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When would you say the Hawk's rebuilding officially began?

There's some debate on a Pacer's board (not the Real GM Pacer's board) about whether it's better to go the rebuild route via the draft and capspace, or to make minor tweaks in order to improve.

Many people are using the Hawk's as an example of why rebuilding is wrong. They point out how long your team was in the basement and that only now, after "a decade of sucking" are you finally showing signs of a bright future.

I disagree completely. I think, if anything, the Hawks show that rebuilding is the way to go and that tweaking is just delaying the inevitable. I point out the Abdur-Rahim and Glenn Robinson trades and that the Hawk's didn't fully embrace the rebuilding process until the new management took over in 2004.

If anyone should know definitively, it's you guys.

Also, what are your opinions on rebuilding? Was it more painful with all of the losing, or enjoyable to watch the young players grow?

Thanks for taking the time to read this and hopefully reply.

Well, I look at the rebuilding as the BK era. He admittedly hasn't done a good job (Chris Paul), but watching exciting young athletes not amke the playoffs is better than watching a high paid team of crappy vets not make the playoffs.

Rebuilding doesn't have to take that long. I don't want to rub salt in our collective wounds here so Hawks fans probably don't want to read this but imagine we had drafted Paul, signed Joe and had Smith in the fold. A couple of minor tweaks and that is an absolutely amazing core.

If I were the Pacers, I'd consider it. I don't think the Hawks are winning a chip anytime soon but its fun to have something to look forward to.

I point out the Abdur-Rahim and Glenn Robinson trades and that the Hawk's didn't fully embrace the rebuilding process until the new management took over in 2004.

That is pretty much it. At the time of the 2004 draft i believe we had maybe 2 players under contract for the following year.

Bucky, you are absolutely correct.

Rebuilding is tough because mistakes loom large. That said, I hated the "tweaking years" even more.

BK's idea of rebuilding was right conceptually. He just executed the plan poorly. We could have CP3/Smoove on this team if he had done it correctly. The draft is definetely the way to do it.

A few minor tweaks could make you a playoff team. But if you want to win a title you've got to tear it down. We see so many teams around the league overpay for players that only make them marginally better. Sacramento is a good example of a team that tried to get some quick fixes and screwed themselves on the cap having Artest and refusing to deal guys like Bibby/Miller until it was too late.

In order to rebuild into a championship team you have to build from the ground up.