Whaddya know?

The Bobcats sent shooting guard Raja Bell and forward Vladimir Radmanovic to the Warriors for Jackson and guard Acie Law

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Hawks putting it together, while Lakers plummet
By John Schuhmann, NBA.com
Posted Nov 16 2009 1:34PM
Sorting out the Power Rankings is supposed to get easier each week. But this week was more difficult than the last two, especially at the top.
The question is: Who’s the best team in basketball right now?
The Celtics? They have the best point differential, but they’ve lost two straight.
The Suns? They have the best record in the league and deserved the No. 1 spot last week, but got blown out by the Lakers on Thursday.
The Lakers? Like the Celtics, they’ve lost two straight.
The Nuggets? They looked incredible against the Lakers on Friday, but had lost three of their last four before that.
The Blazers have won six straight and deserve some consideration, but the teams they beat on that streak have a combined .233 winning percentage.
That leaves us with the Atlanta Hawks, who stand 1/2 game behind the Suns for the best record in the league. The Hawks have won four straight games by 10 or more points for the first time since April of 1999. By itself, a little streak like that is not enough to earn a No. 1 ranking, but two of the wins came over the Nuggets (at home) and Celtics (in Boston), and we love quality wins around here.
Of course, this four-game streak was preceded by a 20-point loss to the Bobcats, the one real blemish on Atlanta’s record. Their only other loss was to the Lakers at Staples.
So it’s Atlanta this week, but their hold on the No. 1 spot is tenuous, especially with the Blazers, Rockets and Heat on their schedule in the coming days

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if not close to that.

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Reposting someone else’s post with a time stamp is about as annoying as FIRST!

I don’t want to re-read things you bunch of trolls!

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Not just efficient Espn, lethal. I’ve been reading in the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald. I was amazed and somewhat impressed at the amount of respect that the Celtics players and Doc Rivers gave to the Hawks after Friday nights game. And as noted above, the Hawks are in the top slot in the power rankings. Now does that mean that the Hawks are the best team in basketball, no. What it does mean is that people who know are beginning to think of the Eastern elite in terms of four, not just three.

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Outlaw had 19 points off the bench in the loss to Atlanta, but he wasn’t the most impressive reserve to see key minutes. Jamal Crawford had a game-high 27 points for the Hawks, and has averaged 17.7 points while shooting 47.6 percent – seven percent better than his career average.

Crawford had 21 points Saturday and Joe Johnson scored a team-high 26 in a 121-98 win over New Orleans.

“Honestly, now I’d rather come off the bench,” said Crawford, who’s averaged 20.7 points in his last three home games. “I like to see how the flow of the game is going.”

Crawford was the biggest offseason addition for Atlanta, which is in the league’s top five in points per game (108.0) and field-goal percentage (48.6). The Hawks have won all four home games by double digits – including a 25-point rout of Denver – and have two of the league’s most impressive road victories, at Portland and Boston.

The last time Atlanta won its first five home games was in 1997-98, when it opened 7-0 en route to the franchise’s last 50-win season.

Along with the addition of Crawford, the biggest difference so far has been the Hawks’ interior play. They lead the league with an average of 54.0 points in the paint – 20.5 more than 29th-place Portland.

“They’re growing up,” coach Mike Woodson said of his team. “We have size this year. With Zaza (Pachulia) and Joe (Smith) coming off the bench, we have a lot of size. We’re not scarce this year for big guys.”

Atlanta outscored Portland 50-34 in the paint earlier this month.

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Here is my predicition…….You will see less Heat jerseys and more Hawks jerseys on Wednesday night….. and the trend will continue until there are no more Laker, Celtic, or Nugget jerseys anywhere inside Phillips Arena. GET IT DONE TONIGHT HAWKS!

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Atl vs Portland … Good post!

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Talk Hawks and more tonight at 9pET with me, The Chef @ “The Sports Buffet” blogtalkradio.com 1-347-324-5735

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The best part about the Hawks is no distractions! No, b!tching, whinning or complaining! Nothing but team unity. How cool is that?

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About time the media outside Atlanta is looking at what the Hawks are doing and not the so called big three

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Tonight should be a good test for the HAWKS because it will be the first time ever that this group will considered a top tier team in this league! I’m with most people that still says Orlando, Celtics, Cleveland, Lakers are the cream on top, but the HAWKS right now are playing like they should be part of the discussion.

Last time the Hawks and Portland met, the HAWKS won the rebound battle 46-36, don’t expect Portland to let that happen again. Horford and Smoove are going to be tested, so they need to play their game and fight in the paint. Looks like Portland is starting Blake and Miller, which probably puts Bibby on Blake, which I will take any day! I think the match-up of the night will be Marvin vs. Roy. If Marvin can hold his own in that match-up the HAWKS should do well. Portland will have match-up problems with JJ, they will probably have to play Roy on defense against him sometimes, which leaves Blake or Miller to guard Marvin. Marvin needs to attack the basket and shoot over the shorter defenders. GO Marvin!

GO HAWKS!!!

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I expect the hawks to be as good as they appear – when we play together and play smart.. let’s keep this thang rolling Hawks Fans! Look for me on TV as usual, right behind our beloved Hawks in Sec. 116 – RISE UP!

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I’ll play along here…

Next 10: 7-3
Prediction: J-Smoove gets a triple double for one of the home games.

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Truth serum,

About this:

“They are happy, playing hard and winning. The only one b!tching about it is Grand B!tch and the Bubba posse. The true hawks fans and the Hawks too are enjoying this season and are 100% in to Woodson style of play.”

Are you a true Hawks fan? I’ve come to believe that you are and that’s why you defend your positions so vehemently. But yet you contradict yourself when you say this:

“Now if we can just get a center this team is ready to take it to higher levels.”

Like higher than the best record in the league? Why are YOU b!tching about the Center position when we are currently ranked #1 in the league?

Our “Center” has done a wonderful job this year. And all you can do is pi$$ and moan that we don’t have a “true center”.

You said this about Woodson: “Im more a fan of justice and I think its unfair to him to ignore the work he has done” I agree with that statement. I think he’s getting better, as are the players.

However, I think you and your sense of justice should look and see the good work Horford has done, despite being overmatched physically. Are you not being equally unfair to Horford, given that we have the best record in the league at this point?

You said you’d be delighted with Horford if he could give 15 and 10. Right now he’s at 13.4 and 10.2. Getting very close to 15 and 10, and yet all you can say is that he’s a “second string power forward”. This from the person who was co-signing the STFU about Woodson because we are winning.

Why can’t you give Al his due? Do you not think he’s been part of our success?

And why shouldn’t YOU STFU about needing a center when we are, as you put it “happy, playing hard and winning” ? I said before that I believe that you are a true Hawks fan. So why is it so hard to get behind the job Horford has done this year?

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Ken I will give it a go.

7-3 over the next 10 games. For a total of 15-5
Josh will lead the league in blocks. Jump big man.
Josh top 20 in steals. Stay active all star
JJ out of top 15 in minutes.Help me Woody
JJ in top 20 in pt’s. Drive the ball.
JJ regains lead in assist totals for the team.
6 players will be in double figures in points. Marvin!! I need you.
Al will avg a double double. Al I need you!!
Al top 20 in rebounds. Fight for them Al

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When Orlando acquired VCarter, BBass, JWilliams, MBarnes and RAnderson, and Cleveland acquired Shaq, LPowe, DGreen, AParker and JMoon, and Boston acquired RWallace and MDaniels, a lot of you said the Hawks weren’t in the same league with these teams. In fact, some of you, along with most of so called experts, said the Hawks will be hard pressed to hold off Washington and Chicago for the 4th seed.

I stuck to my guns and said the Hawks would compete for the 2nd seed and likely beat Orlando out for the 3rd seed. This is when I gave my reasons of ORGANIC GROWTH, fewer adjustments or chemistry issues and the underestimated impact that Crawford, JSmith and JTeague would have on our bench, as my reasons. Needless to say, I was called crazy and irrational. DO THE HAWKS LOOK LIKE THEY’LL HAVE ANY TROUBLE HOLDING ON TO THE 4TH SEED NOW? DO YOU STILL THINK THE HAWKS AREN’T IN THE SAME LEAGUE WITH LAST YRS TOP 3 EASTERN TEAMS?

Anyone thinking or hoping the Hawks will collapse during the course of the season, barring any serious prolonged injuries of course, is either stupid, a hater or both.

GRANDAD-you said you disagree with me about Crawford being a better fit than JJ because of JJ’s superior DEF. Yes, JJ is a superior DEF player, but Crawford’s superior speed, quickess and penetrating ability, and PG skills, make him a better fit OFF. His ability to penetrate quickly, breakdown DEF’s and dish, instead of pounding the ball until the clocks runs down, looking for an opening or clearer shot, makes the overall OFF more effective. Most of JJ’s assists don’t come from penetrating and dishing.

JJ’s size and strength is better suited to put pressure on defenders below the FT line, while Crawford’s size, speed and quickness is better suited to put pressure on defenders above the FT line. When we play the lineup featuring JJ, Bibby and Crawford, with Crawford controlling the ball, everyone gets easier more open scoring opportunities.

Yr before last, I gave my explanation for why Marvin had trouble driving to the basket. I said he was a vertical jumper that needed his feet under him to get lift. I believe the same holds true for JJ. Since he’s been playing a lot of SF, he’s been jumping really high to get rebounds. However, you don’t see him driving hard to the basket, or finishing strong at the rim or dunking, yet we’ve seen Teague do it. JJ can’t use speed or quickness to blow by a defender because it would require him to lean too far forward, and he couldn’t get his feet under him to finish. So he pounds the ball and tries to get the defender off balance before going by him. If a defender is off balance, there’s little reason for having to lean forward and/or blow by him, which would compromise JJ’s ability to finish.

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Kevin A , bare with me I just wanted to republish a rich message of yours. Thanks.

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7-3 over the next 10 games. For a total of 15-5
Portland – W –
Miami – W
Houston – W
@New Orleans – W
Orlando – L
@Philadelphia – W
@Detroit – L
Toronto – W
NY Knicks – W
@Dallas – L
6 players will be in double figures in points. Marvin!! I need you.

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Every body and his mother, picked the hawks to finish in the top four teams in the conference. Thats where they are after four games, number 1 by less than .100 of a percentage. I cant take any glory in this prediction, it was rather obvious to most people, I heard some one say Steve Wonder could see that. If there is any glory, – LOL its to Sund,coach woody and his hawks. You think they could have saw this too?

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Ok, Kevin, Name me 2 powerforwards in our conference better than Josh?, I cant name one…

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K.S. – from previous blog; agreed and amen.
Also, about our offense, dtto (sorry RL ref.). Any player movement w/o the ball plays well to our speed. Plus allows Josh et al to shoot in rhythm, coming off screens.
*It’s odd that Woody played for CBK (passing game/motion off.) that he
does not implement more of that style. However, V. Bos. we ran the flex
beautifully.

Terrell Barron – Also from prev. blog. “not so fast my friend”
I hope this is a rebirth for ‘Acie’.

vava74 – [prev. blog]:
I must agree about Young Mr. Teague And his confidence.
Now, lets see our how our HC handles the situation.
Build or destroy?

Rod f. c. p. – [pr bl]:
I don’t think Marv’ a bad player at all. Quite the
opposite. I think he has tried to make himself into
a slasher. His strengths are: spot up shooter,
very good on ball defender, Great Teammate!

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Lets pick up AI for some loose change. I think he’ll play hard for Woody and the surging Hawks. After all, who would you rather have on the bench? AI or Randolph Morris? Hell, he wont play Teague anyway. Might as well bring in another veteran. He might have 1 last run left in him. If he comes in here and acts a fool, we can just cut his azz. Just a thought.

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Cant wait to see how David Anderson plays against us.

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Hawks 9-1

Josh smith will catch an elbow or hand to the face tonight and scowl… make the face where he sniffs his top lip…

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Truth-Serum

November 16th, 2009
5:56 pm
8-2 Kevin, make the Detroit loss into a win.

Toughest decision – away game on a back to back night with a quick pg. They will be well rested.

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Joe Johnson’s 3P% goes from .300 over the 1st 10 to .400 over the next 10…

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Why is everybody predicting a loss versus Dallas?

I predict Hawks win tonight. Portland won’t be easy though, especially having gotten beaten at home by Hawks.

Acie Law is gonna have to fight for minutes in Chatlotte.

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I actually think Acie Law is going to do good in Larry Brown. Brown isn’t all the way sold on D.J. yet. So if Acie can come in there with intensity, then he will have a chance to get playing time. Remember that Brown isn’t afraid of playing a 2 pg system. He was the first coach who moved AI to the 2 guard anyway.

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Really curious to see how many fans Sekou is able to garner on his new blog.

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I also predict J Smoove to have 36 points against Philly. He always play them tough.

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10 game record: 6 – 4

Prediction: Horford have about 8 double-doubles in those games and will lead the team in scoring at least three times.

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Tonight it’s win streak versus win streak. Who leaves Philips with a loss? Remember last season when Hawks were known to bust up teams winning streaks? We’ll see if they can continue that trend against smoking hot Blazers.

Hawks No.1 on ESPN Power Rankings and No.2 on SI.com. Been in the ATL 11 years, man and never seen Hawks ranked so high. The team deserves it.

Go Hawks, GO!!!!

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Alright Hawks lets sweep the blazers

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HAwks crowd late as usual lol.

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Better put Collins on Oden.

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Good job Josh. Is marvin even on the floor. Damn he sucks

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Wow with the hawks doing good their no fans at the game tonight im working late but whats goin on

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That should have been “And 1″ on Horford dunk.

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good basketball early… great team basketball…

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hit the glass and play hard Z…

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Mo Evans is the worst defender on the team..

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as bad as Marvin is Mo is worse

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Portland’s zone defence is giving Hawks problems.

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Uh Oh Spaghettios

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Followed by 2 ISO Joes

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The Hawks had a meltdown to end the 1st qtr.

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Gotta tighten up on D! Seems like Portland’s getting any shot they want. The good thing is all their shots are coming from the outside

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And has Zaza ever hit a jumpshot

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HOLY SH*T THIS IS EMBARRASSING

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What is Mo doin???????????????/

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Oh, is that what’s happening, Nique? The Trailblazers are out-running the Hawks? I never would have guessed, after seeing the Trailblazers players running faster than the Hawks both ways down the floor…

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But seriously with that defense Wade is gonna score 50 on us.

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‘NIQUE, JUST INADVERTENTLY CUSSED …… HE TRIED TO SAY ” SET-SHOT ” …… BUT SAID ” SH#T SOT …… PRICELESS !!!!!!!

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It will be interesting to see how the Hawks respond in a game like this, when the outside shot is not falling. Whether they can still find other ways to score will show how resilient we can expect them to be when going up against good teams in the future this season.

I also noticed Josh go up with his off hand trying to lay it up. He left it short, but I like that he has apparently gained enough confidence in his handle and his off hand to even attempt that shot. I’ve never seen him go up with his right hand on purpose before. If he can even make defenses half-respect that, he will become an even tougher cover than he has already become.

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Najeh,

He made a nice right handed scoop a few games ago.

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work Marvin… defense is picking up…

Hawks have showed resiliency all year…

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JJ will you please STOP DRIBBLING?

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JJ ball hoggin again

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we should be fine.. shots will start to drop…

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Whew. We are lucky to be down by 5pts at the half.

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Terrible first half but hey look, we are only down by five!

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BREAKING NEWS EVERYONE:

The starter with the lowest +/- rating is not Marvin. It’s Joe.

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Sautee, word, I must have missed that.

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I don’t know about double digits, but I think Ramon is right to an extent. I do believe the Hawks will win this game. This game is a mirror of what happened in Portland. Hawks will outplay Portland in the second half. Jamal hasn’t even gone off yet. Joe needs to stop hogging the ball. Yes, Zaza was wide open. Joe saw him and looked away, then turned it over. Trust your teammates, Joe Johnson. I thought Josh had more than 7 rebounds? Better defence!

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WTF on that pass, Joe!

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Joe holdin it again

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‘Nique keeps talking about the lack of ball movement. He needs to come out and say JJ needs to give the ball up sooner.

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Take JJ out, put in Crawford or Marvin, and let’s play some TEAM BALL.

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Well, it IS a contract year for JJ.

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Who ever said we’re gonna out in the 2nd half firing this is for you: WOMP WOMP WOMPPPPPPPPPPPP

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Josh don’t turn into old Josh please

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This has turned into JJ vs. the Blazers.

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Maybe JJ needs a rest. he has played 27 minutes already

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Come on, Josh. This is not the time to get a tech!!!!!

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The Hawks are, in the words of Andre 3000, cooler than cool. I can’t remember the last time they threw up this many bricks, and on open shots too. Can’t blame it on tired legs either.

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Wow Marvin, really? Try shooting with a blindfold on next time.

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If Hawks can’t make open shots, they are not going to win this game.

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Dang JT0, sweet layup. Hawks need someone to get easy shots. Might as well be the rookie.

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drive, don’t shoot. soooo simple… why don’t they do it?

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Again, nobody expects Marvin to average 15 ppg. But when he gets a good shot like that, we need him to make it. Not only did he miss, he missed horribly.

Hawks need to step up the defense, and start driving to the hole. Too many jump shots (which are not falling).

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Everything is goin wrong

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28% in the f*ckin qtr.

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Man ZaZa’s offense is terrible

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Maybe Al Horford should play 2-guard.

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Now it’s time for Woody to go back to iso Joe.

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The Hawks are getting some good lucks. But for some reason, everybody is missing.

Its funny to hear ‘Nique talk about the great defense the Hawks are playing.

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what has happened to Marvin. He used to be our best shooter. He just hit the side of the backboard!

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Al is playing the best

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MARVIN WTF ARE U DOIN. U ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOO TERRIBLE.

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Damn this is just a sloppy game all around. Portland is playing pretty bad too.

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ya, horford is the only one giving us a chance right now-_-

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ANYBODY WHO THINKS MARVIN ISN’T GONNA GET TRADED THIS YEAR IS FOOLING THEMSELVES. HE’S AS GOOD AS GONE.

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Bone, well why did we re-sign him in the 1st place?

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We had plenty opportunities to get back in this game. We have not capitalize on the Blazers mistakes. Although the Hawks have played sloppy, this game is their for us to steal.

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Portland playing pretty bad too, but Hawks just have not capitalized on that. Turnovers, bad shots, and not getting the ball after a defensive stop…

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@ terrell becuz we didn’t know he was gonna be this terrible. And I hope u don’t think he’s above gettin traded.

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Help on Oden? No way! He can’t even shoot Nique! Why help on him

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Ugly.

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messiest low-scoring game ever.

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Slow the damn ball down

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Big shot Bibby!

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Josh Smith has been a defensive terrorist in this quarter, getting his hand in passing lanes and on shots.

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finally joe

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That’s what Bone?

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we are getting major blown calls in our favor!!! what a messy game, in all aspects!

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I’ve been on JJ all game, to pass the ball sooner, and stop with the pounding.

But that was one heck of a shot. As Woody would say, that was HUGE.

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wtf?…..good shot…good shot!!!! lol

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Josh gotta make the free throws

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Brandon Roy is stepping up like a superstar does. Joe Johnson needs to answer.

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Woody gonna have to put Joe on Roy.

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Fernandez will shoot just about anything, huh?

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Joe switch to Brandon and we get a turnover! Marvin has really lost confidence on both ends of the floor! Never seen anything like that

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Numbers might not show it, but Josh has worked hard in this game.

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I agree. Get Marvin’s azz out of there. He looks like a rookie.

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Great pass by Josh to Marvin

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Great past Josh! Marvin almost blew it

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Damn Marvin, can you please just set your feet and square up when you shoot, instead of jumping sideways?

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Joe rushed that shot after making the great move… DAMN.

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Nice defense by Joe Johnson on that series, helping out with the switching defense.

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AL was up there! Fernandez went under him!!!!

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its coming together take a look

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8GuH9oDHrU

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foul was on rudy, then roy fouls jj… what a mess…

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im about to pee my pants… this game is so close, cmon hawks!

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Now play defense

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Nice shot Joe. Let’s see some defense now.

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Josh Smith cleans up! That man is going to lead the league in rebounding if he keeps this up. He is unstoppable when he goes all out.

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OMG

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we should have made the foul!!!

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That was pretty well defended too…

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Noooooooo!!

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Oh my goodness. How the Heck did Rudy hit that shot… why dont more teams foul the guy before shooting in that scenario I will never understand.

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I always think in that situation the best thing to do is to foul soon as they catch the ball. Could you imagine if they would’ve fouled Oden?

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Foul Greg ODEN@!!!!!!!!!

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great move Al!!!

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lol at some of the hypocrites….some of yall were saying “lets trade joe”, let joe walk etc.
and now yall are quick to jump on his jock. SMH

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I’m so glad Joe woke up

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bad call… I can’t believe that we are on the right end of most of the bad calls…

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Hawks up by 6!!!!!!!!!!

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Thank you, Hawks. [for not completely choking after coming back]. We’re all grown up.

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You’re right Bone, that’s game.

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DON’T FORGET TO VOTE ME FOR THE ALLSTAR GAME!!!!!!!!

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HAWKS WIN!!!

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resilience.

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Winning against a good team when we don’t play very well. Yet another step in the process. And with Portlands size and the way the play D, they are a top 3 team in the west. LA, DEN, Blazers.

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Wow, look at the games by our “undersized frontcourt”

Josh Smith: 20 pts 16 reb 2 blk
Al Horford: 15 pts 10 reb 2blk

Against their HUGE front line. Not too bad!

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Also, the Hawks are better defensively this season. I think the fact that they score the ball better has caused them to relax on D for the first 3 qtrs, usless they feel that the other team can challenge them. I would say that tonight they felt challenged.

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hell naw… Flip dropped 31 on Orlando…

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Joe with 31 shots! Wow!

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So what if Flip got 31? He’s not Hawk anymore so let’s not lose sleep over that. Don’t get me wrong, I loved him as a Hawk but seriously Jamal Crawford is waaaaaay better in every way except defensively. Yes he played like trash on a night that Flip lit the Magic up, but it happens. Even the best players have bad games (heck, even Kobe shot 5 for 20 last night against Houston)

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Another excellent win. When we play straightup DEF, instead of switching everything, we are a much better DEF team. Bibby played his best DEF gm of the yr, and Marvin did a good job on DEF. How about the performance of that UNDERSIZED PLAYING OUT OF POSITION NATURAL PF AHorford. He took Oden out of his gm from the 2nd qtr on, and virtually dominated him the 2nd half.

I’d like to take my hat off to HC MWoodson for using his bench effectively, playing Teague some valuable mins at a critical juncture in the gm, and making sound oveall decisions. I would also like to especially commend him for not giving up on Marvin and allowing him to contribute on DEF, even though his OFF is in disarray at the moment. There was one play where Marvin had the ball out of bounds and threw it out of everyones reach and Woodson caught it. You could see from Woodson’s expression he wanted to knock Marvin’s head off, and he immediately took him out of the gm. But in crunch time, he put Marvin back in the gm and trusted him to help us pull this one out. BRAVO!!

TO ALL ATLANTA HAWK FANS, WE HAVE A TEAM!!!!!

Now we have to prepare for a Miami team that played Cleveland tough in their last meeting, which they lost. GOOOOOOOO HAWKS!!!!!!!

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Two nits : why didn’t Woodson keep Joe in with possession and 14.7 seconds to go? He is the best foul shooter. Second, when ZaZa and Al were playing together , they were dominent. Why not see that look a little longer?

Ok, back to our regularly scheduled program. OUTSTANDING!!! Playoff caliber game and both teams refusing to lose. And Jamal was not a factor. Congratulations to the organization,staff and players.

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slow down Bulldog…

who even compared Flip to Crawford? thats a landslide buddy…

he rolled a big number in a divisional matchup so i commented… our start is huge, however, it would be ideal to see Orlando struggle early.

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^^^I wasn’t directly talking about you bigdave…its just that everytime I read a Hawks blog, someone ALWAYS bring up Flip so it was more of a general comment but you’re right. I would love to see the Magic struggle too but thats even more unlikely because Rashard Lewis is back from a suspension

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POSTED BY KEN STRICKLAND

I’d like to take my hat off to HC MWoodson for using his bench effectively, playing Teague some valuable mins at a critical juncture in the gm, and making sound oveall decisions. I would also like to especially commend him for not giving up on Marvin and allowing him to contribute on DEF, even though his OFF is in disarray at the moment. There was one play where Marvin had the ball out of bounds and threw it out of everyones reach and Woodson caught it. You could see from Woodson’s expression he wanted to knock Marvin’s head off, and he immediately took him out of the gm. But in crunch time, he put Marvin back in the gm and trusted him to help us pull this one out. BRAVO!!

Ken, I couldn’t agree more. That was a good move.

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Ray…

i dont mind the high shot volume of Joe.. being that most of his attempts, and misses, are coming in the painted area. eventually (hopefully) this will translate into foul shot attempts… definitely can’t knock the attempts tonight when lots of the makes were buckets we needed desperately…

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You know, upon closer observation of the replay, that Rudy Fernandez shot was BS. He should have been called for traveling. He caught the ball and slid (on both feet) about 2 feet or more….

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Sautee: I’m one of the one’s who keep calling for an athletic big to patrol the middle. I could care less if he could score (re Zaza). However, in no way am I criticizing Big Al or Josh. I would love for each to have some help come playoff’s when the pace slows down. For those who criticize Zaza, please observe what all he brings to the table. Spirit,enthusism,toughness, and competitiveness don’t show up in the stats. Woody may have grown some as a coach. More on that later.
Marv’s gonna be alright, have patience. He’s playing really hard.
(probably trying too hard). Big-time confidence builder Tonight !

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Ken,

When you see that “bald headed” Rick Sund. Ask him why in the hell doesn’t he give Woodson an extension. Ask him WTF is he waiting on, The whole basketball world wants to know.

Woody=COY

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I’ve been disappointed that I’ve missed blogging during the games.
We got a team here, don’t we folks?

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Grandad…

agreed about Marvin. he’s struggling but he’s definitely playing hard out there. honestly, for the most part, he did a good job on his defensive assignments. you can tell that this slump is taking a toll on his confidence, one shot of him on the bench comes to mind. it will be nice to see him have a big offensive game in the coming days and watch how it propels him. as a young player confidence is everything, good to see Woody stay with him in crunch time unless there was an offensive/defensive sub with Crawford; go figure, we’re making offensive/defensive subs now… coming a long way, and we will need Marvin contributions more than most think…

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after making the trailblazers lose their way on their trail now its time to throw water on the lucky heat whos luck will run out in atlanta. d wade can’t do it by himself because will be cooled by the hawks.hawks are no. 1 and will dosh the heat wednesday.

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LOL.

Last I saw, Rick Sund has more hair on his head than Mike Woodson. Of course, with Woody it’s a choice. With Rick, it ain’t.

Samuel ,

My guess is because 9-2 does not a full season make. Relax, the way this team is playing, I don’t see Woody having any problems getting an extension.

Also, we have to consider that while this is the job that Sund does, he also has to have the owners’ blessings. It may be that he has not given him an extension because he has not been allowed to yet.

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Where is Tractor Taylor when the Bucks could have thrown him on the top of that pile. Dirk was traded to the Mavs for Tractor Taylor

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If you a Hawk fan and can’t appreciate the good job the team and HC doing then I better stop I don’t want to hurt no one feeling

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I was screaming the Hawks had reverted to the Hawks of old and then an amazing thing happened. JJ got hot. I was cussing everybody but the big’s and then JJ go hot. As the game was fading and I was ready to fire Woody an awesome thing happened the team simply shut down the blazers and JJ got hot.

This team is not the same team of last year. Our big’s are talented and our other pieces play great but when the stuff hit’s the fan JJ gets hot. Tonight is no night for minute counting, complaining or explaining coaching moves. This was a game won by grit and determination. I will be honest – I did not see this coming but you got to love it when JJ gets hot.

Lets be honest Smooth the MVP of team.

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Like I said before the draft, we should have taking Eric Maynor. He’s a distributor first – shooter last. Jeff Teague is not a pg. BAD PICK RICK SUND!

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Great win. It seems that we have finally found our defense. Josh is rebounding like a monster out there. He has always had the athletic ability to be a better rebounder but he never did the little things as box out and etc. He has always relied on his jumping ability to get boards but this year he seems focused on being a better rebounder and its benefiting the team. We really need to get Marvin going. Yes we are winning now but we will need him as this is a long season. Maybe he is thinking too much right now. He should probably drive to the hoop more until his jumper starts falling again. Like I said about Teague in another blog, he has to just dunk that ball when he is that close. He gets to the rim with no problem but finishing has been his problem but a guy that athletic and explosive should just dunk it anyway until he perfects his floater.

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There are times when JJ pounds the ball too much. There are times when JJ puts the team on his shoulders and wills it to win. Tonight was one of the latter. But having said that it still would not have happened without Josh and Al. This is a team with a great sixth man. (Sometimes it is just not your night.)

There are still problems but now is not the time to dwell on them. This team is playing like it deserves to be in the hunt for the elite in the East. However, most of those predicting the next 10 games failed to predict a win against Orlando. If I am not mistaken the Hawks could have the second best record in the East and STILL wind up as the fourth seed because each divisional champ gets a top three seed. So the Hawks could must win the division to get a top three seed.

I rejoined the blog too late to make a prediction for the next 10 games but I will predict wins against both the Magic and the Heat during this period. The Heat plays Orlando on National TV the night before the Magic travel to Atlanta for the back game of a two night set. Hawks will have last played five days earlier.

The most difficult game during the next nine will be the Dallas game Both teams will have played the night before but Dallas will be at home. This is my prediction for the only game they lose of the next nine.

For a tiebreaker my prediction will be that JJ will be the leading scorer in all nine games as he feels the game coming to the team. Marvin will continue to struggle for a while but the HC will demonstrate his faith in him and continue to play him. That faith will be rewarded later in the season. But in the meantime JC will receive more PT and give the team an extra dimension that contributes to the hot spell the team is enjoying.

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bigdave – Thanks,I don’t understand all the folks who will not give this kid a break. Fine young man, doesn’t get in trouble, tremendous role model. Plus I don’t think all of sudden he forgot how to play. Also his scoring avg. will probably stay lower than a year ago due to personel, and increasd production from others.

tony – Your kidding, right?

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DID HORFORD HIT A THREE MAYBE NOW WE CAN REALLY SPREAD THE FLOOR

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Samuel that was funny.

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The entire basketball world wondering why Sund has not offered a new contract? I don’t think so. Woody is not working for free. If Woody starts having to coach without a paycheck, then we should complain.

If the Hawks keep progressing, he will get the extension. If Sund does not offer him a contract, he will quickly get a job if he is as good as you say.

Sund has had a great year so far. I trust him on the contract issue.

Great win when not playing your best against a very good team.

Go Hawks.

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I didnt have much of a problem with Sund not extending Woodson’s contract before the season began. Everybody knows that this was a make it or break it year for the coach, because he finally has a team that has matured and jelled, and he has a good bench. So this was his time to show what he can do with the resources that he has been given. Of course there is a growing momentum of outrage now that Woodson has his team playing as good as any team in the league, and his team has statistically (in terms of wins and losses)gotten better under him. But c’mon had the hawks started out 2-9 as oppsed to 9-2, we all would be calling for his head at this point. So, I do have to commend Woodson for shutting us all up, and looking like a better coach than we may have given him credit over……..lol, even Clyde hasnt has given up on his repetitive ” Fire Mike Woodson” mantra……..so he must be doing something right.

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DEFENSE DEFENSE DEFENSE WINS, the hawks played great but no one was at the game last night we have 2 do better come on atl.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!

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Ken bibby defense have step up thats great 2 see.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!

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I Predict Josh & Al Will Both Have 20 pt. 20 reb. Games In The Next 10 Games. Mark It Down Ken.

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Samuel, u ai n’t right dishing like that bro. As long as this team continues to play defense yo boy will get his contract…come back in 40 games when we are half through the season and quit your sobbing. lol

In order to sustain this level of play…you will need your bench…even Collins. Everybody is going to have off nights over the course of the season…that where things have change…now we have better talent coming off the bench…guys like JJ, Bibby, Smoove, and Al are the big benefactors in this scenario. I hope cats don’t over look that.

ANOTHER SPECTACULAR WIN BY THE HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO HWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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KEN, ‘POOP, BIG RAY, NIRE, KEN SEGURA ET AL,

Can you guys think of any other team who runs the “SWITCH” defense? Has anyone ever won a championship with it? Why does Woody use this? Is there any evidence out there, other than the Hawks record, that this strategy works?

It creates horrible mismatches. There was one game where Zaza ended up on a guard. You know what the results were…the guard drove to the lane and scored and got fouled.

“I don’t always watch basketball, but when I do, I prefer the Hawks. Stay thirsty my friends.”

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GEEMACK-If you’re referring to our current uptempo style of play, I wouldn’t say this is Woodson’s brand of basketball because we would have played it a lot sooner. However, I’d say he did adopt it this yr and will make it his brand from now on.

One more thing. While everyone is coming forth and admitting they were mistaken concerning certain assumptions about the Hawks, well not everyone, since there are obviously certain ones who can’t bring themselves to do so, let me say I was wrong about Teague being ready to start. While I won’t concede I was wrong about what he brings to the table defensively over Bibby, he’s not quite ready to run the show offensively. Also, Bibby’s commitment to become more of a facilitator rather than a scorer has certainly expanded the OFF and made a big difference.

Since we’ve relied less on the constantly switching DEF the last 2 gms, our overall DEF has definitely improved. Even though Bibby hasn’t become a better DEF player, having him play straight up DEF on his man has allowed everyone else to play better defensively, which has lessened the impact of his DEF liabilities. He’s proven to be a better DEF player against other PG than the PF’s and centers he was forced to defend when we were constantly switching.

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This blog keeps going in circles. When the Hawks went 6-0 last year people were all excited like they are this year. Samuel started that COY crap and yall thought we had a good team. Then when the playoffs came along and we got swept by the Cavs everyone was on the negative stuff.

Well not me. Its Fire Woody all year round for me. Its been this way for 5 years and it ain’t gonna stop just because the Hawks are playing well in November. Real contenders catch fire in March and April.

Remember folks we are early in the season. Don’t get your hopes up too high too soon.

Roll Tide

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jean ny,

I was watching the huddle in the 4th quarter on a 20 sec. timeout. Woody told Craw that he was putting Marvin in. Craw turned to Marvin and gave him 5. He’s being a good teammate here so far, and even said that he’d rather come off the bench. If Crawford could defend better he’d play major minutes. And if he had been 6-9 instead of 2-9, Woody would likely have had him in there. I saw it as a situational substitution – Craw on offense, Marvin on defense.

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Gee Mack I agree that the Hawks is playing Woody type of ball. There was a lot or reason that he couldn’t play this type in the past. You got to be able to be aggresive on the boards which they are this year,
You have JC this year on the squad which took a lot of pressuer off JJ. Last yer if we played that kind of ball and JJ had to play 40 plus minutes a game we wouldn’t have won as many games as we did. Bibby became more as a faciliator this year because we added another great shooter to the squad. This also open up the floor for JS and Al to get more touches which made Bibby not have to shoot as much. The Hawks have a lot more balance this year then the previous years.

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HUGE win for our wacky ATL Hawks! Still undefeated at home and on a winning streak! Just when it seemed the Hawks were about to be handed their first loss at home, amazing happened. Amazing happened last night at the Highlight Factory. The crowd was small at the arena last night but so loud you couldn’t really tell if you had your eyes closed.

Coach Woodson and staff, the ATL Hawks players are really unified and focused, I’m loving it! Hawks are like a box of chocolates you never know what you’re gonna get.

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Go Hawks! Good quality win…

But I’m glad HC MW didn’t get a chance to ruin BRoy, CP3, Rondo, etc. HC MW is a poor developer of PGs!

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KEN, I AM EXCITED ABOUT THE HAWKS. I BELIEVE THEY WILL FINISH NO. 1 IN THE EAST THIS YEAR. THEY WILL DOMINATE MIAMI AND HOUSTON COMING UP NEXT BUT I WANT TO ADDRESS SOMETHING ABOUT THE NBA I THINK THE NBA IS PART OF THE PROBLEM WE HAVE WITH OUR YOUTH TODAY.YOU HAVE TWO INDIVIDUALS THAT WAS NOT SUSPENDED THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. THATS ALLEN IVERSON AND FORMER HAWK, STEPHEN JACKSON. BOTH ARE SENDING WRONG MESSAGES TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.IVERSON AND JACKSON SIMPLY REFUSED TO PLAY FOR THEIR TEAMS BECAUSE OF DISSATISFATIONS PERSONALLY WITH MEMPHIS AND GOLDEN STATE. BOTH SHOULD BE SUSPENDED FOR THEIR ACTIONS AT 15-20 GAMES FOR THEIR CONDUCT AND FAILURE TO LIVE UP TO THEIR OBLIGATIONS TO THEIR TEAMS BECAUSE OF CHILDISH BEHAVIOR AND POUTING. THEY FAILED TO LIVE UP TO THEIR AGREEMENTS TO THEIR TEAMS MEMPHIS AND GOLDEN STATE. THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO IMMEDIATELY PLAY FOR THEIR CURRENT TEAMS. IVERSON DOES NOT HAVE A TEAM CURRENTLY WHILE JACKSON WAS IMMEDIATELY INSERTED INTO THE LINEUP FOR THE BOBCATS. HE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO PLAY IMMEDIATELY. WE ARE SENDING NEGATIVE MESSAGES TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE WHEN THIS HAPPENS.WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS?

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Clyde: Nice grain of salt.

Big Ump: I do not think it’s Woody’s style of ball; perhaps a suggestion
from Mr. Sund.

K.S.: Don’t give up on J.Teague just yet, I would still like to see
him get more than 5 min. per. To Woody’s [sund's] credit they
are @ least valuable/learning min. and not mop up time. I know
you haven’t given up on him but neither were you completely
wrong.

Sautee: well said.

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Cdog, so Stephen Jackson should be suspended for whining? Damn!

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Clyde, when you say dont get your hopes up too soon, do you mean like when everyone annointed Matt Ryan as the savior last year, and this year he looks like Kurt Kittner out there?

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Iverson to Boston? Heard it sportsnation.

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CP, leave Nique alone. It’s the least the Hawks could do, after sending him packing for Danny “freakin” Manning. At least he’s not the GM. He said Marvin was the next big thing. Remember? I’d rather listen to “heat check” all day long, than to let him have input on who we draft.

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Can a leopard change his spots?

Like the Atlanta Hawks, I’m OK with the switching defense. They seem to love it, have brought into it and are winning with it. I guess they haven’t heard that Ken says they have to change it, or they wont be officially a good team.

When the Bubba Crew‘s Coach Ken Strickland gets a team he can run his own defense and then we can see what his years of experience has gained and see why the Hawks should have hired him instead of Woodson.

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lol terrell you have a point but man you have to admit that Nique is brutal on the mic. Great player but calling games is just not his thing.

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Wow i wonder what is going thru Josh Childress’ mind right now? hahahaha

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And I hope JJ looks at Childress’ situation of going elsewhere when you finally have something good going that you been building for years just to leave for more money

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If JJ has some more games like he did last night, will the Hawks be able to afford him when his contract expires? After all, if a team loses out on Wade, LbJ, Bosh etc, JJ is at the top of the next tier, and somebody might offer him close to a max deal.

Mo Evans will be coming off the books (along with RandMo), but Horford will be up for an extension, and then the Hawks will also have to consider if they want to offer Crawford an extension. Not to mention the salary cap/luxury tax threshold will be less.

Rick Sund will have his work cut out for him next offseason again.

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I could be wrong (and we will see going forward) but I think the team officially turned the corner last night from being a team that can play with anyone on a given night to being a good basketball team. Last night’s win to me was FAR more impressive than the Celtics win because we won a game against one of the best teams in the league when we didn’t have our A game. That win was all about heart and our guys showed that they have as much of that as anybody last night,

JJ – Way to put the team on your back down the stretch. That is what a superstar does. Also, 25 ppg (46% fg, 43% 3pfg), 6 rbg, 5 apg during our 5 game winning streak. Can you say, 4th All Star Game?

Smoove – Keep doing your thing boy! 19 ppg (65% fg), 12 rbg, 4 apg, 3 bpg, 2 spg in our 5 game winning streak. NO WAY they keep you out of the All Star game if you keep playing like this.

Al – 15 ppg, 10 rbg, 3 apg, 1.2 bpg during our 5 game winning streak. Undersized? Maybe so. 3rd Hawk in the All Star Game? What EC Center other than Howard is having a better season? Your only competition so far is your old Gator teammate Mr. Noah but with the stats so close and our better record, you get the nod.

Jamaal – You were just what the doctor ordered. Keep doing your thing. 6th man of the year baby!

Bibby – Love the way you are putting team first and sacrificing your game for the good of the team. That’s what a leader does.

Marv – Keep your head up. You are too talented of a player to stay in this slump. We are going to need you before all is said and done. Your shot WILL come back. Keep shooting and TRUST IT. It WILL come back.

Zaza – Love you man! Your effort and energy are contagious. Keep scrapping!

Mo – Keep giving 100%. Your veteran presence is important. We need you.

Joe Smith – All the littel things you will do over the course of the season will make us so much better. Thanks for the wisdom and leadership.

Teague – Stay aggressive and stay confident young fella. You will make mistakes, just make sure you make them being aggressive. Before the season is over, I think you will bring a much-needed dimension to the the team.

Collins, Morris and Hunter – Thanks for being good teammates and consummate professionals.

Woody – I’m proud of you man. When you took over, we were the worst team in the league. 5 years later, we are one of the better teams in the league. Many of us have questioned you at times over the years (and we still will) but you have CLEARLY done a lot more right than wrong. I think you have gotten better as a coach each year, just as the players have improved each year under your tutelage.

Go Hawks!

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O’Brien,

It’ not somebody MIGHT offer JJ close to a max deal, it’s HOW MANY teams will offer him big money. It pretty much always was going to be that way as long as he stays healthy. JJ is a VERY good player. He’s not Kobe, LeBron, D Wade, Carmelo or Chris Paul but he’s in the mix at the top of that next tier of perimeter players.

Sund and the ASG know that they will be looking at paying him close to max (if not max) money to keep him next year. My guess is that they will swallow hard and do it.

Horford is not eligible for an extension until 2011, the same year that Crawford’s contract comes off the books. Mo’s contract comes off the books that year too. Worse case, that iS Al’s money right there.

As good as Crawford has been, I think it is safe to assume that he will not get the $10M a season he is making now at age 32. I wouldn’t give him that much at that age. If we resign him, just like Bibby, he will be resigning for less money.

Bottom line, if Sund manages things carefully, I think he can keep the core together for quite some time, even if he does have to pay JJ close to the max.

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Grandad on your post at 3:18 you could be right also. But I know you agree with me whoever it was the HC or Sund it worked

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In my head, I can see JJ going to Cleveland to play with King James, where JJ can be his Robin. (Shaq and Big Z come off the books, and Delonte West has issues. And Cleveland will spend the money to please LeBron).

That being said, if the Hawks continue to play well in the regular season and playoffs, JJ might be ok staying with the Hawks, as long as the money is close.

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It looks like Orlando’s PG JNelson will be out 4-6wks. I said during the off season that the top 3 Eastern teams would be more suceptable to injuries than the Hawks. They made a serious mistake letting RAlston go, with the of Nelson coming off a serious injury. Also, adding the injury prone VCarter didn’t make it any better. Shaq has proven to be injury prone as well. We’ve already seen the effect that last yrs injury is having on KGarnett.

I said it this off season and I’ll say it again, WE WILL BATTLE FOR THE #2 SEED IN THE EAST, assuming every team remains relatively healthy. We’ve already seen Orlando have trouble with injuries to PG JNelson and SG VCarter after only 10gms. Does anyone else see DHoward as a bigger, taller, stronger clone of our own AHorford?

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Gee Mack That’s why Woody tried to keep his core group together and build on what he have. Although you can’t tell what the future hold for you and that go for predicting what a new player can do for you who have never played 1 game yet. Most good coaches always plan ahead, even though it may not worked out that way. You would be foolish if you didn’t have some kind of plan. Any team no matter what sports it is always build and plan for the future. I know you heard coaches say they building for the future. We all know that the Hawks had a plan and stayed with it. We have a pretty good team and a decent HC. I”m so proud of them. Matter of fact I was talking with one of my close friend this evening who is one of the 50 NBA Great and he basically said the same thing I was talking to you about earlier today.

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Are they all off a-twittering with the playa’s?

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KEN STRICK:

To my mind, BIG AL is the best of DMARY B’s playa’s. He just won’t stomach poor play and everyone follows his lead. Or so it seems from this distance. I only see the HAWKS on occasion. Do those of you who follow the HAWKS regularly agree, or not?

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So blast, what’s your take on HORFORD being the leader of the pack on this team?

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“Prior to the start of this season, there’s absolutely no way on this earth that Woodson, or anyone else for that matter, could have foreseen the same starting frontline becoming so much more dominant on the boards than in previous yrs”

Have you looked inside the man’s mind? How do you know what he’s thinking? Speak for yourself. Say, Ken did not know that this team would be a decent rebounding team. Don’t limit everyone else because you are limited in what you see and understand.

“And there’s no way Woodson completely changed his entire OFF approach, and the style of play he’s staunchly embraced for the past 5yrs,”

Why in the hell would he, he has sold Sund on getting him the tools to work with and advance his options on offense. No, he hasn’t changed at all, he just has more options now and it allows him to do more things. You don’t know him that well, you can only offer your opinion, unless Woodson said, gee, Ken Strickland, I’m so dumb. I did not think that these boys would become young men and be more wise and athletic. If I had known that I would have been patience and taught them how to play the pro game. Gee, I’m dumb. Would you coach for me please ken?”

I don’t believe he said that to you. I believe he expected his boys would get better and mature and develop a man’s body. I also think he expects them to get even better in another two years and I think he hopes he will have all the pieces to maximize his options. That what any coach hopes for and expects. It’s called coaching. Don’t reduce him to your level of thinking. Just say you never expected.

This team is confident, unified, talented, hungry and well coached. That’s why they are winning.

Every farmer that sows seeds , expects growth, and expects a day of harvest.

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Big Ump – ‘GeeMack’, had a great point, when he mentioned >REBOUNDING.
You can’t run without the ball. I just feel like Woody is more comfortable in a half ct. game. Regardless, you are absotively correct,
these Hawks are built to run.

To whomever: `Matty Ice` is gonna be okay !

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And take punk azzse Richt with him!

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samuel, irony is after you trash acie for so long and tout monta, both have possibly met the same fate, nellie land as monta is readied to be shipped soon it seems.

richie, got to see the guys last night. really impressed they played so poorly, didnt have it as they threw up air balls, gave up easy baskets and somehow won in ot.

how are your wiz doing?

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ken, an interesting article showed up on si.com on bill walton and his retirement. i borrow from it the last paragraph that kind of says a lot for the many that come here to shop their talk at the liars table:

“Looking back now, the whole 25-minute interview was so outlandish and ideal for my (sarcastic) purposes that, like Bill’s on-air persona, I remain unsure whether it was merely an act. But maybe, in the end, it didn’t matter. Maybe that last quote — the one about “your lunch, your life, your choice” — gets at the core of Walton’s appeal. As emphatic as he was, as declarative as he was, it never felt like Walton was trying to convince us that he was right. Instead, he saw himself as starting a conversation, as being the eternal devil’s advocate. So many analysts seem as if they’re dead-set on trying to convert us to their point of view, and affect scorn if anyone dares question their authority. For these men, their certitude is born of expertise but may also be rooted in insecurity, a feeling that they have to be right. Not Walton. All along, he assumed that we as viewers would arrive at our own convictions in the end. He was just there to spur us along.”

i guess what struck me is the part about either being a confident devil’s advocate stimulating discussion or being the insecure trying to convince others there is one way to think and one way only. i am hardly suggesting you fall into the latter category. i admire your efforts to at least describe and articulate what you mean in discourse. i certainly dont come close to admiring the silly slanderous tribe that comes to haunt you. i choose to ignore them knowing they will either grow up and assume another name knowing they are cowards otherwise or go away. though maybe intelligent they are not kind hearted individuals or even gentleman of the order that you are but really the sad sadistic types that hide and lurk in shadows of their own minds and it is their own minds. i also know part of your health journey and you are overjoyed you can still articulate and take every chance to do so. keep singing bro but know when to engage and know when to let go and surrender. there is more power to the latter than you can ever believe. remember, it is about the hawks that we love dearly and have begun to take flight, woody included and that is all it is. peace my friend.

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Big gm tonight against the Heat, who lost at home to the Thunder. The matchup between Smoove and Beasley will be interesting.

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i’d have to say the horford pick turned out better than ok.

not to be pessimistic but whats the odds this team keeps up this winning pace?

we all knew josh could be a monster on the glass if he just expended some consistent effort what i didn’t expect was how efficient he could be offensively minus the 3 pointers. i’d say he’s hell on his way toward both of his goals for this year.

i criticize woody all the time but have to give him some props for the hot start.

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ask samuel that question.

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I agree that the press has by and large snubbed the Hawks over the years. I cant say that it hasn’t been merited. We’ve had so many draft bust, so many coaches who are now out of the NBA, trades that made no since and signings that gave up mega bucks for players who spent their remaining career with the hawks in dress cloths.

Most experts like to see a pattern of growth, not just during the regular season but in the post season as well. Until this Mike Woodson era, the Hawks franchise have been inconsistent and lottery pursuers. You’d have to go back to the Dominique, Spudd, Rivers,Rollins era to see a team that was truly competitive in “Hawks history”.

Yes, there are many who say the Hawks need a superstar but even more say the Hawks need a center. The rational here is not to be overlooked. In the higher levels of the NBA playoff the game slows down and changes dynamics. It becomes a half court game. Only teams that can go inside and then outside can compete.

Its fun and exciting to “Run-and-Gun”,through the season, but invariably the game brakes down to half court and the run and gun is nullified, and the in/out game takes over.

What the Hawks posse more than any team in the NBA, is a stable of young fast athletic cheetah’s who are precise and deadly shooters. There aren’t many teams who can match the Hawks in depth with this type of speed game.

I think this will help the Hawks get an excellent seed for the playoffs, but (BUT), the championship rounds of the playoffs is a different experience and you need an in/out game, which is usually a center.

Dont turn hater here, just understand the point.

Horford is a nice athlete and can run and slant very well. The championship rounds are not going to allow him to attack the rim on fast breaks. He will have to play the territorial game with his back to the basket and endure wave after wave of big men attacking him in the paint and forcing him off the block. The low block will become UFC and a war of attrition will ensue. Last year when this pace began Horford almost ripped an ankle out of socket. Factor in that this is the beginning of the season and the birds are fresh, running and gunning. I hope we are as fresh after 82 games the intensity of the playoff, and make it to the championship round.

My hope is our depth is sound enough to keep us fresher than the competition. Thats why I agree with Ken on getting Teague as much time as is possible, but clearly he was wrong in advocatingTeague starts over Bibby.

Every one knows that the Hawks are a playoff team, no doubt, were not seeking up on anyone. The consensus has been that we don’t have the center to play the half court game of the later rounds of championship play. That why the recent ESPN telecast mention” The hawks aren’t fooling anyone, Horford is a power forward”. They operate on the supposition that you wont win the championship with out the center to control and patrol the paint.

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i’m in korea … but ya back to that ai question…

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last thing…

clyde: sean williams is avging 11 minutes for the worst team in the nba. chew on that for a minute.

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trades that made no since (*correction, trades that made no sense).

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Horford, the new Dennis Rodman

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you know, it is an excuse to use your past to be a hater, especially if you see what it is. if anything if someone goes back and plays your “reiteration game” and copies everything you put out here maybe you could see how close to the sewer you are when it comes to hate in your “game”. maybe hate is too strong a word but maybe venom and obsession fits better. you can have your anger and maybe you are reading me a little softer than i am. i just dont need the anger and will speak to what i see. i respect a lot of your comments and basketball talk, the personal stuff detracts from anything you say as folks will simply scroll by you just as i will going forward if that is your ONLY game.

just saying, if you want to talk basketball then talk it. if you want to be crazy and go after folks then you might find folks just become quiet and you type to the air, you will be lost in the crowd though putting more typed words on this blog as you copy and paste like a mad man. you are entitled to your choice as it is in every moment as to how you respond ….just no BS excuses about the past as some kind of a badge of courage. yes, again you are entitled to your way, again your choice and uh, your play.

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YKWTMFI- If you really think that “sh*t talking” makes you hard and people who don’t “soft”, you really are stuck in the 80’s. It really makes you annoying and less credible.

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Its exactly like horford’s they are both rebounding powerforwards who can get out on a break and make garbage baskets, They where very close to the same physical size and weight.

Yea one thing joe johnson has preached about is being too soft. To many b!tches and b!tching. Just play baby. Quit whining about getting your feelings hurt. Lets see your Azz perform under pressure.
Real men understand what being too soft is about. No bodys going to give your sweet polite azz nothing. Go hunting and get it like a man. Thats what separate these hawks from the rest of the pack. These dogs will hunt.

Yea, this game, or the real world for that matter, may not be for the faint of heart. let me get your punk azs some milk and donuts.

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Daniel, backing it up does b!tch.

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I dont care for the whining weak bitchy type myself. To much bitching for me.

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you now, cool. time to scroll on both parts, have a nice life.

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“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.

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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.

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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

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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!!

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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?

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Anyone who is thinking about Kobe/LeBron/Wade in Atl is wasting his time.

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We dont need either Kobe, lebron or d wade. JJ and Crawford, plus smoove is enough.

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*your blog

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*died

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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……………………………

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What is Deng’s contract situation?

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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!

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Dang, Sautee- I get no love? man, my feelings are hurt.

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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

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