Hoford & Conley ay #3 / no one else to consider ?

[coachx]

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but there are many examples of successful Horford-sized athletes that play center in the NBA.

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Such as?

Amare has a standing reach of 9'1" and plays on a fast break team and has a higher vert. Ben Wallace bench presses 400 pounds. Horford isn't comparable to either.

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If you can bench press 185 lbs 25 X, bench pressing 400 LB would not be a reach.

I can bench 185 probably 15 times and bench 315 no problem. (My workout is a Pyramid where I start at 185 10X, then 225 8X, then 285 6X, then 315 2 to 3X depending on if my girfriend or guy is spotting me).

The guy will have a strength advantage alsost every night. From my expierence in the weight room 225llbs 25X equates to very close to 400 lbs.

He is only 21 he will be benching 400 lbs in no time if he wants too. The guy is naturally strong.

Amre has a 2'' reach on Hoford. I bet Amare's vertical is no more then 36'' since his micro fracture and he is still freakish. Hoford had a 35.5'', that is pretty impressive for being 6'10''.

Hoford would be better then ZaZa or anyone else on our roster at center....meaning he fills a major need.

[exodus]

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If you can bench press 185 lbs 25 X bech pressing 400 LB would not be a reach

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First of all Horford did it 20 times.

And secondly i could probably do close to 20 myself. I work out with 205 and can do it 10 times, and that is after doing several other excersizes first. However even when i was younger i couldn't get close to benching 300. The best i ever did was 270.

[coachx]

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Then it took Okur all of 2 minutes to get in and stay in foul trouble b/c every time I looked it was Boozer on Duncan.

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Then you didn't watch any of the games.

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I watched the 2nd half of every game. I had to watch shows with my girlfriend up to 10:00.

Just stating what I saw. Duncan guarded Boozer and Boozer guarded Duncan in the 2nd halfs and in crunch time.

I saw Okur matched up with Elson and the other Euro stiff who never seemed to miss a shot vs. Okur. Even Van Gundy commented on it.

Maybe you fell a sleep by half time and didn't see the 2nd halfs.

I did miss the 1st halfs but saw all the second halfs and crunch time... when it matters the most.

[oiatlhawksfan]

wasn't you the one defending Horford yesterday, now your bashing him. Maybe it wasn't, i get all you conleyheads mix up.

Anyways 20 is alot for a person with arms as long as his, I bet if your arms were as long as his, you couldn't even do 5.

[exodus]

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wasn't you the one defending Horford yesterday, now your bashing him.

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I would take him over Wright and Yi for sure. But not over Conley.

And keep in mind that it was late yesterday that the combine numbers came out. I guess you forgot already.

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Anyways 20 is alot for a person with arms as long as his

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And it is 5 less than Shelden.

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I bet if your arms were as long as his, you couldn't even do 5.

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Not relevant but being that you missed the point as usual i should probably explain.

He was saying that a person who can bench 185 so many times could probably bench 400. I used my personal experience to show otherwise. Of course there is no way for you to understand that analogy but i am sure he understood.

[KB21]

I can see an argument made for Brandan Wright as a long term project, but I do agree that Horford and Conley make the most sense for the Hawks. I'd lean towards Horford, but I can understand the reason the team would want a guy like Conley.

[KB21]

Oh. Let's just trade the 11th pick for a real center that it at least 7'0", 280 lbs. Hmmm. Now, who is going to trade a legitimate traditional sized center for the 11th pick?

Considering that there aren't that many legitimate traditional sized centers in the NBA that are functional players, I don't see the value of trading the 11th pick for a center.

The 11th pick for Brendan Haywood would be a terrible trade on Atlanta's part. The same goes for Johan Petro or any of the mediocre Seattle big men.

Plus, I don't know where this idea that Al Horford struggled at guarding centers in college came from. Al Horford was a great defensive player that guarded every center Florida faced this year.

Some of you still haven't figured out that the center position is changing in the NBA due to the lack of functional big men that are out there.

[exodus]

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Some of you still haven't figured out that the center position is changing in the NBA due to the lack of functional big men that are out there.

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Apparently you haven't figured out that a slow paced team with an undersized frontcourt is a recipe for disaster.

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Oh. Let's just trade the 11th pick for a real center that it at least 7'0", 280 lbs. Hmmm. Now, who is going to trade a legitimate traditional sized center for the 11th pick?

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Where did i say that the 11th pick was the only thing we would be trading? I have said several times that it will probably be part of a package to get a center.

The only ways to get a center is to trade for one or draft Hawes. There are no other ways and the Hawks aren't going to win squat with a Zaza/Blo combo at center.

Horford has the same reach as Josh Smith without the crazy hops. No way he can play center.

[BusBoyIsBack]

How can someone say we can't consider Noah after today?

I mean you people talk about how he isn't made for the NBA but he proved to you (absolutely not surprising to me) that he's a very good athlete.

Sure he needs 20 pounds but we have the time. Not like we're going to win a NBA title next year.

[exodus]

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How can someone say we can't consider Noah after today?

I mean you people talk about how he isn't made for the NBA but he proved to you (absolutely not surprising to me) that he's a very good athlete.

Sure he needs 20 pounds but we have the time. Not like we're going to win a NBA title next year.

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Solomon's standing reach is 2.5" higher than Noah. Solomon is bigger, faster and jumps higher than Noah. And he is a better shooter.

Why draft a guy in the lottery who doesn't measure up to last years second pick?

[BusBoyIsBack]

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Solomon's standing reach is 2.5" higher than Noah. Solomon is bigger, faster and jumps higher than Noah. And he is a better shooter.

Why draft a guy in the lottery who doesn't measure up to last years second pick?

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Solomon Jones

6'9.75 Shade under 6'10

Joakim Noah

7 FEET

Solomon Jones

2nd round draft pick in last year's draft. Although possibly first round pick if he went to real school

Joakim Noah

Possible 1ST PICK OVERALL

One played great for South Florida. The other was the leader of a TWO-TIME National Championship winning team.

Those of you who think Solomon Jones is better than prospects in what may be the strongest draft ever are nuts.

[Packfill]

This isn't even close to being the strongest draft ever.

[BusBoyIsBack]

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This isn't even close to being the strongest draft ever.

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This is easily one of the strongest lotteries of all time thanks to the carry over from the age limit and thanks to the players staying in school at UF

[oiatlhawksfan]

You really need to stop thinking Solomon's the next big thing or something, cause he isn't. I can see him being solid, but Wright, Horford, Noah will all be way better than him.

[Packfill]

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This isn't even close to being the strongest draft ever.

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This is easily one of the strongest lotteries of all time thanks to the carry over from the age limit and thanks to the players staying in school at UF

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These guys are going to have to be VERY good to beat out the 2003 draft with LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Kurt Hinrich, TJ Ford, Josh Howard, Leandro Barbosa, David West, Chris Kamen, Darko Milicic, Zaza Pachulia, Mo Williams, Boris Diaw, Michael Pietrus, etc.

[exodus]

Standing reach

Solomon 9'1"

Noah 8'10.5"

Vertical

Solomon 39"

Noah 37.5"

Lane agility

Solomon 11.27

Noah 11.79

Sprint

Solomon 3.3

Noah 3.47

Solomon's test scores can be verified here

http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1352

His measurements can be verified here

http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1348

So don't try to tell me how well Noah tested at the combine when our second round pick dogs him.

[Seano]

To me, those (Horford/Conley) would probably seem to be the most logical choices at #3, unless of course we trade that pick for players currently in the NBA, or trade down with it.

[BossTweed]

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So don't try to tell me how well Noah tested at the combine when our second round pick dogs him.

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Just because you are a second round pick doesn't mean you didn't measure very well. Where is this Jason Smith gonna get drafted? Does his better numbers make him better than Noah???

I don't see why their measurables are being compared. We all know Solomon is tall, can jump is quick and all that. Does he have a good basketball IQ? Can he handle the ball like Noah? Can he play defense like Noah? Can he pass like Noah?

Are you saying that since Solomon can't play center, and Noah measures out "less" than him, Noah can't play center either? Because like we were saying with mr Yi, there is a lot more to playing center than being 7 feet tall. And Noah has a lot more of that other stuff than Solomon Jones does at this point, and I don't know how you can deny it.

[oiatlhawksfan]

Don't argue with him, he thinks Solomon's the next Shawn Kemp and if he was in the draft he'd be the 3rd best player LOL!

[exodus]

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I don't see why their measurables are being compared.

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Here is why. This was the comment i was responding to.

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How can someone say we can't consider Noah after today?

I mean you people talk about how he isn't made for the NBA but he proved to you (absolutely not surprising to me) that he's a very good athlete.

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The fact is that we have a similar player who is longer and a better athlete. So what is the point in drafting Noah?

As to your other points

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Can he play defense like Noah?

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Easily. I would say he is better because he is much faster, longer and jumps better. They both are going to get pushed around until they put some weight on.

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Can he handle the ball like Noah? Can he pass like Noah?

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Probably not, but Noah isn't a pg. it isn't like he would be asked to be a playmaker.

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Are you saying that since Solomon can't play center, and Noah measures out "less" than him, Noah can't play center either?

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Exactly. Solomon may, in time, be able to play backup minutes at center effectively in small lineup. However i think he is better suited to the 4. Ditto Noah.

Neither is as good at the 4 as Smith.

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And Noah has a lot more of that other stuff than Solomon Jones does at this point, and I don't know how you can deny it.

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Like what? he doesn't rebound that well (8 per game) and he isn't even remotely the shotblocker Solomon is. I saw Solomon get 5 blocks in 18 minutes not once but twice. Very rarely do you see a player pull that off in the NBA.

His problem is that he is so thin he gets pushed around easily a then picks up fouls. Noah will have the same problem.

Noah has a horrible jumper and shoots 12% worse than Solomon from the line.

It is nice that Noah can handle and pass but that isn't enough to justify a lottery pick when you have a guy on the roster that is better at everything else.