Crittenton thread continued

[exodus]

That Crit thread is getting too long. I think it may be the longest thread i have seen here and it is taking up too much space. Lets just start a new thread and let the other one die.

[Seano]

Yeah, that sucker was huge. I thought it might be the thread that would never die. I haven't even tried to read it, it's so long.

[hawkman]

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That Crit thread is getting too long. I think it may be the longest thread i have seen here and it is taking up too much space. Lets just start a new thread and let the other one die.

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It's no surprise that there are so many responses to that thread. Javaris is a rather interesting PG prospect. I think that it is really important that we don't over think this thing. I have no doubt that we will be bringing Crit, Conley, and Law in for pre-draft workouts soon. I say we grab whoever does the best during those workouts. I really don't want to see a repeat of that whole Chris Paul fiasco. Looking back, it seems kind of unbelieveable that a guy that talented could come here and ace the workout and yet we still pass him up. I'm partial to Javaris, having watched him play the most this past season. His combination of size and skills are almost unheard of nowadays.

[AtLaS]

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Looking back, it seems kind of unbelieveable that a guy that talented could come here and ace the workout and yet we still pass him up.

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It just goes to show how much BK puts into workouts. Paul had his BEST workout here, and Marvin was panting away like a dog out of breath.

Then LAST year, BK didn't even workout the other top prospects, electing to take SW a month before the draft. In other words, whoever dominates the workout (IF BK schedules one, which is a big IF), it won't effect BK's decision..

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I'm partial to Javaris, having watched him play the most this past season. His combination of size and skills are almost unheard of nowadays.

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I know, which is why he's my favorite PG prospect in this draft, and the #1 PG on my board.

[ncthompson11]

Is he a a great distributor like conley or more of a scorer like conley or a mixture of both. I want a guy who can score but also defend. If crittenton can do that I say we take him.

[AtLaS]

He's definitely just as good a passer, he just turns it over a lot more.

But he's still 5 inches taller, more athletic, better shooter, rebounder, and just has so much more potential. He's also a better scorer, and really took over games in the clutch last year. They're probably about even defensively.

To me, Conley just seems destined to be an average NBA pg with his lack of shooting and FT abilities.. I don't see him becoming a Jason Kidd type player to make up for his lack of shooting. Conley's also not that tall or strong as the average PG. I'd rather go for Law than Conley.

[hawkman]

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Is he a a great distributor like conley or more of a scorer like conley or a mixture of both. I want a guy who can score but also defend. If crittenton can do that I say we take him.

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I said in an earlier post that Javaris is kind of a combination of Law and Conley. He can score, but he seems just as comfortable setting up his teamates. What's strange is that few on this board seem to notice this even though he played here. Maybe it has something to do with there not being as many GT "TV" games this season. Anyway, the guy looks like he is the real deal. I see a lot of mock drafts have him going in the mid to late first round...advantage:Hawks. They must not have seen this guy play. The first game I watched him play in I was expecting another SG with handles ala Salmons(Miami) or maybe even a Steve Smith, but I was surprised to see that he was an authentic PG. Believe me, Hewitt would not hand the reigns of the team to just anybody. Look at what happened to Zam Frederick. He came in highly decorated and yet Hewitt replaced him at the point with Mario West, a former walk-on. If Crit played as poorly or out of control as some around here say he did, don't you think he would have gotten the hook too? Honestly, I think he was the best player on the team this season...and that includes Thaddeus. Add to that the fact that he is really quick and athletic and 6'5" and you have what I believe to be the best PG prospect in the draft.

[vdunkndunk]

I haven't seen enough of Connelly to really have a legit opinion of him, but I love his assist-turnover ration and his reputation as a solid, steady PG and leader. I also like his quickness a lot.

But with that said, I think he'll be off the board when we pick at 11 anyway. So if we're just looking at Crittenton vs. Law, I really favor Crittenton. Law will probably make a bigger immediate impact, but longterm I think Crittenton has a ton of potetial. My main questions about him are how long it will take him to get comfortable running a team, and how we'll he can guard the quickest PG's in the league.

[Swatguy]

Javaris plays on a different level. Often times he has to slow his motor because teamates are. With higher skilled teamates, higher effectiveness will result. I'm not sure he will be available at 11.

[jezmund]

Being a die-hard GT fan I can tell you that Critty is as talented as any of the other PG's. He gets a little carried away sometimes but from what I've heard, he is a gym rat. He is just like Jarrett Jack except that he is 6'5 and a better athlete. That spells a pretty good player, IMO. He is only a Freshman and he was instantly the best player on GT last year. He is pretty nasty with the ball and excels in an up-tempo game which is what I think we are built to do. He will shine in workouts because of his athleticism and he is a pass-first guy. CPHewitt actually had to make him more aggressive as a scorer because we needed someone to take over. He can certainly do that as well. If you gave this guy 3 more years of college, you wouldn't even be comparing he and Acie Law. I will say as far as Mike Conley is concerned, I think I've just fell in the hype. I really don't know much about him. I just thought it would be cool to get a Oden/Conley duo although I'd love a Crit/Oden duo. Actually I wouldn't mind a Crit / Durant duo with a Marvin for Bynum type deal.

Crit / JJ / Durant / Smith / Bynum

I don't think Bynum could keep up with that team though.

[Diesel]

I've watched him play some... This is what I think:

I think he should stay in school if it's possible. He's not ready to be a pro.

I have a bias against PGs above 6'5". Unless their name is Magic Johnson, they usually don't work out unless they move to the OG or the SG. The reason why is academic. There are a whole lot of shorter faster PGs in the league. Like Baron Davis, these guys are ball hawks and they give Big PGs a hard time on offense and defense.

I don't think we should duplicate JJ.

In fact, unless Critt really develops his game, he's the second coming of Jamal Crawford. A Big PG who has skills, you just don't want him being your only PG.

Law is the truth. These other guys are just hype.

[exodus]

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Law is the truth. These other guys are just hype.

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That is a pretty extreme view.

It wasn't until this year that Law was able to shed his combo guard label. I like him but the main advantage he has over the other two is experience.

There is certainly more risk involved with Conley and to a greater extent Crittenton. However having watched them i can't see how they are just hype.

[DJlaysitup]

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Javaris plays on a different level. Often times he has to slow his motor because teamates are. With higher skilled teamates, higher effectiveness will result. I'm not sure he will be available at 11.

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I hope he is (available at 11). After watching Baron Davis slice and dice the Mavs, I think we might be better off with the bigger PG prospect. Granted, little fast guys can be very effective, but big fast guys can too, and they can also provide rebounding assistance.

(I can't believe I'm going to say this but)...it looks to me like Crit may have more "upside".

[jezmund]

Maybe I'm partial because I'm a GT fan but you guys have no idea what you are talking about re: Critty.

Jamal Crawford? Puhlease.....Critty is a PG. He is more of a PG than Acie Law is from the little I've seen him. He is much more of a leader than Jamal could dream of. He strives to get better and he will, I promise. I can only hope he comes back to GT for his SO year b/c we will definitely feel it if he doesn't.

[vdunkndunk]

Here's what Chad Ford had to say on the PG's in his blog today:

"....It looks like a lock that Ohio State point guard Mike Conley will be the first point guard off the board. About 75 percent of the folks around the league I spoke with have Acie Law ranked next, somewhere in the late lottery (he's No. 14 on our big board). Interestingly, there are some NBA executives who have freshman Javaris Crittenton ranked higher as a potential late lottery pick.

"'Law is ready to step in an play right now and Crittenton is another year or two away,' one NBA executive said. 'But Crittenton has the talent to be really special. He's got great size, is a better shooter and more of a team-first point guard. The draft still values upside so I'm not sure how you take Law over Crittenton.'...."

I pretty much agree. Crittenton just has too much physical talent to pass on, especially if you're BK and you've been searching for a big PG. Crittenton is a legit 6'5, he's athletic, he's been a PG his entire life, he's got the ballhandling skills and passing instincts, he can shoot, he's got heart. He just needs more experience...but I actually think he may be more effective in an NBA-type of game than he was in college. He and JJ would be great together in the backcourt.

Your 2007-2008 Atlanta Hawks:

PG: Javaris Crittenton

SG: Joe Johnson

SF: Marvin Williams

PF: Josh Smith

CR: Greg Oden

Bench: Various backup PG's, Childress, Shelden, Solo, Zaza

[gsuteke]

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Here's what Chad Ford had to say on the PG's in his blog today:

"....It looks like a lock that Ohio State point guard Mike Conley will be the first point guard off the board. About 75 percent of the folks around the league I spoke with have Acie Law ranked next, somewhere in the late lottery (he's No. 14 on our big board). Interestingly, there are some NBA executives who have freshman Javaris Crittenton ranked higher as a potential late lottery pick.

"'Law is ready to step in an play right now and Crittenton is another year or two away,' one NBA executive said. 'But Crittenton has the talent to be really special. He's got great size, is a better shooter and more of a team-first point guard. The draft still values upside so I'm not sure how you take Law over Crittenton.'...."

I pretty much agree. Crittenton just has too much physical talent to pass on, especially if you're BK and you've been searching for a big PG. Crittenton is a legit 6'5, he's athletic, he's been a PG his entire life, he's got the ballhandling skills and passing instincts, he can shoot, he's got heart. He just needs more experience...but I actually think he may be more effective in an NBA-type of game than he was in college. He and JJ would be great together in the backcourt.

Your 2007-2008 Atlanta Hawks:

PG: Javaris Crittenton

SG: Joe Johnson

SF: Marvin Williams

PF: Josh Smith

CR: Greg Oden

Bench: Various backup PG's, Childress, Shelden, Solo, Zaza

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i know it's one opinion but if Crit is indeed two years away will this squad still be intact? if you bring in somebody like Law who can give you 25 minutes a game as a rookie won't the team be in SO much better shape than bringing in another raw player that needs time to develop?

I haven't seen the analogy here yet but it's bound to surface. Law is the experienced, or seasoned player this year that is ready to step right in just as Shelden was last year. to compare the two though in an attempt to say we may be passing on the better talent for instant gratification is different between these two players though. Law has good size for a PG. also we're comparing him to other players at his position. in Shelden's case there were no other players at the same position to compare him to. Roy and Foye were his counter arguments but neither played Shelden's position.

i'm no expert but If Crit isn't ready to play for two years you have to take Law if he's available at that spot.

[DJlaysitup]

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...i know it's one opinion but if Crit is indeed two years away will this squad still be intact? if you bring in somebody like Law who can give you 25 minutes a game as a rookie won't the team be in SO much better shape than bringing in another raw player that needs time to develop?...

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I certainly see your point, but personally, I'd rather wait on the "something special" than take a guy who can immediately help to get us to 36-40 wins but not much further.

When you root for a team that has gambled and lost as much as this one has, you tend to get the mentality of "what the hell...all-in again".

[hawkman]

Good to see more GT fans speak up. It's easier to hear someone critique Crittenton's game when they actually saw him play. It's hard to truly understand this guy's game from just stats or Draftexpress.com's "stock down/neutral" rating on ONE game out of a 30ish game season. I've heard so much mis-information lately that it's starting to sound like the Paul/Deron debates all over again. Nothing but height(or the lack thereof) and turnover talk. Have we learned nothing? The guy's a 6'5" pass first PG who's also athletic and can score when needed to. As far as the turnovers are concerned, I heard the same thing about Jarret Jack. If he could correct that problem then I have no doubt that Critt can do the same. I just hope that we don't over-think this thing again. If the early draft predictions are indeed correct, Crittenton WILL be there at #11. Conley will most likely be gone by that time anyway. That leaves Crittenton and Law. You can guess what my decision would be.

[gsuteke]

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...i know it's one opinion but if Crit is indeed two years away will this squad still be intact? if you bring in somebody like Law who can give you 25 minutes a game as a rookie won't the team be in SO much better shape than bringing in another raw player that needs time to develop?...

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I certainly see your point, but personally, I'd rather wait on the "something special" than take a guy who can immediately help to get us to 36-40 wins but not much further.

When you root for a team that has gambled and lost as much as this one has, you tend to get the mentality of "what the hell...all-in again".

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and I see your point.

I think if Billy drafts a raw prospect (which i'm fine with if he's really got the skills to be special) he can't sit on his hands with respect to the PG situation as is.

if he drafts Law he'll have more flexibility.

[exodus]

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i'm no expert but If Crit isn't ready to play for two years you have to take Law if he's available at that spot.

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I like Law but your logic arguing for him is flawed. if they get Law, or get any veteran pg, how good will the Hawks be in the next two years? Will they be title contenders? No. it will be highly unlikely that they can get past the first round of the playoffs, if they make it at all. Smith and Marvin still have a ways to go to become poished players and the Hawks won't be contenders until those two are ready for prime time.

The argument of many here for Crit is that he is the most talented and gives the Hawks the best chance to be title contenders down the road. The Hawks aren't going to contend for a title in the next two years regardless of who they draft, unless they are able to land Oden. And even then they are unlikely to be title contenders in two years.