KWAME LOST!! NOOOOOO!!!!!

[skyhawk]

I would have liked Portland's pick also but I'm sure if Portland had given us their pick it would have been protected...

[Plainview1981]

What we see is a trend that has been going on for a long

time. You need a top 5 player to win a title. Your little

5 decent guys and chiemstry Hoosiers theory is a load of

crap. Sorry to say it...But it is.

The 6th pick in this draft isn't good enough. This team

is never going to be a contender without one. And Billy

Knight will NOT put together a championship team here

because he's an idiot.

[Diesel]

While I believe we will get a top three pick.. Let's review....

Kobe Bryant 13th pcik.

Tracy McGrady - 9th pick.

Paul Pierce - 10th pick.

Peja 14th pick.

KG -5th pick

Richard Jefferson - 13th

Jason Richardson - 5th

Amare Stoudamire - 9th

Kirk Hinrich - 7th

Steve Nash -15th

Aren't all these guys allstars are close???

[Plainview1981]

Look at the draft....Who's there after the 3rd pick? A

bunch of trash...That's the problem. And the team needs

more than an allstar. Had allstars before....Allstars

don't win titles..Superstar does.

[OGRat]

I think you could have made that argument in many prior years also, but there were always some winners not in the top 5.

[Plainview1981]

Why don't you give the list of all these prospects that

have so much potential. Nbadraft.net has the Hawks taking

Ben Gordon. Who wants a JT jr? OR what about that chump

that got owned by Darko?

[Plainview1981]

Anyway, I'm tired of arguing about this. We'll just

have to see what happens I guess. But a 6th pick

shouldn't be anybody excited.

[Weez]

"And Billy

Knight will NOT put together a championship team here

because he's an idiot."

Ok, you make this statement. That's fine. Your reasons for this? Any way to back it up? Who would you rather have (granted, terrible tough question)?

[Lascar78]

Since when does hotlanta need any reason to say the franchise will always suck, all the players will always suck and all management will always be morons? you must be thinking of someone else

no worries though, he should be on the bobcat boards soon enough

[Plainview1981]

Because this franchise never looks to add a real face

to it.

Steve SMith is not a face of a franchise

Shareef is not a face of a franchise

Jason Terry is not the face of a franchise. He tries...But

he can't be taken seriousally. Always says stuff he can't

backup and such.

I was talking about this on another message board. The

reason teams like the CLippers/Hawks/Warriors continue

to struggle is because they don't put a stamp on the

franchise. The Hawks badly need a stamp on the franchise

and settling for a 5th pick in this draft probably isn't

going to get you that guy. Detroit has Ben Wallace. Denver

added Melo who has given the Nuggets a face. Hubie Brown

gave Memphis a face.

Nique isn't going to be the face as much as people think

he will be. Just my gut feeling tells me so. He'll help,

but him sitting in an office answering to Billy is not

going to get the franchise on it's feet for the first time

really in 13-15 years.

[pathway23]

13-15 years?

This franchise made the playoffs in 1998, Granted we were eliminted in the first round but that is better than half the teams in the league in any given year.

Hotlanta it is obvious that you aren't a fan of this team. You are way too negative about the team to be a fan. A fan can put up with a lot of **** from their team and still be loyal to them, still think positively about them.

To you success can only be measured by a championship. I disagree. To simply be competitive is success, imo, and a championship is just dessert. The main course is watching a competitive team. I agree that we haven't had that the last few years. But your comment that this Franchise hasn't gone anywhere for 13-15 years set me off.

What was 1994 then, a mere 10 years ago, when we won 57 games ?

there were a couple 50 win teams after that as well. These teams were built just to succeed and not go over the top, I agree, but winning stuck us in that position, not losing. We were stuck with low draft picks where the probability of success was low, and we also had a poor judge of talent selecting players (Pete Babcock)...

You need to give BK his due. He built the Grizz. All Jerry West has had to do to BK's plan there is touch up the paint.

And BK will do the same thing here.

I know some talent will get here and we will be more competitive. The Question is, will this talent be enough to put us over the top. That means to win 60 games and go to the NBA Finals. That means to not only get talented players but for those players to have excellent chemistry. It is more about chemistry than about your superstar.

[Weez]

Ok, so those things have what to do with Knight as the GM? He didn't put Reef here, in fact he got out of both Memphis and Atl...is steve smith here? no. JT ~ the only one you mentioned that's still playing ~ would you rather have let him walk last summer for nothing?

He's made an effot with Nique, one that many supported. So you say it won't work...you would rather him have put "x" in his spot instead? BTW - I loved you examples of other "franchise stamps" - Detroit and B. Wallace, who they LUCKED into during the Hill trade. He was a relative unknown player scraping from contract to contract that blossomed there. Hubie in Memphis...West is the best, that's all I can say. He took a huge gamble by hiring the forgotten one and it worked out beautifully. That was a calculated risk, and move....Wallace wasn't.

I don't see what you're hating on though...the team went out this week and fired their head of public relations and head of ticket sales, something that went virtually unnoticed on this board. They hired Nique. By ALL accounts they're making huge efforts and strides to do all the necessary things to turn this club around and do it in the "right" fashion, from every aspect.

[Plainview1981]

This franchise made the playoffs in 1998, Granted we were eliminted in the first round but that is better than half the teams in the league in any given year.

"

See that's just not good enough. Being one of the best is

what is supposed to be strived for.

"Hotlanta it is obvious that you aren't a fan of this team. You are way too negative about the team to be a fan. A fan can put up with a lot of **** from their team and still be loyal to them, still think positively about them."

Hey, one of the owners said it best...The most critical

fans are the best ones. I hate your theory. Would you let

a women cheat on you....Put you down in front of your

friends....then still stay with her and be loyal to her?

If you choose to leave her does that mean you don't love

her or you never did? I may bash these team so much, but

I've been burned and I don't have my trust in this franchise

to do right until it proves it can.

I was a stupid fan until that @ss kicking by NY. That

was a alltime low as a Hawk fan. Yes, even worse than

now.

"The main course is watching a competitive team. I agree that we haven't had that the last few years. But your comment that this Franchise hasn't gone anywhere for 13-15 years set me off."

If they hadn't played a pissy @ss Detroit team they wouldn't

have even got out of the first round. Regular season wins

only count for so much. Playoffs is when basketball is

REALLY played.

I want the Hawks to become a premier franchise like the

Lakers or even the Spurs. A team with great history. A

team that has some creditability. Those 90's Hawks didn't

have the creditablity. Challenge for the finals and title.

"to win 60 games and go to the NBA Finals. That means to not only get talented players but for those players to have excellent chemistry. It is more about chemistry than about your superstar."

It starts by getting a face for the franchise. Nobody gives

a crap about a Shareef for Steve Smith.

[Plainview1981]

Ok, so those things have what to do with Knight as the GM? He didn't put Reef here, in fact he got out of both Memphis and Atl...is steve smith here? no. JT ~ the only one you mentioned that's still playing ~ would you rather have let him walk last summer for nothing?"

Billy Knight failed in the quest to land a top 3 pick(Or it

looks that way) and team has no building blocks and there

doesn't appear to be anyone with real potential to come to

the team this offseason.

"He's made an effot with Nique, one that many supported. So you say it won't work...you would rather him have put "x" in his spot instead?"

I'm saying you guys act like Nique is going to make some

sort of huge difference he will not. What resume does Nique

have other than being a former player? He will help ALITTLE

but will not be the face of the franchise.

"BTW - I loved you examples of other "franchise stamps" - Detroit and B. Wallace, who they LUCKED into during the Hill trad"

It doesn't change that fact that Detroit got the face of

their franchise....And the Hawks have to do their best to

do the very samething.

[Weez]

"Billy Knight failed in the quest to land a top 3 pick(Or it

looks that way) and team has no building blocks"

What more would you have had him do? By this logic, you're completely for his trading of Sheed to Detroit. He did that. As for the team winning ~ theydid that on their own, despite the odds....and if you take a look at the Nuggets last year, that worked pretty well for them. Had they rolled over in more games last year/assured themselves of a higher/number one pick, do you think Miller would have wanted to go there (with that attitude of roll over and die, it's ok) by the players and front office. You have to realize that several of the players on this roster will be here next year and to tell them to dog it and lose makes them hate being here ~ thus word will spread and we'll be even further from being able to sign any FA's.

"I'm saying you guys act like Nique is going to make some

sort of huge difference he will not"

I agree. But it's a nice first step effort at non-grass root fans who probably only know the Hawks from Nique days. It's something...and I don't see many other viable options at this point...do you? No? Then it was the right move.

"It doesn't change that fact that Detroit got the face of

their franchise....And the Hawks have to do their best to

do the very samething."

agreed. And it would appear that they're doing this wouldn't it? Firing the head of marketing and the head of public relations/ticket sales?

Face it ~ right now you're being completely hateful towards a group and gm that has done nothing negative (really) and several positive things during an extremely short tenure here.

[Plainview1981]

I'll give Billy some credit when he gets a building block

here. Until then, he gets no credit from dumping cap and

getting very little in return.

[Weez]

it's easier said than done. My point is simply this: why not look at the glass as half full? He hasn't emptied it and he's put gas in the car so we can go to the store to get more juice.

Until he does something that you think's really wrong/a bad move, esp. a long-term bad move (i.e. Hendu or signign Jax to a 60 million dollar deal) it's pretty hard to condemn him right? you were for the Reef trade. you were for gaining more cap room? and yet you hate the way he's handling the team and call him a baffoon?

[Plainview1981]

it's easier said than done. My point is simply this: why not look at the glass as half full?"

Looking at the roster and the fact the team failed to get

a top 3 pick it just doesn't look good.

I understand Reef/Theo had to go...But he didn't get much

for them. No young players or many draft picks. That is a

problem.

[TROUBLEMAN69]

Quote:

---

it's easier said than done. My point is simply this: why not look at the glass as half full?"

Looking at the roster and the fact the team failed to get

a top 3 pick it just doesn't look good.

I understand Reef/Theo had to go...But he didn't get much

for them. No young players or many draft picks. That is a

problem.

---

You keep saying the Hawks failed to get a top three pick, which is incorrect. We will not know if they failed to get a top three pick or not until the lottery is complete. Memphis had the 6th worst record last season and was still able to get the #2 pick, which unfortunately they had traded to Detroit. The year before Houston had the 5th worst record and was able to get the #1 pick, which turned into Yao Ming.

TROUBLEMAN

[macdaddy]

Man. We actually have a decent chance at a top 3 pick and this is a negative for you guys because its a 'weak' draft. The hawks won't win a championship next year or the year after that. That's why Knight cleared cap space despite the fact that there aren't many big name FAs this year. He realizes that the first step toward building an elite team is building a respectable one. It can't be done in one season.

But he can get some good young talent with decent draft picks this year. Pick up some solid veterans in free agency and maybe make a trade or 2 in the offseason. Bring the team back to the playoffs and then we can attract a big time player. But, landing a top 5 star is at least a year away if not 2. And that's if all goes well with the rest of the plan.

Notice Knight unloaded SAR and Theo and not JT or Jax. Because SAR and Theo will be useless to this team by the time we are in contention. JT, like him or not, still has huge potential and is a young, fast, good shooter and relatively cheap.

I gotta get back to work...