abeck11

I'm still a Hawks fan. However I have 0 faith in what Schelnk is doing. Need to build a team dynamic that is our own, not try to copy another teams since you cannot replicate KD, Steph, or any of those guys. This was an extremely stupid decision.

Can we please keep these uniforms. Our throwbacks are the best in the NBA. Need to not try and be edgy and keep going with something new. Blast from the Past is best.

So far we haven't cut anyone and I was just curious who the 5 players are that we should cut. The first obvious choices are Matt Costello, Josh Magette, and Will Bynum. Now things get interesting in my opinion. 2 more players need to be cut. Ryan Kelly is probably gone but ill come back to him. That leaves 1 guy among Mike Scott, Moose, and Kris. Since the 4 is the deepest position we have, it's the clear position from which to eliminate the extra player. I would choose Moose from that group. Kris is a grinder that brings a toughness off the bench that Mike and Moose haven't yet shown. Mike has much more scoring upside than Moose and in a pinch can play the 3. Plus Moose's contract isn't guaranteed which hurts his chances even more. I would like to try and keep Kelly because he is a more traditional stretch 4 in the mold of Ryan Anderson while obviously not being as accomplished. But playing at Duke and knowing Bud's system, Kelly has the intelligence and skill set to be a perimeter scoring 4 off the bench that our second unit has lacked. I have also started to lose faith that Tim will ever be able to be a viable scoring threat at the 2 because he is a volume shooter that needs to get on a roll which he has yet to prove as a Hawk. I would cut him as well but we are thin on the wing behind Korver and we can't trust Korver's backup to be a rookie with even less shooting potential than Tim right now. Curious what everyone else thinks about our roster situation.

I wanted Korkmaz. Hate the Prince pick. He was projected to be there at 21, wtf draft him this much higher. I have lost faith in Buds' drafting ability.

Now that the trade deadline has gone, we have an open roster spot. The big names like Varejao and Lee are gone so it's time to look at who we could grab to help us out. I think most of us would agree we need another big on our bench as the guard rotation is pretty much set and I don't think many of us have a ton of faith in Musky considering his recent play. A couple of players have become available recently that we could look for as upgrades to Muscala. To make room for Varejao, the Warriors waived Jason Thompson, a 6'11" 250lb Center. Jason is a traditional center that could help our horrid rebounding and he was a starter just a year and a half ago so we know he can handle playing extended minutes or even start should Al or Paul get hurt. This is a more risky guy but better for our system since we prioritize shooting. Andrea Bargnani. Obviously this guy has been a disappointment pretty much anywhere he has gone but he is still a 7' footer that can shoot from the outside and, and this is the reason I would be ok grabbing him, he can actually handle the ball for a big guy. He is a decent passer who doesn't fumble the ball as much as Musky has been and I think turnovers is a big reason we are currently sucking, along with the rebounding. I would want either of these guys. I know we have Big Edy but I don't think he is quite ready to play 15+ min a night and should be brought along slowly, similar to Rudy Gobert, let his body mature a bit more to handle the NBA physicality, compared to the cake walk that is the Euro League. Any other suggestions?

I would like to see Adonis Thomas and Sergii Gladyr get some minutes in this game. I could also do without John Millsap in the game. I know he is Paul's older brother and that is probably why he is on our roster but I would prefer to see young talent that has a chance to develop as opposed to and older player that hasn't been able to catch on in the league.

Ok, I have a few points I would like to make concerning this subject. Dwight was a lost cause once Doc Rivers went to the Clippers and assured that CP3 wasn't going anywhere. I blame the Celtics for caving into the desires of their coach who manipulated them into releasing him, much like how Dwight Howard and Carmelo forced their way out of their respective towns. Once those 2 guys were off the board, who was the 3rd best free agent on the board? Josh Smith. And after 9 years I think we have seen everything that Josh can do. There were no other "game changers" on the market that could boost us up from where we have been the past few years. Our best teams were the ones with Joe Johnson. As much as people hate to admit it, Johnson in his prime which he was when he was here, was much better than anyone we replaced him with last year. So since we are not going to get a "game changer" since they simply don't exist anymore in this years marketplace, unless we sign Bynum and by some miracle he somehow returns to Laker form and plays most of the season, what can we do to make this team better? We only have 2 options that no one likes. Either tear down and try and rebuild through the draft or stockpile assets and use those to trade for impact talent. I will give a few examples of teams that have failed and succeeded using these methods. The 76ers were in the playoffs year before last and since their disaster of a trade for Bynum, failed not only to make the playoffs but get into the lottery, albeit in a week draft. Their new GM Sam Hinke realized this and decided to turn his best asset into draft picks. This shows he is trying to rebuild through the draft and develop a young team. This has worked before if a team drafts correctly. The Washington WIzards, while they had the 3rd pick in this years draft have been building through the draft for years since the Gilbert Arenas debacle and have been doing it well drafting John Wall and Bradley Beal to make a very strong backcourt. They had a top 10 defense last year, and that was with Wall missing half the season, and once he came back as a beast. They are expected to be much better this year and a low playoff seed. On the other end, the Bobcats have had several high draft picks for a few years and because they have a terrible front office (really I blame Michael Jordan b/c of his terrible eye for talent) have been the worst team for several years now. The Hawks of the early 2000's were much like the Bobcats, a front office that didn't have a clue what it was doing and drafting bad players or overlooking more obvious talent (just had to mention Marvin over CP3, and don't forget Josh Childress over Iggy and Deng). We would also have to tank this season and piss off a fanbase, while already scarce, will be all the more angered by willingly trying to lose. Point is, trying to build through the draft is very hit or miss and should not be an option until at least halfway through the season and if we are clearly out of the playoff race due to bad team chemistry or freak injuries or just w/e. The other way to build a team is take Houston's route, get lucky with a couple of draft picks, such as Chandler Parsons, and then stockpile assets in order to trade for a true "game changer", like they did with James Harden. The rockets got lucky with the Asik signing, most people thought it was way too much money for a bench player that had never had starter minutes but it worked out great for them. The Jeremy Lin signing, not so much, other than to appease their Asian fanbase that they had developed with Yao Ming. But that strategy worked and they now have Harden and Howard and are viewed as a real threat in the West. The Rockets didn't have an high draft picks and didn't ever have to tank, they just bided their time, stockpiled assets, then turned those assets into their current roster. I believe that this would be the best strategy for the Hawks to take and we are fully capable of doing this. We don't have to tank and alienate an already flimsy fanbase. The only part of this strategy that will be difficult to handle is the waiting. All the people complaining on this board are expecting a quick fix. That is just not going to happen with this crop of free agents. The best way to acquire a true superstar caliber player is through patience and trades. Melo, CP3, Deron Williams, Harden were all grabbed through trades. Lebron and Bosh were not traded obviously but wanted to go to a place with another superstar. The Hawks cannot provide a superstar to lure any other FA Stars to Atlanta, but we could go the Clipper and Houston rout and trade for one, convince them to stay and then build from their. It is risky because we could end up like the Lakers and wind up with nothing but we could end up like the Rockets or Clippers, who are both in better positions than we are. This is just an example but Kevin Love has shown that he isn't very happy with the Wolves and what if he determines that he wants to bolt when he can become a UFA. My guess is the Wolves would want to get something back for him. The Hawks, if we could offer the best deal, could end up with him and then build from there. I know he and Al play the same position but Al's contract is up before Loves and we could use Al as a trade chip to stockpile more assets of even a SnT deal. This is obviously an extreme hypothetical but I just wanted to give everyone an idea of how the Hawks could make getting a Star work. What im saying is just be patient. Danny Ferry and Mike Budenholzer are much smarter than any of us when it comes to these decisions. Second guessing them at this point in the year is pointless because we haven't even seen what our players are capable of under our new coach or even with each other. Just be patient.

Love the arguments people make on this board, just say no while not saying anything other than too much money. We need a defensive center that can rebound and take on opposing centers instead of just fouling them. Don't get me wrong, I love ZaZa and love what he brings off the bench, but he isn't ever going to be a scoring threat and basically is an enforcer. Al Horford is our scorer in the paint and he is also a decent passer so when he is taking that 15 footer and the opposing centers comes out to help defend, Al is good enough to pass inside or lob where Lopez would be easily able to finish. He's not a great center but he is a serviceable center that would allow Al to move to the 4.

Pelicans Trying To Unload Robin Lopezhttp://www.hoopsrumors.com/2013/07/pelicans-trying-to-unload-robin-lopez.html I would like this guy as an alternative center. He would not obstruct any of Horfords offense and would be a banger in the paint. Basically a more athletic and skilled ZaZa. Younger guy with a cheap price. Also I just want to see his hair and BeBe's hair team up to dominate the NBA.

With CP3 now off the market, Howard is going to go to the Rockets, where they have a team that is more ready to win now. Howard was only going to come to Atlanta if CP3 was going to come here as well. I wrote that we should play into the lottery next year and start our rebuild then instead of trying to patch together a team this year and continue to stay in mediocrity. If we can convince Howard to come here then obviously we should do what we can to build this team into a contender but unless we get a true Superstar in FA, we won't be able to make a team that has been better than what we have had the past few years.

I know that the ultimate Dream this year would be to get Chris Paul and Dwight Howard and let our two new draftees learn from some of the best position players in the NBA. However, there is a ton of factors that do not work in our favor to realize this dream. First Chris Paul is expected to resign with the Clippers now that Doc Rivers will be his coach. I am aware that this is not a sure thing to happen since the their lineup will remain largely intact and this is same team that lost in the first round. A new coach will not be the difference between losing the first round and winning the NBA championship, not as long as the Heat, Thunder and Spurs still exist. However, I have not yet heard that Chris Paul is still going to visit other teams once July 1 comes around. Doc can recruit Paul every day and has a big advantage over any other team vying for Paul. Second Dwight Howard is reported to favor Dallas and Houston over Atlanta where he has never shown any inclination that he wants to come a play for. I know everyone argues that Dwight Howard would come here because he is from here but nothing in his history has suggested that he wants to come here. He has shown that he wanted to go to LA, Brooklyn, Dallas, and Houston. Atlanta is only an option if Chris Paul decides he wants to team up with Howard since we have the cap space to make it work. With all the uncertainty surrounding Paul's future now that Doc Rivers is his coach, I believe it is very unlikely that Howard would consider the Hawks without Paul. My guess is Howard ends up in Houston and Paul stays in Clipperland. Now we could try and sign some second tier free agents such as Iggy, Monta Ellis, or Al Jefferson. However I believe that we would just end up in the same place that we have been the past 6 years, with a team that is talented, but that will only be around a 4th round seed at best in the East. The Wizards are getting better and better as John Wall develops more and they continue to having strong drafts, the Cavs will be a threat as long as Kyrie Irving is there to possibly recruit top tier Free Agents and the Bulls and Pacers are not going anywhere anytime soon. With this in mind I think that the Hawks should not sign any major Free Agents like Jefferson or Monta but fill the roster out with vets who are willing to play on a one year deal and essentially tank this year to position ourselves for next years draft. With the new CBA, the best way to build a team is through the draft and next year's draft is incredibly stacked. I would not mind having a down year for a chance to draft Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, or Julius Randle. Any one of these guys has true superstar potential. Next year's Free Agent class will also be headlined by Lebron James and its not out of the realm of possibility that if we do grab one of those 3 prospects, we could convince King James to come here. This is really just wishful thinking about James but a combo of Horford, Wiggins/Parker, and our newest picks Nogueira and Schröder is more intriguing to me than any Free Agent other than Dwight Howard and Chris Paul. This is just an alternative to actually using our cap space this year if we cant grab Paul or Howard. I would prefer to build our team in an intelligent manner rather than try to just patch a mediocre playoff team together like the previous regime did which started with the Joe Johnson trade. And from what I can gather so far, Paul and Howard in Atlanta is just a Fevered Dream that will not become reality, Still, I hope that it does happen.

I'm saying that the only reason we would trade up is if someone like Len or McLemore fell. Len has his injury issues right now and I've read that people are doubting McLemore's mental ability to make it as a premier shooter in the NBA. Draft brings all kinds of surprises and remember that the Hornets are drafting and are not always keen on drafting with reason. I'm just bringing it up as a possibility. I don't think we will trade up unless something strange like this happens because I don't believe that any player in this draft is worth trading up for.

Glen Rice Jr. would be a solid pick for us. As long as we pair him with a big in the first round then we could consider the draft a success. Jenkins is a shooter, period. We need a wing that has athleticism that can drive the to basket and can gain separation an create his own shot. Jenkins might be able to come off a screen to create a shot but other than that he just has to hope the defense breaks down and he finds himself open. Rice or Hardaway would be solid big wings that could do this for us.

I doubt that we would go after Burke seeing as he is a PG. We already control Jeff Teague since he is just a restricted free agent and Chris Paul is a target of ours as well. Also, Oladipo will be gone in the top 5 so unless we trade up into that area, we won't have a shot at him. If we trade up to 7 or 8 like suggested we would target a player of greater need that would fall due to concerns, either injury or mental such as Alex Len or Ben McLemore.