Hawks ready for prime time?
Philips Arena better get ready for a few close ups this season now that the Hawks are scheduled for seven nationally televised games this season.
HAWKSVILLE - Mike Woodson has been asking for it since he got here.
He’s was selling the Hawks as a potential prime-time player when they were stuck in the mud of a 26-win season. “Win,” the sixth-year Hawks coach would say often, “and everything else takes care of itself.”
Everything else seems to be falling into place these days. And that includes the Hawks’ position as true “prime-time players” during the 2009-10 season (the schedule was released this afternoon). The Hawks will be on one of the league’s network broadcasts a whopping seven times this season (matching their combined total from the previous 11 years). Six times they’ll play on ESPN and once on TNT.
After going without a single nationally televised regular-season game during his first four seasons at the helm, Woodson’s Hawks clawed out two appearances last season, one that was added after the season was already underway. He admitted to being fired up at the prospect of his team being on display this season. “I do feel a little bit like it’s overdue,” he said. “We thought we were a team worthy last season, but we kept our heads down and kept working. It all comes in time.”
Hawks coach Mike Woodson says any national love his team receives this season and beyond has been well earned.
Woodson relished the opportunity for his team steal a little of the spotlight last year, even if they did lose both of those nationally televised games (to Boston and Cleveland). But anyone wondering what kind of boost back-to-back playoff appearances can have on a franchise, need only check out the Hawks rising profile.
Woodson has been gushing about the Philips Arena crowds and the added advantage those home crowds gave his team since the playoff run against Boston two years ago. It seemed laughable then, when the Hawks were still struggling to fill up the place against the undesirables on the schedule. Yet no one can argue that those playoff crowds lacked any of the fervor needed to rile the rest of the feathered masses.
“The first four years we were here we couldn’t have bought our way onto the air,” Woodson said. “But since we’ve made the playoffs in each of the past two seasons you could sense things were turning around for us. And this is huge. This is a huge turnaround and one that I think goes right along with all the strides we’ve made as a team and franchise.”
The Hawks open the season Oct. 28 at Philips Arena against Indiana. The first nationally televised game is Nov. 13 in Boston, while four of the TV games will originate from Philips Arena, starting with the Thanksgiving night contest against the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic (8 p.m.). In addition to that Thanksgiving night game, the Hawks will also ring in the New Year by hosting the New York Knicks Jan. 1 at 7:30.
“This is a testament to our players and the work they’ve put in,” Woodson said. “When you turn things around and stick to your plan, good things happen. Right now, I think we’re seeing the rewards of all our hard work.”
It’s certainly a good start.
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112 comments Add your comment
Melvin
August 5th, 2009
10:09 am
I’m going to get my Siler jersey as soon as they go on sale…
Double DING….
Anakin Joe
August 5th, 2009
10:12 am
Ray, you’re doing that spit ball thing again. Who suggested that Stromile/Skinner was the key to the team’s success?
Anakin Joe
August 5th, 2009
10:16 am
Daniel, sorry, I missed your other question. I’m not a big Gerald Green fan. Craig Smith has an expiring contract, so trading for him not only addresses our back-up forward issue but it also sheds $2.5M off our payroll next season. And creating some payroll flexibility for next summer seems (to me at least) like something that needs to happen between now and the end of February.
aaron
August 5th, 2009
10:31 am
Sekou,
Read an espn analysis of our roster saying we’d have jamal starting at the 2 and moving joe to 3, Al at 4, and ZaZa starting at center…bringing Josh and Marvin off the bench. Josh off the bench is not a good idea for alot of reasons in my opinion and ZaZa is not starter material. Woody doesn’t consider that an option right? Just want to confirm it was the journalist’s ideas and not ours.
Sautee
August 5th, 2009
11:01 am
AJ,
I thought that Ray was doing his best Astro Joe impression. Just from another viewpoint.
doc
August 5th, 2009
11:14 am
around here folks, getting siler is a progressive move, i understand it isnt the answer.
Mike is back
August 5th, 2009
1:49 pm
Great Stuff Sekou…AND it’s good to see the Hawks getting some much deserved pub from the NBA. Still read on a tha blog on the reg…Gearing up for my road trip to drop my sweet pea off to college…I’m so sad. Heh heh
I have never been one of Woody’s voice box…but I would like to congratulate him for being apart of the renaissance of this franchise…man those were some lean years. Though I seldom agree with Woody’s offensive philosophy…you can’t argue with success…I know he has invested a lot of time and energy in this team…he deserve his just due…Surely he will step his game up now that he’s on the national stage.
I am particularly interested in how he will handle Teague…call me crazy but I think Woody already realize he will have to make room Teague in his rotation….will we see a different approach…or the SAME OLD WOODY????
Only time will tell…lets hope with the added exposure…comes added planning and strategy with his schemes and more patience with his young players…Yeah I drank some Kool Aide…for give me…I’m excited about the nationally televised game at Phillips…IS IT SOUP YET!!!
Ariose, U THA MAN DAWG!!!
BTW…its funny when we got our email about the upcoming schedule…Marvin name was on full display…it appear that earlier reports of Marvin signing may have had some credence…Sund is still on the grind…“C MON BASG”, give Sund two tree coins to sign a Big.LOL
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
bigdave
August 5th, 2009
3:05 pm
Blazers and Roy close to an 82 mil over 5 year extension…
Id like to see Joe get something comparable…
Ken Strickland
August 6th, 2009
7:48 pm
BIG RAY-yesterday you hit on a very good point when you said the team has improved each yr, but Woodson has only one winning season. I want to add to that thought. WHAT HAS WOODSON DONE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT ANNUAL INCREASE IN WINS AND THAT 1 WINNING SEASON.
(1) Has he developed his young players to effectively contribute off the bench and/or replace departed veterans? An emphatic NO!
(2) Has he effectively managed the mins of his key players, especially his starters? Again, an emphatic NO!
(3) Has he installed an OFF and DEF system, and employed a style of play, that takes maximum advantage of the talent that’s on our team? Again, an emphatic NO!
(4) Has he demonstrated the ability to utilize strategy, especially during gms, or the ability to get production out of players he doesn’t particularly like, or who’s talents aren’t a perfect fit for his limited OFF system and/or philosophy? An affirmative HELL NO!!!!!!!!!!!
(5) Can it be said that Woodson has shown obvious and recognizable improvement as a HC, especially in the areas of utilizing strategy, managing key players mins, utilizing his bench and developing young players.?
If you can’t answer yes to at least half of the above questions, you have to consider that the Hawks, particularly over the last 2yrs, have progressed and achieved in spite of Woodson, not because of him.
TRUTH-SERUM
August 7th, 2009
6:53 pm
If the Hawks could land a legitimate center they could compete for the finals, other wise well be trying to fire Woody because ZAZA the slowest man in basketball with the shortest verticle leap, AKA Jon koncak cant play and we have a powerforward trying to be a center. The Hawks dont need help at center they need a CENTER!!!+
TRUTH-SERUM
August 7th, 2009
6:55 pm
Ken Strickland
August 6th, 2009
7:48 pm
Let the whinning begin!!! Its woody’s team! Great Job Woody!
Shout out to ken and team Bubba
superking
August 11th, 2009
2:57 am
those televised games were just another way to give the top three teams in the east national exposure and even though the hawks share the light with these same teams wtf does cleveland have two back to back games against them for.hope te hawks can when as a fan but they should compete hard and keep that national exposure talk as if its not happening .on paper barring a catastrophe out of that seven i only see two guaranteed games.hawks fans we can win more but that wasnt for atlanta hawks that was for top three in the east not the fourth out the east