Belkin Poll

[Lascar78]

Easy enough...

Do you think Belkin will get the team, and what would your feelings be if he did get the team?

Personally I think it's looking like he'll get the team and that would be disastrous. I hope the other owners can work something out

[Lascar78]

So the early results are that no one knows what's happening in the courts, but we dont want Belkin. I just wish they could speed up the legal process

[DrReality]

Read this on another blog:

By Big Muddy

June 10, 2006 07:00 PM | Link to this

Been watching the Hawks (St. Louis + Atl) since 1958. Was in Phoenix when the Hawks made the Joe Johnson trade and the sports radio folks were laughing their butts off saying how Colangelo just cleaned Billy K’s clock. PHX was not about to match and then they end up with two 1st picks + Diaw (a former #1.) Talked about “Good ole Billy” - Belkin was right have no idea if he will be good or bad as an owner - can’t be worse thats for sure. Bye by Billy and Bye Bye Woodson thats the good news

In hindsight Belkin had some good business sense.

[Guest]

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In hindsight Belkin had some good business sense.

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No doubt. I think most Hawks fans that liked the deal only liked it because it was a splash. We haven't made a splash in a long time but for some reason people think we need to just do something. If anyone believes that the JJ deal was a good deal then they are just delusional, Belkin didn't quiet do the "right thing" but he proved to be a better GM in that situation than BK, but thats not hard to do.

[Diesel]

I doubt it.

I think Coangelo would have matched. It's only good business sense.

They could have later traded him for an ending contract and picks..

For instance, they could have traded him to Chicago for Tim Thomas and 2 first rounders... or somehow got Gordon out of a deal with Chi-Town.

you know Dr. Reality... I have always believed you were Belkin...

Come out Belk.

Come out Belk.

[Diesel]

Come on Out Belk.

Let me explain good business sense.

If they let JJ go for nothing. They get nothing. People say that they wouldn't match because of Amare?? Well Hell...It seems to me that they offered JJ 60 million the summer before...and Amare was just as promising. I think they would have matched... and traded him.

[Guest]

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They could have later traded him for an ending contract and picks..

For instance, they could have traded him to Chicago for Tim Thomas and 2 first rounders... or somehow got Gordon out of a deal with Chi-Town.

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No they couldn't have. JJ would be a BYC player for the year, so basically his trade value would be cut in half. It would be a huge business risk.

They wouldn't have matched, at the time they had already signed Raja Bell and I am unsure but I think they still had Q. This was also around the time when speculation was that Michael Finley might sign with them due to the H20 clause.

[Johnnybravo4]

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They could have later traded him for an ending contract and picks..

For instance, they could have traded him to Chicago for Tim Thomas and 2 first rounders... or somehow got Gordon out of a deal with Chi-Town.

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No they couldn't have. JJ would be a BYC player for the year, so basically his trade value would be cut in half. It would be a huge business risk.

They wouldn't have matched, at the time they had already signed Raja Bell and I am unsure but I think they still had Q. This was also around the time when speculation was that Michael Finley might sign with them due to the H20 clause.

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I don't know who is more irritating...people who think that Suns match JJ, or people who think we would have made the playoffs with Chris Paul?

[Diesel]

You're telling me that they couldn't have worked out a deal for say...

Gordon/Sweetney... and 2 firsts?

Something is always possible.

[Guest]

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You're telling me that they couldn't have worked out a deal for say...

Gordon/Sweetney... and 2 firsts?

Something is always possible.

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Ok that wasn't your original deal proposed. You obviously had no idea about the BYC.

It was a HUGE risk for them to match. Who is to say that Chicago would trade Gordon/Sweetney and 2 firsts for a MAXED OUT JJ? Oh Diesel says it works? my bad, it obviously would work so it must be great business sense.

[Guest]

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I don't know who is more irritating...people who think that Suns match JJ, or people who think we would have made the playoffs with Chris Paul?

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Tough call, I am going with the Chris Paul because its been talked about more than the JJ and the Suns matching. I do think its much clearer that the Suns wouldn't have matched than Chris Paul putting us in the playoffs.

[AHF]

Phoenix could have survived matching that deal had they wanted to do so. They would have had JJ this year and would be in a position to trade him this summer if they wanted. They could then trade him to a team like Chi or Port (looking for a young, big guard) or even to the Hawks after enough time passed.

It clearly would have been a risk for them but so would letting JJ go for nothing!

[Diesel]

I gave a for instance.

NOT the IT WOULD HAVE BEEN...

They could have done a lot of things.

[lifelong]

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You're telling me that they couldn't have worked out a deal for say...

Gordon/Sweetney... and 2 firsts?

Something is always possible.

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Ok that wasn't your original deal proposed. You obviously had no idea about the BYC.

It was a HUGE risk for them to match. Who is to say that Chicago would trade Gordon/Sweetney and 2 firsts for a MAXED OUT JJ? Oh Diesel says it works? my bad, it obviously would work so it must be great business sense.

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not to mention that the I don't believe the suns could have traded him until at least three months after his signing the contract, which would mean they basically would have been forced to hold onto him for a year unless they wanted to trade him a month or two into the season. had they matched, they probably would have been "stuck" with him for at least a year, which probably would have hurt the team when you look at the minutes diaw was able to give them at center in the absence of amare.

[Guest]

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I gave a for instance.

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That was a "never could happen" instance that you gave.

Yea Phoenix could have done a lot of things, but how exactly was Phoenix supposed to know that the Bulls are now shopping Gordon? Are you suggesting that Phoenix had a time machine and knew that after Gordon completed a 6th man of the year season as a rookie that he would then be on the trading block? No wonder why Phoenix is so good, they have a time machine.

At the time, Phoenix didn't have any immediate options for trading JJ except to us. They also would be taking a huge risk if they needed to trade JJ because of his MAX CONTRACT. Smart organizations don't take on large risks like that, a few people that come to mind are TT and KVH. And lets not forget, JJ was a second tier SG in FA last season. Michael Redd, Ray Allen, and Larry Hughes were all ahead of him in the desires of any other team that wanted a SG.

[Diesel]

What's 1 year with JJ. It may have given them a better chance to win it all??

But really... What's 1 year. They could have done one of 2 things. Traded JJ or traded Matrix... and they still may do that now. However, I'm sure that they could have found a good trade for JJ...

It's not that much of a risk.

Risk is..

You let JJ leave and you get nothing in return.

That doesn't help anybody.

[Diesel]

I think Phoenix probably did know that JJ >>>>>>> Gordon!

Don't you think?

When you are the seller, you don't care about the condition of the buyer... You care about the condition of the product. JJ is a mighty good product and one more year beside Nash would have made him an irresistable product.

So all your heeing and hawing is absolutely meaningless... there are a lot of teams that would have come up with deals that would have fit Phoenix because of the product.

I mean Damn... If Yao or Kobe or Amare or KG or AI hit the market on FAcy day.. do you think there would be a lack of interested teams who would be willing to give whatever said teams wanted??

Hawksfanatic you are so limited in your thinking.

[Guest]

Wow, you are so limited in your brain. You didn't even make a comment remotely relevant to my post.

[Packfill]

The worst part of this whole thing is not the fact that Belkin may or may not get control of the team, it is the furthering of the public perception that the Hawks as a franchise are a bunch of bumbling morons.

This perception will have a negative impact not only in terms of fan support (which obviously was not great to begin with), but also greatly hinder the team in attracting top free agents over the next few years. It will take a year or two of turmoil free clear ownership before that perception changes.

I still do not think Belkin comes out on top, but the damage is done, almost to the point where the other owners may need to sell (even if they win versus Belkin) to fully clear the air surrounding the franchise. It is unfortunate, because they seemed to have good intentions, but they are now tainted goods.

I don't think Smoove and Marvin will be happy campers when it comes time to renew their contracts.