Recent Cenk Akyol Video

[Lascar78]

yeah you can talk about that.

There is a concern.

I don't think it's intentional though. Diaw was drafted to complement JT before rebuilding was authorized. If he had gotten the green light to rebuild before that draft, Diaw would never have been here.

Smith and Chill were to be our 2 swingmen for the future. When the 2005 draft rolled around we got the 2nd pick in what was a concensus 2-deep draft. BK had a tough decision between the guy most acknowledged had the most potential, and a lesser guy who fit a need. He had a tough choice and gambled on the higher potential. I would do it differently today, but it was understandable. If he had a shot at Bogut he would have drafted a center.

I think most around here worry way too much about 2nd rounders. Salim was a steal where we got him, he couldn't pass him up. It's just the way the draft shook out.

That's why I have zero fear about him drafting a SG/SF this time around. He doesn't want a roster full of SF's, it just happenned that way.

I couldn't care less about him picking Hansen, Cenk, Donta, Ivey. If we get real lucky one of those mid to late second rounders can contribute. If not, they're just like 99% of all second rounders. In the 2nd round you throw the dice and try your best to find a guy who might or might not be NBA caliber.

Also, you're just looking at the draft. But that's only half of the story. He also got Zaza to play the 5, he also got Al Harrington to play the 4.

[Lascar78]

yeah I was wondering about him, I thought it was 52 or something. Still, one guy out of however many drafts. There are also undrafted guys who make it in other countries and then come over. But to have expectations for a 59th pick is absurd.

[AHF]

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to have expectations for a 59th pick is absurd.

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Agreed. Here are the other 55+ notables I could find in the last decade:

Mark Blount 1997

Ryan Bowen 1998

Luis Scola 2002

Absurd to rate someone based on bust rate of about 90% - especially when Ankyol wouldn't be expected to play for another couple years anyway.

[Plainview1981]

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23- when he said "two years", is the current season the first, or is he saying that after this season finishes he will stay there for two additional seasons before the NBA?

Thanks, great info. He may never be a PG, but if he develops into an NBA player, he can certainly help our backcourt.

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So it would be something like Mano with the Spurs?

[gsuteke]

ok, here is what someone with some COMMON SENSE would have done.

you bring in Randolph Morris for a workout. Well hell why not draft the guy at 59? DUUUUHHHHH it makes alot more sense than wasting a draft pick which is in essence what you are condoning.

[Lascar78]

it's not wasted. One of the top turkish prospects is our if he ever becomes an NBA caliber player. If not, no loss.

If Randolph Morris was ready for the NBA, we could have signed him right after the draft. We did not because he would have been worthless.

[AHF]

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ok, here is what someone with some COMMON SENSE would have done.

you bring in Randolph Morris for a workout. Well hell why not draft the guy at 59? DUUUUHHHHH it makes alot more sense than

wasting

a draft pick which is in essence what you are condoning.

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WTF

I am getting sick of people jumping straight into aggressive, over-the-top insulting posts without provocation. I beg of you - if you are going to do that at least have a point to your post. The fact is that the Hawks could have both Morris and Ankyol if the Hawks were willing to simply offer Morris a contract. That is a VERY GOOD reason not to draft him at 59.

Any team in the NBA could have Morris if they offered him a guaranteed contract for something like 2 years/$1M. WTF would we use a draft pick on him when you can sign him for free? If we drafted him and didn't sign him that would be a much bigger waste, IMO. We haven't made an effort to sign him to date so what possible good do you think would have come from drafting him?

The reason I am condoning the route the Hawks went is that most of the guys available at that point in the draft are too raw/undeveloped to offer immediate help. Drafting a foreign player with the pick gives you several years of free development. IMO, the odds are significantly higher that foreign prospect develops in a few years than a guy who isn't good enough now to be drafted is suddenly good enough to make a contribution. Two of the recent standout prospects from the end of the draft have been foreign players that the Spurs drafted and let develop in Europe. I don't think that is a coincidence.

[exodus]

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Drafting a foreign player with the pick gives you several years of free development. IMO, the odds are significantly higher that foreign prospect develops in a few years than a guy who isn't good enough now to be drafted is suddenly good enough to make a contribution.

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Exactly. In fact I don't think BK even knew what position he played.

I read an article about draft night and apparently when that pick came up BK asked his international scout what player he wanted to draft and leave over there to develop. BK apparently just took the guys word and didn't ask about what kind of player he was.

[Weez]

while I agree with the basic logic of hte Randolph argument, it's pretty cut and dry at this point that, after his stock fell as it did, he didn't want to be in the NBA/ iddn't belong yet...

see the fact that no one else drafted him either! nor did anyone try and sign him in the summer (though we did pick him up for our summer league right? which he elected not to attend while trying to finagle getting back into the NCAA).

thus, the pick is really a moot point.

if that's something that a person wants to Dig at BK about, then go ahead ~ it's a pretty small issue

[AHF]

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while I agree with the basic logic of hte Randolph argument, it's pretty cut and dry at this point that, after his stock fell as it did, he didn't want to be in the NBA/ iddn't belong yet...

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I am having trouble following what you are agreeing with. Are you agreeing that BK should have drafted Randolph and not a developmental pick or that we could have both Randolph and a developmental pick if we wanted (and thus it makes no sense to criticize BK over that pick)?

[gsuteke]

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ok, here is what someone with some COMMON SENSE would have done.

you bring in Randolph Morris for a workout. Well hell why not draft the guy at 59? DUUUUHHHHH it makes alot more sense than

wasting

a draft pick which is in essence what you are condoning.

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WTF

I am getting sick of people jumping straight into aggressive, over-the-top insulting posts without provocation. I beg of you - if you are going to do that at least have a point to your post. The fact is that the Hawks could have both Morris and Ankyol if the Hawks were willing to simply offer Morris a contract. That is a VERY GOOD reason not to draft him at 59.

Any team in the NBA could have Morris if they offered him a guaranteed contract for something like 2 years/$1M. WTF would we use a draft pick on him when you can sign him for free? If we drafted him and didn't sign him that would be a much bigger waste, IMO. We haven't made an effort to sign him to date so what possible good do you think would have come from drafting him?

The reason I am condoning the route the Hawks went is that most of the guys available at that point in the draft are too raw/undeveloped to offer immediate help. Drafting a foreign player with the pick gives you several years of free development. IMO, the odds are significantly higher that foreign prospect develops in a few years than a guy who isn't good enough now to be drafted is suddenly good enough to make a contribution. Two of the recent standout prospects from the end of the draft have been foreign players that the Spurs drafted and let develop in Europe. I don't think that is a coincidence.

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who is being aggressive? Billy Knight has never exhibited any common sense since he took the GM job. he's good at one thing, blowing up rosters and creating cap room. He has yet to draft a 1, 4, or 5 since he's been in Atlanta. to compound this issue he's been stocked with first rounders since he's been here as a result of blowing up the roster.

and please don't tell me he drafted some guy on a whim while not even knowing his position for christ's sake!

you know i'm not insulting anyone on this board, this thread just brought out the inner anti-BK feelings that have been building up for the past 3 years while he's made blunder after management blunder.

[AHF]

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who is being aggressive?

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Your last post was but lets do a quick bury the hatchet and write it off to frustration with BK.

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and

please

don't tell me he drafted some guy on a whim while not even knowing his

position

for christ's sake!

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I don't think this is the case. I think exodus is reading more into the AJC article immediately following the draft than is there. My take on things it that BK asked his scout who specializes in foreign prospects who the best remaining player is to take and let develop overseas and got Cenk as his answer. I don't think he took Cenk without knowing what position he played, etc. but I do think he made a conscious decision to draft someone who could develop overseas for a few years rather than players who he thought would not make the team that season (and would thus not be of any more value to the team than any other UFA).

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you know i'm not insulting anyone on this board, this thread just brought out the inner anti-BK feelings that have been building up for the past 3 years while he's made blunder after management blunder.

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I can understand frustration over roster duplication, etc. issues you mentioned in your post but I really feel the call on the 59th pick was the absolute right one.

If Morris was the right pick we could have already had him on the team and could have him tomorrow. I don't see any benefit in taking someone you don't intend to sign whereas I do see a benefit in trying to score a player through the Manu, Scola, etc. route. This guy does appear to be a legimate prospect which makes me happier still.

[Weez]

there was obvioulsy a lot of people who didn't think RM worth a second round pick ~ and I think it's hard to fault BK for not selecting him, given that no one else did either, that no one picked him up over the summer (to a contract at least) and that he is now likely returning to school for yet another year.

If nit-picking on the 58th pick is what you're using as 'fuel' against BK then you've got to realize that you're really searching.

[gsuteke]

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there was obvioulsy a lot of people who didn't think RM worth a second round pick ~ and I think it's hard to fault BK for not selecting him, given that no one else did either, that no one picked him up over the summer (to a contract at least) and that he is now likely returning to school for yet another year.

If nit-picking on the 58th pick is what you're using as 'fuel' against BK then you've got to realize that you're really searching.

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blowing last year's 59th pick was one in a long line of bad decisions made by Billy Knight over the past 3 seasons. i'm establishing a motive for the crime here, not actually placing Billy at the scene yet with this particular move.

last night's Orlando game places him at the scene.

[AHF]

I still don't see how he possibly blew the 59th pick when we all agree that the guy you think he should have selected could have been signed and still can be signed with a simple offer of a guaranteed contract. How is it a mistake to not draft him? What possible good could have come of drafting him if the Hawks aren't willing to sign him?

If you want to argue that not signing him is a mistake, I can understand that argument but I don't get the blown 59th pick argument.

[gsuteke]

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I still don't see how he possibly blew the 59th pick when we all agree that the guy you think he should have selected could have been signed and still can be signed with a simple offer of a guaranteed contract. How is it a mistake to not draft him? What possible good could have come of drafting him if the Hawks aren't willing to sign him?

If you want to argue that not signing him is a mistake, I can understand that argument but I don't get the blown 59th pick argument.

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i cannot see the forest... the trees are in the way!

[Diesel]

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BK had a tough decision between the guy most acknowledged had the most potential, and a lesser guy who fit a need.

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That's a lot of BS.

Marvin never had the most potential and Paul was never a lesser guy...

Marvin was an unknown commodity.

Paul was recieving some backlash for punching another player in the lower extremitees.

But Paul has always had star potential written all over him. A star at every level.

Somebody said that Paul was the next Isiah Thomas... People laughed. However, no other PG has had this kind of Impact ona team in his rookie year. Even Jason Kidd going to a loaded Dallas team didn't do the things that Paul has done.

I'm sure you can find some obsecure Sportswriter who is not accountable who said that Marvin Williams is going to be the next Dominique Wilkins.. but you have never seen it in his game. Has Marvin ever led anything?? If he would have come out with Howard and Smith, he would have probably been picked late first early second.

[Weez]

that 'somebody' was you...

and all of the media pundits had Marvin listed on this potential that you so casually discard...

Paul's 'fall' in the draft had LITTLE to do with the aforementioned groin incident (and you know this)

and do you truly think by adding two guys (howard and smith) to the draft pool that Marvin would have fallen 30 spots into the second?

come on dude, you're reaching here and it's starting to get (or has become, and I'm being nice) a little tiresome. I wasn't for Marvin either but you know why he was picked, what nearly EVERY analyst thought of him...and he wasn't your first pg choice either if memory serves me correctly.

Diesel, simply put, you're one of the most informed and well read posters on this board. You know your players, your teams...and not simply the guys from atlanta or ones on ESPN/Sportscenter favourites list...you're above this sort of personal agenda motivated stances and dullness...

[Traceman]

If you want to knock BK's decision to draft Marvin over your boy Deron, fine, but if you were GM, we still would not have Chris Paul.

[emeans]

I am glad someone brought that up. If Diesel was GM on last years draft night the Atlanta Hawks would have drafted Deron Williams NOT Chris Paul.

I don't know why we continue to argue about Paul versus Williams. 95% percent of fans, GMS, owners would have drafted Marvin for the Hawks at #2.

Even in Diesel's draft night pick we still would be without Chris Paul, so leave it alone and stop acting like he was your Number 1 Point Guard. Deron was you No. 1 guy!!