Packfill

I think if the Hawks draft Howard then signing Kmart does not make sense. Basically, by signing Martin you are saying Howard will not play as a rookie - because while he may grow into the center role, he will not be effective in that role as an 18 year old rookie. As others have suggested, I would rather get a real center - Okur, Blount or Foyle would all be good "protection" in the paint for Howard.

I think alot will be cleared up on Wednesday when we learn what pick the Hawks get. If it is pick 1 or 2, then power forward is set and dollars can be expended elsewhere. In this scenario (i.e., Howard or Okafur through the draft) I would definitely resign Jackson and Sura and then make a play for a center like Foyle, Blount or Okur. With the seventeenth pick, I would look at a either a developmental center or best player available.

If the Hawks do not get the one of the top two picks in the draft, things change quite a bit. With the 6th or later pick the Hawks are likely looking at either a small forward or point guard (the exception being Biedrins - I don't know much about him, but if he is the pick, then the plan looks more like scenario #1). I am thinking Josh Smith, Deng, Livingston, Harris and Gordon. I would prefer Smith. If it is Smith, then the question is, do you sign Jackson? Probably no because you can rotate Diaw and Smith at the 3 (Smith may not be ready to start) with Sura, Diaw, Hanson and maybe a draft pick at the two. While smith has potential I am not expecting 18+ points a game, so we need some scoring. This is where K-Mart really comes into play. Might as well through some money at him and a center. If K-Mart is not an option, the power forward spot is a major weakness and probably will need to look at short term filler while a draft pick (17? - Jefferson, Splitter, Humphries, etc.) develops. Also, if no big name is signed this year (ala K-Mart), then lots of money should be available the following year.

The problem I see with these picks are that Biedrins, Splitter and Varejao are essentially the same player. They are all power forwards. I would prefer more variety.

I wouldn't be upset if he were named the new coach. I probably prefer Fratello, by Muss is probably my second choice. Strange that my favorites are two former Hawks coaches . . . not sure if that is a good thing, as in maybe time for some completely new blood in this franchise.

No. Obviously he is more talented than Terry, but he basically has many of the same flaws to his game. He is not a true point guard, just like Terry, and that will hold a team back to a certain extent.

Well, almost every other high paying profession requires you to graduate from college plus graduate school. Does law school really teach you to be a good lawyer - answer no (having been to law school and now working as an attorney I know).

Singling out Duke is nonsensical, the reason why alot of Duke players are not great pros is because they are not the greatest athletes. Plus, I think the success at the NBA level of players like Grant Hill, Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Carlos Boozer and others atests to the fact that Duke is putting out some great NBA players these days.

I fully support the idea of a minor league system for the NBA, because it would really allow some of the younger players now entering the league a better chance to develop. Problem is it will cost the NBA a fortune.

You have to be kidding me. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Tracey McGrady, Lebron James, etc. are marketable not because they left school early or never went to college at all, but because they are GREAT PLAYERS. PERIOD. Lebron got a big contract from Nike because of media exposure and talent. Carmelo Anthony may have been as good a player today if he never went to Syracuse, but he sure would not have been as marketable. The exposure he got taking cuse to the championship is invaluable from a marketing perspective. You telling me he did not benefit from some time in College? Plus, having gone to college myself, college is a crap load of fun. One of the highlights of a persons life.

I hope Telfair succeeds because he has all the makings of a big bust and his sponsors will be kicking themselves in the pants because he will not sell product sitting on the bench.

At the end of the day you may criticise Duncan and players of his ilk for going to school and not being marketable, but Duncan has two rings - that is two more rings that McGrady, Garnett, LeBron, Amare and every high school to pro athlete not named Kobe (and Kobe won those rings because of some kid who spent a few years in college). I rather have a winning team than a marketable one - forget the fair weather fans and people whose idea of a players worth is the size of his shoe contract or latest pepsi commercial.

I agree, if you get Smith early then the next pick should be a big man because the biggest hole on this team would be power forward. The bigger question with getting Smith is do you resign Jackson? They play the same position so you could argue that having Jackson around would hinder Smith's development. You cannot play the two together if Terry is the point guard because there is no second ball handler - Diaw or Sura would need to be on the floor.

The other scenario is where the Hawks win the lottery and acquire Okafor or Howard. In either case, resigning Jackson works because we need scoring from the 3. Now if Jacksons asking price gets too high then things become more interesting. One scenario I was thinking was if Howard is the top choice, then it may make sense to trade the 17th pick for a young veteran - theory being you don't want to rely on two rookies. So, you can trade the 17th pick for a guy like Jonathan Bender (I know, it is a risk) who has talent and could develop with some playing time. A Bender like player would be better positioned to contribute early. The trade would fill the void at small forward or two guard (Diaw, Sura and new guy each get 30 minutes). Use the Jackson free agent money on a Mark Blount like free agent big man to serve as a body guard for Howard while he develops. A team of Terry, Diaw, Bender, Howard and Blount most likely does not score enough in year win to win much but some nice young pieces are in place for the following season with a more attractive free agent class. Hawks still have plenty of money and with a developing Howard, Bender, etc. would be an attractive up and coming team for a Ray Allen like free agent.

So in two years (I feel like diesel):

Terry

Allen

Bender

Howard

Blount

with Diaw, Sura and whomever else off the bench.

Food for thought.

The question is not which players hurt themselves staying in school (that is a short list, and the only real downside is draft position or injury, not so much development), it is which players hurt themselves by NOT staying in school. Guys like Omar Cook, Lenny Cooke, William Avery, DerMarr Johnson, Darius Miles, Jamal Crawford, Eddie Curry, Kwame Brown, Rodney White, Mike Dunleavy, DeJuan Wagner, Samuel Dalembert, etc. Some of these guys will be great successes - some are already turning the corner - but it is hard to argue that they would not have benefitted from another year or two in college with some playing time.

The pros do not necessarily do a better job developing players than college - Miles is exhibit A. Has he really improved in his 3 years in the league? Not much. Corey Magette is another example, he has improved, but it took a long time for him to get there. Argueably, he could have developed faster by taking a leading role on that Duke team after Brand, Langdon and Avery left.

And saying Grant Hill stymied his development by staying 4 years in college is crazy. Prior to injury he was one of the ten best players in the league - what more do you want?

Now some players don't need 4 years or 3 years or even two years of college - guys like Lebron and Carmelo for example. But what about a guy like Dejuan Wagner? How has leaving early benefitted his career other than fattening his wallet? He has not developed and his body was not ready for the grind of an NBA season.

Both Howard and Smith are great talents but it is asking an awful lot for them to come in and be stars right away. Jermaine O'Neal took a fews years to develop but he is an excellent player now. Stoudamire has come on faster, but will he ever be as good as Jermaine? Maybe?

I didn't sleep at a holiday inn last night, but I get the sense you like Pickett.

Second round picks are almost worthless so I can't imagine that two 2nd rounders is enough to move up from 5/6 to 3.

I also have my reservations about Humphries. Great college player sure, but he is undersized to play the 4 in the NBA and is not a great athlete. I would rather sign Swift as a free agent.

Swift makes alot of sense if the Hawks are unable to land a big man in the draft (i.e., Howard or Okafor).

Graymule - you get my vote as the most positive voice in this forum. Since there are so many who focus on the negatives, I just wanted to say thanks.

Can someone explain to me the love affair with Romain Sato? He is athletic and hard nosed sure, but he is not a great shooter or ball handler so he does not seem to fill a need. I rather have a guy like Duhon or project big man in the second round.

I would most likely take Smith or Livingston before Biedrins, Podkolzine or one of the other European big men if they were still available. But if the Hawks are stuck at the 5 pick, then one will have to do.

As for the trade of Terry/Mil 1st to the Bobcats for the 4th pick, I don't think there is any chance the Bobcats would make that trade. As an expansion team, in a hoops hysterical area, they can afford to wait on a high schooler to develop.

I also would not trade Diaw for Gooden. Gooden is o.k. but the Hawks would need a real defensive presence at center to make it work. He is really a poor man's Shareef - good offense, but limited defense and not much size.

Livingston and Smith are great talents but that team would have a crater size hole on in the front court. I think the Hawks need to come out of the draft with a big man, specifically a power forward. If Howard and Okafur are not available than one of the Euros will be good value. The Hawks will get killed on the boards if they go into next year with Crawford and Collier starting inside. It would be one thing if we have a young stud backing up, but a far different situtation if Hendu is all we have to fall back on.

So to sum up, Hawks need a power forward.

I agree. But winning could do alot to cover up Kobe's warts . . .

I have to disagree a bit on what the Hawks most pressing need is - as currently constructed. The biggest missing piece is a power forward, plain and simple. Crawford has performed admirably, but in the long run is better suited to a role of the bench (if healthy, he has shown he can be a good scorer/energy guy). Sure the Hawks have a bunch of seven footers on the roster right now but none of them are what Howard is and will be - a great run/jump athlete. Pryz, Collier, Rebreca and Mamadou are all centers - though Collier can probably play some power forward. None is a star, and for the hawks to be successful with them on the floor they need a Duncan/Garnett at the 4 spot.

Our wings are not great and can be upgraded, but at least we currently have Jackson (if resigned), Sura (if resigned) and Diaw.

End of the day, Howard is the better pick but I imagine we would all not be too disappointed if we end up with Smith.

Bulls definitely have a chemistry problem, because they have talent.

Grant's contract is too large and too long, no way is he worth it. He is starting to slip as well - see one of the recent insiders for details.

Agreed, he is like the girl you would love to have a one night stand with but not the type you bring home to mom. He is fun to watch, but I wouldn't want hims as my building block if my goal was to win a championship. Give me boring old Tim Duncan for that!

If you are going to talk about the bottom of the high school pool than you have to talk about guys like (I know I am butchering these names so I apologize for that) Deshaun Stevenson, Lenny Cooke, Desagana Diop, Jonathan Bender, Ousmane Cisse and the rest of the guys that faded from memory or failed to get drafted. I think I can speak for everyone on this board in saying that no one believes european and other non-US players are better simply because they are from another country. They are drafted because they have potential and skills, not because they are a fad. There certainly are european draft busts, but there are US-born player busts too. A ton of euro players have succeeded in the league to date – Dirk, Peja, Vlade, Gasol, Kirilenko, Kukoc, Sabonis, Petrovic, Ginobili, Marcilonis, Ilglauskus, etc. There are also a ton of young players with potential to succeed – Darko, Okur, Skita, Carbakapa, Boris, Pachulia, Kristic (next year), Delfino (next year), Giricik, Lampe, not to mention other international players like Yao, Nene, and Barbosa.

All these guys have as much or more potential than Bender, Curry, Chandler, Brown, Outlaw, Ebi and Perkins. The NBA is going global much like other aspects of our life – industry, art, cuisine, fashion and culture. It’s not a bad thing if you open your mind to new ideas.

I am trying to flame the post, not the poster, so no harm intended

Duhon is a good floor general but he has a weak shot - look at his shooting percentages. He was benched for a time last year. I still think he can be a successful NBA player, but he may not be anything more than Jacque Vaughn, a similar talent who came out of a top program, with alot of post-season experience, was a true team leader, but lacked a good shot and never developed.

No way Duhon is picked before Nelson and he is likely destined for the second round. Devin Harris from Wisconsin is a PG to look at for a mid-first round pick - Very athletic, 6'3", decent shot.

I agreee, he is a talented player but not a franchise player. Kind of the same deal as Reef - though I think Reef is a more valuable player then Q. He would be a nice piece though.

I may be alone here, but not getting a big free agent this offseason may be a good thing. Get a high draft pick and some mid-level free agent, and struggle for another year. Then in '05, Hendu and Crawford come of the books, we have tons of money, another high draft pick and lots of free agents to choose from. To me it is a two year process. This offseason and next season are to develop young players - i.e., diaw and first round pick. We all know the draft is the best way to build a team and this scenario allows this. (granted this there is no guarantee going that route, see Chicago, but it is the best we can hope for). We get another high pick in '05 and suddenly this is a very attractive destination for a free agent. We will have two things they want: (1) money to spend and (2) some young pieces in place.

I am willing to suffer through another losing season or two if it means a legit playoff team two years from now. That and if we are going to lose, I rather do so with teenagers than established stars. That way, I can at least think about potential.