The Hawks make a trade, but it’s not the trade they needed
Kirk Hinrich: He's a solid pro, not a savior. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
The Hawks needed to make a trade in the worst way, and the trade they made wasn’t the worst ever. It was OK. Not great, not awful. Just OK.
They shipped Mike Bibby, who was too old and not really a point guard anymore and imported Kirk Hinrich, who’s a good player but who hasn’t been exclusively a point guard himself. They shed Mo Evans, who was expendable, and Jordan Crawford, about whose promise they’d raved only last summer, and acquired Hilton Armstrong, who’s averaging 1.9 points and 2.8 rebounds.
Best-case scenario: Hinrich does his hybrid-guard act — he used to be quite good at it, but his numbers haven’t been anything special the past four seasons — and puts the other Hawks in the right position and this team manages to win a first-round series.
Worst-case scenario: Hinrich fails to mesh with Joe Johnson — say what you want about Bibby, but he and Johnson made a nice tandem — and the Hawks, who have bombed out in Round 2 the past two seasons, bomb out in Round 1 this spring.
Either way, the addition of Hinrich and Armstrong is no cause for re-calibration of this team’s ceiling. The Hawks aren’t much different today than they’ve been for the past three years. They’re a pretty good team in an Eastern Conference that keeps getting more competitive at the top.
If the notion was to find a galvanizing talent at this deadline, they failed. The man that would have remade the local club just got traded to New Jersey, and he was, fittingly enough, one of the two famous men on whom general manager Billy Knight passed to draft Marvin Williams in 2005. Utah moved to trade Deron Williams, and the Hawks apparently weren’t in the bidding. (Deron Williams was picked one spot ahead of Chris Paul, and the two have long ranked, to the Hawks’ lasting chagrin, among the NBA’s five best point guards.)
Instead the Hawks landed Hinrich, who’s a solid pro but not an All-Star, and Armstrong, who’s a younger Jason Collins. And it’s clear the Hawks were the desperate party here: Why else trade three players for two and throw in a first-round pick to boot? That’s a high price to pay for a hybrid guard who was made superfluous in Chicago by Derrick Rose and who isn’t needed in Washington because of John Wall.
Say this, though, for Rick Sund: At least he did something. At least he acknowledged what had become blatant: This team as constituted had reached its peak and was on the descent. It hasn’t fallen to pieces yet — it’s still fifth in the East — and it’s surely too talent to collapse utterly, but the talent that had been compiled and nurtured by both Knight and Sund has topped out. It needs something else, even if the something else is little more than change for change’s sake.
Two NBA teams had had the same starting lineup since February 2008: One is the Celtics, who’ve won a title and graced another NBA final; the other was the Hawks, who hadn’t managed to win a game beyond the first round. Bibby was the last of that starting five to arrive — he came by way of a February deal with Sacramento — and he wasn’t the Bibby of old at any time in his Atlanta stay. But he was a solid pro who knew how to play, and without him these Hawks might never have made the playoffs at all.
Now he’s gone, and it was past time for him to leave. This trade is probably enough to keep the Hawks ahead of the Knicks in the East, probably not enough to elevate them above Orlando for fourth place. It gives them hope in the sense that something has been done, but the right something again eluded this franchise. Deron Williams, the guy they needed back in 2005 and needed today, got traded on Wednesday, and it wasn’t to the Hawks.
By Mark Bradley
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272 comments Add your comment
phil
February 24th, 2011
3:15 pm
Brilliant move. Trade for an 8th year player who can’t play, with a power forward who clearly can’t play thrown in and hand over a first round draft pick in return…while also giving away 2 guys who, while not very good themselves, at least had pulses.
Who is running this team? Me? This is just beyond sad to watch…
phil
February 24th, 2011
3:16 pm
This will qualify as an “excellent trade” when the defense improves and we make it out of round 2. Not before then.
john
February 24th, 2011
3:21 pm
All these “bigs” being traded…NONE to Atlanta…PATHETIC!
PerryHenderson
February 24th, 2011
3:32 pm
The Hinrich trade is the FINAL PIECE in the puzzle for the Hawks to become WORLD CHAMPIONS. Ok everything is set now the rest of the league to now be “AFRAID OF THE HAWKS”. The other teams now will clear the path for the Hawks to be crowned as CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD.
rebuild
February 24th, 2011
3:36 pm
the stupidity here is astounding…how can anyone possibly think this is a good trade? does anyone here actually believe that kirk hinrich is worth 2 first round picks? its pathetic how clueless hawks ownership is, and how clueless some of you are. Not to mention the fact that we still aren’t anywhere near good enough to actually compete…what a ridiculously stupid trade. absolutely awful
rebuild
February 24th, 2011
3:38 pm
on another note we desperately needed that first round pick in order to draft the superstar we need. now we don’t have a first rounder for next year, and will continue to get worse as we get pounded by joe johnson’s 6 year contract. such a dumb trade
GunnerWashington
February 24th, 2011
3:50 pm
The sad thing about the Hawks is that the one player who the Hawks needed desparately (a premier point guard), the Hawks should have already had (either Deron Williams or Chris Paul). The Hawks could have drafted either of the leagues premier point guards AHEAD OF MARVIN WILLIAMS. The Hawks brass, however, felt that Marvin was a sure bet to be the “SECOND COMING OF CHRIST” in the NBA. Marvin, although has stumbled out of the gate in his NBA career so far, will someday be an elite player and should still make the hall of fame provided he continues to be a starting player. Marvin will be great in the end provided he doesnt get kicked out of the league before then.
LOS-GRID IRON
February 24th, 2011
5:07 pm
Enter your comments here
LOS-GRID IRON
February 24th, 2011
5:14 pm
Enter your comments here hey guys lets face it I’m a life long Atl sport guy we will never win a championship with a true penetrating point guard and a legitment 7 ft center. We need a mental engine to drive this force as a true establish coach. No matter what we do we are not going to win a championship around JJ.
Puzzled
February 24th, 2011
6:03 pm
I live in the northeast, and have been listening to allof the fanfare around the Knicks’ & Nets’ trade. They have had interviews with the players, the GMs, the Coaches, and in the Knicks’ case, the owner. The Nets’ owner wasn’t intervied because he’s on a vacation in Asia somewhere.
I haven’t seen anything in print from the Hawks brass as to why they made this trade, and what they hope comes out of it. Can anyone provide links to stories or pod cast where there’s detail from the organization?
Mark
February 24th, 2011
7:50 pm
Not an Okay trade…TERRIBLE trade. I welcome aboard Hinrich with open arms. Yes, Mo was ‘expendable’ and Bibby is getting old, and Hinrich is a good NBA player. But, to trade away Jordan Crawford after one season who they RAVED about this summer and trade away their first round pick for next year is just asinine. Yes Hilton is a big body but so far he has been an NBA BUST…we can only hope he improves. If they were doing it to free up cap space, I wouldn’t have minded, but if they were doing that you don’t trade away a rookie and a first round draft pick….those are what you need to go after. Their going to maybe be a shade better this year and they are going to get much worse later on because of this trade. STUPID TRADE!!! Hinrich and Hilton PLEASE prove me wrong…
The Game Has Changed
February 24th, 2011
9:01 pm
No more of this Chirs Paul and Deron Williams crap. Even with them we would not have won a RING. Did they do it with the Hornets or Nets? NO And next year they both will be in different cities than what drafted them. This would have been the same outcome if either were in Atlanta. GET OVER IT
Willie T.
February 24th, 2011
9:54 pm
I am a long time Hawks fan and will support the team to the end. Hinrich was the best choice available and I am happy with the trade. Bibby did his job and should be thanked for his service, but it was time for the Hawks to move forward. Sund make several bad choices by signing Bibby, ZaZa, and Marvin for too much money and for too many years. Giving up a #1 pick in the 20s would have been meaningless, JC2 is a possible loss but who knows, Mo no loss, but the Hawks did what they had to do.(move on)
Now, the two current players who should enjoy Hinrich’s services the most are JJ and Josh. Hinrich is a smart player who knows his strengths and weaknesses. Strengths are penestrates, dishes, and can shoot; he will open the floor for JJ mid range game and Josh has to attack/fill the lane for easy points along with and 1s.
As fans, we need to support what the team is now. Remember there are no great team in the East; they have flaws.
Go Hawks!
gcs
February 24th, 2011
10:41 pm
Typical Atlanta Spirit.
.
Cavs trade for Celtics rookies, waive F Powe – HoopsWorld
February 24th, 2011
10:44 pm
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Paul Stanley
February 24th, 2011
10:58 pm
OK Bufoons….and this is including Mark Bradley. You think that they should have traded more to get Deron Williams?
I am willing to bet the $$ in my wallet (a lot more the any of you have) that you didn’t know that Williams is scheduled to make $17.7 million in 2012-13, and that he can walk away after that season.
So you retard GM wannabees would have traded multiple draft picks and Marvin and more to pay Deron (and have no more cap room for ANYONE else). Thank god we don’t have you running the team.
joe
February 25th, 2011
6:42 am
why do reporters keep asking Marvin for his comments/opinions? He is a non entity on the Hawks and a constant reminder of the Hawks draft day ineptitude. He is a prime example of a guy that is just collecting a check( a large one ). Hawks suck !
June
February 25th, 2011
7:35 am
I can tell many of you never picked up a Basketball…This was a steal for the Hawks ….Captain Kirk is what they needed …Joe Johnson is a Vet he needed a Point Guard who can still penetrate and Hit open jumpers …Bibby can shoot but he can’t drive…..They Hawks truly wanted Sessions from the Bucks but they wanted all involved and Marvin Williams which would have been stupid…Hinrich is a poor mans Steve Nash but younger …Next year the big trade will be made that will include Josh Smith and Marvin Williams ..Hawk management did a great job with what they had ….
ATLSN
February 25th, 2011
9:49 am
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We have team forums for the Falcons, Bulldogs, Hawks, Braves, Yellow Jackets, Thrashers, etc. Please register and post! Be apart of a huge site in the early days of existence. See ya there! We’re looking for posters, moderators, bloggers/writers. Join up if interested.
CybilSheppard
February 25th, 2011
2:35 pm
THE HAWKS SHOULD TRADE MARVIN WILLIAMS STRAIGHT UP FOR DWIGHT HOWARD. This move would give the Hawks the center they need and they can move Al Horford back over to his natural power forward position. Making this move right now will give the Hawks an NBA championship.
WreckingBall
February 25th, 2011
3:15 pm
The Hawks should sell their team owned by the Spirit Group and move them to another planet; MARS. The day of the sale, the Hawks management and players should take the first rocketship to Mars and set up shop up there. Its useless because the Hawks will fail whatever location they move to. They are simply not committed to do anything but make money hand over fist and that is enough for them. Winning a championship is the LAST THING THE HAWKS WANT TO DO. IF THEY DID, THEY WOULD HAVE ACQUIRED A BIG-NAME FREE AGENT SUCH AS LABRON JAMES, CARMELLO ANTHONY OR DERON WILLIAMS INSTEAD OF WATCHING OTHER TEAMS CASH IN BIG AND DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE THEIR CLUBS. The Hawks instead unloaded Bibby and Mo Evans, giving up way too much to acquire Hinrich. If Larry Drew had known how to use Bibby and Mo Evans, Drew would have gotten 60 points out of those two players every night. Instead, Evans and Bibby were given incidental minutes and were brought into games at times that were disproportionate and inappropriate in terms of scoring points. Timing is everything and Drew didnt know how to make synchronized substitutions with gifted players such as Bibby and Evans. If Avery Johnson or Don Nelson were coaching the Hawks this year with all the talent they have, the Hawks would have won 70 games.
LeonSpencer
February 28th, 2011
3:03 pm
The Hawks were sharp at the Rose Garden in Portland last night. The Hawks played a solid game on the road and checked off a “W”. The Hawks should have traded Josh Smith, Mo Williams and Mike Bibby for Dirk Norwinski. That move might have brought them a championship to the A-T-L at the end of this season.