Jeff Schultz: Get to the point - trade for Alston

[HMFFL]

There is a point guard who just started for a team that reached the NBA finals — and he’s available. He also comes with a contract considered Atlanta Spirit budget-friendly. Hello?

The Hawks shouldn’t re-sign Mike Bibby. They should trade for Orlando’s Rafer Alston. He requires less of an investment than Bibby and might get them further in the playoffs. Look what he just did for the Magic? Link

The AJC writers must be bored.

[Harry10]

this is moronic.......... and Jason Williams was a PG for an NBA championship team

[betta1]

Let's bring BJ Armstrong and Ron Harper back from retirement while we're at it.

[evildallas]

I pondered the same thing briefly. Use Rafer Alston for a year before turning it over to PG of the future. Not because of convoluted logic about going further in the playoffs as if Bibby killed us or Rafer carried them. What I found that Rafer in addition to being very moody is 33 years old. Bibby just turned 31 and we worry about him being too old. Rafer doesn't seem to have as many miles on him, but I hardly see him as an upgrade. The one thing Rafer has going for him is his price tag. He makes the same as Speedy next year. However, the Magic are going to want to shed payroll (to deal with other free agents) or get something useful in return, so short of a 3 way deal with a team with cap space we'd have to give up real assets. If that's the case we'd be better off trying to use the MLE on a PG or trading for a longer term solution (Felton, Sessions, etc. as a sign & trade or Hinrich or Calderon).

If the Magic just want him gone and are willing to swap him for Speedy straight up (conceivably for savings due to insurance coverage) then sure, but any other scenario of acquisition seems bad to me.

[parson]

Alston is at the end of a long and non-eventful career but he got hot for a few games in the playoffs, ON TV, so Schultz wants him. Gee can you tell how many games Schultz watches?

Now, the way Jameer Nelson shoots the 3, if they wanted to move HIM....

[td00]

Not that I agree with going after Alston, because bringing Bibby back is definitely going to be more $$.
I didn't think he was any good for the Magic, but he proved me wrong. Somewhere along the line, when he gets to a team, his star seems to fade after a year or 2.
I don't think we are looking for a 1 year fix here, but Alston did take them to the Finals. There is something about a player who can do that. As bad as we looked against the Cavs, I would take a shot at Alston as being the PG provided we don't get a contribution should we select Lawson with our draft pick
I am thinking that this is not what Woody likes to do....groom a PG. Oh well, back to waiting on the Hwaks making a change at head coach.

[parson]

A decade ago, Chris Crawford got hot, hot, hot against the Knicks in a playoff game. We promptly got stars in our eyes and signed him to a very healthy contract, which he couldn't play up to. And this was for a 6'9" youngster who could really jump, had a good shooting motion and was a good guy. Rafer Alston is 32 and has a loooong history of being a malcontent. Before he went to ORL, Stan Van Gundy was worried about taking the always-unhappy Alston, who had critics who questioned his "attitude and work ethic" (Alston's Wikipedia page). Actually, Alston has said he hated every team he ever played on, except the Miami Heat, and the way he was benched in TOR and HOU, you have to say their coaches didn't much like him, either. Add that he's been arrested 3 times....

Now, he has a short-but-hot playoff run and WE'RE going to take him? Not only that, but we're going to replace Bibby with Alston, essentially making our team dependent on Alston?

[tbhawksfan]

No to Alston. There are a number of possible PG solutions I'd take over him. Actually I'd run with Law before I brought him in.

[johnny878]

horrible idea.

not only is he only mediocre, but he also has one of THE WORST attitudes in the league. and the least class.

so lets bring in a mediocre player to poison the rest of his team of young players

[HoopsGuru25]

That makes no sense. I'd like the Hawks to consider a younger more athletic drive and dish pg but Bibby has an established comfort zone with the team/coaching staff while Alston seems like a guy who could just clash with the coach and disrupt chemistry at any perceived slight. That's also not getting to the point that Bibby is clearly better and two years younger. I wouldn't expect Alston to give us more than what we got from AJ.