Less than 1 hr remaining until the deadline....

[bumpyphish1]

This trade for AJ has turned me against BK. I have been for him up until this point, but this trade makes absolutely NO SENSE AT ALL! Geez. I am about to cry.

-The trade doesn't get us into the playoffs

-We lose our 2nd round pick

-We lose $2.5 million against the cap because AJ's contract doesn't expire.

-Speedy is still in town.

BK has about 59 minutes to make another trade and rectify this. WTF is he thinking?

[gutz]

Well Portland just traded Dixon to the Raptors for Fred Jones. Why didn't we get Dixon. He is still young and can at least score.

[jerrywest]

That means toronto will move Calderon/TJ. A flurry of trades may be on the way.

[wolvetigers]

Man oh Man....I think being a Hawks fan is the hardest in sports man....I really supported BK but it seems like the owners and BK are just not equip to get it done. It is no secret we need a star PG...Bibby is the answer, not more scrubby backups.... Man this is another hard year, my falcons suck, my Wolverines lost to OSU and USC and now this. I just dont know what to believe in anymore....

[macdaddy]

You think you're about to cry think about how AJ feels. Traded off the best team in the league to come play 3rd string for us.

Lue or Speedy have to be on the way out but I can't believe that Lue would be traded with his injury status and leadership role on the team.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

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This trade for AJ has turned me against BK. I have been for him up until this point, but this trade makes absolutely NO SENSE AT ALL! Geez. I am about to cry.

-The trade doesn't get us into the playoffs

-We lose our 2nd round pick

-We lose $2.5 million against the cap because AJ's contract doesn't expire.

-Speedy is still in town.

BK has about 59 minutes to make another trade and rectify this. WTF is he thinking?

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BK said last night that whatever deal he made, had to make sense. Trading a 1st round pick for a guy like Ridnour, doesn't make sense . . especially in this very "deep" draft. So unless Seattle was willing just to dump Ridnour for garbage, you don't do that deal. Cleveland needs a PG, but you don't see them going after Ridnour either. That shows you what his true value is around the league.

Now, to address your points:

- The trade doesn't get us into the playoffs. Of course it doesn't . . unless Lue and Speedy can get a little more healthy. Squawkers need to start looking at our PG issue, in a different light. NO, we don't have that star or floor leader at PG here. But what we do have now, are 4 guys who bring very different things to the table.

* Claxton - defensive specialist

* Lue - offensive specialist

* Johnson - steady all-around PG that can score and play D

* Childress - change of pace, tall scoring PG that can create matchup problems on the offensive end

Until we actually get a guy here who can man the point for 30 minutes a game, and play both offense and defense, the PG situation here will be a 4-headed monster. Now, it's up to Woody to somehow make that work. AJ will give Woody a chance to play Speedy whenever he needs him, instead of forcing him to play extended minutes . . something he obviously can't do right now. When Lue comes back, that'll give him another option to put at the PG. I could see a situation in which AJ, Speedy, and Lue split about 40 minutes a game at the PG, while Chill will play the other 8 minutes. LOL . . it's far from perfect, but it's better than giving those 8 minutes at the beginning of games to Ivey.

- We lose our 2nd round pick. And that isn't a big deal at all. AJ right now has much more value than a 2nd round pick, and I'll tell you why in the next point. But most teams aren't going to find an impact player, or even a decent player with a 2nd round pick. And the Hawks don't need any more "project" type picks. They need solid guys who can play. And veteran players are usually the way to go. I'd part with a 2nd round pick every year, if it would bring me a quality veteran to play alongside these kids.

- We lose 2.5 million against the cap, because AJ's contract doesn't expire. And that's a GOOD THING. And here's exactly why AJ is much more valuable to us, than that 2nd round pick. He's the type of contract we can use in a trade, to possibly get that big upgrade at Center or at PG here. People see that 2.5 million, and think that it's a waste. I see that 2.5 million, as a possible throw-in, to get some disgruntled veteran player who has worn out his welcome with his old team.

Bumpy, up until now, we'd have to trade Marvin or Childress, along with guys like Lue, ZaZa, etc, to make a deal with some team willing to unload one of their better players. Now, we can use AJ in any filler deal, to get us that player, without maybe giving up Chill or Marvin. That extra 2.5 or so million is an asset, not a liability. That extra money isn't going to prohibit us from signing any new talent. It may actually help us trade for it during the summer. The fact that AJ will be in his last year of his contract NEXT YEAR, is the asset.

- Speedy is still in town. And that's not a bad thing either. Why is it that JJ, Smoove, Chill, Lue, and Marvin all get a pass when they were injured. But when Speedy is injured, people act like he's going to play like that his entire career here? I've seen Speedy play a lot throughout his career, and the guy is just not right. He's hurting. If the Hawks were completely out of it, they'd probably shut him down for the year. But he wants to play and contribute any way he can. Same goes for Lue. It's just bad luck on our part that both of these guys are hurting at the same time. But when healthy, both of these guys can be assets to this team. But we may not see the full potential this year, which drives the fans crazy.

[jerrywest]

Thanks.

I am hoping Magic/Heat/Knicks don't pick up any significant piece in the next 5 minutes.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Jerry . . I read some of your post over the last few days. You made some good points as well.

The problem with most fans, is that they make decisions based on emotion. When you make decisions because of emotion, it'll almost always be the wrong one. Even in life, you can't make too many decision based on sheer emotion.

Situation . . buy that new 52" Plasma TV . . or get that new Washer/Dryer that your wife has been begging you to get.

Emotion: You really LOVE THAT TV so you buy the TV, and say forget what the wifey wants. I'll get it for her later.

Result: You cause a serious argument to the point that she constantly hangs that TV over your head as the reason why you don't care about her feelings.

You think things out. Weight the situation. Then make your decision.

- you don't give a 1st round pick for a bum like Ridnour who got his spot taken by a perennial backup PG that can't shoot like Earl Watson. Somebody a few nights ago mentioned how "great" Ridnour was playing against Memphis. ( 15 pts . . 12 assists . . 5 steals ) That's a damn impressive game. Then you look at what Speedy did against Memphis back in December ( 19 pts . . 11 assists . . 3 steals ). You can say that both of these guys had one of their top 5 best games of the year against Memphis. But overall, both guys have been lackluster. So which is it? Is Luke and Speedy great PGs . . or are they just great PGs against Memphis?

- you don't trade for an aging PG like Mike Bibby and give up major assets to our team, when he's having the worst year shooting wise of his career, and has never been a "table-setter" type PG. This isn't 2001, when he was knocking down big shots like a Sam Cassell.

- you don't give Portland a 1st round pick or one of our young forwards, for one of their mediocre centers. If they were any good, Portland would be much better than what they are.

Some Squawkers are sane. Most are irrational and impatient. It's important for this franchise to make the RIGHT move when they trade off one of these kids, instead of making a move just to fill a position with a mediocre player. You sign mediocre talent in free agency. You trade for big time talent, if you're trading off one or more of the kids.

[ATL_BALLER]

I appreciate your eternal optimism, but I'm curious:

Do you think BK is a good GM? Do you think he's done a good job with this team?

[bumpyphish1]

I appreciate your eternal optimism, but I'm curious:

Do you think BK is a good GM? Do you think he's done a good job with this team?

[mrhonline]

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Having to send away $2.5 mil in a deal is a negative because teams don't want to take back money that is useless to them. All having AJ under contract for $2.5 mil does is hinder us in the free agent market and in trades. In no way shape or form is having a $2.5 mil contract a good thing, that is just dillusional to think that.

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I couldn't disagree more. Expiring contracts for veteran PG's like Lue and AJ are moderately valuable as fillers in trades.

Playoff teams can always use people like Lue or AJ. Both of them will be VERY tradeable next year.

[DJlaysitup]

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...I couldn't disagree more. Expiring contracts for veteran PG's like Lue and AJ are moderately valuable as fillers in trades.

Playoff teams can always use people like Lue or AJ. Both of them will be VERY tradeable next year.

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Add to that...bottom line is we gotta has somebody to play PG. If TLue is really out longterm - and we can't count on Speedy - what are we gonna do? We can't just play Ivey all the time.

P.S. - Royal...save all the money ya can man.

[GST]

With TLue injured, we were down to a gimpy Speedy, who seems to only be able to dress out for half the games, and Ivey. Childress can handle some spot duty at PG, but you had better not ask too much PG play from him. Even if Lue comes back, he is more suited to coming off the bench as an offensive spark than as a starter.

[Guest Walter]

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BK said last night that whatever deal he made, had to make sense. Trading a 1st round pick for a guy like Ridnour, doesn't make sense . . especially in this very "deep" draft.

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BK also said he wasn't looking for "quick fixes". If you are going to be his PR person, spin that one. Frankly, Ridnour for a 20th pick makes more sense than AJ for a 35th. Ridnour is FAR better, a better compliment to this team's offense running, creative, and shooting needs at Pg, and could grow with this team. AJ has had one near decent professional year in his career and will retire before MW turns 23.

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Squawkers need to start looking at our PG issue, in a different light.

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I feel a knee deep rationalization coming one here.

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NO, we don't have that star or floor leader at PG here.

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...or a starter-quality Pg...or a Pg prospect...

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But what we do have now, are 4 guys who bring very different things to the table.

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Actually, they are all the same in that none of them are true Pgs good at running an offense or near starter-quality.

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Until we actually get a guy here who can man the point for 30 minutes a game, and play both offense and defense, the PG situation here will be a 4-headed monster.

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It's a monster alright. Look at what money we've commited to it. A sizable monster. I'd settle for a starter quality Pg PERIOD.

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but it's better than giving those 8 minutes at the beginning of games to Ivey.

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Not when this deal directly costs you the ability to get said Pg you describe in terms of cap flexibility, your high 2nd rd pick, and indirectly allows BK not to select a Pg with Indy's 1st.

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- We lose 2.5 million against the cap, because AJ's contract doesn't expire

. And that's a GOOD THING.

- Speedy is still in town

. And that's not a bad thing either.

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You are delusional. How can either of these be good things. AJ is a good thing because you think we might can trade him? Speedy...good because we can't trade him? What?!? Didn't you want SW over Roy and Foye? Boy, you sure know a thing about player value. We will now HAVE to trade one of AJ or Lue but with our glut I don't anticipate we'll get more than a 35th pick for either.

W

[GoDawgs21]

Hawksfantic,

I love you calling others idiots for not understanding the cap. However, it you yourself that looks like the complete moron.

Yes while your pea sized brain processed we can take on as much salary up to the cap limit, and this just takes out 2.5 of that. You completely missed his point.

In the NBA there are guidelines for trading. Trades have to have be a % of relative porportion. Thus, if team A trades with team B a player with a salary of $6 million, team B must send back roughly $4 million in assets. Thats why in most trades proposed in "trade checkers" we always send out more players. While you say Marvin for Bibby makes sense. The problem is Marvin is on his rookie contract making less then a quarter of what Bibby does. So other pieces picks, trade exceptions, or otehr player saleries have to be included.

So before getting AJ and his 2.5 million, any trades we would be involved in would most likely have to include us giving up more players or picks due to their relative salary. Would you rather in a trade include with Marvin; AJ or say childress. Teams will have to recieve that amount from somewhere so who would you rather send as the necessary filler AJ or Chill? That coupled with this summer his contract becoming an expiring contract that teams will desire.

Make sense now. Next time dig your head out of your ass and pay attention.