Post by jhb on Jan 22, 2020 15:37:22 GMT
Dave O'Brien
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Today, Atlanta welcomed the sixth and seventh player members to join the Hawks Ring of Honor in The Gold Club, Olden Polynice and Ron Mercer!
Polynice and Mercer were two key acquisitions in the 2022 season that helped elevate the Hawks to contender status and win their first title in TMBSL 5.0. Polynice was a preseason addition that was added in a trade for the pick that would famously become LeBron James and he brought a tenacity to the boards and additional frontcourt defense that paired well with Jonas Valanciunas and created one of the best frontcourt tandems in the league. The move also allowed fellow The Gold Club member Tony Battie to move to the bench where he blossomed into his crucial role as sixth man providing scoring and rebounding to the Hawks bench units.
Mercer would not be outdone though, as the journeyman joined the Hawks after being a part of two trades in as many days and plugged a hole as depth on the wing that they did not previously have. His three point shooting (he would go on to finish 16th all-time in three point percentage) would help buoy the Hawks bench scoring and lead them to a title. After a season away with the Mavericks, Mercer would return in 2024 and continue to be a part of many more successful Hawks' seasons.
When asked about their monumental achievements as members of the Atlanta franchise, both Mercer and Polynice mentioned that they were looking forward to returning in future seasons to help welcome their former teammates and fellow Hawks legends Jonas Valanciunas, Stephen Jackson, and God Shammgod into The Gold Club fraternity.
~~~~~~~~~
Olden Polynice
Atlanta Hawks (2022-2026)
At a Glance
- Pound for pound greatest rebounder in TMBSL history
- Holds 3 of the top 8, 4 of the top 16, and 5 of the top 40 single-season rebounding performances in TMBSL history
- His dominant 2025 season carried the Hawks to their final title season in the mid-2020s, averaging 23 points and 14 rebounds per game while contributing over 2.5 steals and blocks per game and shooting over 55% from the field
- While being known more for his rebounding and defensive prowess and being just a solid offensive contributor, he did record 5 seasons at 54% from the field or better
- Really blossomed as a player once he got out from underneath the care of two absentee GMs
- Retires 7th all-time in total rebounding (13,493) and one of only 12 players all time to eclipse 12,500 total career rebounds
- Former Bull, Former Hawk
- Won 4 times as many titles as LeBron James, for whom he was famously traded, was a key cog in the dominant Hawks run of 3 straight titles, 5 straight Finals appearances, and 4 straight years with the league's best record; his control of the boards was the missing piece that helped round out the dominant Hawks teams of the mid-2020s
- Finished his career slightly outside of the Top 50 all-time in win shares with 126.9 total win shares, good for .176 WS/48 for his career
- 50th all-time in career free throw makes (5,168) and 23rd in attempts (7,721)
- 40th all-time in career blocks (1,278)
Career Stats
Years played: 14
Games played: 1074
Points per game: 18.8
Rebounds per game: 12.6
Assists per game: 1.8
Steals per game: 0.9
Blocks per game: 1.2
Turnovers per game: 2.1
FG%: .509
FT%: .669
3P%: .400 (5 attempts)
Achievements
Champion (4x)
All-Star
All-Defensive Second Team
Player of the Game (131x)
Player of the Month
Rookie Game Participant (2x)
All-Rookie Second Team
2017 - All-Star Rookie Game Participant
2017 - All-Rookie Second Team
2018 - All-Star Rookie Game Participant
2020 - All-Defensive Second Team
2025 - All-Star Game Participant
Career Highs
Points: 46
Rebounds: 36
Assists: 8
Steals: 6
Blocks: 8
719 double-doubles
Biography
Height: 6'11"
Weight: 230
College: Virginia
Transactions
- Drafted 4th overall in the 2017 Rookie Draft by the Carolina Cougars and GM sirsativa
- Selected by new GM idhant to join the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2018 expansion draft
- Selected by GM TimPig to join the Bulls in the 2020 contraction draft of the Lakers
- Resigned with the Bulls in free agency to a deal for $120,312,500 over 7 years
- Was traded before the 2022 season to Atlanta for the 2027 1st round pick that would become LeBron James
- Was traded before the 2027 season to Tri-Cities in a 7 player, 3 pick megadeal between Atlanta, Tri-Cities, and Miami that also included several late 1sts, John Havlicek, Jerry Sloan, Isaiah Thomas, Allen Iverson, and Josh Smith
- Agreed to return to Tri-Cities for $14,000,000 over one year in 2028 Free Agency
- Signed an MLE deal with Harlem in 2029 that was extended by one season
- Was traded from Harlem to Chicago for a late first, Rodney Stuckey and cash before the 2030 season and retired when his contract expired
~~~~~~~~~
Ron Mercer
Atlanta Hawks (2022, 2024-2028)
At a Glance
- Journeyman wing who became a part of two Atlanta Hawks championship teams and two more that made the Finals, serving as a key contributor as a scorer from the wing and served with Antonio Daniels and Tony Battie as one of the best bench units in the league when the Hawks were in their prime
- Marksman from three who took almost a third of his shots from distance and converted 42.8% of them in his career
- One of the few players to have Eric maliciously delete his page so that some of his stats are lost in the void and unrecoverable
- Recorded 39.9 career win shares for a total career WS/48 total of .136
- 16th all-time in three point field goal percentage in TMBSL history
Career Stats
Years played: 12
Games played: 699
Points per game: 6.4
Rebounds per game: 3.3
Assists per game: 1.3
Steals per game: 0.8
Blocks per game: 0.1
Turnovers per game: 0.5
FG%: .472
FT%: .823
3P%: .428
Achievements
Champion (2x)
Career Highs
Points: 37
Rebounds: 15
Assists: 10
Steals: 5
Blocks: 2
14 double-doubles
Biography
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 210
College: Kentucky
Transactions
- Drafted 10th overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2015 TMBSL Draft
- Rookie option was declined after two years in Orlando
- Picked up as a minimum signing by Detroit in 2018
- Had his player page deleted and recreated by ERIC in 2019 offseason, so his STATS ARE INCOMPLETE SMFH
- Signed to an MLE with the Trail Blazers in 2019
- Signed to an MLE with the Bulls in 2020, was traded along with Klay Thompson, Darius Miles, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Kemba Walker, a first round pick, and cash for Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Was a post-TC signing back to Charlotte in 2021
- Offered to resign to a max in Charlotte in 2022 offseason, ended up joining the Pistons as a post-TC signing
- Was traded from the Pistons with Ron Artest, Kevin Johnson, Walt Frazier, and Kenny Satterfield to Chicago for Mookie Blaylock and Tom Gola; was then immediately flipped to Atlanta for Adrian Smith and Tate Armstrong and cash
- He agreed to join the Mavericks on an LLE in the 2023 offseason
- He then agreed to join the Hawks on an MLE that was extended to a full three years in the 2024 offseason
- He offered to resign in Atlanta for $75,000,000 over 5 years in 2027 but ended up returning to Atlanta for $8,000,000 for a single season
- He again offered the same resigning the next offseason but ended up signing with Dallas for $2,000,000 over one year
- Before the end of 2028, he was back in Atlanta after being a part of the deal that sent Andre Drummond, Cazzie Russell, and two firsts to Dallas for Kevin Durant, Charlie Ward, and Ron Mercer (Ward was then flipped to Washington along with several second round picks)
- Mercer signed with Miami after training camp in the 2029 season and again in 2030
- He was almost included in the blockbuster deal that would have sent him to Orlando with Jerry West and Matt Geiger for Damian Lillard, Dion Waiters, Bo Ellis, and picks but when that was ruled invalid he ended up being sent to Dallas with Kyrie Irving for Cazzie Russell, Trevor Ruffin, Andre Drummond, and cash; he would retire after the 2030 season
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Today, Atlanta welcomed the sixth and seventh player members to join the Hawks Ring of Honor in The Gold Club, Olden Polynice and Ron Mercer!
Polynice and Mercer were two key acquisitions in the 2022 season that helped elevate the Hawks to contender status and win their first title in TMBSL 5.0. Polynice was a preseason addition that was added in a trade for the pick that would famously become LeBron James and he brought a tenacity to the boards and additional frontcourt defense that paired well with Jonas Valanciunas and created one of the best frontcourt tandems in the league. The move also allowed fellow The Gold Club member Tony Battie to move to the bench where he blossomed into his crucial role as sixth man providing scoring and rebounding to the Hawks bench units.
Mercer would not be outdone though, as the journeyman joined the Hawks after being a part of two trades in as many days and plugged a hole as depth on the wing that they did not previously have. His three point shooting (he would go on to finish 16th all-time in three point percentage) would help buoy the Hawks bench scoring and lead them to a title. After a season away with the Mavericks, Mercer would return in 2024 and continue to be a part of many more successful Hawks' seasons.
When asked about their monumental achievements as members of the Atlanta franchise, both Mercer and Polynice mentioned that they were looking forward to returning in future seasons to help welcome their former teammates and fellow Hawks legends Jonas Valanciunas, Stephen Jackson, and God Shammgod into The Gold Club fraternity.
~~~~~~~~~
Olden Polynice
Atlanta Hawks (2022-2026)
At a Glance
- Pound for pound greatest rebounder in TMBSL history
- Holds 3 of the top 8, 4 of the top 16, and 5 of the top 40 single-season rebounding performances in TMBSL history
- His dominant 2025 season carried the Hawks to their final title season in the mid-2020s, averaging 23 points and 14 rebounds per game while contributing over 2.5 steals and blocks per game and shooting over 55% from the field
- While being known more for his rebounding and defensive prowess and being just a solid offensive contributor, he did record 5 seasons at 54% from the field or better
- Really blossomed as a player once he got out from underneath the care of two absentee GMs
- Retires 7th all-time in total rebounding (13,493) and one of only 12 players all time to eclipse 12,500 total career rebounds
- Former Bull, Former Hawk
- Won 4 times as many titles as LeBron James, for whom he was famously traded, was a key cog in the dominant Hawks run of 3 straight titles, 5 straight Finals appearances, and 4 straight years with the league's best record; his control of the boards was the missing piece that helped round out the dominant Hawks teams of the mid-2020s
- Finished his career slightly outside of the Top 50 all-time in win shares with 126.9 total win shares, good for .176 WS/48 for his career
- 50th all-time in career free throw makes (5,168) and 23rd in attempts (7,721)
- 40th all-time in career blocks (1,278)
Career Stats
Years played: 14
Games played: 1074
Points per game: 18.8
Rebounds per game: 12.6
Assists per game: 1.8
Steals per game: 0.9
Blocks per game: 1.2
Turnovers per game: 2.1
FG%: .509
FT%: .669
3P%: .400 (5 attempts)
Achievements
Champion (4x)
All-Star
All-Defensive Second Team
Player of the Game (131x)
Player of the Month
Rookie Game Participant (2x)
All-Rookie Second Team
2017 - All-Star Rookie Game Participant
2017 - All-Rookie Second Team
2018 - All-Star Rookie Game Participant
2020 - All-Defensive Second Team
2025 - All-Star Game Participant
Career Highs
Points: 46
Rebounds: 36
Assists: 8
Steals: 6
Blocks: 8
719 double-doubles
Biography
Height: 6'11"
Weight: 230
College: Virginia
Transactions
- Drafted 4th overall in the 2017 Rookie Draft by the Carolina Cougars and GM sirsativa
- Selected by new GM idhant to join the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2018 expansion draft
- Selected by GM TimPig to join the Bulls in the 2020 contraction draft of the Lakers
- Resigned with the Bulls in free agency to a deal for $120,312,500 over 7 years
- Was traded before the 2022 season to Atlanta for the 2027 1st round pick that would become LeBron James
- Was traded before the 2027 season to Tri-Cities in a 7 player, 3 pick megadeal between Atlanta, Tri-Cities, and Miami that also included several late 1sts, John Havlicek, Jerry Sloan, Isaiah Thomas, Allen Iverson, and Josh Smith
- Agreed to return to Tri-Cities for $14,000,000 over one year in 2028 Free Agency
- Signed an MLE deal with Harlem in 2029 that was extended by one season
- Was traded from Harlem to Chicago for a late first, Rodney Stuckey and cash before the 2030 season and retired when his contract expired
~~~~~~~~~
Ron Mercer
Atlanta Hawks (2022, 2024-2028)
At a Glance
- Journeyman wing who became a part of two Atlanta Hawks championship teams and two more that made the Finals, serving as a key contributor as a scorer from the wing and served with Antonio Daniels and Tony Battie as one of the best bench units in the league when the Hawks were in their prime
- Marksman from three who took almost a third of his shots from distance and converted 42.8% of them in his career
- One of the few players to have Eric maliciously delete his page so that some of his stats are lost in the void and unrecoverable
- Recorded 39.9 career win shares for a total career WS/48 total of .136
- 16th all-time in three point field goal percentage in TMBSL history
Career Stats
Years played: 12
Games played: 699
Points per game: 6.4
Rebounds per game: 3.3
Assists per game: 1.3
Steals per game: 0.8
Blocks per game: 0.1
Turnovers per game: 0.5
FG%: .472
FT%: .823
3P%: .428
Achievements
Champion (2x)
Career Highs
Points: 37
Rebounds: 15
Assists: 10
Steals: 5
Blocks: 2
14 double-doubles
Biography
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 210
College: Kentucky
Transactions
- Drafted 10th overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2015 TMBSL Draft
- Rookie option was declined after two years in Orlando
- Picked up as a minimum signing by Detroit in 2018
- Had his player page deleted and recreated by ERIC in 2019 offseason, so his STATS ARE INCOMPLETE SMFH
- Signed to an MLE with the Trail Blazers in 2019
- Signed to an MLE with the Bulls in 2020, was traded along with Klay Thompson, Darius Miles, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Kemba Walker, a first round pick, and cash for Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Was a post-TC signing back to Charlotte in 2021
- Offered to resign to a max in Charlotte in 2022 offseason, ended up joining the Pistons as a post-TC signing
- Was traded from the Pistons with Ron Artest, Kevin Johnson, Walt Frazier, and Kenny Satterfield to Chicago for Mookie Blaylock and Tom Gola; was then immediately flipped to Atlanta for Adrian Smith and Tate Armstrong and cash
- He agreed to join the Mavericks on an LLE in the 2023 offseason
- He then agreed to join the Hawks on an MLE that was extended to a full three years in the 2024 offseason
- He offered to resign in Atlanta for $75,000,000 over 5 years in 2027 but ended up returning to Atlanta for $8,000,000 for a single season
- He again offered the same resigning the next offseason but ended up signing with Dallas for $2,000,000 over one year
- Before the end of 2028, he was back in Atlanta after being a part of the deal that sent Andre Drummond, Cazzie Russell, and two firsts to Dallas for Kevin Durant, Charlie Ward, and Ron Mercer (Ward was then flipped to Washington along with several second round picks)
- Mercer signed with Miami after training camp in the 2029 season and again in 2030
- He was almost included in the blockbuster deal that would have sent him to Orlando with Jerry West and Matt Geiger for Damian Lillard, Dion Waiters, Bo Ellis, and picks but when that was ruled invalid he ended up being sent to Dallas with Kyrie Irving for Cazzie Russell, Trevor Ruffin, Andre Drummond, and cash; he would retire after the 2030 season
