Jungle Jack

Hello, I wrote this on another Thread, but I will say it again. If we Trade Smoove, we will go to being a 25-30 Win Team Overnight. When locked in, he is our best Player on the Floor. This is going to be a scary Off Season. I just hope they fire Drew. bring in D'Antoni (if Fired), or Larry Brown. I know LB is not a popular choice when I mentioned him prior, but he would probably come at an ASG friendly price and has won a Championship and took a Philly Team with practically 1 Player to the Finals. And given his age, it is not like he would be here that long anyway as those who have mentioned he wears out his welcome. Cheers, JJ

Hello, I will never understand all of the "maturity" questions about Smoove. He has kept his nose clean throughout his Career, is one of the most physically gifted Players to ever suit up for the Hawks, and has indeed worked on a new wrinkle to his game is seemingly every Off Season. We have to accept the Hawks are horrible in respect to Player Development. Much of this is due to them never spending money for a top notch Coaching Staff. What other 50 Win Team would hire a long term Assistant Coach from their own Team so they can continue to have about the lowest paid HC in the NBA. If we are paying out HC what some Teams pay their Assistant Coaches, I just do not ever see us getting the most out of the talent that has been squandered and Draft Picks wasted. For as much as Marvin is bashed, at least all the pundits thought he was going to be something special. Drafting Shelden Williams high in the Lottery was the choice that made me literally throw the Remote Control at the TV. If Billy had liked him that much, for God's sake, Trade down as he would have been available in the 20's. It is going to take real Ownership to right what truly ails this Franchise. I am beyond afraid we are going to trade Smith only to see us become a 30 Win Team with him gone. Cheers, JJ

Hello,I bemoaned this Trade when it happened and now I am speechless. Sure the Stat Geeks will point out he puts up tons of shots, but how different is that from our 120 Million Dollar "All Star" and JC1? So we essentially gave up 2 First Round Picks for Heinrich. A Player the Wizards were given a 1st Round Pick from Chicago just to take for them to clear up Cap Space. So the Wizards got 2 First Rounders for a PT that they really did not need in the first place.We have to rank last in Player Development in the entire League. We are ruining Teague's confidence and God knows if we will ever see Pape Sy even Play. Perhaps it does not matter that we gave up a 1st Round Pick as he would have just languished on the Bench anyhow. I have loved the Hawks my entire life, but it is beyond frustrating to know we will never go over the Luxury Tax, never spend real money on a Head Coach, and never have a chance to go deep in the Playoffs until Hell freezes over or we get real Ownership.JJ

Hello, When Smoove is dialed in, I do think he is the best player on the team. JJ has had a rough year, but I have a strange feeling he is going to come strong in the Playoffs. For some strange reason, I actually feel better about our chances in the Playoffs this year than last year. I just hope Teague gets some consistent playing time. I really think we are one of the worst Franchises in respect to Player Development. Cheers, JJ

Hello,This really is starting to hurt. With John Wall being Ejected for fighting with Z, JC2 put up 39 Points, which is the most points any Wizards Rookie has put up since Tom Gugliotta in 1992. This Trade is going to haunt us for years to come and the fact we gave up a 1st Round Pick just adds insult to injury.I was angry about the Trade when it was announced and seething about it now. We gave up in essence 2 1st Round Draft Picks for Kirk Heinrich who the Wizards received a 1st Round Pick just to add to their Roster. This is by far the worst move Rick Sund has made as Hawks GM.JJ

Hello, I understand that my Larry Brown recommendation was not met with much agreement, but I was thinking of HC's that would come at an ASG friendly price and has won a Championship. However, with the situation with the Knicks, I would not be surprised if D'Antoni was fired. If so, I believe our Players would thrive in his System and have no doubts MD would start Teague. Cheers, JJ

Hello, Brown would certainly not be a long term solution, but he is at his best when needing to fix struggling Teams that do have talent. Something that really could not be said in Charlotte. I agree that his grinding Half Court Sets are not exciting to watch, but I do think he would stop them from being so reliant on the Jump Shot. Cheers, JJ

Hello, I say fire LD today and try to get Larry Brown in here. I truly think he would be the best HC to maximize what we have and come up with gameplan's that would minimize our weaknesses. As Browm has a Ring, he would instantly command respect and boy the fights with Smoove would make for some true entertainment. Cheers, JJ

Hello, With JC2 putting up some excellent numbers, this Trade is beginning to look worse and worse. If we did not have to give up what is shaping up to be a higher and higher 1st Round Draft Pick, this would not be so painful. It sadly brings into question just how bad the Hawks are at Player Development. We need to put Teague in the Starting Lineup now. I realize that many of his points last night were against the Bulls 2nd Team, but it was not like anyone else was producing against them. As a lifelong Hawks Fan like most all of you, it is so painful to have such inept Ownership who settle on the cheapest HC option when we could have gotten a real HC. Personally, I would fire Drew today and hire Larry Brown. Cheers, JJ

Hello, This Trade is absolutely horrible. The 1st Round Pick is what really kills me. Granted JC2 would have languished on the Bench for years as almost all recent Draft Picks have been. Then again, it is not like Acie Law or Shelden Williams have come back and made us regret letting them go. However, Crawford truly had potential to be something special for us and we get a 30 yr old PG an offensively challenged PF and have to throw in a 1st Round Pick for the honor. God I hope this is a setup to something else....

I do think it is a bit too soon to be that alarmed. In the past, we did beat good Teams like Boston several times last Season and the Lakers and still had the same result in the Big Show. I would like to see Jordan Crawford get more minutes though. Cheers, JJ

And at this point, JJ is 4-13 tonight. Something is amiss. This Minnesota Game is looking good, Crawford's 3 and Foul was huge. I just wish JJ would snap out of it. Cheers, JJ

Quality reply. Absolutely classless.

Hello, With all of the speculation seeming to center on the whether or not Smoove will be Traded, the thing that I have noticed more than anything else is how badly JJ has been Playing so far. I realize that the Season is just getting under way , but JJ's really has been posting dreadful Shooting Percentages. As I write this Post, JJ is 3-12 with 8 Points and 5 Assists. Last Night, I feel we won in spite of JJ. I realize Jump Shooters will continue to keep on Shooting, but his numbers have been rough. While I hope this is just a rough patch, it really has been difficult to watch him play like this. Cheers, JJ

I think it would be disastrous to trade Smoove. Of all the Team who were eligible for FA, Smoove was the one I was most worried about losing. I honestly did not care if we Resigned JJ last Summer. Especially considering the cost and length of the Contract given his age. I am so glad we locked in Al, but not at the cost of losing Smoove. Then again, the National Media has been wrong about just about every move the Hawks have ended up making. Be it not even being in the conversation to Resign JJ and many other moves, the Media has been wrong. Josh is a Game Changer and while he does occasionally make poor decisions, the Juice is worth the squeeze. Now bundling Crawford and Marvin for salary relief I can live with. Especially after after how good Jordan Crawford has looked. Cheers, JJ

Hello, When Marvin was coming out of UNC, the consensus really was that he was going to be a special Player. While he certainly has not come anywhere close to many Players Drafted after him, he still is only 24 and Woodson really might not have been the best HC to bring out the best of him. Granted he has been in the League for some time now, but he still has the chance to improve. Compared to Darko or Kwame Brown, he is an All Star. I realize much of the pain is about the fact that AJC Reports had Deron Williams being heavily considered with the #2 Pick. In addition to the fact we could have had him or most painfully Chris Paul. Then again, with Woodson, perhaps they might not have become the Players that they are being buried by Tyronne Lue or whatever Veteran PG of marginal talent starting ahead of them. I am cautiously optimistic that LD will bring out the best in Marvin, Teague, and the rest of our Roster. Player Development has definitely not been a calling card of the Hawks. While Horford and Smoove have been great, one is an other worldly athlete and the other was far more polished and older than MW coming into the NBA. Cheers, JJ

Hello, I meant to point out that disparity in minutes due to injury as well. Also, JJ is about 3 inches taller which allows him to play more positions than Wade. I realize that JJ's performance in the Playoffs has been lackluster, but hopefully LD's new Offensive System will change that. Given JJ's size and all around game, he should be a matchup nightmare. Hopefully, with a real Offensive Plan beyond ISO Joe, he will be. Moreover, in a 7 Game Series, Teams spend more time scheming to shutdown the best Player. With the continued maturation of Horford, Smith, and hopefully Williams, I really like our Team. I am cautiously optimistic about Jordan Crawford and really think Jamal Crawford will be even better as he is in a Contract Year. Again, I just do not understand why the Hawks are getting absolutely no mention of being a contender. Due to Boston's Playoff appearance, they have seemed to leapfrog us in all discussions. In spite of the fact that an already old core is going to be another year older. Cheers, JJ

Hello, I really am a big fan of Wade, but what has the Heat accomplished since Shaq left? I realize it is an entirely different situation now, but the Heat have not been relevant since Shaq left until now. While LBJ has done irreparable damage to his image, he still led the Cav's to the best Regular Season Record last year. This a team now considered not able to make the Playoffs without him. I suppose the same can be said of the Heat without Wade and was said if we lost JJ. Again, I am not disputing that Wade is a better Player. However, JJ is pretty darn good and if any other Team had signed him to a 5 Year/100 Million Dollar Contract, I really do not think there would be any criticism. I cannot believe I am defending JJ as he is absolutely my least favorite Hawk. It is just I cannot believe how harsh the reaction has been to the ASG giving him a Max Contract. Cheers, JJ

Hello, In my original Post, I stated that Wade was a better Player. My point is that his age has barely been mentioned while JJ's is constantly mentioned. Moreover, we have been successful against the Heat in the Playoffs against the Wade led Heat. I realize with the Heat adding Bosh and LBJ, this is an entirely different Team. I am glad to see Beasley leave the Conference as he definitely gave Smoove problems for whatever reason. I also think Beasley still has the potential to be All Star. I wish we would have given up a 2nd Rounder to get him as look what we got with this Year's 2nd Round Pick. In a sense, we had no problem against the Heat. The Raptors with Bosh were not relevant and we got the shaft when playing the Cavs last Season. I realize with all 3 together, it changes everything. However, it is hard to see the Heat having much depth due to spending so much on the three. Cheers, JJ

Hello, For all of the grief the Hawks have been getting for signing a 29 Year Old JJ for a Max Contract, I have not read a single mention of the fact that Wade is only 1 Year younger than JJ. I am not saying that Wade is not the better Player, but JJ has no real injury history to speak of while Wade has often been hurt. It really has been frustrating to read all of the bashing of the Hawks for signing JJ when not a single "expert" thought the ASG would even offer him the Max. Moreover, in spite of winning 53 Games and being the 3 Seed, we are not even in the discussion of Eastern Conference contenders when we have retained our core and field one of the youngest Teams in the NBA. Prior to the ASG offering JJ the Max, all stories spoke about how dysfunctional our Front Office is, yet since Sund has been here, the ASG has retained every Player with the exception of Childress. It is just so frustrating that the National Media has given the Hawks no respect whatsoever. Choosing instead to berate us for signing a 4 time All Star to a Max Contract who is only 1 year older than Wade. Cheers, JJ

Hello, I agree with the core of your Post, but we have been indeed bad enough to warrant a game changing Draft Pick when we went 13-69 and got the #2 Draft Pick and choose Marvin over Chris Paul or Deron Williams. And of course there was choosing Shelden Williams at 5. It is strange, when not a single pundit or many of the Posters here (myself included), did not think that the Hawks were even in the conversation to sign JJ. The ASG steps up and now the National Media is killing us. In all of these conversations about the Eastern Conference, we are not even spoken of. That is beyond insulting as we retained our core and were the 3 Seed last year with one of the youngest teams in the League. I just do not get the total lack of respect for this team. Yes, JJ got a Max Contract. However, Amare got paid 100 Million with 2 suspect Knees and 1 good Eye whereas JJ has had no major injuries. I just do not understand how the positive momentum this Team has made has been totally forgotten about. Cheers, JJ

Hello, While the dust has not settled yet, there are much worse things than Resigning an All Star SG that hardly any Pundit thought in a million years we would. Whether this simply is a prelude to a S&T or we have him back, it definitely changes the perception of ASG to the masses. Moreover, we could always trade him in in a year or two if things are not progressing. While some are upset that ASG offered him the max, JJ had all the leverage and this is much better than him walking away with zero compensation. I must say since Sund has been here, things have actually gone quite well with the exception of Childress going to Greece. Cheers, JJ

Hello, I really think that the only way that ASG Signs JJ to a Max Contract is if there is a S&T already a Trade in place. I really think it would be folly for the Hawks to spend over 100 Million Dollars to a Player that will be 35 at the conclusion of the Contract. Given JJ's lack of charisma and marketability, it does bode well that he will want the 6th year and additional 30 Million Dollars and want a S&T. Unlike others, I really do not think he can make up the money elsewhere through ancillary income. I just hope we do not trade with Dallas and take Dampier and his voidable Contract. The Rockets scenario sounds too good to be true. However, if we could get Martin, that would be great. This has been an interesting prelude to Free Agency. Unlike when Smoove was an RFA, I really do not care if we keep JJ. This seems to be a sentiment echoed my many others as well. I just hope we receive a quality Player/Players in return. Cheers, JJ

Hello, Given Atlanta's significance in the African American Community and the Hawks talented core, this seems to be a perfect opportunity for an African American Ownership Group to buy the Hawks. With the number of prominent Atlanta Entertainers, it just might be possible. And it would be great to have Owners who actually cared about the Team. Cheers, JJ

Hello, That is an excellent summation of my feelings about JJ. I honestly cannot remember him saying a positive thing about this Team. In spite of the fact the Hawks are contending with a team built almost entirely through the Draft. Don't get me wrong, the addition of Crawford has been huge, but our core are Players we Drafted. JJ is a great Player and a tough matchup given his height and all around game. I just wish he seemed happy to be here. Given how much less we spend than other contenders, what BK and RS have done is remarkable. I realize BK made some absurd picks. Namely Shelden Williams and Marvin at #2, but Horford and Smoove have been fantastic. Sund has managed to keep our core together and add Crawford and draft an intriguing PG in Teague. Regardless of where JJ ends up, I really do think the future is bright. Given how many Players enjoy the Atlanta Metro, I really think the steady improvement might allow us to bring in better Players for the MLE and so forth. Cheers, JJ