Poll: Rate Billy Knights moves.

[chillzatl]

[KB21]

The moves he has made are excellent. The Hawks finally have a GM that knows how to rebuild the right way.

The Hawks will be armed with a lot of cap room and two first round draft picks going into the offseason. They are in excellent position thanks to Billy Knight.

[skyhawk]

Kudos to Billy Knight. We finally have hope of fielding an exciting and athletic team. A team that will compete for more than an 8th seed in the playoffs. It's not going to happen over night but I believe that BK can do the job and I'm more than willing to patient.

More importantly, the owners must believe this too as I'm sure he has their backing on these moves....

If you're a true fan just chill and give Knight a chance...he's building this team the right way...

[Admin]

Essentially we have 4 picks in the top 35 picks this year, plus a boatload of cap room and a promising player in Diaw and a steady player in JT......and possibly even Jax if he decides to stay next year (although I have my doubts on that one). If we just nail 2 of those 4 picks we will be in great shape 2 years from now after 3 big FAs and at least 2 great draft choices. I am very hopeful for the future, although I will miss seeing Theo and SAR and crew. I cant remmeber the last time I was excited in the offseason, I guess it was way back when we signed Deke as a FA.

[pathway23]

I think Billy Knight did a good job as well. I think he will pick the players well in the draft once again. In order to succeed, you have to take risks, and your chances of success are maximized when you take those risks with planning and foresight, which he has done and is doing. Good Job Billy Knight. I am excited to see who the new Hawks players will be. I think we can easily get a steal or two in the draft.

[KB21]

The last time Atlanta was in this position, they could have come out of the draft with Jason Terry, James Posey, Andre Kirilenko, and Manu Ginobili. That is, if Pete Babcock hadn't lost faith in the draft process due to his complete inability to evaluate talent.

We are looking at a top 5 pick that could be one of 7 top flight players: Dwight Howard, Emeka Okafor, Jameer Nelson, Andre Iguodala, Luol Deng, Josh Smith, or Shaun Livingston.

We are looking at a mid first round pick that could land a player like Anderson Varejao, Sergi Monya, Robert Swift, Sasha Vujacic, or Lawrence Roberts if he declares.

We are looking at two high second round picks that could net the Hawks players like Victor Khriapa, Marcelo Huertas, Mickael Gelebale, Andre Emmett, or Herve Lamizana.

[pathway23]

and people forget we still have a shot at Wallace....ANYTHING could happen this summer. Either way we'd have to pay Wallace to keep him here. Might as well improve our chances in the draft while he gets leased by someone else for the rest of the season. NY and Detroit don't have much caproom for him, so we'll see. It is going to be a very interesting offseason...how close is he to Kobe? Hmm..wouldn't he and Kobe like to go somewhere together? Just a thought, crazy perhaps...:)...

[Watchman]

and yet you think we can attract a top tier free agent? Do you even listen to yourself?

[Blunt91]

Hey KB do you think Chris Duhon will be available in the 2nd round. I was looking at the Mock draft for 2004 and it has us picking Chris Duhon with the 36thpick. Do you think Duhon will be available with the 35th or 36th pick?

[Admin]

I never said that we wouldnt resign Jackson, I just said its unlikely because no doubt he will require more money than this team is willing to give.....I wouldnt expect you to understand that, especially in your rush to try and make a point that you really made yourself look foolish on. Do you even read your posts before you press submit?

[Watchman]

You didn't say anything about Jax leaving for more money. You just said you doubted he would stay here.

Obviously you think that with our cap room we will sign some meaningful free agents. I don't think so. If we don't get Kobe, then we will have overpaid for someone else, of considerably lesser talent.

You have your opinion and I have mine. You are excited about fielding quite possibly the worst team in the history of the league. I find it embarrassing.

I guess we just value different things.

[KB21]

Yes. I think that is a distinct possibility.

[Gray Mule]

Not exactly. Will we sign a load of super stars? No.

I don't expect Kobe to come here.

Do you really believe that, after removing all those high

priced contracts that our G.M. will go right back with

new, over priced contracts to the players who will be

free agents this summer? I don't think so. We've

already been there, done that.

Hawks have the cap room to sign two or three solid, mid

range, as far as $$$$ is concerned, players. They have

draft choices, either to take for themselves or trade.

We are still in the process of tearing down. This will

be completed this summer. Then, begins the rebuilding.

First, a solid foundation. The players we keep from

what we have now, the draft and free agents. Then,

perhaps we can, after next season, go shopping for that

elusive "Super Star" to complete the process.

[Admin]

I'm sorry I didnt realize that I had to COMPLETELY break down my doubts as to why I think Jax wont be back next year just so you wont have something to nitpick about my post. Maybe thats why I put my comments in parenthesees about my doubt about him coming back, because it was just a thought, not an explanation....however I do understand that you were just grasping for something else to bitch about because we wont be able to win 30 games this year and next with the same overpaid underproducers.

[pathway23]

isn't Shane Battier a free agent this offseason? we could probably sign him to a mid level contract, I like him as much as graymule does..for the right price though. I think his market value is lower than it would be if he played more, Hubie has such depth and does his rotations in such a way that Shane only plays like 28 mpg...

[Weez]

SJax = contingent. Think about it. If he doesn't opt out (what's the date on that I wonder), he's here. Now, if we don't get a big name free agent/two guard then he could very well play a PROMINENT role on this team...something he seems to crave (though his game doesn't garner).

Yeah, he could opt out...and risk the waters again. If he goes to a winner, something he also prefers, he'd probably be relegated to the bench once more...would he settle for that? How MUCH more money is he going to get (he's at what, 2.0 or so here next year?). Things to consider.

Will he opt out early and try to go after thigns pre-draft? He risks giving up a lot by not staying here...but he could find himself in the same situation (non-starter) if we do sign a sg/sf

[Watchman]

"The Hawks finally have a GM that knows how to rebuild the right way."

You don't know that "he knows how to rebuild." Nothing has been rebuilt, only torn down.

We don't have a clue what Billy can or will do. We only know that there is some potential, which may or may not pan out. We also know that in the best possible world, it will probably be at least another five years before we can be competitive, to say nothing of actually contending for anything.

[pathway23]

I think you're way too pessimistic man, sheesh...I think it is a bit premature as well. Anything could happen this summer. Just make good decisions in the draft, get the best talent at the best price, don't count on Kobe but still try to lure him, thats all we have to do. All we have to do is count our pennies until after '05. True more teams have cap space then, but we will have as much as anybody else if we play this right and Kobe doesn't sign with us. I think Billy Knight is going to try to get guys to sign short contracts, 1 or 2 years if we have to settle for midlevel guys.

[Focus]

If we break up a team last yr and land King James or Melo kind of rookie he should be GM of the year. But this yrs draft? It is simply not a deep draft to rebuild ur team from. Let assume we trade JT for cap or picks in the summer and cat pick Alan H from us we will have Diaw/CC/Travis/? under contract. With 4 pick you have Diaw/CC/Travis/ + assume Howard/Livingston/Robert Swift/Anderson Varejao. And let say you sign JC/Q, your starting will be JC/Q/Diaw/rookie/rookie. Give it 3-4 yrs and it may do something with this line up.

[emeans]

I have read both sides of the fence in these debates about whether or not Billy Knight did terrible/good.

I personally think he did what needed to be done to this team and that is to totally blow it up. The question is "Did he do it in the right way".

I don't think any of use can definatively say this was good or bad until AFTER the entire offseason and we have drafted our picks and signed our free agents.

IT IS TOO EARLY TO GRADE ANYTHING PEOPLE!!

So far Billy Knight has done well on the BUSINESS side, now lets see if he can do well on the PRODUCT side.

Now I admit we probably should have been able to get a 1st rounder from Portland, but that was not the true purpose of that move. That move was totally for cap space and it was a very good cap space move.

Billy 1st agenda is to get us spending MONEY WISELY on contracts. Babcock and Co. have repeatedly overpaid players with ridiculus contracts for mediocre talent. He is trying to change that entire climate and have some cash. This alone is big to me. I hated when Koncak, Alan Henderson, CC, Ken Norman, etc.... got huge contracts for mediocre talent. THOSE DAYS ARE GONE.

So lets wait until after the draft and offseason before we come to judgement about Billy Knight. I personally give him my vote of approval to him.