AJC > Sports > Hawks > Blog > Archives > 2007 > December > 19
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Don’t mess!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Who knew 12-12 would pacify so many, save for our main man Clyde (whose consistency is his most admirable trait)?
I honestly thought you’d all be ready for someone’s blood if the Hawks weren’t in the top four in the East by this time. But the expectations appear to have been adjusted. Your greatest fears, while still simmering below the surface of the Hawks’ current .500 record, have been sufficiently allayed.
That said, I can’t help but think these days about what could be tinkered with to perhaps kick this team into that top tier group in the East (they’re No. 7 now, a tenuous position for any team, because one injury to the wrong guy can derail whatever is going on right now)?
The cats at a barbershop near the pad, experts one and all, were in GM mode yesterday afternoon. The crowd was split on what the Hawks need to do. Two or three guys were in favor of chasing a big man like Eddy Curry (uh, not) to bolster the inside game.
The rest of the crew didn’t see any need in messing with success (Hawks have won nine of 14), not now. As one guy said, “Why mess just for the sake of messing with it?”
I’m torn myself.
Part of me could see the wisdom in adding a nasty veteran defender like Ruben Patterson, a grimy dude that can guard the other team’s best perimeter scorer and also get buckets when he feels like it. A guy with that skill set could be the missing link for a wanna-be playoff team. But that would mean creating a roster spot (somebody would have to be traded or cut to make room).
Then again, why tinker with what has the makings of one of the most exciting and versatile young teams in the league. Even the Hawks’ most consistent critics have admitted that the Utah game showcased a team with the ingredients to be something special in time. How much time? That’s the kicker. You just don’t know how long it’s going to take for it all to come together.
The bottom line is this, there’s no sure-fire way of knowing how things work out whether you make a move or not. You’re gambling either way. The tools are certainly there to make a move. But there are also some tangible benefits to allowing this team the chance to prove themselves as is.
What say you?
