Hawks News (6-20-04)

[HawkTodd]

Hawks News (6-20-04)

Ainge may try youth movement (6-20-04).

http://celtics.bostonherald.com/celtics/vi...articleid=32588

Hawks eye power move:

Hawks general manager Billy Knight has confirmed that he is attempting to trade up, with the sixth and 17th draft picks in hand, in an attempt to draft high school forward Dwight Howard.

The reasoning is simple enough. Though no one is about to put Howard in the same class as LeBron James, the hope is that the Atlanta-bred Howard can spark the same fever pitch in Atlanta that James provided by staying local in Cleveland.

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For now, Shaq & T-Mac to Mavs is wishful thinking (6-20-04).

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw....280415ad7.html

Briefly:

Del Harris still is awaiting word on Atlanta's decision on a head-coaching move. Harris has talked with the Hawks, but the team still has at least one other candidate to interview, Detroit assistant coach Mike Woodson. Harris is believed to be a front-runner for the position, if he wants it.

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NBA RUMOR MILL - Why The Magic Lost McGrady (6-20-04).

http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_8685.shtml

PROGONISTICATING:

CLIPPERS TRADE THE #2:

If the Atlanta Hawks get assurances that Orlando is going to pass on Dwight Howard, expect the Hawks to take a contract and the #2 pick off the Clippers hands, in exchange for Jason Terry and the #6, the Clips like Ben Gordon, and he’ll likely be there at #6. The Clips then have some room to pursue a serious center and don’t rule out Erick Dampier being seriously pursued by the Clip show with the money they earmarked for Kobe.

TERRY IN - QUENTIN GONE:

With a better than average chance the Clippers end up with Jason Terry in a draft day deal, its more likely than not Quentin Richardson is permitted to leave, not because the Clippers don’t like him or want him, but because Denver is going to plunk some serious cash on the table for Q, and the Clips may not be interested in matching it. With the Clips already invested in Corey Maggette and Elton Brand and talk that they will pursue a center in free agency, Q may be the odd man out of the bank book, simply because they get a similar player in Jason Terry in a deal with Atlanta.

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Iverson to the Raptors? (6-20-04).

http://www.foxsports.com/content/view?contentId=2502426

This one's not a rumor. The Bobcats have confirmed that they made an offer to the Clippers for the number 2 pick. We fully expect the Clippers to deal the pick; it is a question of whether it is with the Hawks or the Bobcats.

The Magic worked out Dwight Howard on Friday and seem to be set to hold onto the pick. If the Hawks move up to number 2, we'd guess the Magic have decided to go Okafor. If the Bobcats nab the number 2 pick, we'd guess the Magic is going Howard. We'll see.

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Nuggets after potential Lakers castoff (6-20-04).

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~90~2223606,00.html

Footnotes:

Indiana associate head coach Mike Brown and Dallas assistant Del Harris look to be the front-runners for the Atlanta Hawks' head coaching job.

Harris is currently coaching China's national team, which includes Houston all-star Yao Ming and former Mavericks draft pick Xue Yuyang. The team is practicing in the Dallas area, where it will play exhibition games.

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Who'll be Magic's next 'go to' guy (6-20-04).

http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJour...MAG01062004.htm

The workout will likely be the only one Howard holds for any team before the draft. He said he might meet with officials of both the Los Angeles Clippers, who own the No. 2 pick, and the expansion Charlotte Bobcats, who will pick fourth.

There have been reports that Howard will wind up with the Atlanta Hawks, who would trade the sixth and 17th overall picks for the Clippers' first-round selection. Those feelings might have subsided since Howard and his father, who is a Georgia state trooper and the athletics director at the school where his son just graduated, came to town.

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Okafor, Howard aren't locks for top pick (6-20-04).

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/stories....27bab9765.html

There is intrigue about the No. 2 spot in the draft, too. The Clippers have that pick, but are entertaining offers from teams that want to move up, notably the expansion Charlotte Bobcats and the Atlanta Hawks, who would love to get home-grown Howard to sell to their fans. Atlanta has both the No. 6 and No. 17 picks in the first round. If the Clippers believe they can get a player they like at No. 17 — Saint Joseph's point guard Jameer Nelson, in particular — they might be willing to deal with Atlanta.

“I know one thing,” said Denver Nuggets assistant general manager David Fredman. “We're not going to know where a lot of these guys are going to end up until the first round is over and all the trades have been announced.

“There's going to be a lot of hat-changing.”

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DRIVING THROUGH THE END OF THE SEASON (6-20-04).

http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_8688.shtml

ETD's mock 1st round:

6-Atlanta- G Ben Gordon UConn- He'll get drafted to be traded to the Clippers.

17-Atlanta- F Josh Smith Smyrna (GA) HS

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Okafor heads draft list of relative unknowns (6-20-04).

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/8969444.htm?1c

Dwight Howard, Mr. Basketball in Georgia this past season, also is expected to go near the top, with the hometown Atlanta Hawks perhaps looking to move up a few spots to ensure they get the high school standout.

Howard, 6-11 and 240, averaged 25 points and 18 rebounds per game for Southwest Atlanta Christian, which won the Georgia Class A state championship. But perhaps more important, Howard appears to be an 18-year-old with a maturity to go along with his game.

The Clippers are said to be listening to offers for their pick, and the Hawks are said to have interest. A report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution had the Hawks offering both their first-round picks (Nos. 6 and 17) to Los Angeles for the No. 2 pick and possibly another player. The plan then would be for the Hawks to take Howard.

Charlotte Bobcats coach/general manager Bernie Bickerstaff, whose teams owns the No. 4 pick, acknowledged he may be looking to move up to No. 2.

"There's a good possibility we can move to two," Bickerstaff said. "We're working on it. We're pursuing it. Now, it's out of our hands. What we would be willing to do is on the table."

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Howard has huge impact at SACA (6-20-04).

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/0...21hsimpact.html

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MOCK DRAFT, PHASE II (6-19-04).

http://forecaster.chicagosports.chicagotri...raft-MockDraft1

ROUND 1:

6. Atlanta Hawks: Andre Iguodala, SG, Arizona University (Sophomore)

Rumors still persist Atlanta will try to trade up to nab local high school hero Dwight Howard, but they don't have much to offer any team other than Jason Terry. If they can't get Howard, expect the Hawks to grab Iguodala. A phenomenal athlete, superb passer, and fundamentally sound all-around player, Iguodala could go even higher than this (but not likely lower). His stock is soaring after some dominant workouts.

17. Atlanta Hawks (via Nuggets/Bucks): Peter John Ramos, C, 7-4, 275 pounds, Criollos de Caguas (Puerto Rican summer league)

Much like Pavel Podkolzine, Ramos could be a huge steal or a huge bust. Whatever the case, he's certainly huge. There are only a couple of guys in the NBA right now who are taller, and he's shown enough skill and coordination to be an interesting project.

ROUND 2:

35. Atlanta: Trevor Ariza, SF, UCLA (Freshman)

Ariza is exactly the type of player the Hawks love to draft--tall, very athletic, versatile, and able to play defense. He's a little like their pick from last season, Boris Diaw-Riffiod, in that he looks and plays a bit like a young Scottie Pippen.

38. Atlanta: Jackson Vroman, PF, Iowa State University (Senior)

Where'd he come from? Vroman wasn't highly touted just a month ago but has wowed scouts lately, showing fierce rebounding and a nose for the ball at both ends. He's a big, strong, tough player who has 'NBA' written all over him. The Hawks need that kind of guy.

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L.A.'s best show in town -- As the Lakers turn (6-19-04).

http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?...03404146050.xml

In case you missed it, the Chinese Olympic team has a pretty good coach this summer, DEL HARRIS . The team, which includes YAO MING and three other seven-footers, will train in Texas through July 5, and play three exhibition games against the Mavericks' summer league squad. Now the only question is how Uncle Delmer will find the time to take over the Atlanta Hawks if they hire him. He's one of the six finalists, along with fellow assistants MIKE BROWN (Indiana), MIKE WOODSON (Detroit), DWANE CASEY (Seattle), JOHN MacLEOD (Denver) and MIKE FRATELLO.

[andycard69]

This is intresting we give up JT for the #2 and a contract. It works for me and everyone wins. LAC gets their PG and we get a PF as well as keeping our picks.

[Wretch]

I expect Howard to go #2, but true to Hawks ill-luck form, we'll probably be @ssed out by the same strange factor that has oddly screwed up our franchise year after year.

The current flavor of Screwin' the Hawks Over...?

Start with two large cups of TMac. How often is it that a star player just loses his wenis? What a whiney wuss...

Mix in a little expansion team jumping in the 1st year that we have a decent pick without Babcock at the wheel...

Sprinkle over the top a few trade throw-ins suddenly showing game, tapping us further and further away from the the bottom of the lottery and...

Viola!