Atlanta Hawks 2015 Off-Season Thread

[Jamaaliver]

Cousins hates losing...i have no problem with that. They had a good coach and fired him for no reason and are keeping the coach carousel going in Sacramento.

I get that, but I've done more research and come to understand why Karl wants him gone so badly. When it comes to work ethic, consistency, humility...DMC is lacking. It shows up in how he plays the game. The pouting, the lagging behind on D. The lazy screens.

Sounds too much like Josh and Dennis.

I finally get why a coach would want to see high on him.

Also, Demarcus is a bully who attempts to physically intimidate people off the court who criticize his playing style.

Ask Sean Elliott.

No thanks. He's a seven foot, millionaire with a thug mentality. SAC will regret it if they keep him this summer.

[geeman]

Man... can you Please NOT refer to the young man as a THUG!!

[azuresou1]

People who hate on DeMarcus areb= bad judges of character.

I see a young guy who's been perpetually and unfairly been cast as some sort of bad guy, when he's really just a very loyal, proud, and competitive guy who yes, has some anger and maturity issues, but no, is not a bad person. He is being bullied by the media and those too lazy to get to actually know him.

This is very personal to me because I spent a very long, tormented period of my life being cast as a bad kid by authority figures (I got in a lot of fights), and nothing is more angering and upsetting than being labeled and blamed for things of which you are innocent.

If LeBron or Chris Paul got called the way DeMarcus gets called for techs, they'd get suspended 10 games a season.

[azuresou1]

And yeah, calling DeMarcus Cousins a thug is just completely unfair. Is he throwing trash cans through local business windows and intimidating/beating up immigrant store owners? No? Then he's not a thug.

[Jamaaliver]

Man... can you Please NOT refer to the young man as a THUG!!

And yeah, calling DeMarcus Cousins a thug is just completely unfair. Is he throwing trash cans through local business windows and intimidating/beating up immigrant store owners? No? Then he's not a thug.

My name is Jamaal. I'm a black guy who grew up dirt poor in the south in the decades following forced integration. MS. GA.

There are no racial undertones when I say this:

He. Is. A. Thug. People who use their physical strength to bully, intimidate, threaten, harm others for saying not nice things...are not misunderstood. Not at 20, 22, 24. I'm old enough to remember Latrell Sprewell attacking his coach because he yelled mean things at him. Leaving. Coming back, and doing it again. DMC has already approached this very early n his career.

I work with at risk youth from the inner city. Have for over a decade.

ive seen this movie before. Believe when I say, we want nothing to do with him.

The mentality he has exhibited for years is indicative of a young man with anger issues and no self control. This ain't about race. It's about a young man who has proven, repeatedly over the years what he is. A 15 year old can be molded. An 18 year old can be redirected. A grown 24 year old still exhibiting these characteristics as a millionaire on a public stage...is a lost cause.

[Rip2137]

Doesn't matter where you are from, he isn't a thug. And him "intimidating" Sean Elliot was the biggest crock of crap ever. Elliot got angry at him "disrespected" Tim Duncan. Cousins waited after the game to talk about the comments and the conversation got "animated" before Elliot walked off. Cousins has done NOTHING you said. Who did he harm? Who has he bullied? Who has he threatened?

[Skyhawk1]

Cousins has Josh Smith written all over him. Good skill set, physically gifted, a terrible basketball IQ , and even worse teammate. Take my words guys, in 5-10 years whoever has Cousins would still be waiting for him to grow and become a solid basketball player. Some things never change!

[td00]

If you're questioning Cousins' ability you'd be making a bad judgement; this guy is terrific.

Where his issues lie are self control and discipline....no surprise to anyone.

Following him since he came to Kentucky to play for Calipari. Cal let him have it on more than one occasion, but Cal figured out a way to work with him. Cousins is a huge kid still, and yes he is an adult. He does things he shouldn't, but getting in trouble for them off the court isn't part of his resume.

I didn't see anyone anywhere complain when Dwight Howard was being wished upon to 'come home' and save our franchise. These guys at some point do have to start getting it, and while Cousins still shows immature streaks, I would take a shot at him and put him on the ATL roster and have the guys around him set the example. It might work better than you'd project.

Cousins is top 1 or 2 the last 3 years in techs/game. Right there with him: Westbrook, Howard, Love, Anthony, Griffin....lots of big names on the top of that list.

Somebody give DeMarcus a real coach, one who is stable instead of the 5 he's had since he's been in the league.

[atlantabbq99]

I really have no idea why anybody would want to touch an cancer like Cousins?!

Besides all the locker room fights, trash talk and disrespect of coaches, and on and off court pouting, the guy gets 30/15 and zero wins. If you are the most dominate center in the game and can't carry a team to compete for 8th in your conference, then you are just a loser.

I have no problems in getting guys with attitudes. I was a big fan of Rasheed Wallace during his problem portland days or Webber in his washington days, the media put them in a bad light but i don't care about that. but when players and your own teammates don't like you and say bad stuff about you like Cousins teammates do, then that is on another level how messed up you are.

[PandaKidd]

LAWD JESUS PLEASE

http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2015/6/25/8844883/lamarcus-aldridge-atlanta-hawks-free-agency-al-horford?utm_campaign=peachtreehoops&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

[Hawk Eye]

^ lol

Yes it would be great freakin fantastic to get LMA but we saw this just last season with Melo/LeBron; Apparantly we were one of the last few teans considered to be in the running for their services. I just dont want anyone on this board getting their hopes up

[PandaKidd]

The fact he even meets with us would be huge IMO. Lebron/melo never sniffed a hawks executive. Neither did cp3 or d12 .

[Hawk Eye]

^ agreed. I will consider it a success just to sit down, talk with him, and proceed to lay out a full proof plan that will consistently get us to the ECF.

[td00]

I really have no idea why anybody would want to touch an cancer like Cousins?!

Besides all the locker room fights, trash talk and disrespect of coaches, and on and off court pouting, the guy gets 30/15 and zero wins. If you are the most dominate center in the game and can't carry a team to compete for 8th in your conference, then you are just a loser.

I have no problems in getting guys with attitudes. I was a big fan of Rasheed Wallace during his problem portland days or Webber in his washington days, the media put them in a bad light but i don't care about that. but when players and your own teammates don't like you and say bad stuff about you like Cousins teammates do, then that is on another level how messed up you are.

All I can say to that about Cousins not taking his team to the playoffs......can you name any of the players who was trying to help him make the playoffs?

Seriously, Cousins has a coach he liked starting last year, and what does mgmt decide to do? Fire him when Cousins is out for a couple of weeks...pure ploy to show Cousins mgmt had the power. Why did they sign him if they didn't want him to be their superstar? Doesn't make much sense.

I've been clamoring for the Hawks to get him since Sund was here and he got nothing done.

I guarantee you if BOS or LAL is clamoring to get him, then its incompetent ownership.......same thing said by Bob Ryan this am on radio. If you're taking Karl over Cousins, bad mismatch of management, but I already knew that when they flipped coaches 24 games into last season.

[td00]

Lamarcus Aldridge a Hawk? IMO, we only get that done if we give them 2 big assets....I don't think we can reciprocate to make it happen.
Not that I wouldn't love that though.......he needs a big man to go with him not named Al.

How about a frontline of Cousins and LA? Very far fetched to blow up a 60 win team huh?

[PandaKidd]

LMA would assume the role of PM, but I think here he would play more Center than PF. But, he and Al would be formidable.

LMA is a UFA so we can sign him outright, no need to give up any assets.

[atlantabbq99]

No way would i want a cancer like Cousins in Atlanta, but LMA to the Hawks! that i can get behind!

I hate giving out max contacts, but LMA or Gasol as targets in Budz system would be a dynasty in the making.

[PandaKidd]

LMA 6'11'' 240lbs. Hes listed as a PF/C but I believe he played mostly PF because Portland had Robin Lopez. I would love to see us get him AND Lopez to come off the bench.

Play LMA at PF with Al at C and rotate Lopez through. MEGUSTA.JPG

I always loved LMA game over Millsaps.

[PandaKidd]

No way would i want a cancer like Cousins in Atlanta, but LMA to the Hawks! that i can get behind!

I hate giving out max contacts, but LMA or Gasol as targets in Budz system would be a dynasty in the making.

Demarcus Cousins is a supreme talent, but hes not a winner, im sorry, anyone else saying otherwise is just making excuses.

At some point, it has to be on the player, Cousins gets a long with no coach, he doesnt make a team better, how many years has SAC Town wasted away with him? Puts up numbers but if you watch the games, he mopes, he complains, he hangs his head and takes defensive plays off, you dont get max effort for 40 + minutes a night.

I think he needs a change of scenery for sure, and a coach that can work with him. Id love to see him get mentored by another big man HOFer.....oh wait.......shaq tried that.

[geeman]

I really think we need a rim protector big... I love the idea of bring in Robin Lopez!! he wouldn't break the bank nether. Can you imagine... at the intro presser Robin's speaking and Harry the hawk blindside him with a folding chair.

http://allball.blogs.nba.com/2015/02/09/a-complete-history-of-robin-lopez-fighting-mascots/