Sage11

What does Noah give us that Smooth isn't already? I can't imagine the bulls giving up core players in this deal. I don't believe it.

Quote: Quote: People on here need to chill out and look at the big picture. We are 6 games under .500 in a weak conference. Our owners are suing each other and haven't shown any sign of actually understanding the game.Our coach and GM suck and finding good replacements will probably be difficult given the ownership situation (of course almost anyone would be better than what we have). We have no draft picks and no cap space this offseason. How's that for the big picture? Yep that sums it up. Nevertheless this team must win to turn all of the above around, until we do such- just more bad karma.

yea, the c's will be ready and will make a statement, the question is do we have anything left in the tank. We need to win three games, none of the teams we play are going to roll over and give us victories, we must take them. We cannot depend on the pacers losing, if we handle our business it does not matter what they do.

WOODSON SAYING "I'll be back"

I agree that this game is big, yet I think the entire last five games are huge. Why? We hold our own fate, we will find out what we are made of, we will find out the quality of coaching- yes we will find out if there is fire in the belly and skill to enforce our will on those who would keep the Hawks out of the playoffs. We will have to fight to get in and this week we better come out swinging or we will go home another year and watch and wonder what could have been.

Show the man the door, he has not been a good coach in my opinion over the years. If we somehow fade this week and do not make the playoffs- he might as well pack.

Roger that, I would rather see Boston in round 1.

I don't see them passing on D. If they do, and we pick him up, you Do Not trade him.

Congrats to 'Nique. My all-time favorite Hawk.

Talk about laying it on thick, the author is very impressed with what BK is doing.....hmmmmmmmmm.

Great read, thanks for the post. Go Marvin.....

No IMHO. Nellie is a differnt type of coach who had a thing for good international players (dirk, nash), and bad bigs(bradley). I don't see Nelly and the current ownership seeing eye to eye on personnel given his history; nor do I think he would consider coming here with the present ownership fight.

Quote: I like this move. In the midst of the other insanity with owners and Al, it gives them a vote of confidence. And at their age it's critical. I agree.

Quote: Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I just hope he improves that 42% fgs he had last year. 15pts 7reb 3assist and 2.5 blocks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Those are much more realistic numbers than what I have seen from some other posters. I think we should look to something on par with the second half of his last year and be thrilled with anything more. I agree, If he gives us more than he produced the second half of the year I will be thrilled. Chill, and Marvin will need to step up and contribute also. To me the Zaza needs to step it up for there to be measurable improvement (wins) on this squad.

Quote: LW: I think that’s what made us so dangerous in Memphis. If you left Pau (Gasol, the Grizzlies’ best player) open, he could burn you. But if you focused on him, then the rest of the guys on our team could beat you as well. We were tough to match up with because we had so many options. It’s the same way here. The Hawks have a lot of weapons that can come at you from all over the place, and as long as we do a good job sharing the ball, I don’t think any team will be able to just concentrate on stopping Joe and think they can beat us. I think Lo mentions a key point and possible strategy; when JJ draws double and triple coverage, other hawk players must be productive. I think we are in a better position to take advantage of this with Speedy running the point. With slashers going aggressively to the bucket we can make those teams pay who think that to beat the hawks all you have to do is stop Joe. Imagine Smooth, Chill, and Williams taking folk to the rim when/if their man plays help defense to double JJ. Speedy, Salim, and Zaza should also get some open looks. I would imagine that most teams will go zone on us to try and help neutralize our athleticism.

That is wonderful; your consistently positive posts are refreshing and wit unmatched. Graymule I'm praying this will be the healthiest and prosperous year of your life. Happy Birthday.

Marvin will have a good year, I definately expect to see improvement in his game. Not so sure that he will 'replace' Harrington's production though. Although it would be nice, I think that he is still a year away from that kind of consistency.

Quote: I agree that thinking that you're going to influence the GM / owners is dumb. Very dumb. Very very dumb. agreed....it is just stupid.......

Quote: That's a weak response. Al was being shopped for pocket lint. Al wasn't still a Hawk and you GD well know it. Please. Truth is never weak walter, AT THAT TIME HARRINGTON WAS A HAWK. We CHOOSE TO move him. Quote: JS and MW are still questions. Two things that aren't questionable: 1) behind Speedy, JJ, JS, and MW Childress will hardly get off the bench and will leave when his two years of bench duty are up. 2) MW and JS, if they are ever to be a formidable forward tandem, NEED a true, potentially dominate center. Who are the "dominate" big men you want? Please don't tell me its "project Bynum," or Pryz; neither of these men meet the definition walter and you know it. Quote: the Lakers won't let a project center go" sounds like a positive value judgement, yet you argue that "he's still a work in progress" and give him a negative value judgement for us. How does this flip/flop make sense to you? There is nothing value-added about that statement, it is simply the facts as circumstances have borne out. We both agree that we need a big, I simply was not willing to package Chill in a sign and trade to land another project. As I've said repeatedly it was too much for an unproven player. Quote: Your level of caution will DOOM us to mediocrity. Fact is we are back where we started. You cannot name a single "proven commodity" at center Are we really back where we started, I beg to differ, we have a much better team than we had three years ago. As far as proven commodity's go that is percisely my point, there are none available, therefore there is no need to throw valuable assest away gambling on tall boys with low skills. Who is available Walter that is "proven"? Names::::: Lets talk about proven talent and not projects. What you will not admit is that there is a lack of big men, that is what this thread is really all about. Just locating a tall boy is not the same as finding a big man to play the post. I find it hard to fathom that you are so worked up over Bynum, a tall boy until he proves he can play the post. Surly you must have more names for me to consider. Names::::

Quote: He's an athlete. Unless he's an underconditioned one, he can handle it. Agreed....

Quote: How can one argue both sides here. We no longer have Al and we no longer use Chill, yet they are too much for such a valuable (especially to us) and "rare" commodity as you describe? There is no way we are getting a proven commodity at center without losing one of our core in JS, MW, and JJ, so better to lose a player we were gonna lose and a player we don't use and will lose in 2 years for a great prospect at the center position. The key words in my post are "at that time." At that time Al was still a hawk, and Bynum was still a question (still is a question). Since then we know that the Lakers are high on bynum and are not going to let there project center go. Besides that they really do not have a use for harrington/chill with Kobe there. Just seem like a bad deal to me on a specluative player. I do not mind trading for proven commodities. Bynum is not proven... he is still a work in progress.

1. Let the owners continue to fight. If this team is ever to heal and become the contenders we desire, the owners must resolve their feud or we must find new owners. 2. Changing the uniforms is cosmetic only, there must be a culture change, a mentality change if we are to become winners. 3. Keep Woodson: I think he is a good coach for development of our young players, but he is not the man we need longterm. Granted he has had two empty positions (pg and center)to handicap him; nevertheless what I have seen of his coaching leaves something to be desired. He is a great asset to have on staff but I do not like him as a head coach. 4. Trade for a star- NOT..... I say stick with our young guns and ride them for all they are worth, trade them only when it is wise and feasable to do so. What we have been doing is giving good people away.

I would love to see Blank own the Hawks.

Quote: ...And the Al/Childress for Bynum trade could just as easily read 20th pick/Childress (a guy who will never in a million years get off our bench and who will leave at contract's end) for Bynum/others. 20th picks generally don't get you quality players despite the 4 yrs you pay them and we need a very good, BIG project at center far more than we need Childress. I recall my reaction to that trade proposal was that Al and Chill for an "unproven" prospect was simply too much. Bynum may turn out to be something, and because of that possiblity the Lakers will not deal him(smart btw). The facts are good bigs are rare and when you have a big (Prz) you need to hold on to them. That is what every other franchise is doing. I agree that we need a big, I would like to see one in a Hawks uni but I am not holding my breath because there is simply not many available.

Walter, I don't see a "dominate" big other than shaq to play in the system you proposed we should mimic. What I see is a lot of good players, mostly big guys who are a colossal waste of height. I see many pretenders, but not one of those guys have risen to the level and performance of bigs of old, like Kareem, the Dream, and Wilt. I do not agree that we should trade the farm on tweeners with height. You seem eager to forfeit numerous talent on mediocre bigs and I do not see the prudence of that.