Yeti

Quote: 3.) Mentally, I'm preparing myself for the loss of Marvin or Smoove. I think it will go down a lot easier if I think like this now than wait for draft night and see we got Amare or something and lose one of those guys. In the end, I think it'd be worth it, but I better start preparing. Based on the Hawks new website and the hometown fans, I'd say Smoove is staying and Marvin is already gone. Probably good for Marvin if he gets a chance to play for a coach with a system.

Quote: I hope BK doesn't let us down. I don't think I have been more prouder of BK then I am these last few weeks. Other then the rumor he still wanted Wright. He has been on my good side for the first time in a long time. You are actually proud of BK because he hasn't done anything, right? (He has held off on all the rumored trade offers.) He is actually quite good at doing nothing. Agents and other GMs have commented on how long it takes BK to actually do anything - though the ownership situation may be a factor there. I hope that this continues until the draft. I am very much afraid of the type of trade scam he can fall prey to. I hope we just keep the picks.

I'll be satisfied with Yi/Horford and Conley/Law/Stuckey. But no #$%^#$% trades.

Excellent Diesel. Sounds almost too real.

Why would we do this? The Sonics know Ridnour better than us and they want to make this trade and take Law -- why would they do that unless Law is a better choice? What do they know about Ridnour that we don't? This just sounds stupid to me. And how is this any different than our picking up Speedy? Let's drop this nonsense and make our own pick.

SO the Sonics want to trade Ridnour for the #11 and take Law? If so, why? Why shouldn't we just take Law ourselves? We must have the "STUPID" sign on our back. Heard Billy is happy this week, he took an IQ test and the results came back negative.

NO thanks. No way. But this sounds like just what BK would want. Give away the pick to avoid the risk of failure again and get another role player again. We ought to at least get our pick back.

If he is, then he should be picking Conley - right? Interesting how low Law ranks, not to mention where Big Baby, McRoberts, and Stuckey end up. In 2005 they have Nate Robinson ahead of Deron and last year Thomas far ahead of everyone. (It would be interesting if PTL goes for Durant. They are the team that passed on Jordan and remembers that. Does Seattle then pick Oden when they already have four centers? Probably. Maybe we could swap a few forwards for a center.) I'm skeptical -- both of the methodology and the conclusion (about BK).

When you go back and look at the two games we played against Seattle, it looks like there was not THAT much difference between Ridnour and Lue. Ridnours stats are slightly better for those two games but not that much. So why are we so hot after him? Is he really the answer to our PG woes or just another in the line of Speedy, Lue, AJ?

I think if Billy does a trade, we get screwed. He has two chances to get a future star, versus 100% chance of getting another damn boring role player in a trade. By trading Billy is just avoiding the criticism and reacting to the "win now or be fired" crowd. It is really obvious in listening to Woody, he's more concerned with keeping his job and getting a "veteran" than in the long-term success of the franchise. A typical Billy trade will be the equivilent of Billy crawling under the bed and wetting himself. Use the picks, get the best players and move on.

I'd vote no on that deal.

I would be afraid of what that would do to Smoove. Seems like he is on the verge of either being a breakout player or a problem player. Teaming him up with Randolph could push him the wrong way - there is a reason that Portland wants to dump their top scorer, and we don't need someone else's problems.

I'm in the minority. No way I'd give up #3 AND Smoove for Gasol. I think too highly of Smoove. Maybe Shelden and 5 or 6 backup point guards but not Smoove.

Quote: I just don't see how even BK can break my heart on this draft (which he certainly did last year). Never underestimate Billy. He can trade the picks for more crappy non-starters or pick a small forward. I want to be optimistic but all this trade talk really has me worried.

If that happens I'd check Billy's bank account 'cause there are probably about 8-9 GMs who'd be very thankful to Billy for being A FRICKIN' IDIOT AGAIN.

Thanks for the post. I think I'm going to get out my copy of Ray Charles "Cryin' Time" for draft night. ... ... I can't see us getting a "star" in a trade and I don't want another forward. I don't know what we gain by trading down - just more fodder for the bench when we need "star" starters. Oh well ... ... "It's cryin' time again ... "

Every time I hear trade talk it really gets me upset. No-one will trade a star big man and we only need a star. We have enough role players and bench players. A little better than what we have is not good enough. We need a step change and we won't get it in a trade because we KNOW what we are getting. The only real hope we have is to draft two players and hope one develops into the star we need. We can talk trades next year when we don't have a pick.

Who let Wright's mother on the board? (and try reading what you typed before submitting it - some of it was hard to understand.)

For once I agree with Diesel. I am not a big Shelden fan, but this year I don't want any damn forwards. Get a PG and C regardless of where they are projected.

Quote: Woody doesn't have the time to wait for Critt. Law seems to be happier about the workout than Critt. I saw a picture of them going head to head against each other. Not sure that means much. Hawes was much happier than Noah in their workouts in Milwaukee and Chicago. Does that mean he showed up Noah?

Quote: Please, for the love of God let us draft a "pure pg" and not a combo guard. Why do you call him a combo guard? I thought he was the PG for his college team. He just scored a lot because no-one else could. His assist numbers are respectable. I would probably prefer Conley/Crit, but would like to see Stuckey in a workout.

I agree with TexasPete - I don't want ANY damn forwards. Either take the best PG or the best center but forget about 2,3,4. And I don't think Horford is going to be "abusing" any NBA centers. He might be a good PF, but we need a PG and a C.

Quote: #11 for Sergio? I'd rather have Critt / Law / Stuckey / Jack. All have shown the ability to play better perimeter Defense than Sergio I'm sure. Perimeter defense is as big a problem for us than any of the other obvious weaknesses. Not Jack. Word in Portland is that he's about to lose his starting job to Sergio. I wouldn't mind Sergio, and Critt/Law/Stuckey all have that unknown quality - could turnout to be great, or could bust. With Jack we know he's something in between. Only reason to trade for him is the homer support for a GT player.

Quote: BK has told the season ticket holders about not always listening to the media because for instance they passed on a highly regarded player due to a "hot spot" in his foot that had given him problems and they thought would flare up again based on X-rays or MRIs and such. We had speculated that it could be Paul, but I guess Bernie just let it out that it was Deng then. If they are so careful, how did we end up with Speedy "DNP" Claxton?

Quote: #6/Villaneueva for #3... Jack (at least, probably with a 2nd rounder) for #11... What then? I don't understand why we'd do this. Don't we have enough forwards sitting on the bench - so we'd have Chillz, Marvin, Smoove, Shelden, and Villaneueva. Damn. And do you want Jack (#22 pick) for our #11 (Conley, Crit, or Law)? I hope this is just fluff.