With The 2010-2011 Season Over, The Atlanta Hawks Move Into An Uncertain Off Season

I am still down about the series loss, but I am also mad. Regardless, life moves on…

Was it a good trade? Arguments could be made on both sides.
Pro trade: Hawks were not going to get value out of JC2, with Jamal and JJ already here. JC2 is a SG, and his value as a point is questionable. Hawks were playing for today. They got value for Captain Kirk in place of Bibby. The fake coach LD was not going to let Teague play so we had to do something to help with a fast declining Bibby.

Con: The price was too high (essentially two first round draft picks – though mid- to late first rounds). We lost future of Jamal’s replacement. We lost youth. We lost future in general, and it was shortsighted. We got nothing out of it, because Teague was already here and he is the point next year and Captain Kirk future is uncertain to say the least.

I am on the Con side of the coin. But regardless, we need to move on and not revisit history. We need to be forward looking.

What happens now is this relative to guards:
1. Teague is the starter point. JJ is the starting shooting guard.
2. We don’t sign Jamal.
3. We give Captain Kirk in a trade with Lakers. Captain Kirk is valuable on the open market. We get a Laker Barnes (to replace Marvin and bring toughness), AND Odom or preferably Gasol or Bynum in trade. To make the trade work, we can throw Marvin and a Chik-Fil-A value meal in there(hint Chik-Fil-A value meal has more value on open market than Marvin).
4. We can find minimum salary guard (Murry any one out there) also.

This is the path forward. We don’t need to keep Captain Kirk any more. And let’s not revisit the merits of the trade of the season just finished.

I wish you could do an adequate preview of what to expect this summer, but that is impossible as you say. First and foremost is a labor situation where we may lose 50+% of next season, let alone the offseason. Then there’s the large questions that face the roster without the undetermined CBA and salary rules (and I’d almost assure there’s an amnesty clause, although I’m curious if cut contracts could be reduced by whatever the cut player then gets as a free agent).
As for the roster on the whole, the obvious problems are:
Is Josh Smith a long term piece of a championship caliber team, or will he remain wasting his immense talents to the team’s detriment?
Is Joe a SF or SG going forward?
What to do with Marvin?
Is Teague a long term answer at PG or a one series wonder?
What to do about the long term question that has been the C spot?
How to piece together a bench with the current salary limitations and fix what may be the biggest hole right now?

I’d think those would be the 6 main questions to be answered, once the overarching question of the labor situation gets an answer. But this is not a good off season for the Hawks, to have this many situations up in the air, and to be unable to address them (even considering their past incompetence at addressing them) even if they wanted to because of the labor stuff.

First, I think many here would say that Williams is being judges by what he is, or rather isn’t, not on what player we could have got instead. Sure, the Chris Paul argument still comes up, but at this point it’s really no longer relevant. Williams has had multiple years to become something, anything, for this team and has yet to do so. Besides defense, which recently is becoming questionable, he provide nothing outside of a game or two every three months. Quite frankly, I don’t see any value there outside of trade fluff to make numbers match.

Also, I’d say that the sale of the Thrashers would have a bigger part in things than most might initially think. I haven’t seen the numbers for this year yet, but it’s been reported that the ASG have lost close to $25mil a year on the Thrashers alone over the last 3-4 years. That combined with the fact that almost zero pro sports franchises sell for less than they were bought means that we could see a whole new mentality with the ASG should said the sale actually go through. They might be more likely to go into the tax to get another top player. Of course, it’s also just as likely that nothing changes at all, but I’m trying to stay positive here.

I really believe that in the right system, he could thrive.

To Denver for Nene and Felton. Nene + Horford would be one intimidating front court. Felton can slide into Jamal’s sixth man spot as he can play both PG and SG, but he is also younger and a much much better defender than Jamal. Denver does it because they may lose Nene for nothing, getting Smoove would give them the dominant PF they need now that KMarts contract is finally up.

Ideally the new CBA includes an amnesty provision (I find it impossible to believe it won’t) and we can waive Marvin. We’d be thin at SF but we could add depth there via FA. If we waived Marvin we’d have around $10M to sign 6 more players. Lineup would look like this.

PG: Teague, Felton
SG: Johnson, Felton, Free Agent
SF: Free Agent, Sy, Free Agent
PF: Horford, Free Agent, Free Agent
C: Nene, Zaza, Free Agent

Hard to argue that this would not be a significantly better team, and it’s doable without spending any extra money. I think a move like this needs to be made where we move either Josh or Al to bring back a true defensive center plus some more value. Anyone who thinks we’ll get anything for Marvin and his terrible contract are kidding themselves.