Hawks roll again (and what’s this about Dwight Howard?)
Guard Jeff Teague and the Hawks are off to a flying start this season. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
(UPDATED: 10:45 p.m.)
They won their season opener by 36 points at New Jersey. They won their home opener by an easy 18 over Washington on Wednesday night at Philips Arena.
They have a point guard (Jeff Teague) who is dishing, a sometimes-maddening star (Josh Smith) who is playing under control, a team that is defending and … wait, did somebody just show Marvin Williams where the paint is?
So this is what Hawks’ bliss looks like. Feels like. Sounds like.
Well, maybe not sounds like. Considering this was the home opener, the crowd in Philips Arena was remarkably small (generously announced at 17,750) and relatively staid. But if the Hawks can continue to play like this against teams that figure to finish well north of New Jersey and Washington in the standings, they’ll get some deserved attention. Maybe even a sellout. Maybe they’ll even attract a buyer.
Williams, who has had a largely unspectacular career, led the Hawks with 17 points and eight rebounds. Yes, that was him crashing the boards for a follow slam dunk after a missed shot.
He says he feels better after having back surgery in June, adding that the lockout afforded him extra time to rehabilitate. “It [the lockout] was a blessing for me,” he said. “I know not a lot of guys would say that, but it was good for me.”
Al Horford said that William has “gone back to just playing, not thinking too much out there. He’s being aggressive on the offensive boards. If Marvin plays like that, we’re that much better.”
So, seemingly, is everybody to this point. Smith (15 points) was patient and had a spectacular block when he ran down the Wizards’ Andray Blatche and slapped away a would-be dunk. Joe Johnson scored 18. Teague, who looks more like a real NBA starting point guard every game, had 11 points, five assists, two steals and was strong on defense. Tracy McGrady — yes, he can still play — had 11 off the bench.
A 2-0 record doesn’t ensure anything, not even in a 66-game season. But it has been a comforting start for coach Larry Drew, who has his team playing with energy and defense.
“We’ve been preaching for the longest time about trying to be a better defensive team,” Drew said before the game, the inference being that the Hawks are finally getting there.
Marvin Williams, who feels better after back surgery, finished with 17 points and eight rebounds. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
Afterward, Drew bemoaned the fact the Hawks led the Wizards back in the game after blowing them out early.
“Against a team like that, you have to take away their hope,” he said.
But it’s nice to be picky about a win.
True, it’s dangerous to draw too many conclusions yet. Short training camps and an abbreviated preseason will affect some teams more than others. At some point, probably six weeks into the season, there will be market corrections all over the league. But the early results are encouraging for a Hawks team that returns the same core as a year ago (save Jamal Crawford, a payroll casualty). The Hawks never seemed inclined to make a major move in the summer, especially with the ownership situation in flux. Obviously, if they continue to win, making a significant trade remains unlikely.
But the question is whether they are still considering a roster-shaking deal – particularly one that involves Orlando center Dwight Howard.
We’ve beat this drum before about Howard. He’s the most dominating center in the game. He’s a hometown product who would give the Hawks the marketing centerpiece they desperately need. And he’s available. Howard is due to become a free agent after this season and, while the Magic claim they’ve pulled him off the market, it still seems likely they’ll trade him during the season rather than risk losing him for nothing.
It’s also now apparent that the Hawks have made a run at Howard. Our Michael Cunningham reports that Horford (not Johnson) was the most likely centerpiece of a multi-player trade offer, with the Hawks keeping Smith in hopes that Howard would want to play with his childhood friend. The obvious question is whether Howard would be willing to sign a contract extension with the Hawks. To this point, he has said the only teams he would sign with are Dallas, the Los Angeles Lakers and New Jersey.)
If the report of a trade offer is true, it would be a bold move by the Hawks. Trading for Howard without assurances of a contract extension would be a huge risk. But going after one of the league’s top players – and the most dominant center – would have support among the fan base.
And if the Hawks remains as currently constructed, maybe they’ll be OK after all.
By Jeff Schultz
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117 comments Add your comment
CONservative Johnson
December 28th, 2011
10:26 pm
Great start to the season . . .
26belly
December 28th, 2011
10:28 pm
First!
KC in Smyrna
December 28th, 2011
10:29 pm
The Hawks bench seems better this year. There are more players instead of only Jamal “Green-light” Crawford. Radmonivich might become a big piece off the bench. I also like having Pargo as a backup PG. Solid job of filling the roster. This is subject to change. 2 games is a small sample size.
Hawks Fan
December 28th, 2011
10:33 pm
Love the bench. Vlad Rad is terrific and a better all around sub than Jamal. Marvin looks revitalized and Josh is playing great. If Horford will get his butt in the paint and Teague drives more, this team will be terrific.
Hawks Fan
December 28th, 2011
10:34 pm
All those Sund haters should take a look at the bench he has assembled.
Jesse
December 28th, 2011
10:35 pm
They look good. They have a much deeper bench and they all seem to be playing together. Joe really doesn’t have to do much…. yet. We’ll see how they look when they play a better team, but at least they are handling the teams they should. And Marvin….. he should have gotten this back surgery years ago. He isn’t waddling like a duck anymore, and actually playing some decent ball.
WeBurn
December 28th, 2011
10:35 pm
Superman…come home. Metropolis needs you.
A$G, bring Superman home.
vuduchld
December 28th, 2011
10:37 pm
Ok, so this team is 2-0 by feasting on NBA cellar dwellers….YAWN YAWN
cdog
December 28th, 2011
10:39 pm
just a thought, josh smith, zaza pachulia and a draft pick for dwight howard.imagine horford and howard on the frontline for the hawks, wow!
Gwinnett Fred
December 28th, 2011
10:43 pm
Hey Jeff,
You might want to check the facts before making a stupid statement.
I would hardly call a crowd of 17,750 small, much less REMARKABLY SMALL. I won’t argue the fact the excitement level was thin, but if you’ll do your research, that was the largest weekday crowd to see the Wizards play here since Michael retired.
Yes, you are paid to write your opinions – however – when facts are involved, such as a posted attendance figure, and you flat out ignore them – you lose even more credibility and you don’t have a ton left to lose partner.
As for the game, for a 2nd straight night the best thing I saw was the team getting to the free throw line. Yes, it’s just 2 games, but in those games the Hawks are averaging 28 trips to the line (hitting 82.1% I might add) as compared to last years 21 attempts a game. That helps a team set it’s defense, and it’s shown so far.
Ajax
December 28th, 2011
10:47 pm
Like every other team in this city, the Hawks will look like world beaters against the leagues second tier, get everyone’s hopes up, then get destroyed by the elite. Same ‘ol shtuff.
Kapoonka
December 28th, 2011
10:52 pm
I watched both games…not bad, but not all telling either. The Wizards and the Nets are not the Heat and the Bulls. Let them play a real team before making any lofty declarations. The Hawks still lack a bonafide “star” that will fill the seats. Horford is now the “face” of the Hawks because Joe Johnson has the personality of a …a…wait he has no personality. Howard would be an interesting piece to acquire, but I don’t think he really wants to play here. He is entertaining….has a ton of personality, and I would actually pay to see him play on a regular basis.I would part with Josh before Horford though…Josh is just too inconsistent
ijonathan
December 28th, 2011
11:06 pm
Gwinnett Fred…Schultz is commenting on the age-old tactic of announcing “paid” or “paper” attendance, when in fact the actual “butts in seats” attendance is much, much smaller.
Gwinnett Fred
December 28th, 2011
11:11 pm
Well I was there and would agree there weren’t 17,500 in the place, but at least 13-14,000, which is still far from REMARKETEDLY SMALL for a weeknight game against a crap opponent.
jimbo
December 28th, 2011
11:14 pm
http://www.elpasotimes.com/sports/ci_19568642?source=pkg
Atlanta Spirit Sucks
December 28th, 2011
11:15 pm
The DASG are known for posting “inflated” attendance numbers. The numbers the DASG use for attendence purposes don’t usually equate to the number of individuals that are actually present in the arena. The DASG “counts” seats “given away” to charities as attendence when most of those seats aren’t filled.
John
December 28th, 2011
11:16 pm
Hawks Fan, are you crazy? Jamal was an awesome scorer, a great floor leader, and could shake more than half the league with his crossover. Vlad isn’t bad, but no way he’s better than Jamal.
Reid Adair
December 28th, 2011
11:17 pm
Acquiring Dwight Howard without the certainty of him signing an extension would be a disaster. Of course, that means ASG will probably do it.
Hawk Fan Near Vinnings
December 28th, 2011
11:17 pm
@ Hawks Fan – 10:33 PM Post:
“Love the bench. Vlad Rad is terrific and a better all around sub than Jamal. Marvin looks revitalized and Josh is playing great. If Horford will get his butt in the paint and Teague drives more, this team will be terrific.”
Couldn’t agree more with all your statements above. Maybe if indeed Al would get more in the paint and draw some defenders with him, Teague would get more room to drive to the basket. Al Horford is listed as a C but doesn’t show his nose near the post, most of the time.
The only doubt I have about the bench is Pargo, though. Way too many TO’s, and his shooting% is not great neither.
Let's Be Honest
December 28th, 2011
11:18 pm
Get Dwight and we’ll worry about the rest later.
GOI HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Columbus
December 28th, 2011
11:21 pm
If the Hawks trade ANY starter for ANY player in the league for ONLY one season with NO guarantee of resigning him, that would take the cake! I mean they already do and have but……
The only positive thing of making a move like that would be that when Howard did NOT re-sign with ATL(and he wouldnt) and we were left with HUGE holes in MORE than ONE! position, there would be some money freed up to sign a nice free agent MAYBE. But ATL would be right back where they started, with holes to fill.
SOOOO. You do NOT trade away a starter for many years to come for a one year starter that NEVER led his team to anything that WILL WALK when the season is over UNLESS you are quite sure you WILL make the conference or NBA finals. You got Chicago and Miami in the way…..IF Howard WILL agree to re-sign WITH the HAWKS….DO IT! If he wont, dont!
I
Occupy Phillips
December 28th, 2011
11:22 pm
Occupy Phillips and chant come home howard come home howard…
hawks4life
December 28th, 2011
11:22 pm
very encouraging game, the crowd was never really that loud which was disappointing,but if the hawks keep winning, the fans will come!
J.J.M.
December 28th, 2011
11:23 pm
lol come on now its the nets and wizards mr shultz
Brandon
December 28th, 2011
11:24 pm
Anybody that tries to argue that the Hawks are, and have been the best Pro team in Atlanta is an idiot. GO HAWKS!!!!
doc
December 28th, 2011
11:26 pm
i imagine there are about the same 4 thousand in the stadium club drinking it up with their exclusive buddies that fill the soft seats. overall a pretty good crowd for the phillips. seriously if gearon could get his buddies that sit behind him to show up it might look very presentable.
AthensHawk
December 28th, 2011
11:37 pm
Watched both games. The Nets came back on the Wizzards–. Even the Washington Post doesn’t have much good to say about the Wizzards. Nice the Hawks beat both of them, but these teams are struggling, so it isn’t a decent measure of how good the Hawks might be. But there is hope!!!! I would love a return to the glory days of Wilkins!!
keepinitreal
December 28th, 2011
11:38 pm
I’m not going to make any bold proclamations (remember, the Hawks started 6-0 last year and played .500 ball the rest of the season), but this team looks dangerous because they finally have a legitimate point guard who can break down a defense and pressure the ball. Maybe the surprising run in the playoffs last year was a sign of things to come.
With Boston in decline and the Magic in disarray, there’s no reason the Hawks can’t get the 3rd seed in the East this year.
Dr. Warren
December 28th, 2011
11:42 pm
The season is very young, and if we have learned ANYTHING about this team, it’s that they will work very hard and win sets of games at a time, and then laze around and lose in equal amounts, with no rhyme or reason. Trading Horford for 3 months of Dwight Howard would be a uniquely Atlanta thing to do. Ask yourself this: how many ambitious, super-competitive, ultra-employable, attention-seeking single 25-year-olds would choose to return to their hometown over LA or NY, much less to a work for a “company” that has lackluster visibility, a small customer base, and problematic ownership? I love Atlanta, but I don’t think this guy wants to be here.
Spirit is a Joke
December 28th, 2011
11:46 pm
ASG are a complete joke. F the Hawks until they’re sold from these bafoons! I hope they lose every singe game.
Screw Basketball
December 28th, 2011
11:56 pm
Who cares about Basketball and their half season, they’re just starting and the season is half way over…lame…it’s Bowl time! Go Dawgs!
Walt Bellamy would come in handy
December 28th, 2011
11:59 pm
2-0 beats 0-2. Where did Radmonivich (sp) come from? And finally, isn’t there a way we could keep Al and get Dwight? DH at 5 and Al at 4? Be a tough lineup with Teague dishing and Smoove, or even Marvin at 3. Do the Magic need Joe, or Marvin or Hinrich, or maybe we could throw in ASG and a bag of popcorn.
Big Crimson 75
December 29th, 2011
12:10 am
Face it ATL, this is only pro team in the city thats gonna win any playoff games/series. The Braves choked again & will again. The Falcons got no backbone either.
These Hawks look good.
This team is good enough to win the East. They can beat Chicago and maybe…..maybe beat the Heat!! They didnt exactly look like the best team ever tonight against one of those “below” average teams!!!
Go Hawks………….. Lead em Joe – be the Man! you damn sure get paid like one.
Devil's Advocate
December 29th, 2011
12:14 am
Trading for Dwight would makeup for trading away Nique IMO!
Owners...needed.
December 29th, 2011
12:16 am
I imagine ASG would offer Joe, Josh, Marvin, Al and Jeff for Dwight…and then wonder what went wrong.
the truth
December 29th, 2011
12:45 am
They should trade Marvin, Horford, and Joe (assuming he doesn’t take a pay cut) , with a future 1st round pick. Starting 5 would like Teague, Johnson, McGrady, Smith, Howard. That line up could beat any team in the league agree?
ToeKnee
December 29th, 2011
1:30 am
I don’t want Dwight Howard. He doesn’t want to come here. I like our guys. Keep the team together this year!!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
December 29th, 2011
3:12 am
17,750 was not that generous. The crowd arrived late as usual but most of the seats were filled. It was quieter than it should have been, I’ll give you that, but the size of the crowd was not bad at all for a weeknight.
More important is the news that the Hawks-Nets season opener drew higher TV ratings than any Hawks game last year. That sounds a little hard to believe, but if it is true, it is a really positive sign for this team.
hawk1985
December 29th, 2011
3:58 am
I wish we could of gotten rid of Marvin and kept Crawford….damn!!!!!
59bulldawg
December 29th, 2011
4:40 am
I wouldn’t trade Horford unless we get Howard with a new long-term contract. Otherwise I much rather keep Horford and continue building around him.
Mookie10
December 29th, 2011
4:49 am
What’s up with all this trade talk? I like how the Hawks are playing right now. Marvin is playing great. Jeff is playing with more confidence. JJ, Al, T-Mac, Rad, Zaza are all playing great together. Let’s see how this team plays out first. Acquiring Dwight doesn’t solve a thing if the Hawks have to give up too much in a trade to get him. I happen to like this team the way it is. Go Hawks.
Stinger2
December 29th, 2011
4:57 am
Jeff: Don`t get too excited yet. Two wins against low tier teams is not a great barometer.
59bulldawg: Agree with you. Don`t give up a cornerstone of this team for a player that may not be here for more than one plus years.
Rationale
December 29th, 2011
5:15 am
Folks, get real. DH is not coming here. Why? Payroll. The Hawks cannot dump enough payroll to be able to afford him. Plus, if they trade Horford, even with DH, the quality of the team diminishes, because if the list players. His self-professed nickname may be Superman, but he’s not.
beejayrufino
December 29th, 2011
5:23 am
we don’t need Dwight period, Horford is better, Howard most of the times becomes frustrated, Al is not, when the hawks is trailing he encourages his team to get back into the game
gunga din
December 29th, 2011
5:31 am
still the same bunch of tattooed, overpaid thug millionaires. NBA fans are the most stupid of all sports. after the lockout/strike by a bunch of whiners, they should boycott the games. these guys are paid way to much by idiot owners who should know better!!!
Notso Fast
December 29th, 2011
5:41 am
2 games don’t make a season but I have to confess that I like our second team. They actually can play and give the 1st team rest. On some nights I expect they may even play better. The only problem that I still have is that it is not a long term fix. PLayers that are on a down hill side usually fade as playing time and the season goes on. So far so good. Go Hawks
dwight
December 29th, 2011
6:45 am
why would dwight come to loserville atlanta when he can go to NY or LA??? Get real.
Paddy
December 29th, 2011
6:47 am
Howard has already said what teams he would accept a trade to. That appears to be the end of the story since the Hawks were not listed. No big stars are coming to ATL as long as the ASG is in control.
IAW
December 29th, 2011
7:07 am
Its obvious that Jeff Schultz is trying to play down any interest in this team. Not mentioning the increase in local tv ratings for early season games after a lockout shows the agenda. Not a hawks fan but I see the hawks are a very good not elite team. But that no different than the team down at the dome.
slydog
December 29th, 2011
7:22 am
What do you do when you have a mediocre starting lineup and team overall? You improve the bench. Good job Sund. Now, as the season rolls along, this mediocre team will start losing the games against better competition and beat bad teams. HHHMM??? Sounds like every single team in Georgia right now. And let’s not forget an early playoff exit. REAL TALK
JSS
December 29th, 2011
7:26 am
Well finally a half way intelligent blog regarding the Hawks without the usual undercurrent of silliness. Well that is with the aside of Dwight Howard, that is static. The work of the 2nd unit has been a breath of fresh air. The “Foreign Facials” (Zaza and Vlad Radmanovic) have brought boards and the latter steady shooting. What can I say about McGrady, he has played largely within himself.
Now, I’m going to compliment the three scapegoats: Smith, Williams, and Johnson. If they can maintain and improve on what they’ve been doing, this team can make hay. Marvin has been stellar. The opening tone of the last two games have been set by him. Josh has jacked up his normal “why” jumpers, but he has done some of his best passing in his career in the first two games. He has also crashed the boards and has largely kept his head in the game, outstanding! Joe Johnson has played some “D!” Where has “Iso Joe” gone and where can we bury it? I won’t put the caveat only playing two lower teams on these guys yet, they will get some of the bigger names teams soon enough. Still, they’ve shown some idea of addressing their former failings; that is a start!
Tremaine
December 29th, 2011
7:46 am
Devil’s Advocate
December 29th, 2011
12:14 am
Trading for Dwight would makeup for trading away Nique IMO!
Cosign
Lol, I still haven’t gotten over that either.
DHD
December 29th, 2011
7:53 am
The Hawks need a superstar. The question is….what would Orlando take and can we sign him to a new contract. Seems it would take Horford and Johnson to make that happen. Is it worth it?
Hawks Fan
December 29th, 2011
7:57 am
Jamal was a great scorer, but he never played within the flow of the offense (all one on one moves), he couldn’t pass, couldn’t play D and couldn’t rebound. If his shot wasn’t falling (think Bulls series), he was a non-factor. So far, Vlad Rad has done all of those things and he hustles all over the court. Granted, it’s only 2 games, but he has been a great addition and enough to make me forget about Jamal.
Nativebird
December 29th, 2011
8:14 am
Be careful Hawks fans, I hear Winnipeg is looking for an NBA franchise. Canadians…can’t live with em…cant get it over with and just invade and take em over.
J
December 29th, 2011
8:19 am
LMAO – once again, some idiots come here and say screw ASG and then post Go Dawgs … you guys are morons and i hope you know that.
BravesFan79
December 29th, 2011
8:21 am
This Hawks team IS in the Elite! Who else is “elite” currently besides Miami anyways? The Hawks can beat anyone on a given night. If Howard was grabbing rebounds instead of Horford, wed be talking about a NBA Finals team. This is a Eastern Confrence finals caliber quality team currently.
chris
December 29th, 2011
8:52 am
If they Hawks part ways with Horford (the future of the Hawks in my opinoin) they better have assurances that Howard will sign. If they give up Horford and then lose Howard too this franchise will not recover
Peter
December 29th, 2011
8:54 am
Actually the bench looks better without Crawford. They looked wonderful against weak opponents, BUT still no Big, and that is what will hurt them come crunch time in the playoffs, and against the better teams in the league.
Also at times they are still standing around on Offense, and bombing from the outside, and not doing much driving to the hole.
They do look to be improved so far, but really they have to play a good opponent, before one can really tell.
Ben
December 29th, 2011
9:13 am
This means nothing. Remember the Hawks started 6-0 last year and then lost 7 of their next 9.
A team built for the playoffs, not a Championship.
CThom
December 29th, 2011
9:17 am
I say get Howard and trade Marvin Williams and Josh Smith in a package deal. This would allow Horford to play his natural position and they would play before a packed house every night.
tony
December 29th, 2011
9:37 am
We live in a era where today’s players don’t devote themselves to 1 employer. It would be in the hawks best interest to wait for Howard to become a free agent rather than trading for him. If he is serious about committing to his home team he would wait after this season to sign with the hawks. Cleveland fans knows better than anyone that just because a player was born in his home state doesn’t mean he will stay committed to their team.
B-Ballaholic
December 29th, 2011
9:50 am
T-Mac is back ! Marvin is playing good ? Wow ! Teague running the point like CP3 ! Go Hawks !
GeorgiaYankeesFan
December 29th, 2011
9:51 am
Went to season opener last night. Product on court was awesome. Off the court was an issue. New ownership is needed immediately, it is obvious Atlanta Spirit is going to nickel and dome fans to death. First trip to bathroom, raw sewage was backing out of drain leaving customers to hop over a stream of yellow. In seats, we noticed a weird assortment of college and 2 NBA scores being flashed on screen. No updates on any of plethora of other good games going on – thanks for updating us on the UK – Samson game. We the were looking for player point totals fouls, team fouls. Then at halftime something I’d never seen at an NBA game which was NOTHING – no halftime show. Nothing going on on the court. Really weird. New ownership can’t arrive soon enough, like I said great on court product. Hopefully the fans get some more bells and whistles next game.
B-Ballaholic
December 29th, 2011
9:53 am
Vlad was on fire too ! Great TEAM win !
Hawks Rule`
December 29th, 2011
10:00 am
These hawks are for real! Look for a deep playoff run and an upset for the NBA East title!!!!!
Get Dwight!
December 29th, 2011
10:02 am
Get Dwight–no matter what the cost! Give up Horford and any other player the magic want. Dwight’s a superstar and will take ATL to the top of the league!
KZ
December 29th, 2011
10:17 am
“Went to season opener last night. Product on court was awesome. Off the court was an issue. New ownership is needed immediately, it is obvious Atlanta Spirit is going to nickel and dome fans to death. First trip to bathroom, raw sewage was backing out of drain leaving customers to hop over a stream of yellow. In seats, we noticed a weird assortment of college and 2 NBA scores being flashed on screen. No updates on any of plethora of other good games going on – thanks for updating us on the UK – Samson game. We the were looking for player point totals fouls, team fouls. Then at halftime something I’d never seen at an NBA game which was NOTHING – no halftime show. Nothing going on on the court. Really weird. New ownership can’t arrive soon enough, like I said great on court product. Hopefully the fans get some more bells and whistles next game”
Co-sign.
What happened to the player stats board?
KZ
December 29th, 2011
10:18 am
I had no idea who some of the Wizards’ bench players were at some points. ASG really downgraded the arena.
nomoney
December 29th, 2011
10:20 am
the hawks owners are losing money and are going cheap–cutting a bunch of costs and will be nickel and diming fans all season. Pay up chumps! the millionaires need your money!
jarvis
December 29th, 2011
10:23 am
Rasheed Wallace’s career average as a Hawk: 20 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2 assists, 1 steal
That was an awesome career.
alex
December 29th, 2011
10:25 am
i think Al, Marvin and two first round picks is fair price for Howard it’s make Orlando decent, it’s make Atlanta contender for at least four years,it’s make attendance bigger on each game and owners to prosper. sorry ours owners don’t have guts and brain to do that. enjoy 9 thousand empty seats pinhead spirit group.
jarvis
December 29th, 2011
10:25 am
Sign and trades are against the rules now? Right?
Lowcountry Bulldawg
December 29th, 2011
10:28 am
Dang some Hawks Kool Aid is being drank here to day. Beat the Nets and the Bullets- I mean Wizards and they are now world beaters. Craziness I tell ya!
Wink
December 29th, 2011
10:36 am
Team looks good so far. If Dwight is available, I would do the deal. We had a very decent start last year as well. The shared the basketball early and reverted to old habits later in season. Early results this year good, based on solid bench players. The second quarter of the first game the subs looked like the regulars. It looked like basketball, when I am just watching a random game with no emotional tie…looked good & defense was terrific!
One early observation, Pargo & Green can’t shoot, missing a lot of wide open looks. Pargo looks shaky as a point guard; his handle is weak & he can’t make a forward lead pass, they get picked off, quite often, but he does defend. Green can’t defense, is foul prone; he torched by Nick Young…we need to keep an eye out for back up guard. Don’t know if Sloan is hurt or inactive, but they should give him a shot; of course AI is still out there!
Good Start Hawks!
Mark
December 29th, 2011
10:40 am
Vlad is all around a better player than Jamal. JC played no defense and was mostly a shooter.He hit some big shots but so can Vlad. Look at the stats in a month and this will be very evident.
Maurice
December 29th, 2011
10:43 am
@dwight I understand LA but you actually said NY?! That’s funny.
Joe Tess Fish House
December 29th, 2011
10:50 am
Its just 2 games. Wait until the end of the seson win they are in last palce! Typical Hawks.
KevinM
December 29th, 2011
10:54 am
We can’t give away Marvin….no one is asking for the 30th ranked SF in the league at 8M/year for the next 3 years. He won’t be part of any package unless we take on someone’s trash.
And if you think Joe and D12 will be on the same roster? Consider that rivals the Knicks top 2 and the Lakers top 2 in salary. Do you really think the owners who no longer want to be called the ASG will get into luxury tax levels? Gearon just said he was hopeful he would benefit from revenue sharing.
If Joe isn’t in the deal, its not happening and I’m not convinced Otis Smith sees Joe as a guy to build around with a $100M left on his contract.
Mike
December 29th, 2011
10:59 am
Hmm, I am very torn about this. One part of me saying that we should keep Horford and let D12 does his own thing and other part is saying that we should try to trade for him.
In the basketball standpoint, it will make us alot more dangerous, because Hawks will have a True Center (no offense Al) that works on the low post, get blocks and rebounds. The last time we had that was Deke, that was a lifetime ago, plus he will be perfect in Drew offense since he is also a great passer as well.
In the terms of City and fans, we didnt have a true superstar since the days of Dominique Wilkins(that trade still hurts my heart today) and it can bring more ppl to Phillips and also make us more attractive to would-be owners that wants to buy a NBA team and keep it in Atlanta.
I know that price is steep and that if he doesnt re-up, then it will be back to pre-2000 time when the Hawks sucks. So it is hard decision, but right now, I think he doesnt want to re-up than dont bring him but he decided to re-up and wants to stays, then do the trade and start build around him.
bfred
December 29th, 2011
11:03 am
I know the ASG has shown its @ss plenty of times in the past but there is simply NO WAY they make a move for Howard without a guaranteed sign-and-trade. C’mon Jeff, you know full well that’s the case – why imply Sund would ever make such a moronic move?
As for crowd enthusiasm, Philips got plenty loud last year and will again. A comfortable win over a dull opponent does not crowd noise make.
D12!
December 29th, 2011
11:19 am
give up al and marvin asap to get dwight—he’s the future of the franchise. Get it done, now!
BFalcon
December 29th, 2011
11:28 am
Trade Horford,M.Williams, ZaZa and No1 pick 2012 for Howard, Turkelo & D.Orton.
Jeff Schultz
December 29th, 2011
11:45 am
Gwinnett Fred: (on crowd) It was a great crowd for “weeknight” game “against Wizards.” Not for a home opener during holiday week. Big difference in my book.
Jeff Schultz
December 29th, 2011
11:46 am
iJonathan — Yep, thanks.
Jeff Schultz
December 29th, 2011
11:47 am
Gwinnett Fred (part II) — we agree on the 13,000 to 14,000.
Jeff Schultz
December 29th, 2011
11:48 am
JJM — I’m well aware it’s only 2 games and it’s only Nets and Wizards. So noted in column. But still 2 impressive wins.
Jeff Schultz
December 29th, 2011
11:50 am
Stinger2 — No doubt, trading for Howard would be a huge risk if he didn’t sign a contract extension.
Jeff Schultz
December 29th, 2011
11:51 am
IAW — “Its obvious that Jeff Schultz is trying to play down any interest in this team.”
…. Really? So that’s why I wrote about them?
DePort
December 29th, 2011
11:52 am
I still dont see why everyone freaked out when we lost Crawford … he was a ball hog and never played within the Offense… Our 2nd team Offense is 10000 times better now that they play within the offense and now the transition between the 1st team and the 2nd team is flowing… Unlike 99% of you on here.. I actually believe the Hawks will be better this year and then maybe some of you bandwagons will join back up and like the Hawks again!
Jeff Schultz
December 29th, 2011
11:52 am
JSS — Did you almost pay me a compliment? Naaaawwww.
Jeff Schultz
December 29th, 2011
11:54 am
DePort — “Ballhog” might be overstating it with Jamal. Fact is, he scored and Hawks don’t win nearly as many games last couple of years without him. Big question this year was how they could replace his scoring. But yes, he is a one-dimensional player.
DePort
December 29th, 2011
11:59 am
I agree he did win some big games for us… I was at the Phoenix game when he hit the near half court shot to win it… but SOOO FARRR I do like our bench better this year than I have seen in a long time… and I would rather have a bench full of solid players than a weak bench with the 6th man of the year…
cybo
December 29th, 2011
12:20 pm
You are crazy if you think Jamal Crawford was a floor leader.
One dimensional
No defense.
Can only function with the ball in his hands.
Streak shooter.
Kills teams defense.
WHY DO YOU ALWAYS THINK TEAMS ALWAYS TRADE HIM?
BETTER BENCH SUPPORT NOW
ATLien
December 29th, 2011
12:32 pm
I loved this team and how they quietly and cheaply assembled a deep and veteran bench. T-Mac was a great pickup. He’s about at the same point Grant Hill was in recovery from microfracture when Hill started resembling his pre injury self. It may be a T-Mac that’s only 90 percent of what he once was physically, but he can make up that 10 percent with vet savvy. By the end of the year this won’t be seen as Joe’s team, or Josh or Al. This will be Jeff Teague’s team. He is the answer to what this team has needed for years.
To me, this team feels alot like the Dallas Mavericks of last year. No one player as great as Dirk, but a deep and versatile team that’s young enough it can still win big, but enough experience and veteran presence to get over the bumps in the road.
JSS
December 29th, 2011
12:38 pm
@Jeff Schultz…
Almost, see I can be “nearly positive!”
Do Not Trade Al Horford
December 29th, 2011
12:58 pm
I’ll disown Hawks forever if you trade Al Horford. You’d better not do it!
Slimjr
December 29th, 2011
1:25 pm
All NBA AL not talented enough to take us to the Championship! D12 Can..
Trade AL and some filler for D12 asap. Make it so.. AYE CAPTAIN!!!!!
Slimjr
December 29th, 2011
1:28 pm
Trade overrated All NBA “set shot” yesterday for D12!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Make it so!
Win now baby!
welikebaseball2
December 29th, 2011
1:31 pm
Not to rain on the 2-0 start w/ blowouts but…I see a pattern that didn’t bode well for the Hawks last season. The offense is still heavily reliant upon making mid to long-range jumpers. And, unfortunately, Josh has shot more than his share of those already. I flat out don’t like Drew’s offensive scheme…especially considering our personnel. When (not if) the outside shooting cools off, we’ll see. I will say this, the defense is looking better than last season.
All I'm Saying Is...
December 29th, 2011
1:35 pm
In sports, you have to beat the crappy teams to be relevant so 2 wins matters even if it is the first two with 64 more to go and over the awful Nets and Wiz. (By the way, I like the Wizards keeping their name while re-adopting the uniform colors of the old Washington Bullets.)
The bench does appear deeper and more balanced than when it was Jamal and the rest of y’all.
I think that is a good crowd considering the disinterest in the NBA engendered by the lock-out, the low quality of the opponent, and the fact that folks long ago made other plans for their holiday break given the uncertainty of the season.
This year, Miami is going to put it all together and go neck and neck with Chicago for the #1 seed in the East. Hawks can get to #3 since Boston will continue to struggle due to an aging line-up coupled with too many back to back games. Orlando will have trouble all year as long as Dwight wants out especially since they have gone backward since losing Gortat and trading for Vince Carter two years ago.
I LOVE THE IDEA THAT HAWKS ARE IN THE MIX FOR DWIGHT! Hate to think that Al would be part of the deal. Personally, I think Dwight would be better off playing with Horford and not Smith if he wants to win a ring.
LET’S GO HAWKS!
All I'm Saying Is...
December 29th, 2011
1:38 pm
By the way, I know Vince is no longer with the Magic, Pacers are also 2 and 0 so don’t get too excited, and forgot to mention that Knicks will likely surprise this year and challenge for a 4 or 5 seed as they are much more competitive.
LET’S GO HAWKS!
Hit A Single
December 29th, 2011
1:51 pm
Dang just our luck. We are going to go 66 and 0 and had a chance to go 82 and 0 and set a record. Dang I told you not to strike!
Hit A Single
December 29th, 2011
1:54 pm
I would have made this team if I had gotten my new Air Jordans earlier.
T-Mac for Comback POY
December 29th, 2011
3:03 pm
I think Dwight Howard makes us better. If we can get him for Josh/Joe and a first rounder or Al/Joe and a couple of first rounders, you do it. Take your chances on getting him to commit longterm. You have gotten rid of Joe’s terrible contract and finally have that legit center that every team covets. Without him, we are still legit! Teague is everything Bibby wasn’t, Marvin looks like the player we hoped to have drafted and our bench is deeper without Jamal. I like T-Mac’s leadership and passing. I like the way we matchup with Miami and Chicago. Get Howard if you can but the season is not over if it doesn’t happen.
BravesFan79
December 29th, 2011
3:33 pm
To all those saying “looserville Atlanta”, and then mentioning New York and LA.. .when was the last time the Knicks were any good? Not since Oakley, Starks and Ewing! Carmello and Amare were closer to a title in Denver/Pheonix than they are in NY, and we all know the Nets suck. And as for the Lakers, once Kobe starts to loose it, you will see them go on a 10 year drought at least until they get back to the finals.
AtL is in great shape, as a long time fan i cant remember to many years where the Braves, Falcons, and Hawks were all near the top of their Confrence at the same time. Its a great time to be a Atlanta fan! Now GT basketball just needs to get back to their high level.
BravesFan79
December 29th, 2011
3:40 pm
How about those “looserville” Yankees, cant even win the world series anymore despite a 200 million payroll! And we all know the Dodgers havent been a top team since Orel Hershisher, which was 1988. The newer Lakers have lost their edge, and the Knicks/Nets/Clippers never had one.
So… to all you people who are probably college football fans from Alabama and know little about real sports that arent “voted on”, if Atlanta is “looserville”, then what are NY/ LA? Show me proof, because you all sound like you dont have a clue about pro sports.
Hawks2012
December 29th, 2011
3:45 pm
The reason the crowd was so small was that about maybe 300ish seats got taken out in renovations for the new restaurant, RED and also, idiot ASG kept the 400 sections closed, even though it looked like every other non-club seat was occupied. The 400 sections are about 700-800 seats by my guess. It’s almost like they don’t want to make more money. So take about 1000 seats out from a sellout of what used to be just under 19,000 and I would call this just to as close to a sell out as it can get, in the terms of how Philips was arranged last night. The crowd was late arriving (not me) and seemed a bit quiet, but it was a blow out for most the game. At the beginning it was lively then quieted down when we started to lead by 15-20. We can be loud (game 3 against the Magic) so don’t take any credit out of last night being a little sub-par attendance.
KZ
December 29th, 2011
4:01 pm
The 300s seemed pretty empty
Hawks2012
December 29th, 2011
4:07 pm
I somewhat agree, but I think that it was mostly filled at one point during the game (at least the baseline 300s, I could not see behind me to the sideline) but also before the game it seemed that on Ticketmaster that 95% of the seats in the 300s were at least sold, maybe not occupied.
CGD..
December 29th, 2011
4:51 pm
Dewight is built for the playoff’s..All NBA is built for the regular season..
ALL NBA Tito Jr avg. in 39 playoff games, 7pts, 4 rebounds…..Championship stats? LMFAO!
CGD..
December 29th, 2011
4:52 pm
Dwight^^^
NATIVE SON
December 29th, 2011
6:55 pm
I say give this team an opportunity to gel. Especially let’s see how the second unit can come together. I’d rather have a team with balanced scoring, and team defense, than for a so called super star demanding the ball in the paint. ( He will pout if he doesn’t and take his ball home) That leads to an offense that leaves the rest of the team standing around and watching, same as ISO Joe. If our defense holds, we can surely keep up with the so called elite and maybe steal a championship. Dwight Howard does not garuantee that, and maybe he sets the team back some. Fundamental teamwork, trumps super stardom.
Peace; from more Native than Dwight Howard will ever be
Hawk on Fire
December 29th, 2011
8:02 pm
These hawks are the real deal—mark this down—the Hawks will win the nba east with a huge upset over the heat! Al and Marvin—can’t be stopped!!!
JSS
December 29th, 2011
8:25 pm
I hate the NY Yankees but BravesFan79 come on now… They won the WS with their massive payroll… As for the rest of the your prognostications, Jerry Buss can go all Ted Williams and still find a way to get a UFA superstar or luck into a high draft pick from some team that needs Gasol, Bynum, or cap space to stay out of the luxury tax… Just saying… And the Knicks made a FInals after the aforementioned trio were an afterthought!
NY Rules
December 29th, 2011
9:44 pm
With melo and amare, the Knicks will win the east — bet the house!
aries
January 2nd, 2012
9:32 am
it is hard to say if hawks are better, they haven’t played any good teams yet. they beat new jersey nets and washington wizards. that was no test. then they got beat down by houston. so, i think they made a huge mistake getting rid of Jamal Crawford and even Mike Bibby. cause non of the players are exciting to watch. Josh is exciting when he dunks, but he is always shooting 3 pointers and trying to bring the ball up, like a guard. so i am not excited bout the new year.