AJC > Sports > Hawks > Blog > Archives > 2007 > April > 12
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Don’t look now, but here come the Pacers …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last home practice of the year for the Hawks (and ya boy Blog-Z) today. It felt like Christmas, knowing that the days of fighting that wicked morning traffic from the lair to downtown are almost over (Joe Johnson must feel the same way because he was the second person to hit the practice court after yours truly).
Few things about the end of a season excite me (no matter how much I gripe about the Hawks, I love this job and appreciate that you’ve all stuck through yet another season with me). But the chance to wrap up this Hawks season and then move on to what should be a pretty intriguing playoff season has me amped.
I’m already anticipating some quality second round matchups in both the Eastern and Western Conference, and I can’t help but cross my fingers for a Detroit-Phoenix NBA Finals (I get to hit the crib and my second favorite spot out West for the Finals? There is a Crom).
Two weeks ago I would have predicted the Pacers would not be a part of this postseason. But the more I study it, I’m not so sure they’re not going to sneak into that eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference. That would be fantastic news for the Hawks; they would be assured of that Pacers’ draft pick were the boys from Indy to make the postseason.
More than anything else this offseason, the Hawks the Hawks must concentrate on fixing their structural problems (through the draft, free agency and trades). Whatever moves need to be made, they start with the draft. We’ve talked about lottery scenarios here endlessly. But the Pacers, by getting off their backs and making that final push to get into the playoffs, could eliminate all the drama of May 22 (lottery day).
There’s no guarantee the Hawks will take the right player (there never is). But at least they’d be guaranteed the opportunity to make the choice (with their other pick still in the balance until after the lottery order is revealed).
Just some thoughts to chew on. And now for one other thing (quickly, of course) that’s been on the dome for a few days now:
- I’ve refrained from throwing daggers at Don Imus, so many others have done much more justice to the topic than I could have. But answer me this one question, how do awful, inflammatory, race-laced, sexists comments from Imus said equate to the black community and the rap community needing to check themselves? The focus needs to be on dude and what he said. Instead, I’ve seen the discussion go all over the highway since Imus made his foolish comments. Before it’s all said and done, few people will remember what started this uproar. Not me.
