Eulogy for Billy Knight

The name Billy Knight will mean little to the casual sports fan. He served as the Hawks GM for five seasons which was most notably marked by a Hawks team that barely managed double digit wins and ugly ownership battle concerning one of Knight’s arguably best moves, the trade for Joe Johnson. Yet there is only one name which Hawks fans will remember from the Billy Knight era and funnily enough it is a player that has never even worn a Hawks Jersey: Chris Paul.
Three years ago the Hawks landed the second pick in the draft. It was a given that Milwaukee would draft the center from Utah Andrew Bogut. However, the Hawks stood in an interesting position with the second pick, whether to draft for need or to draft the most talented player left at that spot, unfortunately the Hawks did neither with the pick. To be fair, it should be noted that the player the Hawks drafted Marvin Williams was considered to be clearly the better NBA prospect than anyone else in the draft after Bogut. Instead of blossoming Williams has turned into a solid and still improving wing that does nothing exceptionally well. He still could turn into a good player but one thing is painfully clear, he is no Chris Paul.
Chris Paul finished second in the MVP voting in only his third NBA season. His season was a statistical wonder; he averaged 21 points, 11 assists, and almost 3 steals. None of that really matters though. It is the way he dominates the flow of the game that really catches one’s eye when watching the Hornets play. He is everywhere, grabbing a loose ball, throwing a lob to Tyson Chandler, setting up Peja Stojakivic for a three, or pushing the ball up court for an easy layup. He is the best point guard in the NBA and it is not really even close right now.
The point is that what remains from the Billy Knight era is that legacy. Much like the Portland Trailblazers are haunted by having taken Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan the Hawks will be haunted by what might have been. Overall the rest of Knight’s record is fairly unexceptional with some bad mixed with some good. The drafting of Shelden Williams over Brandon Roy was another slap in the face to Hawks fans and the Speedy Claxton signing yet another brutal reminder that the point guard who was playing for the Hawks was in fact not Chris Paul. Yet mixed in with these choices were some good ones, like aforementioned Joe Johnson trade, the drafting of Josh Smith and last year Al Horford.
The Hawks have hope for the first time in many years. Having made the playoffs and taken the number one seed Boston to seven games, albeit without a winning record in the regular season. The Hawks stand to improve in the upcoming seasons if they are able to keep this nucleus together, yet every Hawks fan will forever leave with the thought of what might have been. A fact that is drilled into us every game, as we watch Chris Paul lead his Hornets deeper and deeper into the Playoffs, we think over and over, what might have been.