Watson/Ridnour very much on the block.

[mrhonline]

Contract situation:

2007-8

Watson - $5.8M

Ridnour - $6.5M

2008-9

Watson - $6.2M

Ridnour - $6.5M

2009-10

Watson - $6.6M

Ridnour - $6.5M

Age:

Watson - 28

Ridnour - 27

[exodus]

I'd take either one of them if it means i don't have to watch Lue or AJ any more. I wonder what it would take to get one of them.

[mattlanta]

Quote:

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I'd take either one of them if it means i don't have to watch Lue or AJ any more. I wonder what it would take to get one of them.

It would take Billy Knight some thinking, and we all know how that never works out.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Avoid both like the plague.

[atlien]

Quote:

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Avoid both like the plague.

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This guy speaks the truth. While this team needs a lot of things, ANOTHER backup pg is not one of them. If we're going to trade for a pg at this point, let's get a legit starter for a change.

Both those guys are backups in this league.

[Buzzard]

Quote:

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This guy speaks the truth. While this team needs a lot of things, ANOTHER backup pg is not one of them. If we're going to trade for a pg at this point, let's get a legit starter for a change.

Both those guys are backups in this league.

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I voted to aquire either one with the condition that it is on the cheap. I also think they are solid backups but if it means giving up Chilz, Smoove, MWill, or Acie I say no way. I would ship Salim straight up for either of them and call it a day. Acie is still the future as far as I am concerned and either of these two would be great backups.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Those 2 guys are making Speedy Claxton type money. Every team that needs a PG don't even think about trading for those guys.

This board is so funny sometimes. People fiend for role players that play great aganst US, instead of how they play overall.

Watson isn't much better than AJ at all. Watson can play defense, but it's not like he shuts down people. He just isn't a defensive liability. AJ is a little better offensively and he is a better leader.

Ridnour is worst than both, which is why a scrub like Watson plays ahead of him. He's injury-prone like Speedy. He's shooting a career low FG% this year. And he may be the WORST finishing PG when he gets close to the rim, in the league. He finishes around the rim at a far lesser rate than even Acie.

Yet, people are willing for this team to pick up those guys, making that kind of money, for the next 2 - 3 years? That is pure insanity. I'd rather roll with Law and Salim running the point, than those 2 guys.

Adding an overpaid or overrated scrub to this team, does not help our overall situation. They would get here, play terrible, and everybody would blame BK for making an idiotic deal like that.

If we add sombody, we have to add a starter-caliber player that can immeadiately produce, even if he comes off the bench. Otherwise, we might as well do nothing, and make the moves in the summer.

Ish, give me a crazy person like Ron Artest, over any of those Seattle scrubs.

[Hawk88]

Aren't you sick of middling to lousy point guard play? Good grief, quit freaking experimenting with PGs. If you are going to get a PG, get a great one. A great PG will make Marvin, Josh, Josh, Al, stars to go along with Joe. But you have to give somebody up. It will be worth it.

Also there are quite a few good young PGs coming up in next years draft so I say suffer through it this year and do something next year. Get a veteran next year.

Hawk88

[mrhonline]

This was a poll, guys, not a statement of my personal opinion.

That said, the idea of "acquiring a great PG" is a bit unrealistic. Great PG's are rarely up for trade unless they have MAMMOTH contracts, in which case the Hawks couldn't afford them anyway.

Realistic options have to be weighed carefully, and that's what I'm asking of you in this poll. Watson or Ridnour can be acquired for the price of expiring contracts (Lue + Wright), but you have to commit to two more seasons of whichever one you acquire. That's not necessarily a bad thing, because Acie Law is clearly not ready to be a starter, and Speedy cannot be counted upon.

The question in the poll is simple - are you interested in either Watson or Ridnour for 2 years, $13M?

[DrReality]

Quote:

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Aren't you sick of middling to lousy point guard play? Good grief, quit freaking experimenting with PGs. If you are going to get a PG, get a great one. A great PG will make Marvin, Josh, Josh, Al, stars to go along with Joe. But you have to give somebody up. It will be worth it.

Also there are quite a few good young PGs coming up in next years draft so I say suffer through it this year and do something next year. Get a veteran next year.

Hawk88

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I agree about the back up gp's. But it seems our best shot at an upgrade is for Acie to step up his game. And to do that he needs playing time. I'm not convinced he can do that but we need to figure it out before we start making a bunch of moves for guys who are not that much better. Play the guy and give him some time.

[mrhonline]

Teams looking to make the playoffs with multiple coaches in the last year of their deals are not likely to play rookie PG's major minutes, especially if that rookie has been less than stellar so far.

We need to be realistic about the minutes Law is going to get from here on out, barring injuries. The Hawks most definitely need a stopgap PG. The question in my mind is whether AJ/Lue is good enough to get to the playoffs in the EC. If not, someone needs to be brought in to replace Lue this season, and consequently, to replace AJ next season.

[DrReality]

My point is that Woody has not done a good job developing Acie. His minutes have been inconsistent. Woody does not give any of the bench players, except Chill, definite minutes that they can count on. Lue is a short term fix that is probably hurting Acie's development.

[mrhonline]

Most rookie PG's minutes are inconsistent. It's the way things are done in the NBA. I don't blame Woodson for that, especially when you consider he's trying to win games to keep his job.

Law has been a fairly significant disappointment this season, just like Shelden last year. Both players were supposed to be "NBA ready," and that's not been the case.

[Packfill]

Quote:

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Teams looking to make the playoffs with multiple coaches in the last year of their deals are not likely to play rookie PG's major minutes, especially if that rookie has been less than stellar so far.

We need to be realistic about the minutes Law is going to get from here on out, barring injuries. The Hawks most definitely need a stopgap PG. The question in my mind is whether AJ/Lue is good enough to get to the playoffs in the EC. If not, someone needs to be brought in to replace Lue this season, and consequently, to replace AJ next season.

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The way the east is shaping up, the Hawks could make the playoffs this year with Gary Coleman at the point.

The Hawks need a starting caliber point guard with advanced court vision and passing ability. If it takes trading a Marvin or Childress and some of the other junk on the roster to get one, so be it. Forwards are easily replaced.

[coachx]

I can see a Lue / Chills for Wilkens / Watson being a very relistic scenerio.

Sure Chills is better then Wilkens....but not by as much as many Hawks homers think. (Damien can atleast create his own shot while also being a better ball hander and better passer. (Damien's defense is not too shabby either.)

Watson is much better then Lue.

I like game logs over season averages b/c consistency is better displayed this way. Watson has only had 3 games with 5 or more turnoverts all year which is pretty good consiering the extremely young team he plays with. Watson's 6.5 apg is very strong for only 27 mpg....plus he is 38% 3pt shooter on the year.

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/earl_watson/...game_stats.html

Here is Watson's career:

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/earl_watson/career_stats.html

I have to say that I like this deal.

Chills can then go showcase his skills while being the starting SG for a losing team and can get even more offensive rebounds off Durants high volume jumpers.

[DJlaysitup]

Plus the Hawks can hype having a "new Wilkens in town" and make a big deal as how he lit it up against us earlier in the year and would be bringning those skills to the "Highlight Factory" for good. That would be reasonable PR to offset the loss of Chillz. The real meat and potatos of the deal would be the improvement at PG though.

Then trade MW for a center and you got a team.

[MikeWilksBooth]

I would rather acquire Lubomir Visnovsky

[coachx]

I would prefer Andre Miller but I don't think the ASG will allow BK to pony up that many expiring contracts to committ $11 million to one guy next year.

I hope they prove me wrong by making a bigger trade and then saying "We are committed to improving this franchise at all cost." Too bad I don't see that one happening.