ATL AM: Atlanta Sports News 7/9

Apr 7, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap (24) smiles after drawing a foul against the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter at ORACLE arena. The Jazz defeated the Warriors 97-90. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Hey everyone, I’ve been out of the game for a bit but it is definitely nice to be back. First things first, a poll on the Paul Millsap deal:

Now let’s jump into some stories:

How Not To Be A Journalist (Talking Chop)–A lot of people were fired up about a column that Bill Shanks wrote comparing Jason Heyward to Jeff Francoeur and apparently Mr. Shanks didn’t like the backlash he got. Franklin Rabon of Talking Chop grills him:

"Now that would just make the article bad. What makes the article laughably bad is the hubris that allows someone to write an article entirely about himself, and publish it in a small town paper. Bill devotes an entire paragraph about why he supposes that statheads don’t like him. Which his belief is that it’s due to him writing an anti-moneyball book 8 years ago. I’ll say that based on the book’s sales, it’s not even possible that this is a main (let alone the primary) reason why he’s disliked. I’ve personally never even read moneyball, and I don’t even actually know anybody that read his anti-moneyball book personally. I don’t even dislike Bill Shanks, I think he’s just incredibly awful at his job (unless that is, if his actual job is being unintentionally hilariously bad at his nominal job)."

Statheads see a different game (Macon Telegraph)–And this is what Bill Shank’s wrote in defense of all the heat:

"Stats are fine, to a point. I like seeing what a player’s batting average is, how many home runs and RBI he has and can even stomach seeing what the on-base percentage is. But get too far past that, and it is just gets to be too much. Let the young kids sit with their calculators and watch the games. That’s fine. I don’t need that and neither do most who watch baseball.Statheads have never really liked me, mainly because about eight years ago I wrote a book that had the audacity to challenge their self-appointed bible, a book called “Moneyball.” I simply believe there are other ways to look at talent and how to determine who can make it in the major leagues. Others lean toward stats and ignore other issues. Neither way is perfect, but the reliance on stats predominantly over makeup and a scout’s intuition took off after Michael Lewis’ book.There’s a place for that, and most teams have even hired people to sit and crunch numbers all day. But it has totally brainwashed people into believing that if you don’t buy into this, you’re simply old and out of touch. But isn’t it OK to just sit and enjoy a baseball game without getting wrapped up in the numbers?"

Andrew Bynum to meet with the Atlanta Hawks later this week (Peach Tree Hoops)–It’s looking unlikely that Bynum signs with the Falcons, given the interest of Cleveland and Dallas, but it’s still possible:

"The Mavericks and Hawks could potentially agree to a longer deal with Bynum than Cleveland although, in the Hawks case, the starting offer likely wouldn’t be as high as the others. Any team that does sign Bynum to a contract will no doubt leave themselves outs in the form of team options on future seasons. The meeting with the Cavaliers and Hawks could also be a ploy by Bynum’s representation in an effort to pressure Dallas into a better offer."

Atlanta Hawks Swapping Jeff Teague For Brandon Jennings (Soaring Down South)–With the recent Brandon Jennings rumors, as well as the Bucks and previous head coach Larry Drew being interested in Jeff Teague, it’s possible that the teams actually do swap point guards:

"Brandon Jennings to the ATL makes little sense to me. He’s a ball-dominant, high-volume scorer that loves to be in the spotlight. Coach Budenholzer and staff have the ability to turn him into a “purer” point guard, but changing his entire style of play in one off-season will be rigorous.Teague to Milwaukee will give former Hawks coach Larry Drew something the Bucks haven’t had in a while: an efficient point guard. Who knows, could we be seeing #TopTierTeague dominate the Central Division next season?One aspect Jennings has in his favor is youth. While Teague is 25, B.J. is only 23, which provides extra room go grow as a player."