Yeah, to be honest I wasn't too impressed with Cauley-Stein last year, wouldn't surprise me if more UK kids jump over him. This could be the most entertaining CBB season in a long time -- realigment and big names with a lot to prove.
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Yeah, to be honest I wasn't too impressed with Cauley-Stein last year, wouldn't surprise me if more UK kids jump over him. This could be the most entertaining CBB season in a long time -- realigment and big names with a lot to prove.
Bravo95 you may just have the best sig on this site.
Question for the forum:
Any reasonable Hawk's fan understands that this squad isn't going anywhere. As bad as the east is right now, I'm afraid that this squad might mess around and win too many games, which would keep the franchise from being real players in this year's lottery.
Do you guys want to see this team fight for the playoffs or focus more on using it's assets to accumulate pieces designed to rebuild for the future, while tanking the season?
As long as Nets suck, we could swap picks right?
I think so, but at some point they'll get it together or Kidd will be fired.Quote:
Originally Posted by *Silver&Black*
It would be hilarious for everyone to get what they want though and it is possible. Hawks make the play-offs and end up with the number one pick, while not winning as many games than they did last year. Hilarious, everyone of us would be right to some degree. Rotflmao!
:)Quote:
Originally Posted by SB75
Very close loss........
I'm talking to a friend in the gym yesterday and he seems to think if Atlanta does land the number one pick in the draft, they should draft Parker over Wiggins. While I wouldn't dissagree Parker is the more polished player to this point, I also think Wiggins isn't asked to do as much and has more upside. ebay do you guys think?
I always thought Parker would be our pick anyways, due to the Duke factor with Ferry being a main reason.Quote:
Originally Posted by SB75
That's an interesting angle that slipped my mind. If the Hawks end up with #1, it's going to be awfully hard to pass up Wiggins though, even with the Duke connection. Hard to pass up a guy that has been considered #1 for his entire jr and sr year of high school and still considered the number 1 pick even with the numbers Parker is putting up.Quote:
Originally Posted by *Silver&Black*
Do you like Parker better? If so, why?
I like Randle better, being an obvious Wildcat homer, but as of now it would be hard to choose between Parker/Wiggins. I just know I would love to have a chance to draft any of these 3. It could not only change the team around on the court for the next decade, but also could finally bring in that "star" to attract people to actually come to the games, as well as someone to market the team around (which could help them on the court, not saying the game is rigged but obviously it helps).Quote:
Originally Posted by SB75
Parker has been better offensively (in terms of shot selection, pretty much can score from anywhere, Melo comparisons seem correct so far, but it's college and Melo does it in the NBA), Wiggins is such a question mark to me, as I know he has been hyped up as the next great star, but I just haven't seen it yet (watching UK a lot I have been impressed with Randle, and also Young while we are at it, same goes for the Duke games I have seen with Parker). I'm curious to see if Wiggins can get his weight up quickly (last I saw he was at 200, Durant is 240 BTW for comparison) and how well he can shoot the ball from mid-range to 3 point.
I'll be clear though, I would be as happy with picking #3 as I would picking #1 because I believe Wiggins, Parker, and Randle can all be our franchise guy and improve our chances of being a title contender heading into the future.
The way the Hawks are constructed, they won't have a chance at Parker/Wiggins/Randle. Although this team is far from being world-beaters, the east is putrid and "Operation Tank" is only going to become more apparent as the season goes on. I will reserve judgment on Ferry until after the trade deadline. Personally, I would cash-in on Milsap's current value and bring back some assets that can be part of the foundation for the future..
..Quote:
Fix It: Atlanta Hawks
By: Haven Kaplan-Miner
Dec 05, 2013 5:23 PM EST
- “Fix It” is a series that shows how each NBA team has the potential to improve, focusing on how team success can be built over the long-term instead of simply year over year. The ultimate goal is to create a team capable of winning consistently for a decade.
The Atlanta Hawks are possibly the worst nightmare for an NBA general manager; an average team with poor attendance – they have finished in the bottom 10 for attendance in 12 of the past 13 seasons – that goes to the playoffs but cannot elevate into contention. While the team is currently on a seven-year streak of making the playoffs, they’re also on a 54-year streak of not winning an NBA championship (second longest in the NBA). This has been due mostly to poor choices in the draft (Marvin Williams over Chris Paul, Shelden Williams in 2006) and an inability to break out of their cycle of mediocrity in the playoffs.
The Good: Danny Ferry. Having served as the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the San Antonio Spurs, Ferry has seen first-hand how signing previously incorrectly utilized players to fit your system can benefit a team. So rather than signing a bunch of players to one-year contracts like the Los Angeles Lakers, Ferry focused on signing players who will help out his team both as better fits for their system and as trade assets. Great examples are the contracts of Kyle Korver (four years, $24M) and Paul Millsap (two years, $19M). Each signed a reasonable contract that keeps them as a viable asset if a deal comes along. While for the time being this team will continue the trend of mediocrity, they have enough tradable assets that they could potentially be the Houston Rockets of the East, ready to pounce on a James Harden or Dwight Howard type of deal.
The Bad: Mediocrity doesn’t pay. This team has only drafted three All-Stars in franchise history…three. Without bottoming out, this probably won’t change anytime soon. So while late first-round pick Dennis Schroeder has an immense amount of promise, the likelihood that he becomes Rajon Rondo is slim, leaving this roster with only one real cornerstone in Al Horford. Without another star (or two) to pair Horford with, this team is going to continue to go nowhere. They also appear headed for another bottom 10 finish in attendance (currently 26th).
The Fix: Stay the course. Continue handpicking players that fit your team in free agency, trades, and the draft. Ferry has stocked up his own picks, along with three extra second round picks from the Brooklyn and Miami as well as the right to swap first-round picks with Brooklyn in 2014. Additionally, the Hawks have six expiring contracts this season that could allow them to be a trade partner to a team trying to shed a salary, landing them a quality player prior to the trade deadline.
An interesting twist that I have forgotten about was Atlanta's ability to swap picks with the Nets for the next two years. Adding a wing piece for some expiring and future picks the Hawks can add someone who maybe able to make them a Spurs light. What jogged my memory was Bill Simmons article about the woeful East heres the link: http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/...e-nba-e-league
As I said above, we can swap picks with the Nets, who are looking like a lottery team. I would be excited even if we can draft James Young.Quote:
Originally Posted by SluggeR
The Nets really wanted Joe. Not only do we have the right to swap picks in the 2014 draft, but as well as the 2015 draft. So if Nets stay lottery bound this year, they might as well stay there in 2015. We could have the chance to be in the lottery the next 2 years and still continue our growth as a team (imagine picking top 5 in the next 2 drafts while keeping our playoff core of Teague/Horford/Korver/Millsap/Williams). Ferry is the man.
The Nets is screwed though, as we have the right to switch in 2014 and 2015, our pick in 2014 if we switch goes to Boston, then in 2016 and 2018, the pick goes to Boston. Boston also has the right to switch with Nets in 2017. Nets, if they can't get this roster to come together, is going to be in the bottom of the league for a long time (while we can enjoy drafting someone like a Parker/Wiggins/Randle/Young and doing it again in 2015).
The east is too bad for the nets to continue to lose at the clip they are now. As much as I'm not a fan of the nets, I don't see them losing enough to be a lottery team. I'm still hoping the Hawks cash-in on their current assets (Milsap & Korver) they have and begin "operation lottery pick"..
I'm happy with what I have seen from the new coach. The way he ahs the team playing offensively, is the way I wished the would have played when they had Horford/Smith/Marvin/Joe/Teague. If that squad had the coach that's in place now, no doubt in my mind the Hawks would have reached the conference finals at least once..