GIVE JOSH SMITH THE EXTENSION ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BHayley]

This is ridiculous--Josh Smith was already a stat freak this past year--he is going to be considerably better this coming season and will be a serious stud for many years to come in this league. Give him the d@mn extension already! I don't care what our incompetent owners are facing--this guy is the best shotblocker in the game and just worked with Ha-freaking-keem Olajuwon!!

[Zone034life]

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This is ridiculous--Josh Smith was already a stat freak this past year--he is going to be considerably better this coming season and will be a serious stud for many years to come in this league. Give him the

d@mn

extension already! I don't care what our incompetent owners are facing--this guy is the best shotblocker in the game and just worked with Ha-freaking-keem Olajuwon!!

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[Swatguy]

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Although I want to give him an extension, this is a difficult situation. For one, we have to deal directly with Belkin. So that is the big obstacle, plus there is no rush in signing him. We let him go RFA next year and then just match. As much as I don't like management, I like how they are handling Smoove so far. If he doesn't want a large amount of guaranteed money, then we will just match next year (which won't be much more than we are already offering from what I have heard).

Not a big deal in my mind, but still interesting.

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Ditto

[ecc423]

no worries...he'll play out the next 6-7 years w/ the Hawks...

[AtLaS]

I don't know, I'm still scared if someone offers him a big 5 year deal. It's then in Belkin's hands. Philly I know will have cap space after this year, and I've seen their fans talking about how they want to go after Smith. Pairing him in their lineup would be nasty.

[BHayley]

Can someone explain the salary situation? After a rookie contract, is the max the team is allowed to offer around 14 million (what JJ got?) I don't know the salary situations, but I'm just worried that Philly or Milwaukee or LAC or any of the lowly teams will throw their house at J Smoove and we'll be reluctant to match. 9, 10, or 11 million a year for JSmoove's production is a HUGE steal. Let's not forget he'll be much better this coming year than he was last year.

[KB21]

It's a steal is Josh continues to round his game into form and become the POST presence he needs to be. It is not a steal if he gets the big money and goes back to his nasty habit of hanging around the 3 point line and chucking up 8-9 three point shots a game.

I think the Hawks want to get an extension done with him, but they are proceeding with caution, as they should.

[BHayley]

Yes, well he is maturing his game more and more, even though I agree about the 3 pt crap. I have been a heavy critic for him because of his stupid perimeter shots. I just don't want to have to pay him huge money next offseason, opposed to a "mild" 10 million now.

[mrhonline]

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I don't know, I'm still scared if someone offers him a big 5 year deal. It's then in Belkin's hands. Philly I know will have cap space after this year, and I've seen their fans talking about how they want to go after Smith. Pairing him in their lineup would be nasty.

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Philly is the team I'm worried about as well.

[Johnnybravo4]

This is why we haven't made the playoffs in a decade...our ownership and front office are the worst in NBA history. I'd rather have Donald Sterling.

[Guest MLibid]

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This is ridiculous--Josh Smith was already a stat freak this past year--he is going to be considerably better this coming season and will be a serious stud for many years to come in this league. Give him the

d@mn

extension already! I don't care what our incompetent owners are facing--this guy is the best shotblocker in the game and just worked with Ha-freaking-keem Olajuwon!!

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Don't rush it! Billy Knight might get into a state of panic and accidentally release him!

[KB21]

I just don't want Josh to become the Andruw Jones of the Hawks. By saying that, I mean a player that teases you with his talent but never becomes as good as he should be because he doesn't listen to coaching, opting to do things his way instead.

[Guest MLibid]

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I just don't want Josh to become the Andruw Jones of the Hawks. By saying that, I mean a player that teases you with his talent but never becomes as good as he should be because he doesn't listen to coaching, opting to do things his way instead.

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What makes you think that Josh Smith will be like that?

[DJlaysitup]

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I just don't want Josh to become the Andruw Jones of the Hawks. By saying that, I mean a player that teases you with his talent but never becomes as good as he should be because he doesn't listen to coaching, opting to do things his way instead.

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That is a good point...but I think it will go the other way...Josh doesn't need to listen to Woody - he needs to put this team on his back.

[Zone034life]

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I just don't want Josh to become the Andruw Jones of the Hawks. By saying that, I mean a player that teases you with his talent but never becomes as good as he should be because he doesn't listen to coaching, opting to do things his way instead.

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If Josh Smith gets half the defensive player of the year awards that Andruw Jones has gold gloves I would be ok with that.Some would say woody isn't the guy to be leading Josh or the Hawks.Yet in still he must listen to him or any other coach while he is in the NBA.The fans who want him to get signed now don't trust Billy Knight or the organization to get it right.Why should they?

[Johnnybravo4]

There is no problem with Smoove being Andruw Jones as long as JJ is Chipper. Besides who are we saving the money for exactly?

[KB21]

He's always had the propensity to do things he isn't capable of doing. Like shooting from the perimeter too much, as well as putting the ball on the floor too much.

The blow up he had with Woody last year was over a 3 point shot that Woody felt Josh shouldn't be shooting.

[SmooveTheFuture]

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He's always had the propensity to do things he isn't capable of doing. Like shooting from the perimeter too much, as well as putting the ball on the floor too much.

The blow up he had with Woody last year was over a 3 point shot that Woody felt Josh shouldn't be shooting.

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No it was not I watched that game and Josh was pissed off because he wanted to take the last shot and was not giving the chance. Lue held the ball for over 10 secs as usual and fired up a prayer that had no chance of going in Hawks lost. Also if I remeber in that game the Hawks were up huge and blew a big lead to the lose the game. With JJ out Smith was the man for this team and he should have got the chance to take the big shots down the stretch. It serves no purpose for this team to have midget back up PG tyron Lue who has no future with this team taking last shots in meaningless games.

[CAM]

Your correct that Josh was upset because he felt he should have had the ball in his hands. And Lue did make a bad choice in his shot selection on that play. But Lue was very clutch for us all year, making big plays late in games. I didn't mind in that case him taking the last shot........... he just chose a bad one this time.

If you remember the Cleveland game about 4 games in last season, he tried the same thing, driving right, but in that game he got a step on the defender and made a runner to send it to overtime. Which we won. There was also the game in NJ (I think it was OT) when he hit a game winning 3. Also several other decent late game shots that didn't entirely decide the result of the game.

I think you're a tad harsh on Lue.

P.S. Please extend Josh now. 5 years @ 55, or 6 years @66 ish.

[BHayley]

Exactly. I had no problem with Lue taking that shot. I wish it would have been a better looking shot than a barely-6-footer taking a fadeaway. And to the previous poster, who said it was a meaningless game, wouldn't that make it less important if Smith took the last shot?

Granted, Smoove did hit some huge shots during the year (I think he hit the clinching 3 in one of the bigger homes games).