Live from the Hawks’ MLK matinee: Alarms are sounding!
Josh Smith: An ascendant player on a still-ascending squad. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)
Red alert! There’s a pretty good matchup on tap today. (And the Hawks, conveniently enough, are wearing red uniforms.)
The NBA South division leader faces the team that might, a year or two on, become to the Western Conference what the Hawks are to the East. Oklahoma City has thrown together a slew of good young players — Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook, James Harden — in what might be described in Hawks-like fashion.
We’ll discuss that at greater length in a bit, but for now I’ll relate a little anecdote. The fire alarm went off in the back corridor of Philips Arena when Mike Woodson was holding his pregame briefing. Everyone was advised to exit the premises via a recorded message, which played for no more than 10 minutes. Naturally, nobody did.
Joe Johnson, being conscientious, did stick his head into Woodson’s office and say, “What should I do?” Woodson looked at him and laughed. “I’m not going anywhere,” the coach said. And I guess if you can survive 13-69, which was the Hawks’ record in Woodson’s first season, you can handle anything.
(Safety update: The alarm and the recording finally stopped sounding. We’re still here. Don’t know what happened, but it must not have been too bad.)
The Hawks, you won’t be surprised to learn, are feeling great. They’ve had a terrific first half of the season, and the Friday night buzzer win against Phoenix merely reinforces what we (and they) are coming to believe: That they”re every bit as good as their record. Said Woodson: “When we come to play, we can beat anybody.”
And they usually come to play. They’re 26-13. They’re on pace to win 55 games, which would be an eight-game upgrade over last season’s 47-35, which was in itself an 10-game upgrade over the 37-45 of 2007-2008. And that’s without changing a starter. (Mike Bibby was the last of this first five to arrive, and he got here in February 2008.)
I’ll be here all afternoon to comment and answer questions about the Hawks and whatever else you’d care to ask. If you missed yesterday’s little posting about Josh Smith as a possible All-Star, you might want to check that out. (Then again, you might not.) But I would advise you to screen this YouTube video for your personal enjoyment.
More required reading: Marc Stein of ESPN.com has the Hawks No. 4 in the NBA (and No. 2 in the East) in his latest power rankings.
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373 comments Add your comment
NY JETS
January 18th, 2010
3:13 pm
Bibby,who is that?
The Dude (Andrew Sherwin)
January 18th, 2010
3:13 pm
One of the posters whose name has a lot of capital letters sucks and should go somewhere else.
Go Hawks!
Mark Bradley
January 18th, 2010
3:13 pm
West forces an over-and-back on Durant as OK was aligning for the last shot. Then Zaza misses a bunny at the buzzer.
Hawks down three at the half. Not bad, considering.
Lori
January 18th, 2010
3:13 pm
Mark, any word on that protest yet? Or are they intending to ignore it and give the crybaby Lebron the unfair win?
Maybe so
January 18th, 2010
3:14 pm
Live from the Hawks’ MLK matinee: Alarms are sounding! —— That title will probably be spun by Mr. Sharpton.
Westurd
January 18th, 2010
3:14 pm
a bunny…………likes like calling someone a “fine fella”
NY JETS
January 18th, 2010
3:14 pm
will there be a team in Las Vegas?
Sonny Clusters
January 18th, 2010
3:14 pm
Clusters checking in. We was wondering how far it is to the concessions or if they bring food to you? When we was playing ball we could never pay for a thing.
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
3:15 pm
No Daniel, at home with Mrs. Sautee. She’s baking some delicious oatmeal cookies.
I wonder how long the guards will still walk it up with Josh and Al getting out in front of them.
J.J.M.
January 18th, 2010
3:16 pm
I wonder why the games are always blocked on nbatv
Samuel
January 18th, 2010
3:16 pm
Has there been a faster center than Horford since Bill Russell? Akeem was pretty fast but he couldn’t handle the ball like Horford.
Elmore Spencer
January 18th, 2010
3:16 pm
If this team had drafted Chris Paul instead of Marvin in 05 we would could have won the whole thing.
Ree Roe
January 18th, 2010
3:16 pm
Mark,
How many All Stars do the Hawks have this yr?
-REEcently Roe!!!
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
3:17 pm
LOL at Zaza. He must have gotten at LEAST 3 inches off the floor on that missed ayup.
Mark Bradley
January 18th, 2010
3:17 pm
It’s not far to the concessions, Sonny. But then the payment factor enters in. And I literally gave my last dollar to Haiti relief yesterday.
They don’t bring food to us. No free food at the Hawks or the Thrashers.
Greg
January 18th, 2010
3:18 pm
Jamal, Jamal, Jamal, so glad to have you on our team, the HAWKS!!! Keep up the good work guys, y’all are playing great basketball and are a very exciting team to watch. I Love me Some Hawks B-Ball, keep rocking, Love it!!
G$
Mark Bradley
January 18th, 2010
3:18 pm
The Hawks should hear the result of their protest tomorrow, Lori. This courtesy of new AJC beat writer Michael Cunningham.
Elmore Spencer
January 18th, 2010
3:19 pm
I have a theory that Sonny Clusters and MB are one and the same.
Mark Bradley
January 18th, 2010
3:19 pm
I’m guessing Joe makes it and nobody else, Ree Roe, but Josh and Horfy both have a case.
Sonny Clusters
January 18th, 2010
3:20 pm
Speaking of Stinky Wintes earlier, he played in the middle and was a good rebounder but when he raised his arms up in the air nobody wanted to be down on the court with him. That made him very effective under the basket. We have not heard all that much from him since he graduated Princeton but we do know he did some advanced studies at Wharton. Last we heard they was a building being named for him at one or the other. We heard he met a girl and she cleaned him up a good bit.
Lori
January 18th, 2010
3:20 pm
Thanks Mark for answering my questions. How do you see the protest playing out?
And nice job Cunningham, welcome to AJC man.
Mark Bradley
January 18th, 2010
3:21 pm
A faster center, Samuel? Kareem could run pretty well. But not many could outrun Horford. And he’s even faster this season, what with his offseason conditioning/weight loss.
Mark Bradley
January 18th, 2010
3:21 pm
Am I to interpret this as Stinky no longer being Stinky, Sonny?
Raph
January 18th, 2010
3:23 pm
how is the crowd today, in the office, so cant watch it and could not go.
Freshmaker
January 18th, 2010
3:24 pm
Elmore, I agree – if you add Paul to this team then we’d win a title. If we’d drafted him back in the day, though, we would’ve been better the next few years and missed out on Horford. You can’t just swap Williams and Paul. Marvin’s actually pretty good for what we ask him to do. He’s the 5th option when he’s in, and he doesn’t complain about it. One of our better defenders and can get to the line when needed. He’s certainly not flashy, but he’s a good fit for this team IMO.
Mark Bradley
January 18th, 2010
3:24 pm
Crowd isn’t great. Maybe two-thirds full.
Elmore Spencer
January 18th, 2010
3:25 pm
I have a theory that Sonny Clusters and MB are one and the same.
I mean I see em both at Dairy Queen. But never at the same time.
PMC
January 18th, 2010
3:26 pm
The pass from Josh Smith to whoever hit that 3 in the corner before the half was awesome.
Lori
January 18th, 2010
3:27 pm
PMC, that would be Mike Bibby, if I remember correctly.
Sonny Clusters
January 18th, 2010
3:28 pm
Mark, giving money to Haitian relief is a good thing. We have a buddy that’s over there helping right now and he is telling us about it. He arrived on Thursday and the relief materials he’s to distribute are held up somewhere and he’s trying to get the UN to help so he can get them on the ground and to the people that need them. Somehow, they need to get the aid to the victims. We was sorry to get off on that tangent but it’s true.
Lori
January 18th, 2010
3:29 pm
This idiot announcer called the Thunder, the “Orlando” Thunder … thought it was the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Mark Bradley
January 18th, 2010
3:30 pm
I can halt that rumor in its tracks. I am not Sonny Clusters.
Mark Bradley
January 18th, 2010
3:31 pm
The feed from Smith was to Mike Bibby, PMC. And it was pretty. Josh has five assists and 11 points.
Six assists now. Another pass to MB.
JSS
January 18th, 2010
3:31 pm
Mark Bradley…
A great day to commemorate the life of Dr. King (and all of those who fought for social justice)
Thanks for the contribution to Haiti Relief, it is greatly needed… Not going to mention the AJC Blogger Cause page for Haiti Relief today… Oops, MY BAD!!!
If you talk to Jeff Schultz, he can pass along some bad news that I got from Haiti this morning to you…
Daniel…
I’ll have to get you with me friend Vishnu in Liverpool… His family has had season subscription at Anfield since 1974!
Go Glasgow Celtic by the way, “You’ll never walk alone!”
Mark Bradley
January 18th, 2010
3:32 pm
Durant sticks a jumper over Marvin. OK by nine again.
J.J.M.
January 18th, 2010
3:34 pm
man i wish we could trade marvin for better pieces
Sam from da Swats
January 18th, 2010
3:34 pm
Marvin is a clown!! Post that
Mark Bradley
January 18th, 2010
3:35 pm
Marvin hasn’t exactly taken the new deal and run with it.
Sonny Clusters
January 18th, 2010
3:35 pm
We would like to establish right now that we are not Mark Bradley but we have been reading him since we was a baby.
Mark Bradley
January 18th, 2010
3:37 pm
Durant with a three. Marvin got lost.
Mark Bradley
January 18th, 2010
3:38 pm
Now Durant gets fouled on a runout. (Not by Marvin.) He has 22. Thunder by 14.
Sam from da Swats
January 18th, 2010
3:38 pm
Put Mario or Mo Evans in immediately for Marvin
Elmore Spencer
January 18th, 2010
3:39 pm
Hmmmm Denials by both
Bruce Wayne would be proud boys
Mark Bradley
January 18th, 2010
3:39 pm
Marvin with an offensive rebound. He gets fouled.
Sam from da Swats
January 18th, 2010
3:39 pm
Mark, he’s taking the money alright…
willie martinez
January 18th, 2010
3:40 pm
Mark, is Brook Whitmire at the game?
d.carter
January 18th, 2010
3:40 pm
Mike bibby is useless on defense
Mark Bradley
January 18th, 2010
3:40 pm
Marvin Williams: Three points, one rebound.
d.carter
January 18th, 2010
3:40 pm
stop the damn switching
JM
January 18th, 2010
3:41 pm
We haven’t been very sharp at home lately. I don’t know why.