#SLOE: People's Basketball Sim League

Wig slouches into the room, bruised and battered.

"So, hey, that training camp, what a time!"

"As many of you know, we here in Atlanta have been riding high on the hog for some time... luxury tax payments have been up, and over the past three years, championship banners have been down. I thought we were legitimate contenders when the Raptors and Lakers won but last season - though many others thought we might still be contenders - I didn't truly think we were. I thought the East was the Wizards' to lose. And they lost it, but not to us.

"A round 1 upset by the Celtics, when we managed to go 1-3 at home, sealed the deal for me. I never minded paying the tax when we were title contenders... but if we ain't contending, I ain't paying. So you saw this team go through a major overhaul by design.

"We loved Ben Wallace. Still do. Still think he's got a shot at more DPOYs. But when I made the decision to rebuild, I didn't want to do it halfway. We're pleased at the growth of young mister Okafor this offseason and expect him to be our Center going forward. He will be expected to replace Big Ben even though we know that's not really possible.

"As for Ben Gordon, well, let's just say we're not so pleased with his work ethic. We moved Korver along with Big Ben Wallace to open up playing time for Gordon and it appears he has decided that since the SG was his, he didn't have to earn it. Well, I moved quick to get him in here and I can move just as quick to get him out of here. So he'd better produce.

"So we're in a transitional phase. McDyess is still here... for now... he and Desmond Mason will be looked on to lead the team in the short term. In the longer term, we have a number of players we want to get a look at - expect a number of different lineups as we sift through our young assets and figure out who is worth keeping going forward and who is not.

"The best thing I can say about our squad is... um... we have our own draft picks. And we have cap space for the first time in a while. We'll definitely be active in the trade market as we try to pursue deals we think will better the squad.

"Yes, it will be lean in Atlanta for a bit while we go back into the business of acquiring assets. But when the time is right, the Hawks will be back. This, however, is likely not the year."

Random Reporter: As you mentioned that you're moving back into the asset-acquiring stage, are there any players currently on your roster whom you would consider to be "key" assets?

Xist2Inspire wrote:Random Reporter: As you mentioned that you're moving back into the asset-acquiring stage, are there any players currently on your roster whom you would consider to be "key" assets?

Nobody yet. I have hopes for some of the younger dudes, but we're going to throw them into the fire and see how they respond. If they do well, they may move into "key" assets but for now, I don't have anyone I'm particularly attached to.

Generic Wolves Reporter: How has McDyess reacted to the rebuild? Has he expressed interest in a trade?

How long do you envision your rebuild taking? Obviously, this is highly dependent on training camps and draft positioning, but what do you see as your time frame?

IamQuailman wrote:How long do you envision your rebuild taking? Obviously, this is highly dependent on training camps and draft positioning, but what do you see as your time frame?

Our last rebuild took about 6 seasons before we were title contenders but we were hurt by not having our own draft picks for a couple of those seasons early. Since we aren't in that position this time around, I'm hopeful this will be shorter, but, as you mention, a lot of it depends on factors out of our control.

JNR wrote:Generic Wolves Reporter: How has McDyess reacted to the rebuild? Has he expressed interest in a trade?

McDyess has been surprisingly low-key about it. He was drafted during our last time rebuilding phase and is familiar with the process, having seen it close-up. We are willing to move him if the right opportunity arises, but he's not expressed dissatisfaction with the team.

Nick Melon; Charlotte Observer: Does Antonio understand the kind of mess the Hawks are about to find themselves in or has he asked for a trade out of town after seeing his friends in Penny and Big Ben bolt for Orlando?

NickMalone77 wrote:Nick Melon; Charlotte Observer: Does Antonio understand the kind of mess the Hawks are about to find themselves in or has he asked for a trade out of town after seeing his friends in Penny and Big Ben bolt for Orlando?

McDyess has been surprisingly low-key about it. He was drafted during our last time rebuilding phase and is familiar with the process, having seen it close-up. We are willing to move him if the right opportunity arises, but he's not expressed dissatisfaction with the team.

Any lessons learned by the swift rebuild of the rival Raptors?

Soundwave wrote:Any lessons learned by the swift rebuild of the rival Raptors?

Given the Raptors have more or less openly shopped their prize free agent signings, I'll have to keep an eye on them to see what kind of a haul they get in return before I'm clear on what lessons to take away.

Dr. Rocker, The Cleveland Rocker: A question on the philosophy of not being in contention. Assuming you are always keeping an eye on keeping your options open, how do you decide between trying to win, trying to lose, and just working the asset portfolio? Do you have a default inclination?

42PhD wrote:Dr. Rocker, The Cleveland Rocker: A question on the philosophy of not being in contention. Assuming you are always keeping an eye on keeping your options open, how do you decide between trying to win, trying to lose, and just working the asset portfolio? Do you have a default inclination?

Anyone who has watched the history of the Hawks knows (1) I'm a bit of a scrooge when it comes to the tax and (2) my default inclination is to accumulate long-term assets but (3) when I feel the team has a chance to be a legitimate title favorite (not just a playoff contender) I have no problem converting long-term assets to short-term ones to "win now."