Uh-Oh...Babcock Waffles on JT at the Point

[jaywalker72]

Uh-oh, here we go again.

It's another round of "Guessing Jason Terry's Position" and out host is Hawks GM Pete Babcock, who opened another can of slimy worms in a Monday chat on NBA.com when he answered a question relating to the future of the franchise at point guard and Jason Terry.

Why change something that worked well (a Terry/DerMarr Johnson backcourt) over the last 50 games?

Read the entire article:

http://hawks.realgm.com/

[hds428]

cause otherwise Pete needs to either sh!t or get off the pot with JT. I too thought that the junkmail experiment would'a proved that just putting in any shmuck solely because he happens to be tall is miserable logic. It simply doesn't work. Pete and Lon had things running really smoothly in the second half of last season with JT starting at the point and DJ at the 2, I hope Babs doesn't Barney Fife this offseason and shoot himself in the foot...

[Guest]

This is why we will not make the playoffs.The team and management

has no [censored] clue what they are doing.Babs doesn't understand any-

thing about basketball and it is starting to show up.He changes plains

every other day I think.Why does he and Lon continue to toy around

with the players?

Pete Babcock is a true dumbass.Every fan knows it,the league knows

it,the players know it and that is why they don't want to play for

us.

Stupid motherlover babs.

[Guest]

Do you guys realize we have no dang clue what our starting lineup

is going to be?How can you expect to make the playoffs when you

don't even have a idea what a starting lineup will look like?JT could

be a one or two,(We will NEVER make the playoffs with JT at the two

and if he played the position it lessens his value IMO)Kukoc could

start or come off the bench.What position will DJ play?

We have too many questions to accomplish anything this season

and if you think we have a legit shot you are fooling yourself.

[jaywalker72]

Threadkiller, I have to agree with you here....

Unless this is all kust a smokescreen and they really do anticipate JT being our PG, how can anyone be sure of what will happen to us next year?

We have the talent, but they need to get to know their roles.

And, if the roster isn't complete until, as Pete says, late this summer, how are they going to be able to get rolling in their responsibilities?

And, what happens if we try another PG to start the season, and then THAT doens't work?

Will we finally believe that JT is our best bet?

Who knows, and that's why I agree with ARR's question....

[Guest]

I mean my god what do Shareef/JT/DJ think of this?Management

is toying with the team and players.We have no plan, and when

that happens you are destine to fail.

Damn babs

[Traceman]

Babs is going. Right or wrong, he is trying to get an IMPACT player at either PG or SG because he thinks JT is versatile enough to play either position. The only caveat is that if it is a PG, the PG has to be big enough to defend SGs on D.

The main problem I see with that philosophy is that if JT plays SG, unless the PG is INCREDIBLY talented (and big), we are always going to be giving up AT LEAST as much as we get, if not more. The list of PGs I'd be willing to move JT back to SG for is VERY small. If we don't have, Kidd, Francis, Payton, Davis or Miller, JT is my PG. The only young player I've actually seen that I MIGHT make an exception for is Jamaal Crawford and even then, I might play Crawford at SG and leave JT at PG. The other problem is the same one you mentioned in that it will likely have a negative effect on DJ's development. I think that at least for now, DJ is CLEARLY better at SG than SF. That COULD change with time but in order to maximaize what he can do right now, I think he looks MUCH better at SG.

In my opinion, it seems incredible that Babs would even try to find a bigger PG to go along with JT rather than an impact SG or SF. It seems like it would be a LOT easier to find a good SG or SF to pair with JT than to find a PG who is AT LEAST 6'3" (preferably 6'5" or bigger), who is strong enough to guard NBA caliber SGs, who is a better playmaker than JT AND who can stick the J. If the new PG can't shoot (Snow), it is going to take away whatever quickness advantage JT has at SG because he will see a lot of double teams. While JT will be good at SG, he will NOT be Iverson and he won't be able to score 30 ppg with Eric Snow as the PG.

I think Babs should abandon this "quest" to find the perfect PG to play alongside JT and just let JT work on his PG skills. JT clearly has the ability to play PG in this league as indicated by his play the last half of the season. Concentrate on acquiring an impact SF (or SG) who can score and the Hawks will be fine!

As I said before, Jamaal Crawford is the one PG out there right now (who I think we MIGHT actually be able to acquire) that I wouldn't mind at least LOOKING at moving JT to SG for and even then, I might play Crawford at SG. I can't even imagine a package that we could put together that would bring in Kidd, Davis, Francis, Payton or Miller (at least a package we would be willing to give up). In the draft Tito Maddux, Frank Williams, Smush Parker and even John Salmons might all end up being decent PGs but I don't think any of them are going to be good enough to compensate for JT being too small at SG. The bottom line is that I think we would be MUCH better off playing JT at PG and letting Babs expend all his energy trying to figure out a way to sign a guy like Eddie Jones without giving up our core of Reef, JT, Theo and DJ.

[Guest]

I think babs is going to [censored] up againest big time.He simply

has no clue how to run a team.I think we are stuck spinning

wheels in the mud.Why bring a low percentage shooter like

Frank Williams to start?If that is the guy babs is after I will

have to laugh.

If we did have a shot to get to the playoffs babs is likely to

[censored] it up this offseason.

[KB21]

I would really like to know what Pete's vision of this team is.

Looking at the draft prospects we have brought in, the majority of them are point guards and shooting guards. And, most of the point guards are of the taller variety. I have a feeling that John Salmons from Miami is the guy they want to trade up to get. There is a reason they are bringing Salmons in to workout against Smush Parker and Dan Dickau. They really want to see what he can do against other point guards, IMO.

So, what we have as far as prospects go: (the ones we have worked out or will work out)

Point Guards

Dan Dickau 6-1 170 Gonzaga

John Salmons 6-7 200 Miami

Smush Parker 6-4 180 Fordham

Tito Maddox 6-4 190 Fresno State

Lorinza Harrington 6-4 180 Wingate

Brian Brown 6-4 200 Ohio State

J.R. Bremer 6-1 170 St. Bonaventure

Jannero Pargo 6-1 165 Arkansas

Shooting Guards

Vincent Yarbrough 6-7 210 Tennessee

Pedrag Savovic 6-6 220 Hawaii

Adam Harrington 6-5 205 Auburn

Lubos Barton 6-7 230 Valparaiso

[kelston827]

I think alot of people are jumping the gun on this whole "JT is not the Hawks' PG" stuff.

As someone previously posted, prior to the draft nothing a GM says can be taken seriously. Like in court where you're innocent until proven guilty, these guys are liars until proven truthful.

What I think is that Pete is truly checking out all his options. That's his job. He previously stated, at a time when there was no need to speak in GM-ese, that JT would remain the team's PG unless someone better could be brought in. He then narrowed the someones better down to Kidd, Baron and Miller. Well, I'll take anyone of them in a backcourt with JT. If not, I'll take JT and DerMarr. So what's the problem?

I understand the concern about players knowing their roles, and that is a legitimate one. But I also think having these voluntary offseason workouts goes along way in clearing up some of the cloudiness in the team's future.

I'm convinced JT will be our future PG. I'm convinced DJ will continue to develop and remain his backcourt-mate. I'm convinced Pete is checking out every way possible to make this team better, through trades, the draft, whatever.

Call me overly optimistic, but as it stands right now a healthy Hawks squad makes the Eastern Conference playoffs. I don't think we're quite ready to make a huge splash, but I'll be content with just getting back in the water.

[Guest]

The other thing I don't get is this...does JT's game remind anyone of Baron Davis'? I think JT's quicker and a better shooter, Baron a tad better passer, but their skills seem pretty similar to me

[Guest]

Not really,Baron is alot stronger and rebounds better and is a

better defensive player.JT is quicker,better ft shooter and he

plays the one and two position.

[ATLien_]

I am pretty shore BAB's is just putting up a smoke screen, but I would be pretty happy if we get John Salmons. He can play point gurard or point forward. AT 6-7 I don't think he is to short to play SF hell we had Dion playing there at 6-5. He averaged 6.1 assist as a senior when they moved him to point and I believe he had close to 2 steals. He is versatile so I feel he is a good pick.

[Blunt91]

Someone had posted in the Insider last week that the 76er's were shopping Snow and the Hawks are one of the teams interested in him. Babs almost came out and said that Jacque was as good as gone. I guess I might as well face reality in that Vaughn will no longer be a Hawk.