Don't worry

[codyatl]

We may well lose out on howard, which granted will suck, but that doesn't mean the end of the world. We will still be able to get somehting that we need VERY badly, a pg. Livingston, harris and god forbid gordon will still be there at 6. well 2 of them anyway. I personally will cry, no, puke if we draft gorden. Pt is it isn't the end of the wrold if we don't get howard. I think livingston will be there for us to draft at 6. then at 17 we can get a serviceable big man like jefferson or harrison. If we come out of this draft w/ either livingston or harris I will be happy about it.

I can't believe that there are actully people on this board that are wanting to draft ben gordon. Have you seen JT? granted gordon may be a little better passer but he is tsill no true pg. no more combo gaurds please. give me harris or livingston, preferrably livingston becasue of his size. Oh, and by the way, we could still wind up w/ howard in 3 or 4 yrs. Who's to say he will not go straight to fa and come home to play for the hawks. great situation. he developes w/ someone else and comes here to domintae.

[Wretch]

...but JT has redefined the role - in a bad way. It's not all his fault, but I don't expect guys to come in and turn out like him. People that pass on talent because of what happened with JT are going to shoot themselves in the @ss.

First of all, PG is the MOST DIFFICULT position to play in the pros. Players come in, even with years of college PG experience, and struggle mightily to adapt. However, they are forced to sink or swim. Usually, the good "combo" guards turn out like Francis, Davis, or Marbury.

JT is an example of what could happen, not what will happen... Guys like Gordon come into the league ALL THE TIME. This hasn't changed over the years. The difference is how they were developed. LENNY WILKENS AND LON KRUGER COMPLETELY F#CKED UP JT'S DEVELOPMENT. They molded him into what he is and establihed him to the league as a SG in a PGs body. Now the world thinks that there is a new type of player coming into the league.

[Diesel]

Lenny was molding JT into a PG... He sat him on the bench until JT learned how to play the position. It was only until JT took over for JJ in Kruger's regime did we start the 3 years of JT being a "Guard" with no other distinction. JT really believes he's that. The truth is that JT has never really had a great Basketball IQ. Lenny was resigned in Making JT the starting PG when we drafted him... But after some brutal beatings on the court, Lenny had to save JT's fragile confidence because I remember being there the gospel night that Mookie Blaylock came to town and went for 20 with 14 assist or so and made Jt look like a sack of bile. I remember watching NVE have a career night against JT when he played Denver. I remember Sam Cassell calling for the ball on every play when we played Milwaukee. I remember us playing Miami and Pat Riley torturing JT with ???? I can't recall the two players, but they ran Token pressure on JT and about 5 times in a row they got a turnover, a throw away, or JT couldn't make it pass halfcourt.

But the ugliest thing I remember is JT defering to JR Rider on every offensive set. JT wouldn't run an offense, he would take the ball as far as he could, give it to Rider and go set up for his shot..... And this is where Lenny's problems with Rider started. He took over the offense and would shoot every shot and JT was not smart enough to know not to do that. He still does it. Because he's not a PG...

[Lascar78]

I highly doubt livingston is still on the board at 6. If he is, I'd be extatic if we got him.

[Traceman]

at all. It is amazing to me that Gordon played the EXACT same role for U Conn that Jason Williams played for Duke yet MANY people thought Williams should have been taken #1 overall AHEAD of Yao Ming. Gordon had Taliek Brown just like Williams had Chris Duhon. I think that Gordon is as talented and explosive as Williams was yet he is LESS turnover prone.

[Wretch]

He was more concerned about winning than he was about developing players; when it was apparent that we were in a developmental phase. As soon as JT would make a mistake, Lenny would yank him...eventually to the point where JT would only get sparing minutes in the waning moments of games. He wanted to bring him in slowly, but it got to a point where Lenny locked him outside of his 6 man rotation.

I know that Kruger did the most damage, but Lenny set it up for him.

[Weez]

funny taht you say that with so much distate/disparity....because Pop's done the same thing with Parker for three straight year, often to the ire of Parker...

but he eventually figured out what Pop wanted. It's why he now sings the praises of Pop's tough love and has realized, now, that it was the right way, that he's a much, much better player because of it....

even this season, Pop was routinely pulling Parker in the 4th, not allowing him to play. Now...well, you know. Is he faster, stronger, or a better shooter than JT? NO. Was he a better pg when he came into the league...no. But most outside of Atlanta homers wouldn't take JT over Parker if given the chance.

[Diesel]

This is TRUTH...

[OGRat]

I agree D. I'm a big believer that attitude is huge portion of performance, and JT does not have a winning attitude.

My only wish is that, if we can deal JT, we can deal his straight up for comparable value. I would not like having to throw something or someone in to get a deal. I'd rather sit JT on the bench, than get rid of Diaw without compensation or give up a pick without getting a higher one back.