I think we need to look at Spree if he is really

[Admin]

available and wants to play here on a one year contract. Right now this team DESPERATELY needs a 3rd reliable scorer. We cant depend night in and night out on JJ and Al being the only reliable scorers, and really only JJ in the clutch. I know Spree is a jerk and is well past his prime, but at least he can D up, run the floor, and can score when needed.

Right now Childress and Smoove both deserve to be on the bench. We cannot win with either of them starting at this point and we cant continue to lose just to try and develope them.

[Packfill]

Sprewell does not play center or point guard so I don't see how he helps.

[MoonKnight]

The real value I see in Spree is his ability to allow JJ to try again at the point b/c Spree has enough overall guard skills to assist JJ (unlike JChill) in the backcourt. This is especially true if we began to doubt JChill's longterm value to us. However, I suspect Spree only finds us attractive because of our salary cap and he will want a multi-year deal worth more than his actual value to us. I doubt BK will really consider him unless we lose another 10 in a row (which might happen).

[Teeareess]

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Sprewell does not play center or point guard so I don't see how he helps.

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I'm with you.

Unless we're strongly considering trading Chill to help those needs, I don't see making this move.

As for Spree's interest. Is this just a case of a guy without a job targeting a team with money?

[Packfill]

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As for Spree's interest. Is this just a case of a guy without a job targeting a team with money?

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[/indent]

Definitely true. He wants a paycheck, nothing more.

[Diesel]

We have a third reliable scorer..

His name is Zaza.

He knows how to put the ball on the floor. He knows how to draw the foul.. He's a doggone good FT shooter...

I'll take him everyday!

What we need is a Big man off the bench that can play defense.

[thesheedera]

Diesel I agree. Zaza is a legit starter. Whether we have a beasty PF next to him or get another Center and let ZaZa play PF, I don't think it matters. I like what he brings to the table and he's a keeper.

[Admin]

apparently. While ZaZa can SCORE, he is not a SCORER. Al and JJ are scorers. A scorer is someone that you can depend on to carry the team offensively if he is the only scorer on the floor. For all of ZaZa's wonderful skills and hustle, etc. he is not nor will he at anytime soon be what is considered a scorer. It was painfully obvious last night that when JJ was on the bench and Al was struggling that we didnt have anyone to consistently make the defense be honest and carry us on their back. We really need a guy like a QRich, or Spree, or JT or some type of complimentary scorer that can come off the bench as a 6th man when JJ or Al goes out and can keep the defense honest.

Yes of course in the long term we need a good PG and C to build around, but right now this season ZaZa is doing a damn fine job at C, certainly adequate enough to win, and Salim and Lue are holding things down for the most part at PG. Where we are getting killed at is with the two Joshs struggling so much and with Marvin not being ready to be that 3rd scorer yet. We can wait on him to develope or pray that the Joshs lack of scoring ability will all of the sudden change, or we can go out and sign a guy that can help us win right now.

Every good team has 3 or more guys that can be depended on to score and until the Hawks get that 3rd guy, we are going to continue to come up a little short on the scoreboard every game until teams start to take us too lightly and we steal games here and there like last year. I just dont see what the big problem with signing Spree would be. He would isntantly be a force for us off the bench and would help us tremendously during our nightly lulls in scoring that we go through.

[Lascar78]

I agree with you all the way that we need a 3rd scorer and that Zaza is not a scorer, i.e. a veteran who knows how to get his shot off and looks for it. In that respect I agree with you, and I might sign Spree to a 1 year deal.

HOWEVER, there are a number of issues:

1-He'll want a long term deal. I believe he has said he won't sign for less than 2-3 years

2-He'll want cash. We still need our capspace to make a push this coming offseason on the free agent market. How much would you pay him?

3-He has serious attitude issues, and I don't really want him around our youth (i.e. Smith), to poison their attitudes when he gets tired of losing

4-He takes away from the PT for our core of youth, who are already fighting for minutes

I think that for this year developing our players and chemistry is more important than winning. I accept that for this year as the last year, and expect winning beginning next season. That being said, what would the impact of bringing spree be on our young core?

-reduced pt

-more experience winning

-less pt of our core playing together (without spree) for the future

-possibly learning bad habits/attitude together

-possibly learning a vet's tricks in how to score

So there is good and bad. I think more bad than good but it's certainly debatable

[Packfill]

The reason to not bring Spree in is the fact that he takes away playing time from the young players. Sprewell is someone you bring in if you think yuou can make a run at a championship, not someone you bring in hoping he can get you to 25 wins. I rather lose with Smoove/Childress/Marvin then win a little more with Spree.

[Admin]

losing is going to get into the minds of the young kids. How much longer can they continue to lose until they get used to it and accept it? How many teams have been built from the ground up with young players and had those players grow together into a playoff or championship caliber team? Not many thats for sure. The Clippers lost for more than a decade before finally becoming good this year after signing some solid veteran players. Same with the Warriors after trading for Baron Davis last year. The Bulls have grown together to become good, but they are much closer to the exception than the rule. Losing breeds losing and I dont want to see that happen around here. You can already start to see the negative impact that its having on the players and I dont see an end in sight unless something changes.

That change could be Childlress or Smoove finally getting it, or Marvin maturing into a legit star player ... but I dont see those things happening anytime soon. Spree might not be the right player to bring in, but we have to do something. We have to get a guy that can get us 12-15 points a night off the bench. Once we get an atmosphere of winning some games around maybe the confidence of Childress and Smoove will come back.

[Admin]

its about not allowing a losing mentality to take over this team. Adding a player with the tenacity on defense of Spree can be contagious around the right players. I know he isnt the star that he used to be, but he has always been a player that gets the crowd and his teammates into the game. He could relish the opportunity to teach our young kids how to play the game on both ends of the floor. I think that he still gets a bad rap for what happened many years ago and thats unfair. There sure wasnt any problem with him in Minnesota 2 years ago during their really good season. It wasnt until last year with the contract problems for him and Cassell that people said bad things about him. I cant fault a guy for trying to get one more good contract before he is done with the game.

[Lascar78]

like I said, I understand that. And helping the kids win and teaching them a veterans' tricks are certainly positives. But you can't ignore the fact that he brings one of the three worst personalities in the entire NBA around a young impressionable bunch, and takes from the PT of our young guys.

I think we do need more veteran leadership and knack for winning, I would just like for it to be ... well ... anyone but spree.

Hell it's not like he was able to make the playoffs with KG and Cassel last year either, he isn't who he used to be

[Admin]

Spree gets a bad rap that is far worse than deserved. He isnt near as bad as Artest and I bet that 99% of Hawks fans would kill to have him on our team. Not saying they are the same quality of player anymore, but personality wise we could put up with Artest, right?

Last year wasnt all Sprees fault either. They had a lot more problems than just him. I dont like the thought of taking playing time away from the young guys anymore than you do, but I dont want to see us continue to lose night in and night out either. If Spree would agree to a 1 year deal it couldnt hurt to try him. If he starts acting up we can put him on the IR and not have to worry about him anymore.

[Lascar78]

I don't think sprewell is getting a bad rap after he did things like choking his coach, and complaining that he just couldn't accept a 3 year $30 million offer because he had to feed his children. The guy is an egomaniacal cancer. The fact that he is not as crazy as the craziest guy in the league is not exactly anything to be proud of. I might, MIGHT consider artest, because he brings 10 times more skill than spree. He is arguably the best defender in the entire league, and can get you 20 points a night if he wants to. He could potentially be a MVP type player, that's how much talent he has. Spree averaged 13/3/2 last year. That's Tyronne Lue type stats, not superstar type stats.

Basically, he doesn't have the talent to justify the risk in my book

[Packfill]

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Spree averaged 13/3/2 last year. That's Tyronne Lue type stats, not superstar type stats.

Basically, he doesn't have the talent to justify the risk in my book

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This is exactly the point. Spree is way past his prime and does not represent a credible scoring threat at this stage in his career.