If you could go back in time...

[DavidSomerset]

Would you do the JJ trade all over again?

2 1st round picks, and Boris Diaw for JJ.

[DJ_Money]

If I could go back in time, I would be praying that AOL sold the team to that used car dealer. I've never met a car salesman as shady as Belkin...

...but, to answer your question, yes.

[Lascar78]

definitely

[DavidSomerset]

I just hope he becomes the player we all envision him to be.

Personally, I think he has the potential to be a top 15, MAYBE 10 player in the league once he hits his prime and the talent around him develops more and more.

[Wretch]

I was never comfortable with the limited protection on the 2nd pick; though, I didn't think there was a realistic way to judge the trade at the time.

Who knows what our pick will be next year...?

Low teens? Late lottery?

It's still unclear, but one thing is not: I do not like giving up lottery picks. Period.

If I could go back, I would do the deal. I didn't dislike it. However, if Phoenix had said it's Top 3 protected or nothing...I would have called them on it.

[AHF]

Quote:

---

I was never comfortable with the limited protection on the 2nd pick; though, I didn't think there was a realistic way to judge the trade at the time.

Who knows what our pick will be next year...?

Low teens? Late lottery?

It's still unclear, but one thing is not: I do not like giving up lottery picks. Period.

If I could go back, I would do the deal. I didn't dislike it. However, if Phoenix had said it's Top 3 protected or nothing...

I would have called them on it

.

---

That is my feeling. I think they would have done it for Diaw, the Bos/LA pick and greater protection on the 2007 Atlanta pick.

[thesheedera]

Depends on how you ask the question.

If its:

1) In hindsight, would you do it all over again the exact same way with the alternative being keeping Boris and the picks.

Absolutely - Boris would not have had a breakout year as a Hawk, and while it was VERY costly, I think we needed to make the sacrifice to get a franchise guy. I believe Joe is that kind of player.

2) In hindsight, would you do it the same exact way if you had the power to make it different.

Absolutely not, I would keep the picks if I could, or I would have kept Boris, or hell, if I could sign him outright I would have. If you're giving me the power to alter it as I like, I'd just get JJ straight up.

Realistically though, had we gotten closer to top 10 protection on the 07 pick, I don't think anyone would be crying about the trade, and it would probably be looked at as a piece of genius by Billy.

One thing I respect about Billy is that I think he makes decisions with conviction and he's willing to take calculated risks. I think he believed in JJ and he was willing to risk a lot to get him. He certainly saw more in him than I did at first. I was more than pleased with how good JJ has been as a Hawk.

[sturt]

1. The evidence says that Diaw, to thrive, needed to be in a D'Antoni type system. The evidence further says that Diaw was not going to progress in Woody's system.

Therefore, I set aside Diaw's 2006 success as irrelevant to the question, and consider the Diaw we had long ago dismissed as a draft bust as what we would still have on the roster.

2. The evidence -- ie, that BK has confirmed his attempts to move into the late 1st round to pick up one of these guys -- says that Rajon Rondo or Marcus Williams would have been a Hawk.

3. The conventional wisdom is that the 2007 draft pick will be something between #8 and #16... and of course, the jury is out as to the actual value of that player, but conventional wisdom also would conjecture that this will be the player that emerges as the most significant value.

4. The other consideration in this equation is that playoff caliber teams have an economy on their roster such that there are one or two or three players who have multiple talents that set them apart. Had this trade not occurred, the Hawks would only have Harrington as a proven player of that ilk (...though we now have reason to anticipate that JSmoove, at least, and possibly MWill will attain that status in the next season or two).

Conclusion: While the Hawks admittedly gave up a lot, and while they look even worse since Diaw made such a stunning transition to the D'Antoni system, it was a trade that still made the Hawks better than they would have been otherwise.

Again the big key will be who the Hawks "lose" as a consequence from the 2007 draft... but otoh, timemachining back to Summer 2005, it's questionable whether anyone would have endorsed waiting two whole seasons before obtaining that guy instead of just going ahead to acquire JJ.

[chillzatl]

yes. we don't know the inside dealing that went on or what was said in those deals. Would I liked to have kept the picks or had better protection on them? yes! But I seriously doubt that Billy gave up more than he felt he had to in order to get the deal done.

Giving up Diaw was a no brainer. He didn't want to be here, he wouldn't do what was asked of him and most of us were ready for him to be gone anyway.

The picks are really an open ended book. If we play to a level that makes the picks late first rounders, it was a great deal. If we can't do that and they end up being high lotto picks, it was a bad deal. Billy basically rolled the dice on his coach and his own talent evaluation skills.

[SmooveTheFuture]

While we are at why not go back and select Chris Paul 2nd overall over Marvin Williams and get us back into the playoffs!

[phx_suns]

Quote:

---

definitely

---

Wow.

So you would give up a bonafide star. The only player in the NBA that can legitimately play the point(he had triple doubles each time he did, has Johnson ever had even 1?), Small forward(his natural position), Power forward(increased his production each and every month), and center(where he can be an all-star next year in the West). Not to mention how he can easily play the 2 since his 3 pt percentage has been on a steady rise. An unselfish player whom was the only player in the NBA besides Lebron to average at least 13pts 7rpg and 6apg. A triple double waiting to happen. You would trade this for..

A wanna-be point guard whose really a 2-guard? A selfish player whom time and time again refused to pass the ball to the frachise player on the team because of his jealousy. A good but not a great player, definately no where near as a complete a player as Diaw. Not to mention a player thats gonna cost you 70 million over 5 years, whereas Diaw is prepared to sign for a 7-8 mil/5 yr deal? PLUS 2 first round picks?!

It must be some good stuff you're smoking.

As for the smart mouth that said I should worry about Amare's prime ending at 24 in one of these threads. 50% of Amare is greater than 100% of any player on your entire roster. And no one in Phoenix is worried about STAT. I can't personally wait until some of your players end up on his posters. Especially wanna-be superstar Johnson.

[TheDude]

ahh yes the Phoenix homer....

i'll put it this way. Joe Johnson has led our team. Boris Diaw wouldn't shoot a shot if you paid him to (oh wait, we did pay him too)..

thank your lucky stars my friend for the Steve Nash aquisition. without him although those so-called superstars you got there including Mr Wonderful Diaw wouldn't be half as good as they've showed.

[Lascar78]

LMFAO at Boris Diaw a "bonafide star".

He has a career average of 8/5, a career 3 pt% of .217. He is the product of a great system and the 2 time MVP, and even then got 13 ppg, which is good, but far from star status.

[Diesel]

I definitely would.

for the simple fact that with Al's free agency coming up and a bunch of young players already here, we had to start somewhere. I don't think anybody will be bitching about this trade 2 years down the road. In fact, we'd probably be applauding it as the right thing to do because truthfully, when Diaw threatened to go back to France and play... (which is a very real threat) that to me was treasonous and he had no place on the Hawks team in my eyes. The 2 picks is just the cost of doing business.

You don't get something for nothing. I'm sure Phoenix would have matched.

[Hoosier]

You can talk about how great all the players are on the Suns roster if you want, it's good for you, but let something happen to Nash.................

[drzachary]

Quote:

---

You can talk about how great all the players are on the Suns roster if you want, it's good for you, but let something happen to Nash.................

---

You know.. trolls don't have distinguishing palates. They'll eat pretty much anything you give them. Until the admin bans him, I'd suggest we just ignore him.

[twentythree]

Quote:

---

1. The evidence says that Diaw, to thrive, needed to be in a D'Antoni type system. The evidence further says that Diaw was not going to progress in Woody's system.

Therefore, I set aside Diaw's 2006 success as irrelevant to the question, and consider the Diaw we had long ago dismissed as a draft bust as what we would still have on the roster.

---

You're right. Here's another point.

Dude can play in four positions. sg, sf, pf, c. Do you remember which position was Diaw forced to play in Atlanta? PG! I mean the only position that he can't play!

So, I'll make that trade with a small change. Put top 10 protection for 2007 pick.

[KB21]

I absolutely would make that trade again. There's no question about it.

[CBAreject]

Yeah, we we'd be a 50-win team with a bona fide star like Diaw leading us. Now why did we go and trade him for a role player again?

[cyman3]

Quote:

---

LMFAO at Boris Diaw a "bonafide star".

---

Diaw- i love the player and all. i dont criticize him as much as others on this board. i really do like his game and all. but hes a BONAFIDE ROLE PLAYER! not a star. not even close.

If the trade was on the table again, id easily do it. I think the SUNS would too. there are trade scenarios where both teams BENEFIT.

seems like these days, everyone wants to know- who got the better trade when it comes to ALL TRADES. they simply do not understand that there are trades out there that sometimes BENEFITS both teams.

we are a better team w/ JOE JOHNSON.

the SUNS went to the conference finals w/ BORIS DIAW.

the trade worked out well for both of us.