Whaddya know?
Greetings, all-
Hope you are well. As things sometimes go in my life, I was just about to post a new blog but I was messing around with it and it all disappeared. That’s how I roll. So this will probably be not quite as in-depth. Trust me, it was awesome. (I am being cynical.)
Anyway, I’ll give you some links and invite you to join in a contest.
Links
1) Sekou has started at nba.com and has his blog up.
2) nba.com’s new power rankings are up. The Hawks are in the top slot. For some of you guys who’ve been around, that must qualify as mind-boggling.
3) nba.com’s David Aldridge caught up with Billy Knight. Knight looks back on the Marvin Williams over Chris Paul draft – “Sure, if you had taken one of those guys, there could have been a whole domino effect of things that happened. But that’s not what happened.” – and gives his take on the Joe Johnson trade.
4) Interesting story in the Oregonian about Brandon Roy and Joe Johnson. (One matchup to watch, obviously. Another is Greg Oden-Al Horford. Somewhat interestingly, the last time the two faced off in Atlanta was in the 2007 NCAA championship at the Georgia Dome, a game I happened to cover.)
The contest
I’m guessing most of you didn’t see the Hawks’ 8-2 start coming. So that got me thinking, what happens over the next 10 games? Here are the rules. Guess the team’s record over the next 10 (10 points), predict each game (one point each) and offer a prediction on something that happens over that span (1-10 points, to be judged by me on creativity and probability of occurence. For example, “Joe Johnson will lead the team in scoring at least once” is a 1. “Jeff Teague will average a triple-double” is a 10. Actually, if you make that prediction and it comes to pass, you’ll win the contest outright and Rick Sund may come calling for you.)
I reserve the right to decide that only entrants who pick the record accurate can win, depending on how busy/not excited about tabulating scores I am. Not sure what the prize will be, but I’ll try to come up with something good.
(Entering multiple times under different screen names is not cool and not sporting.)
Deadline is tipoff of tonight’s game.
Good luck to ya.
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497 comments Add your comment
You know who this is Mother F_cker
November 18th, 2009
10:23 am
“We’re a fool” ,9:58 am, I talk to people on an individual basis. I see you as a Ho, so i talk to you like a Ho, Ho.
When I shout out to the b!tches and ho’s you answer, when I shout out to true hawks fans Samuel and Snowman, Truth-Serum , Kevin A and Big Ray answers. They may not like my style or opinion but they show respect and so they get it in return.
Bitches like you dont so you get none in return. Nothing hypocritical about that. Ho.
You know who this is Mother F_cker
November 18th, 2009
10:28 am
Lets see how many ho’s on this sight…..
Shout out to all the ho’s! Hollar back b!tches
O'Brien
November 18th, 2009
10:54 am
Back to basketball. Tim D and Parker have tweaked their ankles and missed time, Lakers are w/o Gasol, Magic missed VC and will be w/o Nelson for 4-6 weeks.
Hopefully the Hawks can stay injury free. Sure, we have more depth than we’ve ever had. But imagine if Al, Josh, JJ, or Bibby gets hurt? We have adequate replacements for each, but then our bench would not be as effective. If our guys stay healthy, I dont expect us to have the kind of losing streaks we did last year.
As for the game tonight, DWade is going to get his, but I think Woody should double him (which we did not do in the playoffs). Force other guys to make shots, and try not to give DWade any easy dunks. Foul him, and send him to the line.
Dawg
November 18th, 2009
11:03 am
Wow, we need a new blog to come up from our best writer. This blog is taking a dive. We discuss each other instead of the Hawks.
We need an article full of Atlanta Hawks info to get us going again.
Truth-Serum
November 18th, 2009
11:23 am
To all the gentlemen who have uttered a whim of displeasure concerning my republication of archived statements of various blogger in an an attempt to inquire as to the likelihood that you might take responsibility for what prose your mouth ejaculates, please renew me.
I offer apologies for juxtaposing such paradoxes.
I guess that leave us with two options: A, be more accountable for what we say , or B, Take Samuel’ s advice and STFU!
Woodson=COY
rusty
November 18th, 2009
11:26 am
well jj played great in the last quarter but it was his fault how we played in the first three. his one on one play & ball pounding took us away from all our up tempo play of late. he needs to take a lot less shots. i hope his heroics dont make him think that he should be trying to be such a dominent force in our offense. this team plays good when the ball movement is good.i know we are all to a great start but the primary reason for this is that we havent relied on iso joe offense.
Ken Strickland
November 18th, 2009
11:26 am
STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES!!! THE CONSISTENT USE OF VULGARITY IS A SURE SIGN OF A LIMITED VOCABULARY!!! Wasn’t Jesus portrayed as being SOFT spoken? I guess this clown would use that as an excuse to call him a Ho or B!tch.
BASED ON WHAT THIS CLOWN IS SAYING, ANYONE AND EVERYONE GROWING UP IN LOS ANGELES WILL AUTOMATICALLY BECOME A VULGAR, PSYCHOLOGICALLY FRAGILE, SEMI ILLITERATE HARDNOSE THAT NEEDS MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES TO HIDE THAT FRAGILE PSYCHI AND DEFLECT ISSUES HE/SHE/IT IS TOO WEAKMINDED TO EFFECTIVELY CONFRONT. That’s called departmental thinking, which permits one to believe things like, anyone White growing up in the South is automatically a racist, or anyone growing up in Texas automatically loves football, horses and guns, or anyone growing up in San Francisco is automatically gay. THEREFORE, THAT TRAIN OF LIMITED, DEPARTMENTAL THINKING PERMITS HIM/HER/IT TO THINK ANYONE THAT DISAGREES WITH HIM/HER/IT, ESPECIALLY IF THEIR ARGUMENT IS VALID, IS EITHER A HO OR A B!TCH.
However, no one, absolutely no one, is allowed to pass judgement on him/her/it, because he/she/it grew up in Los Angeles, WHICH EXCUSES EVERYTHING. Isn’t it amusing that someone who demonstrates so little SELF RESPECT and respect for others makes such an issue of being respected? I guess confusion and contradiction are automatic byproducts of having multiple identities and/or personalities. SICK PUPPY!!
Truth-Serum
November 18th, 2009
11:27 am
*various bloggers
Truth-Serum
November 18th, 2009
11:30 am
Ken, I hope you are having a nice day. Its nice to hear from you. What are your thoughts on tonight’s game? Do you think Woodson will be a top 4 for coach of the Year? Boy were you up blogging at 3-4 in the morning?
Traceman
November 18th, 2009
11:33 am
GeeMack,
I’d LOVE to get LeBron, Kobe or D Wade here but PLEASE tell me under what scenario you see that happpening? The only way I can see it happening is if one of the 3 makes it clear they are not resigning with their current team and they try to force a sign and trade that helps them end up in the ATL. Do you see that happening? We don’t have the caproom to just go out and sign a top tier guy if JJ doesn’t resign here. Getting a top tier guy would have to be via trade.
The problem is that any potential sign and trade that CLE, MIA or LAL would CONSIDER for LeBron, D Wade or Kobe would likely entail us sending the other team more than we can afford to send in return.
Say MIA WOULD agree to trade D Wade to us. What do you think they would want in return? If I’m them, I accept nothing less than Smoove, Al and an unprotected #1. If JJ would agree to it (I wouldn’t if I were him, I’d just resign here), they might accept JJ, Al and an unprotected #1. The question then becomes, are we better with:
Al/Zaza
Smoove/Joe S.
Marv/Mo
JJ/Crawford
Bibby/Teague
or
Zaza/Collins
Joe S/Morris
JJ/Mo
D Wade/Crawford
Bibby/Teague
or
Zaza/Collins
Smoove/ Joe S.
Marv/Mo
D Wade/Crawford
Bibby/Teague
Personally, I’ll take team #1.
jerrywest
November 18th, 2009
11:37 am
Anyone who is thinking about Kobe/LeBron/Wade in Atl is wasting his time.
Truth-Serum
November 18th, 2009
11:39 am
I just read your blog. Wow you are certainly opinionated. That blog kind of reminds me of some of your post on Woodson. Its nice to know that you have read my posts. Some here feel I’m a little hard on you. So i m trying to be kinder.
Well its off to the Dentist and then to class before tonight’s game.
Im trying to find something positive to take from you blog: You put periods after every sentence. Way to go!
Have a nice day.
I hope you have a nice day.
Truth-Serum
November 18th, 2009
11:40 am
We dont need either Kobe, lebron or d wade. JJ and Crawford, plus smoove is enough.
Traceman
November 18th, 2009
11:43 am
Marvin on 790 the Zone right now.
Truth-Serum
November 18th, 2009
11:44 am
*your blog
Truth-Serum
November 18th, 2009
11:46 am
I wouldn’t say Jesus was soft, nor would I compare you to Jesus, Ken. Jesus die for the sin of others. You just sin.
Truth-Serum
November 18th, 2009
11:46 am
*died
E.J. a.k.a. HomeGrown
November 18th, 2009
11:53 am
What’s going on to the blog. I have been away for a while, and it has been rough, but not for my Hawks though. I want to say what’s up to the portal five hommies: Manny T, Saunte, and doc. Along with everyone else I have met down there. HOPEFULLY, I will be at the game tonight to see these changes to I have read about today. I am no longer the butt of jokes in my barber shop, I am the King. Long live the King!!!
Traceman
November 18th, 2009
12:06 pm
Summary of Marv’s interview:
- The team has improved every year, particularly himself, Smoove and Al. He, Smoove and AL are all MUCH better.
- Best team he has played on by far. Talented guys all over the roster.
- Would have given games like POR away in the past.
- Celtics win was big mentally. Last year’s close loss to BOS let them know they could compete but actually winning in that environment was huge. Team has had it’s biggest struggles on the road. Knowing that we can be a good road team is big. If you can win your fair share on the road, you can win 50-55 games and that is a great season.
- When asked if the team hated BOS, he said nobody likes you when you win, he knew that from personal experience (I assume he meant at UNC). He said the BOS guys were good guys, competitors.
- MIA is good. SE Division is tough. Arenas is back in WAS and CHA will be better with the trade (my opinion – we’ll see about CHA being better).
- When asked about his shooting woes, he said that all athletes in all sports go through tough stretches. He said that right now, he is trying to contribute by focusing on defending and rebounding and that he will guard the opposing team’s best player on most nights and make his contribution that way.
Hawk n the Ham
November 18th, 2009
12:23 pm
Here’s a question for everyone.
If Hawks package Marvin & Rand Mo in a trade for a forward. Who could we get??
Mz. Hawkdafied
November 18th, 2009
12:25 pm
This blog sucks now. What happened to the quality? Oh well guess Sekou Smith took it with him. This used to be one of the best Hawks blogs. AHHH!
We're not fooled
November 18th, 2009
12:33 pm
And we all noticed that the hypocrisy was not denied.
Daniel
November 18th, 2009
12:48 pm
Traceman- thanks for the recap. Nice job.
Mz. Hawkdafied- I don’t want to believe that you are right. But, you probably are. My guess is that since the team is playing so well, most people don’t have a lot to complain about so they just attack each other. Really, it is only a couple of people.
Hawk ‘n Ham- probably not much right now. Nobody wants RandMo (even though his contract is expiring it so little that it is not really a value). Marvin’s contract is valuable if a team believes that he still has growth. However, if Marvin is just slumping and will get back to and beyond his 13 points a game, etc. Then he is more valuable to us.
Daniel
November 18th, 2009
12:57 pm
rusty- I was at the game. The problem in the first three quarters was not Joe Johnson playing too much iso. There was a lot of good ball movement. The Trailblazer’s zone gave us trouble getting into the lane, and everyone was having an off night shooting. Particularly Crawford and Marvin.
Joe took over the game down the stretch. Isn’t that what we want him to do?
Rod from College Park
November 18th, 2009
1:07 pm
Traceman,
Marvin needs to be in the gym learning how to play basketball. Stop talking on the radio, and improve your game Marvin. I will give him credit, he is a good rebounder, but his defense has been below average. Joe has had to check the best players majority of the time this year. Marvin makes too much money to be average to below average. TRADE MARVIN WILLIAMS……………………………
Hawk n the Ham
November 18th, 2009
1:15 pm
How bout throwing Marvin, Rand Mo, and a draft pick to the Bulls to get Deng???
Daniel
November 18th, 2009
1:20 pm
What is Deng’s contract situation?
Traceman
November 18th, 2009
1:36 pm
Rod,
Marvin knows how to play ball, he proved that last year. He’s in a slump and he needs to work his way out of it.
I have actually seen signs if improvement in certain aspects of his game. He handles the ball better on the break and in traffic. He seems to be able to go to his left more. I really liked the post up spin move he used on Pierce in the BOS game. Where did THAT come from?
His problems are FAR more mental than physical at this point. Once he finds his shot, I think he will get back to playing like he did last year – hopefully, even better.
One thing I noticed on his shot is that during the game, he is actually waiting too long to release the ball and he is trying to guide it rather than shoot it (he isn’t doing it in warmups). He actually shot a couple of wide open J’s versus POR where he didn’t release the ball until he was coming down. That shows a lack of confidence. I’m just glad that we are winning during his slump.
26 years of ATL Hawks
November 18th, 2009
1:43 pm
Season start is outstanding, with the exceptions of two second halves where we gave the game away. Rebounding and interior defense is key. I’m loving the post presence in terms of boards and thus points in the paint. Can’t deny the fact that Crawford gives us an edge no one else has from their bench. There are some nights our bench seems stronger than our 1st team unit. Definitely great to see. Everyone hating on Marvin needs to let him find his niche. We’re winning. That’s all that counts. He’s giving us good rebounding and defense. In time his offense will follow. I think he’s still too tentative to go to the basket like he did last year. That’s what opened up the outside shooting for him. I think he’s afraid of further back injury. You’ve only got one back…can you blame him. Give him time. Hopefully he’ll regain the confidence to drive the lane. As for JTO he’s just gotta play his game and not worry. With or without stats to be proud of he has played well. When he pushes for stats he ends up missing shots and turning the ball over. Run the offense, your stats will come. To me it’s just not making mistakes. That’s what Woody is looking for. Props to Woody for just staying calm, staying consistent. Whether we’re winning like crazy or losing – he’s always focussed. No one can deny when we run Woody’s game we destroy teams. When we don’t we can go either way. Don’t be so critical. He’s got this young team moving forward. All he needs is to maintain the good veteran locker room presence. The system will work for this team. We’re showing we’ve got some good pieces. I’m excited about tonight. Hopefully Al & Josh can set the tone defensively, get some shots inside and set the stage for some open jumpers and transition buckets for the guards. That’s when we win. It all starts down low.
Best team in my ATL memory. Go Hawks!
Hawk n the Ham
November 18th, 2009
1:44 pm
@ Daniel,
Luol Deng on ESPN player profile lists 2010: $10,365,000
Does that mean is contract is worth 10 mil thru 2010 season??
vava74
November 18th, 2009
1:54 pm
E.J. a.k.a. HomeGrown,
These guys are still around, however, they are posting more regularly at the Hawks Nest blog, also here on AJC and which is “run” by Big Ray and HB Ando.
vava74
November 18th, 2009
1:55 pm
E.J. a.k.a. HomeGrown,
These guys are still around, however, they are posting more regularly at the Hawks Nest blog, also here on AJC and that is “run” by Big Ray and HB Ando.
vava74
November 18th, 2009
2:02 pm
E.J. a.k.a. HomeGrown,
These guys are still around.
However, they are posting more regularly at the Hawks Nest blog, also here on AJC and which is “run” by Big Ray and HB Ando.
vava74
November 18th, 2009
2:05 pm
Traceman,
You are right on the money. I have been saying the same thing about Marvin’s shot on the last couple of game blogs and on Hawks’ Nest, next door.
He is releasing the ball when he is already falling which is clearly a mental thing.
KevinA
November 18th, 2009
2:14 pm
RLP
November 17th, 2009
11:13 pm
KevinA:
Your analysis at 5:06 sounded good but I think your figures failed to consider assists based on playing time. I have not tried to do the analysis but I would bet that if you added assists per minutes played you would reach a different perspective.
Sorry it took so long to respond. Your point is well taken. The thrust of my post was Jamal being more of a distributor and shooting closer to the basket. I would like to see your assists pre minute perspective. Show me your numbers and then lets chat.
Daniel
November 18th, 2009
2:17 pm
That means that he will be due 10 mil this season.
Sautee
November 18th, 2009
2:40 pm
Hawk n the Ham,
Why on EARTH would Chicago do that trade?
I mean sure, I’d take Deng, but do you REALLY think they would rather have Marvin? I don’t think RandMo sweetens the deal nearly enough. And I don’t like Deng enough to give up a draft pick in addition to what you offered.
Keep thinking outside the box, though.
Also, isn’t Marvin considered a BYC player this year, having signed his extension?
Manny, Nire?
E.J. a.k.a. HomeGrown
November 18th, 2009
2:41 pm
vava74, thank you for the input. I will holla at these boys later. I see the changes in this team. I have seen IsoJo but when the game is in hand, the TEAM is not dependent on that play. Crawford, IS and has been an asset; he will and has paid dividends. I am happy that you and others like you come are in and share with the rest ofthe Hawks fans. I still don’t know if I will be able to make it tonight, but I will watch it from home and scream like a fan (Fanatic) I am not a good speller
Ken Strickland
November 18th, 2009
2:48 pm
Isn’t it revealing that YOU KNOW WHO THIS IS MOTHER(VULGARITY) was the one that used growing up in Los Angeles as an excuse for being vulger, shallow, psychologically fragile, semi-illiterate and hardnosed, and the one who’s comments DOC and I were addressing? Now this PSYCHO has now morphed into TRUTH SERUM and has done a complete 180 from the defiant, in your face attitude of his alter ego? THIS IS TRUELY ONE EXTREMELY SICK PSYCHO, AND THAT’S NO JOKE?
TRACEMAN-that was an excellent asssessment of Marvin’s shooting woes. It’s amazing how someone can continuously obcess over one player when we’re one of the NBA’s top 5 teams in OFF/DEF rebounding, fastbreak pts, points in the paint, PPG, FG and FT shooting % and wins. How has MWilliams play affected the overall play of the Hawks? Was he the major reason we lost to the Lakers and Bobcats?
ROD-Read this COMMON SENSE approach. You claim Marvin is bad offensively and defensively, clumsy, ineffective and hurts the team. If you really feel that’s true, then how do you explain the decision of HC MWoodson, your self proclaimed COY and primary reason for this teams rise to prominance, to start him, play him more mins and use him during crunch time instead of Evans, like the overtime win against Portland?
(1)Are you saying Woodson doesn’t know what he’s doing and is hurting the team by continuing to start and play Marvin significant MPG, rather than benching or trading him for someone you want?
(2)Or, are you saying you have far more intimate knowledge of Marvin’s, abilities, potential and contributions to the team than Woodson, even though Woodson has been his only NBA coach? Have you ever met Marvin, or even seen him in person, or Woodson for that matter?
(2)Or, are you unwittingly admitting you are likely mistaken in your opinion of MWilliams or MWoodson, or maybe both?
I don’t expect a logical response.
KevinA
November 18th, 2009
2:51 pm
With an 9-2 record some say – what is there not to like. Tough to disagree. On the other hand I want to bring up my pet peeve.
Shot distribution. When JJ was a little off his shot or Bibby was off his shot Jamal came through just fine. What makes this so difficult is Marvin being off to a slow start. Woody can work around one or two of his starters having an off night but the Portland game seemed like a slide into the past, JJ has to get it done or we are done.
On the one hand we can say Woody has adjusted to Marvin, Bibby or Crawford having a tough shooting night. But for some reason he gives JJ the green light all night long. It’s not so much that he shoots, but the way he regresses in ISO type shooting, shutting down the ball movement.
Yes I know he is capable of pulling out wins, like last night. And if all else fails I do not have a problem with that. But in the first half if JJ cannot make a bucket or be efficient, Woody has to make it clear he will go another rout. Shooting a low percentage should have consequences for all.
Josh, Al and ZaZa can be on the floor together. Mix in Joe Smith at any time. Evans can play at the 2 spot for limited minutes. In extremely limited minutes Rando Mo has played great.
I guess the bottom line is for Woody to react to first half poor shooting and take JJ out. It seems like the colder JJ is the more shots he takes. By the way JJ is now our second best player in a small sample set of 11 games. If he and Jamal would just drive and pass when they are cold I would feel better.
At the end of the day I would like to see Josh and Al get as many attempts as Jamal and JJ. Send me your arguments about FG% and efficiency. The best stats I can show to support my ideas is the increased assists by Al and Josh. It’s not like they are a dark hole and won’t hit the open man. Lets go big folks. Feed them the rock.
Daniel
November 18th, 2009
3:06 pm
KevinA- I do not disagree with the idea of feeding the post the rock. We have been doing a better job of that this season, and both Josh and Al have responded. The Portland game is a bad example because of the type of zone defense they run with Oden and Aldridge in the paint. Their defense basically makes you shoot 12+ foot jump shots to beat them, which by the way has them playing some very good defense.
I think we did see Woodson try to go another rout with significant minutes for Teague and Crawford in the first half. Both (particularly Crawford) were cold from the floor as well.
The Portland game is a good example of a fall back type plan. Having Joe be able to step up and take over is his role on this team. Obviously, not being reliant on that night after night is important, and I think you would agree that we haven’t had to do that as much so far this season.
I like your points, I just happen to think that the Hawks are already playing the way that you suggested.
Traceman
November 18th, 2009
3:08 pm
Hawk n the Ham,
Even if CHI would do that deal (they won’t considering how well Deng has been playing), doing a deal like that would make it even more difficult to keep the core group together going forward.
We are already going to be close to the cap next year after we resign JJ (assuming we resign him) and then the following season, we will have to extend Al and figure out what to do with Crawford. According to Hoopshype.com, Marvin’s salary actually DECREASES next year to $6.7M while Deng’s increases to $11.4M. That $4.7M difference is likely to be VERY significant with regard to whether or not this team will pay the luxury tax next year.
Bottom line, if the ASG is willing to exceed the luxury tax, I’d do that deal in a heartbeat but if they aren’t and it would prohibit us from resigning JJ, I wouldn’t do it.
Traceman
November 18th, 2009
3:23 pm
Daniel,
Well said. I agree 100%. Woody DID try a variety of things to get the offense going versus POR. The simple fact of the matter was that no one could hit an open shot.
POR’s zone was designed to slow down the game and take away easy shots around the basket. Trying to force it inside against that zone all night was a recipe for disaster. Woody tried to attack it properly and we DID get open shots, but what is Plan B when NO ONE could make an open J? The plan became, “OK JJ, take over” and he did!
Sautee
November 18th, 2009
3:27 pm
Traceman,
Thanks. Good analysis.
KevinA,
“The best stats I can show to support my ideas is the increased assists by Al and Josh. It’s not like they are a dark hole and won’t hit the open man. Lets go big folks. Feed them the rock”
Co-sign that.
Daniel
November 18th, 2009
3:35 pm
Dang, Sautee- I get no love? man, my feelings are hurt.
Daniel
November 18th, 2009
3:37 pm
BTW- Marvin is a BYC player, this year. Overall though his contract is very tradable or very reasonable depending on your point of view.
Big Al
December 7th, 2009
10:52 pm
Hey Ken,
Was I the only one who guessed the Hawks would go 6 – 4 in their next 10 games?
Is there anyone out there?
Bueller…
Bueller…
Bueller…
…
Al