NBA Draft (Who should your team pick?)

[Agent Kev]

The NBA Draft is coming up Thursday night and the Hawks are lucky enough (or unlucky since our GM is Billy Knight) to have the #3 and #11 picks so I thought I would talk about some of my thoughts going into this draft. There are really 3 possibilities going into this draft from my perspective. The first is to trade one of the picks and some player(s) for either Pau Gasol or Marcus Camby to fill their gap in the middle and then draft a PG with the pick that is left (Conley @3 or Law @11). The second is to draft Conley @3 and then grab the best available @11 where the talent will really start to thin out and we most likely will not get a need player unless some how Hawes or Noah falls this low which I don't see either happening (we would probably end up with Jeff Green or possibly Al Thornton here). The second possibility is to draft a big guy first @ #3 because the talent is better (preferably Horford or Yi) and then grab Law @11. There are also rumors surrounding Jarrett Jack but those seem to be dying down and the fanboys want Jose Calderon but I haven't really heard much there so I'm not going to really talk about those two possibilities here.

The more I think about it I would take a deal for either Gasol (rumored to have offered #3,JChill, LoWright and AJ) or Camby (offered Zaza but they want Marvin) as long as they don't involve Johnson, Smith or Marvin but I don't see those deals happening for some reason so that leaves us with the other 2 options.

The more I think about the remaining 2 options the more I am leaning to the idea of taking the talent at 3 and Law at 11 because you will be getting more overall talent than if you take Conley at 3 and then who knows at 11. With the first option you know you are getting Law and if the Hawks think he can run the offense then they should go with him.

Which brings us to Horford or Yi. Horford somewhat fits the same bill as Sheldon Williams did last year but Horford is a better player than Sheldon and can also play center whereas Williams went on record saying that he was a Power Forward. Horford would give us another big body to team with Zaza, Sheldon and Soloman to try and shore up some of the middle.

Yi is interesting because not much is known about him but there are comparisons to Nowitzki. Yi has the height but is said to be more of a wing player so if the Hawks take him they would be taking him for the future and not necessarily to make them better right now and they also have more of a logjam at wing position with guys like JSmith, JChil and Marvin so he may or may not get as much floor time as Horford would.

So I guess what I'm saying is take Horford at #3 and then take Law at #11 (or Conley if he slips). If they take Conley at #3 then they won't get the value they would at #11 in a big guy that they can with a PG in Law.

So which line-up is better?
Horford @3 and Law @11
C Zaza/Horford/Soloman
PF JSmith/Horford/S Williams
SF MWilliams/JChildress
SG JJohnson/J Childress/S Stoudamire
PG ALaw/Claxton/TLue/AJohnson

Conley @3 and Green@11
C Zaza/Soloman/LoWright
PF JSmith/S Williams/Green
SF MWilliams/JChildress/Green
SG JJohnson/J Childress/S Stoudamire
PG M Conley/Claxton/TLue/A Johnson

Trade for Gasol and pick Law @11
C Gasol/Zaza/Soloman
PF JSmith/S Williams/Zaza
SF MWilliams/- will need to pick up SF due to JChil leaving but JSmith and JJohnson can play here also
SG JJohnson/SStoudamire
PG Law/Claxton/TLue

I like the third line-up best but I think Memphis wants more than #3, JChil and the throw-ins and I don't think the Hawks would part with Marvin instead of JChil. So realistically it's probably between line-up 1 and 2 and I think that line-up #1 with Horford and Law (Law would probably be starting after the first 2 weeks after Speedy gets hurt) makes us a lot deeper than does Conley and Green (unless Noah or Hawes were to fall down).

I can't wait until Thursday night so Billy Knight can crush my dreams:)

Thoughts on who the Hawks should draft or who your team should draft?

[IWSfan4life]

I'm confused about this draft. This is probably the first draft ever where I don't know THAT many mid-range players. I don't have one specific team, I just like a lot of young teams (my favorites are Dallas and Phoenix). I'm glad to see Brenden Wright go so high (UNC baby), and I'm interested to see how well the Florida guys do.

Kev, you may be interested in the possible trade that sends KG to Phoenix, ATL's two draft picks to Minnesota, and Amare Stoudamire to ATL. That would be somethin huh?

-Jason

[Agent Kev]

Stoudamire would have been awesome but it didn't happen. I'm pretty pleased with the combo of Horford and Law, I think it was the best comibination of talent that we could get for immediate help since we have the youngest team in the NBA.

[IWSfan4life]

Kev, I was kinda wondering what's going on with my boy Marvin Williams? I know he was hurt a bit last year, and he splits time with both Josh Smith and Sheldon Williams, but is he still a main part of their lineup and future? I hope with Horford now he isn't being phased out.

Boy, Seattle and Portland stole this draft. Charlotte also did very well IMO.

-Jason

[Agent Kev]

stylesclash2004 said:

Kev, I was kinda wondering what's going on with my boy Marvin Williams? I know he was hurt a bit last year, and he splits time with both Josh Smith and Sheldon Williams, but is he still a main part of their lineup and future?

Marvin is our starting Small Forward. He isn't going anywhere and he's still a big part of the line-up. He's our 3rd option after JJ and Smoove. Marvin's main issue was the injury last year and then the fact that he needs to want the BBall more. He's had some great flashes but has been inconsistent.

I hope with Horford now he isn't being phased out.

Horford is going to play more at PF and C (even though he is undersized for that position). IMO he's probably going to come off the bench and back up Zaza and Smoove. He will take playing time away from Sheldon Williams. Childress is going to back up Marvin and JJ and Smoove will also play some SF.

Here is how I see the depth chart:

C Zaza/Horford/Soloman/LoWright
PF Smoove/Horford/S Williams
SF M Williams/Childress
SG J Johnson/Childress/Stoudamire/Law
PG Claxton/Law/Lue/AJohnson

There will be some deals before the season starts probably with Lue, AJohnson, Sheldon, Lorenzo Wright and maybe Josh Childress. I believe Lue, AJ and LoWright all have expiring contracts so others will want them. I think Claxton will start at the beginning of the season and we will see if he can rebound from his pathetic year last year- Law or Lue or AJ will take over if he gets hurt again or fails.

[IWSfan4life]

I hate Speedy Claxton. Outside of his quickness he's pretty useless IMO, or at least has been in the past. He's not a great offensive threat and doesn't have anything special about him. Nor am I an AJ fan. Hopefully the lineup is:

C- Horford
PF- Sheldon Williams
SF- Marvin
SG- Joe Johnson
PG- Law

With Smith and Childress as the key reserves. I actually quite like ATL's make-up.

-Jason

[Agent Kev]

stylesclash2004 said:

I hate Speedy Claxton. Outside of his quickness he's pretty useless IMO, or at least has been in the past. He's not a great offensive threat and doesn't have anything special about him. Nor am I an AJ fan. Hopefully the lineup is:

C- Horford
PF- Sheldon Williams
SF- Marvin
SG- Joe Johnson
PG- Law

With Smith and Childress as the key reserves. I actually quite like ATL's make-up.

-Jason

Josh Smith is not coming off the bench. He's probably going to average 20 pts per game this year. He's working on his own in the off-season with Hakeem Olajuwon to redefine his post game and with Calvin Murphy to work on his outside game.

Sheldon is a guy who if he plays full-time might get 10 pts, 10 boards. JSmith is a 20 pt, 10 board, 5 block, 3 steal a game guy. He's a game changer and a difference maker. He's starting and he's basically the face of our franchise since he's more outgoing than Joe. Sheldon hasn't done anything to deserve starting. His performance last year is why we drafted Horford this year.

Speedy is an okay point guard. He is a really good defender but his offensive game is kind of like Mike Conley's in that neither one of them can hit an open jumper. Speedy will start due to his contract and the fact that the Hawks want to make it work with him since no one is going to take his contract off of our hands for 2 years. Law will get time at the Point and SG and AJ and Lue will be shopped and maybe traded.