Anyone notice...

[Swatguy]

...How much Zaza's footwork have improved.

...That Solomon looks about to be a starter quality center.

...Chilz is very consistent.

...Young guys are maturing and Woody is a reason.

...Shelden needs to be more like Este.

...Marvin needs to be more like Chillz.

...Salim looks at peace.

As the Hawks play the way the game is taught, winning happens. Just like the coaches, announcers (Smitty, Dennis, Bob ect...)

We are two players away, perhaps one.

Question, If Speedy were to retire because of injuries, can the Hawks compensate him and clear his cap number?

[jezmund]

First off, yes, I believe if Speedy retired we'd get our cap back. Secondly, I think Solomon was a fabulous 2nd round pick because he has potential to be a productive player and that is all you can expect out of a 2nd round pick BUT he desperately needs some weight. Unless he is guarding only lighter 4's. Marvin has shown he can be a big time player but he needs to learn to take it at the basket ferociously, yet, with some sort of control. I love his jump shot BUT he needs to learn to get his 15-20 points on nights when his shot is off. I don't know what to say about Shelden, I'll give him another year.

[lunar]

i don't think speedy will retire, but i can't see him being in a hawks uni next year. right now knight should be scouting PG's in the tournement.

as for everything else, it's was only one game, but i can see where you are coming from. i don't know if shledon's lost his aggresiveness, but he needs to man up in the post. he's too wide a body to be trying to finese his way in against the corless williamson's of the world (actually, i would be alot happier if he played like corliss williamson). also, i don't think solomon is a starter yet, he still needs to get in the weight room and cut down on the fouls. everything else i can agree with.

[exodus]

I see Solomon being a backup 4. He can only play center against small lineups.

[Dragitoff]

He's definitely too small to be considered a starting center, but I personally think he's a better pick than Shelden at this point. I said it before we drafted Shelden that he played too soft against tough competition. He bullied his way through when he was at Duke because he was bigger than most of his opponents, but when he faced tough competition he either played weak or got into foul trouble (look at everytime Duke played FSU and Alexander Johnson). I won't write him off yet, but he needs to step up and at least play physical defense and crash the boards with regularity.

[BusBoyIsBack]

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I see Solomon being a backup 4. He can only play center against small lineups.

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And the frontcourt of the future is one with a 3 forward system so Solomon would fit right in.

Don't get me wrong he does need to add about 30 pounds. But if he added that weight he'd definitel be able to play the 5 for us considering his 7'4 wing span and 40 inch vert could make up for the lack of a couple of inches in height.

[exodus]

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I see Solomon being a backup 4. He can only play center against small lineups.

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And the frontcourt of the future is one with a 3 forward system so Solomon would fit right in.

Don't get me wrong he does need to add about 30 pounds. But if he added that weight he'd definitel be able to play the 5 for us considering his 7'4 wing span and 40 inch vert could make up for the lack of a couple of inches in height.

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I didn't realize you were a soothsayer.

Three forwards definitely wont work unless one of them is a dominant post player and they play at a very fast pace. The Hawks don't have a strong post scorer and play at a slow pace.

Solomon is 23, not 18. If he was 18 then i would think he has a chance to put on 30 pounds. At 23 it is unlikely. I would be happy if he can add 10-15 pounds.

[gheorghe]

Este: 3 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds. Keep going buddy!!!!!!!

[Gambit99]

As a Personal Trainer...a 23 year old putting on 30lbs is more likely than an 18 year old. Your greatest muscle developement years are from 28 to 35 (most Mr. Olympia's are over the age of 30) (steriods can only do so much, genetics are needed) ( oh and I hate steriods0. Anyway I have to say that Solo can easily put on 30 lbs over the next 2 years.

[Swatguy]

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I see Solomon being a backup 4. He can only play center against small lineups.

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And the frontcourt of the future is one with a 3 forward system so Solomon would fit right in.

Don't get me wrong he does need to add about 30 pounds. But if he added that weight he'd definitel be able to play the 5 for us considering his 7'4 wing span and 40 inch vert could make up for the lack of a couple of inches in height.

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I didn't realize you were a soothsayer.

Three forwards definitely wont work unless one of them is a dominant post player and they play at a very fast pace. The Hawks don't have a strong post scorer and play at a slow pace.

Solomon is 23, not 18. If he was 18 then i would think he has a chance to put on 30 pounds. At 23 it is unlikely. I would be happy if he can add 10-15 pounds.

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They way Zaza played last night, I could be fooled. As Zaza and Sol develope, we have post offense. In fact Zaza has been down low offensively a lot this season. Or post need seems to be as a Second post option. A forward post and a Guard post are needed. Zaza is "posting".

[Guest Walter]

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As a Personal Trainer...a 23 year old putting on 30lbs is more likely than an 18 year old. Your greatest muscle developement years are from 28 to 35 (most Mr. Olympia's are over the age of 30) (steriods can only do so much, genetics are needed) ( oh and I hate steriods0. Anyway I have to say that Solo can easily put on 30 lbs over the next 2 years.

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Mainly because the NBA 82 game season takes 10 or so lbs off most players anyhow. The offseason is often just to get back to their "playing weight", maybe add 5 lbs. SJ played 4 years and didn't get much meat on him despite better conditions (<1/3rd the # games). I'm sure his diet is better now but it's hard to truly gain for a guy like him in the NBA. He's not body building for a living. He's running up and down the court for a living. That costs pounds not adds them.

W

[BusBoyIsBack]

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I didn't realize you were a soothsayer.

Three forwards definitely wont work unless one of them is a dominant post player and they play at a very fast pace. The Hawks don't have a strong post scorer and play at a slow pace.

Solomon is 23, not 18. If he was 18 then i would think he has a chance to put on 30 pounds. At 23 it is unlikely. I would be happy if he can add 10-15 pounds.

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Do the Pistons play at a fast pace? Face it, the true center days are almost over. There will only be a handful in the future.

As far as Solomon goes, yes he will be 23 next season.

But I think Draftexpress put it best:

"We must keep in mind that he is a very late bloomer who grew 3 inches after beginning his senior year of high school, and therefore is likely nowhere near fully grown into his body at this point in his basketball career."

He's just getting used to his body and could very well add a whole lot of weight with a good workout regiment and diet.

You act like he's some 40 year old with brittle bones.

Forward system is about having guys who cause matchup problems because of athleticism like Josh SMith. Solomon would create matchup problems as well because he's a guy who's awfully quick for his size and he's got elite athleticism for that position on paper. His lane agility and 3/4 court sprint is as good as some guards and so is his 40 inch vert.

Sure maybe he can't put on 30 pounds in one off-season but it's actually not THAT hard to put on muscle when you're skin and bones. The only thing you can do is add muscle when you're that thin. Unlike someone who is big who has to lose the fat before putting on the muscle.

[Johnnybravo4]

If he did put on 30lbs during an offseason a good 50% of that would be fat and water. Unless he does a true BB regimine for 6 months or so (including gear) then a more realistic goal would be 10 lbs or so.

[Iman]

I'd like to know if Solo has gained weight during this season. It appears to me that he has and that's a very good sign given most lose during the season.

[exodus]

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a 23 year old putting on 30lbs is more likely than an 18 year old. Your greatest muscle developement years are from 28 to 35

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But your actual growing is done by 23. At 18 you are still growing and most 18 yr old bball players haven't lifted much.

Childress is a perfect example. People keep saying that he would be better if he could put on some muscle. not happening. He has been lifting for years and actually tested well in the bench press at the combine. But he isn't going to put on much muscle mass because of his body type. What you see is what you get.

BBall players aren't professional bodybuilders, who already have the genetics for muscle mass gains. Comparing those guys to someone like Solomon and trying to draw a parallel is a major reach.

[Gambit99]

The bb aspect was to only show that the human body has it's bet muscle gaining years near and after 30, regardless of what your activities are. That being said, your activities and diet will make all the difference in the world. If I had Solo all year the 82 games wouldn't make a difference. Running (sprinting), jumping, pushing and throwing fall into the plyometeric relm, which will increase your cardio and vascular system. He would lift weights year round and his diet would consist of 6 meals/day (2 serving of a lean protein, 1 serving of a starchy carb and 3 serving of a fiberous carb) and half his body weight in water. He would gain muscle, not fat and water. Oh and by the way, "body type" one of the biggest myths of weight gain/loss. The difference it makes is only 25% of what you can accomplish. I've accomplish this task with pro basketball players, cyclist and high jumpers.

[exodus]

An 23 year old is more likely to be done growing than an 18 year old and is therefore less likely to make significant weight gaines. Period.

And 18 year old not only has a chance of growing more but he also has the chance to put on muscle when he is older. You are acting like only the 23 year old has a chance to gain muscle. However the odds are that the 18 year old will be 23, 28 or 35 and will have the chance for gains too.

My original statement that an 18 yr old is more likely to put on 30 pounds than a 23 yr old is a fact. He can put on addition weight simply by growing AND he can put on weight through lifting as he ages. The 23 year old can ONLY put on weight through lifting. Also an 18 year old is less likely to have done much heavy lifting than a 23 year old and therefore has more potential for gains. Many 18 year old bball players have never lifted at all. But a guy who has played 4 years at a major college program has most likely already spent a lot of time in the weight room since many teams have regular lifting sessions for the entire team.

You are arguing a completely different point that really has no relevance to what i said.

[thesheedera]

I don't know ex. I've gained a heck of a lot more weight (without changing anything significant about my lifestyle, other than drinking less and eating better), between the ages of 23 and 27 than I did between 16 and 23.

I think you're down growing, but your body can still "mature" as your metabolism changes.

I think he could put some mass on for sure, but I would rather he just add strength, rather than mass. Anyone can add strength.

[exodus]

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I've gained a heck of a lot more weight (without changing anything significant about my lifestyle, other than drinking less and eating better), between the ages of 23 and 27

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Do you guys not understand that the 18 year old will have the same chance to put on muscle at 23, 28 or 30? Am i not speaking English?

It doesn't matter when the peak muscle building years are. That has no relevance to anything.

[DrReality]

If he is aable to put weight the way Smoove has over the years he'll be fine. He'll never be a monster, and if he did put that much on he would loose his quickness. His assets are his leaping ability, length and athleticism. There are some centers he will not be able to guard, but many of them he can using his assets. It will also help having Smoove there to swat shots. Reminds me a lot om Camby. He's not big but he gets it done.