KenDixon

http://espn.go.com/blog/nba/post/_/id/3659/the-atlanta-hawks-next-flight

Let's get Coach Bud a superstar that can put us on his back when the offense goes south and win it all next year.

about this team, it was that loss at Boston when we had a huge lead. Great teams don't let that kind of team beat them. If it had been Washington, Cleveland, etc. I'd understand. But Boston is a losing team who only made the playoffs because the East is so weak after you get past the top 5 teams. I was still surprised it took us 6 to get past Brooklyn. I'm not shocked we lost the first to Washington. We look tired and like we don't have our legs on the treys. I'm hoping three days of rest will help us get that back. But we sure have been missing a lot of long range shots that are open for the taking. What say you guys?

Did anybody find it ironic that Stephen A's comment after the was that he doesn't know if we're the real deal until he finds out if we have someone we can ride when the chips are down. Then in a matter of mere seconds when asked what the difference in the game was he said the GS superstars didn't have any offensive help and they need someone to step up? Maybe it's just me, but I found something sorta contradictory in those two statements.

Guys, Pop only starting doing this with the Spurs when Parker, Duncan, Ginobli, etc got old. Except for Korver, the rest of our starting guys are in their basketball prime years. The key here is that we are not making any of our starters go on average any more than 35 minutes or so. They are getting a full quarter of rest each game night. And that used to never happen with your starters in your dad's NBA.

We are looking at 65 plus wins right now. I wouldn't screw with this chemistry. You saw what happened when Lenny did it in 1994 trading Nique for a 16 PPG averaging Danny Manning. Don't do it again. I'll take my chances with what we've got. I agree that we can possibly get dominated on the offensive boards but if we play good D and shoot well from the perimeter we'll win most games.

If don't follow your team until they start winning, you are a bandwagon fan. How could a guy who buys tickets to the Chicago Cubs the last fifty years, feels greatly depressed about their chances every season, goes to every game and then suddenly they win the the World Series and he feels great be called a bandwagon fan. That makes absolutely no sense.

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/the-terroir-of-the-atlanta-hawks-20150122

Haven't stayed in touch with him the last few years but a decade ago my friend (an NAIA assistant coach) said the NBA and in much if NCAA div. 1, the players were too big to play true team basketball. The athleticism of the big men meant the passing lanes were all but closed and you just couldn't throw the ball around in a half court situation any more. He was saying as the NBA and college filled with more big men who could actually handle the ball like a point guard and play defense both outside and inside it was causing the game to become more about one on one match ups. I really bought in to what he was saying because watching the smaller players of the NAIA, their game just looked more beautiful to me. Everyone touching the ball, lots of movement, lots of assists. They weren't better obviously, but having only one guy above 6 foot 6 on the floor at the time did seem to open it up more for crisp passes all around team play on the court. What's making this so fun now is watching this same thing at the NBA level. I wonder what he would say about the Hawks.

If you have been on this board the last few seasons and following with regularity, you can't be a bandwagon fan. YOu could be a pessimistic fan, but not a bandwagon fan.

For the most part he's right. I firmly admit that I haven't paid nearly as much attention to the Hawks until this year.

But two years ago, he did beat that actual team. I believe in the Hawks, but look at how the Pacers, Bulls, and many other teams in the past finish as regular season East champs and fade in the playoffs. Heck, perfect example is the Pacers last year struggling to put us away in the first round.

maybe so, but as a fan, I'm gonna underestimate the T-wolves. Sorry.

Obviously Friday's game is a possible pitfall, but I feel confident playing at home that we get by that one. Portland is coming in four games. Can we finish off the home stand undefeated?

Yep, he would've been traded much sooner, and could've gotten more for him before others figured it out.