AmishBoy

I feel you. I just moved to California after living in Atl. since 2001. I'm used to turning on Hawks game so easily. Now I'll have to pay for leaguepass. I don't think I can go without watching the Hawks.

Quote: And for the next 5 years, marvin will amass 60 three point attempts total... and he will hit 8 of them!

I didn't even know Zima was still sold. I'd go with Corona or Heineken. I'd vote for Dos Equis for the commercials alone. Throw in Natural Ice for a wild card. My favorite cheap beer back in the day.

Do a poll.

Looks good. I'll probably go see this in theatres. Casino Royale was the first Bond movie I watched all the way through. The other ones never interested me but I'll probably go back and watch them someday thanks to the new ones.

1. Celtics 2. Magic 3. Pistons 4. Raptors 5. Cavs 6. Hawks 7. Wizards 8. Sixers

None of the guys are perfect but I picked Horford because I think he can be really good at the 4 and we are choosing who's the best at the 4. Josh is a tweener and Horf can play the 5 so even as tweeners I still pick Horford. As far as him getting beat by Bogut sometimes things happen. I know everytime I watch us play the Knicks Josh gets owned by David Lee. It's mind boggling but...

I picked Beasley for all 3 because I like what I saw of him when I watched him play. As far as Rose it's been awhile since a PG picked top 3 hasn't turned out to be pretty damn good so ultimately you can't go wrong either way.

Go old school with five deadly venoms. Basically a classic.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that noone is even going to offer Josh Smith a contract.

Boston is playing better now versus when they played us but it's because they have been playing playoff basketball for 5 weeks. If we played playoff intensity basketball for 5 weeks we would look better also. With that said, Boston did not take us lightly and what Diesel is saying makes alot of sense. Boston: Good Home, Good Road. Hawks: Good Home, Bad Road Good home team and good road team = Close games in Atlanta Good home and bad road teams = Blowouts in Boston What happened was no fluke.

Quote: You guys are really overrating his drawing power. People go to see the Atlanta Hawks. They don't go to see JJ, Smoove, or MARV. They go to see the Hawks or whomever we are playing. You think that if we trade JSmoove attendence is going to drop at phillips arena. Yeah right!!!!! I Only the media would flip out. The a**holes on these sports talk radio stations would act like it's the end of the world. If we win, people will come.

Game 7: I would have been okay with keeping Woody. Now: I would like Avery Johnson. Game 7: I was as pissed off at Marvin as I've ever been. Now: Let's give him a little more time. Game 7: I was wondering whether we should trade Josh Smith for a center. Now: We need his defense but I wonder should we trade him because I get the feeling he doesn't do what he's being taught. Game 7: Thought next year would be very good. Now: Still think next year will be very good. Game 7: Billy Knight is far from perfect. Now: No GM is.

Quote: guess I should have also pointed out that with Acie on the court, our team was outscored by 7.8 points while with him off the court we were outscored by only .5 points. For Stuckey, they outscored opponents by 3.2 points and with him off the court they outscored by 10 points. Difference between 10 and 3.2 is 6.8 Differnce between .5 and 7.8 is 7.3 Half a point. They outscored opponents and we didn't but the overall impact is pretty much the same.

Quote: I think the 2 guys who are gonna get STOLEN by good teams in the late first round are Brandon Rush and Chris Douglas-Roberts I was just thinking about this the other day when I went to NBADraft.net and saw Brandon Rush being taken by San Antonio. He'd probably replace Finley or something for them. It just isn't fair.

I had forgot about how the Lakers sucked the year Caron was there. They had Caron, Kobe, and Lamar Odom and went 34-48. Truthfully, that doesn't seem possible but somehow they did it. Another thing is that it seems like it's not something that instantly clicks being the man on a team. Look at Caron's this year with the Wizards. Joe had to figure it and even Kobe needed some time. He averaged 4 turnovers that year. Everybody needs talent around them or better yet, experienced talent.

Thanks alot. Could you PM me on how to do that.

Since it's from January it's probably been posted but I've never seen this before. Also I can't figure out how to get the video to work so go here and then to season 3 and week 10. If you haven't seen it, it's worth it. If anyone can figure out how to make it play or embed it, thanks a bunch. As for the video it seems like the players know Joe Johnson is the best player but don't have the veteran respect for him. Joe becoming more vocal as we've seen after the Boston series may help get some of our wild players in line. Just overall a very intesting video. Even suprised me alot about Marvin in such a short video.

Caron Butler

Quote: Josh Smith, Mike Bibby (big expiring contract) for #2 pick (Rose), and Blount Joe Johnson would probably quit.

That one year deal is insulting and you can't blame BK for leaving after that. I do wonder how much value he puts in the core he built though. I sort of think BK has a can do no wrong type of love for the players he drafted though this may not be true since he he did part with Shellhead. I have to admit that I'm now for leaving this core together to see how much they can improve unless a trade for a really good player comes up. I still live off the dream that one day Josh Smith will "get it" and become the monster he seems like he can.

I'd say there's no way in hell you pass on this Beasley kid for anyone else in this draft. I've heard some questions about his motivation but if these things are not true then you must take him.

I hadn't read any of those Joe Johnson post game 7 comments before. All I can say is wow. I wonder if he's like this in the locker room. He's beginning to be more vocal about what he wants. The new GM may start listening.

Barack Obama’s campaign theme of “Change” applies to the Hawks as well. Change is coming, already has if you count the resignation of general manager Billy Knight after six years. More change is coming. Personnel changes, attitude changes, philosophy changes and just about anything else that could be changed is on the menu. Hawks coach Mike Woodson, however, isn’t going anywhere. By guiding the Hawks to a Game 7 against Boston in their first-round playoff series, Woodson saved his own hide—his 106-222 record after four seasons trumped by his team’s postseason rush. “Mike deserves an opportunity to see what he can do with this team,” Hawks part owner Michael Gearon Jr. said while discussing Knight’s resignation. The Hawks’ personnel changes could include new addresses for forwards Josh Smith (a distinct possibility) and Josh Childress (not as likely). It could also mean a wholesale swapping of the reserves other than Childress and Zaza Pachulia. Woodson’s staff could look vastly different by training camp, as both Larry Drew and David Fizdale will both be in high demand this summer. “It’s a strange day,” Smith said after hearing of the resignation of Knight, the man who put together the entire roster. “I don’t know what to make of what’s going on right now. I do know that I feel for BK. He drafted all of us and watched us all grow the past four years, and for him not to be a part of it anymore just doesn’t feel right to me.” There’s a whole lot more that might not feel right by the time training camp begins. Season Highlight: The Hawks’ hair-raising run to Game 7 against Boston in their first round playoff series woke up a slumbering fan base and put the rest of the league on notice. The Hawks showed the world that there is more to the franchise than just a dysfunctional ownership group and mixed up front office crew. There’s also some talent on hand. Turning Point: Mike Bibby’s acquisition at the trade deadline changed things dramatically for the Hawks. They went 16-17 with Bibby in the lineup and ended an eight-year playoff drought with Bibby at the controls. The veteran point guard provided everything the Hawks needed to get to the postseason but fell flat against the Celtics. Notes, Quotes • Game 7 against Boston marked Mike Woodson’s final outing under contract with the Hawks. His contract ends June 30. But he had one huge supporter in his bid to continue as Hawks coach. Hawks captain and All-Star Joe Johnson is firmly entrenched in the Woodson camp. “I hope he comes back,” Johnson said after the game. “I hope we’re able to bring him and his entire coaching staff back. That was one of the main attractions for me coming here (from Phoenix three years ago), so I would definitely love to see him come back. I’ve learned a lot from all of those guys. They’ve taught us all a lot.” • The Hawks couldn’t agree on whether or not the Celtics looked like a championship team after the series. Rookie center Al Horford saw enough of Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe and Glen Davis to know that there’s plenty of ammunition to get it done. “We really gave them all they could handle,” he said. “But I do feel like they can get it done. They certainly have a good enough team to do it.” Johnson, on the other hand, isn’t nearly as sold on the Celtics as his young teammate. “I don’t know if they’re going to win it,” he said. “[The media] has got them picked to win it. I had us picked to win it. But I guess I’m out of luck.” When asked if the Celtics are as good as everyone thinks, Johnson didn’t retreat a bit. “No,” he said. “They’re probably not as good as everyone thought. We didn’t show that here in Boston, but we showed it in Atlanta.” Quote To Note: “It’s a bittersweet situation for me, a difficult decision to make for me. But I think it’s the best decision at this particular time—but difficult to come to because I love these guys. I think they’re great. Great players and great guys. I’ve gotten to know each and every one of them personally. I think the best is yet to come with this group. I’d like to see this group stay together, I think they can do some special things.”—Outgoing Hawks general manager Billy Knight on the future of the franchise he helped rebuild. Roster Report Most Valuable Player: Joe Johnson turned in one of his finest seasons yet in a Hawks uniform, leading the team to the playoffs and leading them in scoring the entire way. Whatever he lacks in verbal leadership abilities Johnson more than makes up for by leading this team by example. But those who questioned the Hawks’ pursuit of him three years ago need not open wide to snack on the crow they so rightly deserve—Johnson could care less. Most Disappointing Player: Speedy Claxton’s tenure with the Hawks is quickly turning into another cautionary tale for teams strapped to fix their draft mistakes through free agency. He didn’t play a single game this season because of a knee injury that could very well end his career. That $25 million the Hawks paid him to be the point guard of the future (instead of drafting Chris Paul or Deron Williams) looks even more ridiculous now than it did when they signed the career backup. Free Agent Focus: Josh Smith and Josh Childress are the Hawks’ most important players this summer. Both of the restricted free agents have to be signed to lucrative extensions for the Hawks to keep moving in the right direction. Smith will certainly cost more than $45 million that stalled talks before this season. Childress, who could have been signed for the mid-level before this season, will certainly demand more than that this summer. There is on easy way out of this, not even a sign-and-trade deal for one or the other. The Hawks have to make sure both of these guys are back on the roster next season or they risk alienating a significant portion of that fan base they recaptured during the playoffs. Player Notes: • G Joe Johnson was highly critical of his younger teammates during the playoffs and made a loud call for some added veteran leadership. “I thought we’d come into this game knowing what was at stake and knowing we had a chance to make history and move on to the next round,” Johnson said after the Game 7 blowout loss. “I thought we’d come out with a lot more enthusiasm and a lot more discipline, and we didn’t do any of that. We came out so lethargic. We had no continuity on offense. It was a joke, man. “We’re so inexperienced, and we showed that every game in Boston. We had no chance of winning game here. None. I guess some of these guys thought we were just going to be able to come out and play hard and have fun. There’s more to it than that. “Four games here and we got run ragged all four times. You would think in Game 7 you would have a (expletive) clue. We didn’t have a clue as to what was going on out there.” • F Josh Smith isn’t worried about free agency. He knows he’s done enough in four years to prove to anyone paying attention that he’s a legitimate player in the NBA. But he can’t help but feel a connection to his hometown organization, the one that bet on him and provided an opportunity for him to prove just how valuable he could be. “You don’t spend as much time in this organization as we have and not feel like there’s work to be done,” said Smith, who finished the regular season as the Hawks’ second-leading scorer, rebounder and leader in blocks and steals and was sixth in the voting for the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award. “What we can’t control is how things play out from here. All we can do is let the process work itself out.” • C Al Horford is still trying to figure out what to do with himself now that the season is over. He ended his last two college seasons with titles. So a deflating Game 7 loss to the Celtics was a bit more than he could handle. “I don’t know what to do with myself, man,” Horford said Monday as he walked down a corridor to his car. “I know we lost, but I just don’t know what to do with myself. You’re just done. “Obviously, you know the season is going to end at some point. But in school you kind of knew what you had going on next. Here you’re done and you’re just … done.” Link

I just wish Marvin did about two of three of these highlights in one game. I know Marvin is designated by the Squawk as the third or fourth option, but truthfully, the 2nd option door has been open for 2 years for anyone on the Hawks who wanted to step up and walk through. I'm getting the feeling that Al will not be given 2nd option status, but take it in the long run.