My question: Has BK met his stated draft criteria?

[sturt]

I'm not anti-Williams, and I'm not anti-BK.

I just want to ask if BK of 6/29/06 is the same BK that told us a month ago that he always goes for the best player available?

BK could be a genius, and Williams could be the next Ben Wallace... BUT all I'm suggesting is that BK, in my humble estimation, did not follow through with his draft philosophy and in fact, strayed pretty far from it.

I think most of us would have to agree that the best player available on the board easily was one of the two players selected after #5.

BK... you broke your own rule. And I'm disappointed because I was here to defend you for it a month ago, as I know KB did as well. It's a sound philosophy.

Obviously, I just hope it works out anyway, but one often pays a price when they extol the virtues of and commit themselves to a good theory, and then choose to ignore their own wisdom.

[Plainview1981]

Quote:

---

I'm not anti-Williams, and I'm not anti-BK.

I just want to ask if BK of 6/29/06 is the same BK that told us a month ago that he always goes for the best player available?

BK could be a genius, and Williams could be the next Ben Wallace... BUT all I'm suggesting is that BK, in my humble estimation, did not follow through with his draft philosophy and in fact, strayed pretty far from it.

I think most of us would have to agree that the best player available on the board easily was one of the two players selected after #5.

BK... you broke your own rule. And I'm disappointed because I was here to defend you for it a month ago, as I know KB did as well. It's a sound philosophy.

Obviously, I just hope it works out anyway, but one often pays a price when they extol the virtues of and commit themselves to a good theory, and then choose to ignore their own wisdom.

---

Well, even if you don't believe in his way of thinking... When a GM starts to be a hypocrite of himself it doesn't look good.

[phoostal]

good post, I could live with drafting the best player even if we had that position filled, but this is not a wise selection at 5

P

[Guest Walter]

(something no one would expect from any GM) and the ONLY reason we didn't pay for it with another team trading ahead of us to get SW is because NOBODY WANTED SHELDEN WILLIAMS near that much.

What a terrible draft selection. Perhaps worse than Keefe (at 10 not 5 BTW) or Knoncak.

W

[sturt]

Good point, W.

[Guest Walter]

Shelden has absolutely NO TRADE VALUE. Nobody trades #5 pick worth for a player like him. Roy? Not only is he a FAR BETTER BASKETBALL PLAYER, and a two-dimensional, versatile one at that, 5 teams would have been clamoring to trade for him. NOBODY wants Shelden Williams people. Nobody. What a fiasco.

W

[sturt]

Returning to the point of the thread, nobody wanted SW @ 5.

Now, perhaps BK would defend that the pick DID fall within his stated philosophy by suggesting that he could not trade down w/ Houston simply because he was aware of the Wolves and Celtics' interest in SW... that, in spite of the fact that few, if any, would predict that.

It's an easy defense to make, but one that is also hard to believe, and he would have to produce some stronger evidence if he wanted to convince anyone... which, BK of course doesn't care to convince anyone else of anything in the first place, so the argument is additionally frustrating for that reason.

Related tangent: One wonders how difficult it is to work for someone with such disregard for others' opinions... that can't be healthy for the organization, which of course is so dysfunctional in the first place.

[Packfill]

If only BK veered from his stated philosophy a year earlier:

Chris Paul

Joe Johnson

Josh Smith

Sheldon Williams

Zaza Pachulia

With Childress, Stoudamire, Lue, Esteban and Solomon Jones off the bench.

45+ win team there.

[Dejay]

Don't remind me, EDS. That team with Harrington would've competed for the playoffs LAST YEAR and would've silenced the likes of Walton who thinks of Diaw as the second coming to Magic, Oscar, and Tiny Archibald combined. I don't care what anyone says, 2 first round picks + $70 million = JJ signs in Atlanta for five years, PERIOD. There's no 'if Paul was here, JJ wouldn't be' crutch to lean upon here.

Two mistakes by BK; first of all, he (or someone in the his inner circle) blurted out who he was going after which killed any hopes of leverage to maximize the 5th pick (you don't think the T'Wolves, Rockets, and Celtics wouldn't have been on the phone to give BK SOMETHING back if he'd had taken Roy or Foye?). Then, when he's stated over and over again about drafting upon BPA and not on need because of the overall lack of talent on the roster, he picks a relatively weak draft to go in complete opposition of his own philosophy. If he'd have done the exact opposite last year, we wouldn't even be in position to get Sheldon because our pick would be in the teens. But Simmons or Armstrong wouldn't be too bad, either.

[Diesel]

I don't think BK blurted out anything. I think it was blurted out first by Arm Tellem.

[drzachary]

Quote:

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I don't care what anyone says, 2 first round picks + $70 million = JJ signs in Atlanta for five years, PERIOD.

---

At the risk of derailing this thread.... that is exactly what we gave up, nothing more.

[DJlaysitup]

Quote:

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Shelden has absolutely NO TRADE VALUE. Nobody trades #5 pick worth for a player like him. Roy? Not only is he a FAR BETTER BASKETBALL PLAYER, and a two-dimensional, versatile one at that,

5 teams

would have been clamoring to trade for him. NOBODY wants Shelden Williams people. Nobody. What a fiasco.

W

---

Walter, I used to appreciate your "positional redundancy" posts but now I'm beginning to see through them. If you really believed what you used to post you would be thrilled with this pick. Shelden will OWN the PF position and will allow the Hawks to make a move in a trade to use some of that redundancy to get a better player at the guard spot.IMHO.

[Johnnybravo4]

Quote:

---

If only BK veered from his stated philosophy a year earlier:

Chris Paul

Joe Johnson

Josh Smith

Sheldon Williams

Zaza Pachulia

With Childress, Stoudamire, Lue, Esteban and Solomon Jones off the bench.

45+ win team there.

---

So what now we will have

Mike James/Ty Lue

Joe Johnson/Salim Stoudamire

Josh Smith/Solomon Grundy

Marvin WilliamsShelden Williams

Zaza/Este

Same difference.

[Yeti]

Now that I've calmed down. If you look at all the trades and business done last night, it is interesting that Atlanta was not involved in anything even though we have lots of needs and have stockpiled a lot of decent forwards. When we have made trades we don't seem to do well. I wonder if BK has alienated the other GMs as much as he has our fans. Does he operate in a complete vacuum - I was surprised to hear Woody say we need a PG when BK is saying it is not a need.

[mountain_jim]

I also wondered if BK might have alienated his potential trading partners with his seemingly arrogant attitude.

mj

[Lascar78]

I highly doubt BK has alienated any GM's. He is very likeable in person. Just because he has a disdain for the media (who constantly mock him) doesn't mean personal conversations with other GM's are awkward.

[foeteen14]

Sheldon Williams was the best player available at #5. look at his career numbers in the NCAA compared to the other players left, look at the amount of wins his teams have had over his four year career, look at the accolaids he's received, and then look at his size, strength, and skillset as a big man. he honestly reminds me of elton brand.

[tmac13]

BK has a disdain for the fans and the media..He has a disdain for anyone that might ask him a question..He brings this all on himself. Anyone with any sense knows that when you have a job that thrusts you in the spotlight you have to be able to handle the media..BK is completely inept in that area.

[foeteen14]

what exactly do you want from the man? everytime i hear him talk he says what you expect a front office guy to say. it's not like he gonna say, yeah i ivey sucks, and lue cant play D, so were trying to get sam cassell in here to run those two wannabees out of town.

or better yet, "yeah, i'm stupid. i knew we had a team full of forwards, but i picked another one anyway. i just can't help it. there's somethin about a 6'8", 6'9" guy that get me all worked up baby.

come on guys if you want colorful commentary listen to interviews with nique. cuz BK only deals with black, white, and gray

[Lascar78]

Agreed but that has nothing to do with the fact that I'm sure he gets along just fine with all other GM's, and that was my point.