ersimo2889

Haha man things were different in those days.. when the summer was filled with talk about what to do with Ira Newble, Dion Glover and $2 million contracts. Now look at the exciting things going on with the Hawks! For those that were Hawks fans back then, it's great to see posts like this and appreciate how far this franchise has come!

They're saying they're going to trade him to the Nets..

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/wan/1734814253.html

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/05/06/hawks-add-fourth-center-for-more-fouls-in-game-2/ Activated Morris, deactivated Mario it seems like.. Looks like we're going to try to win with just 4 players on the offensive end again (whenever Collins and Morris are in)!

Oop, my bad - thought it was recent news when it popped up on Y! Sports this afternoon!

Oh I wouldn't at all expect him to make the final cut, but seeing as how 27 players, both young and old, were invited, I thought they would as well, seeing as how they both have previous national team experience.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AqE8INIY.0mX42j3wV9VoJg5nYcB?slug=ap-usroster&prov=ap&type=lgns Players such as Russell Westbrook, Lamar Odom and Kevin Love invited, but no JJ or Smoove! Strange since both have participated with Team USA in the past.. I wonder why Colangelo didn't invite them this time around.

On his Twitter, he's claiming he never said any of those quotes..

Medlen start tonight! And with the way the Braves have been scoring since the lineup change, he should get plenty of run support. Looking forward to watching this kid pitch tonight!

You can hear a Miami sports station having Steve Holman on their show: http://790theticket.com/lebatard.aspx I think he did a very good job

How can they themselves call Atlanta fans classless with some of the ridiculous things they're saying in those posts?

We will NEVER be underdogs against the Heat at home

Yea they never once showed the replay on the big screen in the arena, so not too many people actually saw what happened since it happened kinda off the ball..

Did you guys hear the whole Celtics organization whining after Game 4 about how two of the referees had "Chicago roots" and thus many calls weren't going their way? And they made a big deal about how some of the relatives of the referees were 'seen leaving the arena in Bulls gear'.. you think?? They live in Chicago!!

The game had an amazing atmosphere!! Glad we blew the heat out in my first playoff game. Enjoyable moments ranged from Smoove's attempted between the legs dunk to the continuous chants (by thousands) of 'D-Wade sucks' and 'King ZaZa'!

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but: 82Games - Josh Smith 47% of his field goal attempts are jumpshots, and 53% are inside. His eFG% from inside is 65%. His eFG% on jumpshots? 35%

Anyone watch the little feature just now on FSN about behind the scenes on a recent Hawks road trip? Woody was making a speech at halftime and not one player was paying attention; He told Zaza something as he was coming out of the game and Zaza seemed to just roll his eyes.. it looks like he lost this team's respect a long time ago. Hopefully, the players only meeting will be enough to get them fired up and working together moreso than anything the coach could say.

What other games did they do this before? Just looking for some encouragement for tonight's game..

I think he meant the Pistons that won the championship a few years back

Vegas has Hawks at -150, which means they give the Hawks around a 60% chance to win the series :) Rather be on Vegas' side than the people voting on ESPN.com polls!

Damn Knowshon.. 7 is a little over half of what you would expect to get if you randomly guessed on all the questions!

Hawks are surprisingly only 3 point favorites tomorrow at home.. I think the way we're playing right now, it's tough to see us losing at home to anyone in the league..

This summer, a few free agents cashed in big time. Elton Brand walked away from the Clippers to the tune of $80 million from Philly. Baron Davis made some big bucks in L.A. And a number of restricted free agents like Andre Iguodala, Luol Deng, Emeka Okafor and Josh Smith scored nice deals as well. Also, three players from the 2005 NBA draft who were eligible for extensions -- Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut -- found some love from their teams. The rest of this summer's free-agent class? Only a handful found anything near the money that other free agents got on the open market. A few free agents -- like Josh Childress and Nenad Krstic -- bolted for Europe. And one prominent restricted free agent, Ben Gordon, is still waiting for a contract. The rest of the 2005 first-round picks, including stalwarts like Andrew Bynum and Danny Granger are still trying to work out deals with their respective teams. Once again the culprit was the dreaded NBA salary cap. Only a few teams -- the Sixers, Clippers, Warriors and Grizzlies -- really had the money to pick up a free agent from another team. One of those teams, the Grizzlies, decided not to spend their money (although they did make a play for Josh Smith) and are going into the season nearly $10 million under the cap. The other factor is LeBron James. A number of teams are trying to get cap space for the summer of 2010. That happens to be the summer that LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh hit free agency. So, for the first time in years, teams like the Knicks are being financially responsible. Those two factors could end up causing some problems for a stellar free-agent class of 2009. But at least there will be more teams with money to spend next summer. Given current projections, five teams -- the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers -- will have significant money to spend. Given a projected $62 million cap next year, the Thunder could have roughly $25-$30 million in cap space next summer. The Grizzlies could get somewhere between $18 million and $24 million below the cap depending on what they decide to do with Hakim Warrick. The Blazers could be anywhere from $15-$32 million under the cap depending on who they decide to renounce. The three key players will be Channing Frye, Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw. If they let those three go (along with Ike Diogu and Martell Webster) they could be awash in cash. However, there's one fairly big caveat. The Blazers are counting on not having Darius Miles' $9 million salary on the books. If he plays 10 games for the Celtics this season, his salary goes back on their books, taking away a big chunk of their free-agent cash. The Pacers could be around $11 million under the cap if they end up renouncing all of their free agents except Danny Granger. They could get even further below the cap if they find a way to move Jamaal Tinsley. And the Heat could be around $10 million under if they let Shawn Marion walk at the end of the season. Two other teams will also have a shot at some cap room depending on how things play out. The Bobcats would be roughly $10 million under if they renounced Raymond Felton, Sean May and Adam Morrison. But that seems highly unlikely. The Wolves could get around $9 million under if they renounce Rashad McCants. With that said, let's take a look at who could be available in 2009: Group I: The "Big 10" ETO or Player Option candidates These are the players with an "early termination option (ETO)" or "player option (PO)" in their contracts, meaning they can opt to forgo the final year(s) of their deals and instead become unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2009. Here's the star-studded lineup: 1. Kobe Bryant, Lakers (ETO) Last summer, when Kobe was pining for a trade, everyone thought he'd tear up his contract in 2009. Now, the odds are strongly against that happening. The Lakers are poised to be a serious championship contender for the next few years. You've got to believe Kobe's going to hang around for the ride. 2. Carlos Boozer, Jazz (PO) Boozer is the biggest threat to leave his team next summer. He's had his eye on Miami for some time and, with some maneuvering, the Heat should be able to get far enough under the cap to deliver the dollars that Boozer is looking for. 3. Richard Hamilton, Pistons (ETO) Hamilton is unlikely to opt out of his contract. He turns 31 in February and is unlikely to earn more than the $11.6 million he's owed next year. More likely, the Pistons will work out some sort of extension with Rip this fall. 4. Jermaine O'Neal, Raptors (PO) There's virtually no chance of O'Neal opting out of his deal. He's owed a whopping $23 million in 2009-10 and there's no way he could get anything like that on the open market. O'Neal will be trying to work out some sort of contract extension this fall if he can prove to the Raptors that he's healthy. 5. Mehmet Okur, Jazz (ETO) Okur is also an unlikely candidate to opt out of his contract. He, too, would struggle to find more money on the open market. Like most of the players on the list, his goal is to work out an extension this fall. 6. Hedo Turkoglu, Magic (ETO) After Boozer, Turkoglu is the candidate most likely to opt out. He's coming off a career year for the Magic and if he can repeat his 2008 Most Improved Player performance (19.5 points per game), he should be able to cash in with a bigger deal next summer. 7. Jamal Crawford, Knicks (ETO) It's hard to believe that Crawford would be willing to leave nearly $20 million on the table to opt out, but it's not inconceivable. If he has a big year playing for Mike D'Antoni it might be worth the gamble. Crawford turns 29 in March and has never played for a winning team. If he thinks he could get a longer-term deal for a better team, it might be worth the risk. 8. Eddy Curry, Knicks (ETO) Curry is in a similar situation to Crawford. Right now he's worth less than what his contract is paying him, which means it's unlikely he'll leave so much cash on the table -- especially with a perceived heart condition. But the Knicks will be doing backflips if he decides to move on. 9. Anderson Varejao, Cavs (PO) Varejao is another player who is very likely to opt out. The relationship between Cavs GM Danny Ferry and Varejao's agent, Dan Fegan, is rocky and, unless Varejao has a terrible year, I think Fegan will try to get him moved to a team that's willing to pay him more. 10. Al Harrington, Warriors (PO) Harrington is unlikely to opt out. He's making more money than his production suggests he deserves and there will be just too much competition in the open market for Harrington to score a big deal next summer. Other notables: Kyle Korver, Jazz (ETO); Travis Outlaw, Blazers (TO); Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cavs (ETO); Ricky Davis, Clippers (PO); Sasha Pavlovic, Cavs (TO); Kwame Brown, Pistons (PO); Jarvis Hayes, Nets (TO); Etan Thomas, Wizards (ETO); Mark Blount, Heat (ETO). Group II: The restricted free agents So far, only three players from the draft class of 2005 -- Andrew Bogut, Chris Paul and Deron Williams -- have signed extensions. It's possible more extensions are coming over the course of the next six weeks, but most of the players listed below will likely be restricted free agents next summer. As we've seen over the past few years, it's next to impossible for restricted free agents to change teams. This summer, we didn't have one major restricted free agent sign with another NBA team. A few got so desperate they signed with European teams instead. Given the lack of teams with serious cap space next summer, don't expect things to change for restricted free agents. 1. Andrew Bynum, Lakers If Bynum's knees are healthy and he comes back and builds on what he was doing last season before he got injured, he'll be a candidate for a max salary. There's no way the Lakers will let another team outbid them for Bynum as long as he's healthy; he's the future of the team. 2. Danny Granger, Pacers Granger slipped on draft night because of concerns about a knee injury. But in the last three years he's proven he should've been a top-six pick. Granger averaged more than 23 ppg for the Pacers over the last few months of last season. He's the Pacers' brightest hope right now, which means they'll likely have to give him a contract in the same ballpark as what Luol Deng or Josh Smith got this summer. 3. Marvin Williams, Hawks Williams has as much raw talent as anyone in the class of 2005, but he's been frustratingly inconsistent in his first three years with the Hawks. He needs a big year if he wants to get anything close to what Granger or Bynum might earn next summer. 4. David Lee, Knicks Lee is a fan favorite in New York and among coaches around the league. But what is he worth? It sounds like new head coach Mike D'Antoni is unsure if Lee is a great fit and the Knicks explored trading him this summer. Given the Knicks' goal of getting under the cap in 2010, Lee might be the best player on this list for a team to try to sign to an offer sheet. As long as it's a substantial deal, I doubt the Knicks would match. 5. Josh Childress, Hawks Childress shocked many in the NBA by deciding to bolt for Greece this summer. If he plays well overseas, he'll be better positioned to get a bigger contract offer next summer. However, it seems unlikely that Childress will ever wear a Hawks uniform again. There's a lot of bad blood on both sides concerning what went down this summer. 6. Raymond Felton, Bobcats Felton has to be looking over his shoulder after the Bobcats made a strong play for T.J. Ford and then drafted D.J. Augustin in the lottery. Felton can dish out the assists but his poor shooting has hurt his stock. If Augustin performs well this season, Felton will be another player someone can snag with an offer sheet. 7. Charlie Villanueva, Bucks Villanueva has talent. The question has always been about his heart. With Yi Jianlian now playing in New Jersey, Villanueva should start seeing significant minutes this season. If he produces (and plays a little defense) he could land himself a big payday next summer. 8. Channing Frye, Blazers After his first season with the Knicks, Frye looked like a star in the making. However, his last two seasons have been much less impressive. Still, Frye is big, has some offensive skills facing the basket and is a decent rebounder. If he ever started playing defense, he'd certainly be a serviceable big man. The Blazers are looking for cap room next summer and Frye isn't part of their core group, which means he's also a good candidate to change teams next summer. 9. Nenad Krstic, Nets Krstic was a borderline All-Star before an ACL injury set his career back. He's now off to Russia to prove that he's 100 percent healthy and ready to contribute. If he has a big year over there, teams will come calling next summer. But will they be willing to offer him as much money as he can make in Europe? 10. Rashad McCants, Timberwolves McCants is a good scorer and showed that he can be an excellent 3-point shooter. But it appears he's really more of a sixth man than a dominant 2-guard. With Mike Miller and Corey Brewer on board, McCants could see his production dip a bit this season. Other notables: Jason Maxiell, Pistons; Nate Robinson, Knicks; Sean May, Bobcats; Martell Webster, Blazers; Linas Kleiza, Nuggets; Hakim Warrick, Grizzlies; Jarrett Jack, Pacers; Francisco Garcia; Kings; Luther Head, Rockets; Ramon Sessions, Bucks; Johan Petro, Thunder; Ike Diogu, Blazers; Jamario Moon, Raptors; Glen Davis, Celtics; Leon Powe, Celtics. Group III: The real, honest to goodness unrestricted free agents Finally, here are the guys who will be on the market with no strings attached. While there is a lot of star power here, most of the big names are now on the back end of their careers. 1. Shawn Marion, Heat Marion is a super-talented forward with the ability to score and rebound. However, he turns 31 in May and has seen his production slip the past two years. Even if he puts up big numbers in Miami this season, how much is a team going to be willing to spend on him given his age and reputation for being difficult? 2. Allen Iverson, Nuggets At the age of 33, Iverson continues to fill up the stat sheet with points, assists and steals. And, last season, AI posted his highest field-goal percentage and lowest turnover average since his second year in the league. By all accounts he's still a dominant player, but two nagging questions will hurt his case for a big deal: One, with the exception of that magical season in Philly under Larry Brown, is Iverson a winner; And two, how much game does he have left. Still, Iverson has one thing going for him that Marion doesn't: He still sells tickets. 3. Ron Artest, Rockets It's difficult to know where to place Artest on this list. If he stays on his best behavior and helps the Rockets deep into the playoffs, he's going to make some money. He may not get four- or five-year offers, but teams will come calling if his time in Houston is a success. On the other hand, if Artest self-combusts, he's going to struggle to find anyone willing to give him more than a one-year deal next summer. 4. Lamar Odom, Lakers If he isn't traded sometime in the next few months, Odom will be one of the most coveted free agents on the open market. Phil Jackson likes him, but with Kobe, Bynum and Pau Gasol on the roster, the Lakers don't need him. Odom's penchant for disappearing in big moments (see: 2008 NBA Finals) also hasn't helped his rep in L.A. However, he is a great team guy, he can rebound the ball, he can initiate the offense and he doesn't need the ball to be effective. If he doesn't stick in L.A., there will be a line of teams waiting to snatch him up. 5. Rasheed Wallace, Pistons 'Sheed continues to be one of the most baffling players in the league. When he's on, he's one of the best big men in the game. When he's off … he can be way off. He turns 34 in September, which makes you wonder if he's still worth the risk. Short of him making a jump to Charlotte -- he and Larry Brown remain close friends -- is there any other team in the league that will be open to paying this guy? 6. Jason Kidd, Mavericks Kidd continues to claim that the reports of his demise are exaggerated, but I'm not so sure. He's a 35-year-old point guard who really started to show his age last season. Rick Carlisle is going to try to get him turned around, but I'm not sure he's the right coach for the job. There will always be someone willing to give up some money for a point guard with eyes in the back of his head … but if Kidd continues to slip, I wonder if he'll be able to garner more than a midlevel deal next year, should Dallas decide to move on. 7. Andre Miller, Sixers Miller, at the age of 32, had one of the best seasons of his career in 2007-08. While many (including me) were calling for GM Ed Stefanski to trade him to create more cap space, Stefanski held on to Miller and rode him to an unexpected playoff berth. Now with Elton Brand in the fold, the Sixers should be formidable. The team has been trying to get Miller locked up to an extension and once Miller decides to hire an agent, he should move off this list. 8. Chris Wilcox, Thunder We continue to use Wilcox and the word "upside" in the same sentence, but it's probably time for that to end. By now it is fairly clear what he is -- a super-athletic big man who gets most of his points via dunks. He is not a great defender and doesn't look like he'll ever be more than a solid contributor, but given the dearth of talented big men in the league, someone is going to want him -- someone other than the Thunder, that is. OKC is developing Jeff Green and Kevin Durant to be its frontcourt of the future, which should leave Wilcox looking for new digs next summer. 9. Mike Bibby, Hawks Bibby was decent as the Hawks' starting point guard at the end of last season, but it's hard to see him making anything near what he's made the last few years. The Hawks are a young team still searching for a long-term answer at the point. Bibby was a nice stop-gap for 18 months, but I doubt he's got a long-term future in Atlanta unless he's willing to take much less next summer. 10. Drew Gooden, Bulls Gooden is coming off the worst year of his career, and it couldn't be worse timing. With the Bulls still trying to develop young players like Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah, it's unclear what role Gooden will play this season. Still, he's a legit power forward who rebounds well. He may not be the smartest player in the league, but he is a serviceable 4. Other notables: Trevor Ariza, Lakers; Anthony Parker, Raptors; Zaza Pachulia, Hawks; Jeff Foster, Pacers; Brandon Bass, Mavs; Marquis Daniels, Pacers; Wally Szczerbiak, Cavs; Joe Smith, Thunder; Stephon Marbury, Knicks; Grant Hill, Suns; Stromile Swift, Nets; Robert Swift, Thunder; Rasho Nesterovic, Pacers; Keith Bogans, Magic; Jason Williams, Clippers; Bobby Jackson, Kings; Damon Jones, Bucks; Desmond Mason, Thunder; Chris Mihm, Lakers; Jason Collins, Timberwolves; Jarron Collins, Jazz. Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.

Hanno Mottola!! Loved that guy..

He's playing for Turkey against the US right now. Just started watching, but they said he scored 7 of the first 12 points of the game, then hasn't scored since. EDIT: Sorry I didn't realize there was already a topic on this, and can't figure out how to delete a post.