Horford = Poor man's Shelden Williams.

[Diesel]

You know the Hawks fans have really sold Shelden down the river. So, he's not the guy you wanted... That doesn't make him a bust.

Shelden is what he is... He was a role player that we needed to pick an a weak draft. Shelden got Hurt and tried to play through the hurt and it made him look bad.

I would have rather Shelden just sat out the whole time he was hurt (and miss some of those 5 minute games) and watch him continue to produce double doubles everytime he played.

Even the Shelden haters must admit that when he was without Shoulder brace, he played very well for a rookie. At the beginning of the season, he led all rookies in rebounds. The blocks were not there, but the positional defense was. Also, he's learning Woody's defense, which I don't think a whole lot of Hawks know. I mean, if you watch a Hawks game, you see Smoove out there coaching on the court all the time.

But we got lucky and won the draft lottery. We got the third pick... and here comes Horford.

From a skillset perspective, Horford is not more impressive than Shelden in needed areas. Shelden is stronger, Shelden has better footwork. That's what you need in a post defender.

The proof comes in their college career.. If Shelden was coming out this year as the 2 time DPOY with his statline, he'd still be ahead of Horford as a prospect. The only thing that has put Horford up this high is that he has an "NBA BODY"... Shelden had one of those too. HE's Ready to play immediately. Shelden had that label too. He's a strong post player. So was Shelden.

Now, look at Horford's performances against good players. He didn't see as many good players as Shelden.. I mean, there was no Craig Smith's or Cedric Simmons for Horford, only Oden... and when Horford did play good players, he did absolutely nothing offensively. His 13 ppg average is just that, 13 ppg.. He's not leaving as a Freshman like Bosh or Wallace... He's leaving in his Junior year having never been a scorer. He scores heavy when he plays against Stetson or North Florida.. But when he plays against Kentucky or Kansas, where did he go?? So in essence, scoring big against Smaller competition is his forte... Now, if that didn't translate for Shelden... HOw do you figure it will translate for Horford? Because you have believed the hype machine???

[D.R.P.]

Diesel, I mean seriously its time for you to put down the pipe, the bong, the needle, the bottle, the funny pills or whatever the hell you've been using, and get back on your prescribed medicines. You are in a severe state of illusion; a.k.a "the twilight zone".

[DawsonsCreek]

Quote:

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Diesel, I mean seriously its time for you to put down the pipe, the bong, the needle, the bottle, the funny pills or whatever the hell you've been using, and get back on your prescribed medicines. You are in a severe state of illusion; a.k.a "the twilight zone".

---

LOL

[Gray Mule]

Shelden did lead all rookies, before the injury, in

rebounds. He did give us a strong presence inside.

He gave the Hawks what they needed.

Since the Hawks also needed a P.G. and didn't get one,

The Landlord became the favorite whipping boy, esp.

after the injury.

He's no all star, but he's no flop either. He is a

very good free throw man. Doesn't miss a lot. He

will only improve this season.

Horford, like almost every draft pick, will not become

an instant star. Not a bad choice for a team needing

"Beef" in the frontcourt on defense.

I'd rather have the Chinese Yi because of what he has

the potential to bring - Now, he could become a real

star in the N.B.A. Could be a flop, too! But, he

is someone that would bring the fans out, more than

any other player in the draft.

Then, we pick a P.G. @11. Without a trade, this works

for me.

[jerrywest]

n/m

[Yeti]

For once I agree with Diesel. I am not a big Shelden fan, but this year I don't want any damn forwards. Get a PG and C regardless of where they are projected.

[atlien]

Wait, so, let me get this straight?

You like players like Shelden and Noah over Horford? You try to trade MW for 40 cents on the dollar every chance you get?

I mean, I know you post here a lot and all, but you my friend, ARE NOT A GOOD TALENT EVALUATOR.

If anyone of my friends doubted Horford the way you do, and put Shelden above him, I'd love it, b/c i'd make a bet with them, and I would win some money.

Unfortunately, my friends aren't that retarded.

If you can't see why Horford will be a good pro (from just watching him and seeing how his game translates instead of doing your weird little statistical analysis and strawman arguments), why Shelly is struggling as a pro (again, anyone who I know who knows about basketball called it right-on... dude is too slow and unskilled... he'd actually be much better on a team like Utah or SA with their style but I digress), and why MW will one day be an all-star (I really dont wanna get into this one, but Im confident in it), then that means YOU ARE NOT A GOOD EVALUATOR OF PLAYERS.

Case Closed.

I, for one, am happy with Yi or a trade for Gasol as well. So long as BK does something to maximize these picks.

[Seano]

Quote:

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Diesel, I mean seriously its time for you to put down the pipe, the bong, the needle, the bottle, the funny pills or whatever the hell you've been using, and get back on your prescribed medicines. You are in a severe state of illusion; a.k.a "the twilight zone".

---

You obviously have not studied the ways of the Dieselputer, so let me try to enlighten you. You see, the Dieselputer is a supercomputer that is *SO* super, that the majority of humans cannot even begin to comprehend what the hell he's (it's???? ) talking about. Now THAT'S smart!

The Dieselputer is just on an entirely different level- you could even say in an alternate reality or universe. But once you open up your mind to the wisdom of the Dieselputer, you will never see the world in the same way again. It's like taking a mega-dose of some really, really high-grade LSD or something. And them's the facts, jack.

I really think some time spent at the Temple of Diesel (known affectionately as 'the ToD') would be very beneficial for you. And then soon enough, you will begin to understand.

So c'mon down to the Temple, bud!

[MikeWilksBooth]

Quote:

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Quote:

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Diesel, I mean seriously its time for you to put down the pipe, the bong, the needle, the bottle, the funny pills or whatever the hell you've been using, and get back on your prescribed medicines. You are in a severe state of illusion; a.k.a "the twilight zone".

---

You obviously have not studied the ways of the Dieselputer, so let me try to enlighten you. You see, the Dieselputer is a supercomputer that is *SO* super, that the majority of humans cannot even begin to comprehend what the hell he's (it's???? ) talking about. Now THAT'S smart!

The Dieselputer is just on an entirely different level- you could even say in an alternate reality or universe. But once you open up your mind to the wisdom of the Dieselputer, you will never see the world in the same way again. It's like taking a mega-dose of some really, really high-grade LSD or something. And them's the facts, jack.

I really think some time spent at the Temple of Diesel (known affectionately as 'the ToD') would be very beneficial for you. And then soon enough, you will begin to understand.

So c'mon down to the Temple, bud!

---

LMFAO I totally agree

[HawkNJersey]

What I don't understand is, how is this guy suppose to be dominant in the NBA? What has he shown, anywhere...would lead anyone to believe he will be anything other than a role player? He didn't dominate in high school, like Amari. He didn't dominate in college, like Shelden. These are the guys he is commonly compared to. Now everyone wants to jump on board because of pre-draft measurables? Here we go with this "wish upon a star" philosophy. This franchise can't make change for a penny. Horford "is, what he has been" not what some folks hope he will be.

[TexasPete]

Shelden got ABUSED by EVERY decent big man he ever faced at Duke. But because you post out of your butt you wouldn't know that would you?

Last year several posters talked about how Marvins hand brace might have been affecting his shot but you pissed all over that idea. No, a brace was an excuse manufactured by the Marvin hype machine.

Now, Shelden has some tendinitis and wears a brace and we find out its what was hurting his game. Just pitiful.

You have 20,000 posts littered with hyprocricy so you should be more careful in what you say because you usually contradict yourself.

We all get the picture you want Yi. Great, itis your opinion. Enjoy it. Why do you have to do nothing all day but rag on the consensus 3rd best player? I'm not even on the Horford bus but it is just stupid.

Horford, college stats be damned, is a helluva lot better player than Shelden and I will remind you frequently about that next season.

[Frenzy]

Quote:

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What I don't understand is, how is this guy suppose to be dominant in the NBA? What has he shown, anywhere...would lead anyone to believe he will be anything other than a role player? He didn't dominate in high school, like Amari. He didn't dominate in college, like Shelden. These are the guys he is commonly compared to. Now everyone wants to jump on board because of pre-draft measurables? Here we go with this "wish upon a star" philosophy. This frachise can't make change for a penny. Horford "is, what he has been" not what some folks hope he will be.

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i agree

[shug94]

Quote:

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Unfortunately, my friends aren't that retarded.

---

I think you are fortunate that your friends aren't retarded.

[Guest Walter]

Quote:

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What I don't understand is, how is this guy suppose to be dominant in the NBA? What has he shown, anywhere...would lead anyone to believe he will be anything other than a role player? He didn't dominate in high school, like Amari. He didn't dominate in college, like Shelden. These are the guys he is commonly compared to. Now everyone wants to jump on board because of pre-draft measurables? Here we go with this "wish upon a star" philosophy. This frachise can't make change for a penny. Horford "is, what he has been" not what some folks hope he will be.

---

The chances that a player that has never dominated will suddenly dominate in the pros OUT OF POSITION next to an undersized Pf are just astronomically small. Kind of like the odds of SW becoming the next Ben Wallace. MOST times, when you step outside of the protoype, particularly when you aim shorter and don't have the historical evidence that suggests that either your talent or skill can overcome any out of position liability, you don't succeed. MOST times.

Frankly the odds of Yi reaching his already higher ceiling are many times greater than Horford reaching his at center.

W

[ecc423]

lol...geeze

[DrReality]

Sorry if this has been posted:

Don’t gripe if Hawks draft Horford at 3

By Mark Bradley | Thursday, June 21, 2007, 07:31 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Mark Bradley Just because the Detroit Lions drafted dud wide receivers in years past doesn’t mean Calvin Johnson will be a similar dud. Just because the Hawks should have taken point guards with their first picks of previous drafts doesn’t mean they should take one this time.

Mike Conley Jr. is a fine player who was, over the three weeks of March Madness, the NCAA tournament’s MVP. Conley is a point guard, and the Hawks, as the world knows, still lack one of those. But the guess is that they won’t make Conley the draft’s No. 3 selection, and they might not make him the No. 11 even if he’s available.

The belief here is that the Hawks will keep the No. 3 pick and spend it on Al Horford. And before you start screaming, “Another forward!”, be advised that Horford isn’t a replica of any current Hawks player. He’s a polished power forward who’s close to being a center. He’s not quite Tim Duncan, but he surely has elements of the splendid Spur about him.

Horford can shoot — he improved his jumper hugely from Florida’s first title run to its second — and can rebound and block shots, and mostly he can pass. Like all those delightful Gators, he knows how to play. Brandan Wright could well develop into a Horford in two years’ time, but Horford is already there. In a draft where there’s a gap between the top two players and everybody else, Horford seems clearly the best of the rest.

He can bring to the Hawks what Billy Knight, thinking wistfully, hoped Shelden Williams would. And if you’re thinking Horford would simply wind up playing behind Josh Smith at power forward — obviously you’d want a dead solid starter from such a lofty slot — remember that Smith will be a free agent after next season and could be packaged, perhaps with the No. 11 pick, in a trade for a seasoned point guard. (Mike Bibby, maybe?)

Even if Smith and Horford wind up on the same roster, they aren’t necessarily overlapping talents. Horford can work with his back to the basket. Smith can play small forward. (Stop me if you’ve heard this, but Knight likes guys who can man multiple positions.) And no, Horford isn’t a point guard, but there’s a greater issue: If the Hawks didn’t feel Marcus Williams, whose body and skills were more suited to the NBA than Conley’s, was worth the No. 5 pick last year, why would they believe Conley is worth the No. 3 this time?

Conley is 6 feet 1 and 175 pounds. He didn’t make more than two treys in any game last season. Back when Knight and I were on speaking terms, he told me, “So many possessions in the NBA wind up with the ball in the point guard’s hands with five seconds on the shot clock.” For that reason, I always believed he preferred Deron Williams — who’s bigger and stronger and who shoots better from distance — to Chris Paul. (Stop me if you’ve heard this, but Knight wound up not taking either.)

For that reason, I believe there’s a guard who could well be available at No. 11 who fits what Knight wants more than Conley, more than Acie Law. Javaris Crittenton is, depending on which listing you trust, 6-4 or 6-5. He’s very strong. He shoots the trey effortlessly. He’s not yet a polished distributor, but he shows signs. Is he ready to start for an NBA team? Not in Year 1, but he’s capable of doing as Jarrett Jack did in Portland, working as a sub for a season before taking over.

I don’t know that Horford and Crittenton would put the Hawks in the playoffs next season, but they would in 2009 and for several years beyond. Drafting Horford and dealing for Bibby would have greater immediate impact, but if the Hawks are serious about wanting to keep all their young players, taking this big forward and this big point guard would be, ahem, big steps forward.

[Seano]

Quote:

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Since the Hawks also needed a P.G. and didn't get one,

The Landlord became the favorite whipping boy, esp.

after the injury.

He's no all star, but he's no flop either. He is a

very good free throw man. Doesn't miss a lot. He

will only improve this season.

---

Good points, Mule. There is no doubt but that Shelden was a completely different player minus the brace than he was while wearing it. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, and a full healthy season or two before permanently passing judgement on this dude.

[vdunkndunk]

Diesel's posts used to really irritate me, but now I like to read a lot of his stuff. Especially the little plays where the GM's call each other up. But this one is a joke too, right?

[Seano]

I think Diesel's posts are great. I'm not being facetious in the least when I say that, I really do enjoy them. He is very often quite funny, most of all when he is being unintentionally so.

And no, I don't think this post was a joke- but ya never know. The Dieselputer works in mysterious, mysterious ways.

[TexasPete]

Did Mark Bradley just want to trade Smoove and the 11th pick for Mike Bibby?

I will never read another Bradley piece as long as I live. Talk about a total DOPE. I would not give the 11th pick alone for an over the hill no defensive PG.

And then he compounds his stupidity saying that if we passed up a great PG in Marcus Williams how could we take a skinny Conley?

Marcus's defense doesnt bother him at all I guess.

Bradley is officially a total idiot in understanding basketball.