2023-24 Insider Information Thread

[macdaddy]

42 minutes ago, AHF said:

We've seen it before.  The big question mark with him is how long until his next injury.  You always have to have your fingers crossed which is why I'm especially happy that he didn't hurt himself during this tournament even more than I enjoyed seeing his standout play.

I could be wrong but haven't all his injuries been related to the knee that he hurt 3 years ago and had surgery on last year.  I'm hoping he's a new man. 

Also not believing for a second we thought he could be our starting SF.  Trae/DJ/Bogi at 30 minutes a game together would be a big defensive issue.  

[theheroatl]

2 minutes ago, macdaddy said:

I could be wrong but haven't all his injuries been related to the knee that he hurt 3 years ago and had surgery on last year.  I'm hoping he's a new man. 

Also not believing for a second we thought he could be our starting SF.  Trae/DJ/Bogi at 30 minutes a game together would be a big defensive issue.  

We aren’t any closer to being a contender with Dre Or Bogi getting the starting minutes. We need more star talent so we don’t have to worry which role players are liabilities 

[thecampster]

A bit of "receipts" for you.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10089580-nba-trade-rumors-hawks-discussed-deandre-hunter-with-pistons-pacers-this-summer

 

As a reminder, we are to 9/16 which was the day we were looking for for things to heat up again.  Then the above article pops confirming the things we were talking about back in June/July.

 

With FIBA now over and teams assured of knowing the injury situation of players going into camp, we'll see some rumors heat up now and a few deals in the league will get done going into camp. 

[JayBirdHawk]

38 minutes ago, thecampster said:

A bit of "receipts" for you.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10089580-nba-trade-rumors-hawks-discussed-deandre-hunter-with-pistons-pacers-this-summer

 

As a reminder, we are to 9/16 which was the day we were looking for for things to heat up again.  Then the above article pops confirming the things we were talking about back in June/July.

 

With FIBA now over and teams assured of knowing the injury situation of players going into camp, we'll see some rumors heat up now and a few deals in the league will get done going into camp. 

I don't believe this line in the article for one second:

Bogdanović's presence makes Hunter more expendable

Nobody who watches and understands the Hawks was ever pushing for Bogi to replace Hunter in the starting lineup.

 

[thecampster]

 

[AHF]

1 hour ago, thecampster said:

 

Dre is an nice, average 3pt shooter but sharpshooter seems a bit of a stretch for a guy who shot 35% from 3 last year.  I guess clickbait titles need of sizzle and "versatile defender" doesn't have the same punch.

[Gray Mule]

The more I read about this player named Hunter, the more I am sold on the idea that he needs to be an Atlanta Hawk next season.  He sounds exactly like what we need on this team!!

[AHF]

49 minutes ago, Gray Mule said:

The more I read about this player named Hunter, the more I am sold on the idea that he needs to be an Atlanta Hawk next season.  He sounds exactly like what we need on this team!!

He legit does fill an important role and is the only good option we have for matching up with big wings.  This is doubly applicable if Bey is spending a lot of time at PF.  So while I'm going to push back on the idea of him being a sharpshooter or whatever, I do think we would be a in a world of hurt if we trade him and don't get back someone who can fill that role.

[NBASupes]

3 hours ago, AHF said:

He legit does fill an important role and is the only good option we have for matching up with big wings.  This is doubly applicable if Bey is spending a lot of time at PF.  So while I'm going to push back on the idea of him being a sharpshooter or whatever, I do think we would be a in a world of hurt if we trade him and don't get back someone who can fill that role.

Hunter could be traded but it won't be till December or January if he doesnt fit what they want from him. They want to see him in Quin role that basically uses him like a better Royce O'Neale. Offensively, he didn't play the role they wanted but that was on Nate as he didn't have Dre working on what Quin valued. Dre is not the only Hawk on the ropes. Everyone but Bogi has a lot to prove. Everyone including Trae. Quin has roles for them like Bud used to have and everyone has to master it or they are gone. 

[NBASupes]

Here's exactly what I am being told on roles 

They want Trae and Murray to play less mins. They want Murray to play more mins at PG.

They want Trae to give max effort in his mins on both ends

Bogi is expected to play more

Even some potential for Bufkin to play 

Griffin is expected to get backup mins

Hunter is expected to play between the 3 and 4 with Bey and JJ. 

They haven't landed on a starter at the 4 yet but Bey is the lean right now. 

Okongwu and Clint are expected to split mins. 

They want OO and Clint to add more shooting range. 

Dre, Bogi, Bey, OO, and Murray are said to have had great improvements over the summer. 

They are really excited about Kobe and Gueye potential. Their refusal to trade either is real 

I haven't heard much on Trae other than they want to maximize his production on both ends. Same for Murray. 

I heard Kobe will be playing a key role on both squads. 

They have very high expectations on what this team can be if everyone plays their role. 

@KB21, you will like what they are cooking up

[theheroatl]

I’m not a Bufkin believer and playing him backup minutes isn’t really something I want to see.

I would’ve rather seen him packaged for a PF replacement since we added Patty Mills and Bogi will get SG minutes.

Asking Clint to add range is borderline insane

Edited September 25, 2023 by theheroatl

[AHF]

54 minutes ago, theheroatl said:

I’m not a Bufkin believer

I have no real confidence in him but didn't watch him in college so if our GM and coach are really high on him then I'll cross my fingers and hope they are right.  They know more about the game than I ever will but his career to date doesn't inspire me with notions of a star in the making.  If I had to pick, I would easily pick him to trade over our other young players in a Siakam deal.  (In part due to the fact that I am higher on those other players and in part due to the fact that backup PG is not a huge need on a team with Trae and DM.)

[cam1218]

Not that I’m expecting much, but is Patty Mills going to do anything for us? Mainly asking because I would rather see him than Bufkin early in the season (and I could be very wrong with that).

[yungsta]

4 hours ago, NBASupes said:

Here's exactly what I am being told on roles 

They want Trae and Murray to play less mins. They want Murray to play more mins at PG.

They want Trae to give max effort in his mins on both ends

Bogi is expected to play more

Even some potential for Bufkin to play 

Griffin is expected to get backup mins

Hunter is expected to play between the 3 and 4 with Bey and JJ. 

They haven't landed on a starter at the 4 yet but Bey is the lean right now. 

Okongwu and Clint are expected to split mins. 

They want OO and Clint to add more shooting range. 

Dre, Bogi, Bey, OO, and Murray are said to have had great improvements over the summer. 

They are really excited about Kobe and Gueye potential. Their refusal to trade either is real 

I haven't heard much on Trae other than they want to maximize his production on both ends. Same for Murray. 

I heard Kobe will be playing a key role on both squads. 

They have very high expectations on what this team can be if everyone plays their role. 

@KB21, you will like what they are cooking up

Reading between the lines here but based on pure speculation it seems like,

They don't see Murray as a long term solution at SG and want Bogi to fill in that role until we can find a younger long term replacement and Murray and Trae will have to compete against each other to solidify themselves as the PG of the future so one of them could be hitting the trade market in the next off season.

They want to have 4 shooters on the floor at all times so JJ and OO roles may not expand as much Hawks fans originally thought.

This season will be more of a transitional season to build a new culture/craft a new play style and to asses who is staying or who should be traded.

 

 

[NBASupes]

2 hours ago, yungsta said:

Reading between the lines here but based on pure speculation it seems like,

They don't see Murray as a long term solution at SG and want Bogi to fill in that role until we can find a younger long term replacement and Murray and Trae will have to compete against each other to solidify themselves as the PG of the future so one of them could be hitting the trade market in the next off season.

They want to have 4 shooters on the floor at all times so JJ and OO roles may not expand as much Hawks fans originally thought.

This season will be more of a transitional season to build a new culture/craft a new play style and to asses who is staying or who should be traded.

 

 

It just seems like everyone minutes are going down and everyone in both units will get ample playing time. They want to maximize effort and production 

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Here's exactly what I am being told on roles 

They want Trae and Murray to play less mins. They want Murray to play more mins at PG.

DJ led the team in minutes last season, at over 36 min/game.  Trae was a little less than 35 min. I don't see their minutes dipping below 33/game.

 

They want Trae to give max effort in his mins on both ends

No starting star scoring PG in the league is going to give "max" effort on both ends of the floor.  Trae needs to become a smart defender and a guy that defends his man and passing lanes better.  But "max" effort on defense?  That's more like fan speak or old school college coach speak.  Trae needs to be a solid, timely defender, and less of a liability on D.

 

Bogi is expected to play more

He should play more. Especially at the end of games.  But Bogi did average 28 min/game last season.  What does "playing more" mean in minutes?  Does he get 30 min/game?  Or does "playing more" mean being healthy enough to play in more total games?

 

Even some potential for Bufkin to play 

If Bufkin plays, that means something has catastrophically happened to DJ, AJ, or Bogi, whether it be physically or mentally.  It becomes a numbers game. There is no minutes for Bufkin, if we want to develop AJ and give Bogi more minutes.  Unless AJ gets cut to around 10 - 12 min/game.  If that happens, that's a huge negative toward AJ.

 

Here are my desired minutes projections:

PG:  Trae ( 33 ) - DJ ( 15 )

G: DJ ( 18 ) - Bogi ( 30 )

F: Hunter ( 30 ) - AJ ( 18 )

PF:  JJ ( 24 ) - Bey ( 24 )

C : OO ( 26 ) Capela ( 22 )

 

Griffin is expected to get backup mins

The question with Griff is . . . how many minutes?  I got him at 18 min max, but that could be lower.

 

Hunter is expected to play between the 3 and 4 with Bey and JJ. 

I could see that, if we're trying to put our most talented players on the floor to close a game .. ( Trae - DJ - Bogi - Hunter - OO ). Hunter being able to efficiently play the 4 in a lineup like this, would definitely be ideal.

 

They haven't landed on a starter at the 4 yet but Bey is the lean right now. 

I can see this initially, just to keep a lot of shooting on the floor.  JJ, if not named the starter, will eventually take his spot, or play the most minutes between the two.

 

Okongwu and Clint are expected to split mins. 

As long as Okongwu gets the most minutes and is closing games, I'm cool with this.

 

They want OO and Clint to add more shooting range. 

Clint to add more shooting range?  I bet Clint hasn't made more than 5 - 10 shots outside of 15 feet in his entire career.  Okongwu is the guy who I believe is going to be the one who can extend his range to the 3 point line. We've seen flashes of this already.

 

Dre, Bogi, Bey, OO, and Murray are said to have had great improvements over the summer. 

To me, great improvements for each player means:

• DJ will put up All-Star numbers and be much tougher on defense. Long range shooting will be more consistent too.
• Bogi will continue to play like he did in the FIBA tournament, and have 42+% 3 point shooting
• Dre will approach being a 40% 3 point shooter, and possibly make an All-Defensive team
• Bey will match his great shooting output with increased activity on the defensive end
• OO will lock down the starting spot and become a top 10 - 15 center in the league

That's what "great improvements" mean to me

 

They are really excited about Kobe and Gueye potential. Their refusal to trade either is real 

Mo G was a star in Summer League. Looking forward to see if that translates to the G-League. Need to see if Bufkin is a guy who can run a team at the point, or be a combo guard who can give you good play on both ends.

 

I haven't heard much on Trae other than they want to maximize his production on both ends. Same for Murray. 

I want Trae to average 2 steals a game. He'll maximize his defensive value if he can be a guy who can cause turnovers or play passing lanes. Offensively, look for an increased volume of 3 point shots under Quin.

 

I heard Kobe will be playing a key role on both squads. 

I'll say again, more PT for Kobe on the "big squad" means less PT for AJ.  Something has really gone wrong with our guards, if Bufkin cracks this lineup.

 

They have very high expectations on what this team can be if everyone plays their role. 

@KB21, you will like what they are cooking up

[NBASupes]

1 hour ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

Here's exactly what I am being told on roles 

They want Trae and Murray to play less mins. They want Murray to play more mins at PG.

DJ led the team in minutes last season, at over 36 min/game.  Trae was a little less than 35 min. I don't see their minutes dipping below 33/game.

 

They want Trae to give max effort in his mins on both ends

No starting star scoring PG in the league is going to give "max" effort on both ends of the floor.  Trae needs to become a smart defender and a guy that defends his man and passing lanes better.  But "max" effort on defense?  That's more like fan speak or old school college coach speak.  Trae needs to be a solid, timely defender, and less of a liability on D.

 

Bogi is expected to play more

He should play more. Especially at the end of games.  But Bogi did average 28 min/game last season.  What does "playing more" mean in minutes?  Does he get 30 min/game?  Or does "playing more" mean being healthy enough to play in more total games?

 

Even some potential for Bufkin to play 

If Bufkin plays, that means something has catastrophically happened to DJ, AJ, or Bogi, whether it be physically or mentally.  It becomes a numbers game. There is no minutes for Bufkin, if we want to develop AJ and give Bogi more minutes.  Unless AJ gets cut to around 10 - 12 min/game.  If that happens, that's a huge negative toward AJ.

 

Here are my desired minutes projections:

PG:  Trae ( 33 ) - DJ ( 15 )

G: DJ ( 18 ) - Bogi ( 30 )

F: Hunter ( 30 ) - AJ ( 18 )

PF:  JJ ( 24 ) - Bey ( 24 )

C : OO ( 26 ) Capela ( 22 )

 

Griffin is expected to get backup mins

The question with Griff is . . . how many minutes?  I got him at 18 min max, but that could be lower.

 

Hunter is expected to play between the 3 and 4 with Bey and JJ. 

I could see that, if we're trying to put our most talented players on the floor to close a game .. ( Trae - DJ - Bogi - Hunter - OO ). Hunter being able to efficiently play the 4 in a lineup like this, would definitely be ideal.

 

They haven't landed on a starter at the 4 yet but Bey is the lean right now. 

I can see this initially, just to keep a lot of shooting on the floor.  JJ, if not named the starter, will eventually take his spot, or play the most minutes between the two.

 

Okongwu and Clint are expected to split mins. 

As long as Okongwu gets the most minutes and is closing games, I'm cool with this.

 

They want OO and Clint to add more shooting range. 

Clint to add more shooting range?  I bet Clint hasn't made more than 5 - 10 shots outside of 15 feet in his entire career.  Okongwu is the guy who I believe is going to be the one who can extend his range to the 3 point line. We've seen flashes of this already.

 

Dre, Bogi, Bey, OO, and Murray are said to have had great improvements over the summer. 

To me, great improvements for each player means:

• DJ will put up All-Star numbers and be much tougher on defense. Long range shooting will be more consistent too.
• Bogi will continue to play like he did in the FIBA tournament, and have 42+% 3 point shooting
• Dre will approach being a 40% 3 point shooter, and possibly make an All-Defensive team
• Bey will match his great shooting output with increased activity on the defensive end
• OO will lock down the starting spot and become a top 10 - 15 center in the league

That's what "great improvements" mean to me

 

They are really excited about Kobe and Gueye potential. Their refusal to trade either is real 

Mo G was a star in Summer League. Looking forward to see if that translates to the G-League. Need to see if Bufkin is a guy who can run a team at the point, or be a combo guard who can give you good play on both ends.

 

I haven't heard much on Trae other than they want to maximize his production on both ends. Same for Murray. 

I want Trae to average 2 steals a game. He'll maximize his defensive value if he can be a guy who can cause turnovers or play passing lanes. Offensively, look for an increased volume of 3 point shots under Quin.

 

I heard Kobe will be playing a key role on both squads. 

I'll say again, more PT for Kobe on the "big squad" means less PT for AJ.  Something has really gone wrong with our guards, if Bufkin cracks this lineup.

 

They have very high expectations on what this team can be if everyone plays their role. 

@KB21, you will like what they are cooking up

They really have high expectations for this team. Quin really been getting the guys to buy into roles. 

It definitely sounds like they want to maximize is the goal of 2023. 

I don't know when it comes to Griffin. I haven't heard much but i haven't heard much about Trae either. I know he's back in Atlanta. He mainly works out in LA these days. 

The guys seem to be buying in. I think people will be very surprised. Shooting will be much improved is what I heard the most. 

[RedDawg#8]

11 hours ago, NBASupes said:

It just seems like everyone minutes are going down and everyone in both units will get ample playing time. They want to maximize effort and production 

Hard to reduce Trae’s minutes when he avgs  less than 35 mpg as is. No star player plays under 33mpg.

I think more substitutions for him vs playing entire 12 min stretches is the likely outcome of trying to get more effort.

If Trae is getting 6 mins runs throughout the game, this will keep him more fresh and keep us from those long offensive lapses when he sits for too long. Maybe more leads late in games means he doesn’t have to finish on the court.  That is how I can realistically see his minutes going down.

[JeffS17]

20 hours ago, NBASupes said:

Here's exactly what I am being told on roles 

They want Trae and Murray to play less mins. They want Murray to play more mins at PG.

They want Trae to give max effort in his mins on both ends

Bogi is expected to play more

Even some potential for Bufkin to play 

Griffin is expected to get backup mins

Hunter is expected to play between the 3 and 4 with Bey and JJ. 

They haven't landed on a starter at the 4 yet but Bey is the lean right now. 

Okongwu and Clint are expected to split mins. 

They want OO and Clint to add more shooting range. 

Dre, Bogi, Bey, OO, and Murray are said to have had great improvements over the summer. 

They are really excited about Kobe and Gueye potential. Their refusal to trade either is real 

I haven't heard much on Trae other than they want to maximize his production on both ends. Same for Murray. 

I heard Kobe will be playing a key role on both squads. 

They have very high expectations on what this team can be if everyone plays their role. 

@KB21, you will like what they are cooking up

This is why I'm so excited for this season.  Are we going to win a chip this season?  Extremely unlikely -- but it's going to be really fun watching these guys develop and seeing who rises to the top.

[JeffS17]

And while I know the reaction here will be overwhelmingly negative to this train of thought, I still think we are low key preparing for a Trae Young-less Hawks team in the future, and we are positioning ourselves to have continued success when that day comes.  Other than having actual schemes, a modern offense, and a great development staff, this new coaching regime is bringing in a new culture that is no longer do everything to appease Trae and build around Trae.  It's possible Trae adapts well and starts playing team ball, but I honestly won't be surprised if he's on the block by next summer.  The power shift in the org has quickly shifted from Trae Young to Quin Snyder.  Really interested to see how things play out over the next year or so.