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A trade wouldn't surprise Hawks
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 6:52 am
by HMFFL
"I don't know what to tell you," Hawks captain and All-Star Joe Johnson said. He mentioned the team's need for some help during training camp. "I'm not surprised Phoenix traded Shawn. I think going back to last summer it was clear that Shawn wanted to get out. But we're all smart enough to realize that the trade deadline is coming.
"A lot of things have to happen for us, either before the trade deadline or this summer. We have half our team in their contract year. So something has to happen at some point. Right now, so many teams are making so many big moves. I don't know what anybody is waiting on. I'm sure there is stuff out there for every team, but I'm done pressing the issue."
"It's extremely frustrating," Josh Smith said. "For us to come out and play well and beat a team like the Lakers with Gasol, and then to beat Dallas, Phoenix, Denver, Orlando and those types of teams, that tells you what type of team we could be. And then to come out and not be able to stay on the same floor with Houston ... and that's not to take anything away from Houston, because they're a great team.
"But we should be better than that. If we can beat the teams we've beaten this year, we should be able to beat anybody."
There is agreement in the locker room that these Hawks, as presently constituted, haven't given a true representation of who they are. Whether that's a product of their makeup or something else is the lingering question.
"I can't speak about the time before me," Hawks point guard Anthony Johnson said, "but our record is certainly not indicative of how good a team we are. And it's disappointing to every guy in this locker room. There's no way we should be below .500. That's the worst-case scenario for this team. The bottom line is you have to go out there and get it done between the lines. And we haven't done that consistently."
It's enough to make some Hawks players agree that any change, might be a good thing.
"Obviously, I'm paid to play and not to make decisions from the management side," Josh Childress said. "But when you see stagnation in your style of play or the way things are going, you have to look to see if you can add something or subtract something, whatever that may be, to get things rolling in the right direction.
"And that means anything, maybe just something to change the locker room dynamic. It could be something so small that might help. And I guess we all need to be a little more analytical about that and certainly be more proactive. Because the worst thing we could do is sit by and let another opportunity pass us by without doing whatever we needed to in order to make good things happen."
Link
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 3:55 pm
by evildallas
Strange it would shock me. I've kind of given up hope that BK will agree on a meaningful trade right now.
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 3:59 pm
by reazun
hopefully BK dont panic and throw in someone at the last second before the deadline to appease the fans like he did with Speedy, although the AJ move actually worked out good.
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 4:16 pm
by conleyorbust
nice that the players acknowledge this
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 8:10 pm
by Rip2137
"Obviously, I'm paid to play and not to make decisions from the management side," Josh Childress said. "But when you see stagnation in your style of play or the way things are going, you have to look to see if you can add something or subtract something, whatever that may be, to get things rolling in the right direction. And that means anything, maybe just something to change the locker room dynamic. It could be something so small that might help. And I guess we all need to be a little more analytical about that and certainly be more proactive. Because the worst thing we could do is sit by and let another opportunity pass us by without doing whatever we needed to in order to make good things happen."
And who is the controller of the stagnate style that we run???
Who could we subtract and change that quickly????
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 8:56 pm
by jagstang76
Rip, I love that quote from Chill. It really gives insight into how the players are thinking. I'm sure he knows that he could be a subtraction, but it wouldn't be because he doesn't contribute.
I don't agree completely with your comment on who should be subtracted though. While Woody hasn't helped us much, I think Chill's comment points to the need for change in terms of the players more than the coach. Everyone keeps saying that he's slowing the tempo down and trying to go against the natural abilities of his players, but I think he's actually trying to facilitate the up-tempo style by having them focus on defense. It makes sense that if they defend well and quickly transition, they will effectively accomplish the faster pace they are seeking. It's more a matter of getting these young guys to keep thinking defense first.
How much though is this stagnation Chill is referring to have to do with their ability to keep their focus? I think it's becoming a distraction that BK hasn't done much to keep improving this roster. I think the greatest thing that could change this team for the better is to get a good PG in here. Our PGs are controlling the tempo and style of play more than Woody is. All he can do is keep drilling into their heads defense-transition. It's up to the players to make that happen, and our PGs both can't keep up that style and aren't good defenders. So, that's where I feel the change is most needed.
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 9:30 pm
by conleyorbust
jagstang76 wrote:
How much though is this stagnation Chill is referring to have to do with their ability to keep their focus? I think it's becoming a distraction that BK hasn't done much to keep improving this roster.
This is actually a really good point that I haven't heard yet. Its gotta be hard for the guys to stay motivated when it seems like BK isn't paying attention to the team. The guys who are consistently productive (Joe, Smith, Marv, Hofo, Chillz) know what the flaws on the team are and probably wonder why they aren't adressed. Some of the guys that aren't productive (specifically Zaza, Shelden, and Salim) have regressed significantly and have butted heads with the coach big tim, they know they are better than they have shown and they probably want out, the fact that they are stuck in this position can't help the locker room dynamic.
I'm not saying those guys are cancers (Salim seems like one of the more insightful NBA players from what I've heard) but moving unhappy but unproductive players can't do anything but help the team... so why hasn't it happened yet?
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 10:36 pm
by BMF Jet Jaguar
joe....do something bout it yourself.
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 12:45 am
by LL Cool Scott
These quotes are absurd. You could basically cut and paste the same article from the same moment of the season for this team for the past several years. So and so says "Our record isn't a good reflection of just how good we are." Another so and so says "We are just missing that one little thing to bring us together where we can really start showing our real potential." Blah blah blah.
****. You are as good as your record. Period. These stories are getting older and older each passing year.
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:01 am
by HMFFL
A trade doesn't exactly fix anything when our Coach can't trust his bench. I'd love for Woody to use all his weapon and allow them to gain their confidence back.