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What's the Gameplan?

2K views 40 replies 5 participants last post by  ATLien 
#1 ·
So are we content with being a middle of the road overachieving playoff team who struggles to win a series? I can't imagine that's the end goal, but it seems like that's our destiny again this season unless something happens.

We've won too many games to tank, but I do wonder if we should try and make a move that improves our future in some capacity. Package up one of these guards we have and a 1st and try to get a young player to add to the core. Obviously not expecting to land Eric Bledsoe or anything, but I have to imagine there is a young guy not getting burn somewhere that we could use.

Or (and I think this is the real gameplan) do we just sit on our hands and hope we can sign Dwight and that means Josh stays? I would prefer to be proactive if at all possible, but it's tough to really say what the market is for our guys.
 
#2 ·
I see them just sitting which is sad. Atlanta is a team I'd fear to play against in the playoffs, but at the same time could never see them going far.

It reminds me of the teams that play just good enough to be a 2nd round threat every year, and thus never get good enough draft picks to improve through picks.
 
#3 ·
I think they could be really dangerous if they rounded out the rotation a bit more, and I don't even know if it would be all that hard. Andrea Bargnani isn't exactly a guy I'd expect to save anybody's season, but I think he'd add two major things to the team that could really help. Height and extra three point shooting. He's having a very down season too, so I don't even know if he would be all that expensive.

Trade some expirings and our late 1st for him and who knows, maybe adding a dynamic like that on the cheap (and Bargs could even play off of the bench) could make a bigger impact here than it would other places.
 
#4 ·
The gameplan is similar to that of the Mavericks this season. The Hawks have only $22 mil in committed salary (not counting Josh) for next season. I think they are going to make a play for Chris Paul to right the wrong they made drafting Marvin Williams in the first place. If not Paul, Big Al Jefferson could also be an intriguing option with Josh and Horford moving back to their natural positions. Andre Iguodala will also be on the market. Guys like OJ Mayo, Kevin Martin, Paul Millsap, and possibly even Andrew Bynum and/or Dwight Howard will also be out there.
 
#5 ·
There's not a ton to be had out there that's going to make a huge difference right away. Granger and Gay are available, Bargnani is being shopped, Pau can be had, and there are always one or two guys that nobody knows are available that get moved, but I think this summer is when Atlanta should make their move. It's not sexy to say, but I don't think there's a home-run out there.
 
#13 ·
Be bad enough next year to get a top 5 pick. Be bad enough in 2015 to get a top 10 pick. Be bad enough in 2016 to get a top 15 pick. Hope one of them is a superstar, and at least one other is an all-star. If draft picks do not pan out, then rinse repeat until it happens.
 
#17 ·
Hasn't that been what they've been doing prior to this last playoff stretch?


Guys like Lebron don't come around often, and even then its not like he panned out with his own team.

For every OKC there's a bunch of teams who have tried to tank to build through the draft and failed. And the players you do get become tired of losing and end up leaving before it can all come together.
 
#26 ·
The words/ideas match up, but the players do not from my perspective. Jennings/Ellis is nowhere near the same as Williams/Korber, even if they share some general faults. Just nowhere near the same thing, honestly. Teague/Lou Will is a much closer comparison. 3/4 on the Bucks do not match your idea of the 3/4 for the Hawks, other than some shotblocking. Moute and Sanders are not able to do the same things that Josh and Al do, so I think they are inherently incomparable for that reason.

I guess I now at least see what you are saying, but it's still not something I would agree with.
 
#27 ·
Well, I agree with it... and that's the most important thing.
 
#28 ·
With Lou Will out, should that change the way we approach the rest of this season? He was doing great things as a starter, so losing him is definitely deflating.

Lots of rumors about Josh Smith, I'm starting to hear Jeff Teague thrown around a bit more, and Horford is a guy a lot of other teams covet. We certainly have the pieces available to make some kind of trade (especially taking into consideration Devin Harris' expiring), I'm just not sure what's out there.
 
#29 ·
Let's make a deal!
 
#31 ·
So what would you guys think about trading Josh Smith for JaVale McGee + Gallo/Wilson Chandler?
 
#32 ·
It seemed pretty obvious that we were going to move Smoove before the deadline, but obviously that did not happen. With that in mind, what's the gameplan? Do we let him walk for nothing, or are we hoping for a sign and trade?

I've heard the front office considers Jeff Teague and Al Horford to be the building blocks going forward, so clearly that means they plan on offering Teague some kind of long term contract given the fact he's an RFA. What type of money should he be getting? What kind of offer sheets would other teams be willing to give him?
 
#33 ·
Work with me fellas.
 
#35 ·
I would be happy if we were able to get Rondo, but at this point it's highly unlikely we resign Josh unless it's in a sign and trade. I really hope that's the game plan, and we don't just plan to let one of our most valuable assets walk away for nothing in return. I would be game to do Teague/Smith for Rondo/something (and don't say Fab Melo), but it's hard to project things like that at this point.
 
#36 ·
I don't want to pay Josh Smith max money when the Celtics only have a year or two left of KG and Pierce even playing. I'd happily take Horford, however, and I think that Smith definitely stays in Atlanta if he gets paid and they get his buddy Rondo in town. That being said, with how Atlanta made a big deal out of getting rid or Marvin Williams and Joe Johnson for cap space and refused to take any bad contracts back in a Josh Smith deal, I doubt they offer him a max contract, either.
 
#37 ·
Rondo can't play next to Josh Smith and be successful longterm. Teams would just pack the lande and beg them to shoot jumpers all day. Rondo has to be on a team with a PF that can hit a shot (like KG), and Josh has to be on a team with a PG who can hit a shot.
 
#38 ·
Eh, Rondo/Smith/Howard gives you the foundation of a truly elite, championship-level defense when all three are happy, healthy, and engaged, and Williams would give you plenty of scoring/shooting off the bench. Add a couple of shooters to space the floor at the two and three (Kyle Korver is already there!) and it would work.
 
#40 ·
With most of the roster set to come off the cap this summer, what's Atlanta's plan going forward? Any chance of them packaging both their first round picks to move up in the draft and get one of the higher-ranked centers (Zeller, Gobert, Len) to finally bump Horford to the 4? With the way the 2014 draft looks, it might be a good time to tear it all down and rebuild around Horford.
 
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