase reacts to whatever decision is made.
Slimjr
August 14th, 2012
4:27 pm
The Lakers actually would have upgraded brilliantly by swapping Bynum and Gasol for D12 and Smoove…
Wow. The Lakers just maybe the team to beat if Josh heads West…
Slimjr
August 14th, 2012
4:28 pm
Lakers in 5 if Josh heads West….Wow….
Rev in Tampa
August 14th, 2012
4:33 pm
hawksfancents95,
Your optimism is refreshing. But I think the Hawks have to take a step or two back this season, and possibly the next, to be in a position to even sniff the ECF. Realistially we are probably four years away from being able to think about ECF and beyond – IF all goes well AND Dwayne Wade retires.
Slimjr
August 14th, 2012
4:35 pm
Should we expect this down at Phillips, should the “Blockbuster” trade be consummated???? Hmmmmmm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJJJqdoRNxs
The Truth
August 14th, 2012
4:40 pm
“Darren Wolfson: FA Jerome Jordan’s camp has been told the #Twolves are not interested at this time. The camp initiated the talks. Big man search continues.” Twitter
The Hawks should invite this (7ft 253 lbs) center to camp
D-league stats: 18 ppg nearly 9 rpg
Sameba
August 14th, 2012
4:40 pm
I hope DF is not that stupid to play along Lakers …
JOSH IS BEAST
August 14th, 2012
4:44 pm
josh for a lifetime hawk would be ok by me
steven a smith
August 14th, 2012
4:56 pm
I can see teams allowing Josh Smith to shoot 3s in La La land and causing the Lakers to get trounced by OKC. I love Joshs’ Game, however, he makes BAD decisions.You can not win with him.
steven a smith
August 14th, 2012
4:57 pm
Josh is “Overrated” I would trade him, but I need a lottery pick in return.
Buddy Grizzard
August 14th, 2012
5:01 pm
Pretty sweet… my first link on TrueHoop:
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/49206/tuesday-bullets-258
I got more hits on my blog in the last hour than it had for its previous lifespan
Ron
August 14th, 2012
5:04 pm
“Wow. The Lakers just maybe the team to beat if Josh heads West…”
The Lakers are already the team to beat. Nash? Kobe? Gasol? DWIGHT? Jamison, Hill and Meeks off the bench?
As long as Mike “Larry Drew Jr” Brown don’t F it all up… LOL
Astro Joe
August 14th, 2012
5:13 pm
Buddy, that’s because you talked about Howard and not the Hawks.
The Truth, I agree, I liked Jordan during his draft year. he seemed like a guy with good potential. My guess is that there is something “behind the scenes” as the Knicks never gave him much of a shot and they could have used some center depth before landing Chandler. With potentially one roster spot (although that has not been cleared up, who has the 14th contract), I’d rather see an SF added than a 4th center (while good ole Petro stays on the roster).
Najeh Davenpoop
August 14th, 2012
5:15 pm
I’m going to need to see some independent confirmation of this Josh for Gasol Part 2 trade rumor that Slimjr is talking about. Kobe was ecstatic when he found out that the Lakers kept Gasol in the Dwight trade, and Gasol complements Dwight better than Josh does.
Melvin
August 14th, 2012
5:23 pm
Astro,
Under the new CBA. Do you know if there’s a possibility that a Free Agent (say Dwight) can sign a multiyear deal with another team (say Atlanta) with an Early Termination Clause then exercise that clause to become a free agent and remain eligible to resign with the same team (Atlanta) for a full max length of 5 years?
Section 303
August 14th, 2012
5:37 pm
I, for one, am glad that Dwight Howard is not coming here. He’s overrated and is not a winner. The Hawks will be fine without him. Anyone remember the 2011 Playoffs? Who was it that sent Dwight and his crew home, again? The Hawks are fine without Howard.
I love the position the organization is in. Cuban is right. The rules are going to kill teams that are way over the cap. Those teams will not be able to to land the top players. The Hawks will have more money to spend and the players will come.
And, props to the ASG. We spend so much time ripping them, it’s time to give them credit for hiring Ferry and getting out of his way. When Game 6 in Boston ended, I thought this team was trapped. A Josh Smith trade (which I didn’t want) seemed to be the only way out of the salary cap mess. Was preparing myself to accept having to watch Joe Johnson diminish before my eyes for the next 4 years. I never thought he could be traded!
Team is in a great position. And, I still say this year’s team will be good. They have a shot, if healthy, to still be one of the top teams in the East. A top team with money to spend. That is not a bad place to be.
Bane
August 14th, 2012
5:40 pm
“I, for one, am glad that Dwight Howard is not coming here. He’s overrated and is not a winner.”
-facepalm-
soullrenaissance
August 14th, 2012
5:42 pm
Gasol for Josh?!? Danny Ferry would not make that move. He said we need flexibility and a superstar, Gasol offers neither. Spare me.
Astro Joe
August 14th, 2012
5:44 pm
Melvin, that question just made my head hurt.
Astro Joe
August 14th, 2012
5:54 pm
Melvin, I don’t know. Once the player uses the ETO, that could void the Bird Rights for that team & player… meaning that he could only get a 4-year deal from a new team or the incumbent team. The other problem is that it may require the incumbent team (the Hawks in your scenario) to have salary cap room to re-sign him because they no longer own his Bird Rights. If that is the case, they would pretty much need to gut the team while he is there only to resign him later. (They would need to have only ~$35M in payroll to offer him a max deal).
I’ll look around the inter-web to see if there is info about that. My guess is that they would have closed that loophole to prevent guys like Cuban from exploiting it.
Talkin out the side of your neck again
August 14th, 2012
6:03 pm
“I, for one, am glad that Dwight Howard is not coming here. He’s overrated and is not a winner.”
prison mike
August 14th, 2012
6:49 pm
Dwhite done went “hollywood” a long time ago. We need to focus on the big men coming out in the draft this year. I would love to package our current pick, depending on seeding and Hou pick to try and move into the top 7.
gigolo
August 14th, 2012
7:04 pm
Been a hawks fan since the 80’s. Saw the good, bad, and the more recent ugly. Now it’s time for something great. Love the moves DF made, even more excited about the future. Just hope we don’t miss out on getting great players (ASG), cause if we do (Dallas Maverick’s) it will set us back 10 years
Anybody remember shareef abdur-raheem, Glenn big dog Robinson, and Alan Henderson. Bet that makes your stomach turn.
FRESH
August 14th, 2012
7:18 pm
Mo Harkless signed rookie deal on July 24. How was he even in the deal. What happened to the 30 day rule. Guess the NBA let that one slide.
EmirS.
August 14th, 2012
7:48 pm
@ Bane
August 14th, 2012
5:40 pm
Co-Sign.
It’s alright to not want him on the Hawks.
But to call him overrated and not a winner is absurd. We should be happy he is out of the Eastern Conference. I think every single team is overjoyed…besides everyone in the West not named the Lakers.
Buddy Grizzard
August 14th, 2012
8:07 pm
“But of all of the parties involved, only one will be making $16M+ over the next few seasons.”
This is chump change to the DeVos family, which helped found Amway. Bob Vander Weide, who resigned as Magic president after allegedly drunk dialing Dwight, is married to the owner’s daughter, who is in line to inherit the team and Rich DeVos’ fortune. Seems pretty obvious that Vander Weide was the one who was whispering in Van Gundy’s ear, hoping for an incident exactly like what happened, to hurt Dwight’s rep the way Dwight destroyed Vander Weide’s.
jase
August 14th, 2012
8:14 pm
get a life Kevin Williams. we dont need lame fans like you
The Truth
August 14th, 2012
8:56 pm
“I liked Jordan during his draft year. he seemed like a guy with good potential” – AJ
“With potentially one roster spot (although that has not been cleared up, who has the 14th contract), I’d rather see an SF added than a 4th center (while good ole Petro stays on the roster)”. – AJ
Agreed, adding a SF should be a priority. But the Hawks are still frigile in the paint. I see nothing but good things comming out of a camp invite for Jerome Jordan. If the Hawks have Benson in their sights for a roster spot, Jordon could compete and may the best man win. The winner gets rewarded a non-guaranteed contract. If Jordan Williams continue to look as bad as he did during the summer league and gets out played by Jordan, then the Hawks should cut him (or buy him out) and give that spot to Jordon, develop him. As a 7 footer, he could have some trade value or be a keeper.
If Ivan is signed, I see very little PT for Jordon William as a PF anyway since that is what he’s listed at. If he’s a marginal player, it’s a wasted spot anyway behind Ivan especially since Benson maybe a more versatile C/PF option.
If Jordon William shows potential as well as Jordon with more seasoning, then that’s a nice problem to have.
The Truth
August 14th, 2012
9:01 pm
“But the Hawks are still fragile in the paint”
The Truth
August 14th, 2012
9:05 pm
“If Jordon William shows potential as well as Jerome Jordon with more seasoning, then that’s a nice problem to have.”
Melvin
August 14th, 2012
9:17 pm
Hoopsworld predicts the Hawks will finished behind the Nets and above the Knicks….LOL, Slimjr is going to have a heart attack….
http://www.hoopsworld.com/lets-rank-the-nbas-eastern-conference/
The Truth
August 14th, 2012
9:19 pm
Up Close With Jerome Jordan: After spending last season with the New York Knicks, big man Jerome Jordan is currently an unrestricted free agent. Jordan was traded to the Houston Rockets as part of the Marcus Camby trade, but was waived by the Rockets several days later. Now, Jordan is working out at Impact Basketball in Los Angeles and waiting to see what his future holds.
“It was kind of tough, especially because it was my first time being traded,” Jordan said. “I was looking forward to going to Houston and playing, but then soon after I got waived. The only thing I can control is working hard. I’m just going to keep working hard and be ready when the next opportunity comes.”
“I’m just waiting. I know my agent is talking and working for me. I’m trying to wait it out and just keep working. I want to be in a good position to play and compete for a back-up spot. I’m going to keep working hard and show teams that I can play.”
Jordan’s stint with the Knicks allowed him to improve as a player. At Impact, he was scoring at will and dominating pick-up games. He didn’t look anything like the raw center who spent time in Serbia and the D-League before earning some minutes with New York last season. He credits the guidance of Tyson Chandler, Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire, as well as hard work, for his development.
“I’m definitely better,” Jordan said. “At first, I played overseas and I learned some stuff over there, but there’s no place like the NBA. Playing in the NBA, learning from those coaches and playing with guys like Tyson, Melo and Amar’e really helped me in my first year.”
http://www.hoopsworld.com/nba-pm-can-dwight-howard-repair-image/
Hawks should invite
Section 303
August 14th, 2012
9:36 pm
Sorry, guys, but I stand by it….Dwight Howard is overrated. As Chris Rock would say, “I SAID IT! THAT’S RIGHT! I SAID IT!”
LA can have him. Good luck to ‘em when DH decides not to play hard.
Life will go on just fine without him.
Jay
August 14th, 2012
9:49 pm
Honestly, anything is better than the status quo from the past couple years. We needed a new team desperately.
Calculus
August 14th, 2012
10:07 pm
We finally have a GM with drive, vision and a aggressive mindset. He has proven to be smart and fearless. Joe had to go. Period. An elite contract with a good player that had no desire to be elite. There are possibly only 15-20 players that deserve a max contract. Those are reserved for them. And please send my thanks for trading Marvin. Clearly he hadn’t proven anything coming off the bench and I believe mostly injured as a freshman at N.C. outside of “the landlord”, our worse pick in 10 years.
JOSH IS BEAST
August 14th, 2012
10:17 pm
good bye old… hello new ..!!” Welcome to Atlanta where history will soon be made ..sooner than later..championship coming soon ..sooner than later:)
steven a smith
August 14th, 2012
10:23 pm
New Sherrif in town! Danny “The Sheriff” Ferry. This mass exodus, or house cleaning, if you will,is major in the eastern conference. I ENJOY going to espn.go.com and seeing Average Joe’s name on the Brooklyn Roster. Also seeing Marvin “the scrub Butt ” Williams name on the Utah Roster. If we could only move Big AL Horford, that would complete an excellent Basketball summer. CAN WE SEND AL TO UTAH ALSO???
Sam
August 14th, 2012
10:37 pm
Fans, we’ve got the right man in charge with the Hawks now. Let’s pray the ownership will continue to leave him alone and let him build this franchise the way it should be built. God bless, Mr. Ferry.
JSS
August 15th, 2012
12:15 am
I said it along, the poison pills in this CBA are two years away… The Knicks, the Lakers, and a few others are going to have make some hard choices… Still, depending on what Dr. Buss decides to do with Jeanie Buss and whatever estate planning he’s going to do regarding the the Lakers is a key… He’s been transferring big heaps of his holding to her while the tax climate has been favorable… However, he still is holding the seat on the Lakers. Strictly business, it is going to interesting to watch… Kobe and Pau’s contracts could about the same time and then she’ll have to figure out how to retool that team with Mitch with all of that expiring money except Howard if he decides to sign there…
Najeh Davenpoop
August 15th, 2012
1:47 am
Wow, Hoopsworld thinks Toronto is the team that will make the leap into the playoffs in the East. Gotta admit, haven’t seen anyone else hype them up for this year yet. I see they are also sleeping on the Wizards.
Slimjr
August 15th, 2012
8:58 am
Friends and Country men, its time to wrap our minds around positive minded BS!
Now where do we begin this morning? Excuse me while I grab a cup of Hot Java.
Najeh Davenpoop
August 15th, 2012
9:50 am
Buddy Grizzard is not the only blog regular with his own blog, apparently. Looks like Marvin’s grandma got her own blog too.
glw
August 15th, 2012
10:14 am
Well not everybody likes what the Hawks have done this summer.
http://www.nba.com/reportcard/summer/2012/hawks/?ls=iref:nbahpt1
Check out the coaching grade though….lol
Freeman Johnson,Jr
August 15th, 2012
10:29 am
The Atlanta Hawks need a Center, Let look overseas for a this Pau Gasol and Marc Gasol came from Spain. Let not put all our franchise hope on getting Dwight Howard. Mr. Ferry you have made some good decision for the Atlanta Hawks team. Golden State Warriors have a lot of center Ezeli is strong to compete with the Miami Heat we have to have inside presents.
pointguardslim
August 15th, 2012
10:37 am
Phuck. I wanted Ezeli. I think Jenkins will be a 3 point dynamo but his lack of defensive ability will spell losses or let people right back into games after his 3s bust the game open.
Unless you can hide him on defense which will be a night to night adventure.
But he should have lots of trade value and thats what DF was hoping for. Flexibility. We’ll see.
Buddy Grizzard
August 15th, 2012
10:37 am
Najeh, did Marvin’s Gramdma really say:
“The Hawks lost their best player from last season, Marvin Williams, and their fourth best, Joe Johnson and received no player that can make up such a difference.”
You’re sure this isn’t some kind of prank?
Buddy Grizzard
August 15th, 2012
10:38 am
“I wanted Ezeli”
Me too.
Ken Strickland
August 15th, 2012
10:38 am
http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2012/8/14/3241092/danny-ferry-interview-grantland-josh-smith-hawks
Here’s an interesting interview with Ferry about JSmith and the new look Hawks.
Buddy Grizzard
August 15th, 2012
10:40 am
“With the additions of Devin Harris and Lou Williams, the Hawks have a huge glut of average point guards; and had to get rid of a star forward and an above average shooting guard to do so.”
HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
pointguardslim
August 15th, 2012
10:43 am
Them Nuggets man…
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/49171/does-andre-iguodala-make-the-nuggets-contenders imo
Gallinari
Iguodala, Chandler, Brewer
Ty Lawson, Miller, Faried, McGee, mosgov
They are contenders…if they avoid the injury bug.
Buddy Grizzard
August 15th, 2012
10:43 am
glw yeah all these writers want to give Drew credit for the fact that Josh had a huge year. But the Hawks missed a chance to advance in the playoffs the last two years because of bad coaching. So even if you want to give Drew credit for “holding it together,” what did he hold it together for? So the team could lose in the playoffs again due to bad coaching?
pointguardslim
August 15th, 2012
10:52 am
I think Ferry was thinking in terms of trade value, rather than wins. Jenkins can be a fan fave early and Ferry sees his value accumulating quicker than Ezeli.
Then he can flip Jenkins for a valuable piece at another position. If need be.
For evidence, look at the grantland piece. He casually calls Jenkins one of the best in the NBA. Very subtle but I caught that on my first read. GMs will be more attracted to Jenkins than Ezeli and Im still hoping for some combo of Harden, Blair, Oden (and Atlanta’s own Dwight Howard in free agency).
Ken Strickland
August 15th, 2012
10:54 am
GLW-Whoever wrote that article is definitely not a fan of the Hawks. How in the devil do you take 3 Bs and 2 Cs and come up with a C? And to say Ferry didn’t get much for JJohnson is a joke, and shows how little this clown really knows about basketball. Ferry got exactly what he wanted. He got rid of JJs cap strangling contract, and acquired several functional players with expiring contracts.
He traded Marvin for a starting caliber PG/SG combo with an expiring contract. Ferry wanted to clear as much cap space as possible, much like the Rockets, but Ferry succeeded big time without gutting the team of talent, especially it’s key players(Zaza, Horford, Josh, and Teague). And to say Zaza won’t cut it as a backup, after the way he filled in as a starter for Horford last yr, definitely exposes this fools lack of awareness.
Ken Strickland
August 15th, 2012
11:18 am
The Hawks have the cumulative talent to match last yrs successful regular season, and have a better playoff run. The thing is, they’ll have to go about it differently. Instead of relying primarily on a halfcourt oriented OFF, and 1 backcourt player to provide the bulk of our scoring(JJ), especially from the outside, we’ll rely on several(Morrow, Korver, Jenkins, Harris, and/or Teague).
Instead of relying heavily on the individual defensive prowess of the 2 players(JJ and Marvin) we lost, we’ll have to rely on the speed, quickness, and athleticism of our newly acquired backcourt players and employ a more team oriented help style DEF approach. We definitely have the talent to make it work, but it’s up to LDrew to put it in place.
Drew will have to successfully employ the uptempo style of OFF and the team oriented DEF that he saw work so successfully in San Antonio, or he’ll be replacing LDrew sooner rather than later. With the backcourt speed, quickness, athleticism and depth we now have, we should extend our perimeter DEF and pressure the ball throughout the entire gm.
There’s definitely one thing I do know, and that is a frontline C/PF combination of Horford, Josh, Zaza, Ivan, Williams and Petro, is a whole lot younger, more athletic and productive than last yrs frontline C/PF combination of Josh, Zaza, Ivan, Collins and Dampier.
KakNiqueTree
August 15th, 2012
11:30 am
Reading Ferry’s quotes you can really tell he graduated from Duke.
hawksfancents95
August 15th, 2012
12:29 pm
I was a bit bored so I felt like gettin on the ole nba trade machine, heres a few i’d enjoy…
AL for Monta and MIL 1st. we can later trade Devin Harris and even let teague walk after this year and we will probobley have a top 5 lottery pick.
AL for Jose Calderon and TOR 1st. Again we can move devin harris and we will have a top 5 lottery pick.
AL and John Jenkins for Jose Calderon and Demar Derozan. We can re-sign Demar and i think he is budding into a great wing player.
AL & John Jenkins for David West and Lance Stephenson. David Wests contract is expiring and that will give us MEGA cap room to try for CP3 and James Harden while re-signing Josh long term.
Also lance stephonson is like Tyreke Evans a big point guard and he is developing nicely.
I really like AL Horford and think he is a solid player but I think he is a glorified role player, our core 3 last year was Joe Josh Al this year its about the same with Josh Al Jeff. I dont think AL should be our top 3 player or in anyones big 3. He is a great hustle guy and good all-around but i think we can get more with 12mill a year than 12 and 9.
thoughts anyone..?
J.J.M.
August 15th, 2012
12:42 pm
Has anyone ever thought that dwight could ask josh to play in LA?
O'Brien
August 15th, 2012
12:45 pm
Am I the only one surprised that the Hawks did not offer Josh an extension? We all know he would turn it down, but I always thought offering your best player an extension 1 year before free agency was SOP.
Is it because they already know he will not sign? Or are they afraid of low-balling him and hurting his feelings (like they did when he had to go get his money on his last contract)?
O'Brien
August 15th, 2012
1:18 pm
Mark Cuban can afford to be more patient, because he was able to deliver a championship last year. In Atlanta, we have never been to the conference finals, so sooner or later…Ferry will have to make a move.
There are numerous bad teams out there that have had cap space for years, and have gotten nowhere. Hopefully Ferry wont make the mistakes they have.
Astro Joe
August 15th, 2012
1:23 pm
OB, given that players can only get the maximum LENGTH contract by resigning to the original team, it would not surprise me if more teams opt not to extend non-superstars on the third NBA contract. IMO, the risk is placed on the player, not the team. In the previous CBA, the S&T would still net the player a max length deal… that is no longer the case.
Specific to Josh and the Hawks, Ferry probably doesn’t want to make any long-term commitment at this point. While he has said all of the right and positive things about josh, it is also highly likely that he is aware of the “bad Josh” things as well. He likely wants to evaluate both versions of Josh with his own eyes before making a decision about a long-term deal.
The last theory, Josh doesn’t know that he is eligible for an extension and Ferry doesn’t feel compelled to educate him (if his agents are too stupid to do so).
Astro Joe
August 15th, 2012
1:25 pm
JJM, Dwight can ask but that team is no where in the vicinity of having cap space to sign Josh next year… unless Josh takes a vet minimum salary for less than $2M.
Melvin
August 15th, 2012
1:47 pm
“The last theory, Josh doesn’t know that he is eligible for an extension and Ferry doesn’t feel compelled to educate him (if his agents are too stupid to do so).” – Astro
But you as a fan on a blog knows but the player nor his agent doesn’t know the rules of the CBA…. Comeon Astro, you are smarter than this. I hope someone had hi-jacked you user name on that post.
Astro Joe
August 15th, 2012
1:52 pm
Melvin, you were saying?
http://blogs.ajc.com/hawks/2012/05/25/atlanta-hawks-on-josh-smiths-future/
Ken Strickland
August 15th, 2012
2:06 pm
HAWKSFANSINCE95-How many GLORIFIED ROLE PLAYERS can you name that’s a 2 time Allstar and All NBA in his 1st 4yrs? I realize most of us are only offering OPINIONS when we render our assessment of certain players, but in some instances it makes you wonder what COMMON SENSE FACTORS some individuals are basing their opinions on.
Those same COMMON SENSE FACTORS tell me that NBA coachers, players and writers are more informed than the average fan and seem to totally disagree with your assessment of Horford as nothing more than a GLORIFIED ROLE PLAYER.
Melvin
August 15th, 2012
2:28 pm
Astro,
I seen the article and I’m willing to bet they are full aware of Josh contract options…
Astro Joe
August 15th, 2012
2:30 pm
Melvin, yeah, thanks to MC’s blog in May.
Sautee
August 15th, 2012
2:47 pm
“He is a great hustle guy and good all-around but i think we can get more with 12mill a year than 12 and 9.”
“thoughts anyone..?” – hawksfancents95 (about Horford)
First, Al’s last full season he scored 15.3 ppg, so 12 is wrong.
I don’t think you realize just how fair Al’s contract is, but just for comparison’s sake:
Joakim Noah – $11M – 10.2 ppg, 9.8 rpg
Andrew Bogut – $13.1M – 11.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg
Tyson Chandler – $13.6M – 11.3ppg, 9.9 rpg
Roy Hibbert – $14.5M – 12.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg
Al Horford – $12M – 15.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg
I’d say Horford’s contract is very reasonable. But that’s my opinion, since you asked.
Ken Strickland
August 15th, 2012
2:49 pm
ASTRO JOE/MELVIN-The issue of a JSmith extension, and the above article, will likely have no effect on what happens contractually with Josh in the future. That previous issue was the result of how RSund chose to deal with certain FAs, namely Childress and Smith.
After a face to face sitdown with Ferry, Josh has publically retracted his demand to be traded, which logically means he wants to remain a Hawk, which also logically means he wants to sign a new contract or extension. We have a new GM in town, and unlike RSund he’s PROACTIVE, not REACTIVE. Josh knows Ferry and the Hawks want to resign him, and he obviously want’s to resign.
Last yrs success was the result of bench players, namely Zaza, Pargo, WGreen, and IJohnson, stepping up and having solid seasons. We’ll have Zaza back, and most likely IJohnson as well. We’ve added players like DHarris, LWilliams, KKorver, JJenkins, Morrow, GWilliams, and JPetro. These players represent far better options than KHinrich, Pargo, WGreen, Stackhouse, TMac, Collins, Dampier, and VRad. We can add Horford’s return to that mix as well.
Astro Joe
August 15th, 2012
3:04 pm
Ken, according to many of Josh’s most loyal fans, he REALLY wants to experience the fun of free aganecy. Having some GM call him a minute after midnight and sweet talk him. Get wined and dined. Have a private jet pick him up and bring him to a city (not Milwaukee, there is nothing to do there). And then have the whole world wait for his final decision. And he isn’t alone in that desire, supposedly both D12 and Bynum plan to enjoy the same fun-filled ride. No harm, they have earned that right to enjoy the status of being an elite unrestricted free agent in the NBA.
I agree that he isn’t asking to be traded anymore, but I’m not convinced that he is ready to sign an extension and not enjoy free agent recruitment season.
Astro Joe
August 15th, 2012
3:17 pm
Sautee, Al’s detractors want to continue to use his career averages and hold him accountable for being a 1-2 year player on a team with Joe, Flip/Jamal, Bibby and Josh getting many more FGAs. Instead of considering his performance once he established himself and some of the shot happy guys left, they prefer to “penalize him” because he only averaged around 10 points in his rookie year. And they never consider that dude has never played a season where he got more than 12 FGAs. IMO, Al’s floor is the 15/10 he put up in his last healthy season… his ceiling is probably closer to 18/night (with a few more FGAs). The year he averaged 15, Jamal took about .5 less FGAs than Al. In other words, Al essentially shared the 3rd role on the team. In the coming season, he won’t be restricted to 12 FGAs. I’m expecting 18/10 and another possible All-Star selection.
Ken Strickland
August 15th, 2012
3:22 pm
SAUTEE-With so many UNINFORMED OPINIONS being presented as fact, where would this blog be without your common sense approach and fact based responses?
Sautee
August 15th, 2012
3:32 pm
Thanks Ken, just tryin’ to keep things real.
Ken Strickland
August 15th, 2012
3:32 pm
ASTRO JOE-What you said makes sense, considering going out and letting other teams set his value would give him a chance to do to the Hawks what he resented RSund doing to him. I’ve been wondering if the ASG extended LDrew for 1yr because they wanted to use him as fodder until our cap space kicked in. Having all of that cap space, plus JSmith, Horford, and possibly IJohnson and Teague, would certainly make the Hawks appealing to a name brand HC.
Ken Strickland
August 15th, 2012
3:39 pm
ASTRO JOE-With the additional shots that will be available, mostly to our starters with JJ and Marvin gone, we know that Teague, Horford, Josh, and whoever replaces Hinrich at SG, will get more shot opportunities. With Horford’s FG%, those extra shots will definitely translate into more pts.
Also, with Ferry’s stated committment to having the team run more, and with Josh and Horford’s ability to run and finish better than almost any other player at their respective positions, we can expect their scoring and FG% to increase.
hawksfancents95
August 15th, 2012
4:49 pm
thank you ken s and sautee for responding(no sarcasm, i enjoy discussion)
I didnt use exact stats as i didnt feel like digging in the archives i thought i said “like 12 and 9″ but i see i didnt, sorry, not trying to distort to appease my view. Im just saying I dont see AL as being more than what he is now which I think is a 4th option guy at best. He is good and yes he was all-nba and a 2x all-star but i think that was because the east/nba had a lack of centers and AL is a great guy and plays hard and coaches/media respect that as opposed to josh complaining at times and coaches dont like his attitude.
Like I said AL is a great player but I dont want to spotlight him as our top 3 player for purposes of, I dont think we can win a championship with AL and Josh on our team and I personally think josh is waaay better than AL is both offensively and defensively so i’d like to trade AL and have room for maybe cp3 and dwight or some combination of other great players.
Sautee, as for your list id take all of those guys with the exception of bogut(just cuz of injuries) because they are all legit centers that cause bad shots in the lane and are 7foot plus(noah big 6′11) and AL is a tweener that cant protect the rim. for those stats you showed yes, they are comparable but those stats do not show forced bad shots which is a huge asset.
Sautee
August 15th, 2012
6:45 pm
“Sautee, as for your list id take all of those guys with the exception of bogut(just cuz of injuries) because they are all legit centers that cause bad shots in the lane and are 7foot plus(noah big 6′11) and AL is a tweener that cant protect the rim. for those stats you showed yes, they are comparable but those stats do not show forced bad shots which is a huge asset.” – hawksfancents95
I agree that he blocks fewer shots than many, but how many of those on the list are able to draw the opposing center out of the lane on offense? That is a subtle thing that helps open up the lane for slashing. And remember that in his last full season, he was 2nd in the entire league in FG% from 15-23 ft.
Tell me who you think you can get for $12M that will give you more than 15.3 and 9.3? I don’t see that center out there for the taking.
Ken Strickland
August 15th, 2012
7:48 pm
A few yrs back, the Denver Nuggets had the NBAs leading rebounder, shotblocker, and DEF player of the yr in Marcus Camby. They traded Camby and replaced him with his backup, Nene, who’s nowhere near Camby’s class as a shotblocker, and they actually improved defensively. Blocking shots isn’t all there is to playing good DEF.
After Dallas won the NBA title, everyone was all up in the air about us acquiring TChandler, because it was believed he was so good at protecting the rim. Just compare his shotblocking numbers that yr against Horford’s and see what you come up with.
Ken Strickland
August 15th, 2012
7:52 pm
When Horford was selected to the NBAs 3rd string All NBA team, it was an endorsement by the coaches, writers and his peers that he was the NBAs 3rd best center. How can anyone call the NBAs 3rd highest rated center a GLORIFIED BACKUP? If the 3rd highest rated center is a GLORIFIED BACKUP
Ken Strickland
August 15th, 2012
7:55 pm
, wouldn’t that say that all of the remaining centers, except the 2 that were rated above him, are less than GLORIFIED BACKUPS.?
Ken Strickland
August 15th, 2012
8:22 pm
“Gasol and All NBA = layup line”. What that statement indicates is a very limited understanding of the gm of basketball. In other words, a low basketball IQ. Anyone with any basketball intelligence knows that the center isn’t responsible for OFF players consistently being able to get into the lane and attack the rim. That’s usually the result of very poor perimeter DEF, period.
It’s become very obvious that the one’s complaining the loudest and the most about Horford’s abilities and production are really reflecting their own limitations in the areas of comprehension, understanding and the utilization of plain old common sense.
abe lincoln
August 15th, 2012
10:15 pm
Ken strickland you should get some books on the game of basket ball, maybe play the game a time or two.
I dont mean to offend you are insult you, but you remind me of what I use to say not knowing the game but was trying to seem intelligent.
The center and powerforward have to protect the rim. At the rim is the high percentage shot in the game. All most all guards are fast and slick and get free on picks, how ever they arent the only ones getting to the basket, every body goes to the basket if you cant protect it. Who ever wrote the statement you are referencing is right. You owe that person an apology.
abe lincoln
August 15th, 2012
10:18 pm
But I do agree with you Ken about Al horfords limitations and weakness, Zaza and Ivan Johnson did such a good job replacing him last year.
Horford Just doesnt get it. Maybe one day, Hes still sorta young, but right now he just doesnt get it.
abe lincoln
August 15th, 2012
10:20 pm
I agree that one year Al score 15pt per game. That was good for him but most of the time he scores about 12 pts, when he isnt injured.
Hes hurting the team more than helping it.
Ken Strickland
August 15th, 2012
11:51 pm
ABE LINCOLN-The NBA players, coaches and writers that selected Horford to 2 Allstar gms and 1 All NBA selection in 4yrs, which you’re obviously disagreeing with, say you’re the one that doesn’t get it. With all due respect to you, I’ll hang my hat on their assessment of Horford rather than the obviously biased and uninformed observations of some anonymous fan(s).
Also, how is he hurting the team when he’s improved each yr, become one of the NBAs most consistent double double players, and performed at an Allstar and All NBA level each full season he’s played after his rookie yr? It certainly appears that reality isn’t one of your strong suits.
hawksfancents95
August 16th, 2012
9:57 am
Sautee and Ken S, I will post here but if y’all dont get a chance to respond I will re-post in the newer blog.
Sautee- your question of who I can get for 15 and 9 thats better than AL. No one, The only true centers that can put up better numbers are dwight and bynum(the best C’s in the league). But I dont care how many points my C scores I want him to deter the most points. AL does not deter points, but for salary purposes I would trade AL for Javale Mcgee, think about it. AL 6′10 with 7′ wingspan and standing reach of 8′11 and javale is 7′ with 7′7 wingspan and standing reach of 9′7. It is nice to have AL space the floor but if my C can negatively effect the other teams ability to score in the paint i’d rather have him. Javale has the ability to still grow and already has the most impressive measurements in the NBA. I dont base everything on measurements but just standing javale can almost grab the rim, that affects his ability to challenge shots easily(even if he doesnt block them) get rebounds and even on a second jump he could get up quicker and higher thn dwight howard.To sum up my opinion on Centers i want height and length and the ability to alter shots in the paint, i want to protect the paint at all costs. I want my Center to score on second chance rebounding and basically anywhere in the paint, if he has a nice 15footer then thats al the better.
Ken S
I enjoy your enthusiasm for AL as I share that for Josh Smith. Im not an AL “basher” Im just stating that MY ultimate goal is to win an NBA finals here in ATL and I dont think having two 6′9 post players is going to get that done so I would rather see AL go as opposed to Josh as I think GM DF will get rid of one or the other based on this upcoming season. As for my Glorified role player statement I think I struck a cord, I see AL as a nice complementery player but to feature him on an finals team is not going to happen. Its the fourth quarter in the playoffs and you need to score, 1 on 1, I dont think AL can do that but I think Josh could. Its not all about 1 on 1 play but in the playoffs I dont think AL’s pick and pop game is there as often as it is during the regular season. Last year we had the same season as the previous 4 years and AL didnt even play, thats a big reason why I think AL is tradeable. We desperatley need offense and AL is lacking in that department. I want to see my lineup of
Teague/Lou/Josh/AL/ZaZa so I can see what AL can do at the PF spot and maybe he will thrive and I will be extremley happy for him because I am a HAWKS fan first and if we win I dont care who is on our team.
O'Brien
August 16th, 2012
10:01 am
doc,
The milk dud (Cabrera) was terrible when he was with the Braves. He goes out to SF, and was awesome for them. Now we know why. He tested positive for an illegal substance, and was suspended 50 games by MLB.
O'Brien
August 16th, 2012
10:02 am
New blog up by the way
Ken Strickland
August 16th, 2012
11:48 am
HAWKSFANSINCE95-Having 2 6′ 9″ post players didn’t stop the Miami Heat from winning the NBA championship by defeating the much bigger frontline of the Thunder. Stop focusing on my enthusiasm and start paying attention to the common sense facts and examples I’ve been presenting. You’re trying to justify your unjustifiable opinions and stance on Horford’s talents and contribution to the success of the Hawks.
The reason you can’t find another center besides Howard and Bynum is the very reason Horford was voted to the All NBA 3rd team, which means he’s considered the NBAs 3rd best center. How in the devil does that equate to being a GLORIFIED BACKUP? You might not consider yourself a HORFORD BASHER, but you’re starting to become one. And you’re using some of the same lame, unjustifiable and unsubstantiated excuses as the others.
OBRIEN-The new blog is being bombarded with nothing but racism and politics, with very little basketball.
Future NBA Champions
August 17th, 2012
12:24 am
GO HAWKS! Hawks til I die! Fair-weather fans can GTFO
The Truth
August 17th, 2012
12:47 pm
Based on an article which the “blog-master” don’t like:
Hawks hoping to acquire a “coveted” SF via trade doesn’t look so good:
The demand for a SF among NBA teams accordingly is down to 4 teams:
Atlanta
Boston
Cleveland
New Orleans
Based on the Hawks abundance of SGs, expectations would be they find a trading partner (in need of a SG) and trade one of their SG talents (presumably expiring Anthony Morrow) for a SF.
So what NBA team needs a SG? According to the article just 2 teams:
Denver
Milwaukee
The problem here is that Denver has no SF expiring and just traded their tradable chip Al Harrington to Orlando. They also beat out the Hawks in acquiring SF Anthony Randolph. That leaves only the Bucks as a likely trading partner. From this scenario, the likely SF player from the Bucks would be Mike Dunleavy whose contract is expiring.
In this trade scenario the stat numbers and salaries are comparable but the Hawks would be trading a 26 yr old player for a 31 yr old player. It would seem from this trade that the advantage would go to the Bucks unless the Hawks are compensated somehow perhaps with a 2nd rd pick. Unless it’s a “good” 2nd rd pick, I’m not fond of this option but it maybe the only option left from a trade perspective.
This may explain why Danny is in no hurry in acquiring a SF from this trade picture. I’m also not sure NBA teams around the league would be shaking (in fear) at the thought of their SFs being guarded by Mike Dunleavy who Hoopshype describe him as:
“A little bit too slow… Pretty soft… Gets overpowered”
But since he went to Duke, Danny might bite anyway
Wink
August 18th, 2012
11:30 am
Danny Ferry has complied a team very similar to our Olympic Gold Medal team. Our offense should look about the same, with the exception being the talent level. It will be bombs away from the perimeter and should be pressure the ball on defense. Get opponents in late shot clock, making the rebound a 50 / 50 proposition and run back on offense if we secure the rebound….it was good enough for a Gold Medal!
As we saw the US team had a problem with height (Gasol Brothers, Spain) and agressive play (Argentina). We can expect the same if the roster stays as currently constructed.
Me
August 19th, 2012
1:04 pm
hawksfansince95′ You would trade Al Horford for Javale McGee? Really. Wait….Really? Please tell me this was just a joke. You would trade a very high basketball IQ for a player who’s only asset is his ability to jump. Javale has no passing skills, no shooting skills, isn’t a defensive stopper by any means and would have to study for hours to distinguish an egg from a golf ball. Trade Al Horford for Javale McGee? Really?….Wait…..Really?