Inside_Man

The important point is that we are not saddled with any totally out of whack turkey contracts!

Here's a Celts fans take from a different board. Quote: Here's how I think of this team. Untouchables the great green hopes Al Jefferson Tony Allen Movable for an impact player worth keeping, but not at any cost Paul Pierce Ricky Davis Kendrick Perkins Delonte West Movable For Reasonable Value (players or contracts) Sell for anything better than an airport figurine Walter McCarty (contract) Marcus Banks (contract) Jiri Welsch Exterminate the Brutes Dead weight and expiration date trading chips Raef LaFrentz Mark Blount Gary Payton Tom Gugliotta Michael Stewart

Great game by Chill. But big props go to coach Woodson. We don't have a good center, and like the Houston win, he went the 4th quarter without a center on the floor and instead played our best 5 players.

Quote: and most importantly LESS PEOPLE ON THE COURT TO DEFER TO. That is such an important point!!! Right now Smoove is playing like a #5 or #6 pick, while Chill is playing at about #10. So all things being equal, our picks are about 7 spots ahead of where we got them. But Chill is only going to get better. It will be interesting to see how this class of rookies shakes out. It might be one of the better ones in recent years for depth. Livingstone is still an unknown at this point in time.

Well the tip-off was the oft repeated remark of his high-school coach who said he was the most gifted athlete he ever coached. Now since he coached Carmelo, that means that his high school coach thought he was a better athelete than Carmelo. That's the hint that we got something special. The shot blocking? That's atheleticism plus great timing. His timing seems to be a natural gift. No, I wasn't expecting it, nor was I expecting him to develop so quickly.

To heck with blocks per 48... He's tied for #10 in blocks per game!!!!!

Last Friday night I pointed out that if the Hawks had shot 37% from the arc and 75% from the stripe, they'd have won the game. Well they did it again, shoting a miserable 21% from the arc and 52% from the stripe. Had they hit those same 37% and 75% targets, they'd have another 12 points and a two point victory. Same old - same old.

what kind of file is that?

Toine has very good skills. Particularly scoring skills. Contrary to what some may think, I don't hate him. I admire his game, but feel he throws up too many threes and his free throw shooting costs games. However, he's ultimately not BK's style of player. He's not where this team is going. The good news is this team is going. It has a direction. Management has a plan, which is something that never existed in the babs era. As to attracting free agents... I think they'll be beating down doors to play with Smoove. Write it down.

What team thinks they're a power forward away from a possible title run? I can't think of one, so I don't think Toine gets moved. I don't think Boris has any value - He's headed back to europe eventually.

Here's my post from 12/24. Quote: We don't need someone to dish out assists. We need someone to score from the perimeter but not take away minutes from our SGs. The Hawks 3pt% is .289 - Lue will bring that number up. We'll have a more balanced offense with him on the floor. Hawks were 37% from the 3 tonight and had 7 players in double figures. I'd call that a 'balanced offense.'

...pass it over to me! Ya wanna a big guy? Andriuskevicius.

Pats - Steelers - Falcons - Vikings then Pats - Falcons then Pats

Quote: Um, what about if Smoove had blocked two more shots? What's his deal blocking only 1 shot. What a loser--bench him! Furthermore, what's Predrag doing only pulling down 7 boards? If he gets 2 more boards, we might win the game. Bench him! But blocks and rebounds don't correlate as well with our record. There are 7 teams that are worse shot blockers than the Hawks and 7 teams that are worse rebounders than the Hawks but only 1 team that has a worse record. The stats that correlate with our record are 3pt% and ft%. And, those are specifically the aspects of AW's game that suck.

The Hawks have the second worst record in the NBA. The Hawks have the second worst 3 pt shooting % in the NBA. Coincidence? I don't think so. The Hawks have the second worst record in the NBA. The Hawks have the worst Free Throw % in the NBA. Coincidence? I don't think so. Tonight they lost by 3 points at home. They made only 1 of 8 three point attempts and.... Only 14 of 23 from the stripe. If they shot .37% from the arc and 75% from the stripe, they win the game by 6 points. They don't need heroic levels from the arc of stripe, just average will be enough. And Walker is the problem. He missed all 5 of his free throws and he was 1 for 5 behind the arc. Tonight's loss is 100% Antoine Walker's fault. He's the problem. He's the entire problem. If it was my team, he'd be riding the pine. discuss.

"PG Lue/Ivey SG Childress / Donta SF Harrington / Josh Smith PF Walker / Swift C Josh Boone / Peja (Collier will be busy selling hotdogs in the stands)" I Can't Stand it anymore!!!!! How can you people propose lineups that have SMoove coming off the bench???? How? Please tell me? Any line-up you devise for next year - HAS to have Smoove starting, either at the 3 or 4. If your line-up doesn't have SMoove starting, then go back and make anothe one!! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!!! Where do people come up with the idea that our best line-up should have Smoove on the bench? Hello:? ANybody home?

I will cut Chill slack because he is a rookie. I'm not going to pass judgement at this early stage in his career. My guess is that his shooting problems are psychological. He's trying too hard. He's too tight. etc. etc. As a Hawks fan, I hope he works out for the best. All that being said, so far he's come up short on the scoring - he's shooting 41% from the field and 13% from behind the arc. But hey - I'm all for putting him out there for plenty of minutes each and every night, I want him to succeed.

nm

"If I was a GM I would never trade my high 1st round pick for a late one" I'm keeping the high pick. I want to get a late pick for Walker and move up by trading it with Diaw for a mid pick.

Trade Walker for a late first rounder and then move up by sending that pick plus Diaw to get Jack. Use our high pick on Andriuskevicius. Sign Stromile. Swift Harrington Smoove Chill Jack Bench - Drobs, Delk, Andriuskevicius, Ivey, Donta S, maybe sign Lue. Lots of flexibility sliding Swift to the 4, Al to the 3, and Smoove wherever you want him. This assume we can make a shooter out of Chill. We need a shooter at the 2. Chris Paul is too short. That's not BKs style. BK goes for length wherever he can get it. Even Jack isn't his style, but I like him. I think BK wants a PG who is 6'5 to 6'7, but in ain't Boris. go ahead, tear me a new one.

From ESPN's power rankings Quote: He's not going to fill up Philips Arena, since no one can do that, but the rookie Smith is worth watching. Anyone who can block five Nowitzki shots in one game gets me curious.

Josh Smith blocks Dwayne Wade twice in the last minute of the half!!!!

Comments made by some of the Hawks indicate that certain veterans were brought on board as much for what they could teach the rooks, not just on the court, but especially off the court as well. It seems like that applies specifically to both KA and Kevin Willis. Rookies are vulnerable to bad habits and poor off-court judgement. Surrounding them with vets who know how to be good off-court citizens is important. I suspect KA has an important role to play with this team regardless of how many minutes are available to him.

We don't need someone to dish out assists. We need someone to score from the perimeter but not take away minutes from our SGs. The Hawks 3pt% is .289 - Lue will bring that number up. We'll have a more balanced offense with him on the floor.

All he needs is confidence, which games like this one will provide.