TEAM USA VINDICATES BILLY KNIGHT!

[Johnnybravo4]

I was watching the replay of USA vs. Korea last night and I thought about it. The composition of team USA is basically Billy Knight's vision...long versatile athletes that each have a variety of skills.

Roster

No. Player Pos. Ht. Team

4 Joe Johnson F 6-8 Atlanta

5 Kirk Hinrich G 6-3 Chicago

6 LeBron James F 6-9 Cleveland

7 Antawn Jamison F 6-9 Washington

8 Shane Battier F 6-8 Memphis

9 Dwyane Wade G 6-4 Miami

13 Brad Miller C 6-11 Sacramento

14 Elton Brand F 6-8 L.A. Clippers

15 Carmelo Anthony F 6-8 Denver

16 Chris Bosh F 6-11 Toronto

17 Dwight Howard F 6-10 Orlando

18 Chris Paul G 6-0 New Orleans

Coach: Mike Krzyzewski, Duke University (N.C.)

That lineup is basically full if 6'8 6'9 players with a couple of athletic 6-11 big men sprinkled in. CP is the only short PG on the squad...and really the only "true" point. The rest from Hinrich on down are ball handling, shooter-scorer-defender types.

So if you consider that since the NBA is headed more to a "global-type" game, the Hawks, along with Phoenix, Dallas, Toronto, and maybe Orlando, are in the best positions to be poised to take the NBA to the next level.

Just my observation.

[Lascar78]

Agreed, except Hinrich is definitely a pure point. Also they have the versatility but they still have impact bigs like Bosh and Howard. We don't have that.

[Johnnybravo4]

Baby steps Las...although I think that Zaza, and Shelden can grow up to be impact bigs. Also Bosh and Howard aren't bigs in the "traditional sense". They are more like PF/C hybrids. Sort of like the my Iron-wood clubs that I so adore.

[Lascar78]

Hopefully. But yeah I do think BK is ahead of his team and that a lot of the team will follow. The problem is that he's been a little clumbsy on some key decisions. Either way, he won't get his due until he wins, and even then, he probably still won't. It's been awesome seeing JJ in team USA though.

[gsuteke]

1/4 of the players on that team are 6'4" or shorter. your argument is a big stretch.

i don't think it's any coincidence that the best basketball players at their positions are also on the tall side, especially at the SG and SF positions.

if Billy had been able to draft Lebron of course he'd be quote "vindicated."

[exodus]

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clumbsy

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I couldn't help but laugh at that one.

[Lascar78]

me too now that I just saw it. It's been a long day ...

Perhaps a freudian slip trying to mix dumb and clumsy?

[swolehawk2]

Good Lord... I posted this a month ago.

If you believe what many around the NBA believes, the game is becoming smaller quicker...that is why Smoove can be our 4 and Shelden can eventually play the 5 spot for us.

We have been a joke in the media, but we are ahead of the curve...we are just young is all.

[Johnnybravo4]

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1/4 of the players on that team are 6'4" or shorter. your argument is a big stretch.

i don't think it's any coincidence that the best basketball players at their positions are also on the tall side, especially at the SG and SF positions.

if Billy had been able to draft Lebron of course he'd be quote "vindicated."

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How is it a big stretch when half of the players are 6'8 and 6'9?

But not only that each one of them can play 3 positions, with the exception of Battier at the point.

[DJlaysitup]

We better wait and see if they win the WC before we go vindicating anybody.

[Guest Walter]

I doubt seriously that BK was consulted. His "philosophy" is nothing new as despite your opinion the team isn't based upon a "long and athletic" "philosophy" as you described.

You see Brand, Anthony, Paul, Hinrich, Jamison, and Battier as "long and athletic"?!? I guess then any NBA player would be.

Yes, there are "long and athletic" players but they just happen to be the better players. Coach K didn't pick the longest, most athletic players (especially all 6'8" ones), he picked the best TEAM he could.

W

[gsuteke]

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1/4 of the players on that team are 6'4" or shorter. your argument is a big stretch.

i don't think it's any coincidence that the best basketball players at their positions are also on the tall side, especially at the SG and SF positions.

if Billy had been able to draft Lebron of course he'd be quote "vindicated."

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How is it a big stretch when half of the players are 6'8 and 6'9?

But not only that each one of them can play 3 positions, with the exception of Battier at the point.

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over half the players are SGs, SFs, and PFs. that's the ideal height (perhaps an inch on the short side for PF). that's why.

[mrhonline]

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Perhaps a freudian slip trying to mix dumb and clumsy?

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Oooh, I like it.

Let's adopt it as John Edwards' nickname!

[KB21]

......is the center of the future in the NBA. NBA teams are having to adapt to the talent that is currently in the league and coming up on the horizon. The true 7-footer that can run the floor, be a dominant offensive presence in the post, and defend is a dying breed. One may pop up every once in a while, but for the most part, the 7-footers of today are either going to be slow footed guys who are mediocre defenders, offensive players, and rebounders, or they are going to be extreme projects that may never pan out. Greg Oden may be the exception to this.

By and large, the centers of today and tomorrow are going to be the guys who are in the 6'9" to 6'11" range. These centers won't have great size, but what they bring will be increidible athleticism and an uncanny ability to run the floor.

Basically, the NBA is coming full circle. It's going back to the days when guys like the 6'9" Bill Russell, 6'9" Willis Reed, and 6'7" Wes Unseld were the dominant big men while the true 7-footer like Wilt Chamberlain was a once in a generation player.

[Diesel]

Ogden is not the only big coming out.

You have Hawes, Noah, dude at 'Cuse, Dude at UConn. ..Hibbert, and a few more mountains that will be coming out.

I think that the cycle will be turning over next year with some dominant bigs coming out. Let's not forget Big Baby...

If he has developed his frame (worked out, loss weight) I would love to get a shot at Hibbert midround. Maybe if we end up trading Zaza for a first, we can take a flyer on Hibbert.

[Guest Walter]

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The true 7-footer that can run the floor, be a dominant offensive presence in the post, and defend is a dying breed.

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The truth is these things meaning trends at positions 1) seem to come in spurts, 2) it only takes a few of these type players to give the impression that there ever was an era of the 7' true center and 3) it only takes 2-3 in the league to keep most teams out of the running. Example, Duncan and Shaq, Hakeem before them in recent years.

Regardless, and we have little idea how the giants (Diesel mentions them) that are lurking in the NCAA will pan out, nobody has successfully paired two Sfs and a hybid Pf/C, particularly one lacking in defense. That is our situation with ZaZa. While you may insist we can be undersized (with JS and ZaZa) and under-skilled (JS has no post game and ZaZa doesn't defensively and shoots a low percentage) at the 4 and 5, that should be a no-brainer to everyone else. Being undersized and under-skilled at two adjacent interior positions is the end before the beginning to title contention

The hybrid center is not a credible, much less good option for us if we ever want to run a 2, Sf lineup.

W

[phx_suns]

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I was watching the replay of USA vs. Korea last night and I thought about it. The composition of team USA is basically Billy Knight's vision...long versatile athletes that each have a variety of skills.

Roster

No. Player Pos. Ht. Team

4 Joe Johnson F 6-8 Atlanta

5 Kirk Hinrich G 6-3 Chicago

6 LeBron James F 6-9 Cleveland

7 Antawn Jamison F 6-9 Washington

8 Shane Battier F 6-8 Memphis

9 Dwyane Wade G 6-4 Miami

13 Brad Miller C 6-11 Sacramento

14 Elton Brand F 6-8 L.A. Clippers

15 Carmelo Anthony F 6-8 Denver

16 Chris Bosh F 6-11 Toronto

17 Dwight Howard F 6-10 Orlando

18 Chris Paul G 6-0 New Orleans

Coach: Mike Krzyzewski, Duke University (N.C.)

That lineup is basically full if 6'8 6'9 players with a couple of athletic 6-11 big men sprinkled in. CP is the only short PG on the squad...and really the only "true" point. The rest from Hinrich on down are ball handling, shooter-scorer-defender types.

So if you consider that since the NBA is headed more to a "global-type" game, the Hawks, along with Phoenix, Dallas, Toronto, and maybe Orlando, are in the best positions to be poised to take the NBA to the next level.

Just my observation.

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Except that their players, coach, and management are actually GOOD.

[KB21]

Spencer Hawes is a perimeter oriented big man. Joakim Noah is more of a hybrid PF/C because the guy weighs about 225 lbs. Hasheem Thabeet is nothing but a 7 foot project right now. Hibbert is a big guy, but he's as slow footed as they come.

Greg Oden is the only legitimate 7 footer that is on the horizon.

[WraithSentinel]

Any Falcons fan will tell you. That for awhile there they couldn't understand why Dan would draft TEs. I read Falcons fans would always bash and make fun of the the Falcons for drafting them similar to Hawks drafting SF. Now look at the league. NFL is all about the TE in today game. While Dan wasn't the greatest of coaches. He certainly saw a trend developing. Just as BK saw this trend developing. Even the Pacers are starting to move in that direction.

[Diesel]

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Spencer Hawes is a perimeter oriented big man.

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OMG... You didn't watch any of the HS games huh?? You just saw big white guy and said " he must be a shooter"... This kid has a better low post game than Bogut/Frye/ and Aldridge put together. If it wasn't for Hansbrough, this kid would be player of the year. In the McDonald's game, he was the next best player behind Wright (who will be at UNC with Hansbrough wrecking stuff)...

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Joakim Noah is more of a hybrid PF/C because the guy weighs about 225 lbs.

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Forget weight...

Did you watch this guy shut down UCLA and LSU?? He's like the second coming of Lue Alcinder and you're worried about weight? Weight wasn't a factor when he shut down big Baby. It will be up to some personal trainer to put 30 pounds on him, but he's far from a PF?

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Noah altered plenty of shots, too -- enough that UCLA big men Hollins, Lorenzo Mata and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute looked covered underneath even when they weren't. That's what happens when you're facing an intimidating inside presence, and Noah was certainly that.

"Defensively, he's just long," Afflalo said. "You know, he has the ability to change shots if he's not blocking them. He plays with a lot of energy."

His final block came with about 5 minutes left after the Bruins had cut a 20-point deficit to 12. Hollins tried to take it strong as a last-gasp effort to get back in the game. Noah stuffed the shot, grabbed the rebound and stood there calmly waiting for things to clear.

About two minutes later, Florida was back up by 16 and those Gator chomps were starting in earnest all around the RCA Dome.

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I don't really understand why he didnt come out. However, i do know that if he, Ogden, Hawes, and Hansbrough come out next year, picking number 1 will be very difficult.