thecampster

The Hornets are 6-4 in their last 10 and putting it together. They are 4.5 games out of a playoff spot and nobody will want to play them if they make the playoffs. They are dangerous. Despite being 7 games under .500 they are +.1 in score differential. They are getting better and could be very good come playoff time. Early season was an adjustment period. If healthy, they are dangerous.

Consider the post from purely a value perspective. Could we have gotten more long term value right now.

Just imagine if we had Dwight right now. Could we be pulling more in trade for him now?

Uhm....no What is with people giving up on contributing players while still in their rookie contracts?

If the season ended today, the Hawks would own one of 1-4 pick in the draft (we will assume 1 but could be as low as 4) 11th pick in the draft (From the Clippers - thru Houston) Top 3 protected....root for LaC to lose as much as possible while staying out of the top 3. Should LA win one of the top 3 slots, we lose this pick till next year. LAC wins lottery, begin conspiracy theories in 3, 2, 1..... 23rd pick in the draft (From the Timberwolves) 31st pick (will not transfer away because the pick is not lower than 55) So theoretically 1-4, 11, 23, 31. This is what tanking has currently wrought. IMHO, they should/would package 23+31 to move up 3-4 slots with one of the following teams (note: Detroit currently in the 22nd slot, NO in the 16 for reference, some of these are tied for position). Detroit Oklahoma City Washington Denver Indiana Milwaukee New Orleans For the pro tankers out there, let me show you how the Hawks can get completely screwed by this. In 2018, in order the following teams win the draft lottery...Dallas, LAC, Orlando. Instead of 1,11, 23, 31...The Hawks get 4, 23, 31. There is a reason they call it the lottery. Best case scenario. The Clippers continue to lose but fall no lower than the 4 slot, lose in the lottery and the Hawks get the Number 1 overall pick. Minnesota falls 8 slots by going backwards 4 games in the overall standings. Then they are 1, 4, 15, 31. They could package 31/15 to move up to 12-13 and have 1,4,12....perfect world.

LOL.....Let me show you how this plays out. Son - "Mama....Mr. Ball says he's going to pay me $50,000 to play in the Big Baller league for 1 year and then I can go right to the NBA." Mama - "Oh and if that doesn't work out you can go to college then?" Son - "Nah Ma! Once I get paid, I can't go to college but Ma, it's 50 G large and you know I'm going to the NBA." Silence ensues for a few minutes while Mama takes a walk to her bedroom. She returns with a wooden spoon, a shoe, a belt, wooden paddle, the remote to turn off the house wifi, a can of pepper spray and a loaded taser. Mama - "Oh Hells no. Do you think I put in all those late nights, washed your sheets and went to all those middle school games so that you could throw away a free college education. Get over here while I show you Jesus."

Nobody wants to get rid of Dennis. Dennis is improving in the aspects of shot selection and moving the ball earlier within his drives. He is not perfect yet, but he is improving.

I apologize sir, but I still believe my nude duck face photos needed an audience. Perhaps it wasn't the right forum :) .

A few years ago we were 60-22.....Post 60 wins again and those claiming to be Hawks fans from way back will show up again.

In his first 2 seasons in the league (age 19/20), Josh Smith average 10.5 pts, 6.4 rebounds on 44% shooting. Collins is sitting at 11.5, 7.1 on 58% shooting. I think the kid will be okay.

Preach it. Give me a big with a solid post game, rebounding instincts and the ability to pass out of the post any day.

Please try to keep in mind here that I was and probably am the biggest Josh Smith fan on this board. I would argue the #1 mistake they made was Not trading Josh Smith after the 2011-2012 season. After 2012 and before his last season in Atlanta, Josh Smith was highly regarded around the league as a play maker. They dangled him at the trade deadline and received significant offers (see this article ). In keeping Smith and letting him walk, they lost a valuable trade chip and the opportunity to "Sell High" on a declining talent, a rarity for this organization.

Injuries are a bigger part of the NBA than any other sport. With only 5 players on the floor at a time, missing 1 player, 1 player hobbled changes a team's entire dynamic. This is why its a crap shoot. Nothing is guaranteed in the NBA season. A Lebron, Curry, Harden, Westbrook injury at season's end changes the entire landscape. You can't say that about football, baseball, etc. Just be a team with home court and you have a better than average shot at the finals.

You just said the magic thing. The playoffs are a crap shoot. Injuries, momentum, team cohesion all play a part. All you need is to be top 4 in your conference to have a shot of winning a championship. You don't have to be the Warriors or Cavs for an entire season, you just need to show up for 16 out of 28 games come May/June.

What would I have done? In hindsight. To answer this, you have to go back to "what you had". You had "a chance to sign THj". You had "a chance to sign Millsap". You had Dwight Howard on a 2 year contract. 1. I would have kept Dwight for 1 year. The Dwight contract becomes much more valuable and movable with 1 year left on on it, not 2. It would have been an expiring at the end of this season. The reason the value on Dwight's contract trade was so low is it had 2 years left on it. Anyone who doesn't understand 2 years of Dwight is better than 3 years of Plumlee just doesn't understand how contracts work. 2. I would have let Millsap walk without making the Crawford deal. The price tag was just too high. 3. I would have matched NY on THj. Timmy was/is younger than Baze and IMHO a much better mentor for Dorsey on how to adapt to the NBA game. 4. I would not have resigned Ersan (and this one would have hurt me to do) but effectively the combination of Ersan (rental), Plumlee (waste), Muscala (see below), Marco (rental), Crawford (to get a low 1st rounder) is $40 million in salary which would have been enough to keep Howard and Hardaway. In 1 year, that Howard expiring would become that same low 1st, high second draft pick to take someone else's longer contract and you'd still have Timmy. Anyone trying to say Ersan, Plumlee, Muscala, Marco, Crawford (2 of which have not or will play for the Hawks this year) is greater than Howard/Hardaway is smoking something more potent than Plumlee's weed. 5. I would have parted ways with Muscala and still signed Dedmon. 6. Lastly, I would have found a buyer for Baze. Teams called on Baze but the Hawks deemed the price too high. They valued their low 1st rounders too much of a price. If you have Tim, you don't need Baze. In short, the roster difference could have been. Back in: Howard (1 more year), THj + $17 million in salary cap space for signing free agents. Out: Marco, Plumlee, Ersan, Muscala,Crawford, Baze and I really don't see how anyone can argue that the in would have been greater than the out in the short term or long term once you flip Howard's salary at season end. And FYI, this is almost exactly what I said around Aug 1.

More interesting number. JC at the 4 runs a 26.1 PER while his opponent runs a 14.9. A +11.2 PER at the 5 he rus a 20.8 PER while his opponent runs a 16.7. A +4.1 PER. Delaney MD at the 1 runs a 7.8 PER while his opposing PG runs a 24.2 PER. A -16.4 PER. at the 2 he runs a 19.8 PER while his opposing SG runs a 31.2. A -11.4 PER. FYI, all of these numbers are through 9 games. 82games.com runs a week+ behind.

http://www.82games.com/1718/1718ATL.HTM Collins On court team is +.2, off court -13.3 Delaney On Court team is -22.8, off court +.7. SMDH Scary version....think of all the time Collins is on the floor with Delaney or these numbers would be even more skewed.

Sounds good....7 year plan before we have a winning record again. I'm sure Hawks' fans will be just peachy with waiting 7+ years for a winning season.

Yes but Bembry is currently injured.

What you are seeing here is Bud U on full display. They are working with him every day, specifically in the weight room and in 3v3 sets. 1 driver, 1 post and 1 kick. You'd need to defend it a thousand times right to start to break bad habits.

Defensively speaking, the college game is very different than the pro-game. In the pro game, teams isolate matchups that favor them offensively. Because of ability of pro level players to properly pick, roll, drive and kick, Pro level defenders must know where 2 players at all times on the floor are....their responsibility and their switch. Collins can handle almost any switch. But he doesn't have the rear end to man up the best 4/5's in the game. Teams are getting him right now when he gives up position to help on a drive/kick. He loses his own man and then is committing fouls. Because he is a light player, he needs to constantly be in position on his man to stop his drives and teams are taking advantage of college experience with zones to un-position him. On iso defense, stronger/post like players are getting him to commit early and using that to draw and 1's. In the pro's, far superior players are on the floor in the primary rotation and Collins weaknesses on defense would be on full display. He's improving but he needs 30+ games at least and tons of 1v1 coaching to change his instincts.

We are 4 games into the new season and Malcolm Delaney is already a -52 in the +/-

And this is why pre-season predictions mean nothing, mortgaging your future for 1 player is risky and why you draft mechanics over athleticism.

30 wins max but fun to watch.

I am so torn. OMG am I torn. On the one hand, I don't expect us to win and make the playoffs. I don't like Plumlee. I never liked Plumlee and I can't envision a world where I'll ever like Plumlee. I still don't trust Bud to play the youth and I am still not sure who the real outside snipers will be. But on the other hand OH EM GEE are we gonna be fast. I can't wait for Collins to move into the starting lineup. I cannot wait to see Bembry get real minutes. I am patiently hoping for Dorsey to develop and start to look like he gets the NBA game. I am optimistic that Dennis will start to put it all together and mature. I have unsavory visions of a Prince/Bembry/Collins led havoc causing defense. I have never been so excited to watch a team that I do not expect to win. and lastly, I could be wrong. They could win. We have a collection of players all willing to play solid D, all willing to do the little things, most willing to defer to someone else. We have team guys, lots of them. Those qualities can greatly overcome experience and talent. Heart and enthusiasm should not be overlooked. I don't expect it and I hope I'm wrong.