Stand up Hawks!
It's time for the Hawks to stand up, stand together and show the world that they belong.
WITNESSVILLE - Now is not the time Hawks.
And the postseason is certainly not the appropriate place to come apart at the seams.
The Cleveland Cavaliers don’t need the assist.
So to hear the Hawks talk of not “sharing the ball” and needing to “attack from all over” screams of a team in need of reconstitution (and if you don’t like what you hear coming from the Hawks’ locker room since their Game 1 loss to King James and his crew that’s a good thing, because you shouldn’t).
It’s not something that can be done by a coach or general manager intervening. It’s also not something that can be fixed with one of those trendy players’ only team meetings or any of the other conventional tools used by most NBA teams.
This is a calculated regeneration of a team that can only come from individual catharsis, and the Hawks need it to happen 15 times in 15 different rooms at the tony Ritz-Carlton at Tower Center (where NBA soul searching goes on regularly in this city) before Game 2 of this Eastern Conference semifinal tonight at the Q (the arena better known as King James’ Camelot).
As meticulous AJC wordsmith Mark Bradley points out, the choice to either fight back or get smashed, belongs to the Hawks.
Each loss the Hawks have suffered this postseason has been uglier than the one before it. The average margin of defeat (24.2 points) is preposterous at best, and an affront to the game at it’s core.
No playoff team capable of winning a seven-game series, as the Hawks have already done, should be on the receiving end of tail-whippings of 15, 29, 26 and 27 points, respectively. Those lopsided efforts speak to a team that, despite nearly eight months in the fox hole together, still does not trust each other completely, a team that can’t muster the collective energy and focus to at least make a loss respectable as opposed to making themselves a spectacle.
The first thing you hear in the Hawks’ locker room after a bad loss is, “We didn’t play together. We didn’t help each other out. We’ve got to blah, blah, blah.”
If you think I’m making this stuff up, here’s a sampling (edited ever so slightly to omit the verbal offender’s specific identity) of what’s come out of the mouths of your Hawks after playoff losses the past few weeks:
“We just have to play with a sense of urgency like we did in Game 1. We have to get after them defensively. And as long as we share the ball offensively, I think everything else on the floor clicks.”
“We’re up against it now. And we’ve got look at ourselves in the mirror and realize that we can’t get out of this mess without doing it together.”
“We’ve just got to pick up our intensity. We’ve got to do a lot of things. But it all stems from our effort. We have to play hard as a unit. That’s the key for us. And we have to bring that [today]. Because our backs are against the wall now, really against the wall. We’re going to see what this team is made of.”
“We came out and talked about hitting them first and not letting things get out of hand early like they did in Game 2. But we let them hit us first again.”
“We lost our composure, no doubt. Things weren’t going our way, calls weren’t going our way and we lost it. We let them build that big lead and it got to us. We were never in sync defensively and we just didn’t handle ourselves well.”
“In the second half we just didn’t get into any offensive sets. We were careless with the ball. We had too many turnovers. Any time we have 17 turnovers it’s never a good night for us.”
“It was very disappointing, knowing that we’ve come this far. Looking back on the first series that we had (with Miami), that was very tough, and I thought we would come into this game a little more enthused and come ready to play. I thought we had a pretty good first half, but the second half wasn’t so great.”
It never fails.
Whenever things go sideways for the Hawks they all start speaking French (”We, We”). For once, it would be nice to hear someone talk about what “I could have done” or that “I didn’t give my team” what it needed?
Whatever the Hawks do, they'll have to do it without Marvin Williams and Al Horford at full strength.
On paper, there’s no way the Hawks should do anything more than annoy the Cavaliers for a few games. Al Horford’s sprained right ankle won’t allow him to play at full strength during these playoffs.
Marvin Williams has a wrist injury that followed his late-season back injury, shredding what was easily his best (and breakout) season as a pro.
So no one is expecting these Hawks to shock the world.
But these Hawks have defied paper logic since training camp, including making a return trip to the playoffs whenever publication on the planet predicted they would not.
That they’ve made it this far, even with all the setbacks, is a testament to the resolve of this stubborn but flawed bunch.
Just how stubborn they are and just how flawed they are will come into better focus as this series continues, be it three more games or more.
Whatever happens, the time has come for these Hawks to dispense with all the locker room rhetoric and simply play the game like a team that belongs. Play it for 48 minutes, with the required fire in the belly and without any remorse.
Anything else is an injustice to those who have watched this team evolve from the 13-69 train wreck of a four years ago into the promising bunch that has defied all the odds the last year.
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645 comments Add your comment
Barry
May 7th, 2009
1:35 pm
Hey Y’all:
It’s ROUND 2 of a 7 Round fight. The Hawks got “hooked to the jaw and are dazed” from the walloped they got from the Cav’s, but they are not out. Just a little dazed. Their hands are on the ropes and the referees are looking into their eyes to see if they can continue. They say “YES!”. The Hawks, on the other hand, are clearing their heads. They are going back to their game plan and to what has got them to this fight toward the Championship of the NBA. They are upset with themselves for getting hit like that. They can not believe it. Now they are mad. They are looking for blood in 2nd Round. The Cavs can ahve the 1 round. But the 2nd Round, the Hawks will be going for the gusto. They have rid themselves of the “butterflies” and are ready to play. They are ready to “SHOCK THE WORLD!!”. The are angry as hell and they are not looking to take any prisoners. They are going to leave the game on the floor. Again, “THE FIGHT IS ON!!!”. NOW ARE YOU READY TO RRRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMBBBBBBBBBBBLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEE!!!??
WE are “toe to toe” in Round 2 tonight. AND GUESS WHAT!!!!???? WE HAVEN”T EVEN DONE THE SHUFFLE YET!!!!!
LET’s GO HAWKS!! LET’S GO HAWKS!!!!! LET”S GO HAWKS!!!!
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a SECRET from a HAWK FAN! TELL EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
………………………”ATLANTA HAWKS,BOOM-BYE YEAH!!!”……….
………………………….”SHOCK THE WORLD!!!!!”…………….
Astro Joe
May 7th, 2009
1:42 pm
The Truth, without having paid close attention to the Spurs, I’m going to guess that sometimes Duncan stands far away from the basket to create open driving lanes for Parker and/or Ginobli. Because their ability to score is increased by not having Duncan’s defender close to the paint to stop the drive. Duncan is not positioned 20 feet from the basket because he is Dirk-like from deep, but because there are times that the team runs plays that simply don’t involve the future HOFer.
Cuz
May 7th, 2009
2:03 pm
Sekou, way to write a late night column. I notice that when I get inspired late night the next morning my writing reads like, dhyou evrn tinkk ragt ih badd. Well you get the picture.
There is no I in, “We are awful”. There are several I’s in, “I failed miserably”.
Get rid of the Frenchmen and get us some tatoo covered Americans who play this game with some heart.
Oh and did Bradley make you pay for dinner last night? Sorry that was my suggestion.
newkid
May 7th, 2009
2:14 pm
Good job Sekou, but does any of what you wrote surprise you? You’ve been up close and personal with this lot for awhile now, so have you not clearly seen this mindset previously exhibited? What about our GM Rick ‘I’ll need a year to evaluate them’ Sund? Is this news to him or was he clueless? Is this ‘flaw’ perhaps part of the reason Sund indicated prior to the playoffs that he’d be happy with the season even if we didn’t successfully navigate the 1st round?
Our guys are what they are; they just ARE. There’s no rise of a Phoenix of leadership – of the sort likely to be followed – likely to emanate from this group. And if this offering is true, if Sund is to succeed he must address this ‘flaw’ in the months ahead. Otherwise we’re all kidding ourselves if we expect to have a realistic chance at snatching the O’Brien trophy and proudly parading Peachtree with it aloft.
The discussion of ‘needed parts’ can’t begin and end with a description of the desired ‘on the floor’ skills. At some point individual and team heart must enter the discussion. When it does, it could lead Sund to personnel actions he would not have anticipated if he is content with merely considering ‘on the floor’ skills. So, perhaps Bradley needs to revisit his description of how best to address the 1 1/2 players he thinks we need if we’re to get to – and through – the next level.
Great GMs think – and act – outside of the box in building winning programs (or get lucky). Hope we’ve got a great GM, but it ain’t looking very good so far. Where’s Dimitroff? Perhaps we can clone him.
Marcus
May 7th, 2009
2:21 pm
I think we have all the talent in the world to get Ws, but common theme among most playoff teams is a certain “toughness” and the associated instinct that comes with that.
Zaza gives us effort and some of that, but I am talking a Charles oakley-Anthony Mason (NY Knicks)/DET Bady Boys (pick any starter)/’80s Celtics (C. Maxwell and crew) kind that bring a certain level of “enforcement”.
are we soft? I would say ‘No’, but we seem not to have the playoff-hardend guy that will get in the face of a fellow Hawk or an opponent, technical foul be damned, to take the opponents best blow if it means a ‘W’ for our team.
By no means do I advocate on-court violence for our Hawks, but just like the 80s Pistons (finally overcoming the Celtics), 90s Bulls (overcoming the DET Bad Boys), and even the contemporary Cavaliers (same Pistons w/Ben Wallace ), we, just like them, have to forge our playoff resolve vs. the comtemporary ‘best team in the conference” and hope it bodes well for the future.
cp
May 7th, 2009
2:31 pm
Great blog. If Woody is brought back next season they really need to consider bringing in someone to run the offense and let Woodson focus on the defense. We don’t play towards our strengths with Woodson and he is not creative enough to come up with anything other than iso Joe……I like Joe but its clear he is a number 2 option.. I wonder just how much better this team would be with a true number one option and letting Joe play the Pippen role……We cant fall in love with the jumper.. We need the guys attacking the rim.. Woodson needs to find a way to get Law in the game..Tell him to push the tempo and get in the lane. I want to see a competitive game tonight…We know they can win at home but they have to show they can win on the road.
A Tribe Called Quest
May 7th, 2009
2:39 pm
We all know that JJ never places the blame on himself
Ariose
May 7th, 2009
2:40 pm
Rasheed Wallace and Antonio Mcdyess are unrestricted Free Agents this Summer…….I Also think we should Look into Aquiring Steve Francis as a backup PG. He’ll be cheap but he has bigtime game.
I’m just Sayin’, If we want to be a contender in the next few seasons we’re going to need some seasoned vets. These guys are beasts in their own right, and they will probably be overlooked this summer…..especially Rasheed and Francis. None of them are Superstars, but I’m guessing if you put enough all-stars on one roster, something good will come of it. All of theses guys are on Joe’s level, effectively nullifying the constant doubleteaming of him by the oposing squad.
Ariose
May 7th, 2009
2:41 pm
……or we could just trade for Rudy Hehehehehe…..
bali
May 7th, 2009
2:42 pm
good article……… my question is how do the hawks get better? Is it the players being so young……… which is getting old………. the coach and his staff………….. what……….. I have never seen a series like the hawks and miami series… good first half against cleveland then get waxed in the 2nd half/ hope they play 4 quarters tonight
Brandon
May 7th, 2009
2:45 pm
Joe Johnson has to be an all-star he is making to much money to let these small gaurds CLevland has contain him. He is starting to make Steve Belkin look like he was right.
O'brien
May 7th, 2009
3:05 pm
I have been very disappointed in Mo Evans. He was supposed to be a legit 3 point shooter, but he misses a lot of 3’s. Also, he misses them at critical junctures in the game. eg, the other team is making a run, and they are up 8. if Mo makes the 3, it’s back to a 5 point game. But instead, he misses, the other team scores to go up 10, and then it’s all downhill from there.
Sekou, We have basically the same starting 5 from the end of last year. And if Bibby is re-signed, we will have the same starting 5 next year, and the same coach of course. As a result, I think this team will be the same inconsistent team next year. There needs to be a change somewhere. Maybe Woody can hire an offensive co-ordinator. Del Negro (in Chicago) has Del Harris and Bernie Bickerstaff on his bench. Doc Rivers has the defensive coach (Thibedeau (sp)), even Mike Brown in Cleveland has an offensive co-ordinator.
The bad thing is we all know Woody is too controlling, but this team needs some infusion of something…
Dwayne
May 7th, 2009
3:05 pm
Brandon – How can Belkin be right about anything when we run freakin 13 games when he was around and now we are in the Eastern Conference Semifinals?
cp
May 7th, 2009
3:12 pm
O’brien I suggested we get somebody to take over the offense in my post as well. But as you stated Woody is so stubborn he probably wont go for it… Ive been disappointed with Evans most of the year to be honest. He hits the occasional 3 but his defense is overrated and has trouble finishing in traffic. Nice player but ehhhh……Ariose I’m sorry but Francis has nothing left.. Its kind of strange to see how far he has fallen off but he has nothing left in the tank…
Marcus
May 7th, 2009
3:13 pm
Ariose,
Didn’t we already have ’sheed for a hot second?!?!? naw, I will pass.
Hawks Fan In New Orleans
May 7th, 2009
3:15 pm
Well its nice to know The Hawks have the diagnosis, now they need to implement the solutions they have come up with. Stop the insane cycle of thrilling victories and embarrassing blow out losses.
Astro Joe
May 7th, 2009
3:21 pm
Ariose, yes to McDyess and a BIG no to Rasheed. And an even bigger NO to Stevie “I Don’t Have a” Franchise. We need vets with a winner’s attitude, not just any vet. Heck, if we just needed a vet, we could have brought back Antoine Walker. There’s a reason guys like Walker and Francis are outside of the league and guys like Joe Smith and Drew Gooden get snapped up the minute they are released.
Dan
May 7th, 2009
3:26 pm
Ariose, are you really Isaiah Thomas? Good Lord! No to McDyess and a F-No to Francis! I will grant you that Sheed could be an OK pickup. He would, however, have to come cheap and understand that he would only play limited minutes.
I would rather have Josh Childress back than any of those guys, though…
Melvin
May 7th, 2009
3:38 pm
Ariose, It’s been reported that Sheed is seeking 8 mil for his next deal or he will retire. I think it’s safe to say that we seen the last of Sheed if he standpat on his demands. However, he’s too big of a risk for me. I think McDyess should be our number target this summer. Just like you, I would love to see Rudy Gay on this team. He’s a player that could take some scoring pressure off of Joe. He would be a perfect compliment to our starting 5 b/c he has the ability to shoot the 3 and dribble drive to the rim. Maybe we could package Marvin for him. It’s been reported that Rudy was unhappy with the lack of touches in Memphis b/c of the mad bomber OJ Mayo. Funny you mention Francis b/c I said that we should have sign him and Antonie Walker around the trading deadline. We could have signed those guys for the remaining of the season for cheap (vet minimum). I would prefer to have Francis and Walker as the 13th/14th man versus Othello Hunter and Thomas Gardner. At least those guys are former All-Stars and played meaningful mins in the playoffs before.
Samuel
May 7th, 2009
3:44 pm
Ariose,
I would love to have Sheed here. He still has a few years left. We had this conversation this summer when R Artest was available. Many here said they didn’t want him because of his “baggage”. Look where he has the Rockets now.
Joe, thats all well and good if you got somebody who can score from outside such as a Sheed. Otherwise, no body is gonna guard you. Ando loves the “Big Chuckers” only he loves the ones who play no defense.
Josh smith can average 20, 10, 5 and 5 if he stays on the post. I see absolutely no need for him to venture out. Doc says his athleticism will dwindle as he gets older. Maybe so but for the next 5 years. Camp out on the blocks and become an AllStar.
As for tonight, I can’t say that i’m too confident that we can win. I’m looking past this one to our first home game. Hopefully, they will surprise me but we got too many things going against us.
Word is that Portland is looking to deal Outlaw. Marvin is from the Northern West Coast area. Marvin and Acie for Outlaw and Frye or Priz.
Ellis and Turiaf for JJ. We need some Mississippi blood on this team.
Melvin
May 7th, 2009
3:48 pm
Dan,
I will take JChill back in a NYC min and we should bring the big guy David Anderson across the pond as well. But we don’t need that headcase Sheed. With this team having questions in the leadership department, we definitely don’t need a guy like sheed that’s going to divide the locker room especially when things go sour. That guy would be the leader of the rif-rafts..
Government Schools
May 7th, 2009
3:50 pm
“One pass and won’t shot on offense won’t get the job done against Cleveland.”
Apparently the headline writer won’t get the job done either.
Wow. Have ya’ll hired Buckwheat at the AJC?
doc
May 7th, 2009
3:55 pm
astro i think i remember seeing duncan stand near the lane protecting his nads and setting hard screens for parker and ginobli. unfortunately he didnt play here this ear, just a picture i have of him taking a beating for the quick guys. i think he does move away when they cut for a quick outlet pass and a 12 to 15 ft jumper if his man leaves him, his reward. we dont have the quick guard to consider it.
King James
May 7th, 2009
3:55 pm
Dang Barry, lots of bravado but I dont see the Hawks matching up with the Cavs in any measure except three point desparation shots. If you cnat drive the lane and sink the layup consistently your 7 round fight will end up a KO after the 4th round.
Lebron and the Cavs are just too much for the Hawks. Sorry
no id
May 7th, 2009
3:59 pm
Maybe we need u Sekou to give the pre game locker room speech, cause u sure as hell fired me up! Im going to see if I can catch me a pick up game now..lol
Melvin
May 7th, 2009
4:02 pm
Doc, you posted that same comment as Government Schools did last nite…. hmmmmmm
doc
May 7th, 2009
4:03 pm
oh yeah a quality 15 to 18 footer is all josh needs not a 3 point shot, just his coach needs to find out where to spot him or run screens through him,
SSSSHHHH!
May 7th, 2009
4:05 pm
My goodness, Barry REALLY stinks.
Sautee
May 7th, 2009
4:05 pm
O’Brien and cp,
For the season, believe it or not, Evans was our best 3 point shooter at .395. Better than Bibby or Joe.
Yes, he’s shot poorly in the playoffs, but so have JJ and Flip.
And we didn’t get Evans to be a starter, but that’s how it is now. Flip certainly gave us more bang for the buck between the two of them.
RickNole
May 7th, 2009
4:05 pm
Sheed and Josh Smith should never co-exists on the same team.
Rod from College Park
May 7th, 2009
4:09 pm
Samuel,
I would trade Marvin for a bag of chips at this point.
O’brien,
I do agree that Mo Evans, has been a slight disappointment, but his three point percentage was higher that Marvin’s during the year, so what does that say about Marvin.
Rod from College Park
May 7th, 2009
4:20 pm
Wow,
I actually agree with Sautee. what is the world coming to.
RJ
May 7th, 2009
4:23 pm
Why is AC on this team? somebody answer me
Sautee
May 7th, 2009
4:34 pm
Rod,
Actually we agree on far more than you think. I just took issue with your “looseness” with things presented as facts. If you went back to the archives from last year, you’d see that I was taking Marvin to task as well.
I sincerely hope you didn’t bet the Southside crib on game 1.
Melvin
May 7th, 2009
4:43 pm
“It’s tough right now,” Williams said. “We’re just trying to get through it with all these injuries the20best we can. Hopefully, we can find a way to get it done tonight and head back to Atlanta for Game 3 [Saturday] with some momentum.” – Marvin Williams
We. What about you need to get thru with your injury. I’m with you on this one Rod. Marvin need to strap it up and play…
Astro Joe
May 7th, 2009
4:44 pm
I guess I need to pay more attention to these offenses that give each and every player an equal opportunity to score from their individual best spots on the court on every offensive possession (without having to take more than 2 dribbles).
A Tribe Called Quest
May 7th, 2009
4:45 pm
We need to S&T Marvin (who sucks…14 ppg in his 4th season and #2 overall? Get outta here) for Artest
EAST ATLANTA HAWKS FAN SINCE 1971
May 7th, 2009
4:46 pm
LOOK HERE YOU MIKE WOODSON HATERS,HOW ABOUT YOU LAMES GO AND CHEER ON YOUR 4TH PLACE BRAVES.
LBJ23
May 7th, 2009
4:47 pm
King James: Actually the Hawks can match up with us. I was pissed when I figured out we were playing them. I would rather play the Celtics. The Hawks are a scary quick athletic team that when clicking is as good as us. If they can hold my man under 30 then they win. Only thing they are missing is a 7 foot guy to stop Big Z and they need JJ to click. I’m gonna say Cavs in 6? But the Hawks are scary for me at least. Also we will probably double them in FT attempts.
EAST ATLANTA HAWKS FAN SINCE 1971
May 7th, 2009
4:52 pm
NOPE ON SHEED. HE`S THE SECOND COMING OF DERRICK COLEMAN,TWO BIG MEN THAT DIDNT USE ALL OF THEIR POTENTIAL. THEY BOTH PLAYED WITH A LAZY STYLE INSTEAD OF PLAYING WITH POWER.
doc
May 7th, 2009
4:59 pm
i guess i will have to go back and check since comcast had my system down from 12 to 6 little contact with the blog world melvin.
O'brien
May 7th, 2009
4:59 pm
I didnt know that Mo Evans had the better 3 point percentage. I still think he misses them at crucial times though.
cp, an offensive co-ordinator could be very useful. If the Hawks are down by 2 with 12 seconds, does anyone have confidence that Woody can draw up a play that will give Joe (or Bibby) an open/high percentage look?
For tonight’s game, even if the Hawks dont win, they need to keep it under 10. Going back to the playoffs last year (on the road), they are 1-6, and I think they lose by an average of 20 something points. That’s inexcusable.
In the first quarter of the Lakers game, Kobe was determined to get off to the quick start, and that’s exactly what he did. That’s the kind of determination I want to see from Joe tonight
The Truth
May 7th, 2009
4:59 pm
I’m not a big fan of Mo Evans as a SF starter. His offense is way too limited to his set 3-pt attempts. That sizes up his whole game; very little aggression toward the baskets; no off the dribble moves. These are absolute requirements for a SF. Those leading 3-pt percentages are misleading anyway because he rarely shot them during the regular season. They never really impacted the outcome of a game. They were not so-called “Big Threes” or “Timely Threes”. Some were even during garage basket time. However, his attempts did help his average so I will give him that. With his skill set, he seems better suited to a SG than a SF; he’s a descent bench player and defender that can give you quality minutes; but not a starter.
MannyT
May 7th, 2009
5:16 pm
While we could use the excuses, I’ll try to find the diamond in the rough before this all implodes.
During the regular season, we got blown out in the 1st quarter and just finished the game. On Tuesday, we were fully in the game for 2 1/2 quarter even though we turned the ball over too much.
If Al & Marvin are out, the next guys down the bench that might get time are Solo and Mario/AC??Maybe the route to success is to run a few more players into the game and make it more helter skelter. Forget less turnovers, just look for more opportunities to take the Cavs out of their comfort zone. A fast game minimizes big Z. It also helps Bibby’s defense–where his strength is lurking in passing lanes.
Go wild, go hyper, go, go, go. Let play like it’s 1979. I want 135-130 in regulation.
If we keep losing by 20+ the other way, what have we got to lose?
BWAF
manny_pacman
May 7th, 2009
5:21 pm
bagong_sali! pinoy ka no??
Ariose
May 7th, 2009
5:52 pm
All of you guys knocking my suggestions, i’ve said the same things you’re saying plenty of times before. BUT, this team is at the point where it needs that one piece to put us over. Ever since Bibby got here we’ve sying, “Well, we’ve got the point guard, now we just need the center”. Well Rasheed is the Best Available option, and a pretty darn good one at that. I’m willing to bet the collective hunger of our team will be infections to him. Not to mention he’s been coached by woody before, and Woody is a no-nonsense type of coach. I really think Sheed would work here.
It’s either that or draft some, inexpericed guy that needs five years to develop. We’ve got enough young bigs on our roster (Smoove, Al, Solo, & Zaza) We just need that Anchor. As long as the foundation is in place, we can keep switching out vet centers. San Antonio does it all the time Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili ae always there, but they have a new starting center every year. At the very least, I think a player like Rasheed is worth the gamble. If Woody can Keep he and Smoove in the post, watch out.
Rasheed has the Length, defensive tools, offensive skills, and the experince that we need and that’s exactly wht Woody is drawn to. I think it would work.
Sautee
May 7th, 2009
5:54 pm
LOL, Manny,
If we scored 135, Woody would have a heart attack!
Not that there’s anything wrong with that……. scoring 135, I mean.
Sekou Smith
May 7th, 2009
5:59 pm
The Hawks’ co-exist just fine off the court. They’ve been all over the food court here at Tower Center and a group of them took in a movie after practice Wednesday. There’s something about their roles on the court that just isn’t clicking. Think back to the Miami series and ask yourself if they ever really got into a groove for more than a few minutes at a time?
In the losses they didn’t resemble the team that waxed Miami. That inconsistency is what would concern me. That and the fact that energy and effort are always mentioned when they lose, as if those things should be negotiable.
O'brien
May 7th, 2009
6:05 pm
Ariose, Rasheed woould help with JJ’s doubles, because we know he can knock down the 3’s. And since Woody goes back with the Pistons, maybe he feels like he can handle Rasheed. However, Rasheed is not coming here to come off the bench. He wants $8 million, and he wants to be a starter. So how would he fit on the Hawks?
The reason I like McDyess is because he knows his role as a bench player. And he has a consistent midrange jumper (unlike Al).
Skicky
May 7th, 2009
6:12 pm
All the teams in the play-off have leaders. Boston KG, Houston Artest, Cav Lebron, Lakers Kobe, Denver, Mr. Big Shot, Orlando Dwight Howard, Atlanta_?__. Someone needs to light a fire under these guys if not the leader than the coach. They need to take offense and have more pride in their play. Letting Lebron drive down the lane as fast as he can go and no one takes a charge. That is the only way to stop that guy is to stop him from driving down the lane is someone has got to have the balls to take a charge to get him in foul trouble.