Are you ready for opening night?
Al Horford and the Hawks insist they are ready to get things cracking in the Eastern Conference this season. We'll all find out soon enough. Horford and the Hawks face the Pacers Wednesday night at Philips Arena.
HAWKSVILLE – Answer the question.
Are you ready?
Are you ready for more of the craziness that is the NBA season and the Hawks’ role in it?
Are you ready for the season you love to hate, the team you love to hate and the game you just love to love?
Of course, you are.
You’ve been waiting what seems like forever, just like me and everyone else around here.
You couldn’t wait until the Hawks’ opener against the Pacers tonight at Philips Arena, could you?
We understand. Cleveland and Boston was a fine way to open the season, what with Rasheed Wallace posing a most frightening sight out there stroking shots from deep with the for flowing and sporting that classic Celtics uniform (and yes, that was Shelden Williams logging quality minutes for the Celtics early on, so maybe we were all wrong about the man some of you affectionately refer to as Mr. Parker?).
Not much else has changed for the last two teams to dispatch the Hawks in the playoffs. Kevin Garnett is still a monster. Same goes for Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, when the Celtics knock the dust off those old legs and get up and down the floor. The supporting cast looks rejuvenated and hungry.
LeBron James is already in MVP form. But the Cavaliers remain the flawed team we witnessed in that conference finals series against Orlando last year. They can bust out of the gate and build a double digit lead faster than any other team in the league. But they’re almost guaranteed to lose it just as fast when they’re dealing with another one of the league’s elite (and this is my formal challenge to Shaq and Zydrunas Ilgauskas to a foot race. Give me a month and I’m doing my Usain Bolt on those cats).
Seriously, the stuff we saw from Orlando in that preseason game last Friday reminds me of the same things we’ll see from the Magic and Celtics all season. They have the kind of talent across the frontline that will give everyone else in the East, the Hawks included, fits on most every night. They’re just too good, too deep and too versatile for most teams to handle when all things are equal.
Before the Hawks can worry about any of those teams they have to deal with the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center Sunday (at least they weren’t invited for Tuesday’s ring and banner raising ceremony). And that’s after they tussle with the Pacers and Washington Wizards (Friday at Philips) first.
Are the Hawks ready?
Are they ready for the season that seems like it never ends; the roller coaster that always seems to be their season?
Jamal Crawford (back), Kasim Reed (middle) and Ludacris (right) get it in during a recent fundraiser for Reed, the Atlanta mayoral candidate.
We’ll get our first real glimpse soon enough.
POLITICALLY CORRECT
Jamal Crawford political activist has a different ring to it.
It may be a bit of a stretch for the Hawks’ guard with the rapid-fire handle and endless bag of offensive tricks.
But Crawford showed off a different side earlier this week when he helped host celebrity fundraiser for Atlanta mayoral candidate Kasim Reed. Crawford joined Grammy award winning artist, actor and philanthropist Ludacris, music mogul and philanthropist Chaka Zulu and several others in throwing their public support behind Reed.
“Hey man, I’m all over, man,” a smiling Crawford joked when asked about his political activity. “A lot of people in his position talk the talk and promise a lot of stuff. I just like that he’s doing it. He cares about people. And I know how important some of the stuff he’s talking about doing is for the kids in this city, especially the recreational activities for young people. That’s where I lived when I was growing up. Things like late night [basketball] programs, that’s what kept me out of trouble when I was growing up. I was always in the gym. He wants to take it a step further with technology and education along with the sports programs and I think that could literally save a lot of kids’ lives.”
We’ve always stayed away from politics in this space and I’d suggest we continue that practice (Blog-Z does not endorse any of the candidates since he can’t vote in that election anyway and plans on running in the next Smyrna mayoral election). But I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised that a player is plugged into the local political scene, particularly one that has only been in town for a few months.
“The thing about it is, you can’t please everybody,” Crawford said. “You just have to do what you think is right. And I think he’s the best candidate.”
VICTORY
Count Hawks coach Mike Woodson among the growing legion of fans of veteran power forward Joe Smith’s lyrical alter ego, Joe Beast.
Woodson got his first listen to Smith’s Hawks’ anthem (”Victory”) after Tuesday’s practice and offered to sign Smith to his record label, which we all know doesn’t exist.
“Did you really make this?” Woodson, doing the worst impersonation of a hip-hop impresario ever witnessed, asked Smith. “That’s unbelievable that you could come up with that stuff. Unbelievable.”
Smith said he planned on doing something along the lines of the playoff anthem he did for Cleveland last season anyway, but he sped up his process at the behest of an unlikely source.
“That intro music would come on at the start of our preseason games and Jeff Teague would look at me every time we played and say, ‘come on Joe, what you gonna do?’” Smith said. “So you know I had to go into my lab and come up with something.”
Smith has been dabbling in music for more than a decade, since the early days of his career. It’s only recently, he said, that the finished product has caught up with his ambitions.
“When I first started I really wasn’t that confident in what I was doing,” he said. “But lately, I’ve been getting better and better and more and more confident in what I’m doing. I’m getting close to being ready to putting something out there. I’ve got my own equipment. And the technology is so good now that I’m able to tote some of it on the road with me and I write [lyrics] on the plane on road trips and other times when I have a little solitude and time to myself.”
Woodson was genuinely impressed.
“He’s got a talent that not everybody has,” Woodson said. “He’s worked at it, too. That’s not amateurish stuff right there. That’s impressive stuff.”
If you’re at Philips 90 minutes before the tip of the Pacers game, you might want to listen for the song. It’s full of interesting stuff about Smith and his teammates, including a shout out to Teague.
“I’ll take that,” Teague said before breaking into a dance move in front of his locker as Smith recited lyrics. “I’ll take that”
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306 comments Add your comment
theZaZaguy
October 28th, 2009
4:41 pm
Randy Wittman had a 56 percent shooting percentage. Why? Because every time he got a midrange jumper, he ran past 2-3 picks set for him while he ran across from one side of the court to the other. This was good for 15-20 points a game. If we could do that with an un-atheletic aging second round pick, we could surely do that with Marvin, Joe, Bibby, Crawford……….
jerrywest
October 28th, 2009
4:43 pm
Remember how we came out like gangbusters last year? That’s when Smoove got injured. Any paricular reason we should come out worse than last year?
Ken Strickland
October 28th, 2009
4:44 pm
Rap isn’t new. If fact, it’s been around for quite some time(remember LRawls(Tobacco Road), JBrown, IHayes, BWhite, The Sugar Hill Gang, Last Poets, etc). It was also a method often used to present poetry and it usually had a socially and/or politically redeemable message.
Unfortunately, it has morphed into what currently passes itself off as Rap, which is more closely related to CRAP than anything else. The vulgar, demeaning and degrading lyrics, and what attempts to pass itself off as a message, has no meaningful or redeemable social, political or moral value whatsoever. It’s meerly a glorification and reflection of the moral, spiritual and social decay we’re seeing everyday on the streets and in the neighborhoods of those who embrace that RAP CRAP. JUST MY HUMBLE OPINION!
26 years of ATL Hawks
October 28th, 2009
4:49 pm
Whitman comment is classic. Definitely got my ideas pegged there. Oh the days of Nique, Battle, Rivers, Spud, Tree, Levingston, Kontract, Carr, Whitman. Things that got a little kid going back in the day. We gotta hit the ground running tonight. Start a few 50+ win seasons to really remember. Whitman used his strengths. He didn’t try to be someone he wasn’t. Every one of our kids have the talent. It’s all in how they use it.
What’s with the music bashing? Has anyone really listened to the crap we play at our arena? I think some Joe Smith grooves would pump up the fans and the team. It’s gotta be better than some of the stuff we already play. We used to roll out to House of Pain at our games. That’d get everyone bouncing.
Traceman
October 28th, 2009
4:57 pm
Let’s get this party started! I am very excited about the start of the season and I look forward to seeing what we can do. All I ask is that the guys play hard every night and that they play as a team. If they do that, they will win their fair share of games and it will be an exciting season.
There are those who feel that we can’t compete with the so-called “Big Three” in the EC and that may prove to be true. It also may prove to be way off base. That is why they play the games. That being said, There is no shame in not being as good as those teams (or the Lakers for that matter). LeBron and Kobe are the best players in the game and both have stellar supporting casts. ORL has the league’s most physically dominating big man surrounded by 3 other players who have played in the All Star game. BOS has 4 players who have played in multiple All Star games and a 5th (Rondo) who may yet play in one. Those teams are all special.
For us to compete with those teams, more than one of our still young guys will have to take their games to another level. Will that happen this year? I don’t know. But I sure look forward to finding out. Go Hawks!
Hawks Fan In New Orleans
October 28th, 2009
4:57 pm
theZaZaguy – thanks for clarifying that my man.
Officer Big Ray – couldn’t have said it better.
Ken Strickland – good looking on the references to Last Poets and James Brown etc as true artist they were.
Ken Strickland
October 28th, 2009
5:12 pm
THEZAZAGUY-Bobby Knight, Woodson’s college HC and mentor, was very successful using baseline cuts, backcuts, having players continuously cutting to the basket and attacking the basket. Larry Brown, his NBA employer and mentor, employed an almost identical system for RHamilton, as the one you described for RWhitman.
I mentioned a couple of yrs ago that I believed Woodson wants to separate himself from his mentors and establish his own destinctive identity. He’s trying to accomplish this by putting in HIS system, which bears no resemblance or contains no components of either of the systems used by his mentors. Even though his system isn’t getting the most out of the talent of his player, or the team as a whole, he refuses to accept that failure as the result of his system, because he sees it as a direct negative reflection upon him. That’s also why he blames the players, or lack of talent, experience, vet PG etc. It’s also why he refuses to take advise from his assistants or employ any outside help.
Despite all of that, I hope we get off to our usually good start and maintain it throughout the season. GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JustaThought
October 28th, 2009
5:38 pm
I didn’t relize Rondo was a malcontent for the Celts……..He seems to run that team fairly well, as a matter of fact if he was to go down by injury, I think we all will see how improtant he is to making the Celts flow.
cp
October 28th, 2009
6:18 pm
We have a better team than the Pacers. I hope the guys come out focused and put them away early. The Hawks are known to play down to their competition so I hope they are focused tonight. I hope to see something new with this offense. If the game against Orlando is any indication of what to expect on the offensive side of the ball then its going to be a long season. Woodson needs to look at some better basketball tapes or something and open this offense up. I’m sick of the ISO and stand around and hope somebody makes a shot offense. Get some motion going , set some screens, some pick and pop, some pick and roll, something period.
rms
October 28th, 2009
6:42 pm
They wont be focused. Their excuse will be “We just werent ready to play! They played with more energy and focus. We just have to correct our mistakes and get better. Its only the first game. We’ll be okay”. Typical Hawks. The most consistent inconsistent team in the NBA.
vava74
October 28th, 2009
6:48 pm
just a few minutes to go…
cp
October 28th, 2009
6:54 pm
And please no heat check tonight from Nique
bigdave
October 28th, 2009
6:59 pm
LETS GET IT!!!
Hawks Fan In New Orleans
October 28th, 2009
6:59 pm
Rondo is no malcontent – he plays with a maturity beyond his years. Rasheed is no malcontent, as long as he is winning.
Melvin
October 28th, 2009
7:01 pm
The Hawks 2009-10 season has officially started. Lets get ready to RUMBLE.
MyView
October 28th, 2009
7:21 pm
Is anyones tv showing a college football replay instead of the hawks
Melvin
October 28th, 2009
7:31 pm
Joe and Bibby are having a terrible first qtr….
bigdave
October 28th, 2009
7:31 pm
Josh looks like an all-star, Joe looks bad early
niremetal
October 28th, 2009
7:32 pm
An All Star? How many points has Murphy burned him for? Come on.
fudd21
October 28th, 2009
7:34 pm
Joe and Bibby aren’t looking too good right now. Josh has energy and is attacking the basket.
niremetal
October 28th, 2009
7:34 pm
I won’t reserve my venom for Josh. JJ is shooting like crap and Marvin is playing crappy D too. But Josh has played amazingly lazy D. He got one steal but has been incredibly slow closing out on Murphy – who has already hit two shots before Josh even got back on D.
This is eerily like the inconsistent Hawks we all know and love/hate. The good (Josh’s thunder dunks and some nice passes by Bibby) and the bad (see above).
niremetal
October 28th, 2009
7:36 pm
I’m not gonna bother. Pretty clear people are only seeing the things they want to see.
bigdave
October 28th, 2009
7:38 pm
Nire…
mainly on the offensive end sir… though he does have a steal… and it was quite the exaggeration… its game 1…
bigdave
October 28th, 2009
7:39 pm
i think the rotating d has been lazy… Bibby’s been late.. Joe… Marvin..
clearly Josh has been the best Hawk on the floor…
fudd21
October 28th, 2009
7:39 pm
Nire, I’m just glad to see him attacking the basket. but you are right they arent guarding granger or murphy at all.
Melvin
October 28th, 2009
7:40 pm
Nire,
How can you single out one person for the team defensive lapses when the Hawks are switching defenders on defense? How many open shots have Granger gotten?
bigdave
October 28th, 2009
7:40 pm
Foster in the game… someone alert the APD…
bigdave
October 28th, 2009
7:40 pm
oh yea.. he’s playing laaaaazy alright…
pff…
bigdave
October 28th, 2009
7:42 pm
he did something like that at G-St…
my goodness… he’s in the building…
Melvin
October 28th, 2009
7:43 pm
Great steal and shot to end the 1st qtr. Good or not that was a great shot… Welcome to Atlanta J Crawford…..
bigdave
October 28th, 2009
7:45 pm
well NY…
1st highlight out the gate…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loOQJOwr2uw
Big Ray
October 28th, 2009
7:45 pm
Heh. I knew Josh would get the first barb….
niremetal
October 28th, 2009
7:45 pm
Melvin,
I already said Marvin’s played lazy D. Marvin’s been the worst player out there tonight. But Josh’s D on Murphy has been atrocious, and you’re just making stuff up if you’re blaming it on switching. Not one of Murphy’s shots has been when someone had switched off onto him. Sorry, but they haven’t. Every single one was Josh not getting back on D, not respecting Murphy’s range, or otherwise not watching his man.
Josh is attacking the basket. And that’s gotten us 10 points. But his lazy D has cost us 11. That’s not a net good thing.
fudd21
October 28th, 2009
7:47 pm
wow! woody using a 10 player rotation already. now that is something new
Big Ray
October 28th, 2009
7:48 pm
Solo sighting this early in the game? Oh wait, he’s playing for Indiana now….
DawgHaek
October 28th, 2009
7:48 pm
I have att-uverse and am getting the Al-Tenn. football replay and not the Hawks!
WTF!
niremetal
October 28th, 2009
7:49 pm
I’m just getting tired of this. People only notice the flaws in the players they don’t like and ignore the ones in the players they do. I know that’s par for the course, but it’s getting tiresome.
And no, I didn’t ignore my favs’ flaws. JJ and Marvin have both played quite badly tonight – Marvin has frankly been atrocious, two backcourt steals notwithstanding. Horford has actually looked pretty good in general, but he hasn’t been playing good help D.
Why is it so hard to remove the filter when watching the game? I’m just getting tired of people only seeing what they want to see.
bigdave
October 28th, 2009
7:51 pm
goodness i like what Joe Smith brings us…
Big Ray
October 28th, 2009
7:53 pm
Getting outrebounded like this is not going to work. I sure hope the bench can help here, but as usual, the problem remains with the starters.
bigdave
October 28th, 2009
7:54 pm
wow… Woody letting em’ rest…
Najeh Davenpoop
October 28th, 2009
7:56 pm
Jeff Teague and Joe Smith look like they already have a nice chemistry working. Teague already has two dimes to Smith, and set him up with another wide open shot that Smith bricked.
Unfortunately on the defensive end and on the glass the Hawks are getting outworked. They need to step up the effort on that end.
niremetal
October 28th, 2009
7:57 pm
Don’t get too excited yet, bigdave…let’s see if Woody can keep them out past the 7:00 mark.
Najeh Davenpoop
October 28th, 2009
7:57 pm
Teague has a lot of work to do on the defensive end. The steals are nice, but he’s letting his man get by him way too easily, and that’s where he has the most potential to help the Hawks since Bibby has a hard time keeping his man in front of him as well.
bigdave
October 28th, 2009
7:58 pm
gotta get around that screen young fella…
Big Ray
October 28th, 2009
7:58 pm
Joe sets up Teague for the three. VERY nice….
bigdave
October 28th, 2009
7:58 pm
Teague playing PG
Najeh Davenpoop
October 28th, 2009
7:59 pm
But on the flip side I guess I should be happy just to see Teague on the floor, after Acie Law rotted on the bench during his entire Hawks career.
niremetal
October 28th, 2009
7:59 pm
Nope. Heh.
niremetal
October 28th, 2009
7:59 pm
The Hawks’ D is just nonexistent tonight, though.
bigdave
October 28th, 2009
7:59 pm
Nire…
thats like putting my dinner on the floor and my dog not eating it… but it was progress…