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Hawks 13-22 59% Bulls 29-41 71% Way to call it even refs... I can understand one team hedging out another but when one team gets to the charity strike twice as much...

Yes you read that correctly. He actually should be a hybrid of the 3 (SF, PF, C). It's whatever you need him to play vs. the team you're playing on a given night. Given the current state of the NBA, most teams don't have a dominant center. I have said all along that Josh should be our center against these types of teams (i.e. Was, Bos, Phil, Mil, Dal, Mem, SA, Minn, Por, Sea). If we're playing a team that has a less than offensively skilled center, he should be our center on the floor. For one, he's not a good 1-on-1 defender... He makes up for getting beat, by his god-like timeliness on blocking a shot from behind. It's almost as if he allows the player he's guarding to beat him so he generate space and come from behind and block his shot. Although in the clip below, he does make a nice 1-on-1 steal on Reddick (I think) but come on, it's Reddick. Two, the opposing center 90% of the time will be around the basket for an offensive rebound. Josh is a great help defender when he's lurking. He'd have even more blocked shots. Three, his quickness vs opposing centers leads to easy fast breaks (kind of like their jump ball play they run). He beats the center down the court for an alley oop everytime on that play (I still for the life of me don't understand how team scouts don't warn teams about that play). During game play, if we could be a more up tempo team, he'd have a lot more easy points playing center as evidenced by his #1 play on youtube's "Top 10 Josh plays of 2006". He is practically on the floor (fallen down) on the defensive end after a block and ends up being the first player down the court for a dunk. As shown in this replay (last highlight in reel), the opposing center (and team for that matter) is just jogging down the court: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKi6_H9iQo0 So against teams that start centers like Ethan Thomas, Perkins, Dalembert, Bogut, Diop, Milicic, Elson, Blount, or Robert Swift (non offensive threats but will be lurking around the paint), I think Josh should be the center to come across the lane and assist when necessary to make opposing teams fear the paint. Causing more outside shots and a better team defense FG% against.

Mario's line looks good for the limited time he got (granted only 16 minutes of PT): 2-3 FG 4-4 FT 1 Steal 2 Blocks What's up with Raivio missing a FT... Cost us the game... Thought he was lights out from the FT line... Oh well... There's always next year...

Someone got decapitated...

I too have watched a lot of GT games and agree that Critt has a higher ceiling than Jack... If people could only remember Jack his freshman year and be able to compare it to Critt's, it'd be easy to see... If Critt were to stay as long as Jack did, again, it'd be easy to see... Only problem is, can the Hawks afford the time to let Critt's game evolve?

You put him 1-on-1 vs. a lot of guys in the NBA and he'll get blown by... He is very slow laterally... What he does have is his innate timing ability to come behind the player he's been beaten by and block their shot... I've always advocated him defending the worst offensive option (in the post) of the opposing team and have him coming across the lane for support... Even if this involves defending the opposing center... It'll have more teams shooting outside shots... They'd think twice about coming down that lane like they did when Deke was here... I think fans (and coaches for that matter) can get too caught up in having the traditional 1-5 lineup out there... I think Phoenix (Diaw at center) and Golden State's lineups (Nellie's small ball) speak to this and the success they had...

My most embarassing moment involves Bob Reinhart at basketball camp... I was having a rough day with the ole stomach and we were doing leg lifts... Coach Reinhart comes by and steps on my stomach as were doing the drills and I expired a nice loud "ROMP" of gas and he got off my stomach faster than Tony Parker goin' coast to coast... He took that cigar out of his mouth and said, "Don't you EVER do that again!"... lol

In a weaker conference at that... 1.38 Ast/TO ratio.. No thanks...

2 games VS USA; 1 assist vs 8 turnovers Only way I have to explain this without seeing the actual game is they figure get the ball in his or Yao's hands and let them score... Inability or lack of talent of other players meant the ball wasn't going back out once it got in Yao's or Li's hands?

Quote: I hope noone ever really thought of Ken Norman as a "last piece. I'M OFFENDED!

Yea, I coulda sworn I was watching Salim vs Law... At least you saw Conley driving and dishing...

What's even more impressive of Conley's Asst/TO ratio is that it was his freshman year. I didn't get to watch much of Conley but saw a lot of Crit being a GT fan. With Crit, you saw flashes of what he could be. True, he'd take years to develop but you saw the NBA game there. He was definitely better than Jack was his freshman year. Having said this, I don't think the Hawks can afford to develop another player. I think Conley/Law or (obviously) a veteran PG are the better routes. Unless you think the team is still 3 years or so away (which they might be realistically). Depends on who you're able to sign during next year's free agent frenzy.

Ok, so how do you spend $57 million... Resign: Smoove $11m per Chill $9m per I know we have qualifying offers on those two for 2008/2009, does anyone konw what that means? Drats, $37 million left (assuming qualifying offers are null and void to sign them long term; otherwise we have an additional $12m ($49m total) if we have Smoove at qualifying offer of $3.1m and Chill at $4.8m)... What to do, what to do... Oh, you guys want some money but no one else can pay you quite like we can... How does $20 million per sound? Baron Davis Elton Brand Gilbert Arenas Jason Kidd Jermaine O'Neal Richard Hamilton Shawn Marion Tim Duncan Darn, we still have $17m (possibly $29m) left... No one else on the market can offer you better, well then why don't two of you come on down...

Get rid of Speedy to free up room for impressive class of free agents next season... I highly doubt they'd part with Jefferson (as mentioned above)... Although he is in his last year of his contract next season... Perhaps Ratliff or Perkins.. I'm not sure who they value the most between Perkins/Jefferson... Ratliff/Jefferson come off the books after this upcoming season whereas Perkins is signed thru 2010/11... Then we'd have room to sign both Josh's long term and get one of the following: Baron Davis Carlos Arroyo Elton Brand Gilbert Arenas Jason Kidd Jermaine O'Neal Richard Hamilton Shawn Marion Tim Duncan

I'm assuming any deal we do will be giving up Speedy and a pick for: a) expiring contracts b) avg./above avg. PG c) nothing But the real positive will be getting rid of Speedy's contract.

What I can't stand about Salim is that he's slow with the ball... For instance, last night against Philly he was bringing the ball up against Steven Hunter and couldn't even shake him to get around him as he was being pressed in the backcourt... Eventually had to pass it up...

He did put one stipulation on it, although an unlikely event... (top 3 protected)

I couldn't believe you couldn't catch that pass from J Smoove... I was disappointed... My buddy & I were up in the first row of the upper deck on the side (Hawks side; to your left and up)... Pretty amazing how J Smoove plays above everyone else... I remember in year's past when the Hawks went through the same thing (losing leading scorer) and forces them to play "team ball"... When everyone feels like they contribute, it brings out the best in them...

Quote: I agree Chillz and Livingston should be a good match-up. I just hope Woody decides early to put Joe on the block. I was furious seeing he and Derek Fisher matched up in the Utah game and us continue to run him on baseline screens and one on one perimeter plays I was at the game in Atlanta and now that you mention it, I remember that being the gameplan (which got them up by 20 or so points). I don't recall them visiting that much in the game in Utah. I remember in the game in Atlanta they got Boozer in foul trouble early and then went to JJ on the blocks against Fisher time and time again. Wonder why it wasn't part of the gameplan this time around.

I was there for that game and that was ugly... I remember listenin' to the talk show on the way home and "Home Team" was killing the Hawks... I just fear the back-to-back game nights attitude, "Well, we played last night so we're allowed to lose tonight" attitude that the whole NBA seems to adopt except the elite teams... Okur/Deron killed us last time but we didn't have our whole rotation like we have now (minus Lue)... Just hoping that we don't get blown out... Good luck Hawks!

Thx for backing me up Troy... I'm not at all trying to look at the cup half empty... Or bash the Hawks... Just trying to make valid points that I think the staff needs to address... After all, I AM a HAWKS FAN and have been for over 30 years... I love how Chill finishes around the basket (minus his last weak dunk attempt vs Warriors)... He has good ball spin control off the backboard on finishing layups... He has a nice corner 3 shot... It's when he's out beyond the key, he seems to get beaten on a consistent basis... There, I listed some of his positives as well... Happy?

Late in the game, they were driving past him at will... We have matchup difficulties with him running as point forward with a speedy guard that can finish... Ultimately, Speedy had to come back in... Which then becomes a problem with his FT%... Of course the Nets did the same thing to JJ... Exploited Vince against him 1-on-1 late in the game... Vince drove on him at will... Although JJ is a much better defender than Chill... His teammates need to be ready to assist once he gets blown by at the top of the key... Which then leaves someone open for an open J... Maybe going to the 3-2 zone? Heck, I'd rather them jack up a three than to take a high percentage layup...

Quote: ...Marvin looks a little like Smoove did at this time last year development-wise, and may be poised to become a whole 'nother monster for us next year, a la Smith right now. Entirely different impact, but delivered with the same ferocity. That's exactly what I've been thinking... If he'd learn from Smoove's recent desire to drive to the hole, it would help him out tremendously...

Quote: Who was the biggest bust in that draft? Araujo? Has to be Araujo (selected 8th overall): Year Team G GS MPG FG% 3p% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG 04-05 TOR 59 41 12.5 .434 .333 .782 1.0 2.1 3.1 0.3 0.4 0.1 0.88 2.70 3.3 05-06 TOR 52 34 11.6 .366 .000 .536 0.8 1.9 2.8 0.3 0.5 0.1 0.81 2.00 2.3 06-07 UTA 9 0 8.7 .263 .000 .692 0.8 1.6 2.3 0.2 0.6 0.0 0.56 1.30 2.1 Career 120 75 11.8 .395 .250 .698 0.9 2.0 2.9 0.3 0.4 0.1 0.83 2.30 2.8

Quote: Quote: Quote: If the Hawks go 14-0 in FEB, I will do unspeakable things to live chickens. I guess I am rooting for 13-1 for the sake of TP's sanity! On behalf of PETA I will also root for 13-1.