Running with Zaza

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Singing the Josh Smith Blues

J-Smooth no longer wants to play for Mike Woodson. Woodson is signed for two years as the Atlanta Hawks coach. Therefore, J-Smooth no longer wants to play for your Atlanta Hawks. The good feelings of the Celtics series are evaporating in the Atlanta summer heat. Clearly, Smith has lost any negotiating power, and this is an attempt by his entourage to grab some power back. The Hawks should work out a sign and trade for Smith and grant him his wish to get out of Atlanta.

I am starting to feel badly for Smith at this point. The 76ers wined and dined him, but signed Elton Brand. The Clippers flirted with the stat-stuffing NBA talent, but traded for Marcus Camby. The Camby deal was a steal for the Clippers. At roughly $10 million per year, Camby is one of the most underpaid guys in an NBA filled with players making ridiculous money. Then, Josh Smith gets to see Al Horford chosen as one of ten players for the USA select team. J-Smooth is like Belshazaar with the writing on the wall, but he does not need a Daniel to interpret the language. Horford is a better player in the eyes of NBA decision makers. At this point, Smith must be debating his decision last year not to sign the Hawks reported offer of 4 years and $45 million. Clearly, he is worth that type of investment by the Hawks, but not the max contract type dollars that Smith was looking to get this year in free agency.

What should Rick Sund and the Hawks do? Sign Smith and deal him. Atlanta needs a small forward with perimeter skills to go along side Joe Johnson. They can then move Horford to power forward. Zaza can start at center. Sign Kwame Brown (he is a much better athlete than Randolph Morris, Lorenzen Wright, etc. whose names have been mentioned for Atlanta) as a cheap big body for the paint. If Speedy Claxton plays well this week with the Hawks’ summer league team, Sund could trade Josh Smith and Claxton for Ron Artest and Kenny Thomas. The salaries are close to matching up depending on the extension for Smith. Sund can talk to Bibby and get the scoop on Artest. Claxton’s contract is expiring and he can back up the point spot for Sacramento. Thomas’ contract still comes off the books in 2010 and gives the Hawks a chance to go after Chris Bosh in free agency. The Hawks get tougher on defense, scoring, and intensity with Artest. Artest gets a place to make some music. I would take Joe Johnson and Artest over Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Then, the Hawks can sign Eddie House, Jannero Pargo, or Keyon Dooling to bring some scoring off the bench. Think about this Hawks’ starters and bench contributors:

Bibby, Joe Johnson, Ron Artest, Horford, Zaza, AC Law, Josh Childress, Kenny Thomas, Kwame Brown, Eddie House

Josh Smith could take back his comments and sign with Atlanta. That would still work for the Hawks, but to sign now would take maturity and humility. Not likely. All he and his agent need to look at, as a cautionary tale, is Luol Deng and Ben Gordon from the Bulls. Both guys turned down extensions last year with visions of having great seasons, but they have dropped precipitously in the eyes of many. The Bulls could not even make the playoffs after being picked by many to win the Eastern Conference. That decision cost Deng and Gordon millions of dollars. J-Smooth and his agent need to read the writing on the wall and sign, while he still can.

 
 
 
 

Post a Comment 1 comments:

the Internet nigger said...

hey man,
you're really starting to make me mad with these spreading of lies, u are really seeming to be the devil with all the lies u spew to misconstrue the minds of hawks fans, u mr.jack bender are lucky i'm the only one who reads and comments on your shitty blog because u've got the Hawks ALL WRONG!

It's a very stupid rumor that Josh Smith and Mike Woodson are at odds, i told u before, Smith was one of the main ones campaigning for Woodson to return to the Hawks, the media has completely fabricated the idea that Smith does not want to play for Woodson, and yur eating it all up, cuz u are a HATER of Josh Smith for some foolish reason. Lemme tell u something, there is no equal value for josh smith on the market, not ron artest, not lamar odom, not shawn marion, unless LEBRON JAMES or CHRIS PAUL is on the trading block, there is no player skill comparable to Smith out there his age

dont feel bad for josh smith, i feel bad for you when u feel like an IDIOT when josh smith resigns to the Hawks and avgs 20+ ppg and makes his first time all-star this season, im sure u will be tired of hating by then, stop making the stupid commments about his jumpshot. Smooth is not at all concerns with seeing horford on Team USA, thats motivation for him to return to Atlanta because Atlanta is at its best when Horford and Josh Smith are out there TOGETHER, even if they play out of position of center and power forward

u made another demonic delclaration in this post that shows how foolishly u think about the hawks, im starting to doubt u have good eyes or basketball knowledge at all with this statement: "SIGN KWAME BROWN, he is a much better ATHLETE than Randolph Morris or Lorenzen Wright, etc." are you SMOKING CRACK?! i think u are, u must be to think the worst #1 pick of all time is a possible rotation player on the young athletic atlanta hawks, Brown is NOT ATHLETIC! AT ALL! in aNY WAY, SHAPE, FORM, OR FASHION! i dont even have to post that young mans stats, he has never been an asset to any team he has been on, he isnt even an impact maker, he is CANCER to his team and teammates, once again, why would u invite him to the hawks? u are fucking up as a blogger, u hear me? u are fucking up, and if u ever get some traffic, your viewers are gonna be outraged at your team opionion if u continue on this path to derail the hawks

another super-stupid statement u made is that the hawks should go after not dwayne wade, not carmelo anthony, but chris bosh in the summer of '10. why would he be a good choice for atlanta? so we can move horford back to center and play bosh as a shooter PF? yeah he went to GA Tech but thats beside the point, the hawks will not be able to afford him anyway

one last thing ima say to u in this foolish post: when i Think about this Hawks’ starters and bench contributors:

Bibby, Joe Johnson, Ron Artest, Horford, Zaza, AC Law, Josh Childress, Kenny Thomas, Kwame Brown, Eddie House

i see a team that would not even make the playoffs, i see a big avging 20/10 being wasted on a bad team, i see joe johnson leaving in the summer of '10, and the hawks shrinking back into obscurity.

Josh Smith and Al Horford are the future of the successful ATLANTA HAWKS

July 20, 2008 at 11:26 AM

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