Sports Columnists

By JohnD

November 30, 2006 12:28 AM | Link to this

“Decrepit East” is a dead-on description. I do not believe any team in the East will win 50 games and precious few will win 45. For this reason the Hawks have an opportunity to make the playoffs.

The Nets were the only team in their division last year with a winning record and are the only likely candidate to end above .500 this year.

Has there ever been an entire CONFERENCE in the NBA where all the teams have losing records? No, but this could be the year.

By Doug

November 30, 2006 12:41 AM | Link to this

Vick is not a quarterback—he should be made arunning back that can throw a pass when needed. His passes are hard passes tha soft hand (receiver need them) have a hard time adjusting too. he was a good college QB, but he is out of his league now. His runing statistics prove that—he doesn’t want to run—he wants to throw. Playing with him must be demoralizing to the rest of them becasue they don’t know wht he is going to do. They have to be magician to block for him. And PLEASE tell Arthur to stay in the owner booth. He is a distraction on the field.

By BAMABIRD

November 30, 2006 01:51 AM | Link to this

DOUG JOHNSON, IS THAT YOU? BEAT IT!!

By mt

November 30, 2006 02:00 AM | Link to this

good article, nice to see something positive about the hawks. i think help is on the way for JJ when Marvin comes back. not to keep rehashing a moot point but i am glad BK shipped Diaw to Phoenix for JJ, unless Phoe gets some major steal out of next years draft with the pick and with the guy they got this year, yea he has a nice game and i can’t remember his name but we really didn’t lose too much.

By Chris

November 30, 2006 02:21 AM | Link to this

Doug I agree Vick is a terrible qb. He should be moved to either running back or I like the idea of him moving to receiver even better.

By Hawkeye

November 30, 2006 05:53 AM | Link to this

this a hawks blog. take the vick stuff somewhere else. lord knows there is enough hate and love being spit at vick on other sections of the ajc blogs.

the hawks really are impressing me. Joe Johnson is far better than I ever thought he was. I think they are one player away I think fro being a 40 wind team. I think, hope, and pray that Marvin Williams is that man and that we are just kind of surviving now until williams can arrive and help out johnson. once that get williams and childress healthy, the hawks look to be in good shape. Are they going to win anything big? No! 40 games and a playoff berth will be nice though. I believe they guaranteed a playoff berth to us in like 2001 or 2002 or something. Hopefully, this will be the year they finally make good on that promise.

By RDM

November 30, 2006 06:51 AM | Link to this

I bet by the end of the year, the records will even out somewhat. Early season nebver tells you that much. Its one eighth of the season, folks. Rookies mature, injuries happenb. .and the teasms crossign the finish line will not be the same as the ones sprinting aherad now.

By Barry

November 30, 2006 08:31 AM | Link to this

Hey Y’all:

The future is NOW!!! what the heck are you talking about Jeff Schultz. The Hawks have already draftewd young players who are now confident and ready to play. They will only get better. And quit bringing up we need a point guard. To give the impression that the HAwks still have a problem there. The point guards that we have are just as good as ant in the league. Once they get familiar with playing together, such as Speedy Claxton, thing will settle down. Tyrone Lue is running the show at point, like he has never done before. Lue ani’t no joke. Therefore quit making problenms with the Hawks were they don’t exist. You see Hawk fans, that’s that negative local sports writing that I am referring to at the AJC. This Shultz is creating a stir in our local sports community about this point guard crap. I am telling you this type of sports writing should not be in Atlanta. This writer is actiong like he is a guru in basketball. I bet he never even played basketball on any team in his life therefore you have to excuse him in talking this crap about Atlanta needs a point guard. There at a premium in the leauge. The one we have now on the Hawks are acceptable and even better. Rememeber this guy was even DOGGING Jason Terry who is now a premier guard with the DAllsa Mavericks. Who is having the last laugh? Therefore, please AJC, get rid o fhtese negative sports writer at you paper who try to tear down our local profession teams. I just hope readers and players who read the negative sports articles by the AJC sports staff DON’T BELIEVE A THING THEY WRITE OR SAY. They are not the sports professional you may perceive they are. They are GOSSIP columnist of our local sports. The make up negative stories when none exist. Let us all be aware and alert.

WE NEED A CHANGE AT THE AJC.

GO FALCONS, HAWKS, THRASHERS, AND BRAVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is from us local sports fans.

Ringold

By lawton

November 30, 2006 09:31 AM | Link to this

to me the hawks look like a combination of phoenix and detroit, with younger players who still have a tendecy to turn the ball over because the point guard isnt as good (claxton) as defining the roles of the other players just yet. once he learns the players and the players learn their roles more defined, the only thing the hawks would be missing is just experience. i was gonnna say they need a big man but i like the combination of sheldon williams, zsa, etc. as a whole and solomon looks good. just give them a little more time to cut down on turnovers and mental lapses because right now, they can play with anybody, the problem is they have been getting discouraged because of all the close loses which came about because of turnovers and mental lapses.

By honest_abe

November 30, 2006 09:38 AM | Link to this

what i don’t understand is how all the columnists freely took shots at hawks gm billy knight when the jj trade was made. but now that jj is blowing i see articles praising jj, but none about the person who acquired him. i have yet to see one positive article about billy knight.

you can argue all day whether or not billy gave up too much for him… but cmon… billy knight might have been the only person in the world who saw just how much potential jj really had. he believed so much in that potential he was willing to do whatever it took to get him and lock him up and build this wretched franchise around his talents. now the hawks are missing two integral pieces, and one big offseason acquisition is still banged up and this team is competing on a nightly basis. why is it so hard to give some credit where credit is due…

BK for gm of the year?

By Joe

November 30, 2006 09:50 AM | Link to this

Joe Johnson is the real deal, much better than many imagined. If I remember correctly, the naysayers/experts implied he got all his points because of Steve Nash. Last time I checked, Nash is still playing with the Suns and Joe is averaging 27 PPG. So much for the experts. I am concerned about Joe’s playing time and somewhat lack of support. If the Hawks don’t develop a consistent 2nd scorer soon, JJ will be burnt out by the All-Star break. Hopefully someone will step up and fill that role. One negative note, someone has got to get through to Josh Smith. The last few games he has been brutal. Too many turnovers, too many forced shots , too much standing around and not a whole lot of hustle. He’s got too much talent for that. But the good news is the Hawks are on the upswing for all us diehard hoops lovers that’s a good thing.

By Doug Edwards

November 30, 2006 09:59 AM | Link to this

Honest Abe, are you joking? No one questioned JJ’s talent, they questioned what we gave up to get him. The Suns were not going to match the max contract, so there was no need to throw in two first round picks and Diaw. The worst we should have done was give up one first round pick. Good GM’s are able to underpay for talent, not overpay.

By Astro Joe

November 30, 2006 10:19 AM | Link to this

BK did what he had to do to get an elite player. The cost so far was a pick in the 20s from last season and potentially a pick around 8-12 next season. Oh yeah, and a guy who clearly was playing for a free agent contract and spent most of the off-season eating french pastries. Check out the mime’s stats this year. And by the way, Bryan Colangelo said that he was told to match the offer sheet for Joe. He said this since moving to his Toronto job.

By honest_abe

November 30, 2006 10:27 AM | Link to this

lol doug.. spoken like a true bk detractor.

no one questioned jj’s talents, they questioned what we gave up to get him

um ya.. i guess you weren’t in atlanta last year. either that or you don’t follow the hawks very closely. there were plenty of people who not only questioned jj’s talents they questioned if he was ever worth trading for boris straight up. the only reason why everyone feels like the hawks gave up too much is because boris had a breakout year last year. so those added draft picks seem like they were wasted. have you took some time to check what boris has done this year. ok that’s what i thought. basically bk got jj for a serviceable player and two draft picks.. not a bad trade if you ask me. we can go on and on about whether or not the suns would have matched or not.. the bottom line is we don’t know. what we do know is the hawks got a future perennial all star! give it break man. the hawks got themselves a superstar without the ego. a tireless worker, with loads of potential and a classy guy. i don’t sit here twiddling my thumbs, thinking of how bk screwed up the deal. i just thank him for bringing him to the atl.

By jhan

November 30, 2006 10:55 AM | Link to this

Abe, couldn’t have said that better myself! I do question some of BK’s moves, but that is not one of them.

By macaroni Tony

November 30, 2006 10:56 AM | Link to this

Diaw sucks with us and he sucks now. Diaw had a good season last year but look at his stats this year, it’s clear to me that he sucks. I am not trying to be negative but the truth can hurt. JS do have some maturing to do but he had another double-double, so let him grow & give him some kind of credit. Everyone said that we need another person to score with the ball and Lue is having the best year of his career, just let the other guys get healthier and then we will have a team that will run with anybody, and that includes your Utah. With a healthy team it’s going to be exciting.

By Ryder

November 30, 2006 11:21 AM | Link to this

Thank you honest abe. When you’re a struggling team like the Hawks you do what you can to get All-Star talent in here, even if that means overpaying. So people need to quit knocking BK (Woodson’s another story for another day). I’ve seen what BK has been trying to do since trading for Terrell Brandon’s and Antoine Walker’s expiring contracts, which is to

1) get this team out of salary cap hell, which he’s done a great job of

2)obtain a superstar player which can become the franchise (Joe Johnson, a no-nonsense kind of player who has all star talent)

3)obtain enough depth to keep this team afloat case of injury (well lookee here, Marvin Williams, Speedy Claxton and Josh Childress go down for a significant amount of time and the team is still hovering around .500)

4)he’s obtain some solid role players to build around JJ (how many games do the Hawks win without Tlue providing ample offense and JSmith when he’s not shooting threes?)

5) BK drafted Marvin with the intention that he will be the complimentary one-two punch with JJ (by the way does anyone have any word on when he’s coming back? at least what’s going on with his progress?)

I understand columnists, like many people, live in a “show me” kind of world, and are quick to doubt anything or anyone until given a reason to no longer do so. The culture in Atlanta has been (sans the Braves) a losing one for quite some time, so a lackadasical attitude is expected. That won’t change until these franchises begin to win on a consistent basis, point blank. You see the culture changing with the Thrashers and thanks to players like JJ, pretty soon we’ll have reason to feel the same about the Hawks!

By Ryder

November 30, 2006 11:38 AM | Link to this

One blogger made a good point, it’s very early in the season (we haven’t even reached December yet) and I have always been under the opinion that you really can’t get a read on NBA teams until after Christmas.

I remember reading Bill Simmons’ article on ESPN about the Leastern Conference (his words, not mine) and how this could be the worst conference of all time (side not: glad he showed some love to Sekou Smith, boy does he deserve it!) I think that as the season wears on veteran teams who start slow will get their footing (Nets, Heat, Wizards) and the younger teams will start to fade to the back of the pack (Magic, Celtics). I believe that there will be at least two teams from the East who will make the playoffs with either a .500 or below record.

That may bode well for the Hawks, but it’s too early to tell, especially when they’re not a full strength.

By bud

November 30, 2006 12:10 PM | Link to this

does anyone know when marvin williams is gettin’ back? word is he got on a role this summer. maybe he can be the two in the one-two punch the hawks so desperately need.

By observer

November 30, 2006 12:12 PM | Link to this

You guys are so funny! After 13 games you now declare Diaw a chump and JJ a superstar, ignoring last season as irrelevant. I hope this continues to work out for the Hawks, but I’ll bet if you look at LAST seasons stats after 13 games you will find other “Superstars” and “chumps” that played out differently after 80 games. Just enjoy the show as long as it lasts.

By Jrock

November 30, 2006 12:40 PM | Link to this

Depth is the key this year!!!With Speedy struggling T-Lue has done a great job.Without M.Williams and Chills, Jsmoove has been under more scrutiny.If he continues to put up double-doubles I can put up with some mistakes. Lo Wright’s absence the last couple of games has introduced Atlanta to Solomon Jones(The D.Howard stopper). 6-10,athletic,and blocks shots.I fully expect him to be in on defense at the end of games when he learns how to play NBA ball. I don’t particuly like Billy or Woodson but they both have done a good job this season.And I know Joe is the superstar but I hope he passes the ball if he gets double teamed at the end of the game.GO HAWKS!!!!

By ben

November 30, 2006 12:55 PM | Link to this

I thought Johnson was a player that benefitted from the Phoenix-Nash system and the Hawks had way overpaid for him. Maybe not.

By observer

November 30, 2006 01:33 PM | Link to this

JJ may be a superstar but unless they find someone else that will step up EVERY night to be #2 JJ will be buried.

For the record the environment makes all the difference. Diaw and Terry did not suddenly become great players after they left Atl. Their environment changed. That is directly connected to the management and coaches . The Falcons are displaying this same phenomenon: good players come in and they become less good: Coincidence?

By Bingo Starr

November 30, 2006 01:51 PM | Link to this

Doug

It is ok to state your opinion that Vick shouldn’t be a qb. However understand that you lose credibility when you say that a person w/ “soft hands” can’t catch bullets or hard passes. A person with “soft hands” has stronger hands than normal therefore can catch the bullet passes. The passes don’t bounce off a pair of hands as if the hands are concrete and hard i.e. “brick hands”.

Now let’s just say that your line of reasoning is true. Why is Brett Favre revered so much for breaking fingers yet Vick is chastised for “throwing too hard”? I’ve seen plenty of Favre TD passes within the 10 yard line that have been rifled into the reciever yet were held on to. Did Sterling Sharpe have “soft hands” or “brick hands”? How about Donald Driver? Or Javon Walker?

I apologize to all who are reading this Hawks blog but I just couldn’t help myself. I am sorry.

By TC

November 30, 2006 02:47 PM | Link to this

The title of the article says it all. Now someone needs to write an article titled “Vick’s tarnish makes Falcons’future bleak”

By bali

November 30, 2006 02:52 PM | Link to this

Nice article on joe johnson and the Atlanta Hawks. I believe this is the first article I have ever read where You did not crack a joke. Good Job.

By Ryder

November 30, 2006 02:57 PM | Link to this

observer, You state that environment makes all the difference in how a player performs. Then what about players that come from a winning environment and go to a losing one? JJ was always a great player and still played better ball than Diaw, who proved that he can only play great as long as he is in the right system. He played for that big contract and has done nothing to justify it since. So when you refer to players being “chumps” i’m sure JJ doesn’t come to mind. Although I do agree with you that he does need a number two scorer NOW before he won’t be around to play in the all-star game.

As for JJ he has more than justified all of the trade hoopla that all but broke apart the Atlanta Spirit. He earned a spot on the World Championship team and is continuing to play as an all star player, carrying a moribund franchise to the heights of respectibility (yes, 6-7 is respectable in the Eastern Conference). Should Marvin & Childress come back at the very least they can give JJ time to rest.

By Wedgie Evans

December 1, 2006 01:18 AM | Link to this

Yeah, the Hawks have a legit chance to make the playoffs this year, but the more I look at this roster the more I think Billy Knight has to aggressively pursue a trade for a dominant big man now. Kevin Garnett and Pau Gasol are both supposedly available, and the Hawks have enough young players and future draft picks to put together an attractive trade offer and still hang on to one or two young players. To pair Joe Johnson with KG or Gasol, while having Josh Smith or Josh Childress or Marvin Williams as a 3rd option with role players like Shelden Williams, Solomon Jones, Salim Stoudamire, etc. would give the Hawks an instant finals contender. Be aggressive, Billy Knight.

By Ken Strickland

December 1, 2006 02:46 PM | Link to this

WEDGIE EVANS, I doubt BK will trade multiple core players just to acquire one nondominate player. Besides, the Spirit wouldn’t eat Batista and Ivey’s contracts to keep bigger and better talent. You know they aren’t going to take on KG’s contract. They would have to give up over half the team just to make the matching trade value provision work. Fans are always challenging the GM to make certain moves, but they have more to deal with than just wishful thinking.

As far as talent, upside or potential, SJones might be the steal of the 06 draft. After watching him play, his aggresiveness, and DEF impact belies his modest build. A lot of you are hung up on size and are even claiming Zaza is too small to play C. Size doesn’t necessarily determine whether one can play a position, but rather HOW he plays the position. AStaudamire and MCamby both get the job done without being physically dominating. They use quickness, timing, agility, speed and overall athleticism to be effective.

Flanked by quick, good reb forwards, Solomon could be an effective DEF presence in the middle. Of course, he would need more seasoning. With SJones at C, JSmith and SWilliams at PF, our shot blockers would make it difficult to score inside. It would also make our fastbreak OFF more effective. Just food for thought.

By Jawgadawg

December 1, 2006 04:02 PM | Link to this

Not sure what the first post by JohnD was talking about. the Nets are not in the Hawks division. Look patience is the key. BK has proven to be more right than the pundits about JJ, JSmooth and Sheldon. He is putting the pieces together for a good team. It doesn’t even matter if they make the playoffs this year. The issue is to improve, play good basketball and add a few more pieces for following year. I leave in Denver area and they went from bad to playoffs but made some moves that will strap them from being great (KMart) and they have stalled as a team that exits in 1st round. I have greater hopes for the Hawks.