Al for Marc

by jdewayneatl on Sep 22, 2011 7:09 PM EDT

Simple as this, who is down for a Al for Marc Gasol trade?

I am! Would Memphis do it? Not sure. But I think there is a good possibility. Taking on Al would give Zack Randolph free reign in the paint and it would also open up the middle for Rudy Gay to work his magic in the lane also.

Should Atlanta do it? Of course. Gasol would be the #1 option in the post and would get more touches than if he stayed in Memphis having to share the load with Randolph. He is a decent, if not as good a defender as Al. He averaged 1.5 bpg last season.

The biggest benefit would be that Josh could be Josh. Josh will most definitely play to his offensive strengths 70% of the time. The other 30% will definitely be ill-advised jumpers. We just have to live with that. But Smoove is our best PF, our most exciting player and biggest game changer on the team

And sign Tayshaun Prince??? (Had to toss that in.)

PG - Teague, Hinrich

SG - JJ, ???

SF - Prince, Marvin

PF - Smoove

C - Gasol, Zaza, Collins

Poll

Al for Marc?

Yes

12 votes

No

14 votes

Maybe

4 votes

30 votes | Poll has closed

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

Tweet Comment 13 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

"The biggest benefit would be that Josh could be Josh"

Does anyone exactly understand what this really means because in my mind it means a lot of 21’-24’ jump shots.

@Kris_Willis

by Kris Willis on Sep 23, 2011 11:26 AM EDT reply actions

the thing is...

he doesn’t even really have to be a post up player. A somewhat Amare type offensive role, where he works the elbows, popping 14-18 ft jumpers or attacking the rim on 1 dribble slashes, while hitting the offensive glass hard and looking for mid range gaps in the defense when they focus on others, should be more than enough to make him a very strong offensive player. He has those tools.

http://sportsandgrits.com/

by Mr. Sanchez on Sep 24, 2011 8:13 AM EDT up reply actions

Sure he has the tools

there has never been any debate about that but does he have the willingness to do the things that he is best at?

@Kris_Willis

by Kris Willis on Sep 24, 2011 9:02 AM EDT up reply actions

...

Thats what Ive been saying this whole time…

I believe if we paired Horford with a Granger/Durant type AND a defensive center who can score inside; he’d be our best PF, foul rate aside. He has more size than Smith.

Smith is best along the baseline and in 2 man game, PicknRolls

Tayshaun Prince has his own shooting problems.

A somewhat Amare type offensive role, where he works the elbows, popping 14-18 ft jumpers or attacking the rim on 1 dribble slashes, while hitting the offensive glass hard and looking for mid range gaps in the defense when they focus on others, should be more than enough to make him a very strong offensive player. He has those tools.

Here’s my playlist for Josh Smith’s Offense: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA89EDC3FBA5672AF

Problem is Grizz would never downsize.

In 1957, the team advanced to the Finals, losing to the Boston Celtics in a double-overtime thriller in game seven. In 1958, the Hawks again advanced to the NBA Finals where they avenged their previous year's defeat against the Boston Celtics, winning the series 4-2. Bob Pettit scored 50 points in Game 6 in front of a crowd of 10,218 in St. Louis. The victory gave the Hawks their first and only NBA Championship.

by PointGuardSlim on Sep 27, 2011 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions

I will tell you what it means.

Josh is going to take those jumpers. Its a given. But Smoove scored 16.5 ppg on 47% shooting and shot 33% from behind 3. Compare that to Jamal Crawford’s 15.4 ppg on 41% shooting and 34% 3pt shooting, Smooves ill-advised jumpers are overrated when considering JC doesn’t have the stats to make him any better of a shooter than Josh.

So while we know Josh will take those shots, they won’t hurt as bad when we have a legit low post threat. The thing is Josh is our best low-post threat as of now. With Al shooting jumpers and not being able to efficiently work in the post, everyone badly wants Josh to take on the responsibility of being a force down low because Al can’t. And so, Josh’s bad shots are even more magnified.

So Smoove will run the floor, give us amazing dunks, pass the ball as well as any big man in the league, offensive rebounds and put back dunks, and take a few ill-advised jumpers that he will make on occasion. Considering that and his defense, I can live with that player and a big, post up Center manning the front court.

by jdewayneatl on Sep 23, 2011 6:51 PM EDT reply actions

If he is the Hawks best post threat

then he needs to focus on being that. I as much as anyone would like to see Horford develop that solid back to the basket game but lets just cut to the chase. If one of the two has to take jump shots then I would much rather see Al taking it than Josh. Sure Josh has hit some big ones but he has no sense for when he should take the shot or when he shouldn’t which is my biggest complaint.

At any rate I don’t see a major roster shakeup on the horizon especially with a short season becoming more and more likely by the day

@Kris_Willis

by Kris Willis on Sep 24, 2011 9:01 AM EDT up reply actions

I still think the likelihood that Josh Smith has spent his final days in Atlanta are increasing.

Personally, I think when the season begins, which I still believe it will because the cancelling of Preseason and Training Camp is just a ploy from the owners to create pressure on the players just like the NFL cancelled OTA’s and such, there will be continued pressure under this coaching regime that Josh Smith conform to the ideas of Larry Drew. Those ill-advised jump shots that you see him take show you how much he undermines the system.

However, I do believe we are often to hard on him for taking these shots when you have other players taking just as many ill-advised shots. The only difference is that with Josh Smith you aren’t expected to take jump shots and with Jamal Crawford you are. That’s what Jamal Crawford is good at and what he has succeeded in doing for a number of years.

Ron Artest = Ron (sm)Artest - He Is The Most Interesting Man In The World

by JoshChildressAfroIsCure4Cancer on Sep 24, 2011 9:35 AM EDT reply actions

In addition to MEM never downsizing for $ thats why we're locking out

Smith is always going to be undersized as a PF…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cClj5vZi7jE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj9gvXwnkzw

Marvin Williams is who we rely on to let Josh be Josh.

I don’t know if Marvin Williams will ever be able to overcome the fact that he was picked too high in the 2005 draft at No. 2, ahead of Deron Williams and Chris Paul. I would argue that Williams has maybe turned into a better pick than Andrew Bogut, who was No. 1 that year. It was a very promising sign that Williams developed his three-point range last year. The difference between shooting the three as opposed to the 17-footer has to do with the spacing. It becomes more difficult for defenders to either suck into the paint to help while still being aware of a shooter like Williams at the three-point line. The Hawks missed him over the second half of the year when he was hurt. He still doesn’t have a bread-and-butter move that will allow him to score anytime. He has developed as a catch-and-shoot guy, which makes him a complementary player. He’ll occasionally surprise you with a quick move off the dribble to dunk on you, so he’s an OK athlete. He can be a 17-to-18-point scorer eventually. At the other end of the floor, he’s a decent defender because he makes the effort.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/nba/hawks.scout/index.html

Jeff Teague * Kirk Hinrich * Pape Sy
Joe Johnson * Marvin Williams *
Josh Smith * Malcolm Thomas *
Donatas Motiejunas * Jordan Hill * Keith Benson
Hasheem Thabeet * Zaza Pachulia * Jason Collins

inj. reserve: Pape Sy, Jason Collins, Keith Benson

by PointGuardSlim on Sep 27, 2011 4:01 PM EDT reply actions

Thabeet making $5.7 million is the reason why the lockout was necessary.

He is not an NBA caliber player. Period.

I'm on the Twitter: twitter.com/edgrohl

by Duff_Man on Sep 28, 2011 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions

I will say again

For all we know Montiejunas is the second coming of Yi Jianlian

@Kris_Willis

by Kris Willis on Sep 29, 2011 8:27 AM EDT up reply actions

PF

they took measurements. He has “gator arms”.

Name & Height & Wingspan
Motiejunas, Donatas 7’0.5 + 6’11
Murphy, Troy 6’11 + 6’11
Griffin, Blake 6’10 + 6’11
Randolph, Zach 6’10 + 6’11
Love, Kevin 6’9.5 + 6’11
Haslem, Udonis 6’8.75 + 6’11
Landry, Carl 6’8.5 + 6’11

Not a lot of length so he’s fast and quick for his size.

@Duff Man that’s not what Shaq said ;) Thabeet is a defensive role player. I’ve heard a lot of players question his IQ (and Jordan Hill’s) but then I go download the games and see his teammates are the ones playing out of control.

It makes me appreciate Joe Johnson because some guards just don’t know how to make a double team and hit their teammates.

by PointGuardSlim on Sep 29, 2011 10:02 PM EDT up reply actions

The thing is

why do so many people think that Josh is going to change from shooting possession and momentum killing jumpshots and on again off again energy on the court? As much as everyone wants a 7 foot center with a post game, having Josh shoot clankers and pout and play lackluster will most certainly kill that. Take a person with poor leadership skills and bad work habits and put them the manager of a company and that company will go down, no matter how many good employees are there. That is a given in anything

Atlanta will win a championship....someday

by maxxj3 on Sep 29, 2011 6:19 PM EDT reply actions

Playoffs

Because he does it every playoffs. This was his worst playoffs, athletic wise. Game 4 aside but 6 seconds winding down Joe gets double teamed Al has length like Bass or Andersen or Joakim on him, no Pick and Pop available what do you expect?
We’re a jump shooting team.

I’ve watched Playoff games over and over
Smith plays the baseline when there’s shooters. He’s inside.
When Horford and Jason/Pachulia are in then he’s outside.

If we want him inside then you get a shooter. The problem is our best stretch forwards have been Marvin Williams, Mo Evans and Joe Johnson when we go with Flip Murray or Hinrich or Jamal Crawford.

Smith gets a lot of touches off his reputation. I think it was 82games that said he used to get fouled at a higher rate than some superstars. IE 18% on some of his shots.
That’s center fouling rate. If you follow the game Smith takes good shots. The problem is he should be inside with a big wing player.

Thing is nobody will ever tell the Hawks to go to a bigger lineup or that Smith should not be bulking up to defend Centers. They’ll never say Smith to just concentrate on steals and play with a giant shooting Forward.
They’ll tell us to sell Smith low for someone like Kaman and hope Horford gets length and reverses his skillset from passer to 30ppg scorer.

If we went big with Joe and Marvin at the 2 and Josh and a stretch 4? We’d be messing up Chicago and Miami’s plans.

6’8 7’0.5 Luol Deng
6’8.25 7’0 Josh Smith
6’8 7’0.25 Lebron James
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3yKwuzR4fU

Smith + Pachulia + Marvin = Spread offense = Josh Smith inside/baseline
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-SSiomTetQ
Horford + Pachulia + Smith = No Spacing = Josh Smith outside/baseline

And no one will ever tell you Josh Smith at PF is just as bad/gimmicky as Horford at C.

by PointGuardSlim on Sep 29, 2011 10:21 PM EDT up reply actions