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Wow I'm shocked, the Hawks drafted wellMaybe they're finally going to turn things around.
Good choice, I'm impressed! I really thought they'd up as usual but they've still got #11.
Wow I'm shocked, the Hawks drafted well
yeah, i'm just surprised they didn't up completely. i'm pleased
Just food for thought....
Knicks sent Channing Frye and the horrid contract of Steve Francis to the Blazers for Zach Randolph.
Hawks could've probably upped the ante with something like Josh Childress + Speedy Claxton + future pick or something....
Though I like the picks that were there, it's still sad to see that the Hawks still don't have a legitimate low-post player (O or D) or a capable facilitating PG...
They just got one, his name is Al Horford. He'll be commanding a double-team right around his third season in the League. As much as I like Acie Law, I see him going either way in the pros. Wouldn't shock me if he ended up being real solid or a bust.
Bump...
Training camp is a time for optimism. It's a time to hope that all your off-season moves culminate and come together for the first real glimpse at what could be. And, IMO, there's no team in the NBA that should be met with more optimism than the Atlanta Hawks.
This year the Hawks have plenty reasons to be excited, and here are some of them...
1) Healthy return of a steady veteran presence...Joe Johnson. He's probably one of the most underrated players in the league, but this guy has the ability to do it all. He's a capable defender, adept passer, and lights-out shooter. He needs help, as do most NBA stars, but it looks like help may finally be coming.
2) Josh Smith continues to refine his game and grow as a player. I remember Jay Bilas on draft night saying this kid had the biggest BUST potential of anyone, and look at what he's done. Extended his range out to three-point line, concentrated on his defense, and accomplished everything through hard work. Too bad Joe Johnson is THE MAN in Atlanta, because Josh Smith could be a superstar. Still, Atlanta will settle for Smith being REALLY GOOD.
2) Ownership dispute dying down. The guy who got bought out lost a bunch of momentum in his bid to regain the team and probably blow it up. While I still say Billy Knight is a terrible GM, they've actually started to build a team that can win and I'd hate to see it get torn apart.
3) Shelden Williams is healthy. I attribute his poor play early on, to being hurt and adjusting to NBA speed/size. He'll never be an All-Star or average 20/10....but he can be a productive player for the Hawks. Even though he's not the tallest guy (6'10 at best), I see him playing the majority of his minutes at Center because of his size (260+lbs), rebounding ability, and low-post game. And that's a HUGE need position for the Hawks, with only Zaza filling that role currently.
4) The rooks are ready. Acie Law is a gritty kid with a good deal of experience in big-game situations. He'll be solid, if unspectacular, which will be an upgrade to that position. And what Horford lacks in experience, he makes up with his motor. This kid will be a spectacle. I'm convinced he'll wind up in the ROY discussion if he stays healthy.
5) This is a team no longer in search of its iden y. For all the individual talent this team has had over the years, it had always failed to capitalize on that talent because it didn't have the chemistry or sense of itself. Finally, last year the team started to come together. They've continued to add more "good guys" to the mix and I can only assume that the trend for this team to find itself, and for each player to discover their role, will continue.
Will everything pan out? Doubtful
Will enough of the pieces fall together to get this team into the playoffs? Maybe
Will they be worth watching? Definitely
And I'm looking forward to it....
Hollinger predicted a 42-40 record and the 7 seed in the playoffs....I agree
Supposedly, Horford's been looking great in practice and scrimmages.
I still wonder how things will work out with their backlog of forwards, but this team is definitely talented enough to be a playoff contender.
It's going to be a great year for some talented rookies and I don't think Horford is an exception.
Right now, I have him #2 on my list of likely ROYs. First, and probably most obvious, is Kevin Durant. But I think Horford has a chance to be better out of the gate.
I'm not sure it's going to be as big an issue as it was in the past. It seemed like each player found their niche later in the season.
JJ will probably play SG exclusively. Smith and Childress will rotate at SF. Marvin and Horford will rotate at PF. Shelden will get minutes at PF and C.
It'll still be interesting to watch and I'm not entirely sure that all of the forwards on this roster will be with the team in February...but if they are, I think they can still make it work.
Thoughts from the first two preseason games....
- Marvin Williams is a beast when he's aggressive. Dude got sent to the foul line 17 in a preseason game and converted 13. He still doesn't have the ability to effect the game in other ways because he won't grab a ton of rebounds, dish many assists, or block any shots....but if he's going to the hole defenses better beware.
- Al Horford is finding time on the court as a CENTER. I guess they needed a little more toughness and at ude in the middle so they're turning to Horford....and he's delivering. No earthshattering performances yet, but this kid has a non-stop motor, good athleticism, and serious skill....if he's given time on the court, he'll get there soon.
- Josh Smith had one impressive game (22-11-3-2) and another where he went 0-fer from the field. BUT, even in the bad game he was still able to make an impact. He collected 15 boards, blocked 3 shots, and had 4 assists. This kid is special.
- Childress looks healthy again and is attacking the basket. He went 11-12 from the line in the second game and shot a decent percentage from the field as well. With a crowded backcourt he'll definitely come off the bench, but he can do good things when he does.
Overall, the optimism continues. I think we'll see a Hawks team that continues to play a smallish wing-oriented lineup, but they just might have some muscle in the middle to finally solidify them.
Law got his 1st start tonight against Kidd, welcome to the NBA kid.
Smoove's having another great game and looks good so far this season.Tonight 18 pts, 6RBs, 6 assists, 5 steals and 4 blocks. This could be his breakout year.
Horford wasn't outstanding but with experience I think he'll do well.
Nice win tonight, that's 2 good wins over Mavs and Suns and their 2 losses were close, should have been wins. Nice job by Marvin (20-12) and there were 4 Hawks with dubs. Hawks are for real this year. What's impressing me most is they're playing much better D than I've seen before.
Atlanta is for real. What they lack in experience they make up for in hustle and athleticism. All of their main guys can run and jump. They all rebound very well, and they can all put the ball on the floor.
Their downfall will be making stupid mistakes at end of games. And that's not really a knock on them, it just represents their youth.
And they're looking impressive against good teams.
Beat Dallas 101-94
Lost to Detroit by 1 point
Lost to Nets by 5 points
Beat the Suns by 9 points.
Can't take a night off when you see them in your arena.
The old Hawks are backI was at the game, first chance I've had to see them in person and I was not impressed. Wizs did not play well and still won. Lack of defense, killed on points in the paint and just unenthusiastic for most of the game. They tried to come back bu not successfully. Marvin and Al were OK but smoove not playing as well as the first few games. Hopefully it was just a bad day but they looked all too familiar today. One thing I noticed was that most of them were shooting around and that doesn't usually happen. Lue shouldn't have cut his hair, it looks awful.
Nice win for the Wizs, they finally get out of the winless group.
i noticed acie law started tonight, but only got 14 min. was this his first start?
No it was his 3rd. They're looking much better so far tonite. Zaz is playing well but they are playing the Bobcats so it's not much of a gauge and it's still early.
Acie and smoove went out with leg sprains, hopefully nothing too serious, they still won.
forgot about this thread....it's time to get it back up and running since the Hawks are in the playoff picture. They don't look nearly as impressive as I thought they would, tough. And they look even less impressive with Mike Bibby, who appears to have brought nothing but Sad Sac Kings suckage to the team.
i think this is going to be a tough game for the rockets. they have trouble playing in atl and atl is pretty good at home.
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