Grantland: Hawks "Losers" In Free Agency

[PandaKidd]

Following up the other thread about ESPN and last years FA, heres the other take:

http://grantland.com/features/2014-nba- ... r-parsons/

Loser: Atlanta Hawks

No one will take Atlanta’s money, despite a good core of players, a very good coaching staff, and an innovative style of play Mike Budenholzer has only just begun installing. Some stars won’t even meet with them. I almost wanted to hug Budenholzer when I saw him in Vegas. The most common theory among insiders for Atlanta’s lack of appeal is that players see the Hawks as a dull franchise with a dead crowd and a limited postseason history that almost always involves NBA TV.

That will turn around at some point, but just about everyone Atlanta has approached so far rebuffed the Hawks’ invitation to get in on the ground floor.

Spot on. So basically, we need a deep playoff run and everyone has to stay healthy, or Ferry has no shot at doing anything productive

[Geaux_Hawks]

We honestly need an actualy high risk high reward kind of draft pick to pan out.

[PandaKidd]

We honestly need an actualy high risk high reward kind of draft pick to pan out.

Hood dropped near 30pts at the summer league yesterday.....................................

I mean most teams, thats what they need, Draft a Superstar. Almost every team does it. Our "superstar" has been missing 2 of the last 3 years.

And the other was a headcase (josh smith).

we have had out shots

[Hawk Eye]

Honestly, I would rather tear down our roster and start from complete scratch getting high draft picks and young assets than continue to be a mediocre team that never gets past the second round of the playoffs.

[PandaKidd]

Honestly, I would rather tear down our roster and start from complete scratch getting high draft picks and young assets than continue to be a mediocre team that never gets past the second round of the playoffs.

Ferry will be fired before that happens. Im not completely distraught here, I mean, most of this we already knew. Theres a reason the last "superstar" we had was Wilkins.

Hawks are in good shape financially , now, its about health and performance. The east is stronger now, Hawks need to win their division. They need to win 50 games, and they need to make a DEEP playoff run so FAs can say "man they are really on the come up".

Right now I think most people think we were a rag tag group that took a decimated pacer team to the brink .

[Yungsta404]

I have mentioned this before, Ferry needs to change his approach. Trying to build through FA is an awful option for us. We need to acquire talent through sophisticated trades and diligent drafting.

Dumping someone like Bebe to free up more cap space is exactly the kind of move I didnt want him to make.

[Yungsta404]

Honestly, I would rather tear down our roster and start from complete scratch getting high draft picks and young assets than continue to be a mediocre team that never gets past the second round of the playoffs.

Ferry will be fired before that happens. Im not completely distraught here, I mean, most of this we already knew. Theres a reason the last "superstar" we had was Wilkins.

Hawks are in good shape financially , now, its about health and performance. The east is stronger now, Hawks need to win their division. They need to win 50 games, and they need to make a DEEP playoff run so FAs can say "man they are really on the come up".

Right now I think most people think we were a rag tag group that took a decimated pacer team to the brink .

Since we have a long history of limited post season success, I think it will take MULTIPLE deep post season runs to change our perception.

[hawkschop1]

with Washington recently signing Kris Humphries it looks like Kevin Serahpin will not return to our nations capital.

Any interest? The dude can score and rebound. Don't think he can pass. Probably just a less versatile Adlerian Payne but it's an idea




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[Geaux_Hawks]

We honestly need an actualy high risk high reward kind of draft pick to pan out.

Hood dropped near 30pts at the summer league yesterday.....................................

I mean most teams, thats what they need, Draft a Superstar. Almost every team does it. Our "superstar" has been missing 2 of the last 3 years.

And the other was a headcase (josh smith).

we have had out shots

Trust me, I wanted Gary Harris, James Young, or Hood. Payne was such a let down pick for me.

[hawkschop1]

Bazemore > Harris young hood

We essentially just drafted Bazemore so why complain over Payne? Oh yeah you're a hawks fan


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[Jamaaliver]

I have mentioned this before, Ferry needs to change his approach. Trying to build through FA is an awful option for us. We need to acquire talent through sophisticated trades and diligent drafting.

Dumping someone like Bebe to free up more cap space is exactly the kind of move I didnt want him to make.

YES

Since we have a long history of limited post season success, I think it will take MULTIPLE deep post season runs to change our perception.

YES!!!

Preach, brother!!!

[Jamaaliver]

Bazemore > Harris young hood

We essentially just drafted Bazemore so why complain over Payne? Oh yeah you're a hawks fan


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There is so much wrong with this statement...I honestly can't tell if you're being sarcastic.

[hawkschop1]

I would rather have Bazemore and Payne over just Harris or young or hood.

If you feel differently that's fine. I would just disagree.

None of those three names have ceilings higher than Bazemore IMO and plus we got Payne out of it. You'll like Payne Eventually I think



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[ATL Boy]

Yea, it's looking bad. I don't want to tear down the roster and go full tank mode for the next decade knowing that what's left of our fanbase will leave, and that high picks don't always pan out. Look at Cleveland, the only reason they aren't on the lotto treadmill for years to come is because Lebron went back home, we don't really have a superstar in the league from Atlanta willing to come here to play (looking at you Dwight).

That Bebe trade is looking more and more awful as the days go by. We could've signed Thabo and Bazemore with the cap we had before the trade smh

[hawkschop1]

Ceiling in our locker room and in our system if I may add


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[Rip2137]

I love how BeBe was so important now. He looks like Soloman Jones is his ceiling. Getting Lou Williams off the payroll was the point of that deal and if that nets us, say, Carlos Boozer, and we still have cap flexibility for tanking/cash dumping teams then so be it.

[hawkschop1]

^great post

I am not a fan if bebe


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[Jamaaliver]

I love how BeBe was so important now. He looks like Soloman Jones is his ceiling. Getting Lou Williams off the payroll was the point of that deal and if that nets us, say, Carlos Boozer, and we still have cap flexibility for tanking/cash dumping teams then so be it.

It's not so much about Bebe specifically. It's about the mismanagement of the highest draft pick this franchise has had in 7 years. Bebe was drafted on potential, just won Defensive Player of the Year overseas, but is worth so little?

An even bigger concern: the possibility that Ferry has had 3 consecutive 1st round draft picks that simply didn't pan out in the NBA...at all. If we can't attract top players in Free Agency. And if our GM can't even acquire rotation quality players with 1st round picks...how can we get better in the future?

Also, expiring contracts alone are typically a valuable asset. The fact we felt compelled to incentivize another team to take an expiring contract off our hands is counter to most practices.

Case in point: NOLA just traded a 1st round draft pick for an expiring Asik. Last year, DET traded a 1st round pick in exchange for an expiring Maggette.

Add in the fact that most top Free Agents didn't even give us a meeting, it makes the trade fairly pointless.

[azuresou1]

Asik is still a good player, which gave him value. Joe Dumars is Joe Dumars.

I do agree with your point about the trade being rather pointless and a negative, but I don't think you can hold up those particular examples of the sort of value you can get for an expiring.

[Jamaaliver]

I would rather have Bazemore and Payne over just Harris or young or hood.

If you feel differently that's fine. I would just disagree.

None of those three names have ceilings higher than Bazemore IMO and plus we got Payne out of it.

It'll be interesting to see how this plays in the future. But it's worth noting that Bazemore was passed over by every team in the draft...twice. He was traded away by the first team that signed him for Steve Blake. He was let go in Free Agency by the second team without even receiving a Qualifying Offer. He's also already 25 years old.

I'm not sure any one else in NBA circles would project a 25 year-old, undrafted, back-up, journeyman swing player as having higher potential than three highly drafted prospects who are each viewed as future starters in the NBA.

I'll keep this prediction highlighted and we can revisit in the coming years. Time will tell. But this goes largely against all scouting reports for all four players.

PREDICTIONS LIST!