Cavalier Attitude
We’ve talked off and on all season about swagger. The Hawks have talked often enough about it themselves. Tomorrow, they face a team that has more reason (on paper or plaque at least) to walk around with swagger than arguably any team in the league.
The Cleveland Cavaliers. Oh yeah. A team that boasts not only the 2009 Coach of they Year, but also the 2009 MVP. They have the league’s best regular season record. Oh, and they also have the league’s best defense, with a + 8.92 differential between what they average on offense vs. what they allow the opposition to average.
Wow. Is is just me, or does that sound like a more daunting matchup than the one we had last year, in which we faced off against the league’s best team? Deja Vu as it may seem, there is a difference between this year and last. Last year, the Hawks barely earned their way into the playoffs, which is rewarded with an automatic pairing up with the top team in the conference. This year, the Hawks have earned THE RIGHT to face the top team in the conference by winning their first round series. Heady stuff for Hawks fans and players alike, though veterans like Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson have been here before ( Flip Murray and Maurice Evans to a lesser extent).
The Hawks come in as a serious underdog. The Cavaliers come in as a favorite, no doubt with an NBA championship on their minds. Considering Cleveland’s record this year, and the fact that Mike Brown was Coach of they Year, you’d automatically think that the Cavs are going to be very focused on the task before them. You’d think that Brown will have them well-prepared. And you’d probably be right. But…the thing about swagger is that you can easily overdo it. Ask the Celtics, who swaggered right on into Phillips Arena last year, only to come come out cursing and licking their wounds, all the way back to Boston, where they managed to win the series.
Will the Cavs, very well-rested over the course of 8 or 9 days, swagger too hard? Or will they come out focused and hungry, anxious to return to the last dance in the East? Will they still be slightly intoxicated with a complete sweep of their first round opponents? Or will they have a full respect of the Hawks’ vaunted athleticism and penchant for making Phillps Arena the last place on earth you want to come to?
The pundits and “experts” have to be licking their chops, looking at this matchup on paper. After the Hawks took out TNT/ESPN media darling Wade and the Heat, they’ll be all over LeBron, as if they hadn’t seen him before. And while LeBron is a much more likeable personality than the one we recently discovered in Wade, the level of media disrespect to our team is only going to grow, rather than shrink. Funny, I could have sworn we just WON a playoff series.
All that aside, there are key matchups to explore. To outline just a few:
You can’t start anywhere with the Cavs without discussing LeBron first. He is more potent than Wade, hands down. Where Wade had speed and skill, LeBron adds sheer strength and power. He can’t truly be guarded one-on-one. And yet, if we have a fully healthy Marvin Williams, we have a good chance of “containing” him. At 6′9″ 245, with a 7′3″ wingspan and good lateral speed, Marvin can’t stop LeBron, but he sure can bother him. And bothering is often the difference between 25-30 points…and 40+. On the offensive end, Marvin can be a tough matchup if he’s involved in the action early and often. Believe me, Miami was glad to see very little of him.
Horford vs. Ilgauskas. Big Z is crafty, tall, and has long arms. He possesses a smooth jumper out to 17 or 18 feet, a decent hook shot, and barely has to jump to get rebounds. It won’t be easy to deal with him, but if the Hawks can use Horford’s quickness to do it, he can be nullified some. Fact is, big Z can’t keep up with Horford across the length of the court, and if he can be drawn out from the paint, Horford is quick enough to drive past him. The biggest thing will be keeping Z from getting a high number of rebounds. He always manages to capitalize on them by executing quick put-backs on offense, and effective outlet passes on defense.
Mo Williams vs. whoever draws the assignment of guarding him. Common sense says it won’t be Bibby most of the time. Williams is too quick and has a knack for creating his own shot. He can get into the lane, hit the midrange jumper, and even nail the 3. Joe Johnson can stop him easily, but we can’t afford to have him chasing Mo all day. Bibby will have to shoulder some of the load, but a lot will fall on Flip Murray as well. And while it won’t be like guarding Wade, it will nonetheless be a challenge. Here is a spot that a healthy Acie would be great to have (on either end of the floor). However, between back issues and a severe lack of playing time when he WAS healthy, there are questions as to how effective he could be. Look for Mario West to maybe get a few minutes here as well.
Finally, there is the Flopzilla versus the Stormin’ Georgian. The former (for those who can’t figure it out) is none other than Anderson Varejao. The latter is our own belove Zaza Pachulia. If you think this isn’t a matcup, you’re crazy. Both guys give their teams a major boost off the bench, and they do it in both similar and dissimilar ways. Neither has especially favorable matchups against the respective opposing teams, but both will be sorely needed. The play of one or the other can seriously affect the overall play of their teams. Need an example? Pachulia provides a taller, heavier body against the likes of Big Z. And Varejao provides a quicker, more mobile option against Al Horford. Both guys will fight like mad for rebounds and try to make defensive plays. Varejao will try to draw fouls on guys like Horford and Smith, while Pachulia will present a bigger offensive threat to the Cavs than his counterpart will to the Hawks.
Then there’s Josh Smith. Due to his inconsistent play, he’s about as much of an X-factor as there is for the Hawks. If the Hawks involve him early on, in ways that give him the most chance at success…and if he stays within such a gameplan and committs to rebounding and defending with ferocity…he’ll terrorize the Cavs. If he doesn’t, then the scope of Atlanta’s offense and defense is automatically weakened.
Lastly, there is Bibby and Joe Johnson vs. Mike Brown’s defense. Simply put, if the Hawks don’t find ways to free these guys up, the whole thing is a moot point. Joe can create for himself, but will struggle against sagging double and triple teams. Giving Bibby open looks is one way to keep the defense honest. The Hawks have to be ready for a defense that will not only try harder, but be more effective than the one the Miami Heat used to limit Johnson in 5 out of 7 games.
Do you think there are other key matchups in this series that bear watching? Can the Hawks do more than just provide the Cavs a tuneup for the next round? Sound off!
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112 comments Add your comment
SP
May 5th, 2009
7:46 pm
Here’s the deal:
The Hawks played the Cavs 4 times in the regular season. The Hawks one once, and also took the Cavs to the wire in a home lost because Lebron hit a freethrow on a bad foul called against Horford w/1.8 left in the game. There’s only one question in this series…will the Hawks overcome their road woes and play well enough to steal a game on the road. I remember back in the season when the Hawks were going into Cleveland w/a 7 game win streak. They were playing their best basketball coming out of a homestand, then they get into Cleveland and get blown out. This is what i fear about ATL in this series. It was properly mentioned in an earlier post, WHICH HAWKS TEAM WILL SHOW UP? WHICH JJ AND JSMOOVE SHOW UP? WILL THEY ESTABLISH TEMPO?
As automatic as Cleveland is at home, you can’t consider them a lock when they come back to ATL. If ATL comes out of these first 2 games w/a win, this will be a series. The series starts when the first road team wins..
Do I like ATL chances? Seeing how they struggled on the road against Miami in all but one game, i would say it’ll be tough. This is a series where a healthy Marvin Williams would help wonders. He stretches the floor, and would pose a serious matchup problem for Cleveland. I see ATL losing in 5 – Cleveland wins two at home…steals one in ATL…and closes this thing out in 5. IF ATL HAS ANY CHANCE – IT WOULD HAPPEN IN 6. Must swipe homecourt…and preserve homecourt. No way ATL would beat Cleveland in a game 7..
MannyT
May 5th, 2009
7:52 pm
Melvin, I think mary was trying to tell you at 3:07 is that Lebron has a bunch of losers around him
Not that I want to temp our blog guys, but I took a look at their newspaper coverage after all these fakes from the lake have come to our blogs.
Ando & Ray, they have some guys with a cheap microphone diagramming plays (ours and theirs.)
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2009/05/how_the_atlanta_hawks_run_thei.html
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2009/05/how_the_cleveland_cavaliers_ru.html
Who will be first to plug in his blog microphone, Sekou, Ray, or Ando?
LOL
Big Ray
May 5th, 2009
8:46 pm
Excellent comments, everybody.
Fairly quick start for the Hawks. Need to keep up the hustle and fight a bit harder on the boards.
Wabe
May 5th, 2009
9:28 pm
Good first half. They need to attack the basket a bit more. 2nd chance points are killing the Hawks. Must rebound.
The Hawks are right where they should be at this point. Noone expected ATL to come into Cleveland and be up, stay within range through 3 and then make a push.
Big Ray
May 5th, 2009
9:45 pm
Keeping it fairly close, and remaining competitive. Bibby and Josh look pretty good, and JJ isn’t pressing too hard, which is good.
Big Ray
May 5th, 2009
9:52 pm
Melvin,
Neither is Josh. He’s always looking to slip the screen, rather than set a solid one. Is that the way the play is drawn, or is it just a habit of his? Maybe we should ask Bibby.
Big Ray
May 5th, 2009
9:54 pm
Josh with a long jumper. Hmmmmm. Guess Woody didn’t take that play out of the playbook after all….
Big Ray
May 5th, 2009
9:56 pm
Gotta give a shout out to KevinA for his comment at 8:49 a.m. Top of the heap, bro’. Very nicely written.
Big Ray
May 5th, 2009
10:08 pm
Let me go ahead and get this one out of the way:
If you’re about to diss Marvin Williams for getting shown up by Lebron on that last play, don’t. NOBODY stops Lebron when he’s on like that. It’s why they named him MVP…
Sam from da Swats
May 5th, 2009
10:08 pm
Wow, Marvin sure did stop Lebron on that play..what a effing loser for a number 2 pick!!
Sam from da Swats
May 5th, 2009
10:18 pm
Yeah but you guys were on here talking about how Marvin kept Lebron at 24 points in a game earlier this year. Don’t talk that nonsense then say nobody stops Lebron to help your argument.
Big Ray
May 5th, 2009
10:18 pm
Except for Sam and Rod of course. Racism will end before they stop hating on Marvin…
Big Ray
May 5th, 2009
10:20 pm
I meant Sam/Rod. Is it a bad thing to encourage and/or address the different “personalities” of multiple personality victims? Even if they have the same e-mail address?
Big Ray
May 5th, 2009
10:24 pm
Sam/Rod,
I was talking about ONE play, not the entire game. And WHAT argument are you talking about? I never said anything about holding LeBron to 24 points a game. I said he is capable of helping CONTAIN LeBron by keeping him around 25-30 or so (which, by the way, is more than 24). However, it doesn’t help if Marvin doesn’t play much, now does it?
Of course, such logic will always pale in the face of supreme haterism.
By the way, how do you convince one personality to post on one blog, and the other one to post on the other (seeing as how the posts are pretty close together)? What happens if they don’t agree?
clthurman
May 5th, 2009
10:40 pm
Interviews after the game:
REPORTER: “Why do you feel like you lost this game?”
COACH WOODSON: “We didn’t play good enough defense or get enough rebounds.”
JOE JOHNSON: “I have problems scoring. I mean shooting. You know what I mean, not scoring with the ladies, scoring buckets in the game.”
FLIP MURRAY: “I didn’t hit shots. But those guys keep getting in the way when I drive to the basket. Why they keep calling it a foul when I run into them?”
JOSH SMITH: “Uhhhh…I shot too many jumpers?”
ACIE LAW: “I can’t talk now, Coach says he is going to yank me from the game, but I’m not even in it…”
DOMINIQUE WILKINS: “They weren’t there when the crunch time came. That game was a heat check for the Cavs.”
ROD IN COLLEGE PARK: “Easy. Marvin sucks. Therefore, so do the hawks. Isn’t that right Sam I am (no really, I am)?”
SAMUEL: “I don’t know. JJ is a punk. But Woody=COY”
CLYDE: “Horford is not a center. I want Sean Williams. FIRE WOODY”
Big Ray
May 5th, 2009
10:46 pm
Well, didn’t exactly expect to beat the top team in the league, at home no less, where they’ve lost a grand total of what…one game?
Not an absolutely awful outing, but I do expect to see better back at Phillips. Only problem is, we have another game in Quicken Loans Arena before that happens. Oh well.
Things are tough with a gimpy Horford, no Acie, and Marvin not playing much either.
Still, Josh Smith played well, and so did Bibby. Joe Johnson seems to have fallen a bit back into the doldrums.
What are we going to do to get him freed up, and back in his comfort zone? It’s going to be an ugly series if his performances are anything like the last series.
Wabe
May 5th, 2009
10:56 pm
People can draw up their own conclusions, I see it as something I expected to see. We saw a decent/good team get beat down by a national title contender..
Honestly speaking, I felt the Hawks came out strong – and i was actually stunned to see them within reach at halftime. JSmoove played well tonite, but it’s obvious the Hawks will have to score more points and limit turnovers if they wanna stay within reach to the end. Bench play was poor. Guys coming off the bench (Marvin, Flip, Zaza) didnt contribute as much as needed. Too many turnovers in key spots – - the one Joe committed when he tryed kicking it out to Mo Evans after a board ending up in the hands of Mo Williams really hurt.
Honestly, after watching tonite’s game, I dont think you can feel disappointed. It’s obvious their playing a better team and will need to make adjustments – mainly on the defensive end – if they intend on making this series interesting. Bench will have to provide a better lift. The Hawks must also attack the basket and get to the free throw line.
Guys like Marvin must step up. This is a series that he can really put his signature on. He poses matchup problems – and spreads the floor. Unfortantely, he just seems to be a year or two away from being where he needs to be to have an impactful series.
Yes the final score was lopsided – but did you expect it the other way around? Adjustments are key. Sure i dont see the Hawks taking 4 from the Cavs, but how much pressure they put on Cleveland will speak to how far off these Hawks are from a legitamate championship contending team..
It’s obvious some of the peices to the puzzle arent there yet..
The squad we just saw out their today can take a game or two, but not 4.
Maturation, development, a peice here or there will make a difference.
But, the Hawks need to show us in this series that the next step isn’t as far fetched as one would think…
Wabe
May 5th, 2009
11:00 pm
Let’s be realistic about another thing here too,
LEBRON’S GONNA GET HIS!
There is nobody on the Hawks, let alone in the NBA, that can face gaurd Lebron. The Hawks will have to do a better job flooding the driving lanes and w/TEAM DEFENSE, live w/him taking jumpers.
Big Ray
May 5th, 2009
11:05 pm
Sam,
Players don’t make the picks. GMs do. You need to go find Billy Knight and take it up with him.
And while you’re on that path, get with Joe Dumars for taking Darko over Carmelo and Wade…
To me, Marvin was a talented kid who didn’t start for his college team, and was probably a lottery pick, but not a #2. Again, the GM thought so, not Marvin. Haven’t seen a player yet that drafted himself.
Big Ray
May 5th, 2009
11:08 pm
Agreed, Wabe. This wasn’t unexpected. And you’re right- our bench didn’t come through for the most part, Lebron can’t be stopped by anyone one-on-one, and our backcourt has got to come up bigger than this. Well said.
Menny
May 6th, 2009
3:21 am
Please forgive my fellow Cavs fans, they’re all a little drunk with excitement. This is the same city that mourned when it realized that Bernie Kozar had lost his mobility. Nevermind the fact he had so little to begin with. Cleveland is a city that hasn’t had a larger-than-life sports hero since Jim Brown. That was 45 years ago. We don’t have the same pity for a city that watched its Braves win a gazillion straight division titles and a World Series in 1995 (who did they beat? Cleveland). Cleveland has had more heartbreaking losses than any other city I can think of–certainly none that has starved so long for a title.
Look, the Cavs are the better collection of players. The Cavs have the best player in the league (argue all you want, but history will easily prove me correct). The Cavs have the Coach of the Year (though Woodson is a tough-as-nails, heady coach). But that’s not why Atlanta won’t win this series. There are two reasons: 1) The Cavs are the better team: no NBA team plays as together as the Cavs; they truly love playing with one another, no one wants to let down LeBron, and they are all hungry, and 2) Atlanta has one of the worst regular season crowds in all of major sports. There is no excuse for this. Your team is on the verge of becoming one of the elite teams in the NBA for YEARS to come (are you kidding me? Johnson, Smith, and Horford, along with Pachulia, Bibby, and Murray…that is the makings of a great team!), and yet Philips Arena is a freaking morgue until May. The only reason Cavs fans aren’t even louder is because we are always waiting for something bad to happen. We are well aware of the black cloud hanging over our city. But Atlanta? Seriously, you can’t cheer a bit during games? I’ve watched at least 15 ATL home games and I was embarrassed for the team. It reminded me of the Jordan days in Chi-town when people would read newspapers during the first half. You need to be rabid fans, you need to want it as much as we do…when that happens, many more things will fall into place. You can’t wait for the playoffs to begin cheering…
or else you’ll be facing the best player on the planet in the second round without home-court advantage for years to come.
Trust me, I’ve been through it all. Best of luck.
richbrave
May 6th, 2009
7:39 am
Based on last night’s performance, I would suggest a match-up including “BIRD” ANDERSON. He certainly was effective with high energy. Not as difficult as “Z” to counter, but necessary all the same.
richbrave
May 6th, 2009
7:42 am
To MENNY:
Enjoy the euphoria. NEW YORK comes calling with the next contract offer.
Scott
May 6th, 2009
10:29 am
Just wondering how that guys dog tasted for dinner? Look, it’s this simple. Yes, I am from Cleveland..so I SURE AS GOD know what it feels like to ALMOST get it done. I had to watch your Braves light up the Indians in 1995 didn’t I? If you want to know why us Cavs fans are so “cocky” about this team, I will tell you. For the FIRST time EVER, we really do have the best team on the floor night in and night out. That spanking of Detroit was no fluke (though I will admit Detroit pretty much sucks anymore). Last night was a glimpse of what this Cavalier team is. The Hawks may win 1 or 2, but thats all. Not a put down…just facts. Your Hawks are a great upcomming team, but they are simply no where near Cleveland’s level yet. In 2007, I had to learn that lesson about the Cavs by watching the finals against the Spurs. This is our time now.
Scott
May 6th, 2009
10:33 am
P.S. If you think a “championship minded” player like LBJ is going to leave a constant contender to play in NY…you don’t know LBJ.
SP
May 6th, 2009
2:55 pm
Was just thinking, how big a threat would the Hawks pose if they had Chauncey Billups in the backcourt w/JJ.
I know it would never happen, but after watching how improved the Nuggets are, i would have to think pairing a Chauncey Billups w/JJ, Jsmoove, etc would make the Hawks a legitimate championship contender.
Bibby is good. But Billups is a leader who comes alive in the playoffs. He would instantly take pressure off JJ, and would pose bigtime matchup problems for teams w/smaller gaurds, like the Cavs. Man that would be something dont ya think?
AGAIN, I KNOW THIS WOULD NEVER HAPPEN!
Joe Johnson
May 6th, 2009
4:54 pm
Sorry, Hawks fans, but I’m tired.
MVP23
May 6th, 2009
4:55 pm
richbrave……look at this realistically. LBJ WANTS to play on a contending team. NY, if they sign LBJ can not sign anyone else to pair up with him. If you think that LBJ was frustrated with the Cavs front office for not getting him enough solid role players…before this year, how would LBJ react to the mess in NY. The Cavs can resign LBJ to the most money…more than NY can. The Cavs can also sign another star…ala Bosh or Wade, to run with LBJ.
As far as the NY endorsement advantage?? maybe 20 yrs ago this would be true but you could put LBJ in Oklahoma City and he’d get maximum endorsements. The Knicks are not the Yankees and the NBA is not MLB. The Cavs owner is very rich and he will spend BIG bucks…it’s an ego thing.
bigjohnhawksfan
May 6th, 2009
4:58 pm
Menny is an example of why I respect the Cavaliers and the City of Cleveland.
Stay classy, mine friend.
bigjohnhawksfan
May 6th, 2009
4:58 pm
Make that “my.”
Rick Sund
May 6th, 2009
5:01 pm
To the City of Atlanta and all Atlanta Hawks fans:
We regret to inform you that we simply cannot win the playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers because:
1) The Cleveland Cavaliers are a superior team, and
2) Joe Johnson is tired.
Sean O'Shaughnessy
May 6th, 2009
5:07 pm
CLEVELAND (Reuters) – The Atlanta Hawks lost Game 1 of the 2009 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs last night 99-72 at the Quicken Loans Arena. When asked why the Hawks’ first second-round effort in years fell short of victory, Atlanta captain Joe Johnson explained “I’m tired.”
MVP23
May 6th, 2009
8:25 pm
Sean,,,,,,, that was funny!!!!
richbrave
May 6th, 2009
8:31 pm
You CAVS sycophants better enjoy playing with yourselves, because after LBJ leaves you, holding your own won’t be easy.
Paul Pierce
May 6th, 2009
9:11 pm
Wow, Joe Johnson is tired? How many overtime periods has he played this post-season?
HB Ando
May 7th, 2009
12:11 am
Of the four, second-round, playoff series, the Hawks-Cavs looks to be the most lopsided, based on what I’ve seen so far.
While I didn’t see much to be hopeful about, during the course of Game 1, but, as I suggested several times during round one, there’s no extra value to margin of victory, and we only have to look at the Hawks’ dominating their game 1 against the Heat, only to lose game 2, to understand that ANYTHING is possible on any given night.
The thing is that the Cavs look like a team fully prepared to win the NBA Championship this year. And I don’t see the Hawks doing much to slow them down.
Truth is that the most competitive match up I saw, all of last night, was Chris Webber, on TNT, letting Kenny and Charles know that he wants one of their jobs. Did anyone else see the sourpuss faces those two were making while Webber was bringing his “former star analyst ‘A’ game”?
‘Course if there’s any balance in the universe, CWebb would injure his larynx and only be available for about 50 games…….
Big Ray
May 7th, 2009
8:07 am
<em “P.S. If you think a “championship minded” player like LBJ is going to leave a constant contender to play in NY…you don’t know LBJ.”
Lebron is from Ohio. That’s one point in your favor. And the Cavs are doing extremely well this year. That’s another point. But the fight isn’t over. Assuming the Cavs take out the Hawks, they still have somewhat of a fight coming to them in the Eastern Conference Finals. Assuming they win THAT matchup, it’s most likely going to be the Lakers or the Rockets. As good as Cleveland is, I don’t see them winning either matchup. Two main reasons why: 1)Both of those teams have more weapons than the Cavs do. Easily. 2)The Cavs haven’t, and won’t, face a team tough enough (except MAYBE Boston) to really test them before they face what is coming out of the West. Detroit was broken down in so many ways, it wasn’t funny. Those guys almost shouldn’t have made the playoffs. The Hawks should provide a challenge in Atlanta at least, and Boston would be tougher, obviously. Other than that…it’s nearly a cake-walk to the end.
As for Lebron…well, I wouldn’t worry about him going to New York. The team there isn’t good enough (nor is the coach, since he’s allergic to defense) for him to have a good reason to go. But I would lose some sleep thinking about the Nets. That will be a whole different situation (and already is), especially once Jay-Z moves that team to Brooklyn. Not a guarantee, but things can happen.
The biggest thing to look out for is one of the main free agents of 2010 going to a team that has another star. Everybody realizes that two-star teams are one of the in-things these days. And if you don’t have a two-star team, then you have to have a one-star/2 or 3 really good player type of team.
Anyway, Lebron may stay in Cleveland, or he may not. If the Cavs falter, then Danny Ferry has to make some quick moves to improve the roster. Sorry, but beyond Lebron and Mo Williams (a good player, but not a great one), things are a bit thin. I don’t see a team like that wearing championship hats when this is all over. Even if they did have the best defense in the league. We’ll see…
So yes, the Cavs are definitely championship-minded.
Big Ray
May 7th, 2009
8:09 am
Paul Pierce,
Joe hasn’t needed to play any overtime periods. The Hawks won their games in regulation. You guys sure seem to have a lot of trouble with #8 seeds…
Sautee
May 7th, 2009
4:55 pm
Wonder who shows up tonight, Jekyll, or Hyde?
rft
May 7th, 2009
6:09 pm
The scary part is that the cavs with LBJ usually play better in the playoffs than their regular season record would indicate. Teams dont fall into a championship. They rise up to become champions.
doc
May 7th, 2009
6:16 pm
funny ando.
Paul Pierce
May 7th, 2009
7:02 pm
I’ve had trouble with #8 seeds, until I advanced (you can ask Joe Johnson about that).
Joe Johnson (who is NOT an All Star), on the other hand, is only going to advance to the Hall of Fame for TIRED athletes.
NOW YOU KNOW: JOE JOHNSON IS TIRED!!!
Suckers.
Robert Louis Stevenson
May 7th, 2009
7:05 pm
Why does it matter whether Jekyll or Hyde shows up, if they’re both tired?
Lawrence Jones
May 7th, 2009
7:08 pm
Don’t be so hard on Joe Johnson.
There’s so much pressure on him to perform, so he’s bound to get tired.
Maybe his obliques hurt…or his thumb. Poor guy.
Wabe
May 7th, 2009
7:52 pm
Here’s the deal for tonite and the remainder of this series for that matter,
Hope for the best, but expect the worse…
Expecting a blowout, but hoping for a good game.
Big Ray
May 7th, 2009
8:33 pm
Paul Pierce,
As I recall, you couldn’t advance past 25-30 wins in a season until Garnett and Allen came to your rescue. Good thing they did, or you’d still be putting up Joe Johnson regular season numbers for no reason at all. Please don’t act like you’re a dynasty. Things sure are tough without the “real man”, Garnett. Champions last year. Not this year. Hope the money was worth it. You remind me of that Florida Marlins team one year…all bought and paid for, not earned…
Big Ray
May 7th, 2009
8:35 pm
Wabe,
I agree. But things won’t be very pretty with two starters out and Josh on the bench already with two fouls.
Sautee
May 7th, 2009
8:39 pm
Ray, Josh actually only has one foul and one beautifully drawn charge that was “called” a foul. We ALL know the story on that one. James Rules.
Sean O'Shaughnessy
May 7th, 2009
8:44 pm
CLEVELAND (Reuters) – When asked by Heather Cox of ESPN what the Hawks needed to do to stop LeBron James, after James finished the first quarter with a defense-splitting reverse dunk, Atlanta coach Mike Woodson explained, “well, I mean, we’re playin’ ok.”
Paul Pierce
May 7th, 2009
8:46 pm
A Championship THIS DECADE is consolation enough for me and my TEAM.
Is there is a Championship in Atlanta? Is there even a TEAM??
Didn’t think so.