SB Nation Atlanta Editor's Pick

The Hawks have prospects

by jdewayneatl on Jul 2, 2011 2:17 PM EDT

This was an SBNation Editor's pick, and we wanted to (finally) promote it to the front page. Nice work!

As everyone knows, the Hawks chose Keith Benson with its only draft pick at #48 in this year's draft. There are mixed emotions and questions of uncertainty with Benson. His most questionable flaw is without a doubt his lack of body mass. Second to that is the lack of competition as he has been POY two years straight in the Summit League (a mid-major league). With those being his biggest flaws, there is intrigue in his potential upside. He has shown that he can gain weight as he added 34 lbs (going from a very thin 190 to a slender 224) during his college campaign. And he has said that he could add 20 -25 more pounds to his frame. As far as competition, one thing in his favor is that he dominated lesser competition. He put up the numbers and has the accolades to show. Secondly, he held his own against major talent. I also think that had he played with better talent around him, he could have had an even better college career and probably have been in the mix to be drafted in the 1st round.

His upside?Except for his weight, he has all the tools to become an effective big man in the NBA. He is a very good defender (rebounds well, blocks shots, and mobile). He has a good offensive game also with a balanced and diverse array of scoring moves. He has good footwork in the post, good positioning and good hands. He has good range on his shot, a left and right jump hook, and a turnaround J. Because he has the necessities to be good defensively and has offensive abilities that makes him a threat offensively, I'd say that he has a very good chance to make an impact on the roster.

That is our draft pick. Magnum Rolle is an honorary draft pick in my opinion. He was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2010 draft by the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers didn't have enough roster spots to keep him (they contemplated waiving Solomon Jones to make room for him) and so he went to the D-league but injury held him out for a while. He and Benson are very similar. Very, very similar. Rolle is a little more athletic with great leaping ability and punishing dunking ability. He is also a C/PF prospect that could make some noise on the roster. If Rolle and Benson could mimic at the very least what Amir Johnson or Andray Blatche have shown, then they could prove to be very valuable.

Also in the fold is Pape Sy. Sy was sidelined in the early part of the season with a back injury but later made his debut in the D-League. Sy put up decent numbers but not much more is known of him as there was when the Hawks drafted him. We need to see more of him, but the organization especially LD and Sund are very high on him. Maybe he could lock down the 3rd PG role and develop into the backup role in a couple of years.

The last prospect that the Hawks have shown interest in but don't have rights to as of now is Jeremy Hazell. Many people expected the Hawks to pick a guard in this year's draft since they traded away Jordan Crawford and Jamal Crawford is set to be a free agent and may not be in uniform come next season. Hazell is an undrafted free agent and is invited to the Hawks mini-camp this week. Just as exciting a scorer as JC2 was coming out of college, Jeremy Hazell has the same excitement in his game. He is a bigger guard than JC2 and may be a bit better on the defensive end also, which would be a good fit with next year's roster as the Hawks have expressed getting better defensively.

If all four of these prospects make the roster next season, and the probability is high considering the Hawks salary cap situation and their wanting to get young talent in the organization, the Hawks will have a good mix of young talent that could develop and have an impact on the roster. The common theme that I see in all four of these players is that they have offensive ability but defense is a big part of their game.

The Hawks are making moves to develop talent and to find talent in inconspicuous places. San Antonio has made a living off of finding and developing low radar talent. Maybe the Hawks can take that model and turnover some good players.

Another off-season roster move proposal.

Sign-and-trade Jamal Crawford to Chicago for Omer Asik and Keith Bogans. Sign Chuck Hayes and re-sign Jason Collins.

Depth and rotation:

PG - Teague, Hinrich, Sy

SG - JJ, Bogans, Hazell

SF - Smoove, Marvin

PF - Al, Chuck Hayes, Rolle

C - Zaza, Asik, Benson, Collins

A FanPost expresses the opinion of the community member who wrote it and not that of the blog management.

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Comments

i like your emphasis on "bigs"

zaza, asik, hayes along with benson definitely constitute a good big man rotation

J.UST E.NJOY T.HIS S.HIT
This is Forty08.

by big_p.a.w.z. on Jun 25, 2011 9:41 PM EDT reply actions

Jason Collins was a pleasant surprise this year.

But at this stage in his career, he is only a situational player. The Hawks need solid depth up front with players that can play consistent minutes and be a factor on the court. I like the idea of putting Zaza back in the starting lineup. He seems to have recaptured a fire in his game and he has developed so that he knows his skills and has become efficient at using them. He beginning to define his role on the team in way that he really impacts the game. Asik would replace Zaza’s activity coming off the bench. And so with Al also able to play Center, the frontline would be stacked: Josh, Marvin and Joe rotating at the 3, Josh in the mix with Al, Hayes, and Rolle at the 4 spot, and Zaza, Al, Asik, Collins, and Benson holding down the middle.

It would be the best frontline rotation the Hawks have seen in a long, long time and maybe ever.

by jdewayneatl on Jun 26, 2011 8:16 AM EDT up reply actions

It looks

Good for the hawks goin into next yr if we can get hazell as well and the lockout doesnt cause problems now we hav a center we needed a young and prospective bench with a clear focus on defense…….. Lets hope smoove and al improve this year and we could hav a chance

by Angelus on Jun 26, 2011 4:05 AM EDT reply actions

I don't think there is any way Chicago makes that trade

I do (sincerely) love this time of year, though – when everyone gets all excited about totally unproven players and imagines them all playing at their full potential while still on really cheap contracts. And veteran players improving their weaknesses over the off-season to come back with their best campaign yet. It’s so much easier to be optimistic during the off-season!

by wjb1492 on Jun 26, 2011 5:15 PM EDT reply actions

Beautiful Post (rec'd)

I think your analysis is optimistic though weighted with reality at the same time. That sign-and-trade should be done ASAP, though it does leave us with a big scoring need from the bench. While Hinrich, Bogans, and Marvin have the makings of a very solid second unit, it would be nice to get a scorer in there who could average double figures or close to it.

by KMarch on Jun 26, 2011 10:55 PM EDT reply actions

I dont exactly how bad our financial situation is

but is it impossible to go after nene?

I like to think of Jeff Teague as our secret weapon..... so secret that the Atlanta coaches have no idea who he is.

by Throw on Jun 28, 2011 5:35 PM EDT reply actions

I like those roster moves...

but I have a hard time seeing how they are going to find a way to fit Chuck Hayes into their salary structure if there is no mid level exception in the new collective bargaining agreement. If they manage to dump Marvin somehow such a move becomes much more realistic.

Also would be nice to see them make a run at Michael Redd or Raja Bell (who probably won’t require a lot of money to sign) to bolster the depth on the wing. As the Mavs proved this year, good veterans are never as washed up as you think they are, and shooters who are not major defensive liabilities are always valuable at least in limited minutes.

by NajehDavenpoop on Jul 3, 2011 4:29 AM EDT reply actions

I like the idea of Redd or Bell joining the Hawks.

In a recent post by Michael Cunningham, he noted that the Hawks are looking for defense and shooting. Shooting over guys that make shots. Which leads me to further believe that the Hawks don’t plan to keep Jamal around. Both guys are really good shooters. Redd has been a proven, 1st option scorer, so he can put up big numbers if needed. Hopefully he could overcome the injury bug and fit well in a smaller role off the bench. Bell is a great defender and a career 40% 3pt shooter.

As far as Chuck Hayes, I am not sure that his value is much more than the Vet Minimum as it is now. He earned that this past season.

by jdewayneatl on Jul 3, 2011 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions

Whooaa, didn't expect to see this at the top of the PeachtreeHoops page today.

I would like to add though, that I posted this prior to the buzz in Hawks free agent mini-camp and rise of interest in Joe Alexander and David Lighty. So there could potentially be a lot of competition for 4 or 5 roster spots for unproven players looking to prove themselves.

by jdewayneatl on Jul 3, 2011 3:50 PM EDT reply actions

I really like the moves

Especially the sign and trade of Jamal to land a C who could make a real impact. Also co-sign me to the exile of Marvin Williams to the bench and placement of a C in the lineup full time. I think that balances the lineup. Now only if Marvin could embrace the 6th man role and become a contributor then maybe both units would excel.

by Evildallas on Jul 5, 2011 7:05 AM EDT reply actions