AJC > Sports > Hawks > Blog > Archives > 2007 > August > 27
Monday, August 27, 2007
Paging Phyllis Montana LeBlanc (and other stuff)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
While the rest of the free (sports) world worries themselves sick over Mike Vick’s guilty plea and what it means for the future fate of all people (not a dang thang this way), my thoughts continue to drift elsewhere.
Mainly, I can’t stop thinking about the fact that two years ago this week the Hurricane Katrina disaster dominated the same airwaves that this Vick drama does now. I keep thinking of Spike Lee’s poignant HBO docu-drama (When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts) that continues to frame the tragedy so precisely.
I keep thinking about my favorite TV personality of all-time (yes, over Fred G. Sanford, Dragonfly Jones and Jerome from Martin and Leonard Washington from Chappelle’s Show), one Phyllis Montana LeBlanc (if you’ve seen the documentary you know exactly who I’m talking about and if you haven’t, you need to find a DVD copy and check it out because this lady is a true American classic), and wondering what she must be doing today.
In the midst of the excruciating footage of the damage done by the breaching of those levees, Phyllis Montana LeBlanc put a smile on my face with her candor and deadpan sense of humor.
You know I don’t recommend much tube watching around here, but again, if you haven’t seen the documentary, it’s worth watching (and I’m sure HBO will be re-airing it this week on one of their many - I’m losing count of all the different versions - channels this week).
Now, on to other more basketball-centric topics:
I read over the weekend where the Sacramento Kings have reportedly floated a five-year, $55 million offer Kevin Martin’s way. That’s great news for K-Mart (if you remember back to last year he was the surprise star of my fantasy league squad). It’s also horrible news for the Hawks and their hope of signing Josh Smith to an extension. K-Mart dropped nearly 20-points a night for a lottery team and gets that kind of offer. So you can imagine what the market price will be for guys like Smith, who can do so much more across the board. I wasn’t worried about the Hawks signing their young guys to extensions before now, but I’ll admit things could get real sticky (the negotiations at least) as times goes by. It pays to sign your guys early and get them taken care of before the numbers start escalating. And the Hawks have both Josh Smith and Josh Childress to worry about.
Folks can knock Esteban Batista for whatever they want, and there’s no doubt he had become a favorite punchline in the locker room during his two seasons with the Hawks, but you can knock his hustle. And I mean that literally. Dude’s maniacal hustle on the basketball court is what landed him in the NBA in the first place. It’s also what makes him stick out like an elephant in a pigpen during international competition with his Uruguayan national team. He’s been up to his usual (rebounding like crazy) tricks during the FIBA Americas championships in Las Vegas. He’s piling up double doubles on the regular and will get his chance to work the U.S. team Wednesday. I often advocated for him being unleashed on unsuspecting teams more often while he wore a Hawks uniform - he actually did more damage to his own team, injuring both Tyronn Lue (two years ago) and Joe Johnson (last season) and causing them to miss long stretches of seasons. That said he’s probably a better fit in international ball than he’ll ever be in the NBA.
Speaking of Team Kobe and LeBron (enough of that hype already, if you haven’t noticed, Jason Kidd is the guy making the difference for Coach K’s crew), they’re looking like gold right now. I just hope they continue to play this brand of inspired, unselfish basketball as the tournament continues. I don’t doubt that they can, mind you. It’s jus that I have the recent history of this team still gnawing on my brain cells. I was courtside in Indianapolis at the 2002 World Championships when that team melted down under the pressure of trying to restore the basketball world order. And we all know what’s happened since then. For once, I’d love to see these guys get it right (speaking of right, my Team USA intel was on the money about Dwight Howard getting the starting nod over Amare) and keep rolling all the way to Beijing next summer. We’ll see.
Last week I talked about predictions for this upcoming season, but I’m still examining things and trying to come up with a number I can feel comfortable with. I’m not swayed by the words of guys like Zaza Pachulia, who is convinced this Hawks team is bound for the playoffs. I need more than that (perhaps my conversations with some of his teammates this week will inspire more confidence … maybe not). But I jumped the gun when I said I was ready to unveil my stuff. I need a little more time to crunch some data before finalizing that report. But if you’re ready, please feel free to share with the rest of us.
