Bienvenido a Miami!
Al Horford and the Hawks will tangle with Heat plenty over the next two weeks!
HAWKSVILLE - Actually, the Hawks have already earned the right to host the Miami Heat in their first round playoff series.
But I’ve been waiting three weeks to use that line from Will Smith’s hit song (courtesy of our friends at YouTube. And I promise, this is the last time I use the words “Will Smith” and “hit song” in that order in this space) about one of my favorite hot spots.
And while others were dreading the thought of facing Philadelphia and frightened by the prospect of dealing with a hard-to-figure Chicago team in the first round, the same team that has been on a collision course with the Hawks for months now will be the foe starting this weekend at Philips Arena.
I love the matchup (my main man Chris Perkins of the Palm Beach Post and I discussed as much the last time these two teams played). Who doesn’t want to see the Hawks face one of the league’s most dynamic talents in Dwyane Wade in a best-of-seven series?
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.
And if the Hawks are indeed the better team, as their record and performance all season suggests, we should be in for a treat with this series.
I love the individual matchups. Joe Johnson and Wade, the two All-Stars and national team colleagues trying to see who can one-up each other on the big stage.
Mike Bibby and Mario Chalmers, the old and the new at the point guard position going head-to-head like Bibby and Rajon Rondo did (well … anyway) did last year.
Josh Smith and Mike Beasley, if they’re allowed to match up against each other, is a lefty air-up-there showcase that we should all enjoy.
And Al Horford and Jermaine O’Neal will get a chance to settle any debates about the best center in the Southeast Division not named Dwight Howard.
The subplots are endless, as always with a playoff series.
The bottom line, any way you slice it, this is going to be must-see-basketball for the fans of both teams. And that’s what makes Tuesday’s sneak preview (the Hawks’ regular season home finale) so intriguing.
My cousin Big Will is down with partying in the city where the Heat is on!
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?
I love it.
But there are other things to discuss this …
AWARDS SEASON IS UPON US - In the NBA, that means teams are sending out swag and propaganda that defies these harsh economic times. The Hawks have opted for a much simpler approach, one that caught the attention of good friend and esteemed colleague Steve Aschburner of si.com, and a recent president and of my crew, the Professional Basketball Writers Association. In this age of multi-media and complex techno-gadgetry, the Hawks went with strictly the facts. And that resonated with Steve, as I’m sure it will with many others who are appreciative but tired of the gimmicky stunts teams pull to impress voters.
“Not only shouldn’t voters be influenced by that sort of persuasion, it flies in the face of true journalism ethics — at least for those newspapers that still abide by that stuff,” Asch wrote in an email to the Mad VP. “Besides, I’ve never figured out what sending an iPod or a GPS system to a voter does to make a stronger case for a player or a coach deserving an award. (Think some team sent the conference coaches a GPS system to lobby for an All-Star berth for somebody.) My theory is, if you want to bribe me, come with cash. Lots of it. Or don’t come at all!”
Classic stuff from one of the very best in the business. And I never did get my iRoy so I had to buy my own iPod.
My iRoy never showed up so I had to buy my own iPod!
SPEAKING OF AWARDS - Some of you have weighed in with your own feelings about the Hawks and who on the roster (and coaching staff) should be in the mix. Flips Murray’s a no-brainer for inclusion in the conversation about the Sixth-Man award. And a case could be made for JJ to be included on one of the All-NBA teams as well (per the scouts and league executives si.com’s Ian Thomsen polled for his take on the awards season).
As for our in-house feedback, there was a bigger stir for Hawks coach Mike Woodson than anything or anyone else. I wasn’t surprised that some of you emailed me concerning Woody’s status in the conversation (he’s rarely mentioned by any of the “nation” types despite having a familiar season and profile to one of the recent winners, Sam Mitchell formerly of the Toronto Raptors).
Two items really stuck out for me.
The first was an early morning/late night (how does 3:08 a.m. strike you) message from one of my most trusted voices about all things basketball, you can just call him Pop. “In my opinion,(of course),when you look at all the playoff teams Houston and Atlanta standout as the least likely to have done so well,” he wrote in an email. “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).”
As it stands, few people outside of this space predicted the Hawks would have a winning season, let alone home court advantage. And some of us here weren’t that positive. And to his point, Woody stands fifth on the Hawks’ coaching list for wins, only Richie Guerin (327), Mike Fratello (324), Lenny Wilkens (310) and Hubie Brown (199) have more than Woody’s (152 and counting).
One of our founding members, the one and only Astro Joe, didn’t hesitate to offer up his own fresh take on things Sunday evening. He raised some other interesting points in addition to where Woody stands in this coach of the year discussion (and he wasn’t shy so read his email word for word):
So I was thinking this weekend. One of the cool and refreshing things about Woody is his willingness to state a goal at the beginning of the season and essentially place his career on the line. Last season, he stated that the team needed to make the playoffs. The unstated consequence of failing to meet that goal was likely the end of his run as Hawks coach. After all, he was a lame duck based on his expiring contract. He enters this season, with only the security of a ratty blanket (two year extension) and he declares that the team needs to secure a home court playoff seeding. Again, with a new boss on board, the consequences of failing to meet that goal may have been yet another person visiting the Georgia unemployment office.
Do we see this in other cities and in other sports? It seems we often get generalities … the team needs to take another step toward competing for a title” or “if things break right, we should be able to improve form last year’s performance.” But Woody put it right out there on the line for all the world to see. Last year and again this year. How can a fan of any team in any team sport NOT admire a coach who declares the goal for all the world to hear and then gets it done? Yes, dude has some massive warts, but [expletive], that’s the kind of [gutsy] move that would make other coaches a cult favorite.
Now here’s the but. I hope that this team recognizes the fragility of this achievement, home court advantage. The Hawks are one lethargic first quarter from losing that which they fought 80 games to achieve. One game when they forget to share the ball from seeing this blow-up in their collective faces. They are two first quarter fouls on Horford or Smith from flip-flopping with the fifth seeded team. And because Woody abused his top 7 players with too many minutes, the team is one unfortunate injury from exposing an unprepared bench to maintain the advantage of having Game 7 in front of their sometimes rabid fans.
But all that said, I’m proud of my team and my coach. With five of the top 10 players requiring a new contract (even Marvin needs to agree to some deal or he may be chilling with Chill next season), I’m not taking this for granted and assuming a return to this level of prominence next season. Just like home court can be lost in a few minutes, so can the momentum built in the last two years be gone in a mater of a few weeks this coming summer. Thanks for being the record-keeper of a pleasantly surprising and fulfilling season.
Astro Joe
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359 comments Add your comment
Ariose
April 13th, 2009
12:40 am
Nice Blog sekou, Shout Out to Astro Joe!
Dante Fitzgerald
April 13th, 2009
12:50 am
aYo, Hawkz n 5!!!!
Ariose
April 13th, 2009
1:01 am
I don’t think the Hawks will fold to the likes of the Heat in the 1st round. We’re a lot better defensively(our scheme is too) than we were last season, We have more offensive weapons and better offensive sets. Not to mention a strong will to succeed. In front of the fans the Hawks will be almost unstopable. Just like their bold Head Coach, the Hawks probably already planned on getting to at least the second round way back in the off-season.
It’s game on now. With Everybody getting healthier Marvin/Zaza(He said his back is feeling better on his twitter today….and that he went to the gym and got some shots up), and hopefully Acie isn’t that far behiend, we will be a force to be reckond with.
I know that our bench hasn’t gotten consistant playing time, but I think that all of the injuries this season were blessings in disguise. It forced guys on the bench to get in there and get down with the big boys. They may not be fully prepared, buy they are defenetly ready for the challenge. Our bench guys this season defenetly have more experience and are a lot more prepared than the Bench last season. Acie, Flip, Mo, Solo, and Zaza is not to shabby. They will defenetly rise to the challenge when called upon.
There’s only one thing left to do guys….
RISE UP AND SHOCK THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BarkingBulldawg
April 13th, 2009
1:07 am
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?
Ariose
April 13th, 2009
1:28 am
This is great. Hopefully all of the U of Florida fans in Miami will Convert to Hawks fans in order to support Horford lol.
I’m pretty sure there are plenty of transplant Hawks fans from Georgia living in Miami so there should be a small cult down there in South Beach!
……Now Flip Really gets to flip the switch in front of the nation in the Playoffs(GOON-Squad!!). I’m Excited!!!!
Ariose
April 13th, 2009
1:59 am
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…
calico
April 13th, 2009
2:21 am
I like our chances against the heat but d-wade scares me but if what i seen on abc is true we have a legit chance to make it to the eastern conference finals if we beat the heat in the first round orlando is waiting for us in the second round and i really think we can beat orlando
Ariose
April 13th, 2009
2:30 am
“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
Ariose
April 13th, 2009
2:31 am
48 wins here we come!
Najeh Davenpoop
April 13th, 2009
2:50 am
“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.
Clyde
April 13th, 2009
3:13 am
The key to the series is can the Hawks stop Dwayne Wade from getting to the basket. Horford and Zaza better be ready to block some shots.
MannyT
April 13th, 2009
3:14 am
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
Mike
April 13th, 2009
8:33 am
Enter your comments here
Westurd
April 13th, 2009
8:36 am
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?
doc
April 13th, 2009
8:40 am
astro, preach brother, preach, and i say amen to that!
now maybe you can look for something other than warts on our true mr. mvp, josh!
heh heh
Khao$
April 13th, 2009
9:08 am
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.
KevinA
April 13th, 2009
10:25 am
Did I miss something? ZaZa has a back problem? I understood it to be a light tweak. We need to have ZaZa ready for the playoffs. Great chance for Sole to get ZaZa’s minutes the next game.
I know it won’t happen but I’d like to see JJ come off the bench against Miami. I would love to see Mario start again and put him in on Wade. Then put Flip/Evans on Wade through the first half. Play JJ when Wade is on the bench. Then have JJ match Wades minutes the rest of the game and guard him. JJ could use the rest and the 2nd half match up would be fun.
Do you think JJ and Bibby should play about 25 min in the last two games even if means we lose? Or is momentum more important than rest. It would be great to see the bench get more involved in the last two games. I don’t think Marvin will play more than 20 min as we need to ease him back in.
It’s been great to see Al and Josh getting the ball and playing at a high energy level. Our playoff success on the road will depend on these two young studs. When these two guys are excited and pumped the entire team plays better.
Even with a healthy Marvin, (when that happens) I hope Mario continues to get at least 5-7 minutes. Same with Solo. We are slowly but surely rounding into a more balanced team.
Woody’s coaching style will probably dictate the opposite player substitution but what the heck, just ideas.
Astro Joe
April 13th, 2009
10:48 am
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.
doc
April 13th, 2009
11:04 am
one quarter and that is it for the first liners. get marvin some quality time. tell the young guys to go out and play hard and show me what i have been missing is how i wold handle the miami game. i agree with aj, dont put our guys in harms way to our opponent until it means something. now if dwade was going to get in the way of say of randmo, well that is his problem.
if the spurs can rest a duncan in an important meaningful game completely, then i think we can afford to sit some guys for extended minutes. they might develop bad habits from the game not meaning much.
John
April 13th, 2009
11:47 am
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?
SouthAfrican09
April 13th, 2009
12:35 pm
Just got a message from Speedy. Might play tomorrow and might be on playoff roster
SWAT Native
April 13th, 2009
12:42 pm
I agree, John. You know the league prefers a D Wade vs. LaBron series. The Hawks are going to have their hands full.
kgbsfinst
April 13th, 2009
12:52 pm
2 things are going to determine this series. Josh Smith and the refs. Smith was the one that helped bring energy to Philips last playoffs with some huge plays. Think about home court advantage, think about the crowd erupting so loud, it feels like the roof is coming off, think about what type of play makes that happen, and what player on this team can make it happen. Like SWAT says, Stern wants Wade Vs LaBron, kind of like he wanted the Lakers in the championship a few years back, not the Kings.
cp
April 13th, 2009
1:32 pm
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.
tiger woo
April 13th, 2009
2:28 pm
Mario West cannot/will not shut down D-Wade . . . trust me.
SouthAfrican09
April 13th, 2009
2:52 pm
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
SouthAfrican09
April 13th, 2009
2:53 pm
Hawks in 5, as Dante said. CHea
Melvin
April 13th, 2009
3:56 pm
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….
SWAT Native
April 13th, 2009
3:58 pm
Melvin,
To answer your question, yes I will.
Melvin
April 13th, 2009
4:04 pm
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…
kgbsfinst
April 13th, 2009
4:10 pm
Melvin, good point, I wont be able to because I live in another state, but I’m sure my neighbors wont like me because I will be cheering (yelling) at my TV.
Samuel
April 13th, 2009
4:13 pm
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
DeadManWalking
April 13th, 2009
4:22 pm
I wonder what ASTRO JOES lips are more sore from. His own little horn or Woodsons hindquarters.
DeadManWalking
April 13th, 2009
4:34 pm
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.
jhan
April 13th, 2009
4:40 pm
Melvin, I’ll be at every game for sure!!
I’m also concerned with the refs – probably the worst season of officiating I’ve ever seen. Nothing we can do but be VERY loud for our Hawks.
Just a question – when the Falcons were winning with Vick did that make Mora a good coach?
Astro Joe
April 13th, 2009
4:41 pm
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.
MBZ
April 13th, 2009
4:54 pm
I am more concerned with the off-season than our upcoming playoff series. Who is our future at pg? Will Acie finally lead this ball club? Will Childress come back to the team and make us that much deeper? Is this dysfunctional ownership group willing to spend the money to resign Flip? Looking at the draft, it seems Eric Maynor as well as BJ Mullins are falling into our range. Do we draft a project big and wait for him to reach his full potential? I’m a little scared that the guys on top arent willing to spend the cash to keep the momentum towards relevance going.
kgbsfinst
April 13th, 2009
5:21 pm
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.
SouthAfrican09
April 13th, 2009
5:27 pm
The question is: if Speedy plays, do we just pay him for the game or does insurance cover it? Sekou, do you know? Also, Woodson does not mention Speedy for the playoffs
SouthAfrican09
April 13th, 2009
5:27 pm
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
SWAT Native
April 13th, 2009
5:58 pm
On the Hawks and Woody getting respect around the country: the announcer on NBA TV was asking Eric Snow last week if he felt that people were sleeping on the Hawks. Snow said that they won’t get real respect until they win 50 or 60 games; as long as you’re winning 45 you’ll only be “kinda known”.
Clyde
April 13th, 2009
6:00 pm
Since I said I would not say anything negative till the offseason, Hawks in 7 over Miami.
Macaroni Tony
April 13th, 2009
6:02 pm
Speedy does practice with the team according to JS, and like he said on Twitter that he’ll get some playing time tommorrow (and he said that he’ll be on the playoff roster). We don’t have another pg besides Bibby. I’m all for him playing…
Macaroni Tony
April 13th, 2009
6:06 pm
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.
dap01
April 13th, 2009
6:10 pm
SEKOU: How much will Speedy be used? Is AC playing at all? What is ZaZa’s status?
Macaroni Tony
April 13th, 2009
6:14 pm
dad01
on twitter Zaza said that his back is better and he’s back working out with the team.
AtlSouthside
April 13th, 2009
6:17 pm
If the Hawks come out and play to full potential, it’s a Sweep. I don’t wanna see Wade shown any respect. If he comes in the paint I want him challenged and fouled hard if necessary. We need to make a statement. Make Wade beat us from beyond the arch.
Jo-Jo should attack early, he needs to take the first shot in the game for the Hawks. If Joe can attack and get some points in the paint, it will open up some 3-point shots for Bibby & Co.
It’s actually funny to me how the Hawks aren’t getting any respect from the national media. Everybody is blinded by D. Wade, under the assumption that he will be able to carry the Heat on back against the Hawks (a better TEAM) in a 7-game series
Macaroni Tony
April 13th, 2009
6:20 pm
what is the national media saying? that the hawks will fall in seven?
SWAT Native
April 13th, 2009
6:30 pm
Barkley and Kenny Smith called it a toss-up series – you never know what can happen with D Wade.
AtlSouthside
April 13th, 2009
6:40 pm
They are sayin that Wade can beat the Hawks by himself
jhan
April 13th, 2009
6:40 pm
AJ I can’t agree more about Mario & Solo. Unless they are playing extended minutes because we are blowing Miami out I’d rather see them cheering from the bench.
Until this team does something significant why should they get national pub? Having a winning record does not qualify. Win a couple of series & then we can make a case.
GO Hawks!!
Macaroni Tony
April 13th, 2009
6:40 pm
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.
Macaroni Tony
April 13th, 2009
6:43 pm
The Hawks are going to prove the world wrong again, and Wade can’t be the Hawks by himself. We’ve held him below his season average all the games that we played this year in Atlanta…
SWAT Native
April 13th, 2009
6:45 pm
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.
Macaroni Tony
April 13th, 2009
6:47 pm
I dont know how many of you have twitter but you could follow me and some of the players (username: tigerworld37)
UGA
April 13th, 2009
6:47 pm
Speedy:
What if he “shocks the world” and plays like he did years ago?
Maybe Woody has a trick up his sleeve.
Macaroni Tony
April 13th, 2009
6:49 pm
Swat Native
and five years later he’s still a commentator, not saying that he’s not making money but he’s not anyone’s coach.. lol
O'brien
April 13th, 2009
6:49 pm
“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.
Macaroni Tony
April 13th, 2009
7:03 pm
ESPN’s panel of esteemed experts, and the rest of the free world:
The experts have predicted 37 wins (10th place in the East) for the Atlanta Hawks. This number is …
38.6% On the money
33.7% Too low
27.7% Too high
Our dear friend, Mr. Hollinger, for ESPN:
Atlanta’s starting five might be the best in the division, but its bench might not win the D-League. Triangulate between those two extremes and you end up with a team that’s unlikely to repeat its playoff appearance of a year ago unless it enjoys an unusually good run of health, because the subs just aren’t up to snuff.
Sum it all up, and it appears this club is ready to take a step in reverse. The Hawks look like they’ll be stuck in the NBA’s netherworld — neither good enough to make the playoffs nor bad enough to get a high lottery pick — and with little young talent in the pipeline beyond the current starting five, they could be in this pickle for a while.
Prediction: 31-51, fifth in Southeast Division, 13th in Eastern Conference
MSN/Fox Sports:
As talented as Atlanta’s starters are, they can’t do it all. At some point, you’ve got to turn to your reserves and be able to rely on them for production.
That remains an issue down in “Hotlanta,” as they are truly only about seven deep. The rest of the bench consists of unproven youngsters and veteran point guard Speedy Claxton, who was unable to suit up all of last season and has only appeared in 42 games since signing with Atlanta in the summer of 2006.
With the pending improvements by multiple Eastern Conference clubs — including a few Southeast Division rivals — the Atlanta Hawks may have a tough time topping last season’s record. In fact, it may not be farfetched to suggest they could even take a minor hit in the win column.
Expect flashes of brilliance, the downside of a late-lottery selection, or the upside of a consecutive first-round exit.
Prediction: 37-45, third in Southeast Division, eighth in Eastern Conference
O Canada! Some Tim Chisholm guy of TSN.ca weighs in from Down North, eh?
That is unfortunately the sad state of affairs with the Hawks. For every step they take forward, the organization seems intent on sullying it somehow. This summer was a borderline disaster even if they managed to resign Smith. They got little help elsewhere on the roster – choosing to fortify a position already occupied by 40-minute-per-night starter Johnson – and they lost a key rotation player by trying to low-ball him contractually. What results is a team that has gotten worse, not better, after a 37-win season got them into the playoffs, an occurrence that is unlikely to repeat itself.
So that means that unless this team can pull off some sort of trade or find a new, heretofore unseen depth to their game, they are going to be returning to the lottery for another crack at improving via the draft. It’s a shame, too, because several young teams – Portland and Sacramento come to mind – would have loved to have used the chance to test out their core on the post-season stage so they could take the next-step as an organization. Atlanta, in the way that only they can, get there and decide to regress, perhaps feeling that too much, too soon is a bad thing.
Monsieur Chisholm also previewed his beloved Raptors:
By no stretch is this team in danger of losing ground to last year’s disappointing 41-41 record, as just the quality in the top-five should keep them above .500
Macaroni Tony
April 13th, 2009
7:04 pm
that was an article on Hawsquawk…
AtlSouthside
April 13th, 2009
7:28 pm
Yea its funny how all these commentator throw out crazy predictions as though they Gods of the game… And everytime they do it, they end up eating their words. We faced injuries with Al Hortford, Josh Smith and Marv Williams, and we still ended the season with a better record than last season, not to mention the 4th seed in the East. Our bench is deep and legit…and we couldn’t have made the improvements and adjustments without their contributions.
Jose
April 13th, 2009
7:31 pm
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!!!!
SWAT Native
April 13th, 2009
7:39 pm
Macaroni Tony,
That reminds me an incident back when Shaq was playing at LSU. Dale Brown was the coach, and Bill Walton was commenting on one of their tournament games. Walton said that Brown left Shaq on the bench too long, and that’s why they lost the game, and why Brown had never won a national championship. Dale Brown flew to New York at his own expense to respond to Walton and told him that that’s why you’re a commentator on TV and I’m a coach.
Macaroni Tony
April 13th, 2009
7:51 pm
Swat Native
i have never heard about that story, but I know it would’ve been funny…
Samuel
April 13th, 2009
7:53 pm
Mac T,
You should have thrown our local expert, Ando into that bunch. LOL!
Jose, wake up man. What’s wrong with realistic goals? If we exceed them, good, but let’s be real.
Joe, I feel you. hey that conversation got me to thinking. Outside of Boston, who would have the best team in the East if you took away their Star. IMO, it would be hard to argue against us not having the best team. Think about it.
Woody=COY
The Truth
April 13th, 2009
8:25 pm
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.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 13th, 2009
8:47 pm
Looking back (and laughing) at the preseason predictions, I find it hard to believe that nobody in the mainstream media predicted how good Flip Murray would be as a sixth man. I mean, this is a guy who filled in real nicely for Ray Allen in Seattle when he got hurt and got major bench minutes for two playoff teams in his career before coming here. I liked the Flip signing when it happened (although I didn’t think it made up for losing Childress). I even wrote an email to Bill Simmons defending the Flip Mo squad when he declared in his preseason predictions column that the Hawks should declare “Feces Night” in honor of the supposedly crappy bench (he even indirectly responded to this in a later column). I still think he shouldn’t be playing point guard, but he has gotten a lot better at not hogging the ball as the season has gone along. They can say what they want about the rest of the bench, but the mainstream media is damn foolish for sleeping on Flip.
Macaroni Tony
April 13th, 2009
8:58 pm
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…
Eric
April 13th, 2009
9:00 pm
Speedy dressing for the last 2 games means he is on the playoff roster.
we have no backup pg, and we know Speedy is finally healthy. Good idea by Woody.
I agree about Sund. Why is his standard so low? His only goal for the year was to make the playoffs with a winning record. Wtf? Is his goal in 5 years going to be to win in the 2nd round?
MAC-TOWN
April 13th, 2009
9:14 pm
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.
Dan
April 13th, 2009
9:40 pm
I agree with AstroJoe (in the main post). Woody has not been one of my favorite coaches– though it was never going to happen, I was hoping against hope that D’Antoni would wind up down here about a year or so ago– you have to give the man props for stating a goal and then going out and getting it. Also, the team HAS gotten better every year. Not all coaches could have hung with this group all this time and let it mature. Could you see Larry Brown doing that?
At the same time, there have been moments– personnel management issues– where Woody has, to put it mildly, not endeared and seemed sort of oblivious or tone deaf. Why does JJ start leaving a lot of his shots short at the end of the season (especially last season and this one)? Check the numbers. He’s being run ragged. A couple of guys off the bench have looked good at times– Solo comes to mind. Seems like that guy could hang a few regular minutes every game on a team that plays an undersized center and PF. And then there are the confrontations with Josh Smith and occasional remarks about what a pain in the ass the guy is to deal with. Maybe a bit too much emulation of his mentor Bobby Knight?
Now, I think Woody’s gotten better with the rotation over the years, but he’s still adjusting and learning– which is good, because he’s definitely much improved himself in his coaching and managerial skills it seems– but it also begs the question: would any other franchise have kept him around long enough to smooth out his rough edges? The management group is so occupied with finding out who it actually is, the business has been allowed to drift.
Anyhow, that’s all water under the bridge, now. Woody these days is a much better coach, and, while he perhaps deserved to be canned a couple of years ago, you cannot drop him now, not when the Hawks are here and real.
GO HAWKS!
Astro Joe
April 13th, 2009
9:45 pm
Samuel, you may be right. It certainly is debatable.
doc
April 13th, 2009
10:04 pm
samuel, i hear you only this is atlanta. you know, the home of the braves and bobby cox who has been demeaned for his outcomes now for over 17 years. now you are complaining that woody who has less than a year of success is being overlooked? you are going to have a long time of convincing folks is my guess. for some reason woody and josh are like lightening rods for discord and i dont think folks are going to change the minds easily.
Big Ray
April 13th, 2009
10:08 pm
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!
KevinA
April 13th, 2009
10:13 pm
Can’t wait to see what kind of impact Speedy will have. I still think we ought to bench the starters. It would be interesting. Start ZaZa (if ready) Solo, Mario, Marvin and Speedy, Flip and Evans for the calvery. The rest of the boys with splinters to rotate in. In the second half, roll with the starters and go for the win. They are pros, can do 1/2 of a game.
Big Ray
April 13th, 2009
10:19 pm
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.
Big Ray
April 13th, 2009
10:24 pm
You want to hear something funny? I wouldn’t care about having Mike D’Antoni.
The only advantage you get is on offense. D’Antoni hasn’t been around all THAT long. And it’s not like he made New York into an instant winner, though he SEEMS to be doing a better job than Isaiah Thomas was. I mean, Chris Duhon sure looks good in his system. So do some other guys. But that team isn’t going to win anything the way the roster stands right now. And do you know why? Because D’Antoni needs certain things for his offense to work right.
That, and he’s allergic to defense. Woody ain’t. Call me back when D’Antoni proves he can do what he did in Phoenix….somewhere ELSE. Life is rough without Steve Nash…
KevinA
April 13th, 2009
10:25 pm
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
swatguy
April 13th, 2009
10:26 pm
Joe, 30 minutes is too much for me. I’m pulling them in the first quarter and at the 6 minute of quarter 3. I’m asking a lot for Speedy to suit up too. Marvin would floor 40 minutes and attached to Beasley. Gotta get Marvin ready ’cause he will need to stick with LaBron in the second round.
Tuesday lineup:’Rio, Speedy, Acie, Solo and Marvin. With Gardner, Othello and Randy getting minutes.
It was good to seem Slim the other night.
KevinA
April 13th, 2009
10:38 pm
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.
UGA
April 13th, 2009
10:42 pm
Which day and time slot do you all think Game 1 will be?
Last year the Boston game was 8:00, TNT, Sunday night.
KevinA
April 13th, 2009
10:45 pm
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.
UGA
April 13th, 2009
10:50 pm
Let Joe, Bibby, Smoove, Al, and Flip get 20 minutes each these next 2 nights. Let the rest play it out.
Flip will be huge in this upcoming series, so will Mo. I see them guarding Wade quite a bit.
And how huge would it be to get Marvin back to form and somehow be able to get something out of Speedy?!
KevinA
April 13th, 2009
10:51 pm
UGA 8:00 a good guess – prine time.
UGA
April 13th, 2009
10:55 pm
That would be my guess too. Wade is a sure bet for prime time and our series may be the best in the East.
KevinA
April 13th, 2009
10:56 pm
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.
KevinA
April 13th, 2009
10:58 pm
Our biggest concern is ZaZa. We need at least 15 minutes of solid play from him every night. How many times has him and Flip came in and changed the game after being down.
UGA
April 13th, 2009
11:05 pm
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.
KevinA
April 13th, 2009
11:07 pm
Like JJ said, he dosent want to lose his edge. I don’t have a problem with 20-30 minutes for the starters. I think the win is important. If they play Wade I think we got to play more. If Miami plays Wade limited minutes then fine. The win is the most important. Winning the last 5 in a row is more important than rest. Come playoff time they will be pumped and rest will be overated.
The accumulated rest of 35 minutes instead of 40 takes a season. One game or two makes no difference.
KevinA
April 13th, 2009
11:11 pm
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
SouthAfrican09
April 13th, 2009
11:17 pm
Big question: Is Mo back? Who doesn’t dress tomorrow?
KevinA
April 13th, 2009
11:20 pm
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.
KevinA
April 13th, 2009
11:23 pm
Good question on who is is sitting. Who is Mo.
niremetal
April 13th, 2009
11:44 pm
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.
Big Ray
April 13th, 2009
11:55 pm
Niremetal finally lets it out….
Big Ump
April 13th, 2009
11:56 pm
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.
niremetal
April 14th, 2009
12:05 am
Btw, the REALLY intriguing possibility is that Yao can also opt out in 2010. I know he has injury and stamina issues, but you gotta figure that he’s going to be looking for a quick title. The Hawks basically offer a slightly younger, slightly better, and much more durable version of what the current Houston squad has (JJ/T-Mac, Horford/Scola, Smoove/Artest). Not to mention that since T-Mac is a free agent then too, he might have nothing to stay around for. Hmmmmm…
Other potentially available A-list players include Nowitzki (although, like with Bosh, that would put us in a bind with Horford), Boozer (same), Amare (same), Okur (lesser player, but slightly better fit), Manu (don’t you get the feeling that he and JJ would have amazing chemistry?), and Rip Hamilton (better D than Manu, but Manu has better lead guard skills).
Steve Nash and Shaq will be on the market, but my guess is both will retire. There are also high B-list centers available like Camby, Brad Miller, Jermaine O’Neal, and Tyson Chandler. Also a few
Dante Fitzgerald
April 14th, 2009
12:07 am
Mayne, Hope these AJC peeps aint foolin us bout Speedy!! U know wat i mean??
niremetal
April 14th, 2009
12:08 am
Aaaaaaaaand back to Bankruptcy Law I go. G’nite!
SouthAfrican09
April 14th, 2009
12:10 am
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