Orlando on a role

[exodus]

Orlando will be tough tonight. They have won 12 of 16 and just beat Miami.

Looks like dumping Franchise was addition by subtraction, in the short term as well as the long term.

[clrumph]

Yeah, looking at our schedule the rest of the year the only game I see us winning is Chicago at home and even that one isn't a given because of the way the Bulls play defense.

No matter, I don't want us to pass Toronto in the standings anyway because I want as many ping pong balls as possible in order to get lucky and grab either Aldridge or Thomas.

[exodus]

Toronto is playing without Bosh so they might lose out.

I don't believe the Hawks should be playing for ping pong balls. They have experienced a lot of losing and I don't want them to get used to it. Dropping one place in the lottery standing is no big deal.

Nice spelling in my original post title. Role?

[Jdawgflow]

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Dropping one place in the lottery standing is no big deal.

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I have to disagree here. In the Dwight Howard draft, the Hawks ended up winning just enough that they tied the Clippers. The Hawks then proceeded to lose a coin flip with the Clipps and ended up picking sixth in that draft rather than second.

Plain and simple; we got screwed. There is absolutely no way the Clippers deserved that second pick more than we did. That one extra win ended up costing us a shot at Dwight. One extra win by a bunch of guys playing for contracts (and a coin flip) made the difference between a Hawks team with JChill instead of one anchored by either Dwight Howard or Okafor.

[exodus]

That was a very odd case. I don't think even the Hawks could get that unlucky again.

And everyone on that team is gone. There were only two carryovers, Diaw and Collier, that played the next year.

Many of the guys the Hawks have now are going to be here a long time, and there isn't anyone like Okafor or Howard in this draft. They have to play to win.

If the Hawks move down only 1 place (as opposed to 4 places) I dont think it really matters in this draft.

[Lascar78]

Yup. And I was all for tanking in that case, and all for trying to win in this one.

First of all we're a full 2 games away from any team ahead, and a full 2 games from anyone behind.

So regardless of anyone's intentions, with just a handful of games left, I doubt we'll be caught by anyone, or catch anyone. Also, there is no prized posession in this draft. Aldridge stands above the rest. We're not going to get the worst record, so we'll have to get lucky either way.

So I just don't see much impact on our lottery odds.

HOWEVER, finishing the year out well can probably help us this offseason, when trying to recruit free agents. We want to project the image of a franchise turning the corner, not one that's stuck in neutral

[Jdawgflow]

That is fine if you

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dont think it really matters in this draft

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But I am of the opinion that every single spot matters. With the way guys are not entering the draft this year (i.e. Noah), we need to be as close to the first pick as possible. Having a better pick ALWAYS provides a team with more options.

[TheDude]

last year is different than this year i beleive. I beleive we have a foundation set and we need to show good progress and end the season on a high note.

[exodus]

So in other words you are rooting against the Hawks? You want them to lose out even though they have suffered through so much losing the last two years?

[Jdawgflow]

No, I am not rooting against the Hawks. The point I was making is that there IS a DEFINATE difference in the talent that is available where you pick. You said that it doesn't really matter where we draft. I said it does. That has nothing to do with rooting against the Hawks.

I want the Hawks to win every game. I also want them to get the top pick in the draft. There is nothing wrong with asking for both IMO. Since we are in the lottery no matter what, why not root for the team to win AND hope that we get the #1 pick. I also believe that 2>3>4>5>6>7.......and so on throughout the draft. How teams draft is a different story, but the pick itself is worth more when it is a better pick.

[Plainview1981]

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Orlando will be tough tonight. They have won 12 of 16 and just beat Miami.

Looks like dumping Franchise was addition by subtraction, in the short term as well as the long term.

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Theyt have a point guard and true big men. What's the surprise?? It's funny that these guys got an extremely young team and are winning... But Hawk fans have to keep waiting for the wins and the good play.

[Johnnybravo4]

They also have a better coach than we do