WeAllSawJTRunThePointThe2ndHalfOfLastYr&DoSoWell

[Guest Walter]

...pointing towards greatness.

The only difference this year?

Big-Hog (and maybe another ball-handler in Kukoc).

Diesel faults the coach (90%) leaving apparently no room to fault JT, yet he still faults JT seemingly 100% and Big-Dawg 0%. Not only is the math poor, the logic is pathetic.

The truth is that JT played 1 year of Pg under the confidence shattering thumb of Lenny Wilkens averaging as low as 14 meaningless MPG in Feb. Since then he has played Pg for a grand total of 2 1/2 months until this year. ONLY TWO AND A HALF MONTHS! Those 2 1/2 months were dramatic and very positive, leading the team to a winning record the second half of last season and compiling numbers comperable if not equal to the league's top Pgs! 1 wasted year and 2 1/2 months at the Pg position!

Then, the opportunity to work under a new offensive system arises! Hooray! Lon is fired and the offensive system so maligned in this forum is to be slowly layed to waste by a new coach, presenting opportunity to JT. However, JT DOES NOT GET A SINGLE GAME OF A CHANCE TO DEMONSTRATE WHAT HE CAN DO IN A DIFFERENT AND PRESUMABLY BETTER SYSTEM. Instead the work goes to Mike Wilks, a CBAer who is 5'11", on a 10 day contract, and undoubtedly no long term solution.

Mike Wilks doesn't have to worry about not having a 2nd ball-handler on the team, much less the court, since JT is playing along side him, a luxury JT hasn't had. Wilks doesn't have to worry about Lon's offense, one he didn't learn or play in. In the last two wins (amidst a number of loses), Wilks hasn't had to play with Big-Hog. Hmm? Does this not start to make sense to anyone.

If Wilks can do OK (and I don't think he is doing any better or worse than OK) with

1) a 2nd ball-handler (and in JT's case, scorer) at the 2,

2) in this (not Lon's) offense,

3) and without Big-Hog (certainly less than what JT at Pg did with another ball-handler in Kukoc in Lon's offense without Big-Hog),

...imagine what JT could do.

I don't know the answer, but GDit Wilks (or any other CBAer or sub 6'er) isn't it and if he isn't the answer than I don't want to go jerking JT around, while limiting the team's ability to examine him at Pg for any length of time and within a different system. Neither Stotts or Wilks will be around long enough to ask them about why JT is a star Pg for another team. JT means too much and has done too much to not get this chance.

I can live with JT either along side a starting quality 6'3"+ Pg who can guard Sgs or a starting quality Sg with a handle, but I can't live with jerking JT around in favor of a sub 6' CBAer, 10 day contract player.

W

[Gray Mule]

Mike Wilks plays good, solid P.G. Walter, so don't

knock him to defend J.T. Rather, he is an asset to J.T.

Without Mike Wilks, J.T. must do most of the ball

handling for the Hawks. Last season, Hawks had a very

good "Point Foreward" who was able to handle a lot of

the work of passing the ball, setting up plays and

scoring for the Hawks.

"You don't miss the water until the well goes dry!"

Hawks didn't know how bad they would miss Toni K.

until they started the season without him. On reflection,

he is the main part of the puzzle that the Hawks have

been missing this season.

Mike Wilks is short. He is even shorter than J.T. This

means that when both are in the back court, Hawks

have a "Mini-Sized" point tandem, which is tough on

the defensive end. BUT, and this is a big but, both

M.W. & J.T. are VERY fast and give the other teams

fits as they bring the ball up the court & they can wreck

havoc with their speed when a double team is needed

or a passing lane needs to be closed.

Mike Wilks' scoring touch seems to run hot and cold.

We have seen him both ways. When he is hot, he

has the ability to be a real thorn in the opponents

defenses. Speed will do that for you.

Mike Wilks brings energy to the Hawks when he is on

the floor. This has been missing. He is a product of

the Development League, this is true. Without doubt,

the best and cheapest solution for the Hawks. He has,

in the short time that he has been with Atlanta,

become a fan favorite. He makes things happen!

Hawks have won without Big Dog but with Mike Wilks.

Big Dog is one of the best jump shooters in the N.B.A.

Somehow, if he is to remain a part of the team.

Atlanta must find a way to get him the ball in a

position to take advantage of his obvious skills. With

this in mind, I'm sure there will be changes in the

offensive sets of the Hawks in the future.

Jason Terry plays guard. Whoever else is on the floor

with him playes the other guard. For J.T. to operate

successfully, there must be someone else besides

him that is somewhat skilled in handling the ball.

Designating someone a #1 guard or a #2 guard is a

moot point. Two ballhandlers -- We gotta have them.

[KB21]

Even late last year, JT played in the same back court with Jacque Vaughn quite a bit of the time. Not most of the time mind you, but they did play together quite often.

Early in the year, JT played shooting guard with Toni and Emanuel Davis/Jacque Vaughn alongside him. It wasn't till the last 35 games or so that JT started playing a good bit of the point guard position, but even then, he played both positions.

People are blowing Stotts starting Wilks all out of proportion. Terry still plays both positions. [censored], he hardly ever sits down during the game. It just happens that he tends to struggle with turnovers and not getting the ball to the right spot when he's out there without another ball handler.

[Diesel]

JT played most of those games with Either Vaughn or Kukoc in the game to be a ball handler and initiate offense.

In reply to:

---

iesel faults the coach (90%) leaving apparently no room to fault JT, yet he still faults JT seemingly 100% and Big-Dawg 0%. Not only is the math poor, the logic is pathetic.

---

Sorry Walter. WRONG. I faulted Lon 90% and I didn't seemingly fault JT for being a SG. I said if we can't find a way to bring in another Ballhandler (either by Big OG, Point Forward, or capable Might mouse Gaurd system) then we need to look into trading Terry for a good SG.

IN other words... Terry is a SG. I don't fault him for being what he is.

In reply to:

---

JT DOES NOT GET A SINGLE GAME OF A CHANCE TO DEMONSTRATE WHAT HE CAN DO IN A DIFFERENT AND PRESUMABLY BETTER SYSTEM. Instead the work goes to Mike Wilks

---

What you fail to realize is this. As an assistant, Stotts had the opportunity to watch Terry play PG under Lon's system. He may have come to the same truth which is very obvious now. Terry is a SG. If you couldn't see that in the Miami games... And Stotts still allows JT to run the offense NOW without Wilks/Dickau in the game and that's when we have those 18-1 runs posted on us. Like I said before Old man. Try Watching a game.

So now, you come here and you try to belittle Wilks.. For What reason? He's a good defensive player who has added Stability to our offense. He's not a permanent fix but he helps us for now. Why do you insist on insulting him? Don't tear down Wilk's house to build Terry's. Only TRS is willing to stand with you in your blind belief that Terry can be a PG for this team (that's without another Ballhandler). I can see well that Terry is a SG. He plays better at SG. His own DADDY said that Terry prefers SG... So, what's the problem?

[KB21]

Stotts has stated the truth, and that is that Jason needs to play both positions. And he does. That was the case last year. Even when he was getting more time as a point guard, he was still playing both positions.

He's not a pure point guard, but I think it is a mistake to say he is a pure shooting guard. How many pure shooting guards in the NBA have the wherewithal to pick up 7-8 assists while scoring 24-25 points? Not many. Kobe Bryant is the only one I can think of.

[Diesel]

I don't see the PG in him surface. No fast break points. He doesn't make plays. He just makes the pass.

Take the Diesel Test.

Let's say Terry was 6'6" and COULD gaurd SGs...

Would you still say that Terry was a Combo gaurd.... Or would he be a SG who can handle the ball like Barry, Christie, and others.

KB, you and I both know that JT lack many of the rudimentary skills to be considered a PG. IN fact, the only reason he plays the position is because he's 6'1". However, if we brought in a real PG... Move JT over to the SG and Play Zone defense 95% of the time I think our problems would be solved.