NBA Draft

So that's an incredibly short look at Andrea Bargnani. Basically all you can tell is that he's not a big white stiff. Instead he's a European 7 footer that is more athletic than Dirk but not nearly as strong. There are some other videos of him on youtube that show off his shot a little more. Of course you could probably make a 30 second highlight reel of Adam Morrison that's equally impressive, but he's not 7 feet tall either. I wouldn't be pissed off if the Hawks ended up with him.

If you care about the NBA draft at all you need to check out the Hoopshype.com rumors section. It's a daily blog with upwards of about 70 links a day. It's quite insane. You should also check out their list of what players are working out for what teams before the draft.

Here is a look at the Hawks offseason questions by Hoopsworld.com. There are a lot of different opinions in the article but they hit on the basic needs and free agents available. One deserves mentioning, Zaza Pachulia is not a legit center. He is a good PF who can spend some time at the 5, but is not big enough to defensively control the paint.

Chad Ford says "[Patrick] O'Bryant likely will be the first guy of that group taken off the board. Given his size, athleticism and skills around the basket, he could go as high as Atlanta at No. 5 and the Wolves at No. 6. His backstop is the Hornets at No. 11."

A few days back he had this to say "Atlanta Hawks: The Hawks could also be in the Samuel Dalembert running this summer. They seriously considered making him an offer last summer but were fearful the Sixers would match. Sixers GM Billy King told me on Tuesday it was unlikely he'd be willing to trade Allen Iverson to Atlanta, but Dalembert might be another story. Al Harrington, via sign and trade, could be the bait. "

The Kings hired Eric Musselman, a guy I wanted the Hawks to sign last year. From my outside view, I still think the Hawks should fire Woodson and hire Adelman. But from interviews and reports I've seen, the players seemed to really like Woodson by the end of the year. Maybe he's just been experiencing some growing pains. But I still don't think he understands that with the ultra athletic roster he has, he should playing at a break neck pace.

As for the Hawks and the draft, personally I would take Aldridge or Bargnani if they are still available. I really doubt that Thomas would be available, but even so, I'm not sure he's needed by the Hawks. He needs to be a bit taller. If those two are gone I would consider dropping a few spots where it makes more sense to take Marcus Williams or Rajon Rondo. Personally I like Rondo. He's everything the Hawks need right now. He can drive, run the floor, pass, doesn't commit turnovers, and can lock down quick point guards. Plus he's going to lead the league in steals for the next five years, which is good if you want to play an uptempo game. The obvious knock against him is that he has no jumpshot whatsoever and can't hit a free throw. But do the Hawks really need a sharpshooter at point? Aren't we looking for someone who can drive and kick it out to Johnson or Williams to drain the open jumper. Plus, I got just a little too tired of watching the Bobcats beat the Hawks last year because we didn't have anyone quick enough to guard Raymond Felton.

The ideal scenario is to bring in Sam Cassell, Speedy Claxton, Mike James, etc, and let them run the team while Rondo develops. And hopefully you get a big guy in a sign and trade for Harrington. Dalembert would be perfect for this team.