Running with Zaza

Super Joe Turns Down the Hawks' Contract Offer

2009-09-29T21:40:00.004-04:00

Check out my article on Bleacher Report about Joe Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks. I look at five different scenarios that could happen heading into the NBA free agent bonanza in the summer of 2010.

I think Joe Johnson is the Hawks best and most valubable player. It is almost criminal the amount of minutes he has had to play the past two seasons. Add that to the fact that Super Joe has to guard the other team's best player almost every night and you have a recipe for wearing him out before the playoffs.

The fact that the Hawks have not addressed this defensive liability is one of the big questions facing Coach Mike Woodson as training camp opens today. Jamal Crawford is probably an average defender at best and Jeff Teague is way too small to guard other shooting guards. Mario West is not the answer. Can Mo Evans help Joe out?

Waiting for Amare

2009-07-11T11:11:00.001-04:00

In the Samuel Beckett play, the two main characters are waiting for Godot to show up. While waiting they talk some and wonder what will happen when Godot shows up. That is exactly what Hawks fans are doing with the possible trade for the Phoenix Suns Amare Stoudemire.

Stoudemire is the perfect fit for the Hawks roster. Hawks GM Rick Sund almost has made all the right moves this summer. I would have taken Eric Maynor instead of Jeff Teague. He kept the core group of Hawks together without destroying the payroll. But, the Hawks still are a middle of the pack team in an improving Eastern Conference.

Sund needs to trade for Amare. Trading for Stoudemire would elevate this team into the conversation for an Eastern Conference title. Forget about the money and Stoudemire’s player option after next year. The Hawks can do a deal with the Suns for the Joshes. Let’s dream a little dream for 2010.

Why getting Stoudemire makes sense for the Hawks?

From day one, Stoudemire gives you a low post scoring presence that demands a double team. I watched this guy destroy the Hawks in the post last year in a mid-season game in Philips Arena. His short jump hook from the left block is a devastating move. Plus, he has counter moves and can score with either hand around the basket.

For his career, Stoudemire averages more than 20 points a game, but he does not demand a large number of shots. He averages about 14-15 shots per game. One of the weakest areas for the Hawks in the playoffs against the Cavs was their lack of offensive execution. The Hawks just do not have great set plays.

Stoudemire solves that dilemma. You can isolate him on the block, run the high screen and roll with Al Horford coming from low post to high post, or Stoudemire can screen and pop for a patented 20 foot jump shot or a dump down to Horford on the block.

Defensively, Stoudemire is only serviceable in the post, but he is long and blocks shots around the rim. The best part of his game for the Hawks will be the rebounding. He over 8 boards a game in his career. That means the Hawks would have Horford and Stoudemire averaging almost 20 boards a game from the starting bigs.

Plus, Horford is going to guard the other team’s best player in screen and roll situations. Stoudemire can stay closer to the rim and clog up the lane. Looking at next 2010, the Hawks would have a two man post defensive tandem to guard Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace, Shaq and Anderson Varejao, and Dwight Howard and Brandon Bass. I even might take Stoudemire and Horford over those other tandems.

Off the court, acquiring Stoudemire means a ton to the Hawks in attendance. Atlanta was 20th in the NBA in attendance in 2008-2009. Philips Arena was at about 88 percent capacity on average. Stoudemire would pay for himself in increased attendance, parking revenue, marketing revenue, and general hype in this city.

Every night? I know Stoudemire is often injured. Reports are he had surgery this week on his damaged eye from last year. In his 7 seasons in the NBA, he has only played full seasons 4 times. It is a concern, but when he is healthy Stoudemire is a 1st or 2nd team All NBA player. Hawks have no one else at that level.

For Stoudemire, being traded to Atlanta gives him the opportunity he has craved. Stoudemire immediately becomes the face of the franchise in Atlanta. He no longer lingers somewhat in Steve Nash’s shadow. Also, he would be a soothing and funny presence in the locker room.

He takes all the pressure of Joe Johnson. JJ can just show up for all 82 games and play hard without having to worry about all of this ridiculous “Joe is not a leader talk”. Joe Johnson is a warrior. He comes to play every night.

If Stoudemire is a Hawk, here are projected rotations for the top teams in the East:

Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Rasheed Wallace
Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, Brandon Bass, Dwight Howard
Moe Williams, Delonte West, Lebron, Varejao, Shaq
Mike Bibby, JJ, Marvin Williams, Stoudemire, Horford, Jamal Crawford

On paper, the Hawks match up very well with all of these teams. You think Shaq wants to guard Stoudemire in the pick and roll? Jamal Crawford looks to be one of the best guards off the bench in the entire NBA. In recent NBA playoff history, I would much rather have Joe Johnson than Vince Carter.

In Stoudemire, Horford, and Zaza Pachulia the Hawks have three guys that can try to guard Dwight Howard.

For Atlanta Hawks fans, the days / deadlines to watch for this are July 15th and August 1st. To make this deal happen, the Hawks are going to have to sign Josh Childress somehow. I think if J-Chill thought he was going to Phoenix he would sign today.

Secondly, after August 1st, the Hawks are able to trade Josh Smith without his consent to the trade. Hawks fans, can you imagine waking up in early August with Amare Stoudemire on your door step? It can’t hurt to dream.

Trade Josh Smith? AJC's Mark Bradley Says No Way

2009-06-16T21:51:00.004-04:00

Here is the news cycle of today’s sports world: one NBA insider named Chad Ford can hear a few rumors from NBA general managers and publish those rumors as rumors in a notes section of his NBA draft column.

Then, an intrepid columnist from the local Atlanta media, like the AJC’s Mark Bradley, can reference that notes section in a quickie article to try and drum up page views, web sites hits, and erratic fan comments on his sports blog.

Then, a concerned Hawks observer like me can take apart Bradley’s article. Classic Bleacher Report fodder—I could argue with Bradley for hours over beers about his article today about the Hawks mercurial forward Josh Smith. (I don’t know if he is a small forward or power forward and that is part of the problem).

Bradley writes that he would only trade Josh Smith for Kobe Bryant. That statement is utterly ridiculous. I spent about 15 minutes today at work and I came up with 50 players that I would rather have on my team than Josh Smith.

Okay, I think Smith is improving and worth keeping, but c’mon are you going to win an NBA title with Josh Smith? If you throw out salaries, contracts, and budgets, there are over 50 NBA players that I would take over Smith. Here are a few--Hedo, Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza, Andrew Bynum, Brandon Roy, Paul Pierce…

Yao Ming, Paul Millsap, Carlos Boozer, Nene, Chris Anderson, Kendrick Perkins, Amare Stoudemire, Tony Parker, Manu Gnobili, Melo, Thaddeus Young, Brook Lopez, Vince Carter, Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo, Danny Granger, Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose…I could go on, but you get the idea.

Well, Bradley might say not all of those guys are power forwards. Neither is Kobe. J-Smoove does not want to play power forward. He wants to play on the perimeter. Al Horford should really be your power forward.

I like Josh Smith. I am the first person to jump out of my seat when he dunks or blocks a shot. He is as athletic as anyone in the NBA. Maybe only Lebron is more athletic. Maybe, but Smith is not even a top 30 NBA player.

He will be lucky to make the all star team in two years let alone be better than Hawks guard Joe Johnson. He is the third best player on his own team and I think Bibby had a better year than Smith had this year, so that makes him the Hawks fourth option on offense. The future of this team is Al Horford.

If Bradley had to coach Smith, he would start drinking every morning about 9 am. Smith is kind of like Jeff Francoeur. No matter how many times hitting coach Terry Pendleton tells Frenchy to make sure he sees pitches in every at bat, he continues to swing at the first pitch. No matter how many times, Coach Mike Woodson tells Smith not to shoot jumpers, he still shoots jumpers. Are you going to blame that on Pendleton, on Woodson?

Listen, J-Smoove is going to be hard to move because of the 6 million dollar trade kicker that Chad Ford from ESPN writes about in his column. But, that does not mean that GM Rick Sund should not pursue any opportunity to improve this Hawks team. A huge chasm exists between the Hawks and the top three teams in the Eastern Conference.

Mr. Bradley threw out some names that he would not want in exchange for Smith. Let’s take a look at a couple of these guys and some trade scenarios.

I would definitely consider a deal today for Chris Bosh. With Bosh, the Hawks would have a legitimate shot to improve in the East next year. Yes, he is in the last year of his deal. That just means two things: he is going to play great next year and you have a year to convince him to re-sign with the Hawks. He might just fall back in love with the city of Atlanta.

Imagine the kind of financial freedom that would give the Hawks for the free agency bonanza of NBA summer 2010. If Joe Johnson wants to explore free agency, the Hawks might be able to convince Bosh to re-sign and bring Dwayne Wade to the ATL. You could have both Wade and Bosh for two or three more years.

Bradley just goes off the deep end when he says he would not trade Smith for the number one pick in this year’s draft. Blake Griffin’s tenacity, effort, desire, and will to win, especially on the glass, would make Bradley forget about Josh Smith about four games into the 2009-2010 regular season.

Griffin in the starting line up makes the Hawks a better team next year. It would also free up a ton of money to sign someone else—Hedo Turkoglo for instance. Think about this line up: Mike Bibby or Eric Maynor, Joe Johnson, Turkoglo, Blake Griffin, and Al Horford. You could bring Marvin Williams, Flip Murray, Mo Williams, Sam Young, and some other free agent big man off the bench.

Season ticket sales would be sky high. The Hawks would be must see NBA action every night.

Okay, these trades seem far-fetched. How about a legitimate trade option? You mean, Mr. Bradley, that you would not trade Josh Smith for Monta Ellis? That trade would be great for the Hawks. I think the salary and year numbers are close enough to match up. This actually might be a workable trade.

GM Rick Sund needs to explore every scenario this summer to improve the Hawks. This team is at a crossroads. It has to get better.

Sund might be floating Josh Smith rumors, so Joe Johnson will sign his extension thinking that Smith is on his way out. He might be floating Smith’s name out there, but really trying to deal Joe Johnson. Uh, that would be a big mistake.

I would just like someone to do some digging and find out some real news! Call and ask Sund a question. The problem might be that good analysis does not really translate into page views, while a picture of Megan Fox sitting on a bath tub wrapped in a towel does. By the way, AJC please give Sekou Smith a picture on his Hawks blog.

Hawks' Fans Say Goodbye to Zaza

2009-06-02T23:50:00.003-04:00

Watching the NBA playoffs virtually every night for the past six weeks gives you so many options for topics to discuss. I wish I had a forum like sports talk radio hosts to talk about everything going on in the NBA and the world of sports.

Since the Atlanta Hawks were swept out of the playoffs, I have been following several Hawks analysts on blogs, Twitter, and the Hawks team web site. It is an exciting time to be a Hawks fan.

A huge area of concern for most Hawks’ fans is the Zaza Pachulia question. Should the Hawks resign Zaza or should Rick Sund use Zaza’s money and try to make a splash on the free agent market?

I am torn because I still remember how fired up I was when the Hawks beat the Celtics in Game 6 of the 2008 playoffs. Heck, I even named my Hawks blog after the fiery big man from Georgia. However, after seeing how just how huge the talent gap is between the Hawks and the Celtics, Magic, and Cavs, I know that the Hawks have to upgrade at this position.

You have to assume that Sund already has a certain amount of money allocated to resign Zaza. Sund can make the choice between either upgrading the offense or strengthening the defense. It kind of hurts to say this, but here are two guys that I would rather have on the Hawks’ roster than Zaza:

Anderson Varejao, Cleveland Cavaliers. The 6’10” 260 pounder center averaged 8 points and 7 rebounds per game. He averaged 11 more minutes per game than Zaza in 2008-2009. Varejao has a player option and can opt out of his contract with the Cavaliers and become an unrestricted free agent.

Remember just last year, he sat out until early December as a restricted free agent when the Cavs did not offer him a multi-year deal. Finally, the New Orleans Hornets signed him to an offer sheet and the Cavs matched the contract the next day. He signed for 2 years and 11.1 million with a player option for next year for 6.2 million.

If I were him, I think I can make more on the open market even in the very tough NBA economy. He played in every game for the Cavs and started about half the games. He played about 30 minutes a game. His statistics do not wow anyone, but this guy has a ton of intangibles.

He probably is near the top in charges taken in the NBA every year. He is very good defending out on the floor (unless he has to guard a perimeter guy like Rashard Lewis) and he is good finishing at the rim out of the high screen and roll. The Hawks are weak in both of those areas.

Varejao is a better defender than Al Horford is right now. If the Hawks can re-sign Marvin Williams, Varejao can be the first post guy off the bench. He also would allow Coach Mike Woodson more flexibility in dealing with the volatile Josh Smith. When Smith acts up, Varejao can start and play starter minutes. Sadly, Zaza cannot. At least not on a winning or playoff caliber team.

He is an upgrade over Zaza in almost every area. He is quicker, a better shot blocker, rebounder, and he is better scoring around the basket in traffic. Zaza is a better perimeter shooter, but neither one of these guys should be allowed to shoot outside very often.

Maybe the best thing that excites me as a Hawks fan is the idea of Varejao and Horford playing together. Varejao would free up Horford from guarding the other team’s best inside player and allow Big Al to concentrate on his offensive game. They could dominate the boards at both ends.

Lastly, Varejao’s energy would fire up the home crowd. He has personality and toughness. In Cleveland, there are thousands of fans every night that wear the Varejao wigs to home games. As far as dollars, Varejao may have some solid offers, but if two years ago is an indication, teams are not willing to come up with long term dollars for a guy that cannot score. I think he is worth a 3 year deal worth 20-24 million. I have to think Zaza is looking for a 4 year deal.

Brandon Bass, Dallas Mavericks. The 6’8” 240 pound third year guy from LSU fills a totally different need for the Hawks. He played about the same minutes as Zaza last year and scored a few more points, but he is an undersized forward.

He is very athletic and his offensive game is way better than Zaza and Varejao added together. He would play a lot more minutes in a Hawks uniform. For the Mavs, he basically plays minutes behind Dirk Nowitzki or when the Mavs go to a small lineup with Dirk at the five spot.

In the playoffs, Mavs’ coach Rick Carlisle was running isolation plays for Bass on the low block. The Hawks do not have any player on the roster that can score on isolation post ups like Bass. Read that line again. Yeah, the Hawks are weak on the post. Horford can make a big jump offensively this summer, but if I needed a basket at the end of the game today I would go to Bass before Horford.

Bass is athletic enough to make up for his lack of size, but I would be concerned about his rebounding and defense. Bass went to LSU so coming to Atlanta and SEC country might appeal to him. Bass might even come cheaper than Pachulia or Varejao.

Hawks: Rick Sund's Summer To Do List

2009-05-15T06:47:00.003-04:00

Atlanta Hawks new General Manager Rick Sund had it very easy last off season. He faced a few tough decisions, but nothing like this summer. The Hawks are at a crossroads in a strange NBA world and Sund is the guy riding in the back seat that ultimately is going to decide which road the Hawks take.

The Hawks could choose correctly and take the road toward being a consistent winner, or they could take the road back to a 15 win team. Nobody wants that. The importance of this off season for the Hawks franchise cannot be overstated. Both draft picks have to make this team. The talent level at the end of the bench is awful. Here is a list of 10 things Sund should do this summer:

1. Decide Coach Mike Woodson’s fate by June 1. If you let Woodson go, the new coach needs draft day input. By almost all measurements, Woodson deserves a contract extension. However, if Sund wanted to shake this team up he could look for a new head coach who would bring in his own entourage of assistants, strength guys, and program.

The problem is the money. The same old names have been mentioned like Jeff Van Gundy and Avery Johnson, even a coach like Billy Donovan or Tubby Smith is going to demand north of 3 million per year. If you fire Woodson, here are two more economical options Sam Mitchell or Kelvin Sampson.

2. Take a point guard or perimeter player with the 19th pick. There is only one upper tier player in this draft and that is Blake Griffin. However, there are going to be solid players when the Hawks pick. I think you go point guard here, but definitely go perimeter. I like Johnny Flynn from Syracuse. The question probably is does he know anything about playing man to man defense. Every college player will be shocked by NBA attention to defensive detail, so do not worry about this.

3. Find a hidden gem of a player with the 49th pick. If I am not mistaken, Sund took Robert Swift. I am worried that he takes a big in the first round that bombs (BJ Mullens, anyone). Take the big man in this spot. There will be guys with size left. You can find a big in the 2nd round that can be an impact player—Anderson Varejao, Carlos Boozer, and Big Baby Davis to name a few. Both draft picks have to make the roster.

4. Give Joe Johnson an extension. Unless you think that D-Wade, Bosh, or another tier 1 player will sign here in Summer 2010, you have to give Super Joe an extension. This guy is a warrior. He led the NBA in minutes played. He has an all around game and he can carry you in a playoff series—last year—and he is still young. I offer him 3 years and 45 million dollars.

5. Trade Josh Smith. The time has come to choose between Smith and Joe Johnson. I choose Johnson. Smith is a potential all star, but he is also a potential team and coach killer. The funny part is that in the NBA universe Smith’s contract makes him a bargain. You can get value for him. You might have to throw in the rights to Josh Childress (try to throw in Acie Law and Speedy Claxton’s expiring contract.) I think Detroit would make a deal to get some cap space for 2010. You might be able to get Tayshaun Prince and Will Bynum for Smith, Childress, and Law.

6. Hold off on making Mike Bibby an offer. I have so much respect for Bibby and the way he played this year. He might have been the Hawks’ MVP for the regular season, but he is so limited defensively that the Hawks should move in another direction. My plan for the point guard position is in three parts: draft a point guard, sign Jason Kidd to a two year deal, and trade Acie Law. Yes, Kidd is old, but he is not going to retire. He is big, runs a team, and guards better than Bibby. The financial commitment to Kidd would be less than to say Andre Miller or Raymond Felton.

7. Let Zaza Pachulia go. Zaza brings effort and intensity, but is he worth what you are going to have to pay him. No. I think Sund should use Zaza’s money on a more productive and versatile player. I like some of the free agents that are performing in the playoffs. For the same money or even less, you could go after Chris Anderson, Big Baby, Marcin Gortat, or Antonio McDyess. I think McDyess would look great beside Horford in a lineup. Plus, can you image Philips Arena going nuts for the Birdman Anderson? I mean this is the Hawks!

8. Re-sign Flip Murray in late July. I want to wait and see if there is a market for Murray. He played great this season off the bench and was vital to the Hawks’ 10 win improvement this year. But, do not forget he was probably out of the NBA if not for Sund. Wait and you might be able to get him for another one year deal, but double or even triple his money.

9. Re-sign Marvin Williams. Make Williams a solid qualifying offer. Marvin is never going to live up to his draft status or the fact that he is not Chris Paul, but he is solid NBA scorer. I thought he played harder than ever before this season on the defensive end. Of course, it is kind of a contract year. Sund already has a blue print for what to do with Marvin after the Childress affair last summer.

10. Convince Childress to come back. I actually think you can argue that Childress’ basketball skills probably eroded by playing in Greece. He has to be home sick and miss playing games in front of 15,000 people a night. He still is not a starter in the league and does not get starter money. The Hawks have the leverage and should offer something like 3 years, 21 million.

What shape do those moves leave the Hawks in for next year? Well, let’s just say we have to trade the rights to Josh Childress to make a Smith deal happen. Also, I have wanted Ron Artest for the Hawks, but I am going to take Chris Anderson instead. That leaves the Hawks with a deeper perimeter team and very thin on big men. The 49th pick has to be a big man. Then, keep Solomon Jones for a few million and here is your roster:

Jason Kidd, Joe Johnson, Tayshaun Prince, Al Horford, Chris Anderson, Johnny Flynn, Flip Murray, Maurice Evans, Marvin Williams, Solomon Jones, Tyler Hansborough (49th pick), Mario West

5 Offensive Keys for a Huge Hawks Game 5 Win

2009-04-29T18:07:00.001-04:00

1. Mo and Flip have to play big. If Marvin Williams does not play, the Hawks are going with a 7 man rotation. Mo in the starting line up and Flip off the bench. These guys were picked up in August by GM Rick Sund and few in this town paid any attention (check my blog I was calling for the Evans signing before he signed). The combination is averaging almost 15 ppg in this series. Tonight, they both need to score in double figures.

2. The Hawks have to get to the foul line and convert. A high number of free throw attempts means that you are getting shots in the paint either on drives to the basket, transition cuts, or post moves. Atlanta is averaging 24 attempts per game from the line on 71% shooting. They need to get to the foul line 35 times tonight and shoot a high percentage.

3. Mike Bibby has to get more open 3 point shot attempts.. He is attempting under 5 shots per game from 3 point land in this playoff series. I do not think he is being aggressive enough on offensive end. Granted the Heat are keying on him with Mario Chalmers and Chalmers does not ever have to double team anyone in the post. The Hawks need to look for Bibby on quick kick outs after offensive rebounds. Bibby must be more aggressive and call his own number more tonight.

4. Al Horford must step up. Horford is highly respected in basketball circles all around the country. He is looked at as the next great power forward for USA basketball. The problem is that Jermaine O’Neal has exposed him as an under sized center who has trouble guarding a bigger player. Horford has to get physical on the offensive end. He has to attack the basket. He has to match Zaza Pachulia’s energy. Horford is averaging 2 offensive rebounds per game in this series. Tonight, he needs to man up and get about 6 offensive rebounds and convert them into scores.

5. Will the real Joe Johnson please stand up? Forget about his low scoring numbers. In the regular season, Super Joe averaged almost 6 assists versus 2.5 turnovers per game. Those numbers are close to being reversed against the Heat. Johnson needs to be a playmaker and let the offense come to him. When the Heat double him on the perimeter, he needs to attack the double and create open shots for teammates. The Hawks bigs, especially Josh Smith and Horford, need to cut to open areas and to the basket for easy scores. I have a great feeling the JJ is going to play his best game of the series tonight and lead the Hawks to a 3-2 series advantage.

Hawks Have to Stay Grounded for Game 2

2009-04-21T12:24:00.004-04:00

Hopefully, Mike Woodson and his coaching staff have been able to bring the soaring Hawks back down to Earth after Sunday’s big win. The city is buzzing about this team and the danger is that the players just show up and expect to beat the Heat again. Some people are even talking about a sweep which is ridiculous. The Hawks need to understand that they are going to face a much different Miami Heat team on Wednesday night in Game 2.

For starters, the Heat’s young players should come out with a better idea of intensity needed to compete in the playoffs and of the noise level in Philips Arena. Last year, a veteran team like the Celtics was rattled in the Hawks home arena, so the Heat’s struggles were not unprecedented. Mario Chalmers, Michael Beasley, and company should all be better on Wednesday night.

Secondly, Dwayne Wade clearly was rusty from his week long lay off. The Hawks defense has done a solid job on Wade all season, but he did play up to his normal standards. I like the way the Hawks forwards helped Joe and Mo Evans by challenging every one of Wade's attempts. Undoubtedly, Wade is going to be on a mission in Game 2.

The Heat are sure to run more screen and roll on the wing to try and get him into the middle of the floor. I also see Coach Spoelstra running some zipper cut action to get Wade the ball at the top of the floor. I would actually not bring the screener in this case and let Wade work one on one. The Heat could flatten out their offense to a 1-4 low set with 3 point shooters in the corners.

Finally, the best feature of the Hawks' win on Sunday was their unselfish play on the offenive end of the floor. The Hawks were very focused on the offensive end. The ball movement reminded me of that great stretch of home games in December.

Clearly, Coach Woodson had a game plan to attack the Miami Heat inside. Smith, Horford, and Zaza had opportunities in the paint early in the game. Getting alley oop dunks, easy post scores, and offensive put backs opened up the outside shooting for the Hawks perimeter players.

The Hawks have the experience not to look beyone Game 2. Stay focused on the task at hand. Offensively, they have to stick to their game plan. Defensively, they need to be ready for an all out assault from D-Wade. Wade might take over 30 shots in this game. The Hawks defense on Wade is the key. If Wade responds with an all around monster game with a near triple-double, the Hawks are in trouble and the Heat can steal a game at the Highlight Factory.

Hawks 5 Keys to Beat the Miami Heat

2009-04-15T18:10:00.003-04:00

The Atlanta Hawks have earned their playoff berth and playoff seeding this season. Unlike last season, no one can say that they backed into the 2009 playoffs. This team is firmly entrenched as the 4th best team in the Eastern Conference.

I wrote a breakdown of the player matchups for the Hawks versus Miami Heat playoff series about three weeks ago. Nothing really has changed in my thinking. Any 5th grader that follows the NBA knows that the main key to this series is Dwayne Wade and how the Hawks decide to try to attack him defensively. Without Wade, the Heat are a lottery team. He should finish second to Lebron James in the NBA MVP voting.

However, the Hawks clearly have a better 8 man rotation than the Heat. The Hawks also have the benefit of playing in the playoffs last year. The problem for the Hawks is that an NBA playoff series can be dominated by one player. If Wade goes off for 50+ points in Game 1 and the Heat win in Philips Arena, the Hawks will be facing their toughest challenge in a season filled with adversity.

To beat the Heat, the Hawks have to answer 5 key questions:

1. What is the injury status of Marvin Williams? The former second overall pick in the NBA draft is in his contract year. He elevated his game this year on both ends of the floor. His three point shooting and defensive efforts were essential to the Hawks’ quick start to the season.

However, Marvin’s back is out of whack. He has not played much in the past six weeks. I have been arguing for him to come off the bench since last summer. If he can score off the bench, use his length to bother the Heat’s Michael Beasley, and rebound, the Hawks should win this series.

2. Can Jermaine O’Neal be a low post scoring option for the Heat? The Al Horford vs. Jermaine O’Neal match up in the low post is very intriguing. Most of the time playoff basketball slows down and the offense has to rely more on set plays. The Heat need to generate some easy baskets in the post by getting the ball to O’Neal. Horford will have to guard him in the post.

I like Horford’s energy and defensive intensity. He has to push O’Neal off the block and make him shoot face up jumpers. If O’Neal can spin into the lane and shoot short hook shots, the Hawks are in trouble. The Hawks cannot afford to try to double in the post and take away Wade on the perimeter. If O’Neal reaches the 20 point mark in a game, the Heat probably win.

On the other hand, the Hawks need to establish Horford on the block on the offensive end. He has been inconsistent this season with his post moves. If he is aggressive, “The Boss” should be able to score on O’Neal who likely will play behind in the post and let Horford catch the ball on the block.

3. Which version of Josh Smith shows up for this series? Since the Marvin Williams injury, Smith has started to play good basketball. He is doing the little things and he is scoring and rebounding. His defense is better. He has taken charges and played the passing lanes. He has kept his man from penetrating for the most part. J-Smoove also has become a playmaker. He is an above average passer who delivers the ball to perimeter shooters on the money. Guys can just catch the pass and shoot.

Smith seems to have realized that he can score 30 points in a game if he takes the ball to the basket and makes his free throws. He occasionally jacks up a terrible jump shot, but those miscues have become fewer and fewer. My problem with J-Smoove has been that for every good thing on the court he does a bad thing. If he makes more positive plays than negative, the Hawks can beat the Heat and challenge the Cavs in Round 2.

4. Can Mike Bibby continue to make big shots at the end of games? Bibby has been a rock for Hawks coach Mike Woodson this season. The other night I watched him direct the offense and call out plays at the end of a crucial Hawks win. Plus, all year long, Bibby has made clutch 3 point shots at the end of games.

The Heat defense should focus on Joe Johnson in end of game situations. Johnson was dynamite in last year’s playoffs and scored repeatedly on the Boston Celtics in the 4th quarter of games. This year he has Bibby to pass to for the open jump shot. It is possible that Bibby will have 3-4 shots in this series that will decide games. I hope that he makes them.

5. Can the Hawks slow down Dwayne Wade? Wade cannot be stopped, but he can be contained. Hold him to 30 and make him earn those points by not giving up dunks and lay-ups. Slow down the Heat’s transition game by scoring on the offensive end.
I have been critical of the Hawks’ defensive approach to guarding the screen and roll play all season. There are probably about 12 ways to guard this play, but the Hawks seem to only switch the play. Switching works if the offensive player with the ball is hesitant to attack the bigger defender off the dribble. D-Wade will not have that problem. He will attack the Hawk Bigs, score, and probably get fouled.

The Hawks have to mix up how they guard the screen and roll depending on the players involved. If Jermaine O’Neal is coming to set the screen for D-Wade, the Hawks should double Wade. Make him give the ball up to O’Neal on the perimeter. O’Neal can make the outside shot, but can the Heat beat you with him shooting jumpers? I don’t think so.

If Udonis Haslem is coming to set the screen, the Hawks do their normal switch. I think that Josh Smith is athletic enough to guard Wade on some possessions. If Smith focuses, gets into a defensive stance, and gives Wade a step, Smith can keep Wade from getting all the way to the basket. Smith could force him into taking jump shots off the dribble with a hand in his face.

Of all the playoff matchups in the Eastern Conference, this series shapes up as the most competitive. It looks like it will be the superstar player leading his team versus a deeper, more veteran Hawks’ squad. My prediction is that the Hawks with home court advantage will win this series in seven games.

10 Observations While Watching Hawks vs. Spurs

2009-03-25T20:30:00.002-04:00

1. The Spurs are aging quickly. The Spurs are older than Bob Rathbun’s analogies. These guys are like the old guys with knee pads that come and play pick up at the playground. At one point, Michael Finley, Drew Gooden, and Kurt Thomas were all on the floor at the same time. I know Roger Mason is still pretty young, but he looks old. If Tim Duncan, Gnobili, and Parker, play great basketball, the Spurs can make it back to the Finals, but the championship window for this version of the Spurs has been slammed shut and painted over.

2. Hawks’ guard Flip Murray is on fire. His confidence level is at a season high. He was attacking Gnobili like Manu just arrived in the States with a knapsack and Marta card. Over the past three games, Murray is averaging over 20 points per game. Murray has been up and down a little this season, but he gives the Hawks a spark off the bench that they did not have last season.

3. The Hawks overall roster is much better than the Spurs right now. I especially like the Hawks young forwards. If they can re-sign Marvin Williams to a reasonable contract this summer and Josh Childress makes the obvious decision to return to the NBA, the Hawks have four young and talented front court players.

4. Here is one of Coach Mike Woodson’s biggest problems in a nutshell. Joe Johnson had to start the game guarding Tony Parker, because Bibby cannot guard Parker. It is a good thing that the Eastern Conference is devoid of attacking point guards. Bibby can guard Rajon Rondo, Rafer Alston, and Mario Chalmers. I would be worried about Moe Williams of the Cavs. Parker still has 20 points and 5 assists at halftime.

5. Josh Smith has no low post game. Also, he is not a very good jump shooter from outside of 5 feet. The Spurs started the game with Matt Bonner guarding him. Smith should dominate Bonner, but he has no offensive package of moves. The Hawks cannot take advantage of the mismatch, because Smith is so limited offensively. The Hawks threw him the ball on the right block and he took a terrible fall away jump shot. Note to Josh—develop a left-handed jump hook. A shot based maybe on Tayshaun Prince’s move. Left-handed players are tough to guard, but the way to guard J-Smoove is to just let him shoot the basketball.

6. The Spurs are one of the best teams in the NBA at executing out of bounds plays for scores. At the end of the first quarter, Popovich called a beautiful play side out of bounds play for Ginobli to get a lay up. Over the course of a game, those extra points add up to wins.

7. Manu Gnobili is not healthy. This is his first game back after missing 19 games. He missed 12 games earlier this season. He looks slow and the explosiveness off the dribble are not there. The Western Conference teams are fairly equal talent wise and only 2.5 games separate five different teams for playoff spots. If Gnobili is not 100% for the playoffs, the Spurs are going to have an early exit this year.

8. Mike Bibby got a sweet cut right in the middle of his forehead courtesy of an elbow from Matt Bonner. Bibby was the victim of a bush league play that happens all the time in the Association. Bonner flailed his arms after the whistle. Kobe Bryant does this all the time. It should be a technical foul.

9. If Joe Johnson gets hurt, the Hawks can’t win a first round playoff series. When Super Joe went down with a twisted ankle on the very first play of the game for the Hawks, I actually started righting the Hawks 2009 season obituary. Without Johnson’s all around game, quiet leadership, and offensive fire power, the Hawks will not beat the Heat.

10. Al Horford is the key to Atlanta’s playoff destiny. He brings energy, rebounding, and defense. He will set a solid screen which is a sacrifice that some are not willing to make. Coach Woodson has to have the confidence the isolate Horford some on the low block. Last season, he was able to score on Kevin Garnett in the playoffs. In a potential 1st round match up, I like Horford versus Jermaine O’Neal of the Heat.

Picking the NCAA Tournament

2009-03-19T11:01:00.002-04:00

My 1st Round Winners:

Louisville, Ohio State, Arizona, Wake Forest, WVU, Kansas, Boston College, Michigan State, Connecticut, BYU, Purdue, Mississippi State, Marquette, Missouri, California, Memphis

Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Xavier, UCLA, Villanova, Texas, Duke, North Carolina, LSU, Illinois, Gonzaga, Temple, Syracuse, Clemson, Oklahoma

My 2nd Round Winners:

Louisville, Arizona, WVU, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Connecticut, Missouri, Memphis

Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, Villanova, Texas, North Carolina, Gonzaga, Syracuse, Clemson

My Elite Eight:

Arizona, Michigan State, Connecticut, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Texas, North Carolina, Clemson

My Final Four:

Arizona, Memphis, Texas, North Carolina

Final Game:

Memphis vs. North Carolina - North Carolina wins the National Championship 99-83.

Hawks Soar to 5th Straight Win

2009-03-16T08:47:00.005-04:00

The NBA season is a marathon. During the long season, the factors that determine whether a team wins or loses are all over the board. A star player's wife might be mad that the pool isn't heated to the right temperature, a guy's child might be doing poorly in school, someone's girlfriend is flirting with a country music star at the Memphis game, etc. I mean there are ups and downs. Coaches fight with referees, referees fight with players, players fight with coaches. The problem is no one has any patience and every time anything happens fifty people have to write something about it. Yes, this even happens to the Hawks! The Hawks are relevant and the Eastern Conference is starting to take notice.

The Hawks are rolling right now and they stretched their win streak to 5 games behind another huge performance from Joe Johnson. Also, Josh Smith's emphatic dunk along the left baseline brought Philips Arena to its feet. J-Smoove is garnering praise from all over the NBA universe, but Smith knows how quickly that can change. I think Smith loves playing in Atlanta and maybe all the talk about him being traded is starting to become real. Do you think J-Smoove wants to play in Sacramento, Portland, Detroit or somewhere worse (I think they play basketball in Beirut)? No way. Here is an article by Chris Mannix of CNNSI to check out about Josh Smith and the Hawks who are slowly grabbing some national attention.

Why I Feel Badly for Sekou Smith...

2009-03-10T13:51:00.003-04:00

Newspapers are dead and the world is changing. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when the AJC management invaded the sports desk and told the graybeards of Bisher, Moore, Bradley and Schultz, “Guys we are giving you blog pages and putting the word “blog” over your name on the web site. Yeah, they are still opinion columns, but we are going to call them “blogs”. The goal is to generate page views. Use girls in bikinis, Erin Andrews, and whatever else to get people to read your stuff.”

The problem is that these blogs suck. I love to see these guys like Jeff Schultz reduced to doing a half-hearted blog on the AJC web page. You know these sportswriters have been complaining and vilifying bloggers for years and now they are becoming bloggers themselves. Karma is great.

Schultz’s blog has an “about” section, a “recent posts” section, an “archive” section, a ‘blogroll”, a “topics” section, and a “what makes me look smart” section (sometimes called a blogs I follow section). The interesting part to me is that there are a half dozen Hawks bloggers that have been writing better stuff all season long. Schultz does a bikini clad girl picture to boost page views. The guys at Billy Knight Stole My Lunch Money have been doing this all year—and doing it much better! Their last picture is a twelve on a ten point scale.

The funniest part of this whole change at the AJC is that the analysis of the Hawks is even more below average. His most recent article about the Mike Woodson and Josh Smith feud could have been written by any 14 year-old fan that has watched this team for the last few years. Give me something. These guys at the AJC have what bloggers crave…Access! Dig deeper. Find out the real story behind Woodson’s tirade. What went on behind the closed doors of the locker room to make J-Smoove wake up and play great basketball these past two games? Find out the inside information.

Okay, maybe no Hawks player will go on the record, but Jeff you are a blogger now. You do not have to worry about “on the record” and that journalism paradigm. Print the truth of what you find out and you will be fine. The fact is that most of the die hard Hawks bloggers that really follow this team would not even write a column as vanilla and boring as this one by Schultz.

I mean check out The Vent. She will let Josh Smith shoot as many jumpers as he wants. That is funny. That is the kind of ironic analysis that someone at the AJC could provide. I actually feel badly for Sekou Smith. He cannot even get his picture on the Hawks blog. The title just says “Hawks blog”. Very original. Sekou should start his own blog and call it “Hawksville.” The problem for Sekou is that the AJC still is paying him until they file for bankruptcy this summer.

Hawks Versus Pistons - Player Matchups for the Playoffs

2009-03-02T18:42:00.004-05:00

After watching the Atlanta Hawks play two tough games this weekend, I am giving the Hawks the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. I know it seems early with around 20 games left to play, but I have confidence that with a healthy Mike Bibby and a long home stand, the Hawks are going to finish the season on a positive note.

If Bibby plays and the Hawks stay healthy, their 8 man rotation is pretty good. The Hawks’ 3 point shooting in Philips Arena and their defensive intensity are the big keys for this team.

Okay, pencil in the Hawks as the 4 seed in the playoffs. The scary part for Atlanta is that they might have to play the Detroit Pistons in the first round. Without Allen Iverson, the Pistons scored big road victories over Orlando and Boston this weekend.

The Hawks match up much better with the Miami Heat. The Heat's Dwayne Wade is the best player and most explosive offensive threat on these three teams, but the Pistons present so many more match up problems for Atlanta in a playoff series.

Here is a preview of the players going head to head if the Hawks have to face the Pistons in the 1st round of the playoffs:

Mike Bibby vs. Rodney Stuckey

The Hawks have been struggling during this stretch when Bibby has been hurt and sick. Without Bibby, the Hawks can make the playoffs, but they can forget about doing any damage in the 1st round. Bibby is the better shooter and passer than Stuckey, but Stuckey is younger and much more physical.

Stuckey still is learning the point guard position, but he is a physical guard that can get to the basket. If the Pistons decide to clear out and let Stuckey operate one on one against Bibby, the Hawks are in trouble. Stuckey is a solid defender, but not focused enough to stay with Bibby at all times. Bibby will score, but so will Stuckey. I call this match up even.

Joe Johnson vs. Rip Hamilton

Johnson is the better all around player. Hamilton will have a hard time guarding Johnson. The Hawks like to run Joe to the left wing and get him the ball. Plus, Johnson can post Rip. The Pistons coaching staff would be smart to put Stuckey on JJ during some stretches.

On the other side of the coin, JJ is going to have to chase Hamilton all over the court and over countless screens. The Pistons create much of their offense from Hamilton reading screens and how teams guard the screen off the ball. Is Johnson in good enough shape to chase Rip all night long and still carry the Hawks’ offense in the last 4 minutes of the 4th quarter? That will be a huge question if these teams play in the 1st round. I give the edge to the Hawks.

Josh Smith vs. Tayshaun Prince

This whole season J-Smoove has been a wild card for the Hawks. He has the ability to make a huge impact on this series or he could disappear. If he is determined on defense, Smith will keep Prince in front of him and negate some of Prince’s vaunted low post game.

Prince is a member of the “Redeem Team” and one of the best defenders in the NBA. The past four years he has been 2nd team all defense in the Association. He will cause all kind of problems for Smith if Smith is careless with the basketball. Ok, if Smith tries to dribble Tayshaun probably will steal the ball from him. Prince is not playing as well this year offensively. I think he is tired and playing too many minutes. Arron Affalo has not really been able to play minutes at the small forward.

Of all the Redeem Team members, Prince’s game is down this year. However, he killed the Celtics with a big 3 point shot on Sunday and his passing is light years ahead of Smith’s. The Pistons have a clear edge here especially if the bumpy J-Smoove shows up for this series.

Al Horford vs. Rasheed Wallace

“The Boss” has been playing great since the all star break. He had a monster game against the Denver Nuggets; then he followed that up with a 20 point / 20 rebound game against Miami. In last year’s playoffs, Horford was able to score in the low post against Boston even when guarded by Kevin Garnett.

Of all the Hawks on the roster, Horford is the one guy that has to stay in Atlanta. No what Rick Sund says, Horford is a power forward with a Karl Malone type future. He is not a center, but neither are Rasheed or Antonio McDyess. However, I am sure that the Pistons will not double him in the post.

Wallace and McDyess will take turns guarding him. Wallace’s length, positioning, and defensive savvy will be a huge challenge for Horford. Wallace can block shots, but he is just as likely to slap down and go for steals. In my mind, Wallace is probably the most important player on the Pistons. If he is motivated and plays well, the Pistons are better than the Hawks. Wallace is the one player in this series that can run to the low block, receive the ball, and score consistently.

Horford will battle him in the post, but Wallace is kind of like and old school Kevin McHale in the post. He is a force and then he can take his game out and make 3 point shots. One quality to Wallace that works in the Hawks’ favor is that he does not like to draw fouls and go to the line. When the Pistons go to Wallace at the end of games, Horford and the Hawks must make him score over the top. I give Wallace an edge over Horford, but only for the 2009 playoffs.

Marvin Williams vs. Antonio McDyess

It is going to be interesting to see how these teams match up on the interior. Williams is really a small forward, but he cannot really guard Rasheed or Tayshaun. He can guard McDyess and actually pressure McDyess when he catches the ball on the perimeter. I really like this match up for Atlanta. The Pistons probably will have to put Prince on Williams, because of Williams’ range on his jump shot. McDyess will not be able to guard Williams at all. Add to that the fact that Marvin will be playing for his next contract and Marvin might have a monster series.

McDyess is old and does not move that well, so Williams should be able to grab some offensive rebounds. Defensively, Williams is able to come out on the floor to guard McDyess. The Pistons do not run any plays for McDyess, but he finds open spots on the floor when his defender helps off him. McDyess is a very accurate shooter out to 20 feet, but he has no low post game that could hurt the Hawks. The Hawks have a slight advantage depending on Marvin’s energy level.

Hawks Bench vs. Pistons Bench

One of the biggest stories of this final segment of the NBA season is going to be how effective Allen Iverson is coming off the bench for Detroit. His statistical numbers with the Pistons have been eerily similar to his numbers with the Denver Nuggets. AI can score in bunches and look for him to be on the floor in crunch time. That would mean the Pistons going with a small line up, but Prince will be able to match up with Atlanta’s forwards, because Smith and Williams will not post up.

The Pistons probably come with Jason Maxiell, Walter Herrman, and former Georgia Tech guard Will Bynum in their rotation. Maxiell is an explosive offensive rebounder and finisher around the basket. Herrmann probably sees his minutes limited, but Bynum could be a factor pressuring Flip Murray when he has to play the point.

Murray and Mo Evans can score off the Hawks bench. I keep waiting for Mo Evans to find his 3 point stroke again this season. Murray has been playing key minutes and scoring in bunches since the All Star Break. Zaza will be the Hawks post guy off the bench. (Even though the numbers do not bear it out at this time, I still think the Hawks would be better with Zaza starting and Josh Smith or Marvin Williams coming off the bench. I know it will never happen, but the matchups would be better in this series.) The scary thought for the Hawks is Maxiell flying down the court for dunks. It is a good thing that the Pistons probably will not try to push the basketball at all in this series.

Both teams have a big drop off on the defensive end when they substitute. The idea of Iverson being the main scorer for Detroit’s second unit is intriguing. With all the cameras and bright lights of the playoffs, I see him being a major factor. For the Hawks, Mo Evans can earn some minutes on the defensive end. He will have to be a defensive stopper when the Pistons go to a smaller line up. With Iverson, I give the Pistons a solid edge in bench play.

The Pistons are battle tested and have reached the Eastern Conference Finals in the last six seasons. The guys on the Hawks’ roster, except for Bibby, have never had real success in the playoffs. I just hope the AI experiment fails and the Hawks end up hosting the Heat in the 1st round. I liked the way that the Hawks matched up with the Heat last Friday.

Hawks Make Big Trade Deadline Move!

2009-02-19T19:36:00.005-05:00

Have you been wondering where in the world James White plays basketball? The former Cincinnati Bearcat star is the best player on the Anaheim Arsenal of the D-League. He had 35 points last night in a big overtime win.

I know this because I was checking out the teammates of new Arsenal big man and former Hawk Othello Hunter. Hawks’ fans have been throwing down shots of Jameson this week to celebrate the big move that has given the Hawks a chance to win the Eastern Conference. The Hawks designated Othello Hunter for assignment to the Anaheim Arsenal of the D-League!

Think back to September – October 2007…Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers was complaining that the Lakers’ GM Mitch Kupchak was not doing enough to win a championship. It looked like Kupchak’s career was nearing an end with the Lakers. Then, in February 2008, Kupchak robbed the Memphis Grizzlies of Pau Gasol. Today, the Lakers are playing great basketball and have the deepest team in the NBA.

Today, Atlanta Hawks’ GM Rick Sund could have made a similar deal. He could have made a deal for a superstar to be the face of this franchise. Instead, the big news this week for the Hawks was that Othello Hunter was sent to the D-League. Is it Sund’s fault? No, the problem with the Hawks is the ridiculous management situation. Blame Steve Belkin, Michael Gearon, and the rest. Blame David Stern for letting this charade go on for so long.

Okay, I am joking. Really, Hawks fans are seeing the door close on a chance to make a trade to get them into contention for the Eastern Conference championship. If you read this blog, you know that I think the Hawks’ roster is built for the playoffs. Bibby and Marvin playing for contracts make the playoff roster even more interesting. I am confident Atlanta will beat Detroit or Miami in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

I also am confident that the Hawks with their current roster cannot beat the Celtics, Magic, or Cavs. The next few road games will provide a tough test, and we will see what the Hawks can do against tough teams. A few days back I proposed a trade to get the Hawks to the next level. I posted the editorial to another web site. With over 200 reads and some negative comments, here are a couple of my comments in response to the comments:

First of all, if you check out the stats, Josh Smith and Carmelo are close to even. Carmelo is obviously the better scorer and offensive player, but Smith has some advantages. He is younger, more athletic, and has a much more manageable contract. Plus, he has not already tuned out George Karl. Get Smith away from ATL and he might blossom.

Joe Johnson is one of my favorite Hawks, but he is a number 2--a Robin or Ed McMahon if you will. Melo would come in here as the face of the Hawks. He would take all the pressure of Joe. Melo would be the number 1 option and he would put sizzle in Philips Arena. The stars of Atlanta would be at these games.

Think about this match up in the 2nd round of this year's NBA playoffs:

Bibby, Joe, Melo, Horford, and Zaza versus Rondo, Allen, Pierce, Garnett, and Perkins.

I actually like Atlanta's starting five better on the offensive end. As always, Garnett's desire would be the X-factor. But can Paul Pierce guard Melo? Can Allen guard JJ? Allen could not get the job done against the Hawks in last year's playoffs.

Hawks’ bloggers and fans only can dream of a Melo and Joe Johnson combination. Really, no one cares. There are only two sports talk radio shows in this town and today they combined to talk about the Hawks for about 14 minutes. The derth of NBA talk and buzz in this town is disheartening. Okay, let me go watch Jeopardy.

Melo for Josh Smith? A Great Deal for Both Teams

2009-02-12T01:19:00.003-05:00

I am spending my Sunday afternoon watching four of the top five teams in the NBA compete against each other at the highest level. These teams are playing in front of packed houses with playoff atmospheres. So, I started wondering what the Hawks can do to reach the next level.

I like this Hawks team, but honestly the ceiling for this team is probably winning a playoff series this year. After this year, things will change. Look what happened yesterday when Mike Bibby was out of action. The Hawks were thumped at home by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Every NBA fan is excited about the 2010 off season. Scenarios for 2010 are talked about daily on NBA blogs and in mainstream NBA coverage. What can the Hawks do to get ready for the vaunted free agent Class of 2010?

Here is my solution. Forget about trying to land Lebron, D. Wade, or Bosh in 2010. Make a trade now that will set you up for the next 4 years. I went to ESPN’s NBA Trade Machine to see what I can do to help GM Rick Sund and the Hawks.

Rick Sund should call the Denver Nuggets and offer them this trade: Josh Smith, Acie Law, and Speedy Claxton for Carmelo Anthony and Anthony Carter. The trade machine allowed the deal, but I think Josh Smith would have to approve it. Would getting away from home and Mike Woodson be enticing enough?

What are the benefits for the Hawks? This trade jumps the Hawks up on the NBA talent scale. Their starting line up for this year’s playoffs would be Mike Bibby, Joe Johnson, Carmelo, Al Horford and Zaza Pachulia.

In a playoff series with days off, that lineup has a legitimate chance to beat Boston, Cleveland, or Orlando. Horford can fill his natural position of power forward. The Hawks would then have a number one offensive option to pair up with Joe Johnson, who is one of the best all around players in the NBA. This trade might even encourage Bibby to re-sign with Atlanta for less money.

What are the benefits for the Nuggets? Because of injuries or other reasons, Carmelo’s stats are down across the board. He still has four years left on his deal with Denver, but the Nuggets have Linas Kleiza waiting in the wings.

This trade would make the Nuggets Chauncey Billups’ team to run. That is a good thing for the Nuggets. They would lose Melo’s scoring, but they would add a dynamic, young player in Josh Smith. The great thing about Smith is that his contract is very manageable.

What are the benefits for the principal players—Melo and J-Smoove? Melo moves to a great city. He would instantly be the biggest sports star in Atlanta. That means more exposure for the Hawks, but it also means that Melo has a chance to be a perennial all star in the Eastern Conference. J-Smoove gets to move away from Coach Mike Woodson and play in a more up tempo style with the Nuggets.

This trade seems to benefit everyone involved. The Nuggets even get Speedy Claxton’s expiring contract and a young back up point guard in the deal. Acie probably would be better in an up tempo style as well.

Undoubtedly, this kind of blockbuster trade will never be attempted by the Hawks. Sund seems pretty conservative plus the Hawks’ ownership quagmire is well documented. Maybe I am just dreaming about Carmelo and the Hawks playing big games on Sunday afternoons on ABC. Philips Arena would be rocking.

Old Hawks Are Playoff Ready

2009-02-06T18:51:00.002-05:00

While getting ready to watch the Hawks play the Bobcats, I am thinking about the current state of the Atlanta Hawks as we approach the All Star Break. This team is playoff ready and primed for a great second half of the season.

The Hawks are 28-20 and second in the Southeast Conference. I am predicting 3 wins and 1 loss in their four games before the break. The Hawk will beat Charlotte, the Clippers, and the Wizards, but lose at Detroit next Wednesday night. That will make them 31-21 at the All Star Break. With all of their injuries and tough early schedule, the Hawks are one of the surprise teams in the NBA.

The season has been a roller coaster ride for Hawks’ fans. The early season success raised expectations, but there have been some low points including a massacre at first place Orlando. When this team is healthy during the 2nd half of the season, there should be some great moments.

Here are my two goals for the team for the rest of the season. First, win 50 games. Secondly, earn the 4th or the 5th seed in the Eastern conference playoffs. Going into the final 30 games of the season, working to reach those marks has to be the mind set of this team.

Winning 50 would be great, but the playoff seeding is ultimately more important. I argue that the Hawks roster is better suited for playoff basketball than for the NBA regular season. This is not a run and gun, up and down basketball team. Playing on back to back nights or 4 games in 5 nights kills the Hawks because of their lack of depth. Rick Sund can sing the praises of Acie Law and Solo Jones, but they are too young and are not ready for prime time. In fact, the conventional wisdom that this is a young basketball team is dead wrong.

In the playoffs, Coach Woodson’s rotation is going to get shorter. He probably will go with an 8-man rotation. Of those guys, Bibby, JJ, Mo Evans, Flip, and Zaza are older, veteran players with lots of mileage on their legs. Marvin Williams and Josh Smith each have been in the league over three years. These guys are not young by NBA standards. Al Horford is the only guy I would call young and he is a four year college guy. If Smith develops the same maturity level as Marvin or “the Boss”, the Hawks are a mature and experienced group headed into the playoffs.

The other great thing about the first round of the NBA playoffs is that there are days off between games. My concern is that Bibby and Joe are logging too many minutes. Because of the off days, they should be able to play without worrying about getting tired. The Hawks have played a ton of close games this year and more often than not Bibby has been the guy that has knocked down clutch jump shots down in the clutch. He has made numerous big 3 point shots this year.

Bibby and Marvin Williams will be playing for contracts. That fact alone helps the Hawks in the playoffs. Do not underestimate the importance of money to these guys. The next contract is Bibby’s last. Marvin’s contract will make him a journeyman or a starter for the next several years. Marvin has been having his best season of his career this year. I think it is because he is not worried about Josh Childress looming as his back up.

Mo Evans’ role has been to come off the bench and Evans has not really played as well as I expected him to play this year. Without someone competing for his job, Marvin has been more relaxed and played better. His floor game with rebounding and passing has been consistently good all season. He played very hard in Wednesday night’s big win on the road versus Minnesota.

What are the variables for the Hawks in the playoffs? There are two. Can Mo Evans and Flip Murray provide offense of the bench? These guys started off hot, but cooled off in the month of January. Flip is coming back around, but Mo Evans has not been shooting the 3 point shot that well. If he can make 3’s and guard Tayshaun Prince or Paul Pierce, the Hawks can advance deep into the playoffs.

The second wild card is Josh Smith. You either love Smith or you hate him. He dunked so hard over Steve Nash two weeks ago that the Philips Arena crowd lost their minds. The replay itself inspired oohs and aahs. My problem with Smith (I wrote about this extensively last summer in this blog) is that for every positive thing he does on the court, he commits one or two errors. Plus, the scrunched up, complaining face that he makes is terribly annoying. When you are frustrated as a fan, imagine how frustrated Mike Woodson is coaching the talented, but erratic J-Smoove.

If Smith will rebound, block shots, stop his man from beating him off the dribble, and finish in transition, the Hawks are a scary team. They are a team that can reach the Eastern Conference Finals. If Smith settles for long jump shots, turns the ball over, makes lackadaisical passes, scowls at the officials, and ignores Coach Woodson, the Hawks can get beaten in the first round by Detroit or Miami. No matter what happens-- Hawks’ fans are going to have a blast this spring watching this “old” team in the playoffs.

Goodwill Hunting? Blogger Night with the Hawks

2009-01-27T19:50:00.005-05:00

The Atlanta Hawks invited some Hawks’ bloggers to attend last Sunday night’s game with the Phoenix Suns. Yes, you read that sentence correctly. They actually invited bloggers to the party! I would have liked to be a fly on the wall in that meeting:

-Well, we have done this in the past.
-Yeah, but bloggers? Can anything good come from this? Put them up in the rafters.
And we want Rick (GM Rick Sund) to spend 30 minutes answering their questions.
-(Very long pause followed by an expletive) Are you kidding me? These guys might start a web site saying how Rick shouldn’t have signed Koncak or let Dominique go. They might even blame him for not drafting Chris Paul for crying out loud.
-C’mon. Bloggers are the future of NBA coverage. Why do you think guys are playing harder than ever before? These guys watch mid-week games between us and the Clippers.
-Okay, we will do it. Break it to Rick gently. Lock up the alcohol, the A-Team dancers, and Woody’s play sheet. And be nice.
-How do we know when not to be nice?
-You won’t know, I will let you know. (Okay that last part was Dalton from Roadhouse, but you get the idea.

It turns out that the group of about 10 bloggers that showed up representing blogs principally devoted to the Hawks looked just like a group of young sports journalists. You had the cool guys with the cool blog name, the Daryl Morey stat guy (when he asked a question I thought Rick Sund’s head was going to explode), the hip Obama blogger who had partied for a week straight at the Inauguration, the sports loving woman writer (she actually scored a quick interview with O.J. Mayo earlier this year and had the guts to write about Mike Bibby missing lay-ups), the Al Horford jersey guy, and some others. One of my favorite writers from Playoff Hawks was not in attendance. He loves the Hawks, but he is very descriptive if you know what I mean (please no swearing was one of the rules).

The best part of the night was before the game when GM Rick Sund was holding court in a semi-circle of these eager, intrepid columnists with their notebooks and spiral-bound tablets taking copious notes. Sund started off the session with an overview of the season so far, and he followed with his take on the Hawks ability to reach several team goals.

Then, he opened up the session for questions. Typically, he answered some, he dodged some, he told some anecdotes, and he went off the record with some stuff. I wanted to raise my hand and just let him know that “off the record” rules do not really apply to bloggers. That is what makes them so fun and so dangerous!

You have to give it to Sund. He was cordial and candid. It is easy to see how these guys operate and handle the media. He almost had me convinced that Al Horford’s best position is center. He threw out Red Auerbach and Dave Cowens. I might have been the only other person there old enough to recognize those names. Supposedly, my high school and college coach know Sund from his days at Ohio University and in Southern Ohio. I did not bring that up, but he does remind me of an old school college coach.

Unfortunately, the Hawks lost a close game to the Suns. Our blogger suite was cheering, moaning, and groaning about the usual stuff with this team. Poor shot selection down the stretch, terrible turnovers, poor defensive rotations, and unimaginative offensive sets in the last 5 minutes of the game.

Last night, the Hawks compounded the grief by getting drilled by the Heat in a game that was not even close. Wade dominated. The Heat and the Pistons are gaining ground fast, but I had so much fun at “Hawks Blogger Night” that I could not muster up the normal vitriol to write a blog about the selfish play. I am sure it will wear off, but for right now my good will goes out to the Hawks and GM Rick Sund.

My 2009 Wish List for the Hawks

2009-01-22T22:53:00.001-05:00

With the NBA All-Star Game starters ready to be announced tonight on TNT, I was thinking about what I want to see happen for the Atlanta Hawks in 2009. I wish…

…that two Hawks are selected by the coaching staff as All-Stars. Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson deserve to be on this team. Super Joe is one of the best all around players in the Association. Bibby has clearly been one of the top two point guards in the Eastern Conference. It is a travesty if Rajon Rondo makes this team and not Bibby.

…that Acie Law would play better. Bibby is playing way too many minutes. Hawks need to play Acie more, draft a point guard, find someone in the D-League, or make a trade. The problem is that the only valuable asset right now might be the rights to Josh Childress. Think outside the box. I mean Jose Barea is playing solid minutes for Dallas.

…that the Hawks end the season with the 4th seed in the playoffs and play Chicago in the first round. Hawks might sweep the Bulls. Clearly, the Hawks do not want to play New Jersey. The Bucks have a big man inside, Richard Jefferson, and Michael Redd (if he does not get traded to Cleveland). Redd and Jefferson could outplay Super Joe and J-Smooth.

…the Hawks would find a low post scoring presence. Randolph Morris is not the answer. The Hawks need someone that can post up and draw a double team. I know there aren’t that many guys out there that can do that.

…the team welcomes Childress back to Atlanta. Supposedly, J-Chill is in the States having surgery for a sports hernia. You just know this guy is homesick and wants to come back. You know he has been humbled by the experience. Make it easy for him to come back to Atlanta. The fans would welcome him back. Then, over the summer, you might be able to package him with Acie Law for a point guard—Earl Watson?

…that the Hawks are taken over by a single, dominant voice at the ownership level. Solve all this crazy Belkin versus the Atlanta Spirit Group nonsense. We need a kinder, gentler version of Mark Cuban.

…that Mike Woodson can figure out a way to beat Lawrence Frank’s New Jersey Nets. Why does Devin Harris dominate the Hawks?

…that Mark Price did not have to sit way in the back row of the coaches’ section. Price should be a bigger factor and maybe up on the bench in 2009-2010.

…that the Hawks would re-sign Mike Bibby, get a younger big man like Leon Powe or Big Baby Davis, change the color scheme of their home court, and take away Speedy Claxton’s electronic access card to Philips Arena.

The Hawks...They Are Who We Thought They Weren't?

2009-01-10T23:08:00.002-05:00

This week was the most important week of the 2008-2009 regular season for the Atlanta Hawks. They played a home and home series against the Orlando Magic who had a small lead on the Hawks in the Southeast Division. A split or a Hawks’ sweep of the week would have been huge. The exact opposite happened. The Magic obliterated the Hawks last night in one of the worst losses of the Mike Woodson’s coaching tenure.

I watched the tip ready to write an article about how the Hawks bounced back with a win after the loss to the Magic on Wednesday night. About how they came together as a team and played with pride. Instead, I was making a list of examples of how monumentally bad the Hawks performed in this game.

There were the ridiculous technical fouls on Woodson, Joe Johnson, and Josh Smith. Another technical foul was called for delay of game because reserve center Solomon Jones did not have his jersey tucked in when he came on the floor.

The Hawks could not enter the ball on a couple of out of bounds underneath plays. They used up all their extra time-outs in the first quarter. J.J. Redick was scoring for Orlando. C’mon man! Othello Hunter played big minutes. It was so bad that Dominique was talking about how good a finisher Acie Law is in the paint.

I was frustrated and angry at halftime. The score was 71-33 for crying out loud. My face looked like the older cooler’s face (Sam Elliot’s character) in the movie Roadhouse when he gets kicked in the knee. I thought Hawks’ play-by-play man Bob Rathbun’s head might explode, but then a funny thing happened. At the start of the 2nd half, Bibby, Joe, and J-Smooth were at half court sharing a laugh.

What could they have been laughing at? Maybe, they were laughing at how viciously Dwight Howard blocked Josh Smith’s shot into the stands in the early moments of the game. Maybe, they were laughing because they have lost 10 out of there last 13 on the road.

It was even more deflating midway through the 3rd quarter when Al Horford was injured and no teammates came over to help him up or ask him if he was okay. I needed an NFL films sound byte of Vince Lombardi yelling, “What the hell’s going on out there!” There is something rotten in Hawks’ country.

With Josh Smith back in the lineup, you would think the Hawks would be playing better than they were earlier in the season, but they clearly are not. Zaza is sick and Marvin Williams is injured. Coach Woodson has no confidence in his bench.

I thought these Hawks might be contenders. I thought this was a new era. Are these the same old Hawks? With a month or so until the All-Star break, the Hawks are at a crossroads. Toronto, Detroit, and Miami are playing better and are catching up in the standings. Tomorrow’s game against the 76ers almost feels like an early season must win game—a big win at home can get this team moving in the right direction.

Magic Mystify Hawks, 106-102

2009-01-07T23:14:00.002-05:00

I know, I know, you probably are not supposed to surf the internet at work, but during a quick break in the action today, I checked out NBA.com. The lead story was about the great match-ups in tonight’s action, and the main focus was the Hawks’ game against the first place Magic.

Hawks’ fans are starting to believe the hype. Philips Arena (a.k.a the Highlight Factory) was loud at the start of the game, but the Hawks quickly fell behind the Magic. Slow starts to games have been a trend for the Hawks all season. The Magic played last night, but the Hawks looked like the team playing back-to-back games. They were out of rhythm on offense and they were slow to react on the defensive end of the floor.

The slow start to tonight’s game had to be a result of the game plan. I have a vision of Coach Woodson in his pre-game points of emphasis talking about how you have to control the tempo to beat the Magic. The problem is the Hawks are a below average half court offensive team. Their half court offense is very easy to guard for opposing teams. The offensive sets are unimaginative and predictable.

You can see this in the way they often struggle to score in the final possessions of a close game. Giving the basketball to Joe Johnson at the top of the floor only works so many times. It is true that the Magic are more athletic, play faster, and love the up tempo game, but the Hawks have to play to their strengths.

Dwight Howard controlled the paint and the Magic did not have to double team Horford in the post (the Magic did double Joe Johnson a couple of times.) That means that Super Joe, Bibby, and Marvin Williams did not have their normal open looks from 3-point range. When the Hawks were down by 20 at the beginning of the 4th quarter, they started pushing the ball in transition. Even though they lost the game, pushing the ball fueled their comeback run.

Here are five quick observations about tonight’s game:

1. The Hawks free throw shooting woes have to be a concern for Coach Mike Woodson. They threw away the “Vince Carter buzzer beater game” with an abysmal showing from the line. Tonight, the Hawks missed their first three free throws of the game and ended up shooting around 50% from the line. In a four point game, those easy points are critical. Also, when the Hawks play a team above them in the standings, they have to make every possession count.

2. Dwight Howard is the most dominant, physical force in the NBA. Al “the Boss” Horford fought Howard all night long, but he is just not big or strong enough. Whenever Howard goes to the foul line, you can hear the whispers from the crowd and the television audience about how broad his shoulders are. He really does look like a Superman.

3. The Hawks really missed the presence of Zaza Pachulia. Zaza missed the game with the flu. He has a big body to lean on Howard. The drop off to the other post reserves, Solomon Jones and Randolph Morris, is steep. Jones hits the offensive boards hard, but he was totally over matched by Howard inside. You somehow have to push Howard off the low block and make him used a post move to score. Howard’s dunking and rebounding killed the Hawks.

4. I was surprised that in the last two minutes of the game, Stan Van Gundy called set plays for Rashad Lewis to post up Josh Smith on the left wing area. That must be a result of Howard’s struggles at the free throw line. Lewis converted a basket and made two foul shots, but Smith was able to stop him on the next two possessions. Smith started a fast break that ended in a heart breaking missed lay up from Bibby.

5. Can the Hawks handle their early season success? The Hawks’ emergence in the East is shaping up to be one of the best stories in the NBA. However, the Hawks are showing some chinks in their armor. Their shot selection has been questionable. Outside of Horford, hustle plays are non-existent. Watch the Hawks’ time-outs. Guys are not in the huddle listening to Coach Woodson or each other. The focus has to be on winning games and not who gets the credit.

Tonight, the Magic looked like the deeper and better team. They even managed a couple of baskets from J.J. Reddick! However, the great thing about college and pro basketball is that you have the chance to play again soon and make up for a bad performance. To beat the elite teams, the Hawks have to come together as a team. They have to use this loss as motivation for another big game against the Magic on Friday night.

Dear Hawks, Please Rescue Josh Childress

2008-12-31T13:56:00.004-05:00

During Atlanta’s loss to the Celtics almost two weeks ago, I felt badly for Joe Johnson when he missed a free throw in the final minute with a chance to tie that game up. Johnson has played well and has been the Hawks’ go-to-guy in the 4th quarter of every close game. However, looking back on that game the next day, I felt ten times worse for poor Josh Childress.

Apparently, the NBA and the powers that be at ESPN thought it would be a great idea to check in with J-Chill during the 2nd quarter. With a crisp, clear telephone connection from somewhere in Greece, the Childress interview interrupted a couple of minutes of game time. (By the way, I hate these interviews in all sports when people are on the telephone or in the booth. The game action goes on and the announcers interview the person during the game action. Terrible.)

ESPN and NBA commissioner David Stern probably thought Childress would come on with some positive feedback about playing in Greece and push forward the NBA’s inexorable agenda of moving towards an actual global league. Instead, Childress sounded miserable, sad, and lonely. He kind of sounds like Simba in The Lion King when he thinks he is responsible for father’s death.

In keeping with the Disney theme, Childress needs to type up a letter admitting that going overseas was a mistake. Then, he should fold that letter up, put it into an empty bottle of ouzo, cork the bottle, and drop the bottle in the Mediterranean Sea. Disney Studios could make another movie sequel of the animated classic The Rescuers and send Bernard and Miss Bianca across the Atlantic to save J-Chill.

Can you imagine the comedic effect of an animated Childress? He would be great drawn really long and skinny, with the big grin, and the great, blown out hair. He could be in an Olympiakos jersey. The Olympiakos owner and Chill’s agent would be the bad guys that are trying to steal some huge diamond or something. They need Chill’s defensive skills and wingspan to beat an elaborate museum security system. For other product placement, he could eat McDonalds, drink Cokes (for the Atlanta connection), and wear some Nike gear.

For Olympiakos, Childress is doing exactly what he did for the Hawks last year. In the tough and competitive Euroleague games, he is averaging about 10 points per game. He probably plays solid defense and rebounds well for his size. He shoots over 50% from the floor, but cannot make a 3-point shot. He probably cannot get his own shot or score clutch baskets in crunch time of games. Give credit to Childress and his agent, he parlayed some limited success as a 6th man last year into a very lucrative contract. But at what damage to Childress’ career?

Here is my advice to Childress: Come back home. Admit you made a mistake. Accept a ride from Miss Bianca and Bernard (Hawks' GM Rick Sund). You can be the role player in the NBA that you always were, but you have to do it for 3 years at $5 million per year. Ask Sund and Coach Woodson to take you back. Coach Woodson will forgive and forget. Last night against the Pacers, he could have played you about 25 minutes. Keep the minutes under 40 for Smooth, Bibby, and Super Joe. Pair you with Mo Evans as a defensive stopper. The Hawks don’t need to make a trade at the deadline to have a great chance to win a playoff series in 2009--just get Childress back for the stretch run.

Joe's Triple Double Powers the Hawks

2008-12-24T13:06:00.004-05:00

Most Hawks' fans probably felt and acted just like Coach Woodson and I last night--scared about a trap game, yelling just to make some guys focus, flinching anytime Al 'the Boss' Horford landed funny on a rebound, worried about Smooth having a melt down, wondering if Bibby is going to be a Hawk in two months, frustrated by a lack of effort from some players, puzzled at the horrendous OKC shot selection, and finally relieved that Joe Johnson showed up to carry the Hawks to a victory.

Super Joe continues to make a case for a starting spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star team. He had a triple double last night in the Hawks' win versus the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder. (Aside--this morning I still am flabbergasted by Robert Swift's appearance for the Thunder. He has made a ton of money in the league, but don't you think he would have been served well by some time on a college campus? He has to be high on someone's list of worst first round draft choices in the last 20 years.) Johnson's best quality is his consistency. He brings effort and energy every night. He is playing better than AI, Ray Allen, and Vince Carter. Super Joe passes, plays defense, and rebounds better than any of those guys. He is just a notch below Dwayne Wade as the best shooting guard in the East.

Hawks End Cavs' 11 Game Win Streak

2008-12-14T00:17:00.002-05:00

What better way to kick-off an eight game home stand than to beat Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavs. The Hawks arrived back from last night’s victory against Miami at 3 AM this morning. The Cavs were coming off a big win last night as well. Would any of the players have any energy left for tonight’s game? Where would the energy come from?

The answer is playing against Lebron James. He will embarrass you if you are not ready to play. Even on television, and you could feel the energy in the gym. Everyone wants Lebron in 2010 because he electrifies his teammates, the other team’s players, and the fans. A sellout crowd of 19,200 showed up in Philips Arena to see Lebron try to extend the Cavs winning streak. The Atlanta Hawks treated the fans to a great game and a huge home victory.

The Hawks have only lost at home once all year and that was to New Jersey. They are now 8-1. Mike Bibby came out in the first quarter determined to get the team off to a positive start. He succeeded. The Hawks jumped ahead and held the lead after a 31 point quarter. With everyone in Coach Mike Woodson’s rotation making a contribution, the Hawks led the Cavs by nine points at halftime.

I have not watched that many Cavaliers’ games this season. You see highlights of Lebron every night, but I have not watched a whole game. The biggest surprise for me was how disruptive Lebron is on the defensive end of the floor. Despite what you hear from NBA analysts, Lebron has not been known for his defense. I would argue that his focus for most of his five years in the league has been on the offensive end of the court—maybe playing with Team USA this summer has changed his focus a little bit. He was all over the court against the Hawks.

A great example occurred in the middle of the 2nd quarter. There was a loose ball tipped off a rebound from a Hawks’ jump shot. Joe Johnson and Mo Williams went for the ball at about half speed, when Lebron came flying from the baseline and snatched up the loose ball. Lebron moved so much quicker than the two smaller players that it amazed the crowd. It was the kind of awesome, athletic move that made the fans in Philips arena respond with an audible and collective gasp.

In the past two games, the Hawks are pushing the basketball more. With Josh Smith back in the line up, they are a much deeper team and they can play a faster game. During a key 2nd half fast break, there was a loose ball that the Cavs came up with after a scramble. The Cavs’ Moe Williams took a 3 point shot in transition that missed. Bibby snagged the rebound and hit Joe Johnson who passed to Horford for a pretty finger roll lay up. On the transition for the Hawks, the ball never touched the floor with a dribble. The teamwork and solid fundamentals helped the Hawks to a victory in this game.

The 4th quarter was a back and forth duel between Lebron and Joe Johnson. The Cavs’ Delonte West gave Joe Johnson trouble again in this game, but for some reason West did not guard Johnson much in the 4th quarter. That hurt the Cavs as Super Joe not only had 11 points, but he keyed pretty much every other Hawks’ basket. These two stars went at it, but it was the Hawks’ great supporting cast that came through to win the game. Bibby, Horford, Marvin Williams, and Josh Smith made key plays down the stretch to preserve the victory. The Hawks’ are at home for the next two weeks. The fans and the city are energized. If Coach Woodson keeps telling them to push the ball in transition and the team defense continues to execute like it did tonight against Lebron, the Hawks will celebrate the New Year in style with a winning record for the 2008 part of the season.

Here are four quick hitting observations on the state of the Hawks and Cavs:

The Cavs are on this win streak without Zydrunas Ilgauskus, but they need Big Z. The Cavs miss his scoring ability. He is literally a big, big man that sets solid screens and plays great off Lebron. Big Z is the only player on the Cavs other than Lebron that creates mismatches for the opposing team.

Posterization = Optimization. Will Josh Smith ever learn that his athletic ability can not make up for poor foot work? Last night, the Heat jumped out to a quick 11-0 lead against the Hawks, and they still were leading 16-5 when a play happened that might be one of the turning points of the Hawks’ season. Wade drove down the lane and thunder dunked on Josh Smith. (It was the same type of posterization dunk that Wade put on Emeka Okafor of Charlotte earlier in the week.) Smith played much better after that play. Tonight, with about 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, Lebron faced up Josh Smith at the top of the key and just bulled past him for a thunderous dunk. J-Smooth was beaten off the dribble by Wally, Lebron, and even Varejao. Hopefully, being posterized every game will make Smooth more focused.

Hawks’ fans have to be excited, because in this game Al Horford was the best big man on the court and Zaza Pachulia was the second best. Zaza and Horford do the little things on the defensive end of the court that are missed by the casual fan. They showed hard on screens, played big in Lebron’s passing lanes, and came to double Lebron if he picked up his dribble. They also came up with tough rebounds and set solid screens on the offensive end.

The Hawks and Cavs challenge every shot. All game long, players were running at jump shooters. This effort happens when your best players are playing hard on the defensive end. Lebron was flying all over the court and he was running through screens. For the Hawks, Bibby was down inside trying to block Varejao’s shot! He was boxing out Ben Wallace. Marvin was rebounding and playing tough defense against Lebron. The bigs for both teams were showing hard on ball screens. Defense is about effort and the effort was definitely in evidence tonight.

Artest Leads Rockets to Win over Hawks

2008-12-10T00:07:00.003-05:00

What makes the NBA so fun to watch is that teams are playing at a high level every night. The intensity and physical play in the second half of this game almost reached a playoff type level. Blocked shots, dunks, steals, hustle plays, and hard fouls characterized this game. Just check out tonight’s highlight of the Rockets' Luis Scola diving into the bench for a loose ball!

Playing the second night of back to back games, the Rockets figured to start slowly against the Hawks. With two days of practice, the rested Hawks were coming off a tough road loss on Saturday to the Mavericks. This game could have been one where the Hawks jump ahead early, and a tired Rockets team without Tracy McGrady plays lackadaisically and gives the game to Atlanta. The exact opposite happened in tonight’s game. The Rockets stormed out to a 27-16 lead after the first quarter. After another terrible start, the Hawks fought back and led by 8 points with about six minutes to play, but Ron Artest and Yao Ming took over the game in the last five minutes to lead Houston to a huge 92-84 win.

Ron Artest is not one of these NBA players that put up huge statistical numbers. At this point in their careers, I actually like his game better than McGrady’s. In fact, some of the plays he makes and the intangibles he brings to the game are not measured by statistics. Basically, he took over this game in the last five minutes, but the best Artest moment happened in the 4th quarter after a Yao Ming basket and a Hawks’ timeout. As the Rockets players walked over to the bench, Artest grabbed the five guys on the court and quickly huddled them up. Who knows what he said, but his gesture said, “Let’s stick together as a team and win this game with toughness down the stretch.” Coaches always talk about the leadership of glue guys like Artest; and this quick huddle is a perfect example of what that term means.

Here is a quick synopsis of Artest’s 4th quarter. With the Hawks up two points, he buried a 3 point shot from the right wing in front of the Rockets’ bench. He beat his man off the dribble and dished to Yao for a lay up. Then, Artest took a long rebound and went coast-to-coast and finished with a sweet left hand lay up over Mike Bibby. After a Hawks’ timeout, Artest read the offensive set, left Joe Johnson, and doubled Al Horford in the corner. Horford was forced to call another time-out or commit a turnover. Then, with the Rockets pulling ahead, he partially blocked a jump shot from Joe Johnson. Finally, with the Hawks pressuring full court, he took the inbounds pass, cleared everyone out, and forced Joe Johnson to foul him as he brought the basketball up the court. Artest is a fundamentally sound player and his whole array of skills was on display in tonight’s game.

In simple terms, the Rockets are quicker and play better team defense. Scola’s energy permeates through the whole team. How many times did he show out hard on the Hawks’ high pick and roll play? Von Wafer, Aaron Brooks, Carl Landry, and Shane Battier play hard and know their roles. The Rockets out rebounded the Hawks 57 to 40. It is hard to remember the Hawks getting any 2nd chance points or loose balls. Acie Law, Mo Evans, and Flip Murray looked disinterested. The Hawks are not a young team trying to learn to win. Except for Horford and Law, these players are veterans. Dominique Wilkins, the Hawk’s color analyst, kept saying how impressive it was that the team was able to play hard and get back into the game. Much respect to Dominique, I could not disagree more. With higher expectations for this team, playing close on the road or playing hard and losing is not good enough any more.

Coach Woodson has some decisions to make. Defensive adjustments have to be made quicker. Yao was a force of nature in this game. The Hawks did not double immediately when he caught the ball in the post. It looked like they were waiting for Yao to dribble the basketball and then bring the double team. That is too late. Yao’s post moves are too polished. Zaza and the Boss (Horford) can not handle him one on one. He finished the game with 24 points and 19 rebounds. He also controlled the lane on the defensive end of the court. Also, Coach Woodson is going to have to decide on a late game rotation. Marvin Williams has disappeared with the return of Josh Smith. In the 4th quarter, Smith looked upset on the bench. Rafer Alston of the Rockets hit a huge 3 point shot in crunch time when Mike Bibby went under a ball screen. Who can get the job done at the end of the game? The Rockets had their answer tonight with Artest and Yao Ming.

Hawks' Bailout Plan? See Mike Bibby

2008-12-04T22:44:00.004-05:00

Over the last couple of days, I have been taking another look at the 2007 NBA draft. During that draft, I wanted GM Billy Knight to take a point guard first and then a big man with the #11 pick. Maybe, pick a Mike Conley and Spencer Hawes combination. Knight went in another direction and took Al Horford and Acie Law. With some hindsight, it would have been one of the great drafts of the last ten years if Knight would have taken Rodney Stuckey with the 11th pick instead of Law; but the Horford pick has set the tone for this franchise. Horford’s stellar play last season (he should have been 2008 Rookie of the Year) raised expectations enough that the Atlanta Spirit Group signed off on the trade for Mike Bibby. Getting Mike Bibby has set the stage for the Hawks to become a respectable team this season, and possibly a great team over the next five years.

Something special must have happened to Billy Knight on Valentine’s Day last year. He must have had a great meal in Buckhead or called Bibby’s father and asked him about Mike’s health. You have to give him credit for stealing Bibby from the Kings. On February 16, the Hawks traded Shelden Williams, Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue, Lorenzen Wright, and a 2008 second-round draft pick to Sacramento for Mike Bibby. With the 42nd pick, the Kings drafted Sean Singletary and then traded him to Houston with Ron Artest for Bobby Jackson and some loose change. The Rockets promptly traded Singletary to the Phoenix Suns for D.J. Strawberry. At this point, no players selected after Singletary really have made an impact in the NBA. Is Bibby really worth five players? Yes, with these five guys, you could have kicked in Salim Stoudamire, Mario West, and a hamburger franchise and still came out ahead.

Although the Hawks have had some injuries and adversity, they are 11-6. This team is in better shape than a bunch of other teams. Bibby is a big reason why. He is a veteran presence that is providing a quiet leadership for this team. His 3 point shooting has been invaluable and the great shooting has spread like a good plague to some teammates. The Hawks are leading the NBA in 3 point percentage shooting. Last night against Memphis, Bibby was clutch in the 4th quarter. He is not afraid to take and make big shots. He also has been more of a playmaker and assist man than I thought he could be this year. He is healthy and has been able to penetrate and beat his man, because everybody is flying out to challenge the jump shot. Okay, I have been railing about his defense all year. It is true that Bibby has trouble guarding the elite point guards, but how many of those are there in the Association? Six? You don’t think that the Miami Heat would not kill for Bibby right now. Yeah, they are playing Chris Quinn in the 4th quarter with the game on the line.

If Bibby stays healthy, the Hawks are in good shape. He is only 30 years old, but has been in the NBA since 1998. His body is pretty old. The Hawks will make the playoffs. The drop off to Acie Law and Flip Murray is like dropping off a cliff. Flip Murray could run the point, but he does not want to--he is a score and shoot first guy. Acie is serviceable. Here is the dilemma for GM Rick Sund. Keep Bibby, have a great year, maybe win a playoff series, and lose him in free agency; or on the other hand, trade Bibby to a contender for a proven point guard with another skill set, a high draft pick, or a couple of up and coming role players. In February or March, Bibby might be worth a 1st round draft pick to a team like the Lakers, Jazz, or Spurs.

I want Sund to keep Bibby and make a run this year. If Bibby walks, Sund can use that money on the free agent market. The problem is if you let him go for nothing, who knows if the ASG is going let you use part of Bibby’s money to sign someone. They might just pocket the playoff profits. I have not looked at the salaries, but what if the Lakers offered Sasha Vulacic and Luke Walton for Bibby. That is the kind of deal that will be hard for Sund to pass up. You can then move Walton or Marvin Williams for a point guard of the future.

Bibby is the key to the Hawks’ season and to the future of the franchise. The team is solid and good if not great. The Hawks can beat anyone on any given night this season. I cannot wait until the NBA season really starts to heat up after the New Year. And, I have not even starting thinking about how the Hawks’ can clear enough cap space to sign Dwayne Wade in 2010.

Here is something you might not know about Mike Bibby:

The Hawks’ #10 has a MLB pedigree. Bibby’s uncle, Jim Bibby, was a professional baseball player with 111 major league victories. He was an important pitcher for the “We Are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates of 1979 and a National League All-Star selection in 1980. Bibby threw a no hitter in 1973 as a member of the Texas Rangers. In maybe a more amazing game against your Atlanta Braves in 1981, Bibby gave up a lead off single and then proceeded to retire the next 27 batters in order—as close to a perfect game as you can pitch.

Hawks vs. Bucks

2008-11-26T22:36:00.003-05:00

Remember how you felt immediately after the final scene of the Sopranos went to black? Very hard to describe that feeling. You were kind of confused, but you kind of liked the ending because you could fill in the blanks of what happened. Then, you woke up the next morning and you were like, "What is David Chase doing, give me an ending." Give me an ending and I might take out the small loan to buy the 33 DVD set of the entire series. In short, you were frustrated, happy, or glad that Tony did not get whacked. That feeling is exactly what I felt watching the Hawks beat the Milwaukee Bucks tonight—glad the Hawks won the game, but ambivalent as to how they are playing--uninspired and a little worried.

I am watching an NBA game almost every night. I pretty much have stopped watching college basketball until conference play starts in January. The Hawks are my adopted team. Tonight, the Hawks won the game to go 5-1 at home, but they really played an uninspired, lackadaisical game. The Bucks starting line up tonight was as bad talent wise as you can get in the NBA. The Bucks started Richard Jefferson, Charlie Bell, Luke Ridnour, Luc Mbah a Moute, and Dan Gadzuric. Jefferson is legit. Bell is wearing the biggest knee brace I have ever seen in an NBA game. Ridnour is fun and hip, but not good. Moute is a role player at best. Gadzuric is so athletic he just hangs around the league collecting checks. The Bucks’ second best player tonight was Ramon Sessions, a point guard off the bench. He is better than Acie Law.

Really, the Hawks should kill this team. These guys were scrappy and played harder than the Hawks. Give the credit to Scott Skiles and his staff. They out prepared and out coached Mike Woodson and company tonight. For example, I actually saw assistant coach and NCAA pariah Kelvin Sampson coaching Richard Jefferson. The great part was that Jefferson was actually listening to Sampson! I should not complain because the Hawks are 9-5. That is better than most people predicted. Their schedule has been very tough so far, and they are missing Josh Smith. But, almost every other team also is dealing with injuries. Here are a few of my problems with the Hawks on the eve of Thanksgiving:

Hawks do not have the hustle type role player. The hustle player for the Hawks is Al “the Boss” Horford. Horford leads by example, but he is getting himself into foul trouble. The Bucks had any number of hustle players tonight. Acie, Solo, Mo Evans or someone has to match Horford’s effort. Right now, Horford is the Hawks’ most valuable player and emotional leader.

Mike Woodson has to use Joe Johnson more effectively on both ends of the court. Stop making Super Joe guard the other team’s best player. Look at Jefferson tonight—most of the time he was guarding the Hawks’ worst perimeter player. On the offensive end, if the Hawks’ have 80 possessions, 25 of those plays should be sets to get Joe the ball where he can score or create for someone else. The first possession after halftime the Hawks’ ran a great set play for Johnson, and he made a 3 point shot. You need to get Joe moving without the ball and not make him break his man down off the dribble all of the time.

Stop making Johnson bring the ball up the court against pressure and inititate the offense. Did Jefferson ever bring the ball up for the Bucks? No. Johnson should run down to the baseline and wait on people to set screens for him like a Richard Hamilton, Ray Allen, etc. Remember when Iverson played for Larry Brown in Philadelphia? They used to run sets for Iverson all night long. It is not like Joe Johnson will not pass the basketball. Really, the opposite is true and Johnson passes too much. Run some plays for him.

The Hawks have to figure out a way to get better play out of Zaza and Solomon Jones. The center position is where they are struggling. Gadzuric was awful tonight for the Bucks, but the Hawks could not take advantage. At the very least, these guys have to pound the offensive glass.

I am excited about the Hawks’ start to the season. Without Josh Smith one of their top players, they are winning games. But, there is something missing--maybe a killer instinct, maybe an overall attitude. The Hawks had so much more talent tonight than the Bucks, but they let Charlie Villanueva play like an all star in the 4th quarter. They have been off since Saturday, and they should have come out fired up to blow the Bucks out of Philips Arena. The Hawks need a “glue” guy--someone other than Horford that will chest bump Joe Johnson or Bibby and get these guys to show some emotion. Tonight, it did not seem like it hurt enough when the Bucks scored on the Hawks. In the NBA if you play to the level of your opponent and play the scoreboard, you will lose when you are supposed to win. You will end up 37-45 again and out of the playoffs. No one who was downtown in June last summer wants that for this season.

10 Things I Think About the Hawks' Weekend Split

2008-11-23T13:55:00.003-05:00

1. Before talking about the Hawks’ two games, Vince Carter of the Nets deserves some press. I am not sure why, but his performance in the last minutes against the Toronto Raptors is not getting any attention. Carter was incredible in the last minutes and in overtime. ESPN only showed the game ending dunk and the long 3 point shot to send the game into overtime. Those two plays should be the best plays of the week. What most people did not see was that Carter basically took over the game with the Nets down double figures. He scored on almost every possession of the last minute of the game. Carter’s performance in the clutch was sensational—I wish more people were talking about it. The game somehow got lost in the shuffle.

2. What has happened to Flip Murray? Murray was playing great at the beginning of the season, but he has fallen off in the last few games. He might have been getting too much attention for the Hawks’ quick start. He looks like he is trying to score every time he touches the basketball. I like his offensive aggressiveness, but he needs to pass the ball sometimes. The Hawks do not need Flip to dribble the ball down in the half court set, take his man off the dribble, and shoot a contested shot. The emergence of Acie Law in the last week might give Coach Woodson a way to control Flip and get Acie some more minutes.

3. Super Joe Johnson is on the verge of becoming one of the top all around players in the NBA. He defends, scores, passes, etc. Joe does a little bit of everything. He is going to have to learn to score when facing the double team. Delonte West did a great job guarding him in the Cavs game. Joe looked tired against the Cavs. He did carry the load against the Bobcats, but the smaller, quicker West gave him trouble.

4. Believe it or not Al Horford keeps getting better every game. He is a better player on both ends of the court right now than Emeka Okafor. He is better than any of the Cavs interior players. Varejaeo might be more athletic, but he is not nearly as skilled on the offensive end. Horford drove from the foul line into the post and scored on Ben Wallace and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. When Horford is healthy, he is the only guy that the Hawks can consistently go to on the post

5. What was Coach Larry Brown doing in the first half of the Hawks versus Bobcats game on Friday night? The Bobcats were off to a great start with Gerald Wallace flying around and scoring lay ups at will. On one play, Wallace grabbed a rebound and dribble coast to coast for a lay up without being contested by any Hawks’ players. Then, inexplicably, Wallace was out for an extended rest, and Brown played his entire roster in the first half. In the 2nd quarter, he had Matt Carroll, Sean May, and Adam Morrison in the game at the same time. Brown obviously was trying to prove a point to someone, but it cost the Bobcats.

6. If you went through every player in the NBA and ranked the players, Sean May and Adam Morrison would be at the very bottom. May looked terrible in the minutes that he played against the Hawks. He is totally out of game shape. I am pretty sure that he physically cannot get down into a defensive stance. I would take Solomon Jones and Othello Hunter over May right now. Morrison was unrecognizable. He has a new haircut and I had not idea who he was. He looks bigger and kind of like a poor man’s Brian Cardinal. That’s poor. On the few times he caught the ball on the offensive end, he did not even face the basket to try to score. You can start looking for personnel changes from the Bobcats—the typical Larry Brown makeover should start fairly soon.

7. The Hawks split the games this weekend. They beat the Bobcats on Friday and lost to the Cavs on Saturday. Marvin Williams and Mo Evans hit big shots against the Bobcats down the stretch to help win the game. One big concern for the Coach Woodson has to be the very slow starts to the games. The Hawks were down big after the first quarter in both games. Luckily, the Bobcats are not a very good team, and Larry Brown was messing around with his player rotation. Against the Cavs, the Hawks’ second unit played hard and made runs against the Cavs, but Lebron and company never let them get closer than 10 points in the second half. Without Josh Smith, the Hawks cannot beat any of the top 4 teams in the Eastern Conference.

8. Can Lebron James be stopped? The Cavs beat the Hawks on Saturday night, and Lebron almost had a triple double in the game. The incredible part of the game is that Lebron did not seem to be playing well or even interested in the game in the first half. He made some plays, but then in the second half, he took over the game. Sometimes, Lebron is so big physically that it makes everyone else on the court look overwhelmed. After Lebron was hit in the face in the 4th quarter, he came down the court and received the basketball on the wing. The Cavs cleared out and sent Big Z over to set a ball screen. With Mo Evans fighting over the screen, Lebron just shouldered him out of the way, thundered down the lane, and dunked on Evans and Solomon Jones about as hard as humanly possible to dunk the basketball. The dunk was fierce, ferocious, and insert your own adjective here.

9. Speaking of Lebron getting hit in the face, I have watched a ton of NBA games going back to the 1980’s, but I cannot remember seeing a play called that way by the officials. Acie Law drove the lane with authority, switched hands, and scored a right-handed lay up. The officials whistled a foul on one of the Cavaliers on the drive—count the basket and Acie goes to the foul line. However, on the play, Acie flailed with his left hand and hit Lebron right in the nose. The officials called a technical on Law for the blow. The Cavs shot a technical free throw and then Acie shot his free throw. The Cavs scorer must have been just as confused as I was, because they did not give the Hawks the 2 point basket until the next time down the court.

10. Cavaliers are a much improved team. The main improvement is the addition of Moe Williams in the back court. Williams can play either guard spot. He plays off Lebron very well and is ready to knock down open 3 point shots on drives to the basket. Anytime that the Hawks made a run, the Cavs threw the ball to Lebron and ran a screen and roll at the top of the floor. Lebron is such a great passer that he creates easy baskets for everyone. Add to that the Cavs unselfish, team mindset and you have a great recipe for success. Several times Lebron passed out of the double team and the Cavs rotated the basketball for wide open shots. Wally, Moe, and Boobie Gibson all can knock down open 3 point shots.

Quick Hits...Hawks Beat the Wizards

2008-11-19T22:22:00.002-05:00

The Hawks just finished beating the Washington Wizards tonight in a close game at Philips Arena a.ka. the Highlight Factory. The outlook looked pretty bleak with the Wizards leading for large portions of the game and clinging to a 4 point lead with just under a minute to play. In the last minute, the Hawks came through with two huge 3-point shots and two solid defensive possessions. Tonight, the Hawks played like the veteran winning team and the Wizards self-destructed on their final possessions.

Joe Johnson made two great plays in the final minute. On a side-out, Johnson broke to the ball and scored on a quick shot off the inbounds pass. The Hawks stopped the Wizards. Down by one point, Johnson set a ball screen for Bibby. Bibby was on fire tonight going 12-22 for 25 points, but had struggled in the 4th quarter. The Wizards doubled the ball screen and Bibby was able to get the pass to Joe. A younger player might have forced the shot, but Johnson is one of the most unselfish all-star caliber players in the NBA. When the Wizards rotated on defense, Johnson took a dribble and hit Marvin Williams for an open 3-point shot. Williams nailed the jumper for the game-winning shot.

Here are some quick thoughts about the game:

1. Marvin Williams is playing very hard. What it's a contract year? Oh, that explains the 14 tough rebounds. Marvin is a solid player. I think he would be great as a 4 man coming off the bench to stretch the defense. He just seems to be a player without a natural position. I like it when he plays hard and he is proving that he is a clutch shooter.

2. Our man from Georgia (the country), Zaza Pachulia, rebounded like a man tonight. He is injured. The guys in the post game show said he barely can raise the left arm up, but he was diving on the floor and hustling. I liked early in the game when the Hawks ran a set play and Bibby hit Zaza for a lay up.

3. Anytime the camera cuts to the Hawks' bench and I see Speedy Claxton, I cringe. Claxton has made an egregious amount of money on this contract without any production. I need to break this down in a future post.

4. When Bibby does not have to contend with a scoring point guard, the Hawks have a great chance to win that night. I want to know why the Hawks cannot find one guy with personality in post game interviews. This town is starving for a NBA guy with personality to take it by storm.

5. I like Maurice Evans in the starting line up beside Joe Johnson. It is a more natural look for the line up. Please stop making Johnson guard the other team's best player for long stretches of game action.

*What is the story with Drew Gooden's beard? That is terrible. Three years ago the Bulls had some crazy rule where Ben Wallace could not wear a head band during games. Now, they are allowing this beard! The Blazers are killing the Bulls right now. Mike Breen just said that Vinny Del Negro is looking down his bench for answers...probably not going to find any on that bench--Tyrus Thomas, really?

Hawks vs. Pacers...Down Goes Horford

2008-11-18T22:15:00.004-05:00

Starters
Hawks: Super Joe, Bibby, Williams, Horford, Pachulia
Pacers: M. Daniels, T.J. Ford, Granger, Troy Murphy, Nesterovic

If you just look at the rosters and the starters, the Hawks should have beaten the Pacers tonight. The pre-game was warm and fuzzy. Coach Mike Woodson was back in his native Indiana. The Hawks made shots in warm-ups, but the first play of the game was an omen of bad things to come. The Pacers won the tip and on their first possession T.J. Ford broke down Bibby off the dribble for a lay up. The defense never recovered. On the Hawks 2nd offensive possession, Joe Johnson ran the point and initiated the offensive set? Why? Bibby has to be able to handle the basketball against some pressure. Early in the game in transition, Horford ran hard, but he did not post up hard against Troy Murphy. It looked like Horford already was injured at this point, because Murphy should not be able to keep him off the block on the move.

The Indiana crowd was totally dead in first quarter, but the Pacers played hard and played with energy. Greg Foster came off the bench and gave them a spark. With 5 minutes left in the first quarter, Horford headed to the locker room—terrible news for Hawks’ fans. Losing Horford at the beginning of this week will be tough for the Hawks to overcome. Right before the buzzer, Foster, a 6’11 post player, hit an improbable 3 point shot to put the Pacers ahead 32-25 after one quarter. Foster has not hit a 3 pointer since the economy was running smoothly. Nothing was going right for the Hawks and the adversity showed in their lack of intensity.

Defensively, the Hawks’ were not executing. They could not contain dribble penetration. Their help side rotations were late. Even if the Pacers drove and missed shots, they rebounded and scored on second chance opportunities. A great example of the defensive breakdowns happened in the second quarter. The Hawks switched and Flip Murray was beaten on a back door cut for a lay up by Nesterovic of all people. On another typical poor play, Murphy just posted Marvin Williams right under the basket and scored easily.

Coach Woodson tried to adjust and play the match up zone, but immediately the Hawks gave up a 3 point basket, and then another. Here are three big problems for the Hawks. Joe Johnson had to guard Danny Granger. Johnson has to be able to concentrate more on the offensive end. Put Evans on Granger. Coach Woodson needs to play Evans and Johnson together more. Granger had 14 first half points. Secondly, the Hawks were killed in transition. When the Pacers rebounded the basketball, the Hawks’ players challenged the rebounder. That is a basketball cardinal sin. At one point in the first half, the Pacers had 30 points in the paint to only 6 for the Hawks. The Hawks were killed on screen-roll plays and hand-offs. The Bigs had to help too much, and then their men scored on the roll play. The Hawks were down 13 points at half, and the Pacers shot a blistering 63% from field.

In the 3rd quarter, nothing happened except that Coach Woodson finally played everyone on the bench when he put Acie Law into the game with under a minute to play. In the first part of the 4th quarter, Law keyed a 15-5 Hawks’ run with 7 points and 2 assists. Benching him might have made him mad enough to play better. Super Joe missed a huge open 3 point shot in transition off a shot fake. That shot would have closed the gap. The Hawks really needed that basket.

Here is a microcosm of what is wrong with the team right now. With 4 minutes left in the game and down by 11 points, Coach Woodson called a time-out. Out of the time-out, the shot the Hawks got was a Solomon Jones spinning hook shot with the shot clock running down. That shot probably was not what they talked about in the time-out. Then, Danny Granger finished this game for the Pacers. He had 34 points on 13-18 shooting—a monster game. Tonight, he was the best player on the floor. The final score was 113-96, and the Hawks’ losing streak continues.

*Offensively, Super Joe caught fire in the 2nd quarter. He carried the Hawks’ offense for most of the night. He not only made shots, but he also created shots for everyone else. Horford never came back into the game. He has a right ankle injury. Joe would have to score 40 plus for the Hawks to get a win right now.

*Dominique took the night off from his color commentary duties. Is he already bored and tired after 9 games? I would do these games for free, okay maybe per diem money and travel expenses. Steve “Snapper” Jones filled in pretty well. He used to be great on NBC when teamed with Bill Walton. “Snapper” was the voice of reason to Walton’s zany comments.

*Every basketball fan is a little sadder today, because of the passing away of coaching legend Pete Newell. Newell was a master teacher of post play, and he was an influential mentor to Coach Bob Knight.

Hawks vs. Nets - Complacency...Already?

2008-11-15T13:51:00.000-05:00

Coaching staffs in the NBA watch more film than any other basketball coaches. They are going to find the opponent’s weaknesses and try to exploit them. Last night, New Jersey beat the Hawks and the Nets showed everyone the weaknesses in the Hawks’ roster. The Hawks played hard and shot great from 3 point range to make the game close. However, the Hawks’ defense missed the fire and determination that got them off to a 6-0 start. They are playing short-handed. It was a long week away from home and the Boston game was a heartbreaker, but New Jersey exposed some things that the Hawks and Coach Woodson need to improve.

The Hawks cannot stop an offensive minded point guard. In the 4th quarter, Woodson did not even try to use Bibby on Devin Harris. Flip Murray was put on Harris to try and slow him down. Murray is playing great, but there is a reason he is a career back up. Harris was better down the stretch. He made a couple of huge 3 point shots and he penetrated and dropped a dime to Brook Lopez for a dunk. Bibby has to be on the floor for his shooting and savvy, but Coach Woodson is going to have to figure out what to do against scoring point guards. Hard to play zone in the 4th quarter, but the Hawks might have to mix it in on possessions out of time out or one single possessions.

Al Horford is a power forward. He is not a center. When Horford had to guard Brook Lopez he was over matched. Zaza is a quality bench player, but he did not step up last night. The same was true of Solomon Jones. Lopez looks like a bonafide NBA player. He scored and he actually bothered shots around the rim. The problem for the Hawks is that this weakness does not get solved when Josh Smith returns. Playing Marvin Williams at the power forward spreads the floor on offense, but he cannot guard bigger or smaller players. Zaza and Solomon have to bring their best every night.

Who is Ryan Anderson? I had to go to the Nets web page and look this guy up. As far as an all around floor game, Anderson was second only to Joe Johnson in impacting the game. He was all over the floor. He rebounded, hit 3 point shots, drove and scored. He is a big time energy guy. The Hawks had no one playing like that last night. Hopefully, that is not a sign of a ‘we just have to show up and win’ attitude.

The Flip Murray and Mo Evans dynamic duo already has inspired nicknames in the media. Talk radio, sports writers, and Joe the plumber all have come up with there own take on the immediate impact these guys have made. Check out my posts from this summer and you will see that I was a huge fan of Rick Sund’s moves to sign these guys. But, is it possible the attention has already made the Hawks too overconfident.

Against New Jersey last night, Evans did not even score. He had some open looks, but he looked uncomfortable especially when the Nets played their 2-3 zone. He looked tired at the end of the week long road trip. Evans is noted for his defense, but not sure yet if Coach Woodson trusts him in one on one match ups in crunch time. Against the Celtics and against the Nets, Woodson had Joe Johnson guarding Pierce and Vince Carter in the final minutes. I think Evans can be a defensive stopper.

Listen, I am firmly on the Hawks bandwagon, but the margin of error is slim in the NBA. The Hawks have to play defense every night to have a chance to win. Excuses about travel or whatever will come back to haunt you. Tonight fans should be worried about one thing—Vince Carter. Carter has the kind of talent to show up tonight on a back to back and get 40 points. The Hawks should have beaten New Jersey last night, and I expect them to come out tonight and blow the Nets out of Philips Arena.

Hawks Lose Heartbreaker to Celtics

2008-11-12T23:21:00.000-05:00

The NBA is where amazing happens. I just finished watching an incredible finish to the Hawks and Celtics game. Then, I caught the last few minutes of the Miami Heat game. Dwayne Wade had a monster dunk over Travis Outlaw and LaMarcus Aldridge of the Trail Blazers. The Blazers won behind a great game from rookie Rudy Fernandez and Steve Blake’s clutch 3 point shot in the final minute. If you are not watching the NBA, you are missing out on great basketball.

Here was the situation for the Hawks--Josh Smith injured. Zaza out with a bum shoulder. Al Horford in foul trouble. Joe Johnson is not quite into the flow of the game. But the Hawks are up 77-76 at the start of the 4th quarter? The Hawks were out-manned and everything was against them. Still, the team fought hard, played together, and should have won the game. Here are three quick observations:

1. Hawks have a much deeper bench than last year, but not good enough yet to compete at the highest level. Coach Woodson was trying just about any combination of post players, because foul trouble killed the Hawks. Solomon Jones was too thin in this game. Randolph Morris was not a factor. When Marvin Williams has to play a ton of minutes at the 4 spot and guard Garnett, Powe, and Glen Davis, the Hawks are going to be in trouble. Really missed Zaza tonight.

2. Joe Johnson had to run the point in crunch time. Why? He was bringing the ball up even when Bibby and Flip Murray were on the court. Acie Law is not the answer and Coach Woodson knows it, but the Hawks need Johnson coming off screens in an offensive set. If Joe has to bring the basketball up the court, the Hawks do not get into an offensive set until about 14 seconds left on the shot clock. Probably not going to work over the course of the season.

3. The other thing that almost made me jump through the TV set was the Hawks’ strategy of switching on side ball screens and hand offs between Pierce and Garnett. Coach Woodson you have to make the in-game adjustment. Switching gave the Celtics two different ways to attack. They either threw the ball to Garnett on the post with a guard on him or Pierce took the ball off the dribble with a post on him. With just 7 seconds left on a side out of bounds, the Hawks should have switched up their coverage of this play. Maybe double Pierce on the handoff and make someone else beat you, or play on the high side and fight through the handoff.

Here is my play-by-play from the final five minutes of the telecast:

Johnson has to play big in this quarter for the Hawks to win this game. Celtics are hurting the Hawks with second chance points. The Hawks have no inside game on the offensive end of the court, and they are taking too many jump shots off the dribble. Garnett has been out of this game for a long stretch. He should be rested. Ray Allen has missed two straight wide open 3 point shots. Mo Evans just tied the score 88-88.

Five minutes to go and here comes Garnett into a tie game. Out of the timeout great defense by the Hawks, but Garnett hits a long two. Next time down—again great defense by Atlanta, but Garnett gets the rebound and scores on an alley oop pass for a dunk. Time out Atlanta.

After the time out, the Hawks have Joe Johnson bringing the ball up the floor because Rondo is pressuring Bibby. Boston’s Rondo fouls Bibby on a long jump shot. Bibby pulls a veteran NBA move by kicking out his leg. The Hawks desperately need a defensive stop. Boston runs a two man game with Garnett and Pierce. Hawks switch on the screen and Joe Johnson ends up behind Garnett in the post. Foul and free throws.

Rondo hits a 2. Evans responds with a 3. Huge shot. Pierce scores an old fashioned 3 point play with the fans chanting MVP. 99-95 Boston with 97 seconds left. Horford offensive goal tending! Bibby steals the ball back and is fouled. After a tough drive, 2 free throws by Super Joe. 99-97. The Hawks have been switching on the side ball screen and giving Boston a mismatch with Garnett. Please stop switching.

What will the Hawks do on this play out of the time-out? Superb defensive possession for Hawks. Quick and hard double on Garnett on the catch in the post. Rondo fires up a terrible shot on the ball reversal. Joe ties up the score on one of his patented drives down the right side of the lane against Pierce. Johnson cleared some space by fading away from Pierce for his 28th point of the game. 99-99. Johnson fouls Pierce. Pierce so good at going to his left. Marvin Williams for 3…Good! Doc Rivers brought in Tony Allen to guard Joe Johnson and Johnson beat him baseline before dishing to Marvin. 102-101 Hawks. Pierce hand off from Garnett and Pierce nails the game winning jumper. Again the Hawks switched and Horford ends up on Pierce. Inbounds pass goes through Bibby’s hands and the Hawks lose by one point 103-102. Ugh.

Hawks versus Bulls...Childress where?

2008-11-11T23:16:00.000-05:00

Hot off the press--the Hawks do not miss Josh Childress. I have only been able to watch parts of different Hawks games this year, but tonight I was able to watch the whole game. Two things really stood out to me. First, even though the Hawks did not have a great game from Joe Johnson (4-16 from the field); the team controlled the game from start to finish. The Bulls made a couple of small runs, but I never thought the Hawks were in danger of losing—did not even enter my mind. Al Horford totally dominated this game. If he consistently plays at this level, Horford will be an All-Star. Secondly, the Hawks have better players and a better head coach than the Bulls. Both teams were missing very important players in Josh Smith and Kirk Heinrich. The Hawks’ bench more than made up for J-Smooth’s absence. Solomon Jones played solid minutes, but Zaza played a great game. He scored a few baskets, dished out some great assists, and played aggressively on defense. Zaza had a few hard fouls to set the tone in the first half. Although the defensive nuances go unnoticed by the announcing crew, Zaza showed hard on screens, helped and recovered to his man, and rebounded. When you couple that with a very active Horford with five blocked shots by halftime, you understand why the Hawks still are undefeated.

With a bigger starting line up and Horford playing more minutes at his natural position, the Hawks can weather the storm of losing J-Smooth for couple of weeks. Do you think Smith would come off the bench? Just kidding. I am confident Smooth is geared up for a great season. Here are two points that are concerns. Mike Bibby will not fight over ball screens at the top of the floor. The Bulls could only take advantage of that when Ben Gordon was handling the ball, because Derrick Rose cannot shoot outside of the lane. Scoring point guards could give the Hawks problems. I did like when Coach Woodson went to the zone in the 2nd quarter with Bibby at the top of the key. Changing up the defense slowed down the Bulls fastbreak and dribble-drive attack. Bibby will make it up on the offensive end and he blitzed Chicago in the 4th quarter. Coach Woodson has to watch Bibby’s minutes though. In my mind, Flip Murray is the back up and Acie Law probably will not see much floor time against the better teams.

Believe it or not my other concern is that the Hawks might be getting over confident. They scored so easily against the Bulls that at times the Hawks were a little sloppy handling the ball and executing the offense. The core group of players are veterans and this should not be a problem. Plus, Horford acts like a veteran NBA warrior. You know he had to love just killing Joakim Noah.

The Hawks’ win sets up a huge game tomorrow night against the Celtics. You have to be excited about the way the Hawks are playing. The guys are passing the basketball to open teammates, moving without the ball, and finishing with dunks. Without Josh Smith, it will be tough to beat the Celtics, but I like some of the match-ups for the Hawks. If Super Joe Johnson has a big night the Hawks can win the game.

Dominique Wilkins just had his best analysis of the night. The Hawks’ players know their roles. The NBA is so competitive and teams are playing at a very high level early in the season. Wednesday night is going to be great. Hawks versus Celts and the Lakers are at the Hornets on a second game of a back to back. Check out the game in Boston tomorrow at 7:30 pm, and you might catch Hawks’ fever.

Thoughts on the NBA Eastern Conference

2008-11-01T16:11:00.000-04:00

I really love the NBA, but this year is the most excited that I have been for the start of the season in a long time. Over the past few years, I have been transitioning from watching a nice mix of college and NBA basketball to mostly watching the NBA. When conference play starts at the college level, I go back and watch a mix of games. On a night in and night out basis, NBA players are bringing their top games. The competition between the top stars is fun to watch. I already broke down the Hawks in previous columns, but here are some thoughts on the two conferences.

Eastern Conference…5 things I already know a few days into the season...

1. Lebron James is the most exciting player in the NBA. No one else can physically do the things that King James does. The dunks that James had in the Cavaliers game versus Charlotte on Thursday were incredible. James plays with passion and energy every night. I like what the Cavaliers have done around him this year. Mo Williams gives them another guy that can score. It looks like Daniel Ewing is ready to be a factor. What will they get out of Ilgauskas? Other guys I like are J.J. Hickson, Aleksandr Pavlovic, and Anderson Varejao. Last year during his holdout, the Cavs missed Varejao and his hair. He is solid in the pick and roll and he plays defense. Plus, you do not have to run any plays for him. Varejao is a very valuable piece around Lebron. This team is a legitimate Eastern Conference contender. If James can take over games against the upper echelon teams on the defensive end and rebound better, the Cavs can get back to the NBA Finals.

2. Toronto’s front line is scary. Jermaine O’Neal and Chris Bosh are a dynamic duo. Bosh is still the man, but the great thing for Bosh is that O’Neal is a legitimate low post presence. O’Neal can run to the left block and set up shop. That allows Bosh to work on the perimeter in the high post area. When the offense runs through O’Neal, the key will be whether he will pass the basketball out of double teams for easy baskets. Jose Calderon is an underrated point guard. He can push the ball and walk it up and get the Raptors into set plays.

3. Dwayne Wade is healthy and the Heat are a very intriguing team. Last night, the Miami Heat flew up and down the court in their home opener. Dwayne Wade is in my favorite five NBA players. I have been a convert since his rookie year when the Heat made that playoff run with Wade, Stan Van Gundy, Lamar Odom and crew. Defensively, Wade is always in passing lanes and making plays. Offensively, his jump shot has improved and he looks like he is back to attacking the basket. The best part of his game is his unselfishness. He does not have to manipulate the basketball to make the team better. Michael Beasley is smaller than I thought, but he is very creative on the offensive end. He made a great move the other night to score with his right hand. He will score but can he stop anyone. There are two question marks for the Heat. The first is new head coach Erik Spoelstra. He is an NBA veteran and has respect, but the NBA often comes down to calls made in the last minutes of the game. What does Spoelstra bring to the table? My other concern would be how does Shawn Marion play as a potential free agent? The risk of injury has to be in his mind. Plus, he is again the 3rd name on this team. Marion is a force on the defensive end and can guard virtually anyone, but does he play hard enough for the Heat this year.

4. The Boston Celtics are better than last season! They blew out the Chicago Bulls last night without much trouble. When the camera kept cutting away to the Celtics’ bench in the 4th quarter, they looked more like a team than any NBA team in a long time. All the starters were still in to the game in a positive way. They were cheering for each other. Garnett is probably my favorite NBA player. He really is the heart and soul of the team. Pierce is their most important offensive player, but Garnett is the guy that keeps everyone in line. He is the guy the other guys do not want to let down. Sometimes, winning a championship leads to complacency and guys looking to make big money, but sometimes winning championships brings teams closer together and makes them an even better team. If they stay healthy, this team is going to be there at the very end of the season. Just think Hawks’ fans, if Bibby were healthy, the Hawks could have beaten this team!

5. The Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks are in under different types of media spotlight. Do not count out the Pistons. They have a great mix of veteran players and up and coming stars. The core group is still playing well and Rodney Stuckey and Jason Maxiell are emerging stars. But, how will they react to really getting hardly any media attention? The Pistons are flying way under the radar. The Knicks on the other hand probably will not make the playoffs this year, but they are going to be in the media spotlight. Until the Knicks decide what to do with Marbury, they are going to have questions. Under new coach Mike D’Antoni they are going to be more competitive and win over 30 games, but can they get any value for Marbury? The Eddy Curry situation is murkier. Curry can probably help them in limited minutes, but does he even want to. I am wondering about this guy’s heart—in a literal and figurative sense. I would not be surprised to see Curry have to retire or something because of his heart. Until he proves to D’Antoni that he can run the floor, come out on the floor and set high screen and rolls, and rebound consistently, Curry will be seeing a ton of DNP Coach’s Decision.

Hawks' Roster Analysis - Big Men

2008-10-29T21:17:00.000-04:00

Introduction: You can say whatever you want about Billy Knight. He missed on two of the best point guards that will play in the NBA over the next ten years. However, in the 2007 draft, Knight made the right pick in Al Horford. Horford quietly is establishing himself as one of the best young big men in the entire league. The best evidence of that was his selection to play on the USA Select team that scrimmaged this summer against the Redeem Team. Hawks’ fans should be very excited about Horford’s leadership ability, talent, and future in Atlanta. There are two problems I see with the Hawks’ front court. The biggest dilemma is that Horford and Josh Smith excel at the same position. Both are power forwards. Secondly, the Hawks do not have a strong offensive post player. Horford is the best option with his back to the basket in the post, but he is still learning on the offensive end of the court. Mike Woodson has a major task of finding an offensive system that puts these two players in positions to score; but, his most difficult task will be balancing the egos as Horford emerges as a bona fide NBA All-Star.

Al Horford: After watching the Hawks’ last year, Horford to me is their best defensive player in the low post. He fought Kevin Garnett on every possession during that great playoff run. In the playoffs, the pace of play slows down and every possession is important. During the first quarter of games, the Hawks tried to establish Horford in the post and he delivered with points. The best part of throwing the basketball into Horford is that he is an unselfish player. He finds open shooters. With Bibby, Evans, and Super Joe Johnson, Horford should have plenty of open shooters who can make shots. I am a huge fan of Horford, and I think that he has huge upside. He also seems hungry to improve and make his mark on the NBA.

Josh Smith: Luckily, the Hawks were able to re-sign Smith to a fair contract. Smith is worth 60 million dollars. Defensively, he is able to change shots and cover up for mistakes on that end of the floor. If he dedicated himself to becoming a better on the ball defender, he would be an NBA All-Defensive 1st team player every year. But, the tenacity is missing on a nightly basis. My advice to Josh Smith would be to listen to try something new this season. Listen to Coach Woodson and try to do everything Woody says. What if J-Smooth would listen? The Hawks have a chance to win 45-50 games. There two variables in the winning equation for the Hawks are Bibby’s health and production and Smith’s attitude. Smith has the talent to do virtually anything on a basketball court, but does he have the desire, the killer instinct?

Zaza Pachulia: I was inspired to start writing this blog, by Zaza’s fiery playoff series. When he went nose to nose with Garnett, it was a turning point for Atlanta fans and the team. Pachulia is more talented than many other centers in the Eastern Conference. The potential is there, but once again it’s the mental aspect of the game that eludes Zaza. If he can produce and earn consistent minutes, Pachulia will blossom next to Horford or Smith. He has to channel the emotions into his play on the court. Take the passion that his fans in his home country of Georgia and focus that on being the best player that he can be.

Solomon Jones: As I write this column, I am watching the Hawks’ opening night game with the Orlando Magic. Jones is actually playing some minutes here in the 3rd quarter. Coach Woodson has a small lineup in the game with Smith and Woodson together on the front line. Jones is very long and a good defender. I have read some articles about how much he worked on his game this summer. If he has improved, Jones gives Coach Woodson flexibility in his rotation. By providing depth, Jones really is a valuable member of the Hawks’ team.

Prediction: The Hawks’ frontcourt is much improved, but not by bringing in new players. All of these guys should be better this year simply because they are a year older and wiser. I see no drop off with the loss of Josh Childress. In fact, I see Woodson using some of Childress’ minutes to keep J-Smooth happy by playing him on the perimeter in short spurts. These guys are stronger on the defensive end than the offensive end. Coach Woodson has to figure out a way to get offense from these guys. Running in transition more will free up Smith and Horford to score without always having to post up and make back to the basket moves.

Hawks’ Season Prediction: The Hawks’ just cleared out for Flip Murray against J.J. Redick at the end of the 3rd quarter. Great play. Murray and Evans are going to be great additions to this team. The Eastern Conference is going to be much better this year than in the recent past. My season prediction is 46 wins and the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. If they can avoid the Celtics in the 1st round of the playoffs, the Hawks have a chance to win their first playoff series in a very long time.

Hawks' Roster Analysis - Small Forward

2008-10-20T22:11:00.000-04:00

Introduction: Here is the dilemma for Coach Mike Woodson: Marvin Williams has been penciled in as a starter at the “3” spot for a couple of years, but does Williams have the talent to start at small forward?

Marvin Williams: In all honesty, I think Williams can be a productive and impactful NBA player, but he should not be starting. I see his role as an offensive force coming off the bench. Because of his size, he presents match up problems for other teams, but he is reluctant to post up. From what I have been able to read about this preseason, Williams’ focus has been on shooting better from 3 point range. He seems to want to be strictly a perimeter jump shooter. He cannot beat regular small forwards off the dribble, but he could face and beat power forwards. His defense at the position is below average. The thumb injury might be an excuse for Coach Woodson to bring Williams off the bench. If the Hawks could then get off to a hot start, Woodson could stick with that rotation and Williams would have to accept his role as an offensive spark. He could flourish as the second scoring option on the second unit

Maurice Evans: I briefly broke down Evans in my shooting guard post, but he is clearly a “3” man. Evans should start for the Hawks. The smaller and quicker line up is a way to start the game with more energy. Evans is a tough defender that can guard Turkoglu, Pierce, and all. He is a better outside shooter than Williams. He will not penetrate very often, but he stretches the floor. I probably would argue that Evans is a better passer and quicker in the transition game than Williams.

Josh Smith: I talk about Smith more in my front court analysis, but he has the physical tools to be a dominant type small forward. If he would take time to work on his ball skills, he could play on the perimeter. I have read where he has worked on his shooting and his strength in the off season. That is great, but he needs to learn to be a better ball-handler and passer. He would be a match up nightmare for opposing teams.

Prediction: Defining the roles for Williams and Evans is critical for Coach Woodson. The other positions seem to be falling into place. Bibby, Joe, Horford, and Smith are going to start. What Coach does with that “3” spot is going to be interesting to watch. Depending on who starts or not, Evans and Williams could be a 6th Man of the Year award candidates. I think Williams can flourish off the bench, but he probably does not want to do that in a contract year. Can the Hawks trade Williams to Olympiakos for Childress? You could start Evans and bring Childress off the bench. Wow, that scenario sounds about perfect.

Hawks' Roster Analysis - Shooting Guard

2008-09-28T17:19:00.000-04:00

Joe Johnson. This year is the coming out party for Joe Johnson. Anyone that watched the exciting playoff series with the Boston Celtics knows that Super Joe has the capability to take over a game. Johnson is on the cusp of rising from the very good player to All Star level. It is imperative that Coach Mike Woodson find someone else that can guard the other team’s best perimeter player. At the beginning of games and in certain situations, Joe should match up with the likes of Kobe, Ray Allen, etc. However, in the 4th quarter, Johnson does not need to kill himself guarding these guys. He needs to kill the other teams with his scoring and playmaking abilities. The additions of better perimeter players should make Johnson an even better player this year. Woodson is going to be able use a variety of line-ups with Johnson and Evans in the game at the same time. Woodson can even go small at times with four perimeter and Al Horford in the post.

Maurice Evans. Signing Maurice Evans is my favorite move of the Hawks’ off-season. I just like this guy’s floor presence. He started games last year for Los Angeles and Orlando; but he should play just as many minutes this year for Atlanta. His role should be the 6th Man role as the first player off the bench. For Coach Woodson, he brings versatility to the line up that was missing last year. Evans spaces the floor with his outside shooting. He probably will not get to the basket or the free throw line very often, but his shooting presence will keep help side defenders out of the driving lanes. He is an above average defender with a workman-like attitude. He also brings toughness to the Hawks that was lacking during the 2007-2008 regular season.

Ronald “Flip” Murray. I discussed Murray’s upside in my previous blog about the Hawks’ point guard situation. Murray can play either position. Coach Woodson will be able to pair him with JJ, Bibby, or Law. One of the most intriguing questions going into the regular season is what will the Hawks’ second unit look like. This season the roster is deep enough that Woodson should be able to rest the starters for stretches in the 2nd and 3rd quarters.

Mario West. At 6’5 and 210 pound, West has a reputation as a defensive stopper. Honestly, I am not sure what else he can do. He could mature into a Bruce Bowen type, but he is not a threat from 3 point range. He is kind of like a poor man’s Josh Childress without the ability to score. That probably is not going to be enough this season to see the floor. Baring injury to one of the other wing players, West’s contribution to the team is to push guys in practice.

Thomas Gardner. The 6’5 225 pound swingman from Missouri played in three games last November for the Chicago Bulls. In a game against Denver, he played 27 minutes and scored 14 points. In that game, the Bulls were down over 20 in the 3rd quarter, so they were garbage minutes, but Gardner can score. He should make the Hawks’ roster unless a decision is made between West and Gardner. West probably makes the team over Gardner, because the Hawks need someone on the perimeter to be a defensive stopper.

Prediction: I see Joe Johnson having a break out year for the Hawks. He might actually make the Eastern Conference All-Star roster without being a replacement for someone who is injured. Mike Woodson has much more flexibility with the addition of Maurice Evans. Evans and Johnson should be on the floor at the same time in the 4th quarter. Evans' outside shooting ability is going to be a huge bonus for the Hawks this season.

Hawks' Roster Analysis - Point Guard

2008-09-22T20:46:00.000-04:00

Wow, this position is the most improved on the Hawks roster from the beginning of 2007-08 season to 2008-09 season. Mike Woodson has to be excited that he can pretty much pencil in Bibby as the starter. The great part for Woodson is that these guys should know the pecking order. The Acie Law / Anthony Johnson / Tyronn Lue debacle from last year is a distant memory. Remember when Lue use to take big shots? Awful. Remember when Super Joe (a new nickname let’s see if it catches on) and J-Chill had to play the point? Will Bibby make you forget Chris Paul and Deron Williams? No, but I am starting to think getting Al Horford was worth missing on those two guys. As a group, these point guards can score on any group in the Eastern Conference.

Mike Bibby. One of the Hawks’ highest paid players this season. In the last year of his contract, Bibby will start every game that he is healthy this year. Having Bibby in the lineup is a huge upgrade compared to the start of the 2007-08 season. His outside shooting stretches the defense. He is a veteran leader that has the respect of NBA officials. In critical situations, Bibby draws fouls and earns free throws. The weaknesses are clear. He cannot pressure the ball on defense. Bibby has trouble breaking the defense down and getting into the lane. Bibby’s smarts and skills make the Hawks a stronger regular season team.

Acie Law. Law is the heir apparent to Bibby, but the problem is that he is not much different than Bibby. Law is a solid player, but he will not scare opposing defenses. Mike Woodson can rely on Law to run the offense and get the ball to the right guys on the offensive end. Defensively, he is important, because he can pressure the basketball. In his second year, Law needs to make a major step forward in his development. Whether or not he can make open jump shots and beat his man off the dribble are the variables that should determine his playing time.

Flip Murray. Murray is the most intriguing new player in the Hawks’ backcourt. He is an explosive scorer and a game changer. If he is focused, Flip can mean the difference in close games, because he can beat anyone off the dribble. What happens after he beats is man is the part that is scary. Anything can happen. He could find someone for an open 3-pointer or dunk, or he could dribble the ball off his foot. Because of his size, I see him playing lots of 4th quarter minutes in place of Law.

Speedy Claxton. Forget about Claxton. It’s over for him unless Bibby gets hurt and misses significant time. He is small and has lost a step. If Bibby goes down, Claxton can run the point to start games. My question is do the Hawks give him some minutes so that they can try to trade him? This is the last year of his contract. He lasts the year with the Hawks and then quietly leaves Atlanta.

Prediction:
Mike Woodson has to feel more comfortable with this position than he ever has during his tenure with Atlanta. Does anyone remember when Boris Diaw was the point guard? Bibby solidifies the position on a nightly basis. Bibby stays healthy and shoots a high percentage from 3 point range. Acie Law plays at times, but Flip Murray earns more and more minutes during the regular season. Murray should thrive with the southern hospitality of Atlanta. I guess the final question is can Mike Woodson get any of these point guards to play defense?

The Jeff Caha Interview

2008-08-27T20:54:00.000-04:00

During this time with little Hawks’ news to talk about, I revisited an old post to track down a human interest story. Loyal Running with Zaza readers remember our story in June about the NBDL draft camp held in Sewanee, north of Atlanta. I was there for most of the games on Saturday, and I blogged about a few players that made an impression on me. Jeff Caha was one of those players, and I was able to ask him a few questions in an e-mail interview:

RWZ: Jeff, thanks for agreeing to answer some questions for our readers. Can you tell me a little about your personal basketball history?

Caha: I am 28 years old. I played 4 years of college basketball. I have been coaching at the NAIA, JUCO, and NCAA DII levels the last 6 years as an assistant. I never really played pro ball, but I went to Spain right after college and tried to get picked up but was not good enough. I played one game in CIBA / COPA league in Mexico while coaching two years ago in Arizona at Cochise College.

RWZ: Can you tell me about your motivation and your decision to attend the 2008 NBDL Camp pre-draft camp?

Caha: Well, I took the assistant job at Southwestern Oklahoma State University this past year weighing between 270 and 275 lbs. The best strength coach, Josh Musick, is there. I started working out with him and after 5 months was in ridiculous shape and was down to 230 lbs. Josh told me I should try to play again after a day of messing around in the gym after a workout, so from March until the NBDL Camp, Josh and I worked hard to get everything right. I found the NBDL tryout, went and performed. I love the game and just wanted to try one more time as I have never been in this kind of shape before. I never had a guy like Josh around - so with the help from Josh plus doing all the drills I learned from Jerry Carrillo, whom I played for and worked with at Cochise College, I got ready for the camp.

RWZ: A cynic might say that the NBDL camp is not worth the time and that it is just quick way for some people to make some money during the summer. What was your experience at the camp and what was your goal going into the 5 on 5 games?

Caha: At Cochise College, we were taught to play as hard as possible for as long as possible. Then, we would sub you out. That was my goal at the NBDL camp: just to go and to play as hard as possible. Playing my game and trying not to do something I am not capable of doing. I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF THE NBDL CAMP! The feeling of being on a "team", even though we were just thrown together, was amazing. Talking on “d”, high fives, getting guys in the right places, interacting and being coached, were such a great feelings. Playing 4 games and not losing, because we tried to play together. I can say I walked out of there with no regrets. No excuses on not being picked--just not good enough.

RWZ: We know that you have not been signed yet, but what opportunities are you currently pursuing?

Caha: I still have the belief that with my ability I can help a team, somewhere in the world, but the prospects of a soon to be 29 year-old who has not played since college is not good. There is not much of a market for a guy like me. Currently, I am still looking for a chance but soon the door will close. I am trying to bust into the world of strength training and would love to work with athletes. I am close to that with an interview at Velocity Sports Performance in Champlin, Minnesota this next week. If I can’t make a difference on the court, I want to help others make a difference.

RWZ: Jeff, I enjoyed watching you play at the camp. Thanks again for your time and good luck with your interview and in the future.

USA Goes for the Gold...(2nd Half)

2008-08-24T04:24:00.000-04:00

3rd Quarter—Coach K and I feel the same way with this start—very nervous. What would happen if the game is close at the end of the 4th quarter? There is the first awful shot by Kobe. Lebron is complaining to the official. Take the ball up and dunk it! Kobe called for traveling. Collins is cryptically criticizing Kobe for trying to do too much. Howard is 15-33 from the foul line in the Olympic tourney. That’s bad. Spain scores on another pick and roll. Marc Gasol sets solid screens. Clearly, he is an NBA ready player. NBA regular season is a long grind, so he would have to get in better shape. Coach K has to take a time out. Beckham is in the audience! Spain sits back in a 2-3 zone. Missed shot by Carmelo. Quick lay-up scored by Melo. Uh-oh, looks like Melo hurt his hand by hitting the backboard. Reyes and Jimenez hustle and get second and third shots. USA up by 4 points with 5 minutes left in the quarter. Kobe takes another bad shot. A couple of more lay-ups traded. Again, no defense is being played by either team. Great screen set by Marc Gasol, nicknamed “the Tank”, on an out of bounds underneath play. He is going to the foul line for two shots. Wade takes a questionable, guarded outside shot. USA is playing with a lot of energy and determination. Kobe finally passes (he was almost forced to by the defense) and Wade goes to the foul line. How is Juan Carlos Navarro getting to the basket? Spain scores on a pretty alley oop to Gasol. Spain back to a zone and Anthony hits a 3. I like the way Team USA uses the wing ball screen against the zone. Paul used the screen and found a wide open Melo. At the 3rd quarter buzzer, Navarro torches Deron Williams to cut the lead to 91-82.

4th Quarter—Deron Williams misses the lay-up. Lebron and Kobe have three fouls. Fouls are being committed on every possession. Kobe takes another guarded, bad shot. Spain cuts the lead to 5 on a Rudy Fernandez / Pau Gasol screen roll into an alley oop dunk. Bad shot taken by Melo. A 3 point make by Fernandez cuts the lead to 2 points! Krzyzewski calls another time out. Out of the time-out, high screen and roll leads to a forced shot by Kobe which goes in the basket. Kobe drives and dishes to Williams for 3 point make. Kobe for 3! Yes! Kobe gambled and Fernandez just ferociously dunked on Dwight Howard. Howard and Lebron have 4 fouls. Pau Gasol makes a jumper with no one around and it’s down to a 5 point game. Spain gets back in a zone. Wade drives and finds Kobe for a 4 point play. Wow, Fernandez has fouled out. I am glad I stayed up for this! Navarro runs a great curl off a down screen and scores. Jimenez nails a 3 point shot. Spain stays in the zone. Wade hits a 3! Yes. Spain down by 7 calls timeout. No Michael Red in this game, interesting? Kobe called for a foul. It is his 4th. Rubio out hustles CP3 to the loose ball. Jimenez misses a 4 point shot and Lebron rebounds. That should be the game with 1:30 left. Kobe pretty much took over in the last 5 minutes of the game by scoring and actually passing to his teammates. Happy Birthday, Kobe! Redeem Team is redeemed. Congrats Coach K! USA Basketball is back! And I am gone.

USA Hoops Goes for Gold...(1st Half)

2008-08-24T03:25:00.000-04:00

I wanted to watch the Gold Medal game live, so here I am at 2:33 in the morning on Saturday night watching Olympic basketball. I am stone cold sober just to blog during this game. Clearly, I have drunk the Kool Aid, and I totally have bought the Coach K program!

1st Quarter--Jose Calderon Spain’s point guard is out with a hamstring injury, but Ricky Rubio just made a great no look pass on a 3 on 2 break for a dunk for Gasol. Lebron just picked up his 2nd foul. That is not good. This game already looks like it is going to be more physical. Coach K is leaving Lebron in the game. Depth is a major factor, Doug Collins and I agree. USA is doubling on the high ball screen. That strategy just leads to a 3 by Spain. Spain is playing with much more spirit and confidence tonight. Kobe just fouled a 3 point shooter and picked up his 2nd foul. USA is in foul trouble big time. Kobe and Lebron are out. Dwayne Wade is in and USA chants start from the crowd. Even though I am a Hawks fan and it might keep them out of the playoffs, I am so excited for a healthy Wade for this NBA season. Wade just exploded to the basket for a three point play. With about 5 minutes left and USA down 4, Carmelo caught Rubio’s wrist and now he is out. He needs to toughen up to play in the NBA. Spain down to their 3rd point guard—some guy named Lopez. NBC’s Craig Sager just said it is a hyperextension. 22-22 and Spain drops into a 2-3 zone. Now Lopez has 3 fouls. Rubio is taped and back into the game. USA with full court pressure, but they switched the screen and roll giving Garbjosa a 3 point make. Wow, Wade got fouled shooting a 3 point shot. Marc Gasol is huge. He just scored on a great back to the basket post move. USA up 7 at the end of 1st quarter with great minutes for USA second team of Wade, Prince, Paul, and Bosh.

2nd quarter—Unsportsmanlike foul called on Dwight Howard. He just grabbed Gasol after losing him on a back cut. Kobe just had a dunk and the Spanish bench went crazy. I guess they wanted a traveling call. C’mon, when you are crying for a call on a break away like that, you know that your team is in trouble. Rubio is only 17 years old and he can really play. I would like to see a plus/minus on Jason Kidd and Chris Paul during the Olympics. Spain is now in the bonus with more than ½ the quarter left. Shooting free throws slows the game way down. Big transition conversion for Team USA. Spain had a steal, then we stole it back and Lebron scored. Wade just stole a pass at the top of the key and dunked on the other end. USA is 7-10 on 3 point shots. Doug Collins just gave a great stat—going into this game Kobe has 11 assists and 12 turnovers in the tournament. Yikes! Wade is carrying the team right now. (After that made 3, my friend texted me that the Hawks should trade Mo Evans, Speedy Claxton, and 2 second round draft picks for Wade, I am interested probably not enough.) What a wild first half. Wade has 21 points and the USA leads 69-61. No defense at all. Spain has pounded the basketball inside and made some 3s. 2nd half is scary. USA is shooting 70 % from the field, but they are only up 8. Look for some zone from Spain, Kobe to take some bad shots, and Wade to lead the USA to the Gold Medal.

Sund's Moves Make Sense

2008-08-14T15:31:00.000-04:00

There is a method to the madness. Last week, the Atlanta Hawks quickly matched the offer sheet Josh Smith signed with the Memphis Grizzlies for 5 years and $58 million dollars. By waiting, and not bowing to pressure from the media, blogosphere, and fans, general manager Rick Sund retained the Hawks’ third best player for much less than other free agents signed for this summer.

This new contract is a fair one for both sides. Smith is a rising star who has not even made an All-Star team, but he earned this contract with exceptional play on both ends of the court. He is an NBA difference maker. The Hawks did not have to overpay for Smith, because Sund and the ownership group waited and let the restricted free agency process work for them. J-Smooth did not have to sign the offer sheet from Memphis. He could have taken the Hawks qualifying offer and become a unrestricted free agent next year. That would have been a gamble, especially when a major injury could be a one-on-one workout away. The Hawks did not have to match the offer. Both sides in this negotiation came out on top. Smooth becomes a very wealthy and secure player for the next 4-5 years, and the Hawks did not have to overpay for a rising NBA talent. Sure, there might be some hurt feelings, but do you really think that Smith wanted to leave Atlanta? For Memphis?

Losing Josh Childress was a public relations blow, but Sund has made two moves that will make the Hawks a better team in 2008-2009. Clearly, signing Maurice Evans and Ronald “Flip” Murray is a combination that fills the void left by the departing Childress. Both of these guys can score the basketball and shoot with 3 point range. Evans is a dangerous 3 point shooter who will play more at the small forward spot. While, Murray is a solid NBA veteran that can play either guard position. He is more of a scorer than a 3 point shooter, but other teams will have to respect his scoring and shooting ability. Last year, teams dared Childress to shoot from the outside. Defenders backed off into the paint and clogged up the lane for cutters and post play. Murray can also play the point and started 15 games for the Indiana Pacers at the point at the end of the 2007-2008 season. I saw Flip play live in college and he is lightning quick with a big body for a guard. He can create his own shot on any possession. That is a good thing, but could be a bad thing. Woodson will have to reign him in at times, but he should provide some microwave type offense off the bench. The Hawks need more depth at the point guard spot, because Speedy Claxton will never be the same player after this injury, and the jury is still out on whether Acie Law will be a solid NBA player.

The summer shake-up here in Atlanta has made the team deeper and better without sacrificing payroll flexibility. There is a nice mix of veterans and young players. The new players are veterans that have proven NBA track records. Mike Woodson should know what to expect night in and night out from Evans and Murray. Competition should be more fierce on the team for spots and minutes as well. Here is a look at the possible Hawks starters and bench rotation:

Bibby, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, and Al Horford in the starting line up with Acie Law, Murray, Zaza, and Evans off the bench.

Because Marvin Williams is such a high draft pick, he will start at the small forward spot. However, Evans will earn tons of minutes and probably will be on the floor at critical moments in the 4th quarter. Mike Woodson’s job is going to be more fun this year than ever before. He will have some chess pieces to move around on the court, but he also has more pressure to win than ever in his career. The Hawks have to make the play-offs. That is going to be tougher this year with an improved Dwayne Wade-led Miami Heat team and a defensive-minded team in Milwaukee. The Eastern Conference is a more intriguing than its been in several seasons, and the Atlanta Hawks should be right in the middle of all the action

Team USA Vs. the World (Part II)

2008-08-10T00:32:00.000-04:00

Team USA opens Olympic pool play against China tomorrow morning at 10 am. Let me be clear, I want Team USA to win the Gold medal in dominating fashion. I am tired of losing these international competitions. I want someone to come out and say we invented basketball; and, we need to win this tournament for national pride. My standards are very high for this team. In short, I do not just want to win, but I want Team USA to send a message. In the final two games against Russia and Australia, the better competition exposed some chinks in the armor of the so-called “Redeem Team”. Here are the 5 questions Team USA must answer to win the Gold in Beijing:

Will Coach Krzyzewski make the right decisions, play calls, and adjustments during the games? There is no question about Coach K’s ability to manage egos and to motivate these players, but the fact that the staff with Nate McMillan, Jim Boeheim, and Mike D’Antoni has no NBA titles is a concern. Coach K is going to have to call a time-out sometime. He is going to have to decide what set plays to run down the stretch of a close game. Will one of these other professional, international coaches out coach the heralded Coach K? It could happen. With 33 seconds left in the game against Australia, the camera panned to Coach K on the bench and he looked red in the face. Maybe the team got too much sun in Macau and was just a little tired here in Shanghai. Hopefully, Coach K was boiling inside at the lackluster performance and went off on the team in the locker room after the game. When Team USA plays Spain, Greece, or Argentina in the win or go home tournament, the talent will be pretty close to equal. Coach K will need to make the right calls to give us a chance to win Gold.

Who will be the emotional leader of this team? Who will fire some guys up on this team? Actually, I am worried about this, because Team USA seems so politically correct in interviews and when talking about the other teams. We should respect these other teams and countries, but these games are going to be very competitive. Three weeks from now, I fear that I will be writing about how Kevin Garnett should have been on this team. There would be nothing “friendly” about these games if Garnett were in China. The USA team has to play these games like they are on the playground playing for their rent money. Garnett plays that way--always hungry to win. Redemption is ours for the taking, but our anger about losing has to be real. The “Redeem Team” went through the motions against Russia and Australia. Hopefully, someone mentioned that fact. Jason Kidd has a Gold Medal, but the fire has to come from someone else. Team USA needs a Charles Barkley stepping on someone’s chest type of moment early in this tourney. Tomorrow morning against China is a great time to send a message.

Will Team USA be able to convert clutch free throws when a big game is close in the final minutes? There is a lack of focus at the free throw line by some of these players. Dwight Howard and Lebron missed badly on free throws in a couple of the exhibition games. These international teams are scouting hard and they will know whom to foul when the games are on the line. Just ask the Memphis Tigers how important free throw shooting is to winning a tournament championship.

Can Team USA play Coach K’s pressure man defense well enough to win the Gold? In basketball when you pressure the ball, you have to contain your man. If the offensive man beats you off the dribble, a teammate has to rotate and stop the penetration. The USA help side defense and help side rotations were not consistent in the last two exhibition games. On one play in the second half, Andrei Kirilenko just blew past Carmelo on the right side of the court. That is horrible as Bill Walton might have said, but what was worse was the lack of help side rotation. Lebron just stood and watched the lay up as Kirilenko attacked the basket. Team USA often looks like a team with a mindset of “okay my man just scored, but we will score on the other end so it does not matter.” Team USA must hate to get scored on, and then we can blow out even the good teams.

Is the America roster big and physical enough to beat Spain, Greece, or Argentina? Can Team USA rebound and block shots well enough to win? Rebounding is a big question mark. The perimeter players seem to be floating to much and not coming back to help rebound. The USA’s lack of an inside, physical presence was glaring. With Dwight Howard in foul trouble, there was no shot blocking or fear from the Russian team going to the rim. The Russians and the Australians had so many lay-ups and easy shots. Hardly any physical play from the Americans. Team USA has to rebound, block some shots, and set solid screens to win this tournament.

5 on 5 - Team USA Vs. the World (Part I)

2008-08-06T15:37:00.000-04:00

After watching these exhibition “friendly” match ups with Canada, Turkey, Lithuania, Russia, and Australia, I am convinced that Team USA will win the Gold Medal. I have to be honest I am guilty of buying into the hype, of drinking the soft spoken, fatherly Coach Mike Krzyzewski cocktail of team basketball, of listening and reading about the great USA players saying the right things about team work, defense, and unselfishness. However, the “Road to Redemption” looks bumpy and maybe a little scary, kind of like a road in the mountains with a great view, but a very steep drop off if you make a wrong turn. For this Olympic tournament, I am fired up, hopeful, and a little star struck; but, I am frightened and would not be surprised at Team USA coming home with another Bronze. Here is my 5 on 5. The 5 reasons Wade and Company will win the Gold, and in the next post, the 5 reasons they could lose it:

1. Team USA will win because of their overall depth and talent. Depth will be a factor as the games become more physical and the stakes become higher. In FIBA rules, five fouls is a disqualification. This is a great rule for the shorter 40 minute game. (The 48 minute NBA game needs the extra foul.) Carlos Boozer and Tayshaun Prince are barely getting much playing time, but they are great players. Prince looked disinterested in his end of game minutes against Australia. He was beaten badly on a back cut for a late wide open lay-up, but if needed Prince’s big game and playoff experience will be huge for Team USA. Boozer’s physical presence and ability to make free throws are huge assets for this team. Coach K is going to have to play two big men together at some point in this tournament, and Boozer is a solid professional that will rebound and finish strong around the rim.

2. Carmelo Anthony has the total package of offensive skills. For some reason, Melo is overlooked by many basketball fans, sports writers, and analysts. He is a natural scorer that gets to the right spots to catch and shoot. You absolutely have to be ready to catch and shoot without the dribble in international basketball. In transition or against a zone defense, Anthony, a natural scorer, knows the right areas on the floor to get open shots. He is far better at this than Kobe or Lebron. You hardly ever see Bryant or James spot up, catch, and shoot without a dribble. Carmelo also is very effective shooting the pull up or mid-range jump shot off the dribble. He is the best Team USA player to run a set play for if you need a big basket late in the game. In a close game, who Coach K goes to on the offensive end will be a key to winning the Gold Medal. Melo is that go to guy.

3. Coach Krzyzewski’s emphasis on ball pressure on the perimeter. Team USA is quick and athletic. They have been generating easy offense from steals, deflections, and turnovers. International teams run continuity offense based around passing and cutting. Great ball pressure makes finding the open cutters more difficult. The danger is that Team USA cannot gamble, get out of position, and let the opponent penetrate into the lane. Guys like Chris Paul, Carmelo, and Deron Williams cannot get beaten off the dribble. If that happens, the Internationals will slice them up with penetration and great three point shooting. If Coach K can get everyone to pressure the ball at the same level, Team USA will win the gold.

4. We have great players that are playing unselfish basketball. Most of the time when the Team USA guards have penetrated into the lane, the team has gotten easy dunks or lay-ups. Drop off passes, kick outs, and one extra pass have been the standard operating procedure for all the players. When the ball movement is good, Team USA is impossible to guard. Chris Paul and Deron Williams have been distributing the ball. Against Australia, Paul even was able to get into the lane and score a few baskets when the defense sagged and played the passing lanes. Team USA has adjusted to international pick and roll defense. The offensive man setting the pick is open rolling to the front of the rim. Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh have scored many easy baskets after setting solid screens. Team USA cannot rely on jump shots only. They have to get to the rim, score or get fouled.

5. The players have their pride at stake! They play hard for each other. There is a hunger and desire to win. The mixture of young up and coming guys with veterans like J-Kidd and Kobe Bryant is working well. Kidd is maligned as old, but he is very important for team chemistry. Most of these guys are established stars that do not need the big stage for endorsements and respect. Kobe Bryant’s commitment to defense has been a shining example. He has taken on a positive leadership role. Coach K and his staff have done a great job at selling these guys on the “Road to Redemption” mind set.

Listening to Kamla & Fraschilla...Ugh!

2008-08-04T14:35:00.001-04:00

Tonight, I watched the replay of the Team USA versus Russia basketball “friendly” on ESPN. I am working on a blog about Team USA and the “Road to Redemption”, but watching the game was so frustrating because of the announcers. Rick Kamla and Fran Fraschilla were driving me to distraction. I had seen some bloggers criticizing these guys, but I had not really noticed anything in the previous few games. Maybe it was a hangover from Macau or the travel to Shanghai, but something was up last night. Kamla tries to be a hip, which I normally do not mind, but tonight he provided Fraschilla with no direction, and made glaring mistakes calling the action. Fraschilla was redundant, boring, and tentative. Be critical. Give some analysis. Don't be soft on Team USA!

Here are some glaring examples of mistakes that went uncorrected during the broadcast. Fraschilla called Michael Redd “JR Redd”. Nothing from Kamla. Fraschilla said that the head coach of Bucknell University is Pat Flannery when the new head coach is actually former Williams College head coach Dave Paulsen. Nothing from Kamla. Kamla joined the fray midway through the 2nd quarter. Both guys totally missed a play in the second quarter when Kobe hustled down the court and saved the ball between his legs. The ball bounced off the opponent and was clearly the USA ball—a great hustle play by Kobe. A distracted Kamla, the play-by-play guy, totally blew the call of the play, then he missed the inbounds play. He finally admitted his mistake and said “my bad”, but the action was going back to the other end of the court. Very frustrating. The commentators are almost as frustrating as the constant watching of replays, while live game action is happening off screen.

Fraschilla is smart with great technical knowledge of the game which he usually brings to the broadcast. Tonight, he just keeps saying the same things over and over with no analysis. When he did bring analysis and a critical eye, he waffled and apologized as he made the criticism. Crazy. Fraschilla has been harping on how much money these guys are making as players and coaches in Europe, but he has not mentioned that the Euro League, even at the top level, is not as tough a league as the NBA. There is a reason that Russia's point guard, J.R. Holden, is not in the NBA, and that is that J.R. Holden is not good enough for the NBA. In the 4th quarter, when Dwight Howard bricked a free throw, Fraschilla commented that “I do not want to coach anyone or anything, but someone needs to tell Dwight Howard to move his guide hand to the side of the basketball.” Great point, but why not just make the comment and not waffle? Kamla followed up with nothing. At another point, Fraschilla said that he used to have his teams play 1-3-1 out of timeouts, even though they never practiced 1-3-1. That makes no sense. Fraschilla seems like the kind of coach that practices every part of the game in minute detail. He probably was trying to say that he would spring surprises on other teams, but no way would he do that without practicing the coverages of the 1-3-1 defense. Kamla could have asked a follow up question to clarify and help Fraschilla sound smarter. Did he? No. One point that did resonate was when Fraschilla theorized that “Coach K is not going to out X and O any other coaches in this tournament.” This is an important factor in whether Team USA wins the Gold Medal, but the analysis just died in Kamla’s silence. Plus, no one wants to admit there are serious flaws right now with Team USA.

This exchange was typical of tonight’s broadcast. With about nine minutes left in the fourth quarter, Kamla asked Fraschilla for an analysis of where Team USA stood. You could tell Frischilla wanted to rip Team USA and say they were not ready to compete against the best teams in the world, but instead he fumbled around the question. Fraschilla said that Team USA has “ten days really or actually a week before they open up with China.” I wanted some analysis, but clearly everyone involved is worried about offending anyone on Team USA. Why be afraid? Because in today’s soft, access driven media, criticism gets you fired. Instead, you get a broadcast that is redundant, uninteresting, and not very informative. Kamla, made me feel just like he acted--uninterested in the game or anything that Fraschilla had to say.

Panic time for Hawks' fans?

2008-07-25T15:55:00.001-04:00

As the supposed “Greek Tragedy” of losing Josh Childress for next year quickly passes out of mind, Rick Sund, the Atlanta Hawks General Manager, faces his first challenge as the new Hawks man in charge. The fans have been told there is a "plan" for the 2008-2009 roster, but they have heard that many, many times before from management. The Hawks’ fan base has been burned so often in the past that panic set in after the Childress announcement. The fans are starved for something good to happen with this team. The danger for Sund is that the Celtics’ series has raised expectations, but the Hawk fans’ psyche is so fragile that their hopes can be easily dashed. What kind of moves can Sund make to bolster this scared, hysterical fan base?

1. Sund should sign Maurice Evans an unrestricted free agent that played in Orlando last year. He can fill the Josh Childress role off the bench. Evans started over 50 games for Orlando last year, and Orlando was better than the Hawks. The Contra Costa Times reported that Evans was offered a 3 year contract worth 6.4 million from Golden State. By signing Evans, the Hawks can get a solid NBA player for less years and much less money than resigning Childress.

2. As I previously stated, the Hawks should make a run a the Lakers’ Sasha Vujacic. In one report, the Lakers have offered Vujacic a 3 year contract worth $12 million. Supposedly, Vujacic wants more years and more money. The Hawks could get him for something like 4 years and $20 million dollars. That contact is much more palpable than a contract for J-Chill at over $30 million. Vujacic is a playoff tested, knock down three point shooter. His defense was exposed by Ray Allen, but he played very well in the Lakers’ other playoff series wins. Plus, Vujacic is bigger than some of the other restricted free agents out there like JR Smith and Lou Williams. He also can play the point guard spot in a tough spot if Bibby goes down with injury (a likely occurrence this year).

3. Speaking of JR Smith and Lou Williams, I like both of these guys better than Childress. Considering that Denver is making some moves to cut payroll and to deal Allen Iverson, they seem to want to resign JR Smith. But what if the Hawks offered Smith the money they just offered Childress? Surely, Smith would have to consider signing an offer sheet with Atlanta. Otherwise, offering Lou Williams an offer sheet makes sense for the Hawks. The danger is Philadelphia matching the offer, but they might not be able to if they are going to resign Andre Iguodala. Plus, the 76ers just signed former Hawks’ player Royal Ivey. Ivey and Williams play different positions, but Lou might be competing with the defensive-minded Ivey for playing time off the bench.

4. I have been promoting the signing and trading of Josh Smith for the past month or so. The Hawks have to resign Smith. They should then explore some trade options. Josh Smith is a potential All-Star, but the key word is potential. The Hawks should offer him a fair and reasonable offer like 4 years and $45 million. Some players out there that could be in a deal for Smith are Ron Artest with another player, Luol Deng, Andre Iguodala, or Tayshaun Prince. All of these guys fit in with the Hawks roster.

5. Lastly, the Hawks need a big man or two to fill out the roster. Sund can try to sign Kwame Brown or possibly another Denver Nuggets outcast Francisco Elson. Do not sign Randolph Morris or Lorenzen Wright. According to the Hawks' website, Othello Hunter, a young power forward from Ohio State, has played well for the summer league in Utah. He can get signed for very cheap.

The danger is making moves just for the sake of making moves. The best move would be to do a sign and trade for a talented perimeter-oriented small forward. Let Josh Smith go, but bring in someone that can fit in better with the Hawks line-up. A blockbuster deal would go a long way to restoring the fans' confidence and earning Rick Sund credibility in this town.

Pass the Ouzo, Childress heads to Greece

2008-07-23T15:15:00.000-04:00

The sky is not falling. Traffic is not backing up on the downtown connector. Okay maybe it is; but, Josh Childress going to Greece to play in the Euro League is not a crushing blow to the Atlanta Hawks. Childress is a bonafide NBA bench player with experience. He is a valuable player, but he is not irreplaceable. Chill’s move actually frees up Rick Sund to make other roster moves. The Hawks clearly wanted to resign Josh Childress. I believe the reports that the Hawks made him a fair contract offer. The problem is that what Josh Childress is worth in today’s NBA is less than what J-Chill thinks that he is worth.

Josh Childress is a smart guy. According to Wikipedia, he had a 3.5 grade point average in high school and an 1110 score on the SAT. Although that seems kind of low for the average Stanford student, there is no question Childress can hold his own in the game of life. Also, what many Hawks fans do not know is that Childress loves Souvlaki. His personal chef is noted for buying lots of feta cheese, for preparing dolmades, and serving J-Chill ouzo and metaxa. Because of this, his adjustment to playing international basketball and to living in Greece will be easier than it would be for most NBA players. However, Childress is going to find out that the transition from being a 6th man / role player to being the highest paid player on the team is much more daunting. When the Olympiakos fans are whistling at him, Childress will understand the difference between being asked to score 3 or 4 lay-ups a game and carrying a team to wins night after night. Childress is going to feel pressure unlike anything in his professional life. I see him coming back to the NBA next summer. Ask Joe Johnson. It has taken JJ a few years to become the unquestioned best player on the Hawks, and he is far more talented than J-Chill.

Apparently, Childress is not worth as much as he wanted from the NBA. In fact, he has underachieved according to his status as a lottery pick. No team extended him an offer sheet to sign. He is worth about what James Posey is worth: 4 years and $25 million. Posey is much bigger, can shoot the 3, and is a proven winner. In the NBA, you over pay for All-Stars not for bench players with intangibles. J-Chill has started fewer games every year since his rookie season. In his rookie season, 2004-2005 he started 44 games. Last year, he started 0 games, but had his best year by averaging 12 points and 57% from the fielding roughly 30 minutes per game. Instead of being grateful to Mike Woodson, Childress clearly does not like Woodson and does not want to play for him. As Childress minutes have gone down, his production has gone up and the Hawks have won more games. He probably should be thanking Woodson today for the dollars in the Olympiakos contract.

What can the Hawks do? In this column, I have been advocating for the Hawks to try to sign Andre Iguodala or to make a sign and trade for Ron Artest, Tayshaun Prince, and others. Trade scenarios are still out there. The Hawks still can sign Josh Smith. Smith might be able to log some minutes on the perimeter (That is not my first choice, but it could happen). The Hawks were right to wait and let other NBA teams set the market for Childress. Losing Childress hurts, but it is not a catastrophic, crushing loss. Childress will be back eventually, and the Hawks still will be better in 2008-2009.

Singing the Josh Smith Blues

2008-07-17T15:11:00.000-04:00

J-Smooth no longer wants to play for Mike Woodson. Woodson is signed for two years as the Atlanta Hawks coach. Therefore, J-Smooth no longer wants to play for your Atlanta Hawks. The good feelings of the Celtics series are evaporating in the Atlanta summer heat. Clearly, Smith has lost any negotiating power, and this is an attempt by his entourage to grab some power back. The Hawks should work out a sign and trade for Smith and grant him his wish to get out of Atlanta.

I am starting to feel badly for Smith at this point. The 76ers wined and dined him, but signed Elton Brand. The Clippers flirted with the stat-stuffing NBA talent, but traded for Marcus Camby. The Camby deal was a steal for the Clippers. At roughly $10 million per year, Camby is one of the most underpaid guys in an NBA filled with players making ridiculous money. Then, Josh Smith gets to see Al Horford chosen as one of ten players for the USA select team. J-Smooth is like Belshazaar with the writing on the wall, but he does not need a Daniel to interpret the language. Horford is a better player in the eyes of NBA decision makers. At this point, Smith must be debating his decision last year not to sign the Hawks reported offer of 4 years and $45 million. Clearly, he is worth that type of investment by the Hawks, but not the max contract type dollars that Smith was looking to get this year in free agency.

What should Rick Sund and the Hawks do? Sign Smith and deal him. Atlanta needs a small forward with perimeter skills to go along side Joe Johnson. They can then move Horford to power forward. Zaza can start at center. Sign Kwame Brown (he is a much better athlete than Randolph Morris, Lorenzen Wright, etc. whose names have been mentioned for Atlanta) as a cheap big body for the paint. If Speedy Claxton plays well this week with the Hawks’ summer league team, Sund could trade Josh Smith and Claxton for Ron Artest and Kenny Thomas. The salaries are close to matching up depending on the extension for Smith. Sund can talk to Bibby and get the scoop on Artest. Claxton’s contract is expiring and he can back up the point spot for Sacramento. Thomas’ contract still comes off the books in 2010 and gives the Hawks a chance to go after Chris Bosh in free agency. The Hawks get tougher on defense, scoring, and intensity with Artest. Artest gets a place to make some music. I would take Joe Johnson and Artest over Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Then, the Hawks can sign Eddie House, Jannero Pargo, or Keyon Dooling to bring some scoring off the bench. Think about this Hawks’ starters and bench contributors:

Bibby, Joe Johnson, Ron Artest, Horford, Zaza, AC Law, Josh Childress, Kenny Thomas, Kwame Brown, Eddie House

Josh Smith could take back his comments and sign with Atlanta. That would still work for the Hawks, but to sign now would take maturity and humility. Not likely. All he and his agent need to look at, as a cautionary tale, is Luol Deng and Ben Gordon from the Bulls. Both guys turned down extensions last year with visions of having great seasons, but they have dropped precipitously in the eyes of many. The Bulls could not even make the playoffs after being picked by many to win the Eastern Conference. That decision cost Deng and Gordon millions of dollars. J-Smooth and his agent need to read the writing on the wall and sign, while he still can.

As Hawks wait, the East blows by

2008-07-14T15:48:00.001-04:00

As the Hawks and their fans wait for the two Joshes to resign with the team, other Eastern Conference teams are getting better and passing by the Hawks. Last Monday, the Hawks were a marginal playoff contender for 2008-2009. Today, they are on the outside of the playoff picture looking in as other teams make solid roster and coaching moves.

In the NBA Eastern Conference, there are 15 teams in 3 divisions. 8 of those teams make the playoffs. In 2008, the Atlanta Hawks earned a playoff berth with solid play down the stretch, but they still finished under .500 for the regular season. A healthy and productive full season from Mike Bibby will help, but this off season the Eastern landscape is rapidly changing. At least three teams are going to challenge Atlanta for that last playoff spot. The Heat and Bulls are better than the Hawks, and Charlotte will challenge for a playoff berth.

Charlotte definitely will resign Emeka Okafor. They added DJ Augustin who seems to playing very well in the Orlando Summer League. Possibly, the crazy mustache of Adam Morrison could make an appearance this year after losing last year to injury. The Bobcats’ roster is better, but the big improvement will come from Larry Brown. It usually takes a year for Brown to turn around a team, but look for him to get the Bobcats very close to .500 next year. Coach Brown travels around like a virus, but no one can argue that he does not make his team much better. The Bobcats will play harder and smarter next year.

Chicago drafted Derrick Rose and hired a new head coach Vinny Del Negro. Adding Derrick Rose gives the Bulls a bigger point guard with scary athleticism. Sure, Rose will have to learn on-the-job, but his quickness, size, and ability to penetrate into the lane are better than Kirk Heinrich. Playing off the ball could give Heinrich the chance to find his shooting stroke from the 2007 season. What style of play Del Negro and his coaches employ will be important for the Bulls. He has the players to run up and down like Phoenix and if Del Negro can mix in some defense the Bulls will be much improved. The Bulls still lack a proven inside scorer, but if they play a wide open style and try to out score teams in the East, the post game becomes less of a factor. The scary part for Atlanta fans is that the Bulls probably are not done making moves. They have tradable assets in Ben Gordon and Andres Nocioni.

The most improved team in the East next year will be the Miami Heat. The Heat are about to add Tyronn Lue to upgrade the point guard position. Michael Beasley is in the mix for a starting spot. They signed James Jones, a solid three point shooter to stretch the defense. It is possible that Alonzo Mourning could come back to give them some depth and energy off the bench. Dwayne Wade is back and healthy. If Wade attacks the basket like he did before the injury, he is clearly a top 5 player in the Eastern Conference. He is better than any player on the Hawks. The Heat have a new unproven coach in Eric Spoelstra, but he is not unknown to the players. Clearly, he must have a great relationship with Wade and in the NBA that is 80% of the battle. Spoelstra will bring passion and energy, but he probably is not a difference maker. The key is that Pat Riley hand-picked him and Riley will make every effort to make this Heat roster good enough for Spoelstra to succeed.

Resigning the Joshes seems like a fore gone conclusion for the Hawks. Still there is a conflict between Horford and Josh Smith playing the same position. No matter what anyone says J-Smooth is not a small forward. He cannot guard the ball or consistently make perimeter shots. If Rick Sund keeps the Joshes, there still are moves that can be made to improve the roster. Let’s hope that the waiting this month is not the hardest part, and the Hawks stay competitive in 2008-2009.

Next 48 hours huge for Hawks' fans

2008-07-08T13:53:00.000-04:00

Well, in 48 hours, fans of the Atlanta Hawks will know what the Hawks need to do to improve and solidify their roster for 2008-2009. Tonight, everyone finds out what the salary cap is for next year and that determines how much money teams can offer the remaining NBA free agents. Rick Sund is doing the right thing and waiting to see what happens with the two Joshes. Childress needs to be in a Hawks uniform next year, but the rumors of other teams interest in him have to be exaggerated. Nobody thinks that he is a starter in the NBA. He brings great intangibles to the game, but he cannot stretch the court or create his own shot. Yes, he has a great shooting percentage, but nearly all of his shots are layups and dunks. Josh Smith would be a big loss, but not a catastrophic loss for this team. Losing J-Smooth frees up money for Sund to go after other players that are a better fit for the Hawks roster and better for the team financially. The next two years’ crop of free agents are much better than this years’ group. By losing Josh Smith, the Hawks actually are in a better situation to land a true superstar in 2009 or 2010.

Here are a couple of scenarios that could play out for the Hawks in the next 24 to 48 hours:

1. Philadelphia offers Josh Smith a five year contract worth $66 million. The Hawks have seven days to match. That also means the Hawks have seven days to pursue other free agents. The three guys that could replace Josh Smith are Corey Magette, Andre Iguodala, and Monta Ellis. Ellis and Iguodala are restricted free agents. Their respective teams can match any offers. Iguodala makes so much sense. The 76ers probably do not want to pay both Josh Smith and Iguodala for the next 5 years. The Hawks can get Iguodala. He gives the Hawks a perimeter slasher that can create for other teammates. He averaged more points, minutes, and steals than J-Smooth. Plus, down the stretch of clutch games, Iguodala is better. He was the 76ers go to player. Maggette is a great fit for Atlanta. He is in a precarious position of signing for one year for under $7 million. He could get hurt next year and be in real limbo. Offer Maggette a 2 year deal worth 16 million. That gives him some security and freedom. That offer also positions the Hawks for financial flexibility in 2010.

2. Josh Childress signs with Golden State or some other Western Conference team to be a 6th to 8th man. The market for Childress cannot be that strong. Hawks should match the offer, but they should not over pay. Some possible replacements for Childress are James Posey, Mickael Pietrus, Jarvis Hayes, and Sasha Vujacic. All of these guys are available for less money than Childress. Pietrus is intriguing because he shoots the 3 point shot very well, he has great size, and he is a good defender. James Posey would be perfect, but he can determine where he wants to go. Posey might listen to a 3 year deal worth $15 million. Vujcacic is a young guy with lots of potential as a shooter and scorer. He would come off the bench for Atlanta on the perimeter. The Hawks would have a four guard rotation of Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, Sasha, and Marvin Williams. Keep Marvin happy with a starting role, but you could motivate him with more bench time if he does not play defense.

3. Josh Smith and Josh Childress receive no major offers from other teams. The Hawks negotiate extensions with both players. Treat the Joshes fairly. Look for another offer to Josh Smith like his October offer. Maybe, add another year to Childress’ contract with a percentage raise. If you look at what has happened to Ben Gordon and Luol Deng in the year since they turned down long term extensions, you might convince Josh Smith to sign.

What happens with the Joshes determines what the Hawks and Rick Sund can do to get better for next year. There are a couple of other guys that the Hawks should be looking at over the next week. Kurt Thomas is a player that could start and be a nice complement to Al Horford. He can guard a bigger player and he can make the perimeter jump shot. Thomas can keep the big double team in the post off Horford. This might sound crazy, but the Hawks should take a long look at Kwame Brown. He is an unrestricted free agent. The Hawks might be able to get him for cheap to play along Horford. Kwame might be willing to come to Atlanta, because of a chance to start. Here are some possible starting line-ups to think about for 2008-2009:

Hawks – Bibby, Johnson, Magette, Horford, Kwame
Hawks – Bibby, Johnson, Iguodala, Horford, Kurt Thomas

What Can Brett Brown do for you?

2008-07-01T13:36:00.000-04:00

Rick Sund and the Atlanta Hawks need to hire another assistant coach. I would have argued last week that keeping both Larry Drew and Bob Bender is a mistake, but Rick Sund already has crossed that bridge. David Fizdale probably should have been kept and let one of the other guys go. Now, the Hawks need a coach to replace Fizdale. I had some other coaches--older guys with lots of NBA experience that could have helped Coach Woodson with strategy, X’s and O’s, maybe end of game situations--in mind to replace Drew and Bender. That column now is in the trash. Maybe later this year, I will look back and wish I would have posted that before Sund announced the decision. To replace Coach Fizdale, the Hawks need a younger guy with a proven track record of developing young talent. I combed the NBA coaching staffs of the most successful teams of this young century and found the perfect replacement on the San Antonio staff: Brett Brown.

You cannot underestimate what being on the Spurs staff means in terms of learning, experience, and understanding what it takes to win. Understanding the commitment needed to win in the NBA sounds like an old coaches’ cliché, but that statement is true and meaningful. What are the positives for hiring Brett Brown? He has spent seven seasons with the Spurs. Five seasons working in the critical player development area. Players who have developed during that time include Tony Parker and Manu Gnobili. Additionally, Brown has head coaching experience at the professional level. He coached with great success at the highest level in Australia and he is used to being apart of winning organizations. He also played for Rick Pitino in college, so he has a long pedigree of being around winning coaches.

The problem for the Hawks is that Brown probably will not leave San Antonio. However, he is a recently promoted assistant that might want to get away from Popovich in order to spread his wings a little. Winning with Atlanta is a way to improve his stock, so that he can return to the Spurs as the top assistant when Mike Budenholzer gets an NBA head coaching position in the next couple of seasons. Budenholzer clearly will succeed Popovich when he moves permanently to the front office like Pat Riley. That move seems likely in the next couple of years as Tim Duncan gets older. Brown could also position himself for the Hawks head coaching position in a couple of seasons, especially if Erik Spoelstra does well in Miami. That would open the door for some young, up and coming coaches to get opportunities. Rick Sund has to bring out his salesman skills and sell Brett Brown on this move. Upgrading the coaching staff is very important for 2008-2009 and Sund only has one chance to make the right hire.

Observations from the June 2008 NBDL Pre-Draft Camp

2008-06-29T19:11:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I went to the Saturday games of the NBDL Pre-draft Camp at the Suwanee Sports Complex in Suwanee. I called on Friday to see if I could get into the camp, but the receptionist told me it was a private event and spectators were not allowed in to watch the games. One of my character traits is stubbornness. I went in the morning and did what any NBA blogger would do. I parked, walked around the building, and entered the back door of the facility. After walking through a couple of empty gyms where guys were shooting around, I got into the gym and grabbed a seat on the metal bleachers. Here is what I saw, what I learned, and what players stood out in Saturday’s games.

Apparently, the camp opened on Friday night with some team meetings and possibly some drills. Saturday started bright and early with team practices at 8 am and the games started 30 minutes later. The Suwanee Sports Complex has 7 regulation NBA courts and the camp used 4 courts. I have some experience in recruiting, AAU basketball, and basketball camp games. Usually, when guys who do not know each other are thrown together on a team, bad basketball is the result. In a strange way, this was the case, but the games were competitive. The players played hard, competed, and generally listened to the coaches. However, the basketball was not well played. In this country, we simply do not teach the fundamentals. Passing, shooting, cutting, screening and other fundamentals are lost to almost every player. Jeff Caha, a 6’6” 235 pound forward from Wayland Baptist, is one guy that screened, passed, and knocked down open jumpers. I have never heard of Wayland Baptist and Caha looked slow (he kind of looked injured to me), but he played hard. I actually saw him cheering for a couple of teammates when he was on the bench.

The games were better than I expected. Athleticism, physical play, and defense were all on display. Most of the games were low scoring (they played two 20 minutes halves) and there were hardly any easy baskets until the end of games. The campers clearly knew that defense would be looked at by scouts, and I overheard a couple of guys talking about that fact when they did not get enough shot attempts. Probably, you can chalk this up to coaching. Most of the coaches seemed to be ex-NBA players. I recognized coaches Tracy Murray, Grant Long, and Tony Campbell. I am sure some of the other guys were in the NBDL, but I did not recognize everyone doing the coaching. Tony Campbell was impressive though. He did not have good players on his team, but he was up coaching, talking to guys, and working the officials. He stood the whole time I watched his team. His team executed some plays and played hard. The players and coaches have to be commended for the intensity of the games.

On the roster I was able to grab from one of the campers, there were 200 players listed. Probably, 100 of those players had no business being on the court at this level, but they did pay their money. The best prospect I saw on Saturday was Kojo Mensah, a 23 year-old, 6’0 185 pound combination guard from Duquesne University. This guy can play the point for someone in the D League. He is a little smaller than listed, but athletic with long arms. Clearly, he can be a great on the ball defender if he wants to be. What he does best is score and he will be able to get to the free throw line. Outside shot is a question mark. He is a solid point guard prospect, but he seemed to want to play off the ball. Too small to be effective at the shooting guard. In no particular order, here are some other players that I liked and would be worth a look for a D League team:

Jeff Caha, 6’6 235, Wayland Baptist
Willie Richard, 6’3 185, Jarvis Christian College
Matthew Barrow, 6’4 185, Lamar University
Latreven Henry, 6’6 212
Richard Chaney, 6’5 200, University of Utah
Damien Goodman, 6’6 225, UNC Pembroke
Bennet Davis, 6’9 235, Northeastern University
Darius Mattear, 6’7 230, UTEP
Ty Morrison, 6’8 220, Grand Canyon University

Opportunity Is Knocking, Will Sund Open the door?

2008-06-23T15:24:00.000-04:00

If you are looking for my column on possible NBA assistants the Hawks should pursue, you have to wait a couple of days; because, I have to comment on Mark Bradley’s AJC online article (you actually have to pay to get the real paper) about Rick Sund from Friday. This passion-less, analysis free article is what drives me crazy about AJC writers. Bradley describes what a great quality it is for Sund to come to the Hawks with an outsider’s perspective; and then later in the column, he quotes Sund as saying that he wants to keep the Hawks top eight intact for next season. Does Bradley make any analysis about Sund’s statement? No, he just wraps up the column with a few throw away sentences, and the inane from juvenile Atlanta sports fans commence. We need analysis, commentary, ideas. Try to get Sund to admit that staying the same is not going to work in today’s NBA.

Today, at least Sekou Smith tries to analyze the situation (you can tell he has a passion for the Association), but he clearly has fallen in love with Josh Smith. There is a man crush there. Listen, the Hawks have developed Smith, and now is the time to get something for him. In the NBA, you do not lose a guy without getting a player in return. Josh Smith has qualities that other NBA teams want. The Hawks do not have a position for Smith. The Hawks fill a huge need with the right player. The Hawks need a Number 1 guy! That allows Joe Johnson to be your Number 2 guy. Al Horford gives you another borderline All-Star. You have Marvin Williams to start or come off the bench with scoring. Zaza can start, or he can come off the bench if you sign a veteran big for comparatively little money—maybe Kurt Thomas (fill in your own relatively cheap NBA center that can play 20 minutes a game). Will Josh Smith put fans in the seats? Some, but the evidence is overwhelming that Atlanta needs a winning team. Veteran leadership with experience wins games, puts people in the seats, and makes Philips Arena into a great home court advantage.

My guess and hope is that Rick Sund was spreading a little misinformation. Hopefully, he is involved in some talks with other GMs for some of these guys that clearly are being shopped around. What if the Hawks could deal Josh Smith and Marvin Williams for Carmelo Anthony? Anthony is a star. He would be the biggest star in this town. Bigger than Vick? Close. The Highlight Factory would have every major music and entertainment person in the front row. All 41 games would be happenings—the place to see and be seen. Plus, with Anthony, there would be no question who the number one option is on offense. Carmelo would be a good fit in Atlanta, but the better deal for the Hawks is to deal Mike Bibby (and his expiring contract) and Josh Smith to the Pistons for Tayshaun Prince. You say the Pistons would never do that. The Pistons could start Rodney Stuckey, Bibby’s contract comes off the books next year, and then they could go after another max free agent. The Hawks might actually save money on that deal next year with the rumors the Josh Smith is looking for $11 million in the first year of his deal. On October 1st, your Hawks potential starting line up is A.C. Law, Johnson, Prince, Horford, Pachulia (or Solomon Jones or someone else). You probably still are way under the salary cap and can get someone for the veteran minimum to play the point. The Celtics picked up P.J. Brown out of semi-retirement and he played huge, crucial minutes for them in the playoffs. Please, Rick Sund think outside the box, be creative, fill the Hawks’ need for a great player. Prince and Anthony are Olympic team caliber players. Prince is a proven winner, one of the most clutch players in the Eastern Conference, and a game changer at both ends of the court. This Detroit guy knows Mike Woodson, and after squabbling with Flip Saunders, they have motivation to get deep into the post season.

The Hawks need a couple of 50 win seasons to fill the seats and get season ticket holders. If they fall back a little after that, people will still buy the tickets. Look at the Chicago Bulls. In many respects during the Tim Floyd years, the Bulls were at a lower point than the Hawks. They made some moves, and now the Bulls still reap the benefits of the recent winning seasons under Scott Skiles. The Eastern Conference is going to be better next year. Rick Sund and the Hawks have to make some moves to get better as well. The opportunity to be in the top 4 in the Eastern Conference is knocking--Rick Sund and the Hawk’s ownership group (which includes a small group of Georgia Tech students that meet every Sunday afternoon for coffee) need to open that door and pull a true NBA star into our foyer and into our success-starved city.

To Josh, or not to Josh, that is the question?

2008-06-21T11:03:00.000-04:00

Rick Sund’s job for the summer is to make the Atlanta Hawks a better basketball team for 2008-2009. With the Celtics’ victory over the Lakers, the pressure is on NBA general managers. Every fan thinks that with a few personnel moves their team can go from last to first. Atlanta fans are geared up, because they made the playoffs last year and took the Celtics to 7 games. Every game in Atlanta was hard fought, and one can argue that the Hawks gave the Celtics huge match up problems. Here are the decisions to improve the Hawks that face Rick Sund in the next 3-4 weeks. Sund must decide on the two Joshes questions. Who to sign, who to keep, and who to trade are big questions and probably the most controversial in Atlanta. Seondly, Sund must upgrade Mike Woodson’s coaching staff. Simply put, Woodson needs a Thibodeaux-type on the offensive side of the basketball court. Coaching is a funny business though, and Woodson needs a behind the scenes guru that is not gunning for his job. Think, old guy with smarts. Lastly, Sund has to upgrade the bench. Role players are keys and without a draft pick the Hawks are not in a great position. Even, a second round pick would be great at this point. This column is the first of three part series addressing these pressing issues.

To Josh, or not to Josh, that is the question? What Sund needs to do about Josh Childress is make him a qualifying offer before July 1. The Hawks need to negotiate from a position of strength. There is not going to be a great market for J-Chill. He is solid, but cannot shoot from the outside to stretch the defense. He can guard, but is kind of slight to guard bigger perimeter players like Kobe, Artest, Lebron, Pierce, etc. He reminds me of a second tier Tayshaun Prince. My problem is that Childress is not even a starter in the Association. If he is starting for the Hawks, they will not make much improvement over 2007-2008. Plus, does Childress have any upside? He can score a little bit more in transition, but the shooting is never going to get better. He can get stronger and he seems like a great, coachable teammate, but you have to ask yourself this question: who would you want at the small forward spot, Josh Childress or James Posey? Posey will probably go back to the Celtics, but what if Atlanta offered him 3 years guaranteed for $15 million. Posey is 31 and this is most likely his last contract. There are some other guys out there that can come off the bench with 3 point shooting and play some defense. If Rick Sund is listening, you have to make J-Chill an offer to extend his contract for 3 years, but do not break the bank for this guy. I say 3 years and somewhere in the “West Paces Ferry neighborhood” of $22 million.

On the Josh Smith decision, Sund is going to have to face the slings and arrows of fans and take up arms against some sports radio talkies. Sund must face the more daunting decision to deal the beloved Josh Smith, J-Smooth, the Human Highlight Reel #2, Count Blockula, the Master of the Disastrous Pass, etc. This guy fills up the stats sheet with flare. He is athletically gifted beyond others in a league where every one is freakish athletic. J-Smooth can do almost everything one night and almost nothing the next night. Imagine if Josh Smith played with the fire of Paul Millsap, Leon Powe, the old Ben Wallace, Al Horford, or Antonio McDyess? There would be no question of what Rick Sund should do. The problem is Smith does not play that way, and certainly not every night. He is a power forward that wants to play on the perimeter, face up and shoot 3 point shots. When the playoffs came around and transition baskets were more limited, Smith had loads of trouble scoring in the half court offense. He is a man really without a position on this team. Additionally, J-Smooth did not seem to listen to the coaches before, and now you are going to pay him max dollars. Probably, next year, he will not listen at all! The Hawks have to build around Horford and Joe Johnson. Get a true 3 man or a proven scorer. There are not any big guys out there that excite me. People have been calling for the Hawks to get Mutombo or Theo Ratliff. That might work if done cheaply, but the Hawks need an all-star caliber perimeter player in return for Smith.

Rick Sund has to work some magic. He has to weather the storm, to take a nap, and perchance to dream. He has to pull a great player out of his hat. He has to work out a sign-and-trade with Josh Smith and get a natural small forward or lead guard that can excite fans. Here are some guys that would look great in a Hawks uniform: Andre Iguodala, Luol Deng, Monta Ellis, Jose Calderon, Ron Artest. Calderon and Ellis are not small forwards, but they would be great additions to the Hawks (I know Calderon just a contract offer, but he is point guard with a great future in the NBA). How about a backcourt of Bibby, Ellis, and Joe Johnson? And then bring in Childress for Bibby and go with Ellis, Joe Johnson, and Childress? That is a quality four man backcourt. Maybe, you could even get Salim Stoudamire some minutes as a game changing 3 point assassin. The Hawks cannot afford to go into next year believing in Bibby. Bibby can still shoot, blend in with the team, and convert down the stretch in the 4th quarter; but, he clearly he is at the injury prone stage of his career. He is the 19th highest paid player in the NBA, but he cannot really create shots for other people off penetration. Clearly, the Hawks payroll is going to jump this year from 23rd highest in the league, but then Bibby’s $15 million will come off the books. The recommendation here is sign-and-trade Josh Smith to Golden State for Monta Ellis. Okay, Chris Mullin has said he will match any offers for Ellis, but Josh Smith would be a great fit for Don Nelson’s team in Golden State. The problem is this move might just make too much sense. Look for my next post and part two of this column, I take a look at some possible assistant coaches that Rick Sund could hire to upgrade Mike Woodson’s staff.

Keeping Woodson Right Move for Hawks

2008-06-15T14:39:00.000-04:00

Once again, Mark Bradley from the AJC is wrong. Rick Sund was correct to not listen to detractors and to give Mike Woodson a new two year contract. Woodson earned the chance to coach this team next year. He has gone through the lowest of the Hawk’s ugly losses these last four years, and he has overcome a huge barrier by getting the team to the playoffs. Here are my top five reasons why Rick Sund (and Mike Gearon and maybe a committee of six people the Hawks’ trainer asked for their opinions while on vacation) made the right decision to keep Mike Woodson:

1. On the “things he can control level”, Mike Woodson has NBA playing and coaching experience and a coaching pedigree. He still is hungry to prove he is a winner. This guy played for Bob Knight and coached with Larry Brown! Listen, Woodson has his faults (he is bad at end of the game X’s and O’s for one--he refused to let Joe Johnson isolate all season until Celtics’ series), but you cannot win in the NBA without talent, period. See, the Celtics’ improvement from last season to this season. Stop focusing on his overall record. It is meaningless.

2. It is not Woodson’s fault that the Hawks did not draft Chris Paul. If Chris Paul were on the Hawks, there would have been 33 sellouts at Philips Arena this year. We would not have Al Horford, but we would have a bona fide NBA superstar. There are only about 11 of these players in the entire NBA. Guys like Chris Paul are on a higher level than Josh Smith, Al Horford, or Joe Johnson. With Chris Paul, the Hawks are a 50 win team in 2007-2008! Billy Knight and Mike Woodson would be signing new contracts over dinner in a private, glass enclosed room at Stats with the Cheetah girls as waitresses.

3. Woodson will have continuity with this roster next year. Make no mistake; having a two year deal is not job security in the NBA. Woodson knows this and the players know this. This keeps Woodson working hard to make the team better next year. There have to be roster changes made, but Woodson has good relationships with the two guys that matter: Joe Johnson and Al Horford. Who cares what his relationship is with my man Zaza or Josh Smith? Players have to play hard, produce, and listen to the coach. Against the Celtics, the Hawks were posting Horford, not Josh Smith, against Garnett with lots of success. That should be enough said about the future of the organization.

4. You cannot blame Woodson for team’s lack of fire. Successful NBA teams are led by passionate players with fire, leadership qualities, and dominant personalities. In this era, think Kobe, Garnett, Duncan, and Nash just to name a few. In past eras, you can look at Jordan, Magic, Bird, and Olajuwon. These guys brought intensity every night. This is not rah-rah, let’s get fired up college bullshit. These kind of guys play hard in games, practice, and in the poker games on the team plane. Does Woodson have anybody that does that? Clearly, no.

5. Coach Woodson has improved the team without any resemblance of good point guard play. It is kind of hard for me to even remember the point guard for the Hawks. The guys who have been starting are back-ups that should play 15-25 minutes a night. Speedy Claxton, Anthony Johnson, Acie Law, Tyronn Lue, Boris Diaw, Kenny Anderson? I mean, if I were choosing for a pick up game today, I would take Kenny Anderson first. That is a major problem and why Billy Knight lost his job. Chris Paul and Deron Williams are NBA All-Stars for the next 5-10 years.

Another NBA blog, why bother?

2008-06-14T11:43:00.000-04:00

Running with Zaza is a blog about the NBA, the National Basketball Association. Does the world really need another blog about the NBA? Clearly, the answer is yes and here is why I will be writing this column.

A basic maxim of any new business venture, product, or entrepreneur is to fill a lack in the marketplace. You can make money by providing something that people need and they cannot easily find. Here in Atlanta the sports marketplace lacks someone that can provide analysis of the NBA. There are lots of guys out there that try, but few are any good. I listen to both sports radio stations, read the paper, and even watch that crazy sports talk show on CSS TV (What is up with that set, anyway. Does anyone else feel badly for Bob Neal that he has to do the Atlanta Dream games?). They have their strengths, but their weakness is clearly NBA commentary. The sports talk and conventional media usually consist of boring, rehashed cliches about the Association and its players, coaches, referees, and front office personnel. This blog will bring a different point of view backed up with some solid, in-depth reasoned analysis, and it will provide the NBA fans in this town with a place to get their NBA fix.

Like most people in this town, I am a transplant from somewhere else that has grown to follow the Atlanta Hawks. I was down on the streets outside of Philips Arena high-fiving strangers after Game 6 against Boston this year. When Zaza went nose-to-nose with Garnett, the passion spilled into my living room. Unlike most fans, I watch hundreds of NBA games every year. I tape games and watch them over to look for trends, certain plays, match-ups, etc. I love breaking down tape! From this perspective, this blog can help the Hawks. The blog can be a voice of reason for Rick Sund, Mike Gearon, and anyone of the other thirty people that might have a say in the Hawks' decision-making process. The Atlanta Hawks are at a major crossroads for next year. They could be great or they could take some steps back. These guys clearly need help. Running with Zaza will be here to provide the analysis to get the Hawks back to the play-offs in the 2008-2009 season!

Readers, be on the lookout for my upcoming posts about Mike Woodson resigning, what Rick Sund needs to do, the Josh Smith Question, the NBA Draft, and my Hawks' 2009 roster analysis.