99PROBL3MS

If he opts for NYK that puts us in a really bad spot.

Lol do you really believe this man? I love Smoove and Horf but letsbe honest. Dirk, Amare, Bosh, Boozer,KG, Gasol, Tim Duncan, West, and maybe Aldridge are better than or just as good as them. Joer is widely recognized as the 3rd best SG in the NBA (some people put Roy ahead of him) and was voted the leagues most underrated player during a poll of 190 NBA players. It sucks that he may leave but that thought is overboard.

I really, really like Jason Thompson. He could develop into a poor man's D12. He is also a true Center. I would give up horf or smoove for Thompson and a 1st round pick (which more than likely is a lottery pick). I also wonder what it would take to get Javale McGee out of D.C.

I hope you guys realize just how good this guy is. He wore down in the playoffs and it certainly showed. There was only one SG in the entire NBA who averaged more points and shot a better % from the floor. That would be Dwyane Wade. That is mostly due to his ability to finish inside and get to the line. That somewhat evens out when you consider that JJ is a better scorer from everywhere else on the floor but at the rim. Kobe cant even say that. He has been good. Very good. Good enough to carry this team past the Orlando Magic? Not even at his best, but you can say the same for any other SG in the NBA. I don't think there is a SG in the NBA today that is superior to JJ in every facet of the game. Coach Drew knows that. He has been here throughout JJ tenure and the fact that he wants JJ back here so badly tells me all I need to know. When it comes to SG, only Kobe and Wade could be considered as clear upgrades. If we truly intend to compete for championships, we need this guy back. I just can't see it any other way. No one is saying he can't be "replaced" in terms of points, rebounds etc. but his overall court presence can't be easily replaced. If we find a way to land Kobe, Wade or maybe Brandon Roy (who didn't want to come here as a draft pick) then I will consider him replaced. Anyone else and I will just shake my head. John Salmons? Really guys? There is a reason teams will be throwing 100M+ at Joe Johnson this summer while Salmons will be possibly going to his fourth NBA team for somethiing close to the MLE.

You are more than likely right. Bashing JJ has become the cool thing to do lately so people don't see it as a business move. I don't see what good having constant contact with the Hawks would do for him. Saying he is selfish is also laughable. It is HIS free agency for his last big NBA contract who the heck else should he be thinking about right now?

I understand that he is making what most backups do but 5M is 5M. I was just saying that if I had to pay a backup C 5M I would rather it be J.O. than Zaza. That isn't a slight to Zaza but just my honest opinion on how I value those players. As bad as he looked in the playoffs, I would take him over Zaza.

We can't kid ourselves. Zaza gives maximum effort and you can't coach that but J.O. would be a huge upgrade especially if he is willing to play for the MLE. The only problem sis Zaza doesn't come cheap. He made nearly 5M this year (4.75M to be exact). He is getting a pretty penny.. If Zaza is going to be making near 5M we can't afford to have nearly 11M tied up in backup/part time starting Centers I will say that if I had to overpay for a backup Center, I would much rather overpay for J.O. Who could we get to take on Zaza at nearly 5M? I imagine their won't be many takers.

I think it will take more than just adding Chillz to what we had last year in order to get to the ECF. I just don't know if Coach Drew and Childress are the difference between beating the Magic or not. Hopefully they find a way to add more than just Childress. I would leave him be and go hard after Tony Allen. He is an unbelievable defender and also goes hard to the rim.

This is a very good post but is it fair to consider Woody a "failure"? The team improved every year. We all can agree that a change was needed to progress further BUT we won't know if Drew can take us further unless he actually does. I will definitely take a wait and see approach. Drew deserves a fair shake. I just don't know what to expect and won't until they hit the court this fall.

Wow do you guys really think JJ is that bad of a guy? If you were him, would you have been there knowing you would be asked 1,000,000 questions about free agency? It would have been a huge distraction for Coach Drew.

Marvin better than JJ? WOW if Marvin becomes an All-NBA player I will play in traffic for fun.

Youl might be right but sadly I believe winning isn't the most important thing to this ownership group

I agree about maximizing their skills. I don't think it is the minutes as much as it is the usage though. Having to serve as the primary ballhandler, distributor, creator, scorer, AND stopper when necessary on defense is hell. This team is so Jekyl and Hyde. Lol. Joe can still get his 20-25pts per game without having to do so much. It will be interesting to see what the new coach brings on that end. I think defensively it was just focus and effort. Doc Rivers team switches just as much as us but they play with MUCH more focus and effort.

Agreed, both Atlanta and Cleveland are in tough predicaments as far as a coaching search goes. Both are coming off very good seasons and the future of their teams best player is up in the air. Their are big shoes to fill there if Joe comes back to Atlanta and Lebron goes back to Cleveland. Anything less than last year will probably have fans a little ticked. Picking the right coach is crucial.

If the Hawks prove they want to improve the team, I could certainly see him coming back. If they bring the team back as is, I would leab towards him leaving.

You really think this offense fits JJ's strengths? An offense that has him going 1-on-5 all game? Wow is all I can say.......JJ is one of the leagues most versatile scorers he would do well in any system. This offense was certainly not the "optimal offense for JJ's skills". What are you basing that on?

I'm with Cwell. He averaged 17pts as a fourth option in Phoenix. If he played with a PG that could get him some easy shots I think his scoring would actually go up 2-4pts per game.

Mark Jackson wasn't a good player. He was a GREAT player. With that said, I doubt he is a serious candidate. I think he could be a good coach one day with some experience.

Perkins, Glenn. Davis and Rasheed did an unbelievable job defending Howard. He had some good games but he had to WORK for it. He shot aqround 50% in this series and not 82% like he did against the Hawks. I can't be mad at Horford and Zaza. They were just completely overmatched against D12.

Shaq made a ton of money this season but I think it isn't about the money now. He is looking to play for a winner that can contend. I would start Shaq. Everyone says he is completely washed up but 12pts 7rebs and 56% FG in just 20 minutes can be pretty valuable. That isn't considering his intangible presence in the paint. People still fear Shaq from a competitive stand point.

This would suck. It would make us look like the bad guy. If you gave me this list before Woody was let go, I would have been for extending him a year and upgrading the team. I can honestly say that much.

Woody's defense catches the brunt of the blame but I think it was the personnel and stubborness not to do something different that made it effective. The Celtics switch on defense just as much as ATL. The difference is they have high IQ Bball players who give 100% effort. It wasn't the defense itself. It was the fact that he wouldn't go away from it when our personnel couldn't handle it in the playoffs. All Woody had to do was show up and win a few games against ORL and I think he would be back. Was it really MGJ's call on Woody? If so, I hope he isn't too meddlesome and gives RS room to do his job.

Wow you really believe that? Maybe top 35 but that is just my opinion.

I think Marc Jackson could talk JJ into staying. I think he could talk some sense into Smoove too.

I love hoopdata. I have used it since they put up the site in 09. Even John Hollinger gets some of his data from hoopdata. I really like the depth of its info. The DEF category is intersting. It is a compilation of Blocks, Steals, Charges taken, etc. and ironically Smoove was #1 in that category this year. He needs to grow up and he can be a top 25 player in this league.