AJC > Sports > Hawks > Blog > Archives > 2006 > April
April 2006
Thoughts from the grill
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It should be against the law to be a shiftless as I was this weekend. But with two solid days of NBA playoff games to study, did you really think I would be anywhere but the sanctuary? You know how I like to do it.
So without further ado, let me go ahead and share some thoughts and observations on the playoffs from a delirious weekend of the tube, grilled burgers (I am still the man on the grill), Snapple (they were 10 for $10 at Kroger last week) and an assortment of interruptions from the fam (they’re already tired of me being around the house and wanted to know why the Hawks can’t just make the playoff so they can have some peace):
— Um, can I see LeBron James’ birth certificate please? Dude is certifiably ridiculous, complete with a chest full of taco meat at like 17 or 18 or whatever he is now. A triple-double in his playoff debut, as you know by now, qualifies him for Magic status, which for a kid from Michigan like me is pretty much as high as you can go. But what’s even more amazing to me is that just when you expect King James’ bubble to burst a little bit, he reminds you that in just about every way he is the exception to the rule. I have no doubt the Cavs will be playoff regulars as long as he’s in uniform. How far they go depends on what Danny Ferry does to build that team around him. I just hope the folks up there realize what they have and how lucky they are to have him. Because stars like LeBron are once in a lifetime. And if they’re lucky, he could put Cleveland on the map the way MJ did Chicago.
— In case anyone was wondering, the Spurs are ready for the rematch with the Pistons. They’re like the Western Conference, multi-national version of the Pistons in that they’re easily the best team in their conference and have basically no weaknesses. And since Tony Parker is faster than Reggie Bush, you can just tune in for the next few weeks to watch him run circles around the poor guys (can we call anyone in the NBA poor?) who have to try and guard him. Sure, Tim Duncan and the boys will be tested on their way to the Finals, but it won’t come from Ron-Ron Artest and the Kings. They’re just not the type of team that will be able to stay with the Spurs night after night. Not when the Spurs’ last big man (Fab Oberto) would command major minutes for the Kings. But give the fighting Maloofs this much, they’re not going to go away quietly. They’ll take more licks than Chris Byrd before going down.
— As for the one team I’m actually rooting for during this whole mess (the LA Clippers), wasn’t it interesting to see the reaction of that Staples Center crowd the other night? They weren’t sure how excited they were supposed to be and whether or not to just be glad they made the playoffs for the first time since “Who’s the Boss?” was on the air or if they were actually supposed to expect the home team to win. With Elton Brand playing like a man possessed and Sam Cassell doing his usual, I see the Clips advancing past 0-for-Melo. (Money went 0-for-8 from the floor in the fourth quarter, people, and to think a basketball mind I admire and respect tried to sell me on this cat as an MVP candidate.) The guy on the Clippers, though, that intrigues me more than any other is Shaun Livingston. Cassell is tutoring him right now. But I swear, if he’s not an All-Star in two years I’ll be stunned. He’s got the vision out there, hence all the no-he-didn’t, no-look passes. Young fella is going to be a superstar.
— The Heat and Bulls have played just one game and I’m already worn out by the Bulls’ defense. I hope Shaq and D-Wade can hold up over five or six games, where it looks like this series is headed if their supporting cast doesn’t bring it a little better than they did in the opener. I was expecting someone at American Airlines Arena to pass out a collection plate when I saw all those people wearing white shirts in the stands – and they might need to take up a collection for the fine Udonis Haslem is going to pay for tossing his mouthpiece at Joey Crawford. I’m still not buying the Heat beating the Pistons to make the NBA Finals (though I fully expect to get my fill of South Beach during the conference finals). I just don’t see how the Heat win four games against the Pistons if both teams are in decent health by then. They’d have to win at least once in Detroit and hold serve at home. And I can’t see this Heat squad putting it together like that.
— Before I yap about the Pistons I have a quick question that’s been nagging me for weeks now. Does anyone know if Andrew Bogut’s dying his hair already? He’s got this jet-black mane that matches those horrible tights he keep wearing. Thank goodness they’re outlawed next season. Well, he’s the only rookie starting in the playoffs and Rasheed Wallace gave him a nice welcome. The Pistons are beyond good; who else in the league could play as average as their guards did and still win by nearly 20? They’ve got so many weapons. And Antonio McDyess comes off that bench playing the perfect game to offset Ben Wallace’s lack of scoring ability in the starting unit. Their chemistry is fabulous and they’ve got the blueprint to the playoffs down. So I’ve already made reservations for the NBA Finals (and it’s going to Game 7 again, people - count on that.).
— I tuned into Sunday’s opener expecting to see the Vince Carter show but it was bumped by an episode of Pacers Gone Wild. If there’s any team in the playoff field that could muddy the waters, it’s the Hawks’ whipping boys from the Central Division. Jermaine O’Neal illustrated exactly what I was talking about in this space a few days back with his 11-point fourth quarter. Kid was going to the bucket with his left and finishing with dunks and finger rolls. Had he not been saddled with those touch fouls early, he might have really had his way with whichever Collins brother that is playing center for the Nets. And after Nenad Krstic worked the other Pacers inside while O’Neal was in foul trouble, when they needed to slow him down O’Neal played him late and forced Krstic into a rushed shot at the bucket that fell short at a crucial moment in the game. I’ve raised the issue here once before and I’ll do it again, if O’Neal becomes available this summer I’d be in the mix. He’s still a force.
— All that stuff about Kobe being selfish seems a bit off now after watching the way he played against the Suns Sunday. He let Lamar Odom, a player unfairly maligned for not being as dominant as he should, do his thing. And as much as the Lakers need Kobe to do his usual to have any chance for the upset, it’s Odom that has to shine in my opinion. Did you see the way he bullied Shawn Marion around the basket? The Lakers have no other way of slowing down the Suns’ most important player (Steve Nash), so making Marion work overtime on both ends of the floor will be key –- I know Phil Jackson figured it out a while back but it’s worth repeating here. I have to give it up to Boris Diaw, too. He was the same thorn in the side for the Lakers that he’s been against most teams this season. Honestly, I don’t remember seeing this level of confidence and ability in him during the time I covered him in a Hawks uniform. But I’ll give him credit for turning his career around with a simple change of scenery.
— So let me get this straight, Three Six Mafia has an Oscar and the Memphis Grizzlies still haven’t won a playoff game (they’re 0-for-9 and counting)? Life is really cruel, huh? Give the Grizz an A for effort. But they don’t have a chance in this series. Shane Battier plays great defense on Dirk Nowitzki and the big man still bombs him for 31. There’s absolutely no way this thing goes past five games. No way. That said, I still can’t picture this Dallas team getting past the Spurs. I see them giving the Spurs fits, though. And I will admit that I love the DeSagana Diop-Erick Dampier combo in the post. They’ll make Tim Duncan work for everything he gets. Speaking of Diop, why couldn’t this guy play in Cleveland? Much like Zaza Pachulia, he qualifies as one of the true steals of last summer. A 7-footer, who weighs in at around 280 pounds, blocks shots, rebounds and isn’t overly concerned with scoring (and since he has no post moves to speak of that’s a good thing). The Mavs are making up for it with Dampier’s outrageous $73 million deal, money they could have spent to keep Nash. But that’s fodder for another day.
26 wins? Don’t sneeze.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Anyone for a 26-win season? I believe that was my call months ago. While I’m sure the Hawks and their fans were hoping for better, this Hawks team accomplished what I expected in terms of wins and losses (tonight’s season finale in Cleveland could go either way and not impact the way I view this season). Like I told someone immediately following Tuesday night’s win over Miami, sometimes you are what you are. This Hawks team finished about where most of us figured they would.
A 13-game improvement from one season to the next is nothing to dismiss (only the Hornets, +20, and Jazz, +16 made bigger improvements). Neither is the fact that the Hawks beat seven of the eight Eastern Conference playoff teams at least once this season (the Bulls were the only team to escape) and swept Indiana. They scored wins over 10 of the 16 playoff bound teams in the league, including the top seeds in each conference.
The Hawks proved some things this season, showing they could compete and beat some of the league’s elite for one, that none of us were sure of based on the performance of last year’s 13-69 juggernaut. The growth from the coaching staff down to the end of the bench should be obvious. And there’s still room to grow all the way around.
Oh, and before I forget, the Hawks handed out some awards of their own after Tuesday night’s win over the Heat. Joe Johnson won the Dominique Wilkins Award (team MVP), Josh Smith the Lou Hudson Award (Most Improved) and Zaza Pachulia took home the Bob Pettit Award (Hustle). Any issues there?
48 hours and counting
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We’re now counting down the final hours of this season and somehow the blog traffic is strong as ever. I love it. I love the venom and the vigor with which you’re all attacking not only this season but the past and the future. For all those people out there who insisted to me that there was no cyber crowd out there for the Hawks (hence the reason this blog didn’t exist until around this time a year ago) I salute you and hope you realize the mistake in your evaluation. There is more than enough interest out there.
I’m going to echo the thoughts of several of you when I say, hopefully for one of the last times here, in hindsight Chris Paul would have been an ideal choice for the Hawks with the No. 2 pick in last summer’s draft. So would Deron Williams and/or Raymond Felton, since we’ve all realized that point guard is one of the Hawks’ areas of need. But we all went into the free agency period assuming that the Hawks would nab a veteran PG since they passed on Paul. And that did not happen.
So panning Marvin Williams (hey Ando, the same argument made about Paul not topping out at 20 applies to Marvin, right?) at this time is not only unfair, it’s ridiculous. We don’t know how good this kid can be. He could turn out to be the league’s next big superstar. Or he could be a solid pro who never turns into the megastar the Hawks hope. But we don’t know anything for sure and 81 games (one at a time, baby) is too soon to judge. From what I can tell, there’s no reason to think this kid won’t be an asset to this team. And all we’re operating on is the assumption that Paul has a great year here because of how well he’s done with the Hornets. But it’s strictly hypothetical, and that’s just not good enough for me to make a judgment.
That’s the beautiful thing about the draft and the league in general. You get a chance to right your wrongs at least twice a year - at the trade deadline in February and when the draft and free agency roll around in the summer. I’m interested to see where they go next, what moves get made in the coming months to rectify the situation.
The uncertainty of it all is what keeps me going this time of year, wondering what moves elsewhere will impact the Hawks. I was telling someone over the weekend that I never imagined Joe Johnson on this team a year ago. I remember watching the playoffs and trying to think about which players would fit with the Hawks and JJ never came to mind. Then the summer hits and things happen and the next thing you know he’s a Hawk.
Only a few things can be measured at this point (the order of the draft lottery won’t be determined for at least a month), so I’m willing to examine this season and weigh in on that (keep an eye out in the paper for our season wrapup later this week). Everything else, is up for debate. So have at it.
Homework time!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With the regular season finish line in plain sight and attentions focused on the talent pool that will populate the June draft, it dawned on me that one very important factor for improving a team from one season to the next has been overlooked here.
We haven’t talked much at all about assessments of the current roster (let’s call it roster analyzation to make it sound even more important than it really is and just because we can). More than a few NBA types (scouts and execs) whose opinions I respect have suggested that this Hawks team has been coached up and overachieved dramatically considering its makeup.
For proof, I was told to examine the Hawks roster and determine if there was another team in the league that had as many players that would have trouble making another team’s roster.
After a careful analysis, you have to do something with your down time during TV timeouts of nearly three hour NBA games every night, I tend to agree – and I’ll leave you to craft your own hypothesis as to who these players might be.
That’s why I believe it’s imperative that the Hawks spend as much time this summer evaluating and tweaking the current roster before rushing into the free agency period with fat pockets as they do studying the future’s market (the draft) and the summer swap meet (trades and free agency).
We’ve talked about here before, but harsh decisions have to be made about who stays and who goes. As big a crapshoot as the draft can be, evaluating your own and other NBA talent could be an even more important factor in a team improving its fortunes. And I have to give teams credit for tracking down every bit of information they can.
I’ve been quizzed countless times by scouts from other teams about Hawks players. They want to know what guys are like in the locker room and on a daily basis, if you think they are tough enough and whether not you believe they’ve got the kind of attitude that lends itself to coaching and all other manner of minutiae.
Everyone, it seems, has homework to do.
You make the call
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The NBA today suspended Josh Childress two games for punching Chicago’s Andres Nocioni in the back of the head Wednesday night after Nocioni elbowed Childress in the throat. Childress was ejected from the game. Now he’ll miss tonight’s game against Charlotte and tomorrow’s game in Milwaukee against the Bucks.
For his part, Nocioni gets a $5,000 fine and “a Flagrant Foul Penalty Two for making unnecessary and excessive contact with Childress,” according to NBA.com.
What do you think? Is this punishment fair because a punch was thrown? Or is Childress getting slapped with a benching that is itself foul considering what led to him retaliating against Nocioni?
Fast, furious would suit ATL
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
And you thought you had it bad, Hawks fans. Ha. I stayed up after last night’s game (Bulls 96, Hawks 90) and watched the NBA’s saddest playoff story knock off the Dallas Mavericks.
It’s a bit jarring when you hear it said aloud. “The Golden State Warriors haven’t been to the playoffs in 12 years.” Wow. Hawks fans are in year seven of the postseason drought. If we’re still cranking on the Hawks here in five years, then we’ll all need therapy (for still waiting for the resurrection).
But I actually wanted to talk about the Warriors. You talk about a team with some promising young talent. Ike Diogu, Monta Ellis, Andris Bierdins, just to name three of their pups. Why everyone passed over Ellis in last year’s draft remains a mystery to me; I wish we could check the blogs from last spring before the draft when people were asking about Ellis and Louis Williams and I was touting Ellis as one of the five best PGs available. Anyway. I love what they’re doing at this late stage of the season. It might seem useless to some people but those kids are worth keeping an eye on. You wonder, though, how long a team that’s missed the playoffs for over a decade will be able to let that team mature before chasing another quick fix and trying to scramble its way into the postseason.
Same goes for the Hawks.
And speaking of the Hawks, they dropped a nasty one to the Bulls Wednesday. And I have to admit, I love the way the Bulls play. I know Josh Childress might not agree, but that fury and relentlessness that the Bulls play with is fabulous to watch. Young teams in the NBA still trying to find their way would be wise to try and craft a furious style of their own. It’s the best way to combat their obvious deficiencies.
I wonder if that goal of 26 wins is out of the question? I know how important it is to the players (they’ve been talking about it for weeks now) and the coaches as well (they never talk about a specific number of wins). But they’ve let so many opportunities slip through their fingers with their inability to take care of the ball (20 turnovers became 20 points for the Bulls in a six-point loss; you do the math) and their inability to defend the basket (38 points in the paint for the Bulls).
But at least they’re getting a taste of rough stuff. Last year this time, it was like teams felt sorry for knocking the Hawks silly late in the season. These days they have to try and bury them because they fear being the Hawks’ latest victim (like the Wizards were last Friday).
A Chicago writer in the press room after the game told me that he hadn’t seen a Hawks team this feisty this late in the season in years. And I think that’s a growing sentiment around the league, among teams and everyone else.
Who’s your NBA MVP?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I hate to shout out any products here but today I have to give a nod to the folks who came up with satellite radio some love. If you love the NFL, they talk about it all day. If you love the weather, politics, heavy metal music or whatever else, you can get it all day long on satellite radio.
Me, I’m an NBA guy. So I love the constant chatter about the league. And today there was a great discussion on one of the stations about the league and the MVP race. Somehow LeBron James has stormed to the front of the pack because he’s played so well of late. King James will be on my ballot, but he’s not No. 1.
There was an argument made for Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Carmelo Anthony, Steve Nash and someone even had the stones to mention Paul Pierce.
Yet no one said a word about the guy I’m casting a vote for. How anyone can dismiss what Chauncey Billups has done this season stuns me. If the criteria’s the same it’s almost always been (Jordan should have won the thing every year after Magic and Bird left the league), then Billups should be a no-brainer pick.
Nash won it last year on the strength of being the best player on the best team in the league. Same thing for Kevin Garnett before him (remember, we’re talking the best regular season team). Charles Barkley and Karl Malone earned their hardware the same way. So why wouldn’t Billups be the choice this year?
If you have a candidate you feel deserves it ahead of him, make your case now. I want to know your feelings before I unveil the AJC’s second annual NBA awards in Sunday’s paper. But this honor is supposed to go to the guy who has the best season. And as fantastic as all these other guys have been this year, Billups has been the best player on the league’s best team all year!
Big offseason in offing?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Now things get interesting. With just a few days left in the regular season and the contenders separating themselves from the pretenders, people want to start yapping.
Players, coaches, agents and NBA executives are starting to vent.
There’s talk of several teams being dismantled this summer and several superstar players perhaps being available for the right combination of current players, draft picks and cap relief.
It all adds up to a deliciously maddening summer for people like us, who have to keep up with all this stuff for work or enjoy monitoring the speculation as a guilty pleasure (anyone for spending their free time doing charity work or searching for world peace? I didn’t think so.).
The most intriguing thing I’ve read or heard so far is that Indiana All-Star big man Jermaine O’Neal might be available this summer. I know people have talked about Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson and of course just about every player on the Knicks’ roster being available. But O’Neal is the guy that could really be the linchpin for a summer free for all if the Pacers are serious about moving him. In my estimation O’Neal, like Garnett and Iverson, is too valuable to move because there is absolutely no way to receive adequate compensation in return. He’s still a young guy that can elevate a team trying to get to the next level, a team like maybe the Hawks.
In addition to that, O’Neal is from Columbia, S.C., tremendously familiar with Atlanta and the kind of engaging and personality that can help energize a fan base. Imagine for a minute a team built around the inside presence of O’Neal and the perimeter mastery of Joe Johnson. Wicked, huh? OK, imagine a team built around KG and Joe Johnson or a backcourt with AI and Joe Johnson. You get my point.
Now I know I’ve championed subtle tweaks to this team for months now, but at the same time I don’t think the potential of a major acquisition can be ignored.
The price will be high and the risk great. But the potential rewards could mean an end to the Hawks’ seven-year postseason swoon.
It’s just another option to think about.
Thinkin’ of a master plan
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Well, I know you guys have some views on our Sunday dealy-schmo (Hawks Dream Team). Sorry to spring it on you without any warning. But I loved the idea of playing fantasy GM somewhere other than this space, even if it was just for a day. I tossed out several scenarios and had dozens more that I’ve thought about.
But I think it’s a great question, and one we have discussed here incessantly. What do you do to tweak this Hawks team and make them a playoff contender next season? I’m in the camp that believes several subtle changes as opposed to a drastic one (notice I left out of Sunday’s package all the possibilities of a blockbuster trade for someone like Kevin Garnett or Allen Iverson). But maybe you think otherwise.
Well, today’s the day for you to let the rest of us in your plan. I know Ando, Astro Joe, Norm, Cliff and many of the rest you regulars have scratched up your own blueprints. But I think it’s time we go over them again.
Me, I’m working on another master plan for the fantasy files. I’m trying to put together all sorts of ideas about what could happen in the future. It’s one of the things that keep this stuff interesting, trying to predict the future.
I did spend my weekend doing other things. I watched the Hawks trick themselves into thinking they could just walk over the Timberwolves minus Kevin Garnett and Ricky Davis. As Julia Roberts said in Pretty Woman, “Big mistake. Huge.” The Hawks should know better than anyone how this thing works. Teams that seem to be up against it tend to be the most dangerous. It’s been that way since forever.
I know most people are still caught up in the euphoria of the Masters and whatever other weekend sporting events kept them locked on to the TV screen, but I have to remind you all that it’s officially crunch time in the NBA season. The Hawks might not be in the mix but there are some other really interesting playoff battles going on.
In the East, the Pacers and Bucks are holding on for dear life for those last two spots. And in the West, the Lakers and Kings are trying to hold on to the last two spots. Six or seven games remain for most teams, so if ever there was a time to keep your eye on the NBA it’s now.
I almost forgot to tell you about my new standing on the whole tights ban that the NBA will institute for next season. Mark Madsen ruined any chance of support for the hip-to-toe leggings by donning a pair Sunday at Target Center. I wasn’t the only person in attendance repulsed by the sight of dude looking like a bulldozing ballerina. I was actually willing to put up with this peculiar fashion turn prior to seeing Sir Pasty himself sporting a pair of black tights under his game shorts. But enough is enough. Next thing you know he’ll be wearing corn rows. So Madsen has done something no one else could; he has me siding with the establishment. NO MORE TIGHTS.
NBA surfin’ with Sekou
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s a good thing I’ve already got a lady. Because with my TV viewing habits on an off night (everything from ESPN to TNT’s Thursday night NBA hoops to reruns of “Martin” — the man is a genius), it’s a wonder I can get my lady to even speak to me. And I didn’t even mention that the TV and computer are all located in the Sanctuary (family room), a space I don’t leave for anything other than a cold beverage (Coke Zero, baby — relax) and the occasional retreat to the Palace (the gentleman’s parlor).
I did fire up the grill long enough to make some burgers, sausage and steaks. But I can’t lie; the night was spent mostly on the frivolous.
So while I was flicking channels and reading and sending emails, I had a few revelations about my favorite subject these days (other than Michigan football, of course): NBA hoops.
A few notes, quotes and an opinion or two (some information contributed from fellow NBA writers from around the league):
— Tony Delk’s time with the Hawks this season is one of the all-time great injustices in pro basketball. Tony Buckets (as he was nicknamed earlier this season for his ability to score rapidly when actually on the floor) did some nice work in the Pistons’ win over Miami.
— The most hilarious thing I’ve heard this week had to be from Nets center Jason Collins, when one of the Jersey writers asked him if he’d ever heard of Donta Smith before Ta went for a career-high 13 against them Tuesday night. “Donta Smith isn’t even on our scouting report! Look, find him here,” Collins said, picking up the scouting report and shaking it in the writer’s face. “You tell me - where’s his name? It’s not here.”
— Fine, we were all wrong about Darko Milicic being a total bust. He has blocked 50 shots since arriving in a trade with the Detroit Pistons, who face the Magic tonight at TD Waterhouse Centre. His 2.38 blocks per game would put him seventh in the league in blocked shots, but Milicic hasn’t played enough games to qualify.
— The Ron Artest love affair never ends, at least not where his peers are concerned. Veteran Clippers guard Sam Cassell is driving the bandwagon these days. “Man, we needed that guy,” Cassell said. “He’s a beast. I’m really good friends with Ron. I was a counselor with the NBA rookie transition team the year he came into the league. And I’d seen what he did at St. John’s. People think you just get defense from him, but not hardly. Ron, he just knows how to play, and there’s a whole lot to that people don’t understand. Everybody in the NBA doesn’t know how to do that, I mean, play with other people. He’s definitely a gift for anyone’s team.” Cassell said Artest brings a winning attitude.”Those are the kinds of players you want on your team,” said Cassell, who won NBA championships with Houston during his first two seasons, 1994 and 1995. “Ron is one of the top 20 players in the world, you hear me? In the world!”
— Did you really think Rasheed Wallace was going to let Pat Riley and Shaq smash on Stu Jackson without saying something? Of course not. “That goes to show you who’s running the league,” Wallace said. “That goes to show you, that’s crazy. Let me say something like that, he’d probably try to blackball me out of the league again, if I said that. It just makes them look bad, though. They always say the league is supposed to be ‘our league”’” - Sheed used the quote fingers - ” ‘our league together.’ But it ain’t. And they have their favorites, and it just so happens that me and the Pistons aren’t one of them.”
— I don’t know how anyone can make up Carmelo Anthony’s All-Star Game slight to him, but something needs to be done. Because the reigning Western Conference Player of the Month is playing as well as any single player in the league right now. He gets buckets on anyone and is one of the few players in the league, to me, who is virtually unstoppable (basically he’s the Western Conference version of Paul Pierce). But I can’t wait to see what he does in the playoffs if they get the Spurs in the second round.
— Did I mention that Martin Lawrence is a comedic genius? Seriously, tune in to the reruns and tell me if you aren’t laughing crazy. The man has issues. His sitcom was like “Sanford and Son” revisited for me. I loved Fred G. as well.
I promise, this weekend I’ll try and so something more culturally enriching. Or not!
Mock your calendars
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The first annual Blog Mock Draft is officially on the schedule; now all we have to do it decide on a date. I don’t know if I can wait until June 28 or whenever the real draft takes place. But I think we do at least need to wait on the early entrant list to be finalized. The format and any other details are up for discussion. So if you have any suggestions, let ‘em fly here.
Now, on to one other spot of business today that I feel compelled to share. I’ve heard the NBA has sent out the ballots for the various season-ending awards that will be announced throughout the playoffs. I have guys in mind for MVP, most improved, rookie of the year (duh) and the like. I’m wondering where you guys stand. And since technically we’re not allowed to vote (AJC rules, baby), I figured we could have at it here.
Chris Paul (ROY) is the only one that is already rock solid to me. And the rest …
Going and going and going
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I told Josh Smith this last night after the two-point loss to New Jersey at Continental Airlines Arena and I meant it sincerely, this Hawks team is the most hilariously entertaining basketball team I’ve seen in years. They’re funny because they’ve truly convinced themselves that they should win every single game they play. No matter how many points they get down, no matter how many guys they don’t have in uniform and no matter who they play, they think they should win.
The hilarious part is that long before now a team with 22 wins would normally realize their fate and put it on cruise control for the last month of the season. The Hawks, the world’s most stubborn basketball team, refuse.
They outscored the Nets 37-18 in the fourth quarter with a rag-tag lineup of Esteban Batista, Anthony Grundy, Donta Smith, Smith and a flu-filled Joe Johnson playing their guts out the entire way. The Nets fans breathing down my neck gave the Hawks a standing ovation at the end of the game. (I thought they were cheering their team but a kind gentleman informed me that any team with that many guys he’d never heard of that played that hard deserved some love.)
How JJ continues to come up with these performances (after scoring five points on 2-for-12 shooting in Memphis he comes up with a game-high 33 on 12-17 shooting, including, 3-for-4 from long distance) boggles the mind. His body should be on empty by now. He should be resting his bones and getting ready for vacation April 20. But he’s still going and going and going.
As impressive as Donta Smith was (four dunks and a clutch 3-pointer), it was Josh Smith that struck me. He struggles from the floor but counters wtih 12 rebounds, eight assists, three blocks (I counted at least six but he was only credited with three) on the night he snatched sole possession of ninth place on the franchise blocked shots list (323), surpassing Antoine Carr.
Then there’s Tyronn Lue, playing on a still tender knee, who dishes out seven assists (one shy of his season high) in just his second game back from a two-month stint on the bench with a sprained knee ligament.
They played with nine healthy guys. Nine!
What they’ll have in the tank tonight against Minnesota will be interesting to see.
We whack people around here all the time, and most of the time it’s well earned. But I have to commend these guys and the coaches in particular. Because if he can convince these guys to buy into whatever it is he’s selling, he needs his own informercial.
Prospects may swamp Draft
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So how long before the Gators flee the Swamp? Sorry, Florida fans, but after watching these young guys go bonkers Monday night, I don’t see how they keep this group together. I’ve already made clear my love for Joakim Noah’s game. And Al Horford already knows some post tricks that guys in the NBA are still trying to learn. Splendid work by the Gators, splendid. I am a bit ticked off that they spanked UCLA because I picked the Bruins weeks ago (ask Hawks assistant Larry Drew), long before they started rolling in the tourney.
All that said, I know we all have a tendency to get hyped up over players after the NCAA Tourney. Everybody always looks better if they’ve shined the way many of these players have the past few weeks. So I have to remind myself to temper these comments with a little reality (the transition for any player from one level to the next can be a painful undertaking depending on the situation and the individual).
But I can’t let that stop me from confessing. So let me share some other thoughts from a rainy Monday night in Jersey spent studying the tube and the NCAA title game.
— Noah’s lack of bulk won’t hinder him nearly as much at the next level because he’s got better basketball instincts and timing on defense than a majority of the men who earn millions playing half as hard as he does. The beautiful thing about his entire package is that his love for the game is pure. He’s from a family that has afforded him opportunities to see the world and live a lifestyle that far exceeds the norm. So he has a huge decision ahead of him. Because if he decides to enter the draft pool, I don’t know how you pass him up at the top. I know, I know. I was calling for LaMarcus Aldridge last weekend. I changed my mind. Noah’s the dude.
— I know Horford’s pops made some mistakes in his career (left school early and never fulfilled his immense potential). But the kid is so advanced. He’s more polished on the offensive side of the ball than I initially thought. And like I mentioned, he’s already sharp in terms of how to seal and beat his man on the offensive end. And he’s a good ball handler for a player his size and has an NBA-ready frame. The early word is that both he and Noah are going back to school … but I’m not buying until the deadline passes.
— UCLA point guard Jordan Farmar is much more ready for the next level than I realized. He’s got an excellent vision of what he can and cannot do (and there doesn’t appear to be much that he can’t do). He can score, pass and run a team the way NBA teams need from their floor generals. If dude comes out, I can see someone snatching him early.
— UCLA center Ryan Hollins is going to be a project at the NBA level. After watching him last weekend I felt like he’d come a long way from his freshman season, when he was unable to gather himself around the basket and finish plays with his superior size and athleticism. It was clear Monday night that he’s still a work in progress in that department.
— Florida junior Corey Brewer is being touted as a top of the first round prospect, but I just don’t see it. He’s so slight (we’re talking Todd Day thin, people) that I have a hard time seeing him making that move before drinking a few more protein shakes. His all-around skills are impressive, no doubt. But I just can’t picture him in the NBA game right now. He’s not like Tayshaun Prince (who is 6-9 with a 7-footer’s wingspan), the patron saint of rail-thin college stars who are trying to prove they can play with the big boys. If someone took Brewer late in the first round I’d understand it. But in the lottery? No sir.
We may all have to revise our opinions on the talent available in this summer’s draft. Depending on who leaves college in the dust, we could have a wildly talented crop of big guys in this draft, which bodes well for the Hawks and other lottery-bound teams. Outside of Greg Oden, I don’t know any of the other big men mentioned for next year’s draft that will be better prospects than either Noah or Horford.
An offseason of possibilities
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
‘Nique Appreciation Day was Friday, but let me start today’s entry by giving one more shout to the man who is now a Hall of Famer. Congrats are in order.
I’m also taking a week-long hiatus from the Hawks’ ownership drama, so this will be the last mention of it here (barring a surprise resolution to the whole mess by Friday) until next week.
Now, on to the business at hand. Ten games remain in the season for the Hawks and it’s time for us all to play armchair GM. I’ve been thinking about it for weeks now, what players need to be added and subtracted from this roster to make a 20-win team (20 plus) a 40-win team and get the Hawks into playoff contention?
It’s going to take more than just one or two new players, I think. In my estimation there needs to be a shift of about 3-5 fresh bodies — a point guard, two to three bigs and another shooting guard who can spell Joe Johnson.
Draft, free agency, trades, it all has to come into play. The draft comes first. And there’s a chance to snag some real gems this year, if the draft pool fills itself out the way most experts think. I’m thinking of guys like Ryan Hollins (athletic 7-footer from UCLA) where you snagged Salim Stoudamire last year.
I’ve had too much time to dream up scenarios for the draft and everything else, so I apologize for the explicit details. But I’ve been trying to analyze this team after seeing them up close all season. I’m just a believer now, more than ever, that teams have to be built with chemistry in mind as much as talent.
There was a time when I felt like an NBA team needed to start and end with talented players and you let the chemistry issues work themselves out or make sure you have a coach who has a master’s in chemistry. But in this day and age, you can’t leave any of that to chance. The players are too young and have too many deficiencies when they enter the league to allow that.
The other thing I realize now more than ever is that there is no blueprint for success. There’s so much luck and serendipity involved in the process — ask the Spurs, who have had the good fortune of owning the No. 1 pick in the draft the years David Robinson and Tim Duncan were in the draft. But just drafting well doesn’t ensure success. There’s so much more work, stuff that flies largely under the radar, that must be done in order for a franchise to thrive.
So much of it is work that has to be done by individuals, namely the players, to improve their games year after year. The key is identifying the players willing to put in that work and making sure they are in the kind of environment that fosters that type of work ethic.
It’s easy for players to become disillusioned during a losing situation. Fortunately for the Hawks, I haven’t sensed any of that from their pups. If anything, they’ve bowed up as the season has gone on, showing some teeth that people might not have realized they had (check some of the comments lately from opposing coaches and players). Their incessant praise of a team that’s lost 50 games startled me at first. But it makes more sense to me now. They’ve come in expecting the Hawks to lay down for them and take their beating without putting up any fight.
And for many of the reasons I stated above, the Hawks haven’t done that. It all makes for a wildly interesting offseason, which will be here before you know it (10 games people).
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