Nice article 'bout J:Smoooooth

[NYHawk]

SUMMER LEAGUE STUFF

-- As much as I hate seeing high schoolers killing the level of play in the NBA, I’ve been very impressed with Atlanta first-round pick Josh Smith in the Rocky Mountain Revue. Yes, Smith is the same guy who ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said “has the biggest potential to be a bust” of anyone in the draft. That could still be true, but so far Smith has looked very athletic, and underrated when it comes to having a grip on the fundamentals. In fact, he’s looked better than any high school player I’ve seen this summer -- including Dwight Howard.

[OGRat]

I am really looking forward to seeing Smooth develop. I see many Sports Center highlights ahead.

Why chase VC, when you have a VC in the making? Oh for a little more patience.

[Derek]

I hope Josh makes Bilas the fool and makes me terrifically wrong when I said that BK shouldn't have drafted him.

[emeans]

and also make me look like a genious for saying "I TOLD YOU SO"!!!

Josh Smith may pan out to the the best player in this draft!! And Yes even better than Childress at #6.

So far in Summer Leagues he is definately the best High School Player to enter the NBA.

There will soon be some serious "crow" eating on this board.

[Derek]

Oh believe me... in a case like this... I WANT TO EAT CROW. I'm am a serious Hawk fan, but I don't gush with optimism all the time. I like to look at the realistic side of things, too.

I hope Smith lives up to all of his potential.

[Nicholasp27]

i like to be realistic as well, but i was also high on smooth on draft night and argued with many people in chat about the selection over nelson

like i said then, we were happy talking about smooth being our #6 pick a month before the draft...instead we ended up getting him with the 17th pick and people were still upset!...the knocks on him for handles have shown to be wrong this week and he definitely seems teachable and ready to learn and improve, showing a good attitude thus far

[Derek]

I'm really liking his defensive presence. If he can play defense, he can contribute more than I originally thought while working on his shot.

[Wretch]

I KNEW there was no way we could pass on him. This was the exactly the kind of thing that I was talking about when people were suggesting that we deal all of our picks to move up. I said that this would be the year to have multiple 1st round picks. There were SO many hssrs and foriegn players that the real talent would be scattered throughout the draft.

When Josh Smith was there at 17, and he had been projected to go as high as 6 to us...? Oh, man...I almost sh#t my pants. I was VERY happy with the selection then and I'm excited about the possibilities now.

[Wretch]

If both of Smith and Childress play up to thier potential, alongside Harrington and even JT... The lobs! The DUNKS! The J's...! The excitement!

Maaaaaaan! I can't wait. I hope to God that these guys blow up!

[TheDude]

Quote:

---

Oh, man...I almost sh#t my pants. I was VERY happy with the selection then and I'm excited about the possibilities now.

---

it's funny you say that wretch..i actually had to REALLY REALLY go to the bathroom but was painfully holding it because i didn't want to miss the 17th pick..

i can tell you i smiled on the toilet that day.

[deester11]

I definitely am on the Josh Smith bandwagon and I was talking about him to my coworkers the day before the draft. They all came in the next few days thinking I had ESP or something. All of the media jumped on the Bilas bandwagon because we're the Hawks and easy targets, but check this out from ESPN the Mag before the draft (Projected to us at number 6):

JOSH SMITH

"It would be tough to pass on Deng here(6), but Smith is freaky. he's got size, mobility and upside."

And for perspective, the same Mag said about Childress as high as 5 to the Wizards:

"The Wizards need a shooter, if not a SF, and he's the best on the board."

Funny how when we draft them, they turn to crap. (Speaking of which, I'll leave the toilet references to you guys).

[jezmund]

Yeah that is funny deester. We get the projected #5 and #6 at #6 and #17 and you have a questionable draft?

[Nicholasp27]

if the spurs (insert other respected team here) had gotten chill/smith with the 6/17, they'd be praised

don't worry tho

in 3 years, the bandwagon will start to get pretty full here

[CHORO44]

Quote:

---

if the spurs (insert other respected team here) had gotten chill/smith with the 6/17, they'd be praised

don't worry tho

in 3 years, the bandwagon will start to get pretty full here

---

AMEN!. I really liked out draft also and think the two Josh's will be starting for us very soon. I wish Diaw got some run with the summer league team. I'd like to see what he can do at the point against Devin Harris.

[emeans]

Exactly...I was elated that he fell to 17. Actually if you remember at one point he was projected as high as No. 2. So I was jumping for joy that we got this kid that late. You picked up a potential No. 2 or 3 pick at 17!!! What a deal.

We have our own homebread Vince Carter.

Now if we can get Ogden (the next Shaq 7 footer) in 2006. I doubt we will be sorry enough to get him, but it would be the beginning some championship runs.

[Sage11]

I am with you. I have visions of dunks, dimes, blocks, lock down basketball in Phillips Arena.... I hope all our picks explode. Some picks may take more time than others, but I'm willing to wait. I am happy to have something to wait for....

[deester11]

My nephew played ball against D. Howard, and Josh Smith (of course he thinks he's all world) but he told me that he was more impressed with Smith. Of course that takes nothing away from Howard, but if you would have told me before the draft that we could have gotten two very unique players and a great sleeper in D. Smith, I would have laughed. Thank GOD that Dan Reeves wasn't running the draft..(Oops, wrong sport).

Seriously, I haven't been this excited for a team I know won't make the playoffs (possibly) in a long time. I just want fundamental, exciting, defensive, gut-wrenching, in-your-face basketball. My last few years at Philips put me on the path to alcoholism. I didn't need much help in the first place.

[ATLien_]

I was just thinking about how the face of Atlanta sports has changed so quickly. Exit the Smiths in comes Blank exit AOL in comes "??????". Now we have to very good GM's in Knight and Mckay.

Before the last couple of years beside the Braves I think Atlanta probably had to of the worst GM's to ever be in the same city. Dan Reeves was a solid coach, but he choked himself with his terrible GM skillz. Babcock was also pretty terrible.

Has there ever been two worst GM's in the same city at the same time?

I used to cry when I watched the Falcons and Hawks draft. The falcons would draft Joe Blow from eastern shore of Conneticuit Community college in the 3rd round to play along with our other 5 TE's. I always kept thining all the talent in the SEC and we never draft from it. McKay had the best draft I have seen since I became a Falcons fan. Even the 7th round pick of Quincy Wilson was excellent.

Then the hawks would draft stiffs like Cal Bowdler, Big Baller Ed Gray, and Roshown Mcleod. Now we get J Chill and steal J smooth at 17. I can barely contain myself LOL.

[beav]

I try to make it a point to not criticize a player that I have never seen play (which is the case with about 90% of all high school and euro/russian players), so I have no opinion really...