Josh Smith

[delanceyj]

Honestly, Did anyone think this kid would be as good as he is this early? Was anyone expecting more? I for one was not anticipating him getting so many minutes. I heard all of the hype of his athleticism, dunking ability, but never imagined him being such a great shot blocker.. Opinions?

[Inside_Man]

Well the tip-off was the oft repeated remark of his high-school coach who said he was the most gifted athlete he ever coached. Now since he coached Carmelo, that means that his high school coach thought he was a better athelete than Carmelo. That's the hint that we got something special.

The shot blocking? That's atheleticism plus great timing. His timing seems to be a natural gift. No, I wasn't expecting it, nor was I expecting him to develop so quickly.

[emeans]

Not to toot my own horn. But I was the only one on this forum, with probably the exception of Diesel and maybe one more person, who before we drafted him I was saying we should draft him at 6. I even went on to tell people he was at one time the 2nd best prep rated player in the draft before he got a bad rap. People called me crazy for wanting to draft him at six. Now all of those same people are on the bandwagon.

Again I knew what we were getting and I was jumping for joy when he fell all the way down to 17. I thought there was absolutely no way he would fall that low. Thank god he got a bad rap by one or two insiders who are absolutely clueless.

I knew that was a steal from DAY 1!!!! Straight up highway robery at 17!!

[TheDude]

so how far do you think he'll continue to develop? at what level and statistics do you think he'll eventually be able to provide...

[JTFan31]

Well he can definitely develop and outside shot. It was nice seeing him drain 2 last night. I think once he develops his outside shot, and develop some good ball handling skills, not great, just good.......he will be a superstar in this league. We seen it with our very own eyes. He has great ahleticism, he can block a bunch of shots and alter them, he plays pretty good defense, he plays the passing lanes very well, flies up and down the court like a deer, hits the boards very very well....all he needs to work on fulltime is his shooting and his ball handling skills. Then he can work on his defense just to be an exceptional better than defender.

J-Smoove will be a star in this league, is written all over him.

Lets not forget about Chill, Chill can be a very good player in this league. All Chill need to do this offseason is work on his shooting and work on getting some pounds. He plays pretty good defense, handles the ball very well, great rebounder and is a great ahlete. These are the Hawks future.

Watch ATL.

[Wretch]

None of that really surprises me. I had NO IDEA that he'd slip as far as 17. I have never been as nervous in all my umpteen years of watching the NBA draft as I was watching Smith fall. I really wanted 2 high picks in last years draft. I wanted Howard and Deng/Smith (respectively) and didn't have a clue about Childress.

I knew that Smith was going to be able to block shots just by watching his prep games. And the way he scored in the halfcourt led me to believe he'd eventually become a PF. I wasn't sure about snatching him at #6, I really liked Deng, but I didn't think Smith would slip further than 10.

I scratched my head when BK drafted Chill, but after studying his footage, I was like, "Oh yeah. I can see where this is going." I was VERY satisfied with BK's pick and was left completely breathless that we landed Smoove at 17. At the same time, I expected both of these guys to contribute heavily to our offense. That was before we traded for Antoine Walker.

When we brought in AW, I saw EXACTLY what is happening right now. I came out and said that and everyone started with this bullsh#t about rookies and how they shouldn't get so much PT. But the bottom line is that lottery teams play their young guys - period. None of those teams are any worse off for the extended PT of their young guys.

Anywho, Smoove needs a J and he needs to start taking his game to the rim off the dribble. When he starts doing that, he will be a big time star in the league. The best comparison I've heard is Shawn Kemp. I think that's right on the money.

I get a different read on Chill, and remember this because it will be the next "toldja so" issue that I bring up in the future. If you put Childress in a position to lead this team, he's going to rise to the challenge. When he gets regular minutes and is assigned to a scorers role, he's going to score. He's going to do it in the half court and ESPECIALLY in the open court. He and Smoove are going to be a dunkin' duo and it will be glorious! I can only imagine adding a dynamic young PG to this mix.

Chill's moves to the basket are exceptional even at this early stage...and his game in the open court is so polished, defined, mature. I LOVE seeing him run the break. He's got crazy hops and a decent shot (yes, he does) and all he really needs is a fire under his ass, the opportunity to do something, and most importantly LESS PEOPLE ON THE COURT TO DEFER TO. That is Chill's #1 problem right now. Write it down: when BK moves people out of Chill's way, he's going to produce points, boards, and assists and he'll lead this team.

[ATL_BALLER]

I echo your sentiments, but would like to add that Smoove already has nice form on his J (and his free throws for that matter). He just needs to take it more - and once we ship AW out, we'll start running plays for him.

Actually, who needs a jumper when you can just THROW IT DOWN from fifteen feet out.

Also, I think Smoov, and especially Chill, need to hit the weight room. That's obvious.

[Diesel]

Well, this is mine... Funny, at this time, we didn't have Harrington but we were talking about him:

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So some of your assessment is true, Smith won't have the same type of rebounding numbers as Harrington and probably won't post up like Harrington. By that same token, Harrington is still not all that he should be.

But the fact that Smith's Coach Steve Smith... Put him in the category with: Stackhouse, Mello, and every other player that he has coached and said... Smith is better. On the floor, Smith is a difference maker. I watched the MAAG... For whatever reason, Smith didn't play a lot of minutes, but when he did get in the game, he had impact on both sides. You asked about JR Smith. I have said it before, I would not waste my time with JR Smith. He looked like a kid on the floor who hit a few lucky shots. He couldn't match the athleticism or court Saavy that I saw in Josh Smith in the 4-5 games I have seen him play...

I think Josh Smith will make an immediate impact if he gets enough playing time. Are we looking at next years D. Wade? Maybe. When It's all said and done...4 years down the road, I think it may be:

1. Howard.

2. Livingston.

3. Okafur.

4. Josh Smith....

5. Kris Humphries.

Who show to be the best of the class.

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You can view the rest at:

Hawksquawk talks Smoove

[Diesel]

One more:

Hawksquawk Predraft talk.

Yep, I would have taken him at 6. Too bad we didn't win the lottery and gotten both Howard/Smoove!!!!

[Inside_Man]

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and most importantly LESS PEOPLE ON THE COURT TO DEFER TO.

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That is such an important point!!!

Right now Smoove is playing like a #5 or #6 pick, while Chill is playing at about #10. So all things being equal, our picks are about 7 spots ahead of where we got them.

But Chill is only going to get better.

It will be interesting to see how this class of rookies shakes out. It might be one of the better ones in recent years for depth. Livingstone is still an unknown at this point in time.

[emeans]

Thanks Diesel!!! There is the proof before the draft. Let the record show I was saying it would be crazy if he fell to 6 and we didn't get him.

I couldn't remember who was giving me hell about taking him at 6......It was my old buddy Traceman.

Traceman said:

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Why MUST we draft him if he's there at #6? You guys are DREAMING if you think he is going to come into the league like Lebron and Carmelo and be an impact player off the bat. I think he is more like Jonathan Bender or best case Al Harrington in that it is going to take him some time to develop. If we do take him, fine. I just hope everyone doesn't expect him to do anything of significance until his 3rd year or so.

Actually, I thought JR Smith looked like the better prospect between the two in the McDonald's game. JR certainly has a FAR better J at this stage and he's just as athletic. JR lacks great handles and he's not as tall as Josh but I think he is the more skilled player at this point.

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Traceman is all good however. We agree on a lot of things but we didn't agree on Josh Smith being taken at 6.

KB21 defended me on Josh Smith however!!

[Packfill]

Lets just be clear here, as good as Josh Smith is he is no Lebron. Josh has a lot to work on before he is a superstar. I definitely think he has the ability to become one, but it is no given.

Just for comparison sake, Darius Miles as a rookie played 26.3 minutes per game and had averages of 9.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.5 blocks and a .505 field goal percentage. These numbers are very similar to what Smith is doing right now. Problem is, Miles has not improved that much. Yes Miles has had some injury issues, but the point is there are no guarantees and Josh needs to work extra hard to improve.

[Nicholasp27]

i posted to get smoove before the draft...in fact, a month before the draft, we thought we were gonna get him at #7...then his stock fell and i was AMAZED and ECSTATIC to get him at 17...people in the chat rooms kept complaining over and over during the draft, cause they wanted nelson at 17...

i kept telling people "a month ago u wanted smoove at 6, now ur upset at getting him at 17?!?!?" and people kept arguing it...

oh well, i can say "i told u so" to many people on here and realgm once walker is moved and chill proves to be a top 7 rookie...chill is just waiting for 25+mpg and no walker to defer to...

[Weez]

couldnt agree more...and this is why I'm thankful that we have Toine and Harrington here...guys who will take shots, feel that they're owed them...and not put so much of the burden on the newbies (see the Chitown plan that is only now having the glue, Heinrich and backcourt, to actually have confidence). These guys are learning to be 'in the flow of the game players' rather than having a tremendous amount of scoring load placed on themm...rather, we need them to defend first, score second.

JSmoove has great abilities...and the Darius warning sign is right on. Smoove's gotta learn to handle the ball. He blocks yes, and a large part of this is innate...timing, height, hops...and being a lefty. It's the other aspects of his game that he needs to work on...those that allow him to be an 'iso' player at times, not simply 'in the flow of the game.' That's what's needed to be a superstar. Dribble...pass....

[Employee8]

Wretch, don't you think it actually benefits the rooks to have someone else be the so-called #1 option/#2 option(Walker/Harrington) than having to be thrown straight into the fire and get burnt?

I don't know if this team even wins ONE game had BK not made the trades that he made to acquire AL and Walker. Also, I always thought having a veteran like Walker and Harrington would only help the rooks better develop in the NBA game....

Just what's wrong with that? Don't be so impatient about the Rooks not developing fast enough thanks to such-and-such. We are only NOW starting to rebuild THE RIGHT WAY and it will take time...BUT WE HAVE A FUTURE FINALLY! You should be happy.

[Wretch]

But there is an issue with having TWO who'll take 20+ shots per game, for 40 minutes a game, who are equal focal points of the offense, that (most importantly) play the exact positions of the guys you draft to be your future.

It's called a logjam.

It's one thing to have a bunch of established players who need PT. It's another to have rookies and young players who need meaningful touches and minutes to be playing behind guys who go the distance every night and take bunches and bunches of shots. These kids aren't babies. They need tutilage, but they don't need to be held by the hand. In fact, that will hamper their growth more than anything.

Take a look at Gordon, Hinrich, Duhon, and Deng in Chicago. These guys are IN IT. These guys are IT. Sure they'll lose some games, but they are learning to score, defend, and run and offense at a much greater capacity than our guys. They are being tested harder and they are responding. With the exception of Duhon (who has about 25 or so less), each of these guys has taken twice as many shots as our rookies.

Winning games isn't so important. The effect of losing does have a negative impact upon young players, but guess what? We are the second worst team in the league...take a look (standings) if you don't believe it. We are going to lose anyway, might as well put these young guns on the floor and let them find their games.

The problem here, which many are just refusing to understand is that we are not a playoff team and the way you play your young guys in that type of environment is different. In an established system, where veteran guys expect to make the playoffs, and the team is trying to win...you bring the young guys in slowly. If they are talented enough, they might get meaningful minutes and touches or even crack the starting lineup...but they have little room for error. When you have no established system, no identity, and no expectations for success you don't really worry about that.

You're not going to win, so you put these guys on the court. And you don't just put them on the court so that they can watch two guys chuck it up possession after possesion and have play called after play called for them. You don't just leave them out there to defer to the vets. You put them out there and let them find their game.

Chill is a leader...but he cannot rise to that challenge because there are two very big alpha-dogs pulling the sled. Smoove needs to practice taking the defense off the dribble in the half court. But his 200 shots are few and far in between the 1200 shots that Toine and Harrington have taken. Smoove and Chill are fighting over one position and Smith is actually OUT of position. He's learning the game as a 2 guard, when his size and talent is actually better suited to the 3. Chill is a leader and has the ability to score, break down the defense, and make others better...but he is either sitting on the bench, or watching Walker and Harrington.

Now, despite all this, I like what Walker brings to the team and I think that we just have a tremendous amount of talent here. When you are building a serious team, you can never overlook having too much talent - it makes you DEEP. I think it could work short term if we turn this thing around, but if not (and this is a very likely scenario) SOMEBODY'S GOT TO GO.

[unknownjdb]

Thanks for the link Deisel. I've actually been thinking about this post and was going to search it out over the weekend but you hooked a mofo up.

Okay, so I had Howard pegged wrong and boy does my post sound cheesy (hind-sight and sh*t) but you can see where I was ranking Smith.

I also am able to see now how I was way too hooked on JT (though he is playing good in Dallas).

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If we do land between 3rd & 6th these are the players that I would most want us to take...

1. Smith - I would really hate to pass up a kid that really has the potential to Kobe or Carter-esque. I love how Jackson is growing and all, but Smith is going to be a WHOLE lot cheaper. This may also save us from NEEDing to get Kobe or Tracy, although... JT/McGrady/Smith... hm?

2. Livingston - He would be an automatic fit. Sure, he's not a PF or C, but he can rotate with Diaw (who would also rotate with Jackson) and Sura (who would rotate with JT). This would be a very quick and diverse back court.

3. Howard - If he drops, which I sort of hope he doesn't. I don't trust the transition from HS for bigger players.

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On a side note...

You should have seen me jump out of my seat when we picked Smith. You could have compared my hops to him, HA!

[Blunt91]

Would you guys have been more happier if Billy Knight had of drafted Big AL Jefferson at the 6thpick? I thought that he was the 3rd best Powerforward in the draft after Okafor and Howard. Since we couldn't get Howard whom we wanted why not get the next best bigman? I guess Knight was too afraid of drafting two highschoolers but elected to get a guy in Childress with college experience. I love Chills game but Al could be a star in this league and if we trade Walker at the deadline we could have just moved Jefferson in the starting lineup instead of moving Harrington to Powerforward.

[unknownjdb]

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I love Chills game but Al could be a star in this league and if we trade Walker at the deadline we could have just moved Jefferson in the starting lineup instead of moving Harrington to Powerforward.

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That's the thing though, if we trade Walker at the deadline then we can move our players to their natural positions and have Chill in the starting lineup.

[Employee8]

Wretch, you mentioned that Chill is a Leader.

How do you figure that? When I look at him and see him play(which is not often 'cause of where I live), I just don't see what it is that makes you think he's a leader.

Hmm..well..I don't know...Maybe his AFRO is Blocking My View??