Look who’s talking …
SAY IT LOUD! SCREAM, if you have to. Hawks' captain and All-Star Joe Johnson has suddenly become a Twitter machine. But he's not the only resident of our tight-knit community in a talkative mood these days. Hawks coach Mike Woodson is, too.
HAWKSVILLE - Whoever thought that late August and early September would be a quiet time for the Hawks didn’t count on Twitter changing the game.
Hawks captain and All-Star Joe johnson, known around the NBA as one of the league’s more subdued stars, has suddenly taken the gloves off on his Twitter page. He hasn’t mentioned anything about that extension the Hawks offered and whether or not he’ll be agreeing to sign on for another four years after this one, the final year of a five-year, $70 million deal.
But he’s sharing plenty of other things with anyone interested in following him. In fact, he’s sharing more than I can remember him giving up at anytime before now (and he might be sharing a bit too much for some of our more sheltered members, so be warned). I’m still scratching my head over this one, what with all the work it takes some days to get JJ to open up.
Maybe he’s shedding that hard shell of his and taking some steps in the direction of being a more vocal and engaged leader, which I’d argue is a blessing in disguise of peculiar Tweets (or whatever I should call them) from a usually reserved man – he went almost two months, from late June to late August, without a single update. I’m just saying … (scratching my head), something has changed.
JJ isn’t the only member of the family talking these days. You might remember the ditty we had with Hawks coach Mike Woodson way back when detailing the fact that he would head into the final year of his contract without an extension.
Well, Woody spoke about it again late last week in an interesting story by my main man Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports. I don’t expect this story to move the needle at all on the non-existent extension talks for Woodson and his staff.
We’ve had the Woody debate around here for pretty much every day of the past five years (or so). And the sides never seem to give much ground. The Woody supporters (Steamboat has been relentless from the outset) have campaigned for him without fail, through good and bad times. The Woody detractors have been equally steadfast and resolute in their belief that he’s not the right guy for the job.
The anti-Woody camp was winning the debate his first three years on the job. But the pro-Woody crowd is crowing a bit these days (with the pro-Rick Sund crowd soul-clapping their guy into the discussion as well).
As far as I can tell, the general mood of the partisan divide at this time was captured best by our good friend RA, who fired off this email late last week after the Hawks finished up Joe Smith’s paperwork:
“This summer can only be summed up in one word, brilliant. Everything that the Hawks usually don’t do, Sund managed to pull off. He managed to get marquee talent while at the same time giving up very little. He managed to keep the core of the team together, something that I would have thought was impossible going into this summer. He’s also managed to bring in a veteran, that the young fellas are going to listen to. All I can say is that regardless of what else happens this summer, Sund has done EVERYTHING that he could have been expected to do. The question now is whether or not Woody can handle the arithmetic?
Whatever side you’re on in this thing, one thing is certain. When the season starts, the pressure is all on Woodson (who, by the way, has been asking for a roster like this since he took the job) and his staff. Because for once, the summer has gone just as about as well as it possibly could have for the Hawks. The expectations from last season to this one couldn’t be higher. And with so many familiar faces returning and so few new additions (four might seem like a lot, but when three of them are seasoned vets like Smith, Jamal Crawford and soon-to-be Jason Collins, along with rookie PG Jeff Teague, a rugged transition is not expected) folks won’t tolerate a slow start.
The Collins tidbit, which was folded into Sunday’s Hawks’ Insider, is proof that these guys aren’t finished filling out this roster. The frontcourt could see the addition of at least one more player after Collins. And said player could punch his ticket for the season with a strong training camp showing. That means a host of guys, including Garret Siler, Othello Hunter and perhaps even Mario West (should he decide to attend) could crank up the tenor of what should be an otherwise business-like training camp.
Hunter and West (twice) have already shown that they are capable of making the team with strong camp showings. The dynamic changes a bit this year, though. If the Hawks plan on keeping the roster at 13 players, which according to most of the folks I’ve spoken to seems to be the way they are leaning (in an effort to maintain roster flexibility should another player shake out of the league’s training camp covers later on), they’ll have to make a tough choice about that 13th man.
Do they want a third point guard as security for Mike Bibby and Teague? – And yes, Crawford can play the point in a pinch but is better off playing at shooting guard.
Do they scour the landscape for a utility player that won’t rock the boat if he’s in a suit most nights as opposed to a uniform?
Or do they go the safe route and locate one more big man as injury insurance, in case they suffer through the wave of injuries again up front like they did last season (when Josh Smith, Al Horford and Marvin Williams all succumbed to injuries at one time or another)?
The pickings are slim everywhere but point guard, where journeymen always seem abundant. But a third point guard isn’t specifically necessary unless someone higher on the depth charts hits a snag (injury or otherwise).
Still, I think the smart play here is keeping a spot or two clear for the best-player-available in late October.
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444 comments Add your comment
Mystikal
September 1st, 2009
2:50 pm
At this point, i’m good with the roster as is. I’d like idea of trading Evans and Randmo for a bigger back up SF, but not hating on Evans. He plays good perimeter D and can occasionally hit an open 3. I have no love whatsover left for Randmo’s freeloading A$$, can’t wait til he’s gone. Think Teague & Crawford will be something special off bench. Man, I can’t wait for the season to begin!!
O'Brien
September 1st, 2009
3:29 pm
On another note, What was Minnesota thinking? Taking 2 PGs in the top 6? And now Rubio signed a 6 year deal with Barcelona, and cant come to the NBA until the 2011-2012 season.
At least we got some good years out of Childress before he went overseas. I can’t imagine what the Timberwolves fans are saying.
Based on Sund’s moves, isnt it great to be a Hawks fan? When was the last time our future looked so bright?
macaroni tony
September 1st, 2009
3:30 pm
I see east standings we’re forcasted at the fourth seed again, But instead of 50 wins, we will win only 45.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=OffseasonPredictions09-EastStandings
doc
September 1st, 2009
3:51 pm
melvin not sure but that may have been one of the few things bk ever said …. not woody.
Melvin
September 1st, 2009
3:55 pm
doc, I couldn’t imagine BK making that decision without input from Woody but I could be wrong…
A Thinking Fan
September 1st, 2009
4:24 pm
WOW! An HB sighting with comment…
O'Brien
September 1st, 2009
4:25 pm
macaroni tony,
I think 45 wins and 4th in the East is a good guess. And I would be okay with that. I would like to see us win more games on the road though. But As long as we make it to second round of the playoffs, and win at leat 2 games in the second round, thats cool with me.
dap01
September 1st, 2009
4:33 pm
i like Joe but that Twitter info was unimpressive. I will try to forget that I even read it.
Go Hawks!
macaroni tony
September 1st, 2009
4:50 pm
OB, I understand what your saying, but I feel like we can get to the 50 win mark this year. I mean the Heat have only added Q. Richardson and they’re going to lose one less game than us. Go Hawks and shock the world.
Ramon
September 1st, 2009
5:09 pm
With the weakness of the bottom east, and the amount of veterans on the team. Anything less than 52 wins will be under achieving to me. Last season the Hawks could’ve easily have won 50 games, if it wasn’t for injuries, and the play my main man Smooth made on Vince (but who knew it would go in). 47 wins is good for a team that’s 10 mil under the luxury cap. But not for a team that’s pushing it, and will have to go into the luxury cap to have this same roster come back next year.
The Truth
September 1st, 2009
5:10 pm
The bigger question is will Woody get an extension if we win 45 games, host the 4th seed, beat the Heat again in the 1st round and get swept again by the Cavs in the 2nd round?
Ramon
September 1st, 2009
5:16 pm
Although JJ is the leader of the team, why do I feel like Smooth or Horford going down with injury would hurt this team the most?
Ramon
September 1st, 2009
5:22 pm
The truth, the answer to that question is no. But the bigger question is would Sund give the team to Larry Drew if they start off 8-13.
NEL
September 1st, 2009
5:47 pm
FIBA Americas 2009:
Sunday 30, Argentina 89 Dominican Republic 87
Al Horford 24 points 11 rebs
Today Tuesday Sep 1, Dominican Republic 80 Uruguay 74
Al Horford 17 points 12 rebs 3 assists 3 steals 2 bs
Performance looks familiar ?
The Truth
September 1st, 2009
5:49 pm
Ramon
I agree he probably would not. However, Sund is a strange nut to crack at this point. Based on his actions, he would tend to take the conservative approach and try to maintain some team continuity and strongly consider Larry Drew. Unfortunately, Larry Drew will be perceived to be a rookie under-study to Woody and for that reason the idea maybe met with some skepticism. Any miss-step by Sund would be on his watch and he would bear the consequences.
Ramon
September 1st, 2009
6:06 pm
The Truth, I completely agree. Everyone is saying that they want Woody gone. But for his salary, who can you really get to replace him that has good experience, and more importantly, playoff experience. Paul Silas maybe?
Blast
September 1st, 2009
7:11 pm
In truth, if he expands his offence more, Woody as a coach seems to be a good fit for the Hawks, especially for what you are paying him. But this year, he has to grow with his team. All Sund wants is for Woody to prove that he deserves an extension. He signed a 2-year contract. He needs to finish his obligation. He has the chance this year to take Hawks as high as they can fly. He does well, he, gets a new contract.
And Hawks might still be stuck in 4th in the East, but a 45 win season will be a massive disappointment. After the re-tooling this year, anything short of a 50+ win season will not be acceptable.
Was HB Ando really in the house?
macaroni tony
September 1st, 2009
7:27 pm
Blast,
I agree with everything that you just said. We are no longer the youngest team, and we won 47 wins with a lot of injuries. So if we stay healthy then I’m going to say 51 wins this year.
KevinA
September 1st, 2009
7:35 pm
Ramon,
Not everyone is saying they want Woody gone. In fact many of us has pointed out Woody has not had much to work with until this year. Many of the teams warts have been justified considering he delt with raw talent for the last three years.
He is simply in his last year of his contract and Sund has made it quite plain there are expectations. To think of Woody’s demise is a little premature. I think the team will be stronger because of our core players.
My only advice to Sund and others is not to get caught up in the Teague/Crawford hype and the impact on the team. In fact unless injury plays a role there is a chance they will play spot minutes. Even if they earn minutes it will be later in the season before they jell with the rest of the team. There are always choices to be made later depending on what happens.
If I were Woody and my job was on the line, I would still fight for Flip as option C. Just in case Teague and Crawford don’t work as well as planned. I think when your job is on the line Woody should be allowed deference on the last couple of spots. West defense? The D- league MVP? Collins? Hunter? Real choices make real differences. Sund should listen carefully.
If I were Woody I would still go with got him this far. The NBA is not a developmental league. He has more pieces to play but I could understand him wanting to play his best when push comes to shove.
Blast
September 1st, 2009
7:37 pm
Macaroni Tony,
You are right. We could easily have won 50 games last season. If we stay healthy next season, win more road games, hold home court as usual, I’m hoping for a 50-55 win season.
Blast
September 1st, 2009
7:43 pm
50-55 win season, regardless of how the so called ESPN/NBA.com pundist call it. We all know they’ve been woefully wrong about the Hawks before.
Hawks win 50 games and Woody has himself another contract.
rusty
September 1st, 2009
7:44 pm
who cares
that was rhe dumbest assesd blog i ever read about your ball hogging
hero jj
macaroni tony
September 1st, 2009
7:52 pm
I will give Woody a little credit in his first four season his record sucked, but the last two years he’s went 84-80. I don’t think that record alone is going to get him to the contract that you would like. But a 50+ win season will get him to that contract.
niremetal
September 1st, 2009
7:53 pm
Man, it’s good to be home. Onto basketball.
Believe it or not, I don’t need to feel the need to say much right now. The usual suspects have quieted down about how terrible certain players are and making silly trade proposals (if I’d heard “Josh for Amare” one more time, I would have punched through a wall). The roster now is basically set, and it looks damned good. We have at least 3 solid options at every position on the floor, although I grant that we’ll bound to have some guys playing minutes slightly out of position (namely Horford, Joe Smith, and Mo) but that’s to be expected and those players are used to it.
There is no reason the Hawks shouldn’t be able to win 55 games if they are healthy and are coached well. They are 2-deep at every position on the floor, which is something that even Orlando (PG) and Cleveland (PG…and SG too, considering their overreliance on combo guards) can’t say.
Like many have said, Woody has the type of roster he has dreamed of for years. Now he has to show that he knows what to do with it. I’m sure I won’t be the only one rattling his sword is JJ is playing 41 minutes a game come December.
And with that, I will look forward to the Hawks’ Thanksgiving weekend game against the Sixers. Hopefully, the Hawks will cruise into that game with a 10-5 record or better. But I’ll reserve my season W/L projection for after training camp…
Sautee
September 1st, 2009
7:54 pm
vava74,
You said this: “We would have swept or won 4-1 the Miami series if it wasn’t for the refs and if we had a full roster and impartial refs I think we would have won at least 2 games against Cleveland (in the regular season we won 1 and got robbed of a second victory with a bogus call going against us).”
Really?
I’m all for being positive toward our team, but this begs credence.
I was livid at the refs in the CLE series, but I thought they missed as many for them as for us in Round 1.
We actually didn’t play well in the MIA series except for games 1 and 7.
We played just well enough in game 4 to win. Mostly we played down to Miami’s level. Except for Game 1, we failed to dictate to them how we wanted to play.
And yes, we were injured against CLE but we still stunk. Look what the Rockets did without THEIR stars against the World Champs. We were never competitive in that series.
And that last second regular season loss against CLE. Yeah, it was a bogus call that EVERYBODY in Phillips KNEW was going to come. So what did we DO about it?
We did NOTHING. We COULD have played 2 for 1 when we had possession with 0:40 left. Cleveland had just tied the game. If we shoot within 10 seconds, we KNOW we’ll get the ball back with a few ticks no matter what THEY do on their last possession.
So what does fearless leader do? Calls for Iso-Joe and we take our sweet time and DO NOT get a good shot (a running hook with 25 seconds left). They get the rebound, call time out and get the foul they are looking for at the end of the game clock. LeBron – one for two. Ball game.
Woody played right into their hands. Just one of the (many) things that make folks here doubt whether he can lead us to a Championship.
I know you were bringing this up as a boost for Woody’s image here, but maybe that wasn’t the BEST example.
Hoops
September 1st, 2009
7:58 pm
Everybody seems to have a prediction for this year going on now. Well, I don’t know how many games the Hawks will win, but I predict they will finish ahead of Orlando. Their record may not be better than Boston or Cleveland, but they will be a #2 seed!
Hawks Will Surprise!!!
The Truth
September 1st, 2009
8:09 pm
These have been excellent points regarding Woody. It seems by some that it is not enough for Woody to just win 50+ games and improve over last year, but they want it done a certain way. For example, if there were such a scenario where Woody would ignore conventional wisdom repeat his bad habits and again shorten his rotation by overplaying JJ and not developing Teague but by osmosis somehow win 50+ games, some folks would still want him fired. The Flip factor is yet another example.
Blast
September 1st, 2009
8:18 pm
Don’t see how Woody can shorten his rotation next season. Reason he has been doing that is because he did not have capable back-ups to keep the game in line. Now he is two deep at every position. So long as his bench is producing, Woody will utilize them, and not wear out his starters so much.
macaroni tony
September 1st, 2009
8:31 pm
I think this would be Woody year! I am not Woody fan, nor have I ever been a fan. But this is the first time that Woody has had this many veterans, and that will make a big difference this year for him. Everyone so focused on the so call big three but I feel the Hawks can sneak in on one of them this year.
Ramon
September 1st, 2009
9:00 pm
Kevin, I agree with you. I would love to see Woody expand the offense and keep the reigns of the team. I’m just curious to know from some people, after Woody, who do they really think would be the replacement on that salary. I think most people can testify to the fact that if Woody wins 55+ games next season, it will take a 73 win season from someone else, for him not to win CoY. And then the question is, if the teams win 55 games, but there still isn’t any improvement in his coaching (which is very possible in my mind b/c I think they could’ve won 53 last season), then is that still good enough for a 3-5 year contract. I don’t see Woody signing a 2 year deal any time soon.
I MUS WRITE
September 1st, 2009
9:01 pm
TAP TAP TAP!!!! Is this thing on?…… Dam blog monster. Ariose put the coffe down playa!!! “Salim for threeeee” hahahahahah…. I recently put Dunkin Donuts in my rear view mirror- Mornings are horrible now
Who cares what JJ Tweets??? I sure the hell dont,unless its about Hoops Who really care if its him Tweetng???- There are hundreds of idiots hacking accounts and such…. Just as long as he doea’nt go Stephen Marbury on us-That dude is mentally challenged…He goes from cry’n in church to smoking haze on camera in a matter of weeks. Dam shame
Woddy wants more money Huh? Ahhhhhhhhm Yeah- im gonna hold my thoughts til December…
KevinA
September 1st, 2009
10:04 pm
Ramon,
if the teams win 55 games, but there still isn’t any improvement in his coaching (which is very possible in my mind b/c I think they could’ve won 53 last season), then is that still good enough for a 3-5 year contract. I don’t see Woody signing a 2 year deal any time soon.
At some point if a coach would win 50+ and have 4 seasons with increased wins, I don’t care how he did it. However Sund would have to consider between a 2 year contract and a 4 year contract considering all the factors.
Lets say Woody did his normal deal and played his best players for the most amount of minutes he thought they could take and won 55 games. Maybe some of us would have to rethink our complaints. I just hope he puts us in that position. lol Well maybe not.
Ramon
September 1st, 2009
10:47 pm
Kevin, what about 55 win season, and 1st round elimination from starters being tired. lol. I don’t think he’s that stupid, but its too funny.
Ariose
September 1st, 2009
11:01 pm
Iverson was just on NBA Gametime(NBA TV)….at the Hawks practice facility being interviewed by E.Snow. Nice lil interview….
I Mus, lol. No coffe for me sir, just high off life. A glass of OJ in the morning is all I need to kickstart my day!
As far as Joe is concerned. While hearing that stuff from him was suprising, it wasn’t shocking. I was more dissapointed in his poor judgemrnt and the fact that he did not take into account that Twitter is a public forum of sorts and everyone can read what he posts….I was mainly concerned with it from an image standpoint…..REMEBER this is the guy representig US, OUR franchice….walking around with OUR ticket money…..Then again, Josh is really the face of the franchice beleive it or not, Joe just has the title of/is top dog…
Like I said, bad PR move for Joe….bas judgement from our 28 year old superstar to air that out. It could have potentiall made our franchise look bad…..than goodness no one pays him any attention lol.
If Smoove had done the same thing, I think Hawks fans would’ve gone into a frenzy(I think smoove has better judgement than that BTW…I wonder what that says about JJ?).
Anyhoo…Go Hawks… Rah Rah….just counting down the days…I hope a Training Camp roster to comes out soon…
WAFFLE
Ariose
September 1st, 2009
11:03 pm
We will win 55 games easy. That was my prediction a month ago and im sticking with it. I can’t wait to sshove it in schuhmanns face when it happens too…..and anyone else who doubts us…
kwooden1
September 1st, 2009
11:08 pm
NEL just watched the Dominican Republic vs Argentina game on ESPN 360 replay. I didn’t realize Horford scored that well. Very good game, a lot guys can really shoot the ball for Argentina. Scola scored 30 that game, he was the best player on the court. Horford was clearly the most athletic and dominate player. The Dominican’s really didn’t get Horford the ball enough, I think they wanted to run their offense through Horford, but they just weren’t patient enough. Beside they have Garcia and Villanueva on the team to dribble and shoot every chance they get. For all those wondering, Horford is still mechanical in his movements but better. He showed a nice step back jumpshot in the post, from about 10 feet. That looked like a move he could use in the NBA. Check out the game if you get the chance, not a lot of high flyers, but good basketball.
GO HAWKS!!
MannyT
September 2nd, 2009
12:28 am
If the Hawks win the same amount of games, it is a better effort. The top 3 in the east have tried to get stronger and some of the bottom 11 have gotten better.
@KevinA — This link will help your smiley magic.
@Ariose, I’d say you are off the chain, but I think Niremetal would prefer that I say in Russia, the chain is now off YOU
…and for those who forgot or never saw it WAFFLE = Woody Arms Folded, Feeding Lower Expectations
@Ray & AJ, I don’t think the full roster versus Bibby’s salary is a cap question. It is a strategy one. My easy guess for last summer is that Sund was in Newbie don’t rock the boat mode. He went along to get along on minor issues like how full the seats were at the end of the bench. As long as he stayed within his budget, I dount it was a big deal. When people got released during the season, I would guess that there was not enough mutual interest to make a move. If there had been interest, someone would have met the midseason Turk….just like your boys Matt Freije & Ced Bozeman a few years ago.
@O’Brien–Not positive about the Rubio details, but I think he didn’t make much with old contract. Euro teams had different rules regarding getting him out of that deal than NBA teams. FC Barcelona put much more cash on the table for his old team than the Timberwolves could. Now Rubio makes much more money, too. In the short term I think everyone is happy but the T’wolves. In the long run, this could still work for him because his NBA salary is slotted. If he comes here Minnesota controls the situation.
@doc–Twitter is wide open, but you can choose to protect your tweets so that your stream is only available to people that you approve to tweet amongst. They can still spill your beans, but the general public cannot just look you up and read your stuff. What happens in Twitter can stay in Twitter if everyone involved keeps their feed zipped to the outside.
BWAF
big jack
September 2nd, 2009
6:45 am
The next big man for the hawks is Peter John Ramos 7′ 3″ 280 , check myface he has the up side we need and he’s only 24 years old.
JSS
September 2nd, 2009
7:26 am
Big Jack…
Has Ramos finally proven that he can stay healthy yet? I remember that being his issue during his Wizards and NBDL stints?
doc
September 2nd, 2009
7:26 am
manny t, ever had a loose zipper? not easy to overcome the draft from it.
twitter effect is kind of like loose lips among friends only magnified in that it is on electronic paper.
The Truth
September 2nd, 2009
7:58 am
It is beginning to make sense. Maybe this is the motivation behind signing Jason Collins. Will this be his claim to fame?
Hoops
September 2nd, 2009
8:05 am
The Truth,
Good find. Maybe Collins can help us!
vava
September 2nd, 2009
9:32 am
Today at FIBA Americas 2009 Puerto Rico vs Dominican Republic. Al Horford vs Peter John Ramos, in case you guys want to see if Peter John is really an option for the Hawks.
niremetal
September 2nd, 2009
10:23 am
MannyT,
It looks like we are gonna cut the Russian. But in Soviet Russia, Russians cut YOU!!!
Daniel
September 2nd, 2009
10:25 am
Seems that if Collins is signed then there really isn’t a need for Peter John.
Assuming that Collins is signed we would have 12 players under contract. Unless the Hawks can dump RandMo(wishful thinking here) we only have one spot left essentially.
You would have Hunter, West, Korolev, Siler? to choose from or as Sekou suggested a 3rd string pg.
Ramos just doesn’t make any sense once Collins is done.
Daniel
September 2nd, 2009
10:29 am
Ariose- excellent 11:01 post. I agree 100%. It is very interesting that a) if it were Josh making those tweets people would freak out b) that Josh seems to be more mature and savvy than that.
Just goes to show that immaturity on the court does not always translate to bad judgement in life, and vice versa.
vava74
September 2nd, 2009
10:39 am
Sautee,
Disagree/Agree:
I don’t think you watched the Miami series closely. After game 1, where we showed the true difference in value between the two ball clubs, there were constant bad calls going against us, and I mean CONSTANT and BLATANT calls against us.
Miami’s defense got away with elbows in the face and whatever they wanted to do (JJ never got to the line 1/3rd of the times he was fouled) and we, on the contrary, were called on every single minimal contact made to Wade and his muchachos.
I can tell you that there was a willing plan in execution to favor Miami and at least extend the series.
From your description, I am forced to agree that Woody botched the game (I did not watch the game), however, we were THERE competing to win on that game which is a testimony to good preparation.
I never said that Woody was the best coach in the league, however, he has done a much better job than his predecessors and that should be taken into account.
SVGundy managed to take the Magic to the finals but he made a complete ass of himself with decisions which would make you puke blood if you were a Magic fan, so, hold your horses and be patient.
Finally, the bottom line is that we are not in position to aspire to a championship.
Before that, we need to establish ourselves as a solid franchise, always contending to be in playoffs and aspiring to reach the conference finals. Baby steps!
The above also means that we all should be aware that this ball club will only reach the next level (conference finals) IF and WHEN Teague becomes the main man at the PG position.
If Teague proves to be what we all wish him to be, we will have a fantastic and solid veteran coming of the bench in Bibby making our PG position extremely solid.
If you add to this JJ – Crawford (if we renew with both at reasonable price), an improved Marvin, a hopefully mentally evolved J-Smoove (rebounding and defending primarily) and a mature Al, I believe that we will be EXTREMELY SOLID within 2 years.
Don’t forget that: the Celtics within 2 years will be all in the asylum. Lebron will be rebuilding somewhere, the Magic will learn that they have made a mistake and that Vince does not bring to the table what the Turk brought and that J-Nelson is not a balanced PG…
Who else in the East will be in a better position to aim at the conference finals and even the NBA finals???
Daniel
September 2nd, 2009
12:21 pm
vava- I could nit pick with some of your points, but you know what…
you are a good Hawks fan. I am going to ride with you on that last post.
only thing… Jameer Nelson is already a premier pg.
Go Hawks.
BTW- you live in Portugal right? How did you become a Hawks fan?
Sautee
September 2nd, 2009
12:44 pm
vava74,
I appreciate your cheerleading ways. Seriously. We always need that on a blog that is too often negative. However, I taped all the playoff games and have gone back and watched them repeatedly. I saw lots of bad calls on BOTH sides, and I’m as big a “homer” as one could name.
We played down the the level of the Heat except in Game 1 and quarters 2 and 3 of game 7. We failed to dictate the game to them except for Game 1.
I don’t know what SVG has to do with this, but I WILL say that Orlando looked a million times more prepared coming out of time-outs than we do. They had plays that actually worked (or in the case of Courtney’s blown layup, SHOULD have).
And SVG had the stones to call that play for his 5th option. I wish we had an iota of that kind of imagination.
When do you ever remember a great play coming out of a timeout for the Hawks?
I’m NOT saying let’s fire Woody. But if he doesn’t grow on the offensive side, we’re doomed to be in the middle of the pack. You CANNOT win a Championship with jump shots alone.
vava74
September 2nd, 2009
12:48 pm
Hi Daniel,
I started following the Hawks in the mid 80’s, long before cable and internet.
Actually long before we even had private TV in Portugal – we had only 2 public channels until 1993 – I started following the NBA through the spanish tv (I live fairly close to the border and we got on those days a special antenna and an amplifier to boost the UHF signal).
They also only had 2 channels back then, however, they had a weekly show on friday evenings with a game from that week) and if I am not wrong, they showed the all star games live and the finals taped (I remember watching a couple of the Celtics-Lakers finals).
One of the first games I watched was a Hawks’ game and I immediately became a huge Dominique fan and inherently, a Hawks fan for life.
Obviously Dominique’s performance in the slam dunk championships and in the 1988 all star game played a huge role as well.
I use to follow the Hawks results on the spanish tv’s teletext (I don’t know if you know what is this, but is was like an internet service of the “stone ages” which was (still is) available within the UHF signal).
Sometimes the reception was so bad that I had to wait for a full 10/15 minutes before the page loaded correctly with all the results and the standings.
I believe that I still have some taped games from the late 80’s period which I watched over and over!
Later, in the early 90’s I also started to buy the USA Today to get the box scores from the previous day and even ordered some VHS tapes from a german company which sold NBA games from the previous week.
It all seems so archaic now!!!
Then I went through a period of some lack of interest, but now I am back on the saddle!