Live from the Hawks: Even John Hollinger is impressed!
Get off to a 9-2 start and you'll have a lot of friends. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
We’ve had some fun with our Facebook friend John Hollinger of ESPN.com. We’ve noted more than once that he picked the Hawks to win 31 games in 2008-2009 — they won 47 — and declared their bench “a FEMA disaster zone.” (It was actually pretty good.) More recently we’ve noted he predicted the Hawks will slide from those 47 victories to 44.
Well, fair’s only fair. And if we we tweak Big John for his less-than-glowing appraisals, we must also recognize him when he says something nice. And here it is: In his first power rankings for ESPN’s Insiders (link requires registration), Mr. Hollinger has the Hawks No. 1.
If you’re counting, that makes the third set of ratings that puts these Hawks at the top. Hollinger’s ESPN colleague Marc Stein and John Schuhmann of NBA.com made the same call earlier in the week. (Chris Mannix of SI.com is the contrarian: He has the Hawks No. 2 behind Phoenix.)
With early success comes, as day follows night (or is it the other way around?), increased media attention. I’ve noticed correspondents from ESPN.com (Hollinger again), NBA.com (esteemed former colleague Sekou Smith), CBSsports.com and Yahoo! Sports on hand for tonight’s game with Miami, and it wasn’t so long ago you’d go to a Hawks game find rows of empty chairs in the press gallery.
I’m not going to tell you I’ve been here for every game of the past few years, but I’ve seen a few. And not since the middle ’80s have I seen the Hawks playing at such a high level. (The Lenny Wilkens teams of the ’90s were never quite this good.) I expect the Hawks to win again. I expect them to win every game the rest of the season and finish 80-2.
Yes, I’m kidding. But I’m also excited in a strictly professional way. I love basketball. I love being able to see good basketball without leaving town. And you’re welcome to join me as we chat about Game No. 12 in what has already been a blissful season. To borrow the catchphrase from the Hawks’ failed 1994 postseason: Bring it on!
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356 comments Add your comment
MEL
November 18th, 2009
7:16 pm
I think most teams in the league respect us, now if only the refs would show our players some love.
Mark Bradley
November 18th, 2009
7:16 pm
Tied after a Bibby steal and layup.
Mark Bradley
November 18th, 2009
7:17 pm
Beasley has all eight Miami points.
Mark Bradley
November 18th, 2009
7:18 pm
Josh blocks O’Neal under the hoop.
MEL
November 18th, 2009
7:18 pm
I wish the refs would show us some love
Mark Bradley
November 18th, 2009
7:19 pm
Hawks take lead after a Bibby trey from Joe. They do work nicely together.
Mark Bradley
November 18th, 2009
7:19 pm
Hawks up 14-11 at the first timeout. Joe with seven points. Bibby with five. Wade hasn’t scored.
BONE
November 18th, 2009
7:20 pm
Keep gettin those blocks and rebounds Josh
ryan
November 18th, 2009
7:20 pm
is it me or is joe playing with more confidence? it seems like hes playing the best hes played with the hawks.
chemdawg
November 18th, 2009
7:20 pm
serious offense from the hawks this year
ryan
November 18th, 2009
7:21 pm
one of the most important stats of the year. josh smith 0-0 from 3
J.J.M.
November 18th, 2009
7:22 pm
is it me or is joe playing with more confidence? it seems like hes playing the best hes played with the hawks.
contract year you should play your best
MEL
November 18th, 2009
7:23 pm
As long as Josh and Al continue to play agressive we will be OK, But its amazing to see how far Josh has come, he may be the best player on the team, when all said and done.
BONE
November 18th, 2009
7:23 pm
Josh has improved in every area but free throws. It’s just horrendous.
Mark Bradley
November 18th, 2009
7:24 pm
Joe has never lacked confidence. Not even at Arkansas.
chemdawg
November 18th, 2009
7:24 pm
josh smith only attempted about 1 3-pointer per game and made about 25% of them. Not a game changer.
HawksVHeat
November 18th, 2009
7:25 pm
The best record in the Eastern Conference AND playing a good Portland team and only 12K fans were at that game (comparing that to the 17K Orlando had vs. the Bobcats).
After all those great crowds in the playoffs, Atl folk .. are you telling me you only show up for support when the team is in the playoffs? Really hope the crowds show up as the season goes along.
ryan
November 18th, 2009
7:25 pm
the tv broadcast is talking about the refs not calling fouls. how do you see it brad?
chemdawg
November 18th, 2009
7:25 pm
That’s .75 points per shot, which isn’t as bad as everyone is saying
BONE
November 18th, 2009
7:25 pm
Marvin another terrible start
Mark Bradley
November 18th, 2009
7:26 pm
Crawford in. Marvin out. Marvin’s always the first out.
ryan
November 18th, 2009
7:26 pm
dang josh. playing the best of his career and beasley is having his way
Mark Bradley
November 18th, 2009
7:27 pm
Beasley with 11 already. Big-time talent.
Mark Bradley
November 18th, 2009
7:27 pm
Josh finds Joe on a backdoor set. Joe gets fouled. Makes both. He has nine.
Mark Bradley
November 18th, 2009
7:28 pm
Crawford with a three. He had only four points Monday.
ryan
November 18th, 2009
7:29 pm
good lord i love crawford. and i thought we’d be hard pressed to replace flip’s points
Mark Bradley
November 18th, 2009
7:29 pm
Hawks by four at the second timeout. Wade without a point.
J.J.M.
November 18th, 2009
7:29 pm
anybody knows why crawford licks his fingers???
ryan
November 18th, 2009
7:30 pm
because their too hot!!!
E.J. a.k.a. HomeGrown
November 18th, 2009
7:31 pm
Nice extra pass by Bibby. Unselfish, in prior years he might have shot that instead of making the extra pass.
MEL
November 18th, 2009
7:31 pm
Is it just me or dose it look like everytime Jamal shoots its going in
Zach
November 18th, 2009
7:31 pm
Mark, they don’t even pass the ball to marvin? I know he’s struggling, but what gives?
Zach
November 18th, 2009
7:33 pm
btw the Heat broadcasters have been very kind to the Hawks. (at least so far)
E.J. a.k.a. HomeGrown
November 18th, 2009
7:34 pm
ZaZa with the jumper in rythme? Yes!!!!!
Mark Bradley
November 18th, 2009
7:35 pm
The Heat broadcasters are famous for being hard on their team.
Wade with a driving dunk. Cuts lead to five.
J.J.M.
November 18th, 2009
7:35 pm
lol josh got out the way
ryan
November 18th, 2009
7:35 pm
you know what depth does? marvin and mo haven’t done nothing and we’ve beat boston, denver and portland twice
Mark Bradley
November 18th, 2009
7:36 pm
Daequan Cook misses a trey. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him make a shot, and I’ve seen him play more than half a dozen times in person.
ryan
November 18th, 2009
7:36 pm
where’s teague been? he looked great early and it doesn’t seem like hes getting many minutes
Zach
November 18th, 2009
7:37 pm
I was watching the Blazers broadcast the other day online (because I live in MIA and don’t get the honor of listing to Nique) and they might have been the most biased, unprofessional crew I have ever watched.
ryan
November 18th, 2009
7:37 pm
cook went to my highschool, wheeler. i graduated with reef. ever since we’ve been the shiznit
Mark Bradley
November 18th, 2009
7:38 pm
Bad call on Joe Smith. Was standing there and Joel Anthony slammed into him.
ryan
November 18th, 2009
7:38 pm
how does za get so many dang offensive boards? i love him coming off the bench
Mark Bradley
November 18th, 2009
7:38 pm
Hawks lead 26-23 after the first quarter. Wade has four points.
J.J.M.
November 18th, 2009
7:40 pm
did they say haslem is hurt???
The Hawksta
November 18th, 2009
7:41 pm
@Zach! Wish I could have heard that broadcast. Something with MARK B. Didn’t know the Heats broadcast team were that hard on there on team
Mark Bradley
November 18th, 2009
7:41 pm
Haslem has a bad shoulder.
Marvin with a rebound but cannot finish. Anthony stuffs him at the rim.
BONE
November 18th, 2009
7:41 pm
Marvin embarrased again
Zach
November 18th, 2009
7:42 pm
Teague isn’t playing because he’s missing lots of shots and committing lots of turnovers
BONE
November 18th, 2009
7:42 pm
MArvin’s first jumper made this season lol