More Bad Pr-chad Ford

[Swish]

Atlanta Hawks

You've got to hand it to the Hawks, currently the most dysfunctional team in the NBA. After finally making the playoffs and pushing the Celtics to a seventh game in the first round, the Hawks looked like the team on the rise. Then the offseason came and the Hawks' ownership group, Atlanta Spirit, got to work.

Their first move was a good one, letting GM Billy Knight walk. The Hawks were in the playoffs despite Knight's consistent botching of the draft, not because of him. Unfortunately, after Knight resigned, everything got seriously mangled in Atlanta. A number of the top GM candidates they pursued said "no, thanks" and the Hawks ended up settling on Rick Sund, a nice guy who's failed badly as a GM in his last two stops in Seattle and Detroit.

Sund's first move was to bring back head coach Mike Woodson -- a guy who several players don't really like and whose coaching style doesn't fit the talent on the team.

Then the Hawks completely mishandled Josh Childress. First, they offered him a contract for less than the midlevel exception. Then they told him to go find a better deal, thinking no team would make a strong offer. Childress found a better deal in Greece and warned the Hawks he'd take the money. The Hawks called his bluff and Childress took the money and ran. Normally, I wouldn't make such a fuss over a sixth man, but Childress was the glue that held the team together -- he was very underrated.

Now the Hawks are between a rock and hard place with Josh Smith. Their offer is lower than what Emeka Okafor and Luol Deng got. Smith is upset and doesn't really want to play in Atlanta. If they up the offer, they risk overpaying a player who is unhappy in Atlanta. If the Hawks don't increase the offer, they risk Smith taking the one-year qualifying offer in Atlanta and bolting next summer as an unrestricted free agent.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/stor...mp;lid=tab3pos1

[Traceman]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/stor...mp;lid=tab3pos1

The only thing that is for sure here is that WHATEVER happens with Smoove, Ford will say the Hawks were wrong. If we get him signed, we "overpaid" for him. If we don't get him signed, we "mishandled" the situation.

[Buzzard]

The only thing that is for sure here is that WHATEVER happens with Smoove, Ford will say the Hawks were wrong. If we get him signed, we "overpaid" for him. If we don't get him signed, we "mishandled" the situation.

Yes and yes! The only way we can prove him wrong is to make the playoffs again this year....

[Vesper]

The only thing that is for sure here is that WHATEVER happens with Smoove, Ford will say the Hawks were wrong. If we get him signed, we "overpaid" for him. If we don't get him signed, we "mishandled" the situation.

Kobayashi Maru :sad:

[BusBoyIsBack]

The only thing that is for sure here is that WHATEVER happens with Smoove, Ford will say the Hawks were wrong. If we get him signed, we "overpaid" for him. If we don't get him signed, we "mishandled" the situation.

Who cares what Ford says?

Not only is he a talking head, but I take him even less serious because he has a personal vendetta against the Hawks.

He is not capable of being objective.

I'd gladly let him talk about how we "overpaid" for Smoove.

[TheTruth]

The bottom line is that we need to sign J Smoove. It is somewhat embarrassing that we still have not done right by this kid. Smoove will probably drag this thing out for a few weeks more, but I just dont see him signing the QO. But as I intimated, I doubt this situation gets resolved anytime soon.

[Sasha_Volkov]

Ford lost any semblance of credibility when he went from comparing Marvin to the Messiah pre-draft to excoriating the Hawks later for having passed on Chris Paul. There was no bigger proponent of Marvin as the #1 pick in 2005.

[DrReality]

Love Stan Casten's take on sports radio and print guys. Find out who is in the gutter and kick while their down and then kick them some more.

[NJHAWK]

Childress " the glue that held the team together" ?????? WTF IS THIS AYSSHOLE TALKING ABOUT.

[LOL_Hawks]

Childress " the glue that held the team together" ?????? WTF IS THIS AYSSHOLE TALKING ABOUT.

He's just saying stuff to make it seem like the situation of losing Chill was worse than it actually was.

I mean, yeah, it's embarrassing, but Chilldress was not THE glue. If anybody it was Horford, IMO.

[EazyRoc]

I don't know much about Chad Ford, but this article alone let me know he is retarded. First, he blames Billy Knight for "botched" drafts. He continues on by clowning the Hawks for not handling the Joshs (two of BK's draft picks). It is very obvious that he has an agenda towards the Hawks.

[Boomer]

Ford lost any semblance of credibility when he went from comparing Marvin to the Messiah pre-draft to excoriating the Hawks later for having passed on Chris Paul. There was no bigger proponent of Marvin as the #1 pick in 2005.

I'd love to read that article if you have it. I don't really remember what people were saying about Marvin back then. It'd be interesting to compare to what has actually happened.

[Hawk88]

Childress " the glue that held the team together" ?????? WTF IS THIS AYSSHOLE TALKING ABOUT.

I totally agree. We lost Childress but got back Maurice at a better value so I don't see it as bad except that we didn't get anything back for Childress.

But they do need to address J. SMith. I am not sold on him being worth 12 million a year. He just isn't as consistent as I would like.

Hawk88

[Vol4ever]

Who cares what Ford says?

Not only is he a talking head, but I take him even less serious because he has a personal vendetta against the Hawks.

He is not capable of being objective.

I'd gladly let him talk about how we "overpaid" for Smoove.

What part of this article is not true??? Get the blinders off! This is the worst managed franchise other than the trashers in professional sports.

The Hawks were pruchased by the ASG and decided they were going to rebuild this franchise and make it a winner. Yep, they brought in BK who botched drafts, trades, and acted like an ahole to the fans. Well we are at five years and are still at below .500.

What about the good franchises like Detroit, LA Lakers, Cleveland, Utah, Houston, San Antonio,etc, they don't go through total rebuilding they reload and go get the players they need to compete.

This franchise continues to be the laughing stock of the league. We were finally turning the corner with the Boston series to restore credibility BUT now with the botched summer we are right back to being a joke again and THAT is all Chad Ford is saying.

[TroyMcClure]

What part of this article is not true??? Get the blinders off! This is the worst managed franchise other than the trashers in professional sports.

The Hawks were pruchased by the ASG and decided they were going to rebuild this franchise and make it a winner. Yep, they brought in BK who botched drafts, trades, and acted like an ahole to the fans. Well we are at five years and are still at below .500.

What about the good franchises like Detroit, LA Lakers, Cleveland, Utah, Houston, San Antonio,etc, they don't go through total rebuilding they reload and go get the players they need to compete.

This franchise continues to be the laughing stock of the league. We were finally turning the corner with the Boston series to restore credibility BUT now with the botched summer we are right back to being a joke again and THAT is all Chad Ford is saying.

Exactly, Vol4ever. People are delusional around here sometimes. Shoot the messenger, not the message? yeah, that's really bright. I am in no way a fan of Chad Ford, but it doesn't take an insider to know that the ASG is as bad as a modern professional sports organization has ever been.

[Dejay]

Exactly, Vol4ever. People are delusional around here sometimes. Shoot the messenger, not the message? yeah, that's really bright. I am in no way a fan of Chad Ford, but it doesn't take an insider to know that the ASG is as bad as a modern professional sports organization has ever been.

Agreed. I shudder to think how far ahead this team would be if it weren't for BK and the Notorious A.S.G.

[Admin]

I'd love to read that article if you have it. I don't really remember what people were saying about Marvin back then. It'd be interesting to compare to what has actually happened.

Here are the "expert" picks at ESPN from 2005

Our experts' lottery selections
Rank	Andy Katz	Chad Ford	Fran Fraschilla	d*ck Vitale
	Andrew Bogut Getting a true big man is such a rare find that Bogut soars to the top of the chart.	Marvin Williams He's a versatile forward who can play both inside and out. Still developing, but has the trappings of a superstar.	Andrew Bogut Has dominated at every level. He may not be Duncan or Shaq, but the Bucks will be able to build a playoff team around him for years to come.	Andrew Bogut Will contribute right away, combining solid post play with great passing ability.
	Marvin Williams Williams has only scratched the surface of his talent. He might end up being the best talent in this draft long-term.	Chris Paul Paul is the complete prospect. He's quick, athletic, shoots the ball extremely well and is a true floor general.	Chris Paul As good at changing direction at full speed as anyone since Isiah Thomas. Sees the court, can shoot it and has a little of Isiah's "nasty," as well.	Marvin Williams Has explosiveness and a great first step, but as "Mr. Potential," he's still learning.
	Chris Paul He's a winner. He's a true point guard. And he makes his team better.	Andrew Bogut Talented big man appears to be the Bucks' choice at No. 1. If not, he's Atlanta's at No. 2.	Deron Williams Has the size, quickness and basketball IQ to run an NBA team in the half-court and in transition.	Chris Paul I love his leadership ability; he's the real deal at the point.
	Deron Williams He was one of the key reasons the Illini were in the title game. He has changed his body and has the size to be a point guard in the league for a long time.	Gerald Green The nation's top high schooler still is very raw, but once he learns how to play, watch out.	Marvin Williams Not physically strong enough for the 4, so will play on the wing. Athleticism and skills are there to be a great one ... in time.	Raymond Felton Has incredible quickness handling the rock from foul line to foul line.
	Martell Webster Might be the best shooter in the draft. He could be an instant hit next season and might be hard to pass up.	Deron Williams Some scouts believe that, because of Williams' size, he may be the best point guard prospect in the draft.	Gerald Green Whoever selects him better have patience. An outstanding athlete and wing scorer, he will need to learn the nuances of the league.	Deron Williams Has the potential to be a strong 10-year player in the NBA.
	Danny Granger He might be the most versatile player in the draft. He led an average team to the Tournament and that can't be underscored.	Danny Granger A versatile forward who does just about everything well, he could go as high as No. 4.	Ike Diogu Underrated because of issues about his size, but he dominated the Pac-10 for three years on a mediocre team – while facing triple-teams.	Gerald Green High schooler has worked hard in a short time to see his stock rise.
	Channing Frye He's been a hit in every workout so he should be a lock to go high in the first round. He'll be a productive post player.	Martell Webster One of the two or three best shooters in the draft. Already has an NBA body and is very mature. He should be able to play immediately.	Channing Frye The "soft" label is garbage. He is skilled and played well on the defensive end this year. Might not have huge upside, but will be a quality pro.	Channing Frye Solid big man who is clearly the second-best center in this draft behind Bogut.
	Sean May May was the MVP of the Final Four. He's a winner and has the best hands, outside of Bogut, in the draft.	Ike Diogu A little undersized but makes up for it with freakishly long arms that give him the reach of a 7-footer.	Raymond Felton Great athleticism and end-to-end quickness, as well as an improved jumper, make him a quality pick.	Fran Vazquez International player has opened a lot of eyes, but there are mixed feelings about where he'll go.
	Ike Diogu Check Diogu's numbers – he scored at will while being double- and triple-teamed the past two seasons.	Andrew Bynum The big kid is raw, but he's stunned teams with his skills and size in workouts.	Fran Vazquez The first international taken is an offensive-minded power forward who can score inside or hit the jumper.	Antoine Wright Offensive explosiveness makes him attractive; a Dwyane Wade-type.
	Rashad McCants He's the most explosive offensive talent, and if he is committed to playing, he'll be an instant offensive hit.	Antoine Wright Do-it-all swingman has been working out great, but some red flags were raised by his subpar athletic performance at the combine.	Danny Granger A versatile small forward who can shoot the ball from outside, slash or post up effectively. He has a great attitude as well.	Ike Diogu Offensive machine who knows how to score around the basket.
	Joey Graham The best overall athlete in the draft, Graham could end up being one of the safest picks because you know what you're getting.	Raymond Felton The fastest point guard in the draft. He's strong, athletic and has improved his jump shot, although he's a little small and on the wild side.	Martell Webster He shoots it with NBA range right now. His body type translates to the 3 but defending will be an issue early on.	Joey Graham I always loved what he brought to the table at Oklahoma State. Will be a solid pro.
	Salim Stoudamire If he's on, Stoudamire is one of the top three shooters in the draft. It's hard to pass up this talent.	Roko Ukic Wowed scouts at the Reebok Eurocamp. Has great size and sees the floor extremely well, but needs work on that jumper.	Johan Petro At 7 feet and only 19, he already has an NBA body. Those who have done their homework see that his future is bright.	Sean May Clearly learned from his father, Scott; just look at what Sean did in the title game vs. Illinois.
	Hakim Warrick Forget about his lean frame, Warrick can play and will be a player in the NBA. He's too athletic to keep out of the scoring column.	Channing Frye He has great size and athleticism and is a legit shot blocker. That he averaged just seven rebounds a game doesn't seem to be scaring anyone off.	Sean May Think Corliss Williamson. May's strength, hands and agility are lottery quality. Ability to score over "size" is only question mark.	Martell Webster High school standout has scouts raving over his shooting ability.
	Luther Head He won't go this high but Head is a versatile scorer and will make his team better, whoever chooses him.	Fran Vazquez Long, athletic Spaniard is a rarity – an international big man who actually plays and produces. He's ready to step in and help right away.	Charlie Villanueva Warrick, Graham and Bynum all came to mind, but Charlie's length and ability to rebound out of his area did it for me.	Danny Granger Has the potential to be an outstanding, athletic NBA player.

[Boomer]

Ugh. None of them even had Chris Paul at the top.

[Admin]

Ugh. None of them even had Chris Paul at the top.

Are you surprised? Here is Ford's grade for the Hawks

ATLANTA HAWKS

Round 1: Marvin Williams, SF, UNC (No. 2)

Round 2: Salim Stoudamire, SG, Arizona (No. 31)

Round 2: Cenk Akyol, G, Turkey (No. 59, from San Antonio)

Analysis: Can't slam the team that ended up with the best player in the draft, but something just doesn't seem right. Passing on Chris Paul and Deron Williams may come back to haunt the Hawks if they can't land a decent point guard in free agency or via trade. Marvin was a want. Paul and Williams were needs.

They blew their second chance at a lead guard in the second round. They had a shot to land Croatian point guard Roko Ukic at 31 and instead took an undersized shooter in Stoudamire who duplicates what Tony Delk already does for them.

Grade: B

[pimp]

Ugh. None of them even had Chris Paul at the top.

It's very clear that people overated Marvin's Athleticism.

I wonder if all these guys still feel the same about Marvins future?

Marvin Williams NBA Draft Scouting Report

April 13, 2005

Strengths

Marvin has the size, length, versatility, athleticism and especially the upside that teams love. These traits give him the ability to play both forward positions. He has a strong upper body and even more impressive is his lower body strength with a very stable, explosive trunk. He can absorb contact and still get shots off. It looks like he could still develop a little more physically. He has room to grow and definitely will continue to mature into his body, which will provide him with even greater control of his athleticism. He is quick in the open floor, explosive and has a good first step. Marvin shows great hops and is a pretty quick leaper, especially going for rebounds. His second and third bounce to get off the floor is almost as good his first. He definitely takes advantage of his athleticism offensively.

The most developed part of Marvin’s offensive game right now is his almost flawless jumpshot. It’s a very natural shot and he shows great form for his size. His shot looks almost effortless and each shot is nearly identical with his elbow tucked in, arms straight, good follow-through and height. His form looks the same whether it’s a mid-range jumper or a 3 pointer, and he releases it fairly quick. His great leg strength really helps him because he less likely to shoot tired jumpers. Marvin has shown he is a great FT shooter (nearly 85% on almost 5 attempts per game). He is calm and poised at the line and is always confident in the shot.

The few times that Marvin put the ball on the floor toward the basket he showed he has very good handles for a player his size. He displays a low, fast, under control dribble and rarely forces the issue. He provided solid help bringing the ball up the court against full court pressure. Unfortunately for us, Marvin did such a good job playing within the team at Carolina that he didn’t display his ball handling skills often. Marvin does not over dribble and does a good job at keeping the ball moving. He is a very unselfish player and shows great floor instincts in his passing. He was not double-teamed often but he did a pretty good job of passing out of it when help defense arrived. After rebounds he was usually quick in finding Raymond Felton with his outlet passes, helping ignite a tremendous fast break offense.

In the paint, Marvin has decent footwork, but not great footwork. He usually wastes no time while in the lane and is rather decisive with his moves. He can play with his back to the basket or facing it, not seeming to have a preference and sometimes he just takes what the defense gives him. He is very aggressive when establishing position offensively, stays low with strength and has good balance. Marvin doesn’t shy away from contact and actually looks for it often. He has no problem finishing strong at the rim, even after taking contact. When catching passes in traffic he shows good hands and receives the ball fairly well. Unlike many athletic big men these days, Marvin has shown a desire to rebound the ball. He boxes out well and goes hard after every loose rebound and at least gets a hand on almost anything that comes near him. His solid frame and quick leaping will help make him a tremendous rebounder in the NBA.

Defensively, Marvin has the ability to guard both forward positions. He is quick enough to stay with most small forwards away from the basket and has enough length and strength to guard most power forwards down low. He has a tendency to gamble on defense (part of Roy William’s philosophy) but rarely did he gamble and lose. He has a nice wingspan and shows good timing and anticipation, resulting in several memorable steals and subsequent breakaways. Marvin never gives up on a play and shows tenacity and hustle. He is a student of the game and his knowledge and preparation help him on the defensive end.

All of the above are impressive enough, but the most impressive part about Marvin Williams, and we can’t stress this enough, are his intangibles. Ask any of his current or former coaches and they will all tell you Marvin has an incredible attitude, motor, work ethic, and understanding of basketball. His basketball IQ is extremely high (he grew up watching Dean Smith instructional videos). He understands what to do and where to go at all times, and is extremely unselfish. Marvin plays with a passion and desire that is hard to find these days and is very driven but not consumed by basketball. For a player his age, he has shown that he is very mature. The fact that he never once complained about his role or playing time his freshman year and the fact that he understood and embraced his role speak volumes about his maturity. He plays within the team and within his abilities at all times.

Weaknesses

Offensively, Marvin has only shown that he can score in one of four ways: open stand still jumpshots, lay-ups / dunks on fast breaks, put-backs and free throws. Marvin hasn’t shown he has the ability to put the ball on the floor and create his own shot consistently, whether it’s driving around a defender to get all the way to the rim or merely shooting off the dribble. If Marvin is going to be a great small forward in the NBA he will need to develop this part of his game. Also, Marvin has shown no post moves outside of trying to overpower his opponents with a drop-step toward the basket. When surrounded by defenders in the paint Marvin often gets his shot blocked because he has yet to show a jump hook, a fadeaway or an up-and-under move. In fact, Marvin’s best offensive move in the paint is trying to get to the free throw line. He will not be able to draw fouls easily against more experienced defenders. If Marvin is going to be a great power forward in the NBA he will need to develop this part of his game.

Defensively, Marvin still needs to improve his footwork to be able to guard quicker players on the perimeter and he needs to add some strength to guard some of the stronger players in the post. He also needs to improve his defensive communication, especially on pick and roll situations. While Marvin has the tools to be a good shotblocker we have yet to see it from him. Per minutes played, he was only equal to Jawad Williams and slightly behind Rashad McCants in this aspect of the game.

Here might lay the biggest question mark with Marvin. While his versatility can viewed as a strength, the fact he is still a bit of a tweener can not. Is he going to primarily play small forward or power forward in the NBA? Can he become great at one of the forward spots or will he merely be good at both? That’s the tough part about Marvin. At this point in his career it’s almost impossible to project just what kind of player he is going to be or what position he will end up playing the most.

Outlook

At this point, all we know is that Marvin Williams is going to be a promising forward in the NBA and is most likely a top five pick or possibly even the first overall pick whenever he decides to leave North Carolina. Unfortunately, it’s just way too early to speculate specifically what kind of player he will develop into. He did such a good job of playing within the system at Carolina that it’s possible there are phases to his game that he just hasn’t shown us yet. You must understand that Roy Williams gave Marvin a defined role, which was to run the floor, take open jumpshots, crash the boards and play defense. Marvin may have the ability to create off the dribble or to shot fadeaways but that was certainly not going to happen with Felton, May, McCants and Jawad on the floor next to him. One thing we do know, Marvin is a terrific talent, a very likeable and coachable kid, with a very high basketball IQ, and a tremendous desire to be great. He will do everything in his power to improve and get better at all facets of the game.

Facts

Full name is Marvin Gaye Williams.

Edited August 5, 2008 by pimp