benhillboy

I'll go out on a limb and predict a thrashing of the Heat tonight to celebrate a 66% winning percentage before the Break. Our improvement and ascension may be directly proprtional to how much Bibby and Marvin step up and realize we have a chance for the best season in Hawks history. Mo and Zaza might want to show their appreciation for their extensions when they feel the urge, sometime soon hopefully. Just a thought.

Here's to a great first half and a better second from a fan since '88.

Let's Go.

Josh and Al combined only make $130,886 more than Joe, yet individually, both figure more prominently as far as all-around stats according to 82 games. If that isn't better value, what is?

I'll step up first, although I said I like the taste of Eating Craw about a month and a half ago.

I loved Flip's approach last year. I like his hanging Jumper and three ball stroke a little more than Craw's mid range and beyond game, his D is considerably better, and is slightly more prone to finish strong at the cup (all last year, not so much with the Cats.) I want to see Crawford galvanize this team when they are performing poorly in the playoffs like Flipper did.

With that said, Flip hasn't got me out of my seat half as much as CrawDawg has this year. Flipper was a factor to be dealt with, but Crawford has proven that he can't be dealt with. The way he demoralizes teams in the fourth quarter is almost unsportsmanlike and in poor taste, but opposing fans secretly love his performances as much as we do. Opposing coaches, not so much.

He did last year. This year? I wouldn't bet on it.

I wish Sund would make a decision on this guy, sooner than later.

I think everyone was surprised Al made it and Josh didn't, but it was based solely on the depth of the forward position being much deeper than the 5 in today's NBA. Zydrunas Ilgauskus, Brad Miller, and Ben Wallace were All-Stars. Even at their peaks,I would never place any of these guys anywhere near Al's all-around game, maybe Miller in his best season.

Do I have to answer this? Y'all are trying to bait me into a rant. I'm trying to like JJ on a consistent, win or lose basis, but it's very hard, especially when he misses time because he has a cold. Maybe I'll come around one day, or not. IMO, Josh and Al are subtantially more "valuable," whatever that means. Their win percentages, simple ratings, total plus/ minus, etc., are better than Joe's. I tend to like players who excel at running, jumping, hustling, and competing. Maybe I'm crazy.

Nice win versus Orlando. Greatly appreciate it. They shouldn't feel unappreciated when we get back to sitting our starters for the last 8 minutes tonight, though. I miss that little run we went on when all the starters got to laugh at Morris, Marvin, Collins and cheer for Teague for about 2 weeks. Josh seems poised to carry last night's performance over, and that doesn't bode well for the Wiz at all. I smell a 20 point drubbing and a nice end to the week atop the division.

It's my Saturday moring posting binge, so props and respect to Woody and his Iso-Whoever. He consolidates this team in the fourth, especially when trailing, gets them to lock down defensively like probably no other squad in the league while continuing to produce points (CrawDog AKA Secret Weapon X), and coasts to comfortable wins. Give the man his due.

The light is green. Hawks, GO!

He has been looking a little better, but there's so much to improve. His entire motion should be more fluid and quicker. He has learned that he doesn't have to jump as high or put as much arc on it, something that just seems to be hard to grasp for natural high-flyers. His balance and shoulder positioning have always been okay, he just needs to flex his knees much quicker and find some coordination, rhythym, and comfort with his stroke. He's still young. I'll give him a pass for one more year as far as being a pathetic jump-shooting 3. Next year, he's gonna be stroking it, and we're gonna be like "wtf!" It'll open the flood gates for the rest of his game, especially his drive and kick when the defense closes, as his already underrated passing is always improving. He'll be virtually unstoppable at that point.

I love how all our guys are healthy for the most part, nagging injuries and a few missed practices here and there. Al, Josh, and Joe showing no signs of complications after missing signifigant time or being limited in the playoffs last year. Lesser guys come up with excuses for playing poorly or being in and out of the lineup. Props to the traning staff. There's a lot of great teams (Boston, Portland, Cleveland, Nuggets, etc) and great players (Melo, Kobe, Roy, CP3) who are getting hit hard by the injury bug, but our squad (knock on wood) is standing tall as a whole from every jump ball to closing buzzer. Can't play well if you aren't available to play!

If Josh, Al, Joe, and CrawDog all log 82 games, I'd be surprised if we aren't sitting snug at number 2 in the conference, and setting ourselves up for a long run of winning similar to what Dallas has been doing for some time now.

Josh is our team MVP, plain and simple. Imagine if he develops a respectable jumper. He'd be unstoppable, but I won't hold my breath.

Let's Go Hawks.

I'll go with a 100% chance we win, regardless of the lopsided point guard matchup in their favor.

Does anybody know the nature of the Price-Josh relationship? Do they even know each other exists? I mean, Price is an All-Time Exceptional shooter, free throws and jumpers, who coaches the Hawks. Josh is on his way to being an All-Time Awful shooter, who plays for the Hawks. How about these two guys coming together to give Josh at least a respectable jimmy and free throw stroke? Just a thought. I know Josh isn't that stubborn/ stupid to totally refuse input, criticism, and change on easily the worst part of his game from someone who knows a thing or two about the topic.

He isn't in my book. Gay is about to become one of the most overpaid players in the NBA:

Stats last 2 seasons

Better scorer - Gay

Better shooter - Push

Better defender - Marvin

More efficient - Marvin

Better rebounder - Push

Passing/Ballhandling - Push

Better athlete - Push

This is why I use stats to back up what I see, not the other way around. Stats never, ever lie, but in this case, saying that they don't tell the whole story is an understatement. The table of contents maybe. To compare Rudy Gay to Marvin Williams in any offensive capacity is... I can't even think of a word.

Amazing skill to go up strong for the shot and compensate for the contact as far as his motion and release. You can tell he practices it. It's been a joy to watch him work this year. He'll hold the record for a long time, too, although I could see Durant making a push as he matures because his three-ball is effortless combined with the fact that defenders almost always crowd him.

It's cool. Diesel didn't catch it. He's so "passionate" in his disdain for Marvin.

Joe recieves the fouls he deserves on the floor for he most part. It is his total lack of hops and airborne creativity that prevent him from causing enough visible contact around the rim, as most of his shots in that area are sent away too easily by the defense, especially for a guy his size. Attacking the rim in a half-court set against a waiting Defense just isn't his game, while the usual suspects' games (Wade, James, Anthony, etc.) are pretty much built on that very skill. These players also have tunnel vision when the opposition is in the penalty: get to the rim at all costs. Greater quickness to get to the rim doesn't hurt either. It simply isn't a priority for Joe. I am glad he doesn't cry for calls like a b%$#h, though.

Joe always goes through these stretches for about 2 1/2 to 4 weeks where his numbers match or surpass all 2's leaguewide and hopefully gets Player of the Month in the East, if LeBron and Dwight don't smash the boards too hard (hasn't J.J. recieved the honor in each of the past few years?) As long as he's playing intelligently, intensely, and shooting 50%, I have no beefs. He's feeling the rhythym with his jumper right now, and even creating rhythym when it's a little off, showing a nice little feel and intuitiveness to his game as it relates to what we need at that time. A little pep in his step, too. He's been "showing his behind", as Grandmama would say. Respect Due.

Marvin's fine. He's great for "chemistry."

Deke and Hubie.

List looks pretty accurate to me, but I see four players below Marvin who I'd rather take.

I was expecting a Marvin Highlight reel from this year.

"Scal is Scal." Classic.

Comparing Craw-Dawg to Jordan? He's the man, but damn. Boston fans are truly crazy. We're in their heads for the forseeable future.

Which is why you should appreciate the game of Joe Johnson all the more, because he NEVER does that ( even though he probably should on occasion ). JJ would rather take and make a difficult shot, or pass to an open teammate, than get a "cheap" trip to the line when he knows that he doesn't have a good shot to take.

I gave Joe and Jamal credit for it. You don't quit do you North? All in fun, homey.

I hate this move so much, I had to make a post. Paul Pierce is notorious, Dwayne Wade comes in second, Brandon Roy is doing it way more than I'd like to see from a player of his caliber. Glady, Kobe stopped for the most part after he dislocated his shoulder some years back pulling that stunt. Chauncey is known to do it when his teams' in trouble and he's feeling lazy. The classic bail-out move, most times only a moron would call a shooting foul when the shooter initiates contact while throwing up a prayer that, again, only a moron would call an attempt. True, defenders are taught not to leave their feet in certain situations, especially late in the clock after you've played great D, but c'mon. The punishment against the defender coupled with the reward for the shooter is getting extremely ridiculous. I would love a no-call, but it should be an offensive foul if you wanna get technical: the defender was in the air first, and defenseless. It is no different than an off-arm push-off. I want to spit at my TV screen everytime Pierce does it. He basically gets rewarded for having average handle and picking up his dribble prematurely. It's so unathletic, so cheap, dangerous, such a loophole in the rules that should be officiated much more subjectively because it's just bad basketball, plain and simple. A pump fake is for opening up lanes and space to shoot or pass, not to get a free trip to the line on technicalities because the NBA has gotten so soft on foul calls. Then the foolish ref has to come down on the other end and make a make-up call because he's feeling the pressure from the fans and the bench. We've all seen the stupid cycle.

At the end of the day, I guess you know the rules and govern yourself accordingly as a defender, and fouling a jump-shooter is one of the worst things you can do. Points aren't easy to come by, and I admire guys who get to the line frequently, ON TRUE FOULS! The competitoion committee should really do away with this pathetic bail-out tactic, or at least call it half as much as they do. Of all the highlights of last night's game, the free throw disparity in the third quarter, and the way we overcame it, was the most glaring thing. It was a crime that the refs should be prosecuted for.

Real scorers pump to get a better look at the basket or open teammate. Fake ones go to the line when they know damn well they don't deserve a single point. This isn't wrestling. I'm glad our two perimeter scorers play with honor and real skill when their dribble is stopped and they're on that island with a good defender. Time your second jump properly. Pump and duck under the defender. Study film and scouting on their close-quarters defensive tactics and tendencies. Be creative with your pivot to create space and leverage. Fade away. There are many more safer, more efficient, more respectable ways to score, that is if you're a real scorer and don't depend on garbage that WNBA players don't even use.

I respect Paul Pierce's production, always have. But I'd rather watch obese porn than watch him flop around the court, campaign for calls, and cry in wheelchairs. As much as I love Jesus' jumper, K.G.'s intensity, and Kendrick's blocking/ rebounding, I can't bear to watch the Celtics unless they're getting smashed by us because of the eyesore that is Paul Pierce.

When he's on, he's 18-10-8-2-2, no answer for him. A baby Josh if you will. But when he's off, he should forfeit his game check because he plays like he isn't getting paid. That wild inconsistency does not equate to an All-Star. I wish Josh would've went ballistic in the win to show their entie team he should've been selected ahead of their 3 participants. Oh well, he'll kill 'em in the post-season if we meet.

Bibby's been moving on stilts since he came here, it didn't happen overnight. We just have to take lumps against the speedy point guards who he cannot be helped or hid against. He isn't abused as much as you would expect: I thought Aaron Brooks would run circles around him and be a major problem, but he wasn't.

Bibby is the only guard we have, by a wide margin, with the steady, effortless, and efficient grasp of floor spacing, shot clock management, shot selection, ball movement, and reading of the defense. We need him. He didn't help lead the Kings deep into the playoffs numerous times as a youngster off his athleticism alone, which was very good, but never great. His game now is mostly above the shoulders, which is very valuable at point to a young team like ours. I've grown to accept his atrociousness guarding his man.