Quote:
Atlanta Hawks
2007-08 Record: 37-45
Head Coach: Mike Woodson
Team Needs: Depth, C (no picks)
After years of ineptitude and bungled lottery picks, the Atlanta Hawks have finally turned the corner. For
now. But it can all be lost with a few simple missteps.
Priority number one going into this summer must be to sign Josh Smith to a long-term deal. Teams are going to throw a lot of money at him, dare I say he plucks a max contract deal out of some panicked team’s pockets. Regardless, the Atlanta Hawks MUST keep J. Smith. To lose him now would be to give him up in his prime and resign one’s self to lottery misery for another half decade. He is a restricted free agent this summer, which should help the Hawks in keeping him.
Priority number two is to re-sign Josh Childress. Childress and Smith were drafted in the same class, only Childress was the lottery pick while Smith went in the high teens. Regardless where they went, they are both indispensible at this point in my estimation. Childress gives the Hawks some breathing room at the SG and SF positions. While he may not put up mind-blowing numbers, the chemistry of this team is built in the nucleus of Smith, Joe Johnson, Childress, and now Al Horford.
While not as detrimental as the Smith signing, keeping this core intact needs to be at the top of the list if the Hawks are interested in making the playoffs two years in a row. Childress is also a restricted free agent.
As for the rest of the lineup, another year of Mike Bibby should help this young team while also giving Acie Law more time to develop as he comes off the bench. For a four-year player taken in the lottery, one would expect more production out of a rookie year, but it is still too early to call Law a bust.
Speedy Claxton and his over-inflated contract are back next year. Let’s hope they can get some burn out of him next season and see some kind of return on their ill-advised investment.
Marvin Williams, the player forever linked to the passing over of Chris Paul AND Deron Williams, while solid at the PF spot, just doesn’t produce like his talent suggests he should. His development has been slow, and while he has crept along, the Hawks would be better served with Al Horford at the 4 and another true big body at the 5, with Williams coming off the bench as a change of pace SF/PF.
Solomon Jones seems to have plenty of upside, but is going to need some more time to season on the bench before he is expected to play meaningful minutes. Zaza Pachulia gives the Hawks a badly needed big body with a decent amount of skill.
As for the offseason, the Hawks can focus on re-signings and free agents as they have no draft picks as of right now. An area of focus should be getting another big body to play the blocks with Horford. Their pick at 15 goes to the Suns, but knowing Phoenix's recent history with first rounders, they might be willing to give the pick back if the Hawks ask nicely.
http://www.nbadraft.net/2008southeastteamneeds001.asp
LOL Wtf who writes for these people?