What 2nd Tier Player From the Past Would You Add?

[AHF]

Since we still have that 15th slot to fill, I was wondering a bit about whether a Hawk from the past could push this team into contention in the East.  So here is the question:

 

If you could add any Atlanta Hawks player from the past other than someone who was the best player on his team (i.e., no Nique or Deke) who would you add?

 

For me, I would love to see a prime Steve Smith on this team.  I think his passing, shooting, length and basketball IQ would be great fits for Bud's system and he would be a massive upgrade to our swingman rotation as well.  

 

Teague / Smith / DMC / Sap / Horf

Mack / Korver / Seph / Payne / Antić

Dennis / Bazemore / Jenkins / Scott / Muscala

[txsting]

I think Toni kukoc would fit in great with this system. I'm trying to think of other small forwards that I would like but drawing blank.

[AHF]

I think Toni kukoc would fit in great with this system. I'm trying to think of other small forwards that I would like but drawing blank.

 

We haven't had a lot of standout SFs after the Highlight Film.  Kukoc is the best of the bunch, at least offensively.

[capstone21]

We haven't had a lot of standout SFs after the Highlight Film.  Kukoc is the best of the bunch, at least offensively.

Man Big Dog was such a dissappointment here....  Although the whole team was with all that talent (JT, Dog, Sar, Ratliff)... shows how important chemistry is and understanding your role

[macdaddy]

Smith would definitely be my choice but i'm not so sure he wasn't the best player on the Hawks.   I'd also consider Kevin Willis

[Guest]

I initially thought Stacey Augmon, throw a little plastic at the opponent but then I though we might have something like that in Thabo.

Then I though Craig Ehlo, someone who can spread the floor for Al and Sap but we have Kyle Korver for that.

So there are two guys I came up with:

1. Theo Ratliff- We could plug him in at center and let him do everything defensively in the paint(block shots, change shots, etc.) He is a great team guy who wouldn't require any touches on offense, leaving that to Al and Sap in the front court.

Pg-Teague

Sg- Korver

Sf-Sap

Pf- Horford

C- Ratliff

2. Bob Sura- an all around unselfish guard who could come off the bench to play the 1,2,3 spots for us. Great passer, shooter and drives to the hole as well. I think he'd fit well in Bud's system and would be the perfect 2nd unit leader as our 6th man.

Honorable mention

Grant Long- I have always been a huge Grant Long fan. I think the guy fits into any system and is a true warrior in every sense if the word. He would help Al and Sap on the boards as well as do a lot of the dirty work for us. The reason he's not higher on my list is because we essentially have a player like him in Sap. Not only that but we are quite deep at the pf position in Sap and Horford.

Gotta say I love the Smitty and Kukoc picks as well.

[AHF]

Smith would definitely be my choice but i'm not so sure he wasn't the best player on the Hawks.   I'd also consider Kevin Willis

 

Willis was definitely someone else on my mind.  That guy was a beast.  I just didn't think the fit was as good as with Smith for what we have seen from Bud.

 

Smith never led the team in PER, WS/48, or WS at any time in his Atlanta tenure.  That was always Mookie or Dikembe.  Deke was a repeat All-Star, DPOY and All-NBA player.  Mookie and Smitty were 1-time All-Star, no All-NBA guys (obviously no DPOY, although Mookie was All-Defense).  I felt comfortable slotting Smitty in this role.

 

As far as other candidates:  John Drew / Dan Roundfield / Tree Rollins were the leading guys for a number of years and whichever one you bounce out as the top guy leaves two good ones in the mix.  

[macdaddy]

Willis was definitely someone else on my mind.  That guy was a beast.  I just didn't think the fit was as good as with Smith for what we have seen from Bud.

 

Smith never led the team in PER, WS/48, or WS at any time in his Atlanta tenure.  That was always Mookie or Dikembe.  Deke was a repeat All-Star, DPOY and All-NBA player.  Mookie and Smitty were 1-time All-Star, no All-NBA guys (obviously no DPOY, although Mookie was All-Defense).  I felt comfortable slotting Smitty in this role.

 

As far as other candidates:  John Drew / Dan Roundfield / Tree Rollins were the leading guys for a number of years and whichever one you bounce out as the top guy leaves two good ones in the mix.  

 

Well Willis did win a championship with the Spurs but i just looked it up and he only played 5 minutes a game in the playoffs for them.  I really thought he had more of a role on that team.

[HawkItus]

Duane Ferrell, Stacey Augmon, or Jimmy Jackson

[Colin]

I think Zaza would actually be great in this new ball-movement oriented system. He was #1 or 2 in the NBA last year in assist rate for centers, and really looked to be comfortable on the Bucks at the top of the key initiating the offense at times...

 

WHY is Zaza not here anymore!?

On a side note, I also think that Matt Freije coulda been a nice 15th man to rain threes in blowouts.

[Guest]

I think Zaza would actually be great in this new ball-movement oriented system. He was #1 or 2 in the NBA last year in assist rate for centers, and really looked to be comfortable on the Bucks at the top of the key initiating the offense at times...

WHY is Zaza not here anymore!?

On a side note, I also think that Matt Freije coulda been a nice 15th man to rain threes in blowouts.

Why am I not surprised...

[capstone21]

I have to agree about Smith.  I think he would fit perfectly with this roster

[Wretch]

By the criteria, Smitty hands down.  I think he would have been enough to put us over.  Also, Laettner before he lost his balls somewhere...

 

Miss seeing Grant Long.  That dude was one of my favorite players.  100% hustle.

[buckeye242424]

I always liked Ty Corbin... He always played hard. Gave it everything. Not the most talented guy, but sometimes a team needs a player like him....

[RWF]

That will make us contenders? Not sure, but I guess Smitty.

 

But we need Deke.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Kind of a stretch to call Smitty a 2nd tier player, when he led us in scoring in every season that he was a Hawk. If he was 2nd tier, you could make a case for Joe Johnson being 2nd tier, since a lot of people thought Josh Smith was either better, or more important, than JJ.

2nd tier, in my eyes, would be players like a Josh Childress, a Marvin Williams, a Stacey Augmon, or a Tree Rollins.

But if I can pick Smitty, hell yeah. If I could pick JJ, that's even better.

[Diesel]

I agree with Northside.   JJ if SS is 2nd tier.

 

There's also The Crawford.  This offense cries out for a Ginobili like Guard who can get to the rim.

[AHF]

If you think JJ was the second wheel on those teams then by all means go for it.  Given that JJ was our only annual All-Star and led the team in Win Shares and/or PER more than any other player during his time with the team, I don't think he qualifies though.  Smitty never led the team in anything but points and only led the team in total points 3 of 5 seasons (Mookie and Laettner did the other two years).  He wasn't close to Dikembe in awards and didn't have the two-way impact of Mookie.

 

2nd tier, in my eyes, would be players like a Josh Childress, a Marvin Williams, a Stacey Augmon, or a Tree Rollins.

 

Take the discussion in that direction if you want.  Among that type of player, a shot blocker like Tree or a lock-down, athletic defender like Plasticman would be very helpful this season.  I would lean towards Tree for the rebounding and rim protection.  His career per 36 numbers are 10.1 rebounds and 3.8 blocks.  That is high impact stuff, IMO.

 

I think Grant Long fits in this class of guys and was an outstanding role player -- just a bit too duplicative of what we get from Sap and Horford for me to go with him.  

[Guest]

Neither Smitty nor Jj were 2nd tier players...not for us anyways. I mean I guess we had a three headed face of the franchise back then with Smitty, Deke and Mookie but by no means was Smitty a 2nd tier guy. Jj was the face of the franchise as well, in the last few years with Horford.

[Dejay]

Well, I know this is skirting the rules a bit but...what about Roundfield (RIP)? You can argue that John Drew and Eddie Johnson were the best players on those Hawk teams so he would qualify. You put yesterday's Roundfield into today's era of weight training and stuff and you would have a certifiable monster on your hands.

 

With Rounds down in the post, teams wouldn't dare have their best players drive to the basket unless their coaches really REALLY didn't like them. You think David West would've had his way down the stretch in Game 6 if he was there guarding him? Sure, with today's rules, he'd collect more than his share of flagrant fouls but a threesome of him, Horford, and Millsap would easily make them one of the most feared frontcourts in the sport. And who would be a better tutor to Payne in terms of being a pro's pro than Roundfield?