AJC > Sports > Hawks > Blog > Archives > 2007 > March > 02
Friday, March 2, 2007
Trying to make sense of it all …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
CHOCOLATE CITY - Most days I have no problem filling up space here with the wanderings that go on in my brain. But days like to today make it really tough. Watching the images of the remains of that bus crash on I-75 that claimed the lives of six people and altered the lives of so many others is a striking reminder of how unbelievably fleeting this life can be. (Condolences to all those who lost loved ones today in that bus crash.)
It’s hard to think and talk basketball on days like this, when the senselessness of a tragedy overshadows every other thought you have. I tried. I read everything I could this morning and took a brisk walk around the city to try and energize myself. Yet here I am, hours after the fact, still shaking my head at those images on the screen.
I had the good fortune of spending Thursday night with family here (my cousins, the Eubanks crew of Mitchellville, MD - thank goodness for them, scooped me up for dinner and then we did some D.C. sightseeing). As much a groove as you can get into traveling all the time, a family pit stop is always comforting. They made my week. (And if you haven’t been, this city is one of those MUST SEE places. The rich history and powerful feel of DC is one of a kind. I need to come back when I’m not working.)
But as sure as the sun will go down on this beautiful day in our Nation’s Capitol, my focus must shift back to basketball. And it will. So without further ado, let me move on to the business of hoops.
Someone’s losing streak will end tonight in a Southeast Division clash at Verizon Center. The Hawks are stuck on three straight (and can’t afford to continue this slide if they want to make Swiss cheese of my prediction of 30 wins) and the Wizards (who welcome back injured stars Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison) on four straight.
The Hawks haven’t been able to do anything with the Wizards the past few years (they’re 1-9 in their last 10 games against the Wiz), which doesn’t seem like a good sign. Facing the Wizards in this particular situation will certainly make for an interesting evening. The Wizards figure to be a bit feisty with all the losing they’ve done and their division lead over Miami shrinking by the day.
A team that looked unstoppable a few weeks ago all of sudden seems vulnerable, especially with Gilbert Arenas shooting 19-101 from the 3-point line in his past 12 games. And that’s not a typo, that’s a real stat, 19-for-101 from deep. Yikes. He’ll either bury himself even deeper or bury the Hawks. It should be wild and crazy tonight.
… oops, I almost forgot to mention a brief draft-related tidbit from practice Thursday. Georgetown’s latest big man, Roy Hibbert, was watching the Hawks practice the other day along with the rest of his teammates (they were in the stands above the floor waiting for things to get over so they could go to practice). I didn’t realize how big dude was until I saw him in person. He’s bound to be a first-round pick on size alone. For some dumb reason I didn’t stick around to watch practice, though I wish now that I had. Hibbert and Jeff Green (who’s projected as a lottery pick this summer) are both guys I would have liked to see in a practice setting. So much for my scouting prowess.
