Bienvenido a Miami!

aYo, Hawkz n 5!!!!

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Thanks for a nice blog, Sekou.

What can we expect from Marvin going forward minutes wise? Will Woody increase his workload a bit this week to get him into shape for the playoffs?

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Wow the Miami Heat have Injuries to guard Luther Head (broken hand), forward Udonis Haslem (right thumb) and guard Daequan Cook (right shoulder).

Ummm…….Sweep? J/K………seriusly though, I’ll have my broom ready…

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“The Heat, which stands 1-2 against Atlanta this season, doesn’t figure to test the Hawks’ confidence in Tuesday’s game at Philips Arena, with it likely that Wade, Jermaine O’Neal, Udonis Haslem and other regulars will be held out.”

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basketball/heat/sfl-heat-michael-beasley-s041309,0,7398782.story

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“Do both teams rest their big dogs, knowing that they’re going to each other again in a few days in hand-to-hand combat? Or do they go for broke and pull out all the stops to win the game no matter what, making sure to send a message of what’s to come?”

Normally I’m a supporter of resting players at the end of the season when playoff seeding has been decided, in any sport. But the last thing the Hawks need is for Miami’s inexperienced supporting cast to gain confidence that they can win at Philips right before the playoffs start. I think the Hawks need to win this game to show Miami that they are not going to win games at Philips. And considering that Marvin is just getting back into playing shape right now, it probably wouldn’t hurt for the starters to play extended minutes together in a regular season game just so they can regain their team chemistry.

“Who has gotten more out of their talent? My point, [Houston's Rick] Adelman and Woodson should be at the top of the list of candidates for coach of the year (maybe Chauncey Billups if he had been named player/coach).”

I said this on a previous blog but I’ll say it again — Woody definitely deserves some credit for the Hawks being at the point they are right now. But no way has he gotten the most out of the Hawks’ talent, particularly on offense. If you’re going by the “more with less” criteria, I don’t see how Byron Scott, Jerry Sloan or even Erik Spoelstra haven’t done more with less this year. All three have had similar situations as Adelman — relying on one superstar to carry the team while filling in the blanks for the supporting cast thanks to injuries and lack of depth. The Hawks by comparison have stayed relatively healthy and have been able to build up continuity with their starting unit for most of the year. I’m not just trying to hate on Woody here, but I find it hard to believe that Woody’s been dealt a worse hand than those other three coaches. I think more than anything the Hawks don’t get enough credit from the media for the talent level of the roster, particularly once you get past Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby.

Anyway, if I had a vote, I’d vote for Jerry Sloan every year until he wins. Jerry Sloan with no COYs is like Jordan with no MVPs to me.

Oh yeah, nice take Astro Joe.

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Sekou, nice blog as usual. However, if you don’t think all that propaganda has some kind of influence for some voters, you should have stepped into a marketing class or two.

Face it, one of the business icons of this town consistently makes billions selling flavored bubble water. It IS about the marketing and the branding when done well. Take a peek in the crowd at a game. How much Hawks swag is floating around for a team that is at the tail end of its first winning season in the 21st century? The NBA spends more time selling personalities than great basketball.

Swag is like pharmaceutical reps…neither directly sells the product, but both keep it in the minds of decision makers who can influence the cash flow. That’s why pharma rep is probably the most appearance sensitive job for people that are not in entertainment. That’s also why arenas are always tossing t-shirts and giving away magnets. We got your $$$–wear the shirt and get your pals in here.

If they teams that are promoting players for awards are smart, the combine the iPod with a mini video (or audio) of the players accomplishments from this season. The personal highlight reel should keep that player fresher in your mind. Even if he doesn’t get your top vote, maybe he moves up to 2nd or 3rd on your ballot instead of being left off.

Astro Joe brings up a good enough point that I will give Woody credit for being goal focused. The tricky part is at what cost? Would we be better off as a 5th seed that had developed its younger players so that the team is significantly better in April than it was in November? Woody has done some good, but he gets graded almost like amateur boxing in the Olympics used be be done. Last playoff season, the Celtics knocked the Hawks down 4 times in the fight, but they got up before getting counted out. We got in 3 good shots. Judge’s scorecard went to Celts 4-3, but it really wasn’t that close.

This year should be better as long as our major players have enough left in the tank for the playoffs.

BWAF

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Heres a thought: Should Woody not put West on Wade Tuesday night and see what transpires. Bibbys a liability on D and West has the quickness and energy to shut Wade down. Should Tuesday night be a “test/experiment” with some match ups?

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Bottom line is, we’ve got to protect home court. As long as Dwayne Wade is on that team, it’s possible they can beat us. I’m not in agreement that Philly would have presented a harder matchup. I honestly believe our zone defense would have stifled them in the playoffs. Look at what Detroit did to them last year! They stopped Philly’s game and made them take jumpers. You can only hope to contain Mr. Wade and he has the energy to pump up the guys around him. You cannot underestimate the effect a superstar can have on a team. Philly doesn’t have that and I believe, pound for pound we’re a better team than them. I believe we’re better than Miami too. However, the Wade factor terrifies me (plus the refs will be on his side…we know this). Joe MUST try to match him (if that is possible). I’m already worried about officiating in this thing.

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Ariose, thanks for the shout out. doc, you’re a trip. Sekou, thanks for putting my name in lights, I feel as famous as Young MC (one-hit wonder). But what’s up with the Will Smith diss? Funny, how many from the hip-hop world would give their right (rhymes with tall) to have Will’s money? I find it ironic that a gansta rapper like Ice Cube would follow in the foot-steps of a “wannabe” rapper like Smith. Will Smith probably made more money on that awful “Wild, Wild West” movie than Lil Wayne made in the past 3 years.

Regarding tomorrow’s game. I’d play my big dogs no more than 30 minutes. Sometime around the 8-minute mark of the 4th quarter, I’m pulling all of the top 8 players with the exception of Marvin (assuming he’s well enough to continue to work on his timing, energy and overall game). I don’t want our starters anywhere near Magloire toward the end of the game… I’m not calling him a goon, but, well, okay, I lied, I am calling him a goon.

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Sekou – great job as always. But…

“You’re worried about playing the refs too, huh? Get over it. Wade is going to get his share of calls. The superstars always do. But that hasn’t ever stopped the better team from handling its business.”

You watched the 2006 Finals, right?

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I agree, John. You know the league prefers a D Wade vs. LaBron series. The Hawks are going to have their hands full.

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The only regular starter that should see big minutes in these last two games is Marvin so he can get his rhythm back. I would send Hunter and Gardner out there and tell them to play some ball…….I think this series might be a lot tougher than some realize. I think it goes 6 games with us winning.

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tiger woo, no one said Mario is going to shut down Wade.

If you watch the sparse minutes Mario has played, he has done a fine job on Kobe, Deron, and others. Woodson only has been playing him about 7 minutes a game, so we haven’t seen much. Also, with Duck back, Mario’s minutes will be even less

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Tomorrow game vs the Heat is meaningless (outside of extend our current win streak and winning the last home game). I say Woody shouldn’t play the regulars no more than 12 mins. 6 mins each half.

As for the Playoffs, those fans that are worry about the favoritism for D.Wade. I would like to invite you out to Philips arena during the playoffs and so you could take your fustrations out on the Refs during those games. As long as WE the Atlanta Hawks fans pack the arena and cheer the hometown team on, then we will put the pressure on the Refs to call the game fair or at least in favor for the Hawks. I will be there, screaming to the top of my lungs. Will you????

Go Hawks….

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Good Swat Native. I think we can neutralize some of the favortism that D.Wade and Lebron will/would have received is to create a hostile environment for the visiting teams and REFS… 2nd round here we come…

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Cuz,

Gotta agree with Pop.
I also gotta say that the main reason Woody get’s no respect from the “Nation” types is that the “Local” types don’t give him any respect. Cuz, you are both(Nation and Local)show the man more love.

How does JJ get a mention and Woody not. JJ has been very inconsistant. Woody has been steady and unwaivering. Flip should get mentioned but by no means is he a no-brainer any more than Woody.

Joe, you have been my only partner in the Woody=COY campaign(sorta). Your email was good however, how is our achievement any more fragile than anybody else. Wade goes down or gets into foul trouble and the Heat become the Grizzlies. The same can be said for 90% of the teams in these playoffs.

Again, our Hawks will never be respected until we “fully” respect them ourselves.

Woody=COY

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What kind of stupid azz idiot thinks that national media doesnt respect a coach because local media doesnt. Local media goes off of national media. Woodson is the reason so many didnt expect the hawks to do well. Well that and the way this team has been managed.

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Samuel, clearly, any team is vulnerable if they lose their top stars. But in the case of someone like Acie, we seemingly don’t even have a viable 3rd PG. Our vulnerability seems to be more than just amongst our best player or 3. For all the love Mario gets, I don’t want him playing more than a few token minutes in a meaningful game. Same with Solo. If either has to play more than 6 minutes in a playoff game, then I think we’re in deep crap.

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Most of the awards are a little bogus anyway. It would be nice if Flip and Joe would get something, but after Al didn’t win ROY last year, other than the MVP and defensive MVP, it’s more of a popularity choice.

The thing about Woody is, the playoffs will determine what type of coach he really is. I am not a fan of Woody, but if he out coaches his opponent and does a great job in the playoffs, I might be able to overlook his shortcomings. The thing is, he doesn’t have a good offensive scheme, he doesn’t play or develop his bench, and I don’t ever remember him making an adjustment after halftime. For those reasons, I don’t see a bright future for the Hawks if he is still the coach.

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Does Speedy practice with our 1st unit at all? From what he said last month, doesn’t sound like it. Woody said it himself: Acie isn’t healthy

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Since I said I would not say anything negative till the offseason, Hawks in 7 over Miami.

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Who cares what Rick Snow have said, because the Bulls is getting alot of respect with a 40-40 record. The Cavaliers have been getting alot of respect with only a 52-32 record in 2007. The Hawks will just have to earn there respect.

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dad01

on twitter Zaza said that his back is better and he’s back working out with the team.

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what is the national media saying? that the hawks will fall in seven?

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They are sayin that Wade can beat the Hawks by himself

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Barkley is inconsistent and I really dislike Smith. It was only one commentator that said that the Hawks would win at least one game, but we won three. I say that Hawks in six.

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I sometimes wonder if Kenny Smith is still bitter that the Hawks didn’t hire him as their coach. He was one of the finalists when they hired Woodson.

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Speedy:

What if he “shocks the world” and plays like he did years ago?
Maybe Woody has a trick up his sleeve.

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“If we win the first round, we’re satisfied with that, but it doesn’t mean that if we lose the first round that, well, it’s a total disappointment,” said Sund.

Interesting comments from our GM. In my opinion, if we dont beat Miami in the first round, it will be very disappointing.

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that was an article on Hawsquawk…

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How can we blame our players or the coach if the GM sets the bar that low? A manager or any leader should never aim that low. It’s completely evident that the Hawks lack leadership all the way from ownership, management to coaches. Hey Mr. GM, we the fans are not satisfied by just winning the first round. We want to go beyond. And if first round is all you can see, then we need a GM who can see further. You may be the GM but we the fans own the team. Mr GM,some are only thoughts and are not meant to be spoken. Next time, please keep them to yourself.
GO HAWKS AND AIM HIGHER!!!!

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Swat Native

i have never heard about that story, but I know it would’ve been funny…

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To all of us who calls a spade a spade; I think it’s reasonable to ask that we all STAND DOWN on Woody (for now); especially in light of the upcoming payoff series with D. Wade and Company. Mainly because we don’t need the added distractions coming from the so-called sport expert-opinions who claim to have insider 411 on the Hawks inter-workings. All they really do is read these blogs and form their opinions based on unsubstantiated stories that are based on nothing more than theories, gossips, and speculations and not on any facts. Since the Hawks will be on the national stage during at least the first-round of the playoff, there will be much to buzz and talk about regarding this organization. Even though we could be on point as we reflect on Woody’s past coaching flawed decisions, we can’t deny Woody’s accomplishment of leading this team to a 4th seed playoff spot. That should earn him at least some degree of respect from even the worst critics. Having said that, however, I know there has been (and still is) a school of thought (on this blog) that any Hawks accomplishment will not be because of Woody but in spite of him; That line of thinking may still be valid, but that debate is for another time, but certainly not now. Woody doesn’t need to be reminded of the consequences of going out in the first round after all of the favorable odds of winning the series. In fact, what concerns me the most is the Hawks tendency to thrive when the odds are against them as the case in last year’s payoff but also the tendency to lay-an-egg with favorable odds has been their trademark as well. Remember those times when the Hawk played down to the competition and loss games they clearly should have won. Let’s hope they have grown up and learned from the experience including Woody. We shall see. Anything short of a victory in the first-round will quickly dissipate the enthusiasm.

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I think the mainstream are damn fools in there predjudice Barkley and Smith made a beat that the Hawks would be better than the Timberwolves, so Barkley lost. But know that the Hawks have a chance to be good no one wants to give them a chance. I hate most of the media…

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You guys think we should let bench players get the majority of the minutes in the last 2 games? I do.
I think they all should get JJ type of minutes…just to see what they can do….and it might build up confidence in players like Gardner, Acie, Morris, Solo, Mario etc. if they go out and have good/great games. I mean you never know how far that can go because you never know what will happen and whop you might HAVE to use in the playoffs for various reasons.

lol for some reason I believe that boy “Gardner” can light it up.

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Samuel, you may be right. It certainly is debatable.

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I listen to what John Hollinger has to say, just like I do any of the other paid experts. Doesn’t mean I believe everything I hear, though.

The concerns about the bench are valid. However, what is being called into question here? Is it the caliber/talent level of the players we have? If that’s the case, then the finger-pointing begins and pretty much ends with the GM.

Like Najeh says, you can’t sleep on Flip. I’ll go a step further and say that Mo Evans has value and use as well. And I think Solo does, too. He proved it early on in the season (still don’t know what happened there). I think Acie does as well, but at this stage this is more opinion than consistent, proven fact. He simply has not played enough, due to both injury and, well….

But if it’s not the talent that Hollinger and others are criticizing, then it’s the use and development thereof. Either way, all comes to light in the playoffs. Our guys are used to doing the heavy lifting every night. There won’t be anything new there.

What WILL matter is how effective Speedy is if Acie isn’t ready to go, and how healthy Zaza will be. If he’s not healthy enough, are next guy up is Solo. Woody says he could be a major factor in the playoffs. Yeah, I believe it. Which makes me wonder why he hasn’t been a major factor during the regular season, especially with the injuries we’ve experienced. Oh well, it is what it is.

Ready to get at it!

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MAC-TOWN,

LOL! I don’t know if he’ll LIGHT it up, but he damn sure will THROW it up! He’s torn up both the D-League and the Summer League, but we both know that isn’t evidence of greatness. Still, the guy has no fear. I dont’ think there’s a 3-point shot that he’s met, that he didn’t like. Of course, that may also be why he’s firmly glued to the bench. Woody’s not fond of guys that hoist threes all night long, even though two of his starters will do it night after night.

THE TRUTH,

I agree. Now is not the time to be all over Woody’s a$$. The playoffs are just about here. This team has achieved three particular goals so far, compared to the one of last year. This year, they’ve not just made the playoffs. They also managed a winning record and a good seeding.

I don’t know what Sund was talking about, to be honest. Personally, I see a first round loss in the playoffs as a disappointment. A second round loss? That’s different. But if this team was good enough to win 46 games or more during the regular season, then we’re good enough to win a first round series, considering we’re not facing the top three eastern conference teams. We SHOULD win.

I really wonder what it is that he means by that, or if I’m just trying to read stuff into it. Maybe Sund is taking some pressure off of Woodson by making that statment. You know, a vote of confidence that losing in the first round is not a death sentence. Of course, by saying so, one could also imply that perhaps he doesn’t think the roster is up to it. If that’s the case, one has to ask is that because of injuries, or because he doesn’t feel the roster itself is up to par? Ehhh, I’ll put that on the backburner for summertime, which I think will be more interesting than most of us anticipate.

In the mean time, I say win, win, win. Win that first round. Go for the second one too, but definitely win that first one.

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It’s beed a fun year but I’m not ready to jump on the Woody band wagon even if we win the first two rounds. Just the fact he does not adjust to Bibby when he is getting torched bothers me. Then theres the nights when he is shooting lousy and still getting tourched. How do you not make a move. Before the great home stand there were games the front court couldn’t get a touch if they had $100 dollar bills attached to their ….. The only way anybody got any playing time besides the first 8 was due to injury. After a few of these he discovered some others suddeny had talent. I don’t want to see the man fierd but I wish someone with a little power would talk to him on a regular basis and work on this problem

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Woody is hard core old school. It is very tough to get him to trust a player. But once your in his good graces you can screw up more than the guys who are coming off the bench. The only player that overcame this was little joe (Flip). He got a free ride from the start. Usually Woody sets the minutes at the beginning of each game and how each player will be rotated in and that my friends is how were going to do it. Only fouls or injurys will change that plan.

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swatdad, ZaZa, Marvin, Flip and Evans should be ok. They don’t play the minutes the starters do. I like the Speedy start. Why play Gardner and Othello, they will never get offf the bench in the playoffs anyways.

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UGA 8:00 a good guess – prine time.

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I’m hopeing Marvin will be fine by the playoffs or a couple of games later. Speedy is the suprise component. If he can still drive and kick and play defense, he dosen’t even have to shoot. Defense is the main thing. We have no pg defense. Them little fellers are to quick for JJ and Bibby……we know about Bibby.

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Many of times.

I really thought Marvin was turning into our best back to the basket player on the block. We were starting to use him on several mismatches. Plus, he can make free throws. I thought a low post scorer was something we missed and he was becoming that.

Chalmers could be just like Rondo last year. Bibby just needs to keep him in front.

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I agree, Marvin was cut down in his prime. Best ball he has ever played. Best driver on the team. As far as Bibby goes, he can’t keep anybody in front of him. If Bibby is hot he can outscore his counter part. Plus if he’s hot it is much harder to double JJ. If Al and Josh are playing good this also takes the pressure of of JJ. When JJ is not doubled – we kick .ss

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Lets go into dream world and assume Speedy returns to his former glory. Lets assume we resign everybody including Chills. I could see Speedy starting and Bibby becoming the sixth man player of the year like Jason Terry, with one of the deepest benches in the league. Get an old time grizzeled vet down low for a fourth big. Chance to become an elite team without many changes.

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You heard it here first – the Hawks should extend JJ and Marvin, let Bibby walk, let Speedy fill in at PG next year (his contract will expire next summer), and sign-and-trade Smoove and/or Chills for a big man and/or draft pick.

Then, use the gazillions in cap space they’ll have to make a run at one of the big free agents in 2010. With JJ and Horford guaranteed to be here, a LeBron/D-Wade/Bosh would give themselves a shot at a title. And with ATL being one of the hottest (in every way) cities in the country, this will be a very attractive stage.

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Is there is any bloggers out there who think that the Hawks accomplishment was in spite of HC have a pretty low or no basketball IQ at all.

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Mayne, Hope these AJC peeps aint foolin us bout Speedy!! U know wat i mean??

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People say Marvin is some star or something and that he’s improved, wtf? He was supposed to average 18 ppg and he avgs 14 ppg. Let him walk

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The best thing that could happen to Marvin is to get 14 ppg. Best thing that could happen to the Hawks is JJ getting 18ppg. Isn’t about points dude it’s about team balance. It’s about shot selection and shooting percentage.

Big Al and Josh are coming into their own. The Hawks strength is their dependence on no one player. We bow in admiration to the JJ effort in the last 4 years but now is the time to play team ball. Ball rotation and keeping a balance between the front court and the back court takes the Hawks to the elite status.

We know Bibby and JJ can win games on their own. We know ZaZa and Flip can dig our way out when the back court gets off to a slow start. But when we play our best is when Big Al and Josh get off early and often.

We have figured out that Evans, Mario and Solo have important contributions to make. It isn’t about numbers, dude, it’s about winning. Lets quit worrying about stars and kick some butt. If we get Woody to buy into this attitude, we’ll be even tougher to beat.

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For all you Woody haters the Hawk are a decent team thats playing without a center. They are where they are because Woody has them playing at or above their talent level. That makes him a very good coach. Hate up on that!!

For you ZaZa Fans. Zaza is a scrub and would not make many NBA teams. He is a liability and has been reduced to coming off the bench. We now have a power forward starting in his place because he cant man the position.

The Hawks lose regularly to any team with a good center who can block or alter shots and intimidate. ZaZa does neither and other teams run down our throats. If the Hawks had a center Woody would get 55 + wins out of them.

Stop judging the Hawks with your feel good emotions and learn the game!!! In the longer playoffs series the game always comes down to a half court game. He who has center control will win. Period.

Za Za is a turnover waiting to happen.

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Astro Joe, you are a true poet above the rim, if not with rhyme then with lofty sentiments and in-the-paint observations. I would like to think that the clear headed comments here come off the bench and give you the minutes in the spot light you deserve. JJ feeds it back to you instead of throwing up a hope for a 3. Its your chance. Your drive.

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This is the best first round matchup of all the 1st round games if only for the media, celebrity, and nightlife. The way I look at it is this is a great matchup with the two best shooting guards in the east. D-Wade can score at will and defend with the best. Joe Johnson is a technician who could work the post and murder you from the wing. All the experts say that DW could win a series by himself, I’m just glad that JJ doesn’t have to. When it all boils down to it Al and Josh can and probably will carry the Hawks through the series. JO’Neil can’t keep up with Al in the open floor. Not to mention JO can’t score on big Al or keep him off the glass (13 boards in the first half of last game agains the heat). Josh Smith over the course of the series will dominate the rookie Beasly. Beasly is a good scorer and good rebounder but can’t dominate the paint as I’ve seen JS do regularly (defense and offense). Haslem gives them a little toughness down low but I think what a healthy ZZP brings kinda cancels that out. I don’t think Magloire or Solo get enough burn to really matter. Marvin’s BACK, and that spells trouble for Miami. Marvin is really at the one position that I trully believe Miami dosn’t have an answer for. Moon is to small, Cook is to small, and Wade is too busy. Marvin will live at the line in this series. I’ll take Bibby over Chalmers anytime. I don’t know much about their bench but if they are better than ZZP, Flip, Mo Evans, it can’t be much better. By me looking up and down these rosters I just can’t see how this is even close. Wade is good enouph to keep Miami in a couple of games but Miami gets tossed in five games.

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Anybody mind telling me who the center was for the Pistons the last 6 or so years? The years in which they have not only made the conference finals like every year, but have WON A CHAMPIONSHIP. I’ll give you a hint, here has been 2 of them, I’ll give you another hint, THERE BOTH SMALLER THAN AL! In our starting lineup, we have 3 top ten picks, a 2 time all star, and one of the better defensive players in the game(who also happens to be a slam dunk champion). How our they playing “above their talent?” Also, how is it that he can get the 5 starters to play above their talent levels, but he cant get the other players, like Zaza, Acie, or Solo to?

One more question. Who was Bostons starting center last year when they won the championship? I’ll give you a hint, HES SMALLER THAN AL!

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Hawks 133
Heat 98

Thomas Gardner – 38 pts, 8 rebs, 5 asst (7/9 three point fg)

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Kendrick Perkins is smaller than Horford? Didn’t know that

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kgbsfinst

April 14th, 2009
9:43 am

The Hawk are a run and gun team and have a problem in the half court because we dont have a center to go to and Josh Smith prefers the three point cinderblock over the slash and in kgbsfinst face dunk! Our game is athleticism and speed.
If You have an intimidating center to enforce control of the middle then your guys can take it to the rack like the other teams with centers do to us.
Since we dont, its bombs away. Shooting can slump but finishing in the paint doesnt.

Who is arguing that we shoot outside too much?

Even the Hawk hating commentators got that right. But the question is why?….Hawks need a center, Hawks need a center, Hawks need a center!!
Thumbs up to the Flip Man!!

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Truth-Serum, you can play effective half-court offense WITHOUT a true center. And until recently, Smith has in fact reduced his 3-point shot attempts. If the Hawks have struggled with their half-court sets this season, I think you have to consider the injuries to the front court. Marvin has missed around 20 games, Horford & Smith around 12 each. Those guys are still perfecting their half-court skills so when they miss time, it really hurts. And it forces over-reliance on the vets with proven half-court skills… JJ, Bibby & Flip. Indy has a huge front line but Horford and Smith feasted on them last week. I still say that our front line (when healthy) can more than hold their own against the vast majority of teams in this league. We do need a “part-time” defensive center but I ain’t mad at our starting front-line as a collective unit.

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AJ,
I agree we need a part time center.

Truth-serum,

Dunk in my face? Really? I was willing to banter with you a little, but after that, never mind.

Not too many people, including myself, want Zaza to start, and I would take Josh and Al over Al and a Kendrick Perkins type any day of the week. We can win with this starting lineup, we don’t need a starting center.

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Jake,

Your right about pretty much all of it. My biggest concern is that you need more from a head coach. What about our offensive scheme every night? What about during the game?

I think Woody is a great assistant coach, because he does do a good job helping develop his players. He just doesn’t do a great job during the game.

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kgbsfinst

April 14th, 2009
11:17 am

Sorry your feelings are hurt. I did not mean to hurt your feelings. I just wanted to make a point about the game and its tenacity. Do you think we can drive the ball on that center from Orlando? Want to bet we turn to the jumpers against him? Its amazing how a true center changes the scope of the game. Howard is an enforcer and opens the middle for his team. Za Za is a proverb in turnovers.
Like I said before; Woodson has the Hawks playing at or above their talent level.
Just keeping it real.
Flip is a beast and will drive on any one!

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jake

April 14th, 2009
11:29 am

Horford is a power forward who is forced to play the 5 spot because Z cant. Z was a starter a year ago and has been in the NBA for 5 years. Just face it, hes a scrub and has been demoted to a bench player. I think he leads the league in turnovers for a center.

Thumbs up Woodson and Flip!! kgbsfinst,jake Stop the hate!
Dont hate, Congratulate, Woodson on an OUTSTANDING JOB!!

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Not hatin’ on Woody at all. It does seem like you’re hatin’ on “BOSS”. The guy has held his own and excelled most games. Been solid as a rock the past two years without adequate backup. Upgrade over Solo helps this team more than ANOTHER starting center. Most teams used four to five BIGS not three.

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Add another BIG and you you get a better rotation in which coach can trust. It will also add alot more flexibility to the lineup. As it is now, the only true backups to JS are already in the starting lineup (Horford if we go big and Marvin if we play small). As I said before, not many options.

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I read on ESPN that the Cleveland Coach addressed one of his shortcomings last offseason. He hired an assistant coach, who became the offensive co-ordinator.

Who is the Hawks’ offensive coordinator? I think Woody needs to hire one for offense, and Woody can focus on the defense.

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Acie is on the shelf, and so is ZAZA. Micah Heart said they were both probably out for precautionary reasons though(zaza was at the walkthrough this mornong). Mo will also be missing the game with his family situation.

That means More time for Flip, Solo, Speedy, Randolph, Thomas, Mario, and maybe even Othello.

At least our starting unit is intact………sheesh.

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Oh Lord, Micah is recording a podcast with John Hollinger as we speak. He asks if we have any questions for hollinger. unfortunately I don’t have a twitter account to respond(and i’m working on a presentation right now so I haven’t the time).

If anyone get’s around to it. Make sure you tell Micah to Make Hollinger apologise to all of the hawks fans

1)For Being WRONG

2)For hatin’ on the home team

3)For showing his face in the streets of tha ATL after his shoddy predictions and his factually flawed ab baseless prediction that the Miami Heat will beat the Hawks in round 1.

4) Ask him why he continues to pose as a real Hawks fan when he’s reallly just a fairweather bandwagon jumping STATboy.

5) Ask him to move to Miami or ESPN headquaters in Conneticut

Here’s the linke to the official Hawks Twitter:

http://twitter.com/atlanta_hawks

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Oh, and Hollinger is a poo poo head, just like Barkley for betting that the Hawks would have a worse record than the Timberwolves(why we let Chuck walk the streets of Atlanta after that comment is beyond me…..he should go cover Auburn basketball or something….)

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Playoff roster:
Joe Bib Marv Smoove Horf Flip Mo ZaZa Speedy Mario Solomon Randy

That’s a pretty darn good lineup! Woodson, do NOT put Law on the roster!
Once you set playoff roster at 12, can you change it during postseason?

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aroise my twitter account is tigerworld37

I sent a message to Micah (about his bad commenta) early…..

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Micah mention a comment that I posted on twitter. Micah also mention about that fact Hollinger predicted the Hawks would have a worst season. But he said that bench would be horrible, but the bench was better than expected.

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On the Podcast Hollinger said that Hawks should beat the Heat in five or six games.

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Tony I found you

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GREAT JOB BILLY FOR ASSEMBLING THIS TEAM

GREAT MIKE WOODSON FOR AN OUTSTANDING COACHING JOB

GREAT JOB RICK SUND FOR ADDING NEEDED VETERANS TO THE TEAM

GREAT GREAT JOB ATLANTA HAWKS PLAYERS

GREAT JOB ATLANTA SPIRIT ESPECIALLY THE GEARINS

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Tony, Who you tellin’ lol.

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“…get a chance to look at guys like, Solomon, Thomas Gardner, Speedy (said it real fast with a bit of sarcasm in his face) will be in action tonight…”

-Coach Michael Woodson

funny stuff

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mred1943

Nice post, Little Mike!

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the Hawks will face both D-Wade and LeBron…. great preparation for Lebron though he his a different animal…

they brought out the head bands tonight… damn, even Joe has one working…

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lmao…..its serious **** goin down when ya boy JJ is in the headband…

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I appreciate the try at solidarity… but the headbands look straight goofy to me. But again, I appreciate the attempt at team unity… even in a meaningless game.

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They regulars are just going thru the motion. Its time to get them out of the game…. Oh my, Speedy is on the court in uniform….SPEEDY, SPEEDY

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got it blocked but i like the burst…

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Please take Horford out the game…

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Dang, Speedy only plays 3mins… Woody, let him play to his knees give out again…

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Whats the use of having Marvin in the game if Flip is going to shoot every shot down the court. Beasley a double double in the 1st qtr. WTF!

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That’s what I meant by Marvin coming off the bench, and Mo continuing to start. Marvin will kill the other team’s bench.

I like Gardner. He’s had like three steals already. I like his energy and hustle. And he plays like a scorer.

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Dominique: Beasle Odonis Haslem

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Will Flip allow any of his teammates to shoot the ball… Better yet, why is he playing so many mins. Put Speedy back in the game. He has seen enough games from the bench the past 2 years…

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Oh Gardner ain’t scared to shoot, no sir…you want that out of a scorer though.

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Solo must be one of those guys who plays well with good players surrounding him, because I kind of expected him to distibguish himself but he really hasn’t done so (yet). He has shown nice flashes with the “main guys” but not so much tonight.

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This is the most unimpressive game I have ever saw Solo play.

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82 shots.

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I think a dude like Gardener just needs more PT and confidence, he could be a pretty nice bench player.

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Gardner is playing well tonight. Of course, he is behind JJ, Flip and even Mario on the depth chart.

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Gotta say it…..Joe looks like a middle schooler with that headband on. Hilarious.

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Beasley is a beast. If I were Miami, I would start him in the playoffs.

Flip needs to slow down and move the ball more often, although in truth, out of the bench bunch, who else would you trust to take the shot? Flip would be my pick. But he must stop turning the ball over. He’s driving in too deep and getting stripped. Pull up and shoot, Flip. I’ll take that anyday.

We need Marvin back to play some major minutes.

I see why Randolph Morris gets no playing time. Dude can’t move his feet!

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Let’s go Solo.

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Speedy gots no legs! Oh wait…that ain’t nothin’ new..

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Marvin looks like he isn’t concerned about his back. He’s still rusty but he doesn’t look timid. Hopefully he’ll be ready to make a contribution by the time the series moves to Miami.

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Hope you’re right, Joe. We will need him.

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Kinda got caught up in the idea that Hunter would never see the floor this year, and forgot just how good/smooth he looks. His footwork is nice, on both ends of the court.

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Oh my, Flip with a pass… I can’t believe my eyes… Now can Woody give him a rest. No need for our 6th starter to play 40 mins in this game… We wan Speedy….

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Good to see our young bench players out there getting done against Miami’s bench…with Flip babysitting of course, but all the same.

Good job by these guys.

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As Sautee just mentioned to me, where are these offensive sets coming from? We haven’t seen them all year!

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Dang. Mario miss his chance to be on sportcenter. Better yet, he messed up Flip best pass of his career…

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4 steals for Gardner. Kid’s got some quick hands.

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Enter your comments here

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My goodness. Hawks trying to end the regular season in dramatic fashion….

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Hawks dodge a bullet tonite. That last play where Miami got 5 cracks at the shot could easily have been a Hawks foul. Wonder how the refs will call that in the playoffs.

So Hawks won this game playing their full bench for the most part?

Nice win.

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Hey! The bench won the game! No REALLY! #47! I’ll take it!

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Joe wins that shi.t every year, man.

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Everyone should dress like ZZP.

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Good win tonight Hawks. With one gm remaining in the season, I’ll say congradulations to HC Mike Woodson and the Hawks. This has been a very rewarding season overall. I’m looking forward to the playoffs this weedend and I know we’ll be victorious. GOOD LUCK THIS WEEKEND YOU HIGH FLYING HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Hey quick question:

The 12 man roster set for the playoffs: Is it flexible? Can players be removed from the roster and replaced with others (Law/Claxton) if the player is already on the team?

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?

Can’t tell if that last one was the real Big Ray or just another wannabe in disguise.

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niremetal, WTF happened to the judge in the ASG court case? Are the Maryland judges paid by the length of time to render a decision? It can’t possibly be that complicated.

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If someone is on death row in 2001 and files an appeal, they can extend their life easily by 4 or 5 years

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Astro,

As I understand it, Belkin’s side took so long with their presentation that they had to schedule another week worth of trial. Unfortunately, since the judge’s calendar was already booked up, they couldn’t just keep going in February. Instead, I think they’ll be reconvening sometime in May, and that’s when the ASG side will finally get to present their case.

But…I still wouldn’t be surprised if it was at least another week or two (or maybe more) after that before the decision is published. It really depends on which clerk gets assigned to write the opinion, how complicated the legal issues are, etc. And to be honest, my understanding is that the “decision” will merely prescribe the process that must be used to set a value for Belkin’s stake in ASG, rather than announce how much Belkin is owed.

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thanks for the update nire, sounds like a legal filibuster to me. also has anyone ever seen how many trees are killed for a big case like this where the legal sides “present” their preparation by having a truck unload all the legal briefs like they have really done all that reading or have anyway to know where or what was in those boxes. silly stuff, it is what it is. getting paid for time rather than outcome is a very solicitous way to work it, of course if one can go for it. i am not sure that thus case will be complete in this decade.

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“I talked with Speedy after shootaround and I told him what the deal was,” Woodson said. “We need to get his feet wet and just see where he is as a player. Because when we start the playoffs, the roster is wide open in terms of the guys we keep active. We just have to weigh our options in a couple days and see where we are. But it will really be based on practice Thursday and Friday to see where he is and to see where Acie is at that time.”

“In Claxton the Hawks have a seemingly healthy player with playoff experience but little in the way of game-ready conditioning.”- Sekou

The statments above were taken from Sekou’s latest article and should put to rest the conspiracy theory that the ASG is/was keeping Speedy in street clothes to seek/collect salary reimbursements from the insurance company. This one is on Woodson. He chose not to play Speedy and kept him on the inactive roster all season. Now here we are going into the playoffs with possible one healthy PG. This decision may come back to bite him on the you know what…

Let’s recap. The ASG has chose to increase payroll, spend big money on Speedy, Bibby and JSmoove, in the middle of a very expensive legal battle (for the last 4/5 years) all this while losing over 200 mil the last 7/8 years. On top of all that, they are not one of the teams reported to ask for a NBA Bailout Loan/Stimulus Funds…. Maybe these guys have more resources than we think….

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As an attorney in private practice, being paid by the hour is the most favorable for both the firm and the client. It is unethical to prolong case to get more billable time. Is it done, sure but not nearly as much as people think.

As for the Hawks. Glad we will see the Heat. Wade can’t win 4 games by himself (he might be able to do it for 1 or 2) so I’ll say the Hawks in 6.

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Since we have homecourt advantage the song shouldbe Welcome to Atlanta by Luda

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Retraction. Cleveland can’t meet Atlanta in the Eastern Conference Championship. So all that means is Cleveland won’t make it.

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I join with many others who have noted that this is a great season for the Hawks. Let us hope that they do well in the post season.

It was also great to see the bench players. It should be evident to all that there is some talent among those who we seldom see play.

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Mr Phill, Shaq was Phoenix’ best player this year. Wtf??? It was’nt his fault they dont know how to play defense. Come on now. The Diesel was the least of the Suns problems. Steve Kerr was the problem, if you ask me.

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Great win!!!

Ray, whatz good my brother? I agree with your comments about Woody. I must admit Woody has done a good job this year. (Can’t believe I said that) The Hawks are all grown up now. I think we’re still the youngest team in the league, and they’re only going to get better. I hope BASG can keep the core intact, while adding a legit center and point guard. Furthermore, I hope they will consider re-signing Chillz.

I was listening to 790 the zone, and they made a great point about Smoove. They stated, the Hawks are one of the most dangerous teams when Smoove is exerting a lot of energy on both sides of the court. Smoove is the X-Factor for our team. I think we go as far as Smoove can take us ( I can feel some heat coming from my brothers on the south side college park area).

If we can make it out the first round, I like our chances against Cleveland. We have really played them tough this year (except for the first game). I rather face them instead of Boston. The first series is going to be tough, and the next serious against the King will be off the chain. The NBA would love to have Wade vs. James series, so I hope the powers that be don’t hate on our Hawks. There’s still a lot of politics in the NBA.

Wassup Doc, I see all is well my brother. Are you ready for the playoffs? I know Phillips will be crazy. This is my favorite time of the year. I think tempers are going to flare during the Miami series. Before the series is over, Jamaal Magloire will be hit with a flagrant foul.

Wassup Banks

Ando holla atcha boy lol

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Philips Arena engineering crew did a good job last night. They did NOT try to make the atmosphere nowhere near the environment that the Heat will face this weekend. There was very little piped-in music, no artificial drums and Ryan “King” screaming DE-FENSE or LET’S GO HAWKS until the last few minutes of the game. The volume will be turned up 100 folds this weekend. This will be a major factor in game one. Miami’s rookies and young ball handlers won’t know what hit them. Atlanta’s pressure, switching, swarming, ballhawking defense has a way unsettling young inexperienced ballhandlers.

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the only way hawk win vs. heat is if beasley is on the bench him and wade will beat hawk by self!!!! Beasley goes 23 and 13 in 24mins and 12mins where vs starters only thing i saw was hawks 3rd string better that heat’s bad for hawks to even play starters to much wade and beasley mix in everybody else heat in 6 or less.ps wade beat dallas by himself and they where way better than the hawks are miami same team minus ZO!!!!shaq wasnt nuttin for heat in championship year

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Here’s a piece some of you cats may find interesting. It concerns NBA players transporting their cars from the cities in which they’re employed to their home cities after the season.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/sports/basketball/16cars.html?_r=1&hpw

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oh yea since when has speedy claxton been a beast in bball he is wut he is a bencher a role player if u countin on him and the rest of them bums they might jus win one game because truth be told joe johnson really all u got dont get me wrong bibby not bibby from sac, al,josh,and marvin are suspect as far wut they bring eveynite,i know woody has big fear of wade beasley cuz he has no answer for either one of them but hawk do h.ave glimpse of hope because d. cook shot is off at wrong time other than that it would be sweep for HEAT hawks shoot too many jumpers to win anything and has minimal post game. hawk fans be careful what u ask for cuz u gonna get it LIVIN OFF LAST YEARS PLAYOFFS hehehehe!!!!

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if beasley play 32 to 35mins heat will when in 6 or less no answer for him or wade wut u goin double wade leave him one on one with josh or marvin he jus toasted ur starters for 23pts 13rebs 2blk in 24mins like i said 12mins vs. starters u should sat ur starters out Everybody nows playoffs half court game thats y u win 2 out of 3 see u count last night but i see that as ur down fall. hawks lose confidence by lettin gm get that close with ur starters out there that cant be good like i said hawks 3rd string is better than heat’s. hehehehe

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WADE beat DALLAS
+
HAWKS not as good as DALLAS = HEAT

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mel ur starters play 1st 6min in first qtr and 6min n 3rd qtr and none of them could stop beasley wut were u watch it wasnt the game cuz the only time u take lead back from us was when beasley was on bench(beasley no 2nd or 4th qtr play at all) keep hope alive for hawks i guess havent won anything in nba so i guess u got to hang ur hat on something nto this year maybe when u draft raymond smith in 2025 draft!!!lmao

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Keepin it real, obviously you were impress with Beasley performance last nite which came in a losing effort just like the other 2 games he played in. How come you want to discredit the 3 wins by the Hawks this season then reference a Heat team performance from 3yrs ago which had an entirely different cast of players. What sense does that make????

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lol

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HAWKS got same team from last year and basically the same record and y’all hype

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Follow me on twitter. Search DJ_Incog.

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jake same team means same players same record means wut 4 or 5 gm improvement WOW calm down hawks if u lose trust me nobody will be surprised but HAWK fans

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jus kiddin mk for fun convo but HEAT in 6 or less

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So I was reading Bill Simmons’ new column today (where he picks the Heat to beat the Hawks, so f*ck him, but anyway)… and he links to this website showing the best five-man units in the league by +/- rating. I don’t really know how much value to give these things, but it’s kinda interesting that according to this list, Bibby-Flip-Joe-Josh-Zaza is the second best five-man unit in the NBA. Don’t know how significant that is, but I think this may be more significant: the Hawks’ best three units all contain Josh Smith (he of the low basketball IQ) and one member of the bench (which supposedly sucks).

Maybe a little more puzzling? The Hawks’ starting lineup is -4 for the season per 48 minutes.

So anyway, don’t know what it means, but something to talk about I guess…

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We get to see Mike Conley tonight. That kid is gonna be the truth.

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najeh, that is two years in a row zaza has fared well, chills also ranked high usually. jj and josh were the tops last year. marvin usually bleeds red numbers in the negative space. still dont know exactly how to rate the results but it is interesting zaza ranks up there an josh as well as they seem to be the biggest lightening rods besides woody on this blog.

lacsho, still aroung quietly in the background my friend. all well with you bud? still west of town? actually feel retty good about myself, seems like i rank up there with ray boy as there is someone posing me. imitation babeee, flattery all the way. heh heh

guys i can assure you if we win tonight the first post will be from virginia. richie boy brave will be showing up with a broken arm patting himself so hard on the back for the prediction of 48 wins.

i just want at least 6 more wins after tonight, not including tonight.

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On a night were 3 out of 4 regulars (Marvin excluded) are chose not to play in a meaningless game. One player decide to take one for the team and play with the bench warmers. Hmmm, that Josh Smith sure is a selfish knucklehead me bigger than the team type of player…

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mario should keep the mohawk to begin the playoffs and for the rest of his career… his game and the doo fit… hopefully he gets some burn in the playoffs…

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Gardner ain’t gonna score no 41 points. He already bricked his first two long balls. He would have to play major minutes and play perfect to even come close to 41. I still like the kid, though.

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That was a test. Post weren’t posting.

These last two games would have been perfect for Acie to get some good burn.

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blast what are u talkin about…gardner is about to heat up after nailing that free throw

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I just got my tickets to the 1st game, but does anybody know when they will announce when it is?

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Randolph Morris = future Tim Duncan

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look at speedy looking good..

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speedy looks gassed already, see how he didnt fight through that screen?

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Mac,
they will be available on Monday… LOL

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but seriousl,y I’m dissapointed… I cant believe how garbage morris, gardner, solo, and west are

(yeah i know west and solo have done decent while playing with with the starters i just expected more from them on the floor with 11th string players)

I hope Zaza Pachulia can find it in his heart to forgive me for saying we should give Morris a shot over him.

I think othello hunter has looked ok though…and speedy considering his situation.

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……Just llike last year…….leaving W’s on the table the end of the season.

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MAC-TOWN,

Gardner is a shooter/scorer who has seen VERY little time. He has to get into a rhythm. He’s not like Daquean Cook, who has a green light every time he hits the floor. Besides, JJ and Bibby have had plenty of games where they couldn’t hit a damn thing to save their lives (or the game).

As for Hunter, I felt like he had much more to offer than he had a chance to really show at Ohio State. And when we have seen him play, I’ve thought he was a good pickup that will prove to be valuable in time, if he is given the opportunity and developed properly. We shall see on those last two parts.

The guy seems to have fairly solid fundamentals and good footwork, with an ability to get up and down the court pretty well. That can’t be bad…

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Melvin,

RandMo is another guy we don’t see much, but you know what? Woody may very well have this guy pegged (and he probably does). RandMo seems like the type who needs self-motivational tapes to help him get started.

…..only, he wants somebody to get up and push the button FOR HIM to start the tape….

As of right, he’s nothing more than roster filler that doesn’t deserve more than the league minimum. And the crap of it is…dude has some offensive skills and can grab some boards here and there.

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No doubt that last comment will earn me another spoof appearance of the “other one.” Hee hee!

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Mario the Pest! Now if only he could buy a jumpshot!

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Is anybody else surprised that the Hawks’ bench warmers are staying in the game with the young, talented Memphis squad?

I mean, I know they have a bad record but the Grizzly nation has to wonder about that.

Gay, Conley, Mayo, Warrick and company should be killing the back end of our bench…

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Melvin,

Man, does anybody on any bench play with more confidence than Flip? More heart than Zaza? More effort than ‘Rio?

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Just when I thought Tommy Henson for the Celtics was bias for their team during games. This analysis (don’t know his name) that Memphis has make Tommy look like a Celtic hater…

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That’s okay, Melvin. Woody says we’re going for the title this year. Riding your sixth man to the finish is part of the plan.

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Which is strange, actually, considering his boss “My Boy Rick” says it’s not a big disappointment if we lose the first round…

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Could be, Melvin.

If I recall correctly, Sekou put out an article a ways back wherein Speedy said he has been healthy enough to play, but didn’t expect to get any time. Furthermore, (and he sounded a tad bitter), he said he expected to be elsewhere next season for certain. Hmmm.

He’s still out of shape, though.

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Hopefully, he will put Speedy in for the last 3mins…

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That was a beauty no look pass by Mario. To bad it was to the wrong team…lol

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Let the real games begin! (Thank goodness we enter the post-season relatively healthy).

niremetal, my post from this morning didn’t show up. I apologize. Thanks for the update on the court case. I had no idea that it was in a virtual “half-time” mode. doc was right, next decade for resolution.

I also agree with doc about the “quality” of the end of our bench. It reflects the budget that he had to work with. Hard to believe that RandMo was a better option than Magloire or darn near any other free agent big man during the summer. He has about as much fire as a penguin swimming in the Arctic Ocean. A bigger version of Shelden Williams.

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…..The Refs toatally gave the Grizzlies the game.

O.J Mayo got away with murder…..I KNOW you all saw him tugging on Flips Jersey COUNTLESS times.

Sigh, ANOTHER Road loss…….

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A loss here doesn’t bother me in the least beat. The Grizzlies had to play their starters major minutes just to beat our bench guys, including the ones who have seen the least minutes.

The Hawks won a whole 10 more games than last year, and that is no fluke, considering the idea that they could have won even more than that.

Everybody in the organization deserves to a share in the credit for this accomplishment.

Bring on the Heat!

By the way, I think Hunter was the “best of the rest” of the pickups. He may prove to be better than Solo. You never know.

Smart move by Woody to extend the playing time for these guys and resting his main horses. Gonna need ‘em. Gonna need ‘em all.

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On this Game…..I thinks someone is fixing my posts!

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I agree with Ariose and Mac-Town… the only reserve I was really impressed with is Hunter. He’s got a long way to go but he plays with the energy and athleticism that all big men should bring. If Morris played with even half that much energy he would have a long NBA career ahead of him. I don’t see the difference between Gardner and Cedric Bozeman (remember him?), and Solo has done nothing this season to make me think he has any kind of NBA future ahead of him, even with the good timing on blocked shots and the reliable mid-range jumper. An NBA big man has to play with some level of physicality and assertiveness and he has never shown that he has either one.

Speedy looked OK in limited minutes, although I didn’t see him do anything that Acie Law can’t do. As far as Mario West is concerned, I still like him in limited minutes to provide a defensive change of pace, but he doesn’t have nearly the offensive game or the ability to avoid fouls to be a reliable rotation player yet.

All that said, they do have three reliable bench players, in Flip, Mo, and Zaza (four if you count Acie with some playing time). That’s three more than every expert said they had at the beginning of this season.

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Za Za is a scrub. His turnover always are momentum breakers. Tonight again, His turnover, fouls and general poor play cost the Hawks their finale game of the season and lost momentum going in the playoff. ZAZA Pe cu lia is a turnover waiting to happen. He lead the league in turnovers per minutes play. To those of you that think Z is a player What game are you watching? Check the stats! You must be Mark Schultz followers who see a game based on your feelings rather than reality. ZAZA Pachulia is a major scrub!

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on myApril 15th, 2009 10:39 pm post, I think I was thinking about two different things at once. IDK why Iput Joe Johnson lol.

What I meant was

“Since I haven’t had much to complain about this season, I figured I’d get it all out on this game.”

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When “Keeping it real goes wrong” lol

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Nothin’ like watching our bench play a full game and JJ and the guys in street clothes resting up. 2 years, back to back, of NBA basketball in Atlanta. Which of our other sports has been able to do that for us lately???

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Joe, Mike, Marvin, Josh, Al, Flip, Mo, Zaza, Solo, Mario(or Speedy or Acie), Randolph(we might need an extra Big)

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Yall have got to be joking about putting Broke Leg Mountain Claxton in the playoff rotation over Acie. Acie could come through if hes healthy. Claxton cant even run out of the tunnel without getting winded. Might need a big in the playoffs too for sure, but Morris aint it. Whats all this noise about Sund and a limited budget. What limited budget. They sure didnt have a problem paying Mike No Defense Bibby FIFTEEN MILLION DOLLARS but they want to skimp on the bench. Aint nobody broke they just dont want to spend the money and who can blame them when they let Woodpecker do whatever he wants to do. Dont pay much extra for people he wont play. Overpay for who he will OVERPLAY. That would be Bibby. Keep letting the coach run the franchise and he will run it into the ground like he does the guys he will play. Sure hope them boys ate all the Wheaties they could find cause they going to need them in the playoffs. Watch for the seven man rotation with a little bit of the eighth man being zaza.

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Let’s get pumped, folks. Playoffs start in less than 3 days and we have home-court advantage.

Think about it folks. 47 wins and home court advantage in a greatly improved Eastern Conference. I always will have my issues with Woody and everyone had doubts about JJ being able to lead us this far. We obviously are not going to make it deep into the playoffs unless we really pull it together like we never have before, but this team is truly in an amazing place considering where we came from. I know lots of people have already said stuff to that effect, but it’s worth saying it again – there’s no arguing with success.

Let’s bask in the glow for the next couple days, and then get raucous for the series against the Heat.

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