Hawks

By Astro Joe

November 9, 2006 04:21 PM | Link to this

SS, if things remain the same for some of these veteran teams (Mavs, Nuggets, Pistons & Heat), I expect to see some interesting trade deadline deals. Even with the draft being potentially deep, those teams are not likely going to tank the season (maybe Denver but not the others). It definitely appears as if this will be a fascinating season for the league. After enjoying the free preview, I decided to put down my money on the League Pass this year. Just don’t tell my wife.

By Pittbull71

November 9, 2006 04:58 PM | Link to this

Feel sorry for Carmelo? Have you seen his wife?! I should be SO unfortunate. :-)

It’s really wayyyy too early to start dissecting the NBA season. We can truly only comment on the home bunch where 4-1 compared to 0-5 the past few seasons lends to some real optimism!

By sandy

November 9, 2006 04:59 PM | Link to this

“see, you so cool”

You are wrong for slamming the Nuggets. Did you hurt Marc’s feelings? Leave my Pistons out of your mild tirade

Keep up the good work…i enjoy reading you

SW (and it is not Sheldon Williams, I can hit a shot)

By doc

November 9, 2006 05:17 PM | Link to this

i’ve been throwing in my comments about the rest of the league already.

one missed on the upside is that chicago has gotten off to a strong start and it shows the value of big ben. seems like he hasnt lost his edge as much as i thought he had though his numbers have declined steadily over the past few years. even with that, he has the uncanny ability to improve those around him and he will make the difference this year in that division unless he runs out of gas. i would love to know and been a fly on the wall when ben talked to his agent about getting out of detroit last year. ben simply shut bogout down the other night.

no rooks in the top 25 in scoring nor taking off in the rebounds per game category. roy didnt play last night, wonder why.

i think the lakers have gotten a great deal of milage by tanking the season two years ago and keeping the protected draft pick from the hawks to use it for bynum when they sat kobe down early. the kid is off to a great start for a second year pro at 19. he had a double double last week to become the youngest to ever do that in a laker uni. he steps in front of magic in getting that distinction.

so far by the numbers bosh is the man and will rank right up there with dwight howard of orlando as the next real thing. get ready because i still think that marvin is set in the same cloth as bosh and he will match bosh’s numbers each year in his development. marvin will be the “four” that we will drool over who can go over to the three spot when necessary. still would like to see j smash make it big with a low post game and defense first attitude and force marvin to the three spot.

By honest_abe

November 9, 2006 05:41 PM | Link to this

doc, on roy i think he has knee problems/injury.. not sure if you were cracking a hypothetical question or you just didn’t know.. but i thought i’d try and help :)

By roan st

November 9, 2006 05:58 PM | Link to this

Roy has an injury to his heal that is not considered serious but needs rest. I believe the term they used was an apingement or something like that, in the heal.

By tyger

November 9, 2006 05:59 PM | Link to this

Unfortunate reality is that teams with bonafide superstars like Shaq, Lebron, Chauncy and Nowitski can really turn it on when they need too. So, its too early to count anyone out or to hit the panic buttons in those towns, b/c theyre going to be their in the end barring injury.

And maybe thats what they are trying to avoid in these otherwise meaningless early games. Especially, in the case of Miami.

By Lacsho

November 9, 2006 05:59 PM | Link to this

Sekou I agree Detroit is not the same without Ben. Not only did they loose rebounds and block shots, but they lost a great deal of intensity. My personal opinion Ben was the heart and soul of the Pistons.

Chicago looks fantastic. Ben Gordon has really elevated his game. This guy is the real deal, and Tyrus Thomas is looking pretty damn good. They have the deepest squad in the NBA.

Doc I concur with the Laker statement. Bynum will be a double/ double guy. Kareem has really brought this young man along. The Lakers will be a force to be reckoned with at the end of this season.

Don’t sleep on Portland Randolph is on a mission. This guy is beasting, and do I really have to mention Roy? Everybody picked Portland and Atlanta to finish in the bottom, but I just don’t see it.

I know we’re not supposed to mention this guy on the blog, but CP is doing the damn thing. Furthermore, its seems Peja has found a home away from home (Sac town) with NO/OKL. They have a very deep squad too.

That Central division is up in the air. I agree with Sekou, the central division championship race will go down to the wire.

I still like my Hawks though, give us the 8th seed.

Peace Yall and I’m gone.

By Lacsho

November 9, 2006 06:10 PM | Link to this

Oh on another note Hawks are number 8 on the power rankings for NBA.com The first week of the season they were ranked number 29 out of 30 teams. Just had to add that, now back to the regular scheduled program!!!!

By doc

November 9, 2006 06:11 PM | Link to this

yeah randolph went off the other night. can he stay focused? he seems to be gellin with roy so that says a lot for the kid as randoph has been a hard nut to crack.

it is okay to talk about cp because in two years there will be the big three; howard, bosh and marvin that folks will mention together in the same breath as the best in the east.

carmelo ….. smello.

By roan st

November 9, 2006 06:19 PM | Link to this

Lacsho, I have been following pretty much all of the rookie players this season. You said thomas is looking damn good but from the info I get he’s been a non-factor. Two out of the last three games he was DNP. The other game he played only 6 minutes. The only rookie that has made a significant impact that I have seen is roy. Morrison has scored some but he is an absolute liability on defense and can’t rebound worth a hoot. The way I see it if shelden becomes a decent player he will probably surpass the careers of many in this rookie class. So far he looks a bit stiff and mechanical to me but maybe he can become a good rebounder and defender.

By Weaver

November 9, 2006 06:28 PM | Link to this

Doc, Hate to break it to you, but Marvin Williams wil NEVER be mentioned in the same breath as Bosh or Howard. He doesn’t even come close, keep dreaming!

By JMar

November 9, 2006 06:36 PM | Link to this

Chillin’ at the top of the Southeast Division? Check again, Sekou - the Hawks are chillin’ at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, not just the conference.

By G Money

November 9, 2006 07:02 PM | Link to this

I’ve been also scanning around the NBA. The team no one has mentioned is the Hornets. With the team mentality that they have and the new adds, I see them as being a force to reckon with. Additionally, it looks like Yao is finally going to become the beast that everyone predicted when he first entered the league. They seem to be on a mission and we all know that it only takes two superstars and a handful of good role players to win a championship.

That being said, I’m not feeling the Pistons at this point. Without Wallace, their heart has been cut out. Ben made everyone look better on defense. He was the point-center in a convoluted way for the team. They were built around defense and not offense. Flip didn’t realize what he had or how they were wired. Too bad. The Hawks are being wired kind of like the MJ Bulls. People forget that they played tremendous defense as well but had an outstanding go to guy on offense and defense.

As for Melo and Denver, having lived through the Westwood years, Doug Moe years, and a few more recent that I can’t remember, I feel for them. Now, Martin is down again. They’ve blown their budget, and it will be hard for them to recover — two big men with bad knees. It ain’t happening there. Watch out though for LA. I too am a Bynum fan. I am also a Cassell fan. They’ll be tough to beat but I don’t believe either will make it through to the finals. I also wouldn’t write off the Heat just yet. Remember last year?

But I can’t stop talking about our Hawks in comparison. I wish we could have kept the Greek, but I think MW is going to emerge this year as someone to be reckoned with. JS is going to learn how to play the PF position albeit with a bit more finesse. JJ will look like Jordan in some respects. Chill will be the ultimate young Horry. I worry about Claxton’s knees. Muscle fatigue is one thing. Sore knees is an entirely different one. They can match up well with about 45% of the league. Beware of our bench. They will be the key as to how long we can go at this pace and be competitive with everyone.

By doc

November 9, 2006 07:23 PM | Link to this

tnt is the place to be tonight.

watch the cavs try to recouperate from the beating at the hands of the hawks against big ben, then follow with the suns and the mavs playing to stay out of the cellar. we can get a close up look at diaw and see if he is the guy who didnt show for the big games in the playoffs last year.

By Lacsho

November 9, 2006 08:01 PM | Link to this

Roan maybe I should have said before Thomas received a broken nose in that Miami game. (Good Catch)But trust me he will prevail.

Doc you are right, I got my killians sitting on Ice waiting for TNT. But wouldn’t you know I have to pick my son up from basketball pratice at 9:00, so I guess I’ll only be able to drink one(wish wifey would volunteer to get him), but I’ll catch up during the second game.

G Money I agree and I disagree. I agree that Yao is finally making that turn, but the Hornets lack defense. They have a nice offensive punch;however, their defense does not exist. Your boy for the Hornets and Roy, and Foye will be competing for rooking of the year no doubt. I think its going to take them a little more time to jell.

Back to Yao the Rockets are looking pretty good too. If only McGrady can stay healthy. (Does he have the Speedy syndome) Just kidding!!!!

Weaver I think you are wrong, but we’ll have to wait until he gets back on the court to prove you wrong. Marvin will eventually be the man next to the man (JJ).

By Reasonable Dawg

November 9, 2006 08:40 PM | Link to this

Sekou…I personally only see 3 teams coming from the central because I think Toronto, Orlando, and of course dem Hawks are improved teams, that will make the W’s tougher for the conference as a whole.

When I look at the league standings, I see a league with more parity forming. Sort of like the NFL. Remember, the Clippers made noise last year!

By The Flash

November 9, 2006 08:45 PM | Link to this

Diaw does and so do the rest of the guys on Phoenix. Pray tell, you ask. Easy. Amaire. He don’t fit. And, they miss Timmy, big time.

Amaire slows them down. Ditto the other returnie. With those guys, they are not the same. Amaire, btw, is done. It is over for him. This is like putting Barbarie (however you spell it) back on the track.

Talking heads and sports writers ignore injuries. They buy this stuff that everything is fixable. The thing that happened to Amaire ain’t. That is the story. You’ll hear it from them months from now. He is not playing his way back; he is playing his way out. I’m terrifically sorry for him, and take no joy in saying this. His injury was career ending.

Having to play with a lame star is hurting this team. It will continue to until they understand their loss and accept it.

I told you guys long ago, Dumars blew up Detroit when he forced LB out. BTW, wonder what LB is doing to keep his mind sharp. Maybe he ain’t the only one with a package; maybe he’s on the phone with his brother and Woody. Be interesting to know.

More than missing Ben right now, Detroits biggest problem was everybody’s MVP last year. Yes, you heard me. I thought it would be Sheed that would lead the complete implosion. I think now that I am wrong.

The guy who reverted first and most damagingly is Mr. Billips. He only thought that he learned what he needed from LB. Everybody needs to be on the same page, to make changes on the fly together. Billips yells charge, and everybody just looks at him. Flipper, well, he’s like the ole ball coach for the Skins, “Let em play.”

Dallas’ problems run deeper than you think Sekou. Here it is again, sports fans, remember where you read it. Avery ran his hoss into the ground. That’s right. He got Derk to play big, and also daringly; take it to the hole. Derk got terribly beat up doing that, terribly. In case you guys ain’t looking, “he ain’t built for that.” Oh, he did it bravely, right to the end of the season when he couldn’t do it anymore.

He might be able to play the same way in spots, but Derk is not the athlete that Avery insisted he be. The guy will play like the old Derk if Avery lets him. But, he won’t. And, if he don’t, color Dallas a non factor. They will be good, but not what they were last year.

People have to begin to take account of the wear and tear of this game. It is taking a terrific toll on star players, a terrific, terrific toll, and you are seeing it in Phoenix and in Dallas. Oh, btw, Miami too.

Which brings me here. I like the three 6’8”s; you absolutely need them and no, Josh cannot, and I mean cannot be taking it to the rim from the perimeter and last. You want a winner, he needs to play within the realhm of what is safe. He and everyone else on this team needs to play smart, be effective, and not spend their bodies foolishly for short term success or highlights.

Picture the old Knicks. The captain don’t go down with that fluke injury, they’d still be getting it done. I don’t know that anybody else on that team had a significant injury. Basketball does not need to be so violent. It is prettier when it is not. No dunking; sorry guys, you want a championship, cut that stuff out except when really, really necessary. Save the legs, the skeleton.

That’s my story and I’m stickin to it.

By JohnD

November 9, 2006 08:45 PM | Link to this

The East may have only one, and possibly no, 50 game winners. Chicago looks to be the one possibility right now, strong and deep up front with talent in the back court. There are many fragile teams in the East that could prosper or plummet.

Dallas and Phoenix on the bottom in the West - do we really think that will continue? Amare trying to come back from the micro surgery as he once was - no one has before. Houston and San Antonio look to be the best on paper and the floor right now in the West.

The Hawks have an opportunity to surprise the entire league with their depth and desire. Keep the faith and give support and some of the negative posters might also join the parade.

By ray

November 9, 2006 09:01 PM | Link to this

This is going to look like the run-on sentence from hell, but here goes…Chicago is my other team, been a favorite when I was 7yrs old and just moved to Georgia. They are going to be very tough to overcome this year, and many times won’t be able to do it. Why? They keep hitting you with new, fresh faces that have long arms and great instincts. Did you see how they played Miami? Sefalosha ripping DWade and going coast-to-coast, Krhyapa dropping in a dime or two here and there, Hinrich running the show, Not-so-gentle Ben shooting the lights out AND dropping 9 dimes. PJ and Ben everywhere…it just doesn’t stop. But enough of them. Milwaukee’s dangerous, Indy is winning, Philly can get you, Washington, Toronto, the list goes on. It’s “Any Given Sunday” in almost every NBA game. Golden State is throwing down on people (BD is a Baaaad man). Houston may get into that upper echelon finally. You have to admit, they have the ultimate role player in Battier. He does SO much. If Yao stays healthy and focused, McGrady plays a healthy 65 or more regular season games (and healthy for the playoffs) they can really do some damage. Avery Johnson will right the Mavs. Or he’ll get with Cuban and a shrewd trade will be made. The Clippers are better than the Suns this year. They have better defense and Maggette is coming off the bench. How scary is THAT? I say he’s the 6th man of the year, how’s that for a prediction? Portland will makes strides if Randolph and company can keep their cranial capacitors out of their anal capacitor..no guarantee there. Phoenix may take a step backward, even with Amare’s return. Jalen Rose might be a huge help to prevent that, though. The Lakers are looking more like a team and hopefully Kobe helps that concept. Bynum is a dominant big man in the making. Odom has to quit acting like he’s lost his kahones every time Kobe hits the floor. He’s an awesome, versatile player. Maybe Kobe has to be the one to tell him that. Jordan acknowledged Pippen’s skills, did he not? Denver is done. I know the season is early, so that statement is indeed precocious. But who’s to blame? Is Karl really the right guy here? Where is the ultra-expensive Nene? Oh yeah, averaging 19minutes per. Niiice. Can K-mart put on a blue light special…all season? Naw, these guys are nowhere near what they should be, and the bench is less than impressive. Memphis and Minnesota aren’t going anywhere. Let the KG sweepstakes begin. The guy can only take so much. San Antonio. Yeah, I can see them winning it all. But anything can happen. The Jazz are off to a good start. Barring injury, they will probably keep it up and knock someone out of a playoff spot. Going back east, Detroit just isn’t the same team, and not just because Big Ben’s gone. Cleveland is good, but I don’t know if the present team is good enough to be one of the top 4 teams in the east with the improvement of some and the maintained ability of others. I still think the Nets, Bulls, Heat, and Pistons are better. Detroit may not be soon, though. Okay, enough of my truly aimless and direction-less rambling. I didn’t even mention all of the teams.

By doc

November 9, 2006 09:02 PM | Link to this

sekou was that our own ando dressed up in that utah uni as the mongoose calling out kobe in the tnt commercial for nba ps2? looked a lot like him, maybe even sounded a bit like him too.

By Clyde

November 10, 2006 12:17 AM | Link to this

DENVER — At the morning shootaround, Kenyon Martin talked about how good it felt to feel good again. By nightfall, he was down in the dumps, facing yet another knee surgery.

I wonder were the Hawks would be if Kenyon Martin had decided to sign that fat contract Billy had for him.

FIRE BILLY AND WOODY

By HB Ando

November 10, 2006 12:54 AM | Link to this

Doc, you know I ain’t got no ‘stache. Nor do I have a mullet. Nor have a worn, at least since the mid-80’s, anything that approximates the throw-back short-shorts that defined John Stockton.

SS, I told you the Pistons would struggle without Big Ben. Did you not get the e-mail offering my take? ‘Course I also said I liked the Mavs out of the West (against the Bulls in the East). But I do think it’s safe to say that the Mavs will have at least 20 more wins than the Hawks, to put the value of a teams’ record, after five whole games, in it’s proper perspective.

By reese

November 10, 2006 02:14 AM | Link to this

Way to go Hawks, I’ve been busy the past few days and have only seen parts of the games. Luckily, I saw the 4th qtr and overtime of the Cleveland game.

I’ve read the blogs for the past 4 days and I don’t remember anyone commenting about the cleveland crowd booing Lebron James when he missed a free throw late in the game. It didn’t last long and a much louder group of fans began cheering for him.

Also, the best example of the hawks lack of respect by the refs was when Lebron James was covering Josh Smith and slipped right into the legs of Josh Smith knocking him down. The ref was standing right there and did not blow the whistle.

Again, another bad coaching job by an opposing teams coach. Cleveland coach Brown decided to match down with the hawks and played gooden in the 5 spot and donyel marshall in the 4 spot. There by negating the height advantage of varejo and Ilgaulkas.

Stability seems to be favoring the hawks early in the season. In other words, the chemistry gained by playing a second season together for lue, childress, smith, zaza and JJ is an important contributor for their early season success. They are use to each other, enjoy playing with each other and are again playing hard for their coach.

By the way 1100 am on the radio dial is the cleveland station and it played the hawks game much better than 790 the zone.

By tb

November 10, 2006 02:52 AM | Link to this

Hello Clyde, fact is BK didn’t make the winning offer in the Martin deal. Most said he failed at the time. True also in the other missed FA signings; Stro, Magloire….

Seems like no matter how many of these supposed missed signings, that in retrospect don’t seem so missed now, or how well the team assembled by BK begins to look, some still choose to stubbornly attack his every move. Both past and present. And when that isn’t good enough, they want to start shipping out key young members of our maturing team. Or lampoon the recent arrivals as not having been the best choice or living up to the expectations…..

Are there underlying issues or just very critical positions?

By doc

November 10, 2006 07:23 AM | Link to this

ando i know you dont look exactly like that but maybe another alter ego, disguise or personna. it was more a response to the cartoonish representative character that is on the fantasy bball site more than the actual you.

no clyde, bk didnt up the ante and throw more money out there and was criticized for it at the time. bk set his price and it didnt work, martin used it to get a better price, denver got stuck and vandeweigh lost his job not bk. you are really stooping to try and make something out of that one. sad to see martin having such a difficult time physically as he had a good run there for the nets before the injuries. basically shows your agenda and how desperate you are at this point to stay the course of the DARK SIDE and use someone elses misfortunes to try and prove your position. you were more real in the light, maybe it didnt feel safe.

phoenix is struggling; nash with a triple double that includes t.o.’s. diaw an ex-assist machine with two of his five assists on throwbacks to someone behind the arc for an uncontested three, one to barbossa and one to nash, all but one in the first half. it looked like a roller coaster ride for them and one they might not fix for a while.

marcus banks another pickup who was to spell nash was a bust last night. now they are talking about assist by committee when nash is off the floor for significant minutes. doesnt it seem like they have spent an awful lot of money for a very unbalanced team with big contracts to barbossa, amare, nash, marion ( a max), banks, thomas, bell and diaw among others?

round man of tnt wasnt impressed with them before or after the game and said loudly that jalen at only 1.5 mil made a mistake going there instead of miami. barkley said he just didnt see how it was going to all fit together and mesh for siginificant minutes for jalen without it affecting some other key parts, impling diaw who they just put 8 mil out for a long term contract.

By THL

November 10, 2006 07:52 AM | Link to this

What I’ve noticed is that teams in the East that are supposed to be the best have some glaring holes. Chicago cannot score consistently, Miami is old (and seem satisfied that they have one championship), Detriot is still satisfied they won it a couple of years ago, Cleveland looks kind of strong (they have the ref’s/league’s favorite player on the team) but I’m not sold on them yet. As for the west, Phoenix is starting to see the real Boris Diaw that we came to know and love and they still don’t play much defense, San Antonio looks like the best team out there but Tim Duncan needs to make some free throws.

The Hawks look pretty good so far. They need Speedy to earn his money though. Once he gets healthy and thhis team can run more, they’ll be a legit threat in the East. Maybe with Speedy being hurt, Salim will step up and earn back some minutes.

By doc

November 10, 2006 08:26 AM | Link to this

chicago has a problem with the size of their guards. it is like playing salim with speedy or lue for significant minutes. no matter how hard they would try to play d there are going to be times where there is a huge disadvatage. it is probably the primary reason salim is not seeing time now, size issues on d not heart.

By doc

November 10, 2006 08:33 AM | Link to this

that said chicago is going to be the real stupid when it comes to not getting roy; not the hawks. gordon and roy with henrich and duhon for years with roy’s size and ability on defense to go after a big guard. now that was real stupidity and would have been a real problem with their following up and signing big ben.

said it to ando on draft night, roy shouldn’t have been available for the hawks to even choose from. chicago was better set at forward than big guard and will pay for it. even foye was more of what they would need. puhleeze lets put that burden on someone else.

By Lacsho

November 10, 2006 08:39 AM | Link to this

GMoney correction when you said Hornets I was thinking about their original location in Charlotte. So in my paragraph I was referring to the Bobcats not the Hornets and Morrison is the player I was referencing to along with Roy, and Foye for Rookie of the Year.

Ray that was one helluva of a recap.

By honest_abe

November 10, 2006 10:30 AM | Link to this

doc.. do you think the bulls problems are minor and they should have everything fixed by the all star break? is it chemistry issues? or is the problem the fact they have problems scoring the ball… i remember during the playoffs the only offense they could generate was from 3 pointers… add someone like ben wallace and i dont’ see how that can help a team that had no inside offensive presence to begin with… the bulls should still be one of the better teams in the east.. but i don’t see how they have any shot to make it to the finals..

By Astro Joe

November 10, 2006 10:34 AM | Link to this

Doc, I ABSOLUTELY agree with you that Chicago should have drafted Roy. Their Hinrich/Gordon/Duhon rotation hurt them during the playoffs the past 2 seasons. I know they feel good about Thabo, but it seems like they could have chosen Roy first and picked up a young, energetic big at #13 (like Simmons). Roy’s size and ball handling skills would have fit perfectly with Gordon & Hinrich.

On a side note, when you consider that they traded Elton Brand for Tyson Chandler and then Chandler for PJ Brown, ultimately, they moved Brand for Brown.

By Samuel

November 10, 2006 12:05 PM | Link to this

Cuz, I dont have league pass but I did get the free one week NBA tv.

My overall impressions of the NBA right now. Some really Bad basketball being played. I could barely watch the Hawks and Cavs.

I said comming out of the practice at Woodward, that if we keep up our defensive intensity, we would beat a lot of people. After watching the first 2 weeks, it only confirms my opinion. When the fat cats(Heat, Pistons, Mavs,Spurs) finally get in shape, they will catch up to the pack and surpass it but we can chalk up a lot of wins in the time being. I said before the season that PHX could do no better than they did last year, even with a 100% Amare. With a 75% Amare they definately have gone backwards.

The team that really has me excited is the GS Warriors. They beat NO last night. My boy Monte and BDiddy. The fastest backcourt in basketball and right now maybe the BEST.

The Raptors will be no pushovers. TJ Ford is always hard to deal with. Should be a dogfight between he and Ty Lue.

By doc

November 10, 2006 02:09 PM | Link to this

honest, i defer to ando on that one he has picked them to go all the way to the finals i think. i kinda agree with samuel that teams are jockeying a bit but seems like no one has gotten out of the gate this year but i dont think it is because of bad basketball. we’ll know better at the 20 game mark which i hoped the hawks would reach with 7 wins. they are 40% there after 4 so they are ahead of what i had hoped they could do which was to play the .333 pace they finished at after the debacle start from last year. if they continue we might be all singing the same song as barkley was last night; “my hawks will be in the playoffs”.

By ray

November 10, 2006 08:59 PM | Link to this

Wouldn’t it be sweet…