Speed

Quote: Hey Speed, I noticed that Pacers Digest has suddenly become a private forum that fans from other teams can no longer read. Is that because Pacers fans don't other team's fans crapping in their forum (hint, hint)? You got it, good luck to the Hawks. Stay fans even through the thin, it will make it that much more sweet someday.

Quote: Quote: Go ping pong balls, oh wait.... With the first overall selection in the 2007 draft acquired in a trade from the Atlanta Hawks, the Phoenix Suns select Greg Oden...... It ain't going to happen. Even if we fall apart and place that high in the lottery (unlikely), the 2007 pick is top 3 protected. Get your facts straight. Good there is something to hope for then.

Quote: Speed, I'm sorry if the truth hurts, but you have one #1-type player in JO that either gets hurt a lot, or disappears in the playoffs (this comes from Pacer's Digest members); Big Al, whom the majority of this forum did not want to keep around as a Hawk; Granger, who supposedly has the potential to be a good all round player (but if this is true, why did you trade for Al); SJax, a player most Pacer fans despise; and a lot of role players who are not well rounded enough to be starters. There is no way I would trade the Hawks' roster for the Pacers'. JO had 37, 15, and 5 blocks in game 3. Averaged 21 and 7.5 for the series, I don't call that not showing up. He has been injured 2 times in his career that made him miss multiple games, not what you want, but none of it has been career threatening. ATL not wanting to keep a co Captain who was the second leading scorer, rebounder, and assist guy, in Al, I can't explain. Granger does have potential to be a very good all around player which allows him to play along side AL very effectively, so you answered your own question. SJAX is not liked by some because he argues with the refs to much, because fans don't like aspects of a player doesn't mean he's not effective averaged 16.4, 3.9 boards, 2.8 assists, and 1.28 steals in 81 games. As far as role players off the bench that are not well rounded or consistent enough to start, well isn't that the definition of a bench player? Isn't that what a bench is?

Quote: Speed, I'm sorry if the truth hurts, but you have one #1-type player in JO that either gets hurt a lot, or disappears in the playoffs (this comes from Pacer's Digest members); Big Al, whom the majority of this forum did not want to keep around as a Hawk; Granger, who supposedly has the potential to be a good all round player (but if this is true, why did you trade for Al); SJax, a player most Pacer fans despise; and a lot of role players who are not well rounded enough to be starters. There is no way I would trade the Hawks' roster for the Pacers'. No problem, I wouldn't trade rosters either, it would suck to wait 3 years to see if they are going to be good. I hope the ATL fans are ready for a 25-30, at most, win season the Pacers are in the second round of the playoffs, at least with a chance to do something. When the Pacers are a top 5 team in the East and the Hawks are a bottom 3, at least the fans stuck with them. Go ping pong balls, oh wait.... With the first overall selection in the 2007 draft acquired in a trade from the Atlanta Hawks, the Phoenix Suns select Greg Oden......

Quote: It seems easy to say that the Pacers will be better. But the team is largely dependent on JO, Al, Tinsley. Those guys are really good players but they probably aren't going to be a lot better players this year than they have been in the past. This seems more likely and more common than Indy replacing Artest with Al and going to the top of the conference. JO and AL didn't play TOGETHER last year so how good they can be together in their prime isn't known, so its not relevant to say they won't be better. More importantly, they aren't replacing Artest with Al, Artest missed the entire season two years ago, and played a month last year for the Pacers. Peja almost never played with JO in the same games and was here for 3 months and only played in 2 of 6 playoff games. Basically, they are adding Al, along with reworking over half the team. As a side note watch James White play and then in the Dunk contest next year and tell me theres not potential to improve.

Quote: I am not impressed with Indy's roster. Even if everything goes right for them, they won't make it past the 2nd round of the playoffs. If JO gets hurt and misses significant time, they struggle to make the playoffs. What is going to be interesting to watch is if they put Al at PF so Granger can get more playing time. If they do this, Indy fans are going to know how to spell "matador" like it was their own last name, because they are going to be using the term so often. I am not impressed with ATL's roster. Even if everything goes right for them, they won't make it to the playoffs. If JJ gets hurt and misses significant time, they struggle to not be the very worst team in the league. What is going to be interesting to watch is if they put Josh Smit at PF so Marvin can get more playing time. If they do this, ATL fans are going to know how to spell "turnover" like it was their own last name, because they are going to be using the term so often.

It's funny how skewed it all is. The Pacers go .500 last year 41-41 under adversity and the Pacer fans are really dissatisfied and discouraged. The Hawks win 39 games in two years and they are heading to the playoffs and much better than the Pacers. Defies logic. As for head to head, if you beat Dallas and Miami head to head last year or even sweep them, but lose the rest of your games, so therefore you are clearly the better team than both, so you are therefore are the NBA champs..... When is the banner ceremony?

lol, hilarious.

Quote: A lot of people here don't realize how many games your regulars missed last year. I added it up once and it wasn't pretty. Like I said I like ATL's young fellas, they will be fun to watch, Joe Johnson is clutch, but the Hawks aren't close, in 3 years could be very good, I would guess if the team is managed well and builds around that core, but not this year and not next w/o a good first round pick. And between the Hawks and Pacers it isn't close, no offense but be objective.

Quote: Personally, I think the Pacers are no better than what we are right now. Wow, the Pacers won more last season with Artest sitting out, JO hurt, Tinsley hurt than ATL has COMBINED the last 2 years, and ATL lost its 2nd best scorer, rebouder, and assist guy and the Pacers now have him. ATL signed a back up PG to start and a below avg back up big man, while drafting a guy that was slotted 10 picks lower and is undersized for the pro game. You have to be kidding?!?!?

2007 lottery protected. Thank you Hawks and good luck!

Quote: I would have thought the Hawks would have signed Harrington for 40 million, kept him and dealt him off by the mid season trade deadline, which would have put the Hawks in position to help themselves tremendously. How? Really any team in the hunt for a playoff spot that needs that additional piece mid way through the season would be willing to come off a lil bit more than what they were willing to offer during the off-season. It doesn't work like that. BYC is a killer the first year on a re sign, I believe, I also think it hampers trade the first two years. Makes recently signed players almost untradealbe, unless its a sign and trade.

Quote: The Bottom line is that Atlanta doesn't have to trade with Indy. They will trade with Indy if it behooves them. Indy doesn't set the tone in this deal as much as you'd like to think they do... Atlanta does. SO if the deal is not to Atlanta's liking, then Indy can spend their time trying to talk All into an MLE deal that last 5 years. ON other fronts, there are other deals. Atlanta doesn't have to take Joe Smith... Atlanta could take Maggette and Pietrus out of the proposed deal and leave Denver out all together. Would that be a better truck for your trade in? The point is Atlanta will make the deal that Benefits them the most. Indy should have became more agreeable when Al switched Agents. Arn Tellum is a closer. He will close a deal. IF indy tried to change the terms of the deal from 6 years to 4 years, I imagine that Tellum will make Indy regret that.. I didn't realize they were getting Maggette or Pietrus offers, what happeded to Bynum, that was the best deal. The real bottom line is just because Indy won't pay ATL what they think they should get doesn't mean they are mean or that Tellum needs to make them regret it. And you are right they could get nothing, absolutely nothing. He is a free agent. None of these parties are trying to do favors, this is business. I can see when its time to extend JO, tellum says well we aren't going to take your 80 million dollars because you hurt Al and mine's feelings. There take that.

http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-bl...ngton_saga.html If I’m not mistaken, some filmmaker has already used the title “Endless Summer”. But I can’t think of any other way to describe our Hawksville summer. I apologize for playing a part in raising all your hopes that something would be done last week. But I was simply following the information and where it led before the Pacers squashed the thing on Friday, taking weeks worth of negotiations and setting them on fire before our very eyes. We could choose to go in another direction. That’s our prerogative as grown ups, or so-called grown ups. We could focus on something other than Al Harrington and this sign-and-trade scenario - the latest four-team trade rumor (Harrington to Golden State, Joe Smith to the Hawks, Corey Maggette to Denver and Mike Dunleavy Jr. to the Clippers) is similar to the one that floated weeks back involving basically all the same teams minus Indiana, of course. It’s a novel approach. And I like the idea of a group effort to get something done. But I’m not going there until I get the word that it’s anything more than a rumor. And I doubt Hawks fans are going to be pleased with any deal that doesn’t net either a quality young player or a future first-round draft pick (a draft pick wasn’t mentioned but the Hawks have pushed for this harder than anything else this summer, so I don’t anticipate them doing a deal that doesn’t involve one changing hands). Again, we could move on to something else altogether. We could forget this sign-and-trade nonsense and talk about what to expect from Speedy Claxton or what immediate contributions can be expected from rookies Shelden Williams and Solomon Jones. But that would require us all to be above the petty foolishness that the summer months have become when teams struggle to make deals. And honestly, I’d love to move on. I’d be more than happy to move on if only a deal could be made. After all, the start of training camp is within sight. The third of October is coming straight at us and players around the league are getting ready. Harrington said he’s working out as hard as ever in anticipation of the season, though he still has no idea where he’ll be playing. But that’s not all I’m worried about these days. I’ve been watching the World Championships and scanning the games for clues as to what the upcoming season holds for various players around the league. Boris Diaw was at his versatile best in the two games I watched involving France over the weekend. And all the Argentinean guys looked to be a their crafty and rugged best in their games. I paid special attention to Team USA, of course, particularly Joe Johnson. And even in his limited minutes against China, he showed off yet another wrinkle to his game that goes largely unnoticed during the NBA season. Joe’s on the ball defense on the perimeter caused fits for the guys he guarded. While several of his teammates seemed to relax on defense as the lead grew to 30-plus points, Joe was steady applying the pressure. His activity led directly to three fast break opportunities for Dwyane Wade during one stretch. That’s the type of unselfish nature that will endear Johnson to his Team USA teammates for summer competitions to come. That’s why I’m already wondering how you’re going to banish him to the training squad next summer when Kobe Bryant comes back to claim his spot in time for the preparations leading up to the 2008 Olympics. I know they haven’t even finished this summer’s competition. But I’m thinking they’re going to finish in the top three this summer for sure and be better next year. And then … Sorry, I get ahead of myself sometimes. But I should know better than that by now after back-to-back endless summers with the Hawks.

Just as a side note, I like this Hawks team even though they are probably not that close to contending, but they will be very fun to watch and if they can get a #1 for next year and get a young PG to groom, they will be a solid playoff team in two years, imo. Even though Billy missed Chris Paul and overpaid for Joe Johnson he really has built a very athletic young nucleus. They are made for the new NBA. If I was ATL I would do anything to send Al to the worst team who is willing to give up a number one for him, forget the rest of it. Get as high as you can for next year, let the young fellas take on some more responsibility and blossom.