Packfill

I think Phil Jackson loves the idea of acquiring Artest for the simple fact that Artest will probably rip Kobe's head off when he starts acting like a prima donna. That and they have no chance of doing anything in the playoffs as presently constituted.

If they thought that they are both idiots - it is not like he tried it for 40 or 30 games, it was two. Fact is, they knew it in the preseason. Don't tell me two people involved in basketball at a professional level for several years could not figure this out. I never even played college basketball and I could have told them this from the get go (and I am by no means a basketball expert, just a realist).

Quote: you also might not get JJ if you get a PG. Part of his reasoning for coming here was more time on the ball to be a PG. We know that won't be the case any more, but that was part of his argument for coming here I don't think that argument holds any water. I think he only said that so as to further discourage the Suns from matching. My rationale for that is that he should darn well know that he is not a point guard after spending a year with Steve Nash.

Wouldn't it have been great if the Hawks had gotten the 3rd pick in the 2005 draft! The Hawks would be a better team now and in the future - and if not we could still draft Rudy Gay who is essentially the same player as Marvin.

If you consider lack of defensive effort and gapeing holes in the roster perfect . . .

Well, I never thought JJ could be a point guard and I would think someone who actually works in professional basketball would know that too. Just the way BK has constructed this roster evidences his belief that he does not want a true point guard. He has had opportunities to draft true point guards (Paul, Williams, Duhon, etc.) and to sign them as free agents but has failed to do so. The fact that he even thought JJ could be a point guard shows he is not aware of the need for one. I am willing to give him one more off season to build a "team" rather then a collection of talent. If he fails to address at least one of the Hawks glaring needs then he needs to go.

We agree then. If BK does not think the Hawks need a point guard he should be fired immediately. If he does trade Al, which I am not sure is the best thing, he better get a point guard or a big man who can play some defense.

So sad, but so true.

Quote: "Whether it's coincidence or direct association, the Blazers have started to flourish -- particularly offensively -- since Telfair went out of the lineup and Steve Blake became the starter on Dec. 16. The team is 3-3 since, with increases in scoring (from 85.5 points to 93.3), shooting percentage (43.3 percent to 48.7) and assists (16.0 to 21.7) and the same turnover average (15.3)." Oregonian "But minutes later, coach Nate McMillan wavered when asked if Telfair would be the starter when he returned. "I'll see once I get to that position," McMillan said. "But if the team is playing like they are playing, we ain't changing anything. So it just depends on how (Telfair) feels when he comes back, where we are and what we are looking like." Oregonian But according to BK we don't need a point guard . . . I am willing to go on the record in stating that this team will never win consistently or become competitive until one of two things happen: (1) the entire roster becomes infinitely more talented or (2) the team acquires a real point guard (a Steve Blake would do). Obviously, chemistry, coaching and defensive effort will also play a role in making the team competitive.

Quote: But using Kobe, KG and Tmac as reasons why Marvin should be excused from criticism this year, just doesn't work. As rookies, they ALL put up better stats in fewer minutes, with the exception of KG. KG played 28 compared to Marvins 22. But his stats simply dwarfed Marvins in every regard. As I said, I will reserve judgement for seasons end. But if his numbers aren't up there, I will consider his rookie season (not him, just his season) a disappointment. I agree. The logjam at forward is definitely going to limit the development of Smoove, Childress and Marvin. The problem is that Al is clearly the Hawks best forward, so it is going to take trading him away to alleviate the logjam which will in term potentially result in a less productive forward tandem. Maybe Smoove et al. will develop by next season . . .

Quote: It doesn't matter if there are 100 games left. weak D + too many turnovers = lottery Last night they shot 56% from the field, 70% from 3, and lost to a team that was 6-22. Completely agree. Why does the team not even try to defend? While I think personel is part of the equation effort is at least 50% of the defensive equation as well, and the Hawks have zero defensive effort. Pathetic. They are lucky the jump shots were falling or they would have been blown out by the worst team in the NBA.

Agreed. There is a better then 50% chance this guy or anyone else drafted in that spot ever plays in the NBA. Is there such a thing as a "non-project" pick with the second to last pick in the draft?

Lets not get carried away, the Hawks still have a worse record then the Bobcats, so no game is a gimme for the Hawks. They should win though without Okafor defending in the middle.

Quote: Well then. I guess I and every draft prognosticator that is out there is just wrong about Marvin Williams. Marvin was rated no lower than 2nd on EVERY draft board, and he was #1 on most. I guess we are just wrong about him since, as a 19 year old, he hasn't come out and immediately averaged 20 points per game and 10 rebounds per game. I think those same draft prognosticators would acknowledge that it was a weak draft. And those same draft prognosticators universally hailed Darko as the second pick in a much stronger draft.

Quote: Hollinger is an idiot. He also thinks the Hawks acquisition of Joe Johnson deserves a D grade. I'm really going to rub it in on these people criticizing Marvin now when he's fulfilling his vast potential in a couple of years. We all wish that Marvin will be half as good as you say he will be. Problem is you have gone completly off the deep end in hyping/defending Marvin - to the point of being comical, creepy, assinine, fanatical and disturbing all in one package. It would be one thing if you were hyping LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony or even O.J. Mayo, but why hitch yourself to this horse?

Are the Clippers and Grizzlies winning (and Elton Brand and Pau Gasol having career years) because of their old, non-veratile, slow footed point guards or in spite of them?

Quote: Quote: The only true knock on his game is his lack of three-point range So, you have a player that isn't athletically gifted and also doesn't bring a high skill level to the table, and he's a good fit for this team? Obviously you cannot compare Miller with Magic or Kidd, but you realize that Magic Johnson wasn't that fleet of foot and lead the most successful running team of all time and Jason Kidd does not have great foot speed but can push the ball up the court.

Quote: that both Martin and Boozer have injuries that will limit their production. Truly, Martin is not a player that you want to trade for with his contract and his injuries.... The two just can't go together. 100% agree, his contract is horrendous given his post-Kidd production and injury history.

Al for Miller works from a talent perspective for the Hawks. I would oppose the trade though just because I like Al as a player and what he brings to the Hawks.

I don't think you can say BK would not have drafted Diaw. Isn't Diaw the prototype for the type of player BK likes: Long, athletic, mutlitalented?

Quote: It's not a mistake. Tell me. What part of Chris Paul fits on a long, athletic team? All 5'11" of him with his flipper arms and below average defense. Marvin is the more talented player, and in 2-3 years time, it will be very easy to look back upon drafting him and say that it was a no brainer. Taking Chris Paul over Marvin Williams would be like taking Chauncey Billups over Tracy McGrady in the long haul. I'll take Chancey, his NBA title and ability to win games over McGrady and his mutlitude of talents. McGrady's talent does not translate into wins. Billups is the engine of an NBA champion.

Quote: Hughes/Arenas were huge in Washington... Hughes has always been looked at as being a player on the brink. Al is a 20/8 Sf/Pf tweener. Again. Shareef is getting the MLE. Each player is a micromarket but you can't find 1 team in the NBA in need of Al that can offer more than the MLE. I mean, N.O. has West/Mason. Chicago has Deng/Nicoioni/Songalia/Sweetney/Chandler. Seattle has Lewis/Fortson. The Clipps have Maggette/Brand. Those are you top teams with money this summer. None of them are thirsting for Al. Supply demand... It's very simple. Al may get a 6 million dollar offer for a team like Chicago trying to stockpile talent. But no way do they give him anything close to 10-12. They will be going after centers. this is a good post. Chicago is really the only team with money that has any need for Al, and he is not a perfect fit for what they need. Plus they are staring down the barrel of big extension for Hinrich and crew. I doubt anyone throws a deal at Al starting north of $10 million. You do have to overpay in free agency, that is established, but any warts that we Hawk fans see in Al's game will certaintly be well known by other GMs. JJ and Hughes got huge deals because both clubs were desperate. Atlanta for some legitimacy and Cleveland to build around and complement LeBron. Big men huge deals because they are in such hig demand but Al does not fit in that classification.

It would be stupid to be against the trade. JJ is the Hawks best player and likely will be for the foreseable future. You could argue that BK could have got JJ for less, but that is about it.

Interestingly though the Knicks did not get rid of Allen Houston under the "Allen Houston Rule."

I don't think I said anything about him being too short - I did say he needs to build strength to bang in the post, which is true. He is already a solid rebounder, but not he is not that great yet. I think he averages about the same amount of rebounds or less per minute as Al, and everyone is unhappy with Al's rebounding.