diamond_dave

I doubt this guy has even seen Joe play. Probably some 11 year old mad that we beat his team. This is about as far off as you can be in an eval of Joe.

Seems like the mark of a good team when they can win when some players have off games. At least that's what I'm hoping it was for Marvin. Too me he looked like the same bumbling, stumbling player that has always been. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say his wrist is still bothering him.

I seem to remember that too. It seems like the award wan't that big a deal back then though, but it might have been me.

Don’t be satisfied By Sekou K Smith | Thursday, October 30, 2008, 08:05 AM The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ORLANDO - Those were the words on the dry erase board in the Hawks’ locker room after Wednesday’s huge win over Orlando. I have no idea who wrote them. But they couldn’t have done a better job in summing up the directive for these Hawks going forward. Being undefeated after the first 48 minutes of the season has to feel good. But if the Hawks want to keep the good vibrations rolling, they’ll have to find a new motivation every night. Staying humble about whatever they accomplish this season (and one impressive road win doesn’t mean much of anything other than one impressive road win) is what will keep this team flowing. That said, playing the socks off a division rival on its home floor isn’t anything to dismiss. Orlando is the runaway favorite to win the division agains this season and most everyone expects them to challenge for another 50-win season behind Dwight Howard. Hawks captain Joe Johnson had a sobering perspective on the entire affair after the game, making clear that the Hawks need to remain hungry for more while also internalizing the fact that they are a legitimate team and no longer just some hit or miss outfit. “My expectations for this season is just to compete night in and night out,” said Johnson, who doused any chance the Magic had of coming back with nine fourth quarter points in the win. “I think that will take care of us making the playoffs or how far we will go. As long as we play with confidence every night and with a winning attitude, we’ll be fine.” CRANK THAT: Josh Smith is a man of his word. When he was criticized for his lackluster performance during the Hawks’ preseason schedule, he warned anyone willing to listen that come Oct. 29 he would crank his game up to a high level. He was game-changer Wednesday night, and not for the obvious reasons (17 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks, four steals and no turnovers). Smith’s biggest contributions Wednesday don’t have a column in the box score. Whenever there was a loose ball to be had, Smith was one of the first players on the floor after it. He set the tone for the Hawks early with two jolting blocks of Howard, sizing up his pal since pre-school both times in highlight fashion. It was the type of menacing, all-court effort I wrote about in the Hawks preview, the kind of effort that made him such a tough matchup during the playoffs last season. “That’s when he is at his best,” Johnson said of Smith. “When he is active, blocking shots, rebounding, getting up and down the floor and dunking. We need him flying around like that. When he does that, he is one of the best in the league.” Smith is also one of the best in the league at settling scores with blocks. His anticipation of Howard’s moves in several instances during the game might have startled some, including Howard. But it was all friendly payback for Howard dunking on Smith (and reminding him of it all summer) during a game in Atlanta last season. “He dunked on me and got an and one,” Smith said. “He got on me about it all summer and I didn’t like it, so I wanted to prove a point when we got down here.” PHILLY GOOD: The shouting and cheering coming from the Hawks’ locker room after Wednesday’s game had nothing to do with the big win over the Magic. That noise was courtesy of Flip Murray, who doubled up on the night with a fantastic showing off the bench for the Hawks and his beloved Philadelphia Phillies finally breaking through and winning the World Series title. “It don’t get too much better than this,” Murray said smiling. “My Phillies man, my Phillies. They did their job and we did our job.” Murray said the Hawks came in with the express purpose of trying to smack the Magic first and take the air out of the building. That mission was accomplished almost immediately. “That was the focus, especially for a first game of the year against a big rival,” he said. “And they wanted it too. The fans came out, they had the building rocking and they had their little introductions and everything, they had it all going. It was our job to come out and take the life out of the building, jump on them early and that’s what we did.” No one had a tougher night than Magic reserve guard JJ Redick, who got exposed for being the pitiful defender he is when matched up against Murray during one second-quarter stretch. Murray scored on Redick at will, driving past him, backing him down and shooting over him and treating him like the overrated draft night bust that he appears to be (or at least he appears on the road to becoming - and for the life of me, can the fine folks of this city please stop acting like the guy is some All-Star player? He gets more crowd love than any of the Magic’s legitimate players. It’s ridiculous). “It’s all about the rhythm of the game,” Murray said. “Wherever the mismatch is we’re going to try and exploit until they do something about it.”

He had a great game, but I must admit when he was shooting those long jumpers, I was yelling 'NO!!!!'. It just happened that they went in tonight. He shot one very early in the shotclock when we should have been milking the clock, but if he makes them you can't really complain. I hope he keeps it up. I do think he has something to prove against Philly as they choose Brand over him this summer. You know he wants them to know they made the wrong choice.

Tell me about it. A few more hours in the day would be a good thing right now.

I thought Acie did decent. He got his points on jump shots not drives to the hoop. That shows me that he is pretty confident in his mid range game. And those jump shots were pure too as they barely moved the net. He was tenative in the first half but picked it up in the second. I think he will improve. I do agree and I was very impressed by the bench last night. I know some say that Flip shoots to much, but I do think that is his role on this team. I wish Chill had of been a little more assertive in trying to score the basketball off the bench. I was also very impressed with Evans defense. He basically shut Lewis down and frustraded him. Zaza played great. Solo also did a good job defensively against Howard. Last year he would have looked like a rag doll going against Howard on the low block.

I must have missed it. He's not listed on the box score for the Spurs. Did he get cut?

I stole it from the Falcons board. I'm Emmitt on that board. I'm not sure where it originally came from though.

Meanwhile, toiling in relative obscurity in Atlanta is the wonderful Joe Johnson, who scores more, passes more, hits more 3s and has very little downside. Johnson might be out of sight in NBA circles, but don't make him out of mind. Nothing against Pierce, who might end up in the Hall of Fame, but Johnson has also been a fantasy stalwart for years. So much for leaving Phoenix hurting your fantasy numbers. The main argument I hear about why Johnson could take a step backward this season is because he'll be playing with a true point guard for the first time since his Suns days. True, adjusting to Mike Bibby would take most shooting guards a bit of time, as opposed to joining forces with the likes of Anthony Johnson and Tyronn Lue, but Johnson did just fine. Having Bibby around actually helped his numbers; after the All-Star break Johnson averaged 23.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.5 3-pointers, and upped his field goal percentage from 40 percent to 47.5 percent. Johnson isn't a true point guard, but having Bibby around clearly helped him get better shots, while also pumping up his assist totals. I made the comparison late last season that Johnson was a poor man's Kobe Bryant, and got laughed at, until people actually checked the numbers. Who's laughing now? Johnson is an all-around talent worthy of being a top-20 fantasy player, contributing across the board, and if he keeps up any semblance of his tremendous work with Bibby, we might see him knock on the door of being a first-rounder soon. Pierce makes for a fine third-round pick, but he just can't compete here. link

Tre (Atlanta): You were sippin' the ATL Hawks Kool-Aid last year before the season even started. Now you're discounting them because they refused to pay Josh Childress $10 Million a season? Their bench is weak, but you're argument is weaker. John Hollinger: One thing I'll say for Atlanta -- the bench has looked better than expected in preseason. Taking Acie Law ahead of Stuckey was a horrible mistake, but he at least looks like an NBA player now that he's not terrified to shoot. Zaza looks like he might bounce back from last year's disaster, and Flip Murray's me-first tendencies aren't such a bad thing on a bench where nobody can score. That said, I still think they'll win fewer games than a year ago -- Childress was as underrated as any player in the league. Link

I've been on kiss-cam before. It was cool. You can't beat those A-town dancers. My kids love Harry and Sky Hawk too.

I thought it was confirmed that Speedy did not have micro-fracture surgery. The Dr's intended to do it, but once they got a look at the knee the Dr's decided to do clean up work. I thought all of this was strange. As a torn ACL sufferer, I know that a clean up of cartlidege only requres a down time of 4 to 5 weeks max. Speedy was out all year. I'm pretty sure he could have played later in the year, but the insurance would not have covered his salary. Another sign of a cheap ownership group, but I think this goes on everywhere.

Weiss. This is not even close.....

It seems like we've been hearing this thing about Marvin taking this so-called next step for the last few years. I'm not Marvin bashing as I wish he will have a break out year, but I don't see the competitive drive from Marvin that I do from say Smooth or Childress. We'll see. Overall, I thought it was a very good interview. I've been against Woody for the most part, but the more I hear him talk the more he is swaying me to his side. You hear most coahces say that it takes a while to rebuild, but ownership very rarly lets the team complete the rebuild before they fire the coach. This is one of those rare occurences were we can see constant evolution of a team. We've all seen the players improve, some more than others, but I have also seen Woody improve as well.

not a chance... If I wanted to see players that have very limited athletism, I'll go watch a boys middle school game.

By SEKOU SMITH The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 06/13/08 Hawks coach Mike Woodson signed his new contract Friday, cementing his return to the bench for at least the next two seasons. The Hawks did not include the terms of the deal in their announcement Friday. The Journal Constitution reported Thursday that the contract is for two years. "We are happy to have reached agreement with Mike on a new deal that signals his return to the Hawks bench," Hawks general manager Rick Sund said in a statement released by the team. "Even though I came to my new position after their exciting playoff run, I have spent a great deal of time familiarizing myself with Mike's philosophy, direction and strategies since taking the job, and I'm comfortable he will help this team reach its potential and build upon the success they enjoyed this past season." Woodson's first four years with the Hawks resulted in a 106-222 regular-season record. He punctuated his tenure with a playoff berth this season, the Hawks' first postseason bid in nine years. The Hawks took Boston to a Game 7 in their first-round series. "I want to thank Rick for this opportunity, and to express my gratitude to the fans for the unbelievable support they've shown during my time here," Woodson said in the statement released by the team. "I've watched these players grow individually and collectively, and am excited to continue coaching them and building on the momentum from last season. The playoff experience we had was invaluable as we look to reach the next level as a team." link Woody must loved being dumped on......

yep. Woody, get to stepin.....

I initially didn't want Woody back, but I'm will to wait it out a little longer. I do think he gained some valuable experience from the playoffs and actually thought some of his game to game changes were pretty good.To be honest, regardless of who is the coach, I will always be a Hawk fan and try to support the team.

Quote: One thing I learn a long time ago and it was proven again with the GM hunt. Do not listen to anyone outside of Sekou when it comes to the Hawks info. Espn were made fools of and then they go around passing out info that Grant rejected the Hawks. Trying to save their sorry tails once again by making the Hawks look bad. This is Sekou.... but he was wrong on the GM too

Hawks general manager Rick Sund and coach Mike Woodson are still in the formative stages of their relationship. They’re still trying to get through the first few days. After speaking with Sund last week and with Woodson earlier this afternoon, it’s clear to me that the first priority for both sides is to come to some sort of agreement on how to proceed with Woodson as coach. But nothing appears set in stone just yet. (Sund is also meeting with players and other staffers regularly since coming to town and is doing a rather thorough job of kicking over every rock to gain access to every bit of information he can about this team before making any official decisions. Having spoken with players and agents in the past seven days, they all seem to be impressed with his line of questioning and his forthright approach to the entire process.) link I'm speechless, but I don't have the inside info that Sund has so I have to go with what he says...........

Quote: LOL DJ its hard to blow the roof off of Philips when there is no one there! Plus, while a phenonomal shot, it wasn't that uncommon, especially in the college ranks, guys take and make those regularly-i.e. Chris Lofton, JJ Redick, etc. Anyways, great great shot but not play of the year. For true play of the year I'm thinking regular season would probably be Bibby's three against Toronto, right? That was crazy! Playoffs probably JJ's game four trey or game six's shot with a minute left. I watch college ball quite a bit. I haven't seen any people try that shot when beside when the half was about to end......

A decision with a twist By Sekou K Smith | Wednesday, June 4, 2008, 12:48 PM The Atlanta Journal-Constitution SMYRNA - Just over an hour before my third sit down interview with Rick Sund in the past seven days, one of my spies called to inform me of an interesting twist that could complicate what should be a routine decision for the Hawks’ new general manager. According to my spy the Detroit Pistons have asked for permission to speak with Hawks coach Mike Woodson (that’s his title for at least the next 26 days or so unless something breaks before the end of the month) about their vacant coaching position. Solid reports out of Detroit have Pistons assistant Michael Curry lined up for the job. But the Pistons have apparently covered their bases if that doesn’t work out by contacting the representative of Woodson, who was the lead assistant on Larry Brown’s staff when the Pistons won the NBA title in 2004. It’s not a surprising development for me, mostly because I know what high regard the folks in Detroit have for Woodson and the job he did not only there but also what he’s done with the Hawks. I’ve had more than one spy confirm for me that had Woodson not bolted for the Hawks job after that title season that he (and not Flip Saunders) would have been the choice to replace Larry Brown. Woodson’s hard-charging style was a perfect fit for that veteran Pistons squad. And if you’ve seen the way the Pistons players greet him during games (the parade of hugs and man-love borders on creepy sometimes) it should be clear to anyone watching that there is a huge amount of respect for Woodson from those players. This puts Sund in a tight spot because now he might have to adjust his thinking (and more importantly his time frame) for making his evaluation and ultimately his decision on what do with Woodson. Obviously, I’ll be asking him that question and a few more related to the staff this afternoon. But what a strange turn of events after all the speculation that’s gone on since the end of the playoff series against Boston (when it seemed certain that a decision would comer sooner rather than later). There’s no telling how this thing plays out in the end (my gut feeling is that a coaching change could be imminent for the Hawks but that’s just my gut). Whatever happens, I expect it come much sooner rather than later, particularly with all the business that has to be done come July 1. (Another twist, if you will, just popped into my email inbox. The Bobcats just announced a “portion” of Brown’s staff, with the lead assistant’s position clearly not one of them. That means there is another opening out there for Woodson if things don’t pan out either in Detroit or with the Hawks. But again, that’s just an observation). Stay tuned to ajc.com for updates as the afternoon rolls on.

I'm no bb genious or anything and will probably sound iggnorant with this post, but I thought Utah ran pretty much the same plays they have always ran. I remember Stockton taking DW under his wing during the off season a few years ago and teachin him up. Am I wrong?

sounds to me like the same thing Joe Johnson has been saying......