Packfill

Quote: Again I can tell you haven't even seen him play, which seems fairly normal for you. After all you make up nonsensical comments and attribute them to me to bolster your weak arguments. Not only have I seen Nene play, i watched him go head to head with the league MVP in the playoffs and hold him to 20-57 shooting the first two games of their series. Garnett couldn't beat Nene off the dribble at all. he couldn't get near the rim. Eventually he stopped trying to get past him and shot jumpers. He started shooting less and let Cassell and Sprewell carry more of the load. Just to be fair, Jerome James looked like an all-world center in the play-offs last year. Obviously that was a fluke.

Well, Perkins and Salim are about the same age. Jermaine O'Neal did nothing his first few years and then blew up. Sure it is a risk but again, Salim is a 15 minutes per game guy on the Hawks at best after they get a point guard. Lue could serve a similar role.

Delk is not very good, the Hawks will be lucky to get anything for him. There are dozens of identical players (undersized two guards) that can be had.

Quote: Walker is 29, Actually.... And Harrington isn't as good a ballhandler and rebounder as Antoine. He's definitely a better scorer...and is about even in Defense with Walker....but that's it. The biggest difference between the two is attitude.

Kmart's contract is poison. The Hawks won't touch it.

I would do that trade. Salim is a nice player and all but with JJ firmly entrenched at shooting guard Salim will never be more then a back-up here - especially if the Hawks ever get a legitimate point guard. Perkins, remember, also has a chance to develop into something useful and I would much rather have a legit bigman then an undersized shooting guard.

Doesn't Nene have a season left on his contract or at least isn't he a restricted free agent?

Glenn Robinson during his first week as a Hawk. Of course, it was all downhill after that.

That's a good question. I think alot of people think Marvin has tremendous upside, which is understandable. That said, alot of people don't appreciate how good Chris Paul is or at least they won't acknowledge it.

Quote: but mine don't involve a 19yo kid who IS NOT lebron James to come in and dominate the game. Don't forget that Melo kid.

I would rather take my chances with signing Al in the off-season (either to keep or trade) then making a trade now that destroys what little chemistry the team now has and does not guarantee any improvement in the long run. There is no guarantee Nene will ever be as good as Zaza and Watson, while a significant improvement over what the Hawks currently have, is not the kind of dynamic floor general that creates opportunities for others. If the trade involved getting a talent like Devin Harris, Jarrett Jack, Shaun Livingston, Chris Paul, Deron Williams or Raymond Felton then I would be strongly inclined to consider it.

You need to consider the fact that Al's best chance of landing a large contract is with the Hawks. The Hawks do have a glut of forwards but right now it is premature to trade Al since Childress and Marvin are still very much unknown quantities. Neither Nene or Watson are exceptional talents. It is a trade I would be more inclined to consider in the off-season as a sign and trade. But, it is not exactly a slam dunk trade as similar deals can be had in the off-season.

Well, it certaintly is a step in the right direction. But, 13 wins is historically bad, 27 is merely real bad. It is very hard to stay historically bad for a long time. Less then 20 wins at this point would be cause for alarm.

Lets not jinks it! This recent "hot" streak has been great, and it is hard not to get excited about the nice core of JJ, Al, and Smoove that is developing. That said, to keep things in perspective, 27 wins is still pretty pathetic.

Quote: If they do keep Al then they will still have gaping holes at the center and point, the two toughest positions to fill. Well, they might still have the same problem after the trade. Both Nene and Watson are career back-ups. I definitely think Watson is an upgrade, and Nene may be if he ever gets his head in the game. He is an injury risk as well. Looking at how things are shaking down though, the forward combo of Smith and Harrington seems quite strong. I say stay the course this season and evaluate in the off-season.

Quote: It is easy to say keep him and resign him but how much are you willing to invest in him? You have to remember that it is not just a matter of matching Al's best offer, he is UNRESTRICTED. Now if Al tells BK that he will resign with us if we equal the best offer he gets on the FA market, I'd take that chance and try to resign him. But what happens when he gets pissed because BK won't offer him what he perceives his market value to be? Will he take a slightly lesser deal to play elsewhere for a proven winner? Will he reluctantly come back here and hold a grudge and not play up to his potential? I really think it boils down to how much Al wants to resign. If he will take a deal starting around $8M (maybe $9M), I'd resign him. If he wants a lot more than that, I'd have to go ahead and deal him. Keeping Al even at $10 million is cheaper then Watson and Nene - unless I am mistaken Watson is making $5+ million for the next several years and Nene needs to be signed, he will command at least $5+ million.

Quote: Someone answer this question. Why is it that there is a lottery pick, who makes no money, rotting on the Timberwolves bench when he could be playing here. Why aren't we sending them Donta Smith and A second round pick at this minute to Minnesota? Hell throw in John Edwards as well. Nikoloz Tskitivili kicked azz in the preseason...he has some offensive skills, and is a legit seven footer...although he is more of a SF/PF than a center. LETS GET HIM IN HERE NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Because he stinks.

Quote: Quote: Quote: he has mad skills ROFL go post that on a Wizards or Lakers board and see what they say. Last I checked he was averaging 6 pts for the Lakers, making $8 million per year. lol I know you are a big fan of 82games.com. Check this out and then tell me about his mad skills: stats don't have to do with just skills it takes skills + right system + confidence + other stuff to equal stats kwame is VERY skilled for a big man...that's why he went so high and that's why he'll have a great game once in a blue moon but his lack of confidence is why he can't consistently have great games and why he may bust...if he ever gets confidence he'll be a good player in this league Kwame flat out stinks because he has no heart and the wrong attitude. Confidence is build from within, through practice and hard work.

Swift and Kristic are duplicative of Zaza. I think the Hawks need someone more physical if they are going to trade for a big.

Quote: I think you can put an Artest on a veteran team, but on a team of rookies he could cause a lot of damage with his attitude. Great talent, but do you want to take that chance? - - a bit like the T.O. question. This is exactly what it boils down to. If the Hawks had a Michael Jordan, an unquestioned leader, then it is much easier to control/tolerate the one talented miscreant. The Hawks don't have a Michael Jordan - and a veteran coach with three rings, Artest would poison the Hawks lockerroom - particularly if Al is jettisoned in the process. Artest is exactly like T.O., putting his needs before the needs of a team. I highly doubt BK would willingly bring such a time bomb into such a precocious locker room.

Problem with that is that you are assuming BK cares what someone else thinks - because normally he just does what he does and he doesn't care what people are saying.

You gotta love his unquestioned confidence in Marvin though!

Quote: those are the same executives who thought Darko was the clear cut #2 pick a few years back or that Stromile Swift was going to be the next big thing and so on. So really, using their judgment as your basis for defense is pretty weak. You really shouldnt compare the best college football player in the country and the likely #1 pick in the next NFL draft to a guy who is extremely talented but was a backup on his own team. Scouts are saying that Bush is the most talented back to come out of the draft since Gale Sayers. I still think that Marvin is going to be a stud (in 2-3 years) but he isnt even close right now. He is about where Josh Smith is and neither of them are even close to where Chris Paul is. At this point passing up Paul was a mistake. Hopefully that will change as Marvin improves, but thats something we have to really pray happens ... whereas Hornets fans dont have to worry a bit about Paul improving since he is already a borderline all-star PG. KB, you have been served.

Quote: Sorry, but Sam Bowie never had great potential, and all of those other guys had question marks about there games when they came out. There are no question marks about Marvin's game. The only thing he lacks is experience. There are plenty of questions about Marvin's game: 1. Can he be a team leader; 2. Can he be the focal point of an offense; 3. What position is he best suited for; 4. Can he add strength and weight while retaining quickness; 5. Can he penetrate to the basket; 6. etc. You are shoveling some really stinky stuff right now.

Well the problem with that idea is that it probably makes the Hawks good enough to not get a top five pick but bad enough to still miss the playoffs, which means no Rondo. Outside of Rondo, there are no point guards that could, at least at this juncture, make a reasonable contribution to an NBA team next season.