Posted by: R DOT TROTT on June 29, 2007 4:13PM EST First off, I'd like to thank Billy Knight and team for keeping us fans involved this draft season. A couple years back they didnt offer any info on the direction of our squad was headed. I feel much more apart of the organization I luv. I am not surprised with our picks. Amare wouldve been nice but I'm sure there was a good reason we opted out of that deal. My only concern for our young team is COACHING. Im not gonna bash Woody but with guys like Paul Silas, Michael Cooper, and Stan Van Gundy out there this is definitely time to make it happen.

Posted by: Widly on June 29, 2007 4:28PM EST Since R DOT TROTT won't bash coach Woody I won't either I will but I will say Coach Woody let's play a 4 quick offense just like the SUNS. We are a youthful team and our superstar, Joe Johnson, is used to this style. Let the hawks have fun and let the run up and down the court. Look wat happened when they played Golden State and there fast tempo offense. The Hawks weren't tired at the end of the game, they looked like the just started playing. COACH WOODY BUMP UP THE TEMPO ON OFFENSE.

Posted by: tony on June 29, 2007 4:41PM EST My hopes of Mike Conley Jr being a member of the hawks family was destroyed last night and it will take sometime to get over my disappointment. Acie Law and Al Horford have my full support and I hope those guys can come in here and have a terrific career as a Atlanta Hawk. Welcome aboard guys!

Posted by: J-mill on June 29, 2007 5:26PM EST HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOE!

Posted by: idecris on June 29, 2007 10:32PM EST although I wanted Mike Conley at #3, our team right now really excites me. Can't wait for summer league and summer camp to start. we have a very athletic team, that can shoot the long ball. the Fast and the Furious: my preference... PG - Acie Law (a ruthless closer, an assasin) SG/some PG - Joe Johnson (the scorer) SG/SF -Josh Childress (super versatile guy) SF/PF - Josh Smith (could be a 20 pt 10 reb 2 blk athletic frontcourt player like Marion, KMart, etc.) SF/PF - Marvin Williams (another athletic freak) C/PF - Al Horford (a fast big guy! yeah baby!) young, athletic and talented. all we need now is for the coach to properlly utilize these assets.

Posted by: Charles on June 30, 2007 1:41AM EST we just drafted the next udonis haslem. With the number 3 pick!?!?!?!?! Go compare their college stats. It's about the same. And al horford is NOT that athletic. He had a slower lane agility drill than Sheldon Williams did last year and his 3/4 court sprint was below average. His vertical leap is listed at 32", which isn't bad, but it's no 37" like Yi. I have no idea why everyone has just assumed that Al horford is a top talent. He was average in college and he'll be average in the nba...

Posted by: jd on June 30, 2007 1:49AM EST Billy, Trade Shelden williams and TL or speedy for YI now. The Bucks need to move him and you have forwards to trade. We need YI so trade for him.

Posted by: Da Truth on June 30, 2007 3:31AM EST Guys give it up. WE'RE NOT GETTING YI. If we wanted him that bad, we would have draft his sorry ass. Instead, he got top, proven talent. Stop doubting these guys before you even give them a chance to prove themselves on the court.

Posted by: Jibran on June 30, 2007 4:44AM EST lets pray for the playoffs fellas, eight years is a long time and i dont want it to be nine.

Posted by: Edo River on June 30, 2007 8:22AM EST Horford is a better risk than Yi, and I feel if we had taken Conley instead of Horford I would have been happy with that. Since I don't have to pay for tickets and help support their learning curve, I'm happy with whatever Billy assembles. I am wondering about Salim's position on the team. Seems Law is overlapping Salim's territory.

Posted by: Maurice on June 30, 2007 10:37AM EST Why are you guys pouting over Conley? He can't shoot! So how would or could he help JS and JJ? Dribbling the ball up the court and miss the open shot sounds good to you I guess. Woodson would have picked Crittenton if Acie wasn't available at the 11. Just because a guy takes his team to the Championship game doesn't make him a stud in the NBA. Look at all the Duke busts in the NBA. Well I should say underachievers.

Posted by: cdub on June 30, 2007 10:37AM EST Non basketball players listen up. Point guards have to be able to shoot that is what makes them good because you can't leave them open. Steve Nash, Chauncey can shoot. There is a difference in shooters and scorers. Conley can't shoot period. We needed a baller handler that can shoot to take the heat of Joe and it opens up the middle and now we have a tough inside player that can make baskets. Learn the game-Great draft Billy and the Owners.

Posted by: KB21 on June 30, 2007 2:46PM EST This was a near perfect draft for the Hawks. They came into this draft needing two things: A. A big man that can defend, rebound, and bring toughness in the paint and B. A point guard that can shoot, facilitate the offense, and defend. The Hawks got both out of this draft. Al Horford is a beast in the paint. While some want to call him a power forward, Al Horford played the center position for the Gators and will likely fill the center position for the Hawks. He's in the mold of Dwight Howard and Amare Stoudemire, who both play center more than they play power forward in the NBA. The key here is that Al is tough, is a ferocious rebounder, and is probably the best interior defender in this draft. I think he's got 20/10 potential, and you will see his offense take off in the NBA. Acie Law is a steady point guard that has a lot of Chauncy Billups in his game. He doesn't have Chauncy's body, but he has the ability to shoot from the perimter and drive to the basket to make things happen. IMO, it was very close between Conley and Law as to who the top point guard in this draft was. Conley is very fast, athletic, and has tremendous vision, but Conley can't shoot the basketball. Acie Law isn't quite as fast in the open court nor is the distributor Mike Conley is, but Acie Law is a better perimeter shooter as well as mid range shooter. Acie Law also took less three pointers per field goal attempt than Mike Conley Jr. Acie also does a great job of getting to the free throw line.

Posted by: TJ on June 30, 2007 7:12PM EST FIRE BILLY KNIGHT, REPLACE THE WORST COACH IN THE LEAGUE, AND THEN MAYBE WE MAY HAVE A CHANCE TO SAVE THIS TRAIN WRECK.

Posted by: fahmi indrawan on June 30, 2007 10:32PM EST the hawks got too many forwards and i think hawks should trade one of them. guys like shelden williams OR marvin williams need to be traded for a good quality center. my thought about which team had the best overall draft picks? ATL of course. when you got a ncaa repeat champ and an all-big12 point guard, it's definitely something.

Posted by: Anonymous on July 1, 2007 2:27AM EST please trade for amare he is the final piece im tellin you in the east he would be more dominating then he was in the west...package our two picks this year and possibly sheldon and then trade for sebastian telfair

Posted by: Anonymous on July 1, 2007 12:58PM EST Please, let that above comment read "First Team All-American Point Guard.... as well as being all-big12" that is all. congrats to the hawks. acie won't let you down, and we are sad to see him go.

Posted by: tony on July 1, 2007 7:03PM EST I hope Acie Law get this message. Please do not try to strive to be better than you opponent openly. (Luke 14:11) Just strive to be the best player you can be. Many people before us have falter for elevating themselves over another humanbeing. That apply to me and every humanbeing on the face of this earth. Let your ability speak for itself.

Posted by: damon on July 1, 2007 7:46PM EST charles, this is basketball, not a complex math problem. chill out with the super stats and understand that basketball is a game about mental toughness and instincts. Horford is a winner and he will be good. Yi is soft as cotton and has to adjust to the nba game, horford and law are ready now which is what the hawks need most importantly. Oh yeah and last time I checked, Haslem was the starting power forward on a championship team. Lol! c'mon charles.......

Posted by: Matt (Texas A&M) on July 1, 2007 8:41PM EST Trust me guys, i went to several A&M basketball games and caught all the others on tv, and you're definitely getting a winner. I've seen Acie pull some stuff in big games that you don't get out of many guys. If nothing else you'll never be able to question his effort or skills. I don't know much about the Hawks because I live in Texas and am a Rockets fan, but I'm the newest Atlanta Hawks fan because im such a fan of Acie's. Hopefully the Hawks can turn it around this year.

Posted by: fahmi indrawan (f.i.) on July 2, 2007 1:05AM EST yea, i meant 1st team all-american.

Posted by: fahmi indrawan (f.i.) on July 2, 2007 1:12AM EST acie for president! speedy ain't no speedy no more.

Posted by: fahmi indrawan (f.i.) on July 2, 2007 1:15AM EST hey by the way, how good is rodney stuckey?

Posted by: tony on July 2, 2007 7:57AM EST I woke up this morning feeling depress because we didn't pick Mike Conley Jr. I think Acie Law will be a terrific ball player but I can't except his boastering attitude. He's only setting himself up for failure. Mike Conley Jr is totally different. He's not out to prove to anyone that he is the best point guard in the land - he just goes out to improve his game day in and day out. I'm from the old school so I know what I'm talking about. I bet u right now that Acie Law is still thinking about that last second shot which cause his high school team to lose the state title. Remember when the Aggies lost to Memphis in the Sweet 16? He score 13 points and 1 assists. Mike Conley Jr and the Buckeyes crush Memphis. He score 20 points and 2 assists. Mike Conley Jr is a humble kid and thefore he will be more successful than Acie Law if Acie doesn't change his approach in the way he conduct himself in life. (Luke 14:11)

Posted by: Fred Everett on July 2, 2007 8:15AM EST Remember Billy's drafting philosophy...draft the very best talent available (accumulate "valuable assets")...let the players sort it out on the practice court...package the odd men out in trades for players / picks that better fit Hawks' needs going forward. Therefore...be prepared for one or two summer trades that will strengthen our team at positions that do not as yet measure up to the level we require to be a serious contender. We still need that 6' 11" - 7' shot blocking and rebounding beast...we still need a high octane off the bench scorer who can aggressively defend both # 1 and # 2. As for the rest of the team...I really like how we are shaping up. From this fan's perspective...it is no longer a question of whether or not we will make the 2008 Playoffs (assuming normal injury issues)...the question is, "Which seed ?" Go Billy...Go Hawks

Posted by: Fred Everett on July 2, 2007 10:05AM EST Point looks much stronger for 2007-8 season. In addition to Acie...T-Lue and Speedy both had routine knee surgery two weeks ago to clean out loose junk. With full recovery expected for both players...maybe we will go into the season with four healthy players at Point ! Go Billy...Go Hawks

Posted by: BeeWard on July 2, 2007 2:25PM EST I think Acie already has the advantage over Lue and Speedy and is going to start at PG almost straight away. He will develop his passing ability, and already has adequate shooting. Both Lue and Speedy didn't exactly have a high PPG (points per game) average last season. I see Acie having a double digit PPG, probably somewhere in the high teens to start off at. Give him time and he might even have a similar PPG to JJ. I'm happy with our draft. We wanted a big and a small player, and the combo of Horford/Law is much better than the combo of Conley/Wright or Conley/Thornton. Give Horford some time and he will be our starting center, by which time hopefully Marvin Williams will show us why we picked him so high in his draft to play PF.

Posted by: Peace on July 2, 2007 4:18PM EST We NEED A COACH!!!!

Posted by: draft expert on July 2, 2007 4:31PM EST Improvement is just around the corner. The Hawks did exactly what they needed to not completely abandon all that was done up to this point. The draft picks they have assembled are so interchangeable that we should be able to run with anyone in the league (the question is Woodson ready to release the Hawks onto the league.) This is where Don Nelson would excel having this much youth on a team. On the Conley subject which I have ripped from day 1, the guy is a player just not for the Hawks. He would have never been a good fit for the Hawks because late in games he would have been open to shoot and he doesn't have the skills yet. One thing everyone that wanted to compare him to Tony Parker seems to forget, the Spurs were going to trade him for Jason Kid or anything because they felt we couldn't shoot and finish out a ball game. Hard work and Tim Duncan later now he is considered a solid point guard. Conley will struggle in Memphis but most of the rookies from this class will have growing pains as so much is expected from this class. The Hawks have studs that can come in and fit into the interchangeable components of this offense and not miss a beat.

Posted by: tony on July 2, 2007 5:44PM EST draft expert? Prove that Mike Conley is not a good fit for the hawks. You just want to throw out some negative talk about Conley hoping that someone will agree with you. The draft is over bud. Just hope that Acie Law can keep his mouth shut and focus on being the best athlete he can be and stop telling the whole world that he will strive to be the best point guard in the NBA.

Posted by: f.i. on July 2, 2007 9:25PM EST which one do you guys prefer?: -al horford & acie law -mike conley jr. & spencer hawes i'll have to go with the 1st option.

Posted by: draft expert on July 3, 2007 10:02AM EST I am perfectly fine with the Hawks picks and excited about the upcoming season. Conley rolls off everybody's tongue because of the NCAA's but prior to that he wasn't even an afterthought on that Ohio State team (even with Oden out). Memphis is in as much trouble with their roster as the Hawks were. Conley is a young Eric Snow (mark my words). Even if Acie Law shoots first, the last time we were winning games a point guard named Mookie was jacking it up.

Posted by: Trotlanta on July 3, 2007 4:37PM EST Comparing Conley to Snow is just stupid. Snow was never considered draftable out of high school and he never had the speed that Conley has. They are completely different players. Many NBA experts consider Conley a potential superstar in this league. They have made mistakes but not often. Don't get me wrong, I love what the Hawks did with our picks. they made the best choice addressing two major needs. You people screaming for the team to trade for a legit center, please go to an NBA game or turn on FSN, TNT or ESPN once in a while and watch an actual game. You'll discover that this league is ACHING for legitimate centers and people aren't just giving them away. Additionally teams are proving that you can win without one (Maybe not a championship) but you can get into the playoffs and go deep. This team, as constructed, can play well if they are coached well. Which brings me to my next subject. LET THE ATHLETES RUN!!! This team is built for speed. Take a page out of Nelly's book. He took a team of underachieving guys with no menacing post presence and got the Warriors to a respectable level. It can happen for us too. Let's get our collective heads out of the clouds dreaming for Stoudemire and the non-existent "big man" just waiting for us to make an offer, and let's put the guys we have in a better position to win by taking advantage of our best asset. Youth, speed and freakish athletes. The last thing we needed was another thing to make us anonymous to casual fans like...I don't know...new team colors!

Posted by: fanofthegame on July 3, 2007 7:46PM EST Where are ALL those nasty comments from people talking so much $H!T BEFORE the draft?? Please people, don't jump on the Horford/Law bandwagon NOW! Go ahead and root for another team, it's all good, but if we do well this season, nobody needs to be jumpin' on the Atlanta Hawks d!c#, 'cause we don't need part time fans!!!!!!

Posted by: Jarvis on July 3, 2007 11:54PM EST 1) For those who wanted Conley at #3 -makes no sense... we had two top 11 picks and two needs, not one of each. the package we got was the best pg, big guy package available in the draft. CONLEY AND ??????????? 2)There are maybe 5 legit big men in the entire NBA and there are 30 teams. no one is giving up a legit big man. 3)There are no legit free agents that will be an great impact on the Hawk's or any other team for that matter. 4)The roster will stay as it is because we got the best deal possible this offseason with our two draft picks. 5)To those wanting a new coach. -The job Woodson has done with the teams that he has had is probably the same job that any coach would have done with the same players. We have improved each year, even last year when we could have lost more considering all the injuries. 6)To those wanting to run a SUNS offense. -the Suns are running the Suns offense. Every team in the league would like to run a Suns offense, but who else in the league runs a Suns offense and is as productive... Dallas (close but still not the same), Golden State (yeah they were successful for about 2 weeks), ???. We have to create our own identity. No one has still yet played like Michael Jordan, although everyone would like to. 6) We have depth and talent to win. The team has grown together and this is the season that it all comes atleast 75% together... meaning atleast a .500 season. PG - Law, Speedy, T. Lue SG - Joe Johnson, J-Chill, Salim SF - J-Smoov, Marvin Williams, J-Chill PF - Marvin Williams/Shelden Williams, Al Horford, Solomon Jones C - Al Horford, ZaZa, Shelden Williams, Lorenzen Wright

Posted by: BWA on July 4, 2007 9:38AM EST Javis, MARVIN IS NOT A POWER FORWARD!

Posted by: seasonticket25years on July 4, 2007 3:03PM EST 1) Is Acie fast and quick enough to guard people like Iverson, Parker, Wade, Nash, even Kidd, Williams? I've read he is not. Speed and quickness of point guards is ALWAYS a factor in the playoffs where lack of it is exploited. 2) Eventually, and soon, I want to see Horford at power forward not center and Josh Smith at small forward. How many playoff teams have won championships with out a big, big man, who has offense and defense? Not too many and certainly not in the last 8 or more years between Shaq and Duncan. 3) Josh Smith MUST develop a low post turn-around jumper like Dominique had. Smith can jump higher and get thta shot off naytime he wants, just like Dominique could. If he doesn't have that developed this coming season, I just won't understand what he or the Hawks are thnkking. 4) We know the guys who we need to trade or let go: Sheldon, Williams, Claxton, Wright, Solomon so that we can at least ty to find a 7-foot shot blocker and shore up the inside defense. Horford will help, but we need bigger.

Posted by: draft expert on July 5, 2007 10:08AM EST The point of speed is lost currently on the Hawks because they still try to run a half court offense. This is typical East Coast basketball. The Hawks have young legs and should be able to out pace most teams in the East. Games are won in the 4th quarter but sometimes the Hawks were putting up 12 pts in a quarter. Position on position in defense doesn't happen much anymore. You put your best defenders on specific players. It's more about position on the court and plays that create mismatches. At 6'5 Law will be able to post up on isolation plays if needed and let Joe rain it from outside (this could also be switched). Centers are no longer a big ticket item because the league is more athletic now. You need players with size that rebound, defend, and can hit shots outside the paint to draw defender out to free the middle. The Hawks have assembled players that are interchangeable the missing link is the green light to run. When the Hawks are most impressive is when they are free flowing with the offense and not worrying about going to a specific spot on the floor. Lue did an amazing job when not injured of giving them floor balance last year and Law will be able to do the same. The Hawks are indeed a much better team with these band of characters than at any other point in recent memory.