Archive for September, 2010

The Atlanta Hawks training camp begins Tuesday, which means the heralded (or unheralded, depending on how you see it) Larry Drew shall now ensue. Of course, the full story will not be revealed until the season gets going, and even then we’ll still be abuzz about the playoffs, and the expectations going into them (is it wrong to assume playoffs?).

But first, there is camp, where more shall be revealed than Drew’s offensive philosophy. To begin with, there is the training camp roster, courtesy of Peachtreehoops.com. Originally, the word was that the roster would only include the fourteen players that the Hawks have under contract. However, there have been some few additions that include forward Ricardo Marsh (Old Dominion), guard Richard Delk (Troy), and forward Evan Brock (Alabama). To learn more about these three long shots (don’t look for them to be making the team), click on the link a few sentences above.

In the meantime, let’s look at different elements of the Hawks team …

Continue reading Hawks Fans: What will Larry Drew’s system reveal? »

It’s almost over, that seemingly never-ending drought known as summer.

If you’re a diehard basketball fan, it can’t come quick enough, and still won’t in the month of September. But there is some good news, and that news is that training camp is less than a fortnight away. And just like the rest of you, I’ll be peppering Michael Cunningham (the Hawks beat writer) for any and all information he can throw us poor, starved Hawks fans. Although it’s ahead of time, here are six questions we might consider going into training camp. Mind you, some of them are questions we’ve already asked, and there will be some that I haven’t thought of, or simply didn’t list. By all means, feel free to give answers to the ones I pose, pose some of your own, and so on. But for now, here’s my six, along with some opinionated commentary -

1) Will Jeff Teague show aggressiveness and a willingness/ability to take the reins early on?  Larry Drew has already stated that going into camp, Mike Bibby is the …

Continue reading Camp is around the corner… »

I think it’s safe to say that the Hawks have concluded their offseason roster moves where the frontcourt is concerned. Having signed Etan Thomas and Josh Powell to fill the depth in the paint behind starters Al Horford and Josh Smith, and backups Zaza Pachulia and Jason Collins, what’s next?

Nothing, quite possibly. In addition to the aforementioned six frontcourt players, the Hawks also have Marvin Williams, Mo Evans, Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford, Mike Bibby, Jeff Teague, and Jordan Crawford under contract. This meets the roster minimum of thirteen players, and the Hawks don’t want to get a single penny closer to the luxury tax if they can help it.  That begs a question or two (or four). Who will the Hawks invite to training camp? Why bother, if they aren’t very likely to carry more than the league minimum? Is it a good idea to carry just 13 guys, keeping a 14th spot open for any possible trades down the line? What about the point guard position or small forward position? In …

Continue reading Getting to the Point »

Old, cheap, and tough.

Sounds like a bag of brand X beef jerky that’s been left out on the counter for over a week. Or maybe it’s just what the doctor ordered for the Atlanta Hawks. Perhaps “old” and “cheap” are not the words one would ideally want to use in describing the Hawks most recent free agent acquisition, but if “tough” still fits, we’ll be happy that Etan Thomas is now aboard. The 6′10″ center/power forward was certainly known for his toughness when he was on the court, prior to all the health problems. Can he regain some semblance of the bruiser and rebounder he used to be, or will he turn out to be another minimum salary vet that is past the point of contribution? We know Etan will work hard, as he has always done. The question is whether or not he’ll work effectively. If he’s effective, he can have a number of positive effects on the Hawks. He could be an upgrade (or a motivation) over Jason Collins, who wasn’t of much use last season. He could also be a perfect …

Continue reading Hawks fans: Welcome Etan, wonder about Al »