"Talent" but no "Team"

[Packfill]

First of all, let me just say that I trust BK to make the right decisions, but it is hard to get excited about the team at this point because it is impossible to envision what it will look like when the Hawks actually become good. The Hawks have stockpiled considerable talent at the shooting guard and forward positions, but have almost no talent at the point guard a center positions, both of which are hard to fill. I am not bashing the picks, just stating the obvious that the team will still be in considerable flux over the next year or two. My only criticism is that I was hoping to get a better sense of what the team will look like over the long hall and right now it is hard to do that.

I assume Chill, Smoove and Marvin are the long term solutions at the 2,3,4 in some capacity. After that, guys like Diaw, Donta and Salim seem like good bench players. My hope is that in free agency the team picks up someone who can at least provide some interior defense and size, maybe a Dan Gadzuric, then bring Anderson over and see what he can do to fill the teams need for big men. As for the point, I can see the team making do with Salim, Boris and Ivey for this year. I think Harrington needs to be retained for at least this year as he represents the only veteran presence on an otherwise very young team. So for next year I envision a roster something like this:

Diaw/Stoudamire/Ivey

Childress/Donta

Smoove/Marvin

Harrington

Gadzuric/Anderson

Hopefully this time next year the remaining pieces of the puzzle will be in place and we can start talking about playoff potential.

[swolehawk2]

The thing is we don't have to have and all playstation team...where every postion is an all star...if 2, 3, 4 are the core of your team and are good enough to carry you then PG and Center can be good role players...so BK's thinking is if Marvin and a Josh are futre all stars...then you don't need Magic & Shaq at PG and C.

[Packfill]

Obviously I agree that you do not need a "playstation team" (I have never played the game so not even sure what that means) of allstars.

But, historically, most championship teams are led by a superstar center or point guard. The major exceptions to this rule are Jordan and Bird.

Here is hoping Childress, Smoove or Marvin develop along those lines.

[Final_quest]

Name all of the superstar PGs that led their teams to championships.

I can think of 3 Magic, Isaiah, and Oscar Robertson. Magic is probably the only one that really carried his team.

[Packfill]

Well, you picked the three I was thinking off, but Jerry West and John Havlicek also come to mind. That's five. Magic and Issiah combined won five championships in the past 20 years. Center led teams (Shaq, Duncan and Hakeem) have won another 8 in the past 20 years. The remaining 7 were won by Jordan, the best player ever, and the Detroit Pistons.

What was your point?

[Lascar78]

So you're saying 5 were won by points, 7 by wingmen, and 8 by big men.

So it seems like your point that we're doomed because we don't yet have a pure PG or a C doesn't hold up that well

[Final_quest]

We have three teams and a total of about 10 championships in the last 25 years that did not have a superstar center or PG. I'm talking about Celtics, Bulls, and 04' Pistons.

It's possible to win championships without a superstar PG or center.

[Diesel]

HAHAHA.

SPIN...

Jordan is now a wingman?

And Chauncey Billups was the MVP for Detroit last year IF you cant remember...

But back to Jordan being a Wingman... When did he stop being a guard?

More importantly.. Do you expect that there will be another player that will be as good as JORDAN ever. Surely you don't equate Marvin Williams to Jordan??

[Packfill]

All I am saying is that you need good team work like the pistons or one of the top five players of all time to win without a dominate center or point guard.

I guess the real answer is you need interior defense to win. The Larry Bird Celtics had the Chief, Pistons had Wallace. Obviously, the Spurs championships were aided by Duncan and Robinson, Houston by Hakeem, LA by Shaq and Kareem.

Biggest anomaly are the Jordan Bulls, but they did have Horace Grant and Dennis Rodman for their two runs.

[Final_quest]

I can't argue with that.

[Nicholasp27]

it's dominant big, not dominant center

duncan play pf, not center...so dominant big is more accurate

[Packfill]

Quote:

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it's dominant big, not dominant center

duncan play pf, not center...so dominant big is more accurate

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Dude, for all intensive purposes Duncan is a center. He plays like a center, looks like a center, etc.

But you are right, a 6'11" power forward who is an excellent rebounder and shotblocker would do.

[Lascar78]

well you can break it down G-F-C or PG-wing-big. If you want to count guys like Duncan in the same category as shaq and you want a separate category for PGs, PG-wing-big is the way to break it down. Wingman typically refers to shooting guards and small forwards.