jjackson345

With Paul Silas available as a coach, he would be a great tutor for Uche in helping him adjust to the NBA...

I have seen him play a couple of times , and he got some offensive skills and would be a good complement to Theo... Uche is more physical than Theo, and would help the Hawks defensively... From NBA DRAFT NET Game description: Uche is built like a classic power forward, with huge upper body muscles and strong but lean legs. He has extra large hands as well, and seems to catch everything he touches, whether it be off a rebound or pass. He has a very effective low post game, but only scores in a few basic ways. His jump hook is excellent with either hand, and he knows how to create space to get it off. He is patient in the post, and uses his wide body very effectively. He has a nice turnaround jumpshot to counter his jumphook, and those 2 moves alone make him difficult to defend. If you overplay to either shot too much, he will spin and dunk in a flash. He also has the ability to spot shoot, especially after shaping up from a pick and roll. His range extends to between 12-15 feet but at 18 feet he lacks consistency. Despite these talents, he gets most of his points banging the glass. Relentless and aggressive, you must hit him hard and keep him away from the ball, or it will stick to his hands and he will score on the putback. Bottom line; he is very difficult to match up with because he can overpower a taller, rangier but thinner post player, yet has the size to score over the stronger but smaller power forwards that are typically seen in the college game. Defense: On the defensive end, he is not a true shot blocker, but his lateral quickness is good, and his long arms(wingspan of 7'2") give him oportunities to block a shot or 2 a game. He is able to push his opponents off the block, and force them into tougher shots. Again, his real strength on this side is his ability to rebound. He goes after everything, and gets everything within reach. Uche has the potential to be an all-league defensive player, simply because he is longer and stronger than most of his opponents, and just as athletic. Areas for improvement: Uche has a poor running style, chopping his stride in half like a soccer player(which he was back in Nigeria). He would be more effective in transition with a longer stride befitting his size. Make no mistake, he can clearly run the floor well, but adding speed is possible with better technique. He also is an adequate, but not great, free throw shooter. With his body and style of play, he should be getting to the line a great deal, and he needs to be able to convert those opportunities into more points than he has in the past. NBA players simlar to; built like Karl Malone, but not the same transition player Malone was at 24. Plays more like Charles Oakley, great rebounder and spot shooter. Projection: If he played in the ACC or another glamour conference, he'd be a household name. There aren't 3 post players in America that can do all that he does. He'll be 24 on draft day, so perhaps that will work against him in an era where youth is preferred over experience. Uche, though, is very mature and experienced, so he has a much better chance of helping an NBA team in the next few years than any 19 year old. For the NBA trenches, he has the perfect build to make plays throughout the season. He is also very coachable, which will help him develop whatever weaknesses hat are exposed when he joins the league, so the player you see at 25 will not be as good as the one at 27, and that can't be said about most players right now.

Jay Walker, I am not saying JT is bum and he is no good, but he isn't a leader and isn't CONSISTENT... You cited a few examples, against teams like the Clips and Nuggets in which he made a shot, but the true "test of leadership" comes on the road. Our road record was horrendous....Terry is a decent guard, but he is inconsistent... showing up in the 4th quarter MORE OFTEN in games when the game is in the balance is an indicator of leadership to me... I am aware we have a talent problem in our backcourt (i.e. Dion/DerMarr/Dickau) and Terry has to compensate, but a player like T-Mac had to deal with a lack of a supporting cast and Orlando was able to win 40+ games and make the playoffs... JT has had opportunities (3 full seasons) to take this team to another level and I felt those stretch of games in March with that road trip that took us to Memphis, Chicago and Toronto was the last gasp for the Hawks in regards to the playoffs ... It is a "team" game, but JT needed to do more than "hit his average"... We needed for him to make plays and 'take over' games.... Maybe I am being a little unrealistic or unfair, but I RARELY see JT take over a game offensively like a Kobe, Pierce, Francis, Iverson, Nash... Kobe and Iverson aren't "true" point guards, but they make shots, and that's what the Hawks need... We only won 35 games this year... in a very weak Eastern Conference and it seems we may be stuck with JT, because no free agents want to come to Atlanta , so we have to do a better job drafting "impact" players... The only way I see this situation turning around is if we get extremely lucky like the Falcons did with Michael VIck... in regards to draft , Lebron James or Carmelo Anthony would definitely change our backcourt situation

......"We still don't have a leader.Jason Kidd is a leader... Miller IS NOT.I read around that he is a real crybaby and his defense is bad and he can't shoot.He's overrated. Sub Miller for JT and we are still leaderless......" Dude81.. Jason Kidd had received a bad rap in his early days at Dallas... he was labeled as selfish, can't shoot... so was Marbury.. however these guys are more of a natural point guard than JT is... The 'jury is still out' on Andre Miller... The HAWKS NEED A CHANGE AND ANDRE MILLER NEED A CHANGE OF SCENERY... Jay Walker... Terry, in my opinion, would be better suited as a sixth man coming off the bench, if he stays in the ATL... Terry is a streaky player, but usually it is at the beginning of games....and then he generally fades by the fourth quarter.. If I am not mistaken, against the Lakers in Atlanta, I remember JT putting up an airball at the end of a game (after a timeout)... I know its just one example, but Terry doesn't have the same "will to win" as Iverson, Baron, Francis, Pierce, etc.).. In other words, he can't take the pressure.... On a side note, what do you think about TJ Ford and Dwayne Wade....?

......"All that being said, PERHAPS Miller would have made us better than JT does because he is a pass first guy BUT we would still have the same problem of not having a 2nd ballhandler in the starting lineup. Honestly, I don't think Miller ALONE is enough to make a difference. We still need a 2nd ballhandler in the starting lineup and we would still need more interior size/toughness....." traceman... I agree we need more ballhandlers in the backcourt (i.e. Kenny Anderson or maybe if Paul Silas becomes our coach..maybe David Wesley)... I think Dion won't be here next year and DerMarr will likely have limited minutes and DerMarr isn't a solid ballhandler and Dickau doesn't impress me much... I PRAY we get lucky in the NBA Draft and we can get either LeBron, Carmelo or Dewayne Wade... but its not likely, but you never know... traceman, the Clippers had big time chemistry problems and with the various contract situations made it worse... however, they had more individual talent than a lot of teams... What do you think about Magette? He is 6'6 can handle the ball better than Ira/DerMarr and Dion and is an adequate defender.... Would he be someone the Hawks should pursue in the offseason..?

...... "a) he's the best player on this team, and should be mentioned with reliable clutch shooters (not great, but someone you'd want on your team). He's hit numerous game winners...." weaseldom, in all due respect, I believe Reef has the edge over JT... However, JT has won some games, but it has been few and between... JT is not a clutch player... He does not want the ball when the game is on the line ... In my humble opinion, a clutch player A) plays hard for 48 minutes, not 24 minutes and disappear B) wants the ball when the game is on the line C) make his teammates better... The Hawks had a legitimate chance to make the playoffs as late as mid-March.. and then we went on the fateful road trip to Chicago and Memphis and lost badly... Was it all JT's fault? No, but players like Iverson, Kidd, Baron and even Francis arenb't the greatest shooters or "pure" point guards, but these guys play hard for the whole game and "make plays" when the game is on the line... I don't think JT will EVER be a starting point guard on a WINNING team.... I believe he is best suited as a SIXTH MAN coming off the bench, if the ATL management finds "better" players... The Hawks SHOULD NOT break the bank to keep JT... On a side note, Chanuncey Billups has taken his game to another level, especially against Orlando in that playoff series... Billups' game has grown and JT's has stalled...

Jason Terry has been given a fair chance (4 seasons) to lead the Hawks, but unfortunately he hasn't been able to raise his level of play to the point to help the ATL get into the playoffs.... Terry isn't the sole reason the Hawks are an underachieving team, but he isn't a natural point guard. Terry came into the NBA trying to learn the position... I admit Terry has had some games in which he had some high assist totals, but it doesn't always translate into being a successful point guard.... Terry's court vision is still suspect and at times our forwards (Reef/Big Dog) handles the ball more than Terry does and unfortunately that led to the higher turnover numbers... Statistically, Terry may have an advantage over Miller... however Miller is a better overall player who can lead a team (if he has a proper supporting cast)... Jason Kidd started off with the Mavs, but his career did not really prosper until he left for Phoenix and New Jersey. Terry has a reputation of being a shooter, but when the pressure is on, he fades from games... I get the impression he doesn't want the ball in key situations.. The Hawks need a change... Andre Miller isn't the "perfect" solution, but he would be a better PG than Terry...