Watch the NBA finals. You’ll see why the Hawks aren’t there
Westbrook, LeBron, Durant: All of them are better than the Hawks' best player. (AP photo)
I’ll admit it. I thought it, and I even wrote it. With Derrick Rose gone and with Chris Bosh hurting, the Hawks might have had a chance to make serious noise in these NBA playoffs — had they contrived to survive Round 1, which they didn’t. But now I’m watching the Heat and the Thunder have at one another in their made-for-the-Weather-Channel finals, and I’m thinking …
Nah.
I know, I know. The Hawks managed to beat Oklahoma City in their one meeting this regular season, and they even beat Miami in Miami on the second day of the calendar year. But could anyone — and here I’m talking mostly to myself — have seriously seen the local NBA franchise giving either of these a real postseason run? With all parties at full strength, could the Hawks have taken even a game off the Heat or the Thunder?
I know, I know. Here you’re saying, “The Hawks aren’t as good as the teams playing for the NBA title — this is news?” Well, no. But I’m guessing we’ll be hearing very soon that the Hawks have decided to give it one more go with their Core Four, and I can’t see staying that course having much upside. As is, the Hawks aren’t quite talented enough or committed enough to matter.
The Heat and the Thunder are apt to be sorting out championships for a long while. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are 23 — as noted previously, that’s younger than the young Hawks hope Jeff Teague — and LeBron James is barely a year older than Josh Smith. Yes, the Hawks have collected a handful of gifted players, but none among them is a superstar. Miami and OKC have two superstars apiece, and that’s not counting Chris Bosh.
And it’s not just the players — it’s also the organizations. The Heat have Pat Riley as patriarch; the Thunder are run by the rising star Sam Presti. The Hawks … well, they may or may not be in the market for a new general manager. Rick Sund’s contract is due to lapse as month’s end, and nobody’s sure whether he’ll stay in place. If he doesn’t, are the Hawks apt to go hire a hot shot from some other organization?
Let’s ask ourselves this: What happened when this team last had a key opening? They hired Larry Drew, who’d been Mike Woodson’s assistant for six seasons, to replace the fired Woodson. Drew has been neither bust nor smash, which is the story of the Hawks. They’ve settled in as a plus-.500 team, and nothing about this crew suggests that an upward spike is at hand. Yes, they finished with the fourth-best record in the East with Horford gone for 55 games, but that’s also what the Hawks do: They offer hope only to snatch it away.
We saw in Round 1 the difference between the regular season and the playoffs. Doc Rivers didn’t worry about resting his aging Celtics, while Drew left his starters out too long as the lead began to dwindle in the pivotal Game 2. (That was the night Rajon Rondo didn’t play due to suspension.) By Game 4, the Hawks — even with Smith and Horford back from their respective injuries — were back to their wretched habit of getting blown out. They lost that night by 22 points after trailing by 37.
To their credit, the Hawks mustered stouter efforts in Games 5 and 6. But the lasting impression of the Hawks — under both Woodson and Drew — is of a team that never has fully believed it’s cut from championship cloth. It knows it has no LeBron, no Durant, no Dwyane Wade, no Westbrook. The Core Four, together since 2007, knows full well that it’s capable of going so far but no further, and it also knows that its management pales alongside Miami’s or OKC’s or San Antonio’s or Boston’s or Chicago’s or the Lakers’ or …
OK, you get the point. You get the point better than I do. Because there are some nights — like March 3, when the Hawks beat the Thunder without Horford and Joe Johnson — when I think, “You know, if this team played like that every night …”
But that’s the thing: This team doesn’t play like that every night, and as constituted it never will. And I can’t really see this front office, with Sund or without, making the bold moves needed to step up in class. I see only more of the Core, of which we’ve already seen too much.
By Mark Bradley
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159 comments Add your comment
crose714
June 18th, 2012
3:43 pm
First? Afternoon Mark!
Jon Koncak
June 18th, 2012
3:44 pm
Bring back Jon Koncak.
crose714
June 18th, 2012
3:48 pm
Unfortunately, I believe the odds that the Hawks could win a playoff series against a caliber team like the Thunder or the Heat are the same as the Braves winning an American League East series. Just not going to happen.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 18th, 2012
3:49 pm
Can’t win in the NBA without superstars. The longer the Hawks keep this team together, the more they continue to prove they don’t care about winning titles.
With that said they are still sadly the best team in Atlanta until the Braves or Falcons decide to show up in the playoffs.
Matt.A
June 18th, 2012
3:54 pm
It is pretty crazy to see the mistakes this organization has made and I’m sure will continue to do so in the future. Drafting M Williams instead of Chris Paul, trading Jordan Crawford & a 1st rounder for Kirk H, then only to discover Teague can actually play as opposed to ride the bench. Hiring an assistant of the coach that couldnt get the job done to begin with just to save some money? The ownership of the Hawks is satisfied with being average, that just doesnt make sense
DIT
June 18th, 2012
3:56 pm
“Why aren’t the Hawks in the NBA Finals?”
This is a trick question right?
Slimjr
June 18th, 2012
3:56 pm
No doubt the braves are by a mile the worst professional team in Atlanta!
They also have the worst coach!
Rutherford Seydel's bubonic chronic
June 18th, 2012
3:58 pm
It’s ownership, plain and simple. It starts at the top. Until that changes, ain’t nothing gonna change.
Heisenberg
June 18th, 2012
4:00 pm
nice try….good game
juvenal
June 18th, 2012
4:01 pm
would have drafted better drawing names out of a hat….
StanCo
June 18th, 2012
4:01 pm
Such a shame we have ownership and management like we do for both the Hawks and the Braves. This is the results we expect, and the best we can expect, from both teams!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pitiful and Very disappointing!!
Ghost of 'Nique's Past
June 18th, 2012
4:03 pm
Put EVERYONE on the trading block. Hear every offer and stockpile draft picks. Try to sign Brandon Bass and Brandon Jennings who are both free agents this year. No superstar is going to come here, so try to obtain as many good players as possible through free agency and the draft. What am I saying. The Hawks will find a way to screw this up.
lenzo G
June 18th, 2012
4:09 pm
jeje!!!!!!!!! for threeeeee
Blow It Up
June 18th, 2012
4:09 pm
Looking forward to first- or second-round playoff exits in 2013, 2014, 2015 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. It adds a measure of predictability to my life.
mwb
June 18th, 2012
4:14 pm
worst sports town ever and will continue to be. Braves,hawks,falcons,bulldogs and GT.
Priest Lauderdale
June 18th, 2012
4:20 pm
Bring back the GIANT! He should be able to rim protect better than Mr Camel toe? Huh?
Stick a fork in them
June 18th, 2012
4:21 pm
Fredi for President!
drmaryb .(*_*).
June 18th, 2012
4:26 pm
Tragic!
Poop is wrong as usual, but it’s funny that he thinks the Hawks are better than the Braves and Falcons when it’s just plain easier to “win” in the joke that is the NBA post-season. The Hawks have a roster of BEEFCAKES with ZERO BRAINS!
BYE, JOSH!!!
Mark: Buy a Clue
June 18th, 2012
4:27 pm
Hawks have been and continue to be a write off for the seven one percenter’s (BASG)
Ball Busting Atlanta Spirit Group
Peter
June 18th, 2012
4:27 pm
They need a go too guy.. JJ is NOT ONE. They need a center, not a Power Forward playing the position.and that is just for starters.
They need a real small forward that can supply offensive punch.. That means getting rid of Marvin Williams.
The Real Thunder Dan
June 18th, 2012
4:32 pm
Forget Koncak, bring back Dan Roundfield.
Mark: Buy a Clue
June 18th, 2012
4:39 pm
Atlanta is a sports town? Go figure….
Sage of Bluesland
June 18th, 2012
4:41 pm
Mark Bradley finally understands the importance of “organizations”.
Just wow.
Too bad he didn’t understand that when he kept defending the embarrassing incompetence of Pete Babcock.
Too bad there isn’t real competition in this town for the newspaper.
Too bad there are still so many sheep who will continue to subsidize these wretched sports organizations Atlanta is saddled with. Want real change? There is only one way: cut the funds; funds they do not deserve.
Geaux Tigers
June 18th, 2012
4:44 pm
“Watch the NBA finals. You’ll see why the Hawks aren’t there”
The short answer is because they are the Hawks.
Sam
June 18th, 2012
4:46 pm
One of the best articles of yours I have ever read Mr. Bradley. Got me all fired up – against the Hawks!
THUNDER STICKS
June 18th, 2012
4:46 pm
1)ownership (def of dysfunctional)
2)GM -major misses in the draft, signing extensions that cripple the team(m williams and joe johnson).
ROD
June 18th, 2012
4:48 pm
Mark two words for you, JOE JOHNSON!!!! Until the tin man finds a heart, the Hawks will never win. He’s not a leader, he’s inconsistent, and just an average player. I’m old school, I’m not use to this kind of play in today’s NBA. Bring back BIRD, MJ, MAGIC, and others. Any team should be able to win in this league.
BOB
June 18th, 2012
4:51 pm
“like March 3, when the Hawks beat the Thunder without Horford and Joe Johnson ”
And there, in a phrase, Bark Madley has captured the essence of the matter. The Gearon LLC has from day 1 focused on the wrong players to build around, albeit for different reasons. Joe has cost the Hawks both in terms of cash and credibility more than they can ever recover and frankly, Gearon et al will maintain to the signing of the sales agreement that signing him twice was not a mistake.
With All Pro Al, they have a pedigreed player who has openly clashed with both team mates and management about his role on the team yet is treated in some press accounts as both a model citizen as well as a team leader. (Just one question: how hard has this guy worked on his body since arriving to better survive the physical rigors of playing center?)
The Hawks’ internal politics are what prevents them from moving to the top more than any perceived lack of talent.
welikebaseball2
June 18th, 2012
4:53 pm
Ugh. Ownership – clueless & cheap. Head coach – average (at best) & easily outcoached on any given night (you get what you pay for). Roster – decent enough to make the playoffs & inconsistent enough to be blown right out of said playoffs.
Brownie
June 18th, 2012
4:54 pm
Answering this blog question is essentially a lay-up…..they’re just not talented enough, well-coached enough, or motivated enough.
However, I’ll offer a different viewpoint for everyone to slam……this team under ASG has shown tremendous success over the past few years!!
1. they elected to tear down the roster to start over – succeeded.
2. they drafted more talented players than previously here – succeeded.
3. they focused on improving their play and record year over year – wildly succeeded.
4. they were driven to make the playoffs – yep, succeeded year after year
5. they wanted to win in the playoffs – another success (although not this year)
Let’s face it, compared to the incredibly dismal performance by all of the Hawks teams at least since the ’80s for the most part, this core group has been very good…..just not exceptional. I would wager that 8 years ago or so, none of the Hawks ownership/management even considered winning a championship as a possibility – let’s just keep improving to show our fans that we’re trying to make headway and to enjoy some ever-expanding success.
Funny how some success changes our definition of success.
Now having said all of that, the Hawks have absolutely plateaued. Along with the above-described successes, ownership’s failures have been overpowering: horrible draft-day decisions, sub-standard coaching talent, resigning limited players to big contracts, etc. They stuck to their “core” group plan way too long.
Nothing they can really do now to fix this in order to win a championship in the next 5 years or so. JJ’s contract is suffocating. ONLY thing they can do to improve at all is to trade Josh Smith – he doesn’t want to be here anyway, and he has proven he is not a true leader.
OK, enough of this…when does football start?
Watch the NBA finals. You’ll see why the Hawks aren’t there – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | Basketball Video Zone
June 18th, 2012
4:56 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Mark: Buy a Clue
June 18th, 2012
5:01 pm
News Flash Mark: Mr Blank is already looking for a replacement QB. He offered to make a block buster trade with Denver to acquire Peyton Manning, word on the street..
Hunting Dawg
June 18th, 2012
5:02 pm
Who was this article about??? A professional basketball team in Atlanta??? Didn’t know there was one. Guess you learn something new everyday!
LakeDawg
June 18th, 2012
5:02 pm
Who are the Hawks?
RealTAlk
June 18th, 2012
5:03 pm
I think we should hang the Atlanta Spirit LLC on Peachtree. It would be Bigger than a World Championship Parade. What a Bunch of Clowns. I am 32 and from Atlanta. I can’t get over that they ran off Hockey for the last time in our lifetime.What a bunch of Carpet Bagger Clowns!!
Steve
June 18th, 2012
5:04 pm
“Mark: Buy A Clue” = Moron.
welikebaseball2
June 18th, 2012
5:05 pm
Ugh. Ownership – clueless & cheap. GM – the guy no one else wanted & likely the only GM ownership could persuade to step into this mess for peanuts. Head coach – the walking discount prone to be outcoached on any given night. Roster – decent enough to make the playoffs consistently yet inconsistent enough to be blown right out of said playoffs.
Gary
June 18th, 2012
5:09 pm
Mark, if we don’t have a bona fide star, why are we paying the salary for one? The hope for this team lies not in its players, or their coach. Its the ownership that can’t get it together and develop a plan for producing a winner. Until the owners can agree to focus on doing whatever it takes to produce a real winner, including starting with an experienced GM who knows how to build a playoff contender, all we can hope is to host a couple of playoff games in the first round each year. Right now we have a playground team, not a playoff contender.
Ted M
June 18th, 2012
5:10 pm
yep …same ole same. The Hawks have to wait till JJ contract is up to begin the rebuilding process.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 18th, 2012
5:12 pm
“Poop is wrong as usual, but it’s funny that he thinks the Hawks are better than the Braves and Falcons when it’s just plain easier to “win” in the joke that is the NBA post-season.”
Fake drmaryb (pretty obvious that is not the real drmaryb), in the last 6 years we have seen the 83 win St. Louis Cardinals and the 9 win New York Giants win championships. Name one NBA team that was one or two games above .500 in the regular season and caught fire and won it all in the postseason, at least in a non-lockout shortened year. Didn’t think so. You have to be good to win in the NBA playoffs.
VinceVanGo
June 18th, 2012
5:16 pm
Here’s my suggestion for the Hawks with limited resources available. Trade Josh Smith now for the highest 1st round pick they can get. Trade Marvin Williams and their 2nd round pick hopefully for a 1st round pick. Then use their three 1st round picks to start rebuilding. Trade Joe Johnson in the next year or two as his contract winds down. As they would say in the auto repair industry, this “core” has many leaks and needs to be replaced, not repaired. Build around Teague and Horford(as a power forward).
Mark Bradley
June 18th, 2012
5:17 pm
Belated kudos to crose.
moorman
June 18th, 2012
5:19 pm
yall STILL dont get it………….the nba is run by david sterns……..its MARKETING…………….they pick what players go where and the playoffs……………
moorman
June 18th, 2012
5:21 pm
the nba doesnt have a OVERRIDING reason to “make” the hawks a championship team…………its M.A.R.K.E.T.I.N.G. no different than W.W.E. .WRESTLING……….
moorman
June 18th, 2012
5:22 pm
its ALMOST football season, and the NBA M.A.R.K.E.T.I.N.G. is STILL in full effect. they drag the playoffs and finals out over 3 months………..
ShoNuff
June 18th, 2012
5:29 pm
OMG Matt.A @ 354pm today!!!!! I’ve been screaming that all year!!!! We have dug ourselves into a hole and the ONLY way out is actually blow this team up and stay in that hole for a couple of years.
ATLtodolavida
June 18th, 2012
5:33 pm
The Hawks have been the best men’s professional team in Atlanta for the past 3 or 4 years, though.
ATLtodolavida
June 18th, 2012
5:34 pm
Enter your comments here
Gene
June 18th, 2012
5:34 pm
If you think about it. The Hawks haven’t had a winning coach, much less an experienced coach since Lenny Wilkens. After that they either hired a college coach or an assistant coach who has NEVER been a head coach. They need to stop hiring these “newbies” and hire someone established so they can light a fire underneath them. We have suffered long enough!!!!!
Spyro
June 18th, 2012
5:36 pm
“I’m old school, I’m not use to this kind of play in today’s NBA. Bring back BIRD, MJ, MAGIC, and others. Any team should be able to win in this league.”
So… you say any team should be able to win, but you want to go back to the times where only like three teams had a shot?
Moobs Johnson
June 18th, 2012
5:43 pm
Only way the Hawks will win a championship is if they switched to the WNBA.
Traci
June 18th, 2012
6:06 pm
Every year we heard we are “rebuilding” that went on fir 6 years. We got Josh#1 and Josh#2 and Bibby and Joe Johnson. Still didnt get any better. The worst part..was this team had the nerve to insult the fans that did come out. ome of the WORST scoring performances in the NBA. Remember the niight they scored 45 points total. Yep an NBA team that can barely score 45 measely points. THAT SHOWED theyhave no pride and no work ethic. And the worst part. The article in the newspaper read: ” We don’t care what anyone says..we only care about the opinions voiced in the locker room..!!!”. Well if that not the inmates running the asylum, then what is! take a hike Hawks..and take thise sorry 1 playoff game winning Falcons with YOU.
Traci
June 18th, 2012
6:09 pm
typed on a iPhone sorry for the typos..but the sentiments the same… I know a LOSER when I see one..Hawks and the Falcons….brand a “L” on your forehead.
Jelly Roll Morton
June 18th, 2012
6:14 pm
I’m hoping that OKC loses and the media pins the entire blame on Russell Westbrook. Can you guys imagine a scenario where the Hawks could make a trade for Westbrook? Russell is not making as much as JJ, but if they throw in a player or two it could definitely work. Ressell Westbrook is a bonafide superstar…with a ton of heart and a killer instinct. Just what Atlanta needs.
No offense against the current Hawks but everyone outside of Horford should be on the trading block.
native atlantan
June 18th, 2012
6:40 pm
A team in the middle of the pack like Atlanta isnt good enough to go far, and not bad enough to begin to get any better. Coaching is middle of the road, and ownership by a committee of 6 or 7 will never, I say NEVER work.
Angry Bird
June 18th, 2012
6:50 pm
We have a superstar…Joe Johnson. He makes over 20 million per year.
Vel Crow
June 18th, 2012
7:02 pm
The Hawks lost in the first round because they were too cheap to resign Jamal Crawford. If they had Jamal, they would have beat the Celtics, and made a run in the playoffs. I think Portland got him for 5 mil.
Slimjr
June 18th, 2012
7:02 pm
This is a players driven league [The NBA]!
Larry Drew would probably be in the finals too if he were the Heat’s head coach..
C’mon Eric Spoelstra is no better?
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Steve
June 18th, 2012
7:09 pm
Enter your comments here
cpsman_atlanta
June 18th, 2012
7:10 pm
Ownership. Bring back the Thrashers. BOYCOTT ATLANTA SPIRIT GROUP!!!
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Steve
June 18th, 2012
7:14 pm
I’m a mad little man
WhoCares?
June 18th, 2012
7:15 pm
Let me be clear, Mark: The Hawks do not deserve local support as currently constituted. Management is pathetic, and the team now inhabits a personality that cannot allow it to be of championship caliber. I’ve been to games in each of the last three years; no more. They need a new coach and an infusion of new players through intelligently managed trades and absolutely NO HOPE of getting that.
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KevinM
June 18th, 2012
7:25 pm
Good thing the Hawks have been successful in the draft. Otherwise, we might have had some serious scheduling conflicts in Philips.
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hawks21
June 18th, 2012
7:36 pm
I understand that everyone want to TRADE Josh! Do you think we can get a TRUE value for him. He has very good numbers, how many PF can fill up the stats sheet? Gasol brothers,Alredge,Blake,etc I like Al but he is a better center than PF!
DawgNole
June 18th, 2012
7:43 pm
Matt.A
June 18th, 2012
3:54 pm
It is pretty crazy to see the mistakes this organization has made and I’m sure will continue to do so in the future. Drafting M Williams instead of Chris Paul, trading Jordan Crawford & a 1st rounder for Kirk H, then only to discover Teague can actually play as opposed to ride the bench. Hiring an assistant of the coach that couldnt get the job done to begin with just to save some money? The ownership of the Hawks is satisfied with being average, that just doesnt make sense
________________________
And hasn’t made sense for 44 years.
DawgNole
June 18th, 2012
7:54 pm
Brownie
June 18th, 2012
4:54 pm
. . . I’ll offer a different viewpoint for everyone to slam……this team under ASG has shown tremendous success over the past few years!!
1. they elected to tear down the roster to start over – succeeded.
2. they drafted more talented players than previously here – succeeded.
3. they focused on improving their play and record year over year – wildly succeeded.
4. they were driven to make the playoffs – yep, succeeded year after year
5. they wanted to win in the playoffs – another success (although not this year)
_____________________
And what has all this “tremendous success” earned them? Not one iota of progress in 44 years at the only level it counts–the postseason.
You call this success? Your standards are no better than theirs.
DawgNole
June 18th, 2012
7:58 pm
Traci
June 18th, 2012
6:09 pm
typed on a iPhone sorry for the typos..but the sentiments the same… I know a LOSER when I see one..Hawks and the Falcons….brand a “L” on your forehead.
___________________
Don’t forget the Braves. And Thrashers. And Flames. See a common thread here?
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fsubrave
June 18th, 2012
8:14 pm
the hawks arent there because they lost to boston…LOL..no other reason
justahawkfan
June 18th, 2012
9:08 pm
There are 27 other teams not at the NBA finals. The Hawks are more likely to get there than most of them!! Stop compaining and buy ticket so that the broke owners can sign better players. That how this thing work.
BartBuzz
June 18th, 2012
9:28 pm
The Hawks can’t come through when the big games are on the line. Bad coaching and inflated egos have a lot to do with it.
steven a smith
June 18th, 2012
9:33 pm
5. Stoudemire
4. Gasol
3. Ivan Johnson/Metta World Peace
2. Kurt Hinrich
1. Jeff Teague
I know, Iknow, stop dreaming….
Harpie
June 18th, 2012
9:46 pm
This Hawks team might do somethiing if they didn’t have a piece-of-crap coach who doesn’t know what he’s doing. That’s their main problem, and of course he’s been brought back for next season. BOOOOOOO!
DawgNole
June 18th, 2012
9:57 pm
justahawkfan
June 18th, 2012
9:08 pm
There are 27 other teams not at the NBA finals. The Hawks are more likely to get there than most of them!! Stop compaining and buy ticket so that the broke owners can sign better players. That how this thing work.
_________________________
Idiots like you have been saying BS like this for 44 years–with ZERO results. THAT’S “how this thing work.”
ede
June 18th, 2012
9:59 pm
think the celtics would do a josh smith,jeff teague for rondo deal??
youcrazydiamond
June 18th, 2012
10:00 pm
We are so screwed.
I am David Stern
June 18th, 2012
10:02 pm
and I am god of the NBE……uh,NBA! The Hawks are not worthy of my ring because nobody buys their jerseys and Nike and Gatorade lost Josh Smith’s phone number. Oklahoma City is lucky the Supersonics drafted Durant or else I would have let the Lakers back in the finals. I am David Stern, and I will take your money….suckers!
Coach D
June 18th, 2012
10:04 pm
Not only do we need Koncak, but I think Dan Roundfield would be a great back up power forward! Tree Rollins was seen in the gym the other day, hankering Rick Sund for a try-out.
Dawglasville
June 18th, 2012
10:13 pm
moorman – I’m with you. I have never cried officiating in my life. I’ve seen bad calls cost teams I love huge games. Eric Greg’s strikes zone and the Jasper Sanks fumble come to mind. Those were bad call and stupid officiating. But for the first time in my 40 years of watching sports I believe that the fix is in. I have no doubt that Stern is behind it. You can’t sell a bad guy unless he wins it all. In three down to the wire games how many times have you said to yourself, “Man, the Thunder got screwed on that call?” The Thunder will eventually get a few outragous calls go their way, when there is about five minutes left to go in the series deciding win by the Heat, when it is clearly over, that is when OKC will get their make up calls. You watch. What will happen to Stern? Same thing as Clemmens and Bonds…nothing.
Before it starts, don’t ask (or tell) me to quit the Lebron and Wade hate. When they win this, they will go back to being the same jerks they were before Boston took them to 7. This whole, “We are humble. We are a team’” deal will be over. There will be no praise for Battier or Haslem from those three. Back to the same d-bags who mocked Dirks cold. Back to the same 3 coming out who starred in their own party the night after The Decision. (I know that it was ownerships fault, but boy those guys struggled to put on a mack fest.) These guys are going to be even easier to hate as I have to listen to Stan Van Gundy cry for two and a half hours about how unfair Lebron is being treated every game he calls next season.
Back in the day the commissioners had nads. Now we have cereal boxes and scripts. The reak players are being weeded out. For every Ocho Cinco there should be a Lester Hayes. For every Barry Bonds there should be a Bob Gibson. For every Lebron there should be a Bill Russell. The closest I’ve seen to letting a player, actually play, is Hines. I only wish that Deon would have met Mr. Ward instead of Ed Reed.
Beast from the East
June 18th, 2012
10:14 pm
Hawks would go down in either 4 or 5 games to either team in the finals. Plus, at least 3 of those losses wold be by 20+. The inferior ownership group has totally screwed this franchise for the foreseeable future. Re-signing JJ to a max contract sealed the deal.
steven a smith
June 18th, 2012
10:16 pm
Offer Joe Johnson to New York for Amare
Josh Smith and one for Pau Gasol
Steve Nash(F/A contract)
S/F (draft pick)
Jeff Teague(new 2 guard)
Coach of the Thunder Keeps Grinding It Out – New York Times | Free NBA Videos
June 18th, 2012
10:20 pm
[...] admits frustration over benching in NBA FinalsLos Angeles TimesYahoo! Sports -NewsOK.com -Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)all 3,169 news [...]
Sports Facts » Coach of the Thunder Keeps Grinding It Out – New York Times
June 18th, 2012
10:23 pm
[...] admits frustration over benching in NBA FinalsLos Angeles TimesYahoo! Sports -NewsOK.com -Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)all 3,093 news [...]
Eb
June 18th, 2012
10:30 pm
It’s the pitiful ownership here plain and simple. If these guys owned a NASCAR team, they’d hire a cheap inexperienced driver, overpay for a top notch car, and run it on retread tires and low grade fuel. These guys have botched more drafts, trades, organizational moves, and PR decisions in 9 years than most owners have done in 50 years. They have zero credibility with the city due to this ineptness and outright lies to the fans. The ASG must know they have burned their bridges here and will never get any respect in ATL. I suspect they’d sell the team in a second if they could find a buyer willing to pay “their price”. I’m sure these idiots have an inflated sense of what the team and Phillips rights are worth given their total lack of business acumen displayed over these 9 long years. How these dolts ever made a dime in business is the real head scratcher here. People here can talk about dropping JJ, breaking up the core, getting a new coach, new GM, new fill in the blank, and it won’t matter until this group of misfit owners is removed.
Ron
June 18th, 2012
11:17 pm
“With that said they are still sadly the best team in Atlanta until the Braves or Falcons decide to show up in the playoffs.”
Hawks got bounced in the first round just like the others. That little meme died a tragic death.
tony
June 18th, 2012
11:19 pm
I think there is one player in this league who could help this team get to the finals. His name is Steve Nash. With Nash ability to distribute the basketball, this team will become lethal.
My wish lineup:
1) Steve Nash…………………………JT
2) J.Johnson…………………………..John Jenkins-rookie
3) Andrew Nicholson-R…………….MW
4) J.Smith……………………………….Robert Sacre-undraft free agent
5) Al Hortford…………………………..ZaZa
Whopper Dawg
June 18th, 2012
11:32 pm
Yep, Hawks are their usual mess and it is not changing any time soon.
They have their shot with the run of lotto picks and whiffed pretty much. The Thunder on that other hand picked and scored. The Heat is a created team made by egotistical superstars and one I hope hits the trash heap.
Heat back in familiar ground, hold 2-1 Finals lead – SI.com | The Basketball Site
June 19th, 2012
12:14 am
[...] Game 7 in NBA FinalsLos Angeles Times5 things to note from Game 3 of the NBA FinalsYahoo! SportsAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog) -New York Times -Boston.comall 3,014 news [...]
mdr
June 19th, 2012
12:30 am
The Hawks are not committed to winning championships, therefore they will not win championships. It is just that simple.
gator
June 19th, 2012
12:49 am
This is a no brainer, OKC has been in existence 3 years or less, and are in the finals the hawks have been around what 35 years or more and never been to the finals, hello it could be bad owner ship and managment.
Braves 4 tries 1 title, Falcons 1 superbowl in 40 years and lost that one, UGA last title 1980 before cell phones and faxes, can you say loserville Georgia
buckk
June 19th, 2012
1:25 am
Knew the HATING would surface BUT not on a HAWKS story. What a strange Dawg Hater!
AG
June 19th, 2012
6:21 am
yes, i know the hawks need a center to win a championship – just like the heat and thunder each have a dominate center!
GT
June 19th, 2012
7:59 am
I totally agree. If you could win looking like a basketball player the Hawks are right in there with anybody. It is that panic time at the end of a close game when Smith thinks he can take charge but has no natural talent for spotlight finish ,when the other team cares who wins, that separates this team from a champion. Adult basketball, where the adults take the floor is where they are lacking.
333
June 19th, 2012
8:24 am
I am a sports fanatic—love them all, from football to golf to tennis to soccer, and even COLLEGE basketball(not near as thuggish), but this crap called the NBA–you couldn’t pay me enough to waste my time to go. I have loads of friends who are also sports freaks, and guess what, they can’t stand it either! Who the heck goes to see this garbage?
khawk
June 19th, 2012
8:48 am
hawks–always mediocre, always will be—nothing ever changes in this depressing city with sports teams. but, chumps keep buying tickets and stuff, so they keep putting out the same mediocre product.
rodnatl
June 19th, 2012
8:50 am
as a hawks fan i do have a lil bit more faith than a lot of you reading this article. maybe you can liken this team to todays housing market, buy a house for 150k. it depreciates to 85k. becuz of the econ and state of ur hood, you can’t sell it. ur stuck! time is ur only option for now. only time will tell for the hawks, not Bradley’s opinion!
drmaryb .(*_*).
June 19th, 2012
8:57 am
Nasty!
Poop just pooped his pants AGAIN. It still smells better than his pathetic Hawks!
What this team needs is more BEEF!!
Nick
June 19th, 2012
9:02 am
Why would I want to watch the NBA Finals. Just a bunch of overpaid gangsters trying to boost their egos. Nothing I care to watch.
Stank Wren
June 19th, 2012
9:24 am
Maybe Priest Lauderdale is still available???
PMC
June 19th, 2012
9:25 am
The only thing you can really hope for as a fan is to have ownership that cares about winning as much as you do.
The Hawks don’t have it. You either have it or you don’t. Atlanta has it only in football. Everyone else is committed enough to try and get extra home playoff games, but that’s it.
Right now the Hawks are good enough to be a playoff team and the owners who already sold the hockey franchise are happy to get their 80+ home games a year + concert revenue.
They don’t care. We shouldn’t either.
Sports teams are commodities, if they are really good, they get attention, and support. If not, stay home. Save your money, that’s what the owner is doing.
Dejay
June 19th, 2012
9:28 am
As stated a million times, the archenemy of greatness is the satisfaction of being good. The cat’s of the bag, the genie’s out of the bottle, the horses have left the barn. The Hawks, as constituted from the ownership down to the towel boys, will always be viewed as nothing more than an ‘entertainment piece’, as 41+ dates on a calendar at Philips. They are simply not in the championship-winning business.
How I know that, you ask? For all of the decades of incompetence from a drafting standpoint alone, who have ever been called out by the organization to get better? Their lack of a real scouting department (along with Billy Knight’s ego) is the chief reason why stiffs like Josh Childress, Marvin Williams, and Shelden Williams wore Hawk gear instead of guys who could actually PLAY like Luol Deng, Al Jefferson, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Danny Granger, Rudy Gay, and so on. How many teams you know of blow FOUR OUT OF FIVE LOTTERY PICKS and still manage to make the conference finals and beyond? Take your time; I’ll wait on your answer.
Stuff like this, along with refusing to hire a veteran coach to corral Josh Smith from launching one 20-foot brick after another (Larry Drew isn’t it) and not acquiring REAL players to compliment what’s here (sorry but bringing in an old Tracy McGrady isn’t enough) is why guys like Dwight Howard, Steve Nash, and Chris Paul walk away laughing when the Hawks are mentioned as potential suitors for their services. It’s why the locals utterly refuse to spend a dime on their product unless (insert superstar here) is in town. What other company in America blames its failings on the customers instead of the product they’re putting out? Check that; what SUCCESSFUL company in America blames its failings on the customers instead of the product they’re putting out? I haven’t read any stories about the makers of Ferrari, Porsche, or Rolls Royce blaming their customers for not buying enough of their cars or Apple calling out their supporters for not hitting their profit margins; you?
When this team gets serious about winning games that MATTER, we won’t have to worry about Josh Smith taking the second most 16-20 footers in the league next to Kobe. We won’t have to worry about Jeff Teague looking lost on the perimeter, JJ not showing up for big games, Marvin Williams falling down in the lane, or Larry Drew’s blank stare. And most importantly, we won’t have to worry about the national media questioning why there are so many empty seats in the building for Hawks games. We’ll just know….
mark
June 19th, 2012
9:29 am
Nick
June 19th, 2012
9:02 am
Why would I want to watch the NBA Finals. Just a bunch of overpaid gangsters trying to boost their egos. Nothing I care to watch.
Then don’t watch it plain and simple. No one is forcing you to watch it nor does anyone care what you care to watch.
DogTheMan
June 19th, 2012
9:36 am
We could alwasy bring back John Drew, Dan Roundfield, Tree Rollins, Steve Hawes, Tom McMillian, Eddie Johnson, Doc Rivers, Nique, Antione Carr, Armond Hill, Kenny Charles, Charlie Chris, Cliff Livingston, Wes Hill and hope they have someting in the tank.. Way to settle for MEDIOCRITY Atlanta Spirit!!
tmunro12
June 19th, 2012
9:39 am
Mark, I bet you wear a LeBron jersey to Phillips, like all the other band wagon NBA fans….
howard harlow
June 19th, 2012
9:39 am
These commemts are so old. EITHIER EAT JOES CONTRACT OR DO WHAT WILL BE DONE WAIT FOR TWO YEARS WHEN HIS MONEY IS FREE. TRADING JOSH WILL NOT HELP THE NOW FACTOR. We have to understand the business of the game to make rational statements about this team and ownership.
Nico
June 19th, 2012
9:49 am
I also thought the same thing for the hawks if Al would have came back for the whole Boston series and we also needed ZAZA to get physical….
For you people that dont know —->>> The Hawks have been the best men’s professional team in Atlanta for the past 5 years. get behind them. We had to keep Joe and pay him.. yes we payed him alot and I don’t think he is worth 120 mil but the owners wanted the security. Joe is our go to guy…excited to see what this year brings with Teague’s play and Al being healthy.. we need some size in the draft that likes to get Physical. If we trade Josh we need an allstar player for him.. i hope he resigns though.
G
June 19th, 2012
9:54 am
Once again, the players get blamed for mistakes at the top. Doesn’t matter what personnel changes happen on the court, when you have an incompetent ownership and GM staff.
Once there is responsible ownerhip at the top that makes competent decisions on hiring quality basketball people to make basketball decissions, the organization will improve. Do the Hawks have a President of Basketball Operations? If so, he should be fired. If not, that’s a major problem.
rock
June 19th, 2012
9:55 am
Mark, you right on the money on game 2. For whatever reason, the Coach made serious of error by playing the non-starters too long and that decision cost the Hawks the game and eventually the series.
G
June 19th, 2012
9:59 am
As for Joe, we ALL knew who he was before he signed the contract. “Kobe-money” is NOT going to make a Tier 2 player, a Tier 1 player. Joe is who he is. Fault the organization for thinking that more money will change a good player into a great one. Silly Spirit……
Big Daddy
June 19th, 2012
10:09 am
Mark, when I look at the teams that were the final 4 of the NBA playoffs, I could see at least one player, mostly 2 or more who will make the Hall Of Fame. They bring a level of play that helps to elevate those around them. When you look at the HAWKS, who do you believe will make the Hall of Fame.
When I look at the 2 teams who are playing and I understand that Joe Johnson makes more than any of them, I feel somewhat discouraged. Joe is a good player but he is not worth what he is getting paid and I have yet to see him take over more than one game at a time the way Lebron, D. Wade, Durant and Westbrook have been playing. We could have gotten someone who would have been just a big as a contributor as he has been and not have costs us nearly as much. Any GM who would take on his salary now with his production would surely be fired before the ink dried on the contract. I also don’t understand resigning Marvin.
It will take ownership to be willing to pay luxury tax or to mortgage our long term future to bring a quality player in here now. Plus, I have not seen the late game strategy from our coach that gives confidence that adjustments can be made that will be successful. For the immediate future, I think we are stuck pretty much with who we have. Smart decisions will have to be made to ensure we have a better future. I will wait to see how the GM situation plays out with hope that someone who have the basketball IQ to assemble a quality team with genuine superstars to play. I hope the Falcon aren’t stuck where they are. They have not won a playoff game yet. But their GM give me hope that the proper tweaking is happening and they will get better.
Brownie
June 19th, 2012
10:42 am
DawgNole (7:54) – I think you completely misread my meaning in my post. I would agree that the Hawks have massively underachieved the past few years, especially considering their resources, the great draft positions they’ve held, and fan interest in supporting them.
My point was that the Hawks ownership and mangement set VERY LOW standards and goals, and correctly assumed that showing any form of improvement would be enough for fans to support the team more than in the past. Looking at it from that perspective….they DID succeed.
But they have arrived at the point that they are not good enough to get past the first or second round of the playoffs, they won’t get high draft picks (and generally only the top 5 players or so in the draft provide real impact), and they’re now just getting older. Their only option is to break it apart, and hope the fans will understand and get on board with a rebuilding program. This will ONLY happen if the team is sold (ASG has no goodwill left), get a strong GM and a head coach with a reputation that brings respect.
gt4ever
June 19th, 2012
11:02 am
No offense, NO defense. NBA basketball = JOKE… Nobody really cares…
Paul Hewitt
June 19th, 2012
11:27 am
Forget it Hawks. Might as well move out of Atlanta. Once Bradley writes and article like this about you, it’s over.
BTR
June 19th, 2012
11:34 am
I just hope the “hawks” move to Seattle or back to St.Louis, they STINK and in 42 years of living here I have never been to a game and NEVER will, plus I will never spend another dime to see anything asg owns.
Sell and move is what I say, worthless as hell !
Farnsworthy
June 19th, 2012
11:40 am
Will the NBA finals/season go ahead and end already. My gosh! What? They play once every 3 days! Get it over with for heaven’s sakes.
Chris
June 19th, 2012
11:53 am
That’s an easy answer…when you expect Robin (Joe Johnson) to be Batman, you end up disappointed…
G
June 19th, 2012
11:53 am
Out of the 3.5 (Dream being .5) professional teams that are in the city, the Hawks have experienced the most success within the past couple of years. Hawks have post season victories, wherein the Falcons and Braves have yet to do the same. If you throw in the Dream for kicks, they have the most success of the Falcons, Hawks, and Braves put together.
ANOTHER GM
June 19th, 2012
12:29 pm
Mark you are dead on in your analysis and anyone that doesnt see that has problems with reality.
Jim 70
June 19th, 2012
12:53 pm
Mob, worst sports town happens to be dc. Nats are doing decent now, but wait till year end. I think you would take the hawks ov the wizards, braves over nats and falcons over skins – even gt over Maryland
Jim 70
June 19th, 2012
12:54 pm
Should have been mwb – hate this iPad which changes things automatically
VolGuy
June 19th, 2012
12:59 pm
If I didn’t know better, I would think you were writing about the Braves. Not quite talented enough or committed enough. Lackluster coach/manager and ownership that primarily wants to run a bargain basement operation.Is it any wonder that Atlanta sports fans get tired of the same old same old? Watching the Braves last night, the difference in the two teams was obvious. Even though the Yankess fell behind early, they knew they would eventually win while the Braves played like a team just waiting to lose and sure enough, they did!
PATIENCE
June 19th, 2012
1:01 pm
I’M LOOKING AT THE FINALS AND I DONT SEE WHY THE HAWKS SHOULDNT BE THERE MIAMI GETS ALL THE CALLS AND OKC IS JUST YOUNG AND ATHELTIC TO STICK WITH THEM. THE HAWKS HAVE THE SAME EXACT BOTH MIAMI AND OKC HAS MAYBE EVEN BETTER NEITHER TEAMS HAVE A INSIDE PRESENCE WHICH THE HAWKS NEITHER TEAM HAVE A TRUE POINT GUARD WHICH THE HAWKS DOES THE PROBLEM WITH THE HAWKS WAS PLAYER DEVELOPMENT THERES NO WAY THAT JOSH SMITH SHOULD NOT BE A SUPERSTAR AND WELL A ZAZA PACHILLA BEING A DOMAINANT BIG MAN IN THIS LEAGUE LET ALONG IF TEAGUE WOULD HAVE MADE HIS MISTAKE EARLIER ON IN HIS CAREER INSTEAD ON SITTING ON THE BENCH FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS AND LET ALONE MARVIN WILLIAMS BEING OUT OF POSITION JOE JOHNSON IS JUST WORE DOWN NOW HAVING TO CARRY THE TEAM FOUR THE FIRST SIX YEAR OF HIS CONTRACT IN THAT DUMB ASS SYSTEM WE RAN FOR YEARS AND ONLY PROBLEM WITH THE BIBBY TRADE WAS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE A COUPLE YEARS EARLIER WHY IS WAS STILL IN GOOD HEALTH AND IN HIS PRIME BEFORE HE WAS WORE OUT FROM CARRYING A TEAM IN THE LAST EFFORT STAGE BEFORE REBUILDING THE HAWKS PROBLEM IS THEY PANIC TO MUCH AND GO FIRE SALE ALL THE TIME AND WITH DOING THAT ITS NOW HOW YOU WIN IN THIS NBA THEY HAD A COACH IN TERRY SOTTS WITH A SYSTEM IN PLAY FOR THE YOUNG TALENT COMING IN THEY GAVE HIM ONE YEAR AND FIRED HIM IN INSTEAD OF SEEING WHAT HE COULD DO WITH CHILLS AND SMITH AND MARVIN AND JOE THE NEXT YEAR THEY WAS TOP IN THE LEAGUE IN OFFENSE THAT YEAR BUT HE WAS FIRED BECAUSE WE DIDNT HAVE A DEFENSIVE MINDED SYSTEM BUT INSTEAD OF DRAFTING OR SIGNING DEFENSIVE MINDED PLAYERS WE GOT RID OF THE STAFF AND BROUGHT ALL NEW EVERYTHING THEN WE TRIED TO MODEL OUR TEAM AFTER SOMEONE ELSE AND THERES WHERE THE PROBLEM LIES THE OWNERS ONLY DO WHAT THE GM AND COACHES TELL THEM WHAT THEY NEED
CDOG
June 19th, 2012
1:14 pm
THEY WON’T BE IN THE FINALS NEXT SEASON IF BOTH LARRY DREW AND RICK SUND IS BACK BUT THATS WHAT THE OWNERS WANT.ITS NOT ABOUT WINNING BUT SAVING MONEY AND PLAYING MEDIOCRE TALENT WITH THE OWNERS.PEOPLE WILL BE FOOLISH TO SPEND THEIR MONEY WATCHING A SECOND RATE GROUP NEXT YEAR WHO DOESN’T CARE ABOUT WINNING.
NBA AM: Is Perkins The Key For Thunder? – HoopsWorld | The Basketball Site
June 19th, 2012
1:41 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Nick
June 19th, 2012
2:30 pm
Mark – I was responding to an AJC article that asks a question. But keep at it there, champ. Nothing
I said wasn’t true.
Atticus
June 19th, 2012
2:46 pm
Nothing here matters Mark, the owners are buffoons and until that changes (and to a lesser degree the Braves) you can get used to nothing but mediocrity.
Marc
June 19th, 2012
3:31 pm
If the Hawks can grab KG that would make a HUGE difference!
Center-KG
PF-Horford
SF-JSmoove
SG-Joe
PG-Teague
Commonsense is needed for Coach Drew!!! Letting Ivan sit on the bench for the entire playoffs reminds me of Woodson. Ivan’s toughness got the Hawks through some of the tough games. We need a Coach that does not think like a robot!!!
Slimjr
June 19th, 2012
5:01 pm
In three years RG3 will have won a playoff game..
Ryan 0-4 and counting after this season….Yawn….
No SuperStar
June 19th, 2012
5:17 pm
Every marquee team needs a superstar to play at that level. The Hawks have no superstar and that’s why they are ALWAYS good enough to make an early exit out of the playoffs. To the best of my knowledge, the last superstar we had was Dominique Wilkins.
Felix
June 19th, 2012
5:22 pm
Teams like Boston,the Spurs, the Thunder play with a purpose and as a team. When I watch the Hawks play I can’t figure out the game plan, don’t see any logic to what they are doing. Marvin Williams–what a waste. He is just another over rated and over hyped UNC player who has become an NBA bust like Sean May.
Bernie Matt
June 19th, 2012
5:24 pm
Mark,
You may want to print a correction or risk Mike Woodson reps taking action. Woodson, was never fired, his contract expired.
Bernie Matt
June 19th, 2012
5:27 pm
Same as Sund’s contract is about to expire.
Pete
June 19th, 2012
6:39 pm
You could stop 500 people on the street and ask them “Who owns the Atlanta Hawks” ??
You might get ONE correct answer………………..if you’re lucky.
End of story.
donte080
June 19th, 2012
7:34 pm
You could ask that same question in just about any NBA city….Do you know or care who owns the Miami Heat? My guess is you had no clue….
donte080
June 19th, 2012
7:37 pm
slimjr….
I’ll take that bet. BTW, RG3 has more to work with than Ryan did when he first came to atlanta….how soon people like you forget we were a team in complete disarray when we drafted Ryan…
DawgNole
June 19th, 2012
7:42 pm
gator
June 19th, 2012
12:49 am
This is a no brainer, OKC has been in existence 3 years or less, and are in the finals the hawks have been around what 35 years or more and never been to the finals, hello it could be bad owner ship and managment.
_________________________
I’m afraid it’s much worse than you think for the Hawks. The team’s “been around” ATL for 44 years and never made it past Round 2–much less been to the Finals.
DawgNole
June 19th, 2012
7:54 pm
rodnatl
June 19th, 2012
8:50 am
as a hawks fan i do have a lil bit more faith than a lot of you reading this article . . . . time is ur only option for now. only time will tell for the hawks, not Bradley’s opinion!
______________________
Isn’t 44 years more than enough time? What has that told us for the Hawks, genius?
DawgNole
June 19th, 2012
8:08 pm
PMC
June 19th, 2012
9:25 am
The only thing you can really hope for as a fan is to have ownership that cares about winning as much as you do.
The Hawks don’t have it. You either have it or you don’t. Atlanta has it only in football.
_________________________
Only in football? Hello??
Let’s see, the ATL Falcons began NFL play in 1966, and how many championships do they have? That’s right–ZERO. So no, it’s not only in basketball that ATL doesn’t have it. Might as well add baseball and hockey to the mix as well. ONE title in 155 seasons of competition. ATL doesn’t “have it” in any pro sport.
DawgNole
June 19th, 2012
9:14 pm
Brownie
June 19th, 2012
10:42 am
DawgNole (7:54) – I think you completely misread my meaning in my post. I would agree that the Hawks have massively underachieved the past few years, especially considering their resources, the great draft positions they’ve held, and fan interest in supporting them.
_________________________
It appears that you need to decide which way you’re going. Here is part of your 4:54 p.m. post that I questioned last night: “I’ll offer a different viewpoint for everyone to slam……this team under ASG has shown tremendous success over the past few years!!”
Now today you’re saying, “I would agree that the Hawks have massively underachieved the past few years . . . .”
Have they “shown tremendous success over the past few years”? Or have they “massively underachieved the past few years”? In my opinion, no team that fails EVERY YEAR to make it past Round 2 of the playoffs has “shown tremendous success.”
You also said today that the Hawks “have arrived at the point that they are not good enough to get past the first or second round of the playoffs.” Again, I have to question the validity of this statement. They haven’t just “arrived” at that point; they’ve BEEN at that point–for their entire existence in ATL (44 years).
On the other hand, I couldn’t agree with you more on the critical need for much-improved ownership, management, and coaching.
DawgNole
June 19th, 2012
9:15 pm
Testing. Damn blog monster.
DawgNole
June 19th, 2012
9:21 pm
PMC
June 19th, 2012
9:25 am
The Hawks don’t have it. You either have it or you don’t. Atlanta has it only in football. Everyone else is committed enough to try and get extra home playoff games, but that’s it.
_____________________
“Atlanta has it only in football?” Say what?
The Falcons began NFL play here in 1966–and have exactly ZERO championships to show for those 46 years. So no, ATL doesn’t have it in football either. Or baseball. Or hockey. One championship (’95 Braves) in 155 seasons of competition says it all.
DawgNole
June 19th, 2012
9:25 pm
PATIENCE
June 19th, 2012
1:01 pm
I’M LOOKING AT THE FINALS AND I DONT SEE WHY THE HAWKS SHOULDNT BE THERE MIAMI GETS ALL THE CALLS AND OKC IS JUST YOUNG AND ATHELTIC TO STICK WITH THEM. THE HAWKS HAVE THE SAME EXACT BOTH MIAMI AND OKC HAS MAYBE EVEN . . . BLAH BLAH BLAH
_________________
ALL CAPS and no punctuation. It would be surprising if anyone on here had the PATIENCE to even attempt to read your gibberish.
DawgNole
June 19th, 2012
9:28 pm
So now it spills them all out at once–two hours after they were written.
What a wacked-up filter system! Disgraceful and bush league for a paper this size.
donte080
June 19th, 2012
9:47 pm
dawgNole, my man………….still fighting the good fight!
i_am_soulstar
June 20th, 2012
10:27 am
I’d hire Sloan in a heartbeat.
southwest25
June 20th, 2012
2:12 pm
The hawks give us no possible hope for a championship. It will be same as the last three years, win one playoff series if we are lucky then get bounced. Joe Johnston is not an elite player. He does not have a clutch geine in his body. Also with the contracts as they are, we could not bring in a quality ffree agent if we wanted to, or if they wanted to come is a different story. Joe’s contract has the Hawks hands tied for the next four years. Good luck with a player who is getting older and does not know what clutch is.
donte080
June 20th, 2012
5:30 pm
re: Joe Johnson is not elite…..does not have a clutch geine in his body…
You must have missed Johnson drilling game ending jumpers during last season…..hate his contract (as do I), but try to have the emotional maturity to see the player…he’s pretty darn good.
DawgNole
June 20th, 2012
8:35 pm
donte080
June 19th, 2012
9:47 pm
dawgNole, my man………….still fighting the good fight!
________________________
And still losing it, donte, ol’ buddy. Come on over to the dark side and help me out here.
Hatfieldgeoff
June 21st, 2012
2:31 pm
The Hawks are an above .500 team with no real ability to get better. The draft has no one to help them in the middle of the first round. SuperStar Free Agents will not come to an organization that is run by the Keystone Cops. But how many years were the Hawks in the lottery and were not good enough evaluators of talent to land one of the 3 or 4 SupersStars that were available. Who is worse the Moron GM (Billy Knight) or the Ownership that hires the Moron GM. The only hope ownership has is to hire a great coach (granted not easy with their reputation). A Phil Jackson might decide to not let Josh shoot 3-pointers at will, and make him play in the paint and work in the off season perfecting a couple of moves down-low. And require the whole team to play defense all the time not when they think they can block a shot. But since Ownership can’t and won’t do this lets just go back to losing 60 games a year and maybe we will luck into a draft pick that even they can’t screw up. Believe me a team that wins 50 and has no hope to win a playoff series (much less a championship) is no more interesting to fans than a team that loses 60.
RA
June 22nd, 2012
2:47 pm
I’m sure you’re not going to see this post after all this time, but darn it Bradley! You’ve done all you can to give reasons on why the Hawks can’t win big and you’ve made the city of Atlanta hate their hometeam even more than they did already… Here’s a novel approach, find something positive to say about this team. Was there ever any possibility of an article on how the Hawks were racked with injuries all year long and still managed a fourth seed in the East. Nothing? What about the fact that there’s a double standard in the league? The fact that a team with hall of fame talent can manhandle a “lesser” team, go to the free throw line a zillion more time than the other team, throw the rule book out the window at the end of an elimination game, and still win, with everyone talking about how great they are and how terrible the team that got cheated was. Can’t write about that? What about he fact that there doesn’t appear to be any way to protest a game in the playoffs even after it’s crystal clear that the team that got eliminated got jobbed? Can you give the Hawk bashing a rest for five seconds and write about something that the ten Hawks fans who are left could actually get behind? Thanks!
Iverson4prez
June 23rd, 2012
10:41 pm
Bring A.I. back into the NBA and let him play for the Hawks. This will still a buzz of interest in Atlanta. What could it hurt? A.I. can push Teague and create off the dribble. Atlanta needs to try something.
native atlantan
June 24th, 2012
11:38 pm
Now a rumor they are looking at danny Ferry.