LIVE DRAFT BLOG: Hawks have a few hours to wait (UPDATE: Hawks expected to get Jordan Crawford in trade)
Derrick Favors gets a few interviews out of the way before heading to . . . New Jersey?
(UPDATE: 9:45 p.m. The Hawks drafted Texas forward Damion James with the 24th pick in the draft. But they are going to complete a trade with the New Jersey Nets for the 27th pick, Jordan Crawford of Xavier, and the 31st pick. Getting a Crawford is huge for the Hawks because he gives them bench scoring. He had a great NCAA tournament and he’s also the player who dunked on LeBron James in a summer camp last year. I’ll be posting a new column soon.)
Welcome to generally the scariest day in Atlanta Hawks’ history, and we speak of course of . . . the . . . draft! (Cue organ music . . . thunder clap . . . loud shrieks from the top of the stair case.)
OK, OK. Actually, things have gotten better in recent years with the drafts of Al Horford, Josh Smith, to a lesser degree Josh Childress, and potentially Jeff Teague. But the ugly history, which includes No. 1 picks like Shelden Williams, Cal Bowdler, Roshown McLeod, Ed Gray and Priest Lauderdale — and the non-drafting of Chris Paul — is tough to overcome.
I’ll be blogging live through the draft, so if you have any questions throw them at me. In the mean time, here are a few items of interest:
♦ Sorry, no Chris Paul (we think): Despite rumors flying of his possible availability — which were given an extra kick when he said he was open to a deal – New Orleans owner George Shinn released a statement, saying: “”We are about building and sustaining a winning tradition. Chris Paul is the cornerstone of our franchise and brings us unequaled support on and off the court. We will continue to build around Chris Paul, and we want to see him in a Hornets uniform for the remainder of his career.”
It’s worth noting that the words, “We will not trade Chris Paul,” aren’t in the statement. New Orleans Times-Picayune’s John DeShazier has a terrific column summarizing this sensitive topic with the Hornets. And yeah, I’m still wondering how a Josh Smith-for-Paul swap could re-shape the Hawks.
♦ Our projected top 5 picks: 1.) Washington: John Wall, PG, Kentucky. 2.) Philadelphia: Evan Turner, SG, Ohio State. 3.) New Jersey: Derrick Favors, PF, Georgia Tech; 4) Minnesota: Wesley Johnson, SF, Syracuse. 5. Sacramento: DeMarcus Cousins, C-PF, Kentucky.
♦ Six names for the Hawks: It’s almost impossible to project the Hawks’ pick because they draft 24th and they don’t seem focused on one specific position. But here are a few names to look at: Xavier shooting guard Jordan Crawford, Florida State center Solomon Alabi, Marshall center Hassan Whiteside, France power forward Kevin Seraphin, Kentucky point guard Eric Bledsoe, South Florida shooting guard Dominique Jones.
♦ There are reports out of Greece that Josh Childress may sign an offer sheet with the Washington Wizards, which would set up a sign-and-trade scenario with the Hawks. But that report hasn’t been confirmed and general manager Rick Sund won’t be available for comment until after the Hawks pick.
♦ Your free agency fix: Former Tech star Chris Bosh stated the obvious: That LeBron James will be the first domino to fall in this free agency class: “Am I waiting on LeBron? Pretty much. I think everyone has to. I have to as well. … He’s a great player and I would be crazy to think that all the teams that are considering him, they would talk to somebody else first. I think everybody is going to be going at him first.”
That’s it for now. Check back later.
♦
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC and Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
♦
Last five posts on instant replay (no charge)
♦ Dudley gives Thrashers needed jolt in short amount of time
♦ Fredi Gonzalez fired — and Braves should hire him now
♦ Michael Turner finally admitting the obvious: He was fat
♦ Hawks can’t afford to slide back (and why not Chris Paul?)
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561 comments Add your comment
Charlotte Hawk
June 24th, 2010
11:37 pm
pop any championship dreams
Hawkeye
June 24th, 2010
11:37 pm
The Hawks couldn’t even get Pap A.
Freshmaker
June 24th, 2010
11:37 pm
The forward from Senegal is ours!!!! I totally called that!
Gwinnett Fred
June 24th, 2010
11:38 pm
Take manny Harris
Dawg Fan in Grayson
June 24th, 2010
11:38 pm
Dawgboy….humor alert…check your radar
Pi$$onaDawg
June 24th, 2010
11:38 pm
No, I love that Bradley Jr. has really carried his team in this CWS drive. He is the #3 hitter and scares Picthers when he is on the base paths. You don’t really get me do you? UGA fans call Tech fans geeks, but TECH has a more diverse student body than UGA ever thought of having. If you are of Color at TECH or Ga. State you might just be another student. If you are of color at UGA you must be one of the 3000 African Americans but you are probably an Athlete/Student. That is my anger. UGA is a Blonde White Girl College just check the Admissions numbers and then tell me different. Less than 3000K African American students, 1800k (give or take) Asian students, and 1000k (give or take) Hispanic students with a 57.6% female student body. UGA produces more school teachers than any College in the State. Well, the state of Georgia is 48th in education. Now, what does that say about UGA? Numbers don’t lie. SHOW me fact contrary to what I have posted. SHOW ME SHOW ME. The last Georgia Govenors were UGA grads. ONE LEFT one RIGHT and bith are P.O.S’s Barnes and Perdue. Go DAWG woof woof.
dap01
June 24th, 2010
11:38 pm
Jeff I hope you some how try to explain the stupid moves the Hawks are making. Do they even want to win.
Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Billy Knight
June 24th, 2010
11:38 pm
I woulda drafted Pape Sy too. Great minds think alike!
mm
June 24th, 2010
11:38 pm
what an ending. so, is that mario west’s spot? good night…
Boycott Hawks
June 24th, 2010
11:39 pm
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA another Forward!!!! Anyone now still believe we made some great picks??
Charlotte Hawk
June 24th, 2010
11:39 pm
stolen from antoher hawks blog,
Pap smear
Humanhighlightreel
June 24th, 2010
11:40 pm
that gives the hawks 8 or 9 forwards, just like the olden days of Billy Knight
Hawkeye
June 24th, 2010
11:40 pm
They could have taken Manny Harris with that pick as insurance if JJ walks. He is the same player.
soldierman
June 24th, 2010
11:40 pm
This just in. Hawks go out on a limb and pick a 6′7 wing player. man no one saw that one coming. At least ol BK picked wings with hype.
Freshmaker
June 24th, 2010
11:41 pm
maybe we can trade pape sy to boston for shelden williams
Humanhighlightreel
June 24th, 2010
11:42 pm
Pape Sy’s NBA draft page is blank, that has to be a good sign!
Billy Knight
June 24th, 2010
11:42 pm
Or good knight
Humanhighlightreel
June 24th, 2010
11:43 pm
Pape can teach Josh Smith to whine in French!
NUNNA!!
June 24th, 2010
11:44 pm
Pape Syd?
Isn’t that a street drug made by the afghans??
J.J.M.
June 24th, 2010
11:44 pm
lmaooooooo@Humanhighlightreel
N.D.T.K.A.
June 24th, 2010
11:44 pm
Great pick Rick Sund, right up there with Saer Sene, Robert Swift, and Johan Petro! Hope we get a big in free agency this season and please re-sign J.J. This draft sure will make Hawks fans sleep great tonight!
glee@leelawusa.com
June 24th, 2010
11:44 pm
Brian Zoubek is still available and we draft Pop Seat….wow, just wow….this is rich
JSS
June 24th, 2010
11:45 pm
Seriously Pape Sy can play, maybe they are finally serious about using the NBDL?
Gwinnett Fred
June 24th, 2010
11:45 pm
Boston has Big Papi – BUT THE HAWKS HAVE BIG PAPE – polish that trophy Lakers, cause we want it shiny when we kick your butt next year!
Humanhighlightreel
June 24th, 2010
11:46 pm
Pape Sy welcome to the NBDL
Ryan
June 24th, 2010
11:46 pm
Second round centers taken since 2000.
2 7 36 2000 Soumaila Samake C (IBL)
2 13 42 2000 Olumide Oyedeji C/PF (Germany)
2 24 53 2000 Dan McClintock C Northern Arizona
2 14 43 2001 Eric Chenowith C Kansas
2 17 46 2001 Loren Woods C Arizona
2 20 49 2001 Ken Johnson C/PF Ohio State
2 21 50 2001 Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje C Georgetown
2 27 56 2001 Robertas Javtokas C/PF (Lithuania)
2 28 57 2001 Alvin Jones Jr. C Georgia Tech
2 5 34 2002 Dan Gadzuric C UCLA
2 12 41 2002 Mario Kasun C (Germany)
2 14 43 2002 Jason Jennings C Arkansas State
2 23 52 2003 Remon Van De Hare C (Spain)
2 10 39 2003 Slavko Vranes C (Serbia & Montenegro)
2 25 54 2003 Nedzad Sinanovic C (None)
2 29 58 2003 Andreas Glyniadakis C (Greece)
2 3 33 2004 Peter John Ramos C (Puerto Rico)
2 17 47 2004 Ha Seung-Jin C (None)
2 28 58 2004 Sergey Karaulov C (Russia)
2 13 43 2005 Mile Ilic C (Serbia & Montenegro)
2 27 57 2005 Marcin Gortat C (Germany)
2 8 38 2006 Kosta Perovic C (Serbia & Montenegro)
2 21 51 2006 Cheikh Samb C (Spain)
2 27 57 2006 Loukas Mavrokefalidis C (Greece)
2 8 38 2007 Kyrylo Fesenko C/PF (Urkaine)
2 9 39 2007 Stanko Barac C (Bosnia)
2 18 48 2007 Marc Gasol C (Spain)
2 19 49 2007 Aaron Gray C Pittsburgh
Billy Knight
June 24th, 2010
11:46 pm
I told ya I’m back guys. Forwards win NBA titles when is everyone going to realize that. Trust in me! Marvin Williams was a value pick.
Gwinnett Fred
June 24th, 2010
11:48 pm
Maybe we can give the Suns $15,459 for the last pick and still get Zoubek!
Whopper Dawg
June 24th, 2010
11:48 pm
Papa Sy – nobody has any data on this dude, I have checked about 5 sites. Nothing. Zippo.
Ryan
June 24th, 2010
11:48 pm
Dallas didn’t even think Aldabi was worth keeping. FInancial considerations and a second rounder. . . .
Herschel Talker
June 24th, 2010
11:49 pm
Rick Sund=Billy Knight=Pete Babcock.
Put your faith in Pape Sy
Humanhighlightreel
June 24th, 2010
11:49 pm
Is it possible to trade the atlanta spirit for cash consideration, please Mr. Stern!
Pi$$onaDawg
June 24th, 2010
11:49 pm
HAWKEYE how many athletes of color are on you Baseball team, Football team, Basketball team as compared to your states Racial diversity and your student body? I figure your state is real white, but your college enrolement of students of color is higher than your states % of deviersity. Everybody deserves a cahnce at a future, but not at the cost of their education to pad the Athletic Departments Bank Account.
Humanhighlightreel
June 24th, 2010
11:52 pm
Billy Knight, we were foolish to ever doubt your ways
We just assumed you were allergic to drafting point guards
But now we Sy the Light
1q
June 24th, 2010
11:52 pm
they said pape sy paid for his own ticket to fly from europe to workout with the hawks
Gwinnett Fred
June 24th, 2010
11:52 pm
Age:22 years old
Date of birth:5 April 1988
Nationality: French
Position: Small forward, Point Guard, Shooting guard
AND GET THIS – HE AVERAGED A WHOPPING 5.2 PPG LAST YEAR!!!!
Ryan
June 24th, 2010
11:52 pm
Look at all of the awesome centers taken in the second round over the last decade, willya?
Hawkeye
June 24th, 2010
11:56 pm
@pi$$onadawg – No I don’t get you. Just because you are trying to prove a point about UGA and teaching doesn’t give you the right to use the stereotype that all the Black students at UGA are athletes. My daughter and her best friend just visited it and are considering going there although neither is an athlete. Just so you know, I am not a UGA fan or alumni, but USC. Congrats on Tech’s diversity but you should celebrate Tech and not worry about UGA, especially if you are going to use stereotypes to prove your point. .
JV
June 24th, 2010
11:56 pm
Great list, Ryan. It looks like the Belgrade City Council.
1q
June 24th, 2010
11:57 pm
we got 3 million dollars for that center
Ryan
June 24th, 2010
11:58 pm
JV: But you KNOW that the person in that company was going to propell us to the finals.
DawgBoi
June 24th, 2010
11:59 pm
Sy can flat shoot lights out. That’s what got him picked.
1q
June 25th, 2010
12:03 am
and we made an offer to childress
Hawkeye
June 25th, 2010
12:03 am
@Pi$$onadawg – how many of your professors are Black, Asian, Latino? Do they match the racial makeup of Atlanta or Georgia? I don’t care about a person’s color in the classroom or on the court, field, etc. If a kid gets into school because of his athletic ability and fails to use that as a springboard to a better life, either a degree or pro, or both, that is his fault, no matter what school.
Ryan
June 25th, 2010
12:04 am
Hawkeye. .why are you dignifying PI$$on by responding? YOu only encourage him.
JV
June 25th, 2010
12:05 am
Oh yes, definitely, Ryan.
I am old enough to remember hype surrounding the arrival of UGa’s first seven footer, a immobile stick figure named Troy Hitchcock.
We went to the final four that year with a 6′7″ center while the second coming of Kareem Jabbar remained firmly on the bench.
crabapplejoe
June 25th, 2010
12:06 am
Jon Scheyer and Brian Zoubek are still available and we get Poppy Seed….dam# I wish I could get me one of those NBA management jobs and make “big” decisions like this…LMAO
JV
June 25th, 2010
12:06 am
Oh yes, Ryan.
The best two words in Jeff’s column are “Priest Lauderdale.” That should cure everybody’s seven footer obsession.
Ryan
June 25th, 2010
12:07 am
Crabapple. . did you look at the list of centers chosen in the second round over the last decade? Its not exactly a list full of wonderful contributers with an NBA career. What makes you think those guys would be different?
Pi$$onaDawg
June 25th, 2010
12:09 am
Hawkeye what does your daughter want to study? What does UGA offer for the Black student? My sisters are Korean and one did attend UGA while her husband was in school. There is so little cultural diversity on that campus or town. The Africans living in Athens are not somebody your want your Daughter hanging with, but you learn that on your own. Do more reasearch on the Diversity of UGA nad the graduation of the non-white students. I will let you check before I post the %ages.