Sports Illustrated disagrees with a lot of you here

[AHF]

4 minutes ago, Peoriabird said:

This doesn't make a lick of sense.  Why would any coach allow one player to destroy the team???  There are other players on the team trying to win games and if the coach is telling an inefficient scorer to continue to be a selfish gunner, how is that good coaching??? If that make sense in your world then so be it.

This season is not about winning games.  It is about developing our young players for the long term.  You don't draft the leading scorer in college basketball and then ask him to stop shooting.  You focus on developing him.

Let's try to dial this in.

I think Trae will be #1, #2 or #3 in FGA this season on our roster this season.

Steve Nash was the #5 FGA guy for the Suns in the 2004-05 season when they made the WCF.  Do you see Trae ending up #5-7 in FGA or something?

Where do you see him falling?  

[Peoriabird]

11 minutes ago, AHF said:

This season is not about winning games.  It is about developing our young players for the long term.  You don't draft the leading scorer in college basketball and then ask him to stop shooting.  You focus on developing him.

Let's try to dial this in.

I think Trae will be #1, #2 or #3 in FGA this season on our roster this season.

Steve Nash was the #5 FGA guy for the Suns in the 2004-05 season when they made the WCF.  Do you see Trae ending up #5-7 in FGA or something?

Where do you see him falling?  

Chris Paul averaged 12 FGA per game his 1st year in the league and I see more Chris Paul in Trae than Russel Westbrook or Allen Iverson

[AHF]

9 minutes ago, Peoriabird said:

Chris Paul averaged 12 FGA per game his 1st year in the league and I see more Chris Paul in Trae than Russel Westbrook or Allen Iverson

Chris Paul was #2 in FGA for his team and would have led the team in FGA had West gotten hurt like he did the next season.  Is that what you are talking about?  The second highest volume shooter on the team who is one injury away from leading the team in FGA?

[Peoriabird]

1 minute ago, AHF said:

Chris Paul was #2 in FGA for his team and would have led the team in FGA had West gotten hurt like he did the next season.  Is that what you are talking about?  The second high volume shooter on the team?

My statement is that he will not lead the team in FGA.  He will be behind Collins and Prince

[AHF]

6 minutes ago, Peoriabird said:

My statement is that he will not lead the team in FGA.  He will be behind Collins and Prince

So you are saying the highest he finishes in 3rd in FGA.  Got it.  

Paul was one injury away from leading his team in FGA his rookie season and finished in a near tie for most FGA on his team most years in his career.  That is someone who is both a scorer and a distributor in my books.   When I see a "facilitator" label put on a guy as a means of describing his scoring, it is usually because he isn't near the team lead in FGA which is clearly not what Chris Paul is as Paul spent most of his formative years with high volume shooting numbers. 

During his rookie contract, Paul never took fewer than the 2nd most shots on the team and was:

1 FGA/gm away from leading the team in FGA his rookie season

<0.5 FGA/gm away from the leading the team in FGA his 2nd season

<0.2 FGA/gm away from the leading the team in FGA his 3rd season

<0.5 FGA/gm away from the leading the team in FGA his 4th season

etc.

[AHF]

I'm still up for an avatar bet if you are.  If Trae plays at least 72 games and finishes #1 or #2 on the team in FGA, I pick your avatar for a month.  If Trae plays at least 72 games and finishes #3 or lower on the team in FGA, you pick my avatar for a month.  If Trae plays fewer than 72 games, the bet is off.

[Peoriabird]

9 minutes ago, AHF said:

I'm still up for an avatar bet if you are.  If Trae plays at least 72 games and finishes #1 or #2 on the team in FGA, I pick your avatar for a month.  If Trae plays at least 72 games and finishes #3 or lower on the team in FGA, you pick my avatar for a month.  If Trae plays fewer than 72 games, the bet is off.

Lets do it!

[Peoriabird]

12 minutes ago, AHF said:

So you are saying the highest he finishes in 3rd in FGA.  Got it.  

Paul was one injury away from leading his team in FGA his rookie season and finished in a near tie for most FGA on his team most years in his career.  That is someone who is both a scorer and a distributor in my books.   When I see a "facilitator" label put on a guy as a means of describing his scoring, it is usually because he isn't near the team lead in FGA which is clearly not what Chris Paul is as Paul spent most of his formative years with high volume shooting numbers. 

During his rookie contract, Paul never took fewer than the 2nd most shots on the team and was:

1 FGA/gm away from leading the team in FGA his rookie season

<0.5 FGA/gm away from the leading the team in FGA his 2nd season

<0.2 FGA/gm away from the leading the team in FGA his 3rd season

<0.5 FGA/gm away from the leading the team in FGA his 4th season

etc.

By the way, Chris Paul didn't have anything on the team but David West.  We have more capable scorers

[Peoriabird]

39 minutes ago, AHF said:

This season is not about winning games.  It is about developing our young players for the long term. 

You are entitled to your opinion but don't state it as though it is fact.

[AHF]

41 minutes ago, Peoriabird said:

You are entitled to your opinion but don't state it as though it is fact.

LMAO at this sudden focus on fact versus opinion but I'll grant it is an opinion based on fact.  So let's talk facts and whether the Hawks have talked playoffs or player development.

As Pierce was hired, the word "playoffs" wasn't mentioned in the Hawks' press release on the hiring of Pierce .  Winning games wasn't mentioned.  But player development was repeated nearly a half dozen times:

Quote

player development specialist Lloyd Pierce

reputation as a player-development guru

specializing in player development 

The press release's quote from our GM on the hire:

Quote

“As we set out to find a new head coach for our team, it was critically important to find a dynamic teacher who could connect with and develop our young core while instilling the culture and high standards we feel are necessary in a successful program,” Schlenk said. 

In internet searches, I can find dozens of references in Hawks press releases to Pierce's history as a player development guru.  I can't find a single one that mentions how he is going to help this team win more games this season.  Not a single mention of trying to win a ring or expecting to make the playoffs.

So it is my opinion but that opinion is based on both the public statements of and the personnel actions of our GM (attempted to trade or trading 3 of of our 4 highest career WS leaders on the roster at the end of the last season - Baze on draft day and then Dennis and Moose shortly thereafter; made no effort to bring in high impact vets but took on dead salary for future picks; etc.).

So it is my opinion but it is not pulled out of nowhere -- it is based on what our GM is saying and doing.

[Peoriabird]

35 minutes ago, AHF said:

LMAO at this sudden focus on fact versus opinion but I'll grant it is an opinion based on fact.  So let's talk facts and whether the Hawks have talked playoffs or player development.

As Pierce was hired, the word "playoffs" wasn't mentioned in the Hawks' press release on the hiring of Pierce .  Winning games wasn't mentioned.  But player development was repeated nearly a half dozen times:

The press release's quote from our GM on the hire:

In internet searches, I can find dozens of references in Hawks press releases to Pierce's history as a player development guru.  I can't find a single one that mentions how he is going to help this team win more games this season.  Not a single mention of trying to win a ring or expecting to make the playoffs.

So it is my opinion but that opinion is based on both the public statements of and the personnel actions of our GM (attempted to trade or trading 3 of of our 4 highest career WS leaders on the roster at the end of the last season - Baze on draft day and then Dennis and Moose shortly thereafter; made no effort to bring in high impact vets but took on dead salary for future picks; etc.).

So it is my opinion but it is not pulled out of nowhere -- it is based on what our GM is saying and doing.

Player development doesn't mean let Trae shoot us out of games but if that is what you believe ...I can't change your beliefs.

[AHF]

20 minutes ago, Peoriabird said:

Player development doesn't mean let Trae shoot us out of games but if that is what you believe ...I can't change your beliefs.

Let Trae  have one of the highest volume shooting totals on this team =/= "let Trae shoot us out of games".

It is akin to putting a bad defender in and demanding he play defense and improve his fundamentals.  Trae will need to improve his shot selection and show he can get spacing to get his shot off.  Having him develop those things will be high priority targets for this coaching staff, IMO.  I don't expect them to let him run around like a chicken with his head cut off shooting a dozen 30 foot shots a game or something.  If they don't work to instill good habits and fundamentals, that will be a problem for me.  But Trae being one of our highest volume guys is something I expect to see happening.

[Peoriabird]

2 minutes ago, AHF said:

Let Trae  have one of the highest volume shooting totals on this team =/= "let Trae shoot us out of games".

It is akin to putting a bad defender in and demanding he play defense and improve his fundamentals.  Trae will need to improve his shot selection and show he can get spacing to get his shot off.  Having him develop those things will be high priority targets for this coaching staff, IMO.  I don't expect them to let him run around like a chicken with his head cut off shooting a dozen 30 foot shots a game or something.  If they don't work to instill good habits and fundamentals, that will be a problem for me.  But Trae being one of our highest volume guys is something I expect to see happening.

The Bet is on!!

[AHF]

5 minutes ago, Peoriabird said:

The Bet is on!!

Dropped it into the thread so should be a fun one to track this season.

I won't hate at all if I lose this bet and Trae takes a more limited volume of shots but better shots than I expect him to take!

[JayBirdHawk]

Nice. Bet is in.

[terrell]

On 9/10/2018 at 11:32 AM, Peoriabird said:

Kent Bazemore featured on Sports Illustrated list of top 100 NBA players

Rob Mahoney and Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated broke down players 100 through 51 on their list and Kent Bazemore represented the Atlanta Hawks at No. 91 overall.

https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2018/9/10/17841080/kent-bazemore-atlanta-hawks-top-100-players-nba-sports-illustrated-list-2018-2019-season

I remember when all y'all use to think that I was sorry!  How do you like me now?

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! Please..