| Hawks Update: Team Acquires A. Johnson, Can't Get Off The Ground Authored by Patrick J. Austin - March 2, 2007 - 1:47 pm
| Current Featured Columns | | The First Three Weeks of 2008-09 Now that we’ve had a little time to watch free agency unfold, along with the usual accompaniment of trades, let’s look at some of the key moves and how they impact the teams involved.
Grading The Deal: W's Sign Maggette And TuriafThe Boom Dizzle era is over, and the Warriors quickly recovered by signing two nice pieces to complement their young core.
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When I first heard the trade—our 2007 second round pick in exchange for Johnson—my initial reaction was…why? It just didn’t make any sense. It’s not like Johnson made much of an impact as a Hawks during his first two tenures (1998-2000 & 2000-2001). That’s right folks, we dealt away a draft pick in what is supposed to be one of the deepest drafts in recent history for a player we’ve signed not once, but twice.
The Hawks needed (well, still need) a point guard but is Anthony Johnson really the answer? Of course not; he’s barely a stop gap.
I’m not trying to disparage Johnson. He would have been a great addition to a veteran ball club like the Miami Heat or Detroit Pistons. He runs an offense effectively and can score when need be. However, on a young team moving further and further away from playoff contention like the Hawks, you just have to wonder what our GM, Billy Knight was thinking.
What worries me most is the impact this will have on our first round selection. As most people know, our pick is only top three protected. If it’s the fourth selection or lower, it goes to the Phoenix Suns to complete the Joe Johnson trade. With the team’s current record we, or more aptly the Suns, would pick seventh. This means that Billy Knight had two choices in front of him at the deadline:
(1)Write off the rest of the season and hope that the lotto gods look fondly upon the Hawks to give them a top-three draft choice.
(2)Acquire enough veteran talent to make a playoff run and lessen the impact of losing our pick since it would only be a mid-first rounder.
Trading for Anthony Johnson accomplishes neither. Like I said, Johnson is a good role player. He’s certainly an upgrade from what the Hawks currently have at point guard (of course, that’s more of an indictment to our current backcourt production then the talents of AJ). But he is not going to dramatically improve our chances of making the playoffs and he’s certainly not a young floor general that the team can groom for the future.
It’s almost as if Billy Knight made this deal just for the sheer function of making a deal. It serves no real purpose except to show that he’s actually doing something. Maybe he wants to have proof that he actually tried to make changes during the season when he’s on the hot seat this summer.
So here the Hawks stand with a new—or not so new—point guard at the helm. Can the Hawks prove the naysayers (and me) wrong? Probably not. The team just doesn’t have what it takes to make a serious run at the postseason.
Joe Johnson is playing fantastic basketball and deservedly made the all-star team, but he can’t do it alone. Of course, Josh Smith has really stepped up his game during the second half of the season, but haven’t we seen this before? I wish Smoove would develop enough consistency to play the way he does in February all season long. Then, our team might have a serious shot at the playoffs.
Josh Childress and Marvin Williams have provided good production off the bench, but both have been riddled with injuries. Neither has busted out to the same extent as Smoove and are still lightyears away from proving their worth as high lottery selections.
Shelden Williams has been steady, but unspectacular. As most of us predicted, he’s proven to be a good role-playing big man in the mold of Dale Davis or Reggie Evans. He’s not a high-impact, defensive stopper like Ben Wallace or Emeka Okafor. Most likely, he never will be. It pains me to think we could have had Randy Foye running the show at point guard right now.
Zaza Pachulia started the season with a bang but has fallen off the map recently. It’s gotten so bad that Mike Woodson actually felt better starting Lorenzon Wright at center over Zaza. Ouch.
And to return to the position that makes us cringe the most…point guard. I think it’s fair to say that Craig “not-so Speedy” Claxton has been one of the worst free agent signings in recent history. For the money we doled out—4-years/$24 million—he’s been a monumental disappointment averaging a paltry 5.5ppg, 4.5apg, 1.8spg. And it’s not going to get any better. Claxton has a degenerative knee problem that will likely slow him down for the duration of his playing career. If Billy Knight has any sense, he will try to deal him in the off-season before other GM’s learn that fact.
If the season is lost, what does the future look like for the Hawks? Unfortunately, not so good. As mentioned earlier, our pick will most likely be in the lottery and will go to Phoenix. Draft day will be very depressing for most Hawks fans. Especially if the Suns wind up drafting a talented big man (Yoakim Noah, Hasheem Thabeet) or point guard (Acie Law) with our selection. Yes, we will probably have the Indiana Pacers first round pick, but it’s likely to be in the low teens, so the talent level won’t be as high and the chances of drafting a high-impact player will be average at best.
The ownership situation hasn’t been resolved and considering the pace its moving at, a ruling won’t be made until 2040 or beyond.
And to matters even worse, we have an inept GM who makes puzzling trades and even worst draft choices in conjunction with an ineffective coach who can’t get any consistent production out of a talent-laden roster.
So the outlook for the Hawks remains porous. A team capable of soaring high, but falling short during liftoff. A team perpetually grounded in a state of mediocrity. |
