I saw one of these in the GS forum, and was bored so I decided to do one for us: Offseason: Key Additions: Zaza Pachulia: this kid was the steal of the offseason in my opinion. he is overflowing with potential. las year he averaged around 6ppg and 5 rpg in only 18 mpg. spread that over the 30+ mpg he'll get with us, and those are some darn good numbers. I'll say around 12 PPG and 8 RPG. Joe Johnson: Now that Belkin is gone, we can assume that the JJ trade will go through. he's BK's solution to our hole at PG. a lot of people have questioned his ability to play PG effectively. those people fail to recall that JJ played PG for the suns after Starbury was shipped to NY, and played it VERY well. I see him averaging around 18 PPG and 6 APG in his first year with us. Marvin Williams: Potential is the word with this guy. I don't see him making a huge impact this year. probally around 9 PPG 5 RPG 3 APG Salim Stoudamire: Best shooter in the east. period. I see him averaging around 12 PPG 3 APG this year for us off the bench splitting time at PG and SG. And who knows, we still have a HUGE amount of cap room. maybe we'll sign someone else too... Key Subtractions: Boris Diaw: I don't really care. he had no shot at all, and was afraid to shoot. Tyrone Lue: I'll definately miss him. he was really talented, and i have a feeling we're gonna miss his speed at points this year. Probable Lineup: PG: J. Johnson/S. Stoudamire SG: J. Childress/ Salim Stoudamire SF: J. Smith/ M. Williams PF: A. Harrington/ J. Smith C: Z. Pachulia/ ??? that is a pretty darn good starting lineup. Prediction: Our starting 5 will be able to compete with almost any team in the League. its our depth I'm worried about. they're VERY young, and we still don't have a backup C. It's going to be the depth that will kill us. I'll say we win about 28 games next year.
You think that starting lineup can compete with anyone in the league? A little too optimistic my friend. Who is the star on this team? Who will carry them? I definetly don't see them winning 28 games as well, they haven't improved that drastically from last year except for the signing of Joe Johnson. Optimism is good, but in this case it has made reality escape you.
Yeah, although they might improve a little, they will still remain at the bottom of the league, especialy now when the east is more powerfull.
^ knew i'd get some heat... okay here we go: Q: you think that starting lineup can compete with anyone in the league? A: no i don't. i said they can compete with MOST teams. by most teams i mean not SA, DET, Indy, MIA, HOU, and Dallas. Q: Who is the star on your team? A: who say you need a star. example: Memphis for the last 2 years Q: who will carry them? A: nobody. that's why they'll only win 28 games. however, if the joshes develop at as fast a rate as they did last year, they'll carry us some of the time. Q: we havent improved that drastically. A: IMO, we have . we filled our needs (PG, C), and drafted 2 stellar players. plus, we're not done dealing yet. 28 games may be a strech, but i definately think they can do it.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting lessthanjake:</div><div class="quote_post"> Q: you think that starting lineup can compete with anyone in the league? A: no i don't. i said they can compete with MOST teams. by most teams i mean not SA, DET, Indy, MIA, HOU, and Dallas.</div> And what I'm saying is that they can't even match up with Boston, Golden State, Denver, Philly, Orlando, Chicago, New York or New Jersey. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting lessthanjake:</div><div class="quote_post"> Q: Who is the star on your team? A: who say you need a star. example: Memphis for the last 2 years</div> Look where that got them.. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting lessthanjake:</div><div class="quote_post"> Q: who will carry them? A: nobody. that's why they'll only win 28 games. however, if the joshes develop at as fast a rate as they did last year, they'll carry us some of the time.</div> Smith and Childress are good, don't get me wrong, but they aren't ready to lead a team like this to victory. If anyone, I would have said Joe Johnson will show flashes of brilliance <div class="quote_poster">Quoting lessthanjake:</div><div class="quote_post"> Q: we havent improved that drastically. A: IMO, we have . we filled our needs (PG, C), and drafted 2 stellar players. plus, we're not done dealing yet.</div> Filled your needs? Don't lie to yourself; Joe Johnson isn't a natural point guard and Zaza Pachulia is a lower mid-level center. Those two players don't turn the worst team in the league to a contender. Hell, even the Bobcats were better than the Hawks last year.. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting lessthanjake:</div><div class="quote_post"> 28 games may be a strech, but i definately think they can do it. </div> We'll see...
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Look where that got them.. </div> yeah. it got them 2 50-win seasons and playoffberths. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Filled your needs? Don't lie to yourself; Joe Johnson isn't a natural point guard and Zaza Pachulia is a lower mid-level center. Those two players don't turn the worst team in the league to a contender. Hell, even the Bobcats were better than the Hawks last year.. </div> ask any person who watches the bucks, and they'll tell you that Zaza is one of the most underrated players in the league. plus, 28 wins is far from contending.
Joe Johnson has some great skills as a playmaker. He can create for people and hes a really good passer. But no way is he a legit starting NBA point guard. Sorry. He can play a point forward role, but if you put him at the point, its gonna blow up. That just won't work. Second, declaring that Salim is the best shooter in the East is ridiculous. The guy hasnt set foot on a NBA court and youre declaring that he's a better shooter than Gilbert Arenas, Michael Redd, and a lot of other proven guys. You can't do that. He will probably be really good, but to say that now is kinda dumb. He still has to prove himself, and hes gotta learn to be a legit point guard, and thats gonna wear on him. I think you overrated him a little here man.
28 wins is a good improvement from last year tho...anyway i can see double teams being drawn on jj and him passing to salim for a trey...idk how much time salim will get and when marvin becomes what ppl think he will become...for me he doesnt seem that phenomenal
lessthanjake you rushed for the preview and it show's theirs flaws, but its a decent preview and you shouldnt assume things. I've been away for 1 1/2 months in India but now I'm back and I'll be contributing to JBB again. I'll make my version of a season preview and you revamp yours, deal? We should close this topic because I dont see the preview as being thought out and well timed and if Dre was still here, I hope he's lurking, he'd make one hell of a preview like he did last year.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting lessthanjake:</div><div class="quote_post">^ i agree. i'm not a huge marvin fan either.</div> we should of drafted chris paul pg. chris sg.joe sf.chillz pf.josh smith c.zaza or curry maybe that would of been a better lineup for the present but marvin is suppose to have great potential so hopefully he lives up to it so we can look back at this 3-4 years from now and say the hawks made the right decision.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">lessthanjake you rushed for the preview and it show's theirs flaws, but its a decent preview and you shouldnt assume things. I've been away for 1 1/2 months in India but now I'm back and I'll be contributing to JBB again. I'll make my version of a season preview and you revamp yours, deal? We should close this topic because I dont see the preview as being thought out and well timed and if Dre was still here, I hope he's lurking, he'd make one hell of a preview like he did last year.</div> yeah, i kinda rushed it.
All along I'd thought that Leandro Barbosa was the guy playing point guard for the Suns when Marbury was traded. Weird, if Johnson was at point guard, who was shooting guard?
^ good question. all i know is that JJ played PG when Starbury left. he might have split time at the G spots though...
I know JJ can play PG but he's a better suited two guard. With the players we have right now someone is going to have to shift positions or shift to the bench unless we play JJ at PG. And I do believe Barbosa played PG for the Suns quite a bit, but time was split because I remember JJ being starter at PG when I saw a game on tv.
