With the Indy pick now gone, how do we improve....

[Guest Walter]

SIGNIFICATLY! Don't let a 4 game win streak fool you. We need a Pg prospect and SERIOUS center/post player star (among other lesser role players perhaps) to ever have a chance at contending. With...

1) our own pick lost,

2) the Indy pick lost(?),

3) our high, 2nd rd pick traded,

4) AJ taking up our cap space beyond the MLE amount,

5) the ownership situation unresolved,

and

6) chaos deflecting FA interest anyhow,

...WHAT can we do to significantly improve?

We have ABSOLUTELY NO draft capitol whatsoever, we have no cap space, we have reluctant if not unwilling owners, and an undesirable situation!

We are in some serious, dire straights here people. This late season streak of moral victories paired with Indy's fall is disasterous.

W

[AtLaS]

.. I never IMAGINED we wouldn't have a draft pick in this ENTIRE draft, and now we have no cap space (which is why I was and still am against the AJ trade). AJ will not be here in the future when we actually make our run in the playoffs, and he took up and additional $3 million in cap, AND our 2nd rounder this year.

Our only chance is a trade, and with BK being our GM, I have ZERO confidence in something positive coming that way.

[thescout5]

There is a chance the Hawks get not only shut out in the draft but in the playoffs,that certainly wouldn't be good to building the team!

[Guest Walter]

Quote:

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.. I never IMAGINED we wouldn't have a draft pick in this ENTIRE draft, and now we have no cap space (which is why I was and still am against the AJ trade). AJ will not be here in the future when we actually make our run in the playoffs, and he took up and additional $3 million in cap, AND our 2nd rounder this year.

Our only chance is a trade, and with BK being our GM, I have ZERO confidence in something positive coming that way.

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...but the thought of a handicapped BK is THE scariest thing I can imagine leading this franchise. Trade is the only option, but everyone else knows that. We aren't in good shape.

As good as last offseason could have been, BK [censored] it up worse than I could have imagined. As bad as this one could be, what can we expect from BK but a total, unmitigated disaster.

W

[ATL_BALLER]

...if we somehow make the playoffs?

I agree - as I've previously posted, I don't see anything significant happening this offseason, which sucks considering how special it might have been.

However, if those moral victories turn into a playoff birth, I'll be excited. I mean, there are a few good stories going on, particulary Smoove's emergence and Solomon's potential.

[Guest Walter]

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...if we somehow make the playoffs?

I agree - as I've previously posted, I don't see anything significant happening this offseason, which sucks considering how special it could have been.

However, if those moral victories turn into a playoff birth, I'll be excited. I mean, there are a few good stories going on, particulary Smoove's emergence and Solomon's potential.

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I simply do not believe this team can contend remotely as designed and needs to not only make lateral moves exchanging positions but vertical moves acquiring more talent at difficult to fill positions in order to contend. I would certainly love a playoff birth if that is all I can get, but if I could keep our or Indy's pick I'd rather that. We need serious capitol to get significant help.

Again, a wild hypothetical.

W

[vdunkndunk]

The Indy pick isn't gone yet...in fact, right now there's probably just as good a chance we end up with an 11 or 12 pick as there is that their pick is top 10. They've GOT to start winning games again, right? I don't know...it'd be a bummer to miss out on that pick, but I haven't given up hope yet.

#1 and #11 this year...that's what I'm looking for. Greg Oden and a young PG.

[ATL_BALLER]

I've come up with a little acronym to help through situations like these:

ROTS = Reality of the Situation

Just as I use sitting in bumper-to-bumper as an opportunity to listen to that new CD, we must try to make a hand out of the cards we've been dealt.

We missed Iggy. We missed Chris. We missed Roy (actually, I still allow myself to curse the heavens on this one - moreso because Shelden was our choice). BK and Woody are a terrible two-some, and in more capable hands, our situation would likely look significantly better.

HOWEVER, the reality is that we're stuck with them. And unless Lord Belkin assumes the reigns (the only worse scenario), I don't see the ASG relieving them anytime soon.

So, what we're left with is the Hawks play of late, led by the sickness of Smoove. And, though highly hypothetical, I hold out hope for the playoffs. With an offseason that doesn't promise anything other than a miracle play at Oden/KG - it's our best shot at happiness, however fleeting.

And that, Walt, is what ROTS is all about.

[Buzzard]

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#1 and #11 this year...that's what I'm looking for.

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Anything like the above 1-3 and 11 through 15 and BK is a genius. If we just end up with Indy's pick he will be average. If it turns out to be no drafts pick this year; he solidifies what many NBA writers consider him to be; worst GM in the league.

Next year is a make or break draft and season for BK. This is suppose to be a five year plan to respectability. No playoffs next year, our owners do not need to ask BK what have you done for me lately? They need to ask themselves what has he ever done for them?

I want the playoffs next year, and therefore I want BK to succeed. They do go hand in hand. But if he does not, it will be time to move in another direction.

[mrhonline]

The MLE.

But, seriously, the team wins four straight games without its All-Star, and we get this thread?

[Lascar78]

Exactly. Not sure how the top 10 protected Indy pick is gone because they now have sunk to the 16th worst position. Yes there is a chance that we'll lose it, but odds are we'll get that pick.

[Guest]

Right now the Indy pick is 14 and could be as high as 16 with tie-breakers. I suspect we'll get the Indy pick this year.

We still have $5 million in capspace, and that will likely increase by about $2 million next year. I believe we have the MLE available to us. We have some expiring contracts, that added to our capspace could bring us one very decent free agent.

I think we will improve next season.

That said, it will be hard to come up with a stalwart, defensive center using the above assets. Getting a much better point guard (but not an all-star) is much more likely.

It's gonna' be tough to move this team above "average" unless Smoove, Chilz, and Marvn ALL become sought after assets and we package one of them in a trade.

We'll also need a better coach.

Here's hoping for the best . . .

[mrhonline]

This further begs the question, "What defensive big was available via free agency?"

[Diesel]

If Walter is going to post, he has to be negative... You haven't figured this out yet.

We totally dominated one of the hottest teams playing last night. I mean, dominated...

Come to HS, find Walter posting about the possibility of not having a pick in the draft...How these wins are corrupting our future. Blah, blah, blah...

At some point, you have to want to win...

[TexasPete]

If we do lose the pick from Indy this year, is it gone for good? Or, do we get in next year?

[AHF]

Quote:

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If we do lose the pick from Indy this year, is it gone for good? Or, do we get in next year?

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I believe we still get it with the following future protections:

2008 - top 8

2009 - top 5

[TexasPete]

thanks.

[Sothron]

Quote:

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If Walter is going to post, he has to be negative... You haven't figured this out yet.

We totally dominated one of the hottest teams playing last night. I mean, dominated...

Come to HS, find Walter posting about the possibility of not having a pick in the draft...How these wins are corrupting our future. Blah, blah, blah...

At some point, you have to want to win...

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Bobby Sura, is that you?

A few token wins will do nothing for this franchise except hand our pick away and we get nothing from it. I really don't understand how some people fail to understand this.

[Diesel]

IF we lose, will Stern just give us Oden?

IS that what you believe???

I love how tank guys get on here and make believe that we live in a world of unicorns and pixydust.

Come back to reality!!!

If we lose out and come in with the 2nd most losses and lose out on the top 3 and have a franchise that has a:

1. Messed up front office with no sure bets on the owner.

2. Messed up Coaching staff.

3. Messed up GM.

4. Messed up Team with no chemistry or confidence.

What will you say then???

Who will be your Bobby Sura then??

Even with Bobby Sura, we still got a Lottery pick...

However, if we lose out now and do the same thing that PTL did last year and that Chicago a few years ago, we end up with NOTHING....

There's a greater chance for us getting NOTHING than us getting ODEN. That's the fact. So why kill our franchise with your losing Welfare mentality?

[Sothron]

Because, HEAVY D, the only option we have available to this team to upgrade the holes at point guard and center is through the draft. And the only way we can get that is through the chances of landing a top three pick. There's no free agent coming through the door that's worth a damn on this team. Speedy Claxton showed us that last year.

This year will be just the same. We'll still have the court ordered injuction about contract lengths. The AS will still refuse to spend any more real money from fear of losing it all to Belkin. The draft is the only way we can actually draft or use as a trading piece to get the help we need.

This little win streak aside we all know this team has no chance of competing for anything without two more starters. That's actually being generous on my part because it assumes either Marvin or Shellhead could be trusted enough to start next to Smoove in some kind of lineup but anyhoo. We all can agree we need major upgrades to point guard and center.

Where are we going to get that Heavy D? Moses Malone isn't walking through that door. Dikemebe isn't walking through that door. Mookies isn't walking through that door. Spudd and Doc aren't walking through that door. And if they did, they would be old and gray. We need major help at two starting positions and the only way to do it is to tank and try and get a top three pick.

Anything else leaves us with the same group of players that simply can't get the job done.