Johann

Hoopshype quotes the Racine, Wisc. paper as saying we are one of two frontrunners courting T Papa of CSKA Moscow, according to his agent; described as "the best point guard not playing in the nba." May have been posted already - I have been lost in cookie-space. Thanks mountainjim for the rescue. What are the chances of Billups signing for the MLE if he thinks that with Amare and our existing pieces we have a shot at the East title (I know I'm jumping the gun here - pull the trigger, Steve Kerr!)?

If we take Conley at 3 and Brewer is gone at 11, I take Joachim.

Assuming it's true that Conley is showing that he actually can shoot, and if daylight is starting to open between Conley and Law or Critt, then it has to be Conley at 3. Horford is not going to be our center, if we are ever going to get to the 3rd round of the playoffs. And we took a PF at the 5th pick last year. Looking like Brewer may slip to 11. If we took Conley at 3, then Brewer is my choice at 11. Florida was a darn good team last 2 years, and I think Brewer was the heart of it. I know, it makes Chills expendable, or the lesser of Chills or Brewer expendable. That's what we will have available to use to get a legitimate post player in trade. Corey Brewer, for his defense and his clutch and his speed and length and smarts and will to win; I think he will shine in the NBA, and soon.

Quote: it's a bit like being an unqualified Tarot card reader. You mean there is such a thing as a qualified tarot reader? I wonder if there is a Tarot Board in Georgia?

I don't think Horford is a center. He may be a very good power forward. I am inclining at the moment to the opinion that Conley and Law and possibly Critt are equally desirable at pg. Therefore, again at the moment, I am leaning towards waiting til 11 and taking our choice of pg among those then available. Since there is no center worthy of the third pick, and in the absence of a trade, I lean towards taking the bpa who I think is Corey Brewer, the best player on the best team in the country. He has the heart and the speed and the defense and the clutch to be a star in the league, along the lines of Josh Howard. Of course, if we keep him, we would eventually trade someone else, probably Chills, preferably towards a real, starter-quality 5. I would also be wining and dining zo's agent, to try to sign him for year, possibly as a player/coach.

Nothing new here, just me venting. I've given him the benefit of the doubt until he proves himself wrong, which has now happened repeatedly. By now it's unquestionable that he is not a gifted teambuilder or evaluator of talent. He passed on Deng, CP, Deron, Roy, Foye. That's too many fine (at mostly positions of dire need) players for me to ignore. I'm not buying the "insider health reports" BS any more, even if the AS still does. So, he's not gifted. Even so, had he not made one glaring mistake that set in motion many others, he would have lucked into a fine core of players. That first mistake was Deng. Had he gone with the conventional wisdom, just followed (from what I understand) the majority of the mock drafts, rather than to try to outsmart all the scouts ala P. Babcock, he would have picked two near all-star forwards in that one draft. The next year, with the talent level of those two, he surely wouldn't have passed over Deron, his choice at pg, in favor of an unneeded and unproven forward. He also wouldn't have felt the need to lock up so much money on Speedy and AJ. We still wouldn't have much at the center position, but that would be the only hole in what otherwise could be a championship caliber core.

i think woodie might be sticking with his vets in a desperate attenpt to save his hide with a strong finish.

as far as a court date, i know of none. i presume the case has already been orally argued to the court (the only potential court date under normal procedures), or just submitted on briefs. the appeals courts decide cases when they get good and ready, not before.

its true that there are only 10 teams with worse records than indy right now, and indy is 1-9 in the last 10 games. 2 teams are only 1 game behind them in the win column.

everyone seems to agree we need a young point. we all ought to try to watch the ucla game, and take a look at collison. only a freshman, but they say he pushes the ball, can penetrate and dish, hit shots, and play good defense.

no one with any value is going to come here until the dust settles in court. period. the only coach or gm we could possibly hire would be a total, unproven, noob.

i always thought julius erving (dr j) actually had a PhD

the problem i see with your analyses is that, objectively speaking, the kid is showing some improvement; as a consequence, we are missing out on all that interesting gas about trading him to indy for john edwards, or simply donating him to a medical school for experimentation.

proves that all of the hawks hang on every word posted here, as we suspected (not to mention the management, owners and referees)

i dont necessarily agree yet that wood is a horrible coach. he's new at it. its clear he's not yet a good coach. this year has proven to me that great coaching is hellaciously important. what phil jackson has done is simply amazing. when he took over the lakers, they sucked. writers were saying he was going to just cash in his rep for buss's 10 mil a year. what he has done is nothing short of miraculous. i would not have believed it if i weren't watching it unfold before my eyes. kobe playing team ball? god. there are not many great coaches, just not many. d'antoni, avery johnson, larry brown, pop, maybe riley. riley i might include only because i saw no way he could go the distance last year with only wade and a gang of guys who spend their nights in an old folks home. of those coaches, only brown is available, and philly seems to already have an agreement with him to take over that team after a sufficiently good draft choice is secured. if brown is not already locked up, i think the spirit guys should offer him belkin's piece of the pie if they win, for a discount price, and see if he would bite. this idea is such a stretch i am hesitant to even post it, but its the only remote possibility i can dream up of pulling in a great coach under these ownership circumstances. if we have to make a change on the cheap, i would consider trying avery's assistant, popeye jones. he has seen the energy and focus avery brings, and maybe absorbed some of it. and what he has done with diop and damp is remarkable. our bigs could certainly use some of the same treatment.

if we make a change, and if we gotta do it on the cheap, i might take a chance on popeye jones. he has done wonders with diop, and has damp playing like a real center. his head coaching skill is an unknown (i know, hawks fans are sick of unproven coaches), but popeye is a darn good coach of big men. we couldnt lure him here with less than the hc position.

just speculating, because i dont know, but surely his no. 2 was emeka.