Maybe Dalembert is the answer?

[Nicholasp27]

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I would recommend we offer 10M for 3 years, with big incentives.

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we CAN'T get him for less than 7mil/year starting salary, as Washington already gave him that qualifying offer

[Diesel]

5 yrs 38.5 million dollars is just a bid that would suffice everything we need to do to get him...

I think it's very fair especially if their's a T.O. after 3. What that means is that we can terminate the contract after 3 yrs if we choose to.

That's fair to both sides... Because #1... Washington has already given him a Q.Offer that requires we match it. Secondly, NY will send their best offer to get him...

I say we send Diaw/2nd to Washington and let them SNT him over to us for 5 yrs 38.5 with a T.O. after three years...

That's perfect timing.

[Diesel]

Boris did worse... He said I'm going back to France last year when he wasn't playing..

How much hollering about Boris have you heard me doing...

My feeling is that if you don't want to be here go on... But I 'm not going to do a lot of hollering.. I just expect Woody to change his gameplan accordingly.. Meaning, Leave you out.

However, when you look at the Kwame situation, you have to look at the situation as a whole.

Washington picked him first. Put him on the squad with one of the best players in the History of the game and said, in these 2 years, we have to get to the title. When he was slow to learn, Jordan publicly criticized him... Had him benched. Changed Coaches changed themes... Eddie Jordan came in... Put Kwame in the Doghouse. And at this time, the media is picking Kwame a part day by day, yet he doesn't get the playing time to prove himself... because now again all the sudden they are a playoff team.

Just imagine if Woody wouldn't have brought Chillz along the way he did. I mean what if he didn't reward him with playing time for playing well... What if Chillz had a good game but tommorow, Chillz is back on the bench for the next 4 games until a need for him arises.. and all the while, the press has labeled him BUST?? How do you think Chillz would respond.

It's true Kwame was Wrong...

Just like Jermaine Oneal in PTL went Hat Shopping instead of catching a flight to join his summer league team... Did you know that J.O. skipped Summer league (before he was traded) to go Hat Shopping? At the least he could have faked an injury or something... I guess you would feel the same way about him too?

[Yeti]

"we CAN'T get him for less than 7mil/year starting salary, as Washington already gave him that qualifying offer"

Great. Maybe Kwame will work out for them. Maybe he will turn out to be their Koncak and kill the franchise. Or maybe they'll trade him and a first round pick to someone just to take him and the fat salary. I think he is worth giving a try but not for THAT kind of money. You don't reward poor performance by giving someone a pay raise. I think the question is "Is he recoverable?" not "How big a star will he be?"

He has a lot to prove. Too bad Washington is screwing him again with the qualifying offer. He really needs to move on.

yeti

[Lascar78]

I hope you're not trying to equate a player saying he might not re-sign here if he's not going get a chance to play, with a player faking an injury to quit on his team in the middle of a close playoff series.

[Diesel]

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ARIS (Eurobasket) - Atlanta Hawks' French international Boris Diaw believes his lack of playing time with the NBA side could threaten his participation at this year's Eurobasket, and admitted he is thinking about leaving his club if the situation does not change soon.

The 22-year-old former Pau-Orthez talent, who joined the Hawks in 2003, enjoyed a good debut year under the coaching of Terry Stotts, but has failed to convince new boss Mike Woodson, who took charge at the start of the current season.

Despite making a short appearance this week in Atlanta's match against Orlando following the injury to Josh Smith, Diaw is aware his situation is not likely to change as Woodson has accused him of not being efficient and combative enough.

"I started the season as a first-team member but I rapidly found myself on the bench - apparently I don't live up to the coach's expectations," said Diaw.

"I don't bring enough to the team. Woodson also blamed me for not being combative and said that if I wanted to play in the NBA I had to score points.

"I have heard this reproach every day, when I go to the supermarket to buy tomatoes, the fans tell me I must shoot.

"I got it from journalists, friends or other players but rarely from my coaches. Usually they are happy to have a player like me who prefers to help his team-mates play.

"My role is badly understood. Last year the coach (Stotts) and the manager (Billy Knight) hired my services for good reasons.

"Both played in France and they knew the European system. They understood my role and knew what I could bring to the team. But Woodson does not."

In the long term Diaw admits he cannot see himself sticking with the situation.

He is worried such a scenario could cost him a place with France at the European Championships

in September and hints he could leave.

"This idea has crossed my mind since I am not playing," Diaw added in L'Equipe. "The most important thing for a player is to play and I want to play.

"If at some point I am really sure I will not be able to express myself here then I will have to find a solution because it's no good for me or the team.

"I also think this situation could be prejudicial for me on an international level. I keep training and I hope I will have reached a good level this summer."

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It's all the same thing... A player getting tired of being on the bench and thinking of going somewhere else.

J.O., Diaw, Kwame...

[emeans]

Diesel we are starting to agree....and that is is kinda scary. But I totally agree with this post.

Washington is giving up on Kwame too soon. He is going to realize his potential with another team...hopefully Atlanta. People are going to see why he was selected No. 1 overall starting with a change of scenery.

I am hoping we get Kwame!!

[Lascar78]

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"If at some point I am really sure I will not be able to express myself here then I will have to find a solution because it's no good for me or the team.

"I also think this situation could be prejudicial for me on an international level. I keep training and I hope I will have reached a good level this summer."

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This is the quote from Diaw. What you highlighted is the reporter talking. Again, how is somebody saying "if it comes to the point where I can't contribute at all we'll have to figure something out" worse than somebody who actually did quit during the playoffs?

[Diesel]

The way I see it..

At the price of Diaw/2nd.. and taking on a 5 yrs 38.5 million dollar deal with TO at 3... It's a damn good gamble. Especially for a team like us who has the money and won't need a lot of money for at least 3 yrs...

We also have a need for his skill set and we have the time to develop him.

I see him as Jermaine Oneal #2. I have been reading about How Jermaine Oneal was pouting, missing summerleagues, and disgusted with the rainy days in PTL (is it really that bad) and how Isiah (of all people) made him a star... I think BK/Woody could be Kwame's Isiah..

[Diesel]

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PARIS (Eurobasket) - Atlanta Hawks' French international Boris Diaw believes his lack of playing time with the NBA side could threaten his participation at this year's Eurobasket,

and admitted he is thinking about leaving his club if the situation does not change soon.

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OK.. Let's just wait and see...

[Lascar78]

Again, there's a big difference between not having been given a chance, and having been given many chances and folded.

I don't mind taking a chance on Kwame, but he's a bigger gamble than O'Neal was.

I've gotten the feeling for a while now that Kwame and Curry are the only 2 bigs we really have any shot at. I think Kwame ends up here when it's all said and done. All the big centers will get signed, nobody has money left. We'll come in and offer just a little more than the offer sheet, and Washington will not want to match

[Yeti]

I think most of us agree we'd like to get Kwame a chance. We need a good center and he needs a fresh start.

The question is how much are we willing to spend? Shouldn't compensation be based on performance? And what has his performance been like the last few years? So we need a 2-3 year contract with options and the money should be 3-4 million per year with big incentives if he produces.

yeti

[Plainview1981]

I think people go alittle too far with Kwame Browns

"Potential" and I don't think he has shown all THAT

much potential. Yes, he was taken 1st overall, but

so was the Kandi Man.

He had a worst year this year than each of the last

two years... He only put up 10/7 in 31MPG two years

ago. If you give him 38MPG he probably is going to

give 18/8 which isn't bad.... But I doubt he will

ever live up to where he was drafted.

Does he even have any go-to moves in the post? I

seriousally doubt it. The games I've seen him in

I've saw very little potential in him.

[Yeti]

Good points. I wonder if he has ever worked with a top big man coach. Anybody know? He sure wouldn't learn in high school - his size would have been enough. Maybe he needs a good teacher.

[Diesel]

I'd rather spend 5 yr 38.5 in a SNT with Washington and we get a TO at 3.. Than to spend Max Money on Big Z, Curry, or Dalembert.

We need a C. Kwame is a gamble. But of all the gambles we can take, he is the lowest risk and he has the highest skillset of them all. I think Dally would be the risk that is more likely to pan out but even in panning out, I doubt Dally would be anywhere close to what he's asking...

[Diesel]

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The question is how much are we willing to spend? Shouldn't compensation be based on performance?

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Very rarely in today's NBA is compensation really based on performance. A lot of times Compensation is based on potential... That's what this really is when you think about it. It's us taking a 7 million dollar gamble on the potential of a 7 footer with ball handling skills and some defensive ability. Of course he will have to work on his shooting. Of course his defense would have to get better. But We have the time and position to invest. We also have the money. We have a young team. Something that may be better for him than a playoff driven team. We have a young fired up coach.. A guy who may be willing to spend more time with him than Collins/Jordan. We have less Media... Meaning he won't get booed and criticized after every game..

It may be a match! But as a franchise, we will have to gamble somewhere.

[Diesel]

The interesting thing is that if we get Kwame. He doesn't have to live up to be the 1st overall pick. That's the problem in Washington. Especially if all we give up for Kwame is Diaw/2nd.

I would love Kwame to come in put up 18/8 in 38 minutes per at C. That's exactly what we would need. He would fit. You see we got others who can be wonders. We got Marvin and the Joshes and Al who can be wonders. We need a suitable stat Center but more importantly somebody who can anchor the middle. At 7 million per, that sounds good to me. The point about team building is that you don't have to have an allstar at every position. IN fact, that probably won't work anyway.. Like the Lakers proved when they had Shaq, Kobe, Eddie, Nick, and Elden...

[Plainview1981]

What I'm trying to say is that Kwame isn't going to

be any better (if as good) as Al. He isn't a center

either and Kwame doesn't provide your team with toughness.

That's the thing I dislike most about Kwame... He has

no nuts.

[Yeti]

Diesel, assuming we DO end up with Kwame. What would you think of hiring a couple of old pro's - past their prime but with lots of experience - to work with him? With the expanded roster and money available we could pay them to be essentially "sparing partners" even if they never really play for us. I think Willis did some of that last year. Maybe Deke? (Actually, I'd like to see him go through a Charles Barkley bootcamp. )

It doesn't seem like he's ever been taught how to work hard and hasn't had a couple years of a college coach teaching the fundamentals. He just went directly from high school to MJ's pissing post.

yeti

[Peoriabird]

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I'd rather spend 5 yr 38.5 in a SNT with Washington and we get a TO at 3.. Than to spend Max Money on Big Z, Curry, or Dalembert.

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I rather do neither!