Is Dennis the next to be traded?

[TheNorthCydeRises]

I think more people are mad that we also gave Charlotte the #31 pick, a player that possibly could've cracked the rotation off the bench as a rookie.  That's essentially a late 1st round pick that we just gave away to Charlotte;

The Hornets were like . . . "You want to give us who and what?  You're joking right?   You're not joking?  OK . . . . you sure?   OK deal, and you can't take it back . . alright?"

 

[Sarcatic1]

I don't think Dennis will be traded But Dennis as the number 1 option and leader of this team will be a scary sight. So I hope we bring some type of vet in here. Dennis already  likes to get his so if he is the number 1 option, it will be some ugly basketball out there next year.  I'm talking the " thank God I have NBA League Pass' type ugly

[TheNorthCydeRises]

3 minutes ago, Eddielives said:

That's a good question.  I can only assume that they thought he could finally find his niche with the Hawks.  And had Dwight been a good teammate, focused on his defense, hustled and only played within his very limited offensive skillset, he would have likely been worth that amount.  So I think it was a gamble that didn't pay off.  And after another year of the failed Dwight experiment, his value has certainly not gone to "valueless."  I was being a bit hyperbolic but there seems to be no doubt that this guy is pretty much a recipe for bad team chemistry.  If he's not going to hustle and play d, he is essentially worthless and is probably a year or two from being out of the league.

LOL .. that guy averaged 13 points and 13 rebounds last season.  Almost every fan at the beginning of last season would've taken that in a heartbeat from Dwight.  He actually had one of his most efficient seasons ever, despite the lower usage rate.

People act like guys can get double-doubles at the drop of a hat.  Al Horford couldn't.  Josh Smith couldn't.  Theo Ratliff couldn't.  Zaza Pachulia couldn't.    Only Dikembe in the last 20 years has done what Howard did at center last season.  And he was the one guy on the team whose production never waned.  It wasn't until the playoffs, when he couldn't get the ball, that he became "worthless".

It's crazy.  People never expected him to be the Superman version of Dwight like he was in 2009, 2010.  But when he doesn't cover up for the shortcomings of the other players, all of a sudden he's worthless?  We virtually had no backup PG and no SF support for most of the year.  And we had to put the 6th man off the bench into the starting lineup, because Baze was playing so bad.

But yet, Dwight is the "chemistry killer"?  LOL . . that's why he said he was going to shoot 3s.  If everybody else can shoot them and miss, he may as well too.  Maybe they would've rebounded some of his misses.

[Eddielives]

3 minutes ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

LOL .. that guy averaged 13 points and 13 rebounds last season.  Almost every fan at the beginning of last season would've taken that in a heartbeat from Dwight.  He actually had one of his most efficient seasons ever, despite the lower usage rate.

People act like guys can get double-doubles at the drop of a hat.  Al Horford couldn't.  Josh Smith couldn't.  Theo Ratliff couldn't.  Zaza Pachulia couldn't.    Only Dikembe in the last 20 years has done what Howard did at center last season.  And he was the one guy on the team whose production never waned.  It wasn't until the playoffs, when he couldn't get the ball, that he became "worthless".

It's crazy.  People never expected him to be the Superman version of Dwight like he was in 2009, 2010.  But when he doesn't cover up for the shortcomings of the other players, all of a sudden he's worthless?  We virtually had no backup PG and no SF support for most of the year.  And we had to put the 6th man off the bench into the starting lineup, because Baze was playing so bad.

But yet, Dwight is the "chemistry killer"?  LOL . . that's why he said he was going to shoot 3s.  If everybody else can shoot them and miss, he may as well too.  Maybe they would've rebounded some of his misses.

Well stats don't win games or rings.  And if you thought his benching in the playoffs was unwarranted, then we just simply see basketball differently.  I saw a guy that was getting punked, at times, by his former backup.  The fact is he's worn out his welcome with not only many NBA teams, but even the Olympic team strongly disliked him.  Facts are facts.  I don't rely on emotional attachments to double-doubles.  And please don't compare Dwight to Deke.  Deke played to his strengths and was loved by not only the NBA but the world.  Dikembe any day over Howard.

[hazer]

3 hours ago, Sothron said:

Nice try, here's the REAL quotes.

There remains a place on the Hawks for Dwight Howard, according to new general manager Travis Schlenk.

The Hawks signed Howard to a three-year, $70.5 million deal as an unrestricted free agent last season. There are two years remaining on the contract after an up-and-down season that had the center on the bench in the fourth quarters of several close games, including the playoffs.

“Listen, Dwight is one of the best big guys in the league still,” Schlenk told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He averaged 13 points and 13 rebounds a game. He’s one of the best rebounders in the league. He’s one of the best rim protectors in the league.

“I haven’t had a chance to talk to Dwight personally. We’ve exchanged some text messages. I certainly plan to talk to him soon and get to know him. I’m not going to judge you from what I’ve heard. Let me see you face-to-face.”

Howard will make $23.5 million next season, the highest salary on the roster of signed players. Howard ranked fifth in the NBA at 12.7 rebounds per game and sixth at 940 total rebounds last season. He ranked 20th in the league with 1.2 blocks per game.

“There is a reason Atlanta was one of the top five defenses in the league,” Schlenk said. “He was a big part of that."

 

Sooo yeah...he lied. Big time. You talk about how great someone is and has a spot on the team and then trade him a week later. I mean you CAN, sure, but that makes you a liar. There's no agent or player in the world that isn't going to remember that.

Hold up on that car wash, gentleman. Everything Schlenk said in that quote is true, and he hasn't contradicted any of it. Go back and reread it, Schlenk never actually said Dwight has a place/spot on the team. The writer did. Nice try, yourself ;)

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Just now, Eddielives said:

Well stats don't win games or rings.  And if you thought his benching in the playoffs was unwarranted, then we just simply see basketball differently.  I saw a guy that was getting punked, at times, by his former backup.  The fact is he's worn out his welcome with not only many NBA teams, but even the Olympic team strongly disliked him.  Facts are facts.  I don't rely on emotional attachments to double-doubles.  And please don't compare Dwight to Deke.  Deke played to his strengths and was loved by not only the NBA but the world.  Dikembe any day over Howard.

Ummm . . yes they do.  Without production, you can't win.  That;s why the Hawks got bounced.  They couldn't stop people and they couldn't produce enough positive stats to beat the Wiz.

Dwight played his role last year.  He crashed the boards.  He served as a deterrent at the rim ( even without the blocks ).  And he scored at a very high rate when he did get the ball.

Last year's squad had so many flaws.  Dwight's play doesn't even rank in the top 5 of those flaws.  Heck, Bud's coaching last year was a bigger detriment to the team, than Dwight's so-called lackluster play.   His decisions cost this team 6 - 8 games, due to him sticking by Baze when he couldn't hit the broad side of school building . . his benching of Dennis after the All-Star break ( which threw Dennis and the team off ) . . and his refusal to play Prince and Bembry meaningful until damn near the All-Star break.

[hazer]

6 minutes ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

Ummm . . yes they do.  Without production, you can't win.  That;s why the Hawks got bounced.  They couldn't stop people and they couldn't produce enough positive stats to beat the Wiz.

Dwight played his role last year.  He crashed the boards.  He served as a deterrent at the rim ( even without the blocks ).  And he scored at a very high rate when he did get the ball.

Last year's squad had so many flaws.  Dwight's play doesn't even rank in the top 5 of those flaws.  Heck, Bud's coaching last year was a bigger detriment to the team, than Dwight's so-called lackluster play.   His decisions cost this team 6 - 8 games, due to him sticking by Baze when he couldn't hit the broad side of school building . . his benching of Dennis after the All-Star break ( which threw Dennis and the team off ) . . and his refusal to play Prince and Bembry meaningful until damn near the All-Star break.

How many times did we hear Bud say that if Dwight can embrace the PnR he'll thrive and we'll be in great shape? That Hawks wanted to utilize him in that role especially? How many weak screens and half-hearted rolls did we witness? I actually like Dwight and was pulling for the hometown kid, very much appreciated his double doubles. He simply didn't embrace the PnR, couldn't cover his man out to the 3-pt line, couldn't defend the PnR, and never adapted to his optimal role here. It's a shame, but was a failed experiment that could've worked had he embraced it with an open mind and all his heart.

[Eddielives]

1 minute ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

Ummm . . yes they do.  Without production, you can't win.  That;s why the Hawks got bounced.  They couldn't stop people and they couldn't produce enough positive stats to beat the Wiz.

Dwight played his role last year.  He crashed the boards.  He served as a deterrent at the rim ( even without the blocks ).  And he scored at a very high rate when he did get the ball.

Last year's squad had so many flaws.  Dwight's play doesn't even rank in the top 5 of those flaws.  Heck, Bud's coaching last year was a bigger detriment to the team, than Dwight's so-called lackluster play.   His decisions cost this team 6 - 8 games, due to him sticking by Baze when he couldn't hit the broad side of school building . . his benching of Dennis after the All-Star break ( which threw Dennis and the team off ) . . and his refusal to play Prince and Bembry meaningful until damn near the All-Star break.

  If stats win games, then how did a guy average a triple double and his team got bounced out of the playoffs by a team that later got bounced.  How did a guy that averaged right at 30points and almost 12 assists get embarrassed in the playoffs?  I thought stats win games?  Shouldn't these stats have made it to the finals?  
  The thing is, I'm looking at Dwight's undeniable label around the league as a guy that wears out his welcome despite his ability to still put up #'s at a nice level.  I was open to the fact that he would be different here.  That's the reason why he is so frustrating.  He can still be an asset but all these situations where teams have given up on him must be lost on at least some of you.  It's not my opinion that he's been childish and not a great teammate many times in this league.  This is simply fact.  If I only want to look at #'s then I can see where you're coming from.  But the game is more than that and Dwight was traded for junk.  Why isn't that sinking in to more people.  The guy may be nice and fun and still have the ability to put up 13 and 13.  Where did that get us?  Where did it get LA?  Where did it get Houston?  But you know what?  Stats, mann.  Stats.

[Admin]

1 hour ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

I agree.  

Having said that, I'm definitely on the pessimistic side of things, but anything can happen during the free agency period.

I would've still been more impressed if he traded Baze.  Trading Howard was easy, because he still has value in the league . . especially when you take back pennies on the dollar for him.

Oh I know that! I'm still not convinced that you, @thecampster, and @Sothron aren't the same person. When you all hit your 60's y'all became grump as fouk or however @JayBirdHawk spelled it earlier. 

[Admin]

1 hour ago, Eddielives said:

If I had to guess I'd say if there's a suitor for Baze, he may do a similar Baze for junk trade to get out from under another bad contract.  My money is on Baze being traded if we make another trade.  Of course this is assuming no team does a S&T for Millsap which seems very unlikely.

Well we can see how terrible the Hawks are by seeing if we dump Baze or not since he's the cover image on the Hawks Twitter page. 

1 hour ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

I think more people are mad that we also gave Charlotte the #31 pick, a player that possibly could've cracked the rotation off the bench as a rookie.  That's essentially a late 1st round pick that we just gave away to Charlotte;

The Hornets were like . . . "You want to give us who and what?  You're joking right?   You're not joking?  OK . . . . you sure?   OK deal, and you can't take it back . . alright?"

 

That's the part that makes me laugh the most. It's sooooo easy to get a pick in the 20's every year and you guys act like we offered Lolo Jones' virginity to them or something. 

[KB21]

5 hours ago, Dolfan23 said:

Who the heck said the Hawks are tanking? How in the world can next years team be judged when we haven't even started free agency or had the draft? Good grief there's some serious reaching going on around here. 

Dolfan, the same characters thought the team was tanking when they traded Joe Johnson away as well.  

[Admin]

Just now, KB21 said:

Dolfan, the same characters thought the team was tanking when they traded Joe Johnson away as well.  

Yep that's true. It seems like there can be no middle ground between turning a first round exit team into a championship team in one off-season and supposedly tanking. Why can't people believe what Schlenk said about not saddling the team with bad contracts and remaining flexible with our assets? He didn't say that would happen overnight and I certainly hope nobody expected that to happen in one move. I hate to use this expression but damn we're not playing checkers here and we're not going to become the team of Schlenk's vision overnight or on a direct path. 

[Lurker]

If @Diesel really wants to see Dennis traded, the last two years have proven he needs to say the opposite of Dennis being traded soon.

Just because Howard is traded, doesn't mean the Hawks are rebuilding. I wouldn't say that yet but I would if Millsap is gone in FA. Admittedly it looks like there's a good chance he's gone but I'd actually still say it's 50/50.

[Admin]

Just now, Lurker said:

If @Diesel really wants to see Dennis traded, the last two years have proven he needs to say the opposite of Dennis being traded soon.

Just because Howard is traded, doesn't mean the Hawks are rebuilding. I wouldn't say that yet but I would if Millsap is gone in FA. Admittedly it looks like there's a good chance he's gone but I'd actually still say it's 50/50.

People need to be aware of whether they're talking about rebuilding or tanking. I agree with you that we're rebuilding if Millsap leaves without us bringing in an equal player... but that doesn't imply that we're tanking as others have assumed. Now if we trade Dennis for future picks and let Millsap walk then I'll jump on the we're tanking bandwagon. 

[Admin]

1 hour ago, Dolfan23 said:

Well we can see how terrible the Hawks are by seeing if we dump Baze or not since he's the cover image on the Hawks Twitter page. 

That's the part that makes me laugh the most. It's sooooo easy to get a pick in the 20's every year and you guys act like we offered Lolo Jones' virginity to them or something. 

Oh man I'm starting to feel like the Hawks are out to get me and make me look like an ever bigger ass than I already am. 

First I assured everyone that Dwight and Baze would be here next year, then I thought for sure we wouldn't trade Baze since he's our Twitter cover image.

 

[hazer]

8 minutes ago, Dolfan23 said:

 

Oh HEYULL yayer!!! The SET on this guy! Love it.

[Lurker]

I'd trade Bazemore for nothing. Just get his salary off of the team. If done, the Hawks can do what they did with Danny Ferry and sign good under the radar deals after Millsap.

[Sothron]

Getting rid of Bazemore is literally addition by subtraction.

[CP61]

Hear me out:

Rubio and 7 for Dennis and 19. 

We shed some salary and get a crazily underrated player who is one of the better defenders and distributors in the league. Plus he's cheaper than Dennis for now. If Bud could teach him to shoot, he could be amazing. Plus 7 could end up being a franchise corner stone.

I'd normally say they'd be stupid to take that deal, but there is a report that they almost traded Rubio and 7 for Wesley Matthews and 9, so I think it could be doable. 

[bleachkit]

I doubt the market for Dennis is very high, and Prince is not a proven player by a long shot. Look, we have no assets. This is a total rebuild. I am resigned to sucking as much as possible next year.