Traceman's notes - worthy of it's own thread

[Admin]

BK indicated that both Smoove and Chillz are restricted FAs and we plan on matching any offers for both.

He indicated that we would be spending more money next year and that we would likely approach but not exceed the luxury tax. He said that as GM, he did not believe you had to exceed the luxury tax to be good and that the only way he would ask an owner to exceed the luxury tax is if doing so would put the team in contention for a championship.

He said that the restrictions that the judge had imposed in the ongoing legal battle between the ASG and Belking have been lifted and that the restrictions DID limit their abilites to do some things but that is no longer the case. He said the legal wrangling is ongoing and that as things currently stand, Belkin is still one of the team's owners.

He indicated that we would PURSUE a trade this summer in an rffort to improve the team but that we would not realistically be in the hunt for the top FAs. He said he would only make a trade if it clearly made us better. He stated that he likes all of our young guys but that sometimes you have to trade good guys to get better (hmm...Marvin?, Chillz?, Smoove?).

He indicated that Horford is a PF but that he had to play Center for us as we are currently constructed. He said there were VERY few quality Centers out there and that while Al is a PF, he is better than a lot of Centers out there. He pointed out how a lot of teams are playing small ball now.

He said that Al was a good player now but that he was going to be great. He compared him to Karl Malone. He said that Al was the only rookie he has ever drafted (including his stints in Indy and MEM) who has never asked him for ANYTHING in his first season. He said that Al has GREAT character and that he is just an exceptional young man.

He indicated that if we were able to get a good Center, he could envision a scenario where Smoove moves to the 3 and Marvin goes to the bench. He thinks Marv and Chillz would be great off the bench.

He said that we need a vocal, veteran leader in the locker room. He said that JJ has become a little more vocal but that he is a quiet leader who leads by example. He said that JJ leads by being first on the practice court, first in the weight room, etc. He said that we need a veteran (not necessarily an old veteran but maybe someone with 5-6 years in the league) to come in and take on that role. A little funny story about JJ is that he apparently goes around the locker room with his shirt off teasing the younger guys by showing off his guns. I thought that was hilarious.

He said that David Andersen's game was more like Jason Collier's than that of a defensive stopper.

He said that he had talked to Dale Davis but it sounded like BK didn't think he would help us because he thinks teams would leave Dale open and double someone else with his man (I disagree but what can you say?).

He said he would like to see us play more uptempo but that he understands Woody's point that we can't play uptempo if we don't rebound and defend on the other end. He said that the NBA is a copy cat league and that GS, PHO and DEN are the only teams that are committed to playing uptempo at all costs.

He tiptoed carefully around all the criticism of Woody. He didn't throw Wody under the bus but he didn't really defend him either. He just kept saying "I see your point" when people made negative statements and he said that the coaching situation and his own situation would be addressed in the off season "one way or another."

He indicated that he would like to see JJ and Bibby play less but that he thinks Woody just gets caught up in trying to win the game and he decides to ride them too much. He said that you can ride a guy on occasion but that you have to be concerned about their AVERAGE mpg. He said that he is aware that JJ's mpg are among the league leaders and he thinks JJ gets tired late in games and he think it limits his effectiveness. He said the he and Woody have talked about it and that Woody agrees that JJ plays too many minutes. He said that Woody will say after a game that he knows that JJ played too many minutes in that game and then he will go back out and play him too many minutes the very next game.

He said that he would like to see Mario and Jeremy play more at SG. He said they are night and day as playes, one offensive and one defensive. He said that NOBODY likes being guarded by Mario and that he frustrates guys by "getting up in 'em." He said that any time a guy like Kobe, T Mac, Pierce, etc got hot on the perimeter, he would put Mario on them. He said that Jeremy can really shoot the ball and that he had scored 50+ in an NBDL game.

To add a little on the Speedy front, apparently he went in for the microfracure surgery but when the doctor cut him open, he determined that microfracture surgery would not help his condition. The doctor did cleaned out his knee while he was in surgery. Billy said that it appeared that Speedy would try to play again next season.

I'm sure I am forgetting something but that was pretty much it.

[mattlanta]

GREAT read.

[Admin]

Don't thank me, thank your recruiter ... err I mean thank Traceman, those are his words. I just didn't want the post to get lost in the thread it was buried in.

[exodus]

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A little funny story about JJ is that he apparently goes around the locker room with his shirt off teasing the younger guys by showing off his guns. I thought that was hilarious.

LOL

He has been posting up a lot this month and has been very effective. he is stronger than pretty much everyone he faces.

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He indicated that we would PURSUE a trade this summer

in an rffort to improve the team but that we would not realistically be in the hunt for the top FAs. He said he would only make a trade if it clearly made us better. He stated that he likes all of our young guys but that sometimes you have to trade good guys to get better (hmm...Marvin?, Chillz?, Smoove?).

He indicated that Horford is a PF

but that he had to play Center for us as we are currently constructed. He said there were VERY few quality Centers out there and that while Al is a PF, he is better than a lot of Centers out there. He pointed out how a lot of teams are playing small ball now.

He said that Al was a good player now but that he was going to be great.

He compared him to Karl Malone. He said that Al was the only rookie he has ever drafted (including his stints in Indy and MEM) who has never asked him for ANYTHING in his first season. He said that Al has GREAT character and that he is just an exceptional young man.

Reading between the lines here, if i had to bet who gets traded between Smith and Marvin i would say Smith. I am not saying that is what i would do or what he should do, i am just going by his comments.

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To add a little on the Speedy front, apparently he went in for the microfracure surgery but when the doctor cut him open, he determined that microfracture surgery would not help his condition. The doctor did cleaned out his knee while he was in surgery.

I wonder how "cleaning out the knee" would help his condition, whatever it is. Very strange.

Nice job Trace.

[Diesel]

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He said that we need a vocal, veteran leader in the locker room.

This is interesting.

I think if we trade we're trading for a big man to play 5. However, this piece said vocal veteran...

Who could that be.

I will tell you....

Antonio McDyess.

Marvin for AM and Detroit's first.

[Admin]

As much as I hate the thought of losing Smith trading him would be a lot better move than switching him to the 3, which is what was also mentioned in that post. I don't think that Smith is ready or will even be ready next year, to play the 3. At some point he will but I think he is a couple of years away from being able to do that without being a liability.

[GTfan44]

I am thinking more of Brad Miller or Ilgauskas maybe?

Moving Marvin to the bench is great because he won't be allowed to go to sleep anymore, like he currently does after he scores 10 in the first half.

I like what BK said about Mario too.

Let's get Larry Brown, Carlisle, Skiles, Fratello or Silas in here, and we'll be set. BK is doing a nice job.

[Admin]

You can't blame Marvin for having a good half and then not getting the playing time that he deserves in the 2nd half. That's the thing that will ultimately be Woody's downfall, is his misuse of players. Not his offensive or defensive system. Allowing any of our better players to either be on the court too much or not enough, that's the problem.

[GTfan44]

I have to disagree.

While Marvin should've been in the 4th qtr instead of JSmoove's disastrous showing, it's a common theme that Marvin will score 8 quick points in the 1st qtr, 5 or 6 in the 2nd, maybe 2 in the 3rd, and call it a night. He seems satisfied getting his season avg of 14 and then going to sleep. He is nowhere near as aggressive in the 2nd half as 1st. Maybe it's Woody's fault, but Marv definitely goes to sleep in the 2nd half a lot of the time, and bringing him off the bench with Childress would be great.

[Admin]

How can Marvin score if he is on the bench? That's exactly what happened against Chicago. He had an excellent first half and then got forgotten on the bench in the 2nd half.

[warcore]

Does anybody think it's possible for us to make a trade involving Smoove that would bring Andrew Bynum to Atlanta?

Bynum and Horford would be NASTY.

[GTfan44]

I said it's a common theme with him (that is, he does this in many other games). This happens with a lot of games I see.

Marvin gets 8 in the first, 4 or so in the 2nd, and goes to sleep. This is why he has only broken 20 points about 5 times this year (maybe 10, I dont know)

[GTfan44]

It will be impossible to get Bynum. I have to think the Lakers will be shopping Odom this summer, so we'll see. Bynum and Horford would be disgusting though

[BusBoyIsBack]

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He indicated that Horford is a PF

but that he had to play Center for us as we are currently constructed. He said there were VERY few quality Centers out there and that while Al is a PF, he is better than a lot of Centers out there. He pointed out how a lot of teams are playing small ball now.

This says it all. It's what I've been saying all alone.

Sure Horford isn't a traditional C but

A)There aren't many traditional Centers left in this league

B)He's a top 15 C as a rookie

Who are you going to get better than that? Despite being a rookie with room to grow physically and mentally, despite being a 4th option on a team that had no PG for most the season, Al is still close to average 10/10/1.

That's pretty dang good.

Finding someone more effective than that as young as he is? Yeah good luck with that!

Guys like those are UNTOUCHABLE

[Admin]

He didn't say he was going to look for someone better than Horford to play the 5. The thought is that as good as Horford has been at the 5, he could be an absolute beast at the 4. All you need is a guy who isn't a liability on offense at the 5 and that can rebound and play some defense as well.

[Traceman]

He did indicate at one point that he could see Marv coming off the bench so I wouldn't assume anything about who might be traded. If he can see Marv coming off the bench then he can obviously see Smoove at the 3. It might come down to who we can get in RETURN for either guy (or Chillz).

[DChawk]

I'm confused... how did he get access to BK. was this one of those meetings for season ticket holders?

[Atlantaholic]

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Quote:

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He indicated that Horford is a PF

but that he had to play Center for us as we are currently constructed. He said there were VERY few quality Centers out there and that while Al is a PF, he is better than a lot of Centers out there. He pointed out how a lot of teams are playing small ball now.

This says it all. It's what I've been saying all alone.

Sure Horford isn't a traditional C but

A)There aren't many traditional Centers left in this league

B)He's a top 15 C as a rookie

Who are you going to get better than that? Despite being a rookie with room to grow physically and mentally, despite being a 4th option on a team that had no PG for most the season, Al is still close to average 10/10/1.

That's pretty dang good.

Finding someone more effective than that as young as he is? Yeah good luck with that!

Guys like those are UNTOUCHABLE

Yeah, Horford is fine at Center... What we need is to get another competent back up C that can play 20-25 minutes a game and let Horford see MORE PF minutes... He should be getting at least 10 minutes at PF a game... Right now he is seeing NONE.

[Admin]

From the Town Hall meeting, which I guess is some sort of Q&A with BK, though I'm not certain.

[Traceman]

He talked about how you can find a guy who can score or you can find a guy who can defend but there are VERY few guys who can do both. Looking at BK's history, I think it is clear that if he can't have both, he leans to offensive guys like Collier, Zaza and David Andersen instead of guys like Pryzbilla. I'd prefer he lean the other way but oh well.