tbhawksfan

We have absolutely no history of attracting top FA. There are only a handful of teams that get them year after year. What idications are there that this is about to change?

The system that Ferry is installing in Atlanta in regards to players is draft picks and role players. IMO with the Ferry plan there will never be major free agent players, just not going to happen. Ferry will continue to draft players to develop and like with Sap shopping more on the clearance rack than on new model free agents. The Hawks are near the bottom of the NBA in attendance and are not going to go into the luzury tax to sign players.

Then why not go the draft route?

Ferry is coming into his third draft. Many of his third season moves will happen in the coming weeks.

The first draft he selected a couple of role players that wouldn't take too long to contribute. Second draft he went pure potential with players 2-3-4... years away from solid contribution. His FA moves last year indicated a short-term competitive vision; he invested in the here and now. The Hawks had a ho-hum, very mediocre season marred by the season ending injury to Horf. Horf would have helped, but most realize that even with him the team would have come up way short of a title.

I was very surprised by the "assemble the best team now" FA moves combined with the potential drafting. What direction will he go with this draft? What about FAcy?

What do you guys expect from Ferry this off-season?

What should he do?

Are we stuck in the middle between rebuilding and competing?

Making moves to compete now, while drafting for years from now seems a bit contradictory. Agree? disagree?

Never too early or late to talk about how and what our GM is doing.

If he goes through with a sale, it's VERY unlikely that they'll get another gaziollaire owner and the team will super suck next year.

If the Hawks keep on the competitive path, they could still get a nice pick from Brookyn.

Even if he doesn't sell, he could be less willing to spend 30 million over the lux tax again for mediocre results

Love to keep him. Wish he was 7'1" 250 because we need to get bigger. We need a C.

Korver is aging like fine wine because his game is shoot and fundamental. He will continue to be able to do those things. Deng plays more athletic, will not maintain his level of play and would tie up too much money.

I'm looking for other options. No Deng

Some of the optimism might be a little...otimistic. When it mattered, Indy turned it up and shut us down. The talent gap between us and them was huge. Horf doesn't bridge the gap. We need to add better talent, size and depth.

As is, we're likely a mid to late seed, with NO chance at winning it all.

Best bet is they keep nearly everyone, add a decent C, like Hawes, and draft the best SG/SF available. Then they can choose to extend or trade Sap before the deadline.

I was thinking of rating the OP on his thread (not good) but decided not to since I've never used that particular function. BUT based on the way the thread has developed and that it has clearly become a free speach argument I now find myself to rate it (PDG: pretty dam good).

We are here to express our views and opinions on Hawks things (and a few others) and that's why most of us are here.

The best thing to be intolerant about is intolerance.

I think you can easily put together a HOF team using only foreign born players. The worst thing about this anti-foreigner theme is that the percentages cited to make the argument are actually very close. I don't think a couple of percentage points of difference between the two groups is a reason to eliminate the foreigners from your choices. Never a good idea to eliminate choices without even reaserching them.

Prove that I don't understand basic math?

Not to pick, but a fact can not be flawed; by definition. The problem with your analysis is that there all the variables are not taken into account... that's why it's flawed and can't be called factual.

The percentages you offered are indicative, but there are other factors at play and all-star bids are influenced by popularity as are players in general

@GameTime Yeah, he's young and talented and definitely fills a major need. One of our cap experts can tell us what his max is. I think it would be a good idea to try to grab him. We can make the space under the lux and if our bigs can handle the front-court he might complete our team.

I think I'm looking at Heyward. If Ferry and Bud want a wing that has size, can shoot, play some D and will fit perfectly into their culture, then he looks like the guy.

Eh... Millsap, Carroll both showed good improvement. That's one of the reasons why we're so high on Bud....not only can he coach, he also develops and gets players to extend their potential.

I'm for Monroe. Nice inside moves would complement Horf's spot ups and our outside shooters

Remember, the only reason why we were jacking up threes at that rate was because Horford was missing.

No. The reason was that we don't have a wing that can penetrate or post.

This is a wing draft. I'd try to move Lou's expiring and our second for say #22-25 and draft LaVine and a nice SF; maybe G Robinson III. Add a decent C that can board and maybe score a bit. If we can get the C we want to man the spot with Horf, or move Horf to PF, why wait?

Millsap's contract will expire at the end of next season and we'll have room to sign a 2015 FA even if we spend the 10-12 million on a FA this year.

My (realistic) dream off-season:

C / Bebe

Horf / Millsap / Muscala

Carroll / GRIII / Scott

Korver / Lavine / Jenkins

JT / Schro / Mack

Who's the C? I don't care if the C starts or comes off the bench with Horf and Sap starting, just need a quality C . Bebe is likely 2-3 years from being an impact, quality C. Why not draft wing and sign a C?

If the Hawks aren't ready to compete, doesn't a Millsap trade make sense? If we moved Sap, we could clear cap for Monroe; a young, talented CENTER to build around with Horf, JT etc....

I'd also try to move Lou and our 2nd for a 20s first.

Draft #15: LaVine and best SF with pick/s from Lou and Sap deals

Monroe / bebe / Antić

Horf / Muscala / Scott

Carroll / Draft

Korver / LaVine / Jenkins

JT / Schro / Mack

Open it up. I'm a very tolerant OP

We are still rebuilding. Not enough tazlent yet to even dream of competing deep into the play-offs anytime soon.

So what's the best path to putting the Hawks at the top?

Competitive rebuild with a mid seed, first second round exit and another mid round first?

Trade all the in the prime guys in a total rebuild?

Keep one or two (Horford) and trade everyone else?

I think that the tme to make the big move was this last trade deadline. With Horf out for the season Ferry should have pushed the button and put us in line for a high pick.

I guess now the only choice is to keep everyone (except Lou) and build through FA and draft

What do you guys think?

Who would be your top choice as a nice FA?

Secondary signing?

Its tough enough having one player only getting mop up minutes, like Dennis, on the bench; two is that much tougher. The D league is an option. But he counts against your payroll and the only way to bring him up is have a open slot, send someone else down, or release someone....

Caption this to quote Diesels infamous play on words...One minor or major injury to either your 1st or 2nd Center automatically promotes your 3rd center up to getting around 15 to 20 MPG. I do not want Bebe as our 3rd center. That would hurt us as a team and possibly hurt his confidence as well...

This is one of the reasons some question the competitive rebuild idea. Some players are ready to win, some are ready to develop, tough to do both at the same time.

If this posted plan: keep Josh and move Monroe does not work out next season, you will have a full scale fan base revolt in Motown.

Its almost 100% agreed upon that the Piston fan base wants to keep Monroe and dump Josh. Their hard core fans are done with Smith after just one season and consider him a poison pill. He was most certainly the last nail in Dumars' coffin. They think Monroe, Drummond, Jennings, and their pick this season could get them back into the playoffs.

It will be very difficult for DET to unload Smith and keep Monroe. Signing Smith really put them in a corner and Smith is practicing his threes from there. Now that Dumarrs is out of there, Smith is sure that he'll fulfill his wanna be like Lerbron fantasy

Please God...

You have a message from GOD.

Too busy to worry about basketball, famine, greed and the environment are keeping us very busy. You'll have to sign Monroe without my help. I definately think that you should go after him though. I think we can win a championship with him.....

If all he's doing is shutting down Hibbert, good job!