From Smoove, to Walter

[ATL_BALLER]

"That is flat out the dumbest thing I've ever heard," he said of those who advocate the Hawks tanking the rest of the season in a race to finish atop the draft lottery. "People that say stuff like that don't know what goes on with this team, on the inside. They don't see practice and they don't know about the work we're putting in trying to win every time we hit the floor. Do they know that the lottery is just that, a lottery? It's a gamble. We don't have any control of over what happens when those numbers come up.

"The only thing we have any control over is what goes on once we hit the floor for games. And we're going all out every night."

[exodus]

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"That is flat out the dumbest thing I've ever heard,"

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That's nothing but "self-righteous vitriol".

[Plainview1981]

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"That is flat out the dumbest thing I've ever heard," he said of those who advocate the Hawks tanking the rest of the season in a race to finish atop the draft lottery. "People that say stuff like that don't know what goes on with this team, on the inside. They don't see practice and they don't know about the work we're putting in trying to win every time we hit the floor. Do they know that the lottery is just that, a lottery? It's a gamble. We don't have any control of over what happens when those numbers come up.

"The only thing we have any control over is what goes on once we hit the floor for games. And we're going all out every night."

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If they were going all out every night they wouldn't be the 2nd or 3rd worst team in the league. Yeah, they haven't got blown out this year as much as they have in the past. But I'd hardly say they've hustled all season.

Of course Smoove doesn't want to tank, he wants to get paid.

[DJlaysitup]

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...Of course Smoove doesn't want to tank, he wants to get paid.

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I think you are right Hot and I think that's the way it goes in nearly all "tanking" circumstances. The last thing players/agents would even think about is missing a shot or not trying on purpose. That would hurt their stats.

Nor do they want their playing time cut.

So, if you're a coach/gm wanting to tank you pass along to the starting player, that you are planning on cutting his minutes down a good bit during these meaningless games at the end of the year to see how the younger guys do. It's for the good of the team longterm.

Of course ALL H#LL breaks loose...since that means the player's season-long averages will suffer and there is a potential for lost money come contract time. So the deal is made that the player can just sit out the rest of the season...that won't hurt his "per game" stats.

Thus we see all these knee bumps and muscle bruises and sore elbows and the like this time of year.

[BusBoyIsBack]

Not just money, Smoove is trying to get better.

Smoove is the anti-tank.

That's why I wish we would sit him down for the season.

His impact on winning is far greater than Josh Childress or anyone else on this team right now.

If we sat him for the season we would skyrocket to the 2nd best odds in the lottery.

We would easily catch the Celtics.

But on the other hand, I am happy that he's blossoming right now and with each 20/10 performance he's building confidence.

He's showing us and himself that these performances are no fluke. It's not like in the beginning of his career when it was OMFG Smoove had a 20/10 game. It's now almost to the point where we expet it and he expects it from himself.

So from that standpoint, more power to you Josh.

I hope he has this hunger and more next year as we try to make a real playoff push from the beginning.

[AtLaS]

Well, I don't think Smoove is tanking. But to his defense, he would never admit it if the TEAM or anyone else was tanking.

[BusBoyIsBack]

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Well, I don't think Smoove is tanking. But to his defense, he would never admit it if the TEAM or anyone else was tanking.

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Lol yeah imagine the bad press behind that if he did.

That would be a PR nightmare.

[DavidSomerset]

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"That is flat out the dumbest thing I've ever heard," he said of those who advocate the Hawks tanking the rest of the season in a race to finish atop the draft lottery.

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So, basically, for all the people who want to tank, Smoove is calling you an idiot.

[Plainview1981]

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"That is flat out the dumbest thing I've ever heard," he said of those who advocate the Hawks tanking the rest of the season in a race to finish atop the draft lottery.

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So, basically, for all the people who want to tank, Smoove is calling you an idiot.

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That's what I think of Smooth's opinion of me.

[DJlaysitup]

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...So, basically, for all the people who want to tank, Smoove is calling you an idiot.

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No you folks are talking idiotically to even bring up a player tanking. 'Players' NEVER tank on the court. It's not in their best interest. Management tanks by putting the right (wrong) players on the court.

How many times need this be said??

(and they let these people vote)

[TroyMcClure]

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"That is flat out the dumbest thing I've ever heard,"

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That's nothing but "self-righteous vitriol".

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"The only thing we have any control over is what goes on once we hit the floor for games. And we're going all out every night."

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Initially I was upset to see Smoove say stuff like this. But if he really believes this then his spirit has not been killed by the ASG. That is a good thing. But come on Smoove! "we're going all out every night". That is a good one.

[DavidSomerset]

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"People that say stuff like that don't know what goes on with this team, on the inside.

They don't see practice and they don't know about the work we're putting in trying to win every time we hit the floor.

Do they know that the lottery is just that, a lottery? It's a gamble. We don't have any control of over what happens when those numbers come up.

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[DJlaysitup]

Players on the lower teams are dropping like flies to odd injuries like sore elbows and bruised this and thats. Read some of the realgm boards - Boston and the Bucks are in a tank-war. They're having to go to the NBDL to field a team.

It's not worth arguing - but if we were really fighting for the playoffs, I would bet JJ would be back playing.

[Guest Walter]

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"That is flat out the dumbest thing I've ever heard,"

"...People that say stuff like that don't know what goes on with this team, on the inside. They don't see practice and they don't know about the work we're putting in trying to win every time we hit the floor. Do they know that the lottery is just that, a lottery? It's a gamble. We don't have any control of over what happens when those numbers come up."

"The only thing we have any control over is what goes on once we hit the floor for games. And we're going all out every night."

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Sounds like misplaced anger to me. It also sounds like JS doesn't give us credit for what we can and do know, that we (or one outside the team) might be able to assess this team more objectively than he can, and doesn't even begin to address the argument at hand (and how could he?).

Truth is, JS sounds like Diesel, Ex, and the assinine million rhetorical arguments we've always heard. Essentially he's saying the lottery isn't a sure thing (and that those who consider tanking aren't aware enough to realize this obvious fact). No [censored]. Judged alone tanking would never be considered. However, judged next to this particular team, one without prospects this year and, without significant improvements next year, one without the capital to significantly improve, tanking becomes the hopeful, attractive option.

JS doesn't speak of any of this. He speaks of his team's hard work and the value of it. I respect that and at the same time I realize that the rest of the league works just as hard and without enough properly aligned talent that hard work goes to repeated waste.

I wonder what he'll be angry at next year when this team is not significantly improved. The year after? Forgot. He might take his marbles to another circle. Yep. JS can walk away from all this. He can say whatever he wants and walk away from it in a year's time. Maybe he's just young and naive, likely he's just speaking the corporate line. Regardless, it's not his job to tank. He has absolutely no part in it. And frankly, his opinion is just a little to simpleton, naive, and void. He talks about what we don't know, but he won't acknowledge all the more important things he and others know or should know about this team and franchise. Frankly, he never could or else he'd get reprimanded.

W

[Popeye]

Hawks are being stupid rigth now because they are giving Smoove the chance to get a max contract in the offseason.

They should of play him less and not give him the ball as much as they are in these meaningless games. Smoove is just puting up numbers for him self and will hurt our salary cap with it.

Hawks could of saved some money if they didn't use Smoove so much in these meaningless games, but oh well.

[DJlaysitup]

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Hawks are being stupid rigth now because they are giving Smoove the chance to get a max contract in the offseason.

They should of play him less and not give him the ball as much as they are in these meaningless games. Smoove is just puting up numbers for him self and will hurt our salary cap with it.

Hawks could of saved some money if they didn't use Smoove so much in these meaningless games, but oh well.

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That's borderline moronic MW24...whadaya think...Smoove is gonna work his tail off most of the season and then the Hawks are gonna reduce his minutes (and therefore per game stats) and he and his agent are gonna sit there and watch?

There is bargaining power both ways - you screw an "up and coming star" and he will screw you back. He will demand to be traded and if you don't he will sit on his hands. Other teams will drool until he is a free agent and you (being the Hawks) will be phooked...and get nothing.

[Guest Walter]

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That's borderline moronic MW24...whadaya think...Smoove is gonna work his tail off most of the season and then the Hawks are gonna reduce his minutes (and therefore per game stats) and he and his agent are gonna sit there and watch?

There is bargaining power both ways - you screw an "up and coming star" and he will screw you back. He will demand to be traded and if you don't he will sit on his hands. Other teams will drool until he is a free agent and you (being the Hawks) will be phooked...and get nothing.

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...he has a back injury and he's already proven himself. After watching Childress go down being overplayed and that foot STRESS fractured yet again, JS might listen to a little "play it conservative" reasoning.

W

[Catapult]

"That's borderline moronic MW24...whadaya think...Smoove is gonna work his tail off most of the season and then the Hawks are gonna reduce his minutes (and therefore per game stats) and he and his agent are gonna sit there and watch?"

How is that different from reducing his minutes because the franchise is tanking?

[DJlaysitup]

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"That's borderline moronic MW24...whadaya think...Smoove is gonna work his tail off most of the season and then the Hawks are gonna reduce his minutes (and therefore per game stats) and he and his agent are gonna sit there and watch?"

How is that different from reducing his minutes because the franchise is tanking?

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You don't "reduce minutes" in a "per game" situation. You allow the guy to sit out (hurt). That doesn't affect his per game stats.

It's what everybody is doing...it's all the rage!