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92.9 The Game's Mike Conti joins Andy and Randy to offer the postmortem on the Hawks bowing out of the NBA Playoffs, and what Onsi Saleh and the front office must accomplish this offseason to vault the team forward into the Eastern Conference elite.
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00:00Happy Cinco de Mayo, Sports Radio 92.9 The Game, 20 minutes away from NFL No Huddle to kick off
00:06the noon hour.
00:07We'll get back in some NBA conversation, both playoffs related, as well as Anse Saleh, some of his comments from
00:12over the weekend, wrapping up the season.
00:14So we'll get there at 1220, back page with Bo and Hour from right now.
00:18But 1140 on Tuesdays, Mike Conte joins the show. Mike, how are you?
00:22Good, guys. How are you?
00:23Doing well. We haven't talked since the Hawks season came to an unceremonious end last week.
00:31Are you able to separate how it ended with how they got there?
00:35Yes. And honestly, I was at that point during the game.
00:39But I think as time goes on, it's even easier to do that.
00:43The Knicks were the better team in the series. The Knicks were favored to win.
00:48The Knicks choked game two. Otherwise, this would not have even gone to a game six.
00:53So to me, it doesn't make a difference to me if you lose by one or 51.
00:58The outcome is still the same.
01:01Yeah, I mean, it's embarrassing and it's historic and all that.
01:04But it doesn't rewrite any of the history or any of the events that occurred in the final couple weeks
01:13of the season.
01:13The only thing that I'm really still not comfortable with and trying to push back on as much as I
01:20possibly can is this notion now that what the Hawks did post all-star break was a fluke because of
01:27who they were playing over that span of time.
01:29I just don't think that's fair.
01:30And I think it's inaccurate, too, because some of the wins that the Hawks got in that stretch are against
01:37teams that are still playing right now.
01:40And, yeah, okay, asterisk, Cade didn't play when they played the Pistons.
01:45Well, the Pistons were still, I think, like a 70% win team without Cade Cunningham.
01:53So that's the part that really bothers me, that now we're going to, I'm not saying you guys, I'm just
02:00saying collectively the discourse out there is, well, now you've got to reevaluate everything because in reality the Knicks exposed
02:07you and the success that you did have really didn't count because you're playing a lot of tanking teams.
02:12I just, I don't buy into that.
02:14I think a lot of good things happened for the Hawks down the stretch.
02:17I think a lot of moves that may have been made for the short term can now be a little
02:24more sustainable for the long term, and that was proven over that stretch.
02:28I'm not going to throw everything out and discard the plan because you were down by 61 in a playoff
02:34game.
02:34I don't think that's the right thing to do.
02:36Mike, we've had some, I guess, like, you know, statements and things.
02:40You hear this, and it's like, this exposed what the Hawks need.
02:45Did you see an exposure of what they needed after this game or was it before?
02:50Okay, that's what I'm saying.
02:50Like, we always knew what this team needs to be better at what they do.
02:55Do you look at Anse as a guy that's going to get this done this offseason?
02:59Like, what do you think is probably the biggest pressing need right now?
03:03Not pressing need, or first order of business, I should say.
03:06I'm going to give you a different answer than maybe the one that's really hanging out there right now.
03:12As well, they need to get bigger and tougher in the frontcourt.
03:15I think they need more depth.
03:16I think they just need more depth right now.
03:20And if you go back to the team that the Hawks have had that made their best run in the
03:26last 10, 15 years,
03:27that was the 2021 team that had a ton of depth and had to lean on that depth
03:33as players got hurt during the postseason.
03:35But that was a team with Danilo Gallinari coming off the bench.
03:39And don't laugh, he was really, really effective coming off the bench for the Hawks.
03:43He had Solomon Hill coming off the bench.
03:45He had Tony Snell coming off the bench.
03:47He had Chris Dunn coming off the bench.
03:49That was a team that had a really, really solid second unit.
03:54And I think one thing that got exposed in this series,
03:57again, everyone's going to say, well, the Hawks were too small.
03:59They didn't match up with Robinson and, to an extent, Towns.
04:04I think they didn't match up with the Knicks because the Hawks couldn't lean on a second unit.
04:09So to me, where I'm starting is, okay, forget looking for your $25 million to $30 million a year
04:18veteran who can come in and maybe you can form a big two or a big three.
04:22I want to make that bench a lot better.
04:25But I think the strategy of what the Hawks do in this offseason really starts to take shape this Sunday.
04:32Because you'll know on Sunday, okay, we've got a top four pick.
04:36We are guaranteed that we're going to get one of these four or five guys.
04:40And then you can plan around that.
04:42Or we got unlucky.
04:43We're going to be the eighth pick.
04:44We're still going to get a nice player.
04:46But we might not be getting one of the real cream of the crop like Patterson, DeBansa, like that level.
04:54So now maybe we need to evaluate what the free agency market looks like in a different lens,
05:00what veterans who could potentially bring in through a different lens.
05:04You're not going to want to go out and identify a big money free agent that you're going to target
05:10until you know what this draft is going to produce for you, in my opinion.
05:14So once we get through Sunday, I think when we sit here this time next week
05:19and we're having this discussion, we'll have a much better idea now of what the plan can be for the
05:24Hawks.
05:24Are they going to pick in the top three?
05:26Well, if they are, then build around that.
05:31Build around that draft pick.
05:32If you're not, then you're choosing maybe a different plan.
05:35Yeah, that's kind of my question is how, in terms of lottery interest,
05:42we've had a lot of years over the last decade where we've been pretty locked in to hoping the ping
05:46-pong balls go our way.
05:47Where does this one rank in terms of the importance as far as the future of the franchise goes?
05:52Yeah, I put it up there with 2019 where the Hawks had really, really good odds.
05:57That was the Zion lottery.
05:58They had really, really good odds, and they got unlucky, and I think they ended up with, what, the fourth
06:03pick?
06:04I'm trying to remember.
06:05I don't remember.
06:05Was that the year they came out with a conglue?
06:08Oh, that would have been the sixth pick then.
06:09Or a sixth pick, yeah.
06:10That's what it was.
06:11Hunter was four, but that was the year before.
06:13I think that was the year before.
06:15Yeah, I think 2019 was the year where the Hawks, I think they had the fifth best odds, and they
06:23ended up sixth.
06:25And everyone was lamenting that this was just a hideous stroke of bad luck.
06:29So the 2019 draft, the Zion draft, is the year they got DeAndre Hunter fourth and Cam Reddish tenth.
06:35Okay, that was it.
06:36Yeah.
06:37So maybe they, okay, maybe that was it.
06:39They had, like.
06:39Which in the moment seemed awesome.
06:41Yeah.
06:42And it really turned out to not be.
06:43Well, you know what the funny thing was?
06:45I'll never forget.
06:45Were you doing the draft show with me that night at the arena?
06:47I think so.
06:48And everything fell into place where they got Reddish tenth because the Wizards took Hachimura ninth,
06:53and we couldn't believe, like, oh, what are they thinking?
06:57Taking Roy Hachimura over.
06:59Oops.
06:59They actually got that one right.
07:01It's been much, much better.
07:02Roy Hachimura is not playing for the Washington Wizards anymore, but Cam Reddish isn't playing
07:06in the NBA anymore.
07:07Roy Hachimura has a playoff game tonight.
07:09Right.
07:09Yeah.
07:10And it will actually be a significant factor in that game for the Lakers.
07:14But no, I look at this as 2019.
07:16You know, we went into that night, the Hawks, you felt like they really had a chance, and
07:20Zion's massaging the Hawks.
07:23Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
07:24Oh, he wants to be a Hawk.
07:25Let's go.
07:26And you ended up with a fourth pick, which was still, you know,
07:29unfortunately in that draft, that draft is not nearly as deep, but you thought that
07:33if you got lucky and you got number one, and by the way, that whole perception turned
07:39out to be incorrect as well.
07:40But we were looking at it at the time that Zion is a franchise transformational player.
07:46He is.
07:47But he's going to stay healthy.
07:48Pretty healthy this year.
07:50Yeah.
07:50And first time in a while.
07:52It's true.
07:52That dude can ball, man.
07:53I don't know why.
07:54I mean, I understand the whole picking on, like, people like to throw shots at him out of
07:58shape.
07:58That dude, when he's righty.
08:00Yeah.
08:01I look at him that way.
08:02I don't disagree.
08:04But he never wrought.
08:05He's never right.
08:06He's never right.
08:07I mean, I'll give him that he's supple, you know, like, I'll give him that.
08:12But, you know, I struggle to come up with, you know, positive actions right now to describe
08:18Zion's career.
08:19That old draft.
08:20I know there's a little, whatever.
08:21We'll go down a side path here.
08:22That old draft is littered with guys that either were supposed to be, or at times almost
08:27were like franchise changing guys.
08:29Like Zion.
08:30I mean, he plays for a team that drafted him and he hasn't played in a playoff game.
08:34Jaw was number two.
08:35RJ Barrett was number three.
08:37DeAndre Hunter was number four.
08:40Darius Garland.
08:41I mean, there's a lot of guys in there that are like, oh, wow, look at the upside.
08:44And some of them have lived up to it, sort of.
08:46And there's been a lot of other stuff that's happened with those guys, too.
08:50Yeah.
08:50But again, you know, that's going to be something we're going to have to remember going into
08:55Sunday in this lottery is even if you pull a top five pick.
08:59Who knows?
09:00There's still, you know, no, the unforeseen that could occur, you know, now this is a
09:05very deep draft.
09:06I think the, the chances of unforeseen are way less, but this all goes back to the point
09:11and hearing Anzi Saleh talk about this on Friday and then seeing some of the reporting
09:17from Mark Stein and others afterwards really kind of centers me on the Hawks are not going
09:25to go out and try to be players for like a Giannis or like a super all NBA type free
09:33agent
09:33or trade or something like that.
09:35What if Kevin Durant is available?
09:37We were talking about this yesterday.
09:40Honestly, I would not do that.
09:42I would not do that.
09:43I think right now you've got a pretty clear plan to stay young, build around your youth,
09:50be competitive while doing it, which you can do.
09:53Um, you bring in Kevin Durant at what?
09:5637.
09:57Seven.
09:59And where was Durant in this post season?
10:01But was he playing?
10:02He got hurt.
10:02I'll take him.
10:03I just, I'm worried about his durability.
10:06I'm worried about his age.
10:07And what else?
10:08Huh?
10:09And what else?
10:10He's a grump.
10:11That's okay.
10:12I don't mind that.
10:14No, if he helps you win, I don't care about that.
10:16I don't think he's going to help you win.
10:18I mean, he's not going to hurt you, but I don't think he's transformational and you're
10:23only going to have him for a year or two anyway.
10:25I would not do that.
10:26I would not build around Kevin Durant.
10:28Um, you know, if you can go like one name that's been thrown out there a lot, I really
10:33like this guy, Walker Kessler, like, all right, young, grr, certainly younger than
10:38Durant.
10:39Um, you know, if you get him.
10:43Yeah, but younger, you know, uh, high ceiling Atlanta guy, there's a lot to like about him.
10:50Um, but even that's a guy that you can't really build a team around, you know, he's
10:55not a centerpiece of a team.
10:57Um, he's a center and you need that, you need that.
11:00But then I don't know what you do with a Congo at that point, because I don't know if
11:05Onyeka is a guy that wants to play power forward, right?
11:09You know, look, you're building around Jalen right now.
11:12Um, you hope you get a draft pick that compliments him that can make the team better.
11:18When you say right now, I want to go back to you say right now, what would have changed
11:22that to build around Jalen?
11:25As far as if he would have played better in, no, no effect, no effect, no effect whatsoever.
11:30Okay.
11:31Jalen Johnson was an all-star this year and might be third team all NBA, right?
11:35No, you're no effect on what it give the New York Knicks a lot of credit, a lot of credit
11:41for frustrating him and putting him in positions where he could not create his own shot.
11:49That's a testament to the New York Knicks.
11:52And again, going back to the Hawks and depth, that's a testament, unfortunately, to the Hawks
11:57just not being deep enough to match up, uh, in a way where they, they could free Jalen up
12:04to be a little more in his game.
12:07Uh, he is still an all-star caliber player and a player that you want to build around.
12:14And the keel is another.
12:16And, you know, I think the most difficult decision you'll have of your existing roster
12:22right now is what to do with CJ McCollum to be totally on.
12:25I think that is the most difficult decision.
12:28I, my opinion, I've seen enough of Kaminga.
12:31I would not bring him back just in my opinion.
12:34Uh, and that's me speaking as Mike Conte, not, you know, anything that anyone has told
12:39me, it's just my opinion.
12:40And I don't know if it's shared among people with the Hawks, but I'm moving on.
12:46Um, CJ is the interesting one because he played really well this year, but I have similar concerns
12:54with CJ as far as his age and his durability and the sustainability of what he did this year
12:59and whether or not you can keep him on a, uh, a financial level that is sensible for the team.
13:06That to me of your existing roster, that's where it all starts.
13:10You know, do you keep him?
13:11And then you build around that.
13:12Now they don't lose anything from the Kaminga if he walks, right?
13:16No.
13:16Well, they'd have to tell him to walk.
13:17I mean, that's what I'm saying.
13:19Like, well, but I think there's a team option, right?
13:21Yeah.
13:21There's a team option.
13:22So there, it won't be anything.
13:24Okay.
13:24Yeah.
13:24I tell you about the game on, uh, on Saturday.
13:27Yeah.
13:27Man, it was great.
13:27You know, with Randy McMichael and Samson.
13:30He was on the, uh, he was on the thing up top.
13:32Oh, no kidding.
13:33Yeah.
13:33I was like, we walked out.
13:34One of the guys said, oh, this is the kid that was on the TV.
13:37They said, he was like, Randy.
13:39And so I was like, yeah, I'm Randy.
13:41He's like, yeah, what's going on, brother?
13:43I love the show.
13:43I was like, yeah, I'm with him.
13:44Yeah.
13:45Well, yeah.
13:45Cause I mean, you, you recognize my son before that, but I mean, obviously three in a row.
13:49Yeah.
13:49They're playing well.
13:50Yeah.
13:51They're playing well.
13:52And, uh, you've got the young guys really stepping up now.
13:55Like I thought Cooper Sanchez played really well for them on Saturday, created two goals,
13:59uh, getting Jay fortune, Matt Edwards in there off the bench was really important.
14:03Uh, so the young guys are playing well.
14:05They're kind of leading this little surge that they're having right now.
14:09The thing that I don't want to see is the world cup disrupting all their momentum because
14:14we're getting close to that.
14:16Now, you know, they're going to be off for seven weeks starting at the end of this month.
14:20So between now and then you have to be productive here.
14:24You're going to host LA galaxy on Saturday team.
14:26That's kind of mid flying across the country.
14:29You feel like you should be in a position where you'll be favored going into that game.
14:35Then you got this weird thing where you play Orlando in an MLS game.
14:38Orlando was terrible, but they have woken up.
14:41Then you play Orlando again, three nights later in a U S open cup game.
14:45And if you win that you're in the semifinals of the U S open cup, which is huge.
14:49And then you play Columbus who beat you, but they're not very good.
14:52So you have a chance to string together a couple more positive results, get yourself above
14:59water right now in that playoff picture, because it's going to be a sprint when you come back
15:04for the world cup.
15:05But I just hope that everything they're doing now doesn't get thrown off and disruptive
15:09because basically they're going to take seven weeks off.
15:12How many guys on Atlanta United are playing in the world cup?
15:16I think it hasn't been formalized yet, but it looks like maybe two all more own looks
15:23like he's going to be with Paraguay.
15:24There might be one other Jaden Hibbert might sneak into Canada and get on with them.
15:30There might be one or two other.
15:32It's not going to be a lot.
15:33Will not be a lot.
15:34All right.
15:34Thanks, Mike.
15:35Appreciate it.
15:35As always, we will take a break, come back, get to an NFL no huddle after this on sports
15:39radio, 92, nine, the game.
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