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jhay610

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Everything posted by jhay610

  1. Word. All these years later -- this is so sad. The plight of the Hawks fan, I guess.
  2. Sheed Wallace was the worst Hawk of all-time. Came here with an All-Star rep and led us to exactly ZERO wins. Scored exactly 20 TOTAL points in his ATL career on 33% shooting. Ugh.
  3. We wouldn't give him the max. He reportedly wanted the max. He came down a bit and we were 6mil apart. I don't have a problem with any of that. My only issue was his daddy talkin' loose. That was uncalled for.
  4. Agree Schultz and Bradley should never write Hawks articles as they just blow hot air. Schultz is of the old guard -- a "hot take" artist. Sometimes he's almost funny, though. I give Bradley credit for evolving as a baseball writer over the last few years. Some of the basic new metrics are in his lexicon. He hasn't extended the same due diligence to basketball so his columns still read c. 1996ish. C-Viv should have been let go after the Thrashers skipped town. He contributes nothing. Sekou was great. Michael Cunningham was very good.
  5. Isn't Al's move to the perimeter more a result of Coach Bud's philosophy? He developed the 3-point shot under Bud's watch.
  6. Let's hope you're right, but I would say back + knee > torn pec. It is obvious Howard doesn't move laterally as well as he used to. That doesn't necessarily mean he's a worse player than Horford today, but the direction of travel does not look good.
  7. Does Dwight stay healthy? I think this team is slightly worse unless draft picks are ready to come in and contribute right away. You traded two starters for 1. Horf for Dwight is an acceptable tradeoff if D12 is healthy, but we'll have to see how this works in pace-and-space. Ultimately, it's a moot point. Last two years' config had peaked in familiar Hawks territory (can handle 2nd tier teams but quickly dusted by a true contender), so you're not losing anything by going in a different direction. Fine with the Teague trade ahead of a contract year. Appreciate the willingness to shake things up, but I'm not sure we've done the right shaking. Not convinced we're better today than we were a year ago.
  8. Not sure career comparison is quite apt given Howard is in steep decline and Horford is still on his plateau. The good thing is we will have flexibility in 3 years when alternatively, we would have had Horf with 2 years left on a max deal as he is really starting to fall off. That's a bit of a consolation prize, I guess. As Hawks fans, we are always hoping for a better tomorrow.
  9. The Warriors build can't be replicated. They got a massive discount on Curry because of his ankle and hit a sleeper homerun on Draymond. They drafted Klay, who was a hit -- good on them for that -- and were able to add Iggy because of the discount they got on Curry. They were reportedly close to walking away from Curry -- his ankle was viewed as a serious risk at the time and no one projected the impending supernova that he would become. Now all that has coalesced and they are a brand name at the perfect time, right as mass dollars are added to the cap and a premier superstar is coming on the market. A superstar who just gave them all they could handle in a 7-game series. Give them credit for some shrewd moves, but they have also been extremely fortunate. For the most part, the new CBA has been effective at maintaining parity, with only a few teams going into the luxury tax and most keen to avoid the repeater tax. The TV dollars just worked out in the Dubs' favor to spectacular effect. The rich get richer. Obscenely, grossly, over-the-top wealthy, actually.
  10. KD and the Warriors trolling the NBA. The worst part of this is Joe Lacob is REALLY feelin' himself now.
  11. The only way to get a superstar here is to engage tank mode, and that is not guaranteed of anything. It can be done without a superstar but we are definitely outgunned against our big brother Cavs from a talent standpoint. It's glaringly obvious. It's going to take some outside-the-box thinking and we have an unproven GM whose only moves thus far haven't exactly panned out.
  12. 52 is the sweet spot. Last year was exceptional. We'll be solid and win a lot of games, but last year was this configuration's peak, I think. No Run DMC, who filled all the gaps for this team. Baze and broken Thabo not replacing that. Korver, Millsap, Al not getting any younger. Splitter is a nice pickup, but I hope Bud the coach makes Bud the GM look better than that Hardaway Jr trade might suggest...
  13. It is true that you have to ask your basketball players to make a smart basketball play. I acknowledge that those negative scenarios are all possible, but so is a made 3 point basket. The latter in fact, I would argue, is the most likely of any of the undesirable outcomes. Even if you play good defense (which the Hawks did in this case), the offense knows it will most likely get a clean look because the defense does not want to foul the 3 point shooter. There isn't much stopping a good shooter from squaring their shoulders and elevating for a relatively clean look. NBA players make those types of shots quite often. Would like to hear Bud's thoughts on the subject.
  14. There was an article in the Washington Post that said PP was the 3rd option on the play. I was screaming at them to foul, noting that they had no more timeouts so if you go trade fouls they have to go the length of the floor in a couple of seconds, almost assuredly resulting in a desperation heave. The only factor that gives me pause is the rebounding issue. We consistently get manhandled on the defensive glass and there is no lineup configuration that you can put out there that you feel comfortable with as far as getting a "must-have" rebound. I am disappointed and honestly a bit surprised that we always play it straight up, given developing sentiment on the issue among the progressively-minded basketball community. I'm sure Bud thought about it and has a cogent counterargument (perhaps in line with the above), but I would like to hear him answer the question.
  15. I've had my issues with Smith and it was time for him to go -- he was far too ultra-conservative early in games with a lead and his game situation / clock management troubles are well-documented. However, he still will be remembered as one of the great Falcons coaches of all time (not elite company there, but still). He came in after the Petrino/Vick debacle and immediately restored credibility. He stabilized the ship and he had, and still has, the players behind him. He did not deserve what Blank put him through in leaking the story about the search firm ahead of the biggest game of 2014. That was disrespectful and tasteless to do to anyone, let alone someone who has been the embodiment of professional since he took the job. What's more, in the postgame he stood up there and took his lumps, fell on the grenade, took all of the blame and deflected any and all from his players. He never once complained or even insinuated any flaws in the roster. Mike Smith the man is, by all accounts, One Great Guy and he will land on his feet somewhere. He would be an ideal head coach if he had a full-time numbers cruncher making game management decisions for him. With all that said, I do not understand how Dimitroff still has a job. How many players on this roster would start on any playoff team (discounting ST as surely Matt Bryant, Weems and Hester are strong special teamers)? Ryan, Jones and Trufant. Maybe Mathews is a nice piece for the future. That's it. Outside of Tru, the entire defensive side of the ball is a disaster zone. He has had 7 years to build a competent line of scrimmage on either side of the ball and has failed miserably at doing so. The only above average pass rusher of his era was John Abraham, who was acquired before he was here and then unceremoniously cut with no adequate contingency plan in place. He walked into a roster with a lot of good building blocks in 2008 missing only a LT, RB, QB. He did a good job his 1st year getting Ryan, Baker and Turner, who at the beginning was a revelation. That original roster carried him until 2013, when only Babineaux and Blaylock were left. He did nothing to replace the slow erosion of talent through the years. The team slowly but surely lost the ability to run the ball. The 2012 season was the last gasp as it turns out and statistically minded people have noted how fortunate the Falcons were to get to 13 wins in that season. I don't know how you can look at this roster and say with a straight face that Mike Smith is any more culpable than Dimitroff. On a local sports radio show Dimitroff dismissed 4th round picks as worthless -- that says a lot about his mindset and approach, as good teams find starters in the 4th round. Staying his execution just sets the franchise back as long as his tenure lasts. The Falcons need to start fresh and need to do that now. There are so many holes to fill on this roster and that can only be corrected by several years of quality drafts; Dimitroff has clearly demonstrated that he is not the man for that job. They are wasting the Matt Ryan / Julio window because that is all this roster is at the moment. I've had my issues with Smith and it was time for him to go -- he was far too ultra-conservative early in games with a lead and his game situation / clock management troubles are well-documented. However, he still will be remembered as one of the great Falcons coaches of all time (not elite company there, but still). He came in after the Petrino/Vick debacle and immediately restored credibility. He stabilized the ship and he had, and still has, the players behind him. He did not deserve what Blank put him through in leaking the story about the search firm ahead of the biggest game of 2014. That was disrespectful and tasteless to do to anyone, let alone someone who has been the embodiment of professional since he took the job. What's more, in the postgame he stood up there and took his lumps, fell on the grenade, took all of the blame and deflected any and all from his players. He never once complained or even insinuated any flaws in the roster. Mike Smith the man is, by all accounts, One Great Guy and he will land on his feet somewhere. He would be an ideal head coach if he had a full-time numbers cruncher making game management decisions for him. With all that said, I do not understand how Dimitroff still has a job. How many players on this roster would start on any playoff team (discounting ST as surely Matt Bryant, Weems and Hester are strong special teamers)? Ryan, Jones and Trufant. Maybe Mathews is a nice piece for the future. That's it. Outside of Tru, the entire defensive side of the ball is a disaster zone. He has had 7 years to build a competent line of scrimmage on either side of the ball and has failed miserably at doing so. The only above average pass rusher of his era was John Abraham, who was acquired before he was here and then unceremoniously cut with no adequate contingency plan in place. He walked into a roster with a lot of good building blocks in 2008 missing only a LT, RB, QB. He did a good job his 1st year getting Ryan, Baker and Turner, who at the beginning was a revelation. That original roster carried him until 2013, when only Babineaux and Blaylock were left. He did nothing to replace the slow erosion of talent through the years. The team slowly but surely lost the ability to run the ball. The 2012 season was the last gasp as it turns out and statistically minded people have noted how fortunate the Falcons were to get to 13 wins in that season. I don't know how you can look at this roster and say with a straight face that Mike Smith is any more culpable than Dimitroff. On a local sports radio show Dimitroff dismissed 4th round picks as worthless -- that says a lot about his mindset and approach, as good teams find starters in the 4th round. Staying his execution just sets the franchise back as long as his tenure lasts. The Falcons need to start fresh and need to do that now. There are so many holes to fill on this roster and that can only be corrected by several years of quality drafts; Dimitroff has clearly demonstrated that he is not the man for that job. They are wasting the Matt Ryan / Julio window because that is all this roster is at the moment.
  16. Smith's clock (mis)management has always been baffling. This has been going on for years. It's not a fluke, not a trend -- it's who he is. Let's call timeout to get the play -- let's see, a fade route to our KR/PR on a day when the QB has missed a bunch of throws on 3rd and 2 when we need to burn clock and grab a first down...makes sense. Honestly, it's for the best. This is a bad team -- the Vikings and Bears games really drove that home. Look at the schedule -- there is probably one game left in which the Falcons will be favored. It wasn't happening anyway. Yes, the Falcons could be 6-5 if not for their head coach's clock chicanery, but they would still be bad. Best to clean this out and start fresh. And that goes for TD, too. The defensive roster and the weakness on both lines is all on him -- too many whiffs in the draft. Jack too, who is nothing more than a short yardage back at this stage of his career. Of course that's precisely what the situation called for yesterday, but I digress.
  17. I never expected to win this series and I am absolutely delighted in the results. Disappointing that we could not close either Game 4 or 6 given our late position, but I am thrilled with how the team has played, particularly on the road. We have had issues winning road games for years -- the fact that we have won twice in Indy makes me think we at least have a shot. All that said, this team needs help. A lot of nice pieces but there is a discernible talent gap. Al would have made such a difference here -- it is unbelievable that Antić is our starting center.
  18. Lou played pretty well until the TO at the end. We are getting less than nothing out of Antić. He does nothing helpful aside from put his big frame in there on defense. He has been a nightmare the whole series. If he could hit an outside shot it would change the world.
  19. They really showed up Chipper and his prediction of Dodgers in 4....by going out and losing to the Dodgers in 4....LOL Fredi is a boob but he is the organization's approach manifested on the field. Don't be mad at Fredi: he is just being himself, and that's what the Braves hired him for. There is an excellent article about this: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/10/08/dont-blame-fredi-gonzalez-for-last-nights-loss-blame-the-braves-culture/related/ Of course, forward-thinking types would argue that Kimbrel should have been brought in at the highest leverage point -- if not going into the 8th, with the 5-6-7 hitters up, then certainly after the leadoff double. But Fredi has never shown himself to think outside the box. You bring your closer in during the 9th inning, no matter if it's the 3-4-5 or the 7-8-9 slots due up. No matter if its bases loaded in the 8th and none out. And you never bring your closer into a tie game in the 9th on the road.That's just how it's done, in his mind -- by the book. Fredi is an old school guy, but his defenses for his thinking are never particularly well thought out. He said that 6 outs was too many for Kimbrel, but not 4 -- as if outs are actually a meaningful measure for a pitcher's workload. Honestly, I am a dyed-in-the-wool fan, but I can objectively say that the Braves were one of the most annoying teams to watch this year. The Uptons constantly whine about calls (BJ being the worst by far -- why don't you get your avg above .200 before you blame the umps?) and they were Baseball's Police Force for Playing the Game the Right Way this year. They overachieved in my book, given the injuries and their two highest priced free agents being absolute duds. Wren should be feeling some heat now between Lowe, Kawakami, BJ Upton and Uggla, but I doubt he is.
  20. I've lowered my expectations quite a bit. Dude could still be solid for many years, but the bar was set super-high when he came up. The 3 run bomb in his first AB will always be a Great Braves Moment, however.
  21. I thought there might be a thread on this. Would be interested to hear from Northcyde on this subject now. Nets looked exactly like what most of us thought -- a collection of underachieving, overpriced vets that is no threat to do anything in the playoffs and whose talent window is moving in an inverse proportion to the corresponding salaries. What I mean by that is they are aging, their salaries are escalating quickly and their collective skill is declining. What a situation that is.
  22. Do you expect a raucous crowd at Philips? I don't. I think the Hawks are on the backburner right now, especially after they got beat the way they did up there. The upcoming Braves-Nats series has more buzz. I don't think the crowds will come unless we win Game 3. I'm sure the ones who show will be rowdy Hawks fans (as opposed to the dynamic when Miami, LA, etc comes to town) but I am not expecting a raucous atmosphere. In fact less than a sellout would not surprise.
  23. The season was over when LouWill went down. They have exceeded my expectations already. We will see what happens in the offseason. Will Ferry be able to rebuild this into something resembling a contender, or is this BK 2.0?
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