thecampster

https://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy-deep-cuts-east-180622384.html

Very small sample...come on man...you're the king of calling out the small sample.

I get that...the loss of Dedmon specifically calls into question if we took even more of a step back defensively. But the few "defensive" players we got will be in heavy competition for minutes. Trae, John, Huerter getting better individually and as a unit defensively is more important for us taking a step forward than anything else. Huerter adding weight in the off-season can only help. But imho, Young getting better defensively is the most important step that must happen for us to take that next step.

Because offense is for show, but defense and rebounding wins. The concern is that although we got better defensively on paper, most of those players play the same positions and will be backups. As soon as they show the defensive improvement in switching, funneling and close outs, people will come around.

I campaigned for him to start and develop after we acquired him.....nothing has changed despite the lack of ups.

So I walked a house a few days ago and decided to make an offer despite the fact the owners had a serious pineapple fetish. Pineapple salt shakers, pineapple cookie jars, pineapple yard statues, even pineapple yellow walls in the kitchen. The house is gorgeous all things considered. After making the offer, a friend of mine (yes I have friends and yes they know they're my friends) mentioned to me that pineapples are a symbol used by swingers to announce if they're open or closed to swinging. https://www.eyespyinvestigations.com/blog/2018/02/pineapples/ . Now I'm not saying they're swingers but I am saying I'm planning on having professionals out to clean and having zerorez do the carpets before I move in regardless. We will be sanitizing all hard surfaces. Now you're probably wondering what this all has to do with the Hawks. Nothing really, just like 90% of the content in these posts. They're just as much fantasy as believing the people you're buying the house from are into swinging and just as realistic as pineapple yellow is as a kitchen choice. Just keeping things real, like Gray Mule said.

This goes back to the same point I was making. If the question is, "Did the Hawks get a better mix of players than most teams?", then the answer is A-. If the question is, "Did they get good value for the assets they brought into the draft?", then the answer is no. But it was a question of they brought in too much with too much of it being 2nd rounders. 8, 10, 17 was a whole lot of Meh in this draft. The Hawks got very, very lucky (or I'm willing to concede got very savvy) when Cam fell to 10. But again, his grade is one of "their draft had so much more potential" and two "who are the starters on the Hawks again...I have to write a draft blurb and...oh I'll just wing it, I'm a national writer".

So take a look at key losses vs key acquisitions. (end of year only). Jaylen Adams -> Evan Turner (say what you want about Turner...he's a major upgrade over Adams). Taurean Prince -> Allen Crabbe (wash) Omari Spellman -> Damion Jones (IMHO wash but an argument can be made both ways) Justin Anderson -> Deandre Hunter (Uhm...dunno but considering Anderson barely played...anything we get is a win) Kent Bazemore -> Cam Reddish (Hardest grade here....Reddish could be amazing...I think he takes a few years but yah...could be a win and Baze was bad 2nd half last year) Miles Plumlee -> Bruno Fernando (Same as above) Dwayne Dedmon -> Chandler Parsons (Probably a loss unless Parsons returns to form Random D Leaguer who played PF -> Jabari Parker (Mongo huge win) 2018 Young, Huerter, Collins vs 2019 versions -> should be minor upgrade. Basically we are really going to miss Dedmon but other than that its all upgrades or same. IMHO we mildly overachieved last year. Average this year would be 37ish wins but could top out as high 45 if everything went perfect...low as 30 if bad things happen. I'll be optimistic and say 41 wins and make the playoffs as the 7th seed.

You nailed it! His work ethic, approach, attitude can do nothing but help Parker and Parsons. I'm most interested in Parker. I think he's gotten a bum rap thus far (20% his own making, 80% media hysteria) and this is a great place/opportunity for him to turn that around. Vince would be a great mentor for him specifically.

My previous posts ignored....I am starting to worry about Cam being ready for training camp, etc. There is a lot of work done between June/October to get up to NBA speed on the NBA game and sets.

It was a salary thing where you should spend 90% of the cap or pay the penalty. 6 more rookies would have made it pretty much impossible to get there. The biggest issue with that is if you are seen as a cheap franchise that keeps vets from getting money, it sours you with star players.

I do however stand by my comment. We got good players....we had tons of assets we got poor "value" for. Not criticizing our players....criticizing the administration of the draft and I believe the writer meant that as well. If not, well I'd like him to explain his angle.

I clarified the angle the writer was taking. I wasn't taking that angle myself and I think you know that. I do subscribe that we set ourselves up poorly for an average draft. We realized that and tried to defer assets (well documented) but had no trade partners. We got good players...we handled the administrative aspect poorly.

<nods> Ask Orlando 2 years ago if they'd take the Jeremy Lin of today. Their point guard play in 17'-18' was borderline D3 high school level.

Found it...was this post on June 16 the last time I mentioned it our problem of having too many draft picks.