Hawks have hired Rick Sund as new general manager

[frosgrim]

Those are some terrible draft choices. Lets face it, under Sund, the Sonics were awful- there is really no other way to spin that.

ASG panicked and took the first guy who would say yes. We now see how much of a puppet this guy is. If Woody stays on, we know that Sund is just a mouth piece. If Sund is allowed to hire a coach then he is his own man.

That said, what coach in his right mind would come here? If the Hawks get a new HC its going to be a junior level coach looking to make a name for himself.

If by some miracle, the ASG is willing to poney up money for a HC, then my preference for a HC is still for Fratello. Actually that idea is more intense now than ever. Sund needs a strong willed HC who will fight for the types of players he (the coach) feels are necessary to build a championship team. That's right a CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM. None of this playoffs and then break our arms patting ourselves on our backs crap- its championship or nothing.

[NJHAWK]

It should be noted that with Petro and Sene that their ownership did not want to pay contrcats for picks at that time. They wanted to draft a guy who wouldnt come over and play right away. Still those are bad picks.

[AnakinJoe]

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It should be noted that with Petro and Sene that their ownership did not want to pay contrcats for picks at that time. They wanted to draft a guy who wouldnt come over and play right away. Still those are bad picks.

And I'm pretty sure that both guys did sign immediately and were on the team immediately following the draft. I don't think that either played overseas.

[mrhonline]

I'm happy that the Hawks brought in someone with some actual NBA experience for a change.

And I don't fault the drafting of project bigs. Seattle was tightening the purse strings with every year, so gambling on a big in the draft made sense. IOW, if you're going to gamble, gamble BIG. (Unlike Knight, who gambled with the most replaceable position in the NBA).

Swift was a solid pick, he's just been injured. Collison was a solid big.

Sene was a dumb pick, though.

[Tieria]

rick sund? are we serious? we couldnt do better than that?

[JackB1]

As long as Sund doesn't re-sign Woody, I'll be happy with the pick.

[AHF]

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His top draft picks from his 6 previous drafts with Seattle.

6-10 Vladimir Radmanovich

6-11 Peter Fehse

6-9 Nick Collison

7-0 Robert Swift

7-0 Johan Petro

7-0 Saer Sene (at 10th overall!)

Anyone noticing a trend? He was determined to find himself some frontcourt solutions. No matter the cost.

That is 10 times worse than BK's draft record.

Well, BK was also picking in the top 5 every season. His only top ten selection was in 2006. But you're right, that is pretty bad. Aside from Peter Fehse, who was a second rounder, those are all between 10-15.

That is a brutal draft record. Like Jack, I will be much more willing to give Sund the benefit of the doubt if he is free to hire his own coach. If we are bringing in this kind of draft acumen and forcing him to accept Mike Woodson as coach, that doesn't instill a lot of confidence in me that he will move the ball forward.

[Diesel]

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As long as Sund doesn't re-sign Woody, I'll be happy with the pick.

You shouldn't get your hopes up. I think Woody comes with the job and it's not that bad of a deal if you consider continuity. We just need a strong top assistant.

[exodus]

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His top draft picks from his 6 previous drafts with Seattle.

6-10 Vladimir Radmanovich

6-11 Peter Fehse

6-9 Nick Collison

7-0 Robert Swift

7-0 Johan Petro

7-0 Saer Sene (at 10th overall!)

Anyone noticing a trend? He was determined to find himself some frontcourt solutions. No matter the cost.

That is 10 times worse than BK's draft record. However before you JUMP on him for picking those foreign bigs you must remember that heir ownership wanted guys picked who werent going to cost them money right away. They wanted guys they would hold the rights to for a year or so before paying them money was necesary.

Please. Collison put up numbers almost identical to Horford this year. Radmanovich is a key contributor on a title contender. Swift has just had injury problems. Petro was picked in the 20s. Sene was a known high risk project when he was picked.

It isn't like he was using top 6 picks on role players.

[AHF]

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His top draft picks from his 6 previous drafts with Seattle.

6-10 Vladimir Radmanovich

6-11 Peter Fehse

6-9 Nick Collison

7-0 Robert Swift

7-0 Johan Petro

7-0 Saer Sene (at 10th overall!)

Anyone noticing a trend? He was determined to find himself some frontcourt solutions. No matter the cost.

That is 10 times worse than BK's draft record. However before you JUMP on him for picking those foreign bigs you must remember that heir ownership wanted guys picked who werent going to cost them money right away. They wanted guys they would hold the rights to for a year or so before paying them money was necesary.

Please. Collison put up numbers almost identical to Horford this year. Radmanovich is a key contributor on a title contender. Swift has just had injury problems. Petro was picked in the 20s. Sene was a known high risk project when he was picked.

It isn't like he was using top 6 picks on role players.

It isn't the end of the world, but with 6 first round picks and 4 lottery picks (late) you are debating between Collison and Radmanovich for the best player he has ever drafted. That isn't all that encouraging.

[exodus]

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His top draft picks from his 6 previous drafts with Seattle.

6-10 Vladimir Radmanovich

6-11 Peter Fehse

6-9 Nick Collison

7-0 Robert Swift

7-0 Johan Petro

7-0 Saer Sene (at 10th overall!)

Anyone noticing a trend? He was determined to find himself some frontcourt solutions. No matter the cost.

That is 10 times worse than BK's draft record. However before you JUMP on him for picking those foreign bigs you must remember that heir ownership wanted guys picked who werent going to cost them money right away. They wanted guys they would hold the rights to for a year or so before paying them money was necesary.

Please. Collison put up numbers almost identical to Horford this year. Radmanovich is a key contributor on a title contender. Swift has just had injury problems. Petro was picked in the 20s. Sene was a known high risk project when he was picked.

It isn't like he was using top 6 picks on role players.

It isn't the end of the world, but with 6 first round picks and 4 lottery picks (late) you are debating between Collison and Radmanovich for the best player he has ever drafted. That isn't all that encouraging.

I haven't even looked at where they were picked or who was available. I don't know much about Sund other than recognizing his name.

But i don't think he has had a lot of high picks. I certainly don't remember him being a national laughingstock like BK.

[NJHAWK]

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His top draft picks from his 6 previous drafts with Seattle.

6-10 Vladimir Radmanovich

6-11 Peter Fehse

6-9 Nick Collison

7-0 Robert Swift

7-0 Johan Petro

7-0 Saer Sene (at 10th overall!)

Anyone noticing a trend? He was determined to find himself some frontcourt solutions. No matter the cost.

That is 10 times worse than BK's draft record. However before you JUMP on him for picking those foreign bigs you must remember that heir ownership wanted guys picked who werent going to cost them money right away. They wanted guys they would hold the rights to for a year or so before paying them money was necesary.

Please. Collison put up numbers almost identical to Horford this year. Radmanovich is a key contributor on a title contender. Swift has just had injury problems. Petro was picked in the 20s. Sene was a known high risk project when he was picked.

It isn't like he was using top 6 picks on role players. You have to be a blind Bk hater to think that Sunds picks were not horrible. Diaw and Smoove were not top 6 picks and Smoove is better than any 2 players on that list put together. I would hope Collison could put up Horford #'s since Horford is a rookie and Collison has been in the league awile. Shelhead was BK's only bust. That list there is full of bust. You could argue that Diaw is as good as any player on that list.

[exodus]

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rick sund? are we serious? we couldnt do better than that?

Probably not since we were getting turned down everyone and their brother.

[coachx]

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Those are some terrible draft choices. Lets face it, under Sund, the Sonics were awful- there is really no other way to spin that.

I thought Collison at #12 and Ridnour at 14 are pretty solid pics.

Then the team needed a center desperately. He rolled the dice on mid to late round center prospects 3 years in a row. I can understand that when that is the main team need. Better then drafting 4 wings in 3 consecutive years when you have at 2 holes at PG & C .

Don't forget in 2004-2005 they won 52 games and were Pacific Division Champions thanks to Nate McMillian's coaching, one good year of Ridnour, and the Ray Allen trade. So saying they were just plain awful is definatly not totally accurate.

Then McMilliam left for more money and the team crumbled. That was not Rick Sund's fault that ownership would not pay to keep him and gave him only pennies to find a replacement coach with. Rick Sund, like BK, worked with what ownersip gave him. He understands this is a business and not some dream world. That may make him one of the only people with GM expierence who can work with the ASG.

[exodus]

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You have to be a blind Bk hater to think that Sunds picks were not horrible.

I haven't looked at Sund's record that closely. Why don't you point out the All-Stars or near All-Stars he passed on that were considered logical picks at the time?

[diamond_dave]

I wonder how good this guy is with the media. BK was awful. I wonder if his media presence played a part of the hiring as well.

[NJHAWK]

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You have to be a blind Bk hater to think that Sunds picks were not horrible.

I haven't looked at Sund's record that closely. Why don't you point out the All-Stars or near All-Stars he passed on that were considered logical picks at the time? I am going off the top of my head so this may be wrong. I swear however within 3 or 4 picks after Swift went both Al Jefferson and Josh Smith. I think in 2004 David West went about 4 picks after Collison.

[exodus]

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You have to be a blind Bk hater to think that Sunds picks were not horrible.

I haven't looked at Sund's record that closely. Why don't you point out the All-Stars or near All-Stars he passed on that were considered logical picks at the time? I am going off the top of my head so this may be wrong. I swear however within 3 or 4 picks after Swift went both Al Jefferson and Josh Smith.

He won't have to make calls on high school kids any more. I think he took Swift at 11 that year.

[Admin]

Twice he has made solid 2nd round picks (Bobby Simmons and Willie Green) only to immediately trade them for players that never did anything (DRobs and Paccelis Morlende).

2006:

Saer Sene (10th overall pick)

Denham Brown (40th overall pick)

Yotam Halperin (53rd overall pick)

Next 5 picks: JJ Reddick, Hilton Armstrong, Thabo Sefolosha, Ronnie Brewer, Cedric Simmons

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2005:

Johan Petro (25th overall pick)

Mickael Gelabale (48th overall pick)

Lawrence Roberts (55th overall pick)

Next 5 picks: Jason Maxiell, Linas Kleiza, Ian Mahinmi, Wayne Simien, David Lee

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2004:

Robert Swift (12th overall pick)

Andre Emmett (35th overall pick)

David Young (41st overall pick)

Next 5 picks: Sebastian Telfair, Kris Humphries, Al Jefferson, Kirk Snyder, Josh Smith

Note - Traded the draft rights to guard Andre Emmett to the Memphis Grizzlies for a future second-round pick and cash considerations.

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2003:

Nick Collison (12th overall pick)

Luke Ridnour (14th overall pick)

Willie Green (41st overall pick)

Next 5 picks: Marcus Banks, Reece Gaines, Troy Bell, Zarko Cabarkapa, David West

Note - Traded the draft rights to guard Willie Green to the Philadelphia 76ers for the draft rights to guard Paccelis Morlende

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2002:

Peter Fehse (49th overall pick)

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2001:

Vladimir Radmanovic (12th overall pick)

Earl Watson (40th overall pick)

Bobby Simmons (42nd overall pick)

Next 5 picks: Richard Jefferson, Troy Murphy, Steven Hunter, Kirk Haston, Michael Bradley

Note - Traded the draft rights to forward Bobby Simmons to the Washington Wizards for the draft rights to center Predrag Drobnjak

[sturt]

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I wonder how good this guy is with the media. BK was awful. I wonder if his media presence played a part of the hiring as well.

God help us if that had the smallest damned thing to do with the hire.

Just give me a GM who has a plan to just win... baby...

Couldn't care less whether he gives AJC writers warm-and-fuzzy feelings.