AJC > Sports > Hawks > Blog > Archives > 2008 > January
January 2008
Worst coach ever?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On Tuesday, Mark Bradley wrote that Coach Woodson “might be the worst coach in Atlanta history.”
Ouch.
Worst coach? What about Dan Henning? Marion Campbell? Chuck Tanner? What about Ted Turner’s one game stint as Braves manager?
Do you agree with Bradley?
If you blow a big lead, chances are you’re going to lose
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Portland Trailblazers have lost one game at home this season, and that came this past Friday against Houston. Even though they’re doing better than last season, the Hawks play made them look like the defending NBA champion.
The Hawks had several double digit leads and not only lost those, but lost the game as well. In fact, the Blazers went on a 15-4 run over the last four minutes or so in the fourth quarter, and the Hawks couldn’t do anything about it.
Here’s a question for you, Hawks fans: Why did Joe Johnson let the shot clock run down with about 33 seconds left? Was he expecting the Blazers to foul him? They wouldn’t have done that. They had plenty of time to get a shot off and win the game.
So again, why?
Hawks needed this win
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Our Atlanta Hawks played together as a team against Seattle Friday night. In case you missed it, the Hawks played offense and defense in a nine point win over the Super Sonics.
With a big lead, Coach Woodson was able to give some minutes to a few players so his starters could get some rest. But another reason why it was important for ZaZa and Acie to get some playing time was the trading deadline that’s coming up next month.
Is ZaZa still in the plans for this Hawks team? The Hawks have some big men that can play his position. What about Lue or Salim? It seems that the minutes that Acie was getting, he seems to be the Hawks’ plan for the future. Granted., he wasn’t hitting his shots and was having trouble holding on to the ball, but those will come in time once he starts getting more consistent playing time.
Before Christmas, the Golden State Warriors were looking for a back-up point guard. Would they be interested in Lue? What about Salim? It would be nice to see him go somewhere to get an opportunity to play.
I doubt GM Billy will be idle this year before the trading deadline, but if the Hawks continue to play like they did against the Sonics, his choice of who to deal may be harder.
This Portland team is no joke
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I want to know how they did it.
I want to know how the Portland Trailblazers, who picked first in last year’s NBA draft, were able to trade their veterans for young talent (average age of the team is 24.1 years), record 13 consecutive wins in December and are fighting it out with Denver for first place in the Northwest Division after winning only 32 games last season in a very tough Western Conference. They have 25 wins this season, and it’s not even February.
If the Hawks knew how they did it, we could have avoided the first three years of the Mike Woodson era and gone straight to this year. A year in which the Hawks are winning.
Speaking of winning, it was the Trailblazers who came out on top beating the Atlanta Hawks in OT on Monday afternoon.
If you didn’t see it or weren’t in attendance, you missed a heck of a game. After being outscored 36-23 in the second period, it was the Hawks who came back strong in the second half. Alas, it wasn’t enough.
These Blazers are no joke. The rematch with Portland is on Sunday night in the great Northwest. Hopefully, the Hawks will be ready.
I just want to know how they’re taking the NBA by storm.
Are the Raptors rough?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ok, Hawk fans, here’s a question for ya: Do the Raptors bring out aggressiveness in our Atlanta Hawks?
Here are the facts: Raptor TJ Ford is knocked down by Al Horford while the Toronto player was driving to the basket. Ford has not played since that December 11 injury in Atlanta. Tonight, Anthony Johnson is ejected before halftime for elbowing Raptor point guard Jose Calderon in the back of the head. Calderon was knocked to the floor.
Two injuries to the same team in two different games. Makes you wonder who’s going down on April 2 when these two meet again in Atlanta.
Fourth quarter does Hawks in
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Hawks entered the Milwaukee game with a 4-9 record on the road. Milwaukee, meanwhile, had gone 8-17 since they last played Atlanta in late November.
Something had to give.
Milwaukee led by two after the first period; the score was even at 45 at the half and tied once again at 65 after the third. So, the Hawks were keeping up even though it looked like former Hawk Royal Ivey, in a spot start for Milwaukee, was going to beat the Hawks by himself. Once, the 2nd period, though, he cooled down. He finished the night with 9 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists.
It was the fourth quarter that did the Hawks in, though. The Hawks came out flat, tried to make a run, but Anthony Johnson’s mental mistake took the air out of Atlanta’s sails. In case you missed it, Anthony Johnson stepped out of bounds with less than 30 seconds to play and the Hawks down by three.
So, the Hawks go to 4-10 on the road with another road game coming up on Friday in Toronto. Maybe playing in another country will get this team’s road record back on a winning streak.
Hawks vs. 790 the Zone
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you’re in your car tonight and want to listen to the Hawks on the radio, you’re gonna have to wait..till 11:30.
According to the AJC (and confirmed by the Zone’s website as well as ramblinwreck.com), the Hawks will be on tape delay so that 790 can broadcast the Georgia Tech game. Tip off is at 9, Hawks meet the Bucks at 8.
In fact, according to ramblinwreck.com, The Georgia Tech game “can be heard in Atlanta on WQXI-AM (790), WREK-FM (91.1) and WTSH-FM (107.1).”
If that’s the case, then why can’t 107.1 broadcast the Hawks game live while 790 and 91.1 broadcast Georgia Tech? Let Georgia Tech broadcast on their own station (91.1) and 790 while the Hawks are heard on 107.1.
Now, people are actually going to have to hear Bob Rathbun tonight instead of watching Sportsouth while the sound is turned down to listen to radio’s Steve Holman.
Frustrating. Very frustrating.
Don’t even get me started about how 790’s signal doesn’t go beyond Peachtree Battle at night and how the Hawks should find a new radio partner. That’s for another blog at another time.
Hawks-Heat Redux
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In case you missed it, the Hawks were fined $50,000 by the NBA and have to replay the Heat for a makeup minute.
Here ‘s the story: http://www.ajc.com/sports/hawks/stories/2008/01/11/hawksfoulgate_0112.html
Though the Hawks claimed they haven’t fired anyone over this, don’t you think they should? For a team that is making a playoff push (Hawks) and a team that is not living up to expectations (Heat), every win is important. Not only that, but what the scorer did was unethical.
Thoughts?
Hawks get first win of 2008…barely
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
During the Hawks losing streak, which was snapped with a win over Cleveland Wednesday, defenses were double-teaming Joe Johnson, holding him in check.
If this team is looking to qualify for the playoffs, it can’t be all about Joe. If doesn’t matter if it’s Josh Smith, Al Horford or even Josh Childress, somebody has to step it up.
Atlanta had a 21 point lead in the third period, before Cleveland cut it to six early in the fourth. Joe Johnson was a big part in the Hawks regaining a double digit lead. He was scoring, grabbing rebounds and giving his teammates opportunities to score.
But this is Cleveland, folks. A team that is struggling. Can Joe be the man against Boston or Detroit? Even if he can, should he be?
If Joe Johnson’s teammates stand around and watch LeBron James score, as they did Wednesday, then they probably would be petrified when Boston’s Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce show up at Philips Arena.
What a difference a year makes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you looked at the NBA’s Eastern Conference standings before the Hawks and Cavs tipped off, you would see that the Hawks are in fourth place while the Cavaliers are somewhere around ninth or tenth.
You read that right. If the playoffs were to start today, the Cavs would be out and our Atlanta Hawks would be in. But, of course the playoffs don’t start today. You’ll have to wait for mid-April.
The schedule-makers have the Hawks playing teams that the Hawks should beat if they are serious about making the playoffs. Teams like these Cavaliers, Indiana, New Jersey, Washington and Chicago. As of this writing, only Washington has a winning record.
Alas, the Hawks didn’t win. As you might have guessed, LeBron James took over in the second half and put his team on his back and lead them to victory.
The rematch between these two teams is next Wednesday and I hope the Hawks learn from this game the results are much different.
