Bah, Humbug!

The worst part of any draft, be it NFL, NBA, or even your run of the mill fantasy sports draft, is seeing the player you most desperately want taken right in front of you. It seems to happen endlessly and while you should expect it, it still never fails to deflate your spirits.

So it's with great apathy that the HHB welcomes Jeff Teague, Wake Forest to the Hawks Nation.

Teague, who was only forecasted by hundreds of draft mockers to go to the Hawks, seems like a good enough pick, but the prospects of a Ty Lawson selection (officially endorsed by the HHB, if you didn't know) was so close (he was snapped up by the Nuggets by way of one of the TimberWolves 99 picks in the draft a single pick before the Hawks slot) that no amount of goodness can seem to wash it away.

Still, many draft observers raved about the new Hawks guard--so much so that we had to ask ourselves--other than sour grapes---why be disappointed about Teague? After all he put up these numbers (32.7 Pts/100 possessions, 50.1 2PTFG%, 44.1 3PTFG% (102 attempts), 81.7 FT%, 48.2 FT Rate--thanks, Hoopinion!) in one of the toughest conferences in the nation. He hung 30 on North Carolina and 28 on Duke. He was repeatedly lauded for his skill of getting into the lane offensively. He is an exceptional leaper, can get to the rim, and has great range on his shot.

So what's the problem?

Well stop us if you have heard this before--His listed (supposed, we will allow) weaknesses include a lack of defense, no real point guard acumen, turnover prone, and is a bit of a tweener.

In other words, the Hawks selected another combo guard who doesn't handle the ball well, looks to shoot, and doesn't have a real position.

If you missed it, the Hawks just traded for Jamal Crawford, who exhibits the exact same portfolio but has at least three inches of height on Teague. Ronald "Flip" Murray is also cut from this cloth, thought he is an unrestricted free agent. Joe Johnson also likes to dribble and shoot.

Heck, no wonder Josh Smith took so many outside shots and raced the ball upcourt himself last year--he must have felt that this would eventually be the only way to get the ball--after all if you can't beat them, join them. What a seer!

Also, most folks believe that there is no way that the Hawks will invest the money they are in Crawford and Teague and still bring back Mike Bibby (especially if the cheaper Murray is retained)--in fact, Crawford himself was rumored to have said in an interview that he was to be the Hawks starting PG. This would leave the Hawks with no actual point guard, again---a sickness that has haunted this franchise forever and hindered them from getting to the playoffs prior to Bibby's arrival late in the '07-'08 season.

The point guard position is a quarterback role on a basketball team and can often be the vocal leader. The Hawks lack both on the court and the missed opportunity to address it through the draft and the financial barriers around doing it through free agency exacerbate the frustration we feel when the Hawks continue to go down a path they've well taken by adding Teague.

We hope that Teague emerges as a Ben Gordon type scoring juggernaut for the Hawks, but to us, right now, he smacks of an unproven NBA project who has no position and simply duplicates what exists currently on the roster and, possibly, eliminates some skill sets (by losing Bibby) that aren't replaced by the young guard.

Still, Hawks GM Rick Sund believes they took the best athlete available, which is close to saying the best player available, but not quite--but really, taking who they felt was the best, regardless of need or what we already have is all you can ask for a team--heck, it's almost all we asked just prior to the draft.

There are still some trade pieces left to play for the Hawks (Childress, Marvin, etc.) so we won't surrender to our initial negativity as yet, but selecting a player who continues to enable a failed, flawed offensive "philosophy" of isolation, dribble, and shoot does not excite us.


Why Can't You Be More Like Your Brother?

We have to ask---why is it that, no matter who the regime is or who owns the Hawks, that they:

1. Don't trade up strategically to select anyone that has ridiculously slipped (No, Dan Dickau does not count).

2. Draft a second round pick who will "stay overseas" (Read: won't cost anything)

Now, we understand that the Hawks selected a shooter (surprise!) Sergiy Gladyr who has good game, but so does David Andersen, but that hasn't brought the big fella over to help out the team in the States yet, eh? Alain Digbeu and Antonis Fotsis (who did play in the NBA, but only after the Hawks dealt him to PHL) are also part of this famed club. Heck, even Josh Childress can get in on his restricted free agent pass.

The Hawks had some pieces to deal, and some talent to acquire on draft night, but the Hawks seemed content to stand pat and in other cases, punt. Seeing Blair drop into San Antonio when the Hawks desperately needed size/rebounding and everybody, so it seemed, was dealing picks above the Hawks, smells an awful lot like a missed opportunity. In fact, there seemed to be so much movement by other teams desperate to improve through the draft process that the Hawks, even with the trade for Crawford, seemed sedentary by comparison.

In fact, soon after the Teague pick, Hawks.com draft room spy, Micah Hart, tweeted that Sund made the statement that "I'm definitely happy with what we've done today." That Sund seemed content doesn't necessarily mean they were ready to hang up the phones and stop working, but it doesn't exactly engender the feeling that it (trading for more talent) was on their minds either.


Party Time!

We thank The Bill Shanks Show for having us on all day yesterday. We talked a lot of hoops, Hawks, and even chatted with Bob Rathbun. We watched as Vince Carter rumors rose and then graduated to honest to goodness trade status. Good times---

We also had a great time on the night long (and it was long) draft chat, hosted by the HHB and Hoopinion. Thanks to all who stopped by and commented and most of all, to Bret, who set the whole thing up. It wasn't all we wanted the evening to be (would it have killed the Hawks to move up for Bret's DeJuan Blair pick?) but it was good to have company as it all unfolded.


The HHB is pleased to have the NBA Christmas over for 2009, but enjoyed it greatly--further thoughts about the Hawks pick or anecdotes regarding draft night can be shared in the temperature controlled Comments Area.

Official 2009 HHB Draft Endoresment

Having the home team picking 19th and endorsing a selection is considerably more difficult than when they pick in the Top 5. It can be so unpredictable in attempting to determine who will be even available at that point much less try to pinpoint a specific player to endorse for the team.

But of course, we will do it anyway.


What we would like to see the Hawks do:

It's what we want them to do every year---pick the best player available. Need only comes into play when the talent levels are the same. You don't pick Shelden Williams because you "need a big man" or pass on Brandon Roy because you already have that same skill set--not when that player is immensely more talented and NBA ready than the player that fits that "need".

You know what every team needs? More talent.


What we don't want to see the Hawks do:

Other than reach for a "need", the HHB doesn't want to see the team take a player that doesn't have a better than even shot at making a rotation in the NBA. This would include taking a project Priest Lauderdale style or the tradition of trying to uncover a diamond in the rough and trying to, as Dave Pendergraft called it "trying to hit a home run".


Of the players who fit the profile, who would we endorse as the next Atlanta Hawk?

Up until Wednesday afternoon, it looked as if the Hawks would be selecting from point guards like Wake Forest's Jeff Teague, UCLA's Darren Collison, VCU's Eric Maynor, and North Carolina's Ty Lawson. Among the big men, North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough and Ohio State's BJ Mullens.

Wednesday afternoon, ESPN's Chad Ford made an interesting move on his latest Mock Draft, having 19 year old Brandon Jennings move down to the Hawks' slot on the draft board.

There are projects (Jennings, Teague, Mullens), proven productive players (Lawson, Collison, Maynor), and then NBA question marks (Hansbrough).

Of these types, it seems the players most likely to succeed under Mike Woodson's Hawks teams is the type of player who is ready to contribute today (read: no projects). There is no sense selecting a player with "huge upside" if you don't have the framework in place to develop that project. For those who wish to use Josh Smith as an example to the contrary, the HHB would point out that this is not a (13) win team anymore and the goals of the team (and definitely the coach) have changed and that would preclude a project from garnering the development he would need.

No, the Hawks need to select someone who can help the team next season, someone who can give the team solid minutes while also providing in an area of perceived need. Fortunately, this draft provides one of these, the point guard, in bushels.

Sure, the team could take a look at player like Tyler Hansbrough, but as we've written here already, while you can't debate the hustle and desire the guy has, you can debate whether he will be able to be a productive player in the NBA. Hustle is only a skill in the NBA if you have the athleticism to marry to that. Hansbrough lacks the explosiveness needed to make the rest of his skill sets relevant. He's a below the rim player in an above the rim league.

So that leaves the point guards, and from the list we have been given regarding potential availability, the only non-projects seem to be Collison, Lawson, and Maynor.

Of these, Ty Lawson stands out as the most productive, the fastest, and most complete of the point guards available. The drawback to Lawson on the Hawks is that the team doesn't seem to want its point guard to penetrate and finish, as Lawson's explosiveness enables him to do. But, as a proposed backup to Bibby or Crawford (or both), he would be an excellent change of pace on the court. And when the Hawks would want to crank up the speed of the game, something they should do more often given the advantages the team enjoys with their 4 and 5 (Smith and Horford) being able to outrun the other team down the court, they would have maybe the fastest trigger man in the draft in Lawson to lead the way.

So when the Hawks are on the clock, if Lawson is there, that's whose name the HHB will be hoping to be called.

Coming Up! (Live at Atlanta)

You want a better kind of future
One that everyone can share
Youre not alone, we all could use it
Stick around were nearly there

We can only hope for this McCartney-esque (circa Wings) type enthusiasm for Thursday's draft and its impact on the Hawks. When we look around the prognostications they range from Jeff Teague (ESPN--reg req), Jeff Teague (Naismith Lives), Jeff Teague (Drew@ Peachtree Hoops via Ball Don't Lie), Jeff Teague (The Sports Xchange via Yahoo), and finally Jeff Teague (DraftExpress) we wonder if we should be crazy for thinking of any other player?

We believe that Teague would have us crossing our fingers and hoping that the flash he showed last season will translate to a more even effort for the Birds, if drafted. But after reading the excellent interview that Hawks.com magnate Micah Hart authors w/Director of Player Personnel Dave Pendergraft, we are left feeling that the Hawks are not playing the Teague card if there is a more sure thing (think Lawson, Collison) that can translate to an asset (or getting on base as Pendergraft calls it) rather than "swing for the fences", which going for Teague may better symbolize.

Elsewhere, the Timberwolves have heavily invested in a draft that may be the worst since the fabled 2000 draft (DerMarr Johnson draft for those Bird watchers). Their (4) picks are the most since the Hawks had the same amount in the 1999 draft.

You remember that draft, right? JT was the 10th pick---then it went downhill, big time. Cal Bowdler was the next Hawk pick @ 17--to the vocal disapproval of those at CNN Center. Then, local (and injured) favorite Dion Glover went with the 20th pick and the other local fave--Jumaine Jones was drafted, but the pick had already been promised to the Sixers, which drew more boos. Yes!

Draft Day/Night Hijinx!

The HHB will be busy on Thursday, starting with our annual Official Draft Endorsement entry in the morning. Then, later in the day, we will appear as a in-studio guest host on The Bill Shanks Show (3PM-6PM EST) where we will (presumably) be talking NBA Draft and the Hawks (sometimes both!).

That night, we will humbly join Hoopinion for a Draft Night chat-a-thon over at their place. We will no doubt be shown to be the know nothing goof to Bret's highly educated opinions---still should be good times, so watch for it over there and plan on being there with us throughout the draft goodness!

The HHB wants to know who you would pick in this draft--Those thoughts and other important sharings can be left in the Comments Area.

Wanted: Inspiration

When the HHB is losing sleep (and not over those pesky Josh Smith trade rumors) because the newest member of the crew is waking up every two hours, the basketball offseason seems to race by.

That said--and despite mock drafts and predraft workouts, old NBA drafts on TV, ridiculous (or maybe not) trade rumors, and the always stimulating Collective Bargaining Agreement discussions (seriously, can't get enough of that, can ya?)--the HHB is longing for something that will inspire.

Thought: We thought we could get geared up that Josh Smith will be heading out to Vegas to participate in the summer workouts, hoping that it will result in the same accolades afforded Al Horford when he did the same last season.

Reality: We remembered that, when Horford returned to the team he was handed the same dirty mop he had propped in the corner from the season before. Additional skill only matters when it is put into use and the Hawks had no use for Al's well earned basketball merit badges--after all he's their "hustle guy" (Sorry, Flubber).


Thought: We could get excited by the fact that the Hawks actually have picks in the Official NBA Draft!

Reality: Through Hoopinion's and Micah Hart's breakdown of the players, it seems clear that, should the Hawks pick a point guard (which is an about 85-90 percent of the audience right now), the player they get will likely be solid, but not great, and likely not anything more than an (at most) eighth or ninth man. With coach Mike Woodson's track record, maybe not even that much.

Yet, we still find ourselves unmoved by any big men, can't get behind another shooting guard or small forward type---and that leaves us with the point guards, which also seem to provide the most value in that draft slot.


Thought: We could get fired up about Tyler Hansbrough declaring himself the next David Lee and write a thousand words about how it's just not true.

Reality: Sure, we could remind Tyler that David won a dunk competition that didn't involve a little brother and that explosiveness has served him well in the NBA, but we would be missing the point of Hansbrough's well placed comparison.

It's all about the money.

The HHB seriously doubts if Hansbrough really believes he can produce like Lee--but he did the right thing in reminding people that they seriously underestimated Lee when left the University of Florida and selflessly paved the way for back to back championships. (Much love, David).

As teams wonder about Tyler's draft slot, he puts a little fear and doubt in their minds by referencing Lee, who would surely go a lot higher if that draft were held with today's knowledge in mind and in turn gets himself placed in, potentially, that higher draft slot.

But Tyler, seriously--we watched David Lee and we've watched you---and while we admire your tenacity--you are no David Lee.


In the end, we are left without a muse--and searching for answers---or at least the next rumor.


About Josh Smith

We have received some notes asking us what we think/thought about the Smith trade rumors and what we think is this----unless it's a can't miss deal for the Hawks there is no way the Hawks should pull the cord on Smith.

No doubt--right now, he's far from the perfect player. But---The things that have prevented Smith from being an even bigger positive factor for the Hawks are still teachable and to panic and deal Smith for even 3 quarters on the dollar is what the old timers would call "second division" thinking.

For a long time Hawks fans longed to see the Hawks draft a player that other teams should have taken long before the Hawks stole him. They have wanted a player that other teams and fans were interested in--someone who sparks the imagination with his ability. Smith does, in fact, fit that bill--and his contract is reasonable for someone that young and with such ability.

Years ago, Portland traded a player too early, one they had spent a similar draft pick as the Hawks spent on Smith and (4) years developing. Think the Blazers wouldn't mind getting a do-over on the Dale Davis/Jermaine O'Neal deal in 2000?

The LA Times opined at the time of the trade that "When O'Neal did get into games, usually as a backup to aging center Arvydas Sabonis, he showed promising shot-blocking and rebounding skills at the defensive end, but almost no touch on offense."

Other publications echoed such sentiment---since then, however, the trade has been recorded as one of the more lopsided deals of all time. Anybody want the Birds to be on that list (again)?

That's not to say the Hawks shouldn't pull the trigger if the deal is too good to turn down---but with players as young and as talented as Smith--to be cliche'---the better deal is likely the one they don't make.

The HHB is seeking inspiration to pull them from the silent halls of the Official HHB Headquarters. Suggestions and Recipes can be offered in the Comments Area.

Nineteen

In World War II the average age of the combat soldier was 26...
In Vietnam he was 19.

Ninininininininininin 19 nininininninin 19


For being followers of a team that has not done so tremendously well either in the draft lottery or in the actual draft itself, the HHB gets very excited for the NBA draft.

Recently, The Almighty Hawks Website, Hawks.com, asked a few of us for our thoughts on what the Hawks should do with the #19 pick in the draft. Our thoughts rained down as written below:

Being that for almost a decade now the key pieces to the basketball team, a point guard and a center, are still understaffed and continue to be the places that we wish the Hawks to focus for the long term.

Mike Bibby, while being a key part of a turnaround, has been and is a short term solution to the point guard solution. That the team has seen fit not to give Acie Law the backup minutes behind Mike this season that would be needed to evaluate whether he is the long term solution to the position (while Mike was in a contract year to boot) means to the HHB that the team must not be sold on Law at all---actions, as they say, speak louder than words.

As it is, there is quite a population of proven point guards available in this year’s draft, and as we are always a fan a drafting the best available talent regardless of position, this year the Hawks might have the best of both worlds, picking the best available while still addressing the need at the point.

About the big men: Rick Sund speaks certainly regarding Al Horford’s future in the league-and it’s at center-so while the Hawks need to beef up the frontcourt, using the draft when there may not be the type of talent at center that there might be at point guard, would lead the HHB to look at other avenues to beef up the frontcourt (including re-signing Zaza Pachulia) and leave the Hawks drafting their future floor general.

Nothing that has transpired since has altered this view---it still looks like some quality floor leaders are going to be the best value where the Hawks are selecting. Both Micah and Bret have been tracking the draft along with the usual national links like our old friend (and fellow Gator) Jonathan Givony at DraftExpress.

(Side Story--CAUTION!) We worked with Givony @ the old DraftCity and was covering the Hawks 2004 draft workouts when we were locked out of the workouts after having too-little nice to say about JR Smith (nothing mean or negative really--We just dared to say he was uneven and not the can't miss lottery candidate other outlets were predicting at the time).

Our fearless predicting (We love Kirk Snyder!) should have tipped the world off that we were (and still are) harmless, but we suppose enough people were reading to be dangerous--strange.

Anyway, we love the process and especially love when quality guys start to drop (i.e. Rajon Rando in '06) for no apparent reason. The position most likely to drop is the point guard and that's what we have been seeing, at least in the mock drafts, with such names as Teague, Lawson, and Collison coming on down. The Hawks are poised to, at least, get a point guard they can trust to play behind Bibby. (We really don't want to pretend the Hawks may not sign Mike, since they have done everything but carve an AH + MB heart in the Philips Arena court--but we guess we will have to wait and see.)

The HHB celebrates the changing family times in the Hawks blogosphere--As we welcome the fifth piece to our personal All-HHB team, we congratulate Drew @ Peachtree Hoops for their nuptials and safety on their travels.