Bradley’s Buzz: The Hawks win a series, and people notice!
A change of pace: Glowing Hawk reviews
Back in October, John Hollinger of ESPN.com picked the Hawks to finish 31-51, 13th among the 15 teams in the NBA East. On Sunday he sat in Philips Arena and watched them beat the Miami Heat to advance to Round 2, and it’s safe to say he was duly impressed.
Focusing on Joe Johnson’s breakout game, Hollinger also wrote: “If Atlanta’s All-Star could match Miami’s All-Star [Dwyane Wade} shot for shot, as he finally did Sunday, there was no way Wade's supporting cast could lift him past Johnson's." (Oddly enough, a guy I know had been saying much the same thing. Not that I'm ever right. Though I was, kind of, this time.)
For the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Ira Winderman wrote essentially the same thing and played heavily off Wade's assertion that the Hawks have five guys who can make a play. And five tends to beat one.
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.On SI.com, Bill Trocchi called Zaza Pachulia’s dive-on-the-floor offensive rebound that yielded a Flip Murray trey the turning point of Game 7, and I wouldn’t argue that it was huge. (It was cited on the ol’ live blog.) But I’d go with Mike Woodson’s unbelievably prescient give-a-foul-and-insert-Mario-West tack at the end of the first quarter as the moment the game changed.
On CBSsports.com, Ken Berger made a comparison I must admit had escaped me (and, truth to tell, escapes me still): Josh Smith is a lot like Ron Artest. And the next time J-Smoove incites a riot, Berger will be able to say, “See what I meant?” Until then, I’d say Josh is more a young Dominique Wilkins — can’t shoot as well but defends better. (Sorry, ‘Nique.)
On NBA.com, esteemed former colleague Matt Winkeljohn lauded the Hawks’ big men — Zaza, Josh and Al Horford. But the smaller men — Johnson, Murray and Mike Bibby — weren’t bad, either.
For the New York Times, Howard Beck referred to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra being inspired by boxer Manny Pacquiao’s defeat of Ricky Hatton. Had Spoelstra been any more inspired, his team might actually have given the Hawks a game Sunday.
For USA Today, Ray Glier wrote in detail about Woodson, Johnson and the Hawks’ struggles as a franchise. Wait a second — you mean this team wasn’t always this good?
Vox populi
A poll on ESPN.com is less effusive about the Hawks’ chances against Cleveland that a similar survey on AJC.com. As of 9 a.m. Monday, 66 percent of nearly 6,000 ESPN respondents believed the Hawks would win one game at most. Only seven percent picked them to win the series. But it should be noted that roughly 65 percent of voters in another ESPN poll thought they’d lose Game 7 to Miami. So there.
Anybody want more NFL draft?
In these difficult economic times, a guy has to wring get every last cent out of the $39.95 he spent to become an ESPN.com Insider. And I’m trying. In his 2010 mock draft (registration required), Todd McShay has Sam Bradford of Oklahoma going No. 1 overall, which you’d expect, and Georgia defensive tackle Geno Atkins going No. 12, which you might not.
McShay does, however, damage his credibility by listing two Kentucky players — cornerback Trevard Lindley and linebacker Micah Johnson — as Round 1 picks. As a UK grad, I can reliably inform you that the school doesn’t even play football.
As for the Falcons: McShay has them drafting 29th, which would indicate he foresees a big season, and taking another defensive tackle. No, not Terrence Cody of Alabama — McShay has him going one pick later to Pittsburgh — but Mark Herzlich of Boston College.
Who’s Mark Herzlich? Well, faithful reader Reno 911 sent along two YouTube links: The first is a highlight reel, and it’s impressive. The second has something to do with nuns (actually men dressed as nuns) shoveling snow on the BC campus while Herzlich chats up a coed. It’s posted below, and I must confess I don’t get it. And I just became a Catholic.
Even more draft? You betcha
Jonathan Dwyer plays B-back for Georgia Tech. He’s a good player. Indeed, according to Russ Lande of Sporting News Today, he’ll be the third-best NFL prospect among juniors next season, behind only Bradford and safety Eric Berry of Tennessee.
Still more draft? Nope, recruiting!
If you care about this sort of thing — and a slew of you do, I know — you’ve got this memorized already. But for the less passionate, I’m about to channel Michael Carvell and pass along Rivals.com’s list of the top 100 recruits for 2010.
Five are from Georgia, and they are: Markeith Ambles, receiver, Henry County (No. 23 overall); Alec Ogletree, defensive back, Newnan (No. 31); Mack Brown, running back, Martin Luther King (No. 43); Garrison Smith, defensive end, Douglass (No. 74), and Da’Rick Rogers, athlete, Calhoun. All are listed as undecided.
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75 comments Add your comment
lkuhg
May 4th, 2009
3:24 pm
hawks to sweep and meet celics for rematch-its in the cards
Moms
May 4th, 2009
3:26 pm
Reggie Theus is a pretty man.
Tony C.
May 4th, 2009
3:33 pm
Mark-Congratulations on accepting “The True Faith”…seriously though it’s nice to see the numbers of Catechists growing…also congratulations on your prescience re: D-Wade does not a playoff team make.
Dominique Wilkens
May 4th, 2009
3:41 pm
Nice read on Kawakami and other Japanese baseball players-
http://minorsandmajors.com
Ted Striker
May 4th, 2009
3:50 pm
Mark — 1_ That is one odd video. Wonder what creations Hitchcock would have given us if he’d had a few martinis and YouTube. 2) Josh Smith has basketball potential like Andruw Jones had baseball potential. Freakish talent, it’s just a matter of what the guy decides to do with it. 3) I wouldn’t be surprised if Childress ends up back in Atlanta….
wxwax
May 4th, 2009
4:36 pm
The Hawks are officially one of the eight best teams in the NBA. That’s a tremendous achievement and the organization should be proud.
I don’t think a fan could realistically ask for more than one or *gasp* two wins against Cleveland. And in the off-season you have to think Sund will want to address the leadership issues facing the team. I wouldn’t rule out a major trade.
I think coach Woodson deserves a lot of credit for nursing (almost literally) this group of ill-fitting psyches this far. He has achieved the maximum that could reasonably be expected of his crew and we can now officially call this season a success.
With regard to Josh Childress, he was never the reliable outside threat that Flip Murray has become. The team needed that extra dimension on offense. If Childress wants back into the NBA his trade rights may have value but I don’t think the Hawks need his game anymore.
I laughed at the nuns video. The moment I smiled was the shot of them running down the alleyway. No, I can’t explain it. The absurdity is part of its charm! I did like the two sides it presented of the stud footballer: a threat to men but weak-kneeed before women. And I really like the idea that a top football player is willing to not only play in a video, but also poke fun at himself. Good stuff.
Cuz
May 4th, 2009
4:47 pm
Tony C, Mark converted to Islam? I thought he became a Catholic?
Cuz
May 4th, 2009
4:51 pm
Oh no the dreaded road game. Wait a minute, no South Beach and hot chicks like in Miami. Maybe the guys can keep their minds in the game.
Cuz
May 4th, 2009
4:54 pm
Like it was Coach Hugh’s fault Nique couldn’t shoot or dribble. Who cared? He could dunk from the free throw line. We would go watch, possibly lose the game and get some awesome dunks from the “Human Highlight Film”. Great times.
atlanta native
May 4th, 2009
4:54 pm
I hope the Hawks do well in the playoffs, so they can sell seats and quit calling me trying to sell them to me to “entertain my clients”.
SilverShadow
May 4th, 2009
4:56 pm
I really applaud Mark Bradley of the AJC because he was the only beatwriter who felt the Hawks would win their series. All the other guys kept saying the Hawks were an up and coming team and wait till next year and all of that. The Hawks are ON THE COME this year and have as good a chance as anyone left in the NBA playoff tournament to seize the Larry O’Brien trophy. I think the Hawks are going to get that trophy and Joe Johnson is going to hoist it up along with his teammates in late June. Thats right, you heard it from me. I believe the Hawks have the best TEAM in the league and I believe they will win the NBA championship in June. Anything less to me would be a wasted season. After the Hawks pull that off then elect Mike Woodsen for mayor to replace Shirley Franklin. Go Hawks!
cassius
May 4th, 2009
5:14 pm
This is the most important issue facing Georgians today!Even more impressive, is the knowledge of the intricate, minute details of sports that the fans possess.The most fascinating part about it is that the ones who appears to know the most about the subject, don’t want any monetary reward for the many hours of research,wasted time and precious moments spent supporting a matter they only derive ego satisfaction from.And the media makes sure you get a daily dose like it’s vital.Americans may not know where Europe is on a map, but they sure know all the over-paid slobs who works for the super rich sports club owners!
A. Teesman
May 4th, 2009
5:35 pm
When are the AJC editors going to bury Terry Moore’s figurative body? Hasn’t it lain in the rotunda long enough?
geo
May 4th, 2009
5:43 pm
Zaza is a real Georgian Hawk
Mark Bradley
May 4th, 2009
5:44 pm
Thanks, SilverShadow. But I believe most of us AJC types believed the Hawks would beat the Heat.
RA
May 4th, 2009
6:49 pm
Vox Humbug.
Ted Striker
May 4th, 2009
9:45 pm
Teesman, that’s just plain wrong. (That said, I hear TM is off hiking with prof George Zinkhan this week).
don pardo
May 4th, 2009
11:24 pm
I would not worry too much about the recruiting list. A few years back Georgia almost signed the #1 back in the country (Stefan Johnson I belive), but in the end he went to USC. So UGA ended up settling for some guy from New Jersey.
Craig
May 5th, 2009
5:51 am
I recently moved to Louisville, and I can see how being a U of L fan would make it easier to be neutral later on. They have no sense of history (basketball didn’t exist before the ’70s and football the ’00s). Georgia fans are going to pack that little stadium in a few years.
Kentucky fans seem a lot more dedicated and passionate. They also outnumber Louisville fans everywhere in the state except for Louisville, where it’s about 50/50. And for some reason Kentucky seems to recruit a lot of players from my home town, La Grange.
Andy
May 5th, 2009
10:32 am
Bill, speaking about UK vs. UGA, help me out…I remember a certain team in Red and Black ruining a basketball senior day for a certain team in Blue this year, and keeping them out of the NCAA tournament. Who was that again? Oh, Georgia over Kentucky, right. I was having trouble remembering because it was tough to forget the SEC tournament game where we eliminated you the year before. Just goes to show you that you may win in football once in a BLUE moon, but we get you guys in your game every now and then too!
DeeMack
May 5th, 2009
2:13 pm
Write this down and mark it on your calendar, Mark Bradley, the Cavs might sweep the Hawks just like Detroit. If the Cavs win just 1 game in the ATL, IT IS OVER!!!!!!!!!! Yeah I said it and I for one would be glad. GO CAVS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
Hawksgirl
May 5th, 2009
6:18 pm
Let’s go hawks! Shock the world once again. We dont go down without a fight so be ready cavs!
Morning Brew: Summer sports to keep the free season fun
May 6th, 2009
11:07 am
[...] Bradleya s Buzz: The Hawks win a series, and people notice Beleaguered no more, Mike Woodson coached a great game. A change of pace: Glowing Hawk reviews Back in October, John Hollinger of ESPN.com picked the Hawks to finish 31-51 , 13th among the 15 teams in the NBA East. [...]
WillieWilson
May 7th, 2009
2:11 pm
The Cavs are through winning games the the season. For all intent and purposes the Cavs are done for the year! The Hawks will win FOUR straight games against the Cavs starting tonight and eliminate them from playoff contention. Cleveland will be going home for the summer very soon. I just read that John Hollinger of ESPN picked the Hawks to finish at 31-51 at the beginning of this year. I also know that Jon Barry of ESPN picked the Hawks to get swept by Cleveland 4-0 in this series. Jon Barry is an idiot and apparantely didnt see the Boston vs Atlanta series from last year when the Hawks were a much weaker team at 37-45 and played the world champion Celtics to a draw after six games. This season the Hawks are much more powerful at 47-35 and are CAPABLE OF BEATING THE CAVS FOUR STRAIGHT games, which they are going to do starting tonight. LaBron James is great, but his supporting staff stinks.
Chargers: English. We Speak It.
May 9th, 2009
10:02 am
[...] Bradleya s Buzz: The Hawks win a series, and people notice Beleaguered no more, Mike Woodson coached a great game. A change of pace: Glowing Hawk reviews Back in October, John Hollinger of ESPN.com picked the Hawks to finish 31-51 , 13th among the 15 teams in the NBA East. [...]