Wretch

But, the Clips probably know more than we do. They might have even discussed it, but the Clips probably would have wanted more for a better known commodity.

Where do we stand on possibly our most controversial player issue right now? I'm hearing some people are disgusted with him, a few people think he's a true talent, and some are in between - but just don't want to deal him for nothing. Are we truly handicapped by his size and inability to run the point (effectively)? Does his speed and his shot make him worth keeping? Can he learn to be a productive PG? Do we go forward with or without Jason Terry?

The swap of the #6 for the #2 isn't bad at all and if Howard becomes anything KG/Duncan-like, then we have made out like bandits. You need star power in the front court to do anything serious in the league and this will be a great start. Taking back Ely is nothing. Dude is on the rookie scale making like 2 million (pfft!?!?) - big deal. He's a former lottery pick, ironically from a draft where we gave up ours. We swap the #17 for a former #12. And who knows what he'll be...he's been in LA fighting through their ridiculous logjam at PF. Maybe the kid's got some real game? If he does, we've got a restricted FA that we can hold on to. If not, we don't extend a qualifying offer. We actually only give up a conditional 1st rounder. Knowing Billy Knight, and how he knows our history, this pick will be safely protected. Good deal.

You can bet LB discussed that during the TO. There was no way they were going to foul him. But I don't think he tried to give him that space. Either way, I think the Pistons were willing to take their chances with a contested 3point shot that would only send the game to OT - with Shaq and Kobe on the verge of fouling out. As for who wins... The Wolves are gone so personally, it really doesn't matter to me. I just want a competitive championship - something we haven't really had since Jordan retired. It's good basketball and it's good for the NBA. I'm going to watch every game. This is great!

That's what I'm thinking. I think with 11 seconds, Kobe dribbles frees himself up and BANG. They couldn't stop him. If they throw a double or triple at him, he skips the ball cross court for the open 3. It didn't matter who was gonna guard him either. If he puts it up with that look in his eye, he's likely to hit it over anyone. But if he skips it over to someone, then the Pistons would probably like to have a good defender on him - who would have likely been Prince. As for fouling Shaq... Maybe it's a miss and make situation, or maybe he makes 2, or maybe he makes one and the other bounces out for a 2 (which ties) or a 3 (which wins)... Maybe they get the ball back and get fouled, in either situation and they miss one or two and the Lakers get the ball back and can tie or win it with a shot... Too many variables... Let Kobe shoot, he misses...Pistons win. He makes it, overtime...Pistons D vs. 5 fouls on Kobe and Shaq. Let Shaq dunk, Pistons still up by 1 with the ball. I think LB quarterbacked that as best he could. You can't diagram plays to stop what Kobe did. If you could, you wouldn't hear about those incredible shots over and over again.

He was pimpalicious...

I've read this before: Quote: Similarly, a team can't act like they're under the cap and sign free agents using cap room, and then use their Disabled Player, $1 Million, Mid-Level and/or Traded Player exceptions. Are they saying that you can't use an exception to exceed the salary cap? Then what is the point of an exception? Because here they say: Quote: For example, assume the cap is $42.5 million, and a team has $36 million committed to salaries. They also have a mid-level exception for $4.5 million and a traded player exception for $5 million. Even though their salaries put them $6.5 million under the cap, their exceptions are added to their salaries, putting them at $45.5 million, or $3 million over the cap. So they actually have no cap room to sign free agents, and must instead use an exception. Exceptions are added to the existing salary putting the team over the cap, and there is no cap room available to sign a FA - so they must use an exception. Quote: If a team is already over the cap, then the exceptions are not added to their team salary. There would be no point in doing this, since there is no cap room for signing free agents. When they were discussing adding (and increasing the amounts of) exceptions to the CBA, what I got from it was that they wanted teams - who were capped out - to have the flexibility to add talent to their team. Like GP and Malone to the capped out Lakers. If we absorb Hill's contract, in the example above, we're 5 million under the cap. It's either use that or the 4.5 MLE. Either way, we are right at the salary cap. So what if we sign a free agent using our cap space. and we are right at the salary cap. The exception allows you to work beyond the cap, that is the purpose, so why couldn't we then offer an MLE to someone? Makes no sense, because on one hand they are saying that you can't use the exceptions to exceed the cap, on the other hand, they are saying that the exception allows you to work beyond the cap... What is to stop a team from using it's available cap space, to get capped out, then use an exception? Either way, what I'm looking at is adding two top of the NBA draft prospects to our roster. IF they are expected to pan out as the future of the franchise, then they are worth taking a max contract for. I'm not sure what this draft class more closely represents. Nobody knows what it will actually look like until YEARS later. Last year was supposed to be a 3 horse race - with only one guy that was ready to help a team immediately; and LeBron wasn't supposed to be THAT good. Uh...I think it's safe to say now that there were more NBA ready guys than that. People say the same thing EVERY year when there are no sure things like Yao, Shaq, or LeBron. So you can't really go by that. It has to be evaluated team by team by the player(s) that they want to bring in. The NBA draft is different from every other major sport because YOU KNOW where the stars are coming from. 1 through 13...and there ain't no way around it. People make bad picks, some people have a better eye for talent, but in the end...Kobes, McGradys, Melos, Kidds, Jordans, Barkley's VERY VERY RARELY slip past 13. It just doesn't happen. Some years there are 2 or 3 in there, some years there are 6 or 7... But that is where the leagues premier talent is and if you see something you like and you can reach into that cookie jar twice...you gotta go for it. I don't know enough about any of these guys to say that either is worth taking Hill for...but I would for a combination Howard and one of about 5 other guys in this draft. I believe this will be a draft closer to 98. Not in the overall depth of talent per se, but in the way that good talent is spread out.

That's it. He's not arrogant. He's just lived a quiet, disciplined, sheltered, honest life. He's young and feels like he's the biggest thing in the world right now. He's selling himself and he's selling God - but his mind isn't matured or worldly experienced. ...and there is probably a great deal of influence from people telling him what he should say.

1. The Joker Hands down, no contest here. 2. Unicron (Orson Wells) in Transformers the Movie. "For a time, I considered sparing the wretched little planet Cybertron. Now... You shall witness... Its DISMEMBERMENT!!!" 3. Denzel Washington in Training Day "I'm surgical wit' dis bitch!" 4. Jason. I've always liked Jason. But I actually found a new level of respect for him in Jason Vs. Freddy. 5. Agent Smith Annoying, ruthless, powerful, you name it...that @sshole has got it. I would have listed Kruger, but that som'biotch scared me too bad when I was a kid. James Woods and Christopher Walken pretty much make good bad guys no matter what movie they're in. Even when they're not playing antagonistic roles. Kiefer Southerland gets an honorable mention for the sniper in Phone Booth.

I'm not a big fan these days. I catch it every once in awhile, it's just to "made for TV" now with a stronger emphasis on Wrestling's drama (soap) aspect. Matches are way to predictable and there are no bad guys that just whoop the sh#t out of people. I've watched wrestling since the early-mid 80's. I haven't enjoyed anyone as much as I enjoyed the Rock WHEN HE WAS UNPOPULAR. He was the people's champ, but nobody liked him...and he just kept talkin' sh#t! *LOL* One of the funniest things I have EVER seen is when The Rock gave the members of the nation solid gold watches, but gave Farooq that big-@ss picture of himself.

First, I wouldn't include J.Howard's contract in this deal too. That would be too much salary to take back. So we would have that extra 5.5 million, plus the MCE. Secondly, we'd have these two prospects at PF and SG/PG. There really isn't a pressing need to go after anyone, but we'd still have a some flexibility to do so this off season. Maybe we can't go after a max guy, but who is worth the max this offseason that we are realistically able to lure? And anything else is comparable potential to what we could pick up with the #1 and #6. Hendu and Crawford give us 10+ million in relief the following year, and if we don't waste money on nickle and dime FA's this year...then we could likely offer a max deal to someone then. Again, if they are willing to play for us... Regardless, it'll take at least 2 - 3 years before we are ready to compete. By then, Hill's contract will have either been picked up by insurance or expired. The only real risk here is whether or not the #1 and #6 can turn out to be special. I don't have that kind of scouting ability, but I'll tell you right now, if this were 1998...with the 1 and 6 you could get any two of these guys: 1. LA Clippers - Michael Olowokandi Pacific 2. Vancouver - Mike Bibby Arizona 3. Denver - Raef LaFrentz Kansas 4. Toronto - Antawn Jamison North Carolina 5. Golden State - Vince Carter North Carolina 6. Dallas - Robert Traylor Michigan 7. Sacramento - Jason Williams Florida 8. Philadelphia - Larry Hughes Saint Louis 9. Milwaukee - Dirk Nowitzki DJK Wurzburg (Germany) 10. Boston - Paul Pierce Kansas If I'm Billy Knight and I see this kind of potential out there, I go for it. I wouldn't turn away from that kind of chance simply because it eats up cap space; and in fact, teams have inquired about us taking contracts off their hands: Quote: Knight said he has spoken with every team in the league about a possible deal since the draft lottery. He isn't just looking to move up; teams have contacted the Hawks hoping they can dump salary. "Remember, we have cap space, too," Knight said, smiling If Knight pulls a ballsy move like this, I will not complain. It means he has found the future of our franchise. And that is worth taking on a max contract. I'm not worried about next season, I'm looking at 3 or 4 years down the road. Hill would not be a factor then.

I'm happy because it could be a series now. I wanted to say that before - because of Detroit's defense and the addition of Rasheed Wallace; but, I just thought there would be no way to hold LA under 80 points. That's the only way the Pistons are going to win this thing. But I don't see them getting 4 games like that out of the Lakers. I fully expect the rest of the Lakers to step up...especially Malone. He'll come out swinging next game.

I have SERIOUSLY underestimated the Detroit defense. Wow. And Larry Brown's gameplan worked to perfection. They let Kobe and Shaq do whatever they wanted, but nobody else could get anything for the Lakers. I still think LA is going to run away with this thing. Payton and Malone are going to have to earn those rings - no more riding on Shaq and Kobe. Maybe they were just a little giddy after getting this far and they underestimated the competition...? Perhaps they were just out of sync. Either way, they're both close to that elusive prize and I expect them to step it up in Game 2. The rest of the series should follow suit.

The salary cap is rising to 45 million. The only player with a significant contract with us beyond 2005 is Jason Terry at around 7 million, and if he were dealt we wouldn't even have that. (take a look here) Picking 1 and 6 gives you the chance to take 2 players that could turn a franchise around. Worst case scenario is that they both bust and Hill attempts to play, but can't, and we keep his money on the books for 2 seasons (with money still available to sign significant FA's). Best case scenario is we draft Howard and Smith/Livingston/Gordon/whoever and they become the next KG and Nique/Kidd/Davis/whatever...Hill returns to form and we end up with a steal, or he doesn't play and the insurance picks up his contract. I'd take the gamble here, and with Knight making the moves I'd worry about nothing.

We have so much money available to sign players that it's ridiculous. The question though, is who are we going to sign? People are jumping around talking about putting a competitive team on the court next season - the same way they were talking about signing Stephen Jackson this season, and how he was supposed to stabilize us. The problem here is that EVEN IN THE BEST CASE SCENARIO a competitive team just isn't good enough. In just about any other NBA city this would be fine. In Atlanta, we need an extreme makeover. Not the different wardrobe/haircut/makeup makeover, but the plastic surgery/dental work makeover. The little tit-for-tat building of a team will not work. It is what Babcock did and it is how we found ourselves in perpetual mediocrity. We have to start from the ground up with an eye on 2 or 3 seasons from now. Today doesn't matter, it is tommorrow that this franchise should look at. Diesel is on to something here. Something that we were discussing on Real GM about midway through the season. I'm not suggesting that we take on every bad contract from every team in the lottery to come away with 4 or 5 high-school ballers. Though, we have MORE THAN ENOUGH salary cap room to take on a bad contract to pick up a good draft pick. This is what Billy Knight has been hinting at in the interviews. There will still be plenty of money left over. The cap is rising to 45 million. The only player on our team currently that will take up any of that beyond 05 is JT; and if he is dealt, then that'll be another 7 or so million to manuver with. We have the flexibility to take on bad contracts and still have money to pay significant free agents. That is the beauty of our situation right now. I don't know about adding Howard to the mix. But I have no reservations about taking on Grant Hill. Even in the worst case scenario, we will still have money available to sign free agents. Coming out of this draft with the #1 and the #6 is worth the risk - especially with Billy Knight making these picks.

Quote: He isn't just looking to move up; teams have contacted the Hawks hoping they can dump salary. "Remember, we have cap space, too," Knight said, smiling. I couldn't quite figure out why he was so hasty in dumping SAR and Theo for basically a late 1st rounder...or why he was so insistent upon having all this cap space with no real significant FA to pursue - especially considering that Theo and SAR were entering the last year of their deals. Knight must be looking to score in the draft. Knowing teams will want to move salary, and knowing that people are percieving this is a "weak" draft...he's hoping to slide into the 1st round with multiple picks. The 17th selection is a "valuable" pick...? I know exactly what that means. First, he was looking to take on salary and draft picks...so he dumped those guys; then he felt the pressure because he got little in return for SAR and Theo - so he dealt Sheed for a token 1st rounder. The secret is, this draft is deep. It's deep because all of these young guys are forcing the best talent in the draft to be spread around. We'll come out of this thing with either the player that we wanted all along, multiple 1st rounders, or possibly even both. People have said that Knight is a fan of the draft...I think this is a clear indication of that.

Then we were in trouble the minute that the Clippers landed the #2 pick. Either way, nobody is in anything right now. I don't know which part of the NBA season is more silly - right before the trade deadline or right before the draft. *lol* People talk so much smack just to throw everyone off and teams pull crap right out of their @sses (like Chicago taking Fizer back in 2000). I don't know what Howard is thinking either. There is no way to know what most of these guys are going to be even if you watch them like Hawks for 2 or 3 years. So unless he plans to sprout wings and dribble the basketball on the ceiling, I doubt a single workout is going to determine his fate past the 1st or 2nd pick. Howard may have more upside, but the question is whether the Magic are going to take a chance on maybe having to wait on it. The consensus is that Okafor is more NBA ready and that will play a huge part in who selects him. He's played a couple of years in a structred college basketball system, has played in the big games, he's a big dude, a defensive force, and a rebounding monster. He can score around the basket, with decent moves, and he's only going to get better. This business about his back isn't going to scare anyone away. When he comes in for a workout he's going to look great. Honestly, I think this may be nothing more than a smokescreen, if the Magic have given any indication at all that they are interested in Howard. More than likely, it's just a ruse to see what kind of offers they can get for Howard as opposed to Okafor.

He's not 6'2"... With Terry, the problem really is just about height. At 6'2" he's stuck defending the 1. That's all to it. If he were 3 or 4 inches taller, he'd be a star wreaking havoc at the 2. Though I know that trying to compensate for his size is killing us, I do feel the same way about JT as you do. I think we, as well as the rest of the league, focus too much on his size and not his speed and ability to score - and he's a clutch shooter too. He'll find his spot somewhere in this league and there'll be no more questions about his contributions. Unfortuneately, I don't think he has much time to prove that here. It's just time for the franchise to move on. That's really the problem for me. I wouldn't deal him and our #6 pick for an unproven prospect...but I would if we were getting another prospect in return. I like Jaric and I think I'd pull the trigger on the Clips deal if he were coming back to us.

People have been talking like Fratello wants to get back into coaching - badly; there has to be some merit to the reports because there was talk not too long ago that he was the front runner to replace Cheany in NY. And while it is possible that he doesn't want to come to our situation particularly, seeming as how it could be a tough case to take, I can't see him turning it down. There are far too few head coaching positions period - and the open positions get fewer and fewer by the month.

Does defense win championships? It does if you can score! Which is why LA is a model of the rule. If you can't score, you can't win...so you need players that can put the ball in the basket. But if you want to win you have to play defense. You have to keep the other team from scoring too...or else, it's just a tossup free for all... You hit the nail on the head Cyman. Detroit doesn't have a great deal of offensive firepower; and since there is no way they're keeping the Lakers in the 70's and 80's there is no way for them to win this series. I think Detroit's defense will make the games interesting, but I think they will fall short in every game. I'm calling for a sweep.

That really should be the topic of this thread; what the hell is Knight thinking...who is he considering...what the #^$& is he going to do...? Nobody knows. I think that the Czar would provide the best PR buzz outside of an established coach (which we missed the chance to sign last summer) or Doc Rivers - and he can more than hold his own against any of them. Of the candidates out there now, none of them seem more capable than Fratello...who has quite a bit of national credibility now. Why he hasn't been hired by now by someone escapes me, but he's going to get results when he is eventually taken. He knows the game, knows the players, can deal with stars, young guys, vets... Isn't overbearing, won't let anyone walk on him... Fratello would be my choice right now... But what is Knight thinking...that's the question. The Hornets have hired a GM and a coach in the time that it has taken Billy Knight just to scratch his @ss. Hell, half the league has made coaching decisions and decided on the direction of their franchises since last season. We don't even have a leading candidate right now nor a list of who is being strongly considered. Why? I think Knight is waiting until after the draft so that he has complete control over the situation...and not someone coming in planting suggestions over his head. I think Del Harris may be the lead guy right now simply because although Fratello would make a fine and popular choice, Knight might see it as more of a retread. No doubt the Czar has some strong backing through 'Nique and the local connection within the Atlanta Spirit...but I think Knight is out to prove that HE wears the pants and that he'll make the choice based on what HE thinks is best for HIS team. In which case I think he'd go with Harris, an equally qualified, although potentially less popular, candidate.

If were were talking about STRICTLY adding revenu to players' existing salary scale, that would be one thing; say a 0% increase for underachievers and starting there. But when you start talking about taking money away from players, you get Hunter's nose twitching. Like a hungry dog catching a whiff of a freshly grilled steak... Not only that, but you've already got people questioning the passion and desire of pro basketball players; saying even the best are only playing for a paycheck. Dangling dollars out there like that would make the focus of every team about winning money. I think playoff teams and contending teams have plenty to play for. It's the guys at the bottom, that are out of playoff contention, that couldn't compete even if they were given a playoff birth...they're the ones who need motivation. I say tie lottery eligibility to results. I'm not suggesting that it be directly linked (as in finish better, get a better pick); just find a way to reward those teams at the end of the season who continue to play - or punish those franchises (like the #^$*! Clippers) who year after year continue to stockpile he league's best young talent.

Billy Hunter would have a field day with that! The players would never accept it; and, if by chance, it became a key issue in renegotiating a CBA, then the NBA would be looking at the longest work stoppage in the history of sports! I think a better solution would be place some kind of low-lottery penalty on teams who routinely finish near the bottom. LIKE THE %^@*&#^ CLIPPERS. Say, if you finish below a certain mark (say 6th) three or more times within a span of 4 or 5 years, then you are automatically DQ'd from winning either of the top 3 picks in the lottery for a specific amount of time. And if you win a top spot in the lottery, for say 3 times within a span of 5 years, then you are ineligible to win it again for 2 years. Something like that. Teams, LIKE THE %^@*&#^ CLIPPERS, would have to think long and hard about which seasons they decide to tank in - if at all; and lottery teams would have something to play for near the end of the season. Nobody likes meaningless games; and whether you are for or against tanking, you have to admit that it is a very cheesy way to build a team.

You had to see this coming. Sure, Knight will let us see some of the late 1st rounders and potential 2nd rounders he's thinking about; but as we get closer to D-day, you had to know the veil of secrecy would fall.

He's working out the guys that will give away his drafting strategy in the lottery. I don't really blame him for that. If he shows his hand this early, it could affect a player(s) that he's hoping to draft or deals that he's stringing together. He is a tight mouth som'biotch though. It's irratating, but it could work out in our favor in the long run. The quiet mysterious types are always the ones who grab attention. People will WANT to know what the Hawks are thinking and if we can get to a respectible level of play...then BK's quietness could work for us by keeping the franchise on the minds of the media and FA's.