Welcome to the Hawks, Skal

[Gray Mule]

We didn't get to see Skal play any minutes as a Hawk.  One thing that this stoppage of play due to this terrible virus has done for the Hawks is give our two new, injured players extra healing time.

Since we now have no sports of any kind, live, to watch, here is your assignment:

Watch the film on Skal at the beginning of this posting.  Then give your thoughts of Skal being one of our big men off the bench.  

If Capela is as good as we have been lead to believe, we have a pretty good starting five.  Hawks bench was very weak this last season.  Part of this was due to our GM trading for high priced, mostly useless players that their team gave the Hawks draft picks along with these players just to move them and get $$$$ payroll relief.  We could do this because we weren't expecting to win it all last season.

Hawks bench already looks much better.  If Capela starts, someone moves to the bench.  If he doesn't start, then he becomes a big bench upgrade.  If he and Skal comes in healthy and our youth improve, great things could be in store for all of us, the beaten down Hawk fans.

[JayBirdHawk]

They're healing but are they staying in prime physical shape?

[Gray Mule]

33 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

They're healing but are they staying in prime physical shape?

Good question.  Let's hope that they are....

[terrell]

6 hours ago, Gray Mule said:

We didn't get to see Skal play any minutes as a Hawk.  One thing that this stoppage of play due to this terrible virus has done for the Hawks is give our two new, injured players extra healing time.

Since we now have no sports of any kind, live, to watch, here is your assignment:

Watch the film on Skal at the beginning of this posting.  Then give your thoughts of Skal being one of our big men off the bench.  

If Capela is as good as we have been lead to believe, we have a pretty good starting five.  Hawks bench was very weak this last season.  Part of this was due to our GM trading for high priced, mostly useless players that their team gave the Hawks draft picks along with these players just to move them and get $$$$ payroll relief.  We could do this because we weren't expecting to win it all last season.

Hawks bench already looks much better.  If Capela starts, someone moves to the bench.  If he doesn't start, then he becomes a big bench upgrade.  If he and Skal comes in healthy and our youth improve, great things could be in store for all of us, the beaten down Hawk fans.

Who's starting at center over Capela? Huerter is moving to the bench if it were up to me. 

Trae/Cam/Hunter/Collins/Capela

Draft pick/Huerter/FA/FA/Dedmon

Goodwin/Skal/Bruno

Edited March 27, 2020 by terrell

[Thomas]

16 hours ago, terrell said:

Who's starting at center over Capela? Huerter is moving to the bench if it were up to me. 

Trae/Cam/Hunter/Collins/Capela

Draft pick/Huerter/FA/FA/Dedmon

Goodwin/Skal/Bruno

If healthy that starting five is exciting for me. Think we could actually cause some damage. Would have a functional bench with that minus a couple of parts.

[gurpilo]

hace 1 hora, terrell dijo:

Who's starting at center over Capela? Huerter is moving to the bench if it were up to me. 

Trae/Cam/Hunter/Collins/Capela

Draft pick/Huerter/FA/FA/Dedmon

Goodwin/Skal/Bruno

I think that might be what would happen. Halliburton or Hayes as draft pick and sign someone like Crowder, Wood or Bertans for the forward position. It might happen also that Skal takes that backup PF position or even that we go on draft day with a PF like Toppin or Okongwu. My dream scenario would be to draft Halliburton and sign Crowder and Christian Wood.

[JayBirdHawk]

Do you guys think we'll bring back Skal?

[AHF]

33 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Do you guys think we'll bring back Skal?

Complete shrug from my end.  Could see it happening but could also see him as expendable.  Might depend on what success (or lack of success) we have with more desirable FAs.

[High5]

I really wish we got the chance to see him play this season. Since Schlenk has apparently been after him for a while I suspect there's a decent chance he'll be back even without the game time. 

[kg01]

10 minutes ago, AHF said:

Complete shrug from my end.  Could see it happening but could also see him as expendable.  Might depend on what success (or lack of success) we have with more desirable FAs.

C'mon, AH.  We need somebody to shill for the 'cats like I shill for the jackets.  Try again, with feeling.

"Bwah of course, he'll be back.  He's probably gonna challenge Collins for the starting 4 spot too!" - AHF

Much better, much better. 

Why a whale?  Why not a whale, I always says.

On a serious note, I too am sad we didn't get a chance to see him play.  I could see him shooting for the highest bidder, at this point, which likely won't be us.

[Spud2nique]

3 hours ago, kg01 said:

r. 

How I feel now! Ribs on the grill with getcha! 

[AHF]

19 hours ago, kg01 said:

C'mon, AH.  We need somebody to shill for the 'cats like I shill for the jackets.  Try again, with feeling.

"Bwah of course, he'll be back.  He's probably gonna challenge Collins for the starting 4 spot too!" - AHF

Much better, much better. 

Why a whale?  Why not a whale, I always says.

On a serious note, I too am sad we didn't get a chance to see him play.  I could see him shooting for the highest bidder, at this point, which likely won't be us.

Skal didn't exactly earn a ton of love with his year in Lexington.  I think he has shown promise in the NBA, though, and would be happy to have him being near the end of the roster.  He has big health risk which should keep his price in check and if the cap drops he could be very cheap.  Us holding his RFA rights gives us an easy path to returning him to the roster.  He just isn't a no brainer - more of a luxury developmental piece who could turn into something more impactful.

[Gray Mule]

On 4/28/2020 at 2:57 PM, JayBirdHawk said:

Do you guys think we'll bring back Skal?

Yes!  We ended up with a free first round pick in Skal.  No reason not to keep him.  Our GM really likes him and if he does well, then, great.  Give him a season with Atlanta.  If our GM did choose wisely, the Hawks are a really good winner with him.  If he fails, so what, we tried.  But, I don't believe he will fail.

[Gray Mule]

SKAL - HAWKS FORGOTTEN PLAYER...

Your challenge for today:

In this dead time for Hawk fans, take time to pull up the first hi lights of our own Skal Labissiere and imagine him coming off the bench this upcoming season for Atlanta.

Because we haven't watched him as a Hawk, most fans have forgotten all about him.  I know that at least one poster believes that he is a total waste of space on the roster.  What do you believe?  Can he be a useful addition to our team?

[Gray Mule]

Gee.  I was sure someone would speak up.  He's only 23 and seems to me to be a 1st round pick.

[AHF]

2 hours ago, Gray Mule said:

SKAL - HAWKS FORGOTTEN PLAYER...

Your challenge for today:

In this dead time for Hawk fans, take time to pull up the first hi lights of our own Skal Labissiere and imagine him coming off the bench this upcoming season for Atlanta.

Because we haven't watched him as a Hawk, most fans have forgotten all about him.  I know that at least one poster believes that he is a total waste of space on the roster.  What do you believe?  Can he be a useful addition to our team?

You know I like him as a UK grad.  I'm excited to see him play for us but if we added such depth to our roster that we no longer had a spot for him I wouldn't bash on TS for making some epic mistake.  

My running assumption is that we will have him on the team next year and that he'll show us what made him well liked by Portland fans during his tenure with the team.  And I'm looking forward to that for sure.

[JayBirdHawk]

16 minutes ago, Gray Mule said:

Gee.  I was sure someone would speak up.  He's only 23 and seems to me to be a 1st round pick.

I here ya Gramps. His injuries has derailed a promising career. Hopefully, Chelsea can get him and keep him healthy. I'm a fan of players that are 2 position players (PF/C) in a pinch. He needs to work on his free throw shooting though.

[AHF]

14 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

I here ya Gramps. His injuries has derailed a promising career. Hopefully, Chelsea can get him and keep him healthy. I'm a fan of players that are 2 position players (PF/C) in a pinch. He needs to work on his free throw shooting though.

Everyone needs to work on their FT shooting for GM!  

His 75%-ish rate isn't terrible for a big but given that his jumper is pretty good it would seem like there is still some upside there.

[JayBirdHawk]

Just now, AHF said:

Everyone needs to work on their FT shooting for GM!  

His 75%-ish rate isn't terrible for a big but given that his jumper is pretty good it would seem like there is still some upside there.

I looked at his previous 2 years also 50%. 

But GM is right, when I'm churning through trade ideas and FAs, i tend to overlook Skal. He is the forgotten man. I think most view him as a throw-in piece from the trade.

[AHF]

10 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

I looked at his previous 2 years also 50%. 

But GM is right, when I'm churning through trade ideas and FAs, i tend to overlook Skal. He is the forgotten man. I think most view him as a throw-in piece from the trade.

In his 4 years, he has 3 seasons with a 70-80% rate.  His 52.9% rate from 2018-19 is based off of a total of 17 free throws.  Over his career 242 attempts, he is shooting 74.8% so I would take that as the more meaningful number given the extremely small sample size from two seasons ago.