Atlanta Hawks

"Atlanta Hawks Next Year" What I would like to see which could be realistic pg:Jeff Teague Lou Williams draft pick sg:Monta Ellis Kyle Korver John Jenkins sf:Chandler Parsons or Andre Igodoula Corey Brewer or Carlos Delfino and a possible free agent or draft pick pf:Al Horford J.J Hickson and a draft pick or free agent c:Al Jefferson Draft Pick and a Nba Free Agent Head Coach: Mike Budenholzer Assitant Coaches:Quin Snider Darvin Ham and possibly two more Gm: Danny Ferry Now they could go after Chris Paul and Dwight Howard but why spend 20 million on both players when a team like this is much more talented and has a defense set and scoring threat I see this team being able to hang with Miami Heat next season and beat them a finals appearence isnt ruled out but is probable depending on how the season goes determines all of that and a great bench who will put up at least 40 to 50 points per game and off the bench Lou Williams and kyle korver can come off the bench with 20 to 24 minutes Kyle could put up 10 pts off the bench so lou with 14 ppg kyle 10 ppg Carlos or Corey 10 ppg 10 about 10 ppg and with the right draft pick at the center posistion 10 ppg shouldnt be to hard to put up 10 to 8 points this bench is just a mini version of the starting lineup rebounding lineup scoring threat fast-break points and defensivley better than decent and Best Case Scenario: they go after a big 5 if they want Monta Ellis which would be Jeff Teague Monta Ellis Chandler Parsons or Andre Igodoula Al Horford Al Jefferson if they do this then they will need Adjustments umm... All players will need to work as one unit and this could be the best team ever Salaries no salaries will rise accept Jeff Teauge because hes becoming a better pg by the year i can say this wont last forever unless they use mid-level exception on al horford when his contract is up bacause i caculated this after I caculated monta al jefferson jeff teague chandler parsons there was 8 to 9 million left to spend and al horford is worth 12 or 13 million so to keep this team together they can sign all these players and resign al horford with a mid level exception and keep him and keep the bench lou kyle brewer or delfino hickson and a draft pick and sign players to veterans minimum and sign draft picks to keep empty posistions filled and to keep things nice and even and draft picks for insurance policy on players and veterans to teach the youngsterz and a backup plan as well I really hope my thoughts will get out there and the hawks see this and use this next season now john jenkins idk if he wants to stay because playing time so I dont know but hawks and hawks fans please see this and use it Just my thoughts comment what do you guys think should happen and tell me if this could be succsessful "Atlanta Hawks Next Year" What I would like to see which could be realistic pg:Jeff Teague Lou Williams draft pick sg:Monta Ellis Kyle Korver John Jenkins sf:Chandler Parsons or Andre Igodoula Corey Brewer or Carlos Delfino and a possible free agent or draft pick pf:Al Horford J.J Hickson and a draft pick or free agent c:Al Jefferson Draft Pick and a Nba Free Agent Head Coach: Mike Budenholzer Assitant Coaches:Quin Snider Darvin Ham and possibly two more Gm: Danny Ferry Now they could go after Chris Paul and Dwight Howard but why spend 20 million on both players when a team like this is much more talented and has a defense set and scoring threat I see this team being able to hang with Miami Heat next season and beat them a finals appearence isnt ruled out but is probable depending on how the season goes determines all of that and a great bench who will put up at least 40 to 50 points per game and off the bench Lou Williams and kyle korver can come off the bench with 20 to 24 minutes Kyle could put up 10 pts off the bench so lou with 14 ppg kyle 10 ppg Carlos or Corey 10 ppg 10 about 10 ppg and with the right draft pick at the center posistion 10 ppg should

New Tournament Style Schedule Featured in 11-Day Slate of 61 Games

ASPM = Adjusted Statistical Plus/Minus. This is a pretty good stat that tells about a player's impact made when he is on the floor vs when he is off the floor. The data was collected from this website: NCAA ASPM Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana -- 13.03 Trey Burke, PG, Michigan -- 11.61 Kelly Olynyk, C/PF, Gonzaga -- 11.27 Nerlens Noel, C/PF, Kentucky -- 11.23 Otto Porter, SF, Georgetown -- 10.99 Arsalan Kazemi, PF, Oregon -- 10.65 Cody Zeller, C/PF, Indiana -- 10.59 Jeff Withey, C, Kansas -- 10.20 Gorgui Dieng, C, Louisville -- 10.12 Mike Muscala, C, Bucknell -- 9.99 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG, Georgia -- 9.84 CJ McCollum, PG/SG, Lehigh -- 9.83 DJ Stephens, SF, Memphis -- 9.19 Mike Hart, SG, Gonzaga -- 9.17 Pierre Jackson, PG, Baylor -- 9.03 Shane Larkin, PG, Miami -- 8.90 Mason Plumlee, C, Duke -- 8.83 Steven Adams, C, Pittsburgh -- 8.77 Zeke Marshall, C, Akron -- 8.75 Tray Woodall, PG, Pittsburgh -- 8.75 Tyrus McGee, PG, Iowa State -- 8.74 Erick Green, PG, Virginia Tech -- 8.71 Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse -- 8.57 Nate Wolters, PG, South Dakota State -- 8.44 James Southerland, SF, Syracuse -- 8.35 Devante Gardner, PF, Marquette -- 8.32 Ryan Kelly, PF, Duke -- 8.31 Taylor Smith, SG, Stephen F. Austin -- 8.26 Elias Harris, PF, Gonzaga -- 8.26 Alex Oriakhi, PF/C, Missouri -- 8.22 Jared Berggren, C, Wisconsin -- 8.13 Pierce Hornung, SG, Colorado State -- 8.07 Andre Roberson, SF/PF, Colorado -- 8.07 Romero Osby, SF/PF, Oklahoma -- 8.01 Travis Releford, SG, Kansas -- 7.98 Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas -- 7.92 Reggie Bullock, SG/SF, North Carolina -- 7.89 If you look at the Hawks prospects from last year's draft, Mike Scott was 11th in the draft in ASPM while John Jenkins was 13th in ASPM. ASPM is a good way to determine value of a player. A great example is Mike Scott. He was overlooked by most NBA teams, and the Hawks grabbed him in the 2nd round of the draft. Now, the Hawks have themselves a cheap rotational player that they can potentially pay a small salary to over his first four years and is just as productive if not more productive than any veteran player they can sign for the league minimum. Scott was overlooked because he was a 6th year senior who wasn't the biggest, fastest, or most athletic. He was a hard worker though that obviously helped his team when he was on the floor. John Jenkins is the same way. He was a junior entry, but teams overlooked his ability to shoot because he wasn't the most athletic nor the longest player at the position. Now, he may be coming into his second season as the starting shooting guard for the Hawks and at the very least looks like a good rotational guard. One guy that ranks very high on this list that will likely be available in the second round is Arslan Kazemi from Oregon. This guy is a rebounding machine, and the Hawks have shown some interest in him. ASPM = Adjusted Statistical Plus/Minus. This is a pretty good stat that tells about a player's impact made when he is on the floor vs when he is off the floor. The data was collected from this website: NCAA ASPM Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana -- 13.03 Trey Burke, PG, Michigan -- 11.61 Kelly Olynyk, C/PF, Gonzaga -- 11.27 Nerlens Noel, C/PF, Kentucky -- 11.23 Otto Porter, SF, Georgetown -- 10.99 Arsalan Kazemi, PF, Oregon -- 10.65 Cody Zeller, C/PF, Indiana -- 10.59 Jeff Withey, C, Kansas -- 10.20 Gorgui Dieng, C, Louisville -- 10.12 Mike Muscala, C, Bucknell -- 9.99 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG, Georgia -- 9.84 CJ McCollum, PG/SG, Lehigh -- 9.83 DJ Stephens, SF, Memphis -- 9.19 Mike Hart, SG, Gonzaga -- 9.17 Pierre Jackson, PG, Baylor -- 9.03 Shane Larkin, PG, Miami -- 8.90 Mason Plumlee, C, Duke -- 8.83 Steven Adams, C, Pittsburgh -- 8.77 Zeke Marshall, C, Akron -- 8.75 Tray Woodall, PG, Pittsburgh -- 8.75 Tyrus McGee, PG, Iowa State -- 8.74 Erick Green, PG, Virginia Tech -- 8.71 Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse -- 8.57 Nate Wolters, PG

Atlanta Hawks general manager declined to comment on the team's summer free agency plans and specifically whether or not the team would issue qualifying offers to restricted free agents Jeff Teague and Ivan Johnson when asked by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ferry's response of "Nothing to really say about it", is not very surprising considering how tight lipped the Hawks have been this summer when it came to their coaching search and their draft preparations.Ferry indicated that the team was focused on the draft currently and would shift into free agency after it was completed. The Hawks will have from the end of the NBA Finals through June 30 to decide whether or not to issue qualifying offers to Teague and Johnson. Once those offers are submitted, the Hawks will have the right of first refusal to any offer made to Teague or Johnson. Teague figures to be one of the top point guards in free agency and could garner interest from several teams. He made 78 starts at point guard for Atlanta last season and responded with career highs in points (14.6) and assists (7.2). Issuing a qualifying offer to Teague wouldn't effect the Hawks' potential pursuit of Chris Paul free agency. Atlanta could pull the qualifying offer and clear cap space provided it is done so before July 23. Per Larry Coon's Salary Cap FAQ: A team may relinquish its right of first refusal, making the player an unrestricted free agent. If a qualifying offer is outstanding, the team can withdraw it unilaterally through July 23. It can be withdrawn after July 23 if the player consents, in which case the player is also renounced as a free agent4 (see question number 40). If a qualifying offer is not outstanding, then a team can relinquish its right of first refusal at any time by providing written notice. I struggle to find a scenario where Teague doesn't get a qualifying offer from Atlanta who can still woo the free agents they want while Teague is out looking for a contract for himself. Ivan Johnson is in a little different situation than Teague and his qualifying offer might not be as much of a slam dunk but it seems likely since the offer can be pulled after free agency opens. Johnson averaged 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds and certainly fits Mike Budenholzer's description of the type of competitor that he wants to fill his roster with. However, Johnson has a long history of behavior issues and was sent home during a road trip by the team in 2012. It will be interesting to see if the Hawks see Johnson as a piece of the puzzle and what kind of interest he garners in free agency.

Today Rudy Gobert, the 19 year-old 7'2" French center, participated in a pre-draft workout with the Hawks and tweeted out a photo of his workout shirt. Just finished the hawks workout #atlanta #hawks http://t.co/56E0agvIHw— rudy gobert (@rudygobert15) June 18, 2013 With the Hawks not releasing the names of workout participants this year, we are reliant on players and agents, as well as well placed sources, to discover who is working out and when. Earlier in the week, Nubyjas Wilborn reported that Mason Plumlee (Duke; Power Forward), Jeff Withey (Kansas; Center), and a few other big men had worked out with the Hawks. According to sources, Jeff Withey, Mason Plumlee, C.J. Aikan among others worked out for the Hawks today.— Nubyjas Wilborn (@nwilborn19) June 15, 2013 Nubyjas told me that he spoke briefly with Plumlee who said that he would be back for a workout with the Hawks again once the NBA Finals were over so Mike Budenholzer can be in attendance. Other players that have stated on twitter, have had their agents state their participation in a workout, or have been reported to workout (including potential first rounders, second rounders, and undrafted free agents) with the Hawks include: Jamaal Franklin (San Diego State; Shooting Guard/Small Forward)*** Kerron Johnson (Belmont University; Point Guard) Frank Gaines, Jr. (IPFW; Point Guard) Ricardo Ledo (Providence; Shooting Guard) Araslan Kazemi (Oregon; Power Forward) Adonis Thomas (Memphis; Small Forward) Romero Osby (Oklahoma; Power Forward) Reggie Buckner (Ole Miss; Power Forward) Kyle Weems (Missouri State; Small Forward) Mfon Udofia (Georgia Tech; Point Guard) Dwayne Davis (Southern Miss; Shooting Guard) CJ Aiken (St. Joseph's; Power Forward) ***Franklin's visit reported by Andy Katz and has been unconfirmed as to whether he has been to Atlanta yet*** ------------------------- We will continue to provide updates on prospect workouts as well as offering analysis on the possible draft choices as we near the NBA Draft on Thursday, June 27.

Those Atlanta Hawks fans that are holding out hope that Danny Ferry can capture the two biggest names on the free agent market this summer should have took a big deep breath on Tuesday after it was reported that the potential mega trade between the Celtics and Clippers was dead. The deal as reported would have involved Boston's Kevin Garnett, negotiating rights with head coach Doc Rivers and other spare parts for Clippers center DeAndre Jordan and some draft picks. Eric Bledsoe's name was also bantered about but wasn't reportedly in the deal that was being discussed at the time talks were broken off. Had this deal gone through it would have been a virtual lock that Chris Paul would have agreed to re-sign with the Clippers this summer. How the deal falling through will effect Paul's situation is unknown. Its also important to point out that the deal is reported dead as of this moment but could be revived at some point. The Clippers have vowed to continue their search for a head coach and reportedly plan to have one in place by as late as early next week. For the Hawks this development doesn't really change anything. Paul to Atlanta remains a longshot but the odds would have shrunk considerably had the Clippers been able to secure both Garnett and Doc Rivers.

Derick Hingle-USA TODAY Sports A few weeks ago, this summer looked somewhat promising for the Atlanta Hawks. Developments within the past 48 hours, however, could begin to dismantle any of the plans Atlanta had for this offseason. The original goal was to go hard after Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul in hopes that they could then attract Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard to join him. With all of the talk lately of a trade going down between the Boston Celtics and the Clippers, though, these potential signings look more bleak by the minute. This particular deal would send Kevin Garnett to the Clippers with Paul Pierce and Doc Rivers following right behind. In return, the Celtics would acquire DeAndre Jordan, Caron Butler and draft pick(s). The part of the deal that could ultimately hold this up is the unwillingness of Los Angeles to give up Eric Bledsoe as a part of the deal. So, what does this mean for the Hawks? Wouldn’t Howard still be in play? Well, there are plenty of other interested teams out there and some have even gone out on a limb to express how confident they are in the ability to sign him. According to other sources close to the scenario, both Los Angeles teams could wind up swapping Blake Griffin and Howard as well; thus allowing Howard and Paul to play together as many had suspected. Without Howard and Paul in play this offseason, the Hawks could ultimately be left empty-handed. As their superstar forward Josh Smith is about to hit the market, many predict he has already been long gone and has no chance of winding up back in Atlanta. Of course, all of this has yet to come to fruition. But, if it indeed happens the Hawks are going to have to revert to any backup plans for free agency. Might that be Andre Iguodala or Andrew Bynum? That’s not exactly comparable to Paul and Howard, but the Hawks are going to need to get something done. This offseason Atlanta will have a ton of cap room to work with. The last thing they want to do is end up without any star players heading into next season. Ryan Heckman is a Senior NBA writer for RantSports.com also contributing to the NFL. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmheckman  or add him to your network on Google.

As was expected, the Milwaukee Bucks have announced the additions of Nick Van Exel and Bob Bender to Larry Drew's coaching staff. The two were reportedly helping Drew with draft workouts earlier this month but an official announcement wasn't made until Monday. Van Exel worked primarily in player development while with the Hawks for the last three seasons. Bender had been with Atlanta for the last nine seasons. No word on whether or not assistant coach Lester Conner will also be a part of the Bucks' staff. Bob Weiss and Kenny Atkinson were also a part of the Hawks' staff last season. The Hawks have announced the additions of Quin Snyder and Darvin Ham to Mike Budenholzer's staff in Atlanta. Ham previously worked in player development with the Lakers but what his role with the Hawks might be has not been disclosed. Atkinson could be the only incumbent that might have a chance to stick in Atlanta. He was hired prior to last season after working in player development for the New York Knicks.

I don't know why you guys have so little fans here but if Danny Ferry plays his cards right, you guys are looking at a huge incoming windfall. First, we look at the probability of Dwight leaving Los Angeles. You're gonna right a lot of assumed conclusions without listing the proofs/axioms so you're going to have to do some induction (take a leap of faith). I'll list out the Axioms so if it's wrong, you'll see where the reasoning went wrong. Induction 1: The longer D'antoni isn't fired, the more likely it is that Howard will leave. It's really looking like Buss Jr. is gonna dare Dwight leave a big market city and give up the maximum money. They aren't going to do a sign and trade as that necessitates a Kobe Amnesty. And they def. wouldn't give him to the Clippers. The Lakers gave up Bynum for him--the resulting PR of 'ungrateful' would harm Howard's career. If Dwight is to leave, he's going to need a strong narrative. Since Atlanta is his hometown, the Hawks is the only team out there that can provide that narrative. Induction 2: Atlanta Hawks have the most capspace to allow Howard free reign over who his 3rd teammate is. The first one being Horford (he is underpaid and playing the wrong position for the Hawks btw). So if Howard wants to play with CP3...and that seems to be the case. And if CP3 wants veteran defensive bigs (separate work that I've done but very well documented from good sources as well as my own validated analysis.), that will be ghe Hawks. The core of CP3, Horford, and Howard is very feasible. ------ Dwight has two choices. The first being the Laker's Promise of Patience. The team will be built according to dwight's strengths in 2014. But Dwight has to withstand the year of 2013 sucking. But he has no real guarantee of that. Assuming that his beef with D'antoni is real (induction #1), then he can't even get that guy fired, much less have control over any future destiny. The Lakers might resign Kobe and then he'd be up the creek having signed a long contract. The major thing is that if Lakers miss out on playoffs in 2013...they aren't gonna blame Kobe. It's all on Dwight. The second choice is to leave. It's less money but not much so. The Bad News Bears in this situation is the resulting bad PR of being ungrateful to the Lakers. the Hawks also lack an elite defender, which is a no-no in the eastern conference especially in the Lebronapocalyptic era. While the Lakers Eventuality is still the top spot in my matrix, the Atlanta Hawks are a close second with the Clippers a wildly distant third. (The Clippers have their own set of proofs, and their desperate need for a veteran big is tied directly to their even more desperate need to keep Chris Paul.) ------------- Neither Chris Paul nor Howard are going to make move until July 10th where the new cap is reviewed and they can see how much maximum money they can get, should they both jump over to a new team. A larger cap is only going to help the Hawks. I would explain this but this is already a 500 count essay. Too much. Danny Ferry already has a Playoffs-experienced x and o's guy in Mike Budenholzer (Popovich's much lauded right hand man). He has the cap space to sign howard and the additonal flexibility to sign whoever Howard WANTS, even chris paul. If they both decide to take less, they can then go after an elite defender. Iguodala fits the bill but is way too costly. Maybe sign both Aminu and Dorell Wright so that they can take turns guarding lebron. In any case, the Hawks are in a fantastic and flexible cap situation. They don't have to rush anything. When July 10th comes, i believe the Hawks will be neck and neck with the Lakers if not slightly favored depending on what Kupchak or Ferry maneuver in the interim. ------------------------------ PS* I also think jeff teague should be cut regardless of the outcome of Dwightstakes 2013. I don't know why you guys have so little fans here but if Danny Ferry plays his cards right, you guys are lookin

Jun 9, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich (right) talks with point guard Tony Parker (9) during the third quarter of game two of the 2013 NBA Finals at the American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports It goes by different terms: “The Spurs model”,“The Spurs philosophy”, etc. Some would have you believe it doesn’t exist; that the Spurs have no different philosophy as the 29 others organization other than to achieve the pinnacle of competitive basketball by any means, the elusive Larry O’Brien trophy. There are a lot of misguided labels and misconceptions of this successful franchise. “Boring basketball?” Maybe if you consider a team that finished the 2012-13 season 4th in points per game and 6th in offensive efficiency. In addition, it’s hard to try to nail descriptions to an ever-changing organization in an ever-changing league that forces innovation to be able to compete. Gregg Popovich, the legendary Spurs head coach, recently created a stir about his comments regarding domestic and international NBA players saying foreign players are “fundamentally more hardworking than most American kids”. Regardless of the actual merit of the statement, it goes a long way to explaining San Antonio’s international plan of attack. A quick glance at the current roster reveals that only 6 of the 15 players were born in the United States. Currents Spurs hail from all over the world, including France, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. That’s not necessarily to say to American players have not been a key focus over the years (see Kawhi Leonard, David Robinson, Bruce Bowen, etc.) or that international players have always been solid finds. Heck, it even depends whether you consider Tim Duncan to really be international (he was born and raised in the US Virgin Islands). But there is something to say for a group that shuns signing flashy, usually domestic, players looking to build the next superstar duo, trio or any other super group. In that same piece, Popovich talks about the lack of entitlement most international players have when compared to their American counterparts. He describes them as coming to the NBA as humble and coachable as opposed to unappreciative and lacking some basic fundamentals. This mentality even trickles down to those permanently seated on the bench. Mike Budenholzer and Quin Snyder, who currently compose the Hawks coaching staff, have both even had experience coaching in the Euroleague. Having a set of General Manager and coaching staff on the same page is another hallmark of the recent Spurs regime. Gregg Popovich was the General Manager before naming himself coach in 1996. For a period of 6 years, we was both General Manager and Head Coach. Talk about continuity between the two positions. He gave way to R.C. Buford in 2002. Both were former assistants on the same coaching staff back in 1988. Admittedly, Mike Budenholzer is not as brash as Popovich is with the media. The already tight-lipped Hawks organization need not change that aspect to emulate those in black, silver and white. But the common fan doesn’t care about media protocol, just simply about fielding a championship level team. The Hawks may step on some toes along the way, as Popovich did in resting his main players in front of a national televised game. It drew the ire of Commissioner David Stern and carried a $250,000 fine. And yet, as of June 16, 2013, the Spurs are two wins away from hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy for the fifth time in under two decades. Danny Ferry has a long connection with both Mike Budenholzer and Quin Snyder. Budenholzer was a long time Spurs assistant, during with Ferry both played for him and overlooked in as he sat in the front office. Ferry and Snyder were roommates for four years in the last 1980′s as members of Duke’s basketball team. There should not be any noticeable impasse in proper commu