What Makes a Contender?

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

Just gauging and pooling info together on what posters opinions are on what it takes to contend and achieve the ultimate goal of winning a title. Do you believe in the Celtics/Heat/Lakers way of winning a title or the Mavs/Pistons/Spurs way... How integral is the draft and free agency in building a contender... Do you believe coaching is a current issue or is more about the players, FO, or ownership. Do you believe we can win with Josh apart of the team... How big of a problem is the fan base, and what will make those chants turn into "Let's Go Hawks"... Yada yada, so on and so forth... Was going to make this poll-only topic, but what the hell, let's see where it goes... Just play like we all do and be Danny Ferry. lol

Edited March 11, 2013 by PSSSHHHRRR87

[Dragitoff]

There should have been an option on the first question to build around part of our "baby 3" and bring in superstar talent.

[phoostal]

There should have been an option on the first question to build around part of our "baby 3" and bring in superstar talent.

Addition of superstar should be an option in question 1. Seldom do teams win championships without a superstar player. Since none of our so called baby 3 is a superstar all those options aren't going to get us to be contenders.

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

Addition of superstar should be an option in question 1. Seldom do teams win championships without a superstar player. Since none of our so called baby 3 is a superstar all those options aren't going to get us to be contenders.

Done.

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

There should have been an option on the first question to build around part of our "baby 3" and bring in superstar talent.

Done.

[Gray Mule]

After I voted, my votes weren't there.

Sounds like a fixed election!! Hah!

Couple of my votes didn't even register. Oh,well.

Life goes on.

[macdaddy]

I couldn't find the exact answers i wanted but basically i think there are just a few things to do.

1. sign a coach - i like LD but i could go either way

2. make a run at the big name free agents

3. if that doesn't work out try trades or other guys but bring in talent

I like Josh but i think he probably needs to go. The biggest issue to me is not to bring in a center/sf/ or sg but to bring in an impact player at some position. We look good with Teague and Horford so whatever other position you can find a star at will work for me. This league is about having a scorer though. We don't have one right now.

[HawkItus]

2nd to last question needs a get a great PG option

[benhillboy]

Having LeBron or KD and a team carefully built around them.

[Watchman]

A few comments:Didn't see an option for: Keep 1 or 2 of the Baby 3 (baby 3? - where'd that name come from?) and add solid star quality player(s) (who may or may not be cheap depending on level of talent).Sad commentary on ATL fans if a contending team would not draw fans unless there was a "superstar" on the team. There are not many superstars out there, and our chances of getting one of them are slim.Let Gray Mule's vote count!I think I should have answered "retain flexibility" as there may not be any free agents available that would significantly improve the team in the offseason.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Great poll, by the way.

Most of my answers were the more popular answers.

As for Ferry, I'm indifferent to him at this moment. I want to see what he does this summer to improve the team. Pulling a "Rick Sund" and bringing everybody back is not an option in my book.

And I'm very interested to see if he re-signs Larry Drew, or brings in a very good coach from somewhere else.

Edited March 11, 2013 by northcyde

[ATLscrubLove]

We will never be a contender as long as Smoove is still on the squad.

[Wretch]

Very good poll. You gave some pretty decent options on the questions. Some of my responses didn't 100% line up with my feelings though. My personal view:

In respect to the players and what it takes to contend:

I think people over-think and under-think this. What really makes me laugh is when people start talking about what we "need." Until you have an engine...you need an engine. It doesn't really matter what else you go after - not bench scoring, not a back up PG, and not my favorite "serviceable big man."

You have to get an engine. You need that guy that can score at will and you need to get him a sidekick. It allows you to spread the floor and it opens up the game for the parts and pieces that the 'Squawk always seems to go crazy for (i.e. - Gortat, Dalembert, Calderon, Earl Watson, etc...lol). Right now, we don't really have an engine. Though I do love what Horf and Teague do.

Gotta get an engine.

Coaching:

Coaches have to "fit." I don't believe in bad coaches, I believe in bad fits. Well...there are some terrible coaches out there, but guys like Adelman, Karl, Pops, Van Gundy, Czar...these dudes know how to coach. Very rarely do you have a guy that can *poof* magically transform a team like a star player will. Coaching is trial and error...and finding the guy that fits with the players. I think you can start by going out and getting a damn good coach, but more often than not...you're going to end up replacing him with a guy that takes the team further. Either though better coaching skills or a better fit...or maybe just because players have tuned the current coach out.

LD? Decent coach I guess, but his status as our HC is so not important right now. Not compared to our other issues. For me, LD's status is such a non-issue.

Danny Ferry:

I got no complaints right now. I really love that he's an outside looking in and that dude has said all the right things. He's said stuff that has my heart full of hope - starting with the idea that he wants to change the culture and the perception of our franchise. There is nothing more glorious right now than just hearing that kind of talk. I can't be alone in this feeling. Guys that have followed this club for as long as I have should be just as excited about that as I am.

Attendance:

If we put a contender out there, the people will show up. They showed up when this team showed up in 2008. We just didn't capitalize on that momentum. We should have made some trades. Especially after the Orlando debacle. We just let the air escape the sails...that was prime time to rise. But that should tell you the net result of win without losing or keeping the status quo. You have to make changes and keep ahead of the game. But I digress...

It doesn't matter in the long run if we have a Pistons style team or a superstar driven team. The fans will eventually get behind it. The problem is that we need a team that can get out of the 2nd round. Plain and simple. Get a team going 7 games in the ECF's or getting to the finals, Phillps will go apeshit. The people will respond. Put a superstar in there though, and it's a DONE DEAL.

Josh Smith:

Josh is the X-factor. He's not a guy you want leading your team in scoring or shot attempts. He's not the guy that you want to be the face of the franchise. He's just not that kind of player. He wants to be and as long as he's in ATL, he's probably going to feel like he should be. But the fact is, Smoove's role is closer to what Rodman was. Not so much in what he does on the court (even though he would certainly excel at defense/rebounding), but in that he is PART of the championship picture and not the center piece. Nobody would argue Rodman's importance to the Bulls' runs in the 90's - HE WAS VITAL. But it was Jordan and Pippen that took them there.Jordan = engine

Pippen = body/frame

Rodman = tires/steering wheel

The machine as a whole is not the same without each of those parts, but there's something a little more special about the engine and the body. Josh is tires, not engine. If you are using him as an engine, you're doing it wrong. Get Josh to accept a role, and we're good. I think Teague/Horf/Josh in that scenario is as good as any in the east (except Miami).

[DJlaysitup]

The Elephant in the room that nobody mentioned is still ownership.

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

The Elephant in the room that nobody mentioned is still ownership.

I thought about putting that as an option, but they've been on their best behavior of late and I like what Levenson is wanting, so I left that part out.

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

A few comments:Didn't see an option for: Keep 1 or 2 of the Baby 3 (baby 3? - where'd that name come from?) and add solid star quality player(s) (who may or may not be cheap depending on level of talent).

It's my personal nickname to Horf, Smith, and Teague because unlike Boston's or Miami's BIG 3, ours aren't All Stars or household names. They're great players, but really they are just dudes on the Hawks... lol

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

My thoughts:

I like what we have, but Josh is too far up the offensive totem pole to be a constant success. We need another star with the offensive skill set to take shots away from Josh. Also, Teague needs to keep working on his mid-range jumper and to develop his leadership skills. We need Teague to pull a Rondo. I also feel that we can contend with Josh on the team, but Ferry needs a coach with a strong personality that isn't going to let Josh free-wheel on offense. Larry Drew is not the answer. He is great out of the TO, but I am tired of his horrible substitutions and his willingness to let Josh run wild in the offense.

As for Ferry, I have been happy with every move he has done thus far. I became a Ferry supporter the day Joe and Marv were traded. Afterwards, he signed Lou and traded for Korver. Loved both of those moves. I believe the biggest task on his clipboard is to get a starting center to get Horf over to the 4. Horf is too good of a player to waste his career on getting dominated by bigger, heavier centers such as Dwight, Bynum, Pek, Lopez, Cousins, Noah, and Hibbert. A close second is retaining Teague and Korver at reasonable prices.

The fans will turn around and root for the Hawks, but it'll take a name to do so. The Spurs prove that the fans in Atlanta don't care about championships as much as they do the superstar players. It's the reason why the "Let's Go Heat" chants started just recently and the city is full of Lakers and Bulls' fans because the Bulls had Jordan, Lakers have Kobe, and Miami have LBJ, Bosh, and Wade. They go for the players, not the team and if the ASG is to make profit off of this, they need Dwight or somebody. If they can lure a big dog to the play yard, I think they'll have no issue filling seats. The thing I hope is that the ones that go for the players will learn to love the team too...

[TheFuzz]

We have a ton of flexibility so we've got a few options.

I like Drew, but adding a nice, new outside coach gives us some buzz and some credibility. Of the available coaches, I like the Van Gundys (particularly Stan), but I'm really interested in David Blatt. He's an Olympic medal coach and really successful in Europe. He's also youngish and could be our coach Pop for a long time. Not sure how available he would be.

If we can get a superstar, even a 2nd-tier superstar, we get him. Howard is annoying as hell but he can play. Chris Paul is even better.

Assuming we miss on those superstars, the next question is Josh Smith. If we keep him, then I assume we keep Teague and Horf as well and we'll have a solid core with some holes. If we bring in one more all-star level talent that can be our #1 option while remaining well-coached (Bosh or Love, perhaps), I think we can legitimately contend.

Whether or not we get another all-star level player, I vote we maintain some cap-space, draft well and develop it in a winning culture and don't overpay anybody. Stockpile assets and use them to provide upgrades via trade. If we don't land a superstar, I think a well-coached team that features 4 all-star caliber players (with a solid cast of roleplayers) playing efficient offense and top 5 defense can contend.

[coachx]

I can't do the poll b/c the given answers do not fit my answers.

Wish I had time to go answer all of them but I don't.

[AHF]

I can't do the poll b/c the given answers do not fit my answers.

Wish I had time to go answer all of them but I don't.

I just fit a few square pegs into round holes but it is up to you!