Grantland: Hawks "Losers" In Free Agency

[theatlfan]

Building a winner takes time. Lets remember we have been a POS team since 2000. This is the first time in a looooong time that we have had a Great Coach, Great GM, and the ASG staying out of basketball operations.

Im also glad Ferry isn't just signing people just to sign people and the two signing we did make were NEEDED and those 2 players probably have something to prove to the league

I think you just answered your own question. Hawks have been a laughingstock for a long time. It takes a long time to build a winner. those guys are both over 30 and don't have time to waste on a franchise that's never won anything.

they both went to winning franchises. Can't blame them for wanting to be a key cog on a good team.

think of it this way. Pau has been in the league for 13 years. Hawks have had a losing record for most of those years he's been in the league. Including this year.

OK Guys, let's tone down the hyperbole some. 1st, we haven't had a "POS team since 2000" and aren't "building a winner" - at least not from scratch that we're comping to. We've been to the playoffs every year since '07-'08 season and that's the 2nd longest streak in the NBA (to SAS who have been every year since drafting Duncan in '97... let that sink in for a minute). No, we haven't been a team that has broken through our glass ceiling of being a 2nd round out, but this is no matter - Ferry is the one who set our course to build off these successes. The course Ferry opted to take is not one where we need to cool our heels while letting a young stud prove that he's good enough for vets to ride his coattails; he chose a course in which we compete every year. If Ferry can't execute the plan he chose, then we should have some serious questions as to his ability to execute the plan that he has chosen.

Hopefully, this is a small blip on the radar and maybe even a lesson by which Ferry should learn from going forward. But as of right now, it is bleak and outside of one or two guys left out there, the primary FA period has been basically lost and it's time to move on the next phase of this off-season.

[Yungsta404]

Gasol has said he only wanted to play for a contender and was going to take significant less money to go to one. Plenty of teams were trying to get him, but the only two teams he was interested in were the Bulls and the Spurs. The fact that we showed any interest late is irrelevant when he had no interest in playing here at all.

Deng said that he was going to whatever team offered him the most money. It was rumored that Ferry only offered him around 9 mil per and wasn't budging. If Ferry offered him 11-12 mil+ per he would most likely be here right now.

[slicedbread2]

I wouldn't call Atlanta a bunch of losers in free agency.

In all honesty, I call the knock on the crowds in Atlanta and the lack of success in recent years as the curse of the Dominique! Personally, ever since they sent away the only guy to ever put this team on the map to a franchise like the Clippers that were run by the accursed one, I think that set up a lot of bad karma down the road.

But looking at the lack of quality free agents out there that would fit what Ferry and coach Bud are trying to initiate in Atlanta, I'm happy they didn't commit long-term money. The only dudes I would have been contempt with were Hayward and Stephenson. Even then, it was going to be tough, but I think this team could be very well positioned and you have Pop's former right hand man for 17 years running the show on the court and players who want to win would be intrigued by it. I think it's going to take time, but sooner than later I think things will sort themselves out.

I liked the trade for Salmons as Ferry was willing to roll the dice. I wish he had sent a second instead of Bebe since I would have rather used Bebe in a trade for a star rather than a pure salary dump. Other than that, time will tell how well Ferry's plan has progressed.