sinctybldh

the hawks have alot to lose if they don't match. they will lose alot of fans and it would be apparent that the future will be bleak. they have to match.

I think they need to bring in someone who wants to rebuild again. They need someone that has a clue of what they are doing when they get into the top 6 picks of a draft. The way I look at this team I see them being a perennial playoff team from here on out but never winning a championship and that doesn't sit well with me.

I agree with you. They really f'd themselves by not getting Paul over Marvin Williams. They would have been in a position to win a championship with Paul. Alhough I am not sure they can win with Josh Smith having such a low basketball iq. The shots he takes are just mind boggling sometimes.

I am wondering if the bad pub the ownership has been getting for the potential hiring of Grant had anything to do with this apparent about face. I just hope whoever they bring in can make this team into a championship contender. To me screw the playoffs, get this team in a position to get a championship.

Options abound with Heat's No. 2 pick Insiders expect Chicago to select Derrick Rose at No. 1, leaving Miami with Michael Beasley at No. 2. But a trade would not surprise -- and teams already are calling the Heat. Posted on Wed, May. 21, 2008Digg del.icio.us AIM reprint print email BY MICHAEL WALLACE mwallace@MiamiHerald.com DAVE WEAVER/AP Whether the Heat would pick -- and keep -- Michael Beasley if the Chicago Bulls bypass him with the No. 1 pick looms as one of the biggest questions leading to the draft. Heat blog | Miami Herald Mock Draft v.1 WEB VOTE What should the Heat do with the No. 2 pick? Draft Beasley if the Bulls take Rose Trade the pick for an All-Star Trade down for a lower pick and veterans Your vote has been counted, thank you for voting. Michael Beasley wanted to know his options if he were to be picked by the Heat in next month's NBA Draft. So this power forward from Kansas State asked his college coach, Miami native Frank Martin, for a few tips on one of their favorite topics: food. ''He can't control where he goes or what city he ends up in, but we joked about it a little bit -- what [Miami] is all about,'' Martin said. ``He knows my background, so he's asked me where all the good Cuban restaurants are, so he can get a good sandwich down there. We've talked about Spanish food and that kind of stuff.'' Beasley apparently is growing accustomed to the chance he might end up in Miami, which holds the second overall pick in the June 26 draft. But whether the Heat would pick -- and keep -- Beasley if the Chicago Bulls bypass him with the No. 1 pick looms as one of the biggest questions leading to the draft. Heat president Pat Riley created a buzz after Tuesday night's draft lottery when he strongly suggested Miami would trade the pick if the right deal came along. At least five lottery teams picking behind the Heat -- including Seattle, Memphis, New York, New Jersey and Sacramento -- would have interest in acquiring Beasley if the Heat is serious about making a potential draft-day trade. ''I'm glad to hear that, because I'll be talking to him then,'' Knicks president Donnie Walsh said, when informed that Riley would explore trading the highest draft pick in Heat history. ``It's an asset, and a lot of people want that pick. There will be a lot of [trade] talk with this draft, but it'll get weeded out.'' TWO FOR THE SHOW Beasley and University of Memphis point guard Derrick Rose are widely considered the two ''can't miss'' prospects atop the draft board. The Bulls are believed to be leaning toward taking Rose, a Chicago native, with the first pick, but general manager John Paxson told reporters Tuesday he won't rush a decision. There is speculation in Chicago that the Bulls would look to trade point guard Kirk Hinrich or not to re-sign guard Ben Gordon to create room for Rose. Riley said he had received at least three calls from teams interested in the Heat's pick. Because Miami owes its 2009 first-round pick to Minnesota, league rules prohibit the Heat from dealing this year's pick until after the draft. During a TV interview with ESPN on Tuesday, Beasley said Miami and New York were the teams he believed were most interested in drafting him. He was the NCAA's third-leading scorer at 26.2 points a game and averaged an NCAA-best 12.4 rebounds in his lone college season. The Knicks and Heat have a logjam at forward and likely would need to deal players to make room for Beasley. In the Heat's case, that likely would mean having to shop Udonis Haslem or Shawn Marion, who can opt out of the final season and $17.2 million of his contract to become a free agent July 1. Memphis, Seattle and Sacramento have needs for a low-post scorer. New Jersey is expected to be one of the more active teams this offseason as new general manager Kiki Vandeweghe looks to retool the roster after Jason Kidd's departure. ''I like that pick,'' Vandeweghe said of the Heat's draft position. ``It's obviously looked at that this is a two-person draft, that the draft really starts after that second pick or whatever. At that point, you can sit back and look at options..'' Riley would not say what the Heat would expect in return should it part with the No. 2 pick. But it likely would require the combination of the Heat swapping selections with a team that chooses later in the lottery -- but likely within the top 10 -- and adding a proven veteran at point guard or center. LOOKING FOR PARTNER? It might also take a trading partner willing to take on the two seasons and $15.2 million remaining on center Mark Blount's contract or the three seasons and $13.2 million left on guard Marcus Banks' deal. High lottery picks have been dealt frequently on draft day in recent years. A top-eight pick has been traded 10 times since 1999. And the No. 2 pick has been dealt three times in that span. Riley is uncertain whether anyone of the Heat's potential options at No. 2 could have a more immediate impact than an established veteran as Miami looks to recover quickly from a 15-67 season. ''We need help. We need it now. We've paid the price for it,'' Riley said. ``Can [Rose and Beasley] help a team like ours -- and change it? Can they step in like LeBron [James], Kevin Garnett did at (age) 19 -- and turn a franchise around? That's how they're going to be measured.'' http://www.miamiherald.com/592/story/542123.html

I have been listening to NY sports talk and the Knicks badly want to get out from under Zach Randolph's contract and are willing to deal the no 6 pick along with him. Should the Hawks have interest in acquiring Randolph along with no 6 pick?

Al Horford Chad Ford's Analysis: He's the third best player in the draft, so you can't fault the Hawks here. He's better than any other power forward they have. He could be a poor man's Karl Malone. The Hawks did need a point guard, and I think Mike Conley was worth the No. 3 pick in the draft, so I would've taken Conley. But -- unlike Shelden Williams last year -- this isn't a bad pick. Draft Projection: Top 10 Similarities: Horford has the power needed for NBA play. (Brad Wilder/WireImage.com) Notes: Horford announced on April 5 that he was declaring for the 2007 NBA Draft and forgoing his senior season of college. His father, Tito, played in the NBA. Positives: Horford has the tools to be a great NBA player. He's long, athletic and has a great NBA body. He's got excellent toughness and doesn't shy away from banging in the paint. Excellent passer for a big man. His per minute numbers in the point, rebounding and shot-blocking departments have scouts drooling. Gets up and down the floor. Good motor. Very quick for a big guy. Excellent basketball IQ. Improving midrange game. Negatives: His offensive skills in the post are improving, but he still needs a lot of work. Gets into foul trouble a lot due to overaggressiveness. Plays a little robotic. Summary: Horford has the body and skill set needed to play in the NBA right away. He was a beast as a shot blocker and rebounder, and he impresses scouts with his ability to handle the ball under pressure in the open court. Horford needs a little more polish on the offensive end, but he has everything else you want in a power player -- the length, strength, motor, athleticism and basketball IQ that coaches crave in a power forward. His game still has room to grow, but right now he looks like a lock for the Top 10 and a potential Top 5 prospect thanks to an excellent NCAA tournament. Acie Law Chad Ford's Analysis: The Hawks finally select a point guard. Law is fearless and ready to play now. I don't think he'll be a star, but he'll be an important part of this team ... unless the team trades this pick. The Hawks have spoken with several teams about trading for a veteran. So we'll see. Draft Projection: Lottery to mid first round Positives: Scoring point guard that has improved in just about every facet of his game. Has an excellent basketball IQ. He's got great size and strength for the position. He's a good floor general who puts his teammates in a position to score and keeps turnovers to a minimum. He's a good slasher to the basket, has an excellent midrange jump shot and has shocked scouts with his improvement from three-point range this year. He's by no means a pure shooter and his mechanics are a little funky, but the ball goes in the basket. His biggest asset is that he's fearless and not afraid to take clutch shots at the end of the game. Negatives: Law doesn't excel at any one thing. He's a good, but not great, athlete. He's quick, but not super explosive. His ability to get to the basket is based more on a knowledge of angles than on sheer quickness. His jump shot is serviceable, but no one is going to call him a pure shooter. His defense is acceptable, but doesn't stand out. Summary: Law has quietly developed into one of the top point guards in the country. His stellar conference play quickly won over scouts in a draft void of true impact point guards. He has a shot at being one of the first point guards off the board on draft night.

last years draft i thought our gm looked like a clown. this year i am happy to say i am very happy with what Knight has done. they drafted right. i would have liked stuckey at pick 11 but i can't complain that we got a solid point guard along with the consensus no 3 pick and a guy that can play center.

lol camby. yes lets trade for a 33 year old injury pronecenter. brilliant! I am so glad some of you don't run the team.

trade the no 11 for calderon and then just resign him.

1. Amare. Want no part of Gasol or Garnett If we can't get Amare I want #3 Horford. Yi doesn't give us the need at center. I think Horford can at least give us some minutes at center. #11 either trade for Ellis or Calderon or draft Conley, Stuckey, Law in that order.

Quote: I'd like to trade both picks. If not then #3 Al Horford #11 Acie Law trade both picks for what exactly?

you find creative ways to make trades. i wouldn't worry about the 11th or 12th man on the roster. how often do those guys play?

two backup guards? are u kidding me? this is a top notch offensive center? how many teams have those? whenever you have a chance to do that and not part with any of your core players you do it!

if we get amare we need a solid distributor and one that can play defense. Ridnour is not the answer.