Does Losing 1 Player...

[AnakinJoe]

mean that we are rebuilding? And is a team that has crossed the 35-win threshold once in the last 4-5 years built?

[Chris18]

If it was a player like Zaza or even Bibby no but if you lose a young star then you are taking two steps backwards.

[Plainview1981]

I don't think the Hawks can win at this point. If they give Josh the money they will probably have to give... It will cripple them from doing anything in the future of moves. If they don't give him the money, then the last 4 years have been totally pointless unless they S&T.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Yep . . .cause there's no possible way someone else will step their game up, fill the void left by the departing player, and possibly . . . maybe . . . make the team even better than it was.

No way Horford, with an increased number of shots, steps up offensively, and averages 17 ppg, 11 boards and shoots 52% FG playing PF.

No way Marvin, with an increased number of shots ( 14 or 15 shots a game ), steps up and averages 19 ppg, 7 rebs and shoots 47% FG, because he's being asked to do more. He sucks anyway.

No way Law, with increased playing time, steps up and gives us 10 ppg and 5 assists on 44% FG

No way Solo, as the backup PF playing 20 minutes a game, could give us 5 rebs a game along with 1.3 blks, while being the "hustle guy" on the frontline.

It never happens in the NBA. Players never seize the opportunity to knock the door down when it presents itself.

[DrReality]

We, the fans, have been through so much bullshit with this franchise that there is no room for compromise. If they screw this up it will be a blow that will not be easy to overcome.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

I agree.

And that's why I still say that if they decide to retain both Smith and Childress, that they'll go little over the luxury tax this year to do it. They had to know that adding Bibby would put them up against the wall a little. So if they think those 2 are that important, they'll pay the money without even blinking.

But if they do decide to let Smith and/or Chill walk, we fortunately have other guys who can step up and elevate their games.

[crimedog]

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mean that we are rebuilding? And is a team that has crossed the 35-win threshold once in the last 4-5 years built?

It wouldn't be rebuilding because letting him walk would give us no real recourse to get better. We'd be losing one of our two best players and the foundation of our D and not replacing him with anything. In fact, thats the opposite of building, it is pure decay.

The whole point of the BK era (not that I'm a BK fan in the least) was to build a talent base through the draft. If we let the most talented (as of now, Horford has some potential as well) player that we drafted walk for nothing, the rebuilding period was essentially a waste.

While I know you are intentionally ignoring context when you ask whether a 37 win team is "built", I'd go so far as to say that it doesn't really matter. The point of not resigning Smith from an ownership perspective is because a) they'd lose too much money personally or b) the team would be better off without him in the long run. From a fan perspective though, (a) doesn't matter. So the question is, "In what way would we better off in the long run without Smith if the alternative is signing him to a massive contract?"

Unless you think that we will be able to attract a premier FA in the next few years, there is no real upside. No great player is going to want to come to a team that has shown an unwillingness to pay for wins. Make no mistake either, Smith and Joe were the only two players that significantly impacted our team's performance in terms of on/off court performance. Losing Smith and not replacing him seriously hurts this team's prospects for wining. The team losing means there will be fewer fans, fewer fans again further hurts the team's prospects for luring a free agent.

So you tell me the upside from our perspective for letting Smith walk. Obviously, if ownership doesn't want to pay for the kid, that is their choice and its their money but the city of Atlanta has proven to be more market driven than most when it comes to our sports teams. If you are putting a shitty product out there, most of us ain't buying it (and I, like most of you, have stuck with this team through some pretty rough times but I might have to take a hiatus if Smith walks for nothing, I watched too many years of losing basketball that was also unexciting).

[Diesel]

ASG has to put their money where their mouths were.

When they started this rebuild and they destructed the Hawks... they looked at Chillz and Smith and said.. This is the future of Hawks basketball.

This free agency, they will have to prove it.

[Zone034life]

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I agree.

And that's why I still say that if they decide to retain both Smith and Childress, that they'll go little over the luxury tax this year to do it. They had to know that adding Bibby would put them up against the wall a little. So if they think those 2 are that important, they'll pay the money without even blinking.

But if they do decide to let Smith and/or Chill walk, we fortunately have other guys who can step up and elevate their games.

If ASG can't go over the luxury tax one season then they should let Belkin take over. I hate to say that but if Bibby(unrestricted),ZaZa(unrestricted), Solo(unrestricted) and Marvin(possible sign n trade) will come off the books next season then all this talk about the cap is worthless at this point.

ASG can either make me a believer or show me they aren't serious about winning.

[mrhonline]

[quoteIf ASG can't go over the luxury tax one season

Do you realize that less than a quarter of the teams in the NBA went over the tax last season? I don't think you can hold that against the A/S.

[DJlaysitup]

I wouldn't really mind it if we lose JChillz. It could force a couple issues that we otherwise wouldn't face as quickly.

1. JChillz can't get his shot off on his own. His high percentage is due to either his moving without the ball, getting stickbacks, of getting the occasional WIDE open 3. If he goes to a team like Philly with a distributor/quality PG and blows up - so be it - and if not - so be it. Either result will give us information.

2. Marvin doesn't do the "non-shooting" things as well as JChillz - to the point that I thought we should have been starting JChillz at 3 last half of last season sometimes. Maybe losing JChillz will be a "Sh_t or get off the pot" moment for Marvin. Either he amps it up or we move his butt.

Otherwise....I would LOVE to see us somehow get Damien Wilkens here. (espaecially since Indy already got JJack).