Come see for yourself
You can catch Al Horford on Twitter anytime and at the Hawks' free public practice Saturday at Philips Arena.
HAWKSVILLE – For you Hawks fans fortunate enough to call the 13th colony home, Saturday is your day.
“Your” team is holding an open practice (free to the public) at Philips Arena from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. that will allow you to see for yourself all the things you’ve read and chatted about around here lately.
If you want to see just how unbelievably humongous rookie behemoth Garret Siler is, this is your chance.
Maybe you’ve always wondered what that tattoo on Josh Smith’s left forearm said, well this might be your chance to find out.
If you want to see if Joe Johnson uses the perfect form on his jumper, you can see it for free Saturday morning on the main floor.
Or maybe you just want to size up guys like Randolph Morris and Joe Smith to see if they have the bulk needed to help improve the Hawks’ frontcourt depth. Do it Saturday.
If Mike Woodson is the object of your affection (or something else, ha), now is your time to see him for yourself. Tell him all the stuff you write about him here, if you feel the urge (watch this team work in person and you might get a different feel for them and for the coach, or not).
ONE LAST TIME, Saturday, Oct. 10, from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. the Hawks will take the floor at Philips for a practice that is open to the public and free for any and all that wish to attend.
I guarantee you it will make our debates around here more spirited, at least for next few days. Because once you see this stuff for yourself, you won’t have to just take my word(s) for what transpired. You’ll have seen it with your own eyes and come to your own informed opinion about what is what.
ANOTHER TWITTER UPDATE
There’s another new Hawks’ neighbor on Twitter these days. Al Horford has officially joined the 140-character revolution and can be found on the network with a swift click. The Big Gator is witty and is sure to keep you informed on all things Hawks from an insider’s perspective. I see him daily but I’m still reading his tweets every chance I get just to see what I might have missed.
BREAKFAST WITH THE HAWKS?
From our friends at Truehoop we have breakfast with the Hawks, a nekit-chested Josh Smith in particular.
There goes lunch!
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240 comments Add your comment
niremetal
October 11th, 2009
8:35 pm
Melvin,
I certainly wouldn’t call Aldridge “physical. He is definitely more of a finesse player. But I will say that he was a lot less contact-averse last season than he was previously.
Mz. Hawkdafied
October 11th, 2009
8:42 pm
Melvin I agree! Othello has presented a strong case.
Our Hawks need to get over that road block before they’ll get to being champs. Gotta win on the road.
cp
October 11th, 2009
8:43 pm
They lost. Too many turnovers and it sounded like they missed a lot of easy shots. Good games by Marvin, Hunter, and Teague.
Mz. Hawkdafied
October 11th, 2009
8:49 pm
I agree cp. Tonight definitely belonged to Marvin, Othello and Teague. Go to nba.com and see the Marvin throwdown. It kinda reminded me of the one that J Smoove did on Wednesday.
The Truth
October 11th, 2009
8:56 pm
I didn’t see the game, but Al Horford numbers are standing out:
min=21:49, FG=1-7, Reb=7, Pts=2, no free-throws
ufø
October 11th, 2009
9:46 pm
1. Celtics
2. Cavs
3. Orlando
4. Detroit or Hawks
Melvin
October 11th, 2009
9:59 pm
Highlight from tonite game against Detroit….
http://www.nba.com/video/games/pistons/2009/10/11/0010900043_atl_det_recap.nba/index.html
ufø
October 11th, 2009
11:00 pm
Detroit is going to be good.
Najeh Davenpoop
October 11th, 2009
11:13 pm
Preseason don’t mean sh*t. The only thing I take away from this game’s box score is that Teague had an 8/1 assist/turnover ratio, which is very good.
Big Ray
October 12th, 2009
2:51 am
UFO,
Detroit is going to be good on the nights that their backcourt can overwhelm the opponents backcourt, and the frontcourt manages to hold serve. Beyond that? I ain’t so sure.
VaVa74,
You’re right. Talking on the blog shouldn’t be mixed up with two people (or more, since this is a crowd) having a conversation….. in person ….other than that, this is a whole slew of conversations…
The Truth,
I ain’t worried about Horford having those numbers. No more than I am worried about Bibby’s numbers for that game. As I recall, he didn’t hit a single shot….
Co-sign Najeh Davenpoop ….
Big Ray
October 12th, 2009
2:58 am
Melvin ,
Thanks for posting that link.
I liked seeing Marvin catch the alley-oop for the dunk. I could almost swear that’s the first one I’ve seen the guys throw him…
Rodney Stuckey looks good.
Teague is fast . Just had to say it again.
Samuel
October 12th, 2009
6:10 am
ufo,
The fantasy league is at Yahoo Sports and yes it’s free.
90 posts in 14 days. Nuff said.
Stats do mean something i’m afraid. Bruce Bowen just happened to be in the right situation at the right time. He did what he did because he was surrounded by 2 Hall of Fame players and a terrific coach. He probably does not even make many other teams in the NBA. Jarred Collins was a waste of money and hopefully Joe Smith isn’t also. I’d much rather have Frye.
I’m not concerned with wins and losses in the preseason. I am concerned with Al’s inconsistent scoring. We really are really gonna need him to average close to 15ppg this year. What’s with all these freekin injuries. The season hasn’t even started yet and guys are out already.
Clyde, gotta hand it to Bama. They look good. Snead is really looking over rated though. I would have benched his As_ Saturday. The 2nd string guy couldn’t have played any worse. Yall got a hot Vols team this week. I’m pulling for yall. I hate Florida. I would love to see a Bama /Va Tech rematch for the national Championship.
KevinA
October 12th, 2009
7:02 am
For those fellers working to get a job Hunter seems to be the man so far.
Double Take
October 12th, 2009
7:51 am
niremetal – “I’m sorry, I can’t help but laugh at the idea that there’s a single capital of black America. I think Chicago, New York, and LA all might have something to say about that”
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
I know what you mean in a way, and Chicago…. reasonable…NYC…. reasonable….
but I’m pretty sure L.A. couldnt be considered a black capital of anything. We’re talking a bout a city only 9.9% black……..lower than not only hispanics and whites..but ASIANs too.
But when it comes down to combining the percentage of successful blacks and percentage of total blacks in a metro area.
Atlanta and the DC/MD/Northern VA metro have to be the top 2.
You can throw in Houston, Dallas, Chicago, NY and a number of other places before L.A. comes to mind.
BallHawk
October 12th, 2009
8:39 am
Nire said: “In any case, LeBron’s stated goal is to be the world’s first billionaire athlete.”
Someone should break the news to LeBron that TIGER has been there and done that.
The Truth
October 12th, 2009
8:58 am
Ray
Yeah a pre-game snapshot nothing more, nothing less; but if the half-fulls can be noted why not the half-empties? We better get used to hearing and seeing occasional unfavorable performances by our Hawk players as this will be a long season of highs and lows. But you know me Ray; I’ll call as I see it, the good, bad, and the ugly. Since I didn’t see anything of this game, there is really nothing to call here. When I really call something you’ll know it. My brief comment was just an indication that I will be watching AL closer this year. Since this is his third year, I have a higher expectation of him as I expect him to have a breakout year.
niremetal
October 12th, 2009
9:19 am
Heh…hadn’t known that about Tiger, though some of the links make it look like LeBron said that back in 2006, which is before Tiger passed the billion dollar mark in earnings. In fairness to LeBron, it doesn’t seem that Tiger has a billion in net earnings, just in gross earnings, so if LeBron tones down the entourage and lives on the cheap, maybe he can still get some claim to the title…
Daniel
October 12th, 2009
9:22 am
Ok- two preseason games and an open practice. Where are people at with who makes this roster? You only get one spot to fill.
I am sticking with Hunter, because he fills a need(somewhat), but I wouldn’t rule out Mario.
But, to stick with my own rules…
I say Hunter.
Mz. Hawkdafied
October 12th, 2009
10:10 am
Next preseason game is against the Bobcats. Can’t wait to see Charlotte’s new uniforms up close. I think they’re fly. Seeing their new jerseys makes me impatient to see the Hawks 3rd uniforms on Oct. 25th. The grapevine says they’re gonna be red.
Keep it Hawks!
Mz. Hawkdafied
October 12th, 2009
10:16 am
Daniel, I’m torn between Mario and Othello too. I wish both could make the squad because they each bring something different to the squad. Mario is more of a defensive player in contrast Othello is more of an offensive player. It’s all gonna boil down to which player the Hawks feel will round out the roster the most. My guess is they’re going to go with Othello but then again Mario did become a fan favorite at the end of last season. Go figure!
Keep it Hawks!
Melvin
October 12th, 2009
10:38 am
Fellas, I know its the preseason but I’m a little concern that we have no dept at SF. If Marvin or Mo get injuried, currently we have no one on the roster capable of backing them up and quite frankly, I prefer Mo coming off the bench and not having to play JJ at SF for extended mins either. With that in mind, I understand that JJ at the 3 and Crawford at the 2 may be a good option for Hawks to use but I would like a little more flexibility to have in case of injury.
Daniel
October 12th, 2009
10:45 am
Melvin- your point is exactly why I think the Hawks will go with Hunter over Mario.
Melvin
October 12th, 2009
11:09 am
Daniel,
You may be right but Hunter may not be more of SF than Mario is. Neither fis the billed for me…. Stackhouse anyone????
kwooden1
October 12th, 2009
11:51 am
Haven’t seen the games, just some highlights, but followed a good part of last nights game on ESPN.com. I like the fact that the starters aren’t playing a lot of minutes and that Marvin was very aggressive on offensive. Teague looks like a guy that’s getting the support he needs to be successful and is starting to cash in. I liked hearing that Hunter is getting the ball and scoring points. He’s a guy that can probably contribute this year, especially if someone its injuried. From what I heard I didn’t like the defensive on Stuckey from anyone except JJ. (again I didn’t see the game) Along with the fact that Horford wasn’t making jumpshots. The things I take from the game are that Teague has the tools and with a little more confidence he will contribute this year. Hunter earned himself a spot on the team.
GO HAWKS!!
kwooden1
October 12th, 2009
11:57 am
Tonight, I hope we see the entire 2nd squad playing around 20mins together. I believe that the last game Woody wanted to see what West and Othello could do, along with getting Teague going. Hopefully we can see a lot of Crawford and Smith tonight, with Teague on the floor. We all know what Collins brings to the table, so I would like to see more Morris/Siler/Sims tonight also.
The Truth
October 12th, 2009
12:07 pm
Because of his injury, Crawford will be held out unit Wednesday. Don’t expect him to play tonight.
Hoops
October 12th, 2009
12:13 pm
Daniel & Melvin,
There is a depth concern @ SF. I’ll agree that Hunter would probably be the logical choice, but I’m still holding out for Stackhouse! Stackhouse would bring a whole different outlook to this team!
kwooden1
October 12th, 2009
12:13 pm
Yea, just read that Truth, must have missed a few articles. That being the case, I wouldn’t mind just seeing the same guys as last night but a little more Morris/Sims/Siler. The fact that Morris is under contract really makes it tough for Siler and Sims to make the team. It helps those guys that West is going to cost a lot but everyone on the team likes what West brings. I’m thinking that West and Hunter make the team again and everyone else is out. The HAWKS went out and got a big body with Collins and they already had Morris on the roster. Morris is the experiment right now and they are probably not going to add another.
Mike N.
October 12th, 2009
12:19 pm
Thanks for the update on last nights game guys. I agree with Najeh…The only thing that I liked was Teague’s 8 assists. We need him to show he can be a PG and distribute the ball. That is a good sign
Ken Strickland
October 12th, 2009
12:29 pm
MELVIN-the SF issue isn’t as big as you might think. Joe Smith and JJ can play the SF position by committee. Since we play a switching DEF in order to mask Bibby’s NO D, it doesn’t matter much who plays what position on DEF. Joe Smith’s experience, outside shooting ability and postup skills will make him effective at the position, but he’ll never be a longterm solution. JCrawford would allow us to move JJ to SF periodically without losing any of his backcourt production.
I see Joe Smith as a more viable SF option than OHunter. I also don’t see Siler making the cut over RMorris or JCollins. Having Zaza, Collins and Morris, along with starter AHorford, makes us very deep and flexible at the C position. We can’t afford the luxury of carrying another BIG instead on a more versatile player, like MWest or OHunter, that can fill multiple positions.
Defensively, we need to rely less of swithing so much, which creates too many mismatches, which tends to favor the opposition, and far too often pulls our 2 best shotblockers, Smoove and Horford, away from the basket. Bibby needs to step his DEF effort up or see his mins reduced. Defensively, I don’t know yet what either Teague or Crawford brings to the table, but I do know they can’t be any worse than Bibby. However, they both are capable of providing more OFF versatility and overall impact than Bibby due to their combination of shooting ability, superior speed, quickness and penetrating ability.
The Truth
October 12th, 2009
12:42 pm
The only thing about Mario (getting a roster spot) that makes some of the invitees still hopeful is his 1M price tag as Sekou mentioned in one of his articles. Yes he brings defensives intangibles but his body type and position duplicate Mo Evans; we maybe able to get two invitees with near the same money. It will be interesting to see which way Woody go.
JERRYWEST
October 12th, 2009
12:51 pm
I liked how Teague went up to block Wilcox’s dunk.
Bibby & Mo Evans added a lot of muscles this summer, and should be able to guard bigger players better.
Is the weight loss hampering Josh’s ability to guard big guys?
Crawford-Mario-JJ lineup will work because Crawford could guard the PG, and Mario’s scoring weakness won’t be a major issue. Mario should crash the board hard since Crawford is one of the worst rebounders in the league.
JERRYWEST
October 12th, 2009
12:54 pm
Are you saying Hawks has to pay more for Mario than for Stackhouse/ JoeSmith/Collins/Siler? I thought the league pays everything above the rookie minimum. That keeps the competition fair.
Mz. Hawkdafied
October 12th, 2009
1:29 pm
So anybody know which player/players the Hawks cut? I was under the impression that they were gonna make cuts after the game yesterday. I’m getting ready to go check the roster to see if they updated it or if it’s still the same.
Keep it Hawks!
Mz. Hawkdafied
October 12th, 2009
1:42 pm
I saw Jeff Teague go up to try to get a block and thought it was awesome too, but it also made me cringe cause I don’t want to see any players get hurt in the preseason. But I understand the preseason is his chance to shine and really show what he got. Those 8 assists blew me away too. Also trying to glean positives from the loss, the Hawks had less turnovers and more points in the paint than Detroit. It’s always interesting to see the differences in what Hawks fans take away from a game. I enjoy reading the blog and comments even though I’d like more participation from other female fans like myself cause you fellas have this blog on lock.
Melvin
October 12th, 2009
2:31 pm
Mz. Hawkdafied,
I know there’s Ms.Dee and Dr.Mary that are lady Hawks fans and post here often as well. Anyhow, enjoy reading your post so keep coming back and don’t be afraid to mix-it-up with the fellas…
Daniel
October 12th, 2009
2:39 pm
Melvin- I hear you on Stack. But, for now I am just passing judgement on the players in camp.
Mz. Hawkdafied- I want to echo Melvin, glad you are here. Keep up the posts. We just act like we know something anyway. You know how dudes are.
Melvin
October 12th, 2009
3:19 pm
Daniel,
I feel ya. Looks like Hunter has the inside edge but who knows. I would like to see Siler get extended mins before the preseason is over.
Daniel
October 12th, 2009
3:27 pm
I think Siler will be fine for a year in the D-league. Then, look again next year.
niremetal
October 12th, 2009
7:08 pm
Ken,
Defensively, I don’t know yet what either Teague or Crawford brings to the table, but I do know they can’t be any worse than Bibby.
Oh man, what are doing? Don’t say that! It can always get worse. Bibby actually does give good effort defensively, but he just has very poor lateral quickness for a guard. And it can get worse. Anyone here remember the Glenn Robinson and Antoine Walker eras? Those two might as well have been asleep on defense…or maybe they were. Same with Jason Kapono, Kyle Korver, and most of the other perimeter shooting specialists in the game today. Among PGs, Bibby isn’t even the worst we could do. That honor might go to our former starters Lue and AJohnson. Sorry Jin Rummy…but Salim deserves mention here, as does his cousin Damon, who probably was the worst defensive starting PG in the NBA for several years. Sam Cassell and Brevin Knight have been in the running for that honor too. Among starting-caliber PGs out there today, I wouldn’t want the current models of Luke Ridnour (who has gone from average to poor), Steve Blake, Steve Nash, Jose Calderon, or DJ Augustin on the defensive end over Bibby.
I know you were just using hyperbole, but I’m just sayin…there are lots of guys as bad or even worse than Bibby defensively, so don’t tempt the fates by saying there aren’t
.