curtmcgirt

I dont think Belkin will ever end up owning the Hawks. David Stern will not allow it. I called 790 the Zone Saturday and posed the question how long will David Stern let this continue before putting his foot down? Their answer (which I agree with) is not long. Atlanta had the 3rd highest ratings for the Eastern Conference Finals. This city is capable of being a basketball town, but not if things keep getting hi-jacked. Atlanta cant go into the draft and free agency with players unwilling to play in a city that Stern can make tons of money off of. Very publically and finally, I think Stern will have Belkin call off his suits and walk away. There will be a buy out of a reasonable amount and Belkin will end up owner or part owner in the newly for sale Portland Trailblazers. At the very least he will get first negotiating rights. Its the only way Stern can make this go away quickly and to everyones satisfaction.

Even NBA fans have become so versitile they can praise and bash a player in the same post.

Mike Woodson for Flip Saunders and Det 1st? We get an offensive minded coach that may be better able to coach our younger players and put in a running offence. Detroit gets back a coach familiar with their players and the system that won them a championship.

Quote: Well, for one... What Billy Knight got in Memphis he got from another bad gm. It doesn't take a good gm to rip off a PEte Babcock. That takes care of that theory about what he did in Memphis. That team hasn't won anything in the first place. You mean the team that has made the playoffs while the hawks are off fishing? That team thats won nothing? Nothing of course being synonymous with playoff births? In the west at that. So yeah I guess you could call that nothing. Quote: yeah, judging by that poll posted the other day JJ coming here is surely influencing other players to take the Hawks seriousally. If not JJ who? Who was lining up to play with JT, Reef and Big Dawg? Before JJ our last major FAs were Dikembe and Laphonso Ellis? Lets start the parade now Phonz is in town to bring us a championship! We better take JJ and be happy. You sound like a starving man turning down a hamburger cause it isnt a filet mingion. JJ is young, he can score, handle the ball, and get his team involved. And he does it all without complaining. Quote: You think a scrub like Salim is untouchable. Salim will be lucky if he's in the league in 3 years. I do think he is for at least next season. He's vaguely capable of running the point and if he gets going can ignite the offense. When you win 26 games you dont toss away players that can go for 30 off the bench. Quote: As long as you have Tyrone Lue and ZaZa starting you're going to have a bad team. Unless we get vets in here to start the season they are going to have to start. No rookie can pick up the systems we run during rookie camp and pre-season well enough to start. That was an opening day roster, not a 2 years from now roster.

I only have Lue starting since if we get a PG it will be a rookie they wont know the system off the bat. Joe cant leave, right now he's our only playmaker that can create for others.

hey, Ive been a member of HS since the old AJC days but I always lose my password and I was never the most vocal of members though I did enjoy sitting with the group at the Clippers game. Anyway here's my thoughts on the Hawks: BK is right. What BK is trying to do is what Bill Simmons alluded to in his page 2 column; draft skill sets, not positions. Magic played both center and point as needed at 6'8". Ben Wallace is one of the best centers in the game at 6'8". There are way more 6'8" players in the L that can play than 7' that can play (cough cough John Edwards cough cough). And while you cant teach height, you only have so long in the L to teach skills and heart (cough John Edwards cough) And on the second BK note, why is everyone ignoring what he did in Memphis? BK put that nucleus of Gasol,Battier, Wright and (then) Knight. West is getting most of the credit for very little work. I think I can defend plausibly all of BKs moves that we all hate. Trading JT had to be done. By the time we would have been good enough on the BK timeline JT would be too old or too malcontented to be of any use. While everyone thinks the price paid for JJ is too high, it was always going to be too high. JJ is the first FA since Laphonso Ellis to willingly take our money. We had to overpay to get him. We need JJ to do well here to attract other FA's so they know this is not a waste of their time. BK has also been a really good judge of talent here's a look at his drafts. 2005 - Marvin Williams, Salim Stoudamire, Cenk Aykol 2004 - Josh Childress, Josh Smith, Royal Ivey, Donta Smith 2003 - Boris Diaw, Travis Hansen 2002 - Dan Dickau, David Andersen (as asst GM) 2001 - Pau Gasol, Shane Battier, Will Solomon Other than the 2002 Babcock draft thats an impressive group of drafted talent. Imagine if we had that roster with no trades? What if we had it and were still able to land JJ? So Im willing to go along with his plan when I look at it in total. Now onto our players. IMO JJ, Smoove, Chillz, Salim, Zaza, and Marvin are untouchable. There's a reason teams are salivating at the prospect of getting Chillz in a trade. Chillz has the most leadership ability on the team right now. He's more outspoken than JJ. His real value may not be purely on the court. Not only is this the best talen we've had in ages its the first time since the Mookie, Smitty, Mutumbo era that that talent has a chance to really mesh together well. Al while is a nice piece he isnt the right piece for us. He is a talented chip that should be sent to a winning team as a reward for his work (Cleveland for 25 and a future 2nd?) or to NJ for 22? Lue? Tradeable, Smith and Ivey? Tradable. Batista? Keep for the fun of watching him stampede people under the basket and look curious when he's called for the foul. Edwards? Making the best gatorade in the Easter Conference. I have a feeling BK will be able to work things out well this off season. There are availible PGs and Cs if you know where to look, Portland this means you and your 3 PGs. Ideally and realistically this is what I'd like our roster to be on opening day: Lue, Rondo or Foye JJ, Salim Marvin, Chillz Smoove, Batista Zaza, Batista, Sene or Gray This along with some good signings would give us a great nucleus as well has flexibilty in 2007 the year a lot of UFAs will be availible. Now to my only gripe: Woody. Woody is the best assistant coach in the NBA but he's in over his head. I would love to see Adelman here to have this team running, or even that Italian coach that everyone thinks will be the first to coach in the NBA with Woody as the head assistant installing the defence. I think we may be (w/ Rondo) the only team capable of running with the Suns. Until they learn defence proporly Hawks games should look like 80's NBA with no defense and 120 point games. As they mature the defense will come but I think it should be nice to have some butts in the seats for a change. 120 -115 scores will do that. And last on trades. Unless its KG I dont want any parts of it. None. AI isnt the answer. I love hime to death but he's not right for us. KG on the other hand is perfect. Butts in the seats, great post player and a perfect inside out side with JJ!. Thats my thoughts.