benhillboy

Interesting. Does Marvin have any single great skill, or is he servicable in all areas but not overly impressive in any? I am not a numbers guy, but the numbers 9-1 don't lie. On the surface, it just seems as if there are 5 guys on the court with well-defined roles and parameters without Marvin, who seems to focus on certain parts of his game and press them on any given night while probably disregarding another facet that he can bring to the court because he's caught up in what he didn't do last night or the scouting report on his opposing forward and what people think he should do. Tonight just seemed like there was crisper, free-flowing movement on offense. I think Marvin is the weakest passer for his position of the starting 5, so it probably improves ball movement without him also. Simply, substituting Marvin for Mo gives us years of experience and savvy, something you can never have too much of. Marvin is a damn good defender with size being his best ally, same with Mo and his lateral foot speed. Zaza's looking better and better in his contract year. Moving Al to the 4 removes him from being a solid, steadying force into a propelling, game-changing one, so I am sure all Hawks fans want all avenues exhausted to permanently fix him at the 4. I have no problem with Joe at 2 or 3, although I much rather have Josh stuck at the 3. While we all know that Marvin is making strides, his team's W-L record without him won't help him the least bit in free agency. Sund knows 100 times as much as I do about hoopin, so it will be interseting to see how he and other GM's view his value and play their hand when it comes to Marvin this summer.

Impressive win for the men. If Josh focused more on boxing out, he could be one of the best tap-out men in the league. Double-digit boards should be second nature to him. Was that Acie Law The Fourth with the energy, the dribble-driving, and dishing? Total surprise, on the floor with Chris Paul no less. We sweep the Hornets this year? Who would've thunk it. A minor consolation prize this year for not taking Paul. Years of reparation still due. Flip was the usual Flip: playing like no one can guard him (has anyone ever seen Flip overly bothered by any defender in the league?) True, I am far from a Joe fan, but it seems as if he is more aggressive and more cognizant of the shot clock and situation recently. He looks like a different player with strong drivers on the floor with him (Flip, Acie.) Why do we never talk about Josh's underrated passing? (when he's fortunate enough to finish his dribble safely near defenders.) I like Al's confidence and deciciveness on his mid-range game. Stellar team defense throughout and down the stretch (another patented Woody-coached performance), especially denying the patented Paul-Chandler alley that many teams can't figure or simply don't have the personnel to diagnose and stop after screen action. Solo seems to have a penchant for making a great play at a crucial juncture. Old Zaza, playing for respect, and getting it. Why can't we seem to put it together with everyone healthy? I can't help but think that the rationing of Marvin's minutes to the rest of the squad yielded a better result than if he had been here, through no fault of his own. With all that said, though, the Hornets haven't really impressed me this year. I always felt the Lakers' main dilema through the years was finding a player to simply play near Kobe's focused intensity. That player without a doubt is Trevor Ariza, who is as important to that team as Bynum (probably more). Who the heck is going to be an extension of Paul's intensity? David West disappears too often and favors the elbow much more than the block. Tyson Chandler still has laughable offensive skills. Peja is cotton candy. Janeiro Pargo made that team go when Paul sat, and added a new dimension when on the floor with Paul. At this point, he seems way more valuable than Posey. In the second half, it seems as if Paul gets very discouraged in his team amidst the opposing team's run, and it snowballs. That team shouldn't be far from demolition and rebuilding if they are handled in the first round, because everyone knows their best player is a championship-caliber one who is only scratching the surface of his B-Ball knowledge and expertise, yet I don't see a single player alongside him who can defend and score consistently 18 feet and in. Let's go Hawks. Defend and hit the three. Simple enough. Ask the Spurs. They've had some success doing it.

Trust me, all in all, you want no parts of Drew Gooden. Sure, I've seen him control and dominate certain (i.e. weaker) teams for 6-7 minutes. Never an entire game. He is injury riddled and at times, focus and effort is questionable. A "system" player. Whenever a player bounces around as much as he and Joe Smith, I have no idea why anyone would take a chance on him anyway. If three or more franchises allow or force you to walk, something is seriously wrong with you.

Marvin is looking like a beast, but still too inconsistent with his patented disappearing spells. Marvin's contract is only coming closer to being up. With sometimes dominant performances, how many and which teams may be interested in him? I can't help but wonder how many squads would love to have him under a "better" coach, for a sweet deal nonetheless, knowing that our ownership group probably doesn't even know who Marvin Williams is.

I know I'm late, and barely caught the end of the Wizards game. Good win, but last time I saw the Wizards in Phillips they looked like they were paying to play instead of the other way around, so I can't praise the Hawks too much. A win is a win. Last night, I almost hit the roof when Joe posted, powered, and FINISHED ABOVE THE RIM, even though it was against Delonte West. I've never seen it. Joe even tried to dunk in heavy traffic, missed, but still resulted in a good play with Marvin gathering the loose ball and hitting 3. He busted his tail to get down the floor and finished a missed fast break lay-up. I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen that. Blocking a shot from the front, a jumper no less? There seemed to be an extra step in his manuevers, instead of a missing one. I hope this wasn't because he wanted to gain a little more acclaim on a rare nationally televised appearance, which would be atrocious, but I wouldn't put it past him. I was sick as a dog the first time we lost to Boston this year in the last second. This loss didn't affect me at all, because I was convinced that Joe left it on the floor against Cleveland, words I would' ve never uttered before last night. Hopefully, I can feel that way more often in the future.

Josh is a detestable jump shooter and free throw shooter, point-blank period. It seems futile to even try to figure out why. Only Josh truly knows how many reasons and what they are: pure laziness, lack of focus, and just not giving a **** come to mind. His being comfortable with his "natural" motion is a cop-out. His natural shot, with about 30% wasted motion, isn't an amatuer shot, let alone a pro one. If Mark Price is at your disposal, there is absolutely no excuse to be under 70%. NONE.

Some of those rebounds were garbage time boards. Again, I would never judge Al's performance on numbers. You are aware that there are countless winning plays you can make that don't appear in the stat sheet.

There must be a blue moon out, because the Hawks are on Primetime. Against some Nike guy on a throne. Let's go Marvin. Also glad that we can get real, intelligent (sorry Nique) insight and analysis on our squad from someone (hopefully Mark or Hubie.) The Stinger's voice gets on your nerves at times, but the guy knows basketball and can express such when he's called upon to call the game. The last meeting was close, but we actually dominated throughout. One of the best defensive performances of the year, forcing 42% from the field and a dreadful 5-22 from 3. I necessarily wouldn't bet that our entire starting five would be well over the + category, while only LeBron from their starting 5 would be +1. If Marvin shot 13 freet throws again, I like our chances. Hopefully, Joe will defer to Marvin when it is the best option, mainly to get LeBron into foul trouble or at least make him work with Marvin's body. Joe facilitated the first meeting, with good results (8 assists). With Wallace out, our front line, particularly Zaza, should be able to bang, because Ilgauskus does not want to. I do not want to see Z and Varejao offensive board and tip out for extra possessions, as if LeBron needs those. Of course Phillips is going to be jumping. Flip was a dog last time, so I expect him to step up in this one. I smell a win. We need this win, as we are only 2-5 against the teams above us in the East. It's about time for Bibby to flex the range again: I'll take 24-5-6 all day. The spotlight is on Atlanta. Let's shine, men.

Al is simply too good to come off the bench, and Josh isn't mentally or emotionally stable enough to accept a diminished role. I think he is coming to the realization that after last year, he should've been well on his way to becoming an All-Star, yet he is drifting farther away from it. Coming off the bench would ignite him, and not in a good way. I also can't imagine more jumpers for Josh. Each J he shoots exponentially decreases our chances of winning.

I don't think it's possible for Al to have a "statement" game. He did average a double-double against the Champs for seven games last year. 20 and 20 seem likes a normal day at the office, as I've seen just as poignant performances from him at 12 and 11. Hopefully, Al doesn't fall into the trap of people wanting a certain stat line from him every night, as numbers don't tell half of his game, although I want him to reach his personal goals, get paid, and buy more executive suits. His signature winning style of play satsfies me. Let's go Big Al.

I wouldn't want any part of any of those players except Raymond Felton for a reasonable price.

I like Keith as much as the next fan, but I was tired of his lack of speed, failure to shed blocks, poor open field tackling, and rare occurence of attacking gaps at the line of scrimmage. This started like, 3 or 4 years ago. I wish him the best though. I feel sorry for him that he went to Dallas though. His career will be all but forgotten down there. Milloy and Boley gone too? Dimitroff is making all of the moves I hoped he would. Re-signing Fudge was a great move, I like him. I liked Foxworth, but also think it was a good move to let him go rather than pay starter money, as I think there are injury concerns with him. The young corners Grimes, Jackson, and Houston will only get better. But the most important farewell has yet to be achieved: JAMAL ANDERSON!!!! I never want to see this guy ever again.

There is no amount of points Joe could score to impress me. Glad you enjoy my posts though homie.

Do I sense a little sarcasm, hum? True, Joe doesn't have it, never had, never will. It is Marvin's fault that he doesn't demand the ball and Joe's fault that he doesn't look for him the countless times that Marvin fights for good position on the block and achieves it, my friend. They both are uncomfortable on the floor together, as they rarely interact together when in fact they both have the size and skills to run a wicked two-man game.

Predictions for tonight? I'm sure Flip will be inspired, although I don't know the specifics of his leave and hope his family is well. He'll drop 20. Their guards can't guard him, as the Blazers can be pounded around the paint at times. This game holds almost the same interest for me as a Hornets game, being that we took Shelden over Roy (Thanks again, Billy). Hawks win in a close one, although Roy thoroughly outplays Joe. Where you at, Marvin? Demand the ball, put your head down, and bang something!

pound4pound's lineup makes sense, although we all know that Josh would pout and cry and probably distract the team. Seeing the games live in person, Joe's demeanor is like night and day when on the court with Flip. He seems much calmer, his decisions are more precise, movements more crisp, and you probably can catch a smile on his face if you fix your eyes on him. It's like a gorilla lifted off his shoulders because Flip bulls his way to the hoop as well as hit mid range shots, steadying the pace of the game and discouraging double-teams on Joe.

Funny how Marvin Williams was looking like Charles Barkley with Joe out. With Joe back, he looks like Marvin Williams. That issue HAS to be addressed. It is cut and dry: Joe + Marvin on the floor= much less oppurtunities in the paint and at the line than it should be. That just doesn't sit well with me.

Al is my favorite on the team beside Flip. Yes he needs more touches. Not as skilled as you would like on the block, but his soft touch on the rim makes up for some of the unsteadiness when creating his shot and getting it off. I disagree about his starting the break, though. Many times he takes 1-2 too many dribbles and funks it up, but there was a pass to Josh last night on the break that would make a lot of point guards blush. Let's go, Al! One of the few players on the team who can actually step it up and play above his head when absolutely needed on a consistent basis due to his professionalism. We all are waiting for the day when he can have long-term position security at the 4 next to a center who actually has skills, although I respect Zaza's toughness, a toughness that has been the foundation for at least a win or two.

As I tear into Joe as I've been known to do, many ask "Who would you trade for Joe? No one's giving up an All-Star for an All-Star." Valid point. Below are a few players who I would, would not, and would consider trading for Joe AND MORE (bench-warmers, draft picks, cash.) Some of these guys would have to be accompanied by extra considerations as well. I'll try to keep it confined to 1's, 2's, and 3's, players who compare to Joe's size and skill level, and similarly-stocked players. We all know All-World players are stuck where they are and will not be traded. Only bank-busting deals can pry Paul, Kobe, LeBron, Howard, and Wade from where they are. The Atlanta Spirit Moron Group would rather rack up flyer miles on lavish vacations before actually paying an All-World player to carry their franchise. First off, I wouldn't trade Joe for All-Star caliber guys with 11 + years under their belt (Vince, Ray, Pierce, Jamison, A.I., etc.) On the decline. I push with Dirk, as he has the same deficiencies that I dislike in Joe. Similarly stocked players I wouldn't trade for: Tony Parker, Andre Igoudala, Ben Gordon, Tayshaun Prince, Baron Davis, Michael Redd, Corey Maggette, Gilbert Arenas (I hate that guy.) Basically guys with extended injury histories or glaring weaknesses in I.Q., defense, or offensive versatility. Davis West is overrated and complimentary. Jamaal Crawford and Monta Ellis would never approach Joe defensively. Rashard Lewis has always been quite comfy as a secondary option. David Lee, Andris Biedrins, and Chris Kaman are double-double guys who probably wouldn't translate numbers to other teams/ systems. I would consider with another impact player. What happened to Kirilenko? On the fence about Stephen Jackson, Caron Butler, Kevin Martin, and Manu. I question if either could do as well as Joe with the Hawks as constructed from a wins standpoint, although I like each's game more than Joe's. Jameer Nelson and Mo Willams, while having considerable upside, will probably never be as valuable as Joe and neither would never average 20 for a top-four seeded team. Same with Turkoglu and Josh Howard, who are a few levels below Joe defensively and offensively, respectively. It is ascenine to consider Trevor Ariza simply from a numbers standpoint when compared to Joe. But Ariza's upside seem limitless, and Joe has peaked. Amare's stock has plummeted and will never recover, as no one thinks he can lead a squad. Joe's stock is considerably higher, although Amare has twice (?) the All-Star appearances. Now, the list of guards and forwards who I wouldn't think twice about pulling the trigger on: Brandon Roy, O.J. Mayo, Derrick Rose, Devin Harris, Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay, Carmelo, Danny Granger. Throw Al Jefferson in as the only big. No one knows the true value of Deron Williams or Zach Randolph, so those are pushes. Basically, any young'un who can score 20 easily and has the skills/ body to defend their position above average, I would take. Most have already shown, in very short careers, that they have more passion and are more vocal than Joe. Each one DRIVES THE HOLE HARD AND OFTEN, my main gripe with Joe. Derrick Rose drives to the rim more in one game than Joe for the week. Every one has considerable hops, Joe has negative hops. The forwards (Gay, Granger, Melo) are all smaller than Joe, yet play with force and brute strength never seen by Joe. I think O.J. has a better I.Q. than Joe NOW. Brandon Roy's I.Q., control of pace, and leadership qualities embarrasses Joe's. Devin Harris has outplayed Joe in every head-to-head game this year in the heated race for a guard All-Star spot, even though both got in. Kevin Durant's upside extends into the clouds. These guys shave tremendous UPSIDE, as opposed to Joe's non-existent progression as a number 1 option. I knew Joe wasn't a number 1 when he arrived here, and he has done absolutely nothing to convince me otherwise. His scoring average is padded by about 5-6 points simply by ignoring Marvin when both are on the floor, so I see a 17-19 point guy in reality. You know, the same 3rd to 5th option of the Suns. Nevermind that Marvin bulldozes his way to the hole and the line, potentially on plays where Joe shakes, bakes, and shoots an off jumper of no use to his team, usually jump-starting the transition game for the opposition. Again, his hops are awful, so his rebounds should be +2, even with average hops. His on-ball defense and floor vision combined with versatile passing are his underrated areas, so his assist numbers are impressive considering his teammates. But I am sick and tired of his never-changing face and fade-aways. His traveling turnovers 25 feet away from the basket. Never mixing it up with opponents and his "nice guy" attitude. His awful free-throw attempt numbers. Jumping 1 foot off the ground, never truly challenging shots nor playing above the rim. Never aggressive on fast breaks, usually the last guy to the basket. Have you ever seen Joe put his head down and sprint from one end to the other? I haven't. His time has passed. It is time to get one of these fabulous young guns who are eager to lead a team in all aspects and show improvement doing so. The floor is now open for rabid disagreements. I respect all opinions, except the ones that are based on ever- changing, variant, and dependent numbers more so than the eye test and your knowledge of basketball. I am fully aware that Joe has always had nice, tidy numbers for most of his career. Numbers that no opposing coach has ever lost sleep over, because they know the fire that burns within him is more of an extinguished fireplace.

Finally, someone who dislike's Joe's game as much as I do. Speak it from the mountaintop! At 1:40 before the half, Kevin Martin, who is not known for his defense, totally bottled up Joe near the left elbow and forced a throwaway out of bounds, in which Bobby Jackson promptly drilled 3 the next play. At his size, Joe should be ashamed that he couldn't draw a foul on a guy he outweighs by 50 pounds. At 3:32 in the third, Joe's boneheadedness and lethargy rears it's ugly head again. On a semi-break, Joe is one-on-one with BEANO UDRICH. Not known for his defense either. The smallest guy on the court, too. Not having confidence in his speed or quickness, Joe stutters a little and tries to shoot over Udrich from 13, misses. On a break! There were probably five different routes TO THE RACK, yet he pulls up for a contested jumper. Great. I laughed my butt off at the end of the game when Bibby all but stole the steal from Josh! Did anyone else see that? I think about 1:twenty-something seconds were left in a tight game, and Bibby and Josh both had an easy steal on a loose ball. Bibby had the presence of mind to corral it and keep it in the backcourt for a foul instead of letting Josh have it. He was clearly off to the races with one of his patented fumble jobs down the middle of the court, likely turning it over, offensive fouling, or drawing a foul and missing both free throws. It was actually a big play in the game, as Bibby has probably gotten tired of seeing Josh make decisions with the ball, let alone in the open court. I'd like to see more demanding of the ball from Josh by Bibby, and tearing into Josh when he doesn't give it up, because clearly he thinks he can handle like a 1 and shoot like a 2, when actually he handles like a child and shoots like a cripple.

Ray Ray is twice the shooter Joe or most anybody else is. Ray also has carried 2 franchises past the first round, something I am sure Joe will never do. This current Hawks team, at full strength, can get out of the first round because we have four other guys in Bibby, Flip, Josh, and Marvin who can come up with 20, while Ray only played with 2 dependable guys between Milwaukee and Seattle (Glenn Robinson was a bum). Ray still drives and attacks the basket, something Joe can't and won't do consistently. So no, Ray is out of Joe's league. Try Ron Harper, Mitch Richmond types who are 20-5-5 guys on bad to average teams. If that's a little old for you, try Richard Jefferson, Kevin Martin, Andre Iggy, Caron Butler, Corey Maggette types who are damn good players, but have glaring weaknesses here or there that prevent them from commanding a team and leading it to victory consistently.

T-Mac is that roast your mother left in the oven when she fell asleep and discovered the next day. Charred. I don't think it's his fault, though. I'm sure many physicians will tell you that his body structure held up much longer than it should've at the professional level, let alone the level he was accustomed to in his most prolific years. Some guys can be skinny, lanky, thick, compact, muscular, angular, or many combinations of things and get the most out of their frames while protecting against injury. T-Mac's legs are like rails, while he has always seemed to make an effort to beef up his uper body. It simply didn't work for his game. Most people would look at Reggie Miller's body type (and Kevin Durant's) and think he couldn't last a single season. Kevin Garnett has arguably dominated his space his entire career being thin. A lot depends on bone structure, ligament strength, tendon make-up, etc. Evidently, Tracy's skeleton has had it. There's only one LeBron with a Terminator-Like skeletal foundation. There's only one Kobe with an aerodynamic body design. Carmelo, Rudy, and Josh can boast of small gorilla frames with spring-action calves. Derrick Rose is some sort of X-men-type wrecking ball who can teleport. You make the best of what you have. Some guys have injury-retardant bodies that can withstand a small car collision. Others have frames that couldn't bench press or squat their own weight.

Guys will have off nights. But we have to realize the facts. I have given up on hoping these two will improve their deficient areas. They are who they are. Josh is a freakish athlete who can stop the ball on defense, score inside against lesser competition, and energize the squad. He also has arguably the worst skill set in terms of shooting and dribbling of anyone in professional basketball who isn't a center, here or overseas (do you guys think Josh could even play overseas with that dribble and jumper?) Joe is a very well-rounder player, his fear of banging in the paint notwithstanding. But it is futile at this point to expect him to be a fiery, passionate guy. He got his money, now he is waiting for his contract to expire so he can go to a team where he can be the gold standard as a 3rd option. Any of the top two teams of either conference would cruise to multiple titles with Joe. As the "leader" of a squad, Joe fails in almost every area. Frankly, Joe doesn't get called out enough. In Atlanta, among true fans, most know that Joe leaves much to be desired. I know we don't get respect nationally, but it is coming along. Just as T-Mac is bashed daily, the nation should know that many times we aren't pleased with our All-Star's lack of motivation.

I am 100% positive he is terrified of attacking the rim, not to mention that he has probably the worst jumping ability of any guy in the league at comparable size. Is that a guy you want eating up 70 million of your payroll?

The entire team doesn't talk enough. Again, the younger guys take their cues from Joe, who is not the guy you want to follow. If you look at the Celtics, you can hear someone different taking control on defense almost every play. They will grill each other if they don't communicate, especially if it leads to a turnover on offense from not alerting a teammate about a potential steal or weak rotation under the hoop on defense. Yet another reason to part ways with Joe. I have about 70 million.