noble

They have to adress the player collusion. It is getting out of hand

Not always. Boston started this with superstars colluding to create a super team. Many players used to have some sense of drive to beat their rivals. Now they just want to join them.

The NBA has to fix the way FA is. The players have way too much power in creating mega teams and screwing others. If you looked at the t3ams KD narrowed it down to it was all big 3 type teams. So unless you a. Have a superstar already in team and b. You are in a desired city. You have the chance for the players to talk and built a super team. If not, you are just a minor league team supplying the others. It is frustrating to watch.

8th seed roster?

What have we ever had to be positive about? 1 ECF in history we got swept badly in? Here is the thing this team right now took a step back. Howard and Millsap are not as good as Horford and Millsap, plain and simple. They still need a backup PG, a better wing player, and now scoring. This team is not better suited to beat the Cavs at all. In fact we seem to be worse off now. I amean interested to see if they can still either a. Make a move or B. Trade Millsap and blow it up while collecting picks.

I've been a Hawks fan most of my life (I was a Sixers fan until Dr. J retired and I got older). I have never lived in Atlanta but have been there many times. Here is why Atlanta doesn't garner the support. This is both has a long time fan and looking from the outside. Since Nique was here this team has lacked true star power. There are many reasons for this, but when talking superstars, Atlanta has not had many. Horford is not a superstar. While I love Horford he is basically a number 2 or 3 guy on most teams that are contenders. I know people will point to the Spurs thing...Duncan was a number 1 pick, don't forget that. Players really don't want to come to Atlanta. Why? Well a few reasons. One without true star power and ownership that isn't willing to go into the luxury tax to get star power, a superstar will just be another Nique. Great, but will never win a championship. Another reason is the tax rate. It is rated as the ninth worst tax rate on income in America. So why would a player want to go to Atlanta and lose more money without any return of a chance of being a champ? They wouldn't. The only 2 states with teams in them with worse income tax rates? Washington DC and Minnesota. Says a lot about those teams when you look from the outside too right? A pattern of losing shakes fans. I have been watching since the early 80s and even from the outside I am tired of the knowing each season the Hawks won't be contenders. I am just waiting to see who we lose out on in free agency, what terrible pick in the middle of the draft they get, and how they try to sell each season will be different. It gets wearing on fans. I love my Hawks, but it is like Groundhog Day with them. Atlanta as a city has a ton of transients. Why? Well again the tax rate hurts badly. There is no star power to bring people to the arena. At least with Nique there was an air of "Did you just see that guy?" or "I just watched a future Hall of Famer play". Atlanta has done zero to include the transients and their interest. Sure, you can target the local populace, but when the cost of seeing a game is so high, and fans knowing they aren't contenders, and no star power, why spend the money to go? You have to do something to garner interest. Which is why the humble low key players are great, but don't gain much attention. Just some of my viewpoints....I didn't want to write too much of a book lol.

Maybe we make it past the first round...either way does it really matter? We are still a middle of the pack team who won't get a superstar in the draft or FA and will most likely be a similar team next year too.

Been as active as our free agency...which is to say not much excitement. Half of the fans are in the this team is stuck on a treadmill of mediocrity and the other half are buying the flexibility stuff and think this team is going to be a top 3 team in the East...I personally am part of what I call the realist fans who know another first or second round playoff loss will most likely be the outcome and we are in the same spot as we always are.

I had a feeling our roster would be a collection of players like this once last season ended. There was a twinge of excitement that we would improve our roster, but as usual we lost out on pretty much anyone that would have taken this team to another level. Instead we churn the bottom of the FA barrel to hope we get a guy who can contribute to a mediocre team that will lose in the first 2 rounds of the playoffs, heck even fight to make the playoffs. Then we had to listen to the crap about flexibility and such when we know we will never use that flexibility...yea this is our roster, and while I will be praying they do better than last year, I know that is all it is...a prayer.

Here is the thing though. People who want to watch that type of basketball don't bring in the money. There just isn't enough of them. Putting a team on television isn't about the fans, it is about the money those fans bring in. This means the NBA and television caters to the masses, and the masses want exciting players, exciting dunks, and not the style of basketball the Hawks play. The only way this team gets more recognition is if it makes the ECF or Championship games. If they don't make that or don't get a superstar it won't bring the masses and it won't bring the money. Plain and simple it is all about the dollars, not about the game.

They also have a superstar in Wall, aging superstars in Pierce and Gooden, and some up and coming talent that is exciting to watch like Beal. They also have some really young exciting guys like Rice and Porter. We have a boring albeit efficient offense. There really are no superstars on this team. The only player on this team that has true national attention at all is Horford, and it pales compared to many others.

Only in terms of people in the city. We are not top tier when talking about the Hawks and the fan base of them. Fans love big names and winning teams. The Hawks have neither, so national attention is lacking with Atlanta.

You guys act like the Hawks will bring in money for the stations and advertisers. As much as I love them, they are not an attraction for advertisers. Hence why the Knicks and Lakers get more TV. Good or bad they draw in advertisers and viewers...remember they are big market teams.

Honestly with the lack of rebounding and lack of players who can create their own shot this team could be anywhere from a 4 seed to out of the playoffs. I tend to see us as a 5 seed if we stay healthier than everyone else, and out of the playoffs if we get one devastating injury to either Horf, Teague, or Sap. Heck even if Korver goes down this team isn't going to be able to make the playoffs.

Cool so we can lose in the second round instead? I am sorry Millsap or Horford are not superstars that can carry a team. They are really good parts that need to be matched with a superstar to elevate their game. They are really solid players. Horford plays for Dominican Republic so he would not be on team USA. Korver is not on the same complete level as Ray Allen, some would call him a poor mans version. If you are okay with making the playoffs every year to lose in the first two rounds then fine, but I am not okay with that. I want more and just hanging your hat on being mediocre is not a way we should be as fans.

I don't get why people really think players want to come to Atlanta to play. They have houses here sure, but playing for a team that has a weak fanbase, poor ownership, and an average supporting cast just isn't what they want to do. They want rings and money and the Hawks have no rings, and don't like to overspend. They will go somewhere that the team will give them one or the other or both. As a Hawks fan it really drives me crazy to think this team needs to do something drastic and refuses to. If they don't get a big time player, you are pretty much looking at the Hawks for the next however many years. The names will change again, and like the last 30 years I have seen the Hawks the results will be the same. Middle of the pack team with middle of the pack results.

Hey at least they will try hard when they get ousted in the first 2 rounds.

Our whole team is role players. I am so tired of the middle of the road mentality this ownership and this team are in. I love the Hawks, but man I just wish they could do something to be better than a middle of the pack team. Maybe before I die I can actually see this team actually get out of the first 2 rounds....I am 40 so what let's say another 40 years? Maybe at least once.

I completely agree with this. I also completely agree with @Alex. This team can be good, but there is a consistency issue as well as a depth issue IMHO. That is what makes superstar players superstars. It isn't just that they can score, but it is the consistency to score like they do every night.

The Hawks - We had a superstar once.

Was it really though? We still can't get past the first round in the playoffs.

I am saying that if one person starts to run cold on this team or there is an injury, this team will probably take more of a hit then they did last year. Sure they can shoot, but without a fear of us going inside on a consistent basis it allows teams to play more perimeter D. I dunno, I just really think we need more people who can make their own shot and drive a little more.

Well because though it all they have been pretty meh about trading him. They haven't really jumped at any chance until they saw Wiggins being offered. The rest was like, yea we will consider it.

Yea the problem I see with that is really just the depth scoring. The accuracy from the backups isn't that great if Thabo is in decline and Bazemore has a bad run.

Yea I meant it does nothing for us. It just means we never swap.