Since when did Stephen Jackson............

[jezmund]

Since when did Stephen Jackson become some budding star? 7-8 million for him? Are you sure you want to spend our money that way? All he did was put up numbers playing street ball. Maybe you saw something that I didn't. When I think of Stephen Jackson I think of an athlete who shoots errant 3-pointers and that's about it. I would say that I didn't watch too much Hawks the last 15-20 games or so. But I hope I never judge a player based on one-fourth a season. So how do we judge Mr. Triple-Double Bob Sura? Is he worth big money, too? The #'s of our players at the end of the season should be forgotten. Didn't Chris Crawford average like 15-17 ppg? Someone has to get numbers no matter who is on your team. I'll pass on Jamal Crawford (especially if we are going to keep JT, which I hope we don't) b/c we don't need to guys that just seem to worry about their own #'s who haven't won a thing in their professional career. I'd rather pick up a Kirk Snyder or a Luke Jackson-type and let them develop them throw a bunch of money at Jamal Crawford or Stephen Jackson.

[Blunt91]

I was sort of thinking the same thing. If we could get lucky and get both Jackson&Synder there would be no room or need to sign Bobby Sura. Stephen Jackson might be okay at 5million per year but that's it. Jacks would also take up playing time from guys like Luke, Boris Diaw, Snyder and Hansen. Those 4 make a good young core don't you think??

[Vol4ever]

Well I would disagree on both suran and jackson. Jackson showed as go to guy he could score on anyone in the league. Sura has to be resigned he can do it all off the bench.

I'm not against the rookies but we need some veterans on the roster to provide a spark and leadership

[MoonKnight]

of the season. I was not initially a SJ fan but he made a fan out of me. I was very impressed with the cerebral strides he made on the O end. He showed he could score in many ways. When he had a smaller guy on him, he would take him in the post and score. He slashed to the rim more in the 2nd half of the season and became adept at drawing fouls. He showed the ability to hit not just the 3 but the midrange jumper as well. SJ now has a multi-dimensional offensive game which I don't think will go away just because he signs a big contract. Keep in mind that SJ is Kobe's age so he is about to hit his prime. While I would not overpay for him I hope he is a big target in our FA hunt.

[Wretch]

There was a lot of talk going around before the season about how Robinson was such a cancer and how if we just got Stephen Jackson, how much of a difference he would make. I wasn't buying it, and I certainly wasn't convinced that he could do anything outside of Duncan's shadow.

What really draws me to Jackson is his toughness. He's a guy who is mentally and physically ready to get it on night in and night out. I knew he could shoot the ball, but I had no idea that he could attack the lane like that...or that he even had a decent handle.

He isn't the star player that you build around, but he is one of those pieces that will get you there. He'd be a perfect fit for just about any contending team...including the one that let hem get away. He'll get some offers this off season, though I'm not sure if he'll get as much as 8 million.

If the market is willing to pay him that much, then you can expect Billy Knight to try and match it.

[jezmund]

I wouldn't quite consider Jax a veteran, yet. He was apart of the Spurs championship but it had a lot to do with TD/Drob/Parker/Bowen etc....

[jezmund]

5M is cutting it close to me. Something around the Mid-level exception might be fair but it's more along the lines of, I'm not sure Jax is a player we should build around. Luckily, the draft is before FA signings so we know what holes we need filled.

[Weez]

it simply depends on what salary you equate to "placing expectations" on a player. If someone were to be offered 7 mil average for this team, like JT....imo, that's not saying you're our guy, number one option....things just get mucky with us given our lack of a true, defined number one offensive option....that was Jax after the trade. it's difficult. again, much will be known after th order, and moreso after we actually draft.

Here's how a see SJax.

bio: a 6-8, 218 lb true small-forwrd. He declared out of high school (Oak Hill) in 1997 and was selected by the Phoenix Suns in the second round of the 1997 NBA Draft, with the 43rd overall pick. Regardless of his motives, it appears that he declared too soon as he was cut by the Suns in training camp. After bouncing around in various minor leagues, he gained a chance on the then Vancouver Grizzlies squad in ’99 but was again cut during camp. After finally finding a home in 00-01 with the NJN, he played one season there before signing on with the San Antonio Spurs. During their championship year, he showed his aggressiveness, ability to hit a big 3, and established his place in the league. Declining their offer of a 3 year, 10 million dollar offer, he signed on with the Hawks for less money in order to better show his worth…in hopes of a higher, more long-term deal.

Pros: one of the few true SF’s in the league today, Sjax elevated his game in Atlanta after the team demolished their roster at the trade deadline. Good size, aggressive, simply wants to win. Unlike many, Sjax doesn’t mind playing both ends of the floor, though the offensive end is his bread and butter. Above average defender with fine footwork and mobility, including laterally, he can defend most sf’s in the league…can play above the rim, exhibits a tremendous drive to win. Explosive player, he can finish on the break/in the lane with force and has learned to draw the foul to a decent degree. Has a certain clutch factor from downtown. At 26, he should be entering his physical and IQ prime, thus appears to be on the verge of truly establishing himself as a consistent threat in the league, though most likely not true All-Star status.

Cons: often opts for the spot up three. Sjax’s love affair with the 3pt line can get exuberant at times, especially given his 34% (33% LT) 3pt%. He has worked on developing a pull up mid range game, though this is still an area of concern. His handles are slightly above average for a SF, though when he swings to the guard position, his deficits in this area are noticeable. He exhibts a tremendous drive to win, something that sometimes gets him into trouble if he’s “feeling it” and fails to back up these feelings. Has some difficulty on the more post oriented players like Jamal Mashburn but generally masks this with more aggressive play/tenacity.

01-02 SAS 23 1 9.9 .374 .250 .706 .10 1.00 1.10 .5 .65 .13 1.00 1.30 3.9

02-03 SAS 80 58 28.2 .435 .320 .760 .80 2.80 3.60 2.3 1.56 .38 2.20 2.50 11.8

03-04 ATL 80 78 36.8 .425 .340 .785 1.20 3.40 4.60 3.1 1.78 .25 2.79 2.70 18.1

Career 260 177 27.2 .426 .329 .761 .80 2.60 3.40 2.2 1.42 .26 2.12 2.40 12.

[Diesel]

I say that Stephen Jackson is a perfect transition star for our upcoming superstar.

I think if we keep the run & gun type offense there are some things we definitely need and some things we definitely need to get rid of....

First... If we get the first pick....

We need Howard. He is a running PF. However, if we take him, we need Jax to go along with him. Why Jax? Jax has shown that he can carry an offensive load. While I didn't like the way Jax played when Reef/Theo was here, he has always showed a few things.... Leadership (the real kind and not that stuff JT tries to pass off), defense, and offensive ability... I think because of that, he would be a good person to have to be here to tandem up with Howard. Of Course, Howard will definitely be a greater star than Jax... But having Jax here will take a lot of pressure off Howard.

We would need both Sura and another 2 guard with handles...either Luke Jackson or Snyder... Because of tempo and defense and leadership, I'm thinking Snyder...But Luke's all around game is just as tempting.

With Sura in place, we can then look at PG. JT is cool.. However if I could move JT for another lottery pick... and get Harris i would do it. Why Harris? Well, mainly because I think that he would fit and he's cheaper than JT. I haven't seen much chemistry from JT and now see him as being a liability instead of an asset. I mean with all of the surrogates that we have brought in, JT doesn't improve. I say trade him to Utah or whoever will take him and get Harris or Nelson with an extra First. Then pick up either Brevin, Troy, or Kenyon.... i.e. another fast PG who can play some defense to be a BU PG.

At some point, we have to think about moving Diaw. Diaw is a good defensive player but is not uptempo and will not take time from Jax... because of that, I would probably use him to make JT more valuable...

Now we can stop the presses on Harris or Nelson if JT/Diaw/ some 2nd rounders will get us Francis.

However, with Jax and Sura... It's not a matter of Numbers. It's a matter of chemistry in the kind of system we want. It was more than Street ball, it was chemistry that caused guys who everyone thought was destined to fail to look good. Now, we add to that Howard... and replace JT with Francis and the next thing you know we are deep in the playoffs.

[DominiqueWilkins]

Alot depends on the money they are wanting, but I can look past Stephen Jackson and Bob Sura.

I defently don't want the Hawks to resign Bob Sura, not that he wants to resign here. I much pefer the Hawks focus on bringing up a draft choice or sign Jamal Crawford, if Jason Terry is shipped out. Bob Sura is very injury prone and hasn't proved anything for years to come. Now people want to resign him after his short stay with the Hawks? Wow he showed he can do many things, and playing for a contract.

Stepehen Jackson I would resign if he fits into our plans. He showed he can rack up big scoring numbers when he is the center of attention. I don't want to see him get a large contract, and I don't think he is worth one. He wants 6 years? That is out of the question as far as i;m concerned. He is looking ahead if he is traded at some point, and not knowing what type of player he would become on another team. He is a role player but can become more than that as we saw from his short-ternm with the Hawks. I can see Sepehen Jackson being our starting small forward for years to come which doesn't bother me at all, and I'm happy to know Knight most likely wont overpay for him.

I would look to sign him for 4 years 5 million per, and nothing more.

I am looking past both Bob Sura and Stepehen Jackson. If the Hawks resign them so be it, but I hope they wont consider Stephen Jackson.

As I stated above I much perfer us bringing up the draft selections, or adding a much better player in free agency.

[Weez]

I agree with you on SJax and Howard. SJax would likely mentor him off the court, to some regards, in terms that they were both HS - NBA players. And on his leadership. The price tag will determine a lot of it, and somehow I feel that the L will determine his price tag, not the Hawks. Not sure whether this is good or bad.

I'd probably do JT for Harris (filler somehow though), yet the thought of starting that many young guys frightens me to death. Not winning will piss the hell out of SJax, but he'll push on...I just worry about the effect on young guys, namely Howard (should it happen) ~ Imo it's part of what led to Reef's complacency ~ he was never forced to raise his game and cut down on mistakes while in VAN cause they were so far out of contention for half the season, every year. exhibit 1b, the baby bulls, who were projected to make the playoffs by many, and fell woefully short, woefully. That's my worry.

Comparison would be the Heat ~ you know that the playoff push, which turned out better than any could have imagined, most likely boosted the confidence of Wade and Odom, the latter who needed the redemtion and national acclaim more than most would think. He's back on the map as a star now. Consistent losing hurts....it's a big risk.

I still attest that for all our talk and work in getting cap space, Sura is most likely gone. The now 34 year old Sura, who thrived in Atlanta in an open offense with he as a cog, has played all games in a season once (7 years ago). His last year in GS he played 55 (45 starts)-78-55 ~ those are his gmplayed during the last three years there. I'm discounting Detroit as they didnt' use him. Now he wants a three eyar deal to finish out his career, one that, at last glimpse, had him sitting on the bench in Atlanta due to injury, again. Money will solely decide the viability of his returning to Atlanta.

[DominiqueWilkins]

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I just worry about the effect on young guys, namely Howard (should it happen)

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Exactly, makes me remember the talent the Clippers had, and they couldn't come together as a "team".....

Dwight Howard needs sometype of Vet on this team, so he can grow, and mature even more.

I know when I talk about the Hawks right now, I leave Dwight Howard out of the mix until I know we have a chance to select him.

We will find out tonight if we will be able to draft him, or if we will have to trade up to draft him. I don't want to see to many young guys around him, trying to do the sametype of things he is.

Stephen Jackson can work with him well, and that is another reason to resign Jackson if we have Howard.

I don't think Jason Terry can do much for Dwight Howard, and we all know there isn't anyone else on our roster....Oh wait....Alan Henderson? LOL Lets not mention him.

If we draft Dwight Howard I hope Dominique Wilkins gets into his life, and that goes for any of our young draft choices.

[Weez]

not to be misquoted, a cited that in regards to the losing, not the "vets" on the team. I think JT, SJax, and Diaw, Hendu too, would readily accept him into the fold. Various reasons, but they all would imo.

[DominiqueWilkins]

I think they all would accept him, and try to teach him things. I don't see Henderson being a very good person to look up to, because he wont be around long.

Jason Terry is a very good guy, but I doubt he can do alot of things with Dwight.

Boris Diaw and Dwight Howard can work on there game together.

I just think the best fit for Dwight is Dominique Wilkins, and he is someone Dwight can look up to/respect. Dwight Howard has to be a fan of Dominique living in Atlanta, and I think Dwight would haev opens ears unlike some past Hawks draft selections.

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not to be misquoted, a cited that in regards to the losing, not the "vets" on the team. I think JT, SJax, and Diaw, Hendu too, would readily accept him into the fold. Various reasons, but they all would imo.

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