Packfill

I think the fact that the team was significantly more healthy this season then last - losing only around 13 games to injury by the teams top 6 players versus last season losing over 50, a few additional wins should have been expected. Couple that with more experience for Smith, Horford and Williams, the addition of Crawford and signing a few veteran big men, again, you would expect a few more wins. Becoming a perennial second round cast-off is probably not the results people were looking for after a prolonged rebuilding process.

If Maggette is the return on a JJ sign-and-trade I would much rather just resign JJ. I really believe we all saw this day coming - the day where the Hawks would reach a plateau. Drafting poorly will do that every time.Bad coaching doesn't help either.

If the plan is to keep this "core" together, then yes, they do OBVIOUSLY need a viable point guard along with a big man that can consistently score in the post. That has been obvious for 5+ years now. That said, you could argue that what this team really needs is a superstar in order to become a finals contender. As hard as it is to get a quality point guard, that may nevertheless be the easier route to take at this juncture. At the end of the day, this is the box Billy Knight painted this team into with his draft day decisions. We all saw it coming, so it shouldn't be a surprise. Maybe Teague will "get it" next year under the tuteledge of a new coach.

That sounds nice in theory but I am not sure how you can accomplish it without having the rest of the roster made-up of NBDL level talent.

On vacation?

If you stand back and look at the season, is 53 wins this year that much of an upgrade from last season's 47? Some facts to consider: 1. This season the teams top 6 players (starters plus Craw) missed a total of 13 games combined. That is pretty good. Last season, the top 6 players (starters plus Flip) missed a combined total of 57 games. 2. Al, Josh and Marv are a year older and wiser. We should expect that each would improve in some manner from last season. The only player on the roster you would have expected to see some decline in production from is Bibby. 3. Bibby's decline in production presumably was intended to be mitigated by the acquisition of Crawford, and to a lessor extent the selection of Teague. Moreover, Crawford was expected to be an upgrade over Flip. 4. The Hawks signed two veteran big men with the idea of improving front court depth and experience. Given all these factors - should we not have expected an even more significant improvement in the win column? Is it unreasonable to at least expect better playoff results?

The problem with getting rid of JJ is that they are not going to get a number 1 scoring option back in return. The team is what it is, which is unfortunately something less than a championship contender. This is the legacy of Billy Knight's failed drafts.

Saying Atlanta is Denver East is a insult to Denver, Denver has accomplished alot more than the Hawks have.

It would be one thing if the Bucks were competing with their entire team healthy, it is another when they are missing two of their best players. Bogut was having a very good season prior to getting injured and his lose would be the equivalent of the Hawks losing Horford, if not more harmful.

Not a desireable result but if they want to win with the current roster they can't lose JJ.

No more predictions, please.

He has what, 4 or 5 double-doubles in a row. A good trend to say the least.

That is why the team is going to take a step forward once he is gone.

With Carl Landry going to Sac-town to start, who does Crawford have to contend with for sixth man of the year honors?

If the Hawks want to be competitive they have to either (a) resign JJ at all costs, (b) do a sign-and-trade for viable assets or © get very lucky and find another star player. It is highly unlikely at this point that Marvin, Josh or Al is going to morph into a franchise player. They have become nice complementary pieces to be sure, but the Hawks still need an alpha dog. I for one do not trust Crawford to be that guy.

That is not fair. We have only been discussing this issue for two or three years.

I think he is closer to 24 than 22 at this point.

People need to wrap their heads around the fact that JJ remains far and away the best player the Hawks have. Without him, they are a mediocre team with limited upside. It is highly unlikely at this point that Josh, Al or Marvin will become big time scorers unless a Steve Nash type of point guard is brought into the mix (i.e., someone who can create shots for those guys). A championship is probably out of the question as the team is currently constructed. That said, they are currently exceeding expectations so it is hard to lament what appears to be a ceiling on the teams potential achievements.

Beasley at least has the excuse of being a lot younger. Not that that is an excuse. Both have severely underplayed their draft position. Marvin is the second coming of Derrick McKey. Flashes of brillance but mostly invisible. As a whole, the Hawks are still vastly exceeding my expectations.

I know no one wants to say it (or hear it), but Chris Paul is the perfect point guard for this team. A pick and roll offense with him and Horford would be nice, with JJ setting up on the opposite wing and Smith ready to go to the rim for a Chris Paul special. Additional shooters like Marvin/Crawford/Evans would fit as well. Absent that, the Hawks may be better off in the long-term trading one of Smith or Horford for a big that can actually score in the paint. Horford's old understudy, Marresse Speights would the type of guy the team should target.

Not sure Marvin can be "Mr. Consistency" given his play this year, unless you are characterizing him as consistently mediocre to irrelevant.

In fairness, not many players in the league would have been able to slow down Nate that night. He was out for blood. Bibby obviously can't handle guys with that type of quickness and Crawford's utility is pretty much zero when he is not hitting shots.

I would argue that as a team the Hawks have sufficient playoff experience to know what it takes to win close games at this point. The team also is very much a veteran squad at this point (I realize Horford, Smithand Williams are still relatively young, but each is sufficiently seasoned in the NBA at this point) so it comes down to mindset and execution. The team is heavily reliant on jump shots and Woody is not a great tactition, so those are also areas to work on certaintly.

There is zero chance the Hawks could get equal value in return for JJ and losing him would likely mean a pretty decent step back in terms of team development.

Cuban would LOVE to trade Josh Howard and a pick for JJ. Sund would be a retard to take that deal though as it would lock the team into mediocrity.