Reading into front office comments yesterday...

[Wretch]

"You just get a little optimistic and hopeful," Knight said of the anticipation he had when the Hawks made the final two. "It just didn't work out. But we're happy with No. 2. We're not ecstatic but we're happy. We didn't get No. 1 but there's nothing we can do about it."

Hawks vice president of public relations Arthur Triche was in the conference room in the row ahead of Skip Robinson, who left the room with his team's lucky ping-pong ball tucked away in his suit pocket. He had to stew for more than an hour knowing the Hawks came close but hadn't won the ultimate prize. When the Hawks' failed to get the No. 1 ball, Triche's over the shoulder glance said it all.

"I can't believe this is happening again," Triche said afterward. "One ball away from LeBron (James), one ball away from Carmelo (Anthony) and one ball away from (Emeka) Okafor. We had 250 chances to get the No.1 pick and we lose it yet again by one ball. I guess it could be worse, we could have been New Orleans and Charlotte and drop out of the top three."

Some interesting stuff right there...sounds like some slight disappointment. But why...?

Consider for a second...we don't have the 3rd, 4th, or 5th pick. We got #2 which means only one player will be picked ahead of us and it only means that we cannot be absolutely sure that the guy we want will be there.

But with only one team picking ahead of us, how can we be upset at all unless we think there is a chance that team will take the player we want? Furthermore, who could Milwuakee possibly want? Let's say, just for example, Paul or Deron Williams is our guy. Is there any real chance Milwaukee will take either of these guys #1? If not, then why would Triche be upset at all? Why would BK not be ecstatic?

With the history of the draft, and more importantly how it shook out yesterday, either should be jumping for joy that we are not 3 or 4. I could be reading too much into this, but to me it says we were targeting Bogut or Williams because one of those two are going to Milwaukee or through Milwaukee. Yet, it also implies that only one of these guys was at the top of our list because one of Bogut, Paul, or Williams will be available at #2 - with our choice of at least ONE of who we think are the top 2.

So...

If we were targeting Paul...there should not be any negative talk whatsoever about our position. Same with Deron Williams who we should be able to pick up rather easily (and then some). Same if we would have been equally happy with getting a shot at Williams OR Bogut. The response we should have heard should have been along the lines of, "We've got a lot of holes to fill and at #2 we are definitely going to improve this ballclub. We like our position and are fortuneate to have only fallen one place instead of 2 or 3."

BK trying to keep the smokescreen up? Maybe, but Triche's reaction seems genuine.

Hmm....

[Seano]

I don't know. It's entirely possible that you're reading way too much into it. I mean I think the natural human reaction after suffering through the kind of season we just suffered through, is to be disappointed to not get the #1 overall and be completely in control of your destiny. As it is, our future will be dictated by what Milwaukee decides to do, and that's disappointing.

Yes, it could have been worse. We could have ended up with 3, 4, or 5, but that doesn't mitigate nor lessen the disappointment (at least to me) of not getting the #1.

[tmac13]

Its probably a combination of smokescreen and real disapointment.. After the awful season I think there was a feeling that we just deserved the number 1 pick..Even if our guy is still there at 2 we don't control our own destiny which is pretty unsettling..I am like you, I was happy enough with 2 but was hoping for the number 1..As far as who we are/were targeting, it has to be Marvin or Bogut..Marvin has the best potential and he fits the Bucks needs more than Bogut..Maybe he was BK's guy too..I guess we should be happy with either guy..

[Wretch]

Disregarding all conspiracy theories (which I admit to indulge in) the lottery isn't really about "winning" in the traditional sense. A win in the lottery means you are able to pick the player you want or you able to move up and are able to pick a player that you didn't expect to.

In our case, we couldn't possibly move any higher than #1. So the only other thing we could have won in getting that top spot would be the right to select the player we absolutely want.

...and disappointment stems from loss or otherwise less than expected results. Like I stated in the previous post...what exactly did we lose? Secondly, these guys have been around the business forever. They know how the lottery plays out - did ANYONE expect us to end up with the #1 when it rarely ever happens? Hell, the bottom 3 teams all have a legit shot at falling in any order. Lastly, there is no definitive choice at #1 (as in Duncan, LeBron, Shaq) so it really isn't like losing a "Grand Prize" Draft Lottery.

We got the #2, Wilwaukee got the #1 and our management came away disappointed. What is the difference between 1 and 2?

One player.

[CBAreject]

It sounds like Triche believes Bogut is the Lebron or Carmelo in this draft.

Also, he has no business crying about not getting the #1 in past years. We've never had a decent shot before because we were slightly too good due to SAR. We got the #3 one time, but we traded that pick to Billy Knight for the right to get the #8 pick in the next 4 years.

[RAHMOR]

This was on the Hawks website. I don't even know why they put it on there. I'm amazed at how he answers no questions. I'd like to see the police interrogate him.

http://www.nba.com/hawks/news/Billy_Knight_Q&A_052505.html

After the 2005 Draft Lottery, Hawks GM Billy Knight was available to the media to answer questions about obtaining the #2 pick in the draft. Here are a few of the questions and answers:

Q: Where do you think the team’s needs are this offseason?

Billy Knight: We have a lot of needs, add some more good players to our team, some more talented young guys that we think will be able to help us in the future. We have a lot of needs, we won 13 games. We’ll be able to find a good player who can help us.

Q. Looking at Marvin Williams, Andrew Bogut and Chris Paul – are they on the top of your list?

Knight: We are looking at a lot of players. I don’t get into commenting on individual players right now, but all of them are good young players, and all of them will be able to help a team, and we think they have talent, and we think they will be in the league for a long time.

Q. Is the team looking to do much in the free agent market?

Knight: We will be a player in the free agent market. We have money available. So we will do a lot of talking, we’ll see what happens with it.

[Plainview1981]

Q. Is the team looking to do much in the free agent market?

Knight: We will be a player in the free agent market. We have money available. So we will do a lot of talking, we’ll see what happens with it.

"

I'd love to see Michael Redd in a Hawks uni... Don't

want to get my hopes up though.