This team looks totally differenct.....and DIAW

[Peoriabird]

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These statements are aimed at people who continually think that our most glaring weakness is a the point or 2 guard position when in reality those positions are no where near the level of deficiency as the 4 and the 5 position. So when people suggest all of these free agent signing involving Micheal Redd, Joe Johnson, Larry hughes or draft Chris Paul or Raymond Felton etc don't understand how to build a team.

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I agree that we don't "need" a 2. It would be nice however, to have a pure shooter on this team though to keep the defenses honest. Tony Delk in NOT a pure shooter. He does have the ability to knock down the 3, but he'll go 0-10 just as quick as he'll go 6-10. Not only that, but he forces a ton of shots. Our most consistant shooter is probably Peja Drobnjak.

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Give these guys time to develop please!!! Tony Delk is like antoine, He forces a lot of shots and that is why he shoots a low percentage. We need bigs!

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As far as actual needs, you are nuts if you don't think we need a point guard. Let me enlighten you on something. The last good point guard this team had was Mookie Blaylock. Consiquently, the last time we went to the post season was when Mookie was running the point. We have had MAJOR turnover problems ever since he left. Right now our point guards are Tyronn Lue & Royal Ivey.

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They had 26 assist last night with 14 turn-overs and moved the ball beautifully against a very athletic team. Give them a chance to gel!

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There are far more quality big men that will be available thru agency this year then there will be at the top of the draft. After Bogut, I don't think there is another big worth taking in the top 3.

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Like who? There are only like 2-3 very good centers in the entire league. I hope you are not referring to player like K. Brown & S. Dalembert as quality centers. If you are let me let you in on a little secret; They are projects!!!!!!!!!

[troubleman]

Yeah, and I still say he cannot play the point fulltime, which is why many people here still want to draft a point guard in the first round. I never stated that Diaw doesn't have a future here. I'm not one of the people who are always looking to trade the guy, but it is my opinion that he is better suited as a forward.

[Buzzard]

Here is your whole post. First one you made in this thread.

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Where are all of the we need Walker posters. Where are all of the we need a point guard posters. Like I have said before that the offense was stagnant because of Walker and the dumbazz post up Walker offense where he would hold the ball and force shots. What we need is a center that can rebound and play defense.

The reason we lost tonight (and I am glad we did) is becuase our inteior defense is terrible. And I repeat, our most glaring weakness is not at point guard and certainly not at shooting guard but at center and power forward. And for all of you Al Harrington critics, learn the game before you post again!

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Now here is your last,

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Help me out again. The statements being may are that he needs to be traded because he is inconsistent and that he will never develop into a #1 or #2 option on offense. How did we get to he won't develop as a power forward therefore we criticize him? He has been playing the small forward position the entire time that he has been here and that is his only position that you can evaluate. Walker played the 4. So if you have any criticism of his play it is at the 3 position. Even last night, he played mostly the 3 position. So I still don't know where you are coming from.

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My comment is YOU need to read the post on Harrington better. Most of them do not suggest he is a no talent player (though I did see a post that he is in the top 10 or 15 league wise in turnovers) but instead the reason for suggesting a Harrington trade is the fact that his best position (in quite a few opinions) is the 3 which the two Josh's should cover just fine.

So instead of telling people you do not know to "learn" the game. Pay attention to the post and what exactly is being written.

I hope Harrington and/or Josh Smith develop into an awesome four. But only time will tell and until that actually happens people will continue to ask the question . . . . why not trade Harrington and upgrade at a much weaker position. That is not a stupid question as far as I am cocerned.

[MoonKnight]

I am surprised there has been so little chatter about last night's game. I enjoyed last nights game probably more than any game this season. The guys actually played with a good bit of chemistry and heart. JSmoove tried to be a interior presence in the paint (I think he blocked 4 shots and just barely missed several others) but we are just too soft in the lane. Randolph bullied his way in the paint far too often. Big kudos to Harrington (who is playing in pain), JChill, JSmoove, Drobs and especially Diaw. Diaw actually did remind me of Pippen in the 2nd half.

I am disappointed in Obie. The dude, for his size, plays too soft. I disagree with Long about the little agrument with Pryz. IMO Joel would have beaten Obie senseless. Did you read Pryz's lips and the foul nasty comments he had for Obie? I guess Obie showed restraint. This loss did demonstrate our need for a good center, point, and one deadeye shooter.

[Plainview1981]

So you didn't even see the game and you are commenting about the point guard play and Harrington. Typical"

Lue has been in the league enough years and you can

see he is NOT a NBA starting PG. He never was and he

never will be. Harrington can't even help a team be

better than a expansion team. So how he is going to

carry a team to wins being it's best player? He doesn't

do enough things well to be a go-to guy.

It's not that Harrington is bad... Maybe the Hawks dont

have to trade him, but in the future they will need

players better than him to be sucessful.

[pathway23]

Hotlanta wants an all star team, NO role players allowed!

[Plainview1981]

Hotlanta wants an all star team, NO role players allowed!"

No. I simply don't overrate everybody that plays in

a Hawks uniform. Role players usally are good at

something... Tyrone Lue really isn't. He doesn't

defend very well, doesn't pass very well and he's

a poor shooter.

[pathway23]

Tyronn Lue is a solid backup PG, and a winner on a good team. He plays the game the right way and makes few mistakes. His assist to turnover ratio is excellent. His role is to come in the game and hold down the point, running the offense while limiting mistakes, and getting others involved. He is a good shooter imo for a PG and he penetrates well.

He just isn't a starter....Hots we're a rebuilding team. Lue isn't our longterm answer at starting PG. I know your desire to be negative overrides your reasoning skills.

[Plainview1981]

Tyronn Lue is a solid backup PG,"

What did I say? I said he wasn't a starting PG.

"He is a good shooter imo for a PG and he penetrates well."

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/tyronn_lue/index.html?nav=page

41%fg 29%3's is what you consider good shooting? Can I

have some of what you are smoking?

Anyway you look at it, Lue isn't a starter. And that

was the point I was originally making about him. So

upgrades have to be made there.

"I know your desire to be negative overrides your reasoning skills."

My desire is to be realistic. When somebody seemingly

questions my belief that Lue is not a starter I'm going

to speak on it.

[CBAreject]

I don't think he said that at all. It's not like we have 4 all-stars plus Harrington and Hots is complaining. You guys are talking about building around Harrington as a major piece at the 4. We might not be able to win with him as an integral part. We'd need a very good center (Bogut?)

Harrington is a fine player, but he's probably no better than a 3rd option on a contender. If we had Corliss Williamson on this team, playing 34 mpg, he'd be giving us 18 ppg and 7 rebounds, but we know he's not a first or second option. The problem is, we don't really have a true first option yet....or a second for that matter. We may develop one with Childress or Smoove, but neither looks to have pure scorer's mentality.

Harrington is fine, but we shouldn't be looking at him as a cornerstone right now. It may cost too much to keep him, too.

[Plainview1981]

Agree CBA.. I might be a tad harsh on some of the

things that I'm saying. But I just don't think you

can really build around him that way. He might prove

me wrong the rest of this year and next year. That

would be great, but I don't think it will happen.

[Spiral]

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Give these guys time to develop please!!! Tony Delk is like antoine, He forces a lot of shots and that is why he shoots a low percentage. We need bigs!

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I would like to see Delk traded next year. Delk is a 8 year vet, how much more can he develop? I don't see him as part of this teams long term future. We need Bigs huh? Thank you Captain Obvious, I think that is a given fact.

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They had 26 assist last night with 14 turn-overs and moved the ball beautifully against a very athletic team. Give them a chance to gel!

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That was one game against a bad Portland team. We shall see how they do as time goes on. Plus Portland is not known as a big steal team. They may be athletic, but they don't really play the passing lanes. The folks that really need to gel are Harrington, Diaw, the Joshes, Donta, Ivey & maybe Drobs. The rest of the guys probably won't even be with the team next year. There are 7 players on the current roster that will be unrestricted free agents after this season.

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Like who? There are only like 2-3 very good centers in the entire league. I hope you are not referring to player like K. Brown & S. Dalembert as quality centers. If you are let me let you in on a little secret; They are projects!!!!!!!!!

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Are you stating that someone we take in the draft won't be a project? Whoever we take will definitely go thru NBA growing pains. I am very high on Bogut and I would love for us to take him, but this years free agent crop of centers is way better than last years. The other good thing is that there won't be very many bidders for the talent out there. Only the Hawks, Bobcats, Hornets, Cavaliers, Bulls, Clippers and Sonics will be real players in the free agent market. To answer your question of who will be out there this year, read below... I'm even going to take the time to give you my own evaluation of each player.

1.Stromile Swift 6'9 225lbs – If I’m BK, he would be near the top of my free agent list. However, I hear New Orleans plans to come after him hard. Only 6’9 but plays much bigger. He’s got good strength and athleticism. He would be the ideal person to defend someone like a Zack Randolph on the block. His offensive abilities are not very refined, but he makes up for it by the way he hits the glass on both ends. He’ll be the best available defensive power forward this year in free agency.

2.Tyson Chandler 7'1 235lbs – One of the best shot blockers in the game today. Long wingspan and a good leaper. Similar to Swift in that his offensive abilities are limited. He is a great help side defender and runs the floor very well for a big man.

3. Samuel Dalembert 6'11 250lbs – You’re correct in the fact that he’s somewhat still a project, but his game is on the rise and this has been noticed by several GMs around the league. He’s another good shot blocker with excellent athleticism. His offensive game is improving. At this point, I’d say it’s better than Chandler’s or Swift’s. He would be a good young big man to bring in and grow with our youngsters.

4. Eddy Curry 6'11 285lbs – He has the best offensive game of any center on this list. It’s a rarity these days to find a center with a legitimate post game anymore. This guy has a good one. The times I’ve seen him play, he seems to lack intensity on the defensive end. He passes well off the block. If we had shooters to kick to, I think he’d be very effective. The fact that we don’t means that the opposition would just crowd the lane and dare us to shoot.

5. Kwame Brown 6'11 248lbs – At this point in his career, I think it’s fair to say he has been a bust. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have the ability to play though. He’s had several things not go in his favor since he’s been in the league. He clashed with Jordan, he’s been on the injury list multiple times and he doesn’t get a ton of playing time to develop because he has Brendan Haywood in front of him. I think the best thing for him is a change of scenery. I know the kid would like to come back home to Georgia. He does have great athletic ability and he’s always had the ability to block shots. He is very foul prone though. Maybe Woody can break him of that.

Others we may want to consider:

1.Dan Gadzuric 6'11 240lbs - A steady center. Sound defensive fudamentals, but will never be an elite player. Has very little offensive game.

2.Donyell Marshall 6'9 230lbs - Plays both forward positions. A very good rebounder & scorer. Good team guy and veteran presence.

3.Vladimir Radmonovic 6'10 234lbs - A Euro type center who would rather play outside than in. Kind of like a Drobs, but with deeper range.

4.Zydrunas Ilgausakas 7'3 260lbs - A very good center who will most likely be retained by the Cavs with the Bird rights. We could get him if we really wanted, but we'd have to overpay.

5.DeSagana Diop 7'0 300lbs - Good low post defender. To be a 300 pounder, he plays on the perimeter way too much on offense. If he ever develops a post game, he will be dangerous with his size.

6.Jerome James 7'1 272lbs - Decent shot blocker with no offensive game. Sonics will likely hand him his walking papers.

[Peoriabird]

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1.Stromile Swift 6'9 225lbs – If I’m BK, he would be near the top of my free agent list. However, I hear New Orleans plans to come after him hard. Only 6’9 but plays much bigger. He’s got good strength and athleticism. He would be the ideal person to defend someone like a Zack Randolph on the block. His offensive abilities are not very refined, but he makes up for it by the way he hits the glass on both ends. He’ll be the best available defensive power forward this year in free agency.

2.Tyson Chandler 7'1 235lbs – One of the best shot blockers in the game today. Long wingspan and a good leaper. Similar to Swift in that his offensive abilities are limited. He is a great help side defender and runs the floor very well for a big man.

3. Samuel Dalembert 6'11 250lbs – You’re correct in the fact that he’s somewhat still a project, but his game is on the rise and this has been noticed by several GMs around the league. He’s another good shot blocker with excellent athleticism. His offensive game is improving. At this point, I’d say it’s better than Chandler’s or Swift’s. He would be a good young big man to bring in and grow with our youngsters.

4. Eddy Curry 6'11 285lbs – He has the best offensive game of any center on this list. It’s a rarity these days to find a center with a legitimate post game anymore. This guy has a good one. The times I’ve seen him play, he seems to lack intensity on the defensive end. He passes well off the block. If we had shooters to kick to, I think he’d be very effective. The fact that we don’t means that the opposition would just crowd the lane and dare us to shoot.

5. Kwame Brown 6'11 248lbs – At this point in his career, I think it’s fair to say he has been a bust. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have the ability to play though. He’s had several things not go in his favor since he’s been in the league. He clashed with Jordan, he’s been on the injury list multiple times and he doesn’t get a ton of playing time to develop because he has Brendan Haywood in front of him. I think the best thing for him is a change of scenery. I know the kid would like to come back home to Georgia. He does have great athletic ability and he’s always had the ability to block shots. He is very foul prone though. Maybe Woody can break him of that.

Others we may want to consider:

1.Dan Gadzuric 6'11 240lbs - A steady center. Sound defensive fudamentals, but will never be an elite player. Has very little offensive game.

2.Donyell Marshall 6'9 230lbs - Plays both forward positions. A very good rebounder & scorer. Good team guy and veteran presence.

3.Vladimir Radmonovic 6'10 234lbs - A Euro type center who would rather play outside than in. Kind of like a Drobs, but with deeper range.

4.Zydrunas Ilgausakas 7'3 260lbs - A very good center who will most likely be retained by the Cavs with the Bird rights. We could get him if we really wanted, but we'd have to overpay.

5.DeSagana Diop 7'0 300lbs - Good low post defender. To be a 300 pounder, he plays on the perimeter way too much on offense. If he ever develops a post game, he will be dangerous with his size.

6.Jerome James 7'1 272lbs - Decent shot blocker with no offensive game. Sonics will likely hand him his walking papers.

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I agree with your first two I would love to have Chandler and/or swift, but Curry plays no defense and doesn't rebound. You know how I feel about 3 & 5. Gadzuric has no game. Donyell is to soft & would be a stop gap player anyway. Z is the man but the cavs are not going to let him walk. Dalembert, Diop & James would be considerations for the right price. Can you tell that I like interior defense.

[Weez]

you do realize that you were trying to assemble a list of 'centers'...and yet included Donyell Marshall (whom I like, but definitely not a center) and Vlad Radmonovich...also, NOT a center...more of a 3 than a 4 actually...