What we need - obviously a Center

[DJlaysitup]

Obviously any fool who watched the ORL debacle knows we need a center. A reasonable center would give us one of two things. if he was a tall shooter he could lure the big guy out of the paint...or otherwise fight him straight up.

Having a reasonable center would allow Al Horford to play PF..where he could dominate. Smooove could be the odd SF.

[thecampster]

Obviously any fool who watched the ORL debacle knows we need a center. A reasonable center would give us one of two things. if he was a tall shooter he could lure the big guy out of the paint...or otherwise fight him straight up.

Having a reasonable center would allow Al Horford to play PF..where he could dominate. Smooove could be the odd SF.

People complain about Josh's perimeter D, but I know that basketball is played from the inside out. Center positioning settles many things which is why Ewing's Knicks were so good for so long. He changed the floor spacing. It's not Al's lack of height, it's his lack of weight that hurt him against Howard. Howard backed him down with ease and that made the distance with the spot up 3's that much harder to cover when people came to double. if we get a center, he needs to be able to hold the block and that is where true defense begins.

[tremor]

I'm impressed with what Rasheed does. He was great aquisition for the Celtics esp. in post season, much better match for Howard than Shaq. He's too old to invest in him though.

[DrReality]

FROM NBADRAFTNET:

Atlanta Hawks

Team Needs: SF, C, PF

Picks: 24th, 53rd

It is easy to look from the outside and assume that the Hawks are completely willing to accept Joe Johnson is leaving, but it is difficult to know the levels of conversation that are taking place in Atlanta’s front office concerning their offseason. Obviously, they would rather not lose Joe Johnson without compensation. In as much as the stain on his reputation is still fresh from the series with Orlando, the team won 53 games. The offense was overly reliant on isolations, and they were sub-.500 on the road, but it was the most successful season since 1997 and it would not have taken place without Joe Johnson. The other consideration is that if Johnson leaves, they would also have to renounce their rights to Josh Childress in order to be under the salary cap. Even then, the team would not be looking at a max player. With heavy money invested in an aging Mike Bibby as well as Marvin Williams and Zaza Pachulia, the opportunities to replace Johnson’s impact are going to be few.

In all likelihood, the Hawks are not going to be able to find an offensive talent at 24 or 53 to make up for the loss of Johnson, and there is a great level of uncertainty about how the rest of their roster will be shaped when the team reassembles in the fall. Assistant GM Dave Pendergraft recently said that he does not expect the players who will be available at that point to be capable of finding a role in their rotation next season and predicted whoever it is will likely spend time with their NBDL affiliate. The two facts seem to strongly imply that the Hawks will take the player with the greatest potential who falls to them.

Options at 24:

Hassan Whiteside- One of the few centers to measure out with the prototypical height and length at the recent NBA Draft combine. Whiteside’s problems are his lack of bulk, inexperience against high level competition, and questionable maturity. He has enough potential so that some team will gamble on him to grow up and put it all together. It is more or less a question of how early someone takes that risk. If he starts slipping, Atlanta has long been a franchise that is willing to take the athlete and teach him to play later.

Larry Sanders- A very similar physical being as Whiteside, though did not produce the same eye-catching numbers against mid-major competition. In some respects, he is less of a gamble because teams and scouts have seen his skill level grow dramatically from his freshman to junior years. His work ethic and maturity is not a question mark, though whether he will be able to put on the requisite strength necessary to play anytime soon for a playoff team is.

Keith Gallon- As mentioned earlier, Gallon probably should not be in this draft and even he knows it. He wanted to return, but the TMZ story forced his hand. If Atlanta is willing to be patient, Gallon has tremendous potential.

Derrick Caracter- Of the list, Caracter is probably the most likely to be able to crack a regular rotation on a playoff team. His game is the most polished, and teams are quickly finding that a 22-year old Caracter might be more mature than he was at 18-year old. He still needs to continue working on his body, but he would be a great prospect to have in a backup role early on and have his minutes grow as his conditioning improves.

Jerome Jordan- Jordan is the oldest prospect on this list, though in many ways he is the youngest because he has only played the game for seven years. His offensive game did not grow as much as NBA people would have liked over the past couple years, but part of that comes from the difficulty associated with being a 7-footer at a mid-major university. They simply do not get the practice or game repetitions against the kind of size and athleticism they will face on the next level. What Jordan has going for him is that he physically looks the part of a center more than anyone else. It is a big reason why it would not be surprising to see his name reemerge in first round discussions as the draft approaches.

Kevin Seraphin- This is where using the NBDL as a mechanism for development can be transitioned to Europe. Seraphin is nowhere near ready to contribute on the NBA level, but would potentially be an option to stay oversees and off the official payroll while he polishes his game.

Solomon Alabi- Alabi is every bit as raw as Seraphin. He has struggled mightily against the higher levels of opposition in his two years at Florida State, and in an ideal world would not be on an NBA roster for another two years. Unfortunately, the NBA does not operate in that world and legitimate 7-footers with any sort of athleticism and potential do not grow on trees.

Others- Willie Warren, Lance Stephenson, Jordan Crawford, Elliot Williams, and Dominique Jones.

Options at 53: Dexter Pittman, Charles Garcia, Samardo Samuels, Paulo Prestes, Mac Koshwal, Brian Zoubek, Hamady N’Diaye, Dwayne Collins, Latavious Williams, Marqus Blakely, Tyren Johnson, Arinze Onuaku, Ryan Thompson, Jordan Eglseder, Jeff Foote, Aubrey Coleman, Greivis Vasquez, Miroslav Raduljica, Artsiom Parakhouski, Omar Samhan, and Tim Ohlbrecht.

[Jody23]

People complain about Josh's perimeter D, but I know that basketball is played from the inside out. Center positioning settles many things which is why Ewing's Knicks were so good for so long. He changed the floor spacing. It's not Al's lack of height, it's his lack of weight that hurt him against Howard. Howard backed him down with ease and that made the distance with the spot up 3's that much harder to cover when people came to double. if we get a center, he needs to be able to hold the block and that is where true defense begins.

Exactly. Couldn't have said it better myself and as soon as the Hawks figure this out, the better off they'll be. Too many people focus on stats and ignore the importance of being able to match up or create mismatches at critical positions.

[macdaddy]

Smoove just isn't a 3. I like my SF to be able to hit a jump shot from SOMEWHERE. Don't get me wrong he's my favorite Hawk but he needs to be near the basket. Lining up Smoove, Horford, and a big lug would be a mistake. Despite his size Horford is one of the best centers in the league. He has no problems with Lopez or Perkins who are probably much better centers than we could obtain. We can beat Orlando even though we don't match up with Dwight that well. I guess what i'm saying is we shouldn't spend our money to address a single match up problem with one team in the league. This is where better coaching will pay dividends.