TruJerz

It's not that the Hawks have mediocre talent. They have the talent.

What is really mediocre about this team is their attitude / drive.

They show too much "what the heck" attitude. Too much just

going thru the motions.

When they show up with fire in their eyes, all on the same page

and willing to do whatever it takes to win, the Hawks can be great.

They turn it on and off too much. My greatest fear is, when they go

into the playoffs, they will simply be unable to turn it back on.

:temperature:

exactly..well said. the talent is there. This is has top 5 talent but they dont always bring it, especially on the road. They dont play TEAM defense..and on offensive they settle for too many jumpshots. We have good foul shooters so we should get to the line more often. Also, I think we should push the ball more..be more of a fastbreak team than a halfcourt jump shooting team.

With that said, when the Hawks have the right attitude they can beat anyone and thats good to know. Its up to the leaders on the team(Bibby, Joe Johnson, and Josh Smith) as well as the coaching staff to have the team ready to play with the right attitude and mindset. Hawks have been playing like a team that just wants to hurry up and go to the playoffs instead of a team trying to close out the season on a good run and get a 3rd seed. Hopefully that changes when Joe Johnson comes back becasue they look lost out there..moreso when Bibby was out tho

Yi is a bust considering he was drafted pretty high kind of like Marvin but they are both role players that are capable of having big games on offense. Marvin is better because of his defense though. I wouldnt give up on either yet even though I think Yi has a bit more upside and potential that Marvin

As for Brook Lopez, one of the best young players in the entire league. Top 5 at his position IMO in terms of natural centers. Howard, Yao Ming(when healthy), Bogut(when healthy), Lopez and Kaman. And he could easily be 2nd on that list after Howard. I knew he wouldnt make the all star team but he is a better player than Horford IMO..maybe because Horford is undersized but Lopez is a legit big man with good hands and feet that can post up or faceup..still have some room for growth

Diesel: Zaza had a hip pointer and did not play in the second half.

You are right on your several points. How about that!!

Olay defense. Where was Collins? I know. He ain't great. But, I don't believe

they would simply run over / overpower him inside. Not for long, but give him

a couple of minutes early and at least see what he could do. Couldn't be any

worse that what we had in the first quarter.

No energy. No intensity. Hawks had already given up when they took the floor.

They were simply going thru the motions. Their defense was that "Deer in the

headlights" approach. Stunned, to say the least.

Now, the question is: Will they come out to compete tonight, or do we give up?

:temperature:

I agree..I think Collins would of helped a bit on D in the paint because they were getting to the rim at ease and got too many offensive rebounds. But I hear Collins was injured too. I would like for Collins to see a little more playing time as well..especially when our defense is horrible. He's a veteran that will box out and take charges. We are gonna need him in a 7 game series against Cavs or Magic so why not play him some more

Alot of ppl dont like Evans but I like him coming off the bench and felt he should been playing more all season. What he showed last night is what he is capable of doing when given the minutes. He can score, defend and plays hard.

Did anyone see how when Artest got in Evans face, how Zaza just came over there and pushed Ron out the way? That guy is fearless, not too many players would put hands on Ron like that lol gotta love Zaza's toughness

Thats the truth right there. Lets win as many games as possible and let the chips fall where they may. Either way, we SHOULD make it out of the 1st round, no question

exactly. If we bring our A game, not too many teams can beat us in 7 games with homecourt advantage in the entire league IMO. Maybe Cavs and Lakers but even that would be tough because we take care of homecourt as well as anybody

Miami is coming up hard and fast on Milwaukee.

The 5th and 6th spots will be Miami and Milwaukee (in no particular order).

We're playing for third right now. IF Milwaukee falls to 6th.. do we still want third?

yes we want third to avoid playing Cavs in the 2nd round..no matter who we play in the first round, as long as we have homecourt advantage, i like our chances. Bucks, Bobcats, and Heat are all okay teams but nothing we should be too worried about. I would wanna face Bucks, Heat, Bobcats..in that order. I think Bobcats is gonna be tuff with Stephan Jackson and Tyson Chandler now coming back. Their probably just as athletic as us. Heat only because they have Wade and Bucks are tough especially with Bogut who will probably give us problems but I cant imagine this team beating us in 7 games. 3rd place should be the goal going for this team

enough already man! just dribble the damn ball like a normal person.

thats who he is, he's not gonna change. he's always been like that. I like watching him play because he doesnt just dribble but he is also a good finisher so its kool

I voted for Dominique and Shareef Abdul Rahim as forwards and Mutombo for center. Could of went with Dominique and Josh Smith but I think Rahim in his prime is better than Smoove right now

Who voted for Marvin? I like him but cmon..Glenn Robinson was a better player for sure

the fact that joe johnson has more votes than Steve Smith is laughable lol...

laughable?? how so?? Johnson is a more complete player..his stats a better and he is a 4 time all star vs Steve Smith's one. I think Smitty was nice..he was a good shooter but Joe Johnson will go down as the better player when its said and done

I was gonna vote for Pete Maravich but he wasnt on the list..whats up with that?? he's a HOF PG even though I've only seen clips and a few ESPN classic games, he was great

Mark Price lobs one to Nique who slams it down for the win.

But seriously... I wouldn't mind a lob to Josh or Al for the win. No need to take a 3 in this situation.

the thing with that is, Hawks hardly ever run that play so it might not be the time to try it. I would run Bibby or Joe Johnson off a screen for the catch and shoot..and if there was more time I would probably give it to Crawford to create of the dribble

I wouldnt mind if Joe Johnson, Crawford or Bibby took the shot but Crawford usually needs a few dribbles to get a good shot of and with that amount of time there wouldnt be any time for that. So it comes down to Joe Johnson and Bibby and I think Bibby gets his shot of faster than Joe Johnson so Im going with him. But we all know Woody would draw up the play for Joe Johnson anyway and im not mad at that either..he's the man

no need to call posters retards for posting their opinions

true..the name calling is not kool

The stat line is somehwat deceiving with Joe Johnson's scoring line, but the Hawks were in control of the game with Johnson only have 13 points through three quarters. Joe Johnson is the pseudo point guard when Bibby is on the bench, but he totally forgot about his teammates in a tough road loss-- a game the Hawks shoulkd have won by double-digits.

It was as if Joe wanted to get HIS points in the 4th at the expense of the team. Jamal had 21 by the end of the third quarter, and it seems Joe wanted to surpass Jamal by the end of the night...and he got his wish.

It was a little ironic in the end once Joe's selfishness sealed the Hawks' fate that the team had less than three seconds (at 98-95) and Jamal finally got his second shot attempt of the quarter, a very tough three point shot attempt at the buzzer.

Joe has to realize that Jamal isn't the enemy, and Joe has to be more content in getting the ASSIST and passing to the open guy not jacking up three-point shots in the corner with three people in your face or getting trapped along the baseline with an open Jamal and Bibby outside the three-point arc.

And Joe committing the foul on Salmons thirty to forty ft. away from the basket was puzzling. Frustration, anger, whatever it was..it isn't a good sign going forward vs. Milwaukee, a potential playoff opponent.

Joe needs to be called out for his selfishness.

honestly, even though it sucks that the hawks lost that game, it was good to see Joe Johnson take over a game the way he did in the 2nd half..i havent seen Joe Johnson get that hot in a long time..he usually shoots way under .500. my only thing is the last play was not a good one..Joe Johnson took a very tough shot..i would of rather him take a jumpshot because thats what he was making in the 2nd half.

And also, the Hawks team defense has got to get better. No reason why Milwaukee should of been making all the shots they did in the 4th qt..we gotta learn to get stops when we need it. More disappointed with the team's defense than I am with Joe Johnson. And also I would like to see Bibby more in the 4th especially when he is knocking down jumpshots the way he has been lately

Josh Smith - He has stepped up his game considerably from last year. Has improved shot selection and absolutely congests the stat-line on a nightly basis. Needs to work on boxing out, Ft% and must continue to improve his shot selection and overall offensive game. Grade: A-

Joe Johnson - Is having one of his best scoring years efficiency wise and continues to carry most of our offense while playing good defense on most nights. However, he is not sharing the ball the way he has the last couple of years, and that is somewhat strange as we easily have the most talent sorrounding him since he has been here. Grade: A-

Horford - Has improved his offense greatly from last year, and is playing with much increased confidence since the all star break. The one thing that bothers me is that he is not hitting the boards as well as he could. His rebounding rate is among the lowest of his career. Still pretty solid on the boards overall though, and quickly becoming a top tier Center in the NBA. Grade: B+

Crawford - Not much to say about Craw. If he continues this level of play he will make Sund look like a genious. Easily worth the 9-10 million dollars a year of his contract, and we gave up two awful players to get him. He is clutch, makes every type of shot imaginable, and when he is hot, he strikes fear into the hearts of every single NBA coach. On the flip side, he isn't much of a defender or passer... Still one of our best players this year, and his addition has definitely been the difference between last years team and this years. Grade: B+

Marvin: Dissapointing year. Worst year since his rookie year. I'm not as big of a fan as his defense as most people are. Sure on our team he is probably our best perimeter defender... But that's not saying much. Not on the level of Battier or even Ariza on defense. It's clear that he will never be a dominant player in this league, and it is looking doubtful that he may even grow up to be a servicable starter on a contending team. Grade: D+

Bibby: Big disapointment this year. When he plays well (this has literally happened like five times this year) we are a much better team. His ability to make open threes helps take the pressure off of JJ and Craw... Problem is he has struggled with his shot for the majority of the season. Still can run the occasional pick and roll, but his ability to run the fast break or penetrate are almost non existant anymore. His defense is among the worst in all of the NBA for any position. Grade: D

Bench: Zaza has regressed once again, Joe Smith is showing flashes of becoming a contributer lately but overall has been terrible, Teague shows flashes but overall has played poorly, Evans is terrible 90% of the time and fantastic the other 10%. Overall a big dissapointment for what was supposed to be an improved area of the team from last year. Grade: D

Coaching: Statistically there is little to complain about. The Hawks have a great record, our offensive efficiency is great, and our defensive efficiency is decent. However, for most people who follow the team there are many areas of concern regarding our coaching. Little to no ingenuity and innability to adjust to defenses causes us to have frequent 4th quarter problems. In game adjustments/decisions also are head-scratching, as Woodson rarely ever feeds the hot players, sometimes even benching them for long stretches when they seem to be in a groove. Our bench players outside of Crawford seem to have no defined role and their playing time is never consistant or even predictible. Our team still struggles with focus and concentration on a frequent basis. Overall though, credit must be given to Woodson for our improved record. Grade: C+

Hawks Overall Grade: B+

My Hawks Report Card:

Joe Johnson: A

Josh Smith: B+

Horford: B+

Crawford: B+

Marvin: B-

Bibby: C+

Zaza: C+

Evans: C+

Joe Smith: C

Mario West: C-

Collins: D+

Woodson: B

Team Average: B

Dude..............Alonzo was Horford X 2.

Don't diss Zo like that. Zo was more athletic and had 25 lbs of more muscle then Al. Its a shame he lost a kidney in his prime.

Al is good and all but he is more Antonio Davis then he is Malone or Mourning.Anonio Davis would have put up much better numbers in his prime but he played for a very deep Pacer team that trotted out a front court of Rick Smits, Dale Davis, Chris Mullin, & Derrick McKey. So minnutes were spread out.

He is some where in between A. Davis and Zo. Hows that ?

lol i was just saying he is more like Zo than Malone..but he isnt as good as Alonzo yet either..has a ways to go but will probably never get as big and strong as him but he can put up similar numbers across the board IMO

Al Horford doesnt play anything like Karl Malone IMO I see him as an Alonzo Mourning type player..an undersized, double double guy that can hurt you in the post and knock down a few mid range jumpers...he isnt the shot blocker Alonzo was but he's solid at that. I dont see Malone at all

excellent article..couldnt agree more. But idk if Bibby is more important than Josh Smith anymore..his versatility has made him our most important player on most nights but Bibby is up there beford Johnson and before Crawford..we would be lost without Bibby at point IMO Talented without Bibby? yes..contenders without him?? no

found a video of Josh Smith carressing MIke Bibby during a timeout..was a good laugh. Maybe you will enjoy too..no homo lol

sorry if this was posted already

Terrance Williams looked much more experienced as a rookie than Marvin looked over his first 3 years. Terrance Williams reminds me of Walt the Wizard out of Maryland.

Terrance Williams will probably be better than Marvin but he is not there yet..he's been playing better as of late though. Being from Jersey, I seen quite a few games and he has alot of skill and could of easily won the dunk contest this year even though he claims he is afraid of heights lol I still like what Marvin brings to the team..he plays his role well

As for the Nets, they can easily turn it around similar to the Thunder this year. They are young and talented and will someone good that will help out and possibly get John Wall or Turner..things should get better fast but nothing is guaranteed in this league

I bet my left nut that game is much closer if Joe plays.

for some reason, i agree. We are better with JJ but when he plays the ball doesnt move as much because Joe Johnson likes to go one on one and hold the ball for at least 5 seconds. Hawks can win games without JJ..the guy we need out there the most is Josh Smith. Im not saying we are better without JJ but I think the game would of been closer. But if we needed someone to make shots because no ones shots were falling, thats where JJ can bail you out but that wasnt needed tonite cause Jamal had it going

Watching the game last night I remember posting in chat "Wow..how tall is McGhee?" The answer was "legit 7-foot".

The reason I asked the question was there was a low level shot that showed McG was almost a head taller than Horford. Holy Toledo I thought.

It made me realize that we are going up against other NBA teams with a 6-9 1/2 center, a 6-8 PF, and a 6-8 SF. Some college teams have more height than that on the average. Granted our guys are very good and usually hold their own, but that's a big dis-advantage against teams with 6-10/6-11/7 footers. Add in the long arms and about all we have going for us inside is Horford's toughness and Smoove's hops.

Inside we are kinda like a mid-major in the NCAA.

yup..i been saying this since last yr. Hawks are too small. Woody gonna have to play Collins more in the playoffs because most teams will beat us inside. Collins doesnt have to play much except when we face the Cavs, and Magic. No way we can bang inside with just Horford and Smith. I expect to see more Zaza and Collins in the playoffs

There not trading anyone if they sign JJ and Chandler for Marvin, lol. Your kidding right, wait smh your not. Next time swap someone who's better than Marvin not worst.

Chandler is a good player..good scorer and versatile as well. He's a better offensive player than Marvin for sure. But idk about his defense. Im a Marvin supporter but lets not act like he's all that great...there isnt too many SFs that Marvin is better than for sure without question. Im sure there are many people who think Chandler is a better player than Marvin. With that said, I would wanna keep Marvin on the team

The Cavs have done whatever they could to keep Lebron in Cleveland. The Heat (although unsuccessful) have done everything they can to keep Wade in Miami. What have we done?...Jamal Crawford? Joe Smith? I said it back at the deadline that not only did we need another player to contend this year, we need him for the next 3 years to keep Joe. I understand you guys.....we didn't really have anybody to move, but thats why he is a NBA GM!! Be creative! Your "franchise" player hangs in the balance.

I hope everyone enjoys the 42-40 season next year.

getting Jamal Crawford was a big move..Sund may have pulled off the best trade of the offseason. He is the best newcomer to any team. I think Sund done all he can without breaking up the team. He went after Big Z, doesnt look like it will happen but Sund is doing the right things IMO even if JJ leaves I think Sund will look to make a move that will help the team for the lost of an all star. The Jamal Crawford trade could of been some insurance for JJ possibly moving..who knows..but Sund is no fool IMO. I like what he's done

Why do some people let themselves get worked up over this stuff. Dude has a right to his opinion just like the members of this board do. Not everyone roots for the Hawks.

agree. But I think we take Boston in 6 if we played them in the playoffs. But everyone does have a right to their opinion