Bernie on radio this morning.

[Hoosier]

Again, he stated that on the depth chart as it is, Josh Smith is the back-up power forward. Sheldon is first. I do not agree with this, I think Marvin and Josh should start.

Bernie also said that people are not going to believe how much Josh Smith has bulked up this summer, said he added 15 lbs. last summer and at least another 15 lbs. this summer.

Also said that Josh Childress will prove all the naysayers wrong this year.

[frosgrim]

What ever the depth chart is today means very little. They have to go through training camp. The best forward tandem will end up starting. My guess is MW at SF and Smoove at the 4.

[gsuteke]

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What ever the depth chart is today means very little. They have to go through training camp. The best forward tandem will end up starting. My guess is MW at SF and Smoove at the 4.

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yeah but if Shelden really turns out to be that good to get the start over Smoove or Marvin then I will be super happy.

[macdaddy]

I don't know why they are trying to build Shelden up so much. The two statements make no sense. Jowh Smith is the backup power forward despite the fact that he was a starter last year and has bulked up and worked hard in the offseason and we got rid of Al. So who did he say was the starting SF Smoove or MW?

[Hoosier]

That was not addressed, but it apparently is between Josh Smith and Marvin.

The issue of the 4 position came up when the host asked Mullen, after the offseason moves, where are the Hawks still lacking somewhat. Mullen replied that the Hawks are lacking experienced depth at the power forward position.

[gutz]

Mullin is a complete idiot to say that!! There is no way in hell Shelden is going to start over Josh Smith especially if he said that Josh Smith was the backup PF. That makes no sense whatsoever. This guy is about to explode into STARDOM and HAS to be on the floor at the same time with Marvin and JJ period. I will be very upset if Shelden is somehow starting over Jsmoove. Claxton better hurry up and heal his fragile body as well. We need him in training camp ASAP

[Yeti]

I agree. Josh HAS to start. Shelden has proven nothing yet. Let him earn his minutes. If he can outplay Josh, so be it - but no way he starts out ahead of Smoove.

Only way I can see him starting is if Billy is feeling so much heat over the pick that he pushes Shelden before he is ready. Shelden has to be real impressive in camp to make up for that big turd he laid in the summer league.

[Popeye]

Only reason Shelden would start is because of his D. Why are u guys so pissed of? If Shelden doesn't do well as a starter than he goes back to bench, simple as that.

Last year Chill got opurtunity to start but sucked, so Woody puts him on the bench for rest of the year.

It's not about Marvin and Smoove, it's about who gives us a better chance to win.

[SmooveTheFuture]

Josh Smith isnt losing his starting spot he is a for sure starter along with Speedy and JJ. This guy had an improved year last year and is only gonna get better he isnt going to lose his spot esp. to a rookie who looked terrible in the Summer League and in my opinon was a terrible pick.

[Guest Walter]

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Again, he stated that on the depth chart as it is, Josh Smith is the back-up power forward. Sheldon is first.

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This is unbelievable. To GIVE the starting position to a role player reach over JS because of your other draft screw-ups and disinterest in acquiring a center is unforgivable.

We bench prospect for prospect for prospect under BK thanks to his horrible drafting and at some point we trade them because we undervalue them (Diaw) or they will leave for a chance to start elsewhere. In the meantime we alienate existing players and field a standing dead team without improved long-term capacity.

BK might be the most unintelligent GM there is. For all his riddles I seriously believe still waters don't run deep as far as BK is concerned. A blind monkey knows not to (promise a month before to) pick at 5 a marginal top 10 player in order to bench Josh Smith. He knows to pick a player to enable he and MW. He knows to not pick a player that further benches JC. Our GM is a dumbass and ownership is too tied up into him now after the JJ debacle to lose him. He's their only cover.

W

[Guest Walter]

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yeah but if Shelden really turns out to be that good to get the start over Smoove or Marvin then I will be super happy.

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You don't have to be any good when ownership calls you the starter after laying a summer-league egg and being considered one of the worst picks of the draft.

I love how benching JS has turned into "the feel good move of the year! What a great plot line! Let's further bench JC while we're at it and call it "wonderfully delicious entertainment". I laughed, I cried and then I got a [censored] grip and realized we won 26 games, traded Harrington for scraps to start MW and JS, drafted SW far too high to bench them again, and still were a 32 win team. We can't go anywhere for our getting in our way with this cracked up GMing. I WANT MY MONEY BACK!

W

[swolehawk2]

It is sad, but I don't trust anything this guys says.

[Blunt91]

Walter please stop your Bitching!!. It isn't written in Stone that Shelden will be the starter. Ideally they won't SHelden to start because he played for 4years as a PF in College. He has more experience at playing that position than Smoove. Ultimately Woody will decide who starts. Also you love slamming Billy Knight every chance you get. Some of his draft picks have been questionable but overall I think he has did a solid job. You act as if you don't follow the Hawks and are clueless to why we drafted SHelden.

It was a forgone conclusion that Al would be traded. We therefore needed a PF, who could step in right away. It would have been nice to get Shelden at a lower pick by trading down but more than likely management didn't want to take on another contract before knowing how much they could spend on Free Agents. Yeah I hate we missed out on Chris Paul but that's done and over with. Marvin will be a good player maybe even a allstar. We will have a chance to draft a good PG in either 07 or 08 drafts.

[joannes3000]

Another thing to keep in mind is that it won't matter who starts except in the box score. As long as Smoove and Marvelous are getting 35+ minutes a game I'll be happy.

[Hoosier]

In the Hawks defense, which I will not carry too far on this issue, Sheldon would be an improvement in some areas over Josh and Al. The host was cracking that he would rather see us knock somebody down coming through the lane, than have our bigs stand around and adjust their jock strap while everyone and their little brother gets uncontested lay-ups. Bernie said that is why S.Williams is a Hawk.

So he will add a couple of things we did not have at that position last year- rebounding, strength/positional defense, bulk/impass in the lane. Everything else he can do will be a bonus.

We have about seven guys that should start on this team, should make for an interesting year to see how everyone checks their egos. I question whether JS can accept a BU role, even with starter minutes.

[DrReality]

If he does start this would likened to Ivey starting for the first few minutes. That's no big deal. As has been said multiple times on this board, it's not who starts but who finishes games. The hope is Shelden would give us a defensive presense. Matchups and rotattions will develop over the season depending upon the opponent.

On some level I have to wonder if this is not a psychological ploy on the Hawk's part to challenge both Shelden and Josh. Build a fire under them both. Won't have to wait long now.

[exodus]

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Jowh Smith is the backup power forward despite the fact that he was a starter last year

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Smith was the starting 3 last year and will be again to start the season.

[Guest Walter]

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Another thing to keep in mind is that it won't matter who starts except in the box score. As long as Smoove and Marvelous are getting 35+ minutes a game I'll be happy.

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That leaves 26 minutes at the 3 and 4 and Batista, Lo, ZaZa, Childress, and maybe even JJ if we go small will all see minutes at 1 of those positions. That's not including SW at the 4. This is a disaster waiting to happen. Woody needs a substitutions monitor to get this even respectable for the players and having to worry so much about minutes and the quality of PT will distract from winning games (or vice versa).

W

[Guest Walter]

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It was a forgone conclusion that Al would be traded. We therefore needed a PF, who could step in right away.

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We also needed a Pg who fit well with JJ. Why not get Foye or Roy (both far more talented and better prospects than SW) then get the 1-dimensional role player Pf who could step in right away far better than summer-league bust SW in FAcy. Why not PJ Brown, Wilcox, NeNe earlier in trade of Al. Using a 5th pick on a role player is "unforgivable". Promising ourselves out of better talent and draft day trades, "unforgivable".

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It would have been nice to get Shelden at a lower pick by trading down but more than likely management didn't want to take on another contract before knowing how much they could spend on Free Agents.

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Good grief. Does BK ever have any real responsibility. This was most definately NOT ownership or Woody. It was BK's call. He made it. He's the GM. LET HIM OWN IT instead of all this maybe this, maybe that BULLSHIT. Your maybe this, maybe that reasoning in insoluble.

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Yeah I hate we missed out on Chris Paul but that's done and over with. Marvin will be a good player maybe even a allstar. We will have a chance to draft a good PG in either 07 or 08 drafts.

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What? With what draft pick? What a consolation, a "chance to draft a good player". We would have that anyway, right.

...

BK must OWN this team. This is his team. It's not just about wins, but since he fast-forwarded the process by trading next year's 1st for JJ and got only ROLE PLAYERS to help out for supposed immediate returns, this team should win 10th in the EC or better NOW and should show tremendous promise for the near future. Bitching about is better than rampant apologizing for BK.

W

[Guest Walter]

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I question whether JS can accept a BU role, even with starter minutes.

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Making JS a BU (by reaching at 5 for a marginal 10th pick after you trade away the starter before him for nothing) might be the most insane franchise move ever. Same for MW. We've GOT to get these two a center who quality post play frees them up to be themselves! Not keep sitting on them with role players.

The fact is that SW was drafted because of ZaZa's deficiencies as a starting center. He's there to cover ZaZa's inability to defend the post not JS or MW's. Why not get a better starting center or a talented center prospect and let ZaZa eventually be the best BU center/Pf one could want?

W