LayupDrill.com will be breaking down every team in the league, with a brief review of the 2008-09 season, key personnel decisions, draft options,trade options, and overall state of the franchise. Consider this, your favorite teams State of the Union. We start things off in ATL, where the Hawks improved, but are still far away from their goals.
2008-09 Highlights:
Atlanta ended the regular season with a 47-35 mark, which afforded them 2nd place in the Southwest division, and home court in the first round. They won their first series in ages, defeating the Miami Heat, but then were quickly brought back to Earth by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Hawks failed to win a game against Cleveland, and their off season began with more questions than answers.
The Hawks saw Al Horford and Marvin Williams continue to evolve as front court players, while the veterans Mike Bibby, Joe Johnson, and Josh Smith all shared flashes of All-Star caliber play at some point in the season.
Free Agents This Summer:
1. Marvin Williams - Williams is only 22 years old, and if the Hawks let him go, they may live to regret it for years to come. His 14 points and 6 rebounds a game last year were in only 61 games, as he battled injures throughout. Williams has the potential to be a 18 and 9 guy every night if developed.
2. Mike Bibby - For all the pros of re-signing Williams due to his youth, there are reasons not to sign Mike Bibby for the same reason. Hawks coach Mike Woodson has had the luxury of having a second coach on the floor over the past few seasons Bibby has been in Atlanta, and his consistent numbers are something the team can count on game in and game out. Bibby won’t get the big payday he may have in seasons past, and would be best fit staying put, however that is not a given. Drew over at PeachtreeHoops.com, the premier Hawks blog on the net, agrees,
Mike Bibby certainly is not getting better, but if he stayed healthy and consistent, a two year deal at around five or six million dollars seems reasonable. I expect Bibby to want three years and more money so that could be a difficult negotiation.
3. Zaza Pachulia – The Hawks brought Pachulia in four seasons ago as their cornerstone in the paint for years to come. Now, he is a solid backup forward/center, who is playoff tested and offers the Hawks some depth. Pachulia may get offered the same amount of money Atlanta could offer him in other places needing help up front, however it’s not a guarantee he will be back.
First Round Draft Options:
Our latest Mock Draft have Atlanta addressing their point guard issue and selecting Ty Lawson with the 19th pick overall. Other names that have been floating around potentially Atlanta bound include Eric Maynor, Jeff Teague, and BJ Mullens. In a draft thats heavy on guards, Atlanta will certainly have plenty to choose from at this selection.
Trade Options: From the outside looking in, the Hawks are good enough to be a playoff team in the East for the next three years easy. However, without changes to their core, they will be surpassed by teams like the Heat, Bulls, and Sixers next year. Their franchise player, Joe Johnson, is a pure scorer, and I have always equated him to being a poor man’s Ray Allen. However just like Allen, it wasn’t until he was teamed up with two other equal stars that he achieved his greatest success. Josh Smith is another good piece to the puzzle, but they can’t do it alone. Then you have Marvin Williams, who could be re-signed by the Hawks this summer, but also could be shipped out in a sign and trade if the price was right. What could/would you want back in return if you were the Hawks?
The Hawks would receive more value from moving Johnson now, while he is at the peak of his career, and one trade scenario would send Joe Johnson and Maurice Evans to the Los Angeles Clippers for Zach Randolph and Eric Gordon. Bringing in Randolph would solidify the front court with Al Horford and Josh Smith, and give Atlanta a potential starting five of :
PG – M.Bibby(saying he re-signs)
SG – E.Gordon
SF – J.Smith
PF – Z.Randolph
F/C – A.Horford
Off Bench:
F – M.Williams
G – S.Claxon
C – Z.Pachulia ( if he re-signs)
The Clippers would then have one of the better back courts in the league, teaming Baron Davis with Joe Johnson, to play with soon to be draft pick Blake Griffin.
State of the Team:
Fans of the Hawks will see their team make some big decisions this off season. Atlanta has already made one, by bringing back coach Mike Woodson. Whether or not they are able to retain all of their free agents remains to be seen, but you should still expect a playoff contender once the 2009-10 campaign.
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