Archive for February, 2011

Go ahead. Say “I told you so.” Two games is a small sample, but second year man Jeff Teague may finally have seen his ship come in. With the trade of Mike Bibby to the Washington Wizards, along with the arrival of veteran point guard Kirk Hinrich, many of us wondered if Jeff Teague’s “role” with the Hawks was going to change or not. So far, it has, and in semi-dramatic fashion.

Here Comes “The Pest”

It was kind of hard sometimes, watching Jeff Teague play in spurts in the early season. He would come onto the court and show that he had another gear beyond everyone else in some games. In others, he played like he knew he would be yanked within two minutes. Where was the consistency? At the same time, the same could be asked of Head Coach Larry Drew, who would compliment Teague after a good game, then inexplicably assign him a DNP or play him in spare, all but useless minutes. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before….

It seemed that Larry Drew had embraced the idea of going with …

Continue reading Teague’s time may have finally come »

In spite of all our sardonic and sarcastic comments, the fact is that as soon as League approval comes through, we can’t say that the Hawks stood pat at the trade deadline. Even if you feel that change was needed just for the sake of change, the reality is that you have to ask: is Sund’s move good, bad, or neither?

Some fans are already losing their collective minds at the idea of giving up Jordan Crawford (not to mention a first round draft pick). Was it necessary to give all this up for a veteran point guard and a young big who seems to be a journeyman early in his career? What about that draft pick (and Jordan Crawford)? Somewhere, Steve Belkin is shaking his head. Or maybe he’s just counting his millions, I don’t know. Like most things, it will be some time before this move is proven to be a good or bad one. In the meantime, does it help the Hawks down the last stretch of the season and in the playoffs?

New Parts, Old Parts

Kirk Hinrich figures to be the new starter in …

Continue reading Hawks Fans: Is this change for the better? »

Just in case you were asleep or otherwise dwelling under a rock (though I’ve heard you still have access to Geico insurance that way), it’s been reported that the Knicks have acquired CarmeloAnthony.  Ok, so the rest of the league can get going with any other trades now, right? That may or may not include the Atlanta Hawks, who are apparently at least seriously considering a move for a point guard. Whatever follows over the next couple of days could prove to be interesting. Maybe even for diehard Hawks fans.

Challenge or empty talk?

Rick Sund’s challenge to the players certainly isn’t of Mark Cuban-like proportions. In fact, it sounds more like a challenge to the fans (or any other non-organizational personnel) than to the players. What does a challenge to the team mean at this point? He gave them the best possible comfort zone by “hiring” a coach that they knew quite well. He kept largely the entire roster intact, which meant there was no one to get used to in the locker …

Continue reading Hawks move past the break »

According to NBA.com, a little over 6 days and 14 hours remains before the NBA deadline is up. Normally, most Atlanta fans would half-heartedly lament the lack of rumors surrounding the Hawks, or talk of unrealistic trade proposals. Not this year. Since when is a winning record and a mere 1 game out of 4th place in the East cause for such alarm? Since when does a guaranteed playoff spot leave such feelings of gloom and doom?

Do we as Hawks fans not appreciate the team’s 34 victories in 55 tries? Or is it something else?

Good teams do this, Good teams do that…

It has gotten to the point where nearly every Atlanta win comes with a handful of caveats. Well, at least if you’re reading the blogs and what not. But it’s not just local fans and media. It’s everywhere. Why? It’s now just about who you beat. It’s also about who you don’t beat. The Hawks may have a better road record this season, but they are 6-13 against teams with winning records. Needless to say (and I’m going to …

Continue reading Hawks fans: Will Rick Sund rock the boat? »

Things can’t be all that good for your team when they feel like they might have to leave home to get back on track.  Every team, even the true contenders, go through bad spells. If you don’t believe it, just read NBA.com and every other site that pays any attention to NBA basketball. Why watch soap operas when you can just keep up with what’s going on with the Lakers? It’s just another reality show. But with the Hawks, it just feels different. How do you lose a home game to a team with a worse record by 34 points, then follow it up with another loss at home by losing a 22 point lead? 

Denial is an ugly thing 

Josh Smith talks about a chance to bond. Honestly? How much more bonding can you do before you realize that some parts simply don’t fit the way you need them to? This team doesn’t need to bond. They don’t need to gel. They don’t need to find an identity. They don’t need a shock either, or any other cliche. What they need is an operation. A transplant. Something that …

Continue reading Hawks leave home, hope for some positive continuity »

It’s probably a little early to be talking about how the Hawks will do in the second half, to finish the season. All-star Weekend hasn’t even come and gone yet. Then again, 51 of 82 games have been played, and that only leaves 31 games to be played, so why not? Of the remaining 31 games, 14 are road games. Of those road games, only 4 of them are against winning teams (Lakers, Knicks, Blazers, and Nuggets). But don’t let that fool you. Some of those “losing” teams are quite dangerous, and have the ability to take the Hawks out if they’re not careful (or worse, if they’re not healthy). A perfect example is the Houston Rockets. The Hawks struggle against teams that have sound fundamentals, play solid defense, and more than anything -  have good rebounders. On the other hand, Atlanta is sometimes a victim of their own lax defense. High scoring teams that catch fire in transition and from the perimeter can have a field day if/when the Hawks fall into lethargic mode. Examples …

Continue reading Hawks schedule: Bring the pain »

Need a quick victory to add to your win column? The Toronto Raptors just might oblige you. Of course, this isn’t the attitude the Hawks should be taking as they prepare to fend off a squad that has zero wins in it’s last twelve games. In fact, that may be the perfect trap game.

The danger here is if the Hawks play lazy, lethargic, or disinterested, they run the chance of canceling out their road wins against the Raptors and Clippers. Doesn’t sound like a big deal though, right? Well consider this – the Hawks lost only 7 home games during the entire regular season last year. This season, they’ve already lost 7 home games, and the all-star break isn’t even here yet. On the plus side, the Hawks only won 19 road games last season. This season? They have 15 road victories already. How do we explain such a change in fortunes? Does this bode well for the Hawks, or is this simply a trade-off in the standings columns that will have no effect when the postseason comes around?

Regardless …

Continue reading Hawks look to pad home record »