Packfill

I like the move for the Knicks as they can move Wilson Chandler to small forward (Richardson goes to shooting guard) where he belongs and Lee can be reinserted into the starting lineup. Al can back-up both forward spots off the bench. Chandler was a surprisingly good pick by Thomas and looks like part of the solution in NY. Crawford is a volume shooter who has talent, but has never used that talent to make a team better. He probably is much better off being a complimentary piece. Sounds like the Clippers trade is not a done deal.

To say Morris is not a good player is not exactly a revelation. More talented big men have washed out of the NBA so unless Morris develops some motivation and drive he will be out of the NBA soon enough.

On a team missing its two best power forwards . . . playing against a team with a tweener power forward . . . with a 1-7 record . . . Nice game by Marvin last night.

Talk about two MASH units! At least it is even. No injury excuse for the Hawks tonight - so if they can't beat a 1-7 team . . .

So basically, the Hawks can be a very good team when everything goes exactly right (i.e., no key injuries, shots are falling and focus is there). To me, the mark of a good team is succeeding despite adversity. The best teams have to bring it every night because everyone wants to beat them and increases their intensity accordingly.

That would be a really bad plan. If the Hawks are even close to playoff contention it would be beyond stupid to trade Bibby unless an unbelievable package was offered in return. Whether that means Bibby returns the following season, which I think is unlikely if the team also wants to sign Marvin, is another issue entirely.

Obviously, Granger is a much better player then Marvin. That much is certain. Add him to the increasingly long list of players from the 2005 draft class outshining Marvin.

I still think Bibby is likely gone in the off-season as it is unlikely the team will be able to sign him and Marvin and still have money in the bank for Horford.

Sounds like Darko.

Bibby can't guard quick guards. Bibby is overmatched athleticly by guys like Harris or Rondo. We saw that in the playoffs last year.

This happens with every team in every sport. There will always be people who get too high and too low following each game. I am going to give the team at least 20 games to see how things shake down. That being said, I am not a huge fan of the fact that the team has been built around jump shooting without the required post scorer that is needed for that type of system to work consistently in the playoffs.

I agree that putting faith in Bibby, particularly beyond this season, is asking for trouble. His injury history (of the nagging, play through it but siffer a decline in performance type) is well documented. I am also not sure they could pay him after this season, plus Marvin and Zaza (and with a BIG contract on the horizon for Horford).

Boris Diaw (not that he is a world beater, but he certaintly has become a viable rotation player, something he wasn't here with the Hawks).

I am LOL at all the people who think Hollinger has an agenda other then pushing his statisical rankings.

I really think Smith is the proverbial "x-factor" for the Hawks. When he is energized he gives the team something that few other teams have or can match. Combine that with the steadiness from JJ, Al and Marvin and the Hawks can get somewhere.

He is a career journeyman. He started last season in Detroit but was traded to Indiana. I am not sure if it was a salary dump or just a move to get more minutes for Stuckey.

Agreed.

It's preseason. Zaza and Murray are veterans, we know what they can do already, so nothing to get worked up about.

Chris Wilcox is not the answer. He is a backup caliber talent. He does not rebound, block shots or play defense commensurate with his athletic abilities. I am certaintly no Marvin lover, but to suggest that the Hawks trade him for Okur is crazy. Okur doesn't play nearly enough defense to lift the Hawks in a meaningful way. If you want to trade Marvin for a big, it has to be someone who can legitimately play defense and rebound - particularly sense it will mean giving up one of the teams better mid-range shooters. Marvin for an Emeka Okafor I can understand.

There is no way I would trade Marvin or Smoove for Okur. That is crazy.

I don't understand why people seem to think Flip is something other then a streaky bench gunner. There is a reason why he hasn't stuck with one team. Obviously he is better then having some anonymous rookie at the end of the bench, but if he has to play big minutes the Hawks are in trouble because it means one of two things: (i) Acie is not getting it done and/or (ii) JJ is injured.

To be fair, it is not like the Hawks had a great winning percentage with Horford. Obviously though, Horford is a much more important piece then Childress ever was.

It may have something to do with the fact that the Pistons have (a) actually won an NBA title recently despite the obvious draft blunder and (b) remained one of the top teams in the east despite the draft blunder.

I thinks this will be an interesting year for the young guys - Gay, Granger, Durant Marvin, etc. - to see whether they take their games to the next level or not.

Rudy Gay?