Mr. C

Yes...I'll be there in full effect. Make sure to come down if you all have the chance. There's gonna be all types of things going on. Also, if any of you have kids or know of anyone who has kids, make sure to bring them down also, as there will be a court set up for them to play on. Spread the word!!!

this should be interesting. smitty wasn't the most eloquent person in the biz, but he made up for it with his knowledge of the game and occasional outbursts when someone would do something crazy. I'll give nique the benefit of the doubt, b/c who knows, he might turn out ok...

Is there a link to this??? I would like to see what teams should see a decline...

Yes...I totally agree 100%. That "article" is proof. That's why I said you can only take it with a grain of salt...lol.

Of course, you can only take these type of things w/ a grain of salt. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?p...asonPredictions What y'all think???

looks like Mr. Powell is staying in LA...except he's moving down the hall... http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/sierra/20...to-sign-powell/

most def. agree...nice pick up...flip isn't a star by any means, but I like him coming off the bench and doing some damage...hopefully he can replicate this at some point... ">" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350">

I believe that 1-7 on that list is about right. But not necessarily in that order. I think that during this upcoming season that those spots will be interchangeable all season like the West was this past season. They're probably not all 50 win teams though, but it'll be competitive. I wanna put us at that 8th seed as of right now, but something tells me that the Pacers, Bobcats and Bucks (in no particular order) will be in the thick of things come April (not saying that they're better than the Hawks, btw...)based off of some moves that they've made in the offseason...thoughts???

about JJ... he is a master at the floater...true, true...I believe he would rather do that instead of take it all the way because of the horrible injury he had when he tried to crown Stackhouse during the '05 playoffs...he has put some dudes on some posters before that. I've been telling myself that whenever I watch a game for the past three years...but as long as he puts the ball in the hole, it's all good!!!!

Thanks for the welcome... and critique...lol... You have a lot of valid points. I do agree that their games will not change overnight. And the great teams in the league have consistent low-post scoring. But I can only hope that eventually they can evolve into the dominant 4-5 combo that will get us over the top. And about the bigs that are in/coming into the league, that's a hell of a list. Didn't think about some of those dudes at the moment, but trust me, I'm a student of the game...I know they're there. But some of them don't want nothing to do with the post deep down inside...there are bigs coming into the league at a high rate, yes, but some of those bigs don't necessarily fit the mold and are still effective nonetheless...

I totally agree...the numbers tell the whole story. as long as Smoove keeps refining his game then it's all good really. But, he (along with Marvin) could stand to add some more aspects to their games...

hello all... first post on the squawk... anyway, I totally agree with Horford and Smith playing the 4/5 spots on a permanent basis. One thing that has to be taken into consideration is that those two are still only 22 yrs old...which means that there is room for improvement fpr the both of them. Especially w/ Horf...as poised and "NBA ready" as he was last season, he was still a rookie, and I believe that with more experience and hard work he will be able to really hold it down at that spot. Think about it...if he puts on some more solid muscle, he'll be able to body up with anyone. 4 men these days are becoming a tad bit more skilled on the perimeter, and Horf really ain't that type of player. But he can be even more effective if he fine tunes what he has going for him. Not to mention, Smoove is 6'9, which isn't very short (just an inch away from 6'10, which is a prototypical PF's height) and jumps out of the gym, which makes up for any shortcomings he may have. Also, he has no business playing on the wing jacking those ill-advised 3's and trying that stiff crossover if you ask me. He is what he is, and he does what he does (shot-blocking, getting high-percentage buckets, etc.) fairly well, and will only get better as time goes on. Don't look now, but 5-7 years down the line when they are in their primes, the league will probably be devoid of all the big lumbering centers & power forwards. Those two not only fit the mold for the future, but they can also handle their business right now.