Bradley’s Buzz: Will Aussie big man finally be a Hawk?
David Andersen was selected by the Hawks in Round 2 of the 2002 NBA draft, so long ago the guy who did the choosing wasn’t Rick Sund or even Billy Knight but Pete Babcock. Remember that if Mr. Andersen — not to sound all “Matrix” here — plays for the Hawks next season. Remember to thank the unlamented Mr. Babcock for his foresight.
According to El Mundo Deportivo, Andersen could be en route. The Spanish sports publication, via a rough Google translation, reports he has informed Regal FC Barcelona club officials he wants to leave to play in the NBA. Owing to that 2002 draft pick, the Hawks still hold his NBA rights, and Sund, the latest Hawks general manager, last week said Andersen is indeed a viable option, “especially if Zaza [Pachulia, a free agent] leaves.”
Andersen hasn’t yet signed with the Hawks. But Web sites on three continents — from the local Peachtree Hoops to the Australian message board OzCardTrader.com — have been atwitter, as it were, with speculation a deal is imminent.
About Andersen: He’s a 6-foot-11 center from Australia. He led Barcelona to the Spanish championship last season after four years at CSKA Moscow. (A YouTube video of him working for CSKA can be viewed below.) He’s 29. He has played for the Australian national team, and he has a Web site, which you’re encouraged to visit.
A word of warning: He’s not a Zaza-playalike. He’s more a power forward than a true center. (Think Pau Gasol.) But he’s very skilled, and he could be a Hawk very soon.
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33 comments Add your comment
MightyQuinn
July 6th, 2009
7:01 am
Can I actually say it? First?
MightyQuinn
July 6th, 2009
7:07 am
“Hear that, Mr. Andersen? That is the sound of inevitability. That is the sound of your draft.” If it were the Hawks of old (2 or 3 years ago), we could have used the direct quote and said “death” not “draft”. Lets throw a shrimp on the barbie and see what he can do.
NCBravesFan
July 6th, 2009
7:18 am
Mark: Looks like his offense meshes well with soft porn electronica. Any idea if his defense is more smooth jazz, or death metal?
some sense
July 6th, 2009
7:39 am
Mark,
I’m trying to get someone “in the know” to explain to me the wisdom of resigning Mike Bibby, which looks like it’s gonna happen.
Defensive liability and not a high assists guy. What strengths offset these weaknesses??? Would truly appreciate your opinion.
Ernest
July 6th, 2009
7:50 am
Some sense, there are these characteristics called ‘intangibles’ and ‘chemistry’ that mean more to the success of a team than anything else. Woody obviously appreciates Bibby because he is a veteran with a pretty high basketball IQ and can be the ‘coach on the floor’. Bibby is not the ‘drive and dish’ type of PG most of us would probably prefer but he does manage the half court game well.
mountain_jim
July 6th, 2009
8:21 am
I hope the Hawks do sign him, but not to replace Zaza and call it a day. They could use this piece but they NEED an additional defensive and rebounding center (or Zaza + another) in the rotation as well. The playoffs exposed their weakness in depth there.
BT
July 6th, 2009
8:27 am
Mark, good article. How about ppg or rebounds?
Jamaaliver
July 6th, 2009
8:33 am
First!!!!!
Doh!
dap01
July 6th, 2009
8:49 am
Bibby is an asset because he does not need Woodys brilliant strategy during timeouts to be successful.
Notty
July 6th, 2009
8:50 am
I’m not a big Bibby guy myself, but if it weren’t for Bibb we would not have made the playoffs the last two years. For the right price Bibby is a good fit for this team the way our roster is made up. He is a defensive liability, he doesn’t drive and dish, but he does hit the open jump shot with some consistency. As long as we have the gaurds to sub for him were good. We can jst ride him when he’s hot. As for Anderson, I’m in a state of nirvana. If he can play then good. If not we miss nothing. We still need a 5 in the worst way. Hawks owner told me to be patient, a move will be done to where Al will play the 4. So be patient Hawks fans. GO HAWKS!!!
Checkout http://www.2livestews.com under Lady Simones blog to see ya boy.
2 Live Stews M-F 1p-4p
790 am or Sirius 127
wxwax
July 6th, 2009
9:26 am
Mike Bibby is a point guard. Without him the Hawks don’t have a point guard.
Clear enough?
Unless you think Jason Terry did a bang-up job running the point (and you’d be the only one) you don’t want any other guard on the Hawks’ roster getting the job full time. None are a pure point the way Bibby is. His acquisition filled a vital need and the Hawks improved almost immediately.
Left to Right
July 6th, 2009
10:01 am
Very nice change to have decent players trying to maneuver themselves ONTO the Hawks roster.
Mark Bradley
July 6th, 2009
10:04 am
Actually, that’s the way basketball is broadcast in Europe, NC — no commentators, just background music. (Yes, I’m lying.)
Andersen averaged 11.1 points and 4.1 rebounds for Barcelona. (Remember: Nobody scores a lot in European basketball.)
Doyle, Winder
July 6th, 2009
10:05 am
NCBravesFan–lmao!! Some Sense–are you serious?!?! How can any one who calls themselves a Hawks fan have already forgetten LBB (Life Before Bibs). We couldn’t get the ball up the freeking court much lest get an assist or two. And that says nothing about his 3 point shooting which opens things up underneath for everyone else. Without Bibby, we are still awaiting our 1st playoff appearance in a decade. Yes, defense is not his strong suit. But before we toss him out we had BETTER have a legit PG with experience on the playoffs!
mountain_jim
July 6th, 2009
10:12 am
Notty – I hope your Hawks owner comment does not mean they are trading Josh S. for a one year rental of Bosh or Amare – that would make Woody happy perhaps but it would not be good for the long run.
BrittishAnger
July 6th, 2009
10:27 am
Decent report, good to hear Sund is looking into some possible dead ends to screw up our front court before the new season. Well, I’m being pessimistic; I have such a hard time watching this weird “We drafted them x years ago and now they’re coming back” deal that the NBA is pulling these days (find Illysova in Rotoworld). Although, didn’t I hear somewhere that players who don’t play with their drafted team after so many years can re-enter the draft at some point? So, if Zaza falls through there’s the potential he “might” come to the NBA, but it’s not in stone…I guess we’ve got a deal for Patrick Chewing in the works as well should that fall through…..Let’s see them do something before the week is out…Either resign Bibby or pick-up a big’un…….
BobL
July 6th, 2009
11:11 am
We need to add him to Zaza, not replace Zaza.
GeeMack
July 6th, 2009
11:30 am
Mark we understand the ppg, but 4 rebs is horrible even for a Euro player.
BT
July 6th, 2009
11:35 am
They don’t score much in Europe and it looks like they don’t rebound much. Do they all play Dean Smith’s four corners?
Keeping It Real
July 6th, 2009
11:35 am
Big mistake unless some of the other guys are leaving. This will not help the Hawks compete with Boston,Orlando and Cleveland.
Mark Bradley
July 6th, 2009
11:50 am
It’s a slower game over there. What can I tell you?
RC n CP
July 6th, 2009
11:54 am
I agree with most of the Hawks moves/draft/trades so far. I’d like to see Anderson brought over if the intention is not to resign Solo. But I like Solo backing up the center and forward position. He needs some minutes to development. Bibby, is ok to resign, but I’m very curious at what cost and for how many years. I don’t want to see Bibby and/or Crawford hamper Teague’s development opportunities, as was the case with AC Law. I think AC will be fine now that he is no longer here pulling splinters out of his behind from being vanquished to the bench.
Bring Ratliff back, we needs some bigssssssssssss! Go Hawks
HawkKingBibby
July 6th, 2009
12:10 pm
Mark I think that Spanish site just picked up on what you said after the Crawford PC about Andersen coming here if ZaZa doesnt return. If they are right about him wanting 2.8 mil a year why cant we have ZaZa and D.A.? 2.8 mil for a skilled big man isnt a whole lot in nba free agency. Plus I heard this is the last year we have his rights so if we dont sign him this year we lose him. He can be the pick and role type big that Mike Bibby flourished with in Sactown ( Vlade, Miller).
SAMRIN
July 6th, 2009
12:18 pm
We need a 5 sooooo bad i will take Anderson along with ZaZa, a “7 footer that can take up space down low and give us 10pts and 6 boards a game will help us alot. I don’t see King Soloman doing that for us the last 2 years!!!!!!!
BrittishAnger
July 6th, 2009
12:20 pm
I saw from the Augusta Chronicle (link below) that Garret Siler will be involved with the Timberwolves summer league team and is scheduled to be a part of Hawks Mini-camp. Please, for the love of Dobbs, don’t let him fall behind Kevin Love and into obscurity in Minnesota, I like him as a 12th man more than Randolph Morris just because the kid has some weight to him and doesn’t look like he’d get mashed taking a charge, just fired up…
http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2009/07/03/nba_529740.shtml
SWAT Native
July 6th, 2009
12:39 pm
For the record, that’s not “soft porn electronica”, that’s that dope music that plays when Neo puts on his shades and flies away at the end of the first “Matrix”…admittedly, it does get a little corny after it gets further into the song.
I hope we can finally get Andersen over here to play for the Hawks if only to see what he’s got. I want him to come as a an addition, though, not a replacement for Zaza. Be nice to have a big man that can score off the bench.
All I'm Saying Is...
July 6th, 2009
3:49 pm
Great, just what we need: another long limbed forward. Are you sure Billy “King of Wing” Knight didn’t draft this guy?
RE-SIGN ZAZA and THEN GO OUT AND GET A DEFENSIVE MINDED CENTER!
Either trade Marvin to get Tyson Chandler or Sign Theo Ratliff or Birdman (both unrestricted free agents) or take a chance on Channing Frye who is spotty on defense but is skilled offensively.
David Andersen has signed? - Page 2 - OzCardTrader.com.au
July 6th, 2009
6:18 pm
[...] Pau Gasol.) But he
JSS
July 6th, 2009
6:52 pm
Good follow-up British Anger… Who are your FA and Premier choices for the next round by the way? You know how I feel about Siler… But I take my come uppings like a man… Well except from Wacko Macko…
Cheers… Hawk fans “You Never Walk Alone!”
Mark Bradley
July 6th, 2009
8:55 pm
Did anyone catch what the English translation of El Mundo Deportivo called Zaza Pachulia? “Zaza patchouli.”
BrittishAnger
July 7th, 2009
6:07 pm
I’ve haven’t followed Premier since Arsenal let go of Henry, so I follow some Primera, Serie A, and Liga Mexicana when I get the chance. I like what the US has been doing abroad recently in general, both in Football and in Basketball (USA U19 Still Undefeated), so I’m rooting for them, although I still think Freddy Adu is a goof…
Mark, web based translations of any language are teh stupid…as Bradley Nowell of Sublime said, “Learn Spanish”.
The Bibby news is huge! Ninja’s thought we couldn’t work out a deal, and ninja’s were wrong…about 9 Million more to spend on resigning free agents and extending contracts of those under our wing. LET’S SIGN MARVIN AND ZAZA! Whoo, Nature Boy…..
tim
July 7th, 2009
7:17 pm
Teague at point, Crawford as a two guard, Mo Evans as a SF, Anderson at PF, and Zaza in the 5 slot.
Hawks Fans, I do believe we have a bench!
blue hawk
July 9th, 2009
3:52 am
if David Andersen’s stats in Europe is a concern, think Marc Gasol, M. Gasol had similar stats in Europe and is capable of producing in the NBA.
real skills are more important than ’sometimes misleading’ stats