A great move by Sund, another step upward for the Hawks
Are we believing this? The Atlanta Hawks, acting boldly? Acting smartly?
We should be believing. Because this long-tormented franchise just took another step up in class.
They won 47 games and a playoff series last season. They should break 50 next time. Trading for Jamal Crawford — assuming the deal goes through, and there seems no reason it shouldn’t — gives them more flexibility than the Hawks have had … well, since Bob Pettit and Cliff Hagan were hoisting hook shots back in St. Louis.
Crawford doesn’t mean Mike Bibby is necessarily a gone goose — obviously the Hawks can’t keep both him and Flip Murray now — but it means the Hawks enter the 2009 draft and the even-more-important summer free agency bazaar knowing they have cover. Crawford isn’t a true point, but he can play the point. And he can score.
He has averaged 15.7 points over the nine seasons since he left Michigan, and he averaged 19.7 for Golden State last season. Think of him as an upgrade on Flip, and think of Crawford as the guy who keeps Joe Johnson from having to scored 25 every night and, even more important, having to work 45 minutes every night. Think of Crawford as the next piece in a team that was already pretty darned good.
To move onward and upward, the Hawks had to get away from having Johnson do everything and their iso-Joe offense. Because, to be frank, Joe can’t do everything. He’s good, but he’s not LeBron, not Kobe, not D-Wade. Crawford will help balance the backcourt scales, and if the Hawks can keep Bibby then Crawford would make an ideal third guard — capable of running the team for six minutes at a time, capable of scoring 10 points while Joe sits.
Best of all, the Hawks got him for nothing. Acie Law was never going to co-exist with Mike Woodson — that ship had not only sailed but sunk — and Speedy Claxton had become the white elephant on the payroll. In one swoop Rick Sund dumped two players who wouldn’t have helped for one who’ll help immensely.
Loading ...This isn’t to say the work is done, or even halfway completed. There’s still the issue of a backup center — Zaza Pachulia is a free agent — and still the greater issue of what to do with Marvin Williams. (A sign-and-trade seems possible, but a one-year qualifying offer, which would enable him to stay a Hawk for the upcoming season but leave as an unrestricted free agent next summer, is more probable.)
And the great Bibby riddle is no longer so great. If he wants to take more money to play for a worse team, the Hawks can manage without him. The belief — always strong — that the Hawks will take a point guard in Round 1 is now stronger. If Bibby’s here, the rookie can back him up. If Bibby’s not, the rookie can apprentice under Crawford.
Soon the Hawks will need a new guard. Bibby is 32, Crawford 29 and under contract for two seasons more. Eric Maynor or Ty Lawson and maybe even Jeff Teague would fit nicely into this new rotation, but the greater point (pun intended) is this: The team that looked forever for a lead guard now has options galore at one of basketball’s two most important positions.
There was a time — not so long ago, as a matter of fact — we expected the Hawks to go splat come the draft. (OK, so Billy Knight did take Al Horford in 2007.) This first Sund move of a hugely important offseason isn’t a splat or anything of the kind. It’s a bull’s eye.
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191 comments Add your comment
dsouth
June 24th, 2009
6:01 pm
yeah first
jj
June 24th, 2009
6:04 pm
I like this trade and I hope we keep Flip.Oh teah,i’ve heard the Hawks might be talking to the Grizzlies.I hope that is more than a rumor.Make things happen R.Sund…..
Mike In Valdosta
June 24th, 2009
6:05 pm
Very good move. And many so moves left to be made, it is nice to have the trend in the right direction.
Mike In Valdosta
June 24th, 2009
6:06 pm
and many more moves… where’s my editor
dsouth
June 24th, 2009
6:06 pm
I think this is a good move for the hawks. This allows them to control things in free agency more. If we can put together a good ten man rotation (not 8), we will be in business. Especially if we can get some spot up shooters.
Mitun
June 24th, 2009
6:08 pm
excellent job MB. I think that the Hawks should get either Ty Lawson or Teague but I wish they could trade Smith to either Oklahoma City or Memphis to get Thabeet.
Art Vandelay
June 24th, 2009
6:08 pm
Mark, do you think this could signify that Joe’s days here are numbered? I know the acquisition could simply be to lighten JJ’s load, but part of me thinks it’s a way for Sund to put him on the market and not lose too much in replacing him with a scorer like Crawford. I’m not in favor of trading Joe, but if we could package him in a deal for a guy like Yao Ming, whose name has been tossed around in trade talks, I’d have a hard time arguing with that.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
6:11 pm
Joe becomes a free agent after next season, Mr. AV. (Everybody becomes a free agent next summer, or so it seems.) It never hurts to have Plan B.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
6:12 pm
I’m telling you, Hasheem Thabeet and Al Horford wouldn’t coexist very nicely at 5 and 4. They’d slow the team down, and Thabeet wouldn’t be the low-post offensive presence Horfy is.
Crazy Diamond
June 24th, 2009
6:15 pm
We may not be so screwed after all. This is the kind of action the Hawks need. Can Woody caoch this team to greater hights? There is HOPE!
SlimG
June 24th, 2009
6:18 pm
Now let’s get a center. A real center piece.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
6:18 pm
All I know is that the Hawks are putting together a bunch of good ballplayers, and good ballplayers tend to make coaches look smart.
Ariose(JazzHop)
June 24th, 2009
6:27 pm
Mark, I think it’s a great move too, but it leaves us with even more questions going forward….
BrittishAnger
June 24th, 2009
6:28 pm
I like this a lot…If for the big reason alone being we get rid of the Albatross necktie that is Speedy Claxton and we open up the door to reacquiring Bibby and drafting a good PG at #19 while keeping #49 open for a legitimate project big man. I’m also glad we’ll have a combo guard who can take the load off Joe’s hands when necessary. Definitely a step in the right direction, let’s see what happens tomorrow night….
no id
June 24th, 2009
6:31 pm
Im hearing that the deal is being slowed up due to the fact that Woodson is not completely sold on Crawford..Any truth to that?
Flip and flop: The story of a Braves' blogger's life | Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
6:33 pm
[...] about to trade Speedy Claxton and Acie Law to Golden State for Jamal Crawford, which I believe is a tremendous move. But I’m back to baseball now, and I’ll be here throughout the [...]
Hawks need Jack
June 24th, 2009
6:35 pm
If they don’t resign Bibby. Maybe the Hawks need to look a point guard that wants to come here. I know first hand that Jarrett Jack wants to come to the ATL and play again. I believe he would be a good fit.
GA Bulldawg
June 24th, 2009
6:37 pm
Yay I think the Hawks get the better end of the deal anyway cause now there’s no more running Joe into the ground for 40 minutes a night. The Hawks got the better end of the deal because there is absolutely no way that Crawford starts as a Hawk. Unless they do something extremely stupid like moving Joe Johnson to the 3-spot. Crawford’s talent and abilities are best used off the bench in a supporting role. Much like other combo guards.
Can you see players like Iverson, Ellis, Crawford, and Arenas as starters (or 1st or 2nd scoring options) on championship teams? I don’t think so…
ILL-logical
June 24th, 2009
6:38 pm
Ladies and Gentleman. Starting at point guard for your Atlanta Hawks from the University of Michican at 6′5” ,4” taller than the previous incumbant, 2 years younger and at $9+million -$6 million cheaper: Jamal Crawford.
Seriously, the BASG is not paying anyone 9 large to sit on the bench.
warriors
June 24th, 2009
6:41 pm
the guy is a defensive liability.
warriors
June 24th, 2009
6:43 pm
and his contract is a joke. the knicks screwed the league on this one. the warriors were just dumb enough to take him. that was until the hawks came along.
Steve
June 24th, 2009
6:50 pm
So what? Woodson does not develop younger players. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Law have a breakout year, if not this season, then next once he gets away from Woodson. Why draft players if you’re not going to develop them? Another wasted draft pick, for someone who might fit the system:(
GA Bulldawg
June 24th, 2009
6:50 pm
Of course he’s a liabilty on D but the Hawks are a good defensive team already…not a GREAT defensive team but we ranked in the top 10 in NBA team defense
"Chef" Tim Dix
June 24th, 2009
6:52 pm
Trade has been made!
I want some of the Golden State dope.
J:M
June 24th, 2009
6:53 pm
As a Warriors fan, Jamal Crawford is a great basketball player. He was great to the fans. HE was the only long term veteran who showed up to the last home game (Fan Appreciation Night), and he was only on the team for half a season. Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette, and Monte Ellis didn’t even bother showing up. Jamal is a straight up dude, and hope he does well with the Hawks. IMO, good pickup for both teams.
Warriors post above is correct about his defense, He’s on the all-time no defense team, but his handles are SICK! Warriors weren’t dumb, they needed to dump Al Harrington. So that doesn’t make sense.
Either way, from a GOLDEN STATE WARRIOR SEASON TICKET HOLDER, I liked watching Jamal play, but hated him throwing up 3s and bricking enough to build a house.
If you want highlights, here it is
http://www.nba.com/warriors/video/2009/04/14/WarriorsWeekly_Top10Plays_041309_NBA.nba/index.html
lawton
June 24th, 2009
6:54 pm
GOOD MOVE. more scoring is what the team needed. question though: what TYPE of offense is woodson gonna run? i mean, they have tried the perimeter thing to no success in the playoffs, when are they gonna address the inside game with josh smith and al horford? does crawford penetrate and kick out?
Jay Black
June 24th, 2009
6:58 pm
Who outside of Josh ISN’T a defensive liability? We need the french dude from Orlando!
The Grinch
June 24th, 2009
6:58 pm
Woodson isn’t going to develop a young player, so it doesn’t matter who we draft other than their value as future trade bait. But this is a great move; it’ll make JJ better too.
Barrington
June 24th, 2009
6:59 pm
Mark Bradley,
What’s the percentage figure for this deal going through? 60%, 70%, 80%?
Banshee 29
June 24th, 2009
7:01 pm
Our first concern should have been a big man and resigning Zaza. JJ is a pansie. What kind of team leader tells the national media in the middle of a PLAYOFF series that “I am tired?” I don’t care if he had to rum from Buckhead to Phillips twice a day, you must show leadeship if your the franchise player. Trade JJ now while we can!
GA Bulldawg
June 24th, 2009
7:01 pm
LOL at Jay Black. And Josh Smith isn’t a defensive liablity??? you CLEARLY don’t watch enough Hawks games. Our only solid defenders are JJ and Horford…that’s it. Josh is NOTHING more than a weakside shot blocker…he’s a below average one-on-one defender
Banshee 29
June 24th, 2009
7:02 pm
Maybe that is his excuse, “rumming,” not running.
not my kinda guy
June 24th, 2009
7:02 pm
I like the point about improving the team but I disagree that Crawford is the right piece. He’s expensive and his contract goes long enough to effect the Hawks more than it seems. He’s a shoot first player, just like Flip, and doesn’t bring defensive intensity like a bench guard should. Mike Bibby is good for this team because he commands tempo and gets other people involved. The best the Hawks played last year was when we ran and had 5 guys in double figures. I say improve, but do it sustainably.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
7:02 pm
I have no reason to believe it’s not going to happen, Barrington.
TonyHawkFan
June 24th, 2009
7:03 pm
That is an excellent move because Bibby and Flip are the only guys that knock down shots from the perimeter adding Crawford does not hurt at all. He is a pure shooter that will do wonders, now if we can get him to buy into defense that would be an even bigger plus. Smith is not our problem he’s a young player that I think its going to really break out this year with good decision-making and hustling to get to the basket.
Get a good 10-15 footer banker and we are in business. In the draft get Ty or Jeff and a center from somewhere a serviceable guy that will bang hard and run hard. I think we will be fine. We don’t need to perform a complete break up of this team the way some people are suggesting. Chemistry is hard to come by and when you get it you need to hold on.
Ted Striker
June 24th, 2009
7:05 pm
Mark — You said the addition of Crawford means that the Hawks can’t keep both Bibby and Murray. Forgive me. I’m ignorant on that point. What’s the prevailing rationale from the smart folks?
On the trade: If Claxton and Law — an anvil and a paperweight in the existing Atlanta scheme — were never gonna play, the trade definitely makes sense. If Crawford, a tweener guard in my view, will see court time, it’s an upgrade over non-court time players.
Not knocking Sund or the Hawks, but I’m not going to go overboard either. I was excited about Malone and Theus — but Willis going down put lipstick on the pooch.
Ken Strickland
June 24th, 2009
7:07 pm
It appears Woodson might be holding up the trade, and for a good reason. JCrawford has an opt out claus in his contract, and I don’t blame Woodson for wanting him for the duration of his contract. If Crawford is willing to negotiate that claus out of his contract, the trade will happen.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
7:08 pm
Al Horford is a good defender. Mo Evans is a good defender. Even Marvin plays D.
GA Bulldawg
June 24th, 2009
7:11 pm
MB, I read on ESPN that the only thing holding the deal is you-know-who…Woodson.
The Grinch
June 24th, 2009
7:14 pm
If Woodson blocks this trade, I’ll personally construct the pillory to lock him into at Centennial Olympic Park.
LEA
June 24th, 2009
7:14 pm
Woodson is not Phil Jackson, he needs to get over it and let it go.. Plus he wont’ be here much longer anywayz… IF the Hawks are giving one of the worst coaches in the league input.. Then expect us to draft 2 european players NO ONE has ever heard of tomorrow…
kirkinga
June 24th, 2009
7:15 pm
This is a sound deal. However, given what Atlanta sports fans went through this Winter with the Braves, I would just as well wait until this is a done deal…signed and delivered…before I get excited.
Collin
June 24th, 2009
7:15 pm
We need a long athletic center to go with this team not thabeet. We need BJ Mullens, he may not be much this year but who cares just bring him along and let the game come to him.
The Grinch
June 24th, 2009
7:15 pm
It’s at least partly his fault we NEED another point guard…he ought to be happy he hasn’t had his house burned down yet and just keep his mouth shut.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
7:20 pm
Yeah, Woody would hate to see Acie gone. (Note raised eyebrow.)
Dashizz47
June 24th, 2009
7:21 pm
Wow! Last week Acie Law wasn’t given a chance by Woodson and his staff, just wait were some of the remarks. Acie going to be a star, he has to develop,now it’s a good deal to ship him & Speedy for Crawford…..Wow…How quick we forget! LOL
LEA
June 24th, 2009
7:21 pm
We don’t need Bj Mullens he will be a bust.. Just because a guy is 7 ft tall. Doesn’t mean anything.. IF Ty Lawson or Brandon Jennings is there we BETTER take one of em..
DaveDawg
June 24th, 2009
7:24 pm
Really? I can’t believe we pulled that off. Well done!
the hawks r tied at 3rd favorite overall sports team now, officially
June 24th, 2009
7:25 pm
i’m just wondering where we might could get a little help in the rebound category and low post defense. espeically, and don’t laugh, if zaza gets gone. that guy was a great offensive rebounder. he created so many second chances and his competine spirit is contagious. he may not be starter caliber, but what he lacks in offense he makes up for with his fight. a great asset coming off the bench. great move though. what are the chances we get a maynor or ellington as well as a big guy out of free agency?
the hawks r tied at 3rd favorite overall sports team now, officially
June 24th, 2009
7:27 pm
excuse me, i meant competitive… & what big guys would be on the market?
Tyger
June 24th, 2009
7:28 pm
Please take at least one of Sunds balls out of your mouth when you type.
GA Bulldawg
June 24th, 2009
7:30 pm
Apparently Woodson doesn’t like the early opt-out clause in his contract…
GA Bulldawg
June 24th, 2009
7:32 pm
*In Crawford’s contract
Myrak43
June 24th, 2009
7:35 pm
Mullens is not more athletic than Thabeet. It is the other way around. and Mullens is 7′0 Thabeet is 7′3″ and can run faster and jump higher than Mullens.
Dawg A
June 24th, 2009
7:37 pm
Watch Acie and you will see what good coaching will do for a player. I wander how long it will take for Woody to mess up Crawford’s play?
Gumbo
June 24th, 2009
7:37 pm
Perfect – another self-absorbed underachiever on the Hawks. Look up Josh Smith and Marvin Williams when you get TO THE ATL.
Woodson, I don;t think you’re very good, but you can’t want this guy to run the point. PUHLeeezzzzeee…….
RealSquawk
June 24th, 2009
7:38 pm
Mark,
I was in complete agreement with you and then I read your comments.
Laughing*
I don’t think Thabeet and Horford would have problems, but I actually see why you would think that.
O and then you Mo is a good defender… ugh well… i think Mo gives a Mario West type attempt at defense, which is better than most players in the league, but his anticipation is off and his tenaciousness is used to against him as he is beat off the dribble.
Marvin however is the teams best on the ball defender. please refer to his work on carmelo, lebron, kobe, and dwade for references, but you can’t look at box score you have to watch the film.
And Al I would say is a great defender.
O and you are right about the acquirement of ballplayers. Said the same thing when we got Flip. getting somebody who can play and letting him play will not backfire.
Sund & Bradley Seperated @ Birth (NOT A COMPLIMENT) LOL
June 24th, 2009
7:43 pm
ACIE IS A STAR. ITS SAD THAT PLAYERS HAVE TO GET THE SHORT END OF THE STICK JUST SO COACH WOODY CAN KEEP HIS JOB. ATLANTA WILL NEVER GET A RING AND WOODY IS GONE AFTER NEXT SEASON AND I HOPES BRADLEY GOES WITH HIM!
Bubba
June 24th, 2009
7:44 pm
First off, kudos to Billy Knight for providing such utile ammunition with which to improve the team. Second, kudos to Rick Sund for landing on the mountain and moving up, not down.
Is he done? No. IMHO, he’s off to a good start.
Dawg A
June 24th, 2009
7:44 pm
What………… Woody doesn’t want Crawford. He has certainly earned the right to say what is a good player and not. Sund please spend your time getting another coach !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BRAVES FAN SINCE BIRTH!!
June 24th, 2009
7:45 pm
first off, i think crawford would b a great addition (we jus got rid of 2 bench warmers) so he has 2 have better value then those 2 guys. lets jus hope step curry falls 2 us!!!
GA Bulldawg
June 24th, 2009
7:47 pm
LOL at Acie being a star…he had his chance but I think its time to move on. He might have talent but he was injury prone anyway.
Bottom line is we basically got a STEAL people!
AB
June 24th, 2009
7:47 pm
When is the deal going to be finalized?
Good Grief
June 24th, 2009
7:54 pm
Im feeling this move. I’d personally want to keep Flip a bit more than I would Bibby right about now. I like having that explosive guy coming off the bench, but this move will make things a lot more interesting (as if they weren’t) for this off season because we now have a few more options on which way we want to move. Taking Ty Lawson will probably signal the days of Bibby being in Atlanta over – if we don’t take Ty than who knows
GA Bulldawg
June 24th, 2009
7:56 pm
@ ILL-logical:
Crawford has the handles, the size to be a productive player in the league but he just chucks most of the time at a 40% clip. Oh and he’s a TERRIBLE defender. Not a starting quality player on a team that wants to get out of the 2nd round!! His contract is midlevel anyways…look at Kirilenko in Utah and Kirk Hinrich in Chicago…both are getting paid more than Crawford to come off the bench so whats your point??
rms
June 24th, 2009
7:58 pm
Draft a PG not BJ Mullens. Crawford is not a PG!!! Dont blow this Sund, Draft a PG!!!!
RealSquawk
June 24th, 2009
7:59 pm
Joe dribbles down the clock to 8 seconds there are three defenders looking his way. Jamal comes off a screen set by Marvin who then sprints out to the three point line. Joe passes to Jamal who admittedly breaks down the last defender for lay-up.
hmmm. sounds good. even in Woodys offense.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
7:59 pm
It will be instructive to follow Acie Law under another coach. I’ve always liked the guy and wished he’d gotten a real look.
GA Bulldawg
June 24th, 2009
7:59 pm
Same with Maggette in Golden State…
Something tells me the Hawks are gonna convince Bibby to resign for a vet min, after all he said he wants to stay here in their exit interviews
Then the Hawks will let Flip sign with another team and draft a point guard to develop under Bibby.
southgadawg88
June 24th, 2009
8:00 pm
Nice pickup..Crawford is explosive he has a couple of 50 pt games under his belt.Anybody think we could get a decent big man for Williams?
GA Bulldawg
June 24th, 2009
8:00 pm
I just don’t wanna see Bibby go…but I want him to stay for a HUGE paycut
Sherewshevsky
June 24th, 2009
8:02 pm
i know, everyone loves this trade for Jamal Crawford. I wondered why the Hawks did it at first, then I read Bradley’s column and understand. If he comes off bench with Flip, then MAYBE OK.
BUT he plays little defense, has a career fg% at 40.5%, 3pt fg% at 35%. he scores a lot only because he shoots a lot. He shot poorly even with run-and-gun GS: fg% 40.4% and 3 pt fg% 34%!!! Guess he never got a layup. He’ll shoot the Hawks out of winning. Watch the other teams fast-break on us more with Crawford in the game.
Biddy’s numbers are much better offensively and assists-wise.
Flip’s numbers are better, too, except for assists.
If Flip or Biddy leave, then we have trouble.
StatsMan
June 24th, 2009
8:03 pm
Crawford can score, but he’s not a good passer for a point guard. He also shoots a poor percentage, is limited on defense and provides little rebounding for his position. I don’t see this as a good move.
GA Bulldawg
June 24th, 2009
8:06 pm
StatsMan that’s cause he isn’t a point guard…he’s a natural undersized 2 that can play the point if needed.
Bishop
June 24th, 2009
8:07 pm
I think this opens the door for us to draft Tyler Hansbrough. Got to get those Gwinnetians to come downtown.
JustAThought
June 24th, 2009
8:08 pm
I wonder what the going rate for a “buy-out” clauses………..and from a players stand point a very nice trump card to have.
This deal may not get done.
Crawdad is a real nice player, and he knows it and the league knows it. So tell me again why should he give-up that option to come play for a defensive minded coach (especially if he don’t/can’t play D).
JustAThought
June 24th, 2009
8:11 pm
Hey Bishop!
It’s going to take a whole lot more than Tyler to move the Gwinnetians my man.
RealSquawk
June 24th, 2009
8:13 pm
He plays little defense, but he plays better defense then bibby right?
Right?
JustAThought
June 24th, 2009
8:13 pm
I meant “OPT-OUT” clause……………
JustAThought
June 24th, 2009
8:14 pm
RealSquawk you play better D than Bibby!
LEA
June 24th, 2009
8:14 pm
actually it doesn’t open the door for us to draft tyler( which would be a HUGE mistake).. Crawford is NOT a pg.. And we have no back up for bibby.. This means we have to draft Ty Lawson IF he is still there..
JEWELL ROLLEN
June 24th, 2009
8:18 pm
THIS WOULD BE GREAT. HOWEVER, IF SOME GM TRADES FOR SPEEDY, HE WILL BE LOSING HIS JOB SOON, SO GET IT DONE RICK BEFORE THEY FIND OUT……
mountain_jim
June 24th, 2009
8:19 pm
Use Bibby’s money to get a defensive C and I agree with ‘Hawks need Jack’ above that that is the PG to replace Bibby with.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
8:29 pm
Think of Flip Murray as a Class AAA Jamal Crawford. Crawford might pass it a little more than Flip, though.
Get rid of Josh Smith
June 24th, 2009
8:31 pm
Enter your comments here
Get rid of Josh Smith
June 24th, 2009
8:32 pm
This would be aterrible trade, just like keeping Mike Bibby would be a terrible move to. Crawford is nothing but a gunner like Mo Williams who will frustrate Joe Johnson even more…The Hawks just continue to make bad moves…
AB
June 24th, 2009
8:36 pm
*Sniffing*, does anyone smile a Sign-and-Trade in the oven?
Sund & Bradley Seperated @ Birth (NOT A COMPLIMENT) LOL
June 24th, 2009
8:41 pm
WOW FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN AJC HISTORY BRADLEY SAYS SOMETHING NICE ABOUT ACIE LAW!!
“It will be instructive to follow Acie Law under another coach. I’ve always liked the guy and wished he’d gotten a real look”
WOW JUST WOW THIS WORLD IS NOW A BETTER PLACE. NOT
RealSquawk
June 24th, 2009
8:43 pm
I hope everyone here actually buys the AJC newspaper cause I do.
RealSquawk
June 24th, 2009
8:46 pm
Mark is your middle Adam cause i think you just posted as AB.
BosnianBaller
June 24th, 2009
8:47 pm
GREAT TRADE
LEA
June 24th, 2009
8:48 pm
a person with the name get rid of josh smith, should be IGNORED at all times…..
Good Grief
June 24th, 2009
8:50 pm
So there’s a good chance we’ll be going into next season without any of our PGs from this year…never would have thought it – tomorrow’s going to be interesting because I think more than anything we HAVE to get a PG. Do we let a guy fall to us or trade up and snatch one?
Gilley
June 24th, 2009
8:55 pm
Good Move! Can’t wait to see what the Hawks will do in the draft and in free agency. I will keep NBATV to watch the summer league games if we draft someone good. Mike Bibby should be resigned for a lower price and if we can’t keep flip, I will take Crawford over Flip as a replacement.
Jesse
June 24th, 2009
8:55 pm
Good move. He’s a better Flip. I hope they keep Bibby and let Flip walk.
Get rid of Josh Smith
June 24th, 2009
8:57 pm
LOL…Josh Smith is the worst player we got…What else does he do besides block shots and dunk? I’ll tell you what he does, for every block and dunk he gets, he takes 5 stupid jump shots and refuses to post up making you forget about the exciting block or dunk he just made. Man if we get Crawford and keep Bibby, we just throwing defense out the window. I guess we’re going for the Mike D’Antonio style of basketball…score alot of points and be exciting, but lose to a team that can score and play defense. I’m shaking my head at this one.
jdewayneatl
June 24th, 2009
8:59 pm
This is a good start to the off season. If nothing else this move provides cover for the Hawks if something goes wrong with acquiring a point guard to replace Bibby. Two restricted free agent point guards that were on the Hawks radar look like they’re gonna stay put this summer. The Bucks freed up money to keep both Charlie V and Ramon Sessions. Charlotte wasted no time placing the restricted tag on Raymond Felton and have expressed their intentions to resign him.
Bibby is gone. Crawford and Bibby are pretty much the same players offensively. Neither are good on defense. The Hawks even having Bibby as a defensive liability were still a good defensive team. Crawford is just a little more explosive and younger. Bibby is not coming back.
Hoops
June 24th, 2009
9:00 pm
Crawford is a good pick up if the Hawks are going to sign a starting PG like J. Jack. If not, we just threw away our trading pieces. I believe this trade says that they will not re-sign Flip, but they will draft a PG.
Bravedawg
June 24th, 2009
9:04 pm
MARK – What bothers me about this is everyone is taking a large leap here, saying some variation of “Acie wasn’t ever going to do anything.” Really? How do we know that? It’s not a bad trade, but I am thoroughly disappointed in the way that Woodson has (or hasn’t) developed guys. Josh Smith is the same player he was 3-4 years ago, just with more experience. He still plays defense when he chooses (he’s superb when he does), still hoists 18 foot jump shots at will, and still hasn’t developed much of a low-post game.
Acie Law didn’t even see the floor. There is no reason why he shouldn’t have apprenticed under Bibby for the last year and a half, and then looked to take over next season. Yeah, if Woodson refuses to play him (because Woodson is a stubborn idiot), then I guess get rid of him. Call me crazy, but I like to see guys that we drafted in the lottery less than two years ago get some actual playing time.
BRAVES FAN SINCE BIRTH!!
June 24th, 2009
9:08 pm
BRAVE DAWG I AGREE..THE ONLY THE KID DIDNT SEE THE FLOOR IS BECAUSE WOODSON TRIED TO SALVAGE HIS JOB..IT APPARENTLY WORKED
BRAVES FAN SINCE BIRTH!!
June 24th, 2009
9:08 pm
THE ONLY REASON I MEANT IN THAT LAST STATEMENT
LEA
June 24th, 2009
9:09 pm
I would trade up, especially if Brandon Jennings slips…
Brian
June 24th, 2009
9:22 pm
Chad Ford @ ESPN.COM has us taking Brandon Jennings @ 19 in his mock draft 6.2 … I would love that pick but we still have Woodson so Brandon would probably get no PT ala Acie… dayum shame coaches won’t let the kids play their game.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
9:24 pm
Brandon Jennings is a talent but a project. I think I’d rather have a college guy.
StatsMan
June 24th, 2009
9:28 pm
I understand GA Bulldawg. But if the Hawks are acquiring him to play the point, his passing is lacking. He HAS had opportuntities to start at point guard. And in those situations he has had low assist per 48 minutes figures for that role. Part of the problem is people fixate on per game numbers. For ALL players, per 48 minutes metrics provide more insight. Crawford plays high minutes, which make his per game numbers look artificially good.
Get rid of Josh Smith
June 24th, 2009
9:29 pm
In my dreams Tyreke Evans or Stephen Curry would fall to us or we would make a move to go up and get one of them…nope I get to settle for Jamal Crawford and read your columns trying to convince me this is a good move…but I know Crawford plays no defense and without defense you don’t win in the league…
gdg73
June 24th, 2009
9:29 pm
Toney Douglas and Gortat from Orlando. Let Zaza kick dirt. I also say sign Marvin Williams.
AB
June 24th, 2009
9:35 pm
BREAKING NEWS: The Hawks and the Warriors have agreed to trade Jamal Crawford to Atlanta for Acie Law and Speedy Claxton. But, the deal won’t be finalized until July 1st.
Hms
June 24th, 2009
9:41 pm
“LOL…Josh Smith is the worst player we got…What else does he do besides block shots and dunk? I’ll tell you what he does, for every block and dunk he gets, he takes 5 stupid jump shots and refuses to post up making you forget about the exciting block or dunk he just made. Man if we get Crawford and keep Bibby, we just throwing defense out the window. I guess we’re going for the Mike D’Antonio style of basketball…score alot of points and be exciting, but lose to a team that can score and play defense. I’m shaking my head at this one.”
This wins the award for Most Ridiculously Stupid Post of the Week, solely for the “Josh Smith takes 5 stupid jump shots for every block and dunk he gets.” If that were true, there would be NO WAY he shot 49% on the season. Hate to call names, but if it weren’t for idiots, the rest of us might not feel normal….
chuck
June 24th, 2009
9:41 pm
Bravedawg I agree with you it is foolish that all of the good that comes from our draft choices help other teams.even when we land a really good f/a we fail can anyone remember we had kenny jet smith at one time before he went on with to be the rockets b/c leader and look at him now anilizing these hawks with the iso joe offence our teams don’t no when to let the coaches go and it’s time too let go of the mike. cmon man
ProudTechFan
June 24th, 2009
9:44 pm
I like this but this has Hansborough being drafted tomorrow written all over it. They want Crawford to play point, and want Hansborough to play PF/C with him and Al switching position depending on matchups. I really dont have a problem with Hansborough, he has a knack for finding the ball for offensive rebounds and stays at the foul line. His energy is unbelievable and he plays harder than any player i have ever seen in college and im not exagerating. I just hope we can find a true point guard through the circus tomorrow, Lawson, maynor, whoever, just afford to pass on another point guarg. They also seem high on Ellington, I love Ellington too, but we dont need him, Joe, Crawford and Flip all basically playing the same position unless you truly want to play ten deep throughout the season and in the playoffs. i love my hawks are making moves and not riding the fence, Still interested in what happens with Bibby. I just have a feeling we wont be seeing him nor Marvin in a Hawks jersey next season… just my opinion..
Go Hawks!!!
RealSquawk
June 24th, 2009
9:45 pm
Mark,
He is a project. and there is no telling how his game improved overseas, but he is still a great pick for a point guard.
Brian,
I don’t have insider, but you must be joking. I can’t see how he falls to us at 19.
JMar
June 24th, 2009
9:45 pm
Crawford is a one-dimensional player who is too small to play SG and not talented enough to play PG. For any team but the Hawks that is, who only need a guy who can bring it down the court and dish to Joe. Clearly Sund sees Woody’s limitations and is willing to cater to them rather than attempt to plug round holds with square pegs.
Big Ray
June 24th, 2009
9:47 pm
I like this move. Crawford has his flaws, but no one can deny the fact that this guy can score. He can get his own shot, and doesn’t necessarily have to be sitting around wide open somewhere. No, his shooting percentage wasn’t great this past season (41%), but it’s only two percentage points less than JJ or Bibby.
A true scorer like this adds firepower, and that’s the point. But that’s not all you get from this deal. He’s also a much more useable asset if we decide to make another move. Like Mark Bradley says, he’s good insurance.
Don’t look at this as a Jamaal for Bibby move. That’s short-sightedness. Bibby may or may not re-sign, and we knew that coin flip was coming.
As for Woody holding up the deal (as reported by ESPN), does he have that kind of autonomy? I think not. Woody is not the guy who brokers deals, nor does he deal with contracts. It’s not his job. Sund will keep him in the loop information-wise and have him around for decision-making conversations, but he and his assistant Pendergraft will be doing the real work.
I say this is a good deal, and it’s not the last one we’ll do before the offseason is over.
Mark,
More than ever we may yet see our latest “point guard of the future.” I’m looking forward to it.
NekiEcko
June 24th, 2009
9:50 pm
Well, first of all I think that the trade was a good idea by the Hawks, even know that everybody will be harping on the Hawks about it. I think that Brandon Jennings would be a nice piece to the puzzle at PG, sure he is project but if he works with Mark Price over the summer, then he will be good PG and with Smith, Johnson, Horford, and now Crawford running a High Paced O, then Jennings can excel here, I think.
But I know that Jennings wont drop that far.
ant banks
June 24th, 2009
9:51 pm
does the addition of jamal crawford make us an appreciably better team? we play orlando, miami, washington, and charlotte 4 times each. we probably play clev, boston, indy, chicago twice. how will we fair against these teams? not to mention the powerhouse from the west.
i am cautiously optimistic. we are goin’ to need more than jamal crawford, though
Get Rid of Josh Smith
June 24th, 2009
9:53 pm
I am a raving, slobbering idiot lunatic.
Hms
June 24th, 2009
9:55 pm
Oh yes, without playing defense you don’t win in this league. So let’s get rid of josh smith who is the most dynamic defender we have. Brilliant. Can somebody pass the can of anti-stupid? We seem to have an infestation here.
alsim
June 24th, 2009
9:59 pm
Why doesn’t Spirit have this team building attitude with the Thrashers?!
.
Big Ray
June 24th, 2009
9:59 pm
Ant Banks,
I see this as an initial move. It isn’t the end of what will be accomplished before the offseason is over with. Sund and his crew have the draft and free agency to deal with, although I doubt we’ll see that pick moved now. For a while there, I was all about moving that pick along with Speedy’s contract to get a veteran pg (though a YOUNG veteran pg).
Now, I look for us to draft a pg, then get started on what to do with Bibby, Flip, Zaza, and Marvin, plus any other free agents out there that we might want to sign. This should just be the beginning of a summer that will prove more momentous than last summer, where we thought the whole world hung on the Joshes.
AB
June 24th, 2009
10:03 pm
Yeah, getting Crawford makes us better, but does it make us championship contenders?
niremetal
June 24th, 2009
10:03 pm
How did I know Bradley would love this trade. He’s ballhog who’s played for losing teams his entire career. He’s only shot better than 41% from the floor twice since he left high school; his career average is 40%. He doesn’t know the meaning of the words “win” or “pass.”
BUT AT LEAST HE’S…ASSERTIVE!!!
Ken Strickland
June 24th, 2009
10:07 pm
All of the JCrawford distractors keep saying he shoots too much, or he doesn’t pass enough, well so what. Woodson prefers jumpshooting PG’s, and his limited OFF system doesn’t require passing, penetrating PG’s. He’s established a guard dominated jumpshooting OFF, and as long as he’s the HC, our frontline players aren’t going to get a lot of touches, compared to JJ, Bibby, Crawford and/or Flip.
What’s interesting to me is seeing if ballhogs like Crawford and Flip can coexist in the same backcourt, assuming we resign Flip. Also, if we resign both Flip and Bibby, I hope we don’t draft a PG just to see him sit at the end of the bench and be subjected to the same lack of opportunity as Acie and Salim. What’s more interesting than the possible resigning of Bibby or Flip is what we’ll do if we can’t resign Zaza or Solo. Does anyone really think RMorris can fill anyones shoes but his own?
O'Brien
June 24th, 2009
10:10 pm
Mark, I like the trade for the reasons you mentioned.
Flip was more an undersized SG, so now we have a better SG. That gives us the option to bring him off the bench. Plus Woody can go small sometimes, with PG, Crawford, and JJ on the floor at the same time. (I recommend Jarret Jack).
And Crawford can give JJ a break (no more 41 mpg for JJ).
Plus we can always trade Crawford next year assuming he doesnt opt out of his deal.
And what if JJ does not resign with the Hawks next offseason? Then at least we have a serviceable SG to replace him. And he can play point, similar to how JJ handles the ball sometimes.
If I’m not mistaken, We can still resign Zaza, draft a PG, sign Jack, and still have the midlevel to find a big man.
BRAVES FAN SINCE BIRTH!!
June 24th, 2009
10:13 pm
well mayb we can come up with a package 2 send sum guys 2 charlotte for raymond felton..the bobcats seem high on DJ AUGUSTIN
AB
June 24th, 2009
10:21 pm
First Joe Johnson, then Mike Bibby, and now Jamal Crawford. Yay, another dissapointment waiting to happen. Hawks fans totally don’t deserve this dammit! Rick Sund has become an “Mike Woodson a– kisser”, YUCK! Is this guy stupid or is he just being “sly”? LOL! Man, I wish I could do my job badly at work AND have my boss kissing my a–, too! Woody has it MADE!
MyView
June 24th, 2009
10:22 pm
Those of you dogging Acie Law must have just begun to watch the Hawks. I was guilty of this a few years back with Boris Diaw, and I was dead wrong then. Diaw left woodson and became an asset. I am not a Woodson basher, but sometimes you have to wonder. If Acie turns into a good pro, my voice may get louder though.
Ariose
June 24th, 2009
10:39 pm
ummm…we STILL need Mike Bibby. Crawford+Johnson=05′ Hawks (Joe/Harringotn) if we don’t resign Bibby. I hate to admit it but he stabilizes everything. He may be useless in the playoffs, but he’ll get us in a playoff position that’s for sure.
LEA
June 24th, 2009
10:42 pm
we don’t NEED Mike Bibby.. he did NOTHING in the playoffs… Hid lack of defense is one of the main reasons our bigs were in foul trouble a lot..
willie
June 24th, 2009
10:45 pm
The Hawks need more players and this gives them one without losing any important pieces….great deal. I am sure we will go after a PG in the draft but if not, I would love to bring Sam Young from Pitt here. He is an older guy that can flat out play and contribute right away.
jeffrey d
June 24th, 2009
10:48 pm
Can someone explain why Acie Law didn’t work well with Woodson?
jeffrey d
June 24th, 2009
10:48 pm
In more words than “because Woodson is an idiot”?
KB
June 24th, 2009
10:48 pm
I like the trade, but I have one question: If your team is not going to develop the players you draft, then why get them? It it hi time to get rid of M. Woodson. You guys wanted a coach to lead you to playoffs, but not a coach to lead a franchise out of the doldrums. You guys laughed at me when I said you guys should have pick Paul Silas as your coach instead of M. Woodson, Chris Paul over Marvin Milliams, and keep Al Harington when he was still here. But who is laughing now?
Big Ray
June 24th, 2009
10:50 pm
O’brien,
Agreed with your whole post. Good points.
Jay
June 24th, 2009
11:00 pm
Props for using the term “iso-Joe” again. Keep throwing it in their face until something is done about it. Power to the press.
reedeak
June 24th, 2009
11:03 pm
I have a feeling the hawks are going to have to make a choice: Josh or Joe? It was clear in the playoffs that there was some chemistry issues on the team. Is it Josh’s team or Joe’s team. Can they work together? I don’t know. I would love for them to. I seems to me that Josh needs to mature…a lot…realize his strengths are in the paint and not get pissed if someone calls him out for taking dumb shots on the outside. That is not his game. AND if he does not mature, we DO NOT need him. I would rather have someone that does not have the attitude and is coachable. OR a coach who has the balls to send JSmoove a message and bench him till he gets the picture. That is the only way he will learn….Thoughts?
TRUTH-SERUM
June 24th, 2009
11:07 pm
AB
June 24th, 2009
10:03 pm
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. FLIP IS A GREAT PLAY AND IS AS GOOD OR BETTER THAN CRAWFORD. IF ANY BODY SHOULD GO IT SHOULD BE DEFENSELESS BIBBY. BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE HAWKS WONT CONTEND FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP WITH OUT A CENTER. HORFORD IS NOT THE ANSWER AT THE POST. HES A POWERFORWARD AND THE HAWKS NEED A CENTER TO BE CONTENDER.
reedeak
June 24th, 2009
11:08 pm
TRUTH-SERUM,
YES! Bosh!
TRUTH-SERUM
June 24th, 2009
11:10 pm
MyView
June 24th, 2009
10:22 pm
ACIE IS NOT BETTER THAN JJ,BIBBY,FLIP OR MARVIN. IF HE GETS BETTER ITS BECAUSE HELL GET MORE TIME TO DEVELOP. HE WONT GET THAT BEHIND BIBBY FLIP,JJ AND MARVIN.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
11:11 pm
Woodson is like a lot of coaches: He prefers veterans to rookies. Acie never gained his trust.
reedeak
June 24th, 2009
11:14 pm
Bradley, What do you think of my assesment of Joe and Josh in my post above?
Ernest
June 24th, 2009
11:19 pm
I saw a lot of potential with Acie but felt he never got a chance, especially after he got injured during the Charlotte game his first season. I wish him the best with his career.
By the same token, I think JCrawford will bring a new dimension to the team. He brings length to the defensive perimeter. He has never had a chance to play on a playoff contender. He’s got a chance to be a major contributor to the team. He will also provide much needed rest for JJ.
blue hawk
June 24th, 2009
11:24 pm
bring in Darko!!!
Herschel Talker
June 24th, 2009
11:38 pm
Who cares? The Hawks are irrelevant.
bravesfalconhawk
June 24th, 2009
11:38 pm
what about going after free agent marcin gortat(Magic) to play center and move horfy back to his natural position?? he(gortat)played well in the playoffs,when givin a chance,he can run the floor for a big man…just a thought??
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
11:40 pm
I think you’re right in a sense, Reedeak. Joe is going to have to share more of the scoring load. He has too many good players around him to be the only option.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
11:40 pm
Gortat’s not a starter for a reason. He’s not that good. Horford is a better center than he is.
Simpdawg
June 24th, 2009
11:40 pm
Let me know when the trade is complete.
reedeak
June 24th, 2009
11:48 pm
I think working a trade for Bosh or an established big man is the only way for the hawks to be a serious contender…if not then we will just be settling for a second round exit at the most.
The Bullhorn
June 24th, 2009
11:51 pm
Lets take a look at the Hawks draft picks the last few years:
1) Josh Childress left for Greece.
2) Josh Smith can’t get along with Woody.
3) Sheldon Williams was traded.
4) Soloman Jones rides the bench 95% of the time.
5) Salim Stoudamire was not re-signed.
6) Al Horford didn’t improve much from his rookie season.
7) Marvin Williams hasn’t improved over the last two seasons.
Now, name the one constant that each of these players encountered.
WOODSON.
Did any of these players improve each season under Woodson? NO.
Now, manyy of us wished that Billy Nightmare had drafted better, me included.
But given Woodson’s track record with our draft picks, do you think Chris Paul and Brandon Roy would have become stars under Woodson?
Woodson is the problem. Woodson can’t develop young players. Woodson willn’t give the young players a chance to develop. Woodson wants players that other coaches have taught how to play at the NBA level.
So what purpose does Woodson serve? Why was Woodson coaching a team that WAS loaded with young players?
What can Woodson do well? The Hawks do run three different plays on offense, I guess he calls 1,2, or 3.
AB
June 25th, 2009
12:00 am
To me, it doesn’t seem like Joe Johnson would be a good fit with Jamal Crawford. Crawford can be selfish sometimes, and selfishness can hurt a good team, just look at the Pistons when they got Allen Iverson.
Rufus
June 25th, 2009
12:07 am
LOL at people keep comparing Crawford and Flip . There is no comparison as Crawford has been a number one option on a team before . He understands the pressure and has still produced .Look at the assists numbers Crawford adds another passer of Joe and Bibbys caliber to the lineup and team overall.
I like this trade because we dont need Crawford to carry us but we cant ever have enough players who can go out and take over games and Crawford can do that.You cant just throw anyone on him and that affects how defenses can play Joe . You cant put a West or Williams on him because they are just too small and he would torch them like the Magic guards did but Bibby failed to do.
Crawford has his issues on defense but I remember when we played against Crawford on the knicks when he was the pg and he went for 39 and 8 or something and we won the game mainly because we wore him down as he had no help he then had another game with 25 and 8 against us too. I think that if Woodson plays it right he could work out for us as it gives us another person that can close games . The guy has like 8 game winning shots or something like that .
This isnt a savior move and answer to all our problems this is a good team adding to its depth and now its up to the coaching staff to use him properly.I heard people say “Chucker” and I thought I would see 20 fga per game but the guy has never taken more than 17 fga per game . Last year Joe took over 18 fga per game and Crawford only 15 fga . Im having a hard time distinguishing between just a players rep and what the player is really about here .
bravesfalconhawk
June 25th, 2009
12:08 am
well i think the crawford trade is really good…but if josh smith doesnt start listening to the coaches and playing inside the paint and quit taking those long jump shots,he needs to go too!! if hes gonna continue to shoot from that distance then his summer should be dedicated to practicing that…he would be very dangerous though!! atlanta teams are back!! now we just need some true fans to show up n cheer…for atl that is lol
bravefalconhawk
June 25th, 2009
12:12 am
ATL ALL DAY
Ariose
June 25th, 2009
12:34 am
WOW the Cavs just STOLE Shaq!!!!! Shaq to Cle for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic…
Ariose
June 25th, 2009
12:35 am
Does this Put CLE over the top????
HawkKingBibby
June 25th, 2009
12:43 am
Mark am I going to have to change my screen name now????????????
rusty
June 25th, 2009
12:49 am
if we get crawford,i definetly think its
time to trade iso joe for a big man & see if we can throw in woodsan
Perimeter Jacket
June 25th, 2009
12:51 am
Now that we probably gonna get Crawford and PG in the draft, we need a C with bulk ASAP. With Shaq going to Cleveland, and Howard continuing to improve in Orlando, getting bigger on the frontcourt is crucial. If it wasn’t the biggest issue before, it should be now.
MyView
June 25th, 2009
1:04 am
TRUTH-SERUM…I feel you but the Hawks had an awful lot of DNP’s this season, and Joe was at or near the top as far as Mins played so there was times when Acie could have gotten more pt. At least then you could see for certain if he’s a player or not. How many games did he get 12 mins in two years here?
JSS
June 25th, 2009
1:05 am
Ian’t it good to be relcvent again!!! Truth, where you been? Don’t panic… Help is on the way… Even Woody (my hero only the fact he gave Jeff you know the Hi-hat) can foil this…
J-MAN
June 25th, 2009
2:38 am
We need Tyson Chandler
Hawks wheeling and dealing in NBA trade season! | Hawks Blog
June 25th, 2009
2:45 am
[...] deal for Crawford makes sense for so many reasons, as the digital tag-team duo of Mark Bradley and Jeff Schultz have already pointed out in separate takes on this latest roll of the red, white [...]
Josh
June 25th, 2009
5:34 am
Lebron Wade and Kobe have only won with help.Duncan has had help with The Admiral and then Parker Ginobli and now Jefferson MJ would’ve never won six titles without Pip and the boys, Magic had Kareem Worthy and Scott amoung others . Bird had Parish Mchale Ainge and Walton amoung others . Jo Jo is the second coming of Smitty but unlike those great mid nineties Hawks this team has more potential it just needs a new Mookie. This is shaping to be a great team.
GA Bulldawg
June 25th, 2009
6:21 am
Thnx for saying what I’ve been thinking all along Josh! There’s no way you can win a championship without AT LEAST one other player than demands double teams UNLESS you have a solid all-around starting 5, like the 2004 Pistons. And even that is extremely rare these days…most of the recent champions have had a dynamic duo or terrific trio but not a good 5.
GA Bulldawg
June 25th, 2009
6:23 am
In other words, if the Hawks don’t make the necessary moves to surround Joe with another player that demands double teams, then Joe will just end up looking like KG in Minnesota, Chris Bosh in Toronto or even Paul Pierce b4 the “Big 3.”
GA Bulldawg
June 25th, 2009
6:27 am
Anyway to answer someone’s question, I kinda laughed when I heard about the trade because it doesn’t solve anything. Shaq is waaaaay past his prime and now the Cavs will have two 7 footers cloggin the lane…if Lebron doesn’t work on a consistent J, he will have no room to drive and score in the paint which is where he gets at least 80% of his points. He also won’t be able to drive and dish as much he used to
The Truth
June 25th, 2009
7:07 am
With Shaq poor free-throw shooting as a known fact, the Cavs have just been exposed. It’s Shack-a-Shaq Time!! Lebron will be pissed for losing those games at the free-thow line. He will come up short again.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
June 25th, 2009
7:07 am
Looks like Crawford might finally make the playoffs after all next year. I believe he is the current active leader in years in the league w/o making the Playoffs. Who would have thought the Hawks would be the team to break the streak! Great move, Crawford can flat out light it up if used properly.
Pulleeze
June 25th, 2009
7:19 am
This is to all you Josh Smith bashers. Put ur thinking caps on for one minute. In the Hawk’s ISO JOE offense, who is the only player left open with hardly any time left on the shot clock? And if you really think about it, Josh Smith NEVER takes a contested jump shot. He is always left open when he shoots. So the questions begs, how is gonna become a better jump shooter besides working on it during the summer (which he does); other than to actually take those opens shots during actual meaningful games? If you’re honest with yourself, you know he has gotten better each year. And with another year under his belt, I expect him to be even better. You may take ur thing caps off now.
bigeasy830
June 25th, 2009
7:37 am
Most of those point guards coming out this year reminds me of Acie Law. Maybe Acie’s untimely injures hurt his development, but i agree with most of you and that is Coach Woodson just would not develop him. But Coach Woodson was fighting for his job so he road the tire bald on Bibby and Joe Johnson to give him the best chance to win everynight. he didi develop Josh Smith and and Josh Childress. Well those two didi develop nicely, I don’t know if we can give him credit for it. Al numbers did not improve because the Hawks play from the perimeter. If they played more inside out basketball, that would take a lot of pressure of their gaurds.
Gabron Salome
June 25th, 2009
7:37 am
Yeah that makes sense. Woodson is an idiot, not the prima donna Law who thought his stuff didn’t stink from day one. Talk about bricks, the point is neither Law or Claxton is a viable option for this team. Yeah, the contract is rediculous but the same was said about JJ and all he’s done is lead the team in scoring and consecutive all star appearances. If we get lucky enuff to get Ty Lawson and pick up a servicable big man were in the money. Go Hawks.
Fred Pennington
June 25th, 2009
7:50 am
NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyone but Jamal Crawford! RECIPE FOR DISASTER!
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-2723-Atlanta-Hawks-Examiner~y2009m6d25-Anybody-but-Jamal-Crawford
Jfreak
June 25th, 2009
8:27 am
Crawford is a solid player and should help make the Hawks better overall with one exception, Woodson! I’m sure he’ll find someway to limit the talent he has been blessed with. In my opinion he is the worst coach in the NBA, but the Hawks did makes the playoffs and they did advance in the playoffs so Woodson almost had to be brought back. Sund couldn’t risk firing the guy and replacing him with another coach and then have the Hawks have a worse season after Woodson was gone. In Woodson the Hawks know what they’ve got. He probably wont help the team get better, but he probably wont make them worse either.
The Hawks have talent and I’m excited about their future!
BH
June 25th, 2009
8:27 am
excellent move!! crawford scored 50 in a game! so do we keep flip? LOL we gave up nothing for him
Johnson
June 25th, 2009
8:52 am
The Billy Knight mess is almost over. That idiot should be publicly flogged for his terrible picks!
SecretKeeper
June 25th, 2009
8:59 am
I have seen former Pitt rebounder and shot blocker Chris Taft, working out in Atlanta. Think the Hawks could use a “big” like that to help out Horford?
A Tribe Called Quest
June 25th, 2009
9:00 am
Great trade.
We gave up 2 injury-prone stiffs who did NOTHING for us (Acie had 1 good game maybe but led us to no wins) for a 20 ppg combo guard who has scored 50 in a game.
We need to draft the best available PG (Raymond Felton ability hopefully) to come here. It’ll be interesting to see how we manage the roster. Does Jamal start next to JJ at the 2? Do we let Duck go? Does Flip get resigned?
I’d like to see us get Lawson, who can hopefully be as good as raymond Felton currently is (a little above average or better) and get a 2nd PG at the end of the bench. Now we MUST resign ZaZa.
I dont know if Flip and Jamal could coexist. Flip already takes every end of quarter shot and every shot on every other possession
Mike is back
June 25th, 2009
9:34 am
Mark, so you know here my post on the trade.
I just want to say I like the trade…Crawford can lighted up…the writing was on the wall for Acie. I like Teague too. If It was to go down like this in the draft with Siler in the second round…need less to say I would be a very happy camper…I’m all about the team…FOLK!!
jerrywest
June 25th, 2009
9:50 am
1. Flips days are over. He is completely overshadowed by Jamal.
2. We still need a legit vet PG. A rookie won’t cut it next year. I think we’ll find a cheaper PG than Bibby.
3. We need Zaza+another center. Any chance with Australian Anderson?
4. Does Chillz fit in better with Jamal than Marvin does?
5. Does Mo Evans have any trade value? His contract ends next summer.
Gortat IS that good
June 25th, 2009
10:01 am
Gortat is very accomplished both offensively and defensively – he doesn’t start because , perhaps , only Mark Bradley would start Marcin Gortat over Dwight Howard
lamar
June 25th, 2009
10:14 am
The Celtics are shopping Rondo.If we need a point guard,why not try to fashion a deal to bring this next MVP to the HAWKS.This a better fit than any that can be made.
Sherewshevsky
June 25th, 2009
10:42 am
Bibby has better shooting and assists stats than Crawford.
Flip has better shooting stats than Crawford.
Crawford does not play defense better than either Bibby or Flip.
When Flip and/or Bibby leaves, Hawks will be worse off.
Now what?
The Hot Button: Why the Hawks still must pluck a PG | Mark Bradley
June 25th, 2009
10:45 am
[...] assume the Jamal Crawford trade is consummated, and let’s even assume the Hawks re-sign Bibby: Even then, there’d always be a need for [...]
Benjamin
June 25th, 2009
11:06 am
I’m not sold on this move unless we keep Bibby.
To be honest, I want to retain Flip, as well. But that’s the selfish side of me speaking.
If we were to go into next season with a front nine of Mike, Jamal, Joe, Flip, Josh, Mo, Marvin, Al, and ZaZa, we could very well be the best team in the Eastern Conference. I honestly believe that. No team would have our depth, and we’d have guys that could at least plug and play into positions across the board.
I’ve maintained for three years now that our biggest concerns, as a team, lie in the head coach (I still do not trust Mike Woodson) and in number 5’s erratic decision-making on the floor (ill-advised threes, no look passes into the third row, chewing out the refs at the most inopportune times, etc.). But a nine-deep roster like that would make it almost impossible for any one person to screw this up.
Bring in Jamal for pieces we don’t use anyway. Retain the other free agents. Go into camp with those guys, plus Mario and Solo. Develop a plan that utilizes Jamal and Joe the right way as scoring options while letting the secondary guys filter in. Tell Josh Smith to stick to being a slasher/stopper and stop thinking he’s Steve Kerr at times. Contend for the championship…
A modest proposal: Flip free agency and the NBA draft | Mark Bradley
June 25th, 2009
2:41 pm
[...] Sund makes a good living, OK? (And he’s doing a nice job, OK?) But Rick Sund is an NBA general manager, and NBA general managers have it tough, logistically [...]
brokenarrow
June 25th, 2009
7:27 pm
Sherewshevsky – Crawford got to the free throw line over 170 more times than Bibby and over a 100 more than Flip and this is with Crawford sitting out games with nothing wrong with playing for crazy Nelson. The defense is a wash but I think what gets overlooked here is that Crawford is a first tier defensive assignment for opponents .You dont double off Crawford ,you cheat off Crawford and you cant hide a weak defender on him . It really changes the way opponents have to defend us
Of course he has his weaknesses but we got him for nothing basically and still allows us to make some moves in free agency
cdog
June 25th, 2009
11:42 pm
GOOD JOB SUND NOW WE NEED TO GET A CENTER WHO CAN DEFEND IN THE PAINT.
cdog
June 25th, 2009
11:43 pm
WHAT KIND OF PLAYER IS THE GUARD FROM THE ULKRAINE?
Sautee
June 28th, 2009
11:09 am
Truth Serum,
Here we go again. You said this:
“ACIE IS NOT BETTER THAN JJ,BIBBY,FLIP OR MARVIN. IF HE GETS BETTER ITS BECAUSE HELL GET MORE TIME TO DEVELOP. HE WONT GET THAT BEHIND BIBBY FLIP,JJ AND MARVIN.”
OK, I’ll buy Bibby and Flip, but what did JJ and Marvin do to impede Acie (a backup POINT GUARD) from playing?
Last I looked Marvin played SF and JJ played SG / SF although he handled the ball a lot.
And are you ever going to admit you were wrong about Horford’s block stats?
And what about asking me to use the 09-10 stats? LOL!
And it's a flying start to this pivotal Hawks offseason | Mark Bradley
July 2nd, 2009
12:05 am
[...] Crawford was an inspired acquisition, one of those there-has-to-be-a-catch coups: A guy who scored almost 20 points a game last season [...]