DS17Fanboy

I think next to Schröder just being a 20 year young rookie with allot to learn he also got that rookie anxiousness going last night after getting some nationwide hype over the Cousins situation and now playing his second home-game after a roadtrip. He seemed to hyped to show what he got in front of the Atlanta crowd. Not only it showed in his many bad FG attempts, but also in diving after loose balls all over the place and pretending a poker-face in still situations.

What about Danny Granger and his Paul George/David West situation? And what about Indiana starting Hill on PG?

Where would sports discussions be without opportunism though? And where would it be without armchair-general smartpants?

As much as that league is 3 classes below the NBA, the cam-work etc is maybe just 1 class worse than the NBA. Its made a spectacle as well and games shot similary. But I dont think your srs, since the anger you got there is just very funny. Also this. It doesnt even have to be on purpose. Sometimes your long arms can get stuck in sticky situations, specially on a level where the game is played so fast and on a position where you have to swing like Tarzan to get trough those screens. The slow-mo and the Cousin grab just makes it look worse. Thats all IMO.

Freemason and starring in some campaign-add to that granny-purse snatching republican Chris Christie. Shaq came a long way from being the most entertaining and arguable best center ever.

He went under his foreskin.

In these games he seemed more concerned to stay on the marker, make no reach ins, and keep his man in front of him as a primary concern. He also grabbed some rebounds here and there in previous games, and against Sacramento he also did well along the rest of the team doubling-trippling Cousins early on allot, which before the nut-grab already made him crazy. Its not that there is little D. There just was little ops to come up with steals, while really his primary concerns D-wise IMO first games was getting more hands in shooters faces, warning team mates about players from behind, and not giving up on defensive plays. He improved there against Sac and LA. That Thomas guy last night was just their go-to-guy and feeling it. Also Teague couldnt handle him well, and if there wasnt so many bad TO's last minutes the game wouldnt be tight. What I like seeing thus far is that he develops an attitude to get in his opponents head, which takes character and a certain mental talent most of the great PG's had. They clearly worked on Cousins last night and was a big part of why they won.

I think "Big Cous" should be suspended and fined. He clearly grabbed the poor young boys hand and made him strocke, while the young boy who's new to the league clearly couldnt have any idea why this guy is called "Big Cous". In Holland btw we call male genitalis "brother in-law". IMO all speaks for Dennis. But I may be biased.

He does have a bit of Payton's attitude in many ways. Other than that, I like he puts in allot of extra work and already gained 14 pounds of muscle. Also small things like not wanting to see Atlanta's homeless to stay focused on b-ball, which may sound negative, but actually shows that he's sensible, thinking that this might affect him to much, and that negative thoughts might get his focus down. He's very pro-smart. His last game against LA was also a big step forward IMO. He had less TO's and stupid fouls, was thrown into a situation where Atlanta was blown out but in his period Atlanta stabilized the game, and after missing open long range shots reverted to some effective drives to the basket. He gets more secure out there

When you tank though, what do you do? Get rid of Horford? Have potential players on your roster experience a lost year and not grow as they could? Have even less of a "Market" to attract quality free-agents? To maybe get a Wiggins? Who is no where near the quality a Horford already has, and with a little bad luck you might as well be tanking for a half decade to reach playoffs again. I dont think Atlanta is that bad a market. Its no LA, or NY, but Atlanta isnt Milwaukee or Portland either. Its in the middle of the pack and it should work and hustle to become an attractive franchise for star players, which I think the city of Atlanta already is. Everybody, specially black people have a soft spot for Atlanta. Its not the worst place to be.

I havent watched lots of Hawks, only the pre-season games, since I only jumped on the bandwagon since Schröder was drafted, but I think Horford could very well grow even better when he gets to play on PF with some better guards, which I believe Schröder could grow out to be. I think Teague is at his roof potentially and not an ideal PG to a dominant PF and Korver is just very limited and to me more a quality bench asset. I think Hawks should defintly hold on to Horford, make him a centerpiece and give him the feeling he is and make him play where he is best and try and trade some OK but interchangable players for one quality SG or C. I would hold on to Teague and Carrol though.

Well its very easy to respond to this. For one I dont root for products, I root for my club, and I when I pay for a ticket I want them to do their best to win that game. Its prolly a cultural difference. I get all the arguments you have but its just unthinkable to even think that way up here, same as its unthinkable to call a sports team a franchise which can be moved to some other city to some highest bidder.

But isnt emotion what its all about in sports? There is also a sense of beauty in being a fanbase of a sucking team. My football team always plays on the bottom end, but we cherish every goal and victory when one actually comes, and cherish our anger and frustration just as much. Its kinda fun to go drinking beers and rant about this and that after games. Our big rivals from the city next door got into bed with the Georgian mafia, which is connected to a Russian billionaire, who owns Chelsea FC in England, and he sends their second rotation to play for our rivals, which is still two classes better than anything that walks around on the Dutch fields. They are a srs championship candidate, and we hate them while we stay sucking, but we are honest folks with an honest team and we take pride in not selling out. I think there is more to sports than just winning. I think you can live a much more apreciating life when realizing small things like that and enjoy the moment, instead of just chasing after a maybe and loosing yourself in the process.

I as a European and also soccer sucker who roots for his sucking hometown team no matter what, can not understand this strategic defeatist attitude. There can only be one champion, and whats the point of being between 6-2 when 6-8 is so horrible. I get all the arguments about rebuilding etc, but I think a franchise should not be run like that. People pay honest bucks to see a team of millionairs do their best and show their skills and there is no guarantee that next draft-pick will be all what you wish for. Thats also why I dont get the Horford trade discussions. I think a team should always strive to be top-notch, keep your best guys, and all that can also make the lesser men on this team better and maybe grow out into valuable players. I srsly can not see a recipe for succes in tanking.

Look at the foreign point-guards. They are all experienced players when they come to the NBA and mostly from the best European league in Spain. Guys playing on bigger positions from Europe have it easier, as they have allot more leverage game wise, are pure shooters, dont have to lead etc. Dennis just turned 20 and is all the way in good old America living his dream, but playing a small position with lots of variables that need to come to full effect in order to achieve in this top-notch league playing against the best of the best. Specially with his personal small-position type of game, which presses to do difficult things, on the dribbel, passing and actualy trying to lead the team as johnny rookie foreigner from Germany. He tries to just play his game and that shows character, even if many "variables" in his game are no where near "full effect", but you can see he misses the experience playing against NBA players. If eventualyafter 1 year or so it shows hes just headless in many type of situations then he has to adapt and play more secure, but as of now I think its just best to let him play his game and see if he can add those game-inches where he will make that difficult pass and gets it where it needs to be. I look at his snake and gazelle like movement though, and I see the movement of some of the greats in b-ball and soccer. He has it in him I think.

I think Atlanta will miss Josh Smith this year. He was a kind of player that you can give the ball to in any type of situation and who is very versatile in what he can do with it. Yes Josh Smith overplays and made to many shots, but he also drew defenders on him and is a great passer creating an easier game for his team-mates. When you look at Atlanta today you clearly see a lack of go-to-guys and the type of situation that they create. Atlanta needs to come up with some delicate team-ball combined with lots of hustle and a Carrol and Teague stepping up or otherwise it will be a very bad year. I think its kind of sad that a long-time achieved player like Josh Smith gets so much hate from many of his fans.

That being said, he also played some good defense last night. Hes been really disrupting in many situations, didnt draw many stupid fouls, and had a good 5 rebounds stat-wise. Who thinks Im crazy for comparing him with a Gary Payton in the very very rough. I for one dont see the Rondo or Jennings comparisons. He has that expert defensive potential, expert floor general potential, while really being very opportunistic scoring and passing wise.

Well, he played very conservatively, but that could also have been due to still being in the process of finding his NBA game, after making many TO's last games. That at least was down last night. That being said I find it hard to pin-point at what % he plays at all. Anyone with an eye for b-ball can see the potential this kid has, as well as seeing he has allot of ground to cover to reach that potential. Glad he plays for the Hawks though, as its a team in its baby-shoes as well atm and giving DS lots of opportunity to be in the mix.