DavidSomerset

Which is get us set in our offense, get the ball to our playmakers, and make open shots when needed (very good shooter!).

Add that to the fact that we are not losing anything defensively at the PG position since Lue manned it mostly last year, and I don't see how you can twist that situation to say our team is not improved.

He is nothing close to a center...Scouts have major doubts that he even has enough strength to play PF in the NBA...Apparently the guy gets knocked around pretty bad in the post.

Don't get mesmerized by his size, Toni Kukoc was 6'11 240 also...Style of play is just as important.

Because our offense is terrible, mostly because we have awful point guards.

Ridnour is no worse defensively than what we already have (outside of Speedy).

We were last in the league in offense last year.

That HAS to change if we are going to go anywhere.

Ridnour's defense is no worse than Lue's.

You think Horford can come in and defend the paint as a Center?

So you can unequivocally say that after 1 injury filled year, he is a complete bust?

I'm not giving up that easily.

Isn't it possible that his injury had something to do with it?

Once he was finally healthy, he was playing real well at the end of the year.

I have just started my job with the Falcons this summer and one of my first assignments was to sit in on a meeting with 40 or so of the big time people in sports in Atlanta and take notes (Blank was there, Mullin, and a number of other "higher ups").

Anyways, I was real pumped because I saw that I was placed right next to Bernie...I was looking forward to talking to him before the meeting, but he came in late.

After the meeting we did a bit of small talk, then I introduced myself and told him I was a huge hawks fan...He was a real nice guy, I didn't want to bother him or hold him up, so we didn't talk for very long, but we talked about the draft in general (nothing specific) and I mentioned I am looking forward to next year.

Not much substance to the story, but just thought I'd share with yall.

I like him because of the offense he would bring.

We were last in the league in points per game last year, and 2nd to last in offensive efficiency (points per 100 possessions).

I, personally, feel like he could set this offense on fire with his passing ability...We have a ton of playmakers on this team that just need someone to get them the ball!!

Not to mention he is a VERY good shooter...We were also last in the league in 3 pointer % if I'm not mistaken...That hurt us big time.

He's not any worse defensively than Lue...And with a coach that stresses defense as much as Woody, I feel like Ridnour would get better at that end.

I wouldn't care if we took Durant at 3 or traded the pick...We would get a GREAT player either way.

I'm sure Seattle would trade out of #2 before they took Yi there, though.

I would love Ridenour as a back-up but I do not think he is starting material. That said, he is light years better then what the Hawks currently have.

The Hawks desperately need defense and passing skills from their point guard. That is why I think Conley is a near perfect fit (not as perfect as Paul or Deron, but what can you do).

Ridnour is exactly the type of distributor that could give this offense some energy!

I don't think Jack is anywhere near him in that department.

(Piggybacking off Blunt91's idea of trading for Ridnour with #11)

Trade #3/Lo for Lamarcus Aldridge.

Trade #11/Lue for Luke Ridnour.

Ridnour/Speedy/AJ

JJ/Salim

Marvin/Chillz

Smoove/Shelden

Aldridge/Zaza

That is a RIDICULOUSLY talented young team.

I say that team wins 42-43 games.

I think Luke would be a good player for us...Exactly the type of PG we need...A distributor.

However, his defense is pretty bad...Having Speedy to back him up will help.

Great proposal, Blunt!

How can he possibly play any worse D than Pachulia?

At least it looks like Yi is a solid weakside shotblocker.

*

Then Yi is without a shadow of a doubt the wrong pick. He has the skill set of a SF...His perimeter game is his strength...The post game is his WEAKNESS.

Don't you understand how much we need ANOTHER SF/PF??

Ok. So, in your mind, Chris Houston is SIGNIFICANTLY stronger than Arron Sears??

You get your opinions from stats, I'll get mine from watching him play with my own eyes.

There is no way in HELL that Noah can man up against NBA C's in the post one on one...Just won't happen...He can be a good help defender, but that is not the type of player you take at 3.

YOU THINK CHRIS HOUSTON CAN BEAT ARRON SEARS IN ARM WRESTLING?!?!!?!?!?!?

Do those emoticons express my feelings strongly enough?? Pay particular attention to hand on the forehead...That is EXACTLY how I feel when you compare Houston's strength to Sears.

ALL the scouting reports I've read (espn.com, nbadraftexpress, nbadraft.net) have mentioned that Yi gets PUSHED AROUND in the post and his post game offensively is very unrefined.

The guy is a small forward who can MAYBE play PF (there are doubts because of his strength)...NO WAY he can play center.

You can't just put anyone at center because they are 7 feet, that's absurd...They have to have the skills relative to that position.

Some people just live in this crazy fantasy world where you can put any player at any position.

That's like saying Toni Kukoc would start over Pachulia...Is he a better basketball player? Yes. Is he a better CENTER?? Probably not.

You can't just take anyone and put them in at Center...It doesn't work that way.

Ever heard of Greg Oden or Kevin Durant?

And yes, when we used the #6 pick in the 2004 draft and the #2 pick in the 2005 draft on small forwards, I would rather not take ANOTHER ONE.

Not to mention at PF we already have a 21 year old that averaged 16.5 points, 8.5 reb's, and 3 bpg...Not to mention we used the #5 pick last year on ANOTHER PF.

DOES PF OR SF LOOK LIKE A NEED TO YOU???

I don't want Hawes at 3...I want to TRADE for a C...Worst case scenario take Conley at 3 and then the best big man possible at 11.

That would be MILES better than taking Yi.

Taking Yi is the biggest waste of a pick I can imagine.

WE DO NOT NEED ANOTHER SF/PF...BK, PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM HIM!!!

NBA players listed at 7-0 or higher:

Jason Collins 7-0

Mike Illic 7-1

Nenad Kristic 7-0

Stephen Hunter 7-0

Martynas Andriuskevicius 7-2

Andrew Bogut 7-0

Ryan Hollins 7-0

Earl Barron 7-0

Shaquille O'Neal 7-1

Darko Milicic 7-0

Brendan Haywood 7-0

DeSagana Diop 7-0

DJ Mbenga 7-0

Dirk Nowitzki 7-0

Yao Ming 7-6

Dikembe Mutombo 7-2

Pau Gasol 7-0

Jake Tsakalidis 7-2

Tyson Chandler 7-1

Francisco Elson 7-0

Mark Blount 7-0

Joel Przybilla 7-1

Andreas Glyniadakis 7-1

Johan Petro 7-0

Robert Swift 7-0

Patrick O'Bryant 7-0

Chris Kaman 7-0

Zeljko Rebraca 7-0

Andrew Bynum 7-0

Chris Mihm 7-0

Sean Marks 7-0

Brad Miller 7-0

Diesel, were you one of the people bashing Knight for the past however many years for always taking SF/PF's in the draft?

If so, how hypocritical of you, but even if not what on earth use do we have for Yi?

He'd be behind Marvin and Chillz on the depth chart.

Trade him and let some other team try to make his soft ass into a player.

What a complete and utter waste of the #3 pick.