BlackHawkDown

I want you to name the one team that built itself from something other than the DRAFT. San Antonio -- David Robinson, Sean Elliott Tim Duncan & Parker all drafted San Antonio lost Robinson for one season lost out for the season and drafted Duncan and built a champ. L.A. Lakers -- Magic Johnson, James Worthy, signed Shaq and drafted Kobe = championships Celtics picked up Bird high and haven't drafted that high since and behold they haven't won since. Chicago -- drafted Jordan, Pippen and Grant; even Kukocs Houston -- Drafted the Dream enough said. Utah -- Drafted Karl Malone and John Stockton The list goes on most superstars are drafted the others signed i.e. Shaq, T-Mac and Deke but it is rare for a GM to be as stupid as your girlfriend Pete Babcockand trade away a superstar for trash. GMs aren't stupid enough to get duped time in and out. No team has ever gotten its superstars through trades .

Diesel has made a few great post but I think that was the greatest post ever made in this forum.

"Evidently second to third rate free agents excites a lot of people on this site" So guess second and third rate teams excite you and your boy hotlanta. Cap room is important teams will trade for it, we can easily get our hands on some solid players just by offering cap room. Q.Richardson and K-Mart are a big improvement from Ratliff or Big Dog. The fact is the Hawks want to rebuild over two years by drafting HIGH instead of a 6, 7 or 8 pick. I would rather have a Okafor, Howard or Smith and a top 3 pick in 05 than any of the hack we have had. Sometimes you have to tak a risk if you want to succeed no one ever got anywhere playing it safe. The simple fact that we show that we are willing to go after the Kobes and T-Macs of the world Free agents will take us seriously. Atlanta isnt a bad sports town it has bad teams. More atheletes live in Atlanta than any other city, especially African American atheletes. THe Hawks create the right enviroment and just like Orlando 2 years ago before the G.Hill fiasco everybody will be plotting their exodus to Atlanta. Take a risk stop playing it safe or you'll end up like Babcock unemployed

I have sat back and idle read as you rip on Billy Knight the truth is he is doing exactly what had to be done. The Hawks have been a laughing stock because like you management was so obsessed with winning immediately,unfortunately winning to you all and the babcocks of the world means the playoffs and a 1st 2nd round exit . I want to watch a team that dominates the league. And only a teams with a superstar can do that. I agree we should have gotten a draft pick in the 1st sheed deal. But the truth is the 2nd deal was made because the team was still too good and might not have lost enough to garantee a top 3 pick. We need Howard we need to be able to compete for T-Mac and pull off a deal. Reef is a great #2 0r #3 guy but he is not a leader, Ratliff is center that doesnt rebound and cost 10 mill a year WTF? Knight has the balls to start from scratch with Diaw, the #1,2 or 3 pick, a 1st rd pick and a slew of cash. I would rather watch a 10 win team trying to be a 70 win team than an Fing perrenial 30+40 win hack team full of slow overpaid scrubs lead by a idiot like babcock. "F it I don't want to glow I need to shine" - Jay Z

Darko is an overrated scrub we can do better, say .... Chris Bosch

"Atlanta could, like Utah last year, strike out this summer." - I am going to be completely honest there is no way in Hell that could happen Utah struck out because Utah is a state that is just below Montana as th least desiriable places for any African American yet alon a African American athelete to live what would make them think they wouldn't. Personally I dont like nor want Kobe. K-Mart is attractive but we could get Emaka Okafor for at least & milllion less. Q.Richardson would be great but only if we were a 3rd or 4th option. Camby is the exact type of center I like rebounder/shotblocker, I also like Chris Bosch.

Who wants to watch a sorry team go to the playoffs and lose in 3.

This team is garbage who cares if they win I dont even pay attention to that anymore I just pay attention to future moves and the draft.

Why are you guys fighting?

Atheletism, Weezy let me tell you everyone in the NBA is atheletic even sloppy old Vlade. Hense the term professional athelete. [censored] I was a pro athelete for a little less than two years, just wasn't good enough, and I was running 70 miles a week. There is no pro athlete cant compete in an exibition. It is laughable that your argument is based on the All Star weekend exibition shows. So what is your point Barry can Dunk and shoot a 3pter so can my 12 year old cousin guess we should draft him, huh?

That Skywalker guy won the Dunk Contest so did Dee Brown I wouldn't have given up Jon Konkak for both of them. Shhhttt, with that logic Jim Paxson and Craig Hodges would be valuable player. Bring another argument. " And the Hawks willlose in South Carolina, and Missori, and South Dakota, and Oklahoma, and Louisiana, and Arizona, and New Mexico, and we'll go to Washington D.C. and lose at the White House .... YAHOOOOOOO!!! "

What makes you think this nucleus is good enough? Ratliff blocks shot because the D collapses around him, he doesnt rebound or score. Reef is solid but predictable and has the heart of a coward. And JT is the besat SG to every play PG. Add a lotto pick who puts up 20PPG his rookie year and we have the Hawks of last year in 04 -05.

What is the obsession you and a couple of other guys have with Brent Barry? I think he is a scrub personally and I dont see anything of his stats that imply him being special.

Free Agents to look at are Marcus Camby; Q.Richardson; and Ron Mercer. The Hawks could load their bench with some sign and trade moves. C Bosch Camby PF Okafor Muhammed SF S.Jackson Howard SG Richardson Mercer PG Parker Diaw The Hawks will still have Cap room and could win right away not to mention the Howard can play behind Jackson for a year until he is ready to assume the reigns

Its the jerk off attitude that we have to win immediately that got us into this mess in the first place. The Hawks always go for mediocre vets instead of lotto players because we have win now. Would you like a WAAAHHH Burger with your cries. "If a team loses pretty much all the time but barely has any fans who even notice, does the team still lose? I have no idea what that means, but I'm going with it anyway"

Enjoy your happy memories because the Gators will beat SEC wannabees

He plays for Det. But good thinks although I think Kobe would be a bad choice , a ballhogging ego maniac on ayoung team is a formula for destruction.

I guess Dolfan's dream has finally come true CC and DD on the break

Diesel I do agree that Reef is a solid player and relatively young, but Okafor is the next Ben Wallace/Kenyon Martin he is already putting up 5BPG and in the league would provide 3 a game atleast plus rebound. Reef doesnt play the 3 nor could he be effective as a outside shooter or a passer. So its Okafor or Reef and I take Okafor he is young cheaper and a better defender. And though Reef is a better offensive player he isnt that spectacular. As far a Josh Smith the sole reason I take Howard is because he is a little bigger and Howard is a great perimeter player and passer. Smith is more of a Carmelo to Howard's Lebron.Plus I think that Howard will develop into an excellent defender and shot blocker. We can move Reef and get something rare a young center. Looking at the draft the new thing is is the Slow European center aka "Jon Konkak" with Slavaki as a last name. I dont buy into this mold of center. Bosch reminds me of a young Deke atheletic with solid D, even if a little underweight. I dont like Stodamire and I think anyone from the Trailblazers has Cancer written all over him. Plus I dont think much of him a s a PG, little D nothing spectacular on O. I like the idea of building around an established nucleus but this team in my opinion needs radical change. " If a team loses pretty much all the time but barely has any fans who even notice, does the team still lose? I have no idea what that means, but I'm going with it anyway "

The Hawks have plenty of player that look good on paper and cost a lot of money. A big part of this plan is moving cap room and taking on 4 rookie contracts. Bosch/Okafor/Diaw/Howard plus another High lotto pick in 05. I personally dont see Diaw as the end all and be all at SG we can either draft a superstar SG or sign one in 05. Bosch/Okafor/Diaw/Howard/Parker + Lotto Pick + Cap Space. The Hawks can get gunners but a great defensive team wins championships, Pistons, Bulls, Rockets, Lakers, Spurs all won with strong D, even the lakers who only had 2 or 3 weapons and a load of defensive role players. Hawks "If a team loses pretty much all the time but barely has any fans who even notice, does the team still lose? I have no idea what that means, but I'm going with it anyway"

Everyone gets lucky sometimes dont count on it to happen again. Da na na na na na GO GATORS!!!!!

This team isnt built to win next season but instead in 2 years, but this WOULD BE one of the if not the best defensive team in the league. Okafor could average 12 Rebs and 3 Blks per game. Bosch would be able to put up similar #'s. Howard as I said myself will not put up much his first season. Diaw is a good defender and solid passer. Parker also is a great ballhandeler, passer, and excellent defender. This is the point a young team with a frontcourt ready to domint the East and another high lotto pick in 05 and the Hawks become a potential powderkeg. Because at current this team is hopeless. 05 Bosh 10 PPG/11 RPG/ 3 BPG Okafor 20 PPG/ 12RPG/ 3BPG Howard 20 PPG/ 5RPG/ 5 APG Diaw 10 PPG/ 5 APG Parker 15 PPG/ 7APG/ 2 SPG + High Lotto Pick Good Defense solid/not spectacular offense

I have said this before, so maybe now someone will listen trying to win immediately is pointless the team needs big time talent and I dont mean another #6 or #10 pick or Dan Dickau. I f the Hawks lose out for the season We will land a top 3 pick then if we move JT and Ratliff for a top 3 pick + waivable crap, this could include a trade with Orlando involving G.Hill who would no doubt retire before playing with the Hawks. we can pick up Dwight Howard and Emeka Okafor. Then move Reef for Chris Bosch + filler. We will suddenly be looking at a young talented team. Maybe this is wishful thinking but we might even pull off a coup and sign Tony Parker w/ Reef JT and Ratliff gone we will have cap space to give him a huge contract bigger than what anybody else is offering. Suddly we start Bosch/Okafor/Howard/Diaw/Parker. Dont get me wrong Howard is no Lebron James and could turn out to be another D.Miles but if he can transition successfully by his second season he could be an All Star.

That banner is classic "The Diesel (Hold up)" LMBAO

CC/Hansen/Dickua Dolfan's backcourt of the future LMBAO. Lets just put them on waivers and be done. I told you dorks on this site if the Hawks keep going after the same Jacque Vaughns, Donyell Marshalls and Stephen Jacksons of the world they would lose. But no we have to get in the playoffs now instead of building a team that can win in the long run lets use this option and that trade or draft pick to get yet another second teir player that will not make us better long run. When was the last time the Hawks even had a lotto pick what 2 - 3 years ago. But no we should trade picks to get Lorenzen Wright, or Glenn Robinson(not as bad). Knight is doing a good job dropping dead weight contracts but Babcock has really F#cked this team. Reef is fundamentally worthless as a #1 option but as a #2 or 3 star he would be great. Oh and hawksquawk experts guess what. Chad Ford was right JT isnt a point guard. The Hawks need to lose lose lose get a #1,2 or 3 pick. Pick up Dwight Howard HS,ATL. Then move Ratliff/JT to get a low lotta pick several future picks and maybe a contract that could go off the books like a Grant Hill. Pick up Josh Smith HS,ATL late lotto. We will then have a few building blocks in Howard and Smith. Plus we could consider going after Tony Parker(just a thought) Center?/PF Howard/SF Smith/SG Diaw/Tony Parker?. THis team will lose like pigs which means another high lotto pick and SAR ready for the trading block. the Hawks could pick up future star Center and PG with a pair of high lotto picks and the Hawks will have a young hungry team instead of a bunch of young heartless slobs.