The things that Diesel Said Are TRUE...

[Diesel]

Remember when I said:

1. Theo would not make much of a difference?

2. JT is not a true PG.

3. Lon shouldn't be coaching.

all true.

The cure for this Hawks team is to get Lon out of the mix. Even with our flaws and rebounding being a big flaw... We can still put together a much better effort with a coach who knows what he is doing.

My fear is that Babcock will Panic as he does often, knee jerk reaction and make a trade that will not make us any better. I can see Babcock sending JT and Big Dog away and bring us a more stable PG who may not be better than what we have. Then like the Dominique yrs, we will go in search of a Sf for ages always wondering why Ira never could amount to much.

However, if we just make a simple coaching change. Get some experience in here.... Somebody who can build around the strengths of our players and not try to mold our players into his system... We'd do better.

That's the fundamental Difference

A college coach is use to getting RAW unmolded talent and fitting that talent into his system. Never does a college coach get talent that has been premolded and then have to find out how to use that talent.

Well, we have a Vet team. MOLDED talent. These guys have all succeeded in the NBA. That means that Lon's approach of trying to fit them into the round holes that he has made called his system won't work.

The Good NBA Coach can take what has been premolded and find a way to use it. That's what most good coaches do. For instance Nellie. He coached a Power game with NEW York because that's what he had was Starks, Ewing, LJ, and Oakley. However now in Dallas he coaches a Finesse game with Dirk, Finley, and Nash... A coach has to be able to adapt to his players and LON can't. He's spent 20 something yrs learning to fit players into his program. You can't do that with established vets.

Lets get a new coach.

[Jamil]

I'm sorry but we've been down this road before. "Change the coach and all will be well."

Nope.

Babcock has had enough years to prove his worthiness as a GM. Allowing him to choose yet another coach will result in more woeful seasons.

Chillz is right. This team is flawed top to bottom and needs to be completely rebuilt. Let's start with a competent General Manager who will do it right this time.

Simply allowing Babcock to find a new coach is not a solution and will only prolong the problems.

It's time to send Team Babcock packing....once and for all.

[Diesel]

I say that this may still be Babcock's last yr. However, we get a new coach and if we make the playoffs... Babcock can stay. However, if we don't Babcock must go.

The reason I say that is because in the past couple of yrs, Babcock has made some great trades and acquisitions.

Lo, BK, and Gasol for SAR/#1 was a good deal.

Morris for a #1 was a good deal.

Toni/#1 for Big dog was a good deal.

#1 for Dickau was a good Deal.

I didn't like Tinsley for #1 but we will see what comes of that.

AND if we pick a new coach, let's not leave it solely up to Babcock. We have Billy Knight (who I respect) and Kasten who can offer equal input because really, the whole regime should be up for consideration.

So... This is what I would do.

1. Fire Lon.

2. Allow Stotts to coach until Jan 1.

3. Bring in a new coach starting Jan 1 (Homestand) and let the team get familiar.

By the end of the season, we will have some idea of what needs to be done. If this team steps up into the playoffs and more importantly is playing well, then Babcock might be safe... However, if not... Then we start afresh. I mean clear the slate totally. Have Kasten step aside and just appoint somebody over basketball in Atlanta. If we were going GM shopping, I would suggest we offer a package to Don Nelson... GM/Coach. Cuban hasn't paid him yet.

The problem with Babcock is that he can't recognize talent....

http://www.nba.com/hawks/news/Yao_Ming_Wor...o-42639-33.html

Nuff Said.

[chillzatl]

Don't take my words too far. Diesel did it on one extreme. I dont' want it happening on another.

We have some excellent players. I would not trade Shareef for very many players. I also still think JT can be our PG. I do think this team is flawed. We he have too many people who can score and too few who can do anything else.

We dont' anyone besides JT that can handle the ball. We also lack someone who can lead the team by way of example. Yes Shareef comes out and gives his all every night. But he's too slack on the defensive end to be considered a "lead by example" kind of player. Same thing for JT. I won't even consider BIgDog because bigdog doesn't show an interest in the game unless the ball is in his hands.

Honestly I feel we need a Mike Finley / Eddie Jones type player. A shooting guard who can score, play defense AND handle the ball. Right now JT is the only player we have who can be counted on to handle the ball consistantly for a game and not cough up five TO's. Yes, he does it too. But I feel that would practically disappear if we had someone else that could be counted on to shoulder some of the handling responsibilities.

If we had a player like that, combined with a new coach. I think we could be a top 5 EC team.

[Guest]

I never tought JT was a TRUE PG in the Kidd manner

or even Gary Payton.I thought he could be more or

less a Sam Cassell type of PG......

Agree with everything you say....Danny is the guy for

the job because he understands the players in the

league today.He understands the JT's and the Antonie

Walkers and so on...He will know how to use guys

properly.

[Guest]

"Lo, BK, and Gasol for SAR/#1 was a good deal."

How was this a good deal???Shareef isn't better than

Gasol alone...Mustless Gasol AND Wright.

[Diesel]

Shareef is better than Gasol alone. He totally destroys Gasol head to head.

But here's why it was good.

We needed a franchise player who we could count on for 20/10 at the PF position. There is no doubt that SAR is a PF. However, Gasol is a what??? Another [censored] tweener.

Moreover, we couldn't get ANOTHER young player on that team. With the lack of direction that we had, we needed to bring in some consistency and experience. That's what SAR brought. Had we kept the pick, this is exactly what would have happened... We would have never played Gasol. If you doubt, look how Demarr was treated. The only reason he got PT in his rookie yr was because people got hurt. Lon is very cautious that way. Actually, I doubt we would have selected Gasol anyway. I think our pick would have been Battier.

Our lineup would have been:

JT/DJ/Battier/Toni/Lo. Our C's for the yr would have been Lo and Nazr....

But back to the other thing. Nobody remembers that we got a first out of that deal. Had we kept that first...

It would have been SAR/Tinsley for Gasol/Knight/Gasol. That's 2 allstars for some good players. Also, had we kept Knight, we would have never moved JT to PG.

So for us, the trade was a good one. It cleared up a whole lot of stuff. Gave us consistency. Gave us some leadership. Last yr, Reef was a man who told the team to jump on and let me carry. This yr, there's disarray because Lon hasn't assigned roles. So everyone and No one wants to be the man in Atlanta.

[Guest]

Shareef is better than Gasol alone. He totally destroys Gasol head to head."

So just because one player does better than means

alot?Do they play each other 82 times a year?Not

to mention Gasol WAS A ROOKIE.

"We needed a franchise player who we could count on for 20/10 at the PF position. There is no doubt that SAR is a PF. However, Gasol is a what??? Another [censored] tweener."

Franchise players improve teams....Reef is a quiter

and a loser.Did you see that killer bounce pass last

night were Reef stood there and watched like a dumb

a** while Harrington slammed all over him?

Reef is a tweener himself.He turns the ball over at

a high rate AND he doesn't block shots or get steals.

"we needed to bring in some consistency and experience. That's what SAR brought."

Consistency at losing??That is all Reef has ever done

his entire career...

"It would have been SAR/Tinsley for Gasol/Knight/Gasol. That's 2 allstars for some good players. Also, had we kept Knight, we would have never moved JT to PG. "

SAR/Tinsley are not allstars.They don't make it there

year in and year out.Reef shouldnt have been there

last year.

"Last yr, Reef was a man who told the team to jump on and let me carry. "

How far did the team get???33 wins...Sorry that is not

carrying a team.

The trade done nothing to bring wins to the franchise

and NOW the franchise has no future and no future players.

Leadership???Yea giving up 40 points is leadership...lol

get real.

[chillzatl]

But Shareef is better than Gasol and Wright combined. Shareef is a defensive focal point. Teams know they gotta actually work at keeping Reef from getting 30. And even with the focus being on him, sometimes completely on him (vancouver), he's still dropped 20+ and 7-10 boards. Gasol is a good player. But his defense is weaker than reef and he's simply not the defensive focal point that reef is. His game isn't as mature and his stats aren't as good. They say it's harder the second time around. Gasols stats are proof of that.

Also, winning is a team effort. Chris Webber was a pure [censored] loser before they got a good team around him in Sactown. Shareef is no different.

[Guest]

Shareef just isn't physically as talented as Gasol/

Webber and others.He gets his shot blocked all

the time,he doesn't pass on a consisant basis...

Actually Reefs rebounds/Blocks and Steals are all

down.Other than his 20PPG he isn't bringing much

to the table....Most PF's average 7RPG...big deal

Atleast Gasol blocks shots.He is ALOT bigger and

he can play 3 positions with very little problem.Not

to mention Memphis has a big talent advange over

the Hawks.

Face it,Reef just isn't that good...I told you he wasn't

and other than the 20PPG nothing really stands out.

The talent of the Hawks has increased...But the wins

are not....Not holding much for a arguement.