Pachulia’s days with Hawks could be numbered

[DrReality]

By SEKOU SMITH

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sunday, June 07, 2009

Zaza Pachulia’s days with the Hawks could be numbered.

He has 24 days left before he becomes an unrestricted free agent, ending his four-year run with the team.

Granted, he could start another one, if he and the Hawks come to terms on a new contract, but there’s a level of uncertainty that comes with free agency that’s undeniable for a player in Pachulia’s situation — there will be a scramble for quality big men at a reasonable price on the free-agent market.

Pachulia spoke about free agency with Journal-Constitution Hawks beat writer Sekou Smith.

Q: With July 1 and the start of free agency around the corner, has it hit home just how important this summer is for you?

A: Absolutely. When the season was going I wasn’t really worrying about it. I thought I was going to have all this time to enjoy my family. And this is the first summer with my son, especially at this age, he’s so much fun to be around. I was hoping the time would go slow. But as we get closer to July 1, I’m getting more excited. I realize after July 1, I’m going to get more busy, working out and whatever. If I stay with the Hawks, that would be great. But if I go to another team, I’d have to move and everything. So on one hand I wanted this time to go slow and the other I’m really excited. I just want to know where I’m going to be.

Q: What’s the biggest factor for you in terms of where you play next?

A: It’s very hard to say on those kinds of things. You have to have an offer in front of you, and I’m not talking about money, I’m talking about the whole package, from who is on the team to the organization. It’s hard. Obviously, everything is important. You have to weigh everything. And when you have family, you have to make the right move for them as well. We’ll see who is interested.

Q: With the tightened global economy impacting everything that goes into free agency, are you conscious of where you fit into this whole puzzle as a player?

A: I started looking at those things just now. I knew I was going to be a free agent, but I was trying not to practice or play with that on my mind. I wasn’t going to practice every day thinking about the fact that I was going to be a free agent in the summer. I was more riding the wave of the good feelings we had with the playoffs against Boston last year and then again this year. It wasn’t until I met with my agent last week and we sat down and talked about these things. Once the meeting with my agent came, I had a chance to lock down on this. There are good things about free agency and bad things about it. You just have to wait and see what’s going to happen. Whatever God gives and whatever you deserve, that’s what you get.

Q: You’ve spoken publicly in the past about your desire to remain with the Hawks. Has anything changed in that regard?

A: Obviously, the Atlanta Hawks mean a lot to me, I’ve been here four years. I really feel like this is home. Even if I had to go somewhere else, this is my home. Relationships with people make life so much easier, when they show you love on and off the court, that makes it all better. … I definitely would love to stay here and be in Atlanta for the rest of my career. Why not? When I was in Turkey I played in one city, same team for six years. So I’m not the kind of guy that likes to move around.

Q: Has the bitter way this season ended become any easier to swallow now that a little time has passed?

A: I think we felt like we set a goal and reached it by making it out of the first round. And once we did that, we were kind of lost in terms of what was next. It was like we wondered if we could beat Cleveland instead of believing it. Maybe that was on our minds in that series and that had something to do with the results. But when I was watching Orlando and Cleveland [in the Eastern Conference finals], if we played a little bit harder, we could have given ourselves a chance to win the games.

Q: At 25 and six years into your NBA career, people would assume you’d want to chase a starting job. How satisfied are you with the your role on this team?

A: Satisfied is not a good way to describe it. I don’t know any player that’s ever satisfied. We always want to do more, play better and all that comes with it. … Game 4 in the Miami series was basically our game of the playoffs and really our game of the season. We knew we couldn’t get down 3-1, so we knew that if we wanted to save our season, we had to win that game. I played what I think was my best game [12 points and 18 rebounds off the bench in the Hawks’ season-saving 81-71 win] of the season. And that’s what’s most important to me.

[frankthetank966]

We need to hold onto Pachulia unless we upgrade at center.

[Frenzy]

We need to hold onto Pachulia unless we upgrade at center.

i agree.........without ZaZa, who is our backup C?

[Dsinner]

I'd like to keep Zaza if the price is right. What I found most interesting about this article however, was this... A: I think we felt like we set a goal and reached it by making it out of the first round. And once we did that, we were kind of lost in terms of what was next. It was like we wondered if we could beat Cleveland instead of believing it. Maybe that was on our minds in that series and that had something to do with the results.

From the owners to Sund and Woody they could care less about the ring. And in typical Hawks fashion.

[MaceCase]

I'd like to keep Zaza if the price is right. What I found most interesting about this article however, was this... A: I think we felt like we set a goal and reached it by making it out of the first round. And once we did that, we were kind of lost in terms of what was next. It was like we wondered if we could beat Cleveland instead of believing it. Maybe that was on our minds in that series and that had something to do with the results.

From the owners to Sund and Woody they could care less about the ring. And in typical Hawks fashion.

I think it's just realism tempering your expections for a ring, thinking otherwise is just delusion. After you dip your feet to test the water you don't just decide to swim the ocean.

I like Zaza but he needs help in the front court and if the salary he asks for could get us both a backup C and PF, well I'd root for him wherever he goes......unless it's the Celtics, then f*** 'im

[Diesel]

My fear is that Zaza is gone.

Strange thing, I have been reading a lot of Doc River's quotes.... He said that they want a vet Center who could bring some toughness off the bench. It sounds like he doesn't neccessarily see Big Baby coming back. I supposed that he was talking about McDyess. However, Celtics fans immediately started talking about Zaza. Wouldn't that be some shameful s--- if Sund allowed Zaza to go to Boston!?!

[DrReality]

Being satisfied with the first round sounds like a coaching limitation that does not allow our team to reach the potential they may have. If you are satisfied with the second roung . . . . .

[GameTime]

Q: Has the bitter way this season ended become any easier to swallow now that a little time has passed?

A: I think we felt like we set a goal and reached it by making it out of the first round. And once we did that, we were kind of lost in terms of what was next. It was like we wondered if we could beat Cleveland instead of believing it. Maybe that was on our minds in that series and that had something to do with the results. But when I was watching Orlando and Cleveland [in the Eastern Conference finals], if we played a little bit harder, we could have given ourselves a chance to win the games.

Honestly Woody deserves to be fired for this alone.

[Dexmethylphenidate]

Zaza is way overrated. Other than Miami, he won't be the backup center for any other playoff team. Just let him go if he demand to be paid. Once he's gone and Woody is forced to play other players, the team will be better. Or better yet, sign Mydyss and the team will be an instant contender for the ECF.

[jerrywest]

When I was in Turkey I played in one city, same team for six years...

...At 25 and six years into your NBA career...

He was at most 13 when he started his pro career. Did he play in any other place? He must have played in some local league before a Turkish club picked him up.

Zaza was the on hiw way to become Wilt Chamberlin as a pre-teen player. What happened?

[BigDirty]

From his website:

Born February 10, 1984 to David Pachulia and Marina Kodua in Tbilisi, Georgia, Zaza took up basketball at the age of nine, when he began playing for a team called Martue. Basketball was in his pedigree after all, as his mother was a professional basketball player in Georgia and once played for Soviet National Team.

Zaza's mother was not his only basketball influence, however. His coach for Martue, Zura Samkharadze, was a huge influence on him, and Zaza credits him for teaching him the game.

From the age of nine until he was 14, Zaza went to school at the College of Tbilisi (which equates to grammar school). Education was always a top priority in his family, and he studied while continuing to develop his basketball skills.

At the age of 14, Zaza and his mother moved to Turkey, where he began playing for the development team for UlkerSpor, a professional team in Istanbul. In 2000, at 16, he joined the parent club, becoming one of the youngest players ever in the Euroleague. He played for Ulker for three seasons before entering his name in the 2003 NBA Draft as a 19-year old.

[DrReality]

He was at most 13 when he started his pro career. Did he play in any other place? He must have played in some local league before a Turkish club picked him up.

Zaza was the on hiw way to become Wilt Chamberlin as a pre-teen player. What happened?

He's a slow white buy!

[bumpyphish1]

I will hate to see Big Z go but if we go out and add an upgraded big man and we have to lose Zaza in the process, then I will have to give kudos to Rick Sund. Zaza, much as we love him, is very limited and to take the next step, we need another QUALITY big man.

Edited June 8, 2009 by bumpyphish1

[frosgrim]

If Zaza walks, then who do the Hawks pick up? The league is full of tall guys that can't play a lick (ala Randolf Morris), at least Z shows that he can play. Its fine and dandy to say resign him at a reasonable price, but what is that price?

Zaza will be paid he relative value, and I guess that is between 5 and 6 million. To me that sounds like a reasonable value.

[lethalweapon3]

They should not allow Zaza to walk out unless Gortat (or somebody marginally better salary-wise) is in the revolving door to replace him.

I can see the Knicks, Warriors or Lakers making a run at him.

~lw3

[DrReality]

If they don't sign him, the guy who wants to be here, what will it cost to get someone else's big guy. A lot more?