Well, we are definitely getting a top 7 pick, so..

[Nicholasp27]

post your top 7 most wanted at our position, as of now

we will most likely be top 5, but there is a slight chance that 3 teams jump into top 3 and bump us to 7

i haven't seen most of the prospects play and don't yet know who will declare and how workouts, combine, etc will go

i def want noah if he declares

after that, aldridge and thomas look good

bargnani looks nice, but what's the use when he can't play center for us?

i wouldn't mind trading down if no good bigs are left and get a pg later on or someone like shelden or sene or splitter later on

[Dragitoff]

I like Bargnani alot if he's still around. Even if he plays PF (much like Dirk does for Dallas), you start ZaZa again next year and you've got a significant size difference over Harrington. Smoove starts again at SF and Marvin is the main reserve at forward. Smoove and Marvin can also share the floor from time to time w/ SMoove sliding to the 4 and Marvin at the 3.

[Diesel]

If you say Most wanted, then surely we don't need 7 do we??

Whatever..

Here's my top 7 most wanted Scenerios.

1. Aldridge.

2. Bargain Man.

3. Trade the Pick for two first: Shelden Williams/Rondo.

4. Trade the Pick for two first: Shelden Williams/Marcus Williams

5. Adam Morrison.

6. Trade with Minny for Griff/their #1 then take Shelden Williams.

7. Trade with Minny for Griff/their #1 then take Rodney Carney.

NOW...

My top 7 players for the Hawks in this draft.

1. Aldridge

2. Bargain Man.

3. Morrison

4. Carney

5. Shelden Williams

6. Thomas

7. Rondo Rondo Rondo.

[swolehawk2]

If not 1, then I would take option 4.

[Nicholasp27]

who we would pick at #1 through #7 assuming your guys above that guy were selected

thus, if we had the 7th pick, and they all chose your top 6, who is your 7th choice?

so your order of picking players 1-7

[Johnnybravo4]

Our problem is that after pick # 5 there is nobody worth trading up for so we won't get any good offers. And no one wants to reach for a Rondo or a McRoberts at #5. So what do we do. I bet we get Gay...like Vito from the Sopranos

[mudderfudder77]

Quote:

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Our problem is that after pick # 5 there is nobody worth trading up for so we won't get any good offers. And no one wants to reach for a Rondo or a McRoberts at #5. So what do we do. I bet we get Gay...like Vito from the Sopranos

---

I don't usually LOL, but I had to when I read the above. I damn near ROFLMAOBBQ'd.

[KB21]

....guessing who we think Billy Knight will favor based upon his philosophy on talent evaluation.

I will almost guarantee you that Tyrus Thomas will be at the top, if not the top player on Billy Knight's draft board.

LaMarcus Aldridge is also a player that is a great fit for the Hawks. I want to see what his wingspan measures, but he's a great fit for this team. He'd be my choice at the number one pick, as much as I like Tyrus Thomas.

Chad Ford says that a European scout told him that the Hawks have been heavily scouting Andrea Bargnani as well.

Basically, it's pretty much a guarantee that those three will be the top three on Billy's board in some fashion. This is with Joakim Noah not declaring for the draft.

As for who will round out Billy's draft board, you know he's not going to downgrade a certain player because he plays a position that isn't a need. My guess is, Rudy Gay will be 4th on Billy's board. He will be no lower than 5th, IMO. While he didn't dominate at the level many expected, he is still a very long and athletic player who has a great jump shot right now.

Tiago Splitter may be the wild card. He draws a lot of comparisons to Pau Gasol, who was scouted and drafted by Billy Knight. If Billy sees the similarities, you can bet that Splitter will rate high if he's in. Probably in the 4-6 range.

Another guy Billy may like is Josh McRoberts if he declares. He's got length, good vertical athleticism, and is very versatile.

Then, I think Brandon Roy will also rate high on Billy's board due to his versatility and the size he brings to the back court.

[AHF]

My personal list if we had to draft someone we were going to keep as of today:

1. Aldridge

2. Bargnini

3. Thomas

4. Roy

5. McRoberts

6. M. Williams

7. Splitter

8. S. Williams

I would aggressively explore trades for Morrison and Gay but would not draft them to keep.

[Diesel]

You say that there's nobody to trade up for... I think about that differently.

Let's say this is the top 4.

1. Aldridge

2. Morrison

3. Thomas

4. Bargain man.

Most people have this as their top 4 right now but it's subject to change.

Well.. that leaves a lot of players who can be traded for.

Carney... I think he's the closest thing to Vince Carter that has come out in a long time. Super Athlete. Great shooter. Not a lot of press but he's one of the better swingmen in this draft.

Gay... Potential. Marvin Williams Jr. If he has the right agent, his stock will start to fly before the draft.

Roy...

Imagine you're a team like N.O. You have 2 picks but both are well out of range for what you really need... a Good Swingman or Center.

You can risk it and take Hilton and some Sf and have two mediocre players.

or you can see the Hawks with Rudy Gay on the board and you think... "The Hawks can't use him, but they'd love to get a big and a PG."..

It's all about fit.

Minny needs a Sf. It's possible that we can take Gay right under their nose or we can trade the pick away. I think they'd give up Griff & their pick to make sure that they get Gay. Just imagine:

Blount/KG/Gay/Davis/Marbury..

or

Blount/KG/Gay/Davis/Hudson

[capstone21]

If any of the 3 big men are gone then we must trade down. There is no point in taking Gay or Morrison. It just doesn't make sense. We trade down to get a point guard like Rondo or Williams.

[Johnnybravo4]

You might be right but I don't think there is anybody from the 5-10 range that you couldn't get an equal talent wise from 15-30. I mean if you like Rudy Gay as your two, you might also like Maurice Ager. If you covet a big like McRoberts, you could get a cheaper big with more size in Shelden Williams. So you missed on Rondo, hey Diaz is still around and is a better athlete.

All I am saying is that the draft is weak and even the top 10 aren't full of any eye poppers. Hell the most lusted for players are Freshman and sophmore bigs who are skinny as a rail and have no offensive game, speaking of Noah and Thomas.

[DJlaysitup]

I know they are scouting Bargain man as best they can and all, but I wonder if we could really count on him coming into the starting lineup immediately. If not we could be looking at a starting front line of Zaza, MW, and JS (and be in the same boat interior-wise as we were this year).

Of course that doesn't take into account any big we might pick up during FAcy.

[Johnnybravo4]

Quote:

---

I know they are scouting Bargain man as best they can and all, but I wonder if we could really count on him coming into the starting lineup immediately. If not we could be looking at a starting front line of Zaza, MW, and JS (and be in the same boat interior-wise as we were this year).

Of course that doesn't take into account any big we might pick up during FAcy.

---

That would be our starting linup almost regardless of whom we picked up. I don't care who the starting lineup is. You can always change matchups. The problem this year is that we didn't have the bodies to change for matchups.

[Diesel]

Some of that is true and some of what you say is not totally true... whatever that means.

But I believe that these agents are going to go to work soon and the assumed values of the players like:

Gay, Foye, and Roy are going to sky rocket. One of them might break the top 4.

I really doubt that Thomas has the skill level to stay in the top 4 (when it's all said and done).. I think he might have a Smoove like drop. Just about every year, it happens to somebody...

As far as Diaz vs. Rondo..

Don't be fooled by this past year. Rondo is probably the best PG in the draft. He's a pure PG with Size and Blazing speed. He was outplayed by Marcus Williams in the tourney.. but honestly, i think that Rondo was misused all year.

[Johnnybravo4]

Quote:

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Some of that is true and some of what you say is not totally true... whatever that means.

But I believe that these agents are going to go to work soon and the assumed values of the players like:

Gay, Foye, and Roy are going to sky rocket. One of them might break the top 4.

I really doubt that Thomas has the skill level to stay in the top 4 (when it's all said and done).. I think he might have a Smoove like drop. Just about every year, it happens to somebody...

As far as Diaz vs. Rondo..

Don't be fooled by this past year. Rondo is probably the best PG in the draft. He's a pure PG with Size and Blazing speed. He was outplayed by Marcus Williams in the tourney.. but honestly, i think that Rondo was misused all year.

---

Maybe..but Diaz is like Salim but with a 50 inch vertical. Have you ever seen this picture..damn!

http://www.nbadraft.net/profiles/guillermodiaz.asp

[AHF]

That is impressive but Rondo can get up a bit too!

[DJlaysitup]

That's one impressive picture alright. If the Hawks were fielding a track-n-field team he'd be the man for the high jump!

Problem is (quoted from the same website):

"Weaknesses: A tweener … Lacks great point guard skills … Can handle and pass ok, but doesn’t understand how to run a team or direct an offense..."

Maybe he can learn but it would be a gamble.

[Johnnybravo4]

Quote:

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That's one impressive picture alright. If the Hawks were fielding a track-n-field team he'd be the man for the high jump!

Problem is (quoted from the same website):

"Weaknesses: A tweener … Lacks great point guard skills … Can handle and pass ok, but doesn’t understand how to run a team or direct an offense..."

Maybe he can learn but it would be a gamble.

---

Like I said...he is basically Salim with a 50 inch vertical. But that being said I would much rather have him and Salim playing the point than Ivey and Grundy.

[DJlaysitup]

Agreed on that...where in the draft could the Hawks likely pick him up? Any guess?