HAWKEYE

Quote: Joe's November was better offensively than any month he had last year by a large margin. Some say this is due to his Team USA play, but I think it's more likely due to his not being required to play PG for part/most of the game. He did not "start" most of the games with the USA. Watching from the bench gave him a different perspective he has not had in recent years with Phoenix and now the ATL. He has stated that the experience of watching how the "A" team prepare for a game and what they bring speaks volumes for being selected and honored to play with them .(Melo-Wade-Lebron) They were on the "serious" road trip playing "abroad" not really for a paycheck but even deeper, for honor.

Quote: They never step over and thug someone in the first qtr. Late in the game, same thing. Sometimes just giving the effort to foul someone will stop a run. Love that line. It works if you don't get 2-3 quick fouls and go to the bench and lose your mo...but come back with the same thuggery at end.

Quote: Frustrated Allen Calls Out Sonics Offense "Teams sit a man in my pocket, so my point guard has to do a better job of getting me in the flow of the game, because it's only going to result in good shots for them Teams are sometimes sitting a defender in both of JJ pockets. I would doubt JJ, even if things got terrible, ever going to the media to call folks out. He is a consummate professional. As Smoove has eluded to earlier JJ does quietly get in their ears. That you can count on.

Graymule, I guess you and I answered at the same time. I'm sure you enjoyed the game as much as I. We were pretty much in control the whole game. Its one game but I see players wrapping their minds around what their roles will be to help us improve.

Quote: Is there somewhere I can see that JJ interview? It was on the TV last night with the Hawks/Blazers game.

While we have the injuries with Marvin and J Chill and "Speedy is Slowly" getting back to game shape you can not deny that T Lue is helping to carry us along with JJ. No one else can carry us. No one else has really stepped up on the offensive end. He hits "Big Shots" inside, midrange and outside. He takes the hard charges and leaves his best effort on the floor. There are some on this board that would like the Hawks to win but him to fail and that is probably personal. He is criticized for taking too many shots but I like the percentages of him than anyone else save JJ. He can create his own shot. We have a few spotty spot up shooters that are not going to cut it as we get into the meat of the schedule. Don't get me wrong I want this team to win and I don't care who does it. Our 2 man game is JJ and T Lue esp. at crunch time until the others get back.

Quote: why do we keep Ivey and Este in the team? Someone posted a while back. I forgot who and whether there is any truth to the matter that the NBA had signed a deal with Uraguay to televise the games. Este is a very important contract under that agreement even though he is not getting minutes or seconds for that matter.

Lascar, we do miss your more frequent and insightful analysis from the past but the realities of life do keep us away from the Squawk sometimes. I , of course, will be happy to get Marvin back but I think we ought to give him a few games to get back in the flow. There are some on this board who will be pouncing on Marvin if he doesn't from day one make "significant" contributions but I think once he gets settled back the real "addition by subtraction" will be realized. Give him time he has got the skills to put it together and help this team at both ends.

I have posted this before. It is a scouting report written on NBAdraft.net 2 1/2 years ago about Josh's weaknesses. Things have not changed in 2 1/2 years. "Will need to improve on his overall ball handling. This will aid him in taking opposing players off the dribble.While he has three point range he lacks consistency. Will need to work on shot selection as he gets a little too carried away. Lacks any real post up game to take advantage of mismatches (even in high school). Settles at times for taking outside shots instead of driving to the basket." Matthew Maurer 4/8/04 When he hangs out on the perimeter he is being left open which allows 5 defenders to cover 4 Hawks. Usually 2 tightening up on Joe. His overall game has not changed since high school even with mismatches with high schoolers a lot shorter and a lot less athletic.

The plots and sub plots for this season are sickening and thickening.

Quote: Welcome aboard. Do you know about the corndogs yet? Hey give the kid a break !! Welcome aboard. Those corndogs will retard your growth kid and they did not help us in our last two loses. Welcome to our collective misery.

Quote: I can't live with these emotional rollercoasters every game. That is just the way it is going to be pulling for the Hawks and the Falcons. At least I have given up on the Falcons. Offensively, what a horrible game for Smoove.

He was something like 1 for 10 in shot attempts. He really needs to give the ball up when he is so off. We still needed his hustle on defense though, until he fouled out.

South west of where most of the HBO series "Sopranos" is filmed in North Jersey.

Not far from where I grew up in Newark and East Orange, New Jersey. Rutgers is in New Brunswick N.J. appx 45 minutes from New York City.

Erasing the Falcons collapse against the Lions; the Hawks, the Thrashers and the Falcons would be in 1st place at the same time. Who said the ATL is not a sports town. You give us some winning and this town could go crazy. The last time it went crazy was when the Braves won the World Series and I was stuck in absolute gridlock down near Underground Atlanta and the drivers got out of their cars and gave PRIMAL SCREAMS. Hey! I can daydream can't I.

Quote: in fact when Cassell retires Lue may become the starting PG on the All-NBA Ugly team. Personal foul!!! Low blow "G" !!!

It is too much to ask a team to go without injury during the season. The injury bug has already hit us with Speedy and Marvin. They are going to happen and more will absolutely come. That is where depth comes in and players stepping up. No matter what happens this season we ARE going to see how this team handles adversity. Better to have them early and still win and if we are tough enough to get to the playoffs that is when you have to play hurt.

Quote: when he hit that floater to send it into OT he was yelling to a fan "sit your punk@ss down!" LOL Lue looks like a character off of a Star Wars movie, imagine him yelling at you in the stands. i think i'd spill my beer. As long as he does not go into the stands to "sit his punk@ss down", I like him selling "wolf tickets" from the floor. We need some fire that we are for real. The teams we will be playing soon will be testing our manhood and this needs to part of our new identity.

I think that Bozeman may get an opportunity to start. I like the way he is committed to taking the hard charges like Lue. You have to be very very durable to get levelled like in the NFL but without the padding. I don't see BK pulling the trigger on a trade. He works much slower and very deliberately.(See AL Harrington trade) His trades can be timed with a sun dial and not a stop watch.

Of course I am assuming that Speedy "Recovery" Claxton is out for the next few games.

Quote: Do you all think Bozeman can become a legit PG one day in this league? I think that day has arrived. I can see Bozeman starting now (a defensive upgrade on last years starter Ivey) to get the defensive tempo initiated. We will see with added minutes whether he can show more offense than Ivey (WHICH AIN'T MUCH), set the offense, hit the open shots, create on his own and free up T- Lue to be FRESH during the game and especially at the end of the game. I think T-Lue haters have a problem with him starting and not in closing games out.

This may have been a benchmark game for Josh. Smoove repeatedly slashed to the inside. Did I say SLASH and SMOOVE in the same sentence? It was great to see him throw some kickouts to the perimeter instead of trying to be on the receiving end. This will definitely elevate his game.

Quote: I think we need to give Speedy the benefit of the doubt for now. He almost won 6th man of the year last season for a reason, and it wasn't because he played like he's been playing so far. The one area where I'm not as willing to give him the benefit of the doubt is in the "can he stay healthy" department, because so far his career has been marred by injuries. I agree "V". Speedy is not going to be of too much help in the near future until he gets himself pulled together. We need to reset our PG rotation until he does. I see a lot more minutes for Bozeman. I have liked Lue since he got here. He always seems to give maximum effort and leaves it on the floor especially those charges he has taken. I have always had a problem with the Lue haters on this board. I wonder how they can watch the same game I watch and come up with their twisted critism. Does he have a bad game every now and then, of course he does, but he always gives effort and I prefer having him in there with the game on the line. Love those clutch 3 pointers and that tear drop drive was fantastic in todays game.

Hopefully, I pray, another injury to another part of his body will not occur any game now.