The Atlanta Pick

[fordronken]

A lot of us have been worried about where the pick might land next season. Could the Hawks make the playoffs? Maybe, but when you really break it down, probably not.

Here are some teams that are absolutely making the playoffs:

Detroit
Cleveland
Chicago
Boston

Here are teams that have a very good chance of making it:
Toronto (with an improved Bosh/Bargnani duo)
Washington
New Jersey
Miami

That's already 8 teams. Meanwhile, you still have Orlando, which has a good shot of making it now that they have an improved Howard and Nelson, as well as newly signed Rashard Lewis. There's also Milwaukee, which was ravaged by injuries last year, the new look Bobcats and Philly, which played surprisingly well after the Iverson trade.

So who's probably going to finish ahead of Atlanta?

1. Detroit
2. Cleveland
3. Chicago
4. Boston
5. Toronto
6. Washington
7. New Jersey
8. Miami
9. Orlando
10. Charlotte

Then add the teams in the West:

11. Phoenix
12. Dallas
13. San Antonio
14. Houston
15. Utah
16. Golden State
17. Nuggets
18. Lakers
19. Clippers

So, as far as I see it, the worst the pick could be is the 11 pick. Not great, but definitely somewhere we could get a good player. Then, on top of that, I could very easily see them getting passed in the standings by:

20. New Orleans
21. New York
22. Philadelphia
23. Milwaukee

Now we're up to the 7 pick without too much of a leap. And then, what if Gasol is healthy? Add him with Miller, Conley, an improved Gay and new head coach Iavaroni. And who knows?

The Hawks could be a very bad team next year.

 

[elindholm]

I agree. Our best hope, in my opinion, is that the Hawks are looking awful near the trade deadline and the Suns can cash the pick in for significant immediate help. No one drafted next summer is going to help the Suns in time for their current championship window.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I agree. Our best hope, in my opinion, is that the Hawks are looking awful near the trade deadline and the Suns can cash the pick in for significant immediate help. No one drafted next summer is going to help the Suns in time for their current championship window.

I disagree. We need that pick long term. Not only for the ability to be a good player, but the ability to be a good player with a rookie contract.

 

[hsandhu]

With the moves made in the east I'm definitely feeling better about the atl pick than I was around draft time.

 

[Skumbag]

does it matter? you know we're gonna just use it to dump off one of our contracts anyway.

 

[Mulli]

I disagree. We need that pick long term. Not only for the ability to be a good player, but the ability to be a good player with a rookie contract.

 

[fordronken]

I agree. Our best hope, in my opinion, is that the Hawks are looking awful near the trade deadline and the Suns can cash the pick in for significant immediate help. No one drafted next summer is going to help the Suns in time for their current championship window.

Who would be your ideal candidate?

 

[asudevil83]

i personally am not all that thrilled with Miami/NJ/Washington. either of these teams could easily wind up sub-500 in my book.

if the eastern conference stays healthy next season, then atlanta will be in the lotto. they dont have quite the experience/confidence to make a real push yet.

but if any of Miami/NJ/Washington/Boston loses any of their top talent, they could EASILY wind up in the lotto.

and remember what happened with Chicago a few years back. they went from garbage and projected garbage to a playoff team over the course of an offseason, WITHOUT picking up a big name FA.

 

[asudevil83]

Who would be your ideal candidate?

Atlanta?

 

[fordronken]

Atlanta?

I meant player.

 

[SactownSunsFan]

That Atlanta pick could be great. Sure, they have a few individual talents, but they don't have that "glue" guy yet that puts them all together as a solid team. Add to that the fact that their front office and coaching staff are a joke, and you get a team that will not make the playoffs.

If I could, I'd put money on the pick being anywhere in the 5-8 range.

 

[fordronken]

Here are some players I'd be willing to consider for a deadline trade for the Atlanta pick and our trade exception:

- Emeka Okafor
- LaMarcus Aldridge
- Ron Artest and Kevin Martin with a future 1st
- Chris Wilcox, Mouhammed Saene and Delonte West (using 3 separate trades: the KT exception for Wilcox, the James Jones exception for Saene and Piatkowski for West)
- David Lee and the Knicks pick

 

[Joe Mama]

Here are some players I'd be willing to consider for a deadline trade for the Atlanta pick and our trade exception:

- Emeka Okafor
- LaMarcus Aldridge
- Ron Artest and Kevin Martin with a future 1st
- Chris Wilcox, Mouhammed Saene and Delonte West (using 3 separate trades: the KT exception for Wilcox, the James Jones exception for Saene and Piatkowski for West)
- David Lee and the Knicks pick

You'd get laughed off the telephone also. Phoenix Suns aren't getting any of those packages for the Atlanta draft pick and a trade exception.

Joe

 

[Nasser22]

You think the Bobcats would give us Emeka? They made the Wright for Richardson trade because they want to win sometime in the near future.

If we can get a quality player then I'm all for it, but I think they should use the pick for a point guard. I don't want Barbosa as our PG of the future because he's just not that good at the position.

 

[fordronken]

You'd get laughed off the telephone also. Phoenix Suns aren't getting any of those packages for the Atlanta draft pick and a trade exception.

Joe

The point is, anything less than those types of trades just aren't worth it if the Atlanta pick is looking any good. Trading the Atlanta pick for a player like Drew Gooden is just plain dumb. The pick is the possibility of having a franchise type player for a long time. If we're not getting somebody really good for it, then it's a stupid trade.

 

[GYDevil]

Also don't forget that the three teams that won the lottery were the 4th, 5th and 6th worst teams. If Atlanta ends up anywhere from 4-8 we have a realistic shot at one of the top 3 picks.

 

[Sunsman44]

I doubt history repeats itself on back to back drafts. Next year the worst team will probably get the first pick - my hunch. And given the luck - or lack of luck - the Suns have, HAWKS will prob end up doing a decent job and Suns will pick somewhere in the 14-18 range.

It all goes downhill from here, fellas. Need to trade away Banks and Marion to get this thing up and running again.

Need guys like Nocioni, Balkman, Lee, Gomes, Barnes, and Posey to succeed......

 

[elindholm]

The point is, anything less than those types of trades just aren't worth it if the Atlanta pick is looking any good. Trading the Atlanta pick for a player like Drew Gooden is just plain dumb. The pick is the possibility of having a franchise type player for a long time. If we're not getting somebody really good for it, then it's a stupid trade.

That's a valid point of view, but I disagree. First of all, a "possibility" of a franchise player is just that, a possibility. There's risk no matter which way you play it. If the point is to win a title, you roll the dice for a title whenever it looks like the circumstances are right.

To answer your other question, I have no idea what kind of player might be available.

 

[Joe Mama]

The point is, anything less than those types of trades just aren't worth it if the Atlanta pick is looking any good. Trading the Atlanta pick for a player like Drew Gooden is just plain dumb. The pick is the possibility of having a franchise type player for a long time. If we're not getting somebody really good for it, then it's a stupid trade.

I may be on my own here, but I think it's pretty unrealistic to believe we are going to get anybody better than Drew Gooden with that lion's draft pick. Remember that drafting in the lottery does not necessarily get you a franchise player. In fact it rarely does.

My bet is that Atlanta either barely makes or barely misses the playoffs. Maybe we'll get lucky and Joe Johnson will get injured for the duration of the season? I doubt it. I'm convinced this Phoenix Suns team is cursed.

Joe

 

[SactownSunsFan]

I doubt history repeats itself on back to back drafts. Next year the worst team will probably get the first pick - my hunch. And given the luck - or lack of luck - the Suns have, HAWKS will prob end up doing a decent job and Suns will pick somewhere in the 14-18 range.

It all goes downhill from here, fellas. Need to trade away Banks and Marion to get this thing up and running again.

Need guys like Nocioni, Balkman, Lee, Gomes, Barnes, and Posey to succeed......

So you're saying we need players worse than Marion to succeed?

 

[Bufalay]

Maybe we'll get lucky and Joe Johnson will get injured for the duration of the season?
Joe

Thats not very nice. I bet Joe Johnson wouldn't consider himself lucky if you got injured.

 

[azirish]

I may be on my own here, but I think it's pretty unrealistic to believe we are going to get anybody better than Drew Gooden with that lion's draft pick. Remember that drafting in the lottery does not necessarily get you a franchise player. In fact it rarely does.

My bet is that Atlanta either barely makes or barely misses the playoffs. Maybe we'll get lucky and Joe Johnson will get injured for the duration of the season? I doubt it. I'm convinced this Phoenix Suns team is cursed.

Joe

I don't know what the team's view of the LT will be in February when it is clear they need to get bigger. Based on absolutely no information what so ever, I think the maximum they'd go for is no more $4 million (probably less).

Depending on how they are doing, I still the the Hawks themselves are the best bet. If they are in the #10-#11 range, their pick would be more valuable to them than anyone else because then they can just tank again.

Zaza Pachulia - $4 million with one more year on his contract
Al Horford - $3.7 million
Marvin Williams - $4.5 eligible for extension next summer
Josh Smith - $2.2 (elibible for an extension this summer but not happened)
Lorenzen Wright - $3.2 is in last year of contract
Sheldon Williams - $3.2 eligible for extension next summer
Solomon Jones - $729K

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

ATL's pick will bring us Derrick Rose, a pass first pg that excels at run n gun and has more hops than <insert something with lots of hops here>

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OtZd2koUMrk

BOOK IT!

 

[azirish]

ATL's pick will bring us Derrick Rose, a pass first pg that excels at run n gun and has more hops than <insert something with lots of hops here>

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OtZd2koUMrk

BOOK IT!

If we were absolutely sure of getting into the top three, there are very very few guys I'd even consider. Oden, Durant, Horford... after that, I'd say no chance.

The main proviso is that that if the pick is clearly very late lottery. Then if trading it would give the Suns a substantially better chance at winning it this year, I'd say they have to do it.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

whats that have to do with derrick rose?