The team BK has assembed

[Admin]

The 2 biggest ways we have been exploited this year are with talented bigs and quick PGs.

Against teams with talented bigs (Sheed, Big Ben, KG, etc) we had a lot of trouble with them and we would lose the game.

Against teams with quick PGs (CP, TJ, Parker, etc) we allowed them to take us off the dribble and we would lose the game.

Then Lo Wright gets healthy, Shelden gets quality minutes, and against the best big in the NBA not named Duncan we are able to disrupt the opponents game plan enough to beat them. Certainly one game does not prove that having a healthy Lo and a Shelden producing like he should given his talent and draft position that we have solved this problem but I think we will see a dramatic difference in our ability to win against teams with quality bigs.

After thinking about that it got me thinking that if the execution of BKs vision for the team didn't get disrupted to such a degree as it has been the case due to injuries how balanced of a team could we actually be? If we had a healthy Lue and more specifically a healthy Speedy we would surely be able to defend teams with quick PGs much more effectively, right?

I would say that it's a pretty accurate statement that BK assembled a very well rounded team capable of matching up with anyone in the league on defense and causing all sorts of matchup problems on offense were it not for injuries, sometimes selfish play, and coaching mistakes. For all the grief BK has taken over the years for his drafting of forwards he sure did assemble a great collection of players, on paper that is. I sincerely hope that the day will come when our entire squad is healthy and gets enough experience to see the vision fully executed.

[coachx]

Good post.

BK's vision is good one and he did a good job of bringing in players through the draft and some decent veterans to fill roles which he gave little to get.

1. Lue for retired Barry

2. AJ for a 2nd round pick who would have been a European who never crossed the ocean like David Anderson & Cenk Arkoyl.

3. ZaZa for cheap

4. Lo for cheap

5. West for the minium contact and undrafted

He basically got the above players off the scrap pile and all have helped the team at some point through the season. None of the above guys are truely good players but they are all capapble of filling a role in. If I. Thomas of the Knicks got his role players this way instead of paying Malik Rose $8 mill per year the Knicks my be some where by now.

Too bad it is not a perfect world. Too bad Speedy's injury turned out to be so bad. I think we expected 60-70 games from Speedy. I don't think any one could for see this happening where he misses multiple seasons. One would think a red flag would come on the physical. Oh well, like all parts of life sh*t happens.

Every team in the league knows how hard is to get a 7 footer with skils so I hold no fault there.

BK is a good GM who patience is his best characteristc. Alot of GMs wold havestuck to the plan like he has done.

[Hoosier]

You must like pain, because you are probably going to get flamed for the next couple of days, for this post.

Most of the fans that come here, and people in general just look at the bottom line, and what have you done for me lately. They will be the same people calling him a man of vision in a couple of years, when this team competes consistently at a high level. As real Hawk fans, we have to hope that the owners allow this team to stay together long enough for that to happen (Coaching Staff Not Included).

[Johann]

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.... when this team competes consistently at a high level. As real Hawk fans, we have to hope that the owners allow this team to stay together long enough for that to happen (Coaching Staff Not Included).

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The best thing might be that the owners have crippled themselves with their legal Chinese knot.

[coachx]

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Most of the fans that come here, and people in general just look at the bottom line, and what have you done for me lately.

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Many of us are more then "casual" fans and appreciate the work BK has done. The ones who think that way couldn't care less what a casual fan with the referenced mind set thinks.

I was supporting Woody early in the year and got bashed for it.

When I finally turned on him we started winning.

[Packfill]

BK has done a decent job acquiring young talent but the real test of his skills will be what happens when these guys are up for contracts and whether this team actually wins anything or not.

I really question how hard it is for any run of the mill GM to build a "talented young team" when you are given 5 lottery picks and 7 total first picks, even giving the fact that he traded for two of those (they were the two lowest of the seven picks).

For now he gets an incomplete.

[Diesel]

The question is not what did he make...

The question is did he make the best team that he could have given the resources..

Many hawks fans believe NO... and with good reason.

[exodus]

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The question is not what did he make...

The question is did he make the best team that he could have given the resources..

Many hawks fans believe NO... and with good reason.

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Passing on the best two options in the '04 and '05 drafts really hurt.

We haven't gotten any real production from our high second rounders either.

In the end a lot is riding on Acie's shoulders. If he doesn't work out at the point (i think he will) then we really have problems.

[Hoosier]

Your raising the bar beyond human expectations. You have to pick someone on draft night, no one can always pick the best one, but to BKs credit he has yet to pick the wrong one. I cannot imagine a GM passing on Wade/Bosh for Darko. Can you imagine the Pistons with one of those guys? It would just be unfair the Eastern Conference.

Maybe you and a few others participants here at HS would make better GMs, than BK. But, until you are actually in that position, and feel the pressure of that position you shall remain only the best GM of your Fantasy League.

That is why I choose to look at whom BK has actually drafted, and project what that team is capable of. If you want to speculate on what other GMs would have done, look at all the players picked one pick before the six most recent 1st round picks that BK has had. Don't just look at all the ROY's he passed on, look at some of the bums picked in front of him.

[exodus]

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Don't just look at all the ROY's he passed on, look at some of the bums picked in front of him.

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It doesn't matter who was picked before Atlanta's pick since BK didn't have the opportunity to take those players. You are assuming he wouldn't have taken them if given the chance.

All you can do is judge BK's picks on the basis of who was available at that time. Not only did BK not get the best player with any of his 2004-06 lottery picks he didn't even get the second best player with any of those picks.

if you want to rebuild through the draft and then pick the wrong players that is a big problem. Fortunately the Hawks got lucky twice this past summer landing the 3rd and 11th picks which might bail out BK.

[Hoosier]

How can you say he lucked into anything?

The point of this thread was, did BK have a master plan, that would work if given the opportunity. Did he want to rebuild through the draft? Yes, if he had lots of high picks then he accomplished one means to end, at least, right?

Did he want long, skilled, defensive minded, and athletic draftees? Yes, the rest of the League is beginning to awe this.

Did BK want players that had a clean medical history (draft picks)? Yes.

Did he want players of high character? Oh, and yes.

It would appear BK did not luck into anything. Most scouts, and Front Office personnel around the NBA really think the Hawks are on the rise.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

04: Hawks need taent across the board. He picks the Pac-10 POY, instead of the two younger but raw and more athletic guys projected ahead of him. Then he takes the most athletic player in the draft, who is very young and raw.

05: Hawks need C, PG, and a superstar. C is gone, so it's the PG or potential superstar. He chooses the very young and raw potential superstar who jut won a national title, like almost everyone else would've in the #2 spot. He does this partially because there is some doubt whether the 3 PGs avalable could become a great superstar PG worthy of a #2 pick. While the PG from the ACC, who was the top PG in the country that year, would've immeadiately solved the Hawks PG problem, he chooses the potential superstar.

Then he takes the Co-Pac 10 POY in round 2 to gain another shooter and possibly compensate for not taking that PG in round 1. Then he trades for another potental superstar whose star was risng in the NBA, and wants him to be a big Chauncey Billups.

06: Hawks need C & PG. No true Cs or PGs are available. The best available is the 2-time College DPOY who played center, but is a little undetsized. A great versatile shooter and playmaker from the Pac 10 is available, but seeing that we traded for that very same type of player the year before, he opts to go with the 2-time DPOY.

07: Hawks still need PG & C. At #3, they can either take a PF that can play C, or the great young playmaking PG that lost to the PF that can play C in the national championship game. He chooses the PF that can play C, knowing that he can address the PG issue at pick 11.

Now he has to choose whether he wants the senior super-clutch PG that won the honor as the best PG in college . . the young, raw, multi-talented PG that can do it all and has loads of potential . . or the high scoring 2-guard who can also play PG, that might be the best overall guard in the draft? He chooses the PG that was the PG of the year.

[exodus]

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How can you say he lucked into anything?

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Very easily

BK won the lottery which enabled him to pick ahead of Boston, Memphis and the Bucks. All three teams had worse records than the Hawks last year. That is the definition of luck.

The Indy pick turned out to be the best possible scenario, the 11th pick. if Indy had finished with the 10th worst record we wouldn't have had that pick until this coming June. Again it was lucky.

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Did he want long, skilled, defensive minded, and athletic draftees?

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Iggy and Deng fit that bill as well. Calling Chill skilled and defensive minded is being generous.

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Did he want players of high character?

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Again Iggy and Deng both scored high here. So did Deron. The only thing Paul had against him was the crotch shot.

[exodus]

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04: Hawks need taent across the board. He picks the Pac-10 POY, instead of the two younger but raw and more athletic guys projected ahead of him.

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Chill was also the slowest and smallest of the 3 and had a very low release on his shot. Not an ideal combination.

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I think Diesel has covered this enough. I don't have anything to add.

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A great versatile shooter and playmaker from the Pac 10 is available, but seeing that we traded for that very same type of player the year before, he opts to go with the 2-time DPOY.

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Yeah it sure would be a shame to have two guys who play like JJ. we really don't need another guy who can create his own shot, get to the basket and set up other guys.

Roy would be the perfect guy to play the role Childress tries to play. Roy also has a 40" vertical which allows him to finish at the rim better than JJ can.

[Dexmethylphenidate]

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How can you say he lucked into anything?

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Very easily

BK won the lottery which enabled him to pick ahead of Boston, Memphis and the Bucks. All three teams had worse records than the Hawks last year. That is the definition of luck.

The Indy pick turned out to be the best possible scenario, the 11th pick. if Indy had finished with the 10th worst record we wouldn't have had that pick until this coming June. Again it was lucky.

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The whole lottery is base on chance man. If he's lucky on this draft, then he's unlucky that he didn't get #1 pick the previous 3 years.

[exodus]

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The whole lottery is base on chance man. If he's lucky on this draft, then he's unlucky that he didn't get #1 pick the previous 3 years.

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Sorry but math doesnt work like that.

If you flip a coin 3 times and it is heads the first two times, what are the odds it is heads on the 3rd try?

What makes this past draft even more lucky is that if they didn't win the lottery they wouldn't have had that pick until next summer. The Hawks very easily could have had no picks in this past draft.

[mrhonline]

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If you flip a coin 3 times and it is heads the first two times, what are the odds it is heads on the 3rd try?

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Ooh-oooh, I know that one:

50-50.

[bumpyphish1]

BK is a prophet...

I have said that tens of times on this board

[coachx]

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04: Hawks need taent across the board. He picks the Pac-10 POY, instead of the two younger but raw and more athletic guys projected ahead of him. Then he takes the most athletic player in the draft, who is very young and raw.

05: Hawks need C, PG, and a superstar. C is gone, so it's the PG or potential superstar. He chooses the very young and raw potential superstar who jut won a national title, like almost everyone else would've in the #2 spot. He does this partially because there is some doubt whether the 3 PGs avalable could become a great superstar PG worthy of a #2 pick. While the PG from the ACC, who was the top PG in the country that year, would've immeadiately solved the Hawks PG problem, he chooses the potential superstar.

Then he takes the Co-Pac 10 POY in round 2 to gain another shooter and possibly compensate for not taking that PG in round 1. Then he trades for another potental superstar whose star was risng in the NBA, and wants him to be a big Chauncey Billups.

06: Hawks need C & PG. No true Cs or PGs are available. The best available is the 2-time College DPOY who played center, but is a little undetsized. A great versatile shooter and playmaker from the Pac 10 is available, but seeing that we traded for that very same type of player the year before, he opts to go with the 2-time DPOY.

07: Hawks still need PG & C. At #3, they can either take a PF that can play C, or the great young playmaking PG that lost to the PF that can play C in the national championship game. He chooses the PF that can play C, knowing that he can address the PG issue at pick 11.

Now he has to choose whether he wants the senior super-clutch PG that won the honor as the best PG in college . . the young, raw, multi-talented PG that can do it all and has loads of potential . . or the high scoring 2-guard who can also play PG, that might be the best overall guard in the draft? He chooses the PG that was the PG of the year.

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Well said.

[gsuteke]

what has Billy Knight done to address the obvious lack of 3 pt shooting that has plagued the Hawks this year?

Anyone can go stathead on me but in the games I've seen teams are double and tripling Joe and they wouldn't be able to if Atlanta had a viable option sitting on the wing waiting to punish teams.