Dejay

Naw, how about a 6-9 center who averaged 12/9 at Georgia State (no offense, Teke)? He might be on the short end but has enough 'upside' to be a good 9th man in an 8-man rotation.

A post of yours I agree with.

Fantastic post, TP. You echoed everything I've wanted to say but didn't have time to put together. One GM has a Super Bowl ring, has his current team in position to be in the running for one, while being a candidate for league commish. Another has engineered a once dormant franchise to 14 straight division titles, four league pennants, a world title despite it's absentee owner's attempts to cut payroll into the middle-tier of teams in MLB, and will have a bust made of him in Cooperstown once he retires. Then there is one who's led as many teams to the playoffs as I have and is known as the running punchline in many NBA circles. Guess which one I give the LEAST margin of error to when it comes to player acquistions? If Al is traded for just a mid-late pick without any other moves being made during the offseason, I'd be beyond disgusted. While I was all for the JJ trade (to get him and get rid of Diaw), I can't fathom this going down. After all of this talk during and after the season about how the team would be improved from the pieces acquired from the S/T of Harrington, a middling 1st round pick and $$$ (which they'll likely waste anyway) is the best they can come up with? Talk about bending over, grabbing ankles, and taking it. If I was an NBA GM, I couldn't wait to get on the phone with BK once Smith and JJ become free agents; what would he take back for them, a second-rounder? TWO second-rounders? And while I'm trying to still rationalize the Sheldon pick, I'm still trying to get over the fact that BK chose not just one but TWO guys with high draft picks who talent-wise are no more than role players (Childress and now S.Williams). I wouldn't mind the Williams pick if more was on the roster to justify it (meaning the Hawks would be picking him at 12 instead of at 5) but it make me wonder about the makeup of the front office and just what they are doing.

Lover Hawks: Smith, JJ, Salim, Pachulia Da rest: Bruce Pearl (hell, Tennessee sports period), Bosh, Wade, Roy, Brand, Shaq, Paul, Labron, Iguodala, Iverson, Richardson (picked him in the HS mock draft a few years ago) Hater Hawks: Childress, Sheldon, so-so on Marvin but coming around slowly Da rest: Diaw, Artest, Kobe, BK, every Hawks lotto pick who's name wasn't Jason Terry, Barry Bonds (oops, wrong sport), O'Bryant, Belkin, AOL-Time Warner, Rondo (without a reliable jumper, he's Dion Glover with handles to me)

Excellent point, Diesel. This is the toughest league in sports to get good once you have been so bad without acquiring a game-changer via trade or free agency without getting lucky in the draft (ala Cleveland and San Antonio). The proverbial 5-year plan doesn't work in hockey (see Thrashers) and it certaintly doesn't in the NBA; if it did, Golden State would have a dynasty by now. I've stated my peace in concerns to Iverson and how he would help the franchise and I'm not going to bother rehashing it now. All I'll say is that he'd be a better option than a mid-late pick next year while hoping/praying that Belkin doesn't win the appeal in court.

Another post I agree with. If a pick, which will be in the mid to late teens at best, is all they get for Harrington, we all had better take a 'get ready' pill for some more losing this season. The East is getting better by the day and the Hawks are STILL finding new and creative ways to fall further behind. We all agreed for the most part that this was the summer where BK made the moves necessary to get the team to where it needs to be, which is a team that can be at least mentioned in the playoff chase. He might not get a second chance if Belkin wins the appeal next year and goes 'Sterling' on the payroll by putting a moratorium on acquiring free agents. You think the Joshes would want to stick around after that? I doubt it and deep down, I know many others do if it goes down like this.

I'm in complete agreement, Tmac. After all the anticipation of what the Hawks will get for Harrington to improve the team NOW, a pick is the best they can come up with? You're telling me that Elson and Butler couldn't help Pachulia and Williams out in the frontcourt? While its great to see Marvin step up and win a summer league MVP, its not all that impressive to me; Dion Glover also won one of those and you know how little I thought of his lack of game. Now can Marvin parlay that and become a force on the team rather than the Sam Bowie (injuries notwithstanding) of last year's draft? I'm also down on all of this capspace they will have for next offseason. Capspace means nothing unless a player of worth signs up (and nope, Anthony Grundy and Ivano Newbill doesn't count) and a press conference is taking place with said player in your uniform. Most of the good players just sign extentions with their current teams or use the Hawks (JJ being the lone exception) as leverage to get the $$$ they want from the team they really want to play with. Afterwards, they are left with 2nd-3rd tier free agents who arrive here with a calendar in hand counting down the days until they can leave. The only way they can change this perception is by winning more games and last I checked, I've never seen capspace go for 20/9 on a Wednesday night. GAME, SET, MATCH.

I threw up in my mouth a little after hearing that hot mess on my laptop. They started with their potshots at the attendance (do any of these guys ever think about why people don't show up to see the games instead of the fact that they don't? I didn't think so, either) and gave us less than nothing throughout the broadcast that even the most novel of Hawk fans would've known. It amazes me that one of the guys compare Josh Smith to Gerald Wallace and is still waiting for him to 'break out' while he's a grizzled 20-year old. Listening to these guys, it appears as if there isn't any hope at all. As pessimistic as I tend to get, even I couldn't agree with what was said.

I saw that on Realgm over an hour ago and decided not to post it here because it didn't have a credible source attached to it. Hell, I could claim to be a personal friend of Al and tell everyone that he was sent to (insert NBA team here) if I wanted to. It would just look bad to appear as if I had a scoop if this isn't true. I want some proof.

I don't think half of the reporters there would know who Lou Hudson is if he showed up in their offices next week. Such a shame, hope he gets better and walks again.

I loved the Bird and Ewing dunk the most. Both of them hit the floor afterwards while the crowd and his teammates went nuts. I wished they could've panned on the raucous crowd longer after that for effect. Those were the days when going to the old Omni for a Hawks game used to MEAN something. Hopefully we'll see those days again soon....

Stole my thunder there. That's been my main problem with Childress. Being able to create, pull, and fire from the perimeter is one of the main prerequisites to being a successful NBA shooting guard. That's the difference between being Jason Richardson and being Dion Glover. Any schmoe from Krunch Fitness and Run 'N Shoot can hit half his shots from outside if left wide open like Childress is during games. It's the other skill that I have yet to see from Childress; if he establishes that, he'll be even more valuable to the team.

Could agree more. Didn't Glover win a summer league MVP one year? Did it change the fact that he was still garbage once the games started counting for real? Umm, NOPE.

I'll just take Magloire in order to have the flexibility next year in a much more loaded 2007 free agent class. In a contract year, you know that Magloire is going to do his best to earn another payday. The draft pick would be a bonus.

Let's make it happen....

If they could swing this deal, there is no reason, barring injuries, why this team could not at the very least compete for a playoff spot. It would be a lot tougher for opponents to stroll into the lane and get career numbers, that's for sure. Think of the lineup: Claxton/Lue/Ivey JJ/Childress Smith/M. Williams Chandler/S. Williams Pachulia/Jones/Bautista It won't remind anyone of the '87 Lakers but its the best squad they've had in the last decade by a long margin. I wouldn't mind Chandler but I'd personally prefer Magloire so that they can be in position for the stronger 2007 free agency class if they allow him to walk or produce a S/T.

Welcome aboard.

Don't remind me, EDS. That team with Harrington would've competed for the playoffs LAST YEAR and would've silenced the likes of Walton who thinks of Diaw as the second coming to Magic, Oscar, and Tiny Archibald combined. I don't care what anyone says, 2 first round picks + $70 million = JJ signs in Atlanta for five years, PERIOD. There's no 'if Paul was here, JJ wouldn't be' crutch to lean upon here. Two mistakes by BK; first of all, he (or someone in the his inner circle) blurted out who he was going after which killed any hopes of leverage to maximize the 5th pick (you don't think the T'Wolves, Rockets, and Celtics wouldn't have been on the phone to give BK SOMETHING back if he'd had taken Roy or Foye?). Then, when he's stated over and over again about drafting upon BPA and not on need because of the overall lack of talent on the roster, he picks a relatively weak draft to go in complete opposition of his own philosophy. If he'd have done the exact opposite last year, we wouldn't even be in position to get Sheldon because our pick would be in the teens. But Simmons or Armstrong wouldn't be too bad, either.

Let me see here, 12/8 or 16/12? Hmmm, that's a tough one. Now if I'm drafting 15 and made the playoffs or had a run at it, 12/8 wouldn't be too bad. However, if I am drafting 5th and have won fewer games in the last two seasons COMBINED than the team drafting at 15 this past season, 12/8 simply WILL NOT CUT THE MUSTARD. There, I said it. Defense wins championships but you still cannot win if you cannot score consistently. There are plenty of Etan Thomasas, Melvin Elys, and Kelvin Catos available to get the numbers you are looking to get from Sheldon Williams and do it without needing a learning curve after July 1. I simply need more from the 5th pick than a role player and I seriously hope that Sheldon Williams becomes much, much more than just simply a role player. This teams needs and deserves as much.

I'm not hating, I'm just stating that he isn't my first choice, just like Childress, MW, hell, even Battier wasn't when that debate was going on before the SAR trade went down. Am I the GM? Nope, but as a fan, I certainly have that right. Do I hope I'm wrong about him? Certainly and will be the first to admit as much. But last I checked, the last guy to dominate defensively at his size was Ben Wallace and he doesn't remind me of him, even with the numbers he put up at Duke (which I don't trust since the last big man there to produce in the pros was Elton Brand, whom Sheldon couldn't be in his best wet dream). I'll give him a chance and I've said as much hours ago. But understand that patience is NOT a virtue with many of us right now.

If he puts up just 12/8 or 11/9 beyond his rookie season, BK will replace Babs on my old PULL THE TRIGGER AND FIRE....siggy I had a couple of years ago. Those are Alan Henderson numbers before the extension when he started getting hangnails and would miss 3-4 weeks at a time. You don't draft a person that high to get those numbers; that's what lower-tier free agents and 2nd round draft choices are for. I don't like the pick and have stated my case but I'll give him some time. Just not very much. BK had better have gotten this one right, especially after MW and Childress.

As for this ‘well the Hawks don’t need anymore help on offense as they do on defense’ jive, that’s all it is; jive. What happens when Harrington leaves? Unlike JJ’s situation last year, the Hawks don’t have the rights to match an offer; Al can walk on July 15 and leave BK high and dry. Then what? Who fills in to take up the 18/7 Harrington leaves behind? And considering how tight the purse strings are with the Belkin thing hovering over their heads, what viable free agent would want to come here? All I’ll say is that this pick smells alot like the ‘safe’ Childress pick a couple of years ago, which was simply too high a reach when Iguodala and Deng (i.e. better players, PERIOD) were still available. Now don’t get me wrong; I think Sheldon Williams will be a serviceable player in the league, just like Childress. But when you’re drafting #5 after winning a combined 39 games over the past two seasons, you need a lot more than just SERVICEABLE. You need a brush with greatness with the 5th pick; serviceable is what 2nd round draft choices and 2nd-3rd tier free agents are for.

Well, lets evaluate why the fans are so pessimistic and not just the fact that they are... No All-Stars drafted in the last 22 seasons (longest current string in North American pro sports) Only 3 draft picks over the last 22 seasons to have a career scoring average in double figures Jon Koncak...Adam Keefe...Alan Henderson...Keith Edmondson...Al Wood...Cal Bowdler...a small sampling of players the Hawks have spent first round draft choices on Karl Malone...Latrell Sprewell...Joe Dumars...Ron Artest...Andrei Kirilenko...Larry Nance...Rolando Blackmon...a small sampling of players the Hawks could've picked if the GMs in charge had as much as a clue Do I really need to go on, folks? Simply put, the fans have whine, cried, and bitched about Hawk draft choices for years and you know what? They have been dead-on, bullseye on the mark EACH AND EVERY STINKIN' TIME!! It's just like a credit score; just because you paid the minimum payment on a couple of bills on time doesn't rectify the years of deliquency and from my standpoint, BK hasn't earned enough points on his Beacon score to get credit for anything yet. And until Marvin Williams makes the All-Star team, until Sheldon averages 16/12/1.5 beyond game 35 of the season, until Childress earns a spot in the starting lineup to justify being taken before Iguodala and Deng, it will not change, PERIOD. GAME, SET, MATCH.

Right now I am in class and can't watch the draft or get in the chatroom because of Georgia State's shall I say...restrictive measures on chatrooms on their computers, which I'm on right now. Let me get this straight. BK passed on Brandon Roy to get Sheldon Williams?! I know the Hawks aren't exactly inept on offense but I've seen enough teams have 13-4 and 18-6 runs on them not to go offense. To me, Sheldon is a nice player but is he worth the 5th pick? That's the $64K question of the week to me. If he gets 16/13/1.5 than the answer is yes. However, if he is getting Alan Henderson pre-extension numbers (roughly 12/7) then they reached and reached badly, especially if Roy and Foye explodes onto the scene. I'm upset that they didn't take Roy but I'm going to hold off judgment on Sheldon Williams until I see him in Hawk gear AND see what else they plan to do if anything. I sure hope he's everything Diesel says he is...BK's job depends on it.

If he's as unathletic as many say, I wish he can produce like Carlos Boozer.