When the Hawks Make Their First ECF, You Have to Write Something

Blows dust off keyboard.........Writing about my Atlanta Hawks making the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in history is not easy for me. When I blogged about this team on a somewhat consistent basis, they were never in danger of winning a championship, and that made it easy. Though I gleefully wrote about the wins, I knew that at the end of the season, they wouldn't really mean anything.  Hawks bloggers of yesteryear are in unfamiliar territory. We expect them to win the East.

There was a time when I would have been happy just to have an ECF appearance. It's literally all I wanted. I was never greedy enough to hope for a championship. I just wanted them to get out of the second round, if only to give the illusion that they were good enough to win it all. Now that they've made it to the ECF, I'm feeling greedy. I desperately want them to win this series against the Cavs, and unlike years past, I will be extremely disappointed if they don't. The Hawks were the best team in the conference, and it literally wasn't even close. They've basically been dribbling out the clock since February, so it's not unreasonable to expect them to be the last team standing in the East. They don't look great heading into this series, but style points don't count in the NBA, so.... *shrugs*.

Being a Hawks fans has always been a glass half-empty sort of deal, and at its core, this blog is rooted in skepticism and snark. But, not this time. I'm not going to bitch and moan about all the things I think Coach Bud could do better. He's the reigning Coach of the Year, so for argument's sake, we'll assume he knows a little bit more about how to win NBA games than I.
I'm not even going to mention all the things that almost did us in during the Washington series. Nope. Now is not the time for any of that. I'm going to go glass half-full, and assume they'll make all the necessary adjustments to prove that this whole season wasn't a fluke. The Hawks
were better than the Cavaliers all season, and I damn sure expect that to still be true when this series is over.
Hawks in 6.



For more thorough Hawks analysis visit Peachtreehoops

2013-2014 Atlanta Hawks Season Preview: I'm not saying they should tank, but....

It's almost time to tip-off another season of Atlanta Hawks basketball, and I am very concerned about this team. I don't have any delusions that the Hawks could be a good team. At best, this is probably a 7th or 8th seed. However, making the playoffs would be the worst thing that could possibly happen to this team, but I kinda get the feeling that the powers that be are going to try to do just that.
I'm not saying they should tank, I'm just saying they should play well enough to miss the playoffs. Anyone concerned with the well being of this team going forward, should aspire to be in the lottery. At the end of this season, anything more than the lottery, and less than a championship is a failure.
Over on Hawkstr8talk.com, Larry presents a very good post about how you need a HOFer to win a championship, among other things. The Hawks don't have a HOFer on their roster. Hell, they barely have an All-Star. Considering players don't want to come to Atlanta (something that truly baffles me) that's likely not going to change unless the Hawks happen to draft a future HOFer. I'd love to think they could make a trade for a great player who's still in his prime, but I think we all know that's not going to happen. Just think about it. When perennial All-Stars start demanding trades to a handful of destinations, Atlanta is never on any of their lists. We're just not going find ourselves on the receiving end of a trade or free agency signing that's going to turn our team into an instant championship contender. I've accepted that, and you should too.
Their best bet is to put themselves in position to have a great player fall into their laps. They're going to have to get into the lottery. There's no guarantee that they're going to get a number one pick, but at this point, they at least have to try. This is actually a really good time for them to start building through the lottery for the next few years. LeBron is in his prime, and unless he decides to take a few years off to take care of a gambling problem realize his dream as a NFL player, it's probably going to be awhile before anyone else comes out of the Eastern Conference. A couple of teams will put up a good fight, push the Heat to 6 games here and there, but if LeBron is healthy, the Heat should own the East for a few more years. So, now is as good of a time as any to play well enough to miss the playoffs.
I know from a business perspective, it's not the best idea to have a shitty team, but I'm not financially invested in the Hawks so I don't really give a damn about what kind of losses they may or may not incur.  I'm just a fan, and I want to root for a team that has a legitimate chance to win a championship at some point in my lifetime. Sometimes you have to take a few steps backward before you can start to move forward. That's the position the Atlanta Hawks organization is in at the moment. They can continue to trot out mediocre teams who aren't a threat to win a damn thing, or they can put themselves in position to draft the guy who can turn the team into a legitimate contender. You know which choice I'm in favor of. What say you?







For more thorough Hawks analysis visit Peachtreehoops.

No One Wants to Watch the Hawks, and I Don't Blame Them

Atlanta Hawks basketball games are not aesthetically pleasing most nights. This little fact is nothing to get all worked up about. There are a lot of Hawks fans who are genuinely upset about the numerous ways the masses have decided they don't care about the Hawks/Pacers series. I'm going to let you all in on a little secret.....  I don't like watching Hawks games either. I can't think of anything I voluntarily do that frustrates me more. There's nothing cool about being a Hawks fan.  Nothing. My Grandmother calls me during every Hawks game to taunt me. I'm not kidding. She's 72 years old, and she goes out of her way to remind me that they aren't very good. Here's a typical conversation EVERY time the Hawks play.

Granny: Hey Landy, what are you doing?
Me: Nothing. What are you doing?
Granny: Watching your Hawks. You know they're gonna get their butt's beat.
Me: Nah, we could win this game. (then I spout off about 3 different scenarios that could lead to victory, depending on who they're playing)
Granny: You know them other boys come ready tonight. Y'all ain't trying to do nothing. 
Me: Leave my boys alone, we got this.

 If they actually win, she calls me back and expresses complete and utter shock that they were able to pull it off. If they lose, she doesn't even bother to call back, because hell, I guess I should have expected it
Bottom line, if I weren't a Hawks fan, I wouldn't watch their games either. 




For more thorough Hawks analysis visit Peachtreehoops, Hoopinion,

Hawks-Pacers Prediction

Hawks in 6.  I haven't blogged about the team this year, due to circumstances completely within my control.....I had other things to do.  And honestly, I just didn't have anything new to say about the team.  There was a lot of turnover, but the inconsistency that plagued this team was still strong.  They're a stubborn bunch. They've been unable to commit to being really good or really bad. They're just somewhere in between, as usual. Unlike the wonderful guys over at Peachtreehoops, I have to be motivated to write about this team. I wasn't, so I didn't. Anyway, the only team in the East I would have picked over the Hawks in the first round is the Heat. They aren't playing the Heat, so........



For more thorough Hawks analysis visit Peachtreehoops

Giving Larry Drew Credit.

Twenty games into the season, and I can confidently say the Hawks are a good team. We all know I'm not really a Larry Drew fan, but I have to give him an enormous amount of credit for self correcting and helping the Hawks avoid losing games unnecessarily. When the season started he was playing Anthony Tolliver regularly. Thankfully he realized that doing so was counterproductive.  Is that the biggest reason the Hawks are 14-6? Probably not, but it needed to be said. Go Hawks.



For more thorough Hawks analysis visit Peachtreehoops.

Atlanta Hawks: 2012-2013 Season Preview

Here's the thing, this is exactly what I wanted.  For at least the past two seasons, I've been on the "let Joe go and build around Josh and Al" bandwagon. I'd seen enough of that group to know they had peaked. I appreciated all that Joe had done for the franchise, but it was obvious that he was never going to get them within striking distance of the Larry O'Brien trophy. Rick Sund obviously did not agree with my assessment.  The moment he was able to offer Joe a max contract, he did so without hesitation. I remember the queasiness I felt when I heard about the deal.  I have nothing against Joe, but as a Hawks fan, that was a pretty clear signal that ownership was content with being good, not great. While other teams were making big moves, the Hawks were chilling, acting as if they were a perfectly seasoned steak and a pinch of any extra spice would just ruin it.

They were insistent on staying the course. I can understand not wanting to go back to being a 13 win team if you're the Atlanta Spirit Group. Times are hard, and Atlantans would be hard pressed to spend their disposable income on an atrocious product.  I get it. Seriously. But, since I'm not financially invested in the team, I'm not afraid of the Hawks taking a step back.  If they have to go back to winning 13 games in order to have a legitimate chance to compete for a championship, I'm all for it.  Believe it or not, I'm a big picture kinda gal.
This past summer the ASG made some huge changes.  They replaced Rick Sund with Danny Ferry, and apparently gave him the green light to replace whomever he saw fit. He was able to undo the wrong Sund did a couple of summers before. HE GOT JOE OFF THE BOOKS!!!!!  Joe is scheduled to make a king's ransom over the next 4 years, and Danny Ferry made unloading him look easy. God bless him. Having already gained the adulation of many a Hawks blogger, he then got Marvin Williams off the books. At that point he was jut showing off. He unloaded a marginal superstar with a monstrous contract, and an underachieving player who's paid like an asset.  No matter how this season turns out for Atlanta, he should get some Executive of the Year votes.
After all was said and done, the Hawks brought in some decent players to try to replace Joe Johnson. Lou Williams, Devin Harris Kyle Korver, John Jenkins, Anthony Morrow and DeShawn Stevenson all have an opportunity to endear themselves to Hawks fans. As history has shown us in Atlanta, they don't have to be great, they just need to be good. The players on the Hawks roster who need to be great are, Josh, Al and Jeff.  Quiet as kept, Josh has been the most important player on the team for a number of years. His contract is up, so I fully expect him to have a career year. Al has been consistent, but if there's another level of productivity within him, this would be the perfect year for him to reach it. Jeff needs to show us who he really is. This is a make or break year for him as far as I'm concerned. I was clamoring for him to get the chance to run this team from the moment they drafted him. It's time for him to show us whether or not the point guard position is one that still needs to be addressed.
All things considered, I think this team will enjoy the element of surprise. I expect them to win around 47 games, and finish no lower than 6th in the conference. Go Hawks!




For more thorough Hawks analysis visit Peachtreehoops, Hoopinion,

Joe Johnson: A Quick Look Back

The Joe Johnson era has officially come to an end..... It wasn't as anti-climactic as it appears. Joe helped make the Hawks relevant again. It only took $70 million to convince him to come to Atlanta and gain the title of "the guy who came to Atlanta when no one else wanted to." He definitely deserves that title, but people make it seem like he came for the veterans minimum. He was paid handsomely to come resurrect this franchise, and try to make a name for himself. Congratulations to him for doing so.
I personally will remember the Joe Johnson era fondly. It had its issues, but doesn't everything?  Sure the offense was stagnant at times, but that's not all his fault. He played many years with no point guard, and for a coach who would routinely say, "The offense will take care of itself." You've gotta do the best you can with the resources available. All things considered, he did a decent job.  He came to Atlanta and transformed himself into a 6x All-Star, and he got a group of dudes to pay him damn near $200 million. It would be silly to look at his time here as anything other than a success. There's no need to point out all of his shortcomings. That would just be nitpicking, and I'm not going to do that. I don't have time, and honestly, he doesn't deserve that. Joe handled the role of "very good player, miscast as a superstar" with grace and elegance. For that, he deserves applause.
I'm happy I got to watch some of Joe's best moments, up close and personal. He's no Kobe or LeBron, but dammit, he had his moments.
I wish him well in Brooklyn.



For more thorough Hawks analysis visit Peachtreehoops, Hawkstr8talk and Hoopinion,

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,

Regarding Josh Smith (8 minute free write)

 This post will be all over the place, and it probably will not flow very well. You've been warned.

Josh has wanted to be traded for quite a while. Josh has needed to be traded for even longer.
I am an unabashed Josh Smith supporter.  If you've read this blog then that's not news, so there's no need to dwell on it.
 While I'd prefer to have Josh as a member of the team I root for, I don't think it's in his best interests to stay in Atlanta.  The organization and the city's treatment of him has been baffling at times. Many people regard him as the third best player on the team (a stance I vehemently disagree with)  but for years he's been the player who takes the bulk of the blame for the team's shortcomings.  The Hawks have two All-Stars, and neither of them is named Josh Smith. Yet, it's Josh Smith who's the whipping boy when the team fails.  I think it would do him a world of good to go to another city, and play for a better organization. The Hawks are not trying to win a championship, and we've known that for the last 2 decades.  Anyone who is serious about winning or at least competing for one, definitely need not look to the Atlanta Spirit to provide such an opportunity.  That's a hard pill to swallow as a fan. Imagine how it feels when you're a player.

My only hope is that they can get some decent pieces in return. Do I think Rick Sund is capable of getting equal value for Josh? Nope, but miracles happen everyday. Although truth be told, there's no one of equal talent who's available. Even Josh's loudest haters would be kidding themselves if they said there was someone out there who can do what he does on both ends of the floor, that the Hawks can realistically get to replace him. He has to be traded though. They basically made the decision about Josh's future in Atlanta when they gave Joe that contract.
I doubt Josh will be traded before the deadline because if there's one thing this organization is committed to, it's creating the illusion that they're trying to compete with the other elite teams. He's been carrying the team without the services of his two All Star teammates, so nothing is going to happen before the summer.





For more thorough Hawks analysis visit Peachtreehoops, and Hoopinion,

Poor Coaching and Poor Shot Selection

I'm sick of this Hawks team.
There are so many things wrong with them that if I tried to name them all, I'd be here bitching all night long. I don't want to do that, and no one wants to read that anyway. There are a couple of things that bother me more than others.
Let's start with Coach Drew. I was never in favor of this hire. I'm sure you'll find my objections somewhere here on the blog. I would go find them, but I've had like 3 glasses of wine and dammit, I just don't feel like it. Anyway,  I didn't think it was a good idea to hire one of Mike Woodson's minions, because I assumed he learned a lot from his former boss. He did, and a lot of the things that plagued the Hawks in the Woodson era are still there. Drew has done nothing to change my mind about the fact that they could have found someone better.  He annoys the hell out me. He never defends his players. Ever. He doesn't even roll his eyes at the refs. He just stands there chewing gum, looking clueless. If it annoys fans, it's got to piss the players off beyond belief. He seems to coach his game plan as opposed to coaching the actual game far too often. All coaches have rotations that they'd like to stick with, but the game ultimately dictates whether or not those plans have to be scrapped.  Drew doesn't give a damn about the flow of the game. If he planned on taking Player X out at a certain point in the game, then that player is damn  well coming out, no matter what. The only thing that derails his plans is foul trouble. He, like Woody, loves to foul his players out of games in the first half. Two fouls is NOT the end of the world, but I digress. Also, there's very little evidence that he holds any player not named Jeff Teague and sometimes Za Za Pachullia accountable for poor play. He'll scold them and sit them with quickness, but he won't do that to the All Star and All Star snub. I bet if he attached playing time to poor shot selection, then some of those ill advised jumpers wouldn't happen.
Speaking of ill advised jumpers, there's plenty of blame to go around for why they keep happening. Of course it starts with the player, but it's clear that said player views himself differently than the rest of us. That means, others are going to have to be more vigilant about stopping him. Since we've already established the coach isn't going to do it, that brings us to the other players on the court, specifically the guards. They have to stop giving him the ball when he's out of position. How will they know when he's out of position? If he's more than like 8 feet away from the basket, then his ass is out of position and should not be given the ball. No exceptions. If Teague wants to truly cement his role as the leader of this team, then he's got to put his foot down and make better decisions. Joe and Kirk have to be just as vigilant. It makes no sense to keep allowing such high risk, low reward shots to keep happening. It affects the bottom line. Anyway, this vent is getting long. I'm done for now.







For more thorough Hawks analysis visit Peachtreehoops and Hoopinion

Maybe Next Year, but Probably Not.

The All Star reserves have been announced, and Josh Smith is again not among them.  At this point, I'm not sure Josh will ever make an All Star game. That's not even hyperbole. He's been the the straw that stirs the drink on this Al Horfordless Hawks team, and even that wasn't enough. Truth be told, he was that straw even when Al was available, but I digress.  There will always be snubs and it looks like Josh will always be among them. He still has a chance to make it if someone gets injured, but we'd all hate for that to happen.
It really sucks that guys like Josh Smith, Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings haven't had the opportunity to play in a defenseless game. Maybe the coaches should eliminate the two or three lifetime achievement players who make the rosters every year. Will the fans be worse off watching Monta Ellis as opposed to Steve Nash? Lord knows Josh Smith brings more entertainment than old ass Paul Pierce. Not to mention, you know the coaches are going to let the older players rest, so why even bother to put them on the team? Anyway, I'm not going to go on and on about this. I'm sure the snubs will enjoy the days off, especially in this shortened season.




For more thorough Hawks analysis visit Peachtreehoops, Hoopinion,

Atlanta Hawks: 2011-2012 Season Preview

I'm going to keep this short and sweet. The Hawks will make the playoffs. That's a pretty bold statement if you believe some of the better known national writers. They seem to think there are at least 8 teams in the East who are better than the Hawks.
Unless some things go horribly wrong, and I'm talking 3 of the 5 starters missing most of the season, random players legs falling off, or signing Jerry Stackhouse and expecting him to contribute, they'll make it.
They'd have to try HARD to miss the playoffs. I think it'd be harder for them to miss the playoffs than it'll be for them to make the playoffs. I'm kidding. Maybe. Either way, I've looked at the East and I just don't see the Hawks being on the outside looking in.
They have an issue or two, obviously. They don't have a lot of depth on the bench, but I defy you to name a season in recent memory where they've actually had any.  Sure, they'll miss Jamal's 18 ppg, but when you consider he gave up just as many points if not more, it might balance out. (I have no idea how many points Jamal's opponents actually averaged, I just know he's as bad a defender as he is a good scorer).

Sidebar: I'm going to miss Jamal. I've always enjoyed watching him play, and he's genuinely the nicest athlete I've ever met.

Anyway, I don't know specifically where the Hawks will finish this season, and I dare not guess. I just know they'll make the playoffs. This season is going to be hard on everyone, so I hope all of the players can stay healthy. Well, everyone except the guys who play for the Celtics, Knicks, and Heat. I'd be okay if they missed the latter half of the season due to paper cuts or something like that.
Go Hawks!


For more thorough Hawks analysis visit Peachtreehoops, or Hoopinion

Series Preview: Hawks/Bulls

Hmmmmmm......

Am I just going to pick against the Hawks in the hopes that they'll prove me wrong again? Maybe.

I've been seeing a lot of "Bulls sweep" predictions. I'm not sure what this is based on. Everyone seems to be willing to discount the Bulls struggles with Indiana, yet they're not willing to acknowledge that the Hawks played relatively well against the team that beat them by something like 7,958 combined points last year. That's cool. All signs point to a Bulls victory, but there aren't very many signs that point to a Bulls cake walk. Outside of one and a half positions, the Bulls do not have superior talent to the Hawks. The half is Carlos Boozer. He's not more talented than Josh Smith, however he does harness his talents better, so there's that. Otherwise, the teams are pretty evenly matched. The best chance the Hawks have to win this series is to speed up the tempo. The Bulls are too good defensively and the Hawks are too inconsistent offensively to play a half court game with them. The Hawks have wasted several years of being one of the most athletic teams in the league, but not fully using it to their advantage due to being coached by two men who want to run an offense that they don't have the personnel to justly execute. It's asking a lot, but they need to let Teague push the ball. Otherwise, they'll be playing right into the Bulls hands.

Anyway, the Bulls are a good team, but people are acting like they're comprised of a "been there, done that group" This group hasn't been deep into the playoffs together. They're young and they're vulnerable. Just because no one is willing to acknowledge it, doesn't mean it's not true.

Having said all that, the Bulls will probably win this series. But, I'm going to let the rose colored glasses wearing fan in me have this preview.

Hawks in 6.

For more thorough Hawks analysis visit Peachtreehoops, Hoopinion, or Hawstr8talk

Hawks/Magic Preview

I haven't had much to say about this Atlanta Hawks team on this (my) particular blog. I'm sorry, but I was uninspired. The team was stale and quite frankly they didn't give effort on a consistent enough basis to deserve me giving effort on a consistent basis. Our relationship is at an impasse right now.

Do I think the Hawks can win this series? Yup. The fan in me that wears the rose colored glasses absolutely thinks they can win this series. They played the Magic four times in the regular season and they won three of those games. That's enough evidence to suggest that they have the upper hand, right? Then, when you take into account that the Magic aren't as good this season as they were last season, you've gotta like the Hawks chances.
But, if you've watched this Hawks team play more than those four games this season then you know they are not to be trusted.
It should also be noted that they went 2-1 against the Milwaukee Bucks prior to being pushed to 7 games by them. (without their best player) They also won the season series against Miami 3-1 prior to being pushed to 7 games by them in arguably the worst 7 game series ever.

While Atlanta did win both of those series, they also had home court advantage which they do not have in this series versus the Magic. They have had a hard time winning series they were favored to win, so there's absolutely no reason to believe they can win a series as an underdog. Time after time this season they got punched in the mouth and didn't do a damn thing about it. There's no evidence to suggest their mentality will magically change, and you know Orlando is going to come out swinging. I've tried to come up with some legitimate reasons as to why I think they'll win this series, but I really can't. If we're just getting down to the x's and o's, it still doesn't bode well for them. There's one truth about this team that is backed up with statistics, (no, I'm not going to present any) and just regular old perception; they're a one trick pony. The Hawks are a jump shooting team, even down to the starting Center. Basically if their jump shots are falling, they have a great chance to win, if they aren't, they don't. As Charles Barkley likes to say, "you don't live by jumpers, you die by jumpers." I fear the Hawks are going to die a slow, painful death. They have an opportunity to prove me wrong, and there's a big part of me that wants them to do so. I could get into the many other reasons I don't think this team can beat Orlando when it matters, but that would make this post extremely long.
Sidebar: If you have a moment, please go back to some of last year's Hawks blogs and read all the things we wrote about Jason Collins during the second round series against the Magic, then read a few of this year's Hawks/Magic series previews. You'll laugh at the irony. I promise.

Now, the fan in me that doesn't wear the rose colored glasses knows it would be absolutely devastating to this organization if this team wins this series. They have been selling this continuity bullshit to us for the past 3 or 4 seasons and I'm over it. What is so appealing about continuing down this path of mediocrity? This group as currently constructed is as good as they'll ever be. The only player who has a chance in hell of still improving is Jeff Teague and that's because he has youth on his side. Unfortunately for him he's had two coaches who won't consistently play him, but whatever. The rest of these guys, while not ancient, are veteran players. They are who they are.
Getting their asses whipped in historical fashion last season by the Magic wasn't enough to convince the organization to overhaul the whole roster. I have to believe that if it happens again they won't be able to deny that significant changes need to occur. Everyone else in the East is making moves, but the Hawks are standing still. Everyone said they had to re-sign Joe or they'd take a step back. Well, they did re-sign Joe and they still took a step back. Now what?
I really hate to wish for another historic ass whipping, but I feel like that's what it's going to take to move this team forward.
When the ball goes up, I'm sure the rose colored glasses wearing fan in me will be front and center. I'll be rooting hard for the Hawks, but deep down, I don't think they'll win.

Magic in 6

Go Hawks!


For more thorough Hawks analysis visit Peachtreehoops, Hoopinion or Hawstr8talk

Atlanta Hawks 2010-2011 Season Preview

A few weeks ago, probably around the time training camp started I declared my blogging hiatus over. I lied. I haven't blogged since. I honestly decided not to blog about the Hawks, but knowing me I'll change my mind. Just in case I do, I wanted to have some definitive prediction to look back on at the end of the season.

I don't know what this team will do. Best case scenario they'll finish with around 50 wins and a fourth or fifth seed in the playoffs, where they'll likely still advance no further than the second round. I can't overlook the fact that a lot went right for them last season. No one missed any real time due to injuries, so they were basically at full strength every time they took the court. A few players are already banged up and the season hasn't even started.

Aside from that, they have to contend with, a new coach, a new offense, the likelihood that the reigning Sixth Man of the Year won't be here after the All-Star break, the fact that Teague can't finish and won't shoot, perimeter defense or lack thereof, the Orlando Magic, the Miami Heat, the Chicago Bulls, Jason Collins and etc......

I'm not going to act as if I have no expectations for this team because I do. The goal is to show progress. They need to finish better than they did last season. And I'm not talking about losing second round games by only 20 points. They need to literally be on the verge of the ECF. Management assessed this team over the summer and decided they wanted to hold serve with these guys. I take that to mean they think they can win with this group. Do I genuinely believe that? No, but I can only judge them based on the moves they did or did not make. Go Hawks.

Season prediction 50-32


For more thorough Hawks analysis visit Peachtreehoops, Hoopinion, and Hawstr8talk

"I'm not here to coach effort"-Mike Woodson

That statement tells you a lot about the Atlanta Hawks head coach, and why they are where they are as a team.
I already assumed he didn't feel like that was part of his job, but it's glad to finally hear him say it.
I can understand why a coach would feel like being in the second round of the playoffs should be motivation enough for any player. I feel that way too, unfortunately it does not work like that. Some players need to be motivated, especially if they feel like there are certain teammates who aren't trying very hard. That can lead to, "well if he's not trying, then I'm not going to try either". It's petty, but it happens on every level of sports. It's definitely a problem one needs to address themselves, but sometimes they need a little push. This is where coaching comes in. No one is asking you to plead and beg with them to try to get them to play harder. That probably wouldn't work anyway. However there are some things you could do to try get maximum effort out of them. If you see a guy visibly dogging it on the court, bench his ass! There should be a list of things that the players know will not be tolerated. The list should include, but not be limited to: not boxing out due to laziness, being careless with the ball, taking ill advised shots, endlessly complaining to the refs, not getting back on defense and etc. It would not be going out on a limb to assume that if playing time were directly connected to effort, guys might try harder.
Even if they didn't, it would at least send the message to the guys who are actually trying, that you aren't going to let their teammates who are half assing it, contribute to the loss of a game. The problem with this Hawks team is that they know there are no repercussions for bad play. It could be because the head coach doesn't have the balls to discipline them, or because the options to replace them during a game are not very good. Either way, they know their playing time is all but written in indelible ink. When you have an offensive and defensive game plan that is as flawed as the one the Hawks employ, you can ill afford to add laziness to the equation when playing a great team. There's no shame in losing to a better team, however there is shame in losing to any team due to not trying. We would be okay with these losses if you all went down swinging like the Spurs, Jazz, Thunder, Mavericks, Bulls and Bobcats. But, there has been no fight in this team and that is unforgivable.




For more thorough Hawks analysis visit Peachtreehoops, Hoopinion, Hawstr8talk, Soaringdownsouth or Humanhighlightblog

Hawks 71, Magic 114 or Where I Wasn't Really Expecting An Ass Whipping Of That Magnitude

I'm not going to waste a lot of time on a recap. Nope. The team gave a half assed effort,(except for Josh) so I'm going to do my best to imitate them and give a half assed recap. There's really not a whole lot to say. The Hawks got their asses whipped. There's no other way to describe it.
Luckily, Mike Woodson was there in the post game press conference to remind us that they just missed shots they'd normally make. Obviously, since no one hit their average, it's safe to say they didn't play well offensively, but sorry coach it's a bit deeper than just missing shots. And, all those missed shots don't explain the giving up of 114 points. Either take the press conference seriously, or skip it.
Mike Woodson has missed yet another opportunity for a teaching moment. What he should have said in the press conference was something along the lines of "all of you players suck, I'm embarrassed to be your coach, and take your suit off because we have practice in 15 minutes". Tonight was the night he needed to make an example out of someone, and he had at least 4 players he could have chosen from, starting with the franchise player, who had a hand in helping the Magic break the game open, but I digress.
Aside from getting their asses kicked by 40+ points, they also failed to show up and face the media. They sent Za Za. Really????? Joe Johnson makes four times as much money as Za Za and plays about four times as many minutes, yet he couldn't come face the media. There's no accountability by anyone on the team which is one of the many reasons they can lose to the Magic by 40 points in a conference semifinal game. Neither Joe, Josh, Al, Mike, or Jamal had the balls to stand up and account for this ass whipping. If they aren't mentally tough enough to take a handful of questions that they can easily bullshit their way through, they probably aren't mentally tough enough to win this series.
Go Hawks.






For more thorough Hawks analysis visit Peachtreehoops, Hoopinion, Hawstr8talk or Humanhighlightblog

Hawks/Magic Preview: Courtesy Of A Conversation With My Mother

Mom: What are you doing later?
Me: Watching the Hawks game.
Mom: Who do they play?
Me: Orlando.
Mom: Oh, did the Hawks beat them this year?
Me: Well, they lost 3 of 4, but......
Mom: (hysterical laughter) Oh wow 3 of 4?? So they can't beat them?
Me: Actually Mom, you have to put those losses into perspective. Two of the losses came on back to back games right after they played Boston and one of them was on Thanksgiving night.
Mom: What does that have to do with anything?
Me: Well back to back's are hard and they didn't get to Orlando until very late that night before.
Mom: Well what about the Thanksgiving game?
Me: They were probably full off Thanksgiving dinner.
Mom: Oh wow (hysterical laughter) that's no excuse. Oh my gosh, you're so silly.
Me: (hysterical laughter) But Moooooom, turkey makes you tired! It doesn't matter, the regular season doesn't mean anything anyway.
Mom:(hysterical laughter) Well good, lucky Hawks. They could probably win a couple of games if they had a different coach.
Me: (sigh) Well............

That's a conversation my Mom and I had today at lunch. I wish I was joking about that Thanksgiving game, but I kinda wasn't. This match-up feels more like a 1 vs an 8 than it does a 2 vs a 3, but whatever.

If you read this blog then you know I don't give a damn about facts. "I will not be swayed by facts" is a part of my profile description. I know the odds are against the Hawks and for good reasons. I don't care about any of that. I'm riding with my boys. I think they can win this series. Charlotte had a great game plan, they just didn't have the horses to execute it. They got Howard in foul trouble, but they didn't have enough offense to capitalize off of it. The Hawks aren't the Golden State Warriors, but they do have people who are capable of scoring the basketball. If they can manage to get Howard in foul trouble, they can steal a game or four.
Obviously the Magic have some other really good players including Vince Carter whose mission in life as I understand it, is to make Hawks fans sad. But, the only place they're overwhelmingly better besides at Center is probably the PG position. The Hawks best bet at winning this series is to take Dwight out of the equation. The guards ( who are not all that fond of contact) have to attack him. If Charlotte could get him in foul trouble for 4 straight games, the Hawks should be able to do so too.
Other than that, the Hawks just have to play team basketball, something they've been known to stray away from for large stretches of the ga......all the time. It would also help if one of the guards had a good game. Joe has been a non factor in this series for the most part. Even in the games that he scored a respectable amount of points, it took him a disrespectful amount of fg attempts. He needs to be really good (like, I want someone to pay me $90 million this summer good) but not at the expense of the rest of the team. No iso-Joe! As a matter of fact, no iso anyone. Move the damn ball! Make the Magic defense work.

That's how the Hawks will win this series in 6 games.




For more thorough Hawks analysis visit Peachtreehoops, Hoopinion, Hawstr8talk or Humanhighlightblog

We've Been Humbled

Isn't this what we asked for?

We all wanted the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. No one wanted to play Charlotte because historically they play the Hawks really well and they're coached by one of the best to ever do it.
We didn't want to play Miami, because they were on fire at the end of the season and honestly, last year's series was painful to watch, even for Hawks fans. No one wanted to see that again.
We all wanted the Andrew Bogutless Bucks. Well we got them, and now the Hawks are on the verge of elimination.
One could point to any number of reasons that the Hawks are one game away from going fishing. Coaching, effort, bad shots, defense..... all of these are valid reasons, but the real reason they're one game away from elimination is arrogance.
Let's have an honest moment real quick.
The Hawks won 53 games during the regular season and finished third in the eastern conference. The Bucks won 47 games and finished sixth in the conference after losing their best player. This series was set up for the Hawks to win. They were a better team than Milwaukee even when Andrew Bogut was healthy. You knew it, I knew it, the team knew it. The problem is we all strutted into this series thinking that would be enough. The Bucks are without their best player (or players depending on your view of Michael Redd's impact on the team for the few games he was healthy) Meanwhile, no team was more fortunate on the injury front than the Atlanta Hawks. They didn't have to deal with anything other than the usual wear and tear of an 82 game season.
Okay this is taking too long. To hell with all this setting the scene crap. The Hawks took the Bucks lightly. They said otherwise before the series started, but deep down inside they did. They wanted to play Milwaukee for the same reason we wanted them to play Milwaukee. We saw them as a wounded team. Hell, I didn't think this series would take more than 5 games, and that was before the Hawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead. After they did that, I didn't see any reason why this series should have gone more than 4 games. That's the level of arrogance I had, and whether or not the Hawks win or lose this series has nothing to do with me. If I was that confident, you know where their confidence level had to be. After Game 3 Brandon Jennings said "I felt like they were a little bit cocky," Jennings said Sunday. "They came in like, 'OK, it's Milwaukee, we're up 2-0.' I mean, that's just how I felt. I felt like they thought they were just going to come in and just blow us out. I think with the crowd, and the way we came out, it just changed everything."
He was right. You know it and I know it. Even after the Bucks thoroughly whipped their asses, we/they were still arrogant. As usual, the main reason given for the defeat was effort. This team as a whole thinks effort is the only reason they ever lose games. If they don't acknowledge the adjustments that Scott Skiles made against them, how can they adjust to those adjustments? They can't and you see it playing out. That's arrogance on the part of the head coach.
The bottom line is we were all arrogant, and in reality we had no right to be. We've seen the fourth quarter collapses on too many occasions this season as detailed by hoopinion. We knew this wasn't a good road team. We knew the playoffs were all about adjustments and the head coach of this team is either incapable of, or unwilling to make them. We knew this team had issues with committing to the things they do well. Knowing all of these things, we still thought the Hawks would win this series easily. Arrogance was their undoing. It led to the bad coaching, the bad defense, the bad shot selection and the lack of effort. They thought they could just show up and the series would play out how it was supposed to. Well, they're one game away from elimination, so perhaps we should all replace our arrogance with a little humility.


For more thorough Hawks analysis visit Peachtreehoops, Hoopinion, Hawstr8talk or Humanhighlightblog