Sprewell to Hawks!

[RAHMOR]

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives...ve_no_interest/

Sprewell likes Hawks: Latrell Sprewell's agent said his client would love to fill the Hawks' need for more veteran leadership. Sprewell is out of the league, having turned down a three-year, $20 million extension in Minnesota. "Latrell is very much interested and has indicated a number of times his desire to play for the Hawks," said Sprewell's Atlanta-based agent, Bob Gist. "He likes the fact the owners, GM and, certainly, the coach are committed to amassing a winning team." GM Billy Knight said he has had conversations with Gist, the last ending with this succinct sentiment. "We're loaded with players at the wing positions," Knight said. "And we really have no interest in Latrell Sprewell joining our team."

[Packfill]

heck no.

[Lascar78]

man your thread title scared me. No need for spree here. We need big men and little men, no more wingmen

[RAHMOR]

My fault, I meant to put a question mark.

Truthfully, I've never had a problem with Spree. Even when he chocked that coach. I mean, he did invent spinner rims. How can you not love that. lol

[y2kenta]

Wait a minute, now...

Just think for a second...

Backcourt = JJ + Spree vs JJ + Chillz

Spree can't really be classified as a cancer any more than having a cancerous disease called, "Toomany-wingplayer-itis" in which the Hawks are suffering from. I think if the Spurs got even better with adding Finley and Van Exel to their already full backcourt, then we definately can't get any worse. Besides Smoove and Marvin are "not quite there yet" wing players and Smoove is more of a PF now with the lack of interior defense.

Spree can score and can play D way better than Childress can. And coupled with JJ and Al give us three good scoring options in our starting 5. The more legitimate options we have, the harder it'd be to defend us. And it'd open up the floor for guys like Salim and Marvin because teams won't just key into JJ or into Al and sit in the paint.

Spree, AL, and JJ also know how to win from their playoff experiences and being on winnning teams.

Even if we have him play the SF and continue to let Lue start at PG, I think he is still better than Chillz. He could also teach Chillz alot about getting his shot off and be aggressive on D as a SG.

ABOVE ALL! If he wants to be here, why not sign him to a 2-3 year deal starting @ about $5-7 Million. If he'll sign for that and leave us with plenty to sign Big Ben, Nene, or best availabe big next offseason. It either helps Chillz get better or it makes Chillz expendable and gives us an option of trading Chillz and Al, if a really good big becomes available.

So I don't neccessarily just like Spree to Atlanta, but at the same time, it could only make us better, so I'm not against it.

[capstone21]

The real reason he wants to come here is because we have a lot of cap space. I don't see him really helping this team at all. He needs to sign with a championship contender that he can help like Houston or Indiana.

[wartownrep]

I agree Spree would give us a 3rd lethal option. All the great teams have a big three.

[Diesel]

Spree is a cancer... Ask KG.

I think his skills are diminished.

I would rather go with what we have and look for a PG...

I would pick up Lionel Chalmers from FAcy and give him a chance to beat out Lue...

That is until we can get Rondo!

[Johnnybravo4]

We have a chance to get Sprewell and you are talking about Lionel Chalmers? Pulease! I don't care if we have 15 wing players...we need talent..period. We need scorers and defenders. If Sprewell starts for us last night we don't get abused by the Smush Parkers of the world. We need someone with some fire. Our lineup is way too nice. We need some thugs. I know we need bigs but Sprewell, even diminished, is a star. JJ is too quiet, Al is too quiet, Marvin is too quiet...so are the Joshes..we need someone who is outspoken.

[er9dverk]

at this point i agree on rondo. another year under tubby and he should be ready to run an offense. he seems to be quick and heady.

its an afterthought now, but the thought keeps occurring to me as to why we didnt invest a late pick on randolph morris. granted morris underachieved last year, but he showed promise in high school in head to head competition with dwight howard.

its nice to have a young guard in the european incubator, but right now it would be much nicer to have a backup center with some upside.

[Nicholasp27]

we didn't need to invest a pick in rmorris, as we were able to get him as a fa

but then we/he decided it's best that he goes back to school for another 1+ years

but once he graduates (or actually, at any point in the year now), he can go to whatever team he wants

since we need bigs and we are the hometeam and we have smoove and we already showed interest, we are the odds on favorite to get rmorris

we'll let him develop in kentucky and then sign him if we want in 1-3 years

we also have andersen coming down the pipeline

so our bigs in the future are za/batman/andersen/rmorris/edwards plus whomever we go with at pf of smoove/al/marvin/draft pick (splitter?)/traded for guy

[VDiLetto]

if spree wnats to play for a one year contract and then get traded to a contender, why not. Our team couldn't get any worse right now.

[DominiqueWilkins]

Atlanta not that desperate and I didn’t expect Billy Knight to have any interest. I bet Billy Knight let out a few laughs when he first heard that Sprewell wanted to become a Hawk, but clearly it wouldn’t be a wise move at all.

Sorry Sprewell, but no thank you.

[TheDude]

i do agree that we need a player with FIRE..who frowns a bit when either they're angry or because they're playing with major intesity...get everyone going in the lineup

[Plainview1981]

Well, Spree is better than Chillz, but he is just too

old and a cancer. I think the team should see if Chillz

has any trade value. I liked him last year, but I think

his slow feet and bad shot have been exposed too badly.

[Diesel]

Spreewell is not the Spreewell that played back in 1998 and beat up on Smitty. He's the Spreewell of Last yr... Who played like Crap...

He's the Spree Who scored 12 pts in 30 minutes with >1 Spg >1 bpg ~2 apg...

Righht now Chillz compare very favorably...

Minnesota Timberwolves

Position: G

Height: 6-5 Weight: 195

College : Alabama

Player file | Team stats

2004-05 Statistics

PPG 12.8

RPG 3.2

APG 2.2

SPG .66

BPG .26

FG% .414

FT% .830

3P% .327

MPG 30.6

Atlanta Hawks

Position: G-F

Height: 6-8 Weight: 210

College : Stanford

Player file | Team stats

2005-06 Statistics

PPG 9.0

RPG 3.8

APG 2.5

SPG 1.75

BPG .25

FG% .458

FT% .611

3P% 1.000

MPG 30.8

I'd Keep developing Chillz find a BU ballhandler

[hotboyj]

We aren't San Antonio, we arent the Heat, hell we're not the Bobcats.

For years and years we cry about no one with the least bit of talent wanting to play for us.

Now we get people who are talented, and have a very rare fire in them, who actually single us out and want to play for us and we say we have too many wings.

No, what we have is too many 6'1" combo guards, and too many 6'8" forwards.

There is one wing on this team and his name is Joe Johnson.

What is the worst that can happen? We sign him to a two year deal, we let him teach our young guys what to do in order to win, then we see how things are looking when the two years are up.

We just don't turn him down and say we have too many wings.

Spree would be a short-term boost who can keep the little fans we have thinking we still want to win.

We better sign this guy, and sign hims ASAP.

Spree means more wins this season, not three seasons from now like most of the other people on this team.

Desperate times come for desperate measueres.

Last resort we can trade him for picks at the deadline.

As BK showed us in drafting Marvin Williams, you don't turn down talent if you have a need for it or not.

[NJHAWK]

Spree must want alot more $$$ than he is worth or somebody would have signed him. If he is knocking on our door you know he is out of options and thinks he can dig into our cap room.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

This is a good post.

Although Spree definitely isn't worth more than a 3 mill/yr contract right now, to add him to the Hawks wouldn't hurt much.

Spree's numbers were down last year, because Minnesota insisted on splitting his time with Sczcerbiak and Hassell. T-Wolves fans were mad at him last year, because they said that his defense had fallen off tremendously.

Spreewell's numbers last year, are pretty much consistent with the numbers he put up during Minny's championship run 2 years ago. The difference is that Spree averaged over 38 minutes a game 2 years ago. And therin lies the problem with bringing in Spree.

He's a "volume minutes" type player, much like JJ. But unlike JJ, who can be pretty consistent throughout the game, Spree gets his numbers in streaks. He's the type that can go 1 - 7 FG in 20 minutes, but go 5 - 5 FG in the next 8 minutes. And you never know when he'll get red hot and carry the offense.

So if the Hawks chose to bring in Spree, they'd have to play him at least 30 - 35 minutes a game . . and start him . . in order to get the full use out of the guy.

That means that one of these kids ( Salim, Childress, Smoove or Lue ) are going to see his minutes drop tremendously. Smoove would probably see more time at the 4 than out on the wing, if Spree was brought in. With Marvin in that same spot, you'll probably see the guy who is playing the best, get the most time behind Al.

Adding Spree would give you another "legit" 2 on this team. That could enable Woodson to play JJ at the 3, if he has Lue or Salim at the 1. So we could go

1 - Lue

2 - Spree

3 - JJ

4 - Al

5 - ZaZa

The are a lot of pros and cons that come with brining in a guy like Spree. The biggest "pros" is that Spree is a veteran player that can still create his own shot and has a scorer's mentality. The biggest "cons" are that he'll need major minutes to be effective, he'll take away valuable time away from our kids, and that he might need 2 - 3 weeks of playing time, just to get up to game shape.

If the Hawks did bring in Spree, it'll be the type of PR move that is made to keep hope alive in the current fan base.

In my opinion, I think the guy that is going to emerge to be the vocal and emotional leader of this team . . is Salim Stoudamire. I think he's the one guy that has the personality to take on that role. When the Hawks do start winning, don't be surprised if it's because Salim is playing very well in what ever role he's in.

[RAHMOR]

I have mixed emotions about spree. Being that the Knicks are my second favorite team I have liked spree for a long time. The problem with getting spree supposedly is his attitutude although I've never met him.

The bigger picture is the Hawks organization as a whole needs help. Not only would he help the product on the court, he would help the product off the court by sparking some kind of interest in the Hawks by the average fan. The result of that would most likely be the beginning of some sort of home court advantage for the Hawks which further helps the product on the court.

I honestly thinks it's worth the risk. How much cancer can he be. Although if he comes in with a bad attitude it may cause us to start losing(oops too late). He was a cancer on a championship caliber team that may or may not have caused them to fall. TO is a cancer on a team that was also supposed to be championship caliber. The Hawks are no championship caliber team.

Quote:

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GM Billy Knight said he has had conversations with Gist, the last ending with this succinct sentiment. "We're loaded with players at the wing positions," Knight said.

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I also found this quote very interesting. How is it that we're suddenly loaded with wings and who's fault is that. I thought we had a versatile point(JJ), versatile 2(Chilz), and a 3 foward rotation. This is also very unlike Billy Knight to be so straight foward. Come to think of it this whole thing might be a charade.