Watchman

1 hour ago, JTB said:

Keep Capela then?

I don't know, I could use a change from Capela's left hand versus right hand volleyball (against himself) on the offensive boards.  He hasn't been as good on defense for several years.

On 5/13/2024 at 12:18 PM, Dragitoff said:

I've honestly tried my best to ignore the trade Trae comments.  Until Trae asks for a trade, I can't see why the Hawks entertain such a proposal.  Stay off Bleacher Report Communities too.  The insanity and lack of coherence of trade Trae is next level there.  At least most posters here are knowledgeable, respectful and true Hawks fans.  The idiocy there is painful and frankly gives Hawks fans a bad rep.

If he asks for a trade, then we lose a lot of our ability to expect anything worthwhile in trading him.  That's why, if you're going to trade him, it needs to be done  before this becomes common knowledge.  At that point, we get two second round picks and an unusable TPE.  I think Trae wants to move on.

In the meanwhile, we dangle players out on the trade rumor mill year after year,  which damages our ability to attract other players, and is terrible for team morale.  For example, JC, Huerter, Bogi, and apparently DJM are/were dangled out there, some, year after year.

I personally am sick of this junk.

On 5/13/2024 at 11:51 AM, Dragitoff said:

Agreed.  Let's trade a top 15 (arguably better than that) player in the league who loves being in Atlanta, continues working to improve his game each year, and involves his teammates for the hopes that we get another player that eventually becomes that.  Trae has his flaws, but trading him essentially makes us a worse team or at best, the same level team.  We don't have all our own draft picks so you're not bottoming out and rebuilding.  The takes on trade him for picks make no sense unless you simply get our own picks back from SA. 

His comments don't back up the "wants to be here" stuff anymore.

If management is seriously considering trading away Sarr and filler to get Kevin Durant, in order to placate Trae, then we know that management (and most of all, the ownership) care nothing about winning.  I don't know if this is what Trae wants or not, but it's what I have heard.  If we really would trade a young first pick in the draft to get a 35 year old (who will be 36 before the season starts)"superstar" then all they care about is more jersey sales in the arena store.  You can correct me if you think I am wrong, but Durant only wins big when he is on a team that is loaded with other stars.  For example, Golden State, with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson (when he still was a high level player), Draymond Green, a "defensive specialist" who doesn't really demand the ball, but has a reputation as a top defender.  If we give away our good players, and our prize rookie, to get Durant, we will end up with Trae and Durant, and G League scrubs.  That team will not win anything, just like our recent history.

On 4/20/2024 at 4:46 PM, JTB said:

This off season is probably the most historic offseason in the Hawks franchise history in my opinion.

if they don’t get it right it can lead to a very miserable future long term.

 

Hardcore hawk fans like myself will watch from afar but will not tune in.

 

we all knew the Trae/murray tandem HAD to work in order to avoid this and while I may be among the few that believes it could still work with the correct adjustments, most think the tread is already worn out with those two together.

 

whatever trades they have brewing they better not get cold feet cause the number 1 priority should be to retain Trae long term by getting him more help! At least in my opinion .

 

 

I am rooting for Cleveland in the East.  They might not be a match for the Celtics,  but they have have proved that you can win with two undersized starting point guards. Before you tell me Mitchell is really not a point guard, I ask you how frequent is it to have a 6'2" shooting guard who averages over 6 assists a game.  Garland sacrificed part of his game to accommodate Mitchell. It can work if both players try to work together.  I was glad to hear Murray say that his mental health was top priority for the upcoming season.  I like having Murray on the team, and I hope we won't give him away for two second round picks and a couple of bags of chips, like we did with Collins.

10 hours ago, JTB said:

Why would we not is my question? 

It's just something Hawks.management won't do.  Quite simply, money.

1 hour ago, REHawksFan said:

Still have Jalen who can handle the ball. And I think Kobe can be the backup pg.

Do the Hawks have any ability to sign FAs? I'm assuming with their cap they can't sign anyone. Is that correct? 

As long as Ressler is in charge, I'd have to say, no.

On 4/16/2024 at 10:44 AM, kg01 said:

Thanks.  The idea that Buden was a 'babe in the woods, all-in on Hawks but had it taken from him' is plainly false.  

HE quit on US.  Period. 

If you tank on purpose, you get the same treatment that Lloyd Pierce did.  They will hire you, only to use you as a scapegoat, and fire you.  I don't blame him at all for not being willing to tank, I appreciate his integrity.  I do not approve of tanking at all.  It is the same as throwing games.  Lots of people have been banned from their sport because they threw games.

2 hours ago, KB21 said:

This is off topic, but I’ve got my three year old in the ER with seizures right now.  

I am praying for her and for your family.

5 hours ago, theheroatl said:

JJ is not a superstar to build around...... yet.

99.9% of sports talk radio personalities are ridiculously biased towards hot takes and don't take in consideration actual statistics.

IMO, you need to start swapping the other pieces besides JJ, Trae, and DJM before you talk about rebuilding.

 

Capela, Bogi, Bey, Dre, OO... they all suck and need to go

Bogi should not be in your list.  He was the only shooter we had on plenty of nights.

1 hour ago, AHF said:

Now that we have officially ended the season, it is time for Landry to roll up his sleeves because we have major decisions to be made this offseason that will likely set our path for the next 5 years.  

Key Decisions:

(1) Tear down, WLOC, or retool?

1. Tear down is the easiest for me to assess as a terrible and unlikely idea.  If we went this direction, we would be trading players to get picks to rebuild.  I don't think this even works theoretically unless you can get our picks back from SA so this probably involves a trade with SA centered around Trae and/or DJM.  I think this is highly unlikely but would clearly put us on a very different path.
2. WLOC is a very possible path (distressingly likely is another way I might put it).  It involves essentially bringing the band back next year and hoping for development and additions through the draft and FA.  This is the default path so even if we want to retool or want to tear down, if we can't make the deals needed to move onto those paths we will end up in WLOC by default.  WLOC means dealing with serious payroll challenges and basically praying for an injury prone group to have an unprecedented run of good health and perform for a full season the way we did when fully healthy this year.  Granted we were better when fully healthy but even then we weren't great.  This path for me would not offer a lot of optimism.  I would be hoping for Kobe, Gueye, and our 2024 picks to come on ala JJ and that Quin's system would elevate the team over time.  
3. Retool is the path I really want to see.  For me this starts with dealing either Trae or DJM for better fitting talent because I don't think they work together and both should have strong trade value.  Obviously DJM didn't command a worthwhile return at the deadline but I think his second half play should enhance his value as well as teams recognizing how nice his contract looks compared to someone like FVV so I don't rule out the possibility of getting a worthwhile return for either of them.  I do accept that it is much more likely that we won't get back someone with more talent given the lengths to which our front office has undermined our negotiating position with dump deals in recent years (the refusal to trade DJM for a pick and role player dump package is a good thing in this regard). 
   1. I will note that retooling goes beyond just Trae / DJM.  We need to pick a lane at center.  CC's performance is declining over time and OO has not stepped up yet.  I also question whether the team can truly go with Quin-ball while CC is our starting center (and it speaks volumes that Quin didn't start OO this year).  While both remain very useful pieces, I don't think rolling it back at the center spot makes a ton of sense.  At a minimum, adding a developmental big who could step into that mix in the next couple years is needed.  
   2. Given that we don't control our pick for the next 3 years, getting a retool right is essential.  We swing and miss big on a deal and then expect to do what we all want to do. 
   3. I think retooling also makes a ton of sense since we don't have those picks.  If we screw up the the retool, it will slide into a rebuild as our picks come back.  But the way to actually become contenders is to get it right.

It feels to me like all roads lead to a tear down if Landry doesn't get things right the next few years and especially this offseason.  WLOC sounds like a diminishing returns strategy to me which will lead to frustration from our best players and increase the likelihood they will leave while SA owns us.  A failed retool seems like it leads the same direction.  But a well executed retool could propel us into the best shape we've been in for as long as I can remember with the best case scenarios resembling the 60 win Hawks of Bud's peak but with more roster stability.

Landry is going to chart this course and I feel like it is going to be hugely significant to the state of the Hawks for the next 5 years and maybe longer.  This is an inflection point for the franchise.  Fingers are crossed over here.

 

I think Landry would already be without a job on most teams.  His trades have have set a precedent in the league.  It has  led the league to think we will accept bad contracts and 2nd rounders for good players. 

I must admit  that I was disappointed with Quin Snyder's coaching.  When we signed him I was thrilled.  However, his inflexibility in his rotations is just like Nate.  He takes the hot man out strictly for rotation reasons.  You have got to go with the players who are playing well. I had also thought he would be a better defensive coach that he has turned out to be.  However, we have locked him into a long term contract at $8 million a year, so I don't see our cheapie owners paying his salary along with another coach.  

I don't see how we can get out of this mess after Landry gave away so many picks to get Murray, but wasn't astute enough to recognize we didn't need 2 point guards on the floor at the same time.

I know that I will get trashed for saying this, but I believe Murray is more team oriented, and we seem to win more games when plays at the point, rather than Trae.  I have softened my dislike for Trae, because I realize he is a phenomenal passer.  I just think his high salary keeps us from adding more quality players.  I really don't believe there are any superstars out there who would willingly come to the Hawks, because our ownership has fostered a reputation of caring more about putting people in the seats, and buying jerseys, shoes and trinkets in the team store.  That seems to be paramount with Ressler, and wins are a secondary (or perhaps lower) consideration in his mind.  He says repeatedly that he will pay the luxury tax to get a championship, but has never taken any steps to make it happen. 

I was relieved when we didn't trade away even more of our future to get Siakim, and face the distinct possibility that all the players we traded would have been for nothing, as he would not re-sign with us.

I am hopeful that our shortcomings will turn around, but it is hard to see any changes coming in the near future.

On 4/17/2024 at 8:06 AM, thecampster said:

You mean like Artis Gilmore?
 

 

 

Artis was great in his ABA and early NBA years.  The video above shows that he knew two important techniques that are almost lost arts now.  The jump hook and using the glass.  I'd also have to say that those shots he blocked in the video above showed he had some athleticism.  I remember reading that even though he was 7'2" he weighed only 240 lbs.  He had a 32" waist, so he wasn't some plodding slob, depending on girth to do his job.  

3 hours ago, Plainview1981 said:

My memory tells me that there were only a few minor changes following that season. I think the head coaching changed fueled a lot of that brief run. I don't think it was going to last. Especially since none of the players like Cam or Hunter really took off.

I don't think a team can or will build a team around Trae that will main success. Either you have to get someone that can be a true number one, or you have to deal him. You also have to have the right defensive talent around him.

It's a tough hill to climb for a competent ownership, near impossible for a bad one.

We're still waiting for the TPE to put on a uniform and get out there and get us a championship.

23 hours ago, Spud2nique said:

I’m convinced Supes thinks Edey is the second coming of..

 

More like Koncak.

On 4/16/2024 at 12:06 PM, KB21 said:

The reason he holds the team back is the fact that he has no perimeter offensive game to speak of, and he cannot switch defensively.  He can hedge and show, but he can't switch and guard on the perimeter.  We need a big that can play on the perimeter offensively and also guard multiple positions defensively.  

Wait.  We have that big on the roster already, but we have too many fans who want to replace him because "He's too short to be a center."

He used to be a prime shot blocker.  Not any more.  He's not very intimidating anymore.

On 4/15/2024 at 7:36 AM, KB21 said:

Yeah.  That’s the ticket.  Then we can add Edey and have a treasure trove of centers that don’t fit the modern NBA.  

He certainly has no problem against the Hawks and their teeny weeny centers.  He is a known commodity.  We don't know how Edey will turn out, but he meets the qualification "centers who don't fit the modern NBA" too.  Who wants a three point shooting 3s?  We should change the name of our league to the WNBA, the Wussy NBA.  The women's league will have to come up with a new name.

I recommend that we pursue Drummond, and add Bobo as a 3rd stringer instead.  Drummond out rebounds all but Capela,on this team; 9 RPG but in only 17  MPG of playing time.

5 hours ago, kg01 said:

Sad but agreed.  Such a weird regression.  He looked like he didn't belong in the nba for several plays he was involved in.

AJ and OO for who at the draft? 

2 second rounders and a bag of chips.  It's our standard deal.  They'll push for another 2nd rounder and add a 2 liter bottle of Coke or Pepsi, their choice for DJM.

On 3/19/2024 at 1:08 PM, Spud2nique said:

Been watching Hawks a long time but rarely hear about John Brown. He was on the all Rookie team of 73-74.

@Gray Mule Gramps, do you recall this guy and his game. What was it like? Why and how did he seem to fade after a great start and how can you be an all rookie dude never starting a single game? Was he our Manu Ginóbili? Who would be a good comparison in todays game? Thanks Gramps! 
 

I gotta be honest I don’t know nuttin about this man.

 

He was a mediocre player in the NBA.  He was a tweener...too small to be a PF and not agile enough to be an SF. He was a typical bench/role p!ayer of that era.

On 3/8/2024 at 10:22 PM, NBASupes said:

Lmao, we played a Gleague team 

We have as many, if not more injuries than Memphis does.  Wouldn't that make us a G league team too?

On 3/8/2024 at 10:26 PM, NBASupes said:

It's gonna take a lot to get him from us. 

Don't hold your breath.

10 hours ago, Spud2nique said:

If you were offered KAT for DJ, Hunter, AJ and picks would you do it this summer?

No.

12 hours ago, AHF said:

Murray isn’t a superstar so that isn’t reasonable but I agree about looking to trade him for a comparable talent or include other assets to get an upgrade.  You can’t trade him for a role player

We haven't had a superstar in decades. it is an irrelevant issue.

12 hours ago, AHF said:

I think if you can move Murray for a better fit you do it.  The fit is anti-synergy on both ends.  They are talented enough to be effective but if you can get a comparable talent I’m on board with that.  (Tough to envision how to upgrade the frontcourt without a move like that.)

Why not make the obvious solution and put Trae in the Iverson role?  The minute things go back to what they were, we go  back to losing 140 to 120.