Atlanta Hawks: The 2011-12 schedule, just in case
There is no league business because of the lockout but there is a schedule. There have been no bargaining session between owners and players since last month but let’s be optimistic and assume the schedule will go off as planned and the Hawks will open Nov. 2 at Minnesota.
Usually there would be some major free-agent signings by now and there would be a better sense of how teams might stack up. As it stands now, the Hawks have just seven players with guaranteed contracts for next season. By comparison, Miami has nine players with guaranteed deals (assuming no one is going to make a run at restricted-free agent Mario Chalmers), Chicago has nine players, Boston has seven (assuming Jeff Green stays put) and Orlando has 10.
But all five of the East’s top teams can pretty much return with their cores intact (with perhaps Orlando as an exception since J-Rich will be a free agent). So here’s a quick look at some schedule highlights for the Hawks:
- Last season Atlanta’s early schedule was grueling, if not by quality (of opponents) then quantity (of games). This time they only play 13 games in October/November with just two sets of back-to-backs.But nine of those 13 games are against playoff teams, including road games vs. Chicago, Orlando and Miami and home games vs. Dallas and Boston.
- The busy stretch is in March, when the Hawks play 17 games with 11 on the road and six sets of back-to-backs. They close out the month with eight games in 12 days.
- The Hawks are scheduled to play a total of 20 sets of back-to-back games. They are to play four games in five nights on two occasions and have 11 stretches of three games in four nights.
- For the third consecutive season the Hawks will play on Thanksgiving Day on TNT. They have seven other games scheduled for national TV, all on ESPN.
- The MLK Day opponent is Toronto on Jan. 16.
- Weekday games at Philips Arena are set to start at 7:30 p.m.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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200 comments Add your comment
Geemack
July 21st, 2011
10:56 am
The Hawks traded Dominique in 1994, and was horrible from 99 to 08, and they still have brought in a superstar to lead this team to a championship. Atlanta is a city that needs a superstar to keep the fans interested.
Astro Joe
July 21st, 2011
11:12 am
Funny how every tall and skinny player is projected to be the next Marcus Camby, Tyson Chandler or Javale McGee. Anyone ever think that Rolle or Benson might simply be the next Solomon Jones or Mikki Moore?
Geemack
July 21st, 2011
11:44 am
The Hawks need a star. 40 plus years and not 1 NBA finals. Atlanta Needs a Star.
Geemack
July 21st, 2011
11:46 am
Since 1980 the Lakers have been to the finals 16 times.
Hawks Fan In New Orleans
July 21st, 2011
11:48 am
Fire Lon Krugrer!!!!
Rusty
July 21st, 2011
11:56 am
Let’s face it, the hawks will do nothing under hopeless Larry drew
Slimjr
July 21st, 2011
12:20 pm
Geemack
July 21st, 2011
11:46 am
“Since 1980 the Lakers have been to the finals 16 times”
Amazing!!!!!
Since 1980 the Hawks have been to the ECF 0 times!!! The Finals? How bout NEVER??
Amazing???
One of the most sorriest Franchises in the History of sports!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Slimjr
July 21st, 2011
12:25 pm
Keep up the Great work the “god father/ Chief Gangster himself”! Your plan is working to keep the ATL from ever winning a championship….Coming up on 50 yrs real soon…….. Yawn…..
Slimjr
July 21st, 2011
12:30 pm
Ask yourself this Hawks fans. Which player would be easier to replace, Josh or ALL NBA AL?
One has got to go.. The pair will not take you to the promised land…Sorry..
Ra'mon
July 21st, 2011
1:01 pm
Slim, on offense Rip Hamilton can replace Al. All he does is shoot a jumper, lol.
Sick of It
July 21st, 2011
2:07 pm
More big sports labor strife! Who cares? These guys make millions and we keep having labor issues. What about the guy who works for $10 an hour all his life?
Tim
July 21st, 2011
2:34 pm
1. Trade Joe Johnson for Dwight Howard.
2. Make Al Horford a POWER FORWARD all the time.
3. Crawford should start in Joe Johnson’s spot.
4. Run Jeff Teague as starting point guard.
5. Let Williams, Collins, Heinrich, Wilkins, and etc. come off the bench.
The Hawks go to the Playoffs every year. They need to work with what they have. BUILD YOUR PLAYERS ATLANTA!! There is no such thing as a quick fix to get a ring!
Centers R Power Forwards
July 21st, 2011
2:46 pm
“HOOPS-I read an article last month about this yrs FA’s, and it said Nene wanted to moved to PF because he felt it was his more NATURAL POSITION. Does that sound familiar?”
Nene can’t play defense and has Hilton Armstrong’s physical tools according to draftexpress…
Every player wants to move to PF because they think it will be easier to get more shots.
Horfords usage rate actually went down in the playoffs. When we first drafted him we needed a PF and C a defensive rebounder and a shooter (PF).
He turns out to be a rebounding shooter with no defense and only free throw range. Thats why we keep going after 3 point rangers like Mike Bibby’s and Jamal Crawfords
Funny thing about Nene is after Nuggets had Camby and he left Nene said center was his natural position LMAO
Horford and Nene are the same weak defensive players. Trade Al for a stretch four, and let Jamal go.
Joe and Josh are big post up wings? fine they can work the baseline unlike Al and Crawford. Put Teague to lead them on the break and get the bigs to replace Al’s 2 free throw attempts per game.
Al is a 5
July 21st, 2011
2:52 pm
“Al Horford a POWER FORWARD”
Since when does being 6′9 and having one post move make you a power forward let alone an all star?
One post move?
Amare Stoudemire played center all year.
Josh Smith has no jump shot and was similarly undersized and averaged 17 points.
Carmelo would not average simply 16 points as a power forward.
For his career Yi Jianlian is as likely to shoot a shot as Al Horford.
Al Horford is not a volume shooter I dont care where you put him at. Being 6′9 – 6′10 you have to have dribbling moves or finesse to score down low
bigdave
July 21st, 2011
4:42 pm
wouldnt mind seeing James Jones in a hawk uniform this season..
we need specialists..
Rondo
July 21st, 2011
4:55 pm
James Jones = Specialist WOW
Worldwide Clyde
July 21st, 2011
5:31 pm
The Hawks ain’t been the same since they got rid of Mutombo. We need someone that can block shots. We need someone that will make folks think twice about driving to the basket. When folks see Horford its like an open invitation to the hole. Like a chick down in Rio opening her legs.
FIRE SUND
Najeh Davenpoop
July 21st, 2011
5:31 pm
I was wearing my 2008 Hawks Shock The World playoffs T-shirt yesterday when I walked up to the cash register at some store and the cashier made fun of me for being a Hawks fan.
FIRE SUND
Najeh Davenpoop
July 21st, 2011
5:31 pm
Sorry Clyde, didn’t mean to steal your FIRE SUND thunder. Your post wasn’t up when I hit submit.
Najeh Davenpoop
July 21st, 2011
5:35 pm
Woody is about to get passed over for the Detroit Pistons job.
Habib Patel
July 21st, 2011
5:43 pm
Najeh it wasn’t the t-shirt i was laughing at it was your coke bottle glasses and your saggy pants i was laughing at! And oh i forgot my friend that lotto sctratch i told you was not a winner guess what it was Thanks my friend!
vignuts/checkemout
July 21st, 2011
5:47 pm
Its easy to move LOL-(all Mediocre all average Al.) If there is some one other than the press who thinks this guy is all any thing but a joke, trade him and see if we can get some cap room and a draft pick or may Dwight and we give the all average Al plus a pick. Josh is one of if not the best defender at the 4. We dont need him on the wing at the 3 to accommodate All Mediocre Al’s average play at the 4.
Woodson is a better fit for the hawks than Drew.
Grandad
July 21st, 2011
6:00 pm
3 points:
1. Woody is a candidate for the Minn.Timber job.
[seems a fit]
2. Trade proposals which include a “sign & trade”
are fruitless until the new labor agreement due to
the possibility “S & T s” may not be included
in the new CBA.
3. For Astro Joe & others;
JaVale McGee, although loaded with potential,
has not yet shown he’s an above avg producer !
Highlight -reel- “stuff ” with no -real- substance !
*note:
McGee – got all excited about his triple / double……………
(yet, he didn’t seem to notice that his team lost the game)
Can you feel it?
July 21st, 2011
6:19 pm
“Habib Patel
July 21st, 2011
5:43 pm
“Najeh it wasn’t the t-shirt i was laughing at it was your coke bottle glasses and your saggy pants i was laughing at! And oh i forgot my friend that lotto sctratch i told you was not a winner guess what it was Thanks my friend!”
Oh Chit DAMIEN!
Can you feel it?
July 21st, 2011
6:22 pm
“One post move?”
what post move??
Fred G Sanford.
July 21st, 2011
7:21 pm
We wouldnt allow Al Horford in watts. Hes too feminine any way. Soft and sweet, like a biitch. Why would any body want to build around his soft ass.? This aint san francisco.
KevinM
July 21st, 2011
9:15 pm
Woody deserves another shot, and he might get it this year.
If Al is ranked 30, that means he has more value than Josh, so I say move him while he is at this level.
Whatever it takes, get Josh off the perimeter af back down low.
A Marvin trade is as likely as a Joe trade…we are stuck with both.
New ownership is about the only hope we can accomplish this offseason. We will have another GM-excuse laden offseason if we ever get moving forward again.
Grandmaster JeJe
July 21st, 2011
10:41 pm
FIRE RICK SUND
Slimjr
July 21st, 2011
11:15 pm
“When folks see Horford its like an open invitation to the hole. Like a chick down in Rio opening her legs.”
Dang WorldWide!! That quote is on fire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol…
Slimjr
July 21st, 2011
11:22 pm
“If Al is ranked 30, that means he has more value than Josh, so I say move him while he is at this level.”
@KevinM, your a Genius!! Your thinking outside the “box”.. Al can make more of an impact for the Hawks advancing forward via a trade for a couple of quality players and picks!!
All NBA AL for Tyson and Marion..Now you have a 5 and 3 who can do some work!
Live free or die
July 21st, 2011
11:27 pm
`
Boycott Phillips Arena.
.
Buddy Grizzard
July 21st, 2011
11:34 pm
Per HoopsHype, Hawks players union rep Etan Thomas is looking into an offer to play in Spain because “He doesn’t see the lockout ending this season,” according to his agent.
http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/sierra/2011/07/21/thomas-looking-at-spanish-offer/
Slimjr
July 21st, 2011
11:50 pm
word on the street, Kobe is looking into playing in the back court with DWILL in Turkey!!
Ra'mon
July 21st, 2011
11:55 pm
Slimjr, that trade, Al for Tyson and Marion, would make the Hawks scary on defense! But that would also take you out of the running for Dwight Howard, because you would then have a C locked up for 4 seasons.
I’m still a huge fan of using Horford to get Chris Paul this year. Sign Dalembert for a 2-3 year deal if he’ll accept mid level. And keep Joe Johnson to use for a sign and trade next year for Dwight Howard!
Worldwide Clyde
July 22nd, 2011
12:31 am
JEJE FOR 2011 HAWKS BLOGGER OF THE YEAR
I can’t wait for the new owners to step in.
Grandad
July 22nd, 2011
2:38 am
For the life of me;
I do not get it, you guys ragging on Al the way you do ?
It perplexes me.
Look, I’m on the record – right now – I am an Al Horford backer.
The same for Josh.
*note:
If I make a trade proposal for Josh…I don’t rip him.
[Now Joe - different story - but he's still one of ours]
* (and bless his heart so is Marv)
But the bitterness, spite, and asperity toward Al
is disproportionate to anything the young man has done or said.
I rest my case.
Fred G Sanford.
July 22nd, 2011
3:14 am
Ra’mon Al has run his mouth so much to the press always complaining about how he thinks the other players need to play defense when Al is the weakest defender who constantly refuses to play strong from the center position in order to force josh to the perimeter so he can play the powerforward. Forcing josh to the perimeter to shoot bombs so Al can play power forward is just selfishness on Al behalf. The hawks are a much better team with Josh at power forward than Al. 6′ 10″ Al should have accepted the teams call for him to play center, beefed up and got stronger. But instead he whines and refuses to play defense so he can force the team to move him to powerforward by not ‘playing defense at center.
Hes always begging for the ball but hes a career 12.8pts/9rbs captain average. The fans have never ever never voted all for an all anything but All average. Hes either a coach’s pick or a press favorite but the bottom line is he is a clog in the hawks front court and he forces Josh out of position and weakens the hawks.
If you think the press is fooling the hawks fans check the turnstyles over the last few years as we continue to demand that the Hawks get a “real center” as even Al has said.
The dude is to soft to be a leader on the court. Hes more like being brought along on the ride.
Trade Al for cap room or for Howard, while at least the press thinks he has some value.
Grandad
July 22nd, 2011
3:47 am
Hatter:
Don’t raise too much ruckus;
they shut the blog down now
for no reason other than…….
“nobody wants to fool with it”
I hope all is well !
Be sure to assume one’s ethereal guise to obfuscate
any discernment of the “hat trick” blogiversal ubiquity.
“Prayer is asking for rain; faith is carrying the umbrella”
terrell
July 22nd, 2011
5:53 am
Marvin, take yo azz over seas. lol.
Ken Strickland
July 22nd, 2011
8:52 am
GRANDAD-The Al Horford bashing is basically one attention craving clown posting under multiple names espousing the same stupid BS over and over. If you’ve read one of his/her/it’s posts, you’ve read them all, so just do like I do and scroll past. He basically says a lot, but has very little to say that’s based on anything intelligent or meaningful.
drmaryb (*_*)
July 22nd, 2011
8:54 am
My Buddy!
Or, perhaps, Etan is looking to play in Spain because, the women are beautiful and he knows HE will be locked out of the NBA indefinitely. If you can’t get PT in Atlanta? You can’t get PT anywhere! LOL! Its a wrap for Etan.
_________________
Worldwide Clyde! What’s up baby boy? You ready for some new owners? Word. We’re all tired of firing the ASKG, that is the equivalent of shooting a dead horse a million times dead. LOL!
______________
Grand-Daddy! What’s up honey? Do your thang. (*_*)
drmaryb.(*_*).
July 22nd, 2011
9:02 am
Scroll the Troll!
Hey Ken Strickland baby!
Amen bruh, if the troll is the problem? The scroll is the cure. I for one, am all in. .(*_*).
drmaryb.(*_*).
July 22nd, 2011
10:46 am
Think Again!
But, no way do I agree that the ASKG has any say as to when a game will start. Not even a question. -drmaryb-
__________________
My sincere apologies to “Just-A-Thought” re: Hawks games start times. Based on what Najeh posted on here? I stand corrected. The ASKG apparently does have administrative controls as to the start times of Hawks games.
Geemack
July 22nd, 2011
11:12 am
The Hawks could make a huge offseason change, and not trade a single player. Hire Ronnie Lester as their next GM. The guy spent 24 years in the Lakers organization. He was Mitch Kupchak assistant GM. That also means he’s spent some time with Jerry West. If you want become a champion you have to bring in champions, and that guy has at least 5 rings.
hawksfancents95
July 22nd, 2011
12:54 pm
hawks to-do list
1. asg needs to sell to a majority owner who perferably is younger and entusiatic.
2. release larry drew and sign a veteran coach who has been in the league a while and has a good track record (rick adelman maybe jerry sloan would want to try atl for 3-5 years) if we signed either of them id say our chances we make ecf in next 3 years is guarenteed
3. trade marvin williams, i dont care for who id even give up a 2nd rd so someone would consider it. i am so tired of #24 and seeing a #2 overall pic continue to be a bust.
4. get a new GM. i think sund is better than most of you say he is but he still is very expendable. i dont know any prodigys to throw out but really anyone from a good franchise would make me happy
5. trade al horford while his value is still high. i wouldnt mind keeping al but i think with al as our third best player we are stuck with a double-edged sword, one end we will continue to make the playoffs and al will continue to get acculades at C, but on the other end we prob wont make the ecf with a 6′9 C and we cant beat the upper escholon teams
with all this said i still love the hawks and im glad these are our problems instead of back in the early 2000s when we couldnt even compete on a night to night basis.
Turnstyle
July 22nd, 2011
1:53 pm
At lest the guys on this blog have a clue. If the hawks are going to get this turned around and headed in the right direction Al has to go. Josh is a better 4 than Al. The press seems to like average Al and has made him our best trade bait to bring Howard and Josh together with JJ to go after a championship.. I also agree hawksfancents95 you will never win with
Al Horford in your front court. I dont understand how he can whine and complain about playing center and doesnt care that his whining forces one of the leagues best powerforward off his game and out of position to accommodate his slothfulness. Al’s selfishness has the whole team disgruntled and playing selfish. Al is not only average, but he is poisonous to the teams camaraderie
Let him be average Al in Orlando. We need defensive players. Lets get Jsmoove back to the front court where he belongs.
Slimjr
July 22nd, 2011
3:21 pm
“I’m still a huge fan of using Horford to get Chris Paul this year. Sign Dalembert for a 2-3 year deal if he’ll accept mid level. And keep Joe Johnson to use for a sign and trade next year for Dwight Howard!”
@Ra’mon, if the new ownership could pull something like that off..You Sir are looking @ several Championship runs! What a change that would be in this town…Si! Si!
Ra'mon
July 22nd, 2011
5:28 pm
Slimjr, I don’t know if it would lead to championships, but I know it would DEFINITELY send a message that the Hawks are TRYING to win championships, not settling for 2nd round. I believe the Hornets KNOW they can’t re-sign Paul, and will attempt to deal him. And they would prefer to deal him for Horford (and Kirk short deal) than to deal him to the Lakers. Its a fact that D12 wants to play with Josh. If Chris Paul was in a Hawks uniform, I’m sure that would only lure Howard even more. With Paul and D12 you have the two positions that Miami will not be able to compete with. And you put Chicago in a position where their hands will be tied when playing the Hawks. And you still have Jeff Teague coming off of the bench, and logging major minutes (to preserve Paul for the post season).
Slimjr
July 22nd, 2011
5:58 pm
Yes, ISO and All NBA would be a distant memory with D12 and Paul playing next to Josh! Phillips would pack em in every night!!!! LOL he,he……What a plan.. Engage, Make it so! Aye Captain…..
Fire Sund!!
Slimjr
July 22nd, 2011
6:08 pm
“At lest the guys on this blog have a clue”..99.9% .01%? Oh well…….Yawn… scroll…
@Turnstyle
This is a great group of bloggers!! Keep the blog alive Mr. MC… Will ya??