Jump to content

Diesel

Premium Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    60,560

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    115

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by Diesel

  1. Diesel

    The Horford Question

    By Diesel,

    The Horford Question
















    Is he ready? Is HE Ready? IS HE READY? That's the question that Atlanta Hawks fans are quietly asking themselves about the last remaining piece of the Billy Knight Era, Al Horford or Horf (if you will). Thus far, Danny Ferry has done a job of ridding himself of everything that said Billy Knight. It's almost as if he believed that anything Knight brought in was plague ridden and not fit for this team. When you look at it, what Knight used as his core: Johnson, Smith, Williams, Horf, Larry Drew, and sometimes Zaza was sent away with nothing in return. Ferry traded and ignored them all so that he can have his precious capspace. Like I have said in previous posts, Ferry is going to do what Elitest do. Trust only himself and upkeep his own standard. However, it brings us back to Horf. Horf is the last of the Mohicans. Just call him Uncas.
    The question of his readiness is at hand. He has been surrounded by efficient, physical players to match his efficiency and physicality. For all the years that he has been called Bawse, now is the proving time. He has to be the first option scorer on offense and leader in the lockerroom. For what it's worth, he has already shown great leadership by welcoming every incoming player personally. The good news is that there will be a few familiar faces in the person of Teague, Korver, and Lou; however, this time, there is no JSmoove to back him up on defense or to kill him softly on offense. There is no Larry who will draw up ball movement plays instead of focusing on position specific plays. So people want to know what should Horf do to get ready? Here are the Dieselputers answers.

    1. Perfect the Pick and Roll.

    Horford is a face up, high post player. He is perfect for the screen and roll and pick and pop. He has to master that part of his game. Some say he should work on his low post, we will address that in point two. However, the Pick and Roll and Pick and Pop is the offensive scheme that will happen when we fall out of transition. Horford has to be really fluid with this because this will be how our hard points will be generated.

    2. Make a case for bringing in a 7 footer to play Center.

    Horford is naturally a PF. He should petition to play PF. The league is getting big again. Horf should be banging with the likes of Bynum, Lopez, Hibbert, and Oden. Since he is the leader of the Hawks, we need to realize that all of that banging is too much on him. We can't have him physically distressed. Instead, we should bring in a big who can run the floor and fight down low and allow Horf to play the PF. My suggestion is trading for Gortat. He's a 7 footer with Speed. We've missed out on everybody else. Horf has to be at the 4. IF we can't get Gortat, wait a while and pitch for Asik. While Asik is not as fast as Gortat, he brings the defense we need.

    3. Defense, Defense, Defense.

    Smoove's one great attribute is that he understood defensive spacing. Horf needs to be the guy who directs our defense. He needs to be able to bark at players and tell them where they need to be.

    4. Your twin Millsap is not a twin at all.

    I see a lot of people saying that Millsap and Horf are the same. Not really. Millsap actually shoots better from distance and Horf shoots better in the midrange. I think Millsap may be our Sf parttime and PF parttime. IF so, we will be a very tough team. Horf has to learn and build chemistry with Millsap. Especially if we get a true 5.

    5. Teague and DNice are your friends. Take them out and feed them.

    Horf has to learn how to lead these two young points. Not just on the court, but certainly off it.

    If we do those things, we will surprise many. But it's up to Horf.
  2. Diesel
    Elitist is as Elitist Does part 2 - The "San Antonio Way" in Atlanta.



    By Diesel



    In our riveting part 1 of this series, we found some ties to Atlanta's GM Danny Ferry and his coaching mentor Coach K and his Father Bob Ferry. However, that's only half of the story; it would be like telling the story of Steve Jobs and stopping at his stint with Atari. However, there were more to understanding Ferry and the Elitism than just Duke and Dad. There was also the place where he got the opportunity to dabble in successful player development. There was the San Antonio Spurs' Way.

    The Spurs, is the NBA’s version of Moneyball. As a far as player selection goes, they don’t chase highlight-reel moments. Their talent isn’t loaded with athletic springs, but they find players to fill appropriate needs. San Antonio continues to actually coach and develop its players after arrival in addition to placing them in ideal situations. When you consider the Spurs roster and see it in Action, one of the things that you can't help but say is "who knew?". Greg Poppovich and Buford has found a way to take players that the league has gave up on or never saw and turn them into great "system guys".

    Yes, I said "System guys", it's interesting because it is a word also used to describe many of coach K's players too. These system guys have allowed the Spurs to continue their dynasty because of their ability to define specific roles using distinct talents. Think about these names: Mario Ellie, Avery Johnson, Vernon Maxwell, Dennis Rodman, Bruce Bowen, Tony Parker, Robert Horry, Beno Udrih, Leandro Barbosa, George Hill, Tiago Splitter, Boris Diaw, and Gary Neal. These are all talented players but in actuallity, they were pinpointed for their ability to be system guys. They filled a specific need on a team that is built a specific way.

    When you consider the San Antonio system guys, they are a like Electrons that oribit a nucleus. The nucleus that they orbit is one that was drafted out of Wake Forest back in 1997. That nucleus is Tim Duncan. It's very interesting because many people regard the nucleus as including Manu and Parker, however, Many was a 57th pick and Parker a 28th. What it shows is that you don't have to have a big three, you can make a big three if you have a big one.

    Even with having this nuclues, these electrons to form this atom, there are some things that the players have to accept in order for this whole system to work: your are one of fifteen, play unselfish offense and play exceptional defense. You would think that every player who has played any team sport would know these things. However, knowing and doing are two different entities. At San Antonio, Ferry saw first hand how playing as one and being unselfish can win.

    So far, reading this, you may wonder where the elitism lies. Well, we've haven't discussed the factors of finding these selfless players. There are really two things that stand out:

    1. A strict reliance on foreign players.
    2. Advanced Metrics.

    The way the Spurs see it, foreign players are the way to go. Something has happened to basketball in the US. It has been driven by money, fame and a generation of players who've learned from watching others succeed by being selfish. We have gone from Magic and Larry to Michael to Ai to Kobe to Carmelo. Yes, along the way you've had some unselfish guys like Hill, Lebron, and Duncan but for the most part, in US basketball, we've seen that in order to be the top pick, you have to dominate. There were more people talking about how Carmelo Anthony single handily lead his team to a NCAA championship instead of talking about how unselfishly Brian Cook help lead the Illini in the same year. Interestingly, Anthony was rewarded while Cook was punished for their roles.

    The reliance on foreign players is highlighted by the corrupt AAU system in the U.S vs. the FIBA club system of Europe. In AAU, anyone who pays a $16 fee and finishes a background check and an online clinic can coach. In the FIBA club system in Europe, although requirements vary from country to country, coaches must earn various licenses, which often require them to complete intensive training, covering everything from X's and O's to nutrition. Therefore, AAU coaches have become middlemen trying to gain their fortune by being hangeroners to young would be superstar talents. No longer do you see real coaching taking place in the AAU system, instead you see players who are taught a little more than what can be learned on any playground. No fundamentals, no team first, only a bunch of kids who are playing iso ball and working on what they want to work on. Is it no wonder that a 6'9" Josh Smith came to the league with no idea of how to play in the post and because he had always been treated like the best smelling rose in the room, he refused to learn to do dirty work? The elitist in Ferry would want no parts of a player who can't play as part of the team. That's why when Josh's contract ran out, you saw no attempt to resign him and he was quickly replaced with a guy who is so team first that he has made a career doing what the team needed.

    The second part of that equation is Advanced Metrics. It's the new buzz word in the NBA. It's interesting, even Dallas Owner Mark Cuban is buying into these metrics. He's just hired an assistant whose main function is to improved advanced biometrics. In this area, the Spurs has been depicted as a team ahead of the curve. The Spurs use metrics to understand their players, to lead their team attack, and to define what the other team is planning to do. It's like counting cards in Vegas. Once you learn to do it, the game becomes much easier.

    So armed with this type of background, enter Ferry. He has the knowledge of everything he has learned at Duke and everything he has learned in the San Antonio way. While many were predicting tank for the Hawks, tank is nowhere in the vocabulary of Ferry. He refers to the M1 Abram as that "iron thing with a big gun on the front and tractor wheels". If you consider how San Antonio has found talent late in the draft and converted that talent into good system guys or even good nucleus guys, you would forget what tank means too. In fact, the current lottery system does not help struggling teams nearly as much as one might think. It’s a collection of life preservers thrown a struggling group of franchises, but only one in four actually float. So the elitist do what elitist does. He gets his supercomputer, he gets his team of "watchers", he turns on the metric cameras and they watch everything. Then he decides what's best for the team. Hawks fans hope that the Steve Jobs of basketball actually becomes the Steve Jobs of basketball and take this small market team to a championship. Until then, we have our foreign draft picks, our unselfish system guys, and our efficient players by metric. We are the Spurs South.


  3. Diesel
    Elitest is as Elitest does. From Duke to Atlanta.
    by Diesel


    In thinking about Danny Ferry, his name is irrevocably tied to Duke University. In fact, you can't say Danny Ferry without thinking about his time at Duke. While those in Cleveland may curse his name twice, those not tied to the Cavaliers see something else. What we see is "the Duke way". Nobody forgets that Ferry was Coach K's first prodigy. He was the Coach K rendition of Larry Bird. In fact, that Danny Ferry - Larry Bird relation was so highly thought of when Ferry left Duke that poor Wayne Embry gave the Clippers Ron Harper, two first round picks, and a second round pick for the kid who would not play for the Clippers. Maybe it was Ferry the elitist who felt that he could not slum it with bottom dwelling Los Angeles. Maybe it was his Duke University education that taught him that it should always be his way or no way at all. If that were the case, it would also explain how he left the negotiation table while Lebron James was in the middle of deciding to resign. The story is told that Ferry couldn't have the coach of his choice, so just like he did in LA, he took his ball and his bat and he left the table. Not even "King James" is important enough for him to compromise his position.

    If it were truly a Duke thing, then the person who helped harness this awareness was Coach Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K). Recently, in reading a bit of a fall out from Coach K and Jalen Rose, I ran across this quote, "We were very successful against them and, to be quite frank with you, we recruited Chris Webber. I didn't recruit Jalen Rose because we had Grant Hill and I'm happy with that. We didn't look at the other, Juwan Howard [because] we knew he wasn't going to come to Duke. The other two kids we didn't think were the caliber that could play as well as Thomas Hill and Brian Davis and Billy McCaffery. They're good kids. They were good kids. They had a heck of a run but, they didn't leave anything, they didn't establish anything there. The guys that I had established something that Jay Williams continued to do 10 years later -- the standards of what it meant to be a Duke basketball player." This statement of caliber and standards of being a Duke player is exactly why Duke players are considered elitist among the public.

    Maybe it wasn't just a Duke thing but remember, Ferry grew up around the game. His father was a famed NBA player and GM and also was a player for the Hawks at one time. If ever there was a person who deserved to be an elitist in the NBA, it has to be Ferry. I can just imagine that he would tag alone with Dad and every now and then he would hear how his father talked about the talent and to see how his Dad got deals done and would be able to pick his dad's brain about his favorite players. At the age of 11, he watched his dad assemble an NBA champion in 1978. He saw the pieces come together, enjoyed the magic of a playoff run and celebrated the Game 7 NBA Finals road victory over Seattle. “We stayed up and watched the game,” Danny says. “I remember that vividly. I remember the parade.” It's no wonder that when coming to the league as an assistant, he managed to get in on one of the best systematic coaching staff in the league and he quickly raised himself from being a player to be one of the top assistants in that system. Guys like Pete Babcock would tell you that going from player or scout to GM is a jump that takes at least Fifteen years. Ferry did it in less than five years. It's hard not to be an elitist when you have always had things to go your way.

    So with this elitist upbringing, where does that leave his current franchise, the Hawks? Well if you read my last blog, you would know that I believe Ferry is testing a theory. That theory is that he can confront the pampered, elitist players in the NBA with a team filled with hard working players with something to prove. In actuality, Ferry intends to go to war against the elitist of this league with blue collared determination! That is a brilliancy! Who better to know how to defeat the elite than an elitist. As you look at your 2012-2013 Atlanta Hawks, you see none of the trappings of the super wealthy players who have always had things to go their way. You know the ones who always can cry and get a call, who generally expect to win without playing the game? Some are in Miami, Some in Brooklyn, Some are in LA, Some have even found their way to Houston. These are the elitist teams that Ferry has prepared his team to face. On his team, there are no max players, nor are their any big threes. However, what you do have is a team that will fight, work hard, and bring a hard hat and a lunch box to every game.

    We should attack the pampered elite teams of today with hardworking, hard hat teams. Is this how the elite think? Well, when you look at Coach K at Duke, consider the teams he put on the floor. Very few of his teams remind you of what you may see in Kentucky or Louisville. Instead, you see teams that have guys who will probably never be pros, but they believe that they will. The strange part about that is that Coach K has 4 NCAA Championships, 11 Final Fours, 12 ACC regular season titles, and 13 ACC Tournament championships. In the words of Jefferson Teague, "the shit works". That's what every Hawks fan is hoping about Ferry. They are hoping that his answer to elitist in the NBA leads Atlanta to it's first NBA championship. Everything after that is just the Elitist doing as Elitist do.
  4. Diesel
    Hawks Trying to Prove a Theory.
    by Diesel.

    As we look at the landscape of the NBA, the championship picture has centered around teams having a "big three". Whether it be: Bosh, James, and Wade or Garnett, Peirce, and Allen, or even Bryant, Gasol, and World Peace the road to the finals have been paved with teams that have moved to get at least three all-star quality players. However, this years rendition of the Hawks will not display three all-star quality players, however, there is a "total team approach" in the building of this team. In fact, Danny Ferry has put together a team of Hard Working, Blue Collar type players whose attitudes have always been team first and whose history shows a history of toughness. In short, the Hawks are going to combat the big threes of this league with balance and toughness.

    Many Hawks fans were on the edge of their seats waiting to see what direction Ferry would take as it pertained to matching or not matching the contract signing of point guard Jefferson Teague. In the 9th hour of waiting on a decision about his future, Jefferson Teague received a phone call from Ferry and Coach Bud telling him that they were going to match Milwaukee's contract offer and make Teague their starting PG for the third season in a row. The move was a signal to show the NBA that the Hawks were not about to field a team not capable of winning many games in hopes of getting a top draft pick in next years draft. The practice being spoke of is called being in "tank mode". Many teams are in tank mode in order to get the prize in next years draft, high school standout Andrew Wiggins. Some have compared next year's draft class to that of 2003 when Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh were feature draft picks. Fortunately for Hawks fans, Ferry doesn't see the logic in tanking. As one expert has stated, "tanking in today's NBA is a revolving door and not a route to a championship". So what is Danny Ferry's route to a championship with the Hawks?

    Danny Ferry started this project by resigning Sharp Shooter Kyle Korver. Korver finished last season averaging 10.9 points and making 45.7 percent of his 3-point shots to rank second in the NBA. He has made a 3-pointer in 73 consecutive regular-season games, the league’s longest active streak. While some speculated that Korver was an addition to inspire Chris Paul and Dwight Howard to join forces in Atlanta, it never hurts to have one of the best three point shooters in the league on your team.

    After being rejected by Chris Paul and Dwight Howard, Ferry then made the decision to allow Atlanta Native and fringe all-star Josh Smith to pull his best prodigal son imitation and leave his home for a far land (otherwise known as Detroit). It is no surprise that as soon as J-Smoove was signed on the dotted line by Joe Dumars, the city of Detroit applied for bankruptcy. Soon Piston fans will find out what Hawks fans already know, with J-Smoove, it's always an emotional roller-coaster. There will be some days when the fanbase is up and there will be others when the fanbase will question, why did he do that. However, everyday, you can expect that Smith will play hard and Smith will make mistakes. Ferry realized that the Atlanta native who said that "Ferry was bringing a winning attitude to the Hawks" no longer fit the imagine of his team.

    Ferry went on to replace Smoove with three players that were often overlooked in the person of Paul Millsap, Elton Brand, and DeMarre Carroll. Milsap is the exact opposite of Smith as a player. As a player, Smith could never conform to the position that best fit his ability. Instead of being a driving, slashing, and finishing Power forward ala Shawn Kemp, he believed himself to be the next coming of Larry Legend. There were so many games where Smith would park himself at the three point line and wait on somebody to throw him the ball; most times out of mere desperation. Hawks fans won't have that same problem with Millsap. Millsap is a statistic accountant's dream player. Millsap is a player who knows his limitations and has mastered every area of his gifting. He's an efficient shooter, a good rebounder, a good defender, and a good free throw shooter. The Hawks have happily traded in the constant roller coaster of a fringe All-star who at times was his own worse enemy for a consistent, blue collar worker who comes to Atlanta with his lunch box and his hard hat.

    Elton Brand is the second part of this equation and where some would see age and mileage, there's really skillset and maturity. Brand brings something to Atlanta that there hasn't been since Shareef played here. A player trained in the art of playing the low post. Even though Brand is not likely to get starter's minutes, having a player like Brand around to play spot minutes at both the C and PF and give the team a low post threat is something that will benefit this young team greatly. These attributes were not missed by the second year GM. "Elton brings a veteran presence both on and off the court and is a welcomed addition to our locker room, his ability to play center or power forward will give our frontcourt a great deal of versatility and we think he will be an outstanding fit to our program."

    The third part of the equation is a small forward who was overlooked in Utah. Ferry would seem to be the ultimate chess player if his trade of Marvin Williams to Utah last year was just an attempt to make Utah forget about their development of DeMarre Carroll. Carroll is that defensive wing player that is a forgotten element on a lot of championship teams. Carroll is to basketball what barbecued ribs are to food: nothing fancy, but highly addictive. His defense is the kind of defense that continuously harasses players who believe that they can get their shot off on anybody (hello Lebron). He earned the nickname JunkYard Dog At the University of Missouri where he learned how to "Scrap" for everything he got. He has even scrapped for his place in the league. Being bounced from team to team, this is the first time where he was shown that he was really wanted by a team. Ferry signed both Millsap and Carroll early in the free agency process in order to show them that they were a part of the plan and not afterthoughts. With the legends of being elbowed into a concussion, having his teeth repositioned at the half, and coming back to play in the third quarter of the same game, Atlanta fans will take a liking to the attitude and play that the Junk Yard Dog will bring.

    In a time where many people suggested that the Hawks should pack it up, develop younger players, and start the tank mode, Ferry and his championship attitude is setting a course to show that tanking is the farthest thing from his agenda. His agenda is to combat the elitist attitudes of those teams who have big threes (and fours if you count the New York teams) with a team that will work hard, do the right thing, be tough, and play as a team.


    Diesel is that dude on Hawksquawk that posters love to hate but will have to learn to love because he's the best thing going!
  5. Diesel

    The Roles are defined.

    By Diesel,

    For a long time, our team has needed a role and an identity. After trading Deke, Smitty, and Mookie, we lost that veteran presence and team chemistry. The reason being is because we lost our best scorer and defenders. For years we have tinkered with teams with very little chemistry and no identity. The JR Rider/Jim Jackson years marked the first time this franchise had ever brought in questionable characters.

    The JT, Shareef, Theo, Big Dog fiasco that Babcock bet would make the playoffs had many fatal flaws. First and foremost, who was the leader and who was the distributor. Flawed teams have flawed players and JT was that. He was a guy who could not take control of the offense. He didn't make those around him better. Instead he would allow guys like Big Dog and JR Rider do the job he was supposed to do.... And people blamed Lenny for making him sit the bench until he learned how to run an offense.

    The start of the change came with BK. BK's vision was long, versatile, and athletic. This is what he sought in players. Unfortunately, it was his Achilles heel too. Long, Versatile, and Athletic bypassed Chris Paul in the draft. But what did we get from BK? Well, first and foremost Josh Smith. If he remains healthy, Smith may be the best non-center Shot blocker this game has ever seen. The next hit in the BK hit parade was Josh Childress. Gone now, but maybe the most efficient non-center in the game. Then there is Might Joe Johnson. I say it like that because he is a beast. Unfortunately, the media has yet to catch on. MJJ is right now one of the most underrated 2 guards playing. Then there's Marvin. Even though there's a lot of complaining that can be done about the pick, he is a good set shot shooter. To round out the list of hits, there's Zaza and Horford. These guys are pretty good energy guys. Zaza is a great BU C and Horford is a competitor. It makes for good team dynamics.

    Sund came in and with him came the lost of Chillz and the entrance of Mo Evans and Flip Murray. These guys are experienced Journeymen who really bring energy and some talent to their games. It is too early to say what place Bibby will have on this team and the same can be said for Acie. Still the roles have been defined now. As I look at this team, I think a little to that old Hawks team from years gone by:


    Bibby----------------------------------Mookie
    JJ---------------------------------------Smitty
    Marvin---------------------------------Corbin
    Smoove-------------------------------Deke
    Horf------------------------------------Laettner
    Acie------------------------------------Mays
    Evans---------------------------------Augmon
    Flip-------------------------------------Recasner

  6. Diesel
    Yes, you who have followed the series knew that this was to come. And because of it's importance, I have decided to blog this one. So here's the question. How important is Marvin to the success of the Atlanta Hawks? Well, the dieselputer has your answer.

    Marvin is very important to the success of the Atlanta Hawks. However, that's not a good thing. First, let me go into why he's very important to our success. I think the loss of CHillz will have a big effect on this team. Chillz was really our low post game. Horford nor Smoove have come into their own in the low post. People talked about Chillz cherry picking, but he was the one guy who we could count on offensively to go down in the post and fight with bigger players. It came to pass that when other teams played us they had to respect Chillz working the baseline. Not only could he work down low, he also patrolled the baseline waiting to posterize somebody on a baseline drive. Somebody says well, Chillz was replaced by Evans! Well, in what way? Will Evans provide low post scoring and low post rebounds? No. We don't even Know if Evans will provide the OG ball handling that we got from Chillz. IN my memory, I remember Evans as a set shooter/slasher.
    '
    So how does this fall back to Marvin? Marvin has to step up and hold down the space that Chillz left. With that part of our offense, defenses will just ignore the post and will double our shooters. What can Marvin do? Marvin has to take the clumsy out of his game, get some fire and learn to be effective driving the ball. I don't expect Marvin to work down low like Chillz did. Nor do I expect him to be a good rebounder. But if Marvin can add three point shooting and driving (without charging) to his game, he can make defenses respect him and stay off of our shooters.

    Another reason why Marvin is important. We have placed too much into his development. We have squandered players, trades, and starting minutes for this guy. He has to show up and earn everything he has been freely given. This is YEAR 4. We have heard all the excuses in the world from the Marvin loyalist. However, this year should be filled with impact. That means when we need a score, if JJ and Bibby can't get it, Marvin has to step up. No more excuses.

    The one thing I hate about this is that I can already hear the excuses... Well Woody has to call plays for Marvin... Bibby has to pass to Marvin.... Smoove has to throw it to Marvin.. JJ has to give Marvin a chance... All of that means nothing. Marvin has to step up and earn it. The same way Smoove did, the same way Chillz did. If we look around and Marvin is 5th option, then there's nobody to blame but Marvin.

  7. Diesel
    The way I see it, we have Morris, Solo and Zaza who are capable of playing Center for this team. I don't even know if we need another big. I have to admit, I'm hoping that Morris gets a real chance to show us what he can do. I believe in him a little and I think he might surprise us. Yep, I fell for the hometown signing, but only after Sekou gave the glowing report of Morris' workout. So if Morris does not work out, I'm holding Sekou responsible...

    However, just in case things don't work out with what we have....I have some suggestions and thoughts on those suggestions to add to the blogsphere.

    1. Scott Pollard.

    This guy has a motor. He's a big and really, it seems like nobody cares that he's available. I wonder what it would take to bring him in. Once here, I think he'd fight for a spot... maybe even a starting spot. Moreover, this guy is a NBA champion!?! Those are nice credentials (even though he didn't play one second on that team)...

    2. Lorenzen Wright.

    I know. This seems like a backwards move. Been there, done that. But there's 2 advantages to getting Wright. He knows the defense and the team... Also, he wouldn't have to spend so long finding a place to live. The problem is that Wright would just be BU fodder.. but hey wouldn't anybody we bring in be back up fodder?

    3. Earl Barron.

    While I was watching for Skinny Kenny out of the OSU to play for Miami, there was this big 7 foot monster who took Ken Johnson's opportunity. While Miami was in the midst of a down year, I had a few opportunities to watch this guy. His name was Earl Barron. Sure he's d-League material... but he's good d-League Material. He goes about 7 foot 250. Still he's a hustle guy. The only problem is that he don't have the shot blocker gene. He has the hustleman gene. That's probably why he hasn't been picked up yet. All he does is hustles. Still when we played Miami in April (during the latter part of the season)... in a game we needed to win, this guy showed up and scored and rebounded well for d-league material.


    Well, after considering our team, I have to say... do we need another big? I don't think so. I think we need to learn to use the bigs we have.

    Think:

    We have Horford, Zaza, Morris, Smoove, Hunter, Solo. That's 6 bigs to choose from and it's a strong possibility that Hunter not make the cut. Not to mention Heavy Marvin. So how should we fill out our roster.

    Here's a thought...

    Ronald Dupree.


    I say we keep those 6 or 5 bigs as our rotation of bigs and we bring ina guy like Dupree. An SEC guy who has never disappointed. Sure he has some holes in his game, who doesn't? He'd be a great BU SF and we'd have a good fight to look forward to him and Mo Williams for PT. It also allows Marvin to BU PF if necessary and allows us to look at Solo and Morris at the C position.

    Thoughts?

  8. Diesel
    Are We Better Than Before?
    By Diesel

    I had a chance to visit this wreck of a place called Memphis lately. They have a pro basketball team there that has struggled to get more press than their college basketball team. In fact, if their pro basketball team had their college basketball team's following, they would be bigger than the Lakers. However, while there, I noticed all the changes that that franchise had made. I give them a thumbs up for getting Mayo. He may be special. I give them a thumbs up for making Gay the top dog. I even give them a thumbs up for going after Gasol.. After they traded the last Gasol, I gave them no chance.

    However, in looking at that franchise I can easily say that they are better. So then I started thinking about our great team the Atlanta Hawks!!! Yes, we've had our playoff drought, but that was laid to rest last season. Yes, we've been the media punching bag, but that was laid to rest last season. Yes, we've been searching for an identity.... er.. . well, we're the team that took Boston to 7 games in the first round. So I guess that means that we are the Rocky of the league... and last year, was Rocky 1. If you remember, in Rocky 1, Rocky was a meat packer and a hack of a fighter who one day was given a chance to face the champ. At the beginning, Rocky the hack was a joke to the champ, but somewhere in the fight, the champ starts to realize that this hack came to fight. Well, yada, yada, yada, Kaboom, Kapow and Rocky loses to the champ on a decision. In the process, he gained the respect of the champ and the world. Well, that was the Hawks last year. So that makes this year the sequel. The question that I have for all Hawks fans is this... Are we better than before? Are we going to be able to stand toe to toe with the champ again but this time will our hands be raised in victory? Or are we worse off than we were? I watched the US play China this morning. I said to myself if that Wade and that James shows up in the East, then the Hawks are in trouble. In fact, there are a lot of eastern teams that have gotten better while we have just sat still. Are we better than before?

    Let's see, we bungled the Childress negotiations and ended up losing him. We pick up Evans, Hunter, and some no name guy to replace Childress, Stoudamire, and Richardson. Speedy has made his yearly appearance and it looks like he's going back to his spot on the IL to cash his check. Oh yeah... Wood is back! What is it that is different?

    1. Never fear, Bibby is here!!

    I really want to see what Bibby can bring. I mean he has the experience. He's a run and gun PG. He can definitely help JJ fill up the stat sheet for 3PA. But the question is can he run this offense? We have guys on this team who can not create for themselves! Guys who make bad decisions when the ball is in their hands. Guys who hog the ball and run the one man isolation because of the coaches Offensive design. Will Bibby be a floor general or will he be another guy with his hand out looking to chuck the shot? I think the pressure for ASG to recoup some of it's 15 Million dollars will play a great role in weather we keep Bibby or not during the season.

    2. The Maturation of Horford and Acie!!!

    No true Hawks fan can be upset with the season that Horf put in. I mean he averaged about a double double without ever hitting the wall. He also brought something to the team that this team really needed: A winner's attitude. In the past, we brought in lottery picks who were proven winners... but then again, you're talking about a bench rider & coattail rider, a one trick pony, and a guy who was his team but was never given a chance to lead on this level. But Horf came in and really... he felt like a leader. With the lack of identity, I think he helped to inspire. Even so much so that he did his own coaching in the playoffs by requesting an inspirational film be made for his team! What's there to say about Acie. He was also a guy who is acquainted with leadership and hard work. At no time did I see Acie on the court acting like a rookie. Mentally, I think he has it. The question is: Does Horf have that next level when it comes to court play? Will he get better or was this the best that we could hope for? Will Acie step up and take over this team or will he fall in the background as a guy who just never made the transition?


    3. Smoove!!!

    The one thing you hate about the NBA is contract years. During the contract years of most players, they bring a little something extra. Then after the new contract is signed, back to that old familiar place. That's what is said about Smoove. It is said that he may go back to that familiar place. It is said that he's not like Brand and have proven himself over and over again. However, the question in my mind is What is that old familiar place with Smoove? Let's admit it, the holes in his game are huge. He doesn't shoot well from outside. He doesn't defend either position that well one on one... and there's question about what Forward does he really play? A new contract does not mean a new player. However, the question that we have is will Smoove become better this season. He's still so very young, but does he listen? Can woody coach him and does he want to be better than he is on his own?

    4. Marvin's maturity!


    Marvin has been working on his three ball! He said it wasn't by scheme, it was just that he didn't shoot many. Marvin let me help you... you shot 10 and you only hit 1. Marvin then referenced that he used to shot them in his first year. Marvin, at best, you were a 24% three point shooter. Well, wait a minute, Marvin also gained weight. He's now 245. with 7% body fat. I can believe he gained weight. That happens to me everytime I'm laid up watching the cartoon network without working out too. That happens to me when I'm chilling in Switzerland eating bun buns and chocolate filled trees too. I don't know where Marvin really stands or what he has done. The proof will be in how he plays. I know that this is his contract year so maybe he'll pull a tim thomas and try to impress the home crowd.


    All in all, who knows if we've improved. I think Losing CHillz hurt us. I think Sund has tried to manipulate the fans by a quick signing of his free agent. That makes up for the 6 weeks of butt scratching. Moreover, I guess now we're supposed to think that because we're quick to pay Smoove more, he will automatically become superman. Who knows, it worked for JJ. Maybe it will work for Smoove too.

    I do know this... after Rocky I, Rocky didn't give up on himself, but he became more resolute that he could be special in boxing. So he put that woman to the side, he began training right, and he dedicated himself to winning a championship. The question is what are the Hawks doing?
  9. Diesel

    Can Woody Win?

    By Diesel,

    Can Woody Win?
    By Diesel


    Can Woody Win? That's a question that every Hawks fan should think about. I mean, honestly, does it matter how good the individual players are, without a good coach, we're not going to win anything. Good coaches win championships. I don't care what anybody says, Doc Rivers outcoached Phil Jackson this past summer. Doc has placed himself into the league of good coaches. So how about Woody? For Woody has it been a lack of talent or is he just not a good coach?
    Well, let's look at how Woody got here:

    He started his career under Bobby Knight in College.
    In the pros, he played for:

    Red Holzman
    Larry Brown
    Cotton Fitzsimmons
    Jack McKinny
    Phil Johnson
    Don Chaney
    Gene Shue

    However, as a player, he spent a lot of time with Bobby Knight, Don Chaney, and Cotton Fitzsimmons (not bad stock). As an assistant, he worked for Chris Ford, George Karl, and Larry Brown. So there are a lot of guys whom he could have learned a thing or two from in this league. If there was anybody from his past that I would want Woody to imitate, I guess it would be Cotton Fitzsimmons. Fitzsimmons was balanced. He had good offensive teams and his team's defenses were not so bad. Before he died, Fitzsimmons wrote a little bit about Coaching that I would hope Woody would learn:



    What exactly is Woody's style? Who knows? Is he a guy who is unapproachable by the players? Is he a guy who cuddles the players too much and allow them to get away with too much (like Smoove and that blasted three pointer)? Is he a coach that works his players too hard? Is he a coach that has a plan but doesn't know how to convey it?

    I don't think anybody outside of the team knows. However, this is what we do know. He was brought here to grow with the team. He was left for dead by his former GM but in one series with the Celtics, he became the living embodiment of a great coach. In 3 games, during a 7 game playoff, he looked matched wits and intensity with Doc Rivers in a way that Mike Brown, Flip Saunders, and Phil Jackson couldn't do. It has seemed like he finally turned the corner. So going into the 2008-2009 season, what Woody will show up. Will it be the Woody that has lost over 200 games as a coach or will it be that guy who stood tall with the bald head and shined the championship ring and made his guys want it? Thanks to Rick Sund, We shall See.

  10. Diesel

    The New Dominque

    By Diesel,

    I remember it was a few years ago, Smoove was the slam dunk champion. Many said that he was the new Dominique. Many said that his dunks brought about the same power that Dominque showed when he played. Well, I've had a chance to think about the Nique vs. Smoove comparison after smoove's first few years in the league and this is what I see.

    Aside from his dunks, his potential to take outside shots, and his contract problems with bad Atlanta GMs, smoove is not the new Dominque. There's one thing of essence that Dominique was able to do that Smoove doesn't. Nique was able to carry a team. Smoove may have the heart of the city like Nique, but carrying the team is not something that Smoove has done. From day one, when he was shipped from Utah, Nique became the leader of the Hawks. From day one, Nique put on his hard hat and went to work building up a team that had gone nowhere. We pray that smoove does become the New Nique.. but for not, it's not there.

    I think JJ is closer. Although he's not in the cameras as much as Nique, JJ has that ability to put the team on his back. He doesn't dunk and he's not flashy, but he's a dueler and he proved it in the Boston series. It would be great if Smoove stepped up to that role and then maybe we can call JJ the next Smitty. However, until then, JJ is the leader of the team and Smoove is the heart of the city!

  11. Diesel
    Well,

    After the quick bolt that we call Josh Childress (Chillz for short) to Europe. It's safe to say that he won't be a Hawk again. It's just too enticing for the ownership to trade childress' rights to someone else. Moreover, I don't see what's stopping him from becoming a mega star in Europe. That being the case, instead of arguing about how petty and cheap our owners were or how greedy Chillz was, I guess it's safe to say that none of that matters for the moment. That's not to say ASG won't be cheap again... Because they will. But that's to say the Childress story is over.

    In my mind. Childress was the hardest working player on our team. When you watched him work the baseline, work without the ball, bring the ball up and do whatever it was that needed doing, you could see the versatility that BK wished for. BK wasn't always on point with his picks, however, I think he got the Childress selection right. I think that Childress was just the guy we needed to play besides Smoove. There you had a mix of a mature mellow guy and a immature guy right out of HS who did so badly on face to face interviews with teams that he dropped from 3 overall to 16. I just thought that we would always have that Ying and Yang of Chillz and Smoove. Like Ice and Fire. Like Day and Night. Their games were very different, but at the same time, they complimented each other. Mainly because Chillz could get rebounds and make himself useful by scoring underneath... whereas Smoove seems to have a problem working hard for those baskets.

    The one thing about Childress that stands out is the way he approached life. I mean he loved shoes. He didn't seem serious most of the time, yet to me, he seemed to be a leader. A leader by example. He didn't bark at guys, but he just went out there and said "my team needs X, Y, or Z.. and I will give them X, Y, or Z." People forget him carrying Standford to a 21-2 record. People forget that in the uptempo game he's probably the most dangerous player in Atlanta. People would rather focus on his stroke... and not the fact that he hit the shot most of the time... In his second year he was basically 50% from three!!

    Anyway... Best of Luck... See ya in the future!!!


×
×
  • Create New...