Amassing Talent

[TheDude]

After watching this game 7 Dallas vs Houston (with despair since I'm going for Sura and McGrady's Rockets), I think it is imperitive to gain as much talent as possible. You look at a team like Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio, or Detroit and you see talent, and depth. You've got guys on the bench that could start for other teams (like ours).

We're all looking for that superstar to fill the seats, hoping they take us to the promised land but it seems that just isn't enough. McGrady (oh how they could have used Juwan Howard or any decent powerforward), Pierce, Iverson and Kobe are good examples. We need talent. And lots of it. Who cares if they have to fight to start.

It seems more these days that the bench on many teams has players who were once considered stars or could still be but now backup (Stackhouse, McDyess, GRobinson).

With that said I wouldn't mind going with something like below where we are gaining a good amount of talent. At first I thought signing a big man if we draft Bogut would be a waste since Drobnak may be a serviceable backup. But no more.

Draft- Bogut, Salim Stoudamire(i know he's short but he can score at will{in 2nd round you want to get someone you 100% know he can do at least one thing} and him coming off the bench won't make his size much of a liability- see Boykins). If we gain another pick somehow in the bottom of the first round, get point depth like Gilchrist or Uric(mspld?) I like a Lawrence Roberts player with our second 2nd rounder, someone who was very good in college but dropped because of height. Maybe he becomes a brawler.

Free agency- Sign Kwame to a cheap contract if NY doesn't overpay for him like they probably will. Sign Curry OR Chandler, whichever one the Bulls won't pay. Sign Jaric or Earl Watson, heck maybe both. I like Ivey's defense but Lue seems more valuable. Ronald Murray is a solid player. Sarunas Jasikevicius?? No we won't be able to get Larry Hughes so I'm not even putting him here. Bobby Simmons would be a solid addition also. That's a lot of players to pay for sure, but you see where I"m coming from. Reasonable contracts for solid players, solid depth.

If you build it, they will compete.

[Peoriabird]

Your post is contradictory. Your theme is to amass talent but yet you mention names like K. Brown & Curry. Well maybe not because you did not specify good or bad talent. The one thing that the Hawks must be is smart with their money rather than taking the shot in the dark/quick fix approach. Fans need to be patient!

[Lascar78]

It's a fine line. Yes you need talent, but you also need a superstar. It's hard to draft a superstar if you are getting the 10th pick in the draft. That's why you need to be bad until you can get the young stud you can build around. That being said, we have so little talent that I have no doubt that we will be in the 5-6 worst teams next year no matter what. So let's give it a good shot.

[Iman]

Amassing talent will get you past a team with one superstar, but to go very far you have to have a superstar or two. Detroit is sorta an exception but they have a few near superstars and good scheme/Coach. We have enough cash to sign a superstar but with all the draft picks we have hopefully we'll draft one or two. That would be my plan and I think it is BK's also, try to draft a superstar and then use wise trades and signings to fill out the team. We really only have a few good pieces so we have much more accumulating to do. That's why I think BK will draft for upside. I think he wants to slide down in a deal with Charlotte and make similiar pickups to last year. If he cant pull that off I think he'll try to move maybe a 1st rounder from next year or our early second rounder in combo with a player to get into the teens for a second pick. I think we hold onto Harrington, like you mention, to amass talent, he's a very solid bench player if we get that good. Same may apply to Childress or JSmoove if we really get deep.

[NvHawksFan]

If it's talent we're after, shouldn't we draft Marvin Williams #1?

The man has skills - and is an Elite level athlete.

[Diesel]

Amassing talent is a very good idea. However, we shouldn't be monolithic in our thinking. I would consider traded the #1 overall if it mean that we can have a high lottery pick and a midround pick.

For instance, if things remain as they are now..

A trade with Charlotte would be something I would try...

I would happily trade #1 for #3 and #13.

Here's to hoping that things remain as they are now OR Charlotte ends up with #4...

Because I would love their want for Marvin Williams to lead them to want to beat Charlotte to the punch!

I would also consider Toronto's #7 and #16, but they would have to give something else!

Maybe Al/#1 to Toronto for Bosh/#7/#16...

[TheDude]

my post is not contradictory.. i mentioned KBrown as CHEAP and a short contract. He has alot of potential talent but is has not been realized. Sometimes a new start is all a young player needs. And he is young. If you think that he won't at least improve somewhat at the age of 22, then you're wrong.

And Curry has played very well this year. My only concern is his health.

To answer some of the other concerns, I think JSmith will end up being our superstar honestly.

[AHF]

From the amassing talent angle, wouldn't that argue in favor of keeping Al Harrington around? He clearly seems like the kind of talented reserve you see on a team like Dallas.

As for the specific proposals, Curry's lack of rebounding still really bothers me. I agree that a short and cheap contract for Kwame is worth the gamble. If he doesn't improve the reason will be that he is a headcase and we don't want any part of that. If he does turn things around mentally, he has the physical talent to really blossom.

[AtLaS]

I don't consider Daly/Chandler/Curry/Swift/Johnson/Hughes stars, we haven't talked about getting any star players on our team. The only one is hopefully Josh Smith, and I hope he DOES become an all-star player.

BTW, the reason Iverson, Pierce, McGrady, Kobe, LeBron are no longer or not in the playoffs is because of their role players and/or bench, which you said. But you failed to mention that all the teams left in the playoffs also have superstars except Detroit, but everyone already knows about them. Are you saying Duncan, Nowitzki, Nash (MVP), A. Stoudemire, J. Oneal, Shaq, Wade, Ray Allen, Arenas are not stars? All of those were all-stars this year and I probably missed a couple, but either way we DO need a star-caliber player, and hopefully Josh Smith can be that for us, or maybe one of our other players will step up.

And although Detroit doesn't have a superstar in their starting 5, EVERY one of those players would be MUCH more than a role player anywhere else. Look at Hamilton when he was in Washington, Sheed in Portland, Billups was a good scorer everywhere else, McDyess was a former all-star. And we all know how important Big Ben would be for any other team.

[Peoriabird]

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I don't consider , the reason Iverson, Pierce, McGrady, Kobe, LeBron are no longer or not in the playoffs is because of their role players and/or bench

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No, the reason those players are not still in the playoff is because they don't understand the concept of playing as a team except Lebron who happens to have the worst supporting cast in the league. One on one specialist are easy to guard and are very predictable. They don't either know how to use other players on their team or just cannot understand the need to do so. One on one basketball is unfortunately what fans like but it doesn't win championships.

[AtLaS]

You are right about LeBron's Cavs, but every one of those players other teams are not good enough to win either, with the exception of Boston, they just couldn't handle Indiana's D and physical presence. BTW, Paul Pierce is NOT Kobe, McGrady, Iverson or LeBron anyways.

Iverson starts with a rookie, a 2nd year player (Korver), Dalembert who hasn't reached his potential, and the aged Chris Webber who has been very ineffective. That team had no chance to win it all. You can't say that Iverson doesn't know how to play team ball because he averaged right at 8 assists this year, and he's taken his team to the Finals before, mainly with great defense. BTW, who is Philly's best player off the bench? Probably Mark Jackson, that is not good..

Everyone knew the Lakers were gonna be bad this year, they have no PG, no Center, and Odom is NOT a PF, he is a lot less effective there, especially on D. Who was the best player off of the Lakers bench this year? Tierre Brown? Jumaine Jones? Please..

We all know McGrady is all Houston really has, they also have no PG, ABSOLUTELY no PF or 2 guard, and Yao Ming is just not that dominating. BTW, what does Houston's bench look like?

None of those teams had a complete starting 5 or a decent bench. Lets face it the NBA is just getting more and more talented. I mean look at the starting 5 at each position of every team left in the playoffs, almost EVERY player is a pretty good player, and they all have a pretty good bench. The only real exception is the Heat, but they have Shaq and D. Wade..

[TheDude]

I agree ATL. A superstar is the leader of a team. But you have to have the team to. Detroit proved that against the Lakers last year. You want to have interchangeable pieces so if one goes down, you can fill it. It makes offseason that much easier.

[Peoriabird]

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You are right about LeBron's Cavs, but every one of those players other teams are not good enough to win either, with the exception of Boston, they just couldn't handle Indiana's D and physical presence. BTW, Paul Pierce is NOT Kobe, McGrady, Iverson or LeBron anyways.

Iverson starts with a rookie, a 2nd year player (Korver), Dalembert who hasn't reached his potential, and the aged Chris Webber who has been very ineffective. That team had no chance to win it all. You can't say that Iverson doesn't know how to play team ball because he averaged right at 8 assists this year, and he's taken his team to the Finals before, mainly with great defense. BTW, who is Philly's best player off the bench? Probably Mark Jackson, that is not good..

Everyone knew the Lakers were gonna be bad this year, they have no PG, no Center, and Odom is NOT a PF, he is a lot less effective there, especially on D. Who was the best player off of the Lakers bench this year? Tierre Brown? Jumaine Jones? Please..

We all know McGrady is all Houston really has, they also have no PG, ABSOLUTELY no PF or 2 guard, and Yao Ming is just not that dominating. BTW, what does Houston's bench look like?

None of those teams had a complete starting 5 or a decent bench. Lets face it the NBA is just getting more and more talented. I mean look at the starting 5 at each position of every team left in the playoffs, almost EVERY player is a pretty good player, and they all have a pretty good bench. The only real exception is the Heat, but they have Shaq and D. Wade..

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You ever wonder why every team that Shaq has played for is favored to go to the finals and every team that Mcgrady has played for has not won a playoff series and last year had the worse record in the league? I know that I will never convince you that Magic Johnson knows what he is talking about when he says that there are players that shoot and make passes and there are others that make plays. The playmakers are the superstars.

[AtLaS]

You are right that Shaq is more valueble than a Kobe or McGrady to the team. The reason is because ANY dominating Big Man is more important than a superstar guard. Think of the last really good big man that wasn't consistently in the playoffs, with or without a great team around him. You can't, or you will have to think really hard.

WHY? Because of #1 high percentage shots. Shaq will score 30 a game on about 15 shots or less most of the time. ANY great guard will NEVER consistently score 30 a game unless they take AT LEAST 20 shots a game, it just can't happen because guards cannot take as high of percentage shots as big men. Also big men clog the paint, and draw double teams that are easy for a big man to pass out of. Plus it just alters an entire defense.

You are right about having playmakers, that is what I want. We need people that can pass, and that is why I'm the highest on Raymond Felton, I just hope there is some way we will get him. He's as fast as anyone, is a 100% PURE pg (for you D. Brown critics), and would improve Smoove, Chill, Al, and possibly Swift or Daly's game so much because he is such a great passer and is so good on the fast break. He plays great D and is a little taller and stockier than Paul so he won't get posted up. Plus he also shot like 45% from 3 this year, and that is considered his weakness.

[cyman3]

"Shaq has played for is favored to go to the finals and every team that Mcgrady has played for has not won a playoff series and last year had the worse record in the league?"

- u also have to keep in mind, that this tournament is NOT OVER! Miami could lose to DETROIT in the eastern conference finals.

plus, ur evaluating just the 1st round. Miami played the WORST PLAYOFF TEAM (Nets) while Houston played the Mavs (one of the better Western teams).

[Peoriabird]

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You are right that Shaq is more valueble than a Kobe or McGrady to the team. The reason is because ANY dominating Big Man is more important than a superstar guard.

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This is not always true. I think that both Magic & Jordan we more valuable to their teams than any big men in the league. Also Boston lost 50 + games before Bird was drafted and won 60 game the next year with his addition alone with the same big men.

[Nicholasp27]

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"Shaq has played for is favored to go to the finals and every team that Mcgrady has played for has not won a playoff series and last year had the worse record in the league?"

- u also have to keep in mind, that this tournament is NOT OVER! Miami could lose to DETROIT in the eastern conference finals.

plus, ur evaluating just the 1st round. Miami played the WORST PLAYOFF TEAM (Nets) while Houston played the Mavs (one of the better Western teams).

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he just said "favored" to go...it's irrelevant if shaq actually gets there or not...his statement is that he is favored to go to the finals

[TheDude]

shaq as was jordan and bird and magic are superstars ABOVE superstars....you can't depend on getting one of those..get as much talent as you can and try to add STARS to that or draft one..

[AtLaS]

Exactly what I was gonna say. Everyone knows about Jordan, I think he's the one exception. Magic had Kareem, one of the top 5 greatest centers ever. Bird was also one of the greatest but he still had Parish and Walton.. Neither Magic nor Bird would have won a championship with a center the caliber of Jordan's Bulls, unless they had a Scottie beside them also.

[Peoriabird]

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Exactly what I was gonna say. Everyone knows about Jordan, I think he's the one exception. Magic had Kareem, one of the top 5 greatest centers ever.

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Actually Kareem was hurt in the finals Magic's rookie year and Magic played center and won the game. Secondly he also won with Micheal Tompson as their starting center after Kareem retired but I know what you are trying to say though. There ain't no magics or Jordans in the up coming draft!