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Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Showing signs of life
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Not even back-to-back wins for the first time in two months will be enough to pacify the most vocal of Hawks critics (and it shouldn’t). But you have to admit that seeing the Hawks at something closer to decent health makes a world of difference.
They hit the 100-point mark in their win over the Celtics for the first time in 11 games, which is more shocking to me than anything else that has gone on. We’re talking about a team that has six players that average double figures going that long without scoring 100 points. That’s crazy (and largely the result of not having those six guys at once).
But before I go on with all the in-game minutiae, let me take a minute to address several hot button topics from the weekend (in the five things, 2007 version, that I can’t shake):
What’s with all the venom for Jeff Schultz for his criticism of the Hawks and their owners? He wasn’t anywhere near as cold-blooded as some have been around these parts (you know who you are). Just like everyone here weighs in with their thoughts, Shultz is entitled to his opinions. I had no problem with what he said about the state of the Hawks after Friday’s win over the Pistons. He came and surveyed the situation and wrote it the way he saw it. Everyone’s entitled to his or her own opinions.
I’ve raged against NBA players and their situational nonchalance already this season. So let me now praise some guys for poking holes in my theories. If you didn’t watch the motley crew the Celtics showed up with Monday, you missed one of the true feel good stories of the league. They had nine guys, all but Mike Olowokandi were basically NBA neophytes, and they played their guts out. It was fun to watch a game like that and good to see young guys busting it like that. Doc Rivers gets panned coast to coast for being a lousy coach and I’m not sure I understand that criticism. He had these cats ready to go Monday and it showed. I wish every team played that hard all the time. It would make the NBA product so much better.
The people at the Golden Globes, yet another awards show I’ve never watched, saw fit to give everybody from the movie Dreamgirls an award, save for my baby Beyonce. Unbelievable. My baby sister, a Beyonce hater if ever there was one, made sure to call and keep me updated, interrupting my 24 watching twice, laughing at Beyonce the entire time. Well, B, you’re still No. 1 with me. Forget the haters. I saw the movie and Beyonce’s performance was as good as any.
Anyone foolish enough to question Reggie Bush’s toughness better rethink that stance. I saw him take probably the most vicious lick I’ve seen at any level this season and come back like a champ. Deuce McAllister did the bulk of the heavy lifting for the Saints and deserves the praise that comes along with his performance. But Bush is a baller, too.
I’m done with 24 after just two days. I know I’ve been hyping it up for months now. But they did the unthinkable last night and killed my man Curtis off the show. For the record, that’s two major brothers (they clipped the original President Palmer at the start of last season) eliminated in the past year. I love Jack Bauer and the premise of the show. But Hollywood’s fetish with offing brown-skinned characters is out of control. So there goes my TV watching outside of sports-related and hard news programming. I don’t watch anything else on a regular basis. Any suggestions on a new show (I can only handle getting really invested in one show) will be welcomed.
Good. I got that off my chest.
Back to the Hawks and their 2-0 weekend. I would hope that anyone still conflicted about Josh Childress’ value has resolved those issues.
The guy’s been fabulous in whatever role the Hawks have asked him to play. He’s one of the most consistent players I’ve seen in terms of what you get from him in effort, energy and production on a nightly basis.
His block on Gerald Green with three seconds to play Monday was a game-saver. Because I didn’t think Green (who’s a much better player than I initially thought) was on fire.
(For anyone wondering, Childress has averaged 20 points and nine rebounds in his last three outings while shooting 65 percent from the floor.)
As good as Childress was over the weekend, I don’t think anyone could have anticipated the lift Josh Smith’s return would provide. His activity on the defensive end, blocking shots and altering shots, is unmatched by any player his size in the league - and that goes for Ben Wallace and Andrei Kirilenko as well. His trailing block of Green dunk early in the game is one of the best blocks I’ve seen. And he got Al Jefferson, who’s a man-child when he’s playing at his best, twice on the same possession. It’s uncanny what Smith can do when he’s on his game (18 points, 4 rebounds, 7 blocks and 5 steals after his game-clinching block and game-winning shot in the Hawks’ defeat of the Pistons).
The time off seems to have helped Smith focus his efforts on some specific things that will aid the Hawks’ cause in ways few people imagined. His five steals in the Celtics game were huge as the Hawks came up with a season-high 32 points off turnovers.
Finally, along that same train of thought, is the boost the play of the Childress and Smith provides Joe Johnson. The floor seems to open up so much more for him when those two guys (and Marvin Williams, who played well against Detroit but struggled a bit against the Celtics’ smaller and quicker crew) are playing well.
Interesting stuff from a team everyone, myself included, thought was down for the count before Friday night’s game. I still think the Hawks need to be active at the trade deadline. But Hawks fans needed a bit of hope (before word comes down later today on Speedy Claxton’s knee injury).
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