One last time, Flip Murray is gone

[DrReality]

HAWKSVILLE – .

It’s over. And it’s official.

Take one last good look at him in his Hawks uniform (above next to Hawks coach Mike Woodson) and then move on.

Charlotte’s gain is the Hawks’ loss, until you scan the recently released training camp roster and realize that guys that the man replacing Flip as the Hawks’ third guard is a player that by any measure is a far better player. Whether or not he’s a better fit on this team remains to be seen. But anyone making the argument for Flip over Jamal Crawford needs to clean the lenses on their BlueBlockers.

And don’t get me wrong, I think was extremely valuable to the Hawks’ cause last season. He was a great fit at the perfect time for a team that desperately needed a tough guy with a no-nonsense attitude coming off the bench to help energize their second unit. But this idea that Flip won games for the Hawks last season is make believe.

It never happened.

Would I have love to see Flip remain in a Hawks uniform? Sure. That would have been ideal. But him moving on to a one-year deal with the Bobcats doesn’t shift the balance of power in the Southeast Division either.

Now there are plenty of people within the Hawks organization that disagree with me. They’ve been arguing me down all summer about Flip. They contend he was far more valuable than anyone realized, that he was a stabilizing locker room presence and the unsung guts of the team. Could be. But I never witnessed that sort of impact on or off the floor.

In fact, I’d argue that Mo Evans was every bit as crucial to the Hawks’ 47-win season of a year ago. He was actually pressed into service as a starter (for an injured Marvin Williams (and the Hawks won roughly 67 percent of the games in which Evans started). Flip was never called upon to shoulder the load of say a Mike Bibby or Joe Johnson for an extended stretch of the season.

I suspect Flip’s loss will have the same impact the loss of the man he replaced (Josh Childress) had on this team the year before …

TRAINING CAMPERS

The training camp roster stands at 20 players, right at the number expected. Can’t say that there are any surprise names on the list either. You know the regulars, the guys already under guaranteed contracts for this season. What deserves further scrutiny is the eight players on the training camp roster that are looking for work. A brief breakdown of each guy and the initial outlook of his chances of securing that 13th roster spot (and perhaps the 14th if someone makes a definitive case for sticking around):

JUAN DIXON – The internal concerns about the Hawks’ point guard depth is reflected in the number of veteran guards on the camp roster, highlighted by this veteran guard. Dixon has never carved a niche for himself as a starting point guard but he’s been a factor on several teams as a situational combo guard. He’ll need a huge showing in camp to snag a roster spot.

OTHELLO HUNTER — Having already made the team this way a year ago, Hunter knows the odds are stacked against him sticking this year. The Hawks are deeper in the frontcourt and they’re not as likely to keep a developmental player on the roster if they’re only going to keep 13 players. Still, Hunter has improved as much anyone on the roster from this time a year ago. And with a strong camp, he could force the Hawks to consider keeping him.

AARON MILES – Miles made an appearance on the Hawks’ practice court during the workout season before the 2005 draft but has been basically a pro basketball journeyman since then. He’s a competitor and the kind of guy that always raises the meter defensively but he would appear to be an extreme long-shot to be here beyond the end of camp.

FRANK ROBINSON – One of the more intriguing players you’ll see in camp, Robinson continues to impress with his all-around skill (think a more skilled offensive player with Mario West-like energy). If you see him in action on a daily basis you keep asking yourself, “why isn’t this guy on someone’s roster?” Then you remember his problem is like most guys his size that play his position, they’d have to face the likes of Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Joe Johnson on a nightly basis in the league. But keep an eye on Mr. Robinson. He’ll turn some heads.

GARRET SILER – Augusta’s Finest is looking svelte these days, somewhere in the neighborhood of 280 pounds or so, per one of my spies. He’s going to make you take notice because he’s usually going to be the biggest man in the room or on the floor. That doesn’t mean he’s not skilled, because he is. And that doesn’t mean the Hawks aren’t serious about gauging his long-term potential, because they are. Training camp and the preseason schedule will be the true test for Siler. If he proves he can hold up against top-flight competition over the course of the next month it’ll be hard to send him packing.

COURTNEY SIMS – I’m giving Sims the early nod as the favorite for the MOST SURPRISING CAMPER award. And it has nothing to do with the fact that he spent undergrad in Ann Arbor toiling for the Michigan basketball program. Sims was the D-League MVP last season and has matured tremendously since college. His frame (6-11 and 240 pounds) is much sturdier now and he has a face-up game that stretches beyond the 3-point line (if needed). I want to see how he deals with Al Horford and Josh Smith on a daily basis in camp.

MARIO WEST – If folks thought West was fighting for his life to make the roster the last two years, you’d be wise to pop some popcorn for the show I expect him to put on this time around. No one outworks the maniacal former Georgia Tech standout. While he’s been nursing some nagging injuries in recent weeks, there’s no doubt he’ll crank up the energy next week. The sticking point for West, however, is his salary number. As a rookie and second year player, with a salary under $1 million, West was a fantastic investment. Three years in, though, and his roughly $1 million price tag seems a bit high (to some) for a player that you know probably won’t play much unless there are injury catastrophes in the backcourt.

MIKE WILKS – Like Dixon, Wilks looks more like veteran point guard insurance. And he’s had stints with several teams that proved he could be a legitimate NBA contributor. But the idea of another 6-foot (or thereabouts) point guard on a team that already boasts Bibby and promising rookie Jeff Teague just doesn’t add up. Barring an absolutely stunning performance in camp, I have a hard time justifying a spot for Wilks or any other undersized point guard.

[DrReality]

Anybody have info on COURTNEY SIMS ?

[DrReality]

Draft Express:

January 7, 2009

It’s hard not to take notice of the amazing numbers Courtney Sims has been putting up in the D-League so far. Through 12 games, he’s averaging 23 points, nearly 13 rebounds, 3 turnovers and 2.8 blocks in 40 minutes per game, shooting an outstanding 58.5% from the field—making him the #1 rebounder in the league, the #2 shot-blocker, the #3 scorer, and #2 in PER. Already a per-minute monster last season, as you can see in his advanced stats profile page now he’s doing it for entire games. Is his production something that will translate to an NBA setting? We’re watching him closely in Orem to try and gather as many clues as we can to help make that assessment. This is what we managed to piece together.

Sims is a pretty unique prospect as far as the D-League is concerned. He has great size, nice length and a decent (although certainly improvable) frame, to go along with solid athleticism. His hands are very good and his touch is absolutely terrific, making him an excellent presence in the post at this level of competition. Right off the bat he showed a very good feel for the game, making some heady post-entry passes on high/low plays.

What really separates him from other D-League big men is his ability to create his own shot. He can put the ball on the floor and has very nice footwork and wherewithal in the post, executing pivot moves and spinning to either shoulder to get his shot off. He lacks strength finishing around the rim or trying to back down his man while grinding in the post, but the skill-level of his finesse moves allow him to create high percentage opportunities on a regular basis when he’s getting touches. He also showed the ability to step out to mid-range and knock down 18 foot jumpers, again showing great touch, which is certainly reflected in his free throw stroke—at over 75% on the season. He gets to the line at a great rate (his ability to attack defenses off the dribble plays a huge role here), which is a big reason why he’s been scoring at such a nice rate this season.

Defensively, Sims still has plenty of room for improvement, as he gave up position far too easily in the paint and also did a poor job for the most part rotating to meet slashers in the paint. He has the length to contest shots, but does not have very good awareness on this end of the floor, probably lacking some toughness as well as strength. Considering what his role would be in the NBA, this is definitely an issue if he’s to see quality minutes as a rotation player. He seems to lose his focus quite easily, especially when a bad call goes against him—leading him to completely lose his composure.

Sims already has some very minimal experience in the NBA, having made Indiana’s roster last year. He looks like he’s improved quite a bit since then, and it wouldn’t shock us at all to see some team decide to call him up sometime soon to see just how good he actually is.

[gsuteke]

I have to disagree with Sekou herel FLip took a leading role off the bench - something I didn't see from Evans. Evans doesn't have the killer instinct Flip has although Crawford is a better first option off the bench.

I wish Flip the best - we're a better team without him AS the sixth mAN though.

[Popeye]

I have to disagree with Sekou herel FLip took a leading role off the bench - something I didn't see from Evans.

I agree, almost every time when we needed scoring Flip would come in and we would go on a a little run... We won a lot of games past year because of Flip coming of the bench and just changing the tone of the game.... I cant believe Sekou thinks Evans helped us more last year..... What did he watch?

[JJFAN4LF]

Sekou is obviously in the denial stage in the coping process. Flip did win us games last season, especially in the second half of the season. There were a lot of games that Joe Johnson didn't show up and Flip Murray helped a lot with the scoring load. Flip Murray had a much better impact than Mo did last season and anyone who says different, is either in denial or didn't watch the hawks games. That argument about the Hawks winning a high percentage of their games when Mo Evans started is dumb, because there were games when he started and he didn't make an impact offensively or defensively.

The only reason why Mo Evans started when Marvin went down is because he plays the 3 position and Mike Woodson wanted to keep Joe Johnson at his natural position while also having his best bench player still coming off the bench. Mike Woodson did the same thing to Josh Childress. When a starter would go down with an injury, he would choose a different player than Josh Childress because Childress plays well off the bench. Woodson chose Mo simply because Flip Murray plays well off the bench and he doesn't want to ruin his rhythm. Just because Mario West was called in as a starter more than Josh Childress was two seasons ago doesn't mean that Mario West had as good of an impact as Chills did.

[frankthetank966]

I like Flip last yr. He created a lot of plays but at the same time he doesn't fit in with our needs at the moment. We have a few scorers coming off the bench and we need a true PG now. I hope he excels in CHA

[sillent]

Sekou is obviously in the denial stage in the coping process. Flip did win us games last season, especially in the second half of the season. There were a lot of games that Joe Johnson didn't show up and Flip Murray helped a lot with the scoring load. Flip Murray had a much better impact than Mo did last season and anyone who says different, is either in denial or didn't watch the hawks games. That argument about the Hawks winning a high percentage of their games when Mo Evans started is dumb, because there were games when he started and he didn't make an impact offensively or defensively.

The only reason why Mo Evans started when Marvin went down is because he plays the 3 position and Mike Woodson wanted to keep Joe Johnson at his natural position while also having his best bench player still coming off the bench. Mike Woodson did the same thing to Josh Childress. When a starter would go down with an injury, he would choose a different player than Josh Childress because Childress plays well off the bench. Woodson chose Mo simply because Flip Murray plays well off the bench and he doesn't want to ruin his rhythm. Just because Mario West was called in as a starter more than Josh Childress was two seasons ago doesn't mean that Mario West had as good of an impact as Chills did.

I think Sekou was stating the effect Mo had in the locker room and as a positive influence to the team more than the influence or skills showed on the court. Flip was great on the court but the only reason I see him not rejoining the team was that the chemistry he created off the court was not as effective as what he did on the court and therefore there were other/better options. A good vet is great but if that vet is not being a vet as far as helping the young players mentally/chemistry it would be hard to keep them when it comes to the big picture. That is probably the reason Stackhouse is not getting a chance on this team that some of us think he should have.

Edited September 28, 2009 by sillent

[Diesel]

I think Sekou was stating the effect Mo had in the locker room and as a positive influence to the team more than the influence or skills showed on the court. Flip was great on the court but the only reason I see him not rejoining the team was that the chemistry he created off the court was not as effective as what he did on the court and therefore there were other/better options. A good vet is great but if that vet is not being a vet as far as helping the young players mentally/chemistry it would be hard to keep them when it comes to the big picture. That is probably the reason Stackhouse is not getting a chance on this team that some of us think he should have.

I think that the reason why Flip nor stack is getting a chance is because we have Crawford. I think that the powers that be realize that if Teague is to mature, we can't have 7 people playing in front of him...

[Swatguy]

I think that the reason why Flip nor stack is getting a chance is because we have Crawford. I think that the powers that be realize that if Teague is to mature, we can't have 7 people playing in front of him...

That powers that be means, Sund. It bet a hundred to a dollar that Woody and his staff wants Stacks in the fold.