The hole at center

[exodus]

During the offseason my biggest gripe was that they didn't address their center problem. Zaza can't play D at all, is a poor shooter, is turnover prone, etc.

The Hawks thought BLo Wright was the solution. Wrong. He has sucked, averaging 3/3. WTF is that? And he can't play D at all.

Every year the Hawks need a defensive center and every year don't get one. If you aren't going to get one when you actually have capspace/trade assets then when are you going to get one?

Last night Zaza couldn't make a basket against that noted defensive powerhouse Brad Miller. And Miller shot 7-9 from the field against Zaza. Zaza has been shooting like crap and playing no D. He is nothing more than a 15-20 min/game backup.

For laughs i went back and pulled a couple of JohnnyBravo quotes on Zaza;

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We have our center rotation with Zaza, Lo and Batista, and were aren't in any more need of a center than every other team not named Miami or San Antonio.

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Zaza

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If we had 12 Zaza's we'd be a playoff team easily.

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Zaza

[Vol4ever]

Yep, we shouldn't have bothered with Lazy Lo and I complained but the census was on the board that he would play really well.

ZaZa is a backup.

Nuff said

[TheDude]

well i must admit i felt that if we had a hole last year at the center position with zaza there, that adding a vet who has played solid if unspectactular throughout his career, plus adding shelden and solomon, that we would be in a better situation than last year.

it has not happened but i don't neccessarily think it's physical talent at that position that we are craving. i think it's more of spacing and youthful mistakes.

brad miller is no defensive genius but he knows how to play. he's not quicker than zaza. i think a big problem is again the mistakes. not playing help quicker or sometimes playing it too quick and leaving your man open for the underneath pass.

i also think our big guys have not been putting total focus and effort on the defensive side.

as far as offensively, zaza is getting there. to me, he will be a future divac if he can get his basket-facing shot down. one thing i notice from our guys (and not just the big guys) is that we continue to pump fake and dribble forward. sometimes zaza will be open around the freethrow line and pump fake and try to drive when the guy wasnt in his face to begin with...just shoot it zaza.

[Guest Walter]

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During the offseason my biggest gripe was that they didn't address their center problem. Zaza can't play D at all, is a poor shooter, is turnover prone, etc.

The Hawks thought BLo Wright was the solution. Wrong. He has sucked, averaging 3/3. WTF is that? And he can't play D at all.

Every year the Hawks need a defensive center and every year don't get one. If you aren't going to get one when you actually have capspace/trade assets then when are you going to get one?

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I thought Speedy would at least be servicable and remotely durable but we cannot count on this guy. Lo? Hard to imagine that we overpaid for him, but we did and regardless, he never under any circumstance would have filled our C needs.

I can't recall a team ever having two such glaring needs, $20+ million in cap space, a #5 pick (or close), and a player of Al Harrington's caliber to sign and trade and not filling either need, E-V-E-R! It is very frustrating watching this GM fumble around with 6'8" players and so misread a player's ability to help us or so seek to budget that he gets nothing to help the team.

Note: Speedy may come around but for how long? He's like paper mache.

Anyhow, everybody knows I begged for a (defensive, true) center prospect like you exodus. I've begged for a Pg prospect for 3 years. Now I'm begging for a new GM. I hope at least one of these three comes true by the end of this year.

W

[AtLaS]

lol please stop with the Saer crap. He wouldn't have helped us for at least 3 years, it would be the equivalent to the Marvin pick, or worse.

I thought our interior D was looking better until the last few games, but it has came back. However I don't think Shelden is to blame..

[mrhonline]

There's a chance Steven Hunter is available. Interested, anyone?

[exodus]

Didn't he fail a physical last year when they tried to trade him for a second round pick (or was it two). Anyway that raises two big questions, why did they try to trade him so quickly and why did he fail his physical?

And besides he isn't averaging much more than BLo. Accoring to the Sixers fans that i saw commenting on him he isn't much on D either.

[TexasPete]

Z is just 22, hardly a finished product. I blame the coaches more than him. Sol Jones can PLAY. Lets give him LO's minutes. I hated the Lo deal when it happened and I hate it now. Walter does have a point about having AL and cap space. I'm not sure why we are still in this fix. Speedy was a band-aid at best. The dude wasn't ever going to be a championship caliber starting PG even if he was healthy.

Sol got minutes last night and put up 15/5. I think he could be better than SW. Where will he likely be tomorrow night? Behind Lo...because Mike Woodson is a lousy coach. If BK had played his cards right with AL we should have gotten more than a lousy pick. I would take Foster right now. The truth is that with Woody we aren't going anywhere and with the injuries as this years edition of the excuse factory we are sunk.

[exodus]

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Z is just 22,

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So they say, but apparently there are a lot of people in the league who doubt that is his actual age.

[gsuteke]

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lol please stop with the Saer crap. He wouldn't have helped us for at least 3 years, it would be the equivalent to the Marvin pick, or worse.

I thought our interior D was looking better until the last few games, but it has came back. However I don't think Shelden is to blame..

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is he still taking about Muhammed Saer Sene?

[TexasPete]

Sene is terrible. He is a long way away from helping anyone. Basically, the Sonics wasted their pick.

[gsuteke]

so back to the Hawks.

you have to either

a. get lucky in the draft or

b. overpay to get somebody else's player

when discussing NBA centers. I think this Indy pick may help us out tremendously this year in that regard.

[TheDude]

i still think most of our interior issues are youth and inexperience. and yes, that has to do with coaching to a degree but these kids are young and still learning those things...i'm not sure just what some people expect these kids to learn in one offseason.

[Packfill]

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i still think most of our interior issues are youth and inexperience. and yes, that has to do with coaching to a degree but these kids are young and still learning those things...i'm not sure just what some people expect these kids to learn in one offseason.

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I hope it is just youth an inexperience. I do think that excuse has a shelf life though and next year is put-up-or-shut-up for these guys showing they can be quality NBA defenders.

The team probably needs to add at least one more veteran to the roster though next year.

[Johnnybravo4]

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so back to the Hawks.

you have to either

a. get lucky in the draft or

b. overpay to get somebody else's player

when discussing NBA centers. I think this Indy pick may help us out tremendously this year in that regard.

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Yeah cuz I am sure that we will get a dominant defensive center with our 22nd pick

[Johnnybravo4]

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i still think most of our interior issues are youth and inexperience. and yes, that has to do with coaching to a degree but these kids are young and still learning those things...i'm not sure just what some people expect these kids to learn in one offseason.

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I hope it is just youth an inexperience. I do think that excuse has a shelf life though and next year is put-up-or-shut-up for these guys showing they can be quality NBA defenders.

The team probably needs to add at least one more veteran to the roster though next year.

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Oh I know a good one....ALLEN FRIGGIN IVERSON!

[gsuteke]

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so back to the Hawks.

you have to either

a. get lucky in the draft or

b. overpay to get somebody else's player

when discussing NBA centers. I think this Indy pick may help us out tremendously this year in that regard.

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Yeah cuz I am sure that we will get a dominant defensive center with our 22nd pick

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a. do you really think Indy's pick will be 22nd? that team is totally whacked out right now.

b. when have you ever been right about anything?

[Johnnybravo4]

Yeah I am sure that Indiana will be in the lottery. I am guessing you went to Georgia Southern, because you damn sure didnt go to my alma mater.

[BusBoyIsBack]

I think Shelden could play the 5. He's stronger and a better overall defender than Zaza despite his size. He has great potential offensively as well.

With Josh Smith's weakside shot blocking ability he could compliment Shelden at the 4.

[gsuteke]

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Yeah I am sure that Indiana will be in the lottery. I am guessing you went to Georgia Southern, because you damn sure didnt go to my alma mater.

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you see there you go again Johnny.

i gave you an opportunity to prove me wrong. All you can do is resort to name calling. perhaps it's a good thing I did not attend your Alma Mater.