Fixing the Hawks: fire Woodson, trade Joe, keep Josh
In my six-point plan to fix the Hawks, Josh Smith stays but Joe Johnson goes. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
It’s the offseason. I’m cracking open a six-pack for the Hawks – not for celebration but for reconstruction.
The Hawks don’t need to strip everything down after getting swept out of the second round for the second year in a row, but they clearly can’t thrive as currently built.
Here goes:
♦ 1.) Make a coaching change. Hawks general manager Rick Sund has doubts about Mike Woodson. Otherwise he would not have given him only a two-year contract two years ago, or he would have extended him before (or during) this season. The Hawks have improved in many areas under Woodson, most notably the win total. But the team’s half-court offense has been an issue throughout Woodson’s tenure. Creativity is not his strong-suit. It also became clear in this postseason that players have stopped listening to him. Being stretched to seven games by Milwaukee (which lost its best player, Andrew Bogut, three weeks before the playoffs) was a warning sign. Getting smacked by Orlando by embarrassing margins reaffirmed either poor preparation by Woodson or that players were tuning him out. A head coach needs to get a team to play a certain way, with a toughness and resolve that we saw from the Bucks. Woodson hasn’t done that. Conclusion: This is as high as the Hawks will go with him. If he gets fired, don’t be surprised if he is replaced by assistant Larry Drew. There will be a push for a high-profile replacement, like Jeff Van Gundy, Avery Johnson or, in a dream world, Doc Rivers. But if the Hawks can’t lure one of them, and if ownership is resistant to spending big money, hiring Drew can be easily rationalized. He is liked and respected by players. He would bring more creativity to the offense. He is in-tune with the team’s problems, its strengths and weaknesses. The risk is that Drew never has been a head coach before. But regardless of who would get the job, a new voice is needed.
All of the Hawks' problems are not Mike Woodson's fault, but a new voice is needed to get team to the next level. (AP photo)
♦ 2.) Sign-and-trade Joe Johnson. I thought it was at least 50-50 Johnson would re-sign with the Hawks until his comments after Game 3. He has proven himself to be in that second tier of stars, which is fine. But his lack of leadership and three years of mostly dreadful playoff performances have damaged his reputation. Even worse, Johnson seems to have checked out mentally. He still has value on the open market. There are enough teams out there who are looking for a scorer and have money to spend. A sign-and-trade could net a nice player in return: whether a shooting guard, point guard or starting caliber center. Among the backup options at shooting guard, one name that already has popped up as a possible replacement is Milwaukee’s John Salmons. He obviously isn’t the scorer Johnson in, but he averaged nearly 20 per game in Milwaukee after a trade from Chicago this year.
♦ 3.) Don’t trade Josh Smith. Yes, this postseason was a microcosm of what’s wrong with Smith. He took over Game 2 against the Bucks, just as he took over so many games during the season. But he was awful in too many games and justifiably was criticized nationally for loafing it on defense. During a time out in Game 4 Monday night, Smith was paying more attention to the “Kiss Cam” on the Philips Arena scoreboard than Woodson during a time-out, and a fan yelled, “Pay attention, Josh!” But remember two things: 1) For most of this season, the commentary about Smith was positive – how much he had matured and how he deserved to be in the All-Star Game; 2) He has had only one head coach since leaving high school: Woodson. There’s a great danger in trading Smith if another coach in another city helps him become the player he can be. Even after six seasons, it’s too early to give up on him. His potential is too great.
♦ 4.) Acquire a center (or Chris Bosh): A strong defensive center would give the Hawks the physical presence they desperately need in the post and allow them to move Al Horford to power forward and Smith to small forward. Marvin Williams can take a seat on the bench, or on a plane out of town. Bosh, who will be a free agent and also could be part of a sign-and-trade, is a tantalizing alternative. First, he would love to come back to Atlanta (where he played at Georgia Tech). He is not a true center but he is 6-10 and would bring some offense to help compensate for Johnson’s loss. A front line of Bosh, Horford and Smith certainly would rank among the league’s best.
♦ 5.) Bench Mike Bibby: There’s no nice way to put this: He got his new contract and then took a significant step back this season. His scoring average dropped from 14.9 to 9.1, his shooting percentage from 43.5 to 41.6, his assists from 5.0 to 3.9. Woodson correctly chopped down his minutes (34.7 to 27.4). Bibby is too much of a liability defensively. With two years left on his contract, he’ll be difficult to trade. But at worse he’s a shooter to bring off the bench. Who to start? If Sund can’t acquire a veteran point guard and leader, take a look at Jeff Teague. He was mostly buried on Woodson’s bench, averaging 10 minutes a game, but we know he can bring speed to the lineup. Leadership? Those answers will come. But he can’t possibly be worse.
♦ 6.) Get tougher: This sort of goes back to coaching and a team’s identity. “Talent” doesn’t pertain only to a team’s skill level. Talent can be intelligence and physical and mental toughness. Talent can be heart. Too often, the Hawks have lacked that. Horford called out his teammates for it and he was dead on. Those intangibles can help a team overcome injuries and adversity. Milwaukee was a difficult team to play against. Charlotte was a more difficult team than the Hawks for Orlando to play against — not because of “skill” talent but because of the other kind of talent. There needs to be an in-house mandate by the Hawks of playing to a standard. If that exists now, they’re clearly ignoring it.
♦
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC and on Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
♦
Recent Hawks posts
♦ Hawks make quick exit against Magic, and change is needed
♦ We’re LIVE from the Hawks’ . . . final game?
♦ Johnson, Woodson get hammered by national media
♦ Hawks quit on season (and Joe doesn’t care what you think)
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
390 comments Add your comment
Mr. Phil
May 11th, 2010
1:45 pm
@niremetal
First, find me a professional scout or analyst who has watched Hawks.
None of them really seemed to have watched Hawks games prior to these playoffs. Most work on stats, measurables, and rehashed catch phrases.
JSS
May 11th, 2010
1:48 pm
@LTB…
Stay out that, that is for grown men to settle…
Ced
May 11th, 2010
1:49 pm
Marvin W. a PF?? What are you smoking my friend?!???
Let him Joe
May 11th, 2010
1:49 pm
Bosh is not a good fit unless Josh or Horford leave and I think he will team up with LeBron. All we need are scrappy players with heart and a true point to run the show. a 15 point a night guard could replace Joe. We have a balanced team that needs an offensive minded coach that can create mis matches and put the talent we have in their comfort zones. Marvin can be good if he gets the touches. We could have 5 players that average 15 points and a bench that gives 15 to 20 and play strong D.
pt
May 11th, 2010
1:50 pm
1.trade marvin,za za,a first round pick and the rights to j.chill for mr.bosh.2.keep joe.joe we can’t max you if you want to win big.that would give us teague,joe,yes josh at the 3(bosh can play some one the outside that helps josh from being a traditional 3)al at his correct postion(all star).and bosh.you now have a true running team with nice size everywhere you need it.i do think the team loves woody as a coach.he makes all kinds of bets with them at his expense(remember the afro and no eyebrows).players love a coach like that.everytime in the last three years(atleast five times)woody was as close as one game from being fired.the team always play its best ball.that being said.woody has taken them as far as he can.he has taught them how to win but he hasnt given them no offenssive idenity.what type of offense do we run anyway?i know we run iso.isn’t there suppose to be more.
Numb2daGame
May 11th, 2010
1:50 pm
I think it would be very beneficial if we could get CP3 here. He is ultra-competitive and would try to embarrass Teague in practice until he improved. A lot of the former ACC guys get together and hoop over the summer. Chris Paul was quoted as saying that Jeff Teague is the best pure scorer (not shooter) that he has ever tried to guard. I am a UNC fan and the year that UNC most recently won the championship, the ONE point guard who clearly outplayed Ty Lawson (though I was ticked off at the time) was Jeff Teague.
clay
May 11th, 2010
1:50 pm
Yeah thats why im saying schultzy that if we do a sign and trade with dallas we could get haywood and butler from them. what do you think?
Mr. Phil
May 11th, 2010
1:51 pm
Oh yeah…let’s I forget. Josh Childress sucks(only slightly less than Marvin Williams). Bringing him back to the team solves nothing
Long Time Blogger
May 11th, 2010
1:54 pm
@JSS ditto
Mr. Phil
May 11th, 2010
1:57 pm
@Clay Haywood and Butler works. But then we have to hope someone takes Bibby and Marv off our hands. Maybe we can package them to NJ for Harris and Lee.
ReddJonn68
May 11th, 2010
1:57 pm
This needs one solid thing before any changes are made “Leadership”. Joe Smith was brought in for exactly that reason( he’s at tail end of a decent career) + the resigning of Bibby who was thought 2 also establish himself as a leader ,has failed. I have no earthly idea why we signed Marvin 2 any type of deal, he has been given 2 much time 2 prove his worth, I even think that Josh Childress contributed as much as Marvin has. This league is now being built on guys who play solid D at the 2 or 3 spot & still can hit a three if needed in key situations. Guys like Ariza,Barnes, & Artest have particular roles on their squads. Look at Rashard Lewis he’s not a true 4 but he plays hard &under control which make up for his shortfalls at the 4. Look I don’t know or care what management does with Woodson, they are 2 blame for Hawks present state, by not leaving yourself any type room to improve your team by trades or free agency you will not keep a loyal fan base.It’s a shame though, with all the youth on this squad, the Milwaukee Bucks future looks brighter than ours !!!!!
HAWKS#1FAN
May 11th, 2010
1:57 pm
@RUFUS1, @SDM,@KEITH THOMAS
Y’ALL ARE IDIOTS!!! AND CLEARLY YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT BASKETBALL. IF YOU DID THEN YOU WOULDN’T BE MAKING SUCH CRAZY AND ABSURD ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT JOSH SMITH. WHY IS IT THAT EVERYONE IS SAYING THE SAME THING BUT YOU THREE. CLEARLY IF YOU HAVE CUTS AND BRUISES ON YOUR BODY EVERY GAME AND YOU GET BACK OUT THERE AND PLAY, YOU ARE NOT A QUITTER. HE AND JAMAL CRAWFORD ARE THE ONLY ONES OUT OF THE STARTING SIX THAT GAVE THEIR ALL THROUGHOUT THESE PLAYOFFS. WHEN YOU ONLY TOUCH THE BALL MAYBE 12 TIMES IN 40 MINUTES OF PLAY, YOU CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH AS FAR AS SCORING. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE STAT LINE THAT HE PUTS UP, THE ONLY OTHER PLAYER THAT DOES THIS IS LEBRON. WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT CLEVELAND TRADE LEBRON…NO!!! SO WHY WOULD ATLANTA TRADE JOSH. I AM SO THANKFUL THAT YOU GUYS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE NEGOTIATIONS OF THE TEAM, BECAUSE SURELY THEY WOULD SUCK ALL OVER AGAIN AND THEIR WOULD BE 1500 FANS IN THE STANDS ALL OVER AGAIN.
Max Money
May 11th, 2010
2:00 pm
The Hawks need to get D-Wade, Bosh and give max money to JJ, for his leadership. With those 3 and Josh, the Hawks can go deep in the playoffs in 2011! Hawk owners—pay up—it will take $20 mil plus per year for D-Wade, plus a ton of cash for JJ, Bosh and Smith will want a bunch more money to stay around too.
JSS
May 11th, 2010
2:04 pm
Folks, Harris and Lee are 10 million in salary, you can’t make it match even in a 3 way deal…
ryan
May 11th, 2010
2:07 pm
Here are 3 players big men the Hawks should target in a sign and trade Boozer,Chris Bosh,and Dirk Norwinzki. I am hearing that Joe Johnson could be traded to Dallas.
BRAD
May 11th, 2010
2:08 pm
1.) Sign and trade Joe, along with Marvin, for Chris Paul or Tony Parker. (Philips would be packed every night knowing that Eva would there). 2.) Sign and trade Joe for Chris Bosh. Move Teague to starting line-up. Trade Bibby or bring off the bench. 3.) Aquire Matt Barnes. Magic got him this year for chump change.
BRAD
May 11th, 2010
2:10 pm
Dirk may also be available through a sign and trade. If you could turn Joe and Marvin into CP3 or Parker. Then, turn Smoove into Dirk. Well, now your talking contenders.
Trade Joe!
May 11th, 2010
2:14 pm
Joe Johnson, trade bait? Funny stuff!!!! Who wants that overpaid loser, who quit late in the season????
jfreak13713
May 11th, 2010
2:14 pm
No secrets about the Hawks issues and those issues start with the coach and end with Joe Johnson. Woody has earned his firing by because he could not adjust his style to fit his talent, but nobody can say that Woodson did not have something to do with the Hawks overall turn around. Good luck Woody and thank you for the time and effort, but it’s time to move on.
Joe Johnson is much like Woodson in the fact that he could not lift his game or the game of those around him in the playoffs. Joe you too gave Altanta winning basketball and for that I thank you, but as with Woody its time to move on.
I like I’m sure most in Atlanta love the idea of Chris Bosh and I hope the Hawks will attempt to make that happen. John Salmons is also an interesting idea and may fit this club? The big issue is getting a coach that demands respect and has an idea how to make this team see its fully potential. I like Jeff Van Gundy, Avery Johnson, Marc Jackson, or Byron Scott. The Hawks really need to make a play for a big name coach to get some street credit from the players.
Overall, I give the Hawks a B- grade this year and that could have easily been a B+ or even an A had they really played with heart in the playoffs.
Hordford: A
Crawford: B+
Smith: B
Johnson: B-
Bibby: C
Williams: D
ZaZa: D
Woodson: D
Couple of changes and some inside help with leadership qualities “Horford” the Hawks should be fine going forward.
allan in texas
May 11th, 2010
2:16 pm
You bring in another coach and you give him a chance to work with Josh Smith. The main reason for that being that if you trade him away and he truly blows up into everything that you thought he would be, it will be the biggest mistake since trading away Dominique back in 1994. I am glad that I do not have to make that call!
KidMagic
May 11th, 2010
2:18 pm
They need to gamble….it was a huge deal for us to let Hedu go and it looked real bad until we knew we had Vince and the giant bonus of Anderson in that deal. We took a chance years ago on a young Tracy McGrady who got no playing time in Toronto. Choosing Dwight over Okafor was a gamble….roll the dice.
Ron Roberts
May 11th, 2010
2:19 pm
I’m no basketball fan, but I know a bad half-court offense when I see it. Rushed shots, lack of passing, panicky hurls to the hoop… the team doesn’t PLAY intelligently.
JSS
May 11th, 2010
2:21 pm
@Brad
Hmmm, Dirk is $20 million… Josh $10.8… How?
GaPeach
May 11th, 2010
2:22 pm
Joe Johnson can kick rocks with open toe shoes….how are you gonna compare yourself to Kobe or Lebron when you don’t know how to take over a game. Let’s get Bosh he will be a great fit, bench Bibby and let Teague play the point.
Steve Belkin
May 11th, 2010
2:26 pm
I told you so…
Will
May 11th, 2010
2:28 pm
People need to forget about DWade coming here. It ain’t gonna happen. Period.
Solutions
May 11th, 2010
2:30 pm
1. Get D-Wade —- pay whatever he wants–he’s worth it
2. Get Bosh
3. Fire woodson
4. Get rid of johnson and josh smith—two losers who have quit the team (they are just collecting paychecks)
5. Find a real point guard
Hope 4 the Hawks
May 11th, 2010
2:31 pm
Jeff, thought provoking article obviously. Here’s a couple quick ones. Who’s responsible for all of the “Isolation plays” the Hawks run. Is it Woody or Joe J.? Whichever is the answer to the question, is the one that has to go. I think the Hawks fix a lot of their problems if they can get a better and more consistent motion offense. From there, I think we need a more consistent defensive force in the middle. I love Al Horford, but he will be even better as a Power Forward. I love Josh Smith and the improvements he has made this year, but I’m not sure he is a good fit as the consistent “3″ man. Maybe, on a rotational basis, but again, Al and Josh fit nicely into a motion offense, as would Marvin Williams, the enigma. Marvin can not be guys off the dribble, but he can be an outstanding ’spot up’ jump shooter and a wing on the break. I love Joe J., but we have tried to make him our ‘Centerpiece’ and that is just not his best role. He will make someone an outstanding ’sidekick’, but I don’t think it is possible for him to fill that role as a Hawk. A change of scenery is necessary for Joe. The backcourt is then, a dilemma. I love Crawford, but the jury is out on Teague. Somehow, the Nuggets got a better glimpse of Lawson’s potential than we did of Teague’s. Why is that? The ‘crystal ball’ will have to tell us whether or not it was Woody or Teague. Bibby is no longer a lead guard, but that’s OK. Now that we know it, we don’t ask him to do what he is no longer capable of.
Lastly, we have come a long way since 13-69. Let’s not get so radical, that we return to those inglorious days. An embarassing 2nd round elimination is bad, but there’s only 8 teams out of 30 that got to where the Hawks have 2 years in a row. I want to get to the next level as much as anyone, but I don’t ever want to get where we were 5 years ago.
BRAD
May 11th, 2010
2:37 pm
JSS.. Marvin and Smoove should work out pretty even $$ wise. Joe and Marvin would definately work. Then maybe Smoove straight up for CP3 or Parker.
Yeavis
May 11th, 2010
2:37 pm
John Salmons?! You mean the guy that was shut down by Joe Johnson in the playoffs John Salmons?…come on Jeff …that move is niether exciting OR effective…if anything it puts this team in a worse position…I Love the enthusiam that Atlanta now has for the Hawks but let’s not rush to get back to where we were 8yrs ago. Joe Johnson and cast, are in need of a different voice from the coaching position…I love Mike Woodson but “the writting is on the wall” …This offseason will test Rick Sund’s commitment to this orginazation and CITY becoming a winner!
JSS
May 11th, 2010
2:39 pm
Steve Belkins was going to give Billy Knight additional draft picks to work with… No thanks!!!
Billy
May 11th, 2010
2:42 pm
What ever happens, Johnson’s A$$ needs to be GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
bdawg1968
May 11th, 2010
2:46 pm
I cant understand the people wanting to trade Josh. Yes his gets upset at times on the floor. But its mostly when he is helping on defense and his team mates dont rotate to cover his man. It makes him like bad most of the time. Joe does need to go. Sign and trade or straight up letting him sign with another team. Take that money ang get a center and hopefully through trades/signings bring in a PG(s) and SG(s). As for the coach…Woody has done all he is can do for this team. People, This team is not far from completing for a conference title over the next few years. Just a few changes is all thats needed. It will happen!
JSS
May 11th, 2010
2:46 pm
Nope, you still another piece and they already have Caron Butler. Joe and Marvin is over $22 million… Chris Paul is $13.5 million… Tony Parker is $12.6 million
Sick & Tired Of Being Sick & Tired
May 11th, 2010
2:49 pm
AJC HELP WANTED —– EMPLOYER – The Atlanta Hawks (positions must be filed before the start of next season)
NEEDED – A New Coach (NBA experience preferred)
– A New Center (a stud that clog the lane and be successful in the paint)
– A European Shooting Guard (must be able to consistently hit 3s…..
country of origin….optional….name doesn’t necessarily have to fit on
the back of a jersey)
ReddJonn68
May 11th, 2010
2:56 pm
Look all of U keep talking bout changes & I agree it never hurts upgrade your frontline. But have U been watching the networks & reading any other newspapers online. I love my Hawks, Falcons, and Braves. The truth is the truth no matter who states it.” The Hawks just gave up” Bottomline is this Disease we have Quitting, Lack of Desire, & Frustration needs 2 be eradicated ASAP. For example Utah Jazz were overmatched by 3 bigs in the Laker series, but they competed every single game. Phoenix is not really tall up front(Channing Frye shoots 3s all day) & we saw first hand how Milwaukee fought tooth & nail.So don’t give me that crap about being small up front we won 53 games with that same frontline. Thats why every single Hawk player, Coach, & member of Management needs to step back & look deep within. I don’t care what quick fix you bring in the new coach better get rid of this Disease
Tweets that mention Fixing the Hawks: fire Woodson, trade Joe, keep Josh | Jeff Schultz -- Topsy.com
May 11th, 2010
3:02 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mohammad Ridwan. Mohammad Ridwan said: Fixing the Hawks: fire Woodson, trade Joe, keep Josh http://bit.ly/aLdLHZ [...]
BrianFlannery
May 11th, 2010
3:17 pm
Heres an easy fix for the Hawks: Trade Marvin Williams for Chris Paul straight up. Trade Joe Johnson for Dirk Norwinski. Then trade Mike Bibby for LaBron James. Problems Solved. Hawks are now powerful.
Tale of Woe
May 11th, 2010
3:24 pm
The team looks like it has run it course. We will probably wait too long to do anything of significance and we will probably be hoping for the 8th seed in 2 years….
1. We need to trade Joe (he dribbles more than anyone in the league).
2. We need Josh to take a maturity class.
3. We need Marvin to take a basketball class.
4. We need Bibby to take a class on how to turn the clock back to 2004.
5. We need ZaZa to gain 30 pounds and become a dominate force in the middle.
6. We need Teague to become Chris Paul.
7. We need Childress to want to play for Atlanta.
8. We need someone stupid enough to give us something awesome in return for Joe.
9. We need Hawks ownership to pony up some big bucks and get a decent coach in here.
10. We need Horford to transfer his energy to the other 12 guys on this team.
Bonus
11. Crawford needs to have a better season in 2011 than he did in 2010 for the Hawks to be in contention.
Ryan
May 11th, 2010
3:24 pm
Hey guys as being someone thats originally from Atlanta that now lives in Toronto, I have watched a little bit of the Raptors for a while now and all those who want Chris Bosh next season Ill just say this..
Chris Bosh=Joe Johnson- Dont get your hopes up thinking he can be some kind of vocal leader. He’s also just an ideal # 2 option on a team. He is not a max contract player.
And is it just me or does Woody always looks like he has gas or constipated every time we are getting blowed out in a game like we were in Orlando. Somebody give this due some Mylanta or Tums.
S
May 11th, 2010
3:25 pm
Enter your comments here
SuperStation 17
May 11th, 2010
3:27 pm
Send the Hawks back to St. Louis please.
Shoot for the Moon!
May 11th, 2010
3:32 pm
make sky high offers for Lebron, Kobe and D-Wade, the Hawks will reach the NBA finals! Bank on it!!!
mike
May 11th, 2010
3:36 pm
Shultz-
You’re getting slammed on the Hoopinion blog for this article.. and its not just being mean, they have a point about your theories:
http://www.hoopinionblog.com/2010/05/off-season-speculation-can-only-get.html
northcyde
May 11th, 2010
3:36 pm
1) Let Woody Go . . . OK. But if the ASG goes the cheap route, and simply hands over the reigns to Drew, this fan base WILL NOT BE HAPPY. They want a big name coach. But you’re right. I could easily them simply hiring Drew at 4 yrs – 8.5 million
2) Trade Joe Johnson . . and replace him with John Salmons? OK. Decent player. Nowhere near a replacement for JJ though. In this scenario, whomever is the PG must play well right out of the gate. Otherwise, the new coach is going to be forced to go with a Crawford – Salmons backcourt. A backcourt that consists of two shooting guards that look to shoot first and not pass to our developing young forwards. And a backcourt that would be weaker defensively. But we have to get SOMETHING I guess . . . so OK.
3) Don’t trade Josh Smith . . . OK. His potential is definitely not one to be given up on. He’s still very young. He’s the face of the Hawks. He’s also the box office attraction. But his tweener status is part of the problem with this team. The team is “out of balance”, due to the lack of a true center and lack of a true leader-type PG. Smoove needs to play PF to maximize his effectiveness in the NBA. Putting him at SF reduces his impact on a game tremendously, because you take him away from the basket on both ends of the floor. If you sent him to the bench ( to balance out the team if we acquired a center ), but still got him his minutes, who knows how he’d respond to that.
4) Acquire a center ( or Chris Bosh ) . . . now we’re getting into the meat and potatoes of the issue. The only way you can do either of these things, is via a sign and trade. Going into next year, the only chips we have that people would possibly want, is to trade Jamal Crawford or Josh Smith. You’ve already traded JJ for Salmons, so these are the only chips left.
No one wants Marvin, especially with his long contract. Bibby still has 2 years on his deal, as well as Zaza, so no one wants them either, unless in a package deal involving one of our core. So if you’re Toronto, you’re trying to do the exact thing that Atlanta is trying to do in a JJ sign and trade. And when you’re talking about a sign and trade for Bosh, you’re also talking about trading a high salary core player ( Jamal or Josh ), plus a filler to make the numbers work ( like a Zaza or a Bibby ). You just don’t acquire a player like Bosh out of thin air, especially if you’re a team with no cap room, unless you give up something significant.
As for the acquisition of a center, that situation has turned ugly. Jermaine O’Neal is garbage, but would still be better than any backup center on the squad. But he’s garbage. Mement Okur re-upped with Utah, and is hurt. Camby ( the guy we could’ve desperately used ) re-upped with Portland. Shaq will be available, but will probably retire before he comes to ATL. Big Z re-upped with Cleveland. Tyson Chandler probably won’t exercise his player option to become a free agent. So our hope for a center will be some journeyman bench center, more than likely.
5) Bench Mike Bibby . . . ah yes. Bench Bibby to play the “savior” Jeff Teague. We pretty much have no choice in the matter now. Bibby has fallen off significantly. But if Teague is our only option at PG . . we . . are . . screwed.
We’re still going to have to either draft another PG, or sign one via free agency, just for insurance purposes for BOTH Bibby and Teague. I sincerely hope Teague proves me wrong, but with his inability to shoot the ball or finish in traffic, I seriously have doubts on whether this guy can even be better than Earl Watson. ( Earl is a UFA this season by the way ).
6) Get Tougher . . which takes us back to #3. The guy whose toughness is questioned frequently ( both physically and mentally ), is Josh Smith. So if the new coach can make him tough, then everything will be all good. If he can’t, this team will still have the same problems that plague them.
And don’t get it twisted about “toughness”. The Bucks had to get rid of A LOT of players, in order for them to get “tougher”. Remember, this was a team that had Charlie Villanueva, one of the softest, non defense playing players ever, getting major minutes. Michael Redd wasn’t “tough”. Richard Jefferson wasn’t “tough”. Ramon Sessions wasn’t “tough” ( although he had a pretty good year in 08 – 09 )
The truth is that the Bucks pretty much turned over their ENTIRE ROSTER, in order to get rid of those high non-productive contracts. In turn, Skiles brought in the guys that would make this squad “tougher”.
- drafted Brandon Jennings
- Kurt Thomas
- John Salmons
- Jerry Stackhouse
- Ersan Ilyasova
And in turn, those moves helped make Andrew Bogut a lot tougher than he’s ever been in his career. So the Bucks toughness didn’t come about with the same players that were heartless during the 08 – 09 season. No . . Skiles had to bring in those tough guys, both physically and mentally, in order for the Bucks to be the type of squad he wanted.
The same will reign true for the Hawks. If you want the squad to get tougher, you’re going to have to bring in tough players and maybe get rid of a few who aren’t tough. Bringing in a guy like Salmons may not be enough. You may have to bring in multiple “tough guys”. Bosh sure isn’t a “tough guy”.
***************************
Your plan is workable. A “stop gap” to see if our frontline can step their games up and become better players. But I believe the Hawks will take a step back in your lineup, mainly due to the fact that we’d still have the same weaknesses in the same areas as a team. I say that’s a 42 – 47 win squad. Good enough to make the playoffs as a 5 – 7 seed, but nowhere near being a viable threat to get to the next level. Defense would still be a MAJOR ISSUE with that team. And Crawford and Bosh will be taking most of the shots.
*********************************
Schultz’s Atlanta Hawks
PG – Teague
G – Salmons
F – Smoove ( at SF )
F – Bosh ( impossible without a sign and trade of either Smoove or Crawford )
C – Horford
Bench
G – Crawford
G – Bibby
F – Marvin
F – Evans
* 1st round pick
* 2nd round pick
* free agent center acquisition
Gary
May 11th, 2010
3:44 pm
Raise your hand, who would like to see Josh Smith chasing LeBron, Paul Pierce, Carmelo and the other good SFs around? Raise your hand, who would like to see Josh Smith playing outside the paint on offense?
Thats just not his game. He can’t dribble consistently, and he can’t shoot consistently. And his best asset on defense is help defense. If he is playing SF, then he is more likely to be guarding someone away from the basket (like he had to do against Rashard).
Josh at SF is a bad idea. We need him inside the paint.
Paddy
May 11th, 2010
3:55 pm
niremetal….if you live and breath NBA basketball 24/7 I think that is great for you because you enjoy it. You are a dying breed nonetheless. Most casual fans, those who might attend 3-5 games a year have been lost forever. Not just in Atl but in many markets. For most of us it is just not much fun to watch anymore. I am sorry because I used to be a hugh fan.
northcyde
May 11th, 2010
3:58 pm
Gary . . most fans that watch this team understand this. Moving Smoove to SF would DESTROY his status in this league, much like what happened to Andrei Kirilenko in Utah. Boozer was better than AK47, even though Kirilenko’s best position was probably PF.
Sloan tried to turn him into that hybrid F, much in the way Woody did with Smoove, and it worked for a while. But as Boozer, and then Deron got better, AK’s offensive game didn’t get any better. The offense then went away from trying to feature AK, to featuring the new “Stockton and Malone” in Deron and Boozer.
So he started to sulk and eventually became less effective as a player on both ends of the floor.
Something is going to have to happen. Either Horford is going to have to prove that he can play center at a high level on both offense and defend the position defensively . . or we’re going to have to make a decision on which one to keep . . Smoove or Horford.
And this is a decision that we all knew that we’d have to make at some point. 2010 is probably not the time to make that decision. 2011 is DEFINITELY the time to make that decision, with Horford being a restricted free agent.
CPHawkfan
May 11th, 2010
4:19 pm
Sign and Trade Joe Johnson to New Jersey for Devin Harris and Brooke Lopez
Hawks - Jsmooth= improvement
May 11th, 2010
4:20 pm
Woodson needs to go….thanks for getting us this far but byebye. Jsmooth is a team cancer.. i don’t care how athletic someone is, if you do not have motivation to play after getting paid millions every year, it’s time to find another team….How about this…Josh smith and another for Chris Paul… CP3 to Atlanta with Crawford & Horford…. Oh yeah, and Avery Johnson as the coach. Problem solved