What is the plan?

[JTB]

I expect that bud and ferry will stick with the plan of creating a culture and identity for this hawks franchise which they've done pretty well so far.I don't see any trades coming unless it's for a star and that's not likely so go ahead and prepare for milsap to stay. Even if milsap continues to raise his stock I don't see ferry being able to exchange him for a star player but if course that's just my opinion. Like others have said I believe the best thing to do now is continue to develop players like shelvin Mack, Teague, Carroll, milsap, etc in coach buds system and continue to get them to play like a team like and build an even stronger chemistry.

[Vol4ever]

Reading some of your replies I find it interesting that the theme is Bud is not into tanking and then I hear that DF will just stay with what he has. There is no question that Bud has pulled the most out of the talent he has on the roster. If Bud wants to win it appears to me he might a tweek at the 5. It is pIanfully obvious even to the casual observer that Antić plays like a 3, and that Ayón isn't NBA talent. I guess that leaves Mike Scott or Dennis to play the 5? I know , just joking on Dennis....

Edited January 2, 2014 by Vol4ever

[DJlaysitup]

Same as always. Do the best you can with what you have.

Exactly G.M....not much more we can do.

At least for this year, we built a team with a couple PFs and 2nd string (at best) centers...our best PF who played Center is out for the season. We can't move Millsap (at 6-8) up to center....so we just live with the backups. Great Scott is nowhere near being a center (borderline PF)...the other guys are just BSITM's (Bigi stiffs in the middle).

Pero is fun to watch. Elton can't last.

Wing players will support the inside guys (especially against tanker teams)...we are basically looking at 40-42.

Edited January 2, 2014 by DJlaysitup

[NBASupes]

I rather keep Dennis and continue to develop him then get someone like Affalo. As for Jonas or Vucci Mane, those teams won't trade either player.

[Bahamut]

No matter what DF decides to do, if we end up in the middle of the pack yet again, it'll be another frustrating season.

[NBASupes]

No matter what DF decides to do, if we end up in the middle of the pack yet again, it'll be another frustrating season.

We will be in the middle of the pack regardless of any trade. What we need isn't really on the market. Our market is Brooklyn's losses.

[Sothron]

I think DF is going to sit pat on the roster. Only way I see that changing is if they can trade for a legit superstar player or a young stud they feel they can develop into a star player. I don't see that happening. That Joe deal that lets us swap picks with the Nets is completely driving our strategy for this season at this point. They are counting on the Nets to not make the playoffs while we do make them and we get their lottery pick. I don't actually agree with that strategy as the East is so weak that a healthy Nets team could still sneak in and make it. But that's where we are at.

[Sothron]

I would rather send Dennis and Bebe for Vucevic or Valanciunas. I don't think Afflalo helps us as much as getting a good young center for the longhaul.

By the way, the plan is all haul Ferry. Never question him because he knows all

There's no chance we'd get either of those two guys for Dennis and Bebe. I would honestly say there's a better chance someone on this board being named the Hawks new GM than that happening.

[frosgrim]

What we need to happen is a playoff team in the West looking to add a scorer from the bench and give us some young talent for Lou Williams. I can't imagine anyone in the East looking to add Williams, but a team like Portland or even the Thunder could use Williams.

The Clippers are in desperate need of a shooter and that is where Korver could be moved.

My point is there are teams out there that will be looking to add good vet players to get them through the playoffs. With the West being so competitive a move for a guy that can score off the bench could make a huge difference in a playoff series.

[Wretch]

I think DF is going to sit pat on the roster. Only way I see that changing is if they can trade for a legit superstar player or a young stud they feel they can develop into a star player. I don't see that happening. That Joe deal that lets us swap picks with the Nets is completely driving our strategy for this season at this point. They are counting on the Nets to not make the playoffs while we do make them and we get their lottery pick. I don't actually agree with that strategy as the East is so weak that a healthy Nets team could still sneak in and make it. But that's where we are at.

This is why I said I give Ferry back SOME of my trust. The rights to swap picks was a smart, low risk/high potential type of move. I give him credit for that and hats off for bringing the kind of work ethic, team play, and basketball intelligence to the club that we haven't seen since the 90's.

That being said, without the injuries in the East, we'd be looking at another middle seed finish. With Miami, Chicago, and Indiana...there's no way we'd finish higher than 4th. If Brooklyn just managed to be a middling playoff team in this, or just anywhere in the playoff picture really, this would be a pretty average season and I wouldn't be happy about it.

Fortune has smiled on us though and we just have to bury the past and keep watching Brooklyn. That's really all this season is about.

[macdaddy]

This is why I said I give Ferry back SOME of my trust. The rights to swap picks was a smart, low risk/high potential type of move. I give him credit for that and hats off for bringing the kind of work ethic, team play, and basketball intelligence to the club that we haven't seen since the 90's.

That being said, without the injuries in the East, we'd be looking at another middle seed finish. With Miami, Chicago, and Indiana...there's no way we'd finish higher than 4th. If Brooklyn just managed to be a middling playoff team in this, or just anywhere in the playoff picture really, this would be a pretty average season and I wouldn't be happy about it.

Fortune has smiled on us though and we just have to bury the past and keep watching Brooklyn. That's really all this season is about.

Wow. I agree with everything except that Fortune has smiled on us. Guess i'm a glass is half empty guy. Ferry made a great move in the right to swap picks. That wasn't luck. That was damn nice work. The rest i'd say fortune is looking to kick us in the ass:

1. We're clearly the 3rd best team in the East which means we are seriously competing for the ECF. That would be huge for this franchise, but then we lose our best player and really only good big to season ending injury.

2. The Nets are a ridiculous mess of players past their prime, injury-riddled, and clown led. They are 10-21 .323 30 games into the season and they are 3 FRIGGIN GAMES OUT OF THE 8TH PLAYOFF SPOT. Come on now. Give us something here.

[Sothron]

This is why I said I give Ferry back SOME of my trust. The rights to swap picks was a smart, low risk/high potential type of move. I give him credit for that and hats off for bringing the kind of work ethic, team play, and basketball intelligence to the club that we haven't seen since the 90's.

That being said, without the injuries in the East, we'd be looking at another middle seed finish. With Miami, Chicago, and Indiana...there's no way we'd finish higher than 4th. If Brooklyn just managed to be a middling playoff team in this, or just anywhere in the playoff picture really, this would be a pretty average season and I wouldn't be happy about it.

Fortune has smiled on us though and we just have to bury the past and keep watching Brooklyn. That's really all this season is about.

Why did you change your name lol?

Yes, if the East was healthy and not having half the teams in it tanking for the lottery our season would be totally different. We literally are now dependent on a team built to contend for a title to NOT make the playoffs in the most pathetic conference in any sport in my living memory. THAT is how bad the 2013-2014 Eastern conference is. And our hopes are for one team to not make the playoffs so we can vulture their lottery pick.

Whoever said truth is stranger than fiction must have been watching this season.

[Diesel]

It's funny, we talk about this Brooklyn team as if they are not going to try to make a trade before the Deadline? They have no picks this offseason, so it's easy to speculate that they will unload some of their capspace in waiting for what they need.

I can easily see Pierce/Livingston to Houston for Asik/Lin.

When you look at the makeup of what they have, they are a team that can start competing at any time. So the thought of Brooklyn being good enough to finish in the middle is not too far off.

[Guest]

This is why I said I give Ferry back SOME of my trust. The rights to swap picks was a smart, low risk/high potential type of move. I give him credit for that and hats off for bringing the kind of work ethic, team play, and basketball intelligence to the club that we haven't seen since the 90's. That being said, without the injuries in the East, we'd be looking at another middle seed finish. With Miami, Chicago, and Indiana...there's no way we'd finish higher than 4th. If Brooklyn just managed to be a middling playoff team in this, or just anywhere in the playoff picture really, this would be a pretty average season and I wouldn't be happy about it. Fortune has smiled on us though and we just have to bury the past and keep watching Brooklyn. That's really all this season is about.

LOL - that is why we are not GM's.Not one of us Squawkers gave a poop about the right to swap picks in two consecutive years. All we cared about was either just being happy that we got rid of Joe or unhappy and that we didn't get enough for him. It's true that having Brooklyn struggling is luck or whatever you want to call it but who cares - it's OUR luck! Keep losing Brooklyn!

[MrMeltdown]

So Ferry is now a genius for making a deal which included the rights to swap picks? Most thought that the Nets would be a playoff team and maybe even contender now he is a genius. If he was such a genius he would have said swap picks automatically because I know you guys will be worse than us instead of having that out.

It is pure luck and still may not hold up.

[macdaddy]

So Ferry is now a genius for making a deal which included the rights to swap picks? Most thought that the Nets would be a playoff team and maybe even contender now he is a genius. If he was such a genius he would have said swap picks automatically because I know you guys will be worse than us instead of having that out.

It is pure luck and still may not hold up.

How is swapping automatically smarter than the right to swap picks? That doesn't make any sense. It isn't pure luck. It is a great thing if the nets are out of the playoffs for sure but even if they aren't how important can it be to have the right to move up even two picks? The right to swap first round picks totally unprotected was a great friggin deal to get in return for someone taking away one of the worst contracts in basketball. Its the definition of a win-win...for the hawks and a lose-lose for the nets. I'm not believing for a second that Ferry 'lucked' into part of the deal. I'm guessing that was our biggest demand.

[Guest]

So Ferry is now a genius for making a deal which included the rights to swap picks? Most thought that the Nets would be a playoff team and maybe even contender now he is a genius. If he was such a genius he would have said swap picks automatically because I know you guys will be worse than us instead of having that out. It is pure luck and still may not hold up.

No Ferry's genius was getting rid of Joe.

[Guest]

It was forethought and future planning on DF's part. Did he know that Brooklyn would struggle this bad. NO.Did he know they would trade for KG/PP then sign Kidd as coach and still struggle - NO.Brooklyn didn't want to part with Marshon Brooks(now in D-League) in the trade so DF had to ask for something else.Did Brooklyn figure they would struggle this much - I doubt it or they would not have agreed to swap picks for not only one year but for two.

[Diesel]

No Ferry's genius was getting rid of Joe.

What did we get for Joe?? Capspace? Capspace that hasn't netted us anybody? Don't say Millsap... Smoove's contract netted us enough in return to sign Millsap and give Teague his extension.

Don't say Korver. Marvin's Money was enough to get us Korver and DMC.

So we got rid of our highest profile player so that we can say we have money and FAs can laugh??

[tbhawksfan]

Take advantage of our situation and the strong draft. Lou, Korver and Millsap are all valuable trade assets. Build with Horford, JT and the young guys

Edited January 2, 2014 by tbhawksfan