<font class="post">Tom Ziller Posted Oct 24th 2007 10:15AM by Tom Ziller Filed under: Hawks, Atlanta The Hawks have famously had many, many high draft picks over the past several years. Not a terribly high amount have turned out to be good players. Josh Smith is one whom did turn out good, awesome in fact. Picked #17 in 2004, he's probably among the five best players in that draft class right now. Billy Knight should be proud... ... except now the Hawks don't want to pay Smith. With the rookie extension period edging toward closure next week, Smith's agents bristled at Atlanta lack of interest in an extension and have called off negotiations, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Sekou Smith. The agents say Atlanta made one offer back in July and "haven't really shown any interest" since. We don't know how much the Hawks offered Smith -- I'd guess the low side of $45 million. If Josh has an identical season as 2006-07 this year (and teams have cap space, which isn't a given), I could see Atlanta having to decide whether to hand over $70 million or not. Smith's a special defensive player who hasn't even turned 22 yet. He's 6-foot-9 and finished second in blocks last year. And he can score. And his team will be better; wins equal dollars. As Sekou Smith notes, only Josh and Shawn Marion finished last year above 16 points per game and in the top 20 in rebounds, blocks, and steals. This is not a player you gamble with on the market. If Atlanta ever does decide they want to keep him, they'll be paying out the nose to do so</font></p>
Josh proved his merit last season as he helped keep ATL in games they had no right being in with the injuries that team susatined late in the season. This year he may take a hit statistically on certain nights because of having a more talented cast around him but he is without question the most impornatnt piece on the floor for them at all times IMO and to not even have discussions with him further shows just how screwed up their management is.</p>
Josh is destined to be overpaid, but how can the Hawks afford to lose him? He can mean a lot to the franchise in terms of attracting fans and making the team marketable. Gotta think the return on investment with him is worthwhile.</p> We didn't exactly see teams falling over themselves trying to get Gerald Wallace this summer, though. Maybe the Hawks are playing it tough for a reason.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (speeds)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> Josh is destined to be overpaid, but how can the Hawks afford to lose him? He can mean a lot to the franchise in terms of attracting fans and making the team marketable. Gotta think the return on investment with him is worthwhile.</p> We didn't exactly see teams falling over themselves trying to get Gerald Wallace this summer, though. Maybe the Hawks are playing it tough for a reason.</p> </div></p> </p> Wallace is older, and injury prone...so that might be a good reason. Smith is young and hasn't had too many injuries. he's played in at least 72 games every season. So I could see him getting more offers over Wallace.</p> Also, he actually won the dunk contest </p>
Every player in the NBA is overpaid to some extent. If Kevin Martin got paid what he did, then Josh Smith should get way more. Plus, he can do so much for a team. He scores, runs, plays very good defense and is extremely athletic.</p>
I of course would like to see Josh extended as soon as possible, but this isn't devestating news. Maybe they want to see him put together a full season of great basketball first, I don't think the team is in bad shape cap-wise.</p>
