From Insider.

[Playmaker0017]

One league executive is quoted as saying: (about ATL)

"They are morons. I can't believe they just did that."

HAHA!

Wow.

Thank god Reef got out of dodge. Too bad Diaw is stuck.

[cyman3]

is this for real? or are u playin around?

[phoostal]

That doesn't shock me. We are morons for thinking that Knight is a good GM.

P

[JTFan31]

lol, thats funny, Like I said before.....we have become in 2 weeks the laughing stock of the league. This team is worst than any Clippers team, lmao. Too bad I cant cancel my subscription to NBA league Pass, I would of much rather get the ESPN college basketball package and watch some 'Heels basketball, at least I can watch, Felton, May, McCants, Williams....actually I think that team can beat the current Hawks team. Actually if this current Hawks was in the NCAA they will a bubble team, lol

[phoostal]

Maybe this team would be NIT eligible. The sad thing is this could probablly be said over the next couple of years as well. Knight better have some trick up his sleeve this off season.

P

[Playmaker0017]

Cy,

I'm not kidding. I'd copy and paste if I wasn't limited to IE at work.

But, yes, that was a direct quote.

Play.

[AHF]

Quote:

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Cy,

I'm not kidding. I'd copy and paste if I wasn't limited to IE at work.

But, yes, that was a direct quote.

Play.

---

Why in the world are they morons for that trade? They pick up a first round pick and improve their odds at a #1 pick and give up a player they weren't resigning anyway. What is the downside?

[phoostal]

Because that 18 to 22 pick they picked up is going to make a huge difference, Right? And there are no guarantees they are getting the #1 pick, and if they did how do you know this pick is going to turn the organization around. What if he is the next S. Bradley, K. Brown, etc.? But to some Hawk fans this was a good move. Time will tell. What you can't argue with is the fact that even with Wallace the team would be competitive. So what if he walked at the end of his contract we would be in the same situation we are in now. But at least we would have a little respect. Oh forgot we get Milwaukee's pick. Yippee.

P

[Admin]

How can you not see that? We have essentially gutted a team that was grossly overpaid and underproducing, that wasnt going anywhere for at least 2 more years and turned that into major cap room and added a decent draft pick all in 2 weeks......and 2 years ahead of schedule no less. That sounds pretty moronic to me. I mean damn we shoulda kept this team together or at least traded our underachievers for other teams underachievers that were locked into multi-year deals. Knight you are a moron for trying to fix this team in your first year on the job.

[Admin]

You think that if we in an extra 5 or so games and still lose more than we did last year with Wallace we would have some respect? Thats exactly what you just implied with that post because that would be the best result this team could have hoped for.

That Bucks pick could become VERY valuable to us and not because we can use it to draft someone with, but because we can use it as trade bait......along with our future first owed from Philly. Thats what is good about it, not that we picked up a 20th pick to use on a player or whatever.

Knight has done exactly what he should do by dumping overpaid underachievers and trying for a fresh start with some young athletic players that people will want to come and see. Howard might not be the next KG and he could end up the next Kwame Brown, but with Wallace on this team we were far less likely to get the top pick than we are now. At least now there is very little chance that we will win many games from here on out and thereby increasing our odds for the top pick or at least the top 3 picks. Talent wise we are now easily the worst team in basketball so it isnt difficult to imagine that we end up with the worst record and best shot at Howard. To me that is a much better solution than winning a few extra games and still missing the playoffs and not getting squat for Rasheed.

[Playmaker0017]

AHF,

Because ATL didn't get anything of value out of it.

They could have tanked just as easily by placing rasheed on the bench.

They get a first road, worthless pick in a weak draft. They need the pick NOW and it needs to be HIGH.

They got shafted.

Furthermore, they just ensured that Detroit could sign Okur. Okur would have been a decent pickup for ATL.

But, it wasn't me that said it... that was a league exectutive.

Play.

[Playmaker0017]

Dolfan,

They were all overpaid and underproducing, but they were all gone in two years.

The real issue with the whole team was JT and is still JT.

JT cannot handle the duties of being an NBA PG... and guess what... ATL still has JT as the starting PG.

With the team the way it is, ta weak FA market and a weak draft ... ATL is going to have to wait two years for anything productive anyhow.

Go Knight!

Play.

[sd79]

There are other ways to rebuild a team. Look at what Milwaukee did. They traded away the big 3 and manage to still stay competitive. Cap space and a lottery protected draft pick are definitely not a sure thing...

... but we'll see what happens.

[phoostal]

There is no guarantees we will get squat with Wallace either. Time will tell.

[Playmaker0017]

Dolfan,

If Duncan was the prize a couple years back, I'd agree. This is a great move, but Howard isn't in that realm. He can't sniff Duncan's jock.

He isn't ready to come out and handle a pathetic team, triple teams and losing. All the while, trying to lead the team. It is FAR too much to ask of the guy.

This could be one of the worst drafts in years. The last draft outside of the top three was awful and this one is worse, because it doesn't have a Lebron or Carmello.

The problem is that you are HAPPY with a weak pick in a weak draft.

The reason the NBA executive said the team was a moron is because they could have gotten more. Atlanta risked nothing by keeping rasheed, instead they traded him for NOTHING.

Nothing but the HOPE that someone is dumb enough to put a lotto on Terry/mid-1st. Everyone already has shown VAST amounts of interest in Terry, I don't see why you couldn't get a top 3 pick for him.

Not to mention, you get to HOPE you get the number one pick in the draft.

Go Hawks!

Play.

[AHF]

Quote:

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AHF,

Because ATL didn't get anything of value out of it.

They could have tanked just as easily by placing rasheed on the bench.

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Are you suggesting the Hawks would have been more respectable by benching Wallace and playing out the rest of the season?

Quote:

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They get a first road, worthless pick in a weak draft. They need the pick NOW and it needs to be HIGH.

They got shafted.

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Who would have traded expiring contracts and a high first rounder for Rasheed? No one.

Why is that pick worthless anyway? The guys we could get would be in the range of Sabastien Telfair, Raymond Felton, Hakim Warrick, etc. Those are solid guys to gamble on.

http://www.nbadraft.net/index.asp

Quote:

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Furthermore, they just ensured that Detroit could sign Okur. Okur would have been a decent pickup for ATL.

But, it wasn't me that said it... that was a league exectutive.

Play.

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I agree with you about Okur ONLY if Detroit could not have traded for an expiring contract with someone else. If Boston would have traded Chris Mills to Detroit for Williamson or Atkins, etc. then we lose nothing by doing the deal with Detroit because they could have resigned Okur anyway.

Also, I don't think Okur is a future star but a future solid player. He wouldn't change the course of a franchise, IMO.

On the draft issue, Atlanta guarantees nothing worse than the 4th pick this season by trading Wallace. You could end up with a Hall of Famer with the #3 pick (like Jordan) or with a late round first round pick (like Stockton) but the odds are in your favor the higher you climb in the draft. This gives Atlanta a shot to climb in the draft instead of doing their usual win enough games to screw themselves in the lottery game.

This was a good move unless you can come up with a team with expiring contracts and a lottery pick that would have dealt with Atlanta. Please, please list that team if you know of them.

[AHF]

Quote:

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There are other ways to rebuild a team. Look at what Milwaukee did. They traded away the big 3 and manage to still stay competitive. Cap space and a lottery protected draft pick are definitely not a sure thing...

... but we'll see what happens.

---

Atlanta traded away their big players (Dominique Wilkens, Kevin Willis, etc.) and stayed competitive but never got the superstar that could carry them deep into the playoffs. I think Denver's future is much better than Milwaukees but I respect your opinion if you disagree.

[Admin]

Who says we are hoping to package JT and that first? Who says that next year we wont use it in a draft night trade for something else, or to rid ourselves of Hendu and or CC? Nobody knows for sure and its just something that someone posted on here.

The problem with your posts about this issue is that they arent based in fact......just like mine arent, but I dont try and make mine sound like fact. You say Howard isnt this and isnt that and cant be this and cant do that......however you have no proof that he cant or wont just the same as I dont have any that he can or will....however, I will go by what I have seen and read about him being a man among boys and judging by his dominating stats and superstar personality. After Howard I could give less than a damn about the rest of the players in the draft because we arent looking at them.....we are gunning for Howard and have done our best to be able to get him.

The problem is that you are pissed that Shareef is gone and couldnt fix this team or any other team. We are far better off going in a new younger direction and try for that superstar player rather than just being happy with the status quo.

[phoostal]

I didn't know Felton and Warrick were solid. I think the draft is a crap shoot. Yes, your chances increase with the higher pick or you look like a fool with a higher pick when they don't pan out. Look at the Bulls for example.

P

[TheDude]

everybody's missing the point...this trade(the 3rd one) was correct.. you have two scenarios

1-keep wallace. end with better record but still one of the worst teams(there is no respect there). but 6 more people show up for the games.

2- trade. have same money saved at the end. have worse record to at least have a better chance at the better players(howard may be no savior but if he's not then what guy below him is?). pick up midlevel 1st pick that probably won't amount to anything or might help out with a trade.

the problem is the trade to portland(trade #1). we should have gotten some talent with it also like Outlaw or somebody.or gotten something out of Doleac.