Why I like the PAPE

I love this signing. Despite all the negative comments from Hawks fans, I think this is a very good signing and here is why.

1. Coach- This is probably the most important reason. THE COACHING STAFF WANTED HIM. The coaches saw him play with other players during the summer league and were clearly impressed with him. They could have taken any other player in the summer league  for much cheaper.

2.Tools.- He has all the natural tools you would like for a raw talent. Height  6-7, Strength, Ball handling ( he plays point for his team), quick feet and hands, good shooting stroke.

2. 14th Player: The Hawks had zero motivation to do this deal besides total belief in this guy. They could have just signed 13 players like last season but they chose not to and went ahead to spend money to not only pay his club in France to release him, but also guaranteed him a 3  year contract and the 1st year guaranteed !!!. For a club- Hawks  that is notorious for pinching pennies, this is a big deal. The Hawks won't do this unless they really really  liked what they saw.

3. Character: Imagine if you put Mario West's character into Marvin Williams? You would have an All Star player. That is how important character is in sports. When I saw Pape play at summer league, I liked what I saw. Here are a few things I saw.

- He listened 100% to the coaches in the dug out during the time out. Believe me, for someone that watches a lot of Basketball games, this is a rare occurrence.

- He is active on the court. The guy was very active when he was playing. He was talking, getting other guys into their positions( even when he was not with the ball). This clearly shows leadership qualities. He also has a very calm demeanor  like Al that makes other players listen to what he has to say.

- He moves very well on defense and offence. Considering how raw he is, after the few jitters he had in the first few minutes of his first game, he moved very well on defense and offence using his hands and feet. He was hardly caught in the wrong position and was ALWAYS TALKING to his team mates during the game.

In summary, I think Pape Sy is Mario West with an offensive game. Given what we saw from Mario, Papee should be a very good utility player in a year or 2. I would not be surprised if he makes the final 13 player  roster this season.