If you were the Hawks GM...

[Hawk Eye]

I thought I would create a fun thread for us hawks fans since we are now less than one week away from draft day. Its about pretending if you were Danny Ferry on draft night. Make sure everything is completely REALISTIC. So no picking Andrew Wiggins with the 15th pick.

Congratulations, you are now the hawks GM and it is indeed the moment we have all been waiting for...draft night.

1. State the player you would draft with the (15th) pick. Give your reasoning as well. If it is someone that was projected a lot higher on mock drafts then give your reason as to why they fell to the 15th spot.

2. State the player you would draft with the (43rd) pick. Give your reasoning as to why you selected the player.

3. State AT LEAST one trade that you would make on draft night. You can make more than one trade if you would like. Give your reasoning for the trade(s) for both teams. For example, there are already tons of rumors swarming around that we will be involved in some sort of trade involving the Kings (8th) pick.

4. Finally, state the player you would draft if you receive any new draft picks via trades.

I will be sure to upload mine soon

[azuresou1]

1. Depends on who is available. My personal board would look something like Rodney Hood, Adriean Payne, then Clint Capela. Hood provides us with wing scoring that we definitely need; Payne is a NBA-ready player who also still has upside and can step in as an eventual Millsap replacement; Capela is raw but he's a 6'11 athletic freak.

2. KJ McDaniels - because he's gonna be a stud. Heck, I'd consider him taking him at 15, or trading down to get him.

3. Lou Williams + cash for cap space

[atlantabbq99]

1. 15th pick - Kyle Anderson (or Adreian Payne or Rodney Hood). All can shoot 3s and showed that they are leaders on their teams.

2. 43rd pick - Nick Johnson (or DeAndre Daniels or Thanasis Antetokounmpo, or Jarnell Stokes). Johnson is an under sized and over skilled upper classmen, that combination seems to trend well for 2nd round picks like Arenas or Jodie Meeks. Johnson reminds me of a poor man's Derrick Rose.

3. Dennis for 8th pick - Select Zach LaVine. LaVine has good 3pt shooting and his athletism and age gives him a high ceiling.

3. Horford for 1st pick - Select Wiggins. Embiid has health issues, and between Wiggins and Parker, i think Wiggins will fit better into Budz system, like a better version of Leonard.

4. I'm not sure how #4 works, but i would take James Young or Glenn Robinson.

[Hawk Eye]

1. (15th) pick: There are a number of guys I like here. My top three are Payne, Lavine, and Hood. I like Lavine here for a number of reasons. Overall, he is an athletic freak. His vertical is ridiculous. His ceiling is very high with the right coaching (which I believe we have). He has experience playing the 1 and 2. His size is great for the guard position. I think he would be a great fit in Buds system.

2. (43rd) pick: I like Spencer Dinwiddie. The kid played great for what little time he did play for Colorado before tearing his ACL. So obviously he starts out at a high risk but let me explain..In games against big schools such as Kansas, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Baylor, and Harvard; Dinwiddie averaged 16.6 points and 4.6 assists. The kid has great size at the guard position. He stands at 6"6 with good length. He does great in transition, has the ability to create his own shot, and he is also a great shooter. He attempted 4.7 3's per 40 minutes pace adjusted and made an impressive 41.3% of his attempts.

3. Three Way Trade..

Hawks Out: Dennis, Lou, Milsap
Hawks in: (8th pick), Outlaw, Aaron Afflalo

Kings In: Dennis, Lou, (12th pick)
Kings Out: (8th pick), Jason Terry, Travis Outlaw

Magic In: Milsap, Jason Terry
Magic Out: 12th pick, Aaron Afflalo

4. After acquiring the (8th pick) from the Kings I would select Dario Saric. IMO, the kid is one of if not the most versatile player in the draft. He rebounds at a high rate, handles the ball in transition, and has a very high basketball IQ. I think he would be a great fit in Buds system along side Horford.

[Hawk Eye]

After looking at it I'm not sure if magic would be on board with the trade, maybe leave out aaron afflalo?

[Baller2014]

People aren't going to want to hear this, but we as fans are poorly equipped to be making these decisions. NBA teams have millions of dollars of scouting and manhours going into assessing and informing their decisions. We have youtube and espn. It's fun for us to guess, but the sign that you have a really good GM and front office is that you can't guess their moves. It means they're seeing ahead of the curve. Every year I try to predict what the Spurs will do in the offseason, and I usually am pretty off. Going back to last offseason (or the offseason before) I imagine Hawks fans would have been appalled by a fan who accurately predicted Ferry's moves. They've sure worked out well so far though, haven't they? I'm pretty happy just giving Ferry the benefit of the doubt and seeing what happens.

I think he'll try to add a legit 5 to play a Splitter type role (so 20-25mpg as de factor starter), but I don't think he'll pay much to get it (so if the Rockets want to move Asik for cap space, they'll take him for nothing). Otherwise I'm wide open to what the Hawks will do, and I watch it with interest.

[atlantabbq99]

People aren't going to want to hear this, but we as fans are poorly equipped to be making these decisions. NBA teams have millions of dollars of scouting and manhours going into assessing and informing their decisions. We have youtube and espn. It's fun for us to guess, but the sign that you have a really good GM and front office is that you can't guess their moves. It means they're seeing ahead of the curve. Every year I try to predict what the Spurs will do in the offseason, and I usually am pretty off. Going back to last offseason (or the offseason before) I imagine Hawks fans would have been appalled by a fan who accurately predicted Ferry's moves. They've sure worked out well so far though, haven't they? I'm pretty happy just giving Ferry the benefit of the doubt and seeing what happens.

I think he'll try to add a legit 5 to play a Splitter type role (so 20-25mpg as de factor starter), but I don't think he'll pay much to get it (so if the Rockets want to move Asik for cap space, they'll take him for nothing). Otherwise I'm wide open to what the Hawks will do, and I watch it with interest.

Funny thing is that fans are rarely wrong, while GMs are wrong most of the time. if the Hawks used fan voting instead of GMs to make selections in the draft, the franchise would be alot better. if their was fan voting for the draft, i can confidently say the Hawks would have drafted Deng over Childress, Chris Paul over Marvin, Roy or Foye (or Rondo) over Shelden.

As for Horford, i think most fans were 50-50 between Horford and Conley. As for Gasol, i really forgot the consensus for that decision. But i think the Acie Law pick was unanimous by most fans, because we needed a PG after selecting Horford.

[Baller2014]

Funny thing is that fans are rarely wrong, while GMs are wrong most of the time. if the Hawks used fan voting instead of GMs to make selections in the draft, the franchise would be alot better. if their was fan voting for the draft, i can confidently say the Hawks would have drafted Deng over Childress, Chris Paul over Marvin, Roy or Faye (or Rondo) over Shelden.

As for Horford, i think most fans were 50-50 between Horford and Conley. As for Gasol, i really forgot the consensus for that decision. But i think the Acie Law pick was unanimous by most fans, because we needed a PG after selecting Horford.

There are some times when teams are badly managed and, yes, in those instances fans with limited information would struggle to do a worse job. I think those cases are way less common than the average bitter fan believes. The Hawks bad decisions you reference are understandable in a sense, given the circumstances of the ownership dispute. Even if the front office was making the right decisions, it wouldn't have mattered, because every single owner needed to agree with their decisions (or else it wouldn't happen). That's not really a normal NBA environment to operate in. And if the front office sucks, normal market signals don't work in that scenario, because all the owners need to agree to replace said front office. Shelden is a great case in point. Nobody at the time liked the pick, and I mean nobody, but the word was the Hawks owners had bickered about it and insisted on making a "safe" pick, no "reaches", and Shelden was assumedly the highest pick to get universal support from them.

[theatlfan]

1) There are 8 guys that I assume would be gone at 15... and that's it. Honestly believe that any other prospect could be on the table in different scenarios. The order I (currently) have them in: Saric, Stauskas, J Young, G Harris, Payton, McBuckets, Ennis. I'm assuming that this order would leave us with Payton or Ennis. OTOH, check back tomorrow and I'll have an entirely different order.

2) Being that the draft is very deep in mid-to-late 1st round talent, I think someone will fall to us at 43 who no one imagines could be there. McDaniels, K Anderson, and Clarkson are a few names that jump to mind that I've seen some have in the late 1st but also wouldn't surprise me if they fell into our lap at #43; other names like Dinwiddie and Damien Inglis are typically put into the early 2nd but I'd absolutely love for them to fall to us. I'm sure there are many, many names I'm missing though. Assuming that we don't have a prayer answered, I would also love to land Nikola Jokic - a highly skilled C out of the Adriatic League.

3) My personal price tag on the Big 3 - Horford, top 3-4 pick (depending on Embiid's medicals); Millsap, mid-lotto plus an asset down the line; Teague, mid-to-late lotto plus an asset down the line. If we can deal 2 of them, then I would look to deal Korver for a mid-to-late 1st and Carroll for an early 2nd.

Still, if some trades I'd present:
Teague + 43 for L Sanders: MIL gets out of a headache and lands the PG they wanted last year; we get the young, defensive C we've craved.

Teague for J Nelson, 12, (LAL '17 1st OR PHI '17 1st - ORL's choice)
Assuming ORL goes big at 4 (Embiid), then they've still got a large hole at PG and no one to fill it. ORL's choices would be to select a PG (Ennis and/or Payton would be expected to be available) or use 12 to trade for a vet. In this case, they deal 12 and assets well into the future to finish off the team that they could drive them to a playoff berth. Would also include an under the table "wink, nod, fart" deal that we wouldn't match Mike Scott if they went after him. My Big Board order is above (question 4) and I'd stay in that order, just that I wouldn't be as concerned about 2x down at PG over the last two years.

Horford + 10 to CLE; 1 to PHI; 3 + Thornton to ATL; Jack to BRK
CLE: gets their AS big and still has 10 to play with.
PHI: has to swallow hard after the Embiid injury killed the value of #3 to the point where Young simply isn't going to them from 3 to 1 to secure Wiggins so they have to put #10 on the table.
BRK: Jack for Thornton trade is the current rumor
ATL: Pulls the trigger on the deal to a centerpiece in either Exum or Parker.

[theatlfan]

People aren't going to want to hear this, but we as fans are poorly equipped to be making these decisions. NBA teams have millions of dollars of scouting and manhours going into assessing and informing their decisions. We have youtube and espn. It's fun for us to guess, but the sign that you have a really good GM and front office is that you can't guess their moves. It means they're seeing ahead of the curve. Every year I try to predict what the Spurs will do in the offseason, and I usually am pretty off. Going back to last offseason (or the offseason before) I imagine Hawks fans would have been appalled by a fan who accurately predicted Ferry's moves. They've sure worked out well so far though, haven't they? I'm pretty happy just giving Ferry the benefit of the doubt and seeing what happens.

Trying to figure out why you put this here... I mean, the site's name is real GM. The entire message board is set up around discussions of teams and moves that not only would, in all likelihood, never happen in real life but also things that "non-insiders" would never have enough information to actually make good decisions on (one timely example: where would you draft Embiid? Unless your his doctor, his agent, or work in the FO of a handful of NBA teams, there's no way you have enough information to give an informed answer... and that's highly questionable even for those guys). Yet, there are 21+M posts on this site alone specifically to discuss exactly these types of topics. So why take the time to lambaste something that so many people here (including you apparently) actually enjoy instead of just rolling with it? Just seems, well, mean-spirited.

[ATLHawksfan21]

Teague for the headcase Sanders. What has Teague done to receive so much hate from every one on this board? I can't wait to watch him make every one of you eat crow next season.

You do realize that Sanders is straight useless on offense right? and our scheme requires 5 guys that can actually contribute something on that end.

[Baller2014]

By all means let's discuss it, but I feel it's important to make that caveat from time to time, so people don't get carried away.

[azuresou1]

I think it's a fallacy to equate lack of opportunity with lack of ability. I think you're also ignoring how pressure to perform means many GMs make shortsighted moves that are immediately decried as bad moves from a teambuilding perspective, but which get made anyways because the GM doesn't want to get fired for missing playoffs, or whatever the owner mandate is.

For example, back in 2009 the Wizards traded the #5 pick to pick up Randy Foye and Mike Miller. They could have drafted Steph Curry, Rubio, DeRozan, etc. with that pick. Instead, they picked up two moderately talented role players to add to a 19 win team.

EVERYONE knew this was a horrible trade as soon as it was made. Yet it was still made, because Ernie Grunsfeld didn't want to get fired.

This was right after he extended Arenas to a 6 year, $111M deal despite Arenas not having played in a year and a half due to injuries, a contract for which Gilbert is STILL getting paid.

Ernie Grunsfeld is still the Wizards GM.

Opportunity =/= ability.

[Baller2014]

I'm all for looking at all sorts of contexts. Let's just remember there's a lot of stuff we can't see going on too.

[simon24]

People aren't going to want to hear this, but we as fans are poorly equipped to be making these decisions. NBA teams have millions of dollars of scouting and manhours going into assessing and informing their decisions. We have youtube and espn. It's fun for us to guess, but the sign that you have a really good GM and front office is that you can't guess their moves. It means they're seeing ahead of the curve. Every year I try to predict what the Spurs will do in the offseason, and I usually am pretty off. Going back to last offseason (or the offseason before) I imagine Hawks fans would have been appalled by a fan who accurately predicted Ferry's moves. They've sure worked out well so far though, haven't they? I'm pretty happy just giving Ferry the benefit of the doubt and seeing what happens.

I think he'll try to add a legit 5 to play a Splitter type role (so 20-25mpg as de factor starter), but I don't think he'll pay much to get it (so if the Rockets want to move Asik for cap space, they'll take him for nothing). Otherwise I'm wide open to what the Hawks will do, and I watch it with interest.

Hawks are loaded at the 5 - Horford, Muscula, Antic, Brand (if they sign him back) - I don't see why they would draft another center after drafting Muscula and Bebe this past year

[Baller2014]

Brand is on the way out, playing Horford some minutes at the 4 if they can get Asik for free wouldn't be a bad idea. Antic is a specialist, you don't want him playing too much. Muscula is the same, and very inexperienced still. Bebe is years away.

[theatlfan]

Teague for the headcase Sanders. What has Teague done to receive so much hate from every one on this board? I can't wait to watch him make every one of you eat crow next season.

You do realize that Sanders is straight useless on offense right? and our scheme requires 5 guys that can actually contribute something on that end.

What makes you think other would think that Teague has done something "wrong"? 1st, as noted in my Q1, I think that at 15, it will be clear that the most talented prospect we could pick up will be a PG, and in the NBA, you draft the most talented player and work everything else later. At some point, we'll have to clear the logjam at PG and Teague would be the one who I'd think would be the best opportunity to sell high and the one that we could actually get something worthwhile for.

2nd, you have to give talent to get talent and Sanders is talented. He's .5 years younger than Teague, and he's one of the - if not the - top rim protectors in the league. Sanders has DPotY potential if he can keep his head on straight; while I wouldn't build an O around him, I do think he isn't useless on O - he's much better than someone like Asik for example. Yes, Sanders deserves his share of critics for his off court antics and drug use, but I also don't think that MIL would accept Teague as the centerpiece of a deal for him - so forth straight up - if his head was screwed on straight.

If we're selling high to buy low, then we could be very big winners in that deal. Sure, stocks are fickle and maybe you think you're selling low when it's actually still in free fall (just ask those who bought into MCI/Worldcom in the final days), but I do think that giving Sanders a veteran locker room like we could provide would clean up some of his act.

For example, back in 2009 the Wizards traded the #5 pick to pick up Randy Foye and Mike Miller. They could have drafted Steph Curry, Rubio, DeRozan, etc. with that pick. Instead, they picked up two moderately talented role players to add to a 19 win team.

EVERYONE knew this was a horrible trade as soon as it was made. Yet it was still made, because Ernie Grunsfeld didn't want to get fired.

This was right after he extended Arenas to a 6 year, $111M deal despite Arenas not having played in a year and a half due to injuries, a contract for which Gilbert is STILL getting paid.

I don't necessarily agree with how he said it, but you might have proved Baller2014 point more than countered it. The reason that WASH team fell had nothing to do with why the pundits thought Grunfeld's gamble was bad - Arenas actually played heavy minutes in the 1st 32 games before his suspension; instead WASH's fall was due to something the pundits didn't necessarily know - a locker room culture that was toxic and apparently big money gambling and guns were commonplace. IF WASH makes the playoffs and puts together a deep run (not necessarily out of the ? - their top 8 or so had a good balance of stars and role players, young and old), then there would have been pundits eating crow about that trade... well, the ones who hold themselves accountable - not too many do.

[PandaKidd]

Well Saric is gone, so rethink that

http://espn.go.com/nba/draft2014/story/ ... rkish-team

[ATLHawksfan21]

Teague for the headcase Sanders. What has Teague done to receive so much hate from every one on this board? I can't wait to watch him make every one of you eat crow next season.

You do realize that Sanders is straight useless on offense right? and our scheme requires 5 guys that can actually contribute something on that end.

What makes you think other would think that Teague has done something "wrong"? 1st, as noted in my Q1, I think that at 15, it will be clear that the most talented prospect we could pick up will be a PG, and in the NBA, you draft the most talented player and work everything else later. At some point, we'll have to clear the logjam at PG and Teague would be the one who I'd think would be the best opportunity to sell high and the one that we could actually get something worthwhile for.

2nd, you have to give talent to get talent and Sanders is talented. He's .5 years younger than Teague, and he's one of the - if not the - top rim protectors in the league. Sanders has DPotY potential if he can keep his head on straight; while I wouldn't build an O around him, I do think he isn't useless on O - he's much better than someone like Asik for example. Yes, Sanders deserves his share of critics for his off court antics and drug use, but I also don't think that MIL would accept Teague as the centerpiece of a deal for him - so forth straight up - if his head was screwed on straight.

If we're selling high to buy low, then we could be very big winners in that deal. Sure, stocks are fickle and maybe you think you're selling low when it's actually still in free fall (just ask those who bought into MCI/Worldcom in the final days), but I do think that giving Sanders a veteran locker room like we could provide would clean up some of his act.

I just don't see Teague as this super easy to replace guy like the rest of you do. I think Teague is a great fit for what we are trying to do and I think he still has a lot of room to improve his game. Trading away a centerpiece like Teague, who is on a good contract, for a drug addict like Sanders just makes no sense to me. Sanders has made his opinion clear on how he disagrees with the NBA's drug policy and I fully expect him to continue to disobey it. This will most likely end up with him being suspended for a large amount of time. Let's not act like drugs are his only problem either. He missed the beginning of last year after being injured in a bar fight. and then you have the incident with Gary Neal in the locker room last season.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1911 ... t-sometime

[PandaKidd]

I want NOTHING to do with Larry Sanders unless its like Lou Williams for him. Hes a project at this point, he is potentially OVERPAID and he is a head case.