Ice Trae The Gang: Official 2018 Atlanta Hawks Offseason Thread

[Julio Jones]

yeah this Doncic thing puts a new wrinkle in our draft plans. I'm actually cool with Bamba though as a second option behind Bagley. We'd probably have to change the thread title though to Mo Money, Mo Problems

 

[#1 pick]

Why?
Y’all need stars more than anything and this PG class is good but not great. Keep your picks, draft Shai or Bonga with either of your late picks if you must draft a “playmaker”, then go hard to get Romeo; RJ, Reddish, or Nasir next draft.

Dennis wants out. We need a PG for the long term. Speaking of PG, look at who we are interviewing

Here are the 20 prospects the Hawks will interview at the draft combin

 

[Atlanta 80s baby]

He will be a defensive star day 1. By year 3 growing into his body he already hits free throws at a good clip he could be better than no D ayton

The boy is a real unicorn. Uncharted length with skill translates to NBA stardom the vast majority of the time. He only weighs 225 and when he puts another 15 on, he is going to be special.

 

[FreshFromATL]

Yep, for me it's either Bagley or Bamba and judging by the interview list @#1 pick posted that's who the Hawks are considering with the 3rd pick. Happy JJJ isn't on the list.

 

[FreshFromATL]

Listening to this dude, he's impressive bruhs...

 

[Sly Cookin]

Listening to this dude, he's impressive bruhs...

Wouldn't be upset with him at 3. Already working with KG and embiid. With that work ethic and his gifts he will be a star

 

[#1 pick]

I feel like Senlenk is trying to generate buzz to see if someone is overly in love with Bagley to get more major assets. I dont think he will be successful in his approach. While teams may covet Bagley. The word around the league is no one in the top 6 really wants to move up or down. Everyone seems comfortable at their spot. Word also in different exec's value Bagley different in the org, even the owner. While the leadership is comfortable with Bagley, the GM is still doing work. My guess is, it will simply come down to workouts.

 

[Julio Jones]

Listening to this dude, he's impressive bruhs...

Okay, I think I'm officially on the Bamba bandwagon lol. I like the kid's attitude and demeanor. Plus, Coach Pierce has said that defense is his top priority for this team, so Bamba makes the most sense as the centerpiece.

I like that he's not a slow footed big man. He can keep up with pretty much any guard that tries to get in the paint. And if he continues to improve his offensive skills, it'll open up things for Collins down low as well.

 

[Julio Jones]

https://www.myajc.com/blog/atlanta-...questions-about-bamba/UK3oRqb7aP4nKf4KQV8uJJ/

“One scout noted how well Bamba tends to respond to challenges, citing a December game in which Tennessee State’s beefy big man Christian Mekowulu looked like Shaq at times against Bamba before the Texas center ratcheted up his defensive intensity in the second half, leading to a Longhorns win. A few weeks later, against Iowa State, freshman big man Cameron Lard also outplayed Bamba to start the game; but Bamba again turned up his aggression to 11 at the end of regulation and in overtime. Ideally, Bamba would bring intensity all game. But there’s something to be said for a player who rises during an adverse situation.”

 

[AVXL]

I think the Doncic situation is real, but I believe Schlenk has a plan and it may be JJJ or Bamba. But hopefully Bagley is still there at 3 if Doncic doesn't come over

 

[Professor K.]

I feel like Bagley is guaranteed to be 18-8 at the worst and is the most solid building block we could add to the foundation of our rebuild....









BUT THIS nikka BAMBA GOT 8 FOOT ARMS

I’m so conflicted

 

[AVXL]

Take this with a grain of salt but the AJC Hawks beat writer, Michael Cunningham is saying the Hawks should pick JJJ over Bagley.

Will Hawks draft Marvin Bagley III or Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Updated 15 hours ago
By

• Michael Cunningham

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CHICAGO —

Before the Hawks won the No. 3 pick in the lottery, I’d heard that they prefer Michigan State big man Jaren Jackson Jr. over Duke big man Marvin Bagley. That also was the word that came out of NBA’s GM meetings Tuesday night, according to a league source. I think Jackson would be a good selection for the Hawks for reasons I will explain later.


But … wait!


The Trae Young part of Givony’s report matches another rumor I heard from the GM meetings: that the Hawks might be willing to trade down and take Young. But that line of thinking assumes that the Hawks are determined to trade Dennis Schroder and can do so; I’m not sure they are, or if they can without taking back trash. There is no way the Hawks could draft Young and keep Schroder, and passing on the No. 3 pick to drop back for Young would come with its own risks.


I hate draft rumors. They can be contradictory, like this Bagley vs. Jackson story. Teams send out false signals to hide their true intentions. Agents plant info that helps their clients. Different scouts and executives within an organization have different opinions about players, and those opinions change throughout the draft process.


ADVERTISING
If DeAndre Ayton and Luka Doncic are off the board, as expected, will the Hawks pick Bagley at No. 3? Will they take Jackson? Will they trade down and select Young? Will they end up taking some other prospect that isn’t even a part of these rumors?

I don’t know. Heck, maybe GM Travis Schlenk doesn’t even know yet for sure, and if he does, he’s obviously not saying so publicly.

What I do know is that Jackson projects as a shot-blocking big who can make 3-pointers, and that’s all the rage. When new Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce talked about the way he wants to play defense — with an anchor big who can protect the rim and switch on the perimeter — I was thinking that Jackson fits that bill nicely.

Jackson is not as stout, physical or long as Joel Embiid. But Jackson is plenty long enough (7-foot-5.25 inch wingspan) and looks to have the frame to put on weight — he won’t be 19 until September. For some players, aggressiveness may be something that can’t be coached, but maybe Jackson is one of those guys who can develop a mean streak if coaches push the right buttons.

Jackson has 3-and-D potential as a big man. He made 38 of 96 3-point tries for Michigan State (39.6 percent) and 106 of 133 free-throw attempts (79.7 percent). Jackson has an unorthodox shooting stroke that may need some tweaking, but he’s got a quick release.

There are, of course, reasons to like Bagley over Jackson.

Bagley is a much more instinctive and polished offensive player than Jackson around the basket. Bagley has more “springiness” at the rim, one reason he’s been a much better offensive rebounder than Jackson. Bagley made nearly 40 percent of his 58 3-point tries, though his 63 percent shooting on free throws is worrisome because that number tends to correlate strongly with NBA 3-point shooting potential.

Bagley gives maximum defensive effort and can guard in space, but his relative lack of length means he may never becomes a good NBA rim protector. That wouldn’t be as much of problem if Bagley can play power forward. But if he can’t become a 3-point shooter, Bagley would have to be paired with a rim-protecting five who stretches the floor.

Those players are hard to find. Jackson has great potential to be that kind of NBA player. That’s why I think the Hawks should pick Jackson if he and Bagley are available when they pick third. My educated guess is that’s what the Hawks will do if given the choice.

 

[Th3G3ntleman]

What happens to John Collins

 

[Rickdogg44]

What happens to John Collins

5 - Mo Money Mo Problems
4 - Collins
3 - Prince
2 - Baze
1. IT

 

[Sly Cookin]

All this JJJ love is because of his 3 pt percentage but that was on low volume. He played less than 21 mpg for a reason.

Fortunately he wasn't one of the players we interviewed yesterday