Hawks looking for a guard.

[benhillboy]

I'm rockin with Sessions. Felton if we get a great deal that leaves room for further improvement. Hinrich has too many focus blackouts. I want to see J.J. offer some money back a la' Chipper Jones, but it won't happen. Ford's ceiling for games played is 45. Kidd? Seriously? There will be 29 teams looking to expose Bibby defensively next year. It's just too easy and common-sense. I like Bibby, but simply cannot stomach his footwork for extended minutes next year. I'm also of the school of thought that Woody could've destroyed even Chris Paul's progress and ascension in his game, so even the best point coming out of school will more than likely be wasted.

[Sothron]

Hinrich by a mile for the following reasons:

1. His contract. We all know the ASG isn't going to pay more than it has to for players. Hinrich is still a franchise worthy starting point that has a very reasonable contract.

2. His youth. He's got years left on his legs, he still is one of the elite defenders who will never get the nod he deserves because it doesn't get a ton of steals or flashy highlights. But if you watch the game you see it.

3. His defense. As mentioned above, this guy can play some stellar defense on both point guards and shooting guards. Bibby was exposed this season when we played against quick point guards.

4. His leadership. He is a natural leader, always has been always will be. He helps makes teams better. Period.

5. His lack of needing the ball to still be effective. He can play the point well and run an offense but even more he can set a pick, come off a pick or move without the basketball. He doesn't take too many shots and he has excellent range when he does take them.

6. His basketball IQ. Its not the best in the NBA but its hard to find too many better. This guy just flat out "GETS IT" about the game. He can assuage a teammate's ego, he can talk to a ref to get a call, he can fire up his team when they need it. He can guard anyone in the NBA, even the elite guards, and effectively do so WITHOUT fouling. He can run an offense and help his team score baskets without even touching the ball.

[Diesel]

Hinrich by a mile for the following reasons:

1. His contract. We all know the ASG isn't going to pay more than it has to for players. Hinrich is still a franchise worthy starting point that has a very reasonable contract.

2. His youth. He's got years left on his legs, he still is one of the elite defenders who will never get the nod he deserves because it doesn't get a ton of steals or flashy highlights. But if you watch the game you see it.

3. His defense. As mentioned above, this guy can play some stellar defense on both point guards and shooting guards. Bibby was exposed this season when we played against quick point guards.

4. His leadership. He is a natural leader, always has been always will be. He helps makes teams better. Period.

5. His lack of needing the ball to still be effective. He can play the point well and run an offense but even more he can set a pick, come off a pick or move without the basketball. He doesn't take too many shots and he has excellent range when he does take them.

6. His basketball IQ. Its not the best in the NBA but its hard to find too many better. This guy just flat out "GETS IT" about the game. He can assuage a teammate's ego, he can talk to a ref to get a call, he can fire up his team when they need it. He can guard anyone in the NBA, even the elite guards, and effectively do so WITHOUT fouling. He can run an offense and help his team score baskets without even touching the ball.

Now that's just plain wrong.

1. Hinrich's salary is not exactly a good thing. He's makes 10 million and it would take a trade to get him. Who are you giving up? I hear everybody saying Speedy. But who else? Mo and capspace? The thing is, I don't believe Hinrich is worht 10 million and on top of that, I don't think we would have to spend 10 million on any of the free agents. I'm thinking at the most we pay 6 million to any PG on the list except Kidd.

2 True.

3. I wouldn't use the word Stellar. From seasons past, he wasn't so good. It takes a rose coming in to improve his defense.

4. He's a coaches son. Natural leader is taking it a bit far... I mean, he lost his starting job to Gordon and Rose and nobody seemed to mind.

5. We need a POINT.

6.once again, the perk to him is that he is a coaches son.

HOWEVER...

10 million for the next 3 years will ruin negotiations with horf and Joe.

Edited May 15, 2009 by Diesel

[GameTime]

Honestly in a "No Woody" world I would want Sessions the most, but I still believe if we keep Woody (We won't pay for an assistant offensive coach) I rather Woody give the keys to the offense to Kidd more than anyone on the list.

[Diesel]

Honestly in a "No Woody" world I would want Sessions the most, but I still believe if we keep Woody (We won't pay for an assistant offensive coach) I rather Woody give the keys to the offense to Kidd more than anyone on the list.

Getting Kidd would definitely be a win now move.

The only problem is that I don't know if us with Woody at Coach is a win now team.

[Wurider05]

How about Jamal Crawford???

[Sothron]

Now that's just plain wrong.

1. Hinrich's salary is not exactly a good thing. He's makes 10 million and it would take a trade to get him. Who are you giving up? I hear everybody saying Speedy. But who else? Mo and capspace? The thing is, I don't believe Hinrich is worht 10 million and on top of that, I don't think we would have to spend 10 million on any of the free agents. I'm thinking at the most we pay 6 million to any PG on the list except Kidd.

2 True.

3. I wouldn't use the word Stellar. From seasons past, he wasn't so good. It takes a rose coming in to improve his defense.

4. He's a coaches son. Natural leader is taking it a bit far... I mean, he lost his starting job to Gordon and Rose and nobody seemed to mind.

5. We need a POINT.

6.once again, the perk to him is that he is a coaches son.

HOWEVER...

10 million for the next 3 years will ruin negotiations with horf and Joe.

1. His salary decreases every year, it was front loaded to keep people from matching it IIRC as a restricted free agent His salary is commiserate with his play on the court. You don't get good young point guards on both sides of the ball for nothing.

2. Glad we agree.

3. It is stellar. He's always played very good defense, over the years its become stellar. He's one of the few people in the NBA that can actually guard Wade and other super quick guards. We need someone that can do that and Bibby certainly isn't the answer.

4. He is a leader. True leaders don't care if they start or not. Hondo was a sixth man on the Celtics and yet he's remembered over the rest of that team. His unselfishness at giving up minutes was refreshing to see in this "ME FIRST" generation.

5. He is a point. He can play both positions but he's most definitely a point guard.

6. I'm not sure how saying he is a coach's son is a negative against him? He has a high basketball IQ, is that a bad thing or a good thing?

I'm postulating we can trade contracts and possibly the pick in this year's draft to get him.

[Frenzy]

Sessions would be interesting

[Cwell]

I agree with coachx above... this draft is weak at every position but PG, and many teams are cash-strapped and may be willing to move down to avoid the higher rookie contract. I like the three guys he mentioned... my order would be 1. Lawson, 2. Flynn, 3. Maynor), as well as Jrue Holiday and of course Jennings/Rubio likely out of reach.

The beauty of those three guys is that they are essentially Woody-proof (especially Lawson), in that they are already NBA-ready and NCAA winners (of course we thought this with Law, also, but...). If we can't make this happen (by giving up Acie, Marvin, or Bibby), my top two realistically would be Jarret Jack and Sergio Rodriguez, who are basically polar opposites of one another and might actually work well together. The problem is the Blazers are trying to package their depth to get a PG until Bayless is ready, and Sergio alone isn't good enough IMO. Sessions is solid, but he also has no range and, more importantly, is a mediocre defender (although certainly better than Bibby). I would take him in a heartbeat tho and let Bibby walk, then draft a PG for the future coach to develop. Maybe just as good, sign Andre Miller (who prob wants to go back West) to a short contract and let him teach the new PG (and Acie) until we get a real coach.

I also agree with coachx's last paragraph.... this team is going nowhere until Woody is gone. We've gotten this far on pure talent alone but b/c of our coaching deficiencies it's obvious that our ceiling is not very high -- even if we were healthy and had improved depth and roster balance....

what the heck are u smoking? seriously, are u serious? Nobody is woody proof,especially these guys. NONE of them are as good as Acie coming out of more prepared or more equipped. No matter what woody won't let them run the team, which hurts their confidence. then he chains them to the bench when they don't play the way he wants. Lawson can't shoot and is undersized so he's def. not woody proof. He's more prone to sucking under woody than acie has.

Edited May 16, 2009 by Cwell

[MaceCase]

Andre Miller is a good solid defender and is the best lob passer in the league with good quickness and ability to post up smaller guards but age may lead to him seeking a ring or last big payday.

Jarrett Jack and Ray Felton are young strong bodied slashers but I group them together because their games are similar. The teams they've played on have used them as combo guards as there are not pure passers. They can beat most anybody off the dribble with their speed, quickness, and strentgh but look more to finish than drive and kick. Shaky shooters.

Jason Kidd is a solid vet but his once heralded defense has fallen off as he no longer has the quickness or foot speed to stay in front of quick guards which is what causes him to gamble on steals or anticipate where they are going, still has great straight line speed though. Is an outside chance of getting him as he is purely chasing a ring but would reconsider for a big payday.

Kirk Hinrich is a solid point and floor general, not a slasher but has a steady shot and range especially from his sweet spot, straight away beyond the FT line. Superior defender with great size and strentgh that can guard most many 1-3s as exhibited by his work on Paul Pierce.

Ramon Sessions is a slighty solid but in no way sexy choice. Decent positional D and excellent floor vision but lack of athleticism and range limit him to being an outstanding backup but mediocre starter.

Ronnie Price is a high flying athletic guard that can climb the ladder for some impressive dunks. Good defender due to his athleticism but is a one gear PG who doesn't know what the word pass is.

Sergio Rodriguez, would have to severly question what "Spanish Chocalate" can bring seeing as his fancy passing and penetration were not enough to get him playing time over career backup Steve Blake and rookie Jerryd Bayless. Lacks any strentgh and is averse to defense.

TJ Ford, has a similar issue as Sergio, both are quick outstanding passers that can penetrate at will but Ford has been demoted three times now to lesser pure points as him (Mo Williams, Jose Calderon, Jarrett Jack) size seems to be an issue

Starbury is a dark horse, who knows what he still can do. Still maintains decent athleticism and as exhibited in one Celtics playoff game can still be a streaky good shooter.

[mrhonline]

I would be shocked to see the Hawks gamble on young guys who haven't proven they can successfully lead a winning team like Sessions, Rodriguez, and Felton.

Those are the kind of guys that a young, rebuilding team would go after. For once, that's not the stage the Hawks are in.

[Sothron]

I do like Felton out of that group you listed, not sold on Sessions or Sergio. Still would prefer Hinrich if we could swing a trade.

[AtLaS]

In order for the Hawks to be legit contenders they will have to be an elite defensive team. Boston was last year and the Cavs are now.

Hinrich is known as a tough defender. He is one of the few guys who can give Wade problems man to man. He also had a higher EFG% on his jumpers than Bibby. He has plenty of experience and would probably benefit greatly by playing next to JJ. Most likely he is the best pg we can get.

You are right about us needing to improve the defense to be a legit contender, but Hinrich doesn't make us a legit contender. Getting Hinrich doesn't improve our offense at all. We still would have noone to break down the defense and our starting lineup is a team full of jumpshooters, meaning we'll be inconsistent as any team in the league once again. Hinrich can't drive the ball. He improves our defense and that's it. He can't run an offense. IMO he locks us into mediocrity since he has a pretty big contract and he's not that great a player.

I'd rather have Hinrich instead of Bibby, but neither really makes us that much better. Adding Hinrich means we lose Bibby's clutch shooting. Seriously, when you start seeing Hinrich's late game jitters you'll be far more annoyed than you realize.

If we're trading for someone, I'd love to go after TJ Ford. I wouldn't mind Felton. Neither of those guys are bad defenders either and can actually run an offense and drive to the hole. But, I'd love to trade up in the draft and get Flynn.

[AtLaS]

I voted Hinrich because I think he still has a lot of talent and it is very likely that he will thrive for his next team (think Nash moving teams at 30).

Hinrich doesn't have near the talent of Nash, he can't drive to the hole like Nash, he can't run an offense like Nash, and he has nowhere near the passing skills. He's also not close to the shooter Nash is. He's not even that great at the PnR which has been Nash's #1 play his entire career.

Another X Factor could be Monta Ellis. GS has a lot of problems right now and Ellis has not been thrilled about playing there.

What about a Sign and Trade with Marvin and Bibby for Ellis and Anthony Randolph (Randolph is gonna be a stud by the way).

That would absolutely not happen.

Ellis is so much better than Bibby it's ridiculous. And Anthony Randolph is going to be an absolute stud soon, he won't be traded for anything outside of a star player. AR does need to add weight before he becomes great, though.

[HawksFan87]

I want either Jack or Hinrich..

[atlien]

Hinrich doesn't have near the talent of Nash, he can't drive to the hole like Nash, he can't run an offense like Nash, and he has nowhere near the passing skills. He's also not close to the shooter Nash is. He's not even that great at the PnR which has been Nash's #1 play his entire career.

I meant it in the sense that, similar to Nash, he will thrive for his next team, even tho he is a bit older. I really think he just needs a change of scenery.

No, he isn't as offensively talented as Nash. But, he plays extremely hard on the defensive end, he is an above-average distributor, he has a high bball IQ, and he can knock down the open jumper. I'd take him over Bibby any day of the week.

That would absolutely not happen.

Ellis is so much better than Bibby it's ridiculous. And Anthony Randolph is going to be an absolute stud soon, he won't be traded for anything outside of a star player. AR does need to add weight before he becomes great, though.

I agree. They would not throw in Anthony Randolph without Josh Smith coming back to them. However, I do think Monta Ellis might get traded this summer. So, while AR wouldnt be included, a Marvin + Bibby for Ellis deal could be an option (GS is a team rumored to go after Bibby).

[Joker]

I really don't think that Chicago wants to part with Hinrich. He really plays well in the combo position and is valuable next to Rose. I see Gordon being the one who's searching for a new team in 2009. I like Felton the most.

[Joker]

My #1 option would be to trade pick #19 and more pieces to move up to get Flynn, Lawson, or Maynor.

This draft is so deep at PG we can get our franchise PG for 10 years in this draft. Of course the ASG would have to fire Woody in order to tutor a rookie PG. All Woody would have them do is hand the ball to JJ for a clear out iso.............and we wonder why Law does not develope.

As much as we like Sessions........Woody would not know how to use him.

Please can Woody ! Our only hope of getting a dynamic PG is through the draft and he has shown he has no clue how to run an offense or groom a young PG. We can hold serve and bring in Jack or Hinrich. I would rather take a little risk then play it safe.

As I said before, outside of Rubio and Jennings it will take three seasons before these PG's can make an impact. We're no longer in rebuilding mode, we need players who can build on our success model. We do not need players who it will take awhile for them to come around. Sessions is a tricky player, he reminds me of the PG in Toronto (Jose C.), talented but not quite a starter. I believe Felton could be a real sound pickup for the Hawks. If we can sign him and Marvin for under 15 million per combine, I will be a happy camper.

Felton/Acie

JJ/Mo(or player in a trade from S&T Bibby)

Marvin/Mo

Horford/J Smith (30-35 mpg)

Andersen (22-30 mpg)/Zaza

Just for starters.

[Diesel]

If we could sign Andre Miller for 3 years 10 Million, who would be willing to do it?

I've been thinking about this..

Miller is definitely old.

But he's not chronicly injured nor has he shown signs of slowing down yet. However, in negotiations, his age can work for us. To really put things into perspective, he came out in the same draft as JT and BDiddy. We'd hit somebody over the head for those guys, why not Miller. Miller is a pure PG who has lots of experience.

The questions are:

1. Defense?

2. Speed?

3. Shot?

At 3 years 10 million, would you want him?

[gurpilo]

I voted Sessions. I think is the only guy we could sign for 6 M$ a year that is what I think we should be paying for a PG. He has size, defense, great passing abilities, can score, is young... He would be a perfect addition to the Hawks roster and would add the PG of the future we need.

Hinrich makes 10M$ and we will have to trade for him. However he is a leader an good defender and would give good play for many years but we can have Sessions for free.

Miller would be a great addtion but I´m not sure if he would sign for that money and I doubt how many years he can play at this level

Bibby has played well for us this year, he would be my sedond choice but I doubt he woudl sign for 6M$. He is also getting old and has a history of injuries.

Charlotte would match any offer of 6M$ for Felton and he is a poor shoter. However he would become a good fit for the Hawks and woudl fit the position for years.

I think Kidd would never sign with Atlanta. The rest of the players are worst than Sessions for me so that´s why I picked him.