Can we start talking draft?!?!

[lunarblues]

it's starting to look like we are gonna be in the 20's range of the draft, and sense names haven't been moving on draft boards for the past couple months, i think that it's safe to start looking at who we could be picking up this year.

the 2009 draft seems to be loaded at point guard and small forward. seeing as though we are set at the three position i think we are gonna look at point guard again this year. some of the names that seem to be near us on draft boards include:

Eric Maynor - 6'3" - VCU (sund has already been seen scouting him)
Stephen Curry - 6'1" - Davidson (has slipped since Southern Conference play, will prob shoot up during tournament time)
Ty Lawson - 6'0" - North Carolina (has been leading a stacked Tar Heel team to a sure NCAA tourney bid)
Patrick Mills - 5'11" St. Mary's (has been solid this year in college and did his thing in the Olympics)
Darren Collison - 6'0" UCLA (won't blow you away with offense but more than holds his own in defense)

all the rest are forwards that i don't see us looking at. nbadraft.net has us taking mills right now. who do you think we should choose?

[raleigh]

I love your list.

I'm not a huge Mills' fan, and I don't see Curry as a SG, but I love the thought of Collison, Lawson, or Maynor.

For bigs, I like Cole Aldrich, but that's about it.

[JoshB914]

Eric Maynor! I love the guy.

[lunarblues]

i think i'm looking at maynor also. the thing i liked about him was his emotion on the court. he seems to be hyped up whenever he plays. he has a great passion for the game. i hope that he is availible when we pick. i worry that he is gonna shoot up again if he does great in the tourney.

also, look at his highlight tape on nbadraft.net, the thing is the last two minutes of one game where he just destroys george mason in a championship game.

[killbuckner]

I think Curry would be a great backup PG. Seriously- of players who would look great next to Joe I have to think Curry could defintiely be a huge addition

[lunarblues]

i like curry too, but i think he is gonna go high in the draft. i think that the only reason he is low on the list is because he hasn't been getting the attention demolishing my GSU Eagles that he did playing the Duke Blue Devils. but hey, jameer nelson went low, maybe he can too.

[HoopsGuru25]

The good thing is that this is a strong point guard draft. I think this year will be like 2006 where some of the top players in the draft where taken after the lottery. I want Willie Warren and I definitely don't want Collison. I'd be happy if we got Mills,Flynn,Lawson,or Maynor though. I haven't seen Curry falling to the Hawks but a team like the Hawks or Blazers with a playmaking SG would be perfect for him.

[Jamaaliver]

NO MORE YOUTH!!!! We got better as a team once we started embracing veterans. Smoove, Horford, Acie and Marvin are all the youth we need.

Plus our new GMs draft record might actually be worse than our old one.

[johnny878]

another big body might be a nice addition especially if Zaza leaves.

[lunarblues]

johnny, the one thing this class doesn't have is size. especially in the 20's. the best you are gonna get is tyler hansborough and he would raise sheldon williams flags all around here.

also, what this team needs is depth. we don't have a point behind bibby (law is looking like a SG/bust and speedy is a walking slap in the face) but we are also thin at some other positions. if we can find a big in the 1st that would be great, but i see alot of 6'9" guys on the draft sites. also, we need to have insurance in case bibby gets a good offer from another team and leaves.

[LL Cool Scott]

I don't know much about Maynor or Mills, so I can't comment on either one.

Curry is going to be a steal for whoever gets him. I think he'll be a starting point guard in this league, and a good one. Dude makes some amazing passes, his court vision is special. Obviously, his scoring ability is special as well...

Hansbrough is another guy that is going to be a steal. He is much more athletic and active than Shelden Williams. He also would be a great locker room guy, and would bring a lot of energy off the bench. I'd love to have him, but I don't think he or Curry will last long enough for us to get them without trading up.

[lethalweapon3]

Ain't it great to be able to look toward a draft without Damocles' sword over our heads, the perpetual purgatory of "Let's Suck, But Not So Bad The Suns Take Our High Draft Pick" now a thing of the past?

And Look Ma, No Billy Knight! Any sightings of that guy lately?

Now that I've got my Rotten-Egg-Proof Vest securely fastened I have to concur with Double L that I'd like Hansbrough on this team. After Professor Griff, Thabeet and Mullens come off the board there's nobody else with the height (sorry, DeJuan Blair) and size to fill the Hawks need for a servicable backup PF. 'Brough lacks athleticism, but has the energy and tenacity and foul-drawing-plus-FT-making capacity the team needs for a frontcourt bench player. The biggest disadvantage for him is his post play doesn't help improve the Hawks' ISO-oriented offense, but he'll have time to work on his passing skillz. The Hawks don't need a starter and I doubt Tyler's looking to become one anytime soon.

~lw3

[Hatertots]

If Blair's standing reach measures in at 9 ft or above (a big if but supposedly he has long arms for his head height) then I wouldn't mind the Hawks taking a chance on him with a late first rounder; if he can come off the bench and give Atlanta what guys like Carl Landry or Paul Millsap gave their teams last year I'd take that over our current bench players. If Ty Lawson fell, I think he'd also be a good late first selection.

In the second round, I'd like to see the Hawks gamble on some smaller school players who've posted good numbers. Depending on who Atlanta drafts in the first (and who's available, of course) guys like SF Lee Cummard or G Lester Hudson might be worth a shot.

All that said, we'll have much more robust data on all the draft eligible players a little closer to draft time, so I'm guessing many of our perceptions on these guys will change over the twelve weeks.

[raleigh]

I don't really care about Blair's height. He's a talented big, and think he'd be a good fit at backup PF.

I think the Hawks will get more value out of a PG in this draft, though.

[Danimalz]

You need to stop living in the past. We are too good to talk draft this early.

I know it's weird. It's new. But we are too good to think about the draft halfway through the season

[niffoc4]

Strangely enough I was just checking Hawks sites to see who was projected to be available. I think whoever the Hawks pick will be a decent indication of what they're thinking for the next year. If an experienced (college-wise) PG falls (i.e. Collison/Lawson/Curry) and we pick him, then Bibby may be gone. If a SF, then Sund's going to play hardball with Williams (which I assume he'll do anyway)... if he drafts a clear backup (i.e. Hansborough, or a project big) then he's planning/hoping to keep Williams and Bibby. That's my view anyway.

[HoopsGuru25]

Why would Sund draft a "clear backup". You don't pick an inferior player because you are scared of competition. The Hawks won't be picking high enough in the draft to influence what happens with any of the 5 starters for next year. The bottom of line is that the Hawks need to re-sign Bibby and hope that they get someone that will also turn out to be a good player down the road as well(which is exactly what Detroit did in 2007). How many point guards picked post lottery started the majority of their teams games as rookies anyway? Mario Chalmers and Chris Duhon the only names to come to mind.

[parson]

If Sund is true to his history, he'll reach for a prospect big man: some 7' high schooler or 3rd world skyscraper weighing 50 lbs.

And I'll be the 1st to approve. This is probably the time to take such a chance.

[Harry10]

if Demar DeRozan is available, you just have to take him.

[conleyorbust]

I look at Curry and I actually see a guy who could be a lot like Bibby in the pros. Not a super athlete but good enough, very smart, very smooth, good jumper, decent passer. I seriously doubt he's on board when we pick though. Collison would be a decent backup to Bibby. Almost polar opposites in terms of strengths, where Bibby is an offense-savvy shooter, Collison is a terror on D who gets to the hoop at will but can't shoot well.

Wouldn't mind trading the pick for a good backup big man either, but I'd have to know who was available.