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Exactly!!! That is why I keep telling guys on this forum that we are okay at 31. We don't need to lose any talent we already have on the roster to move up when you can get your STARTING guard at 31. Moving up to 20 is really nothing in this draft based on the depth of Guards. We are more than fine where we are. Don't give away your best player (Al) to move up 10 spots to get a talent that may not be better than the talent you get at 31. This is a very deep draft people!! We can get our star point guard at 31.

Luther Head seems to be the logical pick at 31 if he is there. If not then there are a boat load of guards to get at 31 like Salim Stoudemire, Gilchrist and more. This draft is loaded with 1st round talent guards in the 2nd round. 31 will be a very good player!!

HOT Luther Head, G, Illinois The line: 21 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, 4-for-5 from 3, 8-for-11 overall in 23 minutes The skinny: Head needed to come into camp and prove to scouts that he had what it took to play point guard in the pros. Head was a point guard in high school but moved to small forward when Dee Brown and Deron Williams came on board. He did that and more on Friday evoking comparisons to Gilbert Arenas. Head is a scorer with a fantastic shot, a quick first step, good floor vision and great athleticism, but what has stuck out in the camp is his great defensive effort. He shut down Notre Dame's Chris Thomas on Thursday and earned raves from GMs in the gym. He could be this year's Beno Udrih, a guy scouts underrated because of the position he was forced to play on his team. Steven Smith, SF, La Salle The line: 23 points, 5 rebounds on 9-for-14 shooting in 25 minutes The skinny: Smith has a great NBA body, athleticism and a pretty smooth jumper. He used it to dominate the games on Thursday and keep alive his NBA dream. Before Thursday, he seemed like a lock to go back to college. While he hasn't done enough to get himself drafted in the first round, at least he got noticed. Will Conroy, PG, Washington The line: 17 points, 6 assists on 7-for-15 shooting in 30 minutes The skinny: Conroy was the best pure point guard at the Portsmouth camp and he surprised NBA scouts on Thursday by showing off his offensive repertoire. The way Conroy has played in the past few months should be enough to get him a second-round spot. Anthony Roberson, G, Florida The line: 14 points, 5 assists on 6-for-12 shooting in 20 minutes The skinny: Like Head, he's starting to show scouts that he might be able to make the transition from 2-guard to point in the pros. And, like Head, he also has the scoring thing down pat. He's played well enough to get a strong look in the second round. Will that be enough to keep him in the draft this year? Everyone in the NBA seems to think the kid wants out of school badly. Robert Whaley, PF/C, Walsh The line: 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks on 6-for-10 shooting in 17 minutes The skinny: A true draft sleeper. Once upon a time, Whaley was considered a top prospect for Cincinnati. His resurrection here in Chicago has come as a surprise to everyone. On Thursday, he really dominated when he was in the game. He's very strong physically, a beast on the boards and has a nice soft touch around the basket. He measured a legit 6-foot-9 in shoes and could be an intriguing second-round prospect for a team that can get comfortable with his questionable background. Whaley knows how to play. Eric Williams, PF, Wake Forest The line: 18 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks on 8-for-12 shooting in 25 minutes The skinny: He is an absolute beast. He measured a legit 6-foot-8½ and weighed in at 282. He uses his good athleticism and 7-foot-4 wingspan to dominate in the paint. If he returns to school and waits one more year, he'd be a lock for the first round next season. But this year's just too early. Rawle Marshall, G/F, Oakland The line: 13 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists on 4-for-9 shooting in 19 minutes The skinny: He hasn't had a dominating camp yet, but he's the smoothest player on the floor. He measured a little short (a little under 6-foot-6 in shoes) but he uses that huge wingspan (7-foot-1) to make up for it. Defensively, he was very good and the soft shooting touch showed up today. Eddie Basden, G/F, Charlotte The line: 13 points, 4 steals on 5-for-12 shooting in 20 minutes The skinny: Defensively, Basden is the best player here. He's never going to be a great scorer, but he has the body, the athleticism and the toughness to make the league as a defensive stopper. Brandon Rush, SG, High School The line: 10 points, 3 steals on 4-for-8 shooting in 22 minutes The skinny: Rush's numbers aren't great, but scouts who have followed him all year say this is the best he's ever played. The fact that he looks like he belongs out there with veteran college players says something. Rush should go to school, but if he can't because of grades, he may have intrigued someone enough to take him in the second round. Drago Pasalic, PF, Croatia The line: 13 points, 13 rebounds on 4-for-9 shooting in 23 minutes The skinny: For the second straight year Pasalic has come into camp and put up good numbers. He's very skilled around the basket and has shown some toughness in the camps. Why no one is talking about him is a mystery, considering his production. ********************************************* NOT HOT Keith Langford, G, Kansas The line: 7 points on 2-for-7 shooting in 21 minutes The skinny: Not only is Langford playing and shooting poorly, he measured in at just 6-foot-2 without shoes in Chicago. I hope he has a passport. Alex Acker, SG, Pepperdine The line: 0 points on 0-for-5 shooting The skinny: Acker looked pretty good in the scrimmages, but he's looked overmatched once the game started. When his shot isn't falling, there isn't much to his game. Kevin Pittsnogle, PF, West Virginia The line: 6 points on 2-for-10 shooting in 21 minutes The skinny: Pittsnogle was billed as a great-shooting big man, but he's been awful here, going just 3-for-17 from the field so far. He says he's leaning toward staying in the draft, but his chances of going in the first round are slim to none right now. Dijon Thompson, SF, UCLA The line: 5 points, 2 rebounds on 2-for-6 shooting.in 18 minutes The skinny: Thompson had a great season at UCLA, but he has really disappeared here. I asked one GM what he thought of Thompson after two games and he said he didn't even know he was playing in the camp. Ouch.

If this is true post the articles!!! It sounds like the typical Diesel fantasy made-up trade proposal.

Anthony Roberson, G, Florida The line: 15 points, 2 assists on 6-for-12 shooting in 31 minutes The skinny: Not sure whether he showed he's really a point guard, but he's one of the best scoring guards here. However, I think scouts already knew that. This another sleeper I am high on at the guard position. This kid can light it up from the outside.

If we don't keep Al, we will have a team full of rookies and what FA is going to sign with a bunch of rookies. We have to use Al as soon incentive for FAs to come here. It would be a big mistake to trade him right now. No one would come here. I like Salim for that 31st pick too. We need as many shooters as we can get.

Players of note: John Gilchrist, PG, Maryland The line: 15 points, 2 assists, 1 steal in 19 minutes The skinny: He tried his best to play like a point guard, play under control and be supportive of his teammates. His shot was falling; he got players involved; he played defense; and his team won the game. That's all good news for a guy who got such a bad rap this season. Will Bynum, G, Georgia Tech The line: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists in 20 minutes The skinny: Bynum was the last guy to get into Chicago, but he really shined. Defensively, he was all over anyone he guarded, and offensively, he played under control. I'm not sure what position he should play in the pros, but he really stood out Wednesday.

CHICAGO -- The first full day of game action went down Wednesday at the Chicago predraft camp, and the verdict was nearly unanimous -- this year's group in Chicago is among the best, and most evenly matched, in a long, long time. "There are 40 guys here who could be drafted," one scout told Insider. "The point guard talent and the bigs are really impressive. There just [aren't] really any 2s or 3s of note." They are saying this years crop is among the best in a long time!!! This is exactly why I say don't trade Al to move up in the 1st round. Stay right where you are and you will get a 1st rounder at 31!!! Or trade Diaw/2nd round pick to move up. But don't get rid of your veteran.

Maybe you chose to not read what Lascar said. Dumars publicly showed his cards in the media, so of course everyone knew in Mock drafts who was going to be picked No. 2 or where they were leaning. The point you need to understand is that there were skeptics of Darko being a consensus 1 or 2 pick by some of the national media, writers, etc.. Yes, there was media who said he should be the one of those 2 picks, but that is not my point. The point is there were both sides of the argument when concerning Darko and his sure-fire success in the NBA. Even the article you posted had some questions about him being a top pick. Here the catch.....That is not the case with Williams and Bogut. There are no doubts with anyone, except YOU, as to who are the top 2 players of this class. You are not comparing apples to apples!!

Okay guys...all of this is a matter of perception. The bottom line is that Williams and Bogut are considered the class of this draft. The two can't miss players in this draft by most if not all critics. In a lot of peoples mind that wasn't the case with Darko. Some of you think that was the case, I personally didn't think so along with a lot of other people. So this is a matter of what you perceived by the media, etc. Bottom line. I think BK is going to keep this pick and draft either Williams or Bogut. He is probably going to KEEP Al and try and move up in the bottom of the 1st round with maybe a trade with Diaw/2nd round pick. Al and this 2nd pick are staying with the Hawks people!!

Thank you... Darko was not a consensus top pick. This was a case of a GM failing in love with Darko based on some personal workouts. And like Lascar said look at the article name: "Darko is the DARK HORSE PICK". Nothing else needs to be said.

I am speaking of guys that the majority of GMs, analysts say are destined for stardum usually are right. Carmelo and Lebron were considered the 2 gems of that draft by MOST if not all experts. Darko was considered good but Darko also had a lot of detractors too because he was from Europe and he was not exposed to the USA. That is why a lot of people in Detroit were shaking their head when they selected him including me. Darko hadn't proven anything against American competition. For the most part the universally recognized gems of the draft turn out to be pretty good, that is all I am saying and while Carmelo is not a Wade or Lebron, he is still a damn good player. And of course there will be gems all up and down the draft even into the Second Round. That is not what I am debating, all I am saying is for the most part they are right if it is unanimous and it is unanimous with Bogut and Williams!! Keep the No. 2 pick and get Williams or Bogut....bottom line.

Quote: enough for ME to believe Exactly...You said it right... YOU TO BELIEVE and no one else. That is why I am glad you have absolutely no chance of being a GM for any team. All this stuff about Williams not being a Superstar and one of the two prizes of the draft, is in YOUR head and no one elses. Not in any GMs head, not in any writers head, not in any head coaches head.......only in Diesel's head. Please let it stay there. You said it right in your belief!! No one elses.

Well said CBA....Of course nothing is guaranteed in any draft. However the success rate of the players most scouts say will be a sure shot to stardum is pretty good. So I don't question much when ALL scouts say above a shadow of a doubt these are the two best players in the draft. The experts predictions over the years have been pretty good. Look at Lebron, Dwight Howard, Okefur, Carmelo, and on and on. These guys were projected to be special in the NBA and so far they all are living up to expectations. If they ALL the GMs, critics, writers say a guy is going to be good, most likely they are going to be good when it is unanimous like that.

Exactly....There are only a handfull of people on this forum truly want to trade down. You will notice two things. 1. 99.3% of all these trade proposal will never happen. This forum has turned into an entertainment fantasy discussions of trades forum. Real information gets scattered here and there, but most of these pages are full of "Trade 3 pennies and Collier for Shaq" nonsense. 2. Anyone who don't think we should keep this pick is in in the minority. I don't think BK is trading this pick. It would be dumb not to take one of the two studs in this years draft, especially when you are going to get another 1st round talent at 31 anyway.

Agreed. We played much better team ball without Toine. I wouldn't pay him a dime to come back. His negatives in my mind outway the cost$$$$ of his positives.

I understand fully about hype, but I also no how to dicipher hype from reality. The best way to get thru the hype machine is to take a survey from all types of critics and writers. In other words a cross-section of each type of writer from different geographical and personal interest areas. Black, white, green, red, from rural areas to suburban areas. You get a cross mixture of critics when evaluating anything that you don't see live and up-close on a consistent basis. I totally agree some writers have their own agendas. Some are getting paid to do what they do. But I have read in excess of about 20 publications on Marvin Williams from reports of different backgrounds and ethnic groups and they are all singing the same song about this kid. In a nutshell, Marvin Williams will be a Superstar in the NBA. Not just solid but a SuperStar!! About the NCAAs...you can't evaluate a players potential solely on that tournament. If that was the case Sean May would be the No. 1 pick in the draft, no question...get my point.

Quote: well he's not a sure-fire superstar Based on every single publication I have read about Williams, he will be a sure-fire Superstar in this league. Of course that is all conjecture, and we have to wait and see, but the fact that EVERYONE is saying this about this kid is really impressive and I can't see us trading him away if that is the case.

Williams is more than just hype. This kid is the real deal. Read the article about Williams in todays AJC. Experts are saying this kid will be leading a team into the Championship in 3 to 4 years. Guys like Joe Forte and others that are working out with him in the summer are saying he is one of the best unstoppable offensive forces that has come out in years. Almost Lebron James level talent. He can score at will from the outside and inside. They even say in the article that he has PG type handles. They are saying he is a sure fire SUPERSTAR!!!There are absolutely no questions about it. I am sorry everyone on this forum including you Diesel......We can't lose him to a trade people. We have to draft him and keep him. We will be kicking ourselves in the backside when he starts to go to All-Star games year in and year out and we TRADED him. We have to draft Marvin Williams and keep him. Please read the article. This kid is humble, grounded and smart. There is no way I consider trading a sure fire Superstar...no way.

That is why this type of trade (5 and 13 for 2) will have to be done AFTER THE DRAFT. You have to get guarantees on who will be getting before you lose your No. 2 pick. BK will not trade this pick BEFORE the draft. You will probably see a trade (if it is the players he wants) during the draft close to the second round or even the next day.

We need shooters especially from the outside. If their profile says they can shoot, count them in as a candidate. Again, don't get me wrong, I won't be mad if we end up with Deron. Again I think he is a solid player, maybe not a superstar but definately solid. Where I would question BK is I would think he was reaching a bit if he used his No. 2 pick on Deron. If we end up trading for 5 and 13 and get Deron at 5 I would be elated. However, I would rather for BK to stay where he is and pick Marvin Williams No. 2 and he will get an excellent player at No. 31 and you lose no one of quality. You only add two excellent players in the draft and you go hard at some guys in FA. Next year you have a ton of 1st round picks.

Now for once Diesel that is a deal I would agree too and it wouldn't be hurting the Hawks. I would do that in a second.

There are several reasons I like Williams, but the main reason I really like Williams are three things. There are no other 6'9" to 6'10" players in the draft and rarely in the NBA that can (1) Shoot consistently from deep with perfert form for a player of that height and (2) Handle the ball almost like a PG for a player of that height. (3) His defense is superb and he is difficult to shoot on because of his length and athleticism. You don't get guys this tall able to do all three of those things. Smooth can't dribble, nor does he have the range and stroke that Marvin Williams have RIGHT NOW. Chillz can't create his own shots and he can't shoot from the outside. Marvin Williams can do it all and he is going to get better. Would you want to pass on the next KG for a solid guard!! I wouldn't!!

That is the 1st publication I have read saying the Hawks might pick Deron No. 2. I think that would be a big mistake, passing on the best talent in the draft in Marvin. I agree with Marvin being the Dwight Howard of this draft. I disagree with the Hawks taking Deron over Marvin. Deron is a solid player but I wouldn't label him superstar material. Marvin is labeled superstar material. Deron just fits a need on this team and that is PG, but you have to go with the best player potentially in the draft at No. 2 and that is Marvin.

No not just me, but every other writer, expert, GM, you name it. YOU ARE THE ONLY one saying pick him at No. 2. Show me any other publication saying pick him at No.2!! This is all in your mind!!AND ONLY YOUR MIND!!