Packfill

What about Outlaw other than his athleticism makes you think he will be a star? From what I have read - and I fully admit to having never seen him play - he is very athletic but lacks skills - he can't shoot, dibble or pass and he is way, way too skinny to play in the post. Sure he could develop ala Corey Maggette, but that is four years down the road.

Being a great athlete alone does not make a great player. Moreover, having a lot of great athletes does not make a great team, witness the success of realatively unathletic teams like the Spurs, Pistons. Mavs and Jazz versus the lack of success of very athletic teams like the Clippers, Cavs, and Warriors.

I think having some good run/jump athletes is important for having a balanced team but too many people want all athletes/no skill.

I guess you can add Planinic to the list of players the would fit the Hawks back court needs - i.e., tall athletic guy with a handle, defense and passing skills. Depending on how the draft falls, Gaines, Pavlovic, Diaw, and Planinic are all options at 21.

That is a very reasonable look at the Hawks '03-'04 roster. Unfortunately, Pavlovic and Perkins may not be available at those spots - but they are exactly the type of players the Hawks need. Needs are:

(1) They need a wing that has a good handle, is athletic, can defend and hit an open shot to keep the defense honest - they don't need a big time scorer. Pavlovic, Gaines, Diaw, Delfino (inj?) and Moore if he shows anything in workouts all fit the bill.

(2) Big bruiser down low. They have Theo as an athletic shot blocker but they need a banger/rebounder down low to take advantage of certain matchups. Ideally, someone who can play center. First round options are Badiane and Sofoklis. In the second round, Perkins is an option, as are Marcus (inj?) and maybe Lang.

I read a report that a deal with the Lakers was likely to go down - sending Theo in exchange for Horry, Fischer, Rush and the Lakers first round pick (I think #23).

Sounds awful to me. Really the only good thing is the #23 pick. The draft seems deep with talent but alot of that talent is in the form of potential which makes many of the picks risky.

Artest would be great - he could light a fire under the rest of the Hawks. Indiana may be forced to make a trade if they want to retain some or all of their free agents. If they resign O'Neil it probably means Reggis is gone, so maybe they need scoring (i.e., Dog). If that is the case, I would take Bender or Harrington (though I would prefer Artest) off their hands and whatever contract filler they want. Harrington is a hard nosed player and Bender has "talent."

Just think how Time Warner's shareholders must feel after the value of AOL's shares went south between the time the deal was announced and the time it closed.