That time of year
It's that time of year again for the Mike Woodson and his Hawks. Training camp is just weeks away and the coach and his team are in the crosshairs.
HAWKSVILLE - For those of us pro basketball loyalists, we always know when it’s time to readjust the schedule to get ready for the NBA season.
Labor Day is my reminder.
I know that in the days immediately following the holiday players will start trickling back into town and showing up for voluntary workouts (go ahead and get your jokes about my Wolverines out of the way now so we can move on to basketball matters) on the track and at the Hawks’ practice facility.
It’s as much as a part of my late summer/fall routine as watching football on the weekend. So I’ll be making my way downtown all week to see who shows up and what kind of work they’re doing in anticipation of the start of training camp, which believe it or not is just roughly three weeks away.
The prognosticators already have an idea of what things will look like once the season starts and how the Hawks will do, for example, our friends at HoopsHype have the Hawks pegged for a return to the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
I prefer to wait until I actually see someone on the move before offering up any sort of hypothesis about where this team might be headed. So while I was standing over my grill Sunday afternoon, basking in the glory of a decisive win for my team Saturday and enjoying the neighborly ambiance of the world’s greatest bedroom community (neighbors bring over steaming hot crawfish pies and ice cold Arnold Palmers when they see the first sign of grill smoke in Smyrna), the conversation turned to the Hawks.
Specifically, the Ridge Road crew wanted to know who has to have the biggest year for the Hawks to continue their climb up the conference ladder and back into the playoffs and perhaps beyond the second round?
It’s a question, I explained, best answered by those of us that spend far too much time worrying ourselves with these things on a daily basis (if you’re reading this, you know who you are). So before I ask for your take, please allow me to offer my five-point answer:
MIKE WOODSON - the Hawks’ sixth-year head coach has weathered every storm that’s come his way thus far, which is a testament to not only his team’s continual improvement but also his ability to compartmentalize during tough times and rally his troops. But this season will provide perhaps the harshest spotlight he’s faced during his tenure. In each of his five previous seasons few people – fans, pundits or anyone else outside of the city of Atlanta – viewed his team as a playoff player. All that has changed in the past 16 months. Woodson’s entering the final year of his deal, which always adds a little extra drama to the situation, with oversized expectations. The roster is 11-deep with proven NBA players (Randolph Morris is still waiting on the chance to prove himself), the deepest the Hawks have been since Woodson arrived. The bottom line, this team goes where Woodson leads them.
JOE JOHNSON - In the same situation as his coach, in terms of heading into the final year of his deal (until further notice, of course), the Hawks’ captain and All-Star faces an interesting dilemma this season. As his younger teammates have matured and the veteran cast been upgraded, Johnson will have to decide how much of the burden he is willing and able to shoulder this season. Physically, the extended minutes have taken a toll the past two seasons, when his playoff performances weren’t consistently up to his own lofty standards. Crazy as this might sound; if his numbers decreased across the board (especially his minutes) I could see him having a better season than any of his first four with the Hawks.
JAMAL CRAWFORD - Anytime you fleece a team the way the Hawks did when they snatched Crawford from the Golden State Warriors for Acie Law IV and Speedy Claxton, folks expect big things. And Crawford has to deliver, whatever his role ends up being. If he “leads the league in scoring off the bench” as one Hawks’ staffer joked to me in the hours after the deal went down, we’d have some story. But if he just maintains his nearly 20-point scoring average this season he’ll make that deal worth it. Any concerns about Crawford’s fit on this team have been assuaged by multiple in-house sources this summer that insist Crawford developed an instant chemistry with everyone within the organization that’s dealt with him. If the on-court chemistry comes as easily, this could wind up being one of the Hawks’ best personnel moves in years. If not …
RICK SUND - You’ll be hard pressed to find anyone that isn’t convinced that the Hawks’ GM has done a masterful job in his first 13 months on the job. He’s made all the right moves and steadied the organization through one of their best seasons in years. But the toughest challenge comes this season. Sund will have to gauge the Hawks’ progress by the February trade deadline and decide if this team, as presently constituted, provides the best chance for long-term success or not. If not, he’ll have to pull the trigger on the right deal to push the Hawks over top (sort of like his predecessor did two years ago when Billy Knight pulled the trigger on the Mike Bibby deal). Gone are the days when the Hawks’ GM could simply suspend the franchise in rebuilding mode or just maintain. The next step is moving upward and onward, and that almost always requires a deft personnel move one way or another.
JEFF TEAGUE/JOE SMITH/JASON COLLINS - These three guys represent everything the Hawks have needed in the form of depth at their two most crucial positions the past five years. Just a rookie, Teague’s ability to adapt to the NBA game and assume a position backing up Bibby is crucial. If his assimilation comes off without a hitch, and we honestly have no way of knowing how it will go, the need for that third point guard won’t be nearly as urgent as it might be otherwise. Smith and Collins are known commodities in the NBA. You get a versatile scorer and defender in Smith, a veteran frontcourt performer that’s always played much bigger than his listed size. In Collins, the Hawks have a 7-footer capable of lending quality minutes in a situational role, particularly on the defensive end. They have to be the support system, along with Zaza Pachulia, that Josh Smith and Al Horford have had to work without the past two years.
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532 comments Add your comment
Tony
September 7th, 2009
5:37 pm
I meant Joe and cavs would not have beat the pistons that year
KevinA
September 7th, 2009
5:49 pm
I would like to see Bibby play many of his minutes without JJ. Then we could see more of his PG skills. Teague/Crawford with JJ is what we want to see also.
swatguy
September 7th, 2009
5:53 pm
Undisputed Champ I here ya. But consider, Zaza is the only post game we have had. Sad as it is, it is the difference between Zaza and Collins. Also Zaza can run the court.
Anyone that thinks Josh is better than Al Jefferson has no idea of basketball talent. Josh does nothing better than Jefferson, Nothing.
I would tender Mo and the ‘10 number one for Battier and their number two. Sign Othello and a vet PG, send(a signed) Silar to the D-League and go to war.
Ariose
September 7th, 2009
5:57 pm
swatguy….FAIL…
niremetal
September 7th, 2009
6:03 pm
Someone has been spiking the Kool-Aid around here. Some people overvalue Josh and others undervalue him.
Josh can control the entire game on both ends. Joe CANNOT DO THAT. Nuff Said!!
Uh…no. Neither of them can “control the entire game on both ends.” As far as I know, no one in the NBA can do that and no one has been able to since Duncan’s legs started getting old. Josh changes the game’s dynamic on defense, and JJ changes the dynamic on offense. Teams gameplan against JJ on offense and players are afraid of Josh’s presence on defense.
As for Smoove-for-Jefferson, I’m with Sautee in one sense – the Wolves would laugh if we proposed that trade. No one on that team would be able to score if they lost Jefferson and, frankly, Jefferson is a better all around player. So the trade wouldn’t make sense for Minnesota.
But once again, the stats are misleading because they don’t capture the fact that Josh is a better defender than Jefferson. And I think Josh is a far better frontcourt mate for Horford than Jefferson would be. So the trade wouldn’t make sense for Atlanta either.
And Ariose:
I want examples from last season. The date the game was on and who we were facing.
Oh come on, dude. Not even I ask for that much specificity when it comes to a thing like that
. We both know it happens, just like we both know that JJ sometimes holds onto the ball too much and Flip sometimes took a bad shot without even looking at his teammates 
.
Josh needs to play within his limits more. He needs to focus on crashing the boards and scaring the crap out of opposing players when he’s on D. He’ll never be a 25ppg guy and he’ll never be a point forward, but there’s no reason he can’t average 11 boards a game. For a long time, the biggest “skills” that I think he needs to improve are 1) his on-ball post defense; 2) his free throw shooting; and 3) his on-ball post defense. If he can do those things and commit himself to crashing the boards on both ends, you’ll never hear me utter the words “Josh for Biedrins” again.
niremetal
September 7th, 2009
6:04 pm
3) should have been his on-ball perimeter D. Although frankly, improving his on-ball post D is worth mentioning twice.
Sautee
September 7th, 2009
6:11 pm
undisputed champ,
About this: “There is not much difference in Collins and ZaZa except the price tag.”
Maybe not to YOU, but to the stats, there’s a difference. Ray already pointed this out to you but somehow it didn’t sink in. Here you go:
In the year when Jason Collins got the most minutes (04-05) he averaged 6.4 points and 6.1 rebounds in 31.8 minutes.
In the year Zaza got the most minutes (05-06) he averaged 11.7 points and 6.9 rebounds in 31.4 minutes.
SO, it seems that Zaza, even with a 3 inch vertical leap, outrebounded the seven footer. And scored more as well.
Career averages:
Collins 23.4 minutes, 4.2 points, 4.3 rebounds in 8 seasons
Zaza 21.2 minutes, 7.7 points, 5.6 rebounds in 6 seasons
So, to you, there’s not much difference, eh?
Zaza is also 5 and a half years YOUNGER than Collins, so he’s just entering the middle phase of his career while Collins is going out soon.
And, once again, didn’t Woody say he wanted Zaza back?
niremetal
September 7th, 2009
6:19 pm
Sautee,
Good points on Zaza. Of course, as to the rebounding stats, I think Zaza’s rebounding numbers would have been significantly lower if he were playing alongside high-rebounding perimeter players like Kidd, Jefferson, and Vince.
Samuel
September 7th, 2009
6:21 pm
Isn’t Ariose and Salim Fan the same person? Nuff Said.
Dude, Al Jefferson is one of the Best “Low Post” scorers in the league. That would give us a true low post threat. right now, we don’t have one.
Again, I like Josh and I think he “CAN” be an AllStar Caliber player if he “Gets his head out of his AS_” and listens to people. Until he does that he will always have “POTENTIAL” but won’t reach it.
Al Jefferson recognizes where his strengths are, on the block. he gets there and is unstoppable. That’s the difference.
Hawksgirl
September 7th, 2009
6:25 pm
JJ is more impressive than most people think tony. He is underrated and he is talented, im a long time hawksfan just like you but some of the teams you mentioned just arent even comparible. They are different in many ways and had invisible and visible problems then and now so you dont know what could have happened. He changed the hawks for the better then got a supporting cast(finally), he and smoove are the face of the franchise. Ask any hawksfan who the faces of the franchise are and i bet the majority will say jj’s name in a sentence of others.(If you ask me the face(s) of the franchise are the starting five)
As far as smoove being able to handle the court, we both know that wont happen. Smoove is a beast but he turns the ball over and even nearly costs us a game a couple of times. I try not to rag on him but he needs to strengthen his game. The hawks have won many games because of jj and it still amazes me that he gets no credit. Now in the last two years he has had help but we all know he carried the hawks when he got here and was not leader material but now he is letting the younger guys step up. Cant rag on him just because he doesnt have a good game.
Ariose
September 7th, 2009
6:29 pm
Once again somebody calls my bluff lol
Seriously though Nire, I agree that Josh needs to play within himself A Lot more, but I think some on here are overreacting as far as his “Transition Turnovers” are concerned. He may hae turned it over a lot in past seasons but in 08-09 it didn’t happen too often. He lost the ball WAY MORE in the post, im certain of it. But the Josh to JJ connection is money lol…
Question, Would Jefferson average that much with a contender? I wonder…..Can’t test that NOW of course because he’ll be at the bottom of the leauge with the Wolves for a few years to come lol.
1) his on-ball post defense; 2) his free throw shooting; and 3) should have been his on-ball perimeter D. Although frankly, improving his on-ball post D is worth mentioning twice. If he can do those things and commit himself to crashing the boards on both ends, you’ll never hear me utter the words “Josh for Biedrins” again.
Hahaha, I agree….I did a little eiddting for ya heh.
Mitun
September 7th, 2009
6:34 pm
I will say that its Mike Woodson that need to step up cause his contract is up at the end of the season which means its make it or brake it time for Woody.
Ariose
September 7th, 2009
6:35 pm
Samuel, Obviously you didn’t bother to read through all of my posts in response to people like you supporting Al Jeferson. I AGREED with ALL OF THAT, BUT swapping Jefferson for Josh Smith does not make much sense for the Atlanta Hawks, nor does it make us a better Basketball team. Think, Toronto of last seaon with Jermaine O’neal and Chrish Bosh. That’s what would happen to us if we made that deal(of course no T.J Ford or Carlos Deffino played a part in the raptors demise as well). I have also listed other examples of why it would not be a good trade for us in my previous post if you want to check those out.
Sautee
September 7th, 2009
6:39 pm
O’brien,
You said this: “Josh needs to give up the ball on the break. Give it to JJ or Bibby, and let them decide what to do. Too many times, the Hawks end up with a bad shot because Josh was leading the break, and he ends up making a pass that somebody wasn’t ready for, or he makes the wrong read.”
Now I won’t ask you to provide examples,
but I WILL ask this:
Last year Josh averaged 2.33 turnovers per game. He ALSO averaged 2.4 assists. If it was “too many times” that he made the wrong read or made a pass that a teammate wasn’t ready for, then how did he end up with more assists than turnovers?
And if he only made 2.33 TO’s a game (which is still too many) and OBVIOUSLY some of them were in the half court sets, then just how many times are we talking about where he failed to give it up and then turned it over?
Is it a bad habit? Yes. And we remember these times because they frustrate us. But the reality is, that is just didn’t happen that often.
And it all comes from his burning desire to “make something happen” and we need MORE of that on offense, not less. Most of Josh’s problem regarding this stems from Woody insisting on walking it up the court.
By the way, I’ll say right now that in my view, I remember MANY MORE times that Josh ran a one-man break and scored than I do TO’s in that situation.
Don’t you remember those times?
Ariose
September 7th, 2009
6:40 pm
Samuel, Myself and Nire have already mentioned Jeffersons defencies on the defensive end as well. Josh Smith of cousrse has some work to do in that area as well, but not nearly as much as jefferson….and with his knees consistanly giving him trouble over the last few seasons, I doubt that he will be able to maximxe his defensive potential anytime in the near future.
rainman
September 7th, 2009
6:54 pm
Nobody seems to talk much about Horford except to say that he is better suited for PF. Whether thats true or not is irrelevant – at least for this season, so the discussion should be about how he can improve as our starting center.
Ariose
September 7th, 2009
6:55 pm
Sautee, EXACTLY. I’ll also add that we are a team best suited for the fastbreak. Josh is just doing what Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby fail to do a lot, which is to initiate a fastbreak. They too often pull it out and would rather dribble, dribble, dribble, pound, pound, pound in the Halfcourt and pass it to Josh for the bailout three than play to our strength which is running the basketball. Although I hated hearing it from Kenny and Charles on TNT during the playoffs, they were right. Our offense just plain sucked. Jon Barry(Bless his heart
) even grew a pair and said that the Hawks woudn’t win a game in the second round plaing that same type of offense(which then promted a Woody Jon.B showdown through the media)
I can’t blame Josh for wanting to make something…ANYTHING happen when our horrid half-cort offense suptters and has our team stuck in a scoring rut. He’s just tring to make up wherever the team is lacking. It’s his playing style if you haven’t noticed. He’s an enigma….he fills up the STAT sheet everyewere; A Fantasy Basketball competiotrs dream…
WAFFLE Man needs to step it up and call better plays so that Josh Smith won’t go off on a tangent and create his own.
Ariose
September 7th, 2009
6:59 pm
rainman, Horfords offense DEFENETLY needs to continue to grow. Defensively, he was already a man when he entred the leauge…..Woody couldn’t tell him anything really. He’s so solid on that end. He’s even taking a page out of Smooves book and is blocking shots now.
He’s just so fundamentally sound, that even if he’s not doing much Offensively, you really can’t be mad at him or pick apart his game. He just does everything the right way. Larry Brown would love to coach him i’m sure.
Ariose
September 7th, 2009
7:00 pm
If he’s going to continue to play center then he defenetly needs to get bigger, as long as it doesn’t effect his mobility Offensivly and defensively…
Sautee
September 7th, 2009
7:00 pm
nire,
Good point.
Samuel
September 7th, 2009
7:15 pm
Josh is a tweener playing the 4. he can’t shoot and really can’t guard big 4’s. jefferson is a 4 who can 5. He’s not the best defender in the league but can at least body up on 4s and 5s and averaged 11 rebounds a game.
I agree somewhat in that he has had some injury problems but most big men in the league have. Al needs help on the blocks and Josh can’t really give it to him and evidently doesn’t want to be down there.
Actually, I look for the TWolves to improve greatly this year. they may be a year or two out but it won’t be long. I am expecting Houston and possibly Utah to fall out of the playoffs. PHX will also continue on the decline.
Also, all this talk about Cris Paul. NO is also in danger of falling fast. They got exposed last year in the playoffs. I think the “sexiness” is wearing off somewhat with CP3. He’s looking more and more like a darker version of Steve Nash.
I think GS will take the 7th or 8th spot this year with the other guys battling it out with UTAH for the remaining playoff spot.
My Western Conference Power rankings:
1.LA
2.San Antonio
3.Denver
4.Portland
5.Dallas
6.New Orleans
7.Golden State
8.OKC
9.Utah
10.Houston
11.Phoenix
12.TWolves
13.Memphis
14.La Clippers
15.SAC
richbrave
September 7th, 2009
7:48 pm
TONY:
Ah, yes. MARVIN is like a fine wine. Better with age.
KevinA
September 7th, 2009
8:08 pm
It is interesting that Josh/Marvin is still taking the heat while JJ and Bibby skate the critics. Would our rebounding be helped if we were not jacking up so many jumpers? Give the offense to Josh/Al/ ZaZa/Marvin and see how the numbers change. Will that happen? With JJ in contract year and Bibby wanting to show his importance and Crawford shooting fast and furious , there are many more options for Woody to consider.
Can Woody coach his way to another contract, I don’t know. Our wins could be 40-55 depending on how he can handle the on court situations.
terrell barron
September 7th, 2009
8:12 pm
Come on fellas, it’s Smoove, not Smooth.
real#1hawksfan
September 7th, 2009
8:17 pm
Ken Strickland actually compared Acie Law IV (let that marinate) to Chris Paul. A player’s skills overcome coaches perception on any team. With Paul we are elite right now, with Bibby and Marvin………..4 seed.
sleepy
September 7th, 2009
8:25 pm
Im not worried about Crawfords scoring he will get his 19 ppg . I think what we need for him is to really maintain those nearly 5 assists per game as well as continue to get to the line . Those two things are what we really need for him to compliment Joe.
Bertie
September 7th, 2009
8:26 pm
Need the 3rd PG as insurance to the rookie. Sign Carlos Arroyo to a 1 yr deal for the veteran’s minimum.
real#1hawksfan
September 7th, 2009
8:29 pm
Arroyo’s probably gonna end up getting more than the minimum if he comes back to the NBA.
"Charles", The Original
September 7th, 2009
8:36 pm
Enter your comments here
KevinA
September 7th, 2009
8:47 pm
sleepy,
Crawfords numbers are compiled at a 35 min a game production. Knock off 10-15 game time production min and you don’t get the assists at the same rate either. Why is this so hard to figure?
I MUS WRITE
September 7th, 2009
8:50 pm
Yeah …..What Flash and KevinA said…. Sekou- Notre Dame is gonna give yall the bussiness next saturday.
I wouldnt trade Smoove for Jefferson – All tho Jefferson is light years better than Josh in post offense Josh just gives u more of an all around game,Blocks,Steals,Assists. Jefferson is basicly Al horford with more offense and less Defense.Besides who knows how his knee will hold up.
We need to pick up Carney for our bench and possibly Siler -Unless mario has developed dell curry type range I would move on and keep an open spot jus incase Teague cant handle the bright lights.
Where the hell is Clyde i thought he’d be here waving his pom poms by now LOL…. Really tho Bama has a nasty defense this year i think they will do big things.
O Randolph Morris is a jug of spoiled milk
” ” is a pot of spoiled cabage
” ” is a diaper full of pea green baby pooH
” ” is a bag of my 2 day old work out clothes from the gym
Just plain ol putrid is what im say’n….Good Day
KevinA
September 7th, 2009
8:54 pm
Ariose
September 7th, 2009
6:59 pm
yes, yep. You are right. The Hawks have to think front court first. Either Josh, Al, Marvin and ZaZa can handle it – or not. By all star break we will know who needs to go or what direction we will go in. The front court needs their opporntunity to make their imprint on the game. If the back court gets in the way, Woody will have to answer.
"Charles", The Original
September 7th, 2009
8:59 pm
At long last, the Atlanta Hawks have the pieces in place to seriously contend for an NBA championship. The acquisition of Jason Collins, Joe Smith, Jamal Crawford, and Jeff Teague places the onus of winning an NBA championship squarely upon the shoulders of Coach Mike Woodson.
Let the NBA teams and their fans be forewarned. The Atlanta Hawks and our fans aren’t hoping for miracles during the NBA season, we expect them.
Come on Coach Woodson. Show us what you’ve got.
Samuel
September 7th, 2009
9:20 pm
Actually,Jefferson had 1.7 to Josh’s 1.6 blocks per game last year.
Sautee
September 7th, 2009
9:23 pm
I.M.U.S.,
As my daughter would say……..euwwwwwww!
Samuel
September 7th, 2009
9:23 pm
Jefferson 1.7 blocks per game, Al Horford 1.4 blocks per game.
niremetal
September 7th, 2009
9:27 pm
Yes. And we all know, of course, that blocking shots is the end-all and be-all of post defense. Just ask Clyde.
O'Brien
September 7th, 2009
9:28 pm
Sautee,
I think some of Josh’ assists came from when he is in the low post.
I’m not saying he turns the ball over too much when he leads the break. But there were times when it became a bad possession, because by the time he passed it, we end up taking a bad shot, or taking a rushed shot.
For the Hawks to take the next step, Woody needs to improve his offense, we need to stay healthy, but we also need to play smart. A lot of games come down to one possession, especially against the top teams. So we need to maximize every possession.
Samuel
September 7th, 2009
9:49 pm
O’brien,
I’ll say it. he turns the ball over too much when he leads the break.
I definitely don’t believe that blocked shots or steals are the end all of playing defense. I believe that most of the defensive work comes before the offensive player catches the ball.
In Josh’s case, blocks are his bread and butter. he not only blocks shots but alters shots and causes the other players to become “gun shy” when he’s on his game. Josh’s problem is that he gets out-muscled by 4 and can’t really stay with quick 3’s. Same with Horford. he gets out-muscled by 5s and we have no body else to guard 5s.
You’re telling me this line up wouldn’t work.
C-Jefferson
PF-Horford
SF-Marvin
SG-JJ
PG-Bibby
thehawkeye
September 7th, 2009
9:53 pm
the hawks are not as good as orlando, boston, or cleveland but i think we can get the 4th spot and make it 2 the second round and maybe win 2 or 3 games from one of the big 3 but i dont think we can beat any of the big 3 they are too deep and too talented but we can improve as a young team…
bigdave
September 7th, 2009
10:21 pm
because i think the Hawks biggest task should be to aim for the reciprocal of last years ROAD record… how about 25-16… i have to place Coach in that #1 spot… we do that and we’re in great shape… 3rd seed
Samuel agreed…. after i read Sekou’s entry earlier i thought Josh Smith should have headlined or been a close 2nd to Woody… Joe included; 3 major players to our progression this season…
Undisputed Champ
September 7th, 2009
10:34 pm
swatguy
September 7th, 2009
5:53 pm
Collins 23.4 minutes, 4.2 points, 4.3 rebounds in 8 seasons
Zaza 21.2 minutes, 7.7 points, 5.6 rebounds in 6 seasons
let me see 23.4min – 21.2min = 2.2 minutes…
So, to you, there’s not much difference, eh?
let me see 7.7ppga – 4.4ppga = 3.3
there’s not much difference, eh?
5.6 rbpg – 4.3 rbpg = 1.3
there’s not much difference, eh?
Zaza 6million per year – collins 500,000 = 5.5million.
there’s not much difference, eh?
swatguy sometimes I wonder what game people are watching. Like you, Im watching the Pro Hawks game. So for 5.5 million more all I get is 2.2 minutes more per game, 3.3 points and 1.3 rebounds. Im glad they are spending my money. Must have got some stimulus money from some where.
I agree with you again. Hes all the center weve had. The sad part is he was brought here to start after Willis “farewell” tour. He had decent (not good but decent) numbers in 05-06 when he was a starter. Instead of getting better and taking his game up higher hes become a statisfied bench warmer. By now he should be one of the dominant and progressive centers in the NBA.
I do want to added that I think we have improved slightly in the low post because we were so lacking that the addition of collins and joe smith cant hurt. We should be able to defend the post against the AVERAGE team. 5′10″ TONY PARKER shouldnt torch us for 50 by penetrating the post. We still dont have what it takes to get to the higher levels but I like the team and who knows what the future may bring. We are a center away from competing. I think Bynum is going to get better just like I had hoped for the 3 in vertical leaping 49% shooting Z. Either way I think your analysis is pretty accurate. You must be watching High def!
Sautee
September 7th, 2009
6:11 pm
Have you ever seen a dog chasing his tale?…just something to think about
Undisputed Champ
September 7th, 2009
10:36 pm
Im glad they are not spending my money
Undisputed Champ
September 7th, 2009
10:56 pm
real#1hawksfan
September 7th, 2009
8:17 pm
I must admit thats a tough pill to swallow. Acie law compared to Chris Paul. I somehow wish there was blog policing done here and anyone caught abusing comparisons should be ticketed!
Sautee
September 7th, 2009
6:11 pm
ever see a dog chasing his tail?
thehawkeye
September 7th, 2009
9:53 pm
I agree that boston is deep, however what made cleveland and orlando good was the two superstars. We are just as deep as last years orlando or cleveland minus the superstar. Boston is deep with or without KG. Give us a Quality center and we can compete and beat either one of those teams. The hawks did get better. Just not enough to close the gap to the point of us thinking about rings and a parade.
Undisputed Champ
September 7th, 2009
11:02 pm
Check that thats 2.2 minutes less per game.
Ken Strickland
September 7th, 2009
11:03 pm
REAL#1HAWKSFAN-in case you haven’t noticed, no one has responded to your lame A$$ attempt to misrepresent my comments because everyone saw it for what it was, A LAME A$$ ATTEMPT. Remember, READING COMPREHENSION IS FUNDAMENTAL.
Corey
September 7th, 2009
11:17 pm
If u trade Josh Smith to the Suns for Amare then we can be a contender for the east
Big Ray
September 7th, 2009
11:58 pm
Samuel ,
Gotta agree with a lot of what you say. And your first post (the one with the 4 or 5 points) was pretty damn good.
I hate to get into the Jefferson vs. Smith thing. Clearly Jefferson is a big, strong, heavy 4 who can play the 5. I can only imagine him in our lineup next to Horford. Even Dwight Howard doesn’t want to see that coming. Josh does have a much better defensive impact than Jefferson does when his head is in the game. Jefferson is clearly a superior scorer/rebounder. I think Minny would laugh us all the way back to the Eastern Seaboard if we tried that trade with them.
Bottom line on Josh: I agree, if he plays within his strengths (and develops a midrange game, rather than a 3 point shot), he can and most likely will be an all-star. If not, we need to ship him, as he will become our main fatal flaw.
Bottom line on Minnesota: They’re going to be Portland’s nemesis as the balance of power shifts in the West in a few years. Billups will be gone from elite status. Kobe and Duncan can’t do what they do forever. Carmelo Anthony will be the new elder statesman. And Johnny Flynn will make Minnesota fans forget all about that silly little boy named Rubio. Flynn, Jefferson, Love, Brewer….give it a few years. And on a beach with white sands somewhere, in the not-so-distant future, Garnett will be sipping on a Long Island Tea and saying, “how come they couldn’t put a squad like that together when I was there? Damn Kevin McHale…”
The Flash
September 8th, 2009
12:24 am
Samuel, maybe we’re saying the same thing, at least it’s close. Where I think I differ a little from you is that I think that Joe everytime thinks that he needs to threaten to score the ball, which often means, unless it’s a quick catch and shoot, that he holds it long enough to explore the possibilities, and yes, he will draw the double team, and yes, there is nothing wrong with that.
I’d like to see him treat the ball and the offense as not depending on that first option for him as often as he does. I think that the game will come easier including to him. Some people do not see, feel the game that way, knowing when there is enough disadvantage going on on the defense to give it up quickly and let people read and find the truly advantageous play. When that is happening, the energy is super.
Your observation about the fewer minutes thing is pretty inciteful. Risk/reward. If he is fresher and sharper when he is in, and this team improves its ability to close out each night because of the use of more bodies effectively, can only help JJ, at least one would hope.
While they play different positions, I’m thinking Billips here. For a point, he does not occupy the ball but rather can sense those times where giving it up easy and others doing the same will expose more and more the potential for disorganization on defense for an easy one. Other times, he knows that it is on him to at lest try to create for himself or pass out of the double.
We both see something in JJ that is slow to let go of it, as if he is looking to see too much. We’d have played well together I think. In the next life, my man. Always a pleasure.
Ariose
September 8th, 2009
12:25 am
Oh LORRD not you too ray!! Arrggh!!
Ray, Of COURSE Dwight wouldn’t see that coming. He’d be too busy running the break while jefferson is busy trying to catch his breath lol. I know you watched ORL in the playoffs. Cleveland got burnt b/c none of their bighs could keep up with Howard, and the LA bigs had to sprint back early and often in order to contain him. How does jefferson help our pick n’ roll game? I serioulsy doubt he could wrestle away 11 Rebounds from Horford on a nightly baisis. If he ever plays on a talented/contending team, those stats will fall.
I firmly beleive that we would lose a lot more games with Jefferson here as opposed to Josh Smith. Jefferson needs to be FED the rock. How often do JJ and Bibby feed anyone not on the peremeter? Thats why Josh does his own thing when out offense stalls. B/c he’s hungry and nobodys feeding him.
I’m just gonna say it since no one else will
Siler >>> Jefferson o_0
Thats right, bring it on
Sund would Laugh at Minny is they offered Jefferson for Smoove….deep down you all know that trade would spell disaster(isiah Rider style) for the Hawks. we’d be back to the good ol’ days of doomandgloom in no time…
I Mus, I agree. Bring on Carney PLEEASE RICK!!! What? He can’t hear me? Oh….