AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2008 > May > 04
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Congrats Hawks & Checking In On Old Friends
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
THIS Is Why Making The Playoffs Is GOOD
The Atlanta Hawks were a decade removed from post-season. A team that finished the regular season eight games below .500. A team that was only in the playoffs because the Eastern Conference of the NBA was so terrible, so rank, so pathetic that three teams qualified for the championship tournament lacking a winning record. And this bunch was going up against the Boston Celtics…owners of the league’s best record.
A #8 seed vs. the #1 seed…37-45 vs. 66-16…a .451 winning percentage vs. .805… David vs. Goliath… Rocky vs. Apollo…Hawks vs. Celtics Certainly this was a mismatch for the ages.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the Celtic’s coronation. The Hawks players decided that they really didn’t care about the records, the odd or the predictions of their demise. The figured, what the hell…we’re here, what say we play to win? Let’s “shock the world”.
And so, our Philips Arena brethren did what no one thought they would…actually competed and took the Celtics to a game seven. Oh sure, game seven was ugly…butt ugly… for the Hawks. But even with that, they reminded everyone that when you’re in the playoffs, you have a chance…and to have a chance, you have to be in the playoffs.
Now, what in the name of Joseph Henri Maurice “Rocket” Richard does any of this have to do with the Thrashers…the team you come here to read and blog about? Why, I’m glad you asked!
First, to put this in it’s proper context, we need to find the NHL equivalent of the Hawks/Celtics match up. That would be taking the best team in the league, Detroit, and matching it against the team that finished with roughly the same winning percentage as the Hawks. The closest would be .463 and that team was…the Atlanta Thrashers. So, think of what would happen if the Thrashers were pitted against the Red Wings, (yes I know that they are in different conferences), and the Thrashers played them in similar fashion.
Now, remember as the past season began to unravel in Blueland and there were many who express the belief that it was better for the team to NOT make the playoffs, even though it was still in our grasps at the time. It was a hopeless venture anyway, so why even bother with the whole silly notion of actually attending the competition to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup. Since we had no chance of actually winning it, some said, then it’s just better we don’t even qualify for the playoffs in the first place and instead position ourselves for a high draft pick.
To that I say, balder-dash…horse pucky…phooey…and B.S., (baloney squared).
The Hawks just exemplified why it is so important to make the playoffs, even if your team has no chance of succeeding…or that’s what everyone ELSE is saying about you.
So I ask you, what do you think is more valuable to that team right now… the hope of what could become of a prospect taken high in the first round…or the experience and confidence that Josh Childress, Zaza Pachulia, Josh Smith and the rest of the team have gained over the past couple of weeks? Personally, I would argue the ladder. And I would argue the same would be true had the Thrashers done the same.
Draft picks, no matter how highly touted they might be, are a crapshoot for the most part. High picks can be busts and those chosen later can prove to be MVPs. But what the Hawks have obtained in these playoffs is priceless and will only prove to benefit them down the road…even in light of the game seven blowout.
One last thing…four years ago, Mike Woodson took then-rookies Josh Smith and Josh Childress to Detroit to experience what playoff atmosphere was all about and to try and give them a hunger for it. Don Waddell might want to think about such a field trip for Tobias Enstrom, Bryan Little and some other young Thrashers.
So, Atlanta Hawks and Hawks fans…The Ice Man congratulateth you for what you have accomplished over the past couple of weeks. Even though you fell short, the experience gained will certainly benefit the players next season. And hey, right now you can say that you are 3-0… undefeated… in Philips Arena during the playoffs. Job well done!
Eastern Finals Choc-Full-O-Old Friends
And there it was…big as day. Marian Hossa slamming home the game winning, series clinching goal 7 minutes and 10 seconds into overtime. Making it even more pleasurable to watch was the fact that Pascal Dupuis gained an assist along with Sidney Crosby. It was Hossa’s second goal of the game and his fifth of the post-season to go along with five helpers.
Making this even sweeter for Atlanta Thrashers fans is the knowledge that somewhere in the same state of Pennsylvania was one Braydon Coburn watching the very same game. He and the rest of his Philadelphia Flyers teammates were looking on as their position in the Eastern Conference Finals had already been secured.
So, we have the pleasure of watching Coburn and the Flyers take on Hossa, Dupuis and the Penguins for the right to play in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Joy. Rapture.
Braydon Coburn…he’s the player TV play-by-play announcers and analyst love to remind us, as well as millions of viewers, was obtained from the Thrashers for …snicker … Alexei Zhitnik. Coburn has, in 12 games during the playoffs, notched 5 assists…the exact same amount Zhitnik had in 65 regular season games and has looked like a dominate force on the Flyers blueline doing so. Zhitnik is…still on our payroll for $3.5 million.
Marian Hossa…he’s the player who forced Don Waddell’s hand to trade him because there was no way he was going to resign with the club he general managed. See, Hossa insists he wanted to play for a team that was…well, moving in the right direction.
Pascal Dupuis…he’s the man who has to feel like the luckiest player in the NHL. He woke up on February 26th in a Montreal hotel room a member of a team that was in the throws of what would ultimately become a death-spiral toward the conference basement…but before he went back to sleep was winging his way with Hossa to Pittsburgh.
Basically, Hossa left for Armstrong and Christensen, (not too bad), and Dupuis was the sweetener that landed us a Junior League center and future draft pick… a player and a pick we can only hope will develop into quality NHL players some day down the road. Pascal gets a legitimate chance to skate the cup around Mellon Arena next month.
Don’t get me wrong…I actually enjoy watching these players do well on the big stage. However, it does kind of make me wonder…what player(s) currently on the Thrashers roster will Don Waddell gift wrap and send off next season for us to watch play in May and June?
For What It’s Worth
Some have speculated that Hawks GM Billy Knight could still be on the hot seat with coach Mike Woodson regardless of the 3 wins in the playoffs. If, indeed, he were to be relieved of his duties that would mean that of the four general managers in Atlanta one year ago, the only one remaining in that capacity would be…Don Waddell.
I refer you back to the last paragraph in the preceding segment of this blog.
