Horford is probably going to want out soon...

[ATLien_]

Great article love how Bud is pushing Al to drive and use his quickness more. Also they are pushing him to develop counter moves to his hook shot in the post. If he takes the coaching the above developments could push Al to being elite. I have no reason to believe he won't; Al is very coachable.

[MrMeltdown]

I was wondering who would be the new punching bag around here now that Smoove is gone. It look like Horford is stepping up and want to be that guy quite willingly.

Teague won that by default

[ag82]

Nothing wrong with Anything he said there. And nothing wrong with him chasing a championship elsewhere if after 7-10 years here, he doesn't like what he is seeing.

[ATLHawks3]

Nothing wrong with Anything he said there. And nothing wrong with him chasing a championship elsewhere if after 7-10 years here, he doesn't like what he is seeing.

It's still sad that loyalty doesn't mean a thing in the NBA.

[willthepureshooter]

And to think about all of the times I got demonized on the site when I warned everyone about this fake leader. Obviously he doesn't feel comfortable carrying the weight of the franchise. Yes, the man that navigates around his true feelings by saying the politically correct things. All of these years and he chooses now to want to jump ship..? I'm glad we got Lou here because we need a real leader that doesn't lose composure when the chips are down. I wish we can get Smoove back in a Hawks Jersey because this guy will not buy in for too long. I bet Danny had a face Palm moment when reading that article. Smoove and Joe probably text each other with a laugh or two..

[Jody23]

And to think about all of the times I got demonized on the site when I warned everyone about this fake leader. Obviously he doesn't feel comfortable carrying the weight of the franchise. Yes, the man that navigates around his true feelings by saying the politically correct things. All of these years and he chooses now to want to jump ship..? I'm glad we got Lou here because we need a real leader that doesn't lose composure when the chips are down. I wish we can get Smoove back in a Hawks Jersey because this guy will not buy in for too long. I bet Danny had a face Palm moment when reading that article. Smoove and Joe probably text each other with a laugh or two..

So you have no problem with all the lamenting from Smoove about wanting to be traded, about wanting better players for the team and about how the team didn't "promote" him enough to be an all-star among a truckload of other things he did. But you do have a problem with Horf calling things like they are? Okay. Edited October 29, 2013 by Jody23

[willthepureshooter]

So you have no problem with all the lamenting from Smoove about wanting to be traded, about wanting better players for the team and about how the team didn't "promote" him enough to be an all-star among a truckload of other things he did. But you do have a problem with Horf calling things like they are? Okay.

That was pure speculation. Smoove has never come out verbally seeking a trade.

[Jody23]

That was pure speculation. Smoove has never come out verbally seeking a trade.

He never denied it at the time now did he? And what about all his unprofessional pouting on the floor. Were you cool with that too?

[hawkman]

If you want to play on a contender PLAY BETTER AND MAKE THE TEAM YOU'RE ON A CONTENDER. What I loved about Horf when he first got here was the fact he was so tough and rugged in the paint. I thought he loved playing that style of ball. I was wrong. He's still a good player, but where's the fight? Where's that rugged 'I don't care who you bring against me' mentality???

[Jody23]

It's funny how folks are railing on Horf for doing the same thing Joe and Josh did before they left. These guys have shelf lives on their careers. They can't play forever. I have absolutely no problem with somebody challenging this franchise to do better.

[MaceCase]

It's funny how folks are railing on Horf for doing the same thing Joe and Josh did before they left. These guys have shelf lives on their careers. They can't play forever. I have absolutely no problem with somebody challenging this franchise to do better.

Uhm........we railed on them too. Besides the apologists, we didn't make excuses for why they couldn't reach a certain potential but instead called them out for their style of play, decision making, and contracts being a huge part of the problem they were "challenging" with their comments.

If you want to play on a contender PLAY BETTER AND MAKE THE TEAM YOU'RE ON A CONTENDER. What I loved about Horf when he first got here was the fact he was so tough and rugged in the paint. I thought he loved playing that style of ball. I was wrong. He's still a good player, but where's the fight? Where's that rugged 'I don't care who you bring against me' mentality???

In addition...........He's a f***ing star or at least he's supposed to be. In a day and age where you are seeing stars convincincing other stars to come play with them, why is he putting the onus squarely on management instead of recognizing that he is the one that can do more to secure these players for the franchise? Open up that rolodex (they still have those?), pick up the tab at the strip club or bar whenever these guys are in town, go run hills together in the offseason, get to meet their kids, whatever. Do what it takes, sell the team yourself instead of sitting back and bitching that you didn't get everything that you wanted.

[Vol4ever]

I hope he can put up 20-10 by the All-Star break so we can trade him for multiple 2014 draft picks and a good filler. No need in keeping a guy who doesn't believe in the system.

It has nothing to do with believing in the system..........he has been in the league for several years now and this rebuilding project will be another 5 years...........look at it through his eyes. I feel sorry for the guy. There is no hope here period. The ASG has brought Ferry and Bud here to completely rebuild this franchise and the ASG is salivating over the money they are going to save. It's all pretty simple. If each of you were in Horfords shoes you would want out too.

[tbhawksfan]

Whatever teh case may be, Ferry needs to do what it's going to take to change the situation. Build a real winner. Horford is a part of that kind of team, but the Hawks chances of putting it together in the next 2-3 years are silm to none without major moves.Would Asik for Millsap shoot us to the top? No.Is there a realistic move or singing that will get us there?I see an ideal rebuilding situation waiting to be seized; Horf ord to OKC! They have Dallas's first and a slew of young guys with potential. They want a championship.Horford / FillerforPerkins / Dallas first / Adams / Lamb and maybe PJ III or their firstThis trade must be very intriguing to them. They upgrade at their position of most need without losing a starter and maybe become the favorite.We start an epic, instant rebuild with follow up moves of Millsap, Korver, JT and Brand. How many firsts does that get us in this nice draft? Plus our tanked pick.

[TheFuzz]

Good to see everyone (including Horford) overreacting.

1) The talk about us "failing" to put a stud C next to Horford needs to end. We tried, Howard chose Houston.

2) The whole reason we're not tanking is because we have Horford to begin with. I wouldn't tank either if we have Horford on a reasonable 3 year deal.

3) I would leave too if we couldn't put together a winner by then, but Ferry will trade him before it comes to that. Horford would get something in return, unlike Brick.

4) Ferry is working on putting a contender around Horford.

5) Horf, I love you buddy, but this ain't ok. While there's nothing specifically wrong with what you said, you're supposed to be a leader. Rather than whining about playing "out of position" as a C, why don't you help foster a positive image around this franchise? Recruit players, let your game do the talking, whatever you want except throw your teammates under the bus.

[Plainview1981]

Horford is definitely not happy. Can't blame the guy, the Hawks refuse to bring in legit talent to help him out. He will be traded before the season is over.

On one hand, it's hard to not blame him for wanting a better situation...

On the other hand, these guys want it all.... They want 15 million dollar contracts and all of the championships. Pro athletes are spoiled rotten.

[Wretch]

I am just LOL'ing right now...

You guys are just now starting to see the pieces fall into place, but I'm not surprised one bit. This is something that I brought up earlier in the summer and it's been on my mind since.

Here is the deal folks...

We bitch and moan about "superstars" and "elites", but these are the guys that are in our way. I don't know why it's so hard for some people to get their mind wrapped around that, but some players are just better than others - and those players lead teams to the big games. The elites in the East have "superstars." These are the players that the best players want to play with.

If you DON'T have one of those guys on your squad...how do you entice one of these elites to join you? Nobody is coming here! lol Horford knows what it's going to take to get past these super powered teams. Hell, he only faces them like umpteen zillion times in a year. He'd love to lead this team to victory. But if we don't get the firepower to beat these teams, what is he supposed to do?

Just spend his years here chasing a 4 seed and getting put out of the playoffs in the 2nd round? Why would he do that? Would any of us do that if we were that talented and there were powerhouse teams (with the right fans, management, systems, etc.) that want our services?

I can't believe we're starting to hate on the man. He's been nothing but a pro here and has said and done all the right things. He has a right to pursue a championship. Honestly, it's a little shallow and hypocritical when we want free agents like Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, or Carmelo to want to come here...but when it comes to our own free agents, well we just want to play the "loyalty" card.

Nonsense. It's not up to Horford to build a team here...especially if he CAN'T be the kind of player that you build around. It's up to management to put a contender around him. That being said...we got MAYBE 2 seasons to get it done. After that, we're just gambling...

Al's trade value is going to plummet midway through the 2014/15 season. It's a tough call, but...how long do you wait before you pull the trigger? This is one of the big reasons why I questioned the "win without losing" strategy in the short term. We are putting our eggs in the Horford basket (the way we did with Smoove), but IMO this is a bad idea and we don't have long to screw around with it.

[Jody23]

I am just LOL'ing right now... You guys are just now starting to see the pieces fall into place, but I'm not surprised one bit. This is something that I brought up earlier in the summer and it's been on my mind since. Here is the deal folks... We bitch and moan about "superstars" and "elites", but these are the guys that are in our way. I don't know why it's so hard for some people to get their mind wrapped around that, but some players are just better than others - and those players lead teams to the big games. The elites in the East have "superstars." These are the players that the best players want to play with. If you DON'T have one of those guys on your squad...how do you entice one of these elites to join you? Nobody is coming here! lol Horford knows what it's going to take to get past these super powered teams. Hell, he only faces them like umpteen zillion times in a year. He'd love to lead this team to victory. But if we don't get the firepower to beat these teams, what is he supposed to do? Just spend his years here chasing a 4 seed and getting put out of the playoffs in the 2nd round? Why would he do that? Would any of us do that if we were that talented and there were powerhouse teams (with the right fans, management, systems, etc.) that want our services? I can't believe we're starting to hate on the man. He's been nothing but a pro here and has said and done all the right things. He has a right to pursue a championship. Honestly, it's a little shallow and hypocritical when we want free agents like Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, or Carmelo to want to come here...but when it comes to our own free agents, well we just want to play the "loyalty" card. Nonsense. It's not up to Horford to build a team here...especially if he CAN'T be the kind of player that you build around. It's up to management to put a contender around him. That being said...we got MAYBE 2 seasons to get it done. After that, we're just gambling... Al's trade value is going to plummet midway through the 2014/15 season. It's a tough call, but...how long do you wait before you pull the trigger? This is one of the big reasons why I questioned the "win without losing" strategy in the short term. We are putting our eggs in the Horford basket (the way we did with Smoove), but IMO this is a bad idea and we don't have long to screw around with it.

Tell it Wretch!

[MaceCase]

I think what you meant to say was "sunshine smiley".

Whatever happened to that guy?

[DJlaysitup]

There is a VERY good chance that this is a setup for the fans (us). AL makes a fairly mild comment - just enough to show a bit of displeasure - but not too strong - and then the team (ownership/GM) can trade him to CHI for the good draft pick. AL is covered in case it doesn't work out ("I was just frustrated") - and if it does - Hawks' ownership can come off smelling like a rose saying they did the best thing they could for a true "Warrior" who just wants to play with his college buddy (Noah).

CHI does not want MIA actually overcoming the glory years of the Bulls and M.J. ...and that could happen since LeBron is still pretty young.

In my conspiratorial mind (where I'm often right)...I could see CHI giving up that pick in order to put a front line together (Noah-AL-Boozer) that MIA simply can't handle in the playoffs - especially if Rose gets back to full strength by mid-season.

The Bulls could be superior at every position except LeBron's (figuring that Wade will get hurt or poop out as he is aging)

Hey - I'm all for it - gives us two shots at excellent players in a very good draft.

Win - Win

Edited October 30, 2013 by DJlaysitup

[ATLHawks3]

It has nothing to do with believing in the system..........he has been in the league for several years now and this rebuilding project will be another 5 years...........look at it through his eyes. I feel sorry for the guy. There is no hope here period. The ASG has brought Ferry and Bud here to completely rebuild this franchise and the ASG is salivating over the money they are going to save. It's all pretty simple. If each of you were in Horfords shoes you would want out too.

Yeah I can see that. But I would understand more if he was that gritty, blue collared guy he was coming out of college. I say believe in the "system" as in accepting the title of becoming a number one option on the floor. A guy who knows what do to do when the ball swings around to him. I agree, he's been really good for us over the last 6 or 7 years. But instead of complaining about this team, why don't you spend those few extra hours in the gym working on some of your weaknesses? I wish the best for Al, but if he doesn't believe in the future of this team, then what's the point of keeping him as a franchise centerpiece? I don't want another "Josh" situation, and if this was what he really said, then we need to ship him out of Atlanta, while his trade value is still high.

Edited October 30, 2013 by ATLHawks3