djcorley

I think Shelden is in a very similar situation as Boozer was when he came into the league. As a matter of fact I think Shelden is an even better player then Boozer was when he entered the league and they have somewhat similar offensive games...However, Shelden is a far superior defensive player. If he turns out to be only as good as Boozer, how many would have a problem with that?

I think Shelden is going to bring some much need attitude to the paint and some "nastiness" we don't have. I think he's got a little more to offer in terms of being able to face up and knock down a 15 to 17 foot jumper. He's a defensive minded big man that will bang and not allow people to just waltz down through the lane uncontested. I think it was the right pick. probably could have gotten him a little later. But, when you know what you want and more importantly what you NEED you don't chance it getting away and as it worked out Roy wasn't available at #8. Shelden was the right pick for the Hawks in this particular draft. It was all over the board no one could really predict how the top 8 would go and no one player of the 8 was head and shoulders better then the others. JJ needs some help in the backcourt without question. They still have Salim on the roster and he showed some flashes of brilliance last year. I love his attitude and HEART same kind of passion and heart you see with Shelden. They both hate to lose and will scratch and claw to the end. And that something this team needs now. I think BK is doing an excellent job. and I predict the Hawks will be in the thick of the playoff race all season long.

I really, really like the Shelden Williams pick. The Hawks have to sniff the playoffs this year after DOUBLING their win total from last year. Do we need some point guard help? Sure we do. But, I believe more from a defensive standpoint the offensively. We could use another combo guard that can take the pressure off of JJ and allow him to flow between the 1 and 2 more freely...ala D-Wade. The biggest problem this team had last year was on the interior. ZaZa was the ONLY viable big on the roster. And big isn't just about height. It's about how you show up on game day. Shelden Williams plays big. much bigger then his 6'9'. I like the fact that you know what you're going to get with him and although he's a forward...he can play the 5 and he brings a 5's "skillset" to the table in terms of the things that he does well. Foye or Roy would have been great picks and they will probably become great players. But, I think the player that helps the Hawks to win this year most is Land Lord!

Let me first say that it's great to be back. I've been checking in on the board regularly. Just reading, but not posting.... I love this draft. I think it's going to turn out to be one of the deepest and most productive drafts in quite some time. Although Starved of a "true" superstar talent. I think it's filled with players that will be very solid pros and a few players that have a chance to become stars I believe the Hawks should trade down and look for a combo of Rondo and Shelden. I think both are the best fit for the Hawks with the existing talent on the roster. Shelden is a bruiser/enforcer that will do all of the little things that may not show in the boxscore every night, but, are essential to any winning team. He brings a winning attitude with him from Duke and he won't be asked to score very much at all. Great Fit in a rotation with Smoove and Marvin Rondo, is an outstanding athlete who's a lock down defender. He would instantly shutdown the dribble penatration for opposing point guards. If he had a better jump shot he'd probably be a lock for the top ten(may get in anyway). If the Hawks have an opportunity to move back and pick up a couple of mid-lottery picks I say go for it especially if it looks these two guys will be there. If we stay at five I believe Shelden should be the pick. Perfect fit for the Hawks

A win is a win is a win!

Kinda harsh huh?...I'm sure glad we one...I'm sure Chillz is too!!!

This game tonight...if the Hawks were really a contender for the 7th or 8th seed they would win games like tonight. The got out-played and out-coached by and short-handed Bobcat squad tonight. YOU SIMPLY HAVE to win games like that one. Not just win the game put get on them early let them know they have no chance and take the fire out of them...ESPECIALLY AT HOME!!! The let the damn Bobcats come in there and control the game...that's one to just make you shake your head...I hope we can learn from this especially Woody...Still think the Hawks need a new more veteran coach to push them to the next level...They'll def. eclipse last seasons win total but, they're not playoff contenders just yet!

You gotta be kidding...JR Rider was never ever anywhere near the player that Artest is and will be for a long long time...he's done some dumb things yes, but I believe the positive well outweighs the negative on Artest...

You don't know Ron Artest AT ALL...therefore I wouldn't make judgemental statements like that...what qualifies you to label someone in such a negative way??? I think he'd be a good fit on this team...because he has a defense first mentality and no one works harder then Ron Artest..from that standpoint he'd be a great roll model for our young guys!

Yeah, he's been tough on Woody...but, he shold be...I just do not like the way we look on offense or defense. I like Smitty though, it's great to have someone one doing color commentary that truly knows what's going on. I think the Hawks picked a winner and he's one of a few bright spots we can speak of.

So how do you explain this team alot of the time looking as though they have no clue what they're to do on the floor and not playing hard??? That's coaching my friend...I'm as big a hawk fan as there is and i'm pulling for Woody...But, the guys simply aren't playing hard for him. Salim was the ONE and ONLY reason we stayed in that...he almost willed us to victory...we need more guys like Salim, JJ and Marvin...you see a different look on their faces...they're competitors and they HATE to lose. You have to hate your present to birth a new future...so unless the we get some guys that hate to lose and have a "refuse to lose" mentality...we'll continue in this spiral.

Marvin will be a better player in the long run then Paul...Bigs always take a little more time to develop.. That being said...we should have taken Iguoudala(spelling?) instead of Childress...that dude is a Stud!

And, I'll say it again... COACHING IS THIS TEAMS PROBLEM The number one barometer for a coach is "will your players play for you?" #2..."Do the players believe in you and the system your trying to implement?" After that tribute to Collier..you'd think that it wouldn't matter who was in Philips...they would let no team come in there and mop the floor with them...They looked as though they didn't care AT ALL. JJ, AL, Marvin, Salim, ZaZa, Chillz, Smoove, Lue, Delk.... although not an all-star team by any stretch of the imagination. This roster has lots and lots of talent... You know exactly what you're gonna get from JJ and Al. And, we're quickly learing that we can expect at or near double double stats from ZaZa nightly(pretty good bargain for 4m/per)...Marvin and Salim are rookies so they're gonna have good nights followed by not-so-good nights which is typical...but they're both talented and they play hard which is something you can definitely build on. WE NEED A COACH. I like Woodson and I root for him to do well...But, you could see the listless look on the faces of the players. How in the heck can a team look like a "team" one half and look totally clueless the next half you ask???? It's call poor, poor coaching. This is a young team and one cool thing about people when they're younger is they'll run through a brick wall for a person that knows how to motivate them. And Woody cleary struggles with that. We need someone with some fire that can motivate these young guys and get them believing in him and his staff and whatever system they're teaching. These guys should at the very least be playing hard every minute you're out there on the floor and you should see some steady improvement. Chillz and Smoove look as though they've take steps backward at least in terms of effort... The long and short of it is...we're in for a long, long, long year AGAIN!!!

Hard to say that anything would hurt us at this point...but, i've not been impressed with what i've seen for Esteban at this point...He was pretty much running around fouling people and setting illegal screens...he's a work in progress for sure. We need 1 or 2 more bigs that can play alongside ZaZa. ZaZa has looked good in both games and you know he's going to bring it every single night. We need big capable bodies and they're hard to find.

Is the problem with this team...I know we have a few new faces...but, even the guys that were here last year don't look any more organized this year then they did the last...I't pretty sad if you ask me... Al is a good player...but, he's not yet a great player and probably won't ever be...we looked lost without him. In team sports defense usually comes together quicker then offense...but, our defense sucks... By now...we should at least have a few things that we do well...we don't do ANYTHING well...I think we have more talent then Charlotte...but they're much better coached and thus much better prepared... I'm pulling for Woody...but, I really believe coaching is what is stunting the growth and development of this roster...and a coaching move may soon be in order.

Give me a break man, I'm not gonna lose any sleep if we don't go 3-0...I'm still gonna get up and go to work...I'm still gonna kiss my girlfriend...play with my dog....etc. Life will go on...I've played professional sports and I understand that when you something or somebody to play for..you can throw stats and numbers and "probablitity thinking" out of the window. Eventually we'll come back to earth as a team. However, I would not be surprised if we made a major push to start the season and reeled off a few games in a row and we just so happen to be starting on the west coast...Again, no one would have thought that the Giants would do what they did to the Redskins on sunday...playing on and with emotion is something no stat or any "probablity thinking" can measure.

Thanks for the stats bro...they mean nothing at all...but, thanks anyway.... These games can be won and I believe they will be won....just like the Giants on Sunday put that spanking on the Skins...those guys had something to play for that you cannot measure...We lost Collier and our guys are going to be jacked up playing for him this season...and I wouldn't be that surprised if we rolled off 5 or 6 in a row to start the season. When emotions come into play you can throw stats out of the window...those teams can and will be had...don't under estimate the power of emotion!!!

Since Doleac is just about a carbon copy of Collier...I say "GET ER DONE"...I believe TLue was quoted saying that Collier was gonna be is pick and roll partner on the 2nd team "pick and pop all day" as he put it....Doleac has a nice outside game as well so it would make sense!

Come on now...I had my doubts coming into the season about how quickly this team could come together...and, I haven't SEEN them play...but, i've listend to every game on the radio and we're not bad...ZaZa gives us a decent inside threat and Esteban isn't afraid of anything or anybody and we know we'll get up and down efforts from Salim and Marvin because they are rooks...but, the preseason has given me hope that we'll get more ups then downs...WE CAN DO 3-0!!! all we have to do is "GET ER DONE!"

They both may push for the playoffs...but, they're both banged up right now and they have a bunch of new faces on their squads as well...they're prime for the pickin' right now and we can get em'...I'm not saying we should win and we certainly have some question marks of our own...but, I believe we can get to 3-0 to start the season and it'll give us great momentum out of the gate.

I think we're in prime position to open the year with 3 straight wins. Last year we had to just about play a perfect game to compete and win. This year I don't think that's the case..Last year, most teams we played against had more talent. This year I don't think that's the case. We don't have to play a perfect game to compete and win against many teams in the NBA and the three teams we open up against are some of them. GS, LAC, and POR are all games we can win...and we don't have to play above our heads to do it. If we open up 3-0 we should have a fairly large and energetic crowd for the home opener against the Lakers...I think it would do wonders for our confidence not to mention gaining some respect around the league. Who's jumping on the 3-0 bandwagon with me?

I don't think anyone on that list resembles Nique...I think the closest would be Smoove...But, only at this point in their careers...Although Smoove has shown a little range here lately...Nique wasn't much of an outside shooter early on in his career...Neither was Smoove last year and probably again this year...But, later in his career I think Vince and Nique resemble one another the most because Vince is a good outside shooter and Nique turned himself into one.... Jason Richardson's games in nothing like Nique...he plays the game on the outside...shooting alot of jumpshots...his competition dunking style resembles Nique...but, in game action...their floor games are totally different.

I really hope this isn't a trend...that plantar facitis can be a tricky thing sometimes....usually not a big deal on smaller guys like JJ but for big guys it's career murder....good news is we get Lue and Smoove back Saturday night....Would like to have gotten a preview of the JJ and Lue backcourt that I think we'll se alot of this season...the one thing this team cannot afford is injury at the guard position and def. not JJ!

He's not going to be a good player...he's be in the mold of Christian Laetner or maybe even Gadzuric(the guy he's backing up)...He's non athletic, slow and worst of he...he's running his mouth before he accomplishes a damn thing, which means he's going to have a bullseye on his chest from day one...the not so talented kid is in deep s**t...sorry man hate to burst your bubble.

the new CBA is in effect and it's up to the team and the player how they want to handle it...the extension can begin when the old contract ends or the existing contract can be torn up with the new contract to begin immediately