True Ballhogging

[exodus]

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But they will be the starting forwards.

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Then why spend a top 5 pick on a bench player?

Remember that the Hawks basically committed to draft Shelden

before the combine, drafting him ahead of Foye and Roy who most people rated much higher.

Al blocked a shot about twice a month and is one of the worst interior defenders I have ever seen while Smith finished 4th in the league in blocks. The fact that he plays much better D at the 3 is obvious. I can do a poll if you doubt it. Or just go back and look at the old threads. We went over this many times.

Al did a good job when he got swithed up on quality perimeter players. In fact they used Al in late game situations to cover guys like Vince and Ray Allen and he actually did a good job. But in the lane against bigger players he just did his matador routine.

Plus he has said many times that he prefers to play the 3 and played the 3 most of the previous season. So why wouldn't he play the 3 this year? Because they don't have confidence in Smith at the 4.

Shelden, Smith and Marvin are all going to get 30 minutes per game. The real playing time crunch will be in the backcourt.

[swolehawk2]

So we drafted a bench player with the number two pick?

[exodus]

One way or another the Hawks will start the season with 2 top 6 picks coming off the bench. No way around it since Smith is a lock to start somewhere.

If it was up to me Smith would have been the starting 4 much of this past season. If it was up to me the Hawks would have drafted a guard and Smith would start at the 4 next season.

But it isn't up to me. Everything the Hawks have done points to Shelden being the long term starter at the 4. Smith could possibly outplay him and win the starting role but it is Sheldens job to lose. The only way he doesn't start the season is if he hasn't learned the system well enough.

[TexasPete]

I wish it had been up to you...

[Johnnybravo4]

There is no way in hell they give that slot to Shelden. Especially with Josh's performance in last years second half.

[exodus]

Quote:

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Especially with Josh's performance in last years second half.

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That is why Smith will be starting at the 3.

[swolehawk2]

Yeah, we drafted Marvin at number 2 so he can be our sixth man for the rest of his career.

Please

[AHF]

Personally, I think part of the reason they had the SL team run through Marvin is because they expect him to step up his game next season and that would be natural to do as a starter so I see us moving in that direction. We'll see, though.

[Lascar78]

I think that anyone who thinks that the starting lineup is already decided is sorely mistaken.

If you look at woody's record, he likes to make young guys earn their pt / starts, where the joshes are exceptions because there was no choice. that leads me to believe that marvin-smith will start at 3-4. The only reason this gets messy is that if woody strongly believes that shelden will start soon, it would look really bad to start marvin (or smith) and then yank him after a month or whatever to start shelden. Especially in marvin's case. He definitely could start shelden from day 1.

My guess is

speedy/lue

jj/salim

marvin/chill

smith/shelden

zaza

but i wouldn't bet a single dime on it

[exodus]

I think you are still misunderstanding me. I am basing my expectations for next year strictly on the teams actions. However down the road I think things will look different.

3 seasons from now I think Marvin will have the 3 on lockdown. I also think there is a good chance (60-40) that Smoove will have won the starting 4 spot.

Smoove's weaknesses at the 4 right now are lack of strength and limited post game. Those areas can be improved. Shelden's main weakness is his short reach, which can't be improved. And Sheldens post game, while better than Smiths, really isn't that great. His jump hook is a bit of a throw. In the end I think Smith will outplay Shelden but that is distant speculation.

But next year they aren't going to start Marvin at the 3 over Smith just because Marvin played well in summer league. And I don't see them suddenly changing their mind that Smith is a 4 when they showed clearly during this past season that they don't see him as a 4.

[Traceman]

None of us KNOW who will start. In fact, I'd say the only lock to start right now is JJ. Smoove is VERY likely to start but he had better not assume that.

[KB21]

Considering the way Mike and Billy talk about Zaza, I'd say he's a lock to start as well. I'd also consider Speedy pretty much a lock to be the starter.

[swolehawk2]

What I don't understand is why would you just start Shelden for the sake of just starting him...he is clearly not as ready to play as Smith or Marvin, so why would he start...plus they started Marvin/Smoove together last year.

Why would you start Shelden if you thought he would lose his position eventually anyway.

Let Shelden grow, limit his minutes so he does not hurt the team and let Marvin/Smoove build off what they started last year?

Shelden will grow into a center in this league...we will have a front line that will be hard to defend and that complimemts each other.

[exodus]

Again you are not looking at it from the team's point of view. This is the team that shut down their workouts a month early and drafted Shelden over guys who many had rated higher. obviously their opinion of Shelden is higher than ours.

And this past season they only started Smith at the 4 by default.

[Weez]

others ahve said it and I'm reiterating...post players get no love in the SL's; guys are all fighting for spots and if you're a big man, particularly one already signed AND playing with backcourt players with NO contract...you won't see the ball that often (unless you're a seasoned SL player and all round journeyman ready to commit to the label of 'true pg').

As for SW...I think that others are right ~ and he's even alluded to this ~ he's overthought plays once receiving the ball, a completley common occurence, especially for a mroe 'heady' player that is adjusting to the pace of the NBA game (triply so in SL) ~ it's up and down all the way...a Darius Miles playground).

Finally, to Sailm...Woody NEEDS to play him at the point. Someone here compared him to Delk ~ GREAT! Delk is a serviceable bu pg in certain situations. If Salim can't learn to at least be a non-negative factor from the point, his career will be severly limited. Case-in-point ~ Casey Jacobsen. While he was never asked to play the point (given his speed and body type), he was a P10 guy who could shoot it from ANYWHERE (watch the stanford games wehre he would chuck it from 35 feet out, swish...I could go on with his background in the arena)...but he's out of the league now. Why? He could only hit threes. Kerr was the exception, a right guy at the right time who happened to TRULY build a reputation on this (and had an uncanny ability to NOT need to be in the game/start/get much pt in order to IMMEDIATELY come in with timing).

I apologize for the stream of consciosness! It's been a long couple of weeks (started residency) and I'm happy to have some time to sit down with the Squawk today!