ggp

Well said. JJ has every right to seek the most money for his services. I do not see it as a poor reflection of his character. His character will be defined by how he handles himself in the future. Will he be a true leader? Will he be a brooding, selfish kid? Will he be a man that serves as an example to all of us? Time will tell.

This Gilbert guy has made himself look foolish. I wonder whether he is getting any advice at all. Instead of rallying his fan base, he may have provided the world with a glimpse of what LeBron has been dealing with for the past several years. His reactionary and fantastic prediction makes him sound like a jealous fourteen year old girl. It would have been better to save his rant for a more private place. An open letter like this is just plain stupid..

Panic is not an option. Knee jerk trades are usually bad ideas. The Heat are a formidable force. There is not doubt about it. However, they will have weaknesses. The Hawks need to study them carefully and play as a tight unit. With the right discipline and dedication, the Hawks can overcome the Heat. The rumored trade of Smoove/Crawford for Paul/Okafur might help the Hawks, but it could just as easily ruin the team. Paul is probably the best PG in the league but he has some knee issues that may be more significant than advertised. Okafur is a good Center, but I doubt he is any better than Horford. Both players will come with expensive price tags (Paul is up for a new contract in two seasons). I am not saying that the Hawks should avoid the rumored trade, I am just saying that the trade is not a slam dunk. Message board amateurs can make all the comments they want, but they don't share in the blame and they certainly don't pay the bills. Finally, Horford has publicly stated that he needs help in the interior. His comments can be interpreted in a few ways: 1. He does not want to play Center anymore. 2. He would like the team to trade for a PF with better defensive skills. 3. He wants the new HC to scheme for more defensive support in the interior. I have no idea what Horford has in mind, but I do expect the Hawks to sit up and listen to this normally quiet man. They must sit down with him and discuss the future of this team. He is a foundation type of player and his opinions must count. In the meantime, be patient. All is not lost.

The Hawks are unable to sign any big time FA's. The cap rules make that impossible. We all know that. The only way the Hawks can upgrade is via trade. It is possible that JJ has talked to some players (say, Chris Paul) and convinced them that ATL is a great place to play. None of this can be broadcast because it would be considered tampering. Let's just be patient. Let the chips fall and see what we have.

The city has been force-fed years and years of terrible franchises. Because the city is new and a large part of its population is transplanted so, there is not a lot of unity and tradition that is passed down generation to generation. That is the general problem. However, specific to the Hawks, this franchise has been mismanaged for a long time. It seems like the Hawks' purpose is to provide the NBA with a presence in a large TV market. The franchise has not be relevant and the fans feel it. If this franchise can some how build a consistent winner, an identity will develop and loyalty that is passed from gen to gen will form. If the Hawks slip back into mediocrity, absolutely nothing will change.

Josh Smith is a formidable trade asset. Why would he be traded for another PF? I would plan to keep Josh. The most valuable positions are Center and Point Guard. Under special circumstances, teams will trade an equal-valued PG or C for a PF. That doesn't happen very often. If Sund can find such a team, then he should make the deal. Other wise, forget the Josh trade.

Come on guys, you have to admit that the Wade/Bosh combo is formidable. While Bosh is not a great defender, his role will be to provide Wade with a secondary scoring option. Riley is a tough, old school guy and he will use the rest of his cap room to add some tough defenders. For this reason, I think that Miami jumps slightly ahead of the young Hawks.

That is the point that I am trying to make. Even if the Knicks add Lebron, they are not going to be serious contenders. Lebron had a simiar cast around him (maybe better) in Cleveland. The Knicks are basically done for the next five seasons. Hopefully, for them, they will make the best of their draft picks and actually build something worthwhile.

Got it. Now, can you tell me why the general media has made such a big deal about the Knicks this offseason? Are they able to change their fortunes much?

Exodus, be patient with me, because I want to understand this, once and for all. OK. The Knicks have already agreed to pay Amare $100M for five years. That amounts to 20M/yr. If they sign James, they will have to pay him more. But, for argument's sake, let's say he signs for $20M/yr (he does the Knicks a favor and gives them a discount). That adds up to $40M/yr. That leaves the Knicks with James and Amare.....not really a scary team....yet. So, they will want to add one more big time player. They can't work a trade, because they don't have trade assets. They look around and they see that Bosh is not in the cards. They settle for a second tier guy (pick a name). In this market, that second tier guy will cost at least $10M/yr. Now, they are close to the $56M cap and they still don't have a complete team to send out onto the court. Fill out the rest of the roster with regular guys and Lebron is still not playing for a team that is any better than the Cavs were this year. Conclusion: The Knicks can stir up all the media hype they want, they are not going to get Lebron (or Wade), they won't be a serious contender and they will be stuck with a five year deal for a guy with suspect knees. If I am missing something, let me know. I am just trying to understand what logic is behind all the NYC hype.

By signing Amare to such a high contract, they set themselves up to paying a hefty luxury tax. Keep in mind that they are signing Amare to lure Lebron and another FA. Because the Knicks do not have much to offer in a trade, Cleveland (nor any other team) will want to work a SNT with them. They will give 20M/yr for Amare and they want to give Lebron 20-25M/yr. I think that they started the offseason with about 30M to spend under the cap. If they have any plans of adding Carmelo next season, they will literally have no one on the bench to spell these guys. For this reason, I don't see the Amare deal worthwhile to the Knicks. If you take into consideration Amare's knees, this is strictly a desperation move on their part. They are totally messed up and probably will be for years to come. I am not well versed in NBA capology, but this is the way I understand it. If I am wrong, let me know.

Is there a similar write up on Amare. The Knicks are giving him $20M/year for five years. One thing is for sure, JJ's knees are a heck of lot healthier than Amare's. Which one of those two would you prefer? We can trade for a Center, but we can't trade for a top notch SG. I'll take my chances on the healthier JJ.

That is what I thought. Is it possible that they are willing to pay the tax?

The decision will come down to a choice between Horford and Smith. Smith is a local product that can be spectacular. The team has suffered through his maturation process. He still needs to mature to make use of his formidable talents. However, even his formidable talents are not limitless. Horford has great talent and has been used out of position. He has followed orders and performed at a high level. However, at some point, even he will grow tired of playing Center. So, let's play a what if game. Which team is stronger/better? When I say team, I mean TEAM, in every sense of the word. The top three players must be stars that can set their pride aside and work as ONE. There will be no room for theatrics or sulking. Otherwise, we are just talking about big names with little game. PG JJ Carmelo Horford Center -OR- PG JJ Carmelo Smth Center I am using the name Carmelo to note that we have to add a SF scoring threat to become a championship team. You can substitute any other name that fits the mold.

Does anyone really think that Lebron would spend three days listening to offers from several teams, only to pull a surprise move and sign with ATL? I think the fantasy of trading for Carmelo is much, much, much more likely. And, that rumor is far-fetched.

I saw, somewhere, that the knicks have agreed to pay Amare $100 million over four years! Twenty five million dollars a year for a player with notoriously bad knees. JJ's contract has been heavily criticized, but the Knicks' are throwing out desperation money. They have to sign Lebron or else their team will be the most expensive mediocre garbage in NBA history. Even if they manage to sign Carmelo next season, they will still not amount to much. How much will they have to pay Lebron?

I do not believe that they can. I think that no deals can be signed or announced by any team until July 8.

You know what? Even I think that my scenario is ridiculous. Time to move on to more realistic moves.

The media is saturated with Carmelo rumors already. Don't you think that Denver might be getting a little nervous about the Knicks, Heat, Bulls or Nets simply stealing him next season? I think that the Nuggets should quietly seek a trade now. As it stands, the Knicks have absolutely nothing to offer the Nuggets. The Heat are in the same situation and the Bulls can offer only Deng. The Nets have trade assets, but they can't truly afford to let them go. I know that this is pie in the sky, but the Hawks can offer both Smoove and the rights to Childress. It may not seem like enough. Clearly, the Josh's are not an equal value to Carmelo. However, the Nuggets would be getting solid foundation pieces that they will have locked up for several years. In a follow up move, the Hawks can trade Marvin for a young defensive minded Center, like Biedrins. Unloading the Marvin and Josh contracts and shedding Bibby's numbers should allow the Spirit the financial ability to keep JJ, Carmelo and Horford. Feel free to shoot holes in the fantasy scenario. I'd like to hear the cons and obstacles.

Perhaps. But, if they approach the situation correctly, they have the opportunity to set the team up for success with quality young talent. I admit that I am not as knowledgeable about basketball as you. So, here are my thoughts and I'd like to hear what you think. It's OK to rip me apart. I am here to learn. 1. Johnson gets the max deal. No other player that we could have acquired would be allowed to make that much. So, the Hawks lock in a player that is very good and that can play SG as well as SF. In four years, JJ should still be healthy enough to perform at a high level. Judging from his health history, he is a good risk. I remember Steve Smith and the way he gutted out many a game. JJ's knees are intact and should withstand the length of his contract. Heck, if Shaq carry his weight for as long as he has, JJ should be OK. 2. Josh Smith just signed a big contract. You can fill in the details, but I am guessing that he makes 10-15 million per year. JS is a crowd pleaser, but he lacks the ability to score from the perimeter enough to be considered a versatile offensive threat. His great value is on the defensive side of the ball, but he is often out of position to make the routine stop. He makes up for this with this incredible physical athleticism. Hence, we are treated to his spectacular blocks. But, how many times does he leave our Center alone to guard the interior? Probably more often than we care to admit. I suspect that Horford had Josh in mind when he publicly asked for more help. We can assume that Josh has not been coached properly, but I am guessing that all that Woody/Smoove conflict came from Josh's slowness to pick up his defensive role. He might respond to a different HC, but chances are that Josh will always have a selfish instinct that he will have to work to overcome. From my perspective, JS is not a good fit for the long term of this team. Fortunately, he has been featured on ESPN with all those spectacular plays. He is a valuable trade asset and could render the team a starting Center or more. An example of one such trade would be with Dallas. I hear they have an up and coming PG on their roster and that Cuban might be willing to move him, and a back up Center, in order to satisfy Dirk's request to add a high profile player now. 3. Marvin Williams was signed to a major deal. He is young and the Hawks have been very patient with him. All of the hate for him comes from the fact that he was chosen instead of Deron or CP3. That hate should be directed towards BK, not Marvin. MW is a good young player that has improved every season. He will never be as good as Deron or CP3, but he will have a respectable career when all is said and done. Apparently, the Warriors like him enough to work a trade. If that is the case, the Hawks will have an opportunity to get his contract off their books and make more room for future contracts. Biedrins is a good, solid defensive Center that is still young, move up and down the court well and he has shown that he can start in this league. The trade allows Horford to move to PF. A combo of Horford and Biedrins should provide the Hawks with a solid interior defense for years. 4. Al Horford. We all know that this kid is quality through and through. The Hawks must make room for him. Perhaps trading Marvin will provide enough cap space to do just that. I just outlined two possible trades that, together, will certainly provide enough room for the Hawks to keep Al and still have room to grow. Take the ten million from MW's contract and the Hawks should be able to offer Horford a max contract. From my point of view, the JJ signing should not hinder this franchise from continuing its upward trend. Let me know what you think. I respect your opinion.

^^^^ Well said Dolfan. The market clearly favors the players this year. While JJ may not be the dominant player that Kobe, Wade or James are, he is in the next tier. Not signing him would have precipitated a major setback for the franchise. Without him, few FA's would choose to come to ATL and the Hawks would likely lose Horford soon. This is a move that is needed. What matters most is what happens next. If JJ has contractually forced the Spirit to add an upgrade along the front court, then JJ has already paid off. Let's keep our minds open.

How does the Childress situation work? I know that the Hawks hold his rights, but what does that mean? I have assumed that no other team can sign him without our approval. If that is the case, then the Hawks have a quite an asset. However, I have recently read that teams will be able to make Childress and offer and it will be up to us to match it or not. Teams will assume that once JJ signs, we will not have the cap space to match. If that is the case, then we might lose Childress without much in return.

I hope you are right. In the meantime, I think I need to stay away from all the rumor-mongering. I don't enjoy the suspense.

Please excuse my ignorance. I am a casual fan of the Hawks. I live in South Florida (X 20 years) but I can not shake me allegiance to Atlanta and its teams. I visit forum often but rarely comment. I have supported the JJ offer, despite the cost to the Hawks' cap. However, all the recent media criticism and speculation has left me wondering whether it might be a mistake. If I were an owner, I would make this offer only to a player that truly wants to stay in ATL. From the sound of most media outlets, JJ is holding onto this offer as a backup plan. If that is the case, then the owners should pull the offer and work a trade to improve the front court. Sekou writes that the hang up is more of a contractual matter. If that is so, what is the issue? The owners have already given him the maximum amount of money. What else is there to offer in a contract? I need some help understanding this confusion. Here are some of my guesses of what might be happening and how I would approach the matter. I'd appreciate some comments to help me clear this up. 1. JJ is waiting to see where other FA's are signing: He may be negotiating with another team and waiting for them to finalize negotiations with other FA's, like Bosh, James or Wade. This makes me wary. If he is going to get the max, he needs to be a true leader for the team. Why hold the offer for a guy that is hedging his bets? A max player should be confident in his abilities and the future of his team. If he has doubts, then maybe he is not the player the Hawks should be courting. 2. JJ's agent has a problem with the contract's wording. This is a matter that should have already been worked out. If this is the hang up, then the fault rests with the Spirit. In this case, I would suspect that the Spirit have made a public max offer to gain sympathy from the fan base. A carefully placed "poison" clause is quietly inserted into the contract to ensure that JJ will not accept. If JJ goes elsewhere, the Spirit do not look like a weak financial group and their subsequent decisions are better accepted in Atlanta. 3. JJ is waiting to hear from the Spirit about impending trades. Acceptance of the deal may be tied to a trade that is being quietly negotiated this week. If this is the case, then JJ is acting as a agent for real change. I can understand his thoughts and respect him for them. He sees that the East is getting a lot stronger and he wants his team to be competitive.

Fernandez is a very good talent, but he is a shoot first Guard.....not what we need.