Who is the most underrated Atlanta Hawk in franchise history

[Spud2nique]

30 minutes ago, AHF said:

He was my pick as well. 

You guys are slightly older than me. I wish I had seen him play live. Who would his game resemble today? I mean if there is even a comparison? @macdaddy @bird_dirt @Gray Mule @Vol4ever and whomever else prolly saw him. 

[bird_dirt]

36 minutes ago, Spud2nique said:

You guys are slightly older than me. I wish I had seen him play live. Who would his game resemble today? I mean if there is even a comparison? @macdaddy @bird_dirt @Gray Mule @Vol4ever and whomever else prolly saw him. 

Shiiiiiiiiiiii….how old do you think I am?

On the real, I didn’t become a Hawks fan until 99 when I moved to Atlanta. Longtime UK fan, but only passing NBA fan prior to 99 (I did like watching AI/76ers and Stockton/Malone).

For the record, I turn 49 this year. 

[MarylandHawk]

Jeff Teague. 

[Spud2nique]

2 hours ago, bird_dirt said:

Shiiiiiiiiiiii….how old do you think I am?

On the real, I didn’t become a Hawks fan until 99 when I moved to Atlanta. Longtime UK fan, but only passing NBA fan prior to 99 (I did like watching AI/76ers and Stockton/Malone).

For the record, I turn 49 this year. 

Oh my bad I coulda sworn it was you  dang it..

Ps you still older than me Doh haaaa 

[Gray Mule]

2 hours ago, bird_dirt said:

Shiiiiiiiiiiii….how old do you think I am?

On the real, I didn’t become a Hawks fan until 99 when I moved to Atlanta. Longtime UK fan, but only passing NBA fan prior to 99 (I did like watching AI/76ers and Stockton/Malone).

For the record, I turn 49 this year. 

  I've got three sons that are older than you !!

[Spud2nique]

4 minutes ago, Gray Mule said:

  I've got three sons that are older than you !!

Gramps boys weren’t only swimming they were butterflying their way there #grampsphelps

[Spud2nique]

21 hours ago, kg01 said:

It's Trae.

You dug too deep. I get it but you were pushing the boundaries and we don’t like that here.  When I ask a question stop being clever and thinking outside of the box . Trae is underrated but he’s still known as the face of the franchise by 99.9% of the population including and excluding Hawk fans.

 

Those other dudes were 2nd, 3rd and forf fiddles.. come here cagey, it won’t hurt, I’ll go lightly.. 

 {Adrian Peterson said it was ok} 

[Wretch]

I voted Josh Smith...  Strangely enough, he's both overrated and underrated.  The casual audience overrates him because of his above the rim play and his detractors underrate him because they can't get past the very valid flaws - shooting, dribbling, BBIQ, and attitude.  Josh was a knucklehead for sure, but had some criminally underdeveloped and underutilized talents.

[Gray Mule]

CLINT CAPELA!

[kg01]

6 hours ago, Spud2nique said:

You dug too deep. I get it but you were pushing the boundaries and we don’t like that here.  When I ask a question stop being clever and thinking outside of the box . Trae is underrated but he’s still known as the face of the franchise by 99.9% of the population including and excluding Hawk fans.

 

Those other dudes were 2nd, 3rd and forf fiddles.. come here cagey, it won’t hurt, I’ll go lightly.. 

 {Adrian Peterson said it was ok} 

This is when I slink down in my chair and hope the hot chicks in the back didn't notice I got reamed out by the professor. 

[Spud2nique]

2 hours ago, Wretch said:

I voted Josh Smith...  Strangely enough, he's both overrated and underrated.  The casual audience overrates him because of his above the rim play and his detractors underrate him because they can't get past the very valid flaws - shooting, dribbling, BBIQ, and attitude.  Josh was a knucklehead for sure, but had some criminally underdeveloped and underutilized talents.

I remember I wanted Smoove or Iggy at 6 and whomever BPA at 17 hoping big cookie high schooler Al Jefferson would drop but no such luck. I wasn’t a Chills guy AT ALL. 
 

Smoove was a bad boy in his rookie and sophomore years then he faded fast as far as being an asset.

He won 99.5% of jump balls tho!  

[Atlantaholic]

On 7/26/2023 at 3:57 PM, bleachkit said:

Millsap. Man was rock solid in his day.

Of course, but underrated? He was a perennial All-Star with Atlanta and a no doubt about it fan favorite. Maybe he's been a little forgotten as time has gone by but not sure with I agree that he was underrated. No one is gonna have anything but good things to say when you bring up his name.

On the other hand... Shareef. 

[AHF]

12 hours ago, Spud2nique said:

I remember I wanted Smoove or Iggy at 6 and whomever BPA at 17 hoping big cookie high schooler Al Jefferson would drop but no such luck. I wasn’t a Chills guy AT ALL. 
 

Smoove was a bad boy in his rookie and sophomore years then he faded fast as far as being an asset.

He won 99.5% of jump balls tho!  

Peak Josh was that 2009-10 season.  If he could have kept doing that, he might have been an All-Star and certainly would have been way more successful.  Fell in love with that jumper and let it go to ****.

[Diesel]

On 7/26/2023 at 10:06 PM, capstone21 said:

Whoever voted for,Josh Smith is dead wrong … he was not underrated … he was overrated 

I think Smith gets underrated because of his shooting preference. 

15.3, 8.0, 3.2  with 2.1 bpg & 1.3 spg shooting 46.5% from the field. 

Those are really good numbers. 

Sap with us were

17.3, 8.3,  3.3 with 1.2 bpg and 1.7 spg.  46.3% from the field. 

I think a lot of Sap... but the 2 3 pters per game that Smoove took soured a lot of people towards his overall play though.   Which I why I say he was underrated. 

 

[capstone21]

5 hours ago, Diesel said:

I think Smith gets underrated because of his shooting preference. 

15.3, 8.0, 3.2  with 2.1 bpg & 1.3 spg shooting 46.5% from the field. 

Those are really good numbers. 

Sap with us were

17.3, 8.3,  3.3 with 1.2 bpg and 1.7 spg.  46.3% from the field. 

I think a lot of Sap... but the 2 3 pters per game that Smoove took soured a lot of people towards his overall play though.   Which I why I say he was underrated. 

 

he was a waste of talent … he lost so many games for us with bone head plays … probably the lowest bbiq of a player we have ever had (who we gave PT to) ...  He was terrible on offense and a me first stat getter … his shooting was awful and yet he kept CHUCKING up shot after shot.  He made Westbrook look like Steph Curry.  So so so many turnovers … they were so bad.  He was a bonehead on offense and just kept hurting the team.

His D was overrated too … it was lazy … he didn’t stop players … people would get by him with ease and he would sometimes get a block from behind because he could jump high … his steals were gambles but he never really shut players down.  He never tried to stay in front of his man.

I just remember constantly yelling at the TV when he was there on the court …  he was not a good player … just an athlete.

the day we let him go to Detroit was one of my fav moments as a Hawks fan.  Milsap was twice the player… a major reason we improved was when Smith left.

[Final_quest]

12 hours ago, capstone21 said:

he was a waste of talent … he lost so many games for us with bone head plays … probably the lowest bbiq of a player we have ever had (who we gave PT to) ...  He was terrible on offense and a me first stat getter … his shooting was awful and yet he kept CHUCKING up shot after shot.  He made Westbrook look like Steph Curry.  So so so many turnovers … they were so bad.  He was a bonehead on offense and just kept hurting the team.

His D was overrated too … it was lazy … he didn’t stop players … people would get by him with ease and he would sometimes get a block from behind because he could jump high … his steals were gambles but he never really shut players down.  He never tried to stay in front of his man.

I just remember constantly yelling at the TV when he was there on the court …  he was not a good player … just an athlete.

the day we let him go to Detroit was one of my fav moments as a Hawks fan.  Milsap was twice the player… a major reason we improved was when Smith left.

Josh caused people to get in their feelings exactly like this.  

[Dnice]

Yeah,  i remember a poster with a custom Josh avatar, depicting him with a small brain. 

[Gray Mule]

On 7/27/2023 at 9:14 PM, Gray Mule said:

CLINT CAPELA!

Squawk posters who have been around for a while remember what it was like to desire a huge update at two positions - - PG and center.  Then, finally Trae and Capela arrived!  How easily we forget.  How easy to erase that time from our memory.  Yes, Hawk fans, we are guilty.  We have a good center and a very good #2 center.  Therefore, to me, Clint Capela is our most underrated Hawk.

[Diesel]

13 hours ago, capstone21 said:

he was a waste of talent … he lost so many games for us with bone head plays … probably the lowest bbiq of a player we have ever had (who we gave PT to) ...  He was terrible on offense and a me first stat getter … his shooting was awful and yet he kept CHUCKING up shot after shot.  He made Westbrook look like Steph Curry.  So so so many turnovers … they were so bad.  He was a bonehead on offense and just kept hurting the team.

His D was overrated too … it was lazy … he didn’t stop players … people would get by him with ease and he would sometimes get a block from behind because he could jump high … his steals were gambles but he never really shut players down.  He never tried to stay in front of his man.

I just remember constantly yelling at the TV when he was there on the court …  he was not a good player … just an athlete.

the day we let him go to Detroit was one of my fav moments as a Hawks fan.  Milsap was twice the player… a major reason we improved was when Smith left.

It's this take that underrates him.  It's this take that made it so in a year when he put up monster numbers, he was not considered for the allstar. 

But let's exam this take.

You say he was a waste of talent.  I disagree.  His talents did a lot for our team.   You say that he lost so many games for us with boneheaded plays...  Most of the games we lost during his time were not his fault.  You say his shooting was awful?  I guess you mean 3 pt shooting because he shot over 46% from the field.

So let's talk about his 3 pt shooting.. shall we..   Here are his yearly attempts as a Hawk...

So his highest attempt was his final year at 2.6 3 pters per game.   DeAndre Hunter is our starting SF could be our starting PF... same position as Smoove.  Here are his 3pt Attempts per game.

Josh Smith as a Hawk Shot 46.5% from the field.    DeAndre Hunter as a Hawk shot 44.4% from the field. 

So if you say that Smith was an AWFUL Shooter who kept chucking up shot after Shot... I guess Hunter must be the most dreadful shooter of all time. 

You said his defense was terrible...

You have no argument with me here.  His lateral quickness was weak, he was only 6'8 225.  He is very similar in Build to JJ so he was really too small to be a PF (at that time) and too slow to be a Sf.   It was best to play him at PF and hope that he could hold his own.  One year, he used steroids and got up to 235... He was much better against the PFs. 

 

Finally, to this notion that he was a me first player.   I don't think that's totally true. He looked to be a passer. You don't luck into averaging 3.2 assists per game from the PF spot.   That was on purpose.   In all actuality, Paul Millsap was Josh Smith with less athleticism, better footwork and better hands and a better shot from outside.   I say Smoove is underrated because Takes like yours ignores the things he brought to the table and AMPLIFIES the things that were not so good.   Moreover, I think he was Snubbed for the allstar game between 2011-2013.

 

 

 

[TRW]

Joe Johnson. He was really good but we didn't have enough good pieces around him. He had everything. Shooting, handles, passing, defense, and attitude.