RealGM

Not so good for the players with ties to the Hawks.
Panathinaikos beats CSKA Moscow 73-71 in the Finals
RC Barcelona (David Andersen) over Olympiacos (Josh Childress) for 3rd place

In the semis, Panathinaikos defeated Olympiacos 84-82. You may remember (Thread here) that occasional poster Sofoklis likened the rivalry to Israel vs. Palestine. Well, Olympiacos had a shot to tie, but missed a 7 foot shot in the lane and Josh Childress was unsuccessful on the tip that would have tied the game. Numbers don't translate well from Euroleague, but he had 11 pts on 4/7 shooting with 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals. Those numbers are not overwhelming for the highest paid player in a bitter rivalry game.

Post Game comments from Josh Childress
"We were where we wanted to be. We played well and it came down to the wire. Maybe we should have attacked their guards more, but that’s water under the bridge now. We played hard and we had our chances. The game came down to a seven-footer in the lane. That’s a good shot, but it didn’t go in. I tried to get the tip up, but I hit it too hard. We’ll be back in two days because we have pride and want to finish the season strong. [Barcelona] is a team that likes to get up-and-down and we’ll be ready."

Not sure what to read into it (because my web search found no explanation), but Josh Childress didn't play in the 3rd place game even though the quote above sounded like he intended to. One Spanish site said that the coach chose to rest him. Another questioned how he could be the highest paid player in Europe. I'm not sure what to think, but the big dollar investment was made with the intention of defeating the Panathinaikos. Failure to do so on the big stage can't be an easy pill to swallow. If Childress had managed to hit the big shot and they went on to win, he would probably be a triumphant hero. Failing to win the way they did has me wondering if he'll be the goat?

I post this out of curiosity because he was a Hawk. I've no desire for his return to Atlanta (I don't like his fit into the team, his skill set, or his price tag). To me, he's a cap hold that we must either renounce rights or sign & trade him if he chooses to return and it helps the team. I don't really pull for or against him in Europe.

NBADraft.net had a recap.

Josh Childress had an OK game, but he was not given the multimillion dollar contract to put up decent performances in the biggest games. He is having serious problems with his outside shot, and the sagging defenses are making it very difficult for him to attack the hoop. Lynn Greer looked like he was ready to take this game over after scoring 15 points in the first half, yet he was a non factor in the 2nd half, only managing to add 3 more to his total.

Should have scouted him better when he played with the Hawks.