Hoopsworld grade on the Hawks offseason

[Hawkeyes]

Heading into the offseason, the Hawks looked like they would be in good shape for next season. They are a young team, so not having any draft picks didn't seem like it would factor much into their offseason. Simply experiencing another year of growth from their young players would lead to a certain level of improvement. Hawks fans were hoping the team would be inactive in the free agent market, that is that they would focus on re-signing two players of their own: Josh Smith and Josh Childress. One out of two isn't bad, and it would have been hard for anyone to have predicted the outcome with Childress. In the end, the Hawks had made Childress a good offer and Olympiakos made him an irresistible financial offer.


Players Added In The Draft: None


Players Added Via Free Agency:
Thomas Gardner and Othello Hunter.
Both players earned their spot with the Hawks by impressing coaches
and staff in the Hawks' mini-camp and during summer league play. Gardner gives the Hawks a potential scoring threat from the perimeter, while Hunter earned his spot by being able to run the floor well - his size could be an asset in the future.

Flip Murray
Murray gives the Hawks some quality depth in their backcourt. He is a versatile player and has the experience the young Hawks lack. His is a player that can succeed in short bursts of playing time and contribute in many ways.

Randolph Morris
Morris is not particularly athletic, but has good size for a reserve center. Not an effective player on the floor yet, but some of his potential has yet to come out. While they wait for that to occur, the Hawks will be content with the physical nature he brings to the paint.

Maurice Evans
Atlanta went after Evans because of his defensive abilities. He is a physical player and another athletic guard / forward on the court. On offense, he had a breakout year last season, and the Hawks hope the trend continues, especially with his 3-point shooting.

Josh Smith The big name the Hawks gave money to this summer was on their roster last year. Smith fits very well within their system: he is a small forward that scores, rebounds and blocks shots. He also benefits from his leaping ability and size.


Grade: A

Business To Be Done
This teams needs to expedite the growth process as much as possible. They have the core players on their roster that will lead to success, the question is how long it will take. A big part of guiding the youth movement in Atlanta is Mike Bibby. It makes sense that, given an offseason to become more familiar with the team's offense and the players around him, Bibby will be an even bigger boost moving forward into next season. Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams and Al Horford give the Hawks overall the most athletic team in the NBA. It's just a question of timing. Of their five starters, Atlanta's Marvin Williams seems to be the weakest link. Offseason reports, though, indicate he is trying to change that and is starting to bulk up.

Overall Grade: A-
Atlanta held on to Josh Smith, and did their best to keep Childress in town. Then, they spent money wisely in free agency, filling the need for depth on their roster by picking individual pieces they could use in their offensive system. Overall, a solid offseason for the Hawks.


Interesting..they really seem to like the Flip and Mo signings..we kept the face of our team in Josh Smith, and are deeper than we were last year.

[LHughes/JSmooth]

Even though Smith has been the "face" of the team, I think Horford is our real face of the team. But glad to have Smith back, and I like the grade.

[FCNATL85]

Good work considering Olympiakos offer...but yet a bit overrated...B, B- seems more appropriate...
We will loose Rio, Rich...Gardner and Hunter have yet to prove that they are better...Salim showed flashes last season but as we know needs minutes that he will not get...Flip brings simply more experience so it comes down to Chill for Evans and Morris (and that is if solo is back?)
only advantage from last year:PO experience and more maturity for our young nucleus minus Chill (Al, Smoothe, Marv, Acie)...not worth a A IMO.

[HMFFL]

Hawkeyes, provide us with a link.

[Hawkeyes]

Hawkeyes, provide us with a link.

Sorry...http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=9764

[killbuckner]

An A grade is pretty ridiculous. There is no chance in hell that anyone would have been willing to trade Childress for Flip murray and Maurice Evans last season. When your team gets worse then you just don't deserve an A grade.

[reazun]

An A grade is pretty ridiculous. There is no chance in hell that anyone would have been willing to trade Childress for Flip murray and Maurice Evans last season. When your team gets worse then you just don't deserve an A grade.

I think they were factoring in that there was no way we could have offered the amount that Olympiakos gave to Childress. They probably feel that was more bad luck than our GM screwing it up. I think a big problem with our team in the past was experience. Flip will help and truthfully I dont think we are a worse team than last year. I like Childress' game, but Mo Evans was a good replacment. He is not as good on the offensive boards, but his 3-point shooting is better, which is a big need. If we get another big man, I think we deserve an A, but Im always optimistic. Thats why Im still a Hawks fan throughout all the years of getting screwed over. And once again, they state that Josh Smith is a small forward?!

[parson]

An A grade is pretty ridiculous.

You're digging such a big hole for yourself that you'll have to change your username when we turn the corner, rather than have to admit what a troll you've been.

Now you're complaining when outsiders brag on our team.

[killbuckner]

parson- you think the hawks are better than they were last season? I think that even Hawks fans should be laughing about an A grade. Going into the the offseason hawks fans would have given the team a B if they just resigned both Joshes and didn't make another significant addition. Now that they had a worse offseason than that you want to give them an A?

[tbhawksfan]

One and only time I agree with KB. Hawks made lateral moves at best. Our biggest off-season need was to get more talented and bigger in the front-court. If Morris is it; I give that a D-.

Trading Chil for Mo/Flip is lateral and a C at best. Signing Smoove was a no brainer that shouldn't even be counted in the evaluation. At best you can say that Smoove's signing was positive in that he is signed long-term at a reasonable rate.

So, with no improvement to the front-court and nothing else but a lateral move at the 2/3, I have to give a grade of: C- .

We did not improve the team. We maybe treaded water. We had multiple opportunities to pursue trades or signings that could have improved (or hurt) the team. After the Chil defection (or mis-handling), the Mo/Flip signings were very good damage control. Can't absolve Sund in Chil leaving though. No improvement (unless Morris has a miracle) in the front-court.

What I see is a trend to let expensive expirings expire without trading into costly talent. I really think some combination of Marvin/Bibby/Zaza should be (have been) traded.

C- , and there is still work to do.

[perthwildcat]

parson- you think the hawks are better than they were last season? I think that even Hawks fans should be laughing about an A grade. Going into the the offseason hawks fans would have given the team a B if they just resigned both Joshes and didn't make another addition. Now that they had a worse offseason than that you want to give them an A?

I think we will be better this season...

Losing Chil and getting Flip and Evans WAS a lateral move and i liked Chil as a player but I kinda think these guys bring more to the table than Chil...

Our biggest weakness was our bench... Period...
Is it not stronger?

We lacked shooters... Flip and Evans help here...

We now have three centers... Horford should be better, Zaza will still be Zaza and Morris Is a question mark but it is deeper...


I dunno if its an A but these guys are a definite improvement over a two man bench... To be honest short of getting a draft pick i think this offseason has been a success...

[killbuckner]

perth- so last season you would have been OK with it if BK had traded Childress for Evans and Flip Murray? I mean you know that trade would get locked if it put onto the tradeboard...

[parson]

parson- you think the hawks are better than they were last season?

Sometimes, the best moves are the ones you don't make. Overpaying for Chilz is such a move. He's a nice bench player but not essential.

Since you're not a fan, I wouldn't expect you to think about the growth of our players but, yes, I think we're better, simply because of the maturation process for our young players. Case in point: Marvin's growth to 245 lbs.

I think that even Hawks fans should be laughing about an A grade.

Thanks for not pretending to be a Hawks fan. Why don't you find a team that you DO like?

Going into the the offseason hawks fans would have given the team a B if they just resigned both Joshes and didn't make another significant addition. Now that they had a worse offseason than that you want to give them an A?

We lost a very good bench player yet we signed other good bench players. Not the terrible exchange you suggest. Add in the natural growth, physically and mentally, of Horford, Law, Smith, Williams ...

... not that I'd expect you to care.

[killbuckner]

So Parson- you would give the Hawks an A for this offseason? The hawks had a GREAT offseason and anything better would have been an A+ and impossible to improve on? I just think its funny that Mo Evans and Flip Murray are enough to make anyone think that the Hawks had a GREAT offseason.

[parson]

SI just think its funny that Mo Evans and Flip Murray are enough to make anyone think that the Hawks had a GREAT offseason.

Thanks for not listening. It's a bit frustrating discussing Hawks matters with you.

It's obvious you get no pleasure talking about the Hawks; why play the troll? Why not simply find a team you enjoy?

Killjoy, just so's you'll know, we're in the core-building part of our team's development. These players will continue to improve physically and skill-wise -- individually -- for 3-4 more years. The core, however, is also growing, as they learn to work as a team, and synergy is a beautiful thing. This team is on the way up, with Chilz or without him.

[killbuckner]

The Hawks are in a core building part of the team's development and lost a big part of the core and added lesser players. But you want to say the team had a great offseason? The core isn't growing- the core shrank this offseason.

[parson]

Horford grew.
Law grew.
Smoove grew.
Marvin grew.
The bench is deeper and more varied.
JJ learned he can dominate a great defensive team in a playoff game.

Find a team you like.

[parson]

Look Killjoy, what you're really asking is, "How can anyone like the Hawks?"

I get it.

[killbuckner]

What I am really asking is "How can anyone think the Hawks had a great offseason". No one would have been willing to trade Childress for Evans and Murray- it would have gotten laughed off the board. But now people have just forgotten this? You wishcast improvement for every player on the roster for why the Hawks deserve an A for their offseason? The fact is that the Hawks made the playoffs last season and this year they are likely not even going to be favored to make the playoffs. Anyone who gives the Hawks an A is just being ridiculous.

[JoshB914]

Parson why do you accuse everyone of not being a fan when they say negative things? KB said that it's ridiculous that the Hawks received an 'A' as their offseason grade. Do you think they deserve that grade?