Packfill

Well, at least Woodson has his set rotatation! Otherwise he is a shining example of bad coaching.

Both are not starting material but I want Woodson to give Ivey some minutes over the next few weeks just to see whether he is worth a roster spot next week.

Olowakandi is a definite no because he is soft as charmin. Mohammad is not much of an upgrade to Zaza so would only clog a roster spot and cap space. Gooden, Wilcox, Ely and Nene are all restricted so there is no guarantee they will leave their current teams.

The other problem with guys like Wilcox and Gooden is that they are not big enough to play center except on a very limited basis. So bringing them in means the Hawks have another forward which means Smoove, Childress and Marvin get more bench time next year - rather then freeing up playing time when/if Al leaves.

Salim has less point guard skills then Ivey. He is a modern day Vinnie Johnson, nothing more.

Really like to have John Salmons? If that is the case then it really is a weak free agent class.

I would try hard to get either Nene or Pryz, but Pryz's previous stint here may have soured him on BK and Atlanta.

As for points, Cassell is just too old for the Hawks so I would look to sign Speedy Claxton. He would be an upgrade over what we have, although I doubt he is a long term solution.

I am assuming you mean Artest is a more valuable commodity then Al? That being said, what makes you think BK can get more for Artest then Walsh can? If Walsh's best move is to trade Artest for Al then Artest's value is Al, so he is no more valuable.

Looks like slim pickings in the off-season. How is the 2006 free agent class chock full of point guards? Maybe career backups?

You realize that the Hawks couldn't trade Lue for a box of crackerjacks right? That is his value.

Al is only driving into traffic because the offense is completely stagnant. I blame the coach or the point guard for not getting the team into a decent set.

How come he can't do it this year then?

Dude, the whole team turns the ball over too much - JJ, Al, Salim and Zaza (our center!!!!) are all in the top 25 in turnovers per 48 minutes.

So the problem is systemic. Either we need a new system or a new point guard. That is the root of the problem. Lue's shortcoming as a point guard, in addition to his 8th grade level defense, is that he does not have the ability to get teammates the ball in a position where they can score with a low chance of a turnover. So what if he doesn't turn it over or gets a few assists because someone else hit a jumpshot, he doesn't do enough to warrant serious playing time.

I stand by my comments.

If Lue was any good he would be starting on one of his three or four previous teams. He is an adequate back-up, that's it. Ivey hasn't had a turnover in weeks - does that make him a good player?

Al is far and away one of the Hawks two best players - why the hate?

Lue sucks, the sooner you accept that the easier it will be. Again, Al handles the ball a great deal because the team needs his playmaking and shotmaking skills. He has a lot of turnovers as a result. I guarantee you can find a 4 game stretch for Duncan, Melo, Dirk, etc. in which turnovers exceed assists.

They averaged 100 ppg last April when Al wasn't playing and JJ, Marvin, Salim and Zaza weren't here. Al only creates for himself.

All the Hawks have to do is move the ball and they will get plenty of good looks. Unfortunatley Al is a ball stopper and kills the ball movement with his one on one play. When he is on and scores 30 it looks good but they can't win consistently that way.

And getting 4 rebounds in 43 minutes is pathetic. Marvin got 5 rebounds in less than half the time.

Al turns the ball over less then JJ and handles the ball almost as much. Al may not be a great defender but no one on the Hawks is. JJ has a reputation and talent to be a good defender, but he does not seem to be giving that effort every night.

Maybe the coach can't motivate these guys to bust their humps, I don't know. Neither Paul Pierce or Ricky Davis are great defenders but they locked down on the Hawks last night.

I seriously hope someone in the Hawks organization guarantees that Artest will never be a part of the Hawks organization, even for a day like Rasheed.

Plus if Artest could get more then Al in a trade Indiana would do the deal. What makes you think BK can pull off something that Walsh can't?

Except when you consider that Al is really a small forward. His incredible shooting of late emphasizes that.

Al is the teams best offensive player currently, so he is doing something right.

I just wanted to quote this before you had a chance to edit. Lets hope BK has a better sense of building a winning NBA team then you do.

No thanks to Maggette. Great athlete but he is injury prone (he has never played a full season), does not play point guard, does not play center and is not a great defender, so he has nothing to offer the Hawks.

Agreed. Al is more valuable to the Hawks then Francis and his monster contract - At the very least Al brings good character and leadership.

I think he is comparing the JJ trade to the trade between Denver and NJ for Kmart. But I could be wrong.

Too bad. Celtics are a very beatable team.

What are the mega bucks numbers for this week?

I don't think the Hawks get the MLE because they are way under the cap.

Isn't he more of a shooting guard? Don't the Hawks have enough undersized shooting guards?

Are there any combo point/shooting guards that have success in the first 5 years of their careers (obviously guys like Billups, Iverson, etc. have achieved a modicum of success but only after being established vets)?