There is a 1:00 p.m. press conf. called today....

[MoonKnight]

at the Phil according to 680 the fan here in the ATL. They don't know the purpose of the conf. Maybe a trade will be announced. Maybe a coach will be named. Maybe BK will tell us nothing as usual (i.e. general talk about draft).

[Wretch]

That's supposed to happen AFTER the draft, and I believe there is still one person left to interview.

[JTFan31]

Really? has it started yet. I am here in Miami and can't watch nor hear, any one hears anything yet of importance?

[Lascar78]

hmmm.

I'm at work so I don't know.

I always get so excited whenever there's a press conf. 9/10 times it's nothing, but I just HAVE to be the first to know if it's something big... lol

[TheDude]

well...what happened?

[JTFan31]

Anyone has any news?

[TheDude]

was that 1pm pacific? what's going on?

[Plainview1981]

It doesn't say anything about a press conference on

Hawks.com

The radio was either wrong or it was a joke.

[Traceman]

Jaywalker is going to be in attendance so hopefully he'll let us know what the word is later. I don't think the purpose was to make a big announcement but rather to let Billy answer questions about the draft, etc.

I can't wait to hear how Billy spent an hour talking but saying nothing. Odds of us getting any clue regarding what the Hawks are doing are slim to none in my opinion. We'll probably just have to let the draft unfold and see what happens.

[Lascar78]

Haha. Here's a perfect example of Billy completely dodging a question:

How do you rate this group of point guards, as well as this draft in general?

"You really never know how they're rated until after their third year, because you can tell what they've turned out to be, and what's happened with them. It's hard to predict and project. But after the third year, you can ask me and I'll sound like I know what I'm talking about."

[Wretch]

Then an impromtu news conference would make sense. If they were planning a pre-draft news conference just to answer questions, that would have been announced long ago.

News travels fast though; so by now, we should have heard something.

[johnnyde]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/apphoto/pho...0235&sportId=46

nuthin.

[jaywalker72]

Sticking my stomach out to rest my arms, I look like Santa Freaking Claus...real good.

The biggest news of the conference and the ensuing conversation, which will be reported in full on RealGM tonight, was that Knight was willing to go up to #2 anyway, even if Howard was gone, indicating that Okafor had really impressed Billy.

Now, with the Bobcats jumping up (in a deal that the Hawks would have been hard pressed to match considering the probably player that Charlotte will pass over to LA), the Hawks are probably going to stay put, unless they move up from 17.

More in the RealGM article which, of course, I will be reprinting here on the Squawk.