The Hawks Have To Have A Shakeup Right?

[Side beard]

Whats up with Jeff Teague? Did the Hawks blow their chance to trade him? While watching Hawks-Cavs series, it seemed that Dennis is getting way more minutes and is more visible than Jeff.

Bud always rode the hot hand , he did it throughout the year. but they gotta name a starter and stick with it. See what DS can do with starters minutes.

teague should be moved for something, because he walks in a year.

Now I understand the last play for yesterdays game.

[Shock Defeat]

This is a problem with the NBA "title or bust" mentality. In other sports the Hawks would be considered a successful franchise and in 10 years the fans would look back at this era and have fond memories and no one would call it a failure. If the Hawks want to blow it up I'm sure they could but how bad will they look until they can find a superstar to build around? They are not a free agent destination so it has to go through the draft. Fans should look back and be proud of their team's accomplishments, even if those aren't making the NBA Finals or winning the title.

[trevm37]

Anyone else think Bazemore (Like Carroll before him) is more of a product of Bud'z system??

[Novocaine]

I'd let Horford walk and go all in for Dwight Howard. Or maybe Whiteside. Pairing Millsap with a strong rebounder and shot-blocker should be their priority.

Would rather keep Teague and trade Schroder. Just don't think the German is all that talented.

Add a wing with playmaking/shot-creation ability to pair with Bazemore. Not someone like Ariza, that would add nothing to what they have. Batum would be ideal. Perhaps they can pry someone like Parsons or a RFA like Beal. Korver, Sefolosha and Hardaway are good wing depth. Scott, hope Splitter returns fit and strong.

They'd be a very strong team if they add an elite rebounder/rim-protector and a versatile wing who can be a secondary playmaker and score +15ppg. Still underdogs vis a vis the Cavs, but competitive enough to have reasonable hopes of catching lightning in the bottle.

[kvash37]

This is a problem with the NBA "title or bust" mentality. In other sports the Hawks would be considered a successful franchise and in 10 years the fans would look back at this era and have fond memories and no one would call it a failure. If the Hawks want to blow it up I'm sure they could but how bad will they look until they can find a superstar to build around? They are not a free agent destination so it has to go through the draft. Fans should look back and be proud of their team's accomplishments, even if those aren't making the NBA Finals or winning the title.

Exactly. People tend to forget that operating a sports franchise is a business. The Hawks have to give the fans a reason to come to the games.

Making the 2nd round might not be exciting, but it could take 5-10 years to make it back if you blow up the roster.

[Jody Smokz]

He says that now b/c it's the right thing to say right after taking a loss. It's happened before with free agents. Things take a different turn when you are brought into meetings and have a real chance at a change of scenery. I dont care about the actual production, I care moreso about the skillset and how he would help a team.

He's easily the best C on the market right now and 24 teams have max dollars. So this idea that he won't command a max outside of ATL is asinine. A team is going to max Whiteside and Dwight as well. They are definitely going to be suitors for Horford with LA, Boston and most likely Dallas being 3 of the teams calling.

And other teams aren't?

Bazemore maybe. Hawks won't let Harford walk. They are going to offer him a max contract which will be around 25m a year for the next 4 or 5 years.

Horford says he wants to stay with the hawks and you have to remember this is the same hawks organization that bid against themselves to pay Joe Johnson that absurd contract. On top of that the Hawks can pay him the most money. I don't think there are a ton of teams will to max him out after his showing against the cavs. (14 PPG and 3 RPG)

[bwgood77]

The Hawks were just eliminated from the playoffs. Swept by the Cavs for the 2nd straight year.

Horford - 29 - UFA
Milsap - 31
Korver - 35
Bazemore - 26 - UFA
Teague - 27
Schroeder - 22
Sefolosha - 32
Splitter - 31
Humphries - 31 - UFA
Hardaway Jr. - 24
Scott - 27
Muscala - 24

They have a ton of solid players, a fantastic coach, but they have been trying with this core for a while now and just have proven not to be good enough to contend but still good enough to make the playoffs every year (11 years straight now).

The most interesting parts of this off-season for them are:
Do you try to lock Horford up long-term? He's going to get a max deal, he's gonna be 30 next year, and he's been a Hawk his whole career.

What do you do with Teague and Schroeder? Schroeder has the most potential out of anyone on this team but I think you need to pick one by the end of the offseason and try to improve elsewhere with what you can get for the other. They are both going to be free agents after next season and they will not be able to keep both.

So what do you do if youre Budenholzer and the Hawks management?

You HAVE to try and lock up Horford to a max deal. Even if they want to trade him you can't lose a player that has value for nothing. It's a lot easier to keep the FA's you have than to sign new ones. And then some may say tear it down and rebuild but if every team starts to do that just because the Cavs, Warriors and Spurs are so good, most teams will fail to get that star they so desperately seek because there is usually only one maybe two stars per draft and many times none.

You just need to accumulate assets and not let the ones you do have get away unless you have some other great plan you know you can execute.

Fans of a lot of teams would be very happy to have watched their teams get to the 2nd and 3rd rounds the last two years and having made the playoffs 11 straight years.

[0to100]

Horford averaged 3.5 rebounds in 32 minutes against Cleveland. We need to get a Whiteside ASAP

Whiteside hasn't looked good in the playoffs this year. He's been destroyed in both series by the other team's bigs and now has a sprained MCL. You guys may want to reconsider giving Whiteside the max.

GIVE HIM THE MONEY, HORFORD IS SOFT AS BABY ****

All jokes aside I would rather give the contract to a guy who is going to be 27 years old this summer. Horford is turning 30 this summer and he will just regress. He isn't getting any better and he had his best playoff series in 2013. This year in the playoffs he averaged 1.5 FTA. How is that even possible for a center? I am just afraid that we will keep the same team and won't make any major changes and we will be knocked out by LeBron again. That's just my opinion but I know the freaking Hawks so well that I even predicted the 4-0 sweep and the outcomes of the games before the series started. So I hope we make some changes.

[bwgood77]

Built for the regular season.

Not for the playoffs

What team in the east is built to beat the Cavs in the playoffs? Just because LeBron is in the east it doesn't mean every team should blow it up. This mindset is getting out of control and ridiculous now. No one was saying in the 90s that every team in the east except for the Bulls was just built for the regular season and/or they should blow it up because no one is beating Jordan.

[DirtybirdGA]

Ask coach dud about the ft attemps while launching 3s.

[bwgood77]

I'd trade Teague to Utah, possibly for their first round pick. That's a move both teams should have made this past trade deadline. Give the reigns to Schroeder, he's ready.

After that, I have no idea. I wouldn't pay Horford $20 mil a year. The team as currently constructed can't get past the second round so why bring everyone back together?

26 teams cannot get past the 2nd round every year. They did get to the third round last year and then Korver got injured I believe.

[bwgood77]

Im not buying that he simply is going to stay b/c he "loves Atlanta". That's typical free agency talk. He may resign but others will be waiting and offering deals and potential to go further than being swept by the Cavs every year. He's been there 10 years and it's the same story with ATL. Solid reg season and weak playoffs.

And other teams aren't?

Horford says he wants to stay with the hawks and you have to remember this is the same hawks organization that bid against themselves to pay Joe Johnson that absurd contract. On top of that the Hawks can pay him the most money. I don't think there are a ton of teams will to max him out after his showing against the cavs. (14 PPG and 3 RPG)

Nobody else in the east can beat the Cavs either. Atlanta got to ECF last year, and they may have this year if they had the 3 seed instead of the 4 seed. The only teams likely to beat the Cavs are a couple of teams in the west that probably don't want to add Horford. Boston's not beating Cleveland with Horford either.

[bwgood77]

This is a problem with the NBA "title or bust" mentality. In other sports the Hawks would be considered a successful franchise and in 10 years the fans would look back at this era and have fond memories and no one would call it a failure. If the Hawks want to blow it up I'm sure they could but how bad will they look until they can find a superstar to build around? They are not a free agent destination so it has to go through the draft. Fans should look back and be proud of their team's accomplishments, even if those aren't making the NBA Finals or winning the title.

I agree wholeheartedly with this. Although the Suns never broke through in the early to mid 90s and the days of SSOL, I have very fond memories of those players and teams as a fan. I watch teams for fun and to be entertained.

[Ong_dynasty]

I love the answer. They need a superstar..isn't that all teams? Lol.

[ALL HAIL]

I love the answer. They need a superstar..isn't that all teams? Lol.

To hell wit' a "superstar". They simply need a twenty-point scorer, someone everyone on the team can look to and lean on when they need stem cell the tide in a playoff game.

Derrick Rose would work, but a guy like Tyreke Evans would as well.


Schroeder could work too, but is he ready to give you twenty a game and lead a team? I can't answer that.

Budenholzer has been an awful GM thus far though. That Tim Hardaway Jr. trade (fir a mid furst rounder) was pretty horrendous.

[0to100]

I love the answer. They need a superstar..isn't that all teams? Lol.

What we actually mean by a "superstar" is a player who can score 20 ppg or atleast get to the line. The irony is we need a iso-Joe type player in the 4th. Our main problem is that in the 4th quarter nobody wants to shoot the ball or take over. You can actually see and feel the game flow change when it is crunch time.

[Hawkeyes]

A guy like Jimmy Butler would do wonders for the Hawks. Not saying we have any chance at acquiring him, but that's just an example.

[bwgood77]

I love the answer. They need a superstar..isn't that all teams? Lol.

What we actually mean by a "superstar" is a player who can score 20 ppg or atleast get to the line. The irony is we need a iso-Joe type player in the 4th. Our main problem is that in the 4th quarter nobody wants to shoot the ball or take over. You can actually see and feel the game flow change when it is crunch time.

I think you guys should trade for Brandon Knight. He definitely thinks he's a superstar and has no problem shooting a lot and thinking he can take over at the end.

[Geaux_Hawks]

I love the answer. They need a superstar..isn't that all teams? Lol.

To hell wit' a "superstar". They simply need a twenty-point scorer, someone everyone on the team can look to and lean on when they need stem cell the tide in a playoff game.

Derrick Rose would work, but a guy like Tyreke Evans would as well.


Schroeder could work too, but is he ready to give you twenty a game and lead a team? I can't answer that.

Budenholzer has been an awful GM thus far though. That Tim Hardaway Jr. trade (fir a mid furst rounder) was pretty horrendous.

This man gets it, but I highly doubt we even take a chance on people like that. We always run into a brick wall at some point in a game where the system just doesn't produce points against a top tier team.

Honestly, I would take Reke. Rose may not be an option since we have to PG's already, with the need to get rid of one of the two.

Rudy Gay wouldn't be a bad guy to add to be quite frank. At the end of the day, this current core alone isn't going to get the job done. We need a wing scorer at least if we keep these guys together.

[vxmike]

Honestly, this core isn't going to win anything. The Hawks need a legit no. 1 option and not multiple 2nd or 3rd options on a championship team. They also need a legit rebounding/shot blocking big. Someone like Bogut, Whiteside, the pre-Rockets/Lakers Dwight, etc. As others have mentioned, definition of treadmill team and truth be told, playoff fodder for the Cavs who have a legit superstar no. 1 and 2 all-stars + legit rebounding big + 3 and D guys.

Someone like Paul George would due wonders for the Hawks. KD + legit rebounding big would be championship quality.

Truth be told 95% of teams are "treadmill" teams. Matter fact how many finals has lebron been in the last 7-10 years? Its always going to be the same teams in the finals.

You either in the playoffs or selling your fans empty dreams.

All that needs to be done is eliminate the "max" salary so LeBron can't team up with a new group of stars every few years. Distribute the stars and maybe teams like ATL can have one and compete...the East parity has been non-existent since LeBron created the big 3 in Miami. The West has had four different Finalists in that time span. The last two playoffs have been quite boring and this year especially bad with the total lack of competition.