Fans need to calm down

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Before i start this, let m say that i have no problem bringing back both Smith and Chill. But I am prepared to see how this team would look and how individuals would respond, without one of them here.

But we're only 2 weeks into the free agency period. The market for UFAs has been robust, while the market for RFAs has been tough going. I personally think all of these teams are dealing the right way with these RFAs. You don't grossly overpay for a guy who is not the best player on your team. You just don't. This is partially why Phoenix decided to let JJ go in a S&T to us 3 years ago.

There have been so many overpaid players in this league, that it's ridculous. I'm not talking about guys who make 6 mill, but are only worth 3 or 4. I'm talking about the Rashard Lewis type of player, who is good, but is nowhere near good enough to command the dollars that he received.

Overpaying a player, especially a mid to high dollar one, can be just as damaging to a team than not retaining him at all. There are too many Wally Szczerbiaks, Boris Diaws, Tim Thomases, and Rashard Lewises in this league, that have flat out stolen money since they've gotten off of their rookie contracts.

So it's important for an organization to evaulate the worth of a player, and stick to its guns. It's also important for a player to get the most money he possibly can from these teams.

I think these organizations see what the Spurs do, and envy them. Not only can you make the argument that their 2nd and 3rd best players are underpaid, you can also say that the Spurs NEVER overpay for people . . . NEVER. They have a knack for finding the right type of player to fit their system, and they get the most they can out of them in 2 - 3 years. Then they replace him with another player of worth.

When you look at a guy like Stephen Jackson, who first came to fame with that first Spurs title team, the organization took a hard line, and refused to overpay for the guy. Bruce Bowen was his eventual replacement. A cheaper, just as good of a 3 point shooting, and better defending version of S-Jax. The result: they don't lose a beat as a team, while retaining a ton of money to re-sign Duncan, Parker, and Ginoboli.

Question #1 for Hawksquawk: Can the shooting of Jeremy Richardson, the defense of Mario West, and the increased presence of Acie Law on the floor, more than make up for the possible loss of Childress?

If the answer of that question is YES, the ASG may just let Chill walk.

Possible lineup and breakdown of minutes.

PG: Bibby ( 26 minutes ) - Acie ( 22 min )

G: JJ ( 24 min ) - JR ( 10 min ) - West ( 10 min ) - Bibby ( 4 min )

F: Marvin ( 34 min ) - JJ ( 14 min )

PF: Smith ( 36 min ) - Horford ( 12 min )

C: Horford ( 24 min ) - Zaza ( 16 min ) - Kwame ( 8 min )

Total player minutes:

JJ - 38

Smith - 36

Horford - 36

Marvin - 34

Bibby - 30

Acie - 22

Zaza - 16

JR - 10

Mario - 10

Kwame - 8

With Mario's and JR's playing time, it would be game specific. Mario would play more when we needed tough defense. JR would play when we're playing a run and gun team. But the question is, could the production we receive from them and Acie, trump what we got from Chill?

And that brings us to Smith.

Question #2: Can Horford and Marvin elevate their games to the point where Smith isn't missed at all?

Contrary to popular belief, losing Smith isn't a doomsday scenario. People thought the same thing when Nash left Dallas and when Iverson left Philly. The key in both of those situations, is that they had a guy, or multiple guys who stepped up and compensated for the loss of that great player.

For us, that would have to be Horford and Marvin offensively making up for what Smith brought, and Zaza playing with the tenacity on the defensive end he showed in the playoffs.

PG: Bibby ( 24 min ) - Law ( 24 min )

G: JJ ( 38 min ) - Chill ( 6 min ) - Bibby ( 4 min )

F: Marvin ( 24 min ) - Chill ( 24 min )

PF: Horford ( 30 min ) - Marvin ( 12 min ) - Jones ( 6 min )

C: Zaza ( 28 min ) - Kwame ( 12 min ) - Horford ( 8 min )

Total minutes:

JJ - 38

Horford - 38

Marvin - 36

Bibby - 28

Zaza - 28

Chill - 30

Law - 24

Kwame - 12

Jones - 10

In the Smith leaving scenario, you're really looking at our frontline being under the gun to elevate their games. Horford and Marvin have to become more efficent scorers, even volume scorers at times.

And if you noticed, a guy like Solomon Jones becomes more important than a Richardson or West, if Smith isn't retained.

In both scenarios, the opportunity for guys to step up and elevte their games will be there . . much like Monta Ellis, Gilbert Arenas, Jermaine O'Neal and Joe Johnson, and a host of other players who have gotten opportunities to step up.

[Chris18]

With Childress leaving to go play in Europe we MUST re-sign Smoove and add J.R. Smith or The Machine to offset the loss of Chill. Adding one of those shooting guards will be just as good as re-signing Childress and they will be cheaper than he was.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

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With Childress leaving to go play in Europe we MUST re-sign Smoove and add J.R. Smith or The Machine to offset the loss of Chill. Adding one of those shooting guards will be just as good as re-signing Childress and they will be cheaper than he was.

I disagree.

I say you give all of Chill's PT to Acie, Mario, and Jeremy. JR Smith is one of the more inconsistent players in the league. I'd much rather see them get the minutes, than JR Smith.

Another thing people have to think about, is 2010. It seems as if everyone in the league is trying to clear cap room, to make a run at those UFAs in 2010 . . . and that inclues JJ, if he doesn't get an extension from us next year.

He'll never admit it, but if Chill is indeed gone, the happiest person on the Hawks is Marvin Williams.

[Chris18]

I still want to give more playing time to Jeremy and Mario but they still need to prove that they can do it for 82 games. We still need to sign a backup shooting guard/small forward that can score because Jeremy can't play both positions and Mario's offense is still shaky at best.

[Cwell]

Mario's offense is a million times better than Richardson's defense.

[Chris18]

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Mario's offense is a million times better than Richardson's defense.

that isn't say much though

[Cwell]

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With Childress leaving to go play in Europe we MUST re-sign Smoove and add J.R. Smith or The Machine to offset the loss of Chill. Adding one of those shooting guards will be just as good as re-signing Childress and they will be cheaper than he was.

I disagree.

I say you give all of Chill's PT to Acie, Mario, and Jeremy. JR Smith is one of the more inconsistent players in the league. I'd much rather see them get the minutes, than JR Smith.

Another thing people have to think about, is 2010. It seems as if everyone in the league is trying to clear cap room, to make a run at those UFAs in 2010 . . . and that inclues JJ, if he doesn't get an extension from us next year.

He'll never admit it, but if Chill is indeed gone, the happiest person on the Hawks is Marvin Williams. I agree. I wasn't a fan of giving our 6th man 30 minutes a game.I want somebody else besides Mario and Richardson but that will help our bench develop. I have no problem with Sasha Vuyayaya from the Lakers. He got on my nerves during the finals because he kept hitting shots.

[Cwell]

it says alot about Richardson's defense. Mario has been working on his jump shot,it's still not where it needs to be but it's better than where he used to be in terms of shooting. I love Richardson's offense but he'll be picked on every play on defense and we don't have a good coach that knows how to disguise that. We have a coach that has no clue in every aspect of the game.

[DrReality]

Telling HS to calm down is like yelling fire in a crowded theater.

[PureGreatness]

people say J.R is inconsistant but chilldress was also. i still say sign J.R smith. J.R is better than both mario and Richardson. his defense isnt all that but who on our team is besides smoove and maybe Horford?

i wouldnt give J.R 30 minutes(unless he is feeling it) but more the lines of 21.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

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people say J.R is inconsistant but chilldress was also. i still say sign J.R smith. J.R is better than both mario and Richardson. his defense isnt all that but who on our team is besides smoove and maybe Horford?

i wouldnt give J.R 30 minutes(unless he is feeling it) but more the lines of 21.

Go on a Denver board, and see what they think about J.R.

The guy has some worth, but with the way this fan base is about inconsistent players, J.R. would become a target everytime he lauched a 3, after missing the previous 3.

Sometimes, it's just best to stick with what you have, when it comes to role players. Throw Acie, Jeremy, and Mario ( or Luke Jackson ) into the fire, and see if they can contribute. I wouldn't waste 3 - 4 million a year on J.R.

Oh, and our backup SF will become JJ.

Say you want a shooting lineup for a few minutes. You can throw this lineup on the floor:

Bibby

Richardson

JJ

Marvin

Horford

No sense spending money on JR, especially 4+ million

[ATLBob]

Thanks Northcyde

[Dexmethylphenidate]

JJ, Mario, Marvin, Solo, Acie.

At any rate, losing chills is not going to be detrimental to the team. Yeah, Chills played 30mins/game but he should have played 25min/game like a role player he is. Acie and Marvin will get increased PT... so will Mario and J-Rich and Solo. Mario will provide almost every Chills does and J-Rich provide some thing Chill doesn't do.

The downside is that Zaza could get increased PT also and Marvin value might go up through the roof so the only way to handle him next off-season would be a S&T.

[Peoriabird]

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people say J.R is inconsistant but chilldress was also. i still say sign J.R smith. J.R is better than both mario and Richardson. his defense isnt all that but who on our team is besides smoove and maybe Horford?

i wouldnt give J.R 30 minutes(unless he is feeling it) but more the lines of 21.

What about Maurice Evans. We have to sign someone as a back up shooting guard. I can't watch Mario West for longer than 2 minutes

[Packfill]

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Before i start this, let m say that i have no problem bringing back both Smith and Chill. But I am prepared to see how this team would look and how individuals would respond, without one of them here.

But we're only 2 weeks into the free agency period. The market for UFAs has been robust, while the market for RFAs has been tough going. I personally think all of these teams are dealing the right way with these RFAs. You don't grossly overpay for a guy who is not the best player on your team. You just don't. This is partially why Phoenix decided to let JJ go in a S&T to us 3 years ago.

There have been so many overpaid players in this league, that it's ridculous. I'm not talking about guys who make 6 mill, but are only worth 3 or 4. I'm talking about the Rashard Lewis type of player, who is good, but is nowhere near good enough to command the dollars that he received.

Overpaying a player, especially a mid to high dollar one, can be just as damaging to a team than not retaining him at all. There are too many Wally Szczerbiaks, Boris Diaws, Tim Thomases, and Rashard Lewises in this league, that have flat out stolen money since they've gotten off of their rookie contracts.

So it's important for an organization to evaulate the worth of a player, and stick to its guns. It's also important for a player to get the most money he possibly can from these teams.

I think these organizations see what the Spurs do, and envy them. Not only can you make the argument that their 2nd and 3rd best players are underpaid, you can also say that the Spurs NEVER overpay for people . . . NEVER. They have a knack for finding the right type of player to fit their system, and they get the most they can out of them in 2 - 3 years. Then they replace him with another player of worth.

When you look at a guy like Stephen Jackson, who first came to fame with that first Spurs title team, the organization took a hard line, and refused to overpay for the guy. Bruce Bowen was his eventual replacement. A cheaper, just as good of a 3 point shooting, and better defending version of S-Jax. The result: they don't lose a beat as a team, while retaining a ton of money to re-sign Duncan, Parker, and Ginoboli.

Question #1 for Hawksquawk: Can the shooting of Jeremy Richardson, the defense of Mario West, and the increased presence of Acie Law on the floor, more than make up for the possible loss of Childress?

If the answer of that question is YES, the ASG may just let Chill walk.

Possible lineup and breakdown of minutes.

PG: Bibby ( 26 minutes ) - Acie ( 22 min )

G: JJ ( 24 min ) - JR ( 10 min ) - West ( 10 min ) - Bibby ( 4 min )

F: Marvin ( 34 min ) - JJ ( 14 min )

PF: Smith ( 36 min ) - Horford ( 12 min )

C: Horford ( 24 min ) - Zaza ( 16 min ) - Kwame ( 8 min )

Total player minutes:

JJ - 38

Smith - 36

Horford - 36

Marvin - 34

Bibby - 30

Acie - 22

Zaza - 16

JR - 10

Mario - 10

Kwame - 8

With Mario's and JR's playing time, it would be game specific. Mario would play more when we needed tough defense. JR would play when we're playing a run and gun team. But the question is, could the production we receive from them and Acie, trump what we got from Chill?

And that brings us to Smith.

Question #2: Can Horford and Marvin elevate their games to the point where Smith isn't missed at all?

Contrary to popular belief, losing Smith isn't a doomsday scenario. People thought the same thing when Nash left Dallas and when Iverson left Philly. The key in both of those situations, is that they had a guy, or multiple guys who stepped up and compensated for the loss of that great player.

For us, that would have to be Horford and Marvin offensively making up for what Smith brought, and Zaza playing with the tenacity on the defensive end he showed in the playoffs.

PG: Bibby ( 24 min ) - Law ( 24 min )

G: JJ ( 38 min ) - Chill ( 6 min ) - Bibby ( 4 min )

F: Marvin ( 24 min ) - Chill ( 24 min )

PF: Horford ( 30 min ) - Marvin ( 12 min ) - Jones ( 6 min )

C: Zaza ( 28 min ) - Kwame ( 12 min ) - Horford ( 8 min )

Total minutes:

JJ - 38

Horford - 38

Marvin - 36

Bibby - 28

Zaza - 28

Chill - 30

Law - 24

Kwame - 12

Jones - 10

In the Smith leaving scenario, you're really looking at our frontline being under the gun to elevate their games. Horford and Marvin have to become more efficent scorers, even volume scorers at times.

And if you noticed, a guy like Solomon Jones becomes more important than a Richardson or West, if Smith isn't retained.

In both scenarios, the opportunity for guys to step up and elevte their games will be there . . much like Monta Ellis, Gilbert Arenas, Jermaine O'Neal and Joe Johnson, and a host of other players who have gotten opportunities to step up.

Too funny.

[jhay610]

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Mario will provide almost every Chills does

Donnie ur out of ur element...

[Cwell]

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people say J.R is inconsistant but chilldress was also. i still say sign J.R smith. J.R is better than both mario and Richardson. his defense isnt all that but who on our team is besides smoove and maybe Horford?

i wouldnt give J.R 30 minutes(unless he is feeling it) but more the lines of 21.

What about Maurice Evans. We have to sign someone as a back up shooting guard. I can't watch Mario West for longer than 2 minutes I'd love to have Maurice Evans

[Diesel]

The problem with your "high road" routine... and why it fails to calm anybody...

Is that this is our 4th offseason with ASG.

We seen how slow to act they are.

We have seen how we have missed out on good free agents because they can't come to an agreement.

We have seen how we had to settle for Kenny Anderson's and Kevin Willis' and Lo Wright's because the market dried up in our deliberateness.

Moreover, those other teams you referenced...

They're trying to sign other free agents before they sign their own.

They have cap space.

We don't.

We can only used our MLE to bring in a player. That doesn't change weather or not Chillz and Smoove or signed.

Moreover, how do you explain phone tag with their agents?

Many of us realize this thing. If it's important you get it done.

So you guys can save your SMUG, BS, "This is all normal" talk. You will watch the 2004 draft become nothing before your eyes.

[Swish]

Cyde, ( a fellow tennessean! miracle!)

There is no calming down. You don't become a die hard Hawks fan just to sit back and pick your nose while the ownership year after year kisses their own ass for the fun of it. I'm sick and effing tired of getting let down. Off the unimaginable high of the playoff games at the Phil, this is just too much to take. A real fan doesn't take this crap lying down.

Too, you don't let two fan favorites and key pieces walk for nothing or pennies on the dollar. You just don't. I don't give a rip about other RFAs and their contracts. Rashard Lewis can kiss my ass. Match anything Smoove gets. Anything. Better yet, go ahead and offer him the max. It makes no sense to base not offering him anything on Lewis; Tim Thomas, etc. We have to take risks. That is part of the game. If he falls on his face, so be it. However, if we let him go for nil, he could turn KG on us. Same with Chill. Not quite as integral, but a guy who is nearly great at almost everything and placed in the 6th man of the year voting you simply cannot let him play for Greece!

All this to say, I understand what you are saying, I just think that this could be the worst offseason in pro sports history if both these get away and we sign five d-leaguers.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Diesel, tell the WHOLE truth man.

Free agents didn't want to come here in the first place. The only reason we got JJ, is because we paid him like he was a future superstar. We had absolutely no talent on the team, outside of Harrington, so we went ahead and paid JJ like he was the franchise player to build around.

And speaking of overpaid, look how a mere MLE contract like Speedy's is KILLING US right now. And BK had to overpay to bring him in, because a guy like Cassell flat out didn't want to come to ATL . . even when we were going to overpay him.

Even this year, are we supposed to give Posey 6 mill per, instead of dealing with Smith and Childress first?

And what are we supposed to pay Chill? 5/40 mill?

Better yet Diesel, answer me this.

What do you offer Marvin Williams?

We COULD actually get his extension done over the summer if we wanted to avoid having him become a RFA next summer. So what contract do you offer him, if there is no Childress around?

And don't skirt around that question. I want to know what type of deal you would offer Marvin. No sign and trades. Strictly money and years. What would you offer him right now?