Sooooooo much better. Glad we quickly abandoned the awful yellow/green, but hopefully we stop with the rebranding for a while after this.
Over the pandemic I consumed a ton of basketball and love the hawks so I thought I’d post my thoughts in regards to FA and the Draft. On our roster construction: I love the upside of this team. I love how many reps the young wings got. I love that Huerter has an off-season to add strength to help his finishing and I love how Hunter and Cam got a million reps. In terms of what we need, we need another wing or 2 who can shoot 3s. Even with Trae being supersonic and JC breaking analytical models, we were the worst 3 point shooting team in the NBA. I anticipate some progression from all 3 young wings, but adding another 2 or 3 who is 39% from 3 and can hit them on the move will unlock so much. I don’t care if he is a bench guy or a starter, just space the floor please. What Trae was able to do with non-shooters around him was unfathomable at times even if I don’t love such a heliocentric O. Last off-season I was pretty critical of Shlenk for giving us the worst C rotation in the league and the absolute worst back up PG situation in the fn world. Expecting Evan Turner, Len, Damian Jones and rookie Fernando to be the guys was a nightmare. Teague was a bandaid but I think hes fairly washed. I’d like to keep Goodwin as the 3rd PG who is a back up on nights Trae rests but we absolutely need a secondary ball handler and someone who can run the offense when Trae sits. In an ideal world that person can also D up vs a good 1 or 2 in the 4th quarter. I am happy with the current frontcourt and would like to see Bruno play a lot of reps in College Park. Not a great free agent class at all but I like a few guys with our cap space that can help us win. In an ideal world we give DAnthony Melton and Joe Harris enough money to get them out of Memphis and NJ. Harris is my favorite. He is awesome off the ball, can move, and is deadeye spot up shooter. He’d be perfect playing alongside Trae and John. Melton can be the back up PG and can also be in a closing line up to defend the best 1 or 2 on the other team and let Trae rest like Portland does with Lillard. The other name I’d take there is Kris Dunn but he gives you zero offense despite possible being the best defender of lead guards in the nba. He and Cam would be horrifying for backcourts. Other names I think we will sniff on that I am not crazy about are Paul Millsap (would be a bench 3 or 4) , KCP (awful in the bubble), Glenn Robinson the 3rd and Evan Fournier (older than our window and expensive). In terms of draft picks, I don’t love this draft and if we get 1 or 2 I hope we find a trade partner. The guys I don’t think are good fits for us are LaMelo, Wiseman, Obi Toppin and Okunyu. Lamelo is the best player in the draft and should go #1. Detroit or NYK need him badly. He’d be awful next to Trae with bad shooting and worse defense. Lloyd said we are in the playoffs next year. Shlenk will be fired if we don’t improve, Collins wants a contract and Trae wants to win….this isn’t a roster that can take a LaMelo and let him grow. If we end up 1-2 I think Shlenk hangs a for sale sign on it and sees what he can get. If he has to pick I think he holds his nose and takes Edwards, who has flaws but has the most star upside. He could hit and be a Victor Oladipo/Jimmy Butler or he could miss and be Dion Waiters or Andrew Wiggins. If we are in the 3-5 range I think Shlenk sprints to the podium to take Okorro. I love everything about his game but the shot, I do think Atlanta has a good track record of shot development. Collins and Reddish outside shooting get better every year they are here. If Okorro is gone, I think we take Killian Hayes and make him a back up PG. Good ball handler, good shot, competitive, just has no right hand right now. I’d love to see him run our 2nd Unit. If we are in the 5-8 Range I think we take Devin Vassell or Dani Abdija. I love Vassell and would take him higher but smart people think the NBA is a little lower on him. I think his floor is a great off ball defender, good on ball defender and 40% spot up shooter. I like Aaron Nesmith from Vandy for the same reason. Guys who can play D, and hit 3s are what we need. I am not as high on Abdija as some are but it is what it is, a 6’8 combo forward who can score and defend would help us. One thing to note is Shlenk seems to almost have an aversion to drafting foreign players. Anyway, thanks for letting me compile my thoughts, I will be here to celebrate or mourn TH night.
I feel like this is our year to end in the top 3 just because there isn't (at least, in people's eyes right now) a transcendent player in this years' draft.
They'll at least get someone that plays great defense and is aggressive on that end. I know the draft is super weak this year and it helped him be a lottery pick, but he was pretty weak offensively. I feel like a lot of ppl compared him to Chuma Okeke who went in the mid teens, but chuma was light years ahead offensively.
I felt like Chuma was still ahead after his Freshman year, Maybe it's just the outside shot that really needs development. He did avg 12, but was sub 25% from 3. At 6'6" that's gotta go up, right??
He definitely needs it become a better shooter to warrant a #3 pick, but he never had to shoot much until his freshman year in college. chuma isn’t the penetrator that Isaac is. Also a tough comp cause they’re different players
I haven't watched enough Lamelo but honestly I want to get the most talented player, regardless of fit. If they think Lamelo's the guy then I'm for it.
6th is a bummer in a tank year but I get the feeling that, if it wasn’t Edwards, we probably have a target who will be available there.
Both Melo and Edwards are miserable defenders and I don’t think we can afford that anyway. Rationalization 101
Yeah I love Lamelo’s game but we can’t use him. Give me Deni. I think he’s gonna be really good and he defends.
We made Collins a 40% 3 pt shooter. Trae brings a lot of attention and the guy can play wing or back up 4. I think he fits perfect.
you got the offbrand Curry so figures you would get the offbrand Luka too bad you guys didnt have a chance to get the real deal or anything
I can see that. I’d also love to see him as a point forward running our second unit. In a vacuum get him, Hunter, Dedmon on the second unit and you will be pretty formidable on both ends.
To me Capela is like a big Free Agent move since he never played. I don’t really love anyone in this draft. We have enough young talent and added a perfect center for Trae. Whatever happens I’ll role with it
does the Adreian Payne pick just never convey or does it become two 2nds I cant keep up and that was forever ago
Looking back on the last 2 years of the nba draft I wanted Luka and had to break my Madrid born boss’s heart that we were about to trade him when he saw we drafted him. last year I wanted a Reddish at 3 and was pissed we didn’t take him only to be saved getting him at 10. This year I may take the night off and save the stress but can’t see myself caring about any of these guys.
You are going to fall in and out love with at least 3 different prospects or potential sign and trades between now and selection.
I think our draft board will be some combo of Deni, Okorro, Vassell, Haliburton, Maxey and Hayes At least 2 will be gone before we pick. I’m worried it will be Dani and Okorro. Cleveland will pick one of those guys, I’d gamble a lot of money on it. I still want Joe Harris
As much as it would be my wet dream to have Harris and Hunter on the team, I’m a little worried that Harris is going to get overpaid and too much will be expected of him. He has a couple more years of his peak and is what he is as a Korver-type with his biggest asset being 3 pt shooting, though he brings more to the table than that. I just feel like some team is going to overpay him.
We need shooting worse than any team in the league and we have the most cap space in the league. Front load the deal and give him 3 years. If we can’t sign Joe, I wonder if Sac would trade us Buddy for #6 straight up. I don’t love his game but we need shooting on the perimeter.
They said our defense is trash and he could be best available in an area of massive need. Said he's probably best defender in draft.
Okongwu has the potential to be a switchable, bouncy rim protector who finishes everything, with outstanding touch and plenty of offensive upside. Considered by some to be the best defender in the draft, Okongwu has maturity and versatility that should appeal here. He brings an ability to play alongside either John Collins or Clint Capela, which would help him fill an important role for a team that has plenty of room to improve defensively.
Our defense was trash bc we had Trae, rookie wings and Alex Len/Damian Jones/Bruno behind them. The worst center rotation in the nba by far. we addressed that issue with Capela and Dedmon. If we needed a C, I’d push Okonyu over Wiseman, but spending our last lottery pick on a C seems foolhardy to me
I feel like Avdjija and Okorro will be gone before we pick. Chicago will take Deni and I think Cleveland takes Okorro. I think we will decide between Vassell, Killian Hayes and Halliburton