The Official Draft Lottery Thread

[Gaddabout]

Not that much cap room. Right now they have 48.5 million invrested into next season's roster. You add the 3-4 million from the #3 pick the 2-3 million from the #11 and that pretty much wipes out their ability to sign any FA.

There's still room for the MLE. If they had one more solid veteran last year at any position they might've made the playoffs. The Hawks are not as bad as their record indicates.

 

[elindholm]

I'm more upset of the fact that the Suns will have to deal with Durant and Oden being in the same division than I am about the Hawks getting the third pick truthfully.

I wouldn't worry about that. Dallas and San Antonio have to deal with Durant and Oden too. It all balances out. Basically the Western Conference just got tougher for everyone, but the pecking order among top teams hasn't changed.

 

[TucsonDevil]

At worst, ATL makes the playoffs with a low seed. That pick next year is late teens, early twenties.

Sucks to be a Suns' fan right now.

 

[Diamondback Jay]

I wouldn't worry about that. Dallas and San Antonio have to deal with Durant and Oden too. It all balances out. Basically the Western Conference just got tougher for everyone, but the pecking order among top teams hasn't changed.

True.

Teams like Minnesota and Utah are probably more in line for complaints than the Suns are. They get to face them more regularly.

 

[Ryanwb]

The NBA is just on a downward spiral of suck. There is such an imbalace of talent it's sad

 

[Milgod]

Seriously though Atlanta will find a way to **** this up. Wait and see, they will not make the playoffs again next year.

 

[green machine]

The NBA is just on a downward spiral of suck. There is such an imbalace of talent it's sad

That is what's crazy. The East will never get better if the teams draft like crap (the Hawks) or never get the top pick (the Celtics). Now with Oden and Durant in the West the rich got much richer.

 

[Oolong]

I still think that the Suns can pull off a trade for Garnett. I am eternally optimistic about this, until he is with another team. Maybe the two picks this year plus marion and next years pick. I think it is really going to boil down to how bad Garnett wants to leave. As of now he is saying that he doesn't want to leave, but we will see with another uneventful off season and some D-Leagus player being called the answer to their problems, he may just get fed up and ask to bounce. I cross my fingers for this. The Suns may have bad luck, but they always see m to pull off big trades one way or another. (Barkley, Kidd). Lets hope for some more of that.

 

[slinslin]

Because the Hawks looked like they were putting things together before JJ got injured. There were moments that Josh Smith looked like he was becoming an All-Star. Add two bonified talents to that team and the Hawks have to be considered the 5th or 6th best team in the EC. This is not even assuming Marvin Harrison learns or thing or two about the game this summer.

JJ running the two-man game with Yi Jianlin? That could be a potent scoring combo right there.

IF I remember right after Joe Johnson got injured the Hawks actually won more games, like 4 of the next 5.

Yi is not going to be such an impact player and they will draft Conley at #3 regardless imo.

Teams that should definately be better than Atlanta are Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Washington, Toronto, New Jersey, Orlando and Miami. And lets see what kind of offseason improvements teams like New York, Indiana, Charlotte, Boston, Milwaukee etc make..

You know Portland should be better than Atlanta for sure, Seattle looks to be better with Wilcox , Lewis, Durant. Allen and Ridnour starting. Memphis should be better with Gasol healthy..

I see Atlanta as a team with one of the worst 10 records still next season.

 

[Diamondback Jay]

You know Portland should be better than Atlanta for sure, Seattle looks to be better with Wilcox , Lewis, Durant. Allen and Ridnour starting. Memphis should be better with Gasol healthy..

I can't say I disagree with you one way or the other, however Memphis is likely to trade Gasol and Lewis is likely gone from Seattle.

 

[Oolong]

I think Atlanta takes Conley at three and Noah at 11 if he is still there. Noah would be very good for their offense unfortunately.

 

[NDNACE]

Rookie point guards take time to adjust to the league unless you find a gem like Chris Paul. I think the Hawks are the Clippers of the East and are perennially lottery bound until they get a veteran point guard. They will have a ton of talent but no distributor unless they get lucky with Mike Conley. Too many stars on the Hawks team, looks like trouble to me if they do not win a lot of games early next year.

 

[dodie53]

when are the teams going to announce who they picked on the draft?

 

[arthurracoon]

 

[Diamondback Jay]

June.

 

[mribnik]

I wonder if D'Antoni has come out of the closet yet.

 

[tobiazz]

The Hawks have Marvin Williams, $9+ million in expiring contracts, and two high picks in the deepest draft in a long time. They could make a killer trade for an immediate impact player.

 

[Cheesebeef]

did the Suns build AWA on ancient indian burial grounds?

 

[Cheesebeef]

The Hawks have Marvin Williams, $9+ million in expiring contracts, and two high picks in the deepest draft in a long time. They could make a killer trade for an immediate impact player.

how hilarious would it be if the Hawks got KG?! I would stop watching basketball.

 

[Chaplin]

The Hawks have Marvin Williams, $9+ million in expiring contracts, and two high picks in the deepest draft in a long time. They could make a killer trade for an immediate impact player.

Like Shawn Marion?

 

[elindholm]

Teams like Minnesota and Utah are probably more in line for complaints than the Suns are. They get to face them more regularly.

Actually that's not true. Teams play four games each against division opponents, and three or four games each against conference opponents in different divisions. So it's a difference of one fewer game per season against each of Portland and Seattle, tops -- and the "odd" games shift from year to year.

Divisions are purely cosmetic. Everyone in the conference has almost the identical schedule.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Like Shawn Marion?

he said IMPACT player.

i'm seriously starting to believe JC made a deal with the devil to beat the Yanks and his true the love the Suns, will forever suffer because of it.

me sad, enraged, pissed, ridiculous. just ridiculous.

 

[Mainstreet]

Right now I tend to think that the loss of the Atlanta pick this year makes it more likely that the Suns will be doing more than tweaking. I see the Suns more likely to be involved in a major trade now.

 

[elindholm]

Right now I tend to think that the loss of the Atlanta pick this year makes it more likely that the Suns will be doing more than tweaking. I see the Suns more likely to be involved in a major trade now.

Hmm, I expect the opposite, mainly because their most attractive trading chip just vanished into thin air.

 

[Mainstreet]

Hmm, I expect the opposite, mainly because their most attractive trading chip just vanished into thin air.

Maybe, but the Suns tend not to rely on the draft under D'Antoni. He likes proven talent. Now that the Suns lost Atlanta's pick (an impact player) for this year, IMO, almost every Suns player will have a price tag on them if the right deal comes along with the LT bearing down.