ggp

If you start the game at 9 pm eastern, the game will start at 6pm pacific. The networks have figured out that they get the best overall ratings if they capture the majority of viewers at the start of games.

This is the best trade idea that I have seen. Magloire is unhappy in NO and they have Chris Andersen as their Center of the future. Clearly, Andersen is not the Center that Magloire is, but why keep a guy that simply does not want to stay? NO would have their marquee guy in Marvin and we will get our C/PG combo. Both teams make the best of their situations and that is the hallmark of a good trade. Finding a power forward is easier than finding a PG and a Center. We could find a PF in the early second round or trade up and get a guy like Diogu. If that does not work out, we can go with what we have and wait a year to answer the PF situation next year.

Welcome Cowgoes. I have to admit that this board has brought me back to the Hawks after a long hiatus. Your suggestion is sound. If only we could send our suggestions to BK.

Maybe he is working out Ukic in the event he gets lucky and is able to take Bogut at #2. The Ukic choice would be made with a second pick in the first round.

I really think that would be a bad idea for us. Telfair is a nice player, but his development would be thrown back while trying to learn to run the Hawks. It also does not make sense for Portland to ditch Telfair so soon. He played well as a youngster and will only get better if he is allowed to mature in Portland's system. I personally think that Portland wants and needs a player with a good off court reputation that has leadership skills. Obviously, Marvin Williams would be that guy, but if the Bucks or the Hawks take him, the Blazers will be left out in the cold. I personally think that Harrington would be an excellent alternative for the Blazers and I think that they should explore a trade with Atlanta. Atlanta can offer them Harrington, Diaw and a future first rounder for Portland's third choice. The Hawks would then go after either Paul or Deron. The real question is whether such a move would make sense for Atlanta. Both Deron and Paul are tremendous prospects, but this is the year of the PG and they may be able to draft someone later in the first round or even in the second round that can run the team. It is up to BK to decide whether a guy like Ukic or even Gilchrist can play the point for the Hawks. If so, having the extra first round pick next year may help us land the top prospect at Center in 2006.

Options A, B, and C fall under the scenario that Bogut is off the board. Hey, what can I say? My options are not realistic, but I enjoyed thinking them up.

Here are some scenarios about what could happen with the Hawks on draft day. I have absolutely no special knowledge about their intentions, so this is just a simple fan's view. 1. Marvin Williams is drafted by the Bucks. BK chokes on his gum, and sends someone running to the podium to announce that Bogut is a Hawk. After recooperating from his near death experience, he calmly works a deal for another first round choice and selects either Jack or Ukic as his PG of the future. 2. Bogut is taken at the top and the Hawks draft Marvin Williams. Option A: The Hawks keep Williams but trade Al Harrinton and Boris Diaw and pick #31 to the Blazers, for the third choice in the draft. BK drafts Deron Williams or Chris Paul and has dinner with a nice Caberet. Option B: The Hawks draft Marvin Williams and promptly trades him to Portland for their #3 and Przybilla. BK drafts Deron Williams and waits for the second round to take someone like Morris or Bynum. Option C: We draft M Williams and work a trade with Charlotte. We get the #5 and a future first rounder. Here we draft the best PG available at #5 and package the Charlotte pick and our #31 to move up and draft a big man like Diogu or Petro.

Pete Babcock is truly a nice guy. He treated the fans and his players very well. The problem with him was that he spent too much time with the "feel good" stuff and not enough time building a winner.

I have read a lot about NO being very interested in Deron Williams. If BK wants Deron, he will have to stay in the top three slots.

Not a bad idea. I wonder how BK feels about Paul vs. Williams. Most people feel that Paul is the better PG, but Deron has a cettain quiet confidence about his game. He is also the better defender between the two. I can see us trading with Portland. Portland would draft their guy Marvin Williams and give us the third pick and either a viable Center or another draft pick. The Hawks would then take their franchise PG (Deron or Chris). The rest of the draft would center around adding some muscle under the boards and possibly another perimeter shooter. We are not a contender next season, but with a very good PG, we will make the greatest impact for improvement.

The kid sounds great but I have read from other sources that he plays more like a SG. In other words, he is keeping the ball instead of passing and he is putting up too many shots. I can not tell you the source, so take it with a grain of salt. If Ukic is truly a PG with the talent that ESPN has written about, he would be the logical choice for BK. A guy with length, quickness and true PG skills is a rare find. It makes me wonder why we have not heard his name mentioned among the lottery PG's.

Bogut is considered the best Center in this draft. But, what does that really mean? How does Bogut compare with the rest of the Centers in the NBA? Can he be a top 5 Center in four or five years? I am asking because there are three point guards in this draft that can concievably be a top 5 PG in five years.

So far, there is a consensus that there are three very good Point Guards in this draft. PG's are as tough to find as Centers, so this is certainly good news for the Hawks.

If Bogut is gone, we will need to decide whether we want a PG for the next ten years or not. I would draft a PG without a doubt. The only question is which one? From what I have read, Paul is the top PG, yet when ever the Hawks are linked to a PG, Deron is mentioned. Which point guard would be the best choice for us?

The NBA is different from the MLB and NFL. Free agents are more selective when signing with a team. As you may have noticed, Atlanta has not been able to attract anyone of significance without over paying. It can be a real problem for a GM to fill a need with a quality player when his team is not considered a desirable destination. Part of being attractive to free agents is having a team that is truly close to competing for a championship. In other words, free agents are looking for teams that he feels can win if he joins the team. Here is my question. Assuming Bogut goes to the Bucks, which prospect will likely be the most attractive player for a free agent? From what I am reading, Chris Paul is the one guy that can attract future free agents. He is not selfish and distributes the ball very well. Paul looks like the best choice for this team. I have seen Deron Williams mentioned as the Hawks' favorite. Why is he a better prospect than Paul?

Assuming we had the first pick in this draft, which one of the prospects would have the greatest impact on Al Harrington's game....and consequently the biggest positive impact on the team's success? Bogut---would provide additional size in the front court allowing Harrington to move in and out more freely. Marvin Williams---would provide an outside presence to pull defenders off of Harrington. Deron Williams--- a very good half-court general that would give Harrington more scoring chances on the interior. Paul and Felton---full-court generals that have good outside shots and can push the offense up the court quicker to set up fast breaks. Who would be your choice?

Diesel you are right that the hype machines are in full swing. However, I hope that you are not saying that Marvin Williams is an average prospect. He is basically a high schooler with enormous talent. The thing that separates him from similarly gifted prospects is his maturity and dedication to the game. In my book, he is a prospect that falls between Carmelo Anthony and Lebron James. The kid has skills and is unselfish. I agree that Chris Paul will be a star in the NBA, but Marvin will also be a marquee player. I see this draft as being above average at the top 5 and solid as far as depth throughout the first round. The question is what should BK do with all of this? Trading down one or two slots will land us a Point Guard that will lead the team for the next decade. Trading up will get us a Center that will not dominate, but will stabilize the team for the short run. Staying put and drafting M Williams will add a star to the team and allow us to trade a Forward for a reasonably good PG. So, should we take Paul or D Williams or should we go after a second tier PG in this draft (about the same quality as a first tier PG in recent drafts). My opinion is that we draft Marvin Williams and then work a deal for another first rounder and draft our PG...Jack, Heard, Gilchrist, etc.

I have been reading posts here for some time and I have seen some pretty outrageous trade suggestions. I figured that I would propose an outrageous draft plan of my own: We draft Marvin Williams with the second pick in the draft. We "purchase" the 19th pick for $$$ and Boris Diaw. We trade Harrington, Lue, and pick #19 to Portland for the third pick in this draft. We throw in pick #58 We draft either Deron Williams, Chris Paul, or Ray Felton with pick # 3. We sign David Andersen and Kwame Brown. We celebrate the night of the draft, knowing that the team will take at least two years to gell and figure out how to win. Chris Paul dishing to Marvin Williams and Josh Smith would be monsterous. Next year, we hope to draft a top Center.