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
O'brien
April 2nd, 2009
9:49 am
If I’m not mistaken, the 76ers beat the Hawks in ATL this season. And the one game we won agaisnt them (in Phillips), they were up by 20 or so at one point, and we made a big run. My point being home court alone does not guarantee that the Hawks will beat the sixers (just because we swept Boston in the playoffs at home).
I dont think JJ is wearing down as yet, but I would be concerned about the next contract we give him. If it’s a 4 year deal, then I’m okay with that. But JJ has been in the top 3 for minutes played the last few seasons. And he plays some PG, and defends the other team’s best wing player sometimes. Sooner or later, his body will start wearing down.
Shaunty
April 2nd, 2009
10:09 am
Since Bruce Levenson said that every player and coach in sports is on a day-to-day contract, should Joe be released after last night’s performance?
Shaunty
April 2nd, 2009
10:19 am
Since Bruce Levenson said that every player and coach in sports is on a day-to-day contract, should Joe be released after Tuesday night’s performance?
darrell starks
April 2nd, 2009
10:31 am
People around the league continue to say the hawks dont have a deep bench how can you have a deep bench with WOODY coaching HE NEVER tried to develop his bench AND THATS GOING TO BE HIS downfall as coach the hawks have talent but under the wrong system. GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Melvin
April 2nd, 2009
10:39 am
O’brien, I like our chances in the playoffs with the homecourt advantage whether it Philly or Miami. Playoff basketball is different from the regular season. Especially when you have 20K screaming fans cheering their team on. Phillips will be rocking. If the NBA Champs Boston Celtics couldnt win a game is Phillips during the Playoffs last season, I’m definitely not afraid of the 76ers or Heat coming into our Mad House this season…
JuliusCesaer
April 2nd, 2009
12:39 pm
I dont care who the Hawks play. They will win the NBA title regardless of who they face. The Hawks will play like they played Boston last year in the playoffs and how they played the Lakers in their last meeting with Los Angeles. The Hawks will win no matter what because it is their destiny to win the world title this season.
Ken Strickland
April 2nd, 2009
12:46 pm
I have no doubt about our ability to defeat Miami or Philly in a series, but we all have to be honest. The HC’s of both teams do a far better job of motivating and preparing their teams to go to battle in big gms than Woodson. That advantage in preparation and motivation makes the biggest difference when playing on the road, and that’s precisely where we have our problems.
Even if we had home court advantage throughout the plaoffs, we couldn’t realistically expect to go undefeated at home throughout the playoffs. It’s up to the HC and his staff to compensate for the absence of home fan support by providing better pregame and in game preparation, motivation and strategy. He has to make certain his players stick to that strategy and not allow one player to dominate the OFF with one on one play, which Woodson allows to happen far too often. Whether we win the series against either team depends on whether Woodson decides to be a coach or a sideline distraction.
Astro Joe
April 2nd, 2009
1:16 pm
Ken, how can you be so sure that rookie head coaches on teams with records worse than the Hawks are doing a better job of motivating their teams to win big games? Have we seen either coach work the sidelines in a playoff series? Are those teams slaying the big dogs but losing excessively to the dreads of the league (is that why they’re looking up to the Hawks over these last 70+ games?) Again, dude has his flaws but let’s not decide that an interim coach and the youngest coach in the league (neither of whom have coached 160 games between them) are suddenly Red F’ing Auerbach when put next to Woody. My goodness, we need to put BK & Sund in the HOF if this team is about to reach the 4th seed with the game’s worse coach in the history of mankind. Or maybe just the assistant coaches. I guess everyone involved BUT Woody. Whew!
I MUS.WRITE
April 2nd, 2009
2:35 pm
Dominue- In the house, i gathered sum intresting facts from him while he was at my work….. He says ” The Hawks will offer bibby between 7-8 milli a year next year and if he doesnt accept we will have another veteran PG running the show” Which veteran PG tho….. I personnally would like to see us get Raymond Felton or Raymond Sessions and then draft the best Pg at pick 19.
As in talking to Nique -i wanted to ask him ” Why are you always riding your own testicles” We know you are among the 50 greatest but we dont need to be reminded of it every broadcast.
Acie Law is not the answer at the Pg position…..yeah he’s been hurt and has gotten inconsisten minutes but its time to move on. Resign Bibby at 7 mill or offer it to Felton and draft Lawson or Maynor. Resign Flip asap and use Chilldress, AC, Solo,2nd to get a big man
If we any chance at g4etting Javeel Mcgee we should make that happen ….draft picks , pick or two-Git’r done
Michael johnson was here earlier as well ….. He said it was dream of his to play for the Falcons, immediately after that the agent cuts him off and says we want to go to Green Bay at pick 10-shoot for the money. ….. Cha Ching. After getting a good look at MJ-He is huge and really ripped to peices -if he is as athletic as they say -I wouldnt mind getting him at 24 – Our coaches would transform his so called passive attitude and get him mean and nasty. I like the kid sidbury as well
Melvin
April 2nd, 2009
2:52 pm
IMUS, Did Nique mention anything about resigning Marvin? If we offer Bibby 7-8 mil, you can’t bet Bibby will be back in a Hawk uniform next season. I don’t think he will get a better deal anywhere… Get me Felton…
Ken Strickland
April 2nd, 2009
2:57 pm
ASTRO JOE-I’ve seen Philly lose PF Elton Brand, their Allstar FA, for the season, get off to a horrible start and still end up challenging us for the 4th seed. We, on the other hand, got off to a great start and have had to battle to hold on the that 4th seed. Miami changed it’s roster, got off to a bad start and they too have been challenging us for the 4th seed. We, on the other hand, got off to a great start, but have had to battle both teams to hold on to the 4th seed.
You can’t tell me they’re quicker, faster, more athletic deeper or more talented than we are. Instead of trying to hold them off for the 4th seed, we should have been battling to take over the 3rd or 2nd seed. IF WE’D CONSISTENTLY UTILIZED OUR BENCH PROPERLY, CONSISTENTLY PLAYED AN UPTEMPO OFF AND MADE IN GM ADJUSTMENTS, WE’D PLAY AND WIN MORE CONSISTENTLY, ESPECIALLY ON THE ROAD.
Still
April 2nd, 2009
3:02 pm
So, you want a new blog or do you want to read the one that’s been up for three days already?
DOUGLAS EDWARDS
April 2nd, 2009
3:12 pm
I MUST. WRITE,
IF THE HAWKS MADE THOSE MOVES, THEY WOULD BE LUCKY TO WIN 25 GAMES…. U KNOW ACIE LAW HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN A FAIR CHANCE TO SHOW HIS SKILLS, THE KID WAS A SUPERSTAR IN COLLEGE, VERY CLUTH, AND A GREAT LEADER…..WOODSON REFUSES TO PLAY HIM…. WOODSON IS A IDIOT ..HE MUST GO…..BIBBY IS GARBAGE, HE CANT MACTHUP WITH ANY SOLID POINT GUARD,THEREFORE IF HIS SHOT IS NOT FALLING, HE SHOULDNT BE IN THE GAME…HE TAKES HORRIBLE SHOTS ALSO… FELTON ? NO COMMENT…… BUT I WOULD TAKE MAYNOR , HE COULD BACK UP ACIE LAW , AND ALSO HE COULD ALLOW ACIE TO PLAY OFF THE BALL…. LET BIBBY, WOODSON, JOE JOHNSON AND MO EVANS GO….RESIGN MARVIN AND FLIP…. HIRE A COACH WHO WANTS TO PUSH THE TEMPO, AND THE HAWKS WOULD WIN 60 GAMES, EVEN WITH A SMALL BUT VERY ATHLETHIC FRONT LINE…. TRADE JOE JOHNSON FOR A HIGH 1ST ROUND PICK AND A SOLID BIG MAN….., SORRY PEOPLE, WE WILL NEVER WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP WITH HIM AS OUR FIRST OPTION, I THINK HE IS A SOLID PLAYER, BUT NOT A SUPERSTAR…. I WOULD REALLY WELCOME J CHILL BACK WITH THE HAWKS ALSO…. BUILD AROUND HORTFORD AND MARVIN..
Astro Joe
April 2nd, 2009
4:05 pm
Ken, so if Woody had used Solo, Acie, Mario, etc. we could have improved by around 10-12 wins? Because those guys would have stepped up to the plate? Because every player in the NBA automatically gets better (and can play with other elite players) when they get playing time? Is that what you’re believing?
You do realize that Philly’s current team is pretty much the identical team that finished either in the 6th or 7th slot last year, right?
You must have been a huge BK fan if you think that this current roster if properly coached should have been as high as the #2 seed in the conference. SHOCKING!
dmortone
April 2nd, 2009
5:04 pm
For perspective, let’s look at the last couple years on NBA title contenders.
Boston-gained 2 superstars, won NBA title, contending this year
Orlando-was 3 seed last year, is 2-3 seed this year, contending for NBA title
Cleveland-legit 4 seed last year, gained legit pg, contending for NBA title
Lakers-accepted gift of Pau Gasol for a bag of peanuts, contending for NBA title
Detroit-frustrated they’re always 2nd best in the conference, trade best player, might miss the playoffs entirely
Atanta-barely backed into playoffs last year with a sub .500 record, gained NO new starters, improved to 11 games over .500
Anyone who expects us to contend for a title is deluding themselves. Have we lost a few games we shouldn’t have? Sure. Have we won a few games we shouldn’t have? Absolutely. Before the season, this is honestly the best season we could have hoped for.
How do we take that next step for the next season? No clue, else I’d be running an NBA team. But in the short term, I’m happy with what we’ve got. I just hope we don’t sell the farm because we’re only an above-average team.
Big Ump
April 2nd, 2009
5:32 pm
Astro Joe
Way to tell it like it is.
GA Bulldawg
April 2nd, 2009
5:52 pm
I say we go after a better veteran guard such as Rafer Alston…now before you look at his stats let me just say this. His stats won’t overwhelm you but Alston is a very good point guard. He’s quite underrated. Rafer is a floor general that we need to bring back the Joe of 2006-2007. He controls the tempo of the game and is an excellent passer…if you ever watched Rockets games or Magic games then you know what I’m talking about. He’s not really a scorer like Bibby or CP3 or D Will but at least he won’t chuck up forced shots like Bibby and he can penetrate and kick out, which is what we need to make JJ more efficient. He also brings DEFENSE! Yayyy lol…cause Bibby has failed in that area. JJ still has a lot of talent but he has to do SO MUCH. He basically has to play 3 positions and defend 3 positions while playing 42 minutes a night!!! Until we get a better point guard and a better offense, (which requires a new coach that understands spacing, ball movement and movement without the ball), then we can’t have an efficient Joe. Joe is already worn out and will continue to be worn out…when I watched the Sixers game the other night he just looked so out of it, I wanted to pull him out of the game and give him a hug lol…no but seriously, I truly appreciate his leadership out there on the court but the coaching staff management takes him for granted by not using him the right way.
GA Bulldawg
April 2nd, 2009
6:01 pm
Douglas Edwards while I respect your opinions, I strongly disagree that we can’t win with JJ as our first option. See my post above…we need a new coach, with a new offense as well as a cheap, traditional point guard such as Rafer Alston. Orlando won’t need him next year when Jameer Nelson gets back, so we might as well sign him. JJ will be much more effective when he can play his natural 2 guard role off the plays of a floor general
Ken Strickland
April 2nd, 2009
6:30 pm
ASTRO JOE-come on, don’t try to put words in my mouth. I never said we should be the #2 seed. I said we should be competing for the #3 or #2 seed. There’s a big difference in the 2 statements.
Please answer the following questions. Do, or do you not think;
(1)the Hawks would be a more consistent team if Woodson allowed the team to play to its strength and consistently run more?
(2)we’d be a more consistent team if Woodson developed and/or used his bench players more and his key starters less?
(3)we’d be more consistent if Woodson made his key players play more team ball and less individual one on one and isolation?
(4)our younger, less experienced players would benefit more, and develop much more, if Woodson was more encouraging, trusting and tolerant of them during their developmental process, instead of being adversarial, confrontational, intolerant and reactionary?
(5)we’d be a better team with a better won/loss record if we had better coaching, player usage. time mgt and a OFF system that takes better advantage of our speed, quickness, athleticism and depth?
O'brien
April 2nd, 2009
6:40 pm
GA Bulldawg, Rafer Alston is 32 years old. I think we need to find somebody younger, and thats one reason I am not a fan of resigning Bibby (who is also a defensive liability).
GA Bulldawg
April 2nd, 2009
7:41 pm
Okay never mind about Alston. You’re right…we gotta plan for the future. How about Earl Watson?? He is 29, which i think is a decent age. Watson is a very good backup..one of the best in the league after Hinrich. He is another underrated point guard. I say we start Acie Law and allow him to develop into a legit starter (ultimately depends on Woody of course…”sighhhs”) but bring Watson off the bench. Again, his stats don’t really mean much cause his playing time has been up and down all year playing behind ROY candidate Russell Westbrook. If you really need some valid stats look at 07-08 in Seattle. He’s not much of a scorer either but will at least look to pass instead of shoot first, even if he is having a bad shooting night unlike Bibby.
Astro Joe
April 2nd, 2009
8:56 pm
Ken, yes to most of your questions. I’m not sure about the quality of the players at the end of our bench. Other than Acie (which would have brought the rotation to 9), how many teams are playing 10 or more players on a regular basis? And I’m not talking about a bottom-feeding team like OKC but a team that is trying to win and not just simply develop their players.
Here’s my analogy… a culinary expert who has to use average ingredients, average cooking equipment and average utensils is not likely going to serve up a meal as good as the same chef who is working with better ingredients, equipment, etc. We have a bench that features 1 first round pick (Acie), several undrafted free agents and a few second rounders. Isn’t it possible that these guys are simply not that good? That some of them are comparable to Salim who isn’t in the league? Isn’t possible that our chef has mostly average ingredients, tools, etc. to work with?
O'brien
April 2nd, 2009
9:00 pm
GA Bulldawg, one problem with Watson is that he is not a free agent so you would have to trade for him.
I like Jarret Jack. He is a restricted free agent, and his current salary is roughly $2 million. The Pacers are paying TJ Ford $8 million, and they still have Jamal Tinsley on the roster, paying him $6.75 million. If we sign Jack to an offer sheet of $4 million, will they match?
Raymnd Felton is also a restricted free agent, and Charlotte has DJ Augustin. Felton made $4.2 milion this year. Would we prefer Felton for $6 million, or pay Bibby $8 million. (I havent seen Felton play much, so I dont know).
I also like Hirich (if his salary is about $8 million), instead of paying Bibby $8 million to resign.
I also like Ramon Sessions in Milwaukee, he is restricted (made $723,000 this year). But as Ray pointed out, The Bucks would be stupid not to keep him.
I just dont think Bibby is the answer. He kills our defense, does not drive and dish, inconsistent shooter, and he bogs down the offense (along with JJ). Plus he is getting older and slower.
Sautee
April 2nd, 2009
9:47 pm
Astro Joe,
Good comments with you and Ken. However, I’ll let you know that Popovich used ten players against us and that was without Duncan, so he actually went 11 deep.
And that’s with less of a lead for the #2 spot in the West than we have for #4.
I’ll assume that you don’t lump the Spurs in with the bottom feeders.
Woody is coaching scared down the stretch, just like last year. Even with more wins, he’s still coaching scared.
GA Bulldawg
April 2nd, 2009
10:13 pm
I like Jarrett Jack too but he is another undersized combo guard, like Bibby and is also a liability on defense…like Bibby. Raymond Felton isn’t what we need either…trust me. He’s one of the more underrated guards in the league (which is why I don’t think the Bobcats will let him go) but he lacks a consistent jump shot…we already have Acie Law, who also lacks a J. Trust me, the Bulls aint gonna get rid of Hinrich, they’re keeping him as well. He isn’t even a backup point guard by virtue of his talent but they drafted Derrick Rose so of course he’ll be coming off the bench. Hinrich is arguably the best backup point guard in the NBA and would easily start on any other team. They wanna get rid of Ben Gordon anyway. As long as Hinrich continues to play well, and he has, the Bulls will keep him.
Ken Strickland
April 2nd, 2009
10:56 pm
RICHBRAVE-in addressing your analogy, how do you know one set of ingredients is superior if you haveb’t tested, tasted or gotten confirmation of its superiority? Woodson hasn’t made an effort to test, or confirm the overall ability of his younger bench players individually or collectively.
All I know is when players that Woodson doesn’t embrace for whatever reason, like Salim and Acie, they seem to regress instead of progress under his heavy handed control. As a rookie, Salim got decent mins and had a promising rookie season. After Woodson put him in his doghouse, his mins became few and far between, Woodson became completely intolerate of any mistake he made, and his gm and attitude went down hill fast. Acie started his rookie season getting extended mins and more than held his own, especially on DEF, against some of the NBA’s elite PG’s, and both the team and Acie got off to an excellent start. Just like Salim, Woodson put him in his doghouse and Acie’s performance, just like his playing time, became erratic.
Acie started his 2nd season with a renewed confidence and commitment, and it showed as he was simply dominant during preseason with extended playing time. Like the season before, both Acie and the team got off to an outstanding start. And, like the season before, Woodson put Acie in his doghouse and his performance and mins became erratic. Woodson has been just as intolerant of mistakes made by Acie as he was with Salim.
We’re approaching the end of Acie’s 2nd yr, and he’s yet to be given the opportunity, or the encouragement, to become a viable contributor to the team he was actually drafted by BK to eventually take over. Woodson obviously doesn’t want him ss his starting PG and isn’t interested in finding out what he can do. The same seems to hold true for Solo as well. Murray, Evans, Solo, Zaza and Acie, plus our starters, gives us a talented 9 man rotation. All we have to do is use what we have more effectively.
richbrave
April 2nd, 2009
11:11 pm
doc:
Guess you saw the WIZ tonight against LeBRON and Company. Considering their record, its amazing what they can do with their full complement of players and when they WANT to. BTW, they did not have their full complement of players. CRITTER was out with back spasms. Too much weight training so I understand.
O'brien
April 2nd, 2009
11:12 pm
Sekou, you mentioned the Hawks’ impressive wins over Orlando and New orleans on the road. That was Oct. 29th and Nov. 5th, the first and third games of the season. Can you really count those as impressive wins? Since starting out 4-0 on the road, the Hawks are 10-23 on the road.
Guys, if we lose to Boston tomorrow, Philly will be 2 games behind us in the loss column.
That being said, I expect the Hawks to lose in Boston. I just hope we dont get blown out early.
richbrave
April 2nd, 2009
11:13 pm
KEN STRICK:
Did I post up in my sleep? What’s up with your 10:56 p.m.?
Shaunty
April 2nd, 2009
11:47 pm
What has Sekou been doing the last 72 hours that he can’t write a new blog? It’s not like the Hawks have played since Tuesday
doc
April 3rd, 2009
12:05 am
missed it tonight richie.
hate to bring it up but here it is, minor league baseball in burbs:
http://projects.ajc.com/gallery/view/sports/braves/gwinnett_braves_stadium/#homepage_tab_newstab
Najeh Davenpoop
April 3rd, 2009
2:00 am
Woody was just shown on Inside the NBA telling Kenny Smith that the Bibby acquisition was “the most important thing that ever happened to him as a head coach”.
Looks like if Woody has anything to say about it Bibby will be back in a Hawks uniform next year.
darrell starks
April 3rd, 2009
3:13 am
Here is the scenario for next year team if BIBBY want 10million or more you hve to let him go and use that to pay MARVIN, ZAZA, AND FLIP, AND HOPEFULLY BRING CHILL BACK.
starting five ACIE, JOE, MARVIN, JOSH, HORFORD,
bench player FLIP, EVANS, CHILL, ZAZA, SOLO.
but in order for this to work you have to have a new coach? AVERY JOHNSON
now this team could really do something. GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
dap01
April 3rd, 2009
7:52 am
Having Bibby hit a 3 from 25 feet makes up for the lack of offensive system. Bibby is a very good role player who needs to be paid like a role player and Woody needs to be an assistant somewhere else.
doc
April 3rd, 2009
8:21 am
theo ratliff, wasnt he this franchise’s first speedy? or is it the other way around speedy is the second coming of theo? people forget what the expectations were for him when we obtained him. theo was the start of this teams fall from grace in the nba to the desultory reach we fell. amazing he is still around but better yet folks are screaming he is the type of guy we need. heh heh how things turn in the nba.
did woody say how much he appreciated bk going out and getting bibby for him to keep his job only to lose his own because of the way he had coached for four years before bibby got here. yes, whatever salary woody gets going forward from the hawks bibby is the reason. bibby made woody’s retirement a whole lot nicer. unfortunately in the big picture it doesnt get us closer to the nba ring that has eluded the hawks for longer than a half century and ranks the team second on the list of teams waiting the longest to get another one. only the kings rank worst in the nba.
richbrave
April 3rd, 2009
8:51 am
doc:
News from dogtown. Saw the pix spread last night. No worries. Life goes on. Headed to D.C. for the BRAVES-NATS APRIL 21. My first ever BRAVES ML game. Bloggers here are starting to sit up and take notice of JAVARIS’ development this year. He’s gonna’ be a good ‘un.
Astro Joe
April 3rd, 2009
9:41 am
doc, Theo, SAR & Glenn Robinson. Looked pretty good on paper. Too bad they don’t play the games on paper.
I wonder if the game entertainment crew has ever put together a Hawks Heritage of Shot-Blockers type film to show in the arena. Tree, Dikembe, Theo, Smith… not a bad list of names (likely better than most franchises in terms of elite shot-blockers). It would be fun to watch a 60 second clip of past Hawks swatting shots left and right. Did Kevin Willis ever block a shot during his NBA career? I know that one of my all-time favorite Hawks was pretty good in that area… Antoine Carr!
ILL-logical
April 3rd, 2009
9:51 am
The “Zeyphers” win over the Cavs last night stood out for a couple of reasons: 1) Tapscott got to show what a talented 10 deep squad could do to the admittedly bored/tired Cavs;but 2)served notice to the league that they are going to be a force next season. Something our guys need to recognize.
Why is Woodson playing scared going into the playoffs? He is not Sunds guy.Every GM wants his guy so that there is another layer of responsibility when the inevitable happens.These guys must get on the same page for next year because everyone is trying to get better and a lot of teams are doing a better job of developing and using thier talent. And with the economic climate free agents and rookies are going to recieve less attention(read money) with the obvious exceptions.
The current Hawks roster has enough talent IF properly developed and utilized.Playing guys in the positions that best help the team acheive its goals and that suits their abilities is step one. The days of imperial fiat must end. And the skakey track record of Sund must be recognized as well. Let’s face it, a close look at the candidates for COY and GMOY shows that neither of our guys is highly regarded by their peers/experts and neither engenders a lot of fan nor team support. So collaboration becomes key so that they both can keep their phoney baloney government jobs.
Sund needs to hire some more Coaches like Mark Price to hone the teams technical and performance skils: Julius Erving for Josh-fro on and off the court counsel on how to be 3 with limited shooting range on the court and a leader both on and off the court; Antonio Davis to assist Solo,Randolph and Othello and ZaZa(if they keep him,which I hope they do)to become the kind of big he was and trade for Javaris Critterton for a future PG with home town connections.
Woody must adjust to a new offensive scheme that is based on the reality that if he doesn’t the when question will toll much ,much sooner.
The Wizards await everyone next year with a fully loaded arsenal of talent and playing with renewed confidence; can the Hawks say the same?
Samuel
April 3rd, 2009
10:09 am
Joe,
Realistically, I just checked back through the years and through 2000 I have only seen one team (Chicago) who finished in the top 3 of the Eastern Conference without at least one Hall of Fame player.
It sounds good to say that our roster can do all this but realistically we don’t have the talent. We’re right where we should be.
ILL, what exactly has Mark Price done for such kudos?
doc
April 3rd, 2009
10:43 am
aj, carr was what chills was to me. liked them both for similar reasons. never thought much or robinson, i too over rated SAR and his numbers. he is a prime example of how numbers can be meaningless outside of fantasy basketball.
yeah richie, dont rub it in too much about javaris. i like the kid. when you go to dc, who ya rootin for?
ill we have missed three ops to get javaris already. the wiz are building for him in the future. not available.
Daniel
April 3rd, 2009
11:01 am
Ill- the Wizards have some nice young players, but remember they are playing losing basketball, and getting garbage time and minutes. Much like Durant, it is hard to truly evaluate talent on teams that are playing meaningless basketball. Plus, Arenas has to return to form for them to have any chance which is a big IF.
I do like the idea of keeping Zsa Zsa. This will be a very interesting off season for the reasons that you mentioned about the economy. Also, this dang court case will hopefully be done. Then we can really see what the ownership group is about.
As for Woodson, I think he has done a better job than is often credited on this blog, although there is certainly a lot of room for improvement. Ultimately, I will judge Woodson and this team on how they perform in the playoffs. Going in wtih the 4th seed and 45 wins or so, is exactly where they should be based on talent and expierence. If this is a team on the rise still or just a better than average team will be determined by how they play in the playoffs.
I MUS.WRITE
April 3rd, 2009
11:19 am
Douglas Edwards -What moves would those be resigning our starting PG for roughly 7 million less per season. Bibby is definitely worth 7 million a year easy.
Agreed Woodson is’nt the coach for this team, but itz hard to argue 46 wins and a 4th seed in the playoffs.
AC Law….. Come on man…. He was clutch in college, in the pro’s not so much- He’s a good on ball defender, and gets to the rim at will but a reliable scorer he is not which is why he will continue to get inconsistent minutes as long as woody is our coach. Cant understand that yungn-he goes from captain clutch in college to shooting 8ft airballs DA!!!
JJ is a solid number 2 option IMO, but i disagree that you cant win with him, We are like 11 games over 500 right now so theres your winning….. We wont win a title with him as our 1st option….The man just has too many bad games …11,13,16 pts aient going to get it done.
Resign flip -ASAP
Sund all but said he didnt care for Chillz game so why not package him, if he were to come back I would definitely welcome what he brings to the table.
Chillz/Solo/Speed expiring/ For J.Pryzbilla/2nd
Now if we could trade JJ for Aldridge and Blake sign me up…
ZULU
April 3rd, 2009
11:49 am
I agree with Samuel. What has Mark Price done? He’s another “shadow” guy. Watch a Hawks homegame and if he’s present the camera fines him often (especially for the kudo commentary). You can have all the ‘finer points’ assistants in the world but the game is played between the stripes under the lights. Preparation stops once the players step between the stripes. Woodson needs to rely “more” on his assitants and sit his #@!$#@! down. I am amazed at how difficult some coaches make the game. Too bad Coach Wooden can’t do ‘how too seminars’ for coaches,maybe Phil Jackson will when he’s done with the Lakers. “Can’t” should not be part of why you were given a spot on a professional team the NBA does not have a rule on not playing your bench.
O'brien
April 3rd, 2009
12:23 pm
It’s ironic that Woody preaches defense, but yet he gives Bibby so much credit and PT (while Acie, Solo and Mario get so little).
In my opinion, Bibby’s playoff performance will determine if he is even worth $7 million. Because if Bibby resigns with the Hawks, we can look forward to the same issues next year.
1) JJ having to guard quick point guards
2) Our bigs picking up fouls because Bibby’s guy is able to penetrate (and either make the pass or go to the line)
3) Bibby’s inconsistent jumper (1 good game, 3 bad games)
4) Not getting our bigs involved (I blame JJ and Woody too)
And Bibby will still get his 32-36 minutes a game
Obviously, Bibby does bring some positives to this team, but how much is it really worth?
doc
April 3rd, 2009
1:00 pm
for falcon fans, available linebackers just thinned out a bit before the draft. two of usc’s kids washed out positive for steroids, one of them that folks were counting on, clay matthews.
darrell starks
April 3rd, 2009
1:02 pm
Could you imagine EVANS, CHILL, CRASHING THE OFFENSIVE BOARDS that would be awesome.GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I MUS.WRITE
April 3rd, 2009
1:05 pm
O’Brien…. I can dig it those issues wont go away if we resign Bibby. I would go after Ray Felton and let him and Bibby split minutes. 7 mill is fair when u look at what guys like Arenas,Nash and Marbury make.
If Bibby tanks in the playoffs I would go in another direction via free agency -draft
doc
April 3rd, 2009
1:18 pm
i mus; nash, shouldnt be mentioned with any of those players. he also has never demanded or gotten top dollar and has two mvp’s to suggest he has delivered in kind. geez man.
O'brien
April 3rd, 2009
1:18 pm
I MUS.WRITE, I like that combination too. But I dont think Bibby or Felton will feel too good about coming off the bench.
Astro Joe
April 3rd, 2009
1:26 pm
Samuel, good call on the HOF-type player to grab a top 3 conference position. I screamed for Woody to play Salim for 3 years. If an NBA team thought that they could get a cheap guy who could stretch the defense and be an Eddie House type of player, I’m guessing that he would be on someone’s roster. Maybe, just maybe, dude doesn’t have what it takes to contribute to an NBA team and that’s why he didn’t play then and isn’t playing now.
I called for the Hawks to resign Bibby very early this season. But after watching him these past few months, I don’t think I would bring him back… under any contract terms. Some players require too much supplemental help to make them effective. Bibby pretty much requires an agile shot-blocker (think Camby, Bird Man, etc.) when he so easily gives up dribble penetration. And guys like Camby are both hard to find and quite expensive. So paying Bibby $8M would likely require another investment of $8M in a big. That just doesn’t make sense to me.
doc, I would like nothing more than to see the Hawks bring Antoine Carr in as their big man coach. Not only was he a nasty offensive player (with that sweet turn-around jumper) but he became a very good low post defender when he lost his explosiveness. I can still picture him in a Utah uniform with those googles on defending Shaq in the post… fairly effectively. Unlike Ty Hill, he could teach guys like Horford how to defend AND how to have a multi-dimensional offensive game. Like I said, he’s definitely one of my favorite Hawks of all time and someone who seemingly would be able to offer a wealth of knowledge to young bigs.
This notion of “Woody coaching scared”. You mean coaching like a guy who is convinced that the team’s best chance to advance beyond the first round is to have home court advantage? Like a guy who is convinced that he needs to play 8 experienced guys (Acie is hurt and is not an option now) as opposed to throwing in RandMo against teams like the Lakers, Celtics and Cavs in order to secure the 4th seed? Like a guy who believes that his best chance at a contract extension rests with bringing his boss’ the extra revenue that comes with more than 3 home playoff games? Why on earth would any knucklehead be thinking those thoughts? He should be developing the young talent for the next head coach, right?