New Backup center is Lorenzo Wright

[BornandDieHawks]

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Lets look at the offseason aquisitions so far:

-Speedy (who I like)....average NBA starter

-Wright..... average/below average starter

-Shelden..... hopefully above average starter but obviously the jury is out

When I look at these aquisitions I don't see a team that is trying to become a contender. i see a team that is on the fast track to .500.

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Since we all know BK is not taking any players back for AL, this sums up our offseason.

[KB21]

Billy just keeps making good move after good move. This contract for Lo Wright will end up being a bargain. Lo is a very good rebounder who is a good positional defender. He will give the Hawks a very capable back up to Zaza in the post.

[gutz]

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Wright averaged 6/5 last year. His career high is 12 ppg. He is certainly a better defender than Zaza but that isn't saying much.

Lets look at the offseason aquisitions so far:

-Speedy (who I like)....average NBA starter

-Wright..... average/below average starter

-Shelden..... hopefully above average starter but obviously the jury is out

When I look at these aquisitions I don't see a team that is trying to become a contender. i see a team that is on the fast track to .500.

Filling needs is obviously important but if you want to be contenders you can't just fill out your roster with average players.

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Oh I guess you forgot the rest of our team those three acquistions are playing with. Guys our team is definitely going to compete for a playoff spot this season. At least to the point where were in it till the last two weeks of the season or so. And you never know they might surprise us. I mean JJ is just turning into an all-star right before our very eyes. Marvin just dominated and won the MVP of the SL. Josh Smith is a flat out a baller who showed us tremendous improvement the second half of last year putting up Kirilenko type numbers with plenty more room to improve. Zaza is a 22yr old center who will more than likely average a double-double this year with his 1st year as a starter under his belt averaging 12pts/8rbs. Wright is nothing special but he will come in and contribute in the interior. Salim is one of the purest shooters in the NBA who will only get better this year off the bench for scoring. Chill is a great 6th or 7th man that can score, rebound, and play defense. The Landlord will be solid down in the post blocking shots and using that 260lb. frame to push people around. With that all being said I think we can say we have one of the most all around athletic teams in the NBA that should cause some matchup problems. I'm just trying to be optomistic and we should all be excited. We finally have a team that will at least compete in year 4 of the rebuilding process. Were going in the right direction. Hey if this team can finish close to .500 or a few games over were in the hunt for the 7th or 8th seed. I would love it!! I'm pumped and ready to see what we get for AL and get this next season rolling! GO HAWKS

[DrReality]

On one hand I am disappointed and wanted Mags or a better talent. But on the other hand, Lo is a better team player than Mags, or Wilcox or Candi. All those guys had some character issues and that's the last thing we want with our young gusy. What he brings is some defense and ten years of experience. He will help the young guys develop and contribute to the chemestry on the team. He's not going to set the world on fire, but he will not hinder what we're trying to do with the core of our team. It was not a good step forward but more like a healthy step side ways. I'll be glad to see him back in Atl.

[Guest Walter]

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Billy just keeps making good move after good move. This contract for Lo Wright will end up being a bargain. Lo is a very good rebounder who is a good positional defender. He will give the Hawks a very capable back up to Zaza in the post.

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You have gone beyond all reasonable support for this offseason.

Why is a "bargain" so important when we need talent? This is a nothing special move for a team in the midst of it's most flexible offseason with it's greatest amount of draft, FA, talent, and cap room capitol in 10 years.

We don't need "bargains" we need results.

W

[Guest Walter]

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All of this and we still have a losing team with the great, unused cap space! How can you not be caple of trading Al Harrington, one of the top 2 or 3 free-agents available this summer, for a starting NBA player???????????????? That plus drafting a player at #5 that no one else rated nearly that high! Billy and Bernie are complete idiots. Chad Ford is correct, Billy Knight is the worst GM in basketball and the least respected. While I don't want Belkin running things, this ownership group needs to change things at the top quickly.

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[lush23]

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Hey if this team can finish close to .500 or a few games over were in the hunt for the 7th or 8th seed. I would love it!! I'm pumped and ready to see what we get for AL and get this next season rolling! GO HAWKS

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This team will not smell .500! If Joe gets injured we finish at the bottom.

[Final_quest]

This past offseason we have filled needs with marginal players while at the same time still being in a good cap position. You could obviously think that we are not building a contender, but if you're optimistic you take faith that we are not loaded down by a contract like Troy Murphy.

This offseason says wait a little longer for the finished product. How can we hope for more than .500 record with this ensemble?

[exodus]

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Why is a "bargain" so important when we need talent? This is a nothing special move for a team in the midst of it's most flexible offseason with it's greatest amount of draft, FA, talent, and cap room capitol in 10 years.

We don't need "bargains" we need results.

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As painful as this is for me I have to agree with Walter.

Suddenly I have the urge to take a very long shower.

[gutz]

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quote]Hey if this team can finish close to .500 or a few games over were in the hunt for the 7th or 8th seed. I would love it!! I'm pumped and ready to see what we get for AL and get this next season rolling! GO HAWKS

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This team will not smell .550! If Joe gets injured we finish at the bottom.

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I beg to differ sir! Thats a big IF that JJ gets hurt since he never has been hurt his whole career so far. But your right if JJ got hurt were going nowhere this year. I mean for all we know Marvin and Josh Smith will blow up this year and surprise us which is possible. Way to be optomistic man! You sure your a Hawks fan?

[Guest Walter]

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We are one injury away from winning 20 games next season.

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No joke.

I don't see this team improving much at all despite the development of JS, MW and JC and the additions of SC and Lo. NO LO POST SCORING! More importantly, this team has NO long-term ability to contend for a title. Just horrible. KB, likes the "bargain" in Lo, but other than sounding like cheap ass Belkin, KB will support BK to the end of the Hawks (which might happen soon at this rate).

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This team will struggle to score.

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Among other things. Poor JJ, I know he is crying in a towel when he looks at this team. "What have I done?!?"

W

[DrReality]

Read em and weap. Look how Lo left us in 01.

TRANSACTIONS

07/19/01: The Memphis Grizzlies traded Shareef Abdur Rahim to the Atlanta Hawks for Lorenzen Wright, Brevin Knight and the rights to the #3 pick in the 2001 draft, Pau Gasol. As a result of this trade, the Grizzlies received a Traded Player Exception of $1,125,000.

How would you rate this as Mr Nice Guy GM moves?

[gutz]

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Why is a "bargain" so important when we need talent? This is a nothing special move for a team in the midst of it's most flexible offseason with it's greatest amount of draft, FA, talent, and cap room capitol in 10 years.

We don't need "bargains" we need results.

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As painful as this is for me I have to agree with Walter.

Suddenly I have the urge to take a very long shower.

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You guys act like this offseason was full of FA's or something! It was a very weak FA class this year. Who did you want us to use our cap space on? I mean AL was the #2 rated FA this offseason! Wallace is getting old and not worth his contract. I mean we don't want to just sign a FA to say were using our cap space. We made solid improves that improved our team and our youngsters will hopefully blossom even more than last year. Were on the way up with tons of capspace for next year with a better FA class. Come on guys! Get Pumped!

[unknownjdb]

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Billy just keeps making good move after good move. This contract for Lo Wright will end up being a bargain. Lo is a very good rebounder who is a good positional defender. He will give the Hawks a very capable back up to Zaza in the post.

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Finally a rational thought...

[Guest Walter]

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You guys act like this offseason was full of FA's or something! It was a very weak FA class this year. Who did you want us to use our cap space on? I mean AL was the #2 rated FA this offseason! Wallace is getting old and not worth his contract. I mean we don't want to just sign a FA to say were using our cap space. We made solid improves that improved our team and our youngsters will hopefully blossom even more than last year. Were on the way up with tons of capspace for next year with a better FA class. Come on guys! Get Pumped!

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You don't have to just sign FAs. You can trade for just about anyone. You can do just about anything during the draft. Look at Portland. FAcy is one part of the puzzle. It's actually our best part (but by no means good) with Speedy. Our failings have been in trading Al, getting the most out of our draft pick, and utilizing our cap space and young talent to further a blockbuster deal getting us a superstar.

W

[gutz]

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You guys act like this offseason was full of FA's or something! It was a very weak FA class this year. Who did you want us to use our cap space on? I mean AL was the #2 rated FA this offseason! Wallace is getting old and not worth his contract. I mean we don't want to just sign a FA to say were using our cap space. We made solid improves that improved our team and our youngsters will hopefully blossom even more than last year. Were on the way up with tons of capspace for next year with a better FA class. Come on guys! Get Pumped!

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You don't have to just sign FAs. You can trade for just about anyone. You can do just about anything during the draft. Look at Portland. FAcy is one part of the puzzle. It's actually our best part (but by no means good) with Speedy. Our failings have been in trading Al, getting the most out of our draft pick, and utilizing our cap space and young talent to further a blockbuster deal getting us a superstar.

W

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The Al deal isn't even done so what are you talking about? Were going to get at least a 1st round out of the Al deal for next year in a deep draft of big men. What superstar did you want us to go after and what superstar was really on the trading block other than Iverson? Quit bitching and support the team for once!

[unknownjdb]

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You guys act like this offseason was full of FA's or something! It was a very weak FA class this year. Who did you want us to use our cap space on? I mean AL was the #2 rated FA this offseason! Wallace is getting old and not worth his contract. I mean we don't want to just sign a FA to say were using our cap space. We made solid improves that improved our team and our youngsters will hopefully blossom even more than last year. Were on the way up with tons of capspace for next year with a better FA class. Come on guys! Get Pumped!

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You don't have to just sign FAs. You can trade for just about anyone. You can do just about anything during the draft. Look at Portland. FAcy is one part of the puzzle. It's actually our best part (but by no means good) with Speedy. Our failings have been in trading Al, getting the most out of our draft pick, and utilizing our cap space and young talent to further a blockbuster deal getting us a superstar.

W

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Do you have so little faith in our players and team?

[Guest Walter]

Do you have so little faith in our players and team?

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[VDiLetto]

Look at it this way, We just paid 3 mil so John Edwards never has to represent our team AGAIN!!! We got a veteran who just drove our average age from like 23 to 27 probably. We needed a vet out there inside. We got a solid backup for the price of a solid backup. The problem is taht everyone is too damn antsy because of the Al situation.

[unknownjdb]

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Do you have so little faith in our players and team?

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In fact, my whole post was about our failed opportunities this offseason. Did you miss something perhaps? Like the post itself.

W

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Maybe I did miss something. Then again, maybe you're the one missing out.

Is your hatred for our management so all-encompassing that you can't even see that we may actually have a good team to route for? Why must we make a blockbuster trade to recieve a superstar that would, more than likely, be past his prime or injury prone? Why can't Joe Johnson or Josh Smith or Marvin Williams or all three be our superstars?

Honestly, is it always a case of "the grass is greener on the other side" for you? It's pessimistic posts like most of yours that keeps me from posting more. It disappoints me that certain "fans" cannot see our teams growth and potential because they're so caught up in realizing who we DON'T have. Why not have a little faith in what is being built.