<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">As guards Rajon Rondo, Randy Foye and Marcus Williams staged a competitive workout for the Atlanta Hawks Monday morning, the decision-makers for the team pondered whether backcourt improvement --- particularly at point guard --- should come through the draft, free agency or a trade. A look at the teams that made this season's playoffs would indicate it could be better for Atlanta, with the fifth pick in the June 28 draft, to acquire a point guard already groomed by another team, instead of nurturing another young player on an already-young team. Just four postseason participants --- Phoenix (Steve Nash), Chicago (Kirk Hinrich), San Antonio (Tony Parker) and Milwaukee (T.J. Ford) --- start point guards they drafted. Nash was somewhat of an exception because he was re-signed by the Suns in 2004 after playing six seasons in Dallas. Point guards acquired through free agency or trades guided the remaining 12 teams into the playoffs. So would the Hawks be better off making a play for Clippers free agent point guard Sam Cassell or former Atlanta point guard Jason Terry? Or should it draft Williams, Foye or Rondo and hope he could be as effective as last season's Rookie of the Year Chris Paul, whose New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets failed to get into the postseason? "We're going to get a young player, but is that young player ready to play? Probably not," Hawks coach Mike Woodson said Monday. "We've got enough young guys. We could better ourselves as well by trying to look at some of the veteran point guards and veteran bigs that are out there." Other than Cassell and Terry, Mike James and Speedy Claxton are pending free agent point guards. Of those who played point guard for Atlanta last season, Joe Johnson is better suited to play shooting guard, and Tyronn Lue and Royal Ivey are more effective off the bench. That is why the Hawks have been so forthcoming about the need to address the point guard position. Williams (Connecticut) is pegged by most mock drafts to be the first point guard chosen. Foye, who played at Villanova, is a combination guard like the Hawks' Johnson and Salim Stoudamire. Kentucky's Rondo is a distributor, much like Williams, but less highly regarded. All said they did their homework on the Hawks before stepping on the practice court at Philips Arena. "You've got to look at the situation when you're coming to a team like this," Williams said. "They've got a lot of young players, some great wings. I think they just need someone to get them the ball in the right places, [a player who] could develop with the franchise." </div> Source
It looks to me that the Hawks will trade out of the #5 spot considering the talent level of the players they are working out. Maybe they're close to a deal for Iverson and the 13th pick or Dalembert and the 13th where Philadelphia would aquire the 5. That would put the Hawks in pretty good shape. One of them, Rondo, Williams, Williams, or Foye should be there at 13 which would fill one of the Hawks needs.
Ok assuming they get AI, they could be in good shape if they select Rajon Rondo. He is a perfect PG to play alongside AI. Allen would move back to the two spot and you could either have Joe Johnson play the 3(very possible for him to do it in the East) or have Rondo come off the bench and start AI at the Point. This would move Josh Smith to the four or if they start Marvin Williams. They should be in good position to get a quality big man either in the second round or in free agency. If AI does go to Atlanta you could see Ben Wallace coming their to making them a playoff contender.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting playmaker15:</div><div class="quote_post">Ok assuming they get AI, they could be in good shape if they select Rajon Rondo. He is a perfect PG to play alongside AI. Allen would move back to the two spot and you could either have Joe Johnson play the 3(very possible for him to do it in the East) or have Rondo come off the bench and start AI at the Point. This would move Josh Smith to the four or if they start Marvin Williams. They should be in good position to get a quality big man either in the second round or in free agency. If AI does go to Atlanta you could see Ben Wallace coming their to making them a playoff contender.</div> Agree. If they land A.I. the most logical pick at #13 would be Rajon Rondo, if he's on the board. The Celtics seem to be very impressed with Rondo and I wouldn't be surprised if they used the #7 on him. But considering they get Iverson, that would mean they probably would have to trade either Josh Smith or Marvin Williams to get him, preventing a log-jam at the four: PG - Rajon Rondo SG - Allen Iverson SF - Joe Johnson PF - Marvin Williams C - Free Agent? Dalembert (for Al Harrington) Anyway the center would probably come from an Al Harrington deal. Not a bad roster at all...
Well, I would love to get Iverson in Atlanta, and I think the rest of us homers would as well. Not only would it make the ticket prices skyrocket, the fans would actually be talking about the Hawks. I think that drafting Rajon Rondo would be perfect. Al Harrington stated that he really didn't want to come back and play for the Hawks, so why not let him go and get a guy like Dalembert for him? Then like CK said our team would be set. Josh Childress would make sure that the sixth man spot is locked down and the way that the Southeast Division is set up, I think we could have a shot at the number two spot behind Miami.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting C.K.:</div><div class="quote_post">Agree. If they land A.I. the most logical pick at #13 would be Rajon Rondo, if he's on the board. The Celtics seem to be very impressed with Rondo and I wouldn't be surprised if they used the #7 on him. But considering they get Iverson, that would mean they probably would have to trade either Josh Smith or Marvin Williams to get him, preventing a log-jam at the four: PG - Rajon Rondo SG - Allen Iverson SF - Joe Johnson PF - Marvin Williams C - Free Agent? Dalembert (for Al Harrington) Anyway the center would probably come from an Al Harrington deal. Not a bad roster at all...</div> I'm pretty sure Atlanta won't trade Marvin because of all that upside. Smith has little to no offensive game if it's not a dunk. However, he is promising and his game can be improved. Unless Philly signs a big man I don't see them unloading Dalembert who they recently gave a rather large contract for Harrington who won't do much for a team like Philly.
