1. Kevin Durant

2. Brandon Roy

3. Josh Smith

4. Carlos Boozer

5. Derrick Rose

6. Russell Westbrook

7. Lamar Odom

8. Ramon Sessions (Waived for Nenad Krstic)

9. Jamal Crawford

10. Chris Anderson (Waived for Ryan Anderson)

11. Rodney Stuckey

12. Al Thornton

13. Roy Hibbert

Those are the 13 players that currently make up my fantasy basketball team. I am lacking in 3 pointers and FG percentage. I will have to make adjustments in the near future to get better field goal percentage (bigger players) and add at least one more guy that can knock down the 3 pointer better.

My team is ranked in 3rd place and I have been lower than that for most of the season. I will need to find a way to move up the rankings in my NBA fantasy team league. I am happy with my current team and will probably wait for injuries to happen, before I go making any adjustments in the areas I am weakest right now. I am in a 12 team league and we play a rotisseire style of fantasy basketball.

Please feel free to let know what your fantasy teams look like this year and do you have any of the same players on your team as I have on my team right now?

The Highlight Factory in Atlanta will reopen on Wednesday, October 28th at Phillips Arena in Downtown Atlanta. The Hawks will host the Indiana Pacers as fans get their first chance to see their favorite NBA team this year. A few new faces have been added to the team, so this means a few old ones won’t be around anymore. Most were shocked to see Mario West get cut from the team and many fans are left scratching their heads with that decision that came down late in the preseason action; where the Atlanta Hawks went 5 and 2 in their preseason games. Mario or Rio as the players and coaches would call him was a true spirit for these Atlanta Hawks. There isn’t a guy currently on the team that goes all out or as hard as Rio did for the Hawks. I even picked him as one of the top 5 Hawks players from last year’s team; so it is odd that they couldn’t find room on a 12 man roster for him. Any other NBA teams checking in on the Hawks Official Blog may want to give Mario West a look. I will guarantee you that you don’t have 12 guys better than him. No NBA team has 12 players better than Mario West and our hearts do go out for one of the truly great athletes of Atlanta and the state of Georgia. Keep your head high Rio and you will once again do your non-stop work on an NBA floor again!

So who will be the new faces helping Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, and Al Horford bring another winning season to the ATL? You saw him on draft night and now he makes his Philips Arena debut on Wednesday night and his name is Jeff Teague. The young point guard will see action in the Highlight Factory on Wednesday night against Indiana. Joining the Wake Forrest Sensation will be Joe Smith and Jason Collins as two more two faces to the Hawks team this year. One new face that will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders to produce right away is the veteran guard Jamal Crawford. It’s not a matter of if Jamal Crawford will have another 50 point game, in a Hawks uniform; the question is when will he have his first 50 point game? Jamal Crawford has question marks in several areas, but scoring isn’t one of them. He’s a true baller and straight off the courts of street ball and he knows how to fill it up. I think he has a 40 point game before anyone is eating turkey and dressing in Atlanta this year and look for at least 1 fifty point game before the season is over.

If the Hawks starting backcourt of Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson has good games; then this team can win on a nightly basis. It’s when they struggle is where the problems begin. Coach Mike Woodson never pulls the triggers on these guys and won’t remove them from a basketball game. So if they are off, so is the team. You can’t have 40 percent of your team out there taking up big minutes when they’re not producing and we have seen this for several years now in Atlanta. Joe Johnson gets his 40 minutes a game and the past has shown us that he only has a big game, 1 out of every 6 NBA games. Big concerns for Atlanta’s backcourt this year and the preseason games only confirmed my doubts of the Bibby and Johnson tandem; doing anything positive this year. I realize I am in the minority when I call Mike Woodson, Mike Bibby, and Joe Johnson the “3 Headed Monster in Atlanta” and I do mean that in a bad way. I will be relieved to see 1/3 of that monster gone next year and perhaps I get lucky and Mike Woodson leaves Atlanta too for 2/3 of my monster to be gone. No time to cast dark shadows now and I will evaluate the 3 Headed Monster at a later time.

Now is the time for everyone to be in good spirits and ready to root on these young men as they try to bring a little recognition to the ATL from the rest of the NBA world. The Atlanta Hawks will need to find a way to win 50 games this year; if they want to show improvements from last year’s team. No more Mario West or Flip Murray on the team will make this an uphill battle for the Atlanta Hawks. The toughest division rivalry will no doubt be Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic.

So who do the Atlanta Hawks play first game? They will play the Indiana Paces and look for former Hawk Solomon Jones to have a big game in this one.

Who does the Atlanta Hawks play in their 2nd game of the 2009 year? They will get to host back to back games to start the season and the Hawks 2nd game will be against the Washington Wizards at Phillips Arena.

When do the Atlanta Hawks play Kobe Bryant and the champion Los Angeles Lakers? After the first two home games at the Highlight Factory in Atlanta, the Hawks will face the L.A. Lakers and Kobe Bryant on Sunday, November 1st at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. This will be the start of a tough road schedule for the Hawks as they will face the Lakers on Sunday; the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday; the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday; will come back to the east coast on Friday to play in North Carolina against the Charlotte Bobcats; and will be back home on Saturday to take on Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets.

What teams do the Atlanta Hawks play on their 2nd road trip of the year? After a home game with the Denver Nuggets; the Hawks will have a nice 4 day rest before they have to play the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics on the road.

The first 3 home games are against the Pacers, Wizards, and Nuggets. I would hope the Hawks could win all 3 of these early home games and defend their home floor. The road will be tough and especially the first 6 road games we have. Winning on the road in the NBA is not easy, but the Hawks must beat the Kings, Bobcats, and Knicks in these first 6 road games. It will be tough winning the other 3 match ups on the road against the Lakers, Trail Blazers, and Celtics. If the Hawks win their games on the road against the weaker teams and defend their first 3 games at home; then Atlanta should be 6-3 (6 wins; 3 losses) to start the year. 5 wins or less in the first 9 games; then you would have to be disappointed. If the Hawks win 7 of their first 9 games; then we have something special brewing in Atlanta this year. I am putting a lot of emphasis on these first 9 games to start out the year.

Go grab your tickets for the Atlanta Hawks this week as they play Indiana on Wednesday and Washington on Friday. Please let me know if you plan to attend one of these games and in what general area will you be sitting? Let’s fill up the Highlight Factory this week and be the 6th man for these new look Hawks as they take on the best basketball teams in the world!

The Atlanta Hawks get a win in their first preseason action of the year. Despite allowing the New Orleans Hornets to go over the century mark on the scoreboard, the Hawks held on to win at home at Philips Arena in Atlanta. Marvin Williams was easily the story of the game and his superb defense was the difference in Atlanta’s victory Wednesday night. Marvin only played in 19 mintues, but managed to get 4 steals in his limited time on the floor. This may be the year for Marvin Williams and we may see his smooth outside stroke become a staple for this young Hawks team.

The Hawks did get outscored in both quarters in the 2nd half, but it was their dominance in the first half that got them the 108 to 102 win. All eyes was on one of the newest Hawk Jeff Teague. He didn’t disappoint in his first appearance as an Atlanta Hawk and he led the team with 19 points and also had the most time on the floor for the Hawks with 33 minutes. The NBA 3 point stroke isn’t quite there yet, but he does look like an NBA player out there. Jamal Crawford failed to score in his Hawks debut as he went 0 for 4 from the field in limited action.

The game started with a slam dunk from Josh Smith. After winning the tip, it didn’t take long for Smith to find his way to the hoop and throw one down for the home crowd at Philips. The Hawks would go on to win the first quarter with 32 points to the Hornets 24 first quarter points. It got worse for New Orleans in the 2nd quarter and the Hawks really shut the door on them before halftime. As the teams went to the locker rooms for the half, the Hawks had full control of the game leading 62 to 36. Things got much tighter in the 2nd half, but this was the Hawks night and they did manage to hold on for the win.

The leading scorer for the Hornets was Bobby Brown with 23 points. Superstar Chris Paul added 20 points and David West chipped in with 16 points for New Orleans in their losing effort. Marvin Williams 4 steals was the highlight of the game and Jeff Teague’s offensive performance was a close 2nd with his 19 points. Al Horford and Josh Smith had solid performances as both players managed to get into double digits. The Hawks backcourt of Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby were no shows in Game 1 for the Hawks and hopefully these issues get fixed quick. Since Joe Johnson is gone after this year and Mike Bibby is getting up there in age, there is really no need to try and get either player involved too much in the gameplan each game. The Hawks must focus on their youth and learn to work with these guys, so this team can make a deep run into the playoffs this year and for many years to come.

Well only 1 game down and 6 more preseason games to go for the Atlanta Hawks. Can’t make too much of a fuss after only 1 preseason game, but hopefully the strategy does change in Game 2 of the preseason schedule. The Wednesday performance against the New Orleans Hornets was too much like last year’s team and coach Mike Woodson must change it. I won’t jump to conclusions now, but Woodson is treading on some shaky ground in Atlanta with a team that is capable of making it to the Eastern Conference Finals.  

Its almost as if Ricky Rubio had took this picture intentionally for the Minnesota Timberwolves and their fans with the middle finger being extended from his hand. That is pretty much the signal Ricky Rubio is giving the NBA, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and all their loyal fans that were excited to see him play this year. It was Rubio’s hands that got him in trouble to start with and signing European contracts that he was unable (or so he says) to get out of. It seems pretty clear that Rubio was not happy on draft night when the Timberwolves drafted him 5th overall and he just doesn’t want to play for their team or that city in America. The NBA’s cities are all great and anyone should be proud that just 1 city or team would want their basketball services, but Ricky Rubio is just a little too spoiled for that.

If this guy or any other European player or player that gets taken in the NBA Draft doesn’t want to play for the team or city that drafted them; then there should be tough penalties on that player. Ricky Rubio should have to accept a contract for less than a million dollars and any other player that decides to hold out or try to skip the team that drafted them. The NBA must take action on these types of matters and prevent a high draft pick like Ricky Rubio from choosing which NBA team or city he wants to play in.

Rubio has signed a new contract and now will have to wait 2 years before he can come back to the States to play in the NBA and for the Minnesota Timberwolves. If he does appear in a T-Wolves uniform in 2 years from now, I hope the fans in Minnesota and across the NBA will boo him every time he touches the ball. This is one spoiled brat that doesn’t belong in the NBA or even in our country for that matter.

It’s good that Minnesota took another PG in the draft and Jonny Flynn can take over the point guard duties in Minny. Flynn is probably a better PG and basketball player too and this is probably a better scenario for the Timberwolves. I think there is way too much hype on Ricky Rubio and I doubt he even has the talent to play in the NBA with grown men. Only thing attractive about this 6′ 4″ point guard from across seas, is the fact that he is only 18 years old. He will have to show tremendous strides to prove he can keep up with the other talented point guards in the NBA. If his game doesn’t improve in 2 years; then its quite possibly we have already seen the best basketball this guy has to offer. He will never be a 20 point scorer or dish out 10 assists in the League like a few of the NBA point guards can do now. The ceiling isn’t going to get any higher on Ricky Rubio and he has seen his best days of basketball at the age of 18. It would seem only natural that he would improve, but European players don’t have much of a track record on improving their basketball skills.

I think the guys working the front office for Minnesota should just avoid the boo’s now and trade his rights to another NBA team that will know they have to wait two years on him. This way they can avoid the wait and the ugly scenes from the crowd when he does decide to show up and play in the NBA. It’s just too big of a gamble to wait 2 years for this guy and he comes in and never pans out. This will just be kicking your self twice if you’re the Minnesota Timberwolves. Go ahead and trade the rights to Ricky Rubio and pick up a late first round pick in next year’s 2010 NBA draft and save face from the curse of Ricky Rubio. This guy isn’t going to be the next Pistol Pete Maravich and no chance of trading a superstar player away. Fill the need for your team now and get rid of a guy that has no desire to be in Minnesota.

The new NBA season hasn’t even started yet and we already have our first draft bust of the year! The 5th overall pick in the first round that went to the Minnesota Timberwolves is a bust and I’m calling it now. The guy that got took 6th overall in the 2009 NBA draft is Jonny Flynn from Syracuse and he just might be the steal of the 2009 NBA Draft. The Minnesota Timberwolves will have an exciting new rookie on their team and he will be giving 110% each night; that is what Minny got when they took an American kid that knows how to play the game. Ricky Rubio doesn’t have the heart or desire to play in 6 overtime games like Flynn did in college. Rubio would have to sign a new contract if he had to play in an overtime game and Jonny Flynn just doesn’t get you to 6 overtime games; he wins them when he gets there! NBA fans every where are with you Minnesota and you guys just picked up a lot of new fans, thanks to the spoiled brat that doesn’t respect the NBA or the Twin City!

Hawks preseason tickets should be easy to get and you will want them for October 7th, October 12th, or October 19th to watch the team in action, before the real games start up. Any dedicated Hawks fans looking to make a road trip for the preseaon really have two options this year. The first one will be on October 14th; when the Hawks take on the Memphis Grizzlies. You can make the short drive up to Memphis, Tennessee to catch this NBA preseason action. The game against the Grizzlies will be at the Fed Ex Forum located in Memphis. If you live in the southern part of the state; then a trip to Jacksonville might be more your style. The Atlanta Hawks will have a preseason game in Jacksonville at Veterans Memorial Arena. This should be an interesting game as Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat will get their first glimpse of the new Hawks in Jacksonville, Florida on October 22nd. This will be the only preseason game for the Hawks this year that takes place on a neutral court.

The longest trip during the preseason will happen on October 11th; which will be the 2nd game on the preseason schedule for the Atlanta Hawks. They will travel up to Auburn Hills to play Mike Woodson’s former team the Detroit Pistons. The 7th and final preseason game will take place on Friday October 23rd and this will be a National TV Game against the Orlando Magic. The Hawks see these guys again on Thanksgiving Day for a National Spotlight Game; so the fans around the country should get a nice dose of Hawks and Magic basketball in the first month of the new NBA season.

Typically the Hawks play strong in the preseason action and their starters tend to play more minutes than the other team’s starters. No big surprise if the Hawks do go 7-0 or 6-1 this preseason, but don’t think that last game against the Magic will be the typical preseason game. I expect Mike Woodson to do whatever it takes to get a W on the final game of the preseason slate for the Hawks.

Do you plan to make any stops at Philips to watch the Hawks in preseason action?  It is a good opportunity to see some of the younger guys play. We probably won’t see much of Jeff Teague when the games start for real, so this is a good opportunity to watch him play a lot of minutes against another NBA team. It doesn’t appear any big time trades or free agent signings are around the corner and the Hawks roster is set for about 10 guys with about 2 new players that will be trying to earn a spot on the 2009/2010 roster. The Atlanta Hawks will be sending some good talent down to the D-League this year and probably our best talent in reserve that we have had, since the D-League was created for NBA teams. Don’t forget about Chris Paul and the Hornets coming to Atlanta to get things started on October 7th. Make sure to mark that date on your calendars and if you can’t make it down to Philips Arena, be sure to listen to the guys on radio call the game!

Football fans have always enjoyed that late Thursday in November when they get to watch a lot of good college and NFL football games on the tube; while sitting down for their turkey dinners. The mood may be a little different this year in Atlanta and the Hawks will get a chance to shine on national TV, as they host Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. This is one of the bright spots on the new NBA schedule that has just been released by the league. As many as 13 games are showing up for the Hawks on the national TV stage this year, if you count TNT, ESPN, and NBA TV. The game on November 26 with the Orlando Magic will be shown by TNT and this is a great opportunity for the Hawks to shine with a national audience that will be tuning in. You can fully expect that the fans in Atlanta will pack Philips Arena on this night.

You don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving Day to see the Hawks on national television. The NBA channel will feature the Hawks playing the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, November the 7th. The following Friday, which will be “Friday the 13th”, will be a game carried by ESPN and the Atlanta Hawks travel to Boston to take on the Celtics. Three games in total are slated for the month of November that will show these young Hawks playing some really tough teams. It may be a tough chore to win all 3 of these games against the Nuggets, Celtics, and Magic, but the Hawks do have to start some where. If they can sweep these 3 games on national TV, we may actually see some air-time on Sportscenter this year.

It will all get started at home this year and on Wednesday night, the Hawks will open up against Solomon Jones and the Indiana Pacers. Yes, if you haven’t heard the news yet, the Pacers did sign Solomon Jones to a 2 year contract. It’s a very interesting move on the Hawks part; since they are currently looking for big men and Solo was a really good bargain for them. Not sure we have witnessed the entire upside to this kid from Florida and Solomon Jones could develop into a very nice NBA player. He should be pumped in the ATL openning night and don’t be surprised if he brings the block party with him.

The Hawks are not treating Mr. Murray too nicely this off-season either and not sure why they wouldn’t want this guy back. The Jamal Crawford trade should have not effected his status and the Hawks are simply replacing bodies here; if they don’t bring Flip Murray back into the fold.

Lots of questions continue to swirl about Josh Smith and his jumper. Why does this guy even need a jumper? Oh right, Coach Mike Woodson wants him patrolling areas that are 18 feet or further from the basket. Josh Smith can jump to the moon and why you have this guy so far from the basket is a huge coaching flaw. He needs to be around the basket for a steady stream of lobs and offensive put-backs he could be giving the team. Josh Smith may just be the most misunderstood superstar in the League today and the blame does fall on Woodson’s lap.

Hawks fans might want to hold off on the excitement for Jeff Teague and despite the reports coming from the Atlanta Hawks official website, he was not the most impressive player in mini camp this year. There was several others that showed more promise than Teague, but he is just going into his junior year of college, when he steps out on the court for the first time in a Hawks uniform. He really could have benefited from some summer league action this year and not likely he will get big minutes for the Hawks anytime soon. 

The good news is that the NBA season is just around the corner and October 28th (openning night) will be here before you know it. You can see the entire Hawks NBA Schedule here and see which games jump out at you this year.  

One of the most interesting players attending this year’s camp will be Yaroslav Korolev from Russia. He was picked number 12 overall in the 2005 NBA Draft (higher than Teague) by the Los Angeles Clippers. He never could find his place in L.A.. He did get a 2nd chance to play for them in 2007 and played with the team during preseason; before he was let go at the start of the regular season. It should be interesting to see where his skill level is at now and if he can help the Atlanta Hawks in the 2009/2010 season. You may also remember another player that was taken in the 2005 draft and this was the Atlanta Hawks 2nd round pick that year. It was a basketball player from Turkey named Cenk Akyol and he will be attending the Hawks Mini-Camp that will begin on Tuesday (July 21). He was very young when the Hawks took him back in 2005 and I’m sure many fans will be curious to see (or hear) how well he does this upcoming week.

I’m sure the Hawks fans want to know about the big guys attending camp this year; since this looks like a big off-season need, that the team hasn’t addressed yet. A guy that did play a short spell with the Golden State Warriors is Chris Taft and he will be in attendance this year. His career high in block shots (3) came against the Hawks a few years back and perhaps it was this that caught the team’s attention. Taft isn’t a great free throw shooter and does need to improve in this area. A bad back has kept him out of the NBA the last couple of seasons and now could be his chance to return to the league. Other big men that will be showing up this week in Atlanta are Garret Siler (6′11″ 305 lbs) from Augusta State and Shawn Taggart (6′ 10″ 238 lbs) from Memphis. One of these 3 guys do have an excellent shot at making the team and especially if the Hawks don’t pursue a big man in free agency.

A couple of more notable players that will be showing up this week for the Hawks is long range shooter Dionte Christmas from Temple. He led their team last year in scoring at almost 20 points a game and was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Atlantic 10 Tournament last season. A little surprising that he went undrafted and no one wanted to take a chance on this guy in the 2009 NBA Draft. He will get a chance to show what he’s got this week; along with former Georgia Bulldog standout Sundiata Gaines. The Hawks fans have proven to like the local kids like Mario West from Georgia Tech and I’m sure the fans will be rooting for Gaines to do well this week at Philips Arena.

The rest of the guys attending the 3 day mini-camp:

Anthony Goods 6-3 Guard from Stanford

Ivan Harris 6-7 Forward from Ohio State

David Huertas 6-5 Guard from Mississippi

John Lucas III 5-11 Guard from Oklahoma State

Leo Lyons 6-9 Forward from Missouri

Frank Robinson 6-4 Guard from Cal-State Fullerton

Corey Williams 6-3 Guard from Alabama State

This is currently the guys we know that will be attending the mini-camp for physicals on Monday. The guys will get together for a 2 hour session on Monday; but the 2 practices a day session will start on Tuesday and only 1 practice scheduled for Thursday. It is possible we may see a new face or two show up when the camp actually starts and you may hear about more names later on. All 16 players will be trying to land a spot on the team’s roster for this year’s preseason games; that will begin in a couple of months. Do you see any of these guys appearing on the preseason roster for the Hawks? What about the regular season roster? I believe there is a lot of doubt for 15 of these guys; but we can already pencil in Jeff Teague for a spot on the team in 2009/2010 season. We may start to hear the Hawks name in a lot more NBA rumors concerning free agency, after the team gets a chance to evaluate these guys this week.

I always wondered why some NBA teams just don’t send the big boys out in summer ball action. It would be a great chance to get your regular players a little playing time and work on polishing a team for the new season. It would take away from seeing the new guys you just drafted or acquired via trades, so I figured that was the main reason. Now that I learn the Atlanta Hawks will not even be dressing a team to play in Las Vegas or Orlando (2 cities for NBA summer leagues), it makes me wonder even more about the direction of the Atlanta Hawks. They are two other NBA teams that will not be putting teams together for this summer, so the Hawks are not alone in their decision. The fans in Atlanta would love to see some of the new guys play and a chance to see an early glimpse of Wake Forrest star Jeff Teague. You do pick up on a few things in these summer league games and some players show what they have or don’t have during this short period of time. Marvin Williams was a good example of this and the summer league proved he wasn’t quite ready to be a starter in the NBA. The Rocky Mountain Review was the summer league the Hawks were playing in and that has now been cancelled. I know the people in Utah really enjoyed seeing this event each year and they got a chance to see other NBA teams; plus the Utah Jazz always took part in the action.

The Las Vegas summer league is just starting up and will last 9 days for the 21 NBA teams that did decide to play this year. If you’re a sports fan in Atlanta and was looking forward to seeing the Atlanta Hawks play this year; then I’m sure you’re disappointed. Perhaps the brass for the Hawks can make us all happy with the announcement of a big trade or free agent signing. I know Ramon Sessions would be a great place to start and this would make up for not having a summer league team this year in Las Vegas or Orlando. Sessions is another point guard and this might seem very unlikely since Mike Bibby has been resigned and the additions of Jamal Crawford and Jeff Teague. I think Bibby and Crawford are better 2 guards and Ramon Sessions is a much better 1 guard or point guard. You always find room for a guy like Sessions and he has a great game and would be good for any NBA team.

Maybe the Atlanta Braves helped out with their recent trade of Jeff Francoeur. I’m sure a lot of Braves and Hawks fans will have the TV on tonight to see the possible debut of Ryan Church. The Braves acquired him from the New York Mets for the hometown favorite Jeff Francoeur. Just for the record, the Braves got a great player in this deal and really gave up nothing to get him. It was the New York Mets that called the Braves to set up this trade and the fans in Atlanta will love Ryan Church. No summer team this year for the Hawks and no more Frenchy for the Bravos, so I guess we hold our breath for free agency and watch Mr. Church driving in runs for now.

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)