Trout7

That 71 million deal looks pretty good for the Knicks when you compare it to the 70 million dollar deal the Hawks have with a cheerleader.

It's all good, they are putting in a courtside bar to go to after you see a couple quarters of next year's team.

I don't think he would take every team to the Finals, people forget that Love was a franchise player with Minnesota, and Irving is just about a franchise player himself.

1 hour ago, hazer said:

They're speaking of finding the next Curry or Thompson in the draft and developing them in-house. Not bringing them here as free agents. Talent evaluation and scouting, then player development. Then wins that attract that type of free agent. It's a brilliantly simple concept that's difficult to pull off, but Colonel Schlenk has already done it and states it's his plan to do it again. Warriors were a joke franchise for decades, Oakland is no destination, and CA taxes and cost-of-living are very high. Atlanta is the better destination culturally, climatically, economically, etc. Scout and draft correctly, win games, dangle the ATL lure, and (lastly) with the much-improved and stable ownership/GM/coaching situation some FAs will come. Not the LaBrawnas or Durants. But the Thompsons and Aldridges.

What kind of success has the big market draw brought to the Knicks? LOL.

4 hours ago, sturt said:

But having lost Thomas gives them a huge excuse, so I hate his injury in that way.

Too... like many of us, I don't like the guy, but he's still human, and I do feel for him... what a depressing few weeks this has been for him, first to lose his sister, and then to have this opportunity taken away from him. Life is very unfair sometimes.

He wouldn't make any difference though.

What did anyone really expect, Atlanta is just tightening it's grip on Losersville USA. It you can't be good be good at it. Cleveland has even left Atlanta in the dust now for Losersville. I just laugh at all this stuff since the Super Bowl. It took me 45 seasons of Atlanta sports to get like this.

On 4/27/2017 at 1:02 PM, Diesel said:

I still believe that we're going to the ECF this year.  Washington is a bad road team and our losses to them in Washington has been close.  I like our chances in a game 7.  The refs will probably go for that Hawks vs. Celtics second rounder...  Al vs. Dwight. 

Let's go Hawks!!

Looks like the league didn't look at it that way, or maybe it was just Wall and Beal shooting 90 percent. LOL.

It is a toss up having to pull for that arrogant John Wall, or that munchkin punk Isaiah Thomas.

2 hours ago, Dolfan23 said:

We have now seen it first hand that every team Dwight goes to ends up being worse than they were before him or they're better after he leaves. I can't believe how disappointed I was with him as a Hawk (on the court) this year and I really hope he's not on the team next year.

 

As much as I want him gone I want Bazemore gone 100x as much. I can't stand watching him handle the ball and he's just not good enough at anything to even remotely justify his contract.

 

Also hopefully goodbye to Jose, Thabo, Moose, and Dunleavy. Would like to see Ersan and Hump return and hope Hardaway comes back on a team friendly deal otherwise goodbye to him too. Same with Millsap as I don't believe he's worth the insane contract he might get.

 

In fact it wouldn't break my heart to see the team start over with Dennis, Prince, Bembry and 1st round pick as the core going forward. We need to get a lot more athletic and not worry about simply fielding a playoff team who can't advance.

I would keep Dwight for 7 years to get rid of the D league sub Bazemore.

Howard gets plenty of opportunities under the basket, but he can't even do something as simple as hold the basketball anymore. Most of the time when he gets the basketball underneath he gets stripped are his butterfingers take over. Bazemore is the "Butterfingers" player of the year.

6 hours ago, frosgrim said:

I have to agree, time to hit the reset button. I strongly feel Bud is not the best guy to make personnel decisions. He gets too attached to certain players and that clouds his vision on what is best for the team. E.g., Milsap should have been traded last summer once Al left to kickstart the rebuild.

Where the team is currently, isn't a very good place. We have two players who have any trade value (Dennis and Prince) and a bunch of role players, a washed-up Dwight, and a 32 year FA who will command a contract that will paralyze the team in year 3-5.

On the plus side, we do have a few extra picks, but they are of low to maybe mid level value.

Not a great summer to be a Hawks fan, but I still pull for the team. However, Bud and Co need to pull a Braves and build it from the ground up with the right guys that exactly fit what Bud wants to do.

I don't know if any of you hear Koonen on 92.9 yesterday, but one of the things he said really struck me. He praised the Falcons for aggressively going after the guy they want and paying the price to get him (Tak). He then said the Hawks need to take that mindset. That really struck me that Bud and Co are too passive and let things come to them instead of going out and forcing the acquisitions they  actually need to be successful. I hope, Ressler looks at the Falcons and Braves and realizes you have to have a guy that has vision, guts, and freedom to be aggressive to get what is needed for success.

I wouldn't look to the Braves, they won't pay to get any decent pitching. They just hope to recycle washed ups.

THJ is the main reason we didn't win series. If he had matched regular season play i think that would have been the difference, but Bazemore and Muscala are the 2 that really need to be moved. They severely handicap this team with their D league at best playing.

15 hours ago, benhillboy said:

He's never had any real skills, especially ball skills.  If so his And-1 and assist numbers would at least be respectable.  He's always been all shoulders and springs.  He's awesome at absorbing hard contact and not complaining though, always admired that about him.

He could at least catch the basketball and score with Orlando, he gets stripped a high percentage of the time now when he gets the ball in perfect position underneath.

On 4/27/2017 at 11:44 AM, DS5 said:

Hate to say it, but Dennis would be so much more effective with a stretch 5 who can move and screen...not going to say his name and hope he tears another titty. And I really thought Dwight was going to turn it on in the playoffs....but again, hate to say it, but I'm starting to think his signing was a mistake (at his price). I know I know...his rebounding and paint protection has been great, but what we give up on offense and defensive PnR, Dwight's impact is greatly reduced. 

If only Dwight could simply hold onto the basketball and put it in the hole, but his butterfingers just can't do something that simple most of the time. Just don't understand how he has lost such simple skills.

3 minutes ago, hawkman said:

We all found out getting blown out in the Super Bowl was NOT the worst thing that could happen. Being up by 25 through 3 quarters and then inexplicably blowing the lead was. I'm grateful that it 'numbed' me to sports to be honest. I don't take sports as serious as I used to and that's not a bad thing considering I follow ATL sports teams.

I was too all in on that Falcons team to a point that is unhealthy. I think it is a blessing in disguise for something to help me take a step back from sports and spend more time on other things in life.

Does anyone else just seem numb to sports after that Super Bowl. I have tried to keep up with the playoffs, but i just don't feel much difference in emotion whether the Hawks win or lose, and i just laughed last night when the Braves blew that lead. I guess it could be a positive that nothing upsets me now. I think the Super Bowl was the last straw after being an Atlanta sports fan for 45 of my 50 years. Thanks Shanahan, worst of luck to you and the 49ers.

On 4/20/2017 at 10:58 PM, Jody23 said:

Not looking like Hawks' fans are going to have an enjoyable summer.

I am not really even affected by anything after that Super Bowl. I can just laugh at the Braves blowing late inning leads now, and certainly won't be thinking about the Hawks this summer. LOL.

13 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Is this a case of let Wall have his and defend everyone else hard? As @marco102 said Timmy is doing work on defense. The refs need to do something about Gortat"s illegal moving butt screens.

I have to watch the replay to see how we defended the PnR to limit Gortat. Can anyone offersome insight?

I think it is more of a case of the Hawks just being the Hawks this year, and staying true to Jekyll and Hyde.

2 hours ago, Alex said:

First game I actually watched it's entirety just not all at the same time.  I came away very impressed with the Hawks resilience each time Washington made a little run.    When it got to 12 I think we all got nervous.  These so called personal battles or whatever are just attempts to pump up a series.  I don't buy anything into them.  Maybe 20 years ago this would be interesting, but not now.  

Dennis was terrific again tonight.  Really difficult for me to say that especially multiple times.  His decision making is something that I definitely didn't think was going to improve like it seemingly has.  Something still needs to be done about Muscala as he is one of the worst rotational players in the game and hands down worst player getting minutes in this series.  

I have never seen a player on the level of Muscala used in important situations by an NBA team. This fan base loves him though. SMH.

He looks better driving to the basket right now than anyone else we have.

He is just an average point guard at best, and just keeps shooting 3s if he ever happens to make one, and then forgets about team basketball.

He can't help it, he is just a weakling for his size.

Any other city would have more success out of 10 straight playoff appearances.

They are not as dominant, but it doesn't matter because Washington owns the Hawks now.