Atlsportfanz

Or you can do every jump shot that Josh Smith takes. Either way, you're already under the table.

Derrick Rose is a freak in the game now. Even though he can't shoot the 3 to save his life, you can isomotion and cross over everybody! I can get to the paint at will. I was also glad to see Josh's block rating finally match his true ability. The only problem is he gets backed down to far in the paint.

Yao's gonna get his 20 & 10, just don't let it be 40. I'm more concerned about their other guys going off. Alston, Barry, Head, Battier. If the Hawks can keep those guys under wraps, they should win this game. If one of them explodes (my prediction Head; his quickness will kill Bibby) the then Hawks will put themselves behind the 8 Ball. On offense, run and run some more. Houston's wants to play the half court game with Yao and Artest. Wear Yao out by making him chase Horford up and down the floor. The same with Josh. Scola can't keep up with Josh on the fast break. It's a simple thing. Play to your strengths. Try to mask your weaknesses.

If the Hawks can remain healthy from here on out, they have a chance this month (especially the 8 game home stand) to set themselves up for a really strong 2009 and prove that they can play with the big boys.

well, if it's any consolation, he only shot 1 against Dallas. Mind you, he was 0-1 but it was only 1 attempt.

If the Hawks keep a winning product on the court, fans will begin to turn out. You can't have the same crap on the buffet every night and expect to have a line waiting outside to get in. Now that we actually have a good team, I would expect the fans to begin to turn out as the season progresses. It would also help if we had a little more national attention so local fans could actually get excited about the game.

I'm sure Woody said matchups but more than likely it was just to give Pachulia's shoulder a game off. If you watched him shoot free throws, he simply couldn't use his left to guide the shot. In a close game, teams would put him on the line every time because he would probably be as effective as Shaq.

If you want something that is much more similar to the real thing, go with 2k9. If you just want a game to play against your friends occasionally, you'd probably want Live. Personally, I get really into the Association (Franchise mode). As said earlier, with the Free Silver Membership you can download roster updates. It's nice to as they update them about once a week or after any major trade. The Knicks, Warriors, Clippers all look vastly different than their original rosters. Also, certain players ratings have gone up or down. Derrick Rose went from an 80 to an 85. While Elton Brand dropped from a 92 to 88.

I just hope that Smith focuses on Defense and lets Joe, Bibby, Marvin, Mo, and Flip worry about shooting 3's. If Josh sticks to attacking the basket and defending the basket, I see no reason why we can't be hosting a first round series.

I wonder if his shoulder was bugging him. That's the only reason I could think of. I was watching the game last night wondering "Where's ZaZa?" Never thought I would be saying that.

The Hawks have such a staggering history of sucking that it is probably going to take the Hawks either several years of playoff runs or somehow acquiring a marketable superstar. No, I don't think we have one of the roster right now.

Welcome to the world of Flip Murray. He's either on fire or ice cold. There is no middle ground with him. And he can't realize when he doesn't have it. So he chucks up shot after shot and has a lot of 2-13 kind of nights.

I actually didn't make it. I'm still hoping to go see it. Maybe this weekend.

It was a good character test for this team. How do you respond when you're hurting? Do you just take your lumps and blame it on the injuries? Good teams find a way to win even when parts are missing. That's what the Hawks did last night. Hopefully we can do the same tonight against the Bobcats and get Horford back Friday for Lebron and the Cavs.

Matt Damon, Leo Dicaprio, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlburg, Martin Sheen (the president from West Wing), Alec Baldwin Great movie, not a family friendly flick but a great piece of cinema

Yeah, but HE actually has to want to come here!!! I'm sure the front office would love to bring him in but we have to be HIS choice. If you're wanting playing time and a chance at a ring, would you not rather go to Boston, Cleveland, or back to Detroit?? Sorry, we just don't rank that highly for us to receive his consideration.

Does anybody know if Devin Harris is expected back? I can't say that I wouldn't mind him missing the next two.

Couldn't you have immediately just hacked Perkins or Rondo? That would have sent them to the line for a foul away from the play. If they make them, you've got about 5 seconds instead of .5 seconds. Chances are they probably would have missed at least 1 giving you at least overtime.

I've had a ton of ankle sprains (several high ones) and sometimes it just happens that way. You wake up one morning and the swelling is just gone. But if we pick up 2 wins against NJ this weekend, why rush him? Trust the medical staff to do their job and make sure that he comes back with all his explosiveness. I sure would have like to have him last night though.

Georgia almost got rolled by freaking Kentucky!! I'm not so sure that Tech won't take them.

when he gets rolling, he's got some explosive hops. That's pretty impressive.

Yeah, I had one of those "Who is that?" scratch my head moments. Then, I was like "oh yeah, Othello. Forgot about ya."

The key to the game for me is can we contain Garnett?? I'm not really worried about Ray and I think Joe or Marvin can limit Pierce. But without Josh, I don't know about KG. If Pachulia starts on him, Garnett will be able to beat him off the dribble or elevate over him. If it's Al, he can elevate. I expect to see a lot more of Solo and Randolph Morris tonight. I think Morris might be able to do a better job on Perkins which will allow Horford to stay on KG. Someone said it earlier, but got to stay away from cheap fouls. And of course the biggest culprit is Pachulia. He always picks up a couple tick-tack fouls. We'll need all our bigs tonight.

When we had the lead at 12 early into the 4th, I had the feeling Woody was going to start resting Joe and Al. But Chicago came back and cut the lead to 4 and had the momenteum, he was forced to get the rest of the starters back in there. I have no doubt that Woody would have like to rest his starters more but the game didn't allow for it.

Unfortunately in our Youtube/ESPN Highlight Sports World, it's all about the sound bite or big play so a lot of guys who should receive superstar attention don't. You also have to play in a big market. That's why we see the Boston's, L.A's, New York players (not just basketball, but every sport) receive so much coverage. And if you don't have that going for you, you either have to act a fool or get in trouble. Look at Clinton Portis and his "costume" interviews with the Redskins. Not a superstar. Pacman Jones - Not a Superstar. Hank Aaron's talent and longevity was so undeniable that people couldn't pass him by in the superstar conversation even though he never sought the attention. If Nique were playing now, he'd be one of the biggest stars in the league (very comparable to when Vince Carter came in the league and the hype that followed him) And Mike Vick was breaking the rules of what a qb was supposed to do. But Atlanta sports teams have had other superstars. Namely the Big 3 of the Braves. Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz. But their biggest downfall was their position. They weren't seen every game so out of sight, out of mind. But they were among the greatest pitchers of their generation. If the Hawks begin to win consistantly, and JJ continues to put up all-star #'s, he'll get more credit and attention. Will he ever be considered a Superstar? No, he doesn't have the flashy dunks or plays that LBJ or Kobe has. He doesn't get himself in trouble nor does he call attention upon himself. It's not an indictment of Joe, in fact it's a compliment. I'll take him and as many other guys like him that I can get my hands on rather than the generation of players that we have now.