SWISH9061

I'm not overlooking the success that Dog and Reef have had in this league. They definitely have skills but look at the guys that burn them night after night - Harrington, Webber, Griffin, Jefferson, Pierce, Marion, Stoudamire. Not all of these guys have as much skill as Reef and Big Dog but they're all long and athletic. Granted they'll burn a lot of guys in these league but they make the game look so easy whenever they're up against our frontcourt. Answer this question - if you were Jerry West would you trade Gasol for Reef?? Again, it's about getting a ring and patching this team with another vet just isn't gonna cut it - IMHO

I for one say let's blow this thing up and start over. People talk about chemistry but I really think the talent level on this team is overrated. Adding a Snow or Williams would be great but that doesn't get us the athleticism and speed that we lack in the front court. Look at Reef, Big Dog, Theo, Hendu, Nazr - None of these guys (except for Theo who's still not all the way back) have the length and atleticism needed to compete in today's NBA. The only way we get this is through the draft or free agency. Yes, money talks and if we had enough of it to offer we'd get players. More importantly, we need to hold on to our picks.

In my mind it comes down to this - do you want a ring or are we happy just competing for the 8th seed? Sure we can patch up this team with Eddie Jones, Spree, or Payton but no way would either of these guys make us a championship squad. In my mind any GM who's goal is just to squeak into the playoffs doesn't deserve a job This team MUST BE "blown up" if we're ever to compete for a championship and adding a vet to the the current roster isn't going to get us there.

The thing that amazes me is that how everyone thinks this team is talented but lacking in chemistry. I agree that the mix isn't right but I still don't see a lot of the talent on this team. We can talk about team chemistry all day long but I feel that our record truly reflects the talent level. Trading for Spree, EJ, Derek Anderson may upgrade the backcourt but in my mind the overall level of talent would still be poor. First of all, the Hawks have absolutely no athleticism on this team and today's game is all about athletes. We have none. Look at the guys that kill us TMac, Pierce, Jefferson, Harrington, Stoudamire, and Garnett to name a few. Even if Big Dog, Reef, etal wanted to D up they don't have the athletic ability to match up on the perimeter and in the open court with these guys . DJ's the only athlete on the roster and to me losing him really hurt this team. Secondly, Babcock and Kasten are the problem. Mr. Nice Guy never talks about winning championships and seems content to build an eighth seed playoff team that will get bounced in the first round. How can you as the key executive of a sports franchise not set your sights on winning a ring. What's that saying - shoot for the moon and even if you miss you'll be amonst the stars. Well it looks like the Hawks are shooting for the stars which they've certainly missed and are now freefalling somewhere over the Atlantic. What's even worse, the Grizzlies, Bulls, Nuggets, Warriors, Cavs, and Clips have far more potential and are much more entertaining than this team. Babcock traded away our future and in my mind we're years away from the playoffs. The trades for Reef and Big Dog should have never happened as these guys are good role players and nothing more. Iknow that's hindsight but to me it signals that Pete Babcock never had a championship plan. Big Dog the missing piece for a ring? Please spare me... And to you guys who think that JT is PG - I'm wondering which team you've been watching. Sure he can score but he ain't a point and never will be. He's truly a liability on this team. So okay, we get a big point and let him play SG. Well he's still going to have to guard Troy Hudson, Chuck Atkins etc...guys that just light him up. The rest of the guys would make decent players given much better play from the so-called stars. But we don't have any..just some decent players and no stars. Somebody please tell me - where's the talent??

I know most of you Atlanta guys dont' even remember the old St. Louis Hawks but you can't ignore the history of a sports franchise. The best Hawks team ever was probably the one that won the championship in 57-58 - beating the Celtics. This team was led by Bob Petit, who was one of the greatest players of all time. The 56-57 team also lost in the finals to the Celtics - this was the Celts first championship and started their great run. Unfortunately, for most of you youngsters, Bob Petit may be the only name on this Hawks team that you may recognize. The 67-68 team wasn't too bad either. This team didn't go far in the playoffs because there were so many great players in the Western Conference at the time. Among the greats on this team were Sweet Lou Hudson (SG) , Zelmo Beatty © and Lenny Wilkens (PG). I'll take these guys over JT, DJ and Theo any day... One thing about our history is that the Hawks always seem to have 2nd tier stars - players who are really good but not great. In my opinion, this is what we currently have on the team - a collection of good players but none really good enough to lead us to a championship. One final note, as I lay this history lesson on you. The worst trade in NBA history occured between the Hawks and Celtics in 1956 when we traded Bill Russell for Cliff Hagan and Ed McCauley. So give Babs a break because he's never done anything quite this bad...

Great post!!

What's up with trading Dion. He's an athletic wing guy who can score by taking it to the hole or hitting the J. He needs to step up on D and become consistent with his shot - but he's a young guy who will certainly improve on his game. I'm all for keep ing DG...