Question for ALL of the MCJ at 3 Fans...

[DrReality]

I think there is a good chance that Crit will be there at 11. That's your chance for a pg. Does that mean you go big at 3? Way too early to say. By this time next week we will at least have the heights from Orlando and perhaps the beginning of workouts.

[Diesel]

I don't consider Yi a Sf because he moves like one. I have always believed you are what you guard. That's a very true and easy to remember rule of thumb.

I think Yi is a PF/C.

At 7'1", I would play a three forward set and play Zone.. therefore, position really doesn't matter as much.

Yi positionally is just like KG when he came out. Everybody gave KG praise for being versatile enough to play 3, 4, or 5. Everybody gives Yi S--- because he can play 3, 4, or 5 for Atlanta.

Before you start with these strawmen about "DEFENSE"..

Gasol and Defense or Yi and Defense.

Share with me your great Defensive Center plan.

Don't tell me we're going to draft Conley and Green and then try to brow beat my thought about Yi and Law and say Yi can't defend. Or Gasol and Law and Say Gasol can't defend. That's BS.

Show me your wares!!!

If you have no plan to sure up the Hawks interior defense, then don't say a word.

[Diesel]

I will take Gasol and his 20/10 with 2 blocks OVER Unnamed Small forward drafted 11th.. Sitting on the bench behind Marvin and Chillz.

If it hasn't sunk in yet, if you're the worst scoring team in the business, then maybe you need to add some scorers before you start preaching defense.

Give me the 20/10 guy who took a bunch of nobody's to the playoffs in the West to play beside our own allstar over that guy who will be Salim's new bf on the bench!

[TexasPete]

Conley is also a much better defensive PG than Law. His shooting is not flawed. He has a nice stroke, he just needs a little more conistency.

If we stay at 3 it has to be Conley.

[Diesel]

A better defensive PG at 170... in college.

Name some of the pro sized PGs he faced?

[DrReality]

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Realistically.

Give me your best example of your plan for the #11 pick.

I'm not talking about "Add Marvin and #11 and trade him for Some great player from Parts unknown weight unknown..."

I'm talking about what do you realistically and specifically believe we can do with the 11th pick?

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Of the dozen mocks on this link:

http://www.nba.com/features/draft2007_consensus.html

Here's how they pan out:

Hawes: 2

Law: 4

Nick Young: 1

Noah: 1

Conley: 3

T Young: 1

And three other mocks not included:

Hoopshype.com: Law

Draftexpress: Law

About.com: Law

That makes 7 mocks that have us taking Law. That would be someone who could make an impact for us and I'd be OK with it.

[DJ_Money]

Nothing about Yi suggests that he will be able to defend in the NBA. He ends up as a SF in this league because he would get knocked stupid trying to play inside.

It matters little what defensive scheme that you or I would play...Woody is not going to play 48 minutes of zone. No NBA coach would.

The best interior defender available to us in the draft would likely be Horford. I'm curious to see how he measures. Is he more 6'10" or 6'8"? If he measures up favorably, I wouldn't rule him out at #3. He would also need to grade out well with his vertical, strength tests, etc. to keep me from thinking he's not another Shelden.

Using the #11 in a trade to find an interior defender might be our best option.

[DrReality]

And the other mocks that did not have Law coming to us . . . . he was still available to be drafted. There were few if any bigs still on the board at 11 besides Hawes. (unless you want to consider Slitter)

[pound4pound]

If we let the 11th pick in the draft dictate who we take at 3, then Pheonix will get a great lottery pick next year. I am all for getting the best talent available but we have painted ourselves in a corner by drafting 5 forwards the past three years. MCJ fills a need that Law or Critt do not at 11 and that is star quality. There is no star at 11! Yi, Horford, Wright, Green, and Brewer could all be great - but they won't get there on riding the pine on our team. MCJ will get a chance to excel in Atlanta because there is a spot for him in Atlanta!

I see this draft in three levels

1. Oden and Durant

2. Conley, Horford, Yi, Wright, Brewer, Green

3. et al

For this draft we have to take MCJ at 3 and et al at 11. Any other variation will just be BKish.

[TexasPete]

Pound, that is the post of the day IMO. How can the Hawks let the 11th pick dictate what they do at 3? That is nutty logic. And I totally agree how you broke down the rest of the draft. It's not that Conley is head and shoulders above those other guy it is a case of us finally addressing a huge area of need. I would love Brewer on the Hawks, for example. We just dont need him, where would he play?

Take the best player that fills our biggest need at 3. I'm for trading the pick it we can get the right deal like with PTL. I would still do 3/Chill for Aldridge/Jack.

But, because there are no standouts at 3 take the biggest need.

[KB21]

I'd just take Al Horford with the 3rd pick. Horford will be a better defender than Gasol as a rookie, and I think Horford could very well put up 15 and 10 as a rookie. Most fans don't realize how much Florida's system held this guy back.

The Hawks were 11-5 on the year when they allowed 90 or less points defensively. That's what it is going to take for this team to step up, win enough to get into the playoffs, and do well once they get into the playoffs.

[Buzzard]

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I'm talking about what do you realistically and specifically believe we can do with the 11th pick?

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Realistically and specifically; that is some powerfull stuff man.

We can realistically do a lot without having to work out a fantasy trade.

We can take BPA 6'10" or over at three and then take Law or Critt at 11.

We can take Conley at 3 and reverse it; take BPA 6'10" or over at 11.

Or we can take Best point guard available at three; BK's choice since workouts have not even started; and then reach and take best true center available at 11; someone like Splitter; I doubt Hawes will still be there but you never know.

Or we can be BK for real and take two forwards at 3 and 11 just because we are BK; and totally believe all forwards are BPA...

Exactly what are you fishing for?

[Guest Walter]

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There is NO value at #3 for the Hawks. period.

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...then trade the pick. REACHING for SW was your desire last season and you saw what that got us. While Conley is better than SW and plays a position of need, so do and are Law and Crittenton, both of whom can be had at 11 and both of whom could easily be better than Conley.

Yes, there are no centers at 3 and no sure fire superstars at 3 like Oden or Durant. You still don't [censored] yourself by reaching for a Pg when two equally good ones will likely be available at 11, when there will be a potential superstar at 3, and when the 3rd pick will be VERY valuable to someone (i.e. trade).

W

[oiatlhawksfan]

agreed on the second part, but we have the third pick in a very strong draft. We need to maximize it, meaning we need to get the best player possible, potiential or ready to play right now. Theres no player you can get at 11 or outside the draft that can get you a player like Yi or Wright, but there are player at the 11th that can be just as good or better than Conley.

and please stop bringing up Brandon heywood, the guy is garbage, if we really want him, then we can get him in the end of the draft for a future second or something, but for the 11th, were getting so robbed.

[Diesel]

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Nothing about Yi suggests that he will be able to defend in the NBA.

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Is this hidden racism or something?? He's 7 foot. 245 and he has very good lateral movement. If he has bad defensive practices, he's young enough to learn good one. He had 2 blocks when he played 24 minutes against team USA. That doesn't suggest that he's a shot blocker but against the best players in the world, playing Center for his team, getting 2 blocks is something.

How do you come to a point where you say he won't be able to defend in the NBA?? Have you seen how well this guy moves from side to side? Have you looked at his footwork?

That's about the most racist statement I've seen in a while.

Next you'll be saying he can't jump.

[Diesel]

Welcome newbie.

You say:

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If we let the 11th pick in the draft dictate who we take at 3, then Pheonix will get a great lottery pick next year.

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I think if you miss the fact that Conley is not head and shoulders better than Law and Critt then you're taking a player at 3 that you can get at 11.

When you consider that we're the worst shooting team in the league... You have to consider exactly what we're getting. Should we get an undersized PG who doesn't shoot well (Brevin Knight) or should we get a Chauncey Billups clone or even a bigger, younger pure PG?

What I know is wrong is to say:

"Pick Conley and let the chips fall where they may at 11".

The 11th pick is not expendable. We should be trying to get the best value from both picks. A undersized PG who doesn't shoot well is not the best value.

[pound4pound]

I see MCJ as a Tony Parker, TJ Ford, Chris Paul type guard. Elite skill level and athleticism, able to get to the hole and lead the break. I see Law and Critt as people who will have difficulty with guarding those types players and not being able to get past them on the perimeter either. These type of guards we already have on our roster in T-Lue and Anthony Johnson. Pretty good talents (that shoot well) who can start on a bad team but will keep us mired below .500.

We need to get an elite Center or Point Guard out of this draft. If Yi can be a center in the NBA - an all-star center - then I am not opposed to him at 3. From what I have seen he is more of a Lamar Odom type player which is rundant with Smoove and Shell at the 4. If we can get Gasol or Aldridge for the third pick - then it has done its job and we are set in the middle for years to come. If not -and we are forced to use the pick for ourselves - then my vote is for MCJ. The closest thing to a star in the the making(in these newbie's eyes) we can get at 1 or 5 out of this draft. We just don't need another forward on this team.

Is it a reach - I dont think so the way the draft plays out but if we can trade down to get Conley then I would be very impressed with BK. Memphis will almost certainly take Conely at 4, and then Milwaukee at 6.

[Packfill]

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You don't take a PG because there's a PG in the draft?

That's flawed thinking...

My god? what the hell.

We have 2 picks. There are three PGs. Our team is the worst shooting team in the league and the worst 3 pt shooting team in the league.

Conley Jr. is not the best pick for us. He's undersized and he can't shoot. (BREVIN KNIGHT)...

His drive and dish won't make it to Atlanta. Other than Iverson, there aren't any 6'1" 170lb drive and dish guards.

The reason being is because he'd get Killed. This kid is no Chris Paul.

We can get an Elite player (like Gasol) with our early pick and a PG with 11...

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I guess Tony Parker and TJ Ford don't count.

Do you honestly think the Hawks current ownership will trade for a guy with the salary of Gasol?

[pound4pound]

I think they would if we dump Speedy and Wright's contract on them.

[Nicholasp27]

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Well then take the best available and prepare to trade a forward.

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the best available at 11 will not be a better prospect than smoove/marvin/chill, so why trade one of them to make room for #11 'bpa'?

people continue to downplay the talent we do have

if we are taking a forward and then preparing to trade one of those 3, then it better be a forward with the #3...wright or yi had better show they are worth giving up on marvin if we do that

#11 is our pg spot...conley/law/critt are all about the same...at least one will be left at 11

#3 is our key pick...use it to trade for center or pick best available player and stockpile talent

don't use #11 for that purpose