Lets talk about Kyle...

[Jamaaliver]

We are basically the 97-98 Los Angeles Lakers. You have to keep the core going to see what happens next. THATS how champions are made. Not playing rookies over more productive vets, trading core players for prospects...

This analogy is made worse, because the Lakers didn't become a true Championship caliber team until they discarded their veteran, proven All Star SG (Eddie Jones) and embrace the younger, more talented backup. (Kobe Bryant) Until they discarded their veteran, proven All Star PG (Van Exel) and embraced the younger, better fitting backup (Derek Fisher.)

Moving Eddie helped acquire shooter SF Glen Rice. Thereby making their team stronger by embracing the better player and shoring up a weakness. They literally broke up that veteran core within months after the 1998 season, and became championship caliber as a result.

That's how great teams are built.

LAL traded two productive vets (Van Exel and Eddie Jones) and embraced their young prospects (Derek Fisher and Kobe.)

They broke up their core of mediocre vets to embrace younger, more talented alternatives.

Hell, LAL only acquired Kobe in the 1996 draft after trading productive veteran center Vlade Divac for a young prospect with a high ceiling.

Do you seriously not get this concept?

[observer1995]

I just get tired of my favorite team in my favorite sport being 2nd class. It's supposed to be cyclical, but our cycle as an elite team hasn't really manifested in two decades. (Unless you count that 60 day span last season. But is that really a cycle, or just a blip...an anomaly?)

Southeastern NBA teams that don’t have the luxury of the beach to attract NBA players are always going to be in purgatory unless they get extremely lucky, and that’s just the way it is.

The Hawks are not going to get any closer to being legit title contenders by “soft rebooting” unless they are able to draft a franchise changing piece in the draft, and this draft is bad outside of the top 5. Forget the idea of free agents wanting to come here, the top ones are going to laugh in Atlanta’s face.

So if you’re of the mindset that it always should be championship or bust, then Atlanta should have totally blown it up after last season (similar to the Marlins in the late 90s-early 00s, without the championship) and should be looking to trade every single veteran on the team now.

It sucks but it is what it is, Georgia sports fans are DYING for a championship but it's unlikely to ever happen again. Ever. Sorry. Georgia sports whether college or pro is always 2nd tier and I've slowly started to accept it.

[Jamaaliver]

Southeastern NBA teams that don’t have the luxury of the beach to attract NBA players are always going to be in purgatory unless they get extremely lucky, and that’s just the way it is.

The Hawks are not going to get any closer to being legit title contenders by “soft rebooting” unless they are able to draft a franchise changing piece in the draft, and this draft is bad outside of the top 5. Forget the idea of free agents wanting to come here, the top ones are going to laugh in Atlanta’s face.

So if you’re of the mindset that it always should be championship or bust, then Atlanta should have totally blown it up after last season (similar to the Marlins in the late 90s-early 00s, without the championship) and should be looking to trade every single veteran on the team now.

It sucks but it is what it is, Georgia sports fans are DYING for a championship but it's unlikely to ever happen again. Ever. Sorry. Georgia sports whether college or pro is always 2nd tier and I've slowly started to accept it.

1. Welcome to the board. I assume by your screen name you've been observing here for some time. Hope you feel free to post more often.

2. I wholeheartedly disagree. And this is coming from the 'World's Greatest Cynic'.

UGA, ATL Falcons and ATL Braves are clearly aimed at bigger things than simply being a good team. Whether they accomplish this is another story. But I have a feeling good things are on the horizon for Braves and Bulldogs.

Hawks have had chances to acquire great players, they have simply whiffed. Bad vision, bad leadership.

And MIA is now a top destination because of Dwayne Wade and Pat Riley. But before they started winning titles...no one was going to MIA in Free Agency. The weather and locale help. No doubt. But the leadership of Pat Riley is the real difference.

It's why no one seems to want to go to the Lakers despite their warm weather and beaches. Bad leadership. Lack of talent.

Those same problems have plagued ATL for decades as well. But in a sport that employs mostly young, black millionaires...ATL is a pretty good spot to be. it's not the city they avoid. It's the franchise.

[observer1995]

UGA, ATL Falcons and ATL Braves are clearly aimed at bigger things than simply being a good team. Whether they accomplish this is another story. But I have a feeling good things are on the horizon for Braves and Bulldogs.

I put the o/u on championships for both the Braves and Bulldogs up to 2021 at 1.5 and bet under heavily. The Braves will be back to being good in 2018 or 2019, but they are going to be a divisional series exit unless Fredi is fired, and they are not going to be WS contenders unless they LUCK into a close to as good as the HOF rotation in the 90s.

Georgia has no chance at doing anything until Nick Saban retires, as the SECCG goes through Alabama until he retires and it would go against past history for Georgia to beat Alabama with Nick Saban there. Most of Saban's disciples' teams get absolutely pounded into oblivion if they face him.

A window of opportunity will open for Georgia after next season, but that fourth window of opportunity in the 00s-10s era is going to be wasted almost for sure. (02-05, 07/08, 11-13, and the fourth window will be 17-19).

If Georgia comes out of that window with no NCs, we seriously just have to start considering them as a low in the tier 2 of CFB team with awful luck and won't win another NC ever without another transcendent talent.

[observer1995]

But my point is (and I think the Braves realized it and pulled the trigger on close to one), is the only real way for the Hawks to become legit contenders is honestly a scorched earth rebuild. As all of the top FAs are going to LAUGH in your face if you try to recruit them to come here.
A soft rebuild is going to lead to...the same place the Hawks are in now. One piece away and unable to acquire that elite talent with top FAs laughing in their face if they try to recruit them and one great but not elite talent.

So here's a scorched earth rebuild:

Someone from outside of the organization takes over and says "This team is not good enough to win anything, time to blow it up".
The entire front office is let go and all coaches are fired.
Horford, Teague, Millsap, Korver, Sefolosha, and Splitter all traded.
Millsap for Cousins.
Korver and Teague for Booker.
Horford for Boston's Nets pick.
Sefolosha for Allen Crabbe.
Splitter for a second rounder from someone.

Lineup:

PG - Schroder/Mack
SG - Booker/Bazemore
SF - Crabbe/Holiday
PF - Scott/DL signee
C - Cousins/Tavares

[Jamaaliver]

But my point is (and I think the Braves realized it and pulled the trigger on close to one), is the only real way for the Hawks to become legit contenders is honestly a scorched earth rebuild. As all of the top FAs are going to LAUGH in your face if you try to recruit them to come here.
A soft rebuild is going to lead to...the same place the Hawks are in now. One piece away and unable to acquire that elite talent with top FAs laughing in their face if they try to recruit them and one great but not elite talent.

So here's a scorched earth rebuild:

Someone from outside of the organization takes over and says "This team is not good enough to win anything, time to blow it up".
The entire front office is let go and all coaches are fired.
Horford, Teague, Millsap, Korver, Sefolosha, and Splitter all traded.
Millsap for Cousins.
Korver and Teague for Booker.
Horford for Boston's Nets pick.
Sefolosha for Allen Crabbe.
Splitter for a second rounder from someone.

Lineup:

PG - Schroder/Mack
SG - Booker/Bazemore
SF - Crabbe/Holiday
PF - Scott/DL signee
C - Cousins/Tavares

Even I'm not that cynical regarding this team's prospects.

I just think we need a strategic overhaul.

Not burning down Phillips and salting the Earth.


NOTE: DeMarcus Cousins is a cancer. That starting five would struggle defensively...

[observer1995]

But my point is (and I think the Braves realized it and pulled the trigger on close to one), is the only real way for the Hawks to become legit contenders is honestly a scorched earth rebuild. As all of the top FAs are going to LAUGH in your face if you try to recruit them to come here.
A soft rebuild is going to lead to...the same place the Hawks are in now. One piece away and unable to acquire that elite talent with top FAs laughing in their face if they try to recruit them and one great but not elite talent.

So here's a scorched earth rebuild:

Someone from outside of the organization takes over and says "This team is not good enough to win anything, time to blow it up".
The entire front office is let go and all coaches are fired.
Horford, Teague, Millsap, Korver, Sefolosha, and Splitter all traded.
Millsap for Cousins.
Korver and Teague for Booker.
Horford for Boston's Nets pick.
Sefolosha for Allen Crabbe.
Splitter for a second rounder from someone.

Lineup:

PG - Schroder/Mack
SG - Booker/Bazemore
SF - Crabbe/Holiday
PF - Scott/DL signee
C - Cousins/Tavares

Even I'm not that cynical regarding this team's prospects.

I just think we need a strategic overhaul.

Not burning down Phillips and salting the Earth.


NOTE: DeMarcus Cousins is a cancer. That starting five would struggle defensively...

Then would you be prepared to accept these complete hypotheticals:

Hypothetical One:

Atlanta trades Horford for Boston's Nets pick and drafts Jaylen Brown. Teague is traded for Robert Covington and a 2nd round pick (you are not getting any higher value for him, even in last summer).

2017-2020 starting lineup of Schroder/Bazemore/Brown/Millsap/Tavares

Best they do: 54 wins and a 2nd round exit in 7

Hypothetical Two:

Atlanta trades Millsap for the Lakers first rounder in 2016 and drafts Brandon Ingram. Teague and Bazemore are traded for Devin Booker.

2017-2020 starting lineup of Schroder/Booker/Ingram/Millsap/Tavares

Best they do: 55 wins and lose in the ECF in 5 with 2 complete blowout losses.

[Jamaaliver]

Then would you be prepared to accept these complete hypotheticals:

Ummm...if you can pull those moves off, yes. Sounds good.

But I have doubts Tavares is ready to be a starter.

And I'm not sure Lakers trade a top 3 draft pick for a 31 year old PF when they already have Randle.


But, yes. I'd take either of those scenarios if we could get them.

[jayu70]

We cannot trade for the Boston Nets pick. Whatever happens it BELONGS to Boston - they'll get the player.

Lakers may not get to keep their 2016 pick unless it's top 3, otherwise it goes to Philly.