Sure You Don't want AL out?

[hotboyj]

Since Walker has been traded Harrington has only lead the Hawks in scoring six times out of the 20 games we've played since Toine's departure. That means he isn't the best player on the court more than 50% of the time. When walker left we told him that it would be his team. He stepped up for the game after that, and we hardly heard from him since. Meanwhile Childress has done it 5 times. That is pretty good for a #6 pick rookie compared to a 6-year veteran. We really need to see if Indiana will take him back now that Reggie is retiring and no one knows if Artest will ever pcik up a basketball again. We would give them AL and our last 2nd for their first rounder. We'll even throw in a couple of dollars since we have an excess of it. We play better when Harrington isn't in the game trying to be the go to man when he isn't. He is really a complimentary player wihout a doubt. He'll make the open shot, go strong to the basket and every now and then make a nice pass. He is clearly not the star of the team and his 15 pts off of 4-15 from the floor is really showing it. Get some high-schooler with the pick that means Louis Williams, Monta Ellis, CJ Miles, Brandon Rush, or Shawne Williams. Blatche can wait for the first pick in 2nd round, because he doesn't care where he gets drafted. All he is thinking of is getting him and his family out of the ghetto. A half a mil will do him wonders.

We need to look for players that have one great attribut or are jack of all trades like Childress. We aren't looking for a star. We are looking for players who consistently contribute and don't care about anything but the win. If you can teach a dog early on to like cats he will. Same for the prep to pros. If you teach them they don't have to be a star then they won't be. We all know we don't want another Shaq v. Kobe going on down here.

[KBatPCSOM]

Leading the team in scoring doesn't mean you are the best player.

Al Harrington is a very, very good player, the best on this team. For whatever reason, some of you have this instant gratification syndrom where if a player doesn't become a superstar overnight, he's not any good.

I'm just glad most of you don't call the shots for the team and that Billy Knight does. I know what Billy sees in Al, and Billy has no desire to trade Al no matter how many fans think the team should just continue to get younger, and younger, and younger.

Al is a 25 year old player who is averaging 17 and 7 from the small forward spot and defends his position very well, and some of you want to trade him for well below market value.

[cyman3]

at $5 million or so a year... id ATLEAST keep him- to be our 6th man off the bench.

u know?

[Weez]

but you enter into the predicament of is he then worth the subsequent raises that 'continuity' seems to represent in today's NBA...that is unless you think that the upcoming CBA will change that culture to a degree....

[Dakin]

hes definitely not worth a big contract so I doubt he's part of the long term plan unless he shows something next year.

[TheDude]

wow, you want to send Al Harrington AND a 2nd rounder AND some cash for a low 1st rounder.

are you nuts? you don't have to like him or think he's good enough for the 1st option, but god bless man, the guy is worth more than that......

low first round picks don't automatically turn out to be better than Al Harrington....

we have to keep this at least reasonable when we consider trade options.

and everyone MUST keep this in mind...every person on a team doesn't have to be a superstar..true harrington isn't a main man, but can definitely be a piece of the puzzle if not more..

we need to focus on point guards and centers, not trade away a piece and then have to find a replacement..

[TheDude]

and i can't emphasize this more..WE NEED TO MAINLY FOCUS ON SIZE AT CENTER! read woodson's comments after today's game where he said we were giving up easy layups left and right at the beginning of the game..

BK is not about to trade a starting position just because he thinks that MAYBE a draft pick may end up being better when we've got other positions of need..

[hotboyj]

I'm not saying trade him because I think we will draft someone better. I'm saying let's trade him, because him gone will make the team better. Al is trying too hard and forcing shots when he doesn't have them. He isn't the playmaker or passer that Walker is yet he tries to do everything that Walker does. Which includes a horrible shot selection. If anyone watched the game last night you could see that when the offense wasn't being ran through AL we would start to go on little runs. Harrington as many of you said would be a great 6th man. That is what he is. He has had a long time to become great and we have given him the opportunity. He just isn't able. If we can get someone who can score without plays being ran to them we should do it. If it is some high schooler or foreigner lets do it, because Harrington isn't ready to be the leader, and I don't know if he ever will.

[bballfan]

I knew that minute Antoine was gone that someone would start the

Al is the problem threads, lets trade him"

Al is a great player and so is Josh Childress but if you want a team of 12 equal players you might as well start rooting for the Memphis Grizzlies who are never going to win a title. That is what 12 equal guys does for a team because in the playoffs you need a name to get you the calls.

[Plainview1981]

Quote:

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Al is a great player

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Great? I think Not

He however is better than a late first rounder. There

is nobody on the Hawks roster that is going to be a

superstar. Good players and possible allstars, but

I don't think anybody on the team is going to be

a superstar. You can point to Detroit, but I believe

them to be a fluke. They didn't look like a great

team before they played the Lakers last year and

they don't look like a great team this year.

Trading al wouldn't bother me, but even as much as

I don't like him he is worth more than that.

[bballfan]

with all due respect no one at this board likes anyone but Josh Smith and that is because he won the slam dunk contest.

Al worked very well on thge Pacers last year because he had talent around him. The Hawks have some talent in Childress and Delk but Al can't do it alone. No even MJ could.

Dominqiue practically had to do it alone and we never came close to winning a title.

[Admin]

As a matter of fact Childress is my favorite player on the team and I have defended him from day 1, just as many others here have. There are also a lot of guys here who are huge Al supporters (as am I)...so no, we arent all JUST Smooth fans. We just happen to be excited about the young kid because of his big time potential.

[Spiral]

That's a very dumb statement. For you to categorize the entire board is just ridiculous. I'm a fan of the team. If we cut Josh Smith tomorrow, I'll still support the Hawks with the same passion & enthusiam I always have.

[Nicholasp27]

ur an idiot

maybe most general boards that is true, but at this board we are hawks fans first, smoove fans second...after all, we've followed this team through the babcock years...

a) we've liked smoove WELL before the dunk contest...we downplay the win and say he needs to continue to improve...sometimes we even post lineups with him coming off the bench...

b) we love chill...some, like wretch and i, have defended chill since day one...

many people didn't even want us to draft smoove or chill...i defended both since day one, as did a few others...and regardless of whether people saw much in smoove or chill, they were still a hawks fan...

ur just bitter that toine is gone...u've been bitter ever since and u were bitter whenever we mentioned him being traded...

in fact, i thought u were just a toine fan, not a hawks fan, when he was here...and i said as much when toine got traded and i said bye to employee8 AND you...i didn't realize u even liked the hawks, just #8...

[deester11]

I'm not jumping on the perverbial "How dare you" bandwagon....but I can't think of another way to finish that sentence...

Anyway, many of us love the core players we drafted this year. Both Josh's have gotten up and down love as they have been up and down this year. However, nobody that post here that I've known has ever just kissed Smooves butt! We were happy that he won the contest. He was absolutely one of the major things to happen to this franchise. So yes...we're infatuated with his potential. And I, like others, have always loved Chill's game and we know he can even improve. I'm a Hawks fan first and any Hawk that puts on that uniform is more or less supported (I can't lie...D.Edwards, Ed Gray, Priest Lauderdale....I wasn't so supportive..LOL). I prefer to look at what these guys can do and hopefully with the pick we get, we can become even more competitive. Don't say we're all on Smooves sack tho..It's about our team!

[Plainview1981]

with all due respect no one at this board likes anyone but Josh Smith and that is because he won the slam dunk contest."

Josh Smith will be a good 17PPG 8.5RPG type player

in the Marion mold... But I doubt he will be able

to carry a team either. So I don't have my heart

set that he will lead the Hawks in the future... But

I don't like Al because he isn't all that good of

a rebounder and he's just a slightly above average

defensive player. I wouldn't really say I don't like

him, but I do think he's over his head as a 1st or

2nd option.

Al worked well because he was the 3rd or 4th guy on

Indiana where he belongs. It's not really a knock

or anything, he's just better with less pressure

and attention. Right now he is in over his head

just like JT was. Now JT is shooting 50% and making

better plays since he isn't overburdened with trying

to play to big of a role.

[DominiqueWilkins]

Quote:

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Al is a 25 year old player who is averaging 17 and 7 from the small forward spot and defends his position very well, and some of you want to trade him for well below market value.

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Al is the starting power forward now, and we need a power forward that will be a rebounder. If Al Harrington isn't capable of doing better on the boards I would like for him to be traded for a high first round pick or possible a already established player. I also wouldn't mind trading him for example a Tyson Chandler type player in a sign-n-trade.

[hotboyj]

Al is really struggling to be the catalys of the offense. He can't get other people in the game, and he can't gt himself in the game. AL as most of us have said is a good third-fourth scoring option. He doesn't know how to play anywhere else. HE HAD 3 PTS FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! On 1-8 fg and 1-2 at the freethrow line. If we can get even a mid-late first rounder for AL I would do it, becasue I am very sure they can contribute more than 3 pts, 2 reb, and no assists on a nightly basis.

[Wretch]

Many of us liked Smith even before he was drafted. Most were ecstatic that we picked him up so late. Almost everybody, began to praise him because of the excitement that he brought to the team WELL before the dunk contest.

Moreover, there are just as many people (like me) who favor Childress and his ceiling.

[AtLaS]

Quote:

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If we can get even a mid-late first rounder for AL I would do it, becasue I am very sure they can contribute more than 3 pts, 2 reb, and no assists on a nightly basis.

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Are you serious? Doesn't Al average 17 and 7 and about 4 assists? How is 3,2, and 0 his nightly basis? This was probably his worst game of the year. Let me ask you this since you'd trade him for a mid-late first rounder, I'm assuming thats around 20. Do you really think there are 20 first rounders from this year will EVER average 17 and 7?.. I think not. Trading a proven 17 and 7 player for a 20s pick is just insanity, especially one with a great contract. Most 20's picks are either busts or below average players..