Greater need Center or PG

[Guest]

I know that we discuss needing both on this board almost daily. But in your opinion which is the greater need for us? I feel as though it is a center. I mean, once the playoffs rolls around, the game slows up a whole lot and teams depend more on their size. I also feel that Bibby and Jamal can hold down the point guard spot in the LD offensive scheme. Moving without the ball and having all five guys touching the ball in a movement type offense doesn't necessarily require a pure pg. But a 7 foot + center could do wonders for us, specially on the defensive end guarding the bigger centers of the east. However one might argue that we do need a pg for the defense alone. I mean Bibby can't stay with anybody on defense and it isn't Jamal's strong suite either.

So basically if we were to be able to get in on a trade with Denver for example, who could we use more, a Chauncey Billups or a Nene?

[Diesel]

I know that we discuss needing both on this board almost daily. But in your opinion which is the greater need for us? I feel as though it is a center. I mean, once the playoffs rolls around, the game slows up a whole lot and teams depend more on their size. I also feel that Bibby and Jamal can hold down the point guard spot in the LD offensive scheme. Moving without the ball and having all five guys touching the ball in a movement type offense doesn't necessarily require a pure pg. But a 7 foot + center could do wonders for us, specially on the defensive end guarding the bigger centers of the east. However one might argue that we do need a pg for the defense alone. I mean Bibby can't stay with anybody on defense and it isn't Jamal's strong suite either.

So basically if we were to be able to get in on a trade with Denver for example, who could we use more, a Chauncey Billups or a Nene?

Our team suffers because we don't score inside. Either position would help that. If we had a true Drive and Dish PG that would help. If we had a C who could do dirty work and score inside from the low post.. That would help.

right now, it's all a question of what we would have to give up and who exactly are we getting.

IF Marvin/Mo could get us Steve Nash, we do that today.

[Brokentree]

Diesel suggested in another thread that maybe we don't need a starter and I agree with that thought. Our bench, with the exception of Jamal, is horrible. If any two bench players not named Jamal are on the floor at the same time I cringe because I know the Hawks are going fall apart until the starters get back in the game. Even when its bench against bench we generally lose momentum. Evans seems to be playing better lately but unless someone is injured he won't see much playing time since he'd likely steal minutes from Crawford.

What this team is lacking more than a PG or a Center is a quality back up that can spend time at the 4 and 5. Diesel mentioned Reggie Evans. I'll mention Carl Landry. Someone that can come into the game and not make me wince. The Celtics have Glenn Davis.. the Lakers have Odom. We need a guy off the bench of that type of caliber. A type of guy that can fill in when a starter is injured and the team hardly misses a beat.

Of course this doesn't really answer your question so I'll say Center. If the acquisition doesn't involve Marvin then it would move him to a bench role where he could fill in at the 2, 3, and 4. I don't think Marvin would get us much in trade anyways.

[Dragitoff]

I think that's why Marvin (albeit in limited action) has done fairly well off the bench. When he's on the floor with Bibby, JJ, Smoove, and Horford, he's the 5th option most of the time. When he's on the floor with the 2nd unit, he's the second best option we have behind Craw. Having said that, I think there could be a 3rd option here. Would a true starting SF help us more than a PG or Center?

[frosgrim]

I'd really rather a defensive minded, drive and dish PG at this point. I think that sort of player is 1) possible to get, and 2) solves a lot of the problems on the team. Teague was supposed to be that guy, but he isn't. Center is deifnately a problem, but those are harder to get and whomever we get wouldn't have nearly the impact a really good pg would have, esp in the playoffs.

[CWebb]

Everybody on this board forgets that LA point guard is...Derek Fisher.

He doesn't drive and doesn't defend on Westbrook or Rose neither

[MaceCase]

Everybody on this board forgets that LA point guard is...Derek Fisher.

He doesn't drive and doesn't defend on Westbrook or Rose neither

Well we are even less likely to get three allstar 7 footers to cover the basket for us and we don't run the Triangle so the Fisher example is entirely moot.

[NineOhTheRino]

Well we are even less likely to get three allstar 7 footers to cover the basket for us and we don't run the Triangle so the Fisher example is entirely moot.

and we don't have a coach that's 11-2 in the NBA finals or one of the best players in NBA history

[CWebb]

Well we are even less likely to get three allstar 7 footers to cover the basket for us and we don't run the Triangle so the Fisher example is entirely moot.

No it isn't.

I don't see the point guard position as our biggest weakness on the offensive side. Our offense is working quite well as it is . I believe we are the third best team in assists per game and our Fgs % is one of the best too..

We have to get better in rebounding the ball.

[frosgrim]

No it isn't.

I don't see the point guard position as our biggest weakness on the offensive side. Our offense is working quite well as it is . I believe we are the third best team in assists per game and our Fgs % is one of the best too..

We have to get better in rebounding the ball.

Defensively, we're weaker at PG than anywhere else on the court. Guys like Harris, Nelson, and the other quick drive and dish PGs destroy the Hawks. Solve that problem and a lot of the teams weaknesses become much less of a problem. A drive and dish guy opens up shooting lanes for our jump shooters. This is going to be crtical come the playoffs when teams will leave the lane open to play tigher on our shooters. The Hawks as configured today, can't take advantage of an open lane.

I agree that rebounding is definately a problem, but I don't see a center out there that we can get that is going to solve that problem to the degree that a guy like Lowry can solve the PG probelm.

[Dragitoff]

Defensively, we're weaker at PG than anywhere else on the court. Guys like Harris, Nelson, and the other quick drive and dish PGs destroy the Hawks. Solve that problem and a lot of the teams weaknesses become much less of a problem. A drive and dish guy opens up shooting lanes for our jump shooters. This is going to be crtical come the playoffs when teams will leave the lane open to play tigher on our shooters. The Hawks as configured today, can't take advantage of an open lane.

I agree that rebounding is definately a problem, but I don't see a center out there that we can get that is going to solve that problem to the degree that a guy like Lowry can solve the PG probelm.

I think a guy like Sam Dalembert could be had, but the problems are:

1. He's a valuable, large expiring contract

2. He's got an expensive contract making matching salaries difficult.

Our best shot to get him would be to trade Crawford for him, but then our offense off the bench would suffer immensely. Sacramento is probably less interested in guys like ZaZa Pachulia and the like because they have multiple years left on their deals.

[terrell]

Diesel suggested in another thread that maybe we don't need a starter and I agree with that thought. Our bench, with the exception of Jamal, is horrible. If any two bench players not named Jamal are on the floor at the same time I cringe because I know the Hawks are going fall apart until the starters get back in the game. Even when its bench against bench we generally lose momentum. Evans seems to be playing better lately but unless someone is injured he won't see much playing time since he'd likely steal minutes from Crawford.

What this team is lacking more than a PG or a Center is a quality back up that can spend time at the 4 and 5. Diesel mentioned Reggie Evans. I'll mention Carl Landry. Someone that can come into the game and not make me wince. The Celtics have Glenn Davis.. the Lakers have Odom. We need a guy off the bench of that type of caliber. A type of guy that can fill in when a starter is injured and the team hardly misses a beat.

Of course this doesn't really answer your question so I'll say Center. If the acquisition doesn't involve Marvin then it would move him to a bench role where he could fill in at the 2, 3, and 4. I don't think Marvin would get us much in trade anyways.

Dejuan Blair woulda been perfect. Oh well....

[Dexmethylphenidate]

Get a floor general

Play Collins at the 5 spot

Get rid of Zaza

Marvin come off bench since he is the type that doesn't like to be aggressive and would be 4-5th option.

Harris or Calderon or Nash Type

JJ

Smith

Horford

Collins

Marvin

Jamal C

Evans

Powell

Teague

[Randy]

This is a really good question I have wondered about to. One thing I'm thinking is that there really aren't that many good centers in the NBA anymore. There are a lot of good pgs. We get blasted by opposing guards a lot, but how often is the opposing center doing us in. (Dwight Howard did for sure last year, this year we've survived him so far.) So I'd vote for pg.

[Seano]

Either one would be great, and either one would be considered big, big needs in my opinion. Looking at it from within the context of our divisional rivals, I'd probably choose a stud center. Someone to match up at least passably against Dwight, and someone who could own Miami in the paint, because they are woefully lacking in centers too.

[tbhawksfan]

A C shuts down the lane on D and posts up on O, a PG syncronizes the O. Both are keys to consitent wining. We need to upgrade both.

[sasuke]

PG's that are or may be available by the deadline:

Harris

Nash

Hinrich (elite defense)

Mo Williams (as bad as he is still upgrade over BB. Only for Marvin + filler or BB+Zaza)

Calderon (same as MO)

Andre Miller

Curry?

Lowry?

Now Centers:

Nene?

...................

Just give up on the Centers, to hard to find. I think we will be ok with Collins/ Horford & Hack a Shaqers.

[HawksBalla]

I think Point Guard is the greater of the two needs. We can't defend quick point guards with Bibby, or we wear out JJ trying to stop them. A good point guard would cut down on Horford and Smoove having to step up and defend the driving pg once they blow past Bibby, allowing them to better defend the rim. Plus Zaza and Collins can give us a good game here and there, and we'll be running Horford out at Center is the majority of games. A good point guard also drops Bibby to the bench, where I think he could have a very strong effect. We need more scoring off the bench anyways.

[Blunt91]

I think Point Guard is the greater of the two needs. We can't defend quick point guards with Bibby, or we wear out JJ trying to stop them. A good point guard would cut down on Horford and Smoove having to step up and defend the driving pg once they blow past Bibby, allowing them to better defend the rim. Plus Zaza and Collins can give us a good game here and there, and we'll be running Horford out at Center is the majority of games. A good point guard also drops Bibby to the bench, where I think he could have a very strong effect. We need more scoring off the bench anyways.

I agree the point guard spot is more of a greater need. We need a starting Caliber PG but we could get by with a solid backup Center such as a DeAndre Jordan or Joel Pryzibilla type of player.

[99PROBL3MS]

It is definitely PG. Horford (while a true PF) more than holds his own against other Centers. With Bibby starting at the PG. It is a mismatch every single night. I love Mike but he is nothing more than a 3pt shooter at this point in his career. He would be a great bench scorer though in my opinion.