Rick Sund on 680 the Fan/Rude Awakening

[Diesel]

This free agency period scares me. We've got a team that needs to add pieces in order to contend, and yet we've got two key pieces who will be unrestricted free agents (Zaza and Bibby), and two more who are restricted free agents (Marvin and Flip). That's exactly half the players in our typical 8-man rotation that we have to make a decision about.

As if that wasn't dangerous enough, we've got to decide what to do with Josh Childress. We can either renounce his rights and lose his cap hold (gaining cap space but losing value), or trade his rights to try to get some value in return, or we can attempt to bring him back. Ideally, you'd like to bring him back because he adds a couple things to the roster we don't have and we DO need to add some pieces, but he's too expensive and would give us a big cap hit.

And to top it off, we need to keep in mind that Joe Johnson is a free agent in 2010, when every team in the league is going to have open cap space. We could potentially lose his services and then not have enough cap space in order to get another player in here anywhere near his value. Our ownership can't afford a bidding for Joe Johnson, they're already bleeding money this season.

I suspect that Chillz will be cheaper than Marvin. Maybe 2.5 mil per year cheaper. I also believe that losing talent may mean Marvin, Bibs, and Mo for the right guy.. because he said something about Depth and superstar. I can't help but think that he's talking about Shaq. IF you take a 1 year shot.. getting Shaq would be it. It leaves 20 million on the table to resign Joe. It puts fans in seats for every home game. It puts us on the map. It gives us the most dominant big to play since Kareem.

[coachx]

In terms of getting a superstar.. What does he mean? What superstars are going to be available:

Nash?

Kidd?

Artest?

Iverson?

Sheed?

I hope its none of those guys.

Bosh or Okefor would be nice though. I can't see LB and MJ giving up Okefor with a comparable big in return. LB values interior defense too much to part with Okefor.

Toronto has no choice but to trade Bosh before next year's deadline unless they want to lose him for nothing. He is one of the few guys I would trade some of our core players to get. A Smith / Bosh front line is way too small..........a Horford / Bosh frontline looks better to me. I'd trade them Smith and fillers for Bosh all day. Too bad Marvin and Chillz would want no part of a sign and trade to Toronto. Smith gives Toronto a marketable player to their fans. If your going to lose, at least look good losing.

[exodus]

Is Flip really a RFA after signing only a 1 year deal with us ? If he is restricted that is SWEET !

With JJ being up in 2010 and Horford is up in 2011. That makes the off season complicated to figure.

Flip definitely isn't restricted. Restricted free agency only applies to rookie contracts.

Not only is Flip not restricted but i don't think we have any Bird Rights on him since it was just a one year deal. In other words i think we need to use our cap space or MLE to resign him.

[Diesel]

I hope its none of those guys.

Bosh or Okefor would be nice though. I can't see LB and MJ giving up Okefor with a comparable big in return. LB values interior defense too much to part with Okefor.

Toronto has no choice but to trade Bosh before next year's deadline unless they want to lose him for nothing. He is one of the few guys I would trade some of our core players to get. A Smith / Bosh front line is way too small..........a Horford / Bosh frontline looks better to me. I'd trade them Smith and fillers for Bosh all day. Too bad Marvin and Chillz would want no part of a sign and trade to Toronto. Smith gives Toronto a marketable player to their fans. If your going to lose, at least look good losing.

I'm not a fan of the Smith for Bosh trade. I like Bosh, but defensively we lose a lot. Smith still has to get his head together, I just don't see trading Smoove for him. Maybe Marvin for Bosh. There again though, we'd have more of a logjam than a complete team.

[mrhonline]

Not only is Flip not restricted but i don't think we have any Bird Rights on him since it was just a one year deal. In other words i think we need to use our cap space or MLE to resign him.

You are 100% correct, which is why I think the Hawks will lean toward a big in the draft. They *must* re-sign Flip, which means there will be less $ available from the MLE to sign a big...

[Diesel]

You are 100% correct, which is why I think the Hawks will lean toward a big in the draft. They *must* re-sign Flip, which means there will be less $ available from the MLE to sign a big...

I don't think our window will support a big in the draft. Plus, Bigs from the draft are definitely the hardest to predict. Think of all the bigman bust that come out of the draft. It's smarter to get an Established big.

[khaos7]

I don't think our window will support a big in the draft. Plus, Bigs from the draft are definitely the hardest to predict. Think of all the bigman bust that come out of the draft. It's smarter to get an Established big.

Plus think of Sund's history of drafting Bigs (in his Seattle days). I don't know if I trust him drafting a big.

[bird_dirt]

Sund has been secretly working out Saer Sene getting him more conditioned for the NBA and will sign him here in the off season.

(JK)

Doesn't Shaq-fu still keep a home in ATL?

[DrReality]

Sund has been secretly working out Saer Sene getting him more conditioned for the NBA and will sign him here in the off season.

(JK)

Where did that come from? He's been a bust so far/

I appreciate his comments about Acie; ie don't know if he's a starter?

[Diesel]

Sund has been secretly working out Saer Sene getting him more conditioned for the NBA and will sign him here in the off season.

(JK)

Doesn't Shaq-fu still keep a home in ATL?

I don't know if Shaq-fu has an Atlanta hangout.. but he'd be a living breathing commercial for the city. Phoenix could use the youth explosion and capspace. SNT Marvin, Mo, Acie, Capspace for Shaq. Then see if we can resign Bibs on the cheap, Flip, Zaza,... and maybe even Chillz. Draft Collison.

Lineem up: Bibs, Joe, Smoove, Horf, Shaq

Then: Collison, Flip, Chillz, Zaza.

[buckeye242424]

I don't know if Shaq-fu has an Atlanta hangout.. but he'd be a living breathing commercial for the city. Phoenix could use the youth explosion and capspace. SNT Marvin, Mo, Acie, Capspace for Shaq. Then see if we can resign Bibs on the cheap, Flip, Zaza,... and maybe even Chillz. Draft Collison.

Lineem up: Bibs, Joe, Smoove, Horf, Shaq

Then: Collison, Flip, Chillz, Zaza.

Goodness! With that line-up...who needs Marvin's defense???

[mrhonline]

It's smarter to get an Established big.

How do you propose to get one?

[jerrywest]

Sund's interview is up courtesy of 680

Thanks for the link.

Its obvious that Sund has high hopes for Acie. He said Acie is already a bonafide backup PG in this league and the best on the ball PG defender of the Hawks. We don't if he is a bonafide starting PG yet. Sund seems to have the patience to wait. He brought up Davin Harris as an example to show that we can't discount Acie yet. Sund won't liquidate Acie.

Sund will go for that superstar whenever he gets that opportunity. Phew.

[buckeye242424]

Thanks for the link.

Its obvious that Sund has high hopes for Acie. He said Acie is already a bonafide backup PG in this league and the best on the ball PG defender of the Hawks. We don't if he is a bonafide starting PG yet. Sund seems to have the patience to wait. He brought up Davin Harris as an example to show that we can't discount Acie yet. Sund won't liquidate Acie.

Sund will go for that superstar whenever he gets that opportunity. Phew.

When given a chance, we can only hope Acie will turn out like Devin Harris has.

[coachx]

How do you propose to get one?

Ya..........I don't see these trade proposals of Mo, Law, with a resigned Chillz or a resigned Marvin getting a big good enough to start over Smith or Horford. Even if we did, Smith has not shown the skills necessary to play SF full time.

Shaq may be had but with Shaq we would have to change everything.

1. Shaq would be in the paint clogging the lane 32 mpg. Smith is best in the paint. Both Smith and Horford are best in the paint too.

2. Smoove would be useless on offense as a SF next to Shaq. You need a perimeter oriented shooter playing SF next to Shaq for it to work. Remember N. Anderson and D. Scott in Orlando, or Fox in L.A., and E. Jones, Posey, and Kapono in Miami ? Hmmmmmm. Marvin would work here though.

3. Horford and Smith's offensive games would both suffer with Shaq clogging the lane. Smith's man could clog the lane and double Shaq with little fear of Smith's shooting hurting them. Atlanta would go from a fast and quick team to a slow team. Smith would have no speed or quickness advantage over SFs like he does PFs. Horford would not be a able to run the floor and get as many easy buckets vs. PFs like he does to Cs.

Shaq may work here as a 1 year experiment but not with a PF who can't shoot forced to play SF. Marvin shooting ability fits better with Shaq then Smith. I would trade a 24 year old Smoove for any one over 35. I don't care who it is.

I think a Shaq to Atlanta trade would be similar to one of the failed AI trades and the previous failed Shaq trade to Phoniex.

I would rather go a different route then Shaq. He would be nothing but a PR move.

Edited March 24, 2009 by coachx

[DrReality]

The Shaq talk is perposterous.

[WraithSentinel]

Good Interview

[jerrywest]

When given a chance, we can only hope Acie will turn out like Devin Harris has.

Even Acie's family would be ecstatic with that outcome. I am sure Sund watches a lot of practice, and its great to hear that he even dared to bring up Harris's situation while talking about Acie. Its not like he drafted Acie. I don't see any liquidation in the future.

[atlien]

I'm not a fan of the Smith for Bosh trade. I like Bosh, but defensively we lose a lot. Smith still has to get his head together, I just don't see trading Smoove for him. Maybe Marvin for Bosh. There again though, we'd have more of a logjam than a complete team.

You really underrate Chris Bosh.

[jerrywest]

Maybe Marvin for Bosh. There again though, we'd have more of a logjam than a complete team.

1. Diesel admits that Smoove is not a small forward. (logjam)

2. Diesel speculates that Marvin can be in the same sentence with Bosh. WOW.