Official Game Thread: Hawks - HEAT

[Sothron]

So if we lost our playoff spot to New York and gained a #12 pick we would be in a better position?

That's assuming we didn't win the lottery. And yes, 12th is better than 15th.

[AHF]

So if we lost our playoff spot to New York and gained a #12 pick we would be in a better position?

If we were under New York that would be the #11 pick with a 4% chance at a top 3 pick. That is better than the #15 pick. The real question becomes how you value the #8 seed against the difference in the value of those picks. For someone who thinks we are going to get swept, you are going to have a hard time convincing them that #15 with not shot at top 3 is better than #11 with a long shot.

[Sothron]

I have been preaching this since we whiffed on Paul and Howard last offseason. That being said, Ferry has cast his die and played his hand to make sure this team was in the playoffs and not in the lottery. Might as well make the best of it and root for some big wins in the post-season. There will be plenty of time to talk about whether an early playoff exit plan was the right way to go later but the time is now for rooting for more than we (you and I) expect. There is no changing our #15 pick or our #8 playoff seed. Since those are locked in place, try to enjoy the wins the rest of the way.

I don't see the point in sharing what you, myself, Wretch, heck most of the board have said since last year's playoff "run" ended. We all know the score. I realize some of the posters on here need to jump on some kind of feel happy train but I am not feeling it. I will simply refrain from causing unnecessary arguments that have been done already. What's the point? The team is stuck where we are and we'll be discussing this in the four playoff games it will take for us to be out of it.

So for the sake of the others I will simply pause until later.

[lethalweapon3]

You and me both, Bob!

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~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

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:boohoo:

~lw3

[AHF]

Woooooo a 4% chance at potentially picking the right guy who might be someone who could be good. Damn we messed up big time. Everyone knows this draft is full of no doubt super stars.

Totally unrelated story, anyone catch the power ball numbers? I'm trying to retire soon.

Two quick points:

(1) Sothron, myself and others said we should have been shooting for a top pick this year. A #11 pick isn't doing that so that is not speaking to Sothron's fundamental point about the approach for this season.

(2) The #11 pick is clearly better than the #15 pick and a 4% chance is better than nothing. So you need to articulate why you think a first round loss is worth more than that to do anything other than make cheap comments here. In leiu of that, you could declare your Heat/Pacers upset prediction and show us your true belief in defying the odds! (3.3% of 1v8 series have resulted in an upset).

Like I said, I am done debating the direction for this team and am rooting for playoff success and Teague development (among others). I am still predicting a first round exit but am rooting for more. On the upside, if we can somehow get that first round upset the rest of the East stinks (relatively speaking) so our shot at Atlanta's first ECF then becomes very real.

Edited April 13, 2014 by AHF

[snake88usa]

As opposed to "as if there have never been any superstars in lottery history"? Smh

Quick four game sweep and then our mid teen pick they can stash overseas again. They should pay us to be fans for this.

I would almost pay you not to be.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2

[High5]

I have been preaching this since we whiffed on Paul and Howard last offseason. That being said, Ferry has cast his die and played his hand to make sure this team was in the playoffs and not in the lottery. Might as well make the best of it and root for some big wins in the post-season. There will be plenty of time to talk about whether an early playoff exit plan was the right way to go later but the time is now for rooting for more than we (you and I) expect. There is no changing our #15 pick or our #8 playoff seed. Since those are locked in place, try to enjoy the wins the rest of the way.

Come on, "an early playoff exit plan?" I understand that from a couple of posters, but not from you.

[Plainview1981]

Were the tankers at? No props for beating Indy, Brooklyn, and tying the Heat at the half in a week? This team is so hopeless, right? I don't even think many of you even watch the games. More interested in stats, star-watching, and praising other franchises that dont play half as smart or hard as Bud's group. You light up the Anti-Ferry threads, yet are nowhere to be seen on the the Game Threads. What's up with that? Lets go.

This team has 37 wins in one of the worst conferences ever. Yes, this team sucks.

This team deserves no props.

[Plainview1981]

Follow the Sixers and the Lakers, bruh. They sound like your type of teams. We've beaten the 2 Top teams in the East handily twice, secured the longest active playoff streak in the East, and you're sitting here bitching?!

It's going to mean nothing after the team losses in the first round again.

[Plainview1981]

For our draft lovers out there, we're also a lock for that 15th pick (best non-Lotto pick), assuming we don't trade out of it.

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-draft-history/?eyear=2013&syear=1957&spick=15

Last few years (including some pretty bad drafts), #15 yielded Giannis Alphabet, "How Can You Be" Mo Harkless, Budenholzer's fave Kawhi Leonard, and Larry "Puff Puff Pass" Sanders. Warts and all, I'll take any of that quality at #15 to add to a robo-tittied Al Horford and this roster. Do it right, and a young Al Jefferson or Steve Nash talent can fall into your lap. Do it wrong (like THE KNICKS! Sorry, New York! What's Spike drinking right now?) and you pass up Ron Artest for Freddy Weis. I'm downright giddy about the options in what's supposed to be a good draft.

Of course, plenty of time for that stuff. Tonight's about what we have right now. Go Hawks!

~lw3

Larry Sanders and Kawhi Leonard? These are guys people are supposed to get excited about? f*** the 15th pick and whomever Ferry selects there. I have no interst in role players or players that will "help" the team. We have had those kind of players for 20 years.

But the tanking thing was over months ago and now I hope MIami or Indy pound this team to make them and Ferry pay. Maybe Ferry will then wake up.

Edited April 13, 2014 by Hotlanta1981

[Guest]

For our draft lovers out there, we're also a lock for that 15th pick (best non-Lotto pick), assuming we don't trade out of it.

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-draft-history/?eyear=2013&syear=1957&spick=15

Last few years (including some pretty bad drafts), #15 yielded Giannis Alphabet, "How Can You Be" Mo Harkless, Budenholzer's fave Kawhi Leonard, and Larry "Puff Puff Pass" Sanders. Warts and all, I'll take any of that quality at #15 to add to a robo-tittied Al Horford and this roster. Do it right, and a young Al Jefferson or Steve Nash talent can fall into your lap. Do it wrong (like THE KNICKS! Sorry, New York! What's Spike drinking right now?) and you pass up Ron Artest for Freddy Weis. I'm downright giddy about the options in what's supposed to be a good draft.

Of course, plenty of time for that stuff. Tonight's about what we have right now. Go Hawks!

~lw3

Please no repeat of 93 though with Doug Edwards lol. Maaan we picked the wrong Florida st. Seminole ...Sam was the man :-(

[Jody23]

Please no repeat of 93 though with Doug Edwards lol. Maaan we picked the wrong Florida st. Seminole ...Sam was the man :-(

Man! That would be a nightmare, but so Hawk like to do that. I'm not down with the "let's stay competitive" plan that leads to mid/late round picks, but hope they avoid the Adam Keefe's and Doug Edward's type players of the draft.

[DatWerkk]

Larry Sanders and Kawhi Leonard? These are guys people are supposed to get excited about? f*** the 15th pick and whomever Ferry selects there. I have no interst in role players or players that will "help" the team. We have had those kind of players for 20 years.

But the tanking thing was over months ago and now I hope MIami or Indy pound this team to make them and Ferry pay. Maybe Ferry will then wake up.

Not to get too off-topic but Kawhi Leonard is already capable of being a #1 option on a playoff team. Don't get fooled just because he happens to be on a team with multiple HOFers.

[AHF]

Come on, "an early playoff exit plan?" I understand that from a couple of posters, but not from you.

You can check the posts. That is what I was saying the team was headed for before the season. I saw a second round exit as the ceiling for the team with Horford. Just being honest with my posting history.

[NekiEcko]

It been a while but I swear I need to say this.

This fan base is so Jekyll and Hyde is so crazy. I am a Hawks fan and I am glad that they did made the playoffs. Besides tanking does not work because there is many teams that tank and still doing it for years and years. Plus they will have to overspend to bring players (who wants to go to a tanking team?) and continue to convince the fan base that they are trying to win (Bucks is a good example).

i think that Free Agency, Draft and Trades working together will give you success not trying to go all in on just one thing. In Atlanta, they did all three right (Milsap, BKN Trade, Draft Picks) plus we still have alot of cap space and good contacts.

Right now, we don't even know if this draft class (alot of them needs to stay in school one more year) would even pan out. I am happy with this team, they show that they fought ever game even if they were on the losing side. We need to respect that or you can look for another team to cheer for. Make some noise in the playoffs, Hawks.

Edited April 13, 2014 by NekiEcko

[lethalweapon3]

Larry Sanders and Kawhi Leonard? These are guys people are supposed to get excited about? f*** the 15th pick and whomever Ferry selects there. I have no interst in role players or players that will "help" the team. We have had those kind of players for 20 years.

But the tanking thing was over months ago and now I hope MIami or Indy pound this team to make them and Ferry pay. Maybe Ferry will then wake up.

Must have #10? Or a 2.9% shot at a #1 through 3? Then good luck with the Kyrie Irvings and Anthony Davises of the world who are "helping" their teams to the next lotto pick. Hopefully their fanbases (and their stars) can wait a few years to get where we're at now.

If you can develop a mid-level talent to Steve Nash-level greatness, on a postseason-experienced team that's finally committed to developing the players they get? Sounds good to me. Young Dwyane Wade by himself (unless you count fellow lotto pick and, therefore, surefire superstar Michael Beasley) couldn't even get his team out of the first round past the Hawks. And we see what superstar talent Carmelo Anthony by himself carried his team to.

It's not necessarily "Add young future Hall of Famer and stir" that gets it done. There is no such guarantee. Whatever Hawks we have, whatever Hawks we get... Go Hawks!

~lw3

[BrazilianHawk]

It bothers me profoundly that we have such cheap ass ownership that they would rather get two token home playoff games versus a true rebuild and possibly landing a superstar in the draft. Here's to our quick playoff sweep.

[lethalweapon3]

I admit, I can certainly sympathize with the pro-tanker crowd. After all, what was the point behind Netswatch? Having our cake (a little playoff revenue) and eating it, too (if the Nets continued sucking like the Knicks, a shot at a Lotto pick that we'd hopefully not screw up)? Would've been awesome!

Ultimately, though, to strap on my tanking helmet tight, I needed to hear directly from the players and coaches. If I heard, "we need to give Dennis Schröder a trial-by-fire opportunity to be the starter," or "Going forward, we need to know what we're getting out of Mike Muscala." I'd have been fine with that... tanking, ho! Let's do the dang thing!

But, while the yung'uns (Mike $cott especially) got opportunities to shine out there, we never heard such talk, or evidence, "focused player development" was where the team wanted to go. Even if they did, they'd be criticized by pro-tankers for not doing that from the jump, or at least from the time Horf exited stage left, instead of waiting until the season was half-over ("Why, oh why, couldn't you be the Celtics/Bucks?"). Whether it was Bud, Teague, Korver, Brand, Sap, all we heard was the P-word.

They were consistent in their insistence. And now that they're there, good for them. Make the most of it! Go Hawks!

~lw3

[Cwell]

Not to get too off-topic but Kawhi Leonard is already capable of being a #1 option on a playoff team. Don't get fooled just because he happens to be on a team with multiple HOFers.

lol no he isn't