UPDATE:ASK THE HAWKS GM

[Guest]

Ask the Hawks GM - August 20

Q - "Hi, my name is Gerald, I live in Atlanta, GA and I want to know...what do you think about J.B. Lagnie, the French Guard?" -- Gerald Wagner

A - I will be able to tell you more after we see him play this season....we are well aware of him and will follow him closely. Thank you for the message.

Q - "How does it look as far as re-signing Ira Newble? Any potential trades in the works?" -- Anthony Fiorito

A - We are trying to re-sign Ira, but is has not been easy...so, I don't know what the outcome will be.....we all want him back and value his service to us last season. We are preparing for alternatives to replace him if we have to, but still would prefer to sign Ira first. We are still talking to teams about trade options, but nothing is hot right now. Thanks for your interest in the team.

Q - "First of all I want to congratulate you on the recent acquisition of Glenn Robinson. Certainly he make the Hawks a much better scoring team because he adds a dimension not present last year, a good mid-range shooter complimenting our post players and long-range shooters already on the team. What I am concerned about is our cap situation for 2003-2004 and whether or not it will affect our decision to resign Jason Terry and/or Dion Glover after this up-coming season. Jason Terry wants to be here and is a good player, Dion Glover is from Georgia and is improving and it would be a shame if let these guys go via free agency to avoid paying a luxury tax." -- Tony Mitchell

A - First, we will not let good players simply walk away from our team without doing everything we can to re-sign them and keep them here. We will end up paying a tax if it means that is how we keep the most talented players....as an example, we have a payroll of approximately $54.7 Million (after the Robinson trade) and we will end up paying a tax this season....all because we felt it gives us the best opportunity to win. Thank you for your concern and interest in the Hawks.

Q - "Hi, I am a student at UNC and I am interested in being in the sports world when I graduate, and I was wondering what would be good majors to put me on the right track to maybe become a GM in the NBA someday. And where did you start climbing up the ladder, where you and agent or start in the front office?" -- JoBu

A - I majored in political science, which has nothing to do with basketball or sports management. I believe that it is important for you to study for a degree in a field in which you have a great passion. If you chose an area you truly enjoy, you will do better and will successfully complete your degree. The completion of your degree sends a message to prospective employers that you can take a major task and see it through to a conclusion. Most of what you will do as a GM is learned from on the job training and not studied in school specifically. You need a broad base educationally....the ability to write, communicate, basic math skills, reasoning and logic, and basic human relations are a few areas you need to address. I started as a high school basketball coach and history teacher (nine years); then became a volunteer scout, part-time scout, assistant coach, had numerous front-office positions in player personnel. My first GM's job was with the old San Diego Clippers in 1984, prior to moving on to Denver for 6 years and then to Atlanta for 12+ years. Good luck and don't ever give up on your dreams.

Q - "I am very excited about this Hawks team. You have been scrutinized for some of your transactions. However, I think good things are just around the corner. With that said, a lot has been said about our small backcourt. I would really hate to see JT let go. Small backcourts have worked for the Hornets and Utah. He and Dan D. could be an awesome tandem. Do you feel comfortable with what you have in the backcourt this far?" -- JeffTsn@aol.com

A - Thank you for your comments. We will see how our backcourt does in training camp and then decide if we need to change it at all. In theory, we would love to have a big backcourt, but good players are hard to find at every position....and big guards are scarce if they are good.

Q - "I love the job you're doing!! Fantastic! The Hawks are looking great this year. One think I need to ask. Have you considered interviewing Pat Ewing for that open asst. coach job, now that he's free from Magic contract? He'd be a great addition to the Hawks coaching staff! Once again, great job." -- [censored] Shelton

A - Lon has selected his staff for next season, but you are right, Patrick would be an excellent candidate if he wanted to pursue that type of career. Patrick has never expressed that to me, but that does not mean he does not want to coach someday. Thank you for your comments.

Q - "My question is, with the signing of Robinson and his contract, with the contracts of Ratliff, Abdur-Rahim and the lowering of the salary cap; will the Hawks be able to sign any free agents? Signing a free agent to bring a needed spark off the bench along with Johnson/Glover (if neither of those two earn a starting spot), Crawford and Mohammad. Just a curious fan, either way.....I AM VERY HAPPY AND EXCITED ABOUT THE UPCOMING HAWKS SEASON!!!" -- Atlien2k@aol.com

A - Thank you for your comments. We will be at around $54.7 million in payroll with a NBA cap of a little over $40. million....therefore, we will not be in a position to sign a meaningful free agent...as is the case with most teams today. That is why you are seeing major players staying home and re-signing with their own teams...Davis, Marion, Bibby, etc. We could execute a sign and trade transaction, whereby we acquire a player who has signed with his old team and then is simultaneously traded to us for a contract of equal value.

Q - "Do we still have a roster spot open for a free agent big guard - Ira Newble or someone else - or are you hoping what we already have can fill that position adequately?" -- mhagood@craftsmenprinting.com

A - We are trying to re-sign Ira Newble for the 12th contract on our team, but we are also exploring other options in case Newble does not sign with us.

Q - "I was wondering with the trade of Toni and Leon does this free up an extra spot on the roster? And if so what will you do with it? Also with the drafting of Dan Dickau, it seems you are preparing to trade either him or Jason Terry in the near future?" -- PHILIPT777@aol.com

A - Trading Leon and Toni did not free up a roster spot as Leon was on a make good deal and was not likely to make the roster this fall...we have 11 guaranteed contracts as of today and if we can get Newble re-signed, we will have 12, which is the limit. Drafting Dickau has nothing to do with Terry's status or visa versa. Dickau was simply the best available point guard at #28 in the draft.....we have no problem going forward with both players if warranted. Thank you for your interest in the team.

Q - "First, of all I would like to say great work on the acquisition of Glenn Robinson you are truly heading in the right direction with this team, I have been a huge Hawks fan for years and I have never been this excited about an upcoming season. Second, do you see the Hawks making another trade or free agent signing to help out the back court, and do you see Udonis Haslim making the roster this year?" -- Joey from Telfair, CO

A - Haslem played well for us in the summer league, but he chose to sign in Poland for the season...we hope he comes back to our camp next season. I do not know if we will make another trade, but we are talking to teams daily...thank you for your interest in the Hawks.

[jaywalker72]

Holy crap, what kind of career move is that?

I thought sure he would go through a camp and establish his name before he ran off to sign overseas, but Poland?

Oh well, that's one fewer person coming to camp in October, and since he was the best of the bunch in Boston (of the non-roster players), I wonder who will come in....

[Diesel]

In reply to:

---

Q - "I am very excited about this Hawks team. You have been scrutinized for some of your transactions. However, I think good things are just around the corner. With that said, a lot has been said about our small backcourt. I would really hate to see JT let go. Small backcourts have worked for the Hornets and Utah. He and Dan D. could be an awesome tandem. Do you feel comfortable with what you have in the backcourt this far?" --

JeffTsn@aol.com

A - Thank you for your comments. We will see how our backcourt does in training camp and then decide if we need to change it at all. In theory, we would love to have a big backcourt, but good players are hard to find at every position....and big guards are scarce if they are good.

---

Where's the statement, that ... We would never trade JT or JT is untradable or we brought Dickau in to be JT's BU? Don't get me wrong, I'm not JT bashing here. However, I'm saying the same thing I said on Draft night. Dickau wasn't brought here just to be a Backup. And there is no way in hell we play both JT and DD at the same time for any long stretches. Like I said then, if DD shows that he's a very capable PG in camp, you might see us use JT's value to get out of Hendu's contract and to bring in a BIG Gaurd.

JT/Hendu for Eddie Jones.

[Guest]

IF JT can't play PG he doesn't have Eddie Jones value.He

losses about 3/4 of his value.Either he will play PG or he

will be some teams backup.It's all for him to make a choice.

Babcock changes his statements alot.First at the press

conference he said he wanted to keep JT now he says

this.Babcock is a man of very little sense and you really

can't count on anything he says.

But I will admit that if Jt is traded without given proper

chance to prove himself with a supporting cast instead

of the crappy rosters we have had the last two years

then my interest in the team declines a little no matter

what the team does.

[Guest]

Oh and the Heat already have Eddie House.IF JT can't play

PG then why would they want another undersized SG?That

is what Eddie House is.

Plus it would be better to package JT with Big Dog or Shareef

and bring in a player people care to watch.Big Dog/Shareef

aren't bringing in fans.Fans dont really care about either

one of them.

[Traceman]

The person who asked the question assumed (probably because of guys like Chad Ford and Sean Devaney) that JT is going to be our SG and DD is going to be our PG. The person who asked the question has no clue that JT is going into training camp as our starting PG and DD is going in as his backup. Babs didn't burst the guys bubble, he just said that we were going to see how things went in training camp before we made a decision on any changes. A change in the backcourt at the SG position is more likely in my opinion than a change at the PG position.

As far as JT being untradeable goes, why would Babs say that? He has REPEATEDLY said that ANYONE is tradeable if the trade improves our team. He already traded Nique so you know JT would be moved if the right deal came along.

DD was brought in here because the Hawks wanted to bring in a guy who was more of a traditional PG than JT. That doesn't mean that they were/are planning to trade JT or that they think DD will be a better PG. We DO need a traditional PG on the roster and DD is an upgrade (maybe not right away but he soon will be) over JV.

In the event that DD proves that he is a better PG than JT, then Babs will have a decision to make. I can't imagine that DD will be anywhere near as good as JT this year but who knows in a year or so. I don't see it but if DD does become a better PG than JT, that will be a nice problem to have.

[RLHawk]

I don't think this statement is about if JT can play the PG position. This year he would be better than DD at it (most wont deny a rookie versus a 3 year vet is not a good projection).

There will be two questions that will be asked.

1) Can DJ or DG play the SG position well. When he references a big backcourt, he is not talking about JT, He is talking about DJ. I think they are banking on JT/DJ backcourt. If DJ can not grow fast during camp against quality opponents, then that is the "Big Backcourt" problem that Pete was talking about. We will have to do something to take care of the SG position. (JT is probably not the answer)

2) Can DD play the PG position. It is very difficult for a rookie PG to come in and carry a team to the playoffs. Sure you can site Tony Parker and Tinsley, but Tinsley faded very fast in the second half of the season and he basically carried the "most talented team in the east" to a just above 500 record and an early playoff exit. Tony Parker did better, but not great either during the 2nd half. He did do better in the playoffs though.

Conclusion: If DJ nor DG work out to be a quality SG this season & DD proves he can be a quality PG for us, then JT could be traded for a quality SG. If either of these two answers in different then JT will be here for sure.

[Blunt91]

OK Hotlantadude Shareef & BIg Dog might not be flashy players like a VInce Carter or Kobe but win the Hawks start winning games more people will come out to Phillips arena.If we can make it to do playoffs and make it past the 1stround, people will start to look at the team in a postive way.

[Guest]

Parker also has the second best player in the league and

we don't havea top 10 player.Big difference.In the game

Duncan didn't play Parker looked pretty bad againest Seattle.

[Guest]

Some people will come out as they did in the Smith era...but

it will not be sellouts until we get a top 10 player or it might

happen if we go to the finals.

[Diesel]

I'm going to ignore the fact that the question was asked about JT and go on to this one thing.

In Babs answer he mentioned the want of a BIG Backcourt and How BIG Gaurds are hard to come by. YOU said that it was not talking about JT? MY question is why not? It could not have been referring to DJ who is 6'10 playing SG. Even Glover is 6'6" which is average for SGs.

Even in previous interviews, Babs has said that there will be a good competition between Email, DJ, and Glover for the SG position. Putting all that together with what we have before us, Babs was talking about JT. He was talking about an unstated competition between JT and DD throughout the season. This is a make or break season for JT... Why do you think we won't offer an extension now? Don't be fooled by the Board Love for JT, if he don't cut it as a PG, we might see him traded.

[jaywalker72]

They are still hesitant to dedicate themselves long term to JT at the point....yet.

That's not to say they won't, but you can bet that Mr. Dickau is a very inexpensive insurance policy if Terry doesn't cut it this year at the point.

If you ask anyone in the Hawks braintrust, they'll tell you that they are thrilled that JT can play either guard position.

Lon believes that JT can, Pete believes JT can, and we all seem to agree that he will be successful this season at the point, as he continues to build on the good play of last season over there.

Babcock, as always, is keeping himself covered. He is not going to say that JT is the man, especially if the time comes that they need to reverse their philosophy. Part of this is to protect the player and the other to protect himself.

It's understandable. Remember, Babcock always wanted to keep Deke, too....until the time came when Deke was not going to resign with the Hawks and Larry Brown's infatuation with the big fella yielded a trade that Pete could not (and thankfully did not) turn down.

So, in short, I believe that the Hawks are ready for JT to be the full time PG, but until they witness for a full season, they are hedging their bets, like all good organizations should.

[Swopa]

"Drafting Dickau has nothing to do with Terry's status or visa versa. Dickau was simply the best available point guard at #28 in the draft..."

Uhh, yeah, but you didn't just happen to have the #28 pick lying around, did you, Babs?

No, you were burning up phone lines before and during the draft, desperately trying to move up into the first round . . . so you could draft the "best available point guard."

And why a point guard, rather than any other position?

The simple and obvious explanation would be that you were just looking for a backup for Terry. Since you didn't give that explanation, there's reason to speculate that you were looking for a replacement.

[Sage11]

You are right, quite a bit of movement was needed to land Dickau here. I think we all need to keep our eyes open on this one.