AJC > Sports > Hawks > Blog > Archives > 2007 > August
August 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.
Permalink | Comments (53) | Post your comment |
It’s a thin line (between good and great)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If the people in the cell phone industry really want to impress me, somebody come up with wireless service that sounds as clear as the old fashioned home phone. Keep all your PDAs and other assorted device wizardry to yourself and just pull off the unthinkable - a cell phone that sounds as clear as that old rotary joint we all grew up with (well, those of who remember watching Sanford and Son when it wasn’t on TV Land) and I’ll really be impressed.
The reason I bring this up is because when you’re in my line of work (no office space, no desk, no hard line phone since those other things don’t exist, wherever I plop down that day is my office and my cell phone is my work phone), good reception is a necessity.
My reception Monday morning was fabulous (thank you AT&T or Cingular or whoever my money is going to these days). On the other end of the line from Las Vegas was a good friend and NBA executive catching me up on the goings on outside of Hawksville - like most of you I have tunnel vision this time of year thinking about the Hawks and what’s on their horizon.
We were talking about players, like always, and whom we’ve both seen this summer that really stood out. He relayed a great story that relates to a bigger debate we’ve had going on since the 2004 NBA Finals, “What’s the difference between a good player and a great player?”. The story went a little something like this:
“They had a voluntary practice last night and there were only three guys there,” my buddy said. “I walked in and the two young rookies (Kevin Durant and Jeff Green) from Seattle were there. Guess who was on the other end of the floor?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “There are so many great players out there. I can’t imagine who else would have been working like that on an off day in Vegas. It had to be one of the young guys, maybe one of those Select Team cats whose trying to make an impression … man, I don’t know who it could have been.”
My friend, refusing to give up the punch line before he had to, wouldn’t budge. “Go ahead, guess,” he said. “You know who it was. You know.”
I knew right then that the guy he was talking about was none other than Kobe Bean Bryant. But before I could say another word he hit me with it. “You know it was Kobe,” he said, pounding home the point he makes to me every time we get on the subject. “That’s why he’s carrying the flag for the league right now. Love him or hate him. It’s his show.”
And he’s right. No matter how many shots I take at Kobe (I’ve actually relaxed on that in the past year or so), the NBA remains his playground. And the fact that he’s locked himself in the gym on a Sunday afternoon in Vegas when no one else (other than those promising young rookies from Seattle) saw the need is even more proof of what we all know to be true - the difference between good and great is the guy who is already there pushing himself to take his game to the ultimate level (and I know that doesn’t equate to championships in a team sport, as Kobe knows as well since his Lakers haven’t won a playoff series since Shaquille O’Neal left for Miami). But we’re talking about individual brilliance and how important it is to not only cultivate your game but that competitive fire that you hope burns inside of every gifted athlete.
The truth is, not everyone is wired that way. Even the guys that spend the entire summer in the lab tweaking their game can’t catch the top dog if he’s working like Kobe. I bet you Durant and Green took notice (and I can only imagine what was going through their impressionable minds). And for young guys there couldn’t be a more valuable lesson learned than the one they got as they walked through the door of that sweatbox of a gym …
Anyway, it was just an interesting story I thought I’d pass on. And I’d love to know what you think separates the good from the great (the line is razor thin as far as I can tell)? It’s always a fascinating topic of discussion among NBA types. And since we’re all family here … well, ya know. Have at it.
One other parting shot, actually I have two, I’ve been studying the Hawks’ schedule and trying to come up with my prediction for wins this season and I’m stuck. Have you looked at the first five games of the season? Good grief. That’s a nasty stretch for anybody, let alone a team coming off a 30-52 season. Dallas, Detroit, New Jersey, Phoenix and Boston to kick things off. It won’t take the Hawks long to set the tone for this crucial season (I’ll have my prediction ready by Wednesday).
Finally, the one other really interesting tidbit my buddy passed along is about Atlanta native, former Southwest Atlanta Christian star and almost Hawk center (it was before my time here but I’ve been told that the Hawks were one ping pong ball away from securing the No. 1 pick that year) Dwight Howard. As good as first team All-NBA center Amare Stoudemire (another almost Hawks if you’re still drinking that pre-draft Kool-Aid that had him being traded to Hawksville - NOT!) has looked in Vegas, my buddy told me he can’t imagine Team USA not starting young D. Howard. He said the big fella eats up so much more space in the paint and is a much more imposing (see shot-blocking presence) down there that you can’t risk not having him out there in a competition where much of the defense that is played will be zone. I’m greedy, so I’d play both of them together and see how that worked. But if you’re going to go with just one in the first five (as it appears Coach K will), it’ll be interesting to see who gets the nod.
Permalink | Comments (56) | Post your comment |
Call off the search
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Seriously, call off the search
Put down the phone.
And don’t worry about paging Dog the Bounty Hunter.
Josh Childress finally called me back (and if you can wait a day or two there will be a rather enlightening Q&A with Chils up on the site. You won’t want to miss it, as it contains plenty of basketball stuff but also some other nuggets that you’ll only get here, of course).
For the record, Marvin Williams is in Hong Kong on NBA business (some type of Basketball Without Borders type deal but I haven’t been able to track down the details). But I talked to Chils at length about Marvin and he said they worked out together in San Diego earlier this summer and that Marvin looked really good.
During our conversation (which lasted a while and touched on tons of topics that will not be addressed in that Q&A) we got on the current state of professional sports and why it seems so tough for some of these guys to steer clear of trouble (off the court).
We couldn’t come up with a good answer other than poor choices. That’s one area the Hawks score high marks, whether you think it’s important or not. Collectively, this has to be one of the better groups in terms of their ability to navigate the usual pitfalls that await pro athletes early in their careers. I know what you’re thinking - “Why’s it so freakin’ hard when most everyone else in society avoids legal trouble?” But if you look at the rash of nonsense that goes on around the pro sports landscape and then realize how you basically never hear about a Hawks player (youngster or veteran) being involved in the nonsense, it is refreshing. (And when I tell you that to a man, all the Hawks are working diligently this offseason to improve, that’s a legitimate statement. And that’s not saying other teams aren’t doing the same thing, but since we like to focus on the fellas from Hawksville, that’s what I’ll speak on here. When you hear about these guys being spread around the globe, literally, working at their craft, don’t dismiss it.
Granted, the organization more than makes up for it with bad press for other reasons (ownership feud, botched and questionable personnel moves and other general goofiness). But I can’t knock the players (knock on wood) for being “good guys.” I don’t need faux street cred, so long as you’re tough enough when it matters on the court - and I’ll be the first to acknowledge that the Hawks, collectively, could use an upgrade in that department.
Watching Denver Broncos receiver Javon Walker on HBO’s Real Sports last night was all the reminder I needed about the diabolical results of when keeping it real goes wrong (sorry for lifting that from you Dave Chappelle but I couldn’t think of a more appropriate phrase).
Walker watched a teammate and friend die in his arms earlier this year after an altercation at a Denver nightclub (the same club I was in one night in Denver a couple years earlier with my boy Marc Spears who covers the Nuggets for the Denver Post). Listening to his story was a stark reminder of just how quickly things can escalate when people caught up in the moment make irrational decisions. This particular story had a tragic ending.
I’m no prude. Far from it. So I’m not advocating that anyone give up partying, because you have to make your own choices. But you have to make sound decisions (pro athlete or not), because no one else will do that for you.
The entire thing was just a reminder of how fragile life is for us all. So please understand that Chils and I were conversing about something bigger than just the Hawks, basketball and the celebrity culture of pro athletes. We were talking about so much more than that. We were talking about life and the drama that sometimes comes along with that topic (and despite what you might hear and read about these guys, they are more than capable of having extremely thoughtful and eloquent conversations about these things. Talking to both Josh Smith last week and now Chils this week is a very good reminder of that).
Aaaa’ight, enough of the preachin’ folks. Feel free to return to our usual dialogue of … well, whatever we were talking about before I went all TD Jakes on ya.
Just FYI, I don’t mind hunting players in the offseason. They don’t mind either. They’re just usually scattered all over the place and difficult to track down. For those of you who think the Hawks’ PR staff could do more, trust me when I tell you they are easily among the best four or five crews in the league (they helped me hound Chils until he called me back). I’ve dealt with every crew in the league in one capacity or another and I promise you it could be MUCH, MUCH worse (I’d point fingers at a couple organizations if I wanted to be nasty today but I don’t).
Also, if you spend practically every single day with someone (you’re not married to, in love with or sharing a prison cell with) for seven months, I don’t think a little space is too much to ask for in the offseason. These cats need a break from each other and their coaches during the summer, so you know they need one from Killuh (what’d you think the K in Sekou K. Smith stood for?) and my constant snooping. But they’re among the best in the league at returning calls in the summer - contrary to what some of you think, not every crew is this easy to track down in the summer. I was just having a little fun with Chils when I called him out here twice (he apologized profusely for not calling be back sooner even though he knew I was clowning around as well). Most of you know when I’m making a joke, so I won’t belabor the point any more than necessary.
Finally, and I mean this, the Dr. Phil-styled (over) analysis of every word of every sentence of what I write and what is said in quotes is bordering on a ridiculous. The grand conspiracy theory most of you believe is playing out behind closed doors is simply a figment of your blogimagination. If something requires further explanation you know I’ll provide it (have you realized how long you’ve been reading this? … I’m not exactly concerned about the conservation of cyber space here, I’m gonna let it all out as best I can).
Permalink | Comments (38) | Post your comment |
Checking in
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I won’t be as long-winded as usual today (no, really, I won’t), but I do have a couple of items to drop on you while you’re suffering through this sweltering stretch of August madness.
The NBA surveyed 44 rookies on various topics last week at the annual rookie photo shoot (stuff like who will be ROY?, who is most ready for the NBA, etc.) and guess who showed up?
Both Al Horford and Acie Law IV.
Law received two votes for ROY and was No. 2 in best playmaker voting, behind Mike Conley Jr. Horford was No. 1 and Law No.4 in the most ready for the NBA poll. In a world where the opinions of your peers are often regarded as the ultimate approval (or disapproval), I thought those were interesting positions for both of those young Hawks.
Just FYI, Kevin Durant was the runaway winner in the ROY vote with 23 votes to Greg Oden’s five. Horford (13 votes) outdistanced both Durant (nine) and Oden (eight) in the most ready to contribute poll.
The entire list (http://www.nba.com/rookies/survey_0708.html?loc=photo) is worth a look.
Two other quick things, I know you’re wondering about some of these other Hawks veterans and what they’re doing this summer to prepare for the upcoming season. So am I. That’s why I’m working to track them down (despite what you might think, finding these guys when they don’t want to be found is tougher than you can imagine).
I have heard rumblings about a couple of guys (Marvin Williams I’m told is looking really good and sweating his way through twice daily workouts in Chapel Hill and I saw Shelden Williams on the practice court at Philips Arena Saturday grinding like he did during summer league, where he was actually one of the better players on the floor despite all the criticism he gets). Another spy told me Josh Childress is in Palo Alto, attending summer school and working out at Stanford. But since he won’t call me back (that’s shot No. 2 Chils) I can only tell you what I’ve heard.
Now that we’ve reached August, another good lick for the Hawks’ young big men will be the big man camps run by a bunch of veteran assistant coaches out in Las Vegas. Word is scores of the league’s most promising young big men (those not on the Select team scrimmaging Team USA) will be there working out and being schooled by their elders. Since I’ve been on the beat the Hawks have always sent their young guys there, so I don’t expect this year to be any different. As soon as I get an update I’ll pass that along.
Stay cool (literally) as best you can.
Permalink | Comments (38) | Post your comment |
Join the club!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What’s that?
Where have I been?
Where do I get off not posting a new blog for over a week?
What, you’re upset with me?
Join the club. I’ve got more people upset with me than Barry Bonds, Michael Vick and Tim Donaghy combined. (And no, I haven’t touched the cream or clear, I have a pet dander allergy so I don’t own a dog, cat, gerbil, mouse or anything else with fur. And no, I don’t gamble because I’m too cheap and too poor - just ask anyone that knows me or is looking for me to pay them back).
So go right ahead and be ticked off at me this week. I’m used to it.
Hey, it’s oppressively hot and beyond the occasional call back from a Hawks player (Josh Childress I know you read this blog and I’m still waiting to hear from you, homeboy), things are quiet in Hawksville.
If it wasn’t for Jermaine O’Neal’s mini-drama with the Pacers and the residue from the Boston-Minnesota mega deal, I’m not sure that we’d have much anything legitimate (NBA-related) to talk about (you know it’s football time again and my Wolverines have already reported but I won’t go there, not yet at least).
O’Neal’s saga - depending on what you believe, he does or doesn’t want the Pacers to trade him to either the LA Lakers or the New Jersey Nets - is proof positive that the endless news can help manufacture a good soap opera even where this is nothing there.
That mess should be a warning to all players and organizations about negotiating through the media (don’t do it unless you’re on my beat, then I need you to help make my job as easy as possible by contacting me with your gripes, on the record, of course, so we can make a mountain out of a mole hill).
I understand your complaints reese, but we’re not ignoring the NBA or basketball news in general around here. But trying to fool you all with bells and whistles would be foolish on our part. Sometimes the things that make news elsewhere (on other websites, etc.) don’t find their way into our pages or on ajc.com for good reason. That said, you make a good point about some of the missing info that does strike a chord, particularly with me.
For example (and I, like many of you, can psychoanalyze this stuff until my fingers cramp up from typing):
The “so-called” snub of the Hawks’ young players for that 10-man team that’s going to get in some work with the National Team made me wonder, just what do some of these young Hawks have to do to join the party?
But then I realized that you were right, these would be the same guys that have been passed over countless times for the Rookie Challenge and other honors bestowed upon players by the league, in conjunction with whatever organization they’re dealing with. It’s always a subjective thing, where the players being chosen for these honors and teams are selected by a group of people that have a certain group of players in mind. And quite frankly, there were lots of other young players that could have been included on that Select Team that were not.
But I also think that the stigma that’s accompanied those Hawks jerseys (they’ve got new outfits now, so we’ll see how things work out) the past decade or so play a huge part in these guys being overlooked and devalued in the eyes of most people. Truth be told, fans in other cities, media types and people around the league knock the Hawks regularly for being a doormat and a laughingstock organization (that’s the cold, hard truth, sorry if it offends).
I can’t tell you how many times somebody (reporters, scouts, league execs, etc.) from other cities offer up pity for me having to cover the Hawks. It would be funny if they weren’t so sincere. A lot of those same people are dealing with teams or organizations swimming in similar quicksand, but for some reason they feel the need to crack the Hawks (and yes, I think the relentless wave of embarrassing happenings that have plagued the Hawks on the ownership front and elsewhere the past couple of years has fueled quite a bit of the rhetoric). It might sound strange, but it’s true.
That’s why, as I was telling someone the other day, the only way for the organization - and more importantly the team - to rid themselves of that stigma I mentioned is to show up for camp with a chip on their shoulders the size of Philips Arena. They had it early last season, when they were the surprise of the league in the first couple of weeks and the injuries (for the most part) were still manageable.
That confidence and swagger melted away soon after and they were right back in survival mode. And both emotionally and physically, they were never the same team.
After years of studying these things (I was a student of sports long before anyone paid me to do it), I’ve come to the conclusion that there may be no factor more important in a team environment, sports or otherwise, than the collective psyche. If there’s a belief in a common goal and the single-minded pursuit that nothing trumps the reaching of that goal - and I mean NOTHING, you’re dealing with something more powerful than just your ordinary group of high-priced ballplayers.
Right now, and albeit unfairly in a lot of respects, I think that’s exactly how these guys are viewed by many outsiders.
So what else do you want to talk about?
Services »
