Latest from Chris Sheridan

[Weez]

Diesel is on the money here. i've been reading a decent amount lately but unable to post much...

no one is holding Marvin back...there are two factors in ihs 'lack of proving his place'

1) Josh Smith, Al, and to a degree Childress, are showing their abilities, (especially the two second year players as they have 'adapated' to their new roles on this team vs. last years)

2) Marvin has no true apparent strengths! Right now, and granted I haven't watched that much hawks ball (because I can't given my local), Marvin appears to be more of an in-the-flow type player. We're still not a team where such a skill set can thrive...thus, he's not seeing many minutes.

[mrhonline]

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Marvin appears to be more of an in-the-flow type player.

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I don't believe that AT ALL.

I also firmly believe he won't start showing major improvement until he gets more consistent playing time, learns to stay out of foul trouble, and becomes more assertive.

As the Joshes have shown, that takes at least three to four months...

[Diesel]

You can give Marvin three to four years and I doubt you get the production that you get from Al.

Marvin is a jump shooter.

He can put the ball on the floor when nobody is guarding him.. but for the most part, he has a jumpshot.

The thing that both Joshes learned last yr is that you have to be able to score in traffic. Maybe Marvin can pick up that talent... I mean he can put the ball on the floor better than Smoove, but being a jumpshot artist also means that he's very streaky and that's reguardless of how long you leave him out there. It's almost like he's afraid to put the ball on the floor and blow past somebody.

As a Jumpshot artist who can put the ball on the floor, MW can one day hope to be on the level of Jim Jackson in his prime. That's not bad. But Marvin Lacks one other thing... Assertiveness. To be a guy who puts the ball on the floor and takes his man off the dribble, you have to be assertive. Marvin is not. This is one of those flaws that many of us mentioned earlier. It translates on the court. Some guys have it, some guys don't. I don't think Marvin has it. Moreover, it's the difference between a good player and a star. You can be mild mannered and assertive (Gentleman Joe).. But there's also gotta be that guy in every star that just wants to punish the defense and go for 57 if I have to. I don't think Marvin has that in him. You guys talk about Chillz but last yr, Chillz showed that he didn't mind going inside and rebounding with the big guys and putting up shots and being assertive.

Al is assertive. JJ is assertive.. and another example of a gentleman. Some night JJ looks like... "OK, I can go for 47 on this guy"... and when he has to, he will.

[gsuteke]

i totally disagree with your assessment on Marvin Diesel and when you make those arguments you only feed the Anti-Al camp on this board.

[Diesel]

So you do feel that Marvin is assertive?

Feeding the anti-Al crowd is not hard to do. We win, Al is pivotal, they say.. Let's trade Al for an injured player.

GSUTEKE what you need to understand is that this group just wants Al gone to make room for Marvin...

However, the truth is that Marvin is nowhere near ready to produce on this level.

In fact, trading Al will just KILL Everything we have worked to build this year... Especially if we trade him for nothing.

[gsuteke]

i agree that Marvin is not ready right now, however i do not share your bleak outlook on him in the future.

Marvin is the 4th youngest player in the NBA. of course he has no business starting right now. he will play a heavy role on this team in the next 2 years.

for those who want to trade Al simply to free up minutes for Marvin you are condoning committing basketball suicide. we'll be winning 13 games again this year if we do that. hardly the right answer.

[exodus]

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why in the world would Al be unrestricted? it's the end of his contrat right? not an opt out? that would make him restricted!

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This is Al's second contract. The only players who are restricted are those in the 4th year of their rookie contract, like Nene.

Just like last year Hughes, Redd and Kobe were all unrestricted because it was their second contract.

JJ was restricted because it was his rookie contract.

I think Harringtons comments with the mic after the game were basically an apology for what he said in Denver.

At the very least he is putting some pressure on Walsh and Denver to up their offers. He is also putting BK in an awkward position.

I can't buy into the talk that Al is holding Marvin back. If Marvin was consistently productive, like Smith, then I might agree. As pretty as Marvin's jumper is he has been missing them a lot. And he lacks the strenth to finish in traffic.

I will say that Josh Smith looks like he is ready for big minutes. If Al's presense is holding back anyone I think it is Smith.

[Lascar78]

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I think Harringtons comments with the mic after the game were basically an apology for what he said in Denver.

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I agree. I think Al genuinely likes the city, and is pretty much in the same situation as Redd last year. He really likes it here, but he won't do us any favors. We'll have to pay up AND make him believe that we'll be winning. Otherwise, he'll have no problem leaving. In Redd's case the difference maker was the extra money and year, but we probably won't be in that situation

[Weez]

ok...if you look at it that way. Which clarify's the usage of language on tihs board of late.

we have his bird rights. that makes him restricted. he can get an offer from whomever he chooses, but we can match and retain him no?

[Lascar78]

no there is no matching. If he signs elsewhere, it's done. We have to convince him to sign here instead

[exodus]

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we have his bird rights. that makes him restricted. he can get an offer from whomever he chooses, but we can match and retain him no?

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No. Al is unrestricted. Even if we offer him the same contract he can still walk. Like i said Al has been in the league 8 years. This is NOT his rookie contract. The only players who are restricted are those on the 4th year of their rookie contracts.

[mrhonline]

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we have his bird rights. that makes him restricted. he can get an offer from whomever he chooses, but we can match and retain him no?

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No.

They can offer him more years, but IMO, they'll renounce that right so they can sign him AND another player this summer.

(Renouncing that right doesn't affect the S&T situation).