South Beach or Cheesesteaks?
Will it be South Beach for the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs ...
PHILADELPHIA - No one could argue against Miami as a destination location for a first round playoff series.
There’s South Beach, an endless supply of Cafe con Leche and the chance to see Dwyane Wade face off against your Hawks in what would be a fantastic matchup.
But if the 76ers somehow nip the Heat at the tape for the fifth spot and a date with the Hawks, I could deal with a few days and nights in this gritty city, where you’re nothing without one of these Freeway beards, some Dunkin’ Donuts coffee and a cheesesteak or cheese steak (since no one here can agree on whether it’s one or two words or the best place to get one) close by.
I can’t imagine there being a more exciting first round series in terms of the individual matchups or the preferred style of play (up-tempo if the 76ers had their way). I also can’t think of a better place to see two of the league’s most athletic, high-flying teams in the first round.
... or cheese steaks?
That’s what makes tonight’s matchup between the Hawks and Sixers at Wachovia center even more interesting. Both teams will be in the mood to send a message, just in case they see each other down the road. Late season games like these always serve as playoff mood setters.
And now that the NCAA Tournament is winding down, the focus for hoops heads like us can shift officially to the NBA playoffs.undefined
That being said, my eyes have been opened to a few things in the past couple of weeks of watching the college kids go at it.
Five things I’ve learned along the way:
1. Blake Griffin is the No. 1 pick in the draft and no one else need apply. Griffin is the closest thing to a man among boys in the college game right now (sort of like Mike Beasley, Kevin Durant, Al Horford and Greg Oden before him). There’s no one else to even consider for that top spot. NO ONE!
2. Hasheem Thabeet should be the poster child (albeit a 7-foot-3 version) for players teetering on the brink of entering the draft before it’s time. Thabeet has been discussed as a high lottery pick from the minute he set foot on campus at UConn. Somehow he resisted the urge. Now he has the grand stage at the Final Four to make his case for top three status.
Does the term Man Among Boys mean anything to you Blake Griffin?
3. Ty Lawson has made his case for a lottery slot as well, proving that he and not that other Ty(lyer Hansbrough) for North Carolina is the Tar Heels’ true most valuable player. I actually had someone argue me down about his earlier this season. But there’s no debate these days. A game-changing point guard trumps a big man in the college game.
4. There isn’t a single player on Villanova’s roster that appears to be a sure-fire NBA player, but they are the one team in the Final Four I can see myself rooting for. Michigan State is out for obvious reasons. And big dogs like Carolina and UConn don’t need any more help. Nova, however, is just the kind of underdog (and bracket buster) that keeps folks tuned in when their teams have already disappeared.
5. I know his team was bounced by those hated Spartans, but Louisville’s Terrence Williams is my draft sleeper this year. I’ve only seen him mentioned as a late first round pick, so apparently not everyone thinks as highly of him as I do. I just don’t know what more a team would want from a small forward. The guy plays hard, passes well, can score in a variety of ways, is physical and appears to be arguably the most unselfish player in the country. I’m thinking he’s going to be like Danny Granger was in the 2005 draft, in terms of being a value pick outside of the draft lottery.
ONE LAST THING OF NOTE …
I know all the studies show that people don’t have the time or desire to read long stories anymore, but if you don’t make time for anything else in the next few days you have to read this riveting story from Pablo S. Torre of Sports Illustrated.
It’s a detailed look at how professional athletes go broke in this age of jaw-dropping salaries, something that nickle and dime hustlers like us figure should be an impossibility with all the zeros on cats’ salaries. I wouldn’t have believed half the stuff in the story if I didn’t know a few former players mentioned in the story and hadn’t already heard, first hand, some their horror stories.
This story took over the conversation at my barbershop last weekend, and I know if it got everybody talking in there it needed to be shared here. Enjoy and (aspiring pro athletes) take notes!
Don’t forget Hawks-Sixers tonight. We’ll chop it up here all day and throughout the game.
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353 comments Add your comment
Big Ray
March 31st, 2009
9:09 pm
I can’t even lay all the blame on Joe. He can’t pass to guys who aren’t cutting. Why don’t they cut??
Why is it that when Horford rolls to the basket and the defender is hedging off of a pick, he almost never gets the ball? We have GOT to make teams pay for that!
Astro Joe
March 31st, 2009
9:09 pm
Ray, that healthier fat guy is having a better season than Mr. Smith.
Melvin
March 31st, 2009
9:10 pm
Misss shots by Bibby, Joe and Flip. And a turnover by Joe. Philly goes on a 9-0 run.
Astro Joe
March 31st, 2009
9:11 pm
Someone hand Theo a cup… Woody should demand a urine test RIGHT NOW!
J.J.M.
March 31st, 2009
9:11 pm
joe tryin 2 take over. josh was the man to go to.
Big Ray
March 31st, 2009
9:12 pm
Crap, Josh goes off big time, and we’re going to lose anyway.
No adjustments, as usual. I do not like this matchup for the playoffs. We’re seeing now what we’re going to see in the playoffs, guys.
Melvin
March 31st, 2009
9:12 pm
Simple Ray. Joe is not effective at running the pick and roll. Rarely does he pass the ball to his teammate that roll off the pick…
JohnGTFan
March 31st, 2009
9:13 pm
Well, the run was fun while it lasted. And Melvin, I’m one that has NEVER questioned Josh’s heart, desire or effort…it’s his decision-making that usually drives me insane. But I’ll always take the bad with the good with his talent. LOL
JohnGTFan
March 31st, 2009
9:14 pm
Is the stat sheet correct..does Bibby really have “0″ assists?????
trint
March 31st, 2009
9:15 pm
The hawks are a bunch of wussies. Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby are allowed to come in and basically give the game away. Lets pray the heat keeps the 5th spot or it will really be ugly the ATL. 4-2 Sixer
Melvin
March 31st, 2009
9:16 pm
Me two JohnGT but it seem like to some others that he does nothing right…
Astro Joe
March 31st, 2009
9:16 pm
So I missed it, did Joe try to push the Hawks over the top like he always does? And then the other team goes on a run when Joe deviates from what got them back in the game? If so, we’ve seen that at least 8-10 times over the past 3 years. He is a ralley killer for the Hawks. Dude is a great front-runner and does well after the team takes the lead. But he very rarely is the catalyst in a comeback and too often kills it dead when he insists on being the one to hit the shot to get them over the hump.
Elijah
March 31st, 2009
9:17 pm
Has Horford thrown in the towel??
amazin
March 31st, 2009
9:18 pm
Astro Joe
I read your blowhard comments all the time. It is obvious to everyone that the ball should be running through Smith. It isn’t. He is scoring on his own penetration or when someone else penetrates and passes. Most of his points have been with less than 10 seconds on the shot clock. When you are on fire you should be touching the ball earlier than that. Sorry, for questioning the Almighty Astro.
J.J.M.
March 31st, 2009
9:18 pm
let josh get his career high
hawks hawk
March 31st, 2009
9:18 pm
Where the Josh haters at! check your backcourt tandem, they sucking it up bad tonite, but they keep firing it up! Good job Coach WOODY
Astro Joe
March 31st, 2009
9:21 pm
Amazin, it’s not even remotely like that. Folk question me all the tie around here. It is the nature of a blog. And the reason why I participate. I’m married… I’m told constantly that I’m wrong.
J.J.M.
March 31st, 2009
9:21 pm
flip tryin 2 be the home town hero
bigdave
March 31st, 2009
9:22 pm
Mike Bibby couldnt wait to get out the game…
dmortone
March 31st, 2009
9:22 pm
Listen, I love Josh, he has all the talent in the world. No one says he’s a bad player. However, while he’s truly dominating on the offensive end, he only has 5 rebounds and the sixers are dominating us inside. They’ve only hit 2 3’s all game. The paint is Josh’s area, along with Horford and Zaza’s, and none of them are doing a particularly good job. Though I’m sure it would be easier if Bibby wasn’t a swinging gate on D.
Elijah
March 31st, 2009
9:23 pm
Sekou, that’s just pathetic about Speedy. The dude can freaking defend. How are we gonna put overweight Bibby (yes he is massively overweight and does not look in shape at all) on Andre MIller when we have Speedy Claxton?
JJ
March 31st, 2009
9:23 pm
good game josh u played a heck of a game. too bad nobody else wanted to play except flip.
Melvin
March 31st, 2009
9:23 pm
Astro, Joe did hit some key shots in the 3rd. I think Flip and Josh spark the run. Hawks went 6 mins without scoring during a stretch in the 4th (around the time Bibby came back on the court)…. Funny Sixers went on their run when Theo came in the game after sitting for the 1st three qtrs….
bigdave
March 31st, 2009
9:26 pm
Exactly Big Ray… they dont cut.. they sit and watch… the whole team sits and watches each other… iso in the post iso on the perimeter with all these athletes (except Bibby) but we beat ourselves by standing still.. so easy to defend…
Astro Joe… Joe has never brought us back… better yet, kept us in the game… WOW GEESH!!!
dont get caught up in tonights game brother…
bigdave
March 31st, 2009
9:27 pm
you are clearly now a Joe Hater!!!
bigdave
March 31st, 2009
9:28 pm
and i am officially a “Bibby Hater”
bigdave
March 31st, 2009
9:29 pm
Not much in the lane tonight either… nothing from down low… im talking block play, post play…
bigdave
March 31st, 2009
9:30 pm
Josh hit his free throws, and make outside shots… thats why you see a big number… we are going to have our hands tied come playoffs cause we have no paint presence on either end…
Big Ray
March 31st, 2009
9:31 pm
Astro Joe,
Of course you would see it that way. That’s a matter of opinion. Now how are you going to quantify that statement? Let me see, you can’t go by the number of wins, can you? And Woody was never injured. Hmmm. I guess what you’re trying to say is that this team would be better off without Smith than it would without Woody. I’m interested in your explanation of this opinion. Seriously.
So where are those people that were so mad at Mark Price a little while back? The Hawks just went 21-21 from the line. I say he earned his money, huh? Unfortunately, the Hawks lost. So what coach shall we hang for THAT one? Heh heh heh…
amazin
March 31st, 2009
9:31 pm
Astro Joe-
also being a member of the ball & chain gang. I will extend the olive branch. Maybe that is why I am cranky.
J.J.M.
March 31st, 2009
9:32 pm
hawks lost beacuse when they came back joe got a lil happy and tried to be the hero when josh and flip were playing the hardest. when its not your day its not your day(bibby and joe) i woulda ratha them kept goin to josh and maybe josh woulda got doubled up leavin some one open for the three or two.
niremetal
March 31st, 2009
9:33 pm
Melvin,
Sorry, that’s just plain wrong. JJ passes the ball on about half of the pick and rolls we run with him, and I really don’t know what games you’ve been watching if you think otherwise. The problem is that Woodson prefers to call ISO for JJ rather than a pick-and-roll, which leads to everyone looking kind of unsure about what to do when they finally do call one involving JJ. All too often, both JJ and the big man roll in the same direction, and the resulting lack of separation makes the pick and roll a nullity.
Ray hit the nail on the head – there is almost NO off-ball motion on offense for us. I have only seen one play run the past few weeks that involves off-ball screens, and it involves JJ setting an off-ball screen for a big man who then goes to the top of the key to run a pick-and-roll with Bibby (while JJ clears out to spot up). That’s it.
I hate to sound like a broken record, but WE NEED MARVIN BACK. On nights like tonight when JJ and Bibby are cold, we need someone who can score from the perimeter. We also need him on defense against teams like Philly with high-octane perimeter players.
I’ve made my call. If Marvin is healthy, I’d rather play Philly in the first round for the reasons stated above and because of the danger of D-Wade singlehandedly annihilating us. If he’s still sore, I’d rather play Miami, because I’d rather face the risk of Wade going nova than the certainty of Philly’s backcourt running JJ and Bibby ragged on defense, leaving them with precious little in the tank on offense.
Also, I’m getting so effing sick of this 7-man rotation. We went 7-0 on a homestand, most of which saw us using at least an 8 and usually a 9 player rotation. But it’s like a sickness – Woodson seems allergic to doing what works for the Hawks. And also, naysayers aside, we have the 4th seed in the bag. That means that this is the perfect time to get our bench some burn, but $50 says that Woody doesn’t switch from the 7-man rotation until there’s less than a week left before the playoffs.
WAKE UP, WOODY. THIS IS THE PERFECT TIME TO USE YOUR BENCH. WAKE. UP.
Elijah
March 31st, 2009
9:34 pm
HOW ARE WE BENCHING SPEEDY CLAXTON AND NOT COLLECTING MONEY? PLAY THE POINT GUARD. WE CANT LET FAT MIKE BIBBY PLAY 40 MINUTES A GAME.
I DONT CARE IF HES NOT IN OUR PLANS. WOODSON, DO YOU WANT TO WIN OR NOT?
Astro Joe
March 31st, 2009
9:34 pm
Dave, no, Joe keeps us in games…. I just have never seen him serve as the catalyst of a major comeback. And too often, he takes an ill-advised shot when he wants to be the hero.
Ken Strickland
March 31st, 2009
9:34 pm
We need an upgrade at PG if we intend to gain any consistency and take it to the next level. Bibby is too limited, too one dimensional and a serious DEF liability. Even if we’re lucky enough to draft the PG we need, Woodson is too insecure to put the team and his HC career in the hands of a rookie PG.
If we get the type of PG we need, and Woodson accepts him, we’d become a much more consistent team, even with Woodson as HC.
freshd
March 31st, 2009
9:34 pm
please dont resign mike bibby, and when joe johnson”s contract is up let him go. he is a 2, he will never be a 1. he is a good player but to be a 1 you have to be great. lately he has been up and down. the hawks should take notes from philly how they put flip on his ass. if they had done the same to tony parker last week they would have won. the playoffs are coming atlanta it time to man up. you might see these guys again.
amazin
March 31st, 2009
9:37 pm
J.J.M.
Great point. The problem is that would involve coaching and making in game adjustments. Something that seems to be lacking around here.
J.J.M.
March 31st, 2009
9:38 pm
amazin
we should be ok though. could be better but yes the coaching has to step up
Big Ray
March 31st, 2009
9:39 pm
Dmortone,
You’re right. Josh wasn’t very good on the defensive end, or on the boards, although he did make some plays. We lost the game on assist-to-turnover ratio, and points off of turnovers.
Better yet, we actually outrebounded them. Here’s where we lost, boxscore-wise: They had 27 assists, and 7 turnovers.
We had 17 assists….and 17 turnovers.
As far as the defense goes, what kills me is how guys like Josh will always get the brunt of criticism while Joe Johnson continues to take plays off. It’s disgusting, really.
This TEAM is not playing good defense. You can’t just have good “D” in the paint, or just from one person. The defense starts ON THE DAMN PERIMETER. The BALL starts there. It’s impossible for the defense to start in the paint. That is the LAST LINE OF DEFENSE. But do you hear that? NO, you don’t. What you hear is “Josh didn’t get it done.” Although some will at least broaden their vision and see that all the Hawks big men didn’t get it done.
Once again, even the staunches Marvin hater should see why we miss him. Dude has played defense all year, and has legit talent on the offensive end.
But….we also have guys on the bench who will defend (like Solo). Why doens’t he see the court? Gee, I wonder…
bigdave
March 31st, 2009
9:40 pm
Wow…? when he wants to be the hero…? Joe Johnson… yall have confused the player with the offense… the selfish title most wanna give Joe is a result of an offense that is predicated on selfish play… iso… iso.. iso… no ball movement unless there is a breakdown…
terrell barron
March 31st, 2009
9:41 pm
I said it from the get-go. I want no part of Philly.
Astro Joe
March 31st, 2009
9:41 pm
Ray, simple. 37 to 43 and counting. Team likely to secure 4th seed. Team didn’t miss a beat after losing their regular 6th man. Top 5 team in turnovers (unless tonight’s debacle pushed them over).
Meanwhile, can anyone claim that Smith is better this year vs. last year?
I think this is a no-brainer. Joe isn’t as good, Bibby has faultered, guys have been injured, and yet the team is better. Oh yeah and I’m guessing the conference is better, too. I’m not saying dude is a great coach… but he is better this year vs. last year. Is that so difficult to consider?
bigdave
March 31st, 2009
9:42 pm
Astro… isnt keeping the team in the game the same as being the “catalyst” for the comeback…?
eman
March 31st, 2009
9:42 pm
Not a good sign when:
The Hawks are losing all games in possible Eastern Conference playoffs matchups (Cleveland x2, Boston, 76ers during the month of March).
Bad this is there are still 3 more games left like those as well as 3 road games.
niremetal
March 31st, 2009
9:43 pm
Astro,
I just have never seen him serve as the catalyst of a major comeback.
Uh…gee. I guess you’re not counting the single biggest game of the past decade for the Hawks, when we were down 10 against the best defensive team in the league in Game Four of the first round and JJ scored 20 points in the fourth quarter to lead us to the win. Yeah, guess that doesn’t count.
Or in the home opener this year when we fell down 23 points against the Sixers and JJ took over in the second half, icing the game with a 30-footer with 10 seconds left. Yeah, guess that doesn’t count either.
Big Ray
March 31st, 2009
9:44 pm
On the flip side of the coin, I really can’t get too mad at Joe Johnson taking plays off on defense.
He constantly has to make up for Bibby’s egregious ineptitude, and we don’t need him working so freakin’ hard all game long, trying to guard guys that he should not have to guard. We need him to have energy on offense.
And truth be told, so it is with all good/great offensive players. You don’t see the Kobes, Lebrons, Wades, CP3s, or any others playing lock-down defense on every possession. They really can’t afford to.
Defense is a team concept. If you’re playing zone, watch your part of the zone. If you’re playing man to man, then get your guy, and watch for the switch-outs. But we don’t do that, and in starts with our pg.
Can’t blame Joe for all of this. Can’t make Bibby do what he obviously cannot do. But you CAN make adjustments when it’s time to do so.
Sorry, but the so-called healthy fat guy might be in better running shape, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have high cholesterol.
doc
March 31st, 2009
9:44 pm
melvin, every dog has his day.
JOSH = MVP!
dmortone
March 31st, 2009
9:45 pm
Even if Joe is a number 2 option, that’s still better than 90% of the wing players in the league. We do need an upgrade at the point at some point, but letting JJ go just because he’s not Lebron, Kobe, or Dwade is a little short-sighted.
BTW, Mario was +4 in the 7 minutes of burn he got. Mark Price, your work is needed!
amazin
March 31st, 2009
9:45 pm
Also, the Hawks big men foul trouble is a direct result of Mike Bibby. They are stopping people the guards coming in the paint. Then the other big has to rotate. Because the guards do not weakside box out. They get killed on the offensive rebounds.
Astro Joe
March 31st, 2009
9:46 pm
How many NFL coaches with a single year left on their contract would play a rookie QB? Woody (unless he signs an extension) is a lame duck coach (agaon) next season. And ya’ll think he should put his income (in this economy) on the line for a squad led by a rookie-PG? And does anyone know anything about Sund’s contract? Can he survive the growing pains of a rookie PG? I think some of ya’ll are kidding yourselves about drafting a PG outside of the lottery.