The Pittsburgh Pirates of the NBA

With the NBA Draft dawning on us in three days, perhaps the most intriguing story is not whether Greg Oden or Kevin Durant gets picked first, but what the Atlanta Hawks do with their draft picks. Stepping away from just an ordinary team-by-team draft analysis, I decided to dedicate my entire blog post on the team that needs the most help, the Atlanta Hawks.

The Atlanta Hawks have had a history of losing. The history is so long that they are among the teams that at the beginning of each season, everyone can confidently assume they won’t be contenders. They go in that category along with the Charlotte Bobcats, Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Washington Nationals, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Cleveland Browns. Having a losing record for the 9th straight season, they desperately need help everywhere. The Hawks are the worst team in points per game and three-point percentage, 33%. They are also the third worst in field goal percentage with 44.4%. Their defense is not as horrific but still pretty bad. They are ranked 15th in points allowed and 22nd overall in rebounds per game, 40.1. While their offensive rebounding is good thanks to guys like Josh Smith and Josh Childress, 9th overall; their defensive rebounding is awful, 28th overall.

Before I go into what they should do in the upcoming draft and off-season, let’s take a look at what they have and what they need. Their small forward position is excellent with Josh Smith and Josh Childress as a backup; the last thing they need is another small forward. They also have an excellent shooting guard in Joe Johnson. He was out for a significant portion of the season which can explain why they were the worst team from beyond the arch. They can use a cheap quality backup at this position if Johnson continues to struggle with injuries. Their center, Zaza Pachulia is decent despite what his stats show. His presence is felt but it wouldn’t hurt to upgrade here. As far as their power forwards are concerned, both Marvin Williams and Shelden Williams are both young and thus have not been huge contributing factors. However, they were both drafted the past two years so the Hawks do not need to pull a “Detriot Lions” and try and draft at this position for a third straight year. That leads us to the point guard position which is on life support. Currently, an overpaid Speedy Claxton and a mediocre Tyronn Lue occupy the spot. The team cannot setup a play for the life of themselves which is why their field goal percentage is one of the worst in the league. They have to address this position, now.

Now to look at how they can improve these positions… The Atlanta Hawks have had a recent history of bad drafts. The highlights include passing on Brandon Roy, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, and Luol Deng. This needs to be stopped and Thursday would be an excellent time to do so with a loaded draft. The Hawks have two picks this year, both of them being lottery picks, the 3rd and 11th. The big debate is whether they should draft a power forward like Al Horford or Brandon Wright with the 3rd pick or go for a lower ranking player that would allow them to finally choose a point guard like Mike Conley Jr. I personally think this is a no-brainer; go for the point guard, but some feel differently. Here’s what can happen with each scenario.

With the 3rd pick, the Hawks could draft Al Horford (who looks to be favored over Brandon Wright at this point). Then, with the 11th pick they can either draft a point guard, or draft another player and find a point guard via free agency. I have been preaching Acie Law since the first time I saw him and I’m not going to stop now. Law is a terrific combo guard who will no question be an all-star and will be an absolute steal for any team that gets him. I’m talking Iverson skills with the Kobe clutch shot. This is definite possibility at the 11th pick since it doesn’t look like anyone will draft Law beforehand. If they decide to pursue a point guard in the market, they can draft C Sean Williams, C Spencer Hawes, or SG Nick Young. PF Joakim Noah and PF Yi Jianlian would be a stretch at the 11th position, but if they are available, they would be great picks at 11.

If the Hawks decide to learn from past mistakes and draft Mike Conley Jr. with the 3rd pick, they can pursue the people mentioned above with the 11th. This would guarantee them an upgrade at the point guard position as well as a quality extra. That way they don’t have to aggressively pursue players in the free agent market. The problem with picking Mike Conley Jr. here is that they would be neglecting what looks to be a promising big man in Al Horford. However, the consequences are greater in choosing him. They would not only have a lot of work ahead of them in free agency, but they would also be sending the message that they pretty much wasted draft picks with Marvin and Shelden Williams and they provide little use to the organization. Like I said, drafting Mike Conley Jr. is a no-brainer.

Unfortunately, either scenario does not greatly improve the Hawks for the next two seasons. They have to get involved with veteran players whether it be trades or free agent signings. The Hawks have a huge advantage here because they are one of the few teams that are significantly under the salary cap. They will be 6.6 million dollars under the cap after contracts expire July 1st. This leaves a lot of room to sign a player who can help out now. One option that sticks out like a sore thumb is Chauncey Billups who just announced today they he will opt out of his contract with the Pistons and enter the free agent market. If the Hawks decide to take Horford, Billups would make it all okay. An excellent player who can run the court, Billups not only provides leadership but also scoring as he can shoot the jumper or drive through the lane.

Other names include Rashard Lewis and Darko Milicic. Lewis can provide a three-point shooter which they desperately need being last in the category but is unlikely due to their depth at the small forward position. Milicic, age 22, is a more likely candidate as he has shown significant improvement as a rebounder and shot blocker. He can be a cheap improvement in the defensive rebounding area which the Hawks are terrible in. Another upgrade option at the center position includes defensive player of the year, Marcus Camby. The Denver Nuggets may be looking to trade a few players, namely at center since they have both Camby and Nene. Camby could provide the rebounding and shot blocker skills the Hawks need as well as veteran leadership.

Recently, the Atlanta Hawks released new jerseys and a new logo design to change the look of their team. This may be a sign of a change in winds in Atlanta. This off-season can be huge for the team if they execute the right moves and deals. Losing has to stop eventually, just look at the Golden State Warriors who were a joke not too long ago. If they can compete in the Western Conference, the Hawks can definitely win an Eastern Conference Championship a few years from now.

References: NBA.com, ESPN.com

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Juan Pablo Montoya won the Toyota/Save Mart 350, winning his first Nextel Cup race. He has now won a race in three of the major racing sports: NASCAR, Formula 1, and Indy Cars.