"the Championship Window"

[AmishBoy]

A article posted here a week or so ago about the superstar theory and this Link got me thinking about the if the Hawks will have a championship window. For the most part we don't have a player like what the superstar theory calls a gold medal athlete. Neither do the Pistons. The Mavericks and Sacramento didn't have one either. Out of these teams only the Pistons won a title but they all had championship windows. The Pistons may still be in their championship window and have probably had the longest of all the current nba teams. If the Hawks don't have a Gold Medal player I do believe they still have the core to create a championship window.

When that window will come and how long it will last is what I'd like to board to give their input on.

IMOO it is 3 years away. The biggest obstacle to reaching that window now is whether we can keep the PRODUCTION of Joe Johnson. If it can't be replaced collectively by our youngins than we need to extend Joe this season. We see how he was when he wasn't extended earlier enough by Phoenix. With the games Sund plays and with Joe not being a player that will become a RFA I'm already worried about it.

If think our mix of core players coming into their prime, no more teams to pay with draft picks(meaning we can draft role players from now on), and the fact that we have passionate and high character guys(players that don't want a team totally built around them like Iverson which made the 76ers championship window very small) I think we will also have a very large championship window. Close to what Detroit had. I can see it lasting about 4 years. That's pretty damn good.

[crimedog]

A couple things, the team with the longest chip window is the Spurs, not Pistons... that one's easy.

Also, Sacto had Webber and the Mavs have Dirk. Both are, if not championship caliber players, extreeeeemely close.

Anyway, I don't think you need to have the best player in the league to win... although it certainly helps. The thing with the Pistons is that they got very lucky with certain players (Rip, Big Ben, Chauncey who is the best MLE signing ever) and could keep their costs down well enough to have a great bench with Memo, Williamson, Mike James, and Hunter.

You gotta be deep as hell to win one and I just don't know if we'll have that kind of money.

Interestingly, I think that our best chance would be as a defensive oriented team. If Horford can get strong enough to defend centers (not much of a stretch, the kid's a brick) and we can get a pg that can stay in front of his man (Acie, please don't bust), we might have the makings of a very solid starting 5 defensively. Marv needs to be able to lock in and guard the opposing team's best wing player all season, that would be as important as him being able to hit the 3. Then its all about depth, need to get a solid banger in the backcourt, a shooter/defender off the bench, and an offensive sparkplug at the pg position.

[Cwell]

Dirk is not a championship calibur player and not even close.

I have no doubts about Acie. He won't bust.

Edited August 10, 2008 by Cwell

[tmac13]

Dirk is not a championship calibur player and not even close.

I have no doubts about Acie. He won't bust.

Dirk has been a top 10 type of player in the NBA for the last 8 or 9 years. He has led his team to the playoffs every year and to the finals once. Granted the Mavs didn't win it all but its hard to question Dirks career. I wish he had been a Hawk.

[crimedog]

Dirk is not a championship calibur player and not even close.

I have no doubts about Acie. He won't bust.

As much as I love Joe, Dirk can do what he does except shoot more accurately AND be 7 feet tall.

The dude is one of the most efficient scorers in the history of the game and he's a good defensive rebounder, good passer, and has turned into a solid team defender.

Like KG, he will be looked at as a guy that you can't build a winner around until he wins one but he's shown a few times that he can be the best player (by a loooong shot too) on a truly dominant team.

The only way we could have a player as good as Dirk is if Josh suddenly develops a midrange jumper that he can hit around 40% of the time (around what Marv does) and tightens up his handles to around where Odom is... I don't see either one happening.

[AmishBoy]

Damn, how could I forget about the Spurs. Dirk is good but not Dwayne Wade good. See finals. As far as Webber goes he's chocked in the clutch since his days at Michigan. See no more time outs game. With either one I'm not sure if they were gold medal players by the standards in that article.

I think it's more about our role players and not about money because we already have 3 to 5 guys who could be our core players going foward. Most of our role players going foward should be draft picks. I said should be.

Interestingly, I think that our best chance would be as a defensive oriented team.

Well then we have the right coach already....I'm just the messanger.

[Cwell]

despite Dwyane Wade, Mavs run away with the series but twice in the clutch Dirk missed big FT's,on the flipside when Wade got to the FT he would knock two big ones down. Dirk did nothing. Haslem locked him down like he was nobody. Dirk is a softy,he's not a championship calibur player because he avoids contact. He took jumpers in the finals while Wade took them to the rack repeatedly. He's the guy that can tear up the regular season but when it gets grimey and dirty he drops from MVP calibur to a nobody.

Edited August 11, 2008 by Cwell

[Cwell]

Damn, how could I forget about the Spurs. Dirk is good but not Dwayne Wade good. See finals. As far as Webber goes he's chocked in the clutch since his days at Michigan. See no more time outs game. With either one I'm not sure if they were gold medal players by the standards in that article.

I think it's more about our role players and not about money because we already have 3 to 5 guys who could be our core players going foward. Most of our role players going foward should be draft picks. I said should be.

Well then we have the right coach already....I'm just the messanger.

Mike Woodson so called stresses defense but our defense sucks. Nobody defensive guy would love to play guys like Lue. Acie plays defense,Bibby doesn't. No smart defensive guys solution to stop quick guards is to put the slowest wing out of his draft class on him in Childress. Did he really think Childress could guard TJ Ford and Rajon Rondo?

[pound4pound]

I like where you are going with this - up until Bosting proved this not to be the case - Championship teams usually molded themselves together over a period of years. Having Al, Smoove, Joe, and Acie together is a SOLID core and locked up for the long term. Marvin - well that is another thread - but he can always improve. It is tough to excuse Marvin's age however when we speak so confidently about Smoove and Al who are the exact same age. But - like the article said - he is working out and stepping back on his shot - so maybe not having to look over his shoulder for Chills will make for a break out year.

[High5]

A championship never even enters my mind when thinking about the Hawks. Anything can happen, but I just want to have a consistently competitive team.

[foeteen14]

we are how ever many years it takes for josh smith to get into his prime away from being a championship caliber team. i think its 2 years, but we have to keep JJ and horford and Law has to be legit at the point. in 2011 we could be looking at making a run at a ring. another important aspect to this is how we handle mike bibby and marvin williams. do you trade bibby or let his 15 mill or so come off the books next year (i say let him come off the books). do you extend marvin or trade him for a shooter (wallys world anyone? i say trade him unless he blows up this year which i think he could).

[BusBoyIsBack]

As long as we can keep the core of this team together.

We won't be a legit contender to win a title for another 2 years.

That's when these guys will all pretty much be vets from Acie Law to Al Horford.

[Vol4ever]

Dirk is not a championship calibur player and not even close.

I have no doubts about Acie. He won't bust.

You've got to be kidding! Dirk has been a very good player over the past several years, his team has let him down. That is just crazy!

Acie has a looong way to go IMO.

[EazyRoc]

Dirk let his team down. When the game was on the line, the best shooting big man in the league misses FTs.

[atlhawks321]

dirk won the mvp two years ago

[Cwell]

dirk won the mvp two years ago

being the MVP of the regular season doesn't automatically make u a championship player. There have been plenty superstars in sports that choke in the playoffs when it gets grimey and dirty.

[TroyMcClure]

Dirk is not a championship calibur player and not even close.

I have no doubts about Acie. He won't bust.

Did you read what you typed? Getting to the Finals is about as close as a human being can come to the Championship without actually winning it. "not even close" is not even close.

[TroyMcClure]

Can we talk about a "winning record window" first?

[Boomer]

do you extend marvin or trade him for a shooter (wallys world anyone? i say trade him unless he blows up this year which i think he could).

No way I want Wally anywhere near the Hawks! :no-no:

[Packfill]

Can we talk about a "winning record window" first?

No kidding. The Hawks need to cross the 40 win plateau and then the 50 win plateau before their championships window can be discussed.

The Hawks just have to hope that someone like Oden doesn't become the next Shaq or Duncan and reign over the NBA championship during the Hawks' "championship window."