Hawks/Celtics Preview

 Here's the thing, I didn't want the Hawks to play the Celtics in the first round. I'm not afraid to admit that. The Celtics are a seasoned bunch and you always have to be concerned when you're playing a team who knows what it takes to win in the playoffs.  Indiana would have been a better opponent for the Hawks. As far as the standings are concerned they're a better team, but they don't have the playoff experience the Celtics have. Whatever, there's no need to dwell on it.

I'm picking the Hawks to win this series. These are not the Celtics who gave them their "welcome back to the playoffs" ass whippings (all on the road) They're still a good team, but they're not head and shoulders above the Hawks like they used to be. It's high time the Hawks thank them for growing them up back in 2008. They wouldn't be the team they are today without the Celtics.  The best way to repay them is to eliminate them from the playoffs. It would be the ultimate display of respect. The Hawks are a classy organization, so I'm sure they'll do the right thing.

Hawks in 6.









For more thorough Hawks analysis visit Peachtreehoops or Hoopinion,

Rick Sund, We're Over You

So Rick Sund has reportedly been offered a new deal to remain Atlanta's GM. This makes me sad. What has he done that leads anyone to believe he's going to make the necessary moves to put this team over the top? Nothing. Not a damn thing. Many people like to point to the belief that he's hamstrung by the owners, well be that as it may, he's sticking around taking all the credit/blame for these decisions so he must be fine with them. When he's filling out his resume, the years with the Hawks are not going to  have an asterisk beside them. All of the moves or lack thereof are going to be attributed to him. So, that's how I choose to evaluate him.  He's not a good GM. There's plenty of evidence to support this theory. We could discuss the Joe Johnson contract, but why beat a dead horse? Let's talk about his inability to turn expiring contracts into assets for this team. What is the point of keeping talented guys on your roster that you know damn well you're not going to re-sign? Why was Jamal Crawford on the roster after the trade deadline last season? Why is Kirk Hinrich still on the roster right now? Speaking of Kirk Hinrich, why did it take so much to get him?  Why is the Hawks bench consistently filled with NBA artifacts as opposed to young talent? These are questions that Rick Sund should have to answer, but he keeps  getting a pass because ownership is so inept. Well, I'm not willing to give him a pass. He's the GM, and no matter what's going on with ownership, he's accountable for these decisions. He cashes those checks bi-weekly, or however often they get paid. It's all on him. He brought Eric Dampier here for crying out loud! They need to go in a different direction, and it sounds like he may not want to GM anymore anyway. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that  he doesn't. It's obviously going to have to be up to him to decide when his tenure with the Hawks is over since ownership is clearly okay with the job he's done. For what it's worth, I'm over the Rick Sund era.  If you're a Hawks fan, you should be too. 


For more thorough Hawks analysis visit Peachtreehoops or Hoopinion,