<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'> Okay, credit where credit is due: Acie Law is a point guard, and the Hawks did draft him. Also, as evidence to the fact before the season starts and before hindsight kicks in; Al Horford was considered the third best prospect in the draft and was pegged ahead of Mike Conley. There, that is done. </p> However, with that said, Acie Law is not ready to take over a team like the Hawks. He's a good prospect, and he may develop into a starting point guard for this team sooner rather than later, but this is a team that believes it should be in the playoffs today, and with the kind of depth that they have on the wing, they need a point guard to help run the show. This season, Acie Law isn't that guy. </p> Many Atlanta fans sit on the same bandwagon that Milwaukee and New Orleans fans sit on, and that is the "If it weren't for injuries we'd have been in the playoffs" bandwagon. Well here's a newsflash: injuries are a part of professional sports. Part of building a team is doing so with an eye to potential injuries. The question isn't whether or not they would have been good enough to arbitrarily make the playoffs if it weren't for injury, the question is whether or not they are better than any of the probable playoff teams when they are healthy? And they answer to that question, at least as it relates to Atlanta, is no. </p> </div></p> Source: TSN</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'> PROBABLE STARTING LINE-UP </p> PG - Acie Law </p> There is a chance that they give Speedy Claxton another shot here, but if they see Law as their answer at the point, they might as well throw him to the wolves right away. It worked for Tony Parker and Chris Paul. It worked for T.J. Ford and Kirk Hinrich. Sometimes a player just needs to learn on the job. After all, what does this team have to lose by trying? If he can't cut it they aren't any further behind the eight ball than most people feel they are right now anyway. And if he turns out to be able to handle the position, then maybe it will turn out that they've nipped one of the biggest issues in the bud. Law may not have the quickness or recognition of draft-mate Conley, but there were whispers before the draft that he might be a steadier point guard. Now, words before the draft are about as reliable an internet mock draft, but every once in a blue moon it turns out to be true. </p> SG - Joe Johnson </p> He may be the best player on the Hawks (and with the emergence of Josh Smith some feel that isn't even true anymore) but that doesn't make him a franchise player. Johnson is a very capable scorer and an above-average passer for his position, but this is not the player who is going to put a team on his back and lead them to the post-season. His game is far too limited for such a role and his prior seasons have demonstrated no reason to believe that is the kind of player he is. That doesn't mean that the Hawks should look to get rid of him, it just means that they have to make sure they're honest with themselves about what they have in Johnson. If they were going to put him on the same pedestal as a Paul Pierce or even a Vince Carter, they would be foolhardy to do so. He's a great second-banana, but he's shown these last two years that being paid like a franchise player doesn't equal being one. </p> SF - Josh Smith </p> Without a doubt he is coming on strong in the Hawks system, but there are two troubling aspects to Smith that still stand out. The first are the incessant whispers that he is a very difficult player to coach, both in terms of not being a very willing student and in terms of his caustic relationship with head coach Mike Woodson that landed him a two game suspension last April after a profanity-laced tirade directed at his superior. The other troubling aspect is his tendency to peak statistically once the season is out of reach. Those gaudy point and rebounding and block numbers Smith put up after mid-January are a far cry from the pedestrian output that came when the Playoffs were still in the teams sights. Perhaps that wouldn't be such a big deal if it weren't the second year in a row it occurred. Now, if he starts off this season like he ended the last two, then that unto itself might demonstrate a newfound approach to the game, but if he comes out firing blanks again until the new year, all those gaudy numbers he puts up wont be squat. </p> PF - Al Horford </p> Two rookies in the starting five is rarely a good sign for a team with Playoff aspirations, but when those two players are the best you have at those positions, you play them. Horford is certainly the best player they have at his position and he also represents the first low-post threat this team has had since Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Horford was a huge part of Florida's second NCAA Championship and his 13 and 9 averages there carried over to his Summer League play this off-season. If Horford and his slightly undersized frame can carve out an existence in the NBA low-post, too, and provide this team with some consistency there he'd go a long way to accelerating this team's quest for a Playoff berth. </p> C - Zaza Pachulia </p> A great many feel that Pachulia is at best a back-up centre forced into action here because the Hawks have no other option. I disagree. Pachulia and his 12 points and 7 boards per game don't tell the full story of his abilities. No, he's not the most coveted centre going in the league today, but he holds down the position better than he is given credit for and despite his uninspired season averages he is capable of throwing up some 20+ point games on occasion. That isn't some backwards way of saying that is his destiny as an NBA player, but there are great number of starting centres like Pachulia - Fabricio Oberto, Kendrick Perkins, Joel Przybilla, etc - that don't ever put up those kinds of numbers all year. Much like Rasho Nesterovic in Toronto and Jeff Foster in Indiana, he's a centre that belies his statistics and only appears so unimpressive because people don't watch his games.</div></p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Who ever wrote that doesn't know **** about the Hawks!</div> </p> How do you mean? I think what he wrote something realistic. That looks like a good starting line-up and could win them some more games this year. I think also that what he said about Acie Law isn't the greatest, I think he can be more then just a prospect. I hope he can pull s 'Deron Williams' and become a great second year PG.</p>
The Hawks should start Speedy in the beginnig of the season, he's a veteren, and will give Acie some time to adapt, to the pro game. By mid-season see how that goes, if a change is needed to be made, than put in Acie.</p> At Center, I think Horford is more suited than Zaza imo, Zaza isn't a great defender, and would be a nice player to come off the bench and give the team an offensive spark. Horford is someone like a Al Jefferson, he'll be able to play C/PF and produce. </p> </p> At PF start Josh Smith, where he played his best last season, and back him up with Shelden and Horford,</p> </p> At SF start Marvin, where he is primed for a breakout year, and let Josh Childress, and Josh Smith back him up.</p> At Sg. Joe Johnson, with Josh Childress backing him up</p> </p>
I like your depth chart, but I would perfer this one:</p> C - Horford/Zaza/S.Williams</p> PF - Marvin/Horford/S.Williams</p> SF - Smith/Childress/Marvin</p> SG - Johnson/Childress/Smith</p> PG - Claxton/Law/A.Johnson</p>
IT could work... the Hawks are very deep this season, I'm curious to see how Woody uses his rotation this season, and how he'll distribute the minutes.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticKing)</div><div class='quotemain'>I think Smith should start at PF.</div> Kind of like Shawn Marion. The problem is, some PF will post up, which could not be a good thing. Marion complained he didn't like the banging and stuff down low, which I'm afraid might happen to Smith.</p> I think, Marvin at PF and Smith at SF would be better.</p>
Josh at P.F seemed to work well last season. horford and Shelden, can defend the primary post player.
True, but on defense Smith guards the SF, and on offense takes the PF. But the other team can switch so it will make Smith the primary SF for the Hawks.</p> I'm not against Smith at PF, just we have so many, and I don't see a need for him to play there.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Master Shake)</div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticKing)</div><div class='quotemain'>I think Smith should start at PF.</div> Kind of like Shawn Marion. The problem is, some PF will post up, which could not be a good thing. Marion complained he didn't like the banging and stuff down low, which I'm afraid might happen to Smith.</p> I think, Marvin at PF and Smith at SF would be better.</p> </div></p> It shouldn't be that big of a problem on the Eastern Conference though. He's 6' 9 right? </p> </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticKing)</div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Master Shake)</div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticKing)</div><div class='quotemain'>I think Smith should start at PF.</div> Kind of like Shawn Marion. The problem is, some PF will post up, which could not be a good thing. Marion complained he didn't like the banging and stuff down low, which I'm afraid might happen to Smith.</p> I think, Marvin at PF and Smith at SF would be better.</p> </div></p> It shouldn't be that big of a problem on the Eastern Conference though. He's 6' 9 right? </p> </p></div> Yea, 6'9 205 pounds. He is a big guy, just we have quite a few PF, and to play him at SF wouldn't be all bad. At times you could move him to PF, but his primary should be SF. He could use his height and athleticism, without all the banging down low on defense.</p>
