2024-25 Insider Thread

[KB21]

25 minutes ago, JTB said:

How do we know this is the defensive game plan going forward when we were very close to selecting Clingan???

This doesn’t make a lot sense @KB21

i don’t mind the switching defense if that’s truly the plan but we better get another center with some size because a switching defense can get beat up in lane.

While they have not outright said it, it’s pretty obvious when you look at the players they brought in and listen to Landry talk about them.  Landry specifically mentions Risacher’s and Djurisic’s versatile defense and ability to switch multiple times.  They aren’t getting these versatile defenders to play drop coverage.  What we saw from Quin last season with all the hedging and blitzing was a small preview of where I think he wants to take his defensive scheme.  My prediction is we will be a lot more similar to what Boston is today defensively and what Atlanta was defensively under Bud with Al Horford at center than what Utah was defensively with Rudy Gobert.  Considering that they turned down a deal with SA that would have netted them Clingan and the fact that Clingan was not in the final two for the first pick, I don’t know that we were ever really close to drafting him.  A big part of that may be that Quin wants to be a lot more versatile on defense.  I 

[JayBirdHawk]

39 minutes ago, thecampster said:

What I said was we wouldn't move him except for real value. 

For clarity:

On 6/27/2024 at 3:38 PM, thecampster said:

Hunter isn't leaving this offseason unless we win the trade.

We'll take a minor loss to move Capela.

We expect value to move DJM.

We need wings (see @KB21's on the subject).  We aren't moving Hunter (a quality wing) unless someone gives us something we can't say no to and we'll need a wing back in the process.  We're already down a wing with Bey right now.

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

Time to solve this conundrum.

 

[sturt]

Instant reaction from the nosebleeds...

1. How did it happen that anyone became persuaded Glen Willis' opinion is any more compelling than, say, kg01's? I like the guy, I've shared his conclusions a lot of the time. But he's no one special just like I'm no one special.

2. If CC is such a problem to what Quin wants to run, how do we reconcile that assertion with the fact that Quin had some success with a defense-first C for pretty much all the time he was in SLC?

 

[thecampster]

17 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

For clarity:

 

What I'm pointing out

What I didn't say is teams are interested. What I said was we wouldn't do it just to move him. We'd have to win the trade, get real value, we'd have to get a deal we couldn't say no to.

What I didn't say is teams were offering that. I want to be clear.  Your statement inferred I was saying we had offers in that world. I did not say that.

[ATLHawks3]

Please, no to Ayton. If Ayton was good, the Blazers should've been at least a borderline play-in team last year.

[KB21]

18 minutes ago, sturt said:

Instant reaction from the nosebleeds...

1. How did it happen that anyone became persuaded Glen Willis' opinion is any more compelling than, say, kg01's? I like the guy, I've shared his conclusions a lot of the time. But he's no one special just like I'm no one special.

2. If CC is such a problem to what Quin wants to run, how do we reconcile that assertion with the fact that Quin had some success with a defense-first C for pretty much all the time he was in SLC?

 

The great coaches in any sport evolve what they do from a scheme standpoint.  Quin ran a drop heavy scheme in Utah because that’s what his talent fit.  However, that drop heavy scheme was routinely exposed in the playoffs.  During his last two years in Utah, Quin experimented with how he could evolve the defense.  

6 minutes ago, ATLHawks3 said:

Please, no to Ayton. If Ayton was good, the Blazers should've been at least a borderline play-in team last year.

I don’t think you have anything to worry about.  I doubt Ayton is a guy this front office or Quin values.  

[kg01]

25 minutes ago, sturt said:

Instant reaction from the nosebleeds...

1. How did it happen that anyone became persuaded Glen Willis' opinion is any more compelling than, say, kg01's? I like the guy, I've shared his conclusions a lot of the time. But he's no one special just like I'm no one special.

 

Agreed.  Nobody's opinion is more compelling than mine.

[JeffS17]

Tonight at 6PM, teams can “begin talking to FAs”.  If i recall from past offseasons, this really means you get announcements where players intend to sign.  And then they officially sign at the end of the week.  Am I remembering this correctly?

[sturt]

4 minutes ago, KB21 said:

The great coaches in any sport evolve what they do from a scheme standpoint.  Quin ran a drop heavy scheme in Utah because that’s what his talent fit.  However, that drop heavy scheme was routinely exposed in the playoffs.  During his last two years in Utah, Quin experimented with how he could evolve the defense.  

You meant "evolve the offense," right?

I don't claim to be a scholar in what Quin did in his last two years in Utah. All I'm saying is that the evidence is he knows how to win with a defense-first center, and at the moment, just getting to the playoffs is enough of an ambition that winning regular season games maybe is a more reasonable ambition. This team is just trying to establish themselves as legitimately at Base Camp III... with a remote shot at making Camp IV by the end of the 24-25 season and exposing APR again as taxpayment-adverse. There is no one that perceives they're anywhere close now to ascending Everest in 24-25.

[benhillboy]

1 hour ago, KB21 said:

The Hawks are going to be switching 2-5 a lot going forward, and Hunter really isn’t a switchable defender.  Long-term, they will really lean on Daniels, Risacher, and Krejci at the 2-3 spots as those guys can switch defensively.  
 

Kobe Bufkin is also a switchable defender, and it will be interesting to see him play with other defenders on the court.  
 

Having the improved ball containment on the perimeter is going to really allow Okongwu’s defensive game to shine as well. 

True, I was thinking more well-timed double teams and stacking at the top of a zone for the duo.  A good team defense has variation.  It’s sad a player who hasn’t played a game yet is more switchable than our vet big wing,  I want to see that crew navigate screens properly as much as they switch by design tho.  This team is far from the chemistry you want to be switch heavy.  

At the end of the day I won’t believe a team that has to gameplan around Trae so much can reach even a mediocre defensive rating to believe it.  He’s the common denominator in an average 25th ranking in the Young Era.  He just plays  way too many minutes to maximize team defensive possessions and his turnovers fuel awful transition.  You know that though I’m preaching to the choir.

[Hawkish]

3 hours ago, Eddielives said:

I don’t know about Ayton. Seems he’s not wanted wherever he goes. That’s a big . 

He looks great off the bus, but there is something about his tone/personality in the few interview videos I’ve watched of him recently (small sample) that show him as incredibly naive.  He seems to view himself as great.  I could see how he might cause teammates to sour on him when his game awareness/consistency doesn’t match his belief of reality…. If that makes sense.  

Edited Sunday at 01:35 PM by Hawkish

[Peoriabird]

Why are we still talking about Ayton?

[KB21]

30 minutes ago, sturt said:

You meant "evolve the offense," right?

I don't claim to be a scholar in what Quin did in his last two years in Utah. All I'm saying is that the evidence is he knows how to win with a defense-first center, and at the moment, just getting to the playoffs is enough of an ambition that winning regular season games maybe is a more reasonable ambition. This team is just trying to establish themselves as legitimately at Base Camp III... with a remote shot at making Camp IV by the end of the 24-25 season and exposing APR again as taxpayment-adverse. There is no one that perceives they're anywhere close now to ascending Everest in 24-25.

FWIW, Quin had a hand in designing the defense the Hawks employed during the early Bud years, and they didn’t run drop.  Expect to see a lot more hedging, blitzing, and maybe even inverting the defense from time to time. 

[ABH]

1 hour ago, JayBirdHawk said:

For clarity:

 

We need scoring also

[KB21]

38 minutes ago, benhillboy said:

True, I was thinking more well-timed double teams and stacking at the top of a zone for the duo.  A good team defense has variation.  It’s sad a player who hasn’t played a game yet is more switchable than our vet big wing,  I want to see that crew navigate screens properly as much as they switch by design tho.  This team is far from the chemistry you want to be switch heavy.  

At the end of the day I won’t believe a team that has to gameplan around Trae so much can reach even a mediocre defensive rating to believe it.  He’s the common denominator in an average 25th ranking in the Young Era.  He just plays  way too many minutes to maximize team defensive possessions and his turnovers fuel awful transition.  You know that though I’m preaching to the choir.

The Hawks defense over the last half of the 2020-2021 season was a top 10 defense, and that was with Lloyd Pierce’s scheme.  

[JayBirdHawk]

From OO's exit interview:

On 4/19/2024 at 6:03 PM, JayBirdHawk said:

It was interesting listening to OO's exit interview regarding the defense:

- said they tried a lot of stuff over the.course of the season to see what worked and what didn't 

- said when he came back from.injured toe the first time, the defense was different - had him hedging. First time in his career he's had to hedge.

Bruno also indicated Quin changed some of the defensive principles later in the season. 

- 

 

On 4/24/2024 at 1:48 PM, JayBirdHawk said:

Growth isn't always linear, especially with a new system. OO said during his exit interview "said when he came back from injured toe the first time, the defense was different - Quin had him hedging which was something he has never done"

 

[bleachkit]

57 minutes ago, kg01 said:

Agreed.  Nobody's opinion is more compelling than mine.

I concur. When I think of you KG...measured and cautious in your remarks. Taking tremendous care to avoid ad hominens, downright legalistic at times. The consummate voice of reason and restraint. 

[kg01]

36 minutes ago, bleachkit said:

I concur. When I think of you KG...measured and cautious in your remarks. Taking tremendous care to avoid ad hominens, downright legalistic at times. The consummate voice of reason and restraint. 

When I run for office, you've got a spot in my cabinet.

My literal cabinet?  Time will tell. 

[theheroatl]

We shouldn't be talking about Ayton. Not sure why that was something that was thrown out there.

At 6 pm we will need to know if the certain free agents are signing with their existing teams which makes them need to move off other players.