Will Harrington be traded?

[Diesel]

8-16

5-13

4-17

12-17

7-16

So this would be JJ's last 5 games before last night.

I'm not trying to suggest that one is better than the other. I'm saying that when one is off, the other can be on... Like Last night. JJ was way off. Al was on. There's just a need to have somebody who can create their own shot playing with JJ because it's not always guaranteed that JJ will have a good scoring game and when he doesn't.. Then what... Pray to the mighty god of Salim that Salim can find his shot while destroying the meaning of team?

[Diesel]

My thoughts on Al wanting to be here is .. I don't know. It could be because we have the most money to offer and a familiar situation. You have to think that Al likes playing for Woody and being the spokesperson/elder statesman of the Hawks.

What I look at is this.

How easy will it be for us to get quality FAs??

All day long here on Hawksquawk, people talk about trading Al away so that we can have more capspace. The real question is how successful have we been in getting free agents. Every time we have gotten a quality free agent, we had to give them the max. With the new rules changes, it's almost impossible to prosper with capspace.. Everything is slanted toward the originating team.

With that in mind, what's the purpose of giving away or letting Al go with Megar compensation if having money in the big game does us very little good.

The second thing is with a good contract for the franchise, we get a player who is easily the most tradable asset we can have. If we sign Al to a good deal, then it will make it very easy to use him when the time is right. BK doesn't rush in. I think this is a case, where we should consider all the option.

Now, if all the sudden Denver puts Miller on the table or the Kings put Miller on the table or Philly puts Dalembert on the table, I say let's go. But unless a good deal comes along, we should just hold on to him until the baby hawks are ready.

[exodus]

That is a terrible comparison on several levels, but I guess i should have expected it.

First of all the obvious. JJ doesn't have anywhere near the number of off shooting nights that Al does. Not even close.

Also JJ actually plays D. While blocks are obviously not the only thing that indicates defense it is instructive to note that JJ has over double the number of blocks that Al has on the year.

Oddly enough Smith almost blocked as many shots last night (7) as Al has blocked all year (9).

Also JJ is a playmaker. On the occassional nights when his shot is off he generally has a high number of assists.

Al is nothing but a 1 dimensional player, and when that one dimension isn't working, which is most of the time, he is a liability on the floor.

[swolehawk2]

I don't believe Al wants to be here.

[drzachary]

Quote:

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8-16

5-13

4-17

12-17

7-16

So this would be JJ's last 5 games before last night.

I'm not trying to suggest that one is better than the other.

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But you did (perhaps inadvertently):

Al: 26/69 = .3768

JJ: 36/79 = .4557

And when you take into account the perimeter vs post play styles, and how one typically is a lower percentage than the other, the difference is even more striking!

[drzachary]

Of course, over the course of the SEASON, their FG% are nearly identical. But of late, Al has obviously sucked it up.

[Dragitoff]

I thought those were Al's lines. I totally missed that was JJ's lines.

[AHF]

I wouldn't get too caught up analyzing the numbers from a five game stretch where Al was admittedly struggling. He is a good scoring weapon and more consistent than anyone on the team other than JJ in that area (and maybe Salim).

[exodus]

Consistent?

Al shot 42.6% in nov, 43.9% in Jan, and was shooting 40% for feb until last night. He shot well in December but for the most part has shot poorly for someone who supposedly is such a strong post player.

[Traceman]

Quote:

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First of all the obvious. JJ doesn't have anywhere near the number of off shooting nights that Al does. Not even close.

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Please explain to me how this is "obvious" when their fg% for the season is identical?

In addition, last night, Al has 20/10 in only 30 minutes and JJ has BY FAR his worst game as a Hawk and yet somehow, it seems like more people (not necessarily you) blame last night's loss on Al than JJ? How can that be?

I see happening to Al the same thing that I saw happen to Big Dog, then Reef and then JT. Hawks fans HAVE to blame one player for the team's misfortunes. None of those guys were/are franchise players but they all were EXPECTED to be just that when they were here. When (and if) we trade Al, I'll bet anything that JJ will be the next one to get blamed.

Quote:

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Oddly enough Smith almost blocked as many shots last night (7) as Al has blocked all year (9).

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Yep. And Al took more guys one on one last night than Smith has all year. My point is that while Smoove is CLEARLY a better shotblocker, Al is CLEARLY a better one on one/low post player.

As for JJ, he makes nearly TWICE as much money as Al, he SHOULD be more consistent and better. I certainly would not resign Al for JJ type money but he is a good/solid player who is well worth $8M-$9M a season. REGARLDESS of who else is on the team.

[exodus]

JJ shot poorly in november as he got used to his new role. Since then he has outshot Al consistently, especially in the last two months. And remember JJ is a perimeter player. Al plays a lot in the post and post players generally shoot better.

JJ plays D and is a playmaker.

What does Al contribute on the nights when his shot is off? Nothing.

Al is certainly capable of big scoring games. Last year in Detroit he had over 30 i believe. But if he isn't scoring big he is a liability.

[Traceman]

No way Al was going to keep shooting the 3 like he did to begin the season but I think his falling fg% has a lot to do with the plantar fascitis in his foot and his knee and ankle troubles.

As for JJ, no doubt he is a more complete player but again, he is compensated for being more complete.

[exodus]

I am not the one who brought up the JJ comparison. that was Diesel.

And it doesn't change the fact that Al lets guys shoot layups in his face without trying to stop them. it doesn't change the fact that he kills the ball movement on offense. He is a one trick pony at a position that the Hawks, and the league in general, has a surplus of.

If the hawks need his scoring so badly then why did they outscore the lakers by 17 with Al on the bench?

Why did they outscore Washington 25-12 in 6 minutes with Al on the bench?

Why did they cut 15 pts off the lead against Chicago with Al on the bench?

The Hawks haven't had much problem scoring without Al. Last night JJ and Zaza took the night off so that made it rough but Smith, Childress and Marvin played well.

[Traceman]

He is no stopper and never will be but he does try to get out and guard guys. Heck, he even tried to stick with Billups and Rip a couple of times last night and he battled with McDyess, Sheed and Ben all night.

As for him being a ball stopper - sometimes he is. But sometimes, he finds the open man and makes sweet passes as he did to Marvin, Chillz, JJ and Smoove last night (too bad Smoove and JJ failed to convert a few easy looks).

We all know that Al has been struggling lately but we also know (whether we admit or not) that Al has been our best offensive player on MANY nights this season.

As for Al being a one trick pony, since when is a 6'9" 250 lb guy who can shoot it from the perimeter, handle it, pass it and post you up a "one trick pony?" Al's best asset is his versatility.

[exodus]

I just can't get behind a guy who lets guys lay the ball up right in his facewithout even raising his arms about his head. I have seen this countless times. He just lets them go.

If he isn't scoring he is not worth much. And the Hawks have plenty of forwards but need a pg and at least one big. I see absolutely no reason to resign Al.

[Johnnybravo4]

That shot he gave up to Chauncey at the end of the half last night summed it all up to me.

[exodus]

Actually that was one of the few shots he has actually contested this year. Usually he is just a spectator but I guess he knew since it was the end of the half and time was running out he had to try.

Too bad he doesn't play like that normally.

[Diesel]

Quote:

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I am not the one who brought up the JJ comparison. that was Diesel.

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I notice that everytime Ex is getting his --- handed to him, he likes to try to bring my name into...

Go back over the thread... I didn't bring up a comparison either. I just pointed out that you can take 5 games from anyone's season and make them to mean what you want them to. My point then as it is now is that Al and JJ can compliment each other on the scoring end. If one is off, the other can be on.. You are the one who took that and ran into comparison.

If you really want to talk comparison luefan...

Tell me how is it that Al even comparison to a max player when he's making 6.8 million dollars. Shouldn't we be comparing JJ to Kobe and Ray Allen and other SGs in his price range? That's if you want to continue comparing... Try comparing apples to apples.

[Diesel]

You're argueing with a guy that didn't see the game.

If it doesn't say it in the statline, Luefan doesn't know.

[Traceman]

off the dribble. I mean really, you would think that he could stick with an All Star PG like Chauncey in space.