Knicks 92, Hawks 79
Greetings, all-
Pretty lousy game. I feel for you fans who invest so much of yourselves to have to watch your team struggle like this.
- Larry Drew kept the team in the locker room for a lot longer than normal. He came out to talk to reporters about 20 minutes after the game ended, which I’d guess is about seven or eight minutes longer than usual. The only thing Drew said he’d said to players is that every team is physically and mentally tired and that they have to grind it out.
“It’s not a situation of coming out and hoping that the other team is not on,” he said. “You’ve got to come out and you have to establish yourself and we have not done that.”
Other Drew quotes: “Right now, we’re in disarray. We’re not playing with the type of confidence and the type of swagger we should be playing with at home. And that’s a very disturbing thing.”
“The disappointing thing is that we didn’t play with that toughness that needs to be played at this particular time of the season.”
- The thing is, I actually thought they played pretty well defensively for the first three quarters. New York was on pace for 82-83 points through three quarters, more than 20 points below their season average. The Hawks were challenging shots, not getting beaten that often in transition and keeping the Knicks off the free-throw line.
(Two grains of salt: Carmelo Anthony was way off his game – more below – and the Knicks also didn’t have Chauncey Billups.)
The fourth, of course, was a different story. The Knicks loosened up offensively and started making everything. They made 10 of 15 shots, four of six from 3-point range and went to the free-throw line eight times after seven trips through three quarters.
Al Horford: “They moved the ball well, making big shots. I think we became real stagnant on offense. I think it carried over to the defensive end.”
Asked about what he meant by “stagnant,” he quickly replied, “No movement. No movement and a lot of isolation.”
An interesting moment in the fourth. Jamal Crawford was dribbling on the left wing with Kirk Hinrich towards the corner. Crawford kept dribbling and Hinrich threw his hands up. Ironically, that turned into a 3-pointer for Hinrich after Crawford threw into Horford, who passed back out to Hinrich.
- Horford had one shot in the fourth, although I wouldn’t put it on all on a lack of ball movement. He seemed hesitant throughout the game and missed pick-and-pop shots he normally makes.
Horford: “I just couldn’t get it going on offense.”
Drew said he didn’t have the energy he had against Chicago (which, in fairness, was statistically perhaps the best game of his career).
Drew: “I thought he did a good job of getting into the post, but I thought he was quick in his shot instead of getting into a nice rhythm and getting his shot off.”
- Offensively, it was a wreck. Mike D’Antoni has coached the Knicks for 224 games and this was the second first time his team held its opponent under 80 points.
Distance of first-quarter makes, in feet: 2, 3, 3, 5, 12, 25, 26.
Distance of misses: 7, 9, 15, 19, 20, 20, 22, 22, 22, 24, 25.
Joe Johnson was off, Horford was off. Plus, 21 total turnovers, which New York turned into 24 points. Not much flow.
You would never guess this, but the Hawks actually were 10-for-17 in the fourth quarter.
- Drew mentioned that he is going to keep searching for players who will bring toughness of the bench, which I imagine is partly why he gave Hilton Armstrong a shot (and also because he matched up better with New York’s athletic bigs than Jason Collins would have). He put in Zaza Pachulia at the start of the second quarter and pulled him after 65 seconds. Pachulia was pretty steamed coming back to the bench.
- I thought Damien Wilkins played tough, physical defense and gave the team a boost again. Anthony got his points off of him, but Wilkins, if memory serves, also drew two charges on him.
- Anthony said following the game he had migraines and blurry vision after getting poked in the eye by Hoford in the first quarter, which is why he took his headband off (because the headband was so tight, he said). Anthony was 6 for 18 for 14 points, although he had seven rebounds and seven assists (with five turnovers).
I’d say, too, Marvin Williams played pretty energetic defense on him, though who knows how things would have turned out of Anthony weren’t waylaid with blurry vision.
- One thing about Josh Smith’s 3-point shooting. He’s been pretty off this month (7 for 32), but he’s shooting 33.6 percent for the season. That’s better than Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams, as well as Derrick Rose (barely), Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant.
It can certainly be argued if he best serves the team being out there, but I don’t think it can be argued he doesn’t make a decent amount of them. (He was 1-for-2 against New York.)
- About Hawks fans – I do find it peculiar in a market this size that there wouldn’t be more fans who would be willing to pay to see the team play, but it’s obviously the reality of the market. It happens with all four professional sports teams here. I can understand where diehard Hawks fans could be disenchanted but I’d think the average sports fan would want to see a team that has a winning record and exciting players. I’m not blaming them – people are free to spend their money how they want – but it does surprise me a little the team doesn’t draw better.
This isn’t a groundbreaking observation, but I think part of it is the long record of futility and the effect that’s had on where each team is on the radar. Atlanta is a transient city, but I think that only goes so far. If a championship-caliber team played in this city, I have to believe it would win over a lot of those transient fans. It happened with the Braves in the 90’s, and I think it’s happening with the Falcons.
Other quotes:
Smith on his knee: “It felt good. I think I thought about it too much, but it’s going to be happen like that until I get the rust off.”
Drew: “We’re not playing with that sense of urgency. We’re not playing with this swag that we talk about coming back home and being on our homecourt and playing energized and with a sense of urgency. The minute we get out there, that’s not happening.”
Smith, on Drew’s comments about the Hawks lacking swagger: “Those are his words. You ask me, it’s just a lack of consistency.”
Horford: “It was just a lot of isolation. On the break, we had to try to get layups. I think we were forcing shots.”
Horford: “I think it’s a rough patch. We’ve had those before this season. It goes back to us playing with a consistency that I’ve felt we’ve lacked this year. We’ve got to get back on track.”
On fans cheering for the Knicks: “It is frustrating. But we can’t get caught up in that. We have to keep coming out and playing and playing for our fans.”
Amar’e Stoudemire, on the “MVP!” chants: “I thought we were at home for a second. It felt like a home game.”
Stoudemire: “We can become a great tea. It’s just a matter of us being willing to bring the effort every night.”
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287 comments Add your comment
Najeh Davenpoop
March 7th, 2011
1:57 am
“I can understand where diehard Hawks fans could be disenchanted but I’d think the average sports fan would want to see a team that has a winning record and exciting players. ”
You have this backwards a little bit. Die-hard Hawks fans are the ones who post on this blog, who get p-ssed off hearing MVP chants for Amare, and who drive 4 hours from Tennessee to go to Hawks games like northcyde. Average sports fans, who outnumber die hard fans by a lot regardless of the market, want to see teams with superstar players and winning records who have a shot at winning titles. The Hawks have neither, so average sports fans — even those who are born and raised here, not transplants — gravitate towards teams like the Knicks, Heat, Lakers, etc.
“If a championship-caliber team played in this city, I have to believe it would win over a lot of those transient fans. It happened with the Braves in the 90’s, and I think it’s happening with the Falcons.”
Exactly.
And anyway, it’s not like ATL is the only transient city in the NBA. Phoenix is a city with a lot of transplants, and that city loves the Suns and doesn’t give a sh-t about the Cardinals and Diamondbacks. Miami is a city with a lot of transplants, and that city loves the Dolphins and Heat (although the Knicks fans were drowning out the Heat fans last week, which is a lot more egregious than what happened in Philips tonight) and couldn’t care less about the Marlins.
If you build it — “it” being a team that has superstars and wants championships and not just second round defeats — they will come.
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
2:06 am
my last 2 posts from previous blog…
until the dynamics of this team are changed…ie…real leader found and accepted by all…then the Hawks will remain as they are now and have been for the last 3 yrs. this team and blog are still addressin’ and talkin’ about things from 6 years ago..seriously 6 f’n years!!! with pretty much the same cast of characters…blog posters excluded!!! here’s trip down memory lane for ya…JJ, AJ, Speedy, Chills, Acie, Bibby, Teague, and Kirk…yep all tapped to be PG for this franchise at one point. here’s another point…how many leaders did we miss out along the way??? a tirin’ exercise!!!
and as i shut it down for tonite…Marvin is the worst…PERIOD!!!! there is no reason, other than LD bein’ a coward, that Damien shouldn’t be startin’ instead of Marvin…PERIOD!!!
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
2:09 am
Al and Joe are headed on a collision course!!! book it…you heard it here first!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
March 7th, 2011
2:11 am
We all like to complain that the Hawks don’t get national media attention when they win. But you know what is really telling about this team? Nobody freaks out, or even mentions it, when they lose, either. This team is expected to be an also-ran. How do you expect casual fans to get attached to a team that nobody expects to make any noise when it matters?
Paradise Lost
March 7th, 2011
2:49 am
Najeh, I don’t think you sleep! Get some rest. Tomorrow is another day…actually, it’s already tomorrow for you.
And you are spot on re: national media attention; I rarely see NBA tweets that mention Hawks first. It’s usually a billing of the team the Hawks are playing (as was the case with the NYK tweets today). We were gobsmacked when Al was a headline in the sports section of our small market newspaper after the Bulls game. East Coast teams rarely make the newspapers out this way (unless their players shed tears…).
Hawks fan
March 7th, 2011
3:51 am
I don’t understand why etan isn’t playing especially after seeing his effort against Oklahoma city all year LD has played Jason Collins who honestly seems like a nice guy but doesn’t actually do anything basketball wise to help your team I mean what does he do he doesn’t score, rebound, block shots, add a defensive presence, run the floor, nothing I think Hilton played hard although he didn’t have much in terms of stats and that was messed up for LD to play Zsa Zsa for a minute and take him out but in my poi ion and a lot of fans in this city, LD is NOT the coach for the future of this team He is a glorified assistant who is in way over his head Why exactly did they fire Woody again?
Marcus
March 7th, 2011
3:53 am
najeh, et. al,
I have been a die-hard Hawks (and all ATL sports fan) since ‘74 (as a tyke growing up in Dec). I can’t stand the hot-cold fan base and foreign fan invasion when other teams come into our city.
I can’t run down the b-ball Xs and Os, but what last nites game solidified for me is that we are what we are …. which is a decent basketball team that has yet to establish a consistent identity and play and win with that philosophy. We have our core, but for us to go further, either we need to invest in better players to support the core, or break off some of the valuable core pieces and start over.
A couple of weeks ago, I likened our (near-term) sitiatuion in pursuit of a ECF appearance/championship to being put in the “friends zone”. We are good enough to hang around, but not good enough to be considered anything beyond casual. We have enough good qualities to be in the “friend zone” but not the “right” qualities for something more. We have the desire/will to go for something more meaningful, but don’t have the idea or paradigm on how to get there and change the perception/reality of the situation. So all we do it hope and wait ….
Sad thing is …. we (the Hawks) are stuck with what we have. Our team isn’t bad enough to go the lottery and snag an instant starter, so we are picking in the middle of the draft or bottom 3rd. We have traded away our 1st rounder to WSH, so internal development is our fate, unless we move one of our few tradable pieces, which would be akin to starting over considering that Smoove and Horford are probably our only ones (Jamals’ contract is attractive, but since he is still here after the trade deadline, moot point). We have a notoriously frugal ownership, so going for broke with valuable bench pieces available on the waiver wire (see Corey Brewer, Al Thornton, etc.) is a like cusswords to a nun …
The next few years, either we slink back into the pre-2006 type seasons or we hold steady and hope to mix/match the right pieces like how DAL Mavericks have done to be somewhat relevant until a break-out season this year. We just don’t have a moneybags and ego-driven owner like they do.
Realsquawk
March 7th, 2011
4:21 am
I always get sick and tired of seeing so many fans in our building, but you know what would be great? If the Hawks didn’t roll over loose games when all the Hawks fans are just waiting to tell these posers to shut up. instead people spend their money to see the team do something like that. I wish they would give the team to Al Horford because he has the personality to win over this city. Joe Johnson doesn’t want it and frankly doesn’t deserve it anymore.
TheAntiMe
March 7th, 2011
4:26 am
If the Hawks ownership would make a real commitment to building a championship caliber team the people would come out to see the Hawks. After all, it’s obvious people come out to see the Lakers, Celtics, and Knicks play here, and have done so for years. Do you not think that those same folks would be much happier if they had a Hawks team to cheer for?
Pretty much the entire Eastern Conference improved over the summer but the Hawks decided to stand pat. They even took the cheap way out by promoting Larry Drew to be Head Coach from the ranks of the failed Mike Woodson regime when clearly there were better choices available. The way that the Hawks’ management proudly avoids the luxury tax as if it were a precursor to leprosy all but guarantees that the Hawks will probably never have the horses to make it out of round 2, if lucky, of the playoffs. If I can recall correctly I believe that the teams that finished in the top 5 last year all were over the cap and were paying the luxury tax. I don’t think that any of these teams have trouble filling their home arenas because the fans there appreciate the commitment that their ownerships have made to give them a team to cheer for.
In 50 years of NBA in Atlanta seldom, if ever, has ownership shown a real dedication to bringing Atlanta an NBA Championship. The closest was probably when Ted Turner owned the Hawks and even then, it appeared that he was much more focused on his Braves.
Once upon a time when Atlanta was the Mayberry of major US cities it was good enough just to have a team to root for knowing that even though they would never make the playoffs, at least every once in a while they would win a game or two. Now that Atlanta is the 8th largest market in the country, that attitude just doesn’t cut it anymore. People around here expect just a bit more from their teams, and rightly so, after so many years of watching them flail and fail.
Rashod
March 7th, 2011
4:59 am
Joe Johnson sucks,he quit on the team last year in the playoff & they sign him to a mega.So,he come back,so how do you think a die-hard fan should feel?
Rashod
March 7th, 2011
4:59 am
Mega Deal
Rashod
March 7th, 2011
5:00 am
My bad,Mega Deal
tony
March 7th, 2011
6:14 am
Why complain about the fans cheering for the other team? Most of them despise the south anyways and some of them despise ASG, JJ and JS. QUIT TORTURING YOURSELVES!
This team really makes me appreciate the 70s and 80s hawks even more. The old hawks were much much much mature than todays hawks. Even High School Basketball Teams are more mature than this team.
I bet Al Horford regrets signing that long term contract. He’s probably thinking……”My teammates(JJ/JJ) are soooooo selfish and completely enept” “My HC is a FRAUD” “ASG are IDIOTS!”
tony
March 7th, 2011
6:18 am
(JJ/JS)
NCBravesFan
March 7th, 2011
6:20 am
Finally a game on national TV that I was able to see, and the Hawks lay an egg offensively. That was painful to watch.
The Hawks did show a little life in the 2nd quarter when Teague came into the game. He was one of the few guys willing to mix it up inside a little bit in an effort to create a good shot (for himself or a teammate).
superiorblogman
March 7th, 2011
6:27 am
I could care less about the Hawks. There are people on this earth that will die today for no apparent reason. There are kids that have terminal diseases and that’s just evil and wrong. We live on a earth where people wait on this fantasy person to come save us. We need to cure each other and love each other more. We need to find cures and defeat the evils of the earth that make us try to bow down to its power. We need to stop believing in fantasies and hope and do more for each other. As for all this entertainment mess that we spend our time getting into, I am done with it. Goodbye blogworld, I love you all, let’s put our energy together to heal each other and find the true meaning of existence instead of caring one way or another about all the sideshows we have created.
calihawks
March 7th, 2011
6:28 am
Joe didnt deserve that kinda money he is just a above average player not a great one.. If any1 on this team deserves that kinda money it’s AL…. Crappy game and pretty sad when the fans at ur home game is chanting MVP to the away team player thats just a joke…! Who is more of a ball hog Joe Johnson or Jamal Crawford i dont think either 1 of them kno how to the pass the dam ball they just dribble dribble dribble then go into a crowd and shoot it….. PASS IT!!!!…
JustAThought
March 7th, 2011
6:51 am
Kudo’s to Najeh and all the other bloggers so far. I’m about at a point that I’ don’t care anymore. They can pack there $hit and leave town for all I care.
TheAntiMe
March 7th, 2011
7:00 am
Why complain about the fans cheering for the other team? Most of them despise the south anyways and some of them despise ASG, JJ and JS. QUIT TORTURING YOURSELVES!
If most of these fans despise the South why don’t they take their sorry @sses somewhere else and stop using up our oxygen? Nobody around here wants or needs them, anyway!
rk
March 7th, 2011
7:12 am
The Hawks have players who just don’t seem to play well together. JS and AH are prime examples. AH is and alstar and has a very good shot. JS is not as good a shooter but takes more shots each game than AH. JT is not the answer for future point guard. Sure he is good for one or two good plays a game but I can go to any gym and find someone to do what he does.
Salinsa
March 7th, 2011
7:13 am
I’m a diehard Hawk fan living in NYC. As you wrote, ATL fans will show up if there is some hope that the team is of championship quality. The irony of the JJ Mac extension is that it took away all that hope. That deal capped out the team which means that the main cogs on this team will be here for the for the next several seasons. As everyone who watched the Hawks the last couple years knew that this nucleus, going forward, barring a drastic change in personnel which is unlikely due to JJ’s bad contract, is not going to provide hope for a championship. We can make minor tweaks like bring in Hinrich, but until this team is able to clear out some cap space for a free agent or get lucky with a draft pick, we are stuck with a 45-50 win team the next 4 seasons or so.
That’s nothing to get excited about to the point where fans should spend their money to go watch, especially in this economy. It all goes back to how short sighted JJ’s extension was.
O'Brien
March 7th, 2011
7:33 am
Ken S,
Could you ask JJ about his 3-pt % this season? He is a career 37% from 3, but so far he is at 29% (and falling). He has made 70-241. For somebody who is struggling from 3, why is he shooting so many?
“Larry Drew kept the team in the locker room for a lot longer than normal.” Ken S.
If I had a $1 for every time LD has done that this season, I would be well on my way to buying season tickets.
Asked about what he meant by “stagnant,” he (Al) quickly replied, “No movement. No movement and a lot of isolation.”.
If I had a $1 for every time I heard that over the last 3 years, I would be well on my way to buying the Hawks and Thrashers.
ole hawk's fan
March 7th, 2011
7:37 am
A True NBA Coach…………….who preached movement doing training camp but now sit/stand watch as ISO is still living in this team offense. Those who continue to Run Woody’s Flawed ISO offense, should be Bench to get the Message that this is not the offense this team is predcated ON. Get The Big Pocket JJ(over-paid) OUT OF HERE! This guy isn’t worth Max Money and a Smart Owner(s) would have let him walk and use that money to bring help in here For Holford. I hope there will be a “New Owner” in here SOON but one thing that will never change with this TEAM……………..is How JJ was given The Max and he is NOT A MAX Player!
phil
March 7th, 2011
7:38 am
No, no, no. The average fan has better sense than to spend money on this team. I keep saying it and saying it on here. The Hawks don’t play defense and have 2-3 key players with poor attitudes. Until they exit stage left, it’s only going to get worse.
Only a moron would pay to watch this kind of “basketball” night in and night out. A game or 2 I can understand, i suppose.
phil
March 7th, 2011
7:39 am
And it appears that Larry Drew couldn’t coach Ga Tech…
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
7:41 am
I do hope we realize that with 19 games or so remaining and a brutal schedule remaining, we are staring a 47, 48 win season in the face.
We are only 3 up on the knicks and sixers in the loss column, and we’ve still got a road game at Philly coming up.
And our next 2 are the Lakers and at the Bulls.
And our Coach just said we are in disarray. Might we end up a 6 or 7 seed? Where is “no excuses” Johnson.
I like LD, but I’m concerned for his job right now.
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
7:48 am
Jamal is quickly going from one of my favorite Hawks, to the Mo/Bibby camp of being part of the problem.
And can you believe Josh disrespecting his Coach like that. Wow!
Section 303
March 7th, 2011
7:49 am
Guys,
I may be done with this team. I’ve had season tickets for 7 or 8 years now. I have never been this disgusted with the Hawks. What I saw last night was total garbage. And, really, I don’t want to support this piece of crap organization anymore.
The Hawks are headed towards massive rebuilding. This group cannot win. They just can’t. The guys peaked last season. They’re only going to get worse. Eventually, we are going to go back to the 13-win seasons and praying that the lottery balls bounce our way.
Total trash last night. Joe Johnson is proving to be a complete waste of money. His skills are going away. He cannot (and I mean f’ing cannot!) make a 3-point shot. He is just not capable of doing that anymore. I never thought I would say this, but Josh Smith is a better 3-point shooter than Joe Johnson. Joe is terrible from 3.
So, this year Joe can’t make 3’s. What part of his game will go next year?
Al Horford = total fraud. Maybe he should pick a new guy to have a beef with. Al can’t hold Amere’s jock. Al was a complete noshow last night. He did nothing. Nothing. Less than nothing, actually.
I have more to say, but….does it really matter? This team is done. I just wish I would not have renewed my tickets for next season. I really want no part of this team.
Last night was my breaking point. I’m done.
jgsbirds
March 7th, 2011
7:51 am
i hope all of those so called, “knick fans” be sure to have your braves jerseys on in a few weeks when spring training ends.
i’m tired of seeing all of the fans coming into every arena in atlanta and out-cheering the home folks. it bothered me tremendously during the 12 years or so i had season tickets for the falcons. you would see people with niners, bucs, cowboys and even bears jerseys on–but also wearing a braves hat. whatever people–those same knick fans were there a few weeks ago and after atlanta started coming back they were all cheering for the hawks.
i’ve been a die hard hawks fan since the late 70’s–live in chattanooga and now only get to a game or two a season–but there’s no away i could afford to take my family of five to a game at the prices that they charge! i’ll have to continue to watch them on directv and hope to be able to come during the playoffs!
they do need to think about lowering their prices if they expect any hardcore family type fans to attend–i think i calculated five tickets at 70 dollars apiece, plus parking, food and gas to be around 500 to 550 bucks. can’t do it and won’t do it! i could sit in the nosebleed for much less–but why do that if can just stay at home and watch it on tv.
good luck the rest of the way hawks–but step it up–too many turnovers and why does every team seem to make everything against us. anthony carter lighting it up–whatever!!!
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
7:57 am
I think we need to see some Hinrich and Teague backcourt action together. Hinrich is tough enough to handle most 2’s. But LD won’t play the 2nd year rook’ much more, even though he’s the one attacking the basket and getting ball movement.
I think we may have made a mistake hiring LD and not a fresh voice.
And if you would have told me Marvin would hold Carmelo at bay, Billups and Turiaf wouldn’t play, and the Hawks at Home full strength. I would have said the Hawks win by 20.
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
8:03 am
Coach says team is in disarray with the Lakers and @Bulls coming up next. Kind I’d sums it up.
doc
March 7th, 2011
8:07 am
the hawks have to get it some day. those other fans are screaming because the hawks re giving them the opportunity to do so. yes it was amazing but a better showing would have quieted them and allowed the other larger contingent, their fans to yell louder. they had their fans there inthe game but really played down to the moment rather than to it.
the shooting stats suggest when they go cold they seem to go farther away from the basket. doesnt a smart team do it the other way around?
turnovers are from not concentrating, general sloppy undisciplined play, wanting to take chances or not be confident enough to be patient looking for the easy way. it has got to stop along with someone making shots.
horford sunk back to mediocrity fast didnt he?
Trojan
March 7th, 2011
8:16 am
Jamal is horrible when it comes to “team ball”. This team has peaked and it will require much more than tweaking to be better.
LD has lost his effectiveness with the team. I am not saying that it is his fault.
The Hawks need major help.
Ken Strickland: What are your thoughts?
vava74
March 7th, 2011
8:19 am
I have not yet watched the game YET but a few quick things spring to mind looking at the available data:
This was a tight, defensive game through 3 quarters.
Through 3 quarters Jamal had played only 12 minutes and we were in the game.
Then Jamal played – again – the last minutes of the 3rd and the whole 4th quarter.
During this EXACT PERIOD the Hawks were outscored by 14 points.
Jamal did score 8 points but his HELP VALUE (rebounds + assists + steals + blocks – turnovers) was -2 for that period (MINUS 2).
Our “motion” offense is now a thing of the past and it’s not coincidence that Ken pointed on the blog entry that Hinrich was alone in the corner and Jamal kept dribbling.
“Jamal”, “motion offense” and “defense” cannot be in the same sentence.
I am going to watch the game now and re-post after seeing it with my own eyes.
J from the A
March 7th, 2011
8:20 am
How many other playoff teams get cheered out of their own building?
[For that matter, how many other teams period get cheered out of their own building?]
This phenomenon has very little to do with the quality of the Hawks organization and so much more to do with the quality of the fan base. [OK. Maybe there is a nice interaction effect of the two, but the point is the quality-of-the-organization excuse does not work as an explanans on its own.]
Chris
March 7th, 2011
8:20 am
Pape Sy needs to play.
Chris
March 7th, 2011
8:21 am
Pape Sy
Joe Johnson
March 7th, 2011
8:24 am
Hey guys,
We are now the 6th best team in the EAST. You can thank the owners for getting me a max contract when i cant win one game in the 2nd round. Basketball will be irrelevant in Atlanta for the next 6 years.
J from the A
March 7th, 2011
8:24 am
Would it be a mistake for the Hawks to keep Jamal?
He is a very exciting player, and he has proven to be able to deliver in the clutch. But his iso-heavy style (maybe even more iso-heavy than JJ) along with his poor defense may cause more problems than his tricky dribbling and amazing shots solve.
[Plus, resigning Jamal pretty much guarantees the Hawks will be in the luxury tax next year, assuming no salary dumps and that the new CBA does not significantly raise the luxury tax threshold.]
J from the A
March 7th, 2011
8:27 am
Speaking of being the 6th best team in the east …
As far as the playoff picture goes, strategically speaking, would it be better for the Hawks to finish 5th or 6th? There might be a slightly better chance to make it to the ECF as the 6th.
Joe Johnson
March 7th, 2011
8:29 am
umm they wont even make it out of the 1st round.
They are going to play either the Magic, Heat, Celtics or Bulls. I dont see them beating one of those team 4 times.
I think they will end up finishing 5th and facing the Magic
Section 303
March 7th, 2011
8:31 am
J from the A, does it really matter what seed the Hawks have? They’re going out in the first round. They aren’t beating any team in a 7-game series. Not a chance of them getting to the 2nd round.
Chris
March 7th, 2011
8:31 am
when can we see Pape Sy
J from the A
March 7th, 2011
8:33 am
@jgsbirds:
I’ve been getting really lucky on the Hawks tickets resale sight [linked from Ticketmaster on Hawks website]. I’ve been able to get really good prices on tickets for non-marque [but still good] games. The only problem would be: With a family of five, it will probably be next to impossible to get a set of 5 tickets at a great price and in the same section.
J from the A
March 7th, 2011
8:34 am
Section 303: You don’t think the Hawks have a decent chance of beating the Magic or the Heat in the first round?
Section 303
March 7th, 2011
8:36 am
J from the A, no. No chance. I really do not think they would beat any team in the East ranked within the top 10.
Joe Johnson
March 7th, 2011
8:36 am
Check 2009 and 2010 2nd round
2009 vs Cavs: Lost 4-0 by average of 20+ pts
2010 vs Magic: Lost 4-0 by average 25+ pts
they will not be able to beat the Top 4 teams in the East. I predict a sweep this year by the OTHER team
Joe Johnson
March 7th, 2011
8:37 am
in the 1st round
WeNeedTree
March 7th, 2011
8:37 am
Leaderless…..like our country…..
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
8:39 am
The Hawks are one and done..They will be annihilated in the Playoffs?? PLAYOFFS?????????? Just hang in there, THE BEAT DOWN IS COMING….The Hawks should pack their bags and get to steppin cause they are garbage………………………8th largest City in America and haven’t been to a finals in 44 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are You Kidding ME??????????????? I get it now Mr. Stern…Its parts of your plan to make sure there will never be a Championship in the this town..Not an accident…WAKE UP SLEEPY HEADS!!!!!
J from the A
March 7th, 2011
8:39 am
The Heat have struggled even more so than the Hawks against quality opponents and when it comes to closing out games. I also think that, for whatever reasons, the Hawks match up better against the Magic this year. I also think the Hawks match up well with the Bulls [and not just because of the miracle come back]. I am not sure what to think Hawks v, Knicks. A mostly healthy Celtics beat the Hawks in 5/6 games.
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
8:43 am
‘Leaderless…..like our country…”
got news for you gomer, your previous leader along with the present answers to a higher power and he’s not human and he’s not God…I’ll leave it at that….That’s for you to figure out…….
Ed
March 7th, 2011
8:46 am
What’s to complain about, the hawks have always been a D-league basketball team…… always will be…. and they only make the playoffs for the real pro teams to have someone to tune up aganist.
atlpaddy
March 7th, 2011
8:48 am
Well, my last comment never was posted so here’s the abridged version.
Atlanta doesn’t care about the Hawks, because the Hawks just don’t care, period.
Mick
March 7th, 2011
8:54 am
MC you are way off base for criticizing the fan base for not drinking the “Kool Aid.” This team has lost home games by more than 40 and 30 points this season and last year was swepted out of the playoffs by historical losing margins.
I am an avid NBA that has supported the Hawks in the past. But now I absolutely refuse to pay my hard earn money to watch this garbage of a team. Until the ownership group decides to put a worthy product on the floor, I hope that fans will continue to voice their displeasure with this team by holding on to their pocket books. This team is an embbarrassment not only to the city of Atlanta but also to the NBA. It’s obvious that management and most of all the players don’t care. Why should the fans?
oldmike
March 7th, 2011
8:56 am
Whena season ticket hold like Section 303 says “no mas” then the team is in big trouble from a fan perspective. He’s paying their salary and is done. I try to watch them on TV and see a team in total disarray. The movement is gone. The intensity sputters from quarter to quarter. The coaching is lackluster. The ownership is criminal. Can the Spirit sell off and can we find an owner willing to spend money the right way? Zaza and “Twin” are so terrible our second unit is a joke. ISO ball kills thios team. Enough of the same old same old. For every game like the Bulls one we have to endure the stinkers we put up versus the Sixers, Hornets, Knick and Thunder AT HOME no less. The Hawks can kiss my jock. Go Braves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Roundfield on Roundball
March 7th, 2011
8:56 am
Knicks fans who fill the seats and chant MVP weren’t there two, three years ago. But there are so many ex-NY’s around here, they will turn out when the Knicks are “relevant” again. The Knicks made moves – they got AS and CA and CB. They are rising. The Hawks are stagnant to sinking. No changes in the core, a lackluster coaching hire. As they have too many owners, they have too many options. Is this Horford’s team? JJ? or JSmith? Let’s face it — Joe Johnson is not a “franchise” star and they have mortgaged the future to watch him lifelessly score 20+ a night. The Hawks are a dull 45 win team, 1st round playoff fodder.
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
8:58 am
I would let Jamal walk and trade Marvin for Sessions and Manny Harris. We could even trade the Cavs all 4 second picks we have the next 2 seasons if it would help facilitate that trade.
I would then make a decision as an organization whether we get some decent bigs and move Al and Josh down, or do we trade Josh for a 3 and a 5, or a 5 and a decent draft pick etc.
The Center position is so bad in the NBA right now, you really can get buy with Kwame, Collins, ZaZa types in some kind of 3 headed rotation, keeping a fresh body in there.
And depending on how the playoffs fare, I would make a decision on LD, and either back him, or cut my losses and get someone else.
I would make sure each player in their exit interviews knew exactly what part of his game he was to work on in the offseason, and make sure they are properly connected with a nutritionist and a personal trainer.
I think we have an interesting off season coming up. Will Sund stay? LD? Marvin? Josh? Who do we get to help?
Blue
March 7th, 2011
9:00 am
The reason the average, die-hard Hawks fan doesn’t go to each and every Hawks game is because the ticket prices are too high. Same for the Falcons. Lower pricing would net more sellouts. Arthur Blank proved this to be true when he first purchased the Falcons.
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
9:02 am
We start Collins at Center depending on the other team. I say we start Teague at PG against the Lakers, because their scouting report says they cannot stop a quick PG. Put Collins/ZaZa on Bynum down low, and we can beat this team.
LD, you do it with Centers, why not at PG?
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
9:03 am
Count down Clock: 19 games till the Playoffs???PLAYOFFS???
The schedule is brutal!!! UP next the Lakers..Hawks will lose by 35!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then Chicago on the road………..Hawks lose by 30!!!!!!!!!!!!
Life is a reality check…………It dont like Arrogance and Pride.. It will smack you down…………….
Blue
March 7th, 2011
9:04 am
@ Ed …. you hit the nail on the head.
tony
March 7th, 2011
9:07 am
I’m not sure how you can improve a team with two egomaniacs(JJ/JS) on it and I’m certain the people making the decisions can’t either because they are the ones who created this mess.
They(ASG/Sund) thought the players would play better under LD because he is a nice guy. BAD DECISION!
If I was making the decisions for this fanchise I would do the following:
1)I would hire Bill Laimbeer IMMEDIATELY! As a player, Laimbeer was a coach on the floor. His coach(Chunk Daly) and his teamates listen when he spoke. He knows how to get his message across to his team.
2) I would draft high IQ basketball players. Players who are willing to work hard and respect the coach’s decisions. In this years draft Darius Moore-pg and Keith Benson-c fit the bill.
3) I will sign a high IQ free agent this offseason. I would sign David West and not resign JC. By doing this I will bench egomaniac JS until a team(N O) ask for his services. This move will send a message to the rest of the team that I will not except mediocrity and stupidity.
Since ASG are not willing to over spend I can only do so much. I think these decisions will make the hawks a better team.
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
9:08 am
Teague can punk Fisher or Blake. And Hinrich can back him up well
JJ can hang with Kobe about as well as anybody can
Josh can match up with Artest
Al can bang some with Gasol
Collins/ZaZa can help with Bynum
Hinrich, Jamal, Marvin, Wilkins, and ZaZa off the bench can go with Blake, Barnes, Brown, Odom off the bench.
We can beat the Lakers if LD will match up with them.
Tremaine
March 7th, 2011
9:10 am
After every loss Larry Drew will say we need to do this or we didn’t do that. Pretty much falling on his on sword. Will ASG have the guts to fire the guy that they shouldn’t have hired?
K.W.
March 7th, 2011
9:11 am
It’s was very disappointing to hear all those “Knicks fans” in Philips.
Double Zero Eight
March 7th, 2011
9:16 am
“You can’t fool all of the people, all of the time”.
We have been rebuilding since 1968, when the
team played at Alexander Memorial Coliseum
(before the Omni was built).
We don’t have the players or the coach to
win a NBA championship, which should be the
goal. It takes a superstar, or a great coach to
win a championship. We have neither. “It is
not always true that you get what you pay for”.
Joe Johnson is making superstar money, but
he is not a leader or superstar. It’s not his fault
that ASG overpaid him.
Marvin has reached his peak. He simply cannot
hit an open jumper on a consistent basis.
Why should someone be expected to spend over
$100 to attend a game, not know whether Dr. Jekyll
or Mr. Hyde is going to show up!!!
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
9:28 am
iso Joe= Robin jr
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
9:29 am
Tremaine – Agreed. Tough when your Coach says your in disarray at this point of the season. And Josh just kind of contradicts you. Sund’s contract is up. I wonder if he will be the one who fires LD if he has to go?
And I hope LD turns things around and Coach’s the Hawks to 3 Championships. I have no beef with LD personally. He’s done some things very well. But as far as respect goes, I’m afraid he once again is on the verge of losing this team. The signs are there.
And I wonder if we miss Bibby’s looseness at times like this? Sure don’t miss his on court however.
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
9:29 am
“The Hawks are who we thought they were!”
They are the 7th seed………………….and playing like one………………
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
9:29 am
soon to be 7th seed…………
Double Zero Eight
March 7th, 2011
9:33 am
My previous post should state “not knowing whether”
in last paragraph.
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
9:34 am
Ld does not have the horses plain and simple….His guys are worn down… With 19 games left, we wont have to wait for the Playoff beat down.. It has already begun last night with that 13 pt lost..but wait there’s the Tuesday night Laker match up coming and its going to get real ugly at Phillips!!!!!!!!!!!!
A massacre………………………………………………..Yawn………………………..
O'Brien
March 7th, 2011
9:38 am
J from the A,
He is a very exciting player, and he has proven to be able to deliver in the clutch. .
This is a misconception of Jamal, and vava has provided evidence of that in the past. Once in a while, Jamal makes a big shot in the clutch. However, what gets ignored is the fact that his defense and iso-play is what helps to keep other teams in it in the 4th.
Jamal is very good in the late first/early second quarter, and even in the third. But when he plays major minutes in the 4th, there is usually a negative effect on ball movement, defense, and shot selection. Its not all on him, but he is part of the problem.
And I dont think he is part of the solution, unless LD reduces his minutes.
Ken Sugiura
March 7th, 2011
9:38 am
i’m sensing some dissatisfaction (sarcasm). i have to say the most impactful post was 303’s. i agree with oldmike. perhaps things have reached a tipping point.
and good question about johnson and his 3-point average. i will try to ask him today.
mick – i wasn’t criticizing the fans. as i said, they’re free to spend (or not spend) their money on whatever they want. i just said that for the fan who isn’t as knowledgeable or passionate as you all, you’d think that on the surface, they’d see a team with a winning record and a couple all-stars and decide to go to a few games a year.
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
9:38 am
I couldn’t believe what I was watching in the 2nd quarter of the Lakers and Spurs game in San Antonio yesterday!!!!!!!…The Lakers were spanking the Spurs by 30 pts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I believe the Spurs are a much better squad then the Hawks??? You Think??????????????????
Ken Sugiura
March 7th, 2011
9:40 am
one thing about re-signing jamal – without a strong closing run, i imagine his market value this off-season won’t be what it was last offseason.
lp
March 7th, 2011
9:48 am
The team has no identity, and the 4th quarters are atrocious with jamal crawford playing most of the minutes. I blame the coach first, we played good after the trade when teauge was starting. I think it happened because he’s not looking to score first. No team wins without role players. The team seemed balanced when hinrich was on the bench and played with mostly bench so he and crawford could focus on scoring.
lp
March 7th, 2011
9:49 am
teague
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
9:50 am
Ken S – Jamal sure hasn’t thrived like he did under Woody has he?
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
9:53 am
If LD is not the answer, we need a kick butt Coach who will come in here and take no prisoners. I think Al, JJ, and Hinrich would def. respond to that. Wilken’s too. I’m not sure about the rest of the team.
Ken Sugiura
March 7th, 2011
9:54 am
steveW – i don’t know if it’s woodson that’s the reason – maybe it is; his role is a little different – but there isn’t any question he’s not playing like last year.
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
9:59 am
And anybody blaming the fans for not showing up is stupid.
ASG had the biggest marketing tool in their history at their disposal in the off season, and decided to play it cheap. And that was Signing Shaq. We didn’t even offer him the Two Year exception, which was only a few hundred thousand more than the vet. min.
Shaq would not only have helped us compete with Boston, and probably made us better than Miami, playing only 20 mpg, he would have put 2,000 more fans in the stands on a nightly basis. And the Hawks would be all over the ATL media, because everybody would be following Shaq. Not signing him was a stupid move by the Hawks in a basketball and a marketing sense.
You can’t lose 4-0 in historic proportions, do nothing but hire your previous Coach’s asst., lose by historic margins this season at home, and on a historic regularity, and expect fans to come. It’s not the fans fault!!!!
Oh, and we did re-sign a player to the most ridiculed contract of any sport anywhere that I can remember in recent history, on a national level.
Stop blaming the fans!! Build a winner and they will come
DHUD
March 7th, 2011
10:05 am
The Hawks have had the same problems for years. And for the next 6 years, it is not going to get any better. But before we place blame on the players that are not that good, lets look at the management that took these players. How blind is the Hawks ownership and office to pass on Chris Paul. Come on!
The only thing that is going to help the Hawks is to completely overhaul the team. Say goodbye to J Smith, Joe, and everyone BUT Al. Al is an excellent player with a crappy supporting cast. Get rid of the entire coaching staff as well. But the part of the Hawks that needs to go the most is the front office and ownership. We somebody that actually KNOWS the game and has a passion for the Hawks.
Is there anyway for the fans to fire the ownership. We can all wish.
Section 303
March 7th, 2011
10:07 am
Guys,
I just wrote an e-mail to my ticket rep asking to be let out of my season tickets for next season. I actualy upgraded, too. Next year my seats are in section 310, first row. I want out. Made a huge mistake paying upfront for my tixs, I think. Although, I get my money back if there is a lock out. Pulling hard for a lock out next season.
If any of you care, I’ll let you know when I hear a response from my rep. But, I really am done. Not just frustrated with the Hawks. I’m done. I do not want to support this team anymore.
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
10:09 am
“Stop blaming the fans!! Build a winner and they will come”
I co-sign…Why would I waste time, money, and effort going down and watch so called “professionals” who I could probably out shoot half of em…. Boring??????????????? Yep……..
Sautee
March 7th, 2011
10:11 am
KenS,
Will you ask LD why we go away from the motion offense in crunch time? He had said that the motion offense “makes everybody on the floor a threat to score” If that’s the case, why not put more pressure on the defense when we need a score the most?
ISO’s seem to play into the hands of a defense unless someone is having an “in the zone” night. Not too many of those lately.
on the fence fan
March 7th, 2011
10:14 am
Man I spent money on good seats I talked myself intobuying these seats, it just hurts even worse when knicks fans are talking noise and u can’t respond cause your team ain’t giving effort bull man how can they blame us for not coming to the games these players don’t care about us to work hard enough to play a full 4qrts if Al gone be a leader he needs to show put up tough shots yell at joe and smith for taken dumb a”# shots man I want be back
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
10:18 am
Let’s fire up the fan base:
1) Let’s re-sign Jason Collins who came in last season out of shape, barely played, and AJC runs an article about how in shape he was.]
2) We’ll sign Josh Powell, who basketball pundits acknowledge as one of the worst players in the NBA. He couldn’t even play with Bynum, Gasol, and Odom down.
3) We’ll sign Etan Thomas. Exciting, dynamic, and then we’ll not play him
4) We’ll not play the quick exciting Teague, but instead we’ll run the slow Bibby out there, that every fan with eyes can see is destroying this team on the court.
5) On April 19th, Yahoo Sports will report the Hawks are trying to sell their 1st pick. Hawks fans go crazy mad. Micheal Gearon Jr. comes out and denies the report. So on draft day, we trade down, so we can obtain the 1st pick in the 2nd round and sell that.
That’ll get the fan base excited everytime
As will:
Name your score losses like to the mighty Bucks at home on Nov. 10th by 17
Boston at home by 23 on Nov. 22nd
@ San Antonio by 16 on the 10th of December
@ Detroit by 23 on the 14th of December
By 41 at Home to the Hornets on January on Jan. 21st
By 34 at Home to the Sixers on Feb. 8th
By 24 to the Lakers @ LA on Feb. 22nd
All the while only having one 20+ point win all season.
Yea, that’ll fire up the fan base.
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
10:24 am
With all that said, if LD will put the right folks on the floor tomorrow night, we can beat the Lakers. But they are in a zone right now.
Start Teague, JJ, Josh, Al, and Collins.
Let Hinrich, Jamal, Wilkens, Marvin, and ZaZa come off the bench, and you gotta shot. The Lakers can’t stop Teague, especially with a big running interference for him inside.
Willy
March 7th, 2011
10:25 am
Hawks are on the rise. They have some age issues they need to workout in the offseason. As for this season they are a strong team who night after night can compete with the best. They will definantly make the playoffs and if 100 percent healthy I can see a few wins. Once Hinrich can settle into the offense things might start to shape up. Lets GO HAWKS
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
10:27 am
Sautee – That is a great question, and I appreciate your persistence in asking it. I’m not sure LD has control of this team in the 4th quarter, and I’m not joking about that. He can call time outs, run an individual play when needed in the 4th, even switch personnel, but I think JJ, Jamal and the rest just do what they want in the 4th quarter and make LD like it
prison mike
March 7th, 2011
10:31 am
The real irony is they actually made a championship move essentially, but it was totally the wrong direction.
O'Brien
March 7th, 2011
10:31 am
Steve W,
One more way to fire up the fan base? Resign the guy who said he doesn’t care if the fans show up to a 6 year max contract.
(For the record, I was in favor of resigning JJ, but I can see how some fans didn’t like the move).
But you’re right about Shaq. He was the guy we needed, but Rick and the ASG were worried about his salary demands, and how he would affect team chemistry.
The same chemistry that was blown out the water by Orlando last year. The same chemistry that has led to LD saying the team is in disarray now. The same chemistry that led to teammates getting frustrated with Bibby’s defense.
Yeah, Shaq would have disrupted our chemistry.
O'Brien
March 7th, 2011
10:35 am
Steve W,
Also, when the ASG resigned JJ to a 6 year max, there was an article (by David Aldridge I think) that said the reason they didnt mind giving him the 6 year deal was because they would probably sell the Hawks long before his contract made it to year 5.
Of course, the ASG denied this. And here we are, not even one year later, we are finding out that the ASG have been trying to sell the Thrashers for years, and might even sell the Hawks.
Ken SUguira,
Ownership is another reason why few people come watch the Hawks. Nobody believes (or trusts) the ASG,
CurlyHoward
March 7th, 2011
10:36 am
The Hawks are an embarrassment to the NBA. NO WONDER ESPN DOESNT WANT TO SHOW THEIR HIGHLIGHTS. They stink. Over the last 10 games or so, they have started a trend of falling behind by double figures by the end of the first quarter. What are they doing that for? Are they not getting paid MILLIONS OF DOLLARS to play basketball and perform at the highest level. I’m tired of watching and I would advise the fans to boycott the games and dont go.
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
10:39 am
“LD saying the team is in disarray now. ”
Thats a knock on Sund!!!!!!!!!!! Ld hope you have your bags packed???? You and Sund maybe headed out together… You guys wont be missed either…
JeJe
March 7th, 2011
10:39 am
1. Horford loves playing the Knicks? Dude was garbage last night
2. I wish we had traded for Hinrich when Woody was here. LD is not a good coach
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
10:40 am
ASG= Investors, nothing more…………….
Jagswag
March 7th, 2011
10:41 am
Agreed with many of the disenchanted posters. This team is awful. Sure, their record’s OK, but they can’t compete with the big boys. At this point I say just blow up the whole operation and build around Al Horford, but that would require getting someone to take Joe’s contract, which isn’t going to happen.
I like Smoove, but maybe it’s time to see what we can get for him. We can be a non-factor in the East with or without him, so we might as well try something different.
Also, it’s time to admit that the LD experiment was a failed one. He’s a nice man, but an ineffectual head coach.
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
10:44 am
2 Interesting perspective on LD’s hiring from last year – SI. Sounds like they may have hit the nail on the head:
Title: Larry Drew Hiring All About Saving Money July 19th, 2010
Quote from the article
“Make no mistake, the Drew hire is and always will be about money… Namely, how much Drew was willing to take at a time that the team is losing significant millions, is quietly for sale and will have to pay its coach next year during what will certainly be a lost lockout season.”
Even SI knew in July of last season the team was for sale.
This from a Sept. 22nd review of the LD hire from SI:
“”When anybody had any problems on the court, we used to go to him for advice,” Smith said of Drew. “He knows what everybody likes to do.” That’s great for initial motivation, but what happens when the players inevitably discover that the head man can’t please everybody all of the time?”
And again, “THE RIGHT HIRE? Ultimately, no. But Drew is a reasonable and inexpensive gamble: Only two years and $2.5 million of his $5 million contract are guaranteed. The Johnson signing obligates the Hawks to soar or crash with the current personnel, who need to develop poise and a backbone. Hiring their confidante gives players more control, but it also pins the responsibility of adulthood more directly on their shoulders.
Come on Hawks and LD, prove these guys wrong. Beat some teams consistently. Don’t beat a Miami or Chicago, then lay down for 4 or 5 games. Do Good!!! Win!!!
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
10:47 am
SI’s Sept 22nd take on the Bulls and TT:
“PLAUSIBLE GOAL FOR 2010-11: The Eastern Conference finals. It’s not outlandish for the Bulls to believe the acquisition of Boozer and the further development of Rose and Noah (plus the upgrade to Thibodeau and new defensive coordinator Ron Adams, whom Thibodeau pilfered from Oklahoma City) is enough to put them alongside the Magic and Celtics as the Heat’s primary challengers in the East.
THE RIGHT HIRE? Absolutely.”
Looks like they nailed that one.
JeJe
March 7th, 2011
10:47 am
We better beat the Lakers tomorrow.
Home game vs. Lakers is always the biggest game of the year for me. Being season swept by them AND losing to Kobe is a horrendous feeling. 4 years ago when LAL won 87-80 and Joe destroyed JJ and Speedy on that play from the corner, man I still remember that game. Ugh
JeJe
March 7th, 2011
10:49 am
I lost a lot of confidence in this team last night.
Luckily this offseason is a win-win:
1) We either do very well in the Playoffs (yeah right)
OR
2) We get embarrassed and get rid of the garbage on this team
I have a feeling this potential new ownership takeover will take about 2 years to transpire
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
10:50 am
O’Brien – I just posted a July 19th, 2010 article from SI that acknowledge’s that the team is for sale.
Also, I had include JJ’s contract in a previous post.
Tremaine
March 7th, 2011
10:51 am
I think LD draw names out of a hat in order to decide his bench rotation.
steve brown
March 7th, 2011
10:53 am
Some of our bloggers and writers need to wake the hell up:
Jamal is playing without a contract which just might be affecting his psyche
Joe Johnson had elbow surgery which just might be affecting his shooting
Larry Drew is in his first year as a head coach so he is going to need some time
Kirk is a talented player with real toughness and a prototype of what we need
Horford is a talented player with real toughness and a prototype as well
Horford might never reach his full potential playing with Josh Smith (see the last few games)
Josh Smith is a talented player without toughness (a crybaby) and without a head for the game
Marvin Williams has lost value year after year. He is a sporadic injury prone talent that couldn’t be moved because of his contract.
Teague is a first round point guard without a jump shot
Sund is part of the management group so enough said
The only solution I see is trading Josh to fill the holes we need(center/guard) and hope that Horford flourishes in that scenario.
RayStantz
March 7th, 2011
10:54 am
It Felt like i was in the Garden… LOL! MVP, MVP, MVP!
Tremaine
March 7th, 2011
10:55 am
SteveW- that SI article pretty much explains it all. It is also the reason why they gave Joe Johnson so much money. They couldn’t afford for this team to take a step back when they are trying to sell it.
vava74
March 7th, 2011
10:56 am
Heck, I’ve just watched the game and people complaining like they did around here is SIMPLY WRONG.
First of all, it’s difficult to win a game with Horford s*cking so badly as he did last night, ON ALL FRONTS (he was slow footed, had bad hands, no shot, …).
It is particularly difficult when LD sees this and does not react accordingly. He is quick to take Horford out when he gets 2 fouls in the first half and not when he is playing that bad?
BUT THE FACT IS:
The game was lost in ONE SEQUENCE which had several components, including bad luck for us and some luck for the Knicks with some 3 pointers going in at crucial moments.
That sequence was: Josh slipped and lost the ball when he was about to dunk it, then Hinrich lost the dribble – I think that he may have been fouled -, then Hinrich made a pass to Al on the pick ‘n roll – who was miserable throughout the night – that Al fumbled.
Those 3 possessions, which produced buckets for the Knicks broke the game open.
Then, with Jamal on the floor not producing high output offense to compensate his soft D – the team D just collapsed in 4th and in particular after the game broke open – and with Josh unable to check on Amar’e it all just went out of reach very quickly.
JJ has been highly contested around here today but he did not play badly.
He did not play well either but Fields is an excellent defender, so give him credit.
Even so, JJ only took 3 or 4 bad shots and had a couple of possessions in which he let Fields score too comfortably.
LD also made a mistake with the line up to close the game. Not only Jamal was on the floor for too long during the last 15 minutes but also Marvin, who was playing well on D and eventually even Hilton, should have been on the floor to provide more D on Amar’e.
Josh had a decent game, with a few of his typical horrible passes, but was good on the boards.
It was LD mistake to think that Josh with his knee banged up could be effective against Amar’e, specially late in the game.
Marvin and Hilton had good minutes against him and LD went away from that.
This came could have gone either way and the Knicks played good D – for a change – and had some shots going in at a crucial moment.
JeJe
March 7th, 2011
10:58 am
If I’m the ASG and Sund, I let Jamal walk this summer and try lock up Damien for a few years before someone else does. The guy took TWO charges on Melo last night. There’s nothing Josh Childress did for us that Damien cannot. I’d also consider starting Damien and letting Marvin come off the bench for 25-30 mpg vs scrubs. MAKE THE LINEUP CHANGE ALREADY. I’d also consider resigning Flip.
We don’t need to overspend for Jamal. Let NJN or someone else (NJN has like 31M in cap space this summer I think?)
Freshfromatl
March 7th, 2011
11:00 am
I am now convinced that Joe is hurt and not speaking up again. LD needs to sideline Joe for the next two weeks!
JeJe
March 7th, 2011
11:02 am
Hinrich was 6-9 last night
OtisLittleJohn
March 7th, 2011
11:06 am
I agree with the blogger who said Horford was garbage last night. Almost every time that the ball was passed into Hoford at the baseline for a “wide open” jumpshot, Horford would pass the ball out to someone else passing up the jumpshot and feed it to josh smith, where smith would promptly turn the ball over and the hawks would lose possession. Jamal craford played “tentative” last night also. Jamal was not aggressive at all until it was too late and the game was already lost. You could see that jamal, josh and horford were going through the motions and couldnt wait to get off the court and take the loss. they are usually warriors but all 3 played like garbage last night. What a pity.
Tremaine
March 7th, 2011
11:10 am
LD and Josh= best friends
Section 303
March 7th, 2011
11:12 am
I think the goal of this off season should be to rebuild. I would put everyone on the market, even Horford. This team, as it is put together right now, cannot win. Time to start over. And, start over with new ownership, I hope.
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
11:12 am
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
So essentially what your saying is don”t waste your money on this crap?????????????
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
11:16 am
ASG, News flash!! Your team is taking several steps back now…………… LOL……….. Couldn’t happen to better bunch of lousy owners….You big Dummy’s………………LOL
Dept. of unintended Irony? LOL
Buddy Grizzard
March 7th, 2011
11:16 am
“It does surprise me a little the team doesn’t draw better.”
The Hawks gave 120m to a player who doesn’t care if the fans show up, and you expect the fans to show up? This team’s present and future are tied to a non-superstar with no heart who makes more than Lebron. It’s looking more and more like the Hawks will not make it out of the first round. When that happens, I hope they fire Drew and Sund. Then sell the team. Hire whoever washes RC Buford’s underwear to GM this team… they could throw darts at the draft board and not do worse.
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
11:21 am
VaVa – I would call that a fair assessment of the game. I think the criticism of JJ goes primarily of his 1-18 in the last few games, esp. on 3’s, and his lack of getting to the charity stripe. He has not shot more than 2 FT’s in 9 straight games. He still is a very good defender, athletic, and many times requires a double team in crunch time.
I saw the same thing on Josh and Amare.
And Jamal has been in the game in crunch time all season, doing the same thing unless he’s hot, which is all to rare these days.
I would say fair assessment of the game.
And i think Al’s back may still be sore, he just played thru it vs the Bulls, and has paid for it the last couple of games.
I would still like to see Teague, Hinrich in the same backcourt sometimes. Hinrich can shut down most 2’s, and Teague does fit with this team. I know he had a bad TO last night, but that happens.
And saying Teague has no jumper is weird. One of the highest rated parts of his game was his jumper. Shot 44% from 3 his last season at Wake, 6th highest in the 2009 draft class. His set jumper is bad, but his off the dribble jumper is very good.
He and Wake were also dominant with he at the Point his last season at Wake. When Ish Smith got back, and Teague moved to 2, Wake lost 7 of the last 15 and got blown out by Cleveland St. in the tourney. But Wake was just dominant when Teague played Point
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
11:23 am
VaVa – And as much as I hate to admit it, I think you are right on Al last night. He looked slow and lethargic. I guess mentally I just attributed it to his back being sore, so I kind of gave him the benefit of the doubt.
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
11:26 am
Theres a reason why Jamal is a journey man…He wears out his welcome when is one dimensional talent disappears for games on end…Let him walk……………………………Bye dude……..
JeJe
March 7th, 2011
11:27 am
How does Al say he loves playing New York, then plays like garbage on his home court?
The only time Joe gets to the FT line is on a defensive 3 seconds, and that doesn’t happen any more because I think Joe realizes that Jamal and Marvin freaking Williams both actually make free throws
steve brown
March 7th, 2011
11:32 am
Steve W-Teague has a one handed push shot-I have never seen him take an actual jump shot. His shot would have been effective in the days of Naismith.
Rufus1
March 7th, 2011
11:33 am
“LD also made a mistake with the line up to close the game. Not only Jamal was on the floor for too long during the last 15 minutes but also Marvin, who was playing well on D and eventually even Hilton, should have been on the floor to provide more D on Amar’e.”
I hope one LD(And some of these Hawks fans)understands that Jamal is more of the problem than the solution. He consistanly turns the ball over at the top of the key(4 turns)….Then it leads to a fastbreak score.
Remeber…Jamal make 10.8mil a year to be a scorer and now he isn’t scoring consistanly.
I don’t remember one game this year, where jamals scoring brought the Hawks back in the 4th to win the game.
HE IS THE NEW BIBBY…
Dean
March 7th, 2011
11:33 am
Why do you think teams have given up on Crawford so many times with his talent. Because he thinks if he was a starter the ball once in his hands, would only leave when he makes his shot! It was extremely stupid to watch Crawford bring the ball up a half dozen times in a row and he throw up 18 footers early in the shot clock without ever passing to anyone else. That was the ball game! Crazy, stupid to not jerk his chain and put his butt on the bench. Atlanta has so many great players and options and to watch someone destroy the team is terrible. Sorry a Bulls fan, but I like your teams chances, if, and it’s a big if, you play team ball and take advantage of your elite players. Good Luck!
Rufus1
March 7th, 2011
11:35 am
Marvin had 3 blocks last night….Wow
Rufus1
March 7th, 2011
11:38 am
Jamal isn’t a PG, so take the ball out of his hands. He should be scoring off the ball. If he was coming of screens, he wouldn’t turn the ball over so much.
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
11:39 am
JC1 has low basketball IQ……………..Bye Dude…………
JeJe
March 7th, 2011
11:43 am
This team will win 45 games max this year. It’s sad we lost twice to Milwaukee, twice to NJN (still have to play them again), and lost a 20 point lead to the Bobcats.
Wow
With Woody as coach and Hinrich at PG we would’ve competed in the 2nd round
FIRE SUND
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
11:45 am
Marvin for Monique Minor………Whew………..
jgsbirds
March 7th, 2011
11:56 am
turnovers, turnovers, turnovers and for some reason we couldn’t get a defensive rebound to save our life. i like hinrich a lot but he’s not a great ball handler. he, teague and crawford had trouble getting the ball past half court vs anthony carter last night. crazy stuff–i think any team that pressures us a lot will get a lot of those turnovers….i don’t have the answers for this team–they are making me go crazy! no identity! no plays! no box outs on defense and there is always someone from another team that has a career night.
lakers will be very very tough but it’s a game that we really need! get ready to see a lot of purple and yellow–and as always a braves hat to go with it…welcome to philips arena, georgia dome and any other arena in this town.
JeJe
March 7th, 2011
11:59 am
Our rebounding is garbage. Every time we get a board, the ball is immediately stripped
The fact that LD doesn’t fix this or work on this is pathetic
Fire LD (even UNC played better after LD II left)
Wow
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
12:01 pm
LD=Jim Mora…Remember him Mr. Blank???????????
Fundamentals
March 7th, 2011
12:10 pm
Sad to see and hear the “Knicks” fans in our house. That’s the state of the fairweather fans we have here. In defense of those fans…what did our Hawks show them, especially in the 4th quarter? I would never have cheered for New York, but you can’t blame them.
What’s up with 5-6 times per game you see Kirk jumping up and down begging to run the offense only to see Smoove or Joe force a turnover?
Hilton showed good energy and effort. Good move benching ZaZa when he showed his usual.
We showed no effort and no real desire for the past 2 games. We’re on track for my 48 win prediction, ready to lose to Orlando in round 1…unless New York catches us and changes our 1st round destination.
They just don’t seem to really care. Why do I? Not sure? I just always have. Hometeam fan is the only reason.
O'Brien
March 7th, 2011
12:12 pm
This is LD’s first year, and usually rookies get some slack. However, I think what’s working against LD is that he was the assistant coach for 6 years, so he knew what the problems were, and the players are basically the same.
Isn’t it safe to assume that during his job interview, he told Rick that he’s the man to fix the problems. What problems?
1) Josh’s shot selction and inconsistencies at times
2) Too much ISO
3) Getting burned on switches and failing to adjust
4) Get Marvin more shots
5) Keep JJ fresh for the stretch run.
6) Help Teague improve
But of course, some of these problems still exist. So now what does LD do?
Tremaine
March 7th, 2011
12:25 pm
Marvin for Charlie Sheen!
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
12:34 pm
“Marvin for Charlie Sheen!”
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
12:36 pm
Steve Brown – That’s Teague set shot, not his off the dribble shot. His set shot needs major work, not his off the dribble shot.
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
12:41 pm
Marivna does not need more shots. He needs to kick rocks………………………..along with ASG and SUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
12:45 pm
Al was a no-show last nite. but he and Kirk are the only 2 that get team ball concept. Kirk is quickly learnin’ just how selfish this team really is!!! and as i posted early in this blog…Al and Joe headed for a collision…can see it comin’!!! in fact Kirk might get there first. this is a selfish, low BB IQ team…PERIOD!!!
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
12:49 pm
O’Brien – Ditto. LD was hired to take the Hawks to the next level, because Woody and the Hawks had peaked. As of right now, even with a slightly improved roster (Hinrich, Teague another year under his belt, Collins in better shape, Wilkens and not Mo’), I would say the team has taken a couple of steps back.
- Josh’s shot selection is way worse than last years. He shot 50.5% last season, 47.6% this season. He’s even down from 2 years ago, when he shot 49.2%.
- Marvin does appear to have regressed a little more. His shooting % is the worst it’s been since his 2nd season in the League. He’s up in TO’s, down in steals and blocks. Up slightly in assists, .2, and scoring, .4, and the same in rebounding.
- And until the Bibby trade, Teague was def. not going anywhere. Now that he plays, he suddenly explodes on the scene. The problem was LD, not Teague. People on this blog were saying the only time we had ball movement was with Teague on the floor last night. And they’ve been commenting on his D.
I think LD can turn it around. I just hope the team is really not in “disarray”. That’s not on Sund, that’s on LD. The Coach is to control the team. I wouldn’t blame Jeni Buss if Phil let the Lakers get in disarray, that’s a Coach’s responsibility.
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
12:53 pm
I’m still not convinced the Knicks and the Sixers don’t catch us. They are only 3 and 4 back in the loss column respectively, and we still have to play at Philly. A 7th seed wouldn’t surprise me. I’m hoping for a 3rd or even 2nd seed, but wouldn’t be surprised if we went the other direction.
“What’s up with 5-6 times per game you see Kirk jumping up and down begging to run the offense only to see Smoove or Joe force a turnover?”
If we will let Kirk, he will help this team
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
1:01 pm
Hawks don”t have enough bb iq to be a 2nd seed..That”s out of the question
O'Brien
March 7th, 2011
1:01 pm
Steve W,
If the Hawks finish 6th, chances are they play Miami. And I think we can beat Miami. JJ can make Wade work for his, Marvin and Damien can focus on defending LeBron, Josh or Al can make Bosh work. After that, anything can happen.
If we finish 5th, we probably play Orlando, and I think we can beat Orlando. The problem is we just dont know which Hawks team will show up.
O'Brien
March 7th, 2011
1:04 pm
And I agree with the ball movement. Let Teague and Hinrich initiate the offense.
I think part of the problem is, this is (allegedly) a motion offense, and in the motion offense, you dont need a traditional PG, so anybody can make plays. And thats what everybody tries to do.
I would be okay with Josh and Al and everyone else giving up the ball on the break (after a rebound) and just run down court. Let the PG play PG
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
1:04 pm
We know which Hawks team will show up in the playoffs. Its the meltdown Hawks for sure……Bet cha…
Rod from College Park
March 7th, 2011
1:04 pm
Some of you guys are amazing. All you have to do is be fair. I criticize Marvin all the time because he deserves to be criticized. His game is terrible. He stays on the floor more than anyone in the league, and we keep trotting him out there as a starter, when no other team in the league would do that. You can’t keep playing a guy 30 plus minutes, on a team who lacks scoring and he can’t score over 8 points. Last nights game falls strictly on the shoulders of Al Horford and Joe Johnson PERIOD. Blaming Josh, Jamal even Marvin is downright hating. Joe is paid to be a superstar. He can not continue to miss wide open shots, turn the ball over, and not score at least 20ppg PERIOD. Al Horford can not be an All-Star, and come out against the Knicks, one of the worse defensive teams in the league and score 4 pts. Blaming anybody else for the loss last night, except for Larry Drew is just pure hate.
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
1:07 pm
These last 25 games or so have and will be playoff style games and we see how that’s working for them???? There’s your clue on how things will go for your Hawks in the PLAYOFFS??????????? Really???????????
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
1:08 pm
Marvin=D League…………….
Fundamentals
March 7th, 2011
1:18 pm
Amen to Joe, Jamal and Al being the big let down last night. Smoove to an extent as well, but we’ll give him the knee excuse.
We need to run the play through the PG to take all this hero mentality out of question. Allow LD and Kirk/Teague to make the decision where the ball goes.
Fundamentals
March 7th, 2011
1:20 pm
It is sad that Marvin actually shows some passion 2-3 games and folks still blame him for everything. Where’s the logic when you’re 6th man & two All Stars stink up the joint for 2 games and others get thrown under the bus.
What’s up with Joe’s shot? Is it the elbow? Something isn’t right. I get the feeling we don’t know everything?
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
1:25 pm
startin lineup…Marvin should be NOWHERE to be found. either start Damien or go big and insert Armstrong in there. HA is better than Marvin even if he doesn’t know the system at this point. he’s the team most athletic and active 5 other than Al of course. LD continues to show his lack of brains and leadership by keep givin’ Marvin a start when he’s failed to earn it. everythin’ about this franchise SUX!!! one need to look no farther than DEN to see what gettin’ rid of the right pieces will do to a team. even if their streak doesn’t last the fact that they pulled the trades (had to) shows what new blood can bring!!!
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
1:26 pm
this team should be blown to smithereens in the summer…PERIOD!!!
Fundamentals
March 7th, 2011
1:30 pm
Hilton showed some good D last night in his minutes. I think if he continues to work hard and show effort we have a place for him here which could move Marvin to splitting minutes with Josh at SF or spotting Al at PF from time to time.
doc
March 7th, 2011
1:31 pm
ok, i am framing this comment from rod:
Blaming Josh, Jamal even Marvin is downright hating.
and you are right on.
we also now have proof rod is not a hater. heh heh
Tremaine
March 7th, 2011
1:33 pm
Hilton Armstrong looked like garbage last night. The guy has butterfingers.
darrell starks
March 7th, 2011
1:35 pm
Hilton have 2 starte and move horford 2 powerford, horford is not a center, but it’s cool because LD WILL BE GONE AT THE END OF NEXT YEAR, this guy continue 2 play this dam smallish line up.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fundamentals
March 7th, 2011
1:37 pm
We got good stops when Hilton was in the game. Tremaine must be LD – only concerned with offense.
darrell starks
March 7th, 2011
1:38 pm
ZAZA 1MIN
HILTON 11MIN
COLLINS OMIN
THREE CENTER ON THIS TEAM AND LD REFUSE 2 PLAY THEM.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!
Fundamentals
March 7th, 2011
1:39 pm
darrell, you forgot Etan, but in LD’s defense…how many of those C’s would get minutes on any other contending team? Answer = 0. Problem is we’ve refused to sign a C. We finally have a PG, but still no C.
darrell starks
March 7th, 2011
1:40 pm
LA 54 REBOUNDS HAWKS 27 REBOUNDS AND LAKERS WILL BLOW THE HAWKS OUT BY 30 TOMORROW NIGHT.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
1:41 pm
@Fundamentals…yep…i agree about HA too. you could tell he wasn’t sure but that didn’t stop him from bein’ active. LD is really provin’ to be no better than Woodson!!!
Tremaine
March 7th, 2011
1:42 pm
I didn’t watch the OKC game. Did Zaza play so bad that he only deserved six minutes and 1 minute against the knicks?
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
1:42 pm
yep…LA will destroy this team!!!
drmaryb (*_*)
March 7th, 2011
1:46 pm
The Tale of Two Owners!
Lacob added this message for Warriors fans: “I want to assure all of our fans that we value them as fans regardless of whether they attend a game in person. Particularly, I and we embrace the online community and have hopefully demonstrated that by setting up an Owners Box and responding to all fan questions. I have personally responded to nearly all e-mails sent to directly to me. I have taken calls on local sports talk shows and even done a live webcast taking fan questions. We want to be a transparent and open organization that embraces our fan base. I sincerely believe that this is all much more fun to do in partnership with our investors, our players, our management and all of our fans. Rooting for your team is all about common cause, common goals–essentially a social network or contract.” San Francisco Chronicle
Golden State Warriors, Joe Lacob | share 
________________________
Dwain Price: Asked if he heard Bobby Knight cursing on live TV Saturday, Mavs owner Mark Cuban said:”Who the (expletive delete) cares? Twitter
_____________________
What can our owners do? Nothing.
darrell starks
March 7th, 2011
1:47 pm
Fundamentals i understand the hawks don’t have a good center, but you can’t tell me that COLLINS, ZAZA, ARMSTRONG, CAN’T ATLEAST PLAY SOLID DEFENSE, and rebound and box out in the paint, that the hawks problem they have no size in post, and JOSH 6′9 AND HORFORD 6′10 can’t get it done on and every night bases, it’s 2 much wear and tear on them battling team who are most of time bigger than them.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!
Fundamentals
March 7th, 2011
1:56 pm
I agree darrell. I’m just playing devil’s advocate I guess. I would like to see Hilton develop in to a role where he and Collins can hold the C with a little help from Al from time to time. ZaZa proves to be of little focus and thus little value. Etan, who knows. You are right, we desperately need post rebounding and D to help bolster the D more than we need them for an offensive contribution, especially with our “4 potential All Stars” (Al, Josh, Joe, Jamal).
darrell starks
March 7th, 2011
2:03 pm
Another problem with the hawks is joe, the guy get the ball and pound and pound for at least 15 seconds, what it does is freezes your teammates up and the offense become stagnant with no ball movement, intsead getting the ball and react quick with a jumpshot or take it quick to the hole he would be more efficient.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tremaine
March 7th, 2011
2:10 pm
The problem is ball movement ending at Josh Smith.
JewelNelson
March 7th, 2011
2:15 pm
Teague is giving us NOTHING when he comes in. Every time he comes in he looks foolish by turning the ball over and making mistakes. Teague and Marvin should be traded for either Reggie Lewis or Baron Davis. That would give the Hawks the firepower to win the title this season.
joe
March 7th, 2011
2:16 pm
they are so soft that it is hard to watch……
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
2:17 pm
this team is sooooooooo selfish that, if i were HC, i would make them practice to where NO shot could be taken BEFORE a minimum of 3 players had touched the ball AFTER crossin’ half-court line…PERIOD!!!
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
2:18 pm
the LA fans are gonna show-out tomorrow in Philips!!!
drmaryb (*_*)
March 7th, 2011
2:21 pm
We got too many damn ball handlers! Blame the owners for not getting this team a PG until 10 days ago. This team has a lot of bad habits from that single discrepancy. Kirk needs to assert his authority and take the damned ball away from all his new hogs!
Tell them to run to their Freaking spots and keep moving!
___________________
The Heat players cried? I wish these guys cared enough to cry.
Me? I ain’t never gonna’ cry about a millionaire losing a game nor a million. Man up, fella!
terrell
March 7th, 2011
2:22 pm
Just face it people, the Hawks are the 5th best team in the East. Nothing more, nothing less. That’s just who they are. With the East gettin tougher, and the ASG still believing in the “core”, its kinda where I expected them to be right about now. Dont really care about the reg season anymore, just dont get embarrased in the Playoffs. Hawks @ Magic, or Hawks @ Heat. Get ready folks.
terrell
March 7th, 2011
2:22 pm
And btw, no blowouts without Bibby.
terrell
March 7th, 2011
2:25 pm
Wikipedia
Bibby = getting blowed out, or blowing huge leads.
doc
March 7th, 2011
2:35 pm
yeah myk, from midnight blue to la sunshine gold. i will have to deal with it.
it is more fun as a fan to watch them stroll out early when we get the upper hand instead of what was stomached last night. fans cant control what goes on on the court. payers got to realize fans have to have something to yell about except say defense when we are shooting blanks. hard to yell for something not there. fans were into it until we were down 18 late in the fourth, sorry from my seats i couldnt give more effort on the court, had to listen to the rowdies sitting next to me.
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
2:40 pm
yo doc…what’s amazin’ to me is after 6-7 years of us here on Sekou’s original blog, we are still discussin’ the same $hit…with pretty much the SAME players!!! F’N UNBELIEVABLE!!!
O'Brien
March 7th, 2011
2:50 pm
With Al struggling last night (on offense and defense), should LD still have played him 38 minutes? And with Josh not being able to slow down Amare, why not try Al on him then?
Doc, mykhalc
LD described Josh as Kamakize, but the irony is I would describe this team the same way. You never know what to expect on a given night.
I would not be surprised to see them come out fired up against the Lakers. The Lakers have been on a roll after the AS break, and are due for a loss anyways.
You heard it here first. Hawks beat LA.
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
2:54 pm
dumb a$$ kamikazes…PERIOD!!!
Double Zero Eight
March 7th, 2011
2:54 pm
By the time Sund and ASG find the missing
pieces, the core will be geriatric.
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
2:55 pm
if LA plays as big as their lineup really is then NO WAY Hawks beat ‘em…IMHO
Section 303
March 7th, 2011
2:58 pm
O’brien, I don’t think so. I agree, in years past, the Hawks were capable of getting up for games and springing a surprise. This year’s group isn’t. They’re going to get run off the floor tomorrow night. And, there is part of me that hopes they get run off the floor badly. No need for fool’s gold. This team is awful. They might as well just be awful. No need fooling people into thinking otherwise.
Can’t wait to sit with all the Laker fans tomorrow night. I would not even go to the game, had I not already made plans with a buddy of mine.
steve brown
March 7th, 2011
2:58 pm
Steve W-I challenge you to find a video anywhere with Teague taking a classic jump shot. That assumes you know what the hell a jump shot is.
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
3:02 pm
@303…you’re absolutely right…NO NEED for fools gold!!! i hope the Hawks are embarrassed at the product and effort that they put on the floor. but then again, that kinda awareness would take some kinda BB IQ…which we know is ABSENT!!!
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
3:04 pm
Larry Drew…either make some changes or STFU…PERIOD!!!
K-Dogg
March 7th, 2011
3:07 pm
Good job in pointing out that Josh has a better 3 point percentage then those players b/c that all this team needs now is for our power foward who is a great post up player but hates to bang down low to know have someone point that out so he can stand back their now and luach more jump shots!!!!!!!!
K-Dogg
March 7th, 2011
3:09 pm
I also ride with Joe but for someone reason he looked hurt or slow yesterday!! hope nothign is wrong!!!
K-Dogg
March 7th, 2011
3:11 pm
I also hate that we kilt Teagues confidence and now ask him to come in and play a big role!!!! Every team in the L that drafts a PG and needs one plays them right away but we dont and then when we stick them out their they look like this!!! We should have kept Jordan Crawford b/c Teauge’s confidence is shot! He tries but you can tell he has no swag out their and thats the one postion that you have to have it at!!!!
truhawkfan
March 7th, 2011
3:26 pm
This where the problem comes to play with the fans they have no faith in home team and but yet they want a so called superstar to come here why so they could do the same thing to them. These are nothing but bandwagon fans they with the team when they win but soon as they start to lose they are know where to be found. There are far worst teams in the NBA then the Hawks and they get support from their city look at the Cavs,T-wolves,and Raptors. But there are teams in the NBA that have superstars and are struggling not just the Hawks and let some of these fans tell it we don’t have a superstar but yet we still in the top 5 and believe it or not we might can still get that 4th seed. Truhawksfan GO HAWKS there are still some real fans that support you.
terrell
March 7th, 2011
3:27 pm
If I were GM, LD would be on the hotseat. I like him and all, but I think thev’ve already tuned him out. Probably not a good idea to hire the guy they call “uncle Larry. That sounds like the uncle you would always run to when you needed a few bucks back in the day. Or the uncle that would let you have a sip of beer when you were a teenager. Or the uncle that would let you bring a girl over to his crib, if you needed to tap……… when you got a little older. Get my point.
K-Dogg
March 7th, 2011
3:27 pm
Can Big Al Please this summer work on going to his left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
John
March 7th, 2011
3:29 pm
I wish one of Zaza, Hilton, Collins, or Thomas could just come in and be extremely active. Etan showed he could be against OKC. We need them to provide hustle. Hilton is the most athletic so he could fit this need if he could get motivated.
K-Dogg
March 7th, 2011
3:37 pm
i wonder does Joe have any second thoughts about not going to the bullsor is he cool taking the money and ending his NBA ride being a rung chaser b/c unless a miricle on peachstreet happens we never getting a win in the 2nd round with this team!!!!!!!!!
DarthRader
March 7th, 2011
3:41 pm
I agree with the blogger that said we killed teagues confidence by asking him to play a bigger role. Teague was forced to learn the game WITHOUT ANY MENTORSHIP AT ALL SINCE MIKE BIBBY REFUSED TO MENTOR HIM. As a result, every time Teague comes in he turns the ball over or makes huge mistakes looking foolish in the process. As far as Captain Kirk is concerned, Kirk needs to beem himself up to another planet to play and the Hawks need to bring in a great point guard (westbrook, Paul, D. Williams) to give us a chance to win.
cp
March 7th, 2011
3:47 pm
LD has to stop talking and start doing. He complains about jump-shots but he continues to let the guys hoist them up at will. Tell them to attack the basket or bench them. Enough talking with this group. I’m tried of hearing the same crap from these guys. As mykhalc pointed out, many of us have been complaining about the same things from jump and nothing has changed. I’m also in the group that wishes the pg would handle the rock more. I get tired of guys grabbing the board, the pg asks for the rock but they ignore him and push the rock resulting in a turnover. Give the damn pg the ball and run the lanes… Too many selfish guys on this team, too much iso in the fourth. Joe must be still hurt and LD has to shorten that leash on Jamal. No need in complaining about Marvin because he wont improve. Just frustrating being a fan of this team.
Puzzled
March 7th, 2011
3:52 pm
As currently constructed, don’t expect the Hawks to challenge for a conference title, let alone the league title. It appears that there is no vision at the top level. What is the long term plan that is being used to build this team? That’s why fans feel that there is no identity. It’s just a collection of players, and not a team.
Year after year, when picking in the top of the draft, they chose the same type of players (Marvin, Sheldon, Childress), and have nothing to show for it.
Until some of these contracts roll off the books, there is not going to be much of a change in on court performance. Let’s just hope that as they roll off, the front office makes better decisions that they did with Bibby, Marvin, & Zaza.
I think it would have been a smart move for the Hawks to remove Woody and all of his staff. A fresh start might have gotten more out of the players than what we’ve seen this year. They are actually taking a step backwards…the road record is better, but the home record is worse, and other teams in the East got better in the offseason.
truhawkfan
March 7th, 2011
3:54 pm
Formula for tomorrow slow kobe down or limit his touches redound and play defense for the whole game. Cherish the ball and every possesion limit turnovers try to get the best shot possible and box out, limit them to on shot, move they ball more, don’t play so much iso unless there is a mismatch for someone. Establish yourself in the first quarter and let them know who house this is don’t let them put on a clinic for you like they did the spurs yesterday if you have to go down fighting but no blowout tomorrow.
Tremaine
March 7th, 2011
3:55 pm
ATLANTA HAWKS OFFSEASON TO DO LIST
-Fire Larry Drew
-Hire Mark Jackson or Larry Brown
-Trade Josh to Detroit for Tayshaun Prince/1st Rd pick
-Bench or if possible trade Marvin
-Sign and trade for DeAndre Jordan give up Zaza and 2nd Rd pick
-Resign Jamal Crawford 2yr deal
-draft backup center
Starters
C-DeAndre Jordan
F-Al Horford
F-Tayshaun Prince
G-Joe Johnson
G-Jeff Teague
Bench
Jamal Craford
Kirk Hinrich
Marvin Williams
Coach
Mark Jackson Larry Brown
K-Dogg
March 7th, 2011
4:00 pm
Cp i could not have said it any better!!!!
J from the A
March 7th, 2011
4:11 pm
“ATLANTA HAWKS OFFSEASON TO DO LIST
-Fire Larry Drew
-Hire Mark Jackson or Larry Brown
-Trade Josh to Detroit for Tayshaun Prince/1st Rd pick
-Bench or if possible trade Marvin
-Sign and trade for DeAndre Jordan give up Zaza and 2nd Rd pick
-Resign Jamal Crawford 2yr deal
-draft backup center”
My takes (already expressed elsewhere):
- Trade Zaza for OJ Mayo. (Grizz may be willing to do it, especially if Gasol walks)
- Let Jamal walk. (He will cost too much to keep.)
- Sign DeAndre Jordan using MLE (multi-year deal if possible).
- Hold onto Josh (if absolutely necessary, you can move him at trade deadline).
- Only shop Marvin if the Hawks are certain they can deal with the SF slot and only go for a trade if it helps fill other bigger holes.
- Fill out the rest of the roster w/ league minimum guys. (Let’s be real; the above moves will already put the Hawks a little above the luxury tax.)
Nate ArchiBALL
March 7th, 2011
4:13 pm
@ Tremaine – Curious as to how you came to the conclusion that Mark Jackson would be a good coach?
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
4:14 pm
@cp…co-signed!!!
Rashod
March 7th, 2011
4:29 pm
They need to do everything in there power to get Joe Johnson out of the ATL !!! For the record,will you’ll stop making excuses for Joe.Its his elbow,yeah right.He’s paid,so forget it.Do u think he cares about the fans chanting for another team.He’s got more money than most of the people in the building !!!
K-Dogg
March 7th, 2011
4:48 pm
I think Joe cares but he not an idiot he know this team cant win it all and i think the otehr guys are starting to think the same thing. Its hard to get up for something that you know you cant win and these guys know they dont have what is needed to win a title. Joe i dont want to make the fall guy b/c if you put a superstar next to him he is a great #2 bc he is unselfish and can play both ends of the floor. Lets not forget where we were befre he came here; do i think he will bring us a chip he** no do i think he is to blame he** no!! He is the best player on our team and as a coach when your neck is on the line its a proven theroy to ride him out and even though we say he is the problem we are wrong b/c he goes some halfs in most games defereing to otehr guys b/c he knows he needs them and some games he takes over and does not wait for them to get going. He is an all-star no matter where we would go but he is unselfish too!! He has got paid and this year after getting hurt he may has already called it a year but with all they guys that we have that some teams beleive it or not still want we can get anotehr superstar to put next to joe!!! Im sure the Pcers would send us Granger or we can get Nash from the Suns or still get CP3 who is looking more and more like trade bait but if we trade an all-star for anotehr one we will be in the same place b/c the other guys lets face it or not. Big Al is good but makes the team by default. Josh makes poor decsions and is not an all-star so with the L now going into this shift of guys joinging up we need to trade Josh or Al for a All-star and paid Joe, Granger or Nash with Josh or Al and let these guys on our team who are left who are all role players that we want to be good NBA players become what they are role players!!!!!!!!
JuliusCesaer
March 7th, 2011
4:50 pm
The Hawks will lose to the Lakers by 100 points tomorrow. My prediction is that they will lose to the Lakers 148-48. Over the last 10 or 15 ballgames the Hawks have been letharic, coming out of the gate as slowly as a bunch of overstuffed turtles. Then by halftime the hawks have been down by about 30 points. The only game over the last 15 in which the Hawks came out lethargic and won was the Chicago game. That was because they kept Derick Rose out of the painted area and blocked him from pentration all night long. Right now, the Hawks are playing like a bunch of lazy mules and its evident to me that they could care less whether they win or lose. THEY SIMPLY DONT CARE AND THE FANS KNOW IT. THATS WHY THE COACH SHOULD BE FIRED AND MARVIN SHOULD BE KICKED OFF THE TEAM FOR LACK OF EFFORT.
Jae Evolution
March 7th, 2011
5:03 pm
“Sign DeAndre Jordan using MLE (multi-year deal if possible).”
If there is one thing I hope the Hawks do this offseason is get this guy. He is Dwight Howard minus any form of postgame. If we had DJ, Al, and Smoove as our frontcourt, man we’d be set for YEARS. Those guys are all young and we would just need to improve our bench, and let Teague develop before I seriously think we could contend.
PerryHenderson
March 7th, 2011
5:07 pm
Ironically, the sad thing about the Hawks is that THE HAWKS HAVE ENOUGH TALENT AND ALL THE HORSES TO WIN THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP THIS SEASON. The reason why they wont win it, though, is because as I mentioned in an earlier blog is that coach Larry Drew does not know how to utilize Josh Smith and Marvin Williams incredible athletic ability properly. That is what is costing us wins. Both Josh and Marvin should be cutters in Drew’s motion offense, the same way Dwayne Wade of Miami cuts to the basket and gets feeds from LaBron James. Drew already has the right offensive style (motion) to make it happen; its just that Josh and Marvin are standing around and either watching others ISO (joe johnson), (jamal crawford) or (Al Horford) or simply waiting for their turn to get the basketball by remaining stationary. If Lary Drew is running a motion offense, then why is Josh and Marvin just standing around just waiting for some spectacular event to happen. BOTH MARVIN AND JOSH NEED TO CUT TO THE BASKET and let their athletic ability allow them to dominate the ballgame. If they do that, the Hawks will win the gold trophy at the culmination of the season.
ag
March 7th, 2011
5:16 pm
Atlanta Hawks ticket sales people do not care who they sale tickets to. There are a lot of people from NY who live in Atl and they were the people who purchased the tickets. Since they only can watch their team twice a year, it certainly is an incentive to gobble up tickets. The same goes for games like Chicago… I think the Lakers and Celtics are the basketball version of the Steelers and Cowboys.
I went to the game and I think we played well up until that 4th quarter. I would point the finger at the coach since he decided to go zone and NY. I think another issue is he has to think defense, and sub Jamal out when he is not providing an offensive punch (he also is a black hole and that is very BAD for a team). I liked the energy a few guys brought to the table, Teague, Wilkins, etc., but the big dogs did not play well Big Al,, JJ..
W.R.Terrell
March 7th, 2011
5:30 pm
The speculation of trades and rumors of trades before the deadline makes one wonder. Were there any teams out there willing to take on that “smoove” person or Marvin, even Jamal for that matter. That says a lot about what we have to offer. That “smoove” fella irregardless of what his shooting percentage is from the 3 point lin is still a “DUMB” play. He should be under the boards making his living, but, he has no basketball sense. LD is looking more incompetent in every game. I want ths season over. I felt that Dominique was the choice for coach b ecause a leader is a leader and he was a monumental leader for the HAWKS in years gone by. Teams have a tendency to mimic their coaches philosophy if they respect him. LD teams plays like bench players because his mindset is second tier. A good coach would have benched that “smoove” fella, and Marvin a longtime ago.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 7th, 2011
5:34 pm
“THE HAWKS HAVE ENOUGH TALENT AND ALL THE HORSES TO WIN THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP THIS SEASON.”
No they don’t.
You can’t win titles in the NBA without a superstar. The Celtics, Knicks, Bulls, Heat, and Magic all have superstars. The Hawks don’t.
Until the Hawks get a superstar, and stop insulting the fans’ intelligence by trying to make Joe Johnson out to be one, they will never be close to title contention, and opposing team fans will routinely drown out Hawks fans in Philips Arena when teams with superstars come to visit.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 7th, 2011
5:36 pm
Since we are all throwing around rebuilding scenarios, I’ll keep mine short. I’d keep Teague, Smoove, and Al, trade everyone else for expiring contracts, and clear cap space for 2012 to sign Dwight Howard. Whether or not LD stays doesn’t really matter to me, since this ownership group isn’t going to spend the kind of money to get an upper echelon coach anyway.
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
5:39 pm
Joe would be a GREAT complimentary piece for the Nets!!! NJ…can you hear me??? don’t look at the contract…call first PLEASE!!! thank you!!! /beggin’
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
5:41 pm
Marvin would be a GREAT complimentary piece for the Portland!!! POR…can you hear me??? don’t look at the contract…call first PLEASE!!! thank you!!! /beggin’
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
5:42 pm
Josh would be a GREAT complimentary piece for the Kings!!! SAC…can you hear me??? don’t look at the contract…call first PLEASE!!! thank you!!! /beggin’
ATL FAN
March 7th, 2011
5:43 pm
Man this whole sports year has simply been dissapointing for ATL Sports, starting with the Braves, then Falcons, then Thrashers, and now Hawks… maybe it was better being a fan when we had NO hope…
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
5:43 pm
Zaza would be a GREAT complimentary piece for the Heat!!! Mia…can you hear me??? don’t look at the contract…call first PLEASE!!! thank you!!! /beggin’
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
5:47 pm
Larry Drew would be a GREAT complimentary piece for the Tar Heels!!! NC…can you hear me??? don’t look at the past…call first PLEASE!!! thank you!!! /beggin’
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
5:48 pm
ASG would be a GREAT for the business community of Dallas!!! TX…can you hear me??? don’t look at the past…call first PLEASE!!! thank you!!! /beggin’
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
5:49 pm
garage sale ongoin!!! ALL ITEMS MUST GO…PERIOD!!!!
roger Myers
March 7th, 2011
5:53 pm
Get rid of Josh we will never be team as long as he is their
O'Brien
March 7th, 2011
6:03 pm
Section 303,
When we fell behind the Bulls 14-0, it would have been easy to fold. But the Hawks dug in, and played good defense, and did just enough to win. Just like when we lost that game on the road, and the next night we went to Utah and blew them out.
Last year, they lost to a bad Knicks team at home, and then the next night they win in Dallas. Once in a while, the Hawks come up with a performance to surprise.
Najeh,
The problem is JJ is almost untradeable, especially now that we will have a new CBA with lower salaries. I think we are stuck with him until year 5 of his deal.
sam'l
March 7th, 2011
6:09 pm
Umm, guys…..We could have won that game last night with our current personnel…We have a few games left this season and should be thinking about what we can do for the playoffs…….So I’m not quitting the blog or kicking anybody out……
Josh Smith probably wasn’t at full speed, actually he was not at full speed….and that cost us a few points. We lost the ball at least 4 times after rebounding to quick New York hands, which was another few points. Josh although we know he can make the 3…..acted like it was his forte…..I think he missed 3 out of 4 of five….and that probably cost us a few points. and then the mini meltdown in the fourth which cost us 6 to 8 points.
Other than that, we could have and should have won that game.
For some reason, I think we can beat Chicago, Orlando and the Heat. Just a feeling….
We’ll see.
One other comment Hinric ain’t Captain kirk…with his eyeglasses and pads, he looks more like a Borg.
O'Brien
March 7th, 2011
6:16 pm
AJ,
From Marc Stein’s Power rankings;
The feel-good factor after that big comeback to topple scorching Chicago didn’t last long. The Hawks just became only the third team in Mike D’Antoni’s three seasons to score fewer than 80 points against the Knicks..
The Hawks just keep setting records dont they?
ag
March 7th, 2011
6:19 pm
By the way, who started at center for the Knicks last night? What about the Thunder? Okay, why is everyone crying saying we need a center?
Chris
March 7th, 2011
6:28 pm
papy sy
Sautee
March 7th, 2011
6:33 pm
lol @ myk
ag – co-sign
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
6:55 pm
O’Brien – The deal was built with a re-negotiation clause after year.3. Most teams that have very good players aging, go back in, expand the deal for a couple or 3 more years, but spread the salary out. I think that is what we will do with JJ.
Boston and Dallas did similar things with Pierce and Dirk this past off-season. Not identical, but similar.
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
7:02 pm
Tremaine – Prince is a FA this season if I’m not mistaken
And we can beat LA if LD and the players want to. Scouting report says the Lakers can’t handle a quick PG, especially if there is a body on Bynum:
Start: Teague, JJ, Josh, Al, and Collins, rotate well with Hinrich, Jamal, Wilkens, Marvin, and ZaZa and we can win.
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
7:05 pm
Najeh – One of ASG’s models is Detroit, which really didn’t have a superstar when they won. But it is a different NBA now.
And I think Popovich just willed those Spurs teams to win.
O'Brien
March 7th, 2011
7:08 pm
Steve W,
Detroit didnt have a superstar player, but they had a HOF coach in Larry Brown, and they received steady play from the PG position.
As for a renegotiation with JJ, I doubt it. I think we are stuck paying him 6 years, $124 mil no matter what.
drmaryb (*_*)
March 7th, 2011
7:13 pm
CRY-GATE!
Isn’t there a Man Law that says, “What happens in the locker room – stays in the locker room.” Do yall think this could cause Spolestra to lose his team or worse infuriate Pat “Riles” Riley?
Who will be scared of the Heat now? Nobody.
They, my friends are NOT contenders.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 7th, 2011
7:21 pm
“One of ASG’s models is Detroit, which really didn’t have a superstar when they won. But it is a different NBA now.”
That in and of itself shows how out of touch the DASG is. The 2004 Pistons are the ONLY team since the NBA-ABA merger to win a title without a legit superstar. The Hawks essentially placed their bet on a strategy that has worked one time in, what, 40 years?
And even those Pistons had one of the all time greats on the defensive end, even if his limited offensive game kept him from being a superstar in the traditional sense.
mykhalc
March 7th, 2011
7:23 pm
Drew just needs to STFU…PERIOD!!! i’ve grown to despise him as a HC quicker than Woodson…no one leads in this franchise…plain and simple!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
March 7th, 2011
7:25 pm
I guess the Hawks could always hope for an amnesty rule in the new CBA, like the Allan Houston rule.
Of course, knowing Mr. We Like Our Core, he’ll probably use it on Zaza and give Joe Johnson another extension after four years.
To be clear, it’s not that I necessarily dislike Joe’s game or what he provides to the team, but his contract makes it damn near impossible to improve this team to championship contention.
drmaryb (*_*)
March 7th, 2011
7:48 pm
Blue Balls!
K-Dogg said this:
“I think Joe cares but he not an idiot he know this team cant win it all and i think the otehr guys are starting to think the same thing. Its hard to get up for something that you know you cant win and these guys know they dont have what is needed to win a title.”
____________________
That is like “Flava-Flav” with no money trying to get into Janet Jackson’s panties.” It ain’t happenin’ Flave!
But, I said this same thing last Summer. Al said, “Me and Josh need some help in the post to be any type of contender.”. What did Daddy-Bank do? They told TWIN to lose some weight? How does less weight help to hold off Dwight and Bynum and Perkins? It doesn’t!
These boys know better than anybody about what they need!
A true PG and Center. The ASKG are LIARS and we are not Lamont Sanfords! Aye ASKG! You Big Dummie!
Times is hard, we hanging on to our pocket change until you make a:
Change We Can Believe In – Period!
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
8:02 pm
LA knows they are vastly superior to the Hawks so instead of beating them by 50pts. Phil will let up and pull Kobe mid way through the 3rd and it will be garbage time from then on..
Hawks lose by 18….. Playoffs?? PLAYOFFS??? REALLY???????????????????????????????
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
8:03 pm
Waive Marvin…………………………
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
8:05 pm
Once you lay eyes on Monique Minor, Janet will not even be a fleeting thought………………..
drmaryb (*_*)
March 7th, 2011
8:05 pm
Human Nature!
“When they ask you, Why? Why? – Tell ‘Em that its Human Nature…”
-michael jackson- (rip)
______________________
Don’t yall think, like us fans, when the players see all the trades and upgrades going on in their world? And the owners do nothing? It’s demoralizing and a defeatist attitude coming from the top and trickling down through out the building and locker room out onto the court?
That? My friends is just – (you guessed right), Human Nature to give up! How many times can you get kicked in the gut, before you just lay down?
drmaryb (*_*)
March 7th, 2011
8:10 pm
Heated Seats!
I’m sure JeJe or slimjr would have gladly sat in Etan Thomas’ seat and would have kept it warm for half of what they paid him to just sit there.
Is this guy not medically cleared to play?
ag
March 7th, 2011
8:14 pm
Hawks will win tomorrow. I have faith….
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
8:15 pm
“Hawks will win tomorrow”
In another universe….
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
8:19 pm
drmaryb I could probably teach a few of those guys how to shoot the rock.. My gift is shooting.. Thats why I cant stomach going down there and watch that crap live….LOL
Melvin
March 7th, 2011
8:21 pm
This article was written on yesterday before the Knicks game. A pretty good assessment of this Hawks team/organization….
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=18991
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
8:22 pm
Marvin has one of the worsts kinks I’ve have ever seen from a professional jump shooter!!
drmaryb (*_*)
March 7th, 2011
8:26 pm
Slimjr.
I was inserting you in my post before I saw your Monique Minor plug.
Who is she? I better google that now. But, would you take Etan’s roster spot for half the price? What’s that worth about 600K for 82 + 4 games?
_______________________
I thought so! I were a guy, I would do it just so I can cuss everybody out from the top 8 – down!
____________________
Didn’t they suspend Josh Powell for conduct detrimental to the team?
Can’t they suspend Marvin for his detrimental conduct/play on the court.
This team is disjointed and they rarely well all together at the same time.
It’s like Braves Baseball. When the lead off man is in a hitting slump? The entire team is in a hitting slump for weeks and weeks at a time.
This whole team is on their period at the same time.
A locker room full-o-b!tches!
_________________________
Ok, I’m sorry! I just had to b!tch and moan for a minute. I’m on my period too! LOL!
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
8:30 pm
slow down the tape or DVR, watch in slow motion when receives the ball and starts to square up so far so good, he starts to elevate off the floor as he’s about to release the ball from his hands he will literally kicks his feet behind him( Self Check), more like a nervous twitch and it throws off his balance for a millionth of a second(blink of an eye) and therefore he rarely makes an open shot now… It’s unbelievable that his coaches have not picked up on it after almost 7 seasons?????????? It happens so quickly that even Marvelous Marvin does not know he’s doing it…Just Brutal to watch coming from a jump shooter…..
Jae Evolution
March 7th, 2011
8:33 pm
Looks like the Knicks will gain even more ground on us along with Orlando. They are up big in Utah and Orlando is without Howard tonight.
O'Brien
March 7th, 2011
8:34 pm
Najeh,
Plus the Pistons players bought into whatever Larry Brown was selling. he got them to “play the right way” (whatever that means).
LD can’t even get Josh to tone down his erratic shots, much less get the whole team to buy into a motion offense. Too often we go back to ISOs and get jumper happy.
As for JJ’s contract, I dont know what the Hawks are going to do to improve. They will have to make smart basketball and financial moves, and convince the right players to play here. I just dont see them doing that.
I think we will be a consistent 45-53 win team for the 4 years, and we will always be a threat to get to the second round.
O'Brien
March 7th, 2011
8:38 pm
dmb,
I think Pat Riley will let the Heat coach finish out the season, and let the chips fall where they may. If the Heat get to the ECF, I think Riley will bring him back next year. But if the Heat dont make it to the ECF, I think he will be fired.
IMO, Pat Riley does not want to coach this team, because they are not constructed very well. Their PGs are Chalmers and Bibby, and their centers are Joel Anthony and Big Z.
Udonis Haslem is injured, and they have very little depth. So I think Pat will try and make some more moves this offseason, and then get a new coach for next year if Spoelstra continues to falter.
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
8:38 pm
Monique, is a stunning model from the left coast that makes us guys drool………………….LOL
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
8:39 pm
O’Brien – Maybe – but I think it may end up being like 9 years at 134 mill. JJ doesn’t want to be a 35 year FA making the vet min. his last couple of years, so teams expand the deal, throw a few more mil in and it’s a win win.
But you could be right. And if you are, we may be watching the Hawks play their home games in Las Vegas.
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
8:45 pm
Last night, Josh shot 8 jumpers. He made 2.
The Hawks turned the ball over on 24.1% of their possessions. That is staggering!
northcyde
March 7th, 2011
8:47 pm
truhawkfan
March 7 th, 2011
3 :26 pm
This where the problem comes to play with the fans they have no faith in home team and but yet they want a so called superstar to come here why so they could do the same thing to them. These are nothing but bandwagon fans they with the team when they win but soon as they start to lose they are know where to be found. There are far worst teams in the NBA then the Hawks and they get support from their city look at the Cavs, T-wolves,and Raptors. But there are teams in the NBA that have superstars and are struggling not just the Hawks and let some of these fans tell it we don’t have a superstar but yet we still in the top 5 and believe it or not we might can still get that 4 seed. Truhawksfan GO HAWKS there are still some real fans that support you.
*******
Best post of the thread.
Just a mere 6 days ago, the majority of these fans were giddy about beating Chicago, and saying things like “I’m not worried about Orlando or Miami or Chicago in the playoffs”.
Now .. a tough loss to OKC and a bad loss to NYK, and some of those same fans are jumping off the cliff again.
And to me, it’s mind boggling that fans who supported this team when they were horrible, would now abandon the team when they are good ( but not elite ).
I guess some fans would rather root for a sorry product that they can hope can get better in the future . . than to root for a good product that they know deep down, isn’t good enough to win a title.
There’s no way in hell I’d trade this team for what the Twolves, Warriors, and Clippers put on the floor . . even if they are more “exciting” to watch.
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
8:47 pm
Hoopinion gives a unique look at the Hawks Inside rotations:
“The post rotation provides the best evidence of top-to-bottom disarray by a wide margin. Jason Collins doesn’t play unless he starts, Zaza Pachulia’s production and playing time have become dissociated to near-Teaguian proportions, Josh Powell is brought off the bench about once a month to remind Drew that he can’t play, a process Hilton Armstrong likely (hopefully?) began last night.”
Interesting to say the least.
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
8:49 pm
Sure I’d save the ASG some green backs and take half what Etan gets to ride the bench drmaryb….LOL…
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
8:51 pm
Northcyde – “Just a mere 6 days ago, the majority of these fans were giddy about beating Chicago, and saying things like “I’m not worried about Orlando or Miami or Chicago in the playoffs”.
That would be me. I thought Sund ditching Mo and Bibby while acquiring Hinrich would be enough. I didn’t think LD could botch the rotations now. And I thought, more importantly, that somehow Hinrich would help with shot selection with the remainder of the team.
I’m afraid I am wrong on both accounts. I think Jamal keeps being Jamal, which has turned into a problem on most nights.
And I still don’t trust LD’s rotations.
But you won’t see me jumping off the Hawks bandwagon. Been with them since ‘69 or so. Not leaving now, and want them to win every game. But I do have to call them as I see them.
Mike is back
March 7th, 2011
8:53 pm
KenSug, your recent article on the Hawks Chronicles a man who is either in a sad state of disbelief…or has severe case of amnesia…CUZ he keeps saying the same…six years of hearing excuses from Woody…and now appears we are in store for two more with LD…Geeez!!
Whether is was intentional or not…your article highlighted the biggest problem with this team…First Off the ship is sinking…and your captain don’t think it’s time to panic.
However, ultimately I don’t think anything will change until the Hawks trade JJ…if you can’t lead…than get out the way…dude just admitted he haven’t a clue on how to lead this team…he want somebody tell him…dang.
Hopefully, if we loooooooooooooooooooooooooooong suffering Hawks fan are afforded new owners…maybe something significant will change.
JOneal had a contract like JJ’s and he’s has been traded what three or four times…Hey, anything possible…I understand we had to resign JJ…now we have cleared that obstacle…now we need to get what we can for him.
Let JC1 contract come of the books and Trade JJ…keep Captain Kirk and Armstrong…and add some more pieces…then watch this team flourish…they want have a choice but to rely on each others…they want have a choice but to Grow TFU.
I’ll take RIP from Detroit with some parts, or some first round picks…as bad as thing are in Detroit…they will be looking to deal.
Hey, I’m just calling it like it is…word up!!!
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
8:54 pm
Tell me True HAAAAAAAAAAWKS fans as of today would rather have the Miami team or the Hawks team playing in Atlanta right now??
FYI, the Hawks are playing like the 7th seed and in a couple of weeks that may be the case…..Fans are not the reason this dysfunctional franchise has never been to an NBA finals..Heck MIAMI won a Championship just 5 yrs ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
8:56 pm
Quote from Micheal Ray Richardson of the NewYork Knicks “THE SHIP BE SINKING”
That fits the Atlanta Hawks…………………………….
Najeh Davenpoop
March 7th, 2011
9:05 pm
“I guess some fans would rather root for a sorry product that they can hope can get better in the future . . than to root for a good product that they know deep down, isn’t good enough to win a title.”
Actually, yes. In the absence of a team that has a realistic shot at winning a title, I’d say most fans would prefer a team that they know has room for improvement, as opposed to a team with a very clear ceiling well below championship contention.
“There’s no way in hell I’d trade this team for what the Twolves, Warriors, and Clippers put on the floor . . even if they are more “exciting” to watch.”
Seriously? You wouldn’t trade this team for the Clippers?
I’d take Griffin/Bledsoe/Aminu/Jordan over Joe/Smoove/Al in a heartbeat. More exciting now, higher ceiling later. That’s a no brainer to me.
drmaryb (*_*)
March 7th, 2011
9:12 pm
Hey, I will always support this team. I have been a season ticket holder for many years since 1989. I didn’t renew this year because I am building a new office location here in Roswell, GA. That is a 24/7 job 365.
I have been to about 15 games this season and have enjoyed myself. All the games were competitive and we won most of them. But, I will continue to hold the ASKG feet to the fire, until they commit to building this roster the right way. Buy some groceries and stay out of that:
Dollar Tree Bargain Bin …. Scraping the bottom of it looking for items
@ 2 for $1.00. Come on “Norty”, you got to spend money to make money! Everybody knows that.
northcyde
March 7th, 2011
9:13 pm
To me, the true barometer of a fan base, has always been how many fans go to see the their team when they play a “bad” team.
If you’re really a Hawks fan that doesn’t mind going to games, you’ll go to see them play ANYBODY . . not just the elite teams.
God Bless the season ticket holders that go out to see the Hawks play Detroit, just like they go out to see them play the Lakers.
And for those of you concerned about ticket pricing, those are the games to go to. The same 200 level seat that may have cost $80 for the Knicks game, is $25 – $30 for the Pistons game.
I’m just tired of the excuses. Either you’re down for this team, or you’re not. Don’t jump on and off the bandwagon everytime the Hawks go through a tough stretch.
If you jump off now, stay the ( bleep ) off.
I really could care less who that offends either. Because the fact that people jump on and off the wagon, is the main thing that makes us look like a bad fan base. It’s the reason why the Knicks fans can take over our arena.
Kentucky fans do the same thing in basketball, when their fans could care less about their team. They will literally take over your home arena, if you’re not careful.
The biggest stretch of games the entire season, and even the “true fans” are ready to bail on this team after 2 damn losses.
THAT’S why places like ATL and Miami and even Philly, are bad fan bases. The fans of all 3 cities will bail on their team in a heartbeat.
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
9:14 pm
“we don’t have a superstar but yet we still in the top 5 and believe it or not we might can still get that 4 seed. Truhawksfan GO HAWKS there are still some real fans that support you.”
99 years after the Titanic hit the one lone rogue Iceberg that was siting there waiting, there’s still that mentality that it wont sink.. At that time only a few knew the real deal..The ship was going down in about 2 hrs…It sunk in 2hrs 40mins.. The ASG know whats up. That’s why they want outta here yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its taking on water….Abandon Ship Scottie, Jettison the core………..Yes Captain………….
Najeh Davenpoop
March 7th, 2011
9:15 pm
Sh-t, I didn’t even mention Eric Gordon, who has arguably had a better all around season than Joe this year.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 7th, 2011
9:19 pm
The Knicks are wasting the Jazz right now. They are up by nearly 30. Toney Douglas is winning the point guard battle 20 points to 0 against Devin Harris.
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
9:22 pm
Okay I have to reedit my prediction.Knicks wont take 3 weeks to catch the Hawks.How bout next week!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
March 7th, 2011
9:25 pm
New blog up
SteveW
March 7th, 2011
9:29 pm
Northcyde – To show you what a fan I am, I have been to I don’t know how many games against bad teams, because that is usually the affordable games. I have less traffic to fight, I like the feel of the arena when it is less full in the regular season also. I enjoy the stars and electricity etc. but sometimes it good to just go the games and chill. Sit in the nosebleeds usually.
Now I have been to a few playoff games, and they are electric. But I have supported the Hawks even when we were really bad, and still do.
As far as seeding, I still say we could go on a 16-3 tear and end up as high as 2nd seed. i doubt it.
I also see where we could stumble at like 7-12, while NY and Philly get hot, and end up a 7th seed. It really is irrelevant to me, as long as we win in the playoffs. Anybody but the Celtics appear beatable to me right now in the playoffs for us.
And man, folks were skewering DRose on a sports talk radio here today. In the Heat game, they said even though the Bulls won, in the last 2 minutes they said:
1) Rose shot an airball with alot of time on the shot clock
2) Ross shook off TT and called his own play
3) Rose made a bad turnover.
So if your looking for a perfect PG, I guess he doesn’t exist. So ya’ll go easy on Teague when he makes an turnover or two. Even the elites one do.
drmaryb (*_*)
March 7th, 2011
9:33 pm
Financially Strapped!
“I’m just tired of the excuses. Either you’re down for this team, or you’re not. Don’t jump on and off the bandwagon everytime the Hawks go through a tough stretch.”
_______________________
The best fans are not necessarily the most endowed fans. This economy will dictate where discretionary dollars are being spent.
I pay over 100.00 per month for Direct TV to see my Hawks play. The NBA rakes in Billions from televised games based on Nielsen Ratings. So, if I watch a game from home? That is not FREE entertainment. I just gassed up at 3.75 per gallon. My V8 Lexus takes 78.00 to filler up and I haven’t even left the pump yet. So, the way I see it, I don’t have to pour my money into ASKG and the Millionaire’s pockets.
It’s not always about loyalty. Its about allocating funds to entertainment versus discretionary income to payroll, vendors, taxes, medical supplies and food, electricity, fuel, clothing, tithing and bare necessities.
News Flash! America is bailing out Banks and Insurance Companies because the FREE World is flat broke! These are hard times to deal with.
If THE ASKG opened their wallets a little more, they will make a little more. Why should we pay to see NO PG and NO Center year in and out?
We are not Lamont Sanfords. As far as Kentucky Basketball? Those tickets are $5.00 to $10.00 per game and the Cokes are $1.50. Student games are student rates. Sorry Norty! It’s all about Supply and Demand. Economics 101 are hard at work here.
___________________________
I still love you though.
northcyde
March 7th, 2011
9:38 pm
So what’s the guess for tomorrow night? A sellout crowd, with about 8,000 Laker fans in the building?
I wonder if the “early” start time and the traffic will prevent people from getting to the game on time for a Tuesday Laker game?
Doubt it.
Because it’s a “big” game.
Meanwhile on a Sunday afternoon with no traffic and dirt cheap tickets ( for an NBA game ), they’ll be no more than 11,000 in the building for a game that the Hawks may desperately need.
That regular season game vs Milwaukee about this time last year, in which 3,000 of our “fans” literally walked out on the Hawks . . despite the game going into overtime . . told me all I needed to know about a good chunk of our fan base.
No loyalty and no faith whatsoever.
I was so pissed being at that game and seeing that. I’m just glad that 7,000 of us stuck around to see the Hawks pull the victory out.
I can’t imagine any other fan base in the NBA that would literally have 30% of the crowd walk out on their team, despite the game not being over yet.
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
9:41 pm
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
drmaryb you are off the chain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL………………….
…
northcyde
March 7th, 2011
9:43 pm
The Sunday game I’m referring to . . is the game on March 20th vs the Pistons . . the game after the arena will be sold out the previous Friday vs Miami.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 7th, 2011
9:44 pm
“I can’t imagine any other fan base in the NBA that would literally have 30% of the crowd walk out on their team, despite the game not being over yet.”
Take a look at the stands. There’s a good view at 0:16.
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
9:44 pm
By 2015 America will be broke…
Debt= GNP!!!! Pride comes before a fall……..Keep voting these same clowns in…Basketball will be a distant memory where this country is headed………………………….
Najeh Davenpoop
March 7th, 2011
9:45 pm
Faith and loyalty are for God. Realism is for the DASG, and any other money-making corporation for that matter.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 7th, 2011
9:45 pm
Anyway, new blog up.
slimjr
March 7th, 2011
9:46 pm
prediction: a gallon of Gas in Atlanta will be about 5.50/gallon by December !!!!!!!!!!!!OUCH…………………………
drmaryb (*_*)
March 7th, 2011
9:49 pm
Will the real Slim-Shady – Please stand up?
“99 years after the Titanic hit the one lone rogue Iceberg that was siting there waiting, there’s still that mentality that it wont sink.. At that time only a few knew the real deal..The ship was going down in about 2 hrs”
________________________
Fantastic Analogy!
Last week a political pundit was on the News Network discussing:
“The State of The Union”. The Ed Show on MSNBC was talking about the governmental rift between the Republicans and Democrats.
Ed said this, “The Tea Party and Republicans infighting are like The Titantic is going down and they are fighting over the bed sheets!”
Imagine that, The Governer of Milwaukee wants to snuff out the labor unions to trim the National Debt of a Trillion Dollars by reducing 45 years worth of employee contributions to their pension payments that are now due them and the caveat is they also want to reduce Health Insurance Benefits on top of it all? They want School teachers, Firefighters, Policeman and all the other Public Servants to leave 10% of their salary on the table in addition to that?
Why not just hire Worldwide Clyde and Jeje to FIRE everybody and replace them with Mexicans and Homeless People? They will do half the job for pennies on the dollar. Outsourcing work right here in America?
_______________________
What is this world coming to? The End!
___________________
I’m gonna’ make like a baby and head on out.
G-Nite Yall!
northcyde
March 7th, 2011
10:43 pm
@ drmaryb . . . I understand all of that. It just from my perspective, people look for reasons to not support the Hawks. And after a while, all it looks like are a bunch of excuses. Especially when people will break their necks to see some games, and not others.
And that’s because they like to go see the Hawks play good teams . . not go to see the Hawks. There’s a difference in that mentality.
It’s like when Drew talks about the Hawks not giving “effort”. Why don’t they give effort every game? The fans have a legit gripe about that issue.
So then turn the question around . . why don’t fans give a better effort?
I mean . . it’s OK to criticize owners and players . . but as soon as someone says something about the fans . . here come the list of excuses.
What if management and players did that, to justify their “lack of effort”
PLAYERS AND COACHES
- we starters can play to the max every game. we need help from the bench
- us bench players don’t get enough minutes, so why even bother to play hard all the time
- us coaches know that certain players won’t or just can’t give us the effort, so we play the “effort guys” heavy minutes.
MANAGEMENT
- we don’t get enough revenue at the gate, so we refuse to pay out of our own pocket for the Luxury Tax
- the court battle took money out of our pockets
- because we’re not a championship level team, it makes no sense to us to spend “championship money” on a coach, or a big name but past his prime player, or a competent GM
Then the fans counter with their “excuses”.
That’s another reason why the players, the city, the fans, and the management get clowned by the national meda.
Just a lack of “effort” all around.
Dukester
March 8th, 2011
9:02 am
I agree Northcyde well said. But I am born and raised in Atlanta and It seems all of our teams have a “core” (no pun intended) fan base. It seems like we can fill maybe 60% of any sports arena during the season. Of course when the playoffs come and if the team had a good season we can fill the place up. But just look around no one here is from atlanta. And I can say as a life long hawks fan I dont feel good about this team, coaching staff, or ASG.
I think this team is still built around Billy Knight and Woodys dream of a bunch of 6′ 9″ players. I never liked that tyle unless you can shoot from the perimeter and play good perimeter defense.
LuckyStrike
March 8th, 2011
12:53 pm
The reason why I think the Hawks can win the championship this season is because there are players on the Hawks roster who are not being PUSHED AND CHALLENGED. The Hawks need a coach like Pat Riley who will drive his players to be productive and will teach them fundamentals in areas in which they are weak. Larry Drew is a weak coach who allows anything on the court, whether his players are producing or not. Larry does not know basketball well enough to be a head coach. For all the garbage that the Hawks are giving the fans of Atlanta on the floor, I know there are at least five players who are taking nights off while they are still in uniform on the court. Al Horford, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams and Jamal Crawford, although they take nights off from time to time while still in uniform, they are usually reliable and steady, but they have been known to be careless on the floor with many turnovers and have been known to have lapses in judgement due to lack of effort and recklessness. From what I can see, Joe, Al and Josh are trying hard and playing hard MOST OF THE TIME; Marvin is clueless as to how to utilize is skills, and Jamal, although he is helping us with his scoring punch occasionally, Jamal should be in the starting lineup and he should give up the basketball as soon as his shot stops falling in. What Jamal does most of the time is attempt to shoot 3-pointers for the entire evening. A 3-point shot is a very low percentage shot, but Jamal thinks he is PISTOL PETE MARAVICH and continues to hoist them up regardless of whether he is throwing bricks for the night or not. Marvin lately has given us a key rebound or a key block, but for the most part throughout Marvin’s career, he has given us absolutely nothing since we drafted him and he is just a skeleton on the Hawks roster.
LuellaPatterson
March 8th, 2011
3:40 pm
THE HAWKS ARE COLLAPSING JUST ABOUT THE SAME AS THE MIAMI HEAT. OVER THE LAST 15 GAMES, THE HAWKS ARE GETTING POUNDED IN THE FIRST QUARTERS AND THIS HAS PRODUCED AN UPHILL CLIMB FOR THE FOLLOWING 3 QUARTERS. WHY CANT THE HAWKS GET OUT TO A 15-POINT LEAD THEMSELVES OVER THEIR OPPONENTS WHEN THEY COME OUT OF THE GATE IN THE BEGINNING QUARTER? THE HAWKS FEEL AS THOUGH THEY ARE INFERIOR EVERY OPPONENT THEY FACE. IN FACT RIGHT NOW I DONT THINK THERE IS A TEAM OUT THERE THAT THE HAWKS CAN BEAT. THAT IS SAD BUT TRUE. THE HAWKS STINK AND THEY SHOULD SELL THE TEAM AND GET THEM OUT OF TOWN.
PerryHenderson
March 8th, 2011
4:39 pm
Najeh Davenpoop: You are wrong about the Hawks lacking enough talent to win the world championship this year. I really don’t think you realize how much parity there is in the NBA. I know it looks as though its the same few teams who are making the playoffs each year, but teams like the Lakers and Celtics were seiously tested before they won their NBA crowns. In case you forgot, the year the Celtics won the title OUR ATLANTA HAWKS PUSHED THE C’S TO 7 GAMES IN THE OPENING ROUND BEFORE THEY EVENTUALLY WON IT. IN FACT THAT SEASON THE CELTICS WON THEIR TITLE EVERY CELTIC OPPONENT IN EVERY ROUND PUSHED THE C’S TO 7 GAMES IN THE PLAYOFFS THAT YEAR. LAST SEASON, THE LAKERS SURVIVED A SCARE IN THE OPENING ROUND BY THE UPSTART OKLAHOMA THUNDER. I heard on ESPN that the reason why the Thunder lost to the Lakers by one point last season in the playoffs in game 7 was because the Thunder were OUTREBOUNDED by one rebound by the Lakers in game 7. Thats why the thunder went out this year and acquired former Celtics greats KENDRICK PERKINS and NATE ROBINSON which automatically makes the Thunder in the western conference the favorites to win the NBA title this year. The Thunder are very close; the Hawks are very close but from the blogs that most fans are writing you would think the Hawks are several years away from winning a title. I think the Hawks are going to win the NBA crown this season and I dont think anybody will stop them once they get it going.