The soaring Hawks: From worst to first in 4-1/2 years
Here's another Smoove move. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
The Hawks won their 10th game of the nascent season Wednesday night. In 2004-05, this franchise managed 13 victories over 82 games. A team once so far down it had to improve to get lousy is now, with the same coach and same power forward, tied with Phoenix for the NBA’s best record.
Said Mike Woodson, the coach in question: “I’ll never forget those 13 wins. I’ll never forget walking into the locker room and seeing those faces, knowing we couldn’t win many games.”
We knew the Hawks would improve. When you’re 13-69, you can get no worse. But did anyone expect the Hawks to get better in quite this way?
Jamal Crawford didn’t. A pro since 2000, he saw those Hawks firsthand. Did he foresee that woebegone bunch becoming the team that has become the league-wide talking point of the 2009-10 season? “I’d be lying if I said I did. You knew they’d get better. You just didn’t know it would be that fast.”
Five years sounds like a long time, and when you were losing at an epic rate it felt longer still. But think about this: It was only two seasons ago that these Hawks were still losing, but they’ve gone from 37-45 to 47-35 to 10-2 without changing a starter. They haven’t traded for Shaq or signed LeBron. They’ve done it the hard way. They’ve done it the way no NBA team ever does it.
Crawford again: “They’ve grown. They’ve gotten better [as individuals] these last couple of years, and they’ve put some pretty good pieces around them.”
Jamal Crawford is one such piece. He’s a proven NBA scorer who has never played in a playoff game, and he came here because he believed this team could win big. (Think about that. A seasoned pro suddenly sees Atlanta as a stairway to heaven.) He’s both sixth man and third-leading scorer, and if you’ve got that kind of guy playing in reserve you’ve got yourself a ballclub.
The Hawks have themselves a ballclub. With the national media descending on Philips Arena for Wednesday’s game, the Hawks gave a demonstration of what they’ve become. Tied at 35 with 6-1/2 minutes left in the second quarter, they led 60-43 at the half. They scored outside, scored underneath, stole the ball and ran the floor and left a team graced by Dwyane Wade and Michael Beasley looking comparatively untalented.
Twelve times they’ve played, and 10 times they’ve won. And it isn’t as if they’ve been playing dogs. Six victories have come against teams with winning record. Over the past six days they’ve beaten Boston (9-3), Portland (8-4) and now Miami (7-4). This 10-2 has been achieved on merit.
And it has been achieved via a commodity not valued highly in modern sports: persistence. The Hawks didn’t always pick the right guy in the lottery, and they made their biggest acquisitions by landing the Phoenix Suns’ fourth-best player (Joe Johnson, in case you’ve forgotten) and a point guard who seemed to have lost two steps (Mike Bibby). And somehow this starting lineup has become a thing of balanced beauty, and now there’s a second unit to backstop it.
And the coach who was 116 games under .500 after four seasons has managed to turn into a mixmaster of the first rank. After so much shared losing, you’d figure Woodson and his men would have tuned each other out by now, but they’re playing harder for him in 2009 than they did in 2006. Which almost never happens.
Much of what the Hawks are doing indeed beggars belief, but only in theory. When you see this team on the floor, you don’t think, “I don’t get how this team is 10-2.” You think, “I understand compeletely.” Because the team that was once so bad is just this good. Yes it is.
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143 comments Add your comment
BONE
November 18th, 2009
10:44 pm
YAY HAWKS
jeremy 'stacks' collins
November 18th, 2009
10:46 pm
with so many professional teams bought and sold, it is a testament to the qualities you evoke in your post.
jeremy 'stacks' collins
November 18th, 2009
10:47 pm
Enter your comments here
Eric P.
November 18th, 2009
10:49 pm
Go Hawks!
Gilley
November 18th, 2009
10:49 pm
Its still early but if we can beat Orlando on Thanksgiving..I am convinced we can win the east. Not saying we will but I predicted we would make it to the conference finals along with Mark Bradley!!
Eric P.
November 18th, 2009
10:51 pm
Deep “Stacks”.
Delbert D.
November 18th, 2009
10:51 pm
What a story! What a team!
Eric P.
November 18th, 2009
10:54 pm
They got every rebound that mattered tonight. Plus the run & gun. Great show.
BPJ
November 18th, 2009
10:54 pm
Last year’s team had some nights when they looked pretty awesome, even against good teams. The main weakness last year was that the 5 starters played too many minutes, leading to fatigue and injuries. By the playoffs, three of the starters were not at their best, to understate the case.
With this season’s bench, the starters shouldn’t have to play as much each night (so far they haven’t). This should (we hope) lead to fewer injuries, and less late-game fatigue….which in turn should mean more sustained, intense defense.
This is no guarantee of playoff results, but at least it will be an exciting team to watch. If they listen to Woodson and play as a team, they could be great.
Dominique Wilkins had a nice compact swing
November 18th, 2009
10:55 pm
10-2 = HEAT CHECK!!!
Ree Roe
November 18th, 2009
11:02 pm
This team is remarkable…What impresses me most is that this team is learning how to play with expectations. People expect the Hawks to be not just good, but elite. That is a stunning reevaluation for this team only a few weeks into the season. Houston up next!
-REEcently Roe!
junebaby
November 18th, 2009
11:02 pm
great story mb…, very well put. it seems like only yesterday, when the hawks seemed to lose every game they played. whether it was at home, or on the road, absolute futility. those were some tough times to be a hawk or a fan of the hawks. what a difference a few yrs can make, when you know what you’re doing. accolades to the entire hawk organization, for having a plan and sticking to it. bk caught a lot of flak for being arrogant, but the man knew what he was doing and he didn’t waver when everyone was questioning his gm skills. he stuck to it, and now you see the results. rick sund has came along and added greatly to what had been done before. this team looks as though it can be good for the forseeable future!! WELL DONE HAWKS!
Extremus
November 18th, 2009
11:03 pm
Wouldn’t it be something if, after all of the hope (and at least initial disappointment) placed on the Braves and Falcons organizations the past couple of years, the Hawks could end up coming out of nowhere and giving Atlanta its next world championship? The season is young, but from what I’ve seen and heard so far, the Hawks could just have the depth and consistency to outlast their bigger-name rivals and pull it off. And that would be a thing of beauty in a league where you’re not supposed to win without a “genuine superstar”.
Herschel Talker
November 18th, 2009
11:03 pm
FIRE MARK RICHT!
FIRE WILLIE MARTINEZ!
FIRE MIKE BOBO!
FIRE BOOBY COX!
IT’S TIME FOR THESE IMBECILES TO LOOK AT THE HAWKS AND FALCONS AS MODELS OF SUCCESS! IT’S TIME TO CLEAN HOUSE ON THE LOSERS!
Retired on the lake
November 18th, 2009
11:09 pm
Woodson’s teams improve every year , end of statement.
Wait&See
November 18th, 2009
11:18 pm
Typical Mark Bradley! A mere 12 games into the season, and he’s talking about going from worst to first with the Hawks! This Hawks’ team is capable with a ton of talent, but they need to continue to improve as a team and develop consistency in their play night after night, especially on defense. Their coach, Mike Woodson, needs to prove that he’s a championship-level coach. Let’s wait and see where the Hawks are after 80 games or so, rather than just 12 games into the season, and then you can make such bold proclamations. Anything less is just premature window dressing for a professional sports team known for its inconsistency!!
JSS
November 18th, 2009
11:22 pm
Send this to your co-hort Jeff Schultz. He ha gone out of his way to continue bashing this portion of the ASG when it was evident that the ship had changed course. The sails are full, the sea is calm and the captain has a crew ready for the rail… Guess what is next?
BA Smyrna
November 18th, 2009
11:27 pm
The thing about this team is there is still so much upside. Tonight was the first game I saw and I have watch 10 of the 12; where they moved the ball for the majority of the game on offense and still maintained a high level of defensive intensity.
When they played Portland Monday, Joe Johnson and Crawford played way too much one on one basketball, but they still got a win which says a lot. That is a game the old Hawks normally let get away. If they can continue to play unselfish ball and move the ball around like they did tonight the Hawks can surprise a lot of people when the weather gets back warm.
VaDawg
November 18th, 2009
11:27 pm
Well done. It would be nice to see them keep this up and go deep in the playoffs. They are playing as weell as any team in the league right now, and with the depth they have it could be a special season. Alt. needs to support this team.
bigstack19
November 18th, 2009
11:37 pm
I never thought I would live long enough to see the Hawks become the best pro sports team in Atlanta. Still, lets not raise the championship banner yet. I watched the Lakers beat down Atlanta three weeks ago or so.
hawkfan
November 18th, 2009
11:37 pm
Coming into the season I think we all had our doubts about where the Hawks would stand, especially following all the blockbuster acquisitions for the east “elite” teams… but for us long time fans this team is definitely worth cheering for simply for the reasons stated above … patience, persistence, maturity, teamwork …
NBA championship or not there is no question that hawks mngt had a plan, and they are nailing it at this point.
icecold
November 18th, 2009
11:38 pm
the hawks are now the team to beat.. every team lookin at the hawks and have to plan extra for them now.. i cant wait to play orlando on thanksgiving.. but really i cant wait to play the cavs…… when we beat them.. then i will be convinced.. we already beat two of the best teams in the west.. portland and denver.. lost against the lakers.. so what.. and bob cats.. things happen… but as long as we stay focus.. shouldnt be no more losing against teams we should beat!!!
Tech sucks
November 18th, 2009
11:38 pm
Hell yes. Been a Hawks fan my whole life and this is just fun to see. Been to two games already this year, was there opening night. Fill that arena Atlanta.
icecold
November 18th, 2009
11:39 pm
also.. i was convinced that it should jo johnson and josh smith making the all star team… but now im thinking it should be jo josh and big al… he is coming along good.. he can be a all star.. mr double double
icecold
November 18th, 2009
11:40 pm
by the way.. the hawks next 8 games are against weak opponents… except orlando.. so……… we might stay at number one for awhile!!!!
MattRyanforPrez
November 18th, 2009
11:40 pm
The rebounding on this team is absurd! 6 more offensive rebounds than the Heat tonight, 44-28 points in the paint. The last I heard the Hawks were the #1 scoring team in the paint so far, which is amazing if true.
icecold
November 18th, 2009
11:44 pm
we still can get stackhouse.. he is unemployed !!!! i mean he can be good off the bench if somebody go down!!! jus sayin…………..
Reid Adair
November 18th, 2009
11:45 pm
The first 12 games have been impressive, and I think the Hawks have shown they are improved from a year ago. It’s going to be interesting to watch as the season progresses.
J-MAN
November 18th, 2009
11:47 pm
Well mabye the reason this team has built it self up is because they had a Coach and they allowed him to have a chance to build his team up. He is the longest tenured coach in the eastern conference and he has weathered the storm of early firestorms from questionable coaching moves to a GM who didnt like him and and some players that had also fueded with him. He has showed that he can adjust and improve his team and improve the decisions in game. And now he has grown into an excellent coach.
Volman
November 18th, 2009
11:50 pm
Really Mr. Bradley? Brilliant blog. You always seem to do a great job with the Hawks’ blogs the past couple of years. I’m loving this as a fan and season ticket holder for four years now. All of this exposure is great (NBA.com, ESPN, etc) but I hope it doesn’t get to the guys’ heads. Hopefully they continue to work (I think a leader like Al Horford will step up and keep everyone on the same page).
Go Hawks!
MattRyanforPrez
November 18th, 2009
11:54 pm
The rebounding on this team is absurd! 6 more offensive rebounds than the Heat tonight, 44-28 points in the paint. The last I heard the Hawks were the #1 scoring team in the paint so far, which is amazing if its true.
MattRyanforPrez
November 18th, 2009
11:55 pm
The rebounding on this team is absurd! 6 more offensive rebounds than the Heat tonight, 44-28 points in the paint. The last I heard the Hawks were the #1 scoring team in the paint so far, which is amazing if this is true.
J-MAN
November 18th, 2009
11:55 pm
How about trading Marvin and a draft pic for Chris Bosh. It might be more likely because he will leave toronto and they want to have somehting.
Mark Bradley
November 18th, 2009
11:55 pm
Thanks, Volman. But I don’t see the Hawks pulling apart. I there are a lot of guys on this team who’ve just gotten a taste of winning. They’re willing to sacrifice to keep winning.
KevinA
November 18th, 2009
11:56 pm
.Mark – winning breeds good posts. This was my favorite.
Mychelfromatl
November 18th, 2009
11:57 pm
The official attendance tonight was listed as a sellout: 18,729. This is from ESPN: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=291118001
I was at the game tonight and it was a pretty good crowd, but I don’t know about sellout. The Hawks keep playing tough and the crowd will continue to come. GO HAWKS!
Sir Nose
November 18th, 2009
11:58 pm
Nice win for Hawks against a division opponent. It was great to see JJ stare down DWade and win the 1-one-1 marque match-up of All-Stars. Their growth will really be challenged win over this next stretch of games against weaker opponents. Hopefully, they will continue to remain focused and continue to show the killer instinct to put team away.
HawksHeroZero
November 18th, 2009
11:59 pm
The Hawks are in a small market, and have no “stars…”
One of these star-studded teams in The East will beat-up the Hawks in the paint, but they will recieve all of the fouls.. Horford and Smith will be in foul trouble for half of these games..
The Heat were mugging Hawks again tonight like The Cavs and Heat in The NBA Play-offs of 2009… Expect more fo the same…lol.
Lakers and Celtics (again), Lakers and Magic (again), or Lakers and Caveliers
dmortone
November 19th, 2009
12:01 am
How long before Woody gets an extension? I’ve been down on Woody like most Hawks fans in the past, but you can’t discount that Hawks teams have gotten better every year under him. He may not be the best coach in the league, but he clearly deserves to be the head coach of this team for awhile.
At least, until Josh and/or Horford roll an ankle and the losing gets blamed on him.
Mychelfromatl
November 19th, 2009
12:03 am
Official attendance tonight was listed as an sellout: 18,729. Those numbers are from ESPN. I was at the game tonight and it was a pretty good crowd, but I don’t know about a sellout. What I do know is that if the Hawks continue to play tough, the crowds WILL continue to grow. Go Hawks!
Also nice to see Marvin join the party.
dmortone
November 19th, 2009
12:04 am
Probably have to be worse than a rolled ankle, maybe blown acl or something.
Ree Roe
November 19th, 2009
12:07 am
Joe is showing he really wants a big contract this offseason…he’s dominated with back to back 30 pt games against the 2 SGs (DWade & Roy) considered better than him.
-REEcently Roe!
Gem Dawg
November 19th, 2009
12:48 am
Didn’t see tonight’s game, was at the Lyle Lovett concert at Tabernacle. The show was strong, just like the Hawks so far. Most teams have an incubation period before they hatch out. Looks like our Hawks have hatched and flown the nest. I haven’t been crazy about Woody but if they add to their win total this year and advance another round in the playoffs, he is doing what he needs to be doing with this team.
BugKiller
November 19th, 2009
12:51 am
Seriously, all praise must go to Mike Woodson here.
He’s been able to reach Josh Smith. He’s turned Zaza into a super-sub who now channels his volatile emotions into becoming a rebounding and passing force off the bench and a guy who can raise the energy level of his teammates. He’s maximized Marvin William’s potential, which was never as high as his athletic gifts would suggest (the ultimate “upside?” guy out of college). He uses Horford well in the paint. He’s refusing this year to overuse JJ. And he trusts Mike Bibby unlike he’s trusted any one he’s had so far.
He mixes his bench better than Jam Master J.
He really was the right guy. He had the patience to get through to thick-heads like Smoove and Zaza.
And now we see a team with so much CHEMISTRY. They move so organically on the floor, flowing from offense to defense so effortlessly.
I said it before on the live blog, and I really mean it. This is a FUN team to watch play. They really play basketball the way it should be played: as a TEAM.
Remember those great old Hawks teams of the 80’s? Or even better, the Celtics and Lakers of the 80’s, the ultimate teams.
No one guy dominating everything like in LA or Cleveland. A team. Teams can take you much further than one guy. Michael Jordan learned that the hard way. Detroit beat it into his head. LeBron is learning it now.
And now, in a division where Orlando lost its second best player to Toronto and Miami is a mess, the Hawks can be two seed in the playoffs.
Amazing.
MyView
November 19th, 2009
1:08 am
Spot on MB! Go Hawks!!!
David Smith
November 19th, 2009
1:56 am
I have always been a critic of Woody and his staff but, must admit that he has these guys playing hard as a unit and it’s translating into wins. The season is still early but, if these guys keep up this level of play all year don’t be surprised to see them playing for the championship this year (cross fingers).
Kid me not
November 19th, 2009
2:11 am
Talker…it wasn’t that long ago every one was crying “FIRE WOODSON!” Now look at him and listen to yourself and all the others on the “FIRE” Truck. Go Hawks! Keep winning or else…somebody will want to fire the entire team….Oh and by the way, what about all ya’ll bad mouthing the Hawks’s ownership. God help us!
Whopper Dawg
November 19th, 2009
3:11 am
U have to admit I was wrong, I wanted Woodson gone big time, but what a great job and the front office too. I don’t want to be Disney, but these guys have something a little special going and I think they are going to improve throughout the year, especially the second unit. And you are right, Mark, it is not the superstar model, it is the team model – there is another one in recent years that did it this way and that is Detroit. And they won two rings I think.
BosnianBaller
November 19th, 2009
3:46 am
Feels good baby.I remember all the losing and hurt.
The Grinch
November 19th, 2009
3:52 am
Nobody was wrong about Woodson; he was terrible. He’s just finally starting to improve like the players. The way he’s using them this year is completely different. Nobody was wrong about Knight either; he was an arrogant moron. Smith and Horford (who was a gimme at that spot) were the only two picks he made that didn’t throw away about 10 slots or more in the draft.
But this team is coming around, and I love it. I hope the ASG is able to keep them funded.
Political Man
November 19th, 2009
4:05 am
One thing is going to help. The talent in the NBA seems to have dissapated and gotten old. Look at Detroit, Boston, Miami – old and creaky. Orlando – doesn’t have the edge of last year. Cleveland – is Shaq really going to help, or is it still a one man band. The Hawks are young and athletic and have continuity. If they have the guts, they could win it all. That’s what it always comes down to in sports – guts.
happy fan
November 19th, 2009
5:18 am
I think some of the credit should go to the lawyers who finally beat the crap out of Belkin in court.
felix the cat
November 19th, 2009
5:46 am
As a falcons season ticket holder.. I confess the hawks are the better birds in the ATL
NikkiFree
November 19th, 2009
5:58 am
We ALL need to get down to the Highlight Factory and support these guys. They are doing their thang! They are even winning on the road now. Go Hawks!!!!
Snowman
November 19th, 2009
6:00 am
Enter your comments here
Bless you Mark Bradley, bless you!!!. Great article!!! Finally a fair and honest article that is extremely positive and you can feel the “pride” from both the way you covered the story and the “pride” the team has about where they are and where they came from!!!!
Mr. Schultz has NOT written a story since before a few days prior to opening day (see below). It has to be killing him to watch how well the Hawks and especially coach Woodson are doing. I know it is a long, long season and there wll be some bumps in the road, however so far so good after just 12 games into the new season.
http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2009/10/27/woodson-johnson-on-the-spot-as-hawks-open-season/
Here was my response to that article (see below). He has ripped coach Woodosn and the Hawks for years and I am so glad you and Sekou recognize where this ball club was and where they are currently and how that they have gotten better and better each year under coach Woodson. Coach has had a plan all the time, period, and he has continued to work that plan until he can bring a championship to Atlanta (I can’t believe I just said that because that was unthinkable just 6 short years ago!!!!).
Thanks Mark for an OUTSTANDING article. GO HAWKS and congratulations coach Woodson and his terrific coaching staff (Drew, Bender, Todd, Hill and Price…sounds like a law firm huh?…smile…great job gentlemen!!!) . Hopefully Jeff Schultz (Mr. freakin negative or Debbie Downer, which ever he prefers and both apply) has been removed from writing and covering the Hawks!!!!!! Again, thanks Mark and have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Snowman
October 29th, 2009
4:07 pm
Well, well, well hello to “Hawk Nation” and I hope everyone had a good off season (even you Jeff although I was very surprised to see you were still with the paper…interesting). I wonder if there was another writer who wrote for the AJC who constantly criticized your writing and asked repeatedly to have you replaced and implied you have not done a good job even though things improved every year while you were there even to the point that you were among the the top 25% of the writers in the country. When not too long ago you were ranked at the absolute bottom, how you would like it?
I wonder if that writer would be “fair and balanced” (no pun intended) if every single frickin time they wrote about you, no matter what, the writer was saying how bad a job you are doing…hhhmmmm!!! Again, I wonder if you would think that writer had an agenda or it was personal. You have been an absolute jerk Jeff (seriously) when it comes to your balanced reporting on Woody. Not the Hawks or the current GM, just Wood…hhmmmm!!! With all of the current talent out there with Newspapers closing, cutting back and so forth, I am certain the AJC could find a much better writer than you and even you would have to agree to that, right? Take Tony K and Mike Wilbon to name a couple from our paper here locally and I know Tony has resigned from the Post. By the way, there talent would CRUSH yours. Why don’t I ever see you on any of the national shows for geust spots and expertise occasionally (like they do on the Sports Reporters or Around the Horn or the Colin Cowher show?), Just wondering?
Jeff, you should be removed, Fired!!! If I or you had a child in a physics or calculus class, who got off to a very, very slow start, and over the school year, studied hard, asked for help, kept working, met with the teacher, got some tutoring, stayed positive, formed a study group and over the year their grades got better and better and by the end of the school year was one of the top 8 students in a 32 student class, I and you would praise and compliment and really appreciate what they has accomplished!!! This is exactly what coach Woodson has done over a 6 year period with the Hawks. That is a hard job and he has done very well, given the degree of difficulty!!! Again, I live in a town, that has a football team, the Skins, whose coach and team has been terrible and we are not as hard on him as you are on Woodson. He deserves it, Woody does not.
Finally, that is why I agree with Russ, you are unfair, and if anyone should be replaced it’s you!!! In fact, I wish AJC ran a Poll; here are a couple of questions: should Jeff Schultz be fired? If AJC could get a top writer or whatever your position is, should he be replaced? Who thinks Jeff is fair and balanced in his coverage of coach Woodson. I am done with asking you to be fair, I have moved to wanting you fired!!! I wonder if the Mayor, Shirley Franklin, Mr. Brave, Hank Aaron, Mr. Hawk, Dominique, and the honorable Andrew Young feel the same as allot of us that you should be fired or at a minimum extremely unfair in your writing about coach. I am the “official band leader” for you being removed completely or to another part of the paper at a minimum. Again, I would feel a little different if you criticized other parts of the organization equally, then I could conclude it was not personal.
Kudos to Russ, Derek, Mitch!!! Remember the Big 3 (Boston, Cleveland and Orlando) are really, really good. The Hawks could win 50 plus games this season and be better than last year and still lose in the 2nd round and the season still be a whopping success and coach should get a ticker tape parade, c’mon who are we kidding, it was not long ago we were the Clippers and now we are like a Utah or better!!!
Ernest
November 19th, 2009
6:05 am
Another GREAT blog/article Mark!!! To me, this was a key statement:
It was only two seasons ago that these Hawks were still losing, but they’ve gone from 37-45 to 47-35 to 10-2 without changing a starter.
To do this, you MUST have patience and allow the players to continue developing chemistry with one another. You must believe you have a good ‘mix’ of players that know their roles and play within the concept of the team. When you have pieces that may not fit and/or excess in certain areas, you make trades to shore up areas you are deficient in. Doing this is tough when you have fans and the media clamoring for ‘quick fixes. Congrats to the Atlanta Spirit for sticking with the plan. Are we fully there yet? Only time will tell. I believe we have a foundation in place that will result in the Hawks consistently competing for a NBA title.
Benjamin
November 19th, 2009
6:11 am
The most promising sign, to me (knock on wood):
After several seasons in the NBA, Josh Smith finally seems to be getting it. He shot — and naturally, missed — his first three pointer of the season last night, twelve games in. He’s not trying to lead fast breaks down the floor with his teammates behind him screaming at him to stop dribbling and just hand the ball off. He’s focusing more on his natural-born talents and strengths rather than trying to create them on the fly. He’s just playing with reckless abandon right now, and that opens things up for the rest of the team.
As of right now, I’d be hard-pressed to not have three Hawks on the All-Star team. Josh, Joe J., and Al are all bona fide candidates for that honor, and Crawford is looking like a strong candidate for the 6th Man award, as well. It’s only 12 games, but this is the most fun I’ve had as an Atlanta sports fan in a long time.
"Chef" Tim Dix
November 19th, 2009
6:15 am
It will be a interesting winter around these parts.
"Chef" Tim Dix
November 19th, 2009
6:19 am
And what if the Hawks only lost 13 these year???
seed
November 19th, 2009
6:35 am
I appreciate this article Bradley. Nice to see which media guy is willing to be the first to say, “hey… wait a second… maybe everyone is wrong about this or that”
The Spirit has gone from being laughing stocks to gold standard. Eventually we will think of the adage “you learn the most about people when times are bad”. Well, turns out this ownership group went thru some of the most unimaginable stuff an ownership can go through and, in the end, so much turned out good.
Thanks so much for the courage of Billy Knight. Also gotta save a special place for some of that arrogance. It took a lot of guts to make the decisions he made, but I am glad he did and I am very thankful. Not just for today, but the thrilling ascent of this team starting in that Boston series, watching the carry over last year, the great start this year, and most unique of all, the shining future that many teams do not have.
Rick Sund has been awesome. This is like a fairy tale. The skill it takes to waltz in and tweek here and tweek there on what the nation thought was a crazy plan and idea is remarkable.
Looking like a great organization gentlemen. But now the real scrutiny starts.
Don’t stop shootin’ Joe!
You to Marvin…
Now about Josh and Al… These two guys are playing like Bandits. It’s always the same two suspects. Other teams may have their “superstars”, but we now have a squad that will flock to your star and recon with’em
How good was Joe Smith on defense when Miami tried to set picks… beautiful
The Real Hawk
November 19th, 2009
6:45 am
Marvin: 39% shooting, 28% 3pt shooting, 5 reb, and more turnovers than steals or assists. All in 29 mins. Is that enough?
Black Lab
November 19th, 2009
6:51 am
Great article….what is really key here are the “merit wins.” ATL has them over Blazers, Celts, Denver, and Heat. Looking forward to Houston and Orlando on TV. Went to the New Orleans game last SAT. What a blast to see LIVE the passing and communication on the floor by this group!
Jay
November 19th, 2009
6:52 am
Miami will eliminate them. Watch and see buddy.
RB
November 19th, 2009
7:00 am
My apologies to coach Woodson.I was in the group 2 years ago calling for his head. He has evolved into a very good coach. The Hawks have had that same evolution. Woody, please accept my apology!
JustaThought
November 19th, 2009
7:05 am
All right,Snowman! You might want to slow your roll buddy. One of the main purpose of a blog writer is to excite the masses, to get them to READ and COMMENT on the blogs(ie just like you do……). So if they all right the SAME opinion every day, not onlt would it be BORING, you my friend would not get on here and rant and rave like you do.
Michael Johnson
November 19th, 2009
7:09 am
Great jobs hawks. Someone in Atlanta needs to win a professional championship.
war jacket
November 19th, 2009
7:09 am
…and another thing. You forgot to mention the heart these guys play with. Al Horford and Josh Smith bring it every night ane every time down the court. Offensive rebounding is mostly heart, and did you see them battle Oden and Alredge the other night against Portland? Throw Pachulia in there as well. Doesn’t have near the raw talent as the other two, but plays on guts and HEART.
Love watching these guys.
yardie
November 19th, 2009
7:10 am
Hold your horses yall. Lets see how they handle the Magic. That’s what I am waiting on. I still remember that last pre-season game.
JustaThought
November 19th, 2009
7:20 am
Besides, what’s Schultzy going to say that all those other ass wipes (Tony K and Wilbon and all the other mouth pieces) are not saying? That’s right, he’ll be saying the same damn thing (opinions are like asses and elbows……everybody’s got’em). As bad as the Hawks have been, he should have been fired. IMHO, the reason he wasn’t is because who the hell was they going to hire? Remember, basically since the ASG has taken ownership of the organization they have been in an ugly internal power struggle. So no real coach would have taken the job, so they (Woody and ASG) have been stuck with each other for the most part.
Maurice
November 19th, 2009
7:26 am
Enter your comments here
JustaThought
November 19th, 2009
7:36 am
And just in case you didn’t know…………it’s just November, barely 15 games into the season. So how about letting 3 or 4 more months pass before you GIVE them a championship.
#1 GT fan
November 19th, 2009
7:41 am
LETS GO HAWKS…………. LETS GO HAWKS………….. LETS GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tommy
November 19th, 2009
7:49 am
Let’s not jinx it, but. . . .
The Braves went 86-76 this year. The Hawks look great, the Falcons still look like a 9-10 win team despite the injuries, and the Thrashers are 10-6-1.
If they keep it up, it will be the first time all four had winning seasons in the same year.
Shhhh. . . . .
Mark Bradley
November 19th, 2009
7:49 am
Nobody is giving the Hawks a championship. I mean, let’s get real. But if you can’t get excited about a 10-2 start featuring six victories over winning teams … well, you’re just looking to pick nits.
Bandwagon
November 19th, 2009
7:51 am
Kudos on the win Hawks!
1st JJ has a plan for his season. Put it on cruise control for most games, sit back and watch the rest of the team take turns beating opponents. Then when a superstar guard arrives he steps up his game and dominates them. He understands he doesn’t have to do it every night any more. I predict he will be a force to deal with come playoff time if he can continue to save his body for when his team needs that overwhelming effort he can provide. This should be a fun season for him.
Thanks Billy Knight for liking a certain style of player. Tall, quick, athletic with long wing spans. You have put together the core of this team that is starting to show why they were drafted.
Thanks Rick Sund for seeing what you had to start with and sticking with them. By adding carefully you have created a team that is quickly gaining acclaim. It is funny how it is the same basic team.
That credit goes to the coach and players. They have listened to RW and have all made the effort every off season to improve their game. This year it is starting to come together and they will all benefit from the effort. I expect many awards for lots of players as the season goes on.
GO HAWKS!!!
brent a.
November 19th, 2009
8:01 am
You have to give the Hawks credit for staying the course.
Remember how badly the Joe Johnson trade was panned when Boris Diaw won the MIP?
But, just two years later, the joke seemed to be on Phoenix when the Hawks landed the protected #3 pick in the draft, as opposed to falling to 4 or lower it was one of the deepest drafts of the decade.
The ability to add Al Horford in that draft, as opposed to the pick going to Phoenix, was key in allowing the Hawks to finally put together a legitimate starting 5.
Joe Johnson continues to shine, Josh Smith is finally playing is role, and not trying to step outside of what the team needs him to do, Bibby continues to play solid, and now, drafting Shelden Williams doesn’t look quite so bad, Marvin Williams will never be Chris Paul, but that isn’t his fault – he can play, and then, acquiring the likes of Joe Smith (solid veteran) and a great spark off the bench in Jamal Crawford (an upgrade form Fliip Murray) and the Hawks throw 7 legitimate players at you, and I still haven’t mentioned Zaza Pachulia.
I still think this team lacks the star power, both on the court, and on the sidelines to make the Conference Finals; however, this year, I don’t think the Hawks will merely be happy to win a round; but instead, I think they will compete strongly in round 2, forcing a 7 game series from Cleveland, Boston, or Orlando.
WW
November 19th, 2009
8:02 am
1st…now it is not annoying.
LAKE OCONEE DAWG
November 19th, 2009
8:12 am
Remember when everyone said this guy couldn’t coach and that he needed to go, even some of our esteemed AJC reporters called for his job and doubted his effectiveness….Did he just all of sudden learn to coach????….Its athletes, athletes, athletes who play the game and make the plays…..Sound familiar with what is happening in Athens with the football team??? These guys are good coaches, did they all of a sudden forget how to coach??? They don’t have (due to some recruiting mistakes) the same players they had 2-3 years ago….Blame them, if you want, for making mistakes recruiting (which is really a crap shoot) but they have not forgotten how to coach…..Full confidence here in Coach Richt and all the Bulldog coaches….Every Dawg will have his day!!!!!
Leita Cowart
November 19th, 2009
8:12 am
Nice photo!! Curtis!!
Robert
November 19th, 2009
8:13 am
Well said 1st place gotta love it
mountain_jim
November 19th, 2009
8:15 am
Joe and the Hawks on the ESPN front page right now – Taking Flight!
When’s the next national tv game? That’s when I will get to see them here in NC next.
Holy Cow
November 19th, 2009
8:19 am
To follow teams through awful seasons, rookie players, and blowouts, but to improve year to year, add a key player, have one big win in a season or playoffs, put together a good season, and finally make a run at the title is great and something you never forget.
F-105 Thunderchief
November 19th, 2009
8:23 am
As recently as this preseason, I thought it would take a coaching change to see this type of performance. And, it’s still early, but it feels like what we’ve seen is what this team is. Hats off to Woody and to Sund for giving him more to work with.
j
November 19th, 2009
8:25 am
This team doesn’t have much left to prove … just keep winning … even if they do lose to orlando on Thanksgiving, it’s not going to take away from what they’ve done
Chris
November 19th, 2009
8:29 am
So if the Hawks manage to win it all this season does Steve Belkin get a championship ring? or would that be solved in court? I’d be interested just to see David Stern hand over that trophy to the ASG so I can figure out who owns this team.
IceFan
November 19th, 2009
8:30 am
I know it’s only 12 games, but WOW! This team is deep and exciting to watch. I think it was the first or second quarter last night where we had 3-4 dunks off of steals or offensive putbacks. That flip up alley-oop from Bibby to J Smoove was ridiculous.
Always been a fan, but it’s really easy to be now.
IceFan
November 19th, 2009
8:34 am
I know it’s early, but WOW! Always supported the team but I actually look forward to watching games now. Some of those hustle plays in the first half were ridiculous. Looks like this team is in sync and ready to make a serious run.
Mark Bradley
November 19th, 2009
8:35 am
He sure would. He’s still an owner.
Jim R
November 19th, 2009
8:43 am
How about a radio station to match the Hawks? I live in Forest Park and all I get is a word here and there. If this team is one of the elites we need an upgrade to a station worthy of them. There are actually folks out here that would listen that don’t have satellite or cable. Go Hawks. JR.
MikeB
November 19th, 2009
8:49 am
I’m proud to say that I’m a Hawks fan. But I must admit that enduring the losing was hard. Stay on top Hawks. The city will get behind you!
Dap01
November 19th, 2009
8:50 am
Great article MB. This team has potential to be even better. Woody seems to be getting better and better. Crawford will continue to improve. Marvin will improve and be a great shooter even if he gets limited shots. Josh and AH will get better. Teague will improve and by year’s end, add a great and fast element to the team.
Go Hawks!
Mark Bradley
November 19th, 2009
8:53 am
I have to say I was very excited when the NBA came to XM Satellite Radio. Because that way I can hear Steve Holman again.
Mark Bradley
November 19th, 2009
8:53 am
And I never thought I’d have a hankering to hear Holman. (I’m kidding! Kidding, I say!)
Crashing the Glass
November 19th, 2009
8:54 am
For more Hawks-related reading-
http://crashingtheglass.com/
Dominique Wilkens
November 19th, 2009
8:59 am
HEAT CHECK!!!!!!!!
KSEE
November 19th, 2009
9:00 am
LETS GO HAWKS! Keep playing tough…Keep playing Smart…. KEEP WINNING!!!!!!!!
bali smith
November 19th, 2009
9:09 am
good article on the hawks win and season but where is Sekou and his take on the Hawks
Manny
November 19th, 2009
9:18 am
Not to pat myself on the back, but I never wanted Woodson to be fired. The reason why was simple: They kept getting better with him.
I remember the first year that he coached. They looked better than that first year, but I thought that I could have made the Hawks better if I was the coach. I caught a couple of games that year because my two sons read a couple of books and the library gave us two tickets for each child… for two Hawks games and one Thrashers game. (Seriously. And they were good seats, too.) They were athletic and young. But they were playing hard.
But then I remember that season where they went to the playoffs. Many people were calling for Woodson to be fired. But I saw something in Boston: I looked at the eyes of two people- Josh Smith and Al Horford. Al looked like he was going to cry. Josh Smith was so angry that it looked like someone kidnapped his child inside of a Walmart.
Look… that crowd was crazy, but I saw them looking around- taking it all in. At that moment, I knew that that moment was something good and pivotal for the Hawks.
Last year, they beat the Heat, but they got blown out by the Cavs. People once again called for Woodson to get fired. I was upset with him because I thought he should have used his bench more. He showed an absolute lack of confidence in his bench. I thought that was bad coaching, but I didn’t want him to be fired. Why? Because the Hawks were getting better. I thought that they should give him some bench players that Woodson could have confidence in. I saw that loss as Woodson’s maturing as a coach and we need to give him that latitude in order to build a better team.
And here we are: a strong, athletic team where the nucleus have played together for a few years. We have a better bench. We have continuity and stability on the coaching staff. We emphasize defense and rebounding. We have multiple players in double figures every game. We have a vet on the bench that can score on anyone and can take anyone off the dribble.
In short, this is a good thing, but this is merely a culmination of the building blocks that was started years ago amid bad records, controversial acquisitions (signing Joe Johnson), anger and turmoil among coaches and players (see Josh Smith), and calls for the removal of the head coach (FIRE MIKE WOODSON!!!!)
The Hawks have me in Shock!
November 19th, 2009
9:27 am
It has been a GREAT week at work , I always root for the Home team, good or bad and right now I’m in sport’s heaven, I don’t wanna come back down, don’t pinch me, just leave me with my Mookie Blaylock jersey in the corner!!
Keith
November 19th, 2009
9:29 am
Best stat of the night, Joe Johnson with less than 40 minutes in the game.
The Hawks have me in Shock!
November 19th, 2009
9:30 am
Manny
November 19th, 2009
9:18 am
Not to pat myself on the back, but I never wanted Woodson to be fired. The reason why was simple: They kept getting better with him.
I remember the first year that he coached. They looked better than that first year, but I thought that I could have made the Hawks better if I was the coach. I caught a couple of games that year because my two sons read a couple of books and the library gave us two tickets for each child… for two Hawks games and one Thrashers game. (Seriously. And they were good seats, too.) They were athletic and young. But they were playing hard.
my two nieces do the same thing and the get it for getting A’s, it’s like having season tickets cause their both straight A student’s lol
Suicide lines: Knicks to decide on Iverson today; Dirkus Circus
November 19th, 2009
9:44 am
[...] Mark Bradley, AJC: "The Hawks won their 10th game of the nascent season Wednesday night. In 2004-05, this franchise managed 13 victories over 82 games. A team once so far down it had to improve to get lousy is now, with the same coach and same power forward, tied with Phoenix for the NBA's best record. Said Mike Woodson, the coach in question: 'I'll never forget those 13 wins. I'll never forget walking into the locker room and seeing those faces, knowing we couldn't win many games.' We knew the Hawks would improve. When you're 13-69, you can get no worse. But did anyone expect the Hawks to get better in quite this way? Jamal Crawford(notes) didn't. A pro since 2000, he saw those Hawks firsthand. Did he foresee that woebegone bunch becoming the team that has become the league-wide talking point of the 2009-10 season? 'I'd be lying if I said I did. You knew they'd get better. You just didn't know it would be that fast.'" [...]
JD
November 19th, 2009
9:50 am
Haven’t posted in awhile but it’s finally happened. The promise of this team is starting to show itself. There’ve been some growing pains, but there have also been some additions that have stabilized this team. Let’s give some credit to Rick Sund’s signing of Joe Smith, who has come in and probably shown Josh Smith how to play in control and also tempered ZaZa Pachulia’s enthusiasm (as he and Joe Smith were teammates in Milwaukee).
I don’t know if anyone thought everything would fall into place this fast with this team, but surely`
Hawks Fan!
November 19th, 2009
9:55 am
Hawks beat Heat and Crawford only scores 10? And goes like 3-10 or something like that…scary!!! Go ATL!!!!
jokurone
November 19th, 2009
9:57 am
Let’s not count our Championships before they hatch. Teams go through a long season and a lot of factors need to be entered into the equation (injuries,slumps,etc;)With that being said the work ethic exhibited todate is outstanding. They have persevered through the other teams fast starts(Miami)and attempts for a furious end(Blazers OT)to pull those games out.We may have something special(Rathman&Nique) working here. I will be going downtown to witness firsthand the beginning of a new Dynasty called Enter your comments here
Dr. Warren
November 19th, 2009
9:57 am
If the Hawks double this run and go 20-4, they’d only have to go 1 game above .500 the rest of the season to reach 50 wins.
Hawks Fan!
November 19th, 2009
10:01 am
Funny! NBA.com boxscore has us 11-2…serious typo…we like to earn our wins lol…but thanks for the love!! Check link below!
http://www.nba.com/games/20091118/MIAATL/gameinfo.html
Eric
November 19th, 2009
10:02 am
Billy Knight is somewhere smilling, don’t forget the man who put it all together!!!
Dashizz357
November 19th, 2009
10:14 am
All you haters before the season started that wanted coach Woodson’s head, sorry NO ROOM on the band wagon……walk!
Mr. Thomas Anthony "The Taxman Cometh" Jones, SR (Waf-SS, ret.)
November 19th, 2009
10:17 am
The Atlanta Hawks will win the NBA East this year. They have only made two recent mistakes. One, they did not resign Mr. Joshus Malik Childress. That was downright stupid. We need Childrerss. Two, they dogged out Billy Knight the same way they dogged out Mr. Wilkens. Now that we have a good team start paying them what they are worth. After they win the division, and the Eastern Conference and possibly the NBA Championship I want the Hawks Management to start paying these players what they are worth. These players pay almost half their money to the Internal Revenue Service, to the State of Georgia Department of Revenue, and to their home state Taxation Agencies and local Taxation agencies. They have to pay property taxes sometimes on two or even three homes (Hopefully one for their mothers, and they have to pay their Income Taxation Accountants, their attorneys, and their agents, and publicists. Their is never any reason for the Hawks not to give them a blank chack when it comes to pay. Give it up Hawks Management and pay these men their fair income!!!!! Give them their money!!!!!
Mr. Thomas Anthony "The Taxman Cometh" Jones, SR (Waf-SS, ret.)
November 19th, 2009
10:33 am
As the Atlanta hawks prepare to win the Southeast Division and the NBA Eastern Conference, and possibly the NBA Championpion this year it is important to remember the Hawks made two recent mistakes. One they did not resign Mr. Joshua Malik Childress in 2008 and they push Mr. William R Knoght down the steps. I do like people who do pay their emplyees properly and I do not like people who backstab people (remember the Atlanta Falcons backstab Mr. Vick).
But hopefully the days of backstabbing emplyees is over. I am stil mad as Hell about the way the Hawks backstab Mr. Wilkins the year we should have won the NBA while Mr. Jordan was playing baseball.
Now is the time for the Hawks Management to show these men they appreciate them. These men are paying almost half of their incomes to the Internal Revenue Service and the State of Georgia Department of Revenue. On top of that is additional Income Taxes to their home state and possibly local Income Taxes. On top of the Income Taxes are the thousands of dollars Property Taxes they pay annually for two and sometimes three homes (one for their mothers). Also they have to pay thier Income Taxation Accountants, their attorneys, their agents, and their publicists. All wee demand is that they pay these men all of their money and tell us no excuses!!!!!
Fred R.
November 19th, 2009
11:28 am
Hawks have game. They may very well upset a contender in this postseason and it wouldn’t surprise me. http://tiny.cc/jDQsi
JSasser
November 19th, 2009
11:38 am
If the Atlanta “fans” don’t start completely filling up Phillips arena EVERY GAME then ATL is what a lot of people have said in print “not a good sports town” Bloggers are nice but….. go buy a ticket!!
RG
November 19th, 2009
11:41 am
I was saying a couple of years ago that Woodson needs to go, but he stuck with his program and these guys seem to want to play for him more that ever and it is working. I think if things are still going this well at mid-season he deserves and extention.
CPJ rocks
November 19th, 2009
11:41 am
wow Johnson can coach and dunk? what? oh that is another Johnson, give up the good work, take a look
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8GuH9oDHrU
John Kontract
November 19th, 2009
11:50 am
Esteemed columnist or some unpaid Hawks expert, please give me the team’s starting five in ‘04-’05.
Not to bring up bad memories, just to appreciate how far the team’s come.
JD
November 19th, 2009
12:14 pm
Sorry for that, my infant got to the keyboard…..
As I was saying, I don’t know if anyone thought everything would fall into place this fast with this team, but surely you’ve got to give the ownership group (as much as they’ve been maligned and dogged for their apparent lack of direction – even though they were going through an internal power struggle with Belkin) and this coaching staff credit for staying the course with this team. We’ve ALL had our differing opinions on Billy Knight (ok, the guy was arrogant, but he was right about knowing a thing or two about basketball) and Mike Woodson and the direction this team was going. Yes, there were some slip ups in the draft (i.e. Sheldon Williams when Brandon Roy was available) but look at where they are now. You’re right, Bradley. Who would have thought that we would be talking about the Atlanta Hawks (and they’re the leading stories on the national media – ESPN and NBATV) so early in the season.
We also must approach this with measured optimism. It IS only November and we really do need to see how this team holds up for the course of the season. But for now, let’s just enjoy the ride. GO HAWKS?!!!!
Farve Dollar Footlong
November 19th, 2009
12:22 pm
I’m glad the Hawks gave Mike Woodson the opportunity to make this team as good as it is. Many pro sports teams give you too few chances to win. They want you to win immediately with a team that they inherited. Mike Woodson is a good coach and kudos to the Hawks for giving him TIME to prove it.
AceDawg
November 19th, 2009
12:37 pm
Go Hawks! I lost interest in basketball when the Dominque Wilkins era ended and Jordan left the Bulls. Now I’m back in the mix and have a lot of faith that you all can be the best. Way to stick with a coach when nobody else would.
FALCON JOSH
November 19th, 2009
12:47 pm
I’m not really a big basketball fan but I just got tickets to see this team!!! Go Hawks
joel marable
November 19th, 2009
12:50 pm
Lets just call al Horford D.D. 4 DOUBLE DOUBLE.THEY ARE PLAYING GREAT,WISH MARVIN COULD TAKE THE BALL TO THE HOLE EVERY NITE INSTEAD OF SOMETIMES.SETTLING 4 JUMPERS.WE NEED AND AUTOAMTIC 14 PT NIGHT FROM HIM.HE HAS BEEN IN THE LEAGUE LONG ENOUGH.AND HOW ABOUT SOME CUTTERS TO THE BASKET WHEN J J STARTS POUNDING THE BALL 2 MUCH.AND LETS WIN WITH DEFENSE EVERYNIGHT.THEY LOOK GOOD BUT NOW TEAMS ARE GONNA START COMMING 4 US NOW.
joel marable
November 19th, 2009
12:51 pm
Enter your comments here
joel marable
November 19th, 2009
12:56 pm
THEY LOOK GOOD BUT WE NEED MARVIN TO GO TO THE HOLE EVERY NITE INSTEAD OF SETTLING 4 THAT JUMPER.HE SHOULD B GOOD 4 14PTS A NITE.HE HAS 2 GIVE US THAT.HOW ABOUT SOME CUTTERS TO THE BASKET WHEN JOE STARTS POUNDING THE BALL AND SIZEING HIS MAN UP.INSTEAD OF STANDING AROUND WATCHING LIKE A FAN.I’VE SEEN THIS A LOT.AND TRY TO WIN WITH DEFENSE EVERYNITE.WE LOOK GOOD BUT TEAMS ARE GONNA START COMMING AT US NOW.PUT ON THE HARD HATS HAWKS.LETS JUST CALL AL HORFORD D.D.FOR MR DOUBLE DOUBLE.
Reggie Reg
November 19th, 2009
1:08 pm
Josh Smith has finally got to the point wher he understands his role. When he starts throwing up threes again….look out. They are fun to watch…Jamal Crawford is the truth!!! Joe please don’t go….you actually look like you are starting to have fun out there. Big Al has matured into a rebounding beast, and I guess Woody finally has the “buy in” he lacked in prior years. Marvin stepped it up last night, but sometimes you barely know he’s playing..gotta change that. Josh please keep your head on straight…you are the key young man. Good luck guys..stay healthy.
tyger
November 19th, 2009
1:24 pm
Kudos to Billy “The Architect” Knight…
is due all the credit – despite not being here to reap his just reward. He was lambasted over taking Marvin over Paul and Shelden over Roy/Gay etc. But look where we are and look where they are.
Knight similarly did wonderful jobs for Indiana and Memphis, yet is on the outside of the NBA looking in. So goes it for the black man….build it up, make it work, and the white guy gets all the money and credit. Ah, such is life, but us hardcore fans know who turned this franchise around – and he ain’t here.
Yes, Sund tweaked the roster and added Crawford, Joe Smith and Collins, but our core group has us in this position and those are Billy’s boys. Yes, Sund did re-sign them, but that was a no-brainer.
In fact, if he could’ve been a bit more tactful we would have Childress and JJ on the books as well, but instead we have Mo Evans and an overpaid Bibby to look forward to.
Mike Woodson
November 19th, 2009
1:50 pm
Can I get an extension for what we do on the court, every year pay me more money!!!
Suicide lines: Knicks to decide on Iverson today; Dirkus Circus | Lancilo USA
November 19th, 2009
2:00 pm
[...] Mark Bradley, AJC: "The Hawks won their 10th game of the nascent season Wednesday night. In 2004-05, this franchise managed 13 victories over 82 games. A team once so far down it had to improve to get lousy is now, with the same coach and same power forward, tied with Phoenix for the NBA’s best record. Said Mike Woodson, the coach in question: ‘I’ll never forget those 13 wins. I’ll never forget walking into the locker room and seeing those faces, knowing we couldn’t win many games.’ We knew the Hawks would improve. When you’re 13-69, you can get no worse. But did anyone expect the Hawks to get better in quite this way? Jamal Crawford(notes) didn’t. A pro since 2000, he saw those Hawks firsthand. Did he foresee that woebegone bunch becoming the team that has become the league-wide talking point of the 2009-10 season? ‘I’d be lying if I said I did. You knew they’d get better. You just didn’t know it would be that fast.’" [...]
Mike
November 19th, 2009
2:11 pm
Good column Mark. I would however point out that the team really started to turn around when Mike Bibby joined late in the season the year before last. Before he joined, they were headed to another terrible season. They have played above .500 ball ever since. Im not saying he is Michael Jordan, but it seems that a good, experienced point guard is what this team was missing the most.
Last year the problem was depth and still a bit of inexperience. This year, the team is more experienced. They have added more depth with Smith and Crawford. This team is reminding me more and more of the playoff squads of the late 90’s led by Smith, Blaylock, and Mutombo.
Drew
November 19th, 2009
2:16 pm
I’m a 4th year season ticket holder and very proud that the Hawks has improved each year. I really enjoy attending the games and the players efforts each night.
My seats are very close to the players. 4th row. And one thing I’ve notice is that Josh Smith has the worse attitude of any player including most players from the other team. I also went to the autograph signing for season tickets holders and he was the only one that couldn’t manage to put on a smile, not even for the kids. He just looked pissed off the entire time.
The rest of the team was gracious. Everyone was very appreciative and happy to be playing in Atlanta. (Stand outs were Jamal and Al – just terrific attitudes) Not sure how I feel about Josh Smith long term. I know he’s having a good year, but he seriously needs to have an attitude check especially towards the fans that support him.
Regardless, i love the Hawks and the rest of the players!!!
i_am_soulstar
November 19th, 2009
2:39 pm
So glad Marvin decided to join us on this party on the moon. Better late than never.
JOE JOHNSON
November 19th, 2009
2:44 pm
WHO SAID I WASN’T A SUPERSTAR LOL!! LOOK FOR ME TO KILL MORE PLAYERS LIKE THE WADE’S, ROY’S, AND LEBRON’S HA HA HA!!!! WAT UP JOSH????
nique
November 19th, 2009
3:17 pm
no reason joe should have played 38 minutes last night. don’t have confidence that woodson will keep him fresh for the playoffs.
Ray Ellison (from Djibouti)
November 19th, 2009
3:30 pm
I am currently in the Horn of Africa and it is good to see that the Hawks are doing well. A couple of friends and I were talking the other day about how the top 3 teams (Boston, Orlando, and Cleveland) have stacked. I mentioned that Atlanta was in a better position because, even though they acquired Jamal Crawford, their starting lineup has been the same for the past 3 years. Consistency is everything. The one thing Atlanta has lacked was talent on the bench. They have never been more than 7 players deep. I was sad to see Josh Childress go, but as of right now, i probably wouldn’t care to see him back. I believe Woody has proved himself as a coach. He stuck it out and he has improved each year (once again, consistency). If the hawks make the playoffs again, his contract extension should be automatic. As of right now, I’d like to show my support for the hawks and all the teams in the A. Good job and bring us home a Title!!
Vic
November 19th, 2009
3:33 pm
I was one of the people that wanted Woodson fired 2 seasons ago. I think this season is a testament to personnel rather than coaching. I have YET to see Woodson call a timeout and draw up a play that leads to a basket other than J. Johnson going one on one. Any good coach (Avery Johnson) could have them where they are today. They got further in the playoffs last season because they had a good defensive scheme against Wade, and the Heat IS Wade. If he doesn’t score, they don’t win.
I don’t believe the hawks will get to the eastern conference finals (which would show progress) with Joe Johnson being in isolation so much and going one on one. He tends to force his shot sometimes and everyone else is standing around. J. Smith has finally listened to someone about his shot selection. Who is in J. Johnson’s ear about his?
dawgfan13
November 19th, 2009
6:23 pm
I am convinced that the HAWKS are for real. I think they have what it takes to be the East rep in the finals. A few things have to happen though 1. Woodson must find time to groom Teague 2. Josh Smith must stay on his game and shoot better from the free throw line 3. Marvin Williams has to get rolling with his game(think what the Hawks would be with Chris Paul or Darren Williams with out Marvin) and finally stay hungry and mentally tough on the road and dominate at home. If these things happen we could be looking at a magical season.
Kevin Thomas
November 19th, 2009
6:27 pm
I agree with JimR in Forest Park-if you are going to try to build a consistent fan base with your local NBA team, you need their flagship station to have a nighttime signal that goes further than the Tower Place parking lot area in Buckhead. Up here in Kennesaw, you have to rely on Fox Sports or ESPN to get any results on the Hawks.
Kevin Thomas
November 19th, 2009
6:29 pm
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Tree
November 19th, 2009
10:17 pm
It’s a great move to get rid of Josh Childress.
About nba, atlanta hawks, crawford, eastern | Find me About
November 19th, 2009
10:36 pm
[...] The Hawks won their 10th game of the nascent season Wednesday night. In 2004-05, this franchise managed 13 victories over 82 games. A team once so far down it had to improve to get lousy is now, with the same coach and same power forward, …Read Original Story: The soaring Hawks: From worst to first in 4-1/2 years – Atlanta Journal C… [...]
riley hawkins
November 20th, 2009
8:31 am
the hawks have not played their best yet–these guys are on a mission
About houston rockets, hawks win, smith, atlanta hawks, crawford | Find me About
November 21st, 2009
4:32 am
[...] The Hawks won their 10th game of the nascent season Wednesday night. In 2004-05, this franchise managed 13 victories over 82 games. A team once so far down it had to improve to get lousy is now, with the same coach and same power forward, …Read Original Story: The soaring Hawks: From worst to first in 4-1/2 years – Atlanta Journal C… [...]
About houston rockets, seventh, hawks win, josh smith, atlanta hawks | Find me About
November 21st, 2009
12:30 pm
[...] The Hawks won their 10th game of the nascent season Wednesday night. In 2004-05, this franchise managed 13 victories over 82 games. A team once so far down it had to improve to get lousy is now, with the same coach and same power forward, …Read Original Story: The soaring Hawks: From worst to first in 4-1/2 years – Atlanta Journal C… [...]
Dwyane Wade Shavlik Randolph Time Scorer
November 29th, 2009
1:25 am
[...] The soaring Hawks: From worst to first in five years | Mark Bradley [...]