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Yeah Diesel I don't know if your a Hawks fan or not anymore? Quit yapping about Paul. The Hawks are going to rise up this year!! Believe that!! I have no doubt in my mind we will contend for a playoff spot this year with this team!!! I'm really excited and i hope everyone else is too. We finally have some good pieces on this team to contend and if Marvin and Jsmoove explode like I think they will we will all be sipping white wine come playoff time! GO HAWKS!!!!

Quote: We start the season on 11/1 against Philly. I predict we get off to a 1-0 start. Who's with me? Of course, we get some preseason action starting 10/11. Someone turn this into a "We'll miss Al's *production*" thread. Were not going to miss Al's production one bit people. Jsmoove is going to average at least 15pts a game and Marvin will too so we should be even better. Plus we actually have a solid PG now in Speedy which will create more scoring opportunities for JJ too. Zaza is going to be better as well and will probably average more than his 11pts last year with Wright on board now. Hawks will be a ton better without Al and his sorry defense and aging knees. Trust me! We will contend for a playoff spot this year. Go Hawks!!

I guess you guys haven't heard that Jsmoove has bulked up considerably this offseason adding much needed muscle and mass. Marvin is going to start at SF and Jsmoove is starting at PF. I don't understand why you all think Jsmoove can't play PF in the NBA!! The guy blocked 3shots a game last year for petes sake. He is only 20yrs old and is also growing and getting stronger. He can easily play the PF position and will. Sheldon will be coming off the bench to play PF and some C to provide that interior D we were missing every game last year. Chill can backup Marvin at SF as well. We have at least one solid player to backup our starters at every position.

Well for one JJ is going to average more than 18pts a game. He should average at least 25pts a game this year since he will get even more opportunities to score not having to run the point again. Zaza will score more than 10pts. a game as well. Your forgetting that JJ averaged 20pts and Zaza averaged 11pts a game last year. They will only improve this year. Plus JJ is going to play the majority of his minutes at SG not PG. Chill will not play more minutes than JJ at SG.

Yeah but aren't those tickets right in the upper level and right behind the basketball hoop so you only see one half of the court? I heard the seats suck but that is a good deal! Can anyone clarify this?

I agree we got a 1st rounder for next year which was crucial since we gave our pick to PHX in the JJ deal. I really like this Hawks team too!! I honestly believe Smooth and Marvin will blow up this year especially Smooth. Its his 3rd year and he blew up the second half of last year. Supposedly he has been bulking up too this offseason and working on his game. JJ is a Olympian for petes sake and will average at least 25pts a game now that Speedy is on board running the point. We all saw how how Marvin straight dominated the SL and won MVP albeit against lower competition but still. He showed tremendous improvement and should be able to average 15pts, 7-8rb. a game this year easily. Zaza is improving as well and with Lo Wright on board it will take some of the ease off him not having to be the only big body on the team like last year. We drafted the Landlord to bring some tough defense and rebounding. We have Chill and Salim coming off the bench who can score! We have a very solid team right now and our success all depends on how Marvin and Smooth come out of the gates. Personally I think they both will surprise a lot of people. GO HAWKS!!!

I think that would be enough considering KG is 30yrs old. I mean they get two young players one of which is a borderline allstar in Al and either Marvin or Smoove who have superstar written all over them.

Quote: I repeat. If we suck enough to get a top 10 player in 2008 I will shoot myself. This is the mentality we have to change with Hawks fans. We shouldn't be excited because there are guards available in 2008. We are done rebuilding. What in the *uck are we going to do with a HS/College freshman point guard rookie when we are supposed to be EC contenders by then. We are set at point guard. We have 4 point guards all in their 20's. In fact we are set at every position now. All I want to see added to this team are role player specialist...namely Another scorer (ala Jerry Stackhouse type) A defensive specialist (ala Bonzi Wells type) I don't want any more damn rookies, or developmental players. This is our team Speedy/Lue JoJo/Salim Smoove/Childress Marvin/Shelden Zaza/Lo Extended bench: Este, Solomon NBDL Rep: Ivey That's it. We are done..that's the lineup. With the exception of some fine tuning BK's vision is complete. I think we are set at every position like you say except for the center position. I don't know about anyone else but I don't like zaza being our primary center for the future. Don't get me wrong I love Zaza but I think he is more equipped to be our backup of the future unless he becomes a great defensive player somehow which i don't see happening. I just think with the glut of big men in next year's draft we can make one more pick on a project center that we can groom along with Zaza and Lo Wright. We need the 07pick badly since we don't have one at all next year. If it is an 08pick then maybe we can make a trade to get into next years draft?

Quote: Quote: Did he make mention of what the 1st would be? 2007 unprotected? Bernie didn't give any of the parameters of the deal or the other team involved...he just stated that it was done and would be announced on Monday. So did he or didn't he say the deal was with INDY? or did he just say the Al deal is done?

Sorry but Bogut is way overrated and will be nothing but another Luc Longley. The guy doesn't jump well at all and didn't show me any defense last year along with being very foul prone. I know he can improve but not very impressed so far after getting a good amount of minutes last year after 4yrs. of college. I'd rather have Marvin than Bogut.

I agree if anything that moves signals Denver might be making another move since Joe Smith is not needed on their team unless they are moving Kmart or something. They simply don't need Smith at all and he fills no need. It would be incredible to see us land Camby somehow! Playoffs for sure then! No doubt

There is no way in hell Milwaukee is trading Charlie V. after they just gave up their starting PG for him in Ford. Keep dreaming. So they lose Ford and Charlie V. for one Al Harrington? Are you crazy?

So your saying Ratliff is ahead of Zaza too? Ratliff is a joke and does nothing but block a few shots if he is ever healthy to play. Zaza is also only 22yrs. old. Half the guys you listed are older and don't do a whole lot more than Zaza even as young as he is except play better defense. He can score and rebound better than half the guys on that list but I will agree his defense is horrible and needs improvement.

Yeah right! Al would love to play with the Lakers and we have already been in talks with them. I know he quoted that but i'm sure he wouldn't mind going there since they are a sure fire playoff team.

Were getting a 1st rounder too right? You left that off

Keep us posted with any news! Thanks

Please let us get Bynum,Mckie, Cook and a 1st rounder for AL!! Or however it can work salary wise. LA has a ton of expiring contracts we can take on to get Bynum and that 1st.

Yeah all he did was a fake him out and had an easy dunk. I thought you all said he dunked over Shaq. That wasn't the case at all but I still would love to have him as he has great upside.

Quote: Quote: You guys act like this offseason was full of FA's or something! It was a very weak FA class this year. Who did you want us to use our cap space on? I mean AL was the #2 rated FA this offseason! Wallace is getting old and not worth his contract. I mean we don't want to just sign a FA to say were using our cap space. We made solid improves that improved our team and our youngsters will hopefully blossom even more than last year. Were on the way up with tons of capspace for next year with a better FA class. Come on guys! Get Pumped! You don't have to just sign FAs. You can trade for just about anyone. You can do just about anything during the draft. Look at Portland. FAcy is one part of the puzzle. It's actually our best part (but by no means good) with Speedy. Our failings have been in trading Al, getting the most out of our draft pick, and utilizing our cap space and young talent to further a blockbuster deal getting us a superstar. W The Al deal isn't even done so what are you talking about? Were going to get at least a 1st round out of the Al deal for next year in a deep draft of big men. What superstar did you want us to go after and what superstar was really on the trading block other than Iverson? Quit bitching and support the team for once!

Maybe the Bobcats are getting involved in this one from that previous rumor because they are under the league minimum still and have to either sign players to make up the 8mil they need to reach the minimum or disperse it among their own players? They could be taking like Mihm and Mckie or something who all have expiring contracts this year to get to the minimum. We could be coming up big here!

Quote: Quote: Why is a "bargain" so important when we need talent? This is a nothing special move for a team in the midst of it's most flexible offseason with it's greatest amount of draft, FA, talent, and cap room capitol in 10 years. We don't need "bargains" we need results. As painful as this is for me I have to agree with Walter. Suddenly I have the urge to take a very long shower. You guys act like this offseason was full of FA's or something! It was a very weak FA class this year. Who did you want us to use our cap space on? I mean AL was the #2 rated FA this offseason! Wallace is getting old and not worth his contract. I mean we don't want to just sign a FA to say were using our cap space. We made solid improves that improved our team and our youngsters will hopefully blossom even more than last year. Were on the way up with tons of capspace for next year with a better FA class. Come on guys! Get Pumped!

Quote: quote]Hey if this team can finish close to .500 or a few games over were in the hunt for the 7th or 8th seed. I would love it!! I'm pumped and ready to see what we get for AL and get this next season rolling! GO HAWKS This team will not smell .550! If Joe gets injured we finish at the bottom. I beg to differ sir! Thats a big IF that JJ gets hurt since he never has been hurt his whole career so far. But your right if JJ got hurt were going nowhere this year. I mean for all we know Marvin and Josh Smith will blow up this year and surprise us which is possible. Way to be optomistic man! You sure your a Hawks fan?

Quote: Wright averaged 6/5 last year. His career high is 12 ppg. He is certainly a better defender than Zaza but that isn't saying much. Lets look at the offseason aquisitions so far: -Speedy (who I like)....average NBA starter -Wright..... average/below average starter -Shelden..... hopefully above average starter but obviously the jury is out When I look at these aquisitions I don't see a team that is trying to become a contender. i see a team that is on the fast track to .500. Filling needs is obviously important but if you want to be contenders you can't just fill out your roster with average players. Oh I guess you forgot the rest of our team those three acquistions are playing with. Guys our team is definitely going to compete for a playoff spot this season. At least to the point where were in it till the last two weeks of the season or so. And you never know they might surprise us. I mean JJ is just turning into an all-star right before our very eyes. Marvin just dominated and won the MVP of the SL. Josh Smith is a flat out a baller who showed us tremendous improvement the second half of last year putting up Kirilenko type numbers with plenty more room to improve. Zaza is a 22yr old center who will more than likely average a double-double this year with his 1st year as a starter under his belt averaging 12pts/8rbs. Wright is nothing special but he will come in and contribute in the interior. Salim is one of the purest shooters in the NBA who will only get better this year off the bench for scoring. Chill is a great 6th or 7th man that can score, rebound, and play defense. The Landlord will be solid down in the post blocking shots and using that 260lb. frame to push people around. With that all being said I think we can say we have one of the most all around athletic teams in the NBA that should cause some matchup problems. I'm just trying to be optomistic and we should all be excited. We finally have a team that will at least compete in year 4 of the rebuilding process. Were going in the right direction. Hey if this team can finish close to .500 or a few games over were in the hunt for the 7th or 8th seed. I would love it!! I'm pumped and ready to see what we get for AL and get this next season rolling! GO HAWKS

Quote: Quote: Quote: I was thinking the same thing regarding #4. I'm a huge GT homer but I think Dwight Howard is a man amongst boys. If only Orlando would have accepted that #6/#17 for #1 deal. Eh.... I know people here will think I'm crazy, but I think Howard can be more dominant than Shaq was when he reaches his prime... anybody notice what a waste JJ was for 80% of the game on offense? he would just hang around on the outside looking for the pass and then shoot down low to see if he could get a board after someone else shot. when he did get the ball he always either found an open man or created something. JJ has to have the ball in his hands at all times this year in the half court set. i hope Speedy helps us defensively on the smaller players and helps take some fatigue off Joe by bringing the ball up. other than that Joe is the offensive playmaker on this team without a doubt. it took me seeing Joe play with other star caliber players to realize just how solid he really is. everything goes through Joe in 2006. Um....no what are you talking about a waste? I remember one play in particular where Paul penetrated and dished out to JJ for a nice 3pointer on one occasion. JJ didn't look any different than any other player at SG last night. When he got the ball and was one on one he either did that incredible shake and bake move for the reverse layup and 1 or just penetrated to about 15ft and pulled up for a jumper. That is what I saw and that is what Speedy will do for the Hawks. JJ will find all kinds of ways to score this year.

Quote: Bernie probably said that because he thinks Sheldon will earn his spot at the 4 from what he's seen of him. you guys trip me out how you pick your favorites over the good of the team. it will work out either way. it will be a 3 man rotation with Sheldon hopefully getting about 12 minutes a game at the 5. that leaves 80 minutes at the forward spots assuming Sheldon plays 16 at PF. that's 32 mpg left for Smoove and Marvin with 16 left over for Chillz, etc. Chillz will get some run at SG also. I guess your retarded because were not picking our favorites here dude to be starters at SF and PF. Were picking Marvin and SMoove for the good of the team. I like Sheldon but he is no where near ready to come in and start right away. So what are you talking about again? Your saying its best for the team that Sheldon starts at PF? your the one picking favorites it looks like. hahahahaha