Could Al Leaving Atlanta Be A Good Thing?

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

Is it crazy to think that if Al Horford left the Hawks it could be a good thing for both sides? I mean I appreciate what Big Al has done for us and I know you don't lose an All-Star player w/o taking step back, but our lack of rebounding a has been killing us for years and Horford would be better at the PF. He could sign with Sactown, Minnesota, or Washington and be a great fit.

I would open to starting Splitter next season and then spending the cap space on a couple of great scorers. Beal/Barnes/DeRozan/Durant are all possibilities with that amount of cap (I'd love it if Beal was our 2 guard next season). All of those guys have centers on their current teams that park their butt in the paint and snag rebounds.

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[NBASupes]

I hate this board right now. Shit ass threads. Shitty ass threads. 

[Hawkmoor]

Horford isnt going anywhere.  

[Guest]

If we had a young whipper snapper  like Portland did with Lillard who filled in admirably when LMA left it would ease the sting.

Beal and Barnes are RFAs so no guarantees their teams won't  match.

Durant  is definitely  not coming to the Hawks. He wouldn't  be WITH Al even moreso WITHOUT him.

If DeRozan leaves money and the 5th year on the table  in Toronto, I don't  see him picking the Hawks.

With so many teans having capspace, the Hawks won't  top anyone's  list of first destination.

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

I hate this board right now. Shit ass threads. Shitty ass threads. 

Aaaawwww, you need to get over being all up in your feelings for Sorfy Horfy. 

Just  to be clear, Al is my fave player on the Hawks but let's  call a spade a spade. I'm  not dilusional in thinking he's  more than he is.

Do I think  the Hawks want to keep him, yes. Do I think he'll  get a max deal from the Hawks or some other  team, yes.  Do I think he DESERVES it, No. But he'll  get it. I'm  not losing sleep over it or getting pissy about it though. 

Everyone's  entitled to their opinions, thoughts, threads and posts. 

[AmishBoy]

Last night I was ready to blow the team up.  This morning I realize we actually have a lot of options to improve.  If Al signs a three year deal like Milsap, but with player options in the second and third year I say bring him back.  Convince him we tweak and get there in the next year or two and if not, he can leave.

A bench with Korver, Mike Scott, Splitter, Hardaway Jr, may not be bad.  We can move Teague or Schröder.  We can move Hardaway as part of a trade or maybe with another year with the team, he's a capable Shooting Guard.  We have assets.

We need a superstar but we can be smart and get better while waiting for the right opportunity.  

Blowing it up means five years of suck with the possibility of being right where we are now in ten years....or maybe a title.

[NBASupes]

46 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Aaaawwww, you need to get over being all up in your feelings for Sorfy Horfy. 

Just  to be clear, Al is my fave player on the Hawks but let's  call a spade a spade. I'm  not dilusional in thinking he's  more than he is.

Do I think  the Hawks want to keep him, yes. Do I think he'll  get a max deal from the Hawks or some other  team, yes.  Do I think he DESERVES it, No. But he'll  get it. I'm  not losing sleep over it or getting pissy about it though. 

Everyone's  entitled to their opinions, thoughts, threads and posts. 

I love you and PSHR87, but of course I hate these threads. Still love you two.

[nathan2331]

It could be, but only because it'd force us to have to look somewhere else. Horford isn't the sole problem on this team but I think maxing him out would prove to be a big mistake.

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[Trout7]

Al would look great on this team if we had ownership and leadership that knew or was willing to add pieces like the Cavs do. This is all on the management not Horford.

[Jody23]

My answer is it depends.  This thing is going to take more than one offseason to fix.  The Hawks have to start creating max salary slots for players who can lead a team to the finals.  You're never going to get those kind of players if you don't even give yourself an opportunity to acquire them.  We always talk about free agents not coming here, but other than a few years ago, when do the Hawks ever have legitimate cap space to offer those kind of players?  No one is taking significantly less money to come play here while guys like Al and Paul make the majority of the cap.  If the Hawks could get Horford on a deal that's close to what Paul is making per year now, even if it's a five year deal, then that's a start.

Edited May 7, 2016 by Jody23

[TheNorthCydeRises]

You mean like how Joe Johnson leaving made the Hawks better?  From an overall standpoint, it really didn't, minus a 2 month stretch of historic basketball.

If you don't replace Horford with an impact player, the Hawks fall into the lottery.

The real issue is can we draft a true franchise changing player in the lottery?

Honestly as of right now, the Hawks have to hope that Schröder makes the jump in Year 4, to damn near All-Star level.   That way, maybe we can get "something" good from a Dennis or Teague trade.  

All of our "stars" are at their peak, or starting to decline, so a true star needs to emerge quickly.

 

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, Trout7 said:

Al would look great on this team if we had ownership and leadership that knew or was willing to add pieces like the Cavs do. This is all on the management not Horford.

Cleveland  is a bad example. They have what we don't have on the court - SUPERSTAR.

They can add headcases, and middling  players who look average on other teams but world beaters next to LeBron. You think Tristan  Thompson  gets  that contract without LeBron on that team. How'd he look next to Irving b4 LBJ? How'd  Frye look on the Orlando team b4 being traded?  If we added Frye all you'd  hear is 'we added another SORF jump shooting  big' when we need rim.protection, post play and rebounding.

[Plainview1981]

2 hours ago, NBASupes said:

I hate this board right now. Shit ass threads. Shitty ass threads. 

Horford is past his prime. He isn't  deserving of the contract he is likely to ask for.

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

You mean like how Joe Johnson leaving made the Hawks better?  From an overall standpoint, it really didn't, minus a 2 month stretch of historic basketball.

If you don't replace Horford with an impact player, the Hawks fall into the lottery.

The real issue is can we draft a true franchise changing player in the lottery?

Honestly as of right now, the Hawks have to hope that Schröder makes the jump in Year 4, to damn near All-Star level.   That way, maybe we can get "something" good from a Dennis or Teague trade.  

All of our "stars" are at their peak, or starting to decline, so a true star needs to emerge quickly.

 

No, I think the discussion was without Joe we'd  be lottery bound.

The fact remains we made it the ECH for the first time in Franchise history - that doesn't  happen with Joe. Call it a fluke if you want but fact its in the books.

The difference with Joe and his contract is we had no flexibility  to do much because  the cap was stagnant for so many years.

Signing Al to a max does not have the same effect. $92 mil cap next season, $109 mil in 2017, that's  already a $17 million dollar difference, plus Splitter expires, Millsap on a player option. There is flexibility  there going forward.

I disagree we fall into lottery if we don't  replace Al with an impact player - a servicable player would still keep us in the playoffs- see Pero when Al was injured.  This is definitely NOT what we want though just to make the playoffs and avoid the lottery.

[benhillboy]

30 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

The fact remains we made it the ECH for the first time in Franchise history - that doesn't  happen with Joe. Call it a fluke if you want but fact its in the books.

I disagree we fall into lottery if we don't  replace Al with an impact player - a servicable player would still keep us in the playoffs- see Pero when Al was injured.  

You know North taking that unreasonable Joe fandom to the grave.  Arguably the most competitive series under Bud came without Al.  Not a coincidence.

I much prefer he walks and surround Sap with major upgrades at the 3 and 5.  3.3 rebounds per this series you say?  GTFOH.

Edited May 7, 2016 by benhillboy

[Guest]

Al had 1 more rebound than I had last night. I'm tweeting that out to him now F this.

[gsuteke]

Horford as he is today would be the 4th or 5th best player on a championship level team.

right now he's the second best player (arguably) on the Hawks.  

You just can't make that type of investment in the player this offseason.  If Horford is given big money without adding a player of significantly greater talent to play with him this team will continue to be stuck in mediocrity.

[Jody23]

1 minute ago, gsuteke said:

Horford as he is today would be the 4th or 5th best player on a championship level team.

right now he's the second best player (arguably) on the Hawks.  

You just can't make that type of investment in the player this offseason.  If Horford is given big money without adding a player of significantly greater talent to play with him this team will continue to be stuck in mediocrity.

This exactly.  The Hawks organization and fanbase need to understand this.

[Plainview1981]

33 minutes ago, Spud2Nique said:

Al had 1 more rebound than I had last night. I'm tweeting that out to him now F this.

I said months ago that Al Horford was turning into Matt Bonner. I didn't mean that he would fully turn into a Matt Bonner, but he sure as hell is working on it.

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, Hotlanta1981 said:

I said months ago that Al Horford was turning into Matt Bonner. I didn't mean that he would fully turn into a Matt Bonner, but he sure as hell is working on it.

His shooting and every other stat was pretty great but get on the damn boards. And how many times did we not box out? Damn guys!