Dion to the pine?

[Plainview1981]

I'm not trying to defend Dion right now...There just isn't

much better on the team other than playing mini backcourt.

If Diaw has done something great the last two games or

so then I've missed it because I haven't watched much

of the last two games. I didn't watch the Miami game

at all.

Diaw is a way smarter player than Dion...Sadly, he's

been such a crippled offensive player and his passes

get stole at a high rate.

[Playmaker0017]

Hots,

Yes, over the past two-three games, Diaw has shot a lot more and been much smarter.

He nailed two jumpers last night. It will just take him time to get acclimated to the style of play here. I think he is progressing well.

Unfortunately, I think Dion and Stotts are impeding future growth. Stotts needs to put him in the game more often, as Dion is starting to be a real negative on the court.

Play.

[Diesel]

I disagree.

Before, we tried JV, JT with JT guarding SGs. JT cannot guard SGs... He can barely guard PGs. What I'm talking about is simple offensive flow...

When we play JT, JV, Jax, SAR, and Theo... we average 117 ppg.

When we play any combo of JT, Diaw the most ppg we average is 102 ppg and thats with the same combo..

That's not to give an outlook, these numbers are relative... BUT, it does speak to offensive flow. Our offense flows better when JV is on the floor.

A few years ago, we tried this experiment...

We tried it with a coach who coached less. We had no offensive schemes to run. Still, it was that combo down the stretch that won a few games for the Hawks in the second half...

Jv, JT, Newble, SAR, Nazr.

Remember, there were a whole lot of varibles in that team that are different now. Namely, trading Theo and Jax for Nazr and Newble makes us better offensively.

The team we experimented would be the same as putting Nazr/Diaw on the floor with JT, JV, and SAR...

OF course that team won't win.

Also, JV is a stabilizer.

Look at this:

http://www.82games.com/0203ORL2.HTM

It's Orl.

Everyone harps on how bad JV was with Orlando, but when you look at the numbers, Orlando played best with him on the floor... That's not to take anything away from Armstrong. However, Orlando's Needs were different than ours. They need a pG who can shoot, not stabilize.

[chillzatl]

If making this team into a winner was simply about 'offensive flow', then yah, JV would be a good choice. But it's not that simple. opposing PG's and SG's would destroy us on a nightly basis, just like they did when we tried this minime backcourt a few years ago. Opposing guards come into philips arena salivating at the thought of playing against our shrimps.

[censored], Barkley said it for the world a few years ago when we had a national game on TNT and JV and JT started. "I like those guys but they are shrimps. They are too small to be playing together". It was true then and it's true now. We aren't going to score 117ppg with that lineup. And even if we did, we'd give up 125.

It's that simple. JV is not the answer. He's a great guy and a good player. He's a guy we need on our bench. But he's not the answer in our starting lineup. He's not the key player we've been missing. He isn't going to help guard SG's and he's not going to help with the scoring.

[Diesel]

Let's not be confused in the objective.

Using the minime backcourt is only for stability. What I mean is that this is a backcourt that can put the team in the right offensive flow. The objective is to still develop Diaw to be an off-Gaurd but instead of doing it all at once, possibly crushing his confidence, I say bleed him in a little. Giving him a chance to see how our offense plays with a stable person (JV) running the PG and how to play JT as an OG.

Eventually, there will be no JVs, there will be NO Jax...

The core will be:

Theo/SAR/Some Player/Diaw/JT.

IN order to get there, we have to train Diaw to be an OG capable of running the offense. If you want a football analogy, McNair's first year compared to Leaf's first year.

If you want a Basketball Analogy, Kobe's first year compared to Tmac's first year.

If we do this right, Diaw will be the Pippen like player... However, we don't want to just throw him out there. Also, we don't want to be a team that does not pass, play good offensively, lose games because of FG% and turnovers.

We need to stabilize this team... IF we want to keep it.

This team can win. This team can be good. However, this team needs to set a foundation that can work...

As I think about it... We have wasted a lot on JT... 4 years and a draft... We need to build that up before tearing the team down.

[Gray Mule]

Jason Terry and Boris Diaw -- Starting Guards.

#1 & #2 ? Which is which ? Who cares? Diaw guards

the big un and JT guards the little un.

When the bring the ball down the court, they both handle it.

One has to be the Q.B.? O.K. What play are we running?

Depends on which one is playing Q.B. right now. Let the

opponent figure it out -- We already know, we just ain't

tellin'.

Dude says Diaw can't shoot but he hasn't watched him

play lately - Pity. He might change his mind.

Part of Dion Glovers shooting has been his own fault.

No denying that. However, part of it has been the fault

of others. Time running out and no where to go, so

pass the ball to D.G. and let him look bad.

He and J.V. as a twosome with the second unit should

give the Hawks the drive and ball handling that they

need while the duo of JT & Diaw rest.

We need Alan Henderson to get well. He is probably one

of our best rebounders. He knows how to get position

and doesn't usually get shoved around under the basket.

He may not be worth the money he is paid but he is

worth a lot more on the floor than he is on I.R.

If Diaw could keep from fouling out, I believe he could and

would put a stop to this explosion of one player every

game going off like a $2 pistol on the Hawks.

[Plainview1981]

There sure is alot of dreamin around here.......

[pathway23]

Diaw has upside.

I don't believe Glover does.

Let Diaw play. What have we got to lose? We can't have a guy that shoots 35% chunking up shots. and the reason the clock runs out when he shoots Graymule is because a lot of times he or JT handle the ball for half the shotclock. Diaw can grow leaps and bounds if we let him start, why not? He won't take a bad shot he has got excellent court awareness he an shut down the opposing team's best perimeter scorer or at least hold them down so Theo can take care of them so why not? After Glover attempts to guard a guy he gets so red hot he can shoot over the statue of liberty it seems like! I've seen Vince and AI make shots over the outstretched arms of Diaw...which is pretty tall! If Diaw is on them to start with I doubt they would get that hot so lets try it!

[chillzatl]

I see where you're coming from now. BUt where we disagree is that I think Diaw is ready for that bigger role sooner than later. I see a confidence in him that I haven't seen in a Hawks draft pick in many years, including JT and I think his talent is high enough that if we give him more playing time he'll accept it and excel with it. I'm not saying he's a superstar or anything. But I think he's could be a steal for us and is ready for a bigger role now.

I agree with you that JV would be a steady hand to drive the ship. But I think he can still operate in that capacity, off the bench. Even if we didn't start Boris, I dont' think I would want the mineme backcourt. Previous viewings have left an aweful taste in my mouth.

I mean you've got 96 total minutes to distribute among our guards. The only real requirement is that JT get about 36-38. That leaves plenty for JV, Diaw/jax, Glover and others. That's plenty for JV and Diaw to both play big parts in the offense, hopefull for the better on both counts!

[Diesel]

The bottom line with JV is that JV is more effective with the starters and the starters are more effective with him. I'm not saying that we take away Diaw's building minutes with the starters... NO... I'm saying that we don't waste games and confidence by putting Diaw in situations and getting us in losing predicaments. I think this team can function well with JV/JT in Spurts. In those other spurts put Diaw on the floor. What must never happen is Diaw/JV/Theo on the floor at the same time.

However, I realate your saying allow JV to be a steady hand with the second team like this...

Would you put Mike Vick on the bench and let him play with a 2nd string line and a second string batch of recievers?

That's not to say that JV is our best player or even a good player... What I am saying is that our team is MORE productive with JV on the floor. If you look at the splits... Every split shows that when JV is on the floor the team is better than when he is not. More importantly, JT/JV combo is a great scoring Combo when Sjax, SAR, and Theo play together. There's some hope for the minime backcourt. BUT if we say...

Let's play JV, Glover, Nazr and the rest on the floor together.. well, that team doesn't fair well. It's a waste of effeciency.

[pathway23]

Diaw needs to improve now, this team clearly isn't going anywhere. Vaughn isn't that good, he has already peaked and it isn't impressive. Its time we let our rookies develop instead of ride the bench. Diaw is still rated highly by insiders lets see what he has got, why waste the season? I'd like to see more of Hansen too, Glover should be riding the pine and Jackson should too if he continues to force up shots, Stotts should tell Jackson to only shoot when he is open and drive when he has the driving lane or sit. IMO Diaw is smarter than Jackson and Glover put together ALREADY and he is blessed with much more physical talent than vaughn, I agree with the suggestion that Vaughn be the floor general of the 2nd unit. Put him out there with the scorers Nailon , Glover and Nazr and have Diaw in there with the 1st unit. This team will do better that way imo I don't care what that statistics site says, even if they don't it will be preparing a building block of our franchise for the future. I think it is easier to build around Reef and Diaw than JT and Theo. We need a new back court and a starting C with our salary cap room in the offseason...