Revising the Hawks Options List

[KB21]

Two players are racing up the draft boards right now and will probably be strongly considered by the Hawks. Those two players are Rajon Rondo and Patrick O'Bryant.

This is what Chad Ford said about Rondo in his blog:

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Teams don't draft a player like Rondo because he can stroke the ball. Rather, they'll look at his athleticism, quickness, defense and point guard skills.

Put him on the right team and let him run and he's going to be a great point guard in the pros. Put him in a conservative, slow-down offense and it's going to get ugly.

Based on what I saw on Saturday, I think he's the best point guard prospect in the draft. Along with everyone else, I have been calling UConn's Marcus Williams the best pure point guard. The implication has been that Rondo is more of an athlete than a pure point.

From what I saw, I no longer believe that. I think Williams is craftier and a better scorer, but Rondo's court vision is excellent and he is a much better athlete and defender than Williams.

Given what we've been hearing about Williams' weight (up to 220 according to the Celtics) and his obvious off-court baggage, Rondo might end up ahead of Williams at the end of the draft.

I sat down with Rondo after the workout to get his take on his critics and the draft process.

Rondo said he realized by midseason that the style of play at Kentucky was hurting his draft chances, and so making the decision to jump to the NBA was relatively easy.

"Coach agreed that the style we were playing probably wasn't the best fit for me," Rondo said. "I knew after this summer that I could play with everyone, but I'd do best in a Phoenix Suns style where the point guard is really allowed to push the ball and create."

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I saw where Rondo has made an appearance on Chad Ford's Top 10 big board. Basically, Rondo has been wowing people with his workouts, showcasing elite level athleticism, tremendous court vision, and excellent ball handling ability. He has also put on 10 lbs since the college basketball season ended. Rondo has a large wingspan and the largest hands in the draft. He also measured out at a legitimate 6'2", and with those long arms, his size is going to cause some match up problems defensively. Chad says Rondo can palm the ball off the dribble, and not many players his size can do that. Josh Smith can't do that.

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Guarded by Shakur for the whole game, Rondo was stellar. He pushed the ball up the floor at a breakneck pace, made a number of pinpoint, dropjaw passes and got to the basket at will against Shakur.

Rondo showed off his nuclear athleticism and uber-quickness in the open court. He changes directions in a split second, explodes to the basket and pushes the ball relentlessly in the open floor.

His ball-handling is one of his best attributes. His huge hands give him maximum control over the ball. He never bobbles or lose it, no matter how heavy the traffic. On three occasions, he drew oohs from the spectators after delivering a beautiful pass.

Defensively he was also rock solid, causing frequent problems for Shakur and picking off a number of passes for fast breaks on the other end.

Rondo showed a style that scouts haven't seen from him since he played for Team USA's junior squad in Argentina last summer. He came out of that camp rated as the top point guard in the draft and a potential top five pick. In Chicago, he showed why.

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The only drawback to Rondo is still his jump shot. Chad said that Rondo took no jump shots in the organized game at Tim Grover's place in Chicago. After the game, Rondo was shooting jump shots, and Chad said he made more three pointers than he missed and that his form was better than it was at Kentucky. However, there is a difference in shooting by yourself and shooting when someone is guarding you.

Anyhow, some of you are looking for that guy that can push the ball up the floor and get the fast break going. This is the guy. Rondo's people are wanting to schedule workouts against Marcus Williams, and chances are, he will blitz Williams out of the top 10.

I mention Patrick O'Bryant here because he is rated #8 on Chad's Big Board right now. Chad doesn't have any updates on him, but Patrick is a player that is rising up the boards. The most up to date blog comment that Chad has on Patrick O'Bryant is from the 26th:

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I overheard one Eastern Conference scout call Patrick O'Bryant the top prospect in the draft. While that may be one lonely opinion, it does appear that O'Bryant's stock is on the rise. He's long, athletic and the only legit center in the draft. He might have a big draft drive in his near future.

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Patrick O'Bryant appears to be the type of center the Hawks need. He's a legitimate seven footer with a large wingspan, and he won't slow them down. He fits the type of team they are trying to build, which is a running, athletic, and defensive team. Once again though, I think his drawback right now is that he never really dominated at Bradley, yet he had great showings against Kansas and Pittsburgh when he DID DOMINATE Sasha Kaun and Aaron Gray.

Patrick is currently sitting at #8 and rising right now, just as Rondo is sitting at #9 and rising. Both players could be in the top 6-7 by the time the draft rolls around, and both could be very legitimate possibilities for the Hawks.

[Johnnybravo4]

Don't we already have a Pg who cant shoot in Royal Ivey. At least Royal is tall.

[Packfill]

If O'Bryant continues to impress I think he makes a lot of sense for the Hawks. I realize he has alot of bust potential (as do most raw big men), but the Hawks are stocked at forward so reaching for a legit center does not concern me so much - particularly since there are not likely to be any real franchise type talents at the 5 spot.

[KB21]

Well, the reason I posted this is because his stock is rising very much. Right now, taking him at 5 is no longer considered the reach it may have been two weeks ago. By the time the draft gets here, he may be rated among the three best players on the board when the Hawks pick.

Choosing between these two would be tough for me. The visions I have of Rondo running the break alongside Josh Smith and Marvin Williams gives me goosebumps, yet I also realize that Hawks drastically need that defensive presence in the paint.

[KB21]

Did you even read the post?

I feel like I need to explain this to you, but I realize that you probably will not understand it even after it is explained.

You are basically comparing Rajon Rondo to Royal Ivey. Tell me. When was the last time you saw Royal Ivey run a fast break at a break neck pace, handle the basketball without bobbling it even in traffic, and make pinpoint passes that drew wows from those watching?

I've got nothing against Royal Ivey. I think he has a place in this league because he can play defense and he does a relatively good job of taking care of the basketball when he's playing. However, he's not in Rajon Rondo's league when it comes to playing ability or potential.

[AHF]

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he's not in Rajon Rondo's league when it comes to playing ability or potential.

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That is 100% true. However, I will be ticked off if we draft Rondo or OBryant without trading down for valuable consideration (like a top 15 pick or a veteran). I don't think either is read to make an impact on this team and I think we are ready for a more polished prospect given the development of our other young players.

[KB21]

The draft isn't about who can make the biggest immediate impact. It is about who will have the biggest long term effect upon a franchise. If you draft based on who you think will make the biggest immediate impact, you will pass on players who will be better long term.

I do not want to see this team make moves that put them into the playoffs yet give them no room for improvement. I want a team that can win a championship, and a championship isn't going to be won by trying to get someone in here that can make an immediate impact. They are going to be won because Billy takes his time and builds this thing the right way.

[uga2006]

Yea I believe Rondo is a better player than Marcus Williams. Rajon's only knock is a consistent jumper. This guy is on the Iverson level as far as quickness goes and defensively he is like a pest always putting pressure on the opposing point. Also an excellent rebounder. On a team with marginal talent, Rondo was asked to do everything and didn't get to play an uptempo style which he is best suited for. We already have a point who plays no D in Lue so we don't need another in Marcus Williams. Rondo is also more talented than Marcus.

[Lascar78]

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Don't we already have a Pg who cant shoot in Royal Ivey. At least Royal is tall.

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Come on now, Royal Ivey can't sniff Rondo's jock in any area of basketball. Not passing, not dribbling, not rebounding...

That's not to say we should get Rondo, but come on there's a reason royal was a second rounder.

I think Rondo would be a great fit, but we still would be reaching if we were to get him at 5.

[drzachary]

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Don't we already have a Pg who cant shoot in Royal Ivey. At least Royal is tall.

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Come on now, Royal Ivey can't sniff Rondo's jock in any area of basketball. Not passing, not dribbling, not rebounding...

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And even though "Royal Ivey" is a fantastic name, "Rajon Rondo" is even better. Poor guy.

[uga2006]

Anyone using Ivey and Rondo in the same breathe obviously has never seen Rondo play.

[AHF]

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The draft isn't about who can make the biggest immediate impact. It is about who will have the biggest long term effect upon a franchise. If you draft based on who you think will make the biggest immediate impact, you will pass on players who will be better long term.

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Sometimes the guy who has the best NBA career doesn't have the biggest long term impact, though. Think about Tracy McGrady and the Toronto Raptors, for example. He had very little impact on that franchise in the longterm because he took so long to develop.

I think this team is on the cusp of taking the next step. I would like them to get a guy who fits in well in the long-term and is ready to make a meaningful contribution in the short-term. I don't think Rondo or OBryant are those players and I think they will be available later in the lottery - meaning that the bgest value for them is trading down and acquiring some other form of consideration.

[tmac13]

I have changed my mind on having a point guard that is a good shooter..That would be nice but with the new rules and having so many athletic runners on the team the ability to push the ball to the hole and find the cutter or the open man are even more important..If Rondo is that guy I am all for it..

[Blunt91]

O'Bryant won't fall below the 10th pick. We will probably have both guys in for workouts. If both are equally impressive then I think BK will pick O'Bryant.(He has stated we need a Big in the worst way). On the otherhand, would drafting Rondo somewhat reedem ourselves for passing over Chris Paul?

[AHF]

I love Rondo but I'm not excited about drafting a center who didn't do very much when starring at Bradley. The few minutes I saw from him this season just didn't do much for me so I would be very dissappointed if we took him. That said, I don't have enough information on him to have the kind of opinion on him you'd need to in order to make a drafting decision.

Rondo, on the other hand, I have seen play probably 50+ times. He still has some growing up to do (basketball-wise) but he has that ability to do special things on the court. If we got him I would not mind it but I really don't think he is ready to run a team yet. If we expect him to come in and contribute defensively; drive the ball to the hoop and relieve JJ then we'll get that from him with the possibility for bigger and better things in the future. The downside with him as a PG right now (beyond the obvious shooting issue) is that he pounds the ball too much and would need to learn to move it much more quickly to play with the kind of players we have in Atlanta. Those players would be a huge upgrade from the supporting cast he had in Lexington and would make him look much better than guys like Thomas and Perry did.

If we draft Rondo we should be committed to pushing the ball on offense because that is the only way we will maximize his speed and passing ability, IMO.

[KB21]

I believe Rondo is more ready to run an NBA team than you do, obviously. I just don't think his time at Kentucky showcased what he could do. In my opinion, his play for Team USA last summer may be a better indication, because he was dynamic as a floor leader.

I think you and I have discussed this in the past, and I stated that Rondo was being hampered by Tubby Smith's grind it out system at Kentucky. I can't remember if you agreed with that or not, but I speculated at the time that Rondo would declare for the draft just to get out of that system.

Rondo's ability to push the ball and his ability as an on the ball defender makes him ready, IMO.

[Lascar78]

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And even though "Royal Ivey" is a fantastic name, "Rajon Rondo" is even better. Poor guy.

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Just imagine if he'd been Rajon Royal Rondo. Now there's a winner!

[KB21]

Another plus to that is the fact that Rajon Rondo and Josh Smith were teammates at Oak Hill Academy. How would you have liked to go up against that team? This is a guy that had a 32 assists game when Oak Hill played in an international tournament during that time, and he had another game where he poured in around 24 assists.

[KB21]

Rajon Pierre Rondo

[Lascar78]

he just moved up one notch in my list