Things the Hawks Shouldn't do...

[Diesel]

1. They shouldn't trade Al.

I know there are many that believe that Smoove is ready to be a PF... Yeah, right. I think we need to play Al with JJ and watch the chemistry. I especially like having Al/Zaza on the floor at the same time. I expect about a 12/9 season from Zaza. I expect a 20 ppg season from AL.

2. They Shouldn't trade JC.

JChillz is probably the best player we have drafted. Ever. I think he is probably the second best player on the team right now and he's only getting better. Right now, I would trade Smoove before I trade JC.. But then again, I think there's room for Smoove as BU PF.

3. Give Curry a big contract.

If Curry wants to play here for 3 yrs 10 million, bring him. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother. I would let him prove himself in Chicago...If he has the heart.

4. Pencil in JJ at PG.

I think before it's all over, this will be our depth chart..

ZaZa/Edward/Collier

AL/Smoove/Batista

JC/Marvin

JJ/Salim/Donta

Lue/Delk/Ivey

Whereever Lue is right now, he ought to be working on his game. He has been BU quality.. But this is his last time to prove himself fit for a starting position. Because if we're lottery bound, I can't see us passing up Rondo or Brewer.

I also see JJ as a SG and always have. I think he will be a good shooting guard.. Especially when Delk is on the floor with him. I think Lue will be our distributor, but when Delk hits the floor, we will have something like Washington had with Arenas/Hughes... 2 SGs running the point...

5. Play Marvin at Pf.

Marvin can back up JC at Sf. We will be small, but I think our gift will be speed. Now is the time for some Hawk either JJ or JC to exhibit some leadership. We need that more than we need another scorer!

[KB21]

1. Foolishly pigeon hole Joe Johnson as a shooting guard simply because he is 6'8" tall when he has natural point guard skills to go along with that size.

2. Trade Josh Childress, Josh Smith, or Marvin Williams, or any combination of those three players. These three guys are the foundation for what the Hawks will be two to three years from now. They will not now nor in the near future be traded.

3. Offer Eddy Curry a big contract. It's not going to happen. They didn't do it with Dampier, and they aren't going to do it with Curry.

[Plainview1981]

1. They shouldn't trade Al.

I know there are many that believe that Smoove is ready to be a PF... Yeah, right. I think we need to play Al with JJ and watch the chemistry. I especially like having Al/Zaza on the floor at the same time. I expect about a 12/9 season from Zaza. I expect a 20 ppg season from AL."

1.ZaZa isn't going to average 12/9. We will find out he is

pretty good backup, but not a NBA starter. Nothing wrong

with that. It isn't like the Hawks gave him a ton of money.

2.Al isn't going to average 20PPG. He isn't good enough

to do it. I believe last year was the best he has to offer

and this year his numbers might slide further.

3.If JJ ends up being the Hawks SG he is a waste of money.

If he can't run the team he isn't close to be worth what

was given up for him.

4.If Lue ends up playing too many minutes the Hawks will

easily give up 100PPG again since Lue is possibly the

worst defending PG in the league.

[Nicholasp27]

i agree with 2/3

i would not trade jc and i would not sign curry

however, i think we may have to trade al by the deadline...we'll see

and i definitely think u ink jj in as pg for now...if it doesn't work out, then u can change it later, but for now he IS our pg...that's why we traded for him, that's why he's here

lue getting even 20mpg makes me sick, but i understand he will be the main backup pg this season, so prolly will get close to 20mpg...him starting makes me vomit...if jj isn't the future pg, give ivey/nc state dude/salim big mins at pg so we can see if we have anything to work with...don't waste another year or two on lue...but this shouldn't matter, as jj will be our future pg

[Traceman]

I wouldn't trade Al just to trade him but I WOULD trade him for the right price (a quality young big man). I don't think he'll quite avergae 20 ppg but I think he will match his ppg production from last year and maybe even slightly exceeed it. I'd pencil him in for 18.5 ppg.

I don't expect 12/9 from Zaza. If he gets that, he could merit All Star consideration in the EC. If he gets 9/7.5, I'll consider his signing a big success.

I wouldn't look to trade Chillz either unless it was for a young, established star. I think he could be our starting SG (or maybe SF) for the next 10 years.

I wouldn't give Curry a long term contract either unless he could get insurance and even then, I would have a team option after year 3.

I think you have to pencil JJ in as the starter at PG until it is determined that he can't handle the job or that the team is better with him at SG (or SF).

Before the season is over, I think our depth chart will be as follows:

ZaZa/Collier/Edwards

Al/Batista

Marvin/SmooveDonta

Chillz/Salim/Delk

JJ/Lue/Ivey

I think that we will need Marvin's shooting ability in the starting lineup to spread the floor and allow JJ to get some open looks from the perimeter on occasion. starting Smoove instead of Marvin makes us a pretty weak perimter shooting team unless Chillz or Smoove improves their long range shots significantly.

I think Lue will be the first guard off the bench and JJ will slide to SG. I think Smoove will be the first forward off the bench at SF or PF.

[Nicholasp27]

with jj/salim/delk i don't think we have to worry about being a weak perimeter team...they could potentially have 3 of the top 10 3pt% this year in the nba (jj/salim could potentially be 1/2)

[Diesel]

God forbid you make one of the league's best 6'8 shooters into a SG... God Forbid we do that. Instead, let's waste his talents at PG to show everybody we didn't make a mistake by picking Marvin over other more practical and capable PGs...

That's the bottom line KB...

We're lying to ourselves about JJ, trying to make ourselves believe we didn't make a mistake with Marvin.

[Plainview1981]

Quote:

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God forbid you make one of the league's best 6'8 shooters into a SG... God Forbid we do that. Instead, let's waste his talents at PG to show everybody we didn't make a mistake by picking Marvin over other more practical and capable PGs...

That's the bottom line KB...

We're lying to ourselves about JJ, trying to make ourselves believe we didn't make a mistake with Marvin.

---

As a SG, JJ is overpaid. He isn't Tmacor even Paul Pierce.

The fact that the Hawks have Childress and others that can

play SG also would make giving up all that much for JJ even

mroe boneheaded.

[Diesel]

When you take into consideration that Zaza played a staggering 18 mpg and averaged 6/5, on a strong rebounding team; I can't imagine his numbers not getting better with another year of experience and playing closer to 33 mpg.

But we will see.

I would have loved to have gotten Gadzuric, but we will see how Zaza does with more minutes!

[Guest Walter]

Both the Marvin drafting and JJ @ Pg trade, but it's relative veracity we will have to discover the hard way. I hope it works, but like you I have my doubts.

Unlike Traceman and I assume others I see no way Marvin is starting at Sf if Smoove, Childress, and Al are healthy. Again, I hope so, but doubts.

Unlike KB, I question JJ as a majority-time Pg capable of adequately running the break and half-court offense. Again, I hope so...doubts.

An interesting season for those of us with questions to be answered on the court.

W

[Diesel]

Actually, I think it's a planned failure.

Not that we are planning to fail per se... But that we have a backup plan that has already been put into motion. First, we sign Lue. We gave Lue a nice contract to be a BU. Second, we still have a lottery pick next year if we make the lottery and the prizes in the draft are ronnie brewer and Rondo. I believe we would take either.

What we will do next is either trade JC or Al. I would have to think that JC goes on the block if JJ becomes our SG. It's sad because I think JC is probably a better player than Marvin... but we'd never trade Marvin because it would make us look extremely bad.

But back to JJ. JJ is important to us because he gives our program validity. Imagine had we not gotten JJ. What FA would want to come here? JJ is our Terry Pendelton!

[Packfill]

Quote:

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I wouldn't trade Al just to trade him but I WOULD trade him for the right price (a quality young big man). I don't think he'll quite avergae 20 ppg but I think he will match his ppg production from last year and maybe even slightly exceeed it. I'd pencil him in for 18.5 ppg.

I don't expect 12/9 from Zaza. If he gets that, he could merit All Star consideration in the EC. If he gets 9/7.5, I'll consider his signing a big success.

I wouldn't look to trade Chillz either unless it was for a young, established star. I think he could be our starting SG (or maybe SF) for the next 10 years.

I wouldn't give Curry a long term contract either unless he could get insurance and even then, I would have a team option after year 3.

I think you have to pencil JJ in as the starter at PG until it is determined that he can't handle the job or that the team is better with him at SG (or SF).

Before the season is over, I think our depth chart will be as follows:

ZaZa/Collier/Edwards

Al/Batista

Marvin/SmooveDonta

Chillz/Salim/Delk

JJ/Lue/Ivey

I think that we will need Marvin's shooting ability in the starting lineup to spread the floor and allow JJ to get some open looks from the perimeter on occasion. starting Smoove instead of Marvin makes us a pretty weak perimter shooting team unless Chillz or Smoove improves their long range shots significantly.

I think Lue will be the first guard off the bench and JJ will slide to SG. I think Smoove will be the first forward off the bench at SF or PF.

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I agree with everything here except Marvin surpassing Smoove on the depth chart and needing another shooter. Just having JJ on the floor means the Hawks will have at least one more shooter then last year.

The only way Marvin makes it into the starting line-up is if he plays well enough in the first half to justify a trade deadline deal of Al Harrington. Otherwise, I think smoove just has too much of a head start on Marvin.

[emeans]

These lineups are going to be very interesting and somewhat unpredictable. Since everyone kind of agree that our Centers are average, do you think we will march out a shooting line up of JJ, Salim and Marvin playing the point, SG, SF respectively at the same time??

If JJ pans out at PG I think that lineup from the outside can be deadly!! Follow up with Al at PF, with Smooth coming off the bench to spell him.

I personally think it will be Chillz and Marvin will be sharing time at SF. I don't see Chillz as a natural SG. I think JJ and Salim will be our SGs, with JJ switching to PG on occasions. Eventually I think Lue will end up being our starting PG.

I see the lineups going like this:

PG: Lue, Delk, JJ on occassions

SG: JJ, Salim

SF: Marvin and Chillz

PF: Smoove, Al and Batista

C: ZZ, Collier, Edwards

By the way, is Delk's knee 100% healed?? He will be a big help to this team if he is 100% healthy and can stay that way thru the season!!

[Nicholasp27]

if lue ends up being our starting pg, then we are in trouble and bk made a mistake

[Traceman]

Smoove this season, I just think his skill set fits better with our other projected starting personnel. I don't see this happening early in the season but I think it could happen by the end of the season.

We do have some better perimeter shooting options this year with JJ, Salim, Delk and Lue but JJ is the only one of the 4 who is projected to start. Nobody is going to fear Chillz, Smoove or Al from the perimeter unless they get a LOT better. I think it makes more sense to have Marvin start with Chillz and to have Smoove come in when Lue is at PG and JJ is at SG or when Salim or Delk are at PG or SG. Subbing that way would ensure that we have at least 2 top notch perimeter shooting threats on the floor at all times.

Obviously, there is the chance that Smoove could paly so well that Marvin could not unseat him as a starter or Chillz shot could improve so much that it would not be necessary to start Marvin. Time will tell and that is what should make this season interesting.

[Traceman]

Good perimeter shooters can only be effective when they are in the game and JJ is the only likely starter in that bunch.

[Traceman]

an improvement with more minutes. I just don't think he will double his production in one season. I sure hope he does but I think 9/7.5 would be great for a 21 year old Center.

[Traceman]

we will still only have I very good perimeter shooter in the starting lineup. I just don't think teams will fear Smoove or Chillz from the perimeter and that means teams will simply double Al in the post and put their best perimeter defender on JJ.

[Nicholasp27]

u don't have to have 3 perimeter shooters in your starting lineup

we'll have 1 shooter, 2 slashers and 2 post players

when chill goes to the bench, we'll have a jj/salim tandem

and again, the last 5 mins of the game is the most important anyway...i envision jj/salim/chill/?/zaza ending the game...smoove/marvin/al can battle it out for most effective crunch player

[Lascar78]

For what it's worth, I have a feeling that Chill's jumpshot will be drastically better than it was last year. You could tell in summer league that he'd been working hard on it. I could see him being a pretty good shooter this year.