ducks
05-24-2007, 08:55 AM
ajc.com > Sports > Hawks
No. 3 pick a hard one for Hawks
By SEKOU SMITH
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/24/07
Now that the suspense of the NBA draft lottery is over, the Hawks can get down to the real business of figuring out what to do with those two picks, No. 3 and No. 11, they won Tuesday night.
The possibilities are endless.
They could simply study the players available and make the two picks. Or they could package one of the picks and a current player and trade them for veteran help at a position of need. Or they could trade down and acquire another asset to facilitate other aspects of a rebuilding project that got a major jolt with Tuesday night's good fortune.
Again, the possibilities are endless.
Hawks general manager Billy Knight knows as much. That's why he wasn't tipping his hand during a Wednesday morning media session at the Hawks' downtown headquarters.
"Now the work begins," Knight said. "We have to go through the process. And it's a process where you have to evaluate all of the particulars and all of the information you can about a specific player's background. You have to gather statistical information, medical information and all the information imaginable. And certainly we're confident we'll find someone that can help our team."
A new league rule prevents teams from bringing players in for individual workouts until after the Orlando pre-draft camp, June 5. So the hands-on part of the process is a couple of weeks away. But they'll be in the catbird's seat with the third pick in a draft where the first two picks — Greg Oden and Kevin Durant — have already been identified.
"We really think that [No. 3] starts the rest of the draft," Knight said. "We'll have to look at all of those guys after those top two guys. The consensus is pretty standard for the league that it's the top two and who they are. After that it's really up to another six guys probably."
Figuring out the six names Knight already has in his head is the great mystery as to what may transpire on draft night June 28.
Florida forwards Al Horford and Joakim Noah, North Carolina forward Brandan Wright, Chinese forward Yi Jianlian, Kansas forward Julian Wright and Ohio State point guard Mike Conley will all be discussed as possibilities for the third pick. But Knight admitted Wednesday that the speculation is nothing more than that.
"We don't have any idea who we might pick," Knight said. "We just got the pick last night. We can't bring players in until after the Orlando camp, after [June] 5th. But we are going to have more assets."
One problem the Hawks won't have is getting the attention of the top prospects. In the past, agents would steer players to workouts for select teams, arguing that their client wouldn't be available later in the draft. That shouldn't be the case for the Hawks, not with the top pick for the rest of the draft seemingly up for grabs.
"We didn't get the No. 1 or No. 2 picks but we feel like we've got the No. 1 pick in the East," Knight said and then laughed. "And we feel like we will have some leverage there because we're setting the pace for the rest of the draft."
Knight wouldn't even let on which positions he would consider first for the draft picks, saying that not only is it against league rules to comment but that he "wouldn't even if he could."
General managers playing coy at draft time is part of the process.
"We know we'll get a good player," Knight said. "We'll get two good players or perhaps we'll make a trade and get a veteran player to add to our team. But we know we're going to come out on the other side of this process with some assets."
Find this article at:
http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/hawks/stories/2007/05/23/0524hawks.html
No. 3 pick a hard one for Hawks
By SEKOU SMITH
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/24/07
Now that the suspense of the NBA draft lottery is over, the Hawks can get down to the real business of figuring out what to do with those two picks, No. 3 and No. 11, they won Tuesday night.
The possibilities are endless.
They could simply study the players available and make the two picks. Or they could package one of the picks and a current player and trade them for veteran help at a position of need. Or they could trade down and acquire another asset to facilitate other aspects of a rebuilding project that got a major jolt with Tuesday night's good fortune.
Again, the possibilities are endless.
Hawks general manager Billy Knight knows as much. That's why he wasn't tipping his hand during a Wednesday morning media session at the Hawks' downtown headquarters.
"Now the work begins," Knight said. "We have to go through the process. And it's a process where you have to evaluate all of the particulars and all of the information you can about a specific player's background. You have to gather statistical information, medical information and all the information imaginable. And certainly we're confident we'll find someone that can help our team."
A new league rule prevents teams from bringing players in for individual workouts until after the Orlando pre-draft camp, June 5. So the hands-on part of the process is a couple of weeks away. But they'll be in the catbird's seat with the third pick in a draft where the first two picks — Greg Oden and Kevin Durant — have already been identified.
"We really think that [No. 3] starts the rest of the draft," Knight said. "We'll have to look at all of those guys after those top two guys. The consensus is pretty standard for the league that it's the top two and who they are. After that it's really up to another six guys probably."
Figuring out the six names Knight already has in his head is the great mystery as to what may transpire on draft night June 28.
Florida forwards Al Horford and Joakim Noah, North Carolina forward Brandan Wright, Chinese forward Yi Jianlian, Kansas forward Julian Wright and Ohio State point guard Mike Conley will all be discussed as possibilities for the third pick. But Knight admitted Wednesday that the speculation is nothing more than that.
"We don't have any idea who we might pick," Knight said. "We just got the pick last night. We can't bring players in until after the Orlando camp, after [June] 5th. But we are going to have more assets."
One problem the Hawks won't have is getting the attention of the top prospects. In the past, agents would steer players to workouts for select teams, arguing that their client wouldn't be available later in the draft. That shouldn't be the case for the Hawks, not with the top pick for the rest of the draft seemingly up for grabs.
"We didn't get the No. 1 or No. 2 picks but we feel like we've got the No. 1 pick in the East," Knight said and then laughed. "And we feel like we will have some leverage there because we're setting the pace for the rest of the draft."
Knight wouldn't even let on which positions he would consider first for the draft picks, saying that not only is it against league rules to comment but that he "wouldn't even if he could."
General managers playing coy at draft time is part of the process.
"We know we'll get a good player," Knight said. "We'll get two good players or perhaps we'll make a trade and get a veteran player to add to our team. But we know we're going to come out on the other side of this process with some assets."
Find this article at:
http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/hawks/stories/2007/05/23/0524hawks.html