sturt

He completely admitted to this during the interview posted... he's still learning. I don't have the time that I wish I had to study our offense, but if it's this complicated that you have a whole summer and training camp and you still don't know it well... dang... no wonder you want to lock-up a starting PG for the long-term.

Just watch this interview if you hadn't already (SIAP in another thread). No one can predict physical health, but I'm talking about the spirit and the attitude--the maturity and this right combination of humility and confidence--that I'm seeing from Dwight. I'm just really impressed. This is a well-grounded human being. Sure, we're eventually going to lose some games, but this much is right about this team. And unlike some here, there's no hard feelings that compel me to disavow what Al brought to the team in that way. Somehow, though, I do feel at least somewhat more assured b/c Dwight has been under brighter lights and higher expectations. If/when he settles in, this is going to be a damn hard team to beat, both now and in the post-season.

Yeeeeeeahhhhhh.... that last part was a little tongue in cheek, my friend. :D

... but as a fan of the Hawks, not so much. Minnesota really helped us out by making that deal for their 2018 #1. http://nba.nbcsports.com/2016/10/27/report-timberwolves-declining-adreian-paynes-fourth-year-option/ Heck, if he blossoms this season, we potentially could even bring him back. :)

Count me among those who see this as a better deal for the team than for Dennis, but that does assume that Dennis' jump shot is going to become adequate if not reliable. With that, count me among those who see this as a huge plus psychologically because of how it fully hands over the keys to the car to the young guy, giving him the full sense that he has earned the right and the responsibility to run the team on the floor. Yes, when the former driver exited, that was step one. But step one was just step one. This leaves no doubt that Budcox is all-in on this player as their floor leader for the next 5 years.

After reading that, I'm ready to bump up my win total by about 10. ;)

As it stands for now, here's the tally. Let's say the submission window closes at tip-off Thursday night. Don't miss this chance to gain instant credibility with anything you post for the next year based on your exceptional predictive abilities (... You believe that, right?)

What's the hold up with some of you? I know, I know... the strong arguments for or against Splitter cracking his career average 1,123 minutes. Just settle on something already. Let's go. What higher priority could you possibly have?

Does that mean the Suns are keeping John Jenkins then?

If we're playing a team with a force at 5, Edy in, one of the rooks... likely, Bembry... out. Otherwise, Edy.

Yep. All those people who live in cul de sacs look alike. Orange comb overs and man buns are the only way to tell em apart.

Who, me worry?

It's been an exceptionally good year for my pro teams' rookies... Trea Turner for my Nats.... the Dak/Zeke show in Big D... I'm counting on more of the same carryover from the new kids in ATL.

Having some fun with this... 1. Regular season record = Hawksquawk Master Nostradamus Title 2017 2. Playoff seed # = Tiebreaker A 3. How far we'll go in the playoffs = Tiebreaker B 4. Tiago Splitter season (reg + post) total minutes = Tiebreaker C ================================================================ 1. 47-35 2. #5 3. EC Finals 4. 600

Folks are reaching conclusion on Delaney before he's even played his first real game. Slow down. First impressions are just that. Give the man at least a week or two to settle in, if not a month or two.

Okay, we learned yesterday afternoon that Jack had been cut. Learned this morning that Bynum had been cut. So, anyone with any theory as to why the lights are off in Hawks HQ tonight, and we're still sitting here with 16 players.... and (presumably) the 16th player being the last guy to even sign a contract? Probably is meaningless that Magette has not been asked to leave, but just seems very odd to me. Could something be brewing here that would make that circumstance make sense?

Ruh-roh. I hate when this happens. Then again, how many Ryan Kelly clones can you put on one roster and be successful?

Last year, not so much. The year before, when Bud was experimenting so much with having both in the game at the same time, Mack was getting more consistent minutes.

Fudge I must. To me, our season's success... aside from who gets injured when and for how long, of course... rides on how quickly Prince develops and takes a spot in the rotation. I think we have an idea of what we can expect from the rest of the roster. So, if Prince never asserts that place in the rotation for all 82 games... 43-39. If Prince asserts himself in a rotation slot within the first week or two (seems safe to say based on the minutes he got last night, he's not done enough yet that he'll start off the season that way)... mind you, that that achievement by definition means he's productive... 50-32. The simple math of that is that we lost two major pieces from last season. One of those is filled by a player who arguably is his equal in terms of bottom-line talent (if not somewhat better). But we really don't have a talent asset at the moment that we can legitimately claim is Teague's production equivalent. Prince is the most obvious place to look to replace that void since the two were essentially traded for one another.

FINALLY! - PRESEASON IS OVERRRRRRRRR !!! The End

(Knew lethal would appreciate that. ;) )

Pardon that I keep saying this, but no one seems to take it into account... the decision almost certainly would have been different had we not had two forks in the road just up ahead of us. One is Splitter's expected return at some point in November, and the other is the next stop in Scott's legal journey which was said in July to be a "fall" court date. At that point that either Splitter gets back or Scott's situation gets resolved, then you gain a layer of certainty about your low post assets that you don't have right now. And at that point, you have maybe 6-12 games from which you can reasonably assess whether you need that 3rd PG or not. If you do, then you cut or trade, and maybe (in my best Donald Fagan voice)... GO BACK... JACK... DO IT AGAINNNNN (....I would have said "probably" up until Jack tweeted what he tweeted).

Have to say... I did a double-take when I realized that we didn't *also* cut the other two PGs on the roster at the same time we cut JJ. Really don't know how to interpret that. Why?

Um. About that very dark sense of humor? Yikes. Maybe I only thought I was joking?