Packfill

In the Leastern Conference 37 wins is probably more than enough.

Quote: Quote: Oh STFU with that sh!t already. Get over it. I'm with you too. 95% of everyone back at that time said pick Bogut at 1 and Marvin Williams at 2. If you look at 10 2005 Mock Drafts you will see that too. Now you got these SO CALLED smart guys saying NOW we should have picked CP3. Well DAMN, the Bobcats should have picked Roy at 3 in the 2006 draft. I have never been a big Marvin Williams guy. I said at the start of the season we should trade him for a big but I'm not going to come on here and act like I knew we should have picked CP over him. Marvin was the smart pick in the 2005 draft. The Dumb pick was S-Williams over Roy. Not to "toot" my own horn, but I knew that Paul was the right pick. Every since that fateful day I knew BK was a terrible GM, and he has done everything since to prove me right.

Well, I thought this was an important statement game for the Hawks. Too bad.

Quote: The real messed up part if his wrist is hurt bad is that he just started playing well. Just like when he got hurt vs Charlotte earlier this year right when he started playing real well. I HONESTLY THINK WE REALLY ARE CURSED. That curse begins and ends with the Atlanta Spirit and Billy Knight. Get rid of them and the team will be fine.

I think this is an important game for Hawks just because they are playing a beatable team that just traded away its long-time starting point guard and now, much like the Hawks, is integrating new players. Both teams played last night so both are coming in on an equal playing field. Plus, both teams should be extra motivated to show that the trade benefitted their respective teams more. One advantage for the Hawks is that they actually have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs whereas Sacto is playing out the string. Gotta love the leastern conference!

Obviously there are still 31 games to play after tonight, but does this game fall into the "must-win" category for the Hawks?

Quote: But with the loss of Lue, Acie should see more time at the 2 guard to give JJ some rest and to have another shooter in the game at times. Well, at least, that should work in theory, but we are talking about Woody, so who knows how Acie will actually be used. So you are saying Childress will see fewer minutes as a result of the trade?

Quote: Not to take anything away from Bibby's game, because he is en pointe, but the best thing about this trade for the long term future of these hawks may very well be the fact that Acie gets meaningful minutes now. Woody just does not know how to develop draft picks whatsoever, and this trade forces him to do that with Acie. If we had kept Lue and AJ then Law would have continued to be marooned at the end of the bench, a waste of his ample ability and another first round bust. Now we get to see what the kid can do in some extended minutes. Anyone who ever played knows its tough sitting the bench for 10 minutes, playing 2, and then sitting the rest of the game. It takes at least 3 minutes CONSECUTIVELY to get loose and in the flow of the game, and probably 5 min to get anything done. Further, when u have a coach u know doesn't believe in you, a lot of times u start to doubt your own abilities. When u know u will get yanked after your first mistake you start playing safe, not taking any chances and in turn not affecting the game. To the untrained eye this looks like the player is playing "scared," which in essence he is, not because of the players, but because of his coach. Basketball has more to do with confidence than it does ability, esp. at the NBA level (if you made the league, you can play). Woody kills me in his handling of young players. He sticks with vets like Lue and AJ (and Zaza over Horf earlier in the year), who have consistently gone out and helped us be the laughingstock of the league year after year. If you want to win 25 games a year, then keep running those guys out there. If you want to get better, try something else! The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. BK hasn't done a whole hell of a lot right over the years, but at least he took the keys out of Woody's car and put him where he needs to be, on a bike with brand new training wheels. A monkey could manage this team now. Let's see how Woody does. If Bibby was brought in to be the starter and play 35 minutes a night then doesn't that mean that Law's minutes would actually go down, as there would only be 13 minutes available for him to play?

Quote: I see his role as a garbage time guy and someone who can help when a perimeter player is in foul trouble or banged up. The only players that this should worry are Salim and Mario. That is what I was thinking, but it seems people are expecting more.

Did I miss something? Have the Hawks traded a swingman recently? If not, is this guy going to take time away from JJ, Childress or Marvin? Doesn't Bibby's acquisition limit the time Childress will play at the point (not that he should have played point anyway) so in turn require Chill to get his minutes as JJ and Marvin's back-up? I thought the Hawks needed big-man depth after the trade?

I will be disappointed with anything less than 18-15 over the balance of the season.

Quote: Starters: Bibby JJ Marvin Smoove Horford Bench: Chill Law Zaza with Mario, Solo, and maybe Salim getting spot minutes, but not guaranteed to get time every night. Sub patterns assume no one is in foul trouble in the 1st half. 1st quarter TIMED 6 minute mark substutution: Bibby JJ Chill ( in for Marvin ) Smoove Horford 1st quarter TIMED 3 minute mark substitutions: Law ( in for Bibby ) JJ Chill Marvin ( in for Smoove ) Horford ( Note: Woody likes to give JJ a break right before a quarter ends, so this is the time where Mario MIGHT get into a game. If he does, it will be at less than 2 minutes to go in the 1st quarter ) Start of 2nd quarter TIMED substitutions: Law Chill Marvin Smoove ( in for JJ ) Zaza ( in for Horford ) 2nd quarter SEMI-TIMED 8 - 9 minute mark substitutions: Law JJ ( in for Chill ) Marvin Smoove Zaza 2nd quarter SEMI-TIMED 6 - 7 minute mark substitutions: Bibby ( in for Law ) JJ Chill ( in for Marvin ) Horford ( in for Smoove ) Zaza 2nd quarter SEMI-TIMED 3 minute mark substitutions: Bibby JJ ( once again, this a spot where Mario could play with under 2 to go ) Marvin ( in for Chill ) Smoove Horford ( Mario, Solo, and Law will be used for foul trouble substitutions ) Projected 1st half minutes: Bibby: 15 minutes JJ: 21 minutes Marvin: 18 minutes Smoove: 18 minutes Horford: 18 minutes Chill: 12 minutes Law: 9 minutes Zaza: 9 minutes In a perfect allocation of minutes, you'd like to see our bench give JJ more rest, so that he only have to play 18 or so minutes in the 1st half. That can only be achieved by Law or Chill playing more . . or by the fringe guys like Mario or Salim stepping up in the 3 or so minutes they might get. I'd personally like to see a Bibby - Salim - JJ lineup for a small stretch, just to see if we can stretch the defense out a little. 1st half minutes aren't necessarily reflective of how the rotation will go in the 2nd half. In the 4th, Woody may elect to keep Chill in more than Marvn, if he's playing better that night. It'll be interesting to see who Woody trusts, now that his favorite toy ( Lue ) is gone. I think the 8 man rotation is pretty obvious given what is left on the roster. I think Bibby should play 35 minutes a night, Law plays the balance of the point guard minutes. Hopefully, with another legit veteran starter, JJ's minutes can go down to something in the 37-38 minute per game range. Smoove, Marvin and Chill probably play around the same minutes as before and Horford may need to play a few more minutes.

Quote: Will he get more consistent minutes now? I don't see how this trade impacts Salim as he is not a point guard.

Quote: The Hawks need to win at least 18, but ~22-23 gets us out of the 8th seed maybe as high as the 6th seed. That six seed should be a goal as it keeps the Hawks from having to play Detroit or Boston in the first round. The second round of the playoffs would be huge for this team. It also will help in the offseason with re-signing our own and possibly getting a FA in some sort of SnT. Agreed. Getting the sixth seed is very important if the team wants to advance to round two of the playoffs.

Quote: Quote: The only guy on the team who is probably not happy with this deal is Acie Law as it essentially means he will be nailed to the bench for the next year since Bibby should be playing 35 minutes a night. It might actually have a positive effect on Law. Bibby can help him come along, and he is the only backup PG now. It's not like he'll get less minutes than before. This year it definitely helps Law, but he may be thinking that the team had to make this move because they don't trust him to be the lead guard. I imagine as a 4 year college player he expected to get playing time early and often.

Quote: Billy Knight has been very hesitant to mess with any players who have had legal issues. He always talks about good charector professional players. Didn't BK sign S-Jaxs?

The only guy on the team who is probably not happy with this deal is Acie Law as it essentially means he will be nailed to the bench for the next year since Bibby should be playing 35 minutes a night.

With the addition of a veteran like Bibby, I would be VERY disappointed with anything less than 17 wins.

The team should still have 12 players (including Speedy). All they need to do is sign some NBADL free agents for the end of the bench.

Quote: why cant we just enjoy the trade for now? I don't see anything wrong with considering the ramifications of the trade, particularly if it handicaps the team in the long run. Again, I like the trade as far as the players involved are concerned, no question a trade of this type is long overdue. But, it does not change my opinion that BK and Woody are not the answer and that their continued employment will ultimately prevent the Hawks from competing for a championship if retained beyond the end of this year.

I generally like the trade as the Hawks didn't have to give up anything of value. But, if it ensures BK's and Woody's return then it probably holds the team back in the long run. I can only imagine that Sac-town is hoping Shelden emerges as at least a solid power forward with some proper coaching. Otherwise, it is a total salary dump - which makes sense because even though they are playing well their chainces at the playoffs in the west this year are non-existent - as AJ is destined for back-up minutes and Lue is more or less worthless to them.

I see no reason why he can't become at least sold back-up with the Craig Smith mold. He likely won't ever be 5th pick in the draft good, but no reason a decent coach can make him into a solid contributor.

Quote: I have never been one to yell and scream to fire people, but if even I can see how much better Acie is out there than Lue on both ends of the court, then I think Woodson has to go. Watching the haphazard substitution patterns this season has been infuriating. 15 assists to ONE turnover? My god, let him play and get some confidence going, Woodson. ASG has to make a motion to fire him. Keep Billy for now until we see how this team responds without MW. I really believe we are better than our record, and that is a reflection on coach, not GM. The GM hired the coach! Do you trust this GM to hire a good coach? This is the same guy that hired Sidney Lowe!

Speedy also excelled in a back-up role in San Antonio. Problem is, Speedy has never been able to stay healthy which is why no other team would sign him to be a starting point guard. He just isn't reliable. Unfortunately, BK backed himself into a corner in the summer of 2006 to the point he had to sign a point guard and a big man. Even more unfortunately, the guys he got were Speedy, Lo Wright and Shelden. Couple those moves with his decision to retain Woodson and it is hard to imagine a worse off-season for any NBA GM.

Quote: Quote: AJ, Zaza, Lo, and Lue for Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal, and Kyle Lowry. The word from Memphis is that Miller and Cardinal are a package and they're on the move! yep do this deal and then look to see what u can get for marvin from somewhere else lowry/law would be our pg tandem; jj/miller/smoove/horford could hold down the 2-5...chill backs up the 2/3...u'd have to get a decent big man to rotate with smoove/horford to make it worth moving marvin...someone like an aldridge or biedrins or bynum or bogut or, maybe u could trade marvin/lowry to toronto for calderon? they'd get marvin and then lowry can backup tj ford that would mean we'd get calderon+miller for marvin+expirings calderon/law jj/chill miller/chill smoove/horford horford/shelden Unfortunately, I don't think Marvin would be enough for any of those big men or enough to get Toronto to trade Calderon.