My Angry Draft Day....

[Diesel]

My angry draft day started with the hawks not making a pre-draft trade.  This didn't cause anger because it was almost expected.   This is reminiscent of some of the Babcock years where there were a lot of rumors for nothing.   Anyway, it ramped up watching the draft and having my picks in mind.

Jalen Williams

Mark Williams

Jalen Duren.

I felt that one of these guys would help the Hawks.  So watching.   Jalen Williams is picked up by OKC.  Damn.  I said, well Presti knows talent so this had to be expected.  Then San Antonio scoffs the idea of getting a big...I started getting happy.  Then finally it happened... it was Charlotte's first pick and both big men were on the board.  I said, "we're destined to get one of these bigs..."   And it happened that way..  Charlotte took Duren.  YES... I've always like Mark Williams better.   I said, Cleveland doesn't need a big man and Charlotte just got their big man of the future!!  Mark Williams can be a Hawk...

So Cleveland makes the best pick for them.. Agbaji... that's the right guy for them.  Charlotte could use some more shooting, so they will probably take Griffin from Duke.   Charlotte takes Williams...   CHARLOTTE TAKES WILLIAMS..   CHARLOTTE TAKES WILLIAMS... WTF Charlotte?

Then they trade Duren to Detroit for Denver's protected first round pick.... ARE You freaking Kidding me.   They are either some idiots in Charlotte or they really Hate the Atlanta Hawks. 

Duren is great.   They trade him for a first from Denver. 

Denver had no MPJ... No Jamaal Murray... and they finished in the playoffs... and their pick this year while injured was 21st.  Duren was the 13th pick.  Where did Charlotte think that pick would land next year?  So they gave up a 13 pick for what could be a 25 pick next year. So we took Griff..  I'm not mad at Griff.. I just wanted a 7 footer. 

2nd round.. 44th pick.. Old boy called Ryan Rollins.  A 6'3 PG from Toledo.  I'll be honest, never heard of him but I liked the look of him.   Then its stated that we traded back with GS.  Already angry that we missed Williams and now it looks like we're going to be taking Omar Uiopy.. out of Turkey... and he will stay in Turkey.

But we take Tyrese Martin.  Wait.. he's another 6'6" swingman. What are we doing?

After a few days or reflection, I'm not mad at this draft.   We had some missed opportunities and we made the best of our situation.  Thus, it was very Hawkslike.

 

[Gray Mule]

Yep.  I'm upset with them too.  I wanted Mark W. and he was "right there" until they took two centers with their two picks before Atlanta's pick.  Hawks probably wouldn't have selected him.  

Edited June 26, 2022 by Gray Mule

[deester11]

While I know it takes two to tango, it's past time to keep up with the Jones's. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride with Atlanta.  There is no way you keep the same squad and sell it to the fans as, "keeping the core together," injuries, covid, improvement, blah, blah....

I don't have the answer about whom to move and there is still plenty of offseason left, but I'm underwhelmed at this point.

[Diesel]

@deester11  I get the feeling that this offseason, we are not staying pat.   I believe there's a deal in the works.  However, even if we did stay pat, this team when uninjured is not bad. 

 

[deester11]

32 minutes ago, Diesel said:

@deester11  I get the feeling that this offseason, we are not staying pat.   I believe there's a deal in the works.  However, even if we did stay pat, this team when uninjured is not bad. 

 

Oh I definitely agree...mostly.  I do feel like the same team keeps this team on a hamster wheel. Good enough not to be a lottery team.

[NBASupes]

We were never going to draft a big but Jalen Williams going early sucks. I felt he was more ready to step into the rotation and help us but Griffin has the upside, we just gotta develop him.

[deester11]

4 hours ago, NBASupes said:

We were never going to draft a big but Jalen Williams going early sucks. I felt he was more ready to step into the rotation and help us but Griffin has the upside, we just gotta develop him.

I think the shock of non-trades preceding or during the draft has made many of us cynical of whomever we drafted.  The last two years have been a big bucket of Hawk rumors and thud results.  AJ has some things I like about him.  But JJ and Coop do too.  I'm hoping for all to develop...(Unless traded..). 

[NBASupes]

1 hour ago, deester11 said:

I think the shock of non-trades preceding or during the draft has made many of us cynical of whomever we drafted.  The last two years have been a big bucket of Hawk rumors and thud results.  AJ has some things I like about him.  But JJ and Coop do too.  I'm hoping for all to develop...(Unless traded..). 

All three got a lot of talent.

[Diesel]

16 hours ago, deester11 said:

Oh I definitely agree...mostly.  I do feel like the same team keeps this team on a hamster wheel. Good enough not to be a lottery team.

We're not the 90s 2000s Hawks.  I believe that the team we have is very competitive when healthy.  The main question is can they beat Miami, Boston, or Milwaukee.  The answer is Yes, Yes, No.  IF All were healthy, I think we can beat Miami and Boston because we don't lack for offense when 100%.  But Milwaukee... regardless of how you slice it, if they put a healthy team on the floor, they are the best team in the East...  Because Giannis is still the best player in the game and they have been built right.  So, getting past Milwaukee will always be a matter of Luck.  So does that create a hamster wheel??  

 

[Diesel]

15 hours ago, NBASupes said:

We were never going to draft a big but Jalen Williams going early sucks. I felt he was more ready to step into the rotation and help us but Griffin has the upside, we just gotta develop him.

Williams is easily more ready and was a true two way player.   The thing about Griff.. he has to make himself into a better defender.  Otherwise, he will become a sharpshooting specialist i.e. a lesser version of Bogi.   You scoffed at my praise for the Martin pick.. but Martin is a better defender than Griff right now.   Griff has done more.. yes... but Martin just might play himself into a 2 way contract and may see some PT... come on Nate...

 

 

[Gray Mule]

Hi light film always makes the player look good.  Watching, both of our draft picks look really good.  Just what we want from them.  I know.  Not real life.  Following our two draft picks from last summer also brings a smile to the face.  The question arises: "How much do we value our draft picks?  We read that the offer for Atlanta to receive Dejounte Murray is three future 1st round draft picks.  What would the Hawks look like?  Would we have a better chance in the playoffs?  No one ever mentions Kevin Knox.  Is he still a Hawk?  He hardly ever played.  Is he worth keeping?  Why?

Edited June 27, 2022 by Gray Mule

[NBASupes]

2 hours ago, Diesel said:

Williams is easily more ready and was a true two way player.   The thing about Griff.. he has to make himself into a better defender.  Otherwise, he will become a sharpshooting specialist i.e. a lesser version of Bogi.   You scoffed at my praise for the Martin pick.. but Martin is a better defender than Griff right now.   Griff has done more.. yes... but Martin just might play himself into a 2 way contract and may see some PT... come on Nate...

 

 

Its gonna be fun to watch these guys develop. 

[deester11]

2 hours ago, Diesel said:

We're not the 90s 2000s Hawks.  I believe that the team we have is very competitive when healthy.  The main question is can they beat Miami, Boston, or Milwaukee.  The answer is Yes, Yes, No.  IF All were healthy, I think we can beat Miami and Boston because we don't lack for offense when 100%.  But Milwaukee... regardless of how you slice it, if they put a healthy team on the floor, they are the best team in the East...  Because Giannis is still the best player in the game and they have been built right.  So, getting past Milwaukee will always be a matter of Luck.  So does that create a hamster wheel??  

 

Yes it does IMHO. I don't want a team that's just good enough to win a few playoff games (yes...I get the year before), and perhaps this team as constructed will get better.  But the odds aren't good from my point of view. 

[Diesel]

1 hour ago, deester11 said:

Yes it does IMHO. I don't want a team that's just good enough to win a few playoff games (yes...I get the year before), and perhaps this team as constructed will get better.  But the odds aren't good from my point of view. 

Honestly, outside of getting KD and being able to keep some players that are useful around, it's going to be hard to guarantee that we get off the hamster wheel if the requirement is that we can beat Miami, Boston, and Milwaukee. 

We can bring in other players but there's no more of a guarantee than waiting on our players to grow.

 

[NBASupes]

On 6/26/2022 at 2:51 PM, NBASupes said:

We were never going to draft a big but Jalen Williams going early sucks. I felt he was more ready to step into the rotation and help us but Griffin has the upside, we just gotta develop him.

Man, was I right and Jalen got potential too.