Shelden Haters....

[Diesel]

So far, Patrick O'Bryant can't dominate summer league.

in 4 games, he's averaging 23 mpg and only 2 rebounds??

I usually don't put much stock into SL but DAmN!!

[sinctybldh]

Shelden haters didn't necessarily want O Bryant. Roy and Foye were the two most talked about names and both are doing great in the summer leagues.

[Diesel]

Yeah. That's true.. but there was a herd of folks who wanted Patrick O'Bryant.

I guess we will never hear from those guys again.

[AHF]

Quote:

---

Yeah. That's true.. but there was a herd of folks who wanted Patrick O'Bryant.

I guess we will never hear from those guys again.

---

If O'Bryant busts you can be sure it will be hard to find anyone who wanted to draft a center who was unable to dominate the MAC.

[vdunkndunk]

I was a defender of the Sheldon trade because I thought it made sense to go big rather than small (for defense and rebounding). And I did NOT want Marcus Williams. But Foye was the other guy I thought mnade sense for the Hawks besides Sheldon...so I hope Sheldon can come out and put up some big numbers too.

[KB21]

Yeah. I thought Shelden Williams and Randy Foye made the most sense for the Hawks because both brought the type of defensive ability the Hawks needed.

[TexasPete]

We will regret not taking Randy Foye. Bank it.

[deester11]

I don't hate Shelden, I hated him at 5, I wanted Foye. I'm hoping Shelden proves me wrong like I hope Marvin proves Diesel wrong!

[TexasPete]

Marvin will be fine. Diesel will be embarrassed by his blatant lack of being able to project a player. Didn't he just say he would take Adonal Foyle? Nuff said.

[Guest Walter]

They just hate picking him over Roy and/or Foye, both of whom are better players, better prospects, AND better trade commodities.

That ain't hate of a player, that's hate of a poor decision in selecting a player (over others, that early, etc.).

Many of us also HATE the way BK went about it. He absolutely telegraphed our intentions without anything to gain by doing so and his intentions utterly go against his formerly absolute BPA philosophy.

In short, not a bad player but sill a poor decision, done far too publically, decided too early without enough workouts, and against BK's BPA-absolutist philosophy.

W

[exodus]

Since you love to dig up old posts maybe you could find one where someone said O'Bryant was their top choice at 5.

And speaking of Shelden Haters you were one of the biggest ones until two months AFTER the college season ended.

[WraithSentinel]

There seem to be plenty of O'Bryant supporters on the Realgm board.

[Diesel]

I usually wouldn't pay any attention to you pete... Because you're probably a guy who lives in Tombstone.

Anyway.

I did say I wanted Foyle WITH GOLDEN STATES PICK (UNPROTECTED)

If you think that's a bad plan...

Go back and check and see the last time GS missed a lottery.

[BusBoyIsBack]

Quote:

---

They just hate picking him over Roy and/or Foye, both of whom are better players, better prospects, AND better trade commodities.

That ain't hate of a player, that's hate of a poor decision in selecting a player (over others, that early, etc.).

Many of us also HATE the way BK went about it. He absolutely telegraphed our intentions without anything to gain by doing so and his intentions utterly go against his formerly absolute BPA philosophy.

In short, not a bad player but sill a poor decision, done far too publically, decided too early without enough workouts, and against BK's BPA-absolutist philosophy.

W

---

Roy and Foye are better players? Shelden Williams was 3rd in the voting for player of the year. He was productive all 4 years he was in college and for his career he put up numbers that put him in a category with names like Dave Robinson and Tim Duncan. So I don't think you can say right now that Roy and Foye are clearly better players.

As far as telegraphing our pick, what makes you the expert with the inside information that Billy Knight leaked our pick? The Hawks being heavily interested in Shelden Williams turning into a public guarantee is automatically the fault of our owner?

[deester11]

Busboy...seriously, did you see the way Portland maneuvered to get Roy? If you don't telegraph the pick or give a guarantee your options are plentiful. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, but i would think that we would have solved PG problems and maybe something else given that there were more teams interested in the five position to get a Roy or Foye than to get Shelden Williams.

Some say it wasn't BK's fault, we don't know what he was offered, but for every single mock, GM and couch GM...it was no secret we wanted Shelden. Even if you did, why not deny the rumors or position yourself to POSSIBLY reap the benefits of the world not knowing who you want?

[exodus]

I doubt that anyone there had O'Bryant as their first choice at 5.

If anything he might have been their 3rd choice or maybe a good choice if the Hawks traded down.

[BusBoyIsBack]

Quote:

---

Busboy...seriously, did you see the way Portland maneuvered to get Roy? If you don't telegraph the pick or give a guarantee your options are plentiful. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, but i would think that we would have solved PG problems and maybe something else given that there were more teams interested in the five position to get a Roy or Foye than to get Shelden Williams.

Some say it wasn't BK's fault, we don't know what he was offered, but for every single mock, GM and couch GM...it was no secret we wanted Shelden. Even if you did, why not deny the rumors or position yourself to POSSIBLY reap the benefits of the world not knowing who you want?

---

Well all I know is that we went in the draft wanting to draft a big man and Shelden Williams was by far the best big man available. Telegraphed or not this was true. And no one knows what we tried to do in a trade at our spot. We weren't going to make a trade that didn't make any sense or that made us feel like we couldn't still get our guy.

I laugh at those who wanted Marcus Williams because he never had top 5 draft stock either. Not to mention he didn't fill the biggest weakness on the team like Shelden.

[DrReality]

Hawks sign first-round pick Williams

The Associated Press

Published on: 07/10/06

The Atlanta Hawks have signed first-round draft pick Shelden Williams, general manager Billy Knight said Monday.

Williams (6-9, 250) was a four-year starter at Duke and could immediately earn a starting role at power forward with the Hawks. He was the fifth pick of the draft after averaging 18.7 points and 10.7 rebounds as a senior.

Terms of the contract were not released. A team official who said it is team policy not to disclose contract terms called Williams' deal a standard rookie contract.

The Hawks' negotiations with Williams and second-round pick Solomon Jones of South Florida were not affected by last week's ruling from a Maryland judge that will prevent the Hawks from signing a free agent to a contract longer than one year.

The stipulation from Montgomery County (Md.) Circuit Court Judge Eric Johnson doesn't relate to negotiations with draft picks.

The ruling also apparently doesn't affect negotiations already under way with free agents, including the Hawks' agreement to sign free agent point guard Speedy Claxton. The deal, believed to be for four years, may be announced as early as Wednesday.

Williams is expected to help address the Hawks' poor inside defense. Williams was the national defensive player of the year as a junior and was a two-time Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year.

Williams was a first-team All-America by The Associated Press as a senior.

Williams participated in the first day of the Hawks' rookie camp Monday. The Hawks summer league squad will participate in the Rocky Mountain Revue beginning Thursday in Salt Lake City.

Johnson ruled last month Boston businessman Steve Belkin is entitled to buy the Hawks and the NHL Atlanta Thrashers from his former co-owners. Last week he issued a stay, saying the current ownership and management team should retain control while the appeals are heard.

[Guest Walter]

Quote:

---

Roy and Foye are better players? Shelden Williams was 3rd in the voting for player of the year. He was productive all 4 years he was in college and for his career he put up numbers that put him in a category with names like Dave Robinson and Tim Duncan.

---

...and Shane Battier. Do I think Shelden Williams is a horrible pick? No. He was most certainly not the best pick much less BPA (no matter how you define it) and BK's (non-existant) draft process prior to selecting him was utterly irresponsible and during the draft was lackluster.

Who else leaked the pick? Only two camps could know about it and one of them is told to shut up about it or the promise is void. It's either BK himself or SW's camp and generally any promise made is contingent upon a player/camp keeping it on the down low.

Quote:

---

So I don't think you can say right now that Roy and Foye are clearly better players.

---

I believe I can but more importantly I believe I can considering that everybody and their mother knew who we were drafting and nobody tried to stop us or get SW for themselves, yet a team traded a past lotto and #7 to move up one slot for Roy. HELLO!?! If that doesn't tell you Roy was that much more coveted, then I don't know what would.

Honestly, I don't mind SW on the team. I think we can use a good defensive minded player on the team. I seriously question how his quality consistency will translate to the pros when he is not the strongest and is under-height and length for his position. Most importantly, however, if I'm going to sit rather than trade a #2 pick in MW for anyone, it's not for a 1-dimensional player, if I might have wanted Sw I still would have picked up Roy and (considered) trading down, and I d@mn sure wouldn't have removed any and all competitive draft advantage by telegraphing our selection.

W

[Seano]

Wow, talk about ridiculously premature. So he's struggled in 2 games in the summer league. GASP, the horror.