Packfill

Quote: Quote: Quote: if PHILLY gets to the playoffs before us, i will be mad. VERY MAD! The way Iggy and Miller are playing they are on the fast track - provided they can get a decent forward (which, in my opinion, is much easier to find then say a decent point guard or center). Sigh. I'd still take JJ, Josh Smith, Chills and Zaza and a half game lead for better lottery odds over Miller, Iggy, Korver and Dalembert. I probably would too, but I think having a quality veteran point guard makes everyone else that much better, so while Iggy and Korver are quite as individually talented as JJ and Smoove, Miller helps make up the difference. Again, they definitely need a talented forward, but those are easier to find and they will definitely have a selection in this years draft whereas the Hawks can only hope. If Philly picks right then they could easily zoom pass the stalled Hawks.

If the Hawks win the lottery then Oden makes signing Morris unnecessary - besides the team does not want 3 rookies on the roster. 2 and 3 are "musts." If 3 does not happen, then the team won't win. I have no faith in BK, but the team will need a veteran post player not named Lo Wright to help develop Oden or Morris (assuming the Hawks are lucky enough to get either).

Quote: if PHILLY gets to the playoffs before us, i will be mad. VERY MAD! The way Iggy and Miller are playing they are on the fast track - provided they can get a decent forward (which, in my opinion, is much easier to find then say a decent point guard or center). Sigh.

Quote: I would give just about anything to hear BK and/or Woody take some personal responsibility for the state of this team. And I'm not talking about the ownership issues here, as that is something that is obviously well beyond both of their control. But to have Woody answer for the actual product on the floor, for the way they show and the way they play, for his basketball philosophies (or apparently, lack thereof), and for his game management as well as player management concerns....and to hear BK answer for some of his highly dubious draft selections and FA signings...and for his continued retention of his friend Woodson as his coach. I'd love to hear them answer honestly for that, just once.... not with the standard excuses...'Poor, poor pitiful us, what with all the injuries'...when the fact of the matter is that every team in the NBA goes through injury problems every year- it's just entirely variable as to how severe those problems run from year to year. Last year was our healthy year, this one so far has been our injured one. Just a straight-up answer from one or both of these men, and not accompanied with the sneering and smug attitude of 'I don't have to tell you sh*t, I am way better and way more qualified than you are'. (BK) Of course such a thing would never happen, but man would it be refreshing if it did. I would love to hear that too. What was Woody's "exuse" for losing 7 in a row with a healthy team?

Quote: He also has zero offense whatsoever, none to speak of. He should fit in well with the Hawks other post players then. In all seriousness, a guy like Noah will live and die based on his defense. No reason he can't be as effective as Tyson Chandler or Marcus Camby - two other athletic, offensively challenged, skinny tall dudes.

Quote: Joe Johnson and Marvin arent playing 2night. I wonder if they would play tonight if the Hawks were in the hunt for the playoffs.

Let's hope that Atlanta Spirit has the winning ticket - and thus the cash to buyout Belkin. Or better yet, maybe the winner will buy the Hawks outright and rid us of this ownership mess. Where have you gone Ted Turner, the Hawks nation turns its downtroden eyes to you.

Quote: the only problem with Oakafor is that he is a walking injury. We have that in Speedy right now, so I don't know if Emeka is a good option, but this is two more years down the road so we'll know more by then. I have no problem with the Hawks giving Josh over 10 mil a year. He is becoming a super player. I agree that there is a certain amount of risk in signing a guy like Emeka Okafor because of his history with injuries. But big men are so hard to come by that you have to gamble (you do not have to gamble on back-up point guards but I digress). If a guy like Okafor becomes available the Hawks need to make ever effort to get him. There are legions of young big men with injury problems (most without Okafor's production)that can still turn their fortunes around: i.e., Chandler, Nene, Curry, Amare, etc.

Quote: I think Jefferson's future is all messed up. I doubt Gordon gets big bucks from Chicago. I don't know if I think Okafor will get big bucks either. Especially if Charlotte lands in the top 3. How is Jefferson's future all messed up? He is playing great. I think he was just NBA player of the week/month. He is turing into a monster. If Okafor does not get big bucks from Charlotte then I hope that the Hawks step up to the plate and pay him well. He is a touch undersized for a center but he plays big like Alonzo Mourning. He is exactly the type of player the Hawks need - enough offense to keep the defense honest and top level rebounding and defense. Gordon will get paid well by someone. He won't get a max deal but with the way he is performing it is hard to say he is not worth the same type of money as JJ and Redd. On a per minute basis Gordon averages more points, rebounds and assists then JJ.

I think the Market will dictate what Smoove gets. But alot of guys from that draft - Howard, Okafor, AI, Deng, Jefferson, Gordon and Smoove in particular - are going to get paid big bucks.

I can honestly not think of a logical reason to keep either around after the season is over.

Quote: Hey guys, isn't this kind of silly arguing over which was Billy stupidest move (and the list doesn't even include some bad trades)? The point is that Billy is an INCOMPETENT FAILURE !!! We can all pick different reasons to agree - but the solution is the same ... fire him NOW. Before he can taint the next draft. (I can just see him offering a five year contract to Scotty Pippen to give us some vetern experience.) The basketball gods hate Atlanta. You hit the nail on the head. In my mind BK's 3 worst moves are: 1. Marvin over Paul/Deron 2. Sheldon over Roy 3. Woody over anybody else as coach You guys do realize that BK has an absolutely atrocious record when it comes to selecting coaches? He had a stinker in Memphis too. BK has no idea how to put together a winning NBA team as evidenced by the fact that no team he has assembled has ever sniffed respectibility.

Quote: I gave a B-. Definitely filled some needs but it seems like the team could have done much more to improve both in the short term and the long term. Apparently I was overly optimistic.

Far and away it was taking Marvin over Paul/Williams. Great point guards are hard to come by and BK missed on two. I still like the JJ trade but this team would be so much better off if BK had simply selected Deng, Paul and Roye instead of trading for JJ and drafting Chill, Marvin and Sheldon.

I am for whatever season ending results end in the dismissal of BK and Woody. The sooner those two are gone the sooner this team becomes respectible again. I went away for vacation for a week only to return and find out that this team is already in tank mode. How else to you explain pitiful losses to a depleted Knicks team and to New Orleans (Paul apparently owned this franchise).

Quote: Quote: I am more concerned about the "20 pounds overweight" part. Agreed. I'm not worried about Avery not liking him, but he's the kind of guy where weight's always been a bit of a concern. I don't really know how he looks as of today though. Hopefully the Hawks scouts were able to determine that he was not in fact overweight prior to the trade. If he is overweight, shame on them and the front office.

Quote: Quote: Quote: Quote: Remember BK stated in the press that we would not make a short term fix. AJ is long term???? Wasn't his comment that we wouldn't sacrifice the long term for a short term fix? I am pretty sure he would argue that a second round pick is not putting the long term future at risk. Well this move makes it painfully obvious that this franchise cannot make a decent trade. Many can question the draft picks, etc and hindsight is 20/20. I honestly believe until the ownership thing is solved and ASG is NOT the answer, we will continue to swim in the pits of the NBA standings year after year! Personally, I think all the hand-wringing over this pick is more frustration with moves not made than with the move actually made. I know that is my frustration. If we dealt Marvin, Shelden, Salim and filler for Gasol no one would have a negative thing to say about this deal, IMO. Agreed.

Quote: Quote: You are right, it was the best the Hawks could do after BK painted the team into a corner. Exactly. Of course, it was his fault the team was in that position in the first place. Lack of vision.

Quote: I'm not disagreeing. All I was saying is that I understand why we signed Speedy. Given our situation at that point in time, he was the best we could do. You are right, it was the best the Hawks could do after BK painted the team into a corner.

Quote: What is up with all of this "hate" about today's trade. Okay, so we didn't get a franchise player, but we didn't give up ANYTHING of value either. Yes, we have a surplus of backup caliber PG's, but at least 1 of them now are healthy and talented enough to play in the NBA at the same time. Johnson played well in NJ and did a wonderful job last year for the Pacers, which is why the Mavs went after him this offseason. He just wasn't able to get minutes on the deepest team in the league. Here he will be able to play 25+ mpg while letting Speedy and Lue get a little more time to heal their injuries. He brings toughness, a defensive attitude to the PG spot, the desire (and ability) to hit clutch shots, and he has A LOT of veteran savvy. I absolutely guarantee that the Hawks will be a better team this year with AJ because of his veteran leadership and experience. He will also make us better in the long run because of his veteran leadership. Hopefully we won't see Childress with the ball as much and Ivey will not see the court for the Hawks again. Maybe they can terminate Ivey's contract and finally get some minutes for Esteban. I guess I am in the minority here that can actually think clearly about today's trade which DEFINITELY makes us a better team (how much better is debatable, but definitely better). The hate has alot to do with the fact that BK made a stop-gap move when a bold move for a potential bona fide starter was warranted. This trade makes the Hawks a marginally better team, but in the short term only because Claxton and Lue, as flawed as they are, are better when healthy (meaning Johnson is a third stringer). I am not sure how AJ's veteran leadership is different then that of Speedy or Lue, both of whom have played more during their careers and who have championship experience. The concern is that the team may now decide that it will not make a move to acquire a true starting point guard in the off-season, with the thinking being that they already have a ton of money invested in veteran point guards. There is also the concern that AJ's presence may limit the number of minutes Chill plays (and by extension, the minutes Marvin plays because Chill will be forced to play more minutes at small forward). Again, not sure that is in the team's best interest in the long term. Finally, the team has had the same glaring problems (center and point guard) for three plus seasons and another opportunity to address those positions has passed. In all honesty, I did not expect a big move at the trade deadline. What I hoped was that the team would make a move to improve itself in the future. Anthony Johnson types can easily be acquired in the off-season.

JJ?

Looks like we still have the injury excuse!

Quote: Quote: the trade helps solidify our injury istuation but Billy needs to get some balls. Yes. One Speedy injury would destroy whatever is left of this season. This guarantees that Suns won't have a top 10 pick. Mavericks can think long term. u'm, the Hawks are currently tied for the 5th worst record in the NBA! Not sure AJ is going to be much better then what we had. And the Mavs are thinking short term - as in NBA championship this season.

It's not like the Hawks needed to sign Chauncey Billups in the off-season . . .

Pathetic. Johnson is a fine back-up and getting him would be a good idea if this team really was in the thick of a playoff race and had a clear cut starter in front of him, but as is this is an almost useless deal.