KB21

I'll push back even harder and make your eyes bleed if people want to continue this anti-OO narrative.

It's a false statement to say he got worse.

The only difference I see is that Ingram is essentially a bigger Murray. The fit issues with Trae will continue because BI doesn't like to be a volume three point shooter. He instead loves to play off the dribble and get to his middy. Problem there with both he and Murray is they rarely ever attack the rim. They settle for that mid range jumper. Defensively, Ingram isn't a POA defender either. You would hope his size would give him some advantage over Murray, but bottom line is he isn't an above average defender.

Bam was developed properly by Spoelstra early in his career. OO had to deal with Dumb and Dumber for a big part of his first three seasons.

Whatever you want to think. It isn't factual, but if you want to think it, go ahead. Al was a better player in his prime, and there is no reason for OO to keep from getting to that level or close to it. OO can be another Bam Adebayo. But let's continue to label him like Al was labeled.

Only see 5 who are obvious. I see several I wouldn’t play at all.

If it were still 1985 maybe.

Yeah. Let’s go out and get us a 7-foot slug just because he’s big. Let’s trade our athletic modern big because he’s not 7-foot tall.

I don't need to find out. I know. I fought this myth back when Al Horford was constantly being criticized for being too small. It's a f***ing myth. Okongwu is almost exactly the same size as Bam Adebayo, who from my standpoint is the model for what a center should be in today's NBA.

There it is. The perpetuated myth that you have to be 7-foot to be a center.

The guy in the video is 100% correct here, and the guy who is calling himself Coach Von is completely off.

IMO, DRTG is too dependent upon who is around you when you are on the floor, and OO was out there a lot with both Trae and Dejounte at guard and Bey on the wing. Quin in the past has been notoriously slow to trust young players with his complex offense and defense. I don't think we should jump to conclusions and just assume Quin would rather have a drop big like Gobert just because that's what he had in Utah. Quin was also a part of putting down the building blocks of the defense that the Hawks used to win 60 games which featured Al Horford as a blitzing center as opposed to a drop coverage big.

The biggest reason is this. I don't consider Quin Snyder to be a stupid coach. If he's not starting OO, there is a good reason other than some dumb idea that OO isn't his type of player. How could any coach not want an athletic, switchable big with high level perimeter defense and offense? OO was by far the most impactful big defender on the team this season, and this regression that supposedly happened under Quin is a myth.

It's because "He's not 7-foot so he can't be a center."

Jalen Williams also had 3 years of development in college and wasn't really good until his third season in college. Pau and Marc Gasol.

TIER 1 Alexander Sarr, 7'1", 217 lbs, Perth Stephon Castle, 6'6", 190 lbs, UConn Ron Holland, 6'8", 200 lbs, Ignite Reed Sheppard, 6'3", 187 lbs, Kentucky TIER 2 Matas Buzelis, 6'10", 195 lbs, Ignite Donovan Clingan, 7'2", 265 lbs, UConn Cody Williams, 6'8", 185 lbs, Colorado Zaccharie Risacher, 6'9", 205 lbs, JL Bourg TIER 3 Tidjane Salaun, 6'9", 203 lbs, Cholet Ja'Kobe Walter, 6'5", 180 lbs, Baylor Kel'el Ware, 7'0", 223 lbs, Indiana Yves Missi, 6'10", 235 lbs, Baylor Tyler Smith, 6'11", 224 lbs, Ignite

I think it likely has more to do with OO needing to develop certain things that Quin wants him to do. For instance, this is the first season that anyone has really tried to expand OO's offensive game and include the three-point shot as part of his repertoire. There may also be the aspect that Quin may have a little too much respect and comfort in playing the older veteran even though the younger guy offers a lot more.

OO averaged 16.1 PPG and 8.5 RPG as a starter this year on a 66.3% FG and 45% 3P. TS% was 72.3 on 15.2 USG.

Yes

Digging into Buzelis a bit. 6’10” with wing skills. I’m buying.

I have 13 players rated for the Hawks.

If you have been listening to ATL and 29 with KL, Tyler, and Glenn, and Locked on Hawks with Brad and Tyler, you will have heard them talk about this. Jalen doesn’t have anything else from a skill standpoint he needs to work on. His next leap is going to come when he learns just how hard he has to work to be in the right physical condition to be a superstar level player. He’s got the athleticism and skill level to push being a 25 PPG/10 RPG/5 APG player that can play big time defense.

I'm not interested in what he's done when he has the size advantage over everyone he plays, and the players he plays against do not have NBA athleticism. I'm more interested in modern big traits that need to be shown. Those traits include having a face up offensive game, being able to play on the perimeter, and being able to defend on the perimeter as well as more than one position. Those are the critical traits for a big in the NBA today. If he can't do that, then he's not going to play much. Edey is a 10-15 minutes per game back up at best, and on a good team, he's probably a third center in the NBA who only plays in spurts like Boban.

Dejounte Murray has to be traded this offseason. They cannot run it back with Trae Young and Dejounte Murray at the guard spots. It is not going to work, and I had doubts that it would work when the deal was made. They are too small together defensively, and offensively, Murray is not as willing to be a catch and shoot guy as he needs to be. Trae is by far the better player between the two. The Hawks are going to have to accept not getting what they feel is proper value for him. If they can get New Orleans to include Dyson Daniels in a deal for, maybe take CJ McCollum off their hands, then do it. Daniels is exactly the type of player this team needs right now. No, he's not as good as Dejounte, but he's a long wing defender that can guard 1-3. That ability helps the Hawks more than anything Dejounte brings to the table. You also have to move him to create an opening for Kobe Bufkin to get time next season. Kobe is a better defender of guards and wings right now than Dejounte is. He's not Dejounte offensively, but that's not a bad thing with where the Hawks are at. DeAndre Hunter cannot be relied upon next season. Ideally, they can move off his contract with a trade. It would be a total salary dump though, and I'm not sure another team is going to be willing to take on that deal. Hunter is their best perimeter defender when it comes to defending bigger wings, so there is a role for him. However, the Hawks need a guy at this point that can guard guards. Someone that can defend 1-3 and offers better, more consistent shooting than DeAndre. It's time to move on from Clint Capela and commit to Onyeka Okongwu as the starter. We can do so much more offensively and defensively with Okongwu than we can with Capela. The Hawks do need to add someone with size and athleticism to play as Okongwu's back up. The primary needs this team has going into the offseason is point of attack perimeter defense at the forward spots. Probably at least two forwards must be added. There is no one in this draft who will play meaningful minutes on a good team this season, so if you are going into the draft thinking you are going to address a need, you are doing it wrong.