Hawks4ever

The Hawks are so confident about next season they'll pay every full-season ticket holder $125 if they don't make the playoffs. That's about a $500,000 bet for the Hawks, based on last year's sales of about 4,000 packages at between $1,025 and $3,485 each. It's an unprecedented offer among Atlanta teams and extremely rare in professional sports. The Hawks have not made the playoffs in three seasons. "I expect this team to make the playoffs, however," Hawks president Stan Kasten said on Monday. "When we do make the playoffs, we will reward our [full] season ticket holders by giving them the first playoff game free." Kasten said the refund-reward program is the team's way of repairing its public image after a series of disasters. He said the program was initiated by coach Lon Kruger and supported by several veteran players "Lon came to [upper management] and said he wanted to do this, to change perceptions," Kasten said. "He wanted the fans to know how strongly we believed in the team." What about the pressure? "That's what it's all about," Kruger said. "We like our team. We expect to make the playoffs." Kasten said he talked to Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Theo Ratliff, Jason Terry and Dion Glover before implementing the program. "They're going to be hearing about this all summer and every day during the season," Kasten said. "They're going to have to live with this. They said, fine. They have no problem with it. And the way they've dedicated themselves this summer [by working out as a team three times each month], I think that says they are doing what's necessary to be in the playoffs." Kasten said the Hawks considered two reasons not to offer the rebate: "As we learned last year, too many things can go wrong during a season," he said. "The other thing is that half the teams in the league lose every night. We don't sell winning and losing. We sell entertainment and competition.''

Only one worth considering is Marshall. I like him because he has size and can board.

Chicago basically dumps a salary and degrades at the point guard position. No way the Bulls want JT over Jay Williams.

Houston could use Nazr and they have that mid-1st pick that I want.

Butler would've been the perfect fit for us, too bad there is no way in hell we get the pick unless we give up two of our 4 building blocks (JT, DJ, SAR, Theo). A guy I would like to trade to get is Chris Jefferies. He's a 6'8 swingman with great athleticism and awesome defense. Jefferies and Nachbar are two guys that could help us out and will be around in picks 10-15.

1. Dunleavy 2. Butler 3. Woods 4. Tskitishvili 5. Jeffries 6. Nachbar 7. Gizzard 8. Diaw 9. Prince 10. Yarbrough I bet you my balls one of them is on our roster by July.

Instead of one person a team, why doesn't every person involved make who they think each team will take for just the first round

Jones is amazing. He brought the house down in Atlanta during that dunk contest. WOW.

Sounds good.

Multiple firsts, eh? Do they have any of those stupid protections on it? Like lottery protected or something like that?

Kidd/Kobe/Marion/Duncan/Shaq That's my dream lineup, and it ain't happenin either.

No team with a CBA starter [Newble] and the official clown of the NBA [Leon] is going to do well. Mark my words. Kasten needs to get new people to run the team. In the coaching bench and in the front office.

The only position I don't feel comfortable with is SF. When it comes right down to it, Newble is just a hustle guy who is Coach Kruger's love child. That's the only reason he's still here. Still need a tall SF who can rebound.

Yeh, he needs to drive alot more often. If he does that his PPG average should go up to around 16ppg. Sometimes I feel Coach Kruger is turning a possible McGrady-clone into a Glen Rice-clone.

I hate this trade in all forms and aspects.

Stinger laughs too long at Rathburns dumb jokes.

It's vice versa.

The Hawks announcers suck.

Kenyon DOES play SF in most of the games.

When Kidd said he wants to play with Dice and Marion again, he didn't mean in New Jersey. Kidd is going to bolt out of town just like McDyess will to Denver. I wouldn't be surprised to see San Antonio sign Dice and Kidd.

JV backed up John Stockton. Omar backed up Kenny Anderson. Huuuuuuge difference.

We don't need an inexperienced PG.

Last years 76ers.

I don't want him. We have enough guards who don't play defense as it is. I would rather draft Yarbrough.