WOATmore Must Die! [2017 Atlanta Hawks Offseason Thread]

[AVXL]

Q and A: Schlenk says Hawks plan is to invest in the future

Q. I know you don’t like the work rebuilding, but are you in a different place now than you expected because you lost Paul and Tim?

A. Certainly you have to be flexible when that happens. We don’t want to concede to losing. I think a lot of times that what the term rebuilding means, you are conceding to losing. We don’t want to do that. We want to be competitive every night. The term I like to use, we are investing in the future. We have young guys. We have probably five more first-round picks over the next two years to add to this group. We are investing in our future. The young guys we have, we want to keep developing them. We want to keep our flexibility, collect assets, build the guys we have. Investing in the future. The end goal is to be able a team able to compete for a championship. We didn’t feel like maintaining where we were – where you go 60, 48, 43 (wins). We have to start going up again.

 

[AVXL]

Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks will be an interesting test case for the rest of the league. They decided against paying Paul Millsap this summer, and yes, they were able to keep a straight face when they politely declined to match Tim Hardaway Jr.'s $71 million offer sheet.Theoretically it hurts to lose a productive starter like Hardaway for nothing, let alone an All-Star like Millsap. But maybe this is the smarter way to play it. Most teams have been scared to lose core pieces and willing to overpay to keep winning teams intact—Blake in L.A., Lowry and Ibaka in Toronto, Otto Porter in Washington, last year's Blazers, this summer's Heat. But I wonder whether teams will come to understand that it can be just as productive to develop internally and wait for the chance to spend money on guys that make more sense.

Atlanta didn't blow it up and trade stars for assets. This was almost more radical: The Hawks came to a crossroads and decided that it wasn't worth it to spend $100 million to lie to themselves about the possibilities with Paul Millsap and limit opportunities elsewhere. It means they'll move a step down in the short term, but it'll be really interesting to see how far they actually fall, and how long it takes to find alternate solutions. With good coaching and solid young pieces in place, I bet they don't suffer as much you'd think. Grade: B

NBA off-season grades: Best and worst teams

 

[AVXL]

DeWayne Dedmon agrees to go to Hawks on 2-year deal worth $14 million
9:56 PM ET

• ESPN.com news services

DeWayne Dedmon has agreed to go to the Atlanta Hawks on a two-year deal worth $14 million, his agent told ESPN's Michael C. Wright.

The deal includes a player option in year 2, according to Dedmon's agent Mike Silverman.

Dedmon had declined his $3 million option with the Spurs for the 2017-18 season to become an unrestricted free agent.

A 7-footer, he averaged 17.5 minutes, 5.1 points, and 6.5 rebounds in 76 games (37 starts) during the regular season and three in the postseason. San Antonio led the NBA in regular-season defense, and produced its second-best defensive rating with Dedmon on the floor, surrendering 97.5 points per 100 possessions.

Pau Gasol suffered a fractured left hand in January, Dedmon took over the starting job at center on Jan. 31, and in his first 11 games in that role, he averaged 8.1 points and 10 rebounds.

Throughout the season, Dedmon's minutes gradually increased from 12.7 per game in November to 24.7 in February, but the center appeared to fall out of favor during the club's opening-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies. He started the first three games of that series, but did not log another start throughout the playoffs.

The center told ESPN he was unsure of why he had all of the sudden fallen out of favor.

Dedmon had spent the three seasons prior to 2016-17 as a part-time starter for the Orlando Magic as somewhat of a raw project.

Interestingly, because of his mother's strict religious beliefs, Dedmon didn't start playing organized basketball until he was 18, and he went undrafted in 2013 out of Southern California.

Dedmon first entered the NBA that following November on a 10-day contract with Golden State. In four seasons, he's averaged 4.3 points and 5.1 rebounds.

 

[Sly Cookin]

Dedmon is a good fit with this team. Collins can play next to him. Dennis got some good guys to pick and roll with. That is a damn good contract too. Ok schlenk I see you

 

[AVXL]

Dedmon is a good fit with this team. Collins can play next to him. Dennis got some good guys to pick and roll with. That is a damn good contract too. Ok schlenk I see you

Good signing. Guy who has great size great defender and is only getting better. Plus Schlenk threw Bud a bone and threw him a Spurs system guy. It's a win-win and this puts Moose on the bench where he belongs.

 

[daemonova]

Looks like they moved the concourse towers downtown, gentrification indeed, hopefully Chris dimino will stop Drooling over embiid

 

[FreshFromATL]

Kia Rookie Ladder: John Collins, Dennis Smith Jr. make strong showings

Kia Rookie Ladder: John Collins, Dennis Smith Jr. make strong showings

3. John Collins, Atlanta Hawks
(July 7 ranking: Not ranked)

1:38
John Collins dropped in 22 points against the Pelicans.
Talk about a promising first step in filling the instant need for big men in Atlanta. Collins opened with three consecutive games of double-digit rebounding while scoring eight, 22 and 15 points and shooting a combined 60 percent. He could finish first among the entire Las Vegas field, not just rookies, on the boards.

 

[FreshFromATL]

Collins is a beast

 

[Rickdogg44]

Kia Rookie Ladder: John Collins, Dennis Smith Jr. make strong showings

I saw that

 

[staticshock]

Thabo gone. We really bout this tank life

 

[Rickdogg44]

If they are doing that that's some bullshyt. I believe brother @Rickdogg44 is a season ticket holder to confirm this if true

@Llcoolbay you don't like SL breh?

My season tickets autorenew in March timeframe. They started that a year or two ago. ..i still remember reading that like ....

They sent something out in Feb/Mar. It was if you want playoffs then tell us now...you will get flat rate pricing for all rounds in the playoffs and your seat for the playoffs is yours. I don't think it was "the team told them that they would do everything possible to make the playoffs in order to get folks to renew their tickets" I guess indirectly i can see how people would think that. .... i just found the email..

Hawks Members!

It’s almost PLAYOFFS time again, and your Hawks are poised to make some noise this season. Don’t miss any of the action by securing your 2017 playoff tickets today!

Loyalty Playoffs Pricing: $69 Per Seat Per Game
Loyalty playoffs pricing is available to Members who choose to renew their Membership for the 2017-18 season by the March 15th deadline. By choosing this option there is no payment required today. You will be charged for each round on the next business day after the round is completed. Loyalty Playoffs pricing means your first round prices will remain consistent for the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals and the Eastern Conference Finals. NBA Finals will be priced at the NBA Finals Member rate (call rep for details).

Playoffs Strip Pricing: $1,424 Total for Rounds 1 and 2
Playoffs strip pricing is available to Members who choose NOT to renew at this time. By choosing this option you will pay for the first and second rounds today. If the Hawks win the first round matchup you will be charged for the Eastern Conference Finals on the next business day. If the Hawks advance out of the second round you will be charged for the NBA Finals on the next business day after we advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. The above price represents all possible games in the first and second round. Any value remaining on the account after the playoffs will be placed on a deposit for the Member to use at a later time if not requested to be refunded.

 

[Rickdogg44]

Good signing. Guy who has great size great defender and is only getting better. Plus Schlenk threw Bud a bone and threw him a Spurs system guy. It's a win-win and this puts Moose on the bench where he belongs.

I love this signing!

 

[AVXL]

Thabo gone. We really bout this tank life

Yep, Thabo to Utah on a 2 yr deal

 

[FreshFromATL]

Illy's back.

 

[Professor K.]

Dedmon is the next DaMarre Carroll. He's gonna ball out for us, put us up against the cap without his bird rights and someone else will sign him to a deal everyone immediately knows is a bad idea.