What direction do the Hawks go now? (Offseason Meditations)

[D21]

I will repeat myself:
- healthy (at least, they should start the next season without coming from surgery like last season), and I hope that if Hunter is healthy, he will play like last year more than this season
- better coaching (from Nate because they won't cut him now)
- a wing stopper, certainly more via trade than signing, but without loosing too much

And they are good to go.

[tbhawksfan1]

I don't think that we're going to see many changes either despite Ressler's words. I hate when owners step in front of their GM.
Bring Delon back. Let Gallo go. Bring in a couple of tough, defensive mins and free JJ

I think with a healthy roster it's a team that can win 50ish and get a maybe #4-5 seed

[saloonyk8]

Respectfully I disagree with both of the last two posts. Health issues have not been freak injuries for Capella, Hunter and Bogi... This is a recurring theme with these guys.

There's no way a "healthy" Hawks team could beat the Heat or Celtics in a series.

We need a legit secondary option who can carry the offense and need a top 10 defense. I don't see either of those happening with this roster.

[D21]

... Let Gallo go...

Letting him go would only make sense if Nate decides to play more the young guys like Jalen
If not, it's a step back as the money not spent on him will only be lost.
Better trading him during the draft, or keeping and trading him later for a longer contract

[graymule]

Whoever is traded for or signed as a free agent, either one, make sure it's OK with Nate and he will play
him. If not, it's a wasted move.

[tbhawksfan1]

:D
Whoever is traded for or signed as a free agent, either one, make sure it's OK with Nate and he will play
him. If not, it's a wasted move.

I hear you. I think that the Hawks had kind of a perfect storm early season, but I also think that Nate failed to do any of the things that I want a HC to do. He didn't get the most out of establised players. He didn't give the young guys time and opportunity to develop. He didn't install an effective offensive or defensive plan and adjust when needed.

It was a lost season. The team under-performed. The young guys got no development the coaching seemed deficient. Very surprised to hear Ressler praising Nate. I wonder if Schlenk feels the same

[CP War Hawks]

There's been talk that these pure centers are not worth the contract and are getting ran off during these playoffs. The archetype seems to be an extremely mobile, solid defending, good passing, capable shooting big: Bam, Horford, OO, etc.

I don't think we should pursue Rudy, Ayton, etc. If anything, a guy like Turner for a cheap stealth move is better for long term flexibility.

[D21]

Exactly. Turner made 183 3pts shots this season, Ayton only 7, it's a huge difference, Ayton only shot it when forced to.
If they really want to make trades this summer, I would:
- ask IND for Turner before the draft and try with Gallo for instant cap benefits (IND can cut him and pay only 5M) and pick
- if not, try again after July 1st, Gallo would count for 20M but would be expiring
- then if getting Turner, ask BKN for Simmons with something build on Capela+Huerter (after July 1st, he won't be Poison pill anymore and count as it's new contract first year)

Turner and Simmons combine for 53M next season, Capela+Huerter+Gallo combine for 55.5M
Simmons won't ask for 25 shots, which guys like Mitchell, Beal, Lavine,... would do, he might even take less shots than Huerter, which would let Hunter develop by getting more shots.

This team would be more balanced than with any trade for a scoring SG or with Ayton as C.
And they would have a lot more options to adjust matchup having a C that can really shot 3pts
You can go from a five with all shooting 3s to a full defense mode with Okongwu, Hunter and Simmons, and Delon if stays

[CP War Hawks]

Exactly. Turner made 183 3pts shots this season, Ayton only 7, it's a huge difference, Ayton only shot it when forced to.
If they really want to make trades this summer, I would:
- ask IND for Turner before the draft and try with Gallo for instant cap benefits (IND can cut him and pay only 5M) and pick
- if not, try again after July 1st, Gallo would count for 20M but would be expiring
- then if getting Turner, ask BKN for Simmons with something build on Capela+Huerter (after July 1st, he won't be Poison pill anymore and count as it's new contract first year)

Turner and Simmons combine for 53M next season, Capela+Huerter+Gallo combine for 55.5M
Simmons won't ask for 25 shots, which guys like Mitchell, Beal, Lavine,... would do, he might even take less shots than Huerter, which would let Hunter develop by getting more shots.

This team would be more balanced than with any trade for a scoring SG or with Ayton as C.
And they would have a lot more options to adjust matchup having a C that can really shot 3pts
You can go from a five with all shooting 3s to a full defense mode with Okongwu, Hunter and Simmons, and Delon if stays

Turner is an expiring himself not sure that helps Indy with Gallo. Probably need to use Capela in a three team trade.

[Years90Suns]

We are clearly mixing what the direction of the franchise would be with the changes that we need to make to the roster...

I believe here we need to explain the kind of game we want and, especially, what direction we want for our franchise, team, etc.

[tbhawksfan1]

Indy seems like the perfect team to acquire talent for picks from

[D21]

Exactly. Turner made 183 3pts shots this season, Ayton only 7, it's a huge difference, Ayton only shot it when forced to.
If they really want to make trades this summer, I would:
- ask IND for Turner before the draft and try with Gallo for instant cap benefits (IND can cut him and pay only 5M) and pick
- if not, try again after July 1st, Gallo would count for 20M but would be expiring
- then if getting Turner, ask BKN for Simmons with something build on Capela+Huerter (after July 1st, he won't be Poison pill anymore and count as it's new contract first year)

Turner and Simmons combine for 53M next season, Capela+Huerter+Gallo combine for 55.5M
Simmons won't ask for 25 shots, which guys like Mitchell, Beal, Lavine,... would do, he might even take less shots than Huerter, which would let Hunter develop by getting more shots.

This team would be more balanced than with any trade for a scoring SG or with Ayton as C.
And they would have a lot more options to adjust matchup having a C that can really shot 3pts
You can go from a five with all shooting 3s to a full defense mode with Okongwu, Hunter and Simmons, and Delon if stays

Turner is an expiring himself not sure that helps Indy with Gallo. Probably need to use Capela in a three team trade.

Yes, that's why it would good to contact them prior the draft, because in this case, they can cut Gallo and get almost 17M more cap room/cap relief
If it's later, he count for 22M, which is a bit more than Turner, but same expiring, and the bonus would not be on getting Gallo but getting a pick

[HMFFL]

Bobby Portis watch:

Milwaukee’s Bobby Portis can become a free agent this offseason if he bypasses a $4.6 million player option for 2022-23, but there is already tangible resignation from some interested teams that they won’t have any shot at luring Portis away from the Bucks. The expectation already in circulation is that Portis will re-sign with Milwaukee on a multi-year deal even if he does opt for free agency.

 

– via Marc Stein @ marcstein.substack.com



Sent from my SM-N975U using RealGM mobile app

[graymule]

Tis said this upcoming Hawk team will look different. We all wonder what is going to happen. Yet we
have no real clue of what the thinking of our GM is on this matter. Only speculation right now...

[Drgaliza2]

You know what the hawks need?
Somebody like Al Horford.
A center who can make threes, rebound, pass, pick and roll, defense, high basketball iq.

Theres only few in the draft I know who can do this.. 1. Chet holmgren 2. Kai sotto 3. Makur maker

Imagine a pick and roll situation with trae young will be unstoppable.

[raleigh]

Health issues have not been freak injuries for Capella, Hunter and Bogi... This is a recurring theme with these guys.

There's no way a "healthy" Hawks team could beat the Heat or Celtics in a series.

We need a legit secondary option who can carry the offense and need a top 10 defense. I don't see either of those happening with this roster.

Wow, this post made my week. Thank you.

To add my own thoughts to the discussion:

Incremental improvements are not how the NBA works. You start by aligning two compatible stars and then put the complementary role players around them.

It's obvious at this point to state that the entirety of the Hawks' focus needs to be on acquiring star #2. What I think a lot of fans don't realize is that they've already been working in that direction by retaining JC and Huerter. Neither player will ever be anything more than a role player, and are more than available for trade if it moves the Hawks closer to star #2.

[Ball4life32]

Hawks need Jrue Holiday(very impactful but only made one all star game) type player next to Trae not blow up the team for a second “star”. Not one star that is apparently available that I’d blow up the team for.

[D21]

Health issues have not been freak injuries for Capella, Hunter and Bogi... This is a recurring theme with these guys.

There's no way a "healthy" Hawks team could beat the Heat or Celtics in a series.

We need a legit secondary option who can carry the offense and need a top 10 defense. I don't see either of those happening with this roster.

Wow, this post made my week. Thank you.

To add my own thoughts to the discussion:

Incremental improvements are not how the NBA works. You start by aligning two compatible stars and then put the complementary role players around them.

It's obvious at this point to state that the entirety of the Hawks' focus needs to be on acquiring star #2. What I think a lot of fans don't realize is that they've already been working in that direction by retaining JC and Huerter. Neither player will ever be anything more than a role player, and are more than available for trade if it moves the Hawks closer to star #2.

When you're not in rebuild anymore but really trying to adjust to create a contender, yes, it's all logic to keep your FA.
Before John and Clint extensions, I was pretty sure they would keep John because it was the only solution to have a chance at trading later for a C or PF. Always thought that Schlenk would use both to get Gobert, until the extension of Gobert came up, and I'm not sure it would be a thing at 40M. Yes, it may improve this team, but for 40M, maybe a C that can shoot 3s could create more improvement, even if he's not as good than Gobert on defense.

And this point makes me having doubt on the "start" argument.
We can put Gobert in the star category, he has huge impact, but is this team better with him, or with Turner and another player at 20M?

Who destroyed ATL in the first round? The factor X that made it impossible for ATL to win? I said it before it happened: Oladipo
In my eyes, if John and Clint had been healthy, they would have compete better, but still would have been killed by Oladipo's impact.
That's what leads me to think than before another star, in the sense of a "scoring star", we need someone to stop the opponent SG and to extension PG/SF that have impact on the game.

If Simmons has will to compete, and you consider him a star, I will pick him way before any scoring guys playing no defense, and on this point, quoting you, "What I think a lot of fans don't realize is that" guys called Stars like Mitchell,... guys that a lot of fans would want to see here, are not winners.

Weren't Irving or Walker called "Stars" when they played with BOS?
Strangely, it's with their own young guys and without these supposed stars that they are winning more, by adding instead guys that create match-up problems, that want to win before scoring

We don't even know if a guy like Hunter would not be able to score 25pts per game because we even didn't tried it on a stretch.
We didn't tried to see what our own guys can do.
I takes Hunter as example because I thought he would be a very defender, which is no a question, not on his ability to do so, but on his willingness.

And there things that I don't understand: how is it possible that a lot fans are so easy ready to trade a guy like Bogi for someone that is not really better just because he scores more, when you can remember that he was the one guy carrying this team for a month last year, that he's not afraid of taking big shots in the 4th, like Trae, that he's on a good contract, that's he's a winner and it's easy to see that, that it's always when he's on the floor that ATL dominate the most (or are the least dominated)...?
Unless you can get a guy of the same level that is always playing 82 games per season, I don't understand how you can want to trade this guy.
Even in the case we would need another, you have to do it without trading this guy because it will be a step-back on something at one point.

Don't get me wrong, I'm pushing my arguments to the opposite side not because I'm sure it's the best thing, but just to balance it against your POV and let realize that the truth may be in the middle of that, and not on what we think is the best at first

[Jamaaliver]

John Hollinger of The Athletic suggests that Raptors should pursue Delon Wright this summer.

Separately, he predicts Eric Bledsoe will be waived by Portland.

If we can't convince Delon to come back as the primary backup PG, what are the thoughts on bringing in E Bledsoe?

[Years90Suns]

Health issues have not been freak injuries for Capella, Hunter and Bogi... This is a recurring theme with these guys.

There's no way a "healthy" Hawks team could beat the Heat or Celtics in a series.

We need a legit secondary option who can carry the offense and need a top 10 defense. I don't see either of those happening with this roster.

Wow, this post made my week. Thank you.

To add my own thoughts to the discussion:

Incremental improvements are not how the NBA works. You start by aligning two compatible stars and then put the complementary role players around them.

It's obvious at this point to state that the entirety of the Hawks' focus needs to be on acquiring star #2. What I think a lot of fans don't realize is that they've already been working in that direction by retaining JC and Huerter. Neither player will ever be anything more than a role player, and are more than available for trade if it moves the Hawks closer to star #2.

When you're not in rebuild anymore but really trying to adjust to create a contender, yes, it's all logic to keep your FA.
Before John and Clint extensions, I was pretty sure they would keep John because it was the only solution to have a chance at trading later for a C or PF. Always thought that Schlenk would use both to get Gobert, until the extension of Gobert came up, and I'm not sure it would be a thing at 40M. Yes, it may improve this team, but for 40M, maybe a C that can shoot 3s could create more improvement, even if he's not as good than Gobert on defense.

And this point makes me having doubt on the "start" argument.
We can put Gobert in the star category, he has huge impact, but is this team better with him, or with Turner and another player at 20M?

Who destroyed ATL in the first round? The factor X that made it impossible for ATL to win? I said it before it happened: Oladipo
In my eyes, if John and Clint had been healthy, they would have compete better, but still would have been killed by Oladipo's impact.
That's what leads me to think than before another star, in the sense of a "scoring star", we need someone to stop the opponent SG and to extension PG/SF that have impact on the game.

If Simmons has will to compete, and you consider him a star, I will pick him way before any scoring guys playing no defense, and on this point, quoting you, "What I think a lot of fans don't realize is that" guys called Stars like Mitchell,... guys that a lot of fans would want to see here, are not winners.

Weren't Irving or Walker called "Stars" when they played with BOS?
Strangely, it's with their own young guys and without these supposed stars that they are winning more, by adding instead guys that create match-up problems, that want to win before scoring

We don't even know if a guy like Hunter would not be able to score 25pts per game because we even didn't tried it on a stretch.
We didn't tried to see what our own guys can do.
I takes Hunter as example because I thought he would be a very defender, which is no a question, not on his ability to do so, but on his willingness.

And there things that I don't understand: how is it possible that a lot fans are so easy ready to trade a guy like Bogi for someone that is not really better just because he scores more, when you can remember that he was the one guy carrying this team for a month last year, that he's not afraid of taking big shots in the 4th, like Trae, that he's on a good contract, that's he's a winner and it's easy to see that, that it's always when he's on the floor that ATL dominate the most (or are the least dominated)...?
Unless you can get a guy of the same level that is always playing 82 games per season, I don't understand how you can want to trade this guy.
Even in the case we would need another, you have to do it without trading this guy because it will be a step-back on something at one point.

Don't get me wrong, I'm pushing my arguments to the opposite side not because I'm sure it's the best thing, but just to balance it against your POV and let realize that the truth may be in the middle of that, and not on what we think is the best at first

I agree with most of your arguments.
People and fans like to imagine trades, like to see changes... this is the new way of living.
A team is made of good players, a good training staff and chemistry among all of them.
Time is a must.

Bogi is a good player. So is Huerter. So is Hunter. I do not think the problem is with our outside players.
The problem is with our backup PG, with our non shooting centers, with our PG defense...