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
karry
October 9th, 2009
10:20 am
First !!
terrell barron
October 9th, 2009
10:22 am
I’ll be there.
terrell barron
October 9th, 2009
10:25 am
What’s up with that 1st, 2nd nonsense? What do you guys do, just stare at the computer waiting for a new blog to appear? Sekou, you better be careful. You might have yourself a few stalkers. lol!
Sekou Smith
October 9th, 2009
10:25 am
Forget that Top Chef madness, the dude above (Bradley Rouse) is the baddest on the planet.
rms
October 9th, 2009
10:29 am
fifth!!! Whats up this Horford guy anyway. Is he going to be an All-Star this season or what
Hawksgirl
October 9th, 2009
10:32 am
are free tickets being given out this year sekou?
rms
October 9th, 2009
10:34 am
Too bad I gotta work Saturday. I am sure they look good playing against themselves but what about other athletes. Better atheletes. Athletes that can do things other players on our roster can’t do. Guess we gotta wait until the regular season for that. Oh well, I am sure the open practice will be fun. GEUX HAWKS!!!
Sekou Smith
October 9th, 2009
10:41 am
Free tickets from?
I get the feeling Horford’s in for a big year, rms, provided he stays healthy.
Dub C
October 9th, 2009
10:46 am
Terrell Barron, I was thinking the same thing on the 1st, 2nd stuff. its kind of funny though.
RMS, I don’t think Horford will be an All-star, but he’ll continue to get better. Honestly, if there’s going to be another Hawk all-star, it will be Josh Smith!
Samuel
October 9th, 2009
10:47 am
Make sure you wear you “long Johns” and overcoats. The Thrashers have started and last year it was about 10 degrees at Phillips. Hopefully, I can make it down to check out my boys.
Cuz,
You forgot: Maybe you can talk to Rick Sund and the ASG and tell them to do the right thing and give Woody and extension. He deserves it. It would be very “lame” if they let Woody go after he built the program to where it is now.
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
10:50 am
Melvin,
To continue the convo from the last blog, the other thing to consider is that Stackhouse probably wouldn’t get many-to-any minutes here. Like Mo, Stackhouse is a swingman but a little undersized to be a true SF. With Crawford and Mo around, we don’t need a 6′6 swingman off the bench to work significant minutes – Marvin can give you 32 minutes a game at SF, JJ can give you 8-10, and Mo is frankly no worse than Stackhouse for the remaining 6-8. Something tells me that if Stackhouse wants to come back, he won’t be willing to come back as the 11th man, only getting consistent minutes if someone gets hurt.
Melvin
October 9th, 2009
11:08 am
Nire,
Stack played SF most of his career. Check out his archives. However,he seem like the perfect guy to bring in b/c he’s a vet that can play 2 and 3 position which is where the Hawks have the least amount of depth. Case in point, look who got the bulk of the mins in the 1st preseason game because Mo did not play, Mario (i know its preseason) but I don’t think we would want Mario playing extended mins in case of injury and we may not want to burn JJ out by playing him extended min at the SF either. Stackhouse said that he wants play with a contender so that statement alone tells me that he’s willing to accept a lesser role in order to play on a good team. Again, he makes perfect sense to me but I know there’s a whole lot of other factors that need to happen in order for him to sign with the Hawks. Just my thoughts…
lexluther
October 9th, 2009
11:15 am
I think I’m going to wait until the season starts. I don’t want to jump the gun on these Hawks. In practice..practice! When the regular season start and they have put this chemistry together, let’s pray that they can run some teams out of the gym. I’m excited about these Hawks and I don’t want to jinx them by showing up for practice…we talking bout practice…practice!!!
i_am_soulstar
October 9th, 2009
11:19 am
I’m already there. GO HAWKS! Yo Sekou, if we cannot be objective for a hot second, who are the top 3 of the training camp invitees?
Clyde
October 9th, 2009
11:22 am
ROLL TIDE CLYDE WILL BE THERE
rms
October 9th, 2009
11:23 am
Not to make an unfair comparison but I cant help but look at Al Jefferson and think Horford could somehow do something close to what he’s doing. Then again Jefferson is a beast and Horford is not quite there yet. Josh should defitnetly be a All-Star this year but it depends on him and his ability to play and understand the game at a high level every night.
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
11:36 am
Melvin,
Sorry, but it’s just not true that Stackhouse spent most of his career playing SF. When he was drafted, there was a lot of talk about how unusual it was for a true SG to get drafted in the top 3. Here’s one link where that’s mentioned:
He played at SG throughout his years in Philly (Weatherspoon played SF then) and Detroit (Grant Hill played SF, then Corliss Williamson). Even in Washington, Jordan ended up playing at SF (I’m SURE you remember all the talk about how Jordan was playing too many minutes at SF in his last season). It was only after his injury in 2003 that he started playing significant minutes at SF. But “most” of his career? I’m sorry, it’s not even close.
Now all that being said, he is more of an SF than an SG right now. But like Mo, he’s undersized for SF. And he’s not any quicker than Mo these days and certainly is not as strong or committed to defense as Mo. So where would he get minutes unless someone got hurt?
If he’s interested in coming here and being the 11th Man, that’s fine with me. But as much as Mo has become a whipping boy around here, Stackhouse won’t get more than scattered minutes at SF unless someone gets hurt. If he can live with that, I’m all for it. And hey, it’s not like the NBA is brimming with teams that need an aging swingman who has never been more than mediocre on defense, so being the 11th man is probably the best he can hope for…
Grip
October 9th, 2009
11:38 am
Part of our problems has been not using joe johnson in match ups that he can dominate, he needs to play more small forward and you will see that a lot this year. Very few people can match up with him on the block. That should have been woody’s focus against miami in the playoffs,d. wade is a beast but he is way to small to check Joe down low.
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
11:40 am
Sorry, here’s that link. Mine keep getting eaten for some reason:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/2005/06/24/gallery.nbabusts/content.16.html
Samuel
October 9th, 2009
11:55 am
rms,
Don’t count of Horford ever being that good on offense. He can become a good player but his value will be in his all around game.
You said it. Al Jefferson is a beast.
http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/10/08/al-jefferson-has-sights-on-team-usa/
primo
October 9th, 2009
12:01 pm
See you all on Saturday!!!
KingfishStevens
October 9th, 2009
1:02 pm
22nd.I attended the NO game and I was impressed. Go Hawks!!!
bigdave
October 9th, 2009
1:08 pm
Samuel…
isnt he (Hibbert) though but the boy has potential… they were actually going up strong but he was throwing it… not to mention he had a pretty good rookie campaign…
those on Josh Smith’s camp conduct…
he’s a 23-24 yr old… Lebron is just as big of a goof… but he’s Lebron so nobody complains… Josh is who he is. keep in mind though, while we’re trying to drive him out of town based on personality traits, he is nowhere near a finished product as a professional. in time maturity sets in every aspect of his game comes together due to a renewed focus. im patient with Josh for the simple fact that even at this stage of his career he has done very well, but there is a high ceiling for growth.
Mike N.
October 9th, 2009
1:32 pm
I live down in Florida so I hope you guys can all give us a good report on who looks good at the open practice.
Melvin
October 9th, 2009
1:33 pm
bigdave,
Good points about Josh.
Nire,
Good find on Stack. However, the 2 and 3 position are very similiar and interchangeable depending on the matchups. I like Stack b/c his skills (attacking the rim) are complimentary to this team. Not too many guys on the Hawks can drive to the basket as effective as Stack. If he was on this team, I’m not so sure that Mo would be ahead of him in the rotation. I don’t have a problem with Mo but I prefer Stack offensive skills over him….
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
1:33 pm
I hope to make it tomorrow.
Chris
October 9th, 2009
1:40 pm
3 years in – was Horford a better pick than his teammate, Joakim Noah?
I know I am in the minority, but I am glad JJ did not sign for the $15MM. He is a good player, but not a championship player. Use that room, plus some more to make a serious run at LeBron, etc. Who wants to go to NYC vs. the ATL? Nobody.
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
1:42 pm
Jumping in on the Stackhouse talk. I have always said that IF Stack would sign for the vet min.(most likely). IF he was willing to be a 3rd string player who many nights wears a suit (maybe?), and be willing to do all of that with the Hawks as opposed to San Antonio, etc.(very doubtful). Then sure why not sign him.
The problem is that there are just too many IF’s for the discussion to be realistic.
I am much happier discussing how pissed off I am that Siler won’t make this team because we have to pay Morris his stupid contract.
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
1:43 pm
oh Chris… really? you really think LeBron will leave Clevland for Atlanta?… and NYC?….Really?
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
1:44 pm
I meant “over NYC”
Chris
October 9th, 2009
1:46 pm
Plenty of media exposure in Atlanta. It’s basically the capital of black America. Much better place to live. Great nucleus of a team. Could probably win 5 championships. Why not?
Melvin
October 9th, 2009
1:56 pm
Daniel,
At this point, if Stack signs with any mid to elite team. I’m sure he knows that he going into a situation that will allow him to play limited mins (unless there’s injury) at the Vet min. So you can eliminate 2 or 3 of your If’s…
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
2:06 pm
It’s basically the capital of black America.
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.
As for the much better place to live? Sure, if you love a city where you sit in traffic for 3 hours and that doesn’t know the meaning of “mass transit.” I grew up in Atlanta, but there’s a reason I’m not living there now, and it’s not because I like the people up North more…
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
2:12 pm
PS – Not trashing my hometown as a worse place to live. Just pointing out that those other cities have some edges over Atlanta. Well, except maybe LA…
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
2:13 pm
Alright Melvin but what about the 3rd if?
Mz. Hawkdafied
October 9th, 2009
2:14 pm
Sekou, having to see the A Town dancers walk around half naked makes me wanna vomit so I can sympathize with you on seeing Josh without a shirt on. :-/
LOL, I’d like to see a fan on this blog tell Mike Woodson or a player what they say on this blog, that would be quite interesting to see. Picture it: Mike you need to run less iso JJ plays and your rotation sucks, you ruined Acie’s chances, and other coaches are better than you so you should have been fired a long time ago. JJ you’re selfish cause you didn’t resign with the Hawks, you’re not a superstar anyway. Mike Bibby you’re too slow and fat. Marvin you will never be an allstar as a matter of fact you shouldn’t even be starting. It would be chaos at the event.
I’d bet money that no one will step to Woodson and critique him to his face. They are gonna just take their pictures and get their autographs. What time is the event again, 11:30am-1pm.
Okay I can see it if they are going to have a fan forum or something, where you get to actually ask questions. But I even see something like this getting out of hand considering how people get emotional on this blog. Just saying, I don’t mean to be a downer.
Keep it Hawks!
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
2:15 pm
chris, I too love Atlanta, but why would LeBron leave Clevland? They can pay him more than any other team(Larry Bird, rule) and it is hometown. The only reason to leave would be to increase his profile, which is already huge. The only place he can do that is in NY or LA, and since LA is not in the market that leaves NY. Atlanta cannot compete from a marketing stand point with NY.
Chris
October 9th, 2009
2:16 pm
If you live within the city limits in Atlanta, you don’t sit in traffic. Somehow, I don’t picture LeBron living in a split-level in Alpharetta.
Rather than “basically”, I should have said “arguably” the capital of black America. LA and Chicago would certainly have a claim. NYC – I am not so sure. But if you admit that Atlanta is in that mix, and you look at the supporting cast he’d have here, it looks like a pretty attractive option (aside from the Spirit Group and Woodson, of course).
Melvin
October 9th, 2009
2:19 pm
Daniel,
The Spurs have enough wing players…
Ramon
October 9th, 2009
2:20 pm
Daniel, I think if Sund wanted Stack, Stack would sign within a couple of seconds. Stack knows where he is in his career. And Stack also know the health history of Marvin. So he knows Atlanta presents the best chance at postseason wins and significant playing time. And although it may be Evans job to lose, Evans does make questionable decisions on offense that would make Stackhouse an asset to have. Also the addition of Stack leaves the team open to look at the possibility of trading Evans and other goods during the season.
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
2:25 pm
Chris,
I don’t picture LeBron setting up shop in Cabbagetown either. Something tells me that if he buys a place, it’ll be one of those $5M Buckhead condos. In any case, I don’t think LeBron/Wade/Bosh would be living in the city they play in to begin with, except during training camp and the nights before home games.
Everyone thinks that their own city is a great place to live. But Atlanta has never been a magnet for marquee free agents in any sport. New York has.
Sekou Smith
October 9th, 2009
2:32 pm
I’m not ready to debate which city is the best Nire. They all have their good and bad traits, but it’s hard for me to imagine many better cities to live in than Smyrna!
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
2:38 pm
Ramon- Without having any inside knowledge, I doubt that. Sund may not have offered Stackhouse, but I don’t get the since that is waiting around hoping to jump on with the Hawks. Then again I know this guy who does have more insight into the team…
Hey Sekou, what have you heard about Stackhouse? Is it that he isn’t interested in the Hawks, they aren’t interested in him or both?
PDubATL
October 9th, 2009
2:39 pm
It is the Jonquil City! And the only city I know of with sub-cities (Smynings and Smableton). That’s hard to beat.
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
2:39 pm
I meant “get the sense that he…” terrible, sorry guys.
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
2:41 pm
Don’t get me wrong Chris. I am from Atlanta, heck I AM Atlanta, from Decatur where it is greater and Marta is Smarta. We just can’t put the guy on a bigger stage than NY, just a numbers game.
Mike N.
October 9th, 2009
2:41 pm
LeBron to the ATL…funniest thing I’ve heard in a while. I think Billy Knight has a better shot at being named GM of the year.
Chris
October 9th, 2009
2:47 pm
OK. LeBron in the ATL in 2010 is admittedly a stretch. But I did say LeBront, etc. That etc is meant for Dwight Howard in 2012. All the same reasons as LeBron, plus the ATL is his home town. Larry Bird (max contract) rule is the only thing stopping that one, IMO.
By the way, I am no homer. I have lived in NYC and LA and worked in Chicago. Atlantan by choice only.
bigdave
October 9th, 2009
3:15 pm
Nire,
actually Atlanta has been dubbed the ‘capital of black america’
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
3:16 pm
Sekou,
I lived in Smyrna when I was in elementary school (King Springs!), and I can tell you – it’s come a loooooong way since then. But even now, I think that it depends on which side of the tracks you live on
In any case, LeBron’s stated goal is to be the world’s first billionaire athlete. If he wants to achieve that goal, he probably needs to sing from the world’s biggest stage. There’s a reason that pretty much all of the athlete megastars – from Magic to Gretzky to Kobe to Shaq to Jordan to ARod to Beckham – either start or end up in New York, Chicago, or LA. Hell, even Federer has a place in NYC now…
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
3:30 pm
bigdave,
So have NYC/Harlem and Chicago. Don’t believe me? Google “capital of black America.” Washington DC is in the first 10 results too. And the only page that uses “capital of black America” in the first 10 is a Flickr group called “blackatlanta.” Something tells me that group is comprised mainly of Atlantans
Hey, Atlanta has a claim to it. But so do Chicago, LA, DC (apparently), and NYC (sorry Chris, but come on…it has Harlem and STILL has twice as many blacks as Atlanta). The fact that some people have dubbed Atlanta that doesn’t mean that it’s the ONLY city to have been so dubbed.
It’s not unlike those people (mainly people from New Orleans or Memphis) who say New Orleans or Memphis is the country’s music capital. They might have claims, but so do Detroit, NYC, and LA.
Anyway, this conversation has strayed far from basketball. New topic: What team will make the biggest unexpected playoff run this coming year? My pick is the Clippers, in no small part because I think Blake Griffin will catch onto the NBA even quicker than most people expect.
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
3:31 pm
*And the only page that uses “capital of black America” in the first 10 to describe Atlanta is . . .
As you’ll see, there are other pages in first 10 using that phrase to describe other cities.
Ramon
October 9th, 2009
3:33 pm
Niremetal, Chicago isn’t any better as far as markets than Atlanta. Jordan ended up in Chicago because he MADE Chicago, with the exception of the Cubs. Jordan name alone got more love in his 4th and 5th season than the entire Chicago Bears team. Deep down Lebron may want to do the same thing in Cleveland. The quickest way to become a billionaire is to create your own market. If it was only about markets you would be hearing more about the Clippers being a factor for Lebron, but not once have you heard that.
By the way, I still think Jordan will be the first athlete billionaire.
Jin Rummy
October 9th, 2009
3:35 pm
F@#$ck LeBron!!!….lil bytch…
Anyone who thinks up north is any better is obviously crazy. Cold horrible weather. Tons of violence on D.C and traffic is so damn slow and the lanes are to small VERY annoying.
And I couldn’t bare to live in NYC. I HAVE to have my car. I’m not payin no damn taxi and i’n not walking anywhere. NYC traffic is HORRIBLE bumper to bumper 24/7 whath u talkin bout’?
Sekou Smith
October 9th, 2009
3:36 pm
Door isn’t closed on Stackhouse, Daniel. Both sides could have use for each other at some point this season, provided Stack doesn’t sign elsewhere.
And we’ve got the King Springs School Lions magnet on the trunks of the rides Nire, so you know I know. Ha. Hadn’t the heard the Smableton or Smynings names, PDub. Those are funny. We’re city dwellers, though (Smyrna4Life). City of Smyrna baby. We’ve got resident cards and library cards and everything. Don’t sleep on my adopted city. It’s on the come up in a major way.
Jin Rummy
October 9th, 2009
3:37 pm
Actually, Atlanta is commonly dubbed “Black Hollywood” not the capitol of Black America….
Sekou Smith
October 9th, 2009
3:38 pm
School me on my city Nire, which side of the tracks does Ridge Road fall on?
Sekou Smith
October 9th, 2009
3:39 pm
Most everyone I’ve run into, of every shade, enjoys living in and around Atlanta. Other than the traffic, I don’t hear too many folks complaining.
Jin Rummy
October 9th, 2009
3:40 pm
Cobb is really Nice. I live in Kennesaw and I love it. Lived in Gwinnet before that sice I was young.
Chris
October 9th, 2009
3:41 pm
Nire, you almost had me nodding in agreement until you brought up the Clippers. That is where high draft picks go to die. Blake Griffin would not have been the first pick in any of the preceeding 10 drafts. It was a clearly a down year.
Sekou Smith
October 9th, 2009
3:44 pm
True story: I’ve been East of I-85 probably 10 times in the five years I’ve been here. Crazy huh? Guess I just like the WestSide! I need the GPS once I cross 400 headed to Decatur.
Jin Rummy
October 9th, 2009
3:46 pm
I LOVE ATL Traffic!!!! Are you kidding me? Well not the “jams” but the SPEED!!! I love the SPEED!!!! you can go as fast a u want a long as ur in a group so 5.0 doesn’t sigle you out for a ticket.
Sekou Smith
October 9th, 2009
3:46 pm
I don’t know about that Chris. I’d have taken him ahead of Bargnani, Kwame and Bogut without hesitating.
rainman
October 9th, 2009
3:51 pm
Hey Sekou, I just moved to Fla. from Vinings – so I’m down with Smyrna too. I was curious what former or current PG you would compare Teague to, assuming he reaches his projected potential. Do you think he could be a top ten PG someday if everything goes well?
A recent list of top ten centers that I saw the other day didn’t even have Horford as honorable mention. Has he added any bulk at all, or should we just accept that ‘it is what it is’ as far as his build goes?
As to the Stack vs. Mo arguement — I would take Stack in a heartbeat as long as its for the vet minimum and he understood his role. At this point, SF probably has the least quality depth of any position and Stack has more potential to make an impact in the playoffs. What do you think?
Jin Rummy
October 9th, 2009
3:51 pm
What! Sekou you gotta go East lol. Gwinnett/Stone Mountain is a great spot. Yuo gotta visit stone mountain and take a cable car to the top. One of the best views in Georgia. Norcross GA,was my spot, then I moved to South Gwinnett just in time for the Lou Willims hype.
Jin Rummy
October 9th, 2009
3:55 pm
Lived in Fulton co. and Marietta as well…
I hope we Sign Gerald Green good young player/servicable backup who won’t demand many minutes. We all know how cranky Mo can get if he sits on the bench too long ha…
$800k!!!
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
4:08 pm
Ramon,
I’m sorry, but did you really just say that “Jordan MADE Chicago?” Dude, come on. For over a century, it was second only to NYC in terms of population. LA only overtook it in the 1990 census. Jordan’s abilities as an athlete would have made him a superstar anyway, but in those early cable years, his worldwide marketability was HUGELY enhanced by the fact that he played in what was then the 2nd largest city in the country.
The idea that it was Michael Jordan or the Cubs that made Chicago is just absurd. And there still is a MASSIVE gap in market exposure between Chicago and Atlanta. Go talk to anyone who works in a big marketing firm and they’ll tell you the same thing. ATL certainly is on the rise, but it’s got a loooooong way to go to crack the Big Three -and Dallas and Houston are far closer than we are.
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
4:25 pm
Hey Sekou,
Decatur is where it is at. I am not talking South Decatur with Flat Shoals and all that. I am talking city of Decatur, Druid Hills, Avondale, Kirkwood. Beautiful houses, lots of restraunts (esp. Indian) Great parks. Nice mix of people. And lots of places to ball either B-ball or Soccer(I actually prefer soccer.. I am just better at it). So come East Brother, Come East.
Daniel
October 9th, 2009
4:27 pm
Jin Rummy- I totally agree on Stone Mountain, great place to take the kids on a random afternoon when it is quiet. highly underrated.
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
4:28 pm
Sekou,
Ridge Road is most definitely on the right side of the tracks
. When I was young, some of the areas further north off of South Cobb Drive were a bit sketchy, but that might have changed since the last time I drove out that way (5 years ago). But I grew up in Mableton and Smyrna, and only moved away a couple years after Home Depot built its new HQ and the cost of living started creeping ever-upward…
bigdave
October 9th, 2009
4:38 pm
of course Nire… ‘Chocolate City’ DC… though i was speaking of more current relevance… back to basketball…
Rummy… Black Hollywood as well… sure…
i guess it all depends on your source…
ILL-logical
October 9th, 2009
4:40 pm
FWIW:Forbes magazine has listed Tiger Woods as being the first athlete to EARN $1 billion.
My experience has been that a lot of athletes/entertainers ,primarily but not exclusively African -American, prefere living in Atlanta because of the cost of living and they can enjoy relative anonymity.
however, the financial(HAWKS) , social(Braves) and political(Falcons) conditions of the professional franchises limit the serious ballers interest.
The Hawks have the greatest opportunity to break the barrier and attract players who want to both play and live here. And, most importantly, become a contibuting member of the community.
Atl Resident
October 9th, 2009
4:52 pm
How the hell this go from hawks open practice to talking about this sorry atl traffic? And yeah Jin the traffic in D.C. is horrible but its better up there than here cause at least I dont have to slow up on highway, at least people know how to get on and off, people here to indecisive will get you killed.
Jin Rummy
October 9th, 2009
4:57 pm
Atl Resident, I can’t argue with that lol.
Ramon
October 9th, 2009
5:16 pm
Niremetal, population and economic market are two different things. That’s like saying Houston is a better market than Boston due to the population, when economically its not even close. The economic strength of Chicago in the 80s were not that of Los Angeles. As I said on an endorsement level (the strength of MJ’s finances) MJ brought the endorsement companies to him in Chicago. MJ brought many of the athletic companies to Chicago that previously only stayed in NYC and LA. You go ahead and Google and show me where in the 80s Chicago was in the top two cities for economical wealth. I’ll be here waiting.
By the way, as far as your argument about the city of Atlanta. Take a look, http://www.inc.com/magazine/20040301/top25_pagen_2.html .
rms
October 9th, 2009
5:16 pm
Who cares about ATL traffic? Its bad enough I gotta sit in it let alone come home and talk about amongst Hawks fans! Enough already!!!
Destiny
October 9th, 2009
5:21 pm
I was wondering does the team do autographs after practice or before?
DSS82
October 9th, 2009
5:23 pm
What’s up with Jason Collins. He didn’t play because he was out of shape. Are you serious? This is the NBA. There are a million guys that would love to be in his situation, but it is what it is. I guess there aren’t a million guys with his size and athleticism.
What’s the story?
Ramon
October 9th, 2009
5:25 pm
DSS, there are a million guys true enough. But when you’re the 3rd center in preseason and your skills are better than whats on the free agent market, whats the rush to be in shape? lol. I’d rather have an out of shape Jason Collins, than an in shape Solomon Jones lol.
Jin Rummy
October 9th, 2009
5:37 pm
Collins has a quad injury I beleive. Sekou was just playin’ lol.
Jin Rummy
October 9th, 2009
5:39 pm
Ramon, seriously? Collins over Solo? IDK about that. I like Collins, but at least Solo show up in the stat sheet….I herd he’s doing well up there in Indiana.
Ramon
October 9th, 2009
5:43 pm
Jim, Collins for Vet min or Solo for 1.5 mil a season? That’s not even an argument for me. I’d take Collins every time. There are only a very select few in the league who Solo could guard, so you’re basically paying 1.5 mil for three quarters of a season. Solo is doing well in Indiana like he did here, because what true big does he have to guard in their practices? Troy Murphy? lol. I’d take Collins.
Ramon
October 9th, 2009
5:54 pm
ESPN preview of the Hawks http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4541681&categoryid=2459788 .
I wouldn’t agree that they’re still thin up front, not sure I would agree with that. But at least he didn’t pick Washington to skip over the Birds. (when we all know Wizards only win in Harry Potter).
tyger
October 9th, 2009
5:55 pm
Washington, DC hands down!
Mz. Hawkdafied
October 9th, 2009
6:28 pm
Last time I checked Gwinnett, Smyrna, Decatur, etc. is not Atlanta. I like how yall claim my city though! Yeah the people in my city can’t drive I’ll give you that! Fudge Lebrick, Lecrabdribbler. My city don’t need him to win a championship. Dwight Howard in 2012 okay. But Lebron’s following around Jay Z behind can go to NY. He disrespects Cleveland every chance he gets, sporting NY Yankees hats talking about I’m from Akron not Cleveland. But I can kinda feel him on that though cause I’m from the A and I’ll rep it to my dying day. You won’t see me walking around talking about Decatur’s where it’s greater. I think not!
I ♥ ATL ! I ♥ the Atlanta Hawks!
Ramon
October 9th, 2009
6:42 pm
Hawkdafied, are you saying the Falcons name should become the Doraville Falcons? lol.
Yadro
October 9th, 2009
8:09 pm
Be sure to take your bullet-proof vests for after practice.
Melvin
October 9th, 2009
9:09 pm
I know last season and early this summer I was hoping the Hawks could acquire Mike Miller from Minny but after watching him play tonite in the Wash/Dallas game, I’m glad he’s in DC….
ÛfØ
October 9th, 2009
9:14 pm
Sekou:
Can you ask Josh Smith to come to Campbell High school in Smyrna Georgia?
Hawk fans: Al Horford lives in Smyrna, If I knew his adress I would go to his house and ask him for free tickets.
ÛfØ
October 9th, 2009
9:19 pm
………….
ÛfØ
October 9th, 2009
9:28 pm
Sekou:
Can you get me free tickets?
Hawk fans: I remember when I saw Al horford at Cumberland Mall. We went to Game Stop and played NBA 2K9.
ÛfØ
October 9th, 2009
9:32 pm
Good times, Good times!
Ken Strickland
October 9th, 2009
9:33 pm
What’s up fellow Hawk fanatics? I’ve been away from the action and discussions recently due to relocating back to the ATL. I don’t have a lot to say since I’m still trying to catch up on what’s going on. I still find it hard to believe the attitudes of those who refuse to believe the Hawks have a chance to finish in the top 3 in the East.
Last yr, after losing all 3 of our frontline starters for extended time, we proved we can weather injuries and still succeed, and that was with a very thin bench. This yr, we have a very talented, experienced, deep and versatile bench that will allow us to weather the loss of any starter. Can Orlando say that if they lose DHoward, or Cleveland, if they lose LJames? We’ve already seen how fragile the Celtics are when they suffer a key loss. The got RWallace to replace KG, but who replaces PPierce in the case of an injury?
ÛfØ
October 9th, 2009
9:42 pm
………..
ÛfØ
October 9th, 2009
9:48 pm
So when can we see the new jersey?
ÛfØ
October 9th, 2009
9:52 pm
I feel like am talking to myself. lol
ÛfØ
October 9th, 2009
9:54 pm
?
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
11:39 pm
Good to see you back, man.
I think the Celtics are the one team is basically guaranteed to win 50 games even if they suffer 2 major injuries. Remember that Doc Rivers uses a VERY deep bench and mixes and matches rotations better than anyone in the NBA. So long as any 2 of the Big Three are healthy, they’ll be fine. Remember that they added Sheed and Marquis Daniels while only losing Powe from their rotation.
As you said, they’ve got Sheed and Big Baby to back up KG. If Pierce or Ray Allen goes down, they’ll plug Daniels, Tony Allen, or House into the lineup – they’re strong enough defensively (in ALL ways – perimeter and post, on-ball and help) that they can deal with a height mismatch at one or two positions, so they might go with Tony Allen or House even if Daniels is healthy. Doc will find a way to make it work. He’s a master at getting the most out of a roster.
niremetal
October 9th, 2009
11:41 pm
Ken – in case you couldn’t tell, that last post was directed at you
Hawksta
October 9th, 2009
11:56 pm
Greetings fellow Hawks fans! First time ever reading a blog where the topic is changed and it’s not about race(progress yes)! Been a while since I posted but as usual I read and read. Miss the game the other night. Good thing we got Sekou! Haven’t bought 2k10 yet but I hear it’s still King. Yet EA did it’s best to catch up? Go Hawks!!!
Bigg Nuttz
October 10th, 2009
12:31 am
Why are we discussing race and what is and not a black city?Funny. This began with the same guy who said we should keep Zaza because he is white. Why is this a race discussion?
Is the Bubba crew behind this. For the record Georgia is a red (neck) state and AJC is a red news paper. Now, how about them hawks. Good news on the free hawks scrimmage. How cool is that?
Ken Strickland
October 10th, 2009
12:59 am
NIREMETAL-I knew you were referencing me, and thanks, it’s good to be back in the fold. I’m predicting we’ll unseat Orlando as the 3rd seed. On paper, Orlando appears to a lot of people to be much better than we are, but that’s deceiving. I recall last yr when a lot of people thought Philly would be much better than we were after acquiring EBrand. They looked good on paper, but reality told a much different story. With so many changes and additions to their team, particularly their starting lineup, they could easily end up with a simular situation as Philly.
Hawks Fan In New Orleans
October 10th, 2009
2:45 am
To all those attending, have fun at the open practice! I miss the little things about Atlanta, like a nice trout sandwich (yessir J Smoove) and a tall glass of lemonade on a Sunday afternoon…If Teague could emulate Rondo I’m good.
Fritz
October 10th, 2009
9:54 am
Ebony survey says Atlanta is best:http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_n11_v52/ai_19762575/?tag=rbxcra.2.a.33
Sekou Smith
October 10th, 2009
10:31 am
Headed down to the open practice in a few minutes. Hawks need to put on a good show so I can get out of there in time to catch the Smyrna Spartans in action from the opening kickoff and then finish off the night with an upset in Iowa City.
But for those of you that make it out, let’s meet back here later tonight to digest and discuss what we saw at the open practice. I’m interested to read your takes on what you saw.
Lou Dobbs
October 10th, 2009
12:07 pm
Hawksta, I love talking about race, I do it all the time on CNN, I do my best to blame things on mexicans.
God bless America.
ufø
October 10th, 2009
12:16 pm
Lou you are nuts.
ufø
October 10th, 2009
12:33 pm
……….
jerrywest
October 10th, 2009
1:31 pm
Why didn’t Mario West become a football player? He had all the tools to be great.
ILL-logical
October 10th, 2009
2:46 pm
Just returned from the scrimmage and had a few observations that I’d like to share:
1. The team overall is much more cohesive and the defensive effort was very good. Guys were really getting after one another.
2.Jamal,Joe Smith, Silo and Jason Collins did not play. They were were one of the main reasons that I gave up half of my saturday to journey to Phillips arena.No explanation was given or at least I didn’t here of any.Coutney Sims may have survived the first cut today.
3. Josh looked great for 3/4 of the scrimmage with a dazzling array of offensive moves, defensive pressure, rebounding and with several assists. Then in the last 5 minutes he just started jacking up shot after shot; the first three barely rimmed out but the others were 3 pointer that made no sense. Good thing it was just practice though. He was clearly the best player on the floor though.
4. Teague looked very ordinary. He played with the reserves and the starters but it didn’t make any difference. He has an upside but it will be awhile before he can be dubbed a rising star.
There was a pretty good crowd and the seemed to have enjoyed the session.
ufø
October 10th, 2009
2:49 pm
Mario should get his own tv show.
ufø
October 10th, 2009
2:58 pm
ILL-logical
So Jeff Teague is just another Acie Law not a rondo.
ufø
October 10th, 2009
3:02 pm
…..
ufø
October 10th, 2009
3:07 pm
……………………
Hawks Fan In New Orleans
October 10th, 2009
3:29 pm
ufø
I sure hope not.
ILL-logical
Woody said Jamal won’t play until Wednesday, precautionary measures.
ufø
October 10th, 2009
3:35 pm
Enter your comments here
Hawks Fan In New Orleans
October 10th, 2009
3:58 pm
Dayum – go Vols!
Samuel
October 10th, 2009
4:41 pm
I made it down today.
Courtney Sims made a god case for keeping him today. He was very active on both ends of the floor and finishes good around the basket. He has good length and good hands. He needs to work on his post defense some but overall he did good.
Teague looked very confident and has an all-around good game. I don’t know that he’ll be much better than Bibby on defense but he’s a much better all around PG than Acie. I wouldn’t hesitate to play him at all.
Hunter started out pretty good but was overshadowed by Sims. He is kinda small for a PF and not skilled enough for a SF. Kinda hard to choose between he and Sims but after today, Sims has a slight edge in my opinion.
Mario did his usual thing. Not much more to say here. I still think he would be a wasted roster spot but looks like he’s here to stay.
I was very disappointed that 4 or 5 guys sat out. Collins looks lazy as hell. Siler looked constipated or something. Joe Smith looked fine. I guess he’s just “old” and they want to save him. LOL!!
Horford looked very aggressive going to the hoop. I really wish this guy could play more PF.
Josh played an all around good game. I’m not sure he has improved much mentally though. He’s still immature. Arguing about petty stuff with Horford. His competitiveness makes up for it though. He was our best player today.
JJ looks like his old self. Not sure much will change with him. Hopefully he can get more rest this year and be stronger.
Bibby can still shoot the “rock”. There’s no way you can not have a guy like that on the floor.
Samuel
October 10th, 2009
4:44 pm
Hey,
Any body else want in to the Fantasy league. We have 10 teams now but I can expand it if we have more who want to get in. Let me know.
bravos11
October 10th, 2009
5:01 pm
Samuel- I will join the league if there are spots left
Samuel
October 10th, 2009
5:35 pm
I’ll add more spots and let you know.
Samuel
October 10th, 2009
5:43 pm
There are 6 more open spots
League name:
SekousBloggers
ID: 213814
Password: hawks
http://basketball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/nba/213814
bravos11
October 10th, 2009
6:18 pm
Ok Thanks
hawks_4_life
October 10th, 2009
6:25 pm
Sekou are you going to join the league
niremetal
October 10th, 2009
6:35 pm
Something tells me no
Samuel
October 10th, 2009
7:29 pm
Scared
Samuel
October 10th, 2009
7:45 pm
12 teams. 4 more slots.
hawks_4_life
October 10th, 2009
7:48 pm
oh and by the way army troopers is a lock for the win
hawks_4_life
October 10th, 2009
7:51 pm
Hey guy im on vacation from the desert and I just want to say I enjoy reading this blog on a daily basis. Even though I dont write often this daily banter gives me motivation and raises my spirits. Keep up the good work Sekou and friends!!!
Samuel
October 10th, 2009
7:53 pm
Pretty interesting Survey by GMs of the best off season moves
http://www.nba.com/news/features/gmsurvey.moves/index.html
HUUUUMMMMM!!!
Samuel
October 10th, 2009
7:55 pm
hawks_4_life,
I know a little something about the desert. Ever heard of a “hellhole” call NTC? I spent 5 long years there.
Najeh Davenpoop
October 10th, 2009
7:59 pm
Wait. there are going to be 16 teams in that league? Someone’s going to be starting Joe Smith at power forward…
hawks_4_life
October 10th, 2009
8:05 pm
Samuel
5yrs is a long long time, did you like it?
Najeh Davenpoop
October 10th, 2009
8:05 pm
Seriously, Samuel, I have made the mistake of running a 16-team league with regular rosters before. What typically happens is that the four worst teams are so bad that they stop updating almost immediately and even among the remaining 12 teams at least 7 or 8 have no chance of winning anything. I would at least get rid of the G, F, and one of the C positions.
Najeh Davenpoop
October 10th, 2009
8:08 pm
As for the scrimmage, if Sims played and Siler didn’t this tells me things don’t look so hot for Siler to make the team, unless he was injured. In any case, I hope all the reserve big men — veterans and rookies both — get plenty of playing time during the preseason so that they can prove to Woody they are deserving of minutes. I am looking forward to seeing a team that doesn’t get beat up inside due to lack of depth all year.
In unrelated news, Killer Mike’s “Underground Atlanta” mixtape is off the chain. Anyone who likes southern rap should go cop that sh*t ASAP.
ufø
October 10th, 2009
8:55 pm
Acie will play on TNT tonight if anyone cares.
ufø
October 10th, 2009
9:03 pm
does anyone care about Acie or speedy?
hawks_4_life
October 10th, 2009
10:04 pm
no not really
Melvin
October 10th, 2009
10:27 pm
Watching the GS/Suns game. Stephen Curry is not a pg. Not sure if the Curry/Ellis backcourt is going to be successful. They may have to package one of those guys. Acie may get a opportunity before the season over (even though he’s been playing well in preseason) b/c Ellis nor Curry is a true PG.
Jody
October 10th, 2009
10:52 pm
Watching the GS/Suns game and I’m wondering why didn’t the Hawks go after Channing Frye? He would have been perfect to play alongside Josh and Al in a big lineup.
Melvin
October 10th, 2009
11:00 pm
Jody, Agreed. Check the blogs from early this summer, i was campigning for Frye to come to the ATL…
Jody
October 10th, 2009
11:21 pm
Melvin,
I think I remember that and though I didn’t post much, I agreed with you. It baffles me how the Hawks missed on a guy who would fit their style so well and at the same time give them the option of putting a lineup on the floor where Al Horford’s size would actually become a factor. Last season, I thought the best game Al Horfords had came against Chicago when he started and played the majority of the game at power forward.
Jody
October 10th, 2009
11:28 pm
In fact, Horford’s line from that game was 27 points, 17 rebounds and 6 blocks. Again, Horford’s size becomes a factor when he plays the four.
niremetal
October 10th, 2009
11:48 pm
And you think Channing Frye had any interest in signing with the Hawks because…
niremetal
October 10th, 2009
11:52 pm
Also, I’d MUCH rather have Horford/Josh/Marvin than Frye/Horford/Josh. Frye is just 1 inch taller than Al but has neither Al’s strength nor Al’s toughness.
And when will people get it out of their head that Josh is an SF? Again, he spent no time at SF last year, even when Marvin was hurt. Teams leave him wide open on the perimeter for a reason, and his on-ball perimeter D is mediocre.
MsDee
October 10th, 2009
11:57 pm
Based on the scrimmage, I think Hunter & Sims should may the team!!
MsDee
October 10th, 2009
11:57 pm
Should MAKE the team
Big Ray
October 11th, 2009
12:00 am
Smyrna rocks.
Smyrna has Glock, Inc. Been there, trained there, got my armorer’s certification there.
Smyrna rocks just because of that.
Big Ray
October 11th, 2009
12:05 am
Josh is a combo forward. His jumper may be suspect, but last I looked, a jumpshot wasn’t what made you a small forward or didn’t make you a small forward.
And there’s a reason why he didn’t spend much time at the 3 (though he did spend SOME time there, just not as a starter).
It’s because nobody outside of Al Horford, was nearly as good a power forward as Josh. That includes Marvin, who although a better perimeter defender than Josh, is well behind him when defending down low, or providing help defense.
Melvin
October 11th, 2009
12:05 am
Jody,
I think Frye could have done big things in the ATL. For 2mil/yr, Phx got a steal.
Either Steph Curry gonna have to learn another move or start coming off screens like his daddy b/c once teams see that he’s a right hand player that like to drive left they are going to force him to his right…
Melvin
October 11th, 2009
12:08 am
Nire are you making these comments about Frye without watching the game tonite? Dude has the height and bulk to play in the paint and the touch to shoot it from outside. And with him making 2mil/yr, why can’t we have him and Marvin on the team?
Jody
October 11th, 2009
12:14 am
Melvin,
Agreed. I think the Hawks missed a good one.
Big Ray,
You hit the nail on the head.
niremetal
October 11th, 2009
1:24 am
I didn’t say we couldn’t have him and Marvin on the team. But any sequences where Frye is playing at center and Horford at PF is a step down from Horford at C and Josh at PF.
And I guess you didn’t see my first point – we don’t know that HE had any interest in signing with us. You do realize that he grew up in Arizona, right?
Ray, I’ll point once again to 82 games:
http://www.82games.com/0809/0809ATL2.HTM
Again, it shows Josh not playing a single minute at SF last year. So no, he didn’t play even “some” time at SF last year – or at least no unit involving him at SF played on the floor for more than 32 minutes over the course of the entire season.
It’s not like it was infeasible for the Hawks to play both Zaza and Al on the floor at the same time – 4 Zaza-Horford units are on that link above, including the 5th most commonly-used unit during the course of the whole season. So that wasn’t the reason Josh didn’t spend time at SF last year. The reason is because Josh plays better the closer he is to the basket, on BOTH ends of the floor.
niremetal
October 11th, 2009
1:30 am
And Melvin, I did watch the game tonight. I also watched about 30-40 Blazers games last year (as I’ve said many time, they are my 2nd favorite team, largely by virtue of my girlfriend being a Portland native), and saw Frye get pushed around whenever he took the floor. When he did play, it was usually as a PF and not a C.
I’m sorry, but you’re going to judge a player’s strength in the middle from a preseason game against the Warriors (who play no D and don’t feed the ball to the post)? Come on, now…
niremetal
October 11th, 2009
1:48 am
In any case, as I said this is all a moot point – Frye went to junior high, high school, and college in Arizona. Since they traded Shaq and have no one who plays PF/C besides Stoudamire and the lesser Lopez, he was and is likely to see far more minutes there than he would here. Why the hell would he turn down a chance to play starter’s minutes in his home state to live across the country and be the second big man off our bench?
For the billionth time, this isn’t NBA Live. We can’t just make an offer, snap our fingers, and poof – he’s signing the contract.
Jin Rummy
October 11th, 2009
2:02 am
Nire, YES JOSH DID. LAST SEASON when the celtics came to town for the last time in April or late March, Zaza started at center Al was PF, and Smoove played SF….I’ll find a box score for you….
Ariose
October 11th, 2009
2:09 am
BAM!!
http://www.nba.com/games/20090327/BOSATL/boxscore.html
J-Smoove at the SF spot. 82games needs to step THEIR game up ha.
niremetal
October 11th, 2009
2:12 am
You’re right, Gin, I remember that one game where we experimented with that big lineup. And of course, even then, we only went with that lineup because Marvin was out hurt.
But again – that lineup played no more than 32 minutes over the course of the whole season, or else it would have shown up on the 82games list. Even I was sure to qualify my statement above to say that. Josh’s minutes at SF have been cut every year since he came into the league, and last year was simply the culmination of that. No lineup with Josh at SF got more than 32 minutes on the floor during the 3900+ minutes the Hawks played last year – despite the fact that Marvin missed a quarter of the season.
Ariose
October 11th, 2009
2:15 am
….and we play a switching defense so TECHNICALLY Mike Bibby played a TON of minutes at SF….and TECHNICALLY yes you can list marvin as a SF/PF. And I’d be mad if I was playing in a fantasy leauge and didn’t have the option to play him there. Does it really matter? I’ve already explained how smoove at the SF won’t necessarily leave us at a disadvantage….
Ariose
October 11th, 2009
2:24 am
Nire, I’m gin and…
“Even I was sure to qualify my statement above to say that.”
Hmmm… but what about this statement?
“So no, he didn’t play even “some” time at SF last year”
A contradiction? But wait!
“or at least no unit involving him at SF played on the floor for more than 32 minutes over the course of the entire season.
“
Ooh! nice way to cover your tracks this time yes, yes. When we’ve had this debate in the past, and you didn’t put that last bit of info in there back then. I would’ve cought you in the past if I hadn’t been too lazy to actually look it up.
G’Night all…
niremetal
October 11th, 2009
2:26 am
Yup, as I suspected – check out the play-by-play from that game:
http://www.nba.com/games/20090327/BOSATL/playbyplay.html
The lineup with Josh at SF lasted for all of 6 minutes before Mo came to get Josh with the Hawks down 15-11. Woody used the same lineup to start the second half, and the Celtics came out and outscored the Hawks 10-5 before Mo came to get Zaza again at the 7:16 mark. So the Josh at SF lineup only played for 11 minutes that game, and it didn’t do so hot, posting a -9 in a game the Hawks lost by 6.
I checked the games around it and that lineup wasn’t used at all then, which isn’t surprising since it obviously was used for 32 or less during the season, 11 of which were during that game against Boston…
vava74
October 11th, 2009
5:26 am
Nire,
As always you are bring some sense to the table.
Frye is has some nice “soft” offensive skills, but he is hardly a real PF, in particular defensively.
People that judge players just by looking at the boxscores do know a single thing about BBall…
vava74
October 11th, 2009
5:26 am
And he is obviously not a real Center!!!
Samuel
October 11th, 2009
5:49 am
hawks_4_life,
No, I hated it. The only good thing about that place is it’s about an hour from Vegas and 2 from LA and San Diego. Other than that, it sucks.
Arguing over positions is stupid. Frye is a good ballplayer. He would have helped this team but we decided to go with Crawford, Smith and Collins. I’d rather have Frye but he’s not here so let’s move on please.
Melvin
October 11th, 2009
9:55 am
Nire,
Comeon, look at the logjam of rotational bigs in Portland last season. Frye didn’t get consisten mins there. He played well in NYC and had a few good games in Portland. We’ll see whether he shines in PHX.
Vava74,
You question folks player evaluation skills b/c they reference boxscores to support their analysis and then agree with Niremetal who is the STAT KING that uses statistical data in all his disputes???
Sam,
Agreed with your 5:49 post.
Seven
October 11th, 2009
10:49 am
JT (Teague) played well even though his shot is flat, i told him he needs some arch on his shot
but he was fearless taking the rock to the hole.
Frank Robinson was all around impressive to me.
Juan Dixon needs to REMAIN a journeyman (no place can i see for him on this team) (he was the worst of all the guards that hit the floor).
Zaza and Mario were as expected.
Bibby lazy to me, he was half as’n the practice drills (not a good look).
Horford looked pretty nice out on the floor.
Garet Siler in my view of things appears to be a BUST so far, he didnt play preseason nor did he play in practice. Is the reasoning still because he is ‘out of shape’? (if so that is UNEXCUSABLE)
Josh Smith once of his first shots of practice game was from the outside (i squenched) he needs to stay low!
Joe was same ol’ joe
niremetal
October 11th, 2009
12:28 pm
Melvin,
I’m sorry, but what? I think you must be getting me confused with someone else. I bash people ALL THE TIME for simply looking just at box scores. I’ve pointed to the “No Stats All-Star” article about 400 times and say at least once a week that a player’s value can’t be measured by stats. The only things I cite with any frequency at all are 1) the 82games lists of 5-man units; and 2) rebounding stats. That’s why I talk in the abstract so much – because I don’t think basketball can be learned from box scores.
I seriously have no freaking clue how you can call me the “stat king.” That’s like calling Ariose anti-YouTube.
niremetal
October 11th, 2009
12:29 pm
And I noticed you still won’t address why Frye would have any interest in coming to Atlanta over Phoenix. Funny.
niremetal
October 11th, 2009
12:48 pm
I just went back in checked. In the past 14 days, I have made about 90 posts total. I have brought up stats in exactly two of those posts – both times the stat was minutes per game and both times it was to make the point.
I brought up or cited to a box score only twice. The first time was to correct someone who posted that our guards had combined to shoot 8 for 27 from the field in the preseason opener (I pointed out that they actually had shot 14 for 30). The second was above, when Gin/Ariose linked to the box score of the one game where Josh started at SF last year, and I pointed out that he was only SF for 11 minutes in that game, and the Hawks did worse with that lineup (-9) than they did the rest of the game (+3).
On the other hand, I did make this statement 9 days ago:
http://blogs.ajc.com/hawks/2009/09/30/did-johnson-makes-the-right-call/comment-page-2/#comment-31911
I put about as much stock into a player’s box score stats as I do into astrology (read: none). That’s why my favorite guys in the NBA are the Shane Battiers and Bruce Bowens who help their teams win in ways that NEVER show up in stats. And why I was pushing for Woody to play Mario more this past year despite the fact that he’d never create a blip in the box score.
As I said, you must be getting me confused with something else. My posts almost never include stats, and when they do, they usually focus on things that can’t be gleaned from looking at the box score. I am a fierce critic of the John Hollingers and other who try to reduce basketball to stats, so I don’t know where you get the idea that I’m the “stat king” who uses statistical data in all my disputes. That’s just BS.
Melvin
October 11th, 2009
12:53 pm
Nire,
Read again. My response was to Vava74, in reference to the boxscore comment. As for Frye (or any player of that matter), we don’t know all the factors that go into their decisions. You make a valid point about him wanting to go back to Phx (I have no argument against that) but do you know if the Hawks had any interest in him? Also, I only suggest who I like to see the Hawks acquire. I don’t get involved with why or why not a player would be a Hawk. I don’t have that type of inside info so I don’t engage in type of discussion unless a player was quoted with related info.
Melvin
October 11th, 2009
1:02 pm
Nire,
Why are you so touchy about the stat comment? You have referred to stats, quotes and etc to make a point and I never given you any grief about in the past. My response was to Vava74 and how he question someone opinion b/c that cited a boxscore and give you credit when you reference the boxscore in your previous arguement with Ariose. It ain’t that serious Nire….
vava74
October 11th, 2009
1:33 pm
Melvin,
You attacked my post by referring nire as a stat king, I think that nire had the right to directly contest your post.
I attacked your post because I know that Frye looks good on boxscores but is a deeply flawed player.
He has a jump shooting game on a large frame, he is soft as a puff down low, has no real post moves and is a huge defensive liability.
If Frye was such a great ball player as his stats might indicate to the untrained eye (the way that he fills up a boxscore once in while) how come he has been jumping from team to team?
Obviously I would not say no to him being a 10th to 13th guy in our roster, however, you cannot count on him being as useful and productive as for instance Crawford or Joe Smith can.
And don’t mix Collins in the same conversation: Collins was hired as a big body with on the ball defensive ability, something that Frye obviously does not bring to the table.
Back to stats and boxscores:
Do you consider Zach Randolph a good player? How well fare his teams? How about Iverson since Larry Brown left Philly?
There are stats and stats and boxscores only tell a very small portion of the story.
ILL-logical
October 11th, 2009
1:53 pm
This week should give the fans a chance to see all of the roster proir to the final cuts. While there are some obvious candidates for the axe, there could be some surprises on the final roster. Whoever makes the cut will have a chance to be part of a very good team that should be at least as good during the regular season but have an post season.
Melvin
October 11th, 2009
1:58 pm
Vava,
Read my post again. I was WATCHING the GS/Phx game last night. Not one time did I mention Frye stats. Considering Frye age, ability, size and modest contract I thought he would be a great addition to this team. Much as I like Joe Smith, he and Collins are probably 1yr rentals where as Frye could have been signed for multiple years.
vava74
October 11th, 2009
2:20 pm
Melvin,
The issue seems to be that people around here all cry out for the Hawks being contenders this year or at least to fare well in the second round and maybe reach the conference finals (which I believe to be a realistic objective).
That is why we went after Joe Smith and Collins covering some specific needs: front court help, veteran tutelage to Al and Josh and defensive skills or body weight to play against Howard and Shaq.
Frye would not contribute in any of these needs since he is a jump shooter, young and in need of tutelage himself and cannot defend big opponents down low.
Hence, Frye would not help us become a stronger outfit this year as these one year rentals will (at least as we all hope).
Also, the reasoning used for boxscores is applicable in general to any performance against the Warriors since Nelson’s teams have a tendency to make own players and opposition players look A LOT BETTER than they really are.
Frye is suited for Phoenix’s running system, as for instance Tim Thomas was for the last bit of the 2005-06 season, but he would not suit our system.
Woody may have many shortcomings but one thing is certain, the Hawks play good team defence. Since Frye doesn’t have a clue defensively, his usefulness would be extremely limited unless he had a very strong evolution in that front (unlikely).
By overlooking this, even if you are not, you do seem like someone who only looks at boxscores when expressing an appreciation for a player.
All the above applies as well, for instance, to Charlie Villanueva: he simply did not fit our game. I saw him playing with Al for DR and he was extremely selfish offensively and extremely lazy defensively.
All the opposite of what we needed.
Something slightly different happens with Crawford – who is also known as being a guy “who never says no to a shot” – since his role as 6th man calls for him to be an offensive threat more that anything else. Furthermore, his assists’ averages show that he can also share the ball effectively when called to do that.
Melvin
October 11th, 2009
2:41 pm
Vava,
First you accuse me of looking at the boxscores, then when I told you to read my post again. You make this statement:
“By overlooking this, even if you are not, you do seem like someone who only looks at boxscores when expressing an appreciation for a player.”
Reveiw the archives and find where I reference boxscores. As for how you feel who do or don’t fit this team, thats your opinion and your opinion is no better than anyone else’s.
Melvin
October 11th, 2009
2:43 pm
Also, I base my opinion of players by watching them play in person not boxscores. I attend Hawks and Bobcats games annually…
ufø
October 11th, 2009
3:49 pm
Samuel is the ESPN NBA.com fantasy basketball for free?
ufø
October 11th, 2009
3:53 pm
Please let me know if you know something.
niremetal
October 11th, 2009
4:08 pm
Melvin,
I’m sorry man, but I’m “touchy” about it because you called me “the STAT KING that uses statistical data in all his disputes.” The fact that it was addressed to someone else doesn’t change the fact that you were talking about me. When you say something about someone else on a public blog that you know the other person reads, you should expect the other person to respond. When you say it in a post that also had a segment addressed to that person, you really should expect them to respond. When you say something about them that is, frankly, a load of crap, you REALLY should expect them to respond.
I take great pride in the amount of time I spend watching games instead of reading box scores and looking up stats. If you hadn’t painted a picture of me being “the STAT KING” who constantly uses stats in his arguments, I wouldn’t have said anything. But since you did, I think I had a pretty good reason to be “touchy” in response.
hawks_4_life
October 11th, 2009
4:46 pm
UFO
I dont think anything relating to ESPN is free!!!!
niremetal
October 11th, 2009
4:55 pm
This one is just for Clyde:
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/nets/nets_williams_chases_another_long_4dHX9AUzzLjn7ct8OofrlL
The Nets happily grabbed Sean Williams with the 17th pick in the 2007 draft, looking beyond his checkered history and seeing Rodman-like potential in the 6-foot-10 jumping-jack forward with the flexible, shot-blocking wingspan.
Now, as he prepares for his third pro season, Williams is playing for his NBA career. The Nets have until Oct. 31 to pick up Williams’ contract option and it is likely, almost certain, they will pass. His contributions and potential have been overshadowed by a perceived laissez-faire attitude and a series of bad decisions that landed him, among other places, in anger management classes.
Ouch. It’s very rare for a team to fail to pick up an option on a first round pick since rookie contracts are so cheap. Yup, Sean Williams would have been sooooooooooo much better than Horford.
Ariose
October 11th, 2009
5:13 pm
LOL@ low blow! hehehe!!…
KevinA
October 11th, 2009
5:40 pm
Are the Hawks on radio tonight?
Jody
October 11th, 2009
6:25 pm
As I’m listening to game, the hawks have NO post game whatsoever.
vava74
October 11th, 2009
6:50 pm
Melvin,
If you fail to see how Frye’s game is flawed and how he would not fit in then we should not debate.
Remember, posting on a blog like this should not be mixed up with a conversation between two people.
Nonetheless, I think it makes some logic to go over this issue again:
You shouted something which I profoundly disagree on (Frye’s game) and I shouted back with my opinion on Frye and not necessarily to accuse YOU personally of posting on account of looking at THIS boxscore.
The reason for my shout back relates precisely with the fact that I strongly disagreed with many who suggested that we should have gone after Frye or Villanueva.
I shouted back against the concept – giving meaning to boxscores – which goes beyond the actual fact of looking at a specific boxscore since it includes a certain way of looking at basketball which gives too much importance to certain aspects of the game, overlooking others which are more important.
Melvin
October 11th, 2009
7:06 pm
Nire,
I’m sorry that you take so much pride in a public blog where the users are anonymous (for the most part) and everyone opinion is subjective.
Melvin
October 11th, 2009
7:20 pm
Vava,
I agree that Joe Smith is savvy vet that could be a good addition to this team but he’s not known as a banger either. There’s quite a few 6-10 and taller guys that are consider finesse players but games are very effective such Bosh, Aldridge, Gasol, just to name a few….
cp
October 11th, 2009
7:22 pm
You can listen to the game on 790 the zone. Its halftime now they are down 49-46. Marvin is 6-11 so far. They are 0-6 behind the 3 point line. Teague has 5 poins and 4 dimes in the first half. They are talking about the number of fouls called and the many turnovers. I missed the first half so im just typing what im hearing so far. Hunter had 6 first half points. Josh Smith 8 points and 6 boards in the fist half. Hawks shooting 44 percent. Thats the recap they gave.
Melvin
October 11th, 2009
7:36 pm
Josh is having a block party. He has 4 at the start of the 3rd.
CP,
I listened to the 1st half and the annoucers where saying that Marvin looks real good.
Mz. Hawkdafied
October 11th, 2009
8:04 pm
What up Hawks folks! It’s the end of the 3rd quarter and the score is Hawks-66 and the Pistons-75. Ben Gordon hit a 3 pointer at the buzzer. Good thing this is another glorified scrimmage. Hey hope this doesn’t mean the Hawks will still struggle on the road.
One more quarter to go.
Keep it Hawks!
Mz. Hawkdafied
October 11th, 2009
8:07 pm
Ben Gordon is hot. Time for a heat check. Our birds are down by 14 now. The road woes continue even in the preseason.
cp
October 11th, 2009
8:07 pm
They sound like they are playing sloppy out there now. Teague and Hunter sound like they are playing well though.
vava74
October 11th, 2009
8:14 pm
Melvin,
Joe Smith is lean but knows how to use is slight frame on defence. Collins is the physical defender (sheer mass with “feet-placing and butt-pushing know how”).
Of the guys you mentioned, I only really like Gasol and look how long it took him to have a complete game…
Bosh is a finesse player – no defence, little low post moves – who doesn’t make his teams win.
In relation to Aldridge, the jury is still out, however, he is a lot more physical than Frye and McMillan would never play him if he had not shown him that he is, at least, a willing (if not effective) defender.
niremetal
October 11th, 2009
8:22 pm
51 fouls and still 5 and a half left. Guess the new refs are still a bit whistle-happy…
niremetal
October 11th, 2009
8:22 pm
Make that 52…
niremetal
October 11th, 2009
8:23 pm
53…
Melvin
October 11th, 2009
8:30 pm
Nire,
Since you are a Blazer fan (by default,ha), do you think Aldridge a phyiscal player?
Melvin
October 11th, 2009
8:31 pm
Sounds like Othello is making his case to keep his Hawks locker….
Jody
October 11th, 2009
8:35 pm
After listening to tonight’s game:
I really think Jeff Teague will be a contributor for the Hawks this year once he settles down and finds his rhythm within the offense. Eventually, however, the Hawks eventual demise will be their inability to get or score easy baskets.
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
.