Mark Bradley

By JB

May 4, 2008 6:23 PM | Link to this

NO bright future for the Hawks includes having Woodson back as HC..he’s pathetic!

By Joshua

May 4, 2008 6:24 PM | Link to this

FIRE MIKE WOODSON.

By Barkin'Dog

May 4, 2008 6:25 PM | Link to this

The Hawks did us proud! There’s no disputing that. And the fans proved the Hawks can move mountains (KG) and fly like eagles (JS) if they will off their hands and cheer on the team. Like the Bulldogs SEC Tourney wins, this was fun to watch. Go Hawks! Make the playoffs an annual event!

By falconfan42

May 4, 2008 6:26 PM | Link to this

Amen, Mark … Well said. This team needs only a few things to be consistently good. Better point guard play a real outside shooting threat. I am not sure Mike Woodson is the answer. Good teams are much more consistant. That is coaching.. We need a new face there.

By Jason Welch, Atlanta, GA

May 4, 2008 6:26 PM | Link to this

Marvin Williams is a thug. Get rid of him. Poor sportsman.

By falconfan42

May 4, 2008 6:26 PM | Link to this

Amen, Mark … Well said. This team needs only a few things to be consistently good. Better point guard play a real outside shooting threat. I am not sure Mike Woodson is the answer. Good teams are much more consistant. That is coaching.. We need a new face there.

By SPIRITSUX08

May 4, 2008 6:29 PM | Link to this

Great observation, however, reality hit hard. I must say, being a Hawks fan from the 70’s on, this was an unexpected PHENOM. I must also say that as long as we have the arrogance and idiocy of the ‘spirit group’ you might as well hang up the possibility of the Hawks or Thrashers to gain any significant progress in the years to come. The Hawks of this year played outside themselves when it counted,,,,,,a group of guys I would support—being ‘proud’ of the effort is a gross understatement. The problem is, well, we all know,,,coaching, gm, OWNERSHIP and THEIR INCOMPETENCE. Great season Hawks, you woke up this old fan,,,I just hope the spirit can start making the changes necessary to carry it to the levels we all enjoyed in the 80’s and briefly in the early/mid 90’s. Something tells me however, they will inevitably end up with the ‘DON WADDELL’ syndrome, BASKETBALL style, giving us similar teams, similar RESULTS

By Manny

May 4, 2008 6:30 PM | Link to this

If Mike Woodson doesn’t come back, the Hawks will be in big trouble! Mike did a great job this playoff season.

If Mike Woodson comes back next year, the Hawks will make the playoffs again… and will go beyond the first round!

Guaranteed!

By bill Phillips

May 4, 2008 6:30 PM | Link to this

Hey hawks fans…… you lose….you got a good team and with the refs help you gave us a scare . now we move on to the next round and take on the Cavs and refs….Being a die hard Celtics fans and despite what your litte man Bibby thinks I did not jump on the band wagon. I watch the majority of the games last year and pretty much have watched the majority of their games for the last 10 years…..I dont believe that we will get by The cavs if they play like they did against your Hawks. If we only have to play the Hawks and not the refs we have a chance.But I believe that LeBron is the NBA’s poster boy and they want him to get back to the finals again….so I guess we will have to see…..and tell your boy Al to have fun Golfin’ or Fishing or what ever hell it is that he does with his sparetime….

By bill Phillips

May 4, 2008 6:31 PM | Link to this

Hey hawks fans…… you lose….you got a good team and with the refs help you gave us a scare . now we move on to the next round and take on the Cavs and refs….Being a die hard Celtics fans and despite what your litte man Bibby thinks I did not jump on the band wagon. I watch the majority of the games last year and pretty much have watched the majority of their games for the last 10 years…..I dont believe that we will get by The cavs if they play like they did against your Hawks. If we only have to play the Hawks and not the refs we have a chance.But I believe that LeBron is the NBA’s poster boy and they want him to get back to the finals again….so I guess we will have to see…..and tell your boy Al to have fun Golfin’ or Fishing or what ever hell it is that he does with his sparetime….

By bill Phillips

May 4, 2008 6:31 PM | Link to this

Hey hawks fans…… you lose….you got a good team and with the refs help you gave us a scare . now we move on to the next round and take on the Cavs and refs….Being a die hard Celtics fans and despite what your litte man Bibby thinks I did not jump on the band wagon. I watch the majority of the games last year and pretty much have watched the majority of their games for the last 10 years…..I dont believe that we will get by The cavs if they play like they did against your Hawks. If we only have to play the Hawks and not the refs we have a chance.But I believe that LeBron is the NBA’s poster boy and they want him to get back to the finals again….so I guess we will have to see…..and tell your boy Al to have fun Golfin’ or Fishing or what ever hell it is that he does with his sparetime….

By Jack

May 4, 2008 6:33 PM | Link to this

Where are all those calling out Jeff Shultz and everyone else who were surprised the Hawks didn’t get swept? You all talked a lot of sh!t. The real Hawks showed up for game 7. Now look under your pillow and see what the tooth fairy left you.

By Lil E

May 4, 2008 6:37 PM | Link to this

You know what…Why is it that Joe Johnson is always the only one defending Joe ? If we fire Mike, will he stay at the end of his contract ?

By SPIRITSUX08

May 4, 2008 6:37 PM | Link to this

bill Phillips is an uneducated gooberhead

By Joshua

May 4, 2008 6:38 PM | Link to this

FIRE MIKE WOODSON

By pj

May 4, 2008 6:38 PM | Link to this

I hate to jump on him, but yeah - what these guys said… you’ve gotta let Woodson go.

With Bibby/Law at the point, Joe J at the 2 spot leading the way in scoring, the Hawks have a tremedous backcourt.

Marvin Williams is FINALLY developing into a physical NBA player and his best days are clearly in front of him.

Josh Smith is a genetic freak of nature and Al Horford is a leader - despite being a rookie.

One more piece is all the Hawks need to become a 3 or 4 seed right away. That piece is a head coach who knows how to motivate, push the right buttons and gameplan around this talent.

A few names here… some of them may not be possible, but they are worth thinking about…

and I know college coaches have not worked well but could any of these guys take this young team and do something with it? Just asking…

Those 3 home games were really exciting to watch. I’ll admit, I always check on them and go to games every once and a while, but was not a “fan”. Why would I be though? Bandwagon or not, this franchise gave no reason for true hope until now. Since they have offered us a clear vision of the future, I’ll be glad to jump aboard… if they hire a new coach.

By Joshua

May 4, 2008 6:45 PM | Link to this

Michael.Gearon@atlantaspirit.com

FLUD him with emails so we can get Woodson the hell out of here.

By jill

May 4, 2008 6:46 PM | Link to this

Jason Welch: Marvin won the Hawks sportsmanship award this year. He’s no thug. He committed a hard foul and got ejected. That’s it.

Mike Woodson should’ve been fired two years ago.

By Ryder

May 4, 2008 6:49 PM | Link to this

Jack I did look under my pillow and I did see a fairy, as a matter of fact it looked just like you!

bill phillips glad to see we both agree that Cleveland will send you and the Celtics fishing after the second round. We have a boat reserved for you.

I wish I could be as optimistic as Mark Bradley is about the Hawks, but knowing the incompetence of the front office I don’t see this unit doing what it takes to make it to the next level.

For starters, I do see them resigning the Joshes, so that’ll be good. Unfortunately they will stand pat and will not hire a coach like D’antoni who will take advantage of this team’s talents.

As a result Woodson will stay, with the prevalent thinking that, “Well he did take the top team in the NBA to 7 games. Let’s give him one more year and see what happens with this team.”

Which means they won’t sign the veteran PF/C that will give Horford some much needed help in the paint. Guys like Acie Law and Jeremy Richardson will not get the opportunity to play more. Atlanta will end up just like Toronto, meaning they will get in the playoffs again but bounce out in the first round.

In order for Atlanta to have a real future we must get a real front office.

By SPIRITSUX08

May 4, 2008 6:52 PM | Link to this

Thank you Joshua, Thank YOU JILL!

By hoophawk

May 4, 2008 6:53 PM | Link to this

I think we need a new coach and to spend some money ordraft a center. Speights I like and I will have to see on the point but if Ronald steele is healthy, I may lookk there or trade for Ty Lawson. I like the nucleus of this team, however.

By SPIRITSUX08

May 4, 2008 6:55 PM | Link to this

and THANK YOU Ryder,,,It amazes me how people can look past the obvious

By vannmc

May 4, 2008 6:57 PM | Link to this

bill phillips, you are just like the rest of the New England (Go Giants) and Celtics fans; How come your boy KG didnt get tossed and Marvn Williams did? Talk about your league poster boy. You all thought you would sweep the Hawks and never look back, my advice is you better look out or King James may sweep your boys all by himself! Go Cavs and CONGRATS HAWKS on whipping the Celtics when losers like bill Phillips said you would be home days ago!

By vannmc

May 4, 2008 6:57 PM | Link to this

bill phillips, you are just like the rest of the New England (Go Giants) and Celtics fans; How come your boy KG didnt get tossed and Marvn Williams did? Talk about your league poster boy. You all thought you would sweep the Hawks and never look back, my advice is you better look out or King James may sweep your boys all by himself! Go Cavs and CONGRATS HAWKS on whipping the Celtics when losers like bill Phillips said you would be home days ago!

By jack

May 4, 2008 7:12 PM | Link to this

I have to admit, I was impressed by the Hawk’s showing in the 3 games at Phillip’s. But come on,,, after 3 butt whippings at the Garden, don’t you think a “REAL” NBA coach would do a better job of having his team prepared to be at least a “LITTLE’ bit more competitive in a game 7 ? The team had no clue, no plan, no inspiration, no changes at halftime, NOTHING from the coaching staff to keep them from looking like a bunch of boobs out there. A REAL NBA coach does not let his team get totally embarassed on national tv. Woodson is a good guy, and a decent coach, but there is no way that he is who the Hawks need in control. But come to think of it,, from the ownership group, what a bunch of putzes they are, to our egotistical GM, whom I don’t even want to mention by name, to the coach, our players don’t have a chance to make it to the next level.

As good and exciting as those 3 home games were, please,,,,, please don’t let them erase the memories of the entire season. How many more times are we going to have to listen to a post loss new conference where the Head Coach says “We weren’t prepared to play tonight. Our guys just weren’t up to the competition. I did a poor job of getting the team ready”

Hopefully no more.

New GM, New Coach, New Owner,,, we’ll be where we need to be.

Bring on the DAWGS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By deja vu

May 4, 2008 7:16 PM | Link to this

I’d like some of what Josh Smith smoked before the game…was he absolutely stoned or what? FIRE WOODSON!!!!!

By The Willster

May 4, 2008 7:20 PM | Link to this

This team does indeed have a bright future. The Celts just have a better all around team right now. The team was constructed with the thought of winning the NBA Championship now, not later. The Hawks however, will definitely be there if they make the right moves, as in: getting a true veteran big man down low, unfortunately getting rid of Woodsen, and getting a GM who knows how to draft(does Pau Gasol and Chris Paul ring a bell, Billy Knight?). Anyway, a great season and we’ll look forward to next year.I feel I can finally say this after 10 plus years, GO HAWKS!!!

By Paul from Mass

May 4, 2008 7:21 PM | Link to this

Dear Hawks fans: From a lifelong Celtics fan, I can’t say enough about what a great series you gave us!!! I won’t lie; I fully expected us to sweep the Hawks, 5 games at best. You scared the __ out of us! I’m already planning to buy tickets to the first game you come to town next season; I think a great rivalry has started. Your future looks incredibly bright, with all that young talent. And one last note: I thought the Garden fans were a bit bush league to serenade the Hawks with the “Hey hey, good bye chant.” I know you earned our teams respect, and I’m sure you earned the respect of most of our fans. You should have been given an ovation instead. Good luck in ‘08-‘09.

By Keeping It Real

May 4, 2008 7:22 PM | Link to this

Great job Hawks! You all have brought basketball back to the ATL! Atlanta fans how can you in good conscience want Mike Woodson gone. For 3 and 1/2 years he was not given a chance to win because he didn’t have a point guard. Remember it was Billy Knight not Mike Woodson who drafted Marvin Williams instead of Chris Paul or Derron Williams. Rememmber it was Billy Knight not Mike Woodson who over paid Speedy Claxton who hadn’t played a full game for the Hawks in two or three years. Remember it was Billy Knight not Mike Woodson who told the Hawks to play ball with the likes of Tyron Lue and Anthony Johnson as their point guards. I don’t care who the coach of the Hawks is they would not win big. Remember, tt wasn’t until the Hawks got Mike Bibby when the Hawks had a real chance of winning. FYI: Bibby didn’t get here until February of THIS YEAR! So lay off Mike Woodson and if you want somebody to the Hit the Road like Jack, tell Billy Knight not to come back no more, no more!

By rick suaree

May 4, 2008 7:24 PM | Link to this

I AM A LAKER FAN BUT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU LOST ONCE AGAIN. BOSTON CELTICS ARE A MUCH BETTTER THAN YOU DUDES. THAT’S A FACT ! LAKERS VS CELTICS

By Lifetime C's Fan

May 4, 2008 7:30 PM | Link to this

I really want the Hawks to be competitive and relevant next year. I grew up during the Jo Jo White/Havlicek to Cowens to Cornbread to Bird days of the Celtics and It has been a very lean decade here in the deep south. I’ve been waiting and waiting for the youngsters to begin playing as a unit that is at least as good as its individual parts and during the 3 home games in this series it finally happened.

*Please * be relevant next year.

By billybob

May 4, 2008 7:32 PM | Link to this

I’m not happy at all about losing this series. Let’s not kid ourselves about this “we didn’t think we’d even go 5 games” BS. We were built to win THIS YEAR. We traded four players (including Shelden Williams) PLUS a 2nd round draft choice for old and slow Bibby. We mortgaged our future to win THIS YEAR. So maybe the national media can talk about us “shocking the world” but we HAD to win this year to make our Bibby investment pay off….and we got jack. Nobody’s going to take him and his $14 mill off our hands….and replace the draft pick that we no longer have.

By George Holman

May 4, 2008 7:33 PM | Link to this

I HAVE BEEN ALL OVER THE BOARD, BUT I THINK THEY BRING WOODY BACK, AND I SAY THAT WOULD BE GOOD!

By Joshua

May 4, 2008 7:36 PM | Link to this

FIRE MIKE WOODSON

By caliban

May 4, 2008 7:37 PM | Link to this

If they get inexplicable officiating and shoot 204 free throws to the Celts 133 over the first six games, I suppose that makes the Hawks real. That’s plus 12 per game, for a team that can’t play D versus the masters of D. Seriously fishy. Was Donaghy in the house?

By mowreck

May 4, 2008 7:42 PM | Link to this

Don’t know why you guys want to fire the coach … Think you won 3 games off the Celtics with just talent and no coaching … think again!

By tbones

May 4, 2008 7:44 PM | Link to this

I applaud the Hawks, and their effort, but management has to realize there is no better time than this off-season to make the Hawks a real contender. Three things we learned are that we need a second consistent scoring threat, Bibby is a shell of what he use to be, and we need to learn how to win on the road. We need to be busy in the off-season to address those issue in trades.

By Brad in KY

May 4, 2008 7:47 PM | Link to this

The “real” Hawks are probably closer to the team that got destroyed four times in Boston and finished well under .500 during the regular season than to the team that barely beat the Celtics three times at home.

They’ll be better next season, i.e., .500 or a little better with another competitive first round defeat (or maybe an upset victory depending upon the matchup).

By billybob

May 4, 2008 7:49 PM | Link to this

How we gonna get busy in the off-season when we got no draft picks?

By hometeam derek

May 4, 2008 7:49 PM | Link to this

to jason welch, calling marvin williams a thug is just rude an uncalled for. it was a bad foul yes, and obviously his frustration got the better of him. gee wiz, its people like you that keep ignorance alive and well in this country

By SlimG

May 4, 2008 8:06 PM | Link to this

Don’t Fire Mike! Please people. This team was lucky just to make the playoffs. No center to help out Al, and a plug at point with Bibby. Come ON! I like the direction and discipline these kids are starting to develop. We missed on Paul, deal with it. Let’s draft smart and fill the holes like a champion does every year so to build a foundation. Then when things are favorable, we might get a bounce or two or three.

By Randy

May 4, 2008 8:08 PM | Link to this

I have been a hawks fan for more than 25years and I extremely excited about the potential for next year!! Provided they do the right things: new coach (Avery Johnson, Jeff Van Gundy) new GM and locking up Josh Smith and Josh Childress. I will also point to the obvious, getting a defensive minded center to allow Horford to move to the 3. I like Bibby but he is not the same guy that gave the Lakers fits when he played for Sacramento. I could throw all kinds of trade scenarios and possible names to pick up but the Hawks organization have a chance to right some of the wrongs of the last 9yrs and make this team truly relevant again!! Wish they would have given more of an effort today, but thanks for an unexpected playoff ride! Look forward to next year!

By Mike Woodson

May 4, 2008 8:13 PM | Link to this

Please fire me!!! THANKS IN ADVANCE!

By katchkp

May 4, 2008 8:15 PM | Link to this

Let Bibby walk, Sign Jose Calderon from Toronto, and persuade Jermaine O’neal to leave the Pacers to anchor the middle and the hawks will be in the Eastern Conf Finals next year. Guaranteed

By Bob

May 4, 2008 8:16 PM | Link to this

Why is everybody still saying Woodson should be fired?!? What has he done, I think he’s a very good coach. Joe Johnson said after the game that he would LOVE to have the whole entire coaching staff back. Doesn’t that tell you something? You guys don’t really know what is going on in the locker room or the hudle, so you really can’t judge if he’s a good coach or not. Will he be back? That isn’t decided yet. But please, you don’t know how good of coach he really is so please just SHUT UP about the “fire Mike Woodson” stuff.

By keb mo fan

May 4, 2008 8:20 PM | Link to this

Woodson has to go. Do you see his pre-game speech? What a joke. He was telling his players to make sure that they calmed down and not let the emotion of the game get to them. If they did that and followed the game plan they would win. Are you kidding me? That game plan had 3 blowouts in Boston. They are 30 games better than us and playing on their home court. The only thing we had going was emotion. He should have told them to screw it and play all out and with some recklessness and street ball. Control our emotions? Were we the favorites? FIRE WOODSON

By Joshua

May 4, 2008 8:22 PM | Link to this

FIRE WOODSON

By Joshua

May 4, 2008 8:25 PM | Link to this

FIRE MIKE WOODSON

By Joshua

May 4, 2008 8:29 PM | Link to this

FIRE MIKE WOODSON

By Mark Hoffman

May 4, 2008 8:31 PM | Link to this

Lived in ATL during the days of Hubie & Mike Fratello when pro b-ball was last a factor. Enjoyed seeing the Hawks do well this year and scare the Celtics.

But, honestly, they will have a very tough decision on whether to bring back Woodson.

I have never seen a team in the NBA that does not run any plays. They get fired up to play the Lakers, Spurs or Celtics but come out flat as a pancake against the Bobcats, Sonics, Bucks and other weak teams.

The team, with the exception of one or two players, plays no defense. They need to run to be effective. In all 4 Boston games, they walked the ball up the floor all game long. They come out flat in Game 7. Double and triple teaming Joe Johnson for 5 games and I saw almost no open shots or layups. All of these things listed above I put on Woodson’s shoulders.

After 10-15 years of high-draft choices, they finally have a good stable of players and at times they play well based on their “natural athletic ability”.

But, throughout the year and during the payoffs, I never saw them coached or really prepared for what the Celtics or any other quality team threw at them. Let’s not forget that this time was 8 games below .500 during the season.

It may not be popular but I would like to see Woodson out, established coach in (Avery Johnson, Jeff Van Gundy, Mike D’Antoni). How about giving Mike Fratello a call for a return engagement?

This team and a few veteran additions could be a quality team next year with the right leadership on the bench. Woodson showed me very little.

Mark H.

By Joshua

May 4, 2008 8:32 PM | Link to this

PLEASE JOIN THE OFFICAL FIRE MIKE WOODSON CAMPAIGN….

FIRE MIKE WOODSON!!!

By Ted turner

May 4, 2008 8:37 PM | Link to this

Bring back Mike Fratello!!!

By Tim

May 4, 2008 8:38 PM | Link to this

WHO IS HERB BROWN THAT HELPS THE HAWKS RIGHT NOW?? IS HE ON THE BENCH ARE WHATG?? SOMEBODY ANSWER THAT QUESTION….

By MIKE VICK

May 4, 2008 8:51 PM | Link to this

yes, i agree 2 fire mike woodson and billy knight. also, bring in billy king and avery johnson. let’s trade bibby and childress for iverson and camby. that would allow joe 2 play pippen 2 iverson jordan since avery would let us run. camby would gives 12,10,and 3 a game horford would be 15 and 10 guy next year. please don’t break the bank 4 j-smoove he’s a good player but we could trade him 2 dallas for josh howard who would give us 20,6,4,2 a game with a consistent jump shot. will be a 50+ win team next year.

By POGH

May 4, 2008 9:07 PM | Link to this

THE CELTICS AND HAWKS PLAYERS WILL DO WHAT KNIGHT COULDN’T DO

By JM

May 4, 2008 9:14 PM | Link to this

Yawn. Who cares about the NBA?

By Dannity Kane

May 4, 2008 9:17 PM | Link to this

Woodson your pre-game was a downer, I was pumped up until I heard you. The hawks looked like squirrels on hot pavement.

By chase

May 4, 2008 9:20 PM | Link to this

What the Hawks did in this series is proved that they are better than a 37 win team and that goes back to the coaching!

Sorry but if this team is good enough to push the vaunted C’s to game 7…then they should’ve won more games….

It proves they have the players to do it (they still need some tweaking) but it really seems they need the right coach to fully take flight and get the most out of the talent they have…

By Nookah

May 4, 2008 9:28 PM | Link to this

The fact that we took Boston to 7 games should not be the reason why Woody is retained. What we must realize is that all the games we played in Boston we were not even close, no fire, no emotion. That has to be placed on the shoulders of the coach. He must be released on that reason alone. Furthermore taking Boston to 7 games, proves to us that we underachieved during the season. We could have won a higher seed and maybe gone further in the playoffs which would do wonders for the confidence of our inexperienced squad.

In addition to the above, someone in an earlier post mentioned that no plays were run on offense. I agree wholeheartedly and again that has to be the coach’s fault.

The Spirit must now see that Atlanta is clamouring for a good basketball product and must remember from the evidence in this postseason….Win and they will come

My advice to them, get ourselves a good coach (van Gundy, Avery Johnson) and some low post help and we’ll be fine.

Go Hawks!!!

Nuff Respect!!!

By WILL

May 4, 2008 9:32 PM | Link to this

GET RID OF BILLY KNIGHT HE SUX,BRING IN AVERY JOHNSON GET A CENTER WORTH A CRAP AND RESIGN A COUPLE OF PLAYERS AND THEN WE CAN CHALLENGE THE WEST

By JustWondering

May 4, 2008 9:37 PM | Link to this

So if Boston doesn’t win the championship, it will the be refs.

I’ve never heard such whining from professional sports fans as we have from the Celtics fans.

So the Celtics win by 20-30 points at home, but get whupped by the lowly Hawks on the road (3 games). The court is the same size, the goals are the same height.

The Celtics knew they could dog it on the road and the friendly refs would save them at home just like always.

By The_Future

May 4, 2008 9:43 PM | Link to this

All is well, all is good.

By rabiddawg1

May 4, 2008 9:46 PM | Link to this

The answer id Iverson (no pun intended). All we need is a veteran proven scorer who is not scared to fill it up on the road. He is an unrestricted free agent. Let Smith and Childress go, sign AI as well as a defensive center and walla, Top 3 seed in east.

By Mike

May 4, 2008 9:48 PM | Link to this

The Hawks do have a bright future.I think they need to go out and sign another scorer because jj can’t do it by himself.The Hawks need a better home fan presense during the regular season if there going to win.

By DieHardHawksFan

May 4, 2008 9:55 PM | Link to this

Fire Woody He donesn’t have a clue. The Hawks won on pure talent. for the last 3 yrs he complained about not having a bench and now he has one but doesnt use it. He has no plays except for JJ one on one at the top of the key, the team is never prepared, he always subs the same how can u do that when each game is different. He lost 10 too 15 games on coaching alone, i can go on for days BOTTOM LINE FIRE WOODY

By DieHardHawksFan

May 4, 2008 9:56 PM | Link to this

Fire Woody He donesn’t have a clue. The Hawks won on pure talent. for the last 3 yrs he complained about not having a bench and now he has one but doesnt use it. He has no plays except for JJ one on one at the top of the key, the team is never prepared, he always subs the same how can u do that when each game is different. He lost 10 too 15 games on coaching alone, i can go on for days BOTTOM LINE FIRE WOODY

By Just Me

May 4, 2008 9:57 PM | Link to this

Can we get Josh Smith in some basic dribbling and shooting classes. He can jump out the gym but he can’t shoot.

Trade Marvin Williams for Elton Brand or Antwan Jamison.

By some sense

May 4, 2008 9:59 PM | Link to this

A news conference after about Wednesday…Thank you, Billy and Woody for bringing us to this point…now we’re prepared to go to the next level w/ _ and ___.

Great nucleus…but e’one’s been sayin’ that for three years now. No one and no five…e’one’s been sayin’ that for three years also.

Keep Zaza…as a b’up…find SOME WAY to let Bibby go…rules keep Smith and Childress.

BRIGHT FUTURE.

By Just Me

May 4, 2008 10:03 PM | Link to this

…and definitely get rid of that foreign White Boy!!!

By TheAntiMe

May 4, 2008 10:06 PM | Link to this

Thanks Hawks. I was an avid fan of all Atlanta sports teams who just totally lost interest in all sports for the past 2 years. Thanks for restoring my passion and giving me the desire to reconnect my cable box (instead of my Xbox). It was really a fun week. See ya next season, OK?

By bryan

May 4, 2008 10:07 PM | Link to this

Chase, exactly what I was thinking. A full house rocking was enough to get these kids to play at a level we have not seen for more than a few minutes at a time. And we got that three times in a week. Woodson offered nothing in the road games. Does he have any fire at all in his gut? Did he make any adjustments at all? Was there a plan in place to offset the Celtic’s strengths? I saw nothing of the sort. We all saw what this team is capable of, and it was thanks to a good crowd and adrenaline. Our coaching is probably holding these guys back in the big pic. At least Billy Knight has already been muted. If we can push him out and improve our coaching staff I will slap down the plastic for tickets next year. And I have not bought a Hawks ticket since Laettner, Mookie, and Smitty were around. Seems like a good group of guys overall, who keep their noses clean and have fun when things are going well. It is a easy group to want to get behind.

By Proud dawg

May 4, 2008 10:11 PM | Link to this

Oh Everybody is a Hawks fan now,huh? Bradley you are just as big a bandwagon jumper than anyone else. Lets not forget that they had a LOSING season and the only playoff wins (albeit were dramatic) were AT HOME in front of a bandwagon crowd cheering for them! Not one single victory in the series on the road! Hell, half the teams in the NBA make the playoffs… the hawks have not turned a corner they have just finally reached mediocrity!

By NorcrosFan

May 4, 2008 10:11 PM | Link to this

“JustWondering”sounds an apropos pseudonym. Spacey. Hawks had a + 33% advantage and more foul shots in EVERYgame up until today! Refs, my backside. Not a bit of whining from Boston but you sure sound like your oozing salt into your beer! You got bested by The Best. Take it like a man. Try reading the Hawks’ post-game comments. They’ve found some respect for their superiors who play selflessly and like a team. “Individual hot shots” cannot raise a team to competitiveness. As good as ole Dominique was, Hawks never won a championship. A 50 year drought and NEVER in Atlanta.

By Harpie

May 4, 2008 10:19 PM | Link to this

The Hawks did what they did IN SPITE of Mike Woodson. If he is back next year, the team will suck all aeason again. We need a coach who knows what he’s doing ( and who can make Josh Smith stop shooting 3-pointers! )

By johnny warren

May 4, 2008 10:19 PM | Link to this

Fans, don’t buy that crap Mark Bradley is saying. This was clearly a trick to get the fans to buy tickets next season. This group of so called athletes did not show up to play basketball just as they did all season. Don’t give me the excuse that they are a young team. I not buying that at all. Look at Chris Paul, whom you passed up on. He’s in the second round. Your point guard in a veteran who likes to disappear when its crunch time. I’ve seen better five year olds play better. Atlanta fans, SAVE YOUR MONEY. Watch more college and high school basketball. At least you get your moneys worth. The Hawks were better off not making the playoffs and getting a better draft selection. How do you pay a guy $70 million dollars (Joe Johnson) to play like that. Joe Johnson should have been pushing his teamates to play hard not roll over dead as if they have never played basketball before. These guys have been in the NBA for a while now. They should have played as if there was no tommorrow. Instead, they played as if they had met Freddy Krugger. I wouldn’t come and watch that garbage if you paid me to. DON’T GET CAUGHT UP IN THIS FANS. THEY ARE PHONY. THE PLAYOFFS WAS A FLUKE. THEY WON’T MAKE THE PLAYOFFS NEXT SEASON AT ALL.

By Harpie

May 4, 2008 10:20 PM | Link to this

Mike Woodson sucks as a coach!!!!!!

By Big Red

May 4, 2008 10:30 PM | Link to this

TJ Ford is a free agent. Go after him and let Bibby go. Let TJ and Acie run the point and go get a center. I can’t believe how dissapointing mike was. That sh*t was depressing.

By Andrew

May 4, 2008 10:32 PM | Link to this

Pleasantly surprised to see the Hawks take this series to 7 even if game 7 was a complete embarrassment.

The way I see it Knight or Woodson or both need to go. they have both been lobbying for their own jobs the last few months and there is no way that relationship can continue. Knight needs to go. Marvin over Chris Paul. I don’t even need to go into his other moves. I feel like the Hawks would benefit from a new head coach with a little more prestige than Woodson, but would the ownership group make that move.

Smith and Childress are both free agents. If the Hawks pay them both (and they will both get pretty big contracts, the Hawks won’t be able to strengthen the team in other areas and i don’t see them improving significantly over this year. I say sign and trade one of the two and target a big man and someone who can come off the bench, shoot from the outside and spell Johnson. Can’t rely on 6 guys playing major minutes every night.

By HB Ando

May 4, 2008 10:40 PM | Link to this

Damn, Bradley, you always get it wrong, still a dilettante in all sports subjects not related to Kentucky basketball.

It’s absurd to declare that this team has a “bright future”, when it’s GM has made crippling draft decisions, it’s head coach cannot coordinate an acceptable, and somewhat basic, given the pick-and-roll nature of the NBA game, half-court offense, and, to keep it’s current roster, which was 8 games under .500, and just endured one of, if not the, most lopsided, Game 7, playoff losses, in the history of the NBA, will cost them roughly $12-14 million more, in team salary, next year (and no, this was not a run-on sentence).

The Hawks were dominated by the Celtics’ two weakest positions; point guard and center. These are the glaring holes Billy has failed to address for 4 years now. He succumbed to a PR move, in acquiring a highly overrated, and highly overpaid, Mike Bibby, who was abused by a second-year PG, who, coincidentally, was ultimately drafted with one of the very same first-round draft picks he was pointlessly bluffed out of in the Joe Johnson deal.

Bibby stands to be the fourth-highest paid PG in the NBA next year, and he’s clearly not even in the top-20, at his position, in the league (Why do you think Sacramento gave him away for the expiring contracts of three, NBA, nursing home residents, and the worst #5 overall pick in at least the last decade?).

The ASG isn’t going to go into next season with a $68 million payroll, they have no draft picks, and their only hope of retaining the majority of this roster is to find a taker for either Bibby, or to move 3 or 4 of their current rotational players.

They are forced to make a gamble of frightening proportions, on how much is too much, to match, on a 22-year, in Josh Smith, who is both one of the most compelling athletes in the league, but who just checked out with a 7-point, 5-turnover Game 7, bearing a striking resemblance, both statistically, and from a hoops’IQ standpoint, to the Jazz’s AK47, who, at the same age, put up almost identical numbers as Smith did, this year, signed for a max-deal, and has not only failed to improve, but who has actually regressed to the point that the Jazz couldn’t trade him if they wanted to (and it’s pretty clear that they’ve wanted to).

Am I saying there’s nothing to build on here? Am I denying the potential of this roster, if properly managed? Was it not exciting as hell to watch them take 3 home games from a disrespectful and disbelieving Celtics’ team?

No.

But the idea that there’s no where to go but up, for this Hawks team, is questionable as the largely held belief, less than two years ago, that the Bulls were the team of the future, in the Eastern Conference.

So you’re either naive, ill-informed, or downright clueless, to unequivocally declare the Hawks as legitimate, for the future.

This teams’ immediate future leaves more questions than a George W. Bush press conference on the state of our country’s international relations.

As always, your roving opinion requires about as much accountability as a weatherman.

So go blather on about something, anything, other than the future of the Hawks. Because if this is the best you can come up with, you’ve merely wasted the time of your readers (all 14 of them).

By Learn the game

May 4, 2008 10:49 PM | Link to this

The people on here saying to fire Woodson are obviously morons

Lets think about this….You want Avery Johnson or D’Antoni??? What have they done?? Johnson lost in the 1st round last year w/ the best team in the league, and D’Antoni can’t win w/ the 2 time MVP and Stoudamire…You people are nuts.

You expect the Hawks to win w/ Pachulia and Acie Law being their bench after Childress?? They hawks were barely 6 deep w/ no veterens.

Give me a break….this team needs consistency and more players. Bringing in a new coach sets them back another 2 years. New system, new plays, etc….Woodson did a great job considering the players he had to work with.

By Max McGonigle

May 4, 2008 10:57 PM | Link to this

HIRE JEFF VAN GUNDY HE COULD CONVINCE JERMAINE O’NEAL TO COME TO THE ATL

By billybob

May 4, 2008 10:58 PM | Link to this

How the he1l does this team have a bright future when the only way we can win games is to keep playing a six man rotation for the entire game? You can do that for a few games and beat anyone….until your players drop dead of fatigue, lookin’ like they all partied all night the night before.

So we need more depth…but how we gonna get it? ZERO draft choices this year. We traded four players, including 5th overall pick Shelden Williams, and a 2nd round draft choice for Bibby….and he’s so nasty that no one would want him even if he weren’t getting paid $14 mill per year.

This team was built to win THIS YEAR…and couldn’t even come close to getting it done. We’re screwed.

By chet

May 4, 2008 10:58 PM | Link to this

i am a celtics fan and i was surprised how bad atl got smoked today considering how tough they played us down there…the hawks have some good young players so i think the future is bright for them…i remember the great 1986 celtic team had a 40 point lead on the hawks in game 5, i think they had a 20-0 run….and of course the epic 1988 bird-nique shootout, the most memorable game in atl history…anyways, it was tough series for us and i think we will do better vs cleveland…w/ joe j, horford and josh smith(who really sucked today), we have not heard the last of the atlanta hawks

By hawk fan in new orleans

May 4, 2008 11:04 PM | Link to this

A. Johnson or D’antoni a true perimeter threat and a defensive minded clogger up the middle - keep the rest of the team intact and were on next season - title contention.

By Jeremy

May 4, 2008 11:12 PM | Link to this

The Hawks have to have a new coach to take them to the next level. A new coach MUST develop this talent to be more consistent. Consistency is the key to this team. They have to re-up the Josh’s and look to move Marvin Williams. They must develop Acie Law or go in another direction a PG. Solomon Jones has to get meaningful minutes to determine if he can help this team. They need a shooter and a starting Center that does not have to have touches to be effective.

It all starts with the ownership group making the decision to not be satisfied with an 8th seed and 3 fantastic victories. Tough choices have to be made, they cannot be content with being mediocre. The core of this YOUNG team, in my opinion, can compete for a championship in the next few years with the right leadership and the right moves. I am not convinced that it will happen. I think that Woodson saved his job with 3 wins. Those 3 wins, if they saved his job, stalled the franchise’s progress. If they gained that taste of post-season success and then couple that with new leadership, we are on to something that could be great……

By hawk fan in new orleans

May 4, 2008 11:14 PM | Link to this

And to the Celtics fans who were whining about the officiating in the Atlanta wins - we didn’t gripe win KG wasn’t suspended. STFU and worry about the Cavs! Go Hawks!

By kevin

May 4, 2008 11:16 PM | Link to this

Fire that know-it-all Billy Knight first! He put together this 37 win team to begin with. We had a potential playoff team years ago, Al Harrington, S.Jackson, J.Terry, and oh yeah Rasheed for one game. Now he throws his boy Woody under the bus because of his own draft day blunders. Woody must go because he doesn’t know anything that resemble smart basketball, when they doubled Joe, why didn’t he go small and spread the floor with Salim and Law or Richardson? He reminded me of George Bush, just stayed the course to a 30pt. beatdown.

By NorcrossFan

May 4, 2008 11:25 PM | Link to this

Hey Hawk Fan in N’Orleans,

You got your wish. The Hawks ARE gone! :-)

win = when?

By joebrave

May 4, 2008 11:28 PM | Link to this

This Team,It’s Owners,and it’s Management is a complete nd Utter Failure,and an EMBARRASMENT to the ENTIRE STATE of Georgia!!! Mike Woodson Just Happens to be BLACK,that would be the ONLY REASON FOR HIS QUALIFICATIOS FOR THIS JOB, HE IS A BLACK LOSER!!!and a DUMB@SS to Boot!!!!

Hell Yeah Bring on Avery Johnson,and Get that No talent Bum Bibby the Hell outta here,and For God sakes tell J.SMOOVE the Dumb@ss He has to play All 7 games,or if He is that candy@ssed, to drive the Basket Then sign and Trade that Slack@ss as well…..

Enough with the Incompetence!!! I personally have had it With LOSERS!!!

By Harvey

May 4, 2008 11:29 PM | Link to this

I was disappointed to see the Hawks come out so flat in this game. I umpire youth baseball and I recorded the game. It was supposed to be my enjoyment for the evening. After the first half, I just skipped to the end.

However, we, as fans, have to take the positives from this season.

1) They were competitive during the season.

2) They made the play-offs.

3) They were competitive in the play-offs.

Would it have been nice to see them advance? Yes, of course, but they improved. My co-workers (I live in Denver) torment me about being a Hawks fan. At least my eighth seed team won one game. The Denver No-Guts didn’t manage a game.

For the first time in years, I am looking forward to next year.

By Mitch

May 4, 2008 11:33 PM | Link to this

I think Woodson should be retained. We all make fun of him, but, remember before the season, everyone said “He has to make the playoffs or he’s gone”. Well, Woodson did that, and the Hawks played a much better series than anyone could have anticipated. The Celtics are a 66 win team that might win the NBA title, and we played great against them in three games in Atlanta, and pushed them to a 7th game. I dont think you fire the coach for achieving, and then probably exceeding, the set goals. Our goal for this year was never to win a title, it was to make the playoffs, and we did that. I personally thought this series wouldnt go more than four or five games, especially after the two blowouts in Boston in Games 1 and 2. I say, reward Woodson for making the playoffs, keep our personnel, and build on this year. Next year, hopefully, we can build to a 40s to 50 win team who can get to the second round and beyond. The upside for this team is unlimited. Good season, Hawks.

By Bill

May 4, 2008 11:36 PM | Link to this

pitiful game by the Hawks.

By Bill

May 4, 2008 11:36 PM | Link to this

pitiful game by the Hawks.

By joebrave

May 4, 2008 11:37 PM | Link to this

Now all damn day tomorow We have to Here KLUCK BELUE,and John Smart@ss Kincaid tell Everyone How good this VERY FLAWED TEAM is,Fact is This Team was Lucky,37 wins are ya kiddin me???? Unless The Sirit Group Hires another Coach with PEDIGREE I might add,such as A.Johnson,or Hell Spu Webb even,at least these Guys know how to play some damn defense,and push the Ball to the Paint…. Woodson is a Damn Joke,and the Hawks,are an Embarrasment!!!!!!

By PSack

May 4, 2008 11:45 PM | Link to this

Get Rid of

WOODSON BIBBY-WAY OVERPAID!! KNIGHT WILLIAMS PACHULIA

HELL RAID THE OR EUROPEAN LEAGUE OR DRAFT LIKE THE SPURS DO

34 POINT BLOW OUT IN GAME (7) RIDICULOUS!!!

By David Boston

May 4, 2008 11:49 PM | Link to this

I was at the game today, and I think Atlanta has misread Celtics fans. We are stunned at how well the Hawks did in the series. They’re a talented team with a great future. We did NOT like Bibby’s comment about us being fair weather fans though. Good luck next year!

By PlusSizeModel

May 4, 2008 11:51 PM | Link to this

The future can’t be too bright when one of your starters, (J. Smith), has possible the lowest basketball acumen in history and another one (M. Williams), may have the second worst.

The GM and the coach are both idiots and they still don’t have a point guard worth a damn. Other than this, the future is oh so bright!

By Mike

May 4, 2008 11:52 PM | Link to this

First of billy knight must go. he has retarded this franchise and has set us back in such a deep hole it makes no sense. the officiating in this series was mediocre at best. no it was horrible and we still pushed to a game seven.(the only series to go that far, with the best team in the league vs the worst one) but i honestly cant say that for game 7. they wasnt prepared and that is woodson fault. how in the hell do come into a game seven and not be pumped up. the Celtics are overrated. thats why woodson have to go. he seemed so lost and more nervous than his player. bring in avery johnson. he will dial them in defensively. he wont let josh smith go into point-foward mode without getting in his grill.and thats what he need the most. also he was a true point guard and will mold law into one as well along with the help of bibby for one more year. also he wont let talent ride the pine behind ZAZA. heres what u do trade zaza with marvin to denver and bring in camby.that will solidify our starting five but wont take away from our uptempo style.

By Junkyard Dawg

May 4, 2008 11:55 PM | Link to this

We need to fire Mike Woodsen. We had too good of a team to be that bad during the season. I would like for us to pursue either Avery Johnson or Mike D’Antoni, if the Suns don’t re-sign him.

By Mike

May 4, 2008 11:57 PM | Link to this

pat summit

By Mike

May 4, 2008 11:57 PM | Link to this

pat summit

By nunna yo bizness

May 5, 2008 12:11 AM | Link to this

I TOLD U ALL…THAT SALIM WAS THE TRUTH..VAN GUNDY,AND MARK JACKSON STATED THAT TODAY ON TV… VAN GUNDY SAID SALIM WITH MORE PLAYING TIME WOULD BE ONE OF THE TOP 3 POINT SHOOTERS IN THE NBA,AND JACKSON BACKED HIM UP BY POINTING OUT THAT SALIM IS A GREAT SCORER,WHO GETS THEM IN BUNCHES.. SOMEBODY ASK WOODSON,WHY DOES HE 4GET SALIM IS ON THE TEAM????

By Sean

May 5, 2008 12:34 AM | Link to this

Mike Woodson is not a thug. He just might not be the guy to take these Hawks to the next level. Maybe, Bibby isn’t the final answer at point guard, but it is nice to finally have a point guard: We would have never made the post-season without him! What will the next regime bring? Do we re-sign Smoove? Do we trade him to get a true center and put Al at the 4? Are there any true centers? Would we lose too much on defense in the process? What about Marvin? BTW, you have to commit some hard fouls in the playoffs…maybe not a clothesline…but I think that was a young guy giving his all and maybe it was too much, but in the heat of the moment, you do what you can and you don’t realize what it might look like on replay. Kudos to Marvin for not allowing the easy basket. Duck stepped up those last 2 games which brings me back to this: Duck or Smoove? I know we’d all like to keep Josh, but at what cost? What do y’all think? What about Chillz? Can we keep both Joshes? And what about Zaza beyond right now? Will the new coach play Salim? Acie? SoJo? Mario? Richardson? will the new coach have a play besides everyone stand around and just give it to Joe?

I grew up watching Roundfield, Drew, Fast Eddie, Hawes and Tree before the Nique trade with the Jazz ever materialized. During Nique’s era, it was Dominique Magifique but also Doc, Willis, Wittman, Levingston, Carr, Spud, Battle until that horrible trade in 93. I still watched Mookie, Smith and Deke. I gave up during the JT/Shareef/Big Dog era, but I have watched the past 3-4 years ever since we blew up that group and started over with the Joshes.

In other words, I am an old Hawks fa who has seen a lot of sh$% - good and bad…these guys made me proud again…made me glad that I hung onto the old pac-man logo jersey that my ex almost threw out. Go HAWKS 08-09!!! Thanks for making basketball matter again in the ATL! Yeah, y’all sucked today, but you still shocked the world!

Thanks Bradley for some of the best writing I have seen from you in awhile. Sometimes, the situation dictates the impact of the words hammered from ribbon to paper …oops…didn’t mean to go old school…Thanks for answering re: Sekou’s whereabouts. We just get worried when we don’t see anything from SS. He’s a hell of a beat writer and I know we are all looking forward to his thoughts about the whole series and the aftermath.

Thanks again 07-08 Atlanta Hawks! Now just go out together and eat some steaks please!

By Sam

May 5, 2008 12:41 AM | Link to this

Harvey and Mitch,

YOU’VE GOT TO BE FU*N KIDDING ME. The 37-win Hawks backed into the playoffs because the Pacers couldn’t win their final game. Mike Woodson wouldn’t win if he were coaching the ‘92 Dream Team. He’s a complete MORON. “We just weren’t prepared”. -This been been a reocurring quote after so many of the losses this season. It’s very difficult to be proud of what the Hawks accomplished in this series after this debacle. A F*******IN EMBARASSMENT.

By O'brien

May 5, 2008 12:52 AM | Link to this

For those who want to keep Woodson, how do you justify him playing JJ 42 minutes every night during the regular season, which made JJ tired in the 4th quarter some games. How do you justify his offensive sets (or lack thereof), and with the game on the line, his play was give JJ the ball, and clear out.

How do you justify him not playing AC Law more, when we was Mr. Clutch at Texas A&M, playing against good teams like Kansas and Texas. He needs to play through his rookie mistakes. How else will he learn?

How do you justify him not giving Salim any minutes if the starters are shooting bricks, and we need a shooter to try and spark the offense? Plus Salim and Acie could play well one game, and then not play for the next 5 games.

Also, even if one of our Hawks scored 8-10 points in a row, Woody would take him out just because its that time of the game where he goes to the bench. When an opponent gets hot, why would you not play Mario for a couple minutes here and there, just to harass the hot-hand?

When Horford is in foul trouble, and Zaza is struggling, why would he not give Solomon Jones a chance? Why would he not play Jeremy Richardson, when unlike Marvin Williams, JRich has 3 pt. range and can stretch the defense. Yes, JRich may struggle defensively, but maybe his offensive contribution is bigger than his defensive deficiency.

All along, everyone knew we are a young athletic team who needs to run, but Woodson refused. And isnt that one of the main reasons we beat the Celtics? Because of the Home crowd, and we were running? Folks, 3 good games in ATL does not change who Mike Woodsoon has been for the last 4 years. I appreciate his class and what he’s done with a young inexperienced team, but we need another coach to take us to the next level. Sorry for the long post…

By Ron Roberts

May 5, 2008 1:03 AM | Link to this

You Fire Woodson types aren’t being rational.

Mike Woodson showed what he’s capable of in this series. None of the coaching possibilities named to replace him (thus far on this blog) have done much of anything, aside from Riley and he’s pretty much destroyed what was a great team in Miami.

Mike Woodson didn’t draft (and not draft) what we collected, over the years. Billy Knight passed on Chris Paul. Billy Knight had us hitting the floor with guys like Tyrone Lue and Anthony Johnson and Billy Knight pulled the trigger on a trade for Bibby when Bibby’s clearly lost a step.

The Bibby of old would’ve helped; the Bibby of old isn’t what we got, though, but we sure gave up plenty to get him, didn’t we?

I fail to see how that’s Woodson’s fault. I believe Woodson’s earned an extension, frankly, and might’ve actually learned how to use his parts more effectively, and I think his parts also learned their roles better, too.

But whew, imagine Joe, the Joshes, and Horford with Chris Paul…

…FIRE BILLY KNIGHT. That’s who you fire.

I actually can’t help but wonder if ol’ BK is logging on as all these various “fire Woodson” parrots. Hmmm….

By William

May 5, 2008 1:28 AM | Link to this

I was told by one of the owners tonight at dinner. That they will start reviewing the season on Monday and have a decision by Thursday are Friday. The way it looks they are going to fire Billy Knight and let the new General Manger decide on the head coach issue, also be looking for a few trades and new players contracts. This one owner is not happy with today game 7 lost and the rest of the season.

By Sean

May 5, 2008 1:37 AM | Link to this

Yeah, you fire Woodson…are you f/in kidding me? Joe is worth the $. We have talent (despite BK.) We just need a coach, GM, owner. If you see Belkin, kick him in the a$$, If you see any of the other Spirit group, please do the same. This is about the playerd! Clyde is right…fire Billy and Woody! The team is young and athletic and did a great job in the playoffs despite the coach, gm, ownership. I want to see any of those upper management jokes back like I want to see kg showing his nipple one more time. What the hell is up with that? Does he mourn for not being able to breast-feed? Maybe, it’s just a Boston thing? Como C****$? I hope LeBron & company can put kg and his nipple and the other celtic geezers out of our misery. And I thought I hated Brady! Maybe, I can put the celtics getting bounced right next to the Brady sacked and belichick running off the field highlights on my dvr! The Celtics may have won in 7, but you celtic fans still have to live in boston. Enjoy the bandwagon ‘cos your windows of opportunity is this year only. Might as well go back to the Red Sox now.

By Snow

May 5, 2008 1:49 AM | Link to this

You all just stop it!!!…Seriously stop it!!!…What Woody did with this group, in the playoffs and season, is utterly amazing!!!…Miraculous!!!…His coaching performance in winning 3 games in Atlanta in the palyoffs should be shipped straight to the Hall of Fame. His players “Love him” and you can tell…They have won more games every year he has coached and his players have represented the city of Atlanta well. No scandals or drama or after hours shenanagans!!! Now let’s review sum of the moves within the Hawks organization over the last 4 years: 1) They had a 6’9 Al Harrington (leading scorer and leading rebounder)…they had both Josh’s and both are 6’8 and 6’9”…they had a gaping hole at the point guard position and the center position. With the #2 pick in the draft they took Marvin Williams another 6’8/9 jump shooter who doesn’t do anything but shoot jump shots. Doesn’t rebound or past the “look” test…Does he look like a #2 pick in the draft to you?…PLEEEESSSEEE!!!!…By the way, they ONLY had two Hall of Fame point guards in the same draft Paul and Williams they could of chosen from…if would be the equivalent of the Pistons passing on Isiah Thomas when he came out of IU his sophmore year…nd how did that work out for the Pistons?…I mean, seriously, how would the Hawks look with either of them teamed with Joe and Smith and Harrington or Chill over the next 10 years…UNBELIEVABLE!!!…the ONLY thing I have seen similar is when Dumars took Darko ahead of Bosh, Melo and D. Wade…and Gilbert Arenas was in that draft too. 2) The next year they drafted a 6’9” center, Sheldon Williams ahead of Brandon Roy…c’mon…Sheldon Williams???…he is not even with the team any longer, right?… Also in the the same year they gave Speedy a $24 Million 4 year deal to run this team???…R U Kidding me???…Speedy Claxton?…and now you turn this non-sense over to Woodson and ask him to make this hodge podge work?…look John Wooden, Red Aeurbach, Bobby Knight, and Phil Jackson could not have made this work… 3) Finally, I know Josh Smith is young and has a world of “potential” talent however he has the basketball IQ of a sophomore in High School…he is someone who is incapable of learning or is flat out UNCOACHABLE…thus that is why he is clearly the Woodson whipping boy and rightfully so…unlike Chill who gets the absolute “Max” out of his his God given talent…Josh is horrible, especially in a half court set…and is terrible shooter as well…did I mention stubborn and hard headed too… I did not mention a couple of things happened over the 4 years under coach Woodson…two 1st round picks and Boris for Joe Johnson…the death of a team mate, Jason Collier (God rest his soul)…and it’s impact on a very,very young team at the time…and we all see Bibby is just a shell of his former self although he is better, by far, from anything had prior to him coming over for Sheldon (with an enourmous contract I might add). Finally, there has been all kinds of ownership drama with this team as well over the last 4 years… So should Woody comeback, HELL YES!!!!…Just like Cheeks in Philly got a one year extension so too (at a minimum) should Wood…I think Michael Jordan put it BEST in his press conference announcing Larry Brown…the Bobcats would like results that the young teams like the Hawks and Philly are experiencing…that’s what he said the Hawks and Philly…c’mon…Hell yes Woody should be back…now for the GM, you draw your own conclusion given the facts!!!…Should the GM of the Portland Trailblazers have come back after taking Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan?…

By ballman

May 5, 2008 2:00 AM | Link to this

the league(NBA)needs to investgate the Celtics/Hawks series…the celtics threw the three games in Atlanta….they where by far the better team but they wanted the series to go seven games…you don’t win four games by over twenty points a game and then lose three games on the road….looks very fishey to me….

By Edo River

May 5, 2008 2:04 AM | Link to this

Mark, This article was a joy to read. Thank you! Im not a basketball fan, but I tuned in for this series. I think you have made your points in an admirable and gentleman way. I am quite surprised to find this kind of work from you. Best regards,

By chasgargiulo

May 5, 2008 2:15 AM | Link to this

I have been a huge Celtics fan since the days of Bill Russell (Yes, I’m that old) and have been lucky enough to see some of the greatest players and series of all time (including the famous 1988 Celtics-Hawk classic series). I also know how much it sucks to lose a game 7 when you pour your whole heart into a series.
It’s easy to get bitter about other fans in a hard fought series, but let me just say congratulations to not only the Hawks but the fans of Atlanta for how hard you fought against difficult odds. I think even the most biased Hawks fan would admit the Celtics are a more talented team so it’s no surprise and certainly no shame for losing in seven games, no matter how badly the final game was. It happens to young and inexperienced teams.
I know people are angry, and believe me as a competitor while the series was being fought I HATED you guys, but now I can say I was part of what sports is all about. I know a bunch of your fans are hating right now but I hope you don’t believe the b****** that we are bandwagon jumpers, the Garden used to sell out LASTyear when the Celtics had the worse record. I love the Celtics and I want another title badly and think we actually have a better chance because of how hard you and your team made it. My hats are off to you but it’s a better fan who can fight hard and shake hands after and it’s better to hold someone’s head high in defeat than trying to blame the refs like one poster did. EVERY losing team thinks the refs screwed them, including me in Game 6, but even I would not want to look so stupid to try and do it in this case like one sad poster did. To the rest of you, I’m looking forward to hating you again next year and wouldn’t it be more fun to want to kick our a* if we came back as world Champions.

By Hawkamanic81@yahoo.com

May 5, 2008 3:54 AM | Link to this

No, the Hawks don’t have a bright future. They showed in game 7 that they still don’t have the heart to compete every night and that is what it takes to be a good team.

They totally blew any momentum they had from games 3,4, and 6.

The Hawks still stink.

By Nikki

May 5, 2008 5:36 AM | Link to this

I’m proud of the Hawks players. The team has no depth and no draft picks. That is all knight’s fault. He needs to go. Woodson needs to go as well. His playcalling is suspect at best. Joe Johnson publicly hoped to keep Woodson around. That may be enough to save his job. I can accept Woodson coming back. There is absolutely no reason why Knight should be back.

By Gregg P. Frasco

May 5, 2008 5:44 AM | Link to this

In my opinion, the biggest mistake that the Hawks could make now would be to fire Mike Woodson. A change of coach is the last thing a young team on the verge of success needs, especially when that young team has become accustomed to the coach’s system. Please, at least give Coach Woodson a two-year contract. If the Hawks don’t make progress next year, management could always eat the remaining one year.

By Mark W

May 5, 2008 7:42 AM | Link to this

First of all keep the coach…..Bibby has to go, if anyone, the PG needs to assert themselves in a Game 7, he was a no-show…..Go for O’Neal…..and definitely a PG, Steve Francis maybe ?….but Bibby must go.

By Petey

May 5, 2008 7:47 AM | Link to this

Mark Bradley wrote “We Atlantans have spent years inventing ways to ignore the Hawks.”

No, the Hawks incompetent ownership and management has spent years driving us away by make bonehead move after bonehead move. Will they consolidate their gains by making the bench and front office changes necessary to really move ahead? Stay tuned.

FIRE BILLY AND WOODY!

By Hawk-Watcher

May 5, 2008 7:57 AM | Link to this

Atlanta has changed since 1992. It is full of potential bankwagon jumpers. These are people who have come from here looking for a reason to jump. The Hawk’s organization has a golden opportunity, but they will need to make good decsisions and spend some money. Good Luck Spirit Group! Give us a reason to jump.

By bob

May 5, 2008 7:59 AM | Link to this

The Hawks played good but the Celtics played horrible here in Atlanta, which should be a wake up call. The biggest word in this series that I can think of is “overconfidence”, by the northern team.

By D.Ellis

May 5, 2008 8:23 AM | Link to this

Just wanted to thank the Hawks for making the playoffs and ending the horrible drought. It was a great series and we have something to look forward to in the future. THANKS HAWKS!!!!!!! Can’t wait till next year.

CELTICS SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Dean

May 5, 2008 8:42 AM | Link to this

Very proud of the Hawks and yes, I was awakened as a old Hawk fan since the early years. The trade of Dominique soured me followed by the last decade of imcompentence turned me away but I kept up with the team in the paper. One thing for sure, these Celtics fans crying about the fouls is rediculous. Did you not watch the games in Phillips Arena? The fouls were distrubuted fairly ,your team got beat those three games. Making excuses for your losses show great immaturity and poor sportsmanship. Pierce deserved the Technical he got and Marvin Willimas certainly deserved to be thrown out. Grow up Boston! D. Ellis is right Celtics Suck!!!

By Wesley Unsell

May 5, 2008 8:44 AM | Link to this

Hey Joebrave …GET OFF THE CRACK…Congrats to the Hawks for getting as far as they did…That being said: Woodson has to go…he is just not a good HEAD coach…I am mostly disappointed is Josh Smith…He just did not show up at all…His upside is incredible…With just a little training he can be a Superstar…Perhaps a new coach can get it done..We need a center and a driving pg…Maybe Law will work..We will never know unless we get rid of Woodson…Interesting off season comund..

By Brian

May 5, 2008 8:49 AM | Link to this

Im sorry but I felt the Hawks would have done better if Marvin Williams would have stepped up to the plate. Just because you bring in a high profile coach doesnt mean your going to win..the players still have to go out there and execute..plain and simple Marvin Williams just doesnt execute enough for the position he has to play in order for the Hawks to beat worthy opponents. What the Hawks really need is a true center, move Al to the four, let Josh play the three and Bibby and Joe repectively at the 1 and 2. Shop Marvin (but I doubt if anyone will take him) for an extra body down low or another guy on the perimeter who can actually knocked down the shot..cause to be honest if your not going to be the number one seed in the playoffs you are going to have to win on the road eventually and the ability or the lack of to not hit shots in other ppls buildin will always serve as da Hawks down fall..Shoot you can hire Phil if your role players cant hit shots when needed then your not going to win..bottom line!!

By james

May 5, 2008 8:55 AM | Link to this

boston will lose to cleveland just like the patriots lost in the super bowl…LOL

Go Hawks!!!

By Yuppie Scum

May 5, 2008 9:00 AM | Link to this

The Hawks never had a chance, because they could never win a game in Boston - even if it was a best of 17 series. Average margin of defeat in the 4 away games? 25 points!

Who cares, anyway….

By Dean

May 5, 2008 9:02 AM | Link to this

Just so many people know that there are very good reasons that alot of us old Hawks fans got fed up with this team. Heck, in he 80’s this was the only winner that this city had. However, the one year (1993-1994) where the Hawks won the Eastern Dvision, they inexplicably traded away Dominique Wilkins for Danny manning who left at seasons end (after we were eliminted). It was infuriating. Then, I still stayed with the Hawks in the mid 90’s and then watched them trade another star in Steve Smith for the pot smoking Isaiah Rider who never did anything on the court. Then with all the losing, it just took it’s toll for many of us older fans. Now, I will say that it was great to be excited about basketball in Atlanta again. If ownership can show that it truly wants to build a team of uality indviduals who want to learn how to win then I would be more than happy to spend my time and my money on the Hawks. You impressed me with one playoff series. What will you do now to keep it going. Here’s a suggesstion, don’t trade Joe Johnson!

By Replace the GM

May 5, 2008 9:02 AM | Link to this

Other than Horford, the two Joshes and Joe, the Hawks don’t have any players who would not ride the pine on any other team.

We blew it on Deron Williams, Chris Paul, and Brandon Roy and a too old Bibby has shown he is not the answer at point guard. We don’t have a center, so Horford plays out of position against bigger people.

Until Knight or his replacement figures out how to get a PG or a Center the Hawks will always be over matched when it really matters and never be consistent winners.

By Steven

May 5, 2008 9:03 AM | Link to this

Great series by the Hawks. It’s great to see these guys get a taste of what they could poetentially achieve down the road. I hope they can use this to build off of in the coming months, and that the executives re-sign Smith and Childress to allow them to build off of this. Great job of pushing a very good team to the brink.

By STRETCH

May 5, 2008 9:17 AM | Link to this

Josh Smith was awful! Even the commentators talked about him being out of control. And the COACH just stands there and let him throw up bricks and get offensive fouls called all game!

Get a big man and let Salim get more time, he should be ready next season. In my opinion he was ready this season. SOLOMON needs to play more as well! LAW should be ready next year as well.

Would be nice if they could get ONEAL or a Elton BRAND, even a JAMISON. MAKE SOME MOVES MANAGEMENT!

By STRETCH

May 5, 2008 9:19 AM | Link to this

Josh Smith was awful! Even the commentators talked about him being out of control. And the COACH just stands there and let him throw up bricks and get offensive fouls called all game!

Get a big man and let Salim get more time, he should be ready next season. In my opinion he was ready this season. SOLOMON needs to play more as well! LAW should be ready next year as well.

Would be nice if they could get ONEAL or a Elton BRAND, even a JAMISON. MAKE SOME MOVES MANAGEMENT!

By Boston#1

May 5, 2008 9:23 AM | Link to this

Congrats Hawks for making this series worth watching - you have a great future. You have gain a lot of fans out side of Georgia - not me - because of your hustle. Next up: CAVS.

By Boston#1

May 5, 2008 9:28 AM | Link to this

Actually, I am a Joe Johnson & Al Horford fan….But love to see them loose to the Celtics.

By willdave

May 5, 2008 9:29 AM | Link to this

This young Hawks team has proven that they are worthy of some vigorous support from Atlanta’s fair-weather fan base.

By joepro

May 5, 2008 9:30 AM | Link to this

So, it turns out that the fight wasn’t the rumble in the jungle. The first six rounds were Lewis v Schmeling I. The last round was Lewis v Schmeling II. Like Joe Lewis in the 2nd fight 50 years ago ( http://www.fsmitha.com/review/lewis.htm ), the C’s would have beat anyone last night.

The Hawks have a number of assets that can be used or traded to make this a good team. They would have had a lot more if the GM hadn’t squandered the opportunity of a generation with all those high draft picks. They now need a GM who won’t make any more mistakes, because they won’t have high draft picks to make up for any more personnel blunders.

Maybe the new GM will want a different coaching staff, maybe not. That’s his / her first decision. The 2nd is to give up as little as he has to for a shot blocking, rebounding, outside shooting 5. He may have to give up Marvin to get a good one. Then, when Acie learns the ropes, we’ll have a good starting five. Filling out the bench is a matter of spending on free agents and finding good role players.

By Bk Hawk

May 5, 2008 9:37 AM | Link to this

Thanks Hawks for great effort and games in play-offs. Nows time to fire Billy and Woody and start building for next year.

By Boston#1

May 5, 2008 9:40 AM | Link to this

Fair-weather fan that will enjoy to watch more basketball and supprt his team all the way. Next…..

By Mugsy101

May 5, 2008 9:42 AM | Link to this

Lets see:

We don’t have a center, or even a rotation at the center position to compete. The spurs have a nice rotation of 2 players who complement their outstanding power forward, something the Hawks should consider.

We don’t have a point guard who can compete in playoff basketball. Law may be the answer, but who really knows. Bibby, Kidd, and Nash all showeed in the playoffs that they are tired and old and can not compete with todays young, athletic PG’s.

We don’t have any outside shooting to speak of, at the best it’s both sporatic and inconsistent.

We don’t have players who can put the ball on the floor and take it too the hoop. Some think Joe can, but in the NBA scheme of things he’s really average, sure would be nice to have a PG who could do this who would make Joe better, but when he’s the only option, defenses simply sag.

The franchise has an ownership group that makes the manson “family” look sane.

The front office continues to be a joke. Paul or williams sure would look good matched with Joe.

And at best we have a below average head coach. A team is always willing to draft players and upgrade talent on the court, the Hawks must do the exact same thing on the coaching front.

The Hawks better make some trades or they won’t be in the playoffs next year.

By akin

May 5, 2008 9:55 AM | Link to this

Josh Smith was very bad for us in most of the games. He’s not a jump shooter but he hangs around the friggin 3 point line like his name is Ray Allen. Get a life Josh, you’re athletic and thats great but know your game! I honestly wouldn’t be upset about us not resigning him, rather see us trade him and get a Draft pick and a vet SF/PF with actual tallent for shooting from behind the arc. Plus he wont pass the ball on the fast break until it’s too late and then he turns the ball over. He’s really giving me Allen Henderson flash backs. He’s like a friggin black hole the ball goes in, either he scores or turns the ball over, not what we need on this team.

By Boston#1

May 5, 2008 9:57 AM | Link to this

I had forgotten about the “fair-weather fan” title your Atlanta “hater” fan club had given us - just to feel better about yourselves. A bright future for Hawks?…sure, I do believe that’s the truth, but I did forget that It’s impossible for the Atlanta “haters” fan club to believe in positive feedback. Enjoy your 4th place Atlanta Braves and make sure you take good care of our BOSTON COLLEGE Matt Ryan.

By Whopper Dawg

May 5, 2008 10:05 AM | Link to this

Would you trade Marvin Williams for Chris Paul? Just imagine. Could have been. Still need a point guard. Bibby is not answer. They pulled it together pretty good and made a real good pick last year (Horford, amazing what a quality pick can do for a team). I am just afraid that this small, but important spurt will mask the front office and coaching deficiencies, and that tandem will be retained. A real danger is, have they gotten good enough to get into what I call NBA no man’s land, good enough to make the playoffs, but not progress and also good enough to not get a high enough draft pick to make a difference. It happens all the time, that is way when you miss on picks like Chris Paul and Deron Williams, it can haunt you a long time, because you only get so many chances on that level.

By Rico

May 5, 2008 10:10 AM | Link to this

Mike Bibby didn’t all of a sudden forget how to play ball. I believe his lack of effectiveness reflects the lack of good coaching by Woodson.

The Hawks were going against the top defensive team in the league in Game 7 on their court. The coach has to draw up some half court plays!

By Dean

May 5, 2008 10:10 AM | Link to this

Hey Boston#1, Like how your high priced Sox are struggling against the Rays. Hope you guys enjoy buying another title again. truthfully your all losers and always will be. Remember that little trickiling ball rolling through Bill buckner’s legs. As for Matt Ryan, he’s from Philadelphia, may have played college in boston, but not a native. Come to think of it, what great athletes have come out of boston. Enlighten us o numero uno to how great your cesspool of a city is.

By Ken

May 5, 2008 10:18 AM | Link to this

Marvin Williams embarrassed himself, his team and the city of Atlanta. What a loser. I hope he gets a huge fine and loss of a few games next year.

Get rid of the coach and Bibby and continue to build a team we can be proud of.

Go hawks

By Scooter

May 5, 2008 10:19 AM | Link to this

WOW, these playoff games showed what an absolutely idiotic chose it was to take Marvin W. over Chris Paul. When we needed another scorer Chris P. would have shined. Except for one game in the playoffs did Marvin W. show up. He and ZaZa bring no passion to the game. When the team needed back side rebounding they either showed no interest or were to slow to get there. Childress gave them a lesson on how to play with passion and love for the game. this team could really be good, but they’re a few things they need to do. 1. Find a better GM and coach. 2. Get rid of ZaZa. He’s slow and uninspiring and plays way to slow. Then find a good center who can play good defense. 3. The Hawks must re-sign J. Smith and Childress. 4. Try to sign another scorer. I do believe they could score more with a with an offensive game plan. Hopefully something a new coach would bring. Lastly I would just like to say what a great playoff series. The Hawks gave a glimpse of what they can do. They gave the Boston Celtics all they could handle even though they were out gunned and out manned.

By Boston#1

May 5, 2008 10:29 AM | Link to this

Dean - you need a hug. Sox vs. Rays?: did you hear about this past weekend sweep at Fenway?…Do you know the MLB AL standings right now? ….Doubt it. About Matt Ryan - never said he was born/raised is Boston, but he did play for Boston College, no?….whatelse….hhmmm…oh yeah, we are talking about 2008 sports…you are going all the way back to 1986?….sad. NEXT HATER PLEASE….

By Zerevon

May 5, 2008 10:31 AM | Link to this

We have so much TALENT..we need a talented coach to guide these guys to the promise land… you can put a gold settle on a horse but without a rider that horse would not know where to go…The current coach is just OK…we need a great coach. WE HAVE A GREAT ROOKIE CENTER IN THE MAKING..

By hawks --- Celtics

May 5, 2008 10:31 AM | Link to this

What is really pathetic is the referees´ behaviour. They do not see what happened in game 4th …. MR. KEVIN PATHETIC GARNET SHOULD NOT HAVE PLAYED FOR THE REST OF THE FIRST ROUND…

NBA SUCKS… EVERY SINGLE GAME WE PLAYED WITH FIVE AND BOSTON PLAYED WITH EIGHT… LET´S GO CAVALIERS…

By perg

May 5, 2008 10:31 AM | Link to this

D’antoni for head coach perfect coach for our style he wants to go to a young team and i think the hawks fit that criteria

By Wideclyde

May 5, 2008 10:34 AM | Link to this

I am a Hawks fan and here isw hat I saw in the series. 1. four losses averaging 25 points each. 3. Wins handed to them by referees including a phantom froul on the Celtics Paul Pierce in game 6 that all but handed them the game. 4. A coach that doesn’t havea clue. 5. A team that barely showed up for game 7, lucky that they only lost by 34. 6. Hawk players acting like thugs throughout the series trying to hurt yheir apponents rather than playing to win. Just look at the attempted mayhem on Rondo while
down by 34 points ingame 7. 7. A point guard that was atrocious averaging 3 assists per game. 8. Optimism about a team that won three home games because their
apponent was bored. 9. A teamthat won 37 games (of 82) during the regular season.

By Mark Bradley

May 5, 2008 10:40 AM | Link to this

Back from Boston. I’m at Philips Arena, waiting — and typing — as the Hawks go through their exit interviews. Tomorrow’s column (another tease!) will address the issue: What needs to happen now?

Feel free to offer suggestions.

By GT80

May 5, 2008 10:46 AM | Link to this

Must fire Billy Knightmare. His latest goof was not signing the Josh’s to contract extensions before the season. Now they are going to have to max our jSmoove to keep him and might not be able to keep chills.

I don’t think Woody is the answer either. How can you have a team lose by 30 in a game 7? Would love to see D’Antoni here. But we need a GM to make that happen.

By hawk eastsider

May 5, 2008 10:46 AM | Link to this

Mike Woodson got to goe. He waited to late to make some moves when we were down by 8. He should have dug deeper into the bench instead just thinking the hawks was going to be able to fight and get back into the game. Several games we have gotten blown out in was due to his lack of or being scared to try some bench people. We have to get another coach just so say the team will have a legitimate on building on this year.

By Go Hawks

May 5, 2008 10:50 AM | Link to this

The Hawks don’t do the fundamentals right. They don’t box/block out for rebounds at all. Their half court offense is the worst I’ve ever seen in my life. Basically one pass then whoever gets the ball tries to score.

Josh Smith gets by on his incredible talent but he has not been developed like he should be by now which leads to crazy long shots that miss the rim completely making him incredibly inconsistent.

This all goes back to the head coach. Yes we need a few more pieces. A PG. A real Center for sure, allowing Horford to move to the 4 where he could dominate.

Knight should be fired for drafting a bunch of wingmen OVER and OVER again because they had BIG WINGSPANS. Yay, good job. Great.

Woodson and Knight both have to go especially with a couple of real good coaches without jobs now.

By Dean

May 5, 2008 10:53 AM | Link to this

Oh, we want to talk about the present. How about the Patriots super bowl bust. How about 86 years of crying about the unfair and evil yankee empire and then doing exaclty as they did to win it all. Hypocricy must feel good. I must admit, it feels da*m good to when a world series but still just a bit much. As for the AL standings, no I really don’t look much at it. I’m an NL guy and care about my own league so I don’t give it much of a glance untill the postseason.

By HUD

May 5, 2008 10:53 AM | Link to this

IF YOU THINK MARVIN IS A THUG, THEN YOU ARE AN IDIOT

By Boston#1

May 5, 2008 10:54 AM | Link to this

hawks —- Celtics:

Talk about “fair-weather fans”…..This guy is jumping from being a Hawks fan to a Cavs fan (all in CAPS) But I do agree about the Refs….

Rumors are that Marcus Camby might get traded…lookout Hawks.

By hawk eastsider

May 5, 2008 10:55 AM | Link to this

Losing smith or Childress would be detrimental to our team. Childress bring so much intensity to the game we he come in it is amazing. Then Josh Smith is on the verge of something big if he can stop turning the ball over. We need a coach all our draft picks and a free agent. Just one somebody who can help should want to come here. I do like Mike Woodson but we cant let the team not improve on this season. Thinking about it Get of the GM asap.

By good ol' george

May 5, 2008 10:59 AM | Link to this

How the Hawks can win more? Have Marvin Williams score more!!

By Boston#1

May 5, 2008 11:08 AM | Link to this

I knew the Pat’s were comming up. Look, cheat or no cheat - Pat’s will break your football team - and the majority (not all) of other teams as well. And before you speak “present day” baseball…do your homework NL guy.

Face it…Hawks lost a fair and square series and they will only get better if they make the right moves this off season.

I also want to mention that Williams is not a thug - he just made a very stupid mistake. You can tell when someone is being malicious. For someone to come out talking smack just ‘because their team lost is very sad….

Support your team - we have done it since 1918 with the Red Sox and all throughout 16 NBA titles (and then some..) for the Celtics….Patriots, let me just say, we are just tired of being successful and being hated on.

By Fred

May 5, 2008 11:08 AM | Link to this

Well, they got exposed for the sorry team that they are. Valiant effort throughout the series, but they were getting toyed with. Didn’t even belong on the same court with the Celtics

By Dean

May 5, 2008 11:10 AM | Link to this

Boston#1 what is the deal? Look you guys won the series, Congratulations! Your team is more talented than our team this year. Can’t you guys be happy with that and move on. Go bother cleveland fans if it makes you feel so good about going to another teams paper to talk trash. We would like to bemoan our teams ourselves and we don’t necessarily need your input. That’s why nobody likes your sports teams. You lose you cry about the fouls and you win and you can’t just be happy for your success you have to trash the other team and their fans. Does that make you feel big? Your team won! Pat yourself on the back and be happy for the success. Now go bother cleveland fans. Atleast that would be moving on.

By Ced

May 5, 2008 11:14 AM | Link to this

I have been with the Hawks ALL season, believing even when things were at their roughest. Taking Boston to a game 7 was NO FLUKE, this was just a taste of what the Hawks ARE capable of. They need someone who can bring this out over an ENTIRE season, by someone I mean a coach and maybe a vet or two. Woodson did an ok job, but this team showed they can be better than OK. He didn’t use all of his talent and he didn’t get the most out of everyone. Why all of a sudden do we hear talking about how important running is NOW, all of a suddent he realizes that he has a team that is super atheletic and is great when it pushes the pace. WHY?

We have shooters on this, Salim and Jason Richardson, but he refused to play them. They wouldn’t have been up to speed because he doesn’t give them a chance to get in. Solomon played decent when he got in, just think of how he could’ve contributed if he got more minutes thrughout the season and had a DEFINED ROLE. Its up to the coach to clearly define what each player does well on his team and let everyone know how their talent is going to make the car go. The Celtics had players who knew their roles on the team, Doc told Kendrick perkins he wasn’t a scorer and that he wasn’t here to be one. They knew what piece they were that made the car go, the hawks lacked that and it falls onto the coach.

And last we need to sign JSmoove for certain, he prooved his worth and the NBA took notice of what he could be. So what if he had a bad game 7, one game does not make a great player. Childress is a important piece and would be great to get back. We should look int trading Marvin, he is a jump shooter….who cant SHOOT! He is a piece that could bring more meaningful pieces. And Im on the edge about Mike. Hawks should bring in Anthony Johnson and we make the playoffs for sure!!!

By Boston#1

May 5, 2008 11:15 AM | Link to this

Fred….I think is the other way around…not to talk trash, but it was an embarrasment to go 7 games with a team that was not suppose to be in the playoffs….that’s why I look at the Hawks and see success in the near future….but then, the haters come in and start talking football and baseball and lions tigers and bears…oh my!!!…

By Shawn

May 5, 2008 11:16 AM | Link to this

Bibby is not the answer … they had to make the trade for him but at this stage in his career he’s not consistent enough … I’m not sure if Woodson is the coach to get them to perennial status … they need another veteran to help the young guys

By Boston#1

May 5, 2008 11:20 AM | Link to this

Look…I continue to congratulate the Hawks….and any sport fan who experiences loosing WILL cry and pout - that’s why I feel you - we have been there too - for a long time.

By Lorso

May 5, 2008 11:20 AM | Link to this

Lots of big decisions coming this offseason. Here are my thoughts/questions on the top three:

1)Whether to keep Billy Knight as GM. I hear plenty of folks calling for his head (and I don’t disagree that a change could be good), but who do we want for his replacement? Who is available and, more importantly, who’d be willing to take the job, given the ownership situation? This needs to be resolved quickly, because if we make a switch at GM, we need to give our new hire time to prepare for the draft.

2) Whether to keep Mike Woodson as head coach. I think Mike Hoffman had some great comments, so I’ll refer to his earlier post (see above - May 4, 8:31 pm). Woody - don’t take it personal, but you’ve got to go. Better luck on your next team. Our young Hawks need something different from next year’s HC, to help them reach the next level.

3) Re-signing Players This is important. The Hawks need to be ready to let somebody go if need be - namely, Josh Smith. Even if the Hawks make great improvements at GM and HC positions, ownership could really blow it in the long run if they overpay for restricted free agents this summer. Don’t get me wrong, Josh Smith is an incredible natural talent… but he’s not worth a max contract this summer. If push comes to shove, for my money, I like the consistency and decision-making of Childress (30min/g, 57.1 FG%!!) better than the undisciplined potential of JSmoove. In my estimation, the priority for the Hawks should be to keep Childress, Horford, and Johnson together for the next 5 years. That gives you a core of players with talent, leadership, and manageable egos. If Smith gets a max offer from another team (or something close to it), then matching the offer could handicap future improvements, including efforts to re-sign Al Horford down the road. And if it came down to a choice between Smith and Horford, I’m picking Big Al.

By chase

May 5, 2008 11:20 AM | Link to this

The postings by Celtics’ fans on this blog and the BLOG in the BOSTON paper are disgusting

I have seen tons of bragging, mocking, and in the case of the Boston Globe blog…I saw tons of excuses like this “the only reason it went seven was the C’s and the league were in a conspiracy to help the Hawks sell season tickets next year”

As CRAZY as that sounds there were actually dozens of posts of people up there who agreed with that…

And should you be bragging when everyone in the free world said it should be a sweep?

Even worse were the dozens of posts by C’s fans that said “The Celtics just let the Hawks win so they could get there guys more playoff experience before playing a real team in the second round”

Again these posts were agreed upon many times…

And worse were the ones that said “the only way the Hawks won 3 games was because the C’s didn’t take them seriously as a real basketball team”

This is just HORRIBLE sportsmanship and DISTORTED REVISONIST VIEW OF REALITY…

And where were the conspiracy theories from those same fans when GARNETT got away with a flagrant foul on ZAZA in game 4 and wasn’t even suspended for baltently shoving a REF?

Or how about the non-flagrant on him for the backcourt-blindside-shoulder throwing pick in game 7 when the C’s had a 30 point lead?

One thing for the C fans to remember…you can delude yourself into thinking the Celtics were just sleepwalking and that the Hawks did nothing to win these games…But let me ask you a question..If game 7 would’ve been in ATL who would’ve won?…Now swallow hard and admit you know the answer…

Let me close by saying this: no matter what the C’s do in the playoffs they will know they couldn’t come to ATL and win…

By Boston#1

May 5, 2008 11:22 AM | Link to this

Shawn…

A veteran like Allen Iverson….

By Mugsy101

May 5, 2008 11:25 AM | Link to this

Some of you are confusing Josh Smiths athletic ability with talent.

Talent is being and exceptional ball handler, talent is being a good outside shooter, talent is being a good defensive player.

Athletica ability makes the ESPN highlight reel, but it doesn’t make Smith a player.

Right now, after what we all saw over these last 7 games, clearly you would rank Childress, Williams and Smith in that order.

That means Smith needs to go, he probably has the more value to a western division team and if the Hawks could put together a sign and trade deal they might be able to pick up somebody at the center position who combined with ZA ZA would give the Hawks something to comepete with.

By Mike

May 5, 2008 11:27 AM | Link to this

I’m a lifelong Celtics fan, and I can’t believe there are Atlantans who want to fire Woodson. After the run the Hawks just had, the man should be given a pay increase. The Hawks took the team with the best record in the league to a SEVENTH GAME, and that’s pretty darn impressive considering how young they are. If they add a solid veteran or two, they can really start making some noise in the Eastern Conference.

By chase

May 5, 2008 11:31 AM | Link to this

Hawks need to get rid of WOODSON..face it they proved they had the talent to push the vaunted C’s to 7 (beat them nearly 25% of their total number of season losses, 16, in a 7 game series)

If they have enough talent to do that, THEN THEY SHOULD’VE WON MORE THAN 37 GAMES DURING THE SEASON and that falls squarly on the coach’s shoulders!!!!!!

After that they need to get rid of KNIGHT..no need to explain (Paul, Derron etc)

Then They need to resign SMITH and CHILDRESS and go after J ONEAL in free agencey

Let ACIE play more, Let Stoudmaire be your dagger 3-shooter off the bench (alla Kerr, etc)

Explore trading Marvin if need be to create money room or to get a couple of veteran role plyers

That is all the moves they need to make and it is not out of the question to do!

By chase

May 5, 2008 11:35 AM | Link to this

Mike

See my earlier post…The reason Woodson has to go is BECAUSE the Hawks were able to push the C’s to 7…

If they have that klind of talent/ability then they should’ve won more than 37 games…

That falls to the coach’s fault

By big d

May 5, 2008 11:37 AM | Link to this

were is the best beat writer on the ajc were r u sekou

By NoD

May 5, 2008 11:38 AM | Link to this

No 1. The Hawks need a coach that can motivate them. Hawks played a lot better in the playoffs because they drew off off the fan support to motivate them. On the road, they had nothing, even the live cut ins Mike Woodson was a joke. Plus wasting talents like Law and Saleem all year, Woodson wasted whole year for them to develop.

By Boston#1

May 5, 2008 11:41 AM | Link to this

There are 7 players (and 3 key players) on the Celtics team who have not played together as a team in the playoffs…Loosing road games to Hawks will only help Celtics get adjusted to AWAY crowds…..

And chase…Boston media sucks that’s all….they are the real Fair Weather fans….Talk trash when teams loose and kiss *ss to the max when they win…..Why do you think I’m spending time posting comments on your site?….

I was curious to see ATL’s reaction to the 7 game series that’s all…

By Mark Bradley

May 5, 2008 11:41 AM | Link to this

Sekou’s here. I’m sure he appreciates you asking about him. He and I came back on the same plane and rode to the arena in the same car (mine). I’m sure he’ll be posting something very soon.

By Boston#1

May 5, 2008 11:48 AM | Link to this

Look - firing your coach will set ya’ll to start all over again….you gotta understand that your team is composed with two vets and the rest are just kids still trying to prove that they are NBA material.

Acquaring help is best….If coach is fired, well, let’s hope you don’t hire Rick Pitino - he will destroy your team just like he did with the Celts, then he’ll bounce out of town talking trash about your team….

By drahcir61

May 5, 2008 11:51 AM | Link to this

I’m a Celtics fan living in Atlanta but I’ll give credit to the young Hawks, they played well & no one expected a 7 game series.

To all the Boston-bashing Hawks fans I’m glad to see your team got absolutely blown out yesterday (26 points in the 1st half?!?).

To the real Atlanta basketball fans who enjoyed a great series & didn’t make an a* out of themselves, you should be excited for the young Hawks next season.

By Fred

May 5, 2008 11:52 AM | Link to this

Boston #1…… you can look at it that way if you want, but i think the C’s were just warming up. The Hawks def. didnt belong… When can we get a Non Sorry team to watch in Atlanta?

By Al Sharptongue

May 5, 2008 11:57 AM | Link to this

I hate when dumb people discuss sports. which encompasses most of gorgia..what a bunch of ignorant unsophisticated morons..

By NoD

May 5, 2008 11:58 AM | Link to this

Boston will never win it all with Garnett, he could not handle what little heat the hwks gave. Then he sets a cheap pick, anybody who’s played b-ball knows you square up when setting picks and it’s cheap shot to lead with the shoulder like he did.

No problem, but to leave the court after doing that may him look like a punk.

By Boston#1

May 5, 2008 12:00 PM | Link to this

I don’t know much about the Hawks ownership…but that’s where all decisions are made….We were fed-up with Danny Ainge for a while - all of a sudden Ray and Kevin, along with Sam and others came along…

We gave a lot to gained a lot…..

By david

May 5, 2008 12:03 PM | Link to this

There’s basketball fans and then there are just fans. All good for the team and city but the people that don’t think or realize that Woodson is a bad fit for this team are not basketball people. AND Knight. Getting a point guard (shoots but can’t shoot) from the Kings is not the answer either. J Smith is the one that confuses me but I think the right coach would be great for him. He needs to play smarter. We have a chance but new blood at the top is a must for this young and coming team.

By Reggie Rooker

May 5, 2008 12:08 PM | Link to this

I am proud of what the Hawks accomplished; they protected home court against the NBA’s best unlike Denver, Dallas, Washington, and Phoenix. If the Hawks (the organization) can continue to build off of their experience and keep this team intact they could really be something special in the coming years. Bring in a coach who will maximize these guys potential and get the best out of them every night on the floor, another proven leader (A Big Man) and the Hawks could be winning 50 games next year.

By bill

May 5, 2008 12:13 PM | Link to this

I give Woodson a chance.You can’t win without a good point guard and Knight never really gave him one.

Knight is the one who must go.What happens if he drafts Chris Paul or Deron Williams of Utah?Both were available to the Hawks.

I’ll tell you what happens.Atlanta is still playing because those two would have given Atlanta a better record and thus a higher seed.

By kjg

May 5, 2008 12:13 PM | Link to this

Bring Avery Johnson to Atlanta.

By Some Sense

May 5, 2008 12:16 PM | Link to this

News conference when the smoke clears…hopefully later this week. Mike, Jr., thanks Woody and Billy effusively for bringing the team to this level yet states that someone else will be brought in, at each position, to take the organization to the next…perhaps even puts himself in GM spot.

Got to hire a coach soon…not Avery Johnson…good ones are already on the move.

Off season must address the one and five spots. Any way to let Bibby go is good. No draft pick this year, so free agency movement is a must.

Now is the time to extend credibility the team has manufactured in the past week or so.

By Boston#1

May 5, 2008 12:18 PM | Link to this

reading one of Ohio’s Cavs postings…they don’t sound confident.

By Jake

May 5, 2008 12:24 PM | Link to this

Imagine had good they could be with a REAL COACH.

By dxturn07

May 5, 2008 12:32 PM | Link to this

Billy Knight and Mike Woodson both, not one or the other, but both, helped get the Hawks back into the playoffs, and most of you want to reward them by firing them? I hope the Spirit don’t follow your stupid advice. Both Billy Knight and Mike Woodson both deserve to stay. If the Spirit do fire them, I don’t plan on feeling sorry for them because a basketball organization with more class will end up hiring them, and then we will end up hiring a new GM and a new coach who are not as good.

Remember everybody, Billy Knight and Mike Woodson inherited a horrible situation here in Atlanta, and they turned it around. Real Atlanta fans will have a little more patience.

The next big test will be whether Billy Knight can get another outstanding big man and an outstanding point guard here through a trade or free agency.

We need a bigger center so either Josh Smith or Al Horford can come off the bench. I would like Mike Bibby to stay; however, he seemed old. He is a very competent point guard, but he seems old. And his jump shot is not as good as it was when Sacramento was competing for championships. He has gotten a lot of wide open jump shots since he came to the Hawks, but he has not been hitting them consistently enough.

Marvin Williams appears to be the small forward for the future. He needs to play summer league so he can improve his basketball IQ. Mike Woodson needs to spend the off-season creating an offense that makes better use of Marvin’s skills. Marvin also needs to shoot a lot of jump shots in off-season. It would be nice if he had more range on his jump shot, but I’m more concerned with consistency than range. I believe he is on the verge of becoming a big star.

Acie Law looks like he could be a very good point guard. He might even be the outstanding point guard we are searching for. He needs to learn how to fall without injuring his wrist. He will never become the outstanding point guard we are looking for until if he spends long periods on the injured list during the regular season.

I am not sure we need Josh Childress. I agree that he has great skills; however, his great skills were a non-factor during the playoffs. Plain and simple, we needed another jump shooter who can get his jump shot off. We need another good shooting guard to backup Joe Johnson. This shooting guard could also play alongside Joe Johnson when Johnson is playing at the point.

That’s what I think.

By chase

May 5, 2008 12:32 PM | Link to this

AINGE morgaged the C’s future for a few aging stars to make a two-year run…

after that the stars are gone and the C’s are left draft pick depleated!

Fred

you have NO CLASS…I guess I can just as easily say that the Celtics don’t belong playing with the Hawks here in Atlanta

A couple things too about your “non Sorry team in ATL to watch”

Excuse me but at least or football team isn’t cheating to try and win…and what was it like 100 years between MLB championships before a couple recently?

Actually the Braves and Boston have averagedpretty much the same attendence for Basebaseball (33-35000) since 2001 so it must not be to bad to watch the Braves…

And when was the last time a Boston team or ANY TEAM for that matter won 14 straight Divison titles? Oh that’s right NOBODY ELSE HAS!

Say what you want about the postseason…that accomplishment is CONSITANT EXCELLENCE!

By JudiasIscariat

May 5, 2008 12:34 PM | Link to this

Mike Bibby is not the same Mike Bibby who played for the Sqcramento Queens. Back then, Bibby was one of the most feared players in all of the NBA. Bibby played such a poor game that it really made the Hawks look bad and he looked as though he has regressed to the point that he looks worse than he did when he was a rookie in this league. Also, Marvin Williams is a thug and a complete bust and should be kicked off the team permanently. I am pleased that the Hawks were able to push the series with the Celtics to seven games, but I feel as though the Hawks were good enough to win the series with the Celtics, but ALL OF THEM would have had to have great games in order for that to happen. I do feel, however, that Atlanta Hawks basketball is now back on the basketball map and the Hawks will at least gain substantial respect due to their series with Boston. Go out and hire a good coach soon like Avery Johnson, Don Nelson, George Karl or Mike D’Antoni and the Hawks should continue to improve over the next few seasons. Thanks Hawks for making the playoffs exciting and thrilling at least for six games of the series with the Celtics. Game 7 was a thorough bloodletting by the Celtics and I have never seen an NBA team so thorougly whipped as the Hawks were in game 7. Good luck next year.

By MotherTeresa

May 5, 2008 12:42 PM | Link to this

Just imagine how the Hawks would have fared in game 7 if they had drafted Chris Paul instead of thug Marvin Williams. Chris Paul is the MOST exciting player Ive ever seen come into the league other than LaBron James. Paul is electifying and is lightning quick and would ignite a feroucious fast break for Atlanta had Billy Knight been smart enough to draft him instead of the notorious Marvin Williams. Williams plays basketball like he is the terminator. I havent seen someone closelined in an NBA game in over 18 years. That type of play should have been outlawed many years ago. All I can say is bring in a REAL COACH and a REAL GM and see if those two parties can move the Hawks forward from this point on.

By O'brien

May 5, 2008 12:42 PM | Link to this

I wonder if Woodson was in agreement with Knight in not drafting a PG? Woodson has Acie Law, and he did not play him consistently, and did not let him learn from his rookie mistakes. I wonder if he did not want a rookie PG. We’ll never know.

I think Billy needs to go (along with Woodson). But the Hawks are in a tough position when it comes to hiring a new GM. Which GM would want to work for a team and report to so many different owners, while they’re going through a law-suit?

By Boston#1

May 5, 2008 12:44 PM | Link to this

Wow chase…that’s your “come from behing” comment….the Patriots?…Braves DIVISION TITLES?…LOL!…let me guess, you want the CAVS to beat the Celtics?….

By dxturn07

May 5, 2008 12:44 PM | Link to this

Hey Al Sharptongue, please stop calling Gorgians dumb.

By R

May 5, 2008 12:58 PM | Link to this

To NoD - you obviously don’t know anything about basketball. No where is it written that you have to “sqaure up” to set a pick … that’s ridiculous. Rondo ran Zaza right into Garnett as a good point guard will do (ever watch Paul or Kidd? They do the same thing). Garnett moved to brace himself which caused the foul.

Funny how you can call Garnett (an MVP consideration) a “punk” but you don’t even mention the Williams WWF take down of Rondo. Williams closed-lined Rondo … that’s a punk!

By O'brien

May 5, 2008 1:01 PM | Link to this

dxturn07, Check out my 12:52am post. I would like to know your opinion on the reasons I outlined why Woodson should be fired. Also, there were games when we were leading at halftime, but the other team makes adjustments, and we dont know how to adjust, so we fall behind in the 3rd and 4th quarter. The coach is a big reason for that.

By Lamar Mundane

May 5, 2008 1:01 PM | Link to this

Two names: Roger Mason, Jr. and DeSagana Diop. Two unrestricted free agents that fill needs and should work at a reasonable price. Call Avery to step in for Woody and let’s ball!

By O'brien

May 5, 2008 1:05 PM | Link to this

Ron Roberts and dxturn07, Check out my 12:52am post. I would like to hear your opinions on the reasons I outlined why I think Woodson should be fired.

By MADD DOGG 20/20

May 5, 2008 1:22 PM | Link to this

The Hawks should get Mike D’Antoni as head coach so they can really run the way they sould be runnin as fire billy as gm. Go after verteren leadership free agents that will come of the bench. Don’t wanna mess the chemistry with the starters and JChills comin as 6th man.

By nique

May 5, 2008 1:28 PM | Link to this

If the Hawks have enough talent to beat arguably the best team in the NBA 3 times in the playoffs, they also have enough talent to have a winning record and to not get completely blown out in 4 games in the playoffs. Everytime they panned over to Woodson during the C’s series he had his mouth shut and a blank look on his face. He didn’t, and clearly is incapable of, directing this team. The Hawks won in spite of him and he should absolutely be fired (especially now, while we might actually be able to attract a respected coach as a result of the recent success).

They should first fire BK (I realize he put together enough talent to beat the C’s 3 times but we’d have more talent if he drafted CP3….), then hire a GM, then fire Woody, and then hire a respected coach, trade Bibby (he’s attactive bc in the last year of contract) and go after a free agent.

By brent a.

May 5, 2008 1:41 PM | Link to this

Avery Johnson would be worthy of consideration.

Pitino is a great coach, but I just don’t trust the thought of handing over another young team to him.

And “yes” to Diop, as well. His loss is one of the real keys to the Mavs demise.

Also, the Hawks need some other veteran leader. Someone who has done some winning, and can come in and help elevate this team to the next level.

My concern for the Hawks is that they aren’t much better next year, only win 40 games or so, get the 8th seed again, but this time, get swept by Boston in the first round. Then, all this “excitement” will seem like wasted energy.

The Hawks must strive to become a 50 win team next year.

By paul revere

May 5, 2008 1:48 PM | Link to this

Hando, jami$$ion, Dr maryb, salim fan and whoever else “lives” on this blog…need i say more??

By Hawks Fan

May 5, 2008 2:16 PM | Link to this

MIKE DANTONI for COACH

By HawkFan4Life

May 5, 2008 2:35 PM | Link to this

All of the fans calling for Knight and Woody to be fired must be perfect. Yeah, they’ve gotten a few things wrong along the way but they have also gotten a few right. Check out some of the comments that regulars on the site made on the eve of the draft…most were dead wrong about Horford. Some were calling for the Hawks to draft “YI” and others wanted M. Conley - neither has amounted to crap in the NBA. Some have already changed their ID/handle on the message boards to hide from their shame. How about the AJC bans their IP addresses since they have been proven to be dumber than both Woody and Knight.

draft day dumbness

By Poppa Da Zit

May 5, 2008 2:35 PM | Link to this

I think the Hawks should hire Tree Rollinsas the head coach

By Brandon

May 5, 2008 2:36 PM | Link to this

I’m not a Boson fan by all means, but Boson still is the only team to win 9 straight championships. Yeah the Braves wo 14 divisiontitles, but the Celtics have the nine straight on their sides

By Poppa Da Zit

May 5, 2008 2:36 PM | Link to this

I think the Hawks should hire Tree Rollins as the head coach

By GABred

May 5, 2008 2:43 PM | Link to this

Coach Woodson, I think waited too long to recognize what he did have, as oppose to worrying about what we didn’t have. We now have an emotional leader Al Horford. A solid unshakeable scorer in JJ. The best 6th man in the league, J Chill. When J Smooth realizes that everytime the ball touches his hand it should end up in the hoop and he should be in the paint(Much like Ni’que, establishing a jumper is for the off season). Marvin has awaken to his own greatness. And Bibby has the summer to really develop chemistry w/ his teammates. The future is very bright for the home team. Confidence is not given to you, you seize it and never relenquish it. Much like championships you have to start winning them in the off season, in the weight room, in the film room, and in the front office. Great prelude(playoffs)…Go Hawks!!!!

By Mike D'antonio

May 5, 2008 3:06 PM | Link to this

I would never coach this crappy team full of losers! They quit yesterday and will quit again. Only good player on the whole team is Joe Johnson. Without him your nothing!

By Rutuger

May 5, 2008 3:32 PM | Link to this

Great job Hawks!!! You didn’t have what it takes to beat the best team in the NBA in a game 7 in their house…

The Hawks were the ONLY team to force a game 7—and against the best team in the NBA, no less.

That’s all that needs to be said.

GO HAWKS

By Mitch

May 5, 2008 3:34 PM | Link to this

First of all, any talk of getting rid of Josh Smith borders on complete and utter insanity. His shot blocking, for one, is the brightest spot for what has been a mediocre defense at best. Secondly, he runs the break like few can. Thirdly, he’s a mere 22 years old, and needs to play for a coach who can help him refine his skills to the half court game.

For example, the Hawks tried yesterday to generate their offense with drives off of one pass…which won’t work on any level. Why they weren’t being coached to pass the ball three to four times to turn the defense around and then drive the ball, is one of the many reasons why this current coaching staff simply doesn’t understand what it takes to play championship type basketball.

The Hawks, under this staff, are the worst team in the NBA at moving without the ball…which negates all their impressive athleticism.

The Hawks also MUST keep Josh Childress…he and rookie phenom Al Horford are the smartest and most consistently tenacious players on this team…and a re a key to solving the half court deficiencies. Plus they are very good on the break as well.

The Hawks should play Josh Smith along the baseline they way they do with Childress…he needs a simplified role and needs to be in position to hammer the boards from the weakside.

The biggest concern—-other than getting this team stronger coaching—-is what to do with PG Mike Bibby. It would seem doubtful that they would be able to trade him and his $15M salary next year. Whomever coaches this team next year will need to motivate Bibby to come to camp in great shape and refocused on playing at the level one would expect from a $15M player.

The folowing year would be idea for A.C. Law IV the take the reins as starting PG…he’s a tough competitor…and has a Mark Jackson type look to his game.

Speaking of Mark Jackson, he would be a very intriguing option as head coach, if he’s interested. He understands team basketball and has the creds to motivate the vets as well as the youngsters.

By Mike D'antonio

May 5, 2008 3:40 PM | Link to this

Hawks Should Hire Isiah Thomas!!!!

By PURENESS

May 5, 2008 4:08 PM | Link to this

BIG UP to the Atlanta Hawks!…The future is BRIGHT!…

By Joshua

May 5, 2008 4:18 PM | Link to this

MARK BRADLEY

What did you find out today about Woodson and Knight???

FIRE MIKE WOODSON

By MELLOWP

May 5, 2008 5:01 PM | Link to this

THE HAWKS HAVE A GOOD TEAM, BUT REALLY LOOK AT IT FROM A FUTURE POINT OF VIEW. 1st OF ALL, THE COACH AND HIS STAFF ARE SOMEWHAT PUZZLED AS TO HOW TO RUN THE TEAM. THE PLAYERS ARE YOUNG AND INMMATURE. SO, SINCE THEY HAVE BEEN TO THE PLAYOFFS AND EXPERIENCED THE ATMOSPHERE, GIVE THE COACHING STAFF ONE MORE YEAR TO PRODUCE A WINNER, MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE ROSTER. THERE ARE 4 PLAYERS THAT DO NOT NEED TO BE WITH THE TEAM NEXT YEAR (ZAZA & SOLOMON FOR SURE). THEY NEED A REAL CENTER IN THE MIDDLE SOMEBODY THAT IS 7FT 300PDS., THAT CAN CLOG UP THE MIDDLE AND REBOUND. MY ROSTER WOULD LOOK LIKE THIS. JOE(OFF GUARD), ACIE(POINT), JOSH SMITH(WEAK FORWARD),AL HORFORD(POWER FORWARD) AND A (NEW)CENTER. I WOULD BRING BIBBY OFF THE BENCH FOR ACIE,JOSH CHILDRESS FOR JOE,MARVIN FOR JOSH SMITH. WOULD ACQUIRE 2 BIG BODIES IN A TRADE OR FREE AGENCY TO BACK UP AL AND THE NEW CENTER.THEY HAVE THE SCORERS. BOSTON KILLED THEM ON THE BOARDS. THE COACH NEEDS TO PUT MARVIN IN SUMMER CAMP SO THAT HE CAN DEVELOP AND IMPROVE ON HIS OUSIDE SHOOTING AND LEARN HOW TO HUSTLE AND DEFEND(HE WAS MOVING LIKE DRIVING MS. DAISY)WHEN ATTEMPTING TO GUARD PAUL PIERCE.JOSH SMITH NEEDS TO LEARN THE OVERALL GAME. THAT HIGH SCHOOL MENTALITY HAS TO GO. HE HAS GREAT TALENT. THE COACHES ARE NOT DOING THEIR JOBS AT DEVELOPING HIM IN THE RIGHT WAY. AL HORFORD IS GREAT FOR A ROOKIE,HE JUST NEEDS TO KEEP PLAYING(THE SUMMER LEAGUE).JOE JOHNSON NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO CHASE AFTER A BALL ON THE (FLOOR), DURING THE SEASON I NEVER SAW HIM DIVE ON THE FLOOR FOR A LOOSE BALL.(HUSTLE JOE HUSTLE). I NEED TO BE THE COACH,HELL!!!!…. BUT,IF THESE THINGS ARE NOT DONE, BEIEVE ME, THE HAWKS WILL BARELY IMPROVE AND WILL BE FIRST ROUND VICTIMS NEXT YEAR ALSO. NOW HEAR THIS MIKE FRATELLO, MIKE D’ANTONIO WILL BE A BETTER COACH THAN YOU WILL AND EVER WAS. THATS WHY DOMINIQUE NEVER GOT A CHAMPIONSHIP RING. THEY HAD REAL GOOD TEAM, BUT A SORRY COACH.SO, MR. WOODSON, YOU MIGHT GET 1 MORE CHANCE, IF NO PRODUCTION, THEN YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS.(AXE)

By bigeasy830

May 5, 2008 5:31 PM | Link to this

Thank you for giving me something to cheer about Hawks. I hope to see the entire team, including Coach Woodson back next season. ASG, spend that money and let us keep these guys together. You will make that money back as the Highlight Factory have sell-out after sellout and we win 50+ games. LET’S GO HAWKS, LET’S GO HAWKS,LET’S GO HAWKS,LET’S GO LET’S GO HAWKS,HAWKS,LET’S GO HAWKS,LET’S GO Hawks

Can’t Wait Till Next Season.

By Rich

May 5, 2008 6:08 PM | Link to this

Woody from Toy Story is a stronger coaching candidate for this team than current Mike.

By dxturn07

May 5, 2008 6:41 PM | Link to this

Good points O’Brian. When you become the GM, we will see how smart you are.

I don’t know all of the answers to your questions; however, loyalty is a two-way street. Are you sure you would yank players out of these game situations you discussed? Yanking out players every time they did something wrong is easy for us armchair coaches, but you don’t have to deal with these players after the games and at the practices.

Mike Woodson was an assistant coach for Larry Brown, who will probably end up in the hall of fame. Are you sure that Larry Brown would have done the same thing you suggested? I bet Mike Woodson learned a thing or two from Larry Brown. What have you learned from Larry Brown? What we don’t know is what went on during the practices. We don’t know who had the attitude problems.

At the end of the day, the Hawks improved every year Mike Woodson was here, and he inherited a terrible team. Not only that, the Hawks are still a bad team. Just because they won 3 home games against the Celtics does not make them a good team.

Did you see the beginning of the game when Josh Smith missed a wide open lay-up. Was that Woodson’s fault. Marvin Williams repeated got open looks and unlike the home games he missed every one of them. Are you going to blame Woodson for that too? And what about all the jumpers Mike Bibby missed, and he is a seasoned veteran. The Hawks would have been competitive in Game 7 had he hit just 33 percent of the three-pointers and 40 percent of all his shots. Are going to blame Woodson for that too? The Celtics did not play that well in game 7. The Hawks played so horribly, the Celtics had no choice but to win by 34 points.

What I do know is this: Mike Woodson deserves the benefit of the doubt since he has helped improved with what little he has had every season. All he can do is coach the team he has. The onus is on Billy Knight more than it is on Mike Woodson. We need better players, and it is the GM’s job to get the coach better players. Where would we have been without the addition of Al Horford and Mike Bibby? As for Acie Law, he needs to stay healthy so he can earn the minutes you want to reward him with. I am not convinced that Acie Law would have significantly improved that Hawks’ record after he came back from injury. And remember, Woodson and Knight were in the hot seat. There was no more time for projects. If the Hawks had not made the playoffs, they both would have been fired. Developing Law, Jones, Richardson, etc. at the expense of their jobs would have been stupid. All that would have accomplished is someone else would have had the opportunity to bring the Hawks to the next level.

Woodson did what he had to do. He got the Hawks to the playoffs. Just look at the posts. Many people want to fire Woodson and Knight and they managed to get the Hawks to the playoffs for the first time in 9 seasons. They deserve the opportunity to bring the Hawks to the next level. Especially Coach Woodson.

By ReggieATL

May 5, 2008 6:50 PM | Link to this

How bout some respect for Billy Knight? He built this team from scratch, and it’s a damn young and talented team with a star-bright future. Mike Woodson might be too vanilla to take these boys any higher, but Billy Knight has done the impossible in Atl. Show him some love yall!

By Bost or Bust

May 5, 2008 7:17 PM | Link to this

there no closer than they were before. If Jermaine Oneal comes back a week or two sooner, the hawks wouldnt have even been in the playoffs. we”l see if they can be a .500 team, then we’ll talk about being better. LOL

By oneway

May 5, 2008 8:14 PM | Link to this

The hawks need to fire the hell out of Billy Knight&Mike woodson He dosen’t get the best out of he’s playas somebody tell me why the hell josh smith keep taking 15 feet jump shots if he had the right coaching he will know not to do those things josh smith have been in the nba for 4years he should know by know now that he’s game is around the basket not around the 3pt line he should know by now not to make dumb mistakes

By RJ

May 6, 2008 8:21 PM | Link to this

I thought the Hawks did great, and was a bit disappointed by Joe Johnson’s calling out his teammates about game 7. It was all nervy misses early on (open shots and layups) and if they’d have gone in it might well have been a whole different story; they just had to stay close enough to start to rattle Boston and those first few minutes were crucial. But I don’t think anyone should be down on a team this young for nerves in a game 7, they played their damn hearts out to get there! I thought they really had Boston intimated because their athleticism was winning the battle of the skies (rebounds, tipped up loose balls, shot blocks) but one problem with nerves is that the legs get heavy and in Boston they weren’t getting up there or moving fast enough. Mike Woodson did great & Josh Smith is a huge part of the Hawks airforce. Only player that disappointed really was Mike Bibby, think he’s maybe getting too old but he also took too many shots when he should have deferred to others (and could’ve cost the team a couple of those home games).

By darrell

May 12, 2008 9:59 AM | Link to this

I see the falcons are trying to give away tickets my sister called me and told me lets buy some they are sooooo cheap i just couldn’t find it in myself to do it i told her there was no one to go see …the falcons are a terrible franchise from top to bottom …the owner can’t make a decision that makes any sense from hiring coaches who never called plays to hiring general managers who did nothing at his last job ….you have the type of player that the nfl had never seen before surrounded him with nothing makes him run for his life on every play and then say he needs to stand in the pocket and still he takes one of the worst teams i ever saw to te nfc championship game with not one reciever in site ….it’s not a black white thing for me it’s a common sense thing hmmmmmmm…falcons no offensive line ,no recievers damn it’s just frustrating how can i support a common sense loser …….like i told people about peytonn manning he played with one of the best teams in college never won a championship he leaves ohh championship…..has a team with hall of fame recievers and is look at as a god ..gave tom bradey one reciever and he breaks all the passing records in site coming from a player who hadnever thrown over 24 touchdowns …..it makes a big difference who you are throwing to…….moral of this story is common sense goes a long way