Sekou on Smith for Gasol rumors

[Diesel]

Northcyde... Don't tell them that?? Why bring in exactly how good Gasol is!!! They want to continue to talk about Smoove and treat Gasol like he does nothing...

I don't know if anybody is pushing for the trade. The question was is it acceptable to talk about or is it like Sekou said Boneheaded?

Well, I say it's definitely worth discussion if it comes up but I would much rather see us trade Marvin for Gasol and have both Smith and Gasol!!

But they treat Gasol's play as if it shouldn't be in the conversation. Over his last 10 games... Gasol = 23 pts, 9.5 rebs, 2.5 assist on > 50% from the field.

But of course, that's to be ignored because 7 years down the road, who knows what Gasol will be?

[exodus]

Over his last 10 games Smith is averaging 21 shooting 52%.

[TroyMcClure]

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We'd be weaker defensively, but better offensively.

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I don't know about that. Smoove has grown quite a bit on offense. He has an ability to make things happen with his athleticism. Offensively and defensivily. Gasol can barely move his feet. Especially on defense. He's a stiff. He's one of the worst defenders I've seen. I've honestly never seen him make a play using his feet. He's waaaaay too slow. If you are going to be slow, I want toughness. Which, by the way, I don't think Gasol has. We need a center. Gasol is a PF. I think this trade would hurt us long term. Gasol is looking more and more like a Reef type. I would look for his production to go down and trail off in the coming years. Remember Tom Gugliotta? He was an All-Star, a feared post option. All of a sudden, he was done.

I don't think Gasol is a christmas present we'd want to play with a year from now.

[Diesel]

I hope Smoove continues to develop... especially his hook shot and his drive. However, Gasol is already grown in the low post. He already knows what to do and does it. Not to say that we should trade Smoove... But there's a lot of people who discount actual ability and raise up potential as if Potential is automatically better.

Potential still means could Be.

No guarantees.

[vdunkndunk]

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35 pts on 15/25, we definitely need to trade him.

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On the same night, Gasol had 43 points on 17/25 shooting - in regulation - so maybe you're right: Smoove needs to go.

[Atlantaholic]

What the heck are you talking about Diesel?

Smoove is scoring at will the last 10 games and has taken several games over on Defense ... what does that have to do with potential??? Gasol and Smooves scoring numbers are virtually identical RIGHT NOW, and Smooves defense is on another stratosphere RIGHT NOW. Smoove is 5 years younger RIGHT NOW, and will command at worst the same type of contract that Gasol is getting RIGHT NOW... The only few people in the world who could look at Smoove for Gasol trade as a good move for us post on this forum.

[exodus]

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35 pts on 15/25, we definitely need to trade him.

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On the same night, Gasol had 43 points on 17/25 shooting - in regulation - so maybe you're right: Smoove needs to go.

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Does this quote look familiar?

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Smoove still can't dribble, demand a double team, or even finish around the rim as well as he should unless he's dunking the ball.

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So how is he averaging 25.6 ppg shooting 56% over his last 5 games?

[DJlaysitup]

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So how is he averaging 25.6 ppg shooting 56% over his last 5 games?

This is just a guess ex...but I think he has figured something out - meaning that he doesn't have to hit EVERY layup/inside shot to be more effective percentage-wise...plus he's improved on non-dunk finishes. In the past he would seem to be "madder than hell" when he missed a close-in finish and would immediately blast back down the court to block any shot and make up for it. Lately he has seemed more under control in the paint (by no means fully in control - but better). Maybe that summer work he did is beginning to pay off. Now he just needs to hit the FTs every night.

Funny though, when JS gets the ball on a desperation pass at the end of the shot clock he very seldom hits the long jumper, sometimes it's even an airball. OTOH, when he's set up like he was last night by JJ in crunch time he often drains it. The kid has no fear of taking a shot - no matter the circumstances. I like that.

P.S. - by "figuring something out" I would liken it to my son's baseball batting approach. I told him for years to stay balanced and swing through the ball instead of trying to pull every pitch to left field. Finally (when his average was in the toilet), he tried it and it worked. Of course he took full credit and I just kept my mouth shut.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

The other wild card that people forget in the Smoove vs Gasol discussion, is how much more effective will Horford be at the 4, if Gasol came here to play the 5? Would Horford be a much more efficient scorer with Gasol at the 5?

Individually, Smoove may develop into the better player, but Gasol may balance the team out better because Gasol can actually play like a center on the blocks. He can play both the high and low post, take people off the dribble, and pass effectively out of double teams.

And that's the one element that Smoove has yet to face as a player . . being constantly doubled. Gasol constantly beat double teams last night.

Smoove is playing GREAT right now, even though this team can't seem to pull out these close games lately. The next level for him as an offensive player, is to be able to shoulder the scoring burden, without JJ in the game, to give JJ an extended rest. But all Hawks fans should like what they see out of Smoove these days. He's a totaly different player than he was in November.

[DrReality]

so will I get mugged for for this one????

JJ for Gasol?

[DJlaysitup]

I think it's becoming fairly obvious that we should put everybody on an airplane to Memphis (and tell JJ/JS/Horford to miss that boarding time)...then tell the Grizz to keep who they want and send the rest back...along with Gasol.

[Diesel]

Smoove is not a true low post player... And worse.. Smoove has never faced a constant Double team.

Smoove may have the "potential" to be a better low post player, but potential is still could be. Here's the deal... When teams start to play defense against you (particularly you)... What is you goto move? That is the question that Smoove will have to face in his career. Right now, JJ takes a lot of the defensive pressure. In fact, a lot of times, Smoove is left wide open because teams know that he might settle for the wide open shot (that he shooting 25%)... However, that's not a question for Gasol. He has faced the double in the post and in doing he led his team to the playoffs.

Against. I would MUCH rather not trade Smoove. However, it's not Boneheaded science to consider the proposal.

[vdunkndunk]

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35 pts on 15/25, we definitely need to trade him.

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On the same night, Gasol had 43 points on 17/25 shooting - in regulation - so maybe you're right: Smoove needs to go.

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Does this quote look familiar?

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Smoove still can't dribble, demand a double team, or even finish around the rim as well as he should unless he's dunking the ball.

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So how is he averaging 25.6 ppg shooting 56% over his last 5 games?

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I'll admit that I haven't watched a Hawks game in the last two weeks, and I'll admit that 25 ppg on .500 shooting is very impressive. If Smoove could keep that up he might start to change my mind about what kind of contract he deserves. Of course, the Hawks haven't been winning a lot of games during Smoove's hot stretch for whatever reason (I suspect it's because teams would rather hound Joe and let Smoove or Marvin beat them), but those are definitely nice numbers one way or the other.

The thing is, we've all seen Smoove have some incredible hot stretches from time to time, just to watch him come crashing back to earth with equally incredible cold stretches. I was watching the Hawks religiously until about two weeks ago and at that point I was still fairly frustrated with the fact that Smoove sometimes looks like he's dribbling a football out there, that he misses at least one or two layups every night that he really shouldn't miss, that he takes one or two jumpshots every night that he really shouldn't take, and that he throws one or two bad passes every night that he really shouldn't throw.

If he's found a way to get those gimme shots to go down consistenly, to keep the ball moving instead of jacking up ill-advised jumpshots, to stop tricky-dribbling on fast breaks when we all know he's about to turn it over, and to play with a little more patience and not force some of those passes, I could see him becoming a much better scorer. But I'll need to see him do it (or at least hear about him doing it) for more than 5 games before I'm convinced that he's arrived as a nightly high-percentage 20+ ppg scorer. I also still believe at this point that teams could stop him from being a major factor in the playoffs (if we ever make the playoffs), just by playing off of him, forcing him to take jumpshots, and forcing him to post up a little farther from the basket.

I love watching Smoove when he's on, I hope he succeeds, and I could easily imagine scenarios where he would make me look stupid for wanting to trade him. I don't think it's impossible for him to become an all-star - it may even be more likely than not that he'll become an all-star at some point in his career. But I'm also nervous that (1) he could be one of those amazing "talents" who never quite develops, or (2) he could end up being one of those guys who will always be slightly overrated based on his SportsCenter highlights, or (3) if he does develop, another team will give him a max offer this summer, and our struggling ownership will fail to match or will trade him at half-price. Since we also have good young players like Marvin, Joe, Chills, Horford, and Shelden who are capable of playing the 3 and 4 spots, it just seems like a good time to explore our options before the trade deadline and see if we can't get an established post-scorer or a good young PG like Calderon to help balance out this team.

Basically, this is what I think: Smoove is one of the most exciting players to watch in the league, but also one of the most frustrating. For that reason, it's hard to say exactly what kind of player he's going to become in the next three or four years and whether it would be a good idea to give him a big contract or trade him for someone else. I definitely DON'T want to give him away, and I'd be sorry to see him go if we traded him (since he's one of the main reasons I watched the Hawks the last couple of years), but at the same time I'm not one of those people who thinks trading him would be some kind of ridiculous mistake, especially if we could get someone who fits the puzzle a little better. Could that someone be Pau Gasol? I don't know, but to me it's definitely something you have to consider if it's available.