Sign somebody please

[Blunt91]

We are wasting time waiting on this Dampier Saga. Why not just go on a make a bid at Pryzbilla before he accepts an offer from a team like Toronto? We would still have money for Damp if he is serious about coming here. We also need pointguard help. Furthermore, Billy Knight is taking the idea of Long Athletic players too seriously. We could have been signed a pointguard like Mike Wilks but yet Knight is giving the indication that Royal Ivey and Donta Smith can be solid backups. Bullshit!!! they don't even have the pointguard skills of Boris Diaw. Ivey might be solid defensively but to me its a case of we already have enough young players on the team and we are in need of a steady pointguard. Knight said himself we can't have a team full of just young guys that's why I think Ivey should be left off the roster or stashed away on the IR. Sura or Wilkes would help this team far more than him. BTW Wilks is a good defender, don't let his size fool if he can keep up with the likes of AI that's good enough for me.

[tmac13]

I agree, If we wait till the 30th to know what Damp is doing we could likely lose out on any other meaningful big guy..In my opinion, Damp is just not good enough to waste 2 weeks waiting on in the middle of free agency. I really believe if Pryz can stay healthy(a Damp cocern also) he could average 8 points and 10 boards..Not much of a drop off from Damp's career highs....And on a different note..What the hell is Orlando thinking?..Trading Gooden, Hunter, and Varejo(sp) for scrub Battie???..I wish we could have got those 3 for nothing..

[OGRat]

On insidehoops.com Pryz is listed as a restricted free agent. We have the right to match any other team's offer. We also have Rebraca as a restricted free agent.

The question is, "Are they healthy?"

Unless BK knows something about his draft picks that has not yet been revealed, I do wish we could get a solid PG. I read posts that D. Smith may be an option, but I think a solid PG could be the difference in our season. Not only from a winning percentage stand point, but from a team stability standpoint.

[Plainview1981]

I really believe if Pryz can stay healthy(a Damp cocern also) he could average 8 points and 10 boards"

Joel might average 8PPG if he gets to try and tip it in

20 points. Joel is one of the worst offensive players

I've ever seen.

[Traceman]

He may not end up signing Damp after all is said and done and he may not get Swift but I think he will end up getting a pretty good player (or two) late in the game if he doesn't panic. If he had not remained patient last year, he never would have been able to sign Jax for the bargain rate that he did. This year, being patient might mean that he signs Damp or Swift at a bargain rate. If not them, there are other solid guys still out there he can target. Jamaal Crawford is still out there. Other guys out there worth a look for the right price include Miles, Eric Williams, Sura, Damon Jones, Mike James, Jon Barry, Rebraca, Keon Clark, Ostertag, Rodney White, Ekezie, Courtney Alexander, etc.

In addition, if he doesn't sign Damp or Swift, other teams may off load young talent and/or draft picks to the Hawks in order to create enough capspace to make one of those guys a good offer. For example, Phoenix could send us a young player to create enough capspace to go after Damp or Swift.

The bottom line is that there is no need to rush out and sign Joel Pryzbilla when there are other guys available who can likely provide what he does for similar money. Is Pryz much, if any, better than Ostertag, Rebraca or Clark?

[emeans]

Donte Smith is not a Point Guard. He doesn't have a point guards body nor does he have the handles to be a true point guard. We need to stop that talk. Boris Diaw can't play Point Guard either. Same reasons...they can run and pass on a fast break but that is it. A true point guard need to be able to play in a half court offense and create shot opportunities for others. Diaw nor Smith can do this.

The only guys on the Roster right now that can play point guard is JT, Hansen and Ivey. Hansen and JT are more suited toward being SG however they can play PG. Ivey just isn't ready right now in my estimation and from what I saw last night.

That is why...If we want to be competative this year, we need to sign Bob Sura as the backup PG/SG and of course get 3 more big men on this roster.

[TROUBLEMAN69]

There is no way in hell that I would sign Mike Wilkes to backup JT, especially at the expense of Ivey. For the life of me, I cannot understand the fascination with the guy. This team is not going to win next year. Rebuilding is not an overnight job, and guys like Mike Wilkes, who I don't even think will make the team, are not worth the time.

TROUBLEMAN

[Plainview1981]

Other guys out there worth a look for the right price include Miles, Eric Williams, Sura, Damon Jones, Mike James, Jon Barry, Rebraca, Keon Clark, Ostertag, Rodney White, Ekezie, Courtney Alexander, etc.

"

Ostertag already signed with the Jazz. He's just as bad

as Joel Prz is anyway.

[Blunt91]

Just because Wilks isn't a well known player doesn't mean he can't run a team. You obviously didn't watch the games when JT was out and Wilks was the pointguard. He might not be a scorer but he has a high IQ and is a true poitnguard. I haven't seen Ivey play but from what I have read about him he is still learning how to run a team.

[Traceman]

point is well taken. I guess what I was trying to say is that there is not a huge difference between guys like Pryz and Ostertag so there is no reason to rush out and sign one of them if it might interfere with you ability to get a better player at a reasonable price.

[OGRat]

Sura doesn't work for me at PG. We need a real PG. Someone who can control the flow of the game and set other players up. He also needs to be able to hit the open shot(3 pt range preferred).

We do not have anyone on our roster who can do that.

[Diesel]

Knight is planning on using Damp in trade by the middle of the year (possibly).. That's worth waiting especially if Damp signs with us for cheap. However, There are other guys out there.

For instance at PG, there's Charlie Ward. He fits our needs. Can Shoot, defensive, can run an offense.

At Pf, there's Leon Smith, Donnell Harvey, and even Corie Blunt if you want him.

At C, there's a whole host of characters, i would like to extend an offer for Loren Woods.

Anyway, I think it's no crime if we take cheap players and let our money roll over into the season and into next offseason.

We're really in no hurry.

[Plainview1981]

I meant to say the Kings. Don't know why I said the Jazz.

They probably threw a party when he became a FA. Sloan

hates Ostertag I think.

[Blunt91]

Leon Smith is too Lazy for my liking. He had a chance to make our team 2years ago but didn't take advantage of it by not coming to practices. Donnell Harvey isn't doing anything to better his game. A guy I work with said Donnell has been hanging out at one of the nightclubs here in South GA. He needs to be trying to harness his game instead of hanging with the boys and drinking.

[Weez]

Hudson's alrady signed with the TWolves

[Diesel]

With the spot that we are in, a min contract to Leon should be easy to do. I believe that he has learned to appreciate his opportunity. Last yr, he dominated minor league ball with a new found work ethic. He was picked up late in the season by Seattle. I would love to give him another chance because if he pans out, we win, if he doesn't we're only out about 100+k.

[Weez]

min contract is about 350K (about what Hansen's getting). It's too early for 10d contracts...thus, we'd lose out on that (give or take). no biggie

[TROUBLEMAN69]

Quote:

---

Just because Wilks isn't a well known player doesn't mean he can't run a team. You obviously didn't watch the games when JT was out and Wilks was the pointguard. He might not be a scorer but he has a high IQ and is a true poitnguard. I haven't seen Ivey play but from what I have read about him he is still learning how to run a team.

---

Who cares if he is well known or not? And yeah, I did watch him play, and sorry I wasn't impressed. Apparently the Hawks weren't either because they didn't sign him for the rest of the season. Neither was Minnesota, because they didn't bring him back last year.

As far as Ivey is concerned, you are right, he is a rookie which means he does need to learn a lot about running an NBA team. So what? Who said anything about him starting this season? I wouldn't cut him for Mike Wilks, who I would be shocked to see on anyone's NBA roster this season.

TROUBLEMAN

[perthwildcat]

Hudson hasnt signed yet the wolves have offered him a 6 year 37 mil contract but the NBA has stopped him signing it.. something to do with violation of the salary cap.

[Weez]

thanks for the update. Curious, I hadn't heard that yet, but I have no doubt that it is likely true. The question is whether they have violated the cap in terms of spending, or in terms of a "secret deal." The Wolves were rather dimunitive in terms of FA status, with Spree resigning (right?) and the reported deal Hudson was offered. I don't know enough about Hudson's rFA status...my gues, and this is without any research, at all, is that they went over the cap in terms of resigning their own rFA without his receiving an offer from another team. Thus, they violated the cap????

I'm guessing here, completely.