Billy Knight may actually going to draft a point guard? Is this the first sign of the end?

Don’t gripe if Hawks draft Horford at 3

By Mark Bradley | Thursday, June 21, 2007, 07:31 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Mark Bradley

Just because the Detroit Lions drafted dud wide receivers in years past doesn’t mean Calvin Johnson will be a similar dud. Just because the Hawks should have taken point guards with their first picks of previous drafts doesn’t mean they should take one this time.

Mike Conley Jr. is a fine player who was, over the three weeks of March Madness, the NCAA tournament’s MVP. Conley is a point guard, and the Hawks, as the world knows, still lack one of those. But the guess is that they won’t make Conley the draft’s No. 3 selection, and they might not make him the No. 11 even if he’s available.

The belief here is that the Hawks will keep the No. 3 pick and spend it on Al Horford. And before you start screaming, “Another forward!”, be advised that Horford isn’t a replica of any current Hawks player. He’s a polished power forward who’s close to being a center. He’s not quite Tim Duncan, but he surely has elements of the splendid Spur about him.

Horford can shoot — he improved his jumper hugely from Florida’s first title run to its second — and can rebound and block shots, and mostly he can pass. Like all those delightful Gators, he knows how to play. Brandan Wright could well develop into a Horford in two years’ time, but Horford is already there. In a draft where there’s a gap between the top two players and everybody else, Horford seems clearly the best of the rest.

He can bring to the Hawks what Billy Knight, thinking wistfully, hoped Shelden Williams would. And if you’re thinking Horford would simply wind up playing behind Josh Smith at power forward — obviously you’d want a dead solid starter from such a lofty slot — remember that Smith will be a free agent after next season and could be packaged, perhaps with the No. 11 pick, in a trade for a seasoned point guard. (Mike Bibby, maybe?)

Even if Smith and Horford wind up on the same roster, they aren’t necessarily overlapping talents. Horford can work with his back to the basket. Smith can play small forward. (Stop me if you’ve heard this, but Knight likes guys who can man multiple positions.) And no, Horford isn’t a point guard, but there’s a greater issue: If the Hawks didn’t feel Marcus Williams, whose body and skills were more suited to the NBA than Conley’s, was worth the No. 5 pick last year, why would they believe Conley is worth the No. 3 this time?

Conley is 6 feet 1 and 175 pounds. He didn’t make more than two treys in any game last season. Back when Knight and I were on speaking terms, he told me, “So many possessions in the NBA wind up with the ball in the point guard’s hands with five seconds on the shot clock.” For that reason, I always believed he preferred Deron Williams — who’s bigger and stronger and who shoots better from distance — to Chris Paul. (Stop me if you’ve heard this, but Knight wound up not taking either.)

For that reason, I believe there’s a guard who could well be available at No. 11 who fits what Knight wants more than Conley, more than Acie Law. Javaris Crittenton is, depending on which listing you trust, 6-4 or 6-5. He’s very strong. He shoots the trey effortlessly. He’s not yet a polished distributor, but he shows signs. Is he ready to start for an NBA team? Not in Year 1, but he’s capable of doing as Jarrett Jack did in Portland, working as a sub for a season before taking over.

I don’t know that Horford and Crittenton would put the Hawks in the playoffs next season, but they would in 2009 and for several years beyond. Drafting Horford and dealing for Bibby would have greater immediate impact, but if the Hawks are serious about wanting to keep all their young players, taking this big forward and this big point guard would be, ahem, big steps forward.

#1 Conley isn't a character issue like a Marcus Williams was in last yr's draft.

Trading for Mike Bibby makes a lot of sense if SAC-TOWN IS WILLING TO DO THAT.

I thought ATL picked Shelden Williams mainly because of his good character.

Pharzeone - are you not familiar with the word alleged? Williams is a quiet, studious, hard working kid.

High school TEAMS ? That's happen when he was traveling with kids from his highschool team all the way up to the state of ohio from the bible belt oklahoma.

Who else do you hang with on those type of teams but team members.

2002 EA Sports High School All-America selection
Gatorade Oklahoma Player of the Year: 2001, 2002
2001 USA Today Oklahoma Player of the Year
Oklahoma Player of the Year in 2001 by the Daily Oklahoman
Oklahoma Defensive Player of the Year: 2000, 2001
Ranked number 49 in the nation among all players by ESPN.com following his senior season (averaging 20 points, 12 rebounds, three blocked shots and three assists as a senior)
Rated the nation’s fifth-best prep player by Future Stars and BlueChipHoops.com and sixth by College Basketball News entering the 2001-02 season
The Sporting News listed Williams as the nation’s sixth-best prep player entering 2001-02
Rated the nation’s number one forward by Basketball News and Prepstars
Three-time all-state, all-district and all-city selection (1999-2001)
2001 Parade All-America .

With this resume I do believe it was bad judgement and that's all


Being in the wrong place at the wrong time is all that happen to him.

Do you think coach K would have taken this kid and put him under his wing in the Dukie Program? I THINK NOT !

During high school, Williams was a member of the National Honor Society and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He notes his favorite athletes as Shaquille O'Neal and Kevin Garnett. He is currently engaged to University of Tennessee Lady Vols basketball star, Candace Parker.


[Edited by - playa2 on 22-06-2007 21:22]