supermariowest

I don't like speaking in absolutes, but I don't think things would be different right now with Ferry at the helm. DMC would still be out of our price range, Orlando would still be cashing out on Millsap, and the smaller dominoes (or "gems") typically don't fall on the first day of free agency.

1 NBA season = Way too early to call it. 2 NBA seasons = He isn't anything and it will take him a decade to reach his JR Smith ceiling.

The Squawk is a good place. Don't let the downers ruin it for you. They come out for the draft and they'll have some other, lesser holidays if/when Gasol, Aldridge, Millsap, and DMC sign elsewhere. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The more I look at them, the less I like them. Definitely bummed.

I was there! The guy in front of me stood up and clapped every single time the Wizards made a shot, free throws included. Otherwise, it was an awesome (awesome, awesome) night.

Frustrated, disappointed, excitement sapped, wanting to blame somebody -- Thabo! Pero! Cops! Copeland! Jay Z! Bud! Anybody! I suppose we'll get the full story eventually.

Put me in the Moose/Edy camp, but: "The feeling is mutual. When Hawks management plans for next season, nearly every scenario includes Antić." So it goes!

Hawkward moments with Bob and Nique: In discussing the cold temperatures... Nique: I was outside around the pool, trying to see what they were doing. I stayed all of two seconds and went back in the house. Bob: So you're telling me that I don't need to pack my thong to go to Detroit tomorrow?

For those who haven't seen it and remember Stu fondly, the acceptance speech is well worth watching: There's also a longer version that includes a video segment about his battle with cancer.

Dallas seems like the perfect landing spot for him, especially now that they've added Rondo (and lost Wright). I hope he ends up there.

You don't need double talk! You need Bob Loblaw!

Bob with the call of the game on a Teague steal and slam: Teletovic will drive ... and Teague picks his pocket clean! He got his watch! He got his wallet! He got everything!

Maybe he just doesn't want to log heavy minutes at center (which he would have been sure to do in Atlanta).

Maybe it's a matter of position. With Chicago, Gasol is playing most of his minutes at power forward (assuming he starts, Boozer gets amnestied/traded, and Gibson comes off the bench). With Atlanta, I guess Horford slides to power forward and Gasol plays most of his minutes at center.

Today's Hawksquawk themes: 11 AM: Free agency can finally begin! 8 PM: Smells like desperation!

No doubt -- he's good when he plays, but why risk further damage to his body? He has nothing left to prove and he's definitely not going to win another championship in Miami. If he chooses to leave Miami, what's the best deal a 32-year-old-55-games-per-season Wade can get? $16-18 million over two years? I don't know, but I think he should give retirement some serious thought.

Wade might as well retire and get a job with TNT or ESPN.

I'm cool with that. I can't say for sure that they didn't peak, either -- my opinion would be that they did not. Over 82 games, a 16-13 pace equates to about 45 wins. Hopefully everybody will stay healthy next year and we'll see where they end up.

So your argument is that a decrease in usage is harder to adjust to than an increase in usage. Or, perhaps more precisely, you are arguing that a decrease in usage requires some adjusting and that an increase in usage requires no adjusting at all. I don't think either one of these arguments has merit, though I don't know if either has been studied. Either way, I think it's unreasonable to believe last year's squad reached their ceiling within the first few weeks of the season.

Again, it seems you've missed my point entirely. I'm comparing our start last year to the very beginning of the big three era -- as in the first season LeBron, Wade, and Bosh played together. It took those guys time to learn how to function as a team but for some reason, a less talented team (with a new coach and a new system) should be expected to play to their potential from game one.

Well, it looks like you've missed my point entirely. Good work. Again: If it takes a very talented team a few weeks to learn how to play together (with the added benefit of continuity in the offensive system and coaching staff), then one should expect a less talented team (with a new coaching staff and a new offensive system) to take a few weeks to learn how to play together. Thus, to suggest that we could not have possibly improved on a 16-13 start is just blind hating.

Yes, I know*. That's almost my exact point. It took a team as talented as the Heat a few weeks to figure out how to play together. They did not have a new coach and they were not installing a new system. Thus, a less talented team with a brand new coach and a brand new system should not be expected to gel early in the season. Edit: Yes, I know we have (/had) less talent than Miami.

Another thing people need to remember is that Miami was something like 9-8 in the first few weeks of the big three era (and this was without a new coach, without a new system). The notion that we could not have improved on a 16-13 start is ridiculous.

So, it seems like everybody (Melo and Bosh included) is waiting on LeBron while LeBron either (1) waits for Cleveland to clear enough room to give him a max deal or (2) wants free agency to end with everybody hating him again (perhaps so he can treat us to another "What should I do?" commercial).

No point in discussing the merits of telling two free agents we are tired of playing games (and then forcing them to play a game). Bottom line is something like this would never happen.