So I was thinking...

[hazer]

On 12/21/2015 at 4:50 PM, Mdizzle5 said:

The sad thing is that we've been 1 player away for about a decade now. :(

Not this close...

[hazer]

On 12/22/2015 at 9:52 AM, kg01 said:

Well, let's be honest, you need a lotta things for Christmas but I digress ...

Seriously though, did anybody see what Leonard did to Paul George last night?  The self-described, PG-13 checked in with a big 7pt performance on 1-for-14  from the field?!  Ugh.

Meanwhile, Leonard had a ho-hum 24/6/5 on 10-for-19 from the field.

And for the Bud detractors, don't forget: George was Pop's favorite player, Bud had to hound Pop to trade for Kawhi. I'm gonna go ahead and side with Bud's judgement. I think he's just building and biding until he finds his Kawhi. Or Kawhi walks through those doors...

(Edit: Thanks KG01 for pointing out that I was talking about George Hill, not Paul George. Got my first names crossed for a minute there.....)

[Guest]

15 hours ago, hazer said:

And for the Bud detractors, don't forget: George was Pop's favorite player, Bud had to hound Pop to trade for Kawhi. I'm gonna go ahead and side with Bud's judgement. I think he's just building and biding until he finds his Kawhi. Or Kawhi walks through those doors...

You're think of George Hill I think?  Ah well, your overall point's still sound IMHO.

[benhillboy]

I don't follow college but there seems to be a nice crop of team-oriented guys with nice sizes and skill sets like some point-forward from Arizona somewhere and the Simmons kid.  Is there anyone Bud might identify as a can't-miss prospect to take out a mortgage for?

[hazer]

8 hours ago, kg01 said:

You're think of George Hill I think?  Ah well, your overall point's still sound IMHO.

Right you are, got my first and last names mixed up for minute ;)

[hazer]

3 hours ago, benhillboy said:

I don't follow college but there seems to be a nice crop of team-oriented guys with nice sizes and skill sets like some point-forward from Arizona somewhere and the Simmons kid.  Is there anyone Bud might identify as a can't-miss prospect to take out a mortgage for?

Sure hope so. I'm anxious to see Bud finally find/pull trigger on a potential star draft pick that catches his eye that he can groom from year one. The next "Kawhi"...

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, hazer said:

Right you are, got my first and last names mixed up for minute ;)

Don't worry about it. We all knew what you meant. @kg01 just had to be a d*ck and point it out, even though he can't spell to save his life.

[Guest]

I love Bud but you guys do know that it was Spurs GM RC Buford and the scouting team of Fehte and Felton who scouted and brought in Kawhi , right?  RC asked Bud to convince Pop that he had to trade George Hill so they  could get bigger.

 

Fehte and Felton pegged Leonard accurately. Player development coach Chip Engelland gave Buford his assurance he could tweak Leonard’s shooting stroke, without which the Spurs probably wouldn’t have made the move. Buford put the Spurs in position to pounce with his pre-draft groundwork.

And when it finally came time to do so, Buford said, Popovich “trusted the process” despite his misgivings. Or, as Popovich would later recall the scene, former assistant Mike Budenholzer prodded him into action.

“Bud was all over me for that one,” Popovich told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2013. “With a need at the three … we thought this would make some sense. (But) they are looking up at me and I’m thinking, ‘I don’t want to do this. Jesus, I don’t want to do this.’ (Budenholzer) made me pull the trigger, and it’s been a great trade for both teams.”

http://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/Spurs-trade-for-Leonard-arguably-their-best-6617799.php

 

[LamarHampton]

I hope that Marcus kid from northern Europe we got in the 2nd round can come over and make a splash. Isn't he from Finland? Maybe he be a really good Finn-isher! (See what I did there?) Or Agravanis the Destroyer, our other 2nd rounder.

No but seriously, maybe it's a guy we already picked. Eh? Eh? How's that for positive thinking?!?

[ATLSmith]

15 hours ago, hazer said:

Sure hope so. I'm anxious to see Bud finally find/pull trigger on a potential star draft pick that catches his eye that he can groom from year one. The next "Kawhi"...

There's already one on the team. Dennis. :)

[hazer]

5 hours ago, ATLSmith said:

There's already one on the team. Dennis. :)

True, but that has a lot of Danny Ferry all over it. Which is fine. I'm ready for Bud to find and snag the Hawks next franchise guy, whether it be in the draft or by trade. Like he did for San Antonio with Kawhi. I think the roster has remained "open/flexible" for just that reason, Bud knows this team is incomplete and wants the option to pounce when that opportunity arises. Durant would be just such an opportunity. Don't laugh, COTY and 4 all-stars and all-star coach and ECFs and good ownership and refurbished arena and the City of Atlanta itself and the chance to be the Alpha on a Finals team that plays like a TEAM will attract stars. Finally. Things have changed, lets hope attracting Alphas in FAcy finally changes as well...