Sekou: Somebody has to go?

[DrReality]

Somebody has to go … right?

By Sekou K Smith | Monday, July 2, 2007, 03:25 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

You’re thinking it, too.

The numbers just don’t add up.

The Hawks have too many guys for too few spots, right?.

Maybe not.

I’m talking about all the forwards the Hawks have currently on the roster, as well as the fleet of point guards (though, contract situations will dictate the fates of at least a couple of those smaller guys).

Study the roster of most of the league’s best teams, nearly all of them in fact, and it’s obvious that you need at least five quality players at the forward spots. Not all of them will be Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett, obviously, but they’ll be guys that can play major minutes, if need be.

The Hawks have Josh Smith and Marvin Williams as starters and Shelden Williams, Al Horford and Solomon Jones as the reserves. But we can all agree that Josh and Marvin would probably fit best at the same spot (while each is fully capable of playing other positions).

If we break it down even further, there really needs to be a six-man rotation of big men that play the minutes. And if we go that route we’re including the centers and power forwards only - the small forwards are interchangeable on most teams with the shooting guards).

In that set-up the Hawks would have a six-man crew (with four guys playing major minutes and two guys as situational reserves) of Smith, Shelden Williams, Al Horford and Zaza Pachulia as the main four guys and Lorenzen Wright and Jones as the situational guys. They’re not the biggest crew, but as a whole they’d be more than serviceable (wouldn’t we all take a shot-swatting 7-footer who rebounds like Rodman and throws bows and intimidates like Dikembe but this is the real world, not a video game). Are you willing to go to training camp with that crew?

The point guard situation is in need of a bit more tweaking. There’s no way a team carries four point guards (five if you count Salim Stoudamire among them). That’s just too many, particularly when two of them (Anthony Johnson and my man Tyronn Lue, are going into contract years). Speedy Claxton and Acie Law are going to be here, barring something unforeseen happening, so we know we’re talking about either Lue or AJ heading elsewhere via trade (perhaps for another gritty swingman or a defensive-minded small forward type that can be used a situational defender against certain teams to take that extra pressure off of Joe Johnson).

Law’s arrival means that one of those veterans becomes expendable - my guess is AJ is shopped while Lue remains, but nothing’s set in stone. What would you do?

These are the hard decisions the Hawks will have to make between now and the start of training camp. Decisions that MUST be done and done correctly if the Hawks want to go into this season poised to make the necessary steps needed to rise from the ashes of their current state of dysfunction and not just compete for a playoff spot, but also snatch one.

So I’ll ask you again, what would you do?

[TexasPete]

Josh Chill needs to go ASAP because he is also a SF whether Sekou understands that or not. He is not a SG of any magnitude although BK's constant drafting of forwards has made us move players like JChill to spots they are not suited for.

Chill cannot create his own shot, he does not take the ball to the dish, nor does he penetrate and kick. He is a SF.

He will likely not be resigned due to cap situations coming hard at the Hawks. He must be traded for a pick or a backup SG.

[Spiral]

The point guard glut is a problem. Thing is, I think AJ has very little value. I definitely don't see many potential trading partners for a 2/3 guy, not for AJ anyway. San Antonio and Miami are supposedly looking for a veteran point capable of starting. I'd love to get Brent Barry or Dorrell Wright, but thats not happening for AJ.

I think the best we could hope for would be something like James White / Jackie Butler for AJ, but even then, I'm not sure San Antonio would do it.

[Nicholasp27]

Quote:

---

But we can all agree that Josh and Marvin would probably fit best at the same spot

---

HORRIBLE sentence

most here believe smoove is best at PF while marvin is a prototypical SF

so while SEKOU may think they are both sf, we definitely can't all agree on that

[Spiral]

To me, one of our biggest problems right now is we have very little depth at the 2/3 spot.

I originally thought that Chillz should be the odd man out too, but now I'm not so sure. He is really the only player on our roster besides JJ that I feel can guard quality SG's on other teams.

His contract makes him the most likely to be dealt, but unless we get another SG in return, I just can't see doing it.

[bfwolf]

Once we package Lue/AJ + some combination of our forwards/centers for a real Center, we should be in good shape.

[DavidSomerset]

Who do you have in mind??

Are you talking about someone like Haywood?

[Spiral]

A quality center is the hardest position to fill in the entire league. I seriously doubt a combination of Lue/AJ will bring us one.

I don't think we're getting Haywood for that. There were rumblings before the draft that we were discussing ShellHead for Haywood, but that fell through.

[TheDude]

we need a Bowen type person (without all the foul play) who can play tough defense yet hit the 3 point shot. someone, as Sekou said, to take the pressure off of JoeCool from guarding the other team's best player but yet also can hit the 3 shot to help our longrange scoring....

[Spiral]

Bowen is a unique talent, there's not many who can do what he does. (or get away with it anyway) Greg Buckner, Trenton Hassell and Ira Newble are similar type players, but none of them are at Bowen's level (or status).

[BusBoyIsBack]

Nobody has to go, unless you scrape the bottom of the barrel and get rid of Royal ivey and Lorenzen Wright.

I love how ppl think getting Horford means the end of Marvin or Smoove or something absurd like that.

It doesn't even mean the end for Shelden and Solomon.

It's the guys at the BOTTOM of the depth chart that get cut when you add more talent.

Just like Edwards when we got Shelden.

[lush23]

We don't need a defensiver SF. We need a SF that can shoot the rock. We were just about dead last in every offensive catagory in the league last season. Those of you that want to trade J. Chill, do you actually watch any of the games. He should be starting at SF ahead of M.Williams. Chill does everything better than M.Williams; ball handlding, defense, passing, rebound, shooting for a high percentage. We all know why Marvin starts!

[Swatguy]

I believe we really need only a little tinkering to the roster. I would not trade any core unless it is an overwhelming trade. That is one that brings a superstar, filling a need (anything other than SG).

I would not move Childress with this "his contract is close" to end histeria. Please. With a new season brings improvement for a young guy. All our guys (core) are young and will improve from last season. As the season moves toward the "trade deadline", beneficial moves will be apparent. With the natural improvement of the players, it is neccessary to see what this roster is capable of before trading for the sakes of what was last season. Except for the case of Lorenzen, move him as well as Lue or AJ.

I say again, I believe we should obtain a guy that can defend the perimeter against 2's and 3's. A guy physical enough to disrupt a 3 or a 2. A guy who can shoot "lights out" and score (manufacture) as need. A guy that can back up JJ, and the wing.

Jarvis Hayes.

[Johnnybravo4]

Quote:

---

We don't need a defensiver SF. We need a SF that can shoot the rock. We were just about dead last in every offensive catagory in the league last season. Those of you that want to trade J. Chill, do you actually watch any of the games. He should be starting at SF ahead of M.Williams. Chill does everything better than M.Williams; ball handlding, defense, passing, rebound, shooting for a high percentage. We all know why Marvin starts!

---

I think that we should send Childress to Denver for J.R. Smith. J.R. is the sort of athletic player off of the bench that would make a real difference in our team.