Watson's D

[exodus]

If you want to know why I was pushing for the Hawks to get Watson here is why. Look at the PER of his opponents:

http://www.82games.com/0506/0506DENH.HTM

Last year in Memphis the team gave up 6 fewer points when he was on the floor. He is well known for his defense.

It is funny watching guys whine about the Hawks perimeter D when these same people were arguing against trading for a pg whose strength is perimeter D. Make up your minds.

[Packfill]

The problem is definitely not his defense. The problem is that he is not a creative or skilled enough passer to enable the Hawks to overcome the massive offensive void created by Al's departure.

I would do the Watson/Nene for Al trade if Nene was healthy, but his injury history is too much of a concern to make the deal viable.

[exodus]

The Hawks have plenty of scorers to fill the "void" if Al leaves. Last night Smith and Marvin combined for 27. Obviously that will become a more regular occurance if Al leaves.

Josh has obviously worked on his shot and his ball handling.

Putting him at the four will allow him to take advantage of slower players.

Marvin certainly has the skill to score it is just a question of whether or not he will do it.

Zaza, JJ, Salim and Lue won't mind taking over some of Harrington's attempts.

There are two things we know for sure. The Hawks D sucks and they have won 20 games with Al over two seasons. Put those two things together, along with the defensive abilities of Watson and Nene, and this deal makes sense.

While Watson doesn't have the ball handling skills of some of the elite pgs he doesn't have to, because JJ can share some of the ball handling duties. The thing Watson excels at is making it hard for other pgs to score, which the Hawks desparately need.

[Packfill]

If the Hawks acquire Watson then Lue and Salim won't see the court. Smoove, Marvin, Zaza and Childress are wildly inconsistent.

[exodus]

Huh? You think Watson will play all 48 minutes?

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Smoove, Marvin, Zaza and Childress are wildly inconsistent.

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What is the most consistent aspect of the Hawks? It is their defense. It is consistently horrible.

Offense comes and goes even with the best teams. It is much easier to play consistently good defense. Offense depends so much on shooting which can blow hot and cold. Good defense allows a team to win even if their offense isn't clicking.

The Hawks, on the other hand, lost to the Bobcats and NJ while going 17 of 30 from 3. The Hawks will NEVER be a winning team unless they make significant defensive upgrades.

[Ralph]

Why not just take Howard Eisley?

Howard Eisley has more experience plus he won't cost us anything.

[chillzatl]

if it was all as cut and dried as you are spinning it, he would be a starter and the chances of getting him would be slim to none. But that's not the case. He's a limited talent role player. He might be a defensive guy. But we need more than a one-sided, defensive player.

You think other players can "pick up the slack". That's naive.. In order for Marvin/zaza/smooth/etc to pick up the slack, they need someone who can distribute the ball. They will no longer have the open looks that come from having two go-to-guys in the lineup. You can't replace that with a miniature PG who lacks PG skills AND offensive skills, with -6 points on defense and a bunch of inexperienced players who can't create their own shots.

If we had a solid starting lineup. Watson would be a good guy to have as a backup. But he is not a starting caliber player in the NBA.

[exodus]

As usual you simply don't know what you are talking about. Denver brought him in to be the starter. They thought they had a deal in place with Boston to trade Miller/Nene for Pierce. They signed Watson to replace Miller.

Boston pulled out at the last minute. There is no reason to make Watson the starter since Miller is still there.

[Nicholasp27]

watson was also memphis' 4th quarter pg over jwill

but this is all moot as bk doesn't want him

[exodus]

I know. It's probably because he is too short for BK's taste.

[chillzatl]

So... they wanted watson to start and didn't want Miller. Yet Watson can't get any playing time in denver and now they're looking to move him? And it's becuase a trade fell through? Give me a break. You tell me I don't know anything and you make a jackass statement like that? Give me a break.. They wanted him so bad. But now he can't get minutes over the starter or his backup?

How the hell can you tell someone else that they don't know what they're talking about when you throw out some of the candyland fantasy crap you come up with..

[chillzatl]

again... candyland basketball commentary. Good one..

[exodus]

Man you are really clueless. Not only was the trade WIDELY reported, it is also just common sense that something was up.

Miller and Boykins both played very well last year and are signed for several years . Denver's big problem was outside shooting. They are one of the worst 3 pt shooting teams in the league. They were, and are, desparate for a 2 that can shoot.

So why would their major offseason aquisition be a pg who isn't known as a shooter?

You should at least try to do a little DD. If you don't believe me go to ANY Denver board and they will tell you the exact same story.

That lump on your shoulders isn't just a place to keep your hat.

[wartownrep]

I think BK is stupid for passing up a deal to get Nene and Watson. This would make our team better in the long run and we can draft the BPA in the draft instead of reaching for a need. Watson is a pretty good point guard and there will not be any available in the free agent market next year that's too much better than him

[chillzatl]

Man I'll fly up to illinois and slap the taste out of your mouth..

The trade isn't the point. The point is that Watson is a backup talent player and you can't seem to get that through your thick head. I don't care what STUPID move their GM made before his "key" move was actually done. That shows the ineptness on his part. But it really has nothing to do with the issue that you are now trying to dodge.

If Watson was better than Miller OR Boykins, he would be playing. But he is not playing. He wasn't a starter in Memphis, he's not a starter in Denver (yah he's 3rd string) and he wouldn't be a starter here. His -6ppg difference on defense DOES NOT HELP US when he can't shoot and can't distribute the ball to our guys who CANNOT CREATE THEIR OWN SHOTS YET.

Why don't you try watching basketball and form opinions based on what actually happens in the game, noob.

[chillzatl]

he's no better of a PG than Tyronn Lue and he's a far less competent offensive player. He's a solid defensive player. But he's no stopper.

If we simply couldn't resign Al OR couldn't get a better deal. Then it wouldn't be bad, simply because we'd be stupid to do nothing and lose Al flat out. Who knows Nene could become a solid player. But Watson is, in no way, a reason to do this deal. He's a backup caliber player, period. We already have two backup caliber players in Lue and Salim. except Salim has more upside, as both a scorer and a PG, than both of them combined.

[exodus]

Ihave watched, and played, plenty of basketball, which you clearly haven't. I watched as Watson finished the games in Memphis during crunch time while Jason Williams sat on the bench.

Last year Denver was the hottest team in the league during the second half of the season, and their pg play is a big reason why. Miller and Boykins developed great chemistry with the team. There is no chance that anyone would start over Miller.

Do you really think they would start Boykins over Watson if Miller wasn't there? If you do then you are even more clueless than I thought.

[exodus]

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Salim has more upside, as both a scorer and a PG, than both of them combined.

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Again a clueless statement. Salim has yet to show any pg skills at all. And he certainly isn't one of the best pg defenders in the league, as Watson is.

Let me clue you in. The Hawks have given up over 100 ppg on the season. And they are getting worse on D, not better. Over their last 10 opponents are scoring 104 ppg and shooting 50%. Al's scoring wont help them win because he gives up more than he scores.

[chillzatl]

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I watched as Watson finished the games in Memphis during crunch time while Jason Williams sat on the bench.

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Please, someone just told you about it and all of a sudden, now, you watched it happen? Give me a break.. lies exposed..

He's a backup level player and that's that, your lack of anything to counter that, over three posts now, only reenforces it. I know it hurts you to have been exposed as a chief-noob of fantasy basketball land. But there we have it..

In the NBA, talent rules. If Watson had more talent and ability than either Miller or Boykins, he'd be playing. The fact that he is not (and has NEVER been a high minute player) is because he doesn't have the talent and his teams have known it.

[exodus]

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Please, someone just told you about it and all of a sudden, now, you watched it happen? Give me a break.. lies exposed..

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Man your ignorance just keeps coming through. I was talking about this weeks ago, when this trade scenario first came up.

Actually I was talking about it even before the Artest business started.

You are really hopeless.