Hawks Pre-Draft Summit

[APerna]

I apologize for the fact that the Hawks are no longer playing, but there is one bright side to the "unofficial" start of the offseason. It's time for the annual Pre-Draft Summit, led by myself (Andrew Perna). The pieces will be turned into articles, and will be part of a three-pronged attack of draft coverage on RealGM.

Thanks in advance for the answers, and please remember to try keeping the answers as tight and concise as possible.


1. What could the team have done different to advance further in playoffs?

2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?

3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?

4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?

5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?

6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?

7. Who would you like your team to select with the 19th pick?


Thanks for taking the time, and contributing answers. We appreciate that you all help make RealGM what it is today!

[killbuckner]

1. Not faced the cavs in the second round. The Hawks were simply outmatched against the cavs.

2. Biggest strenths are an athletic frontcourt that can get out in transition plus having a lineup with multiple guys who can all hurt a team from 3 if they choose to double. The Hawks have an active frontline that causes problems for a lot of teams. Joe Johnson is a great player who can both initiate the offense and burn teams when he plays off ball. He can guard 1s 2s and 3s.

3. Flip Murray was a revelation. He was put out with the backups in the 2nd quarter and told to go out and be theman on offense and he played unbelievably well. I'd say that Marvin's proficiency from outside was also surprising. Bibby had declined for 3 years in a row before having a major bounceback season.

4. Acie law did nothing which was a surprise to some. Some were surprised that Horford didn't do much on offense. But really no one falls into the category of "surprisingly ineffective"

5. Very little confidence in the front office, but thats less to do with Sund's bad moves rather than being burned in the past. Sund had a very spotty draft history in Seattle and he didn't make any picks in the first season with the Hawks. No one knows what the ownership will do.

6. I don't believe in drafting for need with the 19th pick but people see the biggest needs for the Hawks overall are at PG and a center who can provide some inside presence.

7. I am currently all on board the Ty Lawson bandwagon. I can't believe that many are projecting him to still be on the board.

[HoopsGuru25]

1. What could the team have done different to advance further in playoffs?

They wouldn't have advanced regardless but they would have won a few more games if they could score in the half court. 6 games of 85 points or less and we had 3 different droughts of not scoring for 4 straight minutes in game 4 vs Cleveland. It also didn't help that we had 3 starters hurt.

2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?

Transition offense and 3 point shooting.

3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?

Flip Murray.

4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?

All 8 players in the rotation were effective which is why we won 47 games w/o great top end talent. I guess you can say Law.

5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?

I'm confident Sund won't do something completely idiotic like Knight but I do wonder if he has what it takes to get into a bidding war for someone like Bosh or Amare(who we desperately need).

6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?

BPA but we could use a pg or center in particular.

7. Who would you like your team to select with the 19th pick?

I'm not sure who will be there but I'll just throw Lawson out there.

[theatlfan]

1st, my apologies to you for the same. Good luck next year.

1. Stayed healthy and been better. We were beat up, but CLE was too tough.
2. Perimeter Defense, Overall Athleticism, and Joe Johnson
3. Bibby, Murray, and Evans. The 3 vets added to the team over the last 1.5 years really helped more than I figured coming into the season. Both on the court and in the locker room.
4. Acie deserves mention, Speedy is a perennial contender here, and Horford still hasn't stepped up from exciting prospect into legit NBA player. But I'm going with Josh Smith. Last year, Smith enjoyed a breakout season followed by his sometimes stunning play in our Playoff Series against BOS. I was expecting more of the same from Smith and was ready to watch him to break into stardom. Instead his numbers fell from a stat-filling 17.2 ppg/ 8.2 rpg / 3.4 apg / 2.8 blocks to 15.6 / 7.2 / 2.4 / 1.6 - a numerical match to the difference in his changing the game.
5. More than normal. Anyone is better than BK, and Sund is still somewhat in his honeymoon period. Sund made a couple of low risk signings with Flip and Mo Evans that paid off big, so he knows when a little goes a long way. He keeps it close to the vest though, so we really don't know what he's planning for this off-season. Honestly though, if he doesn't leave what's left of our ownership in court, then I'm happy.
6. Any position outside of PF. Between age (PG), FA (Wings), talent ("true" C), and depth issues at all these positions as well, we have immediate minutes with near future needs @ just about all the positions on the floor.
7. In a draft with 20-22 good prospects, I'm basically hoping for a faller. I'll keep hope alive for Jrue Holiday, but someone like Terrance Williams is prolly a more realistic choice.

[lunarblues]

1. What could the team have done different to advance further in playoffs?
stayed healthy, when we have all five of our true starters playing, we are a very good team, but our bench can't handle starters minutes.

2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?
athleticism from positions 2-5. we rarely get out matched from game to game on those positions. the perimeter game is starting to take shape.

3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?
flip murray. he became what hawks fans had been looking for over a decade. a consistent scorer off the bench. marvin williams had a pretty productive season as well.

4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?
acie law, at this point we might as well save his career by sending him somewhere else.

5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?
i'm confident in the front office, but the to-do list is very long this offseason. there are alot of variables, and i wouldn't be surprised if we lose a piece or two.

6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?
depth. from 1-5 we need more depth. this season showed that we have legit players at only 3 bench positions. SG,SF,and C and two of those players are free agents. in reality we need major upgrades in talent across the board on the bench. the current group isn't going to cut it.

7. Who would you like your team to select with the 19th pick?
we might have to make a trade to make it happen but i really like eric maynor out of VCU. i think that he is the only Point Guard out of the Flynn, Lawson, Teague, Maynor group that has the potential to become a legit starter.

[evildallas]

1. What could the team have done different to advance further in playoffs?
Nothing to advance another round. Could have made round 2 last longer with better rebounding and having a penetrating PG on the roster.

2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?
Athleticism. 3 point shooting.

3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?
Flip Murray. Mike Bibby had a more effective season than was expected, but that could have been contract year bump.

4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?
Acie Law showed nothing which was less than our already low expectations. Solomon Jones showed little but that was expected to happen.

5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?
Not very. I doubt the club will spend enough money to thoroughly evaluate the talent in the draft. Cap situation and sheer number of free agents makes the rest of summer difficult. Too many targets, not enough bullets.

6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?
Best Player Available which is likely to be a PG given the talent available. With so many free agents on the roster you can make a case for any pick fitting with an opportunity to contribute early.

7. Who would you like your team to select with the 19th pick?
Jonny Flynn is my 1st choice (but he'll likely be gone), Eric Maynor is my 2nd choice, Dejuan Blair is 3rd, and Patty Mills is my fall back if all are gone.

[johnny878]

1. What could the team have done different to advance further in playoffs?
It is doubtful the hawks could of gotten past the Cavs, but they needed Joe Johnson to play like an allstar. He played like garbage.


2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?
Atheleticism

3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?
Flip murray. Mike Bibby

4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?
Al Horford. Looks like he almost regressed from last year.

5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?
not very

6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?
need some one who can actually play. Should take best player available to increase depth.

7. Who would you like your team to select with the 19th pick?
take best player available

[APerna]

We'll be getting this up soon...