"Instant Gratification"

[Watchman]

I really take issue with the condescending "instant gratification" jabs. We have sucked for seven seasons in a row now. Prior to that time, we had seven straight years over .500, and thirteen of the last fourteen. During that period we had eight seasons with a winning percentage of .600 or more.

I have been a Hawks fan since the early 70s, and I don't call expecting them to return to that level of play, after all these years of stinking up the joint, "instant gratification."

Everyone complains about how bad the Atlanta fans are. This long-term run of bad teams is not helping that at all. I think if they had a good team, attendance would improve. If we suck too long, there will be no fans at all, and it wouldn't surprise me to see the franchise moved to another city.

Which brings us to another question. Let's say we end up in the lottery again. We end up with yet another small forward project. We still never address our needs, and we cannot get equal value in trades, because there is a glut of tweener swingmen in the league. After a while, we have got to get some veteran players to balance out the youth and to provide leadership. We don't need more and more "project" draft choices. We have not significantly improved after signing a "max contract" player. We need more high quality players "max contract" level players, not the eternal wait for some more kids to prove whether or not they were worth the pick. By that time his rookie contract is up, and he moves on to some other team, and finally decides that he can play.

So yes, I expect considerable improvement, after six years of the team being just plain lousy. I think BK needs to get his butt in gear and get some people in here that actually fill team needs. We need point guard leadership and interior defenders (read shot-blocker) and rebounders. We don't need more 6'8" tweeners.

[TheDude]

i can see where you are coming from but i think you also have to look at it from the point of the "possibility" of getting the right players to bring us to the level we want. There's just not enough superstar players available on the free agent market or enough money to bring enough in to get us to where we want. So we HAVE to hope we can develop a superstar with the draft, ala Marvin Williams.

I think we have on piece in Joe. I honestly think the trade we did was a good trade. He just won't play point, it'll be shooting guard. The problem we have now, is that we need two positions, the point and center. There's not superstars at either position that could help us in free agency right now.

[DJlaysitup]

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...we need two positions, the point and center. There's not superstars at either position that could help us in free agency right now.

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We need more competitive players (talent-wise) than we have now to compete...we don't need to wait and wait for a possible superstar (IMHO). The hawks should be looking at a reasonable shot at the playoffs next year.

[KB21]

Oh, yes.

This team should win 50+ games despite the fact that they are the youngest team in the NBA, by far, and despite the fact that 100% of the roster has been turned over since the end of the 2003-2004 season.

You may take offense to the term, but it applies to those that believe the nonsense that this team should be winning 50 games now instead of looking at the long term future. It's obvious that some of you have never built anything in your life.

You know, I'd like to be able to go through med school and not spend 4 years doing it. Guess what. It doesn't work that way.

So, all of you in the instant gratification crowd can just continue bitching and criticizing. I don't want to hear a damn word from you in 5 years, when this team is competing at a championship level because they had the patience to build this the right way.

[Vol4ever]

get something besides 6-8 swing players on this roster in the next couple of years he won't hear bitching and complaining because his ass won't be here.

BTW, when and if he gets fired will you follow him to the next team? Just asking, because you have all your eggs in one basket!

[KB21]

I'm not the one who's fanhood of this team needs to be questioned.

I'm not worried about BK being fired at all, because it isn't going to happen. Just as this team has progressed this season, it will continue to progress. This team will compete at a championship level when it all comes together because of the moves BK has made during his short tenure here so far. There is no doubt in my mind that he will build a team that can compete for a championship.

[Eddielives]

^^^Did BK get your Valentine's Day card?

[Gray Mule]

Give me patience and give it to me NOW!!

Sure, Hawks aren't there. Not yet. We still need

some more players. True, we are weak at the PG and

Center positions.

Go on, gripe. But, we're gaining on it. Slowly, to be

sure, but we're getting there.

Hawks have already won more games this year than last.

Sometimes, we look pitiful. Last game is a great

example. Sometimes we look pretty good.

Growing pains. Boy, do we have them. It hurts.

Inconsistent. That's the Hawks. When the shots are

falling and the turnovers are limited, Atlanta can

play with any team in the NBA. They have proven that

several times this season.

"Grow your own" is a slow process. Instant all stars

are far and few between. Hawks haven't had the luck

to draft any of these. Hindsight is always 20-20 so

we won't go there.

Hawks may or may not trade Al Harrington by the deadline.

If we do, we can't afford to just give him away. We

could end up with something worse. We don't want that

to happen.

Veteran teams have played together for years. None of

the current Hawks were here just a short time ago.

Patience. Hawks are getting there.

[tmac13]

So far, in 3 years of being the GM, BK has brought in exactly 1 player that we know is a championship caliber player..That player is JJ, other than him we have potential and hope..I love Zaza, but he may not be good enough defensively for a good team..Neither Smoove or Chillz look to be all-star caliber players and Marvin is all potential at this point..Al is a no defense playing shot chucker and the rest are backups...I am glad you are so confident in BK but he needs to get the right pieces here to compete...

[Nicholasp27]

u guys talking about 5+ years need to remember

we are just finishing up the 24th month of rebuilding

24 MONTHS

we have a top player in jj, some top prospects in marvin/smoove/chill, a future sniper off the bench in slim, a great backup center (and a top 10ish starting center these days) and a trading asset in 19/7 al and cap space to get more players

sure we don't have a true pg or a defensive rebounding center yet...but rebuilding takes time...u can't get EVERY piece in 24 months

he's shown that

a) he doesn't overypay: damp, curry, etc

b) he can get good bargains: sjax, zaza

c) when he does pull out the stops and trade our future pick, he does it for a top player: jj

those are 3 things that you can't say about many GMs

we'll get a pg and center in due course

[HAWKSFAN]

Rebuilding began when we traded Blaylock for the Jason Terry pick. We haven't returned to the playoffs since. It's been about 8 years of rebuilding.

[Dakin]

uh. That was a different regime's rebuilding plan. It failed and those responsible were terminated. Knight's method of rebuilding is completely different. We'll see if its any better in a couple of years. If not, bye bye billy and we're back to square one.

[TheDude]

exactly, you can't put other GM and ownership in general on the heads of new people, that makes no sense...i agree with KB above, we have the youngest team in the league. you HAVE to allow them to progress. but if you're talking about bringing veteran stars in, there just isn't many out there if any. and we traded 1st picks just to get Joe here..

also, i don't know why people are getting so ansy about our team. Most of us thought we'd be better but probably win about 30 games. We're on track for that now, if not more (due to better chemistry in 2nd half and not that horrible start)...see the link below for proof.

woop, there it is

[Diesel]

It's hard to trust BK rebuilding when you see Chris Paul playing like Isiah Thomas and Marvin being Marvin.

[Duff_Man]

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It's hard to trust BK rebuilding when you see Chris Paul playing like Isiah Thomas and Marvin being Marvin.

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Disagree. It is easy to trust BK when people here all think that we need every player that is on the block or is due for a contract, but ends up sucking.

See: Dampier, Curry, Dally, Hunter, etc. He is showing patience and not playing fantasy basketball. Something people around here need to realize and learn to relax.

[macdaddy]

There are going to be a lot of missed opportunities for every GM. You can't fire them when one happens. Especially when it comes to a draft just 6 months ago.

How many championship caliber players did the Pistons acquire for their team. Rip and Billups weren't exactly coveted players at the time. We're not a team that is going to acquire Duncan , Kobe, Shaq in their prime. We have to grow our own like most teams in the league.

We have a much better team than last year. Sure we want to be a playoff team but how many teams go from 13 wins to the playoffs in one season with the youngest team in the league? None. As long as we keep improving I'm satisfied with BK.

[Final_quest]

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There are going to be a lot of missed opportunities for every GM. You can't fire them when one happens. Especially when it comes to a draft just 6 months ago.

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Exactly. Speaking of the Pistons, Dumars put together a championship team and drafted one of the biggest busts ever. No one is perfect.

[Hoosier]

It is hard to say we have been rebuilding for (8) years, when every 1st round pick Babcock got his hands on, he gave away. It was NOT rebuilding, you would have to call it something else, and I don't know what.

[DJlaysitup]

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Oh, yes.

This team should win 50+ games despite the fact that they are the youngest team in the NBA, by far, and despite the fact that 100% of the roster has been turned over since the end of the 2003-2004 season.

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Rebuild, Rebuild, Rebuild...Patience, Patience, Patience.

Keep the faith...BK has a plan. Not next year but maybe the next, or the next.

[Watchman]

with losing for more than a decade before we finally make it to .500. If the players have now are not capable of winning, why would we conclude that year after year of drafting "projects" who play positions that we already have an overabundance of now, are going to become winners.

I could care less whose "regime" was responsible for the losing record. Considering that the team was gutted, all this "potential" was obtained in the draft, and we paid $70 million for a supposed superstar, we should be closer to .500 now. A reasonable win total for this year would have been 35 to 38 wins. I would have been content with that, and will be if we make it there.

However, this team has looked like a bunch of clueless idiots from the time we drafted Jason Terry. It's like the organization simply does not know how to win anymore. The new "regime" has done nothing to change that.

If you're thrilled with 25 wins, I'm proud for you. However, I prefer a resumption of this team's winning heritage. It should not take this long to rehabilitate this pathetic franchise. We are the laughingstock of the league - "Clippers East." How embarrassing. Seven years of losing is long enough. Regardless of which incompentent GM or coach we have.