Post#2 » by evildallas » Tue Apr 7, 2009 6:24 pm
I'll give you some feedback from my pov as a Hawks fan, but I don't speak for all Hawks fans. I don't know how the GM a Team stuff works, so I can't speak to what is needed to be successful. My feedback is more what would help in actuality in my opinion.
#1) Josh Smith is not ready to become a SF and putting him there as a starter would be a horrible mistake. His perimeter play is too shaky on offense. On defense a lot of his contributions require him to be around the basket. If he was always D'ing up the 3 man then his overall impact on the game would go down.
#2) Moving Marvin is a reasonable strategy. Marvin has shown great strides this year in respect to the 3 ball and D, but he has yet to live up to the expectations of being a #2 draft pick. As such it is hard to invest the money that a #2 normally gets in him long term. He's a restricted free agent, so the QO is a possible route to go. Marvin's back injury is also a concern as we've yet to see him return to play after resting it. The team is better with Marvin, but financial realities are that you can't afford 8 figure salaries at all starting positions. I can't see how Marvin gets paid by Atlanta unless the plan is to deal Josh Smith after he comes off BYC1 status or unless Joe Johnson is on the move.
#3) Flip Murray has really found his niche here. The team had a huge need for 2nd unit scorer and he's filled it admirably. His defense has been much better than I expected. He can handle PG duties as a reserve, but doesn't think pass enough or have good enough court vision to be a full time starter at PG. He's a free agent and only made 1.5M last year. He's due a raise but I wouldn't break the bank for him by going over 3.5M per on him. If not resigned it is important to land a 2nd unit scorer to replace him.
#4) Acie Law has shown very little. Another poster (killbuckner, I think) put it best when he said that Acie might be more valuable as an expiring contract by not picking up the year 4 option. Acie can penetrate, but doesn't have the game changing speed at PG that is considered unstoppable. He can run some pick and roll, but doesn't excel at it either. Defensively he hasn't shown the ability to stay in front of fast PGs enough to be an asset that way either. He's had some injury problems and is feeling like a bust right now. I am in favor of combining him with Speedy Claxton's 5.25M expiring deal to try to pick up a better asset from a team looking to shed some cap for 2010.
#5) Mike Bibby is having a good contract year. He's shown that he's got quite a bit left in his tank. I think Bibby is a good candidate for a contract between 3 yr/21M and 3 yr/30M range. Going longer than that or more than that would be overpaying. Bibby has value as a S&T possibility as well. A team like Portland values his veteran experience and shooting. His shooting fits well with how Woodson runs the team offensively (lots of isos), but more of a creating PG might get more out of the offense over all.
#6) I'm down on Josh Childress, but I was before he went to Greece. He has an ugly jump shoot with a slow release which limits his offensive value. He's a smart player who could play the 3 and be a good glue guy. Excels at offensive rebounding. His value is highest to a team with other offensive options who could let him roam and crash the boards from the SF or SG position. I think he has no fit with the Hawks. Furthermore, I think his price tag is greater than his return. He's a huge cap hold (as is Marvin) and must be dealt with or renounced before any free agent maneuvers are undertaken.
#7) Zaza Pachulia has been a very effective backup C, but is a free agent. He can bang, but his offensive finishing is a below par. He doesn't match up well with starting level C's, but is probably better than most team's backup C's. He lacks the defensive length the team could use. Some nights his style leads to quick fouls, but he normally gives great effort. He confounds me a lot. He might be worthy of keeping but only if we add another big to the mix to allow more situational substitution. However, adding a veteran big is probably too expensive to do and resign Zaza. As a three man big rotation Smith/Horford/Zaza just aren't complete or good enough.
#8) Mario West has potential as a sub based on his defensive intensity, but is a huge negative on the offensive end right now. I am hopeful that the team actually works with him to develop some offensive skills in the off-season.
#9) Mo Evans is on an affordable 3 yr deal and has been effective as a sub, but not stellar. Filling in at the starting SF has shown he's not able to handle a bigger role. He's a quality sub that brings most of what Childress used to bring off the bench with a better perimeter shot.
#10) The rest of the bench hasn't shown much either due to lack of playing time or just lack of performance.
#11) Joe Johnson is in the last year of his contract and if not signed to a long term max extension might be lost for nothing in the summer of 2010. He could have loyalty to the organization for making him the man, but the GM that brought him in is gone and the coach (which he is tight with) is also in the last year of his contract. He's shown some signs of brilliance, but also has spells of being pretty ineffective. There is a possibility he's breaking down from playing the most minutes in the league.
#12) Our draft pick is projected to be #19 which should provide a good value rotation player. This draft is weak in superstars, but deep in average talent meaning that if you choose wisely you can get as good of player at #20 as you can at #5 just a lot cheaper. With that pick you should be able to fill a bench rotation role like one of the following: PG prospect to replace Acie Law, beefy PF to actual get some minutes of the bench, or athletic swingman to develop to take over for Mo Evans or maybe Joe down the road.
Hope that helps you a bit in getting to know your Atlanta Hawks.
Going to donkey punch a leprechaun!
