Chad Ford DEFINITELY reads the Squawk

[Admin]

or at the very least JayWalkers articles. This is from this mornings Insider. Ford seems to be a bit pissed that he was basically discredited from the Hawks owner's and JayWalkers article.

Cash remaining: $10.7 million

Players added: Josh Childress, Jason Collier, Al Harrington, Josh Smith

Players lost: Michael Bradley (Magic), Stephen Jackson (Pacers), Jacque Vaughn (Nets)

Skinny: A member of the Hawks' ownership group objected to my characterization last week in a chat that the front office was a mess and that the ownership group didn't see eye-to-eye on everything. The information came directly from a number of GMs and player agents who have dealt with the Hawks this summer. However, he rightly pointed out the team has made progress. They've cleared more than $10 million in cap space, hired an up-and-coming head coach in Mike Woodson and made a great trade for Harrington.

Given where the Hawks were last season, those are all improvements. Still, cap space is only meaningful if you use it. The Hawks' excuse is that teams are overpaying for free agents and they don't want to fall into the same trap. It's tough to argue with that premise (I've been railing on teams for overspending all summer) but . . . cap space and a team full of shooting guards and small forwards (they've drafted six in the past two years -- Boris Diaw, Travis Hansen, Childress, Collier, Donta Smith and Royal Ivey) don't win games.

Whatever GM Billy Knight's vision is, so far it includes no bigs and no true point guard (Jason Terry will always be more comfortable at the two) -- a recipe for disaster in the NBA. The team has made two high-profile attempts to land free agents. Both have failed. Kenyon Martin turned his nose up at a max contract with the Hawks, choosing the Nuggets instead. Erick Dampier continues not to commit to the Hawks despite the fact that they're the only team with cap room willing to pay him more than the mid-level exception.

With the free-agent market thinning, the Hawks are running out of options. Damp will always be a possibility as long as a team he actually wants to play for doesn't figure out a sign-and-trade with the Warriors. Stromile Swift could be another option if the Grizzlies don't use him in a sign-and-trade first.

After that, there isn't much left. The Hawks can always try to use their cap space or Terry to facilitate a trade. Short of that, however, the team is on the verge of challenging the Bobcats for worst record in the league next season. That's not exactly the progress the new ownership was looking for when it headed into the offseason.

[macdaddy]

His commentary makes no sense. Are we supposed to overpay for an average center just to show we are doing something. We aren't going to be viewed much better off with Damp than without him. Its not BK's fault that there isn't much out there. He knows this year is just to lay the foundation so save your big money for real talent.

If he signs for reasonable money then great otherwise we can miss the playoffs just as easy with him as without him.

[Nicholasp27]

lol@collier is a swingman who was drafted by us in the past 2 years

gj ford!

way to show you know what you're talking about!

[Traceman]

Actually, I think Chad's response here is good. He concedes some things while leveling some reasonable criticism. We DO need bigs and BK has been unable to acquire them yet. That is true. However, I agree 100% with BK's decision not to overpay for bigs. He is acquiring the best available talent and perhaps later he can use that talent in trades for the big men we need. There is nothing written which says that we have to try to turn this thing around overnight. Better to wait until next year than overpay Damp or someone else this year just to plug a hole.

I think that those reading this article should recognize once and for all that Jaywalker is more connected to what the Hawks are actually doing on a daily basis than Chad is. That is certainly not a knock on Chad because he has responsibility for covering the entire NBA while Jay's efforts are tied directly to the Hawks. Jay gets his info from TEAM-related sources while Chad's info regarding the Hawks comes from agents (who are frustrated because the Hawks won't overpay their clients) and other GMs (who are frustrated because the Hawks won't make bad deals).

The bottom line is that I respect Chad and what he does and I think he does an OUTSTANDING job on the whole. But for the "best" info regarding the Hawks, look no further than our very own Jaywalker!

[Wretch]

What tha deally yo? Now what tha drilly yo? If you wanna battle Jay then CHAADYYYY let him know...!

Hoollaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

*lol*

[Diesel]

One thing for sure, nobody is really an insider....

I think that once the Hawks management figure out what they have in Jaywalker, they will use him the same way that Agents use Chad Ford. I mean can you blame them if they do? Especially now that they see that what Jay says can go National?!

[KB21]

Billy Knight isn't looking to turn this thing around quickly. He'd rather take his time and build something special than jump into this quickly and build a team that is good for the short term only.

This is all a process. Billy Knight is in the accumulation of talent stage of this process. Right now, positions are irrelevant to him. Talent is what is relevant. Billy knows he needs big men. He has stated numerous times that if he sees a big man walking down the street, he may give him a contract.

Billy isn't going to rush into this though. If he has to wait to get his center, then he will wait to get his center. Billy Knight doesn't let outside sources influence his decision.

[Weez]

Outside of Gasol...Memphis did this a couple of years prior. Drafting players, regardless of position...and trading some of them to fill team needs. it's worked pretty damn well there...even if you never see some of the guys on the floor...

[Wretch]

[AHF]

Me either - I just assumed Josh Smith was one of the 6 and didn't really read the names.

It is like Ford is saying that the Hawks are doing things the right way but that maybe they'd be better just giving in and doing things the wrong way like other teams. He really straddles the fence on that one.

I'd rather see the Hawks stay on their current path and once JSmith or another Hawk becomes a star then some of the other FAs in the NBA will be happy to take the Hawk's money. Until the Hawks have a star, there isn't a huge need to sign anyone to a long term contract.

[Gray Mule]

I agree with you.

Diesel Too. We are in no great rush. If we get good

pieces, we can build a winner.

If we blow it all, just because we can, we accomplish

nothing. Save it until you can get what we really

want, not just what someone else wants to sell us.

[TheDude]

i think most of us can agree that we almost expect josh smith or josh childress to end up being star material. with that being a given (although i know it's not), we don't want to end up with a 76ers or Raptors situation where you've got this star but can't get another one.

so yes, develop your players, try to pick up some young talent with potential, and once they are at a level of constitency and you know what you're going to get from them, then fill in your weaknesses with your cap space. keep your cap space until you need it for that time.

i like bk's actions so far, i have no reservations. i just want this dampier thing to go either way quick. and honestly if he does sign, i want to trade him the first day we can for swift and whoever else.

[perthwildcat]

I think you'll find Bk was the Memphis Gm too wasnt he or was it Stuge Jackson i dunno they had a new GM for every year they were in the league.

[Buzzard]

Chad Ford is pretty much just trying to find something to write about that will sell magazines; so he goes after our negatives.

1- We were not able to move up and get Howard or take one of the three decent sized point guards in the draft.

2- We passed on the shorter PG left in order to draft JSmooth. 3- We have yet to sign a big.

Chad has his ammo and he sells a magazine; so he writes about our backlog at SG/SF and us not getting what we need. He then tops it off with some hoakey article about BK not having the power to overpay a free agent, as if that is what BK wants to do.

The bottom line is how this year and the next two turn out and that does not sell magazines. He does not have the guts to state that Childress and Josh Smith could very well turn out to be cornerstones because then he would look like a idiot if he is wrong. As long as he talks about our lack of bigs and glut of SG/SF, he is right and therefore an "expert"

But I guarantee, if either or both Jchill and Jsmooth make the ROY team, he will be singing a different tune. Saying things like we are only one or two players away from being able to start consuming a steady diet of playoff games. And folks that is also what sells magazines and he will get to be right again!