Don’t look for D-Wade to d-rail the Hawks in Round 1
The Hawks will face the world’s third-best player in Round 1, and it was only three seasons ago that Dwyane Wade willed the Miami Heat to a championship. Do the Hawks worry he might pull a Dallas-in-the-finals on them?
Said Al Horford: “Yeah, I do.”
Said Mike Woodson: “Sure you worry about that. The great ones find a way. That’s something we think about quite often.”
Said Josh Smith: “He’s one of the game’s greats, but I don’t worry about that. I don’t think that way.”
As majestic as Wade can be, the Hawks have one of the world’s best dozen players themselves, and Joe Johnson tends to rise to most moments. In the first three games against Miami this season, Johnson scored only 16 fewer points than the league’s leading scorer, and he did it while taking eight fewer shots. And Johnson’s team won two of the three.
“It’s a challenge,” Johnson said, speaking of playing against the exalted likes of Wade and Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. “We play pretty much the same position. I have to guard those guys, and they have to guard me.”
The Heat was in town Tuesday for a playoff preview that wasn’t a preview. (When Wade doesn’t play and Speedy Claxton does, you know it’s garbage time.) This game meant nothing. The games that begin this weekend will tell us if the Hawks are as good as they’ve seemed these past six months.
“I know what we’re capable of,” Johnson said. “We can’t come out hoping we’re going to win. We have to come out knowing we’re good.”
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.Although Woodson still describes his as “a young team,” Miami is the club that figures to show its tender years in the postseason. Two key Heaters – guard Mario Chalmers and sixth man Michael Beasley – are rookies, albeit good ones. All contributing Hawks, by way of contrast, have experienced the playoffs before, and six of the top eight were part of the thrill-ride against Boston last spring.
“That [series] taught us how to play playoff basketball,” Woodson said, and we’re about to see if that’s true. The Hawks seized on that Celtics experience to move from the No. 8 seed a year ago to No. 4 this time, and that’s a major consideration. They’ll have four games of the best-of-seven at Philips Arena, and we all know the Hawks – pause for effect – have never lost a postseason game on this hallowed hardwood.
And the wondrous Wade? Well, the Hawks have precisely the defenders to bother him – big, quick wingers to run at him with shot-blockers looming underneath. (Wade averaged 30.2 points this season, but only 25.7 in those three games against Atlanta.) As John Crotty, the Heat’s radio analyst, noted Tuesday: “Dwyane had 55 against the Knicks last week and [it was almost like] he didn’t take a jump shot. He just got to the rim. It’s harder to do that against the Hawks.”
Wade will have his moments, but not enough. These Hawks have been too adroit for too long to trip over Round 1. Said Smith: “The way it ended last year left a sour taste in our mouths. We want to write an even better story this year.”
The belief here is that they will. Hawks in six.
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68 comments Add your comment
AusDaBoss23
April 16th, 2009
10:54 am
are you serious? the heat will beat the hawks in 6. The heat have a far deeper team, come on..cook, moon, beasley, maglore, james jones, get serious. didn’t even mention their starters. Now that beasley finnally got his confidence this week averaging around 25 and 11 the heat are going to make a serious run, starting by running over the hawks.
Reality
April 16th, 2009
11:03 am
Mark Bradley (Atlanta Hawks Super Homer), keep downplaying one of greatest playoff performers EVER. Wade CAN win a series, and you know it. He’s done it several times already….and against MUCH better teams. He’s proven. He’s already one of the greatest players of all-time, the hawks are just a stepping stone in his legacy. This situation is very similar to Lebron vs. the Wizards these past few years. Sure, the wizards had the deeper, better rounded team, but this is a superstar’s game and league.
Josh Howard claimed before the 2006 Finals, that great players like Wade and himself cancel each other out. Hahahahahahahahaha. WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED NEXT. Joe Johnson claiming somethig similar now, we shall see.
And keep thinking the Heat are just a 1 man team. Just watch.
Udonis Haslem (a grizzly veteran, who’s clutch in the playoffs) will have a very big impact on this series. You all fail to mention his name once, but this man is a warrior.
Mario Chalmers is very underrated, and he is going to HOUND Bibby. Michael Beasley has become a monster recently….no reason that shouldn’t continue. Jermaine will get some very easy buckets against the centerless Hawks.
This certainly will be a tight series, but Heat in 6 or 7. No way Wade does not will the Heat over the Hawks in this series. He’s just too good. He’s the modern day Jordan.
Sorry Hawks fans, maybe 2nd round in the playoffs next year! That’s equivalent to a championship in Atlanta.
Patrick
April 16th, 2009
11:38 am
“The heat have a far deeper team, come on..cook, moon, beasley, maglore, james jones, get serious. didn’t even mention their starters.”
Uhh…really? You know this isn’t a rec league tournament? Three of the players you mentioned should not be rotation players for a serious NBA team. That’s supposed to highlight how deep the Heat are? The Heat have four credible NBA players–Wade, Haslem, Beasley and Moon. Everyone else is either over the hill, over their head, or not very good to begin with.
AtlSouthside
April 16th, 2009
1:12 pm
Heat are very overrated. Wade is good, but he cannot walk on water….
Hey Heat Fans
April 16th, 2009
2:26 pm
I know you can talk trash. But can you eat crow if you’re wrong. We’ll see when the series is over. Something tells me you won’t be back to the blog if you get thrashed.
Al
April 16th, 2009
2:30 pm
A one man team, eh? Haslem is a veteran, the starting PF for an NBA Champion, and he came up big in game 6 of the Finals. Chalmers is a rookie, but he’s started 82 games now and he can hit the big shots (Kansas vs Memphis anyone?). Magliore is a force in the middle. Jermaine O’Neal plays soft but he’s shown flashes at times. Then of course there’s the x-factor Beasley. The last few games he’s been pretty unstoppable. Maybe it’s just a fluke. Or maybe he’ll drop 25 and 10 on Atlanta off the bench. We’ll see. And then if I’m wrong about the supporting cast, well, we’ve still got D-Wade. We’ve been on road trips playing back to backs the last two months. You guys are getting a fresh D-Wade on Sunday. Then two days off. Then another fresh D-Wade. What we lack from the bench, we’ll make up with Wade playing 40+ minutes per game with all that rest. Those of you predicting the Hawks in 4 or 5 games are in for a rude awakening. You’re getting a young and hungry team with a future hall of fame former NBA Finals MVP playing his best basketball ever. Hawks in 4? Really?
The Lowly Hawks
April 16th, 2009
3:04 pm
Wade >>>>>>> JJ (Joe Johnson is a homeless man’s Dwyane Wade)
Haslem > Horford (championship experience bitches)
J.O. >>> Zaza (please)
Beasley = Josh Smith or Marvin Williams (the wildcard x-factors)
Chalmers < Bibby (mini-me has got the pre-series edge on Super Mario, but I expect Chalmers to hound Bibby and abuse him off the dribble)
Benches are basically equal, as is the coaching.
Heat in 6.
Oh and quick question: What’s emptier? Philips Arena or the Atlanta Hawks Trophy Case?
Fatlanta
April 16th, 2009
3:25 pm
The Heat are going to F up Atlanta, just like the Marlins did.
HeatFan
April 16th, 2009
3:42 pm
In case you forgot in 2003/2004 Garnett won the MVP while carrying the T-Wolves, who had a supporting cast similiar to wade this year, to the conference finals. I think that qualifies him as a superstar before he played for the celtics.
Mark Bradley
April 16th, 2009
5:04 pm
I do think the schedule — two days off between Games 1 and 2, but only one day off between Games 3 and 4 — favors the Heat.
That said, do I think the Heat will win the series? Nah.
Hawksgirl
April 16th, 2009
5:06 pm
These heat fans are unbelievable. Just watch and learn okay. Pick your jaws up when this series passes by so quickly. The hawks will win so get ready. And the hawks do have a bench just like miami. So never underestimate that factor and jj a homeless man to wade. PUHLEEEESE! Are you serious? JJ is just as good as wade if not better. He scores the points when he needs to. He isnt on a one man team, he actually has scorers to pick up the slack not only at the rim but everywhere on the court. So you’ve been warned, Wade WILL NOT derail the hawks.
Hawksgirl is Clueless
April 16th, 2009
5:58 pm
Hawksgirl, JJ is just as good as Wade or better? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA….that’s all one can say to that kind of ridiculous statment. JJ is a homeless man’s Wade career-wise, stat-wise, achievement-wise, success-wise, everything basketball-wise. Most importantly, Wade’s a proven champion. JJ is a proven 2nd tier star. BIG DIFFERENCE.
Just stick to reading and not posting, your credibility has gone out the window. Even superhomer who lacks any substance, Mark Bradley, cringed when he saw that comment.
AusDaBoss23
April 16th, 2009
6:22 pm
the hawks are centerless..besides Al who do they have? prizbilla*? who cares how to spell his name, wont be seein his jersey to often this season, and besides the hawks starters who do they have flip murray..OMG!? uh marvin williams is just now getting back into the swing of things, so i seriously doubt he will be much help….the hawks can only go 3 deep into their bench, the heat can go 9 or 10. But we will defenitly see on sunday…GO HEAT..
So much for the almighty home court advantage | Hawks Blog
April 19th, 2009
11:28 am
[...] same conclusion my photo-taking colleague and Smyrna neighbor Mark Bradley came to days ago, when he made his own case for the Hawks to take this thing in [...]
dwadenuthugger
April 19th, 2009
5:00 pm
Wow, the Miami fans are gunning to be even more annoying than the Boston fans last year!
Sorry, but not even Miami can dethrone Boston as the home of the least classy fans.
But, damn if you’re not trying
stimpy
April 21st, 2009
5:02 pm
Derail? what are we talking about???http://www.nba.com/video/channels/playoffs/2009/04/19/nba_mia_atl_0040800131_recap.nba/index.html=hammertime!!
stimpy
April 21st, 2009
5:03 pm
April 21st, 2009
5:02 pm
Derail? what are we talking about???http://www.nba.com/video/channels/playoffs/2009/04/19/nba_mia_atl_0040800131_recap.nba/index.html=ham
Joesmoove
April 25th, 2009
10:04 pm
FIrst off all…you are wrong…the heat just beat the hawks 107-78….destroyed them…or better yet..DERAILED them….this goes 6…and DWade is not the third best player…you are foolish to believe that..he is the best overall player in the world….his ballhandling skills and playmaking skills are far better than kobe or lebron….and in case you have been in a box the last 3 years…he was hurt….now healthy…of the last 3 NBA Finals…we have seen DWade…lebron and kobe….look at the results and learn the game….