Currently the Hawks are on a 3-game losing streak (at home). The Hawks came home after a tough road trip that wasn't tough because of the quality of opponents but more so for the travel. Most were surprised that the Hawks did so well, posting a 4-1 record which was the best road trip for the franchise. Now the Hawks have turned a successful road trip into a horrible homecoming. At home is where the Hawks were sure to fly. I thought that the Hawks had a chance to win all four games at home, at worst go 2-2. But they did not fail to bring all of our hopes back down to earth.

I must say that I was probably one of a few optimistic hopefuls that didn't believe in the Hawks demise after Al's injury. And I still take that stance. But this was a test that the Hawks should have passed if they were serious about holding their spot as a true contender. The Hawks were valiant in the aftermath of Al's injury and some of the national media and some of our own Hawks fans began to think that maybe, just maybe this team was for real. But a 3-game losing streak at home?

Well its bad but not unusual. I can't even say that the losing streak is solely because the team misses Al's presence, but it would help. I say that because the three losses were caused much by the inconsistency that has plagued the Hawks in this current era of Hawks basketball. They began the season playing high level defense with extraordinary effort, they moved the ball on offense and took care of the ball.

In the last three games, the Hawks have been lackadaisical on offense and defense. Its like the Hawks hit a twilight zone or something. They forget what gained them success and seem to not play in sync with one another. It happens every year. This is the first time this year. I think that this losing streak kind of clouds the fact that the Hawks don't have its starting center. Over the course of the losing streak, the Hawks have fell into the same habits that caused losing in the past even with Al in the lineup. The fact is the Hawks need help up front in the form of any competent center that can rebound and play defense.

This home stretch was important for two reasons: 1) Putting up a good run would have shown that this team is for real. They would have been able to make the case that even without one of its best players, it could still compete at a high level and for once be able to sustain it. 2) They have a much more difficult road trip on the horizon and getting Ws at home would have drastically changed the pressure of such a difficult trip.

All in all, I think that this is just another low point for the Hawks that they will soon get past. Let's just hope that they show up to retaliate against the Pacers.

"Fire Woody" may be the most popular phrase in Hawksland since 2004. "Fire Woody" was more popular than bashing the ASG or the infamous "Nooooooo" when Josh Smith took any jumpshot (good, bad, or ugly). "Fire Woody" has a deep and well documented background. Iso-Joe, Josh's shot selection, getting drilled by Orlando, and playing Joe 40 minutes a game for 5 seasons could all be attributed to the Woody effect. For this franchise, "Fire Woody" was its first cure to solving most of its problems.

And now, as I continue to enjoy the ups and downs of being a Hawks fan, "Fire LD" just does not have the same ring. Now that's not to say that I totally endorse LD. That's not to say that I or other Hawks fans are satisfied with LD's performance and decision-making (like calling out his team for quitting when no one else would have made that assumption and refusing to give Teague a chance to be the Hawks starting point guard last season). And that's before acknowledging that LD is a product of the Woody era. But LD is a clear upgrade over Woodson. LD introduced an offense that is much more lethal and balanced. It has taken time for the team to fully embrace it and it has taken time for the team to get rid of a large portion of its old habits on offense, but now it runs much more fluently and Iso-Joe is a just a small sample of the Hawks attack. The players seem to respond better to LD's leadership. LD has done a great job of putting guys in positions to succeed.

Now before you begin to think that this is an LD love letter, its not. This post actually has less to do with LD and more to do with something that all Hawks fans do not miss and something that another projected Eastern Conference power, has become well acquainted with. Its Woody's biggest down fall and the fuel to the "Fire Woody" locomotive.

It is that horrible, ineffective switching defense. For years Al and Josh and Zaza and even Twin would be isolated somewhere on the court by smaller but quicker guards. For years Mike Bibby, Jamal Crawford, and the brigade of other guards to come through Atlanta found themselves matched up with bigger, stronger forwards and centers. It made no sense. Everyone seemed to know that but Woody. For all we know, none of his assistants agreed with the switching. But Woody was the head coach and Woody was a "defensive genius" coming from Detroit, so everyone bought in.

This is where the Knicks come in. The Knicks had one of the best offensive minds in basketball as its head coach. They had one of the best offensive power forwards and one of the best offensive weapons regardless of position as its first threat. So common sense says that defense is where they had to improve. They went out and got the defensive anchor from the World Champions. They drafted maybe the best perimeter defender in the draft. And they hired Woody as the equivalent to an NFL defensive coordinator.

The Knicks are having a bad season thus far. Carmelo and Amare' don't seem to compliment one another. They desperately need a floor general, maybe Baron Davis is the answer there. And Mike D'antoni's offense doesn't look anything like his Pheonix days. And so you have calls for his job. It has been said that Madison Square Garden has recently been filled with "We Want Woody" chants. I guess because he has NY ties. Beats me.

Whether D'antoni is the right man for the job, I can not say. But what I can say is that Woody is definitely not the answer and is more so a part of the problem. Woody, as the Knicks defensive coordinator, has implemented his switching D as his signature to a renewed Knicks team. Not surprisingly, as in Atlanta, it is not working and Knicks fans hate it.

The inspiration to write this post came from a rant by Steven A. Smith about the Knicks. Right now, I can tell you that he was beyond heated. He was more of what you call "38 hot". Click the following link to see what Steven A. had to say and why he was so mad. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKa-kKxs2J8 I think that the entire commentary is entertaining but I took particular affection for how he feels about that switching D. Forward to 2:46 to hear Stephen A. describing Hawks fans' pain of years.

This is totally hypothetical because we have yet to see how things work out over a longer stretch of games without Al, although I say losing Al is minor hiccup. If the Hawks continue to play as well as they are, there is a legitimate claim that the Hawks would be one dominant defensive minded and offensively capable center away from competing for a championship. That is of course if the bench continues to exceed expectations, Josh continues his MVP run, Joe continues to show why he has been selected as an All-Star 6 consecutive years, and Jeff Teague continues to show that he can play with the best point guards in the league.

So just say that Al becomes expendable...

Would it be worth the gamble of trading for Kaman, who is set to be a free agent in the summer, near the trade deadline?

There are several reason I would say yes:

-Kaman is a legitimate 7 foot shot blocker and he is just as productive offensively as Al.

-The Hawks would become players in free agency during the summer. Kaman's 14 mil and Hinrich's 8 mil coming off the books in the summer would put the Hawks over 10million under the cap.

-Kaman may also be a better fit in terms of giving the Hawks a low post threat and a better compliment to Joe and Josh.

-Most importantly, he fills the starting center void left by Al

At it again. It seems like an annual event in which the Hawks are predicted to fall back to obscurity. Since the 07-08 playoff run against the Celtics, the Hawks have not been good enough for the national media. And yet every year the Hawks have competed at a high level and have exceeded prognostications of their demise. The one thing that can be said about this Hawks team is that they have grown year-in and year-out.

Despite proving that the year before was not a fluke each of the past three seasons, some are predicting that the Hawks won't make the playoffs at all this season. Why? They say because all the other teams in the conference have gotten better and have more talent and that the departure of Jamal Crawford will severely wound this team. But that logic is handicapped.

The success of the Hawks over the past few years has been a product of familiarity, organic improvement, experience and the feeling of having some success. This is Al, Smoove, Marvin, Joe, and Zaza's 5th season together. They know where they have been and where they have come from and how hard it is to compete with the best night in and night out. Teague is in his 3rd year and he knows the pressure of the bright lights and battling against the best the league has to offer.

I would argue that Jamal benefited more so from the Hawks than the Hawks benefited from Jamal. The Hawks had already been to the playoffs two years in a row and once to the second round. When Jamal arrived to Atlanta he had to adjust from being the #1 option to being the 6th man because that's the role that the Hawks felt best suited his skill-set. Two years later, the move was genius. (Jamal finally made it to the playoffs and his skills were on put on display in a manner that highlighted his strengths and masked his weaknesses.

Overall, the Hawks have done a good job of adding quality role players and getting those players to play at a high level. Before Jamal, it was Bibby, Mo Evans, Jason Collins, and Flip Murray. However, the problem is that they never seemed to add enough. For the last four or five years, the Hawks have been strong as a 7 or 8 deep team. But they always seemed to need something more.


If all works as planned, I can see why Sund and Drew built the team the way that they have. They have brought in vets that can adjust to roles. The best benches in the league are the ones that have players that play roles and do it well. Zaza knows his role, Hinrich will be able to adjust to his role easily since he had the same role behind Rose and Wall, McGrady knows that he is a role player now and he will be able to fill in the gaps, VRad knows that he is here to shoot the 3-ball, Sy will bring energy, Stackhouse will push the young fellas, and Collins knows what he is here to do. Vets are the best role players and have more of an affinity for doing what it takes to win. Vets have seen almost everything there is to see as an NBA player. After a while all they want to do is to win.

The thing that every team wants from its bench is players that will play hard for 15-20 minutes per game, know their roles, and do it well. And so when we have guys like T-Mac, Zaza, Collins, Stackhouse, VRad, Pargo, and Kirk Hinrich coming off the bench, you have to be confident that they will get the job done.

If the recent rumors surrounding the Hawks are true, my optimism only grows.

The first rumor circulating is that the Hawks will sign Tracy McGrady. I think that this will be perfect. McGrady can play the 2 or the 3 and he can even handle the ball on occasions. Sure he is not the T-Mac he was when he was a perennial All-Star but he has learned to play as a role player, is much more consistent offensively than Jamal, is a much less liability on defense than Jamal, and the possibility that he will flourish as a sixth man intrigues me. There will be some that don't like the move, but I can remember how underrated the move was when the Hawks acquired Jamal.

The second rumor is that Jamal more than likely will be signed and traded to Chicago for Ronnie Brewer and Omer Asik. I actually had this move as one of the possible moves the Hawks should make (except involving Keith Bogans instead of Brewer and mostly to acquire Asik). I think this is a great move for the Hawks. We get a big, active big man in Asik and a perimeter defender, which is a good tradeoff for Jamal. We also don't make the same mistake as we did with Bibby.

I think the Hawks roster will be set unless the Hawks pick up a temporary fix at the backup pg position. I am hoping Sy is our version of George Hill though. The Hawks will be very deep this year and that will be very important with such a crazy schedule. Nearly every player on the roster can play multiple positions.

PG - Teague, Hinrich, Sy

SG - JJ, Brewer

SF - Marvin, McGrady

PF - Smoove, Asik

C - Al, Zaza, Benson

Man I can remember when I thought the Hawks were improving by just losing respectably. I remember when just being in the conversation towards the end of the regular season for a shot at the 8th seed and getting to the playoffs was as much excitement as I could expect. Man expectations were loooowwww!

But now, the players and team that has brought winning back to a city that badly needed it are being told by the fans (that finally have SOMETHING to root for again) to kick rocks. Its ungrateful in my opinion. Sure I would love to have already won an NBA championship or had a chance to see Chris Paul in a Hawks uniform. But just to know that even throughout the many flaws that many can't help but point out, the Hawks have a legitimate chance. I can root when I know the Hawks should win and I can root when I am hoping for an upset. Many times I may come away disappointed, but this team has provided many moments that I have imprinted in my catalog of memories and I can't wait for more.

Do you know how ecstatic Clippers, Timberwolves, or BUCKS fans would be to make the 2nd round 3 yrs in a row. The Bucks fans were excited just to have pushed our Hawks to 7 games. And now look at where that team is. The Chicago Bulls sold out its arena every night through some really bad years between Jordan and Rose. I don't ask anyone to lower expectations. A championship should be everyone's goal. But just building a tradition of winning would go a loooong way to getting that championship.

No team has won a championship without knowing how to win and that expects to win. Every team since the Lakers in the 80's have been a product of winning traditions engrained in the players, team, and organization. The 80's Celtics and Lakers, the Bad Boy Pistions, Jordan and the Bulls, Hakeem and the Rockets, David Robinson and Tim Duncan's Spurs, Kobe and Shaq's Lakers, Detroit, Miami, the Big 3, and the Defending Champion Mavs. All of those championship teams won because there was a culture of winning behind those teams and organizations.

The Dallas Mavericks were exactly where the Hawks are now. They just couldn't get over that hump. Year after year, it was playoff disappointment after disappointment. It took Mark Cuban and Dirk Nowitzki 10 years to pull it all together. Think about where the Mavs would be if Cuban had pulled the string on trading Nowitzki.

Josh Smith is the Hawks most exciting and productive player, but he is the first to be pointed out for his downfalls. For years Nowitzki was labeled soft and so was the entire Mavericks team. Dirk didn't get tough enough to win a championship until Tyson Chandler came to back him up. He needed the perfect compliment.

And so going into this season, I am optimistic as always. I have predicted that the Hawks will get to the Eastern Conference championship. And it is because I think that the core of the Hawks have found its perfect compliment in Jeff Teague.

This team was meant to play fast, uptempo, and in the open court. And it starts on defense. Mike Bibby was able to calm this team and teach it how to play and win under control. But he was not the compliment that could take the team to a new level. I truly believe that this team will be much more aggressive on defense and offense (by taking it to the rim). Especially when Josh Smith is running with a point guard that can push the ball and break down lanes.

I am toasting to everyone who is optimistic and wants this team to bring home a championship. This is to a really good season, knowing that we will have a chance to win every night and enduring the losing streaks (if there are any!). I would go into a rendition of "This LIttle Light of Mine", but that would be over doing it. Toast!!!

#NBABACK, man the next few weeks are gonna be ridiculous.

Let it be known that the Hawks are my favorite NBA team and Josh Smith is my favorite Hawks player.

Now to the point...

My first prediction for this coming season is that the Hawks will be $1 - $3 million above the salary cap this season. (Bold and daring, I know!) Secondly, Jamal Crawford will not be a Hawk. (Thank God!) Thirdly, the Hawks will make the Eastern Conference Championship!!! (Whoooaaa, believing is achieving!) Lastly, Marvin Williams won't be amnestied because the Hawks will have to pay his salary anyway, letting Marvin go just to put another contract (more or less) on the books is essentially paying the tax.

What will Atlanta do to raise the bar? Here are a few scenarios...

A) The Hawks keep the core together for one more look-see and build a solid bench through free agency. Hawks give Michael Redd a chance to do his best Grant Hill impersonation for the minimum, sign-and-trade Jamal to Dallas for Brendon Haywood, and round out the roster with minimal players.

Lineup

• Starters - Teague, JJ, Smith, Horford, Haywood
• Bench - Hinrich, Redd, Williams, Rolle, Zaza

B) Hawks sign-and- trade Jamal and include Marvin Williams to Utah for Al Jefferson. Sign Al Thorton and Michael Redd.

Lineup

• Starters - Teague, JJ, Smith, Horford, Jefferson
• Bench - Hinrich, Redd, Thorton, Rolle, Zaza

C) Hawks sign-and-trade Jamal to Chicago for Omer Asik and Keith Bogans and sign Chuck Hayes.

Lineup

• Starters - Teague, JJ, Smith, Horford, Zaza
• Bench - Hinrich, Bogans, Williams, Hayes, Asik

Simple as this, who is down for a Al for Marc Gasol trade?

I am! Would Memphis do it?  Not sure.  But I think there is a good possibility.  Taking on Al would give Zack Randolph free reign in the paint and it would also open up the middle for Rudy Gay to work his magic in the lane also. 

Should Atlanta do it?  Of course.  Gasol would be the #1 option in the post and would get more touches than if he stayed in Memphis having to share the load with Randolph.  He is a decent, if not as good a defender as Al.  He averaged 1.5 bpg last season. 

The biggest benefit would be that Josh could be Josh.  Josh will most definitely play to his offensive strengths 70% of the time.  The other 30% will definitely be ill-advised jumpers.  We just have to live with that.  But Smoove  is our best PF, our most exciting player and biggest game changer on the team

And sign Tayshaun Prince??? (Had to toss that in.)

PG - Teague, Hinrich

SG - JJ, ???

SF - Prince, Marvin

PF - Smoove

C   - Gasol, Zaza, Collins

This was an SBNation Editor's pick, and we wanted to (finally) promote it to the front page. Nice work!

As everyone knows, the Hawks chose Keith Benson with its only draft pick at #48 in this year's draft.  There are mixed emotions and questions of uncertainty with Benson.  His most questionable flaw is without a doubt his lack of body mass.  Second to that is the lack of competition as he has been POY two years straight in the Summit League (a mid-major league).  With those being his biggest flaws, there is intrigue in his potential upside.  He has shown that he can gain weight as he added 34 lbs (going from a very thin 190 to a slender 224) during his college campaign.  And he has said that he could add 20 -25 more pounds to his frame.  As far as competition, one thing in his favor is that he dominated lesser competition.  He put up the numbers and has the accolades to show.  Secondly, he held his own against major talent.  I also think that  had he played with better talent around him, he could have had an even better college career and probably have been in the mix to be drafted in the 1st round.

Continue reading this post »

There is another story brewing under the radar.  The story of Jeremy Tyler that is.  In a previous blog post, I suggested that the Hawks trade up in the draft to get this enigmatic, young big man. 

Here is a brief background.  Tyler is 6'11" and 260 lbs. He made a name for himself as the #1 player in the country for the class of 2010.  But, after his JUNIOR year of high school, Tyler decided to turn pro, going overseas.  He went to Israel and made a million bucks, then took his talents to Japan.  Now, after what many call a disappointing 2-year stint overseas and a horrible decision, he is making his way to the NBA. 

To be noted, before any draft workouts or interviews, Tyler was projected to be drafted in the top half of the 2nd round.  (The Hawks would have probably still missed out on him without moving up to draft him.)  Now, he has pushed his draft value into the late first round and is still on the rise as he continues to participate in team work outs.

This is a video from Tyler's interview at the New York team workout.  Also read this article about Tyler's rise at nba.com.

Tyler could very well be a lottery pick, maybe even top 5, if he had gone to college.  But because his trip overseas did not produce much on the court success, his draft value fell dramatically. This could be the Hawks chance to get a steal in the draft again (i.e. Jeff Teague and Jordan Crawford were two good late round picks).  But this time it could really be the jackpot.  I see Andrew Bynum potential.

If New York (17th) has genuine interest, you can add them to the list of teams that includes Houston (23rd), Boston (25th), Chicago (28th and 30th), and San Antonio (29th) that would be willing to take him as a project, though I think that he will be much more than a project and could very well have some impact on a team this year.

The Hawks could package this years 2nd round and next years 1st round picks to move up to get one of Chicago's picks maybe or to get Minnesota's 20th pick.  Atlanta's future would be headed in the right direction as it would have it's Center of the future and Point Guard of the future both at the same time. 

Continue reading this post »

With the NBA finals at the forefront of the NBA today and with only two teams actively competing, that leaves the rest of the league wondering about the new CBA, the draft, possible free agent targets, and all things that the Off-season brings.  As far as the Hawks, well it looks to be another dull summer and minor roster upgrades.  As most of the Peachtree Hoops viewers may know by now, Michael Cunningham over at the AJC recently had a Q&A with GM Rick Sund.  That interview was full of "staying the course" type language, which means the Hawks probably won't be making really major moves this off-season.

With that, comes my third installment of Summer 2011 possibilities for the Hawks.  By my count, the Hawks have 3 holes to fill this summer to add depth and create a solid 9 or 10 man rotation. Those holes are: A backup SG (considering JC may not be in uniform), a starting center that allows Al to play PF on a more full time basis, and a back up PF that can play some valuable minutes.

Using free agency and the draft the Hawks should be able to address depth at the Center position.  I think Zaza should be put back into the starting lineup at center and the Hawks should re-sign Jason Collins, and sign Joel Pryzbilla.  Collins and Pryzbilla are veterans that with Zaza and Al, hard-nosed and valuable play at the Center position won't be hard to come by.  Along with those moves, the Hawks should look to get a youthful big man with potential.  The player I have in mind is Jeremy Tyler.  His acquisition would have to come with the Hawks trading up in the draft to get him (late first, early second).  The Hawks could possibly get Chicago's pick at 28 for the Hawks 2012 1st Round Pick and this year's 2nd Round pick.

For depth at PF, the Hawks should go after Troy Murphy.  He should come at the veteran minimum level.  Chuck Hayes and Reggie Evans are also potential bargains.

As far as SG, Rip Hamilton would do a great job in JC's old role.  (He could become available if a rumored 3-way trade would send him to Cleveland where his contract would then be bought out).  Rip is better defensively, much more reliable and consistent on offense, and is a proven winner.  Also, the Hawks should bring over Sergiy Gladyr to develop in the system.

Depth:

PG - Jeff Teague, Kirk Hinrich, Pape Sy

SG - Joe Johnson, Rip Hamilton, Sergiy Gladyr

SF - Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Damien Wilkins

PF - Al Horford, Troy Murphy

C  - Zaza Pachulia, Joel Prysbilla, Jason Collins, Jeremy Tyler

Back with another summer time proposal.

The Hawks have a few areas of needs that will take them to the next level in my opinion.  But they depend on the rotation.  Today I will assume that the Hawks will go big the entire season and find a starting Center while playing Al at PF and Smoove at SF.  To add, a back up PF and wing player are needed to round out  the bench.

The Lottery has opened up a possible option for the Hawks.  The Cavs are obviously in rebuilding stage and have the #1 and #4 pick.  With those picks they are projected to take Kyrie Irving and Center Enas Canter.  If that is the case, they would be willing to part ways with Andersen Varejao.  They would have two young centers in Canter and Simih Erden still on the roster with J.J. Hickson at power forward, but are void at SF.

Thus, the Hawks trade Marvin Williams and Kirk Hinrich to Cleveland for Varejao and Baron Davis.  Williams' contract is shorter and it would be an opportunity for Marvin that he hasn't had in Atlanta.  Davis would basically play the role of Jamal Crawford and is a better threat because of his playmaking ability for other players.

After that, resign Damien Wilkins and round the rotation out by signing Anthony Parker.  And maybe Sergiy Gladyr is ready to come over (he could be the reason for the the Jordan Crawford giveaway, fingers crossed).

Check this out on Sergiy - http://youtu.be/t2n6sGrzKPg (4:07 - 5:18, 6:50 - 7:58, 9:05 - 10:25)

PG - Teague, BD, Pape Sy

SG - Joe Johnson, Anthony Parker, Sergiy Gladyr

SF- Smoove, Damien Wilkens

PF - Al Horford

C  - Varejao, Zaza, Jason Collins

This would be a very good defensive team with many interchangeable parts.  Teague and BD could play in the back court together at times, with JJ at the SF.  Smoove will play some at the PF postion and Varejao could play along side Zaza or Collins if necessary.  Al can also play at the Center position.  So depth would definitely be gained in the interchangeable parts.

I think the ending to this season disappointed me more than any in the last four seasons.  Why? Well it seemed to have just got good and things began to turn around and the hope that I have had for a long time was finally beginning to cash in.  The Hawks performed extremely well, defeating Orlando and Dwight Howard in 6 games without homecourt advantage, and giving Chicago a real run in 5 of 6 games.  I really thought we had a good chance to make the Eastern Conference Finals.  Also, Teague was amazing, played beastly, and with more fight than any Hawk on the floor considering he was the only player on the court with a supposed disadvantage.  And then without a healthy Teague, the rest of the team folds and reverts back to the Hawks of the past four or five seasons.

So now, its another summer of us Hawks fans hoping and looking for the Hawks to do something to excite and ignite this team and this city.  So I am here to offer my first round of off-season moves that I think will improve the team.  I know, I know, its only May and there is a new CBA to be worked out before we could really know realistically what can and can not be done,  but I really need October to be here ASAP.

I will start by offering opinions on possible free agent moves that would fit into the structure of the Hawks operations of the past few years.  With the emergence of Teague and with Kirk Hinrich on the roster, the pg position is shaping up to be as strong as it has been in a long time. So unlike the recent past PG is no longer a position of need.  However, the Center position is a concern if the Hawks want to permanently move Horford to PF and Smoove to SF and Marvin to the bench.  For the record, I am a firm believer that Al Horford is best playing Center than PF.  He will not be an All-Star playing PF.  And the playoffs show that his production and impact on the game decreased a bit with the move although most would think that his production should increase.  Also, with Marvin Williams' complete disappearance and possibly losing Jamal Crawford to free agency, a scoring wing player off to come off the bench a big need.  A back up PF is also a need.

So with that....

 Sign Samuel Dalembert as a full-time starting center splitting minutes with Zaza and Al.  Sign Troy Murphy as the back up PF.  Sign Marcus Thornton or Shannon Brown as the backup SG.  Lastly, sign I know that these moves are not shooting for the stars but considering the Hawks limitations and past off-seasons this is the most reasonable situation and is just a starter. I will be cranking some things out in all the idle time that I will have this summer.

PG - Jeff Teague, Kirk Hinrich

SG - Joe Johnson, Marcus Thornton (Shannon Brown)

SF - Josh Smith, Al Thornton, Marvin Williams 

PF - Al Horford, Troy Murphy

C - Samuel Dalembert, Zaza Pachulia

I have been tinkering with ESPN's trade machine to see some possible trade considerations. 

Here is one:

Atlanta gets :  JaVale McGee and Tayshaun Prince

Detroit gets : Andre Blatche, Zaza Pachulia, and Kirk Hinrich

Washington gets: Jamal Crawford, Rodney Stuckey, and Charlie Villanueva

In my opinion, I think that this is a trade that works for all teams involved.  The Hawks will be the greatest beneficiary.  The Hawks would be able to play very big.

ROTATION

PG: Bibby, Teague

SG: JJ, (Marvin/Tayshaun),

SF: JSmoov, (Tayshaun/Marvin)

PF: Al, JSmoov, Marvin

C: McGee, Al, Twin

Its a solid 9 man rotation that would be GREAT defensively, long and athletic, BIG, and will make a great run in the playoffs.

Ok so with 12 games in the books,  there is one thing evident that freakin' irks me.  Jamal Crawford has no reference of DEFENSE in his mind, vocabulary, and especially his game.  We all know that Mike Bibby is horrible at defense, but at least he tries.  Bibby actually gets over screens and manages to pick his man up after help has come to his aid.  Jamal Crawford on the other hand, waves his arm in an attempt to show effort.  I am very grateful for what Jamal has brought to the team and  I have much respect for his offensive ability.  But with the new offensive scheme, his one-on-one skills are less of a need, which in my opinion makes him expendable.

Caron Butler is the guy the Hawks should go after.  In a sense we lose very little offensively.  Caron is a very good one-on-one player himself and can get to the basket.  His 3-point shooting may not be rival Crawford's (when he hot) but he's a scorer and in the new offense he would get his shots.

Caron Butler taking JC1's role as the first guy off the bench would do wonders for this team.  First, Teague will be able to develop more efficiently.  Teague has shown progression through the first 12 games and has shown the ability to be a solid back up and can handle more minutes.  Secondly, it gives greater depth on the wing with two legit SF in  he and Marvin and a capable SF in Mo Evans.  And speaking of Mo, he will be able to play more at the 2 in the backup role to Joe.  Larry Drew will have many more options with Butler in the line up.  (LD could go big with Joe at the point and Caron at the 2 with Marvin, Smoove, and Lion on the frontline)

What does all that lead to?  A completely better defensive team.  The bench would be much better defensively with Caron guarding 3's, Mo guarding 2's, and our "Rondesque" point guard Jeff Teague staying in front of the opposing team's pg.

Why would Dallas go for this trade?  Because they want scoring, Caron hasn't had a good relationship with Coach Carlisle, and Mark Cuban is always looking to make a move that he believes will get his team over the hump.  The numbers work out easily also as both players have similar expiring contracts.

Side note: Tayshaun Prince is a similar player that could help the Hawks and who is available but Caron brings more benefits to have to lose Jamal than does Prince.  Shane Battier's name can also be thrown in the hat.

For the Hawks to really get to the next level, defense is the key.  The offense shows that they can and will score the ball.  Defense is what wins Championships!

Training camp is around the corner and I'm excited.  Not much has changed as far as the guys we all depend on to win games.  There is a new head coach running the sidelines (although we have seen him around these parts before) and possibly a changing of the guard at the point position (I am hopeful).  Otherwise much is still the same in Hawksville. And that includes the Hawks' youth.

What was a symptom of the Hawks' past shortcomings is now a source of strength.  Our frontline is arguably one of the best in the league and factually one of the youngest.  Could you believe that Josh Smith, Al Horford, and Marvin Williams will all start the season as 24-year-olds?  And if Jeff Teague is able to take the starting point guard duties away from Mike Bibby during training camp, the Hawks will have a 22-year-old floor general.  And yet the Hawks are set to be Eastern Conference contenders.  Now that's something to be excited about!

Also in the fold are Jordan Crawford and Pape Sy (both will be 22-years-old at the start of the season).  And with the uncertainty of Jamal Crawford being in the Hawks lineup, JC2 may have a legit chance of having an impact in the Hawks line up this season.  So there is a possibility that we could see a lineup on the floor featuring the "24 & Under Squad".

Recently, Ball Don't Lie has listed the top NBA players by position and Peachtree Hoops has made note of how our Hawks players rank.  It is interesting to know that the Atlanta Hawks are one of seven teams to have 3 top ten players according to position on its roster.  The L.A. Lakers (Bryant, Bynum, Gasol), Chicago (Rose, Boozer, Noah), San Antonio (Duncan, Ginobli, Parker), Denver (Carmelo, Billups, Nene), Utah (Williams, Jefferson, Kirlenko), Boston (Rondo, Pierce, Garnett) and of course Miami (Wade, James, Bosh) all boast lineups with 3 top ten players.  However, my personal opinion allows for only five teams with legit top ten talent. Denver and Utah deserves an asterik with Nene and Kirlenko being borderline. 

The Hawks players that made the top ten by position are Horford (#4 Center), Johnson (#4 Shooting Guard), and Smoov (#7 Power Forward).  And if you noticed, that's two top 5 players.  Only the Lakers and the Heat have more than one top 5 players, and which both have 3).  This is the Core.  This is the Hawks version of the Big 3.  And they are pretty darn good. 

This is the season that the growth over the past 6 or 7 years will culminate into elite status.  Horford has yet to see his best years.  Horford should be the Captain and the vocal leader of this team now.  He has earned it.  Smoov has shown that he is willing to harness and tame his world class athletic ability and potential.  He has learned how to play, so now all he has to do is play and that will prove to be danger for any opposing team.  Joe is Joe.  Sure the consensus is that the Hawks overpaid but if anything else had transpired, we would be talking about the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks in the same sentence.  For years, Johnson carried this team and without Johnson, the Hawks would not have seen anything that looked like close to a 2nd round.

Are they good enough?

I think so... But the best teams don't just rely on its best players alone.  The best teams have defined roles and role players who fit the mold and when put together around the core and in a winning system, elite/championship status is reached.  So now it comes down to Larry Drew and whether his new system is a winning system that defines roles and allows role players to flourish.  It comes down to the play of Zaza, Teague, Jamal (if he is still a Hawk), Marvin, Bibby, Evans, Joe Crawford, Collins, Sy, and Etan (hopefully).

There has been a lot of criticism and backlash in response to a perceived failing grade in the draft for the Hawks.  The Hawks were able to get arguably their 1st choice of players that would be available when their turn came at 24 but were able to trade down to 27 to get him.  At the same time, the hawks were able to get the 31st overall pick which they traded for cash.

It is the second transaction that has caused so much outcry.  It was assumed that the Hawks would have picked one of the available bigs left on the board.  However, that wasn't the case and now many Hawks fans criticize the move as not a "winning" move.

But in the big picture of things, much is not lost.  Many second round picks have very, very short NBA careers and the good ones become nothing more than utility role players.  There are a few exceptions such as Gilbert Arenas, Manu Ginobli, Carlos Boozer and Rashard Lewis actually become All-Star caliber players in their careers.  But choosing All-Stars in the 2nd round is an even greater long shot than it would be for the Houston Rockets  winning this year's draft lottery.

The fact is that the Hawks passed up on a future role player.  Rick Sund's vision is to improve the team now with veteran players.  And I would gladly take a proven role player who can help now than to develop a future role player to help 3, 4, or 5 years down the line.