rd79

Actually there are even 5 of them under contract for next season... Back to topic: How many of that mentioned top 10 PGs are younger than Dennis? Why shouldn't he improve? I don't get it... But of course this next season may show the direction his career will move on, because It's the first season he's the man (something not many expected him to ever become at all for any NBA team after his rookie season) He is used to play starter minutes and starter opponents now, so no excuses being a 1st year starter any more. His defense has to improve Can he become an off court leader too (without Sap and even Howard around)?

And that's what could become a problem when I watch at the current roster. His new contract also includes $2M per year on incentives - one criteria was rumored to be reaching the finals. Will he accept the challenge and step up or will he be pissed about the tank and his now unreachable incentives? He isn't posting as much in the social media he was used to do - since Sap and THJ left...

Now everybody is leaving the sinking ship...

Is it that hard to understand someone else's point of view? I don't ask you to share my opinion... But it seems not following the wisdom of the great Diesel makes me a looser, not able to think in a basketball way... But yeah it seems I'm an idiot because once in a while I have the stupid idea one could have a good conversation about bb with you. And every time you show me that's not possible - at least without sharing your opinion... I won't wast my time anymore in this discussion... And hopefully I remember that next time I have the intention to answer one of your posts...

I disagree here. Sometimes you may be willing to pay a player more than you think he's worth on the field - for a lot of reasons. Because he sells you merch, to keep a working group together, because you need one of his strenght desperately, because you just have money to spend or like the Knicks did in this case to distract the former team from matching. So if we had more money to spend and not tied that much dollars on Baze (and/or Plumlee) one could think about matching, to keep at least a core of young players already familiar with each other, the coach and the system together and build around them

But actually this is the original topic here

Was the poll already in there when I asked? I saw it later and voted...

But back then there have been at least other suitors who offered Baze more than we did. This time it seems there was nobody the Knicks had to overbid at this price tag. They just overpaid on purpose to distract the Hawks from matching...

@Diesel why do you open a topic for every thought you have? Why not just answer the topic we already have about the THJ offer sheet? No offense, I'm just curious about that...

I would have liked to see THJ staying on the Hawks. But since Baze isn't a real SF - I'd say he is a SG too - you can't spend $33M per on one position - unless it's a star. That's the reason we didn't keep Jeff. If we somehow get rid of Baze I would be fine with matching. But two bad contracts - especially at one position? No thanks... BTW Chess means to think in advance have more than one plan and stay flexible to be able to react to every move. What's your plan if we don't draft studs on PF and C? If that's the only plan it's not even checkers. It's marbles...

Yeah Kent's deal is awful too, but there is no reason to have two overpaid borderline starters as wings...

Dirk signed for 2 yaers at $5M per...

Now after THJ left (if our GM matches he should be fired) let Crawford play THJ's role of a 6th man. If he still doesn't want to play tell him he should do well so a contender might want him at the trade deadline - if he stays longer he is an asset to a team in need of clearing some cap-space (and it seems there will be a lot of such teams...)

And additionally both started together for Team World in the 2015 Rising Stars Game

Dennis already has great chemistry with him, the both played togeter at the bakersfield jam (for one or two games) back in Dennis 1st season... EDIT: both on the Jam from Dec 14 to Dec 16, 2013:

AND HE IS UNDER CONTRACT FOR FOUR MORE YEARS!!! (21M, 23M, 24M, 25M) It would be a dream to get him, but I think Utah sees in him to core to build around...

It doesn't matter which pick somebody was drafted. It does matter how good he is and how good he can become. Gobert was #1 in Blocks last year, #2 in MIP selection, #2 in DPOY selection, on All-NBA 2nd team and on NBA All-Defensive-First team...

Wow, he was the ROY of Dennis' draft... Compare their salaries now...

Especially with everyboy going west...

Nonono, AVG was only 49,499

At 1st, I want to see Dennis on a winning team and I would love to see him winning a ship. And since I saw nearly every Hawks game in four years - including preseason and even summer league to a certain extend - I started to really care about the Hawks too. When Dennis entered the league I only wanted to see him win and thought it might have been better for him to play on a worse team to get more playing time. But now I know that in ATL he got the exact environment he needed to improve. The right mixture of competition, trainer strict when he had to be, the need to earn his minutes on a winnig team. I think if he would have started in a environment like Sacramento it's possible he weren't even in the league right now. That's why I want him to improve, lead this team and pay back the faith they had in him - lead them to the title. Possible, but not probable, I think Hawks would still be my 2nd choise, even in front of the MAVs which are the first Team I was really interested in (for obvious reasons) but I never followed them they way I do follow the Hawks. Being critical is an essential part of being a fan, critize everybody for actuall mistakes but it often looks like you're really overcritical. I can't remember you cheering about something. To me it seems you and some others are always negative and not able to enjoy the good things. Maybe you just don't write here when you are happy and like something - but for me it looks like some here are nearly always negativ, which would be something I could understand if this were the Sacramento board... We make the playoffs and some react like. "Eh we don't have a chance I rather lose out completely than losing in the 1st or 2nd round." And that is the complete opposite of "we want to see our TEAM put up their best..." And every talk about tanking is also not about putting up the best possible results... Americans are the only ones which love winning that much that they are willing to see their teams lose for years to make winning possible - not even probable. And you also are the only ones who have a system where that might work. We love to see our teams win and we desperatly want to see them win. Because if you lose over here you aren't awarded with the best young players, You drop out of the league and the teams existence is put on the line. My favorite soccer team plays in the 3rd division now and is working hard every year to find some money to avoid total elimination. So don't tell me something about being competetive. Everytime I seem him diving on the floor or out of bounds, not caring about pain, I know he fights for the team. Such actions aren't even visible in the box score. I would like to see him play (as a starter) with some players able to hit the basket before I finally judge his passing abilities and his will to let others score.... I'd bet his stats would look different on a team like the 2015 Hawks, who were able to spread the floor and hit jumpers...

Actually, and I mentioned it a zillion times before, Dennis wasn't paid big yet. Hawks will start to do this coming season. And 2nd, we are defending Dennis because wie are fans of him, and that may be the big difference. For me it looks like some people here act more like consumers than fans. You pay to see the Hawks and spend your time following them and that's why you think they owe you something, some even seem to think they owe you a ship... The only thing I expect from professional athletes is that they do their best to win. And that by the way is why I hate the concept of tanking. And no one here can deny that Dennis wants to win and shows a lot of effort. As long as he does this I'm fine, but of course I can see flaws in his game and hope he keeps improving. And when Dwight played without effort because whatever bugged him, he didn't do what I expect from athletes and that's why I'm also fine with him being traded...

Mavs +2 Cavs -2