SWISH9061

I think that of all the moves that Babcock made, this trade will prove to be his biggest mistake - Gasol will show this year that he's much better than Reef on both ends of the floor as he becomes one the elite players in the league And as much as I like Reef I do have to say that he's overrated - IMHO even with his 20/10....

Nice and against Krilenko - who's a pretty good one-on-one defender..

This was by far the best Hawks team that Kasten put on the court. I remember these guys starting out 18-4 (don't know the year) with a with a big win over Magic and the Lakers. They were rolling until Spud got hurt - they were never the same after that....

Not to nitpick but re-signed is a better way to state it as my first thoughts on reading this was that they both had quit on their own. I'm a big fan of Billy Knight and I'm glad to hear that he'll be staying on - I think with the right owner he's the man to turn this thing aroung. As for Stotts, I'm ambivalent on him but I do think he earned another shot...

This deal was made with an eye on the future and from that perspective it makes a lot of sense. Grob had 2 years left on his contract and the chemistry just wasn't right with him. I think Knight did a good job to get what he did as he doesn't have the trade value you feel he does... Let's face it, the Hawks aren't going anywhere this year so the emphasis to me should be on developing young players and freeing up some cap...

doesn't come off the books until January so it provide immediate $$$ relief. However, next summer the Hawks may be a big player in FA...

Hawks win today.. Try this link - if doesn't work go to NBA.COM and get it there... http://www.nba.com/media/celtics/03SL_Hawks1.pdf

I've never understood that logic of 'just making the playoffs' because you'd think the goal of every sports franchise (or any organization) is to be the best - which in sports equates to winning championships. I think if this is the goal of the new ownership then I'm perfectly willing to be patient while we build a championship team. The thing about that 'just making the playoffs' mentality is that it leads to bad trades (Big Dog), forces poor draft decisions (selecting a less talented guy who can help now as opposed to a player with a bigger upside), and hinders the development of young players. In the NBA, you need francshise players to win a championship and we all know that these guys are hard to find. Just as we know that the current Hawks roster has very little in the way of championship quality talent. Yes, we have some good (but not great) players that most of us seem to overrate. Some might think that we're a player (like a big guard with handles) away from being competitive but the reality to me is that we have a bad team that needs a major infusion in talent. So I'm hoping that the new ownership team comes in with their eyes on a championship and will implement a plan to make this happen.

I like this pick too. He can shoot and he's a better athlete than people think.

I haven't seen him play but from what I've read he's athletic, plays good D, is a great passer and is described as being the consumate team player. I think the comparisons to Pippen are valid (including the passive/soft label) and the holes in his game can be fixed. He was the MVP of the French League so the guy must have a solid all-around game as he averaged 7ppg.

Diaw was the MVP of his league - not bad for a guy who doesn't start....

This isVan Gandy's job...he's the man that Alexander wants. JVG has his pick between the Cavs and Rockets and I'm sure he'll go with Yao and Francis over James and whoever... Once they upgrade on Mobley and get a banger up front, the Rockets will take off...

Anthony or Darko - you can't go wrong with either one. It's just a matter of which one is the better fit. I don't know if Dumars was responsible for this trade but I'm loving what he's done with the Pistons.

ESPN still shows #42 belonging to Orlando. I do remember the trade and that it was at their option when to convey it - either 2002, 2003 or 2004. My guess is that they'll wait until next year with the thinking that it will be a lower pick. Also, we have 2 2nds coming from Philly (for Rentzias) in 2004 and 2006.

Couldn't agree more. In spite of all his skills, Big Dog is a poor fit for this team (maybe any team) and he's got to go. So even GRice skills have eroded I'd jump on this trade in a minute. Rice sqauwked about his minutes this year but I think most of that comes from playing on a selfish team....similar to the Hawks. Any potential deal with the Rockets won't include their pick because it belongs to Memphis. And for those of you who want Cuttino Mobley all I can do is laugh at the very thought of this. I live in Houston and watch the Rockets all the time and I can say the Cat is highly overrated and their version of the Big Dog. He may put up numbers but plays no D, can't pass and has an over-inflated opinion of his skills. Talk to any Rockets fan and they'd be more than glad to give him away.

What's the point to naming him as the inerim GM with 9 games left in the season unless he's going to be given this offseason to prove himself. I guess that's only fair since Pete had 13 years to show what he could do.. Congratulations and good luck Billy Knight...

Best move the Hawks have made in years. Pete was a great guy with a lot of integrity but he was a lousy GM. I wish him the best. Don't know much about Billy Knight so I can't say if he's the man but I'm excited that we have an opportunity to bring in someone (maybe Knight) that can straighten this mess out. I imagine that Stotts' fate will be in the hands of the new GM...

That Pete Babcock hasn't been fired and people still think that JT is PG. Pete should have been fired the day after he let Kruger go. Enough said about that. But JT at the point. He's not a PG, never will be and there's no coach on this earth that can make him a point. He doesn't have the inate skills to be a good point guard at this level and I just don't understand why some of our fans keep insisting that he can. JT lacks the vision, court awareness, and basketball instincts needed to be a true PG. He's a poor ball defender and consequently he's a liability on both ends of the floor - IMO. So even if we did get that "big" point he'd still hurt the team. I like him as a person and do think he's got game but I for one would like to see him moved....but then again I'd like to see the whole squad get moved..

...we probably could play this way. A win is a win but it's hard to get excited over thrashing the Bulls - who are even more inconsistent than we are. I'd like to see us do this against a good team - [censored] I'd even be happy if we beat the Warriors...

I just think that guys like Silas and Van Gundy are going to have the luxury of picking their spot because they are big-time/name coaches. Coaches of this caliber want to win and I don't see the Hawks being winners anytime in the near future. I personally think that of all the teams which may need a coach this offseason (Cavs, Knicks, Rockets (maybe), Hornets), the Hawks are the least attractive team to lead - unless they keep the pick.

That is good to hear as I'm not a big fan of the coach/GM position. On the other hand it's a little depressing to hear that Pete might be back. How long has he been here and how has he been able to keep his job? I live in Houston and it's been amazing to see what the Rockets have done in the last 4-5 years in terms on bringing in talent and reshaping their team - thanks to GM Carroll Dawson. I don't think we have a chance of getting a proven coach like Van Gundy or Silas. As much as I love the Hawks this team is a long way from being competitive and I just don't see an establish coach wanting to come here. So I think our best shot is an unproven, ex-player, assistant, who'll jump at the chance to be a head coach. That's not a bad thing as guys like Carlisle, Cheeks etal are out there.

I for one would be very surprised if Babcock is not fired after this season especially if our pick falls in the 4-10 range. How much longer can the owners watch the Hawks get blown away (see last game) and not feel that this team needs a complete overhaul - starting at the top? These guys may not know basketball but you bet your a$$ they know the bottom line - and it can't be looking good with a luxury tax payment coming as well as the ticket refunds. Sure the refund may be a small hit in terms of real dollars but it's going to significantly damage the Hawks image/credibility. Dan Patrick and Stu Scott are going to have fun with this. Besides, without an overhaul, no big name coach is going to want this job. Van Gundy and Silas will have their pick of jobs so don't think they're coming here without some assurances that the front office (GM, scouting, etc..) is on track to field a competitive team - which won't happen on Pete's watch.

I do like this trade of swapping dead weight for dead weight and clearing up some cap space for next year. But it's nothing more than a short-term fix that'll keep the Hawks in contention for the 8th seed and nothing more. I'm still in the opinion that we need to blow this team up and start over.....that's if we want to compete for a championship and not the 8th seed in a very weak conference...which is nothing to brag about....

I don't either of these guys suck they all have skills and I'm sure that every team in the league would want them - at the right price. However, they're just good, but not great, players. There's more to the game than scoring and that's what these guys do best. In the NBA, championships are still won with defense, rebounding and ball security - all things which we're lacking. None of our "great" players provide any of this so that's why we're in trouble. The Mavericks are a perfect example of this - great record but in no way are they a championship team. Sure they're exciting and they'll win a lot of games but do you honestly think they have a shot at winning it all?? What's the point in playing if you can't compete for the ring? Granted, not every team will but at least have a plan that will allow you to compete at that level...

First of all you need a plan to get your team to a championship level and Babcock has never had that - from where I sit. I agree that you can't just sign superstars because there aren't that many of them and they want too much $$$. You have to build through the draft and granted that's a risky proposition but just imagine the talent we'd have if Babcock hadn't signed Lo and traded for Reef and Big Dog. Q Richardson or ??, Wilcox/Butler or ??, Gasol/Griffin or ?? Also, let's not forget the year he blew the 4 first rounders. No problem with JT but Posey and George would be nice to have. So let's we had drafted some of these guys and teamed them with DJ and JT - which gives us a nice core. We'd then have cap to go after a vet like GP, or EJ to help stabilize the team. And of course we'd need to fill our hole in the middle but we'd have money to get one of the Davis boys for that. If I'm GM I build through the draft first and conserve $$$ for free agency. I'd stay away from trades unless I could pick up a young guy with star potential. Most importantly, you need a coach. Someone with a defensive philosophy who also understands the players and the game. I'm sure there are holes in this theory but my main point is that you need to build with young guys in the draft, augment them with FAs and hire a coach who knows what to do. I've been a Hawks fan longer than most of you guys...actually watched Lenny play when I was growing up in the Looie...so I'm not willing to settle for an 8th seed team as most of you want to do...it's time for somebody to start talking about rings.