Premium Member NineOhTheRino Posted June 22, 2009 Premium Member Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 The more I here from Rick Sund the more he reminds me of Billy Knight. Three things: Sund believes that you can win a title without a superstar player. Sund's response to a question from our guy Mark Bradley in a May, 20 article: "Can you win championships and be an elite club with three or four players on your roster who are in the top 10 or 12 at their position? You can. Detroit showed that [in 2004]. Now [Chauncey] Billups today is an All-Pro All-Star, but he wasn’t when Detroit got it, and neither was Rich Hamilton. And neither was Tayshaun Prince. But Ben Wallace was in the top 10 of power forwards, and Rasheed [Wallace] went from a top five player in the league when he was at Portland to a top eight. If you get enough players collectively who are in the top 12 or 13 at their position, you can win a championship. It’s been proven. " Sounds familiar?Sund too thinks Al Horford is a true NBA center. A quote from a 790 interview last week:Check the audio at 7 mins in. Sund clearly states "I think he (Al Horford) is a 5." He even thinks that Al could have made the All Star team as a center if not for injury. Sure Knight and Sund not the same guy?He's high on Acie Law. A quote from the before mentioned Bradley piece: "I liked him. I didn’t draft him – I inherited him – but I thought it was a pretty solid draft pick, and I liked him when I saw him in college. Like most rookies, he didn’t get a lot of playing time. We knew when we brought in Flip that [Law’s] minutes were going to be suspect if Flip was a good fit, which he was." Can't blame him because I think Acie Law is a beast ready to be unleashed on the east. I know all the Billy Knight haters rejoiced when he resigned but I'm beginning to think that the ASG hired Rick Sund because he had the same mindset as Knight. What we may have in Sund is Billy Knight with better communication skills. Scary huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATLSmith Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 I don't think Sund has had a chance to prove himself yet (at least with the Hawks). We'll see some of what he's made of during the draft and this summer when he tries to keep our free agents at a good price. I don't see him making too many moves this off season anyway. He feels that the team has improved so why change it? Sund will make some moves if the Hawks end up with a worse record next season. Then we'll really see if he can build a championship team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhawksfan Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 did you expect him to say: 1: No, you can't win without a SStar. We're screwed. 2: Al's no C,we should plug Zaza in at starting C and put Al at back up PF. 3: Law is a joke, I can't belive that BK drafted him. What're we gonna do? "We're doomed" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member NineOhTheRino Posted June 22, 2009 Author Premium Member Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 did you expect him to say: 1: No, you can't win without a SStar. We're screwed. 2: Al's no C,we should plug Zaza in at starting C and put Al at back up PF. 3: Law is a joke, I can't belive that BK drafted him. What're we gonna do? "We're doomed" Simmer down fan! The man has to get a least 2 draft classes before a real determination can be made. I'm just pointing out a few quotes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzachary Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 Come on now, what do you expect? Do you want Sund to trash his own players for the media? What good would him saying "our current players aren't good enough to win" do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HawkItus Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 did you expect him to say: 1: No, you can't win without a SStar. We're screwed. 2: Al's no C,we should plug Zaza in at starting C and put Al at back up PF. 3: Law is a joke, I can't belive that BK drafted him. What're we gonna do? "We're doomed" Exactly, I don't even get what the OP was even saying. Billy didn't give that much info in his whole career with the Hawks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member NineOhTheRino Posted June 22, 2009 Author Premium Member Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 (edited) Exactly, I don't even get what the OP was even saying. Billy didn't give that much info in his whole career with the Hawks. I think both guys have the same vision of how this team should be constructed. I too would expect Sund to give positive answers. But to give pretty much identical answers to the man you were hired to replace tells me that his hiring was an extension of the Billy Knight era and not the start of something new. Edited June 22, 2009 by NineOhTheRino Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators macdaddy Posted June 22, 2009 Moderators Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 I think his answers are just correct and most gms would probably give the same answers to those. About championship teams that answer we all have to believe or its just pointless. I think Al is a better center. I think putting him out there with someone like zaza at center might be ok in certain situations but would get you burned if that was your starting lineup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaceCase Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 You know what? I don't find Sund being crazy for saying Al could have been an Allstar at center. Honestly that's his best bet of ever making that game because he sure as hell is not going to make behind the talent at PF. For the next 5 years who could you pencil in for that game behind Howard? It was embarassing watching the past game when the west threw out Yao, Shaq, Pau, and Amare and the east could only counter with Dwight, Garnett and Lewis as the only guys above 6'9" on the roster. I wont even get into Mo Williams, a 6foot guard, being the injury replacement for Bosh because King James decreed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plainview1981 Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 (edited) I'm tired of hearing about the lucky 2004 Pistons. If they hadn't played a team in the finals with such poor team chemistry they probably wouldn't have won a championship in the first place. I don't remember their run being so hot before they got to the finals. I think they squeaked by the Bucks and a declining Nets team. On top of that, that's one year.... Name me another team the last 25/30 years without a superstar player. Atlanta Spirit has hired yet another bumbling idiot. I think that's all they can hire because that's all the Atlanta Spirit is. They're almost the worst kind of owners you can have. Being one step above Donald Sterling is not that good. Edited June 22, 2009 by Hotlanta1981 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member NineOhTheRino Posted June 22, 2009 Author Premium Member Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 (edited) I'm tired of hearing about the lucky 2004 Pistons. If they hadn't played a team in the finals with such poor team chemistry they probably wouldn't have won a championship in the first place. I don't remember their run being so hot before they got to the finals. I think they squeaked by the Bucks and a declining Nets team. On top of that, that's one year.... Name me another team the last 25/30 years without a superstar player. Atlanta Spirit has hired yet another bumbling idiot. I think that's all they can hire because that's all the Atlanta Spirit is. They're almost the worst kind of owners you can have. Being one step above Donald Sterling is not that good. More often than not a championship team will have that one main guy. I 100% agree with you on the mystique of the '04 Pistons. That team is still talked about like a modern example of team building when in fact they only lived up to the hype 1 time. Edited June 22, 2009 by NineOhTheRino Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plainview1981 Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 (edited) More often than not a championship team will have that one main guy. I 100% agree with you on the mystique of the '04 Pistons. That team is still talked about like a modern example of team building when in fact they only lived up to the hype 1 time. Detroit had a good run. But I don't remember their run to the finals that year being all that impressive. But then they played a very dysfunctional team in the finals. Whomever uses Detroit as the model for building a team is probably setting themselves and their team up for failure. Instead of truly being a great team, they were a good team that got to the finals at the right time. They had solid playoff runs and seasons afterwards, but I never believed they'd get over the hump again. Edited June 22, 2009 by Hotlanta1981 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uga2006 Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 Look at Sund's draft history, not so great actually it's pretty crappy. We'll see what he does this off-season but I've just never been a fan of this guy at all. He got lucky with the Flip signing and I see Flip signing else where along with Zaza. I think they'll get offered more money than the Hawks would be willing to shell out but we will see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 Detroit had a good run. But I don't remember their run to the finals that year being all that impressive. But then they played a very dysfunctional team in the finals. Whomever uses Detroit as the model for building a team is probably setting themselves and their team up for failure. Instead of truly being a great team, they were a good team that got to the finals at the right time. They had solid playoff runs and seasons afterwards, but I never believed they'd get over the hump again. Yeah I'd say that they had a good run considering that they made it to the EC finals what 4 straight years? And if it hadn't been for being a bit older and some questionable moves by Dumars they probably would have still gone a couple more years. It's a hell of a lot easier to fill a team with very solid team first players than it is to find a superstar player so I don't mind the Detroit blueprint for the Hawks as long as they make the right moves. After year 1 with Sund I'm pretty happy but I'm reserving judgment until I see what he does this offseason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzachary Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 Yeah I'd say that they had a good run considering that they made it to the EC finals what 4 straight years? And if it hadn't been for being a bit older and some questionable moves by Dumars they probably would have still gone a couple more years. It's a hell of a lot easier to fill a team with very solid team first players than it is to find a superstar player so I don't mind the Detroit blueprint for the Hawks as long as they make the right moves. After year 1 with Sund I'm pretty happy but I'm reserving judgment until I see what he does this offseason. I think having a great coach also helps your team of solid team-first players win. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 I think having a great coach also helps your team of solid team-first players win. :( Yes that certainly does help but seeing as how we don't have a great coach and there aren't any great coaches available our best option this year is to fill the squad with as much solid talent as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJHAWK Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 I dont know has Sund ever got rid of a bunch of high priced losers like Reef, Rat and Big Hog on a team that was going nowhere and then rebuilt it from the ground up into a back to back playoff team while being one of the leagues youngest teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now