Atlanta Hawks

The NBA Draft is over and now teams race to find the best players available in the free agency market. It isn’t clear how active the Atlanta Hawks will be this summer at trying to lure free agents to the ATL. They have brung in two new players that might add instant help to the team for the 2009/2010 season. It all started with Jamal Crawford as the team was able to trade for him with the Golden State Warriors. Then the Hawks kept their 19th spot in the draft and took point guard Jeff Teague from the Demon Deacons of Wake Forrest. Teague was a questionable pick with Eric Maynor still on the board at 19 and the Utah Jazz quickly took him at 20; right after the Hawks selection of Teague. I think with the type of players Billy Knight has been drafting for the team over the past few years, that Maynor would have been a better fit. It would be interesting to know which PG he liked best between the two. The Atlanta Hawks Organization did have both guys in for workouts, so they do see Jeff Teague as the better player.

How much will first round draft pick Jeff Teague play for the Atlanta Hawks?

If the Atlanta Hawks manage to keep Mike Bibby in town; then Jeff Teague could be a first string back up, but that might reduce the playing time of Flip Murray. This also brings up the question will the Hawks be able to keep Murray? I think Flip did really well for the team last year and they will need to secure his future with the team, by resigning him this summer. If Bibby and Murray both leave; then Jeff Teague could very well be the starting PG in Atlanta next year. If Bibby does leave, I would fully expect Flip Murray to be the starting point guard and Teague would come off the bench to back up Flip.  The only thing that is clear right now is that Jeff Teague will be wearing the number 0 for the Hawks next year.

Now more attention will focus on the Hawk’s backcourt as the team managed to get sharp shooter Jamal Crawford from the Golden State Warriors. The Hawks sent Acie Law and Speedy Claxton to the West Coast for a player that will certainly help next season. The fans in Atlanta will love having a guy like Crawford around and he isn’t afraid to put it up. The Hawks backcourt could get real scary for opposing NBA teams if they do manage to lock up Flip Murray and Mike Bibby this off-season. I think Atlanta has lacked a good jump shooter for the last few seasons and Jamal Crawford will fill a void for the team. He has the ability to take over a quarter and light it up for 20 points or more. He has the ability to carry a team on his back; when his stroke is on the money. He is going to stretch the defense and give the inside guys like Josh Smith and Al Horford a chance to produce from inside. Teams that choose to lock up these inside threats for the Hawks will have to hold their breath when Jamal Crawford, Marvin Williams, Flip Murray, Mike Bibby, Maurice Evans, or Joe Johnson take those long jump shots.

How much of an impact will Crawford and Teague make next season?

Since both guys are guards and the Hawks have a couple of guards that could be on other NBA teams next year, it’s hard to gauge just how much of an impact either player may have. We know what we are getting with Crawford and he should be a big help and command major minutes for the Hawks next season. It looks like he may be coming off the bench right now, but even if he doesn’t start, he should be on the floor a lot in the 4th quarter and at the end of games. Teague isn’t as likely to see time on the floor during the 4th quarter and the majority of his minutes may be in the first half. Coach Mike Woodson does tighten up the belt in the 2nd half and gives his starters more minutes. If his pattern of coaching continues; then Teague is likely to get 5 to 8 minutes of time in the first half of games and depending on how he does there, will determine if he gets another 5 minutes in the 2nd half or remains on the bench the entire time. Mike Woodson does have the “win now” mentality and hasn’t done a good job at developing young players with playing time. I think we saw this with Josh Smith in the early years and again with Josh Childress, Acie Law, and Solomon Jones for the Hawks.

Who did the Atlanta Hawks take in the 2nd round of the NBA Draft?

After selecting Jeff Teague in the first round of the NBA Draft, the Hawks did have a 2nd round pick too. They had to wait until the 49th overall selection before they could take Sergiy Gladyr out of the Ukraine. He is 19 years old and will more than likely stay in Europe and continue to play basketball over there. He is a long range threat and has great mechanics according to some basketball scouts on his approach to shooting. We may just see this young man wearing an Atlanta Hawks uniform in about 3 to 4 years. He is a project for now and was a great pick; since the team didn’t have a roster spot for a player now. Sergiy Gladyr can continue to work on his sweet stroke from long range; while staying over seas.

Overall the Hawks Organization addressed the backcourt heavily this off-season with the trade for Crawford and taking two guards in the NBA Draft in New York. Most will agree that the Hawks need another big man, but we will have to wait and see how free agency goes, to see if Atlanta can add another player to the squad this season. Let’s just hope that Jeff Teague develops into a better player than Eric Maynor for the Utah Jazz and we can feel good about taking the better point guard. I believe the front office has took a positive step forward and made the team better to this point. After seeing the bold moves Cleveland and Orlando did on draft day; the Hawks may have to make one more move to keep pace in the East.

The 2009 NBA Draft is fast approaching and will take place this Thursday. You can watch the draft unfold live on ESPN. I know most NBA fans will be watching this on Thursday to see if their favorite NBA team gets a good player or someone they have had a chance to see. Many mock drafts are floating around the Net right now and they do vary quite a bit in some cases. It is a little difficult to get a clear picture on which guys might be the “cream of the crop” in this year’s draft class.

I did get a chance to watch a lot of college basketball this past season and I did see some guys that will develop on the next level. I think this year’s draft class is an average one and there is some pretty good talent on the board. The Atlanta Hawks will have to wait a couple of hours before they select their first pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. They currently have the 19th pick and if the Hawks don’t trade the pick, I do see them getting a descent player at number 19. I think the Atlanta Hawks would be better off to trade the pick for a future 1st rounder. I think there is enough talent on the Hawk’s team now and they really don’t have a roster spot to give a young guy; that would need major minutes on the floor to develop properly.

If the Hawks don’t find a team willing to trade a future 1st round pick for their first round pick this year; I do think they can get a player that will help them this year. Instead of focusing on the 19th pick, I figured I would just list my guys in the order I see from best to worse. The Atlanta Hawks organization can use my draft board as another tool for their draft day decision. I will list the best players I see out there and the guys I view as the cream of the crop.

1 - Blake Griffin

2 - Ricky Rubio

3 - Tyreke Evans

4 - Demar DeRozan

5 - James Harden

6 - Stephen Curry

7 - Hasheem Thabeet

8 - Brandon Jennings

9 - Jonny Flynn

10 - James Johnson

11 - Gerald Henderson

12 - Jrue Holiday

13 - Jeff Teague

14 - Eric Maynor

15 - B.J. Mullens

16 - Tyler Hansbrough

17 - Earl Clark

18 - Ty Lawson

19 - Jodie Meeks

20 - Wayne Ellington

21 - Terrence Williams

22 - Derrick Brown

23 - DaJuan Summers

24 - Chase Budinger

25 - Darren Collison

I think these are the best 25 players in the country. I would love to take these 25 young men and go to an island for a few years and leave that island with the best 12. I think in 3 years of time on that island, I could bring back the best 12 and make the NBA playoffs. I see a lot of good things in these players and each one will bring their own unique talents to their new NBA teams. This isn’t my 2009 mock draft list. This is a list of the 25 best players in the basketball draft this year and they are ranked in order from best to worse as I view them. Perhaps you would rank them differently and not have the same order as my list. You probably see a player that I didn’t mention and you would consider them a top 25 player.

Who will the Atlanta Hawks pick in the 2009 NBA Draft?

Ok, let’s just say the Hawks stay put at number 19 in the first round. Looking at the way the mock drafts have gone and which players may be available; I would think the Atlanta Hawks would be most likely to draft one of these 3 players:

1. Jodie Meeks - Yes this is the guy that I put at number 19 and I knew Hawks fans would be focusing on that spot the most. I think Atlanta will draft this kid out of Kentucky and he is leaving after his junior year. He did well for 2 years, but had a monster junior year as a Wildcat. His individual game scoring record he set at Kentucky with 54 points in one game; shows this guy is ready for the big stage. Meeks would instantly be a fan favorite; since most basketball fans in Georgia is aware of his high school days in Norcross, Georgia. I think this would be the best player to take for the Hawks this year and he would help them this year. This guy can shoot the rock and will be a great scorer at the next level. I can’t see the Atlanta Hawks passing on this guy if he is available at 19.

2. Ty Lawson - A super fast point guard that led the North Carolina Tar Heels to a National Championship last year in college basketball. It doesn’t look like we will ever see Speedy Claxton playing big minutes for the Hawks and Lawson gives us a chance to see what we have been missing. Acie Law did well in the 2nd half of the season last year with his ability to drive and dish the ball to other players. I think that extra gear that Ty Lawson brings to the table will make him a more attractive option. Lawson will develop nicely on the next level and I wouldn’t mind seeing that development in a Hawks uniform. He does have the skills and basketball IQ to help the Hawks this season and he would be a great selection at number 19. Some mock drafts have his teammate Wayne Ellington going to the Atlanta Hawks and he would be a nice addition too. I believe if both Tar Heel players are on the board when the Hawks make their pick in the first round, they will favor Ty Lawson over Wayne Ellington.

3. Eric Maynor - A senior PG that is 6′ 3″ would help the Atlanta Hawks next season. This is what Maynor brings to the table. The draft is loaded with good point guards, but most of them are about 6 feet tall and I think the 6 foot 3 inch guys will have a little more attention on them this year. Jrue Holiday from UCLA is a younger player and he is also 6′ 3″. I think Holiday would be a better choice, since he does have a higher upside than Maynor does. I can’t see Holiday making it down to number 19 in this draft, so I expect him to be on another NBA team this year. It is possible that Maynor will be available when the Hawks are on the clock and he would be a great pick at number 19. I can see this guy in a Hawks uniform and he would be a great upgrade in the backcourt for this team and that will be addressed with their top pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.

What if all 3 guys are available when the Atlanta Hawks make their 2009 draft pick?

That might be a stressful decision to make if all 3 of these guys were available. However, it would be the situation most GM’s would want. Instead of taking away your options, you would have your choice on the player you like the most. I think I would still choose Meeks over the other 2 players. Maynor would be my 2nd choice if all 3 guys were still on the board. I would hate to pass on any one of these great guards, but there is a slight chance that none of these guys would be available. If this was to happen; then the Hawks might take a bigger player at 19, but I think at least one of these 3 guards will still be available. In what order would you rank Jodie Meeks, Eric Maynor, and Ty Lawson?

2009 NBA Draft will be shown on ESPN this Thursday (June 25th)

They didn’t have the best shot of winning but the Los Angeles Clippers managed to beat out the other teams in this year’s NBA Lottery. All the teams that didn’t make the playoffs this past season are eligible for the lottery in the NBA. It was announced on Tuesday night that the Clippers was the lucky team and will have the top overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft. We also know where every other NBA team will be picking in the draft that will be held this summer. Now that the teams know where they are picking at in this year’s draft, they can start to talk with other teams and see if there might be any trades that take place before draft night.

Most people have penciled in Blake Griffin from the Oklahoma Sooners as the top pick in the 2009 basketball draft. He was the Consensus National Player of the Year this past season in college basketball. He is a very talented big man that has great shot blocking abilities on the defensive side of the court and able to put up huge numbers on the offensive side and he can do this in a variety of ways. There is no doubt that the 6′ 10″ and 255 pound Blake Griffin will be a great player on the next level. He will be starting for some NBA team before his professional basketball career is over and the first team that has an opportunity to take him will be the LA Clippers. Griffin has been spending time in San Francisco working out and polishing his skills that he hopes will lead him to a solid NBA career. He was also in the L.A. area recently to receive the Wooden Award that he won for his tremendous play on the court. The city of Los Angeles or the state of California is not unchartered territory for this young man and the Clippers might just be a good fit for him.

Do you think Blake Griffin is the best basketball player in this year’s NBA Draft?

I got to watch him a few times and he impressed me each time. I can understand why there is already so much hype around this guy and he’s worthy of that top overall pick. He scored 22.7 points a game this year for Oklahoma and grabbed over 14 rebounds a game. The athletic ability and size is NBA quality. Can he continue to grow on the next level and how coachable will he be for the Clippers or any other NBA team that he might land on this summer is a couple of questions that remain. If Kevin Durant and Greg Oden were in this year’s NBA draft; then it would be a struggle to come up with the order these guys would get drafted in. Now that we have saw Durant and Oden play in the NBA; the draft order would likely go Durant first, Griffin second, and Oden being the third pick.

Is there any chance that the LA Clippers will trade the top overall pick?

I think there is a strong possibility here and it’s not going to surprise me if another team works out a trade with the Clippers. The Memphis Grizzlies will be picking 2nd in the draft this year and I think they are happy at this spot. The interest starts to build up some when you look at which team got the 3rd pick in this year’s draft order. The Oklahoma City Thunder have that spot and how much would they be willing to pay to get a hometown college guy from the Oklahoma Sooners to join up with the pro team in Oklahoma? No way does the Thunder let Durant go to another NBA team and he’s a franchise player they will want to keep for many years to come. They do have two other young prospects that are doing very well and I’m sure lots of NBA teams would like to have Russell Westbrook or Jeff Green on their team. If I was the Clippers general manager and the Thunder offered me both of these guys, I would trade them the top pick for Green and Westbrook. Big guys are hard to find in the NBA and especially the ones that are as skilled as Blake Griffin. I just couldn’t see passing on two quality guards that are proven NBA players for someone that has never played a minute in the NBA. On the flip side of things, would the Thunder be willing to pay this much for the top pick? I might be willing to pull the trigger if Griffin has some outstanding workouts before the draft and he does something special during this time. I’m not sure just offering one of these guys with other players would be enough to tempt the Clippers. Guys like Nick Collison or Demond Mason don’t interest me enough to trade away the top pick, I would have to get Green and Westbrook both or no deal. It should be interesting to see if the Thunder do make an attempt and they also have the 3rd overall pick, so I’m sure that would be included in any trade that takes place with the Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Did your favorite NBA team get a pick better than expected or worse than expected from Tuesday Night’s results?

The 2009 draft class for the NBA does look like a solid one and we should see some quality guys that develop well on the next level going late in the first round or early in the 2nd round.

2009 NBA Draft Order

This year’s NBA Draft will be held on Thursday, June 25th at 7 PM EST or 4 PM PST. The location for the 2009 NBA Draft is Madison Square Garden in New York. I’m sure lots of Clipper fans like Penny Marshall and other die-hard Clip fans will be tuning in on June 25th to see what new player the Clippers add with their talented first round pick last year that was from Indiana. His name was Eric Gordon and he had a great rookie year. I think Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon would be two fine young men for any NBA team to build their program around. The fans in L.A. should be excited and they are slowly putting together a team that will be able to compete with the other Los Angeles NBA team. It might take Gordon and Griffin a few years to catch Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers but I like the potential for the Clippers team, since they did win the NBA draft lottery.

What: 2009 NBA Draft

Where: Madison Square Garden in New York

When: Thursday June 25th at 7 EST

You can see the NBA draft live on ESPN at 7 Eastern Time; 6 Central Time; 5 Mountain Time; or 4 Los Angeles Clipper Time. ESPN will cover the entire 2 rounds of the NBA draft that will show us where the future stars of tomorrow will be playing. The fun starts June 25th and this is on a Thursday, so be sure to mark your calendars now.

*The Sacramento Kings have the 4th overall selection in the NBA draft and also will pick again at number 23 in the first round. They have the top pick in the 2nd round of the draft and this will be the 31st overall pick. This means there will be one other California NBA team that is excited about the 2009 draft and look for the Kings to improve with these 3 new players they will get to add to their team on June 25th from Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The Atlanta Hawks are playing well right now and this would make one believe they will have a lower pick in the first round this year. The 2009 NBA Draft is still several months away, but I love that late weekend in June, when we get to see some of our favorite college basketball players and prospects land on NBA teams. I am just now starting to scout out the talent for this year’s draft, but I have a early favorite that I would like to see Atlanta take this year.

Chris Singleton is from Georgia and is currently a freshman at Florida State. He’s been impressive as a freshman for the Seminoles and he would be a great draft pick for the Atlanta Hawks. It’s not clear if Singleton will enter the NBA draft this year, but I have good reason to believe he will. I think by him entering the draft after playing only 1 season in the NCAA will lower his draft day status. He may drop out of the top 10 and land some where in that late first round. I would love to see that happen and for him to fall in the Hawk’s lap this year.

Chris Singleton played 3 years for the Cherokee Warriors high school basketball team in Canton, Georgia. I got a chance to watch him many times as a junior for the Warriors and he’s really impressive. He had a off-season dispute with the head coach of Cherokee’s basketball team and he quit and left for Dunwoody in Georgia, which is south of the Canton area. He continued his assault on other high school players and racked up some major numbers at Dunwoody. The Florida State Seminoles were lucky that he chose them and their 13-2 record shows that right now. Chris can shoot the outside shot and has amazing leaping ability around the basket. He can dunk or rebound with the best of them and he’s a very versatile player. I know the Atlanta Hawks like the versatile players that can play more than 1 position and this is what Chris Singleton can do. I think he would be a great draft selection for the Hawk’s this year and if Singleton does leave for the NBA, the Hawks have to find a way to get him on their team!