Drafting the BPA ... in the long run is that

[Admin]

the wisest decision to make? Should you take the BPA or the best player that fits a need for your team?

We have ignored taking the best player available that fits our team need for a few years now. The common thinking is that we can trade this player or a redundant player to fill another hole later on. So far that has not worked out for us but in reality we are probably still a year away from seeing any of our lottery choices being traded.

The big question comes to light when it's time to trade that player. I want to use Marvin as an example here.

Right now on a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate Marvin a 6. At this same point I would rate both Deron Williams and Chris Paul a 10. However, Marvin was drafted to be a 10. That means that if we trade him for anything less than a 10 we have failed with our selection of him. How many 10 PGs or Cs are out there that we can get in trade? Most likely we won't get more than a 6 for him at this point. What type of PG or C does that get us? A Rondo? A Frye? Both of those types of players would be drastic failures in relation to where Marvin was drafted and especially so considering how they equate to Deron or Paul.

For this reason I think it's imperative that we get away from the strategy of taking the BPA and passing on the BPA that fits the team need. In this instance it would seem that unless we are certain Horford (possible) or Yi (doubtful) can play the 5 we must either draft Conley at 3 or slide down a couple of spots and draft him.

[BusBoyIsBack]

We should take the best player available for our particular team.

And that guy is Al Horford.

Someone mentioned this a couple weeks ago and I disagreed back then, but after watching some more playoff basketball I came to my senses.

We need to get the guy with the best chance of being our future 5. That guy is Al Horford.

[Guest Walter]

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the wisest decision to make? Should you take the BPA or the best player that fits a need for your team?

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It all depends upon the team need, how much better the said player is, etc. In short...WEIGH EVERTHING! This hasn't changed since we draft MW (mistake). The whole BPA or "need" arguments are simple rhetoric used by GMs. Don't fall for it.

What has changed in this draft verses the MW draft is that we were the 4th worst team in the NBA, our two best players are worse than all the league's top 10 team's top 2 players, talent is the hardest thing to come by (then a true center), and we do NOT have another draft pick next year. When we drafted MW over Paul or Deron we could anticipate at least 2 more lottery picks in our rebuild. We don't have that luxury now and our past drafting mistakes make TALENT a continued NEED just as much as the overlooked Pg and C positions.

What this draft offers is essentially two Pf prospects. People want to stretch Horford into a center like they did SW last year (wrong on both accounts). Some people want to make Yi a Sf or a C (wrong IMO). Both are Pfs. So, while I could argue that positionally your question is moot given both prospects are NBA Pfs, talent-wise, and again talent IS a "need for (our) team", Yi is not only the BPA but in this case because there is not a significant positional difference between the two and because Yi is significantly more talented, Yi is also the best player for our team.

W

[leftwich]

How do you know Yi is significantly more talented than Horford? Highlight videos?

[jerrywest]

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How do you know Yi is significantly more talented than Horford? Highlight videos?

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You can watch a lot of games over the net these days. Check out the finals. Check out some of the old threads. I don't want to repeat what we have discussed already.

[Guest Walter]

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How do you know Yi is significantly more talented than Horford? Highlight videos?

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I've seen enough of Horford to assess he is not an NBA center, his relative abilities and ceiling. Regarding Yi, yes, both highlight videos and GAMES linked and watched. I see some incredible athletic ability, quickness, length, vert, willingness and ability to challenge just about any shot, shooting, and an unstoppable post move (the interior turnaround). Frankly, it's to the point it's so obvious only a fuddy dud could miss it at this point. "I'm not going to believe he's more talented until he's won 4 titles, we've been roundly embarrassed AGAIN, and they do an autopsy on him to prove he's actually human indicating it was a fair fight."

I did the same with Bargnani in terms of my assessment and believe I have been proven right so far. Yi will be significantly better than Bargnani. You simply do not find his physical characteristics and skill set often and when you do you don't pass over it for a 6'8.75" Pf with a 13/9 stat line.

Also, I have been extremely accurate regarding players, particularly the ones available to the Hawks whom I research and pay more attention to. I wanted Deng (over Iggy for trade reasons) and both over Childress, I wanted Deron over Paul over MW, I wanted Roy over Foye over SW. I also wanted JS. I wanted Diaw (granted Howard has been better but Diaw was still a good pick considering how many people immediately after him turned out so bad).

[BusBoyIsBack]

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How do you know Yi is significantly more talented than Horford? Highlight videos?

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It's not even about that.

It's the fact that Horford is twice the C prospect that Yi is right now.

Yi would be TERRIBLE at C next year, absolutely TERRIBLE.

Horford would be the best C prospect on this team by far

[Peoriabird]

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It's not even about that.

It's the fact that Horford is twice the C prospect that Yi is right now.

Yi would be TERRIBLE at C next year, absolutely TERRIBLE.

Horford would be the best C prospect on this team by far

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Why can't you guys accept that the Hawks like 90% of the teams in the league will not get a dominant center in the draft or through free agency this year. other than Shaq or Biedrins, ?Jermaine O'neal who else has a dominant center? Plus where were those centers during the playoff? San Antonio won with a power forward. Cleveland was powered by a small forward! Utah powered by team play no center! Detroit powered by team play no center! etc. etc. You guys need to stop being so narrow minded and realized that the hawks didn't lose because of the lack of a center or point guard, they lost because they can't shoot period.

They do not have post up player that can command double teams or get easy shots and they play very poor man to man defense. Getting more players on this team that can score more efficiently than the players that we have will improve our win totals.

Or maybe our young players will improve their shooting this summer and we will be fine regardless of who we draft.

Or maybe Woodsen lets the team run more than they have in the past and the team get more easy fast break points.

Doesn't matter how you improve efficiency, it just need to improve. Conley looks like the flashy pick but he can't shoot. Horford looks like the big strong muscle down low but his numbers are mediocre. Now Yi on the other hand can score efficiently because he can shoot. Law and Crit can shoot also. This is what the hawks need, more shooters

[Buzzard]

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Why can't you guys accept that the Hawks like 90% of the teams in the league will not get a dominant center in the draft or through free agency this year.

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They refuse to beleive what they see everyday in the NBA. If we took Horford and then Hawes; I would not be disapointed at all. Even if that meant passing on Conley and Law. My reasoning is simple; if you have the talent, a quality PG would be willing to come play for us.

Nash left Dallas for Phoenix only because he knew they had a great set of players. You think he would have went to them if they had our lottery record over the last 4 years? Not a chance. We get a great set of players; a quality PG would be more than willing to sign...

Now if BK does draft Conley or Law, I will not be screaming at that either. But if he drafts another 6' 8" or 6' 9" tweener; I give up on BK....

[hawkster411]

Will there be an opportunity for Horford vs. Yi scrimmage before draft day?

[Buzzard]

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Will there be an opportunity for Horford vs. Yi scrimmage before draft day?

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Yi has a great skill set; or so I hear. But he does not want any part of Horford in the post.

Neither will be scrimaging against each other; top picks at the same position usually do not do that. Good examples would be Paul and Deron. They both worked out for us; but not against each other. Howard and Okufor did not work out against each other in Orlando or Charlotte either. Their agents will not allow it...

[Peoriabird]

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Now if BK does draft Conley or Law, I will not be screaming at that either. But if he drafts another 6' 8" or 6' 9" tweener; I give up on BK....

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I don't think it matters how big the player is as long as he can score efficiently and defend meaning stay in front of the man that you are guarding! Now, Ben Gordan at the 2 is a stretch because he would obviously be a defensive liability but you know what I mean. Some poster want to move Smoove to the 3 where he would be left wide open to miss jump shots. some want to draft Conley not realizing that teams would back off of him and dare him to hit a string of jumpers. This is how the league works! Conley no doubt would be a great man defender just like Speedy but just like Paul didn't improve the Hornet's offensive numbers, Conley won't for the Hawks. You need shooters like Dallas or Phoenix to shoot a high percentage.

[BusBoyIsBack]

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Why can't you guys accept that the Hawks like 90% of the teams in the league will not get a dominant center in the draft or through free agency this year.

other than Shaq or Biedrins, ?Jermaine O'neal who else has a dominant center? Plus where were those centers during the playoff? San Antonio won with a power forward. Cleveland was powered by a small forward! Utah powered by team play no center! Detroit powered by team play no center! etc. etc. You guys need to stop being so narrow minded and realized that the hawks didn't lose because of the lack of a center or point guard, they lost because they can't shoot period.

They do not have post up player that can command double teams or get easy shots and they play very poor man to man defense. Getting more players on this team that can score more efficiently than the players that we have will improve our win totals.

Or maybe our young players will improve their shooting this summer and we will be fine regardless of who we draft.

Or maybe Woodsen lets the team run more than they have in the past and the team get more easy fast break points.

Doesn't matter how you improve efficiency, it just need to improve. Conley looks like the flashy pick but he can't shoot. Horford looks like the big strong muscle down low but his numbers are mediocre. Now Yi on the other hand can score efficiently because he can shoot. Law and Crit can shoot also. This is what the hawks need, more shooters

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Saying that PFs dominated in the playoffs even further strengthens the argument for Horford. This new era is about PFs playing Center.

All teams that made it to the final four had a player with a decent post game.

Big Z, Duncan, Webber, and Boozer.

Which team reigned supreme? The team with the best big man, something I called a long, long time ago. Ever since the Spurs got that favorable suspension I called that one.

Fact of the matter is we need the best post player we can get in this draft

[Peoriabird]

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Saying that PFs dominated in the playoffs even further strengthens the argument for Horford. This new era is about PFs playing Center.

All teams that made it to the final four had a player with a decent post game.

Big Z, Duncan, Webber, and Boozer.

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I don't know whether I would include big Z and Webber as the reasons teams advanced but I get your point. Maybe Horford is the pick, I'm not sure. But to obsess over a center like this board has for the last 3-4 years is just ludicrous! An average center with good forwards and guards is a formula for success in today's NBA!